I Did It!

I am an Ironman!!!! I could not have done this with out the support of my family & friends, and for that I am so thankful & grateful for everything that they have done for me to help me get to the finish line.

My time was 16.5 -

Swim: 1:22
Bike: 8:46
Run: 6:03

Swim to Bike: 9:22
Bike to Run: 8:24

I have no idea how I did 1:22 on that swim. Because in all honesty, I really didn't train for that portion of the race. The first 56 miles on the bike course only took me about 3.5 hours, but at mile 75 or so, I had some mechanic problems that sucked up a lot of time and really drained me. It was just anxiety and stress, and it absolutely drained me. The last 22 miles on that bike course was pure hell. It was incredibly hot and all uphill. When I finally got done with the bike and went on to the marathon, my chest was really sore & tight. It hurt to breathe in. So I took it slow on the run, knowing I had a lot of time to finish. The last 6 miles, I was joined with two other women and one man (we were all first timers) and we finished the race together. It was an incredible & painful day. I fully believe if you set your mind to something and if you want something bad enough, you will get it.

Highlights of the Day:

When we all reached the turn around for the second swim lap, everyone popped their heads up and screamed HERE WE GO!

The comradery between the athletes - everyone cheering eachother on and giving tons of support.

Spectator blasting Black Sabbath's "Ironman" at mile 40 on the bike route.

Friends and Family cheering me on every time I got back into town.

Finishing at the 11th hour in the Olympic Oval with hundreds of people in there, cheering me on.

12 hours to go!!!

Last Training Session

Today's my last day of training. I did the swim loop this morning, and this afternoon I'll be doing the second half of the bike loop. I want to get a sense of the hills on the bike leg. The town is crowded with athletes and it's an incredible feeling to be here. I don't care what my time is - if it's 16:57, I'll be happy. I just want to finish.

I'm Here!

Just checked into my hotel! The village is already set up in the Olympic Oval and all the athletes are starting to arrive. It's very exciting! I still can't believe that this weekend is here ...

If anyone wishes to track me on Sunday you can do so here:

http://ironman.com/events/ironman/lakeplacid?show=tracker#axzz1Sfj4EllF

Bib #: 93

One Week Today!

Agh! Can't believe it! This time next week I will (hopefully) be riding around in Lake Placid. So crazy!

Livestrong!

Yesterday was the 70 mile ride in Davis, CA for the Livestrong Challenge event. I was on my work's team (1Cisco) and the ride was actually, pretty easy. Of course it's an easier route and not the most challenging ride, but I'm not really that sore and I felt fine during the ride. It definitely boosted my confidence about the Ironman.

Also, this was the second event that I particiapted in with Lance Armstrong! He was also in the 2008 Boston Marathon, which I ran as well.

18 days until the Ironman!

So while I am rapidly approaching the Ironman and wishing that my immune system could have been a little bit stronger this winter & spring ... I think I might actually be okay.

So I'm pretty well trained for a half Ironman distance or one that's in between a half and full. I just never got up to 80 mile bike days, or swims past 1.5 miles or runs past 15 miles. But, I have been training in California. It's not exactly flat here, nor is the water calm and warm.

The conditions I have been training in are a little tougher (except that there's no ice or snow here). Going through my Map My Ride stats, there are a lot tough climbs in training routes. One of the hardest ones, being my commute home from work. Also, the San Francisco Bay is a frigid rough bitch. You have to work hard when swimming in there.

So who knows, maybe I won't finish in under 14 hours, but I think I have a shot at finishing.

70.3 - Not so much

In keeping with the tradition of how my training season has been going ... I got the flu & and had a horrible fever the night before my make-shift-Ironman. Yup, once again, my attempts to prepare myself are shot down because I literally can't get out of bed. At this point, I just want to finish at Lake Placid in the 17 hours allotted. That's all I want.

70.3!

With the help of some great friends - I will be doing a "make shift" half ironman this weekend. It will be a 1.2 mile swim in the SF Bay, a 56 mile ride in SF, Marin County, and the Peninsula, and a 13.1 mile run in Golden Gate Park & Ocean Beach. My new apartment by the park made this event all the more convenient.

I also signed up for a Century two weeks before the IM. I may drop down to the 70 mile option though ... we'll see.

These events (I hope) will make me more confident for IM. I'm really nervous & so scared I won't make the bike cut off times. I do want to enjoy Lake Placid though ... I don't want it to be ruined by worrying & anxiety....

I have been watching you tube's of the LP IM all afternoon and I'm getting excited to go to NY!

