Metric Melon

Last minute decision to do this ride...I'm typically not a "last minute" type of person, but a few other things fell through and even the original ride we were going to do today was changed after 7pm last night to be the MELON METRIC!

Close to home, weather predicted to be pretty good and a strong group of riders indicated today was going to be a good ride. We arrived, signed up and were ready to go BEFORE the scheduled time. The roads out here, we decided were excellent! Nice and smooth, pot-hole free. Nothing like the Spirit of Racine race that several of us did just the week before.

It was a little chilly starting out, I think the temperature was about 62 degrees. But it was supposed to warm up to 80 and I really didn't want to carry arm warmers around the whole day. Everything going well, get in and out of the first rest stop pretty quickly...on the way to the second stop (which felt like forever), we were witness to a dog running a biker off the road. We pulled up, watched as the irresponsible dog owner tended to her dog, not even caring about the cyclist, called 911 and told the guy to just sit. He seemed OK, helmet was cracked, but no road rash. Thankfully, he had ridden off the road in the ditch when the dog ran up on him. He knew his name, but not much else. The dog's owner came over to ask, "Did he bike you?" but she didn't seem to care about the fact that this guy had fallen off his bike and hit his head. It was weird. The ambulance got there and we headed back on our way, shaking our heads. Had that dog come up on us, it's likely several of us would've gone down.

We get to the next stop, quickly do what we need to do, and we're back on the road. Our pace is strong, but not overreaching for any of us. Then we realize something is wrong as we pull back into the first rest stop. Apparently, we followed the wrong arrows out of that second stop...how the heck were we supposed to know that?? They were just color-coded, but I guess there is one way to go for the century and another way for the 65 mile route...SHOOT! We decide to go back to the same place we just left in order to get the 100+ miles we were after.

A train of about 7-8 guys on road bikes pass us, I think we were slowing for railroad tracks or something. I notice a "fist bump" at the front of the line and now I'm irritated with this group. We continued to ride our pace and these guys were getting no further. It was like they just kicked up their pace to pass us, but then hung out. We didn't draft, but slowly passed them back. Once we passed, our pace picked up noticably. It was kinda like we had to put some ground between us and them to make sure they stayed back there this time. It worked. And it was a solid stretch of ride for our crew! We pass by the house with the attack dog and lo and behold, the dog is in the house...homeowner out front doing yardwork, eyeing up all the cyclists passing by.

At this rest stop, we feel like we're in the Twilight Zone - coming or going, we don't know what we're doing and everything feels like deja vu. As we're reloading our water bottles, I see some woman looking at JS's bike and commenting on how nice it is that his aerobottle is up front on his handle bars, making it easy for him to drink. She then says, and this is the quote of the day, "He even has a little sponge to wipe of his face!" She was referring to the yellow netting in the aerobottle that keeps the water from splashing out when you go over some rough road. I almost spit out my Gatorade at that comment. I had to walk away fast.

Now we were on the way home. We knew we'd be over 100 miles, but weren't sure by how much. We tried to lay off a little on this last stretch, but we really didn't slow down much. The roads on this last section were the worst of the day! I opted out of the group's transition run after the ride...I mean, my race is not for 4 more months! WHY ON EARTH am I out here doing 100 miles??!? Sheesh.

Great day. Wonder why I've never done this ride before.

It's Coming Off

That's right, triathlon fans, I am about to go through the first-time experience of losing a beloved toe nail. After my very respectable run at the Spirit of Racine Half Ironman last week, I complained of severe pain in my second toe...the one right near the big toe. I have never before experienced this pain, nor could I figure out why this race had produced such pain.

It has now been 6 days after that race, and after 3-4 days of the second toe throbbing, I've noticed the coloring under the toe nail going more and more black with each passing day. Today, just about all of the surface under said toe nail is blue/black/purple. The pain seems to have gone away, but I am thinking this is what happens as a precursor to losing the toe nail. And because I'm such a nice person, I'm choosing not to post a picture of the nasty-looking sight at this point in time.

With any hope, the discoloration will go away without the toe nail falling off. I've also been told that if this toe nail falls off, it won't be for a while, but that it would fall off some time while pulling off a sock or (gasp!) while in the pool! YUCK! For now, I'm happy it no longer hurts, but I still can't figure out why this even happened in the first place!

Spirit of Racine Half Ironman

After spending all day working the Expo on Saturday standing on my feet, I wasn't quite sure what to expect for this race. I was feeling pretty relaxed about the whole thing because I haven't been able to get my run miles up where I'd like them to be. I hadn't run 13 miles since NOVEMBER! And the water temperature was said to be 56 degrees. It's one of the only times I was heard saying, "I don't want to do this swim."

Per the usual race ritual, I couldn't sleep the night before the race. Tossing, turning, looking at the clock every 15-20 minutes or so to make sure I wouldn't oversleep left me pretty tired when it came time to get out of bed. I looked out my hotel room window to see that it had rained overnight. I quickly got my things together and headed out to transition in the darkness.

I was surprised at how calm I was. Transition was set, a couple trips to the porta potty, I walked with CR to grab my wetsuit and prepare to walk the mile down the beach to the start. I had both a neoprene cap and some nifty neoprene booties. In fact, I tried the booties on in the hotel room the night before and they are quite comfortable! I am considering using these as my house slippers this winter. I put them on before the walk down the beach and my toes stayed nice and warm. (too bad they don't have gloves I can use)

It was very foggy - so foggy, they delayed the start of the race by 15 minutes...again, and again and again. Now the race was a full hour delayed. I silently hoped we weren't going to swim. The temperature was now 55 degrees and I went in for just a few second and it was shocking to the system! I was almost upset when they announced that the first wave was about to take off. Now I've spent so much time worrying about how cold the swim was going to be, I've practically forgotten about the fact that I still have to bike 56 miles and run 13 miles after that!

