Holy moly I haven't blogged in a very long time. It's December 31st 2012 and it's a bittersweet day for me. 2012 was pretty darn amazing with a lot of life lessons in all areas of my life, but I'm sure ready to take on 2013. I have plenty of goals to accomplish and know that I want to feel strong, confident, and empowered all along the way. That's what setting goals is all about.....the feelings throughout the journey and the feeling you get as you reach each goal.
Tomorrow Tony, River, Ireland, and I will head to Butler Park for the city's first Commitment Day 5K fun run. Right now the kids are arguing over what outfit they're going to wear for the run. I'm putting the race numbers on everyone's run shirt and getting out the rest of everyone's race day "gear" for the morning. I'm looking forward to quite the inspiring morning full of courage, excitment, family fun, and true commitment from thousands of people in Austin. This is only the beginning for many people and I hope to encourage, inspire, and motivate people throughout the year and each day with everything I do.
2013 let's go for tons of laughs, new family traditions, commitments to family and friends, commitments to myself for healthy and fitness, and a few (20 or so) triathlons, mountain bike races, and running races throughout the year! Can't wait!
Here's to a healthy happy 2013!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Saturday, June 18, 2011
12 weeks til 70.3 World Championships - Woot!
84 days 2 hrs 37 mins 34 secs
1.2 mile swim / 56 mile bike / 13.1 mile run
Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, NV
Sept. 11, 2011
I decided to keep a daily/weekly "journal" of my training schedule, thoughts, experiences, etc. throughout my journey to 70.3 World Championships. Noone cares but me, but I kinda wanna get my thoughts down on "paper". I've journaled all about my kiddos and thought it would be cool do it for myself for one of my awesomely fun journeys! I used to write a lot when I was a little girl. During one of my summers as a competitive gymnast I lived with a host family in Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center. I recently read my journal from that experience. It's such a trip to be able to read my thoughts and experiences from something I was so passionate about as a little girl. I wrote down what I had accomplished for the day, graded myself on my performance, and talked a lot about my goals and how I was "feeling" and my coach's mood for each day. I thought it would be fun to do it again.... just 20+ years later!
So, here I go at age 36 journaling / blogging about this cool little experience. There are just a few more variables added in this time around.......like balancing LIFE and all that comes with it.....a family, friends, big responsibilities, work, life challenges.......oh and my center of gravity has changed just a tad! Hehe! ;-) I got my spot for World Championships at Longhorn 70.3 back in October 2010 so I feel like I've been waiting for forever to train for this race. I finished in 5th place in my age division with a time of 4:59:40. My goals going into the race were: to have fun, go sub-5 and get a spot to World Championships. Done and done!
Training here we go!
I got my schedule from Fish (aka Andrea Fisher) on Friday. Getting my schedule from her every week is like Christmas to me. Weird, I know!
Day 1 of training:
I had planned on doing an hour swim with Mal at the Quarry and a 30 mile base ride. That didn't happen. Oops! Ireland woke up sick with a fever and itchy throat. So, I got in an hour ride on the bike trainer. Felt great. I was a bit relieved not to be outside since we've consistently had 100+ degree temps and it's only mid-June. :(
I got to be in the a/c, listen to my music and just focus on me. Plus, Tony and I recently had a discussion about me riding outside and the dangers of being on the road. He's not a big fan of me riding outside. Honestly, it scares the shit out of me. I usually only ride outside when absolutely necessary now (long rides). I spend most of my cycle training time by teaching my cycle / spinning classes and on the bike trainer. It seems to be working so far! I'll probably spend more time on the trainer than I did training for Ironman Texas since my long rides won't be any more than 4 hours (yay!).
Day 2 of training:
Saturday morning run. Super duper excited to see running back on my training schedule. It's been a really long road healing up this stress fracture. After Ironman Texas I took 3 weeks off from any sort of training schedule. I've only been on my bike once, pool a few times, and didn't attempt to run at all. I didn't have any other acute issues / injuries after the race so I was feeling pretty good. I just needed some downtime. I also wanted to allow my stress fracture to heal up for good and I feel like I'm there.
Stepped out the front door to run and my first thought was, "Damn it's hot and humid, but this is gonna feel so good!" I left at 8:45 a.m. and was back by 9:20 a.m. I was only scheduled to do a 30 minute easy run. That's exactly what I did. Although, I looked down at my garmin at one point and was running sub 7's. Slow your roll chica. I've got some major base building to do with my running. Slow and steady we go! I felt fantastic when I got back b/c I got to RUN and actually got to sweat from a RUN! Yahoooo!! That's a good feeling. Woot!
Sunday is Father's Day and it's also my day off. Lake Travis here we come!
1.2 mile swim / 56 mile bike / 13.1 mile run
Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, NV
Sept. 11, 2011
I decided to keep a daily/weekly "journal" of my training schedule, thoughts, experiences, etc. throughout my journey to 70.3 World Championships. Noone cares but me, but I kinda wanna get my thoughts down on "paper". I've journaled all about my kiddos and thought it would be cool do it for myself for one of my awesomely fun journeys! I used to write a lot when I was a little girl. During one of my summers as a competitive gymnast I lived with a host family in Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center. I recently read my journal from that experience. It's such a trip to be able to read my thoughts and experiences from something I was so passionate about as a little girl. I wrote down what I had accomplished for the day, graded myself on my performance, and talked a lot about my goals and how I was "feeling" and my coach's mood for each day. I thought it would be fun to do it again.... just 20+ years later!
So, here I go at age 36 journaling / blogging about this cool little experience. There are just a few more variables added in this time around.......like balancing LIFE and all that comes with it.....a family, friends, big responsibilities, work, life challenges.......oh and my center of gravity has changed just a tad! Hehe! ;-) I got my spot for World Championships at Longhorn 70.3 back in October 2010 so I feel like I've been waiting for forever to train for this race. I finished in 5th place in my age division with a time of 4:59:40. My goals going into the race were: to have fun, go sub-5 and get a spot to World Championships. Done and done!
Training here we go!
I got my schedule from Fish (aka Andrea Fisher) on Friday. Getting my schedule from her every week is like Christmas to me. Weird, I know!
Day 1 of training:
I had planned on doing an hour swim with Mal at the Quarry and a 30 mile base ride. That didn't happen. Oops! Ireland woke up sick with a fever and itchy throat. So, I got in an hour ride on the bike trainer. Felt great. I was a bit relieved not to be outside since we've consistently had 100+ degree temps and it's only mid-June. :(
I got to be in the a/c, listen to my music and just focus on me. Plus, Tony and I recently had a discussion about me riding outside and the dangers of being on the road. He's not a big fan of me riding outside. Honestly, it scares the shit out of me. I usually only ride outside when absolutely necessary now (long rides). I spend most of my cycle training time by teaching my cycle / spinning classes and on the bike trainer. It seems to be working so far! I'll probably spend more time on the trainer than I did training for Ironman Texas since my long rides won't be any more than 4 hours (yay!).
Day 2 of training:
Saturday morning run. Super duper excited to see running back on my training schedule. It's been a really long road healing up this stress fracture. After Ironman Texas I took 3 weeks off from any sort of training schedule. I've only been on my bike once, pool a few times, and didn't attempt to run at all. I didn't have any other acute issues / injuries after the race so I was feeling pretty good. I just needed some downtime. I also wanted to allow my stress fracture to heal up for good and I feel like I'm there.
Stepped out the front door to run and my first thought was, "Damn it's hot and humid, but this is gonna feel so good!" I left at 8:45 a.m. and was back by 9:20 a.m. I was only scheduled to do a 30 minute easy run. That's exactly what I did. Although, I looked down at my garmin at one point and was running sub 7's. Slow your roll chica. I've got some major base building to do with my running. Slow and steady we go! I felt fantastic when I got back b/c I got to RUN and actually got to sweat from a RUN! Yahoooo!! That's a good feeling. Woot!
Sunday is Father's Day and it's also my day off. Lake Travis here we come!
Monday, May 23, 2011
So thankful for...
• My sweet hubby for supporting me through this journey and putting up with my crazy schedule and always telling me to do what makes me happy
• My awesome parents for traveling to Austin to watch the kiddos while I raced!
• Paige for listening to all the highs and lows of my season and being a supportive and encouraging sister
• Members at LifeTime who have become some of my closest friends. I can't imagine not having the support and love everyone from LT has given me
• Marie for an awesome care package (again). I get to return the favor (again) this year as she will be doing her 2nd IM in Cozumel
• David, Lilly, and Matt for being some awesome training partners and so much fun to be around!
• Mallory for being one of my best friends and most encouraging and inspiring friends I've ever had
• Coach Andrea Fisher - couldn't have done this race without her! She helped keep me in check, focused, and provided quality workouts that made me stronger (mentally and physically). She is one amazing lady!
• Jack Murray and staff with Jack & Adam’s – best bike shop in town
• All the thoughtful, inspiring, and kind words I received before and after the race…..very powerful to me!
• For the ability to do what I am passionate about
• Coach Hayley for helping me become a stronger / faster swimmer and helping me get through some of the hardest workouts I've ever done in my life
• Coach Nick for being an inspiring run coach and for amazing moral support!
• lululemon athletica 6th & Lamar for supporting and encouraging me and providing the best workout clothes ever!
• Dr. Laurie Buob for helping me rehab the stress fracture!
• Dr. Todd and Laura Whipple for helping me stay healthy throughout the season!
• No sunburn!
• Nancy Hill for my awesome post-race massage…..ahhhh!
• FOMO - Carrie for giving me support, listening and lifting me up! Alisa and Maggie for being 2 awesome roomies. Becca, Denise, and Shannon for being there for us and helping us race day. The rest of the FOMO crew for being awesome MOFO's and a blast to train with and be around!
• So thankful to friends for letting me borrow their precious race equipment. Bosada for your race wheels, Terra for the aerohelmet, and Michelle for the speedsuit! Love y'all!
• Friends and family......you are so important to me and I appreciate your love and support during this incredible journey!
• My awesome parents for traveling to Austin to watch the kiddos while I raced!
• Paige for listening to all the highs and lows of my season and being a supportive and encouraging sister
• Members at LifeTime who have become some of my closest friends. I can't imagine not having the support and love everyone from LT has given me
• Marie for an awesome care package (again). I get to return the favor (again) this year as she will be doing her 2nd IM in Cozumel
• David, Lilly, and Matt for being some awesome training partners and so much fun to be around!
• Mallory for being one of my best friends and most encouraging and inspiring friends I've ever had
• Coach Andrea Fisher - couldn't have done this race without her! She helped keep me in check, focused, and provided quality workouts that made me stronger (mentally and physically). She is one amazing lady!
• Jack Murray and staff with Jack & Adam’s – best bike shop in town
• All the thoughtful, inspiring, and kind words I received before and after the race…..very powerful to me!
• For the ability to do what I am passionate about
• Coach Hayley for helping me become a stronger / faster swimmer and helping me get through some of the hardest workouts I've ever done in my life
• Coach Nick for being an inspiring run coach and for amazing moral support!
• lululemon athletica 6th & Lamar for supporting and encouraging me and providing the best workout clothes ever!
• Dr. Laurie Buob for helping me rehab the stress fracture!
• Dr. Todd and Laura Whipple for helping me stay healthy throughout the season!
• No sunburn!
• Nancy Hill for my awesome post-race massage…..ahhhh!
• FOMO - Carrie for giving me support, listening and lifting me up! Alisa and Maggie for being 2 awesome roomies. Becca, Denise, and Shannon for being there for us and helping us race day. The rest of the FOMO crew for being awesome MOFO's and a blast to train with and be around!
• So thankful to friends for letting me borrow their precious race equipment. Bosada for your race wheels, Terra for the aerohelmet, and Michelle for the speedsuit! Love y'all!
• Friends and family......you are so important to me and I appreciate your love and support during this incredible journey!
Ironman Texas - Embracing the moment!
Inaugural Ironman Texas
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Woodlands, TX
Ironman Texas done in 11:58:50!! 11th place Age Group
Holy cow I'm not even sure where to begin. It was an amazing weekend all around! I got to spend a girls' weekend in the Woodlands to do an Ironman! Who does that? :)
I'll do pre-race stuff later. I have to get to the good stuff. RACE DAY!!
Lots of physical and tons of mental prep went into this race (as always), but I had a lot of thinking to do for this one. I waited until almost the last minute to decide what I was going to do for this race when it came to figuring out my run plan. You probably already know I'm healing up a stress fracture. It's still not 100% so I had to decide one of the following options for my 3rd Ironman:
-swim, bike then DNF (did not finish)
-swim, bike, and walk
-swim, bike and walk / try to run
2 weeks out and I felt like my stress fx wasn't going to allow me to run. So, I decided I was getting to the finish line no matter what......walk, crawl, whatever it took. I've spent too much time training and thinking about this day that I just couldn't see myself getting off the bike and then not attempting to finish.... 1 week out I decided I might be able to walk / run / shuffle the marathon. I decided I would hammer out the swim, kill it on the bike and then get to the run and go with the flow.
Coach Fish asked me to send her my goal times for the race. These swim and bike times are big goals for me and quite a bit faster than my last 2 IM races.
2.4 mile swim goal: 1:14
112 mile bike goal: 5:20
26.2 mile run: get thru it
RACE DAY!
4:15 a.m. alarm - visualizing swim start (oh so peaceful!), stretching, started drinking water and Pure Sport, ate my Mel's meals sweet potato pancakes (you betcha I brought them with me) :)
4:35 a.m. Sherpas arrive at Residence Inn hotel to drive me, Alisa, & Maggie to race start
(Thank you Denise, Becca, & Shannon)
4:45 a.m. - Get dropped off at bike transistion to load up nutrition for bike, air up tires, and put last minute stuff in bike & run bags
5:45 a.m. - Sherpas take us to swim start, body marking, potty breaks, drop off morning clothes bag, socialize, ate clif shots and had shot of clif shot gel, drank 20 oz. Pure Sport
2.4 mile SWIM (Goal 1:14 / Finished 1:14:32)
7 a.m. start time
Swim route was an out and back loop and then we turned right to swim into a narrow waterway canal that led us to swim finish.
The water felt great. I decided to swim in my bathing suit. I've never done that for a race. I LOVED it! A lot of people wore wetsuits and speedsuits. I definitely think I would have overheated with a wetsuit. The water was warm......78 degrees or so? I borrowed a speedsuit, but it was a little snug on my shoulders so felt I would be most comfortable with just my swimsuit. 2.4 miles is too long to swim if you're not comfortable.....especially with 2600 other athletes swimming next to you.......and mostly men, I might add.
It was a mass swim start and I was with Mallory, Matt, Dave, Lilly, Carrie, and Nick Bannon.......awesomeness! We all lined up at the very front towards the right side of the start line near one of the buoys. People were panicking a little.....hitting & kicking each other as we were treading water. We were creating our own little wake and it was pulling us back towards the bridge. I moved up away from the line for a few seconds to get away from it all to breathe and relax, I floated on my back for a little bit just to stop moving for a split second (that would be the last time for the next 12 hours that I wasn't moving my body forward)! I was calm.
Matt and I were talking about what direction we were going to swim when my friend, Nick, yelled my name pointed to the land gesturing to me that we were about to start.....and just then the GUN went off. And........here we GO!!! I have never been so relaxed and calm when starting a race...all in the middle of such chaos! I did not have any anxiety when starting and just went out as hard as I could. I've been swimming a lot over the last few months and was feeling very confident with my swim fitness. Andrea told me not to be scared to find some fast feet and try to stay with them as long as possible. So, that's what I did. Matt told me he saw me take off like a "rocket".....I stayed strong for much of the swim.
There were 2600 athletes and only 636 were women. The men had on flourescent green swim caps and the women wore purple caps. Every once and a while I'd see a purple swim cap, but the men were everywhere..... I got hit a lot.......mostly elbowed in the head or a leg grabbed every so often (which I find very annoying.......I mean really....how can you not tell when you're grabbing someone's leg). It's all to be expected in a mass swim start though....you just take it as it comes and go with the flow. I moved from the far right and ended up in line with the buoys. I felt super strong and had a good rhythm going. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face......doo doo colored water. I focused on giving 90% effort while staying relaxed. The most congested area was around the bouys.....why do people stop there? Just swim! I remember someone saying "Relax people." I wanted to say "Swim people!" I started to feel a little tired about 1.5 miles in, but could see the bridge and knew our buoy to turn right to head in towards the canal was getting closer. Just keep swimming!
