Since Ironman Florida I feel as if I have been sitting on a beach sipping Mai Tais.  What I mean by that is my internal fire to train has been fleeting if non-existent. 

I’ve been feeling a bit jealous of those who did late season Ironmans and are cranking right along already!  Granted, some of them have early season IMs on the horizon.

Me, not so much!  I am doing some workouts, not doing others…..and usually it’s in lieu of hanging out and being social!  With the holidays and my upcoming trip (I leave today) to Guatemala, I get on a roll and then….choose to be social over a training session. 

I got some perspective on that the other day.  It was like- BAM! - one of those moments of clarity.  I realized that in the last 3 years I never had time to be social unless it was on a bike ride.  With training for two Ironmans, my Dad being ill, and my having that dang Adrenal Fatigue, I spent a lot of time Not socializing.  And now, it’s like I found this new inner social diva who is just screaming to be out and enjoying  friends!  (Tri and non-tri friends).

So what’s a  triathlete to do????? 

I’ve decided to give myself a break and not beat myself up.  It’s still only January and my “A” race isn’t until September. 

I’m going to allow myself to have fun and enjoy my time in Guatemala, while I visit friends and study Spanish.  I am actually looking forward to hitting the gym every morning while I’m there.  I can’t wait to see my little old lady friends who walk on the treadmill every morning.  It’s been a long time!   Hitting the gym early in the morning is something I’m really looking forward to, as 5am in the city of Antigua is a magical time.

I’m hoping when I get back, my internal fire will be stoked again and raging.  I love to train and for the past few months, I have loved being social.  In talking with my coach, we discussed finding more of a balance this season and making sure I keep my social calendar active rather than non-existent.  It is about the word…balance isn’t it?

So what IS a Triathlete to do???    Well enjoy the break then….

Swim- Bike- Run of course

These guys are the bomb!  They are the real deal!

Jared and Ryan are two of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met.  They are QUALITY people!

And just like Jared and Ryan, the quality of products that Kompetitive Edge sells are top of the line!!!

Every item that is sold in the store is tested by them or the staff.  After rigorous workouts and putting products through the mill- if the product passes the test only then is a product put on the shelves.   These guys stand behind everything they sell.  And the cool thing…they try to support companies who make their products in the USA!   

I feel so very honored to have been chosen to be a part of this amazing store and team.  They make you feel comfortable the moment you walk in the door.  They listen to what you’re saying and try to help you in any way possible.  I can’t say enough good things about Kompetitive Edge!  They really are the definition of ….The BOMB!!!!

So…if you are need of anything related to swimming, biking or running stop by and see them.   

If you don’t live in Denver visit them at www.kompetitiveedge.com. 

And even if you do live in Denver (or don’t) and want to save some $$$$$$    you can get 15% off if you use the code  godoreen  at checkout.  Any time, any day….15% off all products they sell!  Gotta LOVE IT!

Like I said…these guy are the real deal.  I am really looking forward to getting to know all my teammates and to this new adventure in 2012!

Thanks Jared and Ryan for allowing me to be a part of Kompetitive Edge!!!

-

Well I had that thought a few times in the past couple of months.  It was the kind of thing where I really didn’t believe that something could happen….AND  then I did it anyway.

One of those things was doing Ironman Florida.  When my coach suggested I try for a 13:30- I seriously thought….”NO WAY IN HELL that’s going to happen”.  I went into the race just hoping to finish under 15 hours.  And- I ended up with a 13:16!!!  Well blow me away! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN!

Next up- at the urging of my training partner Scott, I applied for a sponsorship with Kompetitive Edge.  My first thought when he suggested this was…yeap you guessed it “NO WAY IN HELL, they’ll ever pick me!”   I believed this so strongly that I didn’t even attempt to fill out the application.  Then, after Ironman Florida, Scott called me and told me Kompetitive Edge extended their application deadline.   After a few days of him nagging me, I finally decided to go ahead and apply.  Even though I still believed “No Way In Hell, they’ll pick me!”.  I did it anyway.

