The Aftermath

I know that I owe a whole lotta race report. I finally got caught up on everyone else's blogs, but I think I need go get home and finish the 10 loads of laundry I started yesterday so I can still have early lights out. So... I thought I'd throw up a quick post about my battle wounds. Steve has pics, and I'll get them up sometime soon, but I've been showing them to people for the last two days. Somehow I think they make me look cool, so I've been acting like a proud 5 year old.

Bruises:
right hip
inside of left knee
top of left knee
palm of left hand
right elbow

Scabs:
inside of right ankle
sports bra mark at the top of my abdomen/bottom of my chest
right elbow (that one's a beaut!)
back of neck (my wetsuit has never rubbed there before)

Sunburn:
patchy areas all over my body - guess I should have spent more time in T1 with the sunscreeners!

General Soreness:
all over, but not too bad - all of the above actually hurt worse

Yes, I am an Ironman, and I've got the scars to prove it! More on how I got 'em to come :)

Ironman Times Two!

Just a quick post to say that I finished IM MOO #2 this evening. My time wasn't stellar compared to last year, but boy to I have stories to tell! More after I've slept a little.

Race Day Tomorrow!

Yikes! Well, I guess it's go time. Off to bed soon. It will be an early morning alarm clock. I am SO excited to be toeing the line with my best friend tomorrow. It's been a whole year since we decided to sign up together, and I couldn't be prouder of him.

Hopefully by this time tomorrow night, Steve will have finished and I'll be coming in soon. A reminder - Steve is number 386, and I'm 2023. You can track us on Ironman Live here.

Good luck to all the other athletes tomorrow!

Ironman Powers Unite!

This just in from Steve. I was too busy writing a nasty letter to Specialized since they decided not to cover my brother's bike under warrenty.

This is Phamie and I along with a bunch of our blogger buddies after getting checked-in at Ironman! Everyone rubbed my smooth body for good luck – I wasn’t ready for that! We now have our official IM bracelets on that give us all access.

We got to our hotel, unloaded our bikes, walked to the Terrace (IM headquarters) to get registered, grabbed a quick bite, met up with bloggers, hit the free pasta meal, and sat through the meeting of all of the rules.

Afterward, Pharmie and I found our spots in transition. She’s 2023, and I’m 386:

Tomorrow, we’re going for a final test swim in Lake Monona, load our bikes and gear bags in transition, and meet up with some family and friends.

Distractions

Am I excited for Ironman? Yes. Am I nervous for Ironman? Of course. It's the way I feel the week of any big race, so I'm doing what I do before every one- I'm ignoring it. I'm choosing to do or think things that keep me from wasting all of my energy on nervous excitement. I'll let myself get excited when we roll into Madison Friday morning. In the meantime, I'm having no trouble focusing my attention elsewhere, especially after Monday night. Apparently they don't call it LABOR Day because it's fun. It started with an early alarm clock and then off to work - day 8 of 11 in a row. It was a whole lotta craziness, and 11 hours later, I was more than happy to be leaving for home. I had hoped to get in one last medium bike ride as per my plan, but it gets so dark so soon now. I guess I'll have to trust my training and know that that last 45 miles isn't going to make that big of a difference on Sunday.

When I got home, I found that my mom, God bless her, had sent back two grocery bags of fruits and veggies. I started in on making some zucchini bread only to get a phone call. "Hey, can you come pick us up? We got into a pile up and our bikes are out of commission." It was my brother Matt. A couple of detours in the ghetto and two phone calls later, we finally found each other in the dark. Matt's bike was a mess. His carbon rear fork had broken into 3 pieces on one side, his tire was missing several spokes, and that's just to start with. He had swerved to miss a toddler on training wheels who had torn out in front of him. The kid wasn't wearing a helmet, so 2 220 pound guys cruising at 20MPH very well could have killed him. Thankfully, Matt and Logan were OK aside from a little road rash.

On the drive home, I joked that my car was making some funny noises and that it was about to die. Matt agreed to look at it when we got home. My car had other ideas. Waiting at a stoplight, we heard a THWUNK, and then the funny noises stopped - not a good sign. We guessed it was the serpentine belt, and the immediate rise in engine temp confirmed it. We made it to a side street before ruining the whole motor, but we weren't getting home. All we could do was laugh sitting there on the curb at 9 PM on a holiday. Matt and Logan vowed to never forget their IDs again since there was a bar 4 blocks away and they couldn't gain admittance.

Long story short: more phone calls, Steve came with backup car #2, Logan called AAA, car got towed to our house (Matt put in a new water pump last night), Matt's bike is in the shop (nobody there had ever seen this happen before. They're evaluating whether they'll replace the whole frame for free), Logan's bike is heading to the shop this weekend. Oh, and our washing machine died last night.

Taper Nutrition

More on Ironman in a day or so. Just finished work and gotta get home to get in a short ride. Steve and I went to the Minnesota State Fair this week and indulged. Not as much as we could have, but we indulged. Final count: Itialian fried zapollis (sp?) with canolli cream inside, a huge piece of turkey jerkey, a strawberry malt, breadsticks with cheese and sauce, a pronto pup (that was all Steve, I couldn't eat one of those things), oh and the COTTON CANDY.

Hey, we could have gotten much crazier. It ended up being just over $20 for our night of junk food...enough to last us another year.

Message That Made Me Smile Yesterday

Um, hi. this is Matt from your local bike shop, and, well, I think your bike's rear wheel needs its bearings replaced. It's probably gonna cost another $25. Just give us a call and let us know if it's OK to go ahead. (pause) Looks like this bike's got a LOT of miles on it.

Yes, yes it does.

The Ride That Did Not Break Me

Let me first start this post with a disclaimer. I take good care of my bike, I really do (well, often with Steve’s help). I wash her and lube her and take her in for her maintenance when it comes do. I figured that it would be coming do really soon; might as well get in one more long ride before taking her back to the LBS. She was fine when we left the house on Sunday. She was coming due for a new chain but that was about it. Please keep this in mind.

I woke up at 8:30 on Sunday and my friend Jess’s fabulous cabin. I had only spent 36 hours there, but it was exactly enough time to do some much needed catching up with my amazing undergrad friends. I even managed to get in a 5.5 mile run and a 75 minute swim in on Saturday. Steve and I left the cabin early so we could get in our last bike ride. I was hoping for 112 miles. We were home around 11 AM – plenty of time to get my bike ready and prepare all of my nutrition. I guess there’s something to be said about that “too many cooks in the kitchen” saying. Seconds after warning Steve to steer clear of my uncapped bottle of Carbo Pro, I managed to knock his bottle onto the floor, the cupboards, and myself. Thank God it wasn’t my bottle. I had 16 scoops of carbo pro in mine (over 1700 calories), his only contained 6 scoops. Either way, it ended up being a super sticky mess and took us a good 10-15 minutes to clean up our splattered kitchen, not exactly in my pre-ride planned time allotment.

If I had been preparing for last year’s Ironman, the conditions would have been perfect. It was mid-50s and misting when Steve and I left the house. This time around, though, I was a little better dressed!. We rode together for a couple of miles before wishing each other luck.

