45 Days into the New Adventure

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After 45 days I finally feel like I’m acclimated. I was able to swim / bike / run inside Saturday and Sunday without my heart exploding.

I’ve been hiking in the morning with the dogs and think it is time to buy some snowshoes. The snow if starting to pile up on the hill above Hot Sulphur and it would be easier to hike up it (and go longer) with snowshoes.

Winnie

But I’ve also been thinking about skate skiing. This sport would really help my biking but I don’t want to invest in even more equipment. I’m trying to stay as minimalist as I can given the fact that triathlon is gear intensive. But the debate in my head rages on.

I want to take the dogs on bigger hikes maybe try Devil’s Thumb. I’ve never hiked that in winter. Maybe try Vasquez Peak, my adopted trail fro living here before. So many possibilities. 

Winnie running free

I am finally feeling like I’m happy to be here. It was more of an adjustment than I thought it would be. After three years in the desert with two of those years longing to wear hats and gloves, I’m finally living somewhere where hats and gloves are a necessity. I no longer watch shows that take place in cold climates and wish I was there.

Living in the southwest was a great experience and I’m so happy I was able to do it but living in the mountains of Colorado is pretty awesome.  By getting more involved in outdoor activities like skiing and snowshoeing (and not just indoor triathlon training) I’m feeling better about all my choices. 

View from the top of Hot Sulphur Springs, CO

 

Now for the Goals – 2016 Goals & Adventures:

• May – Ironman 70.3 St George
• July – Ironman Lake Placid
• August – Leadville 10K
• November – Ironman Arizona

Small races around Colorado to be determined.

Life in the Mountains: Snow & Cold so far

This is my life for the next few months: work, coffee, work, more coffee.

When I wake up in the morning it is usually around 10-15 degrees. I can run outside as long as it's not snowy or too icy. So I'm still figuring out how to train in the cold.

Despite training difficulties and learning a new job, life in Colorado is good.

The dogs are slowly getting used to the cold and now however most mornings they stand in the snow with one paw raised with a pained expression on their face. One extreme to the next they seem to say: pavement too hot or snow too cold.
Which is better: cold, I think. 

Moving Back To Colorado & Stegner Quotes

“Let’s not forget who we started out to be, or to be surprised that we have not yet arrived.” Wallace Stegner

I will be changing the header image and the “about” section of this blog shortly. Three years ago I had to change it from the Colorado mountains image to a Southwestern Arizona image. It's currently a picture of Leadville, Colorado, a race I aspire to do in the next few years. 

I will be changing it to a Grand County, Colorado photo in a few weeks. 

I look up Grand County in Googlemaps and find the new house I’ll be living in. It is a short walk to the Colorado River.

Water – Oh I have missed flowing water since living in Tucson. People who know me here have heard the repeated complaint. When it gets to the point of complaining too much it’s time to fix the complaint. So I'm heading back to Colorado, to cold and snow, to the flowing Colorado River. 

Daisy, picture above is from Colorado. I think she is happy to come back. Winnie doesn't know what a river or lake is.

I read the quote above from Stegner for the hundredth time as I look through journals this morning. Journals filled with racing plans, training plan, promises of running 30 miles one week and eating right, promises of hiking in Sabino Canyon and Mount Lemmon. Journals filled with quotes from great stories and books. Quotes to become a better person and quotes to help me remember good times.

The Stegner quote is a truth – I have not yet arrived to the person I want to be.

• I still want to have an 11 hour Ironman.
• I still want to have a 5:30 70.3.
• I still want to finish a marathon in every US State.
• I still want to be involved in writing, editing, learning every day, and telling stories.

Maybe this change of landscape will help realize a dream or two or three.

Plus I'll get to ride in Rocky Mountain National Park with this guy:

Maybe, then, after realizing some of these goals I will have arrived and be able to say, what a great journey.

It’s been pretty amazing so far.

