So far, so good, I think..

Another week of training in the books. We have officially entered the taper & so far I think I'm following the 'rules' pretty well.. I think I only did 1 extra swim last week? Pretty good for me.. Training was pretty un-eventful, but good. Did do a couple pilates classes, which was different than my 'usual', but I had to finish out the groupon before it expired! Great workout & didn't negatively effect anything else I was doing.. so that was good. My long swim at Cordry Lake on saturday was great! We did the 5k & I felt pretty good.. aside from the fact that I didn't take this 'leisurely swim' event as seriously as I probably could have & didn't do my nutrition properly.. I didn't do anything 'too' bad, but just didn't have quite enough prior to the swim, so was super hungry by the 2nd loop (done in 1k loops)..but we were able to get some gatorade and granola bars from the boat & we set off for a couple more loops..did the same at the 4k mark, too & finished out strong. Other than that.. all went well.. I guess that's what happens when you're maybe too comfortable w/ your nutrition & don't take the workout seriously enough.. Fair enough.. Lesson learned! But it was a great little outing w/ a really great group. Sunday was my 'big' workout day.. the brick.. I say 'big' b/c after the training we've done..this taper feels pretty easy.. So we had a 60mi bike/8mi run in the books.. I planned out a nice, hilly loop out on Mann Rd on the southside & got my southside training pals (& always faithful friends!) lined up to ride with me.. We wound up getting some pretty serious hills in..even some ones that probably have names! (cyclists like to name hills, if they're hard enough..) We were out on 'Observatory Rd', which has a pretty serious hill, & then rode out on Robb Hill Rd a bit, which gave us some more hills to work our way up & down.. but it felt good & I really enjoyed the ride. Off on the run.. We all started, though poor Jeff (who was super tired after driving back from a fun weekend in Cincy at 4am so he could join us!) only made about a 1/2mi.. Lara stuck w/ me for 3mi, which was awesome.. So then I took off to finish it out. Stuck to my 'gu q 3mi' plan & all was well! Nothing too exciting..but felt nice & solid.. I didn't manage to make it down to Louisville to watch IM today, which was a bummer.. But Matt needed to do some stuff at work &, well...that beats out my 'need' to go watch a race in another city.. BUT, I've been tracking my fellow triathletes all day & they are doing FANtastic!! I'm so excited for them & even just seeing the results tick by is making me more excited for my race day. I can feel it.. I can see it.. I'm ready to get out there! congrats to the IM Lou athletes & finishers.. I can't wait to hear all about the day!

I think there's a Taper coming up...

Just an update on this weeks training.. It's my understanding that this marks the last 'long' week & we'll start to slowly taper down next week..we'll see how that goes! It's been a good week. As usual this yr, since I've been sticking to my 'comfy' plan at the 1/2 IM's, I don't really need any recovery time after a race.. So I hit the lake w/ the Personal Best crew on monday to swim 2mi..felt good! Especially since the water has cooled down a bit w/ the little rain & cooler weather we've had.. I actually tried to get out to swim in Lake MI, where we were supposed to swim for Steelhead, on monday..but the riptide risk was still 'high' & the recommendation was to stay out of the water. I was actually ready to ignore that suggestion, but Matt wasn't having it.. I tried to explain that the way out of a riptide, as I've read.., is to swim parallel to the shore.. which is what I was going to be doing anyway.. so I should be fine! Nope..not having it.. Oh, well.. Tuesday I guess I was itchin to try to run a little faster, so I did a fairly quick 5mi run (avg 8min miles?? like I said...it's a 'relatively' fast pace for me in this yr of the 'comfy' pace..) early on tuesday & then hit the pool. I usually like to get an extra swim or 2 in to work on form & such.. I did a new fave workout of mine, which is doing 3x 400/300/200/100 alternating swim, pull, kick & stroke..doing a different distance of each one each set (does that make sense??..anyway, it's a good workout w/ nice variety).. Then I even got to join the Y Tri group for a swim workout focused on form that evening.. Like I said.. I like to work on that swim technique! It's been such a focus for me b/c I really feel like it helps my race out when I'm not spending extra energy in the water using an inefficient stroke.. SO..that was tuesday. Wed I think was a pretty uneventful trainer ride.. Forgot to mention that I also lifted wts on tuesday..which left me sore for most of the rest of the week.. which is why wed was a pretty 'light' day.. Thursday was another swim & then a fun, fast group ride w/ a CIBA (Central IN Bike Assoc) group.. they rode in a 'pace line', which I was hesitant about b/c riding that close to folks you don't know.. let's just say I've seen/ heard of a lot of wrecks as a result of this.. But I kept what felt like a safe distance & we kept up an almost 22mph avg for the 24mi ride.. I even got to pull the guys for the last few miles (the group was all fellas.. I would have taken over lead earlier, but I didn't know the route & didn't want to get lost!) & then I dropped some (b/c I was fueled by the sight of lightning.. wanna see me go fast?? send me out there in a storm & see me MOVE it!!) toward the end! They were impressed.. 1 guy even asked if I was a pro?? Uh...no.. just a regular ol triathlete..but thanks! Anyway, so that was fun. Now today, friday, was my long day.. Matt has to work tomorrow, so instead of finding a sitter, I did my long brick today & will rest tomorrow (& go watch some friends in a local sprint race w/ my son! I'm excited.. and so is he.. we have our cowbell & we're ready to cheer!). Today I woke up early to be ready to head out (in the dark.. I had lots of lights, though!) at 6a w/ a fellow IM-in-training, Brian.. He's heading to IM L'ville next week! He's gonna do great.. Anyway, so since he's tapering (rightfully so!), he just wanted to do a 40mi ride/ 3mi run (brick)..which was great..but I had an 80mi ride & 13mi run in my plan. SO, did the 1st 40mi loop and 3mi run w/ Brian & then set out solo to do another 40mi on the bike.. and then 10 more miles looping round & round (like a crazy person) my 'hood. I can get a good 7/8 miles in w/o too much overlap..but after that.. I start to look like I'm just lost.. But fear not, good neighbors, I'm doing fine.. just training to be an Iron Woman!! Overall I think this (last?) long workout went well.. the ride was steady.. legs a little sore from last nights ride (& maybe still from lifting??)..but it went well.. as did the run.. No issues at all during the run & I think I've settled in to my 'all day' pace (AKA IM pace..probably a little slower for the actual race.. but we'll see) of about 9:30/9:40 min miles..so I'm feeling good! (after some food, lots of fluids, a cold shower, ice bath & compression hose..and a rest..) So now I have the rest of the weekend to take 'er pretty easy.. going to do an ez run & swim on sunday..but the rest is just playing! Next weekend I'm looking forward to 1 last long open water swim..it's supposed to be a really nice lake, so will keep you posted on that one. I'm also hoping to get some folks to go down to watch IM Lou next sunday.. I think it would be great for us to get in the 'mood' for our race by watching some others..so we'll see! I've been getting pretty emotional about the race, lately.. I guess all this training & build up messes w/ your emotions a little, but I'm pretty excited. Really looking forward to the whole thing..including having my family & friends there.. so let's bring on this taper! (I don't really love to taper..it's hard to do after being in motion for so long, but I know it's important, so I'll be good..)

