Looking Back / Moving Forward 2015 Edition

   It's time to look back on last year's goals and see how I did. This should be relatively easy, as I only had two goals for last year. I know that might not seem like a lot of goals for an entire year, but the second goal was a doozy.

GOAL 1 for 2014: Take a photo every day.
   For those who follow me on instagram (@myllstogo), you know I've completed this one. The point of this exercise was to appreciate the every day things in life. And you know what? It worked! Before taking the photos, I can't tell you how many times I've walked in and out of a building / park / down the street without really paying attention to my surroundings. Now, I'm constantly looking around for something cool to photograph. Granted, I also took a lot of dog photos, but I have a lot of dogs. They're easy targets for my camera.  Grade: A

GOAL 2 for 2014: Survive Ironman Chattanooga.
   Here is exactly what I wrote about this goal in December, 2013:
"Survive Ironman Chattanooga. That's it. I don't care about my time. Would it be nice to be all "I'm gonna kick ass at this race" and what not?  Sure, but I also need to be realistic. I have no freakin' idea what I'm doing or how I'm going to get through the next nine months (yes, it's only nine months away), and to be honest, I'm completely terrified. I KNOW it's going to be hard and it's going to hurt a lot. But I have to admit, I'm kind of looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to pushing myself to a new level and trying to accomplish something I never thought I'd be able to do."
   I have to admit - I freakin' nailed this one. I was hoping for a 13-14 hour finish and I finished in 12:16. I was THRILLED. While some of the training was tough and tedious, and the race hurt (BAD at times), I loved every minute of it. My first Ironman experience was so great that I'm a little scared to do another one because it can only go downhill from here. But I probably will. Maybe in 2016. Grade A++

STATE CHALLENGE:
  Some of you might remember that I have a long-term goal of running a half marathon (or longer) in every state. Unfortunately, this got a little sidetracked because of IMCHOO, but I was able to fill in two states: Arkansas and West Virginia.

   I'm hoping to cross off Mississippi, Kentucky and Illinois next year, and hopefully a few more. It's getting more difficult to travel to races since I've hit a lot of the close states. I'm going to have to start flying places. I can see why people try to do two half marathons in one weekend. Travel is expensive, y'all.

GOALS for 2015:
   Honestly, I don't really have any. At least, as of right now I don't have any. I'm going to keep up with my reading challenge of hitting 52 books in a year (two years running!) and I'm obviously going to continue with triathlons and running, but I don't have "the big goal" like I did last year. I mainly want to keep trying new experiences and learn a little bit every day. And I'd like to learn to sew and maybe take a cooking class or two. Oh - and I want to break 2:00 in a half marathon. Ok - I guess I do have goals. I'll try to make a coherent list and get back with you.

   I hope everyone had a great 2014 and wish everyone the best in 2015! See you on the roads!

2014 Medal Recap!

   Unfortunately, this is going to be a pretty short post compared to past year's medal recaps. Due to training for IMCHOO, I didn't race that much this season and I especially didn't race longer distances (which are the ones that generally give out medals). However, I did sneak a few races in, so let's get to it.
   My first medal of the year was for the Little Rock Half Marathon in March.

   I know you can't tell from the photo, but this medal is huge. It's probably 4 inches in diameter - about the size of a saucer. Giant medals are what the Little Rock race is known for, and they don't disappoint. The full marathon's medal was about the size of a dinner plate. Seriously. It was ridiculous, but totally what I'd want after running a marathon.

   I liked this medal. Good quality, pretty heavy, and you can see (from the small bit that I have shown) that the ribbon carries the color scheme throughout. If I were going to choose a race strictly on the quality of the medal - this would be the race. (Race recap here.)

Cherry Blossom 10-Miler:

   This medal was unique in that it was optional.You had to pay more at registration if you wanted a medal. Since I'm from DC and this race has been on my bucket list for a while, I splurged the extra $$ and got the medal. I guess a lot of people don't read their registrations very well because I had about 10 people come up to me after the race and asked where I got my medal. Their loss because it's pretty nice. I could do without the outlines of the runners on the right hand side, but I like it otherwise. (Race recap here:)

REV3 Olympic Triathlon:

   

   This was my first, and sadly only, REV3 race as the company was purchased last year by Challenge Triathlon. Top notch race experience in all respects, including the medal. Big, colorful, matching ribbon - what else could you want in a medal, right? But wait - there's more!

   I also happened to place 2nd in my age group. So, along with some really cool prizes, I got the above medal. You can't really see it, but it's engraved with "2nd Place."   

   If you put them together, you get this crazy, super medal!  It's awesome. Nice job REV3. (Race recap here.)

Hatfield McCoy Half Marathon:

   This race was amazing. If you haven't done it, you really need to. It's a quirky little race on the border of Kentucky and West Virginia. The medal fits with the theme, but I didn't really like how the ribbon was kind of camo colors, and everything else was red, white and blue. No big deal, but I would have liked them to match.

   Everyone at Hatfield McCoy also got a mason jar. If you placed, you got a sticker on top of your jar. 

   Unfortunately, the label maker wasn't really working that day, so my sticker is a little rough, but it's the only time I've placed in a half-marathon so I love it. (Race recap here.)

