10 weeks till IRONMAN - I think I hab a code - seriously??

"The secret of success is constancy to purpose."

 - Disraeli

Well, I think that my mind, is finally getting on board with this Ironman training.  It has been a good week to process my 1/2 Ironman Race.  It has been a tough week:

Monday - Brick - I got on the road, and had forgotten my helmet, so I turned around, got farther down the road and realized I had forgotten my sunglasses - sheesh.

Tuesday - Swim - always good.  3 hour bike ride.  Ha Ha - well, my bike shorts were in the laundry, and I though aww - my butt is tough enough . . . EEEEYYAAA!  Nope - it is not!  Or maybe it was just sore from my race on Saturday. . . . either way, I texted Duane to come and pick me up at 3 hours on the dot - - - no extra riding for me today (even though I was only about 20 minutes from home - at the top of the Leavitt hill - the best part of the ride - couldn't do it today.

Wednesday - Tempo Run - never easy.  Emma had to basically kick me out of the house - I was procrastinating - BIG TIME!

Thursday - Swim - the best workout of the week!

Friday - 3 hour bike ride.  I made sure I had everything I needed today, helmet, glasses, leg warmers, arm warmers, jacket, nutrition and hydration. You read right . . . arm warmers!!  leg warmers!!  I'm not ready for cold weather riding!!  Ready or not, here it comes!  I rode with a new friend Karen Alston - and it was good!  It was the first time I rode with ANYONE this season!  Weird I know.  The weather was not looking promising when we left - but she was had a very positive attitude (thank goodness, cause I did not) and off we headed towards the blue sky - through the wind and rain - brrr.  We rode through the border (it had a long line up, but people kept waving us forward - nice!  It was the first time either of us had ever 'walked across the border'.  Cool.  The weather smartened up - the wind was a bit spaztic, but all in all a great ride.  I have to admit it was fun to ride with someone - it definitely helped the time to pass.  I think I will do it again.  Although I didn't keep track of my cadence - at all!  I will have to look at my garmin and see how I really did!  oops.  Note to self - when you come down with a cold, don't take Sinutab 'nighttime' - it makes you whacky all night, although you did go to sleep quickly, when you woke up in the middle of the night, and couldn't go back to sleep cause you were wide awake, and felt weird and whacky - grrr - not worth it!

Saturday - 12 mile run.  I meant to get up earlier than I actually got moving, so I could get my run mostly over with before I met my "run like a mother" group - but the cold had really sunk in deep and it was REALLY dark at 5:30am - and cold!  So after I ran with the group, Barb drove me out the Leavitt highway for my last 6 miles and I ran home.  It was beautiful and all downhill so it was a nice way to finish my week.

I didn't feel like I got much recovery this week, and if I had not come down with this nasty cold - cold sores, sinus infection, sore throat, headache, fever, chills - the whole shebang ( and Grandma Beazer disappeared when I really needed a hot toddy!) - - - it may have been a little easier, but all in all - I survived the training 'the week after'!

I am quite proud of myself.  I am also thinking that maybe I CAN do this thing in only 10 more weeks!

I remember a while back Erin saying - you will have to get your head around the fact that a 2 hour bike ride is your new 'short ride'.  I don't know how many times I told myself that this week - but it was a LOT!  This IS an easy week!  This IS an easy week!  You ARE recovering!

Shawn Pinder  (his amazing wife Erin is my coach!!)  did his Ironman yesterday - and I have to admit that we kind of stalked him a little!  He is AMAZING!  He was 2nd out of the water - second! #2 ( #1 in his age category ) but out of  EVERYONE he was #2!  Duane and I decided that we need to get his autograph!  I wish I could have been there to see it!  But stalking him on the internet was pretty exciting!  He did phenomenal on the bike and run as well - check him out!  The screen shot didn't get that he was ranked in his division #14, and overall #81!  Impressive.

Here is a screen shot of his stats - My new hero today!

It was fun to see him do SO well - I hope this was an A race for him - - - cause it sure seemed like that to me!!  I think it should have said at the top - Congratulations Shawn on your AMAZING finish!

11 weeks till IRONMAN - 1/2 IRONMAN in Fort Macleod 1/2 IRON

"Happiness is essentially 

a state of going somewhere wholeheartedly, 

one-directionally, without regret or reservation." 