Steelhead Tri..er..du?...er Biathlon??

This past week had been a bit of a 'taper' week as I head into my last race before the big one.. I'm heading back to Steelhead to try to come in a little faster than my last yrs finish time of about 5:35 (which I was super happy with..for the moment..but then pretty quickly I started thinking.. why couldn't I have come in under 5:30??..so here I am..) I had a good week of training.. Nice swim on monday; a track workout on tuesday; decent ride on wed; another swim and run on thurs.. then a mini warm-up on sat of a quick bike check & 'shake out' run before we head out on the road to gorgeous Benton Harbor, MI! We hit the expo & were in & out pretty quick.. head over to the beach for a quick swim & to try out my new wetsuit! (I know, I know..'nothing new on race day' is the mantra said over & over to us..but when it's not your 'A' race, you kinda relax some of those things.. I also had a new tri suit, a new water bottle holder.. I think that was it) The water felt awesome..just as I remembered it from last yr! The current is amazing, nice cool waters after slogging around in the near-90 degree lakes for the past month.. I was psyched! We listened to a bit of the pre-race talk & there was mention of some riptide warnings & lake issues in the area..but I wasn't concerned.. As usual, I'm overly optimistic until the absolute last minute.. So we head back to the hotel for a bit of a rough afternoon.. My 'team Blunck' was falling apart a bit, as 3 yr olds will do from time to time.. You see, when my little guy doesn't nap, he can be a little difficult.. SO, since we got to the hotel mid-afternoon.. Mason wasn't into napping right then, so by the time we were planning on heading to dinner..he was a mess & frankly, we weren't ready to take him out in public! So I settled for a bagel w/ pb, banana, & choc milk for dinner.. which was fine.. I like that meal, it's a stable meal for my tummy.. Only bummer was that I'd be eating the same thing again for breakfast the next day, but 'oh, well'.. So we actually got to bed plenty early that night..so all was fine & dandy. I woke up & got ready..Team Blunck was out the door on time.. weather was looking sunny & 75 w/ NO storms for the day..looking like a great day to race! I got to the transition area around 4:45-ish & the 1st thing I hear over the loud speaker was that the waves are too big to get safety craft out there & riptide risk is too high...so the swim is cancelled... WHAT??!! no way... They're kidding, right?? Nope. No joke. I gotta say... I was bummed. For those that know me, I LOVE this swim.. I enjoy swimming, in general, these days.. But I REALLY love THIS swim...it's nice water, awesome current..it's just a really great swim, so I was bummed to hear we wouldn't get to start the day w/ it. To be honest.. I was kinda at a loss as to what to do. I felt like I didn't know what to do w/ myself.. All that time, & not really anything to do! No need to set things up in transition, really, b/c we're just going to start on the bike.. Ugh. Anyway. I tried to shake the blues... but if I'm being honest.. I never quite got my head in the game. I never quite felt like it was a race & not just another brick workout.. I felt good on the bike & had a good split.. came in w/ an over 20mph avg, which is good for me for that distance.. But again, if I'm being honest.. I didn't push myself like I had planned to & I know I could have been at least a couple minutes faster.. BUT..oh, well.. as far as IM training, I did my thing.. kept up a good pace & felt strong & comfortable the whole way.. I did fine. So off on the run.. Again.. I felt fine for most of the run. I had to make 1, uh, pitstop..but nothing big..no stomach issues.. Got a bit of a side stitch after that & that lasted for about a mile or so.. but as per usual for me these days..the longer I ran, the better I felt. My splits were about 9:20 min miles the whole 13.1 miles..which is respectable for me.. Again, though.. didn't push myself hard..nothing fancy..just a good, steady race for me. As for IM prep..it was great. I feel VERY ready, focused, confident.. ready to DO this thing.. As for an impressive 1/2 IM..not so much.. Not bad, but I know it wasn't my best. It was still fun & I'd still say I learned things from it & gained things from it.. so not all was lost. I fancy myself a pretty adaptable gal when it comes to these races (I know I saw at least 1 gal in frantic tears over the change & more than a few really thrown off folks after the announcement)..and I adapted fine.. I just never really got in to full-on 'race' mode for this one, but we all have our moments when we're 'on' & when we're not so much.. Guess I'm saving it all for the big one! So we have 1 more pretty big training wk/weekend & then we taper?! Yikes...tapers are tough for me.. but I plan to take this as seriously as any other part of the training b/c it IS a big part of how enjoyable a big race like this can be.. So bring it on!!

