Freeze Fest 2015, Credence Comp, following a new program, and the little things....

I have started a new program with Zach, which has had it's ups and downs, but overall I think it's going well. In fact, this past week I've had PR's on pretty much all my lifts, which has been awesome. I seem to always be in a somewhat of a rut when it comes to Oly lifts and squats, so I've come to really be happy when I get a 5lb PR, instead of dreaming big for those 20+pounders.

The program with Zach started October or late September, so it's been about 3 months. It's very different compared to anything I've done because I am actually following one program, and also because I haven't done or added any of the swim, bike, or run stuff. The tri training and running has officially been on the back burner. The first month was very different as I was used to doing way more, but at the same time the strength and load from the program took some time getting used to. I've had to really be diligent when it comes to my diet and eating more overall, as well as mobilizing ALL the time!! All in all I think the last couple weeks to a month I've been really dialing things in, or at least I think. I can always eat more of course =) Aside from strength the WOD's started off pretty rough, but have been feeling pretty good lately. I have added a few wods here and there on test days or off weeks, but nothing too crazy as I am trying to be smarter exerciser now.

I haven't done any comps since GG which was also a challenge as I really like to compete and do WODs...but strength takes time, and the best thing you can do with strength is REST, so competitions have had to go on the back burner as well (not my choice), but I listened. So the only competitions that I did end up doing was two which were both partner comps. I figure those aren't as taxing, and you can in a way train though them without getting too burned out.

Kim and I did the Credence Comp which was pretty fun. We had never competed together. I remember not feeling too great at that one, and had some stomach issues the night before. We didn't' do too great, but it was fun. And I snatched a high at a competition, a huge 115lbs ;) It's the little things...starting to think that's my 2015 motto...

FreezeFest came last weekend. I was supposed to compete with Danny but another guy from the gym, Christian really wanted to do his first comp before the OPEN so Danny gave up his spot. It was fun to compete with Christian and he did really well being that this was his first comp. I like the workouts a lot better this year. There was snatch, clean and DL ladder. Both Christian and I got stuck on the snatch, which for me was a 125 and him 195. We both didn't hit the weights, boo! There was also a sled sprint event and then a 12, 9, 6 thruster and burpee right after. I was super excited to do that one but we ran out of time as the guys had to do first and the time cap was 7min. A lot of people were dying out on that one...wonder if it was the combo of pushing the sled and the workout that really made that one tough. We just got through the 12's on my side before the time was up. We did do pretty well on the snatch/MU wod.

WOD was 5min time cap
9 snatch at 95/135
2/3 MU's.
We were both able to get through 2 rounds. I was even able to string together the snatches and do them power! Big step for me as I believe last year my max snatch was 100lbs.

WOD 5 was a little rough as Christian was not able to do 50 unbroken DU's, but he tried really hard!! I think the DU's should have been at the end to give people a chance to at least do the whole workout, but oh well. I came home and did it with Gabe =)

All in all it's been a really good few months. I've been trying to stay positive and patient with my strength. I knnow that my limiting factors is my love for the WOD's, so the strength will just take a bit longer, but it's an ongoing process. I have time! Very pumped going into the open and the next cycle of training gearing up for the open which startes on Monday.

Progress thus far:

225 BS, 340DL, 180bench, 125 snatch, 165 clean and jerk, 170 clean, 200 for 3 rep max FS, 3:46 1K row, 7:50 2K row, 178 10min AD test, 115 strict press, 23 unbroken HSPU, 6 unbroken MU's, 35 unbroken wall balls. Rowing has gotten way better but I still dislike it.

Retested 7min burpeesx2...133 first time, rest 2hrs, go again, 135 second time. Got 102 in 2012, which was huuuge.

Granite Games 2014, team style!

The GG this year had a very extended qualifier, and after regionals I was pretty exhausted more mentally then physically. I decided to give GG qualifier a shot anyways because that's just what I do =).

After the long long qualifier I managed to make it into the RX division, but the whole time thought how I didn't feel great during the whole qualified...maybe a little tired still from regionals who knows. After not thinking too hard I decided to do a two person team with Amanda from KF. Less pressure, more fun, Amanda is stronger then I am...it was a good decision!

After competing all weekend with Amanda, the team thing was just what I had expected...a good thing. The first workout was similar to last year a snatch ladder, I managed to get 110lbs, tried 120 a few times but no go. I had gotten 120lbs earlier in the week at KF. My nerves still get the best of me when it comes to olympic lifting and one rep max stuff. At least I got the 110 though, whereas last year I couldn't even get 98lbs...progress =) Amanda did awesome and got 140lbs for a PR! We were in fourth place after the first event which was awesome, even with my non so heavy lift.

Second event was the deadly ropes 3 rounds per person 2 rope climbs, 4 DL at 205 and 6 burpees. That one went well too, and wasn't too bad.

Second day was the chipper. I thought this one went really well. The workout was
150 DU
30 S2OH
40 BJ
70 C2bar pull ups
30 S2OH
40 BJ
150 DU
I was able to get a PR of 100 DU in a row on the first one, which helped Amanda  save her shoulders for the first set of S2OH, otherwise we broke up things pretty evenly.

Second event on Sat was a bit heavier 30 cleans and 30 MU's cleans at 140 were a bit tough for me, since Amanda could handle more weight it worked out. I did one for every 2 reps she did. And I did all of the muscle ups or as many as I could do, which was 13 total. Amanda tried a few times and she was super close! I really wanted 15, but the rings were super high so Amanda had to help me up every time which made things go slower. Either way still have to work on my MU's and getting stronger.

Third day was a 5K run, I was looking forward to that one. Even though I haven't been running as much as normal, the run is still the run for me, it's a familiar territory in a sense. I got 20:40 which wasn't horrible, 6:40 pace and second in our RX division. Amanda did pretty good too, so we were able to get 3 place overall in that event with our combined times.

The last even was the sprint which was 6 rounds of 100 meter sprint and 20 TTB. I love TTB's!! We were able to get first place in that event, which was awesome!

Top 12 teams make it to the finals and we did, being 2 place overall after all of the events.


The last event wasn't too great I thought. Last year seemed longer and more fun. This year it went...One partner does 30 cal row and 30 HSPU then the other partner cleans as a  heavier speed ladder up to 165lbs, then you switch and the other partner does 15 cal row, 15 HSPU and the other partner does a lighter clean ladder up to 145lbs. This worked out perfectly for Amanda and I!!! We did pretty good in that event as well as were able to walk away with second place overall for the weekend!!!

