Adventure to IMOO 2009

We're moving.

2009-10-08T14:31:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone! Come and see how good I look! You may not know this, but I'm kind of a big deal... People know me. My apartment smells of rich mahogany and leather bound books. OK Maybe not, but I do have a new website that I want everyone to check out!

I bet Chelsea will still post a race recap here on Adventure to IMOO, but you can now find me, Trish, at I'm Gonna Fly.

www.imgonnafly.org

Grandpa Video Productions Presents....

2009-09-27T17:53:00.000-05:00

Ironman Race Recap

2009-09-23T11:33:00.017-05:00

Here it is. The long awaited race recap. But before we begin, grap a cup of your favorite beverage and settle into a comfy chair. Its story time, kiddos.

For a week and a half, I was a bundle of nerves. For a year, I figured Chelsea would be the nervous one, but nope. It was me. I even started having nightmares about getting lost on the course. Shockingly, I slept very well the night before the race. But before we knew it, the 4 a.m. wake up call rang.

Time for traditional oatmeal and the morning routine before we packed up and headed to Monona Terrace. Tim dropped off Chelsea and I right where we had to drop our special needs bags. He found an amazing parking spot then did boyfriendly duties and got in line at Starbucks for Chelsea while we walked to prep our bikes. We stopped to say good morning to the Voice of Ironman, who has been such a help in me getting my story out! Thanks Mike!

We both had wonderful rack spots. When you walked all the way through transition toward the Bike Out, you literally ran right into my bike. Ah, the joys of a low bib number. (Note: Participating in the Janus Charity Challenge provides low bib numbers!) I pumped up tires, added my nutrition to my bento box and triple checked that the bike was ready to roll. After about 4 stops to the porty potty to make sure everything was on target, Chels and I found "Team IMOO" to say our last words as Iron Virgins before we headed to the water.

As we zipped up our wetsuits and were herded toward Lake Monona, Chelsea was jumping around unable to contain her nervous excitement and energy. I tried to conserve everything I had, until the DJ had me going and I couldn't help but shake it a bit. We waded into the lake, exchanged a good luck hug and promised to see each other at the finish line. Before we knew it the cannon blared and we were off.

The mass swim start was intimidating from the get go. My brother told us it was the single most scary athletic experience he'd had. So instead of heading out to the middle of the pack. I stayed where I could touch and let the crazy fast swimmers out ahead of me. I stayed wide toward the shoreline on my way to the first buoy and avoided many of the other swimmers. At every breath, you can hear the crowd on the Terrace screaming for you. It is such a unique experience - swimming. To have your face in the water, where all you can hear is the gurgle of the waves and your breath and all you can see are the murky movements caused by your stroke. Its a great time for introspection and to feel at one with the world.

At the first turn, I felt good and felt confident, so I stayed to the inside of the buoys except for at the corners. While it is completely impossible to avoid all other swimmers, I did a pretty good job on the first lap. At the start of Lap 2, I enjoyed the company of a kayaker since I can't swim and pee at the same time. If you can do it, many props to you. It was 7:42 am - and I was stoked that my first 1.2 was so fast! I've never done a Half Iron swim at that time. Go me!! The start of Lap 2 was a little more rough and my goggles were knocked loose. I took my time to get them readjusted and then started my freestyle again, focusing on form and efficiency. I knew I had properly hydrated when I had to visit another kayaker at the final turn, which is when fellow KC Multisporter Jim got out of the water. I finished strong and fast (1:32 - much better than expected!) and enjoyed the screams of encouragement from Team IMOO and other fans as I made my way to the strippers and up the helix toward T1.

Transistion is what makes Ironman Wisconsin so unique. Everything is up a level from the ground, so you have to make your way up a parking garage ramp to get to the changing areas. If you were able to go fast enough, you'd get dizzy. Spectators line the helix and you have fans the whole way. I used this time to regain my composure, let my heart rate drop and get focused on the upcoming task at hand. Entering the building, I called out my number and a handsome volunteer handed me my gear bag. I hurdled other bags to get to the changing area where another wonderful volunteer saw me in all my glory as I stripped to change to bike shorts and a dry sports bra. It was the triathlon comparison of having a personal shopper, or so I imagine. They do the work and bring you the items you need, all with the goal of you leaving happy. I've never been dressed by a stranger before, but I must say, it was quite a treat. If you've ever tried to put on a sports bra or tight top when you're wet, help is pretty much a necessity.

Grabbing my bike from another wonderful volunteer at the racks, I ran to the mount line and was off. Down the helix I'd just run up, braking the whole way to avoid a wreck. That would be a bad start to a bike ride. On the road out, spectators line the streets cheering. It made me feel kinda like a celebrity with paparazzi following me and cameras flashing left and right.

After a weird leg jetting in and out of bike trails and parking lots, you're able to pick up your speed on some rolling hills for the first 15-20 miles of the ride before the loop starts - which is where I ran into Team IMOO and got more energized to take on the day. On the far western side of the loop, as I rode north and looked over my left shoulder, I saw the most beautiful, lush green fields. The sign on my right told me there was a raspberry farm somewhere close by and I couldn't help feeling like I was really in God's Country. On such a beautiful morning with absolutely perfect weather, there was no where else I'd rather be. Every athlete was enjoying himself and though we're all competitive, everyone was encouraging and motivating everyone else. I saw spectators with a sign "Pain is temporary and pride is forever. Unless you're over 40." That made me laugh and remember that even though at some point this is going to suck - I'll be able to call myself an Ironman for the rest of my life.

The three hills were the part of the loop I was really not looking forward to. As I approached them, I was passed by the leading male pro, 4:15 into the race and I was getting lapped. Its pretty amazing to see how fast they ride, to hear the whizz of their disc wheels and feel the wind they create as they pass. If only you could get them to hollar "on your left" I would have gotten more out of the way. Old Sauk was lined with people screaming and encouraging the riders up the half mile climb. Not as bad as I'd imagined. I think I can do this. There was a bit of a straight, flat ride after Old Sauk where I was passed by more pro's. One, who I think might have been #12 and I know was wearing brown shorts, stood up and stopped pedaling. I thought he was stretching and cooling off from a water bottle shower, but then it hit me. Pee. He was peeing and it literally hit me. GROSS! I mean seriously, give a girl a warning!

Up the second big climb and I found Team IMOO again. I felt great and was ready to keep riding. The third hill really sucked but there was a cross-dressed cheerleader doing flips and shaking his/her pompoms so that made the climb more fun. Next I knew, it was time to start Lap 2 and I felt like I could ride forever. Until I got to mile 85. Yikes. That's about when the 3 hills started again and my legs felt heavy. I think I'd pulled a muscle in my left forearm, which made reaching for the brakes difficult and painful. My upper back, neck and shoulders were tired and sore and I was ready to be off my stupid bike!!! At the top of Old Sauk, a spectator cheered me up. She held a sign "Ironman is like good sex." So I asked if she meant it was painful? "No, just ROUGH." Ain't that the truth. This ride is rough. And painful. But hopefully she's right and it will end blissfully! I suffered through to about mile 95 when my brother ditched his family at Culvers and sprinted next to me for a quarter mile or so. Who knew he was so fast!? That was a big pick me up for the final leg back into transition.

One thing that really messes with you mentally is when your odometer passes the century mark. You think you're done, but nope. 12 more miles. And for most people, 12 miles is a decent distance to ride. So I tried to focus on having fun, beating the cutoff by more than an hour and spin in easy so my legs would be ready to run. Volunteers in T2 were just as wonderful and I saw my race buddy from Redman 08 there to help out and sign up to race 2010.

As I started the run, I found the O'Donnell side of Team IMOO waiting for me. Cheering me on, I learned The Face was about to start Lap 2 and I should see her before too long. There isn't too much to report from the run. I ran when I could. Walked when I needed to. The lap in Camp Randall, UW's football stadium felt like a spa pedicure. Turf on sore feet is a dream come true.

Me being me, I made some friends while running. TriSupporter's girl and I had buddied up and then realized we had mutual friends. Another girl and I had been playing cat and mouse on the bike and upon chatting realized our friends were friends back in KC. It is such a small world. There is one big hill on the UW campus that you must run, er, walk up. At the top a group was studying the words so they could accurately sing. I mean really, who needs a lyric sheet for Sweet Caroline?! So I stole the mic and karaoked to the crowd before taking off and using gravity to my advantage. Chelsea lapped me at about mile 12/25 and I tried to keep up with her - but damn, that girl is fast. I could only manage the Ironman Shuffle and not a full out run so I wished her the best and off she went. As darkness set in, I expected to hit a wall. To want to quit. But I never did. I enjoyed every miserable step of the run. With many thanks to the volunteers and other athletes, particularly Team in Training from Madison and the wonderfully costumed aid stations from the 60s proclaiming the benefits of "Legalizing GU" and the need for "LSD", I truly had a great run.

Going into the day, I said that if I finished in 15:30, I would be ecstatic. With 2 miles to go, I had 30 minutes to make my goal, and I did my best to pick up the pace so I could demolish that time. As I approached the Capital, I really wanted to walk, but some wonderful spectators encouraged me to keep with the quick step and make it to the finsher's chute. All I could think about was the proclamation I was about to hear.

I rounded the corner and immediately beamed. Full on ear to ear smile. I had gone 140.6. I was still smiling. Goals accomplished. Then from the PA system, I hear "FROM PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KANSAS....TRISH O'DONNELL..." But it's not THE voice. As I look up to the announcer's booth, I see Mike Reilly grab the mic and start screaming "WAY TO GO TRISH. YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!"

As promised, I danced down the finisher's chute. (Video from Grandpa Video Productions to come.) I enjoyed every step of the way. I smiled at the finish line. And most importantly, I finished.
Even if Chelsea lapped me and beat me by 3 hours. She's a machine, so it doesn't really count. :-) All other things aside, we both accomplished our goals and lost our Iron Virginity. And that's something you can't ever take away from us. Because as they say...

"Swim 2.4 miles. Bike 112 miles. Run 26.2 miles. BRAG FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE."

3 Years Coming...

2009-09-11T21:27:00.005-05:00

Sitting at the pre-race banquet tonight, I got more emotional than I thought I would. I was really enjoying the whole experience, sitting with Chelsea and Tim hearing Mike Reilly taunt us with "You are an..." and not finishing the statement while we chowed on overcooked twirly pasta and hardened breadsticks. We got butterflies watching the video and energized by the man who lost 212 pounds while training. And then I started thinking...

Thinking about my brother who obviously was wishing he was racing. Remembering when he was in my shoes, sitting in Monona Terrace eating the same mass-cooked meal, shaking the same nerves two nights before his first Ironman. Thinking about everything we'd both put into training to be where we are at that moment. Thinking about where I was when he sat anxious and energized to see if he could "brag for the rest of his life" as the motto says.

I don't remember much. Looking back, I see a dark house, dark leather couches, dark stormy skies and a dark, haunting quiet. I remember checking a couple times online to see how he was progressing, not really understanding the gravity of his undertaking. I remember fighting, crying, exhaustion, anxiety, screaming, insulting, fear. All those dark days with Shithead run together, and this was one near the end.

I wanted to share about 1000 words that tell the story of my progression from that time to now. It's been a long journey. But one that is definitely worthwhile. I'm not the fastest athlete out there, and probably not the one with the most heart. But being the best doesn't matter in Ironman. It's all about having the courage to start. And if I can do it, you can do it. Just take the plunge.

You know that feeling when you’re at mile 22 of a marathon when your legs are heavy and stiff as concrete columns, your body is shaking and tingly from the desperation of wanting to be finished and yet you’re still far enough from the finish line that quitting is a possibility so your mind starts to play games with you? You’re not good enough. You’ll never finish. You’re not tough enough to handle this. Your body hurts, your heart aches, your head throbs. Why would you ever have signed up for such an unreachable feat when you know it’s much too big for you to achieve?
That’s how I felt when my relationship with Shithead was at its worst.
I’d finish a long day at work, after battling those inner demons that all 20-something women have all day, working to prove to myself and my boss that I was good at my job, and come home to a man who claimed to love me. Home is supposed to be your respite from the trials and tribulations of the outside world. But when I got home, things for me got worse.
So bad, actually, that one night we fought (like usual) from the time I walked in the door, until 4 a.m. when I passed out because he strangled me. I had been beating my head against the front door, miserable and hating life, hating who I had become because of him, hoping that I would cause myself outward pain to take the place of the pain I was feeling on the inside. He taught me that I was a horrible person, with no value, a slut and a whore (not to mention a virgin), who had no one to love her except for him. The next day when I got up for work and said to him, “Good morning honey, can I use one of your two cars to get to work today?” He said I needed to ask him nicely. It took me two hours and two missed meetings to figure out I needed to say “May I please borrow your car?”
My independence was non-existent. Everything I had previously used to define myself had disappeared. My friends, my family, my confidence, my motivation – all washed away in the whirlwind that was our abusive relationship.
Until I found the courage to leave. I tried several times, and I have no idea what caused me to finally act. Maybe it was the Freaky Friday effect. It was, after all, Friday the 13th when I finally decided to no longer let a horrible and hateful man define me. To no longer allow any person other than ME to tell me what I was worth.
The following month was a rough one. I almost returned to his abuse many times. But then I found the one thing that helped me become me again.
Both my brothers were runners and they were convinced that running was the best and most cost-effective therapy you can find. So, I gave it a shot.
And hated it. Loathed it. But, luckily, suffered through it.
I have found that a little bit of suffering is healthy. A little bit will help you grow. Too much though, and you’re headed for the injured reserve. Your body, your mind and your heart can only take so much beating.
A year after I left Shithead, I was still on the injured reserve. I put on a good front for myself and for those around me. I was convinced that I had healed from my trauma, I was ready to date again and ready to make a name for myself.
But the truth tells you otherwise. I was willing to go out with any guy that asked me on a date, befriend any girl that showed interest in me. My standards were low and my expectations were lower. Those failed relationships should have taught me a thing or two, but they didn’t.
It wasn’t until the middle of my training for Ironman Wisconsin when I finally came to a gut-wrenching realization.
I was on my bike for my first 90-miler. I was hot, salty and grimy from the summer sun. I was physically exhausted from the five hours of repetitive and mundane pedal strokes and engaged core needed to stay upright in the Kansas winds. My mind kept telling me to quit, just call for a ride and then meet a friend for a beer, I wasn’t tough enough to finish this workout, let alone The Ironman so I might as well just back out now.
And then I remembered how hard it was. I remembered how lonely and tired, beaten and bruised, how sad and exhausted I felt when all I had was Shithead. And now, I have the most important thing. I have me. So I kept pedaling.
I have the opportunity of a lifetime at my fingertips. I have my future and I have me to thank for that. I have my own opinions and they matter. I have friends and family who love and support me no matter what I do. Maybe the reason I’m still single is because I haven’t found a guy who is good enough for me. Maybe he’s just too intimidated by the fact that I (finally) have all my shit together. And maybe that is 100% okay. Maybe I don’t need anyone else. I have me. I have back what I had lost, what he had taken from me.
And now, I have the chance to prove to myself and to everyone who knows me, that I am not broken. I have been through hell, true, but I’m no worse for the wear. I’m stronger and smarter and more beautiful. I no longer need to be handled with kid gloves. I can take it. All 140.6 miles of suffering.
Because when it comes down to it, suffering makes you stronger. I feel stronger than I ever imagined I’d be. And you’ll see that strength when I shimmy down the finisher’s chute at Ironman Wisconsin, not a care in the world because I have just accomplished something I once thought impossible: Self Satisfaction.