The fog was still thick when we started and sighting the buoys was challenging! I ran a few steps and jumped into the icy lake and kept my head out of the water the first 200 yards or so. It was a pretty smooth start, though...didn't get beat up too much. Once we turned to parallel the beach, there seemed to be plenty of space. I tried following the flow of athletes in front of me, but at points they were so spread out, it was impossible to know who was going in the right direction. A couple times, I had to stop and look around to find the next buoy before continuing on the swim. It felt long...I was tired of swimming. I just wanted out. A few people were walking and we were still no where close to the end of the swim. Finally, I spotted some trees so I knew we were getting close to the finish. Again, people stopping and walking well before they should...they made for a few obstacles for me! Once my hand hit the sand on the bottom, I stood up...still very far from shore. It's exhausting to try and run through almost knee-deep water! A quick check of the watch tells me the swim was probably 200-300 yards short.

I immediately heard MN yell for me out of the water. It was really cool...nice to have someone cheering for you. As I ran to transition while stripping off the top half of my wetsuit, I saw her running along side, talking to me. It was encouraging. She mentioned many people were off course. I don't doubt it, it was TOUGH to see anything out there!

After a surprisingly quick transition (tearing off booties and all!), I hopped on the bike. I had to go well past the mount line because there were several people just past the line trying to get on their bikes. It was already congested and we haven't even started yet! The guy in front of me was weaving as we workedour way up the incline. He almost took me out! I was a little chilled at first, but that quickly went away as I started pumping my legs on the pedals. We were forced on a very narrow strip of road and it was difficult to pass. Several "on your left" yells, and still people wouldn't move. They were riding right on the double yellow line. I even had one guy point to the right and tell me to go around him on the right. Um, no dude, you're blocking, YOU move to the right.

I was quite comfortable except for the rough patches of road. Temperature was good. It was a little windy in some sections and I could feel myself being pushed around, but it wasn't too bad. I nailed the nutrition, though I don't think I was getting enough water. The aid stations were crowded and I rode by a couple of them without grabbing a bottle because it just seemed too dangerous. I realized my computer was wrong...I hadn't erased the data from my last ride, so now I have no idea what mile I'm on. I then realized the mile markers were spray painted on the roads in 10 mile increments. 40...50...cool, just 6 more miles. I'm very uncomfortable now on my bike seat. My legs feel nice and strong, I just don't want to be on this bike any more.

It was relief to fly down the hill into transition, just a bit of a bummer that you can't really go as fast as you'd like. Another pretty smooth transition and I was off on the run. Now the sun was starting to peek out from the dissipating fog. There were two pretty challenging hills right at the start of the run that tweaked my hamstring. I shortened my stride and just went slower. Once up that second hill, it was flat and my heart rate dropped quickly. I was on a good, solid run pace. There were lots of familiar faces on the course. Sometimes, though, when someone would yell out, I wouldn't realize who it was until they were long gone. Again, very comfortable conditions...not too hot, not too cold. The shaded parts of the run were well spaced and a cool breeze kicked up every so often.

Once I reached the turn around, I realized I was still feeling pretty good, so I decided to try and pick up the pace. I slowed down again significantly on those two steep uphills at the beginning. I still stopped at every water station, trying to make up for the fluid I did not take enough of on the bike. At one aid station, I grabbed a gel. I ripped it open with my teeth and squirted it in my mouth. Eeeegads, it was HOT! Not just warm, but hot! BLECH! I gulped down two lukewarm cups of water after that. I was trying to check on my splits and it was encouraging. I came close to the 10 mile mark and I realized that if I could keep this pace, I was on target for a half ironman PR. Never mind that the swim was a little short, this is turning out to be a solid race! I picked up the pace a little more, now breathing heavily where it really started to burn a little. Throughout the rest of the run, I was able to cheer on friends coming the other way...now I didn't have the breath. I tried to hold the pace for the last couple of miles, but I could feel myself now slowing. The hamstring has been acting up for the last 4-5 miles, but I'm almost finished!

Through the zoo, I know the end is near. Now I can hear the announcer and the crowd cheering. Do I have any "kick" left? No, not really, but I tried. I started the day hoping to just be able to not have to stop and walk during the run. I ended with a very respectable time and a new love for neoprene booties.

Valparaiso Triathlon Race Report

Whew! One race weekend after another! I found myself heading down to Valparaiso on Saturday morning to participate in a sprint triathlon. I've always wanted to do this race because it's so close to home, but then again, with a measley 400 yard swim, I've never pulled the trigger. This year, I did it.

I picked up PS at the designated meeting time - 5am. It was dark, rainy and stormy but the race was several hours away so I had hopes of it clearing up. Besides, I already PAID for this race. Once we were on the road, we noticed we were driving into lighter skies. Excellent, it was like we were driving our way out of the storm. But the rain was coming down hard and I got a phone call from the Saint saying, "You guys are nuts, there's no way you're going to race today." We pressed on.

Once at the race site (we arrived very early), we put on our rain coats in anticipation. By the time we walked all the way to registration, we decided it was too hot for the rain coats - besides, it wasn't raining. A stop in transition to drop off the bike, a trip back to the car where we dropped off the rain coats and got the rest of our gear, and we were headed back to transition. Now it seemed the skies were getting darker in every direction, but we proceeded to set up transition. We met up with BP, his girlfriend and KK and it started drizzling. I ran back into transition to place both pairs of shoes in plastic bags (lesson learned from the Naperville race that soggy socks are NOT fun to run in!). Now it started POURING. I grabbed a light jacket I had in my bag and cursed myself for leaving the raincoat in the car. Within minutes, we were drenched. Not many places for shelter at this small race, but we were standing under a tree to try and keep from getting even more wet. (I've always found this ridiculous...where should you NOT stand when there is a storm that includes lightening? UNDER A TREE!) The 5 of us stood there, shivering, just waiting for an announcement. Someone did get on the speaker and said, "THIS RACE WILL GO ON!" We were shocked. None of us wanted to race in this monsoon. We stood there, looking around, each trying to talk each other into packing up and going home...one of those, "If you go, I'll go" back and forth.

About 10 minutes before the race start, there was a flash of lightening. 30 minute delay. Shivering, I silently hoped the race was called off. Teeth chattering, goose bumps covering my arms and legs, I wondered when it was going to stop raining. There was no way this race was going to happen...

Next thing we hear is that the first wave needs to line up. WHAT?? You mean we're going to race? I was in shock. And then I was scared. Lots of rain means lots of wet pavement means dangerous conditions on the bike. I stared at the athletes lining up in disbelief...is this really happening? Yes, it was. A few more times our little group talked about packing up and going home. But no, I drove all the way out here to race. So let's just do it!

