Dec 31, 2007

last days of 2007

Yesterday I decided to ride my single speed to the west side of I-90 bridge from my house so that I could figure out my bike route to work. I could have taken my road bike but I was in no hurry and did not want to get it dirty since it looked like it would rain so I took the single. It was not the easiest ride to do on a single - it is pretty much rolling hills the entire way. Totally no big deal on my road bike with all its gears but on the single I was standing a lot to climb and I just could not go as fast even on the flatter sections. It took me about an hour to reach the west side on I-90 bridge. I had to take a picture to prove I did it :)
The ride back was pretty low key though I started to see other people out on their bikes. There was one really steep hill in the eastgate area that just plain sucked but otherwise the ride was not to bad. The worst part was my toes froze - I had toe covers but for some reason I did not put toe warmers in and by the time I got home they were ice cubes. I took a really long very hot shower and took a short nap. It was a good day :)

Today Kyle and I went skiing. It is so strange because we have not been free skiing in the last few years and last year we both were just burnt out on it - but both of us were really excited to go up and free ski on our home hill. We both pretty much grew up at Alpental skiing, we met skiing at Alpental, and the first winter we knew each other we spent all our time skiing together there. So It was really fun to go up and just go skiing to have fun. The day was perfect mostly sunny but still cold so the snow was dry (well dry for western washington). My new fat skis have not shown up yet so I skied on my "spoons" (slalom skis with really big tips). Kyle was nice enough to not rub it in that he had his fat skis and skied his new progressors (a cross between a gs and slalom ski).
We did not waste any time on the lower mountain and went straight up to chair 2 - who really needs a warm up lol. There was a bit of a line but nothing to bad (just always go to the far left - it is way faster).
We wound up skiing the top of the mountain most of the day. Kyle found a cliff or two to jump and we skied some of our favorite runs that even at the end of the day still have untracked snow :) Every run made me happy. It felt so good to be on skis again. I was surprised how good my legs felt - the first run my quads were a bit sore from my ride but after that it went away and I felt great.My form was good - I could have been more forward but I had to keep my tips from going under to much - I found my rhythm and had a blast. For our last run we skied all the way down via International and then Felsen.
When I was an instructor I would try and get 2 run tops to bottom non stop in during lunch (good memories). The entrence is always crap but the rest of it was good - really good coverage for this time of year.



I have to say it was really fun to do something that I'm good at - I mean I always feel like I'm so far behind on swim/bike/run stuff but skiing I have done since I was really little and now it is just easy and very natural. Maybe if I'm lucky someday I will feel the same when it comes to triathlon. It is also a nice plus that Kyle and I are pretty much equals at skiing so we can easily ski together - whereas he is much faster than me on a bike or running which makes it hard to train together.
I wore my garmin for fun and just let it run the whole time we skied. My heart rate stays pretty low - good base training - which explains why I always lost so much weight every winter.

In all the last day of 2007 was a Very good day.

2008 goals coming soon - I register for Vineman today :)

Dec 29, 2007

best of 2007

On my run today I was thinking about how much I did and how far I have come in one year. I don't think I would recommend it to anyone but I am proud of what I was able to accomplish in 2007. So to end the year off I though I would recap my favorite experiences, lessons, and of course gear of my year of so much change.

First off I have to say that I was very lucky to have so much support from Kyle who had more confidence in me that I did most days. And of course my family and friends for putting up with me.

I have to give credit where credit is due - I was able to archive so much this year thanks to the help of my great coach Colleen - who pushed me and kept me in check when I needed it. She helped me in so many ways it is hard to even start to explain how thankful I am.

Favorite Experiences/memories/achievements
- Biked over 100 miles and faster than 14 mph ("if that" Kyle says)
- I "loved" the long training rides with the crew esp a 90 mile ride in Eastern Washington after 3 flat tires I still had energy and beat the guys up the last few hills
- Really learned how to swim
- Can run more than 3 miles
- Can run down hills with out pain in my calves
- Ran 2 marathons (1st one in an Ironman, then did the Nike Marathon)
- Finished first half Ironman distance event - Hawaii 70.3
- Finished Ironman Canada in 13:50
- lost 15 lbs :)

Lessons to remember
- I can keep going even if it hurts - Just keep moving
- Salt, gels, and water are very very important
- I can keep up with the group
- Believing you can do something is the most important thing
- It takes a while to recover from events so don't feel bad about still being tired 3 weeks after a race

Favorite gear

- Cervelo R3 Bike - still feels like a race car and loves to climb
- Garmin Forerunner 305 - always know your mileage/time/pace/location so you can just go run and don't have to plan as much
- Anything Sugoi - Fizz tank, Jackie knicker, zap vest, hydrolite jacket, tri shorty shorts, ect - their clothes just fit me, you can use most pieces for both running and biking, and I love the fabrics and colors
- BBB Carbon Race Ribbons Bicycle Handlebar Tape BHT-04 in white - it is super easy to keep clean
- Vittoria Open Corsa EVO CX Tire in white - just looks cool ;)
- Training Peaks - keeps everything in order
- Blueseventy Helix Sleveless wetsuit
- Tri-style changing Skirt - best way to change out of wet bottoms
- Fuel Belt Helium 2 bottle belt - most comfortable belt, does not move
- Speedo spliced swimsuit

Favorite Nutrition stuff (a very personal thing)
- Accelerade Lemonaid with Caffeine
- Accelerade chocolate gels
- Powerbar recovery chocolate shake
- Thermolyte sodium supplement
- Luna Moons Energy Chews-Pomegranate
- Edurox R4 Recovery drink powder Lemon Lime


It is crazy to think that last year I barely knew how to run, bike or swim and now that is all I do (well not really but at least now I sort of know what I'm doing).

I think that covers most of it - if I think of something else I will just add it in later :) Next up will be my 2008 goals...

Dec 26, 2007

holiday fun

I have been doing my best to keep up on my training the last couple of weeks during the holidays. I have been having the hardest time getting time on my bike - mostly because it has been hurting my shoulder to ride my road bike, the weather has been sort of nasty (I'm sure I can come up with a few more excuses lol). I'm planning to start riding in to work more and actually go to spinning class (though Col wants me to get on my bike on the trainer instead) so that should help. I have been good about going to pilates which seems to be helping with my shoulder, posture, and my hip issue. I justify the cost only in that I have not been getting regular massages lately.

As for Christmas we have spent time doing things around the house, and hanging out with family and friends. Kyle got me a very sparkly snowflake necklace that I love - it is sooo me :)


On Christmas day while Kyle and Bryan played with bikes Col and I went snowshoeing up on Snoqualmie pass. We had lots of fun even though the trail was very well traveled. It was wonderful just to be up in the snow.

Today I had a bike fit with Col - with the goal to get it so that my left shoulder does not hurt when I ride. First she did a pt exam on my shoulder and was surprised at how weak my shoulder is. Now I have some more exercises to do to hopefully help build some strength. Then we did the bike fit, moved my seat back and up a bit. Added a shim to my right bike shoe so I'm more on the ball of my bad foot. Then the big change I need to get a 55 stem which is crazy short and will probably have to be special ordered. I'm also looking to switch out from road bars to a flight deck with bar end shifters so the goal this winter is to get my bike fitting perfectly. :) I'm a bit annoyed that I even bothered with the bike fit at SVC when I first bought the bike - it sort of seems like the stem length is something that should have been figured out then and even makes me question if my bike is really the best geometry for me... ahh well we will see what we can do to make it just right :)

Dec 14, 2007

Jingle Bell Run

The Jingle Bell Run was a very very cold morning - I even wore my warmest pair of full leg tights which I never run in. But it felt cold enough to justify the full tights and gloves, hat, jacket - pretty much the works. It was hard leaving the warmth of the car.
I could have sworn when we registered they mentioned to pick up a timing chip on the day of race so we went through Westlake center and asked around but no body knew anything about timing chips - one lady said "well it is a fun run". How does having a timing chip make it less fun. Oh well I had my garmin...
After they did the kids run they had the start for our group the Rudolph's Runners - there were a ton of high school age cross country kids at the front of the line and big groups of people in holiday costumes having fun.

