In with the health food, out with the Oreos.

Ah, the off season. That glorious time of year when I get to sleep in, try new workouts, and of course, the best part; I get to loosen the reins on my diet. Now, don't get me wrong, I try to not go completely off the rails, but I am definitely not watching what I am eating by any means. However, in the last two weeks I have started to feel sluggish, lethargic and bloated. I know my body well enough to know that my nutrition is all out of whack, and it's time to come back to reality. The race season will be here before I know it, and I plan to be my best self possible this year in every aspect.

 If you know me at all, you know that anything sweet or sugary is my downfall. Oreos, twizzlers, nutella, pop tarts, ugh, I could go on. And frankly I am getting a bit hungry just thinking of these things. But last night I made the call to throw every processed, sugary, diabetes inducing snack out of my cupboards and fridge. It was hard. Especially when I pulled the giant bag of Halloween candy out and saw how many delicious Starbursts were left. It took me a minute or two before I could part with the treats that were inside of it. But I know that, just like an addict, going cold turkey was for my own good. And sugar is just as bad as any addiction out there. When I quit smoking a few years ago, I had feelings of separation and anxiety in those first few days after kicking the habit. I anticipate the same feelings making a return as I begin to detox from sugar.

Once I ditched the garbage that was in my house, it was time to restock. Before running TC Marathon, I started using recipes from the Feed Zone Runners Cookbook, and I am planning on using those recipes to acclimate myself back to clean eating. Seriously, that book has given me so many meals that are easy, delicious and healthy. What more could you ask for? I mean, other than a brownie here and there.

I will be leaning towards a Paleo diet for the next 30 days, but honestly I do not plan to completely cut wheat out. As an endurance athlete, I absolutely need those simple carbs to function in my workouts and recovery, so I am going to follow a plan that fits my lifestyle. Most of the recipes in the Feed Zone book are close to the Paleo plan, so I will be using those recipes as a guideline.

I have reviewed a couple of the recipes from the Feed Zone cookbook in this blog. I am the epitome of a "novice" cook, so I will say that my opinion on these recipes may need to be taken with a grain of salt due to my inexperience. If there are things that didn't work out, I wouldn't immediately blame the recipe. It could very well be a case of "operator error" in some cases. Shockingly enough, all the meals I have made from that book have been incredibly easy and fool proof.

Caprese Farro Salad:

http://www.runnersworld.com/the-ravenous-runner/recipe-caprese-farro-salad

I'll go ahead and say this the best recipe I have tried out of the book so far. Farro is an amazing grain, and the balsamic gives it flavor without weighing it down. I love any sort of cheese, especially mozzarella, so this was a no brainer. You could even add chicken to this to make it a little bit more substantial of a meal.

Prep time: Minimal. Chop some basil, boil some water.
Cook time: Once the farro is cooked, it's really just a matter of combining ingredients.

Overall score: 10/10. Easy to make, filling and delicious. I've already made it 3 times in the last month.

Banana Oat Energy Bar:

I am notorious for buying bananas and not eating them all before they ripen too much. This recipe is perfect for those last 2 bananas that are too squishy to use for anything else. Plus these bars are tasty and not super heavy. I like to have one before a workout, or right after as a snack before making a meal. 

Prep time: Medium. Had to dice the walnuts and preheat the oven, but nothing too crazy.

Cook time: I let mine cook a bit longer than they recomended. I hate soggy baked goods, so I err on the side of crispy. I did an extra 5-7 minutes and they turned out great. 

Overall score: 8/10. I am not a huge fan of the cranberries in these. I would maybe skip the fruit and add something like cinnamon and apples next time. 

http://www.runnersworld.com/the-ravenous-runner/recipe-diy-energy-bars

Spicy Fish Tacos With Pineapple Slaw

http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/spicy-fish-tacos-with-pineapple-slaw

Wow. These are fricking fantastic. The prep time was a little tedious, but well worth it. I am a big baby when it comes to spice, so I dialed down the heat factor a bit. But these were flavorful and filling. I give them two enthusiastic thumbs up!! And I am normal not a huge fish fan, so this was a surprising winner. 

Prep time: Aggressive. Slicing, shredding, chopping. Plan for a solid 30 minutes to prep this dish. 

Cook time: Minimal. The fish is the only thing that takes some time to cook, but it's only pan searing it for a couple minutes each side. I toast the tortillas too, because, come on, they are wayyyyyy better that way. 

