running stories

What a Year

2009-12-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

I ran 11 races in 2009, all building up to my first Ironman Triathlon. It was the most challenging athletic feat I've ever taken on and I'm very proud that I finished. I'm very glad it is over and I'm looking forward to a change of pace in 2010. I'll get to that, but for now, a recap.

January 25 Vancouver Lake Half Marathon
1:49:02 - 8:19 pace (3/20 in AG)
Very "off-season" (out of shape!) race in the snow/slush with Emily.

March 15 Shamrock Run 15k
1:15:56 - 8:09 pace
A tough race- hilly, rainy, windy.

April 5 Race for the Roses Half Marathon
1:45:12 - 8:01 pace
Really wanted a PR on this race but missed it, even with Zach pacing me.

April 19 Bridge to Brews 10k
47:04 - 7:34 pace (8/169 in AG)
A PR! First one in a while. Great race.

May 3 Eugene Half Marathon
1:45:51 - 8:05 pace
Once again, was going for a PR but missed it! Still a fun race though.

June 12 Blue Lake Sprint Triathlon
1:25:27 (9/47 AG)
First tri of the season

July 11 Hagg Lake Olympic Triathlon
2:56:27 (5/8 AG)
This race was tough but I was very happy with my pace on everything.

August 16 Lake Stevens 70.3
6:12:21
Awesome Half Ironman race with Zach. Finished just seconds faster than my first Half Ironman time on a much tougher course.

September 12 Aluminum Man Olympic Triathlon
3:07:19 (2/3 AG)
This race was tough- I was at a point of burn out in my training and really had to force this.

September 20 Timberline Trail Half Marathon (technically 14+ miles)
2:06:28 - 8:54 pace (1/35 AG!)
Tough, beautiful, fun race. Awesome to win my AG!!

November 22 Ironman Arizona
13:41:09
Indescribable.

I am going to leave my recap at that. Of course I did a lot of other stuff this year, but it was really all about the Ironman. It had to be. Last year I faced many personal challenges and I got through it, but everything was secondary to my Ironman training.

This year, I need balance. I need to go back and deal with a lot of things -things I neglected or took for granted. I was so focused, but I was also very distracted. Now that the big race is behind me, a lot of things are resurfacing and I have to face them. I want to reconnect with my family in friends, I want to make peace with myself, I need to learn to deal with stress and anxiety. I want to live in the moment. I want to be healthy, happy, and free.

Thank you all so much for all the love and support through this very exciting year. I hope you'll stick with me this coming year, even if it isn't as exciting! Thanks for providing me with so much inspiration and motivation through all of your challenges and accomplishments. Happy New Year everyone!!

I'll leave you with some pictures from the holidays:

Christmas Morning:

My favorite gift: Norah Jones concert tickets!!

Christmas night at the Oliva's:

The gang (minus Anne, who is taking the picture)

Cannon Beach, December 27:

Zach searching for seashells:

Snow today, Dec 29:

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

Just wanted to check in and wish everyone a very merry Christmas! Also I wanted to update because I've actually been working out just about every day. I've been running a few times and everything seems to be pretty well recovered. I feel so out of shape but I'm taking it easy and having fun. I've been to lots of classes at the gym and have also been lifting weights with Zach regularly.

Here is the summary of all my workouts for the last 10 days or so:

Sunday Dec 12 - run
3 miles (no watch)
Forest Park

Monday Dec 14 - run
3 miles (no watch)
Plus weights

Tuesday Dec 15 - Pilates class

Wednesday Dec 16- 30 min elliptical
Plus weights

Thursday Dec 17 - run
3 miles/26:06/8:42 ave
Plus Zumba! with Alisa. SO fun.

Friday Dec 18- 25 min elliptical
Plus weights

Saturday Dec 19, - run
4.5 miles/37:47/8:24 ave
Forest Park

Monday Dec 21 -run
3 miles/26:32/8:51 ave
Plus weights

Tuesday Dec 22 - yoga class

Wednesday Dec 23 - spin class with Emily

Thursday Dec 24 - run
4.9 miles/41:22/8:27 ave
Waterfront with Zach in all our holiday glory. Behold our Christmas Eve running outfits:

Yay! We got lots of smiles and one "Merry Christmas" and on lady honked and waved. Fun stuff.

Now we are getting some food going for the Christmas Eve gathering here in a little while- Deana and Dana are coming over with glad tidings of comfort and joy. Zach is making an apple pie! Tomorrow we're just spending the day at home opening gifts, watching The Christmas Story, eating french toast souffle, and drinking mimosas. Then we still have the whole weekend ahead of us which is very nice. We're going running and possibly heading up to the mountains to do some snowshoeing. It's going to be a great holiday weekend!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! :)

One last picture- our wee little Christmas Tree:

Happy Holiday Randomness

2009-12-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

It's been three weeks exactly since Ironman Arizona! It's all still so fresh in my mind. (It helps that I've watched that video about ten times!)

The first couple of weeks after the race were busy with our trip to San Diego, then Zach's parents visiting us from Montana. I was still recovering/healing up from the race too. But things have finally settled down around here and I'm feeling back to normal. And it is amazing. This weekend has been so fun and relaxing. It is so nice to be able to do whatever I want! It's been a bit of a transition, but I'm really happy with where I'm at right now. Life is good.

I wish I could get my thoughts together and write a really succinct and eloquent reflection of where my head is at these days but that ain't gonna happen. Instead I'm just going to say random stuff in bullet point form.

- I finally ran yesterday! 3 miles up in Forest Park. I waited 2-3 weeks as planned to let my legs recover and I''m glad I did. Last weekend I did some jogging while out on walks/hikes with Zach and his parents, but my right knee was still kind of sore. Yesterday it all felt good and I was really relieved. I'm going to keep the running short and easy for a couple more weeks before I try to ramp it up. I'm playing it super safe since in the past I've had injuries pop up in those first few post-race runs.

- I've gained about 4 pounds since the Ironman which I consider to be very acceptable. I really thought I'd gain 20. I mean, I went from working out at least 2 hours a day and eating really healthy to not exercising at all and eating and drinking whatever I want. I am going to try to clean the diet up a little bit though, because I feel kind of yucky when I eat too much fatty/fried stuff and that's no fun. And then after the holidays I am going to really make an effort to lose the post-race/holiday weight.

- Zach and I have been talking about future plans, and have a rough outline of what we want to do. One of our big goals this year is to have some non-racing plans, so we've been thinking about some trips and stuff we want to do. The only thing that is 100% decided is that we are taking our first trip to Europe for my 30th birthday next September! We are planning on spending a week in Paris. yay! We also will be going to Montana and California to visit our family and friends there.

- The other big focus for the coming year is to spend time outdoors- so we are definitely going to do at least one outdoor adventure in Montana this summer with Zach's mom and stepdad. We also want to do some backpacking and hiking around Oregon. I know there are some really cool new challenges to be discovered and I want to start exploring that. It could be fun to have a hobby that is physically challenging but not as directly competitive as "racing." Maybe I'll get into climbing or fast packing or mountain biking or ???

- But I'm not giving up racing. :) I am definitely going to do some running races this year. I think this whole Ironman experience has made me realize how much I love running. Swimming and biking are fun, but I don't have the strong desire to do those things. I don't love it. I really love running, and I think I will focus on that this year. I don't plan on doing any triathlons. It just doesn't appeal to me right now at all. I will definitely keep swimming, it's a great workout and it's pretty fun. And I'm planning on doing some biking for fun this summer, especially riding with Alisa since she is training for her first Half Ironman! But no triathlon plans. I don't have any definite running plans either, but I have a lot of ideas. I want to run another marathon or two and I want to do a couple of the shorter races around here. I'll leave it at that for now because I'm sure that will be the only thing I talk about in future blogs. Yay running!

- Besides my run yesterday, I barely exercised this week. I really need to get moving because I can tell my mood and attitude is going to start to suffer. Next week, in addition to going running 2-3 times, I'm planning on going to a bunch of classes at the gym. Thursday night Alisa and I are going to Zumba! I lifted weights with Zach once this week and we're going to do that again for sure. I'm also thinking of re-starting the push up challenge. It was kind of fun and I want to see if I can break my record of 60 pushups! Mostly I just want to get moving and start rebuilding my fitness.

- I want to check out some Yoga classes too, but that effort is kind of stalled. I need to talk to Inga and see if she can motivated me since she is my personal yogi the bear. Emily is also a devoted yoga-er so I should strt following her to class and get her advice. Everyone I know who does yoga is completely commited and I know it would do me a lot of good both physically and mentally. Must get going on this goal!!

- As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, my new non-training life is going great. This weekend specifically has been fantastic. There was a winter storm warning that never really materialized, so our plans all worked out. Friday night we went out for drinks with Sarah and her friends, and then we all went to see Spoon at the Crystal Ballroom. Saturday we went for a run in Forest Park, had bagels in Northwest, and then walked over to a little tree lot and got a Christmas tree. Then we walked downtown and did some shopping and watched a Tuba Christmas Concert in Pioneer Square and stopped for lunch at Kenny and Zuke's. When we got home we took a long soak in the hot tub in the cold rain, and then I took a long nap. I spent the evening wrapping presents while Zach baked cookies. I slept for like 11 hours last night. So far today all I've done is watch hockey, sit on the couch, and eat German Pancakes (family recipe that involves a stick of butter per serving). My cat and husband are cuddled up next to me and I am snug as a bug in a rug. This weekend is everything I fantasized about when I was out on long training days all summer and fall.

- Will I do another Ironman? I don't know. I won't say "No" but I have zero interest in it at this point. I think it might be fun to do a different course someday, and it would be cool if Zach and I could do the same race (although I think logistically that would be tough). Maybe in a couple years, or maybe not. I am really happy with my experience in Arizona and I know it will be hard to beat. If that was my only Ironman experience, I'd be happy with that. Right now, I'd rather run Boston again or climb Mt. Hood or watch Zach do an Ironman.

- Random sentences about my Ironman experience:

The training was harder than the actual race.
Immediately after it was over, I felt that the race was a little anticlimactic, but as time goes on I realize it really was everything I dreamed it would be.
I nailed my race strategy and made a lot of smart decisions out there.
Every leg of the race was pretty opposite from what I expected- what I thought would be easy was hard, and vice versa.
The support of my family and friends was a huge part of my success.
I am really proud of myself.
I am stronger than I thought I was.
I'm glad it is over.

Allright, I think that is all for now. I'm sure I'll think of things I meant to say as soon as I hit "Publish." No pictures today but I'll post some next time of our tiny Christmas tree and other fun holiday stuff. Thanks for reading!!

Cookie Time Pictures

2009-12-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

I have so many things to say and I don't even know where to begin. It's been a wild couple of weeks since the Ironman and my feelings about my experience and about the future have been all over the place. I can't even get into it right now. I'll get my thoughts together soon and get it written down.

For now, here are a ton of pictures from the rest of our trip and a few from the last few days here in Portland. They start right after the race- I will probably spare you the whole story but basically I was a wreck. I was cut up pretty bad, like I mentioned in the last post. Plus, I got really sick right after the race and took maybe an hour to recover. That night was pretty awful too- I couldn't shower because of the wounds and so Zach had to help me clean up, it was pitiful. I also didn't sleep much at all the next couple of nights. In fact, my whole body was pretty thrown off the whole trip, especially my sleep schedule and appetite. Thankfully, besides the road rash I wasn't very sore. I think a huge reason for that was the long stretching and yoga session Inga led us through on Monday night. I was hardly sore the next day! I'll talk more about that because I'm definitely going to incorporate yoga into my life.

Now that I'm home, I think everything is sinking in and I'm feeling more relaxed and happy than I have in a long time. I'm so glad it's all over. It was amazing experience! But I'm glad it's over. I'm really excited for Christmas and my house is all decorated. I have a lot of plans with friends this week and can't wait to do all this fun stuff. :) Life is good!

I wish I had a more thoughtful post but I will get to it! But for now, enjoy these pictures. Hopefully I've captioned them enough for them to make sense.

Be warned, the last five or so are of my road rash in various stages of gore. So gross!

After the race:

This is the last pic I posted from the race report. Heading off to the medical tent. I got my scrapes bandaged up but I felt really sick, so I stayed for 20-30 minutes until I was feel well enough to walk.

Here I'm about to throw up/pass out again. Inga's husband Josh (an EMT in training) checking on me.

I finally recovered and my supporters gathered around me. I love all of these people (plus Dana, who is taking the picture!):

Pretty low-key after-party:

Saying goodbye to my bestie (she left before dawn the next morning):

After everyone left, we suddenly remembered that the race was still going on! I remembered that someone once told me that watching the last finishers come through is something you have to do. So since we were right there, we walked over. It was amazing! There weren't many spectators left but Mike Riley had the crowd really yelling and dancing and having a blast. Race winners Sam McGlone and Jordan Rapp were there to present the medals to the final finishers which was neat. I'm really glad we saw this! The last official finisher came through about 3 minutes before midnight and then we took off. I didn't want to see anyone miss the cutoff.

Mike Riley:
Race winners:

The Next Day

Gathering my Special Needs and Morning Clothes bags the day after the race:

The race site, all cleared out. Good bye Ironman Arizona!

And finally, we celebrate:

The gang enjoying delicious Mexican food in the sunshine:

Spending time with my two bestest friends that I've known almost my whole life:

Desert outside of Phoenix. Goodbye Arizona!

San Diego

We spent Thanksgiving week in San Diego eating, drinking, soaking up sunshine, and visiting with family and friends.

e
Mission Blvd:

Best breakfast in San Diego (The Mission, on Mission Blvd in Mission Beach. Easy to remember! Go there!):

Blackberry pancakes at the Mission (the most photogenic of many dishes ordered)

Zach and Boomer:

My gorgeous husband:

One of many naps taken in the days following the race:

Thanksgiving Day 5k- This is hilarious. The starting line contains: Serious runner with Breath Right strip on his nose, a woman dressed as Santa's sexy helper, a 7 year old girl, and a BLIND PERSON. Amazingly, none were killed.

Zach on his way to a 21:00 5k finish. Not bad considering he's ran maybe 20 miles in the last 2 months:

The whole fam in the beer garden after the 5k (yes, I had beer even though I didn't race!):

Thanksgiving nap. Really unflattering but hilarious. Zach likes to take pictures of me sleeping (weird, I know):

Thanksgiving table:

Food!

Me and our friend Jonathan at Thanksgiving. I want to show this pic because not only is Jonathan awesome (one of many triathletes at the dinner table!), but because I'm wearing the necklace Alisa got me. It has three little round charms that say "IMAZ" "140.3" and "11.22.09" I love it!! Thanks Alisa. :)

This is cool- Melanie and her dog Dillon do sport sheep herding. It's so cool! This is a place in Northern San Diego county where they practice. The dog is a Kelpie and comes from a cattle ranch on Montana. It's very good at it. So is Melanie!

Wine:

The whole fam wine tasting in San Diego county. If we look a little rough, it's because we've been herding sheep (or watching sheep get herded, also a dirty job):

Back in Portland!

Ironman celebration party with the whole Portland gang! I only got some random photos- there were lots more people that we didn't get pics of. It was so fun!

Me, Dana, and Deana:

Sarah and Emily:

Anne and Shawn:

Neat photo album:

The framed photo collage everyone in chipped on. I believe Emily did the actual artwork. I should post a close up- it's the IronJen logo (ha!) and a collage of pics from the day. The lower spot is for my race bib. Awesome!!!!

Mother's! Yummy:

A little running in Forest Park 2 weeks post-race. VERY cold out - about 30 degrees!

I separated this section out because it is pretty gross. I don't know why I think people might want to see this but I have pictures and am going to share. It's been fascinating to watch my wounds heal. They are really close to being healed- just some scabs hanging on in the middle of the deepest scrapes (knee and right hand). Those last pictures I just took a few minutes ago.

So you've been warned! There is nothing after this so if you don't want to see some gross wounds, just stop here!

Owies:

You may remember this is how my knee looked right after the race. I didn't get any good hand pictures that night:

The morning after. I had showered and Melanie cut off some excess skin that was hanging off my left hand. This picture makes me feel sick:

Oozing knee (2 days post race):

Trying to scab up (5 days post race):

Knee is getting there. Just a little scab left (2 weeks and 2 days post race):

Right hand almost healed:

Left hand healed:

And since you put up with that grossness, here is a nice palate cleanser to take with you.

Merry Christmas.

IMAZ Race Report: The Run

2009-12-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

The run course began immediately after walking out of the change tent. I lapped my watch but as soon as I had started running I spotted Zach standing along the side cheering, and I stopped and gave him a big hug. After seeing him so many times for brief seconds and without getting to talk, I just needed a hug. I told him "One mile at a time," and started running. A few seconds later I saw the rest of the group standing off to the left and I figured "What the hell" and walked over to them and gave every single person a nice long hug. It was awesome. Like with Zach, I wanted to connect with them, and thank them for their support. I needed to load up on their energy for my run. I jogged off after I saw them and from the pictures I could see that everyone was crying after I left.

