Re-Up

This past week was a recovery week in my training. And I didn't do jack crap! Three runs, two bikes, and zero swims. ZERO!!! I'm not gonna lie, I've reached that point in my training where I am burnt out. My knee and achilles have been hurting, I'm tired, I'm hungry. There are seven weeks to go until THE BIG ONE!!! it's time to re-up...

Rededicate and Refocus

Seven weeks can feel like a long time. But I also know there are only three to four weeks of big training left. I've already done some big training too: a century ride, two 16-milers and an 18 mile run, two 4000 meter swims, so really the training that's left is no different than what I've already done. This week includes another 4000 meter swim, a 100+ mile bike ride, and yet another 18 mile run. That's just three days of training this week. Whew!

Refocus, Mer. The reward is worth it.

What it Takes

When I decided to do Ironman a year ago, I knew from the beginning I could finish the race. And despite having not finished the race, I still believe I could finish the race, I was just dealt a bad hand in Louisville. Now that I'm considering another nine months of training and shooting for iron, what will it take to have the iron experience I want? I've been doing some thinking...

Open Water Swimming: I did all my training this year in the pool. The only time I did any open water swimming was in a race. And I did pretty well considering my past freak-outs in open water. But you only get faster in open water if you practice in open water. The problem IS the open water. There isn't a whole lot of it around here. The closest place is The Quarry, where you can only swim with the local tri club. I'm not part of that tri club. Plus two people have drowned there this summer and I don't think it's open for swimming anymore. The other place is Alum Creek, which...ewww. They only let you swim inside the beach area which means you go back and forth and back and forth. If you go outside the area, they'll ticket you. There's got to be other options, right?

Longer Bricks: In training for Ironman I did long bikes and long runs but not together. I would do long bike rides with short runs topping off at maybe 4-5 miles of running. For the first 10 miles of the Ironman run I felt great and then disaster struck. I need to learn how to handle the nutrition shift between biking and running. I need to learn how to fall into a good, solid pace for many miles off the bike. I believe I can achieve this with longer bricks. We're talking LONG, like 30-60 miles of biking followed by 8-15 miles of running.

Racing: I know that you are supposed to train more to race better and having been coached the last two years I can absolutely say this is true. However, training for Ironman is LONG and daunting if it's looked at as nine months as a whole. After putting all my eggs in one basket this year and coming up with nothing, I need other races to look forward to in my season. Plus racing more helps my confidence in triathlon, which is still growing. Right now I've got many races I'm looking forward to in 2011 of all distances.

Weight Training: While at the Rev3 Cedar Point race my dad kept saying to me, "You don't look like those other girls. They're big. You look like a runner." Believe me, my dad meant all of that lovingly. :) He's right, though. I have tiny, T-Rex arms that runners have. And not that you need big arms and bigger muscles in general for triathlon, but a race as long as an Ironman does require more strength. During the last training cycle, the strength training was the first to go when I didn't have time. Not this time. I don't necessarily want to be big; I just want to be stronger.

Nutrition: If you all knew what I ate, you would be disgusted. I grew up in the typical American household: completely overscheduled. And because we were overscheduled I ate easy to make, quick, processed food. When I became an adult and cooked for myself, this didn't change. I need to learn to plan my meals, eat cleaner, and snack wisely. I don't want to lose weight, but I certainly could become leaner and drop some body fat.

Harder Workouts: For years I have been going long. Doing longer swims, bikes, and runs doesn't mess with my head the way it used to. Generally, I fall into a trance during long workouts and the minutes, hours, and miles tick by without me even knowing it. When things got tough in the Ironman I'm not sure I knew how to dig deep to pull myself out of that hole. Sure the workouts for Ironman taxed my body. I have never been more fatigued. But I need to fatigue my mind more and I think that can be achieved by doing harder workouts. I want to look at my schedule and see track intervals, crazy paces that could make me cry, and trainer sessions that leave you saying, "You've got to be kidding me!" I want to train for what I'm actually capable of, ie- a 3:30 marathon, and not what reality will be, ie - a 4 hour marathon. I need to be broken and rebuilt. I want to train like I'm trying to win every race. (I could totally be making a mistake by putting this out there for the world to read, like Coach.)

Part of me can't wait to get training again. The other part of me is dreading it like the plague. But hopefully changing things up a little is going to help me have a successful season in 2011. I still can't believe I'm gonna give this triathlon stuff yet another chance....

