Weekend of the Longests

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!

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

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!