Rouge Orleans!

Whew!! I. AM. exhausted. Mostly from the long, 14 hr car ride home... But it was kind of a tiring trip all together. So a while back, I got a pop-up, I think, on my facebook about a relay starting in Baton Rouge & ending in New Orleans for Mardi Gras...of coarse my 1st thought was.. "I'm in! Now how to get some others to join me.." After a bit of harrassing, I managed to assemble a team of 6, which meant the 126.2 miles would be divided by the 6 of us..each would have 5 legs of running, totalling about 20 miles.. Perfect! I figured this would fit nicely into my marathon training.. So after months of planning, it was finally time.. We loaded (& I mean loaded..) up the cars & made the trek down to Baton Rouge, LA. I/We had mostly planned for it to be a hot, humid trip & run.. You'd think 1 of us would have checked the weather..but...we didn't. We got to LA & it was cold & rainy?! Oops. Luckily most of us had brought at least a pair or 2 of running tights & long sleeves...but we were certainly a little ill prepared for the weather (completely our own fault, I know). So anyway, the stay in Baton Rouge was nothing too exciting.. Mostly eating, getting last minute food & gear for the run, sleeping. Our run was scheduled to start at 1pm on saturday afternoon, but friday evening was the pre-party & also the send-off for the ultra marathoners who were embarking on this 126.2mi trek on their OWN??! I was absolutely fascinated by these individuals...the gear, the magnitude of what they were setting out to do, the fact that they were downing jambalaya right before they started?! (ultra folk must have tougher stomaches than us average distance people). It was a really crazy thing to think about how far they were going & how long it would take them...a lot of them seemed focused, but excited.. it was really cool to see. So off they went...& down came the rain?! ugh...way to make it even MORE difficult?! Nothing anyone could do about this..but I'm sure the weather didn't help these guys any, because it. POURED that night. It poured the next day, too...but, miraculously (as I had been stubbornly & optimistically claiming would happen) the rain ended right on cue for our start! So off we went with a cannon (yes...a cannon...scared the crud out of us every time!) to start us off. Our team (consisting of myself; Ginger, whom I met from Team IN Training (TNT) last yr as we trained for Steelhead, she's doing Rev 3 w/ me this yr; Mark, who works with Ginger, also did Steelhead & will join us for our 1st full Ironman distance at Rev 3; Dru, also a TNT pal, she did her 1st Olympic distance tri last yr & I think she may take on the 1/2 IM at Rev 3 this yr..go Dru!; Rick/Ali...TNT peeps.. Ali was going to run, but she's 20 wks pregnant & only recently realized that this may be a tough thing for her to do...so her husband, Rick, kindly stepped in to run & Ali drove the car; Chris, Ali's brother...fairly new to run/tri's & joined us despite a recent knee injury...quite the crew!) was 'Faster than a Speeding Bull', which may not make sense at 1st, but it was inspired by a video of the race director that was being chased/harrassed by an actual bull while he tested out the coarse..so I found it to be a fitting title. My 1st leg (I got to start us out) was a pretty quick & easy 4.4miles.. We started out in our matador costumes (I'll see if I can get some pictures sent to me that I can add on here.. As usual...I didn't even bring my camera?! Geez) & Rick wore this amazing Bull costume that he chased me off the start line in..so that was fun. Everyone loved the Bull! Took pictures with him..it was funny. So anyway, we were officially started! The entire run was on the levee, so most of it was a rocky trail...not too difficult as far as trail running goes, but did wear on the ankles a bit. I finished my 1st leg with no issues & passed on to Rick to continue the journey...and on it would go like this for the next 21 hours! Everyone started with lots of energy & the teams were close together. We made it to the 4th leg with no real issues...& then there were the cows/bulls.. I guess they graze on the levee & have free range to move about..which included the trail that the runners were on. Poor Mark got the brunt of that one.. The herd was looking to cross the levee about the time that he was approaching.. He says a couple of runners swung way down off the levee almost to the river to miss them, but he just stayed on coarse &, luckily, they split to let him through.. He did say, though, that 1 of the bulls lifted his 'paw' (I'm pretty sure they don't have paws..but I wanted to stay true to his quote!) & stared him down.. YIKES! Better him than me...I'm not sure I'd have handled it quite as well.. So that was our 1st animal encounter. I think the next runner to have a major issue was Ginger on her 2nd leg of the journey.. Which meant it was dark by this time..adding to the fun.. She was running along, alone..in the dark..on the levee..when a group (are they herds? not sure..) of horses approached her?! again...YIKES! They were heading towards her, so she, rightfully so, got frightened & turned back for the 'safety' of the cattle guard crossing thingy that she figured they wouldn't be able to cross. Luckily another runner that had a bike escort came along & she was able to finish out the run (& pass the