Sunday, August 5, 2012

I am Iron (wo) man!

(Insert opening guitar lick of Black Sabbath's Iron Man here). Yup, that's right. I did it. I completed a half iron triathlon. Technically, I am probably only half a iron woman but since the race has the word "iron" in it, I'm just going with calling myself Iron Woman. 70.3 miles of swimming, biking, and running. Official finish time was 8:05:19.5. A tad slower than I was hoping to finish but man, I finished!


The swim was amazing. I had my fancy BlueSeventy Fusion women's wetsuit on. I was nervous about racing in my suit I hadn't really practice a lot in the water with it, but I figured as long as the sleeves were up on shoulders high enough to prevent downward pressure and shoulder and arm fatigue, I'd be good. I entered the water around 7:29 a.m., just as an elite male from the first heat was leaving the water. Yeah, he swam 1.25 miles in less than 30 minutes. Wow. I was shooting for an hour. I swam freestyle just about the whole way. I only had to switch to back float (tickle-t-touch) and side stroke twice to allow for some weed removal. Yeah, this was a weedy lake. The last 400 yards or so was the weediest swim I've ever experienced in my life. I couldn't even follow through with a full stroke without hitting weeds with my hands and feeling them pull at my hands and feet. However, and for those of you who know me know that this is a big deal, I did not panic or scream about the weeds. I did complain aloud indirectly to the DNR/sheriff in the boat, though, like he could do anything about it. I am so uncomfortable in the open water due to my unfounded fear of the murky and unknown creatures that I KNOW are there. But, I was uncharacteristically calm and focused during this swim, with very few breaks in my stroke and flow of the swim. I exited the water 51 minutes after I started. I have never swam that distance that fast in my life. The wet suit definitely helped reduce the drag I normally deal with in the pool sans suit. Thank you, BlueSeventy, for your amazing suit. I by-passed the wetsuit strippers (not those kinds of strippers) and opted to pull my own suit off at my leisure as I headed up the hill to transition one. Thank you, race organizers, for a ridiculous hill after a swim. What better way to warm up for a 56 mile bike, right?

I took my time in Transition One, about six minutes. That's unheard of for the pro's but I wanted to make sure I would not cramp up or crash and burn on this bike ride. I ate a cherry lime Roctane GU, drank some lemon lime GU Brew, ate a banana, and double checked my bento bag to make sure my fuel for the ride was ready. After a bit of stretching, sunscreen reapplication, and friendly banter with the first-time triathletes next to me (who happened to kick my butt off the swim), I was off. My Specialized Dolce road bike and I were riding our longest ride ever. The longest training ride I had up until race day was 38 miles. The highest mileage week I had for road bike miles was about 60 miles or so. It wasn't my plan to do that but due to my training schedule, injury, and life, it just happened to work out that way.Would I recommend that to someone who's hoping to race in a triathlon this distance? No. I wanted to ride 50 miles twice a week during training. It just didn't happen for me and I wasn't willing to risk injury just to hit what I thought was the "magic" number. I focused on getting on the bike three times a week, for whatever miles I could get in.

I came into this race knowing the bike portion would be my weakest event so I prepared myself mentally and was willing to push it on the bike to stay in the three and a half to four hour bike time and keep it above 12 miles per hour average pace. So, I was off on the bike around 8 a.m.  This was a gorgeous ride around the Chisago Lakes and Wisconsin/Minnesota border area. There were hills, which I was under-trained for but I pushed as hard as I could through them. I wasn't going to give up. I was going to own this bike ride. I stopped for water around mile 40 and actually got off my bike. I had to walk a tad and straighten out as my arms were finally feeling some fatigue and my hammies and quads were feeling tight. I continued on and was back into transition around noon.

My official bike time was 3:56:34.5, averaging a pace of 14.2 miles per hour. I was happy with that. Well, I thought I was. For some reason, I cry after my bike ride, this being the second big race I've cried off the bike (Oly tri last summer being the first). I think it was just the emotion of the event, seeing my family and friends who traveled to see me race and to cheer me on, me knowing that the hardest part was behind me. I thought maybe I was one of the last bikers, even though I passed a few bikers on the course right at the end. I sat down by my bike in the transition area and cried. I tried to eat and drink while I cried and laced up my running shoes. My trusty Saucony ProGrid Triumph 9's. My friends and family asked if I was okay from just outside the transition area. A medical personnel came over to check on me. I said I was spent from the ride, a little hot, and that I'm a crier. She said "You're not doing the run, are you?" I stopped crying, looked at her, and said "Oh, yes I am." She looked a tad concerned but sent over an EMT with some ice which helped cool me down and re-focus on what was ahead of me. 13.1 miles. I was so close. No way was I going to quit. I wasn't injured, sick, or unable to continue. I was going to endure and keep going. Period. After a transition two time of 7:43:5, I was on my way.



