Car magnet

The cost to race an Ironman

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/i-am-ironman/article14815416/?service=mobile

Crazy

After going to the doctor this morning finding out the pain in my ankle is tendinitis, I decided to do a shorter workout today. 

It's really amazing, when you think about it, when a 4 mile run is not even a bump on your radar!  I did repeat Yasso 800s at 9:13 mile pace. No pain and no problem!  

Now this black KT Tape on my leg for my friend's wedding tonight will definitely be a conversation starter though...

IMWI Video

Here's a video that I put together with photos of the weekend and pictures from friends and family who were there to cheer me on.  If the hyperlink doesn't work... this should:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5FedwsDEqw&feature=youtu.be

Thank you again so much!!

I'm still working on my race recap...  I'll get that up soon!  

I'm going to start adding my post-IM recovery work-outs and 

runs that lead up to the Marine Corps Marathon

The day after

"Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It's something that we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment nothing will stop him short of success." Vince Lombardi

Weight

People have been telling me that I've looked like I've lost weight but I was convinced I hadn't. 

I finally got on the scale today and since I started Ironman training in January, I've lost almost 17lbs!

...The trick will now be to stop eating like I'm still in training!

Finally a lazy Saturday

"The storm"

Flowers from my sister

Video of the finish...

Race report and my thoughts and insights to come in the following days and weeks.  I'm feeling okay and still basking in a lot of race day glory!!!

Thank you so much for all your support!

xxoo

The only two wounds I have from the race yesterday is the (eventual) loss of this toenail and some massive chafing in my armpits from my wetsuit. My lady bits don't feel awesome, but that's to be expected and normal during my regular training rides. Yesterday was the longest bike ride I've ever taken. 

Everyone keeps asking if I'm sore and the answer is yes. But I'm not sore in a debilitating fashion, I'm just sore from a hard workout. I'm going to put together my thoughts and a full race report in the next couple days while I'm resting so stay tuned for that...

I'd say that it was a pretty good day!!

The day after

"Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It's something that we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment nothing will stop him short of success." Vince Lombardi

Yes!!!!

Nighty night

Going to check gear!!!

Monona Terrace sign 

Bike is in the ready position!

My bike tag

My row- first one on!

Bike racked 

Bike gear dropped 

Run gear dropped

Gear bag preparations

There are 5 bags for Ironman:

Morning

*Bike

Special needs Bike 

*Run

Special needs Run

*These must be dropped off on Saturday along with one's bike at the race start and transition areas the day before the race.  They include anything you want to consume (food/drink) during the transition period and clothes and gear you'd use during that portion of the race. 

In my bike bag I have the following:

Towel (to dry off after the swim)

Bike shoes & socks

Helmet

Bike shorts

Tri top (pockets stuffed w race nutrition)

Sunglasses

Chamois cream for my lady bits

Imodium - my secret weapon

Extra: arm warmers & cycling top w sleeves

In my run bag I have the following:

Running shoes & clean socks

Jog bra

Capri running pants (stuffed w race nutrition)

Tank top

Other Sunglasses (in case something happens to the first pair)

Visor

Chamois cream - in case I have wounds to sooth from the bike

Biofreeze gel (like icy hot)

Ibuprofen for the pain that may start during the run

First aid "kit"- band aids, ointment, etc

In my special needs bags I have additional supplies. There are made available to us at approximately the 1/2 point of each discipline:

Extra socks

Sunscreen^

Tubes and co2 cartridges^

Snacks

4 hours of concentrated liquid nutrition^

Extra tops•

LED armband•

First aid "kit"- band aids, ointment, etc•

^bike bag only

•run bag only

I thought it would look like a LOT more stuff but apparently all this training has made me pretty lean and efficient on how to prep my gear!

Before (I came to Madison "packed" already by gear bag)

I put rainbow tape on my bags to make them easier for me to spot. My bib number is also on every bag. 

After

It doesn't look like that much stuff to me for a 16-17 hour day!  The mini backpack on the left has the items that I'll need to start the race (wet suit, goggles, cap, timing chip, road id).  The paper bag has the extra stuff i need to prep race morning like nutrition & a few things i need to put on my bike before I check it (tubes, co2, nutrition). 

