So Now We Have a Pair of Iron Balls ...... Brain Droppings from Ironman Muncie 70.3



The Schwag

 So last weekend Mike, Alison, and I completed the Inaugural race of Ironman Muncie 70.3 (formerly the Muncie Endurathon, one of the country's oldest triathlons), known in our house as "IronBall" because, apparently we are all 12 years old here and equate racing in Ball State University country with testicles made of iron.  Just go with it. 

Out of the swim

Lots of stuff happened here, I think I'll just randomly share them with you all.  

* For your laughter and enjoyment are my race pictures from the official site.  I'm not sure where sports photographers buy their special "Unflattering Action Lens" but I would greatly prefer  it if they switched to the "Beer Goggles Lens" next time. 

 * One of the stressy moments of the day was when the water temps were announced.  Temp at 6:30AM was 81.  They announced that since it was above 78, the race was no longer wetsuit legal, so a choice had to be made - swim with your assigned wave (my wave took off 3rd) or start last if you wanted to swim with a wetsuit and not be eligible for awards (more than an hour after the 1st wave).  Well, I wasn't going to be getting any age group award anyway, but starting later meant being way further back in the pack and right from the start and being out in the heat another hour. So the decision became much easier and I swam 1.2 miles without a wetsuit for the first time.  I get tougher all the time.  

Bike into T2



* {TMI WARNING- boys, I'd skip this one} I am ready for menopause already.  Or a hysterectomy. Not only did "Aunt Flo" appear 2 weeks early (Whiskey!Tango!Foxtrot! Seriously. ) but race morning was day 4 and I seemed to be dumping fluids pint after pint.  Choice. We got up at 530, got ready and were at the reservoir by 630.  Things had already reached EMERGENCY stage, having bypassed a disposable Diva Cup and a gigantic Tampax.  I had also soaked the pad of the bike shorts.  I was not going to make the potty line in time to salvage anything so I did what I had to do- I changed a tampon in transition as nonchalantly as I could.  We were racked by the pros who were busily reaching down their shorts to apply Chamois butter, so I guess I fit right in.  How's that for "First"??

* As I waited to go down to the start, I noticed my neighbor had a bottle of spray sunblock.  I asked her if I could use some.  She didn't answer (since she was already gone), so I took the silence as a yes and applied a few sprays to my neck chest and arms. Seriously, though, I wouldn't say no if someone asked so it was OK.

* Alison and I started in the same wave.  We found a good spot on the beach to claim for our own and we waited for the the start buzzer to sound, she leaned over and said "Have a great race, I hope you don't bleed to death."



Run out at T2

* The water at the reservoir was awesome.  Warm, clear, and not stinky or boat gas.  It was a great swim.  The lack of wetsuit was not a problem at all.  What was a problem? The swim ended at the beach, then you ran up a huge long hill, and THEN you crossed the timing mat.  Too bad the mat wasn't at the water, it would have been a much better swim time. 

* The bike was great.  Flat and fast, headwind out, tailwind back. Had a bike PR for the HIM distance.  Had a great time on the bike. Since the ladies started before all the men under 60, I got passed a LOT by fast boys on fast bikes, most of whom were nice enough to lean over and say something like "That's a purty bike" before they dropped me like a bad habit. I averaged 18.3 mph for 56 miles - very cool!

  * The bike was an out and back course in 2 directions so I saw Alison twice on the bike and she looked good.  I tried to catch her after seeing her just before the first turnaround about 10 miles, and when I saw her just before the second turnaround she had gained a bit of ground on me but not much.  I never did catch her though.  Saw Mike at about my mile 40 and and told him to hurry up and catch me.


Who's that guy yelling?

* Once I was back to the transition area, I dismounted and jogged in to rack my bike.  The heat of the day hit me when I stopped moving and the stillness set in.  I'm not sure what happened to the wind from the bike, but there was absolutely nothing moving.  I used the potty quick and got to changing shoes and hats.  I again asked my neighbor to borrow her susnscreen.  Her bike was back, but she was not around so I again took her silence as a yes and applied liberally. I also stopped at the susncreen apply-ers near Run Out for good measure, although I think the teenager applying mine just had fumes on her gloves and no actual sunscreen.

  * As I exited Run Out, I heard some guy yelling "GO JENNY!!!" I could not place him.  He yelled again.  Noticed he was wearing an older IMWI Finishers shirt. Still couldn't place him.....he looks familiar..... and then there was Kathy Fitzmaurice with an umbrella a little ways down yelling my name too.  It all came together who the guy was - Kathy's husband Adam Ball.  It really is cool to have a cheerleader you had no idea would be there.

 * The run became a shit show quick.  The temp on the road was at least 95 and there was no wind and the course was nothing but unrelenting gently rolling hills. There really was no flats to be had - we wer either headed slightly uphill or slightly downhill.  Period. Yuck. 

I gave try at running as best I could, but it was so freaking hot, my pulse would skyrocket as soon as I tried.  So i walked a lot of the 1st mile, then took water, a piece of banana, 2 icy wet sponges and a cup of ice, then gave another shot at running with a run 3/walk 2 method. It was not long before I was simply walking most of the run just to get the end. 

* I get to some dark places in my head when the run goes sour.  Disappointed in myself, I get really irritated by people who say things like "Looking great!" as they pass you.  I had a couple meltdown moments on the run, which I'll share next.

* About mile 5ish on the the course, I was patted on the back as I was walking uphill, hot, sweaty and feeling defeated.  A tall lumberjack-looking guy said "People like you inspire me!"  My immediate response was to be offended. My response went like this: People like me?  Who's that- fat people? Old ladies? Crappy runners? What?? He did not respond and kept going.......perhaps I scared the lumberjack??  Much later on the course, I got to thinking he was probably referring to the "Ironman Wisconsin" Logo that was written across the seat of my bike shorts..... (Sorry for being such a beyotch, Lumberdude, I was a little touchy about my performance when you arrived on the scene)



* At about mile 4 I saw Alison running back in, which would be about mile 9 for her.  She was on a walk break (I have NEVER seen Alison walking) and she looked hot and had a couple ice sponges under her shoulders.  You know it's rough out there when you see Alison at anything less than a steady determined run pace..... Anyway, we both headed to the middle of the road.  I should have said Good Job or something. What I actually said was "It's hot as dicks out here, Batman!"  My daintiness filter was already gone at that point.



crying as I walked, wouldn't look up

* Just as we approached the turnaround on the run course,I was passed by Triathlon Barbie and her entourage as she was giving them all a lesson while they ran about how important it is to drink cola when it's offered on the course.  As they passed me, she turned around and said "Don't you quit, you're doing great!"  I responded snarkily "I'm not quitting, just slow." She said "Great!  Don't you quit now, keep at it!"  I wanted to poke the back of her perky head, but instead just said "This ain't my first rodeo, Barbie." and kept on my way.   

*I saw Mike again about mile 7ish as he was headed out to the turnaround.  I yelled: You better hurry if you're going to catch me, WimmDogs!  (the moment called for a little bit of  WWJBD- what would Johnny Brown Do?).  Mike passed me about mile 8, looking good.  He had made up an HOUR on me at that point. Ugh.