My family and friends took the time to see me as often as possible on the run. I was so happy to see them during the last leg of my half iron journey. The run has usually been my strong point in triathlons. I came out fast, on pace, and strong for the first few miles. I wanted to do a two-hour, thirty minute half. But, running during the peak of the July heat and humidity was hard. I had trained some in the same type of weather but it's never the same as race day. Ever. Not for me. I stopped at all the water stops, got iced down, hosed down, and drank whatever they had. I asked my husband for some Powerade Zero around mile three. I carried this bottle with me the rest of the race, filing it with water as I went. I managed just fine until about mile six. I hadn't put on my hydration belt in transition two as I was prepared to run to each water stop. I hadn't grabbed my inhaler either as I was in a rush and overwhelmed. This proved to be a bit of a downfall for me on the run. I, for about 30 seconds, contemplated walking to the previous water stop and asking for a ride back to the start, which would mean a DNF (did not finish). My heart rate was high, my ability to take deep breaths was impeded by the heat, an asthma issue, and/or perhaps the onset of heat exhaustion. I don't know exactly what came over me at that point but I stopped. I stopped moving. I wanted to quit. After a couple of minutes of slow breathing and staying in the shade, I walked to mile seven. I decided to walk all the remaining up hill portions of the run and any other times as needed. Thankfully, the dedicated volunteers and some amazing people that lived along the run route had ice (a life saver in this heat) and sprinklers set out, pushing out cold water that provided some relief and encouragement to continue on. I was a dripping mess by mile 10 but I was still moving. Slower than I anticipated but I was still moving forward. I saw my husband at mile 10 and he cheered me on while driving to gather the remaining spectators to cheer me across the finish. The tears started right before the finish line. I held those back while the announcer called me in and smiled while giving high-fives to my personal cheering section who had gathered along the final stretch of the run, just before the finish.


After a 3:03:12 run, I crossed the finish line. A total of 8:05:19.5 and I was an iron woman. I finished.  I endured and completed a race that was a culmination of over two years of biking, swimming, and running. I hugged my son, my husband, my friends, and hopped in the ice down pool where I sat next to a 64 year old man who has run this race four times. What an inspiration. I was extremely humbled and appreciative of what I had just achieved. I ran a half marathon in the same time I ran my first ever race of that distance and this was after a 56 mile bike. I swam a whole 10 minutes faster than I had anticipated. I had biked faster than I was aiming for. I may not have met my anticipated finish time but I finished. I did not quit. The heavy medal I wore around my neck is, and will always be, one of my most treasured. I cannot even express how rich and blessed I feel for not only finishing this race, but for having the opportunity and ability to get out and race, to run, bike and swim. I get to do something I love while my cheering section and sponsors stand behind me, rooting me on from wherever they may be. I may have been the only person wearing bib number 610 at the Chisago City Half Iron Man, but my entire team is just as much a half iron finisher as I am.

So what's next? I think I'm ready for marathon number two. I'm ready to take on the challenge of training for and running 26.2 miles while trying to drop some time off of my first marathon. After this experience, I know I can do anything. I am ready for whatever comes my way.

I am Iron (wo) Man.









Keep on movin'

Iron Mike :-)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Aspire to Endure

I aspire to endure. The phrase travels through my mind each time I'm out on the bike, pedaling up and down hills and through moose-infested areas, while I run through hoards of mosquitoes, in the dark, in the heat, and while I swim countless laps in the pool and around the swim area buoys at the lake, repetitiously. Endure. I must endure.

I was recently blessed enough to have my small essay on why I run picked for publishing/posting here. I am only one of many amazing women on this website who share a love of running and also share another bond. We are mothers. We are multi-taskers extraordinaire. We consciously choose to lace up and get out and move every chance we can, not only to better ourselves, but to be positive examples and role models for our children, and maybe even inspire someone to pick up a physical activity or hobby. Maybe we lace up just to get away from the piles of laundry in the hamper. Whatever the reason why, we choose to run.