Augusta Georgia - Getting out of the Desert

One of the favorite things I get to do as part of my job is to travel to places and check out their attractions, restaurants, and hotels.

Last week I visited Augusta Georgia. 

My boss is a former golf pro and I told him I would get him a Master’s souvenir. Ha. I couldn’t even get on the course much less a souvenir. Since I’m not a golfer I didn’t understand the exclusiveness of the Masters and how they fiercely protect their brand. I was only able to get him a golf towel with Augusta Georgia embroidered on it. 

He really wanted one of these. 

It’s okay.

I have some great souvenirs of the trip to share with my blog visitors: photos and memories.

Here they come.

But first I have to admit how awesome it was to be east of the Mississippi River. The temperature both days in Augusta was a pleasant 60 to 70 degrees; there were clouds and a bit of rain – heaven!

First let's talk art:  

This first piece of art reminded me of visiting the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, a park outside of the city. It was like being in a different world. I love the southern landscape! 

Morris Museum of Art 

Morris Museum of Art

Public Art in Augusta

 Outdoor Fun: 

The Augusta Canal and Dam - outdoor recreation abounds: kayaking, running, biking.

Boat tour of the canal. They have a weekend tour in the early evening with music and drink. We missed that :-( 

The Swamp - Phinizy Swamp Nature Park

Augusta Restaurants: 

Yum Mexican. Can't compete with Tucson Mexican but delicious still. 

I'm not sure why I didn't take more pictures of food and restaurants. It was primarily due to the company. They were so interesting and I wanted to know everything about them. It's so fun to learn about people and to know people who live in these amazing places. I was more interested in talking to them then taking pictures of our food. I will say that I had two amazing dinners. One night at Frog Hollow, with an all regionally produced menu. I had the pork chops. Thick-tender - pretty amazing. And great wine. Always, must have great wine.

The Dam - Savannah River

Why do I always forget to take video? Next time.
Speaking of next time, the weekend following my visit was the Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Athletes were arriving as I was leaving. When I knew I was coming here, I tried to register for the race and extend my trip but the triathlon is so popular it was SOLD OUT. Based on my visit, seeing the city, checking out hotels and the river - the Savannah River - this is a great race destination. I might just be coming back for it next year.

P.S. I walked past James Brown's daughter at the Augusta Museum of History where she teaches music. She smiled at me. The James Brown exhibit was so interesting. He was so driven. I'm listening to his music now.

Training Plans & 50 Milers

Monday’s are so hopeful – a new start, new plans – anything is possible on a Monday.

Today, I started my 50 mile training plan for a March 2016 race. Last week I didn’t run at all – nothing. Traveling for work and fighting a cold kept me from any workout. But it’s okay, I’m fresh and ready to attack this plan. Plus, I’m going to blog more about training (Hal Koerner’s Field Guide to UltraRunning) and nutrition (Hammer based).  

This blog will keep me accountable for hitting training goals.

Plus, I’m moving the Training Widget up in the layout so I can see if I’m finishing the miles I am scheduled to do according to this plan:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Total
9/28/2015	0	4	6	4	0	12	5	31
10/5/2015	0	4	6	4	0	14	4	32
10/12/2015	0	4	6	4	0	16	6	36
10/19/2015	0	4	6	4	0	18	6	38
10/26/2015	0	4	4	4	0	8	4	24
11/2/2015	0	4	6	4	0	20	8	42
11/9/2015	0	4	6	6	0	20	10	46
11/16/2015	0	4	4	4	0	10	6	28
11/23/2015	0	4	6	6	0	22	10	48
11/30/2015	0	4	8	6	0	22	10	50
12/7/2015	0	4	4	6	0	10	6	30
12/14/2015	0	4	8	6	0	24	10	52
12/21/2015	0	4	8	6	0	24	10	52
12/28/2015	0	4	6	6	0	10	8	34
1/4/2016	0	4	6	6	0	10	8	34
1/11/2016	0	4	10	6	0	3	26	49
1/18/2016	0	4	10	6	0	26	10	56
1/25/2016	0	4	8	6	0	10	8	36
2/1/2016	0	4	12	6	0	28	12	62
2/8/2016	0	4	12	6	0	29	12	63
2/15/2016	0	4	8	6	0	30	10	58
2/22/2016	0	4	5	6	0	10	3	28
2/29/2016	4	3	2	5	0	10	4	28
3/7/2016	4	3	2	0	0	50	--	59

