My BFF

Today, I totally got an e-mail from professional triathlete Carole Sharpless. She's like my new BFF. I was stoked.

Anywho, Molly and I had a great run last night at Seneca. She's training with TNT to head to Disney in just under a month, and she's doing awesome! Unlike me, she actually knew how to swim and is kicking butt in her training! Here's a photo of us at the Ironman, with the finish line in the background. She was volunteering at the time as a finish-line catcher, meaning she and a buddy literally caught athletes as they crossed the line. They put the finisher's medal on them, gave them a towel, and checked to see if they needed medical attention. Pretty cool stuff, being right there in the action.

IMKY 2007

The inaugural Ironman Louisville event was a huge success! Adam and I were at the swim start, which was before sunrise. The bugler from Churchill Downs played, they announced the pros, who started 10 minutes ahead of the rest of the field, and the event was underway!

It was a gorgeous day for the event, and there was plenty of shade for spectators downtown, especially at the finish on 4th Street Live. I got to see the winners finish, along with The Bachelor Andy Baldwin, some of the athletes I escorted the previous day, and all the “regular people” I knew competing: Patrick Schmidt, Sean Murphy, Monica Murphy, and Matt Hoetker. As each one crossed the finish line, the announcer called their name and said, “YOU are an Ironman!” It was emotional just to watch, I can’t imagine what it must be like to experience.

The Bachelor:


It’s interesting how some people came into the finish looking just fine, like they’d been on a jog in the park, while others stumbled across the line and looked pretty delirious. One of the male pros collapsed at the finish line and when the volunteers finally got him up and were carrying him down the chute, he was all wild-eyed and mumbling incoherently. It was crazy. In any case, every single person that competed had guts.

Winner Chris McDonald from Australia, his 19th Ironman and first victory:


Winner Heather Gollnick, her fifth:


Two TNT alumni, Garrett and Kenny, have signed up for next year…good luck boys! I’ll be there for sure to cheer you on.

By the way, I took these photos. That's how close I was!

Vols

I did a little something different for crosstraining on Thursday (no cycling!). I did some jump roping and walking. It was a nice change, and was challenging for my lungs but easy enough on my body to keep me well-rested for Saturday’s long run.

Valerie and I met at Seneca bright and early to tackle the 8-mile loop. The temperatures were a little lower than in recent weeks, and we enjoyed a nice, easy run through the park before I had to work my shift at the Ironman Louisville check-in. The photo is Valerie on Sunday as she volunteered at the swim finish. How cute is she?



I LOVED everything about this weekend in all its Ironman glory. My duties at the bike/gear check-in basically consisted of escorting athletes one by one to rack their bikes, guide them through the transition area (including the changing tents and the sunscreen tent) and then drop off their two gear bags, one for the bike transition and the other for the run transition. It was interesting to see the range of athletes that came through, from the experienced to the first-timer. Some just oozed nervousness and had a billion questions, and others were laidback and cruised through.

Athletes I escorted included local TV anchor John Boel, pro Carole Sharpless, and one of my TNT tri coaches, Patrick Schmidt.

Coming Soon...

I'm a little behind, but I have run updates and photos from Ironman Louisville coming soon, I promise!

Runner's High

I had a great run last night! I don't know if I finally felt that "runner's high" or what, but it was nice. I've had good runs before, but lately I'd been pretty worn out all the time. I don't know if it's just getting used to the workouts, the heat, craziness at work, or what. But I'd still been wanting to put off workouts. Even last night...I took a spin class at the gym, but didn't want to run outside until the weather cooled off some. I had a window of time where I was torn about putting the run off or just getting it over with.

I finally hit the road just after 8 p.m. I stayed in my neighborhood, a loop I haven't run in several weeks. I could feel the improvement as I passed places where I usually took my walk breaks, and I felt much faster than usual. In fact, I finished the tempo part of my run a couple minutes faster than I was supposed to! I was jogging my cool down and thinking about how good I felt, and how I felt like I could keep going, and I was really proud at taking this on and having the discipline to do the workouts. I felt strong!

Even though it's tough sometimes fitting runs in my schedule and getting my body to cooperate with what my training plan says, I hope remembering runs like last night's will give me the determination and confidence to keep working at it.

Change of Plans

I changed my training plan. Maybe that's bad strategy, but it's not like I'm two weeks away from my race...I've still got 15 weeks until marathon day. And my new plan is very similar to the Hal Higdon plan I was using, but it incorporates even more cross training and speedwork and very specific pace times for all the runs. It's the Smart Coach plan from the Runners World website. You enter a recent race time, the distance you're training for, how long you have to train, how hard you want to train, and even on which day you want to do your long runs. Then it instantly creates a training plan for you! I'm in love so far...

Last night I ran three easy miles on the treadmill at the gym. The pace I was instructed to keep seemed VERY slow, but it was a nice change, and I felt really good throughout. I hear that a common mistake of people training for distance running is that they run their long runs too fast. Maybe I've been doing that, so this plan with its specific paces should keep me on track (and help keep my IT band healthy).

