Time marches on

I find it hard to believe that Ironman Louisville is less than 4 weeks away. How can this be? I registered for this insane event back in January and it seemed, quite safely, far, far away, but as we all know you cannot stop time. Time marches on and before you know it the safe span of months has been reduced to a matter of a few weeks.

And suddenly you begin to panic. 

Questions roll through your mind:

Can I do this?  Will my body hold up? Am I mentally tough enough? Can you really do this? How do you know your body won't suddenly BONK and you find yourself in tears at midnight for missing your goal rather than smiling from ear to ear with relief and happiness that it's all over? 

I think every Ironman wannba experiences questions of doubts. On Saturday, I spent a few hours obsessing over times, what I can do, what the average person does and cutoff times. According to the stats on RunTri, I came up with the following numbers. 

In 2011, 2,276 athletes crossed the finish line at IMLOU (7% DNF). In my age group 40-44, 90 women crossed the finish line (6% DNF). Their average times were 1:18:14 for the swim, 6:45:30 for the bike and 5:08:08 for the run for a total finish time of 13:30:25. 

I am sooo out of my league. And, again, suddenly I begin to panic. 

OK, let's break this down logically. Ironman Louisville is a unique event with its time trial start beginning at 7:00 am. Because one athlete enters the water at a time, your day probably will not start at 7 am. In the past few years, everyone has been in the water by 7:45. Athletes have 2 hours, 20 minutes after the LAST athlete enters the water to complete the swim which allow someone like me who isn't a great swimmer more time to complete the swim leg; however, no matter what time you enter the water, you still have to finish by midnight. Not good for someone like me who doesn't have a stronger leg coming later. 

If I'm in the middle of the pack, I can expect to be in the water by 7:20. Because I am not a strong swimmer, I expect I will take about 1 hour 45 minutes to complete the 2.4 miles hopefully coming out of the water around 9 am. Allowing 15 minutes for transition, I should be out on the bike course by 9:15 am.

On our last trip to Louisville with Awesome Cheryl, I averaged 15.5 miles per hour (moving speed). If I average 15 mph on race day, I should complete the course in 7 hours, 28 minutes; however, I know that I will have to stop at some time. If I allow 10 minutes for potty breaks and 10 minutes to stop and hug the shit out of my family, I hope to be off the bike within 8 hours which gets me back to transition at approximately 5:15 pm. 

Now keep in mind, I haven't discussed bike cut off times. Athletes must start their second loop (around mile 60) by 2:30 pm. Based on my expectation to average 15 mph, I should hit mile 60 around 1:15-1:30....which is kind of cutting is close. The bike course will close at 6:20 pm. Athletes arriving at the dismount line after 6:20 pm will not be allowed to continue. Wow. Too close for comfort. And, again, suddenly I begin to panic. 

Assuming I meet the bike cutoffs and meet my hydration and nutrition goals for the day, I will probably need 15-20 minutes in T2. I plan on taking my time and making sure I am hydrated and prepared for the run. Starting the run around 5:30 pm, I plan on running the first 6 miles at a 12 minute pace which will take me 1 hour, 12 minutes. For miles 7-18, I plan on running at a 11:32 pace with a 30 step walk at each aid station for a total time approximately 2 hours, 22 minutes. The final 8.2 miles will be at my best pace, but I'll be happy to stick with 11:32/30 step walk for a total time of 1 hour, 37 minutes. Or a total run time of 5 hours, 11 minutes. 

Athletes must begin the 2nd loop of the run by 9:45 pm. IF I'm able to implement my planned pacing, I shouldn't have a problem with this cutoff. 

So what is my planned total time? 1:45 swim, 15 minute T1, 8 hours bike, 15 minute T2, 5:11 run = total time 15:26. 

Of course, I'll be happy to complete the event by 17 hours. I guess I just need to verify to myself that I can actually complete this, but who knows what strange twist of fate the day may bring. 

So while I may not be average for my age group, I do believe that at the end of the day I will be able to call myself an Ironman and that is all that matters.  Next step? Designing my M-dot tattoo. 

Lessons Learned in L'ville

Saturday morning I awoke with a lump in my stomach. I was not looking forward to the ride after my last experience here in Lousville; however, God is good and the air temperatures were predicted to be much lower today (about 89 degrees), but I also think part of my problem the first time is not knowing the course.