We shall over come!

Maybe a bit dramatic w/ the title, but I feel compelled to share the update of how things went with my 2nd attempt at running today, since I left the last post on a somewhat down-note.. So, I was thinking...sometimes things work out in mysterious ways, ya know? As I wondered to myself throughout the morning.. "why didn't things work out this morning. Why am I so afraid of lightning. why...why...why do I still have 10 more miles to run today".. Well, I think the 'why' was actually to teach me a lesson & re-affirm how strong I am and how ready I am for the long race. Coming back from a disappointing run/workout is tough...coming back after anything that was disappointing is tough.. So I'm pretty proud of myself for not getting down or doubting myself & just looking at it as "maybe I just need to listen to my body today...& my body didn't want to run 20 miles this morning" (fair enough...few bodies out there do!). I was able to (correctly) tell myself that I know I'm capable of running 20+ miles, so it's not a matter of needing to do the run to prove that I can.. At this point in my training..these miles and workouts kind of feel more like 'maintenance', if that makes any sense. I really enjoy the long workouts...I do! Which is convenient b/c if the training was not enjoyable to me...that could be a pretty long day! So anyway, I figured I'd give the 2nd run the ol' college try...if I felt OK, good... If not, that's OK, too. So I took my nap (no, I'm not a toddler..just like my naps!) after eating some lunch, had a little something to eat with some water..just to fill my tummy a bit..and then set out for my run. I felt great! It was hot, but there was a nice breeze & even some cloud cover for parts of the run that felt quite nice (it's the little things that keep ya going!). I just went by time b/c I didn't want to get hung up on pace or exact distance, etc... Like I said before, I know what I need to do by now.. So I took my Gu's and my water and my watch & off I went! I stuck to my taking a GU about every 25 min, which is a little more frequent than usual..but I felt like I needed it & it worked for me.. So all good there. One little hiccup was that I knew I'd start to run low on water (I was running 90min in the heat of the day in the summer), but I usually re-fill at this rec center along my route...but it was closed.. NO!! So I remembered my wise, older brother said he always goes to a church b/c "they're always open" (he said always)...I tried every door, I think...locked.. NO!! So I was a little worried, but had enough to either head straight home, try the Vet clinic at the edge of my neighborhood, or look for a nice neighbor that might be outside w/ a hose... I tried the Vet's & the door said closed, but there was a lady inside that waved me in and mercifully filled up my sweaty water bottle for me. I was so excited by this that I gave out a spontaneous "yahoo" as I hopped off the curb and took off to continue my run (again...little things excite you on a long training!). So all in all, my run was bumpy, but turned out to be successful. I think the rough start to my day helped to show me that I can adapt, adjust, and come out the other side successfully when I'm listening to my body. SO important w/ all this training. We ask so much of our bodies through these months of tough training...if you try to override what your body is telling you b/c you can't adjust..you can really get hurt. And all the sudden, I have the Monty Python song (at least I know it from Monty Python...maybe it's from something else, too) "Always look on the bright side of life (whistle...whoo hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, whoo hoo)"...and that's what I'll continue to try to do!!

Best Laid Plans...