Here!

2009-09-10T22:18:00.001-05:00

Finally made it yo Madison. Long drive but we are here! I'm ready for a good nights sleep and excited to get all checked in.

By the way I still can't eat enough!! Feed me!!!

Blogging on the road

2009-09-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

We are driving thru Iowa en route to Madison. Going to try to update blog and facebook via Twitter. Let's see how it works! By the way no one should have given my dad cowbell access this early in the trip!

Smile!

2009-09-10T06:01:00.002-05:00

If you want a true barometer of your race, let your smile be your guide. - Andy Potts, professional triathlete

Four days out from the biggest race of my life and I'm changing my race strategy. Sort of. It's always been about 1) getting healthy, and 2) crossing the finish line. Lately, though, there has been a lot of dialogue surrounding finish times, expectations, etc. It's a lot of fun to talk about and predict who is going to do what, what event will be my best, and overall finish line hopes and expectations. Truthfully, I've gotten caught up in it. Hard for me not to when that suits my personality to a T!

However, several seasoned Ironman triathletes - the people you listen to because they've been there, done that on several occasions - have said time and time again that your first Ironman is about the experience. Those people, and Andy Potts, are the people whose advice I am going to heed going into these last final days and especially on race day.

I will let my smile, not my Garmin, be my guide... and everyone who sees me on race day is absolutely invited to hold me to that :)

Now, time for my final workout before departing for Madison bright and early on Friday!

Pack it up!

2009-09-09T22:16:00.002-05:00

I packed up my stuff this evening. Full suitcase, full transition bag, full grocery bag... full full full!!

I'm leaving KC around noon and I am getting excited! I'm so energized by all the well wishes, calls and notes I've gotten from friends. I'm energized by the amount of money we've raised for Girls on the Run. I'm energized by the cake I just ate. Needless to say, I'm pysched.

I've gotta drop of Pete (the PBJ bread eating dog) at The Q's, get kinesio-tape and adjusted, get a quick workout in and make sure everything else is good to go!!!

I'll do my best to do a couple updates from the road, but in case I don't - track me online!!

www.ironmanlive.com
Bib #94!!

Next thing we know, I'll be hearing Mike Reilly's amazing voice booming....

Stupid monster.

2009-09-08T16:35:00.000-05:00

From USAT:

Slaying The Fatigue Monster
by Ingrid Loos Miller

No matter how fit or how fast you are, central fatigue kicks after 4 hours of sustained effort and your thoughts turn from blissful to “you haven’t trained enough”, ”you are slowing down” and worst of all ”you don’t belong here”.

Left unchecked these thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Focusing on how tired you are slows you down, making you feel even worse which slows you down even more. This downward spiral of despair can turn a race into a suffer-fest. You finish the race feeling defeated and resolve to train more next time. But training your body will not solve the problem. The fatigue always arrives and you have to deal with it.

Here is a simple mental strategy that will keep your thoughts working for you rather than dragging you down. Flooding your mind with memories of success will make you will feel better and when you feel better-you race better.It is important to do these steps at home in a comfortable setting. Put this into your mental toolkit and use it when you are really struggling.

Step 1: Make a list of past accomplishments that make you feel especially victorious and strong. Include things like overcoming a personal struggle, landing a big account at work and your latest race PR. Draw upon all aspects of your life and come up with at least 5 powerful memories.

Step 2: Imagine deep fatigue/despair as something concrete and living. It can be anything, but ectoplasm-goo monsters work well. What color is it? How does it move? As you get more fatigued, does it grow larger or does it multiply? The more detailed and bizarre the image, the easier it will be to remember. Give it a name. Draw it if you like.

Step 3: Pulverize the monster with the powerful memories from Step 1, shaped into bullets, bombs or poison gas. The defeat should be graphic and when the battle is over, only memories of your greatness remain. Next time the fatigue monster comes knocking...POW!

Ingrid’s book, Ironplanner: Iron-Distance Organizer For Triathletes, offers no-nonsense mental and organizational tools that can be used with any training plan.

#2121... Oh, The Possibilities...

2009-09-03T15:09:00.005-05:00

I like my IMOO bib number! Nevermind that it looks like it should belong to a newly-legal college kid :) And it will give people plenty of fodder for funny signs and phrases to yell out as I pass. My cousin Dav has already coined "Run Drunk, Drunk Run!" She'll be the loudest of the Krohe clan that day for sure, and I can't wait!

We're getting closer and closer to race day, and I'm getting more and more excited! As fellow IMOOer Jim Nicholas pointed out to me yesterday, less than 8 months ago I couldn't run more than one mile without pain... and now I'm trained, relatively pain-free and race ready for Ironman. Wow, what a difference the knowledge of a few great people (more on them to come post-race) and the support of family and friends makes!

Now the most pressing question is, how do I convince my mom to ring the cowbell come September 13? (Back story: Really, really annoying soccer parents used to ring a cowbell at EVERY SINGLE GAME back in my competitive soccer playing days. Mom still hates the sound of the cowbell to this day.) I'll take any and all suggestions!

Bib numbers set!

2009-09-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

I'm #94 for Ironman Wisconsin.

Anyone have any ideas the significance of #94?? I know there were 72 trombones, Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492... but what about 94???

Want to ride with Team Garmin?

2009-09-02T15:08:00.000-05:00

WANT TO RIDE WITH TEAM GARMIN?

Here’s your chance to ride with pro cyclists from Team Garmin following their appearance at the Tour of Missouri! This exclusive opportunity will include time to meet and ride with team members Christian Vande Velde, Steven Cozza, Danny Pate, David Zabriskie and Tom Peterson.
As part of a fundraiser for Girls on the Run, you can make a tax-deductible donation and be entered in a drawing for a chance to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime event! Team Garmin event details below.

Monday, Sept. 14 (day after Tour of Missouri ends and the day after Ironman Wisconsin!)
Events take place at Garmin International, 1200 E. 151st, Olathe, KS

12:15-1:15pm
Team Meet ‘n Greet – The team will be bringing the team sprinter and 35-foot trailer for a look at all of the team’s bikes and supplies for the Tour. In addition, three team cars will be on the property for employees to look at and take pictures with. “Hero Cards” and posters will also be on hand for you to get autographed!

1:45-2:45pm
Team presentation will take place in the Auditorium followed by a 30 minute Q&A session.

3:15-4:30pm
You will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to ride with team members Christian Vande Velde, Steven Cozza, Danny Pate, David Zabriskie and Tom Peterson. Groups will start and finish a 20-mile ride at Garmin HQ, 1200 E. 151st St., Olathe.

As part of my training for Ironman Wisconsin, I’ve committed to raising funds for Girls on the Run (www.girlsontherunkc.com), a local non-profit program for girls 8-12 that teaches self-esteem, nutrition, healthy relationships and more through running. Your donations are 100% tax deductible!

To enter for a chance to win a ride with Team Garmin, simply make a donation online here: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=296288&supid=245693222

The amount of your donation determines the number of times your name is entered in the drawing. So, a $50 donation = 5 entries. After you submit your credit card information, you will be on a “Dedication” page. Please be sure your name is chosen as the “from” and in the space for “Recognition To” please type “RAFFLE”. This is how you enter the drawing.

The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, September 8th so all donations must be made by Midnight, Labor Day, September 7th.

If you are uncomfortable donating online or have any questions, please contact me via email at trish_od@hotmail.com.

Speaking for Safehome

2009-08-30T19:56:00.007-05:00

In June, I raced at Ironman Kansas 70.3. I set a PR by 1:30, even in the horrific Kansas heat. I had little time to recover when I had to get dressed up for a benefit for Safehome - Johnson County's domestic violence agency - where I was the featured survivor speaker. I've never been nervous in public speaking situations, but when there is a crowd of 500 in front of you and you've been in the sun racing all day, it's a little different.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to hear my story and get a little better picture of why completing Ironman Wisconsin will mean so much to me. I've come so far in the past three years. I was with Shithead (he deserves no other name than that) when my brother raced at Ironman Wisconsin in 2006 in 50 degrees and a day full of rain. I was too wrapped up in my life with Shithead that I didn't go to support him and watch him race. Something I definitely regret.

Once you hear what I went through, I hope you'll understand why Girls on the Run is such an important organization to me. GOTR teaches girls self-esteem through running - something that definitely has brought me back to life. It has made me the person I am today - one who will complete Ironman Wisconsin in 13 days!!

PS - That means there are only 12 days to donate to help me reach my goal of raising $10,000 for Girls on the Run. Please donate here!!

Hillsdale OWS

2009-08-29T16:10:00.003-05:00

I spent an hour in Hillsdale Lake this morning with some fabulous friends/athletes. One who is going to Rock IMOO in a few short days. One recovering from knee surgery and out for the fun of the day. One potentially needing knee surgery who won't give up on her goal of completing the half iron at Redman in 3 weeks. One new to triathlon who continues to amaze me at his improvements and one we the former hoped would be slower than him. (Not such luck.)

We had a great time in the water and out. Watching the Baywatch-esque exit from the water, the inability to master Warrior 2 on the lawn, and the car-aoke of the not-so-famous hair bands of the 80s.

This is part of what this journey has been all about. Sharing it with amazing people who make it mean so much more.

Ah, Taper.

2009-08-29T08:51:00.002-05:00

I slept in this morning. Woke up without an alarm. The joys of life.

Too bad the dog wasn't ready to get up yet.

OK, so that's an old picture, but that's exactly what he looks like laying next to me on the couch. He thinks he's part cat and lays on the top of the couch cushions. Silly animal.

The girls and I had a great dinner last night. Homemade calzones and girl talk. You can read about some of our escapades on Lyndsey's blog.

Now, for the important Ironman training talk.... Time to eat and swim. Open water wetsuit practice. I can't believe its August and our high today is 75! Crazy.

BIA Results

2009-08-27T08:48:00.003-05:00

I got the thumbs up from Sheryl last night. Wahoo!

I have not lost a bit of my lean body mass. Bonus.

I lost 1% body fat. Bonus.

My intracellular water is up. Bonus.

I'm down 2 lbs of fat.

This photo shows just how much 1 pound of fat is. Gross.

So now to make sure I'm as healthy as possible come Race Day.

Sleep.
Stretching.
Healthy foods. As little processed sugar as possible.
No more alcohol.
Fish oil. Fish oil. Fish oil.

Time for an update

2009-08-26T12:35:00.006-05:00

Well, I'm sitting here at The Salvation Army camp in Independence, MO waiting for our staff retreat to start, and what am I thinking about? Ironman of course! Just about 2 weeks until I pack up the car and drive to the Great White North.

The biggest news is that I've been fighting with my bike lately. My last big brick on Sunday was ruined when I finished my swim in Hillsdale Lake and took my bike out of the Jeep to find a flat bake tire. I figured the air had just leaked out, but when it quickly drained, I knew I needed to change it. So I tried. For an hour. I tried. April tried. The random park maintainence guy tried. And FINALLY we got it changed. So I took a pit stop to finish preparing for the 55 mile ride. And while I was in the bathroom the tire popped! Seriously. This must be a sign from the gods. So I called Coach and he said to put it in the "mental toughness" file and get out and ride. But I couldn't get it back in so I figured it was the tri gods way of telling me that I was not meant to be on my bike. Instead April and I had a good 8 mile run. Which Pete really enjoyed... off leash in a state park (shh! don't tell!) and then a short swim to cool off after. Doggie heaven if you ask him.

Then yesterday I had another brick. I wanted to ride my brother's race wheels which he graciously offered to let me ride. I think he hopes I break them so I have to buy him new ones. Unfortuntely they are made for a 10-speed, and my bike is a 9-speed. So I'll have to swap out cassettes after 1-2 more rides on my regular wheels. But luckily I (and by I, I of course mean my heros at Elite Cycling) got the regular wheels on and got a 90-minute ride and 20-minute run in.

I didn't fight too much with my legs so I'm hopeful that my work with Synergy and The Sport of Massage is paying off! Combine their awesome work with my favorite chiropractor and I'm doing everything I can to stay healthy!

Tonight I'm doing BIA testing with Sheryl and I'm really excited to see how my body has changed during this journey. Hopefully I can make a full report in a few days.

In the meantime, I hope everyone can make some sort of a contribution to my fundraiser for Girls on the Run. There are about 2 weeks left to make a donation and help me reach my goal of $10,000 for this amazing organization! So PLEASE IF THERE IS ANY WAY YOU CAN, MAKE A DONATION TO HELP GET GIRLS RUNNING!!

Feed me Seymour!

2009-08-20T23:28:00.001-05:00

This is how I feel.

Seriously, I wake up in the middle of the night. Growling. Starving. Famished.

I guess this is what it feels like to be in the peak of Ironman training!

Many the miles!

2009-08-19T23:11:00.001-05:00

It's kind of like my old self talking to my new self....

Thanks for sharing my feelings Sara. And you didn't even know you did it!

Cocktail Party and Auction a Success!

2009-08-19T10:14:00.011-05:00

We raised $2,863!!!!

Many thanks to everyone who attended and bid on auction items. Dave and Mike were amazing on the mic and guitars. Very entertaining. Thanks to my brother for being our auctioneer. Thanks to Dr Meagan, Alex, Billy, Denise, Dan, Mike and Dave for closin' 'er down with me and giving me some of the best laughs I've had in ages.

I still have 3.5 weeks to get to my goal of $10,000 for Girls on the Run. Please, if you can - make a donation today!

Alex and Meagan had a Total Eclipse of the Heart.

We had a great crowd!

My coach trying on an item up for bid!

Mike, Alex and Dave.... totally entertaining for the whole night. And, best of all, I learned that I can't overdo it on salt in Wisconsin. Dave told me the story about his attempt at IMOO 2006 in the 50-degrees and rain. He kept drinking water, but not gatorade or salt tabs. Four miles from the finish line, he collapsed, broke 3 ribs and was in a coma for 2 days. I have learned from him - and will be enjoying many salt tabs during the race!

A little karaoke never hurt anyone!

Tim and I on the mic encouraging high bidders!

IT Hell

2009-08-18T19:59:00.003-05:00

Well, my IT Bands hate me. Its official.

I spent an hour this morning with Tom Teter, getting seriously beat up. I noticed several good sized bruises after my shower tonight. Man, I hope it helps. Luckily, he's always fixed me before so I have every confidence he will fix me again.

I had a time trial/heart rate test on my bike tonight. Drove to the downtown airport where I got to load up my bottles with ice since a friend offices down there. (Have I ever mentioned that pilots are hot!? Apparently its a pre-requisite, at least at this company. I will be visiting again.) I did two laps as a warm up, trying to get my heart rate up. Then it was on. 30 minutes all out. Wow. That is hard. I had trouble getting my HR up as high as I thought I could, but my legs were burning. I went 9.68 miles in 30 minutes - an average of 19.2 mph!!! My heart rate was 140 bpm average. I do feel like the fastest person in the world. Lance, eat my dust.

It was a great workout and I had a ton of fun - jammin' out and working really hard. Felt great until the very end when my knee started to hurt.

So now, I'm laying on the couch icing and hoping I can run my 7 in the morning without pain.

Last LONG weekend!

2009-08-17T10:19:00.008-05:00

Well, I made it through my last LONG weekend.

Friday: Long Open Water Swim at Lake Quivira. What great water and great place to swim. I figure it was just shy of a mile that we swam. Felt great. Except for the banging my knee and shin on the rocks. Twice. Woops. Oh, and I coulda sworn I took a stroke into a fish or a snake. I hope it was just a leaf. It had to have just been a leaf right!?