For some reason, I tend to have a fear of the unknown. I build it up into a much bigger issue than it really is. When we came down in June, friends told me how hilly the course is and by golly it was. By the time I was done riding, I was convinced it was going to take me 10 hours to get through the bike course which basically meant WTC was going to pull me from the course.

Having done the course once, I knew what to expect today which helped immensely. I knew the  hills were tough, but doable. I knew I had to focus on relaxing my shoulders pulling them down away from my ears. I knew I had to hydrate and focus heavily on nutrition. My goal was to get some good food in my belly early in the ride so that I could switch to more of a lighter, liquid diet later in the ride in order to prepare for the run. I wasn't planning on using Perpetuem today. Instead I wanted to try Infinit to see if was a better option for me. I filled my aero bottle and one other bottle with water while the 3rd bottle had Strawberry Hammer Heed.

After checking our tires and lubing our chains, we started off on our adventure. The first 9.5 miles were a nice, relaxed pace. Awesome Cheryl let me take the lead since she's faster than me and would leave behind eating her dust. When we hit the light to turn on to SR 42, the light was extremely long. We chatted with another biker and I decided to start working my nutrition plan of over-fueling by have a Chocolate Outrage Gu Gel. The light finally turned green and we were off spinning toward the hills.

As we approached KY-1694 about 18 miles into the ride, I had a scary thought, "I'm hungry." I never want to have thoughts regarding hunger or thirst on race day. It was time to eat. Opening a Stinger Waffle on the bike is not an easy task. I kept looking for a "Tear Here" spot, but couldn't find one and had to resort to using my teeth. Finally, the package was open and I wolfed it down. On KY-1694, you have to prepare for some long hills. Important race day notes: Enjoy the long down hill on the way out because you are going to have to go back up!!! Stay in the small ring until you see the cabin at the top of the hill. Don't be fooled by a small flat. You will lose momentum. After you turn around, enjoy the long down hill again because the hill on the way back to SR 42 is loooooonnnnngggg. Grrr. Have I mentioned I don't do hills well?

IamTri aid station map

Cheryl & I met up again at the first aid station right at the corner of KY-1694 and SR 42. Unfortunately, this aid station didn't have Infinit which through my plan for a loop. Instead I decided to go ahead and use Perpetuem and put three tablets in my aero bottle and enjoyed a bagel and peanut butter. Cheryl asked, "You put the solids in your water bottle?". Me in all my confidence replied, "Yah." Conversation closed.

The IMLOU course is not really flat. "Rolling hills".... but yes constantly rolling hills. Some areas just get worse. The next big hill section comes at you on KY-393. There are at least 4 big, long hills on this road. I say at least because in my oxygen deprived state I really lost count. Important race day notes: Stay in small ring because the hills just keep coming.

Turning on KY-146 from KY-393, the road is a slight incline through Buckner and into LaGrange. We stopped at the 2nd aid station not because of a nutrition need, but because I desperately needed to blow my nose. With Cheryl directly behind me, I didn't want to perform a Farmer's Blow and saturate her with snot. After getting through LaGrange where they were holding the Oldham County Days festival, we turned on to Ballard School Road, the road where I bonked on the last ride. There are three major hills on Ballard School Rd. and the 3rd is a doozy. I actually have to stand to climb the last hill. Luckily, the road ends with a beautiful downhill which allows you to gain speed - which is then DESTROYED when you have to take a sharp right turn on to Sligo Road which also starts on an uphill. Two strikes. Not liking Sligo Road now.

By the time we turned left on L'Espirit Parkway, I was having a pain behind my left knee. I had a hard time pushing on my left side up the hills. A left turn onto KY-153 and it wasn't long before we were at the mile 50 aid station. Thank goodness! I immediately got off the bike and sent a text to Jeff and Chris, one of the Intimidators, to see what great insights they had for my knee pain.

Pain behind left knee every time I do hilly course at abt 50 miles. Is it bike fit? Pedal stroke? Help

Chris, being the experienced Ironman triathlete, had a number of suggestions, but for the day suggested sliding back on my saddle to see if that helped. Regardless, it sounds like I will need to take my bike into Little Ade's on Monday for a small adjustment and hope it helps. The best part of this aid station was the Diet Coke and Pringles. Who would have these simple things would taste so heavenly? I also discovered that I really liked peanut butter on bagels or pretzels sticks. Tell me how I'm going to carry those on race day???

