Still keeping things quiet over here (... super quiet in terms of this here bloggity blog ...), but I was able to get into a bit more of a consistent training load in November. Comparatively speaking.
Swimming: 12000m (7.46 mi)
Cycling: 135.19 mi
Running: 42.48 mi
Strength: 30 sessions (5:33)
Other: one hike (:30), one session erg (:05), one walk (3:00), two sessions yoga (:32)
Still managing over 10k of swimming a month and have managed to get back up to at least a 2k swim. Swim consistency isn't really a thing (didn't go at all last week), but I'm trying to get there.
I finally managed to get on the bike some AND got back up to a 25 mile ride. It wasn't without some drama - kept having shifting issues and then a flat - but I also figured out what was going on with good ol' Sweet Cheeks. B ended up breaking a spoke on a ride and I had shifting issues, so I took both bikes into the shop. We ended up just getting a new wheel for B (two broken spokes on the same wheel within six months just mean let's fucking replace the damn wheel) and I'm going to end up needing new cranks on my bike.
I guess something in the internal workings of the bike where the crank is keeps coming loose (which is why I've had this piece keep trying to come out on the crank arm for ages despite loctiting it down a whole bunch) which is screwing with my shifting. And probably the cause for all the squeaking I've been dealing with. So come January ... guess what I get to buy?
Running should have been a bit closer to 50 miles ... but well. I got up to a 6 mile long run as I think I might be running a half in Arizona in January. Time to up the mileage!
Strength is back to "normal" and the other ... well ... best laid plans.
The downside of this month is that the last week ended up being terrible. A snow storm and then a funk and (save the daily) I didn't work out or leave the house, really, for a few days.
December is off to an okay start but it also might have a lot of travel so we'll see how things end up going. As long as I don't completely stop moving (as tends to happen in December), I'm going to count it a win.
(On a side note, this is the most I've moved post-IM in any year. Ever.)
The fitness adventures of two Ironman triathletes
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Friday, November 1, 2019
October Round Up
So, uh, October was a bit rough. And clearly kind of low key as I'm not blogging other than recaps. Oops.
Swimming: 10194.56m (6.3 mi)
Cycling: 39.69 mi
Running: 27.28 mi
Strength: 31 sessions (3:12)
Other: two hikes (1:45), one stint race volunteering (5:00), one row (:15.04), two walks (2:08), two sessions yoga (:32)
My new goal for the rest of the year is to swim at least 10k each month as I haven't yet gone under it. It was a bit of a struggle to hit that goal this month, but I did it and I really hope to the next two months as well. A late trip to Tucson staying at a hotel with the most gorgeous pool helped the goal out quite a bit.
Cycling has been a bit rough. I had a great ride three days after IMoo and since then ... ugh. We did ride a bit of Mt. Lemmon on that aforementioned Tucson trip and it was the most fun I've had on my bike since IM. The trainer will most likely be in my future as the weather has gone to shit, but such is life.
Running has been more of a struggle than I would have liked, but I'm still getting out there for the most part. Even if it is just a mile on the stupid treadmill here and there.
Strength was light this month in terms of time spent due to the way the TIU daily was set up, but that's already changing, so that time should go up again.
I am happy I got quite a few non-swim/bike/run activities in, and I hope to continue that as well!
REALLY hoping to get back into some consistent movement/training here ... even though I know I'm coming up on the hardest part of the year. Mind over matter, right?
Swimming: 10194.56m (6.3 mi)
Cycling: 39.69 mi
Running: 27.28 mi
Strength: 31 sessions (3:12)
Other: two hikes (1:45), one stint race volunteering (5:00), one row (:15.04), two walks (2:08), two sessions yoga (:32)
My new goal for the rest of the year is to swim at least 10k each month as I haven't yet gone under it. It was a bit of a struggle to hit that goal this month, but I did it and I really hope to the next two months as well. A late trip to Tucson staying at a hotel with the most gorgeous pool helped the goal out quite a bit.
Cycling has been a bit rough. I had a great ride three days after IMoo and since then ... ugh. We did ride a bit of Mt. Lemmon on that aforementioned Tucson trip and it was the most fun I've had on my bike since IM. The trainer will most likely be in my future as the weather has gone to shit, but such is life.
Running has been more of a struggle than I would have liked, but I'm still getting out there for the most part. Even if it is just a mile on the stupid treadmill here and there.
Strength was light this month in terms of time spent due to the way the TIU daily was set up, but that's already changing, so that time should go up again.
I am happy I got quite a few non-swim/bike/run activities in, and I hope to continue that as well!
REALLY hoping to get back into some consistent movement/training here ... even though I know I'm coming up on the hardest part of the year. Mind over matter, right?
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
September Round Up
Well, as we all probably predicted, things dropped off drastically after IMoo. But, happily, not as bad as in past years. Read on ...
Swimming: 10551.76m (6.56 mi)
Cycling: 193.1 mi
Running: 53.92 mi
Strength: 29 sessions (4:46)
Other: one hike (3:00), one walk (1:15), one session yoga (:16)
My post-IM recovery has gone surprisingly well.
I didn't swim the first week after (... being super chafed meant I stayed out of the pool) and really didn't swim the second week either. I did help out with a swim safety video for IRONMAN which meant I got in some open-water swimming, but that was about it. However, I was bound and determined to get to five digit swim totals (as I have in every other month this year so far), so I fought past the mental block and got to the pool.
Really, swimming has been more mental than anything. I can run and bike out my front door? Swimming, however, takes so much effort. I would like to continue to try making it, though, and keep every month this year with at least 10k in the pool. Let's hope.
Cycling was hit or miss for me. First ride back which was the Wednesday post-race felt awesome. The second ride that week? Not so much. It has continued like that. I also haven't hit much over 13 miles since the race, which I would ideally like to change in October.
Running ... well, I've kept with the running every other day thing except for with two days. The Tuesday post-race (although that was more due to travel, really) and another random day where I went out for my run and just went "nope" and turned back around. But it's recovery, so whatever.
The only day I skipped my daily was race day, which I figured would happen. I'm super proud of myself for continuing on with that the whole month - it's meant no off days!
We did intend on playing hockey on the 24th, but B has a bowling league and I got talked into subbing and it went too late for us to try to make it to play hockey, too. However, if you notice, there are a few things in the "other" category - a nice hike we did on our anniversary, a walk (walking home from the mall coffee run), and some yoga I desperately needed.
The rest of September was mostly just moving as I felt, and I'm hoping to add in some more structure here in October. Obviously we'll see how it goes, but so far so good.
Swimming: 10551.76m (6.56 mi)
Cycling: 193.1 mi
Running: 53.92 mi
Strength: 29 sessions (4:46)
Other: one hike (3:00), one walk (1:15), one session yoga (:16)
My post-IM recovery has gone surprisingly well.
I didn't swim the first week after (... being super chafed meant I stayed out of the pool) and really didn't swim the second week either. I did help out with a swim safety video for IRONMAN which meant I got in some open-water swimming, but that was about it. However, I was bound and determined to get to five digit swim totals (as I have in every other month this year so far), so I fought past the mental block and got to the pool.
Really, swimming has been more mental than anything. I can run and bike out my front door? Swimming, however, takes so much effort. I would like to continue to try making it, though, and keep every month this year with at least 10k in the pool. Let's hope.
Cycling was hit or miss for me. First ride back which was the Wednesday post-race felt awesome. The second ride that week? Not so much. It has continued like that. I also haven't hit much over 13 miles since the race, which I would ideally like to change in October.
Running ... well, I've kept with the running every other day thing except for with two days. The Tuesday post-race (although that was more due to travel, really) and another random day where I went out for my run and just went "nope" and turned back around. But it's recovery, so whatever.
The only day I skipped my daily was race day, which I figured would happen. I'm super proud of myself for continuing on with that the whole month - it's meant no off days!
We did intend on playing hockey on the 24th, but B has a bowling league and I got talked into subbing and it went too late for us to try to make it to play hockey, too. However, if you notice, there are a few things in the "other" category - a nice hike we did on our anniversary, a walk (walking home from the mall coffee run), and some yoga I desperately needed.
The rest of September was mostly just moving as I felt, and I'm hoping to add in some more structure here in October. Obviously we'll see how it goes, but so far so good.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Race #7 of the Season: Big Waves 5K
So. I will let you know that I didn't intentionally mean to race a 5K six days after an IRONMAN. Run that distance? Maybe. Race it? Nope.
However, I did loosely know about this event before IM and completely forgot about it until someone mentioned it in one of the groups I'm in on Facebook.
Long story short, a dear friend of a Skirt sister (and who is now a Skirt sister herself I think) was a victim of gun violence during a road rage incident last year and lost one of her sons as a result. She started a foundation in the aftermath and this race was to benefit it. I knew a lot of other Skirt sisters racing, so I decided I'd show up.
I'd run once since IMoo ... and it was a terribly slow, awful, and painful two miles. So I really had no clue how this was going to go. I figured I'd head out and if I ended up walking most of it - so be it.
That's not exactly what happened.