2016 Races:

1/15/2016 - Houston Marathon

Possibly 3/12/16 Mesquite 50M

A - Races 2016:
70.3 St George

140.6 Lake Placid

Discover the Grand Canyon & Not Racing

The Grandest Canyon of All August 2015

In August I slipped in and out of training mode. Someday I felt great and woke up to swim, bike and run. Other days, I wasn’t feeling it and went to work early. I had the Mountain Man Long Course to look forward to and a trip north to Flagstaff; but wasn't motivated to train hard. I'm not sure why.

Racing and Not Racing

My original plan was to drive up to Flagstaff on Friday, go to the Grand Canyon on Saturday and race the Mountain Man triathlon at Lake Mary on Sunday. After the race drive back to Tucson.

The Monday before the race I called to cancel the hotel and the kennel for the dogs. Tuesday I was changing my mind again. I didn’t run much last week and my longest bike ride completed in a week was 25 miles. I wasn’t ready. I could change to the Olympic distance, I thought.

By Wednesday I knew that it was a good decision not to race but what about the Grand Canyon. I haven’t seen it yet. I knew I wanted to. Always in the back of my mind I think I might not every get the opportunity ever again in this life to do X.

X = see the Grand Canyon, run the Grand Canyon, see the Sierras, hike in the Sierras, go to Spain, go to Italy. I couldn't miss a chance.

Things I Want To Do List

I always tend to do the things that I dream about doing although I do have a terrible track record with canceling, rescheduling, and postponing.

On Friday I was glad I canceled the plans. Rushing from work, dropping off the dogs and driving 5 hours was too much after a busy work week. I just wanted to have a relaxing weekend. 

I woke up Saturday and knew I needed to go to Flagstaff. I needed to race; there was still time. I checked hotels.com and found a cheap-ish hotels (Flagstaff is popular, and expensive in the summer due to the Grand Canyon). The kennel would take the dogs and I could leave at 4pm.

It was one of the hottest weekend. Heat warnings were all over Arizona.

I drove through Phoenix at the hottest time of day. 

When I got to Flagstaff I checked into my hotel and walked down the street to Cracker Barrel. I ordered a salad to go and at 9pm in my hotel I decided that if I woke up and wanted to race, I’d race. If not, I’d drive to the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon

At 5:45 am I decided to drive the Grand Canyon. There were no cars on the road, no line at the entrance. I drove in and got oriented. The temps were perfect to start: 

I asked questions to rangers, wandered around the South Rim, and watched the movie about the park.

The crowds arrived and it got hotter by the minute.

I headed out of the park around noon knowing that I will be back.

I will hike Bright Angel. I will run Rim to Rim.Now, when I read about the Grand Canyon I can picture it in my mind. The Grand Canyon is one of the western places I want to go back to over and over. 

There is so much to learn and see.

See you Grandest Canyon - I will see you again, soon, very soon. 

Mileage Year To Date

I have some work to do:

#swim
#bike
#run
#trilife

Yearly Goal Update - Motivation Monday

This coming weekend I'm racing the Mountain Man Half-Iron Distance triathlon. I haven't been motivated to keep up with my training plan. It will be interesting to see how I do considering this and the race is in Flagstaff at a much higher elevation. I will write a full racing report when I get back and post pictures of Lake Mary and the Grand Canyon.

