Taking on the Ironman

Ironman Race Report

2009-06-25T13:53:00.001-07:00

140.6 miles of fun...yes, now that I've had a few days to digest everything and wrap my head around the experience, I can say I had fun! Mind you, not fun like jumping on a trampoline until you pee your pants or a pizza eating contest type of fun, but as much fun as you can have while working your butt off for over 13 hours and eating only gu while doing so.

The whole event was amazing...I couldn't have asked for a better race. My mental preparation really played a big role in how I raced. I didn't get too "high" and didn't get too "low"...I stayed really even keeled and just enjoyed it as much as I could.

The day started with a 4am wake-up call (ok, more like 2am when I woke up to pound a gatorade and some food...huge help, so I didn't have a super big breakfast and thus big belly/poopy problems later in the morning...I wasn't able to sleep after that) and a 5am shuttle ride to the race start. It was CHILLY...it was high 40's low 50's and not the kind of weather that leaves the water beckoning. My family and friends were not pleased to be sitting on the cold concrete wall waiting for the swim start! I got to the start, dropped off my special needs bags and put air in my tires/prepped my bike and then was off to watch the pro's swim start. I stood there shivering (I claim it's because I was cold, mom says it was nerves and adrenaline) and eventually put my wetsuit on to stay warm. I was weirdly calm the whole morning and only had one big wave of nausea come over me. It was great to have my friends and family there to distract me and make me laugh. Making my way to the swim start I was looking for my fellow Nashvillians, Ben and Sarah, I couldn't find them, and figured it may be better to be alone and not get worked up anyway...so I stood there waiting, waiting, waiting for the gun to go off.

Swim:

The gun went off at 7am and we were off...the beginning of a very long day! I had positioned myself halfway down the beach and towards the middle/back of the crowd...don't want to get kicked in the money maker! ;) The water was cold at first, but completely forgot about it as I was wrestling people. It was super choppy (so windy!) and it was a tough swim. I kept my cool and made sure to breathe every third stroke and just got in a groove. I would have to take action every now and again and push someone off me or side slam someone to get them off my back, but it really was pretty uneventful. The first lap felt great, I had to tell myself to slow down because I was so jazzed...I hopped out of the water, jaunted over the timing mat and splashed back in for round two. Round two was a lot choppier, the wind had picked up and made the "waves" bigger...there was a lot more lake drinking this time around. I also had a little more difficulty swimming in a straight line...I'm pretty sure I logged 3 miles! I continually told myself to take it easy and apparently I took my inner voice to heart because my second lap was a good two minute slower...oops! Not to mention EVERYONE would stop and do the breath stroke around the corner buoys...so annoying...it was a complete traffic jam...at one point I yelled "swim people!"...there's my aggressive side coming out, sorry! I finished the swim in 1:18, 2 minutes faster than what I planned, so I am happy about that!

T1:

The transition was great, there were wetsuit peelers that threw you to the ground and ripped off your suit...little did I know that I would have to sprint through the transition area in my bathing suit!!! At that point I saw my dad and brother screaming for me...I looked at them exclaiming "I didn't know I'd have to run in my bathing suit, yuck!!"...they laughed that I would think about something like that during my transition. I sprinted towards the changing tent hoping no one was looking at my thighs! The volunteers in the tent were most likely sent from heaven...I was so jostled from the swim that I couldn't stand very well to put my clothes on. I ripped my suit off and stood there pretty much stark nekkid as I tried to pull spandex on my wet body...a real wrestling match! After some struggle she sat me down and literally put my socks and shoes on for me...asking me what I needed in my bag. I told her to avert her eyes as I applied body glide (she laughed) and then I was off...Orby, here I come! My whole crew was there as I got to my bike and took off...I teared up a little seeing them!

Bike:

"Go out slow, go out slow, high RPM's, high RPM's"...was my mantra during the bike. Yes, people were passing me and as they did I would say to myself, well at least I swam faster than you (whether it was true or not, it helped)...I would also envision someone I know from Nashville that is a better athlete than I when they passed...saying "oh, there goes Lynn/Kevin/Tammy/Richard...hey guys!" knowing that I would never catch those people in real life, so why would I try on race day? This kept me going at my own pace and riding my own ride. Sarah and I kept seeing each other on the course, so it made for a fun ride because we would chat for a little bit. I was on with my nutrition and drinking, so much so that I had to stop 5, yes 5, times to tinkle. Probably could have saved myself 10-12 minutes had I just let 'er rip, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I came to mile 63 where special needs was located and refueled my food stock and filled my bottle with my gatorade I had mixed (much less sweet than what they have on the course). I couldn't find anywhere to place my PB&Honey sandwich, so I stuffed it down my top (it was in a baggy, hush). A few miles later after I consumed half my sandwich, I put the rest back into my top...apparently half of it was falling out because I heard someone on the sidelines exclaim "ewww, that's gross"...I looked around thinking "what's gross? I wanna see!" and then looked down and realized she was talking about me and my boobie smashed sandwich...whoops! The ride went as planned until about mile 75ish. My IT band on my right leg started KILLING me. My left IT band would hurt during training every now and again, but never anything major and never on runs...but my right IT band, this was something new...and it's the one that has hurt me before while running. I was super nervous about it and was in a lot of pain when pedaling. There were times in the last 30 miles where I would literally grunt and groan aloud...I eventually stopped at mile 105 to put on my IT band wrap but it didn't do any good. It was difficult to hold a 15mph pace on the flats...I was pissed. I couldn't push any harder, my knee hurt so bad. By the time I got to T2, I was soooo ready to be off that god forsaken bike! Again, there were my brother and dad at the transition and my brother said he has never seen me look so angry in my life...and this is coming from the guy who used to pin me down and spit in my face! I dismounted my bike and there were mom, Meghan, Katie and MV...I ran over and gave them all a hug and then trotted to the bike/run transition bags...all the while wondering what my knee was going to do on the run. Bike was 7:05...I had planned on 7:00 back in January and secretly in my head thought I could do 6:45 after all the training I put in, but I would gladly take the 7:05 if it meant my knee would hold up on the run...(stay tuned...ok, read below).

T2:

Much better than T1...stripped my diaper shorts off and opted for my tri-shorts. I pretty much mooned everyone outside the tent I'm pretty sure. T2 was much quicker than T1...I glided up my feet, put on fresh socks, shoes, visor, stretched my IT band and was off (oh yeah, after another potty break...I was sooo hydrated!).

Run:

After a few test steps my knee felt fine, absolutely great...hallelujah! I kept my IT band strap thingy on for the first 13 miles just in case (until I realized it had rubbed me raw and I was bleeding down my leg...not pretty, and I'm sure people were exclaiming "ewww, gross" again). I am never a good judge of my pace when I first get off the bike. I felt like I was going super slow, but clocked the first mile at 9:30...30 seconds faster than my planned pace. I made myself slow down (or so I thought) and continued to hold sub 10:00's for the first 16 miles at least. I was pumped...I kept wondering "when am I going to hit the wall?"...but then would force myself to think something positive. I did exactly as I had planned and walked through each aide station...the walks did get a little longer as the miles ticked off, but I would always start running by the end of the station, no matter what (at first I would start running prior to the end of the station). I got to see my family 4 times on the run (and the bike for that matter) and they were huge motivators! By the third time I saw them I had no energy left to high five and wave, I could simply nod and smile to let them know I was acknowledging them. The second loop of the marathon proved to be tougher (obviously, right?) the rain came through and soaked us and by mile 20 I was starting to feel the pain. I made it to mile 20 without having to do any extra walking, but mile 21 was uphill and I couldn't force myself to do it. I run/walked the hill and then kept running as we turned around and went back down. It was around mile 23/24 that I found the wall. Luckily I didn't smack right into it, but it was there and I was trying my best to push that stupid wall away. I managed to run up until mile 24 where I started to do more run/walking...giving myself visuals as to where I would start running again if I started to walk (it worked). I ran a quarter mile or so with a man who asked "what mile are you on?" (some were on 24 while others on 12ish) and I said "gasp, twenty, gasp, four"...a huge smile came on his face and he said "CONGRATULATIONS!"...I thanked him and smiled, just knowing I had done this! Right at the end of mile 25 someone said "three more turns and you'll see the finish line"...I knew I was there, and I picked it up knowing the end was near. Three more quick turns and there it was...the streets were lined with people and everyone was cheering. I quickly became emotional after holding everything at bay all day long...I would choke up and do a quick sob and then I would laugh and smile, over and over all the way to the finish line...I was this weird manic/depressive for the last .2 miles. Someone yelled "keep smiling" and I did...I crossed the first timing mat and threw my hands in the air and waved and and smiled through the finishers chute. I saw my family and friends and waved and smiled at them...then 13 hours, 12 minutes and 34 seconds after my toes hit the water, I crossed the finish line. I think I said "oh my god"...but I'm not really sure. I barely heard "Tilghman Carroll, from Nashville, Tennessee, you are an IRONMAN!" because my family was screaming so loud...I cried like a baby at the finish line (and am tearing up just thinking about it). I got my finishers medal, t-shirt and hat and then saw my family waiting there. I broke down again and we all cried and hugged and cried. My dad surprised me the most with his water works...everyone was so happy I had survived and came through unscathed (relatively). My marathon was a 4:32...this was a huge shock because with the exception of my 4:04 PR 6 of my 8 marathons have been within 4 minutes of 4:30, that means I ran my average marathon time after swimming and biking all day...absolutely crazy!

I can't tell you how amazing this whole experience has been. All the training leading up to it and the event itself. I could NOT have done it without the help of my friends and family there...it was the biggest motivator knowing I would get to see them and try to make them proud. The race was fantastic and all the volunteers deserve a medal themselves...they were all so nice and accommodating. I couldn't have asked for a better day, rain, wind, cold water and all...everything went off without a hitch and I ran the race I had been envisioning for months. I am so happy I did this and know that I will probably do another one (no one ever said I was sane)...hopefully Coach will work with me again!

There are loads of pictures I want to post and can't choose just a few, so you can choose or yourself...see my pics here...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=88le0at.9rivuns9&x=0&y=lph7sr&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button

"Tilghman Carroll You Are An IRONMAN!"

2009-06-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

I did it...I really did it. Completed the full race 18 minutes under what I wanted...13 hours and 12 minutes. A long, long, long day...but I did it!

I will post a race report once I get pictures, etc.

Thanks to everyone for their unconditional support!

It's Game Time Sports Fans!!!

2009-06-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

We are on the less than 12 hour countdown...it's officially here, it's game time. The clown car arrived this afternoon and delivered the rest of the family and friends. My team is 7 deep and I am so happy and grateful they are here to support me. I have driven the bike course and run course, they look tough, but I know I can handle them. The weather gods appear to be cooperating, or trying to, and we should have a dry bike at least, if not a dry run. I have tested the waters and they are cold but manageable. Everything is set and ready to go. I have made my list and checked it twice.

LET'S DO THIS!!!!

The swim course this evening...it looks nice and calm!

All the bikes are ready to go!!

Checking my timing chip and getting final instructions.

Going for a test swim...it was super choppy and cold, fingers crossed it will be smooth as glass tomorrow!

All the signs friends and families made for the racers along the run course. You were only supposed to make one per participant, we made three...whoops!

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain

2009-06-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

...we made it over the river and through the woods...alas, we ended up in Coeur d'Alene and not grandma's house. After a lovely drive (Washington is sooooo beautiful, I miss it) we made it to the destination where it will all go down!

Mom, Meghan and I met up with my dad and hit the town for a little dinner (a lot of dinner for me) and then dad showed us his recon skillz of where bikes will be stashed. You can definitely feel the buzz around town. It kills me (with laughter) watching all the athletes wearing their latest 70.3 race shirt, or m-dot hat or compression socks to go to dinner. I kept a low profile opting for jeans and a sweater, athlete in disguise...if they don't know you are racing they won't ask and it helps to keep the nerves at bay. We sat outside on Lake Coeur d'Alene and had a nice meal of food...we watched multiple people fly by on their bikes in aero position, looking tough and fast...that's when things start creeping into my mind. Should I be out there trying to look tough?...is it possible for me to look fast?...I know it says rest today, but should I be putting in one last two hour run?...argh, silly thoughts, get out of my dome!

Nashville Tilghman is back...I awoke at 5am on the dot this morning and struggled to get back to sleep. I decided to get up, grab some coffee, and do my short ride/run before everyone else starts stirring. I will then make them watch me suffer in the water for my short swim (not the prescribed order on my plan...but logistically it's easier)...all of this of course, after a little bloggy bloggin'! ;) Then it's off to officially check in (pooping my pants thinking about that) and then drive the course...then sloth around. Oh yeah, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate...

Ready to go! Have you ever seen so much stuff for three people?

Oh crap, it's a reality!

I had to test the waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene. It didn't seem too bad (shiver, shiver)...I guess I'll find out for sure later today.

I was trying to give hIM a little hug but it looks like I'm wringing his neck...which I may be doing in my head come Sunday towards the end of the run!

#177

2009-06-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

That's me, #177...I officially have an Ironman race number! I have given this to my friends and family to track me, however, I'm always a little weary about tracking people with their chips because I followed my friend at the Chicago Marathon and two days later I received an email saying "Justin just crossed the 5k mark in 21ish minutes"...uh, Justin finished the race two days ago! So call Katie if you want a real up to date status.

Anyhoo, we are finishing up the final race prep. Lots of lists and such. Mom and I did a grocery run to get the essentials that I didn't pack with me...lots o' Gatorade, PB sammich makings, bagels, newtons, potatoes, the whole she-bang. Gassing up the Suburban and putting air in the tires...you know all the travel essentials. I also realized that it's not as hot in the northwest as it is in the south. Funny that I grew up here but didn't quite register this as I was packing...so we headed off to REI to buy some arm warmers for me to wear on the bike (should I need them)...apparently I somewhat remembered this phenomenon of it being colder in the mountains, because I packed my leg warmers...go figure, I'm going insane...shocking, I know.

I am also still in the "calm before the storm" mode. I haven't really been too jacked up about the race...it's like I've been bit by the Tsetse fly and all I care to do is sleep. I did a 25 minute swim and a 30 minute run today and it was like I was struggling to get it done. This is what I HATE about tapering. I know that this is what it feels like, but I just loathe it...I feel like fatty fatterson trying to run three miles and it's hard to justify carb loading when you are sitting on your butt all day long...absolutely hate it (I have managed to watch 5 movies already). However, I did have my best marathon after really sticking to the taper, so I know inside my head that it's right, but it's just so difficult. I have a massage tomorrow before we hit the road...hopefully that will get me feeling good and I know that once I get to Coeur d'Alene the adrenaline will start pumpin'!

As we hopped in the car yesterday my mom handed me these little motivational rock thingies...she saw them the other day and thought of me...exactly what I need as some sort of mantra...she jokingly said "put them in your shoe for the run!"....hahahahahaha!

See...I am going insane...I am seeing things...Cash?! Jokes...my parents and I have "matching" dogs! (doesn't Zach look like he's missing a leg...don't worry, it's tucked up under his belly).

Isolated Thunderstorms...

2009-06-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Om!

What a bullsh*t way to predict the weather...I think that's a cop out for the weather man to say, I have no idea what's going to happen. Well, figure it out, would ya? Looking at the weather and seeing sunny and 70 on Saturday and isolated t-storms on Sunday is not putting my mind at ease. Luckily I have had enough rainy weather riding prep, but the thought of dodging storms all day is not cool...especially when I'm sitting in a pretzel pose trying to zen myself out imagining a smooth easy race day. How can you reach nirvana when there are lightning bolts flashing in your mind?

My dad called from Spokane last night (he's over there for work this week) and took a quick drive over to Couer d'Alene to "check it all out." He gave me a full report..."yup, it's still here, Coeur d'Alene is still here (it didn't blow away or anything)...waiting for you!...the water is right there and the starting line is right there...there will be a place for you to stash your bike while you swim and run...and the town is ready." Uh, thanks dad...he cracks me up...so cute that he drove over there on a recon mission, even cuter that he thinks I don't know there's a "place to 'stash' my bike" while I swim and run! Rookie! ;)

I have been sleeping a SOLID 9 hours a night...I don't even rustle until 8am, totally abnormal for Nashville Tilghman, but it always happens when I come home...I immediately revert back to high school days of sleeping 'til noon. What happened to my 5:00 automatic alarm clock? I'm not complaining...good for the ol' body...plus the 2 hour nap yesterday didn't hurt either...zzzzzz. Ironman?, what Ironman?...someone hit snooze!

All The King's Horses...

2009-06-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

...and all the King's men...went and put Orby together again!