Well, I've made it pretty far into my Ironman training without any major hiccups...so I suppose I was due for this. It's not all bad....I'm just kinda currently bummed about today's 'so far' attempt at my long run. So it all started on thursday morning as I was helping (guess I wasn't much help on this day!) my son get ready..he was set to head out to his daycare & I was set for a swim and a second part to my run (sounds strange that my son goes to his daycare while I train...I know that's not normal, but it's the situation we've found ourselves in after I was 'let go' from my work back in Feb... we didn't have the heart to take Mason out of his routine and away from his friends.. So now he goes there and I get to train long a couple days a week.. At least that's how it works for now, but I digress..), but that's when it all fell apart.. Mason was playing around on his bed..he has a giant bed & likes to take full advantage of that by keeping loads of 'stuff' in his bed. Well, the previous night, he was doing his mazes in his bed as he worked his way to sleep, so he had this 'mechanical crayon' (hard to explain...not sharp, but I guess has the edges of a plastic pen...this is relevant in a little bit..hang w/ me) in his bed.. He flopped himself down on his tummy on his bed..and next thing I know, he's inconsolably (is that a word? it is now..) crying and screaming and saying his eye hurts. I found the offending item (aforementioned crayon) & was understandably confused as to how this thing caused such a to-do. I have no doubt that he was in pain.. he cried & slept all day...all day, that is, until we got to the doc's! So that day, needless to say, as far as training, was a wash. I did get the rest of my run in that evening & it went fine. The swim was just something I was gonna do 'extra' b/c I like to swim..so no huge loss there.. So Mason's acting like his eye is fine.. I should be 'game on' for my 80mi ride & 6mi run the next day, which I plotted out a 20mi route to/from a group ride that I was going to do 40mi w/ them.. So I spent all morning getting myself and by bike ready..I had nutrition & hydration of all sorts strapped onto 'us' all sorts of ways..I'm clipping in on my bike..and 'ring ring'... My husband is calling me telling me our son won't open his eye.. So. Dutiful Mom that I am, I turn around and accept that this ride/plan isn't going to happen today. Mason pulled through & was fine.. but the brick was lost. BUT..no worries, I thought.. I have a group of friends doing their brick on sat am...but Matt has a work thing, so I need to figure out care for Mason.. I sent out an SOS to a couple friends of mine...and they are able to come through! I really must take a minute to say that I have amazing friends and family. Since we live away from all of our immediate family, I rely heavily on Matt...and then when he has work stuff, I call on my friends...and they come through.. So Heather, Beau & Liz, thanks a TON for this one.. My friends Lara and Todd have been there for me more times than I can count...I can't thank you all enough. SO. Where was I.. I have figured out my plan for my brick on sat..and that actually went really well! We did our ride in 2 loops & I felt great (aside from running out of fluid on the 2nd loop.. I found a great market, though, with drinks AND ice!!). Then I did the 6mi run w/ my tri-bud, Ashley, and we kept up great pace...felt good! So next up...after that long day w/ no time for my much-needed nap..I have planned to run my 20mi nap, starting at 4am on sunday morning b/c I want to go support my friends at a local triathlon. OK...so I eat an early dinner, go to bed early, eat a bagel/ pre-run meal at midnight, I'm up and ready and out the door for my run at 4am... LIGHTNING??!! Ugh. NO FAIR!! For some (OK..many..), this wouldn't have been a big deal, but I have a pretty large, pretty unreasonable, but real for me, none-the-less phobia of lightning. This storm not right over me, but it lit up the sky repeatedly...and I just couldn't do it. I got about 45min in...went inside..thought things would be clear, so went out for another 20 or so...had to go back in.. waited another 30min or so, finally things were clearing up & I thought things were a 'go'...I did another 30min, but I started to feel very strange.. My arms and legs felt numb, I was dizzy & lightheaded...just not right.. I tried a GU and some water and walked a bit, but I was still really dizzy...felt like my head wasn't attached to my body. SO. I thought to myself.. "you've come too far to hurt yourself or do something stupid now"..so I called it quits..probably around 10mi in (my Garmin ran out, but by this time, I'm pretty good at estimating how far I've gone), I decided to take it in for now & go cheer on my friends. So that's where I am now. I'm glad I went to the race VS sticking around to fight through whatever was going on w/ me..low blood sugar, I'd guess.. but to fix it was going to take a real meal & then waiting to digest, etc... Anyway, so I went to the race and had fun cheering folks on. I'm a terrible spectator..never know where to be or what to do...but I guess I figured it out & I think I saw everyone I needed to see. Now I'm home. My plan is to eat (check), nap (going) & then try my hand at running again...If I'm feeling good, game on and I'll finish 10 more miles. If I'm on the struggle bus, I'll call it a day and move on. Of all these weeks of training, aside from having to adjust things when I had knee surgery, all my workouts have been what I would call a success...so this 1 workout won't break me. It probably wouldn't hurt, either, to taper a touch for Steelhead, which is next sunday.. But I'll give it my best and see how things go

More training notables

I actually got to test my theory of no ride seeming long after RAIN (thanks, coach!) about 2 wks ago when we had a 100mi ride followed by a 3mi run (which might seem like..why just 3 mi?? But it's a pretty good indicator of how the legs will feel off a longer bike ride). I was actually able to talk some folks into joining me, which was lovely. I broke it up into 2 loops, so some people could come join us for just 1 of the loops (those NOT training for super long events), which worked out really well. I had my tri-bud, Ashley, along for the whole thing, of coarse. We had another friend of a friend join us for the whole ride, which was great! Kim was training for a long bike weekend up in Madison, WI, so this workout worked well for her, too. So the 3 of us did both loops. After the 1st loop, we came back to my house, which my husband and son had gone and bought us some 'snacks' for our 'SAG' (they really are great, aren't they?), and some of my Y tri group came along for the 2nd loop! It made for great company on the ride & I think it helped to break it up & keep things interesting VS just heading out for hrs w/o any other contact, people to talk to, etc.. I felt good on the ride & even the short run after felt pretty good! I say 'pretty good' b/c I was a tad bit low on sugar by the time we went out & I didn't take any with me, so I was getting a little light headed by the time we were done.. BUT, again..lesson learned..always carry some nutrition..ya never know when your energy store will run out! & when it runs out...it just runs out.. But we finished strong & I was very pleased with the workout. I think, if I remember correctly, the day before this was a 20mi run.