I fallowed Kyle up to start near the front since it was so crowded. I should have done a little warm up but didn't.
The coursed started with an uphill - I took off to fast and spiked my heart rate and lunges with a min or less and it killed me the rest of the climb (first mile was 6:26). Then I spend the next mile trying to maintain a good pace while recovering. At the top of the kill the course goes on to the I5 express lanes which was cool and unique for about a minute then it becomes dark, dreary and boring as it continues for the next 2.5 miles on the freeway. I was really disappointed - I was hoping to run through the city and see the holiday decorations and stuff - serves me right for not really looking at at the course I guess.
Kyle and I saw each other as I was getting close to the turn around point - I think I was only a min or so behind him. As the course exits the tunnel/freeway back into the city streets it started to snow - which I loved. I was also glad to see the finish though my garmin said I was already done with 5k.. oh well I picked up the pace - at least it was all downhill to the finish.
The final distance was 3.28 miles(vs 3.1 for a 5k) and my time was 24:50. Not bad for having tired legs and starting to fast. I don't know if I will be inclided to do it again just because the course is so boring but it is one of those local races you have to do once just to say you have I guess.

Kyle and I after finishing.
I'm not sure why but I look retarded in this pic but of well.

Dec 11, 2007

in more exciting news

Kyle got me a single speed for our 4 year wedding anniversary! It is pretty blue and just perfect. I need to find a seat I like but otherwise he has it fully set up :) I love it. While I rode it around the neighborhood it even started to snow a bit which was so fitting since we got married in the snow.

Dec 3, 2007

wet and snowy run



On Sunday morning with in just a couple steps my feet and back of my calves were already wet and cold but I had gotten all bundled up and had started my watch so I just kept going. I got about 4.3 miles before I was so cold I needed to go in and take a hot shower. Even so I love seeing snow on the ground.

Nov 26, 2007

500 yrd time trial

First off this past weekend Kyle ran the Seattle Half marathon and ran a PR by 2 min with a 1:37:31. He was really happy and I am so happy for him - he kicked butt on a hard course. The weather was perfect a bit chilly but dry and sunny - nothing like last year. I saw him off at the start and then I went for a run. I started near the finish and ran out on the course till I saw the lead guy and then I turned around and tried to make it back in time to see Kyle finish. I had to almost sprint the last mile to go grab both Kyle's clothes and mine from the car and then sprint back to the finish area. I made it into the stadium about 5-10 before Kyle came in. It worked out perfectly - we both got a good run in :)

Tonight I went for a 2000 yrd swim - Col told me to do a 500 time trial. I expected it to be slow as usual but I decided to really push myself. I started with 300 warm up, 100 moderate then the 500 time trial and I did it in 9:55! I think doing flip turns helped. It was really hard but at the same time easy compared to the VO2 test the other day so I just stuck with it. I'm really happy about it because I could have sworn that it would have been over 10 min. After the time trial I did 100 easy, 300. Planned on doing 200, 300, 200 cool down but instead I just kept going and did 700 - I just kept wanting to work on my flip turns lol. I know it is only 5 seconds but I'm really happy with my time - I really want to get faster this winter and this is a good start :)

Nov 23, 2007

review

It is dark out when ever I'm not at work, cold, rainy, no real snow to speak of in the mountains yet, I have been training just having a hard time finding time to write about it. We are remodeling our house so we can sell it in January, 9 days ago I became an aunt for the first time, I'm going through some transitions and stress at work with my job sort of up in the air.

As far as training goes I have been doing more base training - slow and steady while keeping my heart rate down in zone 1 & 2.
My running is doing good - couple time s a week, usually a longer one on the weekend to keep my endurance up. I'm still having some tightness issues with my hips but I'm stretching, and doing all my hip exercises more which seem to be helping. Col added a stairs work out - 40 min of "running" stairs - my legs were ok but my calves just killed I could not walk the next 2 days.
I'm not getting the time on the bike that I would like due to either bad weather or lack of time it seems. I really miss the long rides of summer with the crew. Though I really feel that I need my bike refit - every time I ride it my shoulder hurts for a day or more afterwards.
I'm getting a swim or two in a week mostly focused on form so lots and lots of drills. I keep planning on taking another lesson but have not gotten around to it yet.
I have been keeping up on at least one strength training work out once a week and I took a couple pilates classes which were really good. I wish pilates was not so expensive it is so good for both strength (esp core) and flexibility (which I really need).

Today I did a VO2 max test at the Real Rehab booth at the Seattle Marathon Expo. It was pretty hard but got some more information about what my zones are for running. I'm not really sure what any of it really meant but I guess I did well and Col will print it all out and go over it with me again later. The crazy thing was my max heart rate was 200 bpm... Everyone was kind of shocked. I am usually high but I mostly only get to 198 bpm.

I'm not running Seattle half or full marathon for that mater this year which feels kind of strange but nice at the same time. Kyle is running the half so I plan on being a cheerleader/shirpa for him. Col is going to be a pace setter for the 4 hour marathon group.. but she has the last 6 miles so I'll probably see her at the finish. Joan (Kyle's mom) is walking the half with a group of her friends as well. I just hope that the weather stays good for everyone - last year was miserable.

Nov 7, 2007

I should have stayed in bed

So far this morning has not gone ideally.. I tossed and turned most of the night - woke up at 5am and since I was wide awake went to the gym by 5:30a for spin class. I could not find my keys so I used the spares. Got to the gym for spin class - realized I forgot my heart rate monitor and there was a sub for the normal teacher and he did not do an endurance focused class - he was more into doing hill climb and intervals that pushed it up to anaerobic levels. So I did my own thing just kind of did long intervals of increasing difficulty but still trying to stay in a base training mode. I felt tired and some of the congestion/cold stuff seemed to come back so it was not the most fun spin class. At least the music was good - not really the right tempo for base training but it did not suck.
After class I stretched out and bit and headed home. I got ready for work (and an interview today) and asked Kyle if he had seen my keys.. He said that he last saw them on top of my car from when he unlocked the bike rack last night... While I fed the cats he went looking for my keys. He found them in the middle of the road pretty much destroyed. Just lovely..
Hopefully the rest of my day will be better... I'm armed with coffee and a yummy blueberry scone so things are already a bit better.

Nov 6, 2007

very dark

Last night I left work and it was already pitch black out at 5:20p.. It is amazing how short the day is now.. Anyway I met up with Col, Bryan and Kyle for an easy run around Greenlake. It was really really dark so we all had reflective stuff on and headlamps. Col and I ran an easy pace so that we kept our heart rates low.Of course the guys were on their own plan. It was actually kind of hard to jeep the pace low but Col did a good job of slowing the pace down when ever our heart rates got higher than she wanted. It was especially hard when we ran up the long hill while still trying to keep my heart rate under 180bpm. Other than the heart rate stuff I felt good, my legs felt weird running so slow and when we had to run downhill I got a really bad stomach cramp. I'm not sure what it was all about but once we were back on level ground I felt better. On the last little bit Bryan tripped and twisted his ankle which looked really bad. After he was able to walk again Col and I kept running. Then we kept our garmins going to get a recover heart rate.

Then this morning I got up early (trying to get back in that habit) and swam. the pool was sort of crowded - always is on Tuesday/Thursdays. But I got lucky and got a lane with a gal that knew good lap swim manners. Col gave me a plan which I mostly fallowed... Lets see I did 400 warm up, 400 drills, 300x2 (instead of 330, 150x2), 100x4, and 200 cool down. I felt pretty good, though my left shoulder was still sore from the bike ride on Sunday and my right hip/quad was tight from the run last night. I focused a lot of good form so I kept my pace at my go forever pace of 2 min 100s and 10-15 second rests between sets. It was another good base training type work out...