Hmmm, traveling across the country and need to bring my bike...how does this work? Luckily Coach saved me about $500 dollars in packaging and shipping and let me borrow his bike box for the airplane. I went to the local bike shop and had them disassemble and pack it for me. I watched them like a hawk and had them teach me everything they were doing since I am going to have to take it apart on Monday night once back in Seattle to fly out Tuesday...yikes. There were lots of parts being taken off and strewn around and I thought I was going to vomit at one point...please be careful with Orby! I was having visions of wheels falling off and handles bars flying off mid race...ahhh!! As soon as I touched down in Seattle my mom and I went to the local bike shop back home and had them put it back together...I snapped a pic of what it looked like tucked away in the box so I can hopefully simulate it!

Poor Orby...all scrunched up...how the hell am I going to do this...I see bickering with my mom in the near future..."no, it goes there, not there!!!" ;)

Once Orby was reassembled I took her out for a spin (don't worry it was on my schedule). It was a gorgeous day in Seattle...sunny, low 70's...not your typical June weather (gasp, no rain!) I rode this piece of bike trail that has apparently been there for 25 years, but my parents had just discovered...what?! It is right by our house and takes you along highway 520 to Marymoor Park. Marymoor is where we always took our bikes as kids...you can hit the Sammamish River and Burke-Gilman trails...now, you have to have strong will power while riding these trails, because the Chateau Ste Michelle winery and Red Hook Brewery happen to be situated along the route. Growing up we would ride our bikes to the winery and have picnic lunches with the fam...good times...and lots of reminiscing while I was riding.

The trails were super crowded...people come out of the woodwork here when it's a sunny Saturday!

Nice view from the bike path...

Home Again, Home Again Jiggidy Jig!

2009-06-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Always good to be home!

I landed in Seattle on Friday and came home to find the home base Team Tilly coordinator hard at work. Mom has been busy making signage and hatage for everyone to wear along with their super sweet t-shirts. Now I will surely see them while out there racing. It is always nice to be home...have breakfast made for you, clothes cleaned and no worries...perfect way to spend my pre-race week. I had my 10 year (ahhh, 10 years!) high school reunion this past weekend and it was a blast...it was so fun to see my old friends and teachers. My high school track and cross country coach was there and he couldn't believe I was doing an Ironman...told him he had started an obsession! It was a great time and there were definitely a few beers...so now that it's over I have an IV of water and gatorade in my arm to keep me hydrated for this race!

Mom, hard at work making posters/signs for everyone to carry during the race.

Super cute, huh? So creative with the m-dot in there!

Yeah, the spelling is wrong...we have learned to make it easier for others to read, thus more cheering and less Til-ga...no, Tilj-...no, Tilg-haman...!

I like how well she captured my ass in the runner! ;)

That's What Friends Are For

2009-06-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

I will beat anyone in a "my friends are better than your friends" contest. My friends literally are the best you could ask for! I was thrown a Good Luck shin-dig on Wednesday, and they all came to see me off before I left for Coeur d'Alene via Seattle. Not only did they put together this par-tay, but they had gifts, cake and fabulous decorations...I mean, seriously, the BEST friends!

The party started at 8:00 and I was nervous that I would fall asleep before showing up to my own event, but all this tapering has me jumping out of my skin...who needs an 8:30 bedtime? I can swing it 'til 8:45 now! ;) It was originally supposed to be a surprise, but they all figured I was too stubborn and would try to go to swim practice and then be too tired to meet up...they know me too well!

I felt like a celebrity and can't thank my besties enough!

The gift they gave me...a picture from Gulf Coast 70.3 with well wishes written by everyone all around it...so fun!

These are the besties...don't even think about trying to steal them...I will hunt you down and kick you in the shin! Thank you Katie, Amy and Lisa for organizing and getting everyone together!!

I mean, for the love, they got me a picture cake...these ladies rock! I didn't want to cut it...it was so glorious!

Lisa and me...thanks for all your hard work on this Lisa, it was such a fun surprise!!

Head Gear

2009-06-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Can anyone possibly look cool in this? What is "this?" you ask...it's my super sweet neoprene hood that I may, if I'm lucky, get to wear in the swim. The water has been around 61 degrees in Lake Coeur d'Alene, so a ear/head warmer may be necessary. Not only do I get to sport this puppy, but I will also put my swim cap on over it...double the fun! I'm thinking I may start donning my new chapeau in the winter months, or get some further use out of it during my Mt. Rainier climb...the possibilities with this are endless. I have a feeling it could be seen in a future "Cash's Christmas Card"...he's been known to wear worse!

This almost makes me jealous of my friends doing IMKY...no hoodies will be used there! Nah, I'll stick with the races that aren't in the 90+ degree heat/humidity!

Bubble Wrap

2009-06-09T11:55:00.001-07:00

If you haven't figured it out by now...I am so freakin' close to this race that it's frightening. My friends feel they need to wrap me in bubble wrap so that I can remain unscathed for the next 12 days. I went for a 70 mile ride (last long ride!) on Saturday and I stayed way back so I wouldn't risk crossing tires with anyone or miss seeing a pothole because I'm too busy chatting it up with my buddies. I am proceeding with caution wherever I go. During our run on Sunday a mountain biker came out of nowhere and almost ran into us...my friend Tammy yelled at him "stop!"...on our Saturday ride Patrick rode between me and the road so he would get hit by the cars, not me...after lunch today Pete drove me to my car so I wouldn't have to walk and risk wearing myself out...we are all on high alert! I have even resorted to wearing flats at work...no more three inch heels for me the next few days! I always say "safety first"...now I need to live my motto!

If you see someone resembling this walking down the street, don't worry, it's just me! It will certainly take many more ounces of fluid to stay hydrated wearing this contraption...I surely will sweat my butt off in this thing! ;)

Swim, Bike, Run.

2009-06-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

That's all I have to do...swim...bike...run.

Breathe.

One at a time, breathe, focus on the small piece...do one loop of swim, focus on that, breathe every third stroke, stay contained...don't let others kicking and flailing freak me out, breathe, focus on form...get out of the water, run over timing mat...breathe...swim second loop, just focus on that...don't think about the run, or crossing the finish line...baby steps, one piece at a time, breathe. Get out of the water, focus on transition one...do I have everything I need for a successful ride?"...breathe...bike the first loop...focus on high cadence, going at a reasonable pace, "staying within myself,"...breathe...let the others pass me, I will catch them on the run or they are a better athlete than I am...focus on me...do the second loop of the bike, breathe...now I know what to expect...focus on high cadence, easy riding up the hills, gain ground on the downs and flats...stay strong, within my abilities, breathe...cross the timing mat into transition 2...make sure I have glided up, including feet!, take my time, breathe...do I have everything I need for a successful run?, fuel, water, clothing...head out on the run...one mile at a time...one aid station at a time...breathe...don't think about mile 20, think about mile 1...go out SLOW, keep a conservative pace...better to run slower and longer than fast and bonk...breathe...no such thing as walking, no such thing...run, run, run...pass those who went out too hard on the bike and are walking...I have done this distance before, 8 times before, I know the pain, I know I can push through it, I know I can run...RUN to the finish line...see the crowds cheering, see my family, see my friends...see the ultimate goal...see IRONMAN!...breathe!

I am a jacked up ball of nerves right now. I am constantly visualizing the race, how I want to execute the perfect race for my abilities, how I will handle any set backs and how I will have the experience of my life. I am a goal oriented person, I always have course maps of marathons, triathlons, etc. posted on my walls at work...I have had my IMCDA course maps directly over me for 7 months now...I look at them every day...come Friday I will look at them no more...I will leave to start this adventure, this adventure I truly started 7 months ago after running marathon number 8 and looking for the next challenge...or maybe it started 14 years ago when I realized I ran one lap around the track without walking and that I wanted to see if I could run two...then three and four.... I cannot believe it is so close! There are crazy dreams creeping into my head...but the main thing in these dreams is a little voice that says "you can do it"..."go out at your pace, this is your race and no one else's"..."be conservative on the bike and you will conquer the run"..."you can and will do this!"...I truly feel so ready!

These are the maps I printed off back in November that have been looming above me at work every day, reminding me of what I'm working towards and what I will be tackling on June 21st.

Stolen Cars

2009-06-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, you know, absolutely know, that you have gone off the deep end with your Ironman obsessing when your car gets stolen and all your worry about is how this is going to affect your training/race prep/week before you leave for Seattle.

Yes, my car got stolen this morning...you heard me, stolen. I met four friends this morning in Centennial Park, right off busy West End Ave, for a nice 10 mile jaunt. "Oh, good morning friends, let me just stash my key in my hiding spot and we'll be on our merry way." Apparently some jack ass (excuse the language) saw me do this and thought it would be cool to take my car. I yogged back into the park and did a slight double take to notice my car was no longer in it's original spot...where did it go? I was at first annoyed "great, now I have to cancel my credit cards, call the police, get a new cell phone...don't these people know I want to go to breakfast and take my dog to the lake?"...then I was angry, no, pissed!, "argh! bastards!"...then I remembered my house keys, license, etc. were in my car and that they could go to my house and steal/hurt my dog...I broke down and started bawling! My friends were amazing and started helping me call credit card companies, banks, police, etc. Eventually the police came and as they were taking my report a call came into the station that an anonymous caller saw the car behind the market four blocks away...what?! We drove over and there she was, completely unscathed...in fact, the jerks put my car key back in it's original hiding spot...what?!?! Needless to say it was quite the morning...and not the way you want to return from a VERY hot and waterless 10 mile run! I am now a little lighter sans wallet, ipod and phone...but joke is on them, that phone is from the Zach Morris days of cellular technology...and the idiots left my blackberry...again, what?

I realized I had a problem when I look at my friend Lynn and said "I'm going to need a ride to swim practice today." Yeah, I was thinking about how I was going to get to OWS practice 3 minutes after realizing my car had been stolen...what?!, insane, I know. Luckily the vehicle was found and they didn't steal my helmet and bike shoes (believe me, had a minor panic attack about that too...lord knows, you can't buy new ones!) and I was able to drive to practice to get in some swimmin'...whew! (insert someone making the "cookoo face" here). I think someone was testing my wits...luckily, I think I passed.

I Watched an Ironman and All I Got Was This Stupid T-Shirt

2009-06-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

As mentioned, I have quite the cheering squad coming to CdA to watch me suffer, er race, on June 21st. Mom and I have always tried to find something for her to wear during my marathons so that I can easily pick her from the crowd...sometimes this works, other times not so much (see London Marathon when she wore a red hat...well, apparently the official volunteer color was red, more specifically red hats...where the hell is mom...I got nauseous trying to spot her!...and never did until the finish!) So, I have put together special t-shirts for my crew...Team Tilly! shirts, hilarious! I hope I can spot my big green team while I'm out there swimming, biking and running!...if I can't see them I know I will hear them!

You've Been Very Knotty!

2009-06-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

I went to get a massage yesterday to work out some of the kinks that have been building up over the past few months. I love how IM training allows for you to "need" massages to help repair and heal your muscles...usually I'm just considered an overindulgent snob, but now it's for the benefit of my Ironman...yeah, right! I mean it's on my training plan, right there in writing..."massage"...uh, ok, coaches orders, I have to do it! (I have been wondering what I've been paying him for and now I figured it out...his plans include massage days!)

Well, I planned it perfectly...have the massage at 7:45, slip out of there after an hour and glide right into bed...genius! Now I can be super relaxed and then just drift right to sleep! Oh sweet mother of god, that was not the case. Apparently I drew the psycho masseuse card. I'm not talking about "oh, could you please lighten the pressure, that's a little tough"...no, she might as well have been using a meat tenderizer on me, hammering it on my back over and over again...I was like ground beef walking out of there. I knew there was a problem when I was lounging in the quiet area reading up on the parties around town in N Focus magazine (where do these people find time to attend galas and parties...don't they know there's a long bike ride the next morning?) and I see this flash of a person fly by back and forth, hurrying and scurrying along in a very ungraceful fashion. "Please, please, please don't let that lummox be assigned to me, please!"...card's up...she's mine! The girl had me grimacing within the first three seconds and I think I was even more tense, fearing what she was going to do, than when I had walked in there. She found muscles I didn't even knew existed and preyed on the ones that had been overly abused at swim practice that morning after about 1200 yards of pulling. "Make the madness stop, please...why didn't I sign up for 30 minutes?...an hour!?! HELP! " Even the parts that you expect to be gentle, you know toes, head, face, were an all out beating...not ease or grace about it...I was being pummeled. Even though I was in a constant state of fear and panic for the entire hour, I walked out of there really loose and actually felt great. I did go home and try to see if I had bruises on my back...probably resembling a dog who hears himself fart, looking around and around at my back trying to see something.

Alas, all the benefits were lost less than 24 hours later at swim practice when Ashley had us do 15x200, with a 600 warm up and 400 cool down...4,000...yep, my back's all jacked up again!

It's June, wait, what?...IT'S JUNE!!!!!

2009-06-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, crappy job with my photo, I know.

Oh lord, it's June! June, June, June...I flipped my calendar and there it was, staring me down, taunting me, questioning my work...June 21st. The M-Dot I drew on my calendar back in January is there, right there on June 21st...isn't there another month between May and June...Mune?, Jay?...nope, nothing...it's here, less than three weeks away, 18 days, hours, minutes, seconds.

Am I ready, yes...am I freaking out, absolutely!!!

I have come leaps and bounds from where I was in January...it's amazing how the body can adapt and grow with the stresses you put on it. You start looking forward to long rides, getting up before your alarm and feeling like poop if you only work out for an hour instead of 4. I am in a constant state of buzz...I have adrenaline and anxiety pulsing through my veins, getting huge surges when I actually let myself really think about it all. My stomach will knot up and my eyes will swell...I cannot wait to toe the line, cannot wait to finish the swim and hop on my bike, cruise for a cool 112 miles and lace up my shoes for marathon #9...CANNOT wait to cross that finish line and see my friends and family standing there...cannot wait for the hugs and and high fives and the post race foot rub down...cannot wait to be an IRONMAN!!! And sickly I cannot wait to see what's next!

Three weeks to go...tapering and taking care of my body...eating right, getting a few massages, hydrating, hydrating, hydrating. "The hay is in the barn" my coach said...I'm not going to get any stronger, faster, fitter now...it's time to trust what I have done and know that I am there, ready, willing, in the best shape of my life.

Yes, it's June...hello, I have been anxiously awaiting your arrival...

DSB's and OWS's

2009-06-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

I am so tired I can't even type out full words and am having to abbreviate my titles...jokes...this weekend was full of Dave Scott Brick's and an Open Water Swim. Saturday was a LONG day with the previously mentioned brick workout (for those who need reminding and just 'cause I want you to think I'm a badass, it was 20/2, 20/3, 20/4, 20/6...ride/run mileage). We were off by 7:00am sharp and there we were quite the motley crew. There were 7 of us to start, each person doing their own section of the workout. Some only did one leg (20/2) others did two (20/2 and 20/3) while some did three (you get the picture) and some, ahem, ahem, me, did all four. It was a very cool and crisp morning, but after 7+ hours of work and the sun rising to it's full potential, it was HOT! We all rode the first 20 mile loop together in order to learn it and not get lost and ran the first piece together as well. Needless to say, we were hauling arse! I felt good and knew it was probably a death wish, but I went along for the ride. The first run was a little swift as well...heck only two miles, you can push it...again, death wish. We held 8:15's for the 2 mile run and about 8:20's for the 3 mile run and 8:30's for the 4 mile run...by the time I was on my own for the 6 mile run, I was lucky to hold 9:30's...blech!

Ben and I were the last two standing on the final ride/run leg (other's didn't need to do as many and Sarah is recovering from a wreck) so we had a mentally tough ride/run as well as physically. I let Ben go ahead so I wouldn't feel the need to keep up...good thing, because I started to fall apart on the bike. Legs...so...tired...must...keep...pushing. It was a hillier course than the last DSB workout, so I was shot come the last round. The plan for the run was to do the 3 mile loop twice and stop at the house if we needed more water, fuel, etc. As I was out on the run I thought..."if I stop at the house I am done, no way I will do another loop"...especially because before I even headed out on the run everyone was sitting in the garage drinking an ice cold, frosty, delicious beer...jerks. So, I grabbed my water bottle and headed out yelling "if I'm not back in an hour, come find me!" I decided to not go all the way back to the house and ran the loop part twice, making for a 5 mile run...not the full 6...oh well. When I got back to the house Ben claimed he only went 3 because he couldn't force himself back out there once back...I knew it would happen...glad I didn't go back! I also started making deals with the devil on the run..."ok, if you let me walk to that mailbox I will give you my first born child"...good..."if you let me make this walk interval 1:15 instead of the normal 1:00 then I will name my first son Lucifer"...deal... I kept the walk one minute per mile interval pretty consistent up until the last mile, but was ready to konk out in someone's grass during the last 10 minutes. I finally ran back to Andy's house and everyone was in the garage chanting "Tilghman, Tilghman..." it was hilarious. I sat down, blurted out something that would make my mother proud and chugged some water in preparation for my well deserved beer! It was a great, albeit long, day!

