tri-ing to be a triathlete

F*ing tagged

2012-01-27T23:08:00.000-06:00

For all that is unholy.....

I've done so well not getting "tagged" by many people in the blogosphere. Only one other time that I can recall. And of course, this time it is from Carole and she throws out these questions that even some of my ex's wouldn't know the answers to! #facepalm << that was for Carole...she FLOVES hashtags....

Ok, fine. Here you go. I had to wait until I had a BIG glass of wine in me. I'll likely regret this in the morning.

1. Twister or Monopoly?

Monopoly - my weekly yoga classes have proven I'm just not flexible enough to put my hand by my foot.

2. Which do you crave more? The chips & salsa, or chocolate?

Tough one. Probably chips & salsa.

3. You're sitting next to a friend(s) in a room. You fart and it's loud enough that you KNOW everyone heard it. Do you acknowledge it or pretend it never happened? (Okay, every situation is different....but you know yourself - in general, your reaction would be?)

I turn and look at them, smile, and say "where did THAT come from?? I swear I've never done THAT before!" Then giggle like a 6 yo.

4. Pizza or Hamburger (yes, buffalo burger acceptable)?

Pizza for sure.

5. If you could go back to one conversation to change or add to something you said, what would it be?

I would add "with benefits."

6. Snow skiing or water skiing?

Water skiing, only because I've never been snow skiing.

7. What is the craziest thing you have done (or advice you listened to) to try to heal an injury faster?

Protein helps with recovering muscles that have been "damaged" during workouts, right?? This guy I was dating told me he had a special NATURAL salve that I could use like a lotion.....yeah, it didn't work.

>> UPDATE: You guys have dirty minds....it was a PB and egg yolk mixture of some kind. Geez....

8. Are you a cat person or a dog person?

Dogs - no question!

9. Do you wipe front to back, or back to front?

There's a right way and a wrong way. I do it the right way.

10. What's your favorite Charity?

The Human Fund.

11. Favorite rock/country/blues band of all time?

Aerosmith/Alabama/Stevie Ray Vaghan

I'm not tagging anyone else. If you want to respond to these questions, go for it. :)

Running Across America (er, Oklahoma) for Ulman Cancer Fund

2012-01-12T20:42:00.000-06:00

I feel like I just posted my 2012 schedule and I already have an update!

I'm adding in at least 24 hours of running with the Rev3 team during their Run Across America!!! You can learn more about the adventure here: http://rev3tri.com/america/raa-news/

On Day 11 (April 5) I'll arrive in Tulsa and join the run rotation through Day 12 (April 6) where I'll meet up with some family that I haven't seen in almost 14 years. I'm SOOOOO excited about this addition to my schedule. Holed up in an RV, snailing across the Oklahoma terrain, and with every step raising money and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund and their mission. What/who is Ulman Cancer Fund? Check out their website here and see how they are making a difference. Support. Educate. Connect.

Not only is the the Rev3 group running across America, but we will also be doing some virtual runs. Stay tuned on how you can participate!!

Want to just throw some cash at the situation???? Here ya go!!

2012 Race Schedule

2011-12-29T15:29:00.001-06:00

Here it is! My race schedule for 2012!

March - The Great Clermont Triathlon (Olympic), Clermont, FL

May - Rev3 Knoxville (Olympic), Knoxville, TN

June - Rev3 Quassy (Olympic), Middlebury, CT

July - maybe something local.....

August - Rev3 Wisconsin Dells (half), Wisconsin Dells, WI

August - Hotter 'n Hell 100 (100 mile bike), Wichita Falls, TX

September - run, run, run....

October - Des Moines Marathon (my first open marathon!!!), Des Moines, IA

RAWR

2011-10-23T12:05:00.002-05:00

(yes, I know, I owe you all a somewhat big race report...it's coming, I promise....)

Rude Awakening Run....or RAWR

Let me start by setting the stage. I, LittleRachet, haven't done a true run since Sept 11 until today. Following Rev3 Cedar Point, I was toast. Done. Kaput. My freakishly long race season started with a race in Miami in March and ended in September. 3 olympics, 1 half and 2 fulls = time for a break. I did do a cyclocross race the weekend after CP, but some repeated ravine jumping on my post 140.6 legs left me with knee pain that I didn't like. Rather than push it, I parked it. Until now.

This morning was an unseasonably nice October morning and if felt like it was time to get back out there. So, I decided I would do one of my benchmark runs - one that I know exactly how to pace and how I should feel and how fast I should be able to run it if I'm in good running shape.

I call it a Rude Awakening Run, especially when done at the beginning of the season after an extended rest period. Mentally it is rough. Physically it is rougher. Pacing sucks because you compare to what you SHOULD be able to do. You know that you should hit the turnaround by 25 min on a slow day and 22 min on a good day. This morning I hit it at 23:13 - not bad, right? WRONG. The way back home SUCKED. I had to slow to a walk a few times to let my HR come down. My legs felt great but my cardio fitness left me feeling like a smoker on a flight of stairs. I went out way too hard and paid for it coming back. A rude awakening indeed.

With the running of the RAWR, so begins my official return to training. I had planned it for Oct 1, but work and life had a bit of a different plan for me. Things have finally settled into a routine and now is the time to bring the workout schedule back in. I've got some big things coming up in the next few months, and I can't wait to tell you about them. Happy training!

Rev3 Cedar Point - LIVE!!!

2011-09-08T08:06:00.000-05:00

For my Iowa folks....after a long day of Iowa/Iowa State cheering, yelling, smiling, and crying, maybe on Sunday with your hangover-coffee you'll want to check in on me while I'm racing my second iron-distance event of the year (#3 total) - Rev3 Cedar Point!

The decision to switch from the half to the full at CP came after having such an empty feeling following IMTX, where my race went down the tubes when I left my nutrition in the fridge at the house. It's one thing to execute your race plan and have it go awry, but it's another thing to screw it up yourself and turn your big RACE day into a big TRAINING day before you even start the race. :(

As always, Rev3 will feature ongoing updates via pictures, video, and real-time status updates. The Rev3 Timing crew will be working tirelessly to keep timing mat data feeding to the web so that when the athletes cross those definitive points along the course, family members watching from afar will know their athlete is still putting one foot in front of the other.

Here's what you need to know:

http://rev3tri.com/live/

(until race day, the site features info from the Portland race - if you are new to Rev3, I highly recommend watching some of the featured video to get a sense of the caliber of this race series)

Division: Female 30-34
Bib Number:373

While I'm certainly not alone at this race, no one will be posting to my Twitter or FB account like has been done in the past. So tune in to the Rev3 Live website for all updates, and I'll get you all the fun details via a race report afterward.

See you at the finish line!!

(oh, GO STATE!!!)

Hy-Vee 5150 US Age Group Championships 9/2011 - Race Report

2011-09-06T15:54:00.003-05:00

The stage was set. In 2007, I ventured into the parking lot of Grey's Lake, put my stuff into transition, and set off on a journey that would ultimately lead me to Labor Day weekend, 2011.

This time, only the port-o-johns filled that parking lot. Transition took up the quarter mile of grass and beach adjacent to it. It was huge - and the portable lighting system lit it up like Times Square. I arrived just as transition was opened (at 4:30am) and went through my normal pre-race shenanigans. The weather had turned quickly overnight and produced a nearly 10 degree drop in the water temperature. WET SUIT LEGAL! For the first time I was able to don my TYR Hurricane 5 - literally for the first time....I hadn't worn it since receiving it earlier this year because all of my races had been so warm. I saw lots of my Tri Racer friends, talked pre-race chatter with folks, and around 6:30 they closed transition and we all started gathering around the swim start.

The Swim

Slated for wave 9, it seemed like forever to get going, but I knew that I could have it worse....I could be part of the "yellow bands" that still had nearly an hour to wait. Finally, we were staged - the 15-34 women of the 5150 US Age Group Championship. All I knew was that 20 girls were registered in my AG (I found out later only 16 actually started), and based on qualifying times, I was toward the bottom. I was gonna play with the fast girls this day.

Throughout the swim, I was having flashbacks to 2007 and the emotions ran high. As each buoy passed, I vividly recalled what I was thinking then. Then I'd smile....then I'd keep swimming. I actually was in the pack for quite a ways and was feeling good. I was sighting well, and even when we turned into the sun, I was able to maintain a pretty good line. I came out 10th in my AG - and 17:20 faster than in 2007 (and 6:39 faster than 2009).

T1

Like I mentioned before, the transition area was HUGE so it was a long, muddy run from one end to the other. Out of the wetsuit - bike shoes, sunglasses, helmet on.....a short run to bike out and I was outta there!

The Bike

This course was nothing like 2007 or the years this race was in West Des Moines. It was a challenging and fair course, ideal for a championship race. Lots of climbing, lots of turns...lots of everything to keep you busy. I felt really strong from the beginning but the plan was to negative split this leg, and because it wasn't a true out and back, I had to do this with my power readings. And I have to say.....starting in the early race was really nice. I've seen pics from the AG race and the bike course looked "full". But not for me! I was only passed a few times, and passed a few people myself. Other than that, the roads were nice an open which made for a good ride. I came into T2 11th in my AG (which makes sense because only one girl from my AG passed me). Note: comparing bike times isn't really worthwhile here other than to note that I was off the bike 36:15 faster than in 2007. 2009 and 2011 courses were very different and not comparable.

T2

Being so close to the bike in/out was nice. But the long ass MUDDY run out was not. I did, however, tie for 3rd in T2 times which makes me happy! (hey, it's the little things.....gimme a break!)

The Run

The plan was supposed to be a negative split on the run as well, but I didn't really execute that very well. The legs felt really good coming off the bike and while I was trying to slow it down, I wasn't doing a very good job of it. The first 3 miles were my fastest, then I got a bit slower from there. The run was mostly flat, tooling around on the paths by Grey's Lake, then back towards downtown, by Mullet's and into the streets of the East Village. The crowds were great and the atmosphere had a nice vibe to it. The quad-buster of a hill up to the capitol was just as daunting as it was in '07, but I was pumped and found myself smiling and goofing with friends who were cheering along the way. That blue carpet to the finish was a great sight to see, and I felt like I had flipped this race the bird as I crossed the finish.

Final thoughts

This race really is great, thanks to the folks at Hy-Vee corporate. WTC may have their grubby hands on it now, but this race has always been full of class and flare - well before they came around. The volunteers were amazing. The spectators were fantastic. And the details were (mostly) taken care of. As an athlete you didn't leave feeling like you were deprived of anything - same feeling you get at the Rev3 races. Qualifying and racing in the 5150 Championship is definitely the way to go. Not sure I would do the regular AG race (it still has all of the qualities I don't like about this race) but a plan to qualify again next year might not be so bad. Guess we'll see!

Flashback to 2007

2011-08-29T08:07:00.000-05:00

Here I am....two weeks left in this unbelievably huge summer of racing. OY! I have the Hy-Vee 5150 AG Championship race this weekend, then it's off to Sandusky, OH for my revenge attempt at the 140.6 distance. As I was thinking about these next two weeks, I realized that my race at Hy-Vee this weekend will be a bit of a revenge race too! NO PRESSURE!!!!

Let's go back to the year 2007. I had just finished my very FIRST triathlon in Highlands Ranch, CO. It was a sprint distance race with an indoor pool swim. Overall it was a total success! I was on the "tri high" and shortly after was convinced that I should give it another shot. There was a new race in town....the hype was huge as it would take over the downtown Des Moines area, with a finish in front of the Capital building. WHOA! So unheard of at that time! Nevermind that this race was an Olympic distance - nearly double the distance of everything I had trained for. And, nevermind that this would be an open water swim, of which I had yet to do. I had time to figure it all out, right?? So, I signed up.

I bumped my run training to accommodate for the 10K distance I would be required to run. I might have even ridden my bike a few more times. (I still thought you could fake the bike ride. And Des Moines is FLAT compared to CO, right???) I found some people doing open water swim practices and showed up to put my face in the water.

Kristen and I would spend hours chatting online about the "research" we had done on ways to shave time off of my transitions. We were convinced that this was a HUGE aspect of the race that needed some serious work. (remember, this is my 2nd tri ever) We discussed wetsuit removal strategies, speed laces in my run shoes, and no socks on the bike and run. I bought new bike shoes that were designed to be worn sockless (my first pair of Specialized Tri-vents, which I still swear by today). I bought the Body Glide to use for my wetsuit and on my feet. I was feeling ready - VERY NERVOUS - but ready.

Race day shows up and the water temps leave us sans-wetsuit. Oh. Boy. I hadn't done any OW swimming without a wetsuit. Panic started to kick in. I also hadn't done anything that resembled a mass beach start, so when the gun went off, I hung in the back to let everyone else go first.

I'm fairly good at keeping anxiety under control in most cases but this was something I could not fend off. The feeling of helplessness was there - the buoys seemed so far away! I wasn't too far out when I got my first face full of water and started choking. In my mind DROWNING! AAAAAHHHHH!!! I rolled over to my back so that I could catch my breath and pull myself together. This happened a few more times......before the first buoy. :( I started telling myself "just get to the buoy and you can quit!". But then I'd feel a bit better and would allow myself one more shot.

Then it happened. The wave of MEN behind us started to swarm upon me. I was taken by surprise (isn't that why they space you out? so that you don't overlap??) and the anxiety kicked in again. I got beat up, swam over, swam under, pulled and pushed out of the way - and one guy even talked to me, telling me to "sight off the bridge!". I just wanted to be done....NOW! I think I was consumed by a few more waves...I don't really remember now. I just remember finally finishing and thinking "Thank God that is over!".

I entered T1 and the only thing I could focus on was catching my breath. My heart was pounding in my throat - my lungs were burning! I was so disoriented. Thank goodness I didn't have to put on socks....that could have been a disaster. I eventually got my shoes, helmet, sunglasses and GLOVES on (hahahahaha!) and set out to fake this bike ride.

I was overwhelmed with the number of people I had to ride beside. I was still loopy from the swim, and now these people are zooming by me. It was only a few miles into the route when one particular guy, in full decked out sperm helmet and disk wheel, came in very close - swiped me (I felt something to my side and my leg) and I went down. Road rash, sore shoulder, twisted handle bars and brakes. I still had 20+ miles to ride - I was determined to finish this! I had suffered through that swim and didn't quit, so I wanted to keep going. I convinced the Rescue people I was ok, signed a doc saying so, and went on my way. At first I had the adrenaline on my side, but I was so nervous I would crash again that I was white knuckle the whole way. I remember a few people asking me about my road rash, and I just wanted them to leave me alone. As we came back into town, there was a fairly significant hill where all of the hecklers were camped out. My only goal was to not get off my bike and walk. I was hurting. Not just from the crash, but I was not trained to handle this amount of effort. A new friend was out there and started running beside me. I started whining about everything that had happened so far, looking for a "you got this" but that didn't happen. I believe he said something like "Quit your bitching and get your ass moving!". Funny today....not so funny then.

Finally I finished the bike ride. I kept thinking "Wow! Ok, I only have to do this run. What can POSSIBLY go wrong on the run??"

Remember that whole "no socks for a faster transition" idea? Yeah....that is what can go wrong on a run. Not only was I still feeling half of Grey's Lake in my lungs/stomach, and the road rash and shoulder really hurting, but now, as I slogged along in the brutal heat of the Iowa summer, my feet were starting to sear with pain from the blisters that were forming. OH MY GAWD WHY DID I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA????

It took me over 4 hours to finish this race. I hated almost every min of it.......except for the last minute of the finish line where I felt like I had really accomplished something. It was then that I realized I couldn't fake any of it. If I tried I would suffer, and I don't like suffering.

Lake Geode Challenge 7/2011 - Race Report

2011-07-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

I know I've been a bit quiet on the blog post-IMTX. Lots of life stuff has been going on and blogging has taken a bit of a backseat. However, I have been training A LOT and even had a race recently. It was a new race to me but a local one that has been around a while. It is known to be a tough course - hence the "Challenge" in the name. It was certainly a challenge, but one that I was prepared for. I've been doing lots of training in this stupid hot/humid weather, and have been busting butt on some tougher bike rides. Given that this was an olympic distance race (my FAV! NOT!!!) the plan for the race was to go hard the whole time.

Pre Race

Rather than get a hotel, I opted to stay at my parents' house in Cedar Rapids and make the 1:45 drive to Geode State Park on race morning. I needed to be there by 6am....you do the math. It was an early to bed/early to rise situation. I got myself and the dogs fed before hitting the road and arrived just before 6am which meant I got a sweet parking spot and prime real estate in transition.

**Sidebar: Ok, I have to admit I had a bit of a weird-out moment when I got to the race. It has been a LOONG time since I did a race without assigned rack spots. AND - there were only 12 racks in the entire transition area. TWELVE!!!! Three of them housed the entire women's field, and the rest were the men. We had ample space (well, until some chick showed up at the last minute (((LITERALLY, they were doing the countdown to close transition ))) and shoved her crap into everyone's nicely placed transition area.) It was just a weird back-to-the-basics moment for me.

I got a warmup run in, checked my bike for proper gearing, chatted with a few Tri Racers that were out there, then got ready to get the show going.

At the pre-race meeting. Some guy wanted to
show me his butt. Dude, really?

The Swim

From long course training to olympic racing, I find it hard to push my swim the way I should sometimes. The swim course was an out and back that had a dogleg turn in it. The buoy lines were nice and visible, and the sun was perfect - not blinding, but not too dark. I started towards the front and let those who wanted to pass me work for it. I jumped on feet and tried to hold on as best I could. My swim is still a weak spot for me, but I felt like I held my own fairly well. At least I didn't cut the course like one lady did. I saw her go in front of the turn buoy - not an easy mistake to make!!! Cheater. There were only 3 waves, each with different colored caps. I passed lot of men on the way back in - that boosted my ego a little bit. Coming out of the water I felt pretty happy with my swim, other than I probably could have pushed a little harder.

My transition spot was right inside the T1 entrance. I stripped off my TYR Torque speedsuit, threw on my bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses, then out the door.

Headed out of transition

The Bike
Let's just put it out there - this was a hilly course. However, there were some good chunks of flat spots that really let you get up to speed and push hard. I told myself that I couldn't give up those opportunities. So every chance I had I pushed it. I wish I had driven the course prior to the race, as I'm always timid on descents where I don't know what the road conditions are like. The roads on this course were a mixed bag. Mostly good, but lots of surprises along the way. I could have gained a few more minutes by not braking as much as I did on the downhills, but oh well. They did offer one bottle exchange along the course which was a nice touch. I didn't need it - I brought plenty of water with me knowing that the day was supposed to turn hot and humid. I didn't want to be behind on my fluids at all. I had my calories in one chamber of my aero bottle, then water in the other along with one extra water bottle on my down tube.

In the last 10 miles of the bike, I had the funniest experience all day. I'm coming into a 90 degree right hand turn and I look ahead to see a guy in full blown "I am triathlete man" mode. Eventually I catch him and as I approach I yell "On Your Left!". Maybe he didn't hear me as he actually moved to his left, in front of me. I yell again, louder "ON YOUR LEFT!!!" He shifted over and as I pass he says "WHAT?!!?" in a somewhat snide tone. I laughed and pedaled on. He was NOT HAPPY to have been chicked. A few minutes later, he is giving it everything he has to pass me back, and the cat and mouse game began. Eventually, after a particularly nasty hill, I caught him on the recovery and pushed on while he took a break. I never saw him again.

Done with the bike

T2
Always uneventful, I was out of my shoes before the dismount line and the run into transition was easy. I slipped my Avia Bolt IIIs on (no socks but TONS of Tri Slide!!!), grabbed my visor and race belt and was outta there.

The Run
By this point the sun has been out and the day has grown hot. I set out on the run and tackle the first big hill right away. What a brutal start. Clouds moved in and out which was nice, and a lot of the course was shaded. However, the humidity was thick and made for some oppressive conditions. But this is where this race and Race Director shine. They had the best aid stations ever. Ice cold sponges AND mini baggies of ice cubes. If I learned anything from IMTX it was how to stay cool. Ice baggies down the chest and the back of my neck. As the next aid station was coming up, I'd shift any remaining ice to my arm pit and replace it with a new one. This was the best decision I made all day. The out and back course was tough. Generally uphill going out, but the climbs either way sucked. I focused on lifting my knees to get me up the hills. My hamstrings and glutes were killing me in the end. My pace was not what I would have ideally wanted, but given the conditions of the day and the fact that I'm still training for long course racing, I was happy with the effort I gave. I was uncomfortable the whole time, and that was the goal.

