So here I am...exactly 9 days before my first 1/2 Ironman!! Funny how time creeps up on you. I remember when it was months away, then weeks, now all of a sudden, a week from tomorrow I'll be heading to Muncie, IN...ready to race on July 7th! It's a bit overdue for me...a year ago I fractured my elbow exactly one week before Muncie - last year was to be my 1st I/2 IM...needless to say, with a fractured elbow at the very beginning of July, there was no Muncie, no more swimming or biking & most of my tri season was shot. I did race the women's tri at Bang's Lake in August, against my doctor's orders...but if you know me, I thought "it's only a sprint, I won't get hurt"...LOL Now, where's that bubble wrap for the next 7 days??
I've been thinking alot about whether or not I feel ready. I've certainly gone the distances before. And then some! Last night was my longest open water swim ever...2 miles (or as I'm still calling it...2+ miles)...with no wetsuit. Muncie will more than likely be no wetsuit - so I'm glad I've had to swim at LITH these past few weeks without a wetsuit - just so I know I can do it. My wetsuit has always been my "security blanket". I've been biking well over the 56 miles each weekend for the past few weeks...I'm good there. Most of my long rides have had a run after it also. And surprisingly, my legs have transitioned well. Last week I had a hilly 2 hour run...ugh, in the hot, humid weather. But I did it & was happy with my average pace. If I can hold that pace, or slightly better, at Muncie, I will be THRILLED!! And I've been pretty good at sticking to my nutrition plan...not perfect, but pretty good. However, being that this is my 1st, and that "unknown" is present in my mind...I'm not committing to any specific times.
Even though I didn't race Muncie last year due to my injury, I still went to support my friend Kim. So, in a way, I'm slightly less nervous because I've been there - although I haven't been on the course, I've seen the swim, been to the race site, know how far the hotel is from the race...slightly familiar than if I had never been there before. The drive, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired......
So...here goes...next week is race week...week before my 1st half...I'm going to try to be good. And remember what I always say to others..."There is no try. You either do or you don't." Remember that, Cath...LOL
Don't laugh...that is exactly how I described my open water swim experience at LITH last night. Now, I've swam there plenty of times over the past 3 years. But last night I swear, I felt like I was being tossed around as if I were in a washing machine! Right from the start...BAM! Then I'd turn to breathe and BOOM! Holy cow, I was in for a wild ride, I thought :) And to top it off, the air and water temps were so high wetsuits were not allowed . This was the first time I've ever swam LITH without a wetsuit. I knew I could do it, but I usually wear it just incase I have goggle issues and need to stop to adjust (which for me, happens frequently). Sort of my "security blanket"...after all, I've only been swimming for 3 years and yes, I still consider myself a beginner. My wetsuit is sleeveless, so even if it's warmer, I don't usually overheat, so had they been allowed, I would've worn it.
I had to swim 3 loops, without my security blanket...LOL I do spend a lot of time thinking while swimming. After all, what else is there to do? First lap was to be easy. Easy...in a washing machine? I knew from the start, don't be concerned about my time. Midway through the 1st loop I realized they changed the bouy layout...I kept looking and looking for that 1st bouy off the turn and it wasn't there! And as usual, I got off course after the last turn. Happens every time, no matter how many times I sight.
So loop #2...supposed to be moderate to fast. Ha! In a washing machine I thought, sure! Well I tried. It felt like I was putting out the effort. I took in a lot of water on the 2nd loop. Kept thinking that couldn't be good...but keep going!! I think I zoned out for a minute because I found myself almost adjusting my goggles underwater...oops, that wouldn't have been smart. So finished the 2nd loop and this is when I looked at my watch. Du-oh...bad idea. I just couldn't help myself. Sort of like when there is chocolate around...
So loop #3 was to be easy and I told myself, easy is easy. So I took it easy. Very easy. To the point my overall swim time for 3 loops was pathetic. But wait...I swam in a washing machine!! How many of you can say that? LOL So now I wonder what will IM Wisconsin's swim be like? Will it be that choppy...all those athletes at once? It's choppy at times on it's own (my 1st open water swimming experience was in Lake Monona...very choppy that day). Will the bouys be closer together so they are easier to find? Do I just go with the pack? What if the pack is swimming off course? Yikes...maybe I'll just NOT think about it. At all. Until race day. Then just go with the flow...and hope the flow stays on course!