 * It only got worse.  My back and hips were locked up tight from holding a single position on the bike for so long and the heat was wearing on me terribly.  I was in survival mode, just getting to the finish line and getting out of the sun. I was fried to a crisp and felt like I was on fire. The course was getting hotter and hotter as the day went by and the asphalt was blazing. By the end of the day it was over 98. There was no shade.  What had been shady on the way out had shifted as the day went on and was now shady on the other side of the street.

* About 2 miles from the finish, I saw one of the photographers as I was headed up a small hill.  I started tearing up, hot, hurt, and tired.  Knowing it would be a race picture, I hung my crybaby head so my hat brim covered my face.  He kept yelling "Hey Wisconsin!" to get me to look up but I wouldn't.  So stubborn sometimes.



Can I stop now please?



* If someone had come by in one the golf carts and asked me, I'd have taken a ride back in and said screw it. I was that done, and I am never willing to give up and SAG in even when I probably should.

* At mile 12.5, there was one final F*#%king hill.  At the top was a guy who was yelling the participants up...."Come on! Sack up! You should be running this! You're almost done!"  I was at my limit.  I burst into tears and sobbed "Stop yelling at me!!"  He stopped :)

* at mile 13, I was cresting the top of a hill, sobbing my eyes out like a toddler, then I turned down the lane to the finish.  It was downhill so I was jogging it in, biting my lip to suppress the tears.  There were Mike and the Viemeisters (cool!) and Mike is yelling "It's all worth it, you get a cool hat!!!).  That cracked me up and I started laughing.  I got to the finish line and it was over.  I was hot, sweaty, crampy, tired, sunburned EVERYWHERE, including the backs of my legs and ready to get out of the sun.

End Result: Swim was the Swim, Bike PR, Run PW.  Not a PW overall. 

Review: One of the best races I have ever done from a a volunteer and organization perspective, but if it's always that hot, I don't think I'd do it again.

The aftermath: Had a nice dinner at a greasy pizza place with Alison's college roommate's husband and daughter, which was cool.  He is a professor at Ball State in exercise physiology, so dinner conversation was interesting and entertaining. 

The next day we headed home, and took a short detour through Elwood, IN where my grandparents and other family lived.  It was a nice walk down memory lane see all the local landmarks, check out Grampa's house and his paint store and to share the local stories with Mike.

Fun Times.

Aquathon Series #2: 12 things

So I am very excited to only be posting 12 **TWELVE** things for you about this race.

1. We have nicknamed this race the Gun Show.  Seriously, everyone who shows up is ridiculously fast.  For something that is so short, I am always way far last.  Kinda bites at your enthusiasm for it sometimes.

2.  Because of this, I spend my time on the run announcing to the corner marshalls that I'm last.  Hopefully they appreciate knowing they can pack it up and go home.  Its the least I can do for making them wait for me.
3. This night the water was much warmer than the last one (Tough to get colder, the last one was 54 degrees...).  Wore a sleeveless wetsuit for this one.
4. There were a ton of people there this time.  And they were still all smoking fast.
5.  The swim went well. Felt fast and was able to pass up a couple pace bunnies by the end. 
6.  I took off with Alison at the beginning.  We could walk out quite a ways.  Before actually started swimming I was able to walk a few steps ahead of her and declare "I'm winning Alison, better hurry up!"  She wasn't amused. :)
7. Took off from transition knowing I was doing really well for time.  It isn't often I am out of the water before a bunch of people.  Alison encouraged me to swim on the inside of the stream of people, which worked well.  I swam out too wide somehow on the middle leg or I think I would have been faster yet.


From last year



8.  I only slowed to walk twice I think.  That was OK.  It's harder to walk on the out and back courses because all the fasties are running at you the other direction, which is motivation to keep moving.

9.  At the halfway point, I did some quick math and realized if I hustled back I could break an hour.  That was my carrot. It hurt.

10. I didn't do it.  Close though, just missed it and it was a PR time. Gives me a goal for next time :)  Although I am last at every race, I am currently in second place in my division.  I am hoping for a bobblehead trophy again this year, so hopefully not too many more chubby chicks join in the series. Sometimes it pays to be fat and stubborn.

11.  They announced that the last place man and woman in the series will win a pitcher of beer and a bucket of wings each month for a year at Quaker Steak and Lube.  Pretty sure if the past 2 years are any indication, I should nail it. At last, a goal!
12.  Best thing about Aquathon night is Chipotle afterwards.  Had a great supper with the Viemeisters, Zach, Steve, and Jamie. Yummo.

Capital View Olympic Triathlon: 13 things

(To review, I am using the format of using the same number of key points as my run minutes per mile.  I'm hoping you see less and less of me here that way)

1. This was our first true triathlon of the year.  As usual, there were some jitters as we got ready to take off for the swim.  God lord, that swim looked long!  The water was a balmy 62 degrees.  I chose to bring a sleeveless wetsuit.....too cold for that.  Swam the first leg of the triangle swim with my head out of the water - rescue stroke style- until I could contain the face-in-the-water panicky feeling from cold water swimming. 

2. They started women over 40 in the swim wave that went off just before the men over 60 and the relays teams.  I would not have chosen to send the slow fat old ladies off at the end, but they didn't ask my opinion.

3. Did I fail to mention that we did this race before? 2 years ago.  The race was nice as far as organization etc, but the difficulty of the course was a total suckfest. I swore I would never.ever.ever. do it again. And yet, somehow we were toeing the same line again. 

4. I was thinking about it as I ran up the beach to transition and to my bike.  "This bike is going to suuucckkk."
5. Once I took off on my bike, I quickly found my groove.  I was out of the park quickly and headed out to the loop.  There was no shortage of folks on mountain bikes to pass as I headed out.  There are couple good downhills on the way out, but you have to turn right at the bottom of them and head up a monster around the corner. I hate it when there is no chance to enjoy a good downhill.
6. Then came the loop around Enchanted Valley Drive.  It sounds very fairy tale-ish.  The first part of it is- long winding downhill, coasting forever.  Heavenly (but you know when you are headed downhill, the climb back up is never as satisfying).  Then comes the climb back out of the valley.  Into a headwind. uphill.  The biggest hill comes up just before the turn to go back to "the stick" back to Gov. Nelson Park.  Mile 15.....ouchie.
7. Headwind followed me back to the park.  The bright spot in this is I got to pass a couple of my pace bunnies, including a freakishly fast dude on a commuter bike. 
8. Once back to the state park, I was dreading the run.  I got to a fork in the road by the ranger station that wasn't marked and I took the left one.  I should have taken the right one, but it wasn't marked and since my wave started so late, there was already people leaving and there were pedestrians all over both paths.  It ended up OK because it eventually dumped me out where I was supposed to be.
9. The run is a 10K trail run, first through a hilly open prairie, then through a hilly dirt path in the woods.  I don't enjoy either type of trail and I especially am not a fan of hills.  I sucked it up and ran as much as I could, shooting for a 80/20 ratio with varying success.
10. The last time we did this, it was really hot and the open prairie was insufferable.  This time, it was cool, overcast, and had a strong breeze which made for a much better experience, even if I didn't like it much.
11. Shoe choice was poor. I wore my Gel Noosa tri shoes which let in a lot of trail debris.  I have a pair of trail shoes, not sure why I didn't remember that I had them and wore them.
12. I was not last (there were I think 5 people finishing longer than me).  I beat my PR on the course by 9 minutes, mostly on the run. I've decided I will probably let this course PR stand.  If I ever start talking about this race again, please stifle my crazy-talk and remind me that I said I was never doing this race again because the bike is way hard and it's a trail run.