Six days later I got an email.  I began reading it ready for a “thanks but no thanks”.  As I read through the email…”over 150 applicants..yadayadayada…we have chosen you to be part of the Kompetitive Edge Team”   HOLY CR#P!!  They picked me????!!!!!!  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN???

What I’ve realized as a result of these two experiences is- it HAPPENED because I tried anyway.  Even though everything within me believed these two things couldn’t come true- I did them anyway.  And then they DID happen. 

I actually took this new-found philosophy my “No Way In Hell Factor” and actually applied it to my job.  I went to my main, big time boss regarding what I would like my job to look like someday.  I figure…..”what the Hell”.  I’ve got my “No Way In Hell Factor” (NWIHF).  I approached him with my previous NWIH experiences and told him I believed this idea was a NWIH kinda idea….AND I was going to tell him anyway.  He was receptive to my ideas and we began to problem solve how this might workout down the road. 

So here’s the kicker….About 2 weeks later- having nothing to do with he or I- I got an email from a coworker with a possibility of making my “No Way In Hell”  idea a reality.  Seriously!  I was just blown away!  I’m still blown away.  I’m like WTF????  What is up with this idea of a “No Way In Hell Factor”  AND then doing it anyway?

All I know is….if you have a dream, idea or desire….and you are thinking to yourself “Yeah right.  No way in hell this will ever happen”.  Just do it anyway.  Try it.  Do it.  Apply yourself.  Don’t stop just because you don’t believe it can be true.  Take the “No Way In Hell Factor” and use it in your life!  You will never know what is possible until you try even though……  The sky is the limit and our dreams can come true– If we just put it out there, AND act on them anyway.

 I thought I’d share with you all some of my favorite things that I’ve tried during the past 7 months .  These are in no particular order….

1. Honey Stinger Vanilla Waffles-     OMG!  I am absolutely in LOVE with these!  I eat these mostly pre workouts and during my bike rides.  I try NOT to eat them any other time, as I would eat them constantly and gain weight!  They are that Yummy!!!!

Yummy Goodness!

2. Just Plain GU-  I have tried a bunch of other gel products this year and keep coming back to my most favorite  JUST PLAIN GU.  I love this stuff.  It’s not overly sweet, taste a bit like vanilla, and doesn’t jack me up in any way.  I always have one before every swim…no matter what time of day it is. 

Just Plain…..GU

3. KIND NUT AND FRUIT BAR-   I have stopped eating any other sports/nutrition bars and strictly eat these now.  They are the most natural, least processed bar I’ve found.  They come in all kinds of great flavors and never mess with my stomach.  My personal favorite is the Macadamia and Apricot Bar.  I have to be honest and admit I eat at least one of these bars per day.  My name’s Doreen and I’m a Kindaholic!

They are da Kind Bar!

 4. Amphipod RunLite 4 Belt- I have shied away from using this belt for years.  When it first came out the bottles where notorious for popping off the belt.  Well that problem has been remedied and I took a chance and bought one.   I’ve used MANY other hydration systems and never quite felt the love.  Let me tell ya, with the RUNLITE 4, I feel the LOVE!  I bought myself the 10 ounce bottles to switch for the eight ounce.  This gives me plenty of water and sports drink for the long runs!  It stays in place and doesn’t ride up!   I have finally found my hydration match!!!!

I'm finally feeling the love with this system!

 

5. Newton Light Weight Universal Trainers-  While Newtons are not a new find to me this year, I just reconfirmed my deep love for these shoes while putting in all the miles of training.  There is no other shoe out there that compares.  There is no other shoe I would put on my feet!  Newtons are the bomb and I’m sticking to them!!!!

The Best Shoe Hands Down!

