...And Breathe

Holy cow it was a whirlwind week. I went from being on vacation to working 7 (very long) days in a row, sewing two quilts, and studying the two hardest chapters in my "Updates in Therapeutics: The Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Course" book (I'm taking a massive certification test in October). Last night, I took a deep breath, watched So You Think You Can Dance (my current and only TV guilty pleasure), and packed for Steelhead. Tomorrow morning at 0400, we leave for Michigan.

I am so excited to see my friends again and am looking forward to racing my longest tri of the season. I'd also like to see a PR, but we'll see what the day brings. It's supposed to be 92 degrees on Saturday, which is apparently the only weather I get for HIM distances. My last two have been over a hundred degrees with the heat index.

Well, time to finish packing so we can get to bed! And since I can't show you my much smarter brain now that I've mastered biostatistics and clinical trials, I'll show pics we took of the two jean quilts we made this past week:

It takes a lot of work to cut up the old jeans, but we love to give these as wedding presents!

I really love the lady bugs and flowers. They make me happy :)

The perfect size for parades, summer picnics, and winter emergencies!

The strawberries on the back will be perfect for my cousin Andy and his fiance Kate .

Hopefully I'll have some great race shots for you in a couple of days. That is, if Steve's not too busy dancing around in his bowl full of sunshine shorts to take pictures!

Just Really Quick...

Holy Cow! Just got back from vacation, and my "to-do" list is as long as my arm. Gotta get it all done before I head back to work on Friday, work 7 days in a row, and make the trip out to Steelhead!

Got back from a few days at the cabin with Steve's family last night. It was awesome with a capital A. Napping, relaxing, sitting in the sun, card games, and spending time with family. I even got my pharmacy reading done and some great workouts in. Pics to come later. My photographer is teaching a class right now :) Highlights:


* Steve's the greatest. Saturday was our 5 year wedding anniversary, and he posted the cutest tribute to "us". Then he shooed me out of the house so I could get in a long run while he packed the car. I wasn't really excited to go but knew I needed to. Sometimes I just need a good kick in the pants when that happens.

* Seeing our nephew Ian crawl all over the place. He's only 6 months old, but he'll be walking in no time!

* Asking Steve before our open water swim on Monday if he ever worried that fish would come up and bite his toes. His reply? "Something like that." I thought I was the only one! All I kept thinking about was the sparkly pink toenail polish that I have on and how the sun was most definitely bouncing off of it - looking exactly like the lures his grandpa uses. Thankfully, I finished the swim with all of my toes.

* The first 30 miles of my 75 mile bike were the most boring miles I've ever experienced. Normally I don't believe in headphones, especially on the bike, but I sure could have used a podcast or something. I saw one man with his dog, a herd of 6 stray cats, about a hundred rabbits, and one car. Far from the usual craziness I'm trying to dodge in the city. Plus, the trail was pancake flat, so all the excitement I had was stopping to pee twice. Thankfully, the rest of the countryside started to come to life around 8:30, so I didn't have to continue the singing.

* Yesterday, I took the day off from structured workouts and did some "cross training" - water skiing and jet skiing instead. How is it that I'm sorer from that than the 2 mile swim, 12 mile run, and 75 mile bike ride I did on the days preceding it?!?

* I slathered on sunscreen like it was going out of style, but I still managed some pretty strange looking sunburns. Only the ones on my lower butt cheeks hurt. Maybe I need a more full coverage swim suit, or maybe I just need a smaller bum.

Back to work! My cousin's wedding is just a few weeks away, and I haven't even started his quilt!

Lifetime Fitness Race Report

So as I said yesterday, I managed a pretty good PR this weekend. I had left plenty of room for one after my last two races, but I guess that's not the point. The first oly I did (actually my first tri ever), my timing chip fell off in the swim. Then I messed up my watch and accidentally stopped it at one point instead of hitting lap, so I never knew my official time. I guestimated it to be around 3:30 based on my friend's finishing time, but I'll never know for sure.

When I did this race in 2005, It was 90+ degrees and my training wasn't really there. My time then was 3:30:42. Like I said, plenty of room for improvement.

I came into this race thinking that with my training this year, sub 3 would be rock star quality, sub 3:15 would be good, and anything around 3:30 would mean disaster had struck.

One of the things I really like about this race is that it's so close. It's just around a 15 minute drive for us. I also like it because we're racing right along with the pros - huge names that any other time I only get to see in magazines or on TV. Plus, the race support is great, and the schwag is fun too. It's well organized from packet pick up to finish line support.

Steve and I were talking the night before the race, and it totally confirmed that I am a type B personality when it comes to training and racing. It's funny because I'm so type A in all other areas of my life. I mean, I pick apart doctors' decisions for a living for goodness' sake! But the night before the race, I still wasn't exactly sure of our wave time, I hadn't come up with an official time goal, and I decided to leave my race nutrition plan for morning. Now don't get me wrong. I haven't always been like this, and I think some of the laid back attitude has come with years of experience. I know by now that my nutrition will be fine. I have a handful of products that I use regularly, and specifically what I use depends on the distance, the weather, and what my stomach tells me it can handle. The start time of this race is rarely accurate since we're sent out every 3 seconds, so once I have everything set up, I just need to wait and see how it's all moving along. And as for time goals, it took Steve and me about 5 minutes to figure out "great, good, and terrible."

The alarm clock was set for around 4:15, but Steve was up long before that. We had everything all packed up, downed some oatmeal, and we were off! We parked in our usual spot next to the bakery (yummy smells at 5:15 AM).

Grabbing all my stuff from the car.

We walked to transition, and after it was all set up, my area looked like this:

That's a lotta crap. No wonder it took me so long, although it was a little more organized by the time the race started.

It took a little over an hour from when the pros started to when Steve started. My start was close behind.

The Swim:

Confession time: I told our WIBA friends, but it's time to tell the rest of the world. I took a little time off from swimming after Ironman, like a lot of time. One thing led to another, and I never got back into the water until the middle of June (there's that type B again). When I did, though, it was like I'd never left, and I think all of that marathon training made my kick stronger! So I probably had between 6 and 10 1600+ M swims under my belt by the time I hit start on my watch yesterday. Deep down, I know there's time to shave off my swim and plenty of it, but for now, I know it's not going to make as big of a difference as working on my bike and my run. An added bonus was the fact that wetsuits were legal yesterday. We made the temperature cutoff by 2 degrees. Good thing too. I needed that thing to keep warm while waiting to hop in the water. It was mid 60s at the start. Steve snapped this pic before the start, and before the wind picked up!

It looked calm at the start but got a little choppy once we were in.

I felt really comfortable in the water. My stroke felt OK, and by the time I got to the first buoy, I knew I was on pace for a good swim. The next stretch was fairly choppy, but my WIBA swim had more than prepared me for that, and before I knew it, I was making the second turn and swimming toward the beach. I was out of the water in 35:31 - over 6 minutes faster than the last time I did this race. I don't think the wetsuit accounted for all 6 minutes. My only complaint about the swim was that the swim caps were green - the exact same color as the sighting buoys. Most of the time I just had to look up and hope that the rest of the crowd was swimming in a straight line...

T1:

My time was deplorable - a full minute slower than last time, but it took a few seconds to get out of my wetsuit, into my bike shorts, socks, shoes, helmet, etc. The worst part was getting my tri top on over my sports bra. My wet body and that tight top made for quite the sight I'm sure. I nearly pulled an ab muscle trying to get that thing unrolled over the girls! I was out in 4:04.

