Ironman Canada Bound!!!

Well, I will have to say it seems like I would never get to the point of typing out the title of this blog. I can't believe we are leaving for Canada bright and early Wednesday morning!!!!!

We started training on January 1st----Oh, I recall ALL too well those freezing cold mornings on the bike and run, as well as throwing off my clothes as fast as I could by the pool in order to jump in before I froze my booty off :) I remember the solid 2 weeks of rain, where we were thankful we actually rode the trainer as much as we did!!!

Then comes summer: Oh boy, did summer arrive this year!!! This has been the hottest summer I EVER remember. It has been a challenge (understatement) training through this weather. There has been several death marches at the end of long runs.
I also remember the weekly "hill bound" sessions. I look back at those and smile for some reason. It was the Cassell's vs. the hills. I know we looked so strange to morning commuters in their cars as they headed to work. Up and down. Up and down. Wonder if that ol' hill misses us? :)

I have fond, and not so fond, memories of our 2 trips to Chattanooga. Mississippi vs. Chattanooga hills. What weekends they were!!! We felt so proud of ourselves for battling up those mountains and not letting our minds take over and tell us we couldn't do it.

And let's not forget ALL the many early 4am wake up calls, when we would have done anything to sleep in, but instead we woke up and completed those Tuesday and Wednesday morning bricks.

How about the Sunday morning recovery rides? Matt and I both agreed that those were our favorite rides. There was something so peaceful about waking up and taking an easy bike ride over the Reservoir, watching the sun rise over the water. It was so peaceful :)

Somehow, this Ironman training seemed to go by faster though than Ironman Florida. Maybe it was because we had lots of friends to train with? Maybe it was because it was in the peak of tri season? Who knows.

I decided to make a list of things I am thankful for before heading out to Canada: I plan to read over it before next Sunday morning :)

* I am thankful that Matt and I get to share these memories together. Every training swim/ride/run. We can look back on all of this and say, "remember that day when?........" Misery loves company, right? ;) As we move forward with our lives and start a family, this may be the last time we can do this. We will most likely be forced to train separately a great majority, if not all, of the time.

* I am thankful I am healthy enough to do this, and that neither Matt, nor I , has ever been injured through training.

* I am thankful that God uses us to possibly inspire others to stay healthy and possibly pick up the sport of triathlon. I hope God can use us one day to inspire our children to do something they love that is also healthy for them.

* I am thankful we have a supportive family and group of friends through this long training period. It's not easy to understand Ironman training; It's definitely not easy to listen to us whining over the constant fatigue of Ironman training :)
Every weekend consists of getting up before daylight and training long hours every Saturday and Sunday. We miss seeing our families often and I am ready to see more of them when Ironman is over.

*I am thankful for our growing triathlon community. Great friends have been made through this hobby. I love seeing the tri team grow larger and larger each year :)

*I am thankful to be able to travel various places to participate in these events. Not everyone can do that; I don't want to take it for granted

That's just a small list. I could go on, but I won't :) I am looking forward to traveling to Canada, not just for the race itself, but for the memories we can make together with our friends; memories that we will look back on one day and cherish for a long time. There is something to be said of the strong bond you share with someone else doing an Ironman. It's not the words you speak, so to say; It's the pain and perserverance that you share as you swim/bike/run the same path that day; everyone is pushing to cross that finish line just like you. You wouldn't understand it unless you are in it.

Please pray for us this Sunday, August 29. It will be a long day for sure, but we are trained and we are as ready as we will ever be. Check us out live at www.ironmanlive.com if you want to see what it's all about.

I'll leave you with this Bible verse--------

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the suffering so that you may be overjoyed when the glory is revealed." 1 Peter 4:12-13

Loss of a great man

My heart breaks for a friend and tri team member tonight. We just heard the sad news last night that her husband passed away very unexpectedly while at work yesterday.
They were married 27 years I believe; He was such a kind, caring man, and you could tell how much he loved Karen and took great pride in seeing her race and being able to support her at those races.