Chattanooga Waterfont Olympic Triathlon:

   

   I loved this medal for its simplicity.  Sure, it's fun to have really colorful medals, but I thought the shiny silver was nice. I loved the purple ribbon, too. (Race recap here.)

Ironman Chattanooga:

  

    Here it is. The Big One. The quest for this medal took an entire year of planning and six months of training. I love it and don't care that there is a Little Debbie logo on it. Don't. Care. The only thing I would change is that is says that we did a 112 mile ride instead of a 116 mile ride. (Race recap here.)

Mt. Juliet Holiday Half Marathon:

   It's Hipster Santa! Very cute. I love how runners make up Santa's beard. I do wish there weren't quite so many logos, but I get that. Sponsors want to see their logo everywhere. I also wish the 5k had a separate medal. Again - I get it. One medal is a big cost savings, but there is a huge difference between a 5k and a half marathon. I think the medal should reflect that. But it's still cute.  (Race recap here.)

   So that's it for 2014. It's been a lot of fun and look forward to a great 2015!  

Mt. Juliet Holiday Half Marathon Race Recap

   Saturday, Dudley and I ran the inaugural Team Magic Mt. Juliet Holiday Half Marathon.

Hipster Santa is watching you! 

   Based on my recent seasonal funk, I really had a hard time getting pumped for this race. Seriously - I've never been more "meh" about a race, especially a half marathon. I think part of it had to do with the weather. It was cloudy and rainy for the past week, and that morning was more of the same. Plus, my recent traveling has gotten my training all out of whack. I just didn't feel prepared, either mentally or physically. But I had a lot of friends doing the race, and I didn't want to be lame and bail, so I sucked it up and went.
    The good news was that the race had a late start (10:45), so we didn't have to get up crazy early like most races. Though, as much as I liked sleeping in, the later start kind of threw me off. I wasn't sure when to eat or how much caffeine to have. I have a definite routine on race days that starts the minute I wake up. Saturday, I woke up and just kind of hung out. It was weird.
   Anyway, we finally headed down to the race around 9:00. Mt. Juliet is about a half-hour away, so I figured this was more than enough time to get there, pick up our stuff and get ready to race. And it was, though barely. I don't know what Mt. Juliet traffic is like generally, but it was CRAZY on race day.

East Nasty pre-race (Photo courtesy of The Blonde Mule)

   After checking in and making the rounds to find my friends, it was time to race. My goal for 2015 is to finally break 2:00 in a half marathon. I'm pretty close - 2:06, but that's actually a lot of time to shed. Since this race was supposed to be basically flat with only one big hill, my plan was to stick with the 2:00 pacer for as long as I could and see how it all worked out.
   And it worked great - until we hit the big hill at mile 2.5. And it was a big hill. One of those that you see in the distance and curse because you know it's going to hurt. A lot. There was a water station right before the hill, and when I grabbed the water - I lost the pacer. So much for my plan.
   But I kept trudging along. The whole thing about the race being flat was a big, fat LIE. The course was pretty hilly and a lot harder than anyone expected. It was also CRAZY windy. Like the "turn a corner and it feels like someone is smacking you in the face" kind of wind. So, rather than time, I mainly focused on my form. As someone who doesn't come from a running background, I'm always amazed at how small changes in form can make a huge difference in speed and energy. Surprisingly, the miles ticked by pretty quickly. I hit a dark place around miles 6, 10 and 12, but with the exception of mile 12 (which was the longest mile EVER), they passed pretty quickly. Just 2:04 later, I crossed the line with a new PR.

PR on a hilly course? I'll take it! 

Hipster Santa Finisher's medal (Photo courtesy of Team Magic)

   Overall, this was a fun race. I could have done without the wind and hills, but those can't really be helped. Plus, Dudley and I both PRed, which makes the pain a little more bearable. We had to run a little too close to auto traffic at times, but there was a good police presence and I don't think there were any incidents between cars and runners. Team Magic knows what they're doing and puts on a great race. If you have a chance to do one, you should.
   And I'm looking for a New Year's Day Race! If you all have any suggestions, let me know!

Bumpin' & Grindin'

   Last Tuesday, I did took a giant step out of my comfort zone and signed up for a burlesque class.  Yes, that's right - a burlesque class. Why? Because to quote my friend Kim (aka The Blonde Mule) "life's a bitch and then you die, so why not take a burlesque class?"
   Some might be wondering how this came to be, because people probably don't immediately associate me with any kind of dance, especially burlesque. In fact, pretty much all I know about burlesque is that Cher was in a movie about it a few years back. Not that I saw it, so that reference doesn't really help. Anyway, the aforementioned Kim knows Freya, the owner of Nashville's burlesque studio, Delinquent Debutants, and took a class there recently. Our friend and fellow East Nasty Susi read Kim's review about it and thought it would be a great way to celebrate her birthday. (Sidebar - I love that I have friends who celebrate birthdays by taking exercise classes!) As a result, about 12 of us converged down at the DD studio on Charlotte for the "Bumps and Grinds" class.

