Hillyman!

Hello! Thought I'd take a moment to do a little updating... I guess I'll pick up from where I left off before... Last weekend after all my hilly bike riding, I packed up the fam and headed for KC for a visit with my parents...and to get in yet another hilly 1/2 marathon! I ran Hospital Hill, which was starting and ending at Crown Center in the downtown area of KC...which was great because while I was on my trek up and down (mostly up...I'm pretty sure it was mostly up) the hills around town in the 90-ish degree heat (it really didn't feel that bad, I promise), Mason got to run (yes, run!) through the fountains! So cute.. I know this because Matt and my parents got video and pics! Where are they, you ask? well...we left our camera at my parents house in KC, so we'll have to wait until we get that back from them...but I DO promise to add the pics and any video that I can figure out how to upload as soon as I can. So anyway, I finished that run in 1:51, which was not a pr, but I was perfectly happy with it because it was a touch faster than my last 1/2 marathon that was similar hill-wise (IU Mini in Bloomington), but this one had the heat and humidity added to it, so it was a success in my eyes. Plus, I'm really focusing right now on learning to 'race smart'. This means being sure not to start too fast, so that I can have a faster 2nd 1/2 of the race, paying attention to how I need to eat and drink before, during and after for best race and recovery...all in efforts to prep for my 'main' race, Steelhead! So that was good. Then I had a week of regular ol' training...and my 1st olympic distance tri was today! (sunday) This was a tough one for several reasons... 1st, the obvious, it was farther than I had raced in a tri before. 2nd was the unforseen obstacles of sleep deprivation, courtesy of an overnight stay at the hospital on friday in the PICU with my poor baby, Mason, who came down with a severe case of croupe that left him gasping for air...so that was definitely tough...our 1st hospital stay with our little guy, seeing Mason that scared and in pain, up all night listening to beeps and making sure his o2 levels are OK... So anyway, he made a speedy recovery and we got to head home mid-day on saturday, which meant no time for me to get any training in, but as long as Mason stayed healthy through the night, it was game on for me and my race! Then...there were tornado warnings and horrible storms late saturday night, but luckily by race time on sunday, it was beautiful skies (and heat!). BUT, with Mason still being a little under the weather and not wanting to put him at risk at all, I had to head to my race all by myself for the 1st time! I know a lot of people do this all the time, but I'm very used to having Matt, and now Mason, too!, at my races, so I missed them. But the show must go on...so after a delayed start due to the race directors needing to go through the coarse to clear off debris left from the storm, I took off for what was supposed to be a 1500m swim...but given that I completed that swim in 15min and I am NOT anywhere NEAR that fast...I'm guessing we were a few meters short there... OH, WELL!! Now for the bike...WOAH!! So, no surprise here... Bloomington is hilly... I knew that. And given that I am all about the hills these days, I actually really enjoyed the tough coarse! But it was certainly tough...and a little longer than I think an Olympic calls for at 30 miles...and it took me about 1:35/1:40-ish to finish... Definitely slower than I had planned, both due to the extra few miles and the extra hills (again, somehow I'm just SURE there were more up's than down's). So now...the RUN!! This one. was. TOUGH! again...for a few reasons. As usual, they were sure to give us a wonderful steep uphill on the way out..then we had a trail run. Now, they told us it would be a 1.1mi trail run, but what they failed to tell us was that this trail was more an adventure type race trail than just running on grass...there were steep, narrow ups and downs, which were muddy and slick from the storms. At some points I was grabbing for trees on the way down to slow me down a little. I actually had to use a log for a bridge! Jumping over logs... it was interesting. But, again, as always...I see the up side of this and enjoyed the shade, the change of pace, and the opportunity to slow my pace and prevent another side-stitch. The rest of the loop (Olympic distance did 2 loops, which meant 2x through those woods!) was just hot and open w/ a few ups and downs...and then the fast downhill in to the big FINISH!! Done. I haven't checked out the 'official' time, but per my little pink, trusty time piece, I was about 2:45-ish...so with my 15min swim, my 1:35-ish bike...what does that put me at, a 50min run? Anyway, like I said, I was trying to race smart...save my legs on all those up hills on the bike and on the 1st part of the run so that I could still have some left in the tank to let me pick up speed (and pick off folks!) toward the end...and I did all of that, so another success! I haven't seen the results, but it was a very small field, so I think I got 4th overall for the females and probably got 1st or 2nd in my age group (if they had enough for make an age group!).. But as I always say, I'm out there racing against myself and pushing myself to do the race that I need to do...the placing is just a formality. So that's, that! Another week of training ahead of me heading into what might be my last race before the big one! I'm doing a personal fave race...a sprint tri at Eagle Creek! I've done this race a few times before; it's a well done race, fast and fun..so a chance to push myself fast and furious! Hopefully we'll have a good day for it... I'll keep you all posted on how it goes!