Pigman Half 8/19/2012

Gabe and I drove to Cedar Rapids, IA on Saturday since the race was on Sunday. The drive took longer then expected about 4.5 hours. We got to packet pick up right on time, and headed to the Econo Lodge (Osc with)! Dinner was good at Biagges I had a pork chop chop and potatoes and a beet salad, and dessert (bread pudding and a nutella cookie to go). All in all it was a good day before race day with no major stress. Race day went fairly smooth and I was able to get to the transition with plenty of time. I got to the race about 6am, with a 730am start time. Took us about 30min to get to the race site from the hotel. Swim went good, although it was hard to see the buoys very well. I also felt like was having a hard time keeping straight. Otherwise no major issues on the swim.I was trying to keep calm and focus on my stroke more, so I didn't really feel out of breath or nervous at all. Bike was really windy, and had some rolling hills too which made it tough. I was also having a hard time eating and had to urinate three times, which I've never ever done before. I was also feeling like I was pushing hard, but trying to save my legs for the run. My legs were feeling tired, especially the calves and hammies. Rolled into T2 though, feeling a bit excited to get off the bike. The run actually started off really well, but then I started to get tired. I would say around mile 7 or so I was in the pain cave. I was drinking a lot on the run, but really struggling. I had very little energy, and this is the second time I had felt this way (Chisago being the other time) this year. Was very glad to be done. 38:55 (1:51) T12:17 2:50:28 19.7 T21:28 1:47:42 8:14 Total Time 5:20:48 (10min worse then Chisago about a month before) 9th overall, only 3 elites competing this year. Next up Hyvee

YWCA 2012 August 12th

It was a chilly morning (55 degrees)and I got to the race early, an hour and a half before to avoid extra stress. Gabe and Kim volunteered at the race. Everything went very smoothly, and I was ready for a warm up by 7am. I was feeling fairly well on the warm up considering my legs had been feeling tired and sore pretty much all week (besides Saturday). The swim went fairly well and I was able to gain good position. T1 was fairly fast and I was out on the bike in about 5 or 6 place. I noticed that most of the bikes were out of T1, so I knew I had a lot of time to make up on the bike. Bike went fairly well,I was pushing really hard and really wanted to gain some ground coming into T2. I did do just that, coming in in 3rd place right with Greta and Nordica close by. Run started out fast, I was able to pass Greta and Nordica. I was feeling strong on the run and was doing all I can to keep second place at this point. With about 400 to go Stephanie Soffelt passed me. I tried to hang on, but just couldn't. Ended up coming in 3rd overall only 10 sec behind Stephanie. I was very happy with the results, and once again just loved and enjoyed this race and venue so much. Nicole and all of the volunteering did such an awesome job again!! I really enjoy every bit of this race. Results: 500 Yard Swim - 15.5 Mile Bike - 5K Run 8:22 1:41 t1 1:24 40:23 23.0 t2 0:52 20:19 6:33 Total 1:11:18 Happy with everything this year 2:20 sec PR! Wish run was sub 20, but that's ok. Second fastest bike split!

Rice Street Mile (PR Mile) then another PR mile today 7/30/12 at CF!

I decided to sign up for this after an upsetting Chisago Half Ironman race (more mentally then physically). I tried to got a friend to sign up but she couldn't make it, so I decided I am going to go for it and see what I've got when it comes to speed. I did the Nicollet Mall road mile last year on a wim in about a 6:03 pace, and this was my first official road race, and first time doing the Rice Street Mile. I didn't have a lot of expectation going into the race coming off the half on Sunday, which was good. I warmed up with the MN red group which was fun since I hadn't run with them in a long time. 3mile warm up was good with some strides. The mile started off fast, and that initial 400 was a shock to the system. I tried to hold back a bit, my first 800 was a 2:48. I finished fairly strong passed a girl or two for a PR of 5:37 per my watch, but 5:40 chip time. 6th overall. The hill at the end up, then down was a really nice way to finish. I was really happy with my time. A huge booster, and I'm so glad I decided to sign up. Sometimes you just have to go for it, even if alone. Then today 7/30/2012, CF WOD PR mile 5:18 but the course was .96, so figure about 5:31, this time around I was coughing for a long time, but wow another PR mile, I will take it! =) Huge improvement from past year.