- W.H. Sheldon

"Now and then it's good to pause 

in our pursuit of happiness 

and just be happy." 

- Guillaume Appollinaire

This week was a week of tapering to get ready for the race.  

We left Idaho on Saturday and headed to Montana.  We stayed in Helena on Saturday night and drove the rest of the way home on Sunday.  Sunday night we unpacked the van - but then my house looked like a tornado hit hard!  

Monday morning it was back to the grind. . . . right in the middle of the vacation blues. . . . back to reality.  Thank goodness it was a tapering week - cause that is about all I had in me - and I was really tired, as well as my stomach was giving me grief almost daily!  I couldn't seem to figure out what the culprit was, I am just chalking it up to nerves I think.....

On Sunday while we were driving home, we stopped at a fast food restaurant to grab some food quick - and there was a couple standing in front of us.  I quietly whispered to Duane "they look tough".  (they had muscular legs, and weathered, defined arms and shoulders)  Duane said "look at their shirts" ( they were wearing triathlon race shirts)  So Duane started talking to them and we learned that they just got off 7 days on a bike tour - I don't remember how many miles and hours they were in the saddle, but they were on their way home, getting themselves a little ice-cream treat.  We also learned that the lady had done 7 Ironman races, and the man was just getting ready for his second Ironman race.  WOW!  They had some advice:

1.  When you start to feel good on the bike, eat something - don't wait till you feel awful as that is a sign that you are about to 'bonk'.

2.  If something goes wrong, don't worry about it - you have ALL day.  

3.  If you feel like you are going out too slow in the run, slow down a little more. . . . 

They were very encouraging and it was like a shot in the arm to run into them - Luck?  I don't think so.

Fort Macleod 1/2 Ironman Race Report:

Saturday August 18th was the Fort Macleod 1/2 Ironman Race.

While setting up my transitions and getting body marked, I met a few people who were in my heat, and most exciting of all I met a lady named Marquise.  She hiked Nepal with my mom and sister this last spring, and I have heard a few wonderful stories about her.  I introduced myself, and we got talking about my upcoming Ironman and she asked if I had a coach or a trainer.  I told her who it was, and she smiled and said "Oh, she is wonderful!  I know her, you are going to be JUST fine!!"  I later in the conversation said something about how I just need to trust my training, and she replied "actually you just need to trust your TRAINER".  Another feel great moment that I know was NOT 'by chance'.

before the race shot - today is my 5 year anniversary since my first Olympic triathlon - wow!

I was in the first heat for the swim with a couple of my friends Karen and Megan.  I was feeling good - not too nervous.  There was a lot of talk amongst the participants about 'what if they don't count our lengths right?"  I finally piped in "there is NOTHING we can do about that.  We just have to swim until they tell us to stop - it is our word against theirs, and they have the final say  . . . . so just hope they count right!"  We finally got started out swim about 10 minutes later than scheduled - and it was going well.  I decided to do flip turns as it helps me keep my rhythm and keeps me calm, and I think that it makes me faster (what we think we are is what we are . . . right?)  I passed the guy in my lane about 3 or 4 times and I was feeling strong, and then the lap counters put our 'final flutterboard' (indicating that we only had 1 length left) in the pool at the SAME TIME!!!  Ya - they didn't count right . . . . but remembering my own advice I had to "LET IT GO".  That was hard for me, because I feel like my ONLY advantage is in the pool, and they just TOTALLY stole that from me!  I was ripped. . . but knowing it wouldn't help me, I really tried to let it go!

On to transition - I was a little fumbly, and indecisive of whether to wear my red specialized shirt and take the phone or not ( as I was already feeling warm!)  And I didn't want to wreck the phone by getting it wet from my already wet clothing. . . Duane told me to put in on and take it - - - it seemed to take forever, but then I was finally out on the bike ride.  

I rode Rob's disc wheel.  It felt good.  I was nervous about the loud sound that the wheel makes, that it may draw too much attention to me, but with my pointy helmet on - I couldn't hardly hear a thing!  ha ha ha ha ha.   I was pretty happy with my ride.  I didn't like that everyone seemed to pass me, but I tried to let that go too.  I felt good and I felt strong and I had to remind myself that I was doing my own race - and I was right on track with my plan.... and there was NO wind today!  What a gift!

