He came in to my life 14.5 years ago, full of energy and not very big. He was 8 weeks old. The day - 9/10/2001 It had been 12 years of proding my husband to get a dog for the kids and as a surprise for my birthday, that day, in bounced our new addition to our family (as I lay in the tub no less). Of course I was quick to get out of the tub and play with his little bundle of furness. As we play in the hallway as a family with our new addition, trying to come up with a name, we decided that Sir Lancelot would be his name (Lance for short). I believe it was a well chosen name and he was a good servant, a loyal companion and a watchman over our kingdom. He learned quickly and was obedient in nature with a few exceptions of some excursions to the nearby park where he knew the kids would go and catch the bus or be playing. If he ran off, we could usually find him there. He wasn't overly destructive as a puppy. A few barbies lost their feet and it was hard to have anything laying around with lace on it that he didn't rip to pieces but he wasn't a digger or a destroyer of furniture....those dogs showed up much later in our lives. :) Over the years Lance came to know many friends of ours and many will attest to the annoying barking that Lance had developed. He barked when you came in the door, took out trash, ran up the stairs, cannonballed or even walked into the pool. He just barked, a lot and was a bit OCD about it. As a sheltie barking was normal, and so was the endless amounts of fur balls around our home. Grooming him was simpler when he was smaller but as he grew older and heavy it became quite a chore. He enjoyed every moment of it though, the washing, the drying, the nail clipping, the teeth cleaning. He was so tolerant of us poking him the mouth so we can check on his teeth as they went from pointy needle like baby teeth to broken back teeth in his later years. He just liked the attention, of course the treats too. Over time he found the bath time as like a spa day and his one-on-one attention from me. If petting him on his big soft snout you had to be prepared to pet for days. He was not going to let you stop and would nudge your hand as if to say "more, more". Like most dogs, he knew when you were feeling bad or down and was always there to comfort you. He gave back what he wanted in return...love. He had to tolerate additional puppies entering our home, 4 over his lifetime and one other dog that Tanner had for a while. He was tolerant of their tugging and playing on a daily basis but over time that grew tiresome to him and we could tell he was getting older. I do believe that like the Swim Bike Run has keeps me feeling younger and healthier I think playing with the other dogs also kept him younger and healthier but dogs don't last forever and so his time was coming to a close. His face barely showed signs of age. His soft deep brown eyes, his velvety ears, his furry feet and big fox like tail all as it was through the years. Lance was a scavenger of sorts, would eat anything you gave him and usually in one swallow. He wasn't much for chewing. This included socks and underwear! He loved to be at my feet in the kitchen when I was cooking, hoping a crumb or a splatter of grease would hit the floor. He loved it when my dad was in town because he was the only one who fed him table scraps and Lance knew it, even when he only saw him once a year. He remembered him. He started to lose a bit of hearing and possibly some vision. He had started gaining a lot of weight and was getting harder and harder to groom. Over Christmas break our son Tanner was home and I pointed out that he may want to spend a bit of time with him before he left town. He got down and took some time with him and I am very thankful that we knew to do that for both of them. He stopped barking around that time and I never heard him bark again. It was New Year's Eve and as I sat on the computer working on loading up my working from that evening Lance started to get sick in our office. It was not normal for him and while he had an issue earlier in the week trying to cough up a "hairball" that never happened. Our fear was he had ingested something that he wasn't able to digest so an x-ray was needing to be done, and then exploratory surgery on his stomach. We didn't realize that this was marking the beginning to an end. We discovered on the 5th after the surgery that he had a blood cancer. There was hope he would bounce back and have some more time with us but slowly he declined. No longer did he scavenge around the house for food. He pretty much gave up eating and drinking before his last night. His eyes looked lost and he looked tired. As I picked him up and lay him on our bedroom floor last night I realized how much weight he had truly lost and how lethargic he had become. I was hoping he was just getting through the anesthesia he had been given but the reality was his body was riddled with the cancer and finally took its last toll on him. He had no energy to give. I typically sleep like a log but last night I was unsettled and frustrated and I didn't know why. Could it have been from sitting in a desk chair for the last week for long periods of time or could it have been for not having any work outs completed since Monday? Little did I know what was going to happen next. I suppose I turned on my "mommy" instincts before I went to bed. I was woken at 3:30 am with a sound of some sort of struggle. As I got down on the floor with him, petting his beautiful snout and looking in his glassy eyes, he took his last breath, with me at his side. What more could you wish for as a final farewell...it was beautiful and sad. He touched my heart more than I realized and today I am reminded of how truly special he was to me and my family. No more furballs, no more barking only memories and many many tears yet to flow. Rest in Peace my friend. I hope you are barking and running free and eating anything you want. I will miss your soft fur and you by my side when I am feeling down but you are in a better place. We had a good ride.
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it's official. I got a coach. April 2, 2016 is only 5 months away. This is the date of our Oceanside 70.3 event (Half Ironman distance). While I feel like it is just right around the corner. I am starting my training a little bit early than I did for Boulder 70.3 in 2012. I have different goals this time. Boulder was only my second triathlon. The first being a sprint only 5 months prior. They say that triathlon is addicting and I must agree. Once I had completed that first sprint I couldn't wait to do another event. My mind was set on a half immediately. I had seen the distance and knew of Ironman branded events so I couldn't wait to do one myself. I knew I could do it. Originally Racine, WI was the plan but it was sooner than we could train for at that time so we opted for Boulder since it was a drive-able distance from AZ. I can now say I am a Boulder 70.3 finisher. My finish time wasn't pretty but looking back at all the circumstances: altitude, lack of training, lack of experience (did I mention altitude?), I was pretty happy with my results. My finish time was 8 hours 17 min and 57 seconds. Out of 1840 participants I finished #1334. Not too shabby for a beginner. The cut-off time was 8 hours and 30 minutes after the final wave of swimmers. I think that I had only about 45 extra minutes to spare. Phew...so close. This time around I would like it to be different. I am setting a time goal. I know what I have to work on to get to that goal I just don't know how. So I got a coach.