13. I do have to give props to Endurance House for putting on a first rate event.  Even though I don't care for the course itself, they still put on a heck of an event.  The registration was easy, the packet pick-up was easy, the schwag was great (tech tee, backpack, etc), the volunteers were awesome (thanks Wade and Tracy!!), there were plenty of course markers and corner pointers.  The after party was great too - plenty of food, a beer truck, and best of all, they had print outs of your results when you finished so you didn't have to wait for the results to upload when you get home.

Race Day Recap by the Numbers: Beloit Biathlon (Duathlon)

Well folks, I’ve been away for a while, unplugged from the bloggy life and existing on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn exclusively. I’ve been reading your blogs, many of them, but not commenting much at all since I read them using Google Reader and frankly I am just too damn lazy to click out of Reader to comment. The truth is I miss writing more than a snarky quip of 140 characters or less, but like every habit it’s hard to get back in the swing of things with regular posts. If you have ever heard me leave a long, rambling voice mail message, you should know I have more to say than can be squeezed into a Tweet. Sooooo ….. how do I get over that hurdle and get back to exercising my writing chops?

I’m thinking as a means of dusting off my keyboard and getting some thoughts documented again, I need an expectation of myself for when I should post. Since I really have 2 goals this race season, I want to incorporate them both.

Goal #1: Post more regularly to Blogger.

Goal #2: Be a faster runner.

So how to include them both?

Here’s the plan: to do a post with a short recap of each race/event this season with the number of thoughts about the event and my performance equaling the number of minutes/mile I averaged on the run. Hopefully, you will see my posts becoming more succinct, instead of getting lengthier!

Now, lets get to this race report business… This past Saturday, I did the Beloit Biathlon. It had nothing to do with Shooting or Skiing, thankfully. Here it is by the numbers:

1. One. The number of people I was faster than on Run #1 of this duathlon (120/121). Proof positive my running needs some work, yes? (On the second run I was 107/121, so a mild improvement in the rankings).

2. Two. The number of times I have medaled at the race in the past. I took home a 2nd place Athena in 2007 and 3rd place Athena in 2008. 2009 was a non-bling year, and 2010 was the year we volunteered as our SWAT volunteer race for the year.

3. Three. This is how many times Mike and I have competed at the Beloit Biathlon before this race. If you ask Mike, it was two, but he would be wrong.

4. Four. I was 4th in the Athena class for this race (of 6). And I was seriously bummed that I did not take home any hardware this year.

5. Five. Number of friends racing. It’s always good to see a familiar face on the course, and this is no exception. Mike Wolfgram, Mike Norton, Mike Wimmer, Steve Knox, Brian Morgan – they all did a terrific job.
6. Six. The number of minutes I shaved off my previous PR for this race, mostly on the bike and transitions. Yeah me.
7. Seven. I had a great bike split. Ended up averaging almost 19 mph on the bike and wound up with a rank of 40/121. I wish I could somehow relate that kind of performance to the running legs. This has nothing to do with 6, but I couldn’t come up with a post for 6. I didn’t follow the convention, sue me.
8. Eight. The number of Cousins mini subs I think I saw Mike eat. Man he loves those things. These people do the post-race snacks up right! They also had chips, bananas, oranges, cookies.
9. Nine. The best thing about this race is that it does not start until 9AM. Do you know how much this rocks? There is nothing better than a race that starts later than 7AM. I love my bed and the more time I can spend snoozing in it in the morning, the better.

10. Ten. The only thing that can top a race that starts at 9, is a race that takes place in a city that is a mere 10 minutes from town. I mean seriously, could it get any easier?

11. Eleven. The number of miles the bike is advertised as being. It is actually closer to 10. Much like the 2-mile runs, which are actually 1.65. On a positive note, it makes you look very speedy in the official splits!

12. Twelve. How many times (x 1,000) Mike told me the story of his performance and dissected every minute of the race for me. Dude! I was there, too.

13. Thirteen. My average pace per mile for this first run was 12:40. For the second Run it was 13:19. Next time I post, I am hoping to only have to come up with 11 or 12 things to write about.

I'm Not a Cream Puff Anymore

Let's get the guesswork out of the way. Yesterday I completed the Ironman Distance for the first time at IM Wisconsin. Mike and i decided a year ago to complete this race as a celebratory milestone - our 20th anniversary along with my 40th birthday. I finished the distance, but did not make the final 17 hour cutoff time. I finished up the run leg of 26.2 miles with a final time of about 17:40. Although I do not have an "official" finish time, I finished the distance, I crossed the finish line (as it was being torn down while waiting for me), I was handed a Finishers Tshirt and a Finishers medal, but I will be listed on the books as a DNF (Did Not Finish). But this day was about the journey- before, during, and beyond- not about an arbitrary line drawn in the sand somewhere in Hawaii in the 70's.

I thought I would be devastated not to make the cut off. I'm not. It may sound nuts but reflecting back, it was one of the best days of my life so far. I have been reduced to tears too many times to count in the past 24 hours, but they are joyful tears. Over and over and over, I was reminded or made aware for the first time of people that cared about us, how we were doing, and hoping for the happy ending to the fairy tale.

I could dissect my day ad nauseum for you, analyzing every little place where I went wrong or where I could have changed the outcome, and there were lots of them. I'm not going to though. I'll just share how my day went. You'll see where I'm going with this.

PreSwim:
We arrived at 4:45, pumped bike tires, stocked transition bags with last minute wardrobe changes, and dropped our Special Needs bags off at the truck. Mike and I sat at the Terrace as we had a long time to wait for the start, trying to wrap our heads around the day. We laughed alot, I could tell Mike was nervous. Soon we ran into Phil, who was also participating, and CJ, who helped Mike bring down the stress level a notch. Mike spotted my mom and sister. Outside we saw Alison too. I was so glad to see so many important people in my life and know they were there. As we headed down the helix, it was so cool to see so many people we knew. They sent a shout out, gave us a hug, waved. Alison walked down with us, Mike Wolfgram had some last minute advice. Another blogger friend, Tiffany, came right out into the mix before we got in the water just to wish us well. It was amazing.