The Bike:

The big difference between this race and my last one was that I was on a different bike. I left Louise at home and had Tony. I was hoping for at least an 18 MPH average, but I only muscled out 17.9. It was still a 6 minute PR though. Total time: 1:25:39/25 miles.

Tony and I on our way to a PR.

T2:

Much better here. I was in and out in 1:46.

The Run:

I went out and fought through the heavy legs for the first mile. It was really starting to warm up, and I welcomed the areas of shade. When I hit my first split, I knew I needed to slow down a bit: 9:08

The second one went OK too. I was feeling good and joking around with the other runners. I was running with a lot of sprint runners at that point, too, so we were joking about the fact that they'd be done with their 5K soon and I still had another loop. I was feeling good - 9:08 again.

I saw our cheering section again at the turn into the second loop. Borsch and Steph were looking for me, and apparently Anne almost missed Steve's finish because he was he was running in at the same time I was turning to go out again. I never saw the sign for mile 3, but combined with mile 4, my time was 19:25.

I met up again with a guy named Eric from the Chicago area just before mile 4. We had joked around earlier in the race, and he told me that he finally found his running legs. He waited for me at the water stop when I dumped water on my head, and when I told him that I didn't know if I'd be able to keep up with him for the next 2 miles, he told me that I was his pacer, so we were off again. Mile 5 marker read 11:19. I didn't think I was running any slower, but I wondered if having a partner had slowed me down. When I talked to Steve later, that lap was incredibly slow for him, too, so I think the marker was off.

Mile 6 came before we knew it. I passed the legendary Frank Farrar on the way to mile 6. He was almost done with his first loop. We pushed into the finish, and I think the last 1.2 was a little short - Eric and I conquered it in 10:06.

My new friend Eric and I pushing it in.

Total finish time: 3:06:06 - over 24 minutes off my last oly time.

Steve found me right after the finish. The volunteers gave me a wonderful towel soaked in ice water. I sure needed it by then. The sun was in full force, and it was heating up fast! We found Steph, Anne, and Borsch, who had been great sherpas all day. I was feeling a little sick to my stomach, but it passed quickly after Steve and I sat down for a couple of seconds.

Taking it easy for a few second after the finish.

Summary:

Swim: PR
Bike: PR
Run: PR
Transitions: We'll work on that.
Room for improvement? Sure. I don't think breaking 3 is out of the question...

Got to see some other great bloggers - Tac at bike dismount (Steve had to tell me later, I was trying to avoid the sprinters on the cruisers), MissAllyCat at the T2 water stop, and Jumper in the cheer section. Thanks for coming out folks!

Steelhead is in 3 weeks!

Redemption

I've been hoping that 2008 would be the year of speed, but after Grandma's, I started having serious doubts. I was having this conversation at WIBA with several friends: there comes a point when you know you can't PR at every race. The conditions need to be right, and the training needs to be there. The last couple of years have been slow - really slow, and there have been very few PRs. I was starting to wonder whether I'm just getting slower as I get older. Heck, this is my 9th year of marathons and my 5th year of tris. I'm not 20 years old anymore.

But today, there was redemption. I'm learning to train smarter. I'm learning to race smarter. Today the conditions were perfect, and I PRd. Big time. By over 24 minutes Boo-Yah!

More race report to come tomorrow. For now, we're heading to the lake and drinking frosty beverages!

Race Week!

Lifetime Fitness oly is this Saturday, and holy cow, I haven't raced an oly since 2005. This should be interesting. Actually, it will only be my third oly ever. In my first one (also my first tri), my timing chip fell off in the water, so I didn't get an official time even though I finished. In 2005, I raced with basically a month of training. This year I think I've got enough training under my belt, but since I haven't actually followed a plan, I'm a little nervous (even though I should PR).

I was hoping for a few last solid workouts this weekend. No such luck. It sounds like everyone had a great holiday weekend out there in blog land, but I was stuck in my office feeling sorry for myself. I hardly moved for the 10.5 hours Friday, 10.5 hours Saturday, and 12, yes 12 hours of work on Sunday. Steve was nice enough to go for a ride with me Friday evening, but no other workouts occurred. I was busy taking care of people who blew off their fingers, burned themselves after getting fireworks up their shorts, crashed their cars while drunk, had blood coming from basically anywhere you could think of etc, etc. Seriously. I can't make this stuff up.

I'm really excited for this weekend, though. My little sis Anne is coming up to hang out at the end of the week and come cheer us on at Lifetime. She's been at all the LTF tris that Steve and I have done, so it's sort of a tradition. Plus, this year Steph may come to cheer us on. She's got a fun costume in the works, so you know we'll have to post pictures. After the tri on Sat, we're heading over to my aunt's to celebrate the 4th of July a little late. So excited to see all of my family!

Let's Talk About Socks, Ba-by

So I've been a huge fan of Smartwool for years. I love to wear them around the house, and I've worn them for countless races. They seem to magically keep my feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and my tootsies feel dry even when they're soaked. I haven't bought new ones for a while, though, and mine are getting pretty worn. Now I've got a couple of new fun brands and thought I'd share them with you all.

The Bridgdale company sent Steve a few trial pairs this spring. I wore them for all of my long runs this spring and for Grandma's marathon two weeks ago. I gave one of the 3 pairs to Steph when her feet started to look like bad hamburger after our long runs. She wore them for each of her long runs too, and she never got another blister, not even during the marathon. Steve snapped this pic when they first came in the mail:

Mine are the three on the left. The top blue and grey pair is the one I gave to Steph.

Bridgedales are different than Smartwool in that the extra padding is only in key areas. They are much lighter on the top and through the arch. It makes them less "around the house" socks than the woolies (which I wear on our hardwood floors in the winter). They may be my new favorites for performance though. My feet stay really comfortable on the bike or during a run. They're really cushy without being bulky, and I heart them! They come in all sorts of fun colors, different shapes and sizes for various activities, and even come foot specific in some of their models. Check 'em out.

Just a couple of days ago, we got my shipment of Drymax socks, just in time for a sticky Minnesota summer. When Steve got 2nd in the Drymax challenge this spring, the company sent him a huge box of socks and told him that there would be some coming for me too. How cool is that? I finally got rewarded for putting up with his craziness :)

It's not the 42 pairs that Steve got, but it's probably a year's supply for me.

I'll let you know how they work out. I'm really excited to put them to my own tests!

Houston, We Have Lift Off!

Yay for internet at home! Seriously, I haven't been this excited in a long time. So... a onto WIBA as I think I am officially the last one to post a recap.

Friday Steve picked me up right from work, but after slogging through rush hour in the Twin Cities, we missed the power clinic and even supper. Thankfully, all of our old friends were still around, along with a few new ones. There were hugs abound when we saw Iron Wil, Wil's husband James, Stu, TriSaratops, Thomps, XT4, RobbyB, Tri Al, and Rural Girl. We also got to meet Tri Cajun and Sara's frind Jacks. Robby had the best idea of the whole weekend, and soon we were in the most amazing Gelato shop I've ever experienced. The best part was that we got to pick 3 delicious flavors, and that was the small size! We hung out for a few more minutes, observed the massive mosquitoes that Wisconsin apparently breeds, and said our goodbyes for the night.

Saturday's open water swim went OK considering that it was my first since Ironman and the water was choppy. Steve and I kept stopping to look for each other, and Robby swam with us for a while to make sure neither of us drowned. Everyone's heard about the yellow shorts that Steve graced us with after the swim, and I was blushing all through supper as he passed James' camera around zoomed in on his junk.

