Kathryn Limb of Syracuse Utah...YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!

The title of this post is the short version of my first Ironman race.  If you want the abbreviated version...there ya go...I finished the most brutal day of my life.  If you want the long version, pull up a chair, grab the popcorn and a soda...here ya go:)

Pre-Race:

Ken and I arrived on Monday, 5 days prior to the race.  I was so glad that we did this.  My mindset was it would give me time to acclimate somewhat to the humidity, and at the same time, if we were spending the money to go to Houston, I wanted to have time to see and do things that I wanted to do as it is where I grew up and there were people I wanted to see and things that were definitely on what I was calling my Texas To Do list.  Among the highlights of my Pre-race activities were seeing my best friend from high school, Amanda for dinner, driving through my old neighborhood, going to an Astros game, and attending a pre-race clinic by Endurance Nation.  Pics below!

We also attended the Athlete Banquet.  I had been told this was a MUST DO, so we bought Ken a  ticket as my ticket was included in my registration fee.  The food was good, it is always fun to visit with other triathletes, but that is where the fun ended.  The actual presentation was lame and we left after 45 minutes of corporate plugs.  Pathetic!

I am not normally an emotional person, but I found all week that I was crying at the drop of a hat!  I went to packet pick up and the sweet volunteer asked for my name and I got all choked up and couldn't tell her that I was #1198.  She just nodded nicely and said, "You're a first timer, aren't you?"  Gee, how did you guess?

Then we had bike check in on Friday.  It was a muddy mess.  It was fun to run into my friends Jenny and Kerri from our Facebook group.  I think we were all a little dazed or a bundle of nerves! Ken and I then took it easy the rest of the day.  I was way excited to meet up with my friend Jenny who has done this race twice.  Reading her blog over the years not only made me want to try a triathlon, but also sparked the IronBug with me.  Seeing someone I know go through it made me believe that maybe, just maybe, I could do it as well.

RACE DAY MORNING:

I woke up amazingly calm and just flat out excited.  I was surprised because normally before a big race I am ready to puke, but not this time!  We woke up at 3:45.  I ate my breakfast of instant oatmeal and a banana with water to sip on until the swim start.  The water temp was 81, so this was not going to be wetsuit legal, so I had my swim suit on under my swim skin.  Ken helped me put my race tats on and I was pumped!  He then took me and dropped me off at transition where I went to load my bike with all of my nutrition.  It had poured all week, including during the night and it was super humid and the area was super muddy.  I went to tape my salt tabs to the top tube of Belle, and it was so humid, the tape had no stick to it!  Crazy!  I ended up just dumping them in my bento box.  Not horrible, but not as easy as I was hoping for either.  I then put my Perpetuem bottle on and filled my front aerobottle with water and dropped in a Nuun tab and Belle was ready to go!  IMTX has a swim start that is actually  just under a mile away from transition, so I started my walk over there and visited with other triathletes along the way.  It was fun.  I love the triathlon community and meeting others.  I walked over with an older gentleman named Skip.  He was a first timer as well and was working with Team in Training.  He is 67!  Amazing!  We talked about how the training had gone and how at the end of the day, we just wanted to finish.  He was awesome!  When we got to the swim start we went out separate ways and I went to get in line for the bathroom.  I dropped my special needs bags with the volunteers and then turned around to see Ken had made it!  I really wasn't sure that he would, but I was glad that he did!  Ken is my rock and he was good to be with those last few minutes.

SWIM:

We then lined up in a self seeded fashion for the rolling start which was new to IMTX this year.  You line up by projected finish times.  I had mixed feelings about this.  One, I wanted to experience the mass start of an Ironman just once, and it wasn't happening here.  On the other hand, I have anxiety about that kind of start and I didn't lose any sleep over a rolling start either.  However, the one down fall is it takes away from that magical midnight finish time because everyone's 17 hours starts when they cross the timing mat at the water's edge.  So, pros and cons.