I'll never turn down a little hardware!

Third time's a charm?? - Ironman Texas 2011 Race Report

2011-05-24T18:28:00.002-05:00

As far as trips go, this one ranks up there in the top. I got to meet some really cool people that I will forever call "friend" and I completed Ironman #2.

As far as RACES go - this one royally sucked.....but only my execution of it. The course was BEAUTIFUL. It was well run for an inaugural race. The crowd was OFF THE HOOK! I just didn't do my part to make it the day it could have....SHOULD HAVE....been.

I'm not wanting to dwell on it too long, so this race report is gonna be short. I was very ready to make this a PR race and botched it with something that may seem trivial, but to anyone who has trained for long course events knows that it was a make-or-break deal.

Pre Race Happenings

I got into Houston LATE on Wednesday night - later than originally planned too due to bad weather in Denver that included the scariest plane ride ever. Liz's husband was gracious enough to pick me up from Hobby at the ungodly hour. We got to the house, I was shown my room, and I slipped into bed. I had to be up early the next morning so I only got a few hours of sleep. No biggie - it's two nights before that matters. As I sleepily walked downstairs the next morning, I got to see Liz and meet Mikey for the first time. And with that, a weekend of fun and laughter began.

On the agenda for the day was the Underpants Run and Athlete Registration. We were out and about most of the day. By the afternoon, Ryan (White Hot) had arrived at the house and our team was ready for the Athlete Dinner. Um, wow. What a spread. We were sitting with the folks from iAmTri.com right up front. I got to meet up with more people I only knew through our online correspondence - like Brian Brode (Triboomer) and Chris Donnelly. What a fun evening!

Friday we had a practice swim and the theme of the morning was "will it or won't it be wetsuit legal". Temp was right at 76 degrees and I thought the water was great. Others didn't agree with me. I finally got to meet Trakkers teammates Jeff Irvin and Anne Moore - YAY! Love my Trakkers teammies! After the swim, the mission was to get bikes and bags checked in. While we were getting ready, I was able to meet up with my family. Things were finally coming together. They trotted around with me as I got everything turned in. I gave them some pointers on how the course is laid out and just enjoyed spending some time with them. We all had lunch then I chilled in their hotel room until dinner where my parents and I met up with Liz and Ryan at a little Italian place - simple and PERFECT!

Race Morning

Here's where it all went wrong. I had everything I needed to take with me laid out and ready to go. However, I had my nutrition bottles in the fridge and wouldn't you know, I completely forgot to grab them.

I don't know how this happened, but it did. It wasn't until I got to my bike in transition, opened up my bag and yelled OOOOOOOOHHHHHHH SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My gut reaction - call Liz and see if her husband could bring them. After I hung up with her, my logical brain kicked in - Transition was to close in less than 30 minutes. It would take longer than that for him to get to the Woodlands and fight the road closures and detours. It wasn't gonna happen. Time for Plan B. I called her back to call off the 911 to her husband. I took all the spare nutrition I had in my Special Needs bags, dumped it in my bottles, then texted my coach to let her know what happened. Right away she was texting me a backup nutrition plan using the on-course Perform drink. I have NEVER used this before and had no idea how it would work for me. It was a total crap shoot. It could work great and I could have a stellar day. Or, it could be a disaster. Regardless, it would be calories and electrolyte source for the day, so at least I could move forward and cover the 140.6 miles. My dreams of a PR went away, and I started thinking of it as a big training day. I didn't want my high hopes to add to the pressure. If it worked better than expected, then great. But I wasn't planning on it.

The Swim

The fam met up with me at the swim start and waited in the outrageous line for the port-a-potty. It was great having them there so that I wasn't 100% focusing on my stupid mistake. I eventually said goodbye and got into the herd of athletes headed towards the water. It was NOT wetsuit legal, but the IM folks allowed people to wear them if they chipped in separately (not eligible for Kona slots or AG awards). The water was 78 degrees, but I'm guessing peoples' decision was not based on warmth but on security. After the gun went off - the 2600+ people churned the small venue into the "washing machine" that is often talked about. Based on my 1:25 time, you'd never know I've been swimming so well lately. I was in traffic the entire time. And the guys were brutally violent. Kicked, punched, and pulled completely underwater....I really and truly thought I could die in that swim. I really hope they re-evaluate the swim course for next year. Time trial? Longer point-to-point? Something needs to change. And the canal???? Yuck. 4ft deep and that many people churning up the water. Felt like I was in an endless pool going nowhere.

Out of the swim I was actually feeling pretty good. I was thinking back to Cozumel where my arms were tired and sore and the feeling is completely different from that. I jogged all the way into the changing tent feeling pretty calm. My coach had me fully prepared for the physical portion of this swim. Thanks Coach.

Transition 1

One of the big things I wanted to make sure of was NO SUNBURN on the inevitably long bike ride that was about to occur. I put on some DeSoto Cool Wings (not easy when wet) and had the volunteers lather up my legs with sunscreen. I can tell you today - I don't have any sunburn at all. Success. The fam was right by my bike and it was nice to see them before I headed out.

The Bike

Highlights:
- The day stayed cloudy and somewhat cool for most of the day. Only towards the end did the clouds split and the sun come out. And the wind was minimal as well. We were fortunate - considering the weather this area has had in the weeks leading up to the race.
- The course was beautiful. It had rolling hills, a few decent climbs, some odd pavement but mostly good.
- Aid stations every 10 miles was great. Well stocked and the bottle handups were all on target.
- Got stopped for traffic TWICE. I would estimate at least 6 or 7 minutes total between the two stops. The cyclists would all congregate and yell at the cops. Then the peleton would take off.
- The drafting on this course was horrible. At least back where I was.
- The effects of the Perform started taking effect around mile 40. That's EARLY for stomach issues to be happening - not a good sign. I took it easy EASY. Stopped when I felt I needed to to use the facilities. I was trying to salvage anything I could to maybe still have a good run. Lots of time lost waiting for the toilets.

Transition 2

My volunteer really tried to be helpful, but other than helping me get those Wings off, she really wasn't. That's okay though - she was trying really hard which was awesome to see. On suggestion from Ryan and Liz, I took the wings with me to be used on the run. Threw on my fuel belt and had the sunscreen people load me up. I was feeling ok - post-112 mile bike ride ok. I knew what I had to do and set out to execute the plan.

The Run

Loop 1 - go out VERY SLOW. That was the plan. And that's what I did. At the first aid station, I stopped to load up my wings with ice in both sleeves - shoved one down my back and one down my front. This was the most awesome cooling method ever!!! I put ice in my hat too (I usually prefer a visor but wanted a way to keep ice up there). I was set. About 2.5-3 miles in, my stomach got REALLY upset. It was also 30 minutes in and time to take my first scheduled hit of calories. I hoped that going back to my standard calorie source would get my stomach back on track, so I grabbe my bottle and immediately after taking a swig I spit it out. RANCID!!! It had sat outside in the hot sun all day on Friday and ruined my bottles. Fantastic. Whatever. Why should my run go any better than my ride??

I managed to settle my stomach again to run out the last third of the first lap, and I thought I was gonna be able to go strong in the second lap. Not. So. Much. I was just past the start when it fired up again. Head was woozy, ready to throw up but couldn't manage to actually do it. Damn. I tried all of the tricks - coke, pretzels, chicken broth, water...eventually I just stopped taking in anything. The last 4 miles of the 2nd loop I took in nothing but a few gulps of water. Finally, as I approached the turnoff to loop 3, I was feeling better enough to try again. Amazingly, I could hold a descent pace for a substantial amount of time. I did a run-walk plan through the remaining loop and was able to finish strong.

Once again, my family served as an awesome support system. I looked forward to seeing them on each loop and knowing they were out there for me. I just wish I could have ended their spectathlete session a few hours sooner. Thank you to everyone that followed along on FB and Twitter, and your very encouraging notes. They mean a lot to me.

Now what??

Bib numbers are like tea leaves....

2011-05-17T07:42:00.002-05:00

Did you know....

197 is the total sum of the digits of all two digit primes (11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97)

In base 17 (appropriate since you only have 17 hours to finish) the number 197 is represented as BA == Bad Ass

Gold has an atomic mass of 197

Don't Be Cruel (1956) by Elvis Presley ranked #197 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

It's go time. Track me - Bib #197 on Saturday, May 21
http://live.ironmanlive.com/

Fast approaching

2011-05-06T16:34:00.001-05:00

Wow, my big race of the season is a mere 15 days away. Amazing how time flies.

This round of preparations for the 140.6 mile day has been waaaay different than last time. I'm not sure if it's because I know what to expect on race day, or that my life situation is just in a totally different place...maybe it's the combination of both those things. Whatever it is, I'm feeling on track. My body is tired with bouts of sore here and there after certain workouts. But it's a GOOD tired and a GOOD sore - right where I should be.

I'm officially tapering. I peaked at 20 hours last week and will slowly decrease my total training hours right up until race week. Taper affects everyone differently. I don't recall how I was affected last time....I guess that's the beauty of living alone. My dogs loved taper, because that meant I got to spend more time with them at home. This year I'll be around others during my taper, so I guess I'll quickly learn if my attitude turns south or I become annoyingly hyper.

I spent some time recently looking back at my race results from Cozumel '09 and reading (and re-reading) my race report. Man, I feel like I learned so much that day. Not to mention a more recent schooling in sun management down in Galveston. All of this learning, and training, and preparing, and planning.....I think I've hit a point where I'm no longer willing to deal with drama. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. Details have become overrated......why? Because the outcome just isn't worth the work of worrying. Pick your battles, right?

I have one MAJOR goal for my race in Houston, and it all comes down to the run. I think it has been an interesting adventure training for 140.6 as an early race, instead of having a full season of shorter races in which you are going fast fast FAST during your build/base. I haven't been fast at all this year.....and I'm ok with that. I know I can hang in there for the long haul - keep my HR low, keep my belly settled, keep my mind in the ~~gutter~~ zone. But during taper is when I get to start dabbling in some high intensity work and I get a taste of fast. High Z3-Z4 work on the bike. Intervals in high Z3 on the run. And those damn sprints in the pool! Damn I'm loving the pool right now! In '09 I had what I would consider a "fast season" prior to Cozumel, and that was really hard to turn off when it came to the big day - where holding back was more advantageous Right now, I settle into my IM paces with no problem. I'm not having to truly throttle - I just settle in naturally with little effort. When the workout calls for more intensity I can get there with no problem, but my groove is in my IM pace. I'm really hoping this pays off on May 21.

Bib 197

I had a breakthrough

2011-04-20T14:15:00.000-05:00

I've been doing this whole triathlon thing for what....5 years now? I didn't come into it with any sort of background. I didn't swim. I didn't bike (didn't OWN a bike). I didn't run (well....I had just started running....like 2 miles at a time.)

I have to say that the biggest hurdle has been the swim - becoming a swimmer is hard. Putting on a swimsuit is humbling. Thinking you are moving faster than a snail's pace, only to look over to the next lane and watch some tubby guy in a little speedo zoooooom past you like you are standing still.....defeating. Then, you have to try to convince yourself to do it all again tomorrow.....because with swimming, it is all about practice and consistency. Working on your form with a coach doesn't make you faster instantly. You have to do these form tweaks over and over and over....drill after drill after drill......it is daunting and quite frustrating to say the least.

Anyway.....as I'm only weeks out from my big race of the season, I'm putting in lots of time in the pool. I see these workouts on my schedule, and I pretty much know what to expect. I know about how long it will take me to plow through the long sets, and I know the short/fast ones will hurt because I just haven't been able to dial in my fast pace form yet.....until today.

Today it all came together. The little tweaks I've been working long and hard on finally became "normal" and I saw some numbers I've only seen during a swim test - during the FIRST 100 of a swim test where I blow it up too soon and suffer until the end. I wasn't flailing around to pull a faster and faster number each time (in the past, my "fast" form has totally fallen apart). I was so ecstatic!

Mid way through my workout (after pulling and paddles and all kinds of fun), I had a 6x100 descending. As I'm recovering during my alotted 20 seconds, I'm thinking to myself....

"Wow, ok, that's a pretty good start."
(as I drop 9 seconds) "Um, yikes! Ok, gotta throttle this!"
(another 2 seconds down) "Oh boy! ohmygodholyshitshitshit how am I gonna get this down?"
(another 2 second down) "FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU......"
(1 more second down) "I might die. Why didn't I wear my RoadID."
(held same pace from previous) "I did it! Oh....crap. There's another set of these coming up....."

Actually, the second set of these went just as well. It wasn't a fluke!!! I think all this swimmyswimmy is paying off!

Yay me.

Ironman Texas 70.3 - April 10, 2011

2011-04-16T09:18:00.000-05:00

I did this race as my very first half back in 2008 so I was excited to come in and tackle it again - with hopes of smashing my previous time. Well, my day didn't quite turn out that way.

I have to thank Kendall (of former TriGreyhound fame!) for picking me up at the Houston airport, chauffeuring me and my gear to Galveston, and letting me crash at his house Sunday night after the race. Monday morning he even took me on a tour of the IMTX venue which was a wonderful way to get a better understanding of what I'll encounter in May.

We got to the beach house in Galveston and met up with Liz and Mike. What a fun crew! I spent the evening chatting and building my bike.

After a brief spin on the bike with my house mates and a quick run with Mike, Saturday was spent working at the Recovery Pump booth at the race expo. Kendall and Liz were superstars - they brought me lunch and my bike when it was time for bike check-in. Really - you guys are AWESOME!

After wrapping up the expo and tearing down the tent, Mike and I grabbed some dinner before heading back to the beach house. I was in bed at a decent time, dreaming of calm winds and cool temps. Ha.

Race Morning
As I open my eyes and lay in bed, I hear the wind howling and feel it rocking the beach house. Lovely. I get up, start gathering my stuff, eat my breakfast, and we all pile into the car and head for the race. As I arrived at transition, I got my body marked and got to my bike. I started loading it up with my bottles, which is when I realized that my aero bottle needed an adapter to stay secure in my bars (I never needed one on the P3, and I never thought to confirm the fit on this bike. Lesson learned.). So, I started looking around for something to wedge in there and hold it in place. Answer? An extra pair of swim goggles. I did my best MacGyver job on it and moved on.

Transition closed at 6:45am, and my swim wave wasn't until 8:25am. I walked down to the swim start....and sort of paced around. I briefly saw Kendall. I hit the long line for the port-a-potty. I turned in my morning gear bag. I paced some more. I found Liz and talked to her for a bit (her wave was at 8:40!) then headed towards the pier. Like cattle, we slowly inched our way to the end, jumped in, and waited for the signal.

Swim
The way the wind was blowing, the swim course was a bit interesting. First segment was against the current, but for me and my right side breathing it was calm. Dog leg to the left and now we were kind of with the current, but it was quite choppy. I found my rhythm to breathe with the waves, but my biggest issue was traffic. I could not get out of it! I kept getting the cross-swimmers (they come from nowhere and cut right in front of you) and the stop and go-ers (they swim, they stop, I pass, they swim and pass me, they stop, I pass.....), and then I started encountering the cruft from the previous waves. I counted 4 different swim cap colors other than my wave's red. Finally, the turn back towards the finish - I lined my sights with the exit ramp and brought it home. It wasn't a fantastic swim for me, but sometimes you just don't get ideal conditions.

Up and out......WETSUIT STRIPPERS!!! Love it. I remember in 08, watching the guys who were wearing next to nothing under their suit...wtf?? Thanks to the pair that had me stripped and going so fast. You rock!

T1 - In a short race I grab and go. For this race, I took a moment to make sure I had everything and didn't do something stupid. The transition area was big, and I was closer to swim in/run out than to bike in/out which meant a long run with my bike. Nothing eventful though, and soon I was gone.

Bike
Yes, the wind. The wind was still blowing hard and even getting out to Seawall was interesting. Once there, it was a matter of settling in with the lean and getting out of traffic. Plan was to settle in during the first 30 min, then find Z3. The course is uber flat, so first 45 min was spent trying to find some open space to settle into. Pass or don't pass was the game. I opted to pass in most cases. Of course, over 56 miles there were lots of characters that I encountered. The most annoying was a blatant drafter. She was wearing her little ITU style suit and was on a road bike. She would hop from wheel to wheel, in the saddle, out of the saddle, slow waaaay down, then speed back up. At one point I thought I had left her behind, then a chic that was passing me alerted me that she was sucking MY wheel! Grr. I picked up my pace a bit, moved through some traffic, and got her to latch on elsewhere. The first half I was feeling good. I was on top of my nutrition and wasn't outside of my race plan power-wise.

We hit the turnaround and things shifted a bit. The obvious change was the slight tailwind. My avg pace coming back in was 3 mph higher than going out (holding the same power) so it wasn't a huge tailwind, but enough to matter. My core temp started to rise - I was no longer being cooled by the wind. The sun was at my back and I started feeling warm/hot for the first time during the ride. Around the 2:15 mark, my stomach started cramping a bit, and eventually turned sloshy. At this point I was trying to manage my nutrition with hopes of getting it back under control before the run.

T2 - Off the bike my legs were feeling tight but not horrible. The long run with my bike to my transition spot seemed daunting. Finally I arrived, swapped my gear out, took a pit stop in the port-a-potty, then headed out for a run where I had no idea what to expect.

Run
Let's face it. It was hot. It was humid. I was already 4 hours into my race, 3 of which were spent soaking up the sun. Other than my time in Miami, these were conditions I just hadn't been able to prepare for. I had followed my pacing and nutrition plan, and now it was time to see if it would pay off. The run was 4 loops (stupid) and the first loop I was feeling ok. Not great - but ok. I tried to stay on my nutrition plan, but all I wanted at the aid stations was cold water. Water down the gullet. Water down my front. Sponges and ice tucked in my bra. I was starting to roast.

By the second loop, my energy levels were drained and my stomach was refusing anything other than water. I kept taking my salt tabs, but I stopped to walk and take in water at every aid station - both to drink and put more on the sponges in my shirt. When the aid stations started offering Pepsi, I started drinking it. It helped settle my stomach and gave me a bit of a boost. I would get a surge of energy and see a decent pace, but it would quickly burn off and I was back down to a trudge. I would continue with the Pepsi through the end.

At last, I had done all 4 laps (stupid) and was able to veer off to the finishers shoot. I was glad to be done.

Final Thoughts
In looking at my race data from the day, and assessing the unbelievable sunburn I had acquired, I'm pretty sure that the deterioration of the day came as a result of the cooking I endured. Our skin is one of the largest organs in our body, and is a PRIMARY organ. If it is in danger, blood will be diverted from other systems to help heal/cool our skin. Had I not been a lobster, I probably would have had a fantastic run. Lesson learned.

Everyone keeps asking if I used ANY sunscreen - YES!! I followed the same regimen I have used repeatedly, race after race, although it was a different brand than I've used in the past. In Cozumel, I wore arm coolers and a jersey with more coverage on my back. I will certainly be doing this again in May in Houston. Also, this is early in the season, and my long course events have all been later in the season in the past. My pale skin had only seen the sun a few times. I have purchased some BETTER sunscreen and will be paying close attention to my coverage at IMTX in May. I'm not going to give up another good run to sunburn ever again.

My race nutrition - the evolution to wild!

2011-03-27T08:05:00.000-05:00

I think back to when I first started training for triathlons - I started reading everything I could find on the net, and the biggest topic that was talked about was race nutrition. At the time, I had no real clue how important nutrition was. I had it in my head that I needed to "carbo load" the night before, eat a "goo packet" before the race, then eat a big meal after the finish. I followed this concept through my first few seasons. The only thing that really changed was finding what gel flavor and brand tasted the best.