They were training a group to run the Sedona 10K/Half Marathon. This is where I met my coach, Matt. He was also running with the group as he was assisting with some of the workouts. Matt likes to run. I...well...I do but it is like pulling a cat into the bathtub for a bath. I enjoy it in the end but getting me to start is the challenge. My husband and I started to train with them for the half but due to some heath concerns I was only able to work out completing the 10K. Wow, was it beautiful and holy hills....I can't imagine running that for a half marathon. I feel blessed to have made the choice to train with Brian Grasky for Sedona or I wouldn't be in the spot I am in today. I feel so much more confident and I am learning every day. The Sedona 10K was in the first part of this year. Since then I have been on event mode. Over this last year so far I have run the Sedona 10K, Oro Valley Distance Classic Half Marathon, the Oro Valley Sprint Triathlon Series in March, July and Oct and the Lifetime's Esprit de She Olympic triathlon. I haven't been riding my bike as often as I would like but I am getting stronger and stronger. My husband even commented on how fun it is to ride with me now that I am able to ride at his pace. He is kind because his paces much faster than mine. I just think he doesn't like to have to constantly stop and wait for me. I am confident that I can finish Oceanside in time. This time I want to finish my event confident in my time as well not just satisfied with finishing. Last time I did a Half Ironman I pretty much went into it blindly not knowing what to expect. I just knew that my drive and "never quit" mentality was going to get me through it. I had only run a few running events prior to Boulder in 2012. At that time I was still doing my run-walk business. In Boulder I walked most of the 13.1 miles because I had not trained well with brick workouts from the bike to the run and my legs were like jello on the run. Not to mention altitude (again) and there was maybe one tree along the entire run course that offered any sort of shade. The temperatures were 90 degrees that day. That pretty much sucked. I dont' want that experience again. I want to enjoy my run and I don't want it to feel so challenging. Right after Boulder I ran 2 more Half Marathons that year. Right after that I had not done any run events with the exception of a few 5k events running with My Team Triumph. Those events were not for me they were for the children we were running for so I don't count the as any of my events, I never even kept track of time. When I don't have a reason to run, it is hard to get me out to do it. I see so many great results because of running. Now with my connection to RACE Tucson, I have put more focus on my run training. It still isn't where it needs to be but through my RACE Tucson club and Grasky, it is better than where it was. One thing I have learned is: Track Workouts. They are a must. Even in the dark. I now have a headlamp so there is no excuse. Although I seem to keep making them. Again, refer to the bathing cat. My average pace lately for any distance always seems to be around 12 min miles. I am always telling myself, "a mile is a mile not matter how fast you are". While this is true, being on the road a third longer than most people is harder on your body. I want it over with sooner. On the track I can see 10- 9:38 miles. It is so exciting but then I hit the road and I fall back to my 12 min pace. I have seen a few 11:30 minutes lately but I want to see that 10 min pace more often. So I got a coach. In July of this year my husband and I took a quick vacation to Newport, CA to put our toes in the sand and to detox from work for a few days. We decided while we were there that we would go by Oceanside to take a look at the swim portion. The swim is his focus so this was a good thing for us to do. Getting your head wrapped around the race course makes it so much easier. I will need to work on my swim. I need to get some bilateral breathing practice in and just keep swimming long distance. I love the pool. Especially when the sun is shining on the water. Most days my workouts are hurried so I can fit them in before work or just after before it is dark. In March our RACE Tucson club had a swim challenge. We were trying to get through the distance from Scotland to Ireland within a month. The required distance for the challenge was 21,000 meters completed for the month. I joined the challenge, I made the goal and I got a shirt to prove it. Having those types of challenges really ignite me. While I know I can go a swim a mile tomorrow, I want to be able to have the tools for any thing that unforeseen happens like waves and such so bilateral breathing has to be learned. So I got a coach I am also told that in Oceanside the bike course is through Camp Pendleton and it is hilly in some parts. I need to work on my climbing. I am pretty sure my bike average would be much better if I wasn't such a horrible climber. I am always analyzing everything I am doing or not doing on my bike to figure out why climbing is such a challenge. I have ridden up Mt. Lemmon, to an area called Molino Basin a couple of times. I see more training up this mountain in the next 5 months. I am told the grade is very similar to what we will experience in Oceanside. We signed up for Computrainer through Grasky Endurance Coaching. Weekly for 8 weeks I take my bike to the shop where they have 8 trainers connected to a computer. The computer manages your tension while the course changes. I cannot wait to see how this affects my cycling. I am hoping it makes me a stronger climber. I know this won't be enough for Oceanside's climbs. So I got a coach. So tomorrow is the day it all begins. My fees are paid, my Training Peaks calendar is full of workouts for this week. My Garmin is set and feeding to my Training Peaks. My Garmin cadence sensors and speed sensors are in and on my bike. My pantry is full of Hammer Nutrition products. A trip to Tucson Endurance Performance Center is needed to pick up some tubes and CO2. There are still more little things to purchase along the way. This sport is expensive but worth every penny to feel like I do when I complete a workout or an event.