horses) with them. She also had a stray dog encounter on that one...so the mace was passed along to me, who was waiting to start my 1st night run after her. Turns out..I'm not much of a solo night runner! I was pretty nervous out there & talked Rick into following me for a bike escort on that leg. Unfortunately (well, luckily...but I felt bad for wasting Rick's time) that was the 1 time that I had another gal to run with! It was really nice to run with someone..especially late at night like that.. It was still nice to have the bike there, though...BUT, after that, I felt guilty about making someone ride along with me, so I decided to suck it up & go solo for my next night run... OH man, did I work myself up on that one. It was a 5 miler & I spooked myself the whole way.. Every shadow was an alligator (don't ask..). But my team/driver kindly agreed to trail me/keep an eye on me from the road, which was a big help. So I made it safe & sound. That one was my 4th leg & it was probably 2 or 3-ish am? But I had the exciting thought that that one was my last dark run for this trip..Yay! Everyone continued to do really well, despite the cold, dark & getting tired. So far, the run/relay/team aspects of the relay were all going exactly as I had envisioned all those weeks ago when I 1st read about the race...BUT, 1 major bummer was the lack of john's on or around the coarse?! I had really thought there'd be more...& with a pregnant driver with us, those were very missed. But we managed...even found a hilarious little gas station in the middle of nowhere where we were able to use the restrooms & see a little bit of culture with the card game & zydeco music going on in the back! So we kept plugging along..run after run..through the cold, wind & occasional drizzle.. As folks got tired, some spirits seemed to dip a bit, but I can honestly say that I was still loving it. I had my last leg as the sun 'rose'(never really rose, which was a bummer b/c I love sunrises & had been looking forward to it all night! But with the clouds, it never really seemed to rise..it just gradually got brighter.. Which you might be saying.. "um, that's a sun rise".. But, I promise you..it just wasn't! You're gonna have to take my word on this one), which was about 4.6 miles..it was nice because I had a HUGE tail wind at some points which felt like it was carrying me along the coarse. It also marked the re-start of paved coarse, which was a relief to my tired & sore ankles. I also got to start seeing some of the solo people that were still trucking along..mostly walking or doing what I dubbed the 'ultra trot'.. We always cheered them on & gave them praises & encouragement to continue on, as they were really close to done at that point. Some looked better than others.. some smiled & thanked us & plodded on.. Some would chat a bit.. & some would just kind of stare at us with a dazed "is that a real person there?" kind of look in their eye (luckily they all had support people either right there with them or near by..so for those looking dazed, I felt OK that they had people keeping an eye out for them). We got to see 1 guy get checked in at his last aid station, which was at a little over 100 miles (even writing that...WOW). He was an older gentleman & was walking, which he probably did most, if not all, of the journey that way..but he was still walking relatively well! He had to weigh in, as they want to make sure they don't lose too much wt/fluids throughout the coarse, & he said "I gained again!"..which I told him I thought that was a good thing... definitely don't want to be losing wt/fluids in the midst of such a physical task.. Anyway, so that was cool & that was the 'official' end of my part of the relay... BUT... I wasn't done yet.. I decided I wanted to run the last leg in with Ginger..& she kindly agreed to let me tag along. We were tired, but still managed to average 8:50min miles for our 4.4 final miles. Again..we passed more solos..most notably was a fella very close to the finish, whom we later got to watch cross the finish.. but he was so tired & out of it.. He had to cross some railroad tracks to get across to a street where we were going to finish, & his crew had to physically lift his legs for him to get over the tracks. He looked exhausted, but we cheered him on & told him what an amazing job he was doing. His big finish was really emotional (though I cry pretty easy these days..). He had a lot of friends & family there for him holding signs & crying & cheering him on... & it was his birthday!! Really cool to watch. SO. final stats? I haven't looked things up to know for sure.. But word on the street is that we finished the 126.2mi relay in 21 hrs and 8 minutes, which was an average pace of 10.02. I didn't log my times (ahem..Chris.. Very efficient!), but I think I did about 9min miles for my 1st 4mi leg, 8 min miles for my 2.2mi leg, 9min miles for my 4.6mi night run (with a gal from another team), no idea for my 5.2 mile night run (forgot to wear my garmin. I felt like I wasn't moving at all, but my team swears I kept my pace the same...I'd guess around 9min miles), 8:30 min miles for my 4.6 early am run (my last official leg) & then 8:50min miles for the last 4.4 that I ran with Ginger..so good stuff! All said & done, I did about 24 miles throughout the entire relay... I'd say that was good marathon training!