So this was my 2nd women's only tri that I've competed in. Last year I did Bang's Lake and placed 3rd in AG but it was much small (about 300 vs. 1493 today). I was going into it healthy (meaning no injuries!), prepared & with a few goals in mind. I prepared like any other race. Got a good nights sleep on Friday as we all know, you don't sleep well the night before a race. Packed up my transition bag, the bike & got my nutrition ready Sat afternoon. What I hadn't planned on was good 'ol Erin, the foster dog, being sick Sat night & keeping me up most of the night. Not sure if it was from spending all day playing in the sun (she LOVES the sprinkler) or what...but she didn't eat her dinner & fidgeted in the bed all night. And her tummy was making some odd noises. I kept letting her outside for fear she'd get sick in the bed. Needless to say, by 2:30am I was still wide away & by 3:30am said screw it & got up.
Got to the race bright 'n early. Which I like to do anyways so I can get an end spot on the racks if they're not numbered. Score! Transition was set up in 5 min. So I had plenty of time to meander around & look for my friends, and make sure I knew how to find my transition spot for T1 & T2. Now, I did 3 things between Sat & this morning that I've NEVER done for a race (thank you Coach Jen!)...practiced my transitions on Sat (yes, my neighbor caught me running through my yard with my wetsuit, swim cap & goggles on!), did a 20 min warm up run pre-race & got into the water for a quick 5 min swim pre-race. I have never done any of that before! I found it so much easier to say "I'm not fast in transition" than to practice & maybe get faster :) And warm up? Who does that for a sprint? Little did I know ;)
The weather was not cooperating today though. I'm not someone who likes running in the heat. Ugh, my body doesn't want to move (I'm talking run) & I'm just plain miserable running in hot weather. I'm ok on the bike in the heat. And the water temp was about 77 I was told. They dumped cold water into the reservoir Fri to cool it off but by afternoon it was back up in the high 70's again. I'm ok with it...I'd rather have a bit warmer than too cold. People thought I was nuts for wearing my wetsuit - it actually felt a bit cooler than 77 but was so refreshing. I was going to enjoy this swim!
Luckily the waves went from oldest to youngest, after Elite & Survivor (women who've survived some kind of cancer...very cool!). So I was in wave 9. 1st mistake...I should've started at the front of my wave. But knowing I'm not super fast, I hung out about a 1/3 in, to avoid being swam over...UGH I wanted to swim the inside line the entire way...would keep me straight & it was the shortest distance. But I had to fight through breast strokers, back strokers & walkers. Yes, walkers. My biggest pet peeve in triathlon! They even instructed us in the course talk on Sat...if you're not going for time, are not the strongest swimmer or think you might need help - swim on the outside & leave the inside for those going for time. Obviously either these women didn't listen to the talk or just didn't care. And yes, I swam the entire time...did not get up & walk through the shallow part. That is me swimming in the green cap. Swam until I was pulling up sand :) Notice all the walkers. Boo for having the timing mat 2/3 the way up the sand hill though...everyone's swim times are longer because of it.
Fumbled w/ the wetsuit a bit (putting Body Glide on the outside of the legs didn't help them from sticking like it did last year) & soon I was off & out of T1. Some day I'd like to learn to bike/run without socks...that's always a bit challenging w/ wet feet, even with powder in the socks. The bike is pretty flat. A few small inclines but nothing to complain about. Again - I was passing on the left, the right & in the middle. I guess they just didn't care, but how frustrating & I was boxed in a few times. Still found myself braking more than usual on the turns, afraid of the bike slipping on something & me ending up with another fractured elbow. But overall, was happy with my bike (avg 21mph) & passed a ton of people.
Into T2...quite the little run to get back to my transition spot. I even passed a few women w/ my bike in T2...LOL We all laughed as I said "on your left". Ha! I had put the easy laces in my shoes yesterday so that helped with T2. Now this is where my training w/ Jen has helped tremendously. I don't have a GPS watch so never know my pace, and have always been horrible at pacing. Go out hard & with each mile slow down a significant amount. I've been working on running steady...and did a pretty good job of it. I hit mile 1 at 8:05 & ended up averaging 8:13/min miles. Success! In the past there would easily be 45+ seconds difference between each mile. Plus, it's the fastest I've ever run in a tri.
