Race Preview: Ironman 70.3 Muncie

This weekend begins my first true test on whether or not I can hack it as an Ironman even if this weekend will only prove that I am half an Ironman. I am registered to participate in Ironman 70.3 Muncie on Saturday, July 7th. My swim wave, Women age 40-44, is tentatively due to start at 7:20 am; however, with temperatures expecting to reach 98 Saturday afternoon, the start time could still get moved up.

Prairie Reservoir Creek: 1.2 miles

 The swim will be in the Prairie Creek Reservoir swimming 1-loop clockwise. The temperature of the water earlier this week was 81 degrees, awfully temperate for a 1.2 mile swim. From what I've read, the water can be choppy in the reservoir depending on the wind. Awesome Cheryl will also be participating in Muncie and her wave is scheduled for 7:40 am. In reality, we could be finishing the swim together. I am determined to remain calm and relaxed throughout the swim even if it means going extremely slow. On Sunday, I completed a 1.2 practice swim in 59:42. Like I said, not fast at all, but I was completely relaxed and just enjoyed the swim. Based on recent times, I anticipate getting out of the water about 8:12 am.

IM Muncie Bike Course: 56 miles

After a hopefully fast T1, I will be out and on the bike around 8:15-ish. We will head out for what is supposed to be a fast leg on the bike. The out and back course is 1.5 loops through relatively flat roads. On any other given day, I know I could easily complete the 56 miles with an average pace of 16 mph; however, with my recent concerns over my hives and the high heat on Saturday, I am re-setting my bike goal as an average pace of 15 mph. I plan on trying to keep my heart rate right around 130 bpm.  

There will be 5 aid stations along the bike course offering:

·         IRONMAN Perform

·         Water

·         Bananas

·         Bonk Breaker Bars

·         GU Original Energy Gels

·         Roctane Ultra Endurance Gels

·         GU Chomps

Muncie Bike Elevation Profile

Unfortunately, this all means that I will be starting my run at probably the hottest part of the day with the sun at high noon. By this weekend it will be two weeks since my last run. (UGH). If I'm extremely fortunate, I plan on running the first 3 miles at a 10:30 pace, the middle 7 miles at 10, and the last 3+ at a glorious 9:45. BUT on the realistic side, I am hoping to maintain a 11 minute mile walk run pace.....but it could be closer to 11:32 with the heat. This could be the longest 2+ hours of my day, but if I keep my head on straight I will be able to successfully complete Ironman Muncie within about 7 hours 13 minutes. 

IM Muncie Run Course

There will be aid stations approximately every mile on the run course offering: (possibly more due to the heat)

·         IRONMAN Perform

·         Water

·         Bananas

·         Bonk Breaker Bars

·         GU Original Energy Gels

·         Roctane Ultra Endurance Gels

·         GU Chomps

·         Pretzels

·         Fruit

Obviously, hydration will be key. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE....as well as taking Endurolytes. I plan on taking in 150-200 calories per hour in a light, liquid form.

My goal is to complete the Muncie Ironman with a feeling of accomplishment and pride. I'm hoping to finish without cramps and under 7 hours and 30 minutes. Surpassing those goals? Well, that would just be cake. 

Punching Bag

Here I am. Looking like my husband is using me as a punching bag. Good Lord. (sigh)

I'm feeling frustrated and anxious about doing Ironman 70.3 Muncie this weekend. I hope my body doesn't react even worse to the activity this weekend. My personal prescription for the week has been rest. However, if the swelling around my eyes doesn't get better by tomorrow,I will be calling Dr. S again begging for more drugs!

Giving you the Stink Eye

As soon as I got off the bike in Louisville on Saturday, I started feeling the itch, but I initially thought it was just my imagination. By the time I woke up Sunday morning, there was no denying it. The hives were back. I spent Sunday and most of Monday downing Benadryl every four hours. Unfortunately, the medicine only seemed to work for about two and then they were back.

My Stink Eye

After several phone calls back and forth, my doctor prescribed an over the counter Zantac 150 two times a day and a much more powerful prescription for me to take before bedtime. The nurse gave me full warning to only take the prescription before bed because "it will knock you out".

I started my first Zantac in the afternoon prior to teaching my three classes for the evening: Zumba, Body Flow and Body Pump. When I finished Zumba, one of my class participants told me I should go home and put an ice compress on my eye before it swells shut. Oh, yes! There is nothing quite like scaring your class participants!