Overall score: 10/10. You could sub in walleye, or chicken and they would be just as bomb. 

Hope you get a chance to try these recipes, or even get the Feed Zone Cookbook for yourself! 

Cheers!

So you ran a marathon? Now what?

Well the dust has settled, and I have officially come down after my marathon high.
 It's been a couple weeks since I ran my very first 26.2 at the 2016 Twin Cities Marathon on October 9th. It was an incredible day that I will always remember as one of the best moments in my life. I could go on for a long time about all my thoughts and feelings from that day, but I wanted to do a different type of blog instead of a race recap. (Plus most people that know me have already had to listen to me talk about my race! Even if they didn't want to! Muhahahaha)

(Crossing the finish line, grinning like an idiot)

Every runner is aware of the fact that on the heels of finishing your "A" race for the year, soon comes the inevitable recovery weeks. Most people would say, "shouldn't you be excited to bum around, not working out for crazy hours, or watching what you eat meticulously, or even having the stress of a race right around the corner?" Well, those people are clearly not runners. Because frankly, this sounds like my nightmare. I love working out. I absolutely thrive off of the competition of racing. And I feel like garbage when I put junk food in my body, so the appeal of "pigging out" is very short lived in my world.

(My brother/coach biked around in a Unicorn costume to support me that day. Best coach ever.)

However, I do understand the benefits of relaxing for a bit, recovering and hitting the reset button on my body and gathering perspective on my goals for the year. My coach always has to talk me off the ledge of doing too much, and I wholeheartedly trust his advice. He's led me to finishing my Half Ironman races, as well as crushing my time goal for my first marathon. He knows his stuff.

So, as I embark on the next two months of less structured training, I have compiled a list of things I think sound fun to keep my brain and body occupied. I know once January hits, I will be dedicating myself to the beast that is Ironman training for IMWI 2017. I will enjoy my time leading up to that training, and I am going to enjoy the hell out of training to become an Ironman. But right now is the time to have fun and try new things and get out of my comfort zone. I always say that the second I stop enjoying pushing my body to it's limits, is the second that I need to reevaluate why I am doing this.

There will be many hard times on this journey I am taking, but the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow is going to be the most epic finale I could ever dream of. But for now, hooray for cross training and new adventures!!

Things I should I do Before I Devote My Life To IRONMAN WI 2017 Training:

1. Yoga. My hips will thank me later. Plus, I think my foam roller needs a break. 

2. Zumba. Why not spend an hour looking like an idiot with complete strangers? I anticipate a lot of Pitbull being played. 

3. Get lots of tattoos! Ok, not fitness related. But this is the best time of year to get this done. I have the luxury of skipping time in the pool for the healing time tattoos need. I started by a Phoenix tattoo (pic below), and my next one is a Harry Potter themed upper arm sleeve. I hear tattoos make you faster. Just sayin. 

4. Research Tri Clubs/Cycle Clubs. I want to find all my local clubs and immerse myself in them! I am going to make so many damn friends this year. Whether they like it or not!

5. Trail Running. This is a no brainer. Fall in Minnesota is incredible to run in. There are tons of trails that I frequent like Lebanon Hills, Lake Elmo Park Reserve, and Murphy Hanrehan. I will be running the Great Pumpkin Chase10K this weekend at Lake Elmo to get in the Halloween spirit!

6. Barre Classes. I keep hearing how great these are. I can only picture LuluLemon clad housewives doing this class, but I'm willing to try. However I may get booted when they realize I don't like Pumpkin Spice Lattes and I would rather talk about Game of Thrones than the Real Housewives of something something. 

7. Flyfeet Running classes. This is a new facility in Minneapolis that specializes in strength training and running classes. I take my first class this week and can't wait to see what it's all about!!

8. Rowing. I want to make gains in the water this year, and getting my lats built up should do the trick!

9. Dressing up, doing my hair and going out in public. I think we all know that once tri season starts, we multisport athletes become slobs. Or at least I do. Now is the time for me to go out, socialize, drink beers, and not have to be the Debbie Downer that leaves at 8 pm because I have a 3 hour brick workout the next day. 

10. Lastly, taking the time to reflect on what I want out of 2017. Time flies by so fast, and I want to make sure I am taking it all in. Before I know it, it's going to be September again, and I am going to be on my way to becoming an Ironman. 

