Road Trip

I’m really excited to take off this weekend with my best buddies en route to the Pigman Sprint triathlon. Although it may seem crazy to drive 4+ hours for a 70 min race, this event is certainly worth it. Similar to last year, we’ll pile 4 people, 4 bikes, and gear into our mini van for yet another Fun race experience. We may even have a pug along for the ride!!

Last year, the Pigman organizers decided to do an Equalizer challenge for the elite racers. They came up with a time handicap for the women with a goal to have a sprint finish between the top man and woman. With TJ Tollakson on the start line, the women received close to a 10 min head start. The race is only .5K swim, 25K bike, and 5K run, so its a red line effort all the way (just the way I like it). Although the equalizer winner took home an extra $500, the equalizer was a novelty, and MY GOAL for the race was to break the existing course record… I got out on the bike in the lead (it was neat experience to follow the Lead Car), and rode as hard as I could. The run was painful, and although I noticed I still had a sizable lead on TJ at the turnaround, I kept digging deep knowing I had no time to spare if I wanted the record. I finished about a minute and half in front of TJ (his actual margin of victory was 8:23), and I snuck under the record time. This year, my goal is the same…I want to break my CR. With DKT and TJ on the line this weekend, I’m sure it will be interesting. I can’t imagine the women will get the same generous equalizer, but that only adds to the fun!!

Good luck to all the racers this weekend—BE GREAT!

Full Effort = Full Victory

Much to my coach’s discontent, I have never done a great job of labeling races as A, B, or C priority. Every race is important to me, and I try to give each race my full effort, and of course I want the results to match. However, when you race almost every weekend, there are certainly races that require a different focus… This weekend was one of those races.

I raced last Sunday, and followed that up with a solid training week and Black Dog TT Wednesday night. I was on the start list for Saturday’s Apple Duathlon, however remained uncommitted to attend until Kerry and I decided at the last minute to make a fun challenge out of it. We decided to go head to head and started together in the Elite wave. Kerry is much stronger than I am in training, but does not have the race day gear that I seem to find. He’s definitely out there for fun, and the ‘Hurt Box’ type suffering is not his calling…(so yes, I got him by a few minutes).

I have never done this race before: (1) because I’m generally scared of Duathlons, and (2) because it stings together 4 weeks of racing. Running is my weak link, so I figured racing a Du was a great way to challenge myself. I reviewed prior results to get a feel for times, and came up with Time Goals. This is not typical for me with short mulitsport events, as I just typically just go as hard as I can, skip the watch, and simply race other people. I knew this race would have a solid field, and mentally I did not want to think about anyone else…This race was about me and my time goals.

First run was on pace, and I came into T1 in 6th place, but moved myself to 3rd within the fist ½ mile of the bike. I could see the two leaders ahead, but they were moving fast. The last 8 miles of the bike course was into a 20mph wind, which required a lot of self motivation to stay strong and focused. I recalled Bree’s quote form her blog last week, “The Body achieves what the mind believes”, and I overcame my temptation to hide in the ditch out of the wind. Thanks Bree for the great inspiration!

Coming out of T2, I could see 2nd place about 50yds ahead, and could not see 4th place. I worked hard to hold a solid pace, and focused on putting all my effort into MY run. For me, this race was about my time goals, and digging deep to race at FULL EFFORT. I felt strong and steady and was trilled to see my splits at the end. I made my running goals, and just missed my bike goal by 30 sec…Which was OK considering the wind we faced today. I was very pleased with my race, picked up a nice $300 check (3rd) and now I’m stronger for the races ahead. Full Effort=Full Victory!! A huge congrats go out to all the competitors especially the women’s overall winner. Marlo bounced back from injury to a ‘Marloesque’ race on Saturday morning. She is such a star, and it’s wonderful to see her perform closer to her potential. For the past few years, Marlo has raised the bar and it’s a great challenge trying to keep up.

We opted to skip the plethora of long group rides Sunday morning, in exchange for sleeping in, hanging out around the house, and riding when WE decided. We finally saddled up and hit the roads for a 65 mile ride around noon. Winds were still relentless but we wisely chose our route ensuring a beautiful tailwind on the final leg home. We did the Triangle ride (those from the area know the route) and the Hypotenuse of our triangle was pretty much a straight head wind. I would choose to climb mountains any day over riding into a tough wind, but this is what we get here in Mpls. It’s typically so defeating for me, but luckily today, Kerry and I worked together in classic team TT format. I took more than my share of quality pulls, knowing that I need to get used to dealing with tough winds if I hope to survive in Kona this fall. Our ride was a test of metal fortitude, and WE Passed! The power of teamwork!