Pre-Bumpin' & Grindin'!  Happy Birthday, Susi! (Bottom left)

   As stated, I really didn't know what I was getting myself into with this class. However I did know, though burlesque is known for feathers and glitter, what we were going to be doing was pretty tame by their standards. Very basic stuff. No swirling of tassels or anything like that. Which is good because the basic class had me nervous enough! (FYI - there IS a class on tassel swirling in case anyone is interested...)

   But once the class started the nervousness went away and the hilarity began. Y'all - I don't think I've ever had so much fun in an exercise class. Some of the moves are the same things you'd see in other exercise classes, but they're REALLY exaggerated (the bigger the better in burlesque!).  Example: "Bumpin'" is a hip thrust. We do that all the time for core exercises in triathlon. Granted, we also did some "shimmying," which is, and I'll make this a PG as possible because my mother reads this blog, the controlled shaking of your upper body. I can't really envision a use for shimmying in triathlon, but  hey - maybe it'll help with swimming. 

   After learning some of the basic moves, we learned a little dance routine. Fortunately, we were facing away from the mirrors, so I have no idea how I looked doing this thing, but it was a lot of fun. Everyone had giant smiles on their faces the entire time.

   

Strike a pose! (Yes, I'm imitating what the instructor because I have no idea what I'm doing!)

   Long story short - if you want to take a class that is equal parts awesome and hysterical that will completely get you our of your comfort zone - take a burlesque class. What's really great about it (for me anyway) is that it's beneficial to be curvy in this class. Unlike triathlon, you WANT things to jiggle and shake. As someone who is not naturally lean and feels like a giant at races, this was a welcome surprise. 

   So, check out Delinquent Debutantes and take some friends. You won't regret it.

Winter Blues

   Sorry, but this is going to be a giant whine-fest. Feel free to keep reading, but you can't say I didn't warn you...
   I'm officially over Winter. Yes, I know it's not Winter yet, but I'm done. I've already suffered through snow twice this season while traveling and it's December 1st. Thanks to the time change, it's dark outside whenever I want to run or ride. And you can forget about swimming. Pretty much the last thing I want to do on a chilly morning is get my butt out of bed at 5:00 am and jump in a cold pool. Nope. Just don't want to do it.
   I know I go through a similar funk every year, but this year seems worse. Generally, I don't get like this until January. You know - actual Winter. However, this year, I'm throughly annoyed and it's still technically Fall. I think a part of it is that we moved a few months ago, and it's about 15 degrees cooler in this house than the last one. It's like we live in a cave. It's stupid cold and all I want to do is wrap up in a blanket and watch sappy Christmas movies. Or true crime stories on ID. Either one. Just don't make me go outside.
   While there is a part of me that says "You're in the off-season, just relax a bit," I know I need to break out of this funk ASAP. I have a couple of half marathons on the horizon (including one this weekend!) and the Ironman Chattanooga 70.3 in May. Believe me, it's a lot more fun to do a Half Ironman when fully-prepared, than to just fake your way through one. I faked my way though Goosepond 70.3 two years ago, and I'm still having nightmares about it.
   I will probably have to fake my way throughout this weekend's half marathon though. It's Team Magic's TN Sports Medicine Mt. Juliet Holiday Half Marathon. For the love of all that is good, I hope it's flat. If you're not doing anything Saturday afternoon, you should come out. There's a half marathon and a 5k if running is your thing. Plus, there's a Christmas parade after, if you just want to hang out. Either way - come on down!
  See you on the roads (if I can force myself out there)!

Totally Failing

   So, in my last post, I wrote all about how I'm not going to gain weight this Holiday season and I'm going to eat healthy and blah blah blah. Yeah - that was 11 days ago and I'm failing MISERABLY. Like, I'm afraid to step on the scale because I've eaten so much crap over the past week and a half. Y'all, it's BAD.
   The problem is kind of two-fold. The first being that we've had a lot of crazy things happen recently (home plumbing going out, car issues, etc.) that have prevented us from going to the store and purchasing good food. As a result, Dudley and I have been eating for convenience, rather than health. After spending the day in the plumbing aisle of Lowe's or Home Depot, it's much easier to go buy some frozen pizzas and have dinner ready in 10 minutes, than cook a full meal. Frozen pizza doesn't taste as good as a home-cooked meal, but it gets the job done.
   The other issue is, surprise, the food in my office. As mentioned previously, we have candy and snacks everywhere. Just today, I was walking through accounting (ACCOUNTING!! Not even the break room!) and passed a tray of croissants. Since I didn't want to negate the 5.5 miles of running I did this morning, I passed them by. But then I looked into an empty cube and saw some sort of white chocolate ganache cake with strawberry jam icing. I mean, COME ON!! That's not playing fair! And it was home-made, because why wouldn't it be? I work for a restaurant, so OF COURSE, one of our accountants is a former pastry chef. I mean, why wouldn't she be? Doesn't every office have pastry chefs in their accounting department? No? Just us?

