I haven't blogged in a looooong time so this will just be wrap up of all the new things I've been trying...
Crossfit, started doing that a month or so ago, and I love it. Who would have though a 10min workout can make you feel like just lifted for 45min at the gym. I also took part in my first ever throwdown event, which is a crossfit open competitor. I have to be in the scaled or short bus division because I'm just not that strong but it was pretty fun to do it. It was a last minute decision, like literally 5 minutes before it started I decided I was in, but I'm glad I tried it. The Crossfit peeps are amazing, wow! I think doing this stuff has helped me anaerobic conditioning a lot. I can really tell in some of the tempo stuff I've done with the MN Red group, and the fact that I can still keep up or try to without feeling sick, so that's great. I also like the weight lifting and olympic lifting aspect of it, because I used to do this stuff in high school and I really sort of missed it. All in all, it's a win/win, and it's fun!
Track meet, did my first track meet since high school earlier this month. Wow that was also a rush. I was very hesitant since I hadn't done any speed work really since IM, but I decided what the heck no pressure I'll try it. I ended up impressing myself. Ran the 1500 in 5:24 and 5000 meter race in 20:30, not bad for me. It was a lot of fun being there and seeing a lot of familiar faces.
Lastly, I did my first even dome run with the MN red team. Very fun, but again I wasn't sure what to expect and I was a bit tired from doing yoga right before. But thank god for adrenaline! The team did progressive 3 miles, each mile got faster. The girls I ran with did 1st mile 7:15, 650 second mile, 6:15 last mile. I am glad I held back because it was a tough last mile and I'm not used to probably going out too hard.
It's been fun trying new things, but I have to figure out and focus on what I'll be doing in 2012 when it comes to races and such. I just have a hard time because I want to and like to do EVERYTHING! =)
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Surf the Murf (Oct 29th) 25K Race (or a little longer....)
Highlights from this race:
First time going off course and actually being lost without knowing it until the end!!! I realized when I finished that I had probably gone about 2 miles extra, the course was 16.9 miles, since I was running with Greta to start but didn't want to walk the hills like she did so I just took it easy and went along. Well I didn't even know it but when I finished she had already been done for about 10min or more, so I was pretty shocked. Not only did I get lost somehow and did an extra 2 miles I didn't even know I was lost and somehow found the finish, it was just bizarre.
We were running easy 10min pace so I would have done about 3 hours for the run, but ended up running 3:19min...Oh well it was a fun but super challenging course with lots and lots of hills and on trails. It was fun they had a little 'smurf village' with was in the woods and had some logs to climb over and a hill at the end which was up and down (I walked that hill).
I actually felt good on this run, with the marathon the weekend before and the Big Woods the weekend before I was a bit worried but was surprised how good my legs felt. I felt much worse after the marathon but most likely because I took this race easy.
Experiment Done: I am able to do back to back to back races after the Ironman, good results not too sure if PR's but I was able to do almost a 19mile run after the marathon. I would have never thought I would be able to do it!!
No more real racing for the season. Happy and sad about that, but I need a break =)
First time going off course and actually being lost without knowing it until the end!!! I realized when I finished that I had probably gone about 2 miles extra, the course was 16.9 miles, since I was running with Greta to start but didn't want to walk the hills like she did so I just took it easy and went along. Well I didn't even know it but when I finished she had already been done for about 10min or more, so I was pretty shocked. Not only did I get lost somehow and did an extra 2 miles I didn't even know I was lost and somehow found the finish, it was just bizarre.
We were running easy 10min pace so I would have done about 3 hours for the run, but ended up running 3:19min...Oh well it was a fun but super challenging course with lots and lots of hills and on trails. It was fun they had a little 'smurf village' with was in the woods and had some logs to climb over and a hill at the end which was up and down (I walked that hill).
I actually felt good on this run, with the marathon the weekend before and the Big Woods the weekend before I was a bit worried but was surprised how good my legs felt. I felt much worse after the marathon but most likely because I took this race easy.
Experiment Done: I am able to do back to back to back races after the Ironman, good results not too sure if PR's but I was able to do almost a 19mile run after the marathon. I would have never thought I would be able to do it!!
No more real racing for the season. Happy and sad about that, but I need a break =)
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Mason City Marathon 10/22/2011 (Marathon #7)
Where to start with this one...I was very excited to do this Marathon since I did it in 2009 and I really liked how small it was...I also won it in 2009 but my expectations this year were different but I still had a goal time in mind, that goal was flexible of course.
Jessica Wilson came with me as well as Gabe and Oscar, so it was a full house. Jessica is a really strong runner and also did the Ironman this year. We got to the hotel on Sat.
Hotel was horrible, and the woman at the front told us we can NOT smoke, which was sort of funny. She was really nice though. American Inn and Suites, not a good choice, but oh well it was only one night and it was cheap.
The place we ate was really good, it was the same place as 2009, Prime and Rib, I had Lobster Ravioli, yum! Weird name since there was no Prime Rib there, or maybe there was...
Either way main points about the race, where we stayed was nice due to how close the start was, so we just woke up really late 6:45am, which is the latest I've gotten up for a race and headed to the start at 8am.
Right from the start, well I'd say by mile 2 or 3 I knew my legs weren't feeling good. They simply felt flat, and we started out FAST. Under 7 min miles, and I knew deep down there was no way I was going to do that today with the way my legs felt. So by mile 6 or so I was still trying to push, and then by about mile 9 Jessica passed me after going to the bathroom and I just thought go go go. There was no way I could have kept up today, and I'm glad I didn't try I would have ended up walking. I didn't really feel fatigued otherwise, just my legs had no power or energy. I haven't felt that in a while...I guess Big Woods killed me after the Ironman. Either way I tried to keep a good pace and just keep moving. I ended up with a 3:28, which wasn't really all that bad...Jessican PR'd and won!! I was super happy for her =)
Gabe did the 10K and PR'd by 5 whole minutes, which was awesome too since he hasn't been running at all.
So all in all, it was a good experience, after the race I was super super sore actually the next day.
Another funny thing, we had to leave right away and didn't want to wait around for awards so we sorta stole our trophies...Oh yeah I got second place after Jessica =)
Key Takeaway: This course is very flat, but there is a huge stretch of gravel which is sorta tough. Some trail running on this race also.