6. Zoot Ultra CompressionRX Calf Sleeve-  This was my first year training in these compression calf sleeves.  I first used them as recovery.  Then I tried them on my longest training run of 4 hours.  Then I used them at Ironman Florida!  All I can say, is I am Officially a believer!  These fit me perfectly!  I’ve got short legs and big calves and these fit exactly the way they should without being too tight.  I believe wearing these helped me attain my Ironman PR!  Plus I took 40 minutes off my previous IM marathon time! Boooyaaa!

Zoot Compression Sleeves is "wear" it's at!

 7. 2XU Recovery Compression Tights- Oh Baby!  These things are wicked good!  I can’t believe how much quicker my recovery was!  They really work! As soon as I finished  Ironman Florida I went up to the condo, had some food, cleaned up and immediately put on compression socks and a pair of these Bad Girls!  I kid you not.  Three days post IMFL I was walking down stairs normal!  I barely experienced any soreness.  I am soooo glad I bought these this year!

Whatever you do....get a pair of these!

8.  The Quantum Scale-  OK. So this isn’t an actual piece of triathlon equipment but for those of you who weigh yourself this thing is amazing!  I NEVER get on a scale.  This is due to the fact that when I see my weight, no matter what it is, my head get all f&*Ked up!  I will just think I’m the biggest pig.  That’s where the beauty of this scale lies.  IT DOES NOT SHOW YOUR WEIGHT!  When you first step on it, it stores your weight (you don’t see it) and from then on, whenever you step on the scale it tells you how much weight you’ve lost or gained.  LOVE IT!  No more mind benders!

Great for making sure.....

So that’s it.  My favorite things I fell in love with this past year.  I tried many a new items and these are the ones that stood out and I plan to continue to use on a regular basis!  Give some a try.  I am sold on everything I listed here! 

-

That’s all I can say.  As I sit here two weeks post Ironman Florida I am still in shock over the race I had!  I still can’t believe that I was able to do Ironman Florida in under 13:30.  Wild!

And as I write that, I think about where I was one year ago.  Last year in November I was right in the beginning of recovering from Adrenal Fatigue.  I was 20 lbs heavier.  Yeap 20 whole lbs extra where flopping around on this body.  I wasn’t sleeping, had high anxiety, and my “workouts” consisted of a 30 minute walk.  I was a mess!

I had been working with a nutritionist Marcie Goldman and in January she referred me to acupuncturist Andrew at Jade Mountain Health.  This is when things really turned around for me!  Andrew treated me with needles, cups and herbs and it made all the difference in my getting better! 

I began actual triathlon training in April under the watchful eye of Coach Cary.  Cary carefully  guided me back to being able to race.  She listened and new my body better than I did!! 

This time around training for Ironman was so different from my first.  My first one was all about over-distance training. This time Cary made recovery and rest days a big part of my training plan.  I honestly did not think I had trained properly for Ironman Florida…and boy was I wrong!  I look back and feel like I hardly trained at all.  I know I did, I just had plenty of recovery!

Coming off of being sick and loosing most of my base endurance, I had NO idea how Ironman Florida would be for me.  I had taken about 8 months off and even though I had raced this season…I didn’t know how I’d stack up to an Ironman.

Well now I do know!   Cary’s coaching was spot on!  I was telling a friend the other day, I feel like a SOLID athlete again!  I now know where my body is at.  I know how solid my fitness is.  It’s such a good feeling considering what my health was like last year. 

Looking back at this past season of training and racing, I also need to thank the tons of people who made a 13:16:18 possible!

First off, I’d like to thank everyone at TriBella Mulitsport and all my TriBella Teammates!  Without the shop and my gals getting through all the  technical stuff and the hours of training wouldn’t have been as easy and fun.

And then there are those who kept this body going.  Andrew at Jade Mt Health is the most amazing acupuncture EVER!  I can’t sing his praises loud enough.  He is truly gifted in his needling and   his knowledge of herbs.  Brian Ray did wonders keeping my muscles and fascia from becoming one big knot!  And there’s also Dr Ken at Active Care.  He kept my hips where they should be throughout the season.

