A triathlon race report? Why, yes.

I know, I know!

We haven't had one of these up here since last April!

Hey, it ain't all my fault. I got preggers and stuff. What can you do?

But how about the first of hopefully a long line of race reports to come....

The 2010 Greater Cleveland Triathlon

So, in case you haven't heard, I've been nursing a little teensy injury lately. Not enough to call a stress fracture (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU), but one that has really slowed down my running--not to mention my mileage. I basically took the last two weeks and just did run/walks with a little bit of straight running, but nothing more than 40 minutes. I had to bag the Huntington Triathlon (sniff, sniff). I originally signed up for this race back in December when I was all huge and pregnant because, hey! it sounds like a great idea!, and talked my buddy JenC into signing up for it, too. You can pretty much talk an 8 month pregnant chick into anything "next August." Wanna go skydiving in August? Bullfights on acid? Skinny skiing? OF COURSE! PLEASE! I'll do anything--JUST REMIND ME I WON'T BE IN THIS HUGE STATE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

(for those who aren't Caddyshack fans, those last two activities are nods to my husband...the biggest Caddyshack fan on earth)

So once I got the X-rays and the all clear that this wasn't a stress fracture, I first jumped for joy and screamed five times. Then, decided the smart thing to do would probably downgrade to the sprint triathlon. Even though I hate sprints, right? They're too short, right? They hurt a lot, right?

The thing is? I don't hate them. Methink I am falling in LURVE.

To tell you the truth, I am burning out big time on this long course stuff. I've been doing triathlons for nine years now next week (happy nine-year anniversary, self!) and have spent the last 6 seasons doing long course (minus the one season I was preggers with Bug). Rev3 will be my 5th half ironman, and to tell you the good honest truth, I think I'm just about over it. At this point in my life, the training is becoming a bit of a chore. I'm not looking forward to it. I'm sort of dreading it. And that's not good.

But a good ol' fashioned hammer fest? Pain in the lungs? Quads screaming that they can't possibly fire any harder--and then you tell them to HTFU and just DO IT or else? Now that is kind of fun. And I think I want more of that.

So I headed out to this race, full of negativity and a head full of doubts. The things in my head when I was standing on the beach went something like this:

You are worthless at this distance.
You can't do this.
You aren't fast.
You stink.

Seriously, I almost didn't recognize myself. I mean, I get nervous before races, but I don't think I had ever felt this negative before a race ever. Part of it was that I felt like I had backed out on my original commitment, and I felt guilty. Like I was cheating. But I knew that a 10K wasn't smart, so this was my only option.

THE SWIM

Okay, first of all, I am an idiot. I was totally "that guy" at this race--the one that didn't check the course at all. In my head, I just ASSumed that it would be about a 400-500 yard swim. Because that's what most of the sprints I have done usually are. And you don't wear a wetsuit (if you're me) for a 400 yard swim, because that is just cheating. You suck it up and swim your 400 yards and don't waste extra time taking off the stupid wetsuit.

Except that everyone around me had a wetsuit on.

"Um....how long is this swim?" I asked some hard core guy.

"A half mile."

Oops.

A half mile is still doable without a wetsuit, of course. But it was a little wavy--not choppy, just some rolling waves. But when your competition is wearing wetsuits, and you underestimate the swim distance by, oh, 50 PERCENT...that's just dumb.

Needless to say, not my best swim. Not awful--I came out in a close pack of my AG in the middle. My watch said 14:50 when I hit the beach, and the splits by the time I got to the top at T1 had me at 15:56. Boo. I should be swimming a half mile comfortably in 12-13 minutes or so.


THE BIKE

Hopped on the bike and hoped for the best. Because, I am not a front-pack cyclist. I know I'm not the back of the pack like I was for the first 5-6 seasons or so I raced, but I accepted my role as slightly-better-than-mediocre cyclist and figured that was what today would be.

Except it wasn't.

I flew. Flew flew FLEW. Passed tons of people. Some in my age group, some not...lots of dudes, too. I tried to push hard, because sprints were supposed to hurt, right? In retrospect, I probably pushed TOO hard, but I was having too much fun and figured a little pain on the run would be worth it.

This was my first race on my Specialized Transition, and man...it was amazing. A. MAZE. ING.

The numbers, according to the gospel that is Joule:

Ride Time: 37:43
Total miles: 12.85
Average mph: 20.4
Watts: 181
Average cadence: 101

I just checked the results. Here's what is blowing my mind:

I was the 3rd overall female cyclist (out of 45), behind only the top two females overall (finishing), and only by just over a minute

AND

I was the 17th out of 133 cyclists total, including DUDES.

What?

No seriously, WHAT?! Was that really me?

I think that I have to admit something.

I might be a halfway decent cyclist. I know, I know. I never thought I'd utter those words, either.

THE RUN

And now it hurts. I knew coming off the ride that I was most likely the 1st female in my age group. I had passed a few and knew that I passed two near the end, and they were most likely not too far behind me.

What is this....this feeling of being first off the bike? I know many of you do this all the time, but this is new to me. This feeling of being a hunted animal was totally new.

Or in my case, a wounded animal. I was hurting. But I was so freaking elated after that ride, I thought maybe, just maybe I could hold on. I knew that running no more than 4 consecutive miles the past 2 weeks (and honestly, barely running ANY miles total in those weeks--like maybe 7 or 8?!) was going to hurt. And if these two girls got me, I'd have NO answer.

It took about to the first mile marker for the first girl to get me. Awwwww pisser. I tried to hang, but I couldn't. Then I hit the turnaround, and saw second girl not too far behind me. I thought, hey, maybe I can hold her off.

HELLZ no. She must have been holding back, because she blew by me like I was standing STILL around 1.75. I kept her in my sights but knew I just didn't have enough in me. I managed to eek out a 25:20 5K, which, all things considered, is not too bad. But it wasn't good enough to win my age group.

Final time: 1:21.32
3rd AG/9 total (the other two ahead were within 1:15 of me. BOO my tired running. sigh)

The third overall female posted a 1:18, so to even be remotely close to that is a HUGE victory for me.