The Swim: 2.4 miles
The swim was pretty uneventful. I was worried about the mass start, the "washing machine." It was not bad at all. There were a lot of people-think about 2400- in the water with us, but it was not long before we were spread and could find our own little patch of water. I got beat up a little at the turn buoys, but otherwise uneventful. I was swimming next to the same guy most of the second loop who backstroked almost all of the loop and tried to swim over me several times. I thought about giving him a solid punch in the nuts to get him to go away, but I just let it go. :-)
After the start of the second loop I had to contain myself, I could hardly stop smiling. Every time I caught myself smiling my google leaked so I was working the hardest at containing the facial expressions so I didn't swamp my eyeballs. Not a bad problem to have if there must be one.

Transition (T1):
once out of the water, I looked over to Mike Reilly's booth and waved at the lady we met in the gift shop (more on that later.) Tiffany and her companion stripped my wetsuit (that was an experience!!) and off I ran up the helix to the gear room. I quickly grabbed my bike bag and headed to the change room to get help from a personal dresser (how cool is THAT!). Alison was there volunteering and she quickly scooped me up and got me changed and ready. She was awesome. Once dressed and ready, she gave me a huge hug and sent me on my way.
I headed out to the bike racks and saw more folks I know- Kari (trimama), Steve Knox who took my picture with his phone, and lots of others calling out. it was hard to weed out the voices of those I knew and those who were simply cheering.

Bike: 112 miles
As I set off down the helix and out onto the course, I felt like a million bucks. I couldn't have stopped smiling if I tried. I saw Erin with her Vislas along John Nolen and tried a wave. I said out loud to no one in particular, "this is awesome- you're going to be an ironman today."
As I rode along "the stick" I was biking strong and feeling great. It heads uphill somewhat, but I was in the small chainring, determined to keep a lid on the excitement and conserve. I felt like I was doing just that. I crossed over onto "the loop" and started my first loop. The feeling was incredible. There were people set up to spectate everywhere- in driveways, along roadsides, at corners, on hills. They were everywhere cheering, ringing cowbells, clapping, some in costume or blasting music from the back of someones truck or from someones porch. False flats, the long grind into Mt Horeb, the 3 "Bitch Hills" of Old Sauk Pass, Timber Lane, and Midtown? Not a problem, I sailed up them feeling like rock star. I heard my name called out over and over; the energy was palpable and I soaked up every bit of energy from it that I could.
My performance started to turn about 1/3 of the way through the second loop. I was still happy, but I was really heating up. I was wearing a helmet I was not used to wearing and it was black and not well vented. I started taking more water, was trying to keep up the calories and stay hydrated, but it was a formidable job. After the long, long grind into Mt Horeb-ble, I was feeling toasted. Near the top, I stepped off the bike and was feeling low. A guy at the corner got out of the passenger side of an SUV wearing a Chicago Police shirt grabbed the seat of my bike and told me "Get on, I am going to help you get going and I'll push you as far up this hill as I can." By the time I started the Bitches, i was very hot and tired and was starting to worry I might not make it back in time to make the 5:30pm bike cutoff. I saw my SWAT friends on Timber lane and they pumped me full of good karma and sent me on my way. They were pretty much the last of the spectators on a hill that was filled with people not that long ago. i asked if they thought I could make it back in time, and of course they said "Absolutely!!" but I knew my clock was ticking. I reached Midtown for the last time and as I turned the corner I had already decided I was going to walk that hill, that I didn't have it in me to ride it. I looked up and saw Lucas, Chelsea, my sister Michele and brother-in-law Jeff, with my favorite (:-) and only) nephew Jacob who ran along side me carrying a sign that read "Go Team Wimmer". They will never know just how much I needed that at that particular moment. I rode that hill because of them. About halfway up I stepped down for a couple seconds to catch my breath and re-group. A lady in a banana costume came up to me and said "Get on your bike, I'm running you up this hill right now." (True story, you just can't make this shit up - lol) And so, I was escorted up the remainder of the hill by a running banana.
Once over the hill, I used that energy to fuel my determination to make it to the Terrace by 5. As I had calculated many times, I knew I had to be done with the bike course and on the run before 5:00, hoping for 4:30 and be able to run 15min/mile to be in by midnight and make the cutoff. I hauled ASS back in on the stick, every time I looked at the Garmin I was at 20-21 mph. I flew back up the helix at about 5:10 and knew I was already behind and it would take the perfect storm of circumstances to pull it off. I saw my family again overlooking the bike timing mats and I gave them a wave and took off to get my bike gear off and the run gear on. I had work to do.

Transition (T2):
Alison met me at the door of the change room and pulled off the quickest transition on Earth. I needed that and I needed her and it made it all good. suited up, I headed on the run and again saw all of my crew. I got a big Jacob hug, I saw more of the awesome signs Lucas and Chelsea had made, and I saw that the had made Tshirts for this. I headed out and to my fate.

The Run: 26.2 miles
as I headed out back into the heat I knew I was behind the 8 ball, but I wasn't going to stop until they pulled my chip and packed me into the golf cart. I saw Jeff Hahn and Mike Wolfgram who had encouraging words and advice. I heard someone shout Jenny - way to go I'm the banana!" (that cracked me up.) My guts were full of Gatorade and Shot Blocks and I was feeling iffy. As I walked everyone in the crowd along the chutes through downtown was calling my name and cheering for me. I had no clue who most of them were or why they knew me. It took a while to know that most of them were just reading my first name off my bib number, so then I was listening for someone to call out Wimmer from the crowd. I walked as fast as I could, ran until I thought I would puke, and stopped the Gatorade and switched to Coke to settle my stomach, water, lots of ice, and cold sponges into my shirt to try to counter the heat. The heat was my biggest problem, with nutrition being second in line. I knew I needed to be under 15 min miles to make it and I was doing mostly 16s. I was too hot and sick to my stomach to push it faster. as the sun started to go down, I was hoping that was my shot to pick up the pace. I began running more and walking less, but it was a struggle as the walking was tightening up other muscles. I made the cutoff for the halfway point (9pm) back on State St with a little time to spare, but behind pace to finish. I teared a little bit, but there was no time to spare for a breakdown. I drew energy from those I knew on the run course at the time (Audrey, Angie, Brenda, Tina, Tiffany, and so many others). It never gets easier to reach the turnaround, see the finish chute ahead of you and turn to go the other direction.
I had to make the turnaround at other end of the course (mile 19ish) by 10:30 or they would pull me. Alison popped up every where- on her bike, along the walkway, on the path, on State at the final push to that next to last timing mat. With Alison and others along the course I made that cutoff with about a minute to spare, no time to waste. Mike Wolfgram appeared out of nowhere and walked with me. He pushed me as much as I could be pushed and said "you can do this- you need to do 13 min miles to finish." I knew that, I also knew that I had not done a 13 minute mile all day despite my best effort. I decided I was going to try as hard as I could at that point because he was there. everything hurt, I was cramping everywhere, my guts had stopped processing everything, and I wished I would puke but couldn't. I had had to pee for 6 miles but knew I did not have anytime to stop, even for 30 seconds. Mike walked with me the whole pathway in the dark by ourselves. He talked me of the ledge and kept me focused, quietly listening to my whining and redirecting my focus. Shortly I noticed a guy on a bike following me. I kept going, but soon told him that if they were going to pull me, to decide to do it in time for me to see Mike finish. Before long, Alison appeared again. She walked with me until I was approached by an IM guy who asked what I was going to do. I told them I knew I was not on pace and was not going to make the finish. He offered me the choice of riding the cart back or finishing on my own likely without course support and in the dark. I told him I was finishing what I started. Alison grabbed my hand and walked with me, told me she was walking it in with me, which she did. I found out later she had to work in the morning and felt terrible that she was out with me, but despite my encouragement she was there for the duration however long it took.
Eventually, we reached the capital square. Out of dark from nowhere, came my son Nick, who I didn't think was coming, followed by my mom. We walked to the chute which they left partially erected for me. All my family was there surrounding the finish- my dad, my sister, Jacob, Lucas, Chelsea, Mike, CJ & Phil, and Mike Wolfgram, with Nick, my mom, and Alison. I got some love in and was handed a medal and a Finishers hat and tshirt. It was amazing.