Feeling good on the bike
 a tough but GREAT ride from Fort Macleod to Glenwood and back
I loved the hills!

Back into transition - now I couldn't get my red specialized shirt off!  Ha ha!  I was a bit disoriented - which is normal, but I still feel like it really slowed me down.  Marquise was SO NICE and said to me"are you back already?"  What a sweetheart.  Made my day.

Out I went on the dreaded run. . . . I told someone - here we go this part of the triathlon is for the masachist in me. . . . seriously - NOW run a 1/2 marathon in the heat of the day???
So I had my own nutrition ( thank heavens - as the aid stations only had warm water. . . . ) but it was HOT - really HOT!  I finally got my garmin working, and off we went.  When I got to the Olympic turnaround, I was wishing that I had my own water ( although it would have been warm too now that I think about it)  but it was a LONG OLD HAUL out to the 1/2 Iron turnaround, and only 1 aid station out there - with only warm water.  Thank heavens for Rob Barfuss who drove up and gave me bottles and bottles of cold water - he had me pour it on my thighs and it woke up my leg muscles and re-energized them - it was amazing.  After the turnaround, a truck came by with ice and water and I put ice in my shirt, hat - everywhere!!  My run took me about 8 more minutes than I had planned - but I know why - and it is ok.  I felt like I held it together mentally really well.  I finished strong with a final time of 7:02.  My goal for the race was 7 hours . . . . not too shabby eh??

Final Time 7:02

Clara did a triathlon today too - she did great!  Here are a few other pictures of the day.

Clara in transition!  She did the SuperSprint today!  What a trooper!

"Run Like a Mother" showing at the triathlon today!
Karen first time Sprint
Barb first time Super Sprint
Me last race till Ironman

Karen Alston and I at the end of the 1/2 Ironman - pooped!

Dad finally celebrating his 42nd birthday ( just 3 days late)
We surprised him with his present this year - that is REALLY tough to do!
New Toaster - yahoo!
We went to the Cobblestone for the roast beef buffet -
 it was a perfect after race recovery meal!
 Meat, corn on the cob and potatoes - mmmmm!

12 weeks till IRONMAN - training on vacation in Utah

‎"Always bear in mind 

that your own resolution to succeed 

is more important than any other. " 

- Abraham Lincoln

LOVE THE MILE YOU ARE IN!

Similar to the bigger picture of not worrying about yesterday 

or fretting about tomorrow, 

EMBRACE the mile that you are running 

whether it is on a training run or in a race, 

you WON'T get it back and you have control of it now.

Too much emphasis on the next mile will create a mountain of insecurity.

Training while on vacation is hard work.  It doesn't really feel like vacation when you have to set your alarm at 5am.  Something in my system says that I shouldn't have to do this on vacation. . . . 

It requires giving up what may be a great memorable moment with your family - and getting in the saddle, lacing up the runners, or swim gear and doing your hour or 5 hours of exercise. . . . sigh

is it going to be worth it?  Yes.

Is the family having memorable moments without you?  Maybe, but it's ok.  They are having moments with their dad - and that is GREAT!  They won't remember that I wasn't there, just that they had a great vacation, that mom and dad were both there, and that mom was committed to her training too.  These are good things.

Kate drew this picture on the pad of paper from the Staybridge Suites (the hotel we were staying at in Utah).  She drew it while I was on my 2 hour bike ride in Tooele.  When I got back in the van she gave it to me and said.  "Mom this is me, crying, cause you aren't with me."  Well, I've got to give her something to talk to her therapist about someday - right??

Monday 

I did my brick workout in Idaho on roads I was familiar with while Duane drove Emma and her cousins to EFY in Rexburg.  Then we headed to Utah.  Staybridge Suites with a waterside - here we come!

Tuesday 

I got up at 5am and went to the hotel pool and swam in the dark for an hour.  The pool was not 25 meters, or even 25 yards.  We figured it was maybe 15 yards - it was short.  But since I don't have to swim a certain distance, just a certain amount of time - I figured it would work.   It was 12 strokes from one end to the other, and there was just a small opening between two pools to get to the other end.  It was a bit nerve racking.  You know those CSI shows where they find the dead body floating in the pool - you know the lighting in the pools when they find the body??  Well, that is exactly what it looked like. . .it freaked me out a bit.  I guess I have watched too many episodes of Castle - sigh.  I survived my swim.  I had to stop a few times and check out the shadows - - but I swam for an hour.

