If at first you don't succeed, go ahead and attempt to do 3 Half Ironman races in 2 months.

Well, my road to a 70.3 this year was interesting to say the least.
DNF at Liberty Half to start the year out. Ok, that's fine, I shook it off.
And then came Racine Ironman 70.3. My "A" Race. The big race of my 2016 season. I even planned a mini vacation with Marc around this race as sort of a celebratory hoorah after I was done. And also to sort of butter my husband up, as he has been nothing short of amazing this entire year. Seriously, if you ever meet a partner who is willing to deal with taper week mood swings and to sit outside for hours and hours after getting up at 4 am, KEEP THEM FOREVER.

Loki is ready for race season to be over. 

If you haven't heard, Racine was a bit of let down due to weather issues. There was a huge severe storm cell that literally went right over us as the race was supposed to begin. That then meant a cancelled swim, and 3 hour delay. Which pretty much meant the end of the world to a group of 2000 neurotic triathletes. Myself included. All my meticulous planning, my minute-by-minute nutrition and hydration were just catapulted out the window with a delay and shortened course. Nonetheless, I was there to race so I did. Ultimately I went out a bit hard on the bike, more than I should have. And 30 mph winds reallllly didn't help my cause. So by the time I got to the run, I was cooked. My legs were jelly and I completely bonked with my nutrition plan. Oh yeah, fun fact: I lost all 3 of my water bottles on that bike course. I feel like I should have brought a fat bike or monster truck to absorb all the shock from the potholes on the roads.
So it was a tough course. An intense bike. A Hot run. You know, all the shitty things that you could hope for when doing your first long course. But I did it. Slowly, but I did it.
After that race, Marc and I did what anyone would do. We showered and went to a bar. I mean, come on, we were in Wisconsin after all. I had a glass of wine and immediately ordered a beer. Then I began looking up 70.3 races in Minnesota in the coming weeks. And believe me, after not drinking for a few weeks, all sorts of stupid ideas sound good after 2 drinks.
And then the heavens opened and music played and I stumbled upon Chisago Toughman 70.3 THE NEXT WEEKEND. Timing could not have been better! I will be running Twin Cities Marathon in October, so if I was going to do another half, now is the time. Plus, Mike gave me the go ahead. Which getting my brother to agree to any of my shenanigans is a victory in itself. I mean, if my coach thinks it's fine, then it MUST be a good idea.
So I finished my beer and signed up. And then started to mentally prepare for another long course race in only 6 days.
The week progressed and race day was upon me again. I woke up excited and really happy with my choice. It's amazing how going into a race with a "zero f's given" attitude will make you feel.
I racked my bike, did a once over and got ready to race. I had done the short course last year, so in my 4 hours of sleep stuper, I thought to myself, this won't be that bad. Then I remembered that I was doing 3 times the distance. But today was my day to finish. I didn't care how fast, all I cared was that I did. I didn't even tell anyone I was racing this course, because I was racing for myself and for my interal victory.
The swim was as expected. Without a wetsuit I knew I would be a bit slower, which I was. Out of the water in 43 minutes, a couple minutes off of my normal pace. Ohwell, I will never win a race in the swim. I was on to the next one.
With the bike being my weakest discipline, I was happy to see a course with minimal elevation and calm winds. Don't get me wrong, there were some climbs thrown in there and a super annoying headwind on the last 10 miles, but compared to my past 2 races, this was nothing. I stuck to my nutrition plan, yes, Uncrustables and water, and I kept my pace smooth and fluid. I don't think I have ever had a race where I have actually executed everything the way I envisioned. Since I am a stubborn Taurus, I didn't want to believe my coach when he said to stick to my plan, but dammit, he was right. And thank God I didn't flat because at mile 28 I realized I forgot to put my flat kit on my bike that morning. Like I said, I had my 4 hours of sleep brain that day. Us bartenders don't function well during daywalker hours.