Ironman and Rev3: A Comparison

I've run a lot of marathons and they've ranged in size from small (Towpath) to medium (Columbus) to large (Boston) to OMG! (Chicago). My favorite type of marathon is on the larger size. I like the spectacle of it. I like it to be an event instead of just a weekend run. I like traveling to the race and making it a vacation.

Having experienced both Ironman and a non-Ironman iron distance event this year, I would say the opposite is for triathlon for me. Ever since I tiptoed into triathlon years ago I have found the sport to be unbelievably intimidating. I think it's the equipment. I lovingly refer to triathletes as sheep. Yes sheep. :) Triathletes tend to follow trends and hold onto them very tightly. The gajillion dollar bikes. The compression socks. The sperm helmets. If they can afford it, they've got it. The other part that's been intimidating to me is the speed at which triathletes can bike. Seriously, how can you do that? Oh yeah, I know. You can't run. :) See you on the run, sucka!

Anyway, getting back to Ironman and Rev3. There were things I liked and thought needed work for both races.

Ironman Likes:

• Community supported. I'm convinced that a large portion cheering on the course were not family and friends of those doing the race.
• Volunteers aplenty. More volunteers than racers. 'Nuff said.
• Established. There will be another Ironman.

Ironman Dislikes:

• Having to decide a year in advance if you want to do the event with no escape plan.
• To me, it's a big spectacle that makes a person like me very, very nervous.
• Corporate greed. 'Nuff said. :)

Rev3 Likes:

• Small and friendly. It felt like a hometown race instead of a big spectacle.
• Not as many volunteers as IM, but friendly and super-knowledgeable.
• Family friendly. Yep, you can cross that finish line with the ones who supported you.
• There's a half option if that full is just too much for you.
• The swag is much better and FREE!

Rev3 Dislikes:

• Not as many volunteers so there weren't things like wetsuit strippers.
• Not every aid station had everything.
• The finish line was fabulous, however, I'm not really sure why it had to be IN the amusement park. For those of us who didn't have park passes, it wasn't very accessible and not a lot of space to watch.

With all this said, IF I decided to tri again next year it will be at Rev3 Cedar Point. I was much less nervous there and felt at home. To each his own...

Time and Change

Yesterday I was set to tri again at Rev3 Cedar Point. I didn't do it.

With my disappointment in Louisville I was looking to redeem myself and quickly. Cedar Point was a natural choice as I was already going to be there, I knew people who knew people and was able to get myself in as a late entry, financially it made sense, and most importantly, Dave and my family were okay with it. I signed up and retapered. I didn't really tell anyone about it until right before the race when I started leaking things on Facebook and immediately people knew what I was doing. The game was on.

Physically I felt fine; mentally, I was a mess. Since the race I keep having visions of what happened at mile 16 of my Ironman. It really scared me and I didn't know if I was ready to try again so quickly. The night before the race I tossed and turned all night long and came to the conclusion: it's not worth it. So when we woke up Sunday morning I told Dave my decision. He was not happy. He convinced me to put on my race uniform, grab all my stuff, and head down to transition. I fought kicking and screaming the whole way. Finally in the parking lot, I made my final decision. I WAS NOT DOING THE RACE!

I felt good about my decision. I felt bad about my decision. I felt good about my decision. And now I'm back to feeling bad about my decision.

So what happens now? Honestly, I don't know. I know I'm burnt out on triathlon for the season. No I am not going to be signing up for Great Floridian or Beach to Battleship. My season of triathlon is over. I am hoping to do some more running, hopefully doing some running races since I missed a whole summer of road races. Will I come back to triathlon next summer? I'm not sure. Louisville was supposed to be my one shot at Ironman. I was looking forward to moving on with my life after that race. I would have finished what I came to accomplish: marathons, Boston, Ironman.....LIFE. I want to progress my business. I'd even venture to say I've thought about starting a family (Mom, Pat if you're reading this, don't get your hopes up). But now I still feel like I have unfinished business; unfinished business that I should be able to finish.

I don't know what's going to happen with becoming Iron. Tomorrow, I'm going to leave my Garmin and heart rate monitor at home, strap on my running shoes, and just run.

August Totals

Obviously, it was a big month in August with my last big week of training and 130 miles of the Ironman. I'm surprised my arms and legs are still attached!!!

Swim = 26,600 meters (that's over 16-1/2 miles of swimming!!!)