It was off for my 2 hour bike ride in HOT HOT HOT Utah.  It was supposed to be 40 degrees today - so we got moving!  I was on the road out towards Toole by 8ish, and I got my 2 hours in.  My gamin stopped calculating speed and distance for a time - that was weird.

Wednesday

Still in Utah - It was time for my Tempo Run.  Since I have a bit of a hard time pushing myself outside, I did my tempo run on the treadmill.  I put on my music and 2 hours later - done. . . but my ipod watch was being weird. . . . uh oh - - - I sweat SO MUCH - that I killed my ipod - WOW!

Thurdsay

I love Thursday - I only had to do a 1 hour swim.  So I got up early again and went into the "killer movie scene - where the dead girl is found in the pool" and swam for an hour - I did not die today!  Phew!!  We went into Salt Lake today and stopped at the apple store and got my ipod replaced for $65.  I still can't believe that I sweat that much!  We made our way back to Idaho after visiting Ashley in Logan tonight.  It was midnight before I got to bed tonight as we were trying to figure out a route for me to ride my 4.5 hour ride tomorrow.

Friday 

Long Bike Ride.  So I rode out to Arimo, almost to Downey, then back and down the Portneuf road.  I only got lost a couple of times and had to call Duane.  His cell phone only rang a couple of times and freaked me out because he has a Yoda voice ringer, which is really weird coming from your back on a bike. . . . you can imagine.  I got off the bike and ran for 10 minutes. . . . Some of my thoughts in the first 5 minutes.

This is too hard

Oh my legs won't move

Just keep moving

Do you really think you can bike twice that and THEN run a marathon?

Holy Cow it is hot out here.

By minute 8, my thoughts had changed significantly as had my pace. My thoughts have become more like this:

Ok - this is feeling better

You can do this

the first 10 minutes ALWAYS feel like that.

trust your training

today was supposed to be hard - that is why you are training.

almost done for today

You did it!!

Saturday

10 mile run.  We decided last minute to participate in the "O.K. Ward Park Family Fun Run".  They had a few distances to choose from 10k walk, 10K run, 5k, 2.5k.  So I decided to do the 10K run, and Clara did the 5k run.  Clara got first place in her age category ( yay Clara).  I don't know how I did, as I ran through the finish line and just kept on running another 4 miles.  It was getting hot - but I finished my 10 mile run today.  I was hot and my legs were dragging for most of the run.  My mantra today was "one foot in front of the other".

We came back to Angie's today and packed up.  Emma got home from EFY.  We packed up 7 people's stuff from a 2 week holiday (oiyabajoiya!!)  Thank goodness we have Duane "the master packer".  

I am ready to train in the 'not quite so hot Canadian weather'.  Enjoy a few mountain breezes.  Sleep in my own bed.  Have all my own food in my own cupboards, fridge and freezer.  Living out of a cooler is hard work.  Live in my own space.  

It will be nice to be home.  

13 weeks till IRONMAN - and a little more practice

So this week I have been in Idaho while my kids are in a theater camp with their cousins.  I have been fitting in my training on new roads, paths, pools and heat.  While enjoying some recovery time by watching some of the Olympics.

I have been feeling like doing the Ironman is scarey, that it is going to continue to be scarey. . . and I am not sure how long it is going to be scarey. . . . . Here is a great Olympic commercial that I think says it all!



And so I continue to train and practice and learn. . . . it continues to be scarey . . . . until . . . . it isn't.

Monday - brick - I biked the Inkom loop and went for a 30 minute run.  It is starting to get hot.