Finally, I get to turn right into the canal. Home stretch baby! Ok. It's a little longer than I thought it would be and very narrow.......and shallow (4 feet deep). This is also where some guy punched me in the face. He stopped looked at me and then kept swimming. Ouch! There were so many people and it was a very narrow area to swim in........ I also felt like the current was pulling me back towards the lake.... It was tough to try to move around to see if a different "spot" helped so I just kept trying to swim forward and stay relaxed. I stopped 2 different times put my feet down, dolphin dive back to start swimming again (yes you could touch the bottom here). I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere.... We were told not to put our feet down b/c of glass, rebar, etc. I didn't remember that until I started swimming again. Glad I didn't cut my feet. Other than it being so narrow and rough it was pretty sweet because it was lined with people cheering us on. I found a rhythm again and kept moving forward as hard as I could to the swim out. 11th female in my AG swim. Wohoo!
Volunteers helped pull me up to the stairs and off I went thru the chute to transition. Some people were walking as I was trying to get to my gear bag. Run people.......it's a race! I heard my name several times as I was running through transition. I got to see Maxine and Sancha (they got a nice pic of me :) ), Sarah & Jennifer, and a couple other peeps. Grabbed my gear bag and into changing tent.
Transistion 1: (3:58)
I changed into my zoot tri shorts and J&A tri top and off I go! Volunteers rocked here and were so helpful. Unlike Ironman Florida's changing tent.......I had plenty of room to change and tons of help..... I was about 15 mins. faster than my seasick swim in Florida. Not many women were out of the water just yet this time around so that was awesome! Run out of changing tent, sunblock on, high five Travis and find my bike all the way down close to bike out on row 7.
112 mile BIKE (Goal 5:20 / Finished 5:21:26)
Bring on the bike leg! My goal.....112 mile time trial and pass as many people as I possibly could. Stay strong, WIN bike for my age group if not all age group women! We had one big 112 mile bike loop. Let's roll!
The first half of the bike went by really really fast! I was holding over 22 mph the first 60 miles. Several things I noticed very early on......we got VERY lucky b/c we had some great cloud coverage. The humidity was there, but the blarring sun was nowhere to be found. I rode without my sunglasses most of the ride. The wind wasn't what I expected either. We did have some wind, but it was nothing like what we thought we'd get out there! I was a little nervous b/c I knew we'd have more of a headwind on the way back in. The ride was absolutely beautiful. We rode through the National Forrest for a good amount of time. It was fantastic! There were nice little rollers with smooth as butter roads.....and it felt super fast! One spot with chip seal on the way back in, but nothing to complain about.
It was definitely humid and I drank a lot out there. I took in about 40 oz. of fluids every 10 miles.... I couldn't stop drinking....... At the half way point you could definitely feel more of a headwind and it slowed me down a little, but again nothing like what I thought we were going to get. We did have a "hill"......mile 65. I remember saying, "I guess that was our hill" to somone. He said, "that sucked." It was actually nice to change things up and get out of the saddle for a bit.
As we got past the half way point.......I was looking for each 10 mile marker. I would say.........gimme my 70 miles. Ok bring on my 80, where's my 90, hell yeah 100!! "Push Push" was my mantra after 100 (weird thing to say to myself and I thought.....what am I doing having another baby here, but that's what got me through those last 12 miles). :) I had a blast on the course and loved every minute of it. There were times when there was hardly anyone around....and I got to enjoy the road by myself. I felt incredibly powerful. My nutrition was spot on. I was taking in 40 oz. of fluids / hour and at least 200 cals plus my salt tabs. I had to pee 4 times (most ever), but didn't stop....use your imagination. :) Thanks to Coach Fish I was feelin' awesome with my nutrition plan! There weren't many women "up front" so every time I would pass a group of people they'd say.......you go girl, get it girl, oh wow a girl, or get those guys, etc. It was awesome!
10 miles to go and I was super pumped. I was cruising along the last stretch towards the transition (probably holding 24 mph+) and some guy yelled out to me, "Lindsey you're an animal!" (My race # was on my back with my name on it). I just laughed and kept moving forward.......fast!! With 7 miles to go I passed the last female in my age group. I'm a happy camper! Ok now what? I have only 26.2 miles to go and I'm a 3x Ironman. As I was riding I was doing some thinking about the marathon and wondering how I was going to pull that one off with a stress fracture. What would I do if I absolutely couldn't run b/c I was in so much pain with my hip? Only thing I could do was attempt to run / walk and finish the Ironman feeling good and just be happy with the performance on my swim and bike.
Into bike dismount and again I saw tons of people. I got to see Sarah and Jennifer, Maria, Sunny & Shay, Max and Sancha and heard my name all over the place. Feelin' like a superstar! ;) Coolest part......hardly any other bikes in transition. That'll get you pumped to start your run! 1st off the bike in my age group and 7th overall female age grouper.
Transition 2: (5:36)
OMG it was humid! Volunteers rocked. I changed out of my gross tri shorts and into my lululemon running shorts. I took off my J&A tri top and kept on my Descante bra top. It was sooo hot and the sun was out by now. I remember almost falling over after trying to grab something out of my transition bag and one of the volunteers caught me and helped me sit down. It was soooo sticky hot and humid and I needed some fluids badly. Volunteer got me water, dried off my feet, put on my body glide, slipped on my shoes for me, spi belt, sunglasses, hat and off I went.
26.2 mile run (Goal: get through it / Finished: 5:13:18)
3 loop run course - on the street, in the sun, in the shade, on the trail, through a neighborhood, down by the waterway / park area, through the mall area ( it changed up quite a bit and I really enjoyed it)
Brutal start to the run. It was hot and humid! I could definitely feel the tightness in my hip and could feel the stress fracture every step (it's on my iliac wing on my right side).....weight bearing pressure hurts....walking / cycling / swimming doesn't hurt. I took my advil right away, did a shot of GU and grabbed Powerbar Performance at the aid stations early on. I held 9:46 min/ mile pace the first 4.5 miles then I got really nervous about my hip... If I continue on this run and don't listen to my body I could potentially put myself out for the rest of the year. I stopped to walk / run off an on from that point on until mile 20. I got to see a lot more people this way which was way worth it!
Here was the hard part for me (for a little while anyway)......I'm coming off an amazing swim, best ever bike, and I'm in 1st place....... I knew coming into this race I wouldn't be able to run my marathon injured. I had to let go of that podium finish & Kona dream....
I had to back off and look at the big picture here. Look what I am doing. I am incredibly blessed and grateful and right then and there I had to enjoy and embrace the moment more than ever. I am finishing up my 140.6 miles on a stress fracture on my pelivic bone and for some reason having the time of my life. :)
I got to run / walk with Dave, Matt, Rommel, Alex, and several other people and friends that were spectating along the way! Dave flashed me, Matt & I joked together, Alex & I discussed 2012 goals, and Rommel was happy as could be! My dear friend, Mallory, was kicking some serious butt out there and I was very excited for her. She encouraged me when she passed me on the run.....just showing how freakin' awesome she is as she was tearing it up going for her podium finish!
Honestly, nothing too exciting to share about my walking / running marathon until later on. The normal stuff going on......self talk, feet hurting, blisters, legs feeling tight, etc. If I was running it was hard to stop and walk and if I was walking it was hard to get going running again. There was really no rhyme or reason to when I would start or stop.....I just did when I felt like it. Many people run a mile then stop and walk the aid stations and then start running again. I would sometimes run to the aid station, walk the aid station and then just keep walking b/c that's just what I felt like doing.... (when I was walking I pumped my arms so I didn't puff up like a blow fish (thanks for that tip Fish)). I felt amazing as far as my muscles and nutrition goes. I kept taking in my salt tabs and 200 cals / hour. When I was running I felt awesome (except for the nagging "boo boo" I was dealing with). I felt strong even though I hadn't ran since February. Muscle memory came right back to me. Yay!
Ok going into this marathon I had no idea what to expect b/c I haven't run since Feb. or done any bike / run bricks since October of last year, etc. I was envisioning a 13-14 hour Ironman....I feared I might have to walk the whole thing. I didn't wear my garmin b/c I didn't want to be frustrated with myself for not running or keeping a certain pace. I really just wanted to go with the flow and listen to my body. I wanted to enjoy the moment. I thought about my kiddos, parents, my sister and sweet Sophie, and Tone back in Austin and hoped they were having fun. I felt my Oma and cousin watching over me. I was living in the moment and thankful that I was able to do what I was doing......whether it was my perfect race or not. I thought about everyone that has supported me and encouraged me throughout this journey.......feeling very blessed and emotional throughout the marathon, but especially at the halfway point.
I got to see Des and Kelly run by and many other pros which was cool! I saw Moxie Mulisport peeps, Jamie Cleavland was in a great spot just when I needed the boost, Sancha and Maxine (stopped and talked to them), and heard Sanch cheering me on as I went from my walk to run going on to my 3rd loop (wanted to cry then)........the FOMO sherpas were loud as hell and it made me smile big time (thanks Becca, Denise, and Shannon).
I see mile marker 20 and realize I have just under an hour to do 6.2 miles if I want to finish this Ironman in under 12 hours. Oh hell yeah.....now it's ON!!! This is where I felt incredible. That could be b/c my ibuprofen kicked in and my hip was completely numb. My mantra........6 miles......I can do this in my sleep. I CAN DO THIS! Seriously, I wonder how many times I said that during that hour. I bet it was every other step. I did think about how I would feel if I ended up with an Ironman finish of 12:01 and knew I would have been fine with it, but I also KNEW I could get in by 12 hours if I just went for it. So, I pushed and pushed and didn't stop one bit from mile marker 20 until that finish line! I ended up running 8:30 min / miles and felt awesome. At that time I was feeling very inspired, grateful, poweful, focused, and humbled all at the same time. I saw Matt as he was heading towards the finish line with about 2 miles to go and he just said, "Let's do this Ginko." I just nodded. Around the last aid station, down the waterway...no more high fives from me.....I'm on a mission. Half a mile left and I had 5 minutes to get to the finish line under 12 hours. Let's do this! I couldn't wait to see that finish line and hear the cheering. Arms up, right arm fist pump and a freaking HUGE smile on my face! Ironman Texas done in 11:58:50!! I will be back IMTX.....I'll be back to tear up that run course! 11th place Age Group
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Woodlands, TX
Ironman Texas done in 11:58:50!! 11th place Age Group
Holy cow I'm not even sure where to begin. It was an amazing weekend all around! I got to spend a girls' weekend in the Woodlands to do an Ironman! Who does that? :)
I'll do pre-race stuff later. I have to get to the good stuff. RACE DAY!!
Lots of physical and tons of mental prep went into this race (as always), but I had a lot of thinking to do for this one. I waited until almost the last minute to decide what I was going to do for this race when it came to figuring out my run plan. You probably already know I'm healing up a stress fracture. It's still not 100% so I had to decide one of the following options for my 3rd Ironman:
-swim, bike then DNF (did not finish)
-swim, bike, and walk
-swim, bike and walk / try to run
2 weeks out and I felt like my stress fx wasn't going to allow me to run. So, I decided I was getting to the finish line no matter what......walk, crawl, whatever it took. I've spent too much time training and thinking about this day that I just couldn't see myself getting off the bike and then not attempting to finish.... 1 week out I decided I might be able to walk / run / shuffle the marathon. I decided I would hammer out the swim, kill it on the bike and then get to the run and go with the flow.
Coach Fish asked me to send her my goal times for the race. These swim and bike times are big goals for me and quite a bit faster than my last 2 IM races.
2.4 mile swim goal: 1:14
112 mile bike goal: 5:20
26.2 mile run: get thru it
RACE DAY!
4:15 a.m. alarm - visualizing swim start (oh so peaceful!), stretching, started drinking water and Pure Sport, ate my Mel's meals sweet potato pancakes (you betcha I brought them with me) :)
4:35 a.m. Sherpas arrive at Residence Inn hotel to drive me, Alisa, & Maggie to race start
(Thank you Denise, Becca, & Shannon)
4:45 a.m. - Get dropped off at bike transistion to load up nutrition for bike, air up tires, and put last minute stuff in bike & run bags
5:45 a.m. - Sherpas take us to swim start, body marking, potty breaks, drop off morning clothes bag, socialize, ate clif shots and had shot of clif shot gel, drank 20 oz. Pure Sport
2.4 mile SWIM (Goal 1:14 / Finished 1:14:32)
7 a.m. start time
Swim route was an out and back loop and then we turned right to swim into a narrow waterway canal that led us to swim finish.
The water felt great. I decided to swim in my bathing suit. I've never done that for a race. I LOVED it! A lot of people wore wetsuits and speedsuits. I definitely think I would have overheated with a wetsuit. The water was warm......78 degrees or so? I borrowed a speedsuit, but it was a little snug on my shoulders so felt I would be most comfortable with just my swimsuit. 2.4 miles is too long to swim if you're not comfortable.....especially with 2600 other athletes swimming next to you.......and mostly men, I might add.
It was a mass swim start and I was with Mallory, Matt, Dave, Lilly, Carrie, and Nick Bannon.......awesomeness! We all lined up at the very front towards the right side of the start line near one of the buoys. People were panicking a little.....hitting & kicking each other as we were treading water. We were creating our own little wake and it was pulling us back towards the bridge. I moved up away from the line for a few seconds to get away from it all to breathe and relax, I floated on my back for a little bit just to stop moving for a split second (that would be the last time for the next 12 hours that I wasn't moving my body forward)! I was calm.
Matt and I were talking about what direction we were going to swim when my friend, Nick, yelled my name pointed to the land gesturing to me that we were about to start.....and just then the GUN went off. And........here we GO!!! I have never been so relaxed and calm when starting a race...all in the middle of such chaos! I did not have any anxiety when starting and just went out as hard as I could. I've been swimming a lot over the last few months and was feeling very confident with my swim fitness. Andrea told me not to be scared to find some fast feet and try to stay with them as long as possible. So, that's what I did. Matt told me he saw me take off like a "rocket".....I stayed strong for much of the swim.
There were 2600 athletes and only 636 were women. The men had on flourescent green swim caps and the women wore purple caps. Every once and a while I'd see a purple swim cap, but the men were everywhere..... I got hit a lot.......mostly elbowed in the head or a leg grabbed every so often (which I find very annoying.......I mean really....how can you not tell when you're grabbing someone's leg). It's all to be expected in a mass swim start though....you just take it as it comes and go with the flow. I moved from the far right and ended up in line with the buoys. I felt super strong and had a good rhythm going. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face......doo doo colored water. I focused on giving 90% effort while staying relaxed. The most congested area was around the bouys.....why do people stop there? Just swim! I remember someone saying "Relax people." I wanted to say "Swim people!" I started to feel a little tired about 1.5 miles in, but could see the bridge and knew our buoy to turn right to head in towards the canal was getting closer. Just keep swimming!
Finally, I get to turn right into the canal. Home stretch baby! Ok. It's a little longer than I thought it would be and very narrow.......and shallow (4 feet deep). This is also where some guy punched me in the face. He stopped looked at me and then kept swimming. Ouch! There were so many people and it was a very narrow area to swim in........ I also felt like the current was pulling me back towards the lake.... It was tough to try to move around to see if a different "spot" helped so I just kept trying to swim forward and stay relaxed. I stopped 2 different times put my feet down, dolphin dive back to start swimming again (yes you could touch the bottom here). I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere.... We were told not to put our feet down b/c of glass, rebar, etc. I didn't remember that until I started swimming again. Glad I didn't cut my feet. Other than it being so narrow and rough it was pretty sweet because it was lined with people cheering us on. I found a rhythm again and kept moving forward as hard as I could to the swim out. 11th female in my AG swim. Wohoo!
Volunteers helped pull me up to the stairs and off I went thru the chute to transition. Some people were walking as I was trying to get to my gear bag. Run people.......it's a race! I heard my name several times as I was running through transition. I got to see Maxine and Sancha (they got a nice pic of me :) ), Sarah & Jennifer, and a couple other peeps. Grabbed my gear bag and into changing tent.