Bike = 415.39 miles

Run = 88.98 miles

September will be NOWHERE near those totals. Thank goodness. :)

Ironman Louisville 2010

Unfortunately, this race report does not have the fairy tale happy ending I was hoping for.

To say I was nervous leading into race day is an understatement. I hadn't slept well in a week, my stomach was upset for days, and I just wasn't dealing well with things. The night before the race I slept horribly. My alarm went off at 3:45 and I reluctantly got up. I kept telling Dave, "I don't want to do it. I'd rather spectate." I was too sick and nervous to eat anything substantial. I had a piece of toast and a bite of a banana. Looking back, this may have been a mistake. At 4:30 we began our walk down to transition and it was already hot outside. Like, hot! I put the remaining things in my transition bags, pumped up my tires, and began the next long walk to the start of the swim. The line was already long and it was still more than 45 minutes before the start of the swim. I sat with my fellow competitors, chatted a bit, and tried to keep my mind off the race.


Soon the line was moving and things were happening quickly. Before I knew it I was running down the dock and jumping in the water. My race had started. I was quickly into my rhythm in the water. There was no "washing machine" effect and I only got bumped in the head once. The river was wide and the buoys were so far apart I couldn't see the next one after passing one. I felt very alone in the water. I kept telling myself to relax and be comfortable. Before I knew it I had passed under the bridges, I could hear the crowds, and I was upon the last buoy. The swim was over so fast.

Out onto the bike, I did what I had trained to do: stay in zone 2 or under, drink every 5 minutes, eat every 40 minutes, take salt tabs at the top of the hour. At some point I remember a guy coming past me who said, "It's HOT and it's only 9:30." It was hot. I can't even describe how hot it was. It was like, melt-your-skin-off hot. HOT!!! I found myself drinking sports drink every 5 minutes and also drinking water every 5 minutes in between those sports drinks. I was dumping water on my arms, my neck, my head, my face just trying to keep cool.


Things were slow going on the bike and very lonely, but I was doing what I was supposed to do. By mile 80 I was ready to be off my bike. The aid stations were running out of water, there were people lying on the sides of the road in the shade, and my skin was feeling really hot. I kept wondering, how in the world was I going to be able to run a marathon after this? The best thing about being pokey on the bike is that no one cares if you are breaking rules. For about three miles on the way back on River Road I had a gentleman ride beside me and talk to me. It was one of the better parts of the day. We were both looking forward to being off our bikes.

And soon we were. I had the best volunteer in the tent for T2. She did everything for me. She put on my shoes and tightened the laces. She held out my shorts so all I had to do was step in them. Really, she was awesome. Thank you volunteers for being out there!!!


Finally out on the run and I was surprisingly feeling really good. My pace was steady under a 10:00/mile. I LOVED running across the bridge at the beginning. Bet you would never hear me say that?! There was a wonderful breeze and it was peaceful and rhythmic. I just loved it. I was continuing to follow my nutrition: water, ice, and sponges at the aid stations, taking my gels every 4 miles starting at the 2 mile mark. Things were going great. I actually thought to myself, I wonder why they tell people not to do a marathon before doing an Ironman? I was really pulling on all my marathon experience and it was helping me tremendously.


Then things got bad. Around mile 9 I noticed my pace start to slip. Not really a big deal but with that slipping brought on a really bad stomach ache. At mile 10 I started walking. I would walk a cone, run a cone. It was all I could do. I saw my friend Andrea and she walked with me for a while encouraging me as we walked. I started substituting cola at the aid stations instead of gel to settle my stomach. For a while it did. At the special needs area, I picked up my headlamp. It was going to be a long night. When I came back in town and saw my family, I lost it. Dave walked with me for maybe a mile and helped me get my head back in the game. I saw Andrea again at mile 15 and she told me that Coach had called and said "I was bigger than this." I was. I started doing a little more jogging and then BAM! Things went horribly wrong. I didn't want to walk anymore. I noticed I wasn't sweating. I just wanted to lay down and take a nap. NOW! At the mile 16 aid station things spiraled quickly. I had "the runs." (Sorry for the gory detail.) I told the volunteers there that I didn't feel well. That I was feeling sick. I kept repeating it over and over again. They sat me down in a chair and my arms went numb all the way up to my biceps. They took me over to the grass, laid me down, and put cold sponges on my neck. Next thing I knew I was throwing up. Medics on bicycles came by and checked me out. And suddenly, my day was over. I was being helped onto a stretcher and loaded into the back of an ambulance along with another athlete who was also in bad shape. They put an IV in my arm, oxygen in my nose, and I sobbed all the way to the medical area.