Changing out of my swim suit and into my bike gear in the parking lot

All of the crap I had stuffed into my bike jersey - a camera, my cell phone, 4 packs of newtons, NUUN, enduralytes, and a multi tool!

It was so much fun to bike the course with Sara and Wil. We crammed everything into the bike - an epic flat ala Iron Wil, a nasty head wind for the first 30 miles, a quick thunderstorm, and wet roads on the way back. Thankfully, I had loaded up on Rice Krispies Treats and Combos at the gas station while we were waiting for the storm to pass, because I needed every ounce of that energy. The first downhill with wet roads and a side wind scared me to within an inch of my life. I've gotten really used to just gunning it on the downhills, but being pushed into oncoming traffic and feeling totally out of control forced a back off. Fortunately, the roads dried up as we got closer to Madison, and that sweet tail wind followed us back the whole way. Steve and I did our first run together in over a year - yay! I finished off the bike ride with a brick.

Of course no WIBA would be complete without some crazy bike sunburns!

Supper at the Great Dane was delicious as usual. I finally got to meet Min and few other first timers. It's crazy how much WIBA has changed since our first one three years ago. The camaraderie is still there. Now there's just more of it! Before we left, we had to snap a pic of of the original few who started all of this craziness, minus Thomps and E Speed.

That's a lot of fun crammed into one booth.

How cute are we?

Sunday's run commenced at 7:30,and Steve brought the sunshine with his yellow shorts. I got to run with Wil, XT4, and Thomps for the first 6 miles or so, and when they turned to head back, I joined up with Kat~, Ryan, and Ann (I think her name was Ann. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I just remember that she has legs that I'm jealous of now and will never have in another 15 years). They are all making their first attempt at Ironman, so we talked a bit about the course, nutrition, etc. I think I totally sold Kat on Carbo Pro. You'll have to let me know how it works for you Kat! Usually I can't shut up when you get me talking all things Ironman, but I think Grandma's marathon the weekend before was finally starting to catch up with me. By the end, I was happy to have put in around 12 miles and to see the Terrace. We ran up the helix for effect. What a great way to end the weekends' workouts!

We stopped at Endurance House on our way out of town to say goodbye to our old and new friends. It's a good thing I don't live near Madison, because I'd be totally broke! That place is like the mecca of all things tri.

I slept the whole way home. No, seriously. I only woke up for Taco Bell and Dairy Queen. I was out for the other 4 hours. Have I mentioned how great my husband is?

WIBA was honestly my favorite vacation last year. I'd say it's in contention this year too. If you haven't had the chance to go, I'd highly recommend it. It's great to get in a good solid weekend of training, but it's really all about the friendships. I still remember driving out the first year knowing I was most likely crazy meeting up with a bunch of people I'd found online. I remember thinking it was weird that I'd never seen them in person but felt like I'd known them for years. I still only see these people once or twice a year (max), but they're really some of my best friends. I can't wait to see them all again at Steelhead and TCM, and maybe, just maybe, New Orleans. I'm still deciding on that one...

WIBA! WIBA! WIBA!

We may (cross your fingers) actually get home internet hooked up tonight. Steve and Pharmie, welcome to the 21st century! If we do, more on WIBA to come later. If not, I'll have to stay late after work tomorrow to tell you all about it. Suffice it to say that a good time was had by all, it was great to see our old friends again and meet some new ones, and I am SO excited to see everybody again at Steelhead.

Grandma's Marathon Race Report

First of all, let me just say how excited I was to be able to do this race this year. Minnesota has several marathons, but Twin Cities and Grandma's are the two big ones. They regularly are ranked among the top pics for great marathons to run, mostly for the scenery, the spectators, and the race support. Since my family goes camping every year on Father's Day weekend, It's usually out, but once every 5 years, Grandma's takes place on the weekend after Father's Day. The last time this happened, it was just a couple of weeks before my wedding, and I opted against it. This year, though, I didn't want to miss my chance.

The week preceeding the race was pretty busy. We got back from camping on Sunday and put everything away. I started packing again on Monday, and by Wednesday, I had it all ready to go. Thursday Steve's parents were up, so I knew I wouldn't get anything done, and Friday we were going to leave as soon as I was done with work. I got up at 4 on Friday morning so I could be to work by 5 and (hopefully) finished working all of my patients up by 2. I had requested the day off, but we've been short staffed, so wrapping up early was my only option. Luckily, everything went as planned, and Steph, Borsch, and Steve picked me up around 1:50. You may have seen me napping in the car over on Steve's blog. Now you know why. I'd already put in 9 hours of work!

I had been a little nervous about the drive up to Duluth since we were on such a tight schedule, but thankfully, everything went swimmingly. We managed to avoid rush our leaving the Twin Cities, cabin traffic wasn't terrible yet, and the drive into Duluth would have been a breeze had it not been for an accident in the middle lane of the freeway that slowed us up briefly. As we got close to town, we realized that we'd even have time to check into our dorm before heading over to Justin and Kelly's house for supper. That's where we met up with Jess, Maddy, and Luke, some of our friends from undergrad. They were all running on Saturday too, so we gorged ourselves on pasta, garlic bread, and salad. It was a ton of fun to catch up with everybody, and we snapped this picture before we left:

From left to right: Steve, Kelly, her son Asa, Jess, me, Luke, Steph, and Maddy. You can't see it in the picture, but Kelly is 20 weeks pregnant, and she ran the half like a champ on Saturday, proving that it is in fact possible to combine exercising with having kids. You're my hero Kelly!

After supper, we drove to the expo to pick up our race packets - pretty uneventful, and since the clock was ticking, we didn't stick around long. Back at the dorms, we gathered all of our stuff for the race, and it was lights out by 10:30.

We set as many electronic alarm clocks as we could find, but one turned out to be enough - 4:45 wake up race morning! We donned our clothes, ate our oatmeal, and made our way to the bus.

Steph and me walking to the pick up spot.

Steve, Steph, and I waiting to board the bus.

Since it's a point to point marathon, the runners have to be bussed to the start line, so at T-2 hours, we were lined up like school children and boarding the yellow buses.

I fell asleep during the bus ride. It's a curse and a blessing not to be able to stay awake in a moving vehicle.

Once we got to the starting line, we pottied, stretched, looked for Maddy, Jess, and Luke (we never found them), and waited for Borsch to arrive on his bike. We snapped a few photos:

Steve and me ready to run

Steve went to find his place in line, and Steph and I decided that we needed emergency potty breaks. We were cutting it close by the time we got out of the port a potty line, so we had to cross a small ravine and jump the fence to get into the starting chute. We made it with a couple of minutes to spare! We were lined up between the 4:15 and the 4:30 pacers, and even though I was hoping to finish in 4:00, I knew I'd catch up to them soon enough.

I never heard the gun go off, but it wasn't long until the crowd started moving, and soon we were running! I said goodbye and good luck to Steph, and we parted to run our own races. I was a little sad to leave her since we'd done so many of our training runs together, and I wondered as I have in several of my marathons if going for time instead of going for fun and supporting others would really be worth it.