Now to the people who really kept me going through all these miles of training.  First off, my training partner in crime, Scott!  He would meet me for workouts even if he didn’t have one to do!  He was my motivator throughout the weeks as we did almost all our training together. Now that’s a friend!  Also my friend Angela.  We met this year at the 24 Hr Fitness pool and immediately hit it off. She would ride with me, SAG me on my long rides…she was incredible!  And like I mentioned, all the gals on the TriBella team.  Lots of miles were traveled in the company of some amazing women. 

Now I want to give an extra shout out to my dear friend Kelli.  She met me many times for training adventures.  Most of all, she came to Florida to support me on my big day.  She took such good care of me. She also helped my Mom navigate race day and they didn’t miss a moment of my race! 

I am so grateful to everyone who made this spectacular Ironman happen.  I never in a million years believed I could ever do an Ironman in under 13:30.  Never. 

I now have a new level of confidence. I can open my mind to the fact that other things I thought impossible might now be possible. 

I just met with Coach Cary the other night, and have come up with some goals for 2013 and how we will use the 2012 season to get there.  I am beyond excited to see what else I might be able to accomplish in the coming season.  I have this new passion for the sport of triathlon and feel the sky is the limit under the watchful eyes of my coach.

In the meantime, I am fully enjoying my hard-earned recovery time.  I’m fully enjoying the lack of structure in training and eating for a few weeks.  Sleeping in; only doing things I feel like doing; relaxing a bit on the food I put in my mouth…..I can feel my mind and body being restored.  And that’s what this time is all about…..basking in the results of a well raced Ironman!

So thank you everyone!  I am deeply grateful for all your support!  And to all of you who read my blog- THANK YOU.  Your comments keep me going! 

May everyone reach the goals you never believed possible!

-

I made it out of transition and  looked at my watch.  I was just a little over 8 hours of racing so far.  I began to use my phenomenal math skills (Ha!) and tried to calculate how long I had to run a marathon in order to finish in 13:30.  

I swear it took me about 2 miles of running before I finally figure out if I ran a 5:30 marathon I could finish in around 13 hrs and 30 mintues.  “Hummm,” I thought, “That’s the time I typically run in…so there IS a chance!  Holy shucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

You see, when I met with Coach Cary a few weeks before the race, she had me come up with a “stretch” goal.  A goal that if the stars perfectly aligned, and Mars was in the exact right spot, that MAYBE I could do.  She came up with the goal of 13:30.  My thought was “Yeah right. Not a chance in hell that’s going to happen.  I’ll be happy to finish in under 15 hrs”.  I think I even told her something along those lines.  So here I was calculating the possibility of actually finishing in 13:30. I was blown away!

The chase is on

The first few miles were packed with spectators yelling and cheering us on.  It’s always motivating when people are yelling “Go Doreen!”  and I knew that I needed to be aware of not getting carried away in the moment and starting my run too fast.  (not that too fast is really in my repertoire.)

Ironman Florida run course is pretty darn flat and meanders through neighbor hoods until you get to a state park.  At this point you do a loop of the park and head back out the way you came.  Repeat twice.

As I first started running I was absolutely starving.  There were aid stations about every 1/2 mile, one on each side.  For about the first 5 stations I was eating/drinking something.  First food I devoured was pretzels!  Yummylishish!!!  They were delightful and hit the spot!  By about the 6th aid station (remember I’ve only run about 3-4 miles by now) I thought “slow down sport…you might mess up your tummy taking in so much nutrition.”  From there on I made the decision to only take things from the aid station on the side I was running on.

Running in the Park

So with plenty of fuel on board I began to focus on my form and cadence.  Over this past season Coach Cary has had me increase my running cadence from oh…about 70…to 90.  This has helped my running incredibly.  One of the things I do to help me keep the correct cadence is I sing the song  ”Another one bites the dust….another one bites the dust”  The cadence in this song is 90 and the words are definitely motivating! 

