What a Weekend!!!! Racing and Friends

Last Saturday I participated in my 5^th half iron distance triathlon. Well it was longer than half distance by a good three miles. It was such a fun weekend. I went up with a good friend from high school and four other friends and we all raced in the event. It was two of my friends first time doing the half distance so the nerves were off the chart.

Friday night we went to pick up numbers and went to take a look at the swim. We get to the water and my god did the swim distance look long. Instant panic set in with my friends. As we were leaving the venue to go to dinner I was making my way over some plastic fencing and got my foot caught and down I went. Seriously, it was hilarious. Only me! So we head to dinner have a nice night and back to the hotel for early bed time. Not that I could sleep, I never sleep well the night before a race never mind in a hotel room too. Before bed we got our gear together and many questions were asked. One of our friends Cheryl lost her number and was panicking! We looked everywhere in the room, our other friend was in the shower and comes flying out thinking there was a mouse in the room because of the commotion going on. Come to find out Gina took Cheryl’s number by accident. Oh boy!! This is the beginning of the fun. Hahaha! Man I love these girls. Like I always say “it takes a village.”

Race Day!!! The three of us get ready and get our pre-race eats and last minute checks that we have everything. It was an early morning and we were all nervous and ready to go. Our other friend staying in another room came down to meet us so we could all drive together. She comes in the room and she is doing a check with us on if she has everything. I ask her if she has her helmet sticker and she says yes and she goes to put it on her helmet. We tell her she has her helmet on backwards and she insists she doesn’t and has been wearing it that way for ever. I told her it is backwards the visor thing you have on the helmet goes in the front. OMG!! We all died laughing. Her new nick name is backwards helmet. She has been wearing it backwards on rides for weeks now. Bahahaha! I almost wet my pants. It was awesome.

future ironmen! I hope

The race was delayed for 50 minutes due to fog on the water. Not good when you are already nervous had your pre-race GU before they announced the delay. But hey it gave me extra time for bathroom runs, so I guess it worked out. We start the swim it was a nice swim. But when you turned your last turn buoy to the finish of the swim there was no sight buoy. I could not see where the heck I was swimming. It was chaos. I had no idea what I was swimming towards so I tried to keep a line with the swimmer in front of me. It worked okay I guess. The swim was long by about .18 according to my watch and I did a fairly good job keeping in a straight line.

Winna winna chicken dinna

Classy Dismount

Off on the bike we go after a quick transition. I had some anxiety the first 10 miles on the bike. No idea why but it was terrible. I could not catch my breath. I had to keep telling myself I was fine I got this, no problem. I finally settled into a comfortable groove. Mile 37 brought on a new challenge. OMG!!! I got the worst saddle sore ever. It hurt to sit and wanted to cry. So sore and I pretty much had to ride the bike out of the last 6-7 miles of the race.  Not to mention the nice climb of 9-10 miles from 37-47 yikes it was a doozy and sitting in the saddle climbing was not fun. So the ride is over and my friend Jess caught me on the bike. She is such a strong cycler. I kept her in my view as we came to the finish of the bike. As we pull into dismount I am flapping my gums to her chatting and I didn’t clip out my left foot first as I dismount the bike. Whoops… down I go. I went down hard. It hurt. But we laughed that I ruined our bike time. Haha! People came over to help to see if I was okay and the announcer gave me a 10 for best dismount of the day. Ugh.. haha!! So classy!

The run was good. I pretty much slowly ran the whole way. I walked a few hills to keep my heart rate down. It was pretty hilly the second half. I felt okay. Left leg was giving me a little hell but it always does. I kept hammering on.

It was such a great day with my friends. We all finished and I was so proud of all of the girls. I didn’t do as well as I had hoped for and it has kind of got in my head a bit but time to shut the brain off and get my workouts in. Focus on the bigger picture and make this happen. I am working out some sore spots on the legs to. Things are starting to creep up now as the volume increases.

The girls with our new friend Kate!

We ended the day with a nice evening with my friend’s parent’s campsite and had a cookout. It was so much fun. My friend’s mom was my Girl Scout troop leader so we had some funny stories as always. It was just a great weekend.

These Shoes were made for Walking!

So the other day I was at White City Plaza in Shrewsbury and decided I was going to go check out the new Marathon Sports. Well that thought was definitely a mistake. I walk in the door and I am looking around. I move over to the wall of colorful sneakers. So purty! As I am standing there gawking at the colors and styles a young man comes over. He couldn’t be more than 25. We start to make small talk about the store and how they are doing. Then he looks at me and says it. Yup it comes right out and I could not even make this up. He says, “so are you looking for a good pair of walking shoes, I have a few good styles I would recommend.” Mind you I have no issue with people who walk. They may enjoy walking and that is their preferred method of activity and I think it is great. I looked at him and I couldn’t help but laugh. I could not even keep a straight face. I told him the store looked great but I had to run! Hahaha!