All in all I wasn't nervous at all like I've been in the past, which was a good thing. There is a certain amount of calmness knowing you have another person out there with you, but at the same time there is a little pressure to make sure you aren't holding your partner back. I think Amanda and I made a really good team though. We balanced each other out well for sure. The rest of the KF crew did really good as well, and there were a lot of people doing their first ever comp. Kurbs and Stacy did pretty well in their division, crushing the run for sure!

Next up...more strength, the story of my CF endeavor.

CrossFit Regionals Chicaaaaga...I EXCITE =)

Regionals finished up last weekened and what an experience. From the nerves, to disappoitment, to ripped fingers, to awesome memories, as I look back now the weekend was a great learning experience. The more I think about last weekend and reflect on how things went, I am not unhappy with how I did, but wish I was a little more prepared. Then again I remember how little time I've devoted to CrossFit, after getting pretty serious right after Granite Games in October, and I guess I've come a long way, but still feel weird being at the bottom at Regionals (that's just my competitive side).

I had a lot of nerves going into the weekend, and especially after hearing the first two events were a snatch event, and handstand walk (snatch still a scare for me, and hanstand walk I had never done). I practiced the HS walk a lot, but to this day still can't really do it. The snatch event didn't go very well because I was so nervous coming out I accidentely put on 10lbs more then I wanted on my second attempt without knowing it. When I missed I thought I was at 100lbs, so I put on another 2.5 on each side, and when asking the judge what weight I missed the second attempt he said 110, I was like shit! But once you put the weight on the bar you can't take it off, so I had to attempt 115, which was NOT in the game plan...Oh well rookie mistake...The HS walk didn't go great either, got 0...oh well on to the next event of Nasty Girls V2.

Day 1
Nasty Girls V2 (3 rounds 50 pistols, 7 MU's, 10 hang cleans at 115lbs) went alright, I really struggled with the MU's more then normal. I think I was not used to not jumping up as I had to start from a dead hang position and swing which required a lot more energy. I still really need to work on my transition with the MU as well. I can dip no problem, but that transition really messes me up! I ended up in 28st place out of 31 for that one, with one MU into the third round.

Day 2
The events started at noon which was nice. The teams always went first in the AM. 21, 15, 9, 6, 3 Strict HS Push ups, FS at 125lbs, and burpees 20min cap. I got through the 3 of the 6 handstands. I was pretty happy with that, my goal was to complete 21, 15, 9 which I did...I had just learned how to do strict HS a week before after they anounced the workouts, so that was also a bit rough for me. I was able to grind out the FS ok, but had to break up the 21s and 15's. So close to getting to that 6 FS...next time! 21st on this one.

Later in the day was the legless rope climb, another thing I had never tried until they announced the workout the week before. I had practiced a few times at KF, but the rope there was made of different material and wasn't as high. The WOD was 10 rounds of one climb legless, and 200 run, 11min cap. I started out on the first one really good, but then it all fell apart, and I had about 5 or 6 where I was so close, but couldn't not get all the way up there. It was a soul crusher!!! I finished with only 2 climbs, sad! I ripped my finger too coming off the rope after I decided to take my gloves off half way through the workout. I think maybe not wearing gloves might have been better, as it seemed I had better grip when I took those off.  26th on this one.

Day 3

The 50's the workout I tried at KF, got all the way through the Box jumps in the 21min time cap when I tried. The WOD 50 cal row, 50 DL, 50 WB, 50 ring dips, 50 WB, 50 DL, 50 BJ, 50 cal row. The thing that stuck out on this one was how many no reps I got on the wall balls, geez!! The height was the men's height which I found out later, and you had to hit a small round target, which was something I hadn't practiced either. Either way I was able to finish 13th for this one, my best placement, finishing with 15 DL coming back the 50's. I apparently am also pretty good at ring dips, since I was able to pull away from some of the leaders after getting to that movement. That WOD took a lot out of me though, physically. I'd say more so then any other WOD the whole weekend.

One an hour or so later was the dreaded 64 pull ups and 8 OHS WOD at 135lbs 6min cap. The dreaded more so because the 135 OHS was really hard for me, and I was really aiming to get through one rep suceesfully. Then again I think I sold myself short because after I got the one after coming off the PU bar first I sort of told myself well you got one that's good enough....(not a good thing to tell youself). The pull ups went well, first time trying butterfly during a workout. If I could keep the rhythm I wouldn't have had to come off the bar as much as I did. Another thing to practice!

I felt like there were a lot of things I need to work on skill wise. It gets to be frustrating when I know I can grind through workouts but was stopped because I couldn't do legless climbs, or strict HS push ups well, but that's the beaty of CrossFit, you have to be able to do it ALL!!!

A little time off the barbell for now, as I'm having some major elbow issues. Have a triathlon I signed up for in June and another trail run, then likely get back on the serious training for CF again with goals of working on skills, strength as always, and oly lifting. I feel a bit less preasure now with time on my side, and not having to rush to get stronger or learn new skills weeks before a huge competition.

The support from everyone that came and everyone back home was amazing!!! At times I feel so weird to have this much attention because I still feel like a newbie to the sport of CF. The weirdest part was when we had our athlete meetings and the head judge said you guys are all elites athletes in CF, and we want to get the best of you to Carson for the games, and I thought to myself how the heck am I sitting here right now...I know I deserved to be there, but at the same time it was like, how am I sitting here amongst these beasts, and a place I never thought I'd be at a year ago. It's a crazy feeling. I did try my best to enjoy it all and take it all in. Also the volunteering and the overall event was awesome. Super organized and very professional venue.

On a side note we had some good food while in Chicago and got to see the bean! Also the bars in Chicago aren't open very late as we found out trying to go celebrate on Sunday night..

The Crossfit Open and making Regionals

The CrossFit open was a tough, but as always a humbeling experience. I went into this open with no real expectations but to do all of the workouts, since I haven't really been able to do that in the past opens due to various surgeries or vacations. I had been working hard on strength since October and re testing some of the past open workouts had been going really well, so I really didn't know what would happen this year, but again no expectations. I still feel like a scrawny triathlete compared to the rock-stars the regionals and open women are.

