Kickin It Off!

I can't possibly kick off 2013 without a proper good-bye to 2012. I finished off a great year with 32 days of running starting December 1 and ending January 1st. I will tell you this. It is a lot harder than it sounds (when you add swim, bike, life and the sheer darkness of December :) But I feel STRONGER because of it and feel as if I can handle more. Win win if you ask me and I challenge everyone to try it at least once! Even if you don't like to run! 

I also wanted to say a proper good-bye to last year's training. It was solid year for me both training and professionally. My average training hours was about 16.78 per week on top of working 40-70 hours felt solid. I took TWO WHOLE weeks off as well after each Ironman and recharged. My swimming was the biggest in terms of yards ever; 571,439 which is about 317 miles. That may or may not have been helped by the 100 x 100 yards I did FOUR times in 2012. (In case YOU are reading this Bring it!)

I feel nostalgic about the year because it was good and bad for many reasons, some personal. We said good-bye to some family members forever and had some health scares. I also PR'd in some important races to me and also totally blew up in one! It does not at all deter me from this crazy sport and with each year I love it more and more.

So this year I have some HUGE goals. BIG. I am going to be #ROCKINGTHEW. I will be fully supported in all things triathlon thanks in part to Sean and our team. I want to represent NORCAL and all we have to offer. This is an awesome team which I am very grateful to be a part of. 

The party of training has started. This train is rolling along. Happy New Year!

Rock the W

How is this even possible? Excited? Understatement. 2013 is going to be Rockin. A killer coach, a huge team and my 40th birthday? No way!

Ironman Arizona Race Report

Travel down to Arizona for this year's race was uneventful. It was actually quite relaxing to get down there a few days early and have relatively nothing to do except do some short little tune-up workouts (all engines need them!), meet up with peeps, and SHOP!

There were no pre-race panic attacks or major problems...except for forgetting my timing chip back at the hotel for the practice swim.  I may or may not have become hysterical/frazzled/stressed out, but Super Sherpa Husband Extraordinaire and my Number One Fan literally raced to the hotel and back, and I got my chip just in time to allow 20 minutes in the water. I wanted to get in the water and feel it.

It could have been colder. I have been working on this the entire year... envisioning a place or situation that could be worse. No matter how bad something seems, you can always tell yourself that it could be worse and then put your head down and get 'er done. Or that you are not going to die. That one had to be my favorite this year from Michelle: This will not kill you. Go. Do it. Like a machine.

It is sometimes a major battle in my head what I can and cannot accomplish in this sport. A little insight into my past: Many people have doubted whether I could be an competitive Ironman contender and told me that I would never achieve the time goals I wanted to achieve. But there are also many people who believed I can do whatever I set my mind to and have supported me, trained with me, and encouraged me. Take a guess who I call  my friends.

The day before the race, there are certain checks I like to make in the boxes. Water- fine. Pre race setup-check. Weather- couldn't be better.

Nothing was going to come between me and my day.

I woke up Sunday morning after two WHOLE hours of sleep. I am the world's best sleeper (after Suzy) except for the night before Ironman! It might have been due to the fact that our neighbors down the hall were partying all night, but mostly just nerves.

Nerves. Nerves are a good thing. They mean your body is ready to fight.

I quickly got dressed and forced breakfast down. Today was not going to be about bad choices, like not eating enough.  Breakfast- check.

I was nervous about being so far *away* from town but we found our trusty parking spot. No big deal! I remember walking towards transition and thinking to myself that the next time I saw my car I would be an Ironman. It doesn't matter how many times you do these things, the excitement of race morning it is always just like the first time. 

Run through transition- check. Drop special needs bags off- check. Have Super Sherpa check the bike from over the fence- check. I remember looking up at the sky and it just seemed as if it was going to be a great day. Kind of surreal and strangely calm. All systems go.

The swim was horrible. I normally am calm at the swim start, but today was different. For starters, there were some BIG men around me. I started far right and was close to the edge.  Bill caught the first ten minutes on his phone.  Ten minutes of me literally getting the shit kicked out of me. In those first ten minutes of the swim I lost my goggles three times.