So now we're in New Orleans & it just so happens to be Mardi Gras time.. We were cold, sweaty, stinky, tired & STARVING for some 'real' food (that long with nothing but pb/j &/or a combo of gels or bars or whatever your stomach can handle is tough to do!). We wound up heading toward our hotel, which was out by the airport, & found some food there. We did a much needed clean-up of the car...then waited (long story..we were NOT pleased) to get in our room.. then FINALLY showers!!! By that time, it was really too late for a nap, so we just powered on & took off for some parades in uptown N.O.. We were told these were the 'best', so went to Bacchus & Endymion (or something like that) parades..it was fun! I still don't get all the fuss over those silly beads..but it was cool to see the parades & we had a good time. Then...finally... sleep. Ahhhhhh. We stayed just 1 more day to soak in a little more of NOLA & Mardi Gras.. We hit the New Orleans Running company (I know..we're silly..but we got some great stuff! And got to talk to a gal there that had volunteered at the relay, so it was fun to hear another perspective), then did LAUNDRY! (never thought I'd be so excited to do laundry..but it just felt good to know all of that stank was GONE), then lunch, back to the hotel to change, get our cab..then down to the french quarter to check out bourbon street for Mardi Gras! It was fun...again..cool to see, STILL don't get the bead thing.. But we had a good time. Then we hit the road the next morning for the 14-ish hr ride back.. hence why I'm so tired today. But now it's back to reality & back to training. All in all, it was a great trip, great experience & I can't wait for the next adventure! Huge thanks to the race directors for an amazing experience...I can't wait to see how this relay/ultramarathon progresses through the years.. And very HUGE thanks to my team who powered through & joined me on this journey despite injuries, pregnancy...& some even admitted they don't even like running??!! So thanks to them for coming along with me on this great trip. See you all soon for some more training!!

Ketchup

Hey! Been a while, so I thought I'd attempt to pick this blog thing back up again.. so looks like my last post talked about taking a break from 'training' (aka: following a specific day to day plan for workouts) & doing p90x. I did finish p90x & enjoyed it..lots of good strength stuff AND, added bonus, it turned me in to a fan of yoga?! I avoided yoga forever b/c I thought I was too 'active' to get in to it...but it's tough stuff & I still make sure to include some yoga about once a week after my long runs.. Over the past months, I've been doing lots of different kinds of workouts..zumba, piloxing, pilates, yoga, ballet, soccer..along with the usual swim/bike/run. I started back up with a training plan for the season starting in January. First up on the agenda for this season is going to be a marathon on May 1..the Flying Pig in Cincinnati. I'm working hard on my pace/speed work, as well as the long slow distance work on the weekends..all in hopes to make my base/comfortable pace a little faster than it was before.. so far so good! I guess I'm 2 months in to my run training & 2 months 'til the marathon. I've been playing soccer in an adult league with some tri training buddies as a way to do some different speed/run work while having fun! (& getting our tails beat...). I'm actually currently exhausted from a long week/travel down to New Orleans for a crazy trail relay that I found & managed to talk some friends into joining me for (more on that in a minute), but overall, I'm enjoying my training & looking forward to warmer weather for outdoor training..& getting going on the season! Which, speaking of... this season I have a few different events up my sleeve. I figure since it's going to be a long, intense season building up to the full Ironman race in September, so I need to keep things interesting. Sor 1st, as I said, is the marathon (nothing too exciting there, but I AM looking forward to it..), next probably a little warm-up tri, then I've signed up for a century ride up in the mountains on Michigan, we're also planning on a 5k swim (??!!?) in June, the RAIN ride (160mi bike ride across Indiana), a couple half Ironman's (IronMEN??)...& then the 'big finish' at Rev 3 in Ohio! I'll try to keep this updated on how things are going w/ all of this..

October...rest???