When I started training for my first ironman in 2009, I decided I needed to really buckle down on my nutrition as a whole. I worked with a professional nutritionist - she helped me with my daily nutrition, but also had some interesting insight on the food I would consume during my race. This is when my perspective on race nutrition really changed. As my training hours increased, I began to see (and feel) the flaws in my current nutrition plan. It was hidden ingredients in those products - building up over 4...5....6 hours - that was taking a toll on my gut. Eventually we found a combination of products that worked ok. But really, I wasn't satisfied with that, and had pledged that I would continue my quest with hopes of finding a better solution.

Last year, with the addition of the Trakkers team to my life, also came my introduction to First Endurance. They have the full range of products - sport drink, "gel", bars, recovery drinks...even vitamins. I was a bit overwhelmed, trying to use the products and finding what I liked. The sport drinks taste fantastic - not sugary and syrupy like other stuff out there. If I needed some calories, I would add in the Vanilla Liquid Shot and the drink would taste like one of those dreamsicle popsicles. Most of last season, I used some variation of the EFS sport drink and liquid shot.

I think it was at Rev3 Knoxville when I got to sample a new flavor of Liquid Shot that was under development - Wild Berry. OMG......I was in love, and I sort of obsessed about when it would be available to purchase. Finally, when the announcement came out, I orders 3 or 4 big refill containers of it. At first I was using it as my calorie source - as-is from the bottle. But then I started playing around with the concentration, mixing it with water. Even diluted, the flavor was great. I eventually found that it was my answer for everything and was using it exclusively.

I think one of the biggest factors that makes this work for me is that the product is very natural and has no gumming agents. Back in 2009, I had to eliminate gels from my bike nutrition plan because the effect on my stomach over the course of 112 miles really messed me up.....if you know what I mean.

Supplement Facts Serving Size: Each flask 5oz (130ml)
	Amount Per Serving	%DV
Calories-400 Calories from fat-0
Total Carbohydrate (Complex carbohydrates, Dextrose, Sucrose)	100g	33%
Sugars	50g	**
Calcium (as Calci-K™ calcium complex)	150mg	15%
Magnesium (as Magnachel™ magnesium glycine amino acid chelate)	120mg	30%
Chloride	600mg	*
Sodium	400mg	25%
Potassium	290mg	8%
Amino Acid Blend (L-Glutamine, Leucine, Iso-Leucine, Valine)	1,000mg	*
Daily Value Not Established *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Other Ingredients: Purified water, natural flavors, citric acid, sorbic acid and sodium benzoate (to preserve freshness).

Calci-K™ and Magnachel™ are registered trademarks of Albion Laboratories Inc, covered by US Patents 6599544, 6248376, 5516925
*Natural flavors, sweeteners and colors
**No Gums

As of right now, the Wild Berry Liquid Shot will be the main component of my nutrition at IMTX. I'll have concentrated bottles on the bike, then have a few flasks (in a different concentration) ready for the run. I've already tested it WARM - I've made up my concentrated bottles with hot water to see how it tastes unchilled - like it will be on the back of my bike after hours in the Texas sun. Amazingly, the taste is still pleasant. It doesn't go sour like some other products do.

It's settling to feel that my race nutrition for the season is pretty secure - one less thing to worry about.

Miami International Triathlon (5150 Series) - March 20, 2011

2011-03-26T19:08:00.001-05:00

First race of 2011 and I am pretty pleased with the outcome. Let's set the stage going into this race....

I am fully immersed in training for IMTX, which means long, slow, steady endurance pace
I have been locked indoors for almost all of my training thus far. Only in the last few weeks have the temps and conditions allowed me to really get outside. I had one outdoor ride prior to my race.
Sick. I've been sick more this year than I ever have been in the past. Monday morning of race week, I woke up with a sore throat and started the process all over again. Being sick sucks.
I've been working away from home since the beginning of February, so my routine has been a bit "off". I have nice accommodations for training, but it's just not the same as being at home. Plus, I've been sleeping on an air mattress which is totally causing me discomfort. My back, my neck, my shoulders...and I just don't really get quality sleep.

Pre-Race

I flew into Miami on Friday, with hopes of being able to sleep in on Saturday morning. The sleep you get two nights before a race is the most important, and given the sickness and low quality of sleep I've been getting lately, I wanted to maximize my opportunity. And. I. Did. I think I slept in until 8:30 or so. Ahhhhh! I went to get some breakfast (pancakes!) then it was back up to the room to build my bike. Later that day, I hit the race expo and athlete check-in. Since I was starting to feel the sickness improve, I decided to save my energy for race day and skip my practice swim. I just took the bike out for a quick spin to make sure the mechanicals were working, then left it in transition for the night. For dinner I met up with Tami and her mom, then I settled into the room and hit the sack early...as the alarm was set for 3:30. *ouch*

Race Morning
I was up early to get my breakfast down (PB sandwich and my Starbucks Via) and get things packed up. The race venue was at least a 25 min drive and transition opened at 5am. I figured it would be tough to find parking, so my original plan was to be there by 5. As I'm on the highway, I realize I forgot my wetsuit! I played a quick game of should-I-shouldn't-I then decided I definitely should go back to get it. I pulled in to the race site around 5:30 and wouldn't you know.....I got some serious rockstar parking - bizarre! I made my way into transition and got my things set up. I found Tami and wished her luck, just in case I didn't see her again before the race. Then I did my normal pre-race "things". Walk through the race in my head (visualization), an easy warm-up run, then I was off to the swim start.

The Swim
I was in wave 6 (of 7) so I felt like I was waiting around forever. Once it was my turn, we all jumped in the water and lined up at the buoy for our start. Our wave was fairly small, so we were able to spread out. I took an outside line - having watched everyone that took the inside go way off course to the first turn buoy. The path to the first buoy was fine, but after that I couldn't see a damn thing. They need more buoys in between. I had to stop numerous times to figure out where the hell I was, and usually I was headed off course. Oy. As I passed the last turn into the finish, the guys in the last wave started catching up. That was a good sign for me - I had held them off that long! :) The plan had been to go strong and try to negative split the swim - and I think I did just that. I hit the exit stairs and felt a little winded from my effort - hoisted myself up, got my legs under me, then headed for the (long) run to transition.

T1 - Because the run to transition was long, I got out of traffic then stopped to take my wetsuit off before finishing my run into transition. It was easier to run AND if I had left it on, the water would have all been out of it and it would have been harder to get off. Once I got it, it went fairly smooth. Shoes, sunglasses and helmet on. I mis-judged where the mount line was and tried to get on the bike a little early, but no big deal. It's flat heading out, and off I went.

The Bike
This was a fairly boring course - and flat if you look at it from a total elevation gain and loss perspective - but there were a few (3) features that kept it interesting. That would be the 3 "hills" on the causeway. On the way out we had a cross headwind that made climbing a test of patience. On this lap (I would be back to do it all again) I took it fairly conservative. After last season, my climbing skills have greatly improved, and I know how to throttle my effort - and throttle I did. After the mid-lap turnaround, we hit those same "hills" with a tailwind which made the climbs much more fun. By the end of lap one I had a few guys around me that started playing the "I don't want to be chicked" game with me. Yay. As we headed into lap two and tackled those "hills" again, I opened it up and really pushed some watts. I'm not a small girl, but I am smaller than those guys, so I put some space between us going up, then they would pass me going down. This continued as we went out on the second loop, but coming back was a different story. With the tailwind and my freedom to push hard (race plan was to negative split the bike too), I really pushed it coming back into town and dropped them like a bad habit. It was awesome! The whole ride I was completely oblivious to my speed, power, cadence or time. I knew the efforts I needed to put out, and went totally on feel.

As for nutrition, I made up two bottles - one was 2 oz of First Endurance Liquid Shot and water, and the second was just water. I had the EFS in my aero bottle to begin with and took a drink every time my watch beeped for a mile, and whenever I felt the need. By the halfway point I was almost through that bottle and it was getting hot out. I dumped the remaining water into my aero bottle (which still had some EFS in there) and drank that the rest of the way. I was careful not to get my belly full of water but it was continuing to get warmer and warmer and I didn't want to be dehydrated going into the run. It all worked perfectly.

T2 - Feet out of my shoes prior to hitting the dismount line....I was off the bike and back into transition in no time. My Avia Bolt IIs were already lubed with Trislide and ready for my sockless feet.....on they went. Helmet off - I grabbed my visor and race belt with one hand, and my flask of EFS LS in the other and I was out of there!

The Run
I have a bad habit of going out too fast on the run so I paid close attention just getting settled in. My legs were a bit tight from the bike so that helped to keep me in check. They had said water stations would be every 3/4 of a mile, but they way they had the course set up, sometimes it was more frequent than that. The run would be two loops and the plan (you guessed it) was to negative split the run. The first lap I felt like I gave a steady effort, then picked that up a notch on the second lap. Not having had any heat training or time to acclimate, the sun really started to take it's toll. My effort in the second lap was certainly a perceived increase, but I'm not sure that it really translated to my actual pace. Regardless, I buckled down and just focused on holding my form - no speed lost to sloppy form. I took hits from my EFS flask as I would approach an aid station (unless it was one of those too-soon ones). I had salt tabs with me but never felt the need to take them. As I came into the finish, I threw up my arms for the signature horns and called it a day. I was satisfied with my effort.

Post Race
Considering I've alway been a middle-of-the-pack kind of girl, I was excited to find out that I took 4th in my age group. I was sitting around, watching the pros receive their awards, then I decided to leave. As I was walking out, I swung by the timing tent to see the results that had been posted - that's when I found out I had placed! They were handing out fancy little trophies for top 5, so I went back over to get mine. Neat! Turns out it was a 6 min oly PR for me too! YAY! Overall, it was a pretty good weekend - I'll take it!!

Eating

2011-02-26T13:44:00.000-06:00

Since I'm less than 90 days away from my next iron distance race, I figured I better get my eating cleaned up so that I can move back into "that phase" of my race prep. That phase where I eat to fuel the ass-kicking workouts for the week. The phase where what I eat helps not only to fuel but to help me recover. Eat to train, instead of train to eat.

You can flip back to 2009 and see some similar posts. Last time, I hired a nutritionist to help me figure out what I needed to do. I learned a lot, so this time, I'm giving it a go on my own. I've gathered a number of recipe books to help keep things interesting because I tend to just eat the same things over and over again. Why? Because I prefer to graze instead of cook. I buy a bunch of stuff at the store, then I eat off of that for the week. I like to get inspiration from recipes, but I like to make it my own.

Today for lunch I created something that I wanted to share. It was so flavorful and yummy - I wished I had made more than my single serving portion! (ahh...portion control....another thing I have to focus on) The recipe is very grazy-thrown-together. I opened the fridge, I pulled from what I had, and came up with this beauty.

Chicken and Rice w/ Spinach, Tomato and Feta

Prep notes:

Cooked Brown Rice - I made up a pot of brown rice in my rice cooker earlier this week. I keep it in the fridge and use what I need throughout the week. It microwaves nicely, or add it to a dish like this.

Rotisserie Chicken - Again, I'm not big on really "cooking". So each week, I'll buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken at the grocery store. I bring it home, pull all of the meat off and keep it in a container in the fridge. It's perfect ready-to-go chicken.

In a small sauté pan (small pan equals small portion!)

EVOO
Tsp chopped garlic
Salt

Bring to temp

Add Small handful of spinach...start to sauté, but don't overcook.

Add one chopped roma tomato. Bring the tomatoes to temp.

Add in pre-cooked rice (mine was cold, right from the fridge) and rotisserie chicken (same thing - cold!). Bring everything to temp. Add salt and garlic pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with feta. Mix it in to warm.

Serve!

Wowza!

2011-02-17T05:19:00.000-06:00

Three syllables: Ah-maz-ing!

Yes, talking about my trip to Africa. I'm back, and have tons of pics to share. I'm this >> << close to being able to sit down and get it written up, along with all the tri-related things I have going on (you know....like that pesky race coming up in 1 month!). I'm hoping this weekend will lend itself some time.

Until then - the weather here has had a slight warmup. Good thing, because consistent 86* temps in Africa SPOILED ME! I came back, it was in the mid 40s and I was COLD!!! Everyone else was wearing short sleeves and shorts!!! Hahahaha! I'm a wuss! With today's high around 60 I am for sure planning to run OUTSIDE for my long run today. BLISS! (I might need to wear some galoshes though...it is quite sloppy out there from all of the snow melt.)

One of the sucky things about being on a 9 hour time difference when over in Africa was not having the same real-time twitter/facebook/chat interaction with everyone. There is so much happening in my Trakkers-verse right now. Our new (and renewed) sponsors are gearing us up.....OMGOMGOMG.....I can not WAIT for the next few weeks as things start arriving from brown santa.*angels sing* Not to mention both my tri club and my bike racing team are in the midst of the same things - securing sponsors, getting uniforms finalized and ordered - BAH! So much going on!!!

But not to worry, my Type-A-OCD-idness will prevail and get it all taken care of. :)

Random thoughts...

2011-01-20T08:03:00.000-06:00

I'm at a very weird point in my training right now. Hours are ramping up, and I'm getting about 85-90% of my workouts done. I'm feeling strong - especially on the bike. As I rode last night, I watched my watts hover at a place I struggled with last year - and my HR was in low Z2. And as I did my run off the bike, I had my momentary transition niggles, but I settled in and got it done - and felt STRONG. But, I've been sequestered to the treadmill for so long, I'm feeling like my run is suffering. Well....I just don't really know where my run is at right now - and that freaks me out a bit. I went out earlier this week for my long run - in inches of fresh show - and my paces just.....sucked. Is there a multiplier that will help me feel better about this run?? I'm totally jonesing for a warm, outdoor run so I have a sense of where I'm at.

Life is busy, hence the 85-90% completion. But what can you do?? Take last night for instance. I started my workout at 7pm, was done by 9:20pm, ate dinner, then worked until 1:30am. Ugh. I'm having to really fight the balance. I feel soooo good when my work and training align, but when something is off kilter, I just get really frustrated.

I really need to get my blog design updated to reflect all of the new 2011 Trakkers sponsors!!! I'm super pumped about this season. 2 new Rev3 races I haven't done before - Portland and Cedar Point! I'm bummed I won't be at Knoxville and Quassy, but I have this little 140.6 race in the middle......

Speaking of that race - there's a high possibility that some of my family from Texas will be in attendance to cheer me on. I haven't seen most of this family in YEARS. I've been able to reconnect with them via FB and it's been quite special.

Oh....and an upcoming trip to Kenya for work? W00t! So excited about this. Expect lots of pictures!!

Holy S#*@!! It's 2011 already!

2011-01-06T08:44:00.000-06:00

As I sat down for Thanksgiving dinner, I couldn't help but think back to what I was doing that day, one year earlier. I was in Mexico, getting ready to my first Ironman. What an amazing day.

Then I thought about everything that has happened from then until now. So many things....so many new friends made....so many new places visited.....new emotions felt....old wounds slightly irritated.....breakthroughs made......fears faced head on.....WOW! How did it all go by so fast??

And as I sit here, thinking ahead to the upcoming year, I can't help but get both excited and a bit scared. I have some real adventures on my calendar already, and I'm very excited to share my journey with you.

New year...new gear....new fear....new cheer.

Happy New Year everyone!

FINALLY!!! All3Sports.com shopping giveaway WINNERS!

2010-12-08T08:28:00.000-06:00

Well, THAT absence from blogging wasn't in the plan! *SHEESH* So sorry to keep everyone waiting. Sometimes life just doesn't play out the way you planned it, and you have to just roll with the punches. Anyway....

Thanks for all of your great suggestions! As you browse through the virtual shelves of All3Sports.com, you see that they have a wide selection of products - enough to keep any gear-oriented triathlete drooling for days. I know it is holiday time so I thought I would share some of my favorite things, and let you know what I decided to use my gift certificate on! Ready? Here goes:

Garmin Forerunner 310X w/ HRM
This piece of gear is essential for me. I kinda freak when it isn't charged or I forget it at home. I like being able to log all the details of my workout without having to monitor it constantly. I also connect this up to my powermeter and use it to collect that data as well. Using the 310 as a headunit instead of the $1000 headunit that comes with PM saved me tons of money too!

SRM Wireless Powermeter
After a lot of research of the pros and cons, I decided that my investment in a powermeter would be best spent on a crank-based system. It affords me the ability to swap out wheels for training and racing while still having power data. As I mentioned above, I chose to use the Garmin 310 as the "computer" instead of the one SRM offers. Huge money savings and data is all in one place.

X-Lab Sonic Wing w/ Gorilla Carbon Cages
Anyone who has ever launched their bottles off the back of their bike will appreciate this setup. The X-Lab Sonic wing fits nicely on my P3 and allows for various angles to make reaching back as easy as possible. And though most people go with the cheapest bottle cages they can find, I LOVE these Gorilla cages! They hang on tightly to the bottle - but it is easy to pull from and return when needed.

Speedfil System
Although I didn't race with it last year, I do plan to race with a Speedfil system in 2011. It is a great way to carry fluids, and given that I'll be doing another hot and humid 140.6, I plan on having ample water with me.

And now.....the product I decided to use my gift certificate on.....

Adamo ISM Podium Saddle
Finding the right saddle for long course has been an ongoing battle. I've been on a Terry Butterfly Tri, Adamo Race, and Cobb V-Flow Plus. But it still isn't right. ISM heard the call of those needing a slightly narrower fit and retro-fitted their line to accommodate. I can't wait to get it on and give it a try!

<< drumroooooooollllllllllll >>......Finally, the winner!

William - get in contact with me via email (littlerachelle at gmail dot com) and I will get your prize out to you!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and the holiday season is treating you well. Lots of good things in the works for 2011 for me....can't wait to share my journey with you!

Winner to be announced soon!

2010-11-15T16:39:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone - I haven't forgotten about you! I know I owe you a winner to my All3Sports.com giveaway and I will have it up soon. I'm currently bombarded with "real life/real job" stuff right now - and that plus training is zapping me. I will try to get the winner's post up in the next few days!

Sorry for the delay!

What to buy???

2010-11-02T14:19:00.000-05:00

Earlier this summer, All3Sports had a contest where they asked people to submit their best caption for their Caption the Champion contest:

I don't even remember what I submitted (I think it had to do with stealing brownies???) but I did win one of the runner-up prizes! I got a visor, a water bottle, an autographed tech shirt (signed by 5x IM Champ Heather Gollnick, 2x IM World Champ Craig Alexander and newly crowned IM World Champ Mirinda Carfrae) and a $50 gift certificate!

Now that I'm back into SBR mode, I was thinking I should put this gift certificate to good use - but I don't know what I should spend it on! Yeah, yeah, I could buy all of the same old stuff I buy all the time (goggles, speed laces, salt tabs.....), but that's no fun. Here's where I need your help.....

Post a comment to this entry with what YOU would spend the $50 on, and include links from All3Sports.com (so that me and others can see what you are talking about). It doesn't have to be $50 - it can be more or less. But I'm looking for something FUN that I normally wouldn't buy - you know, a splurge!! Everyone who sends me a suggestion will be entered into my little contest. And next Friday, Nov 12, I'll draw names from the entries and the winner will receive the All3Sport Headsweats visor and signed tech shirt! (I'd give you the water bottle too, but I've already used it.)

Want an extra chance? How about 2 extra chances? Post a separate comment letting me know that you follow @All3Sportscom on Twitter, and an additional comment that you "Like" All3Sports.com on Facebook. (I will check and verify this before I do the drawing!!!)

Ok - go shopping (for me)!!!!

*Note: The tech shirt is the one I received as part of my prize. There is no option for sizing, but why would you wear it anyway? You need to carry it with you in your transition bag, like a good luck charm, so that the champion-style-mojo from those 3 superstars rubs off on your gear. Just be sure to keep it away from your dirty clothes AFTER the race. You don't need your funk messing up their mojo. That's a recipe for disaster.