I headed out and it felt pretty good. My throat/breathing was still a little rough (I think from race day still), but I was like a half mile in and still running so I just went with it.
Finally walked for the first time about three-quarters of a mile in. However, at that point ... I don't know if it was race brain or what, but it kicked in and I kept running as hard as I could.
I also realized that, place-wise, I wasn't doing too terribly. Not enough for an award (only to top-three gender-wise each for kids and adults), but enough to make me want to keep pushing.
(who am I and what have I become?)
Sure, it hurt some, but I also knew enough from Moo that it wouldn't hurt more (probably) to keep pushing and if it got actually painful, well, then I'd back it off.
That never happened.
Overall Stats:
Time: 30:35.4
3/13 division (F30-39)
16/106 gender
55/195 overall
I'm still clearly chasing that sub-30 (ugh), but I did manage sub-10:00/mi. It was also, of note, five seconds faster than the 5K I raced in June in the midst of training. What that notes I don't know, but I figured it was worth mentioning.
More of note: I almost puked after (still not sure how I didn't), which means I probably raced it correctly. Hooray!
However, I did loosely know about this event before IM and completely forgot about it until someone mentioned it in one of the groups I'm in on Facebook.
Long story short, a dear friend of a Skirt sister (and who is now a Skirt sister herself I think) was a victim of gun violence during a road rage incident last year and lost one of her sons as a result. She started a foundation in the aftermath and this race was to benefit it. I knew a lot of other Skirt sisters racing, so I decided I'd show up.
I'd run once since IMoo ... and it was a terribly slow, awful, and painful two miles. So I really had no clue how this was going to go. I figured I'd head out and if I ended up walking most of it - so be it.
That's not exactly what happened.
I headed out and it felt pretty good. My throat/breathing was still a little rough (I think from race day still), but I was like a half mile in and still running so I just went with it.
Finally walked for the first time about three-quarters of a mile in. However, at that point ... I don't know if it was race brain or what, but it kicked in and I kept running as hard as I could.
I also realized that, place-wise, I wasn't doing too terribly. Not enough for an award (only to top-three gender-wise each for kids and adults), but enough to make me want to keep pushing.
(who am I and what have I become?)
Sure, it hurt some, but I also knew enough from Moo that it wouldn't hurt more (probably) to keep pushing and if it got actually painful, well, then I'd back it off.
That never happened.
Overall Stats:
Time: 30:35.4
3/13 division (F30-39)
16/106 gender
55/195 overall
I'm still clearly chasing that sub-30 (ugh), but I did manage sub-10:00/mi. It was also, of note, five seconds faster than the 5K I raced in June in the midst of training. What that notes I don't know, but I figured it was worth mentioning.
More of note: I almost puked after (still not sure how I didn't), which means I probably raced it correctly. Hooray!
Friday, September 13, 2019
Race #6 of the Season: Ironman Wisconsin
I almost didn't know what to think heading into this race.
Obviously, I had put in a buttload of work (more than I ever had for any other race), but it didn't seem like enough knowing what I had actually planned to do. But then I almost flirted with overtraining like 5 weeks out and then my peak was probably my worst peak of any IM build and then my neck freaked out on me and well. Nerves were a thing.
I continued to loosely work out in taper, but if I wasn't feeling something, I definitely cut it short or skipped it. Like the run I should have in theory gotten in the Wednesday prior (but a long-ass drive and then trying for food prevented that and okay yes I could have stayed up later and done it but that seemed counterproductive to me).
I did my best to keep nerves at bay in Madison, and my ridiculous M-Dot cheering hat (seen at the bottom of this post) helped out a lot. It's almost impossible to take yourself too seriously wearing a hat like that and I wore it around Madison a ridiculous amount. I'm not kidding.
A lot of anxiety started kicking in at our usual breakfast-for-dinner the night before. Some of Brandon's cousins came out to cheer me on and we all met for food. They're talking about coordinating places to cheer and it started stressing me out. Like guys, figure this out without me. If I see you on the course, great. If not, great. Just ... no. I told this to Brandon after we left and he said he'd do his best the next day to keep me out of it.
Race Day
Transition opened at 5am and so did breakfast. Brandon and I split up - I went to go get food while he got coffee and dropped off my special needs bags (that drop off was a few blocks away from our hotel/the race start). I barely choked down my scrambled eggs and orange juice. My brain knew to get food in, but the body tried to fight it.
I left breakfast and walked across the skyway over to Monona Terrace. I went into transition and put hydration and nutrition on my bike as well as pumped up my tires. All told, this maybe took me 10 minutes. I was thinking if there was anything else I needed to do, and the answer was no. I didn't want to stress myself out puttering, so I left. I went into the convention center to dump off a few other things in my run and bike bags (like my handheld for the run) and then met up with Brandon.
I found a former SFQ teammate to body mark me and then we found a corner in the convention center hallway to sit in until about 6:10ish. I went to the bathroom a few times that morning and once more during that waiting period. Eventually, it was time to start moving again. I put my wetsuit on and we walked down the stairs toward the swim start.
Brandon stayed with me as much and as long as possible, pretty much until it was about time to go into the chute. At the athlete briefing, it said we could do a warm up swim behind the start, but there wasn't anything labeled and I didn't feel like climbing over the rocks into the lake and risk hurting anything (cut the bottom of my foot on a rock on a pre-race swim on Friday). So I didn't bother with that.
Cousins Peter and Nicole met up with us sometime before I got in the water, but I forget if it was before or after the pros started. I think after. I seeded myself in the 1:40-1:50 swim corral, thinking that was a fair choice.
Me. Also ... hey ... I think I know that woman in the foreground. (photo: husband)
Yep, it was Susan Haag, doing her ... 116th (or something like that) Ironman. (photo: husband)
The last bit in the corral was actually a huge onslaught of nerves and I was repeating every mantra in the mental book.
Strong. Swift. Capable. (the one I've said going to bed almost every night this year)
It's my day to be brilliant. (Shinedown lyrics and my theme for this race)
Be a fighter, backbone, desire. (also Shinedown lyrics and a mantra I came up with a few years ago)
Thankfully, this worked well enough to calm me down going into the water.
The Swim:
A few people around me seemed concerned about the swim and for good reason - the wind was starting to kick up on us.
We found out later that we had up to two-foot swells out there (uh, yeah) and Brandon said he saw a few white caps on the water.
The swim is basically 1100m out, turn and swim 300m, turn and swim 1600m, turn and swim 200m, turn and swim the final 662m to the exit (counterclockwise).
It was hard fighting for space in that first 1100m. I've been fortunate so far as to not have gotten kicked/punched in the face in an Ironman. Well, that ended this race (happened twice)(once for sure in this section). I also felt my neck starting to chafe a bit about 1000m in (pretty sure there was a buoy about every 100m), but my stroke was a little wonky due to the water conditions.
I moo'ed at the first turn buoy, as you do.
The next 300m were fairly uneventful. As it worked really well at Coeur d'Alene, I counted the buoys every turn. So 1, 1, 1, 1, etc. until the next buoy and then 2, 2, 2, 2, etc. and then started a new count at the turn buoys. Makes me feel more like I'm in a pool and it gives my brain something to focus on other than "holy shit it's ridiculous out here and I probably should have taken Dramamine before this stupid swim."
The 1600m back stretch was into the wind and quite hysterical, actually. Sighting became tricky as I'd look up to sight and be in the bottom of a wave and see nothing but water. I was fortunate enough to keep stride with a few guys during this stretch which helped. It was weird going for a stroke and either hitting water quicker than you'd think or hitting air when you thought it would be water. In general, though, I think I did a really good job of swimming with the flow of the water as I didn't panic at all.
Of course, it also proved to me what I've known for years - the more ridiculous the conditions, the better it actually is for me because at that point, what can you do but laugh?
I felt my right armpit chafing some - I think due to the change in stroke adapting to the conditions - but I knew there was nothing during the swim I could do about it.
I forgot that there was a 200m and a 662m section (for some reason I thought only one turn to the finish; not two), and they dragged on a bit, but it wasn't terrible.
(I also once again had a triathlon swim where I didn't question my life choices during it, which, given that swim, is kind of surprising tbh. Oh, and the water temp, because we all care, was 69 degrees.)
White arm is me. Coming into the finish. (photo: husband)
I got out and it wasn't as bad standing/walking as I thought it would have been after a swim like that.
Checking the watch. Of course. (photo: FinisherPix)
Time: 1:49:26 (71st division, 402nd gender, 1645th overall)
T1:
This race has a stupidly long transition. Get out, get wetsuit stripped off, run up the helix (curved parking ramp), head into a ballroom, get your T1 bag, head into a different ballroom to get changed, run out past porta-potties, around a corner into the bike area, grab your bike, and run down a long ass lane of a parking level before crossing the mat and going down the other helix.
Peeled and running off. (photo: husband)
Waving back at B yelling at me. See that curved thing? Yeah, I had to run all the way up to there. (photo: husband)
I ran most of the way, but did end up walking a bit of the helix. Chatted with a few other people joking that I'm glad I wasn't seasick after that swim. Knew I had a swim PR at that point, so I was super happy. I got ready to ride fairly quickly. I had arm warmers in my bag, but decided to not use them. I left the convention center and made a beeline to the porta-potties to go change my stupid tampon (dang being a female). Brandon caught me post-porta-potty and on my way to the bike.