While we were re-freshing our drinks, Cheryl suddenly had a very thoughtful look. After a few moments of discussion, I came to the conclusion that we were staying at the aid station for a little bit longer since it appeared Cheryl was in the beginning stages of dehydration....sluggish legs, chills and discolored urine. We stayed at the aid station while Cheryl downed another bottle of water.

Since the air temperature was only in the high 80s and she wasn't sweating as much, Cheryl hadn't been drinking as much on this ride. Lesson learned: Dehydration on the bike can surprise you. Cheryl and I discussed a hydration plan for her. Later we decided we needed to invent an aero bottle which would yell at you if you hadn't taken a sip in 10 minutes saying "DRINK BITCH!". Oh yah. Definitely working on that product.

Finally able to leave the aid station, we took off on SR 42 planning on making the second loop so we could complete the full 112 miles. At the beginning of the 2nd loop on KY-393, I stopped to make sure Cheryl was ok before heading on. Really I was using Cheryl as an excuse. I was a little worried about my knee which had been feeling better until the last couple of miles. I knew we were facing more hills on KY-393 as well as Ballard School Road which definitely made me nervous. Because Cheryl now had to go to the bathroom (YAY!!!! FINALLY!!!), we agreed to keep going since that was the closest bathroom. No, Cheryl was definitely not going to pee on the bike. Ewwww.

The second loop on KY-393 was just as lovely as the first (insert rolling eyes here). As we turned on KY-146, I said to Cheryl "I could easily turn around and go home, but just think of the sense of accomplishment we'll have in getting the 112 miles done today and knowing what we'll be facing on race day." Hmm, the fate gods must have been listening, waiting for their opportunity to laugh at me.

Since Cheryl is faster than I am, I told Cheryl to go ahead on the bike so she could get to the bathroom and I'd meet her at the LaGrange aid station. As I pedaled my little heart out, I felt a sudden sharp pain on the front of my left knee which caused me to gasp. Tears sprang to my eyes. The pain quickly passed, but my concern was definitely growing. By the time I arrived at the aid station, I knew I shouldn't keep going. Every few minutes I would feel a pain in my knee and I could not even imagine damaging my knee this close to race day.

At the aid station (where the bathrooms were closed much to Cheryl's chagrin), I considered asking for the SAG wagon to come pick me up. I was really not sure I could make it back to the Yellow Lot. We discussed going ahead with the 112 miles, but with Ballard School Road ahead I knew those big hills could definitely hurt my knee. We decided to head back to the Yellow Lot via KY-393....ugh....I was not crazy about going back on those hills, but no matter which direction we went we had to deal with hills. Plus, we passed a bathroom at the Marathon Gas Station in Buckner so Cheryl was relieved to head back to find an open bathroom.

As we hit the hills, I consciously pushed back in my saddle which seemed to help. Miraculously, I didn't have any more pain in my knee. After KY-393, we still had the rolling hills on SR 42, but I tried to stay in a smaller gear and kept my cadence higher. I wanted to just let my legs spin, just as I will on race day, so that I could transition easier to running jogging 26.2.

We hit the Yellow Lot at 95 miles. Getting off the bike, I was curious to see how I felt....I FELT FABULOUS!!! I felt like I could actually run. I didn't feel like I wanted to crawl on the ground and take a nap. My mood, my entire outlook on IMLOU, my confidence level soared. I was actually looking forward to race day.

So what were the lessons learned from this ride?

1. I really need to stay in the small gear on the hills. (Ugh, as if I'm not slow enough already.)
2. Cheryl needs to focus on hydration. I am going to tape a note to her bike to remind her to drink on race day. I told her if I caught her on the run because she hadn't hydrated enough I was going to kick her ass. 
3. Perpetuem Solids are not meant to go in a water bottle. If you actually read the bottle (Duh!), it says "CHEWABLE". That would explain why those solids hadn't dissolved in my aero bottle.
4. My plan to over-fuel seemed to really work. I felt great. The peanut butter was fabulous....but how am I going to have peanut butter on race day? I need to find something which is just as filling and portable. 
5. By riding steady and relaxing my shoulders, I will be able to complete the IMLOU course. on time. 
6. The IMLOU course really isn't that bad...if the weather cooperates. Experiencing the course before race day and more than once is a MUST for me. 

