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!!!

Week 4 is off to a good start

Breaking Records in Week 2

Training has been going pretty good, to a point. I started to add in yoga after the first week and that has really helped me with my ankle strength, which then leads to better running. This was proven in my week 2 of running. Since Dave heard that my weekend 1 mile repeats were in a 10:10 he decide that just meant I had to push it harder during my track workout of 1 mile repeats. I warmed up on my run from the store and a 1/2 loop on the track. Then I did my 1 mile repeats with about a 30+ sec rest. My first mile was a 9:48... wow. For the second one, Dave had me to it with the group, and I managed to do a 9:37. Double WOW. Now everyone was starting to cool down and I still had one more to do. So he had the boys, Lou and Ed, run with me. They were to keep me at a 9:30 pace and make sure I was working hard. Well I did warn them, I had a Cesar salad for lunch, so if they push me too hard, it would not be a pretty sight. After Dave sent everyone back to the store, he joined us and started to say I was talking to much and shouldn't be talking if I was really working it. Well so I started to push it, really hard, and on the final turn it happened. I felt that wonderful salad and had to stop for a quick spit up. Dave felt bad, made a comment about me pulling back, but then I just picked up my pace again and finished strong, a 9:27...HOLY CRAP I broke a 9:30. I didn't event think that was possible.

Cramping to the max in Week 3

Well after that run, I started to not feel too well. My foot was hurting, the heal in part. Then I started to cramp more and more in my feet and at times in my calves. I'd have good days, and then bad days. During week 3 I finally got back into the pool, after a 30 minute run on the treadmill and I got the worst cramp ever. My leg went into full rigor and I couldn't move. I was hurting I was crying and I couldn't get to the wall to try to stretch it out. Eventually I managed to get it to lessen and then I got out of the pool. It really hurt and for about 2-3 days my calf was tender like hell. I had posted on FB about it and was advised it was probably due to dehydration. I then started to add coconut water into my regimen and it seems to be helping. Week 3 didn't finish as it should, I only got in a 1/2 mile of swimming and missed 1.5+ miles in my Saturday long run,due to snow and not having clear roads.

Back on Track in Week 4

And now here I am at the start of week 4... I went to my spin class which was a challenging climbing and rolling hill ride. I wanted to get in 60 minutes, so I stayed a bit after class to get in my time. I felt great. Then it was a quick change of shoes, cleaning off of my bike, and searching for a treadmill. I wanted to get in the miles I missed on Saturday. Really not knowing what to expect, as this would be my first brick in a long time. So I got on the treadmill, starting at a 11:45 pace, and set to run 2.5 miles on the rolling hill program. As I got comfortable I would start to increase the speed, slowly and steadily, regardless of the hill. I ended up finishing at a 10:37 pace and feeling like I could go longer. I stopped instead of pushing it. I was amazed that in no time, did my legs feel like logs or did I feel like I couldn't go on, let alone no pain at all. Even as I sit here, I feel great and feel no aches or pains or cramping.

It's been pretty weird not training much with anyone, I miss my team but with the holiday's, schedules, and other issues, it makes it hard to work out. I just need to remember that I have to train for me right now, and hopefully after the holiday's we can try to get back on track and training again. I need to keep up with my workouts and make sure not to push it and avoid injury.  I'm only at week 4 and I have to get to 36 and get there without any major set back. I just need to get back into the pool one of these day :)

The journey has just begun... 1 down... 35 to go

Well the first week of IM training wasn't too bad. And likewise it shouldn't have been as it was a "preparation" week. Most of the workouts were simple and getting some baselines together. I did pretty well with keeping to the plan, made some slight adjustments to the schedule to suit my needs but in the end it came together. The only part I slacked on was the swimming.  I really don't feel like I need to be overly concerned with that right now. Plus I added in 3 days of yoga to compensate. Let me tell you that yoga really beat the crap out of me but I really enjoyed it.
My first 2 runs were on the treadmill cuz I couldn't bear to run outside. But my first outdoor run, was 3 1 mile repeats I totally kicked butt on them (11:10 10:10 10:10). I've never done that well I was so happy.
Bike had been spin class or on the trainer. This week I'll be setting up for trainerroad.com and see how that works for me.
So my week I review was:
11 workouts
32.09 miles
7:56:17
3264 calories

Now off to week 2

Rest... Rest... Rest...

After it's all said and done, rest was the best thing for me.  After all the training and racing I put my body thru I took about 3 weeks off from training to relax and recoup and heal up. I thought it would be hard, but I actually found enjoyment in doing nothing unless I wanted to. I didn't run for 3 weeks, as I had a ligament strain in my foot. I then found out that the pain in my neck was due to my fall at ACC, which caused a trapezious muscle strain, and had to get a cortisone shot at the base of my skull. I only swam on Tuesday after MCM and biking, well I started taking spin class with Rich on Monday nights. I took a few yoga classes and loved it, realizing I really need to work on my stretching. I did what I wanted when I wanted. And when I did that first run with the group, this past Wednesday, it felt great. I kept a 11:20 pace for 3.5 miles. I just thought of my accomplishments this past year. All the obstacles I overcame. The fun time and the pains. And then realized that the fun will soon end as Boulder IM training will be starting soon.

And the fun now ends... Tomorrow I start my 36 week program towards Boulder IM.  I feel confident that I can do this race, as long as I improve on my bike.

Can I do it, I sure hope so.
Am I scared, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't
Will I do it, oh hell yes, or die trying.

BOULDER IM 2014... HERE I COME!!!

A Wall I Had to Get Over

How the hell do you get over a hill you were never meant to climb?

