Rain Run!

See..when you give something a fun name..you skew the odds ever so slightly in your favor that less folks will think what you're doing is nuts.. I'm well aware that most people find some of my workout choices to be odd, at best.. but I really do enjoy what I do. So this week finishes off w/ what I now call...a 'rain run'.. Nothing fancy about it, just exactly as it sounds.. It's been lightly raining all day..and was going to continue to do so all day.. all day, that is, until the drizzle is supposed to turn into lightning storms this evening (as you can learn from a previous post.. this gal doesn't do lightning runs..that is not a 'thing' I currently partake it). SO, given that I'm 2 wks out from my race, legs are feeling fresh & I was couped up all day babysitting (another gal's kids.. Mason was actually asleep for most of that time.. meaning I did NOT get my usual nap on this rainy, nap-perfect day!).. I just couldn't let a little rain hold me back from getting a run in. I actually had hoped to go for a longer run today..so I did adjust a little.. but I still wanted to get a run in. Helpful hint for those now thinking.. "Rain run..why haven't I been on a 'rain run'..that sounds lovely!".. old tri shoes make great shoes for a rain run! My old Zoot's have these great drains in the bottom of the shoe.. perfect for a rainy day! Now.. I know what you & probably most of the folks that drove past me while I was out there today are thinking..doesn't she know they make treadmills? I am aware.. I have one in my basement, matter of fact.. But I'm not ready to surrender to the 'mill just yet. I know winter is coming..& winter means ice.. I will do 'snow globe runs', which are also quite lovely.. But ice skating on patchy ice in running shoes is a bad idea at best.. So I know my treadmill days are coming..it just isn't today. So anyway, long story short, I went out for a nice, little run on this wet, wet, wet day...& it was great! Rest of the week was a couple more classes..zumba, turbo kick.. I did get a couple rides in & that felt good.. I missed my bike! I'm actually looking to take my show to the trails in the next week or so.. I'm doing a 15k trail run in a couple weeks.. This next weekend I'm running a 5mi run at a local winery, so that should be fun.. So I'm feeling good & definitely enjoying my 'play time'! & I highly recommend running in the rain (maybe not a pouring, driving rain..but a nice drizzle)..you feel like a kid! Just runnin 'cause ya wanna..nothing better!

Post IM Playtime!

Just wanted to write a quick bit about how recovery is going.. Of coarse, most of my recovery came last wk while I relaxed in Mexico..and when I say 'relax'.. I mean.. I took FULL advantage of the small, all-inclusive resort we stayed at.. Let's just say, the big 'move' of the day was when we switched from laying by the beach...over to laying by the pool.. And that move was fueled by the desire to be closer to the swim-up bar. As I said in the last post, I did decide to start moving around a bit by mid-wk last wk..short swims & jogs, but really..last week was VERY relaxed. So here we are, 2nd wk after the IM & I am having a blast! I really enjoy training, whether it's for a marathon, long triathlon.. I love it all. I love having a plan & knocking out the workouts 1 by 1.. but.. since I'm on a bit of a break from it all until I decide whether to tackle a winter marathon or not, I'm just playing around & having so much fun with it! During training, I had fun doing what that called for & didn't miss the other classes & things, but right now, I'm doing all sorts of random classes & my muscles are screaming at me to stop...but it's just too fun! So far this week.. on monday I did a 'strength and endurance' class, which was mostly push-ups, push-ups...and a few more push-ups for good measure.. I was shaking by the end, but had a huge smile on my face! I think that's all I did on monday.. Tuesday am I hit the pool...it felt great! I did a fave workout of mine, which is to do 400, 300, 200, 100, alternating each set with swim/pull/kick/stroke, then you repeat the whole set again (I only had time for 2 sets this time, but I'd do 3 or 4 if I had time) switching the order around so you do different distances of each thing each time.. anyway.. I'm not a swimmer, so I don't know the 'lingo' & that probably makes no sense, but it's a nice way to mix things up in the pool.. So I did that workout..then got to try out this TRX workout?..oh, man.. I LOVED that.. you use these pulley/band things that hang from the rafters, so you use balance/core along w/ strength moves..really great workout! So then it was home to rest.. I had gymnastics classes to teach that evening, but then I stopped up at the zumba class & re-discovered my love for that workout..it's really fun.. If you have any desire to dance around, cut loose & just enjoy a workout.. zumba is really great for that. Then this morning, I thought it would be good for me to run, but I wanted to have fun with it.. so I got out the ol' jogging stroller, which Mason was PSYCHED about!..we cruised around the 'hood for a bit w/ our tunes playing along (this stroller has a thing to plug your ipod in & it plays out of speakers..I thought Mason would enjoy the ride a little more if he had his tunes to bop around to.. I was right!), then we went to a big open field & I got Mason out of the stroller, took my shoes off & we ran around in the grass for a bit! It was great.. Mason loved it & I got a chance to switch up the run a bit.. All said, the run was about 45 minutes, but it was fun! Not sure what the rest of the week will hold yet.. probably some more classes & fun.. maybe a bike ride or 2..probably another run b/c I need to keep the run up if I'm going to do that marathon in a couple months.. but mostly.. FUN. A different fun, that is.. I think it's important to switch things up a bit & keep it fresh.. and MAN are my muscles feeling it! Anyway.. so that's what week 2 of recovery from IM looks like for this gal!

