I have been absent from blog land again for almost a month. As I have said before Facebook is so much easier and people get to see (what you think are ) your daily highlights. I have also been avioding blogging a little bit as well. There is nothing that fantastic to report even though my life has drastically changed.
January 1 I started a new job. The job overall is great. It is low stress, 32 hours a week, and only about a 15 minute drive from home (10 minutes on a good day). I get my car parked for me in a heated garage (I don't even use the garage at home because it is not big enough for the mini-van)! The van has been acting weird lately. When it first turns on, it takes a few tries to get it into gear. Then it died one day on an on-ramp from 394 to 169. Luckily it started right back up again! It is an older car (1999), but we are not in a position to go out a buy a new one, especially with how dirty it gets from the kids, dog, and everything else. Mike thinks it is the transmition fluid and the cold, so I should probably call to get it changed.
I have had 3 full weeks of work now. I definitely charish the time with the girls now. I try to get in by 8 and leave by 3, so we have the whole afternoon to play. I still get 5-6 hours a day with them. I do miss the down time when they are napping/resting, which may explain why I am so tired ALL THE TIME! I also try to get my workouts in in the morning, so I am up by 4:30. Mike usually takes the girls in to daycare, so he is working later now as well. Weekends have really turned into family time. Honestly it is not the kids that I miss. I still get to do a lot with them. I miss the freedom I had working out. I know that is selfish. I make the time now, it is just not as realxed when I need to pack for the gym the night before and get ready for work at the gym. There is not time for the steamroom or no time for extended stretching. It is a bit overwhelming. I took for granted last summer where I swam just about every morning. got home, made some coffee and stayed in my sweats until 11 or noon! I am looking towards the next few months and thinking where am I going to find the time for the 6 hour rides or the 3 hour runs? I know it takes discipline, something I did not need last summer because I saw my kids 24/7. There were literally the 15 hours a week I did my workouts where I was away from them. I did not feel quilty about leaving them for 7 hours. I did not have to get up at 6am for a long ride. I got up at 8, ate breakfast and started riding/running around noon. I think this is where my love for the sport of triathlon is dwindling. I am really not prepared to put the effort in right now. I read all these blogs where people's seasons are going so great. Mine is not. So, I am trying to roll with the punches. Trying to do what makes me happy. Trying to do what feels right right now. I can still do an Ironman in September. I started training last year in mid-April. I will not be top in my age group, but there still is a good chance I will do better than last year. I love Ironman, because I love training for it. I figured out that I LOVE training with people. I love group classes. I love going to masters because there are people there. So, in this new phase in my life, I am going to workout how I want to workout. If the swimming, biking and running do not come along as planned, I am not going to worry. If I need a few years break from doing Ironman again, I will still go watch and cheer the people on who cheered me on last year.
On a happier note, we are actually saving a lot of money. Even though daycare is costing us over $400/week, our credit card bill was about $1000 less this month. I guess I went to Target a little more than I thought I did! We are now thinking we may tear our house down in Saint Louis Park and build a new one. We also may try to sell and move out to the suburbs because the prices are coming down to a realistic level!!
Mike hooked up the Wii to the internet last night so if anyone wants to play let me know!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, December 29, 2008
Where did the time go?
All of a sudden it is almost 2009. Another year gone by. The past few months have been a whirlwind in the Collins house. The holidays seemed to suck up all of November and December. Emma turned 4 November 20th, there was Thanksgiving where Ellie broke her arm, and all of December was spent doing Christmas activities. I am so spent on Christmas. I am so sick of it that I took my tree down and all decorations yesterday. The only sign of Christmas is all the extra toys cluttering my house. I did get some really nice presents. My mom bought all of my wish list items on skirtsports.com (at one point everything on that website was 60% off so I got a lot more than I normally would have). From my inlaws I got the garmin forerunner 305. I am ready to try it except there is a layer of ice on just about every outside surface around my house.