In the medical area it looked like a scene from a war movie. There were cots FULL of people, each with IVs in their arms. People were throwing up, moaning, and crying. And I was one of them. They started my second IV and took my vital signs. My heart rate was in the low 60s, which is low for me, and my blood pressure was 90/60. Yikes!!! I spent an hour in the medical area until I was ready to go. I walked out, found Dave, and just cried. I was so sad and disappointed. I had done everything right and couldn't finish.

It took me about a day to recover from no food and being sick. I'm really tired. I've pretty much slept since I got home. I'm going through my emotions: sad, anger, acceptance, revenge. I've cried a lot: in the shower, in bed, on the phone. I'm not sure what's next. Do I want to try again? Do I want to do it soon at a non-Ironman event? Will it be the same experience? Will I feel a sense of relief and accomplishment or will it leave me wanting more? Or do I just want to move on with my life? I was so looking forward to being done and taking a break and living as all my friends live for a while. Am I ready to do that without this accomplishment? I'm still processing and it's going to take a while.

Thanks to all my friends and family who were there to support me and all those who supported me from afar.

This Is It

This is it. It's here. Tomorrow we travel to Louisville and the festivities begin. I can't believe 20 years of dreaming, one year of hoping, and nine months of training will all be reduced to one day. I'm scared. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm ready.

I'm taking my computer with me but I don't think I'll have internet access. This will, most likely, be my last post before the race. There will be lots of pictures taken and great stories will be told, but it will all have to wait until next week. I will have my iPhone and will be updating my Twitter and Facebook pages up until the race.

The fun starts Sunday approximately 7:00am. You can follow my progress here. I'm number 333. Make sure you tune into the live broadcast so you can see me cross the finish line. I think Dave will also be updating Twitter and Facebook too.

Next update, I will be an Ironman.

Thank You

One of my favorite quotes from the 2008 Ironman World Championships goes:

"Then you start wondering, as you might every year, what did that person sacrifice to do this?"

There are a lot of things I sacrificed but more importantly, there are a lot of people who sacrificed for me. I can never say thanks enough, but I'm going to give it a shot.

Coach: I initially was hiring Elizabeth with the intention of doing Ironman a few years ago, but I got too scared to even sign up so I hired her to coach me to a better marathon time. And she did--a 6 minute PR. When Dave and I visited her a year ago she saw me swim and said she would make me a triathlete. She knew how important doing an Ironman was to me. She pushed me (gently) and now here I am. Thank you for helping me to believe in myself and making me the athlete I've always wanted to be. (The picture is a joke. I HATED to ride my bike when I started this journey.)

Dave: I'm not going to lie, training for an Ironman is tough on a marriage. Last year when he trained alone we fought a lot. This year we have fought less but it's still been tough. Nothing gets done around the house. We spend no time together, besides working out. And to add more stress, we got a dog nine months ago. But, I have really enjoyed having someone to train with on occasion and someone to commiserate with. We are not going to know what to do with ourselves when all of this is over. :)

My Family: I feel like I've lost a year in the life of my nieces and nephews. We have tried our hardest to attend at least one of their baseball/softball games, wrestling matches, basketball games, etc. We try to attend family functions, often rearranging our workout schedules. My family has been really accommodating in putting up with our training and realizing that we're just not that available. I'm looking forward to seeing them on the course this weekend. My mom had surgery on both her knees just a few weeks ago and will be on the course. My sister and I have had a rocky relationship our entire lives and she'll be there this weekend. I can't say it to her face, but it means A LOT to me that she'll be there. Thanks for putting up with me. :)

My Friends: My friends didn't really understand me with the whole "running thing." They really don't get me with Ironman. I haven't seen my "real life" friends in a year. It's a goal of mine after the race to get my friends back. Expect the phone calls soon. To all my real and virtual friends, thanks for supporting me. Your comments and encouragement mean the world to me.

My Clients: Had I known how quickly and successfully my business was going to grow, doing an Ironman this year may not have been a good idea. Many of my clients have no idea that I'm doing an Ironman. That's a good thing, I think; means I'm doing my job right. For all my clients, thanks for being patient with me. Thank you for leaving messages and emails and allowing me to get back to you on my time. I'm looking forward to seeing how the business grows without the stress of Ironman.