So here's October. I initially played around with the idea of taking on a January marathon, but after deciding to go for a FULL Ironman (distance...it's not an IM brand race, but still the same distance. So..same race, but cheaper & easier to get in to) next season (??!! Yikes!)...I thought maybe a little 'rest' would be good. Which, to me...my idea of rest just means that I don't really have a 'set' plan or obligations to anything... But a part of this rest included starting p90x with Matt!! If you don't know what p90x is, it's a pretty intense strength program that you do at home with the DVD's. We're 2 weeks in now & it's going well! I'm still doing some sort of cardio... swimming, spin, run...every day along with the strength workouts, just not as long as I normally would. So far I'm enjoying it & feel stronger already! All a part of my plan to be 'leaner & meaner' to take on the IM (distance)! Now rewind a few weeks...I did the 'Hilly Hundred' back in the start of October.. This was a lot of fun...but if I'm being honest..I was a bit disappointed in the ride.. I thought it would be tougher! But there were some good hills & good times with some good friends..so it was...GOOD! It's the last weekend of October now.. We're heading to Baltimore to enjoy a visit with the in-laws and some fun at the Halloween party! I'm super sore at the moment..probably from a combo platter of swim, yoga, legs/back workout & a tough spin to sprint workout this morning (not all of that was today...I guess that was just yesterday & today, though..). But I'll rest up tomorrow, hopefully run on sunday.. I'm doing a 15k run up in Chicago the next weekend..probably at least 1 other run in November...so Stay Tuned!

Long Awaited (I'm sure) Update

SO! Wow...So much to tell! So through September as I trained for Age Group Nationals (AGN), I kept taking care of my "achilles injury" (in quotes for a reason...I'll explain later), so it was kinda tough. I felt great about my swim & bike, of coarse, but I knew my run was going to take a bit of a hit when all I was doing was elliptical stuff...not quite the same. But I soldiered on & did what I could. No races all through Sept until race day on the 25th (or something like that), BUT, I had plenty of traveling to do! We went to CO the 1st weekend to see my friend, Jamie Irwin, whom I did gymnastics at Ball State with AND rode my bike across Iowa with her and her family...and this was back before I really rode a bike!... so we went to see her get married. It was great fun & I'm so glad it worked out for us to go. Extra bonus...got to see my parents, who were so kind to meet us out there at their cabin to hang w/ Mason while we did the wedding stuff! So then, next up was the 'big wedding/vacation/tri' weekend.. We went to KC for my little bro's wedding on the 18th, then head out to NC for a weeks vacation on the beach with some friends & our little family....it was SO fun! Mason was awesome on the beach & he LOVED the water & "chasing the birdies". Just before we took off for that trip, I got a 2nd opinion from an orthopedic doc who specializes in foot/ankle sports medicine..guess what...he says my achilles is FINE! Now, after the MRI has confirmed it, turns out there's a tiny little extra bone way in my ankle joint (I was born w/ it & I guess something knocked it loose), which pushes on my nerves/bone any time I push up on my toes (ie: sprint, which is why it started hurting when I switched from the long, endurance focus to the shorter, sprint stuff) & causes pain. Magic words & all I needed to hear was "it's not doing any further damage to anything...it just hurts". So. New plan...I can RUN! So I got a couple training runs in before the big race..that's the best I can do at this point. But. I really did view this AGN race as a 'bonus' & not my 'A' race, by any means. However...I was in the vast minority in this view, which I realized once I got to the race. These folks were serious! BUT. It was a very cool race.. Well run, I think. It was warm, but good weather & a nice town.. It was Tuscaloosa, AL, which is 'Bama land.. It was cool to see another college town..I don't have many to compare to, other than Ball State, but it was nice. So I'll cut to the chase...race day... I got up nice & early. Matt & Mason had to drop us off at the race because we didn't have another car down there.. Ashley & I set up our gear. I talked to a few gals nearby, but..like I said, most had a pretty serious 'game face' on, so I let them be. We went down to the start area & waited for our wave. The water was too warm for wetsuits, so I was on my own on this one! Through the swim.. I was feeling good! Felt like a long way, but I thought I was going along really well.. Out of the water, I see Matt & Mason (aka Team Blunck!) & swing by to give Mason a lil' kiss (he's had a record of crying when he sees me & I have to keep moving & not stop to hang out w/ him, so I thought a little smooch would help keep him happy this time, since I wasn't worried about time.. It worked! Little man was VERY pleased with the extra attention)..truck on over to my bike... "what the....where IS everyone??!!" MAjor buzz kill when pretty much ALL the people on your bike rack (which means they're in MY age group!) are already gone. I'm not the fastest swimmer out there & I know that...usually my goal is to just get a rhythm & keep it moving, but MAN! I've never had that happen before. So I was pretty down as I took off on my bike. Took a few "just race your race. Don't worry about anyone else" motivating speeches to myself, but I finally pulled it together & wound up w/ an over 20mph avg..which, with those hills was quite a feat! So feeling a little better...still VERY aware that I would NOT be winning any awards here, but feeling OK with that & ready to take on the run. So towards the end-ish of the bike, I passed Ashley & told her that I would plan to run with her.. I kept thinking she'd be right behind me, but when she hadn't caught me by about mile 3, I thought I saw her/heard her call to me from behind me...so I just waited for her! Turns out, she wasn't feeling so hot & was happy to see me.. Which made me happy because it gave me extra motivation to help keep HER motivated...which made me not focus so much on my own pain! It was hot & it was hilly... but we kept a' movin & eventually journeyed to the finish! So even with the bummer out of the water, the hills on the bike, the heat & hills & a minor pause on the run...I still improved my overall time in the Olympic distance! Again...I was no where NEAR the front of the pack here...but it was a fun race & I think I did pretty well. I think my times were: 34-ish min for 1500m swim, 1:13-ish for a ~25mi hilly bike, & 54-ish min for a hot, hilly 10k for a grand total of 2:45, which was about 3 min faster than Chicago? So not bad... Plenty of room for improvement, but all in all, I had fun & did what I went to AL to do.