I hope everyone has a Wonderful Memorial day—I’m off to the trails for a 10 mile run!

Cheers!

PS-In regards to the pro-card comments… thanks! That deserves its own post (stay tuned), but luckily I’m not really thinking about that until after KONA. When I qualified last fall, I did not want to relinquish my first opportunity to race on the Big Island. Right now, I’m just trying to improve, stay healthy and enjoy every minute. So far, so good!

Life...'I'm lovin' It'

[insert McDonald’s jingle here]

Maybe it’s the recent string of Sunny days, the successful kick off to my tri season, the banner day I had at the office, or simply the fact that I just finished Video Skype’ing with Kerry (who’s in London), but I am bursting at the seams, and joy is oozing out.

Consider yourself warned: If you have difficulty enjoying other people’s bubbly happiness, and random musings, PLEASE MOVE ON. There are plenty of great blogs listed on the right of the page and I’d certainly hate to add any additional grief to someone’s day.

It was such a beautiful weekend here in the Twin Cities. A little chilly and windy at times, but most importantly the sun was out! The Gear West Duathlon has been a long standing race favorite in the area, and this year was no exception. Temps were in the low 50s at the start, but it didn’t take long to get warmed up with the enthusiasm among us. We have such a wonderful tri community here in the Twin Cities which makes every race feel like a party for me!!

As expected, the first run was painful and I came into T1 in 2nd place, I moved smoothly through Transition and managed to get out on my bike in the lead. I hammered hard from the start knowing it was critical for me to get the job done on the bike. With the wind, I was struggling to find good rhythm, however, I keep hammering. Still expecting Marlo to come flying by me…I made the final turn towards t2 but didn’t see anyone. This was the first time I thought that I could actually win the race. I flew through T2 (3rd fastest including the pro men) and started the 2nd run. Although Marlo is known to pull off amazing run splits; I figured she was not performing at full strength if I was still in the lead! I held my position though the finish and captured my first GW DU Victory (I had a nice chat with Marlo post race and she mentioned that she’s suffering with a high Hamstring injury-Poor thing-she is so unbelievably talented and I hope she gets back to form soon).

I was so wonderful to see Jeremy Sartain at the race on Sunday. Jeremy (my fellow Team MN representative from Best of the US) had a VERY serious motorcycle accident about a month ago. This was such a terrible tragedy for Jeremy. He had been training so hard, had a full race schedule in place and had qualified for the 2008 Ironman World Championships. With the severity of his injuries, he will not be racing this year; however he will channel his energy into recovery with the goal of returning to racing in 2009. If anyone can do it, it’s Jeremy (and Marit C-L), and I wish nothing but the best for him and Jenny. Jeremy is yet another reminder that our ability to race, train and be active is truly a gift…I’ve been working hard to BE PRESENT, FILTER THE NOISE, and to truly appreciate every moment.

Today was a Banner Day at the office. Just one of those days, when everything worked and good ideas where streaming. Indeed when you work in the Technology Group, more specifically the Data Warehousing division of a large financial institution, these days are far and few between. In an attempt to keep the remaining readers awake, I’ll keep the details to myself (actually against corporate policy to blog about work) so I’ll leave it at that…I was a GREAT day at the office.

Video Skype-Awesome!! With Kerry in London for a few days, communication with my hubby is limited. Luckily during international travel we typically connect via Skype phone, but tonight, as our phone conversation continued we realized we were both in front of a mac computer. Needless to say (Kerry is the epitome of GEEK Tech guy), we quickly installed Skype on our machines and before long, we were Video Skyping!! I know I’m probably way behind the times on this one, but regardless, it was great see Kerry and share the great moments of the day…We’ve been married for almost 6 years now, yet each and every time I see him, I still get that warm fuzzy happiness. (You’re the best honey-See you soon).