I did teach my other two classes, but came directly home to take my medicine and go to bed. I set my alarm for 5:30 am hoping I could get up and get a run in; however, when my alarm went off, I could barely open my left. Cursing silently, I got up to get a cold wash cloth to put over my eye and went back to bed.

Yesterday while waiting for my doctor to call me back, I did what every red blooded American does when they are curious about a medical condition. I googled "heat exercise hives" and discovered an article on Wikipedia for Cholinergic Urticaria. Now I'm not saying this is what is happening to me, but it sure does feel familiar. The two times I've broken out in hives have been immediately following 7+ hours of biking on a hot summer day.

When I think about it, I have had a spot on the back of my left thigh for the last two summers which breaks out. I've always thought it had to do with the sweat and sitting on vinyl chairs. I've just treated it with Cortaid and have been able to continue with my day, but now I wonder if that was the beginning of my issue.

It does worry me that my body is reacting in this way. Tell me exactly how I'm supposed to train for an Ironman in August without sweating. For now, my plan is rest. I am supposed to be racing in Ironman 70.3 Muncie on Saturday. I'm hoping to rest and let the medicine do its work before race day. Let's just hope the full effect of the antihistamines kicks in and I don't end up with hives next weekend as well.

Training Day in L'ville

Back in January, August 26th seemed so very far away. It was comforting to know that I had lots of time to prepare for this mental and physical journey I was willing to put myself through; however, time is getting short and it's time to see if I'm ready for the challenge.

Cheryl & I with Louie, the Troll

The best way for me to prepare? Experience the challenge. Ride the course and endure. On Friday, we drove down to Louisville for an I AM TRI training day. 56 days to Louisville. Time to test my metal.

We arrived in Louisville late afternoon in time to drive the bike course. Not only to make sure we didn't get lost, but to begin the mental preparation. I've read the reports about the non-stop rolling hills which begin to wear on you. And unfortunately, I have never fully developed a friendship with hills. After driving the course, Awesome Cheryl was pretty quiet. I took a deep gulp and tried to breathe.

 Instead of dwelling on what we fear, we decided it was best to get some good food and enjoy some company. We met some otherT3members downtown at a restaurant called theTroll Pub Under the Bridge. Dubbed as a unique underground dining experience, the pub is located under the bridge in downtown Louisville. Typical bar food was the norm for the menu; however, we were able to find a few healthy options as well. I had the BBQ Chicken pizza which was quite scrumptious. Over dinner, we discussed the bike route and our game plan. The overall consensus seemed to be the using your small ring and NOT trying to hammer through. With temperatures expected to exceed 100, we all knew it was going to be long, tough day of training.

The Mighty O-HI-O

Saturday morning we made our way down to the yellow lot down by the river where we offered an opportunity to swim before starting out on the bike course. Some of our T3 friends were skipping the swim and heading straight out to the bike course due to the anticipated heat. We all gathered on the fishing docks behind Towhead Island waiting for Bob and John to provide us with the necessary information to have a successful swim during IMLOU. While waiting, I took in the beautiful calm of the Ohio River and soothing view of the Louisville riverfront. Suddenly, there was a stir on the fishing docks with people scattering here and there. I am not a squeamish person by nature so please keep that in mind when I say this. The biggest, ugliest, nastiest looking spider was crawling on the boat dock. Fortunately, one swimmer had his flip flops with him and promptly sent the nasty little creature to spider heaven. Murmurs of nervousness could be heard speculating on what else could be found in the Ohio River. We heard one woman even say, "I waited until I was done giving birth to swim in the Ohio River." Yes, the water looked dirty with a film of oil and allergy inducing agents skimming over the top. BUT I was here for a mission. I was here to experience the Ohio River and nothing was going to stop me.

I jumped in the river feet first. The water temperature was ideal. Not too cool, not extremely warm. I took a deep breath and started swimming in the channel behind the island. Because I wanted this to be a great experience for me, a true confidence builder, I focused on staying relaxed and counting my strokes. Bob from  I AM TRI arranged for two kayakers to be available to support the swimmers. We were able to swim as much as we wanted for the hour time frame; however, my goal was to simply experience the muck of the Ohio River and get out on the bike course. I finished 0.42 miles and felt incredible. Very calm and relaxed. I even had a few bumps and jostles to simulate race day. Even though I only completed a quarter of the actual race day swim course, I came out of the water happy and excited.