Saturday: My last century and short run. Ugh. This started off horrible. My alarm didn't go off so I didn't get up when I wanted to. My iPod broke. I had a special visitor that I was hoping wouldn't visit this week. Had to pee about 4 times before I got on the bike, 45 minutes later than I wanted to. I rode down Metcalf to Louisburg, into the wind on loose gravel. I thought I was going to wreck a couple times. Then that worst nightmare came closer to being true than it ever has before. I was riding west in Louisburg, near the Casey's on K68 when a red hatchback driving east either didn't see me or thought she could beat me to turn left into a coffeeshop. Keep in mind its 7am in tiny Louisburg, there was little traffic and I swore she saw me. We both slam on our brakes. Hard for me to do going downhill. EEEK!!!!!!! My heart rate rose substantially and I got royally pissed. She continued to the coffeeshop and I tried to keep riding. I made it about 20 feet before my body really reacted and I started shaking and crying. I sat on the curb at Casey's and almost quit. This day was not going as I had planned. But I got up and shook out my nerves and kept riding towards Hillsdale, Gardner and back to my landing pad. I met a friend to ride the final 40 together. Unfortunately, she's been struggling with her knee and on Saturday, the knee was winning. So was the wind. Strong from the south and west, it was a rough ride all day. But I kept pushing a big gear and on the flats of 179th could hold 18-19 mph fairly consistently. I was pleased. We turned around a bit too short, so I had to do another loop after making it back to the house. Turned out a 95.5 mile ride and then quickly changed shoes for a short 1 mile/10 minute run. All I could think was "HOW AM I GOING TO DO 25.2 MORE OF THESE!?!?!?" Good thing walking is allowed! Next time, I'll eat a little more on the ride so I have the energy needed for the run.

Saturday evening: Very successful fundraising event. More on that later!

Sunday: Slept in. Wow. This felt fabulous!!!! I can't remember the last time I didn't have to set an alarm or could lay on the couch watching reruns. I love it. Went to lunch with a great girlfriend and got new shoes at Gribbles, along with GU and an adorble new running top that I gladly sported when I went out for my last 20-miler of this journey. Hit the road about 5 pm. Ran 4 solo and then met another great training buddy to run 6 together. She is always so encouraging and keeps talking to keep me moving. Ran 3 solo to Coach's house to fuel up on salt, gu, gu brew and motivation. He gave me a route that he thought was about the distance I needed to finish up my 20. Well, when I hit 17 miles, I knew I was plenty more than 3 miles from home, so I turned back. I was feeling great. A little bored and lonely, soaked to the bone from the intermittant downpours, but mentally was feeling really strong. I even practiced my IMOO finish line moves in the dark on Lee Blvd. Then I used a little walk break to make it up a baby hill, and when I was ready to start running again, I couldn't. I knew my IT Band was angry at me for all the hell I've put it through over the past days, weeks, months, but I really thought we had come to an understanding. I was flustered, tried to stretch and walk in hopes I could make it home, but had no luck. Then I realized where I was and how close I was to my hero's house! After Aleve, water, puppy kisses and chocolate cake, Sheryl drove me home. That hot shower felt amazing, as did dry clothes. Ah, and leftover pizza from a friend. MMM. Then it took me about 2.5 seconds to pass out. Man, I was beat.

And I can't wait to see the man who will help me win the war with my leg. Tomorrow can't come soon enough. I'm 4 weeks out from the race. I know I can do the distance, now I just need to keep healthy enough so I can do it with a smile on my face and a dance down the finish line.

Thats the name of the game

2009-08-13T08:02:00.002-05:00

What Gloria says, goes...

2009-08-12T17:14:00.001-05:00

UltraHOT Kansas 50

2009-08-11T07:52:00.007-05:00

Well, it was a hot one.

That pretty much sums up the entire race experience for the first Ultramax Kansas 50 at Hillsadale Lake on Sunday.

The high on Sunday at the lake was 98 degrees. And I'm not talking about the band. By the time I finished, the heat index was 103.

All things considered, it was a great race. Mark and crew put on a stellar event. Unfortunately, to do so, he had to start everything later than we all wanted. My heat got in the water to start at about 9 am. Yikes.

I started up close to the front for the first time, confidence was high I guess. I did a pretty good job of sighting and swimming straight. At least this time I didn't veer totally off course to my left like I usually do. A few mouth-fulls of water later, I was still feeling strong, but hating the wind. I passed a few boys and even made it out of the water before Chelsea. This is a monumental victory for me. I never beat Chelsea at anything!

Took my time in T1, since my heart rate was so rediculously high. Tried to spin easy on my way out of the park to get my HR down, but wasn't having much luck. When the first hour on the bike ticked by, I had gone 17 miles. Man, I think to myself, I'm the fastest girl in the world. But then I turn the corner and hit the wind. Or maybe I should call it a wall. Either way, I was going really slow. I keep telling myself to stay hydrated. Drink more than I think I should. I went thru 3.5 bottles just on the bike. It woulda been 4 but I spilled a bunch coming out of T1. Woops. My Garmin kept messing up too. It turned off a couple times on the bike and during the run it somehow switched to "multisport" which is a setting I don't even know how to get to. So I have no idea my average on the bike. I'm guessing like 16.2-16.5, but I'm not sure. Of course the official timing mats didn't pick it up either.

I made the best decision of my life in T2. Grabbed a bottle to take with me on the run, and filled it with ice at every aid station. I have no idea how much I drank, but I know it was a TON. And the other ton went over my head about every 10 feet. Whatever it takes to keep moving right!? I know I could have run faster, but I kept reminding myself that this wasn't my A race and IMOO is much more important, so I need to keep staying healthy as my #1 priority. So I took my time and chatted with fellow racers along the course. I'm still not sure how I feel about the packed gravel trail we ran on, but I guess at this point it doesn't really matter. Looking back, I wish I would have pushed it a bit more at the end, and passed the one girl in sight. Turns out she was in my AG too. Ah, sigh.

The finish line was a welcome sight for sure. And the shade under the food tents was wonderful. And the showers in the park bathrooms were fabulous! And I didn't have to drive to Red Robin for my delicious burger all grimy and salty. Love it.

This was definitely one for the books. And it filled up my account with the Pain Bank. A good character builder. And it proved that I am tougher than all those suckers who quit when it got too hard.

5:29:25 total race time.

Major props go out to:

My brother Tim, 2nd in his Age Group!

Chelsea, 3rd in our Age Group!

Amy, 2nd overall Octomax woman!

Alex, first triathlon!

And everyone else who suffered through, did not quit and can wear the title "finisher" proudly!

Thoughts on Scott

2009-08-05T08:45:00.002-05:00

You know those people who make a significant impact on your life, but aren't around for long enough to be considered one of THE significant people.... well, I've been thinking about one of those lately. He and I met while I was watching my first Ironman, when my brother raced in Panama City Beach Florida in 2007. We spent most of the day cheering on the athletes and having a ball. Even though he lived in North Carolina/Ohio, we stayed in touch. We weren't exactly "dating" but we did have a close friendship. For a while, we talked pretty much every day. Then over time we lost touch. A few months ago, I thought of Scott and sent him an email to say hello, which was promptly kicked back undeliverable. I thought that was a little weird, but I guessed he just got a new job. Well, yesterday I came across the business card of his coach so I got in touch in hopes of reconnecting with my friend. Instead of the easy response with the new email address, I got an unexpected phone call.

Sonni explained to me that Scott had a very successful day at Ironman Florida 2008, finishing way ahead of his expected time. He fell and broke a finger, but got up and kept moving. The rest of the crew had a run in with a 4-foot shark during a pre-race practice swim, and that was the most eventful part of the trip. Until 3 days later when Scott was having trouble breathing. He went to several doctors, worried about a few lymph nodes, and at the beginning of December - a month after completing Ironman - he was diagnosed with Stage 2 Lung Cancer. Wow. He moved home from Ohio back to family in North Carolina (Which he always said with an adorable southern drawl!). And at the beginning of February, he passed away.

I'm not sure how to react to this news, or how I'm supposed to feel. I know I wasn't one of the most important people in Scott's life, and he knew the same could be said for mine. But at the same time, I often think about him while training - how he used a dog collar around his ankles when swimming, riding through the cold and rain and loving it, adjusting to triathlon in a new place without his coach and training buddies, and how much he was looking forward to finishing IM Florida and telling Lake Placid where to shove it. We had a bond that can't really be put into words.

Its so hard to believe that you can be in the best shape of your life, completing all 140.6 miles of the IRONMAN TRIATHLON for crying out loud. And not knowing that during the entire ordeal, you are sick. Something evil has invaded your body, and you can't do a damn thing about it.

I have to believe that everyone has a purpose and when we've done all we are supposed to do, we move on. Maybe completing Florida was the last thing Scott was supposed to do. He'll be on my mind in 5.5 weeks when I race, that's for sure. As inspiration to live life to the fullest, take advantage of every trial and every gift, and enjoy the ride.

He would always say that its about the journey. And while much of this journey to Ironman Wisconsin has been hell, its taught me a lot about who I am and what I'm capabale of. And what I can be to others, even when I don't know it. So I'm going to enjoy every sweaty, hungry, exhausted, jubilant, bored, salty moment of the next 38 days.

Inspiration Station

2009-08-04T14:44:00.003-05:00

I hear quite often of people looking for good stuff to add to the IPOD, so here's a great list I found from IRunLikeAGirl.com

The Warm Up – songs to remind you why you are doing this

I Run For Life by Melissa Etheridge
If I Wanted To Melissa Etheridge
A Change Would Do You Good Sheryl Crow
Born to Run Bruce Springsteen
Ready to Run Dixie Chicks
Bring it On Seal
Let’s Get it Started Black Eyed Peas
I’m Coming Out Diana Ross

The Run – songs with a good beat, good feeling to keep you going

Sweet Emotion Aerosmith
Soak up the Sun Sheryl Crow
Delicious Surprise Beth Hart, also done by Jo Dee Messina
Feel Good Tony! Toni! Tone!
Ain’t Nobody Chaka Khan
Extraordinary Liz Phair
Got To Be Real Mary J Blige
I Feel For You Chaka Khan
It’s My Life Gwen Stefani/No Doubt
Make It Happen Mariah Carey
Family Affair Mary J Blige
Lady Lenny Kravitz
Into the Groove Madonna
Vogue Madonna
Runnin Down A Dream Tom Petty
Fly Sugar Ray
Beautiful Day U2
Vertigo U2
Runaway Bon Jovi

Speed it up – fast songs to GO

What You Waiting For? Gwen Stefani
Bring Me Some Water Melissa Etheridge
Yeah Usher
Gettin’ Jiggy with it Will Smith
Hey Ya! Outkast
All I Want For Christmas Mariah Carey (good no matter what season!)
Where Are We Runnin’? Lenny Kravitz
Elevation U2
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme Nerf Herder
Pump It Black Eyed Peas

Almost done, feeling tired, but need to run a little farther?

It Keeps You Runnin’ Doobie Brothers
I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor, also done by Diana Ross
Harder to Breathe Maroon 5
You Can Do It Ice Cube
Keep on Movin’ Soul II Soul
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Diana Ross

The Cool Down – relax and be proud of your accomplishment

Outstanding The Gap Band
Dreams Fleetwood Mac
Wide Open Spaces Dixie Chicks
I’m Alive Seal
Take It Easy The Eagles
Lovely Day Bill Withers
I Believe I Can Fly R. Kelly
Jamming Bob Marley
Main Theme from “Chariots of Fire” Boston Pops Orchestra
Favorite Things Beth Hart
Feels Like Fire Santana and Dido
We Are the Champions Queen
Fireflies Faith Hill

100

2009-08-02T18:51:00.011-05:00

Its such a significant number...

It is the sum of the first nine prime numbers, as well as the sum of 4 pairs of prime numbers (47 + 53, 17 + 83, 3 + 97, 41 + 59), and the sum of the cubes of the first four integers (100 = 13 + 23 + 33 + 43). Also, 26 + 62 = 100, thus 100 is a Leyland number.
100 degrees Celsius is the boiling temperature of pure water at sea level
100 is the atomic number of fermium.
A 100 year old person is known as a centenarian. George Burns. Bob Hope, and United States Senator Strom Thurmond were among those who had lived to 100.
The number of tiles in a standard Scrabble set
The denomination of the U.S. hundred-dollar bill with Benjamin Franklin's portrait; the "Benjamin" is the largest U.S. bill in print
In Greece, India and Israel, 100 is the police telephone number.
"The First Hundred Days" is an arbitrary benchmark of a President of the United States' performance at the beginning of his or her term.
NASDAQ-100 is a stock market index of 100 of the largest domestic and international non-financial companies listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange
100 Grand Bar (formerly known as $100,000 Bar) is a candy bar produced by Nestlé
Pope Valentine succeeded Pope Eugene II to become the 100th Pope in August 827
Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born (Gen. 21:5).
Pop 100 is a chart created in 2005 and released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It measures mainstream radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Singles Sales and Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Pop 100 chart.
100 episodes, generally the point at which a TV series becomes viable for syndication (often reached during a prime time series' 5th season)
The number of runs required for a cricket batsman to score a Century, a significant milestone
The record number of points scored in one NBA game, set by Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors on March 2, 1962
The Freedom 100 is an Indy Pro Series auto race held the Friday before the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The 2004 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals was the 100th Fall Classic
San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 100 touchdowns on November 19, 2006
Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies became the fastest MLB player to reach 100 home runs on June 27, 2007
The minimum distance in yards for a Par 3 on a golf course

It is also the distance from my place in KC to:
Chanute, KS
Past Emporia
Maryville, MO
St Joe and back

And the approximate distance from:
Denver to Cheyenne
Indianapolis to Louisville
Chicago to Milwaukee

And most importantly - how far I rode my bike this weekend!

The Cider Mill Century was a great success. All 103 miles of it. So proud of myself and my great friends that I shared the day with.

Now, just 35.2 more miles and I'll be at the IMOO finish line.

Sigh. 39 more days!

Bark at the moon like the wild dog that you are! And Get It On Film!

2009-07-30T15:44:00.004-05:00

"I want to know what you ache for. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for you dreams, for the adventure of being alive. I want to know if you can live with failure and still shout at the edges of a lake, river or mountain "Yes I am a warrior poet!" I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair, wary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done for someone you love. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and truly like the company you keep in the empty moments of your life. Unleash yourself upon the world and go places. Go now. Giggle, go, laugh, and bark at the moon like the wild dog that you are."

This is serious motivation. John Blais, the warrior poet, was diagnosed with ALS and then completed an Ironman. The next year, he wasn't around to witness the same race. He tells a great message through his story. A message that tells you why you put your body through the pounding, the pain, the product of your potential insanity.

"This is not a dress rehearsal. This is it. Your life. Face your fears and live your dreams. Take it all in. Yes, every chance you get. Come close. And by all means, whatever you do, GET IT ON FILM."

Do you have a death wish?

2009-07-24T08:55:00.004-05:00

**Yikes. So I knew Ironman training was going to be time consuming. But I never really realized it would take AS MUCH TIME as it has. I mean, I haven't blogged in over a month. Call me a slacker. I deserve it. But when you do, just remember that I've been the one doing 90 mile rides and 20 mile runs.

Monday mornings at most offices finds co-workers recounting stories of weekend activites. Children's ball games, yardwork, restaurant experiences, crazy nights out. When I tell my co-workers about my weekend of 90s and 20s, they look at me bewildered. One woman always asks, "Do you have a death wish?!"