I saw 2nd place chick afterward, and told her congrats and that she had a great kick there in the middle. She said, "Well, I kept trying to catch you on the bike, but I just couldn't--you had a really strong ride!"

I thought, I did, huh?

I did.
I never get to say that.

I had a ton of fun hanging with all my triathlon buddies--SO many of them were volunteering and racing, and it was so good to see them all again! It's been a lonely, quite isolated summer training-wise and it was so fun to see everyone in one spot.

So after Rev3, I believe I am done with long tris. As in, stick a fork in me, I am DONE. Donedonedone for a while. I had so much more fun doing this, and I am just sick of long slow stuff, for sure. Not to mention, I have no idea how on earth I'd be able to work full time, raise two kids under 3, AND train for long distance. And not lose my mind. This is supposed to be fun, and...damn, I had fun yesterday.

So here's to some more hurt-fests in the future...and to next time, not letting 'em chase me down.

:)

Question Mark Race.

????????

That's how I feel about my race this weekend.

"?"

This will be my first triathlon post-baby #2, and I really don't know what to expect. I originally signed up for the olympic distance, and was supposed to do the sprint at Huntington with my girls 2 weeks ago. However, my shin decided to be a party pooper. It's feeling much better now, but I'm still thinking I'd better downgrade to the sprint. Better to be safe than sorry...the big race is a few weeks away and I don't want to screw that up. But I do need to practice just being out there, too. Nothing substitutes getting ready better than doing a trial race.

Really not sure how I'm going to do in this race. First of all, it's a sprint, and I hate sprints. I always feel like the swim isn't long enough to give me much of an advantage, and you have to run really really fast. But, I'm going to suck it up and go for it anyway...even if I'm not that fast, it will still be fun! I'm more excited just to see all my tri friends that I haven't seen for, oh, say about a year and two months and about 50 pounds or so. :)

I've been feeling really strong in the pool lately, so I'd be happy to have a strong swim. Cycling has been okay, and who knows what I'll be able to pull on the run. But I surprised myself before in the 5K, so maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised this Sunday!

This weekend is also going to be fun because we get to celebrate six years of super awesomeness...


Thanks to the best husband in the universe...without him, I never would have made it to the starting line (let alone the finish line) of Ironman. Without him, I'd never be able to make it to any starting line, for that matter. Here's to a million more years of happiness. :)

Top Secret Ride

So, I have a confession to make.

I've been pretty scared to ride outside lately. Especially alone.

I've had quite a few friends either taking tumbles or getting hit by cars this season--way more than usual. And the thing about swimming and running for me is that they are largely in my control. But cycling? You could be the safest cyclist ever, and someone doesn't see you and...you know the rest.

About 3 weeks ago, my friend Laura and I were riding and there was a HORRIBLE crash behind me. I skidded to a stop, and the first thing in my head was, "Oh no, oh no, Laura's going to be lying on the pavement behind me..." Luckily, she wasn't. But a car had tried to turn left right into a huge SUV, and they ended up swerving. Swerving right about to where we had passed 15 seconds before.

It's in my head now. I'm hoping it will stop. Because I could get hit by a car taking the garbage out, you know? The world is dangerous. You can't just live in a bubble.

So I made up my mind that I was going to really just enjoy the ride today. I was not going to think about bad stuff happening, but focus on the sun rising, the heart beating, the legs pumping, and good conversation. I decided to meet my buddy Lapo (no that's not his real name--long story) for a 50 mile ride. But we both have a 2 1/2 year old son, so we know that rides like this are kind of a luxury right now. We decided to start early, around 6:30, and meet at the top of a hill descending down into what we like to call "the Valley." It would be mostly flat, with a few small hills. Nice and quiet.

Good to get my confidence back, hopefully.

Lapo's one of my buddies I've known since elementary school. He and I bought our very first road bikes together back in 2002 and decided to train for Pedal to the Point, the MS150 event out here in the CLE. We did it, too, and had a blast. We don't get to ride together nearly as much as we used to, but he's hilarious and has become a really strong cyclist, so I knew that it would make this morning ride better. At the very least, I'd be laughing too hard to worry about stuff.

I rolled out of my house about 6:35am, alone. It was quiet. Bug and Bean were tucked into their beds, and Matt was still sleeping. Mugsy the Wonder Pug snored in the kitchen.

I'm so used to riding with a partner or in the basement on the trainer with a movie that I rarely get those times alone. There's just something about cycling alone, before the world wakes up, watching the sun rise over the lake and the sky turning pink.

It was just what I needed.

Once I met up with Lapo, we had a nice conversational ride--nothing too fast, nothing too slow. I felt like I could go forever and ever, and the time just flew by. Amazing what riding with a buddy can do. We joked around, vented about stuff, commiserated about life with a 2 1/2 year old who never wants to sit down EVER, and just had a great morning. Before I knew it, we were at the top of the hill and it was time to head off to our separate little corners of the world.

I headed home alone again, and the world was awake by this time. I was defensive, but not nearly as scared. I remembered how much fun it is to just have you and the road for 50 miles, before anyone's up. Before anyone knows you're gone.

I got home, and it was my little secret. 5o miles under my belt, and Bug was still in his PJ's. It's like I never went.

But I did. And I'm so glad I did.

Evotri2: Race Day!

Congratulations to our new triathletes, Samm, Maureen, Maddie, and Megan!

I am so proud of all four of these ladies. They had a rough day to race but didn't let it get them down! Every time I saw them they had BIG smiles on their faces, and they absolutely ROCKED the Huntington Sprint Triathlon on Sunday!

Maureen, Samm, and Megan pre-race

As part of my commitment to Team Evotri, I organize training for area high school girls to prepare for a sprint triathlon. This is my third year, and I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to do this with the baby's arrival in February. However, my friends Anne and Danielle were super awesome about letting me work with their cross country girls. We did weekly bricks and also did an open water swim to prepare for the race. The girls worked really hard all summer, and it was so fun to see their progress!