4th Street LIVE!

After our initial ride on the IMLOU course, I knew I wanted to get back to Louisville. The first ride was on an excruciatingly hot day with air temps at 103 and pavement at 111. I suffered greatly throughout the day, but I learned a lot about hydration and nutrition on the bike as well as learning the course and how to handle the non-stop rolling hills. I wanted to get back to Louisville and implement the things I learned on the first trip.

Earlier this week I thought there was no way I was getting back down there. My hives were really irritating me Monday and Tuesday and I was almost to the point of saying screw it. I'll just show up at IMLOU on race day and wing it on the bike. I was scheduled to see my doctor on Thursday to get a steroid shot which was supposed to help; however, miraculously, Wednesday and Thursday my hives seemed to get much better. Suddenly, I was optimistic. Awesome Cheryl was coming up to Peoria on Friday to get her bike seat adjusted and we decided we needed to go to L'ville. So after the bike fit, we hit the road and made our way down to Louisville for another ride on the bike course.

4th Street Live - The place to be in Louisville, KY

After checking in to our hotel, we decided to walk down to 4th Street Live and find the finish line and hopefully something yummy to eat for dinner. We found a gold mine! 4th Street Live is such an amazing place. So much fun and energy. Plus according to our research, 4th Street Live has a plaque for the official finish line of Ironman Kentucky, but all be damned we couldn't find it. So we gave up and decided to eat.

Kilcooly Sandwich at Ri Ra'

The restaurants and bars along the Ironman finish line have a wide variety of offerings. We had a hard time deciding, but we settled on Ri Ra', a typical Irish restaurant with dark interiors and good Irish music. Awesome Cheryl and I both had the Kilcooly sandwich: turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese & a slice of Granny Smith apple on sourdough bread. Cheryl decided to try the sweet potato tater tots while I had the hand cut fries with malt vinegar mayo with a Harp to wash it all down. The sandwich and fries were absolutely delicious. I could just imagine Jeff sitting in the bar waiting for me to cross the finish line.

As we walked out of Ri Ra', guess what we found?? The sign for Ironman Kentucky was right across the street. Don't ask me how me how we missed it, but  of course, we had to have our picture taken in front of it. So hard to believe Ironman is only 5 weeks away!

Don't we look like we just finished IMLOU? 

Of course as we were walking out of 4th Street Live, we found another sign. So which is the official finish? I guess we'll have to find out on August 26th. Walking back to our hotel, I found a new lawn ornament for our house. Do you think Jeff will let me bring it home?

Street Art on Market Street

Maybe my girls can make me a 3 foot replica? Something bright and cheery. Well, let's wait until August 27th to see if I really want to remember Louisville, KY.

Buying the Ironman Farm

Because I used basic math in yesterday's post, I thought maybe we would decipher a more difficult problem today. How about a word problem? Did I tell you that I love math? Mrs. Leach really was a fantastic high school teacher and I still remember a lot of what she taught us even today.

So back to our word problem. Let's calculate the speed at which one vehicle will close in on another. One mode of transportation, D, is traveling at 15 miles per hour. A second vehicle, T, is traveling in the same direction and traveling at 60 miles per hour. Vehicle T is 100 yards behind D. How long will it take for vehicle T to close in on D? Oh, and don't forget to take into account that D is traveling up a small incline and speed is slowly decelerating.

Now don't miscalculate this. An error in your math could cause you to look like a bug on T's windshield...SMASHED.

I miscalculated during my bike ride on Wednesday. I saw the bumper of a service truck come within a few feet of Dolce's rear tire. It was an error which, needless to say, caused my heart rate to spike. Just as I'm sure it also affected the driver of the service truck. Believe me, I am sure if his window had been down I would have heard more than a few choice words coming from his mouth. I was truly scared at the thought that I almost made a fatal error.

Instead of finding me in Louisville, KY fighting for my right to call myself an Ironman, you almost had to come find me buried with my parents in Oak Ridge  Cemetery. Or maybe I could convince my dear sweet husband (who will probably lecture me after reading this and then worry incessantly for the next 38 days) to bury me along side Ballard School Road in front of one of those beautiful horse farms so that I can cheer on my fellow T3 teammates on August 26th.