Shorts were wonky because wet tri shorts suck to pull up. I also couldn't deal with them until special needs. (photo: Brandon)
I tried like hell to keep transition to under 10 minutes and I thought I had it ... but the official results said otherwise. Boo.
Time: 10:04
The Bike:
Oh, the bike. I knew it would be brutal. 16 miles to Verona, two 40 mile loops of country road hilly nastiness, and then 16 miles back to Madison.
The first 16 miles actually breezed by. Suddenly it was like wait, what? We're here already?
The first loop wasn't even all that bad, either ... yes, there were climbs, but I know how to climb. The descents did have a lot of turns at the bottom of them (which was annoying), but I still got some decent speed. The problem for me was that there were a lot more false flats than I think I expected and as we all know, those are my kryptonite. Blargh.
I kept waiting for the Three Sisters (Bitches) because I couldn't remember where they were on course and I eventually found them ... but again, I didn't think they were as terrible as advertised.
What WAS terrible was some of the road quality. Holy bumps. I couldn't pedal some descents and use momentum since I was out of the saddle to save my crotch on the shit roads. Grosssss. I did see Brandon and the family cheering squad at mile 40ish which was great. Not too long after that, I got passed by SMASH pro Alyssa Godesky who said hi as she did.
Early on in the bike. Doing the ol' Macca "Like a Boss." (photo: FinisherPix)
In front of some cornfield somewhere on the first loop. (photo: FinisherPix)
Climbing some hill, trademark wonky helmet in place *facepalm*. (photo: FinisherPix)
Soon enough, I was rolling back through Verona onto the second loop. I saw everyone in front of Rocket Bicycle Studio and Brandon sprinted from there around the corner to special needs in order to say hi.
Grabbing some much wanted Dr. Pepper. (photo: husband)
I tried not to spend too much time here although I'm pretty sure I did get off my bike at the end of special needs to pee for the first time all ride. I knew one of my bike downfalls in previous races was me dillying at aid stations just wasting time and I didn't want to do that this race. This was my first stop on the bike and I planned it to change out my bottles and get my chips and Dr. Pepper.
The second loop was definitely harder than the first loop and mostly because it started precipitating on us. I don't know if I would officially classify it as "rain," but it was enough to get enough condensation on my Garmin to make it tricky to read it and have enough drips hanging from the front of my helmet. Oh and to make the roads just that much more treacherous.
In fact, I almost crashed out twice. Once was around a corner at the bottom of a descent where I had to hit the brakes fairly hard to avoid hitting some woman going way wide (wasn't going to pass on the inside and she made it impossible to pass on the outside); realized I was going to nail a cone; swerved; almost died. The other time was also on a curve after a descent where I kinda ended up in someone's driveway. After that, I slowed things WAY down on the descents. Which sucked.
I only stopped once more to pee (mile ... 80ish?) which I didn't want to do, but my bladder was crying out so badly, so I did. I waited until an aid station without a line, though, as I wasn't taking any extra time than necessary.
Looking a touch more miserable. (photo: FinisherPix)
Clearly don't remember a camera otherwise I would have tried to smile. (photo: FinisherPix)
The rain meant there weren't nearly as many crowds on the second loop, but I think that also was because I'm fairly back-of-the-pack, too.
Other random tidbits:
- The crowds on the second and third of the three main hills were AWESOME. Particularly on Midtown Road.
- Speaking of Midtown ... I actually have a relatively respectable placing on the Garmin segment for that stretch. I passed a few people climbing.
- Related: SMILE GOING UP EVERY HILL. I swear it helps.
- The stick going back to Madison? Shitty. Especially so with a bit of a headwind.
- Kinda stopped eating with about 10ish miles to go. My poor crotch was just DONE with the shit roads.
- Got a headache at like mile 40 of the bike and it never truly went away.
- Pretty sure I drank and ate the most in this race out of any IM I've done. A piece of pickle chicken (pickle juice-soaked Chick-fil-a chicken patty) or bite of a plain Bobo's bar every 10 minutes (rotating between the two so as to not get overly sick of sweet or salty) ... with me eating probably about two chicken patties worth and almost two full bars ... as well as four bottles of fairly concentrated Skratch and two bottles of water. Still might not have been enough, but I'm happy that I'm finally starting to get there.
The ride up the helix back to transition wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it was going to be, so that was nice.
As the husband said, I looked tired but not defeated. (photo: Brandon)
Time: 7:36:02 (56th, 333rd, 1550th)
T2:
I tried to speed through transition as best as possible, but my compression socks were not cooperating with me. I was also kind of helping my (very sweet, but very green) volunteer out, so that took some extra time. Whatever.
I had a tampon and considered changing it ... but didn't want to take the time so I just kept going.
Off I go! (photo: Brandon)
Time: 7:58
The Run:
I got a little confused with the run as we crossed a mat and then ran through the bikes ... but it was part of the run so whatever.
This is also why T1 is so long. (photo: Brandon)
I actually ran a lot more than I was expecting coming off the bike. In fact, my Garmin had my first mile as a 10:56, which is CRAZY PANTS for me in an IM. The first few miles of the run are mostly downhill, so I was able to run quite a bit. I talked to Brandon a bit after getting on the Madison streets, but I just wanted to get going on the run course.
I sorta maybe felt like pooping for most of the first half of the run, but I ended up being okay.
This run was the first in an Ironman where it wasn't my favorite leg. The UW campus was a lot hillier than I expected (like holy crap) and it had a lot fewer spectators than advertised (although that could have been the weather, too).
I did see a few friends here and there out on the course (Jen, Loberg, Taryn, Susan), so that was really nice. I got a lot of "love your kit"s all day - clearly I was the best dressed. I also got "best skirt out there" (no I wasn't the only one), which is GOOD, because I was wearing the newest iteration of the Skirt Sports race belt skirt (as opposed to one of my retro ones) in honor of founder Nicole DeBoom, who won the race 15 years earlier wearing the very first running skirt prototype.
Running through Camp Randall I think would have been cooler had I been a (college) football fan.
I saw Brandon again about a mile after the stadium (so 4ish).
Took an ebike to find me. (photo: husband)
From this point, it was winding through the UW campus. We ran past some intramural fields (where some kids were playing cricket - that was cool) and dealt with some killer fucking hills before popping back out on State Street for a small out and back (where I also saw Brandon again).
Weeeeee. (photo: Brandon)
From there, it was off to the Lakeshore trail that skirts behind the campus and eventually meets back up to the path we were on earlier (the one by the intramural fields). I actually enjoyed this section - nice and peaceful. I'd like to go back there and just walk it when I'm not, you know, racing an Ironman.
This race photog had a hysterical set up. I don't remember what it was, but I remember it made me laugh. (photo: FinisherPix)
In full disclosure, I'm also not showing you the unattractive downstride photos. Sorry not sorry. (photo: FinisherPix)
Not too long after this (I think), I ended up walking with a guy named Randy. He was doing his first full and we started chatting and I hadn't had a race buddy yet so sure why not ... but he was only walking at this point and I decided to walk with him for a while. My feet hurt, sure, but I could have kept walk/running. But I also know how it is during your first IM and I thought it would be nice to keep him company (and I felt a little guilty as he mentioned that it's hard to find someone to walk and chat with). So I spent probably more time than I would have liked with him.
A pleasant surprise at probably around mile ... 11ish? whatever mile the Kohl Center is ... was seeing my old editor from USCHO, Todd Milewski. I found out from him that Badger women's hockey coach (and Miracle on Ice star) Mark Johnson was actually racing, which was totally cool*.
Nearing the turnaround for loop two. The guy in the Zoot kit is Randy. (photo: husband)
The start of loop two is brutal as you look like you're running toward the finish line and then NOPE U-TURN BITCHES.
I stopped at special needs right after - not only to say hi to the husband (and bye to cousin Nicole), but also to grab my makeshift holey ski sock arm warmers as the rain was fairly steady at that point.
Randy and I got separated at the turnaround, but I was okay with that.
I ended up finally using a porta-potty to poop about a mile after special needs, but that was my only bathroom stop on the run, so that was nice.
The second loop was a grind. If I had been doing a lot better on time, I seriously would have considered taking a short nap on the side of the course. I was weirdly exhausted (which, you might think, DUH LOOK WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING ALL DAY, which, point, but I'd never dealt with that before, so it was weird, okay?), but just kept moving.
Other points of note:
- crowds were a bit disappointing. Maybe because of the lateness of the hour, maybe because of the rain, but I was told that the quietest part of the run was Camp Randall. That Lakeshore path after dark was SUPER silent. And a touch creepy.
- Didn't eat and/or drink nearly as much as in previous races, but that might have been weather. Got grapes maybe three times and chip stops were similar.
- Chicken broth was maybe out at only three run aid stations on the second loop. FAIL.
- Once again, I was able to beat the tracker's estimated time for me finishing, being able to pick it up decently well in the final miles.