Once my wave was finally called into the water, it was like a relief to have warmth on my feet and hands. It only lasted instantly, but I hoped once I started moving, I'd warm up. Ready, set go and our wave was off and thrashing about. Very quickly, superstar amateur athlete Chris Wickard shot out to the front. I couldn't even get a draft, she was just too fast. I watched as the rain drops hit the water of the lake as we went along...they finally stopped about half way into the swim. I could still see Chris' light blue cap up ahead of me, but couldn't catch her in such a small distance.

As I came out to head to transition, I was disappointed that I wasn't warm. I was pretty chilly as I ran to my bike. Once there, it was a fiasco trying to get my things from out of all the plastic bags! My fingers were waterlogged and pruny and pretty much refused to work for me. I put my sunglasses on but wondered if this was going to work...once they get so much water on them, you really can't see! The pavement out of T1 was very slippery and I almost fell 3 times as I headed to the bike course. I hopped on and promised myself to be safe.

Safe meant excruciatingly slow turns. In fact, I felt like I was practically stopping as I took each corner! However, it was better than the alternative, so I just hammered on all the straightaways. It wasn't raining any more, but there was some standing water on some of the roads and every now and then, a blast of wind would come and blow all the water from the leaves down on me. BRRRR! The wind was feisty and it tossed the disc wheel around a bit (I had forgotten my other rear wheel, so it was the disc or nothing!)

Once safely into T2, again fussing around with another plastic bag that contained my running shoes. Now I can't decide to take my sunglasses with or not. I picked them up, put them down, picked them up and put them down again. Then I had to move them just in case the guy next to me came in and might run them over, breaking them. WHAT AM I DOING, I'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE! I grabbed my hat and number and headed out. It was a bit confusing in transition and I ran into 2 guys going the wrong way (everyone was to go counter clockwise in transition to make it equal distance for all participants). It was interesting to say the least.

I started out feeling OK, but it was now getting sunny and humid. I was glad I left the sunglasses anyway because I had changed the lenses to clear, so they wouldn't have helped with the sun, anyway! Just about to the half mile mark, I could see the bikers coming in on their second to last turn of the race. Just as I looked over, a girl who was turning too fast skidded, flew off the bike and the sound of metal scraping the pavement gave me chills. Spectators all turned to look, but I didn't want to see it! I hoped she was OK.

Mile 1 and it felt like an eternity. I felt like I was slowing, but at mile 2, I see that I got just a little faster (that is, if the course was marked correctly). There were some little hills that got my heart rate up and right around mile 2 was when the hamstring started talking to me. Oh come on, I'm almost done here, though! I tried to keep the pace and as I neared the finish, I saw PS and heard him yell, "Hurry, don't let the girl behind you get you!" So I tried to push harder...not really sure if I went any faster, but when I turned around, there was no "girl" there. Was he just toying with me??

I was able to capture first in my age group, but not by much. I was surprised that my struggling run was able to hold off the second place finisher. And to think we almost turned around and did not race...

Lakeside Triathlon Race Report

I can't believe I haven't had time to write up a race report on this!! I have been doing so busy and doing lots of great things, but I can't skip a race report! The race was a week ago, so the details are now fuzzy memories, so I'll just give a quick recap.

First off, I almost cancelled out of the race. I had a little scare with my beloved labrador retriever and he trumps a race any day. A quick visit to the vet in the morning assured me he wasn't in pain and that he was going to be OK. I was a bachelorette over the weekend, so I needed to bring my little angel to the race (it's like bringing a small child...OK, almost)!

Mapquest never fails me and got me to packet pick-up with plenty of time to spare. While wandering the "festival", I ran into BC, his better half and some friends of his. I was quite distracted, I was so focused on tending to my baby. They told me I missed the trailer where packet pick up was set up, so I said goodbye and headed back. I got my things and headed to the hotel. I got a little lost getting to the hotel and just decided to get a sandwich and call it a night. I didn't want to leave the dog alone for long if I didn't have to.

I think there were drug deals being done at my hotel. Throughout the night, doors were slammed, lots of voices in the halls and just a general stench in the hallways when I walked through them. (what do you expect from a place that accepts dogs?) I slept horribly, but was happy that the dog seemed to be doing OK.

I picked up Neumann at her hotel and we headed to transition before sunrise. It was quite warm and humid already and I ditched my jacket quickly. I really enjoy smaller races because they're low key and I don't feel the pressure like I do at the high-profile races. It was exciting because this was Neumann's longest triathlon to date! We were in the same wave, so we were able to rack our bikes together. Do some socializing, take the bikes for a small test ride, play around with transition set up, meet up with BC for a quick run warm up and before you know it, the race was about to start!

Just before my wave started, three young girls jumped in front of me. Great, I thought, I'll get a really nice draft! These girls looked like they were in high school (I found out later they were). Off we go and these girls hammer it out. I found a sweet pocket and just coasted, smiling to myself because I wasn't working at all at this point. I was a little cramped, but I wasn't getting hit and we seemed to be moving. About 400 yards into it, these girls slowed dramatically. Now I was in trouble. I couldn't get around them! There were women to my left and right and straight across the front. Oh come ON, where is a gap when you need one??? It seemed like minutes, but there finally became a small space and I brushed right past two of the girls. I could see other caps with my color in front of me, but they were too far for me to try and catch them for a draft. So I settled into a rhythym and made for a good, easy-paced swim.

T1 seemed so slow. I felt disoriented and scolded myself for not practicing transitions more. I was the first one off my rack though, so I had lots of space to do my thing. On the bike, I felt good. I was breathing a little heavy initially, but got it under control in the first few miles. The same woman that flew by me on the bike last year did so again this year...but much earlier! I picked up my effort and kept her in sight. She is definitely a masher...I don't think she ever takes the bike out of the big chain ring! Whatever she does, she's very effective! One of the greatest things about this race is that they have PLENTY of volunteers and IL State Police covering the course! The way back felt easier and my legs felt good. As we neared transition, it's back through the hilly section of the course and my legs started to feel heavy. I could now see the runners and the leaders of the race!