And, ya. I do. I want to kill all self doubt. I want to destroy every ounce of poor self esteem. I want to deafen the voices in my head telling me I can't do this. And right now, more than anything, I want to stomp muddy footprints on the images of those who've been unsupportive of me in the past. One in particular. I'm sure you've heard me mention him. Shithead.

For the worst 8 months of my life, this "man" (which I use in the loosest sense of the term) made me feel horrible about myself. There was nothing I could do. No one I could be. All I was happened to revolve around him, how he perceived me, and my perception of how he perceived me. I was ugly, fat, stupid, incapbable, unloved and every other descriptor that made me feel worthless.

Not only was he convinced that I was nothing, but he had me convinced I was nothing. In the past three years, I've done a good, scratch that, GREAT job of killing that image of myself. Now, training for Ironman is one more way to prove to myself first and foremost, those around me secondly, that I can do anything, be anything, feel anything that I put my mind to.

I knew this would be a journey. A challenge. A fight. More steps would be taken begrudginly, more taken with pride, more out of responsibility than I'd ever planned on. I have 50 more days to prepare to step up to the starting line, wading and floating in Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, nerves at full tilt waiting for the gun to go off telling me there really is no turning back now.

Stroke after stroke, step after step for 140.6 miles. Each step squashing all the fears, the doubt, the voices telling me I'm nothing. And from each step, from the ashes I've created from my blood, sweat and tears, will rise a new identity, a new perception, a new me. An Ironman. A badge to carry to prove that Yes, I do have a death wish.

Weekend of the Longests

2009-06-17T08:59:00.003-05:00

Longest ride ever, longest run ever!

The mileage is really picking up and, strange as it may sound, I'm loving it. Getting up early isn't fun, of course, but it's such a cool feeling to get a really long ride in and, when noon rolls around, I can say I've already rode 75 miles that day. Then I have the rest of the day to do things like hang out with our really cool Colorado guests who were in town for the big Kansas 70.3 race. I had a few moments in which I really, really wished I was racing it but I have a bigger fish to fry and need to be smart about my training.

Spectating was a lot of fun, though! Not only did I get to hang out with Pat and Linda (Tim and Trish's parents), I got to watch studs like Luke Bell, Tim O'Donnell (the pro), and triathlete phenomenon Chrissie Wellington race a local course. Then, I had the fun of cheering on all of our friends to fantastic finishes - Barry got a Clearwater spot, Brett and Todd broke 5 hours, Jenny broke 6 hours, Trish PR'd, and a ton of our KCM friends had great races as well.

Of course, waking up with everyone at 3am and not getting home until 3pm made for one of the longest days I've had in a while! It also made for a very tough 15mi run. Add the heat to that and I definitely put some time in the pain bank! The run went great overall, though. Even with being on my feet all day in the heat, I still averaged 10:30s. Right now, that's a great accomplisment for me!

From here on out, almost every weekend will be a weekend of the longests, and I can't wait to tackle each one! Next up, 16 miles in Idaho, then a rest day to watch Tim PR at IM Couer D'Alene!

There's no place like the finish line!

2009-06-05T08:32:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow is Hospital Hill!

I'm running the half marathon, and doing a 2 mile warm up beforehand. But the thing I'm most looking forward to is the Girls on the Run aid station at Mile 12!! Look for some great people in costume. :-)

For those who don't know GOTR is an amazing organization! I've committed to raising $10,000 during my Ironman training to help GOTR make a significant impact in the lives of girls 8-12 in Johnson County.

It would mean a TON if you would help me reach my goal! Just go to this website and make a donation. ANY amount is very helpful and very important!

I'd also like to make a little plug for what my brother is doing... Read about that here! His charity and mine are both official charities for Hospital Hill. And I am so proud of what Tim is doing. They have about 65 charity runners raising money for Team Megan! Keep your eyes out for bright watermelon pink t-shirts on the race course.

On that note, I want everyone to remember... EACH DAY IS A GIFT!

007 Results and Recap

2009-06-01T17:34:00.013-05:00

The inaugural Kansas City Triathlon has come and gone. And I was 007 for the day! Seriously, my bib was #7. How cool is that!?

So first, the numbers....

swim: 37:34

tran1: 2:28

bike: 1:29:05

tran2: 1:31

run2: 1:01:41

overall place: 261 out of 302
division place: 12 out of 15
gender place: 60 out of 74

time: 3:12:20

Overall, the Kansas City Triathlon was a great race! Not just for me, but they put it on so very well! Put other races to shame. Major props to my friends on the committee who did a great job organizing everything and giving everyone a great race day experience.

Of course, I didn't get out quite as early as I wanted to, but luckily I didn't have to rush to feel ready for the race. I got an awesome rack location... literally right inside the swim to bike entrance and run exit. Perfect! Got all my gear out of my new rockin' Zoot transition bag, took care of some business, and wet suited up for the swim.

Down at the water, I ran into my racing buddy from Redman, Lisa, who had come up from Wichita to race, and also a girl that went to my high school who was doing her first tri. (She ended up 3rd in her AG!) The whole slew of olympic distance women waded into the water waiting for Glenn Bo to set off the cannon. When it did, I did my normal, stay to the back of the back and hang out for a few bit while I waited for everyone else to get into their stroke. I must say that I felt pretty darn confident during the swim. My stroke felt strong, I kept my nerves to a minimum and I sighted pretty well! Luckily I didn't add too many extra meters to the race. I took it easy to the first turn and around the second, but once I headed back in, I tried to pick it up a little bit and see how many people I could pass on my way back to land. I'm happy to say that I definitely passed a few. I did notice one woman who breast-stroked the entire 1500m. I remember those days, and I'm happy to say I've come so far as to not need it anymore!

Transition... nothing really to speak of other than having to run all.the.way. through the transition area to the bike exit, but I'd rather do it with shoes on than without!

I almost forgot about how I had to fight with my new aero water bottle. I put the stupid thing on the night before and didn't really work with it too much, so it wasn't really ready for me when I hopped on the bike. It was loose, almost fell off loose, so I had to stop a few feet into the ride to fix it, or be without nutrition on the bike. But somehow I got it to stay, so that was good. Now I just need to remember to fix it before I ride again tomorrow!

The bike went pretty well, lots of turns through a cute neighborhood with families out cheering for the athletes. There were a few places to really hammer and pick up speed. The climbs didn't treat me badly, and I was able to push pretty hard through the 40k ride. I averaged over 16mph, which I'm happy with (for now).

T2 went well also, I might like the no socks trick. I was super fast to switch into the Zoots and through on my Midwest Triathlon Coaching (new) visor. Then off I went!

Chels was right at run out taking photos, so I smiled and kept pushing. The course was full of turns throughout the park and there was an aid station right at the start, at mile 1 and right after mile 2. Very nice to see those because it got HOT fast. Especially in a black jersey. Yikes, I was roasting. Got to see my training buddy Jamie at Aid Station 2 which was a perk, and coming back around towards transition I ran into Dan taking pictures for KCM who was nice enough to take my jersey for me so I didn't have to burn up in black anymore! Thanks Dan! (I must say I'm pleased that my first lap was 9:39s!)

Headed out for lap 2, I heard Jason Taylor coming in as well as D-Rock. I wanted to keep myself paced pretty well, keep my cadence up and stay hydrated so I could really push it the last mile. I am pretty proud of my performance in that regard. I had to take several walk breaks during the last lap, but I had pushed hard all morning and I didn't have much left to give.

As I passed under the bridge to the final half mile, I wanted to go hard, but the juice wasn't really there. I started to get frustrated, but kept at it. My extroversion was once again proved to me because once I got close to the finish line and heard Heather, Preston, Tim and Chels cheering for me, I was able to haul ass to the finish line. At least I felt like I was. My legs wouldn't move any faster! For a minute I thought I might fall over as I crossed the finish line! But the friendly faces at the end kept me upright! Thanks Dr. Meagan!

I'm used to not being one of the first finishers at races, and I'm fine with it. But when you come in more towards the back of the pack it means that everyone you know has already had recovery time. They want to talk and congratulate your finish right when you step across the line... they have already forgotten how they felt a few minutes before. Just wanting some water and a moment to breathe. Luckily most everyone can realize that I'm not being a punk on purpose, I'm just a little out of sorts from my finish line kick.

I had projected my finish time at 3:15 and I came in under. I pushed hard, felt strong and set a PR (for my first Oly race). :-) All in all, I'd say it was successful.

Now I have a big week of training to look forward to. Including the Hospital Hill Half Marathon (plus 2 miles) on Saturday and a 75 mile ride on Sunday. IMOO Here I come. Oh ya, and IM Kansas 70.3 will be here soon too! EEK!

TGIOD!

2009-05-22T10:24:00.005-05:00

Thank God its Off Day!!

My two rides this week were hard. I had a horrible time keeping my heart rate in Zone 3, but Coach Ken says that's from overtraining. He wasn't too surpised or concerned. I have a hard weekend coming up, but then a lighter week to get ready for the KC Triathlon next Sunday.

SATURDAY: Start with a 15 mile bike ride in Zn 1. Conduct a smooth transition to the run. Run 4 miles in Zn 1/2. Transition back to the bike and ride 10 miles in Zn 2 (bit of Zn 3 on the hills is fine). Conduct a rapid transition and run 2 miles Zn 2 (again avoiding Zn 1). Finally transition back to the bike for one last 5 mile ride in Zn 3 or above. This last ride is at or above your race pace - all out effort. Then do a very fast transition to one last 1 mile run in Zn 3+ then an easy 1 mile cool down jog/walk.

SUNDAY: Swim 1900m without stopping. 40 mile bike ride. (I'm probably going to do this all out at Clinton Lake.)

I had a massage yesterday. Suzie is my savior. I have this huge knot in my upper back, and though I thought she was trying to kill me, I feel better today. I'll go in next week to make sure its gone for good.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend to focus all my stressors into my workouts, and having a couple good parties on Saturday. The Annual Huston Memorial Day Weekend Pool Opening Party and "Denim and Diamonds" at K-Mac's place. Yes, you'll see all my friends in "jorts" and denim jumpers and tacky rhinestones. Should be fun.

And miles to go before I sleep...

2009-05-13T09:37:00.004-05:00

Note: To help readers determine which athlete is recounting training tales and Ironman ideas, we are color coding our blog entries. Trish will write in "cookie monster blue" and Chelsea will write in "speed racer red." Enjoy your reading, and keep the comments coming!

Sleep is something I'd really like more of these days! All these miles are adding up and wearing me out! I had a great weekend of training. Here's the scoop.

Saturday I went out to Clinton Lake with Jamie and April. There were also a bunch of guys out there riding, but we know they don't count. This day was about training with the girls! Now, of course Jamie and April were faster than me. I'm used to that. Especially on the way out, when my endurance isn't a factor. Its the way back where I kept up and was able to hammer longer that I realized my training is helping me take major strides in improvement. The Ironman Kansas course is no cake walk. Its 56 miles of rolling hills and hideous crosswinds. Plus, Saturday morning I wasn't expecting it to be sooooo cold! Good thing I had my MTC jacket in the car to keep me a little bit warm!

Here's the course map:

And here's the topography:

Yikes. And its truly that difficult. Luckily there are a few weeks of training left before I have to tackle it on race day. I want to PR at Kansas 70.3, but really if I finish and stupid storms hold off, I'll be pretty happy. Last year a thunderstorm blew in when I had 6 miles left to run, and then blew thru by the time I made it to the car. Grr. I know there were lots of unhappy athletes just waiting to get back at IMKS70.3 and Mother Nature on June 14.

Sunday brought the Mothers Day 5k with my mom. A year ago she had just gotten out of a 2 month stint in the hospital for brain surgery and now she did a 5k with me! She thought she'd do about a half mile - but did at least 2 of the 3.1 mile course. I'm so proud of her!! Let's hope she signs up for another... :-)

Then we had a great mothers day brunch and I got a nice, long (ahem, 3 hour) nap before my long run. Unfortunately that nap meant I had to fight the rain. It got soooo cold! I'm so ready for summer so I don't have to deal with cold anymore. I'd so much rather be hot. But my running is improving too, so I'm pleased with that. I'm getting to be more steady and comfortable going harder longer.

Monday was a rest day and just yesterday I did Masters Swim in the morning, then a downtown airport ride in the evening. I just missed the rain, and I was so happy! This was a workout I was NOT looking forward to. 20 minute warm up, then 45 minutes in HR Zone 3, then cool down. Yikes! I have a hard time keeping my HR that high. But I did it, and did it well! I could have probably doubled my time, so I'm very pleased with yesterday's workouts!! Maybe IMKS and IMOO won't be too bad after all.

8 Mile Run Outside!!

2009-05-11T09:37:00.007-05:00

Yep, you read that right, I ran/walked my 8 mile workout outside this weekend. As in, on actual pavement. And the best part... No pain!

Granted, I was supposed to run for 80 minutes in the pool (thank you, Coach Tim, for having patience with my experimentation), but I was in Iowa for Mother's Day and the Y wanted to charge me $10 for a day pass. Not only was that ridiculous, but it was also a beautiful day that I wanted to spend outside with my mom. So, I went home, told my mom to put on her walking shoes, and the two of us went for a workout together.

I walked a half mile with Mom, ran a mile out and back to her, walked with her for another half mile, etc. The best part of it was getting to spend time with Mom :) The second-best part was that my average pace for the 8 miles was 11:20 - 40 seconds faster than the average pace of my 3.5 mile run this past Wednesday!

An added bonus was my Sunday workout: 30 miles on brutal roads with really strong wind, and a 1 mile run after with a 9:27 minute/mile pace. That's not the world's fastest pace or anything but I was really excited to be able to run - again, with no pain - after taking so much time off! And now, because I've promised what feels like 100 people I'll take care of myself, it's back to the pool for my long run this week... IMOO 2009, here I come!

Side Note: Congrats to my Mom for walking her longest distance ever - 6 miles! And congrats to Linda, Trish's mom, for finishing the Mother's Day 5K. It was a great weekend for the IronMom's!

Long distance training weekend brings progress!

2009-05-04T08:01:00.002-05:00

Last week's training was spotty at best. Ah, who am I kidding?! I did Jack because I felt sick pretty much all week. I'm still coughing. And coughing. And coughing. I got in Tuesday's ride with Sheryl which was great, but otherwise I laid low trying to get this to pass.

Saturday morning brought a 30 minute ride and 12 mile run. Pete and I enjoyed the first 8 miles together, and then Bailey and I suffered through the last four. I did run by the Farmer's Market in Old OP with both dogs. Pete enjoyed it. He would've stayed to hang out had I let him. But poor Bubba had a hard time. Not only did he embarass the heck out of me by making the street his potty, but then he "almost ate Riley's neice" when he got freaked out by the band. Poor guy. Luckily he recovered nicely and didn't freak when we ran by the horse drawn carriage sculpture a half mile later. That's progress.

The second half of the run was much harder, but I was trying to push myself a bit. My knee did pretty well, considering. There were a few moments when I really noticed it, but I was able to push through.

By the time I was done, I was running late for the KC Multisport Swap and Shop. I had to help get everything set up at Leahy Chiropractic before everyone arrived at 3:00. Dr. Meagan offered quite the spread, and we had several new club members come which was awesome. But where were all you longtime triathletes with all the good gear to get rid of?? It was the first time the club tried such an event, so hopefully it will grow. After a quick nap, I met a bunch of friends at Paddy's for the end of the Royals game and karaoke to celebrate Josh's birthday. Let me tell ya, I haven't been out in a while and I had a blast. I'm a cheap date though, thats for sure!