Thoughts as I wind down my off season

2010-10-20T21:30:00.001-05:00

Photo by Steve Fuller

When coach told me I would have 2 months off - two months of unstructured-do-whatever-I-want-eat/drink-whatever-I-want time, I had all kinds of aspirations. I was going to really break into using my TRX more. I was going to do lots of trail running. I was going to do this crazy cyclocross stuff. I was going to swim. I was going to try and drop in on some yoga classes. I was going to eat whatever. I was going to drink whatever. I was going to go totally and completely ape-shit and do all of the things I had dirty little dreams about during my structured race season. Guess what?

I didn't do most of that.

In fact, all I can really say I did was the cyclocross and the eating/drinking whatever I want. The few times I've run or done TRX don't really count. Nor the ONE TIME I've swam.

I had such good intentions, but LIFE - all of the things I had put on a back burner all season long - were way more enticing than even a 30 min workout each day.

I know, I know. 30 min a day should not be that hard to fit in, especially considering the 2-3 hour workouts I used to fit in during IM training. But the one thing that went out the door along with my workouts was my time management skills.

Photo by Steve Fry - fryguyimages.com

Seriously, I hung up my Garmin 2 months ago and it's like time became a non-issue. I'm an obsessive Garmin user when I workout, but the freedom I was feeling by biking and running without a watch started to roll into my everyday life. I knew I had to go to work. But when I got home, I didn't PLAN anything. I would think "oh, what a beautiful day - let's go to the dog park" and off we'd go. Then I had to get dinner and do errands and laundry and work and....well, next thing I knew, it was 11pm and I needed to get to bed. (Which btw - this is the total opposite of how I am when I work. Very organized, very scheduled. Maybe I'm rebelling at home because I'm so structured at work????)

So in these two months, I have resolved that I NEED A SCHEDULE to make myself workout. I have to make it part of my minimal requirements for the day or it isn't going to get done.

Photo by Rick Bachman

And the whole eating/drinking whatever I want? Yep, I've had lots of dinners that consisted of popcorn because I just hadn't made it to the grocery store. I've had lots of donuts and lots of beer. These are all things I like to splurge on every once in a while, and frankly, I've been in a constant state of splurge since Sept 1. Mostly, I've eaten out of convenience, and not out of necessity to fuel my body like I do when I'm training and racing. And right now...I'm over it. My body is craving for me to go back to eating well and staying hydrated.

So, along with a schedule, in these two months, I have resolved that I NEED A REASON to make myself eat right. I love food too much, and if I don't have a good reason to choose the good stuff over the bad, I'm probably gonna choose the bad (I'll regret it later, but in the moment it feels so right...)

Trust me when I say I have had a lot of fun over the last few months. But I have to admit, I'm ready to go back to my less social life of SBR training. I'm ready to go back under the wing of my trusty coach. I'm ready to shed the few extra pounds I've added and get ready to re-enter my hermit-ish endurance sport life again.

This off season was healthy for me mentally and even physically (hard to believe with donuts and beer on my menu, but trust me). I needed a break. The steam was building up and I was ready to explode 2 months ago. My Zealous guys and the new friends I've made at cyclocross practice and races have helped me tremendously. But now I feel like I'm ready to pull up my tri shorts, jump back onto the TT bike, and get ready for 140.6v2.0.

I have a few more cross races left this season, and come Nov 1, I am back to full time SBR.

Bring it.

Queen K T-shirt Winners!

2010-10-12T13:15:00.000-05:00

First off - WOW! This weekend's IMWC was one of the few times I can remember watching a race unfold throughout the day, instead of it being a blowout and everyone racing for 2nd or 3rd.

On the women's side, the whole CW DNS helped with that....or did it??? It is fun to speculate what the race would have been like if CW had toed the line (healthy - not ill as some folks on the tri-interwebs are scoffing about). Rinny is an amazing athlete, and I like to think that between her and Dibbens, it still would have been a true race for first.

The men's race was just as fun. I totally didn't see Macca coming from behind to take the title. He was kind of ninja-like.....

It's no surprise that none of the entries to my Trix Gear t-shirt giveaway were spot on with predicting the winners. The Trix Gear FB giveaway had the same problem. CRAZY! I have to admit I was torn on what to do, but thankfully, the powers that be stepped in and sent me this note this morning:

"So for us with our FB contest no one nailed both so we went with anyone who selected one winner correctly... just had a peek and looks like you got one "Rinny" (JP) and heck we'll give a freebie to anyone who uses the word "shanizzle" in a sentence so goSonja is well deserving!"

There you have it! Girls, I'll email you with details on how to claim your prize.

If you haven't checked out the full line of tri-themed t-shirts at Trix Gear yet - go do it!!! They even have some cool kid duds too...

Back from hell week - and another T-shirt Giveaway!!!

2010-10-01T15:35:00.000-05:00

FINALLY - I'm sitting here in the BWI airport waiting to board my plane back home. It's been a looooooong week and I'm ready to be home in my OWN house, sleeping in my OWN bed and spending some time with my furkids and my friends this weekend!! These trips are just brutal!

Anyway.....

Most of you, my readers, are of the spandex-wearing-triathlete type and know that the BIG RACE is coming up very soon. I'm feeling extra excited about it this year as I have friends that have qualified to race! (not lottery slots......bleh! Real, true, badass qualification! These girls are the shiz-nit and I can't wait to stalk their progress all day. I'm getting chills just thinking about it!

In honor of the BIG RACE, my friends over at Trix Gear are letting me give away both a men's and women's Queen K t-shirt!

They are doing their own giveaway on their FB page, but I have a special giveaway available to my loyal followers! Here's the scoop:

QUEEN K T-shirt giveaway contest.

Simply name your male/female picks to win the IMWC’s in Kona, Hawaii October 9, 2010 and submit by posting a comment to this blog post.

The first male and first female Queen K contest entrants to submit that are correct win and will be notified by email after the race, Oct 10th. Contest submission deadline is October 8th!

THE SMALL PRINT:

Winner is entitled to one Queen K t-shirt in the gender/size of their choice.
Selected shirt is subject to availability.
Free standard ground shipping is included and limited to within the USA only. International residents will need to cover the cost of shipping and any additional import duties incurred.

First Cross Race! - Bobber's Grill, Sept 2010

2010-09-21T07:24:00.001-05:00

Despite having done these practice races on Wednesday nights, I really had no idea what to expect this weekend when I arrived in North Liberty for my first cross race. Well yeah...I had been to watch before, but at those times I had absolutelynonewhatsoeveruhuhaintgonnadoitno intention of actually ever racing in a cross race.

Never say never, I guess.

Saturday night I went out with Becca and her friends to celebrate her birthday. I ate things and drank things that are not part of a normal pre-race (triathlon) meal for me. We had lots of fun.

I had plenty of time Sunday morning to get ready, but my stomach was turning a bit and I had a horrible headache. "Hangover" I thought. As I got my gear together and headed towards the park, my stomach was not feeling like hangover stomach ache - it was nerves. (The headache was the hangover though....ouch) I had the same nervous stomach that I get before my tris. As I saw my friends and got situated, I started to feel better, but standing at the start line, I could have easily lost my cookies.

The Mens 4 race started about 20 secs ahead of the women (and a few juniors about 20 sec behind us). I wanted to take the first lap fairly easily - both to find my groove with the various terrain and obstacles and to conserve some energy for the last laps, knowing I was gonna be hurting. I'm pretty sure I was the last woman for a while - like, 3/4 of the first lap. Then my first plan started to work - I began passing both men and women and moving up in the field. I got my bearings on the course and found what lines I preferred. I used my brakes way too much, and was riding white knuckled the entire time. Sand pit, big rocks, rutted mud and wood chips. The barriers were the least of my worries. Although, after every barrier, I had to think again about getting back on my bike which I really suck at. And to add additional frustration, I had a horrible time getting my left foot clipped back in. EVERY. TIME.

As bad as I ~~think~~ know I am with getting back on my bike after the barriers, at least I have the dismount down. I say this because I jockeyed back and forth with some guy that really sucked at dismounting his bike before the barriers. I would pass him there, he'd haul ass to catch me, then would settle in right in front of me until the next barrier where we would do the dance again.

With each lap I dreaded having to hit the sand pit. During my warmup lap, I had attempted to ride through it - just as I had seen the race before me do - and promptly got stuck and dumped. Ugh. I talked to a few people who gave me some pointers. Thankfully I made it through the race and through the sand pit with little drama.

Everyone kept asking if I had fun. I have to say - it's growing on me. Most of this terrain was new to me, so I experienced a lot of new things during this race. Being confronted by things I'm not prepared for is very much outside of my comfort zone - but that is a big reason I am doing this. I need to be better able to handle the unknown on my bike. But overall, I like the challenge, and I want to get better.

Practice makes "perfect", right?

2010-09-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

While I might not be following any formal training plans right now, one thing that is on my calendar each week is Renegade Cyclocross on Wednesday evenings. On Mon or Tues, BikeIowa.com posts the "where", and then lots of spandex-clad freaks show up to ride in circles around the week's chosen park. It's a great way to practice your skillz (or lack there of in my case). This week, 115 of us showed up - and the reaction from the local residents was priceless. Once they got over the shock of it all, they actually got into it, and some of the kids would stand along the course, cheer, and post for high-fives.

I stole these pics from a friend that was out watching.

This practice "race" scenario is great for me. I really need to work on being comfortable with so many people being around me when I ride (I don't do group rides for a reason). I get to practice getting on and off the bike (getting on is my major weakness), getting over the barriers, running up the hills, managing the corners and unexpected terrain. I'm having lots of fun, and feel like I'll have some better bike handling skills by the end of my season, not to mention the added benefit the mount/dismount skills I should be able to bring into my transitions next year!

Next weekend I'll put this practice to work at my first race. Getting nervously excited!

Good luck to all of my Trakkers peeps at Rev3 Cedar Point tomorrow! I'll be camped in front of the computer trakking you the whole way, and sending all the best vibes I have in my arsenal!

Bringing the season to a close

2010-09-07T16:47:00.000-05:00

Well folks....my last post was a sad one, and really was the culmination of a rather long summer. Not a bad summer. But one that just wasn't as happy and motivated and inspirational as I've had in the past.

Maybe it was the lack of a BHAG on my horizon. Last year I spent all summer preparing for my first Ironman. It was the driving force behind everything I did. I was so PUMPED all of the time - and I think my friends were getting really annoyed with me by the time Nov rolled around.

This year was supposed to be about my cycling, and getting fast overall. I did that - I tried harder bike course that were out of my comfort zone. I set new PBs at various aspects of my racing. I actually felt competitive in my age group, and went into races with goals of getting on the podium. This year was also a very BUSY one, fulfilling my duties for my local tri club, and for my Trakkers team. But as the training was ramping up and the time for Cedar Point was growing closer, outside stressors began to take their toll. And then, with the loss of my beloved pet, I decided I was done. Done with my season and ready to take a break.

I sent an email to my coach. I sent an email to Momma Bear Sharpie. I sent an email to my sister (my designated CP Sherpa). I cancelled my hotel reservation. I cancelled my CP volunteer slots. I didn't train for about 2 weeks, then I did one last little local sprint tri (4th AG by 43 sec/20th OA Female of 138) - and with that, I hung my tri bike up for the 2010 season.

As I said, I did a lot of fun and exciting things this season. My Trakkers experience has been unbelievable. I've made so many new friends, and I'm going to miss being at CP to see some of them finish their very first 70.3 and 140.6 races. But my heart is done with this tri season. "Out on a high note" as Costanza would say.

Coach says I can play and do what I want for a few months. But come November 1st, I need to be rested and have my head back in the game and ready to jump in to my Ironman training again. Until then, I'm gonna have fun. I'm going to do a lot more bike riding - but not on my tri bike. I'm going to meet up for impromptu rides and cross practices. I'm going to play around with my TRX more. I'm going to do LOTS of trail running. And, if I don't feel like doing anything, then I won't!

Because the "stressors" I mentioned were mostly work related (until the last 4 weeks where it became pet related), I didn't really want to blog about what was going on. I rarely talk about work on here, so I was left with little that I wanted to say. We all know...at least for most of us......that triathlon is our HOBBY, not our life. And when life calls, we have to answer. Time to train often gets minimized, but so does our motivation as well. It's a fine balance - one that I'm still learning about myself. I have a scary suspicion that my motivation is driven by "the next big thing." Another ironman, sure. But will that be enough? If not, OMG what's next?? I guess we'll find out after May 2011.

In the meantime....the next few months are going to be filled with fun stuff, so I promise to keep this better updated.

Stay tuned.

Rest in peace my baby boy....

2010-08-23T23:52:00.000-05:00

Bud Little (2/6/2003 - 8/22/2010)

I'm not going to say much, but I will leave you all with the images of my sweet Buddy Boy - the way I will always remember him. So sweet - so gentle - so loving. Goofy as hell, and in the end I found he was certainly a fighter. I will miss him dearly.

Cornman Sprint Tri - Race Report!

2010-08-03T08:18:00.000-05:00

I know this is waaaaaaaaay late. Sorry. I waited to see if they would have pics, only to find out that they didn't have an official photog there (despite having one advertised on the website). Then I just got distracted by other things and....well....here we are weeks later and I'm just getting around to this. *sigh*

Day Before
This was the first race this year that I was able to be at home the night before a race. I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't have to go through my ritualistic packing motions in preparation to travel, so I found myself oddly with nothing to do. Around 8pm that night I thought to myself, "I wonder where my race belt is!" Worry not - I'm enough of a type-A that I keep all of my race stuff together between races. At that point, I did make all of my bottles of nutrition and got my transition bag packed. It was really nice to sleep in my own bed, but hard to get myself up in the morning.

Race Morning
Since I had a 1.5 hour drive to Gladbrook, I was up pretty early and out the door - coffee and Mix1 in hand. (This was my first time racing with Mix1 as my pre-race breakfast.) A quick pit stop at the McDonalds in Marshalltown (question: how can a bathroom be SO MESSY at 6:45am on a Sunday morning??? WOW! Apparently the M-town McD's is the place to be on a Saturday night.) As I made my way to the park, I started having dejavu from my race here in 2007. The twisty roads through the cornfields are really beautiful with a sunrise in the background. But this morning, clouds were looming. I had driven through lots of rain - big rain - and knew it was headed that way, but was hoping the tri-gods would keep us dry. I pulled in to the race site, got parked and hit packet pickup. Transition was already starting to fill up, but I was able to get a pretty good spot right out of the swim. I saw quite a few TRI friends, got my warm-up run in, and then had a decision to make.....wetsuit or not wetsuit.

Here's the deal - they pulled the whole let's-find-a-spot-in-the-lake-that's-just-under-78.1-so-it's-wetsuit-legal bit. The posted temp was something like 77.9. YUCK! I did a warm-up swim and knew I would blow up if I wore a wetsuit. Looking around, the field was split, but most who didn't have a suit on didn't own a suit. I decided on comfort over added speed (which I could have really used, as I had been totally slacking on my swim workouts and was at my slowest swim pace in a long time) and in the end was just fine with that decision. With my decision made, I put on my speedsuit and got in for a warmup swim, then I chitchatted on the beach with my friends until it was time to start.

The Swim
A counterclockwise out and back, the swim went pretty well. It was a beach start and I started in the front towards the inside. I should have started a little further out (to the right), as my sighting sucks when it is counterclockwise. I end up veering in way to much which is what I did that morning. Caught the buoy line a few times - ouch! I caught lots of folks from the previous waves, but still, my swim was really slow (for me). I was glad to just get it done.

T1
I positioned my rack spot very close to the swim exit. Running after the swim - especially when my swim fitness is lacking - is a weakness, so I wanted to keep it minimal. I think this was a good choice. I was quickly at my spot, speedsuit off, bike shoes and helmet on, and I was outta there. The transition is a long corridor, so I had a bit of a run w/ the bike to get to the mount line. It was a very slight incline coming out of transition so of course, some of the newer racers struggled with getting started which meant there was a bit of congestion around the mount line. I was having flashbacks to 2007 the entire time!

Bike
The plan on the bike was to give it everything I had - all out. Why not?? I had never done a race where I wasn't throttled in some fashion. We wanted to see what would happen. I probably went out a little too hard in the first three miles - in fact, if I do this race again, I will be conservative until I get up the massive killer hill, then go all out. Had I done that, I think I would have seen an even better split. The course is rolling with a few decent inclines to keep everyone honest. It was a fairly overcast day and the wind was minimal, so speeds were high. I was feeling good and my nutrition was spot on. As I headed back into the park, I began to prepare myself MENTALLY for the run. This is the one part I vividly remember from 2007 - suffering - and I wanted to squash that.

T2
Like swim in, my rack was very near bike in. I was quickly into my running shoes, grabbed my race belt and visor, then was off!

The Run
As I mentioned before, the run is what I vividly remember from my first attempt at this race in 2007. It was a scorching hot day and I was totally undertrained. I suffered the entire time. But this year was different. I was ready for this race and had the go-all-out game plan. And that's what I did. I did take a brief few walking steps up a giant hill (the backside of the one from the bike.....this is the trademark of this event) and let my HR come down a bit, but then I was back at it. I managed to negative split each mile and finished strong.

Final Thoughts
There were moments where I was feeling my effort from the bike come back at me, but I pushed on. I had some clear goals and was not going to give in on those. I wanted to get into the hurt box. Did I make it? Eh...about 1 foot in, but don't feel like I was all the way in. A 32 min PR over 2007 is pretty awesome.

This was the first race I did where I had EFS sport drink plus Liquid Shot in my bike bottle. I've been practicing with this combo in training and have been loving it. One little tidbit - keep it in a clear bottle and your drink won't get as warm as some others do. The mixture is white and actually reflects the light. Kinda cool.

Multisport Mastery athletes all had a great day!!

Bring on the fireworks!!

2010-07-05T20:29:00.001-05:00

Boy oh boy...I can tell that my race at Rev3 Cedar Point half is coming up soon! My workouts are starting to ramp up, and, well......ok, maybe I'm finally back on the ol' training wagon and am feeling the miles and hours. This week was a head first dive. A long run that tested my tempo descend pacing skills and 3 hr ride - all things that scream LONG COURSE TRAINING!

After the training was in, there was one more physical event before getting to celebrate our country's freedom - the annual July 4th race in my hometown. Here's are some fun factoids....

In 2006, I ran the 8K and it was the first real RACE I had ever done. My sister and cousin ran as well.

In 2009, my Mom and Aunt Patty ran the 5K and it was their first RACE! (read Mom's RR here)

This year me, Mom, Aunt Patty, and now Aunt Cathy ran the race! This was Cathy's second race ever!! It was a ton of fun, sharing my love of running with these ladies.

Coming off a big week, my legs were toast, but my goal was still to give it everything I had. I lined up at the front so that I'd have a good idea of who was in front of me, who passed me, and who I reeled back in. ;)

I was "supposed to" try and pace the race properly, but that didn't happen. I did force myself to slow down in the first mile after I looked at my Garmin and saw that I was running WAY TOO FAST. I have learned enough to know that if I hold a killer pace in the first mile that I will run out of gas before the end. So I dialed it back - watched a few girls pass, but kept them in my sight. By the 2.5 mile mark I had reeled everyone that passed me back in, and only the girls that started ahead of me finished ahead of me.

I ended up winning my AG and getting 6th OA. Awesome!

After our race, we got some breakfast and headed home to get the house ready for the evening festivities. This would be the first year that CR would have their fireworks back downtown since in the floods that devastated the area a few years ago. This was a BIG DEAL and everyone was excited.....and fearful that looming rain would once again wash things out.

Rain did fall, but despite that, the fireworks went off! We got to watch them with friends and family - just like old times. It was a good weekend!

Giddy up!

2010-06-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

It was already in the books that 2011 was going to be another 140.6 year, but I didn't know which race it would be. I had a short list, of course. But when a new event popped onto the scene a few weeks ago, I was intrigued. Kind of....nothing special.

Then, as the buzz started to build as opening day for registration grew closer, I started getting an itchy trigger finger. Then (and I totally blame her for this), Elizabeth (Coach Liz to blogland) sent me some notes and totally pushed me over the edge. I really started weighing the pros and cons and just after noon on Friday, I pushed the button and made it official.

Ironman Texas, May 21, 2011 - here I come!