Next up: Surf the Murf, should be interesting...
Jessica Wilson came with me as well as Gabe and Oscar, so it was a full house. Jessica is a really strong runner and also did the Ironman this year. We got to the hotel on Sat.
Hotel was horrible, and the woman at the front told us we can NOT smoke, which was sort of funny. She was really nice though. American Inn and Suites, not a good choice, but oh well it was only one night and it was cheap.
The place we ate was really good, it was the same place as 2009, Prime and Rib, I had Lobster Ravioli, yum! Weird name since there was no Prime Rib there, or maybe there was...
Either way main points about the race, where we stayed was nice due to how close the start was, so we just woke up really late 6:45am, which is the latest I've gotten up for a race and headed to the start at 8am.
Right from the start, well I'd say by mile 2 or 3 I knew my legs weren't feeling good. They simply felt flat, and we started out FAST. Under 7 min miles, and I knew deep down there was no way I was going to do that today with the way my legs felt. So by mile 6 or so I was still trying to push, and then by about mile 9 Jessica passed me after going to the bathroom and I just thought go go go. There was no way I could have kept up today, and I'm glad I didn't try I would have ended up walking. I didn't really feel fatigued otherwise, just my legs had no power or energy. I haven't felt that in a while...I guess Big Woods killed me after the Ironman. Either way I tried to keep a good pace and just keep moving. I ended up with a 3:28, which wasn't really all that bad...Jessican PR'd and won!! I was super happy for her =)
Gabe did the 10K and PR'd by 5 whole minutes, which was awesome too since he hasn't been running at all.
So all in all, it was a good experience, after the race I was super super sore actually the next day.
Another funny thing, we had to leave right away and didn't want to wait around for awards so we sorta stole our trophies...Oh yeah I got second place after Jessica =)
Key Takeaway: This course is very flat, but there is a huge stretch of gravel which is sorta tough. Some trail running on this race also.
Next up: Surf the Murf, should be interesting...
Monday, October 17, 2011
Big Woods 1/2 Marathon 10/15/2011
The day started off nice a bit chilly in the 40's, but the weather was perfect for a run with clear skies!
This was my first official "race" after Ironman,so I didn't really have many expectations except to just enjoy myself and run on the pretty trails. Of course deep down I had goals of getting close to my 2009 time of 1:35, but tried not to put a whole lot of pressure on myself.
The run started off really well I felt pretty strong, but a bit winded at the start. I think I kept a pretty steady pace the whole time and actually felt strong the WHOLE way. Usually I remember feeling dead or just out of juice those last 3 miles, but this time I didn't once have that feeling which was great. I ran with a younger girl for a while who later ended up pacing me when she caught me the last mile, she was 16 years old! Amazing, first time half marathon, and she seemed so happy to pass me. All I told her was go get there girl up ahead, and she relied, I'll try...She ended up in 3rd place I think. So so cool to watch that. She tried to pace with me, but I could tell she was holding back because she'd never done a half marathon before. All I can say is, this girl is up and coming, just wait until she tries triathlon, watch out!!
I did twist my ankle at about mile 9, which was painful! I had to stop for a bit and shake it out, but I kept running on it and it was pretty sore after. Otherwise the trails were so pretty and I'm glad I was out there and at least felt strong even though my time didn't show it...
Total Time: 1:44 (7:57 pace) 8th woman, 1 min slower than last year, and PR here is 1:35.
Next up: Mason City Marathon in Iowa.
This was my first official "race" after Ironman,so I didn't really have many expectations except to just enjoy myself and run on the pretty trails. Of course deep down I had goals of getting close to my 2009 time of 1:35, but tried not to put a whole lot of pressure on myself.
The run started off really well I felt pretty strong, but a bit winded at the start. I think I kept a pretty steady pace the whole time and actually felt strong the WHOLE way. Usually I remember feeling dead or just out of juice those last 3 miles, but this time I didn't once have that feeling which was great. I ran with a younger girl for a while who later ended up pacing me when she caught me the last mile, she was 16 years old! Amazing, first time half marathon, and she seemed so happy to pass me. All I told her was go get there girl up ahead, and she relied, I'll try...She ended up in 3rd place I think. So so cool to watch that. She tried to pace with me, but I could tell she was holding back because she'd never done a half marathon before. All I can say is, this girl is up and coming, just wait until she tries triathlon, watch out!!
I did twist my ankle at about mile 9, which was painful! I had to stop for a bit and shake it out, but I kept running on it and it was pretty sore after. Otherwise the trails were so pretty and I'm glad I was out there and at least felt strong even though my time didn't show it...
Total Time: 1:44 (7:57 pace) 8th woman, 1 min slower than last year, and PR here is 1:35.
Next up: Mason City Marathon in Iowa.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
IRONMAN WISCONSIN! 9/11/2011
Wow what a weekend! This was the the day I've been training for since January 1st 2011, and there was less than 4 days until I'd get to do my first ever Ironman race, crazy stuff!
The weekend was perfect, we got there with Gabe and John on Thursday (race was Sunday) and did everything stress free. Chilled out Thursday, swam and biked and checked in Friday, swam/bike/run and checked gear run and bike Saturday, and then Sunday race day! The only thing to do Sunday was check in special needs bags, which was very nice and stress free. We even had a sharpie so we body marked ourselves and were done with that in 10 seconds, thanks to Jeremy's advice.
Everything seemed very surreal to me. I felt unusually calm the whole weekend until Saturday night at dinner and the morning of the race. My nervousness came out by being super quite and to myself. I guess everyone get through nervousness and anxiety in different ways...John and I were together the whole time which was nice because he'd done the race 3 times and it helped to have him by my side. We made our way towards the water at about 645am. I didn't feel too panicked at all once we got in which was good, then BAM! Swim started out pretty good, it was about after the first buoy that I started getting hit from all over...I remember thinking wow is this ever going to end or is the whole swim this way...It wasn't until the first turn that it started to slightly thin out, but it wasn't easy to swim still...Once it started to thin out a bit I felt a bit better about the swim and then tried to just focus on my form and not getting my head out of the water every 2 or 3 strokes. Finally the swim was done and I didn't feel too bad coming out. I got peeled and was off running on the helix towards the my bike gear bag to get onto the bike.