   Anyway, after eating the cake (with seconds on the frosting - it was AMAZING. A fluffy, pink cloud of strawberry happiness), I am now rededicating myself to eating better until the end of the year. I don't care if I lose any weight - I just don't want to gain any.
   And, as extra incentive to stay healthy, I'm going to register for an early 70.3 in 2015. Last week, Ironman announced a new race in Chattanooga that is in May. That's really early in the season for a HIM (Half Ironman) - for me, anyway. Generally, I train over the Spring and Summer and have my A race in September. But next year, I'm planning on racing CHOO 70.3, and then, hopefully, both Dudley and I will get into Chicago marathon next October. That's right - a full marathon. That should be interesting. Neither of us have done a stand alone marathon. And I really want to do Chicago. If you're going to probably only do one stand alone marathon, it should be iconic, right?
   I'm off to go log into myfitnesspal. I wonder how many calories pink clouds of strawberry happiness has...  Sigh.

Holiday Feasting Season

   It's upon us again - Holiday Feasting Season. That time of year where there is food everywhere you go. My office is especially bad. Thanks to the holidays and end-of-year birthdays, we will have snack food in our break room almost every day until January 1st. Believe it or not, this is actually an improvement from years past. It used to be EVERY DAY. It would start out with left over Halloween candy for about two weeks. Then we'd move on to a birthday or two, which means cake for a week or chicken-minis from Chick-Fil-A. Then there is Thanksgiving, where we have a catered lunch AND potluck (y'all - I work for a restaurant AND live in the South. Potlucks are insane. And buttery.). By the time December rolls around we're getting the annual shipments of popcorn, cookies, etc. from vendors. Then there is the Christmas luncheon, and we snack off of that for a week. And that's just food from my office. That doesn't factor in the Holiday parties or actual Thanksgiving / Christmas dinners. So by New Year's, it's no surprise that we're 5-10 pounds heavier.

What is currently on my break room table.

   Well, not me. Not this year. I weighed myself on Halloween. I'm at 130 lbs. right now (that's right - I made my weight public) and plan on still being 130 on January 1st. I've reactivated my "myfitnesspal" account and will be logging everything I consume. AND I'm back on my 3-liters of water a day goal. That kind of went out the window when I finished IMCHOO.
   I'm also still exercising. I took a little break after IMCHOO, but I have new goals for 2015 and need to get working on them! But first, I need to knock out this little Holiday Half Marathon in early December. I'm just running it for fun (i.e. very slowly!), but the training will at least keep me moving.
   Do you have fitness goals over the Holidays? Or you just shut it down and enjoy a few months off?

Wayne's World - Wayne's World!

   I'm almost three weeks out from my Ironman, and I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. The first few days after the race, I felt GREAT. Well, I was a little sore, but I had a lot of energy. Then the weekend hit, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Like "getting back in to my pajamas at 3:00 to nap and not getting back up until morning" kind of sleep. I was pretty tired for about four or five days when, finally, the lethargy lifted, and I'm pretty much back to normal now.
   While I have done a few light workouts since my race, for the most part, I've been taking it really easy. I've run a few times, and have been to the pool, but only for short distances. I still haven't made it on my bike yet, though I'm hoping to this weekend. I feel like a complete slacker, but I know my body is still in recovery mode, so I'm trying to not be too hard on myself. One funny note - I was packing up to go to the pool, and Dudley saw my swim bag. Knowing I'm not one to just go swim for the fun of it, he immediately asked, "Did you sign up for something and not tell me?" I seriously think he thought I signed up for another Ironman and just didn't tell him. Umm, no. Though I have heard of people doing that.
   I did do one out-of-the-ordinary thing last week - I was on TV. One of my FTP teammates has a cable-access TV show, and she interviewed several of us FTPers for it. The first segment featured me and Kathy. We spoke about triathlon and our recent Ironmans (Kathy did Ironman Coeur d'Alene in June). Totally felt like I was on Wayne's World (Sidebar: Wayne's World came out in 1992!! Holy Cow! I'm so old!).
   The second segment featured Belinda and Deanna, which was really interesting. Belinda has been racing over 30 years(!), and Deanna over 11. That's a lot of racing! Did you know that before timing chips, you wrote your finish time down on an index card and filed it in a box? Every discipline was manually written down. That's mind-boggling considering all we do now is strap a chip to our ankle, and we get our exact times down to the second.
   The whole TV taping experience was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed spending my evening with these ladies. I don't really remember anything I said, though. I hope I don't look too foolish. The shows start showing today in Nashville at random times. If I can get a link, and I don't look too silly, I'll post it.

Far view of the set.

A closer in.

Kathy, Deanna, me (and The Weapon), Belinda and Becky (the host). 

Bunch of bad-ass ladies, right there!  

   This weekend, I have my first race since IMCHOO. Dudley and I are doing the Wounded Warrior 8k in Franklin. I'm placing bets on how many times I cry. If you all are in town, and aren't doing anything on Saturday, you should come down. 

   See you on the roads! 

 

Ironman Chattanooga - RACE DAY

   This is part three of my Ironman Chattanooga adventure.  For part one, click here and for part two, click here.

   Sleep, of course, did not come easy the night before my race. I tossed and turned all night. I think I ended up with about 4 hours sleep total, with only three of those being of any quality. Transition opened at 4:30, so I set my alarm (ok - three alarms) for 3:30. That way I could eat a bit, stretch and mentally prepare for my day before heading down to transition. Not that I needed any alarms because I woke up around 3:00 anyway. Who needs sleep when you're about to take on the longest endurance event you've ever done? Apparently, not me.