Cheryl & I checking out the water

After rolling our bikes out of the back of my van and lots of prep work, Cheryl & I were the last two to leave the Yellow Lot and head out on the bike course. Starting on River Road, we got about one mile before our first mishap. Just over the railroad tracks on River Road, I heard a yell from behind me. I looked back to see Cheryl turning around. She lost a water bottle off of her rear bottle holder. Really, that should have been a sign for how the day was going to go.

The first nine miles of the IMLOU bike route are relatively flat, but somewhat torn up roads. About the time you turn on to KY-1694 for an out and back, you need to be prepared to face some hills. As you head out on KY-1694, you get to enjoy a large downhill where I hit almost 30 miles per hour; however, if you take a moment and follow the breeze toward those who are coming the other direction, you will feel reality hit you in the face. Enjoy the downhills. Because what you enjoy now, you must climb on the return.

After KY-1694, we decided to stop at the first  I AM TRI  aid station. I refreshed my water bottle and had a slice of watermelon before heading out on the road again. Back on SR-42, I remember thinking how I felt pretty good and thought I was handling the day pretty well. Our next turn would be about mile 30 onto KY-393. As luck would have it, I dropped my chain going up a hill a KY-393. I was a little freaked out because I had never had to fix my chain before, but I was able to quickly get it back on even though I wound up with oil and grease on my shirt and hands.

IMLOU Bike Elevation

Finally, we were chugging along again when I suddenly had two thoughts:
1) I am hungry.
2) I need to go to the bathroom. No, really, I needed to go to the bathroom.

We were just short of mile marker 40 when I suddenly saw a sign for the  I AM TRI  aid station. I quickly turned my bike and turned into the aid station anxious for some food. Luckily, they had a wonderful daddy and daughter setting up drinks with bagel and peanut butter. I thought I had found a little slice of heaven. Unfortunately, I didn't find a bathroom, but I seemed to be better with food in my stomach.

As we were going through LaGrange, luck would strike again only this time she hit Cheryl upside the face. This time she dropped her chain halfway up a long hill. Things got worse as she tried to get started again, but fell off her bike. Her chain was on the small ring, but she couldn't get her gears to switch over. Together we decided to walk up to hill until we reached a local business and use their parking lot to get everything back in order. That was actually that first time I thought we might need to call the SAG wagon. However, we are tougher than that. We were able to get her gears shifted and get back on the bike course.

Soon enough we came up on the the next portion of the course I was dreading....Ballard School Road. The turn on Ballard School comes along quickly on a downhill. The road is narrow, twisty and STEEP.  There are two major climbs on this road and by the time I hit the top of the 2nd climb I was starting to feel nauseous. Finally done with Ballard School Road, we turned right on Old Sligo Road, but both of us were nervous about whether or not we were going the right direction. We stopped at an intersection to check the I AM TRI map and I felt a wave a nausea take over. Ugh. I was getting nervous about completing the 80 mile ride. The Old Sligo Road portion of the course is relatively short because we turn left on L'Espirit Parkway and then right on 153. Finally, we arrived at the mile 50 aid station.

IMLOU Bike Course

All I could do was get off my bike and grab some water. I needed a few minutes to just sit and cool off. We caught up with another T3 member who was struggling with the heat as well. Joe tried to talk to me, but I couldn't seem to say much. The idea of forming words was just too much for me at that moment. After drinking a bottle of water, I went in search of a toilet. It was finally time to purge and purge I did. I was feeling much better at this point. After refreshing my water, we hit the road once again.

Now we were on KY-42 on the backside of the loop which for IMLOU race day, we will have to complete two times. Now that thought was daunting! However, I could only think about what I was doing in the current moment and it felt like I was doing a lot, but going no where quickly. With 30 miles left, I thought I would see the miles click away, but I could not get my speed up and going. My average speed from miles 50-60 was below 10 mph. I even stopped by the side of the road at one point to rest in the shade again. The heat was getting to me. It seemed like forever before we passed the sign for 393 where we have to turn back to start our second loop.

The final 30 miles are mainly downhill when you average out the elevation; however, when you are riding it, you feel every single hill, every single slight include, especially on a day like Saturday where the pavement was 111 degrees.

For my final mistake of the day, I missed the turn on River Road. I heard Cheryl yell behind me. We stopped in a parking lot...or I should say she stopped and I crashed. I fell and dropped my chain. If it hadn't been for the two nice families who stopped to check on us, I probably would have spent the next 5 minutes cursing.

We turned back on KY-42 and found the correct turn on River Road. Unfortunately, it always seems that just when you think you are close to home it still feels like it is so far away. The final 9 miles of the bike course were the longest of my life. I was so thrilled to finally cross over those railroad tracks where Cheryl had dropped her water bottle so many hours ago.