The gear bag transition was good, all of the volunteers were very nice and helpful. No problems with the bike at all when it comes to getting my stuff on. Then came the bike, I knew the course but the first part I had never done so that was unfamiliar. I tried to go super easy, small ring on the front and three down on the back. The bike was pretty cool because on any of the huge hills people were lined up right next to us and cheering like we were on the tour de france. That helped a ton. I also really enjoyed Verona where my family was two times on the bike. I felt pretty good on the first loop, then after mile 60 and then to about mile 80 I fell off a bit. Not sure if it was the nutrition or the mental aspect of being tired but in either case my average speed dropped. I kept taking in liquids and food and manged to pee two times on the bike, gross! I wasn't a huge fan of the gels so I ended up taking in only 3, and the rest was liquid, two power bars and a banana or two that was given out. Not sure but I might have been a bit low on the calories on the bike, but close to what I wanted to be. I also remember passing the 100 mile mark and thinking hey this is the first time I've done 100 miles!!! =)
The bike course was of course hilly but the roads were very smooth. Right before going up the helix and back from the bike, my chain fell off. I had to hop off and get it back on which wasn't a huge deal. Otherwise no issue on the bike, thank goodness!
Lastly, I actually felt like my stomach had cramped badly almost the whole ride, not sure if that was nerves but it seemed to let up around the 50 or 60mile mark.
In the T2 went smoothly. I ran out and grabbed a power bar because I was sick of gels and wasn't sure what I'd be taking in on the run. The run started out ok, but then it became brutal. Those frist 2 to 3 miles I wasn't sure how I'd run a marathon. But after about the forth mile things became a bit easier, not much though. Then I'd say around mile 7 or 8 my feet started to cramp up soooo bad. I took in A LOT of water and walked all of the water stops, I also ate chips, pretzels, some bananas, chicken broth, one cup of cola...The cramps in my feet did not go away and by the second loop of the run I was in a lot of pain. I just tried to get through mile by mile and started to walk some of the hills also. Finally the finish line was close and I sprinted in! I was so happy to be caught by Gabe and Kim! I was super excited right away and then about 2min later was in the medical tent sick...After sitting down and drinking some broth and water I seemed to be ok. I was weighed and had dropped only about 3lbs, which was most likely why I got so sick.
Highlights of the race:
Guy and girl on the bike starting naked with a sign over their private parts saying focus.
The fans running up the hills with us on the bike course.
State street on the run.
Other things:
Didn't use any of my special needs bags at all
Run course is very hilly, observation hill awesome.
Times: 2.4 swim, 112 bike, 26.2 run
1:17 Swim 2min pace
5:57 Bike 18.5 pace
4:21 Run 9:59 pace
TOTAL 11:48.09 15th in Division 25-29.
SO WHAT'S NEXT?!
The weekend was perfect, we got there with Gabe and John on Thursday (race was Sunday) and did everything stress free. Chilled out Thursday, swam and biked and checked in Friday, swam/bike/run and checked gear run and bike Saturday, and then Sunday race day! The only thing to do Sunday was check in special needs bags, which was very nice and stress free. We even had a sharpie so we body marked ourselves and were done with that in 10 seconds, thanks to Jeremy's advice.
Everything seemed very surreal to me. I felt unusually calm the whole weekend until Saturday night at dinner and the morning of the race. My nervousness came out by being super quite and to myself. I guess everyone get through nervousness and anxiety in different ways...John and I were together the whole time which was nice because he'd done the race 3 times and it helped to have him by my side. We made our way towards the water at about 645am. I didn't feel too panicked at all once we got in which was good, then BAM! Swim started out pretty good, it was about after the first buoy that I started getting hit from all over...I remember thinking wow is this ever going to end or is the whole swim this way...It wasn't until the first turn that it started to slightly thin out, but it wasn't easy to swim still...Once it started to thin out a bit I felt a bit better about the swim and then tried to just focus on my form and not getting my head out of the water every 2 or 3 strokes. Finally the swim was done and I didn't feel too bad coming out. I got peeled and was off running on the helix towards the my bike gear bag to get onto the bike.
The gear bag transition was good, all of the volunteers were very nice and helpful. No problems with the bike at all when it comes to getting my stuff on. Then came the bike, I knew the course but the first part I had never done so that was unfamiliar. I tried to go super easy, small ring on the front and three down on the back. The bike was pretty cool because on any of the huge hills people were lined up right next to us and cheering like we were on the tour de france. That helped a ton. I also really enjoyed Verona where my family was two times on the bike. I felt pretty good on the first loop, then after mile 60 and then to about mile 80 I fell off a bit. Not sure if it was the nutrition or the mental aspect of being tired but in either case my average speed dropped. I kept taking in liquids and food and manged to pee two times on the bike, gross! I wasn't a huge fan of the gels so I ended up taking in only 3, and the rest was liquid, two power bars and a banana or two that was given out. Not sure but I might have been a bit low on the calories on the bike, but close to what I wanted to be. I also remember passing the 100 mile mark and thinking hey this is the first time I've done 100 miles!!! =)
The bike course was of course hilly but the roads were very smooth. Right before going up the helix and back from the bike, my chain fell off. I had to hop off and get it back on which wasn't a huge deal. Otherwise no issue on the bike, thank goodness!
Lastly, I actually felt like my stomach had cramped badly almost the whole ride, not sure if that was nerves but it seemed to let up around the 50 or 60mile mark.
In the T2 went smoothly. I ran out and grabbed a power bar because I was sick of gels and wasn't sure what I'd be taking in on the run. The run started out ok, but then it became brutal. Those frist 2 to 3 miles I wasn't sure how I'd run a marathon. But after about the forth mile things became a bit easier, not much though. Then I'd say around mile 7 or 8 my feet started to cramp up soooo bad. I took in A LOT of water and walked all of the water stops, I also ate chips, pretzels, some bananas, chicken broth, one cup of cola...The cramps in my feet did not go away and by the second loop of the run I was in a lot of pain. I just tried to get through mile by mile and started to walk some of the hills also. Finally the finish line was close and I sprinted in! I was so happy to be caught by Gabe and Kim! I was super excited right away and then about 2min later was in the medical tent sick...After sitting down and drinking some broth and water I seemed to be ok. I was weighed and had dropped only about 3lbs, which was most likely why I got so sick.