To cap a wonderful day, I had a chance to venture out on my Mtn bike tonight. I love my bike (all pick cables and pink Chris King headset) however, with my focus on road cycling, I haven’t taken the time to use my fat tires. Since the 2006 Xterra World Champs in Maui, I can probably count the # of rides on that bike with one hand (that race left scars, both literally and figuratively). I’d like to announce that the scars have now healed, and I expect it will be a different story this year-I had a delightful ride through Lebanon Park, and I can’t wait until next time (no XTERRA in the plans though).

Tomorrow night-Another Black Dog 7.2 mile TT. I can feel the burn already!!

OK-I’m running out of hours in the day…I’m off to bed. I’ll add photos later.

MIT Wind Tunnel

I can’t believe its Wednesday evening and I’m just now getting the chance to post a weekend recap of my trip to Boston. First off, I love that city. This was my first visit and I fell in love with its rich history and vibrant character. We did most of our sight seeing while running or biking, which I loved, but someday I’d like to return and explore at a slower pace.

The wind tunnel experience was incredible. Thankfully Gear West Bike & Tri has a zealous approach to quality, and with that, everything was planned and ready to go Saturday morning. Initially when I was asked to go to the Wind Tunnel, I debated if this was something I needed. Well, I guess ‘needed’ remains to be seen, but I do know that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m SO glad I went.


Thankfully I did not test first…let’s just say I could have frozen to death (ok maybe that’s exaggerated, but I would have suffered). The tunnel temp that morning was 50 degrees and couple that with the 30+mph wind, and your facing serious wind chill. After all, you’re not going to wear warm bulky clothes in there-The dragometer would be off the charts!

Although I did not hear the marquee call the Engineers made to the Power plant informing them of their intention to start up the tunnel (2 mega Watts at start up requires warning), with the noise, I was well aware we were ready to go.

Luckily it approached 60degrees by the time I tested. My first few tests focused on stack height, then we moved onto aerobar angle. That was pretty interesting, as it seems my drag factor was optimal as my bars approached 30 degrees. “True Floyd Landis style”. I don’t think I could ride that way, especially for an Ironman, but I will probably settle in closer to 15 degrees (originally I was at 3 degrees). I also tested the Zipp aerobars, my aero helmet vs. non-aero helmet, and the drag factor of different clothing. I used a skin suit as my baseline, then I moved into a Speedo fastskin flowed by a two piece (tri short and tri top). Once again, no data analysis yet, but I’m looking forward to the results.

A special thanks to my Tunnel Sherpa’s Kevin and Kris who flawlessly reconfigured my bike throughout my entire test. They were so unbelievably efficient, which is of utmost importance when tunnel time in limited and expensive. Additionally a special kudos to David and Hanna, both MIT grads who established my testing protocol, and will soon provide my data in ‘non-MIT’ language.
Post testing, we enjoyed a quality 60 min run through downtown Boston all while viewing the historic sites, including the Boston Marathon finish line. I love the fact that the finish line is painted on the street in the middle of downtown. We enjoyed a wonderful Seafood dinner at Legal Seafood’s, then took the T downtown to Faneuil Hall for shopping.
Sunday morning David and I hit the MIT track, and although I did not partake in his sub 5 min mile repeats, I did have a good speed session. After the run, we rejoined our group for a beautiful bike ride to Concord. We had a nice size group, with seven of us from the Cities, and a few members of the MIT cycling team. Total saddle time was over 4 hours. You can check out a 5 min video of our ride here on Yndecam. Afterwards, it was time for a quick shower, fast fuel, and to the airport for a 6pm flight.

As I reflect on the weekend, I’m shocked at how much we did in such a short time. Indeed, with all of us being Type-A triathletes, we wouldn’t have it any other way.


Next up: The local multisport season kicks off this weekend with the Gear West Duathlon. This is the first race in the 10 race Midwest Multisport series, so it will be fast and competitive. Although I’m excited to catch up with the local racers, I am well aware that the HURT FACTOR WILL BE HIGH. I love to swim, and when the guns goes off on Sunday, and everyone takes off at Mach speed… I’ll be looking for the nearest pond to start my swim!!

Best of luck to everyone racing this weekend-HAVE FUN!