Sunday I got to sleep in, which was great because I stayed out WAY too late on Saturday (especially for having been sick) and then meet a bunch of Midwest Triathlon Coaching athletes for a group ride. I was really frustrated with myself for most of the ride. I got dropped early and rode a lot of the miles solo. But I kept reminding myself who else was on that ride... my brother, Barry, Bryan Evans, Jim, and a TON of really fast and successful triathletes, so I couldn't feel too bad. Hell, I averaged over 15mph for 50 miles which I haven't done all season yet! Plus, it was great to ride with Coach Ken for a while and get some great tips. Why I never paid attention to my cadence is beyond me, but it really does help!! I kept it between 85 and 85 as much as possible (except on the hills of course) and that made a big difference in my run.

I did push myself really hard Sunday, so by the time I was done, I was EX.HAUS.TED. I ate some sushi and fresh berries with Jim and Melissa at Dean and Deluca (aka Dean and Delicious, I love that place!) and then crashed. Early to bed was the best thing for me! Although I was up half the night coughing, but I feel better today. Not every muscle on my body is sore and screaming at me, so that's progress.

Here's to feeling better this week, regaining health both in my lungs and my legs!

ACK! Only 4.5 months left!!!

2009-04-29T07:56:00.004-05:00

I noticed this morning that it is April 28th. APRIL!! Almost May!!! ACK!!!!

Ironman is only 4.5 months away!!!! Last time I paid attention I still had 6 months to train. Where did the time go!?!?!

Distance is starting to get up there. I've done 2 60-mile rides and a couple 12-13 mile runs. This weekend brings more of the same.

I still have confidence that I will finish. I know I'm stubborn enough. I just worry about the time cutoffs. Will I be fast enough??? Yesterday's riding buddy reminded me that I need to stay positivie and keep telling myself that I am fast enough. I am great at climbing hills. I swim like a fish.

The power of positive thinking right??

The tests of life are not meant to break you, but to make you. Or so says Norman Vincent Peale. Well this test known as Ironman is going to do just that!

Stay tuned for the full Kansas (Half) Marathon race report.

100 yards in 1:25... Twice!!!

2009-04-14T09:47:00.004-05:00

I am totally stoked about my swim this morning! Not only did I get in a decent distance (2675 yds), I did it swimming some of the fastest times I've ever clocked!

Granted, I was drafting off of Tim, but that's totally race-legal and I kept up! At the end of the work out, they called out broken 250s: 100 fast, 50 slow, 50 fast, 50 slow. Tim and I did our own version of that - killed the 100 at a 1:25 pace, swam 50 really easy, then 50 at a decent pace. I was sucking air but we got ready to do it again, and we swam the second 100 at a 1:25 pace again!

I'm exhausted now but what a way to start the day! I'm still flying high from it! Maybe all that extra time in the pool is starting to pay off...

"Making Peace"

2009-04-09T15:50:00.002-05:00

I hate swimming. I hate riding on the trainer instead of outdoors. I hate that I have to run inside in the pool instead of outside with my pup. I hate stretching, and I hate that I have to go to acupuncture appointments 3x a week. I hate, I hate, I hate...

And yet I love training, I love triathlon, and I love that I'm working toward the daunting goal of being an Ironman. I love hurting just as much as I hate it. Weird, right? It sounds insane, unless you read Bree Wee's blog entry "Making Peace" - My Blog - Hawaii.

"There is a new level of appreciation for sport... it was the fact that it hurts so good when you are done and the only way to get that feeling is to go bravely to that place and get it...literally it was like I had to walk to the door of pain, knock on it, and make a peace offering that it wins."

I'm still very much in the learning process of "making peace" with the workouts and circumstances I hate. But, I now have a better understand of what drives me to do the things I hate. I can start making peace with the part of me that is willing to go to any length, to the highest level of pain, to the lowest point of exhaustion, in order to experience the satisfaction that can only come through those sacrifices.

Call me crazy if you want. But I will get to feel satisfaction that only the people who work hard enough, often enough, and earn it can feel. I can handle that.

Eat at Ingredient!

2009-04-09T14:10:00.001-05:00

Print out this image and take it to Ingredient for breakfast, lunch or dinner and a portion will go to my Ironman fundraiser!

Grr!!!!

2009-04-08T18:22:00.002-05:00

Well today has been frustrating to say the least.

During my run this morning, it took forever to get warmed up. But once I did, the strides felt great. It was a 2 mile warmup, then 4x200 strides, with hops in the off-200. Then a mile cool-down. But that's not the frustrating part...

Work. Had a great lunch with one of my favorite donors. That's not it either...

After work, I wanted to head home, grab my bike and get to the downtown airport to do my Big Gear Reps. But on my way, I remembered that my bike was at Derick's house, not mine. Grr. Oh ya, I don't have a key because he got locked out last week and I gave him mine. Grr. So I had to go to his friend's house to get a spare key. Grr. I drove all the way across town to Derick's to realize the key was for the back door, where I couldn't get because of the big trash barrel full of dirt was in the way of the gate. Grr. So I was obviously not meant to ride today. Grr!

Today is one of the week's only good weather days. And I really wanted to get outside to ride. Grr. So I settled for taking the dogs to the park for a walk. Just not as good.

Ah. Oh well. Hopefully my bike will get here soon and I can get my workout in on the trainer since the sun will be down. And if not, I'm sure I can find a cold beverage to enjoy.

Weekend Workouts

2009-04-05T16:00:00.003-05:00

Well I had a weekend of great workouts! I'm starting to feel more confident in myself as the distances grow.

Saturday morning, I was out at the Olathe Marathon (well, half marathon since it was rescheduled) for Girls on the Run. We had a booth and gave out cocoa and information on the program and my fundraiser. But we FROZE!! Who knew that an April race would be so cold and windy!?

So knowing how cold I was, we decided to ride inside at Leahy Chiropracitc. Three hours later it was gorgeous outside! What is up with that!? My knee started to hurt towards the end of my ride, but Meagan adjusted it for me. And then kept hurting! So I couldn't do the brick that I was supposed to. I spent the night foam rolling and icing so I could get up to run in the morning.

Which is what I did. Pete and I ran to my brother's house where I switched out dogs and took Gage the rest of the way home. As we got closer to the house, the sleet started picking up and it really doesn't feel good when it hits you in the face. So I dropped off Bomper and headed to the gym for the final 4 (miles, that is). Meagan met me there and it was nice to have company for the hardest part of the run. I was able to pick it up towards the end, when I really felt DONE. That definitely added to my confidence. My last mile as right at 9:00!

Another good week of training is coming up!!

Nothin' Like Starting Training With A Bang!

2009-04-03T13:23:00.002-05:00

When people tell you Ironman training is different from anything else you've attempted , they're not kidding! Whether its the volume, the magnitude, or the minimal wiggle room it leaves in the rest of your life schedule, Ironman is a beast all unto itself.

Take my first day of training. I've been wishing for and anticipating that day for SIX months... and then I ended up working from 6:30am-9:30pm. I know, right? Then the choice becomes, do I go to gym at 10pm and get the workout in, or do I postpone one more day? My butt was in the water a little before 10 experiencing my first water run because, really, there is no other choice if you want to be an Ironman. You do the training or you don't cross the finish line - end of story.

For that, I'm proud of myself. Well, I'm also proud that I dragged myself back out of bed the next morning at 5:30 to swim :) Training isn't just about volume, though. It's making myself get off the bike right at 30 minutes, instead of pushing the workout to 45 like I wanted. It's going to yoga tonight when I'd rather go home and nap after a long work week. And it's maintaining a positive attitude when I think about how minimal a 10 minute water run is compared to 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles of monster bike hills, and the 26.2 miles of a marathon I've never run.

Ironman is accomplishment, but getting through the training that comes before the race will be, I think, the biggest accomplisment of all. Bring on the training!

TGIF!

2009-04-03T09:47:00.002-05:00

I've had a big week of training for Ironman Wisconsin. I ran 5 and 6 miles during the week, biked a really hilly 23 mile ride (including a near death experience where I was going 43 mph!) and just yesterday I swam 3500 yds (more than 2 miles!). This weekend I'll ride 50 miles and run 10 miles. Training is really gearing up, and I'm getting more and more excited to be an Ironman!

If you didn't hear, I was also on the local Fox news last week, talking about my experience with domestic violence. You can see the story here: http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-domestic-violence-battle-32609,0,5962772.story My experience in that relationship is one of the main reasons I've come to support Girls on the Run. I see the program as prevention to domestic violence, teaching girls self-esteem and healthy lifestyles - including healthy relationships.

I hope you'll join me in supporting this amazing organization.

You can read more about my efforts and learn how you can help by visiting this website.

http://www.girlsontherunkc.com/AGirlsGottaTri/tabid/102/Default.aspx

Or, you can skip the explanation and just make a donation!!

http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/wi09/trishod

Pins and Needles (Literally and Figuratively)

2009-03-27T08:49:00.005-05:00

I guess I should pay attention to my training partner's oh-so-subtle nudge and write an update on the never ending knee saga. My apologies for a lengthy post!

March 13th has come and gone and I'm still not training. Yet. On Tuesday, March 10th, I got a call from Ken, telling me he and Dr. Teter (Graston) think I should forgo Ironman this year. That my knee is still too painful and they don't want me to end up permanently injured. I get it. They're looking out for my best interests. But for me it's not enough.

Ironman is the symbol of the lifestyle I want to live - pain-free, able to challenge myself, to achieve goals I set, and enjoy being active. It is my motivation to get healthy. To deal with all the bad news and keep coming back for more; never being satisfied with a "we don't know" answer.

With the help of a lot of great people - Barbara, the KCOI assistant who got me in early; Tim, who kept me company in a freezing room for 2 hours watching me as "radioactive girl" get a bone scan; Dr. Rasmussen, who recognized that telling me to find another hobby wasn't an option; Trish, for always being ready with support or a joke; Sheryl, who provided great guidance on who/what to listen to - I've received even more advice and feedback than I thought possible (you'd think everyone would be tapped by now!) and have made a decision.

My ITB syndrome is much better than it was, thanks to Graston. The pain on the inside of my knee is not attributed to an MCL tear. The bone scan spot on the top outside of my tibia, while it may have been a fracture at one point, looks to be almost healed. All of those things, while painful, are not sport-ending. Independently, Dr. Rasmussen, Dr. Teter and Dr. Albright have all said that while the pain of Ironman training might be more than I can take, training itself will not cause permanent injury.

So the choices are:

Train for IMOO 2009 knowing that, if I am able to manage the pain, it will mean taking most if not all of 2010 off (Dr. Rasmussen made it clear that "off" means no swimming, biking, running, lifting - even crutches are a possibility, if it comes to that).
Give up Ironman this year, do all the recommended rest and therapy, and hope it works so I can train for an Ironman in late 2010.

My choice is made. I start IMOO 2009 training on April 1 with the pain management of acupuncture and chiropractic, a supportive training partner, and a very patient boyfriend willing to coach me. It might might not work, and it will more than likely hurt (a lot), but I have to try. If it works, I'll cross the finish line on September 13 an Ironman. If it doesn't work, at least I'll know I gave it all I had. And really, isn't that what Ironman is about - discovering how much you have to give and how deep you can dig?

Bike test

2009-03-26T17:38:00.002-05:00

So this morning I had 30 minutes of pain. 30 minutes of agony. 30 minutes all out on my bike. Trying to get my heart rate as high as I could get it to go. If you've never done this before, its hard. And it sucks. And it seems like its never going to end.

But then, it does. And you get a second to breathe and realize just how bad your legs BURN!!

Luckily I had Derick and Chelsea there to distract me thru the worst of it. Egging me on... telling me how I'd better push it if I want to make it up Old Sauk Pass... how I better spin fast or I'm not going to make the bike cut-off... I better suck it up so Chels isn't too far ahead of me and I can beat her on the run.

The weird part is that my max heart rate was a lot lower than it was last year. It used to be that my AT was 155 on the bike, 165 on the run. Today I found out that its 147 on the bike. I wonder if that has something to do with my breathing problems? Or am I in better shape? Not sure what it means, but I'm sure it means something.

And guess what? I get to do it all again tomorrow on the track.

I just hope the freak snowstorm they're warning of stays away!

T-Pace Test

2009-03-25T19:27:00.002-05:00

Chels and I did our T-pace test in the pool this morning. 200 warm up, 1000 swim for time and then a cool down. To get your t-pace, you average your 100s during the long swim. I averaged 2:03. Not great, but not bad considering how long I've been swimming (just over a year). And I wasn't too surprised at my time since thats about what I usually average. Of course, Chelsea kicked my butt. No surprise there either. But hopefully, she'll get on and update everyone on her training status since she just may have news to share!

Training Update

2009-03-24T17:36:00.002-05:00

Well, breathing has been much better. Thank goodness. Last week was an awesome week of training! I owned my workouts and it felt great to get all the time and mileage in.

I had the most amazing run of my life on Weds. I've never been so consistent thru a run before. I was on a runners high for a few days even. Hell, I get a little bit of that high now when I think about it!

This weekend I did a tough but awesome 45 mile ride with the best chiropractor in KC and on Sunday, ran 8 miles at Shawnee Mission Park. I did 7 of them with Pete and the last mile pretty much all out on my own. Then Derick and I met his dad for some quality time at the dog park while the boys got to swim and be dogs. It was a great weekend.

This week I have heart rate testing. Weds I do my swim test; Thurs, bike; and Fri, run. These are basically all out efforts for 30 minutes, trying to get my heart rate as high as it will go. Luckily the rest of the week is pretty easy so I should be able to suffer thru.

On Saturday, I'll be out at the Olathe Marathon running the Girls on the Run booth and trying to raise money for my Ironman fundraiser. If you're out there, be sure to stop by!

Sweat Equity

2009-03-11T10:17:00.002-05:00

I'm really starting to put it in. Last night on the bike, I got sweatier than I have in a while. Well, I take that back. Running in 83 degrees in Dallas last Friday, I got REALLY sweaty. I love the heat. Hopefully it will be in KC for good soon.

Luckily breathing has been going OK. I'm hoping that will continue. I've been trying to really get at it this week. Healthy eating and getting in all my workouts as dictated by Ken.

Tonight, I do BIA testing with Sheryl. News to come...

A much-needed update

2009-03-05T10:53:00.007-06:00

So I've been a big slacker on the blog side of things. Life has gotten a little crazy. Here's a little update for the IMOO side of life.

My Health
Yikes. This is the main reason I haven't been posting. I haven't been doing a ton of training, because I've been seeing tons of doctors trying to figure out why I can't breathe when I exercise. And I still have no real news. I have no blood clots, it's not asthma, and my heart is just fine. Yesterday I did an exercise echocardiogram - basically a sonogram of my heart. And I came out as a finely tuned athlete, with wonderful heart function. My lung function is also great. I do have mild asthma, but the doctors don't think that is what is causing my trouble. When I spoke to the pulmonologist this morning, he cleared me to push myself as hard as I can in my training. He told me to stop taking all asthma meds, and to listen to music as I train. A way to sort of trick my mind into not hearing my breathing, thereby making it better. So, we'll see how it goes. I touch base with the doc in a few weeks to report how training is going. It better be going well!