Highlights of the race:
Guy and girl on the bike starting naked with a sign over their private parts saying focus.
The fans running up the hills with us on the bike course.
State street on the run.
Other things:
Didn't use any of my special needs bags at all
Run course is very hilly, observation hill awesome.
Times: 2.4 swim, 112 bike, 26.2 run
1:17 Swim 2min pace
5:57 Bike 18.5 pace
4:21 Run 9:59 pace
TOTAL 11:48.09 15th in Division 25-29.
SO WHAT'S NEXT?!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
YW Sprint Tri 8/14/2011
Highlight of this race are always the people and the volunteers. I always feel pretty special doing this race because there are so many newbies, and it's pretty special to be a part of such history.
Had a woman come up to me and a few others asking how we get our wetsuits off so fast. So cute! =)
Now the race, the swim was not as crazy as last year and this is also the first year this race had an elite wave, which consisted of 8 women total. I was pretty prepared and was feeling decent at the start. I was also pretty humbled by my number one race number which was a pretty cool feeling. The talent this year was very deep, which was pretty exciting.
No real highlight from the swim, went pretty smooth and PR of 1 min from last year.
Bike was super bumpy yet again going down the River Parkway and Minnehaha Parkway. I also was getting out of aero a lot being a bit freaked out with the recent accident which happened to a fellow Tri Friend, Denny Johnson. I was really trying to push hard on the bike and managed to catch two women as well as almost catching Greta Simpson who came in before me on the swim.
The run was tough. I knew the first and second place were pretty set, Claire Bootsma and Kort Haag, super fast and talented runners and athletes. It appeared that the 3rd place spot would be a matter of the run. I gunned out and passed Greta within the first half mile or so but I was huffing and puffing hard. I knew Ann S, was a super strong runner and it was a matter of time a little after mile 2 that she passed me. I remember thinking come on stick with her, but I also thought there was a little extra portion on the run like last year and I knew that I wouldn't have enough to stay with her for that long. So, I slowly watched her pull away. Then all the sudden I figure out there was the finish line, and maybe just maybe I could have held on, but it was too late at that point. Darn! Props to Ann, super strong runner! Ended up with a PR total time, but not a run PR.
Total Time 1:13.40
Swim 8:28 500 yards (PR from last year)
Bike 41:28 21.2 MPH (PR from last year by .2 MPH) bike was .5 longer.
Run 21:09 6:49 pace
4th overall. Ann had me by about 15 seconds...
Key Takeaway: I raced pretty hard and really tried to push on the bike, with the weekend before being a 9 hour training weekend at Madison I was surprised I had the speed so I'm overall happy.
Had to do an hour and half training run after the race, the HARDEST run I've done to date, but I made it.
Next up: IRONMAN WI 2011! Do this thing!
Had a woman come up to me and a few others asking how we get our wetsuits off so fast. So cute! =)
Now the race, the swim was not as crazy as last year and this is also the first year this race had an elite wave, which consisted of 8 women total. I was pretty prepared and was feeling decent at the start. I was also pretty humbled by my number one race number which was a pretty cool feeling. The talent this year was very deep, which was pretty exciting.
No real highlight from the swim, went pretty smooth and PR of 1 min from last year.
Bike was super bumpy yet again going down the River Parkway and Minnehaha Parkway. I also was getting out of aero a lot being a bit freaked out with the recent accident which happened to a fellow Tri Friend, Denny Johnson. I was really trying to push hard on the bike and managed to catch two women as well as almost catching Greta Simpson who came in before me on the swim.
The run was tough. I knew the first and second place were pretty set, Claire Bootsma and Kort Haag, super fast and talented runners and athletes. It appeared that the 3rd place spot would be a matter of the run. I gunned out and passed Greta within the first half mile or so but I was huffing and puffing hard. I knew Ann S, was a super strong runner and it was a matter of time a little after mile 2 that she passed me. I remember thinking come on stick with her, but I also thought there was a little extra portion on the run like last year and I knew that I wouldn't have enough to stay with her for that long. So, I slowly watched her pull away. Then all the sudden I figure out there was the finish line, and maybe just maybe I could have held on, but it was too late at that point. Darn! Props to Ann, super strong runner! Ended up with a PR total time, but not a run PR.
Total Time 1:13.40
Swim 8:28 500 yards (PR from last year)
Bike 41:28 21.2 MPH (PR from last year by .2 MPH) bike was .5 longer.
Run 21:09 6:49 pace
4th overall. Ann had me by about 15 seconds...
Key Takeaway: I raced pretty hard and really tried to push on the bike, with the weekend before being a 9 hour training weekend at Madison I was surprised I had the speed so I'm overall happy.
Had to do an hour and half training run after the race, the HARDEST run I've done to date, but I made it.
Next up: IRONMAN WI 2011! Do this thing!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Chisago Half Ironman (3rd ever) 7/24/11
I'm taking a new approach with the posts now, instead of just blabbing about everything I'm only including things that stuck out.
The SWIM: Wow I've never been in such a messy swim before. When I say messy I mean crazy fog with people running into each other.
The BIKE: Super windy this day, head wind and side wind. First time using Greta's race wheels, 808 front and 1080 back, lots of movement from the wind, and hard to control the bike. Also big mistake getting aero bars tightened and slightly adjusted the night before.
The RUN: Not much here, just bonking at mile 10.
Results:
1.2 swim 37:39
56 Bike 2:39 21.6 average
13.1 run 1:39 7:35 pace
Total 5:00.13 13th overall, 3rd AG.
Key Takeaway: I really well eating on the bike, two gels, half salter nut roll, bottle of Gatorade, and some PB. PB did not work out, it's too dry and wasn't very good.
The SWIM: Wow I've never been in such a messy swim before. When I say messy I mean crazy fog with people running into each other.
The BIKE: Super windy this day, head wind and side wind. First time using Greta's race wheels, 808 front and 1080 back, lots of movement from the wind, and hard to control the bike. Also big mistake getting aero bars tightened and slightly adjusted the night before.
The RUN: Not much here, just bonking at mile 10.
Results:
1.2 swim 37:39
56 Bike 2:39 21.6 average
13.1 run 1:39 7:35 pace
Total 5:00.13 13th overall, 3rd AG.