On to the run. It was starting to get humid and pretty hot at that point. And there were going to be hills, I did know that much. My only goal for this run was to keep each foot moving one in front of the other. I had no time goal, no pacing plan, only to move forward.
It was an out and back, which usually terrifies me to my core. But today it felt good for some reason. I hit the 6.5 turnaround and had an unusually sunny disposition at this point. I felt great! I was making a decent pace! I hadn't gotten lost or had side stitches!! Well. Any athlete will tell you that if you are feeling too good, it's probably not going to end well. Because at mile 8, it hit me. I was getting sunburnt, my groin was tightening up to that of a rubber band, and oh shit. I have 5 miles left still. Your mind is your own worst enemy in races like this, and I was about to spend the next 45 minutes politely telling mine to go eff itself. I was going to finish, even if it meant army crawling my ass across that line. Which with a final .5 mile that has a switchback up a hill, would have been a challenge. And a little embarrassing. So I did what I always do at that point, and I just kept repeating my mantra in my head over and over. "One foot in front of the other. You can do this".
And just like that, I did it. I crossed the finish line and did it. I heard the voice of my most favorite announcer, Jerry, and I could barely hold back tears of joy. I had done what I have trained so long to do and I overcame a lot of crap to get to that line.

It may not have been my best times, and I couldn't care less. I persevered and came back from some really dark times and feelings over the last few months to become a Half Ironman finisher.
I told Mike I don't think I will be doing another race any time soon, and he laughed and agreed. I think I earned a bit of time off. I was so happy he was there to watch me finish, as I know he would understand more than anyone how much crossing that line meant to me. Plus, he also brought me a can of Coke and I think that was one of my favorite parts of the day as well.
So now, as I sit on my day off and relax at home with the cats, I am grateful to have finally reached the end of my multisport season. I have waited all year for this time to relax and have no real set plans or goals until the fall. But in true triathlete fashion, it only took me 24 hours to feel restless and anxious for what my next race was going to be. So I came to the only logical conclusion I could.
Time to sign up for Ironman Madison 2017.

Lifetime Minneapolis Race Report 2016

Happy hump day!!

My race report is a little late, but we all know how life gets in the way sometimes. Plus, I am tapering this week to get ready for Ironman 70.3 in Racine, so I haven't been as focused as I usually am anyways. Believe everything they say about taper weeks, it's all true. I am irritable, antsy, and I want to eat all the food. I can't believe I married a guy who is so calm during the shit storm that is tapering. Reason #3,999,997 why I love him.

Anyways, let's get back to the Lifetime Tri this last Saturday. Which for the record, I had to convince my coach to let me sign up for. After the trainwreck that was Liberty, I knew I needed a confidence booster. Mike warned me that redemption races sometimes can backfire, but if you know me, you know that I was going to get my redemption one way or another. I like to say I am "strong willed", my husband would call me more "stubborn and uncompromising". 

I paid my entry fee for the Sprint distance race, and I was set. A Sprint was a walk in the park compared to most of my training distances I had been doing, so that put my mind at ease for starters. While I knew I could do the distance, I had a PR in mind. The last 2 years I had come within minutes of the podium, and I wanted a spot up there this year. My bike has been improving, my swim is faster, and I know I can pull a solid run split out. 

I got to Lake Nokomis that morning, and it was so amazing to be back at that race. It's a course I am super comfortable with, and the energy there is unbelievable. I got to chatting with several people in transition who had either never done a triathlon, or this was one of their firsts, and that was one of my favorite parts of the day. Only 2 short years ago, I was that same person. Nervous, excited, and so incredibly overwhelmed by the amount of racers at this tri. This year was different. It's amazing how going into a race knowing that this is merely a warm up for something bigger really is freeing. Of course I wanted a PR, but my eye is on Racine. 

Weather was wonderful Saturday. 70's-80's and sunny. Lake Nokomis was nice and clear, for the time being. Considering that my wave was at 9:19 and after about 20 different waves, the water was not going to stay that way. 