So, I am all set up for my New Year's resolutions. I want to make 2009 a year of positive change. I still have about 20 pounds to lose before I am at pre-baby weight (keep in mind my "babies" are 4 and almost 3). I got some great tips from Marni Rakes and have been using them on and off. I wish I had more will power over the holidays, but at least I did not gain anything over the last few months!! Rather than focus on weight loss, my resolution is going to focus on a healthier me - more fruits, more veggies, more lean meats. Along with that is working out. With all that has happened with the stock market, trying to save for a down payment on a house, paying over $400 a week for daycare starting in a week, a broken windshield, and a medical bill for a little girl's broken arm there is no room to pay a coach. So, I am going on my own. I am not sure how much I will race this summer (I love training so much more), but I will still do IM.
That brings me to my next point. Resolutions are too long in nature which is why people cannot keep them. So, I have decided to make month resolutions. They may be the same as the prior month, but I think the evaluation is needed.
For the next month I am going to see how I handle training, a new job and my family. When I wasn't working I did not worry if I was gone at night because I saw my kids all day. Luckily I am only working 32 hours a week so if I play my cards right I will not be missing that much time with them.
Here is the plan for January:
1. Healthier eating - get back on Marni's plan.
2. Train how I want to train. I am not feeling the love for triathlon right now. I love spinning, but have no desire to get on my bike. I love the tempos runs I have been doing. I am not loving the swimming. So, my plan is swim very little and replace that with some high intensity weight training. I will not worry about "missing" a workout. I want triathlon to be something fun and something positive to show my girls. I wish I had the competitive spirit on me right now, but stressing out about is the worst thing I can do.
3. Make the time I now have with my kids and husband quality time.
So, I am all set up for my New Year's resolutions. I want to make 2009 a year of positive change. I still have about 20 pounds to lose before I am at pre-baby weight (keep in mind my "babies" are 4 and almost 3). I got some great tips from Marni Rakes and have been using them on and off. I wish I had more will power over the holidays, but at least I did not gain anything over the last few months!! Rather than focus on weight loss, my resolution is going to focus on a healthier me - more fruits, more veggies, more lean meats. Along with that is working out. With all that has happened with the stock market, trying to save for a down payment on a house, paying over $400 a week for daycare starting in a week, a broken windshield, and a medical bill for a little girl's broken arm there is no room to pay a coach. So, I am going on my own. I am not sure how much I will race this summer (I love training so much more), but I will still do IM.
That brings me to my next point. Resolutions are too long in nature which is why people cannot keep them. So, I have decided to make month resolutions. They may be the same as the prior month, but I think the evaluation is needed.
For the next month I am going to see how I handle training, a new job and my family. When I wasn't working I did not worry if I was gone at night because I saw my kids all day. Luckily I am only working 32 hours a week so if I play my cards right I will not be missing that much time with them.
Here is the plan for January:
1. Healthier eating - get back on Marni's plan.
2. Train how I want to train. I am not feeling the love for triathlon right now. I love spinning, but have no desire to get on my bike. I love the tempos runs I have been doing. I am not loving the swimming. So, my plan is swim very little and replace that with some high intensity weight training. I will not worry about "missing" a workout. I want triathlon to be something fun and something positive to show my girls. I wish I had the competitive spirit on me right now, but stressing out about is the worst thing I can do.
3. Make the time I now have with my kids and husband quality time.
Monday, October 27, 2008
I am part of the trend...
It seems like everyone is slacking on their blogging lately. I, like most people, have gotten addicted to Facebook instead. When I was in business school in 2003 the big thing was IMing. Everyone had msn messanger and since all of us were required to have a laptop in a classroom with wireless Internet, that is all we did! Now I find myself looking at Facebook at least once an hour. I still don't know how to do anything besides upload photos!
I still have not made it to masters, but I will sometime soon. I have my oldest (almost 4 years) in a swim school and she is learning front crawl and the breathing that goes with it right now. She has been in lessons almost 4 weeks and has made huge strides. My other one will join her starting on Wed. I highly recommend this place. It is really pricey but well worth it ( www.marthaburns.com ) if you are in the twin cities. With the girls in preschool 2 times a week, I get 2 hours in the normal part of the day to workout. I love it. I don't feel rushed and use the steam room just about every time I am there.
I am starting to think about 2009 races. I got an email about a half in Madison in June that I may do. For any of you looking for an IM WI spot, the top male and female get a free spot in 2009 or 2010. I finally can start running again! My foot feels healed and I have been itching to get out and enjoy the beautiful fall colors. I still have not bought the race wheels. Mike has decided to put all of our extra money into the stock market with hopes for big gains in a few years. I am not even sure we'll be able to afford me getting a coach this year. Thankfully I have all my workouts printed out from last year and can make some minor adjustments to those.