The run is also three laps of like 8.5 miles each. It's actually a figure 8 type thing but not even that straightforward. It was downright confusing. But I wasn't concerned with that. I only cared about running one single mile. I had discussed my plan with Maritza the day before and the strategy was to take one mile at a time and to walk through every aid station. She convinced me that by doing the walk breaks from the beginning, I would be able to run the whole race. So all I thought about was the mile in front of me. That was the only thought I let into my head. I mean, I was tired. My legs were sore and I could NOT think about the 26 miles I had to run. Thankfully, my mind participated in this game without a fight. I would see the signs for laps 2 and 3 that said "Mile 16" or whatever, and I would think "Hmm, that's strange. Because I'm only running a 3 mile race." (or whatever mile I was on). This worked pretty well for the whole first lap. I also distracted myself with the scenery- the sun was getting low and the waterfront park was really pretty for the most part. I saw Kelsa Lynn again and this time I recognized her! I continued on and walked through the aid stations and enjoyed the scenery. I had decided after the first three miles to ignore my Garmin and watch and just run. I was glad I had it so I could look back later on my splits but it wasn't useful at all during the race.

Due to the confusing maze-like course, and combined with my tired mind, I can't honestly remember when or where I saw my family and friends. I know it was a lot and it always seemed to be in a different spot. Once they were on the bridge, then they were down by the water. I found out later they were down by the water the whole time but that doesn't seem right?? Anyway, they cheered for me and I high-fived them as I passed by. I know I saw them a couple times on the first loop. They had signs and music and everything. BEST spectators on the course. I saw all the pictures and some videos later and they were cheering and making noise the ENTIRE day, not just for me. I know how much those other athletes appreciated it! Plus, after they told me all about their day I know they had a blast out there. Win-win.

I began my second loop and was still feeling ok. My legs were tired but I was still running and only walking at the aid stations. I stopped at the porto potties a few times but can't remember when/where. The sun was setting on the second loop and the sky was gorgeous. I saw Kelsa again and this time she jogged along next to me for a minute and encouraged me along. It was great! It grew dark and I was getting a little mentally drained. My mile-at-a-time thing wasn't really working anymore and now that it was dark there was no scenery to distract me.

Around mile 12 or so there was a "Message Board" where your timing chip relayed your number and a special message came up on the big screen for you. Zach and Maritza and Inga had apparently done this at the expo on Saturday so I was excited to see my message. The first time around I missed it, but this time I thought it would be there for sure. I didn't see it, I didn't see it, so as I ran past it I kind of craned my neck backwards thinking maybe it was delayed when WHAM. Asphalt. OUCH. What? What just happened? I stood up and looked down at myself and looked around. I tripped on a curb. I was scraped up on both legs and my hands were stinging. Ouch! Ouch!! WTF??? I looked around and someone asked if I was ok and I said yes and started running. F*ck. I ran off and it started hurting, stinging. I could feel blood running down my leg. F*CK! I was SO MAD. I felt stupid. I was in pain. I knew I had bad road rash and I knew how this would feel after the race. I was worried that I was hurt beyond just the surface wounds so I tried to focus on my knees and legs and see if it hurt. Of course it f*cking hurt! I was like 11 hours into a f*cking triathlon! I was sore as hell! I tried to differentiate and I figured I wasn't seriously hurt. But I was pissed. My jaw tightened up and I ran on. I think I started running faster. Oh I was so pissed. I wasn't pissed about the sign, I was mad at myself. I was embarrassed and I was frustrated. I mean, did I really need another challenge at this point?!?! Dammit!

I saw Zach right away and I was so fired up. I stopped and laid into him "I F-ing Fell!!" and I shoved my bloody hands at him. "Because of that F-ing sign!!" He probably asked if I as OK, I don't remember. I said "Where's Melanie?" his step mom, who is a nurse. He told me she was right ahead.

I didn't see her, so I stopped at the next aid station I came to and asked the very first volunteer where the medical station was. I was told at the athlete meeting that every aid station would have medical help. Turns out, this was bullshit. The volunteers were very nice and they tried to help but they didn't have a medical kit. Let me paint the picture for you here because this whole stop was very bizarre. So, each aid station had a theme. There was a pirate aid station, a cowboy one, and this one happened to be Prom. Which sort of came off as Evil Prom. So the volunteers were shouting around trying to locate the non-existent medical kit and they were ushering me this way and that "Bob, get her the medical kit!" "Where's Jim? Jim!! Get this girl some help!" and everyone was relaying this message which made the situation seem way more serious than it was. It was dark and kind of chaotic as I moved from one person to the next. The highlight of the Evil Prom aid station was an Emcee type guy wearing this awful suit and announcing into the microphone cheesy things about the runners. So he gets into the act: "Help this girl! We need Medical!" Jesus. Nothing weirder than a guy in a plaid tuxedo and 1950s glasses yelling "We need Medical!!" into a microphone. God that was weird. So in the end, there was no medical. I got a cup of water and some napkins. I mopped up as much blood as I could and got a good look at my awful scrapes and got out of there. What a waste of time. I was probably only stopped for like 3-4 minutes or so but still.

I saw Melanie and the others right after that so I ran right up to her and held my hands out. This time I started crying when I said "I fell!" I told her that the aid station didn't have anything to clean me up and that I'd just used water. She very calmly held my hands up close to her face (it was dark remember) and then looked at my leg. She told me "You're OK" and that I could just clean it up when I finished. Hearing that from her was the permission I needed to keep running. I didn't need to stop at the next aid station, I just needed to finish the damn race.

I thanked her and ran off and without even acknowledging the others. Maritza wasn't going to let me go so easily though! She ran along side of me and I was still kind of crying. I said "I just can't believe I've done this before" referring to when I fell at CIM in 2006. She said "I know you did. And what happened last time?" "I qualified for Boston." "You F***ing Qualified For Boston!!!!" I laughed. She was right. It was going to be ok. She told me, "I'm going to see you two more times, and then you are going to be an Ironman.." and then she yelled "I love you!!!" and was gone.

I ran the rest of that second lap scared of falling again. I suddenly realized how dangerous it was out there in the dark with so many curbs and turns and obstacles. I ran slowly at times and carefully watched my step. I was still pretty mad and especially at having lost so much time at that one aid station. I still walked through the aid stations but my hands hurt so bad I couldn't really grab stuff. I just grabbed cups of water and that was it. I'd been eating my Clif Blocks and continued to do so even though it kind of hurt. I had some bananas too. I wasn't smiling anymore, and I wasn't thanking the volunteers. I was just moving forward. I just wanted this to be over with already.

Finally, I finished up the second lap and knew I was starting my last lap. This made me happy. I also knew I would be seeing my family and friends again soon and I was determined to show them that I was OK. I gave myself this little pep talk: "I know you fell, I know you're pissed. But that doesn't have to ruin this for you. You can still enjoy this experience! You're going to be an Ironman, Jen. You're going to do this." I smiled as I passed my crew and they screamed louder than ever. I ran along waving and saying "No high-fives!" haha.

On the last lap I saw Kelsa one last time and was so thankful she'd stuck around. I told her about my fall and that I was going to be OK. I continued on and started counting down the miles. I don't think I saw a 20 mile marker but then I saw 21. I did some math and figured if I could maintain 11:00 miles I could finish the race under 13:40. It is hilarious to me looking back that after an entire day of working my ass off that I was still doing math and that I cared about a totally arbitrary number. This is how I work though. I'm all about the math and the numbers and the constantly-evolving strategy. In fact, I was this focused and this practical the entire race. I never once stood back and looked at what I was achieving. I was never emotional about it. At any given moment, I was just racing. It was "Where is the next aid station" "How's my pace" "I'm going to grab a water" "I can pass this guy." Very practical.

With just a few miles left I tried to rally some emotion. I knew I was going to finish, but I was so focused and so tired and it was too soon to celebrate. Even with four, three miles left, I knew I still had a ways to go. I took Coke at the aid stations and I even had to stop at a porto potty with about 3 miles to go. You'd think I could hold it but it was urgent. I decided after that not to stop at the final two aid stations and to run the rest of the way to the finish. I saw my crew one last time and Maritza said "Next time I see you... Next time I see you!!!!"

When I crossed back over the bridge for the last time I really made myself think about the finish. I was almost there!! I didn't get emotional but I did start smiling. I was happy to be passing by the spectators and volunteers one last time. I knew some of the people around me were on their second or even first laps and it felt amazing to be on my last lap. I was almost done and it was obvious. I was psyched that I was still running- so many people were walking, or hobbling, or shuffling. I was running. And I was smiling. I could see and hear the finish line from about a half mile away and my smile got even bigger.

I finally felt my chest tighten and my throat clench with emotion as I made the turn at the sign that said "To Finish" and pointed others "To First ,Second, Third Laps." I made that turn with pride and I felt tears coming. I could hear Mike Riley and the crowds and the lights were so bright. It was just ahead, only a couple hundred more feet. I thought, "This is it! This is the finish!" I ran through a parking lot and up toward the corner and I didn't know it but most of the family and friends were standing there screaming and cheering. I rounded the corner and there were bleachers and lights and there was the finish line. I found out later that Zach and Maritza were right there in the bleachers right along the side. They were crying and cheering but I was in my own little world. I had a nice space between me and the runners ahead and behind me so I had my moment. I was smiling and crying and just as I had imagined for months I heard "Jennifer Barnes, from Portland Oregon, you are an Ironman!" and I pumped my arms and ran through the arch, throwing my arms up! I immediately buried my face in my bloody hands and sobbed.

Run: 4:42:43 (10:48 pace)

Total time: 13:41:09

Place 55/72 AG (W25-29)
Overall 1701/2516

After the finish line I proceeded through the blur of volunteers giving me my medal, taking my timing chip, wrapping me in a space blanket. I didn’t mention my scrapes to the first volunteers because I wanted to see Zach and my friends and family first and I didn’t know if they would let me or how that worked. Finally I saw Zach and Maritza and got big hugs. Then there was everyone else, and more hugs. There was crying and hugging and laughing and examining of wounds. Everyone was so nice. At one point they were sort of assembled in a half-circle around me and just started cheering! Ha ha. It was hilarious and embarrassing and incredible.

I didn’t want the celebration to end but I knew I had to deal with the road rash. I finally asked a volunteer where the Medical Tent was and she pointed me in the right direction. Zach walked me over and it went downhill pretty quickly. I was hurt a lot worse than I’d thought, really deep gashes in my hands and the knee was just gross. I also started feeling really nauseous and dizzy within a few minutes of the finish so I spent some time in the med tent recovering. I finally got out and barely managed to hobble to the restaurant next door with my friends. Instead of the beers I hoped for I had some chicken soup. The whole aftermath was a bit of a let down, but things got better the next day and we had a great rest of the trip. I’ll do a long post-race blog next because I want to talk about the recovery period and how it felt –both physically and emotionally- in the days since I became an Ironman.

But first, pictures! Lots of pictures.

Starting the marathon:

Already got my big hug from Zach, now everyone else gets a big sweaty hug:

This was right after I left. Love, love, love this picture:

First lap (that's easy to tell because it is light out!)

Passing lots of guys:

End of the first lap. Sun is setting:

Zach cheering me on!

Second lap (that's easy to tell because I'm covered in blood!)

Finish chute:

Finish:

Jumbotron:

Minutes after the finish, all I wanted was a big hug:

Crying:

Covering my face and I mean, really crying:

Best picture ever:

Let the hugging commence!

Aunt Carol:

That's Melanie in the Montana State sweatshirt and with the dogs. Great supporter, friend, mother-in-law, and personal doctor!

Inga:

William (Zach's dad) checking out my medal:

Finisher shirt:

And hat!

Gash:

Finally, heading off to med tent:

Thanks for reading. Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement all along.

I'll be back in a few days with some post-race thoughts and I know you all want to see some more graphic pictures of my road rash (ha). I am healing up though, and I enjoying my recovery time and I'm eating a lot of cookies (thanks, Alisa!) and drinking lots of wine (thanks, Emily!) and generally being lazy and self-indulgent. We're having a party tomorrow night and I can't wait to see the Portland girls and all my friends here who I haven't seen in a while. Zach's parents from Montana are in town for a couple days, and then we have lots of fun Christmas plans too. Lots to look forward to.

I've thinking a little about the future, but not too much. I'm trying to live in the moment. :)

IMAZ Race Report: The Bike

2009-12-02T21:25:00.000-08:00

I was so glad to be out of the water and onto the sunny roads. I instantly felt warmer when I started riding, and I felt so safe and comfortable after the chaotic swim. I saw my friends in the exit chute for the first time in the day and they cheered so loud!

(If you're just joining us, here are the links for the Pre-Race and Race Morning & Swim sections of the race report. We rejoin our story at the beginning of the second leg of the Ironman race....)

I felt great from the beginning. I knew I was going to have a good ride and I felt deeply happy about this. You see, the bike was my least favorite in training. In fact, late in my training as the rides reached 5+ hours I grew to despise cycling. I didn't mind the shorter rides, but got burnt out on the long ones. I definitely improved throughout my training and I'm a much more confident and stronger rider, but it is still my weakness. I can tell you all now that from the second I signed up for the Ironman to the second I dismounted my bike late Sunday afternoon I didn't believe I could do it. I was very worried I wouldn't make the cut off. I guess logically I knew I would probably be OK, but if I had any delays- a flat, other mechanicals, excess stopping for restrooms, etc.. I was in danger of missing the cut off. I usually rode 14-16 MPH in training and I knew that didn't give me a huge margin of error in the race. So, on Sunday morning, as I pedaled out of town for the first time and saw that I was going 18 MPH with almost no effort, I was relieved. To say the least. I knew anything could happen over the next few hours but at least I was starting off on the right foot.

I continued to fly along with a smile on my face for the entire first lap (this was a three lap course). The first 8-9 miles are through the city on flat, boring, urban roads. You make like 4-5 turns as you head toward the highway out of town. This part felt great the first time around. My legs were so fresh and rested and I was just glad to be warming up. After that section, we made the last turn onto the Beeline Highway. This is a divided four lane highway that was partially closed to traffic. The course follows this road for about 10 more miles and then you turn around at Shea Blvd and head back to town the same way you came. As soon as we hit the Beeline for the first time I noticed a headwind. Nothing terrible, but definitely there. I saw the trees moving and flags blowing as evidence. I was prepared for the wind knowing this stretch is exposed and can get windy. I knew it would be at my back on the return trip so I just stayed steady. I was going like 13-15 MPH on this stretch. Then in the last couple of miles before the turn around there are actually some little bitty hills and those slowed me down to 10-12 MPH. Still smiling though. I hit the turn around and instantly the gravity + downhill pushed me along and my speedometer showed 25 MPH! I didn't see it drop below 20 MPH until I made the first turn back through town and even then my speed stayed in the high teens. It was freaking awesome. So fun!!

On the first lap I did a great job sticking to my nutrition plan. I drank my two Perpeteums and picked up water bottles at aid stations when they ran out. I ate a power bar too. My stomach was feeling kind of gassy and tight but I tried not to worry about it and kept eating and drinking. When I got back into town I saw my friends and family right before the turn around and they screamed and waved! I waved back and smiled. So cool. I noted my time at the turn around and I saw that first loop took me 2:15, a full 15 minutes faster than the 2:30 goal! I knew the next laps would be slower because I would be stopping at Special Needs and at porto potties but was thrilled to be off to a good start. I saw the group again right away and gave a wave and a thumbs up.

Lap 1: 2:14:28 (16.51 MPH)

Onto the second lap. I was still feeling very good and glad to be on my second lap. I noticed immediately that I was not going as fast heading out of town but figured that was because I didn't have those super fresh legs anymore. Still felt good though and was happy with the 15-16 MPH I was seeing. The strange thing was that when I turned onto the Beeline Highway, my speed stayed the same. It didn't drop. I realized there was no more headwind. You'd think I"d be happy about this but I was really bummed out! I was really looking forward to that free ride back into town! Shucks. It was nice on the way out I suppose but still there was that minor incline so I was definitely working. I ate another power bar and continued drinking water. My stomach was really tight and I realized it was because I really had to pee. I was a few miles from the turn around so I figured I would just go at the Special Needs stop. I hit the turnaround and was glad to at least have the gravity help me along for a while even if there was no tailwind. I confirmed my theory when I noticed my speed dropped quickly to 18 MPH where I"d been going 23-25 the first time around.