I have always hated running a treadmill, but last night it wasn't so bad. I was on the second floor of the gym looking out the window, and I just people watched and thought about my day (which wasn't a very good one) and prayed a little, and before I knew it the run was over! The quote below came in my e-mail (another tool from Runner's World), and I think it really describes what I'm trying to achieve by training for this marathon. Last night, I finally felt like I'm getting there...

"To me, running means freedom, but you need the discipline to gain the freedom. Find nice places, find people to run with. Use your runs as 'devotions,' a time to be thankful for life's beauty."

-Doris Heritage, five-time world cross-country champion; set six world records and 17 American records; won 14 AAU national titles; two-time Olympian

Flat Out

Sundays mean cross training, and Valerie (one of my TNT mentors and my running buddy for the 10-miler and Derby mini) and Jackie and I got started early, meeting at Seneca at 7 a.m. for a 40-mile bike ride. It was still dark when I left my house, a sign that winter is approaching even if the temperatures don't reflect that at all (Louisville just tied a hot-weather record with 21 consecutive days of 90+ degree heat).

The ride was nice, I took the hills easy to avoid aggravating my IT band which started aching yesterday. The weather was cool but humid, we had nice cloud cover, not too much traffic, and great company! I had just crossed the railroad tracks on Westport Rd. from LaGrange Rd when my bike went out of control! It was all I could do to stay up, and I realized I had a flat front tire. I managed to pull off the road without wrecking. Jackie was behind me when it happened, and both of us were surprised I didn't eat pavement. Having just officially taking ownership of that bike this week, I wasn't equipped with all the tools I should have had on my in case this situation occured. I ended up carrying my bike back to a McDonald's nearby and waiting for Adam to come pick me up. I've been fortunate to never have a flat before, and I was lucky again today that I didn't wreck when my tire bit it.

I didn't make it the full 40 miles, but I still managed to get my butt in the saddle for a couple hours. I took a yoga class at the gym later in the day, but it's hardly worth mentioning...I've been taking yoga off and on for about seven years, and this was BY FAR the worst class I've ever had. But another week of marathon training is behind me, and I'm that much closer to my goal, so all is still well...

They're Coming!

So I ran three miles on the track at the gym Friday (the many laps-10 to a mile-weren't as bad as I thought they'd be and it actually went by really fast) and then did six at Seneca with Jackie on Saturday morning. Felt good, better weather, blah blah blah. The most exciting event of my weekend was the volunteer orientation for IRONMAN LOUISVILLE!!!

It's next Sunday, the first of a 5-year series. I cannot wait. If you aren't aware, an Ironman is the most badass triathlon, were participants swim 2.4 miles, then bike 112, then run a full (26.2 miles) marathon! They are a little bit insane, but I know several people who are going for it and I'm really excited that it's coming to Louisville. Some will earn spots in the Ironman Championships in Hawaii!

I have volunteered to work Bike/Gear check-in on Saturday, but Sunday I'm just going to spectate. They keep the course open for 17 hours, but the winners finish in around 8. Can you imagine?

With TNT

The gorgeous pic is me with Team in Training (TNT) triathlon coach, Marty, before the TNT brick workout yesterday (it ended up being more of a mini-duathlon). Marty has about 5 Ironman races under his belt along with dozens and dozens of other triathlons, and he has the patience of a saint. He is also the former owner of my superhot bike. I hope I can do it justice!

Last night, I biked to Seneca Park to meet up with the TNTers, ran with the team, and biked home with Kenny, one of the TNT participants that went to Philadelphia in June and who finished that race in a blazing time despite broken toes! It is once again reaching record-setting temperatures in Louisville. Yesterday hit 103 degrees, the hottest day here in over eight years. We were all soaked with sweat, but just took it easy and drank lots of fluids. I am pretty drained today even though it wasn't a strenuous workout.

I substituted a bike ride for my three-mile run on Tuesday, and it was a good ride with slightly cooler temps. I'm hoping to do at least one day (55 miles) of the My Old Kentucky Home Bike Tour next month between Louisville and Bardstown, so I need to get my butt on the bike a little more! Plus, cycling in this heat is a little more bearable than running in it. At this point, I'm really thankful I chose the marathon I did, because it means my longest training runs will be in October/November when the temps should be MUCH more comfortable!

The Dude Abides

My long run was quite interesting this week. The 9-mile run itself was nice, and it was good to get back outside after being on the treadmill so much this week. I did an “urban” run instead of running through the parks for a change of scenery. Although I started too late and was running in the hottest part of the day, I was very well hydrated and felt great (thoughts of my leftover pizza waiting for me certainly helped!).

At one point around mile 7-8 there was a cool guy out in his yard who reminded me of “The Dude” Lebowski…long ponytail, same age, similar style. He gave me a big smile and “way to go” that refreshed me for the end of the run.