As I ran and ran and ran I finished my first 13.1 miles.  I checked my watch and was still on target for finishing on a 13:30.  Bloody amazing!  I was so surprised that I might actually pull off a 13:30! 

As I headed back out on my second lap dusk began to descend.  I was concerned that I might get really cold, but the wind finally died down and I felt warmer than I had all day. It was about this time I began to get a sore throat.  I decided that I would start drinking the chicken broth they had at the aid stations.  I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone….get rid of the possible cold with good ol chicken broth and take care of some nutritional needs.  Throughout the whole run I fueled myself with Just Plain GU, pretzels and chicken broth.  Go figure!   

The run through the park is DARK!  Like there are sections when you can’t see the road in front of you.  I navigated this without any injuries or mishaps and finally ended up back on the streets of Panama City Beach.  By this time I was at mile 20ish.  I checked my watch and again had a “Holy $hit!” moment.  I may actually do a 13:30!  I still couldn’t believe it.  At this point I made the decision to pick up my pace a bit until mile 24, then I was going to run as fast as I could without blowing up.  I felt confident that 13:30 was in my grasp….I wanted to see how much time I could take off of that goal.

Up right, forefoot striking, quick cadence and my Newtons propelled me those last two miles!  I felt STRONG, STRONG, STRONG!  I was again channeling my inner Rinny.  I was picking people off as the athletes I passed where telling me “Go get em” or “You’re looking strong”.  These comments increased my confidence and just gave me more determination to keep pushing myself.  I wanted to see what I was capable of.  I think I actually ran 10 minute miles for those last two miles!  And for those of you that know me…I don’t run 10 minute miles unless I’m running a 5K.    But something happened to my running that night and I was flying!!

As I got closer and closer to the finish I had the urge to want to back off  but didn’t. I just kept pushing myself.  I turned the corner onto Thomas Drive and new I was within minutes of being done.  I entered the Finisher’s Chute and was greeted with screams and cheers!  It’s so surreal to have 100′s of people cheering for you.  I saw the Finish Line just seconds ahead and knew I was going to finish my second Ironman!  The excitement was overwhelming!  I crossed that Finish Line and once again heard those magic words……”Doreen, You Are An IRONMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

I am an IRONMAN!

Ohhh the sweet voice of Mike Riley! How can ya not get addicted to it???? 

I looked at my watch as I was scooped up by a volunteer ”catcher” who got me my finishers shirt, hat, medal and water.  I had finished my second Ironman in 13:16:18!  I was amazed! I was excited!  I was in disbelief!  I was so friggin PUMPED!!!!!!  I was telling my catcher “I can’t believe I just did a friggin Ironman in 13:16:18!  I can’t believe it!!!”   She congratulated me as I walked around  in a state of utter bewilderment and she escorted me to get  my Finishers Photo!

13:16:18 Something to Celebrate!

The day was over. I had completed my second Ironman, and I had a race I NEVER DREAM POSSIBLE!  I had raced in under 14:30!  Heck.  I had raced in under 13:30!!!!!!!  I had the kind of race I didn’t know I was capable of!  As I sit here writing this…I am still in disbelief that I was able to race that fast.  And I am so darn excited that I did!!!  

Here IS to GOING THE DISTANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-

My Purple Bike Bag

With bag in hand I quickly ran into the “changing tent”.  I was immediately greeted by a volunteer who assisted me in getting my stuff together to get on out the door.  I felt like I was moving fast and still ended up with a 11 min transition time. Granted I did have to run around the whole transition area to get to my bike…(Transition times are something I’ve decided I’d like to work on this coming year).

As I ran down the aisle near my bike I was yelling my number 638 as the volunteers where getting the athletes bikes so I just had to run by and grab it.  Once I had Betty I continued the long run out the chute to the bike mount line.

Go Betty!

