TL;DR: I’m super proud of my race. I’m an official finisher. I didn’t eat enough on the bike. I took 3 gulps of beer on the run. All of the supporters, spectators, coaches, volunteers, triathlon community are amazing, but Adam is still my favorite.
I think I handled most things 2020 dealt me relatively well. I kept training as my brief outlet to get out of the house in the beginning. Then I just liked it, despite running in Texas heat. My Garmin said I was 100% acclimated to heat training at one point (and Garmin never lies). But in November, when Texas 70.3 was cancelled 3 days before the race, I was over it. I wasn’t upset it had been cancelled but mentally I was burned out. I didn’t want to train. I didn’t want to work out. I didn’t want to do anything that resembled any form of exercise. Two weeks off and a mountain bike later, I was feeling somewhat better. But man, those two weeks were DARK. Like, what’s the point of anything, dark. I say this because after completing Teas 70.3 on Sunday, I feel the complete opposite. I feel rejuvenated, euphoric, ready to keep going – once my muscles stop screaming at me and my sunburns fade to golden tans.
I won’t bore you with the history of my triathlon journey, or even the week I had leading up to Sunday so I’ll focus on the race recap as much as I can.
Morning of: Alarm goes off at 3:45, I finally roll out of bed about 3:52. The plan was to leave at 4:15 (which with my crew is never 4:15, but usually about 15 minutes later). I made some coffee, started getting everything out for the cooler, made my waffles, but realized I’d have to sacrifice a breakfast waffle to make waffle sandwiches for the ride. We loaded the kids straight from bed to car and rolled out about 4:28, pretty respectable for us. Of course we stopped at Bucee’s for a quick pitstop which in hindsight – BEST BUCEE’S STOP EVER! Parking was a disaster and we ended up on the other side of Schlitterbahn. It was about 6:05, transition closed at 6:45, I didn’t rush… I didn’t know I should have.
Transition Set Up: Transition was supposed to close at 6:45. Athletes were supposed to remain at their bikes until their swim was called. THEN WHY DID THEY START CALLING SWIM WAVES AT 6:20?!?!?! The first few waves were already gone by the time I even got to my rack. My bike tires were pretty flat which I figured I could pump them up that morning because of all the warnings not to air up your tires overnight and have them pop (I’m terrified of flats because of my lack of basic bike mechanics and inability to change a flat). Anyways, by the time I threw my stuff down and grabbed my wetsuit, it was all I could do to lay out my shoes, find my swim cap and goggles and run to join my wave – at 6:30. All so I could stand along a sidewalk for the next hour, packed in, 6 cm (not feet) apart with 1,900 other athletes.
Swim: I was excited for this. The swim is usually my favorite because I feel like a water baby, especially in the ocean. Even the fact we were jumping off the pier excited me. I would 100% rather jump off a pier, boat, whatever into water than have to wade out. The water was pretty choppy, but not whitecap choppy. I saw Charlotte in a kayak in the first 200 yds. I stopped, waved (because of course I did). Then went about my swim. I was steamrolled a couple of times by people who seriously swam directly on top of me. One guy actually grabbed my shoulders and pushed me underwater like he was leapfrogging over me. I was so confused. What the hell? Seriously? What the hell? What part of this means you should drown other people? Whatever. Baby shark do do do do… just keep swimming. This was probably my “best” swim in that I swam all of it freestyle, I didn’t take a break other than to float a bit to pee (you’re welcome), and given the waves, current, constant run-ins from other swimmers so I kept moving to the outside and swimming further than I should have, I did really well.
T1: What can I say? I’m glad I decided to put on my cycling jersey after the swim because it had all my food in the pockets, it wasn’t hard at all to get on while soaking wet, and it zipped right up. I never had a chance to deal with my tires so it was what it was. I didn’t even have time to mount the bike gear bag to the seat, so I stuffed it in my back pocket and let happen what it will. Everything worked out. I got out, somewhat slow, but I wasn’t in a HUGE hurry given I knew I still had a long way to go.
Bike: So, my tires were partially inflated. But there was a tailwind on the way out. I probably could have gone a bit faster had my tires been up to par. I programmed my watch to remind me to drink every 10 minutes and eat every 7.5 miles (assuming a 16 mph average this is what I’d need to meet my hourly nutrition goals). I ignored the eating but maintained the drinking. I used Nuun Sport Wild Berry with Caffeine. I carried 2 water bottles and refilled them at the water stops, dropping in a new tablet each time after emptying a bottle. It’s amazing what you can do on a bike when you practice maneuvering water bottles and selfies during your regular training rides. The wind back sucked, but I knew that it would be based on experience and the fact there’s always going to be wind on the island. I didn’t eat nearly enough – ½ of a rice cake, 1 ½ waffle sandwiches, and ½ a banana.
T2: I’ll admit I was a bit delirious as I came into T2. The last ½ mile, I couldn’t get my eyes to focus straight but thankfully there was a guy in a bright red jersey to keep me on course. I dismounted without issue and started walking back to my bike. I must have looked pretty out of it because Rachel Olson offered me her water bottle. I didn’t take it because I probably would have dropped my bike. I was so glad to rack it and get out of my bike shoes. I reapplied some sunscreen, switched socks and shoes, grabbed my hat and race belt and ran (hahahaha walked) to run out.