Nov 4, 2007

cold and wet ride

This morning Kyle and I were completely deceived about the weather and it looked dry at our house so we headed out on a bike ride. It was strange i have not been on my bike for a little while - I have gone to spinning class but that is different. I felt really stretched out but otherwise it only took a second to be back to normal. With in probably 5 to 10 min it started to drizzle and the roads were wet. I was also getting sprayed from Kyle's rear wheel. It sucked. My legs were cold, I could barely see anything through my wet glasses. It continued to rain for more till we got almost back to Marymoore park. By this time I was completely soaked through, even my feet were wet, the only good thing was my hands were dry because I decided to wear my heavy duty winter gloves. There was also a lovely headwind that kept my legs cold. So we decided just to ride home. The hill back up Bel-red road was hard - I just did not have a tone of energy and I was trying to keep my heart rate down. In the end we rode 22 miles in about 1:29 min and as soon as we were done I jumped in a hot shower to warm back up.

Oct 28, 2007

1st work out since..

Yeah I know the nike marathon race report is a week overdue but I have been sick ever since I got back in town. Monday was by far the worse of it and it just added to how sore I was. The rest of the week it was more manageable but I had to take cold medicine to get to sleep. So I bailed on all workouts in an effort to get better which mostly seemed to work. Today it is mostly just an annoying cough and low energy. I tried to go on a bike ride yesterday because it was so nice out but instead took a 3 hour nap in the middle of the day...
Today I made it out for a run with Col, Bryan and Piper. It was really hard because I had no energy - mostly I just tried to keep Bryan and Col with in sight. At least it was a really nice day - the weather was perfect for running, not to hot or cold, no wind. I did not cough to much during the run, just every so often, my heart rate was high but it always is sort of that high. My left hip started hurting around mile 3 and is still sore now but not much else as far as residual aches and pains from the marathon. In all we ran 4 miles and I finished in about 35 min - which was still a sub 9 min pace overall. But I was very happy to be done. Of course after not having to much trouble cough while running when I stopped all I did was cough - for a good 5-10 min.
Hopefully this coming week will go better and I will kick this dumb cold.

Oct 22, 2007

Nike Marathon

After sitting at the airport in Seattle for 2 extra hours I finally made it to San Francisco and found Col and Bryan before noon. Bryan had picked a great hotel right next to the expo so they showed me around and we waited in the line to go into Niketown which was filled with pink gear. It was rather crazy but they also had some fun free "activities" - photos, you could have a message put on a shirt, and a dj. We decided not to buy anything mostly because the lines were so long and pink is not my color. I met up with the gal that I bought the race spot from - June Fujimoto - which made me feel better - I had been a little worried about not really having a spot and traveling all the way and stuff. But I got my bib - 4702 and timing chip. We wandered around town some, checked out the expo which also had really long lines, and went on a search for bagels. It turned out to be a long walk - luckily while I was on the verge of bonking we found a place and ate. I think we went back to nike store and they were out of anything in a small or medium size in everything - it was just crazy.
I was also starting to feel the fact that I really had only slept about 4 hours the night before. We hung out at the room some, prepped our race stuff, had to go to two stores in search of gatoraid and bagels for breakfast and had dinner in the room so we could stay in comfy clothes. I had a hard time deciding exactly how many gels I would need or want - I think mostly because I was so tired I had a hard time doing the math of when I would want one. Bryan was nice enough to let me sleep on the bed while he slept on the floor. I passed out around 8:30p and slept like a rock.
I woke up only once and it was because of a dream that I had left my shoes at home and I was wandering around the transition area looking for running shoes. The alarm went off around 5:30a or 6a - the hotel was very close to the start so we did not have to get up to early. I took a quick wake up shower, nibbled on a bagel (to tired to deal with cream cheese) and got ready to go.

The start was really crowded - it was hard to find the dry clothes drop off area but some one pointed us in the right direction. After dropping our bags off we weaved our way through the crowed to find a good spot to start from. We lined up in the 9 to 11 min mile pace section, not to far back or forward.
We did not hear the gun go off for the start but we did hear everyone cheer but we did not even move. It was strange there was no pushing or anything like at other races. I mean a group of girls next to us still had starbucks cups in hand. Once our group started moving it was more of a walk than anything else until we got to the start line then some people at least started to run/jog. I think a lot of people did not really pay attention to the paces groups, I mean there were a lot of walkers in front of us - which made it hard to get going.
The course was the best way to see the city.. I saw Fisherman's Wharf and smelled the sourdough, ran past the marina, saw the Golden gate bridge basked in the morning sun. By far my favorite sight was rounding a corner and seeing a huge beach with layers of waves crashing. It was amazing.
The amazing views helped distract from the challenging hills and I felt pretty good. Though my legs were defiantly feeling tired and heavy. By the half mark my stride had shortened and Col was pulling away from me constantly.
The lucky (smart) half marathoners then turned off towards the finish while the (crazy) marathoners continued 3 miles out and back in a park. I was so jealous of them. The course became less crowded but it seemed that 95% of the people left were part of team in training - it was a sea of purple... It was a bit much actually. Then they run the half marathoners back in with the marathoners to go though the nike+ tunnel which was very cool - it had large images, music, inspirational quotes... Then they make the marathoners see the finish for the half while you have to keep going out the opposite direction. At this point I only catch up with Col while she walks the aid stations - and she tells me she has a secret goal of beating Bryan's Portland Marathon time from the week before (sub 4:30).. I was not feeling it. By Mile 18-19 I just let her go and I was glad to see she did not wait for me. My hips were really tight which made it really hard to stride out but I just kind of chugged along. I only walked the aid stations and kept up on my nutrition plan and sort of slipped into the same mind frame I had during IMC where I knew if I kept moving I would finish sooner. I still wanted to finish under 5 hours so I focused on that and not how tired or tight I was.
The loop around Lake Merced was just plane painful - there were not as much to look at so I just focused inward to keep moving. I also ran along the side of the road on the softer trails or even in the grass just to be nicer to my feet and joints. I was releaved when I headed back on to the great Highway along the beach - I knew I was coming into the finish and there was something to look at. Around mile 25ish or so Bryan was cheering - he took a pic and told me that Col was probably 10 min or more in front of me (which I sort of assumed). Then he was really nice and ran with me the last mile till I got really close to the finish. It was a nice distraction to talk to him and I was just happy to be almost done.

Once Bryan left me I tried to pick up the pace for the last little bit to/through the finish. And I finished in 4:45:43. I was really happy I finished a full 15 min under my (loose) goal time.
The finish was swarming with people everywhere. I got my tiffany box with necklace and a finishers shirt (later discovered that I messed up and grabbed a Half Marathon shirt). They had ran out of Jamba juice which really bummed me out but had plenty granola and yogurt(so not the same). I found Col and Bryan and we checked out the finishers merchandise tent - both Col and I got a long sleeve shirt. We found our dry clothes, changed then went down on the beach to stand in the water to "ice" our legs for a bit while trying not to be pulled out to sea.

I spent a few more hours in town before heading home that night. I got home late and took Monday off from work because I could not really move with out pain of some sort. My abs and hips were especially sore. I spent most of Monday asleep or on the verge of sleep. Amazingly on Tuesday I woke up and was able to walk with minimal pain or soreness - still moved slow but not as bad. I wound up with a cold for most of the week after so I did not work out and just focused on getting extra sleep. In all I'm happy with my time and I know I have a lot of room for improvement but the race went well for just coming of of IMC recovery and not really doing much training for it.

Oct 20, 2007

stuck on a plane

I'm heading to San Fransisco to run the Nike Marathon tomorrow but instead of being there already I have been sitting on the plane - still at the gate in Seattle for the past 2 hours...
A update on work outs. Hmmm Thursday was my day off and yesterday instead of running 3 miles I got a massage - which I really need to keep up on so that my legs and back don't get so tight. I'm having some weird tightness by my hip bones so it was great to have that worked on for a while. I'm sure sitting on plane for so long is not really helping right now.
I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow - I don't have any real goals other than to finish and have fun. Luckily the weather is way nicer there then here at home.

ok so they are saying that we will be taking off soon.. wish me luck hopefully I will finally be on my way.