This was my mixology station at home the morning of DSB's. Thirsty little fella?

A group of us also got together to do an OWS on Sunday morning. There were about 15 of us who met at Percy Priest Lake to do the 1.4 mile route. I wanted to do the route twice, but I felt like I deserved the rest and only did it once...leaving the longer option for this coming week! On the way out to the buoy (turn around point) I was a little freaked out...breathing every other stroke and trying not to notice what was going on in the water around me. On the way back in I got into a nice groove...breathing every third stroke (as I have been instructed, over and over and over again) and really feeling good. I am so damn ready for this race! The big dead fish on the shore did not make me happy going into the water and I was just waiting for a big mouth Bass to come and swim directly into my face...ahhhh!!!!!

Some of the crew getting ready for the swim...7:00 comes really early on a Sunday!

The marina where we do the swim...it's nice and calm. You can see someones heading popping out...you're almost there, keep going!

I took Cash to the lake later that day so he could get in some open water practice as well...apparently fat doesn't float...his butt sinks like a rock! I might have to use his technique on the final push of the IM!

Garbage

2009-05-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

I had lunch with my friend Lisa yesterday and she exclaimed to me "damn, you are like a freakin' garbage disposal"...yes, anything and everything that resembles food is going directly into my mouth. All the years of hard work my mom put in teaching me manners, etiquette, non-slob-like living have been completely erased in the last few weeks. I can power through a burrito in 30 seconds before someone else even digs into the foil to unwrap theirs...and I will inevitably ask if they are going to finish theirs..."are you, chomp chomp chomp, gonna, chomp, eat that?" It's become a tricky balance of eating, drinking, working out and sleeping...it's a constant battle to stay fueled and hydrated.

I also felt like complete garbage on Tuesday/Wednesday this week. The weekend's activities had caught up to me and I crashed, hard. I came home from work on Tuesday and just couldn't do it, couldn't go for a bike ride, couldn't squeeze in a run...it hurt my eyes to stay open to swing by the dry cleaner to dump a load of clothes. I crawled in bed at 6:00 and slept for an hour, only to wake up to slam some dinner in preparation for my long run the next morning and then back to bed. My alarm went off at 5:00am and there looming before me was a 16 mile run...oh sweet baby J, how am I going to do this...well, I'm not. Checked the weather and it looked like Thursday would be just as pleasant, so Thursday it would be...back to bed for another 2.5 hours! Yes, over 10 hours of sleep that night...and still sloth like the next day. Luckily a mini trainer ride and swim practice Wednesday night did the trick and I was re-energized and ready to go again! Rocked my run this morning and am ready for this weekend...

What's happening this weekend?...you ask. We are doing another Dave Scott brick workout and it will go a little somethin' like this...20 mile ride/2 mile run, 20 mile ride/3 mile run, 20 mile ride/4 mile run, 20 mile ride/6 mile run...yep, 80 miles of ridin' and 15 miles of runnin'...then lots o' beer drinkin'...well, not really, Sunday calls for an OWS (open water swim, get down with the lingo will ya?) and a 3 hour ride...whew. Just waiting for the flip of the calendar into June where I will be able to see my sweet, sweet taper calling my name...where I'm sure I will feel like I could lift a garbage truck over my head with all my stored up energy!

Kickin' It

2009-05-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Sittin' back and relaxin' on Memorial Day...love that Monday is my day off from training, makes for a nice three day weekend when you have work and training off.

I felt strong this weekend with my workouts, but my body was very ready for this day off. After the CRAM on Saturday, I ran 10 miles and did a T60 on Sunday. I was a little sloth like on Sunday morning so my run didn't start until noon...by the time I was finished I had to head directly to swim practice...not solid planning on my part in terms of no rest in between workouts, but I guess it's going to be that way come race day, so good practice I figure.

Ashley, my swim coach, had a lane set up for those swimmers who are close to their IM races. This lane was the T60 lane (all others were doing the usual T30)...so we were to swim for an hour straight, no rest. This was a great test in mental endurance as well as physical...talk about boring! I went out at a slow conservative pace and really felt I could have gone all day long. I picked it up towards the end and knocked some time off my last 500 or so. I was happy that I wasn't dog tired at the finish because now I know what I need to do on race day in order to stay fresh for the other thousands of hours of activity I will be doing. I completed an even 3,000 in the hour (double my T30 distance, so I stayed consistent) and felt I could have gone faster...good place to be! However, I also got smacked in the face by a foot...a dude in my lane and I came to the wall at the same time and he did a flip turn, which I was not anticipating, and his foot went square into my eye. He knocked my goggles off and I said to myself "oh no he didn't!" so I took off after him and put a nice gap in between us in the last 600 meters or so...take that! I'll show you for kickin' it!

I also found these pictures from the Vancouver Marathon I ran back in 2004. This is EXACTLY what I anticipate the scene looking like after CDA. Me straight chillin' with mom and dad hard at work rubbing my feet! "uh, a little more to the left, no more, nope too far, there, yes, perfect!"

See, they enjoy this, I swear...look at those beaming smiles! ;)

Everyone who walked by was so jealous and throwing money at my parents to have them rub their feet. We were literally hopping in the car and driving directly back to Seattle so we couldn't do this in the privacy of our hotel room...we are such exhibitionists!

CRAM

2009-05-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

The CRAM, short for the Clarksville Rotary Annual Metric...also could be known for cramming it all in, cramming food in my face and cramming my head to the pillow. My friends and I did the CRAM yesterday in Clarksville, a ride that offers 20, 35, 62 and 100 mile options. Can you guess which one I did? Heck yes, the 100 miler. After a disastrous ride on Thursday with Coach (see having to walk my bike up a hill, hyperventilating, almost puking and averaging 15.6 mph...yeah, DISASTER..."now boarding, one way trip to Bonk Town") I was a little nervous going into a century only two days later. I came to find out I was terribly dehydrated (see 7 liters of fluid and only one trip to the bathroom...yikes!) so I took two days to really load up on fluid, solid nutrition and focus. Not that I haven't done so for the last 6 months, but I really need to focus on being smart and making healthy decisions...it's officially game time.

The plan was for Coach, Ben, Sarah, Andy and me to ride together and average a solid 20mph for the full 100 miles. Gulp! 20mph?! Are you kidding me? Luckily it was a nice flat course and we all took turns drafting and pulling, making for a really fun ride. Riding in a big group really makes the time pass quickly and definitely makes for some good laughs. We rode strong the whole way and came in under 5 hours with a 20.7mph avg...yee haw! I even felt strong enough at the end to pull in Coach and Andy for the last few miles. I hung with the boys again (granted, they could still go way faster and kick my butt any day of the week) and it was a big confidence booster after my major meltdown on Thursday. Coach even exclaimed during the ride "you are going to kick ass in Coeur d'Alene"...whether he meant it or not (maybe he was just trying to get me to pick up the pace right then!) it was a huge motivator and really helped to solidify the fact that I just know that I am ready for this, know that I can complete it and know I can do it with strength and confidence!

Even more crazy sightings on this ride...yes, there was the obligatory dead deer/cow/possum/bird on the side of the road (100 miles is a long way, with lots of opportunity to see dead sh*t). However, we were in northern Tennessee/Kentucky in the Minenite country...so we ran into a few horse drawn carriages, plows powered by hefty steed, kids running around barefoot, and a woman with a wheelbarrow rolling down the road bringing her harvest home (to which the guys said, "see Tilghman, that's an example of a good wife right there...emulate that when you are married"...ha...ha). We were a little perplexed when there was a horse and carriage coming towards us...what do you say to that "buggy back?"..."carriage up?"...I wonder what they thought of us flying by them with thousands of dollars worth of bikes and gear? Have to sell a lot of churned butter to buy my next bike, I guess.

"Borrowed" this picture from a friend...this was the beginning of the ride...can you see me?, I'm in black...ok, I can't really either.

Clarification on Urination

2009-05-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

So, just to clarify, I do not tee tee in the pool, I can't, it's impossible for me to relax in such a way around 80 of my closest friends! Therefore, if I can't pee in the pool it's pretty much unimaginable that I would be able to do so on my bike, or in transition, or even on the run...mad props to people that can do such things...they put the port-a-potties out for the novices like me. All you hard core athletes that try to teach me, your time is wasted...I'm just not going to be able to do it...and for me it will make the difference between a 14:00 hour race and a 14:02 race, not going to win because I stayed on the bike.

Next time I get out of the pool, look and you will see that I have a pee-baby in my belly...I drink so much water before and during my workouts that I'm about to explode at the end, just not in the pool. I think I still have that fear burned in my brain from summer camp back in third grade that if you peed in the pool the water would turn red, remember that urban myth? Well, maybe, just maybe, it's still true! However, if you are wondering who is peeing in the pool come find me...I have learned way too much about people! :)

Stole this from Excel's blog...too funny!

Lessons Learned

2009-05-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Whoa, I am a month, yes a month, away from race weekend. This time next month I will be standing on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene trying not to vomit...imagining what will be in store for me the next day. I will be surrounded by my family and friends and probably be highly distracted with the upcoming events and high on excitement of making it to this day...probably wishing I were just "high" on some substance so I could just forget my worries!

I have become, simply put, IronObsessed. It has been on the front of my mind for months (obvi) but now it's totally, completely, all consuming. If someone asks "how's your day?" I simply respond "I'm training for an Ironman!" Like a special kid, it's all I can say or talk about. "Tilghman, we need that report ASAP!"..."uh, did I tell you I'm training for an Ironman?" I'm like a kid with her first crush, scribbling out her new last name on anything resembling paper and drawing hearts in her mashed potatoes in the cafeteria.

There have been some lessons learned through all this and I've learned a lot about myself. A taste of some of my treasures gained from this experience:

I can get 5 hours of sleep and still function (never thought this was possible). Starbucks is necessary, but I can still function.
If I get more than two consecutive nights in a row of said sleep time, I become highly susceptible to such illnesses as "swine flu" and "smokers cough"
If I get said amount of sleep, I am still functional but highly sensitive and can switch into b*tch mode at an extremely rapid pace
A dog's love is truly unconditional...he may give me the "you look like a pork chop and I'm going to kill you in your sleep" glare every now and again, but he still loves me regardless
I can get ready for work in 15 minutes and still look the same as if I'd taken an hour
My toenails will take on the look of my fathers if I am not careful, I have apparently inherited his feet...pedicures are necessary
The pedicure place does not give an 8 toenail discount, you still have to pay for the full 10 because they paint the skin of anything lost
Peeing in the pool was considered social suicide as a kid, but highly acceptable as an adult, even encouraged by your coach
It's completely ok to talk about GI issues at the dinner table as long as you are with your tri friends
I have somehow forgotten the art of making my bed and cleaning my house...thankfully you can pay someone to do these things for you
There is nothing better than a cold beer after a long workout...however, more than two and I may pass out at the table
I have learned to appreciate the simple things in life...like an afternoon off lounging in the park with a good book and your dog...or a hot shower after a soggy 7 hour bike ride.
The grocery store does stay open past 6:00 and I can get things done when it's dark out
I can still carry on a conversation about things other than triathlon training, but currently much prefer to discuss mile splits, avg mph and T30 times
I really can do pretty much anything I put my mind to and heart in!

Officially Unofficial

2009-05-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today was yet another race day, I know, I know...I really shouldn't have done it, but I did...Coach was not necessarily happy about my decision but the money was paid and I was determined to do at least one race with my group of friends this year. We all piled in our cars on Saturday afternoon and headed to the wonderful city that is Memphis, TN (okay, technically Millington, ahhh Millington, lovely, lovely, Millington!) for the Memphis in May Olympic distance triathlon. For those that don't know this equates to a .9 mile swim, 25 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run (a quarter IM!...not technically, but close!).

Since this is "hell month" there was no rest or tapering for this event and since I think I contracted the swine flu after Gulf Coast it made the week even more difficult trying to get over being sick, recovering from a half IM and still pushing it for the last phase of IM training. The day before Memphis in May I had a long ride scheduled...luckily there was an organized ride (the Tour de Nash) so I had something to motivate me to ride 60 miles (again, in the rain...damn the rain, damn it!). It was a fun ride and I tried to ride like I wasn't racing the next day...so I "pushed" it for my standards! I finished the ride and literally hopped in the car with my friend and drove to Memphis. Once in Memphis we checked in, got our numbers, ate dinner, went to bed and woke up at 5am to race...no rest for the weary I tell ya!

I told myself this would be just a training race, but since I won Athena last weekend I was feeling the expectations to do it again...and again I did!! Yay Athena!!! Well, unofficially...I left the race sight and the results said I had won, however, they weren't the official race results (we had to leave in order to get back to Nashville for beers so there was no time to wait around)...so we will have to wait until tomorrow for official results. I am starting to get this competitive bug that I didn't really know I had. My age group started DEAD LAST in the race so I wanted to pass as man people as I could. I was kicking and elbowing people in the water and pushing past as many people as I could on the bike. I hit the ground running and pushed an 8:26 pace for the first 5 of the 6 miles (still not sure what measuring stick they used on mile 5...it seemed LONG!)...crossed the finish line in 2:40...25ish minutes faster than my last Olympic distance race...so I felt great! It was a fun, fun race and I'm so glad I did it.

Lisa came to cheer Katie and me on! It was super cold in the morning (a chilly 57 degrees...cold after you get used to the heat)...Lisa was our official photog. (who killed Kenny?!)

The whole crew carbo loading the night before (table for 13 please...you figure out the bill)

Katie and me the morning of the race. This was Katie's FIRST tri...and an Olympic none the less!!! She rocked it and I am so proud of her for making it her bee-atch!

Heading into the duck poop, algae filled lake...it was so gross, but such a nice reprieve from the ocean swim the weekend before! Is there such a thing as duck flu?...a gross hybrid of the swine flu I seem to have already contracted?

Swim is done...took a good 5 minutes off my previous .9 mile swim times! Thank you wetsuit...again, I LOVE IT! Lisa was slow on the uptake for the rest of the shots...so it appears that I didn't bike or run, but I promise I did! Lisa still gets mad props for this photo...so great!

All in all a super fun race and was so happy to have all my buddies there! I will do Memphis in May again in a heartbeat!

Gulf Coast 70.3 Race Report

2009-05-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Don't really know what to write about since I think I blacked out in the first 2 minutes of the race and can't really remember anything! That's the only reason why I do these things...I can never remember them, thus never remember the pain!...ok, not really...but I can only imagine it's like child birth, you forget the bad and only remember the good!

The morning started with a 4:30 wake-up call. Transition opened at 4:30 for body marking to begin and I was a hop, skip and jump away from transition, so I "slept in." I made my way down, set everything up...sprayed myself with sunscreen which immediately washed my number off...oops! And headed towards the beach!

Swim: I was getting ready to poop myself at the start line. I was so nervous about the swim...just get me to the bike, was all I could think about. The gun went off at 6:35 and we were in the water. I dove under the first few waves and then started my swim. I did "tarzan" style for about 50 yards and realized if I kept it up I would exhaust myself, so I dug down and just went for it. It was almost a zen like experience...I just got in a zone (doing exactly the opposite of everything I have learned and practiced at swim class) and went for it. I swam pretty straight and had no major issues with sighting or masses of people or anything. I did get kicked in the face once, but that's par for the course and my hopes to be a teen model are long gone. My watch said 37:00ish when I got out of the water, but I crossed the mat in about 39 minutes.
Hung out with Ben and Sarah at the starting line getting ready for the big race. I accidentally zipped by Gu in my wetsuit...oops!, Sarah had to undo me so I could reach in and get it.