Week to week it was exciting to watch the live announcements and a little nerve wrecking at the same time. I tried to keep calm and not put too much preasure on myself, which didn't really happen the first week but I got better as the weeks went on. There were various times during the open I just had to step back and say to myself you're doing this for fun, even though I was watching the Leaderboard daily or even hourly =)

The highlight of the open was going to San Fran and meeting Kelly, Diane Fu, Christy Phillps, and doing the open 14.4 at Petrero Hill. The last two open workouts were my best, and I was really happy getting 10 MU's in 14.4 since those have been my goat the past two years. It felt good to finally be able to knock those out, although my form still needs help.

14.5 was another good workout for me, thrusters and over the bar burpees, I got 16th in the region for this workout, and did 20 sec better doing it the second time. I re did this one on Monday which was the final day of the open, so after that it was a waiting game to see where I'd land and if Regionals was in the books this year. All in all I was really happy with my accomplishments this year, Regionals or not. Yeah the more I thought about making it the more pumped I got, but honestly if I wouldn't have made Regionals this year I would still be very content. Well I got the email today saying my video was accepted which means, yep I'm going to Regionals!!!! UNBELIBABLE! =)

My emotions: shocked, excited, scared, nervous and many more, but at the end I don't even care if  I place last in each workout (well maybe a little). My main goal now is to try to be prepared for the volume, and be well rested going into Regionals in 5 short weeks. My body is feeling sore after this weeks training, but all in all I'm feeling pretty good. I have to pay a lot more attention to eating a little extra, resting, and hydrating more.

Super pumped to have the Kingfield crew come and Danny to be in the back helping me calm my mind (he seems to know what to say to make things more manageable). I've had a lot of support from the KF crew along with G-dawg, Kurbs, and even little Oscie who comes to the gym with us every Saturday and most days of the week.

FreezeFest 2014, Shrugged Program, Okoboji Throwdown, and some PRs

I was doing this event again this year, and had signed up all the way in October at the GG. The qualification for RX were a little heavy but I decided to go for it, as I figured I'd hopefully be there in the four months. We also started the barbell shrugged program in Oct which has been huge in helping me reach some awesome PR's in Oly lifts as well as squats. I can honestly say I had never squatted like I have until we started this program, which is a good thing.

Back to FF. I wasn't too excited for the programming, and was only really looking to the Thrusters/Pull Up/Run WOD. The event was huge this year, 70 teams, 6 events with the final three being the final.

The first WOD was a clean and hang clean ladder, I surprised myself and got 145 for both, but could not clean 155 which would have been a PR clean for me. Danny did awesome with a PR 235lb clean.

Second WOD was a partner carry, with sandbag squats, nothing too crazy there.

Third, Forth, and Fifth was a dead lift 3min, 1min rest, burpee box jumps 3min 1 min rest, and handstand walk 3min. That went pretty well, expect that I could not handstand walk, but my partner Danny could! I felt a little dumb walking behind him, but I was glad that at least one of us could do it. Something to work on for sure!!

The day was long and since there were a lot of teams there was a lot of down time. The last WOD was the only I was looking forward to, and I felt awesome doing it, but we didn't finish in the time cap 6min, not many did.
WOD was 12 thrusters 75lbs, 12 C2Bar pull ups, while one person does work the other runs 175meters around the Union Depot. I felt great, and was bummed that we didn't make the last three workouts...Oh well, next year!

Gabe and Kurbs did FF too, and also did awesome in the last event. Kim did all the pull ups, and G all the thrusters, it was a perfect combo! They finished in the time cap too.

Accomplishments thus far 110 snatch PR on 2/14/14 V-day!! 155 squat clean same week two days before, re did GG WOD with the DL and BS, in 8:16, in Oct I did not finish the WOD in the 12min time cap, so I was happy!

All in all the training has been tough, but I'm liking it a lot. Gearing up for the OPEN and retesting some WODs has been really good. I know my strength has improved, but I know I have more strength to gain. It's a long process and I finally am OK with that!

Last but not least Kim and I did a mini comp in Iowa two weekends before FF, it was a lot of fun. There was a fun swim WOD which I had never done, and I got second. Kim did really well also in one of her first solo comps!!

Some Pics from the Okoboji  Comp

Freezing weather, getting back to some running, and STRENGTH!

 ----Pic from the Rigor Throwdown we did on Turkey Day!

Last time I blogged was right before getting the little growth out of my knee, that happened in March. The recovery wasn't as bad as the ankle, since the doctor told me to start moving right away, but I still have some swelling and little bump even 8 months later! Good thing is, the knee hasn't been bothering me like it was before, but I also have dropped off on my running a lot due to a new program we started (Barbell Shrugged Muscle Gain).

The new program has been going well thus far, we're about 10 weeks in. I have seen a lot of strength gains on my squatting and improvement for sure on the oly lifts. The only lift are definitely a work in progress. I'm still predicting that my focus will shift in 2014 towards CF, but I'll continue to do the endurance stuff as my secondary "thing". Right now I'm still trying to do the swim, bike, run at least hitting each one once if not twice a week but the CF program is definitely the focus. I have also signed up for a few races in the summer but will race Age Group. I have a few competitions coming up. A fun one in Iowa January 25th, Freezefest, and I did the Mi5 a few months back, as well as a Turkey Day partner WOD with Danny at Crossfit Rigor which we got four in, but only because of our deadlift event, the other events we placed top three. G and Kurbs got 3rd at the same comp in the scaled division!!!

Kurbs and G have improved a lot, Kurbs is almost snatching as much as me and squatting is about the same!!! Awesome to see such quick improvements =)
G has started to do a lot of overhead stuff and doing really well!

All in all I think 2013 was a tough year with injuries, surgeries and such so I'm looking forward to see what 2014 has to offer and just hope for no injuries and steady progression. One thing I have learned with the strength and oly stuff which has sometimes kept me up during the night is I can't be hard on myself if  I don't PR one week or get a lift, it's a working progress and unlike tri's there is a lot of skill that goes into this stuff. Skill means constant practice and consistency and most important PATIENCE!! So I've tried to step back these last week or so especially in the new year and  enjoy the journey =)

A little about my diet too, I've noticed that strength makes me very hungry...I've talked to Danny about this a bit, and I feel like I can do the endurance stuff almost on an empty stomach but with the strength I'm constantly eating, most likely because my system is just not used to this stuff yet and uses up a lot of energy for something like a 3 or 5 rep max which we have been doing on a weekly basis for squats and presses.

Last but not least with my random post the weather has been freezing, negative 22 today with a windchill of negative 49, G's work even shut down!!!