The reality of it was it was slicker than snot!  I loved it!  It was very smooth and efficient and I felt like I seeded myself right with the 1:10-1:20 group.  I got bumped and toes tapped a few times, but nothing like the battle scene I have heard about it mass starts.  The water was always crowded around me, but totally manageable.  I settled into a good pattern of counting strokes and sighting every 4th stroke.  It worked well.  The water quality though it was no Caribbean or Bear Lake, wasn't as bad as I expected.  Utah Lake is worse!  I could see about a foot in front of me on the down stroke.  I really focused on counting strokes and not swimming any faster than I could maintain good form for.  The first turn buoy came and it did get pretty crowded and crazy around it, but it didn't last long.  Then we started swimming back to the bridge and that next third went very well!  I was in a very happy place and started to think ahead to the bike, but then reminded myself to stay in the moment and focus on it.  One, two, three, site, one, two, three, site, repeat.  Before I knew it we were rounding into the canal.  I had heard from others that this part is a double edged sword.  It is cool from the stand point that the spectators come out and have a great view of the swimmers and you of them.  The down side is that it is narrow and you are funneling all of those swimmers into a narrow area and it can get choppy and crazy.  I stayed to the far right of the canal, a couple feet out from the side, and I did just fine!  Not too crazy at all!  The canal seemed to go fast and then it got crazy at the swim exit, but the volunteers literally grab you and pull you out of the water.  I was very happy with this swim.  I stayed on course, stuck to a good rhythm, and felt physically very strong. I don't feel like I over did it, it was exactly what I would have hoped for.

Final swim time was 1:23:22....Heck yeah!!  Thrilled with this especially since it was a non wetsuit swim!  I ranked 42/120 in my age group for the swim portion

I will now say that the swim is the only part of my day that went as planned or better :/

Transition 1:

I got out of the water and went to do costume change #1.  I took off the swim skin and swim suit, then put on my cycling shorts, a sports bra and tri top.  I was glad that I did this, but it was much harder to get the dry clothes on a wet body than I thought.  Thank heaven for volunteers!  They help with whatever you want!  They greased my shoulders and back with sunscreen, gave me water, and helped me on my way.  I did get my bike shoes super muddy mess, but they will wash.

Final T1 time was 10:56.  It seemed like longer than that, so I was pleased.

Bike:

The first part of this bike was great.  I did the best I could to just ride along as the coach at the Endurance Nation seminar had told us.  I rode easy for the first 10 miles or so to get my bearings, bring my heart rate into a solid Zone 2, and settle in for what would be a long ride.  The first 40ish miles were great, not fast, but smooth sailing.  I was loving this course.  It was all the great things I love about Texas.  Green forests, farm lands, wild flowers on the sides of the road, people coming out to cheer your on, etc.  I was sticking to my nutrition plan by taking in my Perpetuem every 15 minutes, taking a shot block or two, and taking salt tabs every 30 minutes.  It was great!

Around mile 50 the winds started. I would like to say that they didn't last long, but they lasted until mile 95 or so.  Brutal doesn't begin to describe these hot humid winds that were going 20-30 mph and they were a constant head wind.  It was like biking in a furnace. It also was hard because this course was more hilly than I thought.  Granted, this was not the Triple Bypass, but they hills were consistent and with the winds coming at you, they did get difficult.  I just wanted to be done!  I then glanced at my Garmin and noticed that I wasn't making good time at all.  I was starting to get bummed by this, and started to worry about having enough nutrition to last long enough.  I had planned 7 hours of bike nutrition, and it soon dawned on me I would NOT be off the bike in 7 hours.  Thank heavens for Bike Special Needs at mile 60!  I was glad that was there or I wouldn't have had enough.  I was so glad that I utilized this and packed extra stuff.

I got to be a pro at the aid stations, which were every 10-12 miles.  I grabbed 2 bottles at every station, one to refill my aero bottle up front and would dump the second on my head to cool off.  I was sticking to my nutrition, but it started to frustrate me.  It was working in that it was keeping me going, but it was too many moving pieces.  The Perpetuem, the Nuun, the Salt tabs, and the occasional Bonk Breaker was just too much to manage while riding.  Next time, I will go a simpler route.  However, I had to stop 3-4 times to pee, which is a good sign that I was getting enough fluids and electrolytes in.

Physically I felt pretty good except for a couple of things.  One, I got a cramp in my right leg at the top of my calf muscle behind my knee around mile 50 of the bike. It never went away.  Also, my saddle seemed very uncomfortable, and I am not sure why, but I was so ready to get off that thing!  Also, my sore shoulder that has been an issue reared it's ugly t

While on the bike I was getting pretty grumpy and frustrated that I wasn't making the time I wanted.  I then would hear occasional sirens of ambulances and it was a quick reminder that someone out there was having a worse day than I was, and Suck It Up Buttercup and just get the job done!  I then decided to quit being so hard on myself and just be grateful to get through it in one piece.

I was happy to get to Mile 100 and a nice lady named Dianna and I started talking.  She was friendly, happy and positive.  She was just what I needed at that point because I was being pretty negative.  Thank you, where ever you are Dianna!  You helped me to get into the right frame of mind before I started my marathon!

