17 days until Racine; IMKY is 59 days, 23 hours, 7 mins and 40 seconds and counting

I'm getting really excited about your upcoming events.  Now that we're in the last day of June, and into July, your events are rapidly approaching and becoming so much more a reality.  I'm incredibly excited for you to show what you can do!  Who knows you're so awesome, you might even qualify for Clearwater FL or Kona's race!  :)  I mean, you never know!  I really cannot wait to see what you do in Racine!  I mean, you'll most likely hit the century mark by the time of the race for your longest ride, you're already over a half marathon for your runs, and you're already over an hour for your swims.  You rock!

22 days ~ 64 days

I know you are feeling a bit stressed, and maybe unprepared, but I'm telling you....

1.2 miles - you got it

56 miles - what, you did that last weekend!

13.1 miles - you do that practically every run!

Seriously, you are amazing.  This is a TRAINING race.  It isn't your goal.. so take it easy, put the pieces together, and most importantly, have some fun with it!  I believe in you!!!!

72 more days

Just 10 weeks until your Ironman, and only 4 more weeks until your 70.3.  You are amazing, and even though your workouts are getting longer, and I'm missing you more and more - I want you to know, I believe in you - and you'll do great!

81 days

Only 81 more days until your Ironman!  I think you are getting back into your grove and doing well!

95 days

95 more days until your Ironman!  I know you aren't hitting the training you would have liked right now - but I know you'll do great, you are an inspiration!

May 10, 2010

So I finally got to ride outdoors this weekend. I went to the Busse Forest Preserve and got in a 2 hour ride. It felt great to be outside and has hopefully put the fun back into my training. These last few weeks have been pretty hard to find any motivation, so I am happy with how I am feeling today. Saturday went to the Busse forest preserve for a run. I really didn't want to go, but am so glad Tristin made me. Its a 7.7 mile paved trail with a few mile loops that branch off from it. It was a good week and I am getting excited about training again. These next few weeks will be a little busy, but hopefully I can get in my key workouts and I should be ok.

Week 6

I can't believe we have been in IL for 6 weeks now! This was a tough week. Last Sunday after my run I felt a strange pain in my left hip, then during Wednesdays run it came back and was pretty bad. So I decided to not run anymore this week and put some extra miles in on the bike instead - since there's no pain when I ride. So this week I put in 5 rides and totalled 86 miles, but only ran 5.75. All of my rides were again on the trainer this week. I need to find a place to ride outdoors, these rides over an hour are killing me with boredom. Today I planned to go 2 hours so I put on a movie, but could only last 90 minutes. I was able to swim three times again this week and I am starting to feel stronger in the water. The gym pool isn't as bad as I claim it is, and feeling stronger while swimming is making more enjoyable.

Congrats to Tristin's 2:15:49 half marathon today - she totally kicked ass. I wish I could have been there to watch, but I will just have to make up for it during the Chicago Marathon in October.

I hope this week my hip feels better, but I don't plan to push it since I still have 20 more weeks until KY.

Week 5

This week was a pretty good week. I never did make up my swim from Tuesday, I planned to on Sunday but was too sore after my run. The weather has been getting nicer so I have been able to stick with my routine, I just now wish I had a pool rather than a gym. I did a 90 min ride on the trainer on Saturday. It was the longest I ride I have done on the trainer so far, and the boredom really got to me. I am going to have to get outside soon, I don't think I can take a 2+ hour ride indoors. Sunday I went out for a 90 minute run. I felt pretty good for most of it, but the last 2-3 miles my knees felt pretty sore. After the run I iced the knees, and they have felt fine since. But both of my hips have been really sore. Hopefully it goes away by Monday morning, I don't really want any setbacks this early in my training.

I got four rides in this week and hope to move it to five in the next few weeks. I am trying to really work on my bike fitness this summer as I think it will be the key to a good time in KY. Most of the rides are 45-60 min high intensity rides on the trainer during the week with a longer (90+) ride on the weekend. Hopefully I can keep it up without fatiguing myself too much.

This weeks totals:

1h 25m (3,700 yds) swimming

3h 47m (65.28 miles) bikeing

3h (21.4 miles) running

8h 12m 24s (88.78 miles) total

Week 4

Week 4 was a recovery week. It felt good to take two whole days off, my body needed it. On Saturday we ran a half marathon relay as a two person team, which we can in 4th place! This was pretty good since most teams had 4 members. This week the volume goes back up. The week has started of rough, my Tuesday swim had to be canceled due to the shitty gym pool being so crowded - I can't wait to cancel my membership once we move. Hopefully the rest of the week gets better.

Summer Schedule

We've got a lot on our plates, and I will try very hard to keep our events (mine too) - limited so that your concentration and focus, along with your training, are not diverted or moved around too much. I believe in you, and you being an Ironman. You are incredible - and I want you to achieve your goals, not only to finish, but to excel! Here is what we are signed up for so far, and I think it would be best to not obligate ourselves, physically or financially to much else.

