Venus De Miles Ride Recap

"Give a man a fish and feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.  Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring."- Desmond Tutu

Sorry the logo doesn't show up very well.

 Yesterday, I participated in the inaugural Venus de Miles ride in Lake Forest.  It is an all-women's ride that supports Greenhouse Scholars, which provides comprehensive personal and financial support to high-performing, under-resourced college students, both men and women.  

Two fears were conquered yesterday.  One- this fear is always present- the fear of bike riding on the road.  I absolutely HATE riding on the roads.  Mostly because of the drivers in this area are not very bicycle friendly.  Usually this time of year, a couple of cyclists will get run over.  I just don't want to be one of them.  I refuse to go for a bike ride by myself for fear that I will get run over and then be lying almost dead in a ditch with nobody stopping to help me.  I am trying to get the courage up to go on a 30-mile ride this year by myself...I don't know if that will happen or not.  

My second fear is doing events by myself.  After I rode to the start of the ride, I realized that this fear was going to quickly disappear.  Like most all-women's events, this event was very inclusive and supportive.  I had no problems finding women to talk to and to ride with.  There were all kinds of women at this event- there was even a 75-year old professional cyclist!  Yes, she blew right past me like I was standing still on the bike.  I was inspired that I have another 30 years to improve on the bike!

It wasn't a competitive ride and all levels of riders participated.  There were fancy triathlon bikes to  mountain bikes to coaster bikes.  The route was well marked and there were plenty of route sheets to go around.  The rest stops had many clear port-o-potties and plenty of great, nutritious food provided by Whole Foods.  All in all a great time was had by all.  I plan to sign up for next year- which takes place on Sunday, July 28, 2013.  To all of my women friends, you might want to check this out next year!

Questions to you:

1) Where do you find groups to ride with that are beginner/intermediate level?

2) Where do you find safe places to ride?  Word of mouth? Internet?

Thanks!

Now What?!

"First you write down your goal; your second job is to break down your goal into a series of steps, beginning with the steps that are absurdly easy." Fizhugh Dodson

Arc De Triomphe photo taken in May in honor of the Tour De France finish!

Now that the 1/2 Ironman is over, it is time for some deserved rest and fun workouts.  I have filled my fall schedule with fun bike rides and some 1/2 marathons to maintain this level of fitness that I worked so hard to attain.  

Fun things that are planned in the next couple of months are:

Venus De Miles Bike Ride this coming Sunday in Lake Forest.  It is my first 61 mile bike ride and I am looking forward to the route.  I will report on the ride in next Monday's Blog.

The next adventure is the Dairyland Dare- Grand Fondo Wisconsin on Saturday, August 11th.  I am only going to do the 30-mile route.  It is a very hilly course!

In September, I switch back over to running and am signed up to run the inaugural Brewers Mini Marathon on Saturday, September 22nd.  

The next day, Sunday, September 23rd, I am planning on riding the North Shore Century. I don't know what mileage I will be doing- it depends on the weather.

I am rounding out the season with a final 1/2 marathon on October 21st with the Detroit Half Marathon.   

One thing I learned about triathlon season this year- do more than one triathlon!  I really wished I could have done a sprint or another Olympic.  Next year, I will do a variety of distances for the triathlon instead of pinning everything on one race.  I love triathlons!

I am already starting to think about next year's races.  I would love doing a marathon in the spring and am planning on running my 13th consecutive Indy Mini Marathon.  I will start plotting and planning this fall for next year's adventures.

3 Questions:

Do you plan your races far in advance, or do you spontaneously sign up for races on what sounds good?

A: I plan out my race season.

Do you like to do local or destination races?

A: I love destination races if the budget allows for it.  Otherwise, I am lucky to live in an area that has a vibrant race scene all year around, so I can race local and save some $$.

What was your funnest race?

I loved running the Goofy challenge at Walt Disney World.  It was a blast and I ran it for fun rather than time.

Racine 1/2 Ironman Race Recap

"Pain is about seeing how strong you are mentally."- Unbekannt

It look an hour of water and a ham sandwich, but I finally manage to smile for a finisher picture.

