Week 7 done, 1/5 of the way there...

So reality is starting to hit. I made my final payment on the house we're renting and now trying to figure out travel plans. I know we'll be using Southwest (thanks to miles Rich and I will be flying for free) and I'm also looking for a car rental so we can check stuff out while we're there. Luckily, I found out that Christin will be flying out and back on the same dates as me. This way we have each other and I won't be too lonely or too scared, since I don't know when Stephanie I is coming out or even Rich. I'm so happy Christin is coming out, I think she's seen me at most of my big races than anyone else.

This week of training I really tried to hit all my bikes/runs as it says. It was hard thou, since we got snowed in over the weekend to below freezing on Monday and Tuesday, which forced me to stay home from work and work from home.  I didn't get a chance to go to spin class on Monday, so it was riding at home. Tuesday I finally got out of the house and went to run on the treadmill.Wednesday it was back to the trainer. This time I decided to retest myself, and ride the 20 min test I did the first week. I'm happy to say that I've been able to improve in the past 6 weeks. My cadence was up, my speed was faster and my heart rate felt more in control. I was really happy to see that I was improving, this work is paying off. Thursday was running on the treadmill (again) and I enjoyed my Friday off day. The weather seemed to be the biggest challenge for my training. On Friday, the rain started, which meant flooding and staying up late to keep up with the seepage. So Saturday's 9-11 mile run, the rain water and dropping temps, scared us off from running outside, so that means... UGH back to the treadmill. I didn't think I could do it. But Jay gave me the idea to do a 3 mile run followed by a 10 min rest. I opted to change it up and do a 3 mile run at a good/faster pace, then a 1/4 mile walk. After 1:48 on the freakin treadmill I did, I got in 9.5 miles. WOW!! I hope I never have to do that again.  Sunday, my last day, I decided to kill myself and make up for lost time.  Started the day with Yoga By Degrees Sculpt Class, then off to the pool for a swim. I swam 1700 non stop, followed by a 100 easy, where my mile was about 35 minutes and the it was on to the bike for a 2 hour ride.  That ride really really hurt. My legs were spent from yesterday and today's sculpt class. I could feel my knees throbbing and my quads were burning, but I pushed thru it and I got it done. I'm so happy this week is done and I'm happy that I hit all workouts.

I still can't believe I'm going down this path. It's a strange idea to comprehend. I'm scared that I won't be able to do this and there are times I cry because I'm scared what will happen if I don't. I sometimes feel so alone in this journey, and I know I have my team, but it's still lonely. Everyone is dealing with other things, personal and physical, that it's hard to get together to train. Yeah we had each other last year for Racine, but since it's only Stephanie I and I doing Boulder, I just feel weird talking my concerns and issues with everyone else, since they are not going to be racing with me. I feel so alone at times it scares me, but I know that I'm not. I don't know... I guess I'm just being weird :( Maybe once the weather starts to cooperate we can all be back out there together and I won't feel as lonely.

2014 - Bigger and Better

2013 was a good year, with many firsts for me, so that just means that I need to find a way to top it in 2014.

How better way to do this but with competing in my first Ironman. Well, yes, I already had this planned in 2013, paid and started training on it, but I just have to mention that his is my A race this year. To make sure that I can successfully compete in my race, I've made sure to keep my race schedule at a minimal. And now that I have paid for my last race, I have the following schedule in place for 2014.

5/2/2014 - Flying Pig's Half Marathon
6/8/2014 - Grand Rapid's Triathlon - Half IM
7/12/2014 - Muncie 70.3
8/3/2014 - Boulder IM

Pretty small compared to the last couple of years, but I have to make sure I remain healthy this year. I also have some fun events setup, which will help in my training or just for fun:

5/24-25/2014 - Blackhawk Country Roads Bike Ride
9/29/2014 - Apple Cider Century

In the end of all of this, I just want to be able to complete my IM and survive, to a point where I can say it was fun and I'll stick to Half IM's :)

So 2014... Bring It... I'm Ready for it!!!

2013... Year in Review

2013 was definitely a year of firsts, injuries and illnesses for me.

My first DNF
My first Olympic Triathlon
My first Half Ironman
My first Century Ride
My first ER Visit

I busted my butt all year to reach my goals and made it thru many obstacles. From quiting a race to stay with a fallen teammate until medical arrived to spraining my ankle just a few weeks out from my triathlon season started. Getting sick just days before major races, spring and fall half and my marathon. Plus having my first fall on my bike during the ACC. I overcame them all and finished the best that I could.

Yes there are things I would've changed but there also things I would've kept the same. I now know what I need to focus on for 2014 and what my goals will be. Keeping my race load low to focus more on training and avoid injury will be my top priority. Plus this helps with keeping my sanity during long training days/weeks.

I had a great support team the whole way and that I would never change. Rich helped where he could, doing long rides with me or the team. Even providing nutrition and a cold pool (thanks to Payton) for our long training day. The team stuck together as well, working with everyone, even if they weren't racing. We had Nancy join us on runs/rides to just be there, and Helen as our food/drink sherpa during out long runs in the early season runs. All in all, this season was great.

So my yearly review consisted of:

# Events	Event Type	Distance Covered	Duration
133	Runs	680.01 miles	138:10:27
127	Bike	2,382.52 miles	152:14:39
79	Swim	77.26 miles	46:26:57

Of which some of these miles were completed during the following events:

Spring Spring 10K(NDF)
Shamrock Shuffle 1/2 Marathon
Wisconsin 1/2 Marathon
Ride the Rock
Leaning Tower Triathlon - Sprint
Soldier Field 10 Miler
Bike the Drive
Color Run 5K
Pleasant Prairie Triathlon - Olympic
Racine 70.3
Gather Race The Lake - 90 miler
DeKalb Corn Classic 10K
Naperville Trails 1/2 Marathon
Marine Corp Marathon
Apple Cider Century

I do have to say that the real hardest part of all of this was not training or competing in my first half Ironman, but more the events after that and the training for it. I still have a century along with a marathon to get ready for. My body never had proper time to recover from all the other training that it just started to shut down on me. I got really sick before the Naperville's Trails racet that I ended up in the ER for dehydration. Even with being so sick, just 4 days out from the race, I managed to PR and run the whole 13.1 without any walk breaks.

Then just before the MCM I was sick again, no ER visit, but ended up losing over 6lbs just days before the race. Plus recovering from my fall at ACC, it just made for a bad marathon, I never reached some of my longer mile runs and when I pushed for it I would end up crying. I did finish the MCM, but at mile 23 I hit a wall and couldn't move forward. I cried and had to walk. I felt so bad but the support from the spectators and Marine's on the route I was able to push forward and keep moving, even finding the strength somewhere to run up the last hill and run thru the finish. I was so happy to finish and I cried when my Marine gave me my medal. It was definitely an experience, and as our shirts said ... "Always Earned. Never Given" that held true for this race. I earned this one because I pushed thru it all and made it across the finish.

2014 is a new year, with new challenges and new obstacles

2014 is our IRON YEAR!!!