Transistion 1: (3:58)
I changed into my zoot tri shorts and J&A tri top and off I go! Volunteers rocked here and were so helpful. Unlike Ironman Florida's changing tent.......I had plenty of room to change and tons of help..... I was about 15 mins. faster than my seasick swim in Florida. Not many women were out of the water just yet this time around so that was awesome! Run out of changing tent, sunblock on, high five Travis and find my bike all the way down close to bike out on row 7.
112 mile BIKE (Goal 5:20 / Finished 5:21:26)
Bring on the bike leg! My goal.....112 mile time trial and pass as many people as I possibly could. Stay strong, WIN bike for my age group if not all age group women! We had one big 112 mile bike loop. Let's roll!
The first half of the bike went by really really fast! I was holding over 22 mph the first 60 miles. Several things I noticed very early on......we got VERY lucky b/c we had some great cloud coverage. The humidity was there, but the blarring sun was nowhere to be found. I rode without my sunglasses most of the ride. The wind wasn't what I expected either. We did have some wind, but it was nothing like what we thought we'd get out there! I was a little nervous b/c I knew we'd have more of a headwind on the way back in. The ride was absolutely beautiful. We rode through the National Forrest for a good amount of time. It was fantastic! There were nice little rollers with smooth as butter roads.....and it felt super fast! One spot with chip seal on the way back in, but nothing to complain about.
It was definitely humid and I drank a lot out there. I took in about 40 oz. of fluids every 10 miles.... I couldn't stop drinking....... At the half way point you could definitely feel more of a headwind and it slowed me down a little, but again nothing like what I thought we were going to get. We did have a "hill"......mile 65. I remember saying, "I guess that was our hill" to somone. He said, "that sucked." It was actually nice to change things up and get out of the saddle for a bit.
As we got past the half way point.......I was looking for each 10 mile marker. I would say.........gimme my 70 miles. Ok bring on my 80, where's my 90, hell yeah 100!! "Push Push" was my mantra after 100 (weird thing to say to myself and I thought.....what am I doing having another baby here, but that's what got me through those last 12 miles). :) I had a blast on the course and loved every minute of it. There were times when there was hardly anyone around....and I got to enjoy the road by myself. I felt incredibly powerful. My nutrition was spot on. I was taking in 40 oz. of fluids / hour and at least 200 cals plus my salt tabs. I had to pee 4 times (most ever), but didn't stop....use your imagination. :) Thanks to Coach Fish I was feelin' awesome with my nutrition plan! There weren't many women "up front" so every time I would pass a group of people they'd say.......you go girl, get it girl, oh wow a girl, or get those guys, etc. It was awesome!
10 miles to go and I was super pumped. I was cruising along the last stretch towards the transition (probably holding 24 mph+) and some guy yelled out to me, "Lindsey you're an animal!" (My race # was on my back with my name on it). I just laughed and kept moving forward.......fast!! With 7 miles to go I passed the last female in my age group. I'm a happy camper! Ok now what? I have only 26.2 miles to go and I'm a 3x Ironman. As I was riding I was doing some thinking about the marathon and wondering how I was going to pull that one off with a stress fracture. What would I do if I absolutely couldn't run b/c I was in so much pain with my hip? Only thing I could do was attempt to run / walk and finish the Ironman feeling good and just be happy with the performance on my swim and bike.
Into bike dismount and again I saw tons of people. I got to see Sarah and Jennifer, Maria, Sunny & Shay, Max and Sancha and heard my name all over the place. Feelin' like a superstar! ;) Coolest part......hardly any other bikes in transition. That'll get you pumped to start your run! 1st off the bike in my age group and 7th overall female age grouper.
Transition 2: (5:36)
OMG it was humid! Volunteers rocked. I changed out of my gross tri shorts and into my lululemon running shorts. I took off my J&A tri top and kept on my Descante bra top. It was sooo hot and the sun was out by now. I remember almost falling over after trying to grab something out of my transition bag and one of the volunteers caught me and helped me sit down. It was soooo sticky hot and humid and I needed some fluids badly. Volunteer got me water, dried off my feet, put on my body glide, slipped on my shoes for me, spi belt, sunglasses, hat and off I went.
26.2 mile run (Goal: get through it / Finished: 5:13:18)
3 loop run course - on the street, in the sun, in the shade, on the trail, through a neighborhood, down by the waterway / park area, through the mall area ( it changed up quite a bit and I really enjoyed it)
Brutal start to the run. It was hot and humid! I could definitely feel the tightness in my hip and could feel the stress fracture every step (it's on my iliac wing on my right side).....weight bearing pressure hurts....walking / cycling / swimming doesn't hurt. I took my advil right away, did a shot of GU and grabbed Powerbar Performance at the aid stations early on. I held 9:46 min/ mile pace the first 4.5 miles then I got really nervous about my hip... If I continue on this run and don't listen to my body I could potentially put myself out for the rest of the year. I stopped to walk / run off an on from that point on until mile 20. I got to see a lot more people this way which was way worth it!
Here was the hard part for me (for a little while anyway)......I'm coming off an amazing swim, best ever bike, and I'm in 1st place....... I knew coming into this race I wouldn't be able to run my marathon injured. I had to let go of that podium finish & Kona dream....
I had to back off and look at the big picture here. Look what I am doing. I am incredibly blessed and grateful and right then and there I had to enjoy and embrace the moment more than ever. I am finishing up my 140.6 miles on a stress fracture on my pelivic bone and for some reason having the time of my life. :)
I got to run / walk with Dave, Matt, Rommel, Alex, and several other people and friends that were spectating along the way! Dave flashed me, Matt & I joked together, Alex & I discussed 2012 goals, and Rommel was happy as could be! My dear friend, Mallory, was kicking some serious butt out there and I was very excited for her. She encouraged me when she passed me on the run.....just showing how freakin' awesome she is as she was tearing it up going for her podium finish!
Honestly, nothing too exciting to share about my walking / running marathon until later on. The normal stuff going on......self talk, feet hurting, blisters, legs feeling tight, etc. If I was running it was hard to stop and walk and if I was walking it was hard to get going running again. There was really no rhyme or reason to when I would start or stop.....I just did when I felt like it. Many people run a mile then stop and walk the aid stations and then start running again. I would sometimes run to the aid station, walk the aid station and then just keep walking b/c that's just what I felt like doing.... (when I was walking I pumped my arms so I didn't puff up like a blow fish (thanks for that tip Fish)). I felt amazing as far as my muscles and nutrition goes. I kept taking in my salt tabs and 200 cals / hour. When I was running I felt awesome (except for the nagging "boo boo" I was dealing with). I felt strong even though I hadn't ran since February. Muscle memory came right back to me. Yay!
Ok going into this marathon I had no idea what to expect b/c I haven't run since Feb. or done any bike / run bricks since October of last year, etc. I was envisioning a 13-14 hour Ironman....I feared I might have to walk the whole thing. I didn't wear my garmin b/c I didn't want to be frustrated with myself for not running or keeping a certain pace. I really just wanted to go with the flow and listen to my body. I wanted to enjoy the moment. I thought about my kiddos, parents, my sister and sweet Sophie, and Tone back in Austin and hoped they were having fun. I felt my Oma and cousin watching over me. I was living in the moment and thankful that I was able to do what I was doing......whether it was my perfect race or not. I thought about everyone that has supported me and encouraged me throughout this journey.......feeling very blessed and emotional throughout the marathon, but especially at the halfway point.
I got to see Des and Kelly run by and many other pros which was cool! I saw Moxie Mulisport peeps, Jamie Cleavland was in a great spot just when I needed the boost, Sancha and Maxine (stopped and talked to them), and heard Sanch cheering me on as I went from my walk to run going on to my 3rd loop (wanted to cry then)........the FOMO sherpas were loud as hell and it made me smile big time (thanks Becca, Denise, and Shannon).
I see mile marker 20 and realize I have just under an hour to do 6.2 miles if I want to finish this Ironman in under 12 hours. Oh hell yeah.....now it's ON!!! This is where I felt incredible. That could be b/c my ibuprofen kicked in and my hip was completely numb. My mantra........6 miles......I can do this in my sleep. I CAN DO THIS! Seriously, I wonder how many times I said that during that hour. I bet it was every other step. I did think about how I would feel if I ended up with an Ironman finish of 12:01 and knew I would have been fine with it, but I also KNEW I could get in by 12 hours if I just went for it. So, I pushed and pushed and didn't stop one bit from mile marker 20 until that finish line! I ended up running 8:30 min / miles and felt awesome. At that time I was feeling very inspired, grateful, poweful, focused, and humbled all at the same time. I saw Matt as he was heading towards the finish line with about 2 miles to go and he just said, "Let's do this Ginko." I just nodded. Around the last aid station, down the waterway...no more high fives from me.....I'm on a mission. Half a mile left and I had 5 minutes to get to the finish line under 12 hours. Let's do this! I couldn't wait to see that finish line and hear the cheering. Arms up, right arm fist pump and a freaking HUGE smile on my face! Ironman Texas done in 11:58:50!! I will be back IMTX.....I'll be back to tear up that run course! 11th place Age Group
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
"What if you give up?"
Ireland was upset with me the other night when I told her I'd be out of town this weekend. She's upset I'm doing another Ironman. "But Mommy it takes so long. What if you give up? And I will miss you soooo much." From the mouth of the babe. Love her! She went to my first Ironman in Arizona in 2009 and then again in November of 2010 in Florida. What one thing comes up most often when they talk about mommy finishing her Ironman(s)?? Me throwing up after the race. Awesome! Maybe one day they'll get it......... ;)
Here we go......3 days out!! I am sooo EXCITED! I think I'm more excited about this one than the last two I've done. Which is completely insane b/c I haven't been able to run much at all......I'm just healing up that dang stress fracture. But, I do feel absolutely amazing. My swim fitness is way up. I'm faster and stronger on the bike and I'm so ready to just hammer out both of those it's not even funny! I'm just going to take it easy on the run and be smart out there. If I'm walking......I'm walking! Cheering everyone else on and walking. I can't wait to see everyone out there "enjoying" the pain right along with me! :-) More than anything I am ready to really embrace the whole experience with amazing friends!! I am grateful for an understanding and supportive husband. Wow, he really rocks and there is no way I'd be doing this without his awesome support!
It's been an awesome journey as it always is......finding out more about myself along the way. Spending time with new and old friends on some hard training days through the wind, hot humid days.....and then more WIND! Many times during my long training rides I wished I was home with my family and wondering why I was spending 6 hours sitting on a bike fighting the wind. We like to call it therapy!
I've had a great time getting to know Carrie Barrett and her FOMO tri training crew. I did some fun training rides with the group and get to room with a couple pretty awesome FOMO chicas in the Woodlands. Can't wait Alisa and Maggie. Woot!
After I did IMFL (and during the race really...ha!)....I didn't want to go into another full Ironman for a while (only problem was that I was already registered for IMTX)...... I've never been a quitter and found it really hard to back out of this one and decided to go with the flow and continue on the journey.
So, I will give it my all out there and just LIVE IN THE MOMENT!! I will continue to race in memory of my sweet cousin, Erik Mason Rudy, and carry him along all 140.6 miles. He passed away a couple years ago of Leukemia and had 2 little boys. I think of him and his family often, if not every day. I will also be thinking of a friend recently diagnosed with cancer and honor her. Love ya Jen. I will be thinking of all you that have supported and cheered me along this little journey!
I loved having a Coach this time around and couldn't have done it without her. Andrea Fisher has really helped keep me in check, "yelled" at me, lifted me up, and I truly trust her and respect her. I am not overtrained, super confident and stoked to see how I do on Saturday. Thanks Fish! Texas Iron website: http://texasiron.net/
Mantras to get me through this rockin' weekend: This is what my body is meant to do. I am strong, I am confident, I am powerful. I can do this. I can and I will. This is a gift. Enjoy the moment and cherish the time! My cousin, Erik, is watching over me and I will carry him with me. My Oma & Opa are with me throughout the journey.
And my new favorite one from Coach Fish......."Damn, I look good!" ;-)
Let's do this!!
Here we go......3 days out!! I am sooo EXCITED! I think I'm more excited about this one than the last two I've done. Which is completely insane b/c I haven't been able to run much at all......I'm just healing up that dang stress fracture. But, I do feel absolutely amazing. My swim fitness is way up. I'm faster and stronger on the bike and I'm so ready to just hammer out both of those it's not even funny! I'm just going to take it easy on the run and be smart out there. If I'm walking......I'm walking! Cheering everyone else on and walking. I can't wait to see everyone out there "enjoying" the pain right along with me! :-) More than anything I am ready to really embrace the whole experience with amazing friends!! I am grateful for an understanding and supportive husband. Wow, he really rocks and there is no way I'd be doing this without his awesome support!
I've had a great time getting to know Carrie Barrett and her FOMO tri training crew. I did some fun training rides with the group and get to room with a couple pretty awesome FOMO chicas in the Woodlands. Can't wait Alisa and Maggie. Woot!
After I did IMFL (and during the race really...ha!)....I didn't want to go into another full Ironman for a while (only problem was that I was already registered for IMTX)...... I've never been a quitter and found it really hard to back out of this one and decided to go with the flow and continue on the journey.
So, I will give it my all out there and just LIVE IN THE MOMENT!! I will continue to race in memory of my sweet cousin, Erik Mason Rudy, and carry him along all 140.6 miles. He passed away a couple years ago of Leukemia and had 2 little boys. I think of him and his family often, if not every day. I will also be thinking of a friend recently diagnosed with cancer and honor her. Love ya Jen. I will be thinking of all you that have supported and cheered me along this little journey!
I loved having a Coach this time around and couldn't have done it without her. Andrea Fisher has really helped keep me in check, "yelled" at me, lifted me up, and I truly trust her and respect her. I am not overtrained, super confident and stoked to see how I do on Saturday. Thanks Fish! Texas Iron website: http://texasiron.net/
Mantras to get me through this rockin' weekend: This is what my body is meant to do. I am strong, I am confident, I am powerful. I can do this. I can and I will. This is a gift. Enjoy the moment and cherish the time! My cousin, Erik, is watching over me and I will carry him with me. My Oma & Opa are with me throughout the journey.
And my new favorite one from Coach Fish......."Damn, I look good!" ;-)
Let's do this!!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
1 month until Ironman Texas!
Super hard to believe it's only 1 month away until I go for my 3rd Ironman....May 21st in The Woodlands, TX. It's been incredibly (and unseasonably) hot and humid here in Austin and I can imagine it's been a little steamy in Houston as well.
It's a little scary that I haven't ran in 9 weeks time (getting over stress fracture on iliac wing). Coach Fish and I are making a decision in about a week as to whether or not I'll be running at Ironman Texas. I am trying as hard as I can to heal this thaaang! I feel completely amazing all around.....I just can't run! My legs feel fresh, healthy, and overall my body feels awesome.......it's not overtrained or exhausted and feelin' good! So, I'm pumped b/c of that, but a little nervous that I haven't been running. Who knows maybe I'll have the best run of my life out there! I've done 3 marathons (1 stand alone) and 2 in my Ironman races. I really hope I get to do #4 in 30 days. It's all a mind set.....positive thinking here!
I am blessed to have such supportive friends that are constantly checking on me and keeping my spirits high! It is what it is and I know it could be a lot worse! I've had a great training season for this IM even though I've been without my running for much of it. I've made some awesome new friends and have had a blast getting stronger on the bike and in the water (we'll see if that translates to open water)! I've done some of the hardest swim workouts I've ever done......and they ROCKED! I've only done a handful of century rides, but I had one of the best 100-milers I've ever had last Saturday.....74 miles of it by myself. I felt like I was in the "zone" for almost the entire ride.......feeling incredibly powerful, confident, and strong! I was determined to get in 100 miles in 5 1/2 hours or less. I took 3 potty breaks, had stoplights, got stuck waiting for a train to go by, and at one point had dogs knipping at my heals (funny story). I got in 100.2 in 5 1/2 hours! Big confidence booster!