Cabin trip is this weekend in Tofte can't wait!

Granite Games, training, and 5 MUSCLE UPS PR

What a month and half leading up to the Granite Games!!! Tri season was over early September and then it was some serious training for about a month leading up to the big CF comp. I knew I wouldn't be able to get much strength in such a short period of time, but I worked hard on some skills and tough WOD's to get me ready mentally and physically.

I was feeling good and a little tired after doing a few tough HERO wods in the weeks leading up to the competition along with a 6 girl WOD challenge that was posted on the CF page. Rich Fronning challenge, so of course I had to do it =) Kurbs also followed along! We did a 5K before,  the Camp Odayin annual run that my work sponsors. I did only 14 sec slower then last year, so I was pretty happy considering all my non running. We then went to Kingfield and did this crazy 6 girl wod! It was great, tough, but good =)

So granite games...what an experience. First off I'll definetly be back next year, I was happy with how I did, I definetly have things to work on, and need to focus on strenght and Oly lifts. It was nice of Kim to have us say at her aunt's place, it was nice and cozy and we saved some money so a win win.

Day One Snatch Ladder:

I was not looking forward to this one. When I head about the first event a week prior I got sick to my stomach as it was not specified in the movement standards that snatch would be somethign we'd have to do in the RX division, but knowing CF you have to be ready for anything, so the week before I practiced snatch every day, and actually went from a 90lb PR to a 100lbs, so I was happy! Sadly when competiton came I was way way to nervous and not warmed up so I missed both attempts at 98lbs, and just did 14 deadlifts to get some points. I was 39th out of 41 for that day...

Day 2 Run/Thrusters, Air Dyne and 8min AMRAP, much better!!

I was excited to workout. The first day was over and I was honesly happy to get out and finally do some work. Man the run/thrusters wod hurt. I had tried that one earlier in the week and actually did 15 sec faster in the comp, but the weight felt so heavy...The wod was 180 run 10 thrustesr at 95lbs, all the way down to 2 with no run at the end, got 6:58 for that one, 21st out of 41 women.

Later that day was the airdyne, "the devils ride". I did a little worse on this one then when I tried it earlier at Kingfield, but felt the best in this event. We had a 5 min transition and then it was into 100 DU, 50 swings, and 25 muscle ups. Yup muscle ups!! I had only done one muscle up to date and got 5 in the WOD! I strung two in a row during warm ups so I was just hoping to get one or two in the WOD. I really felt strong after the Airdyne, and felt like I had a lot of energy going right into another WOD (the endurance side payed off). After Sat I was in 11th place for RX, top 12 made it to the Final WOD on Sunday. I  got 4th in the airdyne 2:37 for 50 cals and 88 calories for 5min, and then 8th for the 8min WOD.

Day 3 BRUTAL, TTB, then 3 rounds of 15 DL, and 15 BS at 123lbs.

Wow this one hurt bad...time cap was 12min, and I got through the last round with 6 more BS to go. I was really dying...Had trouble cleaning the weight, and the combination of movments and yestedays WOD's kind of killed me.

Sadly I didn't make it into the Final WOD, got 14th place after the Sunday AM WOD. I was sad of course because the last one was a chipper. We came home and did it though in the garage gym with a few modications with G and Kurbs =)

The Final WOD was

500 Row we ran at home21 15 9
Wall balls did plate thrusters 25lbs
Pull ups

15 12 9
G2O 85lbs
Pistols

9 6 3
Burpee Box jumps
KB OHS 16kg

3 2 1
Clean 125, dropped to 115 after 3 reps for S2O
S2O
27:30 was dead!!




Key takeaway: It was very tough to get used to no warm up right before the WOD's. The weights were not easy for me, so when I would warm up it would be fine, but then we'd get corraled 20min before and then doing the WOD "cold" so to speak was tough getting used to. I'd say it got better as the day went on Sat and better Sunday but definetly a change and different experience.

I loved every min of the weeeknd, a lot of Twolf peeps did the competition and dominated per usual. Danny also did awesome from Kingfield. The experience was great, and felt like a high end competition, espeically since there were a few Games and a bunch of Regionals athletes there. Truly inspired and humbled!

Next up, get the "growth" out of my knee and hopefully be ready for a partner competition in Nov and then for sure FreezeFest in Feb!!

YW sprint tri, Hyvee, and end of the season thoughts for 2013 Tri Season

 We look so happy there ha-------->

 Door Finish, ouch!

                                              Unofficial Hyvee time.

                                               Cool shot of Door, running into finish!

It's been a while since I've blogged, but I wanted to write a big and long post about the two last races of the season and some thoughts and feelings about this summers racing and thoughts for fall, winter and next year...

YW was a great race once again. I truly love this race, and hope to keep doing it. It's a different type of atmosphere, but competitive at the same time, and so close to home, it's just a great time.
I didn't PR, but I wasn't really expecting to this year. With my ongoing knee issue and ankle surgery in March, and this being my second race of the season I didn't have super high expectations, but wanted to go hard and have fun! Not too much excitement in this race or things going out of the ordinary besides my swim...My goggles got water in them three different times and my breathing was very chaotic. I didn't get into a groove until the first turn, and with it being such a short swim that was not a good thing. The bike was pretty good, but my legs were feeling heavy and a little tired, likely due to me doing the BHO WOD 2 the day before (or re doing). The run was actually pretty good, hard, but I felt like I could push it. Overall I didn't place as too well and my time was about 3 min off from 2012, but I wasn't overly disappointed and was glad that my run was only about 10 sec off from last years pace when I did WAY more running.

Results
8:42 1:45 1:21
42:42 21.8 1:08
20:42 6:40 pace
Total Time 1:14:32 7th overall

Hyvee just happened this past weekend, Labor Day weekend. I was gone in Seattle the weekend before for a fun vacation. I was pretty active there with CF and some running. The knee issue I've been having is turning out to be something more then just runners knee. I am not sure yet what exactly, but it seems like a scar tissue or soft tissue mass of some sort that I might need surgery on AGAIN....It's been a bit disappointing and frustrating with the surgeries, but then again what can you do?? If this issue in my knee is ultimately resolved with removing something I guess I'll be happy to maybe say good bye to knee pain after a long long time of this ongoing "bug"...