Into T2 I had a hard time spotting my rack (scolded myself again for not checking that thoroughly!). I felt my transition was quick, but the clock told otherwise. I headed out on the run that was .5 miles longer than I expected! There were a couple of opportunities to see your competition on the out and backs. Jen Harrison yelled to me on her way back in...took me a few seconds to understand what was going on. I didn't even see her before the race! She was hauling on that run! I don't expect any less. The hills on the run killed my hamstrings and I felt myself slow and take shorter steps to compensate. It's just something I have to figure out how to deal with! I'm still having fun!

Down the finish chute, the crowd was bigger than last year. The band was on stage to the right and there were bleachers on the left. I didn't feel like I left it all out there, but I put in a solid effort. I was able to watch Neumann finish with a look of determination on her face! She waved her arms at the finish that made me know she was in a good place!

4th of July Ride

This year, instead of the usual organized Metric Ride held in Joliet (I think), I opted to go for an "unorganized" ride. This was going to be closer to home, more familiar territory and give me the ability to control my own pace and distance vs. trying to hang with a group too fast for me. I didn't want to push too hard because of my upcoming race on Sunday. Technically, the day should have been a day off, but when you get a "free" day from work, just seems to make sense to get in a good quality workout!

It was nice to sleep in a little and the weather was just perfect for a ride! The group met up at 7:30am and it was about 61 degrees. It was chilly enough for me to start with arm warmers, but most of the group had short sleeves or no sleeves! We headed out on a nice, easy pace and chatted with each other for the first several miles. For the most part, the group was together for the first - almost half - of the ride.

A few of the stronger cyclists took off at one point and I wondered if this is what they always do as one by one, they just flew by me chasing each other. I started in on the chase and then held off - this was not the goal of today. I needed to save it. I slowed down to have the rest of the group catch up when I heard a loud snapping sort of pop. GH had a flat. It was a weird-sounding flat which I thought could only be made by a pinch in the tube. But how had he ridden 25+ miles without this happening already? It was his front tire and we were lucky that we weren't on a quick downhill at that moment. We found the spot where the tube looked like it had been sliced...a little over an inch long! We were just a few minutes away from the first designated stop - the Elwood gas station.

Heading out, we changed direction and realized we must've had a nice tailwind on the way out. The wind was too loud to talk to one another. We made a couple of side-by-side pacelines and were pushing at a pretty good pace. A couple of people were off the back within a couple of minutes. But we kept on...single pace line, double pace line, blah, blah, blah. Pretty uneventful.

Next thing you know, we're off the designated course a little and we have to ride back to the next designated stop - a 66 gas station - I can't remember what city this was. There are about 6-7 of us and we pull up to the gas station and no sooner did I unclip one foot and I heard some lady saying "yeah, I'm the owner here, get out." I thought maybe she knew one of the other cyclists and she was joking around, but then some of the responses made me realize she was serious! This woman came out and said "You can't hang out here!" Hang out? We weren't even off the bikes yet! So then TR said, "Well, what if I want to come in and buy something?" The woman responded, "Yeah, like you're going to buy something. What would you buy?" TR responds, "Gatorade." She says, "No you weren't, you guys get out of here." It was unbelievable. I was really thirsty, too...and I WAS going to go in and buy water. Instead of instigate her, we moved on up the street a little, just off the gas station property. We knew we were meeting the rest of our group here, so we didn't want to go far. Apparently, this wasn't good enough for gas station lady and she kept staring out the window at us. After about 5 more minutes, she came out of the gas station (no, I'm not making this up) and started waving her hands at us yelling, "I told yas to get out of here. YA CAN'T HANG OUT HERE!" Well, that did it and several of us started yelling back. I mean, she didn't even have any customers, why was she so against us just standing on the side of the road??!?! Then she said she was going to call the police. So I said, "OK, call the police, would you like to use my phone?" More yelling back and forth and she went back into the gas station. I should have asked her if she was on medication. We called the people behind and set a new meeting spot. It was maddening and hilarious at the same time.

I now couldn't wait to get to the next meeting spot because I knew I could get water there. The group sort of split some more, one turned off, a couple went home earlier, so our group was dwindling. Lots of talk about being kicked out of the gas station property. On our next stop, everyone was reminded that "YA CAN'T HANG OUT HERE!" Definitely a ride that will not be forgotten!

Naperville Women's Triathlon

Never before had I been so unprepared for a race. I was so exhausted from the time trial, I just fell asleep...only to wake up around 3:30am to quietly prepare for the Naperville Women's Triathlon. I didn't know what to expect, I pulled out my triathlon checklist and hoped I didn't forget anything as I hurriedly collected all my things and threw them into my ratty triathlon bag.

The morning seemed calm and I met Liz just as I found a spot on my transition rack. She was smiling, but seemed quite nervous as this was her first triathlon. I knew she'd do fine and I tried to reassure her of that. She chatted on about her morning, her preparation for the race, and on and on and I knew she was just talking to keep her mind from thinking about the day ahead.

On the one hand, I love the fact that I know so many people who are racing this day. On the flip side, it's a huge detriment because I can never get focused without someone coming up to say hi. I lose my concentration and catch up with whoever it is that I'm able to spend some time with this morning. I keep forgetting what I'm supposed to do.

The highlight of today is being a part of the Luna Chix. Several of us are out there today, ready to race, ready to cheer on our fellow racers, and all of us are out there to have fun. The more time I get to spend with this awesome group of women, the more I love them. They are just great people that have such passion and zest for life...and they truly represent what the Luna Chix are all about.

After about an hour rain delay, the race was started. I was chilled and shuddered to think how all my stuff in transition was now soaked. Who wants to run in soaking wet running shoes? UGH. I got up to the start in time to wish MC good luck...her first race in a very long time. She was relaxed and happy with a huge smile plastered on her face. I couldn't help but smile myself just watching her.

Soon it was my turn and I gave the Saint my shoes and jacket and headed to the beach. There was some nervous chatter, but in previous years, many of these women have really beat me up at the beginning of this swim. This year, the swim was structured a little differently, giving us a wider area to start. I heard someone yell for me and I looked over to see Liz waving. It is so great to have teammate support! The guy in front of us gives us a countdown and the picture to the left is the start. I had a great start and it really helped as I did not get too bumped around at the beginning. I did get hit several times by the woman on my right, but after about 100 yards, she dropped off.