Not much to work on w/ nutrition in a sprint, but I do think I drank too much before race start...midway through the swim I had to pee (TMIaerobottle too. And my 2 "no no's" went off without a hitch...wore a tri top I've never worn before & had to buy new goggles yesterday. Tested them for about 5 min pre-race & went for it. Success with both! You worried for nothing Kim...
So...hit all my goals, as wishy washy as they were. Hit Jen's goal for me too! Pretty happy with the way the day went. Overall time 1:25:40. Just for shits & giggles, I looked up the ages of the women who beat me overall. I was beat by 3 women in their 50's!! One of them by 11 minutes...damn! Did not have my ice cream, but did pick up more Frosty Paws for Erin. "Suffer like a dog" said Coach Jen...LOL...my Erin does anything but suffer!
I wanted to blog this week but honestly, I just didn't have the time. Every night I had something going on & tonight I got home from LITH OW swim late & still trying to get things done. So...since I am racing Sunday, yes RACING, I will continue this blog after my race. While many people have already raced this year, many more than once, this is actually my 1st race of the season...shit happens & I just can't do the amount of races I'd like to this year.
So, this blog is To Be Continued...after SheRox on Sunday...
PS - Tonight was my 1st 1.5 mile swim at LITH. Prior to tonight, the most I've swam there was a mile. 3 laps. Yep. All I kept thinking at the end was "2 more & I've got the Madison IM swim down"...LOL
They make me faster & stronger. Coach Joe said this 3 years ago on my 1st ride on the Madison Ironman loop. Boy has that stuck in my head!! Who would've thought one little phrase could turn into something so powerful for me?! I seriously find myself saying it over and over as I'm climbing hills. Thanks Joe...it really does help!
Last week was my first ride on the Madison loop for this year. Overall, it wasn't as bad as I had remembered. Quite possibly, this was because when I rode it last year, from mile 15-40 I rode it with an arm injury which turned out to be a fractured elbow. So admittedly, last week I was a bit skittish on the downhills and near gravel...but I got in 60 hilly miles. Yes, 60...one full loop & a mini out-n-back on part of the 2nd loop. Note...the course is NOT meant to ride backwards...I found a hill on the backside worse than the 3 you know who's!! It was the only time I verbalized "Oh shit, this really hurts"...The ride went well. So did the short run after. Thankfully, I rode the course on Friday before the heat hit...here's to praying for cool weather on Sept 9th!!
And still loving the cadence on the bike computer. To all who told me last year to get cadence (Coach Jen I specifically remember you chiming in saying YES)...thank you. I love it! Nothing like seeing 5mph w/ 48 cadence staring at you while climbing Madison hills!! With no smaller ring to change down to. Although I'm convinced somehow the speed is off...convinced. The bike shop will think I'm crazy though if I bring it back in :( Seriously though, I think it's a great feature & am so glad I chose to go with it this time.
Sun I had a long trail run. Found the best place to run trails thanks to my friend Holly!! The old Meadowdale Speedway...no wonder she loves it so much. And let's not forget, it is HILLY! Wow, those were some hills. Thank you Holly...you've been raving about this place forever & I finally checked it out. Muncie has a hilly run I'm told so it was practice. And there too, I kept saying to myself "hills are my friends, they make me stronger & faster". One can hope!
And my swims...let's just say this, I've finally graduated to the 3,000 meter mark...seems like a whole lotta laps. One of these days I'm going to figure out how many laps equals 2.4 miles. So I know I can stop there :)
Madison is just around the corner. Why do I have a feeling training has only just begun??
Holy crap! That's just around the corner...I can't believe I've been training for 4 months already & Ironman is less than 4 months away. So much to do, so much to do!! Like get through my 1st 1/2 Ironman...which is Muncie, July 7th...last year, well, maybe I shouldn't talk about it & jinx myself. Let's just say, I'm going to wrap myself in bubble wrap the entire week before Muncie :) So this year my focus is really Madison. Not doing a bunch of little races. Just trying to stay healthy, uninjured & get my training in. And I am. And training is going good.