Hyvee was a fun race, overall I think I felt like I had a good race, although once again about 2min off PR from last year. When it comes to how I felt I would say I tried my best and felt pretty good during the whole race. Racing is always tough, but I was in a good mental state and tried to have fun for the most part. The swim was good, I was pretty much last out of the 20 Elite Women in the Championship race, but my time was about 10 sec off the last year and I tried to focus on my stroke and sighting more. The bike was very very windy this year and there were a lot of false flats. I got the exact same average this year though, was only about 15 sec slower compared to last year. Then run was where I lost the most time about 2 plus min, but I went sub 7:30 pace which I was pretty happy with.
The biggest difference in this race this year was how long the transitions took, but that was the same for everyone but it was kind of crazy to see the transitions from last year being almost a min or more faster...
Kurbs did very well considering her injury, she hasdn't run in a month and didn't do much swimming and some biking and still managed to kick booty!! I liked staying an extra night and celebrating that day with Gabe and Kurbs =) Her family came to watch also which was fun. Our hotel wasn't super accommodating though, not sure if we'll stay there again although it was a decent price, Marriot in downtown.

Results
Swim 29:19 1:48 pace
Bike 1:09 21.6
Run 45:11 7:18 pace
2:27.56 16th overall for elite
Lost a lot on transitions too
T1 2:27 T2 2:02

All in all I feel like the season has been "different" this year. I'm not sure if it's being burned out of racing or the combination of having injuries and the nagging knee thing, or the added interest in CF this year, maybe a combo of everything. I'll see where the Fall/Winter and next year takes me. Next up is a competition for CF in Oct (Granite Games), so my focus will shift this way for the month at least. I'm really having a lot of fun doing the CF thing, and I still love to do the tri stuff, just not sure where I'll be next year with racing and such, since it's tough to really focus on both and excel at both, which I've learned in my second year of CF and triathlon =)

Hope to heal up the knee first off, and then go from there...

Door Country Half Ironman 7/21/13 First Tri of the Season!

I can't believe that this was my first tri of the season!! I was having mixed feeling about the race, excited, kinda of out of it with how the season was going, nervous that a half was my first tri of 2013. I kept thinking about how strange this year has been when it comes to training and racing, but tried to keep an open mind and have fun with it. I knew I could get through the race, and I'd done training for it, although my running has been sub par this year with ankle surgery and ongoing knee issues.

We drove up Sat to get to Door Country mid day. The drive was LONG, but fun with Kurbs and Osc in the car =) Kurbs was not able to do the race because of her foot injury but I was glad she still came to cheer!!! We got to packet pick up about 4pm and checked out the race site. Lake Michigan was very pretty and big. The weather was beautiful, nice and cool unlike other years, and little wind. I was getting more excited to do this thing.

We stated at the Best Western Maritime, which was pretty cozy, and ended up eating at a restaurant called Neighborhood right across the street. I had a yummy pork chop and a glass of wine of course =)

Race morning was pretty stress free since we were only about 12miles from the race site. We got there pretty early, about 6:30 for an 8am race start. I got warmed up with Kurbs and Osc and was all ready to go. I liked that the transition didn't close until 15min before the race so I had plenty of time to warm up and get all situated.

SWIM:
The swim was an in water swim due to rocks close to the beach. As soon as the gun went off it was like riding a bike...I wasn't all that nervous but the water was super choppy the whole way and I had a very hard time getting into a breathing or stroke rhythm. The buoys were very well marked which was nice. No major issues in the swim besides the choppy waters making it very difficult to get into a grove. I swallowed a lot of water sighting at one point and had to do a little breast stroke action.

BIKE:
Right after getting in from the swim I noticed that it was raining. I thought to myself, damn! Rain on the bike didn't bother me though, it was a lighter mist, with some heavier rain at times, but no extra wind, and the course itself was nice. The roads were fairly smooth about 90% of the way, and there were just a few rolling hillls but nothing major. I ate three gels and a power bar on the bike, which seemed to work out for me. I think I finally figured out the nutrition for the half on the bike in this race. Only took me about 5 Half Ironman to figure it out.

RUN:
Coming into T2 my feet were feeling cold and numb from the rain, so the first few miles were a little painful but my body felt pretty good. I was doing about 7:30 miles the first 7 miles, but then the hills hit at mile 8 and I died!! 20% grade my glute cramped...I'm not sure what happened to me, maybe I went out too fast, but I was feeling pretty good. The run didn't go as great as I wanted, but the course was a very very tough and hilly one. Thank god the weather was overcast and cool in the low 70's.

I was very happy to finish although a bit disappointed because I was thinking I'd be able to make pull off about a 5 hour time, but with the added pain on the run I came in at about 5:11, no PR but hard to compare not doing this race before.

As a side note a little about Door County...A lot of wineries here and very pretty in Egg Harbor, definitely have to come back and maybe stay an extra day.

Results:
Split Time Pace
Swim 00:39:13.9 0:02:01
T-1 00:01:54.1 0:00:00
Bike 02:43:08.2 20.7
T-2 00:01:06.5 0:00:00
Run 01:46:23.3 0:08:07
Total Time 5:11.46.2 (9th overall Female)
Crazy hard run, and swim very choppy, good bike course though with a few hills)

http://itiming.com/searchable/index.php?results=dcthalf2013

Cancelled Triathlon and an interesting season....Copper Creek 6/23/2013

I was all excited to do my first sorta late season triathlon in Iowa, the Copper Creek sprint tri, but the race ended up being cancelled and instead of a triathlon there was a 5K which we didn't really know about until after we left. It was all sort of bizarre as the day started off really nice, and then crazy weather rolled in. The race was first shortened and then delayed, and then after waiting for an hour and a half and no break in sight we headed out since we had a flight to Alaska that same night. I was really bummed and so was Kurbs, since we both really wanted to get this season started. We drove all the way there ate a good meal, stayed in a nasty motel, and then the race got cancelled. I've never had that happened before, and it was worse in part because we drove all the way there!!! Ug super annoying  but what can ya do...I'm a little worried about my first triathlon being a half, but I know I can get through it at least, just very bizarre and different approach to the season this year.

Apple Duathlon 2013 5/25/13

With some nagging ankle/knee issues I was somewhat hesitant to do this race, but decided to head out to Sartell and see how I felt during warm ups. After doing about a 2 to 3 mile warm up and feeling no real heel pain on the ankle surgery foot I decided to go for it. I didn't remember much about this race expect that there was a huge hill on the run and that I got a PR 5K here last year. I wasn't expecting any PR's this year but was hoping to at least feel strong and not have to DNF due to pain.