Run: Once I got on the course, I took a few minutes to adjust my belt and find my running legs. I started out too fast. I couldn’t slow down. The atmosphere was so pumped from all the other runners, the finish line being right there as you started, so much crowd support. I’m thankful for all the spectators that showed up and Moody Gardens letting people congregate freely to support the runners. I’m especially thankful for Ron giving me a few gulps of beer in that first mile to help replenish all the carbs I didn’t eat on the bike. By the time I finished the first, of three, laps, I was toast. After mile 5, and another gulp of beer thanks to Hannah, I made a deal with myself to finish the remaining miles under 15 minutes. Surely, I could walk a 15 minute mile? LMAO. No. I could not walk a 15-minute mile.
But what I could do is power walk a 16-minute mile, then run a little bit here and there to get the overall mile itself under 15 minutes. And that’s exactly what I did. Until Mile FREAKING 11, which was up and over a hill, through a barren wasteland kickball obstacle spartan desert (whatever word, you pick) and then down an empty alley way with absolutely nothing but the sun. But it’s cool. I got through it. Mile 12 was pretty slow too. But Mile 13? That’s when I knew this was in the bag. I allowed myself to walk the hills, run the downhills, stick to tangents on a wavy course, I walked a bit which let Hiram catch up to me for the last .25, I caught the woman that had been condescending to me on the bike (or maybe she was supportive but it came out wrong), and OMG I got all the goosebumps as I got on that carpet, hands up, finishing with what I hope is the biggest finish smile I’ve ever had.
Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t call out my husband, Adam. He has been my biggest supporter throughout all of this. Even when things were DARK or when I flat out wanted to sit on the couch and not work out AT ALL, he would say nice things to me to try to get me to go. He spent countless hours keeping the kids in check so I could work out for hours on end. He was there all day with the kids in tow, and even handed me beer on that third and final lap.
Additional thanks to everyone who has encouraged or helped coach me along the way, especially my family, James with BC Fitness, Scott with Journey Multisport, Erika the bestest friend forever, Charlotte French and the “ladies of Journey Multisport, Brad and the other CMOBsters from Cypress Multisport Blender, Katie and Cody and the rest of Mind Over Matter helping me dig deep and silence the enemy within – and out – and of course all those anonymous, and some not quite anonymous, athletes on social media channels for going on there and posting their photos, inspiring others like myself to get out there, shut up, and do the damn thing!
Instead of writing what should have been my Ironman Wisconsin race recap, I have a rogue race recap.
Journey Multisport had a group of triathletes gather at a fellow team member’s house around 6 am, I’m sure to the pleasure of the neighbors. We milled around for a bit with an unofficial transition zone – some people set up using a provided bike rack, others like myself, chose to leave the bikes on the back of our cars. We biked over to the dock of the lake for a course review. I was relieved because most of the Facebook chatter had been about the Olympic distance course, but I resigned myself to the Sprint. Go figure I would show up to a race without any idea about course direction.
The swim was ok. Honestly, I would probably be better if I swam open water more. I love swimming in clear water – as I think most people do. But when the visibility is so low you can’t see your hand in front of your face, ugh. I tried to think about my stroke and really pushing myself through the water but then I would be over not seeing anything, even with sighting, so I would switch to breaststroke. I managed to keep up with the pack which was my main goal since there had been an alligator sighting earlier in the week.
I did not run out of transition so despite being 3rdout of the water, I was 4th out of transition. I also had to get help from another teammate to cut the duct tape I used to secure my shoes on my feet. My dogs had eaten one of my bike shoes in the weeks leading up to the event and despite purchasing 2 new pairs of cycling shoes, I did not love them enough to keep them. Apparently, I have mountain biking shoes (who knew ?!) but they have worked for 13 years and I want something similar. I am sure they have to be out there, but for now, duct tape works.
The bike felt fast, but then I was passed by guys doing 20+ mph. I was holding steady around 17 – 18 mph on the way out. I even got to pass somebody putting me back in 3rd. In true form there was a headwind coming back. I still kept it above 16 so I finished with an average pace of 16.9. Considering earlier in the year, I was pushing HARD to hit a 16 mph average pace, I was really happy with it. Also this wasn’t a closed course so I had a few red lights which also reduced my speed a few times.
I took a bit longer in T2 than desired namely because a) I forgot my water bottle for the bike (we biked to the lake when I realized I left it behind) b) I racked and locked my bike on the back of the jeep. Since I hadn’t taken in anything besides an Eggo waffle and ½ a bottle of Nuun for breakfast, I took a Huma gel and some sips off the Nuun I was supposed to have on my bike. While it was only a sprint, I hate feeling like I am out of energy so I’d rather fuel to be safe than sorry.
The run was going well. I could see the woman I passed shortly behind me – probably less than 1/10th of a mile the entire time. I thought for sure she was going to speed up since running is my slowest discipline of the three. At Mile 1.5 there was an ice chest with the perfectly balanced frozen water bottle that was the right ratio of frozen slush and water. I grabbed one and carried it with me for the rest – again, not having brought anything with me. I could still see the other runner just over my shoulder, but even though I was tired and in serious need of a bathroom, I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Somehow I still had some biscuits left to burn and was able to finish and keep that number 3 spot.