Friday post-registration at race start site

Monona Terrace

Where the bikes are racked

Sign barrier at the finish line 

Finish line being constructed w the Capitol behind it

Local businesses supporting Ironman racers

Machinery Row bike shop parking spots 

My race bracelet with a little bling 

Chocolate milk tent picture (recovery drink). Chocolate milk mustache!!

Friday Registration 9/6/13

Agenda for check in

Welcome sign

Look, it's me!!

Check in begins...

My bib #

Course maps while in line

Getting past the waivers, weigh in & finally to the bathing cap & swag lines

My cap (ladies pink, dudes green)

Swag line (license plate cover)

Check in complete

Athlete course briefing

Wednesday taper swim 9/4/13

Today all I had was a 20 minute swim so I opted to do so before work. When I hit the snooze button I didn't even have to worry since it was such a short workout!  Boom!!!

I got to the gym around 6:30 and hopped in the pool for a quickie. It was nice to read the pool is going to be closed soon for a week's worth of cleaning.  It's been gross!

When I was finishing up, I noticed that Larry was there again. He's a nice older guy who worked out of our office for some time. It's always nice to see him but also a bit strange to see a "colleague" while I'm in a swimsuit and he's in a Speedo!  Thankfully he's a supportive type and gave me a lot of positive support for the race this weekend. 

I'm also going to Dr. Ryan over lunch for 30 minutes for my last pre-race session. He is going to continue to work on my glutes, IT band, ankles and hips. He is probably going to be in Madison spectating on Sunday as well. Apparently Dr. Tracey from his office will be practicing ART up there this weekend as well. 

Following that, I'm headed to Frum Jewelers to finalize my post-race reward!!!!  An item I've dreamed about since I was a high schooler!  A nice watch...  I'm having it shipped to friends in Madison so they can give it to me after I've finished. I'm slightly superstitious and this makes me feel more calm about it! :)

Tuesday taper run 9/3/13

You know you've totally been indoctrinated into the Ironman way of thinking when going for a 3 mile/30 minute run is "annoying" and "disappointing" since getting showered and clean afterwards takes more time than the workout itself!

Tuesday's run was from home north through Rodgers Park. I ran by the soccer fields at Senn High School where lots of people were out playing that and basketball. It was a beautiful night!  I jogged easy north on Greenview and up to another high school I didn't even know was up there (the name escapes me now). So after walking 5 minutes and jogging 10, I turned around, already halfway done, to head back home. 

MB got done with his swim and got turkey meat, cheese and light sour cream for taco night. It was a little light in the fixings since all I had were tomatoes, onions, mango salsa and cheese too. Anyway, we made do and hung out for a it before I went (back) to organizing and checking my bags for the big weekend. 

To bed early and up at 5:30am on Wednesday. 

Hilarious!

Diana Nyad & I share something

Monday rest day 9/2/13

Monday was an official rest day. 

I awoke to the smell of smoke. Smoked meats. My neighbor has a smoker and I'm guessing he was making pig for the holiday. 

MB went golfing super early and we went to brunch around 10:30 at Tweet. Good food!

After brunch, we had a very lazy afternoon and watched some bad tv and then "G. I. Jane". 

I have my things in bags by discipline all strewn around my dining room and will check that I've got everything I need later tonight. It's a bit difficult to pack since the weather can vary, but I'll bring a bunch of "just in case" stuff...  

It's going to be an early night and a quick run tomorrow before a pre-race massage tomorrow night!!

Bike cleaning & lesson from Chase

Chase agreed to give me a bike tire changing lesson at his apartment with Katie. After I learned how to change my tire, we realized I also pinched it so I truly got a flat that I learned how to patch and then reinstalled a new tire for my flat. :-)

Chase cleaning my chain and drive train

Below is a pile of gunk that he removed from my chain

A response to the question, "Why are you doing this?"

[...] "What I think drives us to seek out great challenges is that it is a choice that we make for ourselves. We don’t have control over the day, but we have control over our decision to pursue this epic journey. We all, for a variety of reasons, chose to wade into the lake with 3,300 other people to undertake something that the typical person would call 'crazy'.

But no one in this room has a burning desire to be, 'typical.' That is not why you do an Ironman. You do an Ironman because you want to reach the stars. And you want to do it the hard way. Because that is what makes it special."

-Jordan Rapp

2011 IM Canada Winner

Saturday taper, 9/1/13 2-hour bike

Does anyone else think a 2 hour bike ride  with 25 minutes in zone 4 is crazy the week beforehand race and during my taper?