Connections Made and people who made my day yesterday or every day:

* On Saturday, I was chatting with a lady in the ironman store at the Terrace. Mike and I shared our story with her and she started crying and gave me a hug. She eventually introduced herself as Mike Reilly's ("The Voice of Ironman") assistant and said she'd be looking for us on race day. She hooted and hollered for me every time I saw her. How cool.

* When I went through Camp Randall the last time and was still struggling to make pace, I was greeted by one of the volunteers. She said "Are you Jenny Wimmer?" and told me she follows my blog. I wish I was together enough at that point to remember her name now but it escapes me. she walked with me around the football field and really lifted me up in a down moment. Again, how cool. If you read this, thank you, thank you, thank you.

*volunteers everywhere that were the best ever. No one is getting paid, yet everyone is asking, begging really, to help make you successful. The best volunteers on the face of the Earth, hands down.

* Mike Wolfgram, who was there all day. he was there for some of my lowest moments toward the end, and he left me only to go ahead to try to help Mike make the cutoff once we knew I was not going to get it done.

* My SWAT friends who were there every step of the way. They popped up everywhere all day. Awesome.

* My family- they were all there and it was amazing. I had no idea the amount of time they spent on the course, from start to finish. Not only did they put up with the crazies of training, but they were there all day, just to be there for us. Mike's mom was posting our updates all day through facebook even though she couldn't leave North Carolina. I have not said enough about any of them here, but I don't even know where to start.

* Alison Viemeister was there from beginning to end. it started with long training days all summer long and answering endless questions and calming nerves. This weekend she was Tri-Sherpa extraordinaire, seriously. She was the go-to person for my family of ironvirgins, she collected all our bags and our bikes while we were running, she was everywhere on the course somehow, especially on the run where she rode her bike ahead of us through the whole thing, stopping to encourage us, then riding ahead to be there again. she kept Mike's mom updated all day by phone, she even decorated my driveway the night before.

* Michelle Alswager, we went to HS together, ran in the same circles as acquaintances. Through chance connections she has become a lifesaver for me in this journey.

* Blogger and Facebook pals- There are so many people I have connected with and they all seem to be my biggest supporters. I was going to try to list them all out here, but I don't even know where to start there are so many. i love you guys, you are great.

This morning, we were again at Monona Terrace killing time while waiting to find out if we could snag a copy of the Athlete DVD. as I sat in a chair overlooking Lake Monona, I started reading through the Facebook updates from the day before. I had chills and tears streamed down my face as I read though them and the comments to follow. There were people posting comments and updates that I had NO IDEA even knew who I was, let alone cared how our day was going.

There are no words to express how much it meant to me to see people I knew, to receive words of encouragement yesterday and every day leading up to it. I didn't fully realize how wide my circle of friends was until now. Thank you for supporting me and thank you for your friendship. it means the world to me.

There is always the ongoing debate about who is REALLY an Ironman- the ones who go to Kona, the ones who go sub-12 hours, and so on it goes. I am not sure where my head is at with this. I didn't buy Finishers Gear today and the tattoo is on hold. I got the tshirt, I got the medal, the told me I was a finisher, but they didn't call me an Ironman. But I think in my mind, there will always be an asterisk next to today's finish. You know when you see something while reading and when you follow the asterisk to the bottom of the page there is a statement qualifying or justifying the word or phrase? That's how this feels. I am more of an alloy- one part iron, one part aluminum. This year, there is an asterisk by my name, next year that changes. Only next year, I would prefer that Mike Reilly address me as Iron Maiden.
It's time to do work.
Thank you for seeing me through one of the best days of my life.
I have pictures to post, but that will have wait until tomorrow.

Spririt of Racine Half Ironman - Random Thoughts and Ramblings

What can I say about SORT? This was my third Half Iron Distance event and the second time I have completed this particular course. I have been calling this a catered training day all summer, so I really didn't put a lot of thought into planning this day or strategizing. My goals for this day were simple:

* Better last years time for this course

* Try not to be DFL (That would be dead freaking last to the uninitiated, yo)

* Get an idea where I need to expend the greatest effort in the last 8 weeks of training for IMoo.

This year, we opted to stay in Janesville and commute the 80ish minutes to the expo and the race. It was cheaper than staying in a hotel getting nervous, we didn't have to leave our home vulnerable to the big ideas of teenage boys home alone on a weekend, and we got to sleep in my own bed instead of tossing and turning in a cruddy hotel bed. Although it made for a lot of time in the car, overall I think it was a good move this year. Except for the nearly an hour we spent in a traffic jam outside Alpine Valley caught up in concertgoers for the Dave Matthews Band, that was a little rough...

The race itself? Overall, I'm feeling pretty good. The swim was point to point with the current, so it felt really fast. In Google Earth, it measured 1.1 miles instead of 1.2 miles, but whatever - it was close. it will be tough to compare to last year because last year there were fog and cold issues with Lake Michigan an the course was moved in at the last minute and was way short. this year, it took off farther up the beach and ended further down the beach, so was longer than last year. The buoys were placed close enough to shore that it was about waist to chest deep through out which prompted a lot of people walking instead of swimming.

My swim wave was huge, and I mean GINORMOUS! They sent off a group of women that included all women 35 and older and Athenas. We counted up from the results that that meant our wave was over 250 women. It felt like a mob scene and I actually had to stop and collect myself 3 times when I got punched (PUNCHED!!!) in the face by other swimmers. I swam over people and swam over myself. At one point I took a forward stroke and ended up punching another lady square in the crotch.......that couldn't have felt good.

actually, i think this was a good experience because it was good practice for the in-water mass start for IMWI known affectionately as the "Washing machine." I now know I ca take a solid punch and keep going.

The Bike? I felt awesome on the bike. Sweet Lucy didn't let me down at all. I remember last year thinking people were crazy for calling this a flat course, and this year I really did fl like it was a FLAT course. There were just a couple of hills to conquer. I stayed in the big chainring the whole time and just hammered it as fast as I could.