The Special Needs stop was at mile 63 so just a few miles past the turn around. I'd seen it on the last lap so I knew where it was. They had large cardboard boxes with some bags in each so I rode up toward the end to find my box. I wasn't sure what the procedure was so I just pulled off to the side by my box and got off my bike. There was a volunteer there and I'm not sure he was supposed to be my personal butler but he did it without complaint. He held my bike while I dug through my SN bag. First thing I did was pull my cold Perpeteum bottles out of my little cooler bag. Umm, they were frozen solid. Ok, I guess the cooler worked! I knew they wouldn't be drinkable for quite some time so I kept one water and put just one Perpeteum on the bike. I grabbed my PB&J and took a couple bites. I emptied my bag of pretzels into my bento box. I had a little bottle of sunscreen and the volunteer helped me put it on. The last thing I did was grab my little chamois butter packet out of the seat bag and stuck it in my pocket. I thanked the volunteer and hopped back on my bike to ride down to the end of the aid station to use the porto potty. They had little bike racks there so I racked my bike and hopped in line. Ugh, line?? I was very frustrated to have to just stand there doing nothing. The lady waiting in front of me was really chatty and annoying which didn't help. I took the opportunity to stretch my arms and back and eat a few pretzels. Finally it was my turn and I sat down and while I peed I squirted the chamois butter onto my bike shorts. I finished up and my stomach felt a lot better. I quickly grabbed my bike and started off down the road. I looked at my watch and I saw that this stop took me like 7-8 minutes total.

On the rest of the second lap I ate the rest of the pretzels in my bento box and drank water. I drank some of the Perpeteum as soon as it thawed out. The riding wasn't as easy without the tailwind but I was still feeling good. I still had a lot of company on the bike course as fast people passed me on their third lap. I was constantly passing or being passed, but I was careful not to draft. There was definitely a LOT of drafting going on. It was pretty shocking actually. I could see packs of fast riders shamelessly sticking right behind each other. There were lots of officials out on the course but I don't think anyone was getting caught. I didn't worry about it and just focused on my own race. People at my speed were being pretty good and passing legally. Lots of friendly folks too who said "Good job!" and "Having fun yet?" as they went by. We also called each other by name since our names were on our bibs. One girl told me she liked the color of my bike, and another girl commented that we were the only ones riding bikes without aerobars (pretty much true!). In addition to awesome athletes, the bike course was loaded with awesome volunteers. The aid stations seemed a bit far apart but they were well organized and stocked and the volunteers were cheering and handing out their goods with enthusiasm. I thanked them every single time.

I saw my group of screaming and dancing spectators again right before hit the turn around the second time. I noted my split as I made the turn. I saw this second loop took me several minutes longer than the first one but still below my goal of 2:30 for the lap. When I passed by my group I waved again and yelled to Zach "One more lap!!"

Lap 2: 2:25:21 (15.27 MPH)

I was so glad to be on my final lap. I broke the final loop up the same way I'd been doing- 8.5 ish miles through town, 10 miles out the Beeline to the turn around, 10 miles back down, and 8-9 miles to the finish. Yay! I kept eating, I had a couple more gels and kept drinking plenty of water. The third loop was just like the second speed wise. 15-16 MPH out of town and up the Beeline, a bit slower on the baby hills, then 16-18 back down the Beeline. Except this time the return trip was a bit slower as my legs grew tired. My stomach was aching again and I figured it was because my bladder was full again. I stopped at the same bathroom at Special Needs and didn't have to wait very long. I was only stopped for probably 2-3 minutes this time. Once again, my stomach felt much better after I stopped. Still, I had to really bargain with myself to eat more. Everything just sounded so gross. I crammed down one final power bar for a total of 3 bars, 3 gels, and most of 3 bottles of Perpeteum eaten on the bike ride. It was really quiet on this last stretch too, as most everyone was done with the bike at this point. It was a bit lonely but easier to settle into a pace without worrying about passing/drafting.

I definitely started to get tired on the final leg of the bike. As I approached the turns back into town I saw a sign that said Mile 104 and it took some real effort to figure out that this meant I only had 8 miles left. The reason I was so confused is that I noticed that this meant I was going to finish the bike in like 7:0x? That can't be right? Is it? I guess I figured with all the stops and as I slowed down a bit I would be coming in around 7:20. I was very excited about my projected finish time! Plus, I knew that even if I got a flat tire in the final stretch I had more than enough time to fix it. I realized, I was going to finish!! In the midst of this thought process I saw a few enthusiastic spectators on the side of the road and they were screaming and holding a sign and jumping up and down. "GO Jen!!!" Huh? I thought it was a coincidence, or they had seen my name on my bib? I realized long after I passed that was Kelsa Lynn!! Haha. Clearly my mind was not so sharp by this point.

On the last couple of miles toward Tempe I really let myself relax and backed way off the pace. I coasted and stretched my back. Knowing I was finishing way ahead of my planned time was great because I could stretch, rest, and start thinking about the run. Oh ya, the run. Hmmm. I really thought when I was training that the bike would be awful and I would be so excited to get off and start running. Now I was coasting into town feeling sad about leaving my bike and not even slightly looking forward to running! My legs were tired. Very tired. Especially my quads. I thought, "This is going to be interesting."

Lap 3: 2:24:15 (15.8 MPH)

My group wasn't in the same spot at the end of the bike course but I saw them as I entered the bike finish chute. They yelled and waved once again as I rode past. The dismount line came up suddenly and I hopped off and a volunteer took my bike. Bye, bike!

Bike time: 7:04:04 (15.85 MPH)

T2:

I remembered where my T2 bag was and found it easily, then carried it over to the change tent. This time I definitely did not jog. And this time, the change tent was very spacious and empty. This is the good thing about being a slower cyclist I guess! The biggest difference this time was my frame of mind. In T1, I had been so cold and numb and a little overwhelmed. This time, I strolled into the change tent, met my little volunteer girl (I swear most of the volunteers at this race were teenagers!) and slowly did my thing while chatting away with her. She got all my things out of the bag and the first thing I did was strip off all my bike clothes and put on clean, dry running clothes. I put body glide around my waist and under my sports bra and between my legs. I rinsed my face off with water and toweled off. I wiped the grass off my feet and put on clean socks and my running shoes. I got my Garmin out and turned it on and it quickly got a signal. The volunteer got off easy compared to my T1 volunteer! She tied my shoes while I ate my PB&J sandwich, and then she helped me put my sunscreen on. She bagged up my bike stuff and I thanked her and said "Well I suppose I should go." She wished me luck and I walked out of the tent.

T2 time: 9:53

And... pictures!

Exiting T2:

The clock is from the Pro start, which was 10 minutes before we started.

Right before Bike Mount line:
Hiiii! One lap down!

Starting second loop:

End of second loop:

Starting final loop:

Heading to bike finish:

Gear bag in hand, heading toward change tent in T2:

Run report coming up next. :) Remember to check out the video if you haven't already. There are a couple videos of me zooming by on the bike. Also the Pre-Race post has some pictures of when I drove the bike course if you are curious what it looked like.

IMAZ Race Report: Race Morning and the Swim

2009-12-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

I got a few hours of sleep but it ended quickly with a chorus of alarms at 3:30 am. I had a big smile on my face before I even opened my eyes. It was like Christmas morning! I hopped up and went upstairs to eat my breakfast. Two instant oatmeals with raisins and milk, an english muffin with peanut butter and jam, and some coffee. After I ate as much as I could (all but a couple bites of the english muffin) I headed down to change. I body glided myself head to toe and put on my tri shorts, sports bra, and tri top. I used the restroom and gathered all my final pre-race bags and items (Special Needs bags are dropped off in the morning, plus I had nutrition to put on the bike, and I had my wetsuit and everything too).I dressed in warm up pants and a sweatshirt and light gloves which would all be shed before the start. We headed out the door promptly at 4:30 am just as planned.

We drove to Tempe and found the athletes-only parking lot on Ash St. I showed my wrist band and we parked. We walked over to transition with tons of other athletes and their families. First stop was my bike. I put two bottles of Perpeteum in the cages (one frozen solid, one just cold) and four power bars in the bento box. I opened the power bars so that it was easy to eat them on the bike. Right next to the bike racks was body marking. I found two super friendly faces who waved me over. It was two older ladies, very motherly! They asked me if it was my first Ironman and how my training went. They were so sweet! After I was all marked up they each gave me a big hug and wished me luck. :) Next I took a cold bottle of Ensure to my T1 bag and a PB&J to my T2 bag. It was a good reminder of where my bags were and how to find them in transition. Finally, I turned in my special needs bags. My bike SN bag contained a soft cooler with two frozen bottles of Perpeteum, a PB&J sandwich and pretzels, two spare tubes, and a little bottle of sunscreen. My run SN bag contained a PB&J sandwich (the goal was to have the sandwiches available every possible spot) and a long sleeve shirt in case I got cold. I used the porto potty and went back to find Zach outside transition. He was wearing a bright orange sweatshirt so that he was very easy to spot. I took off my warm ups and put sunscreen on everywhere. I knew there would be more sunscreen later but wanted to start with a nice base. I knew my pale Oregon skin would burn easily in the Arizona sun. Zach put my timing chip around my ankle and then I decided it was time to say goodbye. I took my wetsuit and cap and stuff from him and gave him a huge hug and kiss.

I walked into transition and found a spot along the fence near the exit (we were required to walk through the exit to activiate our timing chips). I put my wetsuit on along with my ear plugs, goggles, and swim cap. The goggles were under my swim cap to keep them safely on my head. I held my nose clip until the last minute. I had a spare nose clip on my watchband. I still had a few minutes so I nervously watched the other wetsuit clad athletes. I noticed no one else still had their Morning Clothes bag which meant I was supposed to have dropped it off somewhere already. I was just going to leave it where I was since I had intentionally worn throw-away clothes, but a nice volunteer told me he'd take my bag over to the drop spot. So many great volunteers there!

Finally the athletes started making their way toward the exit arch and toward the water. I stood aside until I was about in the middle of the pack and then walked into the mix. We all stood near the water's edge stalling until the last minute. We wanted to delay getting in the cold water so we stood around anxiously. It was pretty quiet except some nervous chatter. The announcer was urging us to get in the water and slowly people started jumping in. I was surprised to see we had to jump in - I thought we went in at the stairs where I'd entered the water for the practice swim on Friday. But no. Jump in. I wanted to keep waiting since I saw there were still so many people behind me. I knew I needed to be farther back in the pack. But at the same time, I was watching the clock and listening to the announcer and knew I had to get in. Finally, I walked up and sat on the edge and pushed off into the water. It instantly took my breath away so I breaststroked away and toward the bridges. I knew there were only a few minutes so I kept moving toward the start line. People were making very casual progress so I also kind of took my time. At one point I turned back to scope out the scene behind me and suddenly WHACK. A passing swimmer's arm caught me square in the jaw. My head was ringing, it felt like a closed fist punch, although it was probably just an elbow or something. I instinctively ran my tongue over my teeth to see if they were all still there. I was a little shaken up but fine. I'm fine, I'm fine. Keep swimming. I made it all the way up to the mass of people and looked up, knowing Zach was going to be watching the start from the bridge. I spotted him instantly in his orange sweatshirt. "Zach!" I waved! Hi!!! Too funny. We just smiled and waved and he took my picture. I tried to keep an eye on the swimmers around me and keep a bit of open water around me if possible. In retrospect, this was hilariously optimistic. As the start time drew near everyone crowded further up. Without much warning I heard it- BOOM. The starting cannon! It was ON!! I smashed the start button on my watch and watched the water begin to churn.

The Swim

Yikes. Everyone surged forward and it was an open water mosh pit. I moved my arms and legs but I wouldn't call it swimming. I wasn't scared, I was focused. On not getting punched again. On not getting kicked. On not getting pushed under the water. I moved forward, surprisingly. I was amazed to see people actually swimming by me. Really? I was in no position to put my face in the water for more than one single stroke, let alone string several strokes together. It was madness!! I continued swimming with my head up and watching the chaos around me, hoping it would subside soon. It had to, right??

Nope. It continued like this for a very long time. At one point there was a gap of open water and I was relieved. But, it was just a random gap and I immediately swam up on another traffic jam. This was made even more challenging by the fact that my goggles were completely fogged up so I couldn't even see the flailing limbs around me. I just kept moving forward, waiting for some free water. It's hard to say how long that took since I had no gauge of my distance or time, but it had to be at least 15 minutes or like 500-750 yards? It seemed like forever.

Finally, FINALLY, there was enough room for me to actually swim in an actual freestyle technique, rather than the panicked-doggy-paddle I'd been doing. But it was still very crowded. And I had the new challenge of the rising sun being the one and only thing in my field of vision. The fact that my goggles had fogged up again was inconsequential since i couldn't see crap anyway. I sighted on the swimmer to my right and just tried to ignore the other swimmers near me since I couldn't even see them. I wasn't cold; I hadn't even thought about the temperature since the start. I could vaugely see the Rural Road bridge ahead and knew the turn around was a few hundred yards past that. It seemed far away, but I reached it quickly now that I was actually swimming. The turn around seemed a good distance past that, but I was excited to reach that point and head back.

There was more chaos at the turn and I took a good kick to the arm and felt a long scrape from the dude's toenail. Yuck. I made the second turn (it was a rectangle, not a 180 degree turn) and swam up over a girl and kind of wrenched my shoulder. Youch.

Thankfully, after that turn, it was clear sailing. I was way outside toward the wall, and nice and alone. There were only a couple swimmers to my right. Most were swimming along the buoy line to my left. I got a good look and it was actually really crowded. I guess that's the shortest distance but I would rather have the clearance. There was a kayak right along next to me so I just swam along side of him. I was watching the Mill Ave bridges up ahead but they didn't seem to get any closer. I was taking 30 strokes and sighting, and every time I looked it seemed just as far away.

My arms started to get really chilly and it became difficult to hold my form. My arms were actually aching and sore, and a little numb. As I kept swimming, my hands became very numb and it became impossible to close my fingers. With every stroke my fingers were uncontrollably wiggling through the water since I couldn't hold them still or together. So I just focused on using my palm and forearm as my paddle and kept swimming. I still had so far to go! I had no idea how long I'd been in the water or how much longer was left, but I thought it couldn't be good. I convinced myself that if my swim time was much slower than I'd planned that it was OK and not to worry. I finally got closer to the bridges and swam underneath them. It was a neat view as I breathed and saw the underside of the large bridges. I peed in the water one last time (I'd gone a couple times already through the course of the swim) and sighted on the red turn buoy.

I made the last 90 degree turn at that buoy and swam toward the exit stairs. I could hear the announcer and the cheering crowd. I was so excited to be finishing the crazy swim!! It had been much harder than I thought and I was glad to be safe and dry. As I got closer to the stairs I watched where the other swimmers were exiting and tried to place myself in an open slot on the stairs so I could get right out. It felt a bit like Plinko, if that makes any sense. I got there and a volunteer was waiting to pull me out of the water. I found the bottom stair and planted my feet on it and the volunteer eagerly hoisted me up. I noticed instantly how cold the air felt and as I climbed the stairs I started shivering. I looked down at my watch and lapped it for the first time of the day and was absolutely shocked and thrilled to see 1:33!! WOW! Amazing. I had 1:35 as a best case scenario! I saw Zach and waved, wishing I could tell him all about the swim but all I could do is smile and wave.

Swim Time: 1:33:26 (2:28/100 m or 2:13/100 y)

T1:

As I ran toward the change tent I took my cap, goggles, nose clip, and ear plugs off, and unzipped my wetsuit. I found an available volunteer and he peeled my wetsuit down to the waist, then I sat down and he yanked the wetsuit right off my body. He hoisted me back up enthusiastically. He seemed to be in a much bigger hurry than I was! I walked at first but knowing there was quite a distance to the change tent and feeling myself growing much colder with every second I finally started jogging. I grabbed my T1 bag (easy to find at the end of the row and with green tape on it) and ran toward the change tent.

I didn't run IN the change tent though, because it was full. Completely crammed full of cold, wet, partially-naked ladies. It was crazy in there! Since I wasn't changing clothes I just posted up along the wall in the entry way. I wanted to hurry but I was SO cold. I heard a volunteer ask "does anyone need help?" and I signaled her over. Thank goodness for that girl's help, because I was shaking and frozen and couldn't move my fingers. I toweled myself off while she did basically everything for me. She got my feet wiped off and into my socks and shoes. She buckled my shoes. She helped me put my gloves and helmet on. She shoved my Gels into my jersey pocket. She opened my ensure and I chugged some of it while she piled all my wet swim stuff into the bag. The one thing I did was squish some Chamois Butter onto my hand and stuck my hand down my shorts and wiped it on the crotch of my shorts. I think she was grateful I took the reigns on that one. I put my sunglasses on, thanked her, and ran out. The volunteers at the exit of the change tent put some sunscreen on me and I jogged over to the bike area. It wasn't as though I was concerned with my time, I just needed to jog to warm up. I ran up to my bike row and a volunteer brought me my bike. Then I ran toward the bike exit and spotted Zach again. I lapped my watch and saw that my frozen T1 was very slow indeed. Whatever! I was looking forward to getting dried out and warm on the bike.