Key Takeaway: I really well eating on the bike, two gels, half salter nut roll, bottle of Gatorade, and some PB. PB did not work out, it's too dry and wasn't very good.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Graniteman Race Report 7/9/2011
This race was a bit far away but I was excited to do yet another sprint race in between all the volume work I've been doing. My friend Amanda came with me which was nice because Gabe couldn't come to this one.
The drive there was pretty smooth, but I was feeling pretty tired. I wasn't sure if it was just the long drive or just the tiredness from the week.
When I warmed up with Amanda I told her that my legs didn't feel too fresh. I guess that's expected, but I still was hoping to do well and have some energy like I did at Minneman.
The swim was a bit different because instead of having bouys we swam from one beach to the next. I actually didn't feel too bad in the swim. And coming out of the water Amanda told me that I was about a min behind Sarah Mercer, TCMC Elite Team member.
The bike was a different story, right away when I got on I felt tired. No energy...I even took a gel and that didn't help. I was really trying to push but I just knew I was too tired and weak today. From mile 10 to 15, there was an incredible head and side wind which didn't help. Coming off the bike I was feeling pretty exhausted.
The run was a similar story. I even felt like I wanted to walk a bit. Of course I didn't, I just tried to keep at it. Finished somewhat strong with the little energy I had.
Finished 2nd overall behind Sarah, a whole 4min away.
I guess this was a good training day and I was a bit upset, but I know I've been doing a lot of training and I am trying to keep an eye on the big goal. So with that I guess I wasn't too hard on myself.
RESULTS:
1:17:16
Total
11:55 (.46 distance) 1:29 pace (fastest swim split)
41:19 (15miles) 21.9 pace
21:40 (3.1 miles) 7min pace
Total
11:55 (.46 distance) 1:29 pace (fastest swim split)
41:19 (15miles) 21.9 pace
21:40 (3.1 miles) 7min pace
Key Takaways: None really here, just plain tired. Best part was the swim split, my fastest to date!
Next up: Chisago Half, hopefully more rested for that one.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Minneman Race Report 7/2/11
Fast, short, no 6 hour workout, I was excited to get some speed work in! I've also noticed the sprint in between all the volume I am doing are a nice break mentally and physically for me.
Gabe was also doing the race so we packed up pretty early and were in the car at 5:30 am to get to the race an hour before to set up and warm up.
This race was a bit different because we got our race tattoos as body markings so it was nice not to have to worry about anything besides a quick chip pick up at the race. I love it when everything is given the day before and all you have to do the day of the race is set up, figure out the bike in, out and such and then just warm up. I was feeling pretty relaxed at this race which was nice. I set out for my regular 30min warm up before the race, with a bit of knee pain. The knee pain has been nagging me for a while now about a month. Seems like the issue is that for some reason the lateral part of my quad is super tight pulling up on the patelar tendon. Essentially creating a lot of unwanted stress and discomfort in my knee.
The race was also a bit different because usually I was able to set up my bike anywhere but this race had a "special" rack for the elites. Here I was around all these disc wheels, hehe! Good times, it was very tight with both men and women elites on the same bike rack.
The swim started out pretty well except that I thought I had almost missed it and then half way into the swim my watch came off my wrist. Instead of letting the watch go, I decided to hang on to it, and fist the swim with one arm. BIG MISTAKE!!!
Transition was super long, felt like I was running forever to get to my bike. Bike went pretty well, no major stories, I felt strong.
Then came the run, I wanted to start out very fast and strong. I did just that except I think i was a bit too excited so I had to pace myself a bit. Pam Neilson I saw was in front of me and I kept her in sight the whole run. I really really wanted to catch her but she ahead enough where I just couldn't. I had one of my best runs because of the push to try to catch her! Run maped to be 3.1 miles but results said 3 miles. I'm going with 3.1 per map guide!
Finished in 4th place...happy with the run effort!
Swim (.3miles) 8:42 (1:39) (13 miles) 35:08 (22.2mph) 5K (race said 3 mile) 20:09 (6:43) pace = 1:06:48 Total
Key takeaway: Do not first and swim!
Next up Graniteman Sprint.
Gabe was also doing the race so we packed up pretty early and were in the car at 5:30 am to get to the race an hour before to set up and warm up.
This race was a bit different because we got our race tattoos as body markings so it was nice not to have to worry about anything besides a quick chip pick up at the race. I love it when everything is given the day before and all you have to do the day of the race is set up, figure out the bike in, out and such and then just warm up. I was feeling pretty relaxed at this race which was nice. I set out for my regular 30min warm up before the race, with a bit of knee pain. The knee pain has been nagging me for a while now about a month. Seems like the issue is that for some reason the lateral part of my quad is super tight pulling up on the patelar tendon. Essentially creating a lot of unwanted stress and discomfort in my knee.
The race was also a bit different because usually I was able to set up my bike anywhere but this race had a "special" rack for the elites. Here I was around all these disc wheels, hehe! Good times, it was very tight with both men and women elites on the same bike rack.
The swim started out pretty well except that I thought I had almost missed it and then half way into the swim my watch came off my wrist. Instead of letting the watch go, I decided to hang on to it, and fist the swim with one arm. BIG MISTAKE!!!
Transition was super long, felt like I was running forever to get to my bike. Bike went pretty well, no major stories, I felt strong.
Then came the run, I wanted to start out very fast and strong. I did just that except I think i was a bit too excited so I had to pace myself a bit. Pam Neilson I saw was in front of me and I kept her in sight the whole run. I really really wanted to catch her but she ahead enough where I just couldn't. I had one of my best runs because of the push to try to catch her! Run maped to be 3.1 miles but results said 3 miles. I'm going with 3.1 per map guide!
Finished in 4th place...happy with the run effort!
Swim (.3miles) 8:42 (1:39) (13 miles) 35:08 (22.2mph) 5K (race said 3 mile) 20:09 (6:43) pace = 1:06:48 Total
Key takeaway: Do not first and swim!
Next up Graniteman Sprint.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
WIBA Weekend in Madison, WI (6/24-6/26/11)
Ironman prep or maybe scare was the purpose of this weekend. I was excited to go out to Madison and preview the course of the bike, swim in Lake Manona, as well as run on Sunday also the run course of the IMWI.