I'm excited about a few things going into the last 30 days b/f IMTX:
-Getting in another big ride on Saturday with friends
-Running? :)
-Skeese Greets Tri on May 8th (http://www.skeese.com/pages/Info.html)
-More solid swim workouts
-Getting to experience this Ironman with so many awesome friends ;)
It's a little scary that I haven't ran in 9 weeks time (getting over stress fracture on iliac wing). Coach Fish and I are making a decision in about a week as to whether or not I'll be running at Ironman Texas. I am trying as hard as I can to heal this thaaang! I feel completely amazing all around.....I just can't run! My legs feel fresh, healthy, and overall my body feels awesome.......it's not overtrained or exhausted and feelin' good! So, I'm pumped b/c of that, but a little nervous that I haven't been running. Who knows maybe I'll have the best run of my life out there! I've done 3 marathons (1 stand alone) and 2 in my Ironman races. I really hope I get to do #4 in 30 days. It's all a mind set.....positive thinking here!
I am blessed to have such supportive friends that are constantly checking on me and keeping my spirits high! It is what it is and I know it could be a lot worse! I've had a great training season for this IM even though I've been without my running for much of it. I've made some awesome new friends and have had a blast getting stronger on the bike and in the water (we'll see if that translates to open water)! I've done some of the hardest swim workouts I've ever done......and they ROCKED! I've only done a handful of century rides, but I had one of the best 100-milers I've ever had last Saturday.....74 miles of it by myself. I felt like I was in the "zone" for almost the entire ride.......feeling incredibly powerful, confident, and strong! I was determined to get in 100 miles in 5 1/2 hours or less. I took 3 potty breaks, had stoplights, got stuck waiting for a train to go by, and at one point had dogs knipping at my heals (funny story). I got in 100.2 in 5 1/2 hours! Big confidence booster!
I'm excited about a few things going into the last 30 days b/f IMTX:
-Getting in another big ride on Saturday with friends
-Running? :)
-Skeese Greets Tri on May 8th (http://www.skeese.com/pages/Info.html)
-More solid swim workouts
-Getting to experience this Ironman with so many awesome friends ;)
Friday, April 15, 2011
When?
When will I be able to run??? This is really challenging me (mentally). BIG time!! I'm trying so hard not to throw myself a pitty party, but this really SUCKS! I have a stress fracture on the iliac wing on the right side. It happened on Feb. 12th. I ran just over 13 miles and felt something about 9 miles in. I just figured it was a little strain, tightness and it would work itself out. I ran hard and I ran some good hills. I was feeling super strong and just felt overall fantastic throughout the run other than that "tightness." How and why did it happen? Overuse, bad running habits, dehydrated, pushing too hard, all of the above. :(
Thought maybe it was a bad strain, but as I would try to run (and I did run several different times and knew it didn't feel muscular anymore).......felt like it might be a stress fracture. Many people told me.......no way....not a stress fracture right there. 5 1/2 weeks went by and I finally went in to see Dr. Welsh at SW Orhopedics and he confirmed with x-rays.....a stress fracture. So, on March 23rd he said give it 4 more weeks. I gave it 9 days (was feeling very good) and ran on it for 3 days (just a few miles at a time). Don't do that! When a doc gives you instructions, follow it. Dammittt! I feel like I'm starting all over again. Praying and hoping that by the end of the month I'll be healed.
I'm giving it until May 1st and then we will create the rest of my "running" plan for Ironman Texas. Big picture here........I want to be healthy and strong for the rest of my race season and World Championships in Vegas in September. If I get to run at Ironman Texas it might not be pretty, but I'll get it done. It should be an interesting day on May 21st!!
Thought maybe it was a bad strain, but as I would try to run (and I did run several different times and knew it didn't feel muscular anymore).......felt like it might be a stress fracture. Many people told me.......no way....not a stress fracture right there. 5 1/2 weeks went by and I finally went in to see Dr. Welsh at SW Orhopedics and he confirmed with x-rays.....a stress fracture. So, on March 23rd he said give it 4 more weeks. I gave it 9 days (was feeling very good) and ran on it for 3 days (just a few miles at a time). Don't do that! When a doc gives you instructions, follow it. Dammittt! I feel like I'm starting all over again. Praying and hoping that by the end of the month I'll be healed.
I'm giving it until May 1st and then we will create the rest of my "running" plan for Ironman Texas. Big picture here........I want to be healthy and strong for the rest of my race season and World Championships in Vegas in September. If I get to run at Ironman Texas it might not be pretty, but I'll get it done. It should be an interesting day on May 21st!!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Naturally a people person (part 1)
I am a big people person. I love being around people, helping people, and seeing people happy! I love having the opportunity to help others achieve whatever they want. I think I'm pretty darn blessed to be able to do that in all areas of my life right now! As a L'BRI skin care consultant I get to share an amazing product and business opportunity with other women and help women in many different ways. I get to create an experience for my hostess and guests when I do home parties and share L'BRI with others.......and my parties are fun! It makes my "job" very fun! People naturally want to share info and ideas and I get to do that on a regular basis by sharing my enthusiasm about the products I love!! I'm not a guru on skin care. I've just used the product and learned a lot from other people and their experiences with skin care and this has allowed me to build a very successful business and help others get their business up and running and become successful! Part 2 is my love for fitness and triathlons......coming soon! ;)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
"S" day!
It's an "S" day as my kids put it! They love "S" days b/c they don't have school and we do fun stuff! Saturday means soccer for the Ginkos. Ireland had her first soccer game today and boy is she a little trooper. Her team is co-ed and I have to say she is definitely one of the most aggressive kids on the team. She just goes for it. She had band-aids on her knees within just a few minutes of the game and just kept going!
It was nice to get up and enjoy the morning with the kids and Tony and not have to do any training first thing on a Saturday. I will be heading to Saturday soccer games for a little while so training will have to happen later in the day for me. Today, I am supposed to get in a 5 hour bike ride, but it will end up being a 3 hour trainer ride.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
FUN - FIT + Healthy
I am stoked about commiting to blog on a regular basis. I plan to do this at least once a week. I've always wanted to combine blogging about my fitness journey as well as my skin care business and the awesome journey I'm on so here we go!
A few of my goals for the next 2 weeks:
1. Rest and recover since I just had x-rays done on my hip. Stress fx on the iliac wing (wth?) and doc said I have tendonitis of the glute medius / minimus. So, I won't RUN for another 4 weeks. By the time I'm all done with the achilles tendonitis and this little hiccup it will be about 6 months of not running. That blows! It is what it is and I will get through it.
2. Continue building, growing, and booking parties for my L'BRI business. It's an incredible time with the company and I'm having a blast building the Austin area and all around the country! This is BIG!!! Aloe-based, natural skin care and I live in one of the best cities in the world for it!!! I LOVE what I do!!!
3. Keep a great balance b/w work, working out / training, kids, hubby, and keeping up with laundry!! I think I've got it figured out (maybe)! River and Ireland are doing soccer, basketball, swimming, football and in May start a running group. Really? What was I thinking? As long as they're happy and having fun that's all that matters!
A few of my goals for the next 2 weeks:
1. Rest and recover since I just had x-rays done on my hip. Stress fx on the iliac wing (wth?) and doc said I have tendonitis of the glute medius / minimus. So, I won't RUN for another 4 weeks. By the time I'm all done with the achilles tendonitis and this little hiccup it will be about 6 months of not running. That blows! It is what it is and I will get through it.
2. Continue building, growing, and booking parties for my L'BRI business. It's an incredible time with the company and I'm having a blast building the Austin area and all around the country! This is BIG!!! Aloe-based, natural skin care and I live in one of the best cities in the world for it!!! I LOVE what I do!!!
3. Keep a great balance b/w work, working out / training, kids, hubby, and keeping up with laundry!! I think I've got it figured out (maybe)! River and Ireland are doing soccer, basketball, swimming, football and in May start a running group. Really? What was I thinking? As long as they're happy and having fun that's all that matters!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I am in love with the Mel's Meals 3-week challenge!
Ok, so I'll admit I'm awful at being a consistent blogger. I am all gung-ho about blogging when I first get going on my meal plan and then just completely drop the ball. I know this time won't be any different (round 3 by the way), so I'm just going to tell you what I love about doing this program and how I'm feeling up to this point. It's the 3rd time to take on this challenge and I LOVE it! I have never done anything like this and I am totally hooked and addicted to Mel's meals. I love the food, the plan, the people that started this amazing company and concept (Mel and Greg), my dietitian, and everything about it. I don't care about eating out, stopping to get my daily smoothie, eating chocolate (ok maybe I still have a few cravings here and there), or putting anything other than clean food in my body right now! I feel so healthy, strong, and motivated to eat a balanced and clean diet that's it's almost obsessive, I guess. But, that's me. When I find something I love and am passionate about I give it 110% and don't back down, period.
It might not be for everyone, but I have found it very useful and helpful for my busy life. I have learned even more about nutrition, my body, and how I should be fueling my body. I am much more aware of what foods my body can handle and manage and turn into fuel to keep me going all day long. Working out and training is a part of my life so eating the right foods for me is a huge part of what helps me to stay balanced and happy! I love to eat good food and know that what I'm putting in my body will make a profound effect on how well I can perform at everything I do! I'm a vegetarian and finding food that will give me enough protein and fat to sustain such a busy active lifestyle is crucial for me.
Prior to starting the plan I was feeling run down probably more than I should have been on a weekly basis. I know I was probably not as efficient and strong as I could have been during my race season last year as well. I am anxious to see how all of this eating, fueling, and maintaining my diet will translate to my race season!! 100 days until Ironman Texas so we will see!!
Honestly, I feel freaking amazing and get to thank Mel's meals for helping to keep me on this awesome path of a healthy and fit lifestyle and eating the right foods, all the time!!! I feel like I've always eaten "healthy", but I was eating too many carbs and "on-the-go" foods and not enough whole protein and fat in my diet. I have been as tiny as a size 0 in college (way too skinny for my body) and everywhere in b/w up to a size 10 after kiddos. I am comfortable where I am now and feel incredibly strong, healthy, and I'm probably the leanest I've been in a while. My health and my family's health is a top priority in my life and I feel like the plan has also given me some great ideas for meals and dishes for my kiddos and hubby. My children are very aware of how to make good choices when it comes to eating the right foods. They'd probably rather have ice cream and cookies everyday, but they know why we don't and I think they're starting to grasp the concept (maybe)!
There are so many goals that the plan can help people with whether it's weight loss, getting lean / leaner, stronger, or just giving you a jumpstart to get back to eating the right foods for you, etc. I think it's worth it to at least give it a try if it's something you've been on the fence about or been thinking about doing.......Mel's Meals is the way to go!http://www.melsmealsaustin.com/
It might not be for everyone, but I have found it very useful and helpful for my busy life. I have learned even more about nutrition, my body, and how I should be fueling my body. I am much more aware of what foods my body can handle and manage and turn into fuel to keep me going all day long. Working out and training is a part of my life so eating the right foods for me is a huge part of what helps me to stay balanced and happy! I love to eat good food and know that what I'm putting in my body will make a profound effect on how well I can perform at everything I do! I'm a vegetarian and finding food that will give me enough protein and fat to sustain such a busy active lifestyle is crucial for me.
Prior to starting the plan I was feeling run down probably more than I should have been on a weekly basis. I know I was probably not as efficient and strong as I could have been during my race season last year as well. I am anxious to see how all of this eating, fueling, and maintaining my diet will translate to my race season!! 100 days until Ironman Texas so we will see!!
Honestly, I feel freaking amazing and get to thank Mel's meals for helping to keep me on this awesome path of a healthy and fit lifestyle and eating the right foods, all the time!!! I feel like I've always eaten "healthy", but I was eating too many carbs and "on-the-go" foods and not enough whole protein and fat in my diet. I have been as tiny as a size 0 in college (way too skinny for my body) and everywhere in b/w up to a size 10 after kiddos. I am comfortable where I am now and feel incredibly strong, healthy, and I'm probably the leanest I've been in a while. My health and my family's health is a top priority in my life and I feel like the plan has also given me some great ideas for meals and dishes for my kiddos and hubby. My children are very aware of how to make good choices when it comes to eating the right foods. They'd probably rather have ice cream and cookies everyday, but they know why we don't and I think they're starting to grasp the concept (maybe)!
There are so many goals that the plan can help people with whether it's weight loss, getting lean / leaner, stronger, or just giving you a jumpstart to get back to eating the right foods for you, etc. I think it's worth it to at least give it a try if it's something you've been on the fence about or been thinking about doing.......Mel's Meals is the way to go!http://www.melsmealsaustin.com/
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Mel's meals "Get Lean" 3-week challenge
MEL'S MEALS 3-week challenge (Challenge #1 in Dec. 2010, Challenge #2 in Jan. 2011)!
I am trying a 3 week meal plan program through Mel's meals (http://www.melsmealsaustin.com/). She offers pre-packaged healthy meals to go. The 3 week program incorporates lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and heart-protective fats and each plan is catered towards your needs / goals. I am super pumped b/c I've never done anything like this. It will allow me to eat a more balanced diet and eat healthier snacks throughout the day. I skip meals all the time b/c I feel like I'm "on the go" a lot with my workouts, training, kids, L'Bri shows, appts., errands, etc. I thought I'd give it a go! Here are my initial goals: eat a more balanced diet with complete proteins and "good carbs", eat more fruits and veggies throughout the day, maintain my current weight throughout the holiday season. And.....try to slowly drop 5-7 lbs. by mid-late January.......and maybe get a 4-pack instead of just my little 2-pack! It would also be nice to start off next year's race season a little lighter! Most importantly, I want to be fueling my body with the right foods......so I can feel good, be strong, and powerful with lots of energy.....in everything I do throughout the day (especially when I'm running around with my kids)! ;)
I am trying a 3 week meal plan program through Mel's meals (http://www.melsmealsaustin.com/). She offers pre-packaged healthy meals to go. The 3 week program incorporates lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and heart-protective fats and each plan is catered towards your needs / goals. I am super pumped b/c I've never done anything like this. It will allow me to eat a more balanced diet and eat healthier snacks throughout the day. I skip meals all the time b/c I feel like I'm "on the go" a lot with my workouts, training, kids, L'Bri shows, appts., errands, etc. I thought I'd give it a go! Here are my initial goals: eat a more balanced diet with complete proteins and "good carbs", eat more fruits and veggies throughout the day, maintain my current weight throughout the holiday season. And.....try to slowly drop 5-7 lbs. by mid-late January.......and maybe get a 4-pack instead of just my little 2-pack! It would also be nice to start off next year's race season a little lighter! Most importantly, I want to be fueling my body with the right foods......so I can feel good, be strong, and powerful with lots of energy.....in everything I do throughout the day (especially when I'm running around with my kids)! ;)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
1.1.11
Wow, it's already New Year's Day 2011! Every Christmas holiday season seems to go by faster and faster for me. I think it's because River and Ireland both have b-days within 13 days of each other with Christmas right in the middle. It just makes it fly by!
We had a great Thanksgiving (just our family of 4) and then tons of family fun as we hosted Christmas at our house! The kiddos had a blast with everyone at the house especially since Cousin Sophie was around to open gifts with them. The kiddos opened Santa gifts before everyone came over and then the mayhem began!
My brother told me the best Christmas gift for him would be for me, Tony, and my sister to go to Amsterdam to visit him in May. Taylor and his wife have been in Europe for almost a year and will most likely only be there for another year and a half or so. He works for Delta / KLM and would love to get us over there. I am scheduled to do Ironman Texas on May 21, 2011. We will be flying on buddy passes and he just sent me an email with the best May dates (11th - 17th). Yikes! So, tapering in Amsterdam? Ummm, I don't think so! I sure wish it was that easy!
I'm not sure why I am making this such a tough decision, but I am! I have signed up for another Ironman Journey and really would like to follow through. My goal for Ironman Texas will be to have fun and treat it like a training day in order to prepare myself for World Championships 70.3 in September! We will see!
We had a great Thanksgiving (just our family of 4) and then tons of family fun as we hosted Christmas at our house! The kiddos had a blast with everyone at the house especially since Cousin Sophie was around to open gifts with them. The kiddos opened Santa gifts before everyone came over and then the mayhem began!