I certainly don't pretend that training for my half iron man is not exhausting and time consuming, and I really, truly, can't wait for the day after my race. Granted, I will be sore beyond belief but I will have met another goal and challenged myself to finish something that is hard. I will probably be satisfied and relax for about five minutes before I try to decide which race to do next. Those of you who know me, understand. :-) Competing is addicting. Even though I am not fast and will probably never be an elite triathlete or marathoner, I will be an athlete. I will set out and finish each and every race I sign up for. Well, that's the goal anyway. Like I said in my story, and this quote is borrowed from someone, not sure who, "if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." Change is hard. Running is hard. Being a triathlete, mother, full-time employee, wife, is hard. Life is hard. But, we can all aspire to endure.

My half iron man is next Sunday. 12 days away. I am torn between feeling incredibly unprepared and slightly nauseous, and feeling ecstatic that I will be competing in a race that I've spent two years preparing for. I get to race! It's pretty awesome. I am excited to see the spectators cheering on all the athletes. I am excited to spend time away with my family, doing something I love. I am as ready as I'll ever be. Thank you, all of you, for joining me on my journey to 70.3 miles of swimming, biking, and running. Your support means everything.

On your mark, get set, go!

Keep on movin'

Iron Mike in Training

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

It's the final countdown

There. Now that you all have that classic tune stuck in your heads. You're welcome.

Today's date is June 13, 2012. 39 days to Chisago City Half Iron Triathlon. I can't believe it's almost here. Busy summer schedules full of birthday parties, barbeque's, other family events, brew days (hubby makes amazing home brew, which is also a great recovery drink, FYI) have put the pinch on my training. Not in a bad way, but it sure makes planning and scheduling interesting. Throw in a torn wetsuit that is now in the mail headed to Washington for warranty and repair and I have officially entered the panic zone. Where did all that time go? Two years of running, swimming, biking, core work, sprints, hills, 5k's, half marathons, marathons, triathlons. All leading up to July 22, 2012.

70.3 miles. I can't even recall why I thought I could do this or should do this. I think it started after a Duathlon in Minneapolis, put on by Team Ortho. After tackling the hills along the Mississippi on my crummy little mountain bike with worn tired treads, sketchy brakes, and a terribly uncomfortable seat, I decided to tackle the next event: triathlons. Not just any triathlon, the second longest distance race in the triathlon world (that I know of). I must have been really enjoying my complimentary post-race beer or something. Then, I put it on Facebook. We all know once you do that, you're committed.

Injuries, illness, family emergencies, bad weather. They've all played a part in reaching these final 39 days until my race. I didn't think, for some time, that I'd be able to continue training. Thanks to a lot of icing, rest, comfort food, and my amazing chiropractor, I am well on my way to stepping in the water on Paradise Beach. I can't wait to meet and compete with (or at least try to keep up with) some of the best of the best in the local triathlon circuit. I am honored to be on this journey and honored to have all of you following along.

39 days. The final countdown. I hope to see you at the finish line!

Until then...

Keep on movin'
Iron Mike In Training

Saturday, May 19, 2012

What's your motivation?

I'm not the Capital One Vikings, asking you "What's in your wallet?" But, I am asking you what your motivation is. Maybe your motivation is your wallet, or your Captial One card. Either way-Why do you get up and run, bike, swim, walk, move? Why do you go out, in the 94 degree heat, with 24-30 mile an hour winds, and run three miles? Why do you get on your bike and ride out in the country, dodging deer, moose (yes, I said moose), fox, tractors and semi trucks? Why do you swim for more than 10 minutes? Why are you up at 4:45 a.m. to work out? 

Why? That can be a controversial and loaded question. I know I've mentioned in previous blog posts the crazy looks and comments I get from people on a daily basis. You mention half iron man and you will find out pretty quick that explaining it makes most people tired. Also, you start questioning your own sanity. I ask myself -"Do I really need to do this?" No, I don't. But, I want to, said I would, put it on Facebook, so am I really going to punk out because it's going to be a hard race? Because July is notoriously hot in Minnesota? Or because there are people in my town who think I'm certifiably insane?

I have a choice. Not only do I get wake up each day to a loving husband and amazing son, both who happen to be the best coaches and support system ever, I get to choose whether or not I lace up, clip in, and swim. To me, training is like drinking milk and eating a salad. You know it's good for you, you know it makes you feel better, so you do it. I can't possibly expect to finish this big race without making those good choices every day. Aside from an order from my chiropractor or doctor, telling me to sit down and relax, I make the same choice every day. To get out and do something. I don't care if it's a two mile walk, 45-minutes of core work and squats in my front yard (which is great entertainment for the passing traffic I'm sure), a six mile bike ride, or shingling my house.