I'm about ready to freak out. 

Shouldn't I actually be doing easier workouts during this taper?!

I rode at TCS again today on the trainer and decided to ride the simulated Madison course which may have been a bad idea for my "freak out factor" but I figured I'd ride the stick again outbound to refresh my memory of those hills.

Weather-dependent, I may meet up with my friend Sarah for a leisurely bike ride on my hybrid bike to Evanston for lunch.  I need to clean off that bike, pump the tires and oil the chain since I haven't ridden it all year and with this morning's rain and her Kid Rock concert experience last night, I'm not sure it'll happen. 

After my ride, I'm headed to Element  to buy some handbag tape and U-can nutrition for the race. I went there a week ago Sunday, but they were closed for to the Chicago Triathlon. Then after that, I'm headed to home and down to Hyde Park for a vet visit since my pretty 16 year old kitty isn't eating her hard food and I want/need her to feel better before I leave for Madison!!!

Friday taper, 8/30/13. Rest & bike shop for adjustments

To tell you the truth, I am not even sure what's workout program said to do today because I decided it would be a rest day in any case.   I honk it was a 2.5 mile swim. 

I worked in the suburbs in Friday and our office was closing at 2pm and I also decided that I wasn't going to work after 2pm either- when I normally would do so. (I did end up creating one weekly report during the evening and sending it out around 9pm, but I just didn't want to worry about it anymore & I was proud of the work we accomplished!)

After a meeting in Downers Grove, I took my lunch hour to head to the bike shop for one last once over. So glad I did this!!  I had been having issues with what I thought was my front derailer, but there were several other issues to fix!!

I asked if we could put my bike on the trainer so they could take a look with my full weight in it. I had explained this issue months ago and they told me it was "fixed" with the adjustments but it was still happening. The chain no longer was dropping (thank God!), but shifting in the front was soooo difficult!  After he told me that I need to push further forward to shift (I was literally pushing with ALL MY FORCE & I'm not weak), he decided to have me peddle and he shifted while I was on the bike. A light bulb went off (for him!) and he checked and my shifter was broken. It's been this way for at least 6 months. Since I honestly know very little about bikes, up until then, I let the mechanic tell me it was "okay" and I'm so glad that I kept pushing with my gut feeling!!!  

Also, we put on two new tires (I found a hole in my front tire with the tube visible!), all new break pads and removed a few extraneous items from my seat area. 

The only issue with the shifter is that it's a warranty part and they had to order it. With the holiday, they probably won't receive it until Tuesday or Wednesday and I leave for Madison on Thursday evening!!  There is a lot going on and that needs to happen between now and then so it does stress me out a bit but I'm so glad it should be fixed for the race!!!!!

This coupled with my planned tire changing lesson on Sunday should help me feel better about the bike!!  My teammate and friend, (& big individual donor!!), Mary asked her son-in-law if he'd be willing to help me learn as he's a bike tech professionally and he agreed. He lives out in Naperville so I am going to go out there Sunday morning and then also see Gramps at the nursing home afterwards since I'll also be out of town for the race during his birthday. 

When was

the last time... You did some thing for the first time?

it is happening again for me 9 days from today.

Wednesday taper - 1 hour ride & 15 min run 8/28/13

Wednesday I got into work very early (before 7, or close to it) to make up for the afternoon before when I had to leave a bit early for my chiropractor appointment.  I always like getting in early because I get a TON done before everyone else starts showing up.  The majority of our corporate office is really accountant-types who are working on properties all over the country and they generally arrive around 9 am.  The big boss is an early guy, so that's been advantageous when I need to follow up with him on projects with less distraction.

I headed out around 4:45 pm to get to TCS for a compu-trainer ride again on the Wildflower course.  I felt good and the ride program was okay.

Warm up
5 minutes zone 1
5 minutes zone 2
3 minutes zone 3 build
Then:
4x
10 minutes zone 4
30 seconds standing sprint
1 minute easy spin

I followed this with a 15 minute run at an 11 min/mile pace which felt "easy".  I think these are both good signs for my taper and my resting!  I am feeling more confident about the run!!  Yeah!  Swim and run... check!  Bike, though, I'm still nervous. I couldn't sleep this morning around 2:30 am worrying about flat tires on the bike course. I'm going to have to watch some YouTube on changing tires again and play around with my tire.  I'm not sure the next week is enough for me to learn to change it well.  I'm also still worried about my front derailer.  I'm going to see if I can hit up Greg at Deerfield Cyclery again during lunch tomorrow since I'll be in the suburbs in the morning.