The first mile went perfectly. I wasn't pushing too fast, I felt comfortable, and I was making a conscious effort to take it easy. I hit my watch to split at mile one. I looked down and saw 9:00 flat. Crap. Ten seconds too fast. I knew I needed to back off just a little, and that's when it hit. I developed a nasty side stitch in my lower right quadrant. I tried belly breathing. Still there. I dug into it a little with my hand. No luck. I was nearly doubled over in pain and was having trouble breathing, so I stopped to walk for a second. I'd barely gone a mile. I took a couple of breaths, but nothing was working. Tried running again, and the stitch was back angrier than ever. I walked a total of 3 times before I even hit mile 2. I was starting to panic. I had already thrown my time goal out the window, and I was wondering how in the world I was going to finish the next 24.2 miles. It was going to be a very bad day. "Sarah!" I heard from behind me. I turned to see Steph and breathed a small sigh of relief. I told her what was happening, still panicked. She was going down the checklist of things to try, but I'd already done all of them. Just being next to my sister made me feel a little better, though, and soon the doubled over pain I was experiencing turned into a manageable pain that I could (sort of) run through. At mile 3, we stopped for water. Somehow we lost each other again. I looked for her for the next half mile, but I couldn't tell whether she was in front of me or behind me. The panic was subsiding, and determination to just finish the race was starting to set in. I honestly don't remember much of the race. The side cramps would migrate from side to side to the middle and back around again. I was totally miserable, and my usual joking, thanking and high-fiving the spectators, and striking up conversations with other runners didn't happen. The only volunteers I could muster up thanking were the ones handing me water and ice, which I desperately needed. At 75 degrees and full cloudless sun, the day was proving to be about 30 degrees warmer than my "ideal" marathon temperature.

Running with only a few miles left to go.

I saw Borsch a couple of times on the course. He turned out to be a great Sherpa, and I should have taken advantage of him more. I had sent him with some Rice Krispies Treats, just in case, and I really should have eaten them. I don't think shot bloks do it for me any more. I managed to consume 15 enduralytes over the run, but I could only choke down 8 bloks. I forced down 2 gels at mile 17, but I just couldn't eat any more bloks.

The course was really pretty - very scenic with trees on either side of the road, the occasional view of the lake, and the blue sky as the back drop. On any other day, I would have really enjoyed it. I can't say enough about the volunteers and the course support. There were ice and sponges at every water stop, and I took full advantage of them. I put one cup of ice under my hat and one cup full down my sports bra. It was the only way I could keep remotely cool.

Ironically, I started feeling better around mile 21 or so. Maybe it was the fact that there were more spectators. Maybe it was the fact that the sky had started to cloud over a little . Maybe I was just glad to be nearing the end. A little mental math revealed that I could at least break 5 if I stayed strong and didn't walk too much. Mentally, I still felt great. My legs were holding up just fine, better than any marathon I remember running in recent years. I was mostly able to keep the walking to every two miles during and for a few minutes after the water stops. I think I only had to stop early twice to alleviate the cramps.

I saw Borsch again at around mile 20. "Did Steve finish?" I asked. He just gave me a weird awkward smile and told me to keep running. I knew that meant that he either did really well or something had gone awry. I found out at the finish line that it was the latter.

I wasn't moving at warp speed, but I did pick it up for the last couple of miles and told myself that I could breathe when I'd crossed the finish line, cause obviously the cramps weren't going away. At mile 25, it started to sprinkle, and I wondered where that had been the whole hot day.

Finish time: 4:52:05, my 3rd slowest stand alone marathon, only faster than the day I had pneumonia and the day that the sun tried to melt the Twin Cities and Chicago (last year).

I found Steve at the finish, and he told me the bad news - he'd gotten really sick on the course and DNF'd. Maddy came in a few minutes after me, so we sat and waited for Steph and Jess. Mads showed me her nasty blisters. She somehow got them underneath the creases between her toes and feet, so she headed off to the medical tent for some popping. Luke had already been there to have his blood blister of a toe lanced. At least it was only one this time instead of all 10!

Steph told me how her race was going really well until about mile 21 when her entire leg locked up. Yikes!

My soaking wet body and clothes soon turned into my freezing cold body and clothes. The sun disappeared, and a short downpour ensued, so I needed my sweats and a blanket before we could snap this photo:

Hague House ladies sporting our medals!

The original plan was to take an ice bath in Lake Superior, but the teeth chattering pre lake dip convinced me otherwise.

We bussed back to the dorms, showered, and took wonderful naps before supper.

Getting ready before eating some of the most delicious fish I have ever tasted, I got a closer look at all of my burns. Turns out body glide wears off when you're soaked for 5 hours.

I like to call this one my "tramp stamp" burn.

In this one, you can see my bra burn, a burn on either side from the waist band of my shorts, and an extra special one on the middle of my abdomen from my creased number rubbing against my wet shirt. Yeah. Those all felt great in the shower.

Supper Saturday night was amazing. Hanging out with my friends again Saturday night was tons of fun, and brunch Sunday morning was inexplicably tasty. More naps ensued on the car ride back, and the weekend was over - marathon number 9 in the bag.

Thanks again to Borsch for being a great sherpa! Thanks Justin and Kelly for letting us raid your kitchen! Thanks to Steph, Maddy, Jess, and Luke for joining along! And thanks to all of the well wishers who have sent kind messages to Steve. It just wasn't his day, but I'm proud of him all the same.

Quick Marathon Update

Well, no PR for me this time around. Full story later, but for now, the basics:

Felt good for the first mile, then the side stiches started.

Side stitches for the next 25.2 miles.

Legs felt great, mentally I felt strong, but 25.2 miles of feeling like someone was stabbing me in the gut wasn't that much fun.

Finishing time: 4:52:05.

Good thing I've got another chance this year :)

Race Week!

I've officially been done with work for an hour now, but I've been sitting at my computer mapping out our drive, figuring out where the convention center is, getting directions to the dorms where we're staying, and finding a local church. Hopefully we'll be giving thanks for a great race by Saturday night. I requested Friday off at work, but I didn't get it, so it looks like we'll be getting up to Duluth in the evening, checking into the dorms, picking up our race packets, eating, sleeping, and waking up to the alarm clock all in about a 12 hour span. Holy cow I hope this goes well. Borsch is going to be our Super Sherpa, and boy am I glad to have him along. Now to figure out how we're going to get his bike up there with us...

After 8 marathons and 2 Ironmans, you'd think this race wouldn't really get me nervous, but it is for some reason. Maybe because it's the first marathon I'm not running in my backyard. Maybe it's because I have time goals, which I haven't had in years. Maybe the taper is just getting into my head. Probably all of the above. At any rate, the ultimate goal is to have fun with my friends who are doing it and enjoy the party afterward. Oh, and there's the planned jump into Lake Superior for the "natural" ice bath. That should make for some great stories!

My family's yearly camping trip was this weekend. It was SO much fun, even though we didn't get to go canoeing on Saturday. The river had flooded earlier in the week (along with most of Wisconsin from what it looks like), and they hadn't started to clean up the fallen trees and debris that had washed into it. There was no shortage of fun. Great company, perfect weather, lots of laughs, and WAY too much junk food. Hopefully that will all have worked its way out of my system in a couple of days!

My mom relayed a comment that one of Steve's mom's good friends had told her. We had barely unpacked our car and set up our tent when my mom half jokingly said, "So and So said that you and Steve need to stop running and start having kids." The comment left me speechless. You'll have to pardon the sarcasm here, because obviously, the two are mutually exclusive. Never mind the fact that it's truly none of So and So's business in the first place if and when we decide to have children. Never mind that I've never even MET So and So. You know, I guess since I've been finished with my doctorate for a whopping two years and graduated from my residency almost a full year now I need to hang up my tri bike and running shoes and just get to making babies. At the ripe old age of 27, my eggs must be nearly dried up. And when we do have kids, all of this "silliness" must stop. No more exercising. No more races. News flash: nearly all of the amazing people I've met in the blog world and tris in general have kids, and they make it work. Because you know what? Teaching kids to lead healthy, active lifestyles is invaluable. Showing them how to set goals and work toward them translates to all areas of life. Keeping myself healthy to fend off my daily stress and the genes I've been given (heart disease, hypertension, and high cholesterol) will only make my family stronger. Sorry. I just needed to get that out. I've been fuming about it for 3 days. I tried to run it out on my 10 miler on Sunday, but I got home just as mad as when I started. I'm not totally clueless. I know that my friends have to make sacrifices, and it's not easy for them, but they do it. And they're better people for it; they're better parents for it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a marathon to run!