Fast forward to this weekend...some pretty big storms blew through on Saturday, so I was a little worried about how the lake would look. Sure enough, it had some pretty big chop. I knew that the stronger swimmers would be a little slower, but fine. However, this race attracts a great deal of newbies, and I could imagine how nervous they would be when they saw the water.

These four girls were so much fun to work with this summer. Maureen is an accomplished swimmer and runner, and has a great attitude. Her biggest fear during the race? "Fish...I'm afraid of seeing fish!" I told her that the fish would all be scared away from the earlier waves, and not to worry!

Maureen and Samm getting ready!

Samm is also a strong runner, but was very nervous with the swim. She was afraid she'd be "the last blue cap." I promised her that wouldn't be the case, and sure enough, it wasn't! Samm, I swear I saw several blue caps after you. :) Not that it mattered, anyway--I told her she'd catch them all on the run!

Our own little version of the Monona Terrace

Megan was on vacation last week, and wasn't even sure if she was going to race until about the day before. Boy am I glad she did--holy smokes, that girl is fast! She had a fantastic race, and even took 3rd in her age group! Way to go, Megan!

Maureen, Megan, and Samm show off their body marking

And Maddie deserves some major kudos for her efforts! She's not even in HIGH SCHOOL yet! She just has been doing the summer training with the high school girls because she's super motivated and has a lot of talent. She did a fantastic job in the triathlon, too! Nice job, Maddie! I know you'll have lots of great seasons ahead of you.

Maureen, Samm, Maddie and Megan...and some random guy giving a thumbs up.

The girls stood nervously on the beach. Secretly, I was a little nervous for them, too. This was not the calm-as-glass lake they got last year. This was going to be pretty tough.

But luckily, these chicks were FIERCE.

Once they were off, I ran up to volunteer at the aid station. Since I couldn't race due to my shin, Rick, the RD, has a policy that you can take a rain check for up to a year. Pretty awesome, huh? Not only that, but if you volunteer at one of his races, you get a voucher good for any other race he runs! You just can't beat that. So I manned the water station. I figured it would be a great place to help out, but also to see everyone come in! I got to see TriEric, his wife Aimee, and lots of other tri friends. Eric and Aimee both had great days and placed in their age group. Way to kill it, guys! I was pretty bummed to sit this out, but volunteering and cheering was definitely the next best thing to actually racing.

TriEric on his way to a 2nd place AG finish! He also helped out with our Open Water Swim 2 weeks ago. Thanks, Eric!

All four girls were out of the water, and I breathed a sigh of relief! I was a little worried about the chop...it was bad enough that they had to delay the last wave about 15 minutes. Seeing all four girls enter T1 with big smiles was the best!

Ominous black clouds in the sky...check.

While on their bikes, the HEAVENS opened up. It absolutely poured. By this time, I moved to T2 and directed runners exiting transition. Again, I knew it would be a place that needed a volunteer, and selfishly I wanted to see all the girls come in and make sure they were okay! I worried about them a bit out in that rain, but was so happy to see them all come in and take off on the run.

Samm and Maureen leaving T2!

All four girls had solid runs and finished the race strong, with lots of smiles! I am so proud of them. Great job, girls! I am already bouncing around ideas to make this program even bigger and better in Year 4. Just wait to see what I have up my sleeves...I have big plans, I tell you! BIG plans.

I do want to take a moment and direct some good thoughts, vibes, and prayers towards a good tri friend, Laura Jones. I cheered my head off for Laura as she ran into T1 with a big smile on her face. I figured she'd be well on her way to another age group finish. Instead, she was hit by a car while at mile 3 of the bike. She remembers nothing except waking up in the hospital. Her bike was totaled. Here's what she posted on facebook last night:

"Keep the energy flowing in: Fractured: right wrist, c6 vertebra, possibly torn left acl, bike in bits and pieces, concussion, staples in the head, driver sited. I'm going to be ok, just not today. Peace."

Laura, you're a great competitor and friend. I am so grateful that you will be okay, and so sorry you're in such pain right now. I know you'll be back out there soon. Hugs to you. And to everyone else, please, please be careful out there.

EXHALE

NO stress fracture.

Whew.

I was definitely a little worried about that. I'm probably going to downgrade my olympic tri in 2 weeks to a sprint, but other than that, I should be good to go. X-rays were fine and the doc thinks it's just a bit of inflammation probably brought on by a couple of big training weekends.

So, I don't have to lose my mind or be institutionalized from 8 weeks of not running! Yay!

:)

OH CRAP.

Yeah.

So, there's been this "twinge." Since about WIBA. Maybe a few days before.

And it seems to be getting a little worse.

I'm a little worried. Well, actually, that's an understatement. Because I have access to Google. And as anyone who is a paranoid worrywart, knows...

YOU MUST BACK AWAY FROM GOOGLE.

OR LOSE YOUR MIND.

Because from what my symptoms are in my shin, I might have something that rhymes with "schmtress frampture."

(I'm too afraid to type it)

Because the cure for that? Is no running. NONE. For 8 weeks, minimum.

Needless to say, this might make me lose my freaking mind.

I'm hoping that this is just a little bit in my head and a little bit of a sore muscle or something. But just to be safe, I decided not to race Sunday. I'll just volunteer and cheer on my girls...and that's it. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday just for some peace of mind. And I made sure the doctor was a runner. In fact, her credentials list her as an "avid athlete and marathoner." So, at the very least, she'll get it. And hopefully get me.

Gonna do some icing, swimming, and a little easy spinning in the meantime. And hold my breath.

And stay away from Google.

Rev3 RIDE PREVIEW!

*UPDATED WITH PICS, AND HISTORICAL FACTS, 7/18. You know you love it.
______________________________________

WOO HOOOOOOOOOOO I just got back from the Rev3 ride out near Cedar Point this morning!

And I am currently attempting to rehydrate and eat stuff. But I'll get to that in a bit.

Here are my random thoughts in no particular order as I attempt to rehash this ride before I forget all of it. And I am doing this before I even take a shower, people. That's how much I care. And smell.

:)

Anyways, met up with over 100 riders this morning as my rockin' Tri Club and it's stupendously amazing President, DaisyDuc, organized this supported ride on the course. It was phenomenal to see all the support and all the riders! They actually swam before and ran afterwards, but I just headed out for the ride since we have somewhere to be soon.