My brother told me the best Christmas gift for him would be for me, Tony, and my sister to go to Amsterdam to visit him in May. Taylor and his wife have been in Europe for almost a year and will most likely only be there for another year and a half or so. He works for Delta / KLM and would love to get us over there. I am scheduled to do Ironman Texas on May 21, 2011. We will be flying on buddy passes and he just sent me an email with the best May dates (11th - 17th). Yikes! So, tapering in Amsterdam? Ummm, I don't think so! I sure wish it was that easy!
I'm not sure why I am making this such a tough decision, but I am! I have signed up for another Ironman Journey and really would like to follow through. My goal for Ironman Texas will be to have fun and treat it like a training day in order to prepare myself for World Championships 70.3 in September! We will see!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Back on the wagon!
I told you I was a flip flopper! I'm so back on the wagon and doing Ironman Texas!! This of course is all dependent on me being injury free. I'm still getting over this achilles injury.....no fun. When I told my mom I had again decided to do the Ironman in Houston (after adamantely telling my family and some friends that there was NO WAY I was doing it) she said I was, "coo coo." Rooms are booked in the Woodlands and I'm already getting excited about training again. I am going to ease back into this one though. I get really excited, go all out way too early on, make dumb mistakes, do stupid stuff, do too much, and then get injured and get pissed off at myself! I will train smarter this year! Less quantity, more quality! Watch me!
On another note, I am pumped about starting a 21-day Get Lean program through Mel's Meals. I would love to maintain this weight through the holidays and to be honest......maybe even loose a few (5-7 lbs.) by mid-January. Going into next year's race season a little lighter would make me even happier! So, we will see how this goes. I'm a vegetarian and I truly don't feel like I have a balanced diet. I eat way too many carbs and always seem to be "on the go" so I will be really working on eating more complete proteins and fruits and veggies all day long. It will be something I've never done so I will definitely be keeping record of how I feel and if I feel like it's making a difference in my performance and daily mood!
On another note, I am pumped about starting a 21-day Get Lean program through Mel's Meals. I would love to maintain this weight through the holidays and to be honest......maybe even loose a few (5-7 lbs.) by mid-January. Going into next year's race season a little lighter would make me even happier! So, we will see how this goes. I'm a vegetarian and I truly don't feel like I have a balanced diet. I eat way too many carbs and always seem to be "on the go" so I will be really working on eating more complete proteins and fruits and veggies all day long. It will be something I've never done so I will definitely be keeping record of how I feel and if I feel like it's making a difference in my performance and daily mood!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
It's been 3 weeks since Ironman Florida..........
It really seems like it's been a lot longer since IMFL. I've been super busy. I've enjoyed not having a "schedule" to keep up with in regards to swimming, biking, and running. I have done some weight lifting and kickboxing (which I love) and have enjoyed my time "off" from being so disciplined with workouts. I haven't been running at all......and that's been really really tough on me. This is my time to run......my favorite weather to run in and I can't do it right now b/c I've jacked up my right achilles tendon.
I did something to it early on in the race season and literally completely ignored it. (Don't do that). It's swollen, inflamed, stiff, tight, throbbing, and makes me limp and hobble like an old woman first thing in the morning or if I've been sitting down too long. I've been going to Dr. Laurie Buob the last few weeks and following Dr.'s orders. She says no running for 8 weeks......... :( We think it's achilles tendinitis and / or bursitis. I am not going to get an MRI b/c it's too damn expensive. So, gotta rest it, ice it, use foam roller, and just focus on healing.
I'm not sure if I'll get to do the full marathon in February. It will all depend on how I feel......and starting off with my goal of not doing too much too soon is what I plan to stay with all year. So....we will see!
After IMFL I was adamant about not doing Ironman Texas. I'm being a big time flip flopper......still not sure! One day it's a yes and the next day it's a oh I don't know. I feel like I need to focus on other things in life other than training my little hiney off for another full distance Ironman in May. I am doing the half ironman in April in Galveston, Pflugerville tri, Texas tri series, 70.3 World Championships in Vegas in September, and then finish with another half ironman (Longhorn) in October and I'm really looking forward to ALL of it! So.....we will see how I feel come 2011. I'm just gonna go from there! I don't want to do too much too soon. I would like to be healthy and perform well at World Championships in Vegas!
Of course, Tony is supportive either way in regards to me doing Ironman Texas! He hears me out and finishes with I know you'll make the right decision. :) He's good like that.
I did something to it early on in the race season and literally completely ignored it. (Don't do that). It's swollen, inflamed, stiff, tight, throbbing, and makes me limp and hobble like an old woman first thing in the morning or if I've been sitting down too long. I've been going to Dr. Laurie Buob the last few weeks and following Dr.'s orders. She says no running for 8 weeks......... :( We think it's achilles tendinitis and / or bursitis. I am not going to get an MRI b/c it's too damn expensive. So, gotta rest it, ice it, use foam roller, and just focus on healing.
I'm not sure if I'll get to do the full marathon in February. It will all depend on how I feel......and starting off with my goal of not doing too much too soon is what I plan to stay with all year. So....we will see!
After IMFL I was adamant about not doing Ironman Texas. I'm being a big time flip flopper......still not sure! One day it's a yes and the next day it's a oh I don't know. I feel like I need to focus on other things in life other than training my little hiney off for another full distance Ironman in May. I am doing the half ironman in April in Galveston, Pflugerville tri, Texas tri series, 70.3 World Championships in Vegas in September, and then finish with another half ironman (Longhorn) in October and I'm really looking forward to ALL of it! So.....we will see how I feel come 2011. I'm just gonna go from there! I don't want to do too much too soon. I would like to be healthy and perform well at World Championships in Vegas!
Of course, Tony is supportive either way in regards to me doing Ironman Texas! He hears me out and finishes with I know you'll make the right decision. :) He's good like that.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
IRONMAN FLORIDA, OH YEAH!!
Saturday, Nov. 6th
My Ironman Florida journey was completely different than what I expected it to be......and so very different than my first Ironman in so many ways! I knew it would be different as each race is, but I wasn't expecting it to be such a humbling experience for me. I was coming off a very successful race season and just recently got a spot for World Championships for my half ironman race on Oct. 17th. Austin 70.3 was an amazing race and I felt incredibly strong so it was a huge confidence booster for me going into my 2nd Ironman. I was pumped to be finishing off my race season with Ironman Florida and hoping to go sub 11 and at least top 10 in my age group. I always set goals for myself and knew I was fully capable of putting together a solid race. Let the fun begin!
RACE DAY!!!
4:30 a.m. alarm and I'm up! I ate a bagel with a little peanut butter and my banana, bundled up and head out the door to walk down to transition. It was COLD! I had on my tri outfit, sweatpants, sweatshirt, headband, hoodie, and gloves.......and I was still cold.
I dropped off my special needs bags and headed to my bike to put my nutrition and water bottles on the bike. Next, I aired up the tires and then decided to add a couple things to my swim to bike bag. I knew I would be cold so I added the extra gloves and headband. I added the sweatshirt too.....just in case. I knew it wasn't going to be very aerodynamic, but if I'm cold on the bike I'm miserable!
SWIM - 2.4 mile ocean swim (1:21:08):
Headed down to the beach for the swim start. It was freaking cold. My toes were frozen. I decided to stand in the water b/c the sand was terribly cold and it felt better on my feet. I kept my hoodie on until the last minute. I stood with my friend Nelia and we moved as far off to the right of the beach as we could to start the swim. We started about knee deep and when the gun went off I started dolphin diving into the waves. It was pretty cool! The current was moving towards the direction of the buoys so Jamie told us to start as far off to the right as possible. Good thing I did because 10 minutes into the swim I was right in line with the buoys. Holy cow......ocean swim with almost 3000 people is crazy! Even though we had the whole ocean to swim we were still right on top of each other.
Early on I felt pretty good on the swim.......relaxed, breathing and enjoying seeing some fish and the white sands beneath me. It's a rectangular swim with the shortest part of the swim putting you parallel with the shoreline. It's a 2 loop course with a little jog on the beach before you re-enter the water for your 2nd loop. As we got out towards the middle of the ocean I started to feel the swaying motion and swells going up and down. I think I can handle this.....just keep swimming! I definitely got smacked in the head and swam over a couple of times. I felt sorry for anyone that really wasn't a confident swimmer and doing their first ocean swim / Ironman in these conditions. It was pretty brutal. The best part of the swim was when you got to turn left about 1000 meters in which put you parallel to the beach. The current carried me a little.......I could have done that all day. But, it was short lived......seemed like we only got that for a few hundred meters. What a tease. And........THEN......I turned left at the next buoy to head towards the shore.....OMG.....sea sick!!!!
If I laid on my side and looked at the horizon I didn't feel like I needed to puke as much.......but I could really feel the swells and my equilibrium was completely out of whack. And laying on your side with your head out of the water doesn't get you too far in a 2 point 4 freaking mile swim in the middle of the ocean with 2800 other people!! I had to suck it up and freestyle it in. OK......body surfing in practice the day before was a blast.....this time not so much (nauseous here, big time).......run on the beach and back in for my 2nd loop. I think it took me 37 minutes to do the first 1.2 miles. Ouch!
2nd loop - only 1.2 miles to go. Ohhhh yeahhhh........my motion sickness / sea sickness (whatever it was) was not going away. It got worse as I went out and hit those waves. Time to feed the fish. I threw up about half way down and it was not pretty....throwing up in your mouth and then taking in salt water is not a good combo. It's hard for me to even think about how it made me feel again......ughhh!!
I made it down the first stretch........stopped and looked up for the big red buoy to see how far I needed to go to make my left turn. As I popped my head up there was a guy that looked like he was lost..... He was hanging out treading water and looking very confused......facing the wrong direction. We are in the middle of the ocean with 2800 people around us and he yells out, "What direction are we swimming?" REALLY!??!! "THAT WAY" as I pointed in the way he was supposed to be swimming." He was soooo disoriented. NOW.....I'm throwing up, laughing, and annoyed all at the same time!!! As I turned the corner around the buoy I was having a hard time focusing on swimming. Instead I was focused on not throwing up again and trying not to think about how miserable I felt at the moment.....the waves would not stop coming, would not stop moving....... Oh what a horrible feeling all around.
I had slowed down even more and could NOT get away from some guy swimming on his back. He was NOT doing the backstroke........ OH NO, his arms were coming all the way up over his head at the same time in a circular motion........then all the way back down again by his sides in a circular motion.........and REPEAT! I tried to swim away from him and the current brought me right back to him.......he hit me about 10 times. GOOD GOD GET ME OUT OF HERE and who signed me up for this?! ;)
Finally, I made it around the corner towards the home stretch.......this was one of the WORST experiences I've ever had......I would have choosen natural child birth again over the way I felt at this point. I threw up again.......taking in more salt water.....this time I thought I'd try a little something different.....I flipped over on my back (I've NEVER done this) and started to backstroke........nope that didn't help. It actually made me feel worse. I just sucked it up and kept asking God to bring me back to the land as quickly as possible. I can do this! YES, I finally made it and I'm sure I was as white as a ghost trying to get up the beach towards the wet suit strippers.
I get motion sickness from swinging on a swing. I'm not sure why I dismissed the idea that I might get sea sick while swimming in the rough ocean waters for my IRONMAN.....kind of important thing to consider! Every time I go scuba diving I vomit on the boat on the way out to the dive spot. But, when I'm actually underwater and diving I feel fantastic. We were not UNDER the water........we were ON TOP of the water with wetsuits......even more buoyant. So, IF I ever do an ocean swim again.......I'm thinking medication beforehand might be a good option for me. Just maybe.
Wetsuit strippers rock.......and off I go to transition 1. Ok......now I'm freezing again AND I have such bad chafing from my wetsuit around my neck, behind my neck and under my armpits that it feels like my skin is on fire. Salt water and chafing...... Good times! Once I got into the changing tent (craziness by the way).......I was REALLY wishing I had a change of clothes.......did I mention how cold I was? I spent almost 13 minutes in T1. Seriously!? I put on dry socks, arm warmers, long sleeved jersey over my trip top, 2 pair of gloves, and my headband to keep my ears warm. 112 miles.....let's do this! Oh yeah, I threw up one more time in T1 before I got on my bike.
BIKE - 112 miles (5:35:31):
Got to the mounting line and no one was on their bike. People were walking their bikes through the chute. I got on my bike right at the line and then had to worry about everyone in front of me stopping up ahead to get on their bike. Alright, whatever! Right away I took in some PureSport to try to get some fluids back in my system. I was hoping to shake the nauseous feeling so I drank quite a bit early on and had a clif bar within the first 30 minutes on the bike. Even though I had a long swim and really long transition I was hoping to get the swim and bike in within 7 hours and then hopefully pull off a 4 hour (or better) marathon. That was the goal! I'm always strong on the bike and it's my favorite leg so I felt confident I could do it!
Ummm I'm noticing that the queasy nauseous feeling was NOT going away. Ok let's just work through this....one mile at a time?!! This is not supposed to be easy. It's an IRONMAN! I don't really remember the first 30-40 miles or so.......I was so focused on trying not to vomit that it is a blur. I do remember when my chin strap broke at mile 30 though. I have no idea what happened but I leaned over to take a sip from my aerodrink and my chin strap came loose. I tried to thread it back in while I was riding and then the clip fell off so I could no longer snap it back in place. So.........I rode the rest of the 82 miles without a securely strapped helmet. I was just a tad bit more frustrated at this point.
I remember it being windy but not too unbearable. We've had some really windy training rides so I was ready for it. Around mile 50 I really felt like I needed to stop and take a potty break. Every time I saw the porta potty lines they were too long so I just held it until about mile 65. Every time I ate something (especially my gels) it made me want to throw up. I was really hungry and probably still dehydrated from the lovely ocean swim I had just experienced.
I ended up chatting with some guy named Cole off and on from mile 50ish til about 80 or so. We started up a conversation b/c he came up beside me and said, "When you are tapped out from holding that pace line let me know." I looked over my shoulder and had a pace line of about 6 guys behind me. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! I had to vomit, pee, and by that time my stomach was growling..... I was not in the mood to pull a bunch of guys in my Ironman race, sorry!
I was starting to get warm so I took off my arm warmers and both sets of gloves. I took them off on the bike and that wasn't the smartest move......definitely should've just stopped to do it. I was really trying to make up time where I could though. There was one part of the course that was really windy....luckily it was only about 8 miles or so. It was pretty brutal though. Overall I ended up with a decent bike split.......not sure how, but I did it! I think I was just shy of holding 21 mph. I was so happy to be off the bike and normally I feel like I can ride all day!
RUN - 26.2 miles (4:33:07):
The best part of coming into T2 at Ironman races is that the volunteers take your bike and rack it for you.....it's like your own little valet service for your bike! You get changed in the changing tent and go on your way. I finally found my bike to run bag (no help here from volunteers) and tried to make up some time since T1 took me forever. I knew I had to take a potty break before getting on the run so I did a quick porta potty stop (had to wait for just a second for one to open up) and then I was off to run my 3rd marathon.
The energy and excitement from everyone just getting on the run rocks!! It was so much fun to have so much support on the run course early on and see so many people I knew. I felt pretty good getting going. My legs didn't feel like I just rode 112 miles so I was super pumped about that. I did notice my toes were asleep......especially on my left foot. I was wiggling my toes as often as possible. At mile 6 I could already start to feel blisters forming on my toes. After the race I took off my socks and realized my baby toes both had one ginormous blister that wrapped around the entire toe. I wore the same brand and type of shoes I did last year and in all my long runs and I never got blisters. The left over salt water and wet & cold feet on the bike did not help the cause here. My goal was to just try to stay positive and keep a nice steady run pace. Other than the blisters I felt pretty good the first 11 or so miles of the run.
I ran with Jean from NY for a little while. She had done IMFL before and qualified for Kona there a few years ago, but she was having a tough day as well. Not that you want others to have a rough day, but it can be comforting to have other people around you that are feeling the same pain and you can help talk each other through it. Saturday was just not her day. She told me a few stories about her Kona experience and I was really inspired by her.