I had a little "assistance" from the swim angels again this year. Fortunately, I took in a little less water from their "help." I hate the turns in this swim, but I tried to keep a nice, strong pace throughout the swim. Not a stellar time, but not horrible either.

It's a long run to the transition area in this race. I passed several women on the way to transition, but was also caught in a bottle neck for a few seconds where it's too narrow to pass anyone. I easily found my bike and saw only one other woman at my rack. Swim was good, then! I struggled to get my socks on because they were wet and kept bunching up. I gotta learn to do this with no socks! I put my bike shoes on and had to run ever so slowly to the bike out. The asphalt here is always very slick. Add the rain and it was super slippery! I got on my bike and immediately became chilled. I hoped the sun would get strong in a hurry to warm things up. It felt like a slow start out of the downtown area. Lots of turns, lots of newbies not quite sure where they should be on the course. I would politely say "on your left" and most would move over, but some got a little nervous and weren't sure what to do. Corners were tricky. I couldn't trust that anyone would hold their line, so I braked a lot into the turns simply for safety. Plus, I don't really trust myself on the wet pavement. Best to keep the rubber on the road! I didn't notice how long it was taking me, but the ride seemed to go fast. When I got off my bike, I realized it was the slowest bike I've ever had on that course! YIKES!

I got back to transition - first bike back in on the rack...woo hoo! A very quick transition and I was running, but the legs felt heavy. I was passed by someone in my wave within the very first mile. Such a difference from last year. I noticed my first mile split and couldn't believe how slow I was running. I tried not to be so hard on myself...I did just get back to running last month! It still didn't feel very good. I tried to encourage the other athletes on as I passed. I'd get some words back from some, others probably just too winded to reply. This event is just one of those "feel good" races for most of the participants. Luckily, I was able to pick up my pace for the last couple miles. I don't think I gave it my all, but I was still disappointed with my time.

It was still a great day and the race is just fun to do because it's so close to home and such a short distance. It's great to see so many first timers and the friends and family that come out to support them. The Luna Chix all hung around to watch AS collect her FIRST PLACE in AG award. I couldn't be more proud to be a part of this team.

Apache 40K TT

For the first year since I've ridden with the Apaches, I was finally able to help with and participate in the team's annual 40K time trial. In years prior, I was either racing or had a conflict with my Luna Chix obligations. It was great to finally be able to be a part of this race.

I arrived early with broom in hand to head out on the course to sweep all the corners to keep the riders safe. About 5 of us rode the course, following the guys putting up the signs for the race, and got out at each turn to thoroughly sweep all the gravel off the road. It was nice to be able to ride the entire course so now I knew I was in for some hills. On the flip side, it took us a while to complete this task, so by the time we were finished and back to the check-in area, we had very little time for warm up.

I headed out to the start, pinned on my number, got the bike out, put on my aero bottle, pumped up my tires and got my gear all on. By this time, I had about 15 minutes to warm up. Not good at all. I'm one of those people that needs a long warm up. I try not to let it stress me out because there's nothing I can do about it now. I just want to get out there and put in a good effort.

At the start line we were waiting for the "all clear" direction to be given. The officials handed a couple of us timers to test them out before the start of the race. Within a minute or two, the green light was given for the race to commence and I took a few deep breaths. As always, they give you a nice little countdown and it was time to go!

I very quickly got into a nice, steady rhythym. It was about 68 degrees at the start and I was a little chilled. But I sure warmed up in a hurry! Everything felt good, though I had already lost sight of my minute-man. I just tried to put forth steady effort on the pedals and downshifted to keep from making my effort too much. About 15 minutes into the race, it started to rain. Just a little sprinkle and I thought, OK, no big deal. But then I heard it before I felt it, the rain started shooting out of the sky full force. It was a cold, pelting rain, stinging my bare arms and I got very chilled. Now I was wishing I hadn't come out for this race. I was just a couple miles into a 25 mile race and I was now freezing cold. And now the pavement is soaking wet and I get squeamish about taking the corners. I wished the rain would go away. Miraculously, the rain stopped. It went away just as fast as it came! A couple miles later, I was already warm again and the sun started peeking out from the dark clouds.

My legs felt a little sluggish, which was to be expected due to the running I'd done just 2 days before this race. But I felt comfortable and strong. Then I hit the section of rolling hills....up, down, up, down. I knew this wasn't going well for me and it was confirmed as I was passed for the first time this day. I tried to stick with my fellow Apache and could do it on the down hills. But as soon as there was any incline in the road, I started to lose ground. It was very quickly after that when another Apache teammate passed by. I couldn't believe how easy they were making this look. The three of us rode together but separate for quite some time. I think having those two in my vision helped push me to work harder.

I came to the turnaround and took it ever so cautiously. Now I was halfway done and still feeling strong, but a little uncomfortable. It is clear to me that I haven't spent enough time in the aero position. Up ahead I notice a big piece of farm equipment moving slowly along our side of the road. I watch as one of my teammates goes to pass on an uphill and I cringe. Man, I hope this thing gets off the road before I have to pass it. Now I start to see other riders coming toward me, on their way to the turn around. Just a few minutes later, I watch my other teammate pass the same wide piece of farm equipment....shoot, I'm next.

I move up to make my pass and I see another rider coming toward me. As I get close to this tractor thing or whatever it was, I notice that the wheels are about twice the size of me and my bike and it makes me a bit nervous. I go to pass when I see that there is a guy making a pass around the biker headed toward me. I fear that I am going to either crash into that rider or be pushed into the big wheel of the farm vehicle, so I quickly grab the brakes. I slow down enough to let the other two riders go by and then try to get up to speed again to pass the tractor. I might have been too cautious on this one, but I'd rather keep the rubber side on the road!

Back along the stretch of rolling hills, I start to feel fatigued and wonder how it is that I sometimes do 112 miles on my bike. I'm quite uncomfortable now and I have to keep getting out of the saddle just to "adjust". One more sharp right turn and now it just feels like I am crawling. What is going on, why am I so slow? Does my computer really say 15 mph? Am I going uphill? Do I have a flat? It was a brutal last 10K of a race that felt like it was never going to end.