(maybe I should take a shower? nahhhhh....)

On a sidebar note, I take full credit for getting Daisy into triathlon. When she's a pro, you can THANK ME.

It was fun to see a bunch of tri peeps that I haven't been able to see since I was out of the loop for a while!

We started at the Sawmill Creek Resort, which did an awesome job of hosting us. It's about 10 miles into the ride, so I didn't do the full course. But I still feel like I got a good taste of what the course is like.

In a word? STEELHEADISH.

Yes, I just made that up. But I felt like this was a great course--lots of country rollers, little lake towns, signs for bait and tackle, and peach groves. I feel like I could really kill it on a course like this. I was killing it, actually, until about mile 40, but that's my own fault and stupidity. I'll get to that.

Random Thoughts Before I Forget:

Rev3 already has a great video up of my buddy George and another CTC member, Tim, talking about the race! They have some great footage of the rollers, too. You can see it here. Also, Heather Gollnick has a nice little video promo of the area and the race--check it out here!

There are a few small climbs--short and sweet--but nothing too bad at all. The rollers are great to break up the ride, and I really could get going on some stretches! The big factor here for this race could be heat (it can get pretty warm in September around here) and wind, but as long as you know that going into it, there shouldn't be a problem.

Pictures courtesy of the Super Awesome TriEric! That's his shoulder there, I think...he was holding the camera up as he rode!

That's me in the red, talking to my buddy Mike in the blue, followed by Daisy's super cool hubby Joey in the dark blue

This is actually one of the hills--see, not bad at all! Everyone out there had a blast--we had a TON of riders on the course!

First Awesome History Geek Welcome Sign: Huron, OH. The sign read, "Site of the highest production of steamboats in the U.S. during the 1830s."

Be proud, Huron. Be very proud.

Instead of going over snakes on the road like I did at IMNOLA, I went over lots of cornstalks. Ha ha!

Second Awesome History Geek Welcome Sign: Milan, OH. The sign read, "Birthplace of Thomas A. Edison." I bet you didn't know that, did you? You're welcome. Now you can sleep at night.

I continually had the song, "All Summer Long," by Kid Rock in my head in the beginning. It always makes me think of the summer trips to the Lake Erie Islands and all the ridiculousness we got into in my twenties out there. If you change the lyrics to "1999" instead of "1989," and "northern Ohio" instead of "northern Michigan" (which is usually how I sing it really loud in my car--don't judge me), it pretty much fits.


I saw lots of signs for cornhole bags for $20! TWENTY dollars for corn filled beanbags?! I think I have found my calling! And if you don't know what cornhole is, you are seriously missing out. I think I'll have to bring up our boards for after the race. We'll have a nice little tournament going.

All in all, I think this is a nice course that would make for an EXCELLENT first Ironman or half ironman. In fact, I'm kind of wondering why I couldn't have this as my first Ironman course! No disrespect, Wisconsin. But you're REALLY REALLY HARD and stuff. I was zipping along easily in the 20s for quite a bit of this course. Route 113 was AWESOME. Lots of little rollers and a great stretch of road to really dig in and take off. The race director, Eric, was there to see us off AND ride with us! It was very clear that Rev3 is super excited about this race, too.

My BIG mistake (HUUUUGE. Sersly.) was to pass up water at mile 28 where there was a gas station. See, I am the world's biggest sweater as well as A FREAKING SALT MINE. I have to be really really careful with my hydration--it could (and has) make or break my race. I had already gone through 3 bottles of nuun and water, and thought I could make it to mile 34 where the aid station was.

Except it was almost at 45.

Stupid stupid stupid me! I was pretty mad at myself after that, because going without fluids for almost 40 minutes when it's sunny and 91 degrees is just something my body doesn't really bounce back from. I slogged through the last 15 miles and brought my overall average WAY down. Lesson learned--I won't do that again! HUGE thanks to the CTC folks who manned the station in little Berlin Heights, which looks like a cute little Mainstreet U.S.A. right out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

But before then, I really was feeling great and like this course was suited well for me--someone who isn't the greatest climber in the world but thinks all flat is just plain boring. I feel better about the race in September. I know I need to keep goals in perspective--at 7 months postpartum with Bug, I did a half marathon, and now I'm trying a half ironman. This will be tough, and it might be too early for me to really see a PR. But I know now that I'll get through it, and not suck.

So I've got that going for me. Which is nice.
Anyway, I am very excited to share my old stomping ground of Cedar Point with my teammates and with everyone who will travel up this way for the race. But you won't catch me on those crazy roller coaster things. NO WAY. I am such a baby when it comes to that stuff. I'll only go on the Gemini and Mean Streak...and even that's pushing it. All wimpiness aside, I think this whole event is going to be top-notch, and am SUPER stoked for the race!

My data, thanks to my awesome new Joule--thanks, Cyclops! You guys rock!

Miles: 61.08
Temperature: 91 F
KJ 1602
Average Watts: 129 (don't laugh too hard...I bonked, remember?:)
Max Watts: 452
Normalized Power: 144
Feet Gained: 1821
Feet Lost: 1780
Ride Time: 3:24.48
Average mph: 17.9 (Stupid bonk! At one point I was over 19 though with no trouble at all!)
Average HR: I dunno because I left my band at home AGAIN. DOH!

I think I can do really, really well on this course. Not sure if I can do that this year. But I'm thinking this is a definite possibility for an Ironman someday.

And did I mention that my awesome brother is totally bringing his boat up post-race? Boat drinks!

SO excited to showcase Northeastern Ohio--this will be a fantastic race!

WIBA, 2010

Made it there...made it back. Had a ton of fun.

SO. TIRED.

Got some great riding on the hills, had some great fun running on the course and major race flashbacks, and once again, wondered...

HOW did I ever finish that Ironman?

Sometimes I still don't even believe it. But then I remember, and I smile.

The best part about Ironman and my journey to it was all the friends I made, and WIBA really represents that. It was so awesome to see some of these friends...or, people who I like to refer to as part of the Class of 2006.