What you may not know is that I was born and raised in Texas. Lived there until I was 12 years old. I've always been drawn towards that big lug of a state, and having an opportunity to race my second 140.6 distance race there is amazing.

So, I'll probably do a TX double header - Galveston then Woodlands. I'm excited to go back to Galveston and revisit the course where I did my very first 70.3, then follow it up with the full distance race up in Houston. The timing of it all is perfect. And, I'm totally planning to use blogger buddies Coach Liz and Greyhound during my prep, as the race will practically be in their backyards.

I'm thinking I need to find some clients in Houston so I can write off all the trips I'm going to make over the next 11 months.

Pictures Added

2010-06-23T20:37:00.002-05:00

I added pictures to the Quad Cities race report.

Quad Cities Sprint 2010 - Race Report

2010-06-23T20:30:00.000-05:00

Ahh...a sprint. The thought of doing something that would take less than 2 hours was so appealing coming off of the brutal courses in TN and CT. I was ready for something short and fast. The field was only 715-ish people. But the race was serving as the one and only qualifying event for the 2010 Sprint Worlds, so a lot of the fast people came out to play. I've never seen as much Team USA gear at a race as I did on Saturday. I felt a little unpatriotic in my Trakkers green....

Anyway, here's how it all played out:

The Day Before
Since the race was on Saturday, I left work early on Friday - got home, packed the boys in the car and the bike on the roof then headed towards CR so I could drop them off for the night. As I was leaving town, I go to drive through some crazy weather. It was a little unnerving, but I needed to be in the QC by 8pm before packet pickup ended. It was tight - I got there with 3 minutes to spare, although, I don't think the volunteers were going anywhere. The storm was about to unleash serious amounts of rain and lightening, and it sounded like they were going to wait it out for a while.

After getting my packet, I found the hotel and got settled in. During a lull in the storm, I hit the grocery store to find my breakfast and a little bit of ice cream. I swear, a bit of Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream the night before a race - it's gonna be a good day. Never fails. With everything settled and race number tattoos applied, I got to bed for what turned out to be a decent nights sleep. 4am came very quickly though.

Race Morning
I was up at 4, got coffee made and ate my breakfast. Not much really to do, I sat down with the laptop and my coffee and waited for things to 'process'. I was repacked, checked out and on the road by 5:!5. I was nervous. I hadn't felt a nervous stomach since last November. The whole drive over, I sipped my EFS and tried to just relax. I really wanted to have a good day out there.

We had assigned spots in transition so there was no rush to get an advantage. Took my time, got to the race site, scored a sweet parking spot and then got to transition. I realized quickly I had forgotten a towel to put down to wipe my feet. Turns out my Trakkers jacket would suffice in a pinch. I got the bike out for a quick spin - checked out the path out of the park and and made sure everything was working mechanically. Back in, I got in a quick warmup run as well. Things were feeling good, but man, the nerves were still going. I stood in the very long line for the port-a-potties, got my wetsuit on (72 deg water) and got out for a quick swim (and pee). Things were feeling on mark. Let's do this.

The Swim
The swim was a time trial start. 2 persons, every 3 seconds. It was a triangular swim going clockwise which meant buoys on the right - score! It felt like I was catching lots of people. I had more traffic in this swim than I have all season. Had to do a lot of sighting to keep from running into people. Oh well. I just tried to keep a steady pull and keep moving forward. One more pee before hitting the beach. 600 yds and I was out of there.

T1
The run from the water to T1 was long! And muddy! They had a pool up at the top of T1 so that you could wash your feet off, but I passed on that. And I say "the top" because there was a nice hill that the whole transition area was sitting on. I had to run down the hill to my spot, get swapped to bike gear, then head out. They highly encouraged everyone to run up the hill with their bikes before mounting. It was quite a cluster coming right of of transition so I did just that. (This is where having shoes still on the bike would have been helpful. Next year....)

The Bike
The course was pretty simple. A few turns on an out and back gave you wind from every direction, including the tailwind to bring you home. A few decent hills to keep you honest, and a nice 180 hairpin to add comedy to the day. (I'm sure the cop manning the turnaround appreciated his post much more afterward than he did when was assigned.) Coach had given me strict instructions to not spike my power. I tried really had to keep it under control, although I know there were a few breaches to this. Mostly in the big ring, I hammered away throughout the course, sipping on my EFS drink and taking in LS just after the turnaround. It was uneventful, and seemed so quick as I came back into the park.

T2
Again, down the hill with my bike to my rack spot, I got into my running shoes, grabbed my race belt and was off.

The Run
The first mile of the run was mostly mud, soggy muddy grass. It was hard to get a good rhythm going. Eventually we got onto some pavement and I was able to settle in. At the aid stations, I would take a sip of the water then dump the rest on my head. It was getting hot out. Like the bike, there were a few hills to climb, and I just tried to maintain a steady pace. The last 3/4 of a mile were pretty flat so I was able to pick it up and bring it in. I knew I had given a consistent effort and was happy with my performance.

Final Thoughts
Turns out that one of the gals from our AG took an overall spot, so I got 6th. I did "qualify" for the worlds event (along with the top 25 from the age group) but I will not be accepting that spot. Overall it was a good day, and I was really impressed with the race as a whole. Top notch event that I would do again and would recommend to others.

Gear report:
No real change from CT other than I skipped the use of PreRace in my morning bottle. EFS drink and EFS Liquid Shot were my fuel for the day. Kept the Saucony Kinvaras for the run, but may switch back to my Fastwitch 4s for my next race. We'll see how things go. (Still having some toe rubbing issues on my left foot.) Kept the HED 6/9 combo of course. Loving that 9.

No race pics as of yet. I'll post some if/when they are available.

Speed by association

2010-06-11T14:41:00.000-05:00

While I don't believe that one can be fast just by being near someone else that is fast, I do believe that, by surrounding yourself with positive, successful, driven individuals - you can absorb their tendencies and in turn make them your own.

Last year, at the Hy-Vee Triathlon, I was able to meet Hunter Kemper and had him sign my race helmet.

Goofy as it may sound, every time I wear that helmet, I look at that autograph and think about all of the hard work and training he had to put in to make it to where he is today. (Ok, not today....as he's out with yet another injury and his chances at making the Olympic team again are fading as fast as the waft of air kicked up by Crowie's shoes as he passed Terenzo and Matty Reed last weekend on the run at Quassy. But you get my point.) His story is inspiring, and I enjoy watching old footage of the qualifying races for Sydney.

While at Rev3 Quassy last weekend, I had an opportunity to meet Mirinda Carfrae and Craig Alexander (the eventual winners of the HalfRev). I've watched IM coverage and followed their blogs. These two are serious athletes, and when I got the chance to add their names to my helmet, I jumped at it.

And though I had met her numerous times in the past, and even spent a long weekend at the Bloggers Camp with her, I had never asked Heather Gollnick to sign it either. So I got her's as well. Heather's race resume is one of awe, and I'm proud to know her. A mom, an athlete, a coach......superwoman in my book.

There were other pros walking around the Rev3 expo area (one of the things that makes the Rev3 races so cool) but I didn't want to keep them from their pre-race preparations. I could have gotten so many signatures on my helmet that day......but I don't want to get too fast too soon. Someone might turn me in for doping off the marker fumes.

Rev3 Quassy (Olympic) - Race Report

2010-06-08T19:07:00.000-05:00

The race at Quassy was intended to do one thing: HURT. And hurt it did. I knew going into it that it was not a PR course for me. I knew that I would struggle. But I also knew that I would learn a lot by pushing myself further and further out of my comfort zone. So overall, it was a successful weekend. Here's how it played out....

The Day Before
What a whirlwind of a weekend! Since I would be racing on Saturday, I took the earliest flight possible out of Des Moines and got to the airport in Hartford, CT around 1:35pm. From there, I got a rental and drove about an hour to Middlebury. I got checked into the hotel, put my bike together, gathered my things and headed to the race venue at Quassy Amusement Park. I swung by the Trakkers tent to see Momma Bear Carole Sharpless, then it was off to do a little warmup brick. I was able to test out the WARM waters, and took a spin on the bike. The little 10 min out and back allowed me a brief glimpse of some of the elevation I would see Saturday.....but oh, it was no where close to the harsh reality that would unfold. After the athlete meeting, a few of us headed to a little Italian restaurant for some dinner, then it was back to the hotel to get my mind focused, get some sleep, and get ready for my beating.

Pre-Race
Up early, I got my coffee going and started eating my EFS Bar. I had everything set out and ready, so I sat in bed, legs up, read through my race plan and the athlete guide one more time before I finally got ready and headed out the door. During the drive over, I started drinking my bottle of EFS Sprort Drink + PreRace, and I watched as the rain came down. Lots of rain. Oy.

I got body marked and found my transition spot. Not as awesome as it was in Knoxville, I did luck out and the bike next to me was a no-show, so I had plenty of room (not that I need it for my stuff, but it's nice when you get in there mid race and aren't bumping butts or getting punched in the head like I did in Galena last year). I got everything laid out and went out for a run to warm up. As I was out there, the rain started to pick up. By the time I got back, my bike shoes had water pooling in them, and so did my helmet. I drained everything, covered it all up, put my wetsuit on then headed off to wait for the start. I found some of my fellow Trakkers peeps, and we just chillaxed under the protection of a park pavilion. Heather G and her cameraman came by for a quick interview, and eventually the rain stopped, just in time for the race to start.

The Swim
Beach start - I was in the second to last wave to go off. I lined up in the front which helped in keeping me from fighting too much traffic. It was a triangular course going clockwise << my fav! The sky was overcast and the buoys were easy to see. I didn't feel like I was going very fast and my swim split proved that. Not sure what the deal was, but I was focusing on a clean stroke, pulling through, keeping my head down and rotating my hips (all things I tend to forget to do). Only once did I go a little wide, but I pulled back in and hit the exit. I wasn't out of breath so I knew I hadn't pushed hard enough.

T1
My transitions went really smooth. I knew exactly where my rack was, and I was there, got my shoes, sunglasses and helmet on. I threw my flask of EFS LS down my top (I've got plenty of room to spare!) and I was off. The pavement was slippery, and running in my bike shoes made for a bit of a task. Alas, I was at the mount line, got on, and off I went.

The Bike
With just a brief, VERY BRIEF downhill to get going, I settled in and prepared myself for the beating I was about to take. Here is the elevation profile I gathered on my Garmin:

The road surfaces were pretty good, and the RDs had nicely marked the spots on the course that were not-so-safe. The entire ride was spent trying to manage my gearing. I don't think I've ever shifted up front as much as I did that day. As you can see from the image, there was lots of climbing. Sometimes I could choose how hard I would push it, but there were times where I had no choice. If I didn't get out of the saddle and push it hard, I was gonna stop moving or roll backwards. On one of the steepest climbs, I remember seeing a guy walking his bike up the hill. I put my head down, got out of the saddle, and just gave it everything I had. I would see this guy off and on over the rest of the course. He was way bigger than me and would catch me on the descents, then I would pass him on the climbs. With each new one, I would hear him let out a ferocious yell in frustration/agony. It made me laugh every time, but in a small way, he was speaking for me too. I stayed on top of my nutrition - EFS drink in my aero bottle and shots of EFS LS every 30 min. And, unlike Knoxville, I got aggressive on the downhills, tucked in and geared out.

(I'm sure you're all wondering - "with all that climbing, did you ever get the chance to pee??" Yes, yes I did. I did have a bit of stage fright though. There was a guy, at a legal distance behind me that just wouldn't pass. So I slowed up a bit and got him around. As soon as he breached my front wheel, I was able to let it go. Ahhhhhhhh.......)

As I made the last climb and turned into the park, I got out of my shoes. Off the bike and into T2 with no incident. I was really glad to be done with the bike, but the clouds had parted, the sun had come out, and it was getting hot.

T2
I'm pretty happy with how efficient I am in transition these days. Helmet off, shoes on. Grab my visor and race belt and go. One of the volunteers was asking me questions - "Is it Rachel?" Or....???"

"RACHELLE" I barked.

"Ok Rachelle. When you're all ready to go, you're gonna run towards me - just follow my voice, then out the back and take a left. You got it?? Follow my voice. You're doing great."

Please - transition volunteers - please don't try to talk to the athletes unless they appear to be in distress, are wobbling, are running the wrong way, or still have their helmet on going out to run. Seriously, you are annoying. Thanks much.

The Run
As I mentioned, it had turned warm. Humid and warm. As they always do, my legs felt awesome coming off the bike, and I quickly saw I was running way too fast. Damn! I slowed it down and tried to just find a good steady, conservative pace. I came to the mile 1.5 aid station and all my Trakkers teammies were decked head-to-toe in green, music blasting, and making all kinds of noise. It was awesome!!!

I grabbed some drink and took off. About mile 2.5, it all started to go downhill.....for me....not the terrain. No, the terrain just got worse - hilly hilly HILLY! Things were not going well - I was feeling totally spent. My stomach was not right. My hands were puffy. But the biggest issue - well, 3 BIG issues - the 3 big hills that I mostly walked up because I had no juice in my legs to push me up these 6-8% grade hills. They were brutal, and I had nothing. All I could do was just get through it. At the top, I would will myself to run again. When I ran, I had a good pace. But that didn't help the time deficit I was now in from the walking.

The Finish
Despite the beauty of the finish line, it was not a beautiful event for me. I just wanted across the line. I threw my signature horns and came to a dead stop. I was glad to be done. I was REALLY glad I hadn't signed up for the Half. ;)

Final thoughts......
What I thought initially was a salt issue, upon looking at my bike data we are thinking I just burnt all my matches on the bike and didn't have anything left for the run. I pushed some watts I've never seen on my powermeter before. Ouch! But really, I look at this as another deposit in the bank. I'm building some good strength by racing these tough courses. And I'm learning a lot about my body and effort/pace management. This was the last olympic distance race of the season. Next up are some sprints, then Rev3 Cedar Point Half in September. If you are interested in racing Cedar Point, go get signed up and use the code Trakkers125 to save $10.

Overall, this was a FANTASTIC race. Was it hard? Hell yeah it was hard. Would I do it again? FO' SHO'!!! Rev3 continues to put on top notch events. They were humble in recognizing some downfalls from Knox and worked overtime to get them fixed for Quassy (timing anyone?) Seriously, I saw so many things new at Quassy that were direct reactions to feedback from Knoxville. I love it when companies LISTEN to their customers!!! They are still a budding race series, and I'm excited to see where they are a few years from now.

Gear roll-call (for those of you that care)
I ended up wearing a fresh pair of Saucony ProGrid Kinvaras. I had run in a pair weeks prior but realized they were too small. My new pair arrived right before leaving for CT, so I didn't have a chance to break them in. They are so nicely lined that a break-in period was not needed. I sprayed them down with my Trislide and threw on my Lock Laces. I had no problems - in fact, they were VERY comfortable. I was happy with that decision.

Again, I raced the HED Jet6/9 combo. There was virtually no wind on the course because of the tree cover. Every once in a while, you'd catch a gust while going down a hill, but it is barely worth mentioning.

As I mentioned earlier, I used First Endurance products on the bike (EFS drink and EFS Liquid Shot), and used the EFS LS on the run, while taking water and the provided sport drink on course. I used PreRace in my morning bottle. Of course, I had a pre-made bottle of Ultragen waiting for me back in transition. I had loaded it full of ice to try and keep it cool. YUM! If you haven't tried this stuff yet, you should!!

Introducing....

2010-05-25T20:06:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite people of all time, I met at a previous job. I had just started this job. I had just started doing triathlon. I had JUST bought a bike. I had ridden all of MAYBE 30 miles TOTAL on this bike (that included my very first triathlon). He found out I "ride bikes" and instantly was my new ~~pest~~ friend.

And so began my cycling education.

I seriously have learned *almost* everything I know about cycling from Steve. I'm not talking about my training - that's what my coach is for. I'm talking about cycling outside of triathlon.

I started going to different races - road races, crits, cyclocross....I loved the energy. I loved the atmosphere. And I loved the people (mostly).

Recently, (within the last 2 months) a casual talk over dinner with Steve and his wife Sherry led to an opportunity to further embed my involvement in this community I am growing so fond of. As a business owner, I made the decision to invest my marketing dollars in something a little different. I became the primary sponsor for a cycling team. I'd like to introduce you all to...Zealous Racing!

Not only are the team members just AWESOME guys, but their wives and families are FANTASTIC as well. I'm impressed with how involved the whole family is - it's such a great atmosphere! Most races feature a kids race, and it is so cool how many kids want to "race"!!

Steve's wife Sherry -she's a gal after my own heart!

In less than 2 months, we pulled together the new look of this team and brought Zealous Racing to life. It was a total whirlwind, but it has been worth it to see these guys sporting our slick new kits and taking podium spots.

From now on, when I'm not doing my triathlon thing, you'll probably find me out at the other races....

Race Report - Rev3 Knoxville (Olympic) 5/8/2010

2010-05-11T10:48:00.001-05:00

The Day Before

After arriving to the hotel around 1:30am, I had 2 priorities - 1) crack open the bike case and make sure all was well, and 2) get some SLEEP!

By 8am, I was down at the race expo site for my first official Team Trakkers meet-up. It was so cool getting to finally meet everyone face to face - people I've been emailing, blogging, and tweeting with since January. We spent the morning getting some team photos (all by Eric Willis - what a stud!).

photo by Eric Willis

And if you read Sonja's blog, you know she loves taking "jumping" pictures, so of course we had to do a team jump just for her!

Why do I look like I'm punching myself in the face?? LOL

photo by Eric Willis

With my hotel literally right on the expo grounds, it was easy to go back and forth as needed. I would spend time at the Trakkers booth, then head up to build my bike, then back down to get the bike looked at by the on-site mechs, then back up to get my swim gear, then it was off to the practice swim.

Me with Meredith and Dave Gordon before the practice swim.

I spent most of the morning with Trakkers teammate, and fellow Multisport Mastery athletes Meredith and her hubby Dave. We did our practice swim, then headed back to work at the Trakkers booth. After putting in some time there, I had the rest of the day to zone in. I got out on my bike (and found some glass on the course which cost me a new tire and tube - thanks Alex @ All3Sports!), checked in my bike, drove the full bike course, got some dinner and settled in for the evening.

Race Morning

As I mentioned, the Holiday Inn was right at the race site, so I was able to take my time in the morning. In the past, I wanted to be at transition when it opens, but this time I wasn't feeling that need. I took my time, got in some nutrition, grabbed my things and headed down to transition. The weather was cool and calm. It set the tone for a good day.

In transition I got to see all of my Trakkers teammates, chat it up with the gals around my rack, and just gather my thoughts. Soon enough, I headed down to the swim start - game face on.

photo by Eric Willis

The Swim

The swim was an out and back - out with the sun in our eyes, and back with it behind us. I started at the front of the pack, and when the gun went off, I just held my line. Yeah, I got swam over a bit, but actually, it was easier then running into the slow pokes and having to maneuver around them. Overall I felt like I gave a consistent effort. When I try to swim "fast", I end up with a higher stroke count, higher heart rate and not moving much faster. So, I focused on long, strong strokes, good kick, and just keeping steady. I got to the dock, hoisted myself up **oofta!** and took off on the long run into transition.

photo by Eric Willis

T1

My rack was all the way at the back of transition, so I really did have a long run. Once I got there, I was pretty efficient in getting my shoes, helmet, and sunglasses on, and heading out. Given the amount of running to and from my rack, I'm okay with what seemed like a long T1 time.

View from my rack, looking towards the bike exit..down by the last flag on the left.

Heading out on the bike.
photo by Eric Willis

The Bike

My HR was pretty high as I jumped on my bike and took off. Finding my legs and settling my HR was my first priority, but a nice not too far out didn't help that. Oh well. The course terrain was not something I am used to training on. Lots of climbing, but also lots of descending. I felt great on the climbs - but it was the long downhills where I let some time get away from me. I wasn't comfortable enough to take those in full aero with the twisty, turny roads. Something to work on. I stayed on top of my nutrition and hydration and pushed big gears every chance I could. This was one of the first times I passed more people on climbs than passed me - yay! I even had one guy say "nice pass!" as we were going up the hill. Thanks buddy! One nice thing about having so many downhills.....opportunities to pee. :) Yep, I was well hydrated.