Some people told me the bike would freak me out a bit, but actually after doing 87miles on Saturday I really really enjoyed the course. Don't get me wrong the course is no joke but it was lots of fun! At one point I was going downhill at 39 miles per hour, not even pedaling! It was crazy, I've never gone that fast before. There were also hills where I was in the easiest gear in the front and back and only pushing 6-8mph. There was just a lot of up and down. I really enjoyed getting a sense of the course and being able to run after on tired legs. We ran about 30min. The other thing I really tried to practice was food. I ended up getting in about 850-900 calories on the bike, which was awesome for me!!! I also ate a breakfast before and after our swim at 7am that morning. On the bike the nutrition I did was one bottle of accelerade, pb sandwich, gel, power bar, few shot blocks, and some beef jerky (very good by the way).
I noticed I was really getting sick of all the sweet stuff so I'll have to remember to bring salty stuff with me for the IM.
It was a good day of training Saturday, 1hr ow swim, 87mile bike, and half hour run. I was surprised I wasn't super super tired. Maybe the nutrition payed off.
The next day was a run, ended up doing 16.6 miles about 2:35min with some stops. I was happy with how I felt during the run, I did get a bit hot, but given the load the day before I was surprised at how good I left. I think the training is coming around!
Best part at the BBQ after the Saturday workout there was a margarita maker, see pic above, priceless!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Liberty Half 6/12/11
I was pretty pumped and pretty nervous for this race. Nervous because I felt like this was sort of my first half, since I hadn't done one since 2009 in Chisago. I did feel very prepared and a lot more trained for this one though.
I had all my fuel ready to go, the hope was to consume it all on the bike and maybe a gel or so on the run. That did not happen even though I was very conscious of what I had to do...I didn't learn from my mistake from Chisago. I was thinking if I did a bottle of propetum and gel, 370 calories, 2 gels 200 calories, and three shot blocks 100 calories, that would be enough 670 calories! Well I was short, 1/4 of the nutrition bottle, one gel and three shot blocks. I felt like I was doing so well with the food but I guess not so much. I just have such a hard time eating while exerting myself on the bike and run I really have to slow down and learn to eat, especially for the Ironman. Practice, practice!
Swim went ok, well actually it went really bad. I got way too excited and nervous at the beginning and it took me a good mile or so to get into a rhythm. And by then I was so tired trying got catch my breath I was just really out of it. The water was choppy and I had the hardest time getting a breathing rate which was slow and relaxed for some reason. I knew my swim was going to be slow and it was...
On the bike I was super negative. I think think it was because I felt like my swim sucked and I was not passing anyone and also kept getting passed by wave 3, men 45-49. I tried to just stay positive and ride. I'd say I did that for the majority of the ride, except some of those negative thoughts that came in and out of my head through out the 56mile ride.
When I came into T2 and saw Hilary Patzer and was surprised I wasn't super far behind..So that was encouraging! I had to do the the bathroom right away on the run, and I've never had that feeling. So since there was a lot of miles ahead I decided to squat it out in the woods. The run started out very well for me, I was using my new Brooks Green Silence shoes with yanks. I was feeling pretty strong until about mile 8, and then I sort of crashed. I got pretty bad hot spots on the bottom of my feet near the toes, not sure if that's because the shoe has no support and I need to get used to them or what. I also was just not feeling very strong. That last mile in was about a 10min mile, so I really crashed hard.
I came in 4th place, 6 second behind 3rd place. Overall it's tough to compare this race because I haven't done it before and Chisago is a shorter and faster course.
Times:
39:22 1:52 (swim) 2:42:59 20.6 (bike) 1:43:50 (run) 7:56 TOTAL 5:08:51
Key Takeaway: Need to eat more...and relax on the swim. Oh and not be so negative when I bike.
I had all my fuel ready to go, the hope was to consume it all on the bike and maybe a gel or so on the run. That did not happen even though I was very conscious of what I had to do...I didn't learn from my mistake from Chisago. I was thinking if I did a bottle of propetum and gel, 370 calories, 2 gels 200 calories, and three shot blocks 100 calories, that would be enough 670 calories! Well I was short, 1/4 of the nutrition bottle, one gel and three shot blocks. I felt like I was doing so well with the food but I guess not so much. I just have such a hard time eating while exerting myself on the bike and run I really have to slow down and learn to eat, especially for the Ironman. Practice, practice!
Swim went ok, well actually it went really bad. I got way too excited and nervous at the beginning and it took me a good mile or so to get into a rhythm. And by then I was so tired trying got catch my breath I was just really out of it. The water was choppy and I had the hardest time getting a breathing rate which was slow and relaxed for some reason. I knew my swim was going to be slow and it was...
On the bike I was super negative. I think think it was because I felt like my swim sucked and I was not passing anyone and also kept getting passed by wave 3, men 45-49. I tried to just stay positive and ride. I'd say I did that for the majority of the ride, except some of those negative thoughts that came in and out of my head through out the 56mile ride.
When I came into T2 and saw Hilary Patzer and was surprised I wasn't super far behind..So that was encouraging! I had to do the the bathroom right away on the run, and I've never had that feeling. So since there was a lot of miles ahead I decided to squat it out in the woods. The run started out very well for me, I was using my new Brooks Green Silence shoes with yanks. I was feeling pretty strong until about mile 8, and then I sort of crashed. I got pretty bad hot spots on the bottom of my feet near the toes, not sure if that's because the shoe has no support and I need to get used to them or what. I also was just not feeling very strong. That last mile in was about a 10min mile, so I really crashed hard.
I came in 4th place, 6 second behind 3rd place. Overall it's tough to compare this race because I haven't done it before and Chisago is a shorter and faster course.
Times:
39:22 1:52 (swim) 2:42:59 20.6 (bike) 1:43:50 (run) 7:56 TOTAL 5:08:51
Key Takeaway: Need to eat more...and relax on the swim. Oh and not be so negative when I bike.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
First Tri of the Season Race Report (New Bri Tri Sprint)
Race: 6/4/2011
The weather had been nice the past week, and I was happy I was able to get out and do an ow swim one time before this race. At least when I woke up this morning the temp was about 57, much better than two weeks before, 43 and raining.