I didn't take any pictures, because, seriously...with Steve, do you really need to take your own pictures?! So as soon as he shares them with me, I'll share them with you.

But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, was better than getting home and getting a huge hug from Bug followed by snuggles with Bean and smelling baby-shampooed hair.

Tomorrow is a rest day, and I do believe I have earned it, my friends!

But up next for next weekend? I am heading to the Rev3 bike course to give you a PREVIEW! I'm hoping to take lots of pics and give you my take on the course.

For now--bed. Followed by lots of smelly, smelly laundry.

Public Service Announcement, Cleveland Style

Dear LeBron,

JUST GO ALREADY. Because if you say anything in your one-hour live televised "special" tonight besides you're staying here--where you built your career, where you grew up from poverty and became a superstar, well then, it will truly be the biggest unecessary jerk move sucker punch in the face ever. EVER. EVEREVEREVER.

And one more thing--this is for all the "analysts" out there: the success or failure of my city will never, ever depend upon the whims of a 25 year old basketball player.

EVER.

Sincerely,
TST

Best Birthday Present EVER.

So, my goal today was to come in under 28 minutes.

And I ran a 24:56!

I am sooooooooooooooooooooexcited. This proves, yet again, that my mind is my biggest limiter.

It was hot hot hot so I faded a bit, but my first 1.5 miles were UNDER an 8 minute pace!

:)

I guess I should eat some crow now over my last post. I really didn't think I had that in me yet. But apparently I do, and I did, and, well....I am so happy that I feel like I just freaking WON the race. Remind me of this next May when I'm lining up in Cleveland. My mind is the only thing consistently holding me back.

If I can bust this out, 16 pounds over my starting weight and 23 pounds over the weight I plan to be next May...well, that is pretty damn awesome. (If I do say so myself.)

Tomorrow I turn 33--hard to believe it--and I have to say that this was the best birthday present I could have gotten!

More later--right now I need to go play in the sprinkler with Bug.

Happy 4th of July!

16 Pound Backpack

I had a FABULOUS ride this morning with my friend Laura. She's been my riding buddy the past month or so and it rocks. Funny thing is she was my swim coach on the rec team when she was in high school and I was in middle school--and we both ended up living back here again. Who knew?

The only trouble with my rides is, man...I'm slow. I have to really push hard to hold a decent pace. ESPECIALLY up the hills. That's gonna make riding the IM Wisconsin course next Saturday really interesting.

Speaking of which, can I tell you how FREAKING EXCITED I AM to head to WIBA this year?! The only thing is, it's gonna be really really hard to leave these guys...


But I'm really trying to remember that I have a 16 pound backpack still. I'm super proud that I've lost as much weight as I have at this point in the game, but mentally, I am so ready to just BE WHAT I USUALLY AM when riding and running. And, folks, lemme tell ya. It ain't happening.

Yet.

So tomorrow Coach Emily wanted me to do a 5k to "see where I'm at." And I am not very excited. I keep thinking of all the reasons why I shouldn't do it. But I can't really come up with any: it's a great cause, they have a carnival for the little kids to play, it's right by my house, etc. etc. The only excuse I can think of is that it's a little pricey. But then there's that whole "good cause" thing.

Sigh.

The real reason is that I know there's no way on EARTH I'll come anywhere NEAR cracking 23 minutes in this 5K. Just not. I'm not being negative here, I'm being realistic. For some reason, I can go forever and ever and ever at a 9:30/mile pace, but going under 9 makes me want to DIEDIEDIE. And I just know what I usually run a 5K in and, well, I don't want to give that up.

SMACK

That's me trying to hit myself across the face. FOUR MONTHS POSTPARTUM, FREAK. I must CHILL. It will come. I know this, I swear. But you triathletes out there know how we are...you get it, right? Especially the triathletes who have had babies and then expect to just DO IT immediately.

I know I got faster after Bug. I am trying to remember that I didn't really race until Bug was 6-7 months old. I'm doing stuff now that I didn't do until he was more like 8 months old (distance-wise). So it's only fair that the speed will come last.

I actually got home, put my sweet ride in the basement, and saw my 8 pound handweights. I picked them up and tried to run a few steps with them.

Dude. They're heavy.

That's 16 pounds.

So, here's the deal. I'm going to do this 5K tomorrow. I am going to surprise myself, I'm sure. I'd like to average under 9s but if I don't, it's not the end of the world. Because I will be the 1st place overall female in the "I-am-four-months-postpartum-and-carrying-a-set-of-eight-pound-handweights" division.

Boo-yah.

On a positive note, there is one place where a little extra weight actually helps you...distance swimming! Who needs a wetsuit? I've got hella buoyancy right in my booty! WOOT!

I surprised myself in the pool big time and even pulled off a 1:28/100 meter on Thursday. (That's good for me) :) Now, if the running and riding can just catch up, I'll be back in business.

Anyone want a set of 8 pound handweights? Please? Pretty please?

The Lap Lane

He waits at the side, with his Nana.

He stares and stares and stares.

I stop, and see his little face, quizzically watching me.

"What are you doing, Mama?"

"I'm swimming, Bug!"

He smiles. "Mommy swims."

I think of all the times I swam in this pool with him, carrying him...the only thing I could do that summer, since he was so big and my body was busy growing him. I wondered who he was, what he was like, and what he was thinking in there as I did my extremely awkward flip turns.

What are you doing, Mama?

Four years ago, I trained for an Ironman. It was, aside from labor and delivery, the biggest physical test I've ever endured. And for that I've been lucky. Unfortunately, I've seen many of my loved ones put themselves through things much harder than an Ironman lately.

I remember that journey and all it taught me. And I think about who I am now. Still an Ironman--always, an Ironman. But even more than that, too.

He watches. He isn't interested in the slide or the fountains right now. He stands, and he watches and watches.

"You need this, Mama?"

He hands me my kickboard.

"Okay, Bug...yeah, I could use that now." I smile. I hate kick sessions. I hate them because I'm not any good at them, but he wants to see me try, so I will.