I kept telling myself it could be worse. You can do this. But man was I battling in my head. Big time. It felt like it took forever to get to the turn, and the swim back was pretty uneventful. With how hard I worked in the pool this year and how much my swim has improved, I know I could have gone faster. I am making a pledge here and now to get over this swim start thing and swim to my potential. Anyone interested in doing this with me anytime soon? I am serious. But disappointment aside, I got out and saw the clock and moved on. My day was far from over. The fun was just about to start.

Oh, the bike. How I love thee! Ask Michelle about my biking at the beginning of the year. (It sucked.) But I stayed at it and put the work in day in and day out. Chasing power. Chasing cadence. Watching my heart rate. At 4am. At 6pm. At noon on Saturday. On my bike. By myself. If I was on the trainer, it was a few hours in silence for mental toughness. At Kona Camp I got called some choice words and got some confidence.

My goal for the bike was to keep it even the first lap. There was a slight headwind on the way out the first lap and a beautiful tail wind back. The second lap there was wind but I am not sure in what direction. I just know the third and final lap there was a headwind the whole way back home. Pressure on the pedals. Eat all your food. Keep drinking. Check. Check. Check. Stay on top of everything. You know what you need to do.  My goal was a 5:50.  I went under my goal and netted myself a bike PR. I didn't even know this coming off the bike. I had a watch on but couldn't do math at that point. I just took risks and Just. Kept. Pedaling. Imagine that! I pedaled! The whole damn time! Oh yeah! I felt good, like super good. Like a machine.

Heading out to the run I was feeling good. I truly felt like a machine out there. I really wanted to finish in the daylight.  Finishing in the daylight is tough in November, but was going to get there. Stay smooth. One foot in front of the other. Dig. My feel-good feeling lasted until about mile 18, and then started I walking through the aid stations and drinking Coke.  It is amazing how good Coke tastes during those last miles. I was running and hanging on and trying not to slow down too much. (It's not about how fast you go but about how much you don't slow down!)  On the third lap, I saw Bill and got the extra push from Michelle via Bill on the phone. That I had the fitness to do this. I have done it before. Do your thing.

Finish time 11:46.

 A 30 min PR. You betcha I am fired up.

The 12's are a thing of the past. But there is more in me. This I know. This I believe.

Thank you Team BSC for the great year and especially to Michelle. I have really enjoyed this past year and cannot wait for the next.

Now is a little rest, a few holidays. Some fuel for the fire. I feel my best years are yet to come. Next year Ironman Arizona 2013 will be different. That is for sure. Super Sherpa Husband Extraordinaire got inspired and signed up, too.

Yesterday he was talking about finishing together. That my friends, will not be happening.

Pump Up the Jam

Where does the time go? Someone asked me the other day when I was going to blog. Answer- I don't know? But guess what I'M BACK. Where do I start?
-Fall is one of my most favorite times of year. We have our best weather in September and October.  It is not so good with the time change though as I am ready for bed at 6pm.
-Tax season is officially over for the year and I have two months of stress free work.
-I may or may not have also picked up another project helping out our swim club. It is really fun though and the kids are amazing. I am hoping they help me through osmosis. (don't worry I am not teaching swimming :)
-Training officially kicked it up another notch these past two months.  Or maybe three notches.
-I have my LAST race for the year coming up in -5 days and I am PUMPED.
-We just made it into Arizona this afternoon and I am pooped.

More from the land of sunshine!

ONWARD

Ironman Louisville was one of those races "I just signed up for."
It was not a bucket list race. It wasn't even a top travel destination. It just worked.  My family is about 90 minutes away and the logistics seemed perfect.
Heck, they were not going to come to me anywhere else and it all seemed to fall into place. It was a dream. It was fabulous. So much in fact, I am not even posting pictures.

I digress.

It was so not.