As we were running together a guy ran by that had been "hit" big time during the run. He had diarrhea all the way down his legs. Poor guy. Well, Jean and I were downwind and it was awful. The guy in front of us was gagging and making me want to gag.......he stopped a couple times to bend over and was dry heaving.... I was really close to throwing up again through this little episode. That was good times!
At mile 11ish I started to get that nauseous feeling back. I knew if I could get back into town which would put me at mile 13......I would feed off the energy from the crowd and that would help take me to at least mile 16 (that was the plan anyway)! I definitely got some great energy from the crowd going to the turnaround point. I saw my family, kissed and hugged Ireland, kissed my mom and couldn't stop smiling at River b/c he was so excited to see me. He was jumping up and down with his sign running alongside the road to stay with me. I saw my brother who started running and asking me how I was feeling, how it was going. It was so great to see him since he came in from Europe and I hadn't seen him in 9 months. His wife was taking pictures and I was really feelin' the love! I felt blessed to be there and was ready to finish up the last half of the marathon.
I don't think I made it to mile 16 without stopping like I was hoping for....... I remember wanting to cry at mile 15.......not because I was loving the moment and really enjoying the IM journey like last year, but b/c I knew I still had 11.2 miles to go and I wasn't feeling good at all. The weird thing is my legs felt great (other than some tightness) and I didn't have any other muscular issues until mile 18. I just didn't feel "strong" and really was feeling queasy again..... I now know that I didn't not fuel my body on the bike or the run like I should have and that's mostly b/c I felt sick for a lot of bike and shortly after getting on the run. I didn't take any electorlyte tabs and definitely did not take in enough calories or fluid on the bike. Starting off dehydrated on the bike and loosing calories from the swim and throughout the 5 1/2 hour bike ride really caught up to me on the marathon. I grabbed coke at the next couple of aid stations and it definitely helped settle my stomach and keep everything at bay for the time being.
I got to see Dave, Lilly, Lindsay, Dionn, Vegas, Charles, Jerry, Katie, and a couple of Texas Iron people on the run course and it was awesome to cheer each other on! I was sooo proud to see Lilly and Lindsay looking so good with smiles on their faces b/c it was their first Ironman! I could tell they were loving it! My friend Nelia was killing the course and looked strong every time I saw her. It was her first IM as well. I saw a blind man running the course with his assistant and a man running with a prosthetic leg.......talk about inspiring. Ironman brings together so many amazing people and we all come together from all around the world with a positive outlook and a supportive & kind attitude that it's quite amazing to see and be around! It is an incredible experience that I'm finding can be addictive! Ok, enough sappiness back to my not-so-fantastic marathon performance....
Sally from LifeTime was on the run course right in the middle of the neighborhood we had to run through.....(which was booorinnngg)......so it helped to break things up and I looked forward to seeing her out there. I was all smiles and happy to smile for the camera the first loop. Then, I saw her again on the 2nd loop (mile 16ish) and she said, "Go Lindsey!" I just looked at her and said, "This sucks!" ;) YES, those words came out of MY mouth. I was hurtin' and not having the time of my life here!! Pretty sure my mindset for this race was set very early on and it was hard for me to shake it since I was trying to combat not feeling well throughout the race. I was in my "dark spot" here and having a hard time "living in moment" b/c I was doing quite a bit of self-doubt and questioning why I allowed myself to get to such a negative state of mind. I knew I'd get to the finish line.......I knew I'd be happy to be there.......I knew I'd be proud, but oh did I want to feel good out there and tear up the course. I guess that's why we do what we do and keep coming back for more......it's the thrill of the ride and the fear of the unknown!
Ok almost there and by this time my goal of sub 11 was looong gone. Now I'm going for sub 12 (more importantly I had to beat my time from last year). I only stopped to walk once last year at Ironman Arizona and that was at mile 22. I can't tell you how many times I stopped to walk this year. Over the last 2 years I've had a bit of a chronic glute injury and it started to flare up at mile 18. Every time I took a step whether I was walking or running I could feel it. I also started to feel a tingling sensation in my hands and arms.......it was almost like they were going numb. I was shaking them and making fists with my hands and fingers to keep them "awake."
I met Joni from Austin early on in the run. She had a really bad swim as well and we chatted for a while...........she and I passed each other back and forth on the run. She caught up to me at mile 19 as I was walking. I was eating pretzels and drinking coke. She said, "How you doing Lindsey?" I said, "Not good, not good at all." She said, "How about we run to mile 22 and then if you need to walk we can." I told her my goal and she said well we can do that even if we walk for a mile. We ran together and found out we have some mutual friends in common. I started to feel my stomach in knots and I told her I needed to back off a little and she said "save your breath" let's just keep running. I could tell she was an experienced Ironman. She was just what I needed......not a cheerleader but someone calm and supportive at the same time. Wow, she was so cool! She was one of my angels that day. From that point on I just kept running. I have several mantras that I use when I race, but unfortunately didn't use them as much as I should have (or much at all) on Saturday. One I did pick up that day and used all day was "Just keep moving forward."
I did not stop running from mile 19 to the finish line.....in fact I really started to pick up my pace. I was looking for our condo b/c I knew it was only a mile from the finish line and we ran right by it on the course. Once I saw the condo I kicked it into high gear. Lilly's hubby, Blake, saw me coming in towards the finish line and ran along with me taking me to the finisher's chute. He actually asked me to slow down. Ha! I told him that I had a really rough day and that I never doing another 140.6 race. Oh....right....I think I said that last year too. :) Heading to the finish line I only had 3 minutes to beat my time from last year's Ironman. I did it and was happy to meet that goal even though it wasn't on the original race agenda for me that day!
My cousin lost his battle to cancer a couple of years ago and I always keep him in my thoughts while I race. He was so strong and never complained about what he was going through and really was such a courageous man. I carry him (and his 2 little boys) with me when I race and it's almost like he's watching over me and helps keep me going. I know that not everyone can do what I do (nor do they want to for that matter......ha), but I have been given an amazing gift to be able to do this.....I have such a strong mind and body and choose to challenge them both to the max. I did just that on Saturday, November 6th! It was one of the hardest things I have done emotionally, physically, and mentally. I feel stronger for pushing through every little obstacle I came across and know that things happen for a reason. I got so much out of this race I can't even put it all into words. I learned a lot about myself on Saturday. I cherish the memories I created out there for myself and my family. I know my children absolutely loved the trip and their faces on the race course were absolutely priceless. I will never forget those sweet faces as I saw them on the course and as I came running through the finisher's chute and across the finish line. Ironman Florida (11:47:22), check!
THANKFUL FOR:
• My sweet hubby for supporting me through this journey and putting up with my crazy schedule and always telling me to do what makes me happy
• My awesome parents for traveling to Florida with me to watch the kiddos while I raced!
• Taylor and Nancy for flying in from Amsterdam to be there for me.....such an awesome supportive brother and sister 'n law
• Paige for listening to all the highs and lows of my season and being a supportive and encouraging sister
• Members at LifeTime who have become some of my closest friends. I can't imagine not having the support and love everyone from LT has given me
• Marie for awesome care package. I get to return the favor this year as she will be doing her first IM in just 2 short weeks!
• Chris and Kathy for helping me organize, promote, and execute my fundraiser at Iron Cactus
• David, Mallory, and Matt for being amazing training partners and so much fun to be around!
• Jodis, Kim F., and Kim W. for helping at the fundraiser as well
• Jack Murray and staff with Jack & Adam’s – best bike shop in town
• All the thoughtful, inspiring, and kind words I received before and after the race…..very powerful to me!
• For the ability to do what I am passionate about
• Coach Craig and Coach Hayley for helping me become a stronger / faster swimmer
• Coach Nick for helping me run faster and more efficient and for moral support!
• lululemon athletica 6th & Lamar for supporting and encouraging me and providing the best workout clothes ever!
• Dr. Todd and Laura Whipple for helping me rehab my shoulder, ankle, and keeping me healthy throughout the season!
• Post-race pizza!
• No sunburn!
• Nancy Hill for my awesome post-race massage…..ahhhh!
• Star Gymnastics, Steven Liggett, & Iron Cactus for sponsoring me for the year 2010!
• Friends and family......you are so important to me and I appreciate your love and support during this incredible journey!
My Ironman Florida journey was completely different than what I expected it to be......and so very different than my first Ironman in so many ways! I knew it would be different as each race is, but I wasn't expecting it to be such a humbling experience for me. I was coming off a very successful race season and just recently got a spot for World Championships for my half ironman race on Oct. 17th. Austin 70.3 was an amazing race and I felt incredibly strong so it was a huge confidence booster for me going into my 2nd Ironman. I was pumped to be finishing off my race season with Ironman Florida and hoping to go sub 11 and at least top 10 in my age group. I always set goals for myself and knew I was fully capable of putting together a solid race. Let the fun begin!
RACE DAY!!!
4:30 a.m. alarm and I'm up! I ate a bagel with a little peanut butter and my banana, bundled up and head out the door to walk down to transition. It was COLD! I had on my tri outfit, sweatpants, sweatshirt, headband, hoodie, and gloves.......and I was still cold.
I dropped off my special needs bags and headed to my bike to put my nutrition and water bottles on the bike. Next, I aired up the tires and then decided to add a couple things to my swim to bike bag. I knew I would be cold so I added the extra gloves and headband. I added the sweatshirt too.....just in case. I knew it wasn't going to be very aerodynamic, but if I'm cold on the bike I'm miserable!
SWIM - 2.4 mile ocean swim (1:21:08):
Headed down to the beach for the swim start. It was freaking cold. My toes were frozen. I decided to stand in the water b/c the sand was terribly cold and it felt better on my feet. I kept my hoodie on until the last minute. I stood with my friend Nelia and we moved as far off to the right of the beach as we could to start the swim. We started about knee deep and when the gun went off I started dolphin diving into the waves. It was pretty cool! The current was moving towards the direction of the buoys so Jamie told us to start as far off to the right as possible. Good thing I did because 10 minutes into the swim I was right in line with the buoys. Holy cow......ocean swim with almost 3000 people is crazy! Even though we had the whole ocean to swim we were still right on top of each other.
Early on I felt pretty good on the swim.......relaxed, breathing and enjoying seeing some fish and the white sands beneath me. It's a rectangular swim with the shortest part of the swim putting you parallel with the shoreline. It's a 2 loop course with a little jog on the beach before you re-enter the water for your 2nd loop. As we got out towards the middle of the ocean I started to feel the swaying motion and swells going up and down. I think I can handle this.....just keep swimming! I definitely got smacked in the head and swam over a couple of times. I felt sorry for anyone that really wasn't a confident swimmer and doing their first ocean swim / Ironman in these conditions. It was pretty brutal. The best part of the swim was when you got to turn left about 1000 meters in which put you parallel to the beach. The current carried me a little.......I could have done that all day. But, it was short lived......seemed like we only got that for a few hundred meters. What a tease. And........THEN......I turned left at the next buoy to head towards the shore.....OMG.....sea sick!!!!
If I laid on my side and looked at the horizon I didn't feel like I needed to puke as much.......but I could really feel the swells and my equilibrium was completely out of whack. And laying on your side with your head out of the water doesn't get you too far in a 2 point 4 freaking mile swim in the middle of the ocean with 2800 other people!! I had to suck it up and freestyle it in. OK......body surfing in practice the day before was a blast.....this time not so much (nauseous here, big time).......run on the beach and back in for my 2nd loop. I think it took me 37 minutes to do the first 1.2 miles. Ouch!
2nd loop - only 1.2 miles to go. Ohhhh yeahhhh........my motion sickness / sea sickness (whatever it was) was not going away. It got worse as I went out and hit those waves. Time to feed the fish. I threw up about half way down and it was not pretty....throwing up in your mouth and then taking in salt water is not a good combo. It's hard for me to even think about how it made me feel again......ughhh!!
I made it down the first stretch........stopped and looked up for the big red buoy to see how far I needed to go to make my left turn. As I popped my head up there was a guy that looked like he was lost..... He was hanging out treading water and looking very confused......facing the wrong direction. We are in the middle of the ocean with 2800 people around us and he yells out, "What direction are we swimming?" REALLY!??!! "THAT WAY" as I pointed in the way he was supposed to be swimming." He was soooo disoriented. NOW.....I'm throwing up, laughing, and annoyed all at the same time!!! As I turned the corner around the buoy I was having a hard time focusing on swimming. Instead I was focused on not throwing up again and trying not to think about how miserable I felt at the moment.....the waves would not stop coming, would not stop moving....... Oh what a horrible feeling all around.
I had slowed down even more and could NOT get away from some guy swimming on his back. He was NOT doing the backstroke........ OH NO, his arms were coming all the way up over his head at the same time in a circular motion........then all the way back down again by his sides in a circular motion.........and REPEAT! I tried to swim away from him and the current brought me right back to him.......he hit me about 10 times. GOOD GOD GET ME OUT OF HERE and who signed me up for this?! ;)
Finally, I made it around the corner towards the home stretch.......this was one of the WORST experiences I've ever had......I would have choosen natural child birth again over the way I felt at this point. I threw up again.......taking in more salt water.....this time I thought I'd try a little something different.....I flipped over on my back (I've NEVER done this) and started to backstroke........nope that didn't help. It actually made me feel worse. I just sucked it up and kept asking God to bring me back to the land as quickly as possible. I can do this! YES, I finally made it and I'm sure I was as white as a ghost trying to get up the beach towards the wet suit strippers.
I get motion sickness from swinging on a swing. I'm not sure why I dismissed the idea that I might get sea sick while swimming in the rough ocean waters for my IRONMAN.....kind of important thing to consider! Every time I go scuba diving I vomit on the boat on the way out to the dive spot. But, when I'm actually underwater and diving I feel fantastic. We were not UNDER the water........we were ON TOP of the water with wetsuits......even more buoyant. So, IF I ever do an ocean swim again.......I'm thinking medication beforehand might be a good option for me. Just maybe.
Wetsuit strippers rock.......and off I go to transition 1. Ok......now I'm freezing again AND I have such bad chafing from my wetsuit around my neck, behind my neck and under my armpits that it feels like my skin is on fire. Salt water and chafing...... Good times! Once I got into the changing tent (craziness by the way).......I was REALLY wishing I had a change of clothes.......did I mention how cold I was? I spent almost 13 minutes in T1. Seriously!? I put on dry socks, arm warmers, long sleeved jersey over my trip top, 2 pair of gloves, and my headband to keep my ears warm. 112 miles.....let's do this! Oh yeah, I threw up one more time in T1 before I got on my bike.
BIKE - 112 miles (5:35:31):
Got to the mounting line and no one was on their bike. People were walking their bikes through the chute. I got on my bike right at the line and then had to worry about everyone in front of me stopping up ahead to get on their bike. Alright, whatever! Right away I took in some PureSport to try to get some fluids back in my system. I was hoping to shake the nauseous feeling so I drank quite a bit early on and had a clif bar within the first 30 minutes on the bike. Even though I had a long swim and really long transition I was hoping to get the swim and bike in within 7 hours and then hopefully pull off a 4 hour (or better) marathon. That was the goal! I'm always strong on the bike and it's my favorite leg so I felt confident I could do it!
Ummm I'm noticing that the queasy nauseous feeling was NOT going away. Ok let's just work through this....one mile at a time?!! This is not supposed to be easy. It's an IRONMAN! I don't really remember the first 30-40 miles or so.......I was so focused on trying not to vomit that it is a blur. I do remember when my chin strap broke at mile 30 though. I have no idea what happened but I leaned over to take a sip from my aerodrink and my chin strap came loose. I tried to thread it back in while I was riding and then the clip fell off so I could no longer snap it back in place. So.........I rode the rest of the 82 miles without a securely strapped helmet. I was just a tad bit more frustrated at this point.
I remember it being windy but not too unbearable. We've had some really windy training rides so I was ready for it. Around mile 50 I really felt like I needed to stop and take a potty break. Every time I saw the porta potty lines they were too long so I just held it until about mile 65. Every time I ate something (especially my gels) it made me want to throw up. I was really hungry and probably still dehydrated from the lovely ocean swim I had just experienced.