The finisher's chute was everything it always is. My aching feet ached no more. I passed one woman right before the carpet, but was cognizant enough to slow down to let the guys in front of me have their moments (otherwise I would have been right in their photos).
Plus I got in my leap.
(all subsequent photos are FinisherPix.)
If I had known they were doing this shot, I would have delayed a bit more so as to not have that dude in the shot.
Time: 6:04:56 (61st, 388th, 1575th)
Overall Stats:
Time: 15:48:24
64/76 division (F35-39)
371/461 gender
1606/1823 overall
On a brutal day on a brutal course ... I still managed to PR. Let's play the comparison game, shall we?
Swim 2013: 2:02:48
Swim 2016: 1:51:33
Swim 2019: 1:49:26
In some of the crappiest swim conditions I've faced, I still managed a 2:07 swim PR. Was I hoping/expecting for a bigger swim PR given the amount of swim training I've put in this year? Absolutely, but the fact that I still did PR in those conditions is a testament to the amount of work I've put in to become a stronger swimmer.
T1 2013: 11:24
T1 2016: 5:39
T1 2019: 10:04
Probably a longer transition than AZ (and I didn't have a foot to get taped up) and much longer than Boulder. Really unless it's the same race with the same transition zone, these are impossible to compare.
Bike 2013: 7:26:02
Bike 2016: 7:28:32
Bike 2019: 7:36:02
Ten minutes slower than AZ (and ... 8:30? slower) than Boulder with fewer stops. But also on one of the harder bikes on the circuit. I knew what I was getting into with this bike going into this race ... but I can't lie to you and say I'm happy with this time. I really wish I would have done better. Just more work to put in for next time ...
T2 2013: 7:52
T2 2016: 9:25
T2 2019: 7:58
... see above. Maybe next race I'll do calf sleeves instead of compression socks to save some time. Who knows.
Run 2013: 6:07:29
Run 2016: 6:17:41
Run 2019: 6:04:56
Through most of the run I thought my run PR was a 6:05ish so I was trying like hell to beat that. Which, of course, I did ... but I'm also very happy to see that my PR was slower than I thought which means that even purposefully walking for a few miles ... I still managed a 2:33(?) run PR. Which I am SO HAPPY with.
All in all, that adds up to a 4:26 race PR.
And I know I can do better. But maybe not for another few years.
* and I totally beat Mark Johnson by like 45 minutes. Woo!
Obviously, I had put in a buttload of work (more than I ever had for any other race), but it didn't seem like enough knowing what I had actually planned to do. But then I almost flirted with overtraining like 5 weeks out and then my peak was probably my worst peak of any IM build and then my neck freaked out on me and well. Nerves were a thing.
I continued to loosely work out in taper, but if I wasn't feeling something, I definitely cut it short or skipped it. Like the run I should have in theory gotten in the Wednesday prior (but a long-ass drive and then trying for food prevented that and okay yes I could have stayed up later and done it but that seemed counterproductive to me).
I did my best to keep nerves at bay in Madison, and my ridiculous M-Dot cheering hat (seen at the bottom of this post) helped out a lot. It's almost impossible to take yourself too seriously wearing a hat like that and I wore it around Madison a ridiculous amount. I'm not kidding.
A lot of anxiety started kicking in at our usual breakfast-for-dinner the night before. Some of Brandon's cousins came out to cheer me on and we all met for food. They're talking about coordinating places to cheer and it started stressing me out. Like guys, figure this out without me. If I see you on the course, great. If not, great. Just ... no. I told this to Brandon after we left and he said he'd do his best the next day to keep me out of it.
Race Day
Transition opened at 5am and so did breakfast. Brandon and I split up - I went to go get food while he got coffee and dropped off my special needs bags (that drop off was a few blocks away from our hotel/the race start). I barely choked down my scrambled eggs and orange juice. My brain knew to get food in, but the body tried to fight it.
I left breakfast and walked across the skyway over to Monona Terrace. I went into transition and put hydration and nutrition on my bike as well as pumped up my tires. All told, this maybe took me 10 minutes. I was thinking if there was anything else I needed to do, and the answer was no. I didn't want to stress myself out puttering, so I left. I went into the convention center to dump off a few other things in my run and bike bags (like my handheld for the run) and then met up with Brandon.
I found a former SFQ teammate to body mark me and then we found a corner in the convention center hallway to sit in until about 6:10ish. I went to the bathroom a few times that morning and once more during that waiting period. Eventually, it was time to start moving again. I put my wetsuit on and we walked down the stairs toward the swim start.
Brandon stayed with me as much and as long as possible, pretty much until it was about time to go into the chute. At the athlete briefing, it said we could do a warm up swim behind the start, but there wasn't anything labeled and I didn't feel like climbing over the rocks into the lake and risk hurting anything (cut the bottom of my foot on a rock on a pre-race swim on Friday). So I didn't bother with that.
Cousins Peter and Nicole met up with us sometime before I got in the water, but I forget if it was before or after the pros started. I think after. I seeded myself in the 1:40-1:50 swim corral, thinking that was a fair choice.
Me. Also ... hey ... I think I know that woman in the foreground. (photo: husband)
Yep, it was Susan Haag, doing her ... 116th (or something like that) Ironman. (photo: husband)
The last bit in the corral was actually a huge onslaught of nerves and I was repeating every mantra in the mental book.
Strong. Swift. Capable. (the one I've said going to bed almost every night this year)
It's my day to be brilliant. (Shinedown lyrics and my theme for this race)
Be a fighter, backbone, desire. (also Shinedown lyrics and a mantra I came up with a few years ago)
Thankfully, this worked well enough to calm me down going into the water.
The Swim:
A few people around me seemed concerned about the swim and for good reason - the wind was starting to kick up on us.
We found out later that we had up to two-foot swells out there (uh, yeah) and Brandon said he saw a few white caps on the water.
The swim is basically 1100m out, turn and swim 300m, turn and swim 1600m, turn and swim 200m, turn and swim the final 662m to the exit (counterclockwise).
It was hard fighting for space in that first 1100m. I've been fortunate so far as to not have gotten kicked/punched in the face in an Ironman. Well, that ended this race (happened twice)(once for sure in this section). I also felt my neck starting to chafe a bit about 1000m in (pretty sure there was a buoy about every 100m), but my stroke was a little wonky due to the water conditions.
I moo'ed at the first turn buoy, as you do.
The next 300m were fairly uneventful. As it worked really well at Coeur d'Alene, I counted the buoys every turn. So 1, 1, 1, 1, etc. until the next buoy and then 2, 2, 2, 2, etc. and then started a new count at the turn buoys. Makes me feel more like I'm in a pool and it gives my brain something to focus on other than "holy shit it's ridiculous out here and I probably should have taken Dramamine before this stupid swim."
The 1600m back stretch was into the wind and quite hysterical, actually. Sighting became tricky as I'd look up to sight and be in the bottom of a wave and see nothing but water. I was fortunate enough to keep stride with a few guys during this stretch which helped. It was weird going for a stroke and either hitting water quicker than you'd think or hitting air when you thought it would be water. In general, though, I think I did a really good job of swimming with the flow of the water as I didn't panic at all.
Of course, it also proved to me what I've known for years - the more ridiculous the conditions, the better it actually is for me because at that point, what can you do but laugh?
I felt my right armpit chafing some - I think due to the change in stroke adapting to the conditions - but I knew there was nothing during the swim I could do about it.
I forgot that there was a 200m and a 662m section (for some reason I thought only one turn to the finish; not two), and they dragged on a bit, but it wasn't terrible.
(I also once again had a triathlon swim where I didn't question my life choices during it, which, given that swim, is kind of surprising tbh. Oh, and the water temp, because we all care, was 69 degrees.)
White arm is me. Coming into the finish. (photo: husband)
I got out and it wasn't as bad standing/walking as I thought it would have been after a swim like that.
Checking the watch. Of course. (photo: FinisherPix)
Time: 1:49:26 (71st division, 402nd gender, 1645th overall)
T1:
This race has a stupidly long transition. Get out, get wetsuit stripped off, run up the helix (curved parking ramp), head into a ballroom, get your T1 bag, head into a different ballroom to get changed, run out past porta-potties, around a corner into the bike area, grab your bike, and run down a long ass lane of a parking level before crossing the mat and going down the other helix.
Peeled and running off. (photo: husband)
Waving back at B yelling at me. See that curved thing? Yeah, I had to run all the way up to there. (photo: husband)
I ran most of the way, but did end up walking a bit of the helix. Chatted with a few other people joking that I'm glad I wasn't seasick after that swim. Knew I had a swim PR at that point, so I was super happy. I got ready to ride fairly quickly. I had arm warmers in my bag, but decided to not use them. I left the convention center and made a beeline to the porta-potties to go change my stupid tampon (dang being a female). Brandon caught me post-porta-potty and on my way to the bike.
Shorts were wonky because wet tri shorts suck to pull up. I also couldn't deal with them until special needs. (photo: Brandon)
I tried like hell to keep transition to under 10 minutes and I thought I had it ... but the official results said otherwise. Boo.