Back at the Yellow Lot, T3 was waiting for me cheering me on helping me cross the hurdle. Because they are such thoughtful wonderful people, they had fresh, cold water bottles waiting for Cheryl & I. I slumped into the shade behind my van and chugged the cold water.

Once back home, members of T3 posted on Facebook about the lessons learned yesterday. Here is what I had to say.

I learned a few things yesterday. 1) I hydrated well. I don't think that was an issue. 2) I need to focus on nutrition. I need to find a way to make sure I am taking in nutrition on a regular basis....maybe set an alarm or something because I lose track of time. 3) The hills are hard, not fun, but they are doable. I just need to adjust my bike expectations. 4) Pride cometh before the fall. I will not be afraid to step off my bike if the heat is like yesterday on race day. What matters most is that I finish and hopefully without a hospital stay. 5) This is an experience, a challenge for me. I've always known it would be about 80% mental and yesterday proved that. I used to say I'll be grinning from ear to ear when I come out of the water, but now I know what I'll be facing on the bike. I may not be smiling quite as much as I'm running through my game plan for the toughest part of the day. 6) Time to hit the hills...over and over and over again.



When I think back about the day, I couldn't remember what nutrition I took in or when. My plan for IMLOU is write out my nutrition plan and put it my bike stem to remind me to eat. Also, I am trying to figure out how to set an alarm on my Garmin to remind me hourly to make sure I am ingesting enough calories. As I've learned, I need to focus on nutrition not only so I can complete my bike leg, but to fuel for the marathon which is yet to come.

Allergic to heat?

After a tough day of training yesterday in Louisville, I woke up this morning to a special surprise.

What the heck???

HIVES

They are back. What the heck? Two days off of prednisone and I'm breaking out again only worse. So far it's mainly on my legs.

Yesterday during my ride in Louisville, I used a new spray suntan lotion by Neutrogena and I still broke out. I doubt it's the suntan lotion.

My dear, sweet husband ran to Wal-Mart and picked up Benadryl for me. I'm hoping it does that trick; otherwise, I'll be calling my doctor to see what else we can do other than prednisone.

Could it just be a reaction to the heat? If so, that is going to make this a long, itchy summer.

Bike Maintenance 101

This weekend is something I have been looking forward to dreading for a while. With assistance from an incredible group of people from I AM TRI, I will be able to ride the bike route for Ironman Louisville.  When contemplating doing an Ironman, I knew I did not want to sign up for IM-Wisconsin which is known for its tough hills. I was not looking for hills. I was looking for a nice flat course. So I signed up for Louisville.


DUH!

A dirty Dolce

The Louisville bike course has a total ascent of 2198 ft. Yah, good idea. "No hills". I guess that was back in the days of my naivety. 


As I've learned more about myself, I put my best foot forward when I have a clear understanding of what I'm facing and I have my mental game 100% turned on. So when  I AM TRI  posted several opportunities to come down to Louisville and experience the courses first hand, I knew I had to do it. 


In order to have a great weekend of riding, I wanted to make sure my Dolce was in the best possible shape. I've chosen to stay with a road bike instead of investing in a tri bike. So I've tried to make sure adjustments which will allow me to have a comfortable ride without sacrificing too much speed.
Dirty, grime and goop With temperatures expected to climb to 103 on Saturday, I wanted to get an Aero Bottle installed on the front of my bike. I spent the morning at Little Ade's in Pekin where I learned a little bit about bike maintenance.


Apparently, I am a bad bike owner because I haven't been properly taking care of my baby. I'm surprised I didn't get shamed out of the shop bringing my Dolce in looking like this. My chain was covered in red dirt. The frame covered in muck and goop. Slowly, I was introduced to the joys of cleaning a bike chain, joint and chain lub and walked out of the shop with an armful of products.

Abby cleaning the Dolce.

My little princess, Abby, came out to help me with the bike cleaning. She helped me wash and dry the frame, joints and chain. Of course, on a day where the temperature exceeded 90, she was more than happy to come out and play in the hose for a while. On the other hand, I think she's been rather bored for the last few days and having a little project probably captured her active little mind.

All cleaned up and ready to ride!

We finally got the Dolce all cleaned up. She looked all bright and shiny,  ready for some lub. This is the part where I started to feel a little nervous. What if I lubbed something which didn't require it? Using a wax based lub for the chain, I about broke my back squirting, turning peddles, wiping the excess lub off and lubing some more. I think I burned quite a few  calories just cleaning up the bike. The staff at Little Ade's explained when lubbing plan on spending 10% of your time putting on the lube and 90% of the time wiping off the excess.