What do you do when you have obstacle after obstacle thrown at you and you get beaten down to the ground?

What do you do when you just don't think you can go any further, but you know you have to?

This is all that went thru my mind during the Marine Corp Marathon. This was my A race. This is what I was training for. I thought I had this. I thought I would definitely PR. But my body had another agenda. A week before the race I got severely ill, this was my second bout with some illness that knocked the shit out of me. The previous was 4 days before my fall half, Naperville Trails Half Marathon. I ended up in the ER due to dehydration and had tests run, all of them saying nothing. Although Coach advised me not to race it, I said I would just run it to finish and screw any time.  HAHA right... I managed to run the whole race without stopping or walk breaks, and I got a new PR... Where did that come from I have no clue. I think it was the excitement around me or it was that it was raining so much I just wanted to finish so I could get home in a nice warm bed.

This next time around it was just about as worse. I was puking my guts out for over 36hrs straight, causing me to lose over 6lbs. My runs up to this point were in pain as my leg/hip was killing me so I had to pull back on my long. I never reached my 20 miles, only hit 15, then my 15 turned out to be 12. My furthest run was 18 miles. I didn't think this was a factor as I had run a marathon before and knew what to expect. It may not have been a big issue, but I think in the end it did play a factor in hitting the wall.

As part of the MCM, they had a fun run on Saturday morning, which I of coarse signed up for. It was fun and easy, and I got to run along side to Bart Yasso. I didn't realize who he really was until they did the speeches at the brunch. He had some amazing stories to share with us and let us know that it's ok to go slow if we have to and that finishing is the most important part. That we should stick to our plan and not sway under the spotlight of the race.

As far as MCM, I decided to run with the 5:30 pace group. I thought, this would be best for me as I would PR if I finished, not with the 5:15 I was hoping for, but a PR still. Also it would help to keep me on track with my pace so I don't start too quickly and die out in the end.  Well my plan worked for me, I kept up with the group and had fun at it too.  It wasn't until mile 18 that I felt some pains in my hip/ankle. I pulled back a bit, changed my stride and that helped. Mile 20 came and went and I was doing great, a few pains, some pulls in my calfes but still moving along. Not sure what happened next, someone stepped on the back of my shoe I had to stop and I think that threw me off. By mile 22 I was starting to really feel it. I was losing it, trying to talk myself into finishing thinking I couldn't do it anymore. By mile 23 I was starting to cry. I texted the girls and Rich in hopes for words of encouragement. I had now started walking, and crying. I was pushing thru the pain, not sure I could finish. At mile 25 I thought, "suck it up and run" so i tried, and that lasted about 5 steps before I almost fell over in pain. I went back to walking. A soldier saw me and he yelled at me to pick my head up and push forward. To run for my soldier as he's not here to run himself. That did it for me. I went into a quick walk. Then I saw the 26 mile marker. I knew I had to run in the finish. I couldn't walk it. I had to do this. So I ran, I ran thru the pain, I cried and I ran, with every step knowing that this was for Capt Brandon Cyr. He was my angel that pushed me up that hill and down the stretch to the finish.  And I did it. My time didn't matter, all that mattered was that I finished.  When I saw the Marines with our medals at the end of the corral, I walked up, crying but smiling. He put my medal around my neck, saluted me and then hugged me... I broke down and he said I did an awesome job, and you know what.. I DID.

As our shirst say... Always Earned Never Given... This is true, I earned my medal!!

My first Century... DONE

It has been a while since my last post, but not much has been going on.  My training has tapered down and I was focusing on my biking in order to knock an item off my bucket list.  Coach wanted me to complete a century this year in hopes that it will work to my advantage for Boulder IM.  Well I DID IT, and then some.

In August, Stephanie I and I went up north to Fond du Lac, WI for Gather Race the Lake. It was definitely a challenge of a ride, as we were not allowed to drop into our areo bars.  The first half was great, nice flat and fast. With the exception of Oshkosh that the roads were a mess, we kept on track for that half. The second half was OMG a challenge. Talk about rolling hills. At the half way point, we refueled and tried to decide how to tackle it. We first had to tackle "king of the hill"... I didn't know what I was gonna do. Will I walk it, will i fall over will i make it.. no one knew until I started. Then of coarse at the top of the hill is the photographer so I had no choice but to push thru it and get it done or else there would be proof of me walking it. But in the end I did it and I was soo happy. Stephanie encouraged me the whole way and that helped me a bunch.  But with the rolling hills that came up I saw my pace starting to slow down, but we finished it and we were both happy. That was the furthest I'd riden to date.

Next on the agenda was a full Century. This one was for Rich and I to do together. I knew after Gather that this shouldn't be too difficult, especially since there isn't any rule about using your aerobars. I had that advantage. I also had my cassette updated on my bike in hopes to help me tackle those rolling hills. Although it felt like it helped, I still need to learn how to change my gears and really tackle those hills. This was such a great ride and it was awesome to be able experience it with Rich. I was so proud of him to get thru the ride on his mountain bike, which I'm sure was a challenge in itself.  

The ride itself was pretty uneventful, at least until mile 48. I was ahead of Rich but didn't think by much, and so as I was waiting for him and for traffic to clear, I managed to fall. Yup first fall on my bike, I leaded toward the right, where my foot was still clipped in and BOMB I went down. The riders there were so great helping me up and making sure I was ok. Then when traffic cleared we crossed and headed off.  Eventually Rich and I were together again, it seems that at that same intersection, Rich had a flat. So once he fixed that and I got an extra rest waiting at another intersection, we were on our way to the finish.  

We decided that this will be our yearly tradition and that we will keep tackling the 100 and hills as our thing :)