The first 20 miles or so were pretty uneventful. It misted and sprinkled off and on, and even though it was a little chilly, I didn’t even need my windbreaker. Then it started raining. It never quite poured, but it came as close as it possibly could. It rained for two or three hours before reverting back to a sprinkle. Honestly, I sort of lost track by that point. My feet were soaked as was the rest of me. Everything was covered in mud and sand, and I made it my goal of the day not to eat too much of it. I probably lost more fluids in spit than in sweat over the course of my ride. I was pretty miserable for a while out there and thought of so many reasons why I should turn around and go home, but I persevered. I rode The Big Nasty 4 times, squeezing my brakes with everything I had each time, afraid of what would happen if I slipped on the wet roads going more than 30 miles per hour. My bike squeaked and creaked with every shift. The chain lube had long washed off and had replaced by sheer grit. By the end of the ride, it took some crafty work to get it to shift at all. Around mile 60, one of my aerobar rests died. They are spring loaded so I can lean down on them or put my hands under them when I’m not in aero, but one of the thousands of bumps in the county road must’ve been the last straw. It ended up in the down position, floppy and lifeless, but it still worked so I pressed on. Around mile 80, I realized that there was no way I would fit in a full 112. My average MPH was actually higher than last week’s, even with the wind, the rain, and 4 trips up Big Nasty. I had a near miss with an overzealous car turning left earlier in the week, though, and didn’t want to take another gamble. I decided to go for 107. By the time I hit 2 miles from home, there wasn’t a glimmer of daylight left. On the last 1/2 mile pedaling toward my house, I knew something didn’t feel right. Sure enough. I was halfway to a flat rear tire by the time I reached my front steps.

106.5 miles of hills.
One very squeaky bike that refuses to shift on command.
A flat, floppy arm rest for my aerobars.
Over 8 hours of rain.
A heck of a cold day.
A flat on my Gatorskins (that's only happened one other time in 3 years).

Despite all of it, my attitude for the day was actually pretty good! I took my bike to the LBS yesterday, absolutely embarrassed for anyone to see her in this condition. I know they’ll take good care of her, though. Turns out that in addition to the aerobar, the tire, the overdue chain, and the general servicing due, my rear hub has also come loose. She’ll be there for 4 days :( I just hope she comes out of it OK and that we can still be friends. I’ll need her help again in under 3 weeks!

How Do You Get Over a Bad Swim?

You go for an amazingly fast bike ride! Steve and I tried out a local outdoor 50M pool a couple of days ago. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was imagining the sun on my back, a crystal clear pool, cool calm water, and no ladies on noodles. Bear with me people. I'm used to the indoor Y, and my last outdoor pool experience was at a posh hotel's adult only pool in Florida. Reality check: the locker room smelled a lot like pee, the pool was full of leaves, huge pool monkeys, and other random chunks, there was still a water aerobics class taking up half the pool, and the water was really choppy. I'm not sure if the choppiness was coming from the wind, the aerobics class, the other swimmers, or a combo of all 3, but I felt like I was going to drown for most of my swim (side note - I'm used to choppy water. I just wasn't expecting it in a pool). It was one of the worst swims I've ever had. It was a good mental toughener, though, which is exactly why I'll be going back next week.

Right after the swim, I went on a beautifully flat ride with my brother Matt. Those pedaling legs I wasn't gifted with apparently went to him. The guy is a machine. I struggled to keep up with him a bit, but I wanted to get in a good fast ride, so I pedaled my butt off instead of begging him to slow down. I cheated a little on the way back and drafted behind his 225 pound frame. Wish I could take him out to MOO with me. He makes an amazing draft! We were pulling 18-22 mph most of the ride, which is probably average for most people on the bike, but for me that usually requires a downhill of some sort. I love going fast! If only I could do it all of the time. Back to my hilly course this weekend...sigh. At least I can get some speed heading down those nasty hills!

I Did The Big Nasty Three Times

...um hill that is. I found out that its official name is Myrtle Hill, but I think The Big Nasty is more fitting. It's the type of hill that you have to ride your brakes all the way down for fear of death (especially since it takes you straight into downtown Stillwater), and on the way up, you feel like you'll die for a different reason. It's practically straight up, and it's 0.6 miles long. Every time I went up it, my average dropped about 0.3 MPH. We won't talk about what my average was at the end of day.

Thursday was my big ride of the week. It was my comp day for working last weekend, and since I had family coming to town this weekend, I thought it would be a better day for a ride. Ninety-five degrees and humid are perfect conditions for 106 miles of solid hills, no? Well, apparently not for me. I had a few nutrition issues, which is out of my norm and could only manage a meager 2 mile run after it was over. I was afraid that I was drinking too much on the bike, but when I weighed myself when I got home, I was 2 pounds down. I think I need to rework the enduralytes and water plan for next weekend's 112 miler. I I'll be doing the same course with another loop to hit up Big Nasty 4 times. The whole darn ride is hills, but I know I'll need it in 4 weeks.

Last night Steph and I went on a 20 mile run. I wore my GPS but kept having to mentally recalculate how far we'd gone because the miles flew by. My body felt like it normally does after hitting the pavement for that long, but mentally, it was the easiest run of my summer. Today I have that calm sense of quiet peace that comes with a physically tiring workout. And for some reason, soreness after running is my favorite kind. Maybe it's because it's the most familiar. I've been doing long runs for longer than I've been doing long bikes or swims or weightlifting. Even though it hurts, it feels good in some weird twisted way, more than just a "I must have gotten in a great workout yesterday" kind of way. I'm pretty sure this makes me crazy.

Other highlights of the week: Monday's 3 mile swim went really well, aside from the foot cramps that plagued me off and on. Does anyone else get these?

Last week of full training! This both excites and petrifies me. Parts of me know that I'm ready, but parts of me could use, oh, say another 4 months or so. I remember being at this point last year, having put in the training and going over the "what ifs". I guess you just never really know until you've crossed the finish line.

My 9/11

I know that the two don't even compare, I really do. Cerebrally I can distinguish thousands of people being lost and injured in a terrorist attack against our whole country from (likely) structural collapse of the busiest bridge in my city. I know the difference between the meanings of the two events, between the scale of the two events, between the outcome of the two events. But my heart aches the same way today as it did nearly six years ago.

Ironically, I was on a workout when I found out about both tragedies. I was a mile from home in 2001, just wrapping up a nine miler before class - training for my second marathon. A woman outside a coffee shop told me to go home and turn on my TV. Last night my brother Matt and I were on a great bike ride when we passed an electronic billboard that stated that the I-35W bridge had collapsed into the river during rush hour. When we got home, we found 8 missed calls on his cell phone - worried family and friends. Every channel on TV had the same story. Coverage of the rescue efforts, speculation on the cause, descriptions of the injuries, and the death toll flooded our living room. I watched till I decided I shouldn't anymore and went to bed. We woke up this morning to Matt Lauer reporting from our city. Dozens of reporters were presenting the news outside the hospital where I work. It all seemed so surreal. When I worked up my patients, I actually only had a few from last night's horrific accident. Their injuries are no different than the injuries I see every day, but they somehow seem different. I can't explain it.

The pictures and stories and buzzing rumors are everywhere. I try separate myself from them like I do with all of the rest of the news that spews out of my TV and radio. This time, though, I can't. It's in my backyard. I was just running under that bridge a week ago on my long run. I biked by it a few days ago. The news won't stop telling me how many bodies are estimated to be at the bottom of the river. Those people are members of my city, my community.

It's not just the now that has me sad and anxious. An estimated 100,000-200,000 cars cross that bridge each day. Where will all of those cars go? I'm starting to worry whether I will still be able to get to work ok. The new detour will take cars a mile from my home, a route that is already chronically clogged, and the rebuilding will take years. If you don't live in or near a town built along a large body of water, it's hard to imagine just how vital these bridges are to our entire infrastructure as a community.

So as the stories of death and survival and searching and rebuilding and friends and family and community continue to surface, I've decided that it's ok to be sad today. Tonight, though, I'm shutting off my TV and going for a run.

Check In

It was with a heavy heart that I came in to work today, especially since I work on a trauma unit. Many of you have heard about the tragedy of one of our major bridges collapsing during rush hour. Just wanted everybody to know that Steve and I and our families are all safe, but please keep our community in your thoughts and prayers.

I Have No Bike Legs

When I was growing up, a hobby of my family was to participate in kid's pedal tractor pulls. It's basically where they slap a bunch of weight behind pedal tractors of various sizes to accommodate different age groups. The weight moves up the ramp, so it gets progressively heavier. Whichever kid in that age group pulls it the farthest wins. They gave out trophies for the top three finishers in each age group. I never won a stinkin' trophy. The closest I ever came was 4th, and that was usually if there were 4 or 5 participants. My 4 other siblings all won trophies at nearly every event. They all qualified for the state match. Steph and Matt even made it to the national and international meets. It was a pretty big deal. But me? I had to settle for the free can of Dr. Pepper for participating. Every. Single. Time. I am reminded of that today. I don't think I'm genetically programmed to have pedaling strength.