My final bike time was 7:55:09.  I am not thrilled with this, but what do you do?

Transition #2

Time for costume change #2.  I kept my same tri top on and put on the tri shorts and running shoes. I also took the chance to drink two glasses of ice cold water that the volunteers brought to me and reapply sunscreen.  I handed my bags over to the volunteers and started out on the marathon.  I felt like I took my time, as mentally I was NOT wanting to run a marathon in the heat of the day, but apparently it was better than I thought because my final T2 time was 10:08

Run:

Now to just run 26.2 miles.  This is a three loop run course with each loop being just over 8 miles a piece.  They run quite a bit along the Waterway, but they also venture off onto some more quiet running trails and into some beautiful neighborhoods with mega-mansions.  Other than a few switch back parts, I really liked this run course.  The volunteers, crowd support, and cheer stations were unreal.  Seriously so much fun!  They provided the mental diversions that you need to get through an Ironman Marathon.  My run strategy was pretty simple...run the whole thing at an easy pace but stop at every aid station that were every mile.  Then I would walk through and take in what I wanted to before I started off to the next one.  I was feeling really good at this point and was surprised I was able to stomach the Gu and other nutrition I took in.  In my other long distance races, by this point my stomach only wants water and maybe Coke.  However, I was able to do just fine with the Gatorade on the course and the Gu I had of my own.  About mile 10 a nice volunteer asked if I wanted grapes.  I don't know what it was, but that sounded like a piece of heaven and I started taking in a pixie cup of grapes at the aid stations as well.  They were wonderful!

The funnest part of this course were Hippie Hollow and the Moxie team cheer stations.  They simply made me laugh and smile.  I so needed to mental distraction of the Speedo clad dudes and the 70's dressed people dancing and cheering me on, as well as giving me a mental break from the suffering that is inevitable in this portion of an Ironman.  We also had tons of kids and families out and it was so nice to hear "Looking good" (even though I am pretty sure I would have been a shoe in for the cast of Walking Dead) or "Looking Strong" (even though I am sure most senior citizens could have gone faster).  I loved the signs along the course that not only motivated and made me laugh.  It was awesome!

I was able to maintain my strategy of running except at the aid stations. I had to make a few too many stops at the Porta-Potties (maybe the grapes weren't such a good idea after all?) and I found that I made new friends along the way.  There was one guy Dennis I met on my second loop.  He was just so friendly.  He asked where I was from, asked about my training, we talked about how much this hurt but how cool the finish line would be.  He was also a first timer.  I lost him when we got back to the Waterway, but he was so nice!  I also met another guy that was cramping pretty bad.  I didn't get his name, but he was walking and really suffering. I knew that I had more salt tabs than I needed so I gave him a few.  I sure hope he finished!  I saw Ken on both the first and second run loops.  Ken told me he was proud of me for making this loop easy and for the fact that I was still smiling.

By the third loop it was the tail end of the night and it was dark.  I really mentally had a hard time with this loop.  I just wanted to be done.  I mentally caved at a few points and walked just because I was sick of running.  I was sick of my feet burning.  I was sick of thinking about how I was going so slow.  I was just DONE.  I physically could have gone on running, but mentally, I needed a walk break to regroup.  I finally told myself that there was nothing else I could ask of myself other than to finish.  I had done my best all day, so get this done, Katie!  I was probably at Mile 23ish and I decided I would then suck it up and continue running this.  I was so happy to hit the Waterway part again and feel the crowd support again!

I finally hit the part of the run course where it forked between starting the 2nd/3rd Loop and then where you go to the Finisher's Shoot.  Because this was later in the evening, and most people had already finished, I had the shoot to myself.  I turned there and the energy is beyond anything you can describe.  You have hundreds of people on either side that are all clapping, cheering, calling your name and holding out their hands for high 5s as you pass by.  It was unreal running down that red Ironman carpet for the 100 or so yards that it was.  I ran from side to side to give as many people high fives as I could.  The BeeGee's song "Staying Alive" was blaring (pretty fitting considering how the marathon was a exercise in survival) and then I heard Mike Reilly yell, "Kathryn Limb of  Syracuse, Utah, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"  By this time I was bawling.  Pretty funny when you look at my Finisher Pics because I am doing the ugly cry, not anything cute, but the pictures look like I am trying to sneeze.  Lovely, just lovely.

Final run time was 6:33:13, and final race time for IMTX was 16:12:48.