Tuesday - 1 hour swim, 2 hour bike ride - a little more eventful . . .
• alarm went off at 5:10am
• drove to Lava to swim - met a girl wearing a 'sport count' ring.  Need to get me one of those!
• came home ate breakfast, headed out on my 2 hour bike ridebiked for 2 hours (more like 2.5 - 3) with bike tire blow out, fixing tire, returning home filling tire with pump, bathroom break.
• wear sunscreen on legs, I burned my thighs today
• take ib profen - my toes got sore today - darn morton's neuroma
• buy a new tube and co2
• practice changing a tire - every month
• July is done - I changed a tire
• fill water bottles with ice - water gets REALLY warm in this weather
• check aero bar positioning - maybe up a little higher?
• water bottle sits a bit low in my new aero bars - maybe I need a longer straw
• my shoulder feels SO MUCH BETTER!  I think the new aero bars are good.
• by 12:30 I finally made it back home
• Now it is 2:30pm and all I have done today is eat 2 meals, do two workouts. . . what a day - time for a nap.

Wednesday - tempo run - on Angie's treadmill - uneventful - thank heavens (after yesterday).  Oh, except the water softener fix it guy was in the house when I got out of the shower ( eeeyikes)

Thursday - swim - Angie and I went swimming before heading to Logan for the day to spend the day with Ashley.

Friday - long run (this is new, usually Friday is long bike day . . . sigh)
I just got home - I'm still shaking - it is hart to type.  It was super hot today while I ran 14 miles. . . . .I learned 5 things today.
1.  always wear a hat (yes, I obviously forgot that today - this is how I learn from my mistakes)
2.  don't eat hummus the day before a long run.
3.  always take imodium before a long run (just in case I eat something my body decides it doesn't want to deal with in a nice way... like maybe the hummus)
4.  find somewhere in my possession to stash a little bit of toilet paper (just in case I eat something like hummus, and I forget to take imodium, and the GI track takes over.
5.  I saw a guy training on roller skis.  He looked like he was working REALLY hard!

So I ran 7 miles to Bashrat's (Inkom's grocery store), used their bathroom, turned around and ran back - - - - it was VERY hot and I was kicking myself that I didn't get up when the alarm went off at 5 - but I just kept on going - and yes - I DID IT!  Even though I am on vacation, and I had GI issues, and I am tired, and I really didn't feel like running 14 miles in the seering Idaho heat.  Yup - I was proud of myself today.

So I was checking out my feet tonight, and it looks like I am going to lose a toe nail. . . oh well, I saw a shirt the other day that said "toe nails are for sissies".  Funny.  I also had a blister on another toe.  I thought that maybe my morton's neuroma was coming back today. . .  but maybe they were just making blisters and working on getting rid of toenails!

Oh feet.

Mmmm, I learned one more thing today.  Always get ready the night before. . . . because at 5am - your brain will do whatever it takes to NOT go on a 14 mile run. . . . and then it doesn't think too clearly either. . . sigh...

SATURDAY  - August 4th - Women's Olympic Triathlon in London 2012
I'm sharing these NOT to compare myself but out of complete and utter AWE!
Something else that amazed me is that the first and last person in the Olympics were only 12 minutes apart.  That makes them all winners in my mind.  Here are the winner's times:

Nicola Spirig   swim 19.24   T1 0.40    Bike 1:10.33    T2 0.30    Run 33.41    Finish 1:59.48

Today was also my backwards sprint triathlon in Pocatello Idaho.  It was Angie's first time in the triathlon and she did fantastic!  I placed FIRST in my age category and 14th out of 48 women. . . I was quite pleased with my race today.  This was a definite "A" race day!

Place  Name      Sex Age City   State Rank  Run     T1     Rank   Bike    T2    Rank   Swim   Finish

1

Patricia Beazer

F

40

Cardston

AB

4

29:50

:00:47

2

44:37

0:09

1

10:18

1:25:57.75

Me and my new HERO - 82 year old, Jody Olsen, from Inkom, Idaho.
She started doing triathlons in her 60's.
"See - it's never too late!" - Jody Olsen
She is also the founder of THIS (my favorite ever - especially now) triathlon!

Check out her times - AMAZING!

Jody Olson  age - 82 run - 50:54  T1 - 3:20  Bike - 49:03  T2 - 1:48  Swim - 16:50  Finish - 2:02:11.57

I hope I am still doing this at 82.  

She told me, "you just get slower every year, but it's ok 'cause you end up being the only one in your age category!"

The girl in the picture in the background with the orange shoes said "How old is she?  Oh my, I better go for a run today - now I feel really lazy!"