As they say, "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey."

(Badass Phoenix tattoo courtesy of Jerred Kincaid at Tiger Rose Tattoo.)

What IRONMAN means to me

A few short weeks ago I was a spectator at the epic IRONMAN race that took place in Madison, WI on September 11th. It was my first experience being up close and personal at an Ironman branded full race. I even went the extra mile and spent a few hours of the day volunteering in the sunscreen station. Which, surprisingly, was a great place to be at! I got to see all the people off the bike into their run. Plus, they started using spray sunscreen this year, so I didn't even have to rub lotion on the many strangers that came through! Which, honestly, with the amount of beautiful and toned people I saw, wouldn't have been that bad. ;)

But, in all reality that experience was incredibly emotional, and it was a very important weekend for me as a fellow triathlete. While I wasn't there competing, I still experienced this unbelievable energy that I don't even think I can describe in words, but it was absolutely life changing. I have always known that someday I wanted to attempt to complete an IRONMAN, but after this weekend, I was convinced that now was the time for me to take this next step forward. It's hard to not get swept up in the atmosphere in Madison. From the very beginning of the day, to the dark and dimly lit hours of the evening, there are thousands of fans lining the streets cheering on the athletes. I have never been to any race like it, and I believe that Madison is such a special race just for that reason. We all know that fan support at a race gives you this superhuman like boost on even your most painful day, or when you don't think you can go on it helps propel you forward. I couldn't help but tear up when I saw people cross that infamous finish line, and I felt so moved every time Mike O'Reily announced their name. Especially when I watched my friend, Drew Sciacca, cross the line and become a first time IRONMAN. I was thankful for sunglasses at that moment, as I don't think I had a chance in hell of hiding my tears as I watched his family and our friends cheer him on to the finish. He had just spent a little over 11 hours pushing himself to a limit most will never dream of. He was a frickin rockstar.

As the day wore on, I began to wonder if this was something I could do. I was staying in Madison that night, and I had the option to register the next morning for the 2017 race. As a volunteer I had first pick into the registering/hotel sign up. I had a few short hours to decide if I had it in me. I mean, I had done a Half Ironman distance, nothing is impossible right?! I am even doing my first full marathon this October, so why not just add a really long bike ride and swim before it right? And so, I made my choice. I was going to sign up.

IRONMAN is such an intense race. And I believe that everyone who chooses to do it, has a reason. This is not a race that anyone just half asses or does on a whim. I had a conversation with a man that weekend who was signing up because he had lost 200 pounds, and his doctors told him he wouldn't live past 50. As he told his story, he was shaky and bleary eyed. I couldn't help but be so fucking inspired by this guy. I also watched people that weekend that were the opposite of what you expect an Ironman to look like, cross the finish line. They were the true inspirations. Even talking about Ironman, and watching the finish line videos of races across the world makes me cry. Every. Damn. Time.

My reasons for doing it may not be dramatic, or even inspiring, but that's ok with me. I think a lot of why I love doing triathlons comes from who I was all the way back from my childhood, and the fact that I always have been a loner. I am at my best when I am competing, and who's better competition than my own mind and body? But of course there is more to it than that. Most people that know me now, do not know the struggle I had in my late teens and early 20's. Which I don't typically divulge to most, but I think it speaks volumes as to why I am the person I am today.

High school was hard for me, as I never felt like I fit in, or had a clear voice. I did sports in the first two years, but then I took a turn in a different direction in the last two years of school. I came into a persona of being the party girl. I drank. I smoked. I did drugs. I dressed like I didn't give a shit what anyone thought. Looking back now I get that all of these things were rooted in my insecurities, but for a 17 year old girl who never felt popular, these things changed my life. Being the girl who had a good time meant that everyone wanted to have a good time with me. And I rode that high all the way into my twenties. I had a career as a bartender, and I found that in that industry I could make the party last forever. Between drinking before/at/after work, I never had to spend a moment sober to actually feel things and process the realities of life. But this was not a sustainable way of life. I began to reevaluate what I wanted out of life, and what I was capable of. I had become much more confident, and I knew that I wanted to leave a lasting mark in this world. I wanted to have an exciting and real life, and I wanted that life to begin. I was sick of every story beginning with, "Remember that one time we were so wasted...", or having every story involve Jameson or Rumplemintz. Sure I had a great time, and I don't regret any of the things I have done. But there had to be more to life.