So now I don’t even run 5k’s I am a walker. It’s really funny how someone can look at you and make an assumption about your activity level. The proper thing to say would have been, can I help you find a shoe?, what kind of activity do you do? That would have been appropriate. But I have to laugh at it. It happens to me so often, hence the name of the blog.  

Vacation is over! what a week

Back to Reality

Had an amazing vacation week last week and let me tell you training was great to. It makes such a difference when you do not have to squeeze in workouts where your schedule allows. Vacation allowed me to not stress and get my workouts in when I felt like it. I love that feeling, and allowed for plenty of family time. My son even learned how to ride a bike. Of course now he wants to be a BMX rider like his cousins, who were there when he learned.

Last week my swims were amazing. I swam on a crystal clear lake just gorgeous. I guess it does have its advantages and down falls. It was amazing being 10-20 feet deep and still being able to see the bottom but then again sometimes it is nice not to see the bottom. Oh and I have a fear of the front of boats when swimming. It is such a weird phobia but when I swim around moored boats I freak out. It is like the bow of the boat is going to eat me. I get a little panic attack, so weird. But what the hell I am weird.

 

My parents and cousins parents came up early in the week. Well guess what, my dad freaked me out of coarse so this is where not being able to see the bottom of the lake would come into play. So I get back from swimming and my dad starts talking about a drowning across from the cottage we were staying at near the island a few years ago. Then he said “they never found the bodies.” Ahhhhhh What!!!! Well that was it freaked out the rest of the week doing my long swims. Every log or rock I saw on the bottom I swore it was a leg or head. Hahaha! Thanks Dad!! Love ya;)

Had two great bike rides too. Hilly! My long ride was supposed to be 3 hours well it turned into a 4.5 hour ride with my cousin’s husband. Holy crap! We climbed and climbed and climbed. Some steep stuff too. We also had to take this road that was packed down dirt and rock. That made for some fun with climbs as your back tire is slipping out from under you. Oh yes! Good times! But we had a good time and I was glad I was able to get that ride in.

The rest of the week lots of relaxing and reading. I read the book Fault in our Stars. Not the book you want to read on a happy vacation. Holy crap! I am sitting on the dock in the sun sobbing. I couldn’t stop sobbing. Thank god no one was around. I couldn’t breathe at one point I was crying so hard. Ha!

Well back to reality. There are 8 weeks until race day, 5 weeks until taper. I am looking forward to conquering some big key workouts ahead of me.

And I will ride 100 miles and I will ride 100 more

Well well well... I have neglected my blog again. There is just so little time. Ugh! So two weeks ago I completed my very first 100 mile ride. I rode the Long Trail Century Ride to support Adaptive Ski and Sporting Equipment for people with disabilities. It was an amazing day. Couldn't ask for better weather. Well after it warmed up.

So I got to VT Friday night and stayed at my friends house. It was a lot of fun but damn that girl goes to bed early. I guess it was good for me. Lights out 10 p.m. WHAT??? hahaha! Saturday we woke up and it was 44 degrees. Ummmmm... It is June 21st are you serious. So I was all out of sorts because I didn't have a long sleeve shirt. Oh well. We get to the venue and we get ready to ride.

The first 10 miles I froze my ass off. Holy crap it was cold. I really thought I was going to die. Shivering. Well that changed quick. After 10 miles we had a nice gradual long climb. Yep working up a sweat. After the climb we had some great down hill and flat. But one section of the race happened to be the best part and the friggin worst part of the race.  The dreaded NORTH ST.

So due to a bridge being out the course was re-routed. So here we are riding along me, my friend, and her husband when we come to the new section of the course. So we see a truck at the corner and a guy standing outside of the truck. He asks need a lift to the top. Ummmm... what! Ya a sag wagon to take you to the top of the climb. Holy Shit.. I think I literally pooped my pants. We are only at mile 30 and already had some good climbing. So we of course decline the sag wagon because we are Ironmen in training, well two of us anyway. Another couple comes around the corner and the woman says "oh you are going to love this, I have never gone up it but gone down it. It is on my bucket list so I guess today is the day." Ahhhh... ok she was an older woman. My friend Jane. She was hilarious. So the three of us Jane and her husband and a few others start the climb. OMFG!!! I swear to god there was a section of the climb I thought I was going to fall backwards off my bike. It was one of those climbs where you stop pedaling it is so hard and feel like you are going to fall over. So Jane starts swearing. Picture it a 60+ woman, me and my friend all swearing. I have never heard so many cyclists swearing. It was very comical.