WHAT I DID RIGHT IN THIS RACE:
-I stuck to my training plan.  I missed very few workouts.  I allowed myself to recover well, and I tapered well.
-I arrived at the start line healthy and injury free
-Nutrition worked.  I believe that I took in the right amount  of everything...calories, sodium, electrolytes, etc, and I stuck to the plan in which to take them.
-I utilized the Special Needs bags...I would have been in a world of hurt if I hadn't done this, especially on the bike.
-I remained mostly positive,
-I smiled almost the entire time.
-I took the time to thank volunteers and to appreciate that I am able to do this,
-I took the time during the race to thank my Heavenly Father for the ability and opportunity to do this.

WHAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY:
- Simplify nutrition.  Though I took in the right amounts of everything and felt good energy wise, there are too many moving parts.  I like the idea of having just one source of nutrition where you just reach for a bottle that contains all you need, and wash it down with water.  I may need to look into other options to do this.
- Take the time mode off my Garmin for the day, only have it show heart rate and maybe the distance.  Especially if for a first timer, the goal should be finish LINE not finish TIME.
-Look into a different saddle.  I have never loved the one that I am on, and I am more and more convinced it may just be worth the effort to experiment and find one that I love.
-Take the day after the race off from work.  It was brutal having to go to work yesterday morning.
- Have a first aid kit in the hotel after the race.  Given the amount of chaffing, blisters, soreness, swelling, etc, I wish I would have packed things like band aids, gauze, first aid tape, Neosporin, Ibuprofen, and things like that to tend to all my battle wounds :)

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to do this race.  I have prepared for it actively for a year, but I really think it goes beyond that.  I have come so far in a fairly short amount of time.  I wasn't raised an athlete.  I always admired the athletes in school, because I never thought I was one of them, though I wanted to be.  I love what triathlon has brought to my life and the experiences I have had and the friendships I have made.  This race was in many ways a coming together of all of that.

I was humbled to the point of tears by all of the posts, tweets, Facebook comments, text messages and phone calls I got from people literally all over the world.  I knew people were praying for me and I felt those prayers, especially during the hard moments, and believe me, there were many!  I have the best friends, family and support crew ever.  I am so thankful for each and every one of you who read this blog, commented, posted, texted, or watched and followed my progress online.  It means the world to me, more than I could ever express.

As good as my support crew is, Ken is the rock and my biggest cheerleader, I have said it before and I will say it a thousand times more, I couldn't do it without him, nor would I want to.  He puts up with me.  He supports me.  He never complains about the crazy adventures I take us on.  He never complains about the training, or having to pick things up the slack while I was training with kids or things around the house.  He's pretty fantastic.  I love him more than I can express.  No moment was as special as seeing him as soon as I crossed the finish line.  Falling into his arms was the perfect way to end my day.

What's next?  A break!  I need a mental and physical break.  My poor body took a beating and I need a mental break as well.  Of  course I have more races this year, but I'm not stressing over them and they are all just for fun, where I have no expectations other than to enjoy them.  I want to focus more on my run, my never ending nemesis (but apparently my bike needs some work too)

So, Happy Racing and Training all!

It's Race Week!!

I can hardly believe that it is already Race Week!  We leave for Houston first thing in the morning.  My Belle has been cleaned, tuned, and the race bag is all packed and they are getting dropped off on our way to the airport with ProBike Express.  The reality of all of this is sinking in!

Blame the taper, or the fact that I am about to have a dream come true, but I have been pretty emotional lately, which isn't like me at all.  I actually cried while packing my race gear.  I have been stressed about this as all of a sudden I am second guessing everything and the logistics of planning for a race of 140.6 miles was overwhelming at times.  I actually had to walk away from it a few times.  But, I think I have done a good job and am as ready as I will ever be from a logistics stand point.  Once I had the bike and bag all packed I cried for a different reason.  My heart was full and I just had this sudden sense of gratitude.  Just a sense of gratitude for being able to have this journey and this opportunity.  Excited, nervous, thankful, all rolled into one.  It has been amazing and I am so thankful for the whole process!!

I have had anxiety over the weather.  At one point it showed severe thunderstorms that day, but now that isn't quite the case.  Any person with any sense of logic knows that you shouldn't trust any weather forecast 10 day out, especially in Texas, but logic went out the door when the taper started :)

I was also glad to get my sub plans all ready for the week as well. I have never taken that  much time off from school and it was a bit overwhelming to plan that much for someone else.   My students were sweet and hung the following banner outside my room for me to discover as I came in the other day.