My half Ironman race at Chisago this weekend actually went pretty well. I went into it just hoping to finish around last year's time. I was secretly hoping for at least a little PR, but like I've said, this year's training has not been the same volume as last year. Well, I did PR - by nearly 15 minutes. I have been feeling pretty good about it until today when the official race results came in. My Place? 63 out of 68 women (74 if you count DNFs). I am darn slow in triathlon. Now I've never been fast, but in running races I can usually finish somewhere in the middle. Don't get me wrong. I've never gone out to win a race and found out a long time ago that I cannot compare myself to anyone but myself. Holy cow, though. I had the second slowest bike split of all the women, even though I cut 6 minutes off last year's bike time. So... Here's the lowdown:

Before The Race:
I looked in all of the local bike and run retailers for a suitable tri outfit since I have never owned one. In the past I have either done the whole tri in my swimsuit or changed in transition. After sifting through limited selection in St. Paul, I made the trek out to Gear West, where of course they had plenty of clothes to chose from. I found a great pair of shorts that did not make my legs look like sausages and a top that actually covered my belly button while giving me the extra support I need for the girls. Bonus: I thought I actually looked pretty good in it.

Steve and I got up the morning of the race bright and early at about 0400. He went to work putting our bikes on the car while I filled up the water bottles and lined up anything we hadn't packed the night before. We enjoyed early morning booty music and good conversation during the car ride, and before we knew it, we were in Chisago City. We checked in, set up transition, and joined the masses waiting for the swim start.

The Swim:
Last year, the water was so choppy that I couldn't see they buoys. We swam in a gigantic triangle and I must have swallowed a gallon of water. This year, there were no white caps on the water. I was actually pretty smooth. It was an out and back, which I had never done before in a tri, but it's my new favorite as far as swim courses go. Total swim time: 47:50. Still lots of room for improvement here, but I'm fairly happy with it.

T1:
I threw on my stuff, including an extra pair of bike shorts and my top, and I was off: 3:33.7 later.


The Bike:
I got passed by quite literally everybody on the bike, especially since I started in wave 2 of 6. I ate more than I ever have on the bike, but I was still hungry. I managed to consume 3 packages of Cliff Shot Bloks, 1 pack of fig newtons, my entire water bottle containing 7 scoops of Carbo Pro and 2 scoops of Gatorade, 3 bottles of water, and some Enduralytes. I have never eaten that much on the bike before, but like I said I was hungry. I have said before that this course is fairly comparable to IMMOO, although it is a little easier. It's never really flat and has a couple of pretty descent hills. Parts of the road were TERRIBLE. I remembered them from last year - the road is so rough that you can never really get into a rhythm because you're always bracing yourself. Overall I had a really good bike. I kept a good cadence and was singing to myself for the last mile (the Gambler by Kenny Rogers if you must know). I'm sure I could have gone faster. I just don't know how much faster before totally hashing my legs.

T2:
Off came the bike shorts, on went the running shoes, and I was out: 1:22.1.

The Run:
I started the run feeling a little crampy in my abdomen, and that feeling took a while to go away. It may very well have been all the food I ate on the bike, but I never felt nauseated, just like I had to back off a tad. I knew I was on track to PR over last year's time, so I tried to keep it in gear. I saw Rural Girl for the first time of the day when she had just a couple of miles left. She looked great! I found Steve on his way in a few more miles down the road. He looked spectacular too. He said that his knee was a little sore, but I knew he was going to make it well under 6, the time he expected to come in. We exchanged a smooch and didn't see each other again till the finish line. Turns out I missed seeing Iron Jenny and a few other bloggers out there too. I did stop for 3 minutes to walk halfway through the run to get rid of a little stomach sloshing. I also walked through the water stops. There was ice at nearly stop, and boy did I take advantage of it! I had it everywhere - under my hat, in my sports bra, eating it. It was heavenly! I finished fairly strong. Total run time: 2:18.39, 5 minutes slower than my half mary earlier this season.

Comparison To Last Year (my only other HIM):

Chisago Lakes 2006:
Swim: 50:18
T1: 3:53
Bike: 3:41
T2: 2:25
Run: 2:23
Total: 7:01.59


Chisago Lakes 2007:
Swim: 47:50 PR
T1: 3:33 PR
Bike: 3:35 PR
T2: 1:22 PR
Run: 2:18 PR
Total: 6:47.10 PR

Steve and me after the finish sporting our medals.

The Aftermath:
Well it seems that although I loaded up on sunscreen, I still got crispified. I have been wearing a sports bra to work for two days now because my burns are worst over my shoulder blades where my top came in. Steve and I enjoyed a glorious 45 minute nap after we got home from the race, and then I got to work cooking. I knew that with our race, Steph's 18 mile run, and my brother Matt's 40 mile bike ride, we'd be a hungry bunch. So I made a double batch of sweet and sour chicken with rice, pasta salad, 14 ears of sweetcorn, a turkey tenderloin, and washed up a couple of pounds of grapes. Time it took to all get eaten: 36 hours.

IM Moo, here we come!

Um, Eww

So I don't normally get grossed out. I am a healthcare professional, and as such, my lunches usually consist of discussing topics involving parasites, bodily fluids, or worse. I see and smell things on a daily basis that would leave many people scarred for life. So when I head to the local Y to swim, not much grosses me out there, either. Now I'm not talking about the sights in the locker room. However unpleasant, the naked elderly ladies who just finished their water aerobics class are nothing I haven't seen before. The slimey floor under my feet often prompts me to wear my sandles in the shower, but I can deal with that. The pool monkeys (those gigantic clumps of hair that lurk at the bottom of the pool and follow you till they wrap themselves around your fingers)... well the pool monkeys aren't my friends, but I suppose they're just a part of swimming pools. The other day, however, when I thought I saw a small turd float into my lane, well, that was my tipping point.

I couldn't tell exactly what it was at first. It was small (about the size of a marble) and sort of round. It was staying put for the most part. I tried to ignore it. I told myself that it must be something else. My goggles are getting pretty old and scratched, so I can't see the best. I swam another lap. It was still there, sitting at the bottom. A huge groupe of little kids in the lane next to me got and out and left. I knew I wouldn't be able to finish my workout wondering what the heck it was, so I called the lifeguard's name. She handed me a small net and I scooped it out. I still couldn't tell what it was at first - a rock maybe? I prayed that it wasn't a turd. I handed the net to her. She made the final diagnosis - a bandaid, rolled up really funny. Whew! False alarm! Bandaids do not gross me out. There's lots of them in the bottom of our pool, especially during the summer. I finished my swim and headed home.

My Version of WIBA

If you want to read a really great recap of WIBA 07, head to Steve's or Wil's or Rural Girl's blogs. They've got some great pictures and awesome descriptions of the weekend. Steve put most of our pics on his site, so if you want to see our wetsuit Christmas card worthy picture (amongst others), head on over there. Been working on this post for over a week now. 'Bout darn time I get it up.

I have to admit that I was more than a little nervous heading out to WIBA, for lots of reasons. As I mentioned in my last post, my training hasn't been as strong as I had hoped it to be by this time. I'm certainly not ahead of last year's training and in fact may be a little behind in comparison. Also, being one of WIBA's first year crew, I just didn't think it would be the same. I'm usually more of a small group get to know everybody kind of person. I knew WIBA would be big this year. I just couldn't fathom how big. Steve and made it to dinner just a little late Friday evening (still had to put in a full day at work), but once we got there, my worries started to fade. Our group was HUGE but familiar faces like Tri Al, Wil, Stu, Robby B, and Thomps stood out right away. I also recognized other bloggers from pictures but always feel like a stalker introducing myself, so I waited till Saturday to meet a lot of those folks. We got to sit by some amazing people from Bloomington, IL, and I was quickly reminded that this one thing called Ironman is an instant bond maker. Suddenly our huge group wasn't so scary, and by bedtime Friday night, I was really looking forward to Saturday's swim and ride.