The drafting packs I saw coming at me from the previous waves and fast riders were pretty ridiculous. I can't imagine if you got swallowed up by one of the peletons it would be easy to break free as they were big and fast. Being more toward the back of the pack, I had not a lot to worry about from a drafting POV. I lost time at the 45 mile water station when i stopped to pee, but it had to be done. Pulling up sweaty spandex bike shorts is no easy feat!

The Run? Here is where I identified my weakness as if I didn't already know. Once off the bike, i could not motivate myself to make my legs hurt enough to run. Could not make myself do it. First I was going to just walk a half mile and start running, then it was a mile, then I would take a couple blocks of running and peter out. I saw Jen Brady pass me early on starting her second loop and she was running like a freaking gazelle. I watched person after person fly by me as I tried to muster the weakest of shuffles. I knew at some point I would pass Alison, and then Mike, and then Phil so I tried to run until I saw them so they wouldn't see me walking. What happened in actuality was as soon as I saw them in the distance, I would start to run and then I would stop for a "walk break" that lasted until I saw the next SWATtie coming along and then the fake out would begin again. Pretty sure I was fooling no one but myself, but whatever.

This is a double out and back half marathon course, much like her big sister IMWI. For those that don't know, you go out a quarter of the distance, turn around and comeback a quarter of the distance, go to about 50 yards of the finish line and turn around to start the second half of the half marathon and do it all again. It.totally.sucks. Last year, I got all weepy at the turnaround by the finish line and this year was no different. I cannot express how heartbreaking it is to see the finish line and know you are only HALF done. And to make it worse, people are shouting "you're almost there" and "way to finish!" and any number of encouraging finisher phrases because they don't know you are not headed to the finishers chute.

This is where I wish I had family or friends that were actually interested in spectating these events. it would be such a lift to have some say "you're doing great, we love you, and we can't wait for you to get back here!" or better yet, to be out on the course (which is decidedly sparser once most of the field has finished their second loop) and offer encouraging words that are meaningful.

I go to a very dark place on these second lonely loops. You see a lot of people you don't know saying things that sound trite and disingenuous but are intended to be encouraging. it really does the opposite to me. I hear someone say "Looking good!" and I struggle to smile and have to stifle a "Bite me."

Once I got to the the second turnaround for the final 5K, I begin to count the number of people who are behind me and calculating a) whether I would make the cutoff time and b) how many runners were behind me, who looked like they would have started with me or after me on the swim (basically old women, fat women, and old men), and how likely they were to catch up to me and beat me to the finish. I counted 11 people behind me. That doesn't mean they were slower than me necessarily as they could have started later, but they were behind me at any rate giving the illusion of besting them.

So, the run was mostly a walk. I knew Phil was walking up ahead of me about a mile ahead after the first 5K, and I tried for a while to catch up to him, but since he is about 10 feet tall with legs up to his neck, i just could not get it done.

Funny thing:

*On the run, I stopped to use a potty at an aid station. I opened the door to find some tall guy standing at the urinal with his pecker in his hands. I shut the door quick and then had to stand there and wait, then look him in the face when he came out of the john....... Had I not been so tired I would have been able to come up with something funny to say, but honestly WHO doesn't know how to lock the door behind them in a unisex portapotty??

*one of the things I chanted to myself on loop 2 was "You can all kiss my double out and back ass." Like a mantra, over and over. In hindsight, inappropriate and kind of weirdly funny. Glad there was no one around to hear THAT!

* On my last pass through the aid station, a teenage girl held up a huge tray of Oreos. I grabbed some in both hands said "I LOVE you!" and pecked her on the cheek. Pretty likely she thought I was crazy.

What comes next:

*I was not DFL. But I definitely need to spend some time on the run miles. Apparently, not running more the 5-10 miles a week since a half marathon in May did not prepare me to run a half at the end of a HIM. Who knew?

* Ride that IM course several more times. Learn where I can turn it on and where I need to conserve myself.

*Figure out the nutrition thing for going long. I didn't eat nearly enough and had no plan for meeting my calorie needs which had a lot to do with running out of gas on the run. I wasn't bonking, but I was not fueled right either.

(We stopped on the way home at Rocky Rococos for the best.pizza.ever. Muy deliciouso, Batman.)

The numbers:

Swim:

last year: 37:25 (1219/1379- 88%)

this year: 34:17 (1107/1206- 91%)

net effect: 3:08 faster

Bike:

last year: 3:32:52 - 15.8 mph (1363/1379- 99%)

this year: 3:17:29 - 17mph (1108/1196- 92%)

net effect: 15:59 faster, moved forward in the pack by 7%

Run:

last year: 3:15:29 - 14:55 min/mi (1362/1379)

this year: 3:22:30 - 15:28 min/mi (1174/1176)

net effect: 37 seconds per mile slower, lost 7:01

overall:

last year: 7:37:50 (1367/1379)

this year: 7:22:58 (1164/1176)

net effect: 14:52 faster overall improvement, but improvements on the swim were cancelled out by regression on the run.

We got work to do - Toughen Up Buttercup!

Trek Triathlon- Pleasant Prairie

JENNIFER WIMMER #1369
JANESVILLE, WI Age: 40 Gender: F

Distance: Short Course
Clock Time 01:42:03
Overall Place 1181 / 2544
Division Place 32 / 74
Swim 00:15:24
Swimrank 389
Trans1 00:04:23
Bike 00:37:40(Mph 19.1)
Bikerank: 204
Trans2 00:03:08
Runrank: 2120
Run 00:41:27 (Pace00:13:22)

Up at 3:30 AM to drive to Kenosha area (OUCH!!). Got parked, walked to the Rec Plex, set up transition and got ready for takeoff. (Special thanks to Jeff for 1-going back to the car for my sunglasses and 2- hailing the Trek rep to get my race wheels pumped up when I could only figure out how to let air OUT of them which was not really helpful.... SUPER SHERPA award goes to him, hands down!)

The 3:30 wakeup call was a problem in the pre-race "routine" ....... could have easily resulted in one of these ----------------->

but managed to overcome the feeling when I looked at the portapotty line that was easily 200 people deep.... LOL.

Swim went well, passed through at least 3 colors of previous waves and managed some trick maneuvers in noodle dodging.

Bike course? Flat and fast, finished up with the 700 number women (I was 1369). Felt like a fricking rocket, smiled the whole time.

Run? Flat course, had zero gas left, lost all ground gained on the bike and probably more. My running sucks, it is what it is....*sigh*.

Great weekend, had fun with my sisters, who did awesome! would love to do something different with them next year!

My B-Fit B-Day Challenge Report: The Big 3-9

Alternatively Entitled: If only little things like “Work” and “Sleep” could be taken off the table, this thing would be a piece of (birthday) cake!

For most of the things I have undertaken in recent years, I have committed myself to completing something without putting forth a lot of thought about how to complete it. My philosophy has been to give myself a goal and figure out along the way how to live up to it. The B-Fit B-Day Challenge was no exception. After reading through that first email from Roman, I immediately thought “Absolutely- Sign Me Up!” and I did. That was months ago.