An Honor just to be Nominated??

So after another week of lots of riding and swimming and NO running (thanks, doc), I was ready to head out to Chicago for what was to be my 9th (if you count the practice tri's) and final tri of this season. My week of training was nothing too exciting. Sunday after the race I rode a fairly easy 45mi ride. Monday was a spin on my trainer in the am and then my strength/endurance class (I've started going to the evening class which doesn't include all of the plyo's that the am class has...given my tender achilles situation); tuesday swim; wed OFF (tapering, ya know..); thurs swim and then bike in the evening; friday OFF. Saturday I started the day early with volunteering at the 'Go Girl' Eagle Creek race..which is the same race that I did the week before and in June, but this one is limited only to the ladies...kind of a cool atmosphere w/ LOTS of nervous 1st timers! I got to do body marking, which was fun to talk to the racers and wish them luck. Then I directed on the bike on/off point (ladies can be very literal! "dismount here" doesn't have to mean RIGHT there in front of me?! goodness..) and then to the run finish...good times! Then a short 'leg loosening' ride around the park, load up in the car and head up to Chicago! The Chicago race is the 'Worlds Largest Triathlon', so over 9,000 people, I think? I always get stressed out over traffic and things, but I do love this race. Even though I had to get up and be there to set up my transition area at 4:15am (!!) and then my wave of the race didn't start until 9:40am (!!)...it was still a good race. Luckily my friend, Ginger, from TNT, was in the race and started just after me, so she had a hotel room in the host hotel just up the street and after we set up our gear, we headed back that way for a nap! It's very strange to be waking up from a nap and heading to start your race...and pass lots of others already with their finishers medals and enjoying the post-party stuff... But off we went. I had another amazing swim in my new pal, Lake Michigan. It was chilly (73 feels a lot cooler than it sounds), but felt SO good after standing there dripping sweat in our wetsuits in over 90 degree heat.. Which brings me to the HEAT. Yikes! Last years race was super cold, and the race the day before in Indy was cold...so I was kinda thinking it might at least be chilly to start the race? Not so much. Super hot, sunny and humid. That's what I had going on.. So I had my great swim, 35-ish minutes, I think? It was a long swim..Olympic distance is 1500m, which is just shy of a mile, so not much shorter than Steelhead..so it felt like it was taking a while, but I felt like I had a great rhythm going on and was passing folks..good stuff! Added bonus, the swim is point to point (kinda...there's a little 'out and back' for the olympic distance) all along the shore, so I actually could see Matt and Mason (in stroller) walking right along beside me for almost the whole way! Very cool (this time... Last yr as I flailed around just hoping to finish the darn thing, didn't so much love that people were right there watching me so closely.. But this yr, as I Michael Phelpsed my way through the water..I was delighted to see my 'team'!). So anyway. Out of the water for the looooooong barefoot run transition... Now off on my bike! This coarse is FLAT..all along Lake Shore Drive, so the only 'hills' (which do kinda start feeling like hills after a bit..) are the on ramp and over-passes.. So I cruised along. I hit a bit of head-wind a few times on the 'back' part of the loop, which we do 2x, but all in all, it was great! I averaged 21.2mph! WooHoo! So back to my gear, shoes on and head out to run. Oh, the run. My achilles was fine, believe it or not... But man, I was SLOW! You see, as I mentioned before, it was super HOT. By this time, it's around noon... There is NO shade on the entire coarse... so it. was. HOT. Even though I SO wish I had been able to run faster, I know there was nothing I could have done differently. I gave it my all... I didn't have to walk at all, which was good.. I actually passed a lot of people and still wound up placing 14th out of 250 in my age group, so that just shows that everyone was feeling it... So it was a tough finish. I came in at 2hrs 48-ish minutes, which is interesting because I was 8 minutes off of my estimated time... and 8min slower in the run than I anticipated... So I know where that time went! Anyway, it was fun and I am happy with how it went... Especially since that 14/250 finish put me in the top 6% of my age group, and qualified me for Age Group National Championships!!! So...still not quite done, yet, with this season. Again, after much debate, we decided to make the trip down to Tuscaloosa, AL for the big race on sat, 9/25. I know...it's in the midst of vacations and I 'should' be no longer running on my achilles...but it's kinda like qualifying for Boston...if you qualify, you just DO it. Even if it won't necessarily be my 'best' race...it'll still be a great experience.. Plus, my friend, Ashley (who was the one that told me about nationals...I never even knew it existed! Let alone that it was something I could qualify for..), from TNT, will be joining me! So...I'll keep ya posted!