Leading up to this race I was probably the fittest I have ever been. My confidence was finally building and all seemed in order to have a great race. Like I could feel it in me. Michelle had put it in my head though to NOT LET SHIT GET TO ME. Whatever happens during the day, stick to the plan and work through it. But Ironman is not as easy as following a plan or executing a workout, it is about the day. And last Sunday sucked was not a good day.  I will make no excuses about the day. It was what it was. It was stinking hot. and humid. and I couldn't breathe. Yep. It was awesome.

A definite highlight of the trip though was meeting up with Team BSC's eastern contingency.  Catching up with Leigh from Camp ( I know, I know I still owe a proper post :) It was a definite positive as we met the lay of the land from Scott and got the secret ins and outs of the course. A dinner that night completed the day with Bree who I predicted would win.

Typical no sleep the night before (must change that) and all of a sudden we are driving down to the start. Let me just give them one prop here. Although the swim start and exit are about a mile apart, and the transtions are self contained in this area. This was one of the BEST organized transition areas EVER. Your bike and run bag were together and the whole flow should be copied with every Ironman.
You could feel the heat in the air even at 4:55am. Especially to this coastal foggy Cali girl.
The time trial start was a unique experience. It just happened so fast. The river was currentless, hence my awesome swim. If you fear the mass start of an IM swim, do this race or go swim in the river. Seriously though, humans should not be allowed in this river. The stench of sewage, cigarettes and gasoline still permeate my nostrils. Awesome.

My swim time was not reflective of my swim training this past year or a valid effort of the strength I felt. The positive of this was that I was not tired. So swimming long sets works for me. I was fresh coming out of the water and ready. Only on land did I look and see what time it was. Poop. DONT LET SHIT GET TO YOU. It already started.

I ran through transition to my bike and was amazed at how warm I was. I had decided to dial it back on the bike and opted for a non aero helmet to allow water pouring.  As I started the bike I felt reasonably confident that I could still have a good race and that it wasn't over, but I could feel the day warming up FAST. When I got to the start of the first of two loops I remember Scott's words about "Michelle not wanting anyone to kill it on this 4 mile stretch." I smiled to myself wondering how she was probably killing it in Canada and knowing I was doing the right thing. The course is beautiful and legit. There is no fast sections just true rollers. Nothing hard or steep just consistently there. The one thing it lacked though was shade. Here was my head : I'm hot. I'M HOT. EAT. DONT LET SHIT GET TO YOU. WOW. THIS IS PRETTY OUT HERE. I'M SO SICK OF THESE FARMS. I'M FRICKIN HOTTER THAN HELL. Yep the whole time. It was fun.

There were a ton of flats on the loop. Rumor has it the town of La Grange doesn't like the Ironman and had thrown tacks down. I counted 39 people in one of the loops. Even the town sheriff and traffic controllers were helping people as Ironman support was underprepared for this. The second loop was hilarious as there were little parties of bikes huddled on the side of the road and people sitting under trees talking. Um, hello? There's a race going on. That just gives testament to the fact that it was an inferno out there.

All in all a soild effort, although I wanted to ride much faster. The day just didn't allow it.

Enter transition, flitter through tent and start the run.


O.M.G. I cannot run. WTF?
crisis mode steps in and I shuffle on around the corner to go up the bridge. Now this was probably an overpass or something tiny but it felt like a mountain. Okay, assess the situation and just keep moving forward. What is wrong with me? Eat. Pour water. Move legs. I go down and turn down and come back down the bridge and there is Bill. He says "chickie you look bad." Duh. It's hot out here. really. like I don't know this. DONT LET SHIT GET TO YOU. Give him a grunt and just keep moving. I think I had the most pathetic shuffle going on. I am afraid to look at my garmin. It's that bad. And that is how I rolled for the next 5+ hours. I think it was my worst marathon to date. I shuffled between aid stations and walked and dumped water and ice on me going through. All 26 miles. Thank goodness for aid stations, mile markers and volunteers.  They were much needed. The volunteers make these races and I cannot say enough about how awesome they ALL are. SLOWLY, the miles ticked off and I finally crossed the finish.