First workout tomorrow is a 4 mile baseline run test followed by a 20 min core workout. And so my coaching begins....
As I sat down to write this I was searching for my blog about my sprint triathlon in April so I had some comparisons and more meat for the blog. I suddenly realized I had not blogged about the previous sprint, only my olympic distance in Tempe. Shame on me. What a great event that sprint was and I failed to capture the days events.
Oh well... I do remember it was my first official triathlon event since 2012. I remember the very nervous feeling I had about being cold on the bike after the swim. I remember thinking I felt very prepared. I had swam a lot leading up to it, I had ridden the course several times I had run the course and I had done the bricks necessary to let my body know when it was time to make the various changes and to adapt from one to the other. I was ready. The event went well. My husband also participated in the event and as always he is waiting for me at the finish. I suppose that is the bonus in being slower than him. He is there to greet me with open arms and a big hug and a "'ata girl!". This time was going to be a bit different. I had great intentions of riding the course a few times and running the route again, after all it was a wee bit warmer and a wee bit more humid. Monsoon season has rolled in. This has hindered some of the training I wanted to get in but not much. My training was mostly put on the back burner due to long work hours and a last minute trip to Austin to take our son to his new job. I packed run gear and swim gear just in case I could fit in a workout but they didn't happen. I did some stair workouts taking his things to his new apartment and we kayaked Lady Bird Lake. By the end of the weekend my calves, quads, laterals, triceps and biceps got in a few good reps. I hoped that would help. When we got home the sprint was only 6 days away.
I had done some swimming and cycling since my last event but the run was pretty non-existant over the last few months. I did have a couple track workouts that were off the chart fast for me so I was hoping this would help improve my run.
July's sprint triathlon came up pretty quickly. I had held off registering for it until I knew if my hubs was going to be able to participate in it as well. I was hoping to register us together. I was fully prepared to sign us both up or as like to refer to it: buy us flowers. He has recently had some skin cancer removed from his temple area and the doctor told him to not get in the water until it healed. Well it wasn't healing and finally the doctor said "no swimming" so I was left to sign up myself. While it is awesome having him cheer for me on the side of the road, I know he has a tough time being a cheerleader and not a participant. I would feel the same way. Once you do a triathlon it is so hard to just watch one.
Packet pick-up came up before I knew it. I was mentally not ready for it to be here already. The one thing that helped get me pumped up about the event was that I had 4 other co-workers who were also doing the event. I love seeing my co-workers embrace SBR. It makes for fun chatter around the office. 3 of us gathered together and went to pick up our race packets during our lunch. When we arrived another of our co-workers had just arrived to pick up his packet. What a fun moment to pep talk with everyone.
I decide at that time that I would ride my bike to the start. It seemed like the sensible thing to do.I had done a few bike swim bikes from the house to the pool so I knew it was a short route. This would help me also in providing a warm up. I always say I am going to warm up but then I get so lost in the morning gathering of athletes I forget to warm up. Riding to the event was the perfect warm up but... ...it was early!
I had to wake at 3:30 am in order to get up in time to eat, get dressed and get to the transition area in time.
The event started at 5:30. We had to "beat the heat". They start the swim based on the slowest swimmer to the fastest allowing some spacing in between. There were around 170 participants. I was #50 in the water. They marked my arms and my left leg with #50 and my right calf said 47, my birth year age. This has been put on my leg 3 times this year now I feel like I am already 47 and I won't be until September. After a pre -race meeting and the National Anthem, we headed to the pool. My Garmin had died so I was not going to be able to time my event myself. I watched the clock a few times in the water hoping to gauge my swim time. I had registered with a 18.5 swim time. I was in the water at 6:08. I felt great. I did not dive in like had the previous time. I remember that not boding well for me. I slowly got in and pushed off. My stroke felt good and before I knew it I was near the end of the lane with the person after me nearly at the other end. I thought I would have loads of space between me and swimmers the entire time. That didn't happen. I had to pass a few and I believe I was also passed a few times. The serpentine swim can be a bit nerve racking but thankfully it was on the long course and not the short. Finally I was out of the water. I thought I was close to 18.5 when I got out based on my average pace. I was a bit off. My swim time was: 19:50 almost 1.5 minutes slower than planned. This was, however, better than the April event when I had a 20:40 swim time. My transition went well. It was about 12 seconds faster than before. The bike is always my favorite part and despite the warmer weather it felt better. I had adjusted my clips since the last event. I passed several people and was definitely passed. Once by my friend Kristen Lodge. She is my idol. I want to ride fast like her. Maybe it is her awesome tri bike or her aerodynamic helmet. It could be that she is taller than me and most importantly just finished training for and completing Ironman Texas. Whatever is, I want to be like her. My husband was along the road at the part I find to be the toughest. It was great having him there cheering me on, both loops. Everyone else loved it too. The one thing we love as triathletes is cheering spectators. I hope this course gets more of them as it gains popularity. The route is great, The race director's are awesome. The sponsors and volunteer are outstanding. We just need more spectators! I round the corner and made it into transition and surprisingly my bike time was about 30 seconds slower than before. So odd since it felt much faster. My T2 was a tad slower than before as well. again by about 30 seconds. I remember the run from the previous event feeling very hard in the transition even after the bricks I had done. Not this time. I didn't even walk as much as last time. I thought that the track workouts were going to pay off. My husband made it over to the run course to cheer me through it. Since I didn't have my Garmin I had asked him what time it was and was running and calculating in my head. I hoped to do better than the sprint before had been. On the run, I passed my co-workers and RACE Tucson team members up and down the run, both laps. Many high fives were shared by all. It was such a great run. My run time ended up at 36:39.90 and that is just a wee better than the previous 36:58.6....crazy. I swore I had kicked it in the teeth. My friend reminded me that although I had not had a large difference in time I had to remember that it was much hotter than before so 30 second is still faster and that, I will gladly take. As I came around the corner I kicked in my finishing stride as I always do and always thinking "why can't I do this on the run?".
I was done. I finished.
At the time I had no idea what my finishing times were. We waited for them to be posted. We took pictures with my co-workers which happened the same time my RACE Tucson teammates were gathering. Darn, second event, second missed team photo. Oh well. They looked great! We had about 21 participants many of whom placed in the top three of their age group. My friend Kristen was one of them. She took second in our age group. I can boastfully say that I did beat her on the swim, so I have that little mental trophy. My teammates are all amazing. I hope to learn lots from them. I am glad to call them friends. What a great community of people. A couple of my co-workers are also on my team. How extra fun is that? Race resultes were in. Much to my surprise it said i had PR'd by 12 minutes and that my T2 was 47 seconds. I was on cloud 9. I couldn't believe it. I knew I had felt faster. I thought I had just done something amazing but it was all too good to be true. The timing program had thrown a few errors and they had to see where the issue was in the timing. Apparently it was before my time and my time wasn't my time after all.
Our official time were finally in that afternoon. Not as exciting as originally posted.
I still PR'd ....by 7 seconds. I'll take it! That night our RACE Team gathered downtown for a bit of food and camaraderie. It was an evening of good conversation and food. The best part was the ride home when my husband surprised me that he signed us up for Oceanside 70.3! A race I wanted to do but it had sold out very quickly. I wrote it off as race to do until 2017.
I am so excited to do this event. Oceanside is the location of the first triathlon and this event is the original 70.3 distance triathlon. I will be doing it with my hubs. We are working on training plans and nutrition changes.
My friend Kristen would like me to blog about the journey so I will do my best to post as I go along. My daughter did kindly remind me. "Two halves don't make a whole" referring to my Boulder 70.3 in 2012 and comparing it to her dad's Ironman AZ finish in 2011. She is right but I have to eat this elephant one bite at at time. The countdown begins to April 2nd, 2016!
It is Saturday, May 2nd just 2 weeks since I had completed a sprint triathlon and now I am going to attempt an Olympic distance event. What was I thinking? It has been three years since my last Tri, Ironman Boulder 70.3. I haven't done any races since then and now I will have completed two in 2 weeks of each other. I am sure this is one definition of 'Crazy'.
Esprit De She (by Lifetime) has been a race organization that I have been interested in since it's inception 3 years ago. It is a women's only event that really embraces the woman's spirit and encourages women to complete and compete in triathlon, duathlon and run events. It is a well run, well organized, volunteer heavy organization. Oh... and the SWAG, the glorious SWAG. Moxie cycling jersey, beautiful finishers medal (don't we all want great medals?), a bubbly bar with 2 free mimosas in souvenir GoVino glasses, and much more. The event distances for an International/Olympic distance are: 1.5- kilometer (.93 - mile) swim - 38.9 kilometer (24.16 - mile) bike. 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) run. I wasn't, surprisingly, nervous at all about the following days event. I knew I had completed a 70.3 distance event and recently had swam longer, ridden further and run further than these distances in training. I had some open water swim practice and I felt very confident and comfortable. I had timed my swim and I knew I could complete it in 35-40 minutes but I was allowing myself 50 minutes to get out of the water and I wanted to be done with the whole event in 4 hours. Myself and 3 friends (Kristen, Laura and Mairead) headed up from Tucson to prepare for our event.
We arrived mid-day to the Tempe Beach Park where we needed to do our packet pick up, mandatory meeting and rack our bikes. We were told the water temp was 77 degrees. Wetsuit legal, hooray! I realized I had lost a cap off my handlebars and was concerned I would have to find a bike shop near by but a local bike shop had a tent there at registration and handed me two, for free! I was very pleased.
I had not had an event where my bike was checked in the night before. It was hot outside and leaving them in the sun meant we needed to cover them and let a little air out of our tires. This was a first for me.
After our mandatory meeting, listening to the routes and turnaround points, we headed to grab a bite of food. We headed to Gordon Biersch for an early dinner. I ate the pecan crusted chicken sliders and sweet potato fries, yes and a Guinness. After dinner, around 7 we were off to our hotel to rest before our big day.
May 3rd, 2015 - I was up at 4am, braided my hair, ate oatmeal and a half of bagel with peanut butter, double checked my groovy Pink TYR gear bag and then headed out to our transition location to get ready for the event ahead of us.
Walking through the transition area standing in line for bodymarkings (age, number and event distance) I noticed so many ThirtyOne bags being used as transition bags. My heart was full (as I am a consultant). Cindy Moore would be proud.
After body marking I set up my transition. I have had a goal to see how light I can make my transitions. Having my new Tri Suit for my RACE Team Tucson Club proved valuable. I had a chamois handy to dry off with and laid out my transition. It was simple and easy. I loaded my bike up with my bottles, put on my wetsuit and was ready to hit the water. Still very calm and not a hint of nerves. Nutrition: 1 Salted Watermelon Gu to start
We went to the swim start to wait in our swim waves. We got the word that the water temperature was wetsuit legal...YAY!
Our waves were marked by the color swim cap we were given. We got pink. Of course this made me very pleased. Queue the song "Pretty in Pink". While waiting it was getting very warm. We started later than planned but this delay allowed for my family to arrive at the start of the event, just in time. I was so excited to see them there and be able to give them all a hug. This was the first triathlon event my kids would watch me complete. I was proud. The first wave went in. I was still not nervous and the only thing I was concerned about was starting my Garmin 310XT in its Multisport mode. I had not used it before in this mode. I forgot to hit start at the Sprint Triathlon and I really wanted to make sure I hit start on time for this event. Time for our wave to go in. I hit start on my Garmin. I dove in the water (which they said not to do, oops) and then completely panicked...hyperventilating from the moment my toes hit the water. What just happened? Why is this happening? I couldn't breath. I wanted to quit. I keep telling myself. "I can't do this for a mile". I got to a kayak and held on hoping to catch my breath. It wasn't working. I moved forward as best as I could to the next Kayak. "I can't breath" "I can't do this", is all I could say. I looked toward the shore line and saw my family. They were all cheering me on. (They didn't know it was me. They were just cheering on that person in the water who was obviously a slacker and by all accounts looked like she couldn't swim.) The lifeguards in the kayaks kept saying "You got this", "You can do it". My family cheering, my brain saying give up and then saying why....you can do this. You have swam longer distances, you know how to swim, you are a good swimmer, catch your breath, take it easy...don't rush it. Then my family heard me say, "I can't do this". "Oh my gosh it's mom/Torie" they were saying. Then all I heard was Go Mom, Go Torie, from my family and our friend Eric. I put my head in the water and kept swimming.
Once I rounded the first buoy things started to get a little easier. There were swimmers still around me so I was feeling better and as I was more relaxed I found myself passing a few people. I was quite amazed at this since I was so far behind everyone, it boosted my confidence.
I would roll on my back from time to time, and just keep moving forward. The water temperature was really great and every now and then I would put a little water in my suit, I could feel the cool and that helped keep my from getting too warm. I could see just about to the tips of my fingers in the water and eventually I could swim comfortably just not consistently. I took a break around every 12-16th stroke and this seem to get me through the catastrophe that started me out. When I saw the final buoy I knew I was going to be ok. The volunteers lifted me up and out of the water and before I knew it I was covered in wetsuit strippers. It was the craziest, coolest process and within seconds I was out of the water, wetsuit off and running to transition. Official swim time: 48:02, Yay, under 50 minutes.
The transition to the bike was very easy. I didn't even dry off. It was already so warm outside I opted to drip dry on the bike. Helmet on, shoes on, sunglasses on and I put on my bike gloves as I ran/walked my bike out of transition. I was so happy to be headed out on my bike and no longer be in the water.
T1 time: 2:58
The bike was a two loop course and a series of turns. At the mandatory meeting the day before they explained the course and it sounded so complicated but once I was out there I was really comfortable. It was well marked and again, many great volunteers. There were some great flat stretches, some uphills and a few nice downhills. I could have done a third loop. On my first loop I was able to pass many people but quickly realized they could be on their 2nd lap or even just doing the Duathlon. By the time I hit my 2nd lap I was pretty much on my own. It was a peaceful lap but I was looking to make sure I wasn't last. I did notice after awhile that there were still people behind me. Phew...
Total bike time was not captured on the CronoTrack. Nutrition: First Endurance liquid shot out of T1 and then around mile 15, Hammer Heed and water, nothing more. This was enough. T2 time: 1:42:30
My transition in T-2 was very quick. I simply changed from my bike helmet to my GEC visor, changed my shoes and then grabbed my hand-held water bottle and then took off.
The run was out and back - two loops. I was trying to visualize what 1.5 miles would be and knew I had to do that 4 times, theoretically. Well that first 1.5 miles felt like 3. It was so incredibly hot. I was grateful for the trees along the path. At every aide station I would grab a cup of water and cup of ice. Water went on my head and ice down my tri suit. I did walk here and there but each time I ran it felt like I never stopped. I rounded to do the second loop, noticed fewer and fewer people on the path. I kept telling myself "Race your race and your pace, forget everyone else, just finish".
Nutrition: GU packet around the 3 mile mark. Water, ice, water, ice, water.... As I rounded the corner behind the tents and on the way to the finisher arch, I remember thinking this is how my husband ran out of the water during his IM AZ in 2011. There was a lot of emotion in that memory and as I got closer I started to tear up knowing that despite a near DNF decision, I made it. I did it...I didn't give up! Official finishing time: 3:58:43 I met my goal.
http://results.chronotrack.com/athlete/index/e/14075379
This year marked the 5 year anniversary of the first run I had ever participated in. That run was this very same event and the same distance in 2010, a half marathon. Yes, I went from never running before (not even down the hallway) to training for and running a half marathon in 3 months. This year was different. I have been running (occasionally) for 5 years now and have several 5ks, a 10k, 3 half marathons, a few sprint triathlons and a half ironman under my belt. I still suck at running but I enjoy the running events. I was looking forward to this one as it allowed me to go back and compare the events and remind myself of how far I have come in my running. I can say I PR'd the course as my first run was a series of 1 min run/walk. I think I came in at over 3 hours on that first run. This year I finished in just over 2 hours and 40 min. My goal was 2.5 hours but that is ok. I was really happy about this run and how I felt. Although my training had not been up to par for what I should have done for this distance, I was confident that I would finish. I wasn't even nervous about the event. I looked at it like another running day but this time with a lot of other people running with me. This is the only time I usually have others around me when I am running. I think that is why I enjoy race events more than I enjoy training for them. Several days before the event I prepared all of my items for my race I had the largest pile of clothes, afraid I would be freezing when the race started. I recall the race in 2010 being so cold we stayed in cars with the heaters on so we wouldn't freeze. At the last minute I decided to be risky and just wear shorts and a my RACE Team short sleeve top with a light jacket. I am so glad I did because the morning proved to be much warmer than I remember 5 years earlier. I ended up removing my jacket only 2 miles into the run. Thinking back to the first time I ran this course and this year I would have to say they are far different from one another. This years event was much easier for me. The hills didn't hurt as much and I actually passed people. That was such an adrenaline rush in itself, who cares if they were walking. I was passing and I felt fast. I set my RunKeeper the night before to cue up a playlist that lasted 2.5 hours long. My targeted time. I also set it to give me run/walk alerts on a 4/30 timing. 4 min run, 30 sec walk. Thinking this would be good strategy since I had not been running for a few weeks. I thought this was going to help me get through it. Surprisingly I was able to run through most of them and only used the 30 sec slower sections to limit how long I walked, when I needed to. All in all I think I walked only about a total of 8 minutes of the entire run. The longest training run I had was a 10 mile run that incorporated uphills and downhills and while it had been a few weeks prior I knew I could at least get through that distance before it was going to be tiresome. I was delighted to feel as fresh as I did as I was passing the 9 mile marker. Then the 10 mile and then the 11th mile. It all seemed so easy this time. Ok...ok, the end was downhill but I remember it being more painful on my knees the previous time. I remember moments along the course feeling a bit of a twinge in my knees or the outside of my right foot and then I would realize I was running far on the side in the shoulder where the road slightly dips for drainage. Once I would move toward the middle of the road the twinge and ache would go away. This is definitely something to remember for future races. I wore compression socks for the race and I believe that there is something to it for me as I didn't have any nagging shin pain as I had in the past. Another change I made last minute was a bit out of my comfort zone. I opted to not carry a second bottle on my back, only carry my hand held bottle. I was going to rely on the water stations available. I recently learned the art of drinking from the cups at the aide stations without snorting it up my nose during a run clinic with Brain Grasky. It worked beautifully along the course. I mostly took in the electrolyte drink they had provided. I stopped once for them to fill my hand held bottle and that was all I needed through the race. They provided gel at the halfway point but reading ahead of time that the brand was other than GU, I decided to just pack my own and rely on it and passed up the offering of their gel. You never know what products don't sit well and I didn't want to find out that that gel was not for me halfway through a run. Thankfully my Fuel Belt race belt holds plenty of gel packs and I proudly carried my own stash. As I came into the finish I remember thinking how great I felt. My previous half marathons (although faster finishing times) didn't feel this good at the finish. I don't know if it was the beautiful weather, the beautiful scenery, knowing I had friends also running the course and along the way cheering me on as they rounded back to the finish, the little girls holding "go random stranger' signs and high five-ing or my friend Kristen with her cowbell cheering me at halfway point. What ever it was that made that race feel so good it was finished off by meeting my husband at the finish line as he ran in with me, waiting for me for over 20 minutes at the finish so he could mark his finish. Although he finished around 2:19, his time is forever marked at 2:40 and some change with me. Silly boy. Originally my blogs were suppose to be my daily account of me getting back into my training mode for a Half Marathon and Sprint Tri. Well, that didn't go so well. Due to doctor's orders I was not training as planned, therefore no blogs were posted. I now am clear to train and I have been working on getting ready for the Arizona Distance Classic in March. I was originally suppose to do the Sedona Half which turned into a 10K. I decided to use it as a training run for the AZDC. Sunday I ran a 10 mile distance and I was surprised to say "it didn't hurt". This was my first long run since November of 2012. I love to analyze things and figure out what worked and didn't work for me. This was my Gear and Nutrition that day and I think it will be my go-to routine going forward. Nutrition: Before - - Thomas Everything bagel with cream cheese, consumed about 1.5 hours before the run. - A small bit of coffee and some water. - One packet of GU brand gel about 15 min. prior to the run. - 3 Hammer Enduralyte tablets (temp was in the 70's already when I headed out), prior to the run. During- - One bottle of Hammer Heed in my Amphipod holder for my waist. - One small hand-held bottle of water - One packet of GU brand gel at the 5 mile point. NEW FLAVOR - Chocolate Peanut Butter. - 3 more Hammer Enduralytes After - - One nice tall glass of Chocolate Milk and some peanut butter filled pretzels. Gear: (I carry a lot but it makes me feel safe:) ) During - - Road ID, never leave home without it! My version is the neoprene velcro strap for my ankle. I may look into the slim band as it is nice and sleek and I can wear it 24/7 and it looks like a "LiveStrong" type band, but nicer. - GARMIN 310xt, I am new to using it but I love to be able to watch my heart rate while running, since this is the reason my doctor had held me from doing exercise at the end of last year. I now need to figure out how to see the data on-line. - Calf Compression Sleeves - MUST have on long runs. I had no idea how wonderful they made your legs feel, during and after. You can find them right now on Groupon for a great price. - My Boulder 70.3 IM 2012 hat, This is my trophy and I love it on my runs. It reminds me that no matter how hard the training is at the moment, it is all worth it in the end. I am ready to earn more. - Amphipod Arm band for my phone. I need my music and I chose the iPhone 6 model so it will fit my iPhone 5 without removing it from it's OtterBox. After - - CROCS! They are my new favorite thing to wear after a long ride or run. It is amazing how less fatigued my legs feel after I have worn my Crocs. - Long soak in the spa that was a tepid temperature; above icy, just below bath water temps. One last thing I did after my run that I think was very helpful was walk. After my run, right at the 10 mile point. I sat down stopped all of my devices (I always run Charity Miles and RunKeeper). I called my husband to let him know I didn't die and that I was done. He offered to come get me so I thought, "Ok,that sounds good" but then I started to walk. I didn't want to stop and then found myself walking from my 10 mile point to home, which is about 1.75 miles. It was a great cool down. The day was overcast, the spring flowers were starting to pop out. It was a beautiful day for a 10 mile run.
Time flies when you are having fun! The last ten days have passed like a flash. I had said I would post every day about my training and that apparently didn't happen. I don't have much excuse for days 9-12 but days 13-17 I was on vacation! What a vacation it was, celebrating 25 years of marriage. We didn't go anywhere exotic but just getting away from the hustle and bustle was very relaxing. Over the last ten days I did get some training in but not according to plan. I don't want to talk much about my training in this post but more about my volunteer time at the Ironman Arizona on 11/16/2014 which was part of our "vacation". The Ironman is a distance that I find incredibly intriguing. Roughly ten years ago a couple of Real Estate clients were starting their journey in IM. During their selling process we would often discuss the IM. I loved listening to them talk about their experience. At that time I had no idea I would fall so interested in the long distance let alone do half of that distance. I loved their intellect and talking to them about endurance sport. It made me think I could embrace at minimum sprint triathlon. My problem...I never ran...ever. I overcame that obstacle and can say I have not only completed a few run events including 3 half marathons but I have also completed a 70.3 (half Ironman). Ten years later I found my self volunteering at the IM AZ, an event my husband conquered just 3 years earlier. He is a bad ass. I volunteered with the idea that I "may" just sign up. As a volunteer you get a priority registration the next day. I wasn't 100% sold but in the back of my mind, I knew I would do it if I could get a spot. Our shift was 7pm to 12midnight. I chose the run station #12. I wanted to be near the end of the race both time and distance. Reason: I wanted to encourage those giving it their all to get to that chance to hear Mike Reilly call their name, ".....You are an Ironman!". I want to hear that one day. We got to our post just in time to start. We didn't eat before hand and were pleasantly surprised to find that they had a grill there to feed us burgers and hotdogs...and Doritos, and Twizzlers, and Skittles and Oreos....oh my... The station we chose happen to be the one for the Sally Meyerhoff Foundation. I had not heard of her story until that day. Today I read her story. A talented, loving, vibrant athlete whose life was cut short doing what she loved. Here is a link to a story about her life and her tragic accident. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/articles/2011/12/03/20111203sally-meyerhoff-tribute.html Each run station has a theme, ours was animal print. When we heard that was the theme, my husband and I had no idea what we would wear, "do we own any animal print?". On the day of the event I remembered we had some halloween costumes fitting the theme. I was happy to not have to purchase any animal print anything. Just not my style. Animal print happens to be part the Sally Meyerhoff Foundation logo. Animal print and pink. I can finally get my head around animal print. When I see it I will think of Sally, whom I only met through her mother's sweet description of her daughter. Her sister was proud of her, you could see that on her face. I was happy to have chosen that station. I hope to help them again in the future. Not only did the joy of helping a family support their daughters dream bring joy to me, watching the participants make their way to their final mile was so infectious that I just couldn't stop being excited for them. 5 hours.....5 hours of holding out cups of Perform yelling "perform, perform"...over the loud music being blasted through the speakers. Speakers blaring out music that was upbeat and cheery. At times we watched some come through the station with a little dance in their step. After 2.4 mile swim, 102 bike and at that point around 24 mile run..watching people dance through the station was so uplifting. In the first half of our shift they were happily taking the perform and grabbing small snacks like bananas and grapes. After they started coming around for the second lap and nearing the end the requests for water and perform were few and far between but the requests for broth and cola were being voiced more often. Bananas and grapes were not even of interest. It was cold and windy and I would assume broth was what was needed to warm their bones the final miles. At one point they were cooking burgers on the grill for the volunteers and one poor fella, running, looked at us like we were torturing him and asked "who is cooking the burgers?". I felt so guilty. It was like drinking water in front of someone who just crossed the Sahara and telling them you can't have any. Others asked for beer, one told us he had a margarita in his water bottle. I am still not sure about that, but it was questionable. As they were realizing they were going to be finishing some were elated and picking up their pace knowing they were nearly done. One man said "I am going to be an Ironman!" I was so excited for him. Some had smiles as they knew what was just ahead, some were just completely focused on every step they took, others completely laboring any move forward. They all have a story. What I learned is that an athlete does not have a specific look or speed or style. They all have their story. The heaviest of person may have already lost a ton of weight, others may have overcome a health condition. Some are running with prosthetics others blind and lead by a partner on a lead, some simply running for someone who cannot run or is simply running in the memory of someone. There is not a defined example of what an Ironman looks like. All I know is there is so much inspiration in those final hours. Sure the pros and the top finishers are lean and at the top of their game but the ones coming in at 7-midnight are the strong, the determined, the motivated the ones who can endure the journey long into the night. Their reasons to finish are lead by things greater than times or financial awards. For the pros and leaders they are finishing in just over 8 hours and age group leaders in 9-10ish. For the ones late in the night, they could see 14-16 hour times. That is a long hard day of continuous movement. The glory for some is in the final numbers, it is the Kona slots, it is in the PR that they obtained but for everyone in the end... the outcome is the same...they are all Ironman! One day...that will be me too. My new running training group has long runs on Saturdays. My Team Soul cycling team rides long rides on Saturdays. Oh, the quandary. I decided to alternate weekends with bike rides and runs. I love riding with TS. Currently, many of them are training for the el Tour de Tucson so their rides are getting long. This Saturday they were riding a 80+ mile ride, thankfully up near the NW. So I decided I would ride with them as I was already committed to the Everybody Runs Veterans Day 5K with My Team Triumph, tomorrow morning. First, I had to get through preparing some details for cake order for Saturday. Lack of sleep from last night and the need to finish a cake order after I was done with my ride kept me from meeting them early in the morning at the starting location. So I worked on where I could meet up and ride a bit with them. I tried to time my departure from home in order to meet them about 20 miles out. I kept looking for them and kept riding further, hoping to see them. I got to Coachline and Twin Peaks where I had visions of them riding past me in a group formation as the sound of the wheels filled the air. I thought I would be standing there by my bike cheering them through the ride, surprising them that I met them that far on the ride. They never came. So I kept riding thinking they may have gotten a later start. I rode all the way out to Avra Valley, taking the well know Rattlesnake Ridge. Well known for the "ugh" factor when you get to it in the El Tour at around 75 miles into a 109 ride facing head wins. (there are always head wins in this area) I rode up and over Rattlesnake Ridge and out to Avra Valley road where I was sure I would catch up to the team. No such luck. So I turned around and made the trek home. This time taking Rattlesnake Ridge South. North was so much easier. The good thing is after 17 miles on the bike the "ugh" factor is as great as after 75 miles. On the way back, I was greated by so many nice cyclist. Some out leisurely, some out putting in the miles, others out powering down on their ride. I even passed many runners. When Runners and Cyclist can co-exist on the same path with sincere respect for each others space on the road, life is good. It boggles my mind when runners run with traffic or will not get off the road when you ride by at 20+ mph. The walkers are the worst. They never move, NEVER! Today I passed a lady running, agains traffic, who stayed to the side of the road giving me the space I needed so I wasn't out in traffic. With a friendly hello and wave of the hand, I thought...that is how it should be. Thanks runner! Rarely do I come across cyclist who are not as friendly as the many I saw today, however, it happened. I was at a stop light when a group pulled up next to me. Mostly men, mostly 6' and taller, mostly on custom bikes. They did have a teeny tiny lady riding with them. I think everyone of them sized up my bike and my appearance as I felt 20 eyes looking me up and down, glaring at my bike. I felt inadequate. They were snobs. I tried to stay in their draft a bit but they treated me as if I just violated some sort of unspoken cycling etiquette. Whatever dudes and dudette. I let them ride on. Not my type of company. They are not like most cyclist. I will never be like that. I embrace all cycling levels and don't care what you are riding, as long as you are safe, and wearing a helmet. Always wear a helmet. The wind in your hair doesn't feel so great when you crash on your bike and have nothing to protect your head from the ground. I finished my ride a 40 miles. I certainly would have rather have ridden with Team Soul. They are my peeps. I miss my time with them. I will have to wait until el Tour to see them again, where I will be at the finish (providing UofA doesn't put Tyler on the travel squad for Utah). <crickets> ZZzzzzz
Although this was rest day I kept myself plenty busy throughout the day at work. I was in back to back meetings all day and when I got home I had to prep details for a cake for the next day. Planning the day before for an event or training session the next day is critically important. The most important thing I am learning is the water intake and food intake the day before. If I am not properly pre-hydrated, I feel it the next day. The same is true of food. I know that when I intake too much sugar I can really tell the next day. After arriving home I knew I needed to get busy working on my flowers for cupcakes the next day. They were not working out as planned and were taking much longer than anticipated. With every flower I watched the clock. I needed to be in bed by 10 to get enough rest for my planned 60 mile bike ride the next day. Then 10 pm passed and I had 3 flowers made and I needed twenty. I was frantic. I was telling myself "forget the ride, focus on the cake" "sleep in and don't stress". I even posted on my Team Soul's FB page, "I am a loser.....not going...." After a bit of thought and getting through 7 more flowers in a short amount of time, I went back on FB and deleted my post. They must think I am psychotic. I finally got to bed a little past midnight. Group ride was suppose to meet a bit after 6 to leave at 7. I decided to still ride but I would meet them part way. This was a nice compromise for my crazy mind. I admit it, I slacked off yesterday.
I was suppose to get in 4.5 miles on my own. That is where it went wrong. Running on my own without the guilt of someone waiting for me is still a bit risky. I can easily find an excuse to not go. Today I didn't have that problem. Although the run group was to meet at 5 I arrived late. Many times I tried to give myself an excuse. "They will have already started, you will get out of work too late, you can get in a better routine next week". Bad self talk, bad. It really helps that I have my friend Mairead to push me and make sure I am going. On several occasions she has text me, "Are you going to be there?" and every time I go. She is great for keeping me accountable. The run plan, a 4.5 mile tempo run. I still don't know what tempo means and I am sure I really only have one pace so I just run the run I can. I set my Charity miles to run and for Wounded Warriors, an organization I love to give my miles to when I bike or run. Haven't heard of Charity Miles? Check them out http://www.charitymiles.org. I set my run keeper to let me know when I hit the half mile marks and I start my run. The first part of the route was up hill and I whined in my head all the way until I crested the climb and was ready to turn around. I hit the turn around point and I could feel the pace picking up because of the down hill. If only I could feel that way every time I run. I felt like a gazelle but I am sure I looked like penguin. In either case, it felt good and before I knew it I had 5 miles completed. Now I have to figure out how to stay awake so I can decorate a cake. |
Victoria "Torie" GrammarJust your average Mom and Friend who found a love for the swim, bike, and run. Archives
January 2023
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