Rev 3 Cedar Point wrap up..

OK.. here we go.. It's funny (kind of..guess that's relative..), I've thought a lot about what I wanted to write here, but yet I've been putting it off, too.. Anyway (maybe not that funny). I'll do my best to be thorough w/ this, b/c I know I want to remember as much about the race as possible.. and I know there are at least.. OK, probably just 1 person..but I'm gonna write one hell of a report for that 1 person! Now where to start..

After months of training (started officially training in Jan), 1 knee scope, lots and lots of hrs figureing out how/where I was going to get all those miles in..the weekend was HERE. Team Blunck loaded up the car and set out for Cedar Point.. Sandusky, OH. On the way there & in the days leading up to the trip there was much talk about the weather, the rough waters, etc. Now.. I understand why folks focus on this stuff & worry about it.. But nothing irritates me more when race weekend comes than negativity. I always try to stay positive, espeicially about things that I have NO control over.. such as the weather, for example! I mean..what do you want, folks.. It's a day, just like any other...chances are actually pretty good that it won't be ideal weather.. especially for a race that takes the WHOLE day! C'mon..it'll be alright, folks.. To me.. as long as we have a race.. I'm good. Of coarse I want it to be 70, sunny w/ some cloud cover, smooth, clear waters, etc, etc..as much as the next guy, but I HATE a pessimistic attitude about the whole thing. So there was that.. the ol' faithful weather people were telling us all week to expect either rain or storms pretty much the whole weekend.. BUT, so far..it was actually looking pretty good! We got to registration on friday afternoon & it was pretty warm & humid, but nice out.. We got our 'goods', checked in..it was all coming together! We got to our hotel & started checking out the venue.. I'll probably mention this more, but I was starting to understand just what a great race this was going to be. I know a lot of races say they're 'spectator friendly'..but this was a whole new level.. The hotel we stayed at..we could see the swim start of the race from our room.. and the park (uh..Cedar Point, no less! Not just any park! though Mason wouldn't really have known otherwise..he kept asking if it had a slide... Oh, does it ever!) was just steps away. So cool! We checked out transition..b/c that's what ya do, of coarse.. Pretty un-eventful friday, but it was good. Really nice to get there & know you have the whole next day to continue getting ready.