Now granted there were only 5 of us doing the sprint, I finished THIRD. If I really wanted to brag about it – I was also the FIRST overall female. Right? Anyways, this was fun and who knew I could have a slightly competitive spirit I never knew about. I’ve always resigned myself that I’m a back of the packer but for once I got to be the winner of a super creepy bobblehead trophy.
Thanks to the Journey Multisport team for pulling this together complete with a race photographer, photos courtesy of Digital Knight Productions, and the post-race feast/party with a generous potluck of breakfast tacos, tequila-infused watermelon, water, beer, and doughnuts. Excited to go back out next weekend for my usual bike route, complete with a kolache stop!
Last Saturday I finally tackled a distance that has been haunting me – the 70.3. This is going to be quite a long read, but it’s not like there are other race recaps to read lately (haha).
You may recall I attempted my first 70.3 in July 2013. I threw myself into training as a coping mechanism dealing with the miscarriage of my first pregnancy. A few days before the race I wasn’t feeling well but didn’t’ want to chuck it up to race day nerves. Sure enough, I was pregnant with English. I didn’t tell Adam, but he knew something was off as my usual race prep was off – no margarita the night before, lack of sugar free Red Bull (my vice at the time). After a grueling swim in Lake Michigan and throwing up everything I ate on the bike, I did not attempt the run out of fear.
For five years, I planned doing a triathlon in Mexico in 2015, and we embarked to Cozumel with the family in tow – English, then 18 months old, Adam, my parents, Adam’s parents, Trisha, Erika, the Wijnbergs… It was a party! There were a few hiccups with some last-minute flight changes, email glitches that my bike ended up in Lake Tahoe and not Cozumel, losing the bike tent and scrambling at the last minute to make check-in because we couldn’t FIND my bike, let alone cramming it in a tiny Mexican taxi to get from T2 back to T1…. But on race day, things fell into place. The swim was AMAZING, like a 1.2-mile snorkel trip. The bike was hot and windy but bearable. Then there was the run. The heat, the humidity, the lack of shade… and then there were blisters on my feet the size of the island. And I’m not kidding. Like the entire top half of my foot, in between my toes all massive blisters within blisters. At the turn around, my sister and I called it quits (she did the swim and run while Gerrit / Sam rode the bike).
Fast forward to 2019…. I have a stress fracture, so I agree to relay Ironman Texas 70.3 with some ladies and opt for the swim – my strongest of the 3 disciplines. One of my team members is training for Ironman Texas and her coach wants her to swim. No problem, I’ll bike. 
That turned out to be a BIG problem as a tropical storm with hurricane like wind, hail, lightning all of it hit the course as I was approaching Mile 45. I have never been more scared for my life. It was all I could do to stay upright and not get hit by lightning, debris, barricades, cars, or other bikers. I was pulled off the course at Mile 54 AFTER the worst of the storm passed.
But this weekend? This weekend I did it. I completed the entire 1.2-mile swim in a pool – only my third time in the pool since March. Sure, pool swims are “easy” but it is mind-numbingly boring and then every 25 yards, you’re going back against your own current.
I did run out of the pool area to the transition area, AKA my jeep, where Erika met me for the 56-mile bike ride.
She got a flat around mile 12, and then another flat around mile 12.25. Our sag support, AKA Adam and James, picked her up while I continued. They dropped her off at Mile 20, so we could ride out the remaining 36 miles. The last 15 miles felt like they were completely against the wind. I was EXHAUSTED. Erika kept telling me “you’re almost done,” at which point I threatened to push her off her bike because I still had to run afterwards.
No surprise here, but I fell apart on the run. I think I struggled with my bike nutrition/hydration and fell behind which did not bode well for running 13.1 miles in 90+ degree heat. I was constantly thirsty – like CRAVING water. At one point an orange sounded phenomenal, so Adam who was no longer sag support, but our run aid station, ran out to get some oranges. And when I FINALLY got the orange at Mile 7, it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. Like trade my wedding cake for the orange delicious. I hate to admit that I walked most of the first 7 miles. Lesley and James were with me and kept imploring me to run trying to first settle into a rhythm (wasn’t happening), then trying to run/rest between different landmarks (somewhat happening but not really).
After the orange/water stop at Mile 7, I tried running 1 minute, walking 1 minute. It was doable for the 3 miles loop back to the aid station. With 3 miles to go, my legs started cramping up. Even 1:1 intervals seemed too much at one point. I knew I was going to get it done, but a lot of the fight had left. Even the idea of running .25 miles at the end seemed like an impossible task. I walked, and occasionally jogged, my slowest half marathon to date. But – that means I finished the 13.1 which is something I’ve not done ever before which means I COMPLETED A 70.3.
The day would not have been possible without a lot of people – Adam for providing support both throughout the entire day as sag, grocery store runner, coke zero getter, aid station, clean up, but also during this entire journey. There are plenty of mornings I’m out of the house before anyone wakes up but then 3-4 hours later, the entire house is bustling with activities. Our kids are a handful, so he allows me the time to get away and get in the training.