As I've been biking and running this weekend I've been thinking about how I will reach my 2015 mileage goals and after building spreadsheets and formulas I discovered a way to stay motivated. Charts, Pivot Tables, and entering miles each day.
This is the mileage I have to complete to reach my goal by month, week, day:

	month	week	day
Swim	9827	1404	169
Bike	918	131	16
Run	294	42	5

This will happen. 

Spreadsheets and Blog Posts will help me stay motivated and prepared for the rest of this year's racing:

Since it is Monday I thought I'd post this too:

Updated Race Calendar: 

August 16 Mountain Man triathlon

September 20 Tri Tempe Olympic distance triathlon

October 18 Tumacacori Century Ride

December 5 McDowell 50K

I'm still trying to figure out another marathon in a new state but haven't committed. 

#50marathons50states

Now it's time to run. It's a cloudy, rainy morning here in Tucson. Woo Hoo. 

Oro Valley Sprint Triathlon - It’s A Dry Heat Race Report

Who races a triathlon in Tucson in July? Crazy triathletes for sure.  It’s A Dry Heat Sprint was a fun race. 

Tucson does indeed have a dry heat but fortunately for triathletes on  July 11, 2015 it was a cool-ish morning with a breeze. 

And, while I overslept and didn’t hear my iPhone alert go off due to the fan that has to stay on all night to keep my house somewhat cool, I still ended up making it to the rolling start on time at the Oro Valley pool.

My friends/co-workers who were also racing were happy to see me. “You would have a lot of explaining to do at work on Monday,” said Sean. 

My swim was slow.

My bike was fast. I practiced riding the course several times. Proof that knowing the course is a benefit.

My run pace seemed slow in the heat but the shaded course helped. I only walked to drink at the turnaround and finished strong.

It was a great race and I plan to do all 3 races in the series next year.

Here is a picture of the Simpleview folks who raced:

2nd Place in My Age Group:

Great race organization by onyourleftfitness.com and great prizes:

What I Believe Today

Today I have six hours before I have to leave for Phoenix. I hate driving to Phoenix especially if bad weather is in the forecast which it is because it’s Monsoon Season here in Arizona.

Before I moved to Tucson three years ago I didn’t know what a monsoon was or that they even occurred. A Tucson Monsoon is a little like this:

and this

And with monsoon season in full force the humidity is 72%. This is what I look like running during Monsoon Season:   

I’m still trying to think of ways to turn my Saturday flight delay and subsequent changes to my vacation to New Hampshire into a positive. As I’m thinking, thinking, thinking. I decide that while the dogs are in the kennel (I dropped them off yesterday)  this morning might be a good time to clean, vacuum, reorganize.

People who don’t have dogs and don’t train for Ironman must have really clean houses. 

The last two weeks I’ve been in training maintenance mode which means I’m not really motivated to follow a training plan and I'm only doing one work out a day. After the last six months of training for triathlons, I seem to have a lot of free time but cleaning my house is the last thing on my mind.

But today, I have some time. As I move the sofa to vacuum under and next to it I discover a wine stain that I forgot about. Oops. As I start to write this post my handy Bissell Spot Bot in “set in stain" mode works on the wine stain. Seriously, five minutes later the stain is totally gone and I’m impressed!

Also during all the free time I discover that even without dogs I wake up at 5:00 and am ready to start my day. You really don’t understand this until you have a day in your life where there is nothing really you have to do until 11:30 am. This is one of those days.

To go back to the beginning of this crazy weekend, I got to the airport Saturday (two hours + because that is what you are suppose to do) to fly to Boston. An hour before the flight I learn that it is delayed – delayed so much that I will miss my connection to Boston. This is the first option from the airline: three flights, sleep in the Detroit airport and arrive in Boston by noon on Sunday. Ugh. That is the worst idea I’ve ever heard of. The second option is to drive to Phoenix Sunday and fly “somewhat” direct to Boston and arrive before midnight on Sunday night.