Look at that shine!

Unfortunately, I had to take a drive into Peoria to visit a second bike shop to see about the Aero Bottle for my Dolce. With the clip on bars, I wanted to make sure I was getting the correct bottle for my specific needs. Luck be a lady tonight! I found the right system (in stock) for my bike; however, reading a black and white instruction sheet with 2x2 pictures explaining the details of the installation is where my patience came to an end. I decided it was time to wait for my road crew to come home from work and with assistance from a YouTube video, the bottle and bracket was installed with ease.
I was a little worried about cutting the straw on my aero bottle however.  I decided to take it for a spin with the extra long tubing just to make sure the bottle wouldn't fall off before cutting the tube. Some reviews of the Profile Design Aero bottle did mention issues with splashing, but the YouTube video made it sound as if the splashing would be minimal, if any.  Now call me crazy, but that aero bottle made a mess even with the yellow mesh properly (?? maybe ??) installed. My hands were sticky as they gripped the aero bars. My legs were dripping in a red stream from my knee down to my shoes. I'm not sure if there is anything I can do to make an adjustment and reduce the splash. The roads around the county can be bumpy, but I'm not sure I will find smoother roads to train on any time soon.

My other concern is finding the correct motion to dump a bottle of fluid into the aero bottle without dumping half of it down me and my Dolce. 

I guess I'll have to wait until the weekend to talk to the real Ironman experts to see if they have any advice for me. Maybe there is some secret devise to enable me to have fluids available at the ready without turning into a sticky bun!

Z3 High Octane Bars

Last week I attempted my first Century bike ride with several members from T3. My 100 mile ride was mainly fuel by Hammer Perpetuem, Hammer Heed and Gu Gels. I even had some Shot Bloks with me, but I didn't take any on the ride.  In the middle of my ride, my stomach felt a little bloated and I remembered thinking I would be in trouble if I had to get off my bike and run at this point. 

I am an avid podcast listener, primarily in the fitness and nutrition categories. (Go figure, huh?) Several podcasters including Ben Greenfield and Jon of Garden Variety Triathlon Podcast, discuss fueling concepts which go against the current high carbohydrate, pure glucose protocol. Ben Greenfield promotes a low carbohydrate lifestyle for the endurance athlete. Jon promotes a plant based diet for triathlons.

As a Type II Diabetic, fueling with pure glucose doesn't make sense to me. Sure, I know I need the fuel for my system, but what is it doing to my glucose levels? When the glucose burns off, will I bonk? All of these questions made me wonder about alternative fuels which can incorporate fat, protein and glucose while eliminating preservatives and additives. 

Most of the energy bars I've tried seem to have some type of icing or chocolate covering on them. Has anyone else thought about this? How am I supposed to eat this things without becoming a hot, sticky mess while eating coated energy bar in August in Louisville, KY??? 

I have found a mission. I am going to find the perfect energy bar which I can create (No laughing from those of you who know how little actual cooking or baking I do.) which isn't coating with sugar which will melt all over before I even have a chance to enjoy them.  

Mixing the ingredients

I put a request out on Facebook asking friends if they have any recipes for me to try and I got crickets chirping. So instead I decided it was time to check things out with my friend Google. I found a Z3 High Octane Bar. The recipe is simple, requires no oven (which is fabulous on a hot summer day where the temperature is 102) and contains fiber, fat, protein and carbs. Each bar contains 340 calories, 45g Carbohydrates, 5g of Dietary Fiber, 16g of Fat, and 10g of Protein. 

The ingredient list was simple and straight forward, which of course I need: quick oats, natural peanut butter (I chose Chunky), honey, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, flaxseed and whey protein powder. I also picked up supplies for an additional batch to mix up some bars using dried pineapple and white chocolate chips. Hey, if I'm going to do this,  I might as well have the flavors I really enjoy, right? 

Z3 High Octane Bars

After mixing together the ingredients, all you have to do is press the mixture into an 8x8 pan and refrigerate until ready to serve. I tried a square of the High Octane Bars and they were really quite yummy. I am still concerned about the melting factor considering the bars do have chocolate chips in them, but I thought was a good start to my quest for the perfect energy bar. I am going to package a couple into snack size baggies and try to use them this weekend during my practice ride on the IM-Louisville bike course. 

Do you have a recipe for a energy bar you would like me to test? Send it me! I'm on a mission!