Hopefully I'll keep this updated more often! Happy Fall!
I still have not made it to masters, but I will sometime soon. I have my oldest (almost 4 years) in a swim school and she is learning front crawl and the breathing that goes with it right now. She has been in lessons almost 4 weeks and has made huge strides. My other one will join her starting on Wed. I highly recommend this place. It is really pricey but well worth it ( www.marthaburns.com ) if you are in the twin cities. With the girls in preschool 2 times a week, I get 2 hours in the normal part of the day to workout. I love it. I don't feel rushed and use the steam room just about every time I am there.
I am starting to think about 2009 races. I got an email about a half in Madison in June that I may do. For any of you looking for an IM WI spot, the top male and female get a free spot in 2009 or 2010. I finally can start running again! My foot feels healed and I have been itching to get out and enjoy the beautiful fall colors. I still have not bought the race wheels. Mike has decided to put all of our extra money into the stock market with hopes for big gains in a few years. I am not even sure we'll be able to afford me getting a coach this year. Thankfully I have all my workouts printed out from last year and can make some minor adjustments to those.
Hopefully I'll keep this updated more often! Happy Fall!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Random Bits
Not much has been happening with the triathlon side of things lately. I am almost recovered from IM WI. I say almost because I found out I got a sprained ankle during the run and it is still a little tender and swollen. I have been sleeping in until a whopping 7:30am. I am beginning to miss masters and the people at masters, but I figure sleep is what I need right now.
As far as keeping myself busy, I have been trying to "winterize" my yard. When Mike and I bought our little house (more on that), I loved all the gardens it had. Now, with kids and training I just don't have time to keep up with them. So besides cutting back tons of flowers and pruning bushes I am also weeding weeds that are 3 feet tall!
Mike and I have also talked about moving. The problem is where. Our house is just too small for 4 of us - 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 650 sq ft. It was fine when it was just the 2 of us, but someone always has to use the bathroom when someone else is in it! So, we were thinking Maple Grove. However that is a little far for me to go to masters in the morning and back. We looked in Chaska, but that is way too far for Mike to drive downtown and will probably be far for me to drive when I eventually go back to work in a far years. I think I have it narrowed down to Shakopee, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins and Saint Louis Park. We do love the proximity to downtown, but the houses are old and we don't like the floorplans. We probably wouldn't put our house on the market until spring which is a bummer - there is no privacy in this house!
I have been debating about a pair of Zipp 404's that are on craigslist. I would like a set of race wheels, but was hoping for the 303's. Since I have 650cc wheels, there are not as many options for race wheels. Mike initially said at the middle of the summer I could maybe get a new bike. However, he now wants me do get better at running before we invest too much more in the sport. I can see where he is coming from and there is nothing wrong with my 2003 Cervelo. I know if I wait too long, someone will buy them. Maybe I will test them out this weekend.
I have been enjoying more quality time with family. However, I have found that I really did not miss all the much being gone on the weekends. I think my guilt over that will be almost gone by next tri season.
As far as keeping myself busy, I have been trying to "winterize" my yard. When Mike and I bought our little house (more on that), I loved all the gardens it had. Now, with kids and training I just don't have time to keep up with them. So besides cutting back tons of flowers and pruning bushes I am also weeding weeds that are 3 feet tall!
Mike and I have also talked about moving. The problem is where. Our house is just too small for 4 of us - 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 650 sq ft. It was fine when it was just the 2 of us, but someone always has to use the bathroom when someone else is in it! So, we were thinking Maple Grove. However that is a little far for me to go to masters in the morning and back. We looked in Chaska, but that is way too far for Mike to drive downtown and will probably be far for me to drive when I eventually go back to work in a far years. I think I have it narrowed down to Shakopee, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins and Saint Louis Park. We do love the proximity to downtown, but the houses are old and we don't like the floorplans. We probably wouldn't put our house on the market until spring which is a bummer - there is no privacy in this house!