As I got out onto the course I was freezing!  I had made the decision to forgo my vest and just use arm warmers.  I was rethinking that pretty quickly because the wind was  fierce!  As I got out of town and onto the rural roads I felt like I began to settle in a bit. 

Headin out of town for the day

I was riding harder than I have in the past but not to the point where I was breathing hard.  I’d come across patches of athletes as I rode along. It was the usual quagmire of groups of  triathletes trying/not trying to draft. 

 About 30 mins into the ride I went to pass some guy. Well he decided he didn’t want to get chicked so he sped up.  Ok…got it…drop back….and then the dude decides to slow down!  REALLY!!!!!  Well this is where I screwed up.  Being a little pissed off, I didn’t drop back quick enough AND the official was right behind me……Yeap, I got clobbered with a 4 minute penalty.  The official even commented that the dude had  been kinda a jerk….but it was all my penalty. 

About an hour later is when I got to visit the yellow penalty tent to “do” my 4 minutes.  I have to tell you…it was the longest 4 minutes EVA!  Longer than the hardest 3 minute interval I’ve ever done!  I did take advantage of the down time though by fueling and such. 

After that little break it was ON!  I mean I was ON!  I just jammed the bike.  I was whipping along with a 95-103 cadence passing lots of people.  Headwind be damned!  Sidewind- give me your best shot.  I pretty much had my head down and cranked for 80+ miles.  I got in the groove and just went.  I loved it! I was at one with Betty and we had ourselves a good ole’ time out there!

In the GROOVE

That is until the last 10 mile stretch headed back along the ocean front, through Hurricane Alley!  OMG!  This last few miles where horrible.  I was riding into a full on headwind.  And to make matters worse the course has hotels on one side and parking structures on the other. This ends up creating an actual wind tunnel.  There were times when I had to shift into my little front ring just so I could move!  Horrible!   I just kept thinking “Really.  I’ve done over 100 miles already and now you’re throwing me this?!!!!”

But that’s how an Ironman goes isn’t it?  You never know what you’re going to get or when you’re going to get it.  The one thing you can count on though is- You’re Going To Get IT!

I finally found myself in the long chute.  It kinda came up on me by surprise.  I thought I had farther to go.  Either way I was Glad to be out of that Horrible wind!   I jumped off Betty, continued to run into transition and handed her off to the nice volunteer who caught my bike!

Running for T2

 I was then off to find my run bag and head into the changing tent again.

See if you can spot my Run Bag

Next up, I was onto The RUN!!!!!!

-

I made my tea and got down some breakfast of Cream of Rice with almond butter and honey (Chrissie W told me this is what she eats so I’ve been trying it…and it works for me too!)  It was all I could do to swallow, I was that nervous!

I got my water bottles, and swim gear ready, put on my TriBella race kit and was out the door at 5:15 to meet Bine in the lobby.   We walked over to transition and first stopped at Betty so I could add the finishing touches to her and then it was over to Bine’s bike.  All tires were inflated and water bottles holstered!

We made our way over to the Morning Clothes Bag drop-off and wormed our ways into our wetsuits.  By this time my nerves where off the chart!  I seriously felt like I was going to throw up.  I’d been feeling like this for an hour already and by the time my wetsuit was on, I didn’t know how I was NOT going to barf!  I stuck to my nutrition plan and had a JUST PLAIN GU even though I wasn’t sure  how it would go down.  And this totally surprised the heck out of me, but the minute I finished the GU my tummy and nerves just melted away!  For real!  It was as if my body was comforted by having the Just Plain GU making its way down my system.  After all the miles and hours I’ve spent eating Just Plain GU my body responded with a sigh and an “Ahhhhhhh”.  The nerves were gone and I WAS READY TO RACE!

From here Bine and I grabbed each others hands and held tight as we made our way down to the beach.  I hadn’t seen the water yet and I knew it was windy as all get out, so I was relieved when I saw the water was calm.  Phew!

On the beach we met up with Kay, Carla  and my Mom and friend Kelli1.  I was so glad to see my Mom before the race started!