I could finally see the finish and I just hammered as best I could. It was at that point that I realized that I once again left a little too much in the tank. I felt very strong and was almost disappointed that I was going to be done without feeling more drained. I was really happy to be a part of Team Apache today.

Downtown Chicago

So this weekend, I was able to get down to the city for a brief lake swim followed by a lakefront run. I realized that I have not had Saturdays to myself in the summer since I started the whole endurance event thing. See, since 2003, I've always been involved with CARA. The first 2 years, I was a training participant. The last 3 years, I've been a group leader for the marathon training program. This means that every Saturday, from June to October, I've been running with this group. Though I missed the group on Saturday, I do feel a great amount of freedom to be able to do what I want to/need to do on Saturdays!

The lake was quite chilly at about 62 degrees. But most of us got in and swam about a mile. I think I swam the first 50 yards or so with my head out of the water, but after about 200 yards, I settled into a nice rhythym. No records being broken on this swim, but I felt smooth and comfortable....and couldn't feel my hands or feet.

After a quick trip to the car to drop off the wetsuit, grab the running shoes and the Garmin, I headed off to what was to be my longest run since I did Ironman Florida way back in NOVEMBER. I cannot believe I have not really run for so long. I've been away from it so long, it's like I don't even miss it anymore. Anyway, the lakefront was quite crowded, but the weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny, a light breeze and the temperature was just right for a run. It's nice to get to the lakefront path for a change of pace. There are so many people there, the time seems to go by quickly. Though I struggled with the pace for the last mile and a half, the run didn't seem so bad. It wasn't fast, but it was a run...with just a couple of water stops thrown in. Looking forward to making this one of my regular rituals this summer!

It's a Dry Heat

I was initially signed up to do the TriShark triathlon this weekend. However, a couple of months ago, an opportunity for me to get down to ride the Ironman Arizona course came up, so I sold my triathlon entry in lieu of going down to see what it's like to ride on the Beeline Highway. I've since found out that they CANCELLED the swim at the TriShark and made it a duathlon, so I definitely made the right choice in skipping that race this year!

I headed out on Saturday morning and arrived in Phoenix around 11am their time. The temperature had already climbed up to about 98 degrees. After a big fiasco in helping my partner in crime, SH, rent a bike, we hooked up with my brother who just moved to AZ last month for a short, easy early evening ride. Now it was about 102 degrees. We loaded up with all sorts of fluids and the ride was short but sweet. We were saving our efforts for the next day...the Ironman course.

The morning came all too quickly and we met up at the start of where the bike portion of the Ironman was to take place. Initially, I wanted to put in the full 112 miles, but the heat was a consideration as was the fact that this race is still pretty far away. So we headed out around 7:30am to log in some good, solid, steady-paced miles. The thermometer was reading about 82 degrees at the start of the ride. I could give you all the details, but let me just sum it up that the heat rose to about 102 again this day. We rode until about 3pm with the sun baking on our backs as we pedaled along. There is absolutely NO SHADE on all of this bike course. And I have to say, I loved every minute of it. 102 in AZ does NOT feel like 102 in Chicago. Heck, even 85 feels hotter here in Chicago. So I guess it's true, the whole "dry heat" thing takes much less of a toll on athletes. I fully expected to be wiped out after the ride, but that really didn't happen. I had much more to give and it felt great.

I love the Beeline Highway!

Luna Chix Run

Since April, the 2008 Luna Chix Triathlon Team has been doing a run at Runners Grove in Downers Grove the first Monday of every month. These runs are in addition to our weekly bike rides at Waterfall Glen.

Last night was such a great night! The weather was awesome, we had a great turnout and we welcomed a lot of new faces into the Luna family! The pace groups worked out well and several of us headed over to Ballydoyle afterwards. Ballydoyle has a nice outdoor area and the weather was just perfect for us all to just hang out, talk about the run, triathlon, and everything else going on in our lives.

You can join us next month on July 7th. Run starts promptly at 6:30pm. Be sure to plan in a trip to Ballydoyle afterwards!

Udder Century

Probably not the smartest thing I've ever done...ride 100 miles the day after a triathlon. However, it really wasn't planned that way. I was planning on a little shorter distance, but once I missed the turn to do the 75 miles...well, I was sorta stuck.

It was a beautiful day out on Sunday. I saw lots of friends. I rode with a great bunch of people. Nothing to complain about except the fact that I was extremely uncomfortable. I haven't spent a whole lotta time on my TT bike, so after Saturday's race, I was sore. To add another, oh, I don't know 6 hours on my already, um, uncomfortable areas, wasn't really fun.

So the ride starts out and I'm feeling pretty tired...and I'm wondering why it feels like I'm just working too hard. Maybe I really expended a lot of energy yesterday and I'm just not ready to ride hard again. I don't know. At the second SAG stop, I decide to pick up my bike and spin the back wheel to check to see if it spins. It went about a revolution and a half. Shoot, I'd been riding with the back brake rubbing for about 40 miles!!! This happens every time I change from my race wheels back to my training wheels. You'd think I would learn by now to check this each and every time.

The ride got better then, but not very long. I decided I'd just go 75 miles. That's good enough. It's very early in the year. But I wanted to kill somebody when the guy at the SAG stop showed me where we were on the map...I had missed the turn for the 75 mile route. Now the only way to get back was to do the full 100. I was dejected. Guess I was just meant to ride the 100 this day, so I just tried to suck it up and finish the ride. I was definitely slower toward the end, but still managed to get in the full century. First one of the year! It was a near perfect ride...great combination of riders in the group I was with and absolutely perfect weather! Now, if I had only made that turn on the 75 mile course...

Terre Haute Triathlon Race Report

It was a last minute decision to participate in this year's Terre Haute triathlon. I think it was because I'm so used to having an early start to the season (last few years, my first race was in April or first weekend in May!). It was difficult to listen to everyone give race reports about Galena and Memphis. I was originally scheduled to participate in the Triple T last weekend, but I knew there was no way I'd be ready to run that many miles. I made the right decision on that one.

So, I'll give just a quick recap on the race.

It was surprisingly warm when I went out to the car in the morning. There were some tornado watches and warnings going on the night before and the streets were still wet. It was pretty sticky and muggy and I took my sweatshirt off while I set up transition.