Again with blogger technology...a mini version I can't seem to get rid of! I've tried 4 times, to hell with it!Bike: What a great bike! SO FLAT! I wanted to "just go!" so bad, but I knew I would kill myself if I pushed the bike to hard. I kept watch of my cadence and kept it high (above 90rpm's) and took a mental check of breathing/heart rate every now and again to make sure I wasn't being crazy. The wind wasn't too bad...at least better than I had anticipated. I felt like the miles were just melting away (maybe they were, it was effen hot!) I felt like all I was doing was eating and drinking while riding. It's like there weren't enough minutes in the hour to suck down all the gatorade I had planned and eat the gels/blocks I had prepared. I never wanted to see gatorade again after that bike! At mile 35ish I started singing myself a song about how I was kicking butt and that I would win Athena (positive thinking people) and I just knew I was going to do well on the run. I was shocked when I passed the halfway point and saw that if I kept pace I would be well under 3 hours. "Barring any flats I will kick this bikes ass!" I thought...well, negative thinking has it's effect too! At mile 51-52 I heard this psssssst. Sh*t, that can't be me can it? Maybe there's a snake in the bushes...damn, it was me. I kept going for another mile and thinking, should I stop to change it? I figured it would take way to long with my un-skillz so I just took a CO2 cartridge to see if I could fill it and have it hold for a little bit...so dumb, I tell ya. Flat as a pancake within .5 seconds. So, I rode in the last 4 miles on a flat...still cruising at about 19mph! I didn't want to lost my sub 3 ride! I came in at 2:54ish...also got a 4 minute drafting penalty...the dude yelled at me, so I looked over and he took my number off my helmet...damn. If I'd have ignored him maybe he wouldn't have determined my number since it was all washed away from sunscreen/water/sweat. Race official: "What's your number?", me turning and looking at who's causing such commotion: "huh?!", official: "never mind, thanks!" Grrr!Run: HOT!!!!! Oh my lord it was HOT! I planned on walking through every other water stop, so every two miles, every 18 minutes or so. Well, as soon as I saw that first stop at mile 1 my strategy quickly changed. There were angels flying around it and choirs singing, with sweet little children handing out ice-water soaked sponges...it would just be too mean not to take them up on their offer! Those stops were what got me through the run. After many strategy sessions with coach, I knew that I could only walk as I got to the stop (not 20 yards before it) and start running again as soon as I went through and got what I needed...I did just that and it worked well. I was holding a pretty consistent 9:30 pace (slower than I had wanted...wanted 9:00's...but given the heat I was fine with it and as long as I was running, even better!). The dreaded park wasn't nearly as hot as everyone claimed it to be and by mile 10 I knew I had sub 6:00 in the bag...just keep chugging along! As I was running in the last .2 miles I looked to my left and saw a fellow blogger/blog follower Chloe and yelled at her...thanking her in my head for her nifty piece of advice to put ice in your sports bra...genius! So fun! I finished strong and saw Coach and his wife cheering me in for the last few yards...I had to pump my fists with joy, what a great race!!! Finished the run in 2:08...

Finish line: I immediately went to the medical tent to get some IV's of fluid...apparently all the cool kids are doing it and it makes for a much easier night of drinking...where do I sign?! I was on such a high and was so pumped about my race. My confidence about the Ironman was soaring! I had a sweet British nurse who couldn't find a vein to save her life. Apparently my man hands with bulging blue veins weren't enough for her... I squirmed and squealed like a little sissy. She asked "didn't you just run a half IM?"...yeah, yeah, lady...find the vein already!

Victory party!: Nashville had a strong showing and Team Tater rocked it! We were all so excited and were happy to be cleaned up and drinking! Got my award and then got a cheeseburger...well played, Athena, well played!

Hangin' with the Boys

2009-05-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics from pre-race day when I went out with the fellas to do some open water swim practice. I was having orders barked at me from every direction, everyone knew the best, better, easiest, fastest way open water swim...love hanging with the dudes, it's always a "you know what" contest!

When looking at the waves in the pictures I feel like such a wimp...but I'm pretty sure anyone that was there will tell you they were not fun and impossible to get into any kind of rhythm in out there.

Coach showing me the way, back to shore that is!..."see that big tall building, swim towards it!"...uh, thanks.

Suitin' up for our practice swim...Chris (who is balancing on one foot) is about 2 seconds away from busting it...we all just stood there and laughed.
Reluctantly putting my wetsuit on. I hated wearing tights when I was little because I always felt like the crotch hung down to my knees...I have similar feelings towards my wetsuit...hike it up there!

I can't figure out how to delete this picture...damn technology!

Winner, Winner...

2009-05-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

...chicken dinner!

This past weekend was the Gulf Coast Triathlon, my first half IM. After a painstakingly long drive to Florida (hello 8 hours solo, blech) I arrived on Thursday night. I woke up Friday to meet Coach and some other fellas from Nashville to test out the waters, spin for a short ride and take to the streets for a quick run. We met around 8am and the water was already rough and the sun was blaring...I just knew we were in for quite a treat on race day...HOT, HOT, HOT! After what seemed like an hour of stalling on the beach, I strapped on my wetsuit and gingerly stepped into the ocean. Coach rolled his eyes and told me to get my ass in there...ick, barf, gag...I HATE swimming in the ocean, it freaks me out! I don't know when I went from it being fun for childhood swimming/playing to having it scare me to death. We were only going for 10 minutes or so, and I'm not even sure I actually did more than four strokes in a row without coming up for air while choking on mouthfuls of salt water...the water was super choppy with big rolling waves. I knew I was going to be in for a treat the next morning with a 1.2 mile swim looming ahead of me. It was good to get in there and test it out but it almost made me more nervous than I already was.

I will post a full race report once I get some of the pics from Mrs. Triswami who was so cool to come out and take pics of Coach's athletes and friends (it was great to have a cheerleader on course!) However, I had a GREAT race, much better than anticipated and I WON the Athena division...whoop, whoop! Yay!! 5:50:08, plus a 4 min drafting penalty for an official finish time of 5:54:08 (boo-hiss penalties)!

This was the view from my room...my stomach dropped when I opened the door Friday morning, the swim start was right there greeting me! Prepare to drown Tilly!

Some peeps getting ready to test out the waters!

The other Athena's that placed and me (about to get bitch slapped by the amazon next to me...luckily she just wanted to high five!) on stage getting our awards. All the guys were afraid she was going to beat me up!

With my award...yes, I am really an Athena (I had to answer that question many times)...I have a handicap and it's my ass, it's big and it slows me down! Let's just say the brothas love me! Believe me, I will GLADLY not race in Athena when I am not one...it's not something I'm super happy about! ;)

I LOVE My...

2009-05-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

WETSUIT!!!!

Holy mackerel...this thing is amazing! I haven't taken it out of the box since I bought it...weather has been too sketchy to go outside and I haven't wanted to look like a complete tool box at the pool. Buuuut, with the Gulf Coast Half Ironman this weekend I HAD to put this puppy on and take it for a spin to see if it worked, where it might rub, if I could get it on in less that 45 minutes, etc. I made Katie come to the pool with me tonight (after we already has swim practice this morning...she's awesome!) to zip me in and swim a cool 800 with me. After a little struggle (not near as much as purchase day), I had this bad boy on and was in the pool. Oh my god, this thing rocks! I floated the 800 with hardly more than a twitter of a kick...absolutely fabulous! I did feel like a stuffed sausage, but also admittedly a little bit like a super hero...thus the pose! "It's a bird, it's a plane...it's an Orca whale...no, it's Super Tilly!"

So Hungry!

2009-05-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

Is this normal? I went to sleep last night and awoke to what I typically call the "Sunday night demons," you know, the list of things that you have to do for the week start creeping into your head and keep you awake with worry/anticipation/excitement, whatever. I thought that was what woke me up, but I couldn't shake it...then I realized it wasn't my brain that jolted me from sleep, but my stomach! I went downstairs chugged some water and slammed some cheese and crawled back in bed and was out within 30 seconds. I don't think this has ever happened...I physically had to eat something in the middle of the night! Don't get me wrong, I'm not depriving myself of any calories right now. It seems that all I am doing is eating...I find myself eating my afternoon snack my 10:30 in the morning and praying that we can go to lunch at 11:30 instead of 12:00! It's probably the best thing ever because even though I'm eating like a hog, people keep saying "you look like you've lost weight"...I mean, someone pinch me, my dream has come true! ;)

Since I overslept on Friday and couldn't work my day to make it to the pool I decided to make Friday my off day, switching with Sunday. So, yesterday I rocked the 4,500 meters I had planned to do on Friday. It was a great swim! Did a 600 warm up, then 1x800, 2x400, 4x200, 8x100 and then a 700 cool down. My lane was on the same interval as the "fast lane" so I didn't get much rest at all...most rest between sets was about 15 seconds. So, the swim was pretty continuous and almost non-stop on some sets...2.4 miles, here I come!...maybe that's why I was so friggin' hungry!!

Cash noshing after a nice 8 mile hike last weekend...this is what I feel like, head in my feed bag at all times!

Slippery When Wet

2009-05-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

I did the 3 State 3 Mountain Century ride in Chattanooga yesterday. What a day! It was POURING rain, thundering and lightning for the first 50 of the 100 miles. It was a little nerve racking descending the winding mountain roads with wet concrete and wet brakes, riding through puddles and drafting off spraying tires. It had been threatening to rain all morning but was staying dry. It wasn't until the starting gun went off that it started to spit on us and then full on pour for the next few hours. Ugh!

There were water/rest stops every 20 or so miles. I didn't plan on stopping at the first one because I knew I would have enough fuel, so I planned to stop at the second one which I was told was at mile 44. In my mind I kept thinking, "44, 44, 44"...when I looked down at my bike computer and saw "40" I thought "4 more miles and then rest stop."...well, to my surprise I look over and there were hundreds of bikers at the rest stop at mile 40. I quickly put on the brakes and took a sharp turn into the stop...bad idea. For some reason the fact that it was pouring rain and wet roads completely slipped my mind and my bike went sliding out from beneath me and I totally wrecked in front of everyone! Luckily I didn't cause anyone behind me to crash...but I was highly embarrassed bailing in front of all those riders! I got a little scraped up on my leg but came out pretty unscathed since I had a jacket on to protect my elbow which took the brunt of the fall. I was more concerned for the fellow riders who had to see my lovely thigh that had been exposed by my bike shorts being pushed up from sliding across the concrete...ick, sorry guys! ;) This is also the first time ever that I have fallen off my bike...I haven't even tipped over when trying to get out of my clip pedals or anything...I guess after three years of riding I was due!

It was a great ride, all things considered. The mountains proved to be challenging (the last one KILLED me) and 100 miles is definitely a distance that demands the utmost respect. I spoke with a fellow Nashville triathlete (whom has completed 4 Ironman races...one being CDA) and she said it was the toughest century ride she'd ever done and that CDA would be like small rolling hills compared to 3S3M....whew!!!

Coach and me gearing up for the ride. I had purchased my jacket the day before at the expo (thank you 60% off) and didn't think I would use it until next season...thank God I bought it, I would have died of cold/wet without it!

Rest stop at mile 80, the last stop before the last mountain...I tried not to spend more than a minute or two at the stops, just to refill my water bottles (preparing for IM strategy). However, I spent a little more time at this one, I was pretty much ready for the ride to be finished at this point! I also only saw two other women after the 62 mile turn off...woo hoo, girl power!

At the mile 80 rest stop. "Excuse me, will you take my picture and help me waste time before I have to get back on my bike?" This picture does no justice as to how soaked to the bone I am.

My bike, Orby, was FILTHY! There is so much dirt, grim and road kill on it...ugh!

YAY!!! I am finished! But in reality would have another 12 to ride and a marathon to run...ahhh!!!

Finish Line Photo Op

2009-05-01T06:50:00.001-07:00

I was having dinner with Katie and Patrick last night and inevitably we discussed the IM. We were getting giddy (ok, maybe I was getting giddy) thinking about the race and how it will feel to finish. Katie and I were devising a plan on how she could run part of the marathon and how Meghan and others can run legs of the race with me too (mind you they will probably be slightly intoxicated at this point). I immediately said, "don't try to talk to me, I will probably punch you in the face if I can muster the energy!" Like I've said before, zone "B"...it's not pretty. Katie was saying how inspirational it's going to be watching all the athletes cross the finish line and I thought "oh, crap, what am I going to do as my finish line finale?" If I am upright and not pooping myself what will I do? Should I do a little jig? Moon walk? Crab walk? Jump for joy? Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions?

In other training news, I was so pumped to go to swim practice this morning. I had fully plotted and planned that I was going to go for the gold and swim 4500 meters...long course. To my dismay I awoke to the sunrise this morning...mind you, the sun does not rise and 4:30, it begins to peek it's head out at 5:30-45...I shot out of bed looked and my clock and said "shit"...as simple as you can express yourself at such a desperate time. How did I manage to completely disregard setting my alarm clock? It's not like it's a new practice, I do it EVERY night...it would be like me forgetting to get coffee in the morning, it just doesn't happen (not to mention I'm completely anal, so things like this typically don't get overlooked). So now I have to squeeze in my 4500 solo, ugh. I was so jazzed at this point that I couldn't say "oh well, I'll just get another 45 minutes of sleep"...so I got out of bed, showered and got read for the day. I was ready to leave by 6:45...not ready to get into the office that early, so I headed to Fido with my book and had a nice leisurely breakfast and a good 45 minutes of reading and relaxing...what a great way to start the day...of course rocking 4500 meters would have been better, oh well, I guess there's lunch time for that!

Final Stretch!

2009-04-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

I am doing it right!!!

Today starts my month of hell...the next four weeks will be pretty intense with a lot of races, looong workouts and little rest. I am feeling good about my schedule and that it is putting me in a great place to be successful come June 21st. I have four races/organized rides this month with little to no taper time in order to keep my volume up. I am doing the 3 State 3 Mountain century ride (100 miles) in Chattanooga this weekend (killer hills...great practice for CDA), the following week will travel to Panama City Beach for the Gulf Coast Half IM, after that I will pack up and head to Memphis for the Memphis in May Olympic distance triathlon (hope to have lots o' BBQ after that one...swine flu be damned) and last weekend will be the CRAM ride yet another 100 miler. The last week of the month is still TBD, as I will talk to coach about what I want to focus on for the final week of hell (those hazing frat boys know nothing about hell week...train for an IM, I dare ya!) I know there will be one more killer brick repeat workout and then taper time will come...yay!

I will kick off the month (ok, it's still April, whatever) with a nice 3 hour ride this afternoon...let the games begin!

Standing on the Sidelines

2009-04-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! Tomorrow is Nashville's own Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon. It's so cool to live in a city with such a big and fun race...I think they said there are 30,000 peeps running this year. I do not have to run this race since I have a LOADED race schedule in May to really push the final leg of my training. So, I get to CHEER!!! YAY!!

My friends and I are meeting at my house and walking a few blocks up to Belmont Blvd to catch the runners at mile 3ish and 7ish. At first I was torn about not being able to run this race, but now that I have assembled a lean, mean cheering contingent I am so excited to actually be riding the bench.

Cash will be rocking his sandwich board cheering for Amy and Katie...he has been practicing his high kicks and I think he's primed and ready!

He must really love me to put up with this!

Keep your eye out for us around Bongo Java! We will be sure to go crazy when we see you! Good luck to all my running fool friends!

Do You Have Your Tickets To The Gun Show?

2009-04-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

As mentioned, this is a rest focused week. I'm not sure how I feel about these weeks since my motivation takes a deep dive and it's really hard to get back into the swing of things. I know it helps the body recover and rebuild to come back stronger, but it's just so damn hard to sit it out knowing how hard it is to start back up again.

I have been putting in around 10,000-12,000 meters/week at the pool pretty religiously over the past few months and my schedule called for only 6,000 this week. I skipped Tuesday's and Wednesday's practice and drug myself out of bed for practice this morning (only to get two texts from friends saying they weren't going to make it...what?!). When I hopped in the pool and swam my first 100 I thought my arms were going fall off! Where did my strength go? Our workout was 3200 meters with a 300 meter warm up and I did 500 meters extra pull to get in my 4000 that I am trying to hit at a minimum per practice. My arms felt like wet noodles when I finally emerged from the pool. It's always fun having to push yourself out of the pool after a tough workout. Most people gracefully push out, turn and sit on the deck all in one seamless move and dab themselves dry. I huff, puff, grunt and flop onto the deck and lay there hoping someone will come throw me a towel to save me from embarrassment!

This is how my arms felt after practice...wet and noodley like.

This is how I look! Yeah right!, someone pull me from the pool if that ever happens! Although at least my arms won't flap around when I wave good bye (or when I "raise the roof")...I have to say, my guns are changing from all this swimming!

I have also discovered some fun ways to pass the time while swimming lap after lap of mind numbing long sets...it's called "what's that on the bottom of the pool?" Seriously...there are some creepy things out there. I used to be oblivious to all the floated around since I had a severe case of goggle fog...but someone taught me about Johnson's baby shampoo (rub some inside your lenses, rinse and magic!!! no fog EVER...brilliant) and now I can see EVERYTHING! A few weeks ago it was the two hairballs that over the course of practice became one giant hairball...today it was a neon green button (where does that come from?) and a floating leaf (are we simulating open water or something?) and of course the obligatory hair ball was there...thankfully there were no barf inducing used band-aids, ugh those give me the heebie jeebies! It really helps pass the time thinking and pondering how these things migrate into the county rec center pool!