Time: 10:04
The Bike:
Oh, the bike. I knew it would be brutal. 16 miles to Verona, two 40 mile loops of country road hilly nastiness, and then 16 miles back to Madison.
The first 16 miles actually breezed by. Suddenly it was like wait, what? We're here already?
The first loop wasn't even all that bad, either ... yes, there were climbs, but I know how to climb. The descents did have a lot of turns at the bottom of them (which was annoying), but I still got some decent speed. The problem for me was that there were a lot more false flats than I think I expected and as we all know, those are my kryptonite. Blargh.
I kept waiting for the Three Sisters (Bitches) because I couldn't remember where they were on course and I eventually found them ... but again, I didn't think they were as terrible as advertised.
What WAS terrible was some of the road quality. Holy bumps. I couldn't pedal some descents and use momentum since I was out of the saddle to save my crotch on the shit roads. Grosssss. I did see Brandon and the family cheering squad at mile 40ish which was great. Not too long after that, I got passed by SMASH pro Alyssa Godesky who said hi as she did.
Early on in the bike. Doing the ol' Macca "Like a Boss." (photo: FinisherPix)
In front of some cornfield somewhere on the first loop. (photo: FinisherPix)
Climbing some hill, trademark wonky helmet in place *facepalm*. (photo: FinisherPix)
Soon enough, I was rolling back through Verona onto the second loop. I saw everyone in front of Rocket Bicycle Studio and Brandon sprinted from there around the corner to special needs in order to say hi.
Grabbing some much wanted Dr. Pepper. (photo: husband)
I tried not to spend too much time here although I'm pretty sure I did get off my bike at the end of special needs to pee for the first time all ride. I knew one of my bike downfalls in previous races was me dillying at aid stations just wasting time and I didn't want to do that this race. This was my first stop on the bike and I planned it to change out my bottles and get my chips and Dr. Pepper.
The second loop was definitely harder than the first loop and mostly because it started precipitating on us. I don't know if I would officially classify it as "rain," but it was enough to get enough condensation on my Garmin to make it tricky to read it and have enough drips hanging from the front of my helmet. Oh and to make the roads just that much more treacherous.
In fact, I almost crashed out twice. Once was around a corner at the bottom of a descent where I had to hit the brakes fairly hard to avoid hitting some woman going way wide (wasn't going to pass on the inside and she made it impossible to pass on the outside); realized I was going to nail a cone; swerved; almost died. The other time was also on a curve after a descent where I kinda ended up in someone's driveway. After that, I slowed things WAY down on the descents. Which sucked.
I only stopped once more to pee (mile ... 80ish?) which I didn't want to do, but my bladder was crying out so badly, so I did. I waited until an aid station without a line, though, as I wasn't taking any extra time than necessary.
Looking a touch more miserable. (photo: FinisherPix)
Clearly don't remember a camera otherwise I would have tried to smile. (photo: FinisherPix)
The rain meant there weren't nearly as many crowds on the second loop, but I think that also was because I'm fairly back-of-the-pack, too.
Other random tidbits:
- The crowds on the second and third of the three main hills were AWESOME. Particularly on Midtown Road.
- Speaking of Midtown ... I actually have a relatively respectable placing on the Garmin segment for that stretch. I passed a few people climbing.
- Related: SMILE GOING UP EVERY HILL. I swear it helps.
- The stick going back to Madison? Shitty. Especially so with a bit of a headwind.
- Kinda stopped eating with about 10ish miles to go. My poor crotch was just DONE with the shit roads.
- Got a headache at like mile 40 of the bike and it never truly went away.
- Pretty sure I drank and ate the most in this race out of any IM I've done. A piece of pickle chicken (pickle juice-soaked Chick-fil-a chicken patty) or bite of a plain Bobo's bar every 10 minutes (rotating between the two so as to not get overly sick of sweet or salty) ... with me eating probably about two chicken patties worth and almost two full bars ... as well as four bottles of fairly concentrated Skratch and two bottles of water. Still might not have been enough, but I'm happy that I'm finally starting to get there.
The ride up the helix back to transition wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it was going to be, so that was nice.
As the husband said, I looked tired but not defeated. (photo: Brandon)
Time: 7:36:02 (56th, 333rd, 1550th)
T2:
I tried to speed through transition as best as possible, but my compression socks were not cooperating with me. I was also kind of helping my (very sweet, but very green) volunteer out, so that took some extra time. Whatever.
I had a tampon and considered changing it ... but didn't want to take the time so I just kept going.
Off I go! (photo: Brandon)
Time: 7:58
The Run:
I got a little confused with the run as we crossed a mat and then ran through the bikes ... but it was part of the run so whatever.
This is also why T1 is so long. (photo: Brandon)
I actually ran a lot more than I was expecting coming off the bike. In fact, my Garmin had my first mile as a 10:56, which is CRAZY PANTS for me in an IM. The first few miles of the run are mostly downhill, so I was able to run quite a bit. I talked to Brandon a bit after getting on the Madison streets, but I just wanted to get going on the run course.
I sorta maybe felt like pooping for most of the first half of the run, but I ended up being okay.
This run was the first in an Ironman where it wasn't my favorite leg. The UW campus was a lot hillier than I expected (like holy crap) and it had a lot fewer spectators than advertised (although that could have been the weather, too).
I did see a few friends here and there out on the course (Jen, Loberg, Taryn, Susan), so that was really nice. I got a lot of "love your kit"s all day - clearly I was the best dressed. I also got "best skirt out there" (no I wasn't the only one), which is GOOD, because I was wearing the newest iteration of the Skirt Sports race belt skirt (as opposed to one of my retro ones) in honor of founder Nicole DeBoom, who won the race 15 years earlier wearing the very first running skirt prototype.
Running through Camp Randall I think would have been cooler had I been a (college) football fan.
I saw Brandon again about a mile after the stadium (so 4ish).
Took an ebike to find me. (photo: husband)
From this point, it was winding through the UW campus. We ran past some intramural fields (where some kids were playing cricket - that was cool) and dealt with some killer fucking hills before popping back out on State Street for a small out and back (where I also saw Brandon again).
Weeeeee. (photo: Brandon)
From there, it was off to the Lakeshore trail that skirts behind the campus and eventually meets back up to the path we were on earlier (the one by the intramural fields). I actually enjoyed this section - nice and peaceful. I'd like to go back there and just walk it when I'm not, you know, racing an Ironman.
This race photog had a hysterical set up. I don't remember what it was, but I remember it made me laugh. (photo: FinisherPix)
In full disclosure, I'm also not showing you the unattractive downstride photos. Sorry not sorry. (photo: FinisherPix)
Not too long after this (I think), I ended up walking with a guy named Randy. He was doing his first full and we started chatting and I hadn't had a race buddy yet so sure why not ... but he was only walking at this point and I decided to walk with him for a while. My feet hurt, sure, but I could have kept walk/running. But I also know how it is during your first IM and I thought it would be nice to keep him company (and I felt a little guilty as he mentioned that it's hard to find someone to walk and chat with). So I spent probably more time than I would have liked with him.
A pleasant surprise at probably around mile ... 11ish? whatever mile the Kohl Center is ... was seeing my old editor from USCHO, Todd Milewski. I found out from him that Badger women's hockey coach (and Miracle on Ice star) Mark Johnson was actually racing, which was totally cool*.
Nearing the turnaround for loop two. The guy in the Zoot kit is Randy. (photo: husband)
The start of loop two is brutal as you look like you're running toward the finish line and then NOPE U-TURN BITCHES.
I stopped at special needs right after - not only to say hi to the husband (and bye to cousin Nicole), but also to grab my makeshift holey ski sock arm warmers as the rain was fairly steady at that point.
Randy and I got separated at the turnaround, but I was okay with that.
I ended up finally using a porta-potty to poop about a mile after special needs, but that was my only bathroom stop on the run, so that was nice.
The second loop was a grind. If I had been doing a lot better on time, I seriously would have considered taking a short nap on the side of the course. I was weirdly exhausted (which, you might think, DUH LOOK WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING ALL DAY, which, point, but I'd never dealt with that before, so it was weird, okay?), but just kept moving.
Other points of note:
- crowds were a bit disappointing. Maybe because of the lateness of the hour, maybe because of the rain, but I was told that the quietest part of the run was Camp Randall. That Lakeshore path after dark was SUPER silent. And a touch creepy.
- Didn't eat and/or drink nearly as much as in previous races, but that might have been weather. Got grapes maybe three times and chip stops were similar.
- Chicken broth was maybe out at only three run aid stations on the second loop. FAIL.
- Once again, I was able to beat the tracker's estimated time for me finishing, being able to pick it up decently well in the final miles.
The finisher's chute was everything it always is. My aching feet ached no more. I passed one woman right before the carpet, but was cognizant enough to slow down to let the guys in front of me have their moments (otherwise I would have been right in their photos).
Plus I got in my leap.
(all subsequent photos are FinisherPix.)
If I had known they were doing this shot, I would have delayed a bit more so as to not have that dude in the shot.