T1 time: 11:05

Picture time:

Alarm clock on the nightstand reads 3:34. We recall that Arizona is one hour later than Pacific Time, meaning this is 2:34 am in Oregon.

All my race morning stuff- Special Needs bags, morning clothes bag, and Zach's backpack for the day:

Ready to leave the house at 4:30 am. Zach borrowed his cousin's sweatshirt which came in very handy for spotting him in the crowd (and for wearing after the race!):

Bags in transition- T1 bags are in the distance to the right, this is the T2 bag area in the foreground:

Lots of people, Mill Ave bridge in the background:

Body marked and ready to rock and roll:

Team Barnes! (and my pre-race bottle of Ensure)

Zach's view from the bridge- bikes in transition area and change tent in foreground:

Making our way to the starting line:

There I am, in the white cap. Men are red caps. There were a lot of men!

Start of race. Chaos:

Making our way down the lake. The course continued past that bridge you can see about a mile away and then back.

Sunrise (and still chaos):

Here I come, heading to finish of swim:

Very happy with that swim time! Looking for a wetsuit stripper:

Whattup!

Running to change tent, freezing cold!

Bike report coming tomorrow. Remember you can check out the video from two posts ago for lots more swim pictures and a video of the start.

IMAZ Race Report: Pre-Race

2009-11-30T17:08:00.001-08:00

I had my bags packed days in advance. I had the lists for the packing ready weeks ago. This whole trip has been visualized down to every last detail for months. I'm a planner, a list maker. I was ready. The training was done, the logistics were nailed down, there was nothing left but to do it.

Zach and I went for a run Thursday morning in Portland and then had bagels and got ready to leave. Emily drove us to the airport. We boarded the plane and I read Twilight to pass the time. Before we landed, the flight attendant made an announcement asking anyone who was traveling to Phoenix to compete in the Ironman race to raise their hand, and my hand shot up!! I looked around and everyone was looking at me. Their faces were blank, even confused. No one appeared to understand. Whatever! This is kind of the whole Ironman experience- people don't understand, or they do, and think you are crazy. I'm used to it. And Zach was beaming, and I knew there were a couple other hands in the air and I knew they got it, and that was enough for me.

We arrived in Phoenix Thursday at 5:45 pm. The sun was setting and looked beautiful, I thought about where I would be and what I would be doing at that time in three days. By the time we got outside and picked up our rental car it was dark and that fact momentarily let my mind relax a bit.

But then we drove through Tempe on the 202 and I could see the Mill Ave bridge, all lit up. And I could see the lake. And the lights of the transition area. And I suddenly felt very nauseous and nervous. I got all quiet and was suddenly glad that Inga had to cancel on dinner. I knew I wasn't going to be good company. Zach and I found a California Pizza Kitchen and I scarfed down some pizza and a salad. I wanted a beer. I wanted to pretend this wasn't happening!! But actually once I had some food in me I felt a bit better and wasn't as anxious. After dinner, we drove to a grocery store where I loaded up on peanut butter, jam, bread, english muffins, Ensure, pretzels, fig newtons, water, gatorade. I had brought a couple packets of oatmeal to complete the pre-race food requirements so I was good to go. We were staying with Zach's aunt and uncle in Chandler, so they had tons of food and all that but I knew I needed my specific brands of stuff. We drove out to their house and unloaded all our gear and visited for a while before turning in. I didn't sleep very well at all, but that wasn't too surprising. I felt rested when I woke up so no worries.

Friday morning we had some cereal and headed to Tempe for a day of pre-race activities. The lake was open for swimming, so I was going to check the water out. Then at 10:00 athlete check-in opened. I also wanted to just scope out the whole thing and get a feel for how the flow of the transition area worked. I also wanted to drive the bike course, organize my gear bags, and then attend the mandatory athlete meeting at 7:30 pm.

We arrived at the race site about 9:00 am and I was so excited to walk through the Ironman Circus! There were banners, booths, announcers. It was amazing! It was a big production. I was not feeling very nervous, just excited. We walked down to the water and I put on my wetsuit and got in the lake. It was COLD. It took my breath away! Oh boy. The swimming was rather chaotic so I kind of just breaststoked until I got some free water and then followed the general flow of swimmers down the lake under the Mill Avenue bridges. I was originally just going to jump in the water to see how it felt, but suddenly I found myself swimming a couple hundred yards with no obvious place to turn around. Finally another swimmer was stopped and chatting with a kayak lifeguard-type, so I stopped too. I realized they were saying THIS is the starting line. As in, I just made my way from about where we enter the water on race day and swam TO the STARTING LINE. I was tired! It seemed so far! It was kind of funny, and I was very glad to have figured that out before race morning. I turned around there and followed the return flow of swimmers back to the stairs where we exited the water. After I'd been swimming a few minutes I felt pretty warm so I felt better about my prospects of surviving the first leg of Sunday's race. Zach got some pics of me swimming and was waiting for me when I got out, helpful as always. I put on dry clothes (changed under my towel like everyone else) and told him all about the swim.

We headed next to Athlete Check In and even though it was barely 10:00 there was a huge line that snaked all through the whole area! We hopped in line and then one of us would wander around and then we'd switch. I made my way to the merchandise store to preview the gear and souvenirs and found the Tri Bike Transport tent. Finally I got through and signed my waiver. Next I received my packet with race numbers, gear bags, timing chip, swim cap, and my wristband. The volunteer was this sweet old guy and wished me good luck. I picked up a race poster on my way out of the tent. Our next stop was the Tri Bike Transport. I didn't need to pick up my bike but I wanted to see it and make sure it arrived safe. It was there, safe and sound! Finally we headed back to the store. I was going to wait until Monday to purchase anything but the volunteers in the store told me that most things will sell out before then, besides that Monday is super busy because they release the finisher gear. So I decided that I would go against my superstitious instincts and buy the damn gear. And then a crazy person took over my body. I was possessed. There was SO much cool stuff!!! I was grabbing shirts and shorts right and left. Stickers and mugs were going in the basket and Zach was being piled up with clothing and hats. It was like a cartoon. I went to the dressing room and thankfully emerged with only a handful of perfect items. A bike jersey, four running tops, running shorts, a swim suit, cups, mugs, stickers, hats. Plus souvenirs for my parents. My jaw dropped when the total was revealed at the check out, but I knew I'd been saving up for this exact moment, and I knew that this would be great motivation to finish the race!

After leaving the race site we drove the bike course. We followed the turn-by-turn directions from the athlete guide and I was very pleased that there were no surprises. The course is generally flat, the roads are in great condition, and once you get out of town onto the Beeline Highway, the desert scenery is very beautiful! As we neared the turnaround I noticed the road did climb noticeably, but it wouldn't even be called a "hill," just a little rise. It was about 18 miles to the turn around with the final 10 or so being on the Beeline Highway. Good stuff. We turned off the course and drove into the town of Fountain Hills for some lunch. We spotted a Subway- perfect!

We drove all the way back to Chandler to our home base (Zach's aunt and uncle's house) and I began organizing my things. I was anxious to get this process started. I opened up my carefully packed suitcase and laid out the gear bags I'd received at check in. Morning Clothes Bag, Swim to Bike Transition bag, Bike to Run Transition bag...... um...... I looked back in the race packet sack... where are the Special Needs bags? Gah! I had Zach double check and sure enough they were missing. He was trying to catch a nap but promptly hopped up and volunteered to drive back to Tempe since the check-in was still open for another hour or so. He's my super helper. I continued to organize while he was gone and finished up when he returned with the rest of the bags. I put bright green duct tape on the outside of all my bags to distinguish them, which ended up being a great idea. I was very relieved to have everything ready.

The next thing on the schedule was meeting up with Inga and her husband Josh and going to the athlete meeting. I didn't originally mean to have them attend the meeting with me but they seemed ok with it so they did. It was fun to have them there and they learned a lot about how the race worked. We got to see the Everyday Hero presentation and I'm glad I did because I saw the guy- Rudy- several times on race day and it was cool to know his story.

After the meeting we all went to a great italian restaurant called Oregeno's for dinner. There was a pretty long wait but that was ok - we were stalling anyway since Maritza's flight arrived at 10:30 pm and we had time to kill. We had a great dinner and a great visit. Inga gave me a very special pre-race gift which included a mug and chamomile tea to help me relax, a yellow bracelet she had made that represented strength and will power (I wore it the entire weekend, including during the race), and some absolutely awesome, adorable, hilarious photos of the two of us twenty years before. She had called her mom in Montana and she found these long-lost pictures of us completing the Rankin Run, an all womens 5k in Great Falls, Montana. I was 8, maybe 9 years old. I will put the pictures in this post and I think I am going to frame the one. SO freaking awesome. It was such a surprise since I had completely forgotten about it and had no idea there were photos! Amazing to see. I look exactly the same. Hilarious.

We went to the airport and met Maritza and spent just a few minutes together before they headed back to Inga's (aka Spectator home base) and Zach and I drove back to our home base. I got to bed about 11:30 and actually slept pretty good.

Saturday morning there was more pre-race stuff on the agenda but not as much. This day was more about hanging out with my friends, relaxing, and thinking positive. We ate cereal at home again and then drove to Tempe. I went to the Tri Bike Transport tent and picked up my bike. They put the pedals back on (that is the only thing that is taken apart for shipping) and Zach pumped the tires. I put my seat bag with spare tubes, bento box (power bars to be added in the morning), and bike computer on the bike. Then I rode it around the parking lot just to make sure everything was working. We attached the race numbers in all the required places and walked over to the transition area. I found my row and racked my bike- there was a sticker with my name and race number exactly where I had to rack it. Next, I took my transition bags over to the two separate transition areas and found the sign that included my number in the range. Thankfully both signs were at the edge of the areas and my bag was numerically first, meaning my bags were at the end of the rows. Super easy to find, and the green duct tape made it even easier. I walked over to the change tent and checked that out. I found a volunteer and asked how the flow of the transition area worked and he explained it well. I asked tons of other questions and made sure I knew everything I needed for race day. Finally satisfied, I exited transition and found Zach.

Inga and Maritza had arrived at this point so we went and met up with them. The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging around the race site checking everything out and taking pictures and talking and laughing and having a great time. Maritza and I did a 2 ish mile run along part of the run course and also got to see the entire swim course as we ran. Then the four of us found the sign-making tent and spent a good hour or more making fun colorful signs. I knew Inga, Maritza, and everyone else were going to make more signs so this was just a partial sign-making session. I made one for me from my mom and dad and I made one for myself that said "I believe in you." Zach made a great one that he turned in - they were placing some of them along the course so it was fun to look for it while I was running. We finally left Tempe and went to a great lunch spot near Inga's where we sat outside visiting and listening to the live music and eating delicious sandwiches. Finally, we had to take off so I got final good luck hugs from Inga and Martiza and Zach and I headed back to home base.

Back at the house, I got my last few things organized and Zach made the race day PB&J sandwiches for me. He also mixed up my bottles of Perpetuem and put them in the freezer. I tried to take a nap but mostly just laid there reading Twilight and resting. Zach gave me a special surprise which was a folder of notes from all my friends and family!! It was supposed to be something for my special needs bags but he figured that wouldn't work as well as he originally thought, so he gave them to me the night before. It was so fun to read through and some of them made me tear up. It was cool to know everyone was rooting for me. :)

When I couldn't rest anymore I went upstairs and all the family was there hanging out. Zach made spaghetti dinner while I visited with his Dad and Stepmom, Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. We ate a big delicious dinner and then even had a little ice cream cake after. I finally said my goodnights and headed back downstairs about 8 or 9 pm. I took a bath and finished Twilight and then went to bed. I was anxious and excited and not very tired. I knew I had a long night ahead of me... but not too long. The alarms were set for 3:30 am. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. It was only hours away....

Pictures!

Let's get this awesomeness out of the way first:
Rankin Run, Great Falls, MT, 20 years ago

And now onto the more recent athletic pursuit:

Thursday, November 19

Portland Airport

Friday, November 20

Phoenix. Hellooooo sunshine!

Arriving in Tempe at the race site:

Heading into water for practice swim (in red cap):

Getting used to the cold water (63 ish degrees):

All done! You can see here the Mill Avenue bridges. The start line is beyond the second bridge:

Tri Bike Transport. My bike is in there somewhere:

Checking in for the race and getting race packet:

Pro press conference. Kate Major and (spoiler alert!) race winner Sam McGlone:

To be fair, this was what I took into the dressing room to try on. I didn't buy it all, I swear!

Driving the bike course. This is what the first few miles through town were like:

Heading out the Beeline Highway:

Desert scenery:

Back at Aunt Carol's getting gear bags ready. The balloons were from my mom. :)

Green duct tape really did make my bags stand out:

Beautiful sunset, heading to Tempe for pre-race meeting:

At athlete meeting:

Saturday, November 21

Picked up bike from Tri Bike Transport and took it for a spin just to be safe:

Bike and transitions bags ready to be turned in:

T2 bag:

A peek inside the empty change tent:

A view of the T2 bags from the bridge:

The arch we had to exit through before the swim start:

Bike Out:

Maritza, Inga, and me hanging out at the race site:

Short run with Maritza along part of the run course and with a view of the swim course:

Zach making me a sign in the sign crafting area. It took me a minute to figure out what this number meant. It's the total from my shopping spree. :O

One of Inga's many spectacular signs!

I made one sign for myself:

Zach's sign. Hilarious!

Lunch and live music at Duck & Decanter:

Back at Carol's for dinner and relaxing before bed:

Large bag o' spaghetti:

More report and photos coming soon!

Ironman Arizona Video

2009-11-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Hi! I can't believe it's been a week already. We had a great holiday and got home last night. Loving post-Ironman life so far. :)

Report is coming soon, along with tons of photos of the entire weekend. For now, enjoy this video Zach made of the race. Make sure you have the volume up. The louder the better.

Ironman

2009-11-23T05:01:00.000-08:00

I did it! I finished in 13:41:xx and I am an Ironman.

It has been such a fun and crazy time in phoenix getting ready for the race and everything came together perfectly. All the training, all the planning, the strategy, the cast of supporters, everything. Perfect.

It hasn't really sunk in yet.. I've been imagining these moments for months, years! Th race, the final miles, the finish, and the feeling after of being able to say I did it! But its not like I imagined! Yesterday during the race I was all business, right up to the end. I had a Moment (to put it lightly, did anyone see the live feed?) in the finish chute and right after I got pretty emotional but it didn't stick. Of course going to the medical tent doesn't really invite celebration (more on that later). I think it will hit me soon or maybe it won't be like that. ?? Maybe a couple beers will get the ball rolling. Haha!

So I'm lying here in bed at 530 am, wide awake, waiting for morning so I can begin my new life as a superhero. I should probably try to rest though- I went to bed at 2:00 am after getting up at 3:30 am for the race the previous morning. But I'm all wired! And sooooooo sore. And hungry.

I will put together a race report ASAP but wanted to update you right away here. It was awesome. It was way harder than I thought it would be!!! And don't misunderstand, I thought it would be very hard!!

Some quick thoughts which will all be detailed later:

I swam and biked faster than I expected!

The swim was BRUTAL in the first few hundred yards. Total washing machine. I was kicked and scratched, and even got punched in the head. !!!

The water was freezing and my arms were aching and numb for the last half of the swim.

The bike course was nice! I liked it. I think the bike was my favorite part of the race. Which is ironic considering I grew to hate it in training.

I stuck to my nutrition plan!

I never hit the wall. The run was Hard, but by walking all the aid stations I was able to run the whole race. I stopped a few times for various reasons, but didn't take a single unplanned walk break.

On the run I tripped on a curb and totally f-ing ate it. It was dark out and I wasn't paying attention. I really scraped myself up. But I pulled it together! You may remember I fell hard at Cal. Int'l Marathon in 2006 and went on to BQ so apparently this is kind of my schtick. Finish huge important races with blood running down my leg. Classy!!

I had the loudest and most enthusiastic spectators on the course. Not an exaggeration. They cheered me and everyone else on ALL day and made me feel like a true hero after. I felt like a rock star! It was amazing.

I spent over 400 bucks on ironman merchandise a couple days before the race and that really did give me extra motivation to finish! :D

Allright I better stop for now. Stay tuned for an EPIC race report
And a bazillion pictures. I will try to do it soon but might wait until I get back to Portland next weekend. I'm going to jot down my thoughts today so I don't forget any details.

Thanks for all the support you guys!! I thought of you every time I crossed a timing mat. :) you were all right there with me!

Thanks for reading!!

Here I Go

2009-11-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

It's time! We leave tomorrow afternoon for Phoenix. I'm ready. I'm packed. Let's do it!!