Saturday a few of us (Ashley, Joe, Ginger, Shawn & I..so all the full-ers, except for sleep-lovin Mark!) got up & went to do a swim practice at 7a. Wow.. So the water looked great.. we wet-suited up & marched down to the beach, head toward the water and..what the.. what IS this stuff??!! This particular section on Lake Erie's beach was all sludge?!! Sludge like I've never seen before. Sludge up past our knees & this stuff kept going.. Interesting.. Well, Oh, well.. what are ya gonna do? So we trudged on through, found water deep enough to swim in & off we went! The temp was great & swimming felt really good.. So aside from the odd enterance that I wasn't super psyched about having to not only trudge out into it..but then trudge back through it up to the beach for the 'turn around' for the 2nd loop, then back into it again for the 2nd loop. So.. again.. Not super excited about it, but at least it provides some comic relief as we all awkwardly stumble through it searching for water deep enough to start swimming in.. So after that warm-up, we took off for a little 'spin' to work the bike out a bit.. then I did a VERY short little jog, just for good measure.. and that was it! nothing more to do, as far as 'training' until the race! We had a nice breakfast with most of the group, then off to the mandatory pre-race meeting.. did learn a couple new things..most note-worthy being that they moved our 'turn around' bouy for the swim out further into the water, so we won't have to do the extra trudging between loops.. Bonus! We listened a bit to some pro's talking.. I've never really been one to follow who the pro's are & what they do, etc..but it was cool to see them out & about at the race.. I know they're just people.. but I still admire what they do & how they do it. SO..after the meeting, we racked out bikes (though they had these things I liked much more than the usual 'racks'..it was kind of like wooden ladders on the ground w/ slots for your tires..hard to describe, but it worked really well! I hope they catch on & we can stop hanging our bikes on those rickety metal poles..) Then back to the hotel to rest a bit, off to a team dinner..which was a lot of fun & really great to see everyone together w/ their families..then..off to bed! Big day tomorrow.. I will say that friday & sat nights my husband & my dad got to hit the park for 'big boy' rides.. They had taken Mason during the day on saturday.. He had a blast, too..especially 'driving' the monster trucks, which he took very seriously & really thought he was controlling them. So I was happy that my support crew was getting some enjoyment out of the race venue.. It really didn't matter to me.. I'm not a big roller coaster person & the times that I would have been able to go, I just felt like resting was a better option.. But to me.. I'd do the race if it was in the middle of nowhere.. So it was really more for the spectator's enjoyment & it meant a lot to me that I knew my family was having fun & not just waiting around for me at meetings & other silly race prep things that we do..