James coordinated most of the day. He showed up before 7 am, rode with Adam for the bike, and then walked my zombie pace for the run. He’s also helped me find my way back to me. Since completing the Houston Marathon in 2016, I had a series of setbacks – torn knee, high risk bed rest mandated pregnancy, lack of motivation, increased weight gain, inconsistent training, stress fracture that wouldn’t heal, near death hospitalization. I started working with James summer of 2019. The weight is slowly coming off. I’m stronger than I’ve been in years. I’ve adapted to a new style of injury-free (usually) running while being able to actually perform on race day. He’s also a source of positive motivation. During our “walk,” he reminded me that last year I didn’t perform running a 10k in October but then crushed it running a half marathon a few months later. Plus, he lets my kids wreak havoc while I workout on Fridays.
My mom graciously took my kids for the day on Saturday. They made a finish line sign for me and met me at the end. There was no medal for this day, but there were my kids eager to hug me and their arms around my neck is better than any $300 fabric with a paperweight. She also took them to the Y AND a play space to burn off energy which was great for after the race as they were tired and happy to just chill with me for the evening.
Erika joined me not only for the 56-miles on Saturday, but many early mornings, afternoon, and evening bike rides throughout George Bush Park, Terry Hershey, the Beltway and I-10 feeder roads. Some days she really didn’t want to, but with enough begging and continuous phone calls, I managed to get her back on her bike. She rides more than I do now!
Lesley joined in for the run. And while she’s fast compared to my abysmal pace, she stayed with me and encouraged me to keep on moving. #ForwardIsAPace Lesley is one of the reasons I believed in myself to even attempt this Ironman journey. She finished Ironman Texas and has always had a positive outlook on what can be done. Her positive energy fed into my own ideas that this is something I can do. I’m glad she was able to join me on the run and talk me through the struggles for not only the day, but what I can expect in September.
Final thank to the #BCFitFam and Champions Running Association who came out with signs, finish line, and cheer station at the end so I wasn’t simply “run back the jeep and go home.” They were there with noise and fanfare and I really appreciate it. I’m a pretty shy runner – though I’m trying to come out of that shell – so having some people show up really meant a lot.
Now that it’s done, and I can say I’ve FINALLY completed a 70.3, I am more focused on the work I need to do so it doesn’t take 4 attempts to complete an Ironman. I will become one. #AnythingIsPossible
I do a majority of my workouts alone and in the dark. Unless you count a stray dog running loose, or a lifeguard sitting across the pool, I’m often left to work out by myself. I don’t mind it. In fact, it works for me because then I don’t feel the burden of screwing up somebody else’s training. I can do what I need to do for me, without having to wonder am I going fast enough, slow enough, is this weird, will they care about my failed snot rocket attempt?
But the other day I was listening to a podcast from a triathlon coach retelling the triumph of one his athletes at the end of Ironman Texas. It was starting to look questionable if she would meet the midnight cutoff. The tracker had her about 8 minutes after, so he decided to look for her. Once he found her, she was struggling so he encouraged her, stayed by her side (shush all the naysayers “no outside help”), and tried to get her to a pace where she would finish in time. Ultimately, she had 8 minutes to finish 0.6 miles when he told her she couldn’t walk anymore and needed to get it done. The tracker had her estimated finish as 12:00:01 which would still be a DNF. She finished with 1 minute, 13 seconds to spare.
This last week, actually this entire month, has been a huge struggle bus, but I know I’m not on this ride alone. I could not do this without the support from Adam who helps with the kids – whether that’s getting them ready in the morning, picking them up in the evenings, entertaining them on the weekends – and allows me the time to get in workouts, regardless of their duration. He also does a lot of the cooking because I am usually hungry but too tired to cook. We do try to meal prep and plan out a lot of things that can be thrown together quickly, and I am so thankful he’s the one throwing them together.
My kids are the best cheer squad, hands down. I slip out in the mornings before they’re awake, but when I come home, the house is usually bursting with activity. Whether it’s my daughter yelling “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” as she runs into my sweaty arms, or my son saying, “Finally! You’re home, can we go run together now?”, they are constant reminders that I am setting an example of exercise, health, and commitment. While I’ve never considered a “why” for triathlon other than something I want to do (and let’s face it – look better naked), they always show me they’re picking up on the things they see me do. And shaping their lives for physical fitness and activity is so much better than having them buried in the screens all day – which they get a full dose of that too. But at least I can break it up a bit and show them that sweat and exercise can be as fun as watching other kids play with toys.
My mom has encouraged me since I was playing sports as a child. She has always pushed me to dig deeper and center myself, knowing there is more talent and capability than what I think possible. She is the reason 98% of my race bibs say “GRASSHOPPER” because it’s a name she’s called me since 1996 when I needed to focus and do the work. I suppose I had outgrown “Robinski” by that age. It’s something I can think about while the minutes, miles, and hours tick by.
There are countless other people who see me better than I see myself. I do not think I would have committed to longer distances, but rather mucked around in the sprint/oly world if I did not have inspiring friends and mentors. The list is longer now, but it includes friends, coaches, former bosses, and online triathletes, that have all given me the inspiration to believe this is possible for myself. Seeing their achievements, and hearing their words of encouragement really make me think I will do this.
When I’m struggling and I’m going to that place come race day, alone and in the dark, I’ll have their words to remind me:
I am not alone.