The very next wk, I decided..kinda last minute..that we would visit my parents in KC during my big bro & his family's visit from TX, since it's so rare since their move that we get to see them.. I hadn't even met my newest niece yet!! So Mason & I were to take off to drive to KC on wed am.. I decided we would drive b/c I wanted to take my bike...training waits for no one! Especially right now as I'm in the 'peak' of all the training. BUT.. I had a long training on the schedule for that weekend and, though I planned to train while I was there, I didn't want to have to train ALL day.. which is what this workout called for.. So what do I do?? I do my looooong workout on tuesday! This workout was an 80mi ride, some rest time, and then a 15mi run. Well, so I had to start my ride early..before the sun..and I couldn't talk anyone into joining me for a 5am ride (can't believe why not after I dragged them out for 50mi just 2 days before??).. I won't ride solo in the dark, so that left me w/ the trainer.. I planned to get outside as soon as the sun came out, but wouldn't ya know it, it chose that day to be super foggy! Again..not safe for riding solo.. So a few episodes of entourage, the office..and whatever else I could find later (4hrs!), the ride was done. Now to rest a bit, but I had to teach gymnastics that night (I've been teaching the little kid classes at the Y lately.. I enjoy it!), so I couldn't wait for too long.. So at noon, I set out for my run. YIKES! Um.. peak sun/heat of the day?! Didn't go so well.. I made it about 10mi & just couldn't do another loop. So I decided I would finish my 5mi on the treadmill after I taught my classes.. So that's what I did! And then, of coarse, if you're me...you're not done yet! There's the Y Tri team swim on tuesday nights, which is outside & we get the whole 50m pool all to ourselves.. I love it.. So I decided that would be a nice 'cool-down' to my day.. I'm actually glad I decided to do it. I felt good & I think it always helps to 'shake things out' in the pool, rather than let the lactic acid build up and get muscles sore, etc.. So my long training for the week was in the books & it was only tuesday! I did take my bike to KC & managed to find a great group to ride with (now, much to Matt's dismay, I have declared that we now must always drive to KC so I can take my bike & ride w/ this group!)..so it was good!

We actually did have a great visit in KC, too.. Always great to see my parents, which Mason loves to seem them! And we also got lots of good cousin time for Mason! (he finally calls them his cousins and not his 'sisters' or his 'friends') Matt & I even got to go to a concert while we were there! We went to our 1st country show! We were there as fans of the Zac Brown Band..which is country, but not the typical twangy kind of country.. But he was headlining w/ mr Kenny Chesney.. Oh, WOW...he's a performer, for sure. I felt like I was watching a movie b/c I had never really been to a concert where I wasn't really in to the main act.. But it was good. We had a great time, despite the heat that seems to be the theme for the summer (go figure! I love how everyone is so surprised by the fact that it's hot & humid in the mid-west in the summer... Uh...yup.. Just like last yr and all the yrs before! Better watch out.. I'm thinking it might happen again around this time next yr!) I would also like to note that thanks to our great friends the Krebs', Matt & I were able to attend a wedding AND and OAR concert the previous week.. So, see?? I get out, too.. I don't ONLY train 24/7....