Oct 17, 2007

transitioning indoors

Last Friday I ran 5 miles after work - of course I forgot my garmin so I did the greenlake 5 mile route because I know the mileage. I just kind of cruised though it - no pain during or anything. Though later in the evening my hips were sore - which seems to be a common thing these days - I don't really get it though before IMC they were never really sore after a run.
Saturday and Sunday were perfect fall days weather wise but instead of playing outside I kind of hung around the house, did a few random chore type stuff, took a bunch of naps and felt horrible. I also watched the live online coverage of the Ironman Championships most of the day and updated the crew.
Monday I got back into it and did a swim - just 2000 yrds in 55 min or so. I made sure to focus on good form and stayed away from the pull buoy. It always feels good to get in the water - gives my legs a break.
Tuesday night I met Col for a run around greenlake - luckily the rain stopped before we got started. It was a good run, she always manages to push me a bit harder than I would myself. She made me do the hill and met me at the bottom though so that I would work a bit harder. In all we did 4 miles in about 33 min then stood in the cold talking about stuff.
Then this morning I got up and went to spin class - it has been ages since I have been. I had to find my bike shoes that has spd cleats on them... It was an endurance day which I have always liked - no recovery just long intervals - however I don't like the spin bikes as much as my bike. I can never get the fit right - the handle bars does move far enough in and it winds up pulling on my left shoulder (maybe that is were my shoulder issue all started from)... I go through class and even wore my garmin on indoor use to record my heart rate which is always fun to look at. I don't remember sweating so much before but today I felt soaked afterwards (good thing I had extra towels).

So that is it for now.. I'm working on some goals to keep motivated - it is strange though after IMC they all seem small and less motivational in comparison (I need to work on that perception). This weekend is Nike Marathon which should be fun - my only goal is to finish and enjoy the experience (no challenging time goals).

Oct 11, 2007

still training

but not blogging as often... It may be because I'm not doing as much or just don't have as much to say since IMC but it seems I only seem to find the time to blog maybe twice a week. I guess at least I'm still training consistently.
Sunday while Kyle went fly fishing in sun Valley I went for a hike - of course I wore my garmin and it wound up being about a 1.5 miles up the mountain and then back down.
Monday I was supposed to do a strength work out but instead I worked on my portfolio since I need to have it updated and done by the end of the week.
Tuesday night I met Col and we did the masters swim at Helen Madison pool. Luckily we got a lane all to ourselves because I just did not really have a stellar night. My left shoulder and arm went numb for a while (which really hurt actually) and I was just kind of slow. The work out was interesting and some what confusing - mostly because how they wrote it on the board but since there is no direction we kind of did our own version. In the end we got about 2200 yrds in before the adult swim started and I sort of found a groove.
Wednesday after work Kyle joined me for a 4 mile run with a few 60 second tempos. I mostly felt good and running with Kyle always challenges me just to keep up with him. The first 2 miles were down hill and felt fine on the way back up it was a challenge but I still did a tempo even when I did not really want to.
Today (Thursday) I did a strength training session - just the usual circuit - upper body, lower body, core. I went easy on the legs because my hips were already sore from the run yesterday and I did not want to be to sore tomorrow since I have another run to do.

Oct 6, 2007

focusing on running

On Wednesday I did a 4 mile run with some hills after work. Luckily it stopped raining right before I got home so I stayed dry. As usual these days it took almost 2 - 3 miles to even warm up but even so I felt pretty good. No issues with my legs or feet which was really nice. Since it was such a short run I tried to keep the pace up a bit higher than I usually do - in the end it took me 32:39 min which was a nice 8:08 min/mile pace.

On Thursday Kyle and I flew out to Sun Valley for a mini vacation and visit with his Dad so I did not do a work out. Friday we woke up to it snowing pretty hard so we hung out in the kitchen and had a relaxing breakfast. Later we went into town and found out that most of the bike shops had already sold most of their rental bikes... Not to mention it was still snowing till the late afternoon. We considered running but instead we wondered around town and took it easy. It was probably for the best anyway since we are up at elevation and another day to acclimate could only help.

On the other hand this morning we woke up to sun... and oh 23 degree temps and snow still on the ground. So we waited till it warmed up to go for a run. By 1pm it was only 40ish but still sunny which worked. Kyle and I headed out and Kyle's dad came with us on his bike. I wore capris, a wind jacket, long sleeve shirt, a beanie hat, and gloves. It was perfect for the first two miles and slowly I started getting to warm, so first the gloves came off, then the jacket even though the first 5 miles were into a headwind.
We headed from the house down to the trail that run through the entire valley. the trail is amazing, perfect asphalt and an amazing view the entire way. We headed up the valley and into the headwind so that we could run down hill with a tailwind on the way back. This made mile 2 through 5 a challenge. The first couple miles I had a bit of hard time keeping my breathing under control - it was hard to talk. Luckily by mile 3 to 4 I got into my groove and my breathing evened out. I ran out to mile 5 and then headed back - I felt good - no foot or leg pain.
The rest of the way back was good - I just cruised along at my pace - though I did do a couple really short pick ups just for fun and to keep things interesting. Though I had a hard time maintaining very long before I ran out of breath. I felt good all the way back up the hill to the house even though on the final hill my heart rate reached my max and I had to walk a few steps to drop it - but only a few steps before I got back to running.
In all I'm happy with the run - 10 miles in 1:34:39 which was an average pace of 9:24 with elevation, some hills, headwind and cold temps. The best part is no real pain to speak of for the entire distance :) I feel good.

Oct 3, 2007

a marathon in 2 weeks

First a quick update on training - I took the weekend off because I got distracted by other things going on with work, family stuff and house projects. So Monday morning I got a 6 mile run in before work - it was very dark but I had a head lamp and lots of reflective stuff. I also wore way to much clothing - which only came in handy when there was a head wind that was a bit chilly. I still felt kind of tired - maybe because it was 5a but who knows. It took a while to get warmed up and I just felt off but I got the mileage in. I was rather surprised that even though I did not feel fast my average pace was around 8:46 min mile which for 6 miles I'm happy with.

Last night Col and I went to the lap swim at Helen Madison pool it was great till the open swim started - during the masters swim we had our own lane it was great. Then at one point we had 5 other people in our lane all of which had no clue how to swim laps or lap swim curtsies. It was nuts. The only way we could even get a work out in was by doing 100s. The only benefit was it forced me to swim harder that we would have on my own. I pretty much had to stay right on Col's feet or risk being caught up with the crazy people in our lane - it was better if we stuck together kind of thing. I also manage to get kicked by people in the lane next to us a couple of times to make it the perfect work out... I was tired before getting to the pool but once we started I actually felt pretty good _ no shoulder issues and my form felt comfortable with out using the pull buoy. My average time for the 100s was 1:47 which was great and in the end we out lasted the crazy people and managed to get 2100yrds in. I'm mostly proud that I stayed so close to Col usually she blows past me and can even lap me - I know here shoulder is still not perfect but still I can think I'm making progress. Next time I'm pretty sure we will do the masters work out earlier in the evening instead...

Now for the news. I managed to get a place in the Nike Marathon down in San Fransisco on October 21st... Col is also doing the race so it should be fun. We are not setting any time goals and plan on just enjoying the day - no pressure. Luckily I have been keeping up my running to some extent so I feel ok about the whole thing. The trade off is I'm 90% sure I'm not going to do the Seattle Half Marathon. I'm going to focus on the Vancouver Half for my sub 2 hour goal and then of course Hawaii 70.3.

Sep 25, 2007

low energy

Monday night Col joined me for a strength work out after work. We did a slew of different stuff - essentially one exercise per muscle group. My upper body is really not very strong - especially compared to my lower body (due to all those years of skiing). So it was kind of funny Col was strong with the upper body stuff and I was stronger on the lower body - I would rather do lower body any day. Then we did a bunch of core work.
On Tuesday I woke up very tired and with a sore throat. I pushed off my 3 mile run and just went into work. Work is really crazy but I dragged all day and just felt horrible most of the day. Kyle told Col how bad I was actually feeling so I was then told not to do my 3 mile run... After work I went home and took a nap. My abs - esp my obliques were especially sore from Mondays strength stuff.
Wednesday day I was still dragging so I took a sick day and did some work from home while also taking naps all day long. It was wonderful. It was really nice out so I did go for an easy ride around Lake Sammamish with Col with the idea that fresh air and sweating a bit would help flush my cold out of my system (and it may be one of the last nice days before the rains start). It was so nice and I mostly felt good. It was really only going up the final hill I could tell I was not 100% and I just did not have my usual power so I spun and just took my time a bit while Col dropped me by a few bike lengths. Once I got home I took a hot shower and took a nap for 2 hours or so.
This morning I woke feeling better - though I also slept in till 7:45a and got in to work a bit late but it was not a huge deal. My sore throat is mostly gone so depending on how I feel the rest of today I may do the 3 mile run that I have not done the last 3 weeks..