As I approached my 30's I knew I had to do something different. So I started by quitting smoking. My husband wasn't a huge fan anyways, plus it was getting to be so expensive. And with that I trained to run my first half marathon. The endorphin high from that race was enough to propel me far enough away from the toxic life I was living, into a whole different world. I started to trade my late nights out for early morning runs around the lake. I skipped happy hours to go to the gym. I unwound after work with a yoga class, instead of a shot and a beer. I started to rebuild friendships and relationships that had fallen by the wayside in my partying haze. My life was going in a completely different direction. And it felt good. And to this day, it still feels good.

I know that everything in my life has made me who I am today. I would never take back the things I have done, but I can only hope that the things I do in the future will be even more epic. I am going to leave a legacy that I can be proud of. I love my family, I love my friends, and most importantly, I finally love myself.
I love myself enough to know I have it in me to become an IRONMAN.

Pushing Through The Post Race Blues

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." -Albus Dumbledore. 

That quote has always been one of my favorites, and it has truly carried me through some dark times in my life. There are a million Harry Potter quotes that I believe to be extremely profound, but this one really resonated with me in the last few weeks. 

I had finally completed my 2016 goal of completing a half Ironman distance race at Toughman Half only a few short weeks ago. I was on an intense high leading up to the race, during and the day after. I had spent thousands of hours preparing for one task, and once it was completed I felt a bit lost. They say the "post Ironman race" blues are a real thing. My coach said it, his coach said it, heck, most of the triathlete community said it. Although I had thought I would be impervious to it, I was very very wrong. 

The week after Chisago Toughman I had a full week of recovery which meant very little training. I had expected it to be a welcome break, but immediately I felt restless and lethargic. How do you go from 2 hours a day of high intensity training to laying around and eating and drinking things you had spent the last year abstaining from? It is not an easy transition. Once the initial joy of sleeping in wore off, I found myself in a very concerning state of mind. I was unmotivated and teetering the line of depression. I wasn't sure how to pull myself out of this funk, so I enlisted the help of my always knowledgeable coach/brother. He told me to take the days off he had scheduled for me, then to try my best to grind through the next week of workouts. 

It was not easy. There were days where I could barely get out of bed and into my Hoka's. I still craved sugar, sleep and rest at that point, but I knew I had to turn myself around. Twin Cities Marathon was only 2 months out and I had no time to waste. 

So I did what Mike said and I pushed through and kept moving forward. And by the 3rd week after the race I had found myself back in a competitive state of mind. I was dialing nutrition back in, and I was back on track to running my first marathon. 

But, like I had anticipated, I was getting the itch to do another tri already. Luckily enough Lake Marion Tri was coming up. With my brother, our friend Curt AND my awesome husband competing, I really had no choice but to do it. 

So I woke up last Saturday morning and brushed the dust off my tri bike and gear for the race. We got our gear and arrived at Antler's Park ready to roll. However, the weather had much different plans. With 95 percent chance of rain we were in a for a soggy day. 

The swim was a quick 1/4 mile loop, and boy did that sound amazing. After doing nothing but 1.2 mile distance swims at all my races this year, I couldn't even wrap my brain around a short swim. No wetsuit and only being in the water for less than 10 minutes? Hell to the yes. The water was pretty choppy due to the wind and impending storms. I was really appreciating that I had only signed up for the Sprint, not the Olympic like my brother had. 

After getting out of the water and on to the bike I was shocked it hadn't started raining yet. And that was my first mistake. At mile 12 of the 18 mile ride I turned right into a wall of 30 mph winds and cold, piercing rain. It was like I had turned the corner and was descending North of the Wall into the White Walkers territory. Ok, it was only like 60 degrees, but it felt terrible! The last few miles were a struggle into a headwind the whole time, and my legs were definitely not in cycling shape as they had been a month earlier. 

By the time I was off the bike, I was relieved and ready to be on the run. I grabbed my stuff and took off. I had a couple of time goals that day, but I also had not caught my husband on the bike like I had anticipated so I was really more in pursuit of him than a time goal. I got about 1 mile out and saw him descending on the hill towards me, as it was an out and back. Shit. That meant I had about a 1/2 mile to make up to catch him. We high fived and he looked really strong, and I couldn't have been more proud. But damn if I wasn't going to push through and beat him. So i made my way up the hill and turned around and came barrelling down the hill. I crossed the line in 1:35, and I never did catch him. But luckily for me, our waves were several minutes apart and I still got him by 3 minutes that day overall. Whew. 