Time: 6:04:56 (61st, 388th, 1575th)
Overall Stats:
Time: 15:48:24
64/76 division (F35-39)
371/461 gender
1606/1823 overall
On a brutal day on a brutal course ... I still managed to PR. Let's play the comparison game, shall we?
Swim 2013: 2:02:48
Swim 2016: 1:51:33
Swim 2019: 1:49:26
In some of the crappiest swim conditions I've faced, I still managed a 2:07 swim PR. Was I hoping/expecting for a bigger swim PR given the amount of swim training I've put in this year? Absolutely, but the fact that I still did PR in those conditions is a testament to the amount of work I've put in to become a stronger swimmer.
T1 2013: 11:24
T1 2016: 5:39
T1 2019: 10:04
Probably a longer transition than AZ (and I didn't have a foot to get taped up) and much longer than Boulder. Really unless it's the same race with the same transition zone, these are impossible to compare.
Bike 2013: 7:26:02
Bike 2016: 7:28:32
Bike 2019: 7:36:02
Ten minutes slower than AZ (and ... 8:30? slower) than Boulder with fewer stops. But also on one of the harder bikes on the circuit. I knew what I was getting into with this bike going into this race ... but I can't lie to you and say I'm happy with this time. I really wish I would have done better. Just more work to put in for next time ...
T2 2013: 7:52
T2 2016: 9:25
T2 2019: 7:58
... see above. Maybe next race I'll do calf sleeves instead of compression socks to save some time. Who knows.
Run 2013: 6:07:29
Run 2016: 6:17:41
Run 2019: 6:04:56
Through most of the run I thought my run PR was a 6:05ish so I was trying like hell to beat that. Which, of course, I did ... but I'm also very happy to see that my PR was slower than I thought which means that even purposefully walking for a few miles ... I still managed a 2:33(?) run PR. Which I am SO HAPPY with.
All in all, that adds up to a 4:26 race PR.
And I know I can do better. But maybe not for another few years.
* and I totally beat Mark Johnson by like 45 minutes. Woo!
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Training for IMoo - Week Thirty-Six
Week Thirty-Six: 9.2-9.8
In which it finally ends.
9.2
I got out for the three mile run I had scheduled today and hooooo boy heavy legs.
I also attempted to get in the pool .. and did 600 of my planned 2k. Really just wasn't feeling it.
9.3
I got in a ride ... it wasn't as long as planned, but I got it in. I also decided to say "screw it" when it came to my swim. This week ended up being all about listening to my body and moving what I could ... but maybe not as much as I *should*.
9.4
I had a run on the schedule ... but our drive out took a bit longer than expected (stupid headwinds) so that didn't end up happening. I barely managed to get my daily workout in.
9.5
I had an open water swim on the schedule that I ended up moving, but I did get a nice little shakeout ride in with Brandon and a former SFQ teammate (who actually lives down in the Springs), Jen.
9.6
Got in an open water swim in Lake Monona. It went pretty well, all things considered. We also went for a super short mile run (to lunch) to get the legs moving.
9.7
I had another short open water swim and tiny ride on the schedule ... but decided against both of those things and just worried about pre-race prep. And some walking (and my daily).
Checked in and ready to go!
9.8
Race day. I won't spoil how it went - I'll save that for my race report which will hopefully come out Friday - except for one teensy little teaser - I PRed.
*****
Well, 36 weeks of training are done ... and this will be the last weekly update you get from me. This week wasn't my best pre-race week ever, but it also wasn't my worst. I had to listen to what my body was saying and not stress over getting in something. And, well, I'm pretty sure it paid off on race day.
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 5424.41m, 2:29:47
Bike: 138.12 mi, 9:26:14
Run: 30.26 mi, 6:50:55
Strength: :59
In which it finally ends.
9.2
I got out for the three mile run I had scheduled today and hooooo boy heavy legs.
I also attempted to get in the pool .. and did 600 of my planned 2k. Really just wasn't feeling it.
9.3
I got in a ride ... it wasn't as long as planned, but I got it in. I also decided to say "screw it" when it came to my swim. This week ended up being all about listening to my body and moving what I could ... but maybe not as much as I *should*.
9.4
I had a run on the schedule ... but our drive out took a bit longer than expected (stupid headwinds) so that didn't end up happening. I barely managed to get my daily workout in.
9.5
I had an open water swim on the schedule that I ended up moving, but I did get a nice little shakeout ride in with Brandon and a former SFQ teammate (who actually lives down in the Springs), Jen.
9.6
Got in an open water swim in Lake Monona. It went pretty well, all things considered. We also went for a super short mile run (to lunch) to get the legs moving.
9.7
I had another short open water swim and tiny ride on the schedule ... but decided against both of those things and just worried about pre-race prep. And some walking (and my daily).
Checked in and ready to go!
9.8
Race day. I won't spoil how it went - I'll save that for my race report which will hopefully come out Friday - except for one teensy little teaser - I PRed.
*****
Well, 36 weeks of training are done ... and this will be the last weekly update you get from me. This week wasn't my best pre-race week ever, but it also wasn't my worst. I had to listen to what my body was saying and not stress over getting in something. And, well, I'm pretty sure it paid off on race day.
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 5424.41m, 2:29:47
Bike: 138.12 mi, 9:26:14
Run: 30.26 mi, 6:50:55
Strength: :59
Friday, September 6, 2019
August Round Up
... have I ever been happy with a month? The answer is probably not ... and I'm also not happy with this month. Although I also kind of am at the same time. Read on ...
Swimming: 26300m (16.3 mi)
Cycling: 471.4 mi
Running: 93.53 mi
Strength: 30 sessions (4:38)
Other: one walk (1:04)
From what I had planned ... this month should have been a lot stronger (if you've been following the weekly updates, you'd know this. if not ... well ... fail.).
Swimming has been a struggle since the birthday 10k. We know this. The funny thing is, it would still look like decent swim mileage for me any other Ironman year. This year, however? A disappointment. I'm praying like hell I have enough residual swim fitness leading into Sunday.
It's almost hard to be disappointed with my bike mileage this month as this is definitely the most I've ridden in a month by far (by almost 100 miles if I recall correctly) ... but when I know I should have had closer to around 600 miles? Well, 470 seems disappointing.
The same goes for the run. This is my highest run mileage month ever as well (by about 6 miles) ... and had my neck not spazzed out on me, I should have had my first ever 100 mile month ever. Grumble.
(The other thing about the last two points ... I hit my highest yearly totals in both cycling and running this month. I hit 2000 miles on the bike and 500 miles running for the first time ever on both. So yes, hard to be disappointed, but when you know what you should have done ...)
I missed one strength day thanks to my wonky-ass neck (*rolls eyes*) and I got in my one other workout thanks to a flight delay for B and me having to walk home from a car appointment (since I didn't have the five hours to sit around and wait for them to reflush my damn transmission after failing on it the first time).
All in all, while my August wasn't as large as I would have liked, it was still a decent month and I think prepared me fairly well going into IMoo this weekend.
I hope.
As for September? Well, some numbers will look halfway decent (yay, thanks long-ass race; you're good for something), but I'm also hoping to not lose all of this fitness. A lot less volume for sure, but definitely not as hard.
Also if you don't see a lot more "other" next month ... find me and shake me plzkthx.
Swimming: 26300m (16.3 mi)
Cycling: 471.4 mi
Running: 93.53 mi
Strength: 30 sessions (4:38)
Other: one walk (1:04)
From what I had planned ... this month should have been a lot stronger (if you've been following the weekly updates, you'd know this. if not ... well ... fail.).
Swimming has been a struggle since the birthday 10k. We know this. The funny thing is, it would still look like decent swim mileage for me any other Ironman year. This year, however? A disappointment. I'm praying like hell I have enough residual swim fitness leading into Sunday.
It's almost hard to be disappointed with my bike mileage this month as this is definitely the most I've ridden in a month by far (by almost 100 miles if I recall correctly) ... but when I know I should have had closer to around 600 miles? Well, 470 seems disappointing.
The same goes for the run. This is my highest run mileage month ever as well (by about 6 miles) ... and had my neck not spazzed out on me, I should have had my first ever 100 mile month ever. Grumble.
(The other thing about the last two points ... I hit my highest yearly totals in both cycling and running this month. I hit 2000 miles on the bike and 500 miles running for the first time ever on both. So yes, hard to be disappointed, but when you know what you should have done ...)
I missed one strength day thanks to my wonky-ass neck (*rolls eyes*) and I got in my one other workout thanks to a flight delay for B and me having to walk home from a car appointment (since I didn't have the five hours to sit around and wait for them to reflush my damn transmission after failing on it the first time).
All in all, while my August wasn't as large as I would have liked, it was still a decent month and I think prepared me fairly well going into IMoo this weekend.
I hope.
As for September? Well, some numbers will look halfway decent (yay, thanks long-ass race; you're good for something), but I'm also hoping to not lose all of this fitness. A lot less volume for sure, but definitely not as hard.
Also if you don't see a lot more "other" next month ... find me and shake me plzkthx.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Training for IMoo - Week Thirty-Five
Week Thirty-Five: 8.26-9.1
In which my body rebels on me for a bit.