There were only 6 of us in the elite wave because most were doing Age Group to Quality for Worlds in August in Canada. Since I knew I was not going to be able to do Worlds this year I kept my Elite wave slot. I knew all the girls in the Elite wave besides one, which was fun. The first run felt pretty good, I came in in 20:26, about a min off from 2012. Transition was fairly smooth. With no issues with cold or rain I was able to use my hands like I wanted to clip and unclip my helmet, which was a real problem last year.

The bike started out really well, but I ended up getting passed by three girls which made me in 5th place compared to the second place I was in after the first run. Suzie was out in front by about a min on the first run, and the rest of the girls were very close together. We made a final turn which lasted for more then 5 miles, and were headed into a pretty good headwind, and that's when I started to feel sluggish and didn't have much energy to push. I panicked and decided to take some fuel in, but the chops I had flew away from me, so then I decided it was gel time. I was pretty frustrated at that time after losing the chops, and the gel didn't taste very well or sit well with me. I was struggling to keep, 17mph, eat and not let the girl who had just passed me get too far away. All of that didn't workout too well...as I was feeling a deep burn in my legs and the wind was not letting down. I was worried about the run with how my legs were feeling those last 6 miles on the bike.

T2 was pretty smooth, but when I started to run the wheels really feel off. I felt like I was crawling and in fact I sort of was. I ended up with a 7:30 pace for the second run which might have been my slowest yet...It was a struggle with that run for whatever reason. I came in at 1:44 with some change and 5th overall, about 3:30 min off from last year, and mostly on the run, especially the second run.

It seemed like most peoples times were about 4 to 5min off from last year, but I'm not sure why. Maybe it was the wind and chilly temps. I thought the weather was way better then Oakdale but of course not ideal for March 25th.

No open water swims yet!!

Trying not to be too negative this season and use this year as a healing/training season.

Results:

5K run 20:26 (6:35)

T10:51

33K 58:52 (20.9)

T20:46 125

5K 23:27 (7:33)

Total 1:44:20 6th overall

Season Opener kind of like the Fishing Opener but more painful....Oakdale Du 2013

It was a cold cold day for the first race, super windy too!! I have done Oakdale a few years in a row and have always singed up for this race pretty early. This year has not only been cold, but I've also had some hiccups with my ankle. After contemplating if I can do this race with my ankle surgery being March 22nd, I decided to go ahead with it, with little run or brick training under my belt.

Unlike last year I started with the correct wave this year. There were only 3 women in the Elite wave this year, most likely due to the weather conditions. The wind was like nothing else I've ever raced in before especially on the bike. I ran the first run feeling pretty good, and not feeling much or any discomfort in my ankle. The bike was a bit of a disaster as I decided that it was too much to mess around with my gloves after the first run, so instead of taking the extra few seconds to put them on I left them off. I knew this was a mistake pretty quickly as winds were 20 to 30 miles per hour and the weather was in the 40's. I was being blown pretty good on the bike, and my hands were so numb that's all I could think about. I got pretty frustrated on the bike with the wind, and very very cold. I couldn't drink any water the whole race also because I was just so cold. After coming in first on the run, I was in 3rd into T2. At that point I was not able to do anything with my hands, so I had a nice guy un-clip my helmet, and then somehow got my shoes on all by myself! The second run was pretty painful also, mostly because I felt out of shape with running and bricks...All different parts of my legs were sore and in pain. Kirk passed me with about a mile to go. I didn't have much in my legs, and it really did feel like the longest 2.5 miles ever. I came in 4th overall, not super happy with the race, about 5:30 slower then last year, and mostly on the bike. The runs were also slower but the majority of time lost was the bike. I guess conditions didn't help and coming off the surgery was also a factor. As I write this a day later I can be a little more realistic with myself and just think...On to the next race, Apple Du...

Results:
51 20:22  6:48 
T10:49   41  
40:36 20.7 
T21:03   59
17:38  7:03
Total Time 1:20:26

Training Hiccops and slowing down in 2013

Who really ever knows what the future holds right? And training obstacles are tough. I recently was challenged physically and mentally with something I never imagined happening, but that's how it usually goes. I had a swollen ankle for a few months and after getting an X-ray and MRI they said I had a benign tumor in my left ankle and needed it removed sooner then later.

This was very inconvenient for a few resason...The CF Open is going on currently and having the surgery meant not finishing all of the workouts. Another reason for inconvenience is the triathlon season coming up and not being able to train like I wanted the weeks before the season wasn't eactly what I had hoped for. I tried to delay the surgery and see what the doctor thought but after a lot of going back and forth, back and forth, and more back and forth and the doctor saying waiting until fall would NOT be a good idea I decided to go through with the surgery on March 22nd 2013. So here I sit typing this up in hopes when I look back on this and hit another bump in the road called life I can see how I coped and got through this rough time. Things can always be worse though. I am in a boot for 7 to 10 days before the sitches come out, once that happens I can start doing stuff!! It's only day 2 and I can hardly wait. I did a short core WOD today with some push ups which made me feel better. It's the little things and the mental games and tricks we play with ourselves that help get through times like this. In a way I feel like this is good for me, slowing down for a little while and focusing my energy on other things I neglect is always a positive, and I'm trying to focus on that. I mostly just don't like being restricted and being not in control of this "thing". But again I think it's maybe good for me to step back and say, hey if this is not in my control then I just have to make the best of what I do have instead of being too busy trying to control things I might not be able to at the moment. This little injury and control applies to many other aspects of my life and I think it's may be good for me to step back now and really slow down.

Everyone has been super super supportive. My family, friends, Gabe have been totally awesome, and I'm very very grateful for that. Otherwise we'll see what the future holds. I haven't been super happy with my own performance in the OPEN, yes I have gotten better, but there are still those movements (100lb snatch), muscle ups, which just hold me back from really separating myself. The team (Timbewolf CrossFit) is doing awesome though, and I've really tried to do my best to get more points for the team in order to qualify for Regionals rather then focusing too much on my own weaknesses. Although I know that if I could have done that muscle up in 13.3 I would have helped the team so much more, ug!!!

Triathlon season is going to happen the question is how much will I lose these next few weeks, I think June and July races are still on, but May will be a big question, which I am ok with. I just hope that pathology reports come back ok and I can move on from this.