My kids, and others, see my light.
I can do this. I will do this. I am doing this.
Was hoping to have a #MedalMonday post, but I’ve never been one to follow the crowd. 10KTuesday will have to do.
This weekend I ran the Toughest 10K Galveston. It is Race 2 of a 3 race series, culminating in a half marathon in November. It is one of my favorite events of the year. The team at Running Alliance Sports do so an amazing job from the registration costs ($100 for 2 10ks AND a half marathon – TOTAL!), swag, and the best post race finishes. They also provide proceeds and fundraising for the events to a local charity, Bridge Over Troubled Water, which provides shelter and assistance to domestic and sexual violence victims and families.
The drive to Galveston early on a Saturday is never my favorite, especially with two kids in the car, but I was somehow able to wake up, get dressed, walk the dogs, and get on the road by 4:50 am. The roads close at 6:30 with the parking lot closing at 6:45 am so the early wake up call is a necessity. I also like to leave a little extra cushion time for a bathroom and kolache stop at Bucee’s. Though in hindsight, I might wait until AFTER the race next time for the kolache.
There are two options for parking at the race. You can make an additional $25 donation to Bridge Over Troubled Water and park at the race site, or you can park at a strip center a few miles down the road and take a bus to the site. The start/finish are at the same spot, so if you bus to the start, you’ll bus back after the race. I’m willing to make the donation and park across the street. Plus that means no waiting in lines and riding back in a sweaty seat after the race.
The start was pretty awesome. The sound system kept cutting out during the national anthem, so everybody in the crowd started singing along. Then we were off.
The game plan was to keep my heart rate mid-140s. I wasn’t trying to actually race this or give it an all out effort. This was going to be a training run in preparation for January’s Aramco Half Marathon. I stayed within the zone for about 5 minutes. Then I focused on really trying to go easy. This was the first of four years I was able to run the entire distance of the Galveston Causeway Bridge up and over without walking. I slowed at the aid station and walked a huge portion of Tiki Island to get my heart rate back under control.
I tried running again getting back on the bridge, but my heart rate did not want to cooperate. I decided to take on speed walking so at least I wasn’t lollygagging at the back. About half way up the bridge, I gave it a go again and made it to the top. You’d think I would be thrilled to have speed running down, but I didn’t. My legs were heavy. I was having a pity party that I had walked so much on the way up. I was annoyed. But something magical happened as I was coming off the bridge.
I decided that rather than give in to negativity (I’m slow, I can’t run anymore, I can’t keep my heart rate down), I told myself only positive thoughts. I told myself I could make it to the aid station after the bridge. It wasn’t THAT far and come on, heavy legs? What did I think I’d have coming off a bike ride and trying to run a marathon? I can push through this. So what I did 96 squats the day before. I can DO this. When I got to the aid station, I splashed some water on my head (It was a brisk 90o October morning), and kept going. But I also tried to rally the people around me. I kept finding people and rather than “picking them off,” I talked to them. I told them that we were so close, it was time to run. I told them they could do it. By being positive with myself and others, I picked up my pace. And I’m not talking a few seconds. My last mile was my third fast mile. The last quarter mile was nearly 3 minutes faster than my average pace. At one point I did get tired during that last 1.25 mile stretch from the bridge, but by that point I’d feel pretty silly if I slowed down, so I picked it up. My heart rate was shot, but my positive thinking really got me through.
This race wasn’t my fastest time, nor was it supposed to be. It did teach me a lot about positive thinking and being able to turn around a negative mind hole. And for that, I’m really excited. I know the speed will come. My runs have all been fairly limited to no more than 6-miles since September. I’m recovering from a weird fascia soreness that was presenting like a stress fracture. I’m confident in my progress, both running and mentally. I can’t wait to do this series next year and see where my fitness can come back into play.
Do something every day that scares you… Well, I’ve done something “scary” and I feel like even though it’s 49 weeks away, it looms over me everyday.
What is it, you may ask? I have finally registered for an Ironman.
For years I told myself I couldn’t possibly do one. I struggled through marathons at a snail’s pace – or even slower. I bonked on 70.3 distances not once, but twice, never fully completing the run. So why now?
Because I’m no longer filling myself with doubt and negativity. I faced setbacks from knee injuries, high risk pregnancy, life-threatening infections, and I’m still here to write this today. I’m still here to register for an Ironman.
I have started to fill my corner with individuals who focus on the positive. I’ve been influenced by mentors at work who have shown me what is possible. I have friends who have conquered the distance and have demonstrated it can be done. I have a job that requires me to promote health and wellness activities and encourages participation in such events by sharing accomplishments globally. I stalk people on Instagram, following not only individual accounts, but hashtags of #triathlon #ironman #IMWI. I have two amazing kids who look up to me and talk about “mommy’s races.” I have an unbelievably supportive husband, who even through my so-called failures, still sees me as a success.
So I’ve done it. I’ve planned my 35th birthday in Madison, WI to punch and kick my way through Lake Monona, attack the hills of Verona (not Italy), and bask in the glory of the finish line on the steps of the capitol that is Ironman Wisconsin.