My race number is 8778, so if I don't get my results up by Saturday night, feel free to look me up! Oh, and if you'll be up there and haven't already contacted Steve or me, just let us know so we can try and meet up.

Good luck to everybody racing Grandma's and IM CdA!

Seriously. What Was I Thinking?

So I knew that Saturday's run would be tough given the weeklong migraine. I knew that going from sitting at work to laying on the couch for four days straight with nary a workout since my last long run would probably make me feel a little rusty. I knew that puking up the tiny bit of supper that I did choke down on Thursday night did not constitute as carbo loading, but since I kept all my food down on Friday and even tried to eat a little extra, somehow I thought I'd be fine. Cause hey, I'm a two-time Ironman, right? Right?

I failed miserably on Saturday's last long run. My attempt at 20 miles ended at 13. I walked for another 1.25, and then I called Steve to come pick me up because I honestly didn't think I'd make it walking another 1.5 miles. I was just totally spent. I've heard that after having a headache of that magnitude, people can feel like they're getting over the flu and be totally exhausted. Apparently I am not immune. From my first few steps, I knew it would be a tough run. Just a couple of miles into it, I told Steph that if we were to stop, I could lay in the grass and fall asleep in 10 seconds flat. By mile 8, I was having serious GI issues, which has never, ever happened on a run that short. We stopped for water. We stopped for ice. We even stopped for Rice Krispies Treats, which are usually my fix-all. Nothing worked, so I called it. Steve came to pick me up, I chugged my usual chocolate milk, and I showered. Then I took a 2 hour nap. I woke up still feeling crappy and had to bail on my friend Maddy's birthday party. By Sunday, I was feeling a little better, but I opted for an easy 25 mile bike ride instead of the 60 miler with hills that I had originally planned. I didn't really need a repeat performance.

I know I don't really need another 20 miler. I've done one already. I've done a couple of 17s and a couple of 18s, and since this is my 9th marathon, mentally I know I can do it. It just would have been a big confidence booster had it gone well after being sick all week, sort of a "If I could muscle through that, the race should be no problem" kind of thing. I still have no idea what my time will translate to in two weeks, but I'm sure going to give this race a run for its money!

3 Words:

Four Day Migraine

Great Run Sunday

No Workouts Since

Been Sleeping Lots

Saw Doctor Yesterday

Puked Last Night

Slightly Better Today

After Taking Drugs

Really Good Drugs

Long Run Tomorrow

Should Be Interesting

Last 20 Miler

Pray For Me!


I think that about says it all. Steph and I had an awesome run on Sunday. It was a nice easy 15 miler after we were home all weekend for Mike's graduation party and commencement. We made it home in time to catch the drunken messy end of Grand Ole Day, one of St. Paul's city celebrations. It's basically a huge party with lots of frosty beverages, and I actually like to run down Grand Ave during the cleanup when most people have gone home. Since we didn't get to partake in the party, we still got to see the aftermath. People were cheering for us and giving us high fives during most of our run. It also proved to be quite an obstacle course, since not everyone is coherent enough to look out for other people on the sidewalk. A huge bonus was that unopened bags of ice were just laying on the sidewalk melting. We opened a couple of them up to sneak ice for under our hats and to eat. It was my first 80 + degree long run, and who knows what Grandma's will bring in a couple of weeks. We were happy to have a little run course assistance out there though :) The IT band held up just fine.

I had high hopes for getting in some swim and bike workouts this week, but I guess it just wasn't in the cards. Monday I took it easy and figured I'd resume my workouts on Tuesday, but I think you git the drift from my 3 words above. I've never had a full fledged migraine before, and I hope I never get one again. I have barely been able to survive work. When I get home, all I can do is sleep, and nothing has been able to take away the pain. I can't read. I can't work out. All I've been able to do is sleep and watch TV, but that's only fun for a little while. Wow do I have new sympathy for people who get these chronically. After visiting the MD yesterday, I was able to get some heavy duty meds, and although things still aren't back to normal today, I am feeling a little better. Maybe a weekend away from computer screens and fluorescent lights will do me some good. Speaking of computer screens, time to say goodbye to mine before I really stop making sense!

Long Weekend

Well, not so much long in the sense of being off from work since I only had a break on Monday, but I got some really quality workouts in.

Thursday Tony (my tri bike) and I went out for a quick hour ride. I've been trying to break myself of the "all or nothing" mentality that I developed in my last 2 years of IM training. Last year, if I wasn't going to run 6 miles, bike 25, or swim 2, it wasn't even worth my time to go out, so I would just take some rest time if time was short. Goodness knows you need it during that kind of training! This year, I'm trying to re-train my brain into realizing that those 3 mile runs, 15 mile bike rides, and shorter swims are often all I need for mid-week workouts. In my hour on Thursday, I still managed to squeeze in over 17 miles. Plus, it was tons of fun to get out and GO!

Saturday I worked, went to church, and then played hostess for a party Steve wanted to throw for a group of his students. Not sure if it was the migraine I had developed at work or if I was just tired, but college sophomores seem younger and squealier than they used to be. It was great to finally put faces to the names and stories that Steve has been talking about all semester. Somehow I think I have aged well beyond my actual years. I am only 27 but felt like a total party pooper to be glad that they had all left by 9. A 10 PM bedtime and 5:30 alarm clock don't really mix with hosting parties!

Sunday I put in my 10 hours and was really surprised when I left at 5 PM to find that the temp had risen to a muggy 85 degrees. It was our first day above 80 this year, and I wasn't too excited to be doing a "fast" long run on our hottest day of the year so far. I took a quick nap before lacing up my running shoes, and in typical Minnesota fashion, a storm front had moved through, and the temperature had dropped 20 degrees in less than 60 minutes. Guess it was my lucky night. As I mentioned in my last post, I was planning on using this run as a test to see what my actual long run speed is sans running partner. The plan was to just go out and keep it at a good pace and still feel comfortable for 15 miles. The run was beautiful. It was still humid and a little warmer than I prefer, but summer is fast approaching, and I need to get used to it again. The lilacs, crab apple trees, and lilly of the valleys are all in bloom, and the whole city smelled phenomenal. I managed to stay between 9:10s and 9:30s. I had hoped to pick it up at the end, but my IT band flared up a little, and I really couldn't push it. My body felt good, my breathing felt fine, but my right leg refused to go any faster. At least I didn't slow down. I'm not really sure what this will translate to come race time in just 3 weeks. I've secretly or not so secretly been hoping for sub 4, which wouldn't technically be a PR for me but close (I ran a 3:58 and change in 2002). The course I ran on Sunday was packed with hills, but Grandma's course is fairly flat. I know running with other people and pushing it a little more on race day can translate to faster split times. I just don't know if I can cut another 5-25 seconds off per mile and while tacking on 11 more miles to Sunday's run. I've got another 20+ miler coming up, but it will be with other people again, so I don't think I'll be able to gauge much from it. Arrg. Too much thinking.