My mother got here just fine and we have been getting her up to speed on the routine of the two minions.  My suitcase is all packed with the non race stuff  (there isn't really much of that :))

I know that  a week from today it will be all over, but I am so excited about this week!  I have missed Texas and it will be fun to be home.  It will be fun to see people I haven't seen in a long while, and make new friends as well.  I am super excited to meet up with the people from our IMTX Facebook group!

Do I have goals for this race?  Yes and No.  Obviously, I just want to finish.  I know that is all I should be focused on, but I am too competitive with myself especially and of course I have goals in mind for each discipline and for an overall time I would like to hit.  But, at the end of the day, I just want to finish, smile the whole time, and hear Mike Reilly call my name.  Oh, and bring home some sweet finisher gear as well :)

I am sure people will get sick of my posts this week that are all Texas and race related, so if that is the case, screw them!  Block me, hide me, delete me....but you have been forewarned, especially if you follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter :)

If you care to follow me on race day, my Bib # is 1198.  I am sure I will post between now and then, but in the meantime....Happy training, tapering, and racing all!!

Taper Madness

I'm not going to lie or sugar coat anything.  Tapering sucks.  Just.  Plain.  Sucks.  The past two weeks I have been moody, irritable, stressed, excited, happy, giddy, back to stressed, tired, hungry, hyper, hungry, and then back to all of the above. 


I know a lot of this stress is just the logistics of getting ready to go.  I have to make sub plans for a week, get everything graded, make all the copies, type up the instructions, etc just to be prepared to be off work for a week.


Then there are the logistics of making pack lists, packing, dropping the bike off, picking it up, coordinating with the bike transport company, etc.  Nothing that hard, but it all adds up.  I also have to get my house ready for my mom to be there all week with my kids!


At night I have laid in bed and some nights I am just plain excited.  Other nights I literally start to freak out and think "It's only 140.6 miles, what could POSSIBLY go wrong?"  I worry about the oddest things and things that haven't occurred to me yet, all of a sudden will, like, where do I meet Wes from ProBike Express after the race to get him my bike?  Not a huge deal, just a simple question, but in the middle of the night, this is a BIG DEAL.


And don't get me started on the weather.  I have now deleted the weather apps from my phone.  It is still too far out to accurately predict, but it was just giving me anxiety.  When I was still checking the weather, it was calling for thunderstorms that day.  Please, anything except thunderstorms.  The only reason I don't want that is because that could potentially shorten or cancel parts of the race.  I have trained too long and hard and don't want to complete anything less than 140.6 on May 16.  I am seriously prepared for anything else mentally, but that would just royally SUCK!


I know that I will in the end be fine.  I need to focus on what I can control instead of what I can't.  I know I need to trust my training, trust the planning, and it will be good in the end. It always works out, but right now I am kinda panicky!  Once I get on the plane and to Houston, a lot of this stress will be gone because it will all be packed, checked, rechecked, and we will be on our way! 


I guess tapering is a giant "ARE WE THERE YET?" feeling.  It is like studying for a test that you have to wait 3 weeks to take.  Yep, I am ready.  As ready as I am going to be.  Let's get this show on the road!

Peak Weak is over...HEEELLLOOOOO Taper!

I saw this on the FB page for my tri club, and it is probably going to be accurate as the final weeks to IMTX unfold...but we shall see :)

I concluded the bulk of my training today, there are no more build weeks, and I survived Peak Week (the week with the highest volume in a training plan, for those non-tri folks).  It actually went really fast and really well!  I had my long swim on Thursday night, and other than getting a horrible case of black line syndrom, it wasn't too bad!  I was grateful when the aqua Zumba class started in the lane next to me, because let's just say they provided the entertainment for the second half of that long swim :)

Yesterday I took the day off with the intents of getting my bike off the trainer and doing my 100 miler outside.  Well, wouldn't you know it, we woke up to wind and rain.  Dangit!  I wasn't happy about that, but guess what?  The ride still has to get done!  So, I was trainer bound. I loaded up my TV tray next to my bike with 6 hours of water, and all the fuel that I need for my mammoth ride and then got the remotes all situated and I was good to go!  Netflix is a thing of beauty for occasions like this!



You know what?  It really wasn't that bad!  I don't know why, but last week's 90 miler seemed more painful than this one!  Now don't get me wrong, it wasn't fantastic, but it was bearable.  Of course I would have preferred being outside, but this wasn't pure torture either!  With the kids at school and IronSherpa at work, I had the whole day to ride away, no interruptions or anything else, so it worked out well that way!