I'm really looking forward to the warm and sunny weather. It's going to be perfect for the race and even perfecter for the rest of the vacation. I packed clothes that I haven't worn in months and I'm looking forward to getting a tan. As I may have mentioned (ha ha), it's been cold and rainy here. And it's going to be like this for months! So I'm going to soak up every ray I possibly can.

I'm also really excited about seeing all the family and friends that will be there to support me. Deana and Dana are flying down- they have been great supporters of Zach and I in all our races around Portland since we moved here. Plus we have family that lives there, Zach's aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandad. Zach's dad and stepmom are driving over from San Diego too- Melanie (Zach's stepmom) has been a big inspiration and basically got me interested in triathlons after hearing about her tri adventures. Also, I am excited to finally meet fellow blogger KelsaLynn! I'm thrilled that my wonderful friend Maritza is coming down from California. It means so much to me. She and I ran our first marathon together 4 years ago and the rest is history. And last but not least, Inga, my bestest and oldest friend, who lives in Phoenix. I wouldn't be doing this race if it wasn't for her. Having a built in support system in the Phoenix area made this race seem approachable, and her support has been huge. She's been my best friend for 25 years (holy shit, really?) and I can't wait to see her. With all these people cheering me on, how can this be anything but amazing?? I love that IMAZ is a loop course (3 loops for the bike and 3 figure 8 type loops for the run) so I get too see my crew like a dozen times. I will never be alone!

After the Ironman weekend we are spending a couple of days in Phoenix and then driving over to San Diego for Thanksgiving with Zach's folks. We are all doing the Turkey Trot together (I'll walk it with his Dad, Zach and Melanie will run it) and then feasting with the best of 'em. We've done Thanksgiving down there like 5 of the last 6 years or something and it is always a great time. I can't wait! It's going to feel SO good to finally be able to truly relax. After 6 months of training for an Ironman, you better believe I'm going to indulge myself.

And the icing on the cake is that when we get back to Oregon there will be parties and celebrating with all my kick ass friends here- Emily, Alisa, Sarah, Amy, plus more Deana and Dana (you can never have enough Deana and Dana!). And Zach's Mom and stepdad from Montana are coming to visit in early December too! And of course, it'll be Christmas time. Which is my favorite!! Cookies and Christmas movies and shopping and carols and yay yay yay.

My mom and dad aren't going to make it down to Arizona, although I know they really wanted to. I wish they could but it's fine- plus I know my mom would be so worried seeing me when the smiles stop in the later miles (to put it mildly). Ha ha! They have been so amazingly supportive of me my whole life and especially in this latest endeavour. Although I have to tease my mom- last year when I registered, I was visiting for Thanksgiving and when I ran in to tell them I got an entry, my mom had the most worried look on her face! "I was hoping you wouldn't get in," she said, only half joking. SO cute. Don't worry Mom!! I GOT THIS.

Mom and Dad will be tracking me online on Sunday and so can all of you. Visit www.ironman.com and watch for the link which should appear on race day. Right now the athlete tracker is not obvious but it should be on Sunday. Zach will also be posting updates on Facebook and maybe a couple pics too.

I will be thinking of all of you every time I hear that Beeeeep of the timing mat. I will know that you are right there with me, just as you have been along this whole awesome journey. Thank you all so so so much for your kindness, encouraging words, and reassurance. I am inspired by all of you- all your marathons, triathlons, half marathons, everything- I read all of it and I am so impressed and proud to call you all friends!! Thank you for being a bunch of hard core athletes and for creating this environment of crazy that we all thrive in.

Since apparently this is turning into an Oscar acceptance speech, I'd like to say one final enormous thank you to Zach. He is my bubby bear, my best bro, my coach, my training partner, my chef, my psychologist, my hero, my reason for living. I am the luckiest girl in the world and I could not have done this without him.

There's no need for a "Goals" section here because my one and only goal is to finish. Of course I have a strategy, which involves pacing, but who knows how this will ultimately play out. I have 17 hours to finish the race (with various cut off times for each leg throughout the day) but I think I'll be finishing in under 14 ish. For tracking purposes, I'll give my planned time for each leg of the race. Of course anything can happen, but based on my training and assuming everything goes good, here it is. Swim- 1:35. Bike- 7:30. Run- 4:30. ISH. Who the hell knows?! It's going to be crazy and awesome and difficult and who knows. It's going to be an adventure, that is for sure.

Finally here are just a couple of photos from the last week. I'll update you all as soon as possible after the race. Whew.

Good luck flowers from Mom and Dad sent to my work:

Rainbow after one of the many rainstorms (pic taken from Zach's office window)

Mt. Hood at sunrise. This photo makes me want to cry.

Thank you for reading. :)

Cucumber Cool

2009-11-15T19:31:00.000-08:00

Another super taper week in the books. Not much swimming, VERY little biking, some quality running, lots of napping and movie watching and relaxing. Love it.

I had a few taper pains pop up- some were my fault and some were completely unexplained. I know this is normal and I tried not to panic. Thankfully everything cleared up quickly. I didn't take any chances and eased off even more than was probably necessary, but whatever! Now is the time to play it safe.

The funny thing about this week is that while I had no problem skipping swims and bike rides, I couldn't get enough running! I think all the energy my body is storing up wanted to escape a little bit in my running this week. I busted out some faster miles and it all felt so effortless! I had to make myself hold back and didn't run as much as I could have. It is the taper after all.

I don't know what it is but I'm feeling so calm and relaxed and positive about the race. I'm not nervous at all really. I know it will sink it at some point but I'm feeling fine at this point. I guess I am a little anxious, like when I was getting my things together tonight I kind of snapped at Zach. Oh who am I kidding, that is totally normal. I guess I am just prepared enough that there isn't anything to freak out about? Like I got all my freaking out out of the way over the last couple of months. Works for me.

I keep coming up with little things to do, like wash my running shorts and pick up Ziploc bags, but everything is coming together. This weekend I got lots of miscellaneous things done- Zach and I practiced tire changes, I trimmed my nails, I soaked my wetsuit and hung it to dry, I called Inga in Phoenix and went over the weekend plan. I started packing tonight and will finish tomorrow night probably. I only have a few little workouts this week (note to self: take it easy on the running!) but mostly just getting as much rest as possible and thinking positive.

Here's the recap of this last week. Pretty light!

Monday: Bike
15:00/stationary bike
This was supposed to be my rest day, so I just went to the gym with Zach to do a light strength training session. This was a mistake! I kind of jacked my shoulder up. Dammit! I stopped immediately and went up to the cardio area and rode the stationary bike for a while. Frick!

Tuesday: Run
7.0/58:38/8:22 average pace
Fabulous run in the pouring rain. My legs were feeling fresh and speedy and I loved it. I ran the last 3 miles at 7:44 average pace!

Wednesday: Swim
1250 yards/40:00
Zach had the day off work for Veteran's day so we went to the pool together. I realized pretty quickly that my shoulder was very slightly sore and decided not to push it. I did mostly kicking while Zach swam.

Wednesday: Run
5.0 miles/40:50/8:10
Another fabulous run, again in the pouring rain. I drove up to Forest Park since I haven't been up there for a couple of weeks. It was wet and muddy and cold and awesome. Once again my legs were having trouble holding back and I cranked out my last three miles at 7:48 pace! Speedy legs!

Thursday: nada
My lower back was randomly tight all day at work, so I decided not to bother with the short bike ride I had scheduled. My shoulder area felt better but didn't want to swim either.

Friday: Run
3.5 miles/30:31/8:43 average pace
Easy run with Zach after work. Thankfully, no rain this time!

Saturday: Bike
11.9 miles/49:43/14.3 MPH
I really wanted to get my bike out for a ride before I dropped it off for transport. My back felt fine and I decided not to use the weather as an excuse, although I could have - it was only 34 degrees out when we were ready to leave! We bundled up and headed out for a short ride down the Springwater. As soon as we got back we took my bike up to Athlete's Lounge on 26th and Thurman. There were several bikes there already, like maybe 10. I was glad to see that there were 4 road bikes alongside the tri bikes. The manager of the bike shop is actually doing the race too and he arrived right as we were leaving. Good to know his bike will be along with mine! Makes me feel more secure. I said goodbye to my bike and left it in their hands.

Saturday: Swim
1800 yards/45:00
After the bike ride I watched a couple of movies on TV and took a little nap. Zach finally woke me up and we went over to the gym. My shoulder felt fine and I got a nice swim in. I even did the first 1000 y without my nose clip! Good to know that in case I somehow lose it in the race I will be ok. We took a long steam and soak after the workout and then back home for more movies and relaxing.

Sunday: Run
9.0 miles/1:19:31/8:50 average pace
Today I went for an easy long-ish run up on Marine Drive. It was cold and windy but only a few sprinkles, thankfully. I felt great. After the run I drove across the river and visited Emily in Vancouver. She just got back from her honeymoon in Hawaii so she showed me a bunch of pictures and we sat and chatted the afternoon away by her fireplace. Cozy! Back at home I packed some of my stuff and now Zach and I are watching tv and relaxing. And eating ice cream. (Pumpkin ice cream from Cool Moon)

totals for the week:

swim: 1:25 (3050 yards)
bike: 1:05 (11.9 miles- ha!)
run: 3:30 (24.5 miles)

total training volume for taper week 2: 6:00

Definitely embracing the taper!

ONE WEEK to Ironman Arizona. :)

Sorry for the lack of photos lately, but I promise there will be more photos then you could ever want to see in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading! I'll be back with another post before I leave for Arizona on Thursday. Have a great week!

10 Day Forecast and 182 Day Recap

2009-11-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

The 10 Day Forecast on weather.com officially includes race day now, although I've been watching it on Accuweather's 15 day forecast for a while. The conditions are going to be great- it will start out in the low 50s and reach highs in the low 70's, or something like that. Sounds delightful! Especially because it's been very cold and rainy here the last couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to some sunshine.

The race is actually just 9 days away and I'm so excited. I've got a few minor things to take care of this weekend and I'll be dropping my bike off for transport tomorrow. Then I'm going to start packing my stuff based on a collection of established and solid lists. We leave Thursday afternoon.

I'm really loving this taper period and I'm feeling really relaxed. I'm enjoying having time to hang out with Zach and watch hockey and sit in the hot tub and visit with friends. I'm keeping my diet pretty healthy, mostly avoiding alcohol, and getting tons of sleep. All systems go!

Along with looking forward to the big day I wanted to take a look back too. I put together a little training summary to recap all that went into my Ironman preparation. I am going to keep it pretty brief and then later I'll do a longer reflection on the training and what I really thought of it and whether I'd do something like this again. So here are a few facts and figures on my Ironman training journey. The totals are up through the end of last week, so the final two weeks (taper) aren't included.

I signed up for Ironman Arizona on November 24th 2008.

I officially began training May 11th. That was 28 weeks, or about 6 1/2 months, before IMAZ 09.

My training volume over 26 weeks (6 months) averaged 12 hours per week.

My training volume in the 10 week peak period averaged 14.5 hours per week.

My highest volume week was 18.5 hours in week 25.

My longest bike ride was 107 miles (Harvest Century Ride). I did 9 rides over 60 miles.

My longest run was 20 miles. I did 7 runs of 14 miles or longer.

My longest swim was 4200 yards. I did 7 swims of 3000 yards or longer.

I participated in 4 triathlons during my training: Blue Lake Sprint, Hagg Lake Olympic, Lake Stevens 70.3, and the Aluminum Man Olympic.

Besides the triathlons, I did 9 Open Water Swims.

I ran one running race, the Timberline Trail Half Marathon, where I won my age group!

That's it for my quickie update. I'll be back to recap this second taper week and then again next week to post my goals (spoiler alert: FINISH) and final thoughts and stuff. I'll also post the tracking info and all that. My race number was posted a few days ago and it is #2252. Yay! This is really happening!!!!

Thanks for reading. :) Have a great weekend!

Supertaper

2009-11-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

I was going to go with Super Slacker but that seemed harsh. I truly believe in the "less is more" mantra of tapering so I guess I've done nothing wrong. This week was supposed to be a reduction in training volume and I came in pretty far under that goal. Whatevs!

I was actually doing fine through the week but this weekend a big cold rainstorm smacked the Northwest and ruined my long run and long ride. I could have been more prepared for the weather but it's been really unpredictable lately and I honestly thought I was going to be ok. Turns out I had to call Zach and have him come pick me up half way through my long run (meaning I was as far as possible from home) because the temperature dropped a good 5 degrees and the rain was coming down in buckets and horizontally. Zach actually had to avoid some flooded out sections of road to reach me. Yikes. I've NEVER called it quits during a long run in 5 years of running, and believe me I've had some awful runs. So this says something about the weather! I was going to finish the run up on the treadmill but I was shivering so bad and figured, F it, I'm tapering anyway. I took a long hot shower and Zach made pumpkin pancakes and we snuggled on the couch and watched the Godfather. Then we went to a friend's for dinner and then to Sarah's fabulous karaoke birthday fest where I took some ownership of a little Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, and Janis Joplin. What fun!

Today (Sunday) it was weirdly cloudy and I took the "Heavy rain at times" prediction seriously and just avoided riding outside altogether. It was supposed to be a 3 hour ride and I managed 1 1/2 hours on the trainer (watching Godfather II). Zach and I had a wonderful lazy Sunday for the most part and it was awesome.

So this weekend was cut WAY short, but I really don't think it matters. The important thing is that I feel good. I'm relaxed and positive and ready. I've got all my lists in order and all the details ironed out and there's very little left to do before we leave for Arizona.

Also the 15 day weather forecast on Accuweather.com officially reaches my race day of November 22 and it looks perfect (starting out at a low of 49 and reaching a high of 74). It will certainly change a lot in the next couple of weeks but so far, so good.

Have I mentioned that the day I participate in Ironman Arizona will also mark the 12th anniversary of my first date with Zach? That's right. On November 22, 1997 we went to see Starship Troopers together in Helena, MT. He held my hand in the movie and we had our first kiss in the car after). The rest is history! Awwwwww.

So here is my pathetic/awesome taper week:

Monday: rest

Tuesday: also rest

Wednesday: Swim
4100 yards/1:30
I swam 4000 yards (actually 4050 because I miscounted, but figured it out later by my watch splits) straight. Meaning I didn't stop swimming for nearly an hour and a half. I adjusted my goggles while treading water and I didn't do any other strokes besides freestyle. This was to get a good prediction time for my IM swim and I'm really glad I did it. I think I'll be able to do the swim in about 1:35:00 which is a little slower than I would have guessed, but that's fine. A couple minutes on a day like that is nothing.

Wednesday: Bike
23.8 miles/1:28:50/16.0 MPH
Springwater out and back x 3 on a windy day

Wednesday: Run
5.0 miles/41:15/8:15 average pace
Where did that come from? It felt very easy and I was a little confused. My last mile was 7:48. Awesome but weird.

Thursday: Bike
1:35/trainer

Friday: Run
6.5 miles/58:23/8:59 average pace
Zach rode along with me on his mountain bike

Friday: Swim
2000 yards/45:00
Easy swim at the gym

Saturday: Run
9.68 miles/1:30:42/9:22 average pace
Long run cut short by freezing cold rainstorm.

Sunday: Bike
1:30/trainer
Less is more. Less is more. Less is more.

totals for taper week 1

swim: 2:15 (6100 yards)
bike: 4:35 (24 miles and 3 hours on the trainer)
run: 3:10 (21.18 miles)

total training volume: 10:00

2 weeks to Ironman Arizona!!!!

Insane

2009-11-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting on top of the world tonight. I had an incredible week of training and I almost don't want it to end.

This was my final big training week before the taper. This was my peak week. And it was EASY. I ended up with over 18 hours of training time and all but one hour of it took place over the last 5 days. This means I just had 5 insane training days in a row. And it was a piece of cake. I am so into it. Wednesday I was out the door at 8:00 and didn't finish my workouts until after 3:00 pm. And then I went to the gym with Zach in the evening! I literally worked out ALL DAY. Thursday and Friday, yada yada yada. Then Yesterday I ran 20 miles and it didn't even feel like a tough workout. Today's 80 mile ride was similarly breezy and fun. Ain't no thing! I'm loving it. It's weird.

I wish I could keep going like this. I think this is going to be the kind of taper where I need to hold back and make myself rest. I am kind of pissed that I was so burnt out a few weeks ago and was struggling to get my workouts in, and then now I can't get enough but I have to lay off. Oh well, I guess it's the right time to be at this peak! I hope I can maintain my strength and positivity through the taper and then knock it out of the park in Tempe. I wish the race was tomorrow. GAH!

Okie dokie. Here's the proof: I'm crazy! And I love it!

