See Mommy Run...at altitude

Back in my home town of Aurora, Colorado for two weeks of vacation is great...and then I go for a run. Growing up here I used to make fun of people who got altitude sickness, now I am one of them. Learing from past trips I took today easy doing a 45 min. run walk. Most of it was running but I took advantage of the walking time. Taking it easy seems to work out better. I feel great and am ready to workout tomorrow.

Lame - but redeeming myself

So, I was lame and registered for the olympic distance Williamsburg Tri while both my teammates registered for the half. I currently am now registered for the half because i felt like such a heel and a traitor/letdown to my team. I feel better now that I will once again race with my team...I hope they know I am loyal. BUT....I will still use the excuse that they talked me into it or at least guilted me into it. I figure the "test of loyalty"story should be a good one. So here I am again stressing about the race. This time I don't have the time set aside for training and I am currently in Cleveland away from all my normal training environments. So I am fat and out of shape and not getting any closer to 70.3 shape. Man I am back to being lame-excuses, excuses, excuses.

2 Weeks down, 11 to go!

I am about to complete my second week of my 13 week triathlon plan. I am doing a lot better at sticking to the plan and the eating is going a lot better. I did miss yesterdays workout due to traveling to NYC to buy a new bike!! It's so nice I am afraid to ride it! I am looking forward to our next tri so much more having this incredible machine on my side. Everyone says I will grow into the bike, don't think that is possible unless I grow some new legs that are really fast.

The best news to report is that all 3 tribabes are again racing the half together! I am so excited and am looking forward to September.

Round 2 Begins Tomorrow!

This time around I am going to have a plan and follow it as much as possible. I have a 13 week plan that I tried to follow last time but life kind of got in the way and brought about 15 pounds with it. Yikes! This time, I vow to not only train better, but also eat better. No longer do I get to say, "Hey, I just ran for an hour...3 cookies are ok aren't they?". I don't plan on doing anything too drastic. Chocolate is still a part of my life and a good glass of wine won't be wasted. However, the extra eating has to stop. The hardest part about our last race was having the extra weight to drag around. It definitely made me slower and less efficient.

So, here I pledge not only to race my second half iron on Sept 6 but to also be 15 pounds lighter!

4 Chicks, 3 Bikes and a Tri

Finish time: 6:59:34 (after the bike, I was elated to get under 7 hours)
Swim: 38:03 with 1/4 mile up-hill sprint to transition; 27th out of 123 women (not bad since I probably did an extra 300 meters by swimming off course)
Bike: 3:48:32; 110th (oops - I'm an ADHD cyclist)
Run: 2:26:57; 68th

Um, so, picking Georgia in June to do our first Half was probably not the smartest idea. With 93 degree heat and "gently (HAHAHA) rolling hills" it made for a wicked race. I was quite intimidated by the value of some of the bikes. I have a great bike, but seeing those tri bikes with their zip wheels I felt completely out of my league. But, being the tight-wad that I am and having spent the money, I was doing the race anyways.

SWIM: On the advice of a friend, I decided to wear the wetsuit. I can't really quantify the benefit but at least I was able to let my legs drag a bit and rest for the bike. Plus I figured it'd add extra protection from snakes in the water… :)

BIKE: I am going to practice restraint while trying to describe the bike… (this is me thinking of what to say using PG language)… Well, it took me almost 4 hours, which was a half hour over the time I was telling everyone (which as you have read is an overestimation of what I was really hoping for). Who knew Georgia had hills?! And they didn't stop! I can't think of more than ½ mile stretch that was flat. Even if it looked flat, when you got there it was a long incline. The highlight was getting up to 36 mph on a downhill though.

I was so thankful I didn't have any mechanical problems on the bike. As my teammates can attest to, I was so stressed out about this. In their eyes, comically so. Namely because I still cannot fix a tire (note to self: learn how to fix a tire before the next race). I even promised a beer to my bike mechanic if I survived the race without popping a tire. As I passed downed-riders, I always asked if they needed anything. This was my way of pacifying Karma.

BarbieGirlNot has this great article about ADHD triathletes versus OCD triathletes. I'm an OCD triathlete overall, but definitely ADHD on the bike. At one point I was trying to catch love bugs. I was whistling Dixie (literally). Trying to guess the species of road kill. I know this is one area I really need to improve on.

On a side note, when the Half and Sprint riders split off on the bike course, I was extremely amused at the volunteer who kept looking at me and yelling, "Sprint turn right! Sprint turn right!". Sorry lady, this slacker is doing the Half today.

RUN: At mile 20 on the bike, I was ready for the run. Yeah, me! ready for the run. I was so naïve to think I could do a 2 hr or less half-marathon followed by a 56 mile bike. I tried to run from the start but I could not get my heart rate down. I really didn't want to start walking because I knew if I started, I would do it again. Turns out, everybody was walking. I also forgot my race number. Doh! Instead of going back I decided to take the penalty. I walked the uphill and ran the downhill. Oddly enough, when I ran, I was averaging less than an 8:30 m/m. This caused people to cheer me on, (my favorite being from a fat, old southern gentleman "You go, Babydoll!"). Guess they thought I was running like that the whole way. I really enjoy the camaraderie that exists during races and the run especially. (TriMe has a great story.) I learned that most of the people that were dying like me were not from Georgia, nor did they think Georgia had hills. And the best part of it, I got my named announced as I crossed the finish line! Woo-hoo!!!