'twas a long, hot, DRY RAIN

Next on the docket was to ride my bike across Indiana in the RAIN (Ride Across INdiana..get it??) ride...which, ironically and thankfully had NO rain. It actually started off as a pretty cool, nice, cloud covered day (some folks even had long pants/leg/arm warmers on.. not sure if these folks were from the equator or what...it was still in the 70's folks!). I kept marveling at how I thought the ride, which took part largely, especially in the 1st 1/2, along route 40..a fairly busy rd, felt strange..I guess just riding where I normally would avoid a rd like that.. and riding from town to town w/ no thought of going back.. All seemed kinda odd, but it was cool! By the time we made it to the Indy area, it was mid-day and getting pretty hot. The route took us down south of Indy, which was MY neck of the woods! Matt happened to be driving home with Mason from the zoo right at the time that I was passing through that area, so we were able to meet up for some quick hello's & then I was back off on the ride..heading toward lunch and just past 1/2 way through the whole ride. They may not know it, but seeing them was just the moral booster I needed right about then! We started off the day as a pretty big group.. We had Joe, Ashley, her boyfriend, Tim and I..and we were to meet up with Ginger, her husband, Sam, Mark, and a work friend of theirs that had a camper and was to serve as their SAG for the day.. The camper crew were running a little late, which I didn't think was a huge deal, seeing as how it was going to take the whole day & we weren't racing, but Ashley and Tim weren't having it! ..they wanted to get the police escort through Terre Haute..I don't know.. So I took off w/ them & we figured we'd see them at the 1st SAG...and we did. Trouble was, and this would continue throughout the day until I decided to soldier on solo...as we would be finishing up our time at the SAG..rested, fed, hydrated, evacuated, packed up and ready to roll..then the rest of the crew would roll in & we'd want to chat w/ them a bit. Well, this was all well & good until I started to add up the time & realized that this was pushing the overall time back quite a bit! Which is not a huge deal if it's just you to answer to, but I had Matt and Mason that had to pick me up on the other side of Indiana & I didn't want that to be too late. SO. After a morning of riding, some waiting & chatting...all of which I found quite enjoyable, but not time efficient.. At lunch time, Ashley gave me the go-ahead to just ride the rest out as I wanted. As much as I'd have liked to stick together, it's a long day & sometimes you just have to do your thing! So I took off.. I actually felt really good through the whole ride.. no aches or pains..stiffness..nothing! I just cruised along doing whatever felt comfy. My SAG stops got much shorter.. My only difficulty through the day was my lack of appetite! Not exactly something I expected to be an issue in a 164mi bike ride! But I just couldn't do any more sweet stuff! which all those gels and things are nothing but sweet.. and remember back to the Muncie lesson of not being able to do the sweet sports drinks after about the 1st 40-50 miles of riding.. So all I wanted was COLD water...and a burger.. is that so much to ask?? Needless to say, there were no burgers at the SAG stops. Even though they did have pulled pork sandwiches at lunch, which I usually love...the line was SO long there was no way I was wasting that much time.. So I just did pb/j & some chex mix & stuff...then back to the ride. But anyway, another lesson learned..pack some salty/savory type stuff for the longer rides/tris/etc b/c sweet stuff gets...unappetizing, I guess would be the way to put it. I actually felt bad b/c at the last stop, the folks were so proud of their selection, which included cookies, sunny d, capri sun, popsicles and fruit...none of which I really wanted by that point, so I just shoved a banana in my pocket & took off! But my ride time for the day was about 9-9:30? I think? Total time for the day would have been about 11 1/2 hrs since we took off a little after 7 & I came in around 6:40-ish.. So, again, all in all it was a good day. A little bummed, maybe, that we didn't end up riding all together.. But that IS a large group and a long way to go to expect everyone to go the same pace...especially since we don't draft.. Main purpose of this ride was to make the 112mi bike ride in Ironman seem like no big deal..and I can honestly say that after riding over 160mi in one day, I can't imagine any ride seeming 'long' any more.. so mission accomplished!

training notables

I just wanted to take note of a few trainings & things I've learned along the way here.. I've had a couple of 'long runs' on the ol' training schedule..meaning a 20 mile run at a steady, fairly easy pace.. what I've come to call my 'all day' pace. Now, this isn't the 1st 20mi run I've done...but this is my 1st SUMMERtime 20mi run, which is really a beast of a whole new color. So back in the day when I 1st took on some longer distance running, I used to think I needed to plot out a coarse for whatever distance I was going that day & just carry what I needed.. I guess I thought if I was close to home that would be too much of a distraction.. Well, these days with the 90+ degree heat w/ crazy humidity.. there's no way I could carry everything I needed on these runs, so I've gotten used to doing those runs in 3 loops, stopping back at my house to refill my water, get any food I need..and even change my clothes &/or shoes! (little known fact...I'm a sweat-er! clothes get pretty heavy when drenched in sweat & shoes can get pretty squishy! Both things make a longer run quite miserable, so if I can quickly change those things...I'm all for it!) So that's been a big difference in my longer runs. I've also really stepped up my nutrition during workouts & runs.. I only drink water on the run, but take either Gu/Gel/Chews something equaling 100 kcal every 3mi, so usually at least 200 kcal/hr..sometimes more, though, if I feel like I need it!

I'm also to a point now where I swim about 4x/wk, which has really helped with my stroke, speed and overall comfort in the water. It's a pretty average swim workout to get 3k in & some days I'll do 2 swims/day or just a longer straight swim of 4 or 5k. That might sound like small potatoes to a real swimmer, but for this adult-learning-just trying to make it-triathlete swimmer..that's quite a success! To put it in perspective, when I trained for the sprint in Chicago back in '09..I would get in the pool & aim to do just 800m, which was the race distance..or sometimes I'd go all out & do a whole 1k! So this is a big improvement in the swim for me..

As for the bike.. I still love to bike.. & I upgraded my ride this season and love to ride even more! I'm to the point where any ride under 50mi would be a 'short' ride..it's really not a big deal to do 80 miles these days..just gotta pack the nutrition!..and not only sweet stuff.. So that's the latest learnin's from my training!

Funcie Half-Iron!