I am still nervous and really scared, but I am starting to remember why I wanted to do this & why I want to be a part of this. It was very motivating to watch Matt Long cross the finsih line in the 2009 IM.

Also, am remembering how nervous and scared I was to do the Tahoe events, and yes, they're not the same as doing the IM, but I DID come in 7th in my age group on the run, and that was after 72 miles of biking the day before, a frigid 2.5 mile swim the day before that, and we went to 7000ft. I think I can do Lake Placid.

I'm still nervous about Lake Placid. But I have been thinking a lot about crossing the finish line. And how great it was to be up there during race week. And I am looking forward to that.

I know I can endure a marathon while in pain or not feeling well (thank you 2008 Boston Marathon) and I feel confident doing a 2.4 mile swim with a wetsuit. Still terrified of the other 3500 swimmers who are also going at the same time.

The bike course is still the number one most terrifying thing in my life right now. Miles 35-65 are constant climbing. But there is a huge recovery hill after that, and you can stop at mile 56 for special needs bag (for me that will be a PB & J sandwich and coconut juice). Then it's another huge climb from 100 - 112.

Then it's the marathon. Which is all hills.... and yea actually that kinda sucks. But, the good thing is, there's a crowd and that always helps, and I can walk parts of it.

So maybe there is hope and with the downhill recoveries on the bike, and hearing the crowd cheer all the athletes on, I'll get to the finish.

Getting Excited!

I'm trying to be positive and less doomsday-ish about this triathlon. Afterall, it has been a dream for a very long time and hating it and worrying about it doesn't help.

I think the swim will take 1.5 hours. Then being conservative, the transition, getting the bike, let's round it to .5 hours. At this point it will be 9 AM. Again, being conservative, the bike should take me 8 hours. This now puts me at 5 PM. I think have 7 hours to do the marathon. On a good/fast day, I can run a marathon in 4 hours. After 112 miles of biking, it will most likely take 6 - 6:15.

I think I can finish, I hope that I can. If not, I know that I try my hardest anyways.

Great Week!

I actually worked out! I did a 15 mile run and over 110 miles on the bike this week, and did a small bay swim. I hope to do a few 80 milers on the bike before going to LP. If I can do that, and swim 2-3000 yards a week, I think I'll be okay. Will I finish in under 14 hours? Not sure. But to be honest, I just want to finish, and enjoy it. That's all I care about.

Did two small rides this week, a lot of TRX, and a 1 mile swim in the bay. Feeling better and feeling better about the event too. Obviously training hasn't been going as planned this spring, but I'll do what I can from now until July 24 to get ready.

The weekend before the Napa tri I got bronchitis. Seriously I don't think I've ever had such bad timing or have been so sick in training. I take one step forward, and two steps back. I've taken six weeks off of training because of illnesses. I can't get past 60 miles on my bike, and forget swimming - once I started having problems breathing I gave up on that all together. I have three months. And I feel like I haven't done anything. And I'm just going to completely fail and not finish in NY.

Feeling better. Going in for some tests tomorrow in Berkeley, I have a feeling I don't have asthma as much as I had a horrible reaction to Hay Fever the first two weeks of spring. Seriously bay area is one of the worst places in the country for allergies. I'm going to do Napa - I'm nervous about it, it's 8 hours possibley of working out, which is pretty aggressive. I've looked back my training logs for the last 2.5 months and I do feel confident about doing the half. Training was weird, it felt like it was all over the place, but I know I can do every event. I don't think I'm going to feel good by mile 7 on the run portion though ... I am worried about this Ironman. 2.4 miles of swimming with 3500 people is so scary to me right now. 112 miles of biking is really intimidating to me too. I can 60 miles, I know I can do that, but dear God 112 is totally freaking me out. To the point where I have asked myself every week, why did I sign up for this?

Was able to do a short brick work out this Saturday and a short run/hike on the trails on Sunday. Things appear to be getting better, and I think I'm going to be able to do Napa after all. However I don't expect to blow it out of the water or anything. I'm not worried about a 1.2 mile swim or a 56 mile ride, or a half marathon. I'm just worried about breathing. Which is pretty important...

Looks like I could be suffering from seasonal asthma, massive hay fever allergies, and a sinus infection. Well, now it makes sense why I feel like shit and why I'm so tired. I am really doubting my abilities right now. I can't breathe when I try to bike or run, and I won't even attempt swimming. This blows.

:(

I am having either the worst allergies I've ever had in my life - or the most ill timed cold of my life! UGH

It's beautiful here in California. Everyone is out running, swimming, biking, and I am barely walking. It blows. I feel like there is just one set back after another. Being sick in February, the rain in March, and Hay Fever Allergies/Cold now. Am I even going to be okay to compete on April 30? I feel so unprepared! And I've never been so jealous of the people working out in the park, etc.