Sep 23, 2007

8 miler

Fall is defiantly here. I planned on running Sunday morning with Steph a nice out and back from her place but I got a text from her that she was bailing - had a bit of a soar throat and stuff. No big deal I totally understand that and I was not really siked about going out in the grey morning to run. So I stalled and took my time to get ready when I finally I had everything on and had no excuse not to go and get it done. I only had a general idea of where I wanted to go so I just kind of did that but just sort of ran and made decisions when I came to intersections. The first 2 miles or so were all down hill - which was a nice easy way to warm up then I decided to run through the lake hills blueberry farms trails to be nice to my foot - even though I was not really feeling any pain in my foot. It was really nice to get off the sidewalks and away from traffic. The trails were great though they have little directional/mileage signs so I would pause for a second of two to see where I wanted to go. I wound up running around the lake and then back up hill. Somewhere around mile 5 - the same time it started to rain - left knee/lower leg got tight and hurt some. I had to pause and stretch it a few time but I was able to keep running through it. Almost the entire last 2 miles were up hill which always sort of sucks. I had to add some more distance so I ran around a park that was on my way back which was almost entirely empty because of the rain. I made it home, stretched out my legs some, had a recovery drink and took a hot shower to warm back up.
In all I'm pleased that I got out and did the mileage but otherwise it was not my best run and it did not make me feel any better about my Seattle time goal. Luckily I have 2 months to go and it seems like I need to keep up a massage scheduled to keep injuries at bay.

Sep 21, 2007

2 out of 3

On Wednesday I got up early and did a strength work out - almost the exact same as last week really - just added some more ankle and pt type shoulder exercises. It felt good - my legs are by far proportionally stronger than my upper body. I held back a bit on the upper body stuff and my shoulder did not really hurt which was nice. Hopefully I can just slowly build some strength to support that shoulder or something. On a less positive note - my right foot hurt pretty bad when I woke up - it did not really interfere with anything but just sort of hurt. Col wants me to go back and see the podiatrists :(
Thursday I woke up at 5 am and it was cold and dark outside so I hit snooze till 7:10a so no time to get a 3 mile run in. I took my run stuff with me to work but never had time there. Considered running before going out to my moms but did not. Needless to say never did the 3 mile run. I was really sore from the strength stuff the day before, my foot still hurt - even though I was wearing good shoes and to be honest I just felt kind of tired.
Now this morning I got up early and got in the pool of all places. It has been a while since I have been in the chlorine water but it felt good. I focused on form and did a bunch of drills. I was not very fast at all but I have time to get faster (maybe). I think the biggest accomplishment of the work out was that I did not use the pull buoy - I have tendency of using it to much sometimes so I felt good about not using it. I swam for about 45 min and 2000 yrds. I also found it hard to get back in the habit of counting my laps and stuff - I got lost a few times - luckily I knew my pace and was able to use my watch to help keep track. I think I may get a few lessons in the next couple of weeks to get some new motivation/focus in the pool.

Overall I feel good - kind of tired I think I need to go to bed before 11p to be able to get up and function well all day but it is hard - so we will see. Also I have been eating way to much sugar lately and I need to stop that so I'm trying to cut back - I don't really need m&ms...

Sep 18, 2007

I thought things would slow down

After Ironman but no not at all I seem to still pack the weekends full - probably even more so.

Saturday Kyle and I swam with Steph in the morning in Lake Sammamish. My plan was to go anywhere from 30 o 45 min total and wound up going 46min. Even though I had my garmin on I'm not totally sure about the distance - it said about 1.5 miles and I know I was not swimming that fast so who knows - I would guess closure to 1.2 miles or so.. I mostly felt ok - as usual I got tired on the way back and felt a bit fatigued - like I was still recovering from Ironman. All the same I kept at it and just enjoyed the swim.

Now on Sunday Kyle was doing the Kirkland Triathlon and rather than doing it myself I choose to be support crew instead. I had to do a 6 mile run though - now since I knew our families and friends would be there and would most likely want to get some food/breakfast of some sort afterwards (and if I ran home it would be all uphill) I decided to run to the race. I left the house at 5:05a and headed out with reflective stuff, a headlamp, long sleeve, and vest. It was very dark and extremely quiet. I run was very uneventful - took a good 3+ miles to warm up. Legs felt good and only saw 6 cars until I got to the race area. I felt good so I kept running and got about 6.5 miles in 57:03 min and had enough time to change into warmer clothes long before the race started.
Kyle, Col and Futa all did the race - well Futa did the bike as part of a relay team. They all did great and Bryan and I had fun being cheerleaders. (pics are in my photo album)

I was exhausted on Monday - not really because of workouts but more due to early morning and lots of stuff going on so no work outs. I did however go to rei and exchanged my garmin that had gotten water in it and was doing weird things for a dry new one.

Tonight after work I met with Col and did a nice 5 mile run around greenlake. I got out of work a bit later than I expected, then traffic was bad so we got a later start but it was still plenty light out. It was a great night for running and even though the clouds were dark we did not get rained on. The hills were tuff - as usual but I think they have felt worse. It was kind of weird because it really reminded me of last year at this time when I was just starting to get into running and training. I can fully say that even though the conditions and the route are the same I am defiantly a stronger runner now then a year ago - which feels great. Anyway Col and I chatted most of the way about next steps and so forth. My largest goal for the fall/winter is to do a sub 2 hour half marathon (probably Seattle though I would love for a flatter course) - which we both think is do able. Somehow I did not get my new garmin to the synce with the heart rate strap right and it got confused so it said I had a 074 bpm which was so wrong. Oh well it still got the distance and time - 5.01 miles in 43:37 min.

Sep 14, 2007

back in the gym

Once again I slept in this morning till 7a so I pushed my work out off till after work. Kyle had a massage at 5:30p so while he was doing that I went to the gym and did a circuit work out of sorts. It was really weird being in the gym - the last couple of months I only went to the gym once a week to do a pool swim and that was it - no weights. I have been doing some maintance exercised for both my foot and shoulder issue but I could do them at home and did. So I asked Col to give me a suggested work out.
I started with a 10 min (all I could stand) warm up on the EFX machine then stretched out a little bit. Then into the strength stuff - I did 2 sets of 20 on everything with instructions to stay light on the weights.

Chest Press on the ball with 8lb each free weights
Flies on the ball with 5lb each free weights
Lat pull down (45lb cable)
Single arm bent rows 5lb
Triceps
Shoulder external rotation with band
Squats on bosu while doing bicept curls (8lb each hand)
Hamstring curls with ball
Heel raises
Single leg squats on bosu
Clams
Bicycle crunches
Toe touches
Crunches

Then stretched out my legs especially. I mostly felt good and still pretty strong except my left should hurt on most of the upper body stuff. I went easy so it was not to bad but that annoying little pain was still there. I thought it had gone away since I have not felt in swimming in quite some time now but low and behold it is still there. Oh well I lived and in the end it felt good to do some strength stuff again.

Sep 13, 2007

not quite back yet

I'm not sure if it is because it takes me forever and a day to recover from things but I did not do my planned 5 mile run today. I meant to do it in the morning when Kyle got up early to ride his single speed into work but it was dark, foggy and the bed was much to warm, comfy and I felt tired so I stayed in bed till 6:30a and then just got ready and went to work.
Work is beyond crazy right now so there was no chance I was getting out early to get a run in before meeting with my mom for our weekly visit and garden time. Even though I did not run I did prune a huge box hedge in the back yard which required a lot of upper body strength - but not the same I know. It was dark at 8p and we put the garden stuff away around 8:30p. It is not to late to run but it is dark and I don't really like running alone in the dark at night so no run today.
Other things for today was that I required 3 shots of espresso to function and my lower back kind of hurt if I moved the wrong way or something (it did this same thing for a couple days in Maui last week).