I did not know Richard extremely well, but I did know Richard well enough to learn that he was an extremely lovable and encouraging type of guy. He always had a smile on his face and you could count on him, at every race, to cheer you up even if you were feeling horrible. He was a teddy-bear type of guy, if that makes sense :)

I remember him talking to me after the Heart o'Dixie this year, about how proud he was of Karen breaking her time from last year and you could just see in his face how proud he was of her and how much he loved that woman.

I have never experienced a close family member's death. I don't even know how to begin to know how that feels. I know the time will come though; we all have to experienced it unfortunately. It's just the way life works. Sadly, we never know quite when that time might be.

I think it is a reality check and a reminder to all of us; Love the ones you care for every waking moment; Let them know how much they mean to you. Show them how much you appreciate them. Do it daily. You just never know how long you have on this earth.

I pray that Karen will find the strength from God to get through this extremely difficult time. I think it will begin one day at a time; The beauty that I would imagine would give her comfort is knowing that he is in a much better place; He is not sad. He does not want her to be sad either. Perhaps if we only could catch a glimpse of our loved one in heaven.......maybe that would be all it would take to be at peace and know that our day will come where we will be united with that loved one again.

Prayers and love to you, Karen.

Ironman Send-off Party :)

We had a great night Friday night with our friends that are all leaving next week for Ironman Canada and Ironman Louisville. There's 9 of us competing in Canada and another 6 competing in Louisville on the same day! That's a lot of area triathletes :)


We met at Burgers and Blues and sat on the outdoor patio----a blues band started playing around 8pm. So fun!! I made an M-dot cake :)
a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMKjxEp1xiG9fsWQNbfQcT9txTTZSMAxnN6qsMTkCqfKdPNxKmNEWj6Jy9hQYx7eqhR3L7xWdRqngLSmE_2oqIrFLVSAye17TGSBDssYJyf8D3cXYF9T0uGsDVVyJFRhHw3mIRe8voBxe/s1600/IM+Canada+send-off+party+004.jpg">
This was our first Ironman send-off party, so I really didn't know how to plan. I decided to make little goody bags for the participants, each bag containing something funny/embarassing about the person. It was SO much fun picking out the things to go in everyone's bags :)





Things have been so busy lately that I haven't really gotten to soak up the fact that we're leaving on Wednesday, bright and early, for Canada!! The next few days will consist of lots of packing, getting things in line to leave MS, and finishing up at work.

I will post again one last time before we head out :)

Oh Canada, you're so close I can smell ya ;)

It's getting cllllllllloooooooosssseerrrrrrr ;)

Matt put the ol' race wheels on our bikes this morning for a test ride before TriBike Transport picks them up Wednesday :) It's getting REAL, folks!!

Unfortunately, the workouts have not tapered off much :( That changes a little, starting tomorrow. YES!!!!! I plan to fully enjoy taper this time. We have been training our little booties off since January 1st, and there honestly was no rest before that........NYC marathon and Memphis marathon training was pretty hard-core for me in November and December. I am ready for some r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n............

I plan to sleep in on most mornings for the next couple weeks, so my goal is to get my training in on my lunch breaks or in the evenings. I plan to get a pedicure, which hasn't happened in a little over 3 year. Pretty pathetic, huh? But, who's got time for pedicures when most of your free time is spent training or recovering from that training?!!!!

I am posting some photos of the cabin we are staying in once we arrive to Penticton....so excited!!!!!

Here's the details:

5 Bedrooms + Den, 3 Baths (Sleeps 10)

Charming Lake-View home with swimming pool. Over 3000 square feet with five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, full covered garage, two wood- burning fireplaces and over 30 fruit trees. Minutes from the beach and from the world-renowned K.V.R. Trail. Watch the sunrise over the foothills and set across the lake.