And to all of those who don't fall into those categories, thank you, thank you, thank you for putting up with me. I know I'm sick of talking about Ironman and I'm sure you're sick of hearing about it. Thank you for your patience, kindness, and encouragement. Thank you for sacrificing with me.

Foto Friday

I have already started packing. Make fun of me if you want. :)

Thursday Thoughts

Ten days!!! Wow!!!

I basically have three goals for this race:

1. Have fun.
2. Enjoy the experience.
3. Finish.

I kinda also have a time goal in mind. Of course, it's a two hour window, but I'm being realistic here. :)

So, what's your best guess for my finish time?

By the Numbers

At breakfast on Saturday I nonchalantly mentioned to Dave that I think I noticed the IM Louisville Athlete Guide was online. He immediately whipped out his iPhone to look to see if I had a number. Then it was, "Guess your number." Gosh, Dave! Just tell me my number!

333. Yep, I might have the coolest number ever. 333. That's like triple lucky. :)

Upon hearing I had a number I broke down in tears. This has pretty much happened everyday, but this was the first time in public. I have been so emotional about this race and now that I have a number, it's really real.

I have been training for nine months. It's been a really long time; it's been a really short time. I have logged hundreds of hours and thousands of miles. Yet, the distance still scares me. I'm trying to keep it all in perspective. Since November I have...

• Swam 164,025 meters. That's equivalent to 102.5 miles, which is over 42 Ironman length swims.
• Biked 2,100.8 miles. That is nearly 19 Ironman length bike rides.
• Ran 501.38 miles. That is equivalent to 19 marathons.

The hard work is done. The taper is going so quickly. In 13 days I'll be on the starting line...

All Decked Out

About two weeks ago my mom had surgery on both of her knees. It was outpatient surgery and I went over to my parents' house to help her and my dad out. Last year when Dave was preparing for his first Ironman I surprised him with letters of encouragement and congratulations from his family and friends and other triathletes throughout the country. I knew he might be surprising me this year, but I was expecting anything. So, with my mom completing drugged up, she proceeded to tell me about the T-shirts that she and Dave were doing for my friends and family that were going to be at the race. Um, mom, I don't think I was supposed to know about that. Woops! In any case, I got to help design the shirt and here it is:



If you see a group of people wearing these shirts in Louisville during the race, they belong to me. Say hi!

A Few of my Favorite Things

Megan asked me in my last post about my favorite workouts I did during Ironman training. This is a really hard question for me to answer because the workouts were so different than what I am used to for marathon training. With the past three marathons, those which I worked with a coach, there were very distinct workouts that I remember that made my training unique: deep water swim training, circuit training on an indoor track, etc. With Ironman training, I feel like everything has been long and within low heart rate zones. I'm not sure there is a workout that I can point out that has been unique and especially challenging (except all bike workouts have been hard).

There have been things I've really enjoyed about this training, though:

• I haven't had a training partner since 2008, so it's been great to have Dave around during some of the workouts. We rarely have the same workout schedule but when the stars do align it's been nice to have someone beside me during the tough workouts. Even if he isn't working out with me, it's nice to know there is someone around to understand what I'm going through.
• It's great to have new friends Colleen and Tom. I didn't know there were local people like Dave and me. :) We've hung out, we exchange emails often, and we're looking forward to Louisville together.
• I have really enjoyed being pushed emotionally and mentally in addition to physically by Coach. She understands how important this race is to me and has helped me to focus fully.
• Funny enough, I've really learned to enjoy biking. There I said it. :)
• I am so glad I got picked to be on Team Trakkers. Not only have my sponsors provided me with great stuff, the camaraderie and support from my teammates has meant so much to me. I can't wait to see you guys rock it at Cedar Point.
• Finally, it's been good to step away from marathoning for a while. I have thought for a long time that I'm only good at long distance running. But through this training I've realized that I'm at least okay at triathlon and that I have other options besides just running marathons.

Firsts and Lasts

I remember training for my first marathon back in 2001. Every run was a "first". On Saturdays or Sundays I would go out for my long runs and it was always my longest run ever. I did my first track workout. I ran my first 5 miler, 10K, and half marathon. And then I waited at the start line to run my first marathon.