After I kick a few laps, I tell my mom, "Just 20 minutes more or so," and she tries her best to pry him away from standing at the foot of my lap lane. Somewhere in that 400, she succeeded. I kept on swimming, focusing on my stroke and my breath and everything you need to when you swim.

Sometimes people ask me if I'll do another Ironman. Sometimes I ask myself. He is my Ironman right now; he is my epic journey. Someday soon, I know without a doubt that my Ironman will be a race again. But for now, I love taking him and his baby sister on this road--this ever-changing, intimidating, frustrating, exhilarating, amazing road that is called Ironman.

I get out and head over to him as he sits on my chair with my towel. He's eating a cheese sandwich and some blueberries. He sees me walk over with my kickboard, my cap, and my goggles, and his eyes light up.

"Mama!"

I run over to him and give him a big hug, feeling the high of a strong 2600 meters in the pool combined with the hug of a small little man. "Hi, Bug!"

"Mama swims. Mama swims fast."

I smile. (He doesn't need to know it's really not that fast.)

And I understand that he's still with me on every lap. Just in a much different way.

I Needed That

Here's the story--

Been having some trouble sleeping again--this happened after Bug and I have been on the lookout for it lately. This time at least I know what I'm up against, and it's not quite as surprising. Kinda like the massive hair loss postpartum that no one tells you about that HAPPENS AND FREAKS YOU OUT. Seriously. I had no idea! CLUMPS! It's MADNESS! I am still not sure how I have any hairs left in my head.

But I digress.

So last Saturday, after a week with three nights of less than 4 hours of sleep per night (more like 2-3), I tried to go on a ride with my riding buddy Laura. It was pretty hot out.

And I was AWFUL.

Just awful. We're talking embarrassingly awful. Like, I'm not sure if Laura would ever want to ride with me again kind of awful. I know I was riding on a bike that was a bit too big for me, but still. I was flat-out embarrassing and bonked like nobody's business.

I got home and cried.

How on earth would I ever be able to ride fast again? I was defeated.

After a bit of readjusting, talking to Coach Emily, some yoga and just mulling things over, I decided that I needed to really really put my money where my mouth was and start freaking focusing on the MOMENT ALREADY. Enough of worrying about WIBA, Rev3, and my BQ attempt next May. This is RIDICULOUS. The only way to get better is to get better every day, one day at a time.

So that's what I've been trying to do.

The sleep has been better (alas, the hair loss is not...just call me baldy), and I've had some great workouts this week. I feel like my swimming is starting to click a bit and I'm finding my "sea legs (er, arms)." My running is still slow but I'm able to finish strong, which is good for me mentally. And today I had an AWESOME ride. One of those rides that just reminds you that you still got game.

Coach Emily had me doing a few 10 minute pushes so I really tried to hammer these. Now, my wattage is still pretty pathetic, but I'm trying to remember that it will come, and part of that will come as the rest of the weight comes off. But for the pushes I was able to hold 22-24 mph with semi-decent (for me) wattage--and I swear it wasn't downhill! I was pretty happy with that.

I'm still feeling the extra weight I'm carrying around but only really on the hills. I am pretty confident that I should be able to drop the last pounds by Rev3. I have 18 more to go. Now, I know that sounds like a lot at 4 months postpartum. But here's the deal: when you gain 62, that's pretty good. I'm trying to remember that for whatever reason, this body freaking blows UP when I get pregnant. 44 pounds lost is 70% of that weight. So, it's similar to someone who only gains 30 having 9 pounds to go. Right?

(I like the way that sounds, at least.)

I have a post brewing in my head and if I ever get a second, I'll write it. But for now, I'm off to play on the new/old swingset we just inherited and have a date with my hubby tonight.

Feeling good, blogfriends. Feeling good. And WIBA is in less than 2 weeks...even better!

Enjoy your weekend!

FIRST BRICK!

SO proud of these girls! They are on their way to becoming triathletes. Way to go!

They braved the nasty drizzle-ly weather we had this morning and did their very first brick! They were NONE too happy about the fact that I made them wear helmets...they made that abundantly clear. ;) But I told them real triathletes wear helmets and to ROCK the helmet hair look.

We rode about 25 minutes and then ran 13 off the bike. I rode in the street while they stayed on the sidewalk. I tried to push them just a bit at the end and several of them came into our "transition zone" breathing pretty hard, which was great to see! We talked a little bit about proper bike fit--quite a few of them are so scrunched on their bikes so I told them to raise their seats up a bit. Hopefully that will make it easier for them next week! We had all kinds of bikes--mountain bikes, old borrowed ten-speeds, green bikes with wicker baskets on them...you name it! But they did it and did SUCH an awesome job.

Afterward we stretched and played a little "triathlon trivia" where I asked questions about transition, our race distances, Ironman, etc. and gave away some super cool Headsweats Evotri visors. BIG thanks to Headsweats for providing these visors for the girls!

I am so excited to be a member of Evotri and to be able to run this program with the help of my friends, Laura, Anne, and Danielle. Now, I need to get typing here and take advantage of naptime to get out my first newsletter.

GREAT WORK, GIRLS!

First workout with the Evo kids!

Friday was the first spin with the girls for the Evotri Battle of the Schools. We met up at the Ride and Workout for a spin. These girls are mostly runners with a dash of swimmers thrown in, and none of them claim to be cyclists at all. I thought this would be a great way to start them off before our brick on Tuesday morning.

It went really, REALLY well! The studio was PACKED! I was so excited to see such a great turnout and a HUGE thanks to the CC coaches Laura, Danielle, and Anne for encouraging all their girls to be there. I talked with Danielle and Anne's girls afterwards and it sounds like many of them are really interested in the triathlon. It's hard because work, CC workouts, and vacations knock a few kids out who really want to do it, but hopefully I'll still have a good crew of girls this year!