Setting up in transition at Terre Haute is always interesting. Terre Haute is a smaller race so the transition racks are sort of a free for all. There was a guy that tried to weasel in at the last minute, but I was able to show him why it wouldn't be cool of him to just jump in on a rack already set up and start moving other athlete's things. He was cool about it (thankfully!).

I'd heard people say that there were a lot of weeds in the water. That was evidenced as I saw PT's BFF Lauren Jensen come back from a warm up swim with a big bunch of weeds strewn across her left arm. They didn't look too slimy, so I didn't even think about it. As the all-female wave waited for the start, I heard a woman in front of me say how fast she was going to catch the wave that went in front of us. I looked around and saw some very confident-looking women around me. Then I immediately became intimidated and lined up in the 2nd row of women. I don't know why I let the comment or looks of those women intimidate me because within 50 yards, I was looking for a way to get around these women. I hit the woman's feet in front of me too many times, but I had no way to get around...I was squeezed in from both sides. In about 150 yards, I was able to swim past the 2 women trapping me on my left. Then it was pretty smooth sailing. The water was calm and comfortable. I just found a nice rhythym and wished the swim was longer.

I got out, looked at my watch and had a really good, strong swim. Running to the transition, my feet hurt from the rough surface. It's a pretty long run and...shoot, we entered the transition area from the opposite side I thought, so now I had to think about which aisle to run down. I need to pay more attention to where I'm set up! I found my stuff and was a little shaky. A woman flew in next to me and was in and out before I could even get one shoe on...good thing the Luna Chix are doing a transition clinic later this afternoon! I took a deep breath and steadied myself, trying to bring down the heart rate. I quickly ran out of transition and hopped on the bike.

It was warmer than I thought, but since it was so humid, I wasn't drying up at all. The bike course is an out and back with some rolling hills, nothing too difficult. On the way out, I felt great, strong, like I was just flying along. I was caught a little behind the USAT motorcycle at the turn around, but I don't think I lost much time. I couldn't practice the turn I just learned at the cycling clinic because they had a truck parked across the road (probably blocking traffic from the other direction) and the truck was too close for me to put into play what I had learned. Bummer.

And there it was...a huge, relentless headwind! UGH! No wonder I felt like I was cruising on the way out...we had a strong tailwind. But now I was pushing really hard and the bike seemed like it was barely moving. It's in those times I must look down to make sure I don't have a flat because it just feels like I'm crawling. I'm passed by many guys, passing a few. Definitely some newbies out there who are a little all over the road and make it dicey to pass at some points.

I get off the bike and wonder what this run is going to feel like. I haven't run this far since November...in my Ironman. I didn't give it my all on the bike in order to make sure the run wasn't going to hurt. I make a very fast transition and am out running and the temperature seems fine to me...except that I can't get try. My uniform is just as wet as it was the second I came out of the water. My fingers were pruny. I plod along, ticking off the miles. The hamstring bothers me at points, particularly when going uphill or trying to pick up the pace. Now the women are passing me and I try to remind myself not to chase....just get through the run at your own pace! I can't expect much, I haven't been running!

The last mile of the race is by far the hilliest part of the run and it definitely hurt the most. But it's on a trail through the forest and I just love running through that type of environment. I can now hear the announcer at the finish line and I just try to keep the pace. Almost there! Now I can see spectators and the finish line is down the hill! I was happy to finish with just a moderate amount of pain. My time was slower than the last time I did this race, but I expected that. It was a blast. And my triathlon season has officially been kicked off!

Perfect day for a run!

Well, for the first time since last July, I met up with some friends this morning to run a few miles at Waterfall Glen. The weather was absolutely perfect for a morning run, though I did have to be talked into leaving my gloves behind! I really have missed running out here.

Though the group was going the full loop (9.5 miles), I'm not quite ready for that and just ran out to the 2 mile marker and back. Surprisingly, my splits weren't too bad. And though the company, weather and scenery were just perfect, the hamstring did not feel good at all today. On Monday, it felt bad just for the first mile, but today, I felt a pulling with every step of my left leg. I don't think this problem is going to go away this year. Maybe it's time to see yet a 4th doctor....?

Ridge Run

Well, yesterday I did the Ridge Run 5K. The plan was to just take it nice and easy to see how my hamstring would respond to the running. It really felt bad in the first mile, but the pain seemed to lessen when I adjusted my stride...smaller steps. My heart rate was a bit higher than I hoped, but it was a good run that I was able to share with MN and KK. We just chatted the entire time and were even able to negative split. Unfortunately, I had put the camera away before we hooked up with KK, but here's a picture from before the race.

It was pretty great to run in the Luna Chix shirt...lots of spectators cheering for us and rooting us on. I didn't feel fast by any means, but it was nice to hear such great support on the course. Doing the run with no pressure on a time result brings on a whole different feeling. Thankfully enough, the hamstring really doesn't feel so bad after the run yesterday. So maybe it's time to start kicking it up a notch!

Baraboo Training

Each year, the Salt Creek Triathlon Club has an annual training weekend in Baraboo, WI. For the past several years, this training weekend has been on Memorial Day weekend. I went a couple years ago and it was one of the toughest training rides I'd ever done. Last year, I couldn't go because I had some medical issues, but I was able to squeeze the trip in this year.



I headed up late on Friday night. It wasn't ideal, but as long as I was there and rested for the ride in the morning, things would be OK. Unfortunately, I got a little lost on the way up there. The roads are very dark and desolate...didn't help that I had to go to the bathroom! I kept calling the main office of the place where we were staying, but I kept getting a busy signal!



However, this was about the only thing that went wrong the entire time!





The first day - great group, great weather and the notorious hill (that I nearly cried about 2 years ago) wasn't as bad as I remember. Though I do have a better bike now, I like to think I have become a little better of a rider since I was up there 2 years ago. We did several repeats on this hill that takes...gee, I don't really know, but maybe 15 minutes to climb up?!? Trust me, it feels longer than it really is. The route we took is very hilly...I'd say tougher than the IMWI course but not as tough as Horribly Hilly. But it does seem like you're either grinding it out uphill or flying on a downhill about 90% of the time. There really aren't many flat sections.