Yep.  I finished the Racine 1/2 Ironman yesterday.  And it wasn't pretty.  Here are the race nitty gritties:

Swim:

What a wonderful morning for a swim!  The water temperature was 68 degrees and the lake was calm.  It was so clear that you could see the bottom of the lake the entire swim portion.  I had a great swim- it is my favorite part of the race.  My time: 43:22- I'll take it!

Bike:

With the confidence from the swim, I felt good about the bike.  Well, that lasted about 10 miles.  At the transition, there is a nice hill to start you off.  We practiced that hill, so I was ready for it.  The bike was in low gear and I managed to avoid all of the folks who were falling.  Before the bike portion, I took 2 Endurolytes so I wouldn't cramp.  I had two water bottles on the bike so I felt I would be hydrated enough for the ride.  I had a Clif Bar and Clif Blocks for nutrition.  I was going to take a block or a bite of the bar every 7 miles- which I did.  I didn't bonk- amazingly.  The issue was the heat.  There was not a cloud in the sky and a nice furnace heat breeze coming from the south.  The pavement heated up quick and there wasn't much shade on the course.  I quickly realized I needed more hydration.  I finished both water bottles and drank a water bottle from every aid station.  I knew I was going to be in trouble for the run by mile 35.  

Another problem that I encountered was my feet felt like they were on FIRE.  I never had that problem ever on the bike.  I even took my feet out of my shoes for a while to cool them off.  It didn't help.  

Finally, the bike was over-3:48.  It was not a good time and I was disappointed.  The bike portion is something that I will keep working on.  I hate the bike, but that a blog subject for another time.

Run:

I knew this was going to be ugly.  I felt awful.  It was the middle of the day and the temperature was 93 degrees.  I make fun of people who run in the middle of the day.  I mock people who run in 93 degree heat.  This girl gets up at the crack of dawn to avoid the heat to run.  I also don't run fall marathons for this very reason.  I would rather freeze to death on a 20-mile run that do a death march training run in this heat.  At the aid stations, there was water, sports drink, cola, oranges, bananas, pretzels and potato chips.  I would have an orange slice and alternate between water and cola at the aid stations.  There were also sponges soaked in ice water- that was heaven!  This was my WORST 1/2 marathon time EVER: 3:09.  There isn't much to talk about here- it was terrible.

Physical Damage:
I am a bit sore today.  I might go for a shake out run tomorrow, depending on the heat and my sunburn.  I have a horrible sunburn and a lovely heat rash on my legs.  I sunburned on the top of my hands from the bike- weird.  I am chafed on the bum- my tri shorts aren't the best and I was expecting this.  Body Glide failed here.  Other than that, I have no blisters or scrapes.  I will survive to race another day.

Race Overall:

This was a very well run race.  The volunteers and support from the Racine community was bar none!  Thank you to those who had there sprinklers on for us.

Support:
Thank you to all of my friends and training buddies for coming out and cheering me on!  You don't know how much that means to me.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I can't wait to return the favor.

Final Thoughts:
Will I do another 1/2 Ironman?  That is to be determined.  I won't be doing one next year.  I want to focus on the Olympic distance and really improve on the bike before I try the 1/2 Ironman distance again.

3 Questions:

1) Would you do a 1/2 Ironman or Ironman Relay?
Yes I would.  I wouldn't mind doing the swim portion or the run.

2) Which do you like more, triathlons or running races?
I am starting to like triathlons more than running races, but I will continue to do both.

3) What was your post-race celebration dinner?
Since Chris and I lead a mostly vegetarian diet, we rarely eat pork or beef.  I splurged after the race with a ham sandwich rather than a veggie sandwich and for dinner we had steak, baked potato, salad and for dessert- lemon pie!  The steak was paired with a Robert Young Scion.

3 Things I am grateful for:

1) The support of my friends, family and training buddies on this journey!
2) That I didn't die yesterday, when I really felt like I would.
3) Last night's dinner- what a splurge!