As Marc, myself, and Mike waited for our awards that day (Mike was amateur overall winner, FYI. Such a rockstar.) we huddled under the tent out of the rain with our favorite announcer, Jerry. We had some time to kill so we even got to watch the final finish of the Women's Triathlon that morning as well. Watching Gwen absolutely crush it was so inspiring to watch that day, I almost wanted to get back out and do the course again! But then I remembered I was freezing, and Mike and I had a Metallica show to get to that night. The quality time in the tent with my friends and family also reminded me that being part of the multisport community is the greatest thing to have ever happened to me. My life changed the minute I became a triathlete and I am forever grateful for my tri family that I have adopted over the years. 

So, moral of the story is that feeling a bit hollow after a huge race is normal. Everyone is different in how they recover and how they get back to "normal", but I am glad in the end I embraced it and didn't ignore the signs. I took the rest I needed to light the fire back up, and while it wasn't easy, it was the right thing to do. 

Now it's time to crush some marathon goals and get ready to start my first season in Cyclocross racing. 

Cheers!

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.

The Day I DNF'd For The First Time

"What defines us is how well we rise after falling."

I will not pretend to be someone who knows everything. Or to even be someone who is a seasoned veteran in the triathlon world. I have only raced for 3 short years, but in that time I have learned countless lessons. Each race brings a new experience for me, and I have walked away from every race feeling more prepared for the next. And most importantly, I have walked away having finished the race.
However, I learned a very real, and very hard lesson after my race at Liberty Triathlon 2 weeks ago. I had my first DNF.
I have spent the last year pouring my entire heart, many tears and copious amounts of sweat into training to complete my first 70.3 race. Liberty Triathlon was my chance to see all my work come to fruition. I was so incredibly excited at the opportunity to race and completely expand my comfort zone. I thrive on pushing my boundaries, which is also why the sport of triathlon speaks to me in a way that nothing else ever has.

When I woke up that Saturday morning I felt great. I got a lot of sleep, which I was not expecting, but was pleasantly surprised by! I ate my normal english muffin with almond butter and honey, had my half a can of Mountain Dew, and I was on my way. (I have used Mountain Dew as my morning jolt of caffeine for years. I am a coffee addict, but I know my body well enough to know that coffee before a race is just asking for disaster.)

The temperature was already beginning to skyrocket as I arrived at Lake Rebecca. I believe the forecast was for a scorching 95 degree high for the day with 80 percent humidity. Nonetheless, I had my salt stick tabs, I had plenty of gu, and I was prepared with NUUN tablets for days.

I got my transition set up, did my pre race warm up, and got ready to head down to the water. I was focused and clear on my plan for the day. I spent some time chatting with my coach, Mike, as he was competing that day as well on the Olympic course. It was comforting to have him there, and I even had my husband arriving to see me off as well. (He's the best race husband a girl could ask for. Still no idea how I got so lucky.)

When the countdown began and I launched into the water I felt more calm than I ever have before a race. I know its cliche that they say if you put the hours in, you will feel prepared, but today that was true. I've put the work in, today was my day.

I kept my pace the whole swim course, and despite my wetsuit rubbing a bit aggressively on my neck, I felt strong and very smooth. I exited the water at 38:00, which was right in the range of my 35-40 minute goal Mike set for me. The hike up the hill to transition was just as annoying as I had remembered from last year, but seeing my hubby was a nice burst of sunshine on my march up the steps from hell.

I took my time in transition making sure I had all my nutrition for the bike, as I knew that would make or break my day. I sprayed a generous amount of sunscreen, which incidentally helped me locate where the wetsuit had rubbed the skin raw on my neck. Everyone around me heard me say some less than appropriate words at that point. I put my helmet on, and was on my way.

I hopped on, got clipped in and got my legs under me. The elation of having crushed the swim was riding with me for those first few miles. I had a great rythym and my legs felt strong. I typically am a bit weak on the bike, so as I got onto the course it was encouraging to be averaging 17-18 mph on the first 15 miles. My coach and I had planned on being more conservative for the first 30 miles, and then to drop the hammer a bit on the last 26. I am a strong runner, so we planned on having me save some energy to gain time on the run. Of course, competing a race with temperatures that rival the surface of the sun sort of blew my entire race plan up. However I am a competitor and I wanted to see a podium finish today.