Tomorrow, after work, I'm headed back to see Dr. Ryan.  It may be my last visit before Ironman.  My anxiety level is truly off the charts right now.

Everyone keeps asking me, "Are you ready??"  and I just answer, "I don't know.  I have put in the training and I don't think anyone knows if they're ready until they actually do it."  How can you know you're ready to go to the Moon, if you've never been?!  I have done all the training my body could do.  I've done all the distances minus a few miles here and there.  I've got all the equipment and the nutrition plan too.

I'm going to spend a good amount this weekend organizing my bags and supplies so I'm not completely freaking out next week.

I cannot believe race day is almost here.  I'm so anxious to GO!, but also totally terrified.  I've got to beat the bike cut off and I think I can do it in any weather condition without any mechanical issues!!  Please keep your fingers crossed for me!!!!

8/27/13 45 minute run, hair cut, dinner at Bread & Wine

On Tuesday, I decided to complete the week's run.  Again, I was feeling lethargic and not really wanting to do much, but I forced myself to get to the gym before work.

I went to FFC Lincoln Park for the views and the fact that I can generally find free street parking while I'm there rather than risking the longer, paid parking after 2 hours.  I knew I had to run and just assumed it was an hour and I didn't want to rush in the locker room either.

After about 30 minutes of running, I really didn't want to run anymore so I did run/walk and mostly walk.  After 45 minutes, I called it quits without doing the workout math.  I was pleased to find that when I went to log this workout, I was only required to do 45 minutes!  Boom!  :)  Part of this run was 20 second all out sprinting which I could do around 7:30 min/mile.  That is awesome for me!!! I had a very good feeling about the run for the race and so even though I did a lot of walking, I felt good.  I need more of these "feeling good" pre-race moments!!!

Towards the end of the day/afternoon, I left work to go to see Dr. Ryan again for my ART treatment.  He said my hips are opening up well and that he's confident my knee will be totally fine for race day.  He said my mind will play tricks on my about my knee and to just push through it.  The pain will go away as fast as it rolls in and to focus on something else.  This is good information; this is a professional telling me the pain I'll feel is not "threatening" to my health or my run, so I will keep this in my proverbial race back pocket!

After that appointment, the day was over and I went north to try to sell some clothes to consignment and then get my hair done.  I've let my roots grown in WAY too long, but didn't want to spend the time or money to get it fixed until I knew I wouldn't be pool swimming so much (also going to be a factor in my decision to join MB's Masters Swim Team or not!  Seriously!).  This way, I have fresh hair for the race (haha) photos and I am feeling better about myself.

Taper plays tricks on you too.  You still want to eat as much as you have been for the training, despite training less, and you are feeling less fit and a bit fatter.  I've been told not to look at my pre-race weight at my weigh in (they do this to insure when you finish you haven't lost too many fluids).  I'm not really concerned about my pre-race weight.  It's still less than my pre-training weight!!!!  :-D  And I intend to continue to slim down post-Ironman with my marathon prep and lining up a personal trainer after that to prepare for my midlife crisis and meltdown towards the big 4-0 in 2014!!!  No issues with weight at the moment for this big girl!

It took Christopher three hours to dye, cut and style my hair and then I picked up MB for a special celebratory dinner at Bread & Wine on Irving.  I had a note from the owner from my last visit for a free round of drinks for the table AND it was 1,000 points on OpenTable... boom!!!  It was a good meal for me, but his main wasn't that flavorful and quite dry (pork)... MB had the tasting menu.  It was also SUPER HOT, as if their A/C unit wasn't working or something.  We literally sweat the entire meal and I was getting annoyed that my new 'do wouldn't hold until work the next day.  Our waitress was nice, but a little too nice, you know?  A bit too familiar.  It's a place with a TON of potential, but just keeps slightly missing the mark.  I got home at 10pm and passed out!

Monday taper, rest day 8/26/13

I had all my things to swim on Monday, but ultimately, this heat and the exhaustion building from the taper meant that I wanted to just go home. So I did!

I put on my pajamas at 5:30 pm and watched horrible, horrible television all night before I finally fell asleep.  I guess my rest day just became Monday and I'll have to work out the rest of the week!