   Dudley and I headed down to transition around 5:00. Honestly, I didn't have a whole lot to do in transition because we dropped everything off, except our special needs bags, the day before. I got body marked and checked out my bike one last time and then headed over to the shuttles that would take us to the swim start. Unlike any other race I've done, Ironman allowed friends and family accompany us to the swim start. I can't tell you how much better it made me feel to have Dudley there with me. I've done a lot of races, but this was my first Ironman. I needed all of the support I could get.

   After what seemed like a WAY too long bus ride to the swim start, we got in line to wait with the other 2,300 athletes for the race to begin at 7:30. It was probably 5:45 by now. The start was first come - first in, so the the earlier you got there, the earlier you could start your swim. I was probably about a third of the way back. Not too bad. I knew my friends Kathy, Meg and Sarah were volunteering at the swim start, but I wasn't sure exactly where. Dudley did a little recon lap and found Kathy, so I went down to say Hi. 

Swim Start Selfie!  

      I got back in line and waited for time to pass, nervously chatting to Dudley and the other athletes - most of whom were first-timers, as well. But before too long, we heard the cannon go off! This meant that the pros were in the water! Then a second cannon! The female pros were in! Finally, a third cannon, which was for the Age-Groupers! My race had officially started! I put on my goggles and swim cap, and quickly moved down the line. The race organizers said to be ready once the line starts moving, because it moves faster than you think. You didn't want to be "that guy" holding up the line futzing with your goggles on the starting dock. They weren't kidding either. The line moved a lot faster than I thought it would. I think I heard they got all 2,300+ of us in the water in 25 minutes. Crazy. 

   The swim start was one of the two times I really got emotional during my race. Specifically, it was when I was saying good-bye to Dudley. I almost LOST it. I just couldn't believe what I was about to race an Ironman! I was scared to DEATH! Knowing how bad it would be to cry with goggles on, I turned away from him and focused on my race plan. Less than a minute later, I was jumping into the Tennessee River and my race had officially begun.

Seriously about to freak out here.

   Once in the water, I immediately moved away from the dock, so other swimmers wouldn't jump on top of me. I then took about 10 seconds to regroup and check my goggles, and I was off! I knew I could swim the distance, because I had covered over 2.4 miles in training several times. Granted, it was never in open water, but with a very generous current, I wasn't too worried about missing any time cut-off. My main concern with the swim was how hard to push myself. Unlike biking and swimming, where I'm generally energized by the workout, swimming really wipes me out. And the last thing I wanted was to be worn out so early in the day. So, I took the swim pretty conservatively. I tried to draft when I could, but I had a hard time finding good feet to follow. They were either too fast, or too slow. Most of the time, I just cruised along solo. I knew I could swim faster, but I didn't push at all, and I still made it out of the water in an hour flat. Thank you current!!  

Thankful I didn't drown.

   There was a bit of a run to transition, part of which was uphill. Normally, when I get out of the water, I'm a little dizzy and need to get my bearings. Not this time, though. I was able to start running (jogging) immediately, get to transition, grab my gear bag and head over to the changing tent in just a minute or two. I guess I was pretty early out of the water because there weren't many people in the tent yet. I had been warned that the changing tent would be crazy packed, but I was able to find a seat easily. I took out my cycling shoes and helmet out of the gear bag and put them on, then threw my swim cap and goggles back into the bag, handed it to a volunteer and I was off for the bike! It all happened so fast that I thought for sure I forgot something, but fortunately, I didn't. Now, I just had to get through 116 miles of cycling.

   

I'm on my way!!

   

   Coach Andrew made it very clear in my race plan that I was supposed to take it easy for the first 13 miles, and then increase speed. However, even after the first 13 miles, I really never supposed to hammer it. The key to Ironman is pacing. Go out too hard on the bike, and you'll pay for it on the run. So, even if I could ride faster, I had to rein it in. And I did. It was hard, because I got passed a lot, but I stayed within my assigned zones for the entire bike leg.

   The ride itself was pretty uneventful for me, thankfully. I had been able to ride the course several times prior to the race, so I knew exactly what to expect. It's a two-loop lollipop course. We rode about 13 miles out of town, then rode two loops of the course, and then the 13 miles back to transition. There are only two hills of any significance, with a bunch of rollers thrown in throughout the course. Fortunately, I live in an area where the terrain is hillier than what we experienced on race day, so I didn't think the course was too bad. Don't get me wrong - I felt those hills, especially on the second loop. But considering we literally could have been climbing mountains, I was very happy with the layout of the bike course - even with the extra four miles. I was also really happy with how IM shuttled out friends and families out to Chickamauga (a little town about half-way of the course) to cheer us on. I now know what it feels like to be a professional cyclist because the crowds in Chickamauga were AMAZING! They were screaming, ringing cowbells and just generally going crazy. It was fantastic.
   What I wasn't happy with were the jerks who decided to spread oil and tacks throughout the bike course. Yes, we were sabotaged. The good news is that the Ironman staff saw the oil and police were able to divert the racers around the oil by the time we got there. The bad news is the about 30 racers got flats from the tacks. Seriously, I don't get people. Who sabotages a race course?
   A mere 6:07 later, I pulled back into transition and got ready for my run. Ironman is really efficient with bike-to-run transition in that they take your bike for you. So, after I got off my bike, I was immediately greeted by a volunteer who took my bike and racked it for me. That allowed me to run over, grab my run bag and head over to the changing tent. I quickly changed my shoes and swapped my bike helmet for a running visor. This was also where I made the biggest mistake of my race...I didn't apply body glide before the run. The volunteer who was helping me actually said "Do you need Body Glide?" And I said, "No, I think I'm OK," and ran out of the tent. Remember this for later.
   When you started the run, you had to first run back down the hill you ran up after the swim. Yeah - I almost bit it here. Big time. Wouldn't that have been the worst? For me to sprain my ankle not even five minutes into the run? Fortunately, that didn't happen and I made it onto the run course safely.