Now What?

2009-04-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

It's rest week and I don't know what to do...post another blog entry?, take the dog for another walk?, go to bed at 7:30? What did I used to do with my time?

Team Tilly!

2009-04-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

There is quite the contingent heading to Coeur d'Alene to come watch and cheer at the Ironman. I was overwhelmed with how many of my friends and family want to come watch and am so gracious for their support in this crazy endeavor...I think they've decided to stop asking "why?" and just go with it...either that or they are sneakily planning some sort of intervention!

So meet my peeps! Those that will get me through the race day (they currently are doing more than they can imagine just getting me to the starting line!)

Katie (on left) is my soon to be roomie in Nashville...she is flying all the way to Idaho to watch the race! Lisa on right is a big local cheerleader!

My beautiful mom (of course she'll be there...she's my BEST cheerleader and post race foot rubber), Molly (my bro's cute gf) and my brother! This is a pic of them cheering me on at the Marine Corp Marathon...they were getting some practice in for the big event!

My dear, sweet, precious brother who is coming on out his 30th birthday weekend to support me...I will have to get him something spectacular for his birthday gift!

My awesome dad! Who may not know it, but he's letting me borrow his car to drive to Idaho from Seattle...uh, thanks dad!

My bestie Meghan (and her S.O. Coop-town, not pictured) will be trekkin' across the state of Washington to spend the weekend in Idaho cheering me on...you've gotta love your childhood best friend! Meghan will also be coming out on her birthday...I'm beyond words.

I LOVE these people so much and cannot believe they are doing this for me! I just hope they don't have so much fun (see beer drinking) that they pass out before I cross the finish line...remember guys, I will be out there ALL DAY LONG...pace yourselves, as will I!

Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to...

2009-04-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

Let's call the whole thing off...

I went out with the Nashville Triathlon Club on Saturday morning to tag along on their 80 mile ride. I was scheduled to do 100, so Ben, Sarah and I met at 6:00am (hello Saturday morning!) to get a few miles in before the 80 mile ride commenced. We didn't really get our act together until about 6:20, so we cruised for about 8 miles before meeting up with the group.

Men, men everywhere! Normally my cup of tea, but when you are about to head out on an 80 mile bike ride in through towns in Tennessee you've never even heard of you immediately freak out that you will be dropped like a prom dress and left for dead (do you think the "dead wagon" would pick me up and throw me in with the cows?). I was so nervous as Sarah and I were the only women and I knew it would turn into a testosterone-fest seeing who could ride the fastest. Luckily they guys were super cool and we spent a lot of time together drafting off one another on the ride. Normally my favorite draft is cool, frosty beer, but I now have a new favorite draft, the bike draft...hello easy ridin'! Now, I did get close to being left for dead a few times (see hills) but we always got back together at a turn or stop sign to be sure everyone knew where they were going. There were a few breathtaking hills (I finally met "Theta") and some good rollers through out the ride and I just LOVED flying down the big hills passing the guys yelling "wheee!" (I guess my weight helps with the law of gravity...pansy bikers, throw on a few pounds!).

I got back to the starting point and rode around for another 5 miles for a grand total of 95 miles and an 18.3 mph pace...yee haw! (planning for 16 mph at the IM)...I felt great and was so excited that all my friends were there at the finish line for the Nashville Triathlon Club's annual spring picnic. It was great to rest, get a back rub (thanks Spence and Patrick) and tell war stories about our rides (there were 50 and 25 mile options too).

Everyone says I can claim 100 miles...you say 100, I say 95...let's call the whole thing off.

Fueling up before the big ride the night before at our favorite restaurant, PM. Yes, beer and edamame...great choice! Photo courtesy of Spence, the great giver of back rubs!

Does This Workout Make Me Look Skinny?

2009-04-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Final build week before rest week...yee haw!! So for those of you whom I haven't talked to in a while, called, texted, emailed, etc. this is why...

Monday: rest day..."oh, hello Cash, what's that you say? Timmy's in a well?...no, you want to go for a walk...of course!"

Tuesday: morning: swim 4000 yards, night: suposed to run 6, but decided against it and am squeezing it in on Wednesday instead...took dog for another long walk, he deserves it!

Wednesday: morning: 1.5 bike (test day with Todd, and I rocked it...increase wattage by 10%), night: run 6 miles, swim 3500

Thursday: morning: 10 mile run (6x1 mile repeats at 10K pace mixed in), night: 2 hour bike

Friday: morning: swim 4000 meters, night: 7 mile run

Saturday: morning-noon-night: 100 mile bike

Sunday: morning: 12 mile run (might be 14 if I don't get all 10 in on Thursday), afternoon: swim 4000 meters

There are two more 100+ rides (that I know about). One being the 3 State 3 Mountain on May 2nd...yes, that's because the ride takes you through three states (Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia) and over three mountains (hills, people! when will the South learn these are NOT mountains...come to Washington, I'll show you a mountain!) ;) And then the CRAM (Clarksville Rotary Annual Metric) that offers a 100 mile option. I guess that means it's time to stock up on body glide! I should be getting May's workout schedule soon...can't wait to see what else is in store!...

Sanity is Relative

2009-04-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Just cruising along with all this training...then realized that I am only two months away! The nightmares have begun to creep in and all sorts of crazy thoughts continue to enter my mind. I dreamt the other night that I finished the swim in 50 minutes (yeah, right!!) and I was so pumped I couldn't believe it, but then it took me over 20 minutes to find the bike transition area...I had to run into the host hotel to ask the concierge where the bikes were and he looked at me like I was crazy! Can you imagine?! I knew this was going to happen, it has happened before every marathon I have run (you think by number 8 I would realize that it's nearly impossible to get lost on the course, but I still manage to have the dream EVERY time).

One thing I didn't imagine happening was being so emotional. I have cried (tears of joy, I guess)once or twice during a marathon...(like my first one when I finally saw the finish line and then again when I knew I was going to set a 15 minute PR)...and I know I'm going to have a few bawling sessions during the IM, but I had no idea that I could have the flood gates open up now, just during training. **Side note: as for the other emotion (ie. bitchiness) I knew that was going to occur (it does without all this training)...so apologies to all I share a lane with in swim, my "lane nazi" comes out sometimes, it's uncontrollable! Anyway, I can cry at the drop of the hat just thinking about the IM. I get so excited imagining how it's all gonna go down and then picture myself running over the finish line and having my friends and family there and I get all choked up. I am a little right now just writing about it...weirdo! The thought of actually accomplishing this is mind blowing to me and I guess brings me to tears sometimes.

I think everyone has a little mantra or some words that keep them motivated. My bestie from Seattle came to visit the other weekend and I snuck out on the Saturday morning to squeeze in a 15 mile run. She asked me "how do you do it? how do you motivate to get out of bed that early and do all that work?!" I told her that when the alarm goes off at 4:30 (or earlier, or later) and I fight to get my feet on the floor I say to myself "You are an Ironman." Period. Sleeping in is not going to get me to the finish line, hard work and sacrifice will...so when I think about crossing that finish line and knowing I can truly say "I am an Ironman" that's what motivates me. Repeating that mantra over and over again will also apparently cause me to fall down and cry like a little wuss..."get yourself together!" ;) I can only hope that everyone else in this phase of training is going through the same thing, then I'm not as insane as I imagine.

And On The Third Day She Rode Again

2009-04-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! (late) Someone asked me where and when I was going to church this year and I replied, I am going to the church of the IM, the Dave Scott denomination in particular.

Ben, Sarah, Andy and I all convened at Andy's house and set off on a monstrous workout. We did a brick repeat workout that went a little something like this...15 mile bike, 3 mile run, 15 mile bike, 4 mile run, 15 mile bike, 5 mile run, 20 mile bike...then done! A total of 65 miles biking and 12 running...if we had thrown in some swimming you could have called it a half IM. It was a gorgeous day and I felt good during the whole workout...we ran a little faster than I am used to so I struggled the last mile of the last run leg, heck we rode a lot faster than I am used to too! At the end Andy (he didn't have to do the last 20 mile ride, as he is still at the beginning of his IMKY training) had cold beers waiting, I was so nauseous that I couldn't eat or drink anything, that has NEVER happened before! ;) It was a confidence booster and I was super excited at the end, mainly to be finished but also because I didn't bonk and I felt good.

We have our first century ride this weekend, gulp, 100 miles...hitting the triple digits! This is the last week of our build week before we get another rest week. It will be a tough week with 35 miles of running, 10 hours of biking and 12,000 meters of swimming...can't wait for next week!

This was our transition area in Andy's basement...it was a great crew to workout with! Triswami was diagnosed with a stress fracture (you can see him in the boot) so he drove the course and took some pics of us in action...will have to get these from Coach!

When Animals Attack!

2009-04-10T06:21:00.001-07:00

In other animal news...I was riding my bike in Percy Warner Park again last week and I was on high alert for kamikaze squirrels...to my relief I only had one make a fake attempt at side swiping me. However, I was so tuned in on watching for darting rodents that I didn't even think to heed the air above. I was climbing what is known as "10 mile hill" (because it's at mile 10 on the loop, clever huh?...not to be confused with 3 mile hill, which is at mile 3, in case you were wondering) and was at the top where there is a nice view of a steeple in the distance (one of my favorite spots in Nashville)...I was out of breath and trying to soak in the view as I peaked the hill turning to fly/rest on the downhill, when out of nowhere an OWL dive bombed me! I saw it out of the corner of my eye and I quickly swerved my bike, ducked my head and yelled "mother %*$#@" (again, my tourettes comes out in full force while on my bike). It missed me by a few inches I am sure...I was shocked! Although, I like to think he was swooping down to catch a squirrel that was about to side swipe me. This owl is apparently a legend in Percy Warner, known to attack innocent victims who appear mouse-like from his perch high in the trees.

True story:...my friend and I were training for a Mt. Rainier climb last year and spent a lot of time in Percy Warner with packs on our backs. I told him a story about my college friend who, while running around campus one night, was attacked by an owl. He replied "what kind of a-hole do you have to be to get attacked by an owl?"...we laughed and carried on. Well, that legendary little sucker must have great hearing because as soon as we were finished with our hike, I hopped in my car to drive home and, my friend decided to run to the end of the road and back. Within 5 minutes my phone range and he said "I JUST GOT ATTACKED BY AN OWL!" Seriously, what kind of a-hole do you have to be?! hahaha! So he got a big ol' laugh when I called him to tell him about my near death experience last week on my bike. I guess if you spend enough time in the park you are bound to be attacked by this owl. My card was up!

Scary little suckers aren't they? I may have nightmares! ;)

I'm sure one of my friends will find this suit and jump out of a tree trying to frighten me! ;)

Oh yeah, and I briefly mentioned that there was another animal story. We were doing our 60 mile hill ride last week and we rode past a dead cow on the side of the road! Ick! I started to holler and carry on and my friend Ben was like "what are you freaking out about" and I replied "the dead cow?" He didn't even see if and we rode right past it...crazy! I was so distraught about it because I just love animals (I am one for high, not necessary, fake drama)! I learned after the ride that farmers put their dead animals on the side of the road for the "dead wagon" to come by and pick them up. There were many dramatic fake tears and boo-hoo-ing when I heard that...no cow funerals?! The horror! I ate a cheeseburger in her honor later that afternoon...rest in peace Bessie!

Suitin' Up!

2009-04-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

I finally bought my wetsuit last week...what an adventure! I was not in the market for anything super expensive, so I was determined to make the cheapest one fit (although I did realize that if it didn't I would spend more because it's imperative that it fits correctly).

The owner of the store I went to gave me detailed instructions on how to put the suit on (ie. turn it inside out, pull, pull, pull...repeat if necessary). Then he sent me on my merry way into the bathroom to figure it out for myself. What the hell is this contraption? I was wriggling around on the ground like a beached whale...probably sounded like one too! There was a knock on the door "is everything going alright in there"..."yes, gasp, every-gasp-thing is gre-at!" After lord knows how much time lapsed I emerged a sweaty mess in a very form fitting suit. I did my little swim dance for him and he said it was perfect...I was sure it was too small (I am NOT a fan of super tight clothes). I immediately thought to myself, "I am going to have to sleep in this thing the night before my race, there's no way I will be able to get this thing on without having to take a nap afterwards!" It was a work out in and of itself!

I had to take a pic of the finished product...I was so happy I was able to get this thing on with no help! I have since learned some tricks of the trade (ie. organic PAM) to help with the event that is putting on the wetsuit!

Float Like a Butterfly, Swim Like a Fish

2009-04-07T06:19:00.001-07:00

Lots of news to report in the last week of training...I have loads of stories, including more animal encounters (see: dead cow, seriously, sad and gross)...that will come in other posts. There were a lot of ups and downs last week...thoughts of "heck yes, I am going to rock this IM" to "oh crap, what have I gotten myself into, how will I ever survive?!"

Last week consisted of this...in a nut shell:

Monday: 6 mile run (easy)
Tuesday: 3900 swim, 1.5 hour bike
Wednesday: 1.5 hour bike (strength session), 4 mile run, 3000 swim
Thursday: 8 mile run (6x1 mile repeats, all negative splits with 1 warm up and 1 cool down)...rest that night
Friday: 3200ish swim, 2 hour bike
Saturday: 60 mile ride with HILL repeats (my butt is still questioning what happened)
Sunday: 2 hour run (had to cut to 1:45, thought I was going to upchuck) and 3300 swim (still felt queasy the whole time, ugh...need to do a better job of not drinking out of moldy water bottles, maybe?!).

A great week of training, didn't feel too beat until Monday morning (yesterday)...I was a zombie and couldn't even think about anything but sitting on the couch and watching my Tar Heels WIN the NCAA National Championship...which of course I fell asleep at half time (thank you boys for having such a big lead going into the half so I didn't feel guilty sleeping through the remainder of the game).

I woke up this morning and went to swim. I made the mistake last Tuesday of asking my coach "am I swimming far enough?...I feel like I should be swimming longer distances." She smiled and replied non-verbally with this Tuesday's workout. 20 min warm-up (I did about 500, since I never REALLY get into the water until 5:10 and yes, that's AM), then 600 drills, then a 500, 1,000, 1,000, and 500...then I did a 300 cool down for good measure. Total of 4,400 yards. That's the longest I have been and felt like I could've kept it up. I have been told to get in the water and just keep swimming, do the workout and then just keep swimming again until the last person is out. Whew! I guess I should be careful what I ask for...although I really need it, more for the mental side of it than anything. All in all feeling really good about swimming, even had someone compliment me on my stroke today, I think she used the word "beautiful"...I almost drown I was laughing so hard..."thanks, hahaha, gurgle, gurgle."

This will be me pretty soon...we have to get some open water swims under our belt to prepare to the upcoming races (Gulf Coast 70.3 and Memphis in May...all leading up to the big daddy of course!)

Can any amount of swimming really prepare you for this mess?

Panic!

2009-03-31T06:40:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE SLEEP! I have always been a goal setter and one of my goals is to consistently get 8-9 hours of sleep a night...throw in one or two 7 hour nights a week and it gets scary. I've always been this way, in bed by 9:30 ever since high school (can we say "I know how to have a good time!"). I swear I'm not a complete loser, but pretty darn close. Throw in IM training and my schedule gets tight trying to maintain this level of sleep priority (there are plenty of nights where bedtime comes around 8:30). So last night, when I got in my car at 10:00 to go home I flew into a mild panic.

I went to watch the World Tour of the Banff Film Festival, where they are show casing some of the movies that made it to the 2009 Banff (as in Canada) Film Festival. They were amazing films that were all tied together by a "mountain theme" with amazing athletes climbing, skiing, jumping and what not. They truly inspired me to go and try even more crazy things that I already have on my list of "to do's" (Kilimanjaro in 2010!).

Anyway, I was on this high when I got in my car and noticed, ahhhh, it's 10:00! I drove home as fast as I could only to realize that I hadn't packed my bag for swim/work yet and that I still needed to wash my face, check to be sure there aren't any more surprise grey hairs and apply a thorough amount zit cream (thank you sweating 3-4 hours a day). Whew, 10:30, done, in bed...now SLEEP! Then my brain started running...does this happen to you?..."only 5.5 hours of sleep, you are going to be exhausted tomorrow, you need to swim and then go to work and then bike...you have to get up again early on Wednesday and do another bike and then another swim after work...you then have to get up early on Thursday and meet your coach for mile repeats on the track...you then have to get up early on Friday for swim again...you are going to die of exhaustion from this one fatal night of only 5.5 hours, why did you stay out 'til 10 on a MONDAY...ahhhh" I know, I know, PSYCHO! Then of course I can't sleep because I start thinking about all I have to do and it's just a downward spiral from there...the madness.