Today was my long run.  It was supposed to be just 16 (you know you are training for an IM when you say "just" 16) but earlier in the week someone posted on FB about giving their bib away for the Striders 30 k (18.6 miles) race up in Eden.  I figured why not?  I might as well have someone else lay out the support for me, run with a group and get a medal at the end, and what's a few extra miles?  So, I did just that and had a blast.  I decided to really make sure I treated this as what it was, a training run, I really made sure to keep it reigned in, and kept a good comfy pace.  I woke up with my butt and legs already tired from yesterday's ride, so I knew not to expect much.  I was pretty bummed by all the people that passed me the first half of this run, but ya know what?  I passed them in the last 3-4 miles!  I was proud of myself for keeping a good conservative pace and being able to run the entire thing with the exception of the few aid stations.  I finished feeling strong too.  Yes, I was tired, but this run didn't totally kill me either.  I love it when you see training pay off in small ways like this!



With that, my Peak Week ended!  Now, I have to say, this makes me sad and excited at the same time!  Sad because I know that this journey is quickly coming to an end and I have loved every moment of it.  I have loved what I have discovered about myself this past year, and I have loved the training. I have been pleased with how with a specific goal in mind (one that has scared the crap out of me) I have never been more consistent in my training and I have seen results.  I have loved pushing my body week after week and seeing it do so well and bounce back and maintain injury free status!  I tell ya, the human body is the most amazing thing ever!  I am also sad because I still don't know what I want to do post IM.  I know that there are always more races and heaven knows I will do them, but I don't know what else will live up to this kind of journey, if that makes any sense.

I am also so excited that the hard work is basically done!  On the way up to Eden for the race this morning the song Hall of Fame by the script came on.  I seriously started bawling as I listened to it and was visualizing race day.  I am so freaking excited for it!  I know what it will be something else, and the unknowns are always there, but I know that I have put in the majority of the work, and I am excited to see what the day holds.

So, bear with me the next couple weeks.  I feel like I need the first  pic printed on a t-shirt and use it as fair warning for people that have to deal with me the next few weeks :)

In the meantime, Happy training, racing and TAPERING all!

ONE MONTH!

I am officially one month out from the biggest race of my life, Ironman Texas!  How am I?  The truth is that I am so excited I can't stand it! Seriously!  I am excited about every aspect of this, from the trip to Texas and the time with Ken sans kids, to meeting up with people from the IMTX Facebook group, to going to an Astros game, to attending race clinics, the welcome dinner, and most importantly...RACING!

 

A couple of days ago bib assignments were made, and I am #1198.  I have this really weird thing about numbers, and I love even numbers, so I am glad I got an even number.  I noticed when I was on my bike the other night that my sticker from IMStG 70.3 was still on my bike and my number for that race was 981, so it is kind the same?  That is a good reminder if I can survive that race and the crap day that was, I can do IMTX :)

 

When I look at this in real life terms, I only have 10 more days of hard training and then my taper begins.  I have a 90 mile ride this week, 100 next, and a 16 mile run both of the next two Saturdays.  My swim taper is only a week, I still have a few build weeks in that regard, but that is no big deal, as I am most comfortable in the water.

 

My bike is going good.  I am able to bike relatively pain free (regarding the shoulder/neck issues I have had) and I think my bike fit is the reason.  I am more comfortable for longer periods of time on it.  I feel that endurance wise I can handle these rides, it is just the boredom aspect (they have all still been on the trainer) that makes them tough.  However, Netflix is a thing of beauty on these rides and helps the time to pass relatively quickly.

 

My run is what it is.  The good thing is I don't hate running anymore, in fact it is quite the opposite.  I just wish I was faster.  I am running pain free.  My endurance is there, the two 16 milers I have done have been pretty fast, for me anyway.  It has helped immensely to do them with a good friend of mine who is training for her first marathon.  However, due to differing schedules, the next two will be solo, which I need to do, even though I don't want to.  On race day I can only rely on myself to get myself to the finish line, so doing these final two long runs solo will be good from that aspect.

 

Nutrition wise, I am where I should be.  I have finally figured out bike nutrition that will work for long rides, and though it won't allow me to live off of the course like I wanted to, it will work for me and keep my stomach happy.  For the run, I will be fine with what is on the course.

 

I have read many articles lately on race execution and feel that I have a good plan.  Basically, I will take it easy until I hit Mile 80ish on the bike, then maybe push it into Zone 3 based upon how I am feeling and the conditions.  And, I will break down the course into segments and do one at a time.  Way excited to see it all in action though!