Only 26.2 miles to go!  

 
   Considering the longest distance I had ever run consecutively was 15 miles, I really had no idea how this marathon was going to shake out. As with the bike course, the run course was two-loops. It started out on the flat greenway, then we turned onto the Anmicola Highway, which was hillier than I expected. After Anmicola, we ran up to Veteran's Bridge, which led us to North Chattanooga. This is where the REAL fun began. There are hills, and then there are North Chattanooga hills. They were truly awful. Not crazy steep, but they lasted FOREVER. We then headed back over the Pedestrian's Bridge and started the second loop.
   As with the bike leg, Coach Andrew had a pretty detailed race plan for my run. I was to start out with an 11:00/mile for the first 6 miles, and then speed up or slow down, depending on the terrain. Though I got passed a lot that first 6 miles, I stuck to that plan a close as possible. I knew if I went out too fast, I would really pay for it on the hills - especially on the second loop. And I have to say, during the first loop of the course, I felt pretty good. Well, my legs felt good.

All smiles here!

Still smiling!! :-)

   Though my legs were OK, what I did have an issue with was chafing. Remember how I refused the Body Glide in transition? That was a really stupid thing to do. I'm not going to go into any graphic detail here, but I will say that I was in a lot of pain where my kit was rubbing. Like "Oh My God, I have to get this fabric off me NOW!!" kind of pain. Since removing my kit wasn't an option, I had to stop and grab some Vaseline from the water stops every couple of miles. The Vaseline helped some, but the damage was done. I'm still kicking myself for being so stupid and not applying Body Glide in transition.
   Mile by mile, the race went on. Though the crowd was sparse on the greenway and on Anmicola, they were out in full-force on the rest of the run. It was great seeing so many of my FTP teammates, and other IM friends on the course. It seemed whenever I was hurting, I would see a friendly face, and that was awesome. I think between athletes, coaches, friends and family, I knew about 100 people in Chattanooga that day. To have that level of encouragement on the course was unbelievable.
   I did have some dark moments though. Crossing the Veteran's Bridge for the second time (mile 21ish), I was really hurting. EVERYTHING hurt. And I knew I was about the enter the hardest part of the course again. I saw Dudley on the bridge and he was yelling and clapping and being the best cheerleader ever. I think I worried him because I wasn't the smiley person I had been the last time he saw me. I told him I needed was a hug, which he obliged. And even the hug hurt. But it kept me going.
   Almost five hours from when I started the marathon, I hit the 25 mile mark, and I got emotional again. That was the first time that I truly realized that I was going to finish. And not just crawl over the line, which I would have been happy with at the start of the day. No, I was going to finish strong. While I wasn't exactly sure of my time, I knew I had surpassed any time goal I set for this race.
   The Ironman finish line is a crazy place. It's really noisy. There is loud music playing and people are screaming, clapping, and banging on the signs that line the finishing chute. It has just gotten dark when I finished, and they have the finish lit up with the lights right in your eyes. As I was running down the chute, I couldn't really see anything beyond the finishing arch...until I looked up an saw the shadow of someone at the finish line jumping up and down with their arms in the air. It was my friend, former neighbor, and FTP training partner Kathy. She not only volunteered at the swim start, but she was also the volunteer who put my medal around my neck. So freakin' cool.

I DID IT!! 

Serious smiles here!

  My final time? 12:16:42. I was ecstatic. Though I really had no idea what my time would be since this was my first Ironman, I assumed I would be in the 13-14 hour range. I never thought I'd be sub-12:30. Granted, I know a lot of that was weather. We had PERFECT race conditions on Sunday - overcast and 70's. It even rained a bit on the run. If it had been the 85 and sunny, this would have been a completely different race for most of us.

I'm an Ironman!  

   It would take an entire blog post to list everyone I need to thank for my race experience. I, obviously, need to start with my amazing IronSherpa Dudley. Though I know the 4:00am weekend alarms got old for him, he was my biggest supporter and cheerleader throughout my training and on race day. I have no idea how I would have done this race without him. Thank you so much, Honey.