Monday I woke up a little sore, especially in my IT band. I need to be working that bad boy out. It needs to know who's boss this summer. I had a long bike ride planned with a friend. We had anticipated doing somewhere between 30 and 50 miles. My longest ride to date in 08 has been 30, and I need to be picking it up before WIBA and Steelhead! Well we ended up posting 52 miles, and I felt great! Great may be a bit of an overstatement, but I did feel good. The legs were a little tired at the last climb of the day, but I never felt like I was pushing too hard. We were just out for a really easy long ride and still managed almost a 15 MPH average. No speed awards or anything, but considering the 15 mile run just 15 hours before, I'll take it! I certainly need to get in some more hills and distance before WIBA, but with the marathon coming up and some family commitments, I'll be lucky to hit 65 miles before tackling the course again.

Tempo run tonight - 5 miles. We'll see how Mr. IT band feels. I may have to forgo the speed work this week if he's not willing to cooperate. I'll also have some creative finagling to do since my brother's graduation party is this weekend. My last 20 miler may have to get bumped to next weekend.

Update: I'm Not Dead!

...Though I've been sleeping like I am. Seriously. I barely have time to pull the covers up and I've passed out. I have been a very negligent blogger - reading all of your posts but not commenting and leaving things here for like three weeks. Not a lot of time, so bullet points will have to do for now.

* Marathon training is going well. I've found out that my intervals go faster and are literally faster when I do them with Steph, and I secretly like knowing that I'm kicking her butt a little. She says that when she's doing them on her own, she just can't make herself go that fast. My 8 mile tempo run last week felt like a walk in the park.

* Did a 20 miler with my super bud Maddy who is running Grandmas as well. Funny how being out there for that long doesn't seem like nearly enough when you've got a friend to catch up with. Thanks Maddy! I also found out that running on a crushed limestone path makes my legs feel about 300% better when I'm finished than concrete or asphalt. My muscles were a little sore, but I didn't have that deep achy joint pain.

* I'm doing my first solo long run in months by myself this weekend. It'll be a good test to see what kind of pace I run on my own and to see whether a marathon PR is really on the horizon...

* The day after I went for my 20 miler, Matt and Steve did a local du. I didn't want to feel left out, and my legs were feeling OK, so I decided to do it with them. The bad news: the race was sold out. The good news: the course was not one that I would have loved, and I got to take tons of pictures. It was a blast cheering them on.

* Since I didn't get to do the du, my next multisport race won't be till July. Boo.

* Work has been going fairly well. I'm really trying to make an effort to get out in 8.5 hours. It still stinks that I've had to work the last 3 out of 4 weekends, but I know I'll love it in June with 4 whole weekends off in a row!

* I need to remember that in order to actually finish my tris respectively this summer, I'm going to need to get on my bike more...a lot more.

* If Mother Nature would friggin cooperate, maybe that last one would actually happen. I was so excited to hit the road on Monday after work, but when I got outside at 4:30, it was 50 degrees. FIFTY. And that's not counting the flipppin windchill. It's almost June for crying out loud! I never made it out. American Gladiators was on TV, and I just couldn't bring myself to put that many clothes on.

* Oh yeah, the pool too. I should probably start swimming again.

* My little brother graduates from high school in less than 2 weeks. I used to change his diaper. Now he's heading off to play college football.

* I heart my LRS (local running store). I think I'll devote a whole post to them later. Having knowledgeable people that you can trust just makes an unbelievable difference.

* And I'm out! More updates later, and hopefully some real posts!

Winter Begone! Race Report

Well sheesh. I guess I should finally get this thing out. Steve's got about a zillion pics of this race on his blog, so if you're looking for more, head on over there too. Sunday was my first multisport event of the year in the form of a duathlon. The race was advertised as a 5K run, 30K bike, and 10K run. We had signed up weeks in advance only to find out the week of the race that we were looking at starting temps in the low 30s and highs in the high 40s if we were lucky. I'm not much of a cool weather biker, so I was a little apprehensive. The weather actually turned out fine, though, and I was even a little overdressed on the bike.

Before the Race:

Matt, Me, Steve, and Borsch

Steve and I were excited to be introducing my brother Matt and our friend Borsch to their first multisport event. Matt arrived at our house on time, which is an accomplishment itsself. Borsch met us at the course. We got there nice and early, and since the event was so small, we parked right next to transition and plenty of time to relax, talk with other athletes, and prepare.

The First Run:

There were only 51 people doing the long course, and only 13 of those 51 were women. Since this is such an early season event and it was so cold, I was fully prepared to be racing amongst a bunch of "crazies," my term for the die hards who are probably pretty fast. I knew that I would have to make this my race. I'm just not fast enough to compete with a bunch of men. My goal was to keep an 8:30 pace for the first 5K, not all out racing, but going at a decent pace for me. It's actually closer to my normal 10K pace. I felt pretty strong when I started but was quickly passed almost everyone. I could see a pack of people behind me, though, so I knew I wasn't dead last! I finished in 26:06 feeling great, for an average of 8:24/mile. Overall, I finished 42/51 on this leg.

T1:

For the transition area being so small, my T1 time was pretty terrible. Since it was so cold, I had to put on my gloves, an extra jacket, my helmet, and bike shorts over my tights. I had decided during the run that it was warm enough to take my shoe covers off, so of course that took more time too. In and out in 1:27.

The Bike:

I'm not gonna lie. My bike was terrible. I've gotten around 5 outdoor rides in so far this year, but they've all been on flat surface. On the drive down, Matt had said that he'd seen an elevation chart and that the bike was flat. On the contrary, it consisted of relentless hills. Oh, and the first 12 miles were basically against the wind too. I was in my granny gear way too many times and was feeling really sorry for myself by the time we hit 12 miles. I was wearing my Ironman WI finishers jacket because I knew it would be warm, and I just felt so ashamed every time someone passed me, like somehow I hadn't really earned it. The bike is consistently my weakest leg, like dead near last kind of weakest leg. It's really gotta change this year. On the way back, I had a tail wind, and increased my average from 13.1 MPH to almost exactly 14 MPH. Embarrassing. I realized that the bike wasn't an official 30K when we hit mile 18 and I knew we had at least a mile back to transition. I couldn't have been happier to get to the run. Total time: 1:23:43 - 14 MPH average. I placed 49/51 on the bike leg.

T2:

I dismounted right next to a lady who had just passed me who was wearing clipless sandles. "Am I doing this right?" she asked the race officials. Insult to injury. The bike was over, now it was time to test my endurance. I peeled off my Ironman jacket, my helmet, my bike shorts, my tights, and my gloves. I changed my shoes, grabbed my race number and was out in 1:07.

Putting on my race number heading out of T2

The Second Run:

It took about half a mile to get my running legs. I used to hate that feeling. Now I kind of like it. I was a little tired, but I pushed on. I passed 2 girls on the run early on and kept looking back to see if anyone would catch me. No one did. The speed work I've been doing really paid off. I'm really learning to run through that feeling of needing to stop. I felt strong and in retrospect could have probably pushed harder. Steve, Matt, and Borsch all cheered me in at the finish. I finished the 10K in 58:16, with an average pace of 9:23/mile. My time was good enough for 34/51 racers for that leg. Total Du time: 2:50:35

At the finish line.

Afterward:

Since there were so few racers, we knew some of us had a chance of medaling. Turns out we had a triple whammy. Matt finished first in his age group for the sprint, Steve finished 2nd in his age group for the long course, and I took 3rd. A good time was had by all!

Note to Self:

In preparation for you 17 miler this weekend, you did most things right but forgot one very big detail:

Packing to do an away run? Excellent job. You didn't forget anything.

