A little PRIDE and a BIGFOOT...

The weekend of June 25-26 was a fun weekend in Chicago...PRIDE weekend and then Sunday am a little trek up to Lake Geneva, WI for the RAM Bigfoot Triathlon.

The BIG event for PRIDE weekend in Chicago is the parade on Sunday.  I didn't like parades when I was 3, so I have no desire to go watch a parade 3 decades (plus) later.  It is awesome to hear that 750,000 people watch/support the parade, but that's about 749,994 people more than I want to be around at one time.  But...Go gays! ;-)

By choice, to participate in the PRIDE activities, I like to opt for the Proud To Run event, but with the triathlon on Sunday - I opted to do a longer training day Saturday and go be Susie Q's athletic supporter!

Saturday am started off with a nice, chilly swim in Lake Michigan @ 5:30am and then headed down to Montrose and the lakefront with Susan for the race start. 

I have to back up a step to really set the picture for Susan's race.  In October 2009, we were driving to run the Bucktown 5k and although she had been running, she didn't think she had yet run the full 3 miles.  She said "I hope I break 30 minutes."  My response was "No pressure. You haven't run the 3 miles.  Look to finish.  You can't do any worse than my first 5k in Chicago at 51:41".  We laughed.  She ran a 27:46 and a bunch of 5k's, 10ks, and two half marathons under her, has been plugging forward since!

Last year, she came in second in her age group.  This year she was out for the AG win!  

And she did it!  Whoo hoo!

And I found out that being a cheerleader at the events is harder than it looks!  Susan tends to pop out all over the course...not quite sure how the heck she does that with perfect timing!

After the race there was a little awards presentation. 

The rest of Saturday afternoon was riding my bike "Silly C" looping up along the North shore.  It wasn't the greatest ride since nutrition wise, nothing was feeling great.  I was short of my targeted time, but managed to log 83 miles.

Dinner was the first "solid" meal of the day which ended up being a lesson learned for Sunday.  Well, either that or I swallowed some bad lake water.

Sunday...BIGFOOT time!

After the long ride Saturday, the sprint tri was on tap (750m swim / 20K Bike / 5k run).

Woke up with a stomach bug, but since Susan was doing the race, there was no option to bail.  So a little "suck it up buttercup" motivation at 4am and hit the road!

Weather couldn't have been better!  It was the first race/event of the year that I was not freaking over the radar and since it was a sprint triathlon, it was suppose to be a "fun" day.  So I was a little bummed with the bad stomach situation and had enough marathon and 1/2 marathon events to have the sign ingrained in my head:

Yep, it was one of those days.  And although it took a bit of the "fun" out of the race, it was actually a good learning experience.  I didn't do anything nutrition-wise that I was supposed to do on the race (drank nothing, no gels), but I knew what I was doing would not cut it if I was doing the Olympic length, 70.3, or Ironman - I would have had to make other choices.  The fact that I'm aware of what's going on is a step in a good direction!  It was a good "opportunity" to have the discussion with my advising "peeps" of what I should be doing.

I didn't "race" it like I would have liked to, but after the swim and bike ride the day before, I wasn't intending on "racing".  Race recap:

• Swim - Average as I was getting my head into the game.  I made a little error of going too wide, but overall ok.
• Bike - Since I "survived" the swim without incident, I figured I would plug on the bike. I was concerned about not taking any nutrition in, but it wasn't extremely hot, and it was a short race.  I actually finished 2nd in my age group for the bike split! (I think all of the speedy's were doing the Olympic or at Pleasant Prairie tri!) 
• Run - Got of the bike my stomach was not feeling great.  The 5k was a recovery jog.

I waited at the finish line cheering on people and waiting for Susan to finish.  She did one triathlon last year, but this one actually had a "real" swim, so as I was standing there I started to wonder how her race was going and really hope she didn't have a bad experience on the swim!  She flew through the finish line and said she had a BLAST!  And she did AWESOME!!!  Whew! That could have been a long ride home!  :-)

We cheered Christine from Tri-Umph rockin' her first triathlon of the season and a couple other tri-folks!  We cheered the 17 year old that did the race tandem with his vision impaired 14 year old brother across the finish line.  That was SO amazing to be part of cheering that accomplishment.

It was such a great weekend. 

Chicago weather = awesome. 

Seeing the 'hood filled with people celebrating (err, partying) for diversity = awesome. 

Being able to "feel" and be excited for other's accomplishments...inspiring.  It's the clarity that I am utmost grateful for having the gift of one day at a time.

Horribly Hilly Hundreds Ride Recap

Heading up to Wisconsin after work on Friday afternoon, the combination of Chicago rush hour traffic and construction gave me plenty of time "think" about the Horribly Hilly ride the next morning.  "Thinking" and solo Lori...not typically a good combination!

For the past couple of weeks, this has been the weekend that I dreaded. Heading into Kansas 70.3 last weekend, I was excited and was just bummed that I hadn't felt well with the training weeks leading up to the race.  But the Horribly Hilly was on the Horizon as the ride that just scared me.  Like a Disney movie, it didn't seem "Lori-rated". 

Maybe it was the name!  Or maybe it was the description on the website:

200K: The 200K version of the HHH offers 124.2 miles of wonderful riding — if you like hills! You'd better, because you'll be going up over 40 significant rises, from 50-ft. bumps to the 910-ft. final climb, for a total of 10,700 feet of elevation gain.

NEW FOR 2011: 150K route = 100 miles

100K: The 100K ride offers a very challenging (but not as long) opportunity to test your riding skills, with 5,700 feet of elevation gain over 67.1 miles...Even though it is shorter, the 100K is a serious undertaking, and on the whole, is harder than flatter century rides.

When I signed up, I clicked the box for the 200k.  More is always better, right? 

Then my training schedule said to do the 100k (67.1 miles), but then this week, Coach said to try to shoot for the 100 miles.

After the long drive to Verona, and plenty of time to "think", I had convinced myself that there is NO way I could do a 100 miles on this course.  I had never done century ride on flat road, how the heck was I going to do it on this course?!?!?! 

I'm not a cyclist.  I'm not a swimmer, or a runner.  I'm a basketball player turned triathlete.  No matter what "single sport" is taken out of the mix, it's not my "strong event".  I wish I had the background of being an awesome swimmer, cyclist, or runner...but in triathlons, my rockin' free throw shooting and 3-pointers are not going to get me far.  But it's one reason I LOVE this sport...there's always a new challenge!

Lesson NOT learned yet from last week, I once again went to bed obsessing about the weather with the TV and iPhone apps.  If Susan has to put up with my incessant talk about the weather for one more race/ride weekend, I think she's going to delete all my weather apps or send me to school for meteorology ..

Saturday morning came quick and I got up and hit the nutrition routine that I've been working on for long training days/HIM.  Sticking with a plan and the less decisions I have to "think" about and make, the better!  I got a HUGE, well needed pep talk from Susan and got a little Bixby update for the day.  So I was all relaxed and pumped...and then I entered Blue Mound State Park.

Oh MY.

Driving up a huge, loooooong hill to the parking lot, I started to sweat (with the A/C blasting) and that calm feeling flew out of me. I parked the car and thought "If I just sit here long enough, these people will start the ride, then I can leave."  I had that quiet moment where that inner voice was a little louder and said "If THEY can do it, YOU can do it.  Get out of the car."

So I did. And I got my bike "Silly C" all pumped up and ready to ride.

I heard a couple of familiar voices, and was happy to catch-up with some triathletes I hadn't seen in awhile.  From the parking lot, I hooked onto the Ironman couple Louie and Tammy.  They said they didn't know exactly what distance they were riding, but would ride slow enough to stay with me.

Half way down the hill to the first landing, we had stopped for Mark to check his bike and I said to Tammy with my heart beating in my throat:

"Are ALL the hills like that?"

Which Louie overheard and responded...

"Yep, Lori...it's called HORRIBLY HILLY."

As we started down again I asked "Will I have breaks by the end?"  A question I would ask about another 20 times...

I had two statements in my head:
   1.  Quit
   2.  THEY are all doing it.  YOU can do it.

The only reason I didn't do option #1 is because I didn't want to go back UP the hill...little did I realize I would be riding back up that hill with 106.x miles logged!

Luckily for any one that actually reads this, I don't remember mile for mile.  :-)

There were a lot of AMAZING long uphills where I actually found I was stronger than I thought.

There were incredible downhills that took my breathe away...and had a couple "That was COOL!" moments!  I was on my breaks a heck of a lot, but still was hitting 36 mph...

I really liked the rollers where there was time to just get into aero and plug for a little, but on this course, with these hills...there wasn't too much of it!

Louie and Tammy were SO unbelievably kind to stick with me and to wait up for me.  Since they had been flexible on the distance, at ~75 miles, I piped in, "I'm not sure I have the full 124 miles in me.  I think I'm good for 100 miles."  Starting the day from thinking I was not going to be able to do it, to committing to doing the 68 miles, to then hitting 75 miles...I didn't need to prove anything to anyone by completing 124 miles.  I have a full summer of training yet to go...

Luckily, Tammy was happy with that and Louie was cool with it, too.  So we kept plugging on the 200k course, and made some adjustments to make it shorter.

At ~92 miles, I thought I was done.  Mentally, I was close to that moment of loosing it. Since we were making "shortcuts" on the 200k course, I didn't really "know" how much longer until the finish, but I knew it was going to be more than the 100 miles.  I had a couple of quick chats with Tammy and Louie and asked them some Ironman questions...and got distracted and got my head back in the game.

We got to the base of Blue Mound Park.  "All" that was left was a hill a couple miles long done early in the ride, a quick downhill, sharp right turn up a steep hill to the parking lot.  That's it.  3 mile grind left = 910 feet elevation!

I kept thinking "I'm ONLY hacking through this hill I did earlier.  THEN I'm walking to the car."

After I got up the monster hill and had the little 3 second downhill breather before heading up the hill to the finish, my thought was "THERE IS NO WAY I'M GETTING OFF THIS BIKE AFTER 106.x miles to WALK across the finish line."

I never knew I really had a "dig deeper" until that moment.

Cresting that hill and RIDING under that finish line...AMAZING. 

It was a training day that "changed" me.  One of my awesome non-triathlete friends who is familiar with that area in Wisconsin told me Sunday night, "You will never be the same."  She is absolutely right. My little "7-11" journey that has given me the opportunity and a chance to see and live life in a different, healthier way has just been amazing.  Each day in itself is a gift and hitting these cool mile stones really shows me the promise that set me on this path "....If I stay ____, I CAN do ANYTHING."

Completing this ride and going above and beyond what I thought I could do, made me even more excited about the IMWI training that is in front of me. 

Since we varied the 200k course down the 107 miles - Total Ride:

Besides the great feeling for finishing the ride, it was also another one of those reminders of trusting in the "plan".  Coach told me 100 miles - I was thinking I couldn't do it, but she knew I could based on my training.  Nutrition wise, I'm sticking to the fueling plan...and it's working.  Good results DO come when I take my solo-thinking out, and use it in combo with those that are experienced and have the expertise!

It was so nice to see friendly faces on the course that I don't cross paths with often these days - Robbie, Arthur, Mark, Andy, Angela, Krista, Jeff.

Special thanks to Louie and Tammy for their patience and support riding with me.  The ride would have been MUCH different without your help...especially Louie singing Bon Jovi!

And an extra special thanks, once again, to Susan for taking care of Bix so I could go to this training...(especially during the Custard's Last Stand Street fair when parking is a bear!)... and making an incredible, healthy dinner for me when I got home!  Your support, patience, and encouragement is so much appreciated!  :-)

(And my HP is DEFINITELY a triathlete.)

KANSAS 70.3 RACE REPORT

For the second year, I finished Ironman Kansas 70.3. And crazy enough...I feel like making excuses. My time was better, but it wasn't the "better" I wanted.

Last year was 7:25 and this year was 7:08. I'm still moving in the right direction. Based on what was "in" and "out" of my control, I'm going to keep learning and plugging away until I do get to where I "want" to be!

"Out" of my control...
- having a chest cold since memorial day and getting the workouts done, but not very well
- didn't get an open water swim in before the race
- weather - choppy swim / windy bike / hot run

"In" my control...
- stop obsessession with weather radar...predicted rain storms didn't come
- pick the "right" wet suit, not my "favorite"...74 degrees was not a day for the sleeves
- need to get more comfortable on the downhills - "free speed"

And there are the positives of the day!
- after HORRENDOUS swim, got and stayed focused on the bike
- bike was ~20 minutes faster than last year and it was a harder ride with the winds
- followed nutrition plan fully!
- frustrating run, but was able to "suck it up buttercup!" and finish up the last 2 miles as strong as I could.

91 days until Ironman Wisconsin. A couple of races in between and A LOT of training to come. I'll be ready...one day at a time!

Thank you to my family and friends for the support!

And a special thank you to Susan...your support and patience continues to amaze me! I hope one day I will have your ability to so kindly repeat a MILLION times "You are ready! You are going to do great!".

Location:Emery Rd,Lawrence,United States

Yep, I'm a little late starting my Ironman Wisconsin blog...

But it actually just now feels like the start of the triathlon season this week with my first race Sunday - Kansas 70.3.

Since I signed up for IMWI on September 13, 2010, it's been a busy and fun year training/race wise which I hope is putting me on track for a great day in Madison September 11!

Highlights since signing up for IMWI 2011:
October - completed the scorching Chicago marathon - marathon # 2
November - Hot chocolate 15k
January - Phoenix 1/2 Marathon (and Susan's first!)
February - Austin 1/2 Marathon and catching up with H.S. friend Maricar (and Ian) complete marathon #64
March - March Madness 1/2 Marathon - hills in the downpour and lightening
May - Ravenswood 5k / Soldier Field 10 mile

And now it's June!   In between all of the races and running in the cold Chicago winter from January through June (yes, Chicago didn't have a spring) there was a lot of time spent in the pool, on the trainer, in computrainer class...so I'm pumped to get to put all of them together...swim, bike , run!

Looking forward at the summer gets somewhat overwhelming, but I picked up a little tool a couple years back..."one day at a time".  No doubt I have the "toolbox" full to help me to complete my FIRST IRONMAN!

I'm ready to roll...