I got into the water and pushed my way through the masses of people in the first 200 yards. It really didn't feel too clogged this year, but that's what happens when you are one of the last waves. 

I made it out of the water in 14 or so minutes, but there is a relatively long run up to transition. I crossed the timing mat at 15:10. Right on point with the time I was aiming for. 

Got onto the bike, and ripped out onto the streets of Minneapolis. Now, we all know that West River Parkway is a bit bumpy. And by that, I mean, littered with tire popping, handlebar flipping holes in the road. For someone like me who can barely walk up the stairs without tripping, this was going to be a challenge. 

I kept my head up, pushed hard, and got through the course. Despite the section of Old Timey cobblestone that had made it's way onto one of the tight corners they had placed on the course. Note to the girl ahead of me who SLAMMED on her breaks as we approached said corner, you better count your lucky stars that I didn't ram into the back of you and your bike. I hit my brakes and almost went ass over tea kettle to avoid that disaster. Lifetime is an awesome race, but the course is full of new and novice triathletes. Which I both commend and loathe. I just wish that everyone knew to ride right if you are slower. But it's all good. We made it out to bike another day.

The run around Nokomis is always flat, a little shady, and very scenic. However, when you are going balls to the wall out of T2 and only want to get to that finish line, it's hard to stop and smell the flowers. I hit my 7:30 pace out of the gate and felt great. Until mile 1.60. I know this because I looked at my Garmin the exact same time that my ribcage felt like it was imploding from the inside. Fuck. This is what a side stitch feels like. I know it sounds dumb, but I had never had one before. It was debilitating. I walked for a brief moment, and tried to regain composure. I knew losing precious seconds was not going to bode well for me in my age group. I started running again, and it came back. But I pressed on. I spent most of the last 1.4 miles doing that super loud, aggressive breathing in and out through my mouth thing. Got a few looks, and a few who looked concerned for my general well being. But I kept trucking along. Screw pride, I had a medal to win. 

I crossed the finish line in 1:30. I was 2 minutes off of my goal of 1:28, but I knew once I got that side ache that I was going to lose time. All I could do now was wait for splits to come out. 

I went and got my post race "food" and found my hubby and coach. Also, a little side note to the Lifetime Tri  race coordinators, mango fruit strips and blueberry granola are the worst things to cross a finish line and see. I was hoping for hot dogs, or even a sandwich. Hell, even bread with peanut butter would have been a step up! If I spend $130 on a race, I would hope for some sort of substance. Even with a chicken company as a sponsor, I saw no protein anywhere. 

As hangry as I was, I made my way to the timing tent. The rolling screen showed my name, and the most beautiful thing on the planet was right next to it. 3rd in my AG!!!! I did it. After 3 years, I became a podium finisher at one of the largest races in MN. Redemption. I did what I came to do. 

 

I could now spend my taper week a little happier. Now came time to prepare for the long road ahead at Racine on July 16th. It will be hard. I will hurt. But I am going to finish. Even if I have to crawl across that last timing mat, I will finish.

Race hard and I will see you after Racine!!

Red, White and Bonk Breakers

Happy 4th of July everyone! (Well technically, 5th of July, but whatever. Not like anyone would have been up reading blogs on the 4th anyways.)

Hope everyone got a chance to relax, drink lots of beer, and enjoy a plethora of burgers, brats and potato salads of every kind. Marc and I actually went to the Chanhassen carnival for the 4th, and it was a trip! I indulged on a super delicious funnel cake and Beer-ga-rita and let me tell you, every calorie was worth it. Plus, I did a 3 1/2 workout that day, so pretty sure I earned it! If you follow me on Facebook, you will even see a post where I calculated my caloric output to be able to see how many hot dogs/beers I can consume to make back the deficit. Science is fun!! (Spoiler alert: It was 16 beers and 9 hot dogs!)

