Done.

ZIPP

How is training going? Good.

Today I was talking to my friend, Stefan, who has completed Ironman Coeur d'Alene himself (so hes a hero). I told him that Linda had reserved the last pair of race wheels at the tri store & that Lan & I were planning on buying a pair to use but he said "Just borrow mine". HOW COOL IS THAT??

Lan and I have checked into Zipps and many other brands of wheels, Lan was even contemplating generic wheels made by the same company that makes Zipps but without the stickers. We could get the same wheels for half the price.

We were thinking of getting Zipp 404 clinchers because they are just easier to change a flat. Stefans are Zipp 606 tubular; actually a 606 rear and 404 front. I am told these are super fast, harder to get a flat, harder to change a flat, heavier but minimally and might be affected by wind.

Barbara went over to Coeur d'Alene last weekend and rode the bike course and she was going over 50 MPH. I don't know if shes got race wheels but going fast is what its all about!!  The reward for climbing to the top is the speed coming down.

This is just one less thing I'll have to worry about now.

Thanks Stefan.

33 Miles

How is training going? Good. Very good.

Yesterday me, Lan, Steve & Linda went on a nice ride, 33 miles long. Not really long but it was all the time we had. It was hilly too so I think we did alright but just alright.

Steve & Linda

Linda

Steve

Lan sticking his tongue out & ME.

I was riding the Felt bike. Lan had repositioned the aero bars, cut off the too-long ends, cut off the elbow support screws, installed the aero water bottle and put on a longer stem. It felt good and I had no soreness during the ride or at any time after.

New aero bottle & bar tape

I wont be knocking my knees into the aero bar ends any longer

Except~ My sit bones were a bit sore from the Adamo seat but I'm getting used to it and after a while, just a few minutes, it didn't hurt anymore.

Today Lan put this double water bottle holder onto the back of the bike. They go on & off pretty easy so I wont have to have them on all the time. its going to take some getting used to, having all the extra weight. Yesterday for the ride it took a few miles to get used to the weight of the water in the front bottle.

Today he also made me change a flat. Twice. First he did it, one step at a time, then he put it back and made me do it. Then he made me do it all over again. It took me about 45 minutes to do it twice, from him showing me to me getting the 2nd time finished; he did it in 1 minute 45 seconds. But he wasn't counting installing the wheel onto the bike again for his turn.  I also used 1 canister of the CO2 and he used the hand pump.

Felt good to ride today

How is training going? Right on.

Lan and I went on a 21 mile ride today and found an Ironman to ride with.  I had 3 hours to ride & after getting everything ready to go, 1 false start & changing out bikes we ended up with 2 hours. That was OK with me but it would have been nicer to go farther.

The weather was nice and sunny for the first time in quite a long time that was also a day I had time to ride. About 46* today at the end of the ride. We went down Mullenix to Bethel Burley, turned right and headed toward Lider. Lan stopped at the top of a hill on a side street to wait for me & we found another rider. We might have just said HI and moved on but he had on ironman CDA shorts so of course I had to say more.

Allen rode most of the rest of our ride with us. We went over to Albertsons on Sedgewick, out to Glenwood, down to Pine, down to Bethel Burley again, into Purdy & straight across the highway to 154th & up to the corner of Nelson/ Stevens. That's where we parted ways, Allen lives in Gig Harbor and we had to come home.

Lan enjoyed having someone who could keep up with him and I enjoyed trying to keep up. Its a pretty hilly course, not high hills but rolling.

Tomorrow we're planning on leaving the house at 8am and riding until noon and I'd like to go 50 miles. I hope we make it.

Then I get to go to work.

Tomorrow is also a big day here at home; its Wifi's 4th birthday. Yay for my little girl!!

Just going a little crazy here

How is training going? Boot Camp was good this morning.

I do boot camp twice a week and sometimes it really kicks my ass, other times, like to day, it seems like its going to be hard but then we get through it and it wasn't that hard at all. Its at gig Harbor YMCA Tuesday & Thursdays at 5:30am-6:30am. usually there are 40-50 people so there are a lot of different groups to join. I usually go with Abby and Barb sometimes goes too.

There is a guy who has been joining our group for a couple weeks now, I finally introduced myself to him. He is Eric. I have come to expect Eric to be in our group so its cool to finally know his name.

Weather has been nicer but for various reasons I haven't been able to get out to ride. Linda has gotten out a few times & got in good 30 mile trips. Today would have been a nice day to ride, it was warm enough but more importantly, it was dry.  I'm hoping that tomorrow morning is nice enough for a good 2-3 hours on the bike before I have to go to work.

Fucking work is pissing me off, they give me more and more of those stupid 4 hour shifts that take up 7 hours of my day,plus another half hour getting dressed and preparing my backpack. I have to make sure I've got all my proper clothing like rain gear, polar fleece jackets, warm hat, gloves, etc and ID & stuff.

We have no parking over at Fauntleroy any longer so we either have to park out on the road in 2 or 4 hour parking areas and risk a ticket if we don't move our cars in time or park in the forbidden area & risk getting towed; or I can park at Southworth and walk onto the boat with all my stuff. That's what I've been doing lately and its been ok except for the nights I have had to close. Ugh, hate closing!

I will miss the next race

How is training going? OK.

I have to work Sunday and will miss the next West Side mtn Bike Series race at Fort Ebey on Whidbey Island. Totally bummed.

I'll be working 5 days in a row and only get 22 hours in, getting all the shitty 4 hour shifts. But it takes another 3 hours for the commute so a short shift takes all day. And its only 10 miles as the crow flies!

Today I didn't have time for a workout but I did get the barn cleaned and Joey & handy turned out for the first time in a long time. I think Joey was going nuts, poor boy. I wish we had 20 nice grassy acres so I could turn them all out all day, every day.

I have a new boarder, Janis brought Blue in for 6 weeks. I'm not charging board but shes helping out with the barn and I asked her to help with turning my horses out as much as she can. This will be so good for them and help me feel better about my decision to not ride before Ironman.

Masters swimming was tonight but I didn't get off work & home in time to go. But Linda did go, yay for her. She also had time to go for a nice long bike ride. If she had a job her training wouldn't be going as well, that's for sure.

4 hours

How is training going? 4 hours.

I spent 4 hours at the gym working out this morning. An hour of boot camp, 1.25 hours of spin & half hour of strength/core. I got 25 miles on the bike.  After these classes Linda meet me & we walked on the track and treadmills and did Jacobs Ladder.

Then we took time to go shopping; its time to do the search for our racing apparel. We have both ordered kits through West Sound Tri Club and we're probably going to wear those for the running portion of the race but I want a NICE pair of padded biking shorts for the 112 miles we're going to be riding. Someone said we need to spend at least $150 on shorts.

I'm looking for the perfect bra too. If its got an elastic band around the bottom of the boobs it will make me sore, I had several from my last marathon so don't want to go that route again. I want HIGH IMPACT support.

Free time

How is training going? I have a plan B.

I asked Lan if he would support me in a second attempt at Ironman if anything goes wrong and I can't complete CDA this year and he said YES. Without hesitating.

With all the shit Brandans has going on, working full time and trying to get workouts completed I'm SO busy; I'm exhausted and having to juggle everything. If I DNF for any reason I'll go to Canada and sign up there for next years race. Its in August so I'll have all summer to workout instead of dealing with SNOW.

Yes, woke up to more snow this morning. Tired of the crap.

I have gotten to the Masters swimming class 3 times in the last 2 weeks, yay for me. I also went to 3 hours of YMCA on Thursday, that kicked my butt. But on the 1 single day nice enough to ride bikes outside I had to work.

I tried to switch docks but they kept me at Fauntleroy. Really hoping I can do something like get Bremerton for June. Whatever, I'm NOT going to be working anytime near June 24th, 2012.

My left calf is tight and sore, had a massage and she said my right side is tight. Wonder whats up with that?

Work. Family. Exercise. Sleep.

How is training going? Good.

Today I got out of bed to go to Torreys YMCA class, only to find out shes not doing Tuesdays any longer, some other chicks is doing them. Shes not nearly as good but she tries hard. I asked her to please turn the music down and not use the microphone & she did it so that's good. Then I went up beside her to do my core stuff, but more because there wasn't room farther back in the room.

I'll miss Torrey.

Last night I made it to another Masters Swim class at the Bremerton YMCA. I'm getting better, faster and stronger. I'm not super fast thought. I am still trying to perfect a good form but I think that will come with LOTS of swimming. They are helping me to no end.  :)

Work is getting busier and busier, this week I'm scheduled for 40 hours. We had to bid again last week and I tried to get into another dock so I could work less hours. I found out yesterday I'll be staying at Fauntleroy. That made me cry a bit but then I laughed at myself and realized I'd have cried a bit more if I had been moved. sigh.

The city of Seattle has taken away all our parking permits for the area beside the dock so we have to park on the street. Unfortunately there are 4 hour limits & NO parking on the streets after 2am. Some of the shifts go after 2am or start at 4am. Idiots.  I will always park at Southworth now and walk onto the boat unless I have to drive around but I'm going to ask to avoid those shifts.

Brandan has been in the hospital, this time for misterious pain in his back & while there he attacked the doctors & nurses, kicking one nurse in the jaw. They held him there for a mental eval and I don't even want to bring him home. I'm tired of it.

And sleep. I need more rest time. I'm not blogging as much, don't have time. I'm taking 2 days to do Words with Friends instead of playing non stop. I'm sleeping on the boat to work.

5 Years

Five years ago we had been living on our farm for 6 months. I had Joey and Justin, a half Arab half Morgan gelding

Joey & Justin

and Sunshower & Wifi had never been heard of.

Hagen was almost 3, Tank and John Henry were almost 1.

Hagen, 3 years

Tank & John Henry, almost a year old

 I had 3 cats & a completely different flock of chickens.

Lan and I weren't married. I wasn't working and he was still working up at Crystal Mountain driving a plow truck.  I had a mountain bike but never rode it. lan had a lot of bikes but rarely rode, he was working on the farm replacing fencing.

Lan dug 38 post holes by hand

Then in early 2009 Lan read a story in the local paper about the Kitsap TriBabes, a group of women who do triathlons. I didn't even know what a triathlon was but I needed to do something because I was getting fat and lazy. I wasn't riding the horses all over hell like I was planning when we bought this farm.

I contacted Lisa Ballou and joined the group, started training for my first triathlon. I had signed up for the Seattle Danskin but I was scared of the swim start so Lan and I decided to do the Chelanman Try a Tri in july, 4 weeks before Danskin. That way I could know what to expect when 300 people entered the water at the same time as me.

We had fun doing Chelanman. 

body markings at Chelanman, 2009

Danskin was still scarey as hell, total freak out in the water and it still took me a half hour to swim the half mile. But I rode 12 miles at 16.1 MPH and I was pretty damn proud of my speed. I finished in 1:57:04.

Me, scared shitless, before my first Danskin, 2009

That same year I finished TREK also, on the same course as Danskin and my time was 1:56:59, a whole 5 seconds faster.

TREK 2009

I've now finished about a dozen triathlons, 2 half marathons and 1 full marathon. I'm in training now for Ironman Coeur d'Alene on June 24th, 2012.

Thats me, in the pink, running my 1st half marathon. Tacoma city half May 2011

My 2nd half, Race For A Soldier, 2011. I've got the blue jacket on the left.

Finishing my 1st marathon, Yukon Do It,  December 31, 2011

5 years ago I was a tri virgin and look at me now. Hell, 4 years ago I was a tri virgin.

I wonder what the hell I'll be doing in another 5 years?

Mtn Bikes in Banner Forest

How is training going? Much better now.

I made it to Boot Camp today and for most of the class I was OK but there was a lot of jumping and that never works for me. Got a little dizzy for a bit and had to slow down. But I stuck it out and finished. I did not go to the end of the spin class I've been hitting, instead I rested and found a good book to read.

Then when Lan got there for Torreys class I suggested we go ride bikes in Banner Forest instead and he was all over that.  We went home, packed our bags and hit the trails.

 Rode for a little over an hour, got really muddy and tired. It was so much fun.