Over the last few months, I’ve started working with a trainer who has helped me build consistency in my workouts. We have mapped out a plan for the next 49 weeks and what each training block looks like essentially. Right now, it’s all about consistency and aerobic fitness. And of course, obsessing over everything like the planner that I am.
This weekend I played rough. And I have the scrapes and cuts and bruises to prove it. My mom did too.I crashed her running group so I could get in a 9-mile run. I also didn’t have a vehicle so it worked out that I could carpool with her to the run and the gym afterwards. Around Mile 2, there was a nasty buckle in the sidewalk and she went down hard. Granted it was not even 6 am so it was quite dark. She’s a trooper though and she got up and kept going. I went on ahead since she decided to drop down to a 7-mile run, but still. You guys, my mom is a beast!
My run was pretty crappy after that, but I definitely do not blame her. I totally agree with her for listening to her body. I dropped pace and tried to enjoy it, but it was so freaking hot, even that early in the morning. Combined with the humidity, the traffic, the uneven – and sometimes missing – sidewalks, I was just not feeling it. I gave myself a break and walked more than I should have between miles 5 and 7. I figured it was good to practice walking since I’ll probably have to walk a bit of the race NEXT MONTH. I ran the last 2 miles, trying to match my beginning pace. It was work, but I managed to be close to it for Mile 8 and on pace for Mile 9.
Afterwards, we went to the gym. I got in a swim workout while my mom recovered in the hot tub, tried to simulate the mass that is OWS/race swimming (think splashing and jumping around in front of me), and then she switched over to the aqua-aerobics class where she encouraged everyone else to splash (and hit) me. After my swim, it was time for E’s swim lessons. He did much better this week than last, but it’s pretty much the same thing week over week. Hopefully he’ll get comfortable with it all. At least we’ll have a foundation built, and hopefully some better pool comfort, by the time we go to Mexico.
Sunday is where the weekend went downhill. I started my bike ride around my neighborhood, out on to the streets. I rode over to the park. After the first 12 miles, we connected with a joining park. I had to cross a busy street (Highway 6) so I was rushing to cross before the light changed. I was booking across the intersection, but the path head is built to discourage such speed. Now I know why. I took what I thought was a paved path around the small gated access, but no. I found myself in 2-inch thick loose gravel. On top of that, there was about a 5-inch rough asphalt ledge to get on to the path. Within seconds, I was on my side, bike on top of me, covered in gravel, dirt, and blood. Some runners asked if I was ok. It took a few minutes, but I got up and back on my bike. I think Adam was a bit worried based on the amount of dirt/blood and the fact I told him I was trying really hard to fight back tears.
After another 5 miles, I gave in to the pain. I didn’t want to go any further. I tried calling for a ride, but only got voicemails. Finally I called my girlfriend who was about 2 miles away, and she let me come over so I could clean up and relax until I could get a ride home. Needless to say, I looked like a hot mess.
I showered and ran some errands – after a good nap, naturally. Then it was time for my next adventure – a soccer game. My new name was Kristin and I did ok. I took a nasty fall during one of my first few touches and ended up cutting my OTHER knee. Basically, I look like my twelve year old self when my nickname was Bruiser Chick. Only this time, I was giving the bruises to myself.
One last (sappy) note before I leave for now. My friend’s 30th birthday would have been this Wednesday. My 30th birthday is exactly 30 days later. Unfortunately, she passed away on my 14th birthday. I see all these “30 before 30 lists” and I thought to myself… If I start with an act of kindness on her birthday, that will give me 30 acts by my birthday. I compiled my list and I’m excited to follow through on it. Day 1 will begin Wednesday and I already have the perfect act picked out. I’m hoping to post everything to Twitter/Instagram so if you want to see what I’m up to, feel free to follow me on there if you don’t already.
I hope everybody has a great week!
First week of training is in the books. I finished 6 of 9 workouts. I only missed one of each so I figure that’s still a win. Yes, I could have hit 9 for 9, but on the other side, I could have stayed on the couch. So I’m ok with my progress.
Despite attending a few spin classes and indoor tris, it was weird getting back on my bike again. For my first bike workout, I tried using the trainer in the driveway. It felt awkward and I really just wanted to ride. So I got off the trainer and did some loops around my neighborhood. I missed my second bike workout because my little man was sick with something and would not let go of me for ANYTHING. Even at 8:30 pm, I tried to get out on the bike and he was having none of it. So I let it go. My weekend ride was an event. I didn’t plan ahead and ask somebody to watch E, so I was either going to have to ride alone or find a solution so that Adam could ride with me. My solution was a bike trailer. So we traipsed over to Target and bought all the things a trailer. Then we had to unload everything, assemble the trailer, and then find a way to fit: 2 bikes, a bike trailer, E in his car seat, and 2 adults. We obviously don’t have a bike carrier or this would be a no brainer. So we ended up throwing the bikes in my Wrangler, and Adam took E and the carrier in the Cherokee. I’m pretty sure there’s a better way, but this was the way we did it.
We arrived at the park around 12-ish and then had to assemble the bikes and attach the trailer to my bike. I figure that pulling a trailer will really only help in the long run – much like drag shorts help a swimmer get faster when they change in to a speedo come race day. Or no? Either way, I managed 15 of what felt like the hardest miles in about 1:04. It’s not great by any means. But I was out there and doing it so I mark it in the win column.