All I know is, I did it. I never quit. I didn't even think about quitting. I was going to go until I could not any longer. That mantra kept popping up in my head, something about how someday you might not be able to do this. TODAY WAS NOT THAT DAY.  I realize now that not every race can be great but dammit if I didn't want it. We all want it. But you know what? It's not over. It never will be. There will always be ups and downs and highs and lows and good races and bad ones.

Watch out. 11 weeks til IM AZ! There is only one place to go. Up.

Onward...

A Little Behind SLVC RR

I know I know! Race Report? I have gotten umpteen emails, texts and PM about "how was your race?" Can't wait to read about it! Finally! Here is the nitty gritty of the day! With no pictures! Because that's how I roll...

I have and had always loved the old "San Jose International Triathlon."  I think I did it many years in a row way back when.  So it was a no brainer when they announced the half distance. What better way to compliment IM training than to race a half? (and BTW who thought of that? Half's are WAY HARDER!)

Swim: 1.2 mi
My plan for the swim was to just friggin swim. Like move your arms Mary and move your feet kind of swimming. Well I must have done something right because I PR'd the swim by over 5 minutes! (and you thought I couldn't swim??)

T1 Forever but oh well. Excuse me while I sit down and take off my wetsuit.
Seriously. Why can't they make a wetsuit with a zipper from the back all the way down like kid's clothes?

Bike: 56 mi
Goal here. Just ride my own ride. Stay on top of nutrition and be consistent.
Which I downright just nailed. And I was feeling so good (and so damn happy!) that the group of 4 men less than 5 miles to transition that had some colorful names for me as I passed them, got my pee in their faces. Ha. Oh, yeah and PR here too!

T2 Again, forever. But that's what happens when you never have been there before and have no idea where you are. (two different locations for T1 and T2 30+ miles apart) no sweat here though. It is time to run.

Run:  13.1 mi
Goal here. Start slow finish strong. That is how I have been running this whole year so far. I was not going to be alarmed/and or panic when I just started jogging and finding my legs. My first mile was somewhere around 9:39-9:45 pace.( I know SLOW!)  But never fear, I always know it take a few minutes to start feeling good and it will come. Move your feet Mary, turn your feet over, move ahead, start picking on people to pick off. And that I did. For the next 12 + miles to bring my run to 1:48. (which I realize is not that fast but considering where I have come from to this, I am thrilled)

a 25 minute PR. Who does that?  Apparently ME!
Of course when all is said and done and I am going over this with Michelle, the first words out of her mouth, "you can go faster, there is so much more in you!"  So I will expand on this next time as I recap Kona Camp.

thanks for reading!

WASSUPPP?

Hola! Been a long time. I sure enjoy reading blogs and "catching up" but sure am a slacker when it comes to posting. But hey- let's get caught up a bit shall we?

BACK when we last spoke I had several things coming up.... some have happened and some are right around the corner like maybe in two days!

Lets see I raced in May down in Orange County. There was no real highlight of the day. Well, maybe for hanging with Suzy's family all weekend and running into superBeth. We will leave it at this. When said lake you are swimming in posts a sign like this http://www.lakemissionviejo.org/07safety/swimitch.pdf be forewarned. It turns up a few days later. Nothing too stellar about the race. In fact it wasn't stellar but who cares!

Then a few days later "Cali Camp" started with fellow BSC teamie Kate! She recapped it very well here. We crammed a lot into a few days and I needed a few days to recover from that. But fear not, we "unloaded" correctly and were ready to ramp it again! We are already planning our next adventure. Kate is a gem and I really enjoyed her company. The beauty of it all was that I had never met Kate until 11:45pm at the airport when I picked her up but immediately felt as if I had known her awhile!

This week is taper time. Taper Schmaper. Race weekend coming up. First 1/2 IM in years. The best part... I get to do it on my new toy. Not only racing this weekend but my brother and sister in law and kiddies are in town for my Favorite cousin's wedding so this weekend is jam packed full of fun.

But I truly am saving the best for last. Next Wednesday is the start of
smashfestsufferfestislandstyle with my BSC! CANNOT WAIT. Is it the 27th yet?
#pleasetellthesharksnottoeatme

Have a great weekend. Happy Summer Solstice!