Having your brother watch the odometer on the way home from church Sunday to get the distance right? Your experience is paying off.

Convincing you little sister to meet you twice on the course to bring water and bringing money to buy water at the halfway point? Flawless

Forgetting sunscreen?

* Even though you did 15 miles without problems last weekend...
* Even though you wore 4 layers of long sleeves and a hat when working outside the day before...
* Even though you started off the run in long sleeves...
* Even though your run start was cool and cloudy...

DON'T

DO THIS

AGAIN!

I Marathon Hurt

Went home this weekend to help the parents build the new garden shed (from scratch) and try to tackle a few other projects. After 11 hours of solid manual labor with few breaks on Saturday, I woke up Sunday with aches all over my body, especially in my glutes and hammies. Like, sore to the touch kind of pain. Every step of our 17 mile run was a not so subtle reminder of Saturday's activities, and if I hadn't been running with Steph, I just may have walked the last 2.5 miles.

We did an out and back to the nearest town with a gas station. It actually worked out well because the super nasty headwind we had for the 8.5 miles into town literally carried us back home. My little sister Anne was a trooper and met us with two additional water stops. I really would have bonked if it hadn't been for her! Thanks again Anne! Love you!

Today I am bending, walking, sitting, and standing like I ran a marathon yesterday, except without the glory of being able to tell people that I ran a marathon yesterday. I've never been this sore after a training run, but I know it's a great deposit into the bank for June! Plus, I'm taking today off guilt free. It's gorgeous outside, so maybe I'll just go for a little walk.

2008 Race Schedule

So it's been 2008 for what, 4 months now? I just put the final touches on this year's race season a week or so ago, though, so I can finally write it all down. I am so excited! This is the most races I've ever been able to fit in a year, and we've got some great meet-ups scheduled with fellow bloggy friends. So much fun! Some have yet to be registered for, but here's the plan:

St. Patrick's Day Human Race 5 mile - March 16
Winter Begone! Duathlon (5K, 30 mile, 10K) - April 27
Grandma's Marathon - June 21
WIBA - June 27-29
Lifetime Fitness Olympic Distance Tri - July 12
Steelhead 70.3 - Aug 2
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon - October 6

I'm totally pumped because Grandma's will be my first marathon away from home, and Steelhead will be my first "away" tri (except for IM MOO of course). Plus, I know there will be great times to be had when a bunch of crazy triathletes get together at WIBA and Steelhead!

Workin' on That Speed Thing

Intervals yesterday at 8:45 PM. Work's been extra busy again, and I needed a 1.5 hour nap first (see previous post). The plan called for 5 x 1200s. I had hoped to do them on the track near our house, but the football team was practicing on the field, so I settled for the road. Goal to hit a 7:45 pace was 5:49/1200. One way was uphill, and one way was downhill, hence the times:

6:06
5:40
5:57
5:41
5:45

Even though my splits were all over the place, the average wasn't too bad - 5:49.8.

Steve's off to the doughnut run this weekend. This is one time that I'm not sad that I work. The whole concept sort of makes me nauseous.

I've been putting the finishing touches on my official 2008 schedule, and I'm super excited. Post coming soon!

Motivation (and Lack Thereof)

Two weeks ago, I ran intervals in what was the start of yet another snowstorm. I did my 800s in what must have been record slow time and looked like this when I got home:

If you look close, you can see a giant snowball accumulated in my hair.

The ground actually had started out dry before we got all of this stuff again.

Saturday Steph and I went for a 14 miler that we managed to keep under 10 minutes/mile. I felt great during it and was barely sore the next day. Maybe all of this speed work is paying off!

Sunday Borsch and I did a nice easy bike ride of 22 miles in rain that was reminiscent of IMMOO 2006 except even colder and muddier. Up until then, I had the "no rides outside if it's not 50 degrees," but I don't think it even got up to 45. It actually felt great, and even though we were just out for an easy ride, we still maintained a pace well over 15 mph. In the rain. And the cold. And the wind. I felt way better than during last weekend's ride.

Training for an early summer marathon is so much different than I thought it would be. I've done plenty of fall ones, so I sort of thought that I had this all down. For some reason, I didn't think I would be battling intervals in the snow or waiting for my local track to melt. I didn't anticipate worrying about my footing on my long runs because there was so much ice on the sidewalk. I've lived here for 27 years. You'd think I would have known that there would still be snow in March and April. Thankfully, it's starting to warm up, and almost all of our snow is melted. The days are getting longer, so I should still be able to get my runs in even when I work the weekend. I'm sure looking forward to having the water fountains in the parks turned on for the season, though. This year is also a little different because I haven't been able to rely on my natural motivation to get out and go. My body usually comes out of hibernation sometime between mid-March and mid-April, and this year I had to force it out early. Plus, when I get home from a long day's work and sit on the couch for a couple of minutes, this happens:

Good luck getting me out the door then! Kermie is holding down my legs while catching a few ZZZs, and Ella is asking for a belly rub. I love taking naps with them.

If you haven't gone to vote for Steve's video in the Drymax socks contest, please go do it. If you've been to his blog, you've seen pictures of his feet after even a short long run. Can you imagine snuggling up to those dogs in bed at night? Not so romantic. He could definitely use a year's worth of quality socks! Voting ends tomorrow, so for my sake, stop over there :)

First Outdoor Ride of the Year

Well, I sort of have a general biking rule that says I don't go out unless the thermometer reads 50 degrees. Running is a different story. Any temp is fair game, but since I don't have a lot of fancy bike gear (like gloves and ear protection for under my helmet, I reserve the right to refuse to ride outdoors.

Saturday was the long run of the week - a recovery, so only 11 miles. Yesterday the sun was shining, and the thermometer hit 51, a real heat wave around here, and a little seed was planted in my brain that said I should go out and test the roads. When my brother Matt called and asked if I wanted to ride, it sealed the deal.

Now Matt's a pretty solid guy. I like riding on flat roads with him because he's 5'10" and 220 pounds of solid muscle. He provides a great draft, and when he first started biking at the end of last summer, I could for the most part keep up with him. This year, I'm really going to have to work to keep up. Our conversations yesterday went something like this.

Matt: "So, um, yeah...I've just been setting my trainer on the highest resistance it will go this winter and just pushing as hard as I can."

Pharmie: "Wow, that's pretty good."

Internal Pharmie: Oh, sheesh, well, I've been to 1-2 spinning classes per week and have hopped on the trainer a couple of times... This could be interesting.

The plan was to go out for an hour or so just to enjoy the weather and get in a nice ride. A few miles into it, I knew it would be a little more than an easy Sunday on the bike. I was pushing HARD and still struggling to keep up.

Matt: "Hey, how ya feeling?"

Pharmie: "Oh, all right I guess. I think my legs are a little sore from the 11 miler yesterday."

Internal Phamie: Why does everyone get so much better than me? I used to be able to run with Steve, now he's winning 5Ks. Now Matt's blowing me out of the water.

The "out" portion of the trail is 3/4 uphill. It's one of those deceiving rides where you can't tell that you're going uphill until you turn around. We were also in a 10-15 MPH headwind. My speedometer wasn't working all day, so I had to ask Matt what our speed was.

Pharmie: "Hey, how fast are we going?"

Matt: "Oh, looks like just over 18."

Pharmie: "Well, that's not too bad!"

Internal Pharmie: No wonder I'm feeling like I'm going to die! Uphill? Against the wind? Sore legs from the run yesterday, and we're going 18 freaking miles per hour?