Coming back in, getting feet out of my shoes. Realizing HOW frozen my toes are.
photo by Eric Willis

T2

By the time I headed back into transition, my toes were FROZEN. (note to self: get some toe covers!) Taking my feet out of my shoes, I could hardly feel my shoes beneath my feet. Soon enough, I was off the bike and running through transition.....AGAIN......all the way to the very BACK! With frozen toes, I tried quickly getting my shoes on. I kept getting my pinky toe caught inside my shoe, and attempted to put my shoe on 3 times. Finally, success! Grabbed my race belt and visor, then was gone.

The Run

photo by Eric Willis

As is typical with me, I started off running way too fast. I come off the bike and my legs just keep spinning. When looked down at my pace, I quickly put on the brakes and slowed waaaay down. I did a pretty good job pacing the first half, and by the turnaround, I was ready to kick it into the next gear. Unfortunately, my legs wouldn't respond. I had lost my EFS LS flask somewhere along the way, and neglected to grab a GU from the aid stations. Stupid me. I really could have used those calories, and I think it would have made all the difference in those last few miles.

Running back by transition as I head towards the finish area.

As I ran past transition, I saw Carole and many of my other Trakkers teammates who were already done (cuz they are SPEEDY!). I dug deep to push it up the last hill and give it everything I had left in the tank. As I crossed the finish line, my engine shut down. I was gassed out.

Final Thoughts

This really was a spectacular race - top notch. The course was challenging - it was everything I wanted for my races this season. It was totally out of my comfort zone, and pushed me in new directions. This season will not be filled with PRs - not possible when all I've raced are pretty flat courses until now! Seeing as this was my season opener, I felt great! I have Quassy coming up really soon, then my first A race of the season two weeks after that(Quad Cities Sprint). I'm gonna be sooooo ready!

Gear/nutrition notes (for those of you that care): I did end up wearing the Saucony A3s (good choice, and was glad I did), and ran a HED Jet 6/9 combo. I hadn't ridden the 9 at all, and some of the wind out there, especially on the downhills, did pick me up a bit. I just need to work more on my handling skills, and toughen up. Trislide in the shoes, shorts and around all of my uniform edges - no chaffing anywhere! I love this stuff! EFS Sport Drink in my aero bottle, and an EFS Liquid Shot flask. I took in 2 of the four servings from the LS on the bike, and like I mentioned, lost it at some point and didn't have it on the run. Need to devise a better plan. I had 2 servings of the Liquid Shot and a cup of coffee as my "breakfast", and a bottle of EFS Sport Drink + half scoop of Pre-Race in the morning as I got settled in transition. (My breakfast LS was the NEW TEST FLAVOR!!! Perks of being on such a great team...getting to try the new stuff before it comes out. It was AWESOME!) I did not have a single cramp during the entire race.

Thanks to everyone that made my weekend so enjoyable! My very cool Trakkers teammates, the guys at All3Sports, First Endurance, SBR, and Saucony. And especially to the entire Rev3 team that made the whole event possible. It really was a destination event, not just a race.

Catching up - it's RACE WEEK!!!

2010-05-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, first a little catch-up on the promised info about my DC trip.

From a work perspective, it was a good 2 weeks! I got to spend that time with really great people from all over the world.

A map with push-pins that indicate where everyone was from.

Me, up in front of the class. Yep, I own real clothes. Amazing, isn't it??

We spent the day in a seminar/training environment (I was part of the instruction team) and then spent our evenings socializing. Yes, there was still a lot of "work talk" in the evenings, but we really tried to get to know more about everyone's differing cultures. I learned a lot, and made a lot of wonderful new friends.

I did manage to get some workouts in before evening activities began - not every day - but I did what I could when I could. I even got out over the weekend and got in a ride with my Trakkers girls - Kiersten and Kati! We spent a couple of hours (and 2600 ft) climbing Skyline Dr at Shenandoah National Park. It was beautiful - and except for the rented POS bike I was on, I enjoyed it!

Us girls, enjoying the official Trakkers post-recovery drink.
(Ultragen is the official recovery drink of Trakkers. Margaritas are the post-recovery drink!)

Ya know the one thing I DIDN'T do at all during the ENTIRE two weeks? Swim.

And oh boy. This past week when I finally got back in the pool - I felt it!! My first swim this week felt like I hadn't swam all winter. Ugh. But when I did my swim today (my third one of the week) I was feeling pretty much back to normal. In fact, I felt pretty damn good!

The rest of my workouts this week felt *pretty good* for the most part. I feel like I'm back in my groove and ready to move forward - with RACE WEEK!

Swim, swim, bike bike, run, run.......ya'll know the drill. Race week brings my OCD to the surface big time. I'll spend free moments making a "don't forget to pack this" pile. I'll check, re-check, and triple check my gear. And.....I'm sure I'll forget something, but I've learned to just go with it. (Remember forgetting my nutrition in Miami? Who needs Sport Beans when Swedish Fish will do?!!?) Kidding.....I won't forget my nutrition. My EFS mother-load will be pre-measured and set aside for safe keeping.

I'm super pumped to get to finally meet a major portion of the Trakkers AG team. We have fun team-y stuff planned before the race. And how cool will it be to see them all out on the course?? We have that little rival going on between a few other teams - that will be fun! Seeing them on the course and flipping them some shit. :) I love smacktalk!!!

Oh - one more thing I wanted to mention......during one of my run workouts this week, I tried out the pair of Saucony Grid A3s that I ordered a while back. They've been sitting in the box, just patiently waiting to be used. Well, it was a track workout and I used them as my "racing flats" for my mainset. I sprayed them down with some Trislide and went sockless. The first 800 I ran seemed....odd. But actually, as I continued my workout, they became broke in and my feet really settled nicely in them. They have an integrated tongue which is something I really like, but it may prove to be a blister maker - I'm not sure yet. The news flash?? I'm actually considering wearing them this weekend! SHOCK - I know!! I haven't decided yet. I'm gonna see how this week goes...but I am taking both pairs with me. Stay tuned....

Back to life....Back to reality....

2010-04-24T15:16:00.000-05:00

I'm home. I'm here. And life just keeps going....

I'll have a complete wrap-up from my trip in a few days. But there's no time to rest. First thing this morning I had cowbell obligations at the Drake Relays On-The-Road 8K/Half Marathon. My TRI gang was in full force.

I even saw Britney and Maria!

After cheering my tail off, I busted north to pick up my bike from the shop (new bar tape, new chain...all ready to race Knoxville!!) then came back and got in a 2 hour ride. Nice and windy, some rolling hills. I kept the pace good and showed off my new threads from Trakkers....

Now, I pack up the car and the dogs and we head over to the CR/IC area. My "men" are racing this weekend, and I want to go watch them at tomorrow's Old Capital Criterium. More on who my "men" are later. They already took a win in the Cat3 road race today. They are makin' me PROUD!!!

And the reality is - Rev3 Knoxville is 2 WEEKS FROM TOMORROW! After meeting up with Kati and Keirsten last weekend, I'm super pumped to meet the rest of my Trakkers peeps. And, as if it wasn't already going to be a spectacular race, Saucony stepped up and let the Trakkers AG team throw down a challenge to a few other teams - Dynamo Multisport and Terrier Tri Club. You can read the smack talk from the beginning on Sonja's blog. Oh man.....this just keeps getting better and better.

DC Week 1 - Just surviving

2010-04-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

Week 1 of my trip to DC is almost over. The week was full of work, work, WORK and little working out - though I did manage to get *something* in almost every day. One highlight was a trail run at the park across the road from my hotel. It had some great hills which I relished in - they are a humbling reminder of what I'll see in Knoxville very very soon!

I spent yesterday day touring the nation's capital with friends I have made here at the workshop. I wish I had worn my Garmin so I would know how many miles we put in. I was exhausted by the end of the day - soaked my legs in the hot tub a bit before eating some dinner and heading to bed.

I'm about to head out and catch the train into town so that I can meet up with Trakkers buddies Kiersten and Kati. We are going to put some miles in on the bike, then catch up over dinner and drinks. I can't wait!

I forgot my camera cable at home, so I'll give you one shot snapped yesterday while eating lunch near the Smithsonian. It kinda sums up how I've felt all week. :)

Elkhart TT 2010 #1

2010-04-08T22:50:00.000-05:00

Cold. Windy. But totally a good night. I heard 98 people raced - AWESOME. Results should be up tomorrow. A few pics while I wait......

Right at the start...had a tailwind and feeling good.

At the end....hurtin'.....headwind, and ready to be done!

Funny story....I grabbed my helmet bag and headed out the door. I was at the race site, open it up and see that my IMCoz number is still on there. YAY - total tri dork moment! And since the race was in November, and it was pelted with sea spray for a good portion of my ride, the 4+ month baking in the bag has that number pretty well STUCK. I need to get the goo gone out and start scrubbing.

Anatomy of feeling fast

2010-04-06T19:40:00.003-05:00

A really fast-looking uniform - This is *critical* in being fast. If you look fast, you feel fast. If you feel fast, then you will obviously BE fast. Duh.
Super short shorts - Because really, who needs all that extra material weighing you down? Faris Al Sultan obviously believes this and he's fast. While I won't be going quite so skivvy-ish, I guess it's time to embrace my stems and let them be shown.
Fast shoes that match your fast uniform - You all know I'm in love with my Saucony Fastwitch 4s. And now that my kit is here and it all matches....hell yeah!!!
Fast dog - (actually, I have 2 of them...the other is hiding in the background) Yeah, he doesn't look too fast in this pic, but trust me, he is. :)
Recovery tools - yep, that is my bundle-o-TPTherapy sitting over there. I keep it close and use it often. Love it!

Bib me baby!

2010-03-28T12:49:00.000-05:00

Stress and busy-ness continues, but I did follow through and get in on my first group ride of the season this week. Yeah, it was fun. Yes, it was nice to be outside. But with the cooler weather still lingering, I had a hard time figuring out what I would wear for said ride, and I quickly became aware of 2 things....

1 - I don't have much for cool weather riding gear.

2 - I don't have anything "cool" to wear.

OK - I HAVE A CONFESSION - If you've been reading my blog for any sizable amount of time, you'll know that I am a total gear whore and love to have cool toys, clothes, etc. I fully admit it. I get just as much joy out of the gear I use as I do from the workout. And will often admit that the workout was totally rad because of my gear. (yes, I'm a cheap sellout - I like to look cool while doing my workouts and racing....if you thought I was deeper than that, I'm sorry I had to disappoint you...)

With my new found commitment to the bike, I've been feeling like I need some better bike gear - clothes mostly (because...well...my bikes are both kickin' and I'm good in that department....).

It was at my first time trials last year when I learned that USAC actually has rules about wearing sleeves during their events. (I don't know the details of the rule or if it really is true, I just know that the local cyclists get annoyed at the local triathletes that come out to race the local TT because they often show up in....well.....tri gear.) One thing I have noticed - as a TRIATHLETE - is that I don't have much for "cycling clothes". My idea of comfortable clothing on the bike are tri shorts and a sleeveless top - stuff I can go right into a threshold run in. No socks, no gloves....the minimalist approach. Even if I will be on the bike for 6 hours, I prefer to have my tri shorts on vs regular bike shorts. HOWEVER - after my group ride this week - on the road bike, not in aero - I can honestly say that regular bike shorts would be more comfortable. So, to keep this ball rolling, I need to get mentally and fashionably into the game. I set out to purchase some gear that would make me feel like a cyclist, but keep my triathlete spirit alive.

Enter: bib shorts

One thing I've always seen as a CYCLIST thing vs a triathlete thing is bib shorts. (Well, anything with a sizable chamois tbh...). They always look comfy, but I had never been so lucky as to actually try some out. Why would I?? In tris, I don't wear anything that will feel like a diaper when wet (be it from a pre-ride swim or from pee...which is why socks are also an issue...I hate pee-soaked socks). Plus, as SpeedRacer pointed out via Twitter - they really will be a logistics issue when you do need to actually go. So, I decided that if I buy these bib shorts, they would be reserved for rides where I will have decent accommodations for relieving myself since I will have to practically disrobe entirely.

For those of you who, like me, were unfamiliar with the bibs, here's a little education on the pros and cons:

Pros:

There is no elastic around the waist that digs into you (which also means less chance for a muffin top incident).
You don't end up with the 'tramp stamp' sunburn. (mine is permanent - who needs a tattoo??)
Things are more likely to stay put as you move around.

Cons:

You have to take your jersey off to get your bibs down so you can pee.

So, by buying the bib shorts, I'll be embracing my inner-cyclist and took care of #2 of my realizations (having something "cool" to wear). But how do I keep my triathlete spirit alive and visible?? I bought a jersey that screams 'triathlete' buy promoting one of my awesome sponsors this year.

Paired with some arm warmers, knee warmers, ear warmers, and SOCKS - I can be warm and take care of #1. Who's ready to ride???

Time is flying!

2010-03-20T09:55:00.000-05:00

I realized yesterday that I hadn't blogged since early last week. Wha?? Where did the time go??? This is such a busy time right now, and I need to bring you up to speed.

Work is busy. I have a work trip to the MD/DC area coming up in April. Yes, work is busy as we prepare for that event, but I'm also kind of stressing about what I'll do for my training while I'm there.....for 2 WEEKS. I'm waffling on bringing my bike because I don't know if I'll have enough time to actually get out and ride. Bringing a trainer for the hotel room - well, I just don't know how I'd pull that off (ship it ahead of time maybe? I dunno..). I talked to the Bally Fitness that isn't too far from my hotel, and can get my swims in there. I'll bring my TRX with me for strength, and hopefully the weather will be nice enough for me to run outside instead of on the dreadmill. So the cycling is my concern, and since this trip returns me home only 2 weeks before I leave for REV3 KNOXVILLE (wooohooo!) I'm just a little concerned. Do you think the spin classes at Ballys would help keep my bike legs awake??

Training is going well. This week is a rest week and I probably took a little too much advantage of the downtime (read: missed a few workouts). St. Patty's Day on Wednesday didn't help. I always try to make it back home to celebrate with my family. We have been a part of the local Parade Society for a long time, and always have our hands in the execution of one of the most attended parades around. I'm not joking - the people of CR come out rain or shine, but reeeeeally come out when the sun is shining! And while it was touch and go for a while, the sun did finally come out and we had sunshine for the parade. Check out some of these shots:

Becca and I working our staging section

Even giant cookies can't be trusted. Frisk 'em!

Check out the crowd - and that is at the end (we are the last ones to walk through).

Work is done! Time to celebrate!

Last night I was uber cool (*snicker*) and hung out at the bike shop. Kyle got me fit on my new road bike (yay!!) and tweaked my fit on my TT bike.

While I knew my seat was a too high and could have adjusted it myself, it is so much nicer having a professional help you out to get it done right. With the seat where it needs to be, I'm expecting my love for my new Cobb V-Flow Plus to grow. :)

Of course it will continue to be trainer hours in the saddle for a while....we got more snow last night after having temps in the 60s earlier this week. Ugh. I'm just looking at the forecast and hoping the nice temps on Tuesday come true, as I'm slated to do my first outdoor ride with the group from Kyle's! I've never been one to go on group rides. Partly because I only had a TT bike and the roadies around here don't like it when you show up on your tri rig. But also because I've never been comfortable enough on the bike to ride in close proximity to others. So, I've just avoided the situation. But 2010 is about stepping out of my comfort zone and group riding is one of the things I vowed to do. So I got myself a road bike and am committing to riding with this group on Tuesdays. I'm really looking forward to it. Now if only this weather would just cooperate!

Seasons change.....

2010-03-09T11:12:00.002-06:00

I'm getting into race season mode. I can feel it.

I've started randomly thinking about details throughout the day. What is working for me as pre-race food these days? What shoes? Drive in or fly in? How far is the hotel from the start? Does "hilly" mean "HILLY" or "HILLY HILLY"? What will my nutrition plan be? What nutrition will they have on course? Where did I put my race number belt? Where did I put my aero helmet??? My aero bottle straw? What did I accidentally leave in Mexico??!!??

Am I over-thinking this? Am I forgetting something?

Am I ready?

I saw the countdown on the left roll to 60 days. Yeowza!!

At 60 days out from the first race of the season, I'm still feeling like I'm shaking the cobwebs off a bit. I'm seeing progress on my workouts but I don't feel fast. There is still snow on the ground and I have to wear 5 lbs of layers to stay warm for an outdoor run. It doesn't look/feel/smell like a race morning yet. You know that look/feel/smell I'm talking about. Sometimes, when I'm out walking the dogs before work, I get goosebumps when I walk outside and think to myself "man, I wish today was a race day!" We aren't there yet. Daylight savings this Sunday will help - it will reintroduce the morning sun! Ahhh....I can't wait! I will finally feel energized in the morning again. I will want to get up instead of hitting snooze and rolling back under the covers. I will want to get out and do an early morning workout. I will start to get my morning routine down pat again - the one I rely on when race day comes.

One thing is for certain though - I feel a lot more prepared now than I have any other season at this time. I had such a great 2009, and feel 20 steps ahead already. That drives my motivation big time.

You know what else drives motivation?? Gear. Yeah, I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'm totally gear-motivated. This season I have really cool sponsors that have my gear-drenaline all jacked up. My fast Saucony shoes, my nutrition from First Endurance, my Trislide.....I'm shifting gears and am going to ride a new saddle this year too. Last year I was on the Adamo Race, but ever since Ironman, I just cannot bring myself to sit on it. I've been testing out a Cobb V-Flow. It isn't quite right and I've been told to try the V-Flow Plus. So, I ordered one from All3Sports and can't wait to get it installed. Although, getting off the trainer and on to the road will be the true test. I'm always amazed at how different a saddle feels when you are actually on the road.

So, I mentioned the Trislide earlier. Here's the deal. When I first got my shipment from SBR Sports, I was mostly stoked about the Triswim stuff: shampoo/conditioner/body wash/lotion - and just set the Foggle and Trislide aside. Well, I wanted to start doing some sockless runs in my new Fastwitch shoes, and I had read that the Trislide could be used on your feet as well. Rather than starting with Vaseline in the shoes (which I did last year in my Newtons and it worked great), I started right away by spraying Trislide on the tops of my feet (where the tongue would rub) and on the heel/Achilles area. The first time I did this I had a run OTB, so I put this on prior to my bike ride (I never wear socks with my bike shoes and have never had any blistering/chaffing issues). After a good hour on the bike, my feet were nice and sweaty and it was time to run. I could tell the Trislide was still in place and ready to work. A little bit of speedwork later - no problems. At all. Awesome.

Later in the week I gave it another shot on a longer run (no bike prior). Again - no problems at all. And remember, these shoes are pretty new, so the seams haven't really had time to be broken in yet. I'm sure the comfort is a combination of both the shoes AND the Trislide. I must admit that I'm surprised at how well the Trislide is working.

I've also been using the Trislide in place of my normal Aquaphor/Chamois Butt'r combo on the bike. Longest ride I've done with the Trislide is 45 min, and it worked great. I'm going to keep bumping this up to see if it can last me through my half at Cedar Point in Sept.

Why am I so excited about this Trislide revelation?? It is waterproof! So think about that. You could put it on before the race and not worry about it washing off during the swim. Creams and chamois butter can get kinda goopy and you end up with weird (gross) marks in your "seat area". If this continues to work out for me, I'll only have to bring one little can of Trislide with me to transition instead of Aquaphor, Chamois Butt'r, Body Glide, and Vaseline. Yay for simplicity!!!

I did manage to run outside for my long run on Sunday. It was supposed to be 50 degrees. It was actually 34. Booo. Oh well. Spring will eventually get here. I just need to be patient.

[fingers tapping on desk.......]

Cool opportunity to talk to a world champion!

2010-03-03T13:13:00.000-06:00

In case you haven't heard, the folks at Rev3 - specifically the totally BA Heather Gollnick and triathlon podcast guru Simply Stu - will be hosting the first episode of a new weekly web-radio show. Their guest tonight will be 70.3 World Champion Julie Dibens! She's going to talk about her preparations for the Rev3 races she's doing, as well as take questions that are called in or submitted online.