SO here we are.. it's race day! Again..due to the great venue, we were able to just make a short car trip down to transition to drop our transition bags off & set up our bikes w/ bottles & nutrition & such.. under an hr & we were back in our hotel rooms to rest a bit, use nice, clean facilities for the last time for a long time, wetsuit up & get ready to rock! Definitely a great way to spend the last pre-race moments before a long day.. So about 6:30 we walked out to the beach, tested out the water a bit & got ready to go! Ashley & I positioned ourselves on the far left & pretty close to the back. I'd never started in such a big 'wave' start.. I think around 600 maybe? (I'm bad w/ specifics.. I'm sure you can google it, if you really want to know!) So I was a little hesitant to just jump right out there. I know a little knocking around is normal in a tri swim, but I wasn't looking to get knocked out.. So the gun went off (I think it was a gun..) & we trudged on out to the water! I definitely laughed a bit at the sight.. a normal race starts w/ all this running & splashing.. maybe some diving.. this one was quite anti-climactic w/ the big gun & then the slow trudge (I'm trying to think of another word for it, but I'm at a loss!) that followed.. I found it all very laughable.. But I finally found swim-able water & off I went! The 1st bit was a lot of jostling around trying to find a place to get going.. But it really wasn't too bad, as far as the crowd & all.. I'd say the toughest part, for me, of the 1st loop was sighting & staying on coarse.. It was still kind of dark out & w/ all the heads & bodies bobbing around me, it was hard to keep track of which way I was wanting to go.. I'm quite sure I got some extra yardage in out there.. but oh, well... I found my way & was feeling good. I actually swam around the turn-around bouy.. I think most folks stood up & 'ran' around it, but I didn't feel like messing w/ it, so I just figured I'd swim as long as I could & it turned out I could swim around it the whole way just fine..so that's what I did! I felt like I stayed on coarse/sighted much better on the 2nd loop. I was still feeling great.. Loving the water temps & just feeling good! I came up on land & trotted in to transition in about an hr 15, which was right on track for where I wanted to be! so far so good.. got to see Team Blunck (though I couldn't help but notice their surprise that I was 'already there'.. guess they thought I over estimated my swim abilities?? anyway.. I was there!). Transition was interesting.. the tent wasn't nearly as full as I thought it would be.. I plugged along, changing my clothes & trying to eat a little..though that was tougher for me to do than I imagined.. as much as I wanted to take my time.. I just felt rushed! It WAS a race, you know.. But I felt like I was in & out super fast..but I think my T1 time was actually around 7-8 min.. I think both transitions took about that long, actually.. despite my feeling like I was flying in there! So out on the bike.. a fare-thee-well to my family & away I go! Nothing too exciting on the bike. I started out feeling pretty fast..probably had a tail wind or something..but I was keeping w/in myself, not going too hard or anything. There were a couple tough points for me on the bike.. about mile 40-50some were into the wind & on a pretty rough road & that just really seemed to take the wind out of my sails.. I was really excited to get to my 'special needs' bag.. but I didn't really 'need' anything.. But I did want to stop.. I mixed myself some Accelerade b/c I was getting sick of the super-sweet Gatorade Endurance (I like the stuff, but wow! Full strength, indeed! Very sweet..).. I dug around some more & came up w/ my beef jerky, which, at the time sounded really good & gave me a little boost. I just had another 10 mi until I'd see my family, who were planning to meet me at about the 60mi mark in this cute little town, Milan, that we went through 2x on the coarse.. both times the town was full of folks cheering us on..definitely something to look forward to on the long bike ride.. So I cruised along & made it to Milan to see the crew. I actually stopped to say a quick hello & Mason was SO excited! He's always excited to see me in a race & the feeling is mutual, of coarse..but he was SO excited at this race.. he jumped up & down & pumped his arms as he was lifted up to receive his "kiss and a hug".. It was great to see them.. So far I was on track, as far as what I wanted to do pace-wise.. turns out I was behind on 'time' (time of day..I had calculated my ride time, but not thought about the stops & such.. for example, in 1 of my splits, I had stopped for at least 1 bottle, which I was mixing things & adding ice, etc.. then I stopped to see the fam, my 'special needs' stop was also in there.. so that dropped my avg speed to under 16 in that section! so it adds up.. but what can ya do? I needed those stops, I just didn't think about adding it in, so the time of day was later than I had projected), but my ride time was on pace.. I was at 3 hrs at the 60mi mark & feeling good! Rest of the bike carried on.. I hit that same rough spot again on the 2nd loop (of coarse..that's how doing the same loop 2x works!), but I guess at least I knew it was coming! I was really excited when I hit 80 miles.. for some reason it started to feel 'close to the end' at that point for me.. I stopped looking at my speed for most of the ride.. I didn't want anything to cloud my decision on whether to speed up/slow down/etc.. I just wanted to stick w/ how I was feeling. I kept pretty close to what I had planned as far as nutrition. Getting that 2nd bottle of accelerade was a boost & allowed me to need less solid foods (it has more calories than a bottle of gatorade.. plus I drank it better than the gatorade. I actually later mixed my fruit punch accelerade w/ some of the orange gatorade & it was like magic! by far my favorite drink so far..though I'll have to try it again some time when I'm not 80 miles in to an Ironman & see if I still dig it as much!), but I pretty much stuck to my plan..went through 3 bars, I think? 