8.26
I had an easy ride on tap (and possibly trying some SUP with friends), but given how exhausted I was/had been ... I decided to just take an off day (well, except my daily). Regrets? None.
8.27
I had a run and swim on the schedule. I did neither. I had a dentist appointment this day and on my way there, my neck randomly started bothering me. Like, I couldn't turn my head to the right without pain. Or tilt my head back. Or diagonally. It was TERRIBLE. As a result, I took my first true off day (no strength or anything) since probably March or April when I had allergies/bronchitis/death plague.
8.28
My neck felt a little better ... but not enough for me to chance anything. I did get in a nice hour walk home after dropping off my car to get the transmission re-flushed, and time on feet is never a bad thing.
8.29
I managed a short little run, but that was about it. Story of my damn life.
8.30
I finally got back on my bike again. Would have liked a longer ride, but only managed about 20. This is seriously the worst taper ever.
8.31
Long run. Decided on 8.5 instead of 10 and it weirdly felt ... easy? Like it wasn't, but it didn't feel bad.
I also finally got back in the damn pool.
And clearly made my husband take a photo.
9.1
Another ride, but legs didn't want to do poop all, so it was nice and short (about 30 minutes). I also got back in the pool for my long swim of 3k ... which was good, since it was a long set swim (6x500) and I hadn't done one like that in a while. Needed it.
*****
As I alluded to last week, sometimes, your body will stop you FOR you if you ignore the signs. Clearly that's what happened here with the neck thing. Still not sure what triggered it, still not 100% (my massage on Friday helped but didn't cure it), but I definitely listened.
Kind of annoying, regardless.
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 5400m, 2:11:18
Bike: 28.7 mi, 1:54:10
Run: 11.04 mi, 2:04:38
Strength: :55
Other: 1:04 (walk)
In which my body rebels on me for a bit.
8.26
I had an easy ride on tap (and possibly trying some SUP with friends), but given how exhausted I was/had been ... I decided to just take an off day (well, except my daily). Regrets? None.
8.27
I had a run and swim on the schedule. I did neither. I had a dentist appointment this day and on my way there, my neck randomly started bothering me. Like, I couldn't turn my head to the right without pain. Or tilt my head back. Or diagonally. It was TERRIBLE. As a result, I took my first true off day (no strength or anything) since probably March or April when I had allergies/bronchitis/death plague.
8.28
My neck felt a little better ... but not enough for me to chance anything. I did get in a nice hour walk home after dropping off my car to get the transmission re-flushed, and time on feet is never a bad thing.
8.29
I managed a short little run, but that was about it. Story of my damn life.
8.30
I finally got back on my bike again. Would have liked a longer ride, but only managed about 20. This is seriously the worst taper ever.
8.31
Long run. Decided on 8.5 instead of 10 and it weirdly felt ... easy? Like it wasn't, but it didn't feel bad.
I also finally got back in the damn pool.
And clearly made my husband take a photo.
9.1
Another ride, but legs didn't want to do poop all, so it was nice and short (about 30 minutes). I also got back in the pool for my long swim of 3k ... which was good, since it was a long set swim (6x500) and I hadn't done one like that in a while. Needed it.
*****
As I alluded to last week, sometimes, your body will stop you FOR you if you ignore the signs. Clearly that's what happened here with the neck thing. Still not sure what triggered it, still not 100% (my massage on Friday helped but didn't cure it), but I definitely listened.
Kind of annoying, regardless.
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 5400m, 2:11:18
Bike: 28.7 mi, 1:54:10
Run: 11.04 mi, 2:04:38
Strength: :55
Other: 1:04 (walk)
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Training for IMoo - Week Thirty-Four
Week Thirty-Four: 8.19-8.25
In which my body gives me the hard stop and taper starts a bit early, much to my dismay.
8.19
A slow, steady three mile run and then I actually finally got in the pool again for 2900. That swim was a struggle bus and a half, but whatever.
8.20
I had 30-50 miles on tap and I got in just over 30. Seriously okay with it at this point.
8.21
My final long run of 22 miles. The plan was to run from my house to the parents' ... but I missed a turn somewhere off the Highline. I was holding sub-12 until around 16 miles ... but I think my frustration got to me as my pace went to hell. I ended up somewhere waaaaay far away from home, though, and got in a little over 22.
A very dead jump shot after I got picked up and we headed to get coffee.
8.22
I had a 40-60 mile ride on tap as well as a 4.9k swim ... yeeeahhh, I got in 24 miles on the trainer. At this point, I could tell my body was probably crying out for taper (partially because I had/have been sleeping like crap), but I knew I had a long ride and a long swim left and I wanted to try like hell to get them both in ...
8.23
In which I should have in theory gotten in my last 100-120 mile ride in as well as a four mile run.
I got in 72 miles. I tried to run and my body just said NOPE. I guess this is taper ...
8.24
Did I do my long swim? Nope. Too damn exhausted. Just my daily.
8.25
I tried so hard to get everything in today. I had a double Bluffs loop run planned; I got to the Bluffs and realized that there was a trail race going on there that same day and I didn't want to interfere with that ... so I decided to go swim instead. I managed 500m. I felt like I was swimming through a fog ... and decided it was wisest to quit.
*****
When your body gives you the signs, it is smartest to listen before it will stop you FOR you (spoiler alert for next week's recap). I am so utterly thankful I got in a massive week two weeks ago, as that ended up being my true peak week. I am hopeful that I am prepared enough right now ...
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 3400m, 1:17:17
Bike: 128.92 mi, 8:08:28
Run: 25.34 mi, 5:17:01
Strength: 1:03
In which my body gives me the hard stop and taper starts a bit early, much to my dismay.
8.19
A slow, steady three mile run and then I actually finally got in the pool again for 2900. That swim was a struggle bus and a half, but whatever.
8.20
I had 30-50 miles on tap and I got in just over 30. Seriously okay with it at this point.
8.21
My final long run of 22 miles. The plan was to run from my house to the parents' ... but I missed a turn somewhere off the Highline. I was holding sub-12 until around 16 miles ... but I think my frustration got to me as my pace went to hell. I ended up somewhere waaaaay far away from home, though, and got in a little over 22.
A very dead jump shot after I got picked up and we headed to get coffee.
8.22
I had a 40-60 mile ride on tap as well as a 4.9k swim ... yeeeahhh, I got in 24 miles on the trainer. At this point, I could tell my body was probably crying out for taper (partially because I had/have been sleeping like crap), but I knew I had a long ride and a long swim left and I wanted to try like hell to get them both in ...
8.23
In which I should have in theory gotten in my last 100-120 mile ride in as well as a four mile run.
I got in 72 miles. I tried to run and my body just said NOPE. I guess this is taper ...
8.24
Did I do my long swim? Nope. Too damn exhausted. Just my daily.
8.25
I tried so hard to get everything in today. I had a double Bluffs loop run planned; I got to the Bluffs and realized that there was a trail race going on there that same day and I didn't want to interfere with that ... so I decided to go swim instead. I managed 500m. I felt like I was swimming through a fog ... and decided it was wisest to quit.
*****
When your body gives you the signs, it is smartest to listen before it will stop you FOR you (spoiler alert for next week's recap). I am so utterly thankful I got in a massive week two weeks ago, as that ended up being my true peak week. I am hopeful that I am prepared enough right now ...
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 3400m, 1:17:17
Bike: 128.92 mi, 8:08:28
Run: 25.34 mi, 5:17:01
Strength: 1:03
Friday, August 23, 2019
Training for IMoo - Week Thirty-Three
Week Thirty-Three: 8.12-8.18
In which things take a step back some. Partially unintentionally, partially intentionally.
(And sorry for the delay this week in posting; peak training continuing means my life is a blur.)
8.12
I had a decent ride on the schedule. We went up to Boulder to get it done before my bike fit ... but misjudged a lot of timing so I only managed to get in 20 miles pre-fit. Oops
But I did get a bike fit and I'm hoping it helps, so there's that.
8.13
Long run day - 20 miles! - and a swim. This week's 20 went a lot better than last week's 18 ... and part of that is probably because I left earlier. But who knows.
The swim was 3200 and I basically turned off my brain and just swam. Was totally on autopilot.
8.14
Another decent ride on the schedule ... that I decided to do from the house. I did the mall loop (so a bit over 8 miles) ... went back to the house to pee before continuing on ... and basically passed out. We decided that me stopping to fight another day was probably the wiser decision.
8.15
While Brandon was taking my parents to the airport, I was hitting up the track. It was definitely a struggle, but I completed the workout as scheduled.
I also in theory had a swim to squish in ... but decided not to ... because we were driving up to the western slope to Palisade in order for B to eat a lot of peaches for his birthday.
8.16
Essentially a scheduled off day (except an open water swim if I could manage it which clearly I couldn't) ... but I did this on purpose so I could be fully present for Brandon's birthday. Some things take priority over training; this was one of them.
8.17
The possible downside of the rest (and a late-ish night at the Rockies game) ... is that my body wanted more. I could not muster up the energy for anything today ... so my 5 mile run and my long swim? Cancelled.