Saturday morning came sooner than I would have liked, but we were up bright and early to squeeze into our wetsuits. We got to meet Taconite Boy at the swim. I was afraid of looking like a stalker introducing myself, something like, "Yeah, you're Tac Boy, right? Um, yeah, I've read your blog." But he was totally cool. Soon Steve, Wil and I jumped into the water and had an amazing time swimming stroke for stroke with each other. Of course we did have to take a few seconds here and there for a good laugh and to make sure our fellow swimmers weren't getting picked off by the ski team practicing a little too nearby. Then it was on to T1!. A little creative changing in the parking ramp helped to prevent Run Bubba Run from seeing a little of Pharmie than he needed to. Before we knew it, we were heading down the ramp toward the rest of the group. The next time I bike down that ramp will be during Ironman. Only 8 weeks away! Steve and I had decided to go with the 72 mile group right away. We didn't know how his knee or my training would hold up, and we were more out to see the course and have a little fun than kill ourselves in the heat. Our group started out really small (only 4 of us decided to do the 72 miler), but it turned out that most of the big group ended up just going 72 anyway. The heat and the hills got to 'em.

My mini group started out as Steve, Thomps, and Widget. I'm not sure if it was because I was the only female, lack of training, or the fact that I'm just plain slow and steady, but I just couldn't cut it with those guys. I tried and I tried, but I was killing myself to barely keep up with their "easy" pace, and even then they were stopping to wait for me. I'm usually the waiter, not the waitee, and for me, it was humiliating. After I told him multiple times, Steve and the guys finally dropped me at around mile 30. I met up with Run Bubba Run and his friend Pam soon after that, but I really couldn't keep up with them either, so I told them to go on. I think Bubba was appalled that Steve would have left me. Honestly, though, I actually felt better once they had all gone. I could finally make it my ride, just enjoying the hills and meeting up with other bikers here and there. I finally got to meet Triteacher, who is just as sweet in person as she is on her blog. I also got to meet a great guy named Mike from the Twin Cities who is training for IM Moo. I had sort of thought that this weekend would be a make or break for me, but it was really neither. It just reaffirmed that I need to kick it into gear even more in these last two months. Steve and I met up at the end of our ride and just went for a one mile run. It was hot and I was in great need of a shower. Day 2 accomplished. We met up with the group at the Great Dane for supper, where Steve proceeded to eat his famous "man burger" with pizza for dessert. I stuck with the sensible fish, vegetables, and rice. The hotel had fresh cookies waiting when we got back, and we both ate those too. Delicious!

Sunday we met up with the group fairly early to try to beat the heat. I ended up running with Wil and Chris Sweet's wife Cara. I can only hope to look like her when I'm 5 months' pregnant someday! The three of us ran together for a while through the early morning streets of Madison before Cara stopped at her car. Wil and I ran together for a while longer and just talked about life and Ironman. It was great to have her there. I can't wait to tow the line with her again on September 9. She put so much work into the weekend along with Stu and Robby B, and it turned out fabulous. WIBA 2007 was another success!

Funny as it sounds, WIBA weekend was a very much needed vacation, even with all of those workouts. For two whole days, I slept, ate well, got to spend some alone time with Steve, and didn't think about remodeling houses, selling houses, paying bills, finishing residencies, starting a new job, or squeezing in my training. I left all of those thoughts on the course, where they belong. It also rejuvenated my training. I know what I have to do to get this done again. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a 2 hour bike ride planned...

Race Report and Confessions

So… What’s in been, like six weeks? I owe anyone who still stops by to see if I’m breathing now and then an apology. I won’t make excuses. First, I guess I’m long overdue for a race report… New Prague Half Marathon. May 12. This was the first race that I’ve run with my sis, Steph, since we did a 5k around 3 years ago. As I mentioned in my pre-race report, I wasn’t going for time. We just wanted to have fun. Plus, I am slow as molasses lately. It was proving to be a gorgeous day as we checked and put on our numbers, and it didn’t take us long to start spotting familiar faces. We saw four different people from our high school there. Turns out my class’s track star is getting pretty big on the local running scene (he ended up placing second with a time of 1:09.25!). I made my customary few trips to the porta potties, so when I felt like I had to pee at the beginning of the race, I chalked it up to nerves. After the start, I realized that I indeed have to go again, so I kept my eyes peeled for another porta potty. Turns out there wasn’t one. I looked for bushes. It was a rural course with lots of hills. Nothing. Since it was just early May, there wasn’t even a cornfield to duck into! By mile 7, I felt my eyeballs floating and couldn’t think about much else, so I when I spotted a potty sitting at the side of the road, I thought it was a mirage. I was in luck! It was the only one on the course, and I had to wait 2 minutes (a long time in a half), but it was SO worth it. Steph and I finished strong. Our splits:
10:09
10:07
10:05
10:22
10:09
9:57
12:25 (bathroom stop)
10:11
9:59
10:04
9:48
9:51

Total time: 2:13.29. Average around 10:16 a mile (just about exactly 10 without the BR stop). The only time I have to compare it to was the half I ran there in 2003, when my time was 1:56.44 with an average of 8:55. Am I settling for mediocrity now? Maybe, but four years ago was a very different time in my life. Someday I’ll go for PRs again. Just not this year. To end a great race with super fun company, we moved 4 Uhauls full of stuff to our new house. I could hardly walk by the end of the night. Oh, and the race shirts? Not ugly! They’re a nice dark grey with blue writing – way cuter than the day-glow yellow ones they gave out a few years ago.

So other confessions… There are lots of reasons I haven’t been writing. I've still been quietly lingering at most of my favorite sites but totally slacking on my own blogging. I have been super busy, but I think deep down, I don’t really want to talk about my training. I had all of these expectations for my Ironman this year. I was going to start my training really early. I was going to get super fast. I was going to set myself up for a great big PR. I knew when I signed up for this one that it would be a challenge. I’d be smack dab in the middle of my residency. Steve and I would be buying a house. I just hoped that my superwoman powers would overcome all of these potential obstacles. I can blame my consistent 10-14 hour days at work. I can say that my many of my long bike rides aren’t happening because I’ve been working weekends that some days are so mentally, emotionally, and spiritually draining that I missed my exit off the freeway to get home, and when I did get there could hardly muster the energy to talk, much less get off the couch. I could blame moving, remodeling, and all of the deadlines associated with both of those as affecting the training. The truth is, though, I just blame myself. None of these should matter. I am an Ironman, and I want to make it all happen again. I know I’m not really far from where I was at this time last year, and I have gotten in some really quality workouts, but like I said, I want to be better than I was at this time last year. I don’t want to show up at WIBA in a couple of weeks and look like a total dork who just can’t cut it.

There will be no race report from the Liberty Half Ironman. I skipped it. Mentally, I knew I could do it. If I can run a marathon a couple of weeks after IMMOO with pneumonia, I can convince my body to complete a half IM, even without being in peak physical condition. I elected not to, though, because I wanted to get in a longer bike ride. I also managed a couple of other quality workouts and lots of house stuff, so I don’t regret it. It was my first DNS, though, and it makes me sad to think about it. I’m sure with decades more of racing to do, there will be more DNS for various reasons, but I’m not the type of person who is OK with signing up for things and then backing out.

Booked our hotel for WIBA today. It’s going to be a blast. I can’t wait to see last year’s crowd and meet some new bloggy friends! Training has been patchy but not terrible. I guess we’ll see how I’ve been doing when I get back on those hills!