Thinking through a little bit later, I emailed him and asked if I could do it early, with the intent of completing the challenge in like July or August while the days were still long, the temps were still warm, and I was training for 2 half-iron distances anyway. He said sure, but I still managed to procrastinate it until October, the month of my real 39th birthday on October 25th.
As the big day approached, I started thinking more intently about how and when I could get it slipped in with minimal disruptions to my work and home life, not sure if I would really get it done. Early in October, my son’s football team was finishing up their season, necessitating a lot of energy focused that direction. Later in the month, I had a week-long seminar to attend a long daily commute away. And the wintertime-is-upon-us blues were settling in, with windy, cold, rainy weather and shorter daylight. The bike and the run could be diced up into manageable chunks I thought after some careful consideration, but the swim was the monkey wrench in the equation. With the onset of cooler temps, the outdoor pool has been closed for several weeks and the indoor pool hours through the city are very limited, with just 2 hours available in the evenings Monday through Thursday. To me that meant that in order to meet the 24-hour timeframe for the Gold Challenge I wanted to do, I either had to figure out a way to do the swim on an evening the pool was open and then finish what I could that evening and the following day, or start the bike/run portion the night before a pool day and finish up the challenge with a swim.

My birthday came and went this past weekend, and I was in a funk. I wanted to do the challenge, but just couldn’t get motivated enough to start it off. Then the email came from Roman again, with a last call for B-Fit race reports. “There is just 4 days left to submit,” he wrote. That was the kick in the pants I needed so I started that evening.




The Report

(I forgot to take the obligatory picture of myself at the pool looking down the lane and putting on my goggles. This one will have to do ..... just go with it)


Run Leg #1:
Monday, I got home from work and quickly changed into my run clothes. I thought I might be a little insane because as I drove home there were flurries of light snow all around me, the first snowflakes of the season, and it was windy as hell outside. I dressed in my warmer gear, found some mitties and I was out the door. Those of you that know me, probably know that I am slower than snot on the run. It is my least favorite of the tri legs, and therefore I don’t spend as much time at it as I should a lot of the time. I ran my cold slow little run until it was starting to get dark outside, then I headed for home.
Run Leg #1: 5.42 miles in 1:18. (Don’t calculate my pace, just trust me that it was turtle speed)

Bike Leg #1:
Once home from the run, I got my buns warmed up, dumped the data from my Garmin into training center and changed into some bike clothes. It was dark outside, which took biking outdoors off the table, and to be honest with y’all I am not much of a snow/cold weather cyclist. One of the things I got for myself for my birthday was a cadence sensor for my Garmin Forerunner and I thought that I could test it out with this ride on a trainer and get my miles on for the Challenge at the same time.
Although there is nothing too exciting to report about a trainer ride, I forgot how nice it is to be able to hop off the bike and switch the laundry or watch TV while still getting miles in the saddle. (BTW: Cadence sensor review: It seems very accurate and was extremely easy to use. Highly recommended so far!)
Bike Leg #1: 23 miles at 1:38

Bike Leg #2:
After a quick night’s sleep, I was up bright and early to get some more bike time in before work. Watched the morning news and warmed up the Trakstand’s bearings for as long as I could until it was time to shower up and go to work.
Anyone who knows me well knows what a colossal achievement it was to get my crack out of the sack at 5:30. I am NOT a morning person, so this was a supreme sacrifice for the cause!
Bike Leg #2: 7.01 miles in :33

Run Leg #2:
After a late meeting that ran over, I hurried home to get the remainder of the run done. Thankfully it was marginally warmer than yesterday and no longer snowing, but still a bit windy. The legs were a touch sore from the previous day and morning bikes/run, so I was not speedy again today. Forward motion is still forward so I just took it easy and slogged out the last 3 1/2 miles.
Run #2: 3.6 miles in 51.32


Bike Leg #3:
What can I say about another trainer ride?
Bike #3: 9.01 miles in 35.38

The Swim:
The plan was to arrive at 6pm sharp when the pool opened and get in as many yards as I could in the 2 hour timeframe or 3 swim miles, whichever came first. Wasn't sure I could do it all in the allotted time, but gave it a shot.
There isn't much to say about lap swimming except I went back and forth lots of times. I watched the waterwalkers in the next lane (I nicknamed them the Solid Gold Dancers because they did all their walking on tippy-toes in the swimsuits with skirts). I chatted a few minutes with Alison, and a few other folks I knew there. Mostly I did lap after lap. Had a few problems with foot and calf cramps that responded well to switching to pull buoys when I had problems and it all just worked itself out.
Swim: 3 miles in 1:41


FINAL TIMES: 6:36 Total Time
3 Mile Swim: 1:41
39.01 mile bike: 1:38 + :33 + -:35 = 2:46
9.02 mile Run: 1:18 + :51 = 2:09

Closing Thoughts:
This little exercise in triathlonism, was for me a vivid reminder that I need to find a way to achieve my goals and live my vision by whatever means possible. I had envisioned doing this in one warm, sunny, single monumental day. In reality, it became a goal that I chipped away at a little bit at a time, working around my need to work and collect a paycheck and a need to sleep at night, little by little in manageable chunks, until I had it done. It was an illustration of how I need to fit triathlon and health into my life by whatever means I can and just make it work and be creative in fitting it in.
Four years ago, I weighed in at over 300 pounds and would never imagine myself displaying this amount of tenacity in reaching a fitness goal. What a long, strange trip it has been so far….. and thanks for coming along on the journey!

Many thanks to Roman for dreaming this up and making it a reality. And thanks to all of you for keeping it evolving and growing, and for motivating me to make myself better by sharing your own experiences and goals.
January 1st is all of our “Triathlon Birthdays” as we call it in my house. This is the day when many of us have to report ourselves when we register for events as the age we will be at the end of that calendar year. It will be my 40th triathlon birthday, anyone interested in completing a “Triathlon Bday” challenge in January?

Reflections on the Big Pig Gig - Pigman 70.3

Saturday morning Mike and I headed to BFE Iowa (formerly known as Cedar Rapids) to get all signed in for the Pigman Long Course Triathlon (70.3). After taking the pups to Bonnie's, my new pet sitter - who was awesome BTW- we were off. I could not imagine a more boring drive...... For what seemed like days we wandered along Hwy 11 towards Dubuque through 3 million little towns with a combined total population of 12.

When we finally crossed the Mississippi River and got into Dubuque, I waited patiently for the scenery to change, we were in Iowa after all. Somewhere along the line, I got it stuck on my head that Iowa was flat and we were headed for downtown Pancake to race there. Illinois is pretty flat, so is Indiana, and Nebraska and a whole shitload of other states in the general Midwest area......

W.T.F. ?? I thought to myself as the terrain seemed to get hillier and hillier. Where are my flats?? You must be kidding! I watched that last couple hours to Cedar Rapids in utter amazement.