This year has included a lot of "firsts" too. I rode my first century, change my first flat tire, and swam over 3000 meters (and a lot further) for the first time. I set new personal bests in the olympic and half IM distances. But now eight months after I started this journey I'm reach the "lasts." This week includes my last long run, my last long swim, and my last long bike ride. Next week I start to taper for Louisville. My journey is quickly coming to an end. I am both scared and excited.

Four weeks....

July Totals

Wow! It was a big month! July was pretty much eat, swim, bike, run, sleep with little else. I tried my best to get to every workout and I think I only missed one key one: a 6-1/2 hour bike ride that I was just too tired to even attempt. I'm getting more anxious and scared as the race comes closer and closer, but with the major mileage I put in this month, I'm also feeling a lot more comfortable about the race.

Swim = 25,250 meters (That's 15.78 miles!!!!)

Bike = 397.77 miles (And my very first flat tire!)

Run = 92.49 miles (Finally, marathon training numbers!)

One big week to go and then it's taper time. Oh. My. Stars.

Product Review: Saucony Sports Bra

Disclaimer: Yes, I am sponsored by Saucony and receive a discount on their merchandise, however, I write reviews based on my experience and not on loyalty.

It's hot outside. Seriously hot. I don't ever remember a summer this hot. Then again, I've never trained for a race in the middle of the summer. I keep thinking it's not going to get any hotter, but then I remember how hot it was in Louisville during the 2008 IM and it very well could get hotter. So, I've been thinking about what I will wear during the race to minimize the hotness (enter joke here).

I've been thinking that during the run portion of the race I will wear my favorite run shorts and a sports bra. To stay true to my sponsors, it needs to be a Saucony sports bra so I purchased two of these: a black one and a pink one. The pink one is like Barbie Doll pink, but at least it matches my Trakkers hat.



I wore the black one during a short 45 minute run last week. I didn't use any skin protectant (ie, Body Glide) and didn't wear a shirt on top of it. Here's what I noticed about this sports bra: I think it might be made for more well-endowed girls than me. :) It's very full coverage: it's pretty high in the front and covers well in the back. Although I'm far from full-figured, I actually really like the coverage. There's no back fat and no side boob. By the end of the run I did notice a little bit of rubbing in the armpit area.

I wore the pink one on my long 2 hour 45 minute run last Friday. It was a scorcher last Friday (hottest day of the summer) so I suited up in what would be my trail run for Ironman. I wore Body Glide in the armpits and underarm area, under the bust line and a little at the top of the sports bra. By the end of mile 1 I was already drenched in sweat. This was a good day to test this out.

Overall, I really liked the sports bra and think it will work for Ironman. I like how the back and the front have the Saucony logo which is reflective which will work great if I wind up finishing in the dark. The pink one matches my Trakkers hat and will be easy to spot for my family. The only thing I noticed was a little chafing in an unexpected area. You see, these bras have an inner lining that protects the essentials. :) My Trakkers uniform has the same protectors. These are great, however, after 18 of the sweatiest miles ever, that inner lining chafed me on my chest. So, next time I run in it I will have to lube up there too.

The Countdown

I have to admit, I didn't think training for Ironman would be a huge stretch from training for a marathon. I was wrong. REALLY. WRONG. It is way, way much more training and much, much harder mentally, physically, and emotionally to deal with. This week was my second-to-last big week before the race (YIKES!!!). This week I biked 150 miles, ran 31 miles, and swam nearly 5 miles. I have had super-highs, and the lowest of lows. I rode my first century and changed my first flat tire. I've shed tears of exhaustion, tears of happiness, and tears of nervousness. I can't believe it's all coming to an end and yet it seems there is so much more training I have and need to do. My dreams are colliding with reality. In five weeks I'll toe that line and find out what I'm made of. In five weeks I will become an Ironman.

Thursday Thoughts

With only a few weeks left until the big race, I've started to notice a theme in questioning...

"What are you going to do after Ironman?"

I have no freakin' idea! I do have one race on the schedule in October, but after that __________ (crickets chirping). I'm a little worried about post-race depression, to be honest. I've run Boston. I'll have completed an Ironman. Really, what is there left to do? How can anything top those?

So, what should I do after Ironman?

So Hot It Melts Your Popsicle

Look, I'm no dummy. Ironman is going to be hard. And most likely HOT! Three of the four times Ironman Louisville has happened has been HOT! Like, melt your face off, hot. When I went to watch it two years ago it was 97 degrees. This summer is turning out to be a scorcher. Dave and I had a conversation at dinner the other night. I said I didn't remember ever training in weather this hot. He reminded me that I've never run a marathon that was prior to October so I would only be starting my training now.