   I also need to thank Andrew and Jessica from FTP Coaching. Their guidance over the past five months got me to the point where all I needed to do on race day was execute the race plan. Any questions about pacing and nutrition had already been answered - all I had to do was race. I can't tell you how much that helped my stress level. Plus, they were all over that Ironman course. With 20 FTP athletes out there, I'm sure they were like proud parents on graduation day.

   And speaking of parents, the only thing that would have made IMCHOO absolutely perfect is if my parents would have been able to be there. Unfortunately, they were across the country and couldn't make it. But their support has been tremendous. 

   Thank you also to my FTP Teammates and the Nashville triathlon community. It was an honor to train with you all the past few months. We suffered together frequently over the past few months (HOT 100, anyone?), but I loved every minute of it. You all rock.

   And to everyone who was cheering me on either on the course (EAST NASTY!), or following me at home - THANK YOU. I was truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I received. I'm truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. 

   I have no idea what's next, other than a week or two of relaxation. I've been asked if I'll sign up for another Ironman, and I think it's safe to say that I will. Although, I'm a little hesitant to. Chafing issues aside, IMCHOO was such a great experience that my next Ironman would probably be a let down. Maybe I should stick to shorter distances - I did see the Goat Gallop 5k this Saturday in Lewisburg. That might be interesting...  

   See you on the roads! 

Ironman Chattanooga:

Swim: 1:00:55  

T1: 6:14

Bike: 6:07:53

T2: 4:47

Run: 4:56:53

Total: 12:16:42

Photos courtesy of: Dudley Lightsey, Derrick Rice, Kathy Roeder, Glenda Crowder, Joy Howard, FTP Coaching and FinisherPix.

Ironman Chattanooga Race Report- Part 2

   One would think that with my first Ironman on two days, I wouldn't have to get up early to run. But that's exactly what I did on Friday morning. My coach set up a 7:30 am run for the team to shake our legs out a bit. Fortunately, it was only about two miles.

Paul, Kevin, Derrick, Nikki, me and Coach Andrew (photo courtesy of Kevin)

   Afterwards, Dudley and I went on a quest to find a bagel shop for breakfast. Downtown Chattanooga may have a lot of things, but one thing it doesn't have is a bagel shop. So, we ended up at a little diner called the Innside Restaurant. Y'all - the breakfast for the two of us was less than $8.00. And it was good! I would have eaten there every meal if it was a little closer to our hotel.
   The rest of Friday was basically spent hanging out, napping and waiting for that evening's athlete banquet. I'd heard mixed things about the athlete's banquet - mainly about how bad the food is - but since this was my first IM, I wanted to go. I'm really glad I did.

HELLO Athletes!! 

   The banquet was free for athletes, but guests had to purchase a ticket online ahead of time. I totally slacked on this and the banquet was sold out when I tried to get a ticket for Dudley. Fortunately, he still had some work to do, so he dropped me off at the Convention Center where I met up with some of my FTP team mates for dinner. How we all found each other is still a surprise because the banquet was packed! 

This only shows about 1/3 of the room!  

   We heard from a few speakers, including Mike Reilly - "The Voice of Ironman," and Chris McKee, the VP of Little Debbie (and whose family started the company), who spoke about the controversy of having them as the title sponsor. I have to say - the more I learn about this company, the more I like them. They are huge supporters of Chattanooga, and also encourage a healthy life-style. They just want you to have an Oatmeal Creme Pie every once in a while.

   Then Ironman started playing their inspirational videos. You know - the ones showing people overcoming unspeakable odds to finish their races while dramatic music is playing in the background. I swear - there wasn't a dry eye in the place. We also heard from the youngest and the oldest participants in the race. The youngest was 23 or 24, while the oldest was 78. SEVENTY-EIGHT!! And you know what? He didn't start racing Ironman until he was 72. Y'all - seriously - we have no excuse to not be out there doing something. I think we all left the banquet sufficiently inspired to tackle whatever the race threw at us.

   Saturday morning, Team FTP met up for a short bike ride. This was mainly to make sure everything was in proper working order before bike check-in later that day. Fortunately, none of us had any issues, so we headed on to our next item on the agenda - team photos.

Such a good-looking group of crazy people.

   I then had to check-in my bike and transition bags. I had all of my transition bags packed from before we left Nashville, so getting everything together was really easy. I just moved everything from my pre-packed bag to my official Ironman bag. Even though I knew I had everything covered, I felt uncomfortable about checking everything in. You're basically giving a stranger the most important things you're going to need for the race (bike, bike shoes, helmet, running shoes) and hope everything going to be there the next morning. Not a fan.

The Weapon - ready to rock!  

So many bikes!! Love the Honey Buns in the background.

So many bags!  And that's only part of the run bags!  There's another set of bike bags!

   After checking everything in, I had nothing to do but rest. So, that's what I did for the rest of the day. Just stayed off my feet as much as possible and rested for the next day - RACE DAY! Would I be an Ironman at the end of it? I had no idea.

Next up - Race day!!! 

   

Ironman Chattanooga Race Report - Day One!

   Dudley and I arrived in Chattanooga on Thursday around 2:00 pm. Though the race wasn't until Sunday, I wanted to get in town and relax for a few days before race day. I'm really glad I did.
   The first thing we did was check into our hotel - the Hilton Garden Inn. Check in usually isn't until 4:00, but they allowed us to even though it was only 2:00. Thanks, Hilton! The staff was very excited about having the Ironman in Chattanooga, and we even received a little welcoming bag from the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce! Nice touch, CoC.