So I think that is a great list of excuses but oh well I will see what Col says - probably be in some trouble since we are supposed to be starting to ramp up my mileage again to be ready for Seattle and skippinga run does not help.

Sep 12, 2007

nice little ride

Tonight after work Col, Steph and I met up and did the lake samm loop - it was my first time back on the bike since IMC and it felt sort of strange to be getting ready to ride. Though it only took a mile or so for my legs to get in to bike mode. It actually felt great to be back on the bike - I was sort of shocked at how good it felt. The nice thing about the lake loop is it has a bit of everything, a few hills, some flats but nothing to intense which was exactly what I needed. We mostly just cruised along - I never even really looked at my speed just rode how I felt and enjoyed hanging out with Col and Steph. My legs felt great and I was able to climb all the hills on the lake with ease. Since Col and I started up at the top of Northrup hill we had to get back up and I talked her into doing Bell Red road instead of Northrup mostly because there is a mile of recovery after getting to the top. I was able to mostly spin up the hill - though that hill is never easy but it felt good to work hard. In all it was only 21.82 miles with a total time of 1:26:24.

Sep 11, 2007

back to the real world

Sadly I'm back home from Maui. Sunday we spent half of the day swiming and kyaking with turtles. It was really hard to get on the redeye flight back - I got back at 6am on Monday with little to no sleep. On the way home I got stuck in morning traffic, then once home I showered, took a short 30min nap and headed into work. Needless to say no work out on Monday - I had to have 4 shots of espresso just to function.
Today I slept in till 7a so I pushed my run off till after work - Col had 4 miles (no less) on my plan. I was a bit stressed after work so I decided what I needed most was a trail run to take my mind of things. I headed to Bridal trails and did the 3.5 mile loop but decided to add more by jumping onto another trail a bit after the 3 mile mark and wound up adding on more than just the half of a mile I needed but I felt good so I just kept running till I got back to my car. It took me a good 2 miles to really get warmed up and into any kind of rhythm but once I did it was great and totally made me forget about the stuff that was bothering me before. The best part has to be that I had no leg or foot pain to speak of :) In all I did 4.57 miles in a total time of 41:44 min.

Sep 8, 2007

recovering in Maui

Just a few quick things - Kyle and I have been enjoying a wonderful vacation to celebrate some friends getting married in Maui this week (sadly we go home tomorrow night). So I have gradually started getting back to some sort of exercise. Before leaving on Wed afternoon I ran 4 miles around greenlake with Col. As usual I started out a little fast and came to regret it later. I was sort of surprised I did not feel worse - I mean my legs were sort of heavy and my energy was dragging but I kind of just ran the speed I felt like going and it turned out to be about an 8:23 pace. The the other surprise is later in the day I never hit the wall - I did not require a 2 hour nap like after yoga the other day.
We got to Maui late Wed night so we went straight to dinner and then to sleep.
Thursday morning we got up early and headed straight to the beach for a swim and found out that the beach at our hotel sucks for swimming so it was a short one. Though later in the day we found a better beach and went for about a 30 min swim. Kyle saw a sea turtle and there were tons of fish so it was an entertaining swim. I have to say I love swimming in warm salt water - it is like have a wetsuit on but way better. In the evening we went to the rehearsal dinner on a catamaran - sadly there was no wind at all so never really got to sail but otherwise it was a lot of fun.
Friday morning we ran - we both put on our garmins and just started running down the street in front of our hotel. Even at 7am it was already warm and sunny so we both took a salt and I should have probably ate something before because I was sort of dragging a bit. We took it easy and I was just a bit behind Kyle the whole way. We just did a simple out and back and on the way back I stopped for a second at park and washed my face off which did help me feel a bit better. In all we only ran 3 miles in 26:35 min but my legs felt good - still not back to normal but manageable.
Friday afternoon/evening was the wedding which was a lot of fun. Dinner was amazing and the entire event fit the couple perfectly. By the end of the evening everyone was in the pool. lol Needless to say we got to bed late.
This morning I was still awake early and we went out to another beach near by to swim and check out the fish/turtles. We saw two turtles and ton of fish but it was really crowded and kind of windy so we only swam for about 30 min or so. Then later on we went to a bbq at the bride and grooms house and afterwards a group all went to a great little bay for snorkeling so Kyle and swam. We swam in the bay for about an hour or so. We swam to the opening of the bay and back so the current and wind was kind of strong on the way back in so it was a tough swim. The cool was we saw 2 turtles and swam around with them for quite a while and whole bunch of different fish we had not really seen before. I was thoroughly tired afterwards.
Tonight we pack our bag so we can check out super early so we can go do 2.5 hours of kayaking tomorrow morning before we fly out in the evening. So we may or may not run tomorrow but I can guarantee we will swim again... I would post of pics but I can't seem to find either my camera corn or my card reader so when I find those things I will post pics. I highly recommend Maui as the perfect place to recover from an Ironman race.. The combination of relaxed island time and nice weather are perfect. :)

Other news is that both Kyle and I are registered for the Ironman 70.3 Hawaii on May 30th, 2008 with the goal of doing better than this year (should be easy since I walked the whole half marathon) and hopefully we can talk some more of the crew into jdoing it again.

Sep 4, 2007

Ironman Canada 2007 Race Report

This has taken a while and it is just the for the day of race (Sunday). I'll get to the pre and post race stuff sometime soon as well. But for now this is my account of how my Ironman Canada Race went.

I slept till 3am and tried to go back to sleep but could not so instead I ate some cheerios and half a double shot. The rest of the crew started to get moving around 4am and the support crew(parents) got up around 5ish. I felt kind of nervous but not to bad. Though I almost cried when I hugged my mom when we were heading out. We managed to grab a great spot nice and close to the transition area but then I realized I left my garmin at the house - my heart rate went through the roof. Kyle drove me back while every one else went to get body marked. Luckily we were staying in a house less than 5 min from the start. I ran in grabbed the garmin and we managed to get back in time to get the same parking spot.It freaked me out and I was a bit scared - I'm not really sure what of - the lake looked like glass and I knew I was ready to give it my best.

Kyle and I dropped our special needs bags off and got in the long line for body marking - it was probably a good thing the line was so long and slow it gave me a chance to calm down and breath again. We chit chatted with people and slowly but surly I got to the front of the line - they had us stand on a step stool and wrote our number on the front of both arms, front of the left calf and age on the back of the right calf. After that I was ready to get my bottles, gels, computer and random stuff all on my bike and get ready to jump in the lake.
The transition area was buzzing with energy and very very long lines to the few porta potties. The rest of the crew found me and Col helped me top off my tires. We all started to get ready for the swim - lots of body glide on the legs for quick wetsuit removal, and packed up all our dry clothes into the dry clothes bag. We also tied orange ribbon stuff to our wrists in the hope that if we were near each other we could see it - mostly it was for Bryan, Col and Kyle who wanted to stay close together.
Once we were all pretty much ready, I ate a gel, put a gel in the chest of my wetsuit for halfway and we headed out on to the beach right before the pros started (6:45a). I was nervous, excited, but t least i was no longer really scared - I was with my friends and I just reminded myself over and over that I could do this. We milled around the beach - I saw my swim coach Eric and a few other people - wish everyone good luck and hugs. A couple of moments I almost started to cry and worried about fogging my goggles before the swim even started. The beach never really felt crowded - everyone was pretty spread out. We started in the water off to the left side a bit but fairly far forward - no one really seemed to want to be on the front (some of the guys that were on the front line were joking they would change $20 for the draft).