Today was a long run -- 2-1/2 hours. I got started a little later than I wanted, but getting up early is not so easy when you work at a wedding the night before and don't get home until 11:00 or after. This run was designed to be a trial run for Ironman. I was supposed to realistically run at Iron pace. In my head, I'm thinking....this is easy! Iron pace is nearly one minute slower than marathon pace. Sure easy. :)

I started off with an hour warm up. I was barely 10 minutes in and it was already hot. Sweat was starting to roll off my nose and my skin was starting to feel like my clothing was melting into it. Maybe 2 miles into the run I realize I didn't bring any salt tabs. No biggie. I've done years of marathon training without salt. Not even five miles into it I was halfway through my water. It was going to be a long day.

After an hour I got to do 45 minutes at Ironman pace. I had set my Garmin between 8:30s and 9:00s hoping to stay close to 9:00s. This was the best part of the workout for me. I didn't have to worry about heart rate and could just run. It was very hot, but there was a bit of a breeze in my face and I was going downhill. I arrived at my car 10 miles into the run and restocked the water, grabbed another gel and headed out to finish up the last hour plus of the run.

The next phase of the run was to go faster than race pace. I thought, sure this will be easy. I only need to go under 8:45s. I was just fried, though, and things were starting to unravel. I couldn't believe how HOT I was. I was playing mind games with myself: just run to the wooden part of the path, make it to the underpass, let's make it 100 steps and then you get a break. My Garmin wouldn't stop beeping at me. I was literally yelling at it to SHUT UP!!! I was drinking my water every 2-1/2 minutes. I would stop every time I could find shade. My legs and head were saying no more. But my heart told me to keep going. I was worried I was ruining my insides. Seriously, I was a mess.

With 29 minutes left in the run I found myself sitting on the ground. I don't know how I got there. I don't know how long I stayed there. Reality hit me. I always wondered how people were passed out and looked like hell on the side of the road in races. And here I was sitting on the path less than 3 miles from my house. I picked myself up and ran some more. I stopped again not even five minutes later and a couple on bikes passed me. They didn't say anything to me, but I must have looked bad to them because I saw them again a few minutes later. They were waiting on me to make sure I was okay. Man, I must be looking bad.

Finally I made it to the cool down and I shuffled back to the car. I ran into Grace, who I've run many marathons with and she was just heading out on her run. I told her to be careful. It was HOT! I finished my run, finally: 15.85 miles in 2-1/2 hours. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fast, but it was done.

I'm starting to learn that Ironman training is a lot like therapy. Yep, I'm seen a head shrinker. And I hated it. They cut you down and make you feel like crap and then build you back up to a new person. Ironman training is the same way. You have to be broken mentally and physically to learn how to deal with all situations on race day. This run really shook me, but Coach thinks it was a positive experience. All I know is, I think there's only one long run left....

Bike Test

Every few weeks/months, Coach likes to do "tests" to see where my fitness currently falls and if my heart rate zones have changed. Unlike Dave, it seems I have somehow escaped doing many of these tests. In fact, the last time I had a bike test was two years ago, July 2008. At that time I didn't bike AT ALL!!! Doing that bike test was pure torture. I thought I was going to die. Today I had just my second bike test on the schedule and I was determined to do well at it. After a long warmup, it was go time. I started off conservatively keeping my cadence high and building speed in five minute intervals. I kept a sticker over my bike computer so as not to see how good or poorly I was doing. Every once in a while I would look at my heart rate just to see where I was at and was really surprised to see how low it was. Was I not working hard enough? Was I worn out and the heart rate was not going to climb at all?

After 20 minutes I had gone just 5.63 miles with an average pace of 16.8 mph and a maximum pace of 21.9 mph. Did I mention this was on the trainer? Yeah, so the speeds were slower than if it had been outside. My heart rate maxed at 178 and recovered at 137.

So what does all this mean? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! Eight months focusing on cycling and my heart rate zones are staying exactly the same. What?! I guess this boils down to my aerobic fitness being spot on. I haven't been working on speed. My goal for Ironman is to ride in zone 2 the entire ride. The paces I have planned fall into zone 2.

I hope it's another two years before my next bike test.