After consulting with my family manger, aka my sister, Kim. (LOL) that I have to come no matter what since there is seafood and beach time involved; I opt for the Phoenix itinerary.

So I have a vacation day in Tucson and this morning, after running in humidity I decide to clean my house.

Since I always seem to be training for something or recovering from training

I am not the best house cleaner.

For now the house is clean, I'm updating my blog - life is good again. But let's just see if I get on that plane this afternoon. Positive thought, Positive thoughts. 

Here are the positives of the day so far:

• I have one more day to get used to the New Hampshire humidity before arriving there.
• I will have a clean house when I get back
• I can’t wait to see my family.
• I can’t wait to eat lobster, scallops and fresh fish which was all promised to me on my arrival in New Hampshire
• In about 24 hours I will run next to the Atlantic ocean and then after my run, swim in it. 

And to circle back to the original post title, this is what I believe today:

• I believe in Family
• I believe in Training for Triathlons
• I believe that change is good and needed
• I believe that dogs make me happy
• I believe that having a clean house is nice but I’d rather be outside swimming, biking, running, hiking, or walking my dogs

Analyzing Ironman Race Times – What Is Possible?

Now that three weeks have passed since Ironman Texas and my post Ironman blues have subsided I have been comparing race times and wondering if I’m improving in any way since I started this Ironman craze seven years ago.

My wise friend Mark told me I should compare Division Rank instead of time to analyze my progress at the Ironman Distance. So here is my Division Rank for each race: 

Year	Div Rank
Coeur d'Alene 2009	58
Arizona 2010	33
Wisconsin 2013	63
Texas 2015	31

I have been training for the Ironman distance since 2008. I was living in Colorado at 8,000 feet while training for my first two Ironman races. Going down to lower elevation for those races really helped my performance.

The months leading up to Ironman Wisconsin in 2013 turned out to be the worst training blocks to date. I was living in Tucson so I didn’t have the altitude training to help me on race day. Injuries and Ironman cockiness [I’ve done two already; piece of cake.] were contributing factors to a less than stellar performance in Madison.

Training for Ironman Texas was the best training to date. I put in the time and was glad to finish feeling so well despite the heat and humidity. Placing 31^st in my age group I see the progress that is possible when you put in the time and train well without distractions.

I’m setting my sight on Lake Placid in 2016. This time I will make it to the start with no distractions. I occasionally wonder if I have it in me to qualify for Kona. I think every triathlete has dreams of Kona at some point while training and racing. I don’t have the $10,000 bike and I don’t have 9% body fat. I’m not a fast swimmer or runner. 

My Dream Bike

But could I be? Could I figure out a better bike? Could I get lean enough to be a contender?

Get Lean! 

I’ve been reading a lot of blogs and my mind starts running about how I could do it. I’ve been reading Crushing Iron and I have to admit that Mike’s post really make me think that anything is possible. He’s going for it why shouldn’t I.

Maybe I’ll go for it. Maybe I’ll try to get in the Top 10 in my age group at Lake Placid (if I get in). Who Knows? It’s fun to think about and plan.

I always love a good plan.

2015 Mileage: Swim, Bike, Run

In my triathlon training log I keep track of miles. 
Here are my training and racing numbers, so far, for 2015.
January 1, 2015-May 31, 2015

Swim - 82,170 yards (46 miles)
Bike - 1,669.70 miles
Run - 547.46 miles

Hours by Week 1/1/2015-5/31/2015

In 2014 my goals were:

Swim: 75 Miles 

Bike: 5,000 Miles 

Run: 1,500 Miles 

And, I didn't quite get there due to bike crash and motivational issues.

However, for 2015 my goal is to meet and surpass these numbers. I'm not half way there yet even with a season of Ironman training except for the swim. 

I will get there. I'm ready. It's going to be a fun, hot summer with many bike and run miles. 

Ironman Texas Race Report

What an Awesome Day! Saturday May 16, 2015. 