My Fundraiser
I've committed to raising $10,000 for Girls on the Run as I train for Ironman Wisconsin. If you enjoy "Adventure to IMOO" I hope you'll make a donation to this amazing organization! To donate, simply click here. Not only do I thank you for your support - but so do all the girls who are learning about healthy lifestyles, self-esteem, and the importance of exercise!

My Training Partner
Chelsea is going to start training with me soon! We are already swimming together, and in about a week we get to start biking and running. This is much needed for me, as she will push me to do what I need to do to be ready for this race!

My Race Calendar
Upcoming races include:
St Patricks Day Race in Westport - Should I do this one? Or just go to the KCM party??
Brew to Brew
Lawrence Half Marathon
Trolley Run - Still undecided on this one
Heritage Park Tri/Du - Also still undecided
Kansas City Triathlon
Ironman Kansas 70.3
Crew at Ironman CDA where Tim will race

My Man
Derick and I took vacation to Colorado and SE Utah. It was a great trip. If you've never been to Moab - GO! This was one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been!

Believe in the Run

2009-03-02T09:55:00.002-06:00

Nike has a new promotion: "Running never takes more than it gives back. Believe in the run."

It's time for me to start believing in the run. For those of you who haven't heard yet, I've been cleared to start my Ironman training March 13! Which is great... except for my fear that once I start training, the pain will return and I'll be right back where I started. Yes, I know the power of positive thinking. And it's one thing to hear that... it's another thing to believe it. However, while I might not be the biggest proponent of Nike over other athletic gear providers, I can absolutely believe in the truth of this new promotion.

"Running never takes more than it gives back..." Running essentially took my entertainment, my stress outlet, and my health to a lower point than it's ever been. But, I believe there's a reason for that. The time off, the worry, the rehab will all give me more drive, more motivation, and more mental toughness - all things I need to train for and cross the finish line of Ironman Wisconsin. In that way, running might not just give back the amount it took. I can't speak from experience, yet, but I imagine crossing the finish line of your first Ironman is an unequalled experience - one running will help me achieve.

Quad conundrum

2009-01-28T12:28:00.002-06:00

Ouch.

Stupid lunges and thrusters and wall ball at Fit Pit.

My poor quads are so tight!

Combine Fit Pit with a tough spin session yesterday and hoo-boy! Stairs are not my friend today. I'm also not getting along too well with crouching down and getting up out of my desk chair. Sitting still and I have never been on better terms though!

But I must remember that beautiful sound I want to hear on Sept. 13th. That will make all this pain very very worthwhile!!

Like a sinking ship

2009-01-27T07:20:00.003-06:00

That's how I felt in the pool this morning.

It was such a let down from an AWESOME swim this weekend. Saturday afternoon after my 8 mile run, I swam 2500m with Chelsea and it felt great. We did 50m sprints at the end and got down to a rediculously fast 42 second 50. It was awesome. I was so winded and exhausted, but I felt so aerodynamic, svelte, like a bullet in water. I've never been that proud of myself in the pool before. That feeling even carried over for a few days.

Until this morning. Masters swim. Ugh. I didn't even want to get out of bed. But I knew a swim would make me less sore from my butt-kicking yesterday at Fit Pit. That's the only thing that got me there. Once I was up and at 'em, I felt better. Until I started to actually swim.

I felt heavy and sluggish. Ugh. Not fun. But I figured once I warmed up, things would improve. Not so much. I know that everyone else, even the slowest of the rest in the class are leaps and bounds ahead of me. They've all been swimming a lot longer, which entitles them to be that much better than me. But holy cow, I am one slow swimmer. Normally, I'm cool with being the tortoise to everyone else's hare. Today though, it sucked.

A 50 seemed like a 1000. My heart rate was way up and so my breathing sucked. (Luckily, I do think the Flovent is helping me deal with the whole asthma issue, so that's good.) I swam 150 in the time it took the others to do 300 or 400. Talk about blow to the ego from the weekend. Sheesh.

Hopefully I'll feel better tonight on the bike.

Hoppin' Uphill

2009-01-21T20:51:00.002-06:00

Getting up this morning was tough. But I did it. After hitting snooze several times. I made it to Fit Pit and remembered how sore my legs were. Combine that with my fight with stupid asthma the past week or so and I had to do a different workout. Luckily everyone there is super supportive and accomodating. So after some push ups, pull ups, upright rows and overhead presses, I did a couple supermans and some sit ups.

A busy day at work ended a little early, so I was able to get in my run workout before a 5pm meeting. Gage had escaped the backyard again, so I figured he needed the exercise. We ran a few laps around the park and then Gage sat nicely while I sprinted downhill and hopped uphill. And battled my stupid lungs. We did another couple laps at the park and Gage got a little jealous of a chubby beagle who had caught a squirrel. So while he turned green, I talked to the beagle's owner. He seemed nice enough, working to train his dog to be more social and behave, but I could tell he had no Dog Whisperer skills. I was my normal friendly self, even though he seemed to me a little odd. He asked to introduce himself. And then he asked me out for a nice, casual date. I have never been so thankful to have the boyfriend excuse readily available!! It was a great copout! What can I say... I'm a heartbreaker!

Great day to run

2009-01-18T22:43:00.002-06:00

So after our FRIGID days here in the not so distant past, I really enjoyed the gorgeous weather here in KC today. Even though I wanted to be a bum and lay on the couch - I forced myself to lace up and head out to Shawnee Mission Park for my 7 mile training run.

I took both Pete and Gage, and illegally let them run off leash while Derick and I ran the paved trails to the east of the lake. We took the trail north past Shawnee Mission Parkway. I turned back at Mile 3.5 and he continued on.

Running back with just Pete, I noticed how calm and beautiful the park is. I found myself hoping that my house would be just around the corner of the trail, hidden behind the trees. Maybe I should think about a more scenic location to call home one of these days...

All in all, the run felt great. I did struggle a bit to breathe on those hills. They are STEEP! But otherwise, my legs still felt great. They had a few more mile in them. I'm sure Pete would have loved that. I'm still pretty shocked at how well both the dogs did off-leash out there. They stayed close and behaved themselves. If you know my dog, you know that's an impressive feat. And Bomper of course found a couple squirrels to chase up trees, but he didn't venture off either. He was a surprisingly good listener.

Saturday moning I headed down to Velvet Creme for a little indoor spin with fellow triathletes. Riding inside is just SO different than actually being out there. Luckily Preston was his full self, so I was entertained the whole time. I also got my new Garmin Cadence Counter all set up, purchased through KC Triathletes' World Multisport. New gadgets make everything much more exciting!

My training plan this week has more 2 a days scheduled, but nothing too bad. Should be able to K.O. everything without too much difficulty! IMOO here I come!

This has nothing to do with IMOO, but....

2009-01-12T16:35:00.002-06:00

So my brother Ryan went to help out at my nephew Ian's preschool class today (Catholic school too). They are learning about winter and made snowmen. Mr. Bradley the PE teacher, who is really young, was in helping too and was at the same table as Ryan and Ian when Ryan looking at the snowman said "Oh wow your snowman has some hair." Ian says (dead serious) "No Dad, it's a nest for his penis." Mr. Bradley bit his lip and had to leave the room he was laughing so hard and well Ryan just says "Hmm, nice." And then he proceeded to say that it's not appropriate to talk like that in public.

I'm still laughing!

Legacy

2009-01-07T19:23:00.003-06:00

Today was pretty intense. I attended a funeral of a wonderful YOUNG woman who battled human's great enemy known as cancer for the past 10 months. She was a good friend to my brother, and though I originally attended to support him, I left feeling like she would have wanted me there.

Funerals always have a way of helping you put things in perspective, but this one hit me in a special way. I am lucky that I have not attended many in my life. I haven't struggled much with the loss of someone close to me. Her service made me especially grateful for that. It also made me start thinking about how I'm living my life. I think that was one message she particularly wanted to get out there. Hers is a message of hope and of life and of love.

They told a story about how she deliberately but somewhat subconsciously would reach out to those a few steps outside of the group to make them feel welcome and at ease. I think this is a great way to be remembered. It made me wonder, "How will people remember me?"

The service was at the biggest church in town, which easily seats 3,000 people. You walk in and think you might have mistakenly entered the Sprint Center. The place was probably half full - which is a complete testament to how wonderful this woman was and how she touched so many lives in so many ways. It made me wonder, "How many lives have and I will I affect for the better?"

The pastor spoke of her courage, her optimism, her hope. How she loved her family and prayed for them in her last days that God would make things easier for them. Her husband's message of continuing her life through our own lives hit me. "You can love your life. You can look at each day as a gift and make the most of it. You can smile more, and frown less. You can Love. " It made me wonder, "How can I adjust my lifestyle in order to create more happiness, more hope and more love?"

I know these thoughts don't directly relate to triathlon or my journey to Ironman, but in a way they do. This is going to be a year of self-discovery, a year of pushing myself to the limits, learning about what makes me tick, and finding the legacy I want to leave. I in no way mean to trivialize the loss of such a great woman and wonderful person, but I think she would be happy to know that she is making a difference even after she's gone. I'll think about her and her battle as I fight the hill on Old Sauk Road in September and ask for a little push and to borrow a bit of her courage.

Iron Year!

2009-01-02T22:38:00.002-06:00

Ironman Training has begun!!!

It started with the "Resolution Run" from Muddy's for a little over 4 miles. I was definitely not fueled well for that run, but it was fun and a good start to the year. Many thanks to April and Stacie for keeping me running - and to Pete for dragging me up that horrible hill!

Today at the Fit Pit we had some fun. Girls on the Run came in! But before we had to do the leg matrix (24 squats, 24 lunges, 24 jumping lunges and 24 squat/jumps) and then 100 sit ups, 100 push ups and 100 pull ups. It was a lot of fun to watch the girls and their moms try some of the Fit Pit exercises. And even more fun to watch Sheryl be a food nerd and a health nut. Many thanks to her for being such an inspiration, role model and good sport! :-)

New Years Resolutions to come....

Time to hit it.

2008-12-28T20:44:00.002-06:00

It's go time. 9.5 months until Ironman. It's time to rock and roll. Start up the training and get ready to rumble!!

I've enjoyed my time off, probably too much. 10 lbs too much actually. But it has rejuvenated me and made me ready to go. I'm sure there will be several, okay, lots, of posts in the next few months where I bitch and moan about being tired and not wanting to do a workout. But on the inside, I love it. And remind me I said that when it gets really tough.

I'm going to be an IRONMAN!! How cool is that really? And how many people can say that? Plus, I'll be sharing it with so many people that are very important to me. And that makes it even cooler.

The holidays have been super hectic. I've hardly had time for myself, time to relax and be a bum in front of the tv. But I plan to utilize my couch and DVR on my rest days for the next 9 months. Satan (the cat who lives under the couch) will know the sounds of me well.

Just a couple more days of 2008. We'll end it and start 09 with a bang. Looking forward to the party....

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T10:33:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to all in blog-world. This has been a wonderful holiday. If only a certain co-author and my brothers were here - it would be dang near perfect. Today in Wichita, we are expect 50 degrees - perfect running weather. So after a wonderful breakfast digests, Derick and I are going to go for a run and probably take a nap, and go see Marley and Me in the theater. Sounds like a great Christmas to me!

Blech.

2008-12-18T17:13:00.002-06:00

Everyone that knows me, knows I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! This is my favorite time of year, but uck. I feel like a big fatty. I am totally enjoying the off-season, and I'm taking full advantage of being "off". Not swimming. Only going for a jog when I want to. When its warm enough. Not swimming. Doing Fit Pit when I feel like going. Not swimming.

But looking in the mirror the other day, yikes. I have put on the ell-bees. I've never been one of those calorie counter girls. In fact, they drive me nuts. But man, I was totally used to my tri-season body.

As I bitch though, I will enjoy every one of those Chocolate Crinkles that are baking. And every ounce of fudge. And all the candy and deliciousity of the next couple weeks. Then Jan. 1 will hit.

And I'll be back to the grind.

I can so I will

2008-12-12T10:04:00.002-06:00

Well, Wednesday morning at the Fit Pit was rough.

1000m Row
500 Jump rope - single jump
250 squats (OUCH!!)
125 full sit ups
75 push ups (I'm horrible at these!)
50 pull ups
25 ball slams

When will the pain end!?!?

I was thinking about doing the Alternate Chili Trail Run tomorrow, but I don't know that my body will be up for it. But I must remember that with the pain comes the ability to actually do all this stuff. So many physically can not even try. And even some very close to me. But I can. So I will.

Running as punishment?

2008-12-03T09:22:00.002-06:00

So last night at a board meeting for Girls on the Run we talked about how great running is. And we all wondered and scoffed at coaches who make their athletes run as punishment. I mean really, how is running laps and hating every minute of it going to to make a young athlete enjoy fitness for life?

Running should be enjoyable and a fun part of practices. After all, running increases fitness which will increase an athlete's aptitude and skill in the sports arena. Instead, I move that punishment should be sitting on the bench, not getting to participate. Maybe then the kids would quit jackin' around and focus on the drills and activities coaches spend time planning to develop their young athletes into the studs all want to be!

Let it snow!

2008-11-29T10:02:00.002-06:00

This morning couldn't have gotten much better. I took Pete and Bailey (Derick's dog) out to Shawnee Mission Park to the off-leash area for a gorgeous trail run in the snow. It was so serene and spiritual. I was totally able to lose myself in the moment.

At one point, I just stopped. Looked around. Surrounded by fallen leaves, branches, rocks smothered in mud. To my right I could see the lake, as still as I've ever seen it. To my left, the two dogs bounding over fallen tree limbs, panting and playing with huge smiles on their faces. When I looked up all I could see was the snow falling only to land on my eyelashes and melt as quickly as they hit. I felt like I was in a movie. And once I started to run again, I felt like I was in a magazine shoe ad, where all you run with is your thoughts and your dog. It was surreal.

Trail running just might be my new favorite thing. And from the look on Pete's face, its his too. And when he shook off all the snow and dirt before getting in the truck, the slobber wrapped around his nose three times to prove he really had a great time.

Gobbler Grind

2008-11-24T08:56:00.003-06:00

Races are so fun. Chels and I - along with several other friends - volunteered at an aid station on the half and full marathon course Sunday.

Days like that remind me of one reason I love this sport!! This community is so supportive, positive and fun - from handing out bananas and gatorade to cheering on runners when its cold and painful. Other athletes are one reason I will continue endurance sports and one reason I will finish Ironman!

Derick had a rough day due to cramping. Preston seriously rolled his ankle. Tim looked like a big dork in his "pilgrim" costume. But we all got back together post-race to celebrate everyone's accomplishments and poke fun at Carly for turning 30! Great party at Steve and Judy's!!

Ouch.

2008-11-20T16:27:00.000-06:00

Fit Pit hurts.

My lower back is so sore. And this morning I couldn't move my right arm backward so I couldn't swim.

Sheryl, you're killin' me!!

Sigh...

2008-11-18T11:12:00.002-06:00

Well, masters kicked my butt this morning. And after not really eating dinner yesterday and only a smoothie this morning, I am dragging!!

Fuel please! Luckily its almost lunch time!

And Enduracamp tonight and Fit Pit tomorrow. Man, I'm gonna be ripped before long. At least, I better be!!!

Fit Pit pain

2008-11-07T20:41:00.002-06:00

Well, I tried Fit Pit for the first time this evening. Man, Sheryl kicked my butt!!

10 pull ups, 1 deadlift. 9 pull ups, 2 deadlifts.... etc.
10 weight swings, 1 dip. 9 weight swings, 2 dips...etc.