2 bottles of the accelerade, 2-3 bottles of gatorade & 2-3 bottles of water.. Didn't have any stomach issues.. so feeling good! I pushed hard toward the end (ish.. again..it's all relative.. not sure how 'hard' I was really going at this point) to try to get in under 6 hrs.. My 'ride time' on the bike had me at about 6:05, but my actual race time was...6:15-ish? (again.. you can look up the exact results, if you're interested) I rolled in w/ a big smile.. Matt was waiting for me at transition & I feel really bad b/c I let my disappointment show when he told me Mason was napping.. I should have known that he would be.. If I'd known what time it was, I'd have known.. but my '1 track race mind' just wanted to see his little face.. But it was still good to see Matt.. despite my reaction (give me a break.. I AM already 114 mi in to this thing!).. So I head in for another 'lightning quick' transition.. I trot off to grab my bag, give the volunteer a smile & asked "how do I look?!" (I think I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't just tricking myself into thinking I felt good.. wanted to see if others thought I looked OK, too, ya know??).. he assured me that I looked good, so into the tent I went.. made my wardrobe changes, tried to eat a little (this does come back to bite me a bit..more on that later) & off I went! I really was feeling great & gave everyone that would humor me big smiles & waves as I took off for the run. I was feeling steady & tried to watch my splits for the 1st few miles.. I was keeping under 10's, but then that started going downward when I made a quick stop to relieve myself (the only pee of the day.. probably not a great thing..but oh, well..), which messed up my split, then I stopped to do my gu.. From there, I kinda just quit caring about how 'fast' (SO relative now.. and getting more and more 'silly' of a term as the day goes on.. ) I was going & went back to just going w/ how I felt. I felt OK! I was trucking along, clicking off the miles..1 aid station at a time.. doing my Gu's every 3 miles w/ maybe a little extra occasional gatorade.. the 1st loop I really felt pretty darn good. I enjoyed the race coarse quite a bit.. it wound us around & around & up & down the streets of downtown Sandusky, which made it nice b/c you could always see other people around you.. I never felt 'alone' out there.. AND I was able to see all my friends out there on the coarse! So it was really nice.. Then..at about the turn around point..which was back at transition.. I started to feel a bit 'off'.. I knew I was behind on my salt.. mostly b/c I didn't eat the salty foods I had planned for myself in transitions and at special needs.. I started to feel a bit nauseus.. I was really worried I was going to start not being able to hold things down, but at special needs, I fixed up my feet w/ some more 'lube' (I didn't wear socks), took some ibprofen, choked down some salty margarita shot blocks & tried to keep my head high & my spirits up. I took it slow for a bit..the nausea got a little better, but then my kidneys (?..felt like that area anyway..) started to hurt a little.. Oh, boy.. maybe from low Na? Maybe from the ibprofen? So I took some salt tabs at the next aid station to see if that would help.. low & behold.. I started to come around & feel more normal again.. guess it was the salt! (I've always been anti-salt tabs.. As a dietitian, I just feel like this is really messing w/ your body's chemistry & things can get messed up quick, if you overdo.. but.. in a long race like this..your body is already being 'messed with', so you really just have to listen to what it's telling you & adjust accordingly.. My new 'stance' on the salt tab thing is.. I still don't really see a need for it in training (b/c when I train, I take the time to eat the salty foods that I need instead of racing off out of the tent like I have some place to be!), though you might pick a training to try it out some time, just for good measure.. but on a race day when.. at least I.. don't take the time to eat as much solids as I usually would.. they can come in handy.. as long as you drink lots of water with it & continue to listen to how your body reacts) So I got to see my family again at about the 16mi mark..right when I was starting to come around again.. Mason gave me another enthusiastic run up to me to get his kiss (which was quickly wiped off..guess I was a little gross by then) & to tell me I'm "doing good, Mama". Matt told me later that he told Mason he was my 'gu'.. he definitely gave me the same boost that my gu's did.. The next several miles were...slow & steady.. I was running (believe it or not..) & feeling/looking pretty strong.. Not fast, but solid.. I was still smiling & joking with spectators and volunteers..so that's always a good sign! I'd say miles 19/20 were the really tough ones for me.. Most of the race I was able to keep it at aid station to aid station.. "run to the next aid station (1 mi), then walk through the aid station to get your water filled up(I carried a hand-held the whole way.. I'm a big fan.. nothing like ice cold water while you're out there on a long day), ice, etc, then run again"..repeat.. I was able to keep that up & run the whole way, walking only through the aid stations, which was just as I had planned on doing.. Really the only other time I walked was at the turn-around for a bit..which was just from special needs bag to aid station..so not all that far. But in that 19/20mi space, my race was down to "run to the next intersection...you made it! Now run to the next intersection"..repeat.. But again, I kept running. I had an extra bonus when I saw my family at mile 20 (how nice of them to join me on the struggle bus!) and I had a couple extra in my cheering squad! My friends Jeff & Todd had come down from where they were on a fishing trip near-by & were able to catch me..just for a moment..as I sped off (!! yeah right..) on my way toward the finish. I didn't see much of 'em (mostly b/c of my delirious state at that moment) but it was SO nice of them to come & a great added pick-me-up to see all of them right there when I needed it the most. I journeyed on to the next aid station..they had broth there, which I thought might be nice.. Well... it wasn't 'bad'.. but YUCK! 1st, they put ice in it...Uh..thanks.. but it was also a lot more 'chicken-y' than I thought it would be. Oh, well.. I knew I still needed the salt, so I sipped it down & went on. I did start to feel better again & got back to my 'aid station to aid station' race.. I was really feeling good & thrilled when I knew I was coming up to the 23 mi marks.. I started to feel like this thing was really happening! The rest of the run was nothing too exciting. I got to see Ginger, Joe & Mark again.. and Shawn.. As I came closer & closer to the finish.. I was so excited! Not even so much a "thank goodness we're to the end" kind of excited..just a "wow.. I can't believe it's happening.. I did it"! Kind of feeling. I came around the corner & ran toward the best cheering crew...ever.. The group from Personal Best team were really great.. all the folks that did the 1/2 stuck around to cheer us on, families & friends were there.. it was great. So coach Sean saw me come in & trucked it on down toward the finish w/ me..asking me how I was feeling, etc..told him about the couple struggle bus moments, but that overall, I was feeling good.. he bid me adieu as I head around the corner to where they were giving American Flags to the finishers to help honor the troops and all that they do & the memory of what happened on 9/11 10 yrs ago.. I grabbed a small one, because I knew my little guy was waiting, ready to grab my hand & run it in with me.. I couldn't wait! He had been waiting all weekend & all day for this & he was ready! I have no idea what we looked like, but I was thrilled.. thrilled to have accomplished something that I had worked so hard for. Thrilled to know I had given this race all that I had to give. Thrilled that I got to enjoy this with my little guy & that my husband & dad were all waiting for us.. Just thrilled.