Bine, Carla, Kay and Me- Anyone up for a little swim?

My biggest supporter- MOM!!!

The Pros started and then they announced it was time for us Age Groupers to enter the coral. Athletes started entering the water to warm up, while Bine and I found our spot in the middle front of the group.

Before the Canon

10 minutes went by like it was nothing. The countdown started  and then the cannon went off!  Everyone started running into the water and slowly began swimming.  To say it was a mobfest is an understatement.  2700 athletes starting in the same area is nothing short of a moshpit.

As Athletes enter the water from the beach start

And we're off!

Notice the little white empty box in the crowd of ants!

These shots were taken from our condo

Bine and I entered the water together and as we began to swim I  hoped she was able to stay on my feet.  I felt hands tapping my feet for about 50 meters and then they were gone.   I found out after the race that Bine had kicked some man in the face, then he grabbed her foot and pulled her underwater!  REALLY!  What an a-hole!  She ended up swallowing water and getting sick on the second lap.

That is just one example of how the swim was.  It was brutal!  The men where just so aggressive.  It was an all out battle not to get beat up and drown!  I kept trying to find someone who’s feet I could get on so that they could just plow through the masses.  Whenever I did this I was able to stay away from getting hit as much.  And mind you, I am absolutely fine with someone swimming on my feet!  It’s the intentional hitting you and kicking you as hard as possible that I didn’t tolerate so well.  But I must say that it increased my GRRRRR and made me swim hard!

The Brutal Swim

Finally I finished the first lap, got up on shore, took a swig of GU and water, and headed back in for my next 1.2 mile swim.

This lap was a bit less aggressive as people began to spread out.  It still was a full on, swim for you life kinda thing though.  On this lap I really ended up noticing the jelly fish.  Luckily they seemed to be about 2 feet below me and I never swam right into any (Other athletes weren’t as lucky!).

By the time I rounded the second buoy and was headed back to shore the crowd was significantly less.  One of the mistakes I made on this last bit was I didn’t swim hard enough to keep me in line with the buoys.  The current is pushing you to the right and I ended up being a good 100 feet outside the buoy line.  I am sure I added at least 5 minutes to the swim because I had to swim back left to get to the swim exit.  Lesson learned on that one!

With the SWIM EXIT arch in sight I was glad to be getting out of the water!  I LOVE to swim but this time it was just about surviving.  And not surviving the water, but the other athletes!  Brutal!  But I made it!  And as I came out of the water I heard my name, looked right and there was my Mom in her green baseball cap (she wore it intentionally so I could spot her!) and Kelli.  I was relieved and happy AND ready for the BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm the pink cap (right in the middle) of the green caps

-

I arrived on Tuesday evening, checked into the condo  and promptly went to sleep.  Wednesday morning dawned to a spectacular view.  The ocean was calm and still, the sand a glistening white.

Well next up after the run, my IMBFF  Bine and I, headed down to Athlete Check-in.  I thought, “ok, NOW I’m going to start to feel excited about doing this thing!”  We had a blast doing the whole check-in thing; getting our wrist bands (you can’t go anywhere or do anything without these), special needs bags, timing chip, etc.

Bine and I are officially racing IMFL!

We then spent the obligatory time checking out all the booths and drooling over all the goodies!  It’s amazing how many things there are to buy!  But we restrained ourselves and didn’t buy anything at the booths….but the restraint went right out the window the moment we walked into the Ironman Store!  After a “few” purchases, and with some money still left in our pockets we headed back to our condos for lunch.

Pre- Ironman Store shopping

After all the excitement you would have thought I would have gotten the bug….but Nope.  I was still feeling like, “crap, I have no motivation to race on Saturday.”  I didn’t get it.  I even continued to feel that way once I went downstairs and picked up Black Betty from TriBike Transport!  I  just continued to hope at some point things would change.