not quite done yet...

So post Steelhead.. I decided I would make a quick switch from the long, endurance training that I was doing for the 1/2IM and change to short, fast speedwork and interval training to get ready for my sprint race (500m swim, 10mi bike, 3mi run) at Eagle Creek on 8/21. This is the same race I did in June..they do 3 races in a series in the summer and it's a nice way to track improvements through the season. SO. I took on the speed work head on.. fartlek (speed play) run, pace loops on the bike, FAST intervals (3mi bike in a pace line going about 25mph, then transition to a 1mi run, which I approach as 1mi repeats...do this 4x through), speed work in the pool, bike hill repeats, run hill repeats, mini sprint tri repeats (200m swim, 3mi bike, 1mi run..FAST!..now go again)...oh, my! I did work a long saturday training in there, which was fun.. I met up with my Y Tri coach, Todd, for a 45mi ride in the wee early hrs of the morning (5am...which seems earlier now, since it's not getting light out until about 7a these days), then did a speed work swim for about an hr, then met up with the group to bike hill repeats for about another hr or so... Good stuff! By this time, I had already started to realize the damage I was doing to my already ailing achilles (hurting since last Oct in my last long training run before the marathon). I did truck on over to the walk-in clinic at orthoindy..mostly just to make sure it wasn't fractured..which it wasn't! I thought that was a good thing, but the doc was still so grim.. He said the pain in my heel was indicating that I have degenerative (chronic) achilles tendonosis (used to be called tendonitis, but they now don't consider it inflamatory? or something... thank you, google search!) and that if I don't rest it, I'm risking rupture.. Well, I certainly don't want that! But...I still have these races... Doc recommends 4mo with NO running! So after much debate, I decided I would lay off the running in training & I'd just do my best (& hope for the best!) in the races. So race #1 (AMA..against medical advise) comes... Eagle Creek. I felt good. Even though my time didn't reflect much improvement in the swim, I felt great and DID manage to shave a few precious seconds from that time. Then off to ride and I was De. ter. mined to finally average over 20mph..no more of this 19.something... I did it! I pushed hard and averaged around 20.3mph (ish? I don't memorize these things..you can check tuxbro.com if you want exact details..)...finally! Then off to try the ol' achilles out on the run... I felt good! Not great, but good! I think I averaged somewhere in the 7:40min/mi range. And then...wait for it... finally, mu 1st place (age group) finish! I came in at 1:06:something, which was about 3min faster than my June race. 3min doesn't sound like much...but in a sprint race where you go ALL OUT and every little second counts, a 3min improvement ain't bad! I'll take it for sure. Extra fun for this race was that Tom & Sue (Matt's parents...aka 'grandma and grandpa Blunck') were in town and got to come along for the festivities! Thanks so much to them and my usual 'team Blunck' crew, Matt & Mason, for coming out to cheer me on. I didn't see much of ya (I was looking, but just going too darn fast, I guess!..yeah, right..), but I knew you were there and it always gives me that extra boost to know my support crew is out there. So, Yay! Sprint Tri down... Now on to the next...

NOW what??!!