I really couldn't have asked for a better experience. Those storms everyone had been all bent out of shape about?? never happened.. I had a little cloud cover & it seemed like it maybe wanted to rain, but as far as I know.. it never rained..at least not on me! My family & friends were there (those not there in person, I know were with me in spirit.. I felt their support the whole way!). All my friends that raced were all doing well & realizing their dreams.. I pushed hard..or maybe I should say I pushed steady & smart & gave the best that I had. As much as I wish that I was a faster runner on that day.. I just wasn't! I don't think there's anything I would have done differently in training or in my approach to the day. Of coarse I could have gone through aid stations quicker..but thinking back.. I needed every one of those aid stations to keep me going.. So if I had gone through it faster, I might have bonked or not been able to keep the pace that I did manage to keep. Oh.. my marathon came in just under 5hrs.. In fairness, I've only run 1 other marathon about 2 yrs ago & that came in somewhere around 4:26? So I probably shouldn't have hoped to run a 4:30..but you know me.. always aiming high! I did, though, allow myself to aim for 4:30-5hrs..so I kept within that! I actually hit all of my goals.. some on the faster end (swim), some to the middle (bike & transitions) & some toward the higher/slower end (ahem..the run).. but in the coarse of such a big race.. I cannot & am not complaining! My total time was about 12:30.. as in 12 hrs 30-ish minutes.. wow that's a long time to 'go'.. but I was trained for it & actually felt pretty good, all said & done. I was sore..don't get me wrong.. Like.. sore to the touch.. even my arms! But as far as race wounds..all I had was a little raw spot on my ankle from my running shoes.. but I didn't even notice that until a day or 2 later. I will say..for the 1st time in a while after a race or workout.. I actually had NO thought of getting a workout in the next day.. I didn't work out tuesday, either & actually took it really easy the whole week after b/c Matt & I took off for some relaxation time in Mexico!! (thanks to my Mom coming in to hang with Mason for the week..) By wednesday I was feeling much more back to normal.. Walking around on tuesday was...interesting.. mostly walking down stairs was a challenge.. the rest was just...tender.. But by wednesday, I was ready to get in the ocean for a swim.. I did some yoga as well.. By friday I was doing short jogs on the beach.. So I took it easy, but was feeling ready to move again by the wed after the race..