Here is how the weekend began:  

Wednesday late afternoon, Mark and his brother Pat picked me up from the Houston airport and we stayed one night in Houston. We had a great carbo loading dinner- chicken parm at Collina’s Italian Cafe. Delicious. 

In the morning we headed up to The Woodlands to scope out the area and figure out a race day plan. Mark, Pat and I attended the Athlete Banquet and sat at the same table as Sister Madonna Buder, the 84 year-old nun who holds the current world record as the oldest person to ever finish an Ironman. The meal was fantastic and every year the inspirational video Ironman creates for this event makes me cry; so emotional. 

Day Before Race Day 
I met Triple Threat teammate Amy Fletcher in Ironman Village. 

Amy planned to race but her gall bladder had other plans. However, she came down to Texas from Indiana to cheer on friends who were racing. 

I also met teammate Gina Shand at Gear Bag Drop Off where she was volunteering. 

She brought a friend with her, a friend who enjoys her passion for racing triathlons all over the place. Everyone needs a friend like that. They were so excited to be volunteering at the race. Gina was also psyched to be able to volunteer again, the next day as a finisher catcher. What an amazing person! 

Mark, Pat and I attended the Athlete Briefing and learned that the water was too warm for wetsuits. 

Athletes could wear wetsuits but they would be last to enter the water and wouldn’t be considered for a Kona spot. This forced me to change my race clothing considerably. My TTT top had too much drag to swim in it but it was perfect under a wetsuit. I decided to wear my swim suit on race day and completely change into different clothes in transition. It made me nervous since I’ve never changed like that before nor had I trained or raced in open water without a wetsuit. But sometimes you just have to adapt. So I did. 

We drove to the park for a practice swim. The water temperature was perfect about 81 degrees. We swam for a half hour then had to bring our bikes to transition. 

Walking along the canal we found this garden.

I picked my bike up from TriBike Transport in Ironman Village. I decided to pay the extra $40 for the valet service after the race so I didn’t have to worry about bringing my bike back to the Village from transition; it was worth the additional cost. 

Race Day: 
Swim: 1:40 
We relaxed before the swim start at the playground. Stretching, relaxing, taking pictures.

The age group race began at 6:40 am. Since it was a rolling start it was organized by swim finish times so we could line up and enter the water with similar abilities. Mark and I started at the 1:20 group. I like the “toughness” of the traditional Ironman mass start however, the rolling start was much less stressful. It was awesome swimming with triathletes at my level however I did get beat up a bit. But that is expected. Mark’s friends Amy and Paul told us no one here at The Woodlands swims in this water and I understand why. I couldn’t see a thing in the dark water but I got through it.  

I swam fairly straight. Suunto Ambit3 data.

I felt good during the swim and felt somewhat fast despite no wetsuit. When a swimmer pulled me down, not on purpose, it was okay and I recovered. The main thing, I didn’t drown. It was my slowest 2.4 mile swim but I felt strong getting out of the water at the end.  

Bike – 6:42 
The muddiest transition ever. The periods of rain leading up to race day made the ground in bike transition smelly and muddy. I should have carried my bike the entire time through transition but walked in through some grassier areas. I paid for it because the first 50 miles of the bike I heard a rubbing noise, I think caused by the mud. After drinking my 2 bottles of Perpetuem I alternated drinking water and Gatorade at every aid station keeping only one water bottle at a time on the bike. 

On Mile 50 I was on strange pavement and my back tire felt like a possible flat. I stopped. Felt the tire pressure and it was FLAT!   My first flat at an Ironman race. 

I changed the flat and had troubles with my CO2 so it took much longer. Then I didn’t fill it up right and had to stop a few times to get it right. Once I had full pressure I was so nervous I was going to flat again. I only brought one replacement tube. 

I continued the rest of the race in survival mode. 