 

I have also heard about the infamous IMTX window display at Lulu Lemon in the Woodlands Town Center, where they put all the participants names up.  Yeah, finding my name on this window just got added to my Texas MUST DO list :)

 

I guess the only downside to all of this is that, as excited as I am, I don't want it to end.  I have LOVED this journey...every bit of it.  The training, the learning, the pushing myself, the planning, etc.  I really don't know what I will do with myself after it is all done.  I know there are other races, and if this goes well I don't see myself being a "one and done" kind of person, but I do worry about all the build up and then the "what now?" feeling after the race.  Heaven knows I will always have enough on my plate, but it just won't be the same!

 

For now, I am riding the roller coaster where it is at and it is a wild ride.  Can't wait to see how the next 30 days go!  Happy training and racing all!

Traveling and Training!

I went to a conference for swim coaches in Seattle this past weekend.  I had to still train seeing as how I am in my peak training month for IMTX, but I managed to get it in.  I had to move something around with my plan, but I don't think any of the changes will impact me negatively.  I had to switch when my rest week would have been since I knew I wouldn't be able to get in long bike or run while in Seattle, so I switched them out for this week instead, which would have been my rest week.

I also realized that I wouldn't be able to bike at all, given I wasn't taking my bike nor would I have access to one while there.

I was thrilled to see the hotel had a gorgeous 25 meter pool.  I was able to get my swim training in with no problem.  I had the entire pool to myself when I was there at 5 am! (Yes, I know it is pretty pathetic that while on vacation I was up that early, but dang internal clock, I couldn't help it!)



The highlight of my training and of my trip was my Friday morning run.  I had mapped it out before hand on Mapmyrun, and had no idea of the area, other than it would give me the distance I was wanting and I could tell that it ran along Lake Washington.  It turned out to be awesome!  It started at my hotel in downtown Bellevue, but within the first mile it turned off into a super swanky and beautiful neighborhood along the lake.  It was cool and sunny out and just perfect!  I loved running in this quiet and pretty neighborhood!  I obviously didn't pay any attention to the elevation chart when I was mapping it because there were some brutal hills!  I made myself run them no matter how slow, and it was actually a fun challenge!  I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this run.  I love exploring new areas on foot and with running, and this was perfect for that.



I had several "you know you are training for an Ironman when..." moments on this trip.  Like the fact that I got up at 5 every morning to train.  Or the fact that I took just as much, if not more, training clothes than regular clothes, or that I was also asleep most nights by 9 because I was so tired.  Yep, can't get away from these things!

I was proud of myself for sticking to my training while I was gone.  I usually pack training clothes when I travel, but don't get around to it.  Maybe it is because I was sufficiently scared of what lies ahead of me that I didn't skip, but it turned out well.

In the meantime, Happy Racing and training all!

Spring Break Training and Welcome to Hell!

This week I am off for Spring break (one of the benefits of being a teacher).  Ken wanted to go somewhere as a family, and I told him that I couldn't get away and miss training.  April is peak Ironman training month and I just don't want to miss anything, nor do I want to try to fit it in on vacation, because that never goes as intended too.  He decided to take the kids and go camping with his brother and his kids in Southern Utah leaving me with 72 glorious hours to myself.  Hmmmmmm....what to do, what to do.....

I immediately knew I would call my fellow crazy friend Kim and arrange some quality training.  Kim and I met online (I love to say that, it just sounds so funny) on Beginner Triathlete and actually met up in person a year ago at IM StG 70.3.  We were instant kindred spirits.  We are both high school English teachers, both triathletes who love this crazy sport, and both quick witted. She is training for Ironman Couer de Laine. She is one of those people that just puts a smile on your face.  Anyhow, she lives in West Wendover, Nevada, about a 2.5 hour drive from me.  It was also her spring break, so this was going to work out perfectly!  She has always told me a ton about her swimming at a natural spring lake called Blue Lake that is about a half hour south of her.  I am so envious that she gets to swim in such a place year round and told her someday I would love to come and join her.  Well, this week was finally time to try it!

I arrived yesterday afternoon and we met for Mexican food.  We then went back to her house and watched a documentary called The Distance about 3 different Age Group athletes that are all training for IM Wisconsin.  It followed them throughout their year of preparations, jobs, family, etc leading up to the race.  Kim and I sat and laughed, nodded our heads in agreement at parts, or simply made fun of the people in the film.  We also had many "What the crap have we signed up for" moments where we just looked at each other and thought we have indeed truly lost our minds.  Good film, but honestly, if you are not a triathlete, it may bore you to tears.

It is very pretty out there!