Residency is over in 10 days!!! Yahoo!!! You know, not like I’m counting or anything. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, but the truth is, I’m ready. I’m ready to be making a full salary. I’m ready to not have to report to my preceptors. I’m ready to join my new team. The fact that I’m staying at the same hospital makes it all that much easier. I have learned so much this year. It’s amazing to look back and think where I was at this time last year (waiting to see if I had passed boards, scared to death of being on my own). I’ve come a long way, baby.

Race Week!

Well, make that "Run 13.1 miles with my sister and a bunch of other people." We've been squeezing in long runs every week, including last week's Run for the Cheese run, where we all but sprinted at the end to get to the grocery store. I was craving smoked string cheese for three days beforehand, and by mile 14, I may have broken into the store had we not made it in time. Thankfully, Steph humored me, and we made it to the store with a few minutes to spare. I believe that the best line of the night came at one of our water stops when she told me that if I wanted cheese, I'd better focus.

Anyway, the half marathon this weekend should be tons of fun. No time goals. Just want to have fun... The runners are great, it's a good hilly course, and the race T-shirts are known for their special ugliness. I may have to post pictures!

Signs

So the 60 hour work weeks with family time in between has kept me busy. Training for IM #2 and buying a house have more than filled up any extra time I may have thought I had. Blogging has taken a back seat. Actually, it's more like dragging somewhere behind the car by now. My house is a disaster, as is to be expected with moving, but it's driving me crazy. I am feeling behind on absolutely everything, so when I went to the Y last night, I finally listened to the signs.

I got there, ready for my 3200 M swim that was planned. I undressed and headed for the shower. Goggles? Check. Towel? Check Swim cap? Uh oh. It somehow managed to crawl out of my bag. In 4 years of swimming regularly, I have never forgotten my swim cap. It's always in my bag, and I can't imagine swimming without one. I thought for a second. I could buy one at the front desk for $5. I could run home and get one of the many I have as backup. My house is only 3/4 mile away. It would only take about 10 minutes to go home and come back. Then I had a realization. Someone was trying to tell me something. Maybe there was a reason I shouldn't hop in the water. I took it as a sign. I skipped the swim and went home to do a little Pharmie upkeep. A bikini wax, pedicure, and leg shave later, I am now ready to head back to the pool. Sometimes it takes divine intervention...

When Two Triathletes Buy a House

Yep, I’ve got houses on the brain right now. It’s funny to think at how being triathletes influenced our purchase. So for a little fun, I’ve come up with a few ways to spot a triathlete homebuyer:

1. Their new house is not more than ½ mile from a bike path, which leads to LOTS of other bike paths.
2. There is also a really nice area for running nearby – grass trails on a beautiful boulevard one way and a college track the other.
3. The house is not too far from the YWCA (where they practically live anyway).
4. Every house they looked at required a close inspection of the basement to ensure adequate bike storage.
5. The clothesline in the basement made them really excited. They finally have someplace to dry wetsuits and swimsuits.
6. The garage has plenty of room for doing bike repairs.
7. In designing their new kitchen, they are ecstatic to finally have a cupboard for large tubs of CarboPro, water bottles, and their giant container of gels, powders, and bars.
8. After those long Sunday training rides, the new porch with its soon-to-be added hammock will be perfect for a little nap.
9. The living room’s fireplace (which will be converted to flip-the-switch gas) will be nice and toasty – perfect for keeping away those post-exercise winter chillies.
10. On really intense weeks where a special treat is warranted (or even if it’s not – who am I kidding?), there’s a homemade ice cream shop just 3 blocks away.
11. There's now an extra bedroom for bloggy friends to come and stay (or family, or friends who live close by and for some strange reason can't seem to drive themselves home). If you're planning to visit the Twin Cities area anytime after May, let us know!

I'm Not Dead. I'm Just...Moving

In case you’ve been wondering, I did not fall into a Robin Egg Induced coma. One and a half bags proved to be enough to fully kick the cravings. I’m sure that come Easter, the cravings will be back in full force, though :)

Work has been busy as usual. I’m back in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit for the next two months, and since my preceptor was out of town until today, I have been running the show. Quick public service announcement – people – WEAR YOUR HELMETS! We see so many bicyclists and motorcyclists who haven’t been helmeted, and the results are often devastating. Just like seatbelts, helmets don’t always protect people, but they’re the best we’ve got, so for goodness’ sake, wear them. OK. I’m off my soapbox now. It’s just getting to be that season, and it makes me so angry sometimes… My big residency project is still hanging over my head like a nasty black cloud. I’m secretly hoping it will do itself since I will not have time in the foreseeable future. ARRG!

The big reason I’ve gone MIA? Steve and I bought a house. It all happened so fast that our heads are still spinning. We won’t officially be moving for another 5 weeks or so, but there’s still a lot to do in the meantime. We got pre-approved for our mortgage on a Thursday, started looking on a Friday, and put in an offer that Monday. Yeah. I told you it was fast. The past 2 weeks have been spent on the phone and computer with mortgage people, realtors, phone company, electric company, insurance agents, etc, etc, etc. So if I’m a little behind on the blog side of things (which I very much am), I apologize. We love the new place though. It’s only a couple of miles from where we live now. We’ll have more space for Steve’s studio, us in general, and our bikes – yeah! Now Tony won’t have to sleep in our living room. He can live in our new basement with the rest of our bikes.

Training? Oh yeah. I sort of forgot about that. It’s starting to make me a little nervous. It seems that everyone else training for IMWI is way ahead of me. I know that I’m at about the same place that I was this time last year, but I had hoped to be a little further ahead of schedule this year. My half mary is 4 ½ weeks away. My first 1/2 Ironman is just 7 weeks away, and I’m just trying not to think about being in Ironman shape quite yet.

I got in two really fabulous workouts last week. Both of them were the direct result of having someone to share them with. My first was on Tuesday when my bud Maddy made the trip over so we could have a run together. We don’t get to much anymore since her job is actually by her house now. It was just like old times. We talked about our jobs, updated each other on what’s going on with our friends, and just reveled in the fact that we were out there together again. It poured rain. Cold Ironman Wisconsin 2006 bouts of rain. We had to wring out our clothes 4 miles later. Steve had to meet us at the door with towels to avoid drowning the house, but none of it mattered. The dread for workouts that I’ve been experiencing lately completely disappeared. That night, I went to bed absolutely happy.

On Thursday, Steph got home from work early, and even though she had been hacking up a lung with this nasty cold she caught, she decided to join me on my long run. She said she’d go about 3 with me and then I could drop her off and keep going. At the halfway point for 5, she decided to keep going. At the halfway point for 7, we stopped to get a drink and turn around. I figured I’d drop her off at home after 7, but we got there, and she decided to keep going. Nine miles together on one of those beautiful breezy evenings in the dark. It felt like 3, and her cold’s been disappearing ever since. I started to wonder if maybe I’m not as out of shape as I’ve been telling myself.

My times in the pool have also been improving. I think I’ve managed to cut off about 4-5 minutes per mile this winter, and that feels good. I’ve still got a LONG way to go, but I’m much better than I was this time last year. Now if I could just get in more time on my bike…

Achille's Heel

Everyone has one – one big food weakness. I have lots of them. There’s one food, though, that really gets to me. I’ll eat them till they make me sick, and then I’ll eat them some more. I can’t help myself.

I have given candy up for Lent every year since I can remember. It really is a sacrifice for me. The problem is that many Catholics have “The Sunday Rule” during Lent where on Sundays, you can get a short break from giving that thing up. So… I tend to more than make up for the candy I didn’t eat during the week, and come Easter, watch out… Well, this year I tried an experiment. I decided that for Lent, I am not giving anything up. Instead, I am going to pray more throughout the day. Since I didn’t give up candy, it is just a special reminder of all of the gifts God has given me.

For the first time in years, these are available for me to eat before Easter, and I am out of control.