If I don't feel better by Sunday night, I am going to the doctor's on Monday. It's been nearly a week of this :(

Week of 3/14:

Mon- 30min of TRX

Tue- 7 mile Run

Wed- 40 mile Ride

Thu- 30 min of TRX

Fri- Rest

Sat- 13 mile Run

Sun- 15 mile Ride

Week of 3/21:

Mon- 45min of TRX

Tue- Rest

Wed- 40 min of Cross Training

Thu- 1500 yards

Fri- 5.5 mile Run, 15 min Core TRX work out

Sat- Rest

Sun- 47 mile Ride

Finally went swimming yesterday - it actually wasn't bad at all. And I'm not as nervous about that anymore. I don't feel prepared for April 30, but I almost never do feel prepared, so... I guess try my hardest in the next few weeks and just remember that it's better to be 20% under trained than 1% over trained.

So Over the Rain

It's seriously getting in my way, of pretty much everything. It's not just a few showers, it's down pouring, and as a result I'm substituting running for all work outs. And now I'm getting nervous about the half in late April. Well, I'd probably be nervous regardless.

Maui

I recently took a vacation in Maui. The weather was amazing, aside from the tsunami. I rented a Specialized bike from Island Biker in Kahului. The bike shop was awesome, super friendly, and helpful. The rides were amazing. I biked all over the North & South of the island. Some major sunburns on my lower back though. Loved it!

Yesterday when I was riding home, a very grungy-sketchy-awkward guy on a bike pulled up next to me on Howard & 6th streets. He made ooo and ahhh sounds at my bike, and asked questions like, "is that bike expensive?" Normally this is flattering. But when it's a sketchy ass guy on 6th street, my first thought was, oh my God, he's going to pull a knife and try to steal my bike.

When the light hit green I threw my bike into the hardest gear and pedaled as hard as I could. I raced the next three blocks so that I could break away from him. I literally pedaled until it hurt.

Sketchy-homeless looking man - who knew such a great motivator existed for a little sprint work.

Haven't been feeling that great since the Half. Not injured - but sick & fatigued. The middle of February was really hard to do anything but sleep, eat, and rest. So this week I am happy & proud to say I have worked out 5x already, and have signed up to do a 45 mile group ride tomorrow. :)

Funday Monday

My friends and I have a joke about TRX. When I see the word, or hear it, I instantly think of DMX. And I start to hum the "What's My Name" song & sing "TRX" instead of DMX. It's a horrible association - I have the Ruff Ryders' Anthem stuck in my head on a weekly basis!

Did a nice ride to Marin & back today, hit up the beach and took advantage of the No Cars rule in Golden Gate (happens every Sunday & holiday). My Napa half is in two months, getting excited/nervous!

Kaiser Permanente Half

New PR in the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon today! My chip time was 1:53 - so I ran at an 8:37 pace. I was 495/3161 for women, and 1719/5923 total finishers. This race starts in Golden Gate Park then takes you down to the beach, then a small hill back into the park for the finish. We're having a heat wave in California right now, so my friends and I camped out at the beach post race beers. Absolutely beautiful California weather!!

Sort of a funny story: I misinterpreted the mile markers and literally thought I had only run 8.3 - 8.5 miles, and this was a very hot and sunny portion of the race. I didn't think I could make it another 5 miles. Then I saw the mile 10 marker, and realized I had been reading the miles incorrectly. It was quite the relief, but a pure hellish two miles for sure.

This was my first race of the year - feels like it started off right :)

The Week's WODs

Monday: Rest (post TRX certification)

Tuesday: 25 miles bike

Wednesday: 6 mile run

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 25 mile bike

Saturday: 13 mile run & TRX circuit

Sunday: TRX circuit

Good: I'm back to working out 5-6x a week.

Bad: Not cycling enough.

I don't care about swimming until mid-late February. I think time is better spent strengthening my body and getting myself up to 50 miles again on the bike.

Coming up next weekend: Superbowl Sunday Half Marathon in Golden Gate Park!

Doug

I started doing some lunch time rides with some of the peeps on the third floor at work. Doug is one of those peeps. Doug is a really good cyclist, he is really fast. He races on a bike track on the weekends. He schools me on our rides.

Doug is super nice. He answers my questions, and even though I don't always understand what he's saying, it's nice that he's helping. He told me that I don't have a spin yet. Guess I need to get that down. He also told me I don't need to buy clip ons for my bike, I can just rest my forearms on my handle bars. I tried it - he was right.

After doing TRX on Sunday my core was sore. Riding today at 25mph on California hills, my Lord, my sides were aching. I'm actually not even going to ride home anymore. I have class tonight & I want to make sure I'm alive for it.

Final Countdown

It has been six months since I stood in line at the Olympic Speed Skating Oval in Lake Placid, NY. I was so nervous that morning! And I have six months to go until I'm back in that Oval, changing out of my wetsuit & racing off to bike 112 miles. I have no idea what's going to happen that day, and I hope that from now until then, I do give 100% in my training, and 110% on race day.

The most valuable thing I have learned since starting this - is that, if you put your mind to it, you can do anything you want. I honest to God, never thought I'd get registered for one of these events. But once I made up my mind to do it, and took it piece by piece, it wasn't too bad. It actually made me re-elvaluate other things in my life. Are there things in my life currently that I wanted to change, but hadn't because the task seemed too hard?

I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm scared shitless. And there's a hell of a lot of work to be done. And I know I'm going to be in pain, and be tired, and will want to quit at some points. And I do worry... I worry about over training, not training enough, training incorrectly, disappointing people. But I suppose the best cure for that is to just go for run or ride, or swim :)

TRX!

I went for TRX certification this Sunday. I passed! I'm actually a bit sore today. I loved the course, and I feel like I never would have had the 1:1 time with the instructors unless I purchased a $400 trainer package at a gym.

Suspension training originally started in the Navy Seals - and TRX was founded here in San Francisco. You're using your own body weight in resistance exercise. Form is incredibly important - and your core is engaged 100% of the time. It's also fun & different. Honestly, aren't we all just a bit tired of the same old weight lifting routines?

eek!

In six days, I will be six months away from doing the Ironman. I am so fucking nervous. I have not swam really since Tahoe, I haven't done a long ride over 35 miles in two months, and I just feel over all, so not ready to do this thing. I'm so scared of screwing it up.

It's hard because I reason to myself, there's no way you'd ever be able to ride 60-80 miles every saturday and run 12-18 miles every sunday for six months. It's not doable and not possible. And I know that, and I know I have six months to prep for this thing... But God it's a long day of grueling work and I want to do well. It's just a bit overwhelming.

As physically grueling as a long distance event can be, the mental & emotional part are often much worse than muscle soreness.

So Many Medals!

Just realized that I have completed 40 races. Most were trail runs with Envirosports. Here's how they shape up:

Hardest Race: Boston Marathon 2008

Worst Weather: Stinson 25k trail run 2008

Mile PR: US Half Marathon 2010

Most Expensive: Death Valley Half 2008

Best Weather: CA Int'l Marathon 2007

Best Race Start: Boston Marathon 2009

Most Competitive: Pac 10 10k 2009 (engaged in sprints at end to beat some chick, and yea I won)

First Place Winner: Woodside 5 Mile Trail Run 2010

Best Views: Angel Island 12k Trail Run 2008

Most Gut Wrenching, i-am-going-to-finish-even-if-it-kills-me: TIE - Boston 2008 & Lake Tahoe Half Marathon 2008

All Time Best: CA Int'l Marathon 2007 - First marathon. Best high ever.

If you ever told me in high school that I would compete this much - I would have laughed in your face in disbelief. Now I am literally running out of room for my race memorabilia!

First Week

Eh the first week is always the hardest, right? I really took it upon myself to rest and enjoy my Christmas vacation, so I was a little sluggish waking up Monday AM. I knew I had to get used to working out 5-6x a week again... But I also didn't want to over do it. Here's how the week shaped up:

Sun: Technically, this was a vacation day so my work out was ... Mimosa Brunch.

Mon: Bike to Work - 12 miles (45 min ride)

Tue: Bike to Work - 12 miles (45 min ride)

Wed:Bike to Work - 12 miles (45 min ride)

Thur: 6 mile run

Fri: Rest

Sat: 25 mile ride & 4 mile run

Confession: I haven't swam in maybe two months.

Registered!

April 30, 2011

Lake Berryessa State Park, Napa Valley, CA

Now I need to get back in shape after the holidays, which, despite my initial attitude of "staying on track", totally derailed my training.

Hello 2011

It's a new year and a new decade. It's also the end of holiday vacation, which is a sort of a downer. To help ease the pain of returning to work after two weeks of rest and relaxation, I rode to work, reasoning, that, the endorphins from exercise can serve as an upper.

Totally worked until a man yelled at me to bike on the sidewalk, where I then replied, maybe you should get on a bike and outta your car fat ass.

Happy New Year!