Thursday dawned to winds and somewhat rough water.  I grabbed Bine and Betty and we headed out for a 1 hour ride with some short hard efforts.  We rode out to the park that’s part of the run course.  The winds were a bit of a nuance, but riding in Colorado gives us plenty of opportunities to make friends with the wind on bike rides.

The ride was done, and I STILL was not feeling the desire or umph to want to race in two days.  I was just wondering to myself….”WTF!  What is going on!  Why am I not getting excited about this?” 

Later on that afternoon I attempted to get out for a swim.  Key word- Attempted.  By the time I was ready the winds had gotten stronger and the water rougher!  I got in any way and after about 3 minutes said ” Screw it! I’m going to have to exert WAY too much energy to get out past the waves.” And with that I body surfed back to shore.  

The retreat!

Here are a few shots taken while I was in the water

Ohhh...noooooo

Big Waves

That night we went to Bine’s for a spaghetti feed and then it was off to the Mandatory Athlete meeting.  That was pretty cool.  2800 athletes all in one room.  The race director announced the typical logistics, making special note about the swim.  He repeated a few times that we should NOT panic if we were to get stung by a Jelly Fish.  Lovely!  Jelly Fish.  OK…so big room with 2800 athletes and STILL NO Desire to race in two days.  I was beginning to worry about myself!  Why am I not excited to be racing???????

And then came Friday.  Ahh…Friday.  The day to pack all your race bags and drop everything off. 

As I began to lay out my bags, nutrition and gear it hit me!!!!!   I finally got EXCITED, NERVOUS and ANXIOUS  to race!!!!  Finally!  Halleluha!

My Race Gear All Ready to be Bagged!

After the Bags were done, it was time to get Betty ready for racing!  More Excitement!

Betty and the Race Bags

With everything ready Bine and I headed down to Transition to check in our bikes, and run and bike bags!

Betty racked and resting up

While in transition we met up with the rest of the TriBella Girls and dropped off our bags in the designated areas!

 And the final overview

So needless to say…after all the excitement of packing my race bags, getting Betty ready, heading down to drop off all my gear for  the next morning I was anxious, nervous and READY TO RACE!!!!!!!!!!!    It finally hit me and I WANTED to RACE!!!!!

Next up the Swim Report 

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As I’ve begun my final two weeks of preparation, and taper, to the “Big Day” I find I can take time to write down some of the thoughts that have been swirling through my head.

First, I want to comment on where the title of this post came from.  This Sunday when I was riding along for my last Long Ride, I felt done!  I mean absolutely and completely DONE.  This feeling began the day before with hard efforts while biking and running.  By the time Sundays workout came along it was all I could do to muster a decent workout. 

I had this feeling that I was at the perfect place in my training.  That I was absolutely ready for my taper. That there was not one more hard, long workout left in me!  The thought went through my head “put a fork in me, I’m done!” .  I started chuckling, my heart rate exceeded where it should be, and I thought again “Put a FORK in me, I’m DONE!”

to be finished with or tired of, your current activity or situation.

 I know, you may be thinking….”what a light-weight! She’z done???!!!” 

Well, since my last post here’s what all I’ve been up to…training wise that is…..

I’ve logged 31,000 meters of swimming

just another swim

I’ve biked a total of 630 miles

The warm up on a 75 mile ride

100 Miles Solo in 45 degree weather....with WIND!

 And I’ve run for a total of 115 miles!

A little 20 mile jog

Some workouts were LONG and SLOW, others where SHORTER and FAST.  There were some fun days and some that were just plain brutal.  Each workout brought me closer to D- Day of November 5th.

Yeap, the fork is in and I am ready for my taper.  After one day off of training (except for a 30 min walk) and a good nights sleep…I am feeling better.  I’m beginning to believe that I WILL be able to cross that finish line after traveling 140.6 miles via my own power. 

The countdown has really begun.  Black Betty is on her way to Florida as I write this (thanks Tribike Transport!) and I will meet up with her next Wednesday at IMFL!!!!

The beach awaits me……

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