I have been debating about a pair of Zipp 404's that are on craigslist. I would like a set of race wheels, but was hoping for the 303's. Since I have 650cc wheels, there are not as many options for race wheels. Mike initially said at the middle of the summer I could maybe get a new bike. However, he now wants me do get better at running before we invest too much more in the sport. I can see where he is coming from and there is nothing wrong with my 2003 Cervelo. I know if I wait too long, someone will buy them. Maybe I will test them out this weekend.
I have been enjoying more quality time with family. However, I have found that I really did not miss all the much being gone on the weekends. I think my guilt over that will be almost gone by next tri season.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
IMOO 2009 is now official!
I signed up for IM WI 2009 a few minutes ago. I almost didn't do it. Mike is getting a new job with a crap load of more hours and won't be able to help out as much. I talked with my family and I will be doing it with their help as well as an occasional babysitter! The other reason I did not want to do it was this picture I took this past weekend. We were taking the boat out of my in-laws lake. It was raining, windy and 55 degrees. Last weekend's weather almost scared me into doing Louisville!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Short Term Goals
I know it has not even been a week since IMOO, but I am getting antsy. I need something to work towards, even if it is not racing. So, I have a few goals that will get me through the end of 2008.
1. Hit the weights. I would like a little more power in the legs and a little more upper body strength will not hurt for swimming!
2. Strengthen my lower back, core, and ankles. My back is what hurt the most on the bike and my ankles on the run.
3. Lose that last 15 pounds of body fat. I only raced one season for one race in 2003, but I was 15 pounds lighter and it was so much easier to run (the race I did, I ran 7:30min/mile, much better than now).
4. Start running again by October.
I still plan on swimming a few times a week and biking when I can. My trainer broke at the end of this summer, so I will need to get another one of those...
I am fortunate to have 2 days a week for 2.5 hours when my girls are in preschool to workout. At least on those days, I don't have to get up early!
1. Hit the weights. I would like a little more power in the legs and a little more upper body strength will not hurt for swimming!
2. Strengthen my lower back, core, and ankles. My back is what hurt the most on the bike and my ankles on the run.
3. Lose that last 15 pounds of body fat. I only raced one season for one race in 2003, but I was 15 pounds lighter and it was so much easier to run (the race I did, I ran 7:30min/mile, much better than now).
4. Start running again by October.
I still plan on swimming a few times a week and biking when I can. My trainer broke at the end of this summer, so I will need to get another one of those...
I am fortunate to have 2 days a week for 2.5 hours when my girls are in preschool to workout. At least on those days, I don't have to get up early!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Ironman WI weekend
Where to begin....
I arrived in Madison Friday afternoon to get registered. It wasn't as busy as I expected it to be. Maybe I am just used to the traffic in the Twin Cities. The line for registering was also really fast. They had you walk about a mile to get through everything. As I was walking down the stairs to get weighed (which I was surprisingly happy about especially since everyone was saying the scale was weighing heavy) I saw the Lake and the buoys and immediately it felt real. It was overwhelming actually. Most of the weekend was spent holding myself together so people didn't think I was crazy! I did a little shopping since the weather was supposed to be cooler and bought some arm warmers, flasks for my gels and salt tabs and a jacket. I am so glad I finished or else that jacked would never be worn!
Saturday was spent getting my bags and bike ready. Nick and I went for a swim on Saturday morning and saw Mark and Katie. Apparently they had not been home all night! They had spent the night drinking in my college town, I am so jealous! They looked pretty good too for being out all night! The water was much nicer and cleaner than it was at camp. I think it took us longer to get ready and walk over there then we spent in the water! I relaxed most of Saturday afternoon and went out for a pasta dinner on Saturday night. I did not sleep much on Saturday and woke up at 3:30 Sunday morning.
Race Day.... I got all my stuff together and Mike and I met Nick in the lobby. It was so nice having someone to talk to in the morning. It calmed me down a little bit. We dropped off our special needs bags and went to our bikes. I got to my bike and pumped up my front tire (actually Shelley's Zipp 303's) and tried pumping up the back. The back tire was firm but was not taking air. Nick came down to my bike rack and tried and could not do it either. He said the tire was firm and not to worry. I really wanted to believe him because he is very knowledgeable about bikes, but I was freaking out in the back of my head. We dropped some more things off and I told Nick I was still unsure so he went with me to find the mechanic. The mechanic had a special pump and air got in and everything was fine. I am so glad I did that though because I would have been freaking out all of the bike portion of the race if I hadn't.