WOW!! After many months and many, MANY trainings...Steelhead is officially in the books! I guess I'll get right to it... Taper weeks went well...as much as everyone thought tapering (cutting back on training) would be tough for me.. I think I nailed it! I was able to do short, but efficient efforts to keep myself moving and strong, but also fresh and ready to go on race day.. So race weekend arrived. Matt, Mason and I (aka: Team Blunck!) loaded up the car and took off on the 3hr journey to Benton Harbor, MI. We got there around 11a and met up with the team, had a quick lunch and then I took off with the crew to hit registration and then head down to rack our bikes and take a quick dip in the lake. Registration...I won't bore you with that, but woah. Definitely the one low point of the event..the line was crazy & about the last thing I wanted to do...but we made it. Got our goods, kept a happy face and good attitude...and took off for the race site! The transition area was big and we had little personalized spots designated for our bikes, which was a delightful touch, I thought (it's the little things that really matter, ya know??). There wasn't much 'set up' to do..just put the ol bike in it's spot..the rest will be done tomorrow before the race. So off to put on the wetsuit and check out Lake Michigan. Ah...Lake Michigan.. The last time she and I tangoed, I must say...1 point for the lake and a big 'ol goose egg for moi (at Chicago tri last August...it was cold and my 1st time in the wetsuit...I made it through, but it wasn't pretty!). But not this time, my friend.. The lake was a balmy 76-ish degrees (wetsuit legal...that's all we need to know!), but it was quite nice! Fairly clear, for a lake...we could see the sandy bottom..I think this is going to be OK! So then back to the hotel, get ready for our pasta dinner (which I don't normally eat pasta the night before the race.. but I didn't think it'd really be a big deal to have it..and it wasn't. It was fine) as a team where we high fived and congratulated each other on our fundraising and training and all that good stuff. Most importantly, we were reminded of our cause when our assistant coach, Dea, got up with her elder daughter, who is 11, and gave a speech about Lauryn's fight with Cancer. A lot of it I have heard before through training with Dea, but it is ALWAYS emotional to hear it. (lots of tears in that room!) I think I've said it before, but something about being a mom and thinking about how hard it would be to see your child sick or to have to think about the unthinkable...gets me every time. So anyway, motivation firmly in place...we head back to the hotel for a short meeting (and gag gifts.. I was honored with the 'tatoo' for the season...a lovely 'Born to Rock' or something like that.. I tried to wear it, but I think my sunscreen ruined it.. Oh, well..thought that counts) and then to set out our gear, try to get some sleep and prepare for our EARLY morning!
We met with the group at 4am (yes....4am! I actually woke up before my alarm at about 3-ish) and then took off for the race. We arrived in the pitch dark (obviously)...but I was a little surprised to find really NO lighting in the area?? I managed to squint my way through setting my gear up...juuuuust in time....to feel the 1st rain drops. So I grabbed my trash bags and covered what I could cover (most importantly my shoes! soaked shoes and socks are a big bummer!) and took off for some cover with my team. Finally, just as the rain was letting up a bit, it was time to make the trek down to the swim start.. a 1.2mi walk in the sand. I totally knew about this walk and didn't feel as though it was anything to be bent out of shape about...and it was fine.. But it definitely took longer than I thought it would. But it was actually a nice time to chat with some buds (Joe and Shawn... Ashley was marching off ahead with her 'game face' already firmly in place!) and take in a bit of the scenery. I got to the start probably 10 or 15min before time to take off, so got situated in my wetsuit and got my pre-race dip in...lined up with the rest of the 30-34yr old ladies...got a few quick song & dances in! (ask Ashley...I think I even broke her 'game face' for a bit when I broke out my moves!). Not til we were finally called in and standing by the water waiting for the start call did I finally don my game face. I was ready..plotted my route and placement in the water (not sure why I bother..it's always immediately irrelevant and just turns in to 'just keep swimming, look where you're going')...and we're off! Let me just say (as I cut this dramatic story down a bit), the swim. was. amazing!! Best swim EVER (so far)! The current was delightful. The temp was perfect. Course was marked with perfectly spaced bouey's (that looked like sail boats!..actually..they were just triangles, but looked like sail boats to me!). I was actually passing people!! not usually something I experience in this leg of the race... So by the time I exited the water (about 35min later), I was elated!! I was all smiles. And then I started my looooong 'bay-watch-eat-your-heart-out' trot up the beach til I FINALLY reached solid ground!
1st Transition (T1 to those 'in the know') was fine.. nothing special.. As usual, I was chatting to the gals around me.. Mostly about how great the swim was, have a good day..that kind of stuff. I think my T1 time was around 3:30. Not fast, but not too slow.. Nothing I would change, really.