We got up this morning and went trail running first.  Both of our plans called for a one hour run.  We drove a couple of miles out of town (not hard to do, it is in the middle of nowhere) where we parked the car and she took me on her favorite trails. It was fun, dusty, hilly, windy, and a great work out.  Thank heaven the wind calmed down though!!  I thoroughly enjoyed this run, but couldn't wait to swim :)

We went back to her house, ate a quick breakfast, changed clothes and were off to swim.  We took my Jeep and she directed me down to a State Highway that you follow for awhile, then turn onto a gravel road, that turns more into like a 4 wheeling kind of road.  There are only two signs telling you where to go, and you could easily miss them and even after that it is a series of twists and turns on this road to get you to literally the middle of nowhere.  There is this gorgeous Caribbean blue lake amidst the tumble weed and rocks.  Kim explained that she even comes here when there is snow everywhere because it stays around 70 degrees year round.  With a wetsuit on, that is a perfect temperature.  Weather today was around 45, windy, and sunny.  Very chilly, but, like she said, once we were in the water, it was perfect.

Two soon to be IronWomen!

Blue Lake is a popular spot for fishermen, scuba divers, and others, but today it was just us and two guys that were fishing.  The lake is pretty shallow along the perimeter, but will then quickly drop off to pretty much bottomless.  Apparently a plane is down there somewhere.  I immediately noticed as we were swimming that it is crystal clean and you can see pretty white sand right below you.  You can also see fish as well as you swim.  So freaking cool!  I was in immediate heaven out here!  I tried to swim the perimeter as Kim explained she does, but it would all of a sudden be too shallow and I was dragging knuckles and would actually get out and walk to where it would drop off again and I could swim.  I eventually just swam back and forth across it and practiced sighting.  I had several "All is right with the world" moments while doing this.  There was something magical, liberating, and freeing about looking up at a clear blue sky with sun and clouds surrounded by dessert, then looking down into the water on your down stroke and seeing the blue water, the fish, and the white sand.  I was like a kid at Christmas.  Pure heaven.  It reminded me how of all the workouts that we do as triathletes, open water swimming is my true Happy Place.  I loved every second of it.  With the wind, the waves got choppy at parts and I made myself swim against the chop for practice, and even though I wasn't going fast, I felt like it!

Our hour swim went way too fast.  It honestly felt like playing, not like "training" at all.  I got my planned 2600 meters in (thank you Garmin!) and we then had to get out of the water into the cold and get back to the car.  It wasn't even that bad!  It made for such a fun training day and I loved doing it with Kim!

This brings me to another thought I have been having.  I am now just a hair over 6 weeks from race day.  That is four weeks of solid training and a two week taper.  Holy Crap is that coming fast!  So, pretty much that means that the month of April is brutal as far as training goes.  As I look at Training Peaks and what it has in store for me over the next month, I truly believe if I can survive this month, I can survive anything, and that includes the race itself :)

I have now started referring to April as Hell Month for that specific reason.  Other than next weekend when I will be in Seattle, every Saturday has either a 16 mile run or some horribly painful brick workout.  This is along with the Friday night long rides which in all reality will most likely be on my trainer and are now up to 5 hours in length and getting longer.  The "short" work outs in the middle of the week are longer and more intense as well.  Like I said, April is now Hell Month :)

But, in keeping perspective on all of this, I know it will fly by.  I am loving it, as much as I dread it in the weeks ahead.  I have loved this journey so far.  It has gone too fast.  I have had ups and downs and moments where I am feeling like the strongest woman in the world and others where I lay in my bed at night and wonder what the heck did I get myself into and how much did I pay for this???.  The other night was one of those.  I was trying to break down how the day might go.  I visualized the swim, getting out, changing in T1, then getting on my bike.  Then I started to think about how I wanted to break the bike into segments as the whole thing will probably take 6-7 hours. Then I had a thought..."what the crap are you doing?  You don't even like riding that long!  It makes your butt hurt! Who the heck does that?  Did you not learn anything from the Triple Bypass?  But OH NO!  You didn't learn!  Because you are going to top that off with a full marathon because you wouldn't have suffered enough already, huh?  Did you forget how much you hate marathons???  Whatever happened to being content with 70.3s?"  So yes, I had a little mental meltdown. There may or may not have been tears involved.  Don't worry, after a day of training like today, I am over it :)

So, that is where I am at.  I am training well, feeling good, and enjoying my break.  I am committed to seeing these next 42 days till Go Time through and can't wait to see what it looks like from the other side :)  Happy Training and racing all!

My version of Heaven on Earth.  Thank you God for days like today and places like this!