We had an awesome swim this morning, logged 3900 yards, and I felt great...still do. Check back in around 3:00 and I may have a different story...I will most likely be on my way to Starbucks.

Hopefully you won't find me like this come Friday...I'm sure it's bound to happen at some point during all this training!

Really?

2009-03-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

This can't be good, can it? Check out the youtube of the youngest person to do IM...he's only 13 years old! I mean, what' next?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHqPRN6SBGU

Back in the Saddle Again...

2009-03-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

...I'm back in the saddle again.

Ok, so apparently Saturday was the better day to ride after all...and we learned that the hard way. The weather report for the weekend was sketchy all week, so we didn't know what to expect this weekend. It was supposed to storm Saturday but be warm and be cold Sunday but no storms, so Patrick, Katie and I decided Sunday was our day. Well, there was tornadic activity (I just love that word, tornadic, weird) on Saturday but it wasn't until much later and it was a gorgeous day to run, ride, etc. Sunday, not so much...41ish degrees and WINDY! We strapped on our big girl pants (and big boy) and went out for a nice 30 miler. All feeling in our feet was lost by mile 6 and we battled a head wind for a good 15 miles of the ride, not what I call a happy ride! It was nice to be out with other peeps, misery loves company...and I have been getting really bored riding solo lately.

I start my April training plan this Monday. A lot of the same volume, but more intensity this time...meaning more interval training, faster, faster, faster. We also have a Sunday reserved for "Dave Scott" bricks...15 mile ride/5 mile run/15 mile ride/5 mile run/15 mile ride/5 mile run/20 minute interval ride...then done. Yes, that's 45+miles riding and 15 miles running...we're looking at a nice 6 hour workout, whew! These are actually a lot of fun to me...I guess I'm a glutton for punishment! There is also the first century ride of our plan slotted for the second weekend of April...100 miles here I come. My fanny hurts thinking about it! ;)

Patrick freezing in the cold getting ready for the ride...Patrick NEVER rides in the cold, don't know what got into him this weekend!

Katie and me gearing up...Katie just got her bike and was already riding 30 miles with us on her third ride...she was a trooper!

The Principle of Inertia

2009-03-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

An object in motion will stay in motion, so does that mean an object standing still will stay still until a force is applied? Well, I need that force! I had a rest week this week and I took full advantage. Last month I was super nervous about the rest week and squeezed in an extra run and short ride. This time around I probably went too far in the opposite direction. I took three full days off, no training whatsoever! I started feeling under the weather and decided it would be best to really use the rest week for what it is. I was still able to get all my prescribed workouts in, but really enjoyed my down time...even got a massage, lovely!

I was worried that I was getting used to the rest and 9 hours a night sleep...as I was walking into the pool today I felt like I hadn't been there in months (it had only been 4 days). We had a great workout and I am now pumped to get back into it tomorrow!! Ashley said that my stroke had improved dramatically and that she could tell I am really getting in shape...yee haw, there's my force to push me into motion. Now the test will be to stay in motion for the next three hard weeks.

80 Miles to Nowhere

2009-03-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to say...80 miles sucked. It wasn't all bad. I got up this morning, went to swim practice had a great swim, went to Cracker Barrel with some swim mates and had oatmeal/eggs/coffee and well, coffee and then loaded up the bike and went out for my 5 hour ride. I felt awesome (see coffee) and was really killing it the first 40 miles...averaged 2 mph faster than normal, I was pumped! I turn around at my determined halfway point and head home...like a horse running for the barn, I was not. I quickly realized there was tailwind helping me the first 40 and I was going to have to fight it the whole way home. I wanted to cry.

My mild case of tourettes really shines while I'm on my bike, especially alone. Not only do I yell things like "SQUIRREL" and "TURKEY" but I love throwing in words like "COLD" and many, many expletives that would make even a sailor blush.

I get off the Trace around mile 64...okay, only 16 more, less than an hour if I can hold a decent pace with these beat legs. I stop at the gas station to reload on gatorade and man, oh, man was I ever saddened when I realized it was officially lunch hour and their was a BBQ restaurant attached to the gas station. I have NEVER smelled such deliciousness in all my life! I really did think tears were going to well up in my eyes. Those rednecks chowing down on 'Q had nothing on me...have they ever tried a Clif Shot Block? Ha, ha, delish! Wahhh!!!

Who wouldn't want to eat this spread after exercising for 6.5 hours!?

All in all a great training day...my head cannot wait to hit the pillow tonight and rest up for my 16 mile run tomorrow! When is it going to be Monday? ;)

Flying Squirrels and Other Animal Encounters!

2009-03-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

I went to Percy Warner Park yesterday after work to squeeze in a few hours on the bike before sunset. The park is great because you have two main options...take it out on the Blvd for some flatter riding or take it into the park for some monster hills. I chose both.

While on the Blvd you have to be extra careful of the yuppies on their cells phones not noticing you flying by on your bike (or in my case, meandering by)...but when in the park you must be on the look out for FLYING SQUIRRELS!! I am not kidding, it's complete pandemonium out there. Squirrels are darting all over the place and testing you...well, one little guy must have taken the dare from his friend because he ran right out at me. I was cruising along at 26 miles per hour when I saw it out of the corner of my eye. I yelled "SQUIRREL" (not sure what that would accomplish) but it didn't scare him away. He ran right at me from the left. He went head first into my front wheel (I thought I was going to have a direct hit and run him over, but no) and ricocheted off my spoke and went flying in the air. I quasi laughed and quasi freaked out...I mean, if I'm going to die from a bike wreck it's not because I ran over a freakin' chipmunk! I looked back, after taking a split second to realize I was still upright, and that little guy was just laying there...crap, I killed him...but he stood up shook it off and darted back into the woods...only to torment another rider, I'm sure.

Not the actual squirrel...but close to what those little kamikaze squirrels look like. Rider beware!

In other animal news. I did my 5 hour ride today and took it out on the trace for a good 3 hours of the 5. At about mile 40 (of the 80...by the way, totally hurt right now) I see a turkey, a real live turkey...what?! The thing was sitting in the middle of the road with it's tail feathers all flared...I had to swerve not to hit it. A turkey and a squirrel in 24 hours would have been too much for me to handle, so I swerved. WTF? What's with all the random wildlife? I of course instantly imagined the turkey sitting on my table surrounded by all the fixin's and thought and about going back for him (kind of like in the cartoons when the bubble pops over their head of a pork chop or something...that's what I saw!). This only adds to my weird list...some others being the peacock loping down the road (no joke) and the donkey that chased alongside me while I rode by him. Beats sitting on the couch and watching Animal Planet!

Baseball Helmets?

2009-03-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have run three organized races in the last month and there has been a mysterious runner at every one. He's been easy to spot because he runs with a baseball batting helmet on...what?! Who is this guy and why does he wear a helmet running?

When we ran the Cedars Frostbite Half Marathon we had our first sighting. Pete said to me after the race "did you see the guy with the helmet?...he was so fast and kicked my a$$"...so the running joke is that he got beat by some dude in a helmet. Now after every race I have to call Pete to give him a race report..ie: a helmet sighting report (Pete is currently not my running friend since he has a stress fracture in his foot, so I have to report on Helmet Head and the fact that he always is flying past me within the first half mile).

I laughed out loud as I ran past a couple running this past Saturday and overheard her saying "did you see the guy in the helmet?" to her boyfriend...hahaha! Yes, yes, I did...

Tom King...and More, Much More!

2009-03-18T18:41:00.001-07:00

Whoa! What happened?!? March happened.

The increase in training has definitely been challenging, but a ton of fun! I had a heck of a week last week, so first thing to go was my bloggy blog.

I started last week with a 10 mile hill run in the morning, a ride that night, a swim the next morning, a bike the next morning, a run/swim that night, a day off (whew) and then a swim/run and bike, then a half marathon and topped the week off with a 4.5 hour ride with 20 minute brick...followed by a 4.5 hour drive to Atlanta...whew! Come Monday I was done...made an unexpected trip to Atlanta for work and took the day off. My body was in desperate need of a day off, but sitting in the car for 9 hours within 24 hours isn't my idea of rest. This 20 hour a stuff week is for the birds! ;)

Anyway, my friends and I ran the Tom King half marathon last weekend and again it was POURING rain...why does is always have to rain on the weekend races??! I sucked it up and threw on some extra clothes and sloshed to the starting line. I told myself I was just going to run a comfortable race pace...being that I had worked out 4 hours the day before. To my giant surprise I ran a 1:53...only a minute slower than my PR of 1:52...needless to say I was very happy with it! I woke up early the next morning to go for a 65 mile ride and short brick run. Still felt like a complete idiot on my brick, but it was better than last time!

Motivation has been lacking today (see dog hike with my friend Pete and beer on the tail gate afterwards...sorry swim practice, it was sunny and 78 degrees and poor Cash has been hostage inside too long!), so I have a long weekend ahead of me to fit it all in. Starting with a 10 mile run/2 hour ride Thursday, a swim Friday morning and a 5 hour ride/brick...then Saturday will be a 16 mile run and swim, Sunday will follow with a 6 mile hill run and 2 hour bike...good times!!!

Thank God next week is rest week!!!

Thank You Mr. President!

2009-03-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

And I mean George W. not Obama. This past weekend was daylight saving time and I am SO excited about it! Yay for long rides after work and not having to hop on my trainer to avoid getting smacked by a car (not a huge "night rider"). Put a check box in the "positive" column for ol' Georgie boy...he increased daylight saving time by 4 weeks back in 2005 and I am loving it right now. I got up this morning to do my 9 mile run (still under the cover of darkness...hate running in the light where cars can see my buttocks shaking in spandex) and will be able to ride outside with Coach tonight in the sunlight!! Now, if only he could have put this into effect without having to actually lose an hour of prescious sleep...hmmmm....

Gee Dub working hard on the DST initiative...forget about the war and the economy, I'm doing this for Tilghman!

She's a Brick...House...

2009-03-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

...She's mighty, mighty, just lettin' it all hang out.

Who's this brick layer?

I had a great weekend and had to cram a lot of workouts into two days. I woke up bright and early Friday to go to swim and do our second T30 of the season (a timed 30 minute swim to see how far you can swim...1500, same as last T30 and pretty much the same time...not better, not worse...I swam 5 days in a row last week so my shoulders were burning, so I am happy with the results)...I then had a 50 mile ride with my first, bum, bum, bum...brick workout! Only a 20 minute run following the ride, but it was killer. I felt like my legs didn't even belong to my body...luckily it was a "dog run".

What is a "dog run?" you ask...it's when well, obviously, the dog comes with me and therefore we get to stop and sniff a lot, tee-tee a lot (he does, not me) and go really slow. (Cash has put on a few L-B's this winter so his running skillz have taken a downturn...so he's a great brick runner right now). It was nice to have him stop and sniff because my legs were not willing to move steadily or quickly.

I had to wake up early again on Saturday morning (4:30, not cool) to squeeze in 12 miles before I caught a 9:15 flight to Charleston, SC for a wedding...to dance in my heels for 5 hours, to wake up and fly back home...whew, dog tired come Sunday night! It was nice to crawl in bed at 8:30!

Single, but in a Committed Relationship

2009-03-05T12:06:00.001-08:00

My brother called me yesterday and we were chatting it up like always, you know the..."how's work", "what's going on with the girlfriend"...he follows with his questions "how's training," "how's the dog," "are you dating anyone." Ouch, that last question always stings a little...the status quo answer is always "no." Booo. Then I realized, yes, I am single (have been painstakingly so for a very, very, very long time) but that I am in a very committed relationship.

His name is Ironman, most call him IM for short. IM's not very tall, and pretty non-descript but IM leaves an indelible mark on anyone that commits to hIM (no, I'm not letting hIM leave "the mark" aka the M-dot tattoo). I spend a lot of time with hIM, pretty much daily. Often our relationship requires hanging out twice a day and we like long weekends together. I have been thinking about hIM constantly...before I go to bed at night and first thing in the morning when I wake up (it's hard not to think about hIM then since IM's the reason I have to get out of bed so GD early in the first place). IM makes me laugh and makes me cry. IM has introduced me to a whole new world of fun and interesting people. It's definitely a love/hate relationship...when it's good it's wonderful, when it's bad it's horrible. IM pushes me to limits and beyond that I didn't know I could reach or surpass and is constantly asking more of me. This is not a casual relationship by any means and I am going to have to give up casual dating until we go our separate ways. Our courtship will continue for the next few months until the "big day"...my immediate family and some good friends will be there and it will be a joyous occasion. There will be tears of joy and gleeful shouts...it will be so nice to run into the sunset (and then into the cover of darkness) with hIM. We will sadly break up on June 22nd and I know that I will have a huge piece of my life missing, but I will surely find something (or maybe someone!) to help fill the void that IM will leave. Maybe I'll pick up (and dust off) my guitar again, or take the other art class I have on my list. (and of course I have the Dublin marathon and am climbing Mt. Rainier before 2009's end).

Then again, maybe IM and I will rekindle our relationship...

**disclaimer: I am really not psycho and don't actually believe I have a real "relationship" with the Ironman...this is all written to be taken lightly and with loads of silly undertones! ;) I mean, if I was going to talk about the love of my life you would be getting an earful about Cash!...hahahaha! ;)

I Would Walk 500 Miles...

2009-03-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

...and I would walk 500 more..."

So, my trusty steed hit 100,000 miles on Tuesday! Whoa, that's a lot of driving in only three years! I started to wonder how many miles I have on my body? I didn't really start running until high school and even then it was like "holy cow, I just ran 3 miles, I'm a rock star!" Now, 8 marathons, multiple half marathons and a handful of triathlons later I can only wonder how many miles I have logged with my two legs. I plan on attempting to calculate come the end of IM training...only IM miles though, I will go crazy trying to think about my almost 14 years of being a runner...ok, maybe a jogger for a while (maybe it's yogging, it might be a soft "j"...apparently you just, run!)

I just hope I can be one of those super old women out there running marathons (I know my family is reading this and saying "I hope not!")...don't you just love seeing those people? The oldies in their 80's, plodding along (ok, ok, I have been passed by many!) enjoying running for what it is, and not worrying about hitting a PR, certain mile split, etc. The best memory I have of running, is back in 2004 when I was running the Vancouver, BC marathon. My mom and dad came with me and this was the first race both of them had watched. My dad was somewhat shocked by all the different type of people that are out there that are marathoners. He figured everyone would be fit, young, lean, etc. but as many of you know there are all types out there. He expressed this observation after I crossed the finish line (while rubbing my feet...thanks guys!) he said, "I mean Tilghman, did you see that 80 year old man pass you?!" Thanks dad. Yes, I did, and I also saw the woman three times my size smoke me too...awesome.

It is Ugly!!!!

2009-03-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

Remember how Triswami (or Tiramisu as my mom mistakenly called him the other day) said "enjoy February, March gets ugly!!!!"...remember? Yeah, well, he was right (shocking, I know, since he's the one writing the training plans!).

I got my March training schedule and monthly hours are increasing by about 20. February's hours were right around 50 and March's will be right around 70. So, if you break it down you think, ok, 5 extra hours a week...well, not really, fourth week is still a rest week, so majority of those hours will be built into the more intense three week period. Ok then, let's say 6 hours more a week...well, since I have 6 days to work out (mind the rest day!) that's an hour a day average.

Oh boy, here we go!!

I am actually really excited about this because this is when the test will really begin. How do you juggle your week to fit in 20 hours of training? How do you do this while still trying to maintain a career, social life (this will be the first to go), and trying to not galavant all around town in spandex all the time and still maintaining some level of "girl." Now is the time I "just say no" to having "just a few beers" with friends and actually hunkering down to get needed rest before a long weekend of rides, runs and swims. There are some 5+ hour rides and brick workouts creeping their way into my life and I am ready to push it and see what I'm made of! This rest week has been nice, but it's been difficult not getting out and forcing myself to sit out when everyone else is getting together for long rides, runs, etc.

Hang on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!...

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2009-02-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

...come again another d--...never!