Now off on the bike. Here we go! I feel like the bike is really the 'meat' of this tri sandwich.. We're out there for the longest time & I think it has the most opportunity for things to go awry... So here we go... Well. I felt great!! I was cruising along on my purple piece of high tech equipment (I love my bike...but I have a feeling it gets a little jealous of those around it while it hangs out in transition.. Chin up, Buddy! We do just fine out there, you and me... We pass those fancy schmancy tri bikes with NO problem!) feeling like I could go for..at LEAST 56 miles (isn't that lucky??). Honestly, I thought the coarse was really easy. It actually felt like there were more down hills than up, though I know that's not actually the case.. But any hill that was out there was a long, gradual thing...never a sharp "we're going up THAT??!" kind of thing. No head wind that I had heard all about... All in all, delightful! The rain that had worried us all before the race and then sparked up a tiny bit in the swim was long gone now. I had a bit of cloud cover for most of the ride, so it was great! My goal time for the bike was 3hrs and I came in just under that..somewhere around 2:55 or something?? So pretty good! If there was any place that I was going to be tentative during the race, it was the bike.. I wanted to make sure I had some good legs left in me for the run, so I never felt really winded or like my legs were burning during the ride...and that's how I planned it! So far...so good for Steelhead and I!!
T2, again..nothing special. In and out in around 3:30....and we're off for the run!
My plan for the run was to start the 1st few miles at around a 10min mile pace.. Well, the 1st mile included the main uphill of the race...and I still came in closer to an 8:30 mile?! But..I felt good, so didn't sweat it. The next few miles were around that pace as well (estimated...I wasn't wearing my Garmin, but just used my trusty ol' Pink Polar watch that I just use to keep my total race time...no splits or anything special like that. I try not to get caught up in all that mess) & I was still feeling good...so I quit worrying about pace and quit looking at the watch...and just did some good old fashioned running! The volunteers at the aid stations were awesome & definitely helped us through. After that 1st hill and mile-ish out, we start in on our 2 loops out through a neighborhood and then through the whirlpool campus. The campus, I thought, was delightful! There was part of the run on a trail through some woods, which offered some nice shade.. There was 1 more hill, which we met up with 2 times in the loops, that we got to take on. Lots of folks were walking...but I just charged on (don't get me wrong...I'm sure it was closer to a shuffle...but I wasn't gonna walk it!). Loop #2 still felt pretty good! I actually like having the 13 miles broken up into the out/back and the 2 loops...helped to mentally check through the miles and be ready for the next thing ahead. I chatted with a friendly Canadian for a bit...and then another gal as we entered our final mile of the race.. I couldn't believe it was almost over! Couldn't believe what I had taken on...and what had seemed like such a crazy idea way back in January...it was almost over!! And I was still feeling good. That's crazy! Now...don't misunderstand...I was tired and my legs were a little sore... But all things considered...I was feeling GOOD! So I trucked on for what seemed like a long time...everyone saying I was "almost there" and it's "just around the corner"...finally...I round said corner and there it is...the big finish!! I still can't believe it. It felt so great. I was scanning the crowd looking for my boys...my team Blunck. I saw lots of TNT supporters and friends that had come up to watch..I smiled and high fived... Big finish... where's my guys??!! Well. I guess this is my fault. I had said for months, basically since I started training for this thing.. My goal finish time was 6hrs. Could I do it? I'd be OK with just over 6hrs...but maybe I'll be just under 6hrs.. So this is what Matt was planning on.. So when I cross the line at 5:35...he was with Mason on the swings??!! OH, NO!! No big deal...they came right up and it was great to see them. Matt was amazing keeping Mason entertained through that whole race... Mason was loving the beach and the water and the playground...he was loving all the action! He was excited to see his Mommy..and I was thrilled to see them...
Wow. Like I said... I STILL (even as I write this almost a week later) cannot believe it's over.. But it is! And it was a great success...from start to finish. From joining TNT, to the fundraising and having a great cause to inspire me...to the friends I've made...and to the amazing feeling of meeting and surpassing all of those goals that I set for myself. I would also like to say thank you SO MUCH to everyone for your support. I could NOT have done it without you. A HUGE thanks to my husband...thanks to my parents, aunts and uncles, in-laws, friends...your words of support gave me such a boost! I will cherish those notes forever.
So now what?? Well... I keep trucking along, of coarse. I have a sprint tri in 2 weeks here in town. Then the next weekend I head up to Chicago for an olympic distance race. Then...well...that's still up for debate.. But whatever it is that I do, I'll be doing it with my 'team Blunck' by my side!!! For those still craving more info about my racing and training and family stuff...I'll continue on with my blog...so fear not!! Thanks for listening... Oh, and I'll post some pics... our computer is working super slow right now & I just don't have the patience.. But I'll get 'em up soon!