Chisago Halfiron 7/22/12

I don't even know where to begin...

This was a struggle pretty much from the beginning, but definitely the run challenged me more mentally then I can really remember in a long time. Chisago is a pretty chaotic race, but Kim and I got there early enough and I knew exactly where my bike spot was which made it a lot less stressful.

My legs were feeling a little heavy on the warm up run, but I didn't think too much of it. The swim was wetsuit legal which was a surprise since it has been so hot lately and I was swimming a lot with no wetsuit.

Swim went pretty smoothly I thought, I was getting pretty tired with my arms about 3/4 of the way, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I got my goggles knocked off a bit, but I had them underneath the swim cap which was good.

Bike was when it got rough. Lots of head wind, no speedometer (forgot to put it on the day before), and just plain tired legs. I tried not to exert too much but felt like if I slowed down anymore I'd barely be going over 20mph, so I pushed even with the wind, and maybe payed for it on the run.

The run was brutal, probably started at about mile 7. After seeing that I pretty much had no chance of breaking 5hrs, I sort of gave up. I still kept trying to keep a good mental attitude, but I was tired, hot, and physically drained. I guess I pretty much just gave up mentally and everything went downhill from there. I finished, but had never felt so fatigued (the below picture captures the "pain cave" very well). This almost felt as hard the the IM today. I guess everyone has a bad race, and sometimes there is really no reason or explanation. It is what it is...

Results: 38:07. (1:58) T1 1:45 02:44:15.4 (20.4) T2 1:24.8 Run 01:45:16.6 (8:02) Total 05:10:50.6 10th OA, 1st AG.

Minneman Sprint 6/30/2012 (A WIENER!)

I love, love, love this race. It's short and flat, and there are always so many people I know. This year was no different, accept there was a Oly course also. The Oly was essentially two loops of the Sprint, but since they had to make the Oly official the sprint was a bit longer compared to last year. No major issues before the race, but just a few during the race. Got to warm up with a few friends, and was feeling fairly fresh. The temps have been really high lately (in the 90s), and I wasn't sure if the swim would be wetsuit legal, but it somehow was. The swim went fairly well, except that it was pretty shallow, and I don't know how to dolphin dive so that made it a bit interesting. Also when I came out of the water a ref tapped me and said "do you want this" it was my chip!!! No idea when and how it came off, but thank god he gave it to me, oops! Bike went well, I was using the disc wheels for the third time this year. I decided to go with the disc instead of the 808 because I remember this course being flat and not very windy. Using the disc was a good choice! I came in about 5th out of the water and into T2 in 2nd place after the bole. Both Greta and I went a bit off course, and had to turn around which was yet another thing that hasn't happened to me along with the chip incident. Run also went fairly well. I was sitting in second and could see April in front, I tried to pick up the pace and was able to get ahead a little after the turn around. When we did the turn around I was a little but not too surprised to see Jenny Wilcox very close. I knew Jenny was an amazing runner, and we came out of the water together and I never saw her on the bike. So within about 1 to 2min after that Jenny made her move and went in front of me. I thought to myself, I am going to try to hang with her and if I feel there is no way, then I'll back off. To my total surprise I was ok hanging with Jenny, so I thought I'm going to stay right next to her and try to make my move when we get closer. I was being very conservative because I didn't want to totally blow out, so the race came to the end where me and Jenny were sprinting to the finish and I was able to hold on to first place by ONLY one sec!!! It was the most epic finish I've ever been apart of, and it was awesome! I was hunched over a bit at the finish, Jenny pushed me hard. It was great! Both Jenny and I did go slightly off course until Gabe yelled at me straight, straight! Thank you Gabe =) Lots of little things happening this race, chip, going a bit off course on the bike, then the run just slightly. I was able to come out with a win though and it felt good to pull through. Jenny and everyone else in the sprint and Oly did awesome! It was a hot, hot day too! It was really fun to race with so many people I knew! Cool down was with Kort which was nice because I was trying to do a longer cool down and she had to do a 6mile cool down, perfect! Results: 13:40 (1:34) T1 1:42 34:49 (22.9) t21:08 19:48 (6:23) Total 1:11:04