Then back squats. I started with just the bar - 45 pounds. I got all the way up to 100 lbs!!! It was pretty sweet to have Sheryl commenting on my strength. I think once I get a little more flexibility, I'll be able to do those pretty well.

Now that I'm home, showered and full of pancakes, I can tell that I worked hard tonight! My back is exhausted and I know my butt and lats are going to be super sore in the morning.

We'll see how I last at the dog park tomorrow!!

To fit pit or not to fit pit?

2008-11-03T16:10:00.002-06:00

So, I'm thinking about doing Fit Pit. And I'm a little nervous about it. I've heard its a total kick in the ass, but it sounds really fun and like I'd really get my butt in gear! Any thoughts from any of you who go?

I'm also looking for some good swimming drills. Please give me ideas!

No More Poor Little Speed Racer

2008-10-31T12:20:00.005-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been tough. Trish going to Enduracamps. Tim going for trail runs. Various friends calling and texting: Hey, come for a run! Or, let's go ride! And, me, poor little Speed Racer, has to sit on the couch or (as Heather would prefer) on the foam roller, watching everyone else enjoy the sports we love. Alright, fine. I'm entitled to feel a little sorry for myself. Come on, to go from being in tiptop shape, pounding out 60-mile rides like I'd done them my whole life instead of a few months, to the confines of the pool and a whopping 20 minutes on the elliptical is downright depressing.

No more feeling sorry for myself, though. I might not start training til January but that doesn't mean I can't get into my competitor mindset today. Goal #1 for IMOO is to get, then stay, healthy. And damn it, that's what I'm going to do. Every pool session, every 10-minute walk, every mini-strength training session after the elliptical is a step toward getting my ITBs healthy.

I might not get my runner's high and I certainly won't feel the rush of speeding around in aero (relatively speaking). However, I realized this morning, as I pretended to sprint to Papa Roach's Last Resort on the elliptical, that I'm in control of my health and my fitness. Self control now sets me up for stronger, more confident control as I work through training to the big day.

So, I'll put on my KCM jersey and Redman medal (we were assigned costumes at work today - I was told I am Iron Woman), reminisce about how it felt to cross the finish line at Redman, and anticipate just how sweet it will be to cross the line at IMOO healthy, happy and proud of the control it took to carry me there.

The rules still apply

2008-10-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite triathletes and bloggers says it so well...

http://www.breakingthetape.com/little-miss-runner-pants/2008/10/running_rules_still_apply.html

Lessons from Enduracamp Fall Fitness Series

2008-10-28T22:17:00.004-05:00

1. I love hills. OK, I don't love them, but I did learn that they will make me a machine. A diesel truck with turbo power!!

2. I think I can actually be a lot faster and better at this sport than I've proven to myself. I was able to really push up the hills in the sprint legs and I wasn't the slowest of the group!

3. My core strength is pretty good. I know I still have a long way to go, but I didn't do half bad today. If I can build some more upper body strength, I'll be doing pretty well!

4. Vegan cupcakes are delish! Thanks to Heather for bringing them, and Jennifer for having a birthday! Can't wait to get the recipe!!

A night like tonight really starts to get me excited about triathlon season. I know I am really enjoying a break, but tonight was a big confidence boost for me. Thanks to the coaches Ben, Ken and Tom!

Ah, the off season.

2008-10-26T17:55:00.002-05:00

Its so nice right now to not have to worry about getting in a workout every single day. I'm enjoying workouts when I want to, and how I want to. Its a lot less stressful, yet time seems to be flying even faster!

Yesterday's "workout" was a short trail run at the off leash area of Shawnee Mission Park. The boys and I had a blast! We all got a little muddy, but got our heart rates up and worked the stabilizing muscles in our legs.

It was a great weekend for being outside with the dogs. And one of these days, I'm sure I'll be happy to be inside on the trainer or treadmill or in the pool, but for now... I'll take the sunshine and the rest!

Splish splash!

2008-10-23T19:49:00.003-05:00

Got back in the pool today for the first time in weeks!! Man, its tough to start swimming again when you've taken some time off. But I think some serious off-season swimming will help me get so much better. If I can just start swimming on my side and stretching out more I think I'll start to actually go faster!! Wouldn't that be great?!

KC Marathon

2008-10-19T09:02:00.004-05:00

Ben Schloegel hosted the best aid station the KC marathon has seen yet! At about mile 16, runners were given more white trash eye candy than they probably ever cared to see.

Tim and Trish in our best WT gear.

Ken, Tim and Don know how to be WT!

Ben and Don are a little intimidating for those introverted runners.

Note to all our Iron Spectators in Training:

A good laugh and wonderful distraction can be a very welcome sight during an endurance event. It may make you the butt of jokes for a while with your family, but, let's be real, we're the real butt of jokes for being crazy enough to run these long distances! Just think of it as a little sacrifice that will inevitably help us reach the finish line!

Hammy Hell

2008-10-16T21:58:00.003-05:00

I was so excited for my post-race massage today. It felt great. For the most part. Lots of pain, but it was that hurts-so-good, and I-know-this-will-help sort of pain.

Until now. I think Magic Fingers Baker bruised the heck out of my right hammy!! I've heard that a deep tissue massage can hurt, but I guess I just wasn't expecting this!

Ouch.

On a high note, I am digging this not working out stuff. Its nice to relax a bit and not have to worry about getting in a workout. A few more days and I'm sure I'll want to be back at it. Maybe a little less structured, but back to doing something nonetheless. A bit of plyometrics and some swimming. Ya, sounds pretty good. Unless it doesn't that day... then I'm not gonna go! The beauty of the off season! :-)

Chicago Marathon Race Recap

2008-10-14T14:51:00.008-05:00

Marathon #2 is officially under my belt! And everything below my belt really hurts. Come to think of it, stuff above my belt hurts too. Who knew that your delts, shoulders and abs were used so much in running!?

Here's the official story of the 2008 Chicago Marathon....

Since Chelsea and her mom were heading out for a relaxing Florida vacation, we carpooled to KCI Saturday morning, and the fashion of perfect timing, I walk through security long enough to say hello to a couple fellow KCM and CHI runners and get on the plane. I slept almost the whole way there.

I hopped on the blue line to head downtown, chatting with a fellow marathoner along the way. I was trying to coordinate with Team Madison the best place to meet up, since I was having a bit of trouble finding the hotel. Next thing I know, I look over my shoulder to see IPOD, Sean-O and Uncle Timmy! Surprise! Tim came to cheer us on! (By the way, I think there are still some pants on fire - and you know who you are!!)

We headed down to McCormick Place for packet pick up and the expo. There was tons to see, and lots to shop for! It seemed like any and every bigtime marathon had a booth. I felt compelled to sign up for Dublin, Paris, Barcelona, Rome - and many more! My brother Ryan got a chance to meet Brian Sell - and Ry even finished before him in the race! :-)

Needless to say, an event like this isn't meant for 3 young boys - but we made the best of it. And eventually, a tired and hungry crew headed back to the Hyatt. Tim and I got to handle the munchkins during dinner as Ry and Tash went to the Team in Training pasta party. And, needless to say, they made a mess - but thats what boys were made for right!? That, and birth control for their aunt. :-) I love 'em, but I also love to give 'em back! When we met Ryan and Tash after their dinner, I ran into a sorority sister in the hotel lobby. Talk about small world! Good to see you Shelly!

The night in the over-crowded hotel room was interesting - but luckily I've got a great family and we can all handle each other, even in close quarters. I stayed patient for the most part, until I woke up for the 4th time with a heel in my ribs. Apparently Ian doesn't understand you need a good night's sleep before a race!

5 am quickly rolled around, and Ryan and I were taking care of our pre-race rituals. All the boys (especially Sean) wanted to do was go to the Z.O.O. instead of the race. Luckily I just had to run, and not take care of them. I'm pretty sure that's more exhausting! We headed downstairs to meet the Cheesey TNT crew to walk/warm up to the start line. En route, I run into an old friend from college - who I didn't even know was a runner! Turns out we were planning on running the same pace, so I had someone to hang out with until the starting gun.

So Kim and I (and her friend from high school, Jessie) head to the 4:45 Nike Pace Group in the start corral. We befriend Emily and all start out the race together. They said that 45,000 people were entered in the race. I had no idea the vastness of that amount of people, until I saw the lines at the portapotties. Wow. And seriously, how fair is it that all the guys were able to stop under the first bridge to relieve themselves!? That could be the one time I really wish I was a man. Sheesh.

The first couple miles were really tight. Eventually the crowd thinned a bit, but I still had to bob and weave around people the entire race. I tried to concentrate on starting slow, and keeping my pace so I could hit my goal time. Luckily I had the girls there to keep me occupied. At about mile .3, I realized I had forgotten my inhalor! I always do this!!! At one point, I even stopped at the med tent, only to learn that they didn't have any albuterol. Bummer. Luckily my heart rate stayed low and there were no hills to really challenge my breathing.

I think I saw Team Madison and Tim about Mile 3, and not again the entire race. Bummer. Luckily, we ran into Emily's family a couple times, so that was a nice pick me up. Its so great how you can befriend someone totally random in a race, and learn their life story in a few hours. It sure makes the time pass!

I hit the first wall right at about the half mark. My lungs and head were still in it, but my feet were really hurting. I think I hit about 3 more walls before the end of the race. The 80-degree day definitely didn't help, but thank goodness I'm used to the heat. 80 is nothing when you're used to a KC summer! With the heat, a cold cup of water poured on my head felt great!! I enjoyed that several times on the second half of the race. I wasn't happy though, when some of the aid station kids threw water on a guy requesting it, missed him and hit me - right in the shoe! Soggy shoe in a marathon is not fun people! Let me warn you right now!

It was really neat to run through all the different Chicago neighborhoods. Ethnicity really comes to life in a big city. Major props to Pilsen for being the most memorable. At about mile 22, I could tell I still had more juice left than Emily. She had to use her energy to fight off the Bowel Monster. Poor girl. (Ah, runners conversation...funny how it usually revolves around poop.) So I took off, hoping to see her at the finish.

I must say, I'm very proud of my performance! Until the last couple miles, I only walked through the aid stations. Hooray for me! I struggled a bit more at the end, but I was able to pick up my pace a decent amount. At just past mile 25, I saw that I need to run a 9:00 mile to make my goal time, so I tried to pick it up as much as I could. But I had nothing left to give. Right at the 26 mile mark, I fought this stupid hill - and it almost won! But my mental toughness won out! As soon as I turned the corner and saw the finish line, all the pain went away. (Temporarily.) I felt great, ecstatic and so proud of myself as I trotted down the chute. Way to go Marathon Girl!!!

As a side note - thanks to my motivation during the rough parts: abscesses and abusers. Couldn't have gotten through it without giving you all the pain in my legs and letting you know I was way better than you!

After I crossed the finish line, and drank some more (ugh) yellow gatorade, I started stumbling a little bit. I'm surprised I didn't lose my balance! Luckily I stood my ground! I made it through the finishing area to meet Team Madison - a very welcome sight for sore legs. I just wish I could have fit in the stroller! The one part that sucks about being the slow one in the family... when you finish, everyone else has had plenty of recovery time and is ready to get on the road. So I only had a couple minutes to change my shoes before we starting walking the 85 miles back to the Hyatt. Ok, so it was a couple blocks, but it felt like FOREVER! (Like the For.Ev.Ver. from the Sandlot. Mmm. Now I want s'more. Smore what you ask!?)

Beers, burgers and fries definitely were necessary post-race. Until we made it back to Schaumburg - my Sunday night celebration spot - for pizza and ice cream. Who knew you needed to eat so much after running 26.2 miles and burning 4,050 calories?!

Here's the numbers...

(From the official email...) Congratulations from Bank of America for finishing the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon! Your recorded finish time was 5:02:43 and you placed 20018 out of 31,401 finishers.

Bib#: 42971
TIME
5K: 0:34:39
10K: 1:09:07
15K: 1:44:03
20K: 2:18:47
HALF: 2:26:13
25K: 2:55:54
30K: 3:32:41
35K: 4:10:39
40K: 4:48:15
FINISH: 5:02:43

Clock: 5:19:16
Pace / mile: 11:32
Placement Overall: 20029
Gender: 7490
Division: 1978

Countdown to the Chicago Marathon!

2008-10-10T15:59:00.004-05:00

Well, the fabulous folks at the Chicago marathon are making it super easy for you to track me as I speed through 26.2 on Sunday. Simply go to
http://www.chicagomarathon.com/CMS400Min/Chicago_Marathon/spectators_volunteers/index.aspx?id=510
and register to receive updates on me throughout the race. They will email or text message my progress.

I've been doing my best this week to rest, hydrate and eat well. I'm a little nervous, as my long run has only been 16.5 miles, instead of the 20-22 I wanted to get to. I'm hoping that my base fitness level created by training for Redman will translate to success on a flat and fast Chicago course.

My flight leaves at 9:30 Saturday morning. Hopefully that will go off without a hitch, so I can meet Team Madison for lunch, the expo, Team in Training pasta party, and some quality time with the nephews... a good nights sleep, and a nice long run! Sounds like a great weekend to me. As long as I come home with a finisher's medal, I'm happy. I'm even happier if I can find Team Madison in the slew of 45,000 people after the race!

Race report to come early in the week. Wish me well, and track me online!!

Today's Run....

2008-10-06T20:07:00.000-05:00

...Was actually great! I hope I feel this good on Sunday!

Five days and counting!

2008-10-06T15:54:00.002-05:00

5 days and 15 hours until the gun goes off in Chicago.

And man, am I ready for that finish line?!?! I have to get it out of my system, so bare with me for a minute.

I hurt. I'm tired. I'm burnt out. I just want some time off. I have no idea what I've done to my left foot, and left leg in general. It hurts and is causing problems with my last few days of training. And my right leg is completely fine... so its really strange. Hopefully a visit to Kent "Magic Fingers" Baker tomorrow will help!

I'm getting pretty nervous about my abilities to compete with myself in Chicago. My longest run has been 16.5 miles, which is NO WHERE near the 20 I was hoping to do. I just hope that my base level of fitness will be enough to carry me through. I am in the best shape of my life after all! That has to count for something. I hope it counts for something. I just want to PR. That can't be too much to ask right??! Especially considering how slow I ran Nike last year, how much better shape I'm in, and how much easier the course is.

And now that I've succeeded in stressing myself out... I'm gonna go eat a caramel apple. I need the sugars before my run!! :-)

Call ME Speed Racer!

2008-09-30T19:38:00.002-05:00

So I ran super fast today!!

After shopping with Chelsea, Pete and I ran home from Town Center. 5.5 miles, 10:15 pace! It felt easy, light on my feet, and like I could go forever. If only I hadn't gotten kinda bored... I needed a running buddy. Well, someone that could talk to me. Pete is a great running buddy. If only I could teach him to carry on a conversation.

I'm starting to get psyched for Chicago!!!

Sore legs. Ouch.

2008-09-29T20:10:00.002-05:00

So who woulda thought that 17 miles would make my legs super sore?! Of course, I didn't have time to ice bath after my super fast long run... And then we walked home from the Peanut after karaoke. So my 17 miles turned into 18 or 19.

I could really use a massage. If only Kent was available before next week...

Hells Ya!

2008-09-27T16:30:00.000-05:00

I ran 3 hours worth of 11:00 miles!!

Wahoo!

Maybe I'm more ready for Chicago than I thought...

Gotta pump myself up for the long run!

2008-09-26T22:41:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow morning... 17 miles... Six a.m.... Leawood trail....