Tri Training Recap

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. That surrender, even the smallest act of giving up, stays with me. So when I feel like quitting, I ask myself, which would I rather live with?"- Lance Armstrong

I have been thinking about this quote a lot lately.  Next Sunday is Racine 1/2 Ironman.  I have been training for this thing for over 6 months.  It all comes down to this one day.  This is the only triathlon I signed up for this year. In all of the races that I have trained for, this one I have practiced the most.  My triathlon training group even went to Racine TWICE to train for the swim, bike and run.   I never did that for a marathon.  I usually experience the course on race day- it is part of the deal.  


All of the training is done.  Now is a taper.  As you know, I hate taper week.  I get neurotic.  I feel fat.  I start to doubt.  It's all part of the process.


Next week at this time, I am hoping will be submitting my first race report to you.  


Here is this past week's triathlon training log:


Monday: Yoga, 30-minute swim, 10-mile bike
Tuesday: 5-mile run
Wednesday: 75-minute run, 30-minute swim in Racine.  FYI- did you know that Racine has the largest 4th of July parade in the Midwest?  Now you know!
Thursday: Rest day- to darn hot to run.
Friday: 35-mile bike, yoga
Saturday: 6-mile run (death march) in the sweltering heat
Sunday: 50+ mile bike (my Map My Ride App on my iPhone died right at the end), yoga


Questions to you:
1) What is your race mantra?
Mine is: "Attitude, not Aptitude, will determine your Altitude."
2) What do you do during taper week to calm nerves?
I do a LOT of yoga.
3) What is your favorite pre-race dinner?
My favorite pre-race dinner is spagetti with turkey meatballs, side salad with oil and vinegar and a glass of red wine.  The wine helps calm the nerves and gets me sleepy.


Thank you to all of my friends who gave some very good advice regarding my yoga funk.  After Racine, I am going to completely rework my yoga and workout schedule.  I think I have just become bored with the same routine and need to experiment with some different types of yoga and try some new teachers.  


Three things I am grateful for today:
1) The heat is not so oppressive.
2) The husband passed his colonoscopy!  One less thing to worry about...
3) Puppy Kindergarten for Bakon.  

Yoga Uninspired

"In theory, practice and theory are the same.  In practice, they are not."- Yogi Berra

Attempting my best version of King Dancer Pose

I have been practicing yoga since 2004.  On average, I usually attend 3 classes a week.  You would think I would be one of those bendy types, but I am not. No, I still cannot touch my toes, rock out an arm balance or do a handstand in the middle of the room.  I would love to do those things too- I try to every time I practice. I won't do any of those 'fancy' yoga things like Acroyoga either- I'm a sturdy girl, which means I would be the supporter, not the flyer.   Who wants to be that?  Slacklining I would love to try, but let's get real- have you seen any sturdy girls on the slackline?  The answer is no.

As you can see, I have reached a crossroads in my yoga practice.  For the past 6 months, I have been uninspired.  I still go to yoga classes at least 3 times a week, but it's different.  I don't feel at peace.  It hurts to practice.  I am not happy or blissful after a class.  I am just frustrated.  I just go through the motions and breathe, waiting for the spark to start the fire burning once again.  

No, it's not the teachers.  My teachers are wonderful.  They put their heart and soul into class.  They are passionate about the practice of yoga.  It's me.  I'm uninspired.

Three Questions for readers:

1) Have you ever been uninspired with yoga or any sport that you were once passionate about?

2) If so, how did you rekindle the fires of passion?

3) Or, did you change your focus?

I look forward to your comments!

Three things I am grateful for:

1) My new 8-week old goldendoodle puppy Bakon.

2) K9 Playtime for their amazing petsitting service and doggie daycare.  I am glad to be using their services once again!

3) Air conditioning!  Boy, it is hot outside.

Tri Training Recap

"Swim like you're gonna drown, ride like you stole it, run like they're chasing you"- Unknown

This is the only time I will let myself be photographed in a wetsuit.  Notice the strategically placed noodles.  This was taken at last year's Danskin in Pleasant Prairie where I volunteered as a swim angel.