Black Dog TT & off to Bean Town

The Popular Black Dog Time Trial Series kicked off this week, and near perfect conditions greeted the 100+ riders Wednesday night. The ‘Dog’, is a series of 9 TTs staged on a flat 7 mile out and back every other Wednesday throughout the summer. The roads have become increasingly bumpy (LARGE Potholes and Minnesota go hand in hand), and the road remains open to vehicle traffic, yet the 100+ riders in attendance is proof of the increasing popularity of racing in the area.
Time Trials are always gut wrenching, but I was eager to suit up and see how well my engine was operating. I had no idea what to expect, but the door was wide open and I was decked in full race kit, complete with 808 front and disk back, I put the hammer down. I was not sure how it was going while I was out there, but when I crossed the finish line I was trilled t see a 20 sec PR. Over the course of the series last year (I did 6 races), my average time was 16:42, and Wednesday night I pulled off a 16:17. Now my goal is to break the coveted 16 min mark this year! Hopefully the adventure I have on tap this weekend will help me get there...


This Weekends Adventure:

Today I’m off to Boston where I’ll join pro triathlete/bike machine David Thompson (DKT) at the MIT wind tunnel. Although I’m not one to spend too much time analyzing the details of my aerodynamics, I decided that was an opportunity I could not pass up. David and I are both part of the Gear West Elite team, and Gear West, along with Zipp, Lightspeed and Speedo, helped put this weekend adventure together. David and his wife Hanna are both MIT grads so I’m sure we’ll get the inside view while touring campus. We have a full weekend of Training/sight seeing planned (these activities are bundled together as most of our sight seeing will be on bike, or while running), and Tunnel testing is scheduled for Saturday morning. I have a 1 hour slot where we’ll work though our predetermined test plan to gather as much info as possible. My main focus will be aerobar setup i.e. stack height, arm width, and Brand (Zipp vs, Vision). I will also test various clothing, and hydration options. Should be a blast-Literally as I get hit with a 30mph wind!

It should be an exciting weekend, and I’m trilled to have the chance to explore a new city with friends. Kerry has come along as Photo Crew so I’ll be sure to post plenty of pics throughout the weekend.

PS-thanks for all the Kona accommodation suggestions. I’m very close to booking. Now I just need to decide when I should arrive. W

Two Months of Blogging-What FUN!

Although I just started blogging a few months ago, I’ve become interested in the racing, training, and life stories of so many new people. What makes this so enjoyable for me is the shared PASSION many of us have not just for triathlon but more importantly for life in general.

I was first pulled into ‘blogland’ through Jen Harrison’s blog after the Best of the US race last fall. Of course, I wish I found her blog before the race so I would have been less intimidated to introduce myself… but better late than never! Through her blog, I found a wealth of other great reads, and this spring I joined ‘blogland’. Now I truly enjoy sharing stories, commenting, and caring about my blogger friends. It’s such a great way to learn, to be inspired, and offer support to others with similar interests (it’s also a great way to past time while commuting by bus to work every day).

I love the sense of knowing someone before you ever meet them in person. This weekend, I had a chance to meet a blogger buddy: I read that Iron Kate Monster was coming to town for a training camp, so I had to jump in on the fun and meet this gal in person. We’ve been reading each others blogs for the last few months, so I knew her ‘story”: Her Race plans/history, her kids names, the story behind her awesome Cancer Sucks suit— Many details that you may never pick up during a short training session. Generally, I’m a fairly shy person and have never been good with self introductions, but when I first saw Kate, I gave her a big hug and couldn’t wait to get to know her better.

Since I started blogging, I’ve also become interested in the weekend's race results, and searching for familiar names. Of course, the results become much more interesting when you’ve read about the emotions, the pain, and the triumphs surrounding the race. I’m so impressed with all the amazing attitudes out there. Thanks to everyone for sharing such great stories!

In addition to the new connections, blogging has been a great way to stay in touch with existing family and friends. In the past, I would find myself repeatedly writing the same story to different people when asked ‘how are things going, what I’ve been up too, how’s was the race’ etc. Now it’s great-They get the highlights from the blog, which leaves us with more time to chat about the details!

Thanks for all the comments (both in the blog and in email) and I look forward to keeping you up to date with all the latest stories.

I had to include a few photos from SCS Masters swim practice Saturday morning...I had so much fun diving off the blocks (my health club pool doesn't have blocks, so evidently this was a special treat)!





Cheers!!

Wait-Now I’m asking for help! I have a goal to FIND AND RESERVE a condo in KONA for Ironman before the end of this week. Although I qualified at Ironman Florida, I’ve been procrastinating. Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks!