Am I an Ironman?

17 hours 09 minutes 27 seconds

That's how long it took me to finish my Ironman race last weekend. But I finished before midnight so Mike Reilly called me an Ironman, I got a FINISHERS cap & shirt and a medal and had an amazing finish with minutes to spare. But... www.ironman.com has me as DNF. Again. Fuckers.

If you change the swim start then you should be changing your clocks too so that athletes aren't having to do the fucking math all goddamned day. If you make us do the rolling start then you should have your clocks telling us OUR time when we cross a timing matt, not the time you pick. I could have gone a bit faster if I had known I was so fucking close but not quite there.

This is my new friend, Sean. He was the last person to cross that finish line and even though he finished after midnight he still got a medal too and Mike Reilly called him an Ironman. Its not fair that we're being ripped off.

Im pretty angry with IM right now. I'm going to have to spend another $700+ to do it again. And train for another year. FUCK FUCK FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK.

Just 5 Days to Go

In 5 days I'll be out on my bike on the Ironman Coeur d'Alene course, hopefully heading into the hills. We're supposed to leave here in 2 days and I haven't even packed yet, I've only gathered together a small portion of the things I'll be needing.

Last year I fretted over packing, freaked out over what goes into a gear bag ~vs~ a special needs bag. I packed everything & repacked, again & again. I'm sure this year I'll forget something important because I'm waiting till the last minute.

There are only a few things I know that I need to purchase, some minty Certs and a new nose plug, maybe some new ear plugs. Yes, my head leaks, yes, I've tried to learn to not need them, no I can't swim without them. After 5 years of trying I know I need them.

I'm going through all the taper things, being bitchy, emotional, irritable. Plenty of self doubt going around here.

I do not fucking want to train for another year.

I'll be swimming with Windy this evening & hope to sell my old Zoot wetsuit while at the lake. I was hoping to sell a scooter & a couple sets of jump standards but those people are flaking out. I might not have any money to buy a finishers jacket and that will suck.

Good news is that the weather is supposed to be about PERFECT.

Taper week

I have 13 days until my race. This morning I woke up, not knowing what kind of exercise day to expect, since I didn't check my schedule last night.  DAY OFF!!  So I'm going to get some work done around the house, maybe clean the barn.

These last 2 weeks have been crazy. I worked 33 hours two weeks ago, then just a couple shifts this week but they were midnight-4am and one midnight-9am, those KILL me. They totally ruin any training plans I might have.

I did have a few good workouts. On Tuesday I swam 2.5 miles at Wildcat Lake, first time ever to go that distance. I was exhausted afterward and scarfed down a sandwich Windy brought for me. but I got it done.

My wetsuit wasn't on right and I fatigued my left arm/shoulder on that swim so the next day I had planned on 100 miles on the bike but due to arm/shoulder pain (it hurt just being attached to me) and Barbara backing out at the last minute as riding partner for second half of the ride, I didn't ride.

Weekly totals for June 3-9
Swim: 6 miles
Bike: 52.6 miles
Run: 4.8 miles
Total Time: 9:30
Total Distance: 63.4 miles

I am now officially in TAPER mode and even though I wasn't last week, I'll call that a pre-taper week. This week I'll still be putting in just as much or more hours working out. As long as I DO it and don't get called in to work. I'm only scheduled for 2 shifts, one of which is done for this week.

 

Sad news: My Timex watch is beginning to fail me and I'm afraid it isn't going to Ironman with me again. The buttons wont work and the timer has decided to start/stop of its own free will. I can't have that! If I think I have 5 hours left but really only 4, I'd never make it. Just cant take a chance like that.

 

Horsey news:

Wifi survived a week of training with Kate & she's going back for more. I'd love to have her in training for a month, living there, so she gets 5 days a week.

Ya take a day off

I had a day off yesterday, first one in 9 days. Relaxed, went shopping, got a nap in while on the ferry.

Then today I couldn't make myself do anything. Not run nor ride.

I had a shitty run. Only 3.1 miles & it took way longer than I had planned, over 50 minutes!  But I will say I was wearing my new shoes & they were pinching my toes, need to break them  in, and my new shorts were sliding down under my fat belly. I also went pee right before I left the house but half way around the block I had to go again & there was NO running while I had to go. So I walked but it was  terribly slow.

As for biking today, yeah, I haven't done it and won't.

I did have a 2 hour nap after doing nothing all day, just before my run.

Lan and I went to the WSTC monthly meeting, they had speakers on race day nutrition. At Round Table Pizza. Can't beat that!

Heidi spoke about needing up in the medical tent after your big race so I now know that if I go there I will be OK. And its free. I better not need to go there but if I do I'll be able to relax.
Then Alisa talked about her race day nutrition, some of her fave things are peanut butter & bacon sandwiches, or grilled ham & cheese. I'll have to try that, have a sammywich cut into quarters for riding. Sounds perfect.

After the meeting was over Alisa came to talk to me about my training, she said she loves my posts on FB and that I should be able to do this without any problem. I certainly hope so. But I was honest, I've only gotten in a single 100 mile ride so far but I did it and I wasn't dead the next day. But it was slow. Shes going to try to get in a ride with me in the next week but shes in no shape to ride 100 or even 50.

I was the only one there tonight signed up for CDA. Looks like the big race for everyone to go to this year is Honu and its this weekend, in Hawaii. There are 14 members of the club there plus their support people. Next year I'll see what big race everyone else is doing and I'll think about doing it too. If you are all doing the same race then you have more people to train with.

26 days

26 days to go...

Totals for May 20-26.
Swim: 3.94 miles
Bike: 84.77 miles
Run: 24.88 miles
Total miles: 113.59
Total time: 15:20

 

 

May totals, so far:

Swim: 11.08 miles      5:35
Bike: 344.40 miles     23:25
Run: 37.66 miles         7:05
Total miles: 393.14    
Total time: 50:50

 

I still need another 100 miles on the bike to beat last months biking total but I'm way ahead on the swim & running.

 

These are my predicted times for IM CDA:

 

Swim  1:46

T1         :12

Bike    8:00

T2         :06

Run     6:00

 

total   16:04

 

Linda finished it last year in 16:08. I probably wont beat her time but I just want to finish and have this part of my life over.

Hell Repeats, as Windy calls them

This morning I got up and ran before breakfast. Actually, I skipped breakfast all together because I read somewhere that you lose more weight if you do a workout on an empty stomach. So I fed the horses, messed around on FB for an hour or more & then ran.

I was feeling pretty good here, 1/4 mile into the beginning, lol.




 

My hilly run route today
 

I ran to some hills a couple miles from home & walked up & down them repeatedly.

 From home I ran to Jacon Lane where it T's at Stonehill Road. I ran to this point, turned left & took this photo.

Then I walked up the hill & took this photo.

Then I walked back down & took this photo of the hill on the right & proceeded to walk up it.
















Then I walked back down to the bottom.

I walked up & down hill 1 four more times in less than half hour. 

Total hills was 2.5 miles, 700 feet of elevation gain.

Total run/walk distance was 6.39 miles & total time was 1:43:37.

I'm good with that.


I wore compression sleeves on my calves to see how I like them, at first they felt HOT, even though it was very chilly outside. And of course, tight. They have been on me for a couple hours now & I don't know yet how I like them.

I do know my knees hurt.

Got in the 100 miles

Last Saturday Lan & I rode the bikes 100 miles. Or, I did.

We left home at 10:24am, headed through Gig Harbor. This is the northern beginning of the Cushman Trail, a paved bike & walking path alongside the city most of the way to the Narrows Bridge. Sections are pretty steep, this was 8% upgrade, one part was 10%.

Over the Narrows Bridge.

We went on the same route Lindy, Heidi & I had ridden the previous week but Lan & I went & got on the ferry, Chetzmocha, to Vashon Island. This was my first time to ride this boat & I was impressed, they have many, many bike racks inside the Mezzanine level and seating for the riders so you're not stuck outside in the cold wind if you don't have cleat covers.

How lucky we were, it was loading as we got to the dock, no waiting at all.

This is Vashon Island. When I worked at Fauntleroy ferry terminal, one of the 2 destinations was the northern end of this island. The one at the southern end is Tahlequah and that's the one we got on at. We rode up to the A but also added in some of the little island off to the right, Maury Island. That one was just so damn hilly that we decided to go back.

At the blue marker we stopped and had a small lunch.

This is inside the Wet Whisker, a small general store/deli/coffee bar. Very cute, extremely expensive. But a nice respite from the ride.

 

We were just in time for the return boat heading back to Tacoma, only had to sit there a couple minutes to wait for the cars to unload.

After leaving Vashon we rode along the waterfront for .5 mile, over to Owen Beach & headed up. UP is putting it lightly. The exit from that beach is super duper steep. I was riding at 2.3 mph, barely moving but I didn't have to walk. I'd say its easily 10% upgrade for .25 mile.

This is what I found online: Ride up Owen Beach Hill at Point Defiance as repeats.
Hill is roughly 4/10 of a mile and 200 ft. elevation gain in total with an average 10-11% grade.
Recover over next 1.5 miles after climb (spinning easily), loop back around and hit it again. Do 4-8 times as fitness level and intestinal fortitude allow (sometimes once is enough). Do the longer loops around to the park entrance/exit if you need more recovery time.
Vomiting is permitted, you carry less weight up the hill.


Here is Lan at the end of Pt D, we're ready to head back toward the Narrows.

 

 

This is a map of our whole ride that day. We made it 88.2 miles, not the entire 100 I had planned but I had horses to feed and daylight was running out.

And since I had HAD to get in 100 full miles, I got on the bike trainer and finished the last 11.2. This photo is me, with tears in my eyes.  But the tears are from information shared with me from Windy.

My bib number for Ironman Coeur d'Alene this year is 868. This makes it real and for a few minutes I was experiencing sheer terror.

Totals for May 13-19.
Swim: 3.7 miles  (not counting yards now, this was all open water)
Bike: 151.67 miles
Run: 6.53 miles
Total miles: 161.90
Total time: 15:45


In horsey news:

Sarah & Lulu

Joey & me

I went on a trail ride on Joey, with Sarah on her mare, Lulu. Went a couple hours in Alpine Forest, saw a couple deer & another couple of riders. It was fun for me. I'm sure Sarah was bored
stiff, she and Lulu are used to running the entire way because they are training for a 25 mile endurance race. Joey had a good time, he LOVES the trails and he has no fear. He goes anywhere and isn't afraid to lead or follow.

And yesterday I rode him again but just in the arena. Saddled him up in the English saddle. First I let Hannah ride him while I saddled Sunshower for me to ride.
That turd would not move forward. I was so frustrated! But she finally did, then we switched horses and Hannah rode her for a while. Joey was wonderful again, as I knew he would be.