I barely heard the cannon go off but I saw people starting to head out - most moved kind of slowly like they were not so sure about it. I fallowed Col, Bryan and Kyle into the water (Futa started somewhere behind me). I just stopped thinking about anything other than what I had to do. It was crowded but I was able to find some space and just stuck my face down and swam. It was good until the first buoy when everyone decided they should stop and push each other around for a bit. It was sort of crazy - everyone swimming over each other - somehow I managed not to panic or get beat up to bad and just kept moving forward.
I found myself breathing every stroke mostly so I could sight the buoys and the people. I drifted left away from the crowds around the buoys so that I could have some more space and just swim with out stressing. I found that at each buoy on the way out people seemed to stop almost and bunch up so I kept swimming further and further to the left until the people in the boats started to yell at me. I probably added quite a few yards on to my swim but I was able to stay relaxed and just swim rather than fight for a spot so much. I saw the scuba divers a couple of times and they just waved - it was both funny and creepy to see them down there.
About half way I was feeling good - right on track time wise so I took a minute to eat a gel and look around - it was still crowed close in to the buoys but there was plenty of room on the edges where I was. I loved knowing that I was about half way done with the swim and my mind wandered a bit to the transition and bike part as I swam. Unlike Hawaii there was nothing to look at during the swim so I had to entertain myself and tried to focus on my form and staying calm and strong. On the way back I stayed very far left - every once and a while some one would yell at me to move right - but then when I did it always got more crowded or some random dude would swim over me so I kind of just stayed left. At some point I started counting how many buoys were left and I felt good - of course I started swimming right finally towards the 2nd to last buoy. It was getting more and more shallow so finally when it seemed about knee deep I stood up and started walking to shore - then of course it went from nice sand to rocks that hurt... Oh well I was just looking forward to getting on my bike.

The volunteers were great - the wetsuit strippers had me out of my wetsuit in seconds and on my way to grab my bag and into the changing tent. The changing tent was madness - people everywhere - i found a chair, dumped my bag out and started drying off, changed into bike shorts, put my socks and shoes on, helmet on, sun glasses, I put my arm warmers in my back pocket just in case, extra salt and gel went in my back pocket, and put my race belt on, put all my swim stuff back in the bag and I headed out to my bike. The volunteers tried to send me the wrong direction but I knew my bike was on aisle 44 so I ignored them and went straight to my bike. I ran my bike across the timing mat and was off on to the bike course.

I turned on my garmin before I left transition but it had to find satellites and all that - it took a good 3 miles for it get set up and started. I knew my mom and Jerry would be out on main street waiting to see me and that all the crosswalks were bumpy so I had to be careful so at least I would not be taking an accelerade shower - even so I made sure to smile when I saw my mom.

My stomach was kind of sloshy - I think I drank more lake water than normal but even so I started to take sips from my aero bottle full of accelerade and had some gel with in the first 10 miles. The roads were really crowded and it was pretty much impossible to stay the full 4 bike lengths behind - I saw a lot of refs but there was not much any one could really do.
On the first little hill I felt really good - I was more worried about all the people bunching up on the uphill - so I just moved to the left and passed them.
I knew I had Richter Pass coming and I would need energy so I made sure to drink my accelerade every so often and had some more gel - my stomach still did not feel good and my lower back and neck were tight so I just did not focus on it. It is a gradual down hill till Richter which was great - at some points I was up to around 29mph. At around mile 29ish I dropped a chain inside and calmly stopped got off the bike shifted the big ring to the outside and peddled it and the chain came back on (Kyle taught me this trick) and got back on my bike. A few people asked if I was ok and I defiantly was - after that I was less worried about something going wrong - I knew I could stay calm and deal with it (it also helped that the bike barn support van always seemed to be close by).
It seemed to take forever to get to Richter Pass and once I did I haled ass up hill - yes it was difficult but I was able to spin the entire way - I felt great passing tons of people. The road was crowded with both participants and lots of people cheering. The best part is the hill totally forced me to focus on climbing and the thought of how bad my stomach felt disappeared. I enjoyed the entire climb - it was sort of weird and very motivating.
Sadly the hill ended and I had to go downhill - the wind picked up and I don't really like downhills much anyway so I sat up and even though I did not brake I took it easy - I think my top speed was only about 39mph (vs Kyle's 50mph). It was kind of funny my right(rear) brake felt kind of squishy but I thought nothing of it at the time - after the race I found it wide open - oh well. It felt like there was both a side and head wind as I came into the valley. I had to peddle down hill and still never got going very fast especially after the first roller or two.
People always talk about Richter pass and Yellow lake but I think by far the hardest part of teh course was teh rollers - not because they are steep or anything like that but the headwind just took it out of me and it is boring. I do way better when I can focus on something and move on but it was just the same thing for so long. It did not help that my stomach and neck felt worse - I was craving anything that would sort of soak up the sloshy feeling but my special needs bag was a ways off still. I asked for cookies at one of the aid station but they only had power bars so instead I had a banana which stuck to my mouth. All the while my legs continued to feel great and even though I did not feel all together my best I was having fun and was happy with my progress. The next aid station I grabbed some orange slices which burned my already chapped lips but tasted great and helped a bit with my stomach. I also decided to stop and use the porta potty and see if that would help - it was weird being off the bike, my feet were kind of numb and my legs did not have a clue what to do - luckily a little girl who was volunteering held my bike for me while I waited in line. Afterwards I grabbed one more orange and headed out again. I felt a bit better but was ready for my special needs stuff.
At the turn off to the out and back part I heard Col's Dad yell my name and cheered for me _ i was totally surprised but it was great motivation to keep moving. The best part of the out and back part was that you got to have a tailwind for a while which was a very nice even though it was short lived. I got my special needs bag and stuffed my pockets with everything and then tried to eat par of a granola bar. My mouth was so dry I could barely crew it so I tried some cliff bar which was better but not what I wanted anymore. So I went back to my gel, accelerade and orange slices at aid stations. I saw Futa as I was heading out of the out and back - I was not to surprised I had not seen anyone else because I knew they were all faster than me esp in the swim.
I let my self take it sort of easy the 5 miles before the yellow lake climb starts so that I could be ready for it I guess. I stood up a lot, stretched my back some and ate gel. Once I started to climb I felt great again - I focused and went into my climbing position. I was able to get a good spin going with a nice quick cadence and started passing people. Col's dad spotted me first which gave my mom plenty of time to get lots of pics of me climbing the first hill.


The rest of the climb felt good - there were still lots of people cheering everyone on and I got a lot of "nice speed" and "good energy", even a few "wow look at her go" kind of calls. It was funny really and it made me very happy (glad I did all those hills in training).
The rest of the was mostly downhill but the wind was still blowing so I never got going to fast even though it was fun to pass all the cars stuck trying to get back into town. I made sure to keep drinking a took some more gel before I got into town and then once I was with in 5 miles or so I just spun my legs out as much as I could. I randomly saw my mom and Jerry and of course the sign walking towards the run course - I yelled out to them and they seemed just as surprised to see me. lol I headed the rest of the way back to the transition - I was not totally sure about my time or anything but I saw a lot of people already out on the run course.

I headed into T2, grabbed my garmin before they took my bike, grabbed my run bag, headed into the changing tent which was not quite as crowded as last time, I dumped my bag out, changed shorts, sock, shoes, race belt with gels, grabbed hat, put salt on race belt, put small body glide in back pocket, grabbed small bottle of accelerade, and an extra gel, put my garmin on the wrist band. Left my sunglasses, arm warmers and all the other random stuff that was in my back pocket. A nice volunteer helped me get all my bike stuff back in my bag and I was off and running. It is funny I never even really thought about slowing down or stopping or even that wow I was about to run a marathon - I just got my stuff on and went.


At first my feet just felt completely numb from the bike but otherwise I felt good - I was running (not super fast or anything but I was running). The start of the course is kind of crazy the streets are just lined with people so I was kind of distracted looking for my mom even though I knew she would be further down at the park where I told her I wanted her to be. With in a mile or two I tired of carrying the small bottle of accelerade so I tossed it in a garbage can on the side of the street and I ate the gel just so I would not have to carry it anymore. By now my stomach had finally settled and felt much better so I felt ok drinking some water, took a salt and had an orange slice (which stung my very chapped lips) at the first aid station.
I felt good - surprisingly good - within the first couple miles my legs sort of loosened up and I could feel my toes again and there was no real pain to speak of (especially not pain like I had in Hawaii) - my hamstrings were a bit tired but nothing I could not handle. I saw my mom and Jerry around mile 5 (at the park) of course they were right after an aid station and my mom got some lovely pics of me trying to smile and eat and orange at at he same time.