Madison--my rock star freshman who did the tri last year--is moving to California in July so she can't race. :( I'm super bummed. She is such a sweet kid. But she still told the whole team how much fun it was and that they should definitely do the race! She's still going to work out with us until she leaves. A few of the other girls did the race last year and it was clear that swimming and biking were much harder for them...one girl said, "Please, PLEASE help me with the swimming! I thought I was going to die!" She admitted to not training at all for the swim, though. I assured all of them that we'll do some open water swims so that they will be ready to go! And also that if they train, they won't feel like they're going to die. :)

I am SO SO SO excited to lead the girls on their first brick on Tuesday morning! I am going to swim in the wee hours of the morning, grab a bite to eat, and then ride up to meet the girls for a half hour ride and 15 minute runoff. We're going to start nice and slow...I just want to get their feet wet here. Their CC coaches are actually requiring them to swim for cross training once a week, which is great! Now I need to get out the calendar and pick out a few evenings for some open water fun.

This week I'll be writing up my first newsletter for the girls--I'll post it here so you can see what we're doing! Man, I love this stuff. :)

Had my own 2 hour ride this morning--crazy headwinds heading out but a nice tailwind coming back! Needless to say, my power to weight ratio is probably 0 to 1 million right now...which is no good at all. I am still OK, but can definitely tell that hauling around 20 extra pounds is not going to be good for my bike split. Come on, metabolism! Please catch up to my work ethic, okay?!

Followed up my 2 hour ride with 2 hours of splashing, throwing balls, and playing with a watering can in the city pool with Bug, Matt, and Bean. And tonight we are even able to grab dinner, thanks to my parents and their super generous babysitting offer!

All in all, pretty much a perfect start to summer vacation. :)

Battle of the Schools...Year 3!

I was initially a little worried if I would be able to tackle my project of training high school kids for tris this summer. First off, there's the whole baby factor...both of my kids are really still "babies" to me (won't they always be, though?! ha ha). Second off, I need to get myself in 70.3 shape by September...and lose the rest of this baby weight. Initially, I thought I should put this on the back burner for this summer...maybe it was just too much.

But then I remembered how much FUN it is. Work, yes...but insane amount of fun, too--to take these kids who have never done a triathlon before, who aren't sure if they ever could, and then to help them REALLY do it? Well, that's just awesome.

The girls all lined up and ready to go on race morning

So here we are on Year THREE of The Evotri Youth Challenge...aka "Battle of the Schools!"

Since this year I need to be all about efficiency, I contacted the two area high school cross country coaches that I know well to see if I could fit into their team's summer workout schedule somehow. This way, the girls wouldn't see the triathlon as an "extra workout" on top of their already demanding schedules, but an integral part of their training and something that will help them become a stronger runner and stay injury-free. They were really receptive to that, and I think it will help our numbers grow even more! You know, because I can use the line, "Hey, you're already doing this stuff...why not just sign up for the triathlon?"

So I start this Friday! I am super excited. Friday mornings I'm going to spin with one team of girls and then do a short run-off for a brick. Tuesday mornings I'll be meeting with the other team for a brick workout. To keep it simple this year, I'm just going to work with these two groups. I would like to do more and add kids who AREN'T on any kind of team (remember our rock star Erin, from two years ago?) but for this summer, I think I need to keep it simple. Next year, when life settles down a tad, I can work on expanding again.

Brittney and Ashley are both graduating Friday--so excited for them!--but I'm hoping they'll be around to mentor and do some workouts with us. Madison will be back again, and I'm sure her positive attitude will encourage more of her teammates to join!

Brittney, Ashley, and Madison getting ready to ROCK the Huntington Sprint Tri, 2009

On tap for the rest of the summer will be at least 2 open-water swims, a weekly newsletter, a transition practice, weekly bricks, a pre-race pasta dinner, and LOTS of fun. And hey, no morning sickness for me this year! Even better!

So join me in following the third year of summer triathlon adventures for some soon-to-be triathletes!

I'd Like to Buy an Argument, Please

Scene: a 50 minute run...20 minutes easy warmup, 15 minutes a little hard, 15 minute cooldown.

Mind: (during 20 minute warmup) Hmmm. Heavy legs. What's up with that?

Body: Yep. Heavy legs. Again.

Mind: Ugh.

---------------

(fast forward to the 15 minute push)

Mind: This is hard.

Body: Don't you just wanna stop?

Mind: Ugh.

----------------

(now at the 15 minute cooldown)

body and mind both sneak a peek at the Garmin to see what the "harder" pace was...8:55.

Mind: 8freaking55? Ugh.

Body: Yeah. Felt pretty hard, huh?

Mind: And right about now is how I wonder how I'm ever going to run fast again.

Body: I know. You're slow, huh?

Mind: Yeah. But how? How am I going to do what I want to do in November? And next May? If 8FREAKINGFIFTYFIVE feels hard?

Body: Well.

Mind: Well, what?

Body: Well, you know you've always been the problem around here. Right?

Mind: Huh?

Body: You know. You know that YOU have been the problem. NOT ME. I have always shown up and done what I'm supposed to do. I got stronger. You got a little bit stronger...but not enough. Are you done yet? Because I'm tired of pulling all the load here. Do your job. NOW.

Mind: _______________________

Body: Yeah, that's what I thought. Stop thinking about November right now. In November you won't be hauling around a backpack with 20 pounds of bricks in it, which is essentially what you're doing right now. Think about what you've done in the past 14 weeks--and the past 40 before that--and GET OVER YOURSELF.

Mind: _______________________

Body: Get out of your way.

OUR way.

NOW.

(and......scene.)

I can say that I knew her before she was all famous and stuff...

We interrupt this training blog with a HUGE shout-out:

COACH EMILY was the THIRD PRO FEMALE at Hawaii 70.3 today!

THIRD! 3! TRES! As in, HOLY CRAP, SHE'S on the PRO PODIUM.

She absolutely rocked it--the only two ahead of her were freaking Belinda Granger and Bree Wee, and she nearly ran 'em down!

I wonder if she'll still talk to me when she's all famous?

CONGRATULATIONS, Coach Emily! You are really an inspiration.

My Final Decision

So I think that I have officially made my final decision regarding running skirts.

Now, some of you look so darn cute in them and they fit all perfectly and it works for you, so that's awesome. Please don't take this as a knock on you. It's just that every time I try to run in one, I feel like a freaking idiot, yet everyone else seems to look all cute and stuff, and I think I finally realized why.