My runs this week were pretty difficult. After my run in the rain, my 9 miler turned into a 7 miler. My legs have just been tired, and I'm so happy that Chicago is flat! I don't think I could handle any hills.

I'm not sure whats going on with my legs though. I cramped so so bad at Redman. T2 was miserable. Laying on the couch tonight, I almost cramped again. Its part in my calf and part in my foot. I have no idea how to stretch it either. At first I was thinking it was from being dehydrated, but I feel like I've been drinking plenty of water. Anyone have any ideas!??!?!

Day(s) of Rest

2008-09-24T09:56:00.004-05:00

While Trish was running this morning, I was sleeping in as instructed. I have to say, I currently don't mind the extra zzz's. Especially on a rainy morning. However, following instructions to not think, read, or talk about tri is a little difficult. Not training for a month is going to be even harder. Unfortunately, if I want my knee/IT bands to be healthy enough to start IMOO training, that's what I'm going to have to do.

Thankfully, I have an awesome training partner who gets to help keep me focused. Not surprisingly, that assistance comes in unexpected ways, like the HotWheels Speed Racer I found waiting for me this morning! Nothing like my IMOO alias (yes, I listed Speed Racer as my occupation on the IMOO entry form) to motivate me to get healthy :)

Rain Runnin'

2008-09-24T08:09:00.006-05:00

If only my run this morning was this romantic....

I felt great starting out. My first run after Redman. Pete was stayin right with me as we conquered the 87th Street hills. A few sprinkles felt great, cooling me and calming me.

When you run at 5:30 am in late September, its like running in the middle of the night. I felt like it was me and Pete alone in the world. It was quiet, peaceful, almost prayerful. I could focus on my breathing and concentrate on my stride. A few cars here and there didn't even break my "chi". When I spotted my "aid station" aka Quik Trip, I stopped for a quick drink and as I exited the downpour began. I don't mind running in the rain, but when you are sopping wet after a few feet and your brand new running shoes are soggy, its not quite as peaceful as you hope.

I cut my 8 mile run short to 5 so I could dry out. Poor Pete didn't like being wet as much as I didn't. And I think he scared the cat when he used the basement carpet as his towel....

Speed Racer/Redman Finisher

2008-09-23T14:57:00.007-05:00

Redman was a blast but first things first - IMOO 2009 is officially official for me! And I have the credit card statement to prove it... ouch. :)

Ok, my first half Ironman - LOVED it! The day started bright and early at 4:30 a.m., with the hotel staff helping my get my pre-race oatmeal and almonds prepared. They even served it on a silver platter, which I found very amusing. After a short, dark drive to the race site with Tim's iPod finally playing appropriate music (no country!), I was body marked, chipped, and getting set up in transition. Unlike the rest of the KCM crew, I only visited Mr. Porta John once. Strange, I know, but we won't get into that. Trish, no comments. Andrea, I know you've got my back on this one :)

It felt like we waited forever to start the race. Standing in the swim corral, I chatted with the KCM group, helped with wetsuits, and watched other athletes go through their own personal pre-race rituals (a very educational experience). After the singing of the national anthem, which will always have a special significance to me after years of soccer, the full ironman distance athletes began their laps. My only thought was, "Thank God I don't have to do that for another year yet!" After accompanying Trish in full-volume renditions of "Eye of the Tiger," the Rocky theme song, and "Pretty Woman," I found myself standing in perfect-temp water with all 80+ women competitors. The gun went off and the swim was on. It took me a 1/4 mile to find my rhythm but the rest of the swim was uneventful - minus sighting a girl with a snorkel and a kick to the ribs from one of the men I caught. Apparently he didn't like the idea of getting chicked.

Coming up out of the water, I was ecstatic to see my time was right where I wanted to be - 42:30. After my first wetsuit stripper experience - best idea ever - I ran into transition completely relaxed and ready to ride. Keeping in mind my future Ironman coach's advice, I took the first 10 miles of the bike relatively easy. Lots of spinning, kept my heart rate low, and got comfortable. After that, it was go time! Given the road surface (hello, vibration!) and my limited training, I'm satisfied with my 3:04 bike time. Grabbing Gatorade bottles and bananas on the go was a new challenge but it's pretty fun!

I slowed up biking around the lake to get my heart rate back down to zone 2. The lake provided a surprisingly pretty landscape coming in to T2. Racking my bike, I could feel my feet cramping and figured the rest of my muscles wouldn't be far behind. So, I popped two Nuuns into my water bottle, ate a banana, and stretched like I was told. It meant a 4:50 transition, but I started the run relaxed and as loose as I was going to get.

Aside from finishing the race, the run is the event of which I am most proud. I finally found the athletic maturity to pace myself properly - my first 6 miles were steady and I walked every aid station, taking in plenty of Gatorade, bananas, and salt to postpone the inevitable muscle cramps as long as possible. Seeing all the KCMers on the course kept me strong, and I used my time at the aid stations to chat with volunteers and keep myself relaxed. I might have stayed a little longer than necessary at the aid station that offered me beer :)

Finally I hit the turn around point and from there I stopped looking at my heart rate moniter. I had roughly a 10K to go and I wanted it to be all out. My knee was killing me - if I stepped every-so-slightly wrong, it gave out or shot pain all the way up into my hip - but I didn't care. I knew who was ahead of me and who was close behind, and it was go big or go home. I chose to go big (as big as I could). After the 9 mile mark, every step I took signified my longest run ever. With 3 miles to go, my legs started cramping, the heat set in, and I began singing my signature "Handlebars" song to keep my mind off the elements. With 2 miles to go, I wanted to slow down, until I remembered that Sept. 20 was the last day I would run for at least a month. A whole month. Before the race, I had talked about leaving every ounce of energy out on that course, and here I was, thinking about slowing down. No way that was happening. Like Dad always said, mind over matter. Forget the heat, forget my heart rate, forget the pain from my knee. Nothing else mattered but crossing the finish line with a time I'd be happy with!

As I reached the athlete parking lots, a volunteer told me I had about 500 yards to go. Heck, I swim 500 yards as a single set in some of my workouts! I let my legs do their own thing from there and I couldn't even feel them as I ran down the red carpet to the finish line. The best part was hearing the announcer tell the crowd I signed up to do Ironman Wisconsin next year and realizing in less than a year from now, I'll be running down the finishing chute of my first Ironman race. Gives me chills :)

I ended up running my first half marathon in 2:12, and finishing my first half Ironman in 6:07:10, only 7 minutes off of my original 6-hour goal when I was healthy. The funny thing is, I never felt like I was out on the course for more than 6 hours. There were so many things going on and so many other athletes to watch for that the time flew! The weekend couldn't have gone better for our entire group (see Trish's post for all our stud finishers). Great friends, great weather, and a great first half Ironman experience... it was the perfect end to my 2008 tri season. Next up - rest, get healthy, then start looking ahead to IMOO 2009!

P.S. Contrary to popular O'Donnell opinion, I DID celebrate with a toast of champagne (not finishing the whole glass does not detract from the celebratory sips I did take), along with Dos Equis, chips and salsa, killer burritos and pizza. I don't think I could have put anything else into my stomach, celebration or not!

Redman Race Recap

2008-09-22T16:51:00.006-05:00

It's had 2 days to set in.

I am a HALF IRONMAN!

Here's the basic race rundown...

We got to Oklahoma City, after a nice lunch at Cafe O'Donnell in Wichita and checked out the bike course, checked in our bikes and checked our sanity at the start line! After some pasta at the Mac Shack, I hit the hay early.

The alarm went off at 4:30 and I was ready to go! With a delicious PBnJ and Gatorade, race prep was in full swing. It seemed like we had to walk forever from our parking spot to transition. Luckily, there were several portapotties near my bike rack. I have never had to use them that much!!! Before I knew it, they were calling us to the swim corral - and my nerves were starting to sink in.

As the women in the pink caps waded into the water, I tried to find a good outside, back spot. I ended up somewhere in the middle and had to fight with a few swimmers on the first half of the loop. The nice thing about Lake Hefner is that that first leg is really shallow - so you can stand up if you freak out! And I don't think I've swam in a cleaner lake! It was great! I hadn't really scoped out the swim course, so I wasn't too sure about the turns. When I saw the second white Red Bull bouy, I thought I still had a long way to go. Bummer. Then I realized it was only about 100 yards. When I stood up - I saw my swim time: 46:53!! About 10 minutes faster than IM Kansas!

I got my first taste of wetsuit strippers. My new favorite thing about triathlon. It was so helpful to get that taken off and run into T1 free and loose! I put on my bike shoes and realized that I had to pee so bad! I should learn how to just do that in the lake, but I couldn't let it go!! So my transition was a little long thanks to my friend Porta John.

On the bike, I took it really easy on the road around the lake to let my legs warm up. Once I made the turn, I started to pick it up. Throughout the bike, I felt really strong. I didn't have my Garmin on, so I wasn't sure how far I'd ridden. There were only 2 mile markers along the entire bike route, so it was hard to gauge my pacing. I don't know that I could have pushed any harder, so I'm very pleased with my 3:18 bike time.

T2 was miserable. After I racked my bike, I went to change shoes and socks - and my feet cramped horribly!!! I've never had any issues with cramping, other than in the pool when I train with my swim fins, so I was shocked, and I didn't really know what to do to alleviate the pain. I could barely get my running shoes on. Many thanks to Nancy and her Pirates Booty!

I had to walk the first .75 of the run to get the cramps out. The Gatorade, water and salt tabs seemed to help though and I picked it up. At about mile 2, I picked up a running buddy! And Lisa was from my hometown as well, so we had plenty to talk about. I think I paced myself pretty well over the 13.1 Over the course, Lisa and I added some other athletes - Ben, Chris, and Jennifer to name a few. That is one of the best things about triathlon: Everyone is so supportive and encouraging! We all just kept each other moving, one step after another, distracting ourselves from the pain in our knees or our sore, blistered feet. With about 3 miles to go, I picked up the pace a bit. I was really feeling it.... tired, sore, THIRSTY!! It was so hot, but I was feeling pretty proud.

As I turned the corner to run down the Redman Red Carpet, I spotted the rest of the KC Multisport crew there cheering me on! Tim, with beer in hand, Chelsea, taking photos, Andrea, high fiving me! Carly and Josh there yelling their support. I finished in 6 hours, 50 minutes and 53 seconds. It was a total PR and pride enstilling moment.

After a few photos and short cool down, we packed up the car and drove to Wichita. For a while there - I felt like CRAP! Like a horrible hangover after an Aggieville pub crawl and shots on the bar at the Pig. I zoned out on my chaffeur for a while (Thanks Josh!) and then all of a sudden - i was ready for some ice cream and french fries - after that I felt like a million bucks!!

We made it to Wichita. And a hot shower took all of the salty grime off of me. Wow. I was disgustingly dirty. It was gross. Then a couple beers, a killer burrito and a couple slices of delicious Knolla's pizza later - we toasted our succcess.

Nothing like a bottle of cheap champagne to say congrats to our Team KCM at Redman. 3 Top 4 Age Group finishes, a Top 20, 6 PRs, 4 first time Half Iron finishers.... Many props to all of us! The race wouldn't have been the same without you all! Too bad Chelsea wouldn't toast with us. Apparently she doesn't believe in champagne to celebrate sweet, sweet victory over the Redman gods.

Here's the numbers:

bib number: 1590
age: 26
overall place: 253 out of 374
division place: 15 out of 21
gender place: 60 out of 89
time: 6:50:53
swim: 46:53
t1: 4:20
bike: 3:18:57
t2: 4:31
run: 2:36:15

number of finishers: 318
number of females: 88
number of males: 230
average time: 6:16:04

En route to Redman!

2008-09-19T07:03:00.002-05:00

As I sit here finishing my yogurt and granola, Chelsea rolls out of bed in awe of the delicious cookies and muffins the President of our Fan Club made for us. (Thanks Jess!) The dogs come in from outside, and I think they might be more excited than we are!! If only they knew they were going to be left with Drew for the weekend. By the way, only these lovable furballs could drink out of the toilet and eat cat poop and still be loved.

Chelsea is ready to go. Its been since June since she raced. And with that competitive nature, she taunts "Let me loose!" Man, how cool would it be for me to beat her?! Of course, I'm only racing myself and my short triathlon history - but since I know she is at a much higher level than me, thats one of those goals that I just don't talk about much. (Except for in our shared blog, I guess!)

For quite some time, it hasn't really felt like I was going to race this weekend. Even as I put in all the training - the long rides and runs in the heat, and lap after lap after lap in the pool, it was such a far-off goal that it didn't really seem real. But now that we are about to load up and caravan down to Oklahoma City - I am so excited. Replace the DNF from IM Kansas 70.3 with a true finish, and medal that means something.

So here's to all our KC Multisport pals that are racing with us tomorrow - GO GET EM! Shake and Bake!!!!!!!!

Photo Opp with Mike Reilly - the Voice of Ironman

2008-09-17T11:35:00.004-05:00

Trish and I feel like pretty big deals right now. We met Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman, at Ironman Wisconsin. This is the man who, on Sept. 19, 2009, will officially declare us Ironmen.

As if that's not cool enough, he emailed Glenn, the godfather of our tri club, to tell him two "beautiful girls" from KCM approached him at the race, and he sent a professional photo of the three of us! Just wait until next year - we'll have a post-Ironman picture to post!

Redman on Saturday!

2008-09-16T16:24:00.004-05:00

Redman is coming up in just a few days! We are so excited. Our first half iron finish!! The DNF at IMKS70.3 for Trish just doesn't count.

The plan is to drive down to OKC Friday morning, with a stop at Hotel O'Donnell in Wichita for delicious sammy's. Then we'll drive the course, check our bikes and carb load!!

For those of you who are "with us in spirit" and not with cowbell in hand, you can follow the race online. Go to http://www.redmantriathlon.com/ and hit the link that reads "Track your athlete" and then they will be asked for a name or bib number. The results are uploaded every three minutes, and are fed to the web after we cross a course timing mat.

So you don't have to search for bib numbers, here's a list of our KC Multisport crew that will be in OKC.

1125 - Brian Evans
1164 - Jared Kuntz
1175 - Steve Strickland
1188 - Tim O'Donnell
1211 - Josh Mohr
1561 - Andrea Villasi
1569 - Carly Farrell
1591 - Chelsea Krohe
1582 - Heather Schulze
1590 - Trish O'Donnell

Cheer us on from cyber space, and watch for the post-race report here on IMooDoU !

Save the Date

2008-09-11T14:22:00.002-05:00

September 13, 2009...

Madison, Wisconsin...

2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run...

Lots of spectators, fans, family and friends to cheer us on...

2 exhausted, satisfied, elated, fulfilled proud athletes

Mark your calendars now, and book your hotel rooms before they sell out! If something comes up before then, you can always cancel your rooms.

I anticpate the next 366 days to be quite the adventure. I know I'll push myself to the limit, probably even beyond. I know I'll be exhausted, injured, tired, sore. I know I will have a very limited social life. But more than anything, I know it will be worth it to cross that finish line in "the city" as my nephews call it. With the capital to my back, and the finishers chute in front of me, I imagine I'll be as proud as I've ever been.

And I want to share that with all the people I care about. You will make it so much more special to me! This is going to be a life-changing experience and adventure - and I want to take you along with me!

I can't wait for this to be me!!

It's Official!

2008-09-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

We have the vouchers and are awaiting the emails so we can fully register, but we are in!!!

Ironman Wisconsin 2009 here we come!!!!