Aside from my own issues, Kim has also beeing struggling with an injury in her ankle. She's going through some PT now and seems to be on the right track back, but again the trainign for her has also been subpar compared to last year. I keep thinking, we jsut can't compare last year to this year because every seconds of life is just so different, we just have to adapt and really try to make the best of it with support for others. Gabe also has been battleing a shoulder injury and although it seemed to have gotten better, he's not where he wants to be, so surgery might be in the near future for him.

All in all I think we'll all be ok, it's been nice watching a lot of movies with friends and having more time, but I'm sure I'll be ready to get back into training soon....Actually I already sorta am, but I do admit it's nice not running around with my head cut off day to day...;)

First Brick of 2013 at Balance, PR FRAN and PR 200....SWIM!

Did my first brick at balance on the compu trainer and felt real good!! The compu trainer ride was the IM WI course total time 3hrs and a 5K run after. I was surprised how good I felt during since I haven't done a lot of cardio and have started ramping stuff up the last few weeks before AZ.

On to my PR FRAN at home today 3:55, bam!! Was super happy this was after a 11mile running in the morning.

And lastly, I swam 6 days last week a record for me, and felt the best on Saturday the 6th day. I got a PR 200 hundred at 3:03. All in all it was a good week!!!

FreezeFest, knee issues, and running in 2013 2/6/2013

It's only been a couple months into 2013 and I'm starting to feel like I want to/need to pick up my cardio/training shape. My running has been on the back burner due to my ongoing knee issue, and more recently a swollen ankle. Besides running though I have been trying to get on the bike more this month and swimming a lot since I'm running maybe a day or two if that the last few weeks. I took last week off completely from running, which didn't actually seem that bad, but I do really miss it.

I had a chance to compete in the FreezeFest CF Partner competition a few weeks ago, which was really fun! The event raised money for a little boy who has a medical condition since birth and has had to come to Minnesota for many surgeries and treatments. The proceeds went to the boys parents. The gym I coach at (Timberwolf Crossfit and Crossfit Whitebear) were the main organizer, the event was great.
I got a PR clean at 140, and stayed the same on my snatch at 90lbs...I know I can do more just have to work on technique!! I have noticed a theme with me and technique type exercises or sports, I am just not too great at them, and it doesn't matter how strong you are, if your technique isn't there it does NOT matter. I'm sure that's the case for everyone though, but just shows that practice makes you better, but not perfect since there is always room for improvement.

I've been trying to get in the pool a lot started the crazy swim streak the beginning of this month, and so far so good. I feel like my conditioning is good in the pool, I just need to keep focusing on my TECHNIQUE to get faster and more efficient (there it is again) =)

Some pics from the FreezeFest!

Meet of the Miles 1/14/2013

I've had never done this race, but was excited and had it planned for a few weeks. I was bit nervoius to see where my speed was at with not a whole lot of running at all, but a lot of strenth training and crossfit. The reason for not a lot of running has been my ongoing knee issue...and maybe some needed time to do other things.

So with no real expectations I decided I'd sign up for the 6 to 630mile pace group, but last minute switched to the 545 to 6min group because a lot more of the girls I knew were running in that one. Nordica, Lindsey, Stephanie, all from MN Red. So I thought what the heck I'll be more motivated to stick with them, and if I die trying oh well...Bring on the PAIN!

I warmed up around the 200 meter track for a while, and Gabe and I stood around for a while which made it tough to stay warmed up...Gabe was also doing the meet for the first time. I was excited to see how he'd do knowing that he'd most likely PR since he's also been doing a lot of crossfit and gaining a lot of leg strength. Although also not a lot of distance running for Gabe...

I started off very conservatively and was surprised how decent I felt. With about 4 laps to go I passed up the MN red pace group, but was still running pretty conservative thinking maybve I'd die at the end. My PR mile is a 5:31 from last year in the summer, and today at the meet of the miles I did a 5:47...I was surprised...I know I didn't go 100% and held back a bit, but it was a very strong effort. I think last year I did a 5:43 at an indoor track meet also in January with a lot more running under my belt. So all in all I was happy. I ended up running with Greta also for a 6:34 mile, nice job Greta! And then Gabe also for a 7:26 mile, a PR!!!!

It was a great time, and I definetly want to do that one again next year.

I need to start working on my endurance more...Next up is FreezeFest, an all day CF competition for a charity event, then a triathlon training camp in AZ Feb 28th to March 3rd, and then the CF Open!!!

PS: Started signing up for some races for 2013, thus far Oakdale, Apple, Door Half in July (Kim's first Half, yay!)

Crossfit, Knee Stuff, and more...

It's been an interesting off season thus far...After the marathon and my nagging knee pain all year I decided to go see someone to fix the problem. Unfortunetly the problem is not completely gone, but it's a little better. I also started doing CF ALOT! It's been a lot of fun, and I'm definetly getting stronger, but my running/endurance has suffered a bit. I know it's early in the season, but I'm just not used to being out of shape when it comes to endurance stuff, so it's difinely a change for me.

On a CF note though I have set a few PR's on the deadlift at 255, clean 135, bench press 130x3 as well as pull ups at 30+...My approach for the season is to see how I do in the Open for CF in March and then go from there. If I or the Twolf can qualify for Regional then my focus will go that way, but if not, then I can still get serious about racing tri's. I have already registered for a few big races for 2013, once of them being Age Group Nationals in Milwakee in August, which Kurbs and I will hopefully be going to.

Also excited to do my first ever tri camp in Arizona at the end of Feb...and that's all for now!

Surly Trail Run, BSC Camp Odayin 5K and the TC MARATHON!

Lots to write about in this post, and it's all about running! First off I did a fun little trail run a few weeks ago at Theo Wirth, it was a 13.1K trail run. Fun course, pretty hilly. I did the run with Kim, and it was just a little fun run, which turned out into me winning the race for women =) I just remember going out pretty casually with Kim and feeling pretty good, and then a few miles in someone yelled out top girls, so I decided Eh, maybe I should pick it up a notch, so I did went about 6 or 7 effort and ended up winning, while Kurbs got 5th overall. Good day! Won a really sweet handmade mug.