Random Life Updates

First of all, I want to congratulate Mikie's team for getting THIRD PLACE in the state tournament. We got creamed on Friday night's match against Frazee. They just outwrestled us. There were a few questionable reffing calls, but mostly they were just a great team. So on Saturday morning, we were up against the #3 rated team for 3rd/4th place. It was back and forth the whole time. The crowd went really wild when Mike tied up the match as the second to last wrestler. As it has many times this year, it came down to our heavyweight. He was up against the guy who pinned him in round 1 of individuals. Our guy got the pin in the first period. The entire cheering section went nuts. My voice is finally back today, but boy was it gone! Over the weekend, my father-in-law suggested that I should be on the other end of a 1-900 number. Think Rachel Ray but deeper and without quite as much pep.

I decided that there will be no workout today. I have been trying to configure my training plan all week, and this afternoon, I realized that I could keep my Wednesday off. I can switch Saturday's long bike ride and Thursday's long run and still get them both in. By the time I'm done with work on the weekends, the Y is closed, and without access to a trainer, there's no access to a bike. It's supposed to warm up this weekend, so maybe some of the ice will melt and I'll be able to bike outside soon. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Meanwhile, our Y just got all new spinning bikes. I can't tell you how excited I am. The old ones were rusty, unpredictable, and offered very few adjustment options (they never quite fit me right because the handles could only adjust up and down, not forward and backward).

Only 4 more months of 12 days on, 2 off! Good thing, too, because I am feeling pretty burned out. My residency will officially be over at the end of June. Hopefully then I'll be able to move to every 3rd or every 4th weekend, and when I do work, I will get days off during the week. Yahoo! Speaking of work, I now officially have a job lined up for after residency. Now we can (maybe) afford our triathlon habit!

Proud Sister

I’d like to interrupt this regularly scheduled triathlon blog post to talk a bit about a completely different sport – wrestling. My “little” (he wrestles 215) brother’s team, the United South Central Rebels, is currently at the MN state meet, and I’ve caught wrestling fever!

Our Team

I’ve always thought that there’s something to be said about high school and D3 sports, where the tickets are cheap, you know most of the team, and the kids are there because they want to be; because they love the sport.

My high school alma mater beat their rivals by 1 point at the section meet, relying on a pin by our heavyweight. They’re now at the state meet as the little team that few people have ever heard of. Although they made it last year too, they were a very young team and got a little “deer in the headlights syndrome.” They got stomped.

Wednesday was our first meet. It didn’t’ start off on a good note. We were down 11-0 after our first 2 matches. Slowly but steadily, we caught up to them, and we ended up winning 39-20 thanks to 3 pins at the end. As a proud sister, I have to brag that Mike’s pin at 215 clinched the meet. Our heavyweight just got to go out there and have some fun. The fact that he pinned his guy too was just an added bonus. I cheered so loud that I gave myself a headache!

Mike with his winning pin

Yesterday our 5 individuals had their matches. Two of them got beat. Mike got beat, too, but since that guy went on to win his next match, Mike’s back in it today. The other two guys won two matches apiece and will be in the semifinals tonight. Woo Hoo!

Tonight we’ll have our work cut out for us. We’re up against #2 rated Frazee (#1 rated Canby actually got bumped out in the first round). We’re the definite underdogs, but since no one knows who we are, no one knows what we’re capable of!

Now I've Really Seen Everything

In my over a decade of exercising and competing in races, I have seen a lot of crazy thing, but my spinning class last night ranks right up there with them. One of the ladies in the class was knitting. Yes, I said knitting. I guess you're still getting some of the workout in with the leg movements, and it was an endurance ride, but still. I'm afraid I'm turning into a workout snob, but I really don't think it was appropriate. Am I wrong?

The Donnings of a Minnesota Runner

Boy have I had some extremes in apparel in the last couple of weeks!

Two weeks ago, we were having “high” temperatures in the range of 0 degrees here in Minnesota, not counting the wind chill. So just for the heck of it, I decided to make a post out of all the clothes I was slapping on.

Here’s the list:

- Enell sports bra – hideously ugly but amazingly supportive.
- White tank top, tucked into my tights to avoid the updraft
- Thick long-sleeved technical shirt
- Thick long-sleeved technical shirt with a half zipper, just in case I need a little ventilation.
- Two pairs of spandex tights
- Smartwool socks. They’re like little massages on my feet while I’m running.
- Ski mask to keep as little skin exposed as possible
- Ear band on the outside of my ski mask for additional coverage on my ears and forehead.
- Running shoes
- Watch
- Mittens
- Reflective vest. It still gets dark very early here.

Wouldn’t you know, after 20 minutes of getting dressed, I had to pee. Then I redressed, retucked, and headed out. I was a little chilly for the first mile but the next 7 actually felt pretty good. It was afterward that I had a problem.

You can't really see it, but there are icicles on my eyelashes.

I had to lock myself in our bathroom in front of a heater drinking hot chocolate for 45 minutes before I started to warm up. Those post running chillies are a be-otch!

Fast forward one week. Orlando is having a cold spell, the chilliest it’s been in a long while: record lows. It was in the low 50s when I got there for my business conference, but it warmed up to 80 by our last day. I totally took advantage of it! I ran every day there, except for the one where I did a long swim in an outdoor pool. It felt so good to run free, and it’s unbelievably easier to get dressed when you only need shorts and a tank top. I ran 6,8, and 4 miles in the sunshine and even got a little pink on my shoulders. I came to the conclusion that my recent funk really has been the lack of sun and the crappy cold weather. Can’t wait for spring…

The Benefits of "Grab Bag" Swimwear

In the last 2 months or so, I've given a lot of blog time to SwimOutlet.com. First I wrote about the gigantic purchase I made there. Then I wrote about Steph's ugly suit. I really do love the company. They've always treated me great. I've recommended them to lots of people, and yesterday, they made a lifer out of me.

I got home to find that a package came in the mail. I was at first a little confused since I hadn't ordered anything. Then I looked, saw that the sender was SwimOutlet.com, and became really confused. I opened the package and found two swim suits with this letter inside:

Dear Sarah,

SwimOutlet.com would like to thank you for being such a loyal customer. We were utterly enthused by your recent blog post "The Dangers of 'Grab Bag' Swimwear" and we would like to express our gratitude for your excellent coverage on the suit, regardless if "crazy, cool, hot" isn't so cool. As a token of our appreciation, we have enclosed an XD Skin for you and our very own ClubSwim lap suit for Stephanie.

They sent me a $100 rockin' suit. I cannot wait to try it out, and needless to say, Steph's new suit is super cute! I never expected to get anything out of that post (except for maybe a laugh). I knew that with the grab bag, you are just supposed to expect a size and a brand. The print is up to them, so we never complained to the company. I cannot believe that they did this. I've been smiling for the last 2 days. Now that's great customer service!

Tagged Times Two

I’ve been double tagged! First of all, can I just say that taxes totally suck when you actually have to pay? The last couple of years, we’ve had easy street since one or both of were grad students. This year, we could only claim 1/2 of a year of student-dom for me, so we had very few deductions. The damage? Not only did it cost us over 400 dollars to get our taxes prepared (we have a LOT of W-2’s, student loan forms, and there’s Steve’s home business stuff), but we actually had to pay in an extra 2000 dollars. Ouch. Definitely no bike shopping spree this year.

So… The first tag was to describe 6 weird things about me.

1. I love to go grocery shopping. I find it relaxing. I think it all stems back to my time in undergrad when I was really broke. Grocery shopping was one thing I never had to feel guilty about. Hey, you gotta eat, right? Also, I’m a huge coupon freak. I saved over 45 dollars on our last grocery bill.

2. I have never taken a puff on a cigarette or used any illicit drugs. I don’t think I’ll be starting anytime soon.

3. I have been riding a bike since I was 6 years old. I have competed in numerous triathlons. I am an Ironman, but I still cannot pop a wheelie to get up onto a curb.

4. I have a strange tendency to get goosebumps on only one side of my body at a time. It usually happens when I get a funny kiss on my cheek or a nuzzle to my neck. It also happens when Ella the Cat sticks her wet nose in my ear.