So we get to what I think is the top and time to celebrate. Well Jane put that to an end when she said we have like 6-7 more miles of climbing to do on this one road.. OMG! I wanted to cry. I am at mile 31 now and still climbing and I have 70 frigging more miles to go. Oh yes the course is long too because of the detour. Pissa!! So here is where my mental toughness has to kick in. Because I could see it starting to fail. A good friend of mine T.D. once told me when you are on the bike during the race don't think of it as 112 miles think of it as 5-10 miles at a time and it worked. Got me through the race actually. So that advice was my saving grace from mile 36 on. So I guess that is how you break it down on race day as well.

The roads in VT were ridiculous too. Pot holes galore!
So all in all it was a good day. Great beer at the end with fun band. It was a great day! Oh and when in the world do you ever see a Zebra! Yep there was a Zebra on the course at a farm. So freaking cool... The scenery was pretty nice as well. Oh Saturday night... we were rebels stayed up until 10:15. Lights out 10:15!! hahaha!

If you want bigger breasts I know just how to get them!

So I was in the market for new over the shoulder boulder holders.. or as most call them bras. I keep buying sports bras because you go through so many of them training for Ironman that I rather buy them than keep washing them. Hahah! Or I forget one and I have to dash off to Bobs. Ugh! Anyway back to the bras. I needed every day bras not sport ones. So I go to Victoria Secret and browse. They were having their semi-annual sale so bonus. Which is usually in July and was in June but that is beside the point. I was psyched. 

So I think I know my size but with all the working out I thought well I better get measured just in case. So I go find one of the 20 year old perfect body sales girls and ask her if I can get measured. She replies in her high pitch voice “like of course.” She asks if I want to go to a dressing room to be measured or on the sales floor. I said to her “I have had a baby, pee’d in the woods, there is really no modesty left, so sales floor is fine.” Haha! I don’t think she was very impressed with my response. 

So she takes out her measuring tape thing and proceeds to measure me. She asks me what size I am currently wearing I tell her xx B. She asks when the last time I got measured and I tell her about 9 months to a year ago. She then tells me well you are in luck your breasts grew a whole cup size almost 2. I look at her awkwardly, and say how that is possible. She laughs and says I don’t know but let’s get one of the other sales associates to re-measure just in case. Okay, now I am a friggin science project. Haha! So the other 20 something girl comes over who happens to be a manager, she may have been 30 and takes a measurement. And sure enough I am a whole cup size bigger almost 2. What the hell! So the moral of this trip is if you want bigger boobs train for an Ironman. Seriously.. I am still shaking my head. Hahaha!

Go ahead ladies sign up!

Definitely not what I expected

Good Morning,
So training has not been what I expected. I am glad I decided to do this race for a cause. It makes it all that more special and when I feel like quitting a work out I know I can't because I am doing it for my nephew and many others who I keep near to my heart who suffer from disabilities. In addition to my nephew I have another special person in my life that I often think of when I don't want to do that 4 hour bike ride or that 13 mile run. Both my nephew and my friend inspire me to keep going and reach my goals.

So getting back to training. So about 6 months ago people were telling me how hard training is and fitting it in. They were not kidding. I am not so sure it is the workouts that are hard I think it is doing the workouts when your body does not want to move and you are so tired you may die. That's what is challenging about this. The fatigue your body goes through but you just have to keep pushing. For example, yesterday I had to run a six mile run picking up the pace each mile and keeping my heart rate in certain zones. My body was completely spent from the weekend 11 mile run on Saturday and 62 miles of constant hills on Sunday with a decent swim on Monday. I think I need new hips and back. Drop dead tired I lace up and go out the door yesterday and nailed the run even though I was exhausted. It really is amazing what the human body can put up with and I am putting it to the test.

I have a long three months ahead of me. I just have to realize this is my journey and I am doing it for me and my nephew. I have a handful of people who follow me and are interested in my journey and that is fine. I know it is not peoples thing. Some think I am crazy and don't get it and some probably think I am ridiculous and how can I take away time from my family to do something like this. Actually, I spend time with the family and make that a priority. I also know I am doing it for the right reason when my son comes out of the house on a Saturday morning as I am getting my bike ready for a ride, gives me a hug and says, "good luck mom. I love you." And he is also interested in racing triathlons now. If only I can get him to ride the damn bike. haha! So I personally feel good about this.

If you would like to learn more about the organization I am fundraising for and or donate please go to http://www.thesnowfoundation.org/rev3-triathlon-team-ian-2/
Make sure you put Team Ian in the notes section of the donation page.