8.18
... the only reason I was okay with taking Saturday off is that it meant that I could probably get my long ride in Sunday. Which I did.
Got just shy of 90 in up in Boulder and then decided to finish the last 13 miles or so at home on the trainer so Brandon could also get in a ride that day (we drove separately and I neglected to bring up his bike).
*****
A little bit of a down week - which probably in theory shouldn't happen in peak - but one that I
- knew was a possibility with Brandon's birthday; and
- was mostly okay with given my crazy f'ing week the week prior.
And I also knew that I had one more big week scheduled, so it was okay. Plus listening to my body is the most important thing, so there's that. I really don't want to burn out ...
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 3200m, 1:16:39
Bike: 128.43 mi, 7:59:49
Run: 24.23 mi, 4:52:59
Strength: 1:00
In which things take a step back some. Partially unintentionally, partially intentionally.
(And sorry for the delay this week in posting; peak training continuing means my life is a blur.)
8.12
I had a decent ride on the schedule. We went up to Boulder to get it done before my bike fit ... but misjudged a lot of timing so I only managed to get in 20 miles pre-fit. Oops
But I did get a bike fit and I'm hoping it helps, so there's that.
8.13
Long run day - 20 miles! - and a swim. This week's 20 went a lot better than last week's 18 ... and part of that is probably because I left earlier. But who knows.
The swim was 3200 and I basically turned off my brain and just swam. Was totally on autopilot.
8.14
Another decent ride on the schedule ... that I decided to do from the house. I did the mall loop (so a bit over 8 miles) ... went back to the house to pee before continuing on ... and basically passed out. We decided that me stopping to fight another day was probably the wiser decision.
8.15
While Brandon was taking my parents to the airport, I was hitting up the track. It was definitely a struggle, but I completed the workout as scheduled.
I also in theory had a swim to squish in ... but decided not to ... because we were driving up to the western slope to Palisade in order for B to eat a lot of peaches for his birthday.
8.16
Essentially a scheduled off day (except an open water swim if I could manage it which clearly I couldn't) ... but I did this on purpose so I could be fully present for Brandon's birthday. Some things take priority over training; this was one of them.
8.17
The possible downside of the rest (and a late-ish night at the Rockies game) ... is that my body wanted more. I could not muster up the energy for anything today ... so my 5 mile run and my long swim? Cancelled.
8.18
... the only reason I was okay with taking Saturday off is that it meant that I could probably get my long ride in Sunday. Which I did.
Got just shy of 90 in up in Boulder and then decided to finish the last 13 miles or so at home on the trainer so Brandon could also get in a ride that day (we drove separately and I neglected to bring up his bike).
*****
A little bit of a down week - which probably in theory shouldn't happen in peak - but one that I
- knew was a possibility with Brandon's birthday; and
- was mostly okay with given my crazy f'ing week the week prior.
And I also knew that I had one more big week scheduled, so it was okay. Plus listening to my body is the most important thing, so there's that. I really don't want to burn out ...
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 3200m, 1:16:39
Bike: 128.43 mi, 7:59:49
Run: 24.23 mi, 4:52:59
Strength: 1:00
Friday, August 16, 2019
Race #5 of the Season: Pancake Stampede 5K
I kept getting emails for this race (as well as the Donut Dash, which, if you recall, we raced last year in April, but got moved to August this year. Apparently.) and as I had a 3 miler on the schedule ... well ... we all know I run for food.
Photo courtesy SSPRD. I'm back there in the teal tank top and white hat.
Final Stats:
Time: 31:01.97
24/58 AG (F30-39)
75/197 gender
156/348 overall
For a nice, steady training run? I'll take it.
Plus the all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage afterward as part of Littleton's Western Welcome Week totally made it worth while.
I made the decision to race after online registration had closed, so it was up early on Sunday to drive to Hudson Gardens for on-site registration. Even though the shirt cracked me up, I didn't feel like getting it ... and then the race becomes super affordable at $20 (with running and then all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage after).
Hung out for an hour until the race started, wandering a little around the gardens, before it was time to line up.
The first part of the race was a little annoying as we all got funneled over some bridges that were not meant for that type of crowd, but we got spread out as we left Hudson Gardens and got onto the Platte River trail.
As we live further north in Denver, I hadn't seen that part of the Platte in several years and they definitely installed some new fancy signage. Trail seems about the same though.
Miles were a little short (Garmin had 3.05 mi), but they ticked by fairly quickly.
The accumulated weekly fatigue started kicking in in the last mile, but I was still able to drop my pace a nice 3:00/mi to do my pseudo-customary sprint to the finish.
Photo courtesy SSPRD. I'm back there in the teal tank top and white hat.
Final Stats:
Time: 31:01.97
24/58 AG (F30-39)
75/197 gender
156/348 overall
For a nice, steady training run? I'll take it.
Plus the all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage afterward as part of Littleton's Western Welcome Week totally made it worth while.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Training for IMoo - Week Thirty-Two
Week Thirty-Two: 8.5 to 8.11
In which I finally nail a huge week of training.
8.5
Soooo my swimming actually got all shoved to the end of the week, but I did head to the Bluffs and get my hill repeats in. It was a little rough, but not bad.
8.6
Swapped my rides (slept), but once again, nailed my Troy TimeTrialPalooza workout. I'm realizing again why I like that workout.
8.7
Long run day. Started about 90 minutes later than I would have liked, but still got in my 18. It was long, and hard, and humid, and got hot ... but DONE.
This also meant I was too exhausted to swim, but eh.
Probably taken about 11-12 miles in. Which is probably why I look like I'm barely running.
8.8
Long ride day. In theory I was supposed to open water beforehand, but knowing how terrible that idea was two weeks ago ... I just decided to get on the bike. Goal was 90 miles; I kind of did 96. Oops. But! It went well, all things considered, and I did hella climbing at the beginning and then loops of the most rolling crap I could find.
8.9
Finally did an easy/hard/easy run again - 5 miles - and nailed it.
I also finally got in the pool and did a simple 2500. Scary how that's now my "short" swim of the week ...
8.10
Was supposed to do 40-50 on the bike ... my legs finally gave up and I got in a little over 30. Given that I went over on my long ride though ... whatever, I'll take it.
Also went to the pool and got in the 3800m swim I was supposed to do earlier in the week.
8.11
In theory, today should have been the 5-miler I did on Friday ... but there was a 5K pancake run I kept getting emails for ... so I did that instead. I didn't really race it, but did keep it fairly steady. And it was probably faster than if I had done it on my own, so there's that.
Proceeded to crash for like three hours after ... but I did drag my butt to the gym to get in my long swim of 5K. It was rough ... but I DID IT. HA.
*****
Hoooooo boy, was that a long, hard week. However, it was super confidence-building, and I needed it. That long ride - although I'm still aiming for longer coming up here - gave me some hope leading into Moo.
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 11300m, 4:30:12
Bike: 152.75 mi, 9:32:27
Run: 29.57 mi, 5:55:51
Strength: 1:08
In which I finally nail a huge week of training.
8.5
Soooo my swimming actually got all shoved to the end of the week, but I did head to the Bluffs and get my hill repeats in. It was a little rough, but not bad.
8.6
Swapped my rides (slept), but once again, nailed my Troy TimeTrialPalooza workout. I'm realizing again why I like that workout.
8.7
Long run day. Started about 90 minutes later than I would have liked, but still got in my 18. It was long, and hard, and humid, and got hot ... but DONE.
This also meant I was too exhausted to swim, but eh.
Probably taken about 11-12 miles in. Which is probably why I look like I'm barely running.
8.8
Long ride day. In theory I was supposed to open water beforehand, but knowing how terrible that idea was two weeks ago ... I just decided to get on the bike. Goal was 90 miles; I kind of did 96. Oops. But! It went well, all things considered, and I did hella climbing at the beginning and then loops of the most rolling crap I could find.
8.9
Finally did an easy/hard/easy run again - 5 miles - and nailed it.
I also finally got in the pool and did a simple 2500. Scary how that's now my "short" swim of the week ...
8.10
Was supposed to do 40-50 on the bike ... my legs finally gave up and I got in a little over 30. Given that I went over on my long ride though ... whatever, I'll take it.
Also went to the pool and got in the 3800m swim I was supposed to do earlier in the week.
8.11
In theory, today should have been the 5-miler I did on Friday ... but there was a 5K pancake run I kept getting emails for ... so I did that instead. I didn't really race it, but did keep it fairly steady. And it was probably faster than if I had done it on my own, so there's that.
Proceeded to crash for like three hours after ... but I did drag my butt to the gym to get in my long swim of 5K. It was rough ... but I DID IT. HA.
*****
Hoooooo boy, was that a long, hard week. However, it was super confidence-building, and I needed it. That long ride - although I'm still aiming for longer coming up here - gave me some hope leading into Moo.
Weekly Numbers:
Swim: 11300m, 4:30:12
Bike: 152.75 mi, 9:32:27
Run: 29.57 mi, 5:55:51
Strength: 1:08
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