Rochesterfest Oly 6/17/2012

We drove to the race the morning of, getting up at 430am wasn't bad, but the drive was long (1.5hrs) and I sort of got tired during the drive. We got to the race nice and early (6:40am or so) since I had to pick up my packet the same day. By 7am I was ready to go on my warm up run. The weather was really nice, not hot and sunny. The swim was a two loop swim, where you come out of the water after the first loop and go right back in for the Oly distance.

Right when I started to swim I felt tired, not really tired, but I was feeling off. I was trying to focus more on form and sort of "tuned out". I've never felt so calm in a swim because no one was around me which was really nice. Coming out of the water we had to run on the sand which took a lot of energy out of me as well.

The bike was hilly and windy, but a really nice course with nice roads. I was using the 808 wheels for the back, Damon borrowed me, but because I was so tired it was hard to tell if they were helping or not. I was feeling the burning sensation in my legs almost right away on the bike, almost like the lactate wasn't clearing or something like that. The bike was rough, not sure if it was the course or the way I felt, or maybe combo of both.

Then it was the run, which was a similar story. I was on auto pilot mode pretty much the whole time. I knew I was in forth place with the third place, Katherine, a ways ahead and I had really no energy to try to catch up, so I just tried to stay strong and focus again on my form. The run course was nice, not hilly and some shaded parts. It got pretty hot towards the end of the run. I finished and sort of stood there hunched over for a second. I hadn't felt so drained before doing a shorter race, but today was just that sort of day I guess.

Finished forth overall but a lot slower time compared to last weekend at Liberty. I think the bike course was longer because I remember seeing the 24mile marker and it seemed way longer than another .8 miles making it an even 40K, but then again I heard the Liberty bike course was maybe shorter. All in all it was a good effort for the day for me, and I can at least walk away knowing if I was feeling it I could have done way better. All apart of racing though, you never know how you will feel or what might happen, they key is to walk with something positive.

*First time winning some MULA for forth place, can't complain =)*

Results: 4th overall female 28:55:00 1.5K swim T1 1:39 1:13:04 (20.1 mph) T2 1:03 45:11 Time time 2:29:(7:16 pace).

First Tri of 2012 (Liberty Oly 6/9/2012 (best bike average ever, and 10KPR)

This was a fairly new distance for me. I haven't really raced the Oly distance since 2010, and I have only done two Oly in my entire tri "career". I wanted to do a few Oly's this year and see how I'd like this distance. So I did just that by registering for the Liberty Oly instead of the half like last year. The location was different this year in Rockford and swim in Lake Rebecca. All in all I was excited for the new distance and the first tri of 2012! Swim went fairly well for me, I tried to stay close to the buoys, and also for the first time sort of drafted off a few people on several different occasions (I think). Bike started out a bit tough, I was using the disc wheel on the back and another HED on the front and noticed that if I went at least 22mph it was easy to keep it going, but if I'd drop to below that it was hard to keep the pace. The bike was an out and back in a way with some rolling hills but nothing horrible. And on the way back I was cruising, with some wind at my back. The bike went fairly well, and I forced myself to eat a gel or half a gel, to make sure I had some energy on the run. The bike course was really nice and the roads were really well kept and smooth, which was great. The run was HILLY, a lot of rollers, but shaded. It was a hot day, about 90 degrees and sunny and humid. The run was most likely the toughest part with the heat and hills, but I just tried to keep going even though I was alone for the majority of the run. I liked also that the run was an out and back so you could see the people going out on the run and cheer them on. I felt bad because I was so out of breath and dying I would barely say good job or thank you to people passing by on the other side...

All in all I was happy with how I did, second overall. The girl who beat me is an unbelievable swimmer, I wish I could be like her! Results: 29:35 (1:49) T1 1:12 1:02:26 (23.8) 0:44 T2 42:08 (6:47) Total Time 2:16:03