We are getting into the final weeks of training for 1/2 Ironman Racine.  This week I resumed training at my usual intensity after finishing up the antibiotic/steroid regimen to get rid of that nasty sinus infection.  Here is last week's recap of training:
Monday- Yoga (no biking because of high wind warning)
Tuesday- 5-mile run
Wednesday- 1-mile open water swim
Thursday- 5-mile run
Friday- 10-mile run, yoga
Saturday- 30-minute swim
Sunday- Racine dress rehearsal

Sunday, my 1/2 Ironman training buddies and I took a field trip to Racine to get a swim in Lake Michigan and bike part of the course.  We got in 30-miles on the bike.  The course is really nice and rural- the only thing that I am nervous about on the bike is the small hill you need to go up from transition.  After the bike, we took a quick dip in Lake Michigan to get a feel for the water.  And felt the water we did!  The water temperature was 58 degrees!  We attempted to 'swim' but our faces about froze off!  We are going to attempt to get another swim session in on July 4th in Racine.  It's funny; my biggest worry was the bike.  My biggest worry is always the bike.  It's never the swim.  The swim is my strongest leg of the race.  After Sunday, my biggest worry is the swim in Racine because of the water temperature.  I hope I don't freeze to death!

3 Questions:
1)  Why did you start doing triathlons?
I started to get bored with running.  I knew eventually I would injure or burn myself out because all I was doing was running all of the time.  I thought I would mix it up and try triathlons.

2) What distance of triathlons do you like?
Actually, I like all distances-sprints, Olympic and 1/2 Ironman.  I think each distance has something to offer- sort of like the varying distances of running.

3)  What is your favorite running distance?
I really do enjoy running marathons.  Mostly because of all of the crazy people you meet.  Everyone has an interesting story out on the course.  I like how the race reveals itself to you.  At the start you just never know what type of a day you are going to have.  One tiny thing can unravel into a big issue in a marathon- it is how you deal with it that determines what kind of race you are going to have.

It's Hot! Hydrate!

"I got this powdered water and I don't know what to add."- Steven Wright

I love to drink my water out of my new Fiesta Tervas glasses!

It's summertime and today starts a heatwave in the Midwest.  If you are like me, you are in the midst of some heavy-duty training for an upcoming race.  This is where a lot of us get into trouble with training- not hydrating enough and not taking in enough electrolytes.  If not hydrating correctly, you can easily get heat stroke or heat exhaustion.  If not taking in enough electrolytes, you will start cramping.  You do not want to find yourself in either situations, especially out in the middle of nowhere.

I drink a liter of water a day, minimum.  I was trained by my mom to drink water to get clear skin and to keep full during the day when I was in high school. No Cokes for me- I was banned from them because I was a fat kid. The trend continued into college and in my working career.  I am fortunate to love water.  

My funky 1-L Sigg water bottle for work

When training, I stick to water.  I tried Gatorade and HEED with disastrous results- they give me 'runner's trots'.  My usual routine for a long run is to take an Endurolyte tablet before the long run, then pop one every hour of training.  If it is hot outside, like it is today, I will pop 2 tablets before the long run.  During the run, I try to take a sip of water every 15-20 minutes.  If I get thirsty, I know I am getting in trouble.  

Recovery hydration for me is still water.  Chris, my husband, likes to replenish his electrolytes with a can of V8 after a hot run.  Keep sipping that water until your pee is a pale yellow color.  Happy kidneys=Happy you!

Running or swimming, I have a good handle on my hydration.  I run into problems hydrating on the bike.  If anyone has any good suggestions on hydrating on the bike, I would LOVE to hear about it.

Here is to good hydration!

Last Week's Training Log

Monday: Yoga, Open water swimming drills with Training for Tri group

Tuesday: 4-mile run

Wednesday: Regressed on the sinus infection- rest day

Thursday: 4-mile run, yoga

Friday: 27-mile bike, yoga

Saturday: 7-mile run (should have been 9 miles but felt crappy from new antibiotics)

Sunday: 30-mile bike, 60-minute run (still felt crappy but banged it out)

3 things I am grateful for:

1) I am grateful that I got better antibiotics from the doctor on Friday so I can kick this sinus infection to the curb!

2) I am grateful that Chris and I took time for preventative bike maintenance yesterday.

3) I am grateful that there are some awesome strawberries from the Mundelein Farmer's Market. A healthy dessert after dinner!