As I sit at home, enjoying one of my few coveted days off, I thought now would be a great time to write about the last few weeks, as I have made some significant changes and seen real differences from them. Despite me demolishing a funnel cake this weekend, I have actually made huge changes in my nutrition, and it is making a world of a difference! My biggest weakness is the bike portion, so after the epic failure that was Liberty Tri, I vowed to make gains on my bike skills with the 5 weeks I had before Racine. This meant changing my routine both off, and on the bike.

Step one: Quit drinking beer. GASP!!!! BUT WHYYYYY??? Beer is delicious. It's a great recovery tool. And it makes me have 100x more fun in any situation.
But it is also loaded with empty calories. And in my 31 years, I have found that alcohol and my body do not work well together. In my 20's, when I was bartending and out partying all the time, I had a constant bloat from booze that was neither attractive, nor healthy. As I transitioned into beer sales this last year,  I then found that having a beer or 3 a day was not doing me any favors on the scale either. Time for a change. (Granted, I did quit my job and go into managing a Country Club, which helped. But that's a story for a different day.)
While I know I am not addicted to alcohol, its amazing how hard it is to quit cold turkey. I remember telling my coach that I have had several workouts where I have spent the final minutes fantasizing about a cold, frosty, scrumptious beer. But I also have my eye on a bigger prize.
Losing 5 lbs of fat typically equals out to gaining speed on the bike. And as of today, I am officially down 7 pounds since Liberty. My workouts lately have felt immensely better. I am smoother on the bike, and my running feels less labored and more fluid.
While I miss beer, being faster is so much more rewarding in the long run.

Step 2: Dial in nutrition on the bike for race day.
I used a combination of homemade rice cakes and gu packets for Liberty, and I found they weren't as satisfying as I had hoped. Then again I only had enough for a 56 mile ride that day, not 65 miles. Sooooo there's that.
So I did what any normal person does who has access to Amazon Prime. I ordered a shit ton of different popular products to try out. The three I chose were Bonk Breaker bars, Honey Stinger Waffles, and PB & J Uncrustables.

I have had Honey Stinger Waffles previously, so this experiment was all about finding a good flavor. Nothing worse than being on the bike and having to choke down a disgusting chocolate blob, and chase it with HEED that taste's like someones foot has soaked in it for 2 days before packaging it.
Results: Lemon and Strawberry are the clear winners. Delish!

Next up, Bonk Breakers. Everyone seems to rave about them, so what the heck. Why not. I bought a box of PB & J, as that was the best rated one. I took one on a long ride with me, and gave it a shot. Upon opening, I realized it is a Lara Bar type consistency. But as far as flavor goes, it was tolerable. As long as I have water to choke it down with, no problems with this one.
Results: Kind of a weird consistency, and in high heat it's not my favorite thing to have to eat. These feel like a better breakfast option. Or at least I run the least risk of choking on it in the morning versus on the bike.

Last up, the Uncrustables. Now, I have bought these for post workout snacks before, so I had a feeling this would be the one. Realistically, if I had it my way, I would fuel with Pop Tarts and those weird orange circus peanut things if I could. Spoiler alert: I am a sugar junky. But this was why the uncrustables appealed to me for race day nutrition. I have had several athletes say they work well, and at 330 calories per sandwich, they made perfect sense.
Results: Amazeballs. Great consistency, even in heat. Felt fulfilled. Didn't want to regurgitate it. Also, was able to open it without veering into traffic or tipping over. HUGE PLUS.

So, there it is. IRONMAN Racine 70.3, I will be the chick on the bike busting out PB & J Uncrustables. Plus a couple of Gu packets. I can't eat when I run, so unfortunately I will have to succumb to the Gu packet Gods.

I am racing a Sprint this weekend at the Lifetime Minneapolis Tri as a warm up for Racine. I won't need nutrition for that race, but I am happy to know that I have dialed in my long distance needs for now.

Time to crank up the Metallica, put my game face on, and get ready to destroy the Racine course.

Go fast. Party Hard.