I managed to run my 4 miles on Wednesday which happened to also be National Running Day. I met with my mom’s running group at a running trail (a path along esplanades) and ran with them. Adam and even showed up with E and the stroller! The group was running to a certain street and back. I was running 4 miles. Needless to say, I ran about twice as long as they did so when we got back, people were worried something happened to us. Nevertheless, it was a muggy, hot, and under-nourished 4 miles that felt like forever. We finished with a black bean burger for me and a bacon burger for Adam. E ate the sweet potato fries and managed to get handfuls of mayonnaise in his hair. And of course, we washed it down with some Shiner (me) and Bud Light (Adam).
Sunday’s run started out later than anticipated and rather than a running trail, I just did it in my neighborhood. It was hot. It was muggy. It was sunny. I’m filling out my triathlon tan well. Unfortunately, my sports bra does not have the same cut as the cycling/tri top I wore on Saturday. Despite my best attempt at spraying sunscreen on my back, I managed to get a sunburn. Of course it’s right under my sports bra I used for running. Joy. I’m pretty sure I sweated out to my DMV weight on that run too. Gross. So gross.
There’s not much to say about the swimming other than I woke up early during the week and swam my laps at the pool 2 of the 3 days I was supposed to swim. I missed Sunday’s swim because timing and I had a LOOOOOOOOONG weekend to do list that I still didn’t manage to finish.
Lastly, I posted this photo saying this was how I was coping with my mom-guilt during tri-training.
I get that I’m very much an “attachment parent.” I never intended to be. But until that little boy came in to my world, I didn’t intend for a lot of things that I later just accepted. Anyhow, since I have to leave him Monday – Friday for work, I really cherish the evenings and weekends we get to spend together. It makes it hard sometimes to then leave him at home to go back to the gym after a long day at work, or leaving him early in the morning on the weekend for a race. I’m not sure if stay-at-home-moms feel the same way since a lot of them seem so thankful for some quiet, alone time. But I feel like I get a lot of that between my one hour (each direction) daily commute, or the 8-5 hours I spend at the office. It used to be that I could get my runs and spinning in during my lunch hour. But I recently (ok, 4 weeks ago) took a new job that no longer has a gym attached to it – or even a convenient one nearby. So that leaves me to pull a bike trailer, push a stroller, or just get over it during those early morning pool laps. Maybe it gets easier to leave him behind, but for now he’s just so much fun that I like having him along for the journey.
So what’s on tap for this week?
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes w/ 6×30-second hard efforts scattered
Wednesday: Swim 850 yards, to include 10 x 25 sprints with 20 second rest ALSO – run 4 miles with 4×10 second hill repeats
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate; 5 minutes hard
Friday: Swim 850 yards, to include 4 x 100 sprints with 15 second rest ALSO – run 4 miles
Saturday: Bike 25 miles
Sunday: Run 7 miles; Swim 1000 yards
Today (okay, yesterday. I drafted this yesterday but am only getting around to posting today) officially starts my training for Cozumel 70.3, but tomorrow (today) is when it really starts since today is actually a rest day. Mondays are going to be my only rest days for the next 4 months, even though there’s the saying “Never skip a Monday.”
This past weekend I ran the RunHouston! Clear Lake 10k. Thanks to the recent storms we had, the run started with a muggy temp of 71. I felt fortunate to not be running Zooma Annapolis this year where the starting temp was 91. Yikes! After a disaster of a 10k earlier this month – I ended up walking from mile 2-5.75 pretty much – I didn’t have high hopes for this run. I ran 2 miles during the week and that felt like a struggle, mind you I was coming off a sinus infection. I just didn’t have any heart in my run.
After the national anthem and drone fly over – I guess this is a thing to expect at races now? – I started off with my mom. We both agreed to a 5/1 interval. The first mile was crowded with 5k and 10k runners, walkers, strollers, all mixed together. We were all supposed to be in one lane so traffic could occupy the other lane. That pretty much didn’t happen.
Normally I would be annoyed, but based on the amount of people, I don’t see how the race organizers thought we would all fit in one lane. Maybe if they staggered the starts for the 10k and 5k? After the 1.5 miles, the 5k turned around and the 10k looped through a park and the foot traffic definitely lightened up. There were some hawks flying overhead which was neat to see.
We stayed with 5/1 until I got close to mile 4 and decided I would extend the walk to the 4 mile mark. So far we were averaging about a 12 minute/mile pace. Not the greatest, but I was still moving. My mom went ahead. I basically had to sprint to catch up to her. She left me again around mile 5. Not to worry. I passed her about a quarter mile to the finish. I saw what I believed to be the finish line and picked up my pace.
As I got closer, people were shouting, “This is not the finish line! Keep running! You have to go around the turn!” I felt like an idiot because I was almost spent by now. But somehow I was able to still pick up the pace and pass one more woman in the finish line chute. I finished about 5 minutes faster than the other week so I guess that’s something. But I definitely didn’t PR or have any great sense of accomplishment.
Honestly, I really only wanted the space man medal that was given to all the finishers. But hey, it must have been cool enough to get me out of bed and running 6.2 miles yesterday morning.