Yes, you read that right. You can CALL IN and talk to Julie!

(646) 727-2131 on TONIGHT (Wed, March 3) @ 8pm EST (that's 7pm for those of us here in the midwest)

Here's the link to where you can find all the details. And if you happen to miss the show, don't worry. You can download the podcast later and listen to it whenever.

TRIX Gear Giveaway - WINNER!

2010-03-01T09:38:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! And the winner is......

D10 - Just Running for Fun

Looks like she'll be getting the Fish 'n Chips swim start shirt. I like this one not only for the design, but it is (for the women) printed on a baby doll-style shirt which is just a little different than others that may be in your closet. Here's a very RANDOM shot I had in my phone from a day at work, wearing the Fish 'n Chips shirt....

Don't ask me why I have this pic.
I don't know...
I don't have a good explanation.
Just go with it, mm'k?

Anyway - D10, email me with what size you need and a mailing address. littlerachelle at gmail dot com

For the rest of you, sorry you didn't win. But Celeste has plenty of YOUR favorite shirts in stock, so go order one for yourself!!

An evolution of shoes

2010-02-28T20:38:00.000-06:00

Check back tomorrow (Monday) for the winner of the t-shirt giveaway!
You still have time to sign up if you haven't already!! Go here for details!

The other day, Michelle did a post about her shoe problem, and it started me thinking about the evolution of my own shoe problem. I used to work in a downtown setting where dressing up in heels or more stylish shoes were appropriate. I had the classic mound-o-shoes in my closet with everything from flats to stilettos. I had a few pairs of casual, stylish sneaks. And I always kept a pair of "running shoes."

I was thinking back to when I first did a mile run test as an adult. (check here for the full story) I remember that I grabbed my "running shoes" out of the closet and headed out. Putting them on my feet, I had no how important something so simple as a pair of "running shoes" would become to me.

Fast forward to my first season in triathlon. I'm pretty sure I purchased a new pair of "running shoes", but the only thing I was really focused on was buying these elastic shoe strings that reminded me of the ones we wore in elementary school that were curly. Remember those???

I had done research on triathlon and using these elastic laces were one of the top suggestions given to newbies. So I got a pair, and I had them sooooooooo tight! (Kinda like the picture!!!) I was sure they weren't going to hold my shoes on my feet. How could they? When I run, my feet move so fast (HA!) that they are sure to fly off.

Those "running shoes" are also part of a memory I have of one of my most horrible race experiences. Following my very first race, I decided I needed to be EVEN FASTER in transition, and that SOCKS should be eliminated from my transition routine.

Nevermind that I had never trained without socks.

Nevermind that it was friggin' hot out that day and my feet were sweating sooooooo bad.

Nevermind that I had no understanding of what causes BLISTERS and that I had the perfect recipe brewing in my "running shoes". Shoes were too small, laces too tight, no socks, sweaty feet, no practice...you get the picture.

I am so miserable at this point in the run.
I was stopping every 100 ft or so to adjust the tongue of my shoe
because the blisters were becoming unbearable. It was the
longest. 10K. ever. I still have scars....

Needless to say, after that race, I was thoroughly frustrated. I went back to socks. I loosened my laces a bit. Sure, my runs were less painful going forward, but I still never felt like my feet/shoe combo was helping me.

2008 I pushed the envelope with my racing, and physically I began to suffer other effects. Knee pain. Hip pain. Was it my bike? Was it my "running shoes"? Was I just physically awkward due to excess weight and running was not in my future? I felt that I had all of these "corrective measures" going on. Shoe inserts to help add support but provide cushion. I saw a physical therapist that put me in arch supports. I ran my first half IM in those and while during the race I was fine, I HURT in the weeks and months to follow. It was not good, and I found myself taking the rest of the season off to recover. I came back at the end of the season to do a few sprints but I knew something had to change.

In 2009, I finally addressed my "running shoes" as the enemy. After tons of research and self assessment, I went AGAINST the guidance of my local running store (who had continually put me in a guidance/support shoe) and went NEUTRAL. No more support shoes. No more inserts or arch supports. I didn't want anything with a ton of cushion - I wanted light, LIGHT shoes. I also knew that starting over was going to require me to accept and address the fact that my run form had issues of it's own, and that shoes weren't only to blame. So, despite lots of doubt and controversy, I bought myself a pair of Newtons. I started slow......sllllllooooooowwwwwww.....breaking them in and breaking ME in to running again. When the 2009 race season kicked off, I finally saw my shoes no longer as just "running shoes" - they had a purpose in my gear bag. I used them to TRAIN and RACE. They were tools in my arsenal. My choice of shoes were part of me as a triathlete.

2009 shoes in review!
There are even a pair missing from this line-up. My red ones that I wore for IM Coz.

When I got accepted to Team Trakkers for 2010, I had a bit of apprehension because I was so IN LOVE with my Newtons. I remember telling our fearless leader, Carole, through email that I was willing to give our shoe sponsor a try but that I couldn't make promises. She probably thought I was crazy, and I was! Crazy in love with my SHOES!

With an open mind, the first pair I tried were the ProGrid Ride 2. Wearing them around, I loved them. They were very comfy and my feet still felt fresh at the end of the day. But were they something I could run in? I gave them a few weeks worth of training, but I wasn't falling in love. There was so *much* to them compared to what I was used to. I wanted to find something that was much more minimal, so I looked exclusively at their race shoes. There were 2 pairs that I wanted to try, so I ordered them both.

Here are the Saucony Grid Type A3 and the Fastwitch 4

So far, I've only run in the Fastwitch 4s. And the verdict? I already LOVE THEM! My feet are so happy!! They are light, and airy and they feel like they complement my feet instead of complicate my feet. I wore these bad boys during my run test this week, and despite being very new, I had no comfort issues with them at all! They are really soft inside which makes them prime candidates for going sockless during my short course races this summer. I'll give that a shot when I can consider running outside without the possibility getting frostbite.

I'm going to continue to wear my Ride 2s for cross-training (like my bosu workouts) and just wearing them around town. Since I don't like wearing my training and race shoes out as everyday-shoes, they'll be a comfortable way for me to show off my new love for the Saucony brand without wearing out my performance tools too quickly.

FYI - I'm not wearing the A3s yet because I need to get a bigger size. Even though I ordered the same size in both pairs, the A3s seem to run smaller. I don't want to even attempt to run in them knowing they aren't the right size. It's just not fair to the shoes. :) Once I get the right size, I'll give a review of them as well.

Playing catch-up

2010-02-24T23:54:00.000-06:00

Don't forget about the TRIX t-shirt giveaway that ends Sunday!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm finally getting back into the groove of training -- as if I actually have a purpose. My purpose?? My first race of the season is just over 72 days away!! So, what have I been doing? Well......let me share a few highlights....

A couple of weekends ago, I was lucky enough to get ELF here for a mini-camp with me and some of my friends who are now training with her. Saturday morning was spent at the pool, going through a workout and having her video and critique our strokes. Then, after a little bit of lunch, we headed over to Kyle's Bikes and camped in their training room. We were set up on an Elite multi-rider system, and ELF put us through our paces.

Here we are doing some strength moves that were peppered in with our bike workout. Big gears...then strength....repeat...repeat...repeat.....FUN!

Sunday morning we went up to Iowa State University and ran on their indoor track. We did a lot of drill work, and ELF taped each of us running. After the workout, we headed back to Steve and Jamey's house (friends who are now part of ELF's Iowa contingent) where Jamey cooked up a fantastic lunch for all of us, then we all watched the swim and run video while ELF gave pointers and talked about what she saw. I must say, it's a lot of fun having your friends know what your coach is telling you you need to work on - they can help remind you when they see you falling apart. Pretty cool....

Last week (M-F) was nothing spectacular - just work, work, work and normal training. But again, come the weekend, I had some good stuff planned. First, was a birthday party for my friend Dan. Here he is serving as a guest DJ for the evening. IMHO he was way better than the house DJ.....I'm just sayin'.....

Sunday I had a trail run on the schedule. I knew this was coming up so I took the opportunity to pick up a new pair of trail shoes. Check them out - the Saucony ProGrid Guide TR 2.

Oh my - they were FANTASTIC for running on the snow packed trail. I had great traction and my feet stayed nice and dry. It was a brisk 25F out with a little bit of a wind that had some bite when I wasn't protected by the trees.

This week is a rest week and I am due to pay up on all of the testing I missed when I got sick. Tonight was a swim test that I totally ROCKED! Tomorrow is a run test, and Sunday the BIG BAD BIKE TEST.

Oh - and on the nutrition side of things....I'm totally digging some of my new products from First Endurance. The grape flavored EFS sports drink is GREAT! I love how not-too-sweet it is, and how well it sits with me. I've even tried it with CarboPro and it did well. So, I'm sure I'll be using that combo at Cedar Point in September. Also, the Ultragen recovery drink, cappuccino flavor - YUMYUMYUMMY! I am so amazed at how well this stuff mixes and tastes!!!

I'll have a running shoe review for you soon, but I have to get some more data before it is ready to share. Moving from Newton to Saucony has taken some patience in finding the right shoe for me, and I think I finally have.

TRIX are for.....you!!!

2010-02-19T13:43:00.001-06:00

Last December, I did a post about one of my most fav t-shirt companies - TRIX Gear. Well, they recently put out a new shirt and HOT DAMN....check this out.....

So, within minutes of getting the newsletter saying that this brand-spanking new design was ready for ordering, I had my order placed!! I had gotten a sneak peak at the design about a week earlier, so I was excitedly waiting for it's arrival. I know it's going to be a hot commodity.....ALL of the cool kids will be wearing one.

You know....COOL kids.....like me....

and MACCA!!!!

OH YEAH BABY!!!

And guess what?!?! The folks over at TRIX have agreed to let me give away one of their shirts to a lucky blog reader. You can pick from any of the shirts they have, but you KNOW you want to be one of the cool kids. ;)

Here's the deal.....to enter the drawing for a free shirt, you need to follow these simple instructions:

1) Go visit the TRIX website: http://www.trix-gear.com

2) Find the t-shirt called Trileidoscope.

3) Count how many goggles, bikes and shoes make up the design. (HINT: click on the More Images button to see a close-up shot of the design)

4) Post a comment here with your count for each (goggle #, bike #, shoe #), as well as a link to the t-shirt design you would want should you win.

Get it in before March 1st - that's when I'll do the drawing and pick the winner. Check back here for the winner!

A return to normalcy

2010-02-11T16:31:00.001-06:00

I'm pretty happy at this point. The gunk I had been harboring in my head/throat/nose/lungs seems to be gone for the most part. Each morning I still wake up and manage to remove a fair amount of "something" that has accumulated in the back of my nose/throat while sleeping. I am still on the last few doses of antibiotics, so my HR when doing my workouts still seems a bit off but for the most part, I am feeling back to "normal".

But really, what is "normal" these days?

For me, it is hitting the snooze button a few too many times then rushing to get ready and out the door each morning.

It's daydreaming of sunny, beach-filled days back on Cozumel, then wondering why the hell I live in Iowa.

It's drinking a few too many cups of coffee each day. Having to pee like crazy, then having coffee jitters until lunch time.

It's taking my new regimen of First Endurance products in the morning - OptygenHP and MultiV. (I'm not big on taking pills of any kind. Vitamins, ibuprofen, cold medicine.... like my antibiotics for instance. I've been bad about taking them consistently.) The multivitamin is something I should have been doing for a while anyway.

It's coming home after work, feeding and walking the boys, getting my workout done, scrounging around the house for something to eat, then heading to bed.

It's being better at filling and emptying the dishwasher (some of you reading this know EXACTLY why that is so funny...).

It's remembering that I'm no longer putting in 18 hour weeks during training, and eating that rice krispie treat is not going to be burned off later.

It's walking through the grocery store a few times a week, staying on the outside perimeter (where all the freshest, least processed food is) and picking up those things that are going to be good FUEL for my week. And when I walk by the ice cream isle, I sigh and say "Fuel. FUEL!!" and keep walking.

And most of all....the biggest thing that I am trying to make a "normal" part of my life......

....pushing myself during my bike workouts.

I've mentioned this before - my weakness on the bike. Get me in the pool or on the road and I will push myself hard - to the point of seeing purple and sparkles (The Wizard as some call it). But on the bike, I just haven't found that drive. In my season goals that I submitted to ELF, I told her that I wanted to be better on the bike - to make it my focus for 2010. So, it has been no surprise to me to find my TP calendar filled with all of the types of bike workouts I hate. After one in particular, I uploaded my SRM data into TP and awaited her feedback. One line in her email hit me harder than any ever before, commenting on my decreased watts when I hit low cadence sets: "You have been riding lazily along applying no pressure to the pedals." She's right. That's exactly what I do. I can spin along at 90 rpm very easily, but when the terrain gets tough, I don't know how to PUSH. When I get tired, I don't know how to PUSH. So, like I mentioned before, every bike workout I have now, I go into it knowing that by the end I better damn well have made it count, or it will show in my data. And ELF will know. And, come this summer, I will be out on the race course, feeling inadequate, and think back to those lame-ass-effort workouts and wonder why I didn't just do the hard work then instead of crying about it now.

And then I smile and push on.....

Let's try this again, shall we?

2010-02-03T11:22:00.000-06:00

Oh, how optimistic I was. Feeling that I was on the mend, and that getting back to working out was going to be my focus.

Not so much.

After a valiant attempt at re-entering the Club of the Fit, this junk/crap/crud/gunk/etc in my head/throat/nose/chest flared up again and I was down for the count - and actually, I felt worse.

Sigh.

By Saturday, it had entered my eye. MY EYE!!! Gross. I could have sworn my sinuses were draining out my tear ducts. I'm not a big "let's go to the doctor" person but I had had enough and knew I could not win this battle on my own. With 8 minutes until closing time at the Urgent Care facility down the street, I strolled in. Of course I had to do a bunch of paperwork - the last record they had on me was not even for me, but for my ex-husband from 2002! They were super nice, got me in right away, gave me a prescription for some antibiotics, and got me out of there.

Within 36 hours I was already feeling better. And Monday I returned to working out! YAY! Just like last time, the week started with a swim and some Bosu work. Last night was a big gear set on the bike followed by a quick 15 min run OTB. Ahhhhh......I *heart* running off the bike! Of course it was on the treadmill, and getting those first few uncomfortable steps out of the way are kinda difficult on the treadmill. I set it to 6.5 mph (1% incline), let the inner thighs do their weird cramping that they always do OTB, then ramped that puppy up to 7.0 and held it steady. My HR was a *bit* high, but that didn't matter (antibiotics, still recovering....) - my legs felt AWESOME!

In other news.....

My new training shoes from Saucony arrived yesterday! The ones I originally selected were discontinued, so they sent me these:

They are the Pro Grid Ride 2 in this season's new color. At 10.0 oz they are definitely a training shoe. I'm going to wear them around the house to break them in a bit, then I'll be doing some runs in them in the near future. I'll keep you posted.

Also, the new Trakkers website is up! Check it out!

Oh yeah.....Maria tagged me last week and wanted me to post the 10 things that make me happy. I'm going to stick with the stuff that helps me with triathlon training and racing. Here goes (in no particular order, and certainly not a complete list):
10. Trigger Point Therapy - it hurts sooooooo good!
9. My massage therapist - I truly believe that her, combined with my TP Therapy is what got me to the start line of IMCoz healthy and uninjured.
8. My coach - well yeah, she's the bomb. Duh! 'Nuff said.
7. New sponsors!! - This is going to be a fun year! Shoes, nutrition, personal care, communication, equipment - hello!?! What more could an athlete want???
6. Chocolate milk - after a hard workout, it is a nice treat!
5. My Garmin 310x and SRM combo - a data geek's dream come true!
4. Tuesday Night w/ the Biggest Loser - I love being able to ride/run on Tues nights with BL on. Opinions on the show itself are mixed, but the motivation and determination in these folks is truly inspirational. It also reminds me that if I give up and go back to my sedentary life, I might end up looking like that. No thanks!
3. My TRI friends - the energy the generate keeps me motivated and wanting to train and race with them.

2. My family - So supportive, even if it has taken them a few years to figure out that I do "triathlons", not "marathons". (love you guys!!!!)

1. My boys - when the workouts and training are done, it's nice to come home to these big lanky furballs.

Got fuel?

2010-01-26T17:42:00.000-06:00

I DO!!! I DO!!!

Minus their bars, I now have every product from First Endurance and am going to be giving them all a shot during my training and racing. I will let you know what I think - honestly. The only one I'm not sure of is the EFS gel. I tried it once before, but that was quite a while ago. Now that I have 3 full seasons under my belt, I feel as though I've grown in my nutritional capacity. I'm smarter about how and when to use these things and don't have unrealistic expectations.

On a training note - I've finally been able to get back to it! I'm still fighting some mucus in my head (draining mostly) but despite that, I'm back to training. I had a good Bosu workout in the morning, and then a nice arm strength-focused swim in the afternoon. I'm not sure what the deal was, but I felt really strong and my form seemed spot on. I was even bilaterally breathing with good success - not bobbing my head up and down to get a breath. My arms were already a little tired from that Bosu workout, so I think the rest of my form had to be good to compensate for my diminished arm strength. Does it work that way?? I don't know. That's what I'm telling myself though.... :)

I woke up this morning with my abs screaming - I haven't felt that in a long time! Damn Bosu and it's sneaky core work even when you aren't working your core....

Love it.

Because we are back to too-cold weather and too-snowy/icy sidewalks, I'll be running on the treadmill tonight. Then I have a brief workout on the bike to spin out my legs. I'm excited!

103 days until my first race of 2010 - REV3 Knoxville!!!

(remember, you can get $10 off your REV3 race registrations by using the code Trakkers125)

Down with the sickness

2010-01-23T12:39:00.000-06:00

Maybe it was the traveling. Maybe it was the large group of people I was around for a week. Maybe it was being stuck in a flying germ-incubator for hours. Whatever it was, it caught up to me, and this entire last week was spent fighting mucus buildup in my head and a sore throat. Gross.

Around Thursday I started feeling better. I told ELF that I wanted to do something that resembled a workout, so she gave me freedom to spin on the bike for a while. I intended to do it Thurs night, but after a long day at work I just wasn't feeling like I had the energy. Friday came and went, and I still just didn't have it in me.

This morning I FINALLY got back on the bike. YAY! I could tell my legs weren't there. My HR was a little high. My stomach felt a little off. But whatever - it felt good to move!

Tomorrow I'm going to try a short run and see how that goes. Maybe I can dislodge whatever gunk is still hibernating in my sinuses.

Oh yeah - prior to the sickness, I did manage to get my swim test done. And?? Yep, knocked my avg 100yd time down another 6 seconds. WOOHOO!

TGIF and a little perspective

2010-01-15T22:26:00.001-06:00

So, my last post was meant to be rhetorical - but the replies have kept me entertained! Thanks!!

I mostly wanted to show off the cool shwag from my new team - Team Trakkers. Now that I have some gear I feel like I'm officially an official member of the team. Woohoo!

This week has felt like the longest week ever. I was on a plane to CA on Sunday, back on Thursday night, and a long day of work today. I'm ready for the weekend.

I was going through my purse today and found one of those little USB drives. I didn't recognize it, so I threw it on the laptop to see what was on it. I had completely forgotten that I was given it over the holidays - my uncle had scanned in a bunch of old photos, some dating back as far as 1929!! It was really cool to flip through them and see all of the family members I heard about over the years. As I progressed through the imagery of the years, I came across a photo that I remember vividly as a child, usually framed and sitting somewhere on my mom's dresser.

As I was looking at this photo, what struck me was how much my mom and I look alike. Check it out!

She is a bit younger in her picture than I am in mine (by 5-6 years maybe??), but wow! (Mom, I know you are reading this, so correct me if I am off on the date of that pic.)

In case you didn't know, my mom is a blogger too. Throughout the years, we've always joked that anything we eat instantly goes to our hips, so what we eat better be "worth wearing". On her blog, you'll find lots of her favorite recipes - the things that qualify as worth wearing. You'll also find updates on my dad and his current battle against cancer.