Monday: rest

Tuesday: Run
7.0 miles/1:04:32/9:13 average pace
Waterfront solo

Wednesday: Swim
4200 yards/1:45
Solo swim at Aquatic Center

Wednesday: Bike
30.0 miles/2:01:36/14.6 MPH
River Road/Oatfield loop solo

Wednesday: Run
5.0 miles/44:27/8:53 average pace
Brick run after the ride, also solo (Deana's work schedule changed, so we ran together Friday instead)

Wednesday: Strength Training
light lift with Zach at the gym in the evening

Thursday: Bike
2:00/trainer
Watched recorded Ironman Lake Placid coverage

Thursday: Swim
2150 yards/1:00
Masters

Friday: Run
10.0 miles/1:33:29/9:21 average pace
5 miles with Deana at 10:10 average pace, then one mile in 8:08 (downhill from Deana's to my house to meet Zach) then 4 miles with Zach at about 8:30 pace. Whew! It was nice to have company for the long run though.

Saturday: Run
20.0 miles/2:58:04/8:54 average pace
Wonderful fantastic long run. It felt easy and like I could have kept running forever. I never felt tired. Got rained on a little but had a bit of sun too. The course was neat - I had Zach drop me off far out in eastern Gresham and I ran home on the Springwater Corridor Trail. The only time I've ever done such a long point-to-point run was in races (boston x2 and CIM x3). It's kind of cool to cover such a huge distance on foot.

Saturday: Swim
1000 yards/25:00
Why not.

Sunday: Bike
80.0 miles/4:58:48/16.0 MPH
Wonderful fantastic long ride. It felt easy and like I could have kept riding forever. :P It was freezing cold- 40 degrees at the start and only warmed up to 48 by the end of the day. Zach rode the whole way with me! That's a cycling distance record for him. Our friend Anne came out and met us after we did one loop (44 miles) and rode 30 miles with us. It was awesome having some extra company. Zach and I did a fast bit at the end to round off the distance and we were pushing really hard at the end. It was great. I never felt tired and I definitely didn't have the mental block that I've dealt with the last couple long rides.

totals for the week:

Swim: 3:10 (7350 yards)
Bike: 9:00 (110 miles + 2 hours trainer)
Run: 6:25 (42 miles)

total training volume for my peak week: 18:35

Wow.

3 weeks to IMAZ

Pictures!

Just one from Saturday's Halloween 20 mile run:

Sunday's Sauvie Island ride:

The fog finally burned off about 25 miles into the ride:

Zach trying to absorb as much warmth as possible (still only like 45 degrees):

Picked up Anne about 45 miles into our ride:

Me and Anne:

All done. Bikes loaded up on the car. The sun was on it's way down and it was only about 3:00 when I took this photo!

Thanks for reading! Have a great week.

Final push

2009-10-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Penultimate peak week done. Next week looks a lot like this one and then I taper. It's getting so close!

I am feeling really good and I'm motivated to make the most of these peak weeks. Knowing that I'm almost at the end makes all the difference. In a lot of ways, I'm completely burnt out, but I know I can focus and work hard for a little bit longer. Suck it up, cupcake.

I'm getting a lot of the final preparations ready. The logistics for an event like this are insane, but I kind of love it. I've pretty much finalized my gear lists, nutrition strategy, and race week schedule. I'll probably post that kind of stuff on here before the race although it's probably pretty boring. There were a lot of decisions to make, big and small, and lots of things to coordinate. Bike transport, gear bags, special needs bags, pre-race food, bike nutrition, run nutrition, transition plans, clothing changes, travel schedule, dining options, race registration, practice swim, bike and gear bag check in, athlete meeting, race day parking, etc etc etc etc.

I took my bike in for a full overhaul and it's riding like it is brand new. They took it apart and cleaned and lubed everything, replaced my brakes and tires and checked all the cables and components. It rides so smooth and is shines like when it was new. Zach picked his bike up on Friday and it's also good as new. We've been really impressed with the people at Trek and our local guys at the Bike Gallery.

I'm also doing everything I can to keep my body healthy by eating good and taking precautions against cold and flu which seems to be everywhere. I bought Clorox wipes to disinfect my desk and work area daily, I wash my hands a zillion times a day and avoid touching my face, and I even sometimes use that hand sanitizer which I hate. I've been eating a really healthy diet with almost no "treats" and I haven't had any alcohol in almost 2 weeks. I've also been pretty anti-social by staying home and resting instead of going out. The extra sleep and time off my feet helps I think. I'm planning on sticking with all this until after the race. It's so close, why not.

One other thing I want to mention because it affects my training and you might notice the difference is that I now have Wednesdays off work. It's really slow and so we're doing this "work share" thing which is a nice way of saying cutting hours. I thing the "share" part refers to the fact that instead of laying someone off, we're all taking a hit. Of course this is great for my training but it kind of sucks because I only got this job 6 months ago and just finally started to feel like I was earning my keep, and now I'm practically part time. Whatever! What can you do. So I chose to have Wednesdays off for now (until my race) and I'm making the most of it. I decided I'd specifically spend some extra time in the pool. Since I've made a habit of skipping Masters and haven't done many long swims, I am going to start cranking out super long swims out at the aquatic center in the mornings. I kind of like swimming on my own rather than with the class, and the pool is practically empty that time of day. Then I will do my bike workout and my run with Deana (she has Wednesdays off already). It's nice to get those things done during the day so I can do some stuff around the house and then relax in the evening. This first week it worked out great.

Allright, I think I hit all the topics I wanted to talk about! Sorry it's so long. I am so consumed with this Ironman training and planning it's annoying even to me. I can't wait for this to all be over! But what's funny is that even though I'm getting completely tired of thinking about it, I'm actually getting REALLY excited to race. For the first time I have reached a point where I actually believe I can do this. I can do it! I know I can! It's going to be awesome. I'm so excited. I wish it was tomorrow.

Well I should really wrap this up. Here are the stats from the week's workouts. It went great. I recruited all my training buddies to join me and keep me motivated and it really helped. I feel amazing and honestly feel like this week was a breeze. Well, there was one ugly bit which you'll see toward the end, but otherwise it was great. Here we go:

Monday: rest

Tuesday: Run
7.2 miles/1:03:44/8:51 average pace
Waterfront/Springwater with Emily. Her first run since the Portland Marathon! Great to chat and the run flew by.

Tuesday: Swim
2500 yards/1:00
Masters with Zach

Wednesday: Swim
4000 yards/1:35
Solo morning swim at the aquatic center. I made up a long workout for myself which I won't post but maybe I'll include it next week. Basically it was 1000 warm up swim, 1000 drills and kicking, 1000 freestyle pyramid, 1000 pull and cool down swim.

Wednesday: Bike
1:30 on trainer
Caught up on Mad Men.

Wednesday: Run
5.0 miles/47:59/9:36 average pace
Forest Park with Deana. She is doing so great, it seemed like this run was not hard at all for her. She ran the Run Like Hell 5k today (Sunday) and did great. She's really on a roll!

Thursday: Bike
17.8 miles/1:04:37/16.5 MPH
Springwater trail solo ride. I did the double out and back and kept a good speed. Fun!

Thursday: Swim
2300 yards/1:00
Masters with Zach

Friday: Run
10.0 miles/1:32:51/9:17 average pace
Waterfront/Springwater solo. Started getting dark toward the end. The sunset is so early these days, and Daylight Savings Time is soon! Thankfully my training is almost over and I don't really care.

Saturday: Bike
60.3 miles/5:03:51/11.8 MPH
Hilly grind of a ride all around Sandy in the foothills near Mt. Hood. My legs felt good, the scenery was amazing, and the hills were actually kind of fun. But I hit a wall almost immediately and the entire ride was torture. It was all in my head- I just did not want to do it. I have no good reasons, I just am getting sick of these long rides and am not enjoying them any more at all. I had to stop a bunch of times with complex complaints ranging from "I don't wanna!" to "I just can't." I was even crying at one point. I felt bad for Zach, who was excited to have his road bike back and spent a lot of time planning the route. We cut out a bit of the ride when we realized our speed was so slow and the planned 75 mile ride was going to take more like 6.5 hours. So that was nice. Zach tried to motivated me and somehow I kept riding and got it done. What a struggle though! This was the only crappy workout of the week though, so I guess that's not too bad.

Saturday: Run
6.0 miles/52:29/8:45 average pace
Brick run immediately after the long ride. Piece of cake. Best part of the day.

Sunday: Run
17.0 miles/2:30:28/8:51 average pace
Banks Vernonia trail. Drove out with Alisa and Justin - we all ran separate but it was very motivating to know they were out there and waiting for me at the end. I felt good and not sore or anything. I kept about 9:00-9:10 pace for the first 15 miles and then busted out a couple fast miles at the end to bring my average down. My last mile was 7:33! Nice way to end the week.

totals for the week:

swim: 3:35 (8800 yards)
bike: 7:40 (78.1 miles + 1:30 on trainer)
run: 6:45 (45.2 miles)

total training time: 18:00

4 weeks to IMAZ

Pictures!

Long ride from Gresham to Sandy and beyond:

Pretty fall colors on a challenging ride:

Early on, still smiling.

Beautiful vista. Mt. Hood is back there but blocked by clouds:

At least Zach was enjoying himself:

One final break before the home stretch. Can't even manage a real smile!

Getting right to the run:

Sunday long run at Banks Vernonia Trail:

Alisa snapped a couple pictures as we headed out:

Hard to see, but I'm the blurry orange dot in the distance:

Gorgeous fall colors about mile 4:

Farmland shot about mile 9:

Thanks for reading! :) Have a great week everyone.

Recovery Week

2009-10-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

It probably seems kind of strange to have a recovery week so close to the taper and race, but boy did I need it. I have had several recovery weeks in my schedule during the past few months but have ignored almost all of them. I've had a few lower volume weeks due to races, travel, etc, but that's it. But with a stretch of huge training weeks behind me and my two biggest weeks ahead, the timing was right. I was ready for the break and really took advantage of it. Probably too much so! Even with easier/shorter workouts scheduled, I still completely skipped one day of training (thursday) and cut another day way back (tuesday). I did a little extra here and there though which sort of made up for it, but ended up with two hours less than planned. There was nothing easy about my weekend though- a 17 mile run and a 76 mile bike ride. It ended up being a pretty decent week. I got the mental break I needed and lots of bonus couch/movie time, but I still got in the important workouts. I admit my enthusiasm is fading but I'm so close I know I can push through. I'm looking forward to the taper though, that is for sure. Then the race. Then cookie time (which is how I'm referring to life after the Ironman, because I'm going to do nothing but eat cookies for the next calendar year).

Here is the recap:

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run
4.0 miles/37:36/9:24 average pace
Quick easy run. Half of what I was supposed to do. Then I skipped swimming!

Wednesday: Bike
1:00 spin
With Alisa! :) Pretty good workout.

Wednesday: Run
4.5 miles/44:51/9:58 average pace
Nice run with Deana after spin class.

Wednesday: Swim
2200 yards/1:00
Masters. The only time I made it to class this week. Yikes!

Thursday: Rest
Yup

Friday: Run
8.5 miles/1:14:58/8:49 average pace
Added a bit to the scheduled run. Felt fantastic!

Friday: Swim
1250 yards/30:00
Make-up swim at the gym.

Saturday: Run
17.0 miles/2:30:36/8:52 average pace
Springwater trail in East Portland/Greshem.

I was watching the weather forecast pretty carefully this week and it looked pretty certain that Saturday was going to be rainy. I decided I would rather run for a couple of hours in the rain than ride all day in it, so I swapped my Saturday/Sunday training. When I woke up it was pretty decent out and I was thinking I should have just done my ride. I started running about 10:00 am and it was cloudy but dry and about 69 degrees. Within 2 miles it was raining and the temperature dropped a few degrees. By three miles into the run it was a torrential downpour and there was lightning. Hehe. I was glad I wasn't riding! I determined the lightning was not very close so I just kept running and got my 17 miles in. The rain let up a little but never stopped and I ended up with some decent chafing as a result. Youch. I was happy with the run though- it was nice being able to do it on fresh-ish legs rather than after a 5+ hour ride and I was pleased with my pace.

Sunday: Bike
76.1 miles/5:07:42/14.8 MPH
Hagg Lake/Patten Valley Road/Springhill Road

We drove out to Hagg Lake and Zach rode his mountain bike with me. We had a rough plan that would take him about 40 miles and then I was going to finish the ride on my own. Rather than just riding around the lake we headed out and found a couple gorgeous roads to ride. One of them was part of the Century ride last weekend. We rode along a little valley with farmland in the middle and flanked on the sides by small hills covered in trees in all their autumn color glory. Beautiful! It was pretty flat with some rolling hills and very little traffic, perfect for riding. It was cloudy with a little sprinkle but toward the end the sun came out. Much better than the day before, so I'm glad I switched the schedule around.

About halfway through the ride I was feeling really negative and blah. I was enjoying the ride but was pissed that I had to ride another 40 miles still. I was ready to cut the ride short. (This is very demonstrative of how my enthusiasm for ridiculously long training sessions is waning.) Zach was great, he said he would ride with me longer so we went back out and rode the pretty rolling valley route again. We finally headed back up to Hagg lake and Zach finished with 67 miles on his mountain bike. Wow! Considering how heavy that bike is and with the knobby tires, he sure made it look easy. I rode one lap around hilly Hagg Lake and met him down the road at the country store where he had sandwiches and chips and soda waiting. Awesome. I was really glad he rode with me and helped motivate me to do the planned 5 hour ride. It ended up being a great ride thanks to him. :)

Sunday: Swim
600 yards/15:00
We went over to the gym to sit in the steam room and hot tub and I jumped in the pool for a few laps. It was unplanned so I didn't have my nose clip or goggles. I did some kicking and then Zach found a pair of goggles in his gym bag. I found out I can easily do breast stroke without the nose clip which is good to know. I did a few laps of freestyle to and it was fine. I really do love me some nose clip though and won't be giving it up anytime soon.

totals for the week:
swim: 1:45 (4,050 yards)
bike: 6:10 (76 miles + spin)
run: 5:10 (34 miles)

total recovery week volume: 13:05

5 weeks until IMAZ

A couple pictures from the ride today. They don't really show the colors:

Thanks for reading. Have a great week! :)

17:30

2009-10-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

As always, I'm typing this up Sunday night before bed and I'm exhausted and I'm not going to do myself justice with this recap. This is once again my biggest week of training ever. I rode 107 miles yesterday and eliminated any remaining doubt that I can do the 112 mile ride in the Ironman. I had a couple spectacular runs and one awful one. I didn't swim much but that's ok. I'm really feeling good and while I'm maybe getting a little sick of all this training, I am feeling confident. It's not that much longer, I can get through this.

Here is the quickie summary and then a few pictures.

Monday: rest

Tuesday: Run
10.0 miles/1:20:01/8:06 average pace
Fantastic run in Forest Park. The first 5 miles were 8:42 average pace and the last 5 were 7:18 average pace. It was effortless, even on the hills. Definitely one of those runs that reminds me why I do this shit.

Wednesday: Bike
1:00
Spin class, no Alisa since she was in Hawaii!

Wednesday: Run
4.5 miles/44:55/9:59 average pace
Easy run with Deana. She ran the 4.5 PLUS she had already run from her house which is about a mile away. That's maybe one of her longest runs so far? Awesome.

Wednesday: Swim
2700 yards/1:10
Class started late so even 10 minutes extra was actually like 20 minutes after. That was as long as I could make it because I was starving.

Thursday: Bike
22.5 miles/1:33:45/14.4 MPH
Really annoying ride. The Springwater trail had a detour set up right in the middle of where I like to do my repeats, so I had to come up with a different route which didn't work out, and I ended up riding around the parks and trail segments and through traffic that all resulted in a super slow ride. It was very frustrating.

Thursday: Swim
2000 yards/1:00
Zach finally came to Masters! We did a lot of drills and non-freestyle stuff but whatever. It's all beneficial I think.

Friday: Run
9.0 miles/1:18:17/8:42 average pace
Marine Drive after work. I made a point not to look at my watch the whole time and was just running by feel. I felt great! It was really neat to look at my splits after because I ran the middle five miles at exactly 8:40-8:42 pace. Talk about consistent!

Saturday: Bike
107 miles/7:12:45/14.8 MPH
Harvest Century
I was pretty nervous for the century ride since Zach wasn't going to be riding with me and Anne decided to skip it too. The distance was intimidating and I was just not into it. I got up about 5:15 and ate my usual breakfast and Zach drove me out to Hillsboro. It was COLD at the start- 40 degrees. Thankfully I had purchased some shoe covers and a warm head band the day before and that completely saved me! I stopped at all the rest stops and ate and called Zach to check in. I took it really easy and the first 40 miles were like nothing. It sort of warmed up and I continued to feel good for the middle miles. At mile 70 or so, a bee flew down my shirt and stung me on the boob. I found and killed the bee at the nearest rest stop and just didn't think about it until after. It wasn't that bad actually, but really weird! We stopped at the final rest stop at mile 82 and I was still feeling good. Pushed hard to the end and then ended up missing the final turn and rode a couple extra miles at the very end. I was feeling really good and thought it was kind of cool, the more the merrier! Zach was waiting at the finish and hung out with me while I ate my burger and chugged my beer. All in all, this ride was not that hard. That's good!! We went out to dinner with some friends and I didn't get to bed until about midnight.