5. Up until my sophomore year of high school, I thought that running was only for people being chased. I first started running to get through the mile we would have to run for PE that spring. I guess it stuck.

6. I am a dog person. My first marathon training partner was my parents’ dog. She ran a couple of 15 milers with me. I cannot wait to have a dog to train with again sometime. Since we don’t really have the time or space for an 80 pound dog right now, we got two cats and trained them to be dogs. They now greet us at the door when we come home (including strangers!), fetch, eat dropped things off the floor, and run to the door when we get their harnesses out of the drawer. They step in them so they can go outside. I’m not kidding.


My second tag is all about tris.

1. Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever

I trained for months. I had everything planned out. I had chunks of power bars cut up, put in a Ziploc, and twist tied to my bike. A few hundred yards into the bike, the whole contraption fell off. I considered it for a second and decided to keep going. Soon after that, I realized that something didn’t feel quite right. I soon found out that my timing chip had fallen off during the swim! I went on to finish somewhere around 3:30, I think, and when it was all over, I was so hypoglycemic that I almost threw up in the finish line food tent.

2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon

IM Wisconsin. I don’t even know where to begin. I remember the pain and the elation. Most of all, I remember how lucky I felt to have Steve, Steph, my brother Matt, Jess, Maddy, and all of my blogger friends there for me all day in the rain.

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?

I have a couple, although neither of them are really that embarrassing, just gross. During my half IM at Chisago Lakes last year, I got to T1, set down my wetsuit, and realized that I really needed to pee, so I did. Standing up, I just let it run down my leg before putting on my bike gear. It was a grass transition area, and I just kept thinking, God, please don’t let anyone see this.

A close second: during IM WI on the bike, I looked over my left shoulder to check for any other bikers. There were none, so I haulked up a massive loogie. Just as I was letting it fly, I realized that a pro had sneaked up on me. I think I hit him. I let out an apology, but I was mortified.

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?

Mile 25 of Ironman Wisconsin, I realized that I was actually going to finish for sure. At mile 26, I took off the plastic bag I had been sporting and ran the last 0.2 in the drizzle. When I finished, people all around me were trying to hold me up. I didn’t need it. I felt so alive that I could’ve done just about anything at that moment.

5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?

So many of them - that I have the most supportive husband in the world, that God has blessed me with so many gifts, and that my butt cannot withstand 112 miles in the rain without acquiring massive scabs (I’ll be researching Chamois Butter for next year).

6. What is The Big Goal that you're working towards?

IM Wisconsin 2007. The Big Goal is to get both Steve and Me across the finish line.

I’ll leave all of the tagging up to Steve since he got them both too :)

I Fell off the Wagon, Then it Ran Me Over

9, 10, 12, 12, 14. I wish I could say that’s the number of hours of IM training I’ve put in the last five weeks. Unfortunately, it’s the number of hours I’ve worked the last 5 days. We’re going through some really big changes, which means a lot of extra hours. I’ve been coming home and crashing in the evenings. In the mornings, I can’t pull myself out of bed. When it comes to exercise, I think I’ve come down with rationalization syndrome.

In the mornings, it’s easy lately to tell myself that I’ll work out in the afternoon. When I get home at night, um, it doesn’t happen.

It’s going to be 20 to 40 below this weekend. It takes a whole lot to get all dressed up. Then, if I do go for a decent run, it literally takes me hours to warm up afterward. It’s post exercise chillies on steroids.

I’m supposed to be training 7-8 hours a week right now. I’m lucky if I’m getting in 3 or 4. I know it’s just a funk. I know things will get better. I had just hoped to be doing a better balancing job of all of this right now.

I am SO excited for this weekend. Tomorrow is day 12/12 of work, so in come my 2 off. Sleeping, a few hours of exercise, and some general catching up on phone calls, emails, and snail mail letters. It’s also tax time! In the past, our returns funded our bike addiction. This year, we may have to pay in, so there will be no bike shopping spree :( It’ll be good to get it done, though. My next weekend off will be spent in FLORIDA. Hooray! I’ll have to do a little research in the next couple of weeks to find out how I can fit in my workouts at the resort. Maybe I’ll just run and enjoy the sun for all 5 days.

From Another Planet?

A funny thing (at least I think so) happened to me at the Y on Friday night. I got off work and went straight there. I figured I'd get in some free weights before hitting my spinning class. Now I don't normally notice much going on around me in the weight room. When I started lifting on a regular basis 8 years ago, it was in the weight room that our D3 sports teams used. I was often the only female in the whole room, so I made it my goal to get in, work out, and leave - no wasting time.

Well on Friday, I was very aware that this guy kept looking at me. First I wondered if we knew each other. I quickly realized that wasn't the case. Then I wondered if I had seen him there before, but he had very distinct tattoos. I know I would have remembered them. I brushed it off and finished my workout, still a little puzzled.

A disclaimer: the free weights at my Y are unusually large. The 15s and 20s look almost the same as the 30s. I have big arms. I've always had big arms. If I don't lift weights, they look big and undefined. If I do, they look bigger but defined, so I lift. Not as much as I used to, but enough to keep lunch lady syndrome from creeping in.

I think figured out the answer to my question when I went into the spinning studio. He and his girlfriend were taking the class for the first time. She was a twig. Her biceps were about as big as my wrists, and even though there were plenty of bikes available, she opted to ride a clip-only one in her tennis shoes so that she could be right next to him. That can only lead me to believe one thing. This guy kept staring at me in the weight room because he was wondering what planet Amazon women come from.

Crossing Over to the Dark Side

Now I may be shunned from the blogger community for even writing this, but I have bucked the trend of ipods for a long time. I know, I know. It's the 21st century. Everyone and their dog has an ipod, but I have my reasons:

1. I rarely listen to music when I run. I believe that keeping myself company builds up mental toughness, especially since I won't get to wear music during races. When I'm really jonesing for some tunes, I bring along my discman (I know, I know - totally uncool).

2. It can be dangerous. I run in the middle of St. Paul, and though it's not a huge bustling metropolis, cars/bikers/other pedestrians aren't always watching for me. I need to be able to hear everything.

3. I sort of think it's impersonal. I live in a neighborhood where lots of people are out there running with me. It's not unusual to see people I recognize, and I think it's just plain polite to greet the people you are meeting on the sidewalk.

4. I get super annoyed by runners who have their music turned up so loud that they cannot hear my polite "on your left" while I'm biking. I don't want to be a hypocrite.

5. I am against people wearing them during races. First of all, it's usually against the rules. Also, it takes away from the experience - the people cheering, getting to meet another racer, etc. Finally, it's sort of cheating. I know how motivating having the music can be. I think it gives those who have portable music a slight edge over those who don't.


Well, I've officially crossed over to the dark side. I won an ipod shuffle at a meeting a couple of months ago, and I have been taking it on all of my runs recently. It's just a little extra motivator to get me out the door into the dark 10 degree weather. I keep the volume turned way down, so I can still hear everything, including the hellos from my neighbors. I love it. This is really dorky, but I love how light it is and how the music never skips like my CD player used to. Lately, I cannot get enough of Blue October or Breaking Benjamin. They're both great motivating music. I won't use it on the bike this summer, and I don't even know if I'll use it running in the summer (extra stuff on my head just adds to the feeling of overheating). But for now, I'm totally hooked.

Coaching, Snow, and Everything in Between

I love motivating people. I have said for a long time that if I weren’t a pharmacist, I would have gone to be an athletic trainer. Who wouldn’t want to wear yoga pants and tennis shoes every day? It sure beats dress pants and, ugh! dress socks on a daily basis. Saturday, I got to play the role of coach. Steph rocked her awesome new swim suit. It was the first time I had seen it on. It really doesn’t look as bad as you would think, especially far away. (By the way, she says that she will order from the grab bag again. It really can’t get much worse!) We had “putting on your swim cap 101;” took a tour of the Y’s locker room; and I showed her how to use the suit drying thing. Then we got started. We did lessons 1-4 of the program. She did great. Steve and I also critiqued each other’s strokes. Turns out I am rotating WAY too much. This may explain why I’m not getting faster. Ah, one more thing to work on this year. I’d be nice to get my swim time down a bit for IM, though. I probably have a good 20-30 minutes of time to comfortably cut out when I think back to it this past year. That’s just with improving my form and working more on speed.