I sat around a little inside and then got my wetsuit on. We walked down the helix and I saw Kim. As soon as I saw her I started crying. Both of us were so emotional. The atmosphere was amazing. There were so many people there, the music was good, and the weather was perfect. There was not a cloud in the sky. The weather kept saying all week that there would be rain and thunderstorms. We got in the water about 6:45. It is super easy to tread water with a wetsuit on! The pros went off at 6:50 and those last 10 minutes until 7 went super fast.
The canon went off and I took a deep breath to relax and got on my way. It was so crowded and I was near the front. Luckily I did not get hit, but I did kick a few people (not on purpose!). The swim was everything I wanted it to be. I did the breathing I had "developed" this past summer. For some reason I tried a 3-2-2 breathing patter and it stuck. I just really focused on how I was feeling and tried to stick to my line. I am fortunate that I am really good at sighting and staying on the path I start on. It was really annoying to be with people who kept zig zagging around the course. After the first loop things started thinning out a bit. I drafted off people on and off. I think the best draft I got was off of the start. So many people started out way too fast, but that was good for me for drafting. I did a light kick for most of the swim and before I knew it the 2 laps were done! One of the funnest part of the race was getting my wetsuit taken off. You lay down and a volunteer just rips it off! One of the best parts of the race for me was next. The helix (parking ramp turnaround) was lined with people cheering! I didn't even realize I was running in a wet swimsuit in 60 degree weather. My swim was 1 hour 3 minutes.
The transitions were another nice thing. I had someone help me get wet clothes off and into my bike gear. I cannot say how thankful I am to the volunteers out there. They were always nice and it was a long day for them too! I hit the port-a-potty before getting my bike and was off down the other side on the other helix.
I took the 15 miles out to the beginning of the first loop pretty easy. I ate a cliff bar and had some water on the way out to refuel. I am so glad I bought the arm warmers. Once you get out past Madison it is basically all rolling hills. The Zipps and the cassette from Julie helped out a lot. The last time I did this course I had a really hard time. Maybe it was because I had done a half ironman the week before, but I also think it was because my cassette was a 23 and really dirty and the wheels I train on are not designed with hills in mind. I felt good the whole bike. I did not push it at all. The 2 large hills were not a problem either. I think I was in the saddle the whole time for both of them on both of the loops. The people on the big hills helped a lot. There was this guy on Old Sauk Pass that was beating a drum which helped some too. I saw coaches Kris and John on that hill as well and Mike on the hill immediately following it. It was nice seeing familiar faces. I kept true to my nutrition, kept hydrated and stayed relaxed. On the end of my last loop in Verona, I saw my family. The girls, my sister, Mike and my parents were there. The last 15 miles from Verona back to Madison went by pretty fast too. My lower back started hurting so I stood a few times, but nothing else went wrong. I do think I went a little too easy on the bike. I felt like my heart rate was never really that high, but I wanted to save something for my run. Unfortunately that did not matter....
I got up the helix and gave my bike to a volunteer and went inside to T2. My bike was 6 hours 43 minutes. I had another volunteer helping me again and before I knew it I was out the door. Another pit stop in the port-a potty (thank goodness every one I went in was pretty clean) and I was off for the marathon. I walked up the little hill out of T2 because my head felt a little foggy. I started running shortly after that, but my head was still pretty bad. I ran to about mile 3 or 4 then walked for awhile to see if the fogginess and dizziness would go away. At the aid station I got some water and gels and took some salt tabs thinking that would help. As the marathon progressed, my dizziness got bad then got a little better on and off, but never went away. I started the coke and bananas almost right away to see if that would help. I know I wasn't dehydrated because I was still peeing. I am not sure what went wrong on the run, but will figure it out soon. I loved the run course though. It was flat with one big hill that you did twice because it was a 2 loop course. I think I ran past every place I lived in Madison, which is pretty amazing since I lived in 5 different places in my 5 years there! I could take my mind off of things for awhile and remember different things that happened in the places I was running. It was really neat to run in the stadium and especially cool to run on State Street. There was an SCS/Gearwest crowd on State Street as well as the Ferris family (friends I worked with in the days I was an actuary). My family was also here and there on the run course. When I had about 4 miles to go I saw Kris (a gal I had met recently on some group bikes). I thought for sure she had passed me sooner but she had some electrolyte issues in the beginning of the run. I also saw Mark, Katie and coach John. They were troopers. I wanted to steal Katie's bike and ride it for a mile to get home sooner. With about a mile to go, it started raining. Thankfully it only rained for about 5 minutes. I am hoping in my finish picture it looks like I am sweating instead! I ran the last half mile up State Street and around the Capital to make sure I came in before the 14 and a half hour mark! The run was bad, 6 hours 20 minutes, but I finished. My family and some friends watched the finish on the computer feed online.