Heroes of the Race:

TriBabes: Because, honestly, who'd a thought!

TriMe, Jr.: For just being awesome and supporting all of us. Like BarbieGirlNot wrote, it was just so nice to see her face after the swim, running along side me to get me up that hill, and then that encouragement after gettting the beat-down on the bike, and being the best medal-girl EVER!

Polka Dot Jersey Guy: Not only did he have the best cycling jersey of the race, a red polka dot jersey, he did the 56 mile bike in tennis shoes and no toe cages. (And he still beat me!)

Sprinkler Neighbor: To that Bibb County resident who put his sprinkler on so we could run under it and cool off during the run and sat out there and cheered all of us on - THANK YOU!!

EPILOGUE: So, I ended up with an IV at the end of the race. The funny thing was that we joked about it on the drive down. TriMe was telling us about how the pros get an IV after a race because it helps speed recovery. We all thought it'd be funny to do this. At the pre-race meeting the director told everyone to leave it to those who needed it. I felt great after the race. I packed up, took pictures of the other girls crossing the finish line, and then TriMe and I ate. Well, I stood up to look for BarbieGirlNot and my stomach flipped and I felt like I was going to hurl and pass-out. I ended up in the medical tent with an IV. (TriMe Jr. was so great and stayed with me the whole time. Such a great kid!). I was a little embarrassed about the episode but better than ending up in a hospital.


It was definitely a profound experience for me. For a girl who couldn't run a mile 2 years ago, I never would have thought I could do something like that. It makes me feel like I've crossed this defining line for triathletes. I was a bit jealous of the girls that they were able to call their hubbies and share with them their triumphs. I guess that's why I detail my races so much here so that he can read them when he can.

TriMe was talking about another Half before this race started. During the bike portion I decided she wasn't allowed to mention Williamsburg until we at least reached North Carolina on the drive home. But, before I even crossed the finish line, I had pretty much decided I'd do it. So, in September TriMe and I will be doing the Patriot's Half in Williamsburg.

"It's good training!" -Just Tri Me




P.S. TriMe, where's my damn 70.3 sticker?!?! ;-P

Not Ready and a Little embarassed!

My totally awesome teammates are Goddesses! They have both signed up for their 2nd 1/2 ironman. And though I trained so well that I wasn't even that sore (ran on Monday and lifted today) I mentally am not ready for another 1/2. The training consumed me. I fought with my husband for time, got frustrated with my kids when I was exhausted from the long training hours and just never felt relaxed thinking about the race. And the truth is...it was the unknown. And I now Know what it will be like which is why it "should" make it easier. And I am already in shape fr the race all I have to do is maintain. And since I know the training worked it would be easier. So why????? I am a wimp. hence the embarassment. I don't want to take the time and energy. I love my kids and I want to be a training mommy, but an unstressed training mommy. So the international will be a good compermise for me. I need to train and do long rides and runs, just not as long as if training for a 1/2. There may be another 1/2 in my future as long as my teammates will do another. We all leave VA next summer and I hope we will make it a tradition to do 1 long race together every year or every other year. I think they were right about our bond. We have shared something so intense and made it. I will never forget them or the day. By the way, I would like to add that we all would never have done as well with out Adrienne's encouragement, motivation and help. She was amazing. I can't speak for the other 2 but coming out of the water after the longest swim I ever done in my life, I saw her. And she yelled at me to run and catch up and without her I don't think I would have made it to the transition. I couldn't believe I finished the swim. She reminded me I had more to go and kept me moving. And coming off the bike her smiling face and words of encouragement helped me put "one foot in front of the other". She Rocks! I will never be able to explain or tell how much it meant to me to have her there. So Thank you Adrienne! And thank you teammates for being the most amazing women I have ever had the honor to be friends with. I love you guys and look forward to Williamsburg. Are we talking about tenessee, yet?

Anyone ready for round 2?

With our first 1/2 Ironman behind us and no aches and pains other than the sunburn to report I am happy to say I have registered for my second 1/2! I plan on doing the Patriots half in Williamsburg on Sept 6. I hope to have at least one of my team mates join me and both would be the greatest!

This past race was a harder course than any of us had planned on and all of our bike and run times reflected this. I have lots of training to do to improve on my time but it's well worth it. I really enjoyed the distance. All three disciplines were a challenge and putting it all together was amazing.

However, the most amazing thing was doing it with my team mates. We have only know each other for a little over a year or two, but at times it feels as if we has been put here for a reason so beyond us. This is something that ranks up there with getting married and having my child. I will always remember this trip and retell it to all that want to hear it. The memories will stay with me when I am 85 and unable to run 10 feet let alone 13.1 miles. We have a common bond that no one can take from us! I love them both and am so proud that I really can't express it in words. If this proves to be the last 1/2 we do as a threesome I don't care, we will keep racing others together. It will probably always be my favorite regardless of have many better courses or times I get in the future. Thanks for a great time girls! Keep on singing...I want to ride my bicycle....