Yep, cancer. He found out shortly after returning from Cozumel to watch me race. Since then, he's been through 2 rounds of chemo (his second was just this Monday), is losing his hair (buzzed it tonight), but is feeling marked improvement in his leg where his tumor is (now walking without a cane). He still has 4 more rounds of chemo scheduled, and we know that the process as a whole is a roller coaster. Up and down. But he is a tough guy, and is ready to battle.

We all have our own battles. But it's the perspective we take that will ultimately govern how we move through each day as we fight those battles.

I met a guy in the airport this week that talked to me about perspective. I approached him because he was wearing a prosthetic leg, and given my efforts with Drew and what I learned about the ongoing cost and struggle of living with an amputated limb, I was compelled to talk to him. He told me about being 17 and choosing to have his leg removed. About the path he has followed since then and the work he does now in the field of prosthesis. He talked to me about choosing his perspective and making the most of what he has - and not focusing on what he has lost. He also talked to me about helping others find their perspective - or even changing their perspective for the better.

Right now, my perspective is tired. It's been a long week. I'm going to bed.

G'nite

What'd ya think?

2010-01-14T20:27:00.000-06:00

Is green my color???

How about pink????

Trail Running!

2010-01-12T20:05:00.000-06:00

I've mentioned before how much I enjoy getting out on a trail and running. Today, that feeling hit a whole new level! I was able to sneak away and get about an hour run in at Balboa Park here in San Diego. Prior to my arriving, I found this website and had been scoping my run destinations for the week. I was not disappointed!!! Just a few pics my my 68 degree, sunny and oh-so-much-better-than-Iowa run. Enjoy!

Stuck inside

2010-01-09T11:52:00.001-06:00

Unless you don't watch the news and only resort to my blog for the latest and greatest (in which case, you are severely uninformed...turn on a tv or hit cnn.com, would ya??), you know that the midwest has been in a constant state of FROZEN for a while now. Those of us that live here are fully aware that during the winter months, it's going to be cold. It's going to snow. There's going to be ice. But these temps have been too cold for too long. And motivation to layer up and go outside can be almost as difficult as convincing me to join Facebook. (it ain't gonna happen....stop asking)

Fortunately for me, I have been able to create a great room within the house to train in when the weather outside is less than inviting. But, getting it ready has been a process, and it all started just before leaving for Cozumel. Here's what the room looked like to start with.

Actually, imagine the tile floor not in place - just bare concrete.

Walls finished, drop ceiling and recessed lights installed.

And here it is now!

Note the dog beds - Hoss and Bud like to come down and sleep while I'm riding or running.

But I have to admit - I'm starting to get some cabin fever. There have been enough bad weather days that working from home, working out at home, and.....well........just plain being at home is getting......boring. So, when I got an invite from an old friend to venture out into the cold and do something fun, I jumped, and convinced others to come along with me. Here are some pics from last night.

Oh yes. That's a monster truck rally. Fun times!

Even better? This weekend I'll be flying out of this frozen tundra, and will spend a few days in sunny San Diego! Unlike last year when I was in a build for my half marathon and was on a mission to run hills, this year I'm going to swim in one of the outdoor lap pools and run on a local trail. Excited!!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T16:06:00.000-06:00

Here's a recap of my past year. Hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed putting it together and reliving all of the memories.

Trix are for......triathletes!

2009-12-29T14:45:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago, I ran across a new triathlon apparel shop. These aren't your normal "How about a threesome?" shirts. I love this company because their designs are so unique, and I don't feel like a total tri-douche wearing their stuff. It is artsy, and fun, and I can't get enough!

My first order, I bought three of their shirts....

Aero - LOVE this design!

Obsessive Compulsive - I wear this one when I'm feeling exceptionally OCD

Paper Doll - I get the most comments from this one. So cute!

I get so many comments when I wear these - everyone loves them! And, they are comfy, American Apparel t-shirts, which are my fav!

Earlier this month I stopped back to the site, checking for anything new (I still need to order the Fish 'n Chips shirt!) and saw a blog post about a bike case sticker. I posted that I wanted one.....and look what came in the mail!!!

I put one on the bike rack that goes in the Element, and have another saved for my bike case (which I will be buying this year, instead of borrowing like I did during all of 2008-9).

Anyway.....just wanted to share this site with you. Enjoy!

TRIX Gear - http://www.trix-gear.com

Holidays

2009-12-26T19:11:00.000-06:00

Bud and I on our drive home. Hoss is sleeping in the back.

I'm back at home after my trip to the parents' for the holidays. It was kicked off a few days earlier than originally planned - a huge storm was predicted for central Iowa and I didn't want to be making the 2 hour drive east along with everyone else on Christmas Eve eve....for fear it would be 4 hours of white knuckle driving. Fortunately, the storm in Eastern Iowa was much less menacing than originally thought, and the bulk of the snow in central Iowa is now cleared off the roads. I made it to Cedar Rapids and back with no road trouble whatsoever. Yay!

This year's celebrations were just a little off-key. It wasn't full of fanfare and big hoopla like it tends to be most years. We were all a little pre-occupied with thoughts of healing and what is REALLY important in life - spending quality time together and not letting the little things get in the way. Sure, we had a few holiday celebrations to attend, but for the most part we were pretty subdued.

Of course, a trip to my parents' house never comes without some sort of drama. The first round came right away, early Tuesday morning. My mom let all of the boys (Hoss, Bud, and Tito) out to potty, and all of a sudden I hear her screaming my name! I go outside to find that the big boys (Hoss and Bud) had caught themselves a Christmas rabbit, and played a little game of tug with it. Bleh! Armed with plastic gloves and a plastic bag, I cleaned up the carnage and got them cleaned up as well - blood spatter everywhere! It was funny - they had chased the rabbit, caught the rabbit, played with the rabbit......but really had no other intentions with it. They aren't killers - they weren't trying to eat it. I had to laugh the entire time. And as old and out of shape my boys are becoming, I'm impressed they had it in them. Way to go!

The second episode of drama also involved one of the boys Once again they were let outside to potty, and upon returning inside, Hoss was limping. No pressure being put on his front right foot. Lovely.

Becca comforting Hoss while we wait for the vet.

It was late so I waited until the next morning and took him to the vet. After x-rays were taken, it was determined that he had broken a toe. Not much you can really do about a broken toe, so Hoss is now on lots of rest and some pain meds. He's doing better - the swelling is going down and he is slowly putting weight on it every once in a while. I'll keep monitoring his progress and we'll go in for a vet follow-up some point this week.

I was able to get most of my workouts in despite the weather and not being at home. I've run more on a treadmill this week than I did during the rest of 2009! I really don't like the treadmill. Bleh.

Oh - I almost forgot! I really only asked for one thing from Christmas, and I got it - The Athlete's Plate. I'm really excited to read this and try out some of the 85 recipes in there. I'll let you know when I try something and what I think.

Happy Holidays!

These are a few of my favorite things.....

2009-12-21T15:00:00.000-06:00

First off - I did successfully make it to the pool this morning. YAY! The swim felt good, and I can't wait to go back. Tonight I'll spend a little time on the dreadmill. Not because I wouldn't love to run outside right now, but because dark + snow-covered sidewalks is a recipe for disaster.

Ok, back to my original reason for this post - I've had a year full of trying new products to find the perfect combination that would carry me through Cozumel. Most of the stuff in this list are tri-related, but a few are just fun and I want to share my findings.

My 2009 List of Favorite Things (in no particular order)

1. Carbo-Pro - In searching for a non-gel way of getting my much needed calories in for the bike, Carbo-Pro became the answer. Added to whatever electrolyte drink I want, this stuff adds the carbs and calories I need, and keeps me from having to eat yet another stinkin' gel.

2. Heather Fink - My nutritionist for IM Cozumel! Heather is amazing, as as a multi-ironman finisher and a tremendous athlete in her own right, she has been-there-done-that knowledge that really helped me out. She not only taught me how to eat on a day to day basis during the peak of my training, she worked with me to fine-tune a nutrition plan for the race that worked very well. Since this was my first iron distance race, there was definitely an X-factor that would only be known on race day, but she had prepared me very well with the knowledge I needed to make decisions out on the course. If you are looking for some help, talk to Heather.

3. Starbucks Via - When it comes to race day nutrition, my mornings start off with 2 frozen waffles, peanut butter, and a cup of Starbucks Via Instant Coffee. Why this particular coffee? Because to be blunt, it makes me have to 'go'. Seriously, within 15 min of drinking this stuff, my bowels are moved like the crowd at a Billy Graham sermon. And it is so convenient in those little packets. Easy to make anywhere, even with just a bottle of water.

4. Smartwool Pigs In a Blanket Slippers - These things are so nice! When I get home from work, my shoes come off and these go on my feet. Because of their sturdy soles, I don't build up a static charge when walking around the house, which most slippers do in the winter. Treat yourself!

5. Recovery Sox - Love, love, LOVE these compression socks!!! Jen Harrison introduced them to me at camp last February. I already had a pair of compression socks by another manufacturer, but when I got my Recovery Sox, they instantly became my favorite. So much so, that I've purchased a few more pairs, and even a pair of arm warmers! When really training (i.e. not lately), I wear them to bed each night. I wake up with my legs feeling fresh!

6. Trigger Point Therapy products - Oh my.....I probably would have been injured going into Cozumel if I hadn't jumped on the TP bandwagon. I already owned the hip and lower back system (quadballer, footballer, 2 TP massage balls, the block, and a DVD), but I didn't really unlock the secret until a friend and teammate of mine (who also happens to be an AD at Iowa State University) mentioned the Regen program that comes on the DVD. I had been having ongoing pain in my hip, and he said I should start using the Regen program 2-3 times a week. So I did, and I started feeling the difference within weeks. The hip pain was gone, and I was seeing improvements in my running technique. I really think it was helping with some of the imbalances I have.

7. Liz Waterstraat (ELF) - My coach, of course. You knew she would have to be on the list. I had a stellar 2009 season and I owe a big part of that to Liz. She kept me on track. She knew what to say and how to say it when something needed to be said. She understands that each athlete is unique - while you may want someone to paw at you, stroke your belly and tell you what a good little triathlete you're being - I don't. Results are what I want. And honesty through open communication is what works for me. Even though she is 314 miles away, I feel like she is right there, before and after each workout. In 2009, working with Liz was one of the best investments I made. I'll continue to work with her through 2010.

8. Newtons - I do love running in my Newtons. I have a rainbow of different colored pairs to prove it. They really helped me to get my running form in check this season. In 2010, as part of my Trakkers sponsorship, I will be aligning with Saucony. I'm really hoping I like their shoes, because I really want to support our team sponsors. But they have some big shoes to fill (pun very much intended). I'll keep you posted.

Note: I am not sponsored by any of the people/companies listed above. However, if anyone from above would like to send me a thank you for recommending your product or service, I will gladly accept your gratitude.

Falling off the wagon

2009-12-20T22:35:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not an alcoholic.

Chocoholic.....sure. Popcorn, peppermint mochas, frozen pizza......all play into my known addiction to junk food.

But the obscene variety of crappy food I've consumed since Nov 30 is not the concern.
Well, not yet.

The problem? I was supposed to start back to working out this week. I had 6 hours in Training Peaks. Nothing big. Nothing spectacular. Just get me moving and back into the groove of training each day.

But as ELF clearly and concisely put it - I fell off the wagon.

I did one run. ONE RUN - on Wednesday. The run actually felt good, and as running always does, it cleared my mind and I was feeling rejuvenated (despite the fact that weather forced me to run on an indoor track at a gym I don't really belong to, and despite paying $6 to use the facility for one day, they wouldn't give me a towel, and I was forced to use paper towels to dry myself off after my shower).

With each day, the little things started snowballing, and the next thing I knew, another day had passed and I hadn't done my workouts. And then, it was Friday. And Saturday. And now, it is Sunday and I had to confess my sins to the almighty ELF.

The good news is, I think I hit bottom this week. I'm feeling the desire to get back into the swing. The pool is calling me. My bike....well, it's calling, but that is where I have the least desire. But I've been working on getting my workout space spruced up and inviting, in hopes that I'll feel a little more motivated to hop back on the bike.

Tomorrow morning will be the test. If I can get my butt out of bed and get to the pool before work, I will be golden.

Oh yes, I will be golden. I will be back on the wagon.

Stay tuned.

2010 - the plan

2009-12-10T10:31:00.005-06:00

If you are one of those people that still visits blogs individually, then you've probably noticed some changes around my place. The new design, and the new "theme" for the next year: If it's getting easier, then you've quit trying."

This phrase came to me out on the course of IMCoz, during the run, as I'm feeling like I want to hurl.

I thought about when I started 3 years ago. How I felt that just finishing the triathlon would be an accomplishment. And then how, after doing more and more races, I never felt that the task was getting easier, because with each race, I wanted to accomplish something bigger and better. I put a goal out there and wanted to work to achieve that. Maybe it was a better bike split. Or hitting that sexy number on the run.

I don't want things to get easy. I know that I have a lot of potential that has yet to be exposed. I have concessions I have made when choosing some of my races in the past. Don't get me wrong, it's not uncommon to for athletes to choose races that suit their skills, but this is different.

I've been afraid.

But in 2010, I've decided that being afraid isn't acceptable anymore. I'm going to do some of the races that I would have avoided - HAVE avoided - in the past.

So, next year is going to be full of new and exciting adventures. The first thing being that I was asked to be a part of 2010 Team Trakkers! This is really cool for me in so many ways. I can now say I'm a sponsored athlete. I get the perks that go along with that (more on that later) and get to meet a whole bunch of new people as part of the team.

I was on a conference call yesterday and got to learn a lot about the Trakkers product - fun, geeky things - that make me even more excited to race with it this season. It is scheduled to be available early 2010, and will have some great features. I've been stalking the Trakkers folks since I first learned of it a while back, so my inner-geek is elated that I get to be a part of this team.

Second, I am continuing to train with the awesome, and bad-ass Liz Waterstraat. Even when I wasn't really doing 2010 planning, I asked her for some insight on how she would envision my season. With her guidance, I've put together a race schedule that really gets me giddy. If there are 2 things in triathlon I would ever state that I truly hate, it is olympic distance races and hills. And 2010 features both of these - repeatedly!!

As part of Team Trakkers and in efforts to tackle my fears, I will be participating in all 3 of the Rev3 races!

I'll be doing the OlympicRev at both Knoxville and Quassy, then the HalfRev at Cedar Point. Knoxville and Quassy combine hills with an oly distance race! HELLO!

Here's what the schedule looks like as a whole:

Rev3 Knoxville (5/9)

Rev3 Quassy (6/5)

Quad Cities Sprint (6/19)

Cornman Sprint (7/11)

Hickory Grove Sprint (8/29)

Rev3 Cedar Point (9/12)

Des Moines Half Marathon (10/17)

I have lots more to tell you about with Trakkers and the other sponsors that come along with this team. Nutrition, shoes, and even some shampoo/conditioner/body wash products! All things I'm looking forward to trying out and giving my opinion on.

Sponsors & Affiliates

2009-12-09T14:38:00.014-06:00

	TRAKKERS A unique product, the Trakkers device combines GPS and cellular technology to transmit real-time race and training data. Powered w/ ANT+ and armed with other unique features, this device promises to revolutionize how athletes race and train, and how their family and loved ones become involved. www.TrakkersGPS.com
	REV3 The REV3 race series combines all of the perks and challenges athletes love, with kid-friendly venues so that the whole family can enjoy race weekend! Make your race registration fee go further by racing REV3! Use code TRAKKERS37 and save $10 on any Rev3 race you register for. www.rev3tri.com
	First Endurance First Endurance integrates the latest clinical research with the input from the best cyclists, runners and triathletes in the world to provide the ultimate endurance-specific sports nutrition. www.firstendurance.com
	Multisport Mastery If you want to take your training and racing to the next level, you need to hire a coach. And if you're going to hire a coach, you should hire one that has the knowledge and experience that will give you the edge you really desire. Elizabeth is just that. She has helped me see speeds, splits, and PRs that I only dreamed of - and she's not done yet! 2010 promises to be another year of breakthroughs. www.multisportmastery.com
	Kestrel For the 2011 race season, I'm happy to have a new rig - the Kestrel 4000! It is wicked fast, wicked light, and fits me like a glove. www.kestrelbicycles.com
	Avia A new sponsor for Trakkers/Rev3 team is Avia! Watch for reviews on the Bolt II, Bolt III, and the Stoltz! www.avia.com
	TriSwim/TriSlide/Foggle by SBR "High performance skin lubricant, swim and chlorine-out products. Good for the body, Good for the soul." Can't wait to provide you with product reviews of all of the SBR product line. Check back soon!! www.tri-swim.com
	All3Sports.com One of the best choices on the web for a huge selection of triathlon gear, nutrition, apparel, wetsuits and bikes. www.all3sports.com
	TYR The leader in swimming products, I'm happy to be wearing TYR gear this year. The super fast Hurricane 5 wetsuit, the Torque swimskin, their suits and goggles. www.tyr.com

Changes are a coming....

2009-12-08T22:40:00.000-06:00

I'm in the process of updating my blog, so please excuse the mess while I get the new template working. (links on the left aren't working right now....I know, I know....I'm getting to it).

About Me

2009-12-08T22:14:00.000-06:00

In 2007, due to a friendly wager at work, I signed up and completed my first triathlon. Shortly after, I signed up for my second, and third......and soon, I had done a handful of triathlons and was still wanting more!

2008 brought on my first attempt at a half iron distance. And In 2009, my first ironman.

This blog is where I (mostly) ramble about the happenings in my triathlon life. The training, the races.....and the things that we all experience but can't talk to most people about!

Enjoy!

2012 Race Schedule

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March - The Great Clermont Triathlon (Olympic), Clermont, FL

April - Rev3 Run Across America (around Tulsa, Oklahoma)

May - Rev3 Knoxville (Olympic), Knoxville, TN

June - Rev3 Quassy (Olympic), Middlebury, CT

July - maybe something local.....

August - Rev3 Wisconsin Dells (half), Wisconsin Dells, WI

August - Hotter 'n Hell 100 (100 mile bike), Wichita Falls, TX

September - run, run, run....

October - Des Moines Marathon (my first open marathon!!!), Des Moines, IA

2011 Race Schedule and Reports

March 20 - 5150 Miami International (olympic) - Race Report

April 10 - Ironman 70.3 Texas - Race Report

May 21 - Ironman Texas - Race Report

July 16 - Lake Geode Challenge (olympic) - Race Report

September 4 - 5150 Age Group Championships, Hy-Vee Triathlon (olympic)

September 11 - Rev3 Cedar Point (full)

2010 Race Schedule and Reports

May 9 - Rev3 Knoxville (olympic) - Race Report

June 5 - Rev3 Quassy (olympic) - Race Report

June 19 - Quad Cities Sprint - Race Report

July 11 - Cornman Sprint - Race Report

August 29 - Hickory Grove Sprint

2009 RACES COMPLETED

3/28 Olathe Half Marathon
5/7 Elkhart Time Trial
5/16 Galena Triathlon (sprint)
6/7 Little Pig Triathlon (sprint)
6/11 Elkhart Time Trial
6/28 Hy-Vee Triathlon (oly)
7/19 Spirit of Racine (half iron)
11/29 Ironman Cozumel

2008 RACES COMPLETED

3/30 Lone Star Half Iron
5/31 Dam to Dam 20K
8/24 Hickory Grove Triathlon (sprint)
9/7 Cy-Man Triathlon (sprint)
9/14 Doathlon For Life (du - team)
9/21 Iron Girl Bloomington Duathlon

2007 RACES COMPLETED

Highlands Ranch Tune-up Triathlon
Hy-Vee Triathlon
Fifth Season 8K
Cornman Triathlon
Cy-man Triathlon
Troops & TriHawks Triathlon
Race For the Cure
Des Moines Half Marathon (Walked)
Return of the Turkey Trot

More pictures

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Here are more pics that I picked up from the official photographers.