It was a perfect weather day...sunny, warm, little wind. There were these cotton pieces from the trees flying around and they kept sticking to my sweaty face or landing in my mouth which was pretty gross. I think I ate my fair share of bugs during the day's ride also. The group came back, I went into our cottage and grabbed a water bottle and started to wind down. Unfortunately, I was coerced into going out again for another hour and a half which may not have been the smartest thing I've ever done. But...I drove all the way to Baraboo...besides, it was a beautiful day! The second stint of the ride was brutal. The wind had picked up and no matter which way we turned, it felt like we were riding straight into it. I was very happy when we were done.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent just hanging out and laughing with the group. It was a good opportunity for me to get to know everyone a bit more or catch up with a few people I haven't seen in a while. Many people had spouses and family (and dogs) with them, so all in all, we had a pretty large group! I slept like a rock that night.


The forecast for the following day was 30-40% chance of rain. When we woke up, though, it was cooler than the day before, it was dry. Our group was a bit smaller than it was the day before...one person leaving, another spending time with family and a couple others had started earlier in the day. This route started off with a scenic ride right past to Devil's Lake and it was awesome. While today was supposed to be the "flat" day, I've decided there are no flat streets near Baraboo. We even had to go up the hill we did repeats on the day before! Ugh! My legs didn't quite have the fire in them than the day before, but I was still able to hold my own. I started feeling the burn much earlier in the ride on the second day.


We got a little lost toward the end of the ride, making it a bit longer than planned. This was a tough mental blow - think about doing a marathon and when you think you're at mile 26 you find out you're at mile 22.... But everyone pushed through and we were fortunate that the rain never made it out our way. No flats, no crashes, NO DRAMA!! A very fun, successful training weekend in Baraboo!

Women's Cycling Clinic

For the past 3 weeks, I've been attending a Women's Cycling Clinic (sorry, guys!). They had different categories: Recreational, Advanced Recreational and Racing. So, I signed up for the racing group in hopes of learning a bit more about the world of cycling.

I was impressed by the number of women that showed up. From what I heard, though, this is a program that has been growing year to year. It didn't just start up with the 40 or so women that attended. In the first week, our group practiced a lot of pacelining. Single, double, clockwise and counterclockwise rotations. Nothing special, but I did learn that I typically ride with some really good, smooth cyclists. Most of these women were relatively new on the bike and I found that following their wheels was challenging and very unpredictable. They would break erratically and couldn't really hold their lines well. Just makes me appreciate the people I regularly ride with more. The most beneficial thing I learned in the first week was how to turn around a cone. You know, when you have an out and back on a course and they just put a cone in the middle of the road? Yeah, I'm one of those people that always slowed down too much and even unclipped thinking I was going to fall over. Well - that won't be happening to me anymore! Very valuable information!

In the second week, we did more pacelining. This group really needed it. There was a tendency for the woman in front to surge ahead causing all kinds of breaks in the line. Then, on the return line, the braking and surging was crazy and the line rarely stayed at a nice steady pace. While I didn't think I really needed work on this, of course, I overlapped wheels with a girl in front of me when I was just coasting, she somehow slowed down...A LOT, and I found myself trapped from the other side with the second line of the pace group. I bit the dust, but the damage was minimal. I think the thing that was bruised most was my ego. We did a bid of bridging in this class, too, but it didn't work as planned due to some traffic getting in the way (damn cars).

For our last week, we learned a bit about shifting and cornering. This was good...I'm not very confident in my cornering. Most roadies (cyclists) can dust triathletes on the corners. It is definitely easier to take a corner on a road bike than a tri bike, but there are still some things that are good to know regardless of what bike you're riding. We all rode around this parking lot with 4 corners, just practicing taking the turns quickly. Unfortunately, with such a large group, I couldn't really get into the turns as quickly as I wanted because I was always getting to close to the girl in front of me....and since I screwed up last week, I think I was a bit overly conscious in trying to keep away from the "squirrley" women in the group.

This was a great clinic for women to learn and get more comfortable on their bikes. While I can't say I didn't learn anything, most of the information I did gain was more of a refresher than new. It makes me realize I know more than I thought I did. Now I hope to be able to take some of the information I've learned and pass that along to some less experienced riders, particularly in the Luna Chix weekly rides.

Running and the Hamstring

Went for a nice, short run this morning. Well, I got lost on the trails, so it was a little longer than I had planned, but the conditions were just perfect for a run. The hamstring, however, is not doing so good. I can block out the pain, but I'm trying REALLY hard to NOT block it out. See, that's what got me here in the first place! I've always said, the pain was never really strong enough to get me to quit, but it shouldn't be there in the first place. The hills really don't feel good. (not that they ever felt good, even without the hamstring issue) I am starting to wonder if I will ever be able to recover from this.

USAT Coaching

So, instead of spending tons of hours on my bike, like my training plan called for, I spent the weekend in West Burlington, Iowa where I attended the USAT Coaching Clinic. Upon successful completion of several factors, I will become a USAT Certified Coach. I wasn't sure what to expect when I signed up for the class, but I do know I have an interest in coaching other athletes. My experience with the Luna Chix in encouraging women to get out and get into the sport of triathlon has been hard work, but it has also been rewarding. Even more fun has been coaching the Multisport Madness swim workouts.

The Coaching Clinic was educational and I think I surprised myself with how much of the material I already knew. It was cool to meet other future coaches from across the country and it made me wonder what motivates people to get into coaching. Most importantly, attending this clinic sort of lit a fire under my a$$. For the past few weeks, maybe even months, I've been sulking because of the hamstring injury and have been extremely unmotivated to train. I always told myself I'd quit when it stopped being fun...and I was getting pretty close to that point. But somehow, being with all these triathletes, locked up in a room for 3 days together, talking about the sport, pumped a bit of motivation back into me. I'm nowhere near ready to race, but at least now I'm wanting to. I've got a lot of work to do!!

Updating the blog

OK, sorry for "putting the blog on lockdown". I just haven't had much time in the last, what has it been 6 weeks, to post. That, and the fact that I'm really not racing leaves me less to write about! However, since I've been getting lots of emails asking what's going on, I just decided to put the blog back up...and I'll try to get to posting more.

Thanks for your patience.