First weekend in July brings me to my 1st tri of this season!!...the half ironman in Muncie, Indiana..which just so happens to be my ol' college stompin grounds! Of coarse, the race coarse was no where near the campus (bummer), but it was still nice to be up there doing something SO different from back in the college days! My goal for this race, being that it was my 1st tri since AGN last Sept, was just to race 'comfy', figure out where I am as far as training & nutrition & such.. finish feeling good & strong & ready to build for the next one. I know that drives some people nuts that I would say I just want to race comfy & that this was a 'training' half-iron race.. But that's the truth. So all went well. I was psyched that the water was too warm for wetsuits (!!).. I had planned not to wear one anyway, but I woulda felt strange if I had been the only one not wearing one...this just made the decision not to wear one easier! So the swim was really good! Felt strong..was able to push through the crowd (which I usually avoid by starting out to the side & hanging back a bit..but I was feeling confident, I guess, & decided I wanted to line right up w/ the bouys & get out there & move!) w/ only a little jostling..but got free pretty quick & felt great! I was pretty proud of my ability to stay right in line with the bouys, as I usually vere way out & can never seem to get close to the actual coarse..so I usually probably swim an extra few 100 meters, which can really make a difference! So I came out of the water feeling good (NOT the last this time!!)..saw Matt & Mason & made sure to make my way over to give Mason his now expected kiss every time I see him! (I'm not complaining) Now off on the bike! Pretty uneventful bike. Did learn 1 thing (at least)...I can't drink gatorade (or in this case it was IM Perfom..really any sweet drink) for the entire race/ride...it gets too sweet & I actually felt more thirsty after every sip, instead of feeling refreshed. I know I need the sugar & electrolytes...but I just can't rely on that for the whole race b/c it didn't actually hydrate me...just loaded me up w/ sugar. So the ride went well. Felt great, except when the wind knocked my pace down, but that'll happen out on a flat coarse! I took off for the run feeling good, initially.. Saw Team Blunck again on my way in from the bike & then out for the run.. But about a few 100 meters in or so, I got a 'punch in the gut' type of cramp. Oh, MAN?! This was a new one... I've had stomach cramps/pain/GI issues before, but never this kind of cramp. All I could think to do was slow down to a walk for a while, and since I felt so thirsty after drinking all that sweet sports drink, I just drank lots and lots of water. Well, that combo worked & I was able to pick 'er up to a nice jog at first & then was cruising along pretty darn well, if I do say so myself! I stuck w/ water and taking a Gu every 3 mi through the whole run (yes, even at mile 12) and by the end, I was passing folks left and....well...left, anyway. People had really talked up the 'hilly' quality of the run in Muncie and said you have to 'save up' energy for the end.. Well, it had some rollers, don't get me wrong..but dare I say it was a bit over-hyped. But that's where I did a lot of my passing...I was feeling good! (mind you...this is all relative..) I did run with my hand-held water, which I think was another big savior for this run. It was really hot, but with my constant intake of cold water (b/c I could fill up w/ ice at aid stations) and then could douse myself w/ ice water and cold water sponges at every mile/aid station.. I actually kept fairly cool! So...I head in for the finish.. came in at about 5:40, which was just where I wanted to be!..actually, a little faster, which is always nice. It wasn't a PR for me, but as I said, I wasn't shooting for one! Sometimes, I'm learning, you just need to practice racing smart & steady & not always shoot for 1-upping yourself. All in all, a successful day!

My boy turns 3??!!

Sometimes things happen that DON'T have to do with racing.. my little guy, Mason, turned 3 big ol' yrs old on June 27th! He's so big...and the light of my life.. We had a great weekend filled with visitors and fun.. he had ALL his grandparents here with him at one time, which is rare for him.. he was THRILLED! And his 'Aunt Lis' came to help him celebrate, too. Lots of fun. SO. With everyone in town, I knew I needed to get my training done early..so saturday, the day of the 'party' (at 3, our party only consisted of our family and the neighbor across the street who is only about 2mo older than him & they are great little buddies!), I got up early to ride 60 miles with the Y tri coach, Todd, at 5am, and then I ran 13mi on my own around my neighborhood. This workout felt really good to me b/c up to this point, I still never quite felt like I was triathlon training. I mean...I was working out a lot & in great shape..but I was still tinkering around with all my 'other' activities some..like the pilates, piloxing, yoga (which I still do just 1x/wk)..things like that, so this was the 1st time I felt like "I'm training for an Ironman!"..so that was good. The heat is starting to pick up a bit, so I was pretty ridiculously drenched at the end of it all... But I felt good & ready to clean up and get on with the party! (after a nap, of coarse..)

SWIM a 5k??!!

So after the bike ride, next was to swim a 5k in open water (at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, IN). Definitely the farthest I had swum...and it was not wetsuit legal, which..it turns out..is a good thing b/c I'm HATING wetsuits right now. For those that haven't been around me much this season, I've worked my butt off trying to become a better swimmer. I'll never quite catch up to those life-long swimming folks..or the college swimming crew..but I've really worked on my stroke & am finally to the point where I really enjoy swimming & I feel like I 'glide' through the water VS constantly wrestling the water...which, as anyone knows..is a losing battle for sure. SO. Since I've worked so much on my swim, I'm now one of those that feels hindered by the wetsuit instead of being helped by it.. So it was a good thing that it was just the swimsuit and I out there for 3.1 miles. I actually felt great throughout the swim & gained a lot of confidence through the event, which was exactly what we set out to do! It started a little rough..it was POURING & we weren't sure if we were going to get a break in the weather long enough to do the swim.. Not quite as much of an issue for us 5k-ers, but there were lots of folks (real swimmers) doing a whole 25K (?!)...which required much more of a break in the storm.. But we got it & it actually turned out to be a really nice day. I didn't have any issues, really...a little bit of a 'rub' on the back of my neck.. not sure if it's from my arm or cap or what.. But no aches or pains of note.. took about an hr and 50 minutes, which is not fast by any stretch..but good enough for a 3rd place in the relay!! That's right...major award winners!! So it was a great swim. Great day. w/ the 2 hr rain delay, I got to spend some time w/ some buddies..Ashley and Ginger, who made up our team, which I believe the name was "Wait.. this 15k is in the water??!!" (catchy, I know..)..also both of whom will be joining me at Rev3 for the full iron distance race.. Mark, Joe and Sam were there as support/kayak.. Dru was there as the always wonderful support crew/cheer team AND she even stepped in and helped me a TON by watching my little guy while I swam.. huge thanks to her! So it was good! Another successful event on the road toward Ironman!!