In my past life, I was a cheerleader for 5 years. I had to wear this SUPER short polyester blue and white skirt at least once a week. Enter the fact that I was not 100 pounds but pretty much 5'8 ever since, like, kindergarten, and wearing that thing got really old, really fast. In fact, even the girls who were 90 pounds soaking wet felt self-conscious at times, because it was so short. One of my buddies said it best: "If that thing wasn't a cheerleading skirt, you'd be totally violating the dress code." Often we wore plaid boxer shorts underneath which made it slightly better. Plaid flannel, of course, because it was the '90s. I know. Real hawt.

Anyway, fast forward to 2010. I love how cute people look in those skirts so I get a couple and try to wear them. And every time I run in them I feel like the biggest tool. I just can't seem to take myself seriously and run hard on the track or do a tempo run in a skirt. And I think I figured out why.

All I can think about when I'm running down the street in that thing is, "Self, you look like a jackass running around in a freaking cheerleading skirt."

So, I have officially decided they will be for chillaxing after a race, throwing on after a swim, or pretty much anything but actual running. This girl will be sticking to shorts. And I'll continue to be a little jealous of those that can pull off the skirt look well. I'm so not one of those people.

Survival Guide, version 2010

So I survived my first (and only) full week of work. It was really, really good. Not to say that I didn't cry Monday morning--there might have been some tears combined with ridiculous statements like, "Make sure to tell (the babysitter) that she likes to be held on your left shoulder," but once again, the world continued to spin on its axis and life went on. I walked into my classroom Monday morning to find a handmade sign on an old piece of cardboard that said, "Welcome Back Mrs. Ziemnik!" with my students signatures all over it. So that helped.

It also helps that it's only for 2 1/2 weeks. But I love what I do, and I know that I am not supposed to walk away now. Back with Bug I wasn't quite sure, but now I know for sure.

The mornings are a little nuts, though. Trying to get two kids fed, with some semblance of hygiene, and dressed appropriately (Bug wanted to wear his dinosaur costume from Halloween the other day, and I was this close to just letting him), make sure their lunches are ready, and then somehow get MYSELF in a work-appropriate outfit with all hygiene needs met is quite challenging. I seriously, seriously don't know how people with more than two kids do it. With two kids, you can at least use man-to-man defense. With more than that, you gotta switch to zone.

So, in an effort to clarify to my future self (in August, when I go back "for real") how best to do all this stuff, I'm going to make a little list here. Maybe it will help someone else out there, but maybe not. Every job is different, every kid is different, and every mommy is different. So if you find some good tips in here, awesome. If you laugh at my shortcuts or futility as you juggle WAY more than I do every day, hey, that's awesome, too. But Self of August 2010, here's a few things to remember when you have your inevitable freak-out-OMG-HOWAMIGOINGTODOTHISALL moment:

1. Cheat. Cheat like crazy. This is the same advice that my cooperating teacher gave me when I was student teaching, and it is great advice. Beg, borrow, and steal all you can. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT reinvent the wheel or drive yourself nuts in the name of working-mommy-martyrdom. You'll want to bang your head against the wall. HARD.

How does one cheat? Well, for me, it involved hiring someone to help clean (BEST thing I ever did--as my OCD cleanliness is covered without me spending hours on the weekend during precious naptime trying to do it all) and sometimes going to those meal-assembly places even though I enjoy cooking and actually am quite good at it. It's all about the shortcuts. The way I see it, I am paying for my time (and in some cases, my sanity). I don't do mani-pedis. I don't get my hair DID. I've never really paid full-price for any article of clothing I own. THIS is my splurge. And I love it.

I also work through lunch. I have a 54-minute lunch, which usually consists of 5-10 minutes checking email and maybe some light stretching (since I never sit down), 10 minutes for lunch, and the rest grading papers. More done at school = less to take home. And more time with the little ones. I don't really miss the lunchroom, anyway. It's not that exciting.

2. The mornings are YOURS. You might think you want to work out later, but you don't. Really. In the wee hours of the morning, no one needs you. It's just YOUR time. You can fill it with a treadmill run watching a combination of Jon Stewart and The Hills if you want--mornings don't judge. Then you get to spend all evening relaxing with your Bug and Bean and Matt, and it's all good.

3. You can succeed working out inside. It's not ideal, by any stretch of the imagination. Would I rather do a hard 8 mile tempo run outside? With friends? Of course. But to coordinate that during either a naptime or an early morning with friends who are exactly my pace and goals and can adapt to my schedule is virtually impossible. Save the friend runs for leisurely trail runs for now, so you don't feel like puking and can actually talk. Kick your own ass in your basement if you need to. Alone. You'll survive, and your race results won't suffer. There's a time and a place for everything--just as friendships go through phases, so does your relationship with running/riding/swimming. The long bricks followed by an hour of lingering over coffee might be gone for now, but because you WANT them to. You'd rather be snuggling with the kids watching Sesame Street--for now. That relationship you used to have will come back someday--when you want it to. Before New Orleans 70.3 last year, I barely got outside (except to run) at ALL. You know what? I still did okay. It's possible.

4. Mommy Guilt is powerful. And Mommy Guilt is STUPID. REJECT the MOMMY GUILT. This has been the hardest thing for me to understand. Because it is this crazy, instinctual thing programmed within me. Just as I never really got the "Mama Bear" instinct that would make me rip someone's head off if they harmed my kid BEFORE I had a kid, I never understood Mommy Guilt until October, 2007, either. It's pretty horrible at times. But you have to remember that happy mommy = happy babies. Unhappy Mommy--one who feels they have lost themselves and part of their identity to raise their children--well, that definitely is not a happy situation. Sometimes you have to leave a toddler screaming at home for 38 minutes so you can go hammer out a nice hard run. From my experience, about 90 seconds after you leave, said toddler stops freaking out, and you come home all refreshed (although sweaty) and ready to deal with any future meltdowns should they occur.

5. Do the best you can, everyday. It's good enough. I promise.

I may add to this list as I go, but for now, Self of August, there is your manifesto.