I think that about covers it!! I know it's obsurdly long.. Like I said, it's actually for my own benefit, so I apologize if you read this & got bored or wondered what I was rambling about.. I just want to remember as much about this weekend/day as I can.. You can never re-do your 1st, ya know?? I want to remember how it felt & learn from it.. I know there were a few things I could do differently..but that's what doing these races is all about for me.. learning from them & always pushing myself to do a little better every time out.. I have no idea what 'rank' I was or things like that, but I know I pushed myself as hard as I could go...on that day.. & I'll work hard to make the next one even just a tiny bit better in whatever way that I can.. It's all about challenging myself to do my best every time I put myself out there.. and having a great time while doing it! I, for one, had a fantastic time and am excited for when ever the next big challenge comes my way!

Less than 1 week?!!

Wow. It's here. The count down to my very 1st full ironman distance triathlon. I'm more than ready & I know that.. I'm confident in my training & my ability to do what I need to do at the race & I'm in a good place! Just resting up, trying to eat well, drink well & relax 'til race time. Last weeks taper workouts went fine. I'm feeling really good..able to 'go' when the workout calls for it, but I'm also doing a good job (I think) of not going quite so much..which is a tough thing to do after rushing around, training for so long.. I started training for this season & this race back in January.. So, needless to say.. I'm more than ready for this race! This wk is almost crazy how little exercise I'm doing.. today was only a 30 minute 'race pace' (AKA slow) run.. Considering that a 'typical' tuesday through training had been: early run..somewhere around 5-9mi, hang w/ Matt & Mason before they head out, head to the pool for a swim, maybe some yoga or kettle bell, home for lunch & rest, then out to teach gymnastics..and finally, another swim with the Y tri team. SO. I'm feeling just a little strange to be sitting around right now.. BUT I do know that my sitting now will help me feel better as I attempt to move for 140.6mi this sunday. This past weekend I was able to get out to meet up with my fellow 'Personal Best' team members that will be at Rev 3 with me. We met out at Eagle Creek park to ride 40 miles, then run 6. I felt great the whole way & all was well.. BUT, it turns out that Indiana decided to have a quick little heat wave for us.. 1 last summer hurrah, I guess.. I 'knew' it was hot out, but it didn't feel that bad.. until the workout was over. You see, I plan very well for the workout.. what I'm still not always great at is planning for hanging around after.. So as I stood there after the workout in the clothes I'd changed in to..still dripping sweat & sipping on some water & the 'muscle milk' I'd brought for the drive home.. I started to feel a bit out of it & nauseous. I had been standing there in the sun, sweating & talking, when I should have sat down in the shade to cool down. Anyway.. as soon as I sat down in my car, out of the sun & in the AC..I felt fine. Everyone was all concerned about what was going on w/ me & 'what happened'..when I looked at the temp gauge in my car..it was 97 degrees?! Uuuummmm...mystery solved, folks.. It was hotter than I thought it was going to be & I didn't realize it until I was standing there, feeling dizzy & weird.. So I guess the lesson to be learned there is to definitely think about recovery & how you might be out & hot & about longer than you intend..so pack more food & drinks than you'll actually need. AND check the temperature before you plan & pack for your workout..sometimes the weather changes quick & you need to know about it. But life goes on. Like I said, I felt fine as soon as I cooled down & all was well. Sunday was a relatively short & quick 10mi run, which went fine.. I wound up having to do most of it on the treadmill due to another lightning storm, but it was fine.. I kept pace & felt good & was all done by 7:30am! Which left time to go to breakfast with the family..then a movie with my sister-in-law..so taper is a good thing! Monday, which was a holiday, I was able to go out for 1 last training open water swim with the group.. I actually wore my wetsuit for the whole 1hr swim..which I haven't worn a wetsuit for that long since Steelhead last yr.. It was fine.. I'm still not a huge wetsuit fan, but this one feels better.. still rubs my neck, so we'll have to do our best to lube that up so it won't hurt too much.. I'm sure it'll be fine, though! Now just a couple short, 'keep the body moving'-type workouts this wk & then off to Cedar Point on friday! I'm excited.. I can't believe it's finally here.. I feel good, now I just have to do my thing at the race.. worry only about the things that I can control.. & to HAVE FUN!! because that IS what this is all about..

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!!