I rode as fast and safely as I could. I prayed and prayed. I repeated the mantra “I’m going to make it today, I’m going to make it today.” I wasn’t really sure I was going to make it but I kept saying it out loud. The bike course was beautiful. It was hot and I was glad for the five minute rain shower about Mile 70 to cool off. The rolling hills were tough and I tried to stand during many of them. 

From mile 80 on I also repeated “almost there, almost there” a hundred times. 

I used Endurolytes despite never used them in training. I know, this is a no-no, but since I don’t have a sensitive stomach and I only had 4 of them, I swallowed one every half hour until I ran out. I actually felt a surge of energy about 5 minutes after taking each one. Not sure if it was related but I felt strong on the bike. I wore my Rudy Project Wingspan helmet and just loved it. So comfortable and light. 

When I saw the Mile 100 sign I fist pumped and got some cheers. Happy Happy Happy. It was going to be a miracle if I made it back to transition. I knew that once I got there, I would finish Ironman even if I had a slow marathon.  

I dismounted at the transition. The awesome volunteer took my bike. I ran through the mud and into the changing tent. I made it. I am going to make it today.

Run 4:59 
On the run the temperature felt like it was in the high 80s with only a few clouds in the sky. Where were those dark clouds we saw the last two days?  

The humidity and sun exposure made the first mile a walk/run. It was tough to stay running the entire time. The run was 3 grueling loops around the waterway. The spectators and locals who sat outside their home and cheered were amazing. The aid stations that lined the canal made me smile. Since my flat on the bike I vowed to smile at everyone and be the happiest triathlete on the course. I felt fast while running with a strong pace but the walking at aid stations slowed my overall time. 

My run plan was to a) alternate Gel, Gatorade, Water at each aid station b) put ice down my top and down my tri shorts to cool my quads c) when walking count to 200 then run if feeling good – 500 if I feel terrible d) smile e) not drink and eat too much to prevent over hydration which happened at Ironman Wisconsin. It all pretty much worked. 

My favorite spectator sign was the one with a woman holding up a sign that said “Single and Supportive”. Trying to pick up athletic men on race day. Smart. LOL 

The Ironman Finish is the best thing about the race. The spectators cheered and I tried not to cry as I fist pumped over the finish line. I was caught by Gina, my Triple Threat Triathlon teammate. Down the line was Mark and his support crew cheering! 

I’m proud of my effort. I feel thankful to be able to compete in this sport. So much can go wrong on the days leading up to the race and on the course. I am worse-case-scenario-girl in my head but positive mantras, praying and being thankful got me to the end. 

Overall 13:37 
I promised myself when I finished the bike course that I would be happy with my time no matter what. My time wasn’t a PR even though I arrived at the start with the best training to date. Now, it’s time for me to work on speed. This is not my last Ironman. 

I am so happy that I got to race with my friend Mark. It was fun to ride with him for a bit at the beginning. I was thrilled to see him at the end with his friends who came to cheer us on. 

Race Weekend Highlights: 

• Being “caught” at the finish line by volunteer and Triple Threat team member Gina. 
• My sister tracking me from Maine and getting me on video crossing the finish like she has done for most my finishes. 
• Spending the days leading up to race day with Mark and his brother Pat who came out from New York State to be a sherpa. 
• Adapting to no wetsuit and getting through the swim without my ROKA wetsuit that I trained in.
• Biking with my space aged-looking Rudy Project aero helmet. I am thankful that I got to feel fast on the bike and I'm thankful for the company’s sponsorship of Triple Threat Triathlon. 
• I’ve never really believed in a product so much that I would wear a bike jersey advertising their product while using their race day nutrition. Hammer Nutrition is perfect for me. I love their Perpetuem, gels and bars. They made me strong on the bike and ready for the run. 
• Best Way to Spend the Day After the Race: Brunch at Cyclone Anaya's on the Waterway with Mark, Paul, and Amy. Then watching the amazing pros win awards and age grouper get their Kona spots. And, to see my Pro Triathlete crush in person: Ben Hoffman.