Michigan Mountain Mayhem, indeed

Next up was the Michigan Mt Mayhem, which was a century ride (actually, it was about 115-ish miles, but who's counting!) up in the hilly northern Michigan area (Boyne City, if you want to get technical). I was able to talk my friend, Jeff, into joining me..so we all packed into my car..along with 'Team Blunck' (Matt & Mason), of coarse, & set off on the 7-8-ish hr drive up north. The drive up was nice..nice sunset & such as we got into our resort, which was a nice little place that I didn't get to see much of..but it had a water park that Matt & Mason got to enjoy while we rode our bikes. We had a late dinner, then off to bed to wake up & head off to the start of the ride. We woke up to a pretty steady downpour. Well...I'm never one to count us out until it's actually 'go' time, so we got checked in & got our bikes ready. We did have a bit of a delay & got started about an hr later than planned, but it did let up enough to get us out there & get the ride on, so all is well! It never stormed..did drizzle a little during the ride...but it was COLD! After a few wks of not feeling anything close to cold, that was a bit of a shock. I, however, had checked the forecast & had packed accordingly... Jeff was not so lucky. The ride was really nice... had good hills, as promised (though we couldn't find the 'super hill' they had talked about..despite riding around & around looking for it), so it was a solid, challenging training ride & I enjoyed it. At around noon, which we thought would be a lunch stop (just realizing this..but maybe the later start messed this up?), I was out of 'juice' & seriously needing some nourishment..but the stop was out of bread! BUT, by this time I had already designated this ride as a 'peanut butter tasting tour' because of the delicious locally made nut butters that they had at the SAG's (vanilla almond butter, toffee peanut butter....mmmmm), so all I had to do was find some 'vehicles' to get me my peanut butter.. Had a banana..that's always good.. But what's this?? a pop tart? Perhaps a peanut butter pop tart sandwich?? Sure will!! It was actually just what I needed & I fully endorse the use of this tasty treat during a long bike ride.. But it was cold, so no time to sit around to enjoy our 'lunch'.. The rest of the ride was good & I made sure to eat well the rest of the day so no more 'bonking'. Not much else notable about the ride.. We had a good time & both rode further than we had ever gone before..so, success! I can't remember what our actual time was, but I think 'ride time' was about 7 1/2 hrs.. Not fast, but it WAS pretty hilly & we weren't out there to set any records.. So we packed it up pretty quick.. I got a freezing cold shower at the local school, which was the designated start/stop/clean-up/camping spot, while Jeff complained about how steamy & hot the men's showers were... Nice.. So, anyway.. that was the end of the Mayhem! I do recommend it as a nice century ride.. worth the drive, if you ask me..though, hopefully it'll be a touch warmer, or at least less rainy, next time.. But the ride was well run, well staffed, great volunteers at the SAG's & very well marked.. Good stuff!

Long time No Blog!

I've been delinquent, to say the least, in my postings, so I thought I'd try to catch myself up here, if for no other reason than just to serve as a journal for me to look back at how this whole season of training for a FULL ironman panned out. SO. Last entry was about the relay, which was a part of my marathon training.. AH, the marathon. I was planning to do the Flying Pig marathon on May 1st..& I was good & ready, too! But all was for not, b/c I wound up tearing my meniscus while playing soccer (which was my speed training...so part of marathon training, though, admittedly, maybe not the best choice for a gal w/ knees like mine) & it was torn in such a way that it was really unstable & not at all fun to run on. SO I had to bag that race & got the meniscus repaired w/ a scope the next weekend. It's been 3 months now & my knee is good as new! It took a bit longer than I had hoped for me to get back into running..the knee just took a while to get over all that messing around they do in there when they operate. But my 1st 'race' back after the surgery was a 1/2 marathon in KC...Hospital Hill, again, which I had done last yr and really enjoy that race. It was my worst run....ever... In fairness.. Looking back I should have seen this coming.. & I did, to an extent.. But going in to the 1/2 marathon, I had only been able to build up to a 6mi run, which I did the wk before the race.. & I'd really only been back to any running at all for about 2 wks after at least a full month completely off of running. The other kicker was that my last long run, which was a part of the marathon training, was way back when it was about 30 or 40 degrees...so the 90 degree temps & humidity were a bit of a shock to the ol' system. All in all, it was ill advised & I paid the price. I think it took me something like 2 hrs 20 min to finish, which is the longest 1/2 for me by far. At about the 7mi mark I had to make the decision to bag any pace concerns & just take care of my stomach (all that time away from training caused my stomach to forget what it's like to run longer distances while digesting...not fun..) & just get through the race. BUT.. I take it as a learning experience & even though it was a crappy return.. at least I was back into the racing & training! So Hospital Hill...we will meet again & I WILL come better prepared next time...