Then it was the 5K the week before the marathon which I wanted to do well in. So I followed Nicole's plan to the T (or almost) =) and was hoping to get a good time. The run was two times around Lake Como and was fairly flat. Ended up running a 20:14 for 3.34 miles, or about a 6:22 pace. Right on par with my 5K PR 19:35. I did a 19:30 5K in the Apple Duathlon earlier this season.
Then the TC MARATHON. I was tapering pretty much towards the end of the week with a few track workouts in the beginning, and I didn't really like it too much but I knew if I was going to run a sub 3:17 on the TCM course my legs needed to feel fresh. I felt like my fitness was there with many track workouts and a few long runs (20+), but now it was time to simply taper (which was not really that simple for me). Either way I think I did a pretty good job following the taper and couldn't complain with how I felt going into the marathon. The weather was really pretty cold the day off, in the 30's with a high of 50 (maybe). The week itself was a bit stressful with Osc getting sick and having many sleepless nights, but at the end I think it all worked out. Both Gabe and I PRd!! I felt pretty strong throughout the whole race and was really focus on keeping with or a little ahead of the 3:15 pace group. I did just that and was actually in front for most of the race except at around mile 21 or so the pace group paced me. I was starting to struggle. I really tried to hang on, but couldn't. In the end though it worked out and those last 3 miles or so were a blur. I was on pace at the half way point for about a 3:12 and finished in 3:15.22, a PR!!! I remember seeing the finish line still pretty far away and kicking it in so hard that when I finished if the two awesome volunteers wouldn't have been there to grab me I would have fallen over...I was so happy and it was so nice to see all my friends there, Kim, Kurbs, Robin, Leon, Drew, Kim's parents, John, my grandparents and sister just to name a few. Also all the people who yelled out my name it was just great!!! Splits below, finished 30th in AG. Link to results below.

Results

Some thoughts for the end of the Tri Season 2012

I thought I'd put in some of my end of the season thoughts even though it's about 2 weeks after Hyvee, better then never(or the last tri of the season). I'd say this season has been interesting for one because I didn't have a big race at the end of the season like Ironman last year, and that sort of made the last tri not as depressing. I didn't experience the post season blues (YET) like I did after Ironman. I guess that makes sense because the Ironman is way bigger and you train the whole season for it. But either way it was nice to end Hyvee on a good note, and feeling strong and confident about my fitness level. I have felt like my fitness level has been the best it has been maybe ever. Maybe it was because of cross fit, or extra speed work, or working on my running more with a coach, either way I have PR'd in all my shorter races this year, and have improved my speed a lot. I have PR'd in the mile with a 5:31PR, and my 5K time has been the fastest it's ever been at a 19:30 some in a triathlon...I never thought I'd be able to run this fast.

I also met an amazing training buddy, Kurbs, we call her. We have done all of out training together this season, and it's been awesome! So many days I felt like I didn't want to get out there, but having her show up to our place pushed me just that much. Super thankful for her! It's very true, this sport is all about the people you meet not always just the bike, run, swim. There are days you just don't want to do those things anymore, but it's the relationships and friendships that you make that really get your through those ruts.

One thing that wasn't so great this season were my half ironmans. In part, I think because I just didn't spend as much time on the bike this winter, thinking I'd be fine. Well I payed for it with both of my Half Ironamns being sub par. It might have also been all of the extra CrossFit I've been doing. I think I could get away with it with the shorter stuff, but the longer stuff takes so much more out of you I just maybe couldn't handle both volume and intensity intermixed and not periodized properly. Who knows though, I guess only eliminating one or backing off on something or maybe more biking or longer bricks would help me answer what happened.

Either way a lot of good things came out of this tri season, which I'm more then happy about. I feel faster, back to where I was before kidney surgery, or even faster, and I feel healthy which is important. One small setback is my knee hurting for the last few months. I think it's an imbalance of some sort which I have to figure out before it gets worse.

All in all I'd give the season an 8 out of 10!!!

Last race of the season is the Marathon!

Colorado Ragnar Relay (fist Annual) 9/6 and 9/7 2012

I came on the team for the Ragnar in Colorado somewhat last minute...Maybe not last minute but I joined the team after saying no due to travel expenses and PTO, but after Kim told me there was a change in the date and there was someone who couldn't' do it, I was even more tempted so I decided I was in! I knew it would be absolutely beautiful running through the mountains, and I was absolutely right.

I got into Colorado on Thurs, and we drove to Breck where we stayed that evening. The race started on Friday. We were in the first van and I was runner number 5. My legs were 8.9 miles, 4.6 miles, and 6.7 miles. Not super hilly but longer.

I was very excited when we got to the race start, and it was nice because we stayed at a place walking distance from the start in Breck. Out start time was 10am, so plenty of time to sleep in. I decided I wanted to run some extra legs because that's just what I do =) so I did just that by running with Ben our first runner. It was a tough climb from the start of his leg, but we settled into a comfortable pace and the beauty of Colorado began! I took a break after that, and then decided to run 2miles with Kim (runner 3). The first part of her run was all uphill, so I decided to help her out, and she was happy I did.

I was getting more antsy as the day went, since I was the second to last runner, but my leg was finally here. I was actually feeling a bit sluggish, maybe due to the lack of or no coffee at all that day. I tried to just take it in and not race but run a pretty steady pace given the elevation change. It felt good, and I felt pretty warmed up and awake by the end of the run

After our first legs we had a break from 5 to 9 or so. We crashed at a major exchange where we'd meet Van 2. I was out cold even though we slept on a carpeted floor in a high school with no sleeping bad, just a sleeping bag.

Second leg was at midnight, and a bit freaky because part of it was in the middle of a field, and all you saw was what was in front of you. Otherwise I liked the night run. I also ran into this small animal which I quickly dodged by going out on the road instead of the path.

Jen one of our runners had some pain in her knee after the first run, so we knew she was pretty much out. Her bf Ben ran one of her legs but then we had to do some switching and Kim ended up running another short leg while another girl (Jen) took the other Jen's leg (too complicated)! Erica was also not feeling hot, so I took her last 3mile leg. Thank god it was only 3 miles, but I was pumped once I got mentally ready for running almost 10miles as my third leg on about 2 hours of sleep. To be honest I enjoyed that leg the most. I was just out there soaking it all in, and the music helped a ton.

Overall it was an awesome experience!!! Absolutely would do it again, the scenery was just amazing.

Leg 1 8.8 miles 7:54 pace Leg 2 4.7 miles 7:30 pace Leg 3 6.7 miles 8:08 pace Ran Ben's Leg 3.7 miles, and Kim's leg 2miles, and Erica's leg 3 miles, about 30 miles total, was supposed to run 20 miles with only me legs.

We placed 49 out of 170 teams so not bad!