Thankful for God's grace on my ride, I decided the open road was not for me today. I came home via the best back roads I could find. I finished my workout at home on the treadmill. Not only did I not want to be out on the road, but I was looking to avoid the heat. A 30 minute brick on the treadmill is just what I needed to bring focus once again to my workout.

Looking like a goon, but keeping the sweat out of my eyes

As of Wednesday, my hives are slightly better. I hate to say it for fear of having to eat my words. My legs and arms are not itching much at all. The skin above and below my eyes is dry and scaly, but the redness and swelling are starting to reduce. I used the Desoto beanie again to keep my head cool during my scary ride and paired it with a headband which I pulled low over my forehead in order reduce the amount of sweat pouring down my forehead and into my eyes.

Once again, I am singing God's praises and thanking Him for watching over me today. I did indeed learn a valuable lesson: Don't be stupid.

Fat vs Muscle

If there is one saying I despise, it is

A pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat. 

Really?? Because my high school math teacher, Mrs. Leach, always taught me:

One pound equals one pound. - Math 101

Which would you rather have? 

I believe what people mean to say is that, as illustrated by this image of 5 lbs of fat vs 5 lbs of muscle, fat takes up a whole lot more room than muscle does. As you lose weight, it is common for exercisers to lose fat and gain muscle without a change in body weight which can be frustrating if you are monitoring your progress by the scale alone. Taking monthly measurements of your bicep, waist, hips and thighs is the best suggestion I can give to anyone who is attempting to lose weight. During those times where you are discouraged by lack of movement on the scale, the small changes in your body may be just the motivation to keep you on your fitness goals.

Women especially seem to believe a number of myths regarding muscle. I often hear women saying they do not want to lift weights because they are afraid to get "bulky". Unless you are doing low repetitions of heavy weights WHILE eating an excess of protein, you will not build large amounts of muscle mass. Instead the goal should be to create lean muscle by doing light weights or using resistance bands.By creating lean muscle, you are boosting your metabolism. A pound of muscle will burn more calories than a pound of fat.

So you want to lose weight? Yes, the key is cardiovascular exercise. Get in a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio (i.e. cycling, jogging, walking, roller blading) at least 5 days per week, but in addition, try to add in strength training 2-3 days per week in order to build lean muscle mass. Not only will you create the muscles needed for your daily activities, but you will be amazed at how quickly your body changes into a learner version of you.

I can tell you from experience. Last June we launched Body Pump. Over the last year, I have had so many people ask how much weight I've lost. In that year, I hadn't lost a single pound, but the inches were melting away as I stayed true to my healthy lifestyle. My body re-arranged itself into a leaner version of the person I was once and the person I was proud to be. As a result, I don't think I will ever give up Body Pump even if that day comes where I am unable to teach it anymore.

What are you doing to create lean muscles for a happier, healthier you? 

Century Ride

Sunday morning arrived with the usual sun and humidity one would expect in mid-July.  On Saturday, we did receive some light rain, but all it seemed to do is tease the crops and provide even more humidity for us on Sunday morning. Because I'm still dealing with these chronic hives, I decided to wear my neon yellow bike shirt by Pearl Izumi as well as my DeSoto Cool Wings and beanie.

All ready to ride.

Awesome Cheryl & I decided to leave from my house and follow the hilly route which another T3 member recently shared with me. Riding from my house through Washington and Germantown Hills to Metamora should be approximately 52 miles. We were then going to hammer it back to my house and do some extra miles if we need to hit 112. With highs about 94, we wanted to get started early.

Jeff decided to join us on the first 10 miles of our ride before looping back home because he's training for another sprint triathlon in August. After Jeff turned back to ride home, we had a long stretch on Dee-Mack road which leads to Washington where we had our first pit stop. We stopped at the Casey's to refresh our drinks and use the facilities.

Our next segments meant it was time to hit the hills and HIT them we did. I tried to view this ride as a training ride. I left my bike in the big gear to try and push my legs to get stronger, more prepared for Ironman Louisville. The hills on this route are tough, but on the downhills an odd combination of scary & fun as long as you find the right piece of road. On a couple of the major hills, I had to come out of aero position. I was way too nervous flying down these bumpy hills at 34+ mph.