Coupons, Powerade, a Moon Pie and an Oatmeal Creme Pie. What else could a potential Ironman need?

   One thing that was interesting about our room was that is was a "whirlpool room." The employee who checked me in was all excited about this fact. "Oh - YOU got a whirlpool room" - like I was someone really special or something. Know what a whirlpool room is? A room with a giant whirlpool IN it! Not in the bathroom, where you would expect it. Nope, actually IN THE ROOM. And it was huge! Seriously - the thing took up half the room - it had columns and everything. And if you've ever done a triathlon, you know how much gear this sport requires. So, guess what became my race staging area? Yep - the whirlpool.

So. Much. Stuff.

   After unloading an amazing amount of luggage, Dudley and I headed down to Ironman Village, which is what they call their expo. I have to say, I've been to hundreds of expos since I started running 5 years ago, and I have never felt the feeling I had when walking into this one. Generally, I'm excited, which I was here, too. But I also had an overwhelming sense that I was completely out of my league and that I had no right to be there. This is freakin' IRONMAN. These races are no joke. What the hell was I doing there? Well, other than taking a lot of photos.

Welcome to the most intimidating expo ever.

   I decided to pick up my bib number before looking around at all of the vendors or the Ironman merchandise tent. It was kind of a weird system. You first have to stop by a table in the front of the tent where you show your ID and USAT card, and they give you a piece of paper with your bib number on it. Then you take that piece of paper and show it two the IM bouncers at the front of the check in tent. Once they deem you're OK, you're allowed to enter the tent. Then you go to a table where you're given two forms: one that signs any right to sue if you should die during the event and the other giving Ironman permission to contact your loved ones if you do die. Remember, this is the FIRST table you come to when you enter the tent. I understand that Ironman needs to protect themselves from lawsuits, but do they have to scare the crap out of you right at the start?  Geez.

Yikes!  

   After signing your life away, you go to another table and are issued your race packet. Inside is your bib number, stickers for your bike, helmet and race day bags. THEN you move to another table where you get your timing chip. Of course, by now you're holding a bunch of random stuff, because on top of all of your race necessities, they give you 5 pounds of magazines and a poster. Fortunately, they do give you a bag to put it all in. Unfortunately, it's in the merchandise tent. Because why wouldn't it be? So, you have wander over there and stand in line to get your (very nice) backpack. Of course, what do you do while you're standing in line? Look at all of the cool Ironman swag they have for sale! Very sneaky, Ironman.

   $200 later, Dudley and I were back in the hotel room with all of my race stuff AND new IM swag (M-Dot name shirt, a tri-top, a water bottle and a long-sleeved running shirt). I know that might seem like a lot, but I know several people who spent twice that. One girl I met admitted to purchasing over $1,000 worth of merchandise - and she was buying more! Crazy. 

   Dudley and I then, finally, went out to eat. Unfortunately, while my favorite restaurant, J. Alexander's, does have a Chattanooga location, it's not located downtown. Since we'd been traveling and didn't want to get back in the car, we just hit a local joint and got a salad. It was really cool walking around downtown because you got to see how much support the race had by the local establishments. There were welcome signs everywhere.

   I didn't want to spend to much time on my feet, and Dudley had to get some work done, so we headed back to the hotel to nap (me) and work (Dudley). We then met up with some of my FTP teammates for dinner. That was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, while we train together a lot, we don't get to socialize that much, so it was good to just hang out and chat. 

   Next up: Day Two of my IM adventure! 

It's Time!

   Tomorrow is the big day!!  It's so strange to think that my IMCHOO journey is almost over. I seriously have no idea what I'm going to do with myself next weekend when I don't have to get up at 4:30 to go ride.

Hey - that's ME!

   I wanted to take a minute and thank everyone for being so supportive throughout this experience. Ironman takes up so much of your life, and unfortunately, many things go to the wayside. I've missed many social events because I had to go ride my bike or get to the pool. I haven't even been able to run with East Nasty because it wasn't in my schedule! You kind of think that you're forgotten by everyone outside of triathlon. But so many people have reached out this week to wish me good luck - I'm really overwhelmed. I'm very fortunate to have all of you in my life. I really appreciate all of your well-wishes, and will carry them with me throughout the race tomorrow. 

   I'd also like to thank everyone who has trained with me this year, especially my FTP teammates. Misery loves company, and I loved suffering out there with all of you. Of course, I wouldn't be here right now without Coach Andrew and Coach Jessica from FTP.  Thank you for all of your sound advice and pushing me further than I thought possible. 

Team FTP! 

   My last thanks are for my family. My parents and brother have always been a source of unwavering support, no matter how crazy my ideas seem. I am also very fortunate to have wonderful in-laws who encourage me at every step. And I really have no words to describe how wonderful my husband, Dudley, has been throughout this madness. It would be impossible to have done this with without him. Thank you so much. I love you all.

   OK - that's it! Gottta get ready for tomorrow!! See you all at the finish line (I hope!!)!