I was pretty tired Sunday night, but couldn't fall asleep. I had a burger and a beer and watched TV for the rest of the night. Monday I went for my massage at 8am. I wish I would have taken my camera because the line of people wanting to sign up for next year was already pretty long. Poor people had to stand in the rain too! Thank goodness the rain held off for a day!
Finally, thanks to all of you who supported me throughout the season and at the race. I met a lot of nice friends this summer and would not trade this summer for anything. Mike and the girls now have be back for the weekends! Well, they have me back until the training gets heavy again for next year!
I will be back next year, I have already decided!
I arrived in Madison Friday afternoon to get registered. It wasn't as busy as I expected it to be. Maybe I am just used to the traffic in the Twin Cities. The line for registering was also really fast. They had you walk about a mile to get through everything. As I was walking down the stairs to get weighed (which I was surprisingly happy about especially since everyone was saying the scale was weighing heavy) I saw the Lake and the buoys and immediately it felt real. It was overwhelming actually. Most of the weekend was spent holding myself together so people didn't think I was crazy! I did a little shopping since the weather was supposed to be cooler and bought some arm warmers, flasks for my gels and salt tabs and a jacket. I am so glad I finished or else that jacked would never be worn!
Saturday was spent getting my bags and bike ready. Nick and I went for a swim on Saturday morning and saw Mark and Katie. Apparently they had not been home all night! They had spent the night drinking in my college town, I am so jealous! They looked pretty good too for being out all night! The water was much nicer and cleaner than it was at camp. I think it took us longer to get ready and walk over there then we spent in the water! I relaxed most of Saturday afternoon and went out for a pasta dinner on Saturday night. I did not sleep much on Saturday and woke up at 3:30 Sunday morning.
Race Day.... I got all my stuff together and Mike and I met Nick in the lobby. It was so nice having someone to talk to in the morning. It calmed me down a little bit. We dropped off our special needs bags and went to our bikes. I got to my bike and pumped up my front tire (actually Shelley's Zipp 303's) and tried pumping up the back. The back tire was firm but was not taking air. Nick came down to my bike rack and tried and could not do it either. He said the tire was firm and not to worry. I really wanted to believe him because he is very knowledgeable about bikes, but I was freaking out in the back of my head. We dropped some more things off and I told Nick I was still unsure so he went with me to find the mechanic. The mechanic had a special pump and air got in and everything was fine. I am so glad I did that though because I would have been freaking out all of the bike portion of the race if I hadn't.
I sat around a little inside and then got my wetsuit on. We walked down the helix and I saw Kim. As soon as I saw her I started crying. Both of us were so emotional. The atmosphere was amazing. There were so many people there, the music was good, and the weather was perfect. There was not a cloud in the sky. The weather kept saying all week that there would be rain and thunderstorms. We got in the water about 6:45. It is super easy to tread water with a wetsuit on! The pros went off at 6:50 and those last 10 minutes until 7 went super fast.
The canon went off and I took a deep breath to relax and got on my way. It was so crowded and I was near the front. Luckily I did not get hit, but I did kick a few people (not on purpose!). The swim was everything I wanted it to be. I did the breathing I had "developed" this past summer. For some reason I tried a 3-2-2 breathing patter and it stuck. I just really focused on how I was feeling and tried to stick to my line. I am fortunate that I am really good at sighting and staying on the path I start on. It was really annoying to be with people who kept zig zagging around the course. After the first loop things started thinning out a bit. I drafted off people on and off. I think the best draft I got was off of the start. So many people started out way too fast, but that was good for me for drafting. I did a light kick for most of the swim and before I knew it the 2 laps were done! One of the funnest part of the race was getting my wetsuit taken off. You lay down and a volunteer just rips it off! One of the best parts of the race for me was next. The helix (parking ramp turnaround) was lined with people cheering! I didn't even realize I was running in a wet swimsuit in 60 degree weather. My swim was 1 hour 3 minutes.