I ended up chatting with some guy named Cole off and on from mile 50ish til about 80 or so. We started up a conversation b/c he came up beside me and said, "When you are tapped out from holding that pace line let me know." I looked over my shoulder and had a pace line of about 6 guys behind me. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! I had to vomit, pee, and by that time my stomach was growling..... I was not in the mood to pull a bunch of guys in my Ironman race, sorry!
I was starting to get warm so I took off my arm warmers and both sets of gloves. I took them off on the bike and that wasn't the smartest move......definitely should've just stopped to do it. I was really trying to make up time where I could though. There was one part of the course that was really windy....luckily it was only about 8 miles or so. It was pretty brutal though. Overall I ended up with a decent bike split.......not sure how, but I did it! I think I was just shy of holding 21 mph. I was so happy to be off the bike and normally I feel like I can ride all day!
RUN - 26.2 miles (4:33:07):
The best part of coming into T2 at Ironman races is that the volunteers take your bike and rack it for you.....it's like your own little valet service for your bike! You get changed in the changing tent and go on your way. I finally found my bike to run bag (no help here from volunteers) and tried to make up some time since T1 took me forever. I knew I had to take a potty break before getting on the run so I did a quick porta potty stop (had to wait for just a second for one to open up) and then I was off to run my 3rd marathon.
The energy and excitement from everyone just getting on the run rocks!! It was so much fun to have so much support on the run course early on and see so many people I knew. I felt pretty good getting going. My legs didn't feel like I just rode 112 miles so I was super pumped about that. I did notice my toes were asleep......especially on my left foot. I was wiggling my toes as often as possible. At mile 6 I could already start to feel blisters forming on my toes. After the race I took off my socks and realized my baby toes both had one ginormous blister that wrapped around the entire toe. I wore the same brand and type of shoes I did last year and in all my long runs and I never got blisters. The left over salt water and wet & cold feet on the bike did not help the cause here. My goal was to just try to stay positive and keep a nice steady run pace. Other than the blisters I felt pretty good the first 11 or so miles of the run.
I ran with Jean from NY for a little while. She had done IMFL before and qualified for Kona there a few years ago, but she was having a tough day as well. Not that you want others to have a rough day, but it can be comforting to have other people around you that are feeling the same pain and you can help talk each other through it. Saturday was just not her day. She told me a few stories about her Kona experience and I was really inspired by her.
As we were running together a guy ran by that had been "hit" big time during the run. He had diarrhea all the way down his legs. Poor guy. Well, Jean and I were downwind and it was awful. The guy in front of us was gagging and making me want to gag.......he stopped a couple times to bend over and was dry heaving.... I was really close to throwing up again through this little episode. That was good times!
At mile 11ish I started to get that nauseous feeling back. I knew if I could get back into town which would put me at mile 13......I would feed off the energy from the crowd and that would help take me to at least mile 16 (that was the plan anyway)! I definitely got some great energy from the crowd going to the turnaround point. I saw my family, kissed and hugged Ireland, kissed my mom and couldn't stop smiling at River b/c he was so excited to see me. He was jumping up and down with his sign running alongside the road to stay with me. I saw my brother who started running and asking me how I was feeling, how it was going. It was so great to see him since he came in from Europe and I hadn't seen him in 9 months. His wife was taking pictures and I was really feelin' the love! I felt blessed to be there and was ready to finish up the last half of the marathon.
I don't think I made it to mile 16 without stopping like I was hoping for....... I remember wanting to cry at mile 15.......not because I was loving the moment and really enjoying the IM journey like last year, but b/c I knew I still had 11.2 miles to go and I wasn't feeling good at all. The weird thing is my legs felt great (other than some tightness) and I didn't have any other muscular issues until mile 18. I just didn't feel "strong" and really was feeling queasy again..... I now know that I didn't not fuel my body on the bike or the run like I should have and that's mostly b/c I felt sick for a lot of bike and shortly after getting on the run. I didn't take any electorlyte tabs and definitely did not take in enough calories or fluid on the bike. Starting off dehydrated on the bike and loosing calories from the swim and throughout the 5 1/2 hour bike ride really caught up to me on the marathon. I grabbed coke at the next couple of aid stations and it definitely helped settle my stomach and keep everything at bay for the time being.
I got to see Dave, Lilly, Lindsay, Dionn, Vegas, Charles, Jerry, Katie, and a couple of Texas Iron people on the run course and it was awesome to cheer each other on! I was sooo proud to see Lilly and Lindsay looking so good with smiles on their faces b/c it was their first Ironman! I could tell they were loving it! My friend Nelia was killing the course and looked strong every time I saw her. It was her first IM as well. I saw a blind man running the course with his assistant and a man running with a prosthetic leg.......talk about inspiring. Ironman brings together so many amazing people and we all come together from all around the world with a positive outlook and a supportive & kind attitude that it's quite amazing to see and be around! It is an incredible experience that I'm finding can be addictive! Ok, enough sappiness back to my not-so-fantastic marathon performance....
Sally from LifeTime was on the run course right in the middle of the neighborhood we had to run through.....(which was booorinnngg)......so it helped to break things up and I looked forward to seeing her out there. I was all smiles and happy to smile for the camera the first loop. Then, I saw her again on the 2nd loop (mile 16ish) and she said, "Go Lindsey!" I just looked at her and said, "This sucks!" ;) YES, those words came out of MY mouth. I was hurtin' and not having the time of my life here!! Pretty sure my mindset for this race was set very early on and it was hard for me to shake it since I was trying to combat not feeling well throughout the race. I was in my "dark spot" here and having a hard time "living in moment" b/c I was doing quite a bit of self-doubt and questioning why I allowed myself to get to such a negative state of mind. I knew I'd get to the finish line.......I knew I'd be happy to be there.......I knew I'd be proud, but oh did I want to feel good out there and tear up the course. I guess that's why we do what we do and keep coming back for more......it's the thrill of the ride and the fear of the unknown!
Ok almost there and by this time my goal of sub 11 was looong gone. Now I'm going for sub 12 (more importantly I had to beat my time from last year). I only stopped to walk once last year at Ironman Arizona and that was at mile 22. I can't tell you how many times I stopped to walk this year. Over the last 2 years I've had a bit of a chronic glute injury and it started to flare up at mile 18. Every time I took a step whether I was walking or running I could feel it. I also started to feel a tingling sensation in my hands and arms.......it was almost like they were going numb. I was shaking them and making fists with my hands and fingers to keep them "awake."
I met Joni from Austin early on in the run. She had a really bad swim as well and we chatted for a while...........she and I passed each other back and forth on the run. She caught up to me at mile 19 as I was walking. I was eating pretzels and drinking coke. She said, "How you doing Lindsey?" I said, "Not good, not good at all." She said, "How about we run to mile 22 and then if you need to walk we can." I told her my goal and she said well we can do that even if we walk for a mile. We ran together and found out we have some mutual friends in common. I started to feel my stomach in knots and I told her I needed to back off a little and she said "save your breath" let's just keep running. I could tell she was an experienced Ironman. She was just what I needed......not a cheerleader but someone calm and supportive at the same time. Wow, she was so cool! She was one of my angels that day. From that point on I just kept running. I have several mantras that I use when I race, but unfortunately didn't use them as much as I should have (or much at all) on Saturday. One I did pick up that day and used all day was "Just keep moving forward."
I did not stop running from mile 19 to the finish line.....in fact I really started to pick up my pace. I was looking for our condo b/c I knew it was only a mile from the finish line and we ran right by it on the course. Once I saw the condo I kicked it into high gear. Lilly's hubby, Blake, saw me coming in towards the finish line and ran along with me taking me to the finisher's chute. He actually asked me to slow down. Ha! I told him that I had a really rough day and that I never doing another 140.6 race. Oh....right....I think I said that last year too. :) Heading to the finish line I only had 3 minutes to beat my time from last year's Ironman. I did it and was happy to meet that goal even though it wasn't on the original race agenda for me that day!
My cousin lost his battle to cancer a couple of years ago and I always keep him in my thoughts while I race. He was so strong and never complained about what he was going through and really was such a courageous man. I carry him (and his 2 little boys) with me when I race and it's almost like he's watching over me and helps keep me going. I know that not everyone can do what I do (nor do they want to for that matter......ha), but I have been given an amazing gift to be able to do this.....I have such a strong mind and body and choose to challenge them both to the max. I did just that on Saturday, November 6th! It was one of the hardest things I have done emotionally, physically, and mentally. I feel stronger for pushing through every little obstacle I came across and know that things happen for a reason. I got so much out of this race I can't even put it all into words. I learned a lot about myself on Saturday. I cherish the memories I created out there for myself and my family. I know my children absolutely loved the trip and their faces on the race course were absolutely priceless. I will never forget those sweet faces as I saw them on the course and as I came running through the finisher's chute and across the finish line. Ironman Florida (11:47:22), check!
THANKFUL FOR:
• My sweet hubby for supporting me through this journey and putting up with my crazy schedule and always telling me to do what makes me happy
• My awesome parents for traveling to Florida with me to watch the kiddos while I raced!
• Taylor and Nancy for flying in from Amsterdam to be there for me.....such an awesome supportive brother and sister 'n law
• Paige for listening to all the highs and lows of my season and being a supportive and encouraging sister
• Members at LifeTime who have become some of my closest friends. I can't imagine not having the support and love everyone from LT has given me
• Marie for awesome care package. I get to return the favor this year as she will be doing her first IM in just 2 short weeks!
• Chris and Kathy for helping me organize, promote, and execute my fundraiser at Iron Cactus
• David, Mallory, and Matt for being amazing training partners and so much fun to be around!
• Jodis, Kim F., and Kim W. for helping at the fundraiser as well
• Jack Murray and staff with Jack & Adam’s – best bike shop in town
• All the thoughtful, inspiring, and kind words I received before and after the race…..very powerful to me!
• For the ability to do what I am passionate about
• Coach Craig and Coach Hayley for helping me become a stronger / faster swimmer
• Coach Nick for helping me run faster and more efficient and for moral support!
• lululemon athletica 6th & Lamar for supporting and encouraging me and providing the best workout clothes ever!
• Dr. Todd and Laura Whipple for helping me rehab my shoulder, ankle, and keeping me healthy throughout the season!
• Post-race pizza!
• No sunburn!
• Nancy Hill for my awesome post-race massage…..ahhhh!
• Star Gymnastics, Steven Liggett, & Iron Cactus for sponsoring me for the year 2010!
• Friends and family......you are so important to me and I appreciate your love and support during this incredible journey!
Ironman Florida arrival, Nov. 2010
Ironman Florida, Nov. 6th 2010
Wednesday, Nov. 3rd
Panama City Beach arrival!
We arrived in Florida on Wednesday, Nov. 3rd. I took the kiddos out of school for 3 days. Tony stayed at home to hold down the fort, work and play gigs over the weekend. It was raining as soon as we walked out of the airport. We didn't care though b/c we were in Florida and it was going to be the first time for the kiddos to see the beach and ocean! They have been skiing and been to the mountains a couple of times, but this would be their first time to build sand castles on a real beach! They were so excited to be with mommy and were looking forward to seeing my parents, brother and SIL who were arriving the next day.
As soon as we pulled into Panama City Beach I went straight to the Athlete's village to get my registration packet with race number, chip, swim cap, etc. It was perfect timing b/c there was no line. No waiting in line with 2 ready-to-go kids is a good thing. I walked right up and grabbed all my goodies. The kids were having fun splashing in puddles and dancing in the rain. We went to the Ironman store and River picked out his bright yellow Ironman shirt right away! After shopping we decided to go to the condo and unpack. The condo was absolutely gorgeous with a beautiful view! 1400 sq. feet and very open and spacious! It was a 3 bdm condo with a bunk bed area and an amazing wrap around balcony. I was happy to find such a great condo and just under a mile from the finishing line / transition area. We headed to good ole' Wal-Mart to do our grocery shopping for the week. The kids wanted everything they saw (they were starving)! We left the house at 5:15 a.m. and didn't get to eat until 2:30 p.m. so I can understand why they wanted to fill the cart with anything and everything. :)
I stopped by the Tri Team Transport tent to pick up my bike bag. Thank goodness for Natasha and TTT. The other bike transportation service had everyones' bikes and bags out in the rain getting soaked. My bike and gear bag were taken care of and dry!
Even though it was rainy, cold and windy I took the kids down to the beach. They were screaming and running back and forth through the water. They kept asking when it was going to be sunny. We played for a little while then headed back to the condo to relax, watch movies, and I got some of my race gear organized.
Thursday, Nov. 4th
Relaxation and practice day!
Waking up to another wet, rainy and windy day was actually kind of relaxing. Texas Iron had scheduled a swim practice at 9 a.m. , but it was thundering and lightening with strong winds all morning so it was called off. The kids and I hung out on the balcony and listened to the rolling thunder on the beach. I prayed for calmer seas and no rain on race day! The kiddos wanted to go out to breakfast so we found a waffle house (a first for all of us)! We drove along the coast and found a putt putt golf (that was closed), but we went in and played anyway. Yes, we were trespassing! Ireland asked several times over the weekend to go back. I told her what trespassing meant and she decided she didn't want mommy to go to jail. It finally cleared up around 1 p.m. so we went down to the beach and the kids swam in the ocean for the first time. Ireland asked why there was so much salt in her mouth. :) We met people from all over doing the race. I saw a couple of friends from Austin and was getting excited for race day.
My parents arrived and the kiddos were thrilled to see GiGi and JJ in Florida! Once they got settled in I was able to go for a 4 mile run. It was a great evening for a run. Clear and cool and I felt very relaxed and calm. We got ready to go out to eat and found a fun pizza restaurant called Mellow Mushroom. River complained that his throat was hurting him and he didn't feel well. We got our food to go and my parents took the kids to the condo. I went to the Athlete's meeting where I met up with Matt and Dave. I got a text from my mom during the meeting that River was throwing up A LOT.....projectile vomiting. :( Great. I was hoping it was just a little bug or something he ate and I wouldn't end up sick.
When I got back to the condo from the meeting the kiddos were just going to bed. River felt better so I was very relieved. He threw up one more time in the middle of the night and that was the end of that. Phewww! Ireland slept with me in the king size bed and I think I had a few inches of room to sleep on the edge of the bed. She slept right up against me taking up most of the bed with her arms and legs stretched out as much as possible. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep. I was worried about River getting sick too so it was a long night.
Friday, Nov. 5th
Practice day and big time butterflies begin NOW!
Almost race day!! Wohooo!! It was still chilly and very windy, but sunny! I went to the Texas Iron swim practice and at 9 a.m. and got some awesome tips from Jaime about how to get through the breakers when running into the water off the beach. We practiced dolphin diving through the waves and I took in tons of water. The waters were very rough and it was a workout just trying to get through the breakers. My heart rate was sky high. It was a little frustrating and I wasn't sure how I was going to manage getting through the swim with 2800 other athletes around me. I just focused on what I was doing and really tried to stay positive about getting out to the smoother part of the ocean. Jamie also told us where we should position ourselves as we start swimming and where to be once you get around the buoys. We practiced body surfing to get back to the shore quicker. That was the best part!
I found out my brother and his wife wouldn't get in until Saturday morning so I was a little bummed. But, glad they'd be there for most of the race. We relaxed and chilled out at the beach and pool the rest of the day. I stayed in with the kids while my parents went out for dinner. I was pretty tired and didn't feel like getting out again with the kids....it was windy and cold again. I found out that there was talk of cancelling the swim if the weather continued to be the same as it was on Thursday and Friday. I hoped that it would be smooth as glass for race day. I got my special needs bags ready to go for the next day.......putting extra tubes, CO2 cartridges, food, socks, band-aids, snickers bars, etc. in them just in case I needed to stop in the middle of my run / ride. I finally went to bed about 10 p.m. I slept pretty good, but woke up a couple times worried I would miss the alarm.
Wednesday, Nov. 3rd
Panama City Beach arrival!
We arrived in Florida on Wednesday, Nov. 3rd. I took the kiddos out of school for 3 days. Tony stayed at home to hold down the fort, work and play gigs over the weekend. It was raining as soon as we walked out of the airport. We didn't care though b/c we were in Florida and it was going to be the first time for the kiddos to see the beach and ocean! They have been skiing and been to the mountains a couple of times, but this would be their first time to build sand castles on a real beach! They were so excited to be with mommy and were looking forward to seeing my parents, brother and SIL who were arriving the next day.