We finally arrived at the Marriot for the "expo" which was actually a place where you got your packet and shirt, and Gear West had 1 table and a rack of tri clothes to check out. Not exactly what I was expecting.

We got checked in and talked to Tri-Dummy who was still a ways away driving in with the whole family. We decided to check out the water at the lake and then drive the bike course. The water was nice. The bike course not so much. Rough roads, heavy traffic, gravel everywhre, a temporary bridge through road construction, you name it it was out there. The kicker for me was the roads. Anything paved is a highway with no shoulder, any other less traveled farm roads are gravel - no shit. Iowan bikers have gotta be hard core. I was nervous about the bike now, not so much of the hills but the traffic.

We went to supper with Blogland Superstar Tri-Dummy and his lovely wife Aimee and their kids. It was a great time, with great food. What fun! and the kids - very funny and so well behaved! It was awesome. (I do have pictures, but was asked not to post them. It DID really happen).

Back at the hotel we got ourselves together for race day. The Marriott nickel and dimes you for EVERYTHING, and provides not much - no fridge, no microwave, no WiFi (without depositing an arm and a leg onto your bill.). The alarm clock? Holy crap, it was so complicated we never did get it figured out and it never went off in the morning. Watched the marathon on the Olympics and went to bed.

Race day was there before you know it. My eyeballs pooped open at 4:40 and we got our cracks out of the sack, got checked out, and we were off to the park.

Got set up in transition quickly and found out that we were wetsuit legal for the day - SWEET. Mike and I were in the same wave which really was ideal. We got our wetsuits on and headed to the beach, hopping in to get acclimated to the water temp. We took a few strokes out and I said to Mike that we were just sitting there, where we couldn't touch, and he was NOT sinking, just floating, hoping that was the reminder that would help him calm down.

The Swim:

We were in the first wave after the elites with a single file time trial start into the water. I swam steady just ahead or next to Mike, then I got ahead a little bit and kept an eye back for him for a while longer. wasn't long til we rounded the buoy and were on the second leg of the triangle. I got caught up for a while in a pack of swimmers, then moved to the outside a little for some breathing room. I saw a big yellow buoy to my right and mistakenly thought it was the corner, swimming over to it and realizing too late that it was the halfway marker. I took a quick punch in the jaw from the swimmer I cut off to get to the fake turn buoy and kept it going. Finally reached the beach and tried to remember to take off my cap and goggles first thing so I wouldn't look as dorky in my pictures this time (you know, the important stuff....).

Up the beach to transition, I was changing and heard Mike behind me saying "I am SO proud of myself..... I just swam a mile and a quarter....I did it...." and I smiled to myself at that. How cool.

The Bike:

I took off on the bike and out of the park. I got a couple miles and realized not only was this a hillier bike than anticipated, it was also WINDY! awesome.

Mike passed me about mile 8, and about mile 20, TriDummy trucked on by me. There were several railroad tracks (a/k/a bottle launchers judging by the carnage on the other side of the tracks), rumble strips in the road, and the metal grate construction bridge was especially interesting. Everything on this course was up or down, no flats and I do think that there was way more ups than downs, although I know logically that is not possible.

There were plenty of bottle drops and the volunteers were great. I saw nothing but beverages on the bike course - would have been nice to have a banana or something but whatever.

The traffic? every bit as bad as I feared. Lots of near misses and scariness. About 8 miles from the end, there were 2 cars coming towards me from the other direction and a lady coming up behind me. Instead of waiting, she tried to swerve out around me and nearly had a head-on collision right in front of me, close enough that I was looking all over frantically looking for somewhere to bail out to. The last stretch into the park was up a long steeper hill. It was long, and getting hot, and I felt like I had a saddle sore the size of Texas. About a mile from transition, the girl on the bike in front of me starter to weave, slow down, and then just fell over in a daze. There was an ambulance right there and as I passed her talking to them, she said I don't know what happened, I just fell over......

The Run:

What can I say? As I was going out, I saw the first folks coming in from the run to the finish. I saw Jaime from Endurance House fly by me towards the finish, then a couple other EH folks. It was really hot, and I thought to myself "Put a fork in me I'm cooked." That pretty much sums it up. I ran the downhills, walked the ups (not much of either, it was a really flat course) My plan was to run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes on the run...... which quickly became run 1, walk 3......... then run 1 walk 5, then 6, then 7, .......... then "oh screw it what am I losing 3 minutes a mile maybe to walk? Yep I'm walking, it's just too f'ing hot, I am too tired, what idiot thought this race would be fun? Oh yeah, that was me..."

There were plenty of water stops. Only 1 porta on the run course ...... ONE. I took some water here and there, and always made sure to get some ice and throw it into my bra. Then I would munch on the ice chips from my shirt if I needed one (gross, I know, but I really didn't much care at that point).

Not only did this take place on the highway, but parts of it were covered in gravel, thus creating a huge cloud of dust to walk through. As I got near the half point, I saw Mike coming by the other direction and talked a couple seconds. I was feeling OK, just couldn't run. Every time I tried, my HR just skyrocketed to 160's or higher and I could not sustain it. The turnaround was at the top of the only other hill on the course. No timing mat. .....I told the guy standing there that had I known there wasn't a mat I would have cut the course long ago. He thought I was kidding, I thought I probably wasn't.

On the way back, I decided to count roadkill on the course, since there was so much of it I thought it was a perfect way to occupy my time. I lost count at 5.89 million piles of stinky bones, guts, and fur. Then I started trying to figure out what animal or reptile they used to be.

Got back to the park, way later than planned, but I finished. I mustered up a slog for the last half mile through the finish to save face (like I fooled anyone :-)

What was left to eat? warm yogurt and brown bananas, yummy. They must have had pizza judging from the dozens of empty boxes in the supply truck, but none left for me.

The Good:

- Got it done

- Got to spend an enjoyable meals with the TriDummy family. They are great!

- Swim was awesome, perfect water, nice course, felt great

The Bad:

- Hilly bike, awful roads. I was scared to death or getting hit, flatting out, or falling over the entire time.

- Forgot about chamois butter......nuff said.

- my run plain sucked

- Hot, hot, hot. Absolutely NO shade on the course which definitely took its toll.

- i forgot to strip off my bike clothes for the run, so I ended up wearing my tri shorts, topped with my heavy shebeest bike shorts, a heavy sports bra, a long tri tank, and a sleeveless bike jersey. I was a tad overdressed for the run.... duh.

Would I do the Pig again? The shirt was cool, and we are apparently being sent a really cool original print with our finish picture mounted on it. Despite that, I will never be back to BFE Iowa to race. No Way.

Would I do another 70.3? Yeah, I think I would. I do like the distance and I knowingly sacrificed a lot of bike fitness, and a TON of run fitness to focus on the swim. It was just what we needed to do or I never would have seen Mike toe the line in the first place. So, yes I would do it again, but not without spending more time and effort on biking, running, and bricks.

The goal for the next one would be to arrive at the finish line before the pizza is all gone and before the massage people have packed up. Or at least have someone save me a slice...... sounds like a good job for a sherpa- any volunteers??