The transitions were another nice thing. I had someone help me get wet clothes off and into my bike gear. I cannot say how thankful I am to the volunteers out there. They were always nice and it was a long day for them too! I hit the port-a-potty before getting my bike and was off down the other side on the other helix.
I took the 15 miles out to the beginning of the first loop pretty easy. I ate a cliff bar and had some water on the way out to refuel. I am so glad I bought the arm warmers. Once you get out past Madison it is basically all rolling hills. The Zipps and the cassette from Julie helped out a lot. The last time I did this course I had a really hard time. Maybe it was because I had done a half ironman the week before, but I also think it was because my cassette was a 23 and really dirty and the wheels I train on are not designed with hills in mind. I felt good the whole bike. I did not push it at all. The 2 large hills were not a problem either. I think I was in the saddle the whole time for both of them on both of the loops. The people on the big hills helped a lot. There was this guy on Old Sauk Pass that was beating a drum which helped some too. I saw coaches Kris and John on that hill as well and Mike on the hill immediately following it. It was nice seeing familiar faces. I kept true to my nutrition, kept hydrated and stayed relaxed. On the end of my last loop in Verona, I saw my family. The girls, my sister, Mike and my parents were there. The last 15 miles from Verona back to Madison went by pretty fast too. My lower back started hurting so I stood a few times, but nothing else went wrong. I do think I went a little too easy on the bike. I felt like my heart rate was never really that high, but I wanted to save something for my run. Unfortunately that did not matter....
I got up the helix and gave my bike to a volunteer and went inside to T2. My bike was 6 hours 43 minutes. I had another volunteer helping me again and before I knew it I was out the door. Another pit stop in the port-a potty (thank goodness every one I went in was pretty clean) and I was off for the marathon. I walked up the little hill out of T2 because my head felt a little foggy. I started running shortly after that, but my head was still pretty bad. I ran to about mile 3 or 4 then walked for awhile to see if the fogginess and dizziness would go away. At the aid station I got some water and gels and took some salt tabs thinking that would help. As the marathon progressed, my dizziness got bad then got a little better on and off, but never went away. I started the coke and bananas almost right away to see if that would help. I know I wasn't dehydrated because I was still peeing. I am not sure what went wrong on the run, but will figure it out soon. I loved the run course though. It was flat with one big hill that you did twice because it was a 2 loop course. I think I ran past every place I lived in Madison, which is pretty amazing since I lived in 5 different places in my 5 years there! I could take my mind off of things for awhile and remember different things that happened in the places I was running. It was really neat to run in the stadium and especially cool to run on State Street. There was an SCS/Gearwest crowd on State Street as well as the Ferris family (friends I worked with in the days I was an actuary). My family was also here and there on the run course. When I had about 4 miles to go I saw Kris (a gal I had met recently on some group bikes). I thought for sure she had passed me sooner but she had some electrolyte issues in the beginning of the run. I also saw Mark, Katie and coach John. They were troopers. I wanted to steal Katie's bike and ride it for a mile to get home sooner. With about a mile to go, it started raining. Thankfully it only rained for about 5 minutes. I am hoping in my finish picture it looks like I am sweating instead! I ran the last half mile up State Street and around the Capital to make sure I came in before the 14 and a half hour mark! The run was bad, 6 hours 20 minutes, but I finished. My family and some friends watched the finish on the computer feed online.
I was pretty tired Sunday night, but couldn't fall asleep. I had a burger and a beer and watched TV for the rest of the night. Monday I went for my massage at 8am. I wish I would have taken my camera because the line of people wanting to sign up for next year was already pretty long. Poor people had to stand in the rain too! Thank goodness the rain held off for a day!
Finally, thanks to all of you who supported me throughout the season and at the race. I met a lot of nice friends this summer and would not trade this summer for anything. Mike and the girls now have be back for the weekends! Well, they have me back until the training gets heavy again for next year!
I will be back next year, I have already decided!
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