I don't want to bastardize a quote from one of the most memorable people in our history, nor do I want to cheapen anything he said or did for our country. He said something that resonates with me today during my training. I have never met this man and never had the privilege to experience his charisma. Say what you want about his personal life and demons, we all have them. This man said it right, even though he's talking about going to the moon in the 1960's, I relate it to my half iron man race and training:

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
President John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962, at Rice University, Houston, Texas

 "Because they are hard." I remember that every day. Even though I could stop and sit down and do nothing, I choose to continue moving because I am blessed to have a choice. I may not win the race but I'm not ready to call it quits just yet. I have accepted my challenge.

So, what's your motivation? 

Keep on movin'

Iron Mike in Training

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Countdown to 70.3: does anyone have a brown paper bag I can hyperventilate into?

Hi. I just realized my last post on here was in January of 2012. I even had made it a resolution to get serious about my blogging in the New Year. Well, three months after the New Year started, I'm back. Not only am I back blog-wise, I am back into training full swing. Now back to my original question:

Does anyone have a brown paper bag I can hyperventilate into? Or maybe a cold beer I can chug? Or some chocolate...chocolate always makes me feel better.

I was at work yesterday, much like any other day, wading through mountains of receivables, bank statements, security deposits, receipts, etc. I took a 10 minute mental break to check the website of my half iron triathlon to see if there were any hotels sponsoring the event. I knew I needed to make a reservation asap so I figured I'd spend a tick finding some info. Next thing I knew, my ears were ringing, my head was pounding, my heart was racing, my guts were twisting, and my mouth went dry. I very carefully and slowly rose from my desk and walked as briskly to the bathroom as possible. I didn't think I would make it. Face planting at work is not something I get paid to do. Anyway, I took a few minutes to collect myself and run some cold water on my hands and wrists to cool down. The same number kept racing through my head: 105. 105 days until 70.3 miles. 105 days until I face one of the toughest mental and physical challenges I've ever faced. 105 days to stay healthy. 105 days to train my bootay off on the bike (my achilles heel of triathlon thus far).

After I thought of all the things I HAD to do and SHOULD do in the next 105 days, after I calmed down and refocused on the 1000 receivables I had to review for work (yes, I was still at work and yes, I still had to work), I thought about how I was going to persevere and overcome the next 105 days. I thought about what I had done and what I had planned in the next 105 hours, the next two weeks, that would take me through the next 105 days of training and get me to race day.
1) Six hours post panic attack: I spent 45 glorious minutes on my newly tuned, trued, and cleaned Specialized Dolce road bike. I sped around the baseball field bike path over 25 times, shifting and turning my way into and with the wind. The softball players probably thought I was nuts but hey, I needed a safe riding area.

2) 48-hours post panic attack: I'm running a 10k race in Fargo. It's a training run for me-we can't all take the weekends off-but I'm also going to try to break that one hour 10k time. UPDATE: I did it! 10k in an hour flat. So, I technically didn't "break" the one hour mark but I beat my last official and unofficial 10k time by over six minutes. P.S. Sandy's Donuts in Fargo = amazing!

3) Saturday April 21: I'm helping to re-shingle my house. If that's not cross-training, I don't know what is. Also, I have a fear of heights, so perhaps tippy-toeing around my roof like that cat in that famous musical (you know which one) will help me overcome that fear, which should help me overcome my fear of 70.3 miles.

4) Today: I'm training. I'm visualizing. I'm organizing. I'm taking time for me, for my son, for my husband, for my friends, for my family. I'm living life to the fullest, while keeping things in balance.

I'm still nervous about training and racing because of my nagging neck issues but my chiropractor is amazing and has helped me get to the point where I can train hard, work on strengthening my neck, and keep moving towards my Half Iron Man. He's also one of my sponsors so I am able to try some of the goodies his office promotes as part of a healthy and active lifestyle including protein shakes, hydration options, etc. Yes, I am now a sponsored athlete. I will wear custom logos on my racing and training shirts. Just like the pros, except I still pay for everything, minus some help to cover costs. But, I am working on building my "entourage" for my training and support team. Matching t-shirts and visors might be in the works, with a custom logo for Team Iron Mike. Perhaps a silouhette of me doing the falling-tree the first time I clipped in my bike pedals. Ah, memories. How far we've come...

So, we're down to roughly 105 days or so until my big race. I have an Olympic Distance Triathlon, the Tinman, next Saturday morning. I'm really excited to see what I can do at this distance. I struggled in August but I think I'm in better overall shape and condition this time. This race is a tad short on the swim and bike but boasts a full 10k run at the the end. Not an "official" Oly distance but one I should be able to push through and compete hard at. I'm giving the biggest competition there a run for her money: me.

Happy trails.

Keep on movin'

Iron Mike in Training

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Vigliance and Prayer-Bring Sherry Arnold home

I have been a follower of a fellow runner on her Shut up and Run blog at www.shutupandrun.net. Her name is Beth and she runs. She writes beautifully and comically, has a unique insight to life in general, has no shame when it comes to talking about the "finer" points, side effects, benefits of running, and her passion comes through in every blog. It's not for everyone, perhaps not even the faint of heart, but I thoroughly enjoy her writing and hope to be as successful at running/competing and blogging/writing as she has. Anyway, if you haven't seen the story on TV, Sherry Arnold, family and friend of Beth at SUAR, has gone missing during her morning run last Saturday in Sidney, Montana. The FBI has been called in on this case and as of this blog post, nothing new has been discovered. I write this blog post to help share the story, keep it fresh in your minds, and to remind you all to be safe. I felt moved to share this story as it spoke to my heart. If you feel moved to pray, please do. If you feel moved to share the story, please do. Do whatever speaks to your heart. I know that this story is not the only issue out there in the world and that some of you, or maybe all of us, are fighting a battle each day or dealing with our own personal struggles. If you feel compelled to, please keep this woman and family and friends and community in your thoughts and prayers. It can't hurt.

Hope seems like such a fickle and overused word during times of duress and pain. However, I believe that it is hope that helps keep us moving, thinking, learning, sharing, when all we truly want to do is stop, drop, and give in to the darkness that almost always accompanies a tragic event. Hope that there is something out there, better for us, waiting for us. Thank you for reading and please, keep Sherry's story out there. And please, be safe.


Tyson

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Mommy, sit, timeout

As my two-year old son would say, I've been in a time out for the last six weeks. My chiropractor feels that I re-injured my neck and told me to take time off of training to relax, stretch, ice, heal, massage, rest and recover. Training, even half-as%$d while injured was not helping me and was causing more issues. Minus today's minor setback (a flare up of shoulder blade issues, which I am attributing to an overzealous workout to the Michael Jackson Experience on the Wii), I have had no neck pain for the last 10 days. My weekly visits to my chiropractor for some pro-adjuster work, ultrasound therapy, and electric stimulation therapy has done wonders. I've also been using Myocalm, a supplement designed for muscle repair and relaxation. Overall, minus today's flare up, I feel great.

What have I done since coming off the bench?
-I have been on the treadmill once, for a 1.20 mile run/walk.
-I've had 450 gloriously slow yards in the pool.
-I've had days off to rest and stretch out and ice.

 I have been advised to take a day off in-between activities. I am also advised to avoid two/three-a day workouts, for now. This is designed to help me and my chiropractor deduce what motions, activities, schedules, etc. contribute to certain pains, flare-ups, or overall feeling of not so tip-top. That means I get to only run or only bike or only swim one day, take a rest day, and repeat. Take today, for example. I'm pretty sure swinging that Wii remote around while performing my best dance rendition to "Beat it," "Billie Jean," "They Don't Care About Us," and several other hits by the King of Pop, resulted in a sore shoulder/tight shoulder muscles. Duly noted.

I'll be honest, having this much time off has caused a loss of self-confidence in my ability to train properly and kick the upcoming 70.3 miles in the booty in July. I am not a professional triathlete nor do I plan to finish in four hours. Six would be great, but I'm just shooting for the finish. Period. But, there is this nagging sense of self-doubt that I may not even make it to the starting line. I did set up my bike trainer today so maybe that will help. Now that I have the triathlon trifecta of training gear (shoes, pool, and trainer), 70.3 is real. It's a real goal that I really am working towards. Just slowed down the work pace for now.

The limitations I have right now are in place to improve the efficiency of my training and keep me moving forward. Running will be the hardest to step back into as I feel the motion of my arms swinging back and forth could possibly result in additional flare-ups of the shoulder blade annoyance I'm dealing with today. But, this is only another challenge. It's time to get moving, even if it is more slowly than I'd like to. Baby steps back into the training. I still have over six months to make it to the starting line and that whole day to cross the finish line. I can only do what I can, seek assistance with healing/recovery when needed, and pray my training is executed safely, and keep my head up high. With God, all things are possible.

Keep on Movin'
Tyson (Iron Mike in Training)