I knew this course had some confusion on the turnaround, as I heard at packet pick up, and from countless athletes from previous years. I had studied the map, and I was sure I had a good idea of the turnaround specifics. A little side note, I am the most directionally challenged person you will ever meet. My husband and I joke about how if I think we should go a direction if we are lost, we should go the opposite.
As I got to mile 29 and approached the turnaround, I officially lost my sense of what direction to go. The maps I had studied were entirely useless at this point. I slowed down, stopped and chatted with a volunteer. I asked him, "If I am going into my second lap for the long course, which direction do I go?" He confidently told me, "Go this way!" , and gestured towards the road. Now, I asked him 2 more times to be sure we were on the same page, and I put my trust in this complete stranger. All my hard work was hinging on this guy not fucking up his directions. This was a scary moment.

I got back up to speed and started getting into my groove. I felt better than I had in a while on the bike, and my brain was in a great place. Instead of dreading the upcoming miles, I was exilerated.
As I kept moving, I started seeing several people coming back opposite of the way I was going. Which was weird, because I knew at that point that everyone in the Olympic race should have already been past that point. I kept going. I started to feel uneasy as I passed a road sign that said mile 48. My GPS said I was on mile 34. I knew something was wrong. I pulled over and asked another volunteer where the heck I was supposed to be. A horrible and sad look crossed his face, and he said "Oh man, another girl got turned around too. You want to go back that way." Que the absolute worst feeling you could imagine.

I turned around and absolutely crushed my pedals to make up some time. As I got going and started to think, I had the uplifting thought that I could maybe still make the cutoff and finish. I was only 8 or so miles out of the way, and I am a reasonably fast cyclist, right?! However, it must have been the heat that was making my brain screwy, because that was a huge deficit that I was not going to make up in time. I knew when I circled  back to the mile 30 marker, only a half mile from where I was incorrectly directed away from, that my day was probably done.

It was getting hotter, and I was seeing absolutely no other cyclists on the course I was on. I had lost a lot of time, and things were looking bad. As I crossed a roadblock, I had a volunteer policeman cheer me on "Good job biker, you got this!". It was the cheer that people give when people know they are struggling, and things arent looking good. I had never been on the receiving end of this pity cheer, and it felt terrible. I immediately burst into tears as I passed him, and I ugly cried for a solid 2 miles. My day was over. I had no chance of finishing in time, let alone ending up in a podium spot.

I was onto course mile 40, my GPS mile 48, and I was determined to finish this damn course. I continued on my way and kept moving. I definitely lost a lot of steam, and dialed back my intensity. The sun was hot, I felt myself getting a sunburn, and I was running low on nutrition. Plus the HEED they gave out was like drinking dirty bath water from Satan himself. Note to race director: The mango flavor is awful,
I arrived back to the end of the course going on over 4 hours. I was tired. I was burnt. And I was sad. Only 2 miles to go, and I was mentally preparing for having to get off my bike and pack my stuff up and go home without a finisher medal.

Then it happened. I heard the air whoosh out from my rear tire 1.8 miles from transition. I immediately started crazy person laughing. It was just the nail in the coffin of a craptastic day. I got off my bike, checked it out, and sat down. I thought about spending the time to fix it, as I was smart and brought all the necessary tools. Instead I took the opportunity to get up, and walk back to transition. It was shady at this part of the course, and I needed a little bit of therapy time before I got back to my coach and my husband.
I approached the parking lot, and saw my dad and husband walking towards me. I got to them, and tried to explain what happened as I tried to stifle my tears. My dad gave me an amazing big hug, and my husband consoled me as he as done so many times before. My coach/brother came running up, and I filled him in. He said that as soon as it got to 3:30, they started checking medic tents as they knew something was wrong.
I told them all the story of my first 70.3, and the epic DNF. We laughed, I cried a bit, and they helped me pick up the pieces.

We all left together, and my big brother did the best big brother thing he could have done in that moment. He gave me his bottle of coke that he had in the cooler of his car, and said "You earned this today."
I may not have had a chance to run my 13.1 miles that day, and I have come to terms with that. It wasn't my day to do it. Luckily for me, I have Ironman Racine 70.3 in only a few short weeks. And you better believe I am going to train my ass off, STUDY THE DAMN MAPS, and come back stronger than ever.