Sunday taper 8/45- 45min run + Chicago Triathlon spectating

Sunday morning, we headed downtown around 6:15 or so with a stop at Dunkin Donuts for some caffeine along the way to spectate the Chicago Triathlon as we knew several friends and my cousin participating.  I had made a bunch of signs for them the night before and packed a bag for my own workout that morning.

Shayna's sign

We got to one of the LPC buildings to park only to realize that I'd probably miss seeing cousin Shayna at the swim start.  Michael suggested that he keep the signs and the blanket and I just run to try and get there.  I had my running gear on (along with my backpack too!) and so I just started running.  I hit my watch "Start" so this would count for my 45 minute run that day.  ;-)  I made it to the swim start when her heat actually started so I didn't get to wish her well before she swam.

We set up at the swim exit because there was a lot room to see and anticipate people coming out of the water and just a few yards away was the start of the run course.  Unfortunately, as the day went on, we missed all our people running out of transition, though.

Shayna was doing the sprint and was the first person we saw in our quest on Sunday.  She was SO HAPPY when she saw us and our sign and was smiling the whole way.  She swam very well and completed her first sprint in an excellent time!

Next, MB laid down on the blanket to read and nap and I went for the remainder of my run (30 more minutes or so).  I ran down to the Aquarium and cheered on the participants from the overpass for a few minutes and then ran back to our spot.  This was a few minutes prior to when our second friend, Eric would be running out of the water.  He is a fast swimmer and we caught him in time.  Eric was pretty intense out of the water and didn't really say anything to us as he ran buy.  He did tag me with his goggles so I know he saw us!  Just after we saw Eric, his wife Sarah and their parents showed up and we chatted for a bit before they went towards where I had stayed for awhile to catch him on his run.

After that, we both laid down for awhile to wait for Wade and Ali's heats which were some of the last ones for the Olympic distance and the crowds built up around us after that time.    We managed to see both of them and got their signs in their faces too!  Ali did very well and has improved her swim over the past year.  Wade kicked butt!  It was so great to just watch them race this time...

After that, we walked all the way to the finish line to see the Max Multisport tent and meet up with my coach.  She said she had something to give me... it was an Ironman gift.  It is a light up Velcro strap, that I can put on my arm while I'm running the marathon portion of the race at night.  She said it flashes blue in color and will be easier for my friends and family watching to see and "find me" as I run by.  It was totally unexpected and a nice treat that I wouldn't have bought myself.

Michael saw some of his swimmers who reported to him that they had their personal best swim times from his coaching this year!  They wanted him to confirm he will continue coaching this season (he will).  In fact, he is going to be coaching their new Masters Swim Team (Max Multisport Marlins) which will also be co-ed.  I think that it's going to be interesting!  I haven't decided if I'm going to do this team or not either.  The practice locations are not located ideally and not along a convenient L line, so we'll see.  Plus I have no idea the costs yet...

After the long morning downtown at the race, we went back north towards home to Magnolia Cafe on Wilson near Truman College (city college) in Uptown for brunch.  IT. WAS. AMAZING.  I would highly recommended checking it out!  After brunch, I spent the better part of the afternoon just laying around and it was glorious!

I was actually supposed to swim before the run, but I skipped the swim all together.  This taper is amazing.  Well, mostly because I'm just laying around a lot.  haha

Saturday taper 8/24/13- 2.5 hour Wildflower course ride simulation @TCS

Saturday I had a 2.5 hour bike in my plan that wasn't too easy or too challenging.  Since my car was in the shop, there wasn't really a way for me to get out to Barrington or Morteum Arboretum so I decided to ride on the trainer at Train Chicago Studios.

Shaun set me up on the Wildflower 70.3 course in California.  I was a bit nervous, but I think it was the exact course I needed to ride.  I needed 10 minutes warm up in zone 1, then 45 minutes in zone 2 and then an hour in zone 3 and 30 minutes in zone 4.  Yes, if you do the same math I did (after being on the bike already for 55 minutes, this doesn't add up to 2.5 hours).  So I cut it short in zone 3 and frankly couldn't even get up to zone 4-- even when going 36+ mph...

Anyway, this course isn't really too tough after training so much for Wisconsin.  It's about 1/2 the elevation and a course I might consider doing in the future.