As soon as we pulled into Panama City Beach I went straight to the Athlete's village to get my registration packet with race number, chip, swim cap, etc. It was perfect timing b/c there was no line. No waiting in line with 2 ready-to-go kids is a good thing. I walked right up and grabbed all my goodies. The kids were having fun splashing in puddles and dancing in the rain. We went to the Ironman store and River picked out his bright yellow Ironman shirt right away! After shopping we decided to go to the condo and unpack. The condo was absolutely gorgeous with a beautiful view! 1400 sq. feet and very open and spacious! It was a 3 bdm condo with a bunk bed area and an amazing wrap around balcony. I was happy to find such a great condo and just under a mile from the finishing line / transition area. We headed to good ole' Wal-Mart to do our grocery shopping for the week. The kids wanted everything they saw (they were starving)! We left the house at 5:15 a.m. and didn't get to eat until 2:30 p.m. so I can understand why they wanted to fill the cart with anything and everything. :)
I stopped by the Tri Team Transport tent to pick up my bike bag. Thank goodness for Natasha and TTT. The other bike transportation service had everyones' bikes and bags out in the rain getting soaked. My bike and gear bag were taken care of and dry!
Even though it was rainy, cold and windy I took the kids down to the beach. They were screaming and running back and forth through the water. They kept asking when it was going to be sunny. We played for a little while then headed back to the condo to relax, watch movies, and I got some of my race gear organized.
Thursday, Nov. 4th
Relaxation and practice day!
Waking up to another wet, rainy and windy day was actually kind of relaxing. Texas Iron had scheduled a swim practice at 9 a.m. , but it was thundering and lightening with strong winds all morning so it was called off. The kids and I hung out on the balcony and listened to the rolling thunder on the beach. I prayed for calmer seas and no rain on race day! The kiddos wanted to go out to breakfast so we found a waffle house (a first for all of us)! We drove along the coast and found a putt putt golf (that was closed), but we went in and played anyway. Yes, we were trespassing! Ireland asked several times over the weekend to go back. I told her what trespassing meant and she decided she didn't want mommy to go to jail. It finally cleared up around 1 p.m. so we went down to the beach and the kids swam in the ocean for the first time. Ireland asked why there was so much salt in her mouth. :) We met people from all over doing the race. I saw a couple of friends from Austin and was getting excited for race day.
My parents arrived and the kiddos were thrilled to see GiGi and JJ in Florida! Once they got settled in I was able to go for a 4 mile run. It was a great evening for a run. Clear and cool and I felt very relaxed and calm. We got ready to go out to eat and found a fun pizza restaurant called Mellow Mushroom. River complained that his throat was hurting him and he didn't feel well. We got our food to go and my parents took the kids to the condo. I went to the Athlete's meeting where I met up with Matt and Dave. I got a text from my mom during the meeting that River was throwing up A LOT.....projectile vomiting. :( Great. I was hoping it was just a little bug or something he ate and I wouldn't end up sick.
When I got back to the condo from the meeting the kiddos were just going to bed. River felt better so I was very relieved. He threw up one more time in the middle of the night and that was the end of that. Phewww! Ireland slept with me in the king size bed and I think I had a few inches of room to sleep on the edge of the bed. She slept right up against me taking up most of the bed with her arms and legs stretched out as much as possible. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep. I was worried about River getting sick too so it was a long night.
Friday, Nov. 5th
Practice day and big time butterflies begin NOW!
Almost race day!! Wohooo!! It was still chilly and very windy, but sunny! I went to the Texas Iron swim practice and at 9 a.m. and got some awesome tips from Jaime about how to get through the breakers when running into the water off the beach. We practiced dolphin diving through the waves and I took in tons of water. The waters were very rough and it was a workout just trying to get through the breakers. My heart rate was sky high. It was a little frustrating and I wasn't sure how I was going to manage getting through the swim with 2800 other athletes around me. I just focused on what I was doing and really tried to stay positive about getting out to the smoother part of the ocean. Jamie also told us where we should position ourselves as we start swimming and where to be once you get around the buoys. We practiced body surfing to get back to the shore quicker. That was the best part!
It was a 2 loop swim course which meant we swam 1.2 miles got out to run the beach and then back in again to do it all over again. Jamie ran us on the beach and told us the best spot to be when running and entering the water again for round 2. We practiced a couple times and got in about an hour's worth of practice. I am soooo thankful for Jamie and Andrea b/c I would have been a mess without that swim practice. My family was on the beach watching us and got to meet a lot of the other athletes and families from Austin and enjoyed the kids playing while we practiced. As the families watched on they said we were all crazy for doing what we do! We know!!! Swim practice done. Picture posing time and then time for a 60 minute ride on our bikes to make sure the bikes are good to go and our legs were feeling warmed up!
Our bike rides are always an adventure! It was a foursome.......me, Matt, Dave, and Lilly! Dave filmed us while riding and got some good pics, I'm sure! It was chilly as we rode and my fingers and toes never really warmed up so I knew I would need to get some extra gloves and wear extra clothing in the race. Easy fun ride and now it was time to eat some good food!
After practice I met my parents and kiddos at Pineapple Willy's on the beach. We had a great lunch and enjoyed the sun on the patio. My mom told me after we got out of swim practice there was a shark sighting right where were swimming. Ummmm......scary! The kiddos and my parents walked the beach back to the condo and I rode my bike back. I had to get my bike and run gear bags ready to take to transition drop off. Oh my gosh.......it's almost GO time!!! Bike racked and bags dropped off. The butterflies really start to happen now.
I found out my brother and his wife wouldn't get in until Saturday morning so I was a little bummed. But, glad they'd be there for most of the race. We relaxed and chilled out at the beach and pool the rest of the day. I stayed in with the kids while my parents went out for dinner. I was pretty tired and didn't feel like getting out again with the kids....it was windy and cold again. I found out that there was talk of cancelling the swim if the weather continued to be the same as it was on Thursday and Friday. I hoped that it would be smooth as glass for race day. I got my special needs bags ready to go for the next day.......putting extra tubes, CO2 cartridges, food, socks, band-aids, snickers bars, etc. in them just in case I needed to stop in the middle of my run / ride. I finally went to bed about 10 p.m. I slept pretty good, but woke up a couple times worried I would miss the alarm.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Almost there.....appreciating the moment!
I am embarassingly emotional today! Anytime someone hugs, gives me a card, sends me a text with well wishes I almost cry or do so when no one is looking! I cried on my way home from the gym after the energy and excitement I received from my classes and after reading a card from a friend. The Ironman journey is like no other and this is my 2nd time go at it and I'm not even at the starting line!
I had a great day today working from home on LBri and packing for our trip. I had a deep tissue massage and then met a dear friend at Starbucks. Later I picked up the kiddos and we went to the track to play and run. Ireland ran a 1/4 of a mile and Riv ran a mile. We had somuch fun and I really love watching my children run.
I finished the day with an awesome cycle and core class! I did an easy swim then relaxed and sat in the sauna for a bit. Came home and hung out with Tony since the kiddos were already in bed. It was a good day!
I had a great day today working from home on LBri and packing for our trip. I had a deep tissue massage and then met a dear friend at Starbucks. Later I picked up the kiddos and we went to the track to play and run. Ireland ran a 1/4 of a mile and Riv ran a mile. We had somuch fun and I really love watching my children run.
I finished the day with an awesome cycle and core class! I did an easy swim then relaxed and sat in the sauna for a bit. Came home and hung out with Tony since the kiddos were already in bed. It was a good day!
Ironman Florida in 5 freaking days!!!
So, I can't sleep! I should be sleeping and getting as much rest as possible 5 days out, but my little love (Ireland) had too much candy and water before bed tonight.....and woke me up at midnight b/c she wet the bed (celebrating Halloween on a school night is kind of a drag)...... Now, I can't fall back asleep and it's 2 a.m. So here I am blogging. I waited until 5 days before IM to blog when I should've been blogging throughout my entire 2nd Ironman journey.......but life happens!!
I feel incredibly strong, rested, and injury free! I feel much better than I did last year going into my first Ironman. Last year, I overtrained (I know I know to those that kept telling me that last year). I started out overtraining again this year and had to back off b/c of overuse injuries and stupid mistakes while training / working out. First dumb mistake was flipping over my handlebars and separating my shoulder in April and then a month later..........rolled my ankle like I'v never done before while teaching a class. After those big boo boos I listened to my body and took out a lot of "extra" training sessions / races (splash and dash, time trials, etc.) out of my schedule. I also took those "junk" miles out of my weekly workouts. I consider "junk" miles those miles you get in just to get in.......just to do them for whatever reason. I don't need them and neither does my body!!
I am coming off a really good race season. More importantly, I just accomplished one of my biggest fitness goals to date! I got a spot for World Championships for 70.3 (half iroman distance) and hit my goal time of under 5 hours on Oct. 17 at Austin 70.3!!! It was a really great race for me. My affirmation for the day when I woke up was, "I am confident, I am strong, I am powerful! Today I race in memory of Erik Mason Rudy." I felt good in the water, very strong on the bike, and mostly solid on the run. I know I was a little dehydrated on the run as I had some tightness / cramping in the legs, but could push through it without having to back off too much. If there wouldn't have been any off roading on our run course I would have had an even better race (which I'm sure goes for most people), but that's what makes racing so challenging and fun! Sometimes you race in conditions, and terrain that's not always your best choice. I was definitely challenged on that Sunday and loved every second of it!
I feel incredibly strong, rested, and injury free! I feel much better than I did last year going into my first Ironman. Last year, I overtrained (I know I know to those that kept telling me that last year). I started out overtraining again this year and had to back off b/c of overuse injuries and stupid mistakes while training / working out. First dumb mistake was flipping over my handlebars and separating my shoulder in April and then a month later..........rolled my ankle like I'v never done before while teaching a class. After those big boo boos I listened to my body and took out a lot of "extra" training sessions / races (splash and dash, time trials, etc.) out of my schedule. I also took those "junk" miles out of my weekly workouts. I consider "junk" miles those miles you get in just to get in.......just to do them for whatever reason. I don't need them and neither does my body!!
I am coming off a really good race season. More importantly, I just accomplished one of my biggest fitness goals to date! I got a spot for World Championships for 70.3 (half iroman distance) and hit my goal time of under 5 hours on Oct. 17 at Austin 70.3!!! It was a really great race for me. My affirmation for the day when I woke up was, "I am confident, I am strong, I am powerful! Today I race in memory of Erik Mason Rudy." I felt good in the water, very strong on the bike, and mostly solid on the run. I know I was a little dehydrated on the run as I had some tightness / cramping in the legs, but could push through it without having to back off too much. If there wouldn't have been any off roading on our run course I would have had an even better race (which I'm sure goes for most people), but that's what makes racing so challenging and fun! Sometimes you race in conditions, and terrain that's not always your best choice. I was definitely challenged on that Sunday and loved every second of it!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Back to thinking about Racing
Ok it's time to put the racing mind set back into place!
I decided to start swimming with T3 this year to give me some more consistent time in the water. I've been to several practice and really love the structured swim time and getting outside to swim. If I am swimming at LifeTime we are still inside and it's nice to be outdoors even if it's a little on the chilly side b/c the pool at Lost Creek is heated and it's very refreshing. The pool closed for a couple weeks for pool resurfacing so back to the cold indoor pool I go for a bit!
UPCOMING RACES:
I have signed up for the Texas Tri series again and hope to do even better this year! I got 1st in my age group last year (30-34) and 3rd female overall. :) That was fun! I had planned on starting out the year with my half ironman in Galveston, but won't be doing that (that story to come in a little bit) and then follow up with The Rookie sprint (May 9th), Skeese Greets (May 16th) and then into the rest of the summer with the Texas tri series, bike time trials, and splash and dash series. I might also do a duathlon this year (it's been 2 years).....I did a small small duathlon and the Darndst Du (one of the hotest, hardest races ever) in 2007. I will probably get in at least one more sprint before Avia Olympic, Longhorn half and then the biggen.......Ironman Florida!!!
NO 70.3 in Galveston :(
So I had a little spill on the bike a couple weeks ago. I was completely distracted on a ride out to Buda one Friday afternoon heading back into town. With plenty of time and notice Dave told me to slow down and I freaked. I slammed on my brakes (yes front brake too) and it flung me UP and OVER the handlebars. Good times! I got all cleaned up and decided to get back on the bike and ride home (painful)! 2 days later I found out I had separated my shoulder.......the clavicle and scapula had been separated from each other. I didn't have any range of motion with my right arm for at least a good 6 days. I kept my right arm close to my body and tried to make the best of it. I still taught my cycle classes but had to sub out my FIT classes for 2 weeks (thanks Lateef)! Hopefully I'll be back next week teaching (with light weights). Dr. Todd and Laura Whipple are doing the physical therapy and I am feeling much better 2 weeks out now. I hope to be back within a couple weeks. I hopped on the bike today and did a very light ride and light run with a couple of the skeese greets team and it felt ok. I know I can't swim and think that will be at least 2 weeks before I get in the water again. It's been hard but I know this is sooooo good for my body. I needed this time off and feel like I will come back stronger. Good news is that I haven't had my glute issue (until today)! It was good while it lasted. :)
EASTER SUNDAY TOMORROW!
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday! Kids are excited about the Easter bunny. I hope to get in a nice ride tomorrow and longer run! We will see how the shoulder is feeling. I did some light weights for rehab on Friday and can feel it on my shoulder now. It's tender and sore, but know that it's right where it should be!
I decided to start swimming with T3 this year to give me some more consistent time in the water. I've been to several practice and really love the structured swim time and getting outside to swim. If I am swimming at LifeTime we are still inside and it's nice to be outdoors even if it's a little on the chilly side b/c the pool at Lost Creek is heated and it's very refreshing. The pool closed for a couple weeks for pool resurfacing so back to the cold indoor pool I go for a bit!
UPCOMING RACES:
I have signed up for the Texas Tri series again and hope to do even better this year! I got 1st in my age group last year (30-34) and 3rd female overall. :) That was fun! I had planned on starting out the year with my half ironman in Galveston, but won't be doing that (that story to come in a little bit) and then follow up with The Rookie sprint (May 9th), Skeese Greets (May 16th) and then into the rest of the summer with the Texas tri series, bike time trials, and splash and dash series. I might also do a duathlon this year (it's been 2 years).....I did a small small duathlon and the Darndst Du (one of the hotest, hardest races ever) in 2007. I will probably get in at least one more sprint before Avia Olympic, Longhorn half and then the biggen.......Ironman Florida!!!
NO 70.3 in Galveston :(
So I had a little spill on the bike a couple weeks ago. I was completely distracted on a ride out to Buda one Friday afternoon heading back into town. With plenty of time and notice Dave told me to slow down and I freaked. I slammed on my brakes (yes front brake too) and it flung me UP and OVER the handlebars. Good times! I got all cleaned up and decided to get back on the bike and ride home (painful)! 2 days later I found out I had separated my shoulder.......the clavicle and scapula had been separated from each other. I didn't have any range of motion with my right arm for at least a good 6 days. I kept my right arm close to my body and tried to make the best of it. I still taught my cycle classes but had to sub out my FIT classes for 2 weeks (thanks Lateef)! Hopefully I'll be back next week teaching (with light weights). Dr. Todd and Laura Whipple are doing the physical therapy and I am feeling much better 2 weeks out now. I hope to be back within a couple weeks. I hopped on the bike today and did a very light ride and light run with a couple of the skeese greets team and it felt ok. I know I can't swim and think that will be at least 2 weeks before I get in the water again. It's been hard but I know this is sooooo good for my body. I needed this time off and feel like I will come back stronger. Good news is that I haven't had my glute issue (until today)! It was good while it lasted. :)
EASTER SUNDAY TOMORROW!
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday! Kids are excited about the Easter bunny. I hope to get in a nice ride tomorrow and longer run! We will see how the shoulder is feeling. I did some light weights for rehab on Friday and can feel it on my shoulder now. It's tender and sore, but know that it's right where it should be!
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