3/27 - Half Marathon relay Libertyville
4/17 - Wedding (overnight travel involved)
4/25 - Indoor Triathlon Algonquin
5/31 (memorial day weekend, possible overnight travel)
6/20 - Warrior Dash Jolliet
7/4 (Independence Day weekend, possible overnight travel)
7/18 70.3 Racine, Wi
***8/1 RNR Chicago 13.1 (undecided)***
8/22 Danskin Sprint Pleasant Prairie, Wi
8/29 140.3 IMKY Louisville (overnight travel involved)
9/6 (labor day weekend, possible overnight travel)
10/10 BOA Marathon - T

Week 3

Overall this week went pretty well, I got three swims, three bikes, and three runs in for the first time in a very long time. My knee only slightly bothered me when I was running on Wednesday, and didn't bother me while riding all week. It would still be sore in the afternoons, but nothing to get me worried. I still haven't been able to ride outdoors in IL and I doubt I will until probably May. I am terrified to ride on the roads up here due to them always being wet, the road conditions are terrible, and the drivers up here suck.

It ended up snowing all day on Saturday, so instead of running I got on my bike for an hour then went to the pool. Sunday was much nicer, still a little cool but the sun was out and melted most of the snow, so we were able to go to the forest preserve and get our long run in. It feels good to get back into some sort of routine.

Week 2 and Daylight Savings

So week two was a little better than week one. I am still trying to get my routine down, but at least I found a pool this week! I had to join a gym, which I hope is only temporary. It only has four lanes and is dominated by old pool walkers and tools that go from hot tub to pool to hot tub to pool. Anyway, daylight savings was this weekend and I officially hate it. I like it being daylight when I wake up and go to work and I don't like it being daylight when I want to go to bed. If you can't tell I did not sleep very well since the time changed. It took me two weeks to adjust to the time zone change from AZ to IL, now I have to do it again. Over the weekend I found a path I may be able to ride on. Its a paved bike path off the road. Maybe this weekend I will check it out, it would be nice to be able to ride outdoors again.

Today's run was again on a treadmill. Overall it wasn't a bad run. I felt a little sore and my HR monitor was all messed up, so I spent the first 15 minutes thinking my HR was in the 160's when really it was in the 120's.

Ironman Training Begins....Sort of.

So technically I started my 26 week training program this week. However, I only rode twice, swan none, and ran mostly on a treadmill. So it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it should get better next week. I found an aquatic center a few miles away that will get me by for a few weeks. My riding will most likely stay on the trainer for a few weeks until I can find a place to ride where I feel safe to ride on the roads. Running should get better soon, it should get a little warmer and I think we found a paved path not too far away. So I am hoping to get into my routine next week, then the following week be in full training mode.
So our first week in IL was interesting. The first few days were rough. The shock of coming from where we used to live to where we are now took a few days to adjust, but I am happy now. It will give a three months to find a great place where we won't have to move for a while. On Saturday we met up with Hefner and he took us downtown and showed us the city, then that night we met up with Kara for a few drinks. It was great to see them and I had a lot of fun.

Dutchie!

Well Arizona's been a fun run with ya! :-) We'll have lots of fun in IL too.

2010 Season is Beginning

So to start 2010 Tristin and I decided to do the Lost Dutchman 8k trail run. Tristin really wanted to do the half marathon but I didn't think I would be ready after the marathon, so she signed us up for the 8k. It was a great event. We decided to run this race separately, rather than together as we do for most running races, and it was a strange experience. I started off with a lot of nervous energy and it took a while to find my stride. After about a mile I settled in and able to run the next 2 miles pretty comfortably. At about mile 3 I started to feel my stomach sloshing around and thought I may hurl at any second, so I slowed my pace a little and kept on. I got to mile 4 and saw that no one was close to me from behind, so it felt good to think no one would pass me before the finish. I ended up surprising myself and finishing the 8k in 33:28 for a 6:45/mile pace! I then walked to the grassy area near the finish in time to see Tristin run by towards her finish of 44:04. We both got medals (they only gave out 300 of the 650 people that registered) and our Valentines gift to each other was our medals, so it was very nice.

Today was a very good day and will be a big reason why I will miss Arizona. Today we found out that our lease application was accepted and that we definitely will be moving to Chicago February 28th. We are both a little scared, but excited at the same time.

Overall, it was a great day!

I miss my hubby. Hurry up, and find a place for us to live, and get on back home to me!

~29 weeks til we leave for Louisville~

How crazy is that, my soon to be IRONMAN! I'm pretty excited. I'm a bit stressed out right now about the move - and everything... so I'm sorry I'm so - fiesty. I'm just getting freaked out, and a bit intimidated by all the details - other than just moving.
Thinking about other things, like races and training, helps keep me excited - and in a better state of mind than - where am I gonna live? Should I renew my plates, will I need to renew my plates.. what happens if I wait til the last minute... what about all the things I have to change - what if I forget something! .... ahhhhhhh freak out!
So all in all I'm excited about you heading to Chi-town next week - and hopeful we'll get some resolution... so that I can chill out. :)

2010 Race Season

So my 2010 race season is starting to shape up. My main event will be Louisville in August and today I registered for the half Ironman in Racine, WI - which will be about an hour drive from where we will live. It is six weeks before the big race so I think it will be a good tune-up for it. After the move I will probably add in another short race or two. My Ironman training starts March 1, so this month I am focusing on getting back into the rhythm of swimming, biking, and running multiple times a week. I am feeling good and am excited about the next few months. Next week I will be in Chicago working and finding a place to live. I hope it goes well.

~ Happy Birthday! ~

Congratulations Super Star!

Congratulations on your promotion. I'm super excited for us both! What exciting opportunity this is, and how neat to be so much closer to home. If no one wants to run the go! relay, I'll just run the 1/2 by myself... and maybe you can run with me and mom for the 5k? Might be a fun way to get some exercise in! I'm not stressing about it - we've got a lot on our plates... I just sort of like the race distraction from everything! :-)