After my ride, I went back home via the El and did three loads of laundry including my duvet cover (that I still haven't managed to put back on my duvet.  It's Monday.) and watched some bad TV and napped.  I haven't napped like that in AGES.  I set my alarm for 3 o'clock to get up and shower and get ready for an early movie with MB.

He picked me up around 4:15 and we went up to Evanston (our favorite theatres!) for "Elysium".  It was a pretty good movie.

Quotes for today

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible"
Tony Robbins


"You are the only one who can use your ability.  It is an awesome responsibility."
Zig Ziglar

"The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King

Quote for Ironman

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts"

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Race map

This is a map that another participant marked up for his spectators that might help those intending to watch the race. 

Friday 8/23 Swim ...or not

If you can't tell from my last couple weeks of posts, I'm totally have an internal struggle to keep working out at this point.

Friday was a long day at work with several meetings in the late afternoon.  Fridays have tended to be a great day for me to catch up on drawing reviews and paperwork and I wasn't able to do that this week.  At the end of the day, I went back to Active Body & Dr. Ryan.

He was pleased with the improvements from the first adjustment and really, really worked on my right knee this time.  Again he did some hip work and more footwork.  I had a pain in my left arch and right ankle (since April) and the work he did helped out last week.

This week on my knee he also used the Graston technique this week.  This was done after ART and honestly, incredibly painful.  It's a metal stick that he out lubricant on and then "scrapes" the soft tissue, fascia and joints.  It created a lot of heat and pressure.  He said it was good to do after ART because it signals the blood to go to that area to regenerate and refresh.  I'm not going to lie, it did something because I couldn't even touch that part of my quad and knee for two days afterwards. It was incredibly tender. 

After this, I rushed to the Roosevelt redline stop to get all the way back up north to Andersonville for happy hour with Liz Meloy.  She agreed to meet me to give me some of her insights and suggestions for Ironman transitions and packing preparations and had some good tips.  She is spectating this year as well and let me know where she'd be on the course-- a couple places where there aren't going to be a lot of spectators so that's cool.

After that, I walked home and went to bed early!  No swim on Friday.  

Does the Chiro appointment kind of count as yoga?!?

Thursday 8/22 - 60 min stationary bike

Thursday I worked in the suburbs and had to borrow MB's car since mine was still in the shop.  I needed to go back out to check out progress on the project in Downers Grove.

This was beneficial too because my cousin's father (in-law ) passed away very quickly from pancreatic cancer and the memorial was in Bolingbrook right around lunchtime, so I was able to get out there to support the, during my lunch break and it was only a few minutes away.  

After lunch, I headed back home to work the afternoon from home. Later in the afternoon, I went to FFC South Loop to workout and get MB his car so he could leave prepping for the new school year whenever he was done.  I hadn't seen that gym before; it was cool.  They had free 20 minute massages noted and I wish I could've taken advantage of that, but I got on the stationary spin bike.  I couldn't bring myself to do 90 minutes in my plan, so I stopped at an hour. 

I probably should've been on my own bike, but I couldn't get my bike to TCS in MB's car and I didn't want to have to ride home afterwards (since the El is off limits to bikes during rush hour). Riding on the lakeshore path is useless for training since most people are using for leisure and I don't feel comfortable for going fast.

Again, when I got home I was completely drained.  I've been feeling very, very tired.

Wednesday 8/21 ART massage + 90min run

I decided to try going to a highly recommended chiropractor who happens to be a triathlete himself. I have had a few aches and pains the past few weeks and wanted to take care of some body maintenance.  I have never seen a Chiro before and I was going to see him primarily for ART or Active Release Techniques for soft tissue.

This first appointment was about an hour and I had to wait about 15 minutes for him to call me in.  He had me stand and do nothing to see my body alignment. I had a laundry list of concerns but admitted that my biggest concern was my right knee (the one that gave me trouble) those two long bike rides in a row the past couple of weeks.

He did an exam and then started the procedure. For me, it was a lot like Chinese acupuncture in the sense that he'd find a click or whatever in the area and apply pressure to the source of the pain.  He did a lot of hip, knee, ankle and IT band work. He noticed my "duck walk" right away and noted that I didn't have much internal rotation of my ankles and he would "work on that". 

The procedures were painful.  They weren't unbearable and they didn't last very long so they were tolerable. Dr. Ryan also did IMWI in 2012 so he wanted to talk about the race as a first-timer and gave me course suggestions too.  (Apparently he is crazy enough to want to do another one- no thanks!). 