Last week I had probably one of the best brick workouts ever. I have no idea why...Sat I ran an hour something & did pilates. Sun I rode just under 3 hours then had an hour run. Boy was I dreading that run. And an HOUR to boot (sorry Jen, but this is what I was thinking...LOL). I rode Barrington Hills with some good bikers, which translates into Cathy hauling butt the entire time trying to keep up. The only thing I struggled with was taking in all the fluids I needed to...I really struggled with drinking as much as I was supposed to. Will have to work on that! And normally I get off the bike & well, you know how the legs feel. Like not wanting to run! But I did and the run went surprisingly good. Bonus was the time flew by.
Did I mention too that my new bike computer has cadence? Yeah, I know, many of you have it already. But this is new to me. I likey!! But boy, 90 sure isn't what I thought it was. As with everything else, seeing the actual number sure does something to my effort level!! Very cool to see what my average was after doing 40+ hilly miles. Anyways - new toy, something different to make the time pass during long rides.
Runs this past week felt good too. And my swims, oh heck, yes, they are going well too. I'm never going to be super fast, or probably even fast, but as long as I'm seeing improvement, I'm good with it. A friend asked me a few weeks ago how long I could swim for without stopping (he was swimming due to an Achilles problem). I told him I just need to swim 2.4 miles & not one stroke more!!! And I mean it :)
Wow, what a week! Coming off my rest week but man, I got my butt kicked. More than once!! I took some classes taught by my favorite instructors & overall had great workouts. OK, well, one more day to go...but assuming it doesn't rain tomorrow, I know I'll have a good bike ride.
I've said before, I love my weight training (although admittedly struggling with fitting it into my workout schedule lately). Over the past month or so, I've substituted my Sunday strength training session with a yoga class...one that uses light weights & a ball. I love this class! I'm not a traditional yoga person, but this class I love. I think it's geared towards athletes. I actually work up a sweat :)
And bad timing (day before my 2nd swim test...more on that later) but I took a No Limits class this week also. It's just what the name implies. Full body workout - no limits. Yes, Alisa, if you read this, you kicked my butt. I was sore for 2 days! Love it :) Unfortunately, with my normal schedule, I don't get to take her class, so bonus I was able to this week.
Wed was my 2nd swim test...seeing if I improved on my average pace per 100 meters. Where I'm NOT going to tell you what it is, I will say this...SCORE!!!!!!!!!! I dropped 9 seconds off my average 100m pace. I'm still not a fan of swimming but I'm very happy that I'm seeing improvement. Now to keep my elbow from entering the water before my hand...I've been corrected twice on that, by the same person on top of it and months apart. Still things to work on with regards to form, but at least I know what the issues are so I know what to work on :) Just happy about the swim test.....!
Had 2 good runs this week. Legs felt good, no pain. At this point, I'm not as concerned about my pace as I am staying injury free. Yes, I'm injury prone & there's no way I'm letting some injury screw up my season this year! I have enough other things doing that...LOL Did hill repeats today. Thanks to Donna for suggesting a hill close to home!! Holy steep hill though! I could've done without seeing the snake...yuk, it just laid there on the hill and didn't move. I kept thinking with each hill repeat I'm getting more tired & one of these times he's gonna slither onto me. UGH...but the run was good & fingers crossed tomorrow my shins will still feel OK.
Hoping for no rain tomorrow. I switched my weekend workouts so I could ride Barrington Hills with a group tomorrow. Looking forward to it! Haven't ridden with these guys in a few years so it'll be interesting. And I need to figure out how my new computer works...it has cadence & I've never had that on a bike before. I just hope I don't crash cuz I'm looking down at the computer while riding instead of watching where I'm going!!
So, overall, very good week. Now, I'm going to end with a question...if there are any Ironman. reading this...I have 2 cages on my bike for bottles. That's it. Do I need both an aero bottle as well as the behind the seat cages? I see bottles always popping out of the behind the seat ones...so just looking for opinions. Any particular brands you like? Any suggestions/comments will be much appreciated!!