I continued to feel really good. I saw Kyle little bit later - he said he was not feeling very good and I think he was annoyed with me because I was chipper and happy - we hugged and he took off. The best part about the marathon part is that since it is out and back I got to see the whole crew at some point or another. Next I saw Bryan and he looked good, then Col who checked her watch and congratulated me and said my time was good. I just kept chugging along averaging about 10:45 to 11 min miles. I walk the aid stations so I could get some gatorade, or something to eat, I used the sponges just to wipe my face off and to get my hair wet. Every couple of miles I would take a salt or eat a gel depending on how I felt and every other I would take soup - which was always yummy. I also walked up some of the steeper hills but always made sure to start running again once I reached the top.
Every time I saw a mile marker I was surprised at how quickly it had come - I knew my pace was not that speedy but still it felt fast. I kept a close eye on the time of day - I knew I wanted to be across the finish line before 9pm if I could. i have never been good at doing math while running but I sort of tried and thought I could make it if I kept my pace up and did not walk to much.
I made it to the special needs aid station - I put my arm warms under my belt for later, grabbed my little blinky light and reflector strap and threw away the gels. I had two pieces of mint gum - just in case my stomach did not feel good so even though my stomach felt totally fine the thought of a fresh minty mouth sounded wonderful. It was the best thing ever - after a day of gel, accelerade and other sweet/sticky food stuff my teeth felt like sweaters and the gum was so fresh. I also found that it helped me keep my jaw relaxed and I did not clench my teeth at all. The rest of the run I crewed on the gum, at the aid stations I would put it on my bib number while I ate or drank what ever I wanted and then as I moved on the gum went right back in. I saw Futa at some point after the special needs pick up.
At some point I think around mile 16 or something I was walking up a hill with a couple of guys who aid they thought they were going to finish just after 9mp if they kept their pace. I decided right then that I was going to to try my best to finish before 9pm (since that was my goal all day) so I started to run more, I walked on a portion of the aid stations and really tried to keep my pace up even on the uphills. I just focused and stayed positive. My legs were tired and my feet sort of hurt so when ever I could I would run on the soft shoulder of the road which felt much better (or at least enough to make me feel better). It was kind of strange less and less people were running and I continued to feel good and knew I could maintain somewhere around an 11 min pace esp as the course flattened out in town. I passed a lot of people walking and most of the time I was the only one running but I knew I really wanted to finish before 9pm and walking would not help me do that so I ran.
On the way back into town it was really great to there were still people camped out on their driveways cheering - I watched the a really nice sunset start to come down and just kept going.
The last little gradual incline into town was hard to keep running - my hamstring were tired and sore from all the climbing on the bike earlier but I was not totally sure if I would beat 9pm so I kept trotting along. Somewhere coming into town a spectator yelled "MacBeth you are an Ironman!" and it hit me for the first time during the entire day that I was going to finish and that I had had a good day - I was sooo close to bursting out in tears but it also motivated me even more to keep running and to finish before 9pm.
I was so focused it sort of became a blur I knew I would finish and I thought I really could make my goal time so I ran faster. My stomach started growling with 2 or so miles to go so I grabbed more soup and some gatorade but kept running through the aid station. I saw my mom when I was probably a little more than a mile to go - it was dark so she did her best to get a pic. I heard Kyle cheer for me as I turned onto Lakeshore Drive. On the final out and back I finally knew I was going to finish before 9pm and I was just so happy I picked up my pace and kicked the final half mile. I heard Kyle cheer again as I came into the finish but all I wanted to do was finish as fast as I could not because it was painful or I wanted to be done but because I could. It was so weird my legs no longer felt tired or heavy and I ran to the bright lights of the finish. I did not want to wait for the people in front of me so I ran past them so there was no ribbon to run through but I was so happy. I archived my goal of finishing before 9pm (a whole 10 min) and I finished happy/well.


After I crossed the line a "catcher" was right by my side and helped me get my medal, a foil blanket thing, my finisher hat, shirt (which I was very concerned about not being a small so she helped me find out they were out of smalls), then to get in line for my finishers photo. All the while she chatted to me and made sure I was doing ok. First Kyle found me and then Col and Bryan so I told the nice volunteer I would be ok my friends would take care of me. I was just so happy :)
I got my picture, and a yummy powerbar recover drink, and they were out of pizza, next Kyle went with me to get my dry clothes so I could get warmer and my feet hurt so I wanted to put my crocks on - I figured out my entire baby toe on my right side was a blister weird how it did not hurt till I was done. We met Col and Bryan back at the finish so we could see Futa come in though none of us really knew where her was - I thought he was a lot closer than he was - I guess he spent some extra time in the porta potties along the run. He finished and was happy though. Cole headed home to get warmed up while the rest of us stayed to watch the final athletics finish and see the fireworks at midnight. I kept my foil blanket but used it like a skirt to keep my legs warmer. The finish area was full of people dancing and cheering for the final finishers to come in. I think that last hour is the most inspiring time of the race.
After the last racer finished we headed back home to try and sleep. My legs were getting tight and my feet defiantly hurt so I was slow.
I was sort of surprised at how hard it was to sleep - I tossed and turned and every time I moved my muscled ached. I woke up so many times - but each time I knew I was an Ironman and I was happy :)


FINAL TIMES BREAKDOWN

TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (1:33:32) - 2:27/100m pace - 2252 place

T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE (6:50)

FIRST BIKE SEGMENT 40 mi. (2:23:14) - 16.76 mph pace
FINAL BIKE SEGMENT 72 mi. (4:43:41) - 15.23 mph pace
TOTAL BIKE 112 mi. (7:06:55) - 15.74 mph pace - 1966 place -
Bike Data


T2: BIKE-TO-RUN (6:06)

FIRST RUN SEGMENT 13.1 mi. (2:26:20) - 11:10/mile pace
FINAL RUN SEGMENT 13.1 mi. (2:31:09) - 11:32/mile pace
TOTAL RUN 26.2 mi. (4:57:29) - 11:21/mile pace - 1691 place - Run Data

OVERALL (13:50:52) - 1691 Place Overall

Sep 2, 2007

sort of back

This morning in an effort to both get back into the habit of training again and to stretch out I went to Bikram/hot yoga. The instructor was not the best but it still was hot and I got some really good stretching in. I felt pretty good during but about 2 hours afterwards I completely hit a wall. Kyle and I went to breakfast and on our way home I just got so tired as soon as we were back home I layed down just for a minute. So 2 hours later Kyle came in and asked if I was going to ever get up since it was 3pm. It really only felt like 30 min or something but I guess I was asleep for 2 hours. So I'm guess I'm not fully recovered - not that I was expecting to be.

Update on race report - I plan to have it doen by end of day tomorrow.

Aug 28, 2007

coming soon

I promise I will get a race report done some time soon. Just so busy enjoying the fact that I finished and had a wonderful race that I have not had a chance to really sit down and recap/write it all down yet. To hold you over here is a couple of pictures thanks to my mom...

The Tri-style crew



Yellow Lake


Eating an orange mile 6ish



New Tattoo (Kyle took this one for me)

Aug 27, 2007

MacBeth Watson is an Ironman!

ok that is it good night. It was an awesome day - had the best time(I was the annoying girl that never stopped smiling no matter what) but now it is time to crash.
Ok I have to add I finished under my goal time -
swim 01:33:32
bike 07:06:55
run 04:57:29
Overall 13:50:52 !!!!

Aug 25, 2007

IMC eve quick update

Things have been very busy with the last couple of training stuff and event stuff - I will be sure and post a full report later with pics and everything. But right now I'm getting ready for bed and I just wanted to say that I still feel good about tomorrow. We drove the bike and run courses so I have my plans and I think no mater what the weather does it will be an amazing day/experience. I trust my training and feel well prepared thanks to Col (and I guess my whole tri-style crew for their support) both mentally and physically. I know I will do well and will survive the challenges because that is what it is all about. I can do this and I will do it as best I can.
Ok good night I will see you on the other side.

Aug 23, 2007

we have arrived

No work out today - unless you include long hours squirming in teh car on the long drive to Penticton. Actually it was not to bad we had a couple breaks to move the legs but mostly we just cruised into town and found our lodging, wandered around town, spent some money on IMC labeled gear and got dinner. Now the guys are playing with bikes and I will be heading to bed shortly.