So, now that you know what I did, here’s what I have coming up this week:
Tuesday: Bike 40 minutes w/ 4×30 second hard efforts scattered
Wednesday: Swim 800 yards, to include 8×25 sprints with 20 seconds rest ALSO – run 4 miles, moderate pace with 2 10 second hill sprints
Thursday: Bike 40 minutes moderate
Friday: Swim 800 yards, to include 3 x 100 yards with 20 seconds rest ALOS – run 4 miles moderate pace
Saturday: Bike 20 miles
Sunday: Run 6 miles, Swim 800 yards
This past weekend I participated in the Spa Girl Triathlon at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort. This is also the same location for Zooma Texas. I absolutely love this hotel. They always have a variety of activities, even when there’s not a race.
The triathlon was a super sprint – a 300m swim, 10 mile bike ride, and a 2 mile run.
The swim was interesting in that it was the pool’s lazy river, minus the jets. I was in the first group to go based on my 100 yd time. It was a solo start, meaning that even though I was in the first group, we had to line up single file, walk down the steps of the pool/river, wait for them to input our number in to the timing system, THEN we could swim. We were strongly encouraged to stay to the right to make room for faster swimmers behind us. Some people didn’t care to heed this advice, so I passed along the right loads of times. There were even a few spots where I randomly felt some current start pulling me along. My swim ended up being 6:36, which I was pretty ok with.
I ran in to transition. We didn’t have assigned spots, so I convinced my mom that we should rack up as close to the bike out as possible, that way we didn’t have to run with our bikes as far. Other people strategized of putting their bikes closer to the swim in/run out, but that’s for them to prefer. Our position worked out well. I was able to get in and out of T1 in two minutes. The bike course was tough. Sure, last time I actually biked for any measurable distance was Racine 70.3 2013. But the hills here gave the Capitol View Triathlon course a (short) run for its money. The service road was the first tough hill for me. It was just was long gradual slope that never seemed to end. Finally as we turned off the service road, there was a decent downhill. Then it was flat for the next 2 miles. We then had to come up that decent downhill. I don’t mind rolling hills. I hate hills from a flat start – if that makes any sense. The remainder of the course was rolling hills so I made sure to use the downhills to my advantage. My all-time max speed is 38 mph on a bike, and I doubt I hit that so I had no concerns. I saw several people braking on downhills and I felt badly for them as I passed. You need the speed people to get up the next hill!!! There was one last really tough hill around mile 7 (? Sounds good so I’ll go with it). A lot of people walked that one. I granny-geared it and managed to stay on my bike, pedaling along.
Once I turned back on the service road, I took a Gu energy. All I had so far was a measly 10 oz of a protein shake and some powerade. I figured it couldn’t hurt to have some extra fuel to go the last bit. Finally at T2 I racked my bike. WORST T2 EVER. Seriously. I was 661 overall for my T2 time. And here’s why:
1. My hair got stuck in my helmet. Then it was knotted when I tried to roll it in to my “run bun.”
2. My running shorts were knotted so I had to un-knot them before I could get them on. I am still not comfortable running in my bike shorts which are the equivalent of shorty compression shorts.
3. I forgot to untie my running shoes so I had to un-tie and then re-tie those as well.
4. My watch never found satellites. Finally I said screw it and just ran with it on a stopwatch.
5. I walked to the run/out to help my legs recover from the bike.
Finally on the run, I managed to convince myself that I was going to at least follow a 5/1 interval for the 1st mile. When I saw the photographer, I was running so I smiled. He was grumpy and told me he was done taking my photo so I could walk and stop smiling. Rude much?! Whatever. The 1st water stop was just at my 2nd interval so I figured I was right around 12 min/mile. I grabbed some water and started running again. A woman passed me, but then started walking. At my next walk interval, I had already caught up to her. We started talking. She said she would try to run with me when I ran again. We took off, chatting along. We were about 90 seconds shy of a walk break when she said she was ready to walk. I told her to push on for 90 seconds. Then we rounded the final turn of the golf course to the finish and I told her she could make It, not to walk. She stayed with me. But then I saw this woman I really wanted to pass and there was downhill, so I sprinted off and finished ahead of her. Take that! Somehow I finished with my stopwatch reading 23:35 so I figured a negative split since my first mile was around, if not over 12 minutes.
Overall, my time was 12 minutes faster than my anticipated goal. I hoped to run the 2 miles in 25 minutes, but obviously beat that at 23:35. My bike time was 41 minutes, around 14 mph which I was ok with considering lack of training and hills. I really had a lot of fun and felt really strong at the finish. It was reassuring that I can do this whereas so many times I just feel exhausted and defeated at the end of a race. This was also the first time in perhaps ever that more people finished AFTER me than AHEAD of me. It pays to be in the 1st swim group!
So now back to marathon training. I will be going at it solo for awhile as my running partner is going to be out of commission due to surgery. But he’s ok and will return to training as soon as he’s able. Here’s this week’s workouts:
Monday: 3 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: Cross train
Thursday: 1 mile warm up, 3 mile tempo, 1 mile cool down
Friday: 3 miles
Saturday: 12 miles
I’m somewhat exhausted just typing that, and I know it’s only going to get worse as the miles get longer.
Your Pace or Mine? 