Matt: "So, um, do you feel like we're working here? 'Cause I gotta be honest with you. I'm not even really breaking a sweat."

Pharmie: "Oh."

Internal Pharmie: Uh Oh.

He waited for me at a couple of intersections, but for the most part, I just kept sucking wind and keeping up. We turned around somewhere between 11 and 12 miles in. The tailwind downhill return home was very welcome, and he either let up a little or there really was a huge difference between the out and back.

Matt: "Hey, my legs are finally starting to warm up. The beer and Jägermeister are finally working their way out of my system. Man my friends and I had fun last night. I think I was still a little drunk when I woke up this morning."

Pharmie: "Glad you're feeling better!"

Internal Pharmie: Holy crap! That ride out was your legs feeling BAD?!?!

Over all, it was a little chilly, but it was so fun to be riding outdoors again. I was covered in mud splatters by the time I got home, and it made me feel like a little kid. I have no idea how much of the ride yesterday was my legs being tired from the run the day before, how much was just lack of training over the winter, and how much was the fact that I was on my old bike instead of my new one. Since I am looking to build up my speed and endurance this year, though, I really do want to be able to keep up with Matt and Steve. I don't want to have to ride all by myself this summer, especially since there's no Ironman in my future, and I don't need to train myself to be lonely out there!

7 Things About Me

I was dually tagged by Runbubbarun and XT4 to list 7 things about me. So, without further ado, here it goes:

1. I'm a two-time Ironman, but I've actually done very few triathlons. In total, I have completed a duathlon, 2 olys, 2 half-iron distance, and my two Ironmans at IMMOO. I started doing tris 5 years ago when I was in grad school and married to another grad student (read: flat broke). In residency, my every other weekend work schedule wasn't very conducive to racing and even training for that matter. This summer will be the first summer where I may actually be able to afford to race, but I still work every 3rd weekend, so we'll see.

2. My only B in high school was in Phy-Ed. I'm still a little bitter about that 9 years later.

3. I've never lived alone. I moved from my parents' house where there were 7 of us to the dorms in college with a roommate to my college house where there were 6 of us girls. Then I married Steve. I really don't mind being alone, but I find a lot of comfort in being around other people.

4. I always knew I would run a marathon. When I took up running in 10th grade, running a marathon became on of my "things to do before I die." I just didn't know it would happen so fast. I finished my first one the day after my 20th birthday.

5. I asked Steve out nearly 11 years ago. We've been married for nearly 5 years now. He's my best friend.

6. Most people have no idea what I actually do. I am a pharmacist but do not work behind a counter at a retail pharmacy. I work on the floor in a hospital. I have between 30 and 60 patients a day. Each day, I look at every one of my patients' profiles. I make sure hat each drug they are on is appropriate for their age, weight, kidney and liver function, condition, and allergies. I look back at the medications they were taking at home and help the doctors decide when it's appropriate to restart them. I help the physicians make sure we're not forgetting to add any medications or to discontinue medications when they're no longer needed. I check for drug interactions in patients' profiles, I monitor drug levels, and I look at labs each day, including cultures, to help the physicians determine the best possible therapy for each patient. A lot changes in 24 hours in a sick patient, so I do it every day for each of my patients. I leave when my work is done, not when the clock reads a certain time. It challenges me every day, but I love it.

7. Diamonds are supposed to be a girl's best friend, but I prefer athletic gear!

I think this one has been going around the blogosphere for a while, so if you haven't been tagged yet, you're it!

Race Me, I'm Irish!

I really am 1/4 Irish, so the title is at least partially true, but I use the word race rather loosely. I really think I've forgotten how a little bit, and that's what this year is for - to relearn it.

Sunday was the “Saint Patrick’s Day Human Race” 8K, the first 8K race I've run in 7 years. It was a rather interesting start because the race was only 3/4 of a mile from our house. Steve had pre-registered us, so we left the house just about 12 minutes before the gun was scheduled to go off. We snapped this picture right before we left.

I know any warm weather readers out there are shuddering at the thought of shorts when it's 32 degrees outside (and at the sight of our pale, pale legs), but in Minnesota at the end of winter, that's a heat wave. In fact, after our jaunt to the start of the race, I put my number on my shorts anticipating possibly needing to shed the long sleeves. Two miles into the race, I was in shorts and a short sleeved shirt, and that's how I ran. Even then I was sweating like I was on some beach in Mexico!

My splits were all over the place. I had my ideal goal time of 40 minutes, which I had no idea if I could really do, my decent run goal of 42:30, and my last resort goal of 45 minutes.

Mile 1: I went out at what I thought was a pace between 8 and 8:30 and felt OK. When I hit the lap button, it read 8:18. Not too bad for where I was hoping to be.

Mile 2: Just trying to keep the pace and assessing whether I would be able to hold it for another 3 miles. This is also where I went for the short sleeves and blinded everyone around me. Pace: 8:22 Still doing OK.

Mile 3: They had us go around a little loop before heading back. I contemplated whether I really needed to stop for water, but I ended up doing it. I also had to stop dead in my tracks when a volunteer stepped right in front of me. Time: 8:43 - not great, but expected.

Mile 4: I have no idea what happened here. I thought I was pushing it, but the clock read otherwise: 8:42.

Mile 5: I started kicking it with a mile left. "Just like training, just like intervals," I kept telling myself. One after one I was passing people. I heard Steve cheering for me at the finish line, "Go Sarah, way to go Sarah!" Somehow It did not surprise me that he had managed to hijack the microphone. I hit my watch one last time: 7:24.

Something tells me I probably should have run the first 4 miles a little faster, but it's all part of racing again. Total time was 41:28, right between goals 1 and 2. Place was 545 out of 1033, so I didn't quite make the top half. There was some really tough competition there though, so I don't feel to bad about it. I had a great time and hope to do it again next year!

Does This Workout Make My Butt Look Big?

So, first, an update: the past month has looked something like this: work, family time, squeeze in a workout, repeat. Work is still crazy. The hospital is busting at the seams with no end in sight. But alas, wrestling season is over, our new nephew has officially been dedicated at church, birthdays have been celebrated, and a good time was had by all. Well, almost all.

Our wrestling team didn't make it past the Goliath that is JCC, and neither did any other team in our class for that matter. After winning our section, they creamed everyone at the state meet. My little brother Mike won the section meet in his weight class (215), and I am so proud of him. He lost in the first round at state, though, in a match he should have easily had. It just wasn't his day. Seeing his face after that match was heartbreaking. On the flip side, his buddy Jake won the gold at state for the 140 pounders, and it was so much fun to see him and a lot of other kids we've watched over the years finish out their high school careers on the mat. I'm slowly getting over the withdrawl.

Marathon training started last week, which reminds me, I should probably get to those 1200s I'm scheduled to do tonight. We found a 3 day a week running program called the FIRST program. It'll be a good one for me for several reasons. It'll make me get more out of my runs, which admittedly I've not been doing the past few years. It will hopefully make me faster, and it leaves plenty of room for tri training. One run per week is intervals, one is tempo, and the long run is supposed to be at a pretty good clip too. No fluffy runs. The past few years have been really busy with a wedding, rotations, residency, and Ironman(s). My runs were spent getting in miles of any quality. Hopefully that will be changing this year.

I took my measurements before I started back to base training this year. Two months later, I've lost an inch in my waist and gained nearly an inch in the hips (read: booty). I guess the extra speedwork combined with the spinning workouts at the Y are shifting the proportions around a little!

We're finally warming up! Thirties to fifties this week, and the shorts are back out. YAHOOOOOO!!