My friends and I woke up early this morning to brave the 37 degree rainy (pouring) weather. We ran the Race Judicata which was a 5K and a 10K with an option to run both. I signed up for both (mainly because you got free arm warmers!) the 5K and 10K races to get a good 9.3 miles in. There was some hesitation from everyone about whether or not we should run because of the weather, but we sucked it up and did the two races. The 5K was first which made for a cold, wet, miserable 30+ minute break in between the two races. We stood around shivering waiting for the 10K gun to go off. The only thing that kept us motivated was the vision of Fido dancing through our heads....warm coffee and eggs! The race wove through Percy Warner Park so there were some challenging hills which were a ton of fun with wet and heavy feet (note the heavy sarcasm). So glad that is over! :)

This picture does no justice to the actual weather that we encountered...it was pouring rain!

The four Muskateers who braved the rain for a fun race! Kevin, me, Patrick and Tammy. Kevin, Patrick and Tammy are training for the Louisville IM in August.

Rest for the Weary

2009-02-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

Sigh, this week was a rest focused week. At first it freaked me out a bit...so little to do! Is this right? Shouldn't I be running, biking and swimming more?!

Then I realized that my body is T-I-R-E-D, and the rest was greatly appreciated. I had to travel for work and I ducked out of an outing early to grab some room service and watch a little TV...well, I fell asleep at 7:45 and didn't wake up until 6:45, yikes! (I somehow sleepily woke up to catch the end of the Biggest Loser and am glad, because yet again, LIARS...those producers like to stretch the truth! I love that the endurance athletes of the world are keeping those people honest...too funny!...for those that didn't see, the guy that got kicked off claimed he ran a marathon with his wife in 3:53 (which is pretty fast) and apparently they got picked up at mile 23 and driven to the end for the photo finish). This happened again the next night, falling asleep way too early and not getting up at 4:30...my body was pooped. I know I will appreciate this come next week when training ramps up again in March.

But in the meantime, it's nice to sleep in a little bit and wake up without an alarm clock...this is what I get to wake up to when I don't shoot up to an blaring alarm! So precious!!

Cash catching some beauty rest before his long day of, well, more beauty rest!

Team Tater

2009-02-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

My friend Amy said to me the other day...

"I was really happy to meet Team Idaho last night."

"Team Idaho?" I said.

"Yeah, your Couer d'Alene team, Ben and Sarah."

"Ah, yes, Team Idaho!"

I relayed this conversation to Coach and he laughed and said "ya'll are Team Tater!" (Ben and Sarah are also working with the same Coach) I almost fell off my bike laughing, we are Team Tater...I'm thinking we should make some really bland brown jerseys that look like potatoes!

Ben and Sarah surprised me with a Gigi's cupcake at my birthday party...YUM!!!!

One of the rare occasions where we are all together without spandex or swimsuits on.

Rock On!

2009-02-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday was my, gulp, 28th birthday...or as I like the say the 5th anniversary of my 23rd birthday! Ah, I'm getting so old! I wanted to do something different than the typical dinner and drinks (which we still did, can't keep me from eating, oh yeah, and I love beer)...so my friends and I got together to go indoor rock climbing. It was crazy fun and an amazing workout...I can't lift my arms over my head right now. I am also chalking it up to a "lifting" workout since every muscle in my body was shaking by the time we were finished. It was a nice little Saturday, 13 mile run then two hour rock climbing session...then pass out!

Melissa belaying me on our first attempt after our crash course in climbing.

Looking like a professional (ok, I was on the easy routes, but I look tough!)

Melissa and me learning the ropes, no pun intended.

Kevin and me racing to the top...I totally beat him and he had a head start. Ok, again I was on the easy course and he was on a really difficult one, but I still kicked his booty.

The whole crew...Katie, Melissa, Kevin, me, Michelle, Libby and Lisa. Such a fun day!

Six Degrees of Separation

2009-02-20T07:20:00.000-08:00

Oh my! So, I thought I was a total bas ass riding in the 43 degree weather on Monday, so much so that I thought I would take a little spin yesterday because what's 6 degrees gonna hurt? It's a sunny 37 degrees...let's take this outside! Holy poop! It was COLD!!!!! Six degrees hurts A LOT! My original plan was to do a 2 hour ride, about 20 minutes into it I couldn't feel my toes and I literally would scream out loud..."IT'S SO COLD!!!" Luckily no one was around to hear my ranting and raving...apparently it was too chilly for anyone else to be out and about, maybe I should have consulted one of them before making such an idiotic decision. I sucked it up for about an hour and fifteen and then called it quits. My feet were blocks of ice and I looked like I had a stick up my ass walking into Starbucks for a warm beverage to help thaw them out! (Imagine a cross between walking with your foot asleep and the terrier lady from "Best in Show" when she runs out in the show ring with her knee all jacked up). Lovely.

So, here's a little article on cold weather riding gear...maybe I should have read this PRIOR to going out..oh well, lesson learned! P.S. the article starts with some song lyrics...love it!

http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-1-7-15311-1,00.html

Wishful Thinking

2009-02-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

I was driving through the 'hood today and noticed three trees on my street blooming, in February! Those little trees are wishing the same thing I am..."when the hell is spring going to get here!!!" Poor little guys have no idea that it's supposed to snow on Saturday and we have another viscous cold front moving in. I guess Bike Ninja will be making a few more appearances before the winter gear is put up for the summer.

Hang in there little guy, it will be here before you know it!

Bike Ninja!

2009-02-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

Yowza! This is the degree-age that greeted me when I started my car this morning, a smoldering 29. I went out for a "hill" run...did the 5.8 loop at Percy Warner and then went to meet Coach for a 2 hour ride. So, what do you do when it's that cold and you have to ride your bike...outside!?!

You have bike ninja! The balaclava (not to be confused with the delicious phylo dough pastry, baclava) is a life saver in the cold biking wear. It was actually something I had to climb Mt. Rainier last year and it has been worth it weight in gold...for both activities.
Coach and I went for a nice "flat" ride (not a lot of "flat" in Nashville) and he said I could name this blog "Made Coach my Bitch"...I think he was just being nice since the last time we rode together he was pretty sure I was ready to find something tall to jump of off. It was a great ride, I felt good and didn't absolutely die going up the hills. Which was needed since my run earlier in the morning seemed to be more of a plod...so I came out of the weekend feeling like my progress is in a forward motion.

Coach said that after my day (run, ride and lift) that I should eat some protein to help rebuild broken down muscle fiber...I'm pretty sure he said something along the lines of chicken, but I could've sworn I heard "chocolate" in there somewhere!

That Frost Bit

2009-02-14T13:12:00.001-08:00

My friends and I ran the Cedars of Lebanon Frostbite Half Marathon today...and it frost-bit. Not a stellar race by my standards. I wasn't out for a PR and had planned on simply "running for the miles," but when you have to walk at mile 5 because you went out too fast, well, you're just not going to be in for a fun race experience. My finish time was 1:56, so I'm fine with that, it was just the way I felt during the race and my inability to push through any pain that was frustrating...argh!

I also love how people sit around after a race and try to justify their time...I had too much to drink last night, I lifted yesterday, I didn't eat right, my corns are achin', whatever...I wanted to do that so badly after this race!!! I could give you a list of reasons why my legs didn't want to move in a forward motion, but I will refrain...I'm just chalkin' it up to a run for the miles, regardless of the number of times I stopped to stretch my back!...which by the way was hurting from swimming 3500 meters, riding for an hour and drinking 3 beers at my fundraiser while standing in 3 inch heels for 5 hours...but whatever, it was just a run! :)

Check out us good lookin' folk! In the front Tempie, Bridget, Mardys and Sammi with Pete and me in the back....damn we're all so sexy!

"Hey, I Put My New Shoes On...

2009-02-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

...and suddenly everything's right!" (again, a song for everything...thank you Paolo Nutini)

Yay, I finally went and got some new runnin' shoes yesterday. I hadn't purchased a pair since before the Marine Corp Marathon at the beginning of October, yikes! My tootsies were starting to feel the pain of the wear and tear of my old shoes. I am taking these bad boys out for a little jaunt this morning...my friends and I are running the Frostbite Half Marathon! The name's not fitting since it's 55 degrees, but whatever. Hopefully they will make me super fast!

This was the last pair of the New Balances I have been getting for over three years now. They upgrade every now and again and I lucked out and got the last pair of the old model, saving me lots of moolah!

Cash and I were comparing our shoes, his are built in...lucky!

Biggest Liar

2009-02-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

Did anyone see The Biggest Loser last night? I rarely see it, but when I do I get completely sucked in. I would love to work with that show or do something like it...I like to think that I would be a nice mix of Jillian and Bob the trainer. Well, if you watched the show until the very end where they show the progress of the people who have been kicked off then you know what I am talking about. The Biggest Loser is actually a Big Liar! I am all about spreading the love of working out and want to go back to school and get my masters in nutrition, so I am not saying this because I'm mean (ok, maybe a little) but the dude said he was training to do an Ironman...I thought AWESOME, way to go buddy!!...then they went into this montage of him swimming, biking and running with his voice over saying "yeah, it's about a mile swim, a 50 mile bike and a half marathon."

WHAT!!!!!!!????!! I looked around the room to see if anyone else heard it and then realized it was 9:00 and I was already in my bed, actually had been there since 8:00. Argh! This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I am no elite athlete and I'm sure I piss off the Ethiopians and Kenyan's because us middle of the packers have ruined the marathon (or so some people believe)...but if you are running a Half Marathon then say the "half" part. A half marathon is NOT a full marathon, it's half of one. Same thing with the Ironman, half is not a whole.

Just a disclaimer, I get super excited when I have friends running their first 5K, I am not being a snob, just realistic.

Anyway, I am sending positive energy towards Blaine who got kicked off the show and hope he has an amazing race...an amazing Half Ironman! :)

Oh Yes I Will...

2009-02-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh1yMnrby3w&NR=1

Wake Up Call #312

2009-02-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

I had another wake up call today while biking with Coach...hills suck and I suck at them. Don't get me wrong flying down them and screaming "weeeee" is awesome, but going up them and screaming "f*%&@" is not. So, I looked at my coach today and said, "hmmmm, I just had wake up call #312...I suck at hills and I chose one of the hillier races in IM to do...I have my work cut out for me." After a 10 mile run and 20 mile ride on Saturday, my Sunday hill ride was very disheartening...luckily there are plenty of hills in Nashville to get lots of practice on. Coach looked at me and paraphrased another coach to motivate me..."Having the will to win is a bonus, having the will to prepare is mandatory." I wanted to counter with a quote from Scrubs when JD attempts a triathlon before turning 30..."A wise man once said the human spirit can overcome any obstacle. That man had obviously never run a triathlon!" There are going to be a lot of hard training days, but preparation is key to a solid race...I will toe the line prepared!

All in all it was a much needed and fun ride. The weather has been amazing this weekend and I took full advantage of being able to get outside in shorts and a short sleeves...ahhh, nice!

I also came across this youtube while perusing the internet today...it's freakin' hilarious! I may have to solicit the help of my friends in order to get a training swim in like this one...I doubt there will be any hesitations to say "yes!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r350we4Zbfk

Let Me Out!!!

2009-02-07T05:34:00.000-08:00

It's Friday afternoon and I'm stuck in my office and it's 60+ degrees outside without a cloud in the sky...this is the lovely view I get to see. My friend had to call to let me know what the weather was like.

So I wandered over to the window to check it out for myself...wah, wah, it was gorgeous out. All I want to do is go out and play...run, ride, walk the dog, lounge...but duty calls and paychecks are very necessary. Please excuse my messy office! :)

Climb Every Mountain!

2009-02-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY went on a bike ride outside this past weekend...temperatures were above the freezing level (a lovely 58 degrees) and it was a "blue bird" day, not a cloud in the sky! I met up with Ben, Sarah, Spence and Heath and we hit the Natchez Trace Parkway for a two hour ride. The Trace, as Nashvillians call it, is a very unforgiving stretch of 400 miles of rolling road that starts in Nashville and finishes in Mississippi (I believe Tupelo). There are no commercial vehicles allowed on the Trace so it's a bikers dream. You can go for miles before seeing a car and are more likely to see some "killer boots" on middle aged men living out their Hell's Angels fantasies on their Harley's.

After a hilly 6 mile run and 2 hours on the Trace I was spent. My legs felt like jelly and I had to watch the Super Bowl in the horizontal position with a pillow on the ground at John and Melissa's. It was a little bit of a wake up call...time to suck it up and get on your bike, and not in the comfort of your living room watching reruns of Scrubs (I know, I know, it's such a funny show!).

Looking at the elevation chart of the CDA IM (above) only confirms the fact that my ass is going to be chapped from all the riding I need to do! I guess I can't sit around and wait for the weather to get better before I get outside again...I will throw on another layer, dig out the balaclava, and leave the ice out of the water bottles. No one's going to be able to hear me yell "car back!" through neck gaiter!

Are You CRAZY!?!?

2009-02-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)

I was reading a random blog that follows my blog that actually had a link to this other blog which is where I found this quote...I don't even know how it happens but getting lost in blog land is way easier than I had anticipated. Confusion exists regularly in my life! ;)

This quote just hit me for some reason. I have obviously thrown myself full force into this Ironman training (it's all or nothing majority of the time for me...if I ask your opinion, I normally have already made up my mind) and have been challenged with the question "are you crazy?" like one billion times already. Yes, I am crazy, but I am also in charge of my own decisions and a maker of my destiny...I have made the choice to take on this challenge and therefore will complete it with the best effort I can. I have the brain in my head to lead me in the right direction, a healthy body that can support what I ask of it and the freedom and ability to choose what I want to do with all I have been graciously given. I will do this crazy thing and most likely follow it with something else equally absurd!

As I rolled out of bed at 4:30 this morning that first thing I verbally said (directed to my dog, therefore not talking to myself!) was "that alarm came way sooner than expected!" As I drudged to swim practice no more than 10 hours after my last workout, I was hit with a good song on the radio, a simultaneous parking job with my coach who waved and gave me a goofy face and then walked in to see that I wasn't the only one inflicting this self torture. After a solid 3300 yards of swimming (that's 66 laps/132 lengths for those asking how much that is) I felt amazing! All sluggishness erased from my body. I walked out into the biting air and noticed the most gorgeous sunrise and thought about how lucky I was to witness this beauty...there is some good that can come out of a 4:30 wake up call! I choose to do this and I choose to find the good things in it all! (but please appease me if I ever want to call you to bitch about it!)

Five Days of Work...

2009-01-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

...One whole day to play, come on every body wear your roller skates today...Saturday it's Saturday, Satuday it's Saturday, Saturday it's Satur-daay--ayyy...! You know I live my life as a soundtrack and this is my song du jour!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvfFeXracuk refer to minute 1:35 of the De La Soul song.

Ok, so it's Friday...but tomorrow's Saturday and I have miraculously molded my calendar to make Saturday my complete rest day. This was an easy feat since this was my "rest focus" week. Every week of my training in the month is dedicated to one of the four (some say there are five... #5 being "transitions"...more to come on those) disciplines of triathlon. Rest is key to improving your fitness...you have to rest in order for your muscles to repair and build stronger. Janurary's week #4 had rest as the discipline of focus.

So, I get to sleep in tomorrow, lounge around and spend the day checking off all my "to do's" (maybe some people will finally get their birthday gifts purchased!...you know who you are!). My house may ("may" being the operative word) get cleaned and my laundry folded (living alone affords you the luxury of picking your clothes out of the dryer without having to fold and put them away...mom is so proud at the moment!). As my friend Pete would say, I get to bulldog around all day. He often refers to me as a bulldog because they will go-go-go and then crash for a nice long snooze. Since I love to push myself and love my sleep, I always have to laugh and agree. The hilarious part is, the famous bulldog that rides the skateboard...it's name it Tillman...oh the irony! So after a week of go-go-going I am going to crash and have a nice long snooze and day of rest!...a good bulldog day!

"Go Tillman, Go!!!"...bet the little guy has a good nap after all that skatin'

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Hey Baby, Lookin' for a Ride?

2009-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

After the gorge session on Saturday morning at Fido, my friend Kevin and I went shopping for bikes. "A new bike?"...you ask. "I thought you had a bike, a fairly new one in fact"...you exclaim. Ah, yes, I do have a bike, my Orbea (or Orby as I call her)...alas Orby is a road bike and I am now in the market for a tri bike. The geometry of a tri bike keeps you in a more aerodynamic position and keeps your legs in a position that utilizes the quads more than the hamstrings, thus helping to keep your legs fresh for the run. The word "fresh" is to be taken lightly...how can your legs feel the least bit fresh after a 112 mile bike and ready to rock a marathon? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Kevin and I went to the local tri store, ACME Multisport, and tried (no pun intended) a few bikes out...we were both tired from our morning workouts and felt completely lame when we got tired testing out the bikes on the trainer for a total of five minutes! The bike pictured below is a nice little Cervelo that I really liked. I have a few more stores I am going to check out before making any decisions...but I have a feeling Velly (that will be her name) will soon be finding a spot in my living room where a couch should be. Of course the bikes I tried that felt right were the 2009 models that were not on sale...naturally.