After the appointment, the workday was over so I headed north to the gym for a 90 minute run.  This should've normally meant about 8-9 miles, but this day I was so tired that it ended up being about 5. Sh*t happens.  Dr. Ryan did say that I might be sore or tender after the procedures.

It was a very long day between work, Chiro, and run so I was even more pooped when I got home.

Mantra

My pace 

My way 

My race 

My day

Love this!!!!

Terrible, terrible tan lines

Tuesday, 8/20/13 make up run... Ooops...

I set my alarm for 5am this morning to make up for yesterday's missed/skipped run.  I could not get out of bed!  I hit snooze several times, even ignoring the cat's cries and paws to my face to get up!  It was so comfortable in my bed!!!

Eventually, at about 6:45am, I finally got out of bed and realized that there was no way I could make it to the gym for a 90 minute run, clean up/shower and get to work on time via the CTA.  (My car is in the shop for the next week-ish getting repaired after my fender bender.)  I logged into my coaching site and reported that I had slept and ate through yesterday's workout and my coach encouraged me to get it done today after work.  She said that this type of fatigue is common during a taper and it's my body's chemical reaction to decreasing my workouts.  I'm still researching if this is bullshit or not. While a lot of other athletes seem to hate the taper, despite feeling tired, I'm not scared of it.

I got dressed and was relieved not to have to carry my purse, work bag AND workout bag to work today.  Although, by the time I walked to the El, I was disappointed in myself that I hadn't brought my swim suit and goggles; I could have easily made up a swim post-Judy's birthday dinner tonight at Hub 51.  Unfortunately, I received my coach's email after I had gotten on the train, so I'm not sure a run in my future today?  ((Is this part of what athletes hate about tapering?  "Wanting" to workout?  I mean, I am just wanting to complete what I should have anyway.  :)  I'm not craving massive amounts of working out, that's for sure!))

I also just realized that I really, REALLY need to start thinking about what I'm eating (again) since I can't consume the (empty) calories I've been allowing myself and should probably look more at carbohydrates as storage for the upcoming event.  Carbs should really be fresh fruits, veggies and grains- this is not an issue for me, honestly.  I may finally just buy some delivered meals from Factor 75 over the next few weeks.  I was made aware of this company and service by a fellow (amazing!) triathlete, Joe Lotus.

Monday... rest day swap - 8/19/13

I brought all my running stuff to work so I could get to the gym afterwards.  Being so tired lately, I like to run on the treadmill (despite the lovely weather) because it forces me to keep running!

I jumped on the Redline around 5:15 or so to head to FFC Lincoln Park on North Avenue.

After I got off and started my walk to the gym, I remembered that I had a coupon for new free panties at Victoria's Secret... so I went in to redeem that.  Then as I passed by teh Gap, I thought I should pick up something for Emily's bachelorette party gift (yes, I should've gotten that at VS, but thankfully the Gap has fun stuff now too!).  I managed to by myself an $8 pair of pants (they're super fun!) and a sweater as well as some additional panties for Emily (and me!  haha).  At that point, I was feeling really hungry and knew I couldn't make it through a 90 minute run, so I walked over to Whole Foods for dinner.

I love walking around Whole Foods since the clientele is so varied:  it runs the gamut from hippies with dreadlocks to Yuppie dad walking around shopping with their kids with beers in their hands!  I just went directly to the salad bar and loaded up on a bunch of stuff.  I tend to eat vegetarian while I'm there since there are so many options!  I sat and ate at a table outside in the lovely summer evening air and when I was done, I was without pretty much any energy and just decided to head home!  So much for my workout!

When I got home (the train took FOREVER!), it was just about 8pm and I climbed into bed with Ferracat, set my alarm for 5am to make up the run Tuesday morning and promptly passed out!!!

Daily meditation until and including 9/8

Taper commentary

I read this from a blog that was linked to the Facebook Ironman Wisconsin group page and it seemed funny and probably true. 

"After all, this is just a long training day with valet parking and catering, right?  [...]  Everyone comes up with a brilliant race plan for Ironman, and then everyone has to deal with the reality that planning for something like Ironman is like trying to land a man on the moon. By remote control. Blindfolded."