I haven't convinced Steph to take up tris yet, but she will probably be running the marathon with me next fall, so that's a start. Who knows what'll be next?

Minnesota finally looks like winter! We’ve gotten several inches of snow over the last 2 weeks. I love running outside right now. I think there’s something magical about running when it’s supposed to be dark, but the city lights combined with the white snow light up the whole sky. The sidewalks are nice and clear now too, so there’s less risk for ice and subsequent falling, which has been known to happen. I’m hoping for a 7 miler tonight. It’ll be my longest run since the marathon in October.

I am totally jonesing for some sunshine right now. I have a business trip planned to Orlando in 3 1/2 weeks, and boy am I hoping for some swimsuit time. They said on the news this morning that we gain an extra minute of sunlight per day in Jan and that come Feb, we’ll get an extra 3 minutes per day. As far as I’m concerned, it can’t come fast enough. I have literally been having dreams about going somewhere warm and tropical.

I got new running shoes on Sunday. Superfun! There are three clothing items in which I always have a new one handy: swimsuits, running shoes, and Steve’s jeans. For some reason, they all wear out to the point that one day, you realize that you absolutely cannot wear this thing another day. For running shoes, it’s usually weird leg or back pain for me. For Steve’s jeans, there’s some massive hole somewhere, and I cannot let him out of the house knowing that his students will judge me based on what he is wearing (hey! I did it to my professors in college. I know it happens). Swimsuits? Well, there comes a point when you realize that your suit is no longer supportive and that you should probably be charging people to look at you because it’s so see-through in some parts. I’m too, ahem, thrifty and busy to just go out and buy any of those things full-price, so I stock up when I can. So I guess it will be a little while before I can sport my new digs, but they’re in the closet when I’m ready :)

T Minus 6 Days!

I start my IM training program in just 6 days. Actually, my official Ironman training doesn’t start until May, but I’m signing up for a June half IM just so I get my butt moving earlier this year :)

I’ve been thinking about goals for the upcoming year a lot lately. Among them:

1. Train earlier. Last year I didn’t work out very much up until May, when my program started. When it did start, I was still refining my swim stroke (read: had not yet finished teaching myself the 15 step program). This year, I’m hoping that having a better base will allow for more speed work come May and June. Maybe that will lead to a faster Sarah come September!

2. Better balance between work and training. Last year was a lot different because 6 weeks of my training took place while I was studying for boards. My schedule was absolutely flexible. This year, at least through June, I will be working 50-60 hours per week, including every other weekend. Guess it’s time to see how the rest of the working world has to do it!

3. Eat healthier. In some ways, being a distance athlete makes my eating habits worse. Since I can eat anything I want, I do eat anything I want. The problem comes during the off season when my brain still thinks I can eat indiscriminately but my hips say otherwise. I can remember training for one of my first marathons. I ate a jar of P-B and a quart of (low-fat) ice cream per week. Usually the containers were next to each other on the counter with one spoon dipping back and forth. It seems that the last couple of years, chocolate has replaced the two. Also, trying to eat more nutritious foods this year will just keep me healthy. If you put crappy gas in your car all of the time, how will it run? The same goes for eating 1/3 of your daily calories in sweets. Yup. That one’s going to be a toughie.

4. Write a more positive (or at least balanced) blog. Writing for me is often an outlet. I usually need it when I’m tired or frustrated. When I’m really busy, I sometimes forget to come back and write when I’ve had a great training day. I consider myself neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I’m a scientist. Therefore, I am a realist. I see things both as they are and as they could be, but I want to work on writing both down.

5. Have fun! This may be the only time that Steve and I get to do something like this together. I just want to savor it all.

The Dangers of "Grab Bag" Swimwear

For the last several years, I have been buying my swimsuits from the "grab bag" from swimoutlet.com. I've never had a problem. I know my size, so they always fit, especially since I always order the same brand. Some of the suits are cuter than others, but I've never cared. Who pays twice as much for a suit that in no time will be saggy and see-through from all of my time in the pool?

Since my sister Steph joined our local YWCA, she has been itching to get into the pool but hasn't forked over the cash for a suit yet. I was planning to order anyway, so I had her try on Speedo suits at our local sports store to get her size. Then she took her chances on the grab bag.

The order arrived in the mail on Saturday. I was so excited! It's sort of like Christmas - the surprise of seeing what your suit will look like. When I opened the box, though, my heart sank. One of the suits was HIDEOUS! I was praying that the suit wasn't Steph's. We're different sizes, and I honestly don't care what I look like (as long as my form looks good!). Sure enough, she got stuck with the uggo. I cannot believe that a reputable company like Speedo would allow this suit to be produced and actually put their name on it.

Where do I start describing it? Well, first it is very bright - fluorescent greens, pinks, yellow, and blues. It probably glows in the dark. So yeah. It's a little loud. If that were all, it would probably still be tolerable. But wait! It has butterflies. All. Over. The. Suit. Black butterflies in all shapes and sizes. Ridiculous, you say? I would agree. But there's one more thing: the words. It has "Crazy Cool Hot" written all over it. I'm just speechless. We seriously cannot stop laughing, even though I feel so guilty. I keep telling her that maybe it's just like her high school prom dress. Maybe once she puts it on, we'll all be amazed at how great it looks. Then we laugh some more. You be the judge. So far, she hasn't been able to bring herself to actually try it on...

Steph with her new pretty suit.

This way you can fully appreciate the colors, butterflies, and words :)

Catching Up

I always mean well. I really do. I was going to post a lot of this stuff over a week ago. My fastest internet connection is at work, though, and sometimes (especially last week) I just don't feel like sticking around to post. So... some catching up.

* I was tagged by Triteacher with the following instructions:
1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag three more folks.

The nearest book is Training Plans for Multisport Athletes. Most of my tri books are sitting on my end table in our living room. This one isn't necessarily my favorite, but it's on the top of the pile because it's the smallest. Author: Gale Bernhardt

p. 123, 5th-9th sentences read: "Base 3 begins lactate threshold training. Build 1 and 2 have spicy days of anaerobic threshold training. Finally, in Peak and Taper, a reduction of overall training volume and some fast workouts in the mix each week bring you to a fast race with a well-rested body. Let us look at each period in more detail."

Hopefully this is a sign that things will go as planned this year! Uh, since I'm no speed demon at the posting stuff, most folks are already tagged. If you've not yet been tagged and want to be, consider yourself "it" :)

* I've added links to some of my favorite blogs. If I forgot anybody, let me know. Selfishly, I partly did this for myself. It's so much easier to get around this way than trying to remember the addresses for them all!

* I've also added 2007's race schedule on the side bar. I love having a techie husband! This schedule may be subject to change, but as of now, the marathon is on for Oct. 7. Happy birthday to me! Plus, it may be a first for my sister Steph. So fun.

* Somebody stop me! I just spent $206.40 at swimoutlet.com. I love that site. Free shipping when you spend $75, and they have everything. I bought 3 grab bag women's swimming suits (one for Steph, 2 for me - who cares what color they are?), 2 jammers for Steve, 3 pairs of goggles, and 3 swim caps to have on hand, so we are set for the season! The goggles will be great to have come Ironman time. I used relatively new ones this year for IM, and I couldn't believe how much better I could see compared to my 2 year old ones. It just makes you feel good.

* My official training program starts in just a few days! Yikes! More on that later.

* Time to head home! Supper with the hubby then out for a run. Gotta enjoy the unseasonably warm weather while I can get it.

* I love exclamation points today!