I had all my stuff ready and was out the door to pick up Greta Simpson. We got a little lost going to the race but did get to the race in time to get our numbers and also warm up. Warm up was nothing out of the ordinary. It always takes me a second to figure out the bike in, run out, and so on, so I really had to make sure I knew where my bike was. I think not finding my bike or not being able to find my spot for the run is one of my biggest fears...
The swim started out ok. For some reason all I remember thinking is, that the swim was taking forever and I couldn't wait to get out of the water. The water temp was actually not bad at all. Got out of the water alright, and got right to my stuff and on to the bike. On the way out of T1 I ran right by Hilary Patzer, and I wasn't sure at this point where Greta was, but I did know she was a faster swimmer then I was. I figured she was most likely already on the bike.
I really wanted to go out strong on the bike and I did, but Hilary was right behind me the whole time. I have never had such a rally with a fellow races before. We were both head to head the whole bike. I could not pull away from her and she was not able to drop me...I never did see Greta so I figured she was really far ahead or she had an issue in the water due to her shoulder issue.
Out of T2 Patzer and I pretty much came out together, and she was less than 100 yards ahead of me on the run. I knew she had a pretty strong run so I knew I would need to push it hard. I did just that and managed to pass her about a mile into the run. I saw and passed Greta also who later I found out had to walk due to not getting enough food during the bike. At the turn around I was still ahead of Patzer but I knew she must have been right behind me. With about 2min to go in the race I started to hear a heavy breath, and before I knew it Patzer ran past me so fast that I didn't even know what had happend. She ended up beating me by 7 seconds. I was totally caught off guard and didn't really have a chance to react.
I ended up in second place behind her, but we later found another girl from the non elite wave beat both of us, so I finished third overall. Such a close race though between Patzer and I, super fun, and I think we really pushed each other.
1/2 mile swim 15:14 1:44 per 100 PR for me14 mile bike 22.7mph 37:043 mile run 20:55 6:59 pace Total 1:14.52 Third Place overall.
Key Takeaway: Always be alert during the run, you never know who will come out and pass you last minute =) Props to Patzer though, she's super strong!!
The weather had been nice the past week, and I was happy I was able to get out and do an ow swim one time before this race. At least when I woke up this morning the temp was about 57, much better than two weeks before, 43 and raining.
I had all my stuff ready and was out the door to pick up Greta Simpson. We got a little lost going to the race but did get to the race in time to get our numbers and also warm up. Warm up was nothing out of the ordinary. It always takes me a second to figure out the bike in, run out, and so on, so I really had to make sure I knew where my bike was. I think not finding my bike or not being able to find my spot for the run is one of my biggest fears...
The swim started out ok. For some reason all I remember thinking is, that the swim was taking forever and I couldn't wait to get out of the water. The water temp was actually not bad at all. Got out of the water alright, and got right to my stuff and on to the bike. On the way out of T1 I ran right by Hilary Patzer, and I wasn't sure at this point where Greta was, but I did know she was a faster swimmer then I was. I figured she was most likely already on the bike.
I really wanted to go out strong on the bike and I did, but Hilary was right behind me the whole time. I have never had such a rally with a fellow races before. We were both head to head the whole bike. I could not pull away from her and she was not able to drop me...I never did see Greta so I figured she was really far ahead or she had an issue in the water due to her shoulder issue.
Out of T2 Patzer and I pretty much came out together, and she was less than 100 yards ahead of me on the run. I knew she had a pretty strong run so I knew I would need to push it hard. I did just that and managed to pass her about a mile into the run. I saw and passed Greta also who later I found out had to walk due to not getting enough food during the bike. At the turn around I was still ahead of Patzer but I knew she must have been right behind me. With about 2min to go in the race I started to hear a heavy breath, and before I knew it Patzer ran past me so fast that I didn't even know what had happend. She ended up beating me by 7 seconds. I was totally caught off guard and didn't really have a chance to react.
I ended up in second place behind her, but we later found another girl from the non elite wave beat both of us, so I finished third overall. Such a close race though between Patzer and I, super fun, and I think we really pushed each other.
1/2 mile swim 15:14 1:44 per 100 PR for me14 mile bike 22.7mph 37:043 mile run 20:55 6:59 pace Total 1:14.52 Third Place overall.
Key Takeaway: Always be alert during the run, you never know who will come out and pass you last minute =) Props to Patzer though, she's super strong!!
Next up: Liberty Half!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
First Open Water Swim 5/30/11
Jumped into Cedar Lake, cold right away. Had a hard time putting my head in and getting my breathing down, but once I started to swim I was OK!
Not sure water temp, but it's been really cold. The day before it was only 60 and windy.
When I went into the water it was 80 and humid out so at least I was getting out to warm temps.
Not sure water temp, but it's been really cold. The day before it was only 60 and windy.
When I went into the water it was 80 and humid out so at least I was getting out to warm temps.
Oakdale Du (season opener) and cold hands...
It was 43 degrees and rainy when I got up for this race last weekend May 14th...I thought to myself I'd never be biking in this type of weather if this was just a workout, but this was different of course, and at least I didn't have to swim!!
I had a tough time trying to figure out what to wear so I packed a lot of different options and headed out the door. I was pretty excited for the first race of the season and wanted to see what I could do with my runs especially since I haven't done much speed work due to the IM training.
I warmed up with Greta Simpson which was fun and left pretty good at the start of the race. It was just three of us girls in the elite wave. I started off pretty strong with a 6:08 first mile. That sort of scared me because I was thinking I'd gone out too fast. I had Hilatry Patzer right in front of me but I decided to hold strong instead of killing myself trying to catch her. She had a very strong run.
Coming into the transition I was not cold yet, but my hands were getting there. I hopped on the bike and had trouble getting my gloves on and my bike shoes due to the cold hands. I was so slow in the transition that Greta Simpson who was about 40sec back from me on the run came into the transition while I was still fumbling around...Geez!
The bike was COLD and there were lots of little turns. It started to rain also on the bike, not bad, but enough to make my hands even colder. I knew that T2 was going to be a great challenge. I was just hoping I'd be able to undo my helmet, as I've had trouble with that before with my cold hands. I felt fairly strong on the bike.
T2 was a similar story as T1. I actually managed to pass Hilary, the first place girl on the bike, but due to my fumbling around she came out of T2 ahead of me, and Greta was pretty darn close also.