Sunday: Run
14.0 miles/2:11:15/9:23 average pace
I was pretty sore this morning of course, so I decided to take Kim's advice and delay my long run for a few hours. I think this was good for my legs but it was hard to get motivated later in the day. I'm definitely a morning person for this kind of stuff. I finally drove up to Lacamas Lake and started my run about 2:00 pm. The run was pretty brutal- I was tired, bored, and just not that into it. It was slow going but I got it done. Headed over to Emily's after for fireside cocktails and Halloween crafts.

totals for the week:

swim: 2:10 (4700 yards)
bike: 9:45 (129.8 miles)
run: 5:35 (37.5 miles)

total training volume: 17:30

wow.

6 weeks to Ironman Arizona. Hang in there.

Pictures!

Harvest Century Ride

Before the start: Do I look excited? Cause I'm not. I'm nervous and freezing cold.

Off I go:

First rest stop at 16.5 miles:

Lunch stop at mile 41 at an elementary school:

Taking the Canby Ferry across the Willamette at mile 70:

Finally finishing. Check out the guy behind me with a finger gun to the head. He wasn't as OK with the extra mileage as I was:

BBQ:

Dead Guy Ale:

Banjo and band in background:

One last item is that I found out this week that Maritza, Deana, and her girlfriend Dana are all flying down to support me in Phoenix for the Ironman. My other best friend Inga lives there and will be housing the whole gang and there will be lots of family in town too. I feel extremely grateful and blessed for the support of my wonderful friends and I know it will really help me to have a great race. It really really really (x 100) means a lot to me to have them there. :)

Thanks for reading. Have a great week!

Putting in the work

2009-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

7 weeks to Ironman Arizona and this is maybe the first week that I've started to really feel prepared. This was my highest volume week yet and included my longest ride ever and my longest run in the training cycle so far. I'm SORE in a way I haven't felt in a while, "good" sore I guess. I know I need to be careful not to overdo it and I'm definitely right at that line, but as of this moment I feel great.

I had a big snag thrown into my training this week and if I had posted a few days ago it would have been a real Jen-level FREAK OUT. But everything is going to be ok and I'm dealing with it. What happened is this: Zach's bike is broken. Something with a connecting piece in the rear dropout is bent and he had to send it into the manufacturer to be re-bonded to the frame. It's under warranty and apparently Trek is really great about stuff like this so it should all be fine. It's not major damage, and he's not even sure how it happened, but they told him it isn't safe to ride until it gets fixed. He dropped it off Friday and it will be back in 3-4 weeks. 3-4 weeks! Crap.

ff
So obviously, Zach is bummed because he enjoys riding his bike. I'm bummed (to put it mildly) because I was really counting on him to join me on my remaining long rides. We had all kinds of plans for our upcoming 5-6 hour rides and were going to check out some cool new routes. Now, I don't really know what I'm going to do. I'm taking it week-by-week. This week we went up to Sauvie Island where I feel comfortable riding alone, and next week I am doing a Century ride with Anne so that's covered. After that I think I'm going to pick some routes that are loops and Zach can ride some of it with me on his mountain bike (which we found out he can ride as fast as I can ride my road bike. How embarrassing for me!) Emily and Alisa also volunteered to accompany me and I know I can ride on my own as well. I might check out a group ride or something too. It will be fine! It will be fine. (repeat as needed)

ff
Anyway, the ride this weekend was a success. In fact it was Awesome! I rode 80 freaking miles. :O And then I ran 3 miles. I was very very sore later in the day and wasn't sure how I was going to get my long run in today. But I set my alarm and got out the door by 7:00 and got it done. It wasn't fast, and it didn't feel great, but it's done. I'm still sore this evening but not any worse than yesterday. Hopefully my rest day tomorrow will help but I have a feeling I won't feel fresh and rested until I taper! Which isn't that far away. Yikes.

ff
I finished my run and took a quick shower and Zach and I went downtown and watched Emily finish the Portland Marathon. It was amazing. She is one FAST girl and she completely nailed her strategy and pacing and nutrition and put up an incredible time. Wow. Check out her blog for the race report soon! There are several pictures below. Zach took his bike out on the course and got several pictures and then we saw her at the finish. After the race we went out for lunch and beers and had a great time. I was completely wiped out when we got home and I took a looooong nap. I got up to write this blog and eat some dinner and now I'm going to bed.

I'll stop complaining now since I know several people that ran marathons today are waaaaaay more tired and sore than me! Congratulations to Emily, Aron, Tara, Amy, and everyone else who raced this weekend. Can't wait to read all the reports. :)

Well here is the summary of the week's workouts. Lots of good stuff!

Monday: Rest
I haven't made it to the gym to lift in weeks!

Tuesday: Run
7.0 miles/1:02:18/8:54 average pace
Easy solo run

Tuesday: Swim
2200 yards/1:00
Masters

Wednesday: Bike
1:00/trainer
Alisa wasn't able to make it to spin so I just did a trainer ride at home.

Wednesday: Run
4.0 miles/35:42/8:56 average pace
Brick run after the trainer ride

Wednesday: Swim
3100 yards/1:20
Masters + 20 minute extra swim after class

Thursday: Bike
2:04:30
19.3 miles on the Springwater trail at 14.6 MPH average
+ 45 minutes on the trainer

Friday: Run
9.0 miles/1:15:17/8:22 average pace
Felt great!

Saturday: Bike
80.0 miles/5:04:15/15.7 MPH
Sauvie Island ride- 30 miles with Zach and 50 miles solo. It was really cold when we started- I wore my North Face running jacket since I don't really have any cold-weather cycling gear. My feet were freezing and pretty numb after a couple of hours. Thankfully the sun came out at some point and warmed me up a little and at least I got the feeling back in my feet. I need to get some shoe covers and other things to get me through the fall season. Other than that I felt good the whole time although obviously a little tired toward the end. I was happy with my pacing- I definitely held back knowing I had to run after. I did a good job on my nutrition (2 power bars and a bottle of perpeteum, plus a few bottles of water) and I think my posture/form was good because my upper body wasn't very sore at the end. Great ride overall.

Saturday: Run
3.0 miles/25:17/8:46 average pace
Brick run after my longest ride ever

Sunday: Run
15.0 miles/2:18:16/9:13 average pace
Super sore, super slow run out on the Springwater while the rest of Portland was running the marathon!

totals:

swim: 2:20 (5300 yards)
bike: 8:10 (99.3 miles on road + 1:45 on trainer)
run: 5:35 (38 miles)

total training time: 16:05

Holy crap!

Now enjoy a few photos from the weekend:

Pictures from my looooong Saturday ride and run:

Taking a quick break during a windy stretch:

A few miles to go:

80 miles done!

Finishing up my 3 mile brick run:

Portland Marathon Photos:

Zach rode along the course and got these photos with his phone:

And here she is rounding the second-to-last corner with less than a mile to go:

I'm so proud:

Talking marathons (future and past) with Sarah and others at Goose Hollow:

Thanks for reading! Have a great week everyone.

What a weekend

2009-09-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

As usual, I am posting this on Sunday night after an exhausting weekend. But this time, it is after the BEST WEEKEND EVER. Ya, ya, I did some training and it was great, but this weekend was so much more than that. I don't even want to get started because I could really start crying right now just thinking about it. Emily and Josh's wedding in Hood River was amazing. The setting was breathtaking and was only out shined by our little pal Emily and her sweet husband. They were absolutely adorable and it was truly an honor to be present at their wedding. It was great to spend the evening with all our great friends and a bunch of fun new people.

I especially loved spending the entire weekend with Maritza, who flew in Thursday night and left this morning. We went for two great runs together and then today Zach and I capped off the weekend with our longest training ride ever. To quickly (I'll try) recap: Friday morning Maritza and I did a 14 mile long run along the Springwater trail. After a delicious post-run brunch at Isabel down the street, we all headed out to Hood River about noon and stopped at Multnomah Falls along the way. We arrived in Hood River and checked into the historic Hood River Hotel right downtown. A school bus picked up all the guests and drove us up to the Gorge Crest Vineyards where the wedding was held. The scenery was indescribable. See photos below. Absolutely amazing. The ceremony was perfect. Everyone cried. The dinner, the party, the donuts, the after-party, everything was incredible. The next morning, despite very little sleep and a moderate to severe hangover, Maritza and I went up to the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail and she got in 6 miles and waited for me while I ran 9. We spent the rest of the afternoon at a beautiful old farm with a view of Mt. Hood where we picked flowers and laid in the grass relaxing and talking. Then we headed to the house Emily's family had rented for a bbq and some more visiting before we headed back to Portland. I took Maritza to the airport this morning and then Zach and I went out and rode all around Clackamas County (south of Portland) and wrung every last bit of energy we had out of ourselves. In summary, best. weekend. ever.

I am really really happy and thankful for all the beauty and love in this world. I know, so cheesy. But that's what you get.

Let me recap my training week here, but I will try to keep it short. The photos of the weekend are at the end.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Rest
Unscheduled rest day. My legs were SORE from the trail run and I knew it would be a mistake to push it.

Wednesday: Bike
Spin class/1:00
No Alisa. :(

Wednesday: Run
4.75 miles/45:48/9:38 average pace
Deana met me after I got out of spin and we ran the waterfront loop. Great run!

Wednesday: Swim
3100 yards/1:20
Masters plus 20 minutes swim after class.

Thursday: Bike
23.8 miles/1:25:11/16.7 MPH
Same route I did last Thursday- repeated out-and-backs on the Springwater trail. Zach joined me but I refused to draft. I was a bit windy but I managed a faster pace than last week. Making this my fastest training ride ever! Ya!

Thursday: Swim
2200 yards/1:00
Masters

Friday: Run
14.0 miles/2:23:47/10:16 average pace
Long run with Maritza. :)

Saturday: Run
9.25 miles/1:24:17/9:06 average pace
Historic Highway trail in Hood River. First couple of miles with Maritza. :) Hungover from Emily's wedding, yet happy as a clam.

Sunday: Bike
70.0 miles/4:59:40/13.9 MPH
Clackamas ride. Hilly and CRAZY windy. I felt really good and stayed positive the whole time. The ride was slow but very challenging. Really fun way to spend the day with Zach. Seriously, like the entire day. With bathroom breaks and stoplights and everything we were out there for over 6 hours.

TOTALS for the week:

swim: 2:20 (5300 yards)
bike: 7:25 (93.8 miles plus spin)
run: 4:35 (28 miles)
total training time: 14:20

Right where I want to be and feeling great. Ironman Arizona is 8 weeks from today.

And now, photos. I decided to only pick a few of my very favorite ones. We took 400 pictures this weekend. Plus I have Maritza's 200 or so, plus a few dozen mobile pics to choose from. I can't get enough of them but if I started posting all the ones I like there would be hundreds. These are a few of my favorites. Enjoy! Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

Hardware and other validation

2009-09-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

SUCH a great week. I had four very exciting achievements in the last several days and my confidence is peaked. Watch it crash down completely in time, but for now, we celebrate. Here's the weekly summary -the workouts of celebration are in bold and astrixeed as to not be missed. Behold!

Monday: Strength Training
Some weights with Zach at the gym. I did 200 crunches and was sooooore the next day!

Tuesday: Run
8.0 miles/1:10:30/8:49 average pace
Springwater run

Tuesday: Swim
2150 yards/1:00
Masters

Wednesday: Bike
1:00/Spin class
With Alisa! New random instructor was actually pretty good. Except he made the mistake of assuming the was the hardest-core person in the room, and that pissed me off. Ya, you teach spin class, congratulations. By the way, is this supposed to be hard? Ass.

Wednesday: Run
4.5 miles/40:10/8:55 average pace
Didn't manage to link up with Deana again so I made a point to run as easy as possible on my own (usually keep a great recovery pace when I run with Deana) and this run really did feel effortless. It was raining and I forgot how much I enjoy running in the rain. Good thing, huh?

Wednesday: Swim ****
1:20/3500 yards
Big volume day in masters including lots of fast intervals. Then I stayed 20 minutes after class and swam another 1000 yards and could have stayed until they closed the pool. This was my longest swim session ever!!

Thursday: Bike ****
23.9 miles/16.6 MPH
Springwater trail out-and-back with a nice headwind half the time. This is my fastest training ride ever!!

Friday: Run
4.0 miles/36:31/9:08 average pace
Nothing notable about this run, besides that I was slightly drunk. Went to Emily's final dress fitting and had celebratory champagne and appetizers after because it's the best week of her life. The run was a bit painful and I nearly crapped myself. It was totally worth it.

Saturday: Bike ****
62.5 miles/3:48:38/16.4 MPH
Sauvie Island ride with Zach. We waited until about 11:00 to start because it was raining and predicted to clear, which it did. We saw Alisa and her husband a few miles in, they were finishing up and looking good. This was an awesome ride. My legs were feeling it but I kept a good pace and pulled Zach along the whole day. Finished really strong and was very excited to see my time. When did I get so fast on the bike?!!?

Sunday: Run ****
14.2 miles/2:06:28/8:54 average pace
Timberline Half Marathon

Mini Race Report:

This was really just a training run for me since I'm in the middle of a high volume stretch and don't really want to spend any time recovering. Zach was excited about this race and we signed up months ago, but his knee has been bothering him so he didn't even run. He was cool about it though and drove up with me early this morning and spent the morning taking photos and cheering all the runners on.

It was shockingly cold up there- about 40 degrees at the start! I am glad I thought to check that before we left the house. I threw in my arm warmers and encouraged Zach to grab a jacket. It ended up only warming up to about 55 degrees by early afternoon. Brr! Very comfortable for running though.

The course was all singletrack and while it wasn't very hilly it was rocky and root-y and twisty and hard. Also we were at about 3500 ft elevation which I noticed a little, especially on the few short climbs.

I figured I could run about 9:00 pace pretty comfortably and based on that I projected I would finish in about 2:07. The start was interesting- they had one person start every few seconds to space us out on the trail. Everyone seemed to seed themselves appropriately and there was actually only minimal passing over the entire race.

Turns out I ran almost exactly my projected time but it was WAY harder than I anticipated! I felt like I was running half marathon pace the whole time. I was flying. It was awesome! I started off strong and kept it up for the whole race. I led a group of runners for a few miles early on- it was kind of annoying having someone literally breathing down my neck but it definitely kept me moving. The first half of the course was way more technical and my pace reflects that fact. The rest of the race was a lot smoother and faster and slightly quieter- I only got passed a couple times toward the end. I was surprised to see Zach a few times - he drove down and found me at three points in the last half of the race (pics below). I was feeling really tired but having fun.

I finished in 2:06:28 which was slightly faster than I had predicted. Yay! We stood around chatting with the other runners- it was a really friendly group of people. One guy who finished just after me had run the full marathon the day before! (it's a two-day series) Wow.

After a few minutes Zach went and checked the results and came back and told me I took 1st in my age group! So we stuck around for awards. It was cool hearing them call my name. I don't think I've ever been first before?! I got a cool medal that says "1st" !! :)

We hit up a delicious deli in Timberline for lunch before we drove home. It was the best sandwich I've had in Oregon I swear. The bad news? I got stung by a mother effing BEE! I haven't been stung by a bee since I was a kid and I forgot how freaking painful it is. I was initially scared- we had *just* heard about a guy who had to be life-flighted out from the race yesterday because he was stung and had an unknown allergy. :( But alas, I am fine. I called my parents to tell them about my race, ask if I was allergic, and listen to my dad tell me an awesome home remedy for painful stings (see final pic and caption below). They are the best parents! :)

Here are my splits from the race from the Garmin:

1- 839
2- 935
3- 923
4- 911
5- 856
6- 839
7- 854
8- 835
9- 858
10- 832
11- 842
12- 858
13- 945
14- 844
last 0.13 according to Garmin- 0:54

official finish time: 2:06:28 (8:54 pace)
1/35 age group (25-29)
10/221 females
43/318 overall

Well that's my report. Now here are my totals for this amazing week:

swim: 3:20 (7950 yards)
bike: 6:15 (87.4 miles + 1 spin class)
run: 4:30 (30.7 miles)

total training time: 14:05

Some pics from today's race:

Race morning:

Immediately after the start:

Starting area after I was already off and running:

Pic Zach took while I was running:

Mile 9.5 or so:

Mile 11.5 or so:

About a mile to go (I had just passed both those guys, fyi):

The finish:

Getting my AG Medal (I was really hoping for a podium and bouquet of flowers, but I forgive you)

Gross foot picture: This is a paste of meat tenderizer and water on my bee sting. Words of wisdom straight from my father's mouth and you don't doubt a born-and-raised Montanan on things of this nature. Especially when he's your dad.