Not every race is going to go well. But I refuse to let that define me and who I am as an athlete. I am going to come back and continue to race hard. This will roll off my shoulders, and I will be better because of it.

I will end this long blog with a quote from always awesome Andrew W.K, as I find that it is truly fitting. "Do what you love. Pursue what you love. And when you get discourages, stand back up and dive back in."

Racine in 27 days. Bring it.

Brace Yourself, 2016 Race Season Is Coming....

First things first, if you are not a fan of random Game Of Thrones references every now and again, now is the time for you to leave. Heck, I'll even hold the door for you. (If you are caught up with this season, this reference will be both heartbreaking and relevant for you.) While this blog is predominately triathlon and fitness related, you can definitely bet on the fact that there will be many super nerdy puns and interjections that come from the fantasy book and movie genre. Cough, cough, Harry Potter mostly, cough, cough.

But I digress. Back to the important matters at hand. It is that glorious time of year that thousands of us Minnesota inhabitants dream of. It is finally warm enough to pull our bikes off the trainers, shed our many layers of sub zero thermal gear, and to get back out onto the roads and trails of the beautiful midwest. As with every start of the 2016 multi sport season, Gear West Duathlon is usually the first race for most of us, and 2016 was no different for me. I will preface this by telling you that this race is usually a course that I absolutely loath and love at the same time. The "rolling hills" that the website describe are much more aggressive and annoying that the term "rolling" really does justice. And while the cross country run is absolutely gorgeous, and a nice departure from the concrete jungle that we usually end up on, my calves and hamstrings really disagreed by the end of it.

2016 is a really different year for me in many ways. The first is that I will be tackling my first half Ironman distance race in only 2 weeks. My training has been completely different than it has in the last few years, and I have really started to dial in my nutrition and lifestyle to accommodate that. I have even given up beer for the next two weeks. (Not my favorite idea, but I am testing a theory. I will update after the race to see if that was worth it.)

Now, my amazing and knowledgeable coach, Mike Ladendorf, had decided that this year, my pre Gear West warm up the day before was going to be much different than years past. He decided that a 2 hour ride would be a great way to have me feel what fatigued legs felt like on race day. While I assumed that he was doing this to torture me, as he is my brother and all, I figured he may have had a grand master plan that was probably good for me in the end.

Well, we all know that when you start a race feeling good, it is not necessarily a good sign. The weather that day was beautiful, the sun was shining, no rain in sight, and the temps were in the 70's. When I started out on my first run, I felt like I do most race days. My nerves were high, and I shot out of the gate a little faster than I probably should have, but I held a solid 7:20 pace for those three miles. Getting onto the bike was like I had expected, and I knew I had some challenging hills ahead of me. While most of those 16 miles were just as gross as I had remembered, I somehow felt decent for the first portion. As I hit mile 12, I felt that creeping sensation that my legs were about to blow up, and not in a good way. I drank some water, had a GU packet and just prayed that this wasn't going to go as terribly as I felt it would.

Then I approached T2 and was out on the last run portion. And then it hit. The dead weight, can't go on, heavy as bags of sand legs feeling. I had felt this before on my first Olympic distance race, but never this aggressive. But, being a multi sport athlete, I knew I was going to push myself as hard as I could to get to that finish line. The first mile didn't feel great, and the last 2 felt even worse. Let's just say when I hit that last monster hill and saw the photographer at the top, I didn't give him a huge smile or even a thumbs up. But I finished hard and I am proud of that.

My results were nothing fantastic, in fact I was a mere :04 faster than last year. But when I look at the fact that I had a long, hilly ride the day before, I am darn proud of this day. My 2nd place Age Group finish didn't hurt either.

This was a  jarring reminder that in only a few short weeks I will be competing at a longer distance than I ever have before. And it is going to hurt. And I am going to feel like crap at some points. And I am going to have many negative thoughts in my head throughout that day. But in the end I am going to finish. I have trained all year to compete and I am going to do just that. Because that's what we do. Even if I am not an Elite athlete, I am going to go out there and pretend I am for a day. And then, after I finish, I am going to eat post race hot dogs like I am a competitive eater. Because that's also what we do.

Until then, race hard. Race fast.