When I finished, I noticed my phone wasn’t working. We took it in to the Verizon store and it turns out I drowned it in sweat and killed the battery! It worked out though, because Adam was eligible for a phone upgrade anyway, so they just transferred my line to his old phone. I definitely endured some teasing for it, though.

Yesterday I took another yoga class and worked out the kinks the 9 miles put in my body. This week is a recovery week, so I’ll have slightly fewer miles before upping the mileage next week. I’m supposed to help the triathlon team during a double brick (bike-run-bike-run) on Wednesday, so be looking for pictures from that. It’s always fun to spectate (slightly less fun to do!).

Finally Friday

We’re finally getting a release from the heat…I think the high tomorrow is only going to be 92! It’s been 102 the last couple of days, which made me especially thankful to have the new gym to go to.

The great thing about my marathon-training plan is that I can substitute cross training for my short runs. That’s exactly what I did this week, taking a spin class in place of a 3-mile run. It was fun to get back to a spin class, it’s been quite a while. Last night I took an abs class and a yoga class before running my 5 miles on the treadmill. I think that was a mistake because my legs felt like spaghetti after yoga! That was one of the most athletic yoga classes I’ve taken, and I really liked it. I do appreciate the more relaxing classes, too, but this was a nice challenge.

Tonight I’m off from all forms of working out. Adam and I are getting pizza for dinner, which is my favorite post-run treat, by the way! I think the Papa John’s 10-miler race (part of the Triple Crown of Running) ruined me. The race ends in Cardinal Stadium and they give free Papa John’s pizza to all the runners. Some people can’t stomach that kind of food right after a workout, but I was all over it. In fact, the thought of the thin crust cheese pizza waiting for me helped keep me going during the race. I’ve read that ultramarathoner (i.e. certified lunatic) Dean Karnazes orders pizzas to be delivered to him in the middle of his long runs or races. (Of course, a long run for him is like 50 miles as opposed to my piddly eight or nine). So he’ll have this delivery guy just hanging out on the side of the road waiting for him to run by and get his pizza!

My pizza tonight will not by connected to a run in any way, but I’ll save a slice for after my long run tomorrow. Happy Friday!

Take shelter

Tonight I actually ran on a treadmill. The temps outside surpassed 100 degrees, and our new Gold's Gym just opened 1.5 miles from my house, so I took advantage of the A/C. It wasn't so bad, I got to watch Dog the Bounty Hunter while I logged my three miles.

Monday night was our first visit to the new gym, and I did some strength training. I'm trying to add that to my routine more consistently to increase my endurance and help prevent injury. I can already sense that once my mileage starts getting higher it's going to be really difficult to schedule my workouts around my life. But that's part of it, right?

The gym is pretty sweet, by the way. There's a lap pool and even though the parking lot was packed, it didn't seem too crowded inside because the place is huge! I'm excited to check out some classes soon...yoga, spin, kickboxing...here I come!

Roughin' It

We went camping at Rough River Lake this weekend with some of Adam's family. It was a great time but still super hot. I woke up at 5:39 Central Time on Saturday morning and it was still pretty cool outside, so I decided to get my run out of the way. I had determined the night before that the route I had plotted on www.mapmyrun.com wasn't going to work because the roads were narrow country roads with a bunch of rednecks pulling boats in giant trucks and driving too fast. So I just did a lap around the campground, ran across the street through a neighborhood of lake houses, and then back through the campground.

When I stopped at our site for a water break with about 30 minutes to go, everyone else was awake and had breakfast cooking. My run wasn't as miserable as I expected it to be, but I was still glad it was over! It was nice to get the run out of the way so I could enjoy the rest of the day laying around on the boat and swimming/floating in the lake! It was really hot outside, but the water felt awesome.

Hot, Hot, Hot

It's really effin' hot. That about sums up my last two runs. Yesterday I did five miles at Iroquois. I went off my normal path a little and headed farther up toward the "summit." The view was amazing. I felt alright, but it was about 95 degrees with no wind at all. Blech.

Today I ran 3 miles at Bernheim. Well, I ran/jogged/walked 3 miles. It was pretty miserable. It's not so much the heat that bothers me as it is the lack of air flowing. I actually feel better when I'm moving, because when I stand still to stretch or rest or whatever, I just start dripping sweat and feel kind of suffocated. It just feels like there's no oxygen around...very stuffy. But, again, it was a beautiful view, as you can see.

I'm thinking running right after work isn't the best idea in the heat, even though it's the most convenient time for me. I'm going to have to run in the early mornings, late evenings, or on a treadmill. Blah.

This weekend we're going camping at Rough River Lake, so I tried to map out my 8-mile route, but you never know what the roads are going to be like. I don't want to end up doing laps around the camp sites, but it may come to that. One more pic for your viewing pleasure; this is obviously before my run:) Happy weekend, friends!