Sunday rest day 8/18

We got up relatively early with all the kids at Jenny's house and headed downtown to meet Polly and John at the Avenue for brunch.  Jackie was in town with her kids and Chandra and Mark were in town and stopped by too. 

The physical improvements to the Avenue were nice but the food wasn't that good. It wasn't cheap ($3.95 for a side of bacon in Wisconsin?!?!!) either. Michael actually sent his steak back (steak & eggs) because it was cold and there really weren't a lot of menu choices. Not like the old days. :-(

We enjoyed catching up with everyone but I was also glad to get back home relatively early too. I did some laundry and relaxed on my couch- something I truly haven't done in many months. After a few hours, I got back up to go to Edison Park to meet Tona and a few if her friends for a "final"? Dinner before the babies. It was fun chatting with everyone but when 8:15pm came around, I hit my wall and was anxious to get going to climb into bed!

I have to take my car into the shop tomorrow for a week of repairs and get to the gym after work for a 90 minute run so it's going to be a long day. I have tentative plans to meet up with Mel but we are also playing that a bit by ear...  For a taper week I still have a lot of workouts and plans and I need to do some chillaxing!!! :)

Saturday 8/17 bike ride in Madison (after OWS)

After finishing the swim, I went up the helix at the Monona Terrace and changed to get ready for my ride. 

My coach put 112 miles in my plan but I was pretty well convinced that I'd only do 1 loop due to the fear of having a bad final course experience. I met up with the other gals I knew and we decided to skip the stick on the way out to verona in favor of the Wisconsin bike path- which was really lovely!  There were two portions where we could've jumped onto the street but we decided to take the path all the way to Whalen Road. 

Soon after we got to Fireman's Park, I refreshed my water bottle at the cooler I had dropped there prior to the OWS. I also ate 1/2 a Twix. Then the gals and I left and that's when I started the ride solo. Kathleen had asked if she could ride "with" me because she thought we might be at the same pace, but she kept up with Mary and Jessica (I think?) or at least was not riding with me!  Eventually near Mt. Horeb I saw and passed her- and she asked if I would wait for her at the area where we take the stick back to town. I told her (honestly) that I didn't want to wait and that I really new nothing more than anyone else since I'd never ridden the stick. She was understanding also because I was a bit stressed. As it turned out near Witte Road she left me in the dust and I saw her later riding up and down with Jessica and Mary. 

I actually heard someone behind me around mile 60 say "Hi Shannon" and thought that it was strange that there was another rider behind me named Shannon too...  It was Mary!  Apparently her chain dropped and they had to take some time to fix it. This means that I rode right past them without even knowing it!  I guess Jessica stopped too!  Then they both passed me heading up the gravel twisty road whose name escapes me now. By now my knee was acting up a bit and I was trying to move so that it didn't become worse (I'm going to try and get an ART massage or two this week.). 

I rode the stick back to the Monona Terrace and I'm glad I did. There are a few big hills on Whalen heading east but the actual road conditions were fine.  I was happy to be off the bike -even only having ridden about 75 miles (I forgot to restart my watch at one point when we had stopped so I'm not exactly sure)- and loaded it back up into my car and threw on my tennis shoes for my run. 

My knee felt totally fine off the bike and I hope it salta us that way on race day. I'm fairly certain it's related to the IT band and not my bike fit. I'm hoping it was just two weeks of massive fatigue that had it flair up. 

I decided that my race plan will be to walk the first 5 minutes of the run. I get super excited and the adrenaline starts pumping and I don't want to over exert myself first thing. I did this yesterday on the run and it worked well. Besides, you have to run up and out of the parking lot so it avoids one mini hill!

After that, I basically did 5/5 or 5minutes walk/5 jog and the first mile was about 12 minutes so I ended up running down around the capitol and off to a side street or two, towards Langdon and then up State Street to meet Michael at Himul Chuli- my favorite Nepali restaurant post-workout. I wish I hadn't been so sweaty and dirty so I could've gone into a new store called "Citrine" nearby, but it was probably better that I didn't spend any more $$$!

After that, we walked back to the Terrace and drove back to Don & Jenny's where Jackie was also just pulling up!  That night we built a fire in the out, roasted s'mores and had a bottle of wine and caught up. I was passed out on the couch in and out of sleep while everyone else was chatting until"The Big Lebowski" came on. :). It was fu. Watching parts with dear friends who know my affinity for it!