We made another pit stop in Metamora where I decided to stay with water. I bought a Gatorade at the last stop and it just tasted way too sweet and the flavor too strong. My nutrition plan for the day was to use Perpeteum in my aero bottle. If we were in between stops, I would refill with water from my down tube bottle so we could keep going. I had another water bottle with Hammer Heed as well as Stinger Waffles and Gu Gels in my snack sack. During the time where I didn't have Perpeteum in my aero bottle, I used the Stinger Waffles and Gu Gels to make sure I kept my nutrition up to about 250 calories per hour.

I don't really mind the Perpeteum. A lot people talk about how thick it is. Yes, it is thick, but most of the time it hasn't been a problem. I like using Perpeteum because it's readily accessible at our local biking stores.

On the return home, we stopped at in Washington again to re-freshen our drinks. We were 70 miles in and I thought I was feeling pretty good. We hit mile 80 and I felt the wall start to come crumbling down. Right before hitting Washington I started to notice a pain behind my left knee. I was concerned about whether it was an issue of pushing hard on the hills or possibly a bike fit issue. I struggled through the next few miles trying not to push with my left leg which meant my speed was greatly reduced. Cheryl & I thought we were going to try and get 120 miles in, but she was running out of fluids and I was concerned about pushing through more hills with my knee. So we decided we would have to be happy with 100 miles and headed home.

As soon as we got home, I could have laid down for a nice nap. It's amazing to me how my body automatically turns to recovery mode. However, a nap was not meant to be. I needed to go take an oatmeal bath to ward off the hives as much as possible.

Later that evening Cheryl & I went to the T3 open water swim. My legs were tired, but I simply wanted to be in the water. I was hoping the water would refresh my body, maybe even wash away the hives. Maybe?

Note the red, swollen eyelids. Not good. 

On Monday, I didn't have a lot of energy in my legs. With the launch of Body Flow 57 that evening, I decided to take it easy and make sure I had my choreography down. Monday night I taught ZUMBA,  launched Body Flow 57 and then taught Body Pump. By Tuesday morning, my eyes were red and swollen which only had the affect of making me want to cry. I thought I could handle this. It's only 40 more days. 40 days of itching my arms and legs I could handle, but the redness and swelling around my eyes is not only very uncomfortable it's very worrisome.

I've been trying to ice my eyes as much as possible, but it doesn't seem to do much except freeze my nose and sinuses. I put a call into the Good Doc today. I'm not sure what he can do for me at this point, but I need to try. Cheryl & I are debating another long ride this weekend which just means the situation is only going to get worse not better.

I'm sure the antihistamines are doing their best. It's just not clearing it up. It's like they just can't get ahead of my body. I've always said I'm a one Ironman girl. I guess my body is definitely trying to send me a message saying, "Yes, become an Ironman on August 26th because after that you need to rest....and not try to do this again."

So, if I'm not an Ironman by midnight on August 26th......I doubt I ever will be.

IMLOU Practice Route

It's the weekend and that means two things!

1. I'm celebrating my daughter's birthday. Holy crap! How can I have a daughter who will be going to college next year? I swear I am not that old, but then reality keeps smacking me in the face reminding me that YES! I am getting older. 

2. I am going to head to the hills again this weekend. Awesome Cheryl is coming up Sunday and we are going to try and do the Germantown Hills loop. Our goal is a minimum of 100 miles. The roads are long, windy and hilly. Very similar to IMLOU. I am going to focus on my uphill technique and relaxing my shoulders. I discovered I tend to tense my shoulders quite a bit when working the hills.

Yes, these hills will work to prepare me for IMLOU. 

I rode 25 miles of the loop on Wednesday. I started in Washington and made my way out to Santa Fe Trail Road. Yes, I am pretty sure this will be a great long ride route in order to prepare for IMLOU. I am prepared and ready for the challenge! Bring it on!

Breathtaking views

On the other side of the hill, I stopped to take a picture of the beautiful view. I realize I live in the flatlands of Central Illinois, but some of the views are still very breathtaking. I am in awe of God's handiwork. 

Look for a report on the loop next week....and say a prayer that all things go well. 

See you on the downhill!