The run went pretty well, I felt strong it's just that my feet and hands were so numb it took a long while before I felt normal at least with my feet. I never caught up to Hilary, she had a very strong second run also, but overall I was happy with how I felt mostly.
Run 1: 19:57 (as Gabe's camera recorded, although results said it was 20:07 (5K run, 6:43 pace)
Bike: 14miles 37:58 22.1 mph
Run 2: was shorter than 3 miles, about 2.7 17:18 (6:56 pace)
Overall Time: 1:17:38
T1 over a min, T2 over a min.
Second place woman, very happy with the first race just wish it was warmer!
Things to remember here: Lots of bike turns, hands were very cold have to work on faster transitions.
Next up: New Bri Sprint!
I had a tough time trying to figure out what to wear so I packed a lot of different options and headed out the door. I was pretty excited for the first race of the season and wanted to see what I could do with my runs especially since I haven't done much speed work due to the IM training.
I warmed up with Greta Simpson which was fun and left pretty good at the start of the race. It was just three of us girls in the elite wave. I started off pretty strong with a 6:08 first mile. That sort of scared me because I was thinking I'd gone out too fast. I had Hilatry Patzer right in front of me but I decided to hold strong instead of killing myself trying to catch her. She had a very strong run.
Coming into the transition I was not cold yet, but my hands were getting there. I hopped on the bike and had trouble getting my gloves on and my bike shoes due to the cold hands. I was so slow in the transition that Greta Simpson who was about 40sec back from me on the run came into the transition while I was still fumbling around...Geez!
The bike was COLD and there were lots of little turns. It started to rain also on the bike, not bad, but enough to make my hands even colder. I knew that T2 was going to be a great challenge. I was just hoping I'd be able to undo my helmet, as I've had trouble with that before with my cold hands. I felt fairly strong on the bike.
T2 was a similar story as T1. I actually managed to pass Hilary, the first place girl on the bike, but due to my fumbling around she came out of T2 ahead of me, and Greta was pretty darn close also.
The run went pretty well, I felt strong it's just that my feet and hands were so numb it took a long while before I felt normal at least with my feet. I never caught up to Hilary, she had a very strong second run also, but overall I was happy with how I felt mostly.
Run 1: 19:57 (as Gabe's camera recorded, although results said it was 20:07 (5K run, 6:43 pace)
Bike: 14miles 37:58 22.1 mph
Run 2: was shorter than 3 miles, about 2.7 17:18 (6:56 pace)
Overall Time: 1:17:38
T1 over a min, T2 over a min.
Second place woman, very happy with the first race just wish it was warmer!
Things to remember here: Lots of bike turns, hands were very cold have to work on faster transitions.
Next up: New Bri Sprint!
Monday, May 2, 2011
It's been a while...New Season 2011 and new ending goal race!
Been a long while since I've posted but there have been so many changes, updates, and new things going on...
Well first off I signed up for IM Madison, September 11, 2011, and have been working with a coach Jeremy from Optum Helath Performance Center in Eden Prarie, MN since January. It's been an interesting ride having a coach. I'd say it takes some stress of off me when it comes to figuring out what to do the next day or even a week out. It's nice to be able to ask someone questions when I'm not sure of something when it comes to training. Overall I'd say I like the coaching experience, there are some "downs" of course, but I won't go into that in a public blog =) I'll say nothing specific to the coach, just my own little quirks (I think).
I would say I haven't really started racing yet, although I did do a half marathon (Winter Carnival) as a training run, as well as the 25K Trail Mix. I didn't do as well as I wanted in the trail mix, and even though the conditions were muddy, rainy and cold, I still didn't feel as fast as 2009, when I got a 2:01, this year different story 2:14 (ouch). That leads me into the IM training, everything I've been doing in training has been base, a lot, a lot of base. This means lots of volume, no real speed. So in short I feel pretty darn slow and I can just feel that I am not used to moving very fast. Hopefully this will change, but right now I'm not so sure.
I have my first upcoming race of the season the Oakdale Duathlon. I always like to start out with a Duathlon, May 14th, to break myself into the season. I'm pretty excited just to see how slow I really am...Maybe I'll surprise myself, just maybe! My first tri is the New Brighton, coming up June 4th. This race was my first race of 2008, which was also my first triathlon season and Rookie of the Year nominee. I'll most likely be checking my results compared to 2008. I'm excited for the races, training, and just the end goal of this season, the IRONMAN!! This should be a fun ride, I just have to keep the goal in front of me and keep it fun.
Till next time, hopefully not next year...I'll start posting more regular when the races start, I hope.
Well first off I signed up for IM Madison, September 11, 2011, and have been working with a coach Jeremy from Optum Helath Performance Center in Eden Prarie, MN since January. It's been an interesting ride having a coach. I'd say it takes some stress of off me when it comes to figuring out what to do the next day or even a week out. It's nice to be able to ask someone questions when I'm not sure of something when it comes to training. Overall I'd say I like the coaching experience, there are some "downs" of course, but I won't go into that in a public blog =) I'll say nothing specific to the coach, just my own little quirks (I think).
I would say I haven't really started racing yet, although I did do a half marathon (Winter Carnival) as a training run, as well as the 25K Trail Mix. I didn't do as well as I wanted in the trail mix, and even though the conditions were muddy, rainy and cold, I still didn't feel as fast as 2009, when I got a 2:01, this year different story 2:14 (ouch). That leads me into the IM training, everything I've been doing in training has been base, a lot, a lot of base. This means lots of volume, no real speed. So in short I feel pretty darn slow and I can just feel that I am not used to moving very fast. Hopefully this will change, but right now I'm not so sure.
I have my first upcoming race of the season the Oakdale Duathlon. I always like to start out with a Duathlon, May 14th, to break myself into the season. I'm pretty excited just to see how slow I really am...Maybe I'll surprise myself, just maybe! My first tri is the New Brighton, coming up June 4th. This race was my first race of 2008, which was also my first triathlon season and Rookie of the Year nominee. I'll most likely be checking my results compared to 2008. I'm excited for the races, training, and just the end goal of this season, the IRONMAN!! This should be a fun ride, I just have to keep the goal in front of me and keep it fun.
Till next time, hopefully not next year...I'll start posting more regular when the races start, I hope.
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