Aluminum Man Olympic Tri Race Report

2009-09-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

I signed up for this race just to get in another practice triathlon closer to my goal race of Ironman Arizona which is at the end of November. I thought the 3 months between Lake Stevens 70.3 and the IM would leave me feeling a little rusty so this race bridged that gap a bit. I also wanted to test out some new gear (the tri top) and just get some more race practice. So while this certainly wasn't a goal race, I was hoping a strong performance would be a confidence booster.

Unfortunately I was feeling a little "off" the last couple of days since my b-day and came down with a little cold or something. My throat was sore and I was just feeling a little run down. I rested Friday night (actually went straight to bed after work and slept for about 3 hours, then got my race stuff ready, ate dinner, and back went to bed) and figured I'd just see how I feel Saturday morning. Thankfully I felt ok, actually a bit better, so I knew I could finish the race. I decided that I would tone down the effort if I was feeling lousy, and I knew even if I felt great this wouldn't be my best performance. Plus, since it was just a "practice race" I wasn't terribly motivated. I really realized out there that if your heart isn't it in, it is difficult to push yourself and really race hard!

We headed out as planned about 6:00 for the hour and a half drive to The Dalles. The 9:00 race start was nice for this reason, I didn't have to get up ridiculously early. We arrived nice and early and I checked in and got my transition set up. It was really helpful that Zach wasn't racing and could help haul my stuff around and keep me organized. Alisa showed up a little bit after me, she was racing the Sprint Distance which started 30 minutes after the Oly that I was doing. I hung around while she set up and then we listened to the pre-race briefing and then it was time for me to start.

This race was TINY- It looks like there were 22 women doing the Olympic and about 37 men. The waves were just separated by gender. Watching the men start off I realized how shallow the water was and watched them run about 50 to 100 yards before jumping in to swim! A woman next to me told me there is a lot of seaweed once you get out there a ways, so I figured this was going to be a challenging swim. Luckily the water was very calm so at least we had that going for us.

The swim: 1000 meters

I started off to the side and when the air horn went off I ran along with the other women for quite a ways in knee-deep water. Annoying! As soon as I saw someone dive in I dove in too and started swimming. Many women continued running/wading for quite a while before we were all finally swimming. Sure enough, I immediately encountered a mess of seaweed in the shallow water and my arms were getting tangled in it. I wasn't freaking out at all but I was pretty frustrated. I altered my stroke a bit and even did some breast stroke for a while. Finally it cleared up and I made the first turn. The next stretch was a long one and it was out in the deeper water, so I was looking forward to a seaweed-free swim. Well, there were patches of it and I got tangled up again! I did some breastroke where it was very thick and then continued on. I was passing a couple of people and moving up a bit in the field (I started basically in last place). We rounded the second and final buoy and I swam hard toward the beach. I passed a couple more ladies. Then, more seaweed! Ugh! I just pushed (literally, pushing myself through the plant life) through until I could see the rocks (I didn't want to stand up in the seaweed). I stood up and ran out of the water. As I was running through the water I stepped on some large object with my left foot that really hurt!! It wasn't a pointy object but I could feel it bruised the bottom of my foot pretty good. Dammit. What a challenging swim!

Swim time: 22:57

T1: I passed a couple of men in the run up to transition (didn't pass any in the actual swim) and got my bike gear on. I felt a little flustered but tried to maintain focus. Zach was standing right there so I told him about the seaweed and he encouraged me as I took off. T1 time: 2:41

The bike: 30 miles (ish)

The race site bills the bike as 50k, which is like 32 miles. At the pre-race briefing he told us it was 30 miles on the nose. I measured it at 29 miles.

The bike course was challenging because it was a gradual climb for the first 11 miles, then a steep climb for a mile, then rolling for a couple of more miles. I checked my bike computer at 15 miles and my average speed was 13.6. Ugh! I was practically alone out there due to the small field although I did get passed by 6 women in the first 10 or so miles. After that I only saw a couple other athletes. I saw two women changing flats so I suppose technically I passed them (ha). The climb wasn't bad, and I felt good. I just had no motivation to push myself- not athletes in sight to pace off of or anything. I was just riding strong. Finally up at the top of the hills I was going pretty fast and having fun. It was totally desolate out there- brown grassy hills and some cows. There was a super creepy old abandoned/falling-down house which was neat. As we turned back toward the west I could see Mt. Hood and it was really a beautiful sight. I sped down a stretch of downhill for about 3 miles at nearly 30 MPH. The road was hardly curving at all, the surface was smooth, and there were NO cars or other bikes. Perfect for a fast decent. I was feeling very appreciative of my situation- lucky to be alive. The downhill was disappointingly short-lived and it flattened out quickly. There was some more downhill as we got back to town but I was never able to really get my average speed back up. I was feeling good except it was getting quite hot and I knew the run would be a challenge. I finished off the last of my water (I had a bottle of Perpeteum, a Hammer gel, and a bottle of water on the bike) and made it back to transition.

Bike time: 1:50:52 (15.6 MPH according to my bike computer, 16.3 according to the race site)

T2: Super fast. In and out. T2 time: 1:07

The run: 10K

The run was a flat out-and-back on a bike path along the river. The sun was high and it was hot, and the path had no shade. I meant to grab my bottle of water in transition to take with me on the run but forgot about it in the heat of the moment. I started off feeling good and passed three women right away. I saw Alisa right away, she was just finishing up her sprint race. We high-fived! I ended up occupying my mind for the entire run by counting people I passed and counting the number of women ahead of me. I took water at each aid station (4 times total) but otherwise just ran. I tried not to think too much about how hot and tired and thirsty I was and just ran. They had accurate mile markers on the path and I was running like 7:50-7:55 pace for the first 4 miles. I slowed down a bit in the last couple miles, probably also because I walked at the water stations to get as much water as possible. Finally, I was heading toward the finish and could see Zach and Alisa and Justin and heard them cheering! I passed through the finish arch and stopped my watch.

Run time: 49:42 (8:00 average pace)

Total time: 3:07:19
2/3 AG (25-29)

After the race Alisa and Justin and Zach were nice enough to wait around with me to see if I got an award (I kinda figured as much). No matter how small the field it is always fun to win something!! We finally got our stuff loaded up and headed to Hood River for lunch at the Full Sail brewery. As I may have mentioned several times, I love the Full Sail LTD and couldn't wait to get it straight from the source. I love the beer and I love the name: Live The Dream. I discovered the beer when we first moved here and honestly have felt like that is my motto here in Portland. Zach and I are so happy here and have had so much fun since we've been here. It's truly a special place and we're so blessed to have such wonderful friends in our lives and to be healthy and strong enough to participate in events like these. Even if this wasn't the best race of my life it was amazing and I'm grateful to have participated. :)

I'm taking the next couple of days off... I was hoping to get an easy training ride or something but I need to rest. Turns out I bruised my foot pretty bad when I stepped on that mystery object in the water so I've been icing it. Also, this cold or whatever is kind of hanging around. My throat doesn't hurt anymore but I"m all stuffed up. Zach's been taking care of me and doing everything around the house so I can just rest. He's the best. So today (Sunday) is a rest day and tomorrow is a planned rest day, then hopefully I'll be back at it on Tuesday.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pics below. :) Have a great week!

Crossing the river out of Portland at 6:00 am:
Mt Hood at sunrise:
Mt Hood:

Sunrise in the Gorge:

Columbia River Gorge at The Dalles:
Heading into transition to set up (yes I'm practically the first person there):

Timing chip on:

Columbia River:

Squinty:

Alisa showed up a few minutes later (her race started 30 minutes after mine):

All ready to race:

Walking to the swim start:

Getting my feet wet. Check out how shallow the water is:

And we're off (running the first 50 meters or so in shallow water!)

This is the entire women's field, by the way.

Finally swimming (some people were still walking):

Finished the swim:

This is right about where I stepped on some large object with my left foot. Ouch!

Back on dry land:

Running up to T1:

And heading out on the bike:

Some shots while I was off on my bike ride-

This is Alisa's wave down in the water about to start:

Alisa coming out of the water:

And here I come in from the bike:

T2:

And off onto the 10k run:

Feeling good heading onto the run:

Right after Alisa finished (I saw her coming in as I was running out) getting a smooch from her husband. Too cute!

And 10 hot kilometers later:

Done!

This pic says it all:

Triathletes!

Awards Ceremony-

I placed 2nd (out of 3!) in my AG:

Receiving my medal:

Yay!

We did it!

And now, beer:

Justin and Alisa:

Me and Zach, my #1 fan (notice his IM 70.3 hat and his Hagg Lake Tri shirt, just so we don't forget he's a triathlete too! I do the same thing.)

Live the Dream:

quickie pre-race post

2009-09-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to bed but wanted to post the training summary from the week before I put up my race report. Tomorrow morning we're heading out to The Dalles, about 90 miles east of Portland, where I'm going to do the Aluminum Man Olympic Tri. Zach is spectating but Alisa will be racing the sprint so I'll have some company. Should be an interesting race. I was excited about it all week, but as of today I think I might officially be coming down with a cold or something... and that is no fun. My throat is just a little sore. I came home after work today and went straight to bed and slept for a few hours, then just got up and got my stuff ready for the race and ate some spaghetti and now back to bed. I guess we'll just see how tomorrow goes- I will tone the effort down accordingly. This isn't a goal race for me and my overall health and strength is obviously more important. I have the next couple of days off so hopefully this will pass and I can be ready to work next week.

Anyhow, here is the recap from Birthday Week. :) What a great week! Until the cold or whatever hit I felt awesome.

Monday: rest

Tuesday: Run
8.6 miles/1:15:24/8:46 average pace
Waterfront with Zach

Tuesday: Swim
2000 yards/:45
Solo straight swim in the gym pool

Wednesday: Bike
21.7 miles/1:28:17/14.7 MPH
Springwater solo ride. Alisa wasn't going to make it to spin class so I rode outside instead.

Wednesday: Swim
2800 yards/1:00
Masters

Thursday: Run
13.1 miles/1:48:18/8:16 average pace
Happy Birthday Half Marathon with Emily in Forest Park (see previous post!)

Well, off to bed. I will have a race report up asap! Have a great weekend.

Birthday Pics

2009-09-11T06:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the b-day wishes! Here are some pics from my great day.

I started the morning off with a blueberry pancake feast made by Zach. Delicious! I went to work but got off early at noon. I met Emily downtown and we walked to my house and got ready for our Happy Birthday Half Marathon run. She handed me the 'race packets' and I was really confused.. I looked in and there were race numbers and timing chips!!

Awesome! Hahaha. Very clever. We headed up to Forest Park and ran 13.1 beautiful hilly rocky miles and talked the whole time about weddings, races, and everything. We were working hard and kept a great pace the whole time. We stopped for a snack and potty break at the half way point and I got a couple pics.

Our way back was faster and we ended up finishing 13.1 miles in 1:48:18 (8:16 average pace).

Immediately after the run I dropped Emily off and headed over for a massage! I had won the massage at a charity raffle a couple of weeks ago and was excited to get it on my b-day. It was lovely!

After that I met Emily again for a beer at Deschutes (to redeem my "Drink Coupon" on my race bib!) and then headed home to have a couple snacks made by Zach (bacon-wrapped shrimp, brie cheese with bread) and get ready for the night out.

We met all our wonderful friends over at Oba! for cocktails and a great evening. Here are the pictures. What a great birthday!

Walking to the restaurant:
Justin and Alisa:

Anne and Emily:

The running hat Anne got me! Justin in background:

Me, Dana, and Josh (our birthdays are Sept 10th, 11th, and 12th!)

The future Mr. and Mrs. O:

Emily and Zach:

Justin, me, Michael, Sarah, Alisa

Make a wish

Emily and Deana:

Me and Deana. Love this pic!

Me, Dana, and Deana:

Amy and Brad:

Me and Dean:

MT Training Camp

2009-09-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

We just got back home a couple of hours ago and I'm exhausted. It's about an 11 hour drive from Helena to Portland and we left about 5:00 am this morning. Our time in Montana was great though, totally worth the long drive. We spent time with our family and friends there and I got in a couple great long training sessions.

Long Run
We took off Friday after work and drove until after midnight, making it as far as Missoula (about 100 miles short of Helena). So Saturday morning, after only about 6 hours of sleep, I got up and did my long run in Missoula. Zach dropped me off at the University and he went to breakfast with his buddies that live there. I started off my run heading east on the dirt/gravel trail along the river for about 4 miles, then turned around when the trail appeared to end. Next I headed west along the river, this time on the popular paved path through town. Tons of people were out walking and biking toward the University for the first Griz football game of the season. I saw quite a few runners too. My pace was a little slow, but I was being cautious with my sore foot and I think the elevation made a minor difference too (only about 3200 ft, but that's about 3100 feet higher than Portland). I wasn't worried though and was really feeling good and having fun. I went slightly over my 2 hour plan and met Zach downtown at our favorite bagel place before hitting the road for Helena.

My foot didn't bother me at all but I could kind of feel it that afternoon. I wore my tennis shoes instead of flip flops for better support. The pain went away completely though over the next couple of days and feels 100% better now. Yay!

Long OWS
Saturday night we went to dinner with the families and I went to bed very early and slept like a rock. We got up Sunday morning and loaded Zach's kayak up and headed out to a little pond near my parent's house for some open water swimming. I was hoping to swim in one of the large lakes outside of town but Zach's parents did some recon earlier in the week and all the lakes were filled with algae and unsuitable for swimming. I was also hoping to do a 2 mile+ swim or at least an hour, but I ended up short of that. It was still a great swim though. The swimming itself was no problem, but I admit I did have a couple (OK, several) of freak out moments. The water was very clear and you could see all the seaweed and stuff deep below, and some of the plants were as tall as the surface of the water and it just freaked me out. I had a few gasp/flailing/cussing moments but fewer as the swim went on. Also, the water was cold!! It had to be 5 degrees colder than anything I've been in this year. It is a spring-fed lake and the water was just not that warm. My arms, feet, and face started to get pretty cold and that was mainly why I called it a day after about 50 minutes. Zach kayaked right along with me which was awesome and kept me focused. He also took the Garmin along and measured my distance. My parents came out and watched me too so it was neat finshing up with a little crowd. :)

The weekend training definitely picked me back up after my late-week freak out due to missing a big ride. I'm glad I took the day off though and I know I have the energy and enthusiasm for my final push toward IMAZ. Thanks for all the advice and support. Overall the week was pretty low volume, with zero road miles on my bike, but that's fine. Here are the numbers for the week:

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Run
10.0 miles/1:28:19/8:50
Springwater

Tuesday: Swim
2050 yards/1:10
Masters- the whole hour of class was spent on backstroke drills, I swam a few hundred yards after class to get some freestyle swimming in.

Wednesday: Bike
1:00/spin class

Wednesday: Run
3.6 miles/35:21/9:49 average pace
Met Deana after spinning for a nice run along the waterfront

Wednesday: Swim
3000 yards/1:15
Masters + 15 minutes straight swim after class. My first time hitting 3k in a while!

Thursday: Rest
Unscheduled rest day due to a sore arch in my left foot

Friday: Rest
Travel to MT

Saturday: Run
13.5 miles/2:04:07/9:12 average pace
Solid long run in Missoula, Montana

Sunday: Swim
1.4 miles (2460 yards)/50:00
Open Water Swim at Spring Meadow Lake in Helena, Montana

totals for the week:
swim: 3:15 (7500 yards)
bike: 1:00 (spin class only!)
run: 4:05 (27.1 miles)
total: 8:20

We'll call it a recovery week. Maybe I should get some credit for the 24 hours I spent in the car.

Lots of pics! And a video. Enjoy.

Helena's historic Walking Mall

Helena Cathedral and Mount Helena in the background:

Me and my mom:

Zach and his folks:

Saturday's long run along the Clark Fork River in Missoula:

Sunday Morning's OWS at Spring Meadow Lake in Helena

Getting in the cold lake:

Starting another lap:

A couple pictures and a video from Zach's perspective in the kayak

Starting off:

My support crew watching me head back to shore (Zach's mom and stepdad and my parents)

This is kind of neat. Listen at the end for where I order Zach "Come on!" because I wanted him to stay close to me. Obviously didn't know he was making the video!

Hope everyone has a great week. I have a really fun one coming up myself- my birthday (29!) is Thursday the 10th and I'm doing an Olympic distance tri on Saturday out in the gorge. Will update with lots of pictures asap. Thanks for reading! :)