This is Bill lowering my seat to accommodate my short, not so long 'n lean, legs! I was too afraid to take the bike for a spin outside...for fear I would fall over since my legs were so tired. "You break, you buy!"

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to Fido we go!

2009-01-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

The reason I love my Saturday morning workouts is not so much because of the workout but for the brunch that follows after! My friends and I will convene at one of our favorite restaurants, Fido, after a long run, ride, swim or sleeping in. We sometimes all do different activities but we synchronize our swatches and meet to enjoy some good food and great laughs!

Today, after a 2.5 hours indoor bike class with Todd I was starving, so I went with my go-to big girls breakfast...the steak scramble. Delish, huh? It's a great little mixture for the athlete in all of us. Egg whites for great protein without the fat and cholesterol. Steak for iron to get your red blood cells pumping and carrying your much needed oxygen. Spinach (see Popeye the Sailor Man!) for iron and muscle repair. Potatoes to replenish your carbohydrates stores. Salt it all up since you sweat HARD for 2.5 hours. Lastly, bread...cause it's good for the soul! Top it all off with a latte so you can stay awake for the rest of the day and voila...PERFECTION on a plate!

Okay, so it may be a little over indulgent but I don't have to eat until dinner after eating this. Dinner typically comes at 6:00 when we all meet up again for a few adult beverages at our other go-to, 12 South Tap Room...here's to Saturday!

Hello lover!

Enjoy Feb...March gets Ugly!!!!

2009-01-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

That's right, "ugly" with four exclamation points! This is how Richard/Triswami/Coach, signed off on his email to me last night. I received my February training plan yesterday and that's how he ended his email. Ugly, hmmm...what does that mean? Unattractive, not pretty, appalling, uninviting? I am picturing the calendar with February having little rainbows and unicorns flying around...how fun, weee! Then, flip the page and devils and fire and Triswami laughing maniacally.

I also had my first night of having to "just say no" to my friends and the allure of Friday happy hour. I resisted the urge and ran the 6 miles that was on my training calendar...all after staying at work until 5:30 on a Friday...put that on my review!!

So, I had a happy hour of my own...a beer and some blogging...oh no, I'm a HUGE LOSER! ;)

My Stomach Just Dropped!

2009-01-18T19:01:00.001-08:00

I was checking out the CDA IM's website and decided to look at the photos from last years race...gulp! These are the pictures from the start of the race, look at all those people...I am surely going to be kicked in the head (now I'll never be a teen model!). My stomach literally dropped when I saw these. Now, I have done some open water swims before, but NOTHING like this. Didn't help that on a hike with my friend today he mentioned that he thought someone died in the swim last year...awesome.

And they're off!

The swim course is actually two loops, so you swim 1.2 miles and get out on the shore run over the timing mat and then swim 1.2 again. I think that will be a nice advantage so you can rest a bit, take a Gu and some water and go again...much better than 2.4 completely non-stop.

Woe is Wednesday

2009-01-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

I know no one in this picture, but this is a shot of what Wednesday morning looks like!

Wednesdays always prove to be somewhat of a challenging day. I have Todd's indoor computrainer bike class in the morning from 5:30-7:00 (yet another pre 5:00am wake up call, ugh!) and then swim practice that night from 6:15-8:00, double ugh. Come Thursday I am pooped, tired, wiped, done, sleepy, finished...but still have to get up for a run or some other type of exercise, triple ugh! (whatever, you know I love it!)

Todd's class, although extremely early, is extremely fun. Below is a picture of the screen that he projects up on the wall. You are assigned a position (1-8) and a corresponding color. Your little biker guy is shown moving across the course (the course is the brown/blue on top, showing the hills) and you can see what position you are in compared to the other riders in the class. Todd has specific things we focus on during our 6 week training sessions, like strength, aerobic capacity, cadence, etc. but no matter how hard you try to focus on your personal level you always want to try and race everyone else in the class...so you are completely drained come 7am!

There are a lot of other nuggets of information on the screen that you can focus on as well (which makes the time go by a lot faster)...such as MPH, distance traveled, heart rate, watts generated, cadence (pedal speed), etc. You have certain zones based on your "test" you do at the begining of the session (test = ride as hard/fast as you can for 7.25 miles = death). So you are constantly trying to keep your cadence at a specific number, while maintaining a certain level of power output (watts) and still trying to kick your neighbors butt...b/c you don't want to be the last little square biker guy to finish! Fun stuff!!...are you confused?, welcome to my world!

Todd will be on my speed dial for the next 6 months to keep me challenged and motivated to ride my bike (my weakest and least desireable of the three sports). Why does the longest (yes, 112 miles) of the three have to be my least favorite?, oh why?

Little Humor to Lighten Your Training Day

2009-01-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

I had a friend send me this list of "You Know You're Obsessed with Triathlons When..." and I had forgotten about it until I recently saw it on another blog. I read it, had a good chuckle, and then took around and assessed my own situation....yikes! According to this list, I may be on the road to obsession! Look at the pics and note numbers 44 and 15...hmmm.

Also threw in a pic of my training partner (posing by the permanent bike fixture in my living room) who forces me to get out there and run on the days my motivation is low...he also dutifully watches as I log hours on the bike. I often get scared he's going to stick his nose in the back wheel while he's sniffing around and checking to make sure all my connections are tight!

YOU KNOW YOU ARE OBSESSED WHEN...

50. You are over 30 and there is still someone in your life that you refer

to as "coach".

49. Your last bike cost more than your first car.

48. You have peed outdoors more times in the last year than you did in your

first year of university.

47. You think of mowing the lawn as a form of cross-training.

46. You've worn a heart-rate monitor to bed.

45. And it wasn't when you were sleeping.

44. You refer to the front hall of your house as the "transition area".

43. When you get home from a training session at the pool, the newspaper is

just being delivered to your house.

42. You have changed more flat tires this year than light bulbs.

41. The most frequently used software program on your computer is the one

that keeps track of your workouts.

40. You have no idea why they call Cal Ripken Jr. "Iron Man" when, after

all, he was a baseball player.

39. The first three items on your grocery list are Gatorade, power bars, and

gels.

38. When you floss at night, it's to get the bugs out of your teeth.

37. Your legs move in a cycling motion while you are asleep.

36. When you see a drop of blood, your first reaction is that you spilled

some red Gatorade.

35. You know how far you biked and ran last year, to one-tenth of a

kilometer.

34. You think the ultimate form of wallpaper is about 64 racing bibs.

33. A 19-year old kid who works in a bicycle shop know more about you than

your next-door neighbor.

32. Your children are more likely to recognize you if you put your bicycle

helmet.

31. You have a vanity license plate with the work "Kona" in it.

30. About half the shirts you own have at least a dozen logos on the back of

them.

29. You don't find the word "Fartlek" in the least bit amusing.

28. When you refer to your "partner", you mean neither your spouse nor the

co-owner of your business but the person you run or bike with three times a

week.

27. You shave your legs more often than your wife.

26. The closest you came to punching somebody was when they disagreed with

your position on whether wearing a wetsuit amounts to cheating.

25. It doesn't feel right that you can't "clip " in and out of the pedals in

your car.

24. There is a group of people in your life about whom you are more likely

to know how fast they can swim 100 meters than their surnames or

occupations.

23. Some of the shorts you wear today are tighter than the ones you wore in

high school.

22. You are frustrated with the latest Garmin Forerunner because its live

readings have a margin of error of approximately three per cent.

21. There's a separate load of laundry every week that is just your workout

clothes.

20. One of your goals this year is to be faster at getting out of your

wetsuit.

19. You failed high school chemistry but you could teach a course on lactic

acid.

18. All you want for Christmas is something called a carbon crank set.

17. You wore a digital watch to your wedding.

16. You have to have completely separate meals from your spouse because he

or she is on a low-carb diet.

15. Your bicycle is in your living room.

14. You have stocked up on a brand of cereal because it has a coupon that

will save you money on your next two pairs of running shoes.

13. In order to establish a new personal best, you considered peeing without

getting off your bike.

12. One of your proudest moments is when you lost a toenail.

11. When a car follows too closely behind you, you accuse the driver of

"drafting".

10. When you went for a job interview, you wrote your social insurance

number on your arm in black marker.

9. Your spouse cried during Terms of Endearment; you cried during the

television coverage of the Hawaii Ironman.

8. You are comfortable discussing the sensitivity of your nipples with other

guys.

7. Your spouse is looking forward to the day when you will slow down and

just run marathons.

6. You have paused in front of the mirror in your wetsuit and thought, "Hey,

I look like Spiderman.

5. You see no issue with talking about treatments for chafing or saddle rash

at the dinner table.

4. You recently asked your spouse out for dinner by asking if he or she

wanted to "fuel up" together.

3. For you, "bonking" no longer has a sexual connotation.

2. The magazine secretly tucked under your mattress has pictures of really

expensive bicycles in it.

And the No 1 sign you're obsessed:

1. Most of this list doesn't seem like a joke to you.

Need a Little Motivation?

2009-01-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

Check out this little YouTube clip of the Kona Ironman.

http://youtube.com/user/Ironman Triathlon

I have watched this 1:12 video at least 20 times now. If you have never watched the TV coverage of the Kona Ironman you have been missing out. Regardless of your level of fitness you will be mesmerized by the event. This is the best of the best in the world of endurance sports. When I first watched the coverage my roommate at the time walked in and saw me sitting on the couch bawling my eyes out. What the f@#*?...she exclaimed to me. She didn't quite understand why I would cry watching people swim, bike and run. She quickly learned about my obsession with exercise and healthy living (I took a small hiatus when I first moved to Nashville and moved in with her so she didn't quite know what she was in for) and quickly caught on to understanding my obsession, the lingo and became a huge cheerleader, making sure to always wish me luck, ask about my races, etc. A few years later she again saw me on the couch watching the coverage of Kona, this time she was ready to sit down and watch. At the end of the hour we both looked at each other with tears in our eyes, in awe of the athletes and the coverage of the special interest athletes, whom against all forces against them, complete an Ironman. She knew then that I had the Ironman in my sight and it was only a matter of time before I decided to take the plunge!

I know I will watch this clip 20 more times, if not 1,000. When I am having a bad day, waking up and walking into swim practice like a zombie, or when I fear I will fall off my bike with exhaustion, I will come back to videos like this and recharge my motivation to complete my goal of becoming an Iron(wo)man. If this doesn't motivate you to get off the couch and at least walk the dog around the block, then I don't know what will! You don't have to "go big," you just have to go!

Sunday Funday...now Sunday Swim Day!

2009-01-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday used to be a day of relaxation, no showers, leisurely brunches and maybe some afternoon beverages....that is no longer the case. Now Sunday is Swim day with Excel! We had our first practice of the new year last week and everyone had to come to re-register with the group. There were over 80 people at practice with only 4 lanes assigned to Excel swimmers...needless to say, it was chaos! It's hard to stop and catch your breath, wipe the snot out of your nose or try not to choke on the water when there is a line of 10 people behind you! No Pressure!

Today marks the end of the first official week of training. So far there hasn't been anything too different or challenging compared to normal. The next two months will be building my base training with a big focus on strength training, swimming and biking. Oh yeah, and I have to run too...basically, focus on everything with the exception of sleeping. 4:30 wake up calls will become the norm, so if you are reading this be sure not to call me after 9:00pm! ;)

Forecast: Snow, with a chance of well, snow!

2008-12-31T06:56:00.000-08:00

Argh! What do you do when you are supposed to swim, bike and run when there is 18+ inches of snow on the ground? SNOW SHOE! I came home to Seattle for a nice break to relax and recharge before getting back to Nashville to hit it hard for the next six months of training. The weather was frightful and it snowed 5 of the 8 days I was home. I didn't want to turn into a lard ass, so Meghan and I decided to partake in our annual winter wonderland tradition...snow shoeing.

It was a beautiful day...yes, it was overcast, cold and snowy, but any day you can get out and be in the mountains with your best friend is a truly beautiful day!

Meghan and I logged approx 6 miles and 3,000 feet of elevation. She and I love getting out in the woods and getting dirty...we always have the best time, even if we are a little hungover from being over served!

Check out my sweet snow shoes...yay!

Meghan and me getting ready to start our trek up the mountain.

"Running" in the snow...we did more trekking than running.

Meet the Makers, er, Coaches

2008-12-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

In order to complete the CDA IM I am going to need some help, and that's an understatement...I am going to need an army of professionals! I have quite a motley crew of bad arse coaches to help me prepare for the next 6 months of training and completetion of the Ironman!

Meet my coaches!...

Coach Stephen Taylor is the one who got me involved in the wild world of triathlons...I had done some triathlons the year prior to working with ST, but since joining his classes and working with some amazing athletes I have decided to take on some higher, loftier goals! ST has helped push me to a higher level in my training and has really given me confidence to take on the IM. www.sttrainer.com

Ashley Whitney is my swim coach, and not just any swim coach, an Olympic Gold medalist, and not in rhythmic gymnastics, but swimming! So, I get to learn from the best! Ashley is already kicking my butt in her Excel Triathlon swim class and makes us do crazy ass stuff like swim with our tennis shoes on...it's just plain mean! ;) www.exceltriathletes.blogspot.com

Richard Baker, aka, Triswami is going to be the man to take me to the Ironman. "Coach" as I call him will be working with me on a specific IM training plan to help me balance hours on the bike, miles on my feet and laps in the pool. He is sure to provide some comic relief on the way and hopefully keep me out of my "Zone B" during my training...aka "Zone Bitch" Triswami has been doing triathlons for over 20 years and has a wealth of knowledge that I am going to feed off of for the next 6 months. www.triswami.com

Todd Nordmeyer is a cyclist extraordinaire. In my limited knowledge of biking, he's a certified bad ass...and that's as technical as I can get. He wins races, period...and does so on an elite/professional level. Todd has an indoor bike/computrainer class (more to follow on that in another "blog entry") that really kicks your rear and helps to keep you training in the correct zones (hopefully not "zone B" as noted above). Todd is constantly telling me to keep my upper body still while riding, but it's hard to do so when he plays such funky music. www.endeavorperformance.com

It's Officially Official, gulp!

2008-12-15T16:27:00.001-08:00

While checking my bank account today I noticed that my checks for the Coeur d'Alene Ironman entry fee had cleared, yikes! So, it's officially official...I am going to train and complete (hopefully) an Ironman.

How did this all start?, you ask...

I have been a "marathoner" for a few years now. Sitting comfortably in the middle of the pack, never veering far from my 4:30 average finishing time (ahem, I did just have a 4:04 PR which I am very excited about!). I find joy in traveling to new cities locally and internationally to explore the world and run marathons while doing so, never putting a lot of pressure on the race outcomes. Marathoning has afforded me the opportunity to hang with my mom who has become my official cheerleader and the two of us have had some fun adventures together in these endeavors (ask about the pepper spray incident in London, whoa!).

I started participating in triathlons in the summer of 2007, putting a few sprints and Olympic distance events under my belt. The summer of 2008 started off not so much with a bang, but more of a whimper, so I joined a local triathlon training group, ST Trainer, led by Stephen Taylor a local bad ass in order to ramp up my motivation. (www.sttrainer.com....a little plug!) The group was great and I was huffing and puffing the first few weeks trying to keep them in my sight! Over time it led to a greater confidence in my running abilities and faster times. A few triathlon PR's and a half marathon PR (many have asked...PR=Personal Record) had me pumped to run the 2008 Marine Corp Marathon. And pumped I was, I ran a 15 minute PR and felt awesome! I was on such a high I was searching for "what's next?!"

Fast forward to breakfast the following week after a two hour spin class. There I was still on a high a week after the marathon and hungry for another race and breakfast, of course! My friends Ben and Sara (a super cute and fun couple I met through ST Trainer) had signed up for the Coeur d'Alene IM and were enthusiastically trying their best to talk me into it. "NO WAY" I said..."you have to be crazy!" (which doesn't mean much as "crazy" accusations have been directed my way many a time, so I was breaking down and seriously considering it...damn). After a run the next morning with Ben, Sara and Pete I was feeling great...one more text message from Sara gave me the final push and then I found myself at the computer signing up for the CDA IM...damn again!

Ben and Sara found me at a weak moment, a post-race high with no solid plans for a spring race. I will either be cursing them or thanking them come June 21st!

I plan on keeping my friends and family updated on my training with this "blogging" thing so check in and help keep me accountable in this adventure for the next 6 months!