Numerous wineries nearby for tastings and wonderful restaurants close by for both casual and fine dining (usually at the same time - the Okanagan is known for both its quality and its friendliness. Corner half acre lot provides for privacy.

The beauty of the country but only a 10 minute drive to the Penticton Lakeside Resort And Casino. Plenty of room for the whole family with something for everyone nearby: golf, BBQ-ing, pool fun, lake fun, bike riding the K.V.R., fishing, batting cage, casino, go-karts, mini-golf, wonderful restaurants, craft fairs and farmer`s markets

And my favorite part---the pics ;)

Pro Triathlete and 5X Ironman Champion, Heather Gollnick---Guest speaker for MS Heat tri team :)

We were so fortunate to have Heather Gollnick speak to us last weekend!!! I wasn't sure upon emailing her that she would fly here to talk to the club, but was so excited when she replied with "yes!" A BIG thanks to Kevin Jasper for sending her the first email to "give it a shot to see if she would reply." :D

Heather did not disappoint. She was surprisingly down-to-earth, VERY personable and friendly, and a wonderful Christian woman strong in her faith. She talked to us about the "Mental Edge" of training that so many of us forget to train during Ironman, or any race for that matter. It really is mind over matter sometimes with races. If you're mind tells you that you're done, then you might as well go ahead and hang it up!!!

One of our triathlon club members, Kevin Jasper, summed up Heather's talk greatly, so I am posting below his summary:



Make a list of what you can control and a list of what you can't control
Process goals lead to performance goals.

What your mind says your body believes.

You can be your own positive or negative coach. Try to be nicer to yourself.
Triathlon is a very selfish sport.

Reward your family after you have completed your ironman.

Triathlon can be an addiction, after your workouts be positive.

Find your reason why you do this.
Focus on that when you are hurting.


4/5 days of each event.

Write out a script for each race. Try to follow your script. Your script is your plan.

First endurance-Heather's nutrition

Goodie bag-put your cravings in your bag. You will need them in your race mentally and physically.

Green yellow red to decribe your race. Try to get back to green.

Rev3 Triathlon
Coaching

She coaches only 15 per year.

Coaches by Power/heartrate

Focus on weakness during break(off season)

Eats Fruits veggies whole grains and goes fiber free diet before ironman 2 weeks out.

Heavier weights during off season.

We had a great crowd, although some members did not show. I think we still had around 50-60 members, though! We had some great door prizes that Heather's sponsors provided, as well at Stinky Feet. They gave away 2 free pairs of KSwiss shoes :)



After the event, we took Heather to BerryBerry Good, a frozen yogurt place very similar to PinkBerry and other yogurt shops. Soooo good :) She was very excited---had never been to a place like it, she said! We sat outside and enjoyed the evening, then took her grocery shopping for a few things, and then her hotel.


Sunday morning, we picked her up bright and early at 6am; She wanted an open water swim, so we took her to Reunion Lake in Madison-----Beautiful morning to watch the sunrise!!! We swam for around 45 minutes, I believe. It was very peaceful--I have never swam open water with just a couple people, and have also never swam that early in the morning. It was a great experience and I'm so glad we did it! How often can you say you got to open water swim with a pro? :)




We took her back to the hotel to shower and then she had to catch a flight-------such a good weekend and a great turnout for the club!! It's these kind of events that make me proud to be the president -----to see all the hard work finally come together after months of planning and worrying, it's a relieving and good feeling for sure :)

Chattanooga Mountains vs. Mississippi triathletes----Take 2

So, I am still catching up on the blogging world. I apologize for being MIA these last couple weeks---------Ironman peak phase will do that to you ;) My day consists of:

* Wake up at o'dark thirty
* Train and train some more
* Try to function at work without falling asleep
* Caffeine to help with the above
* Train
* Try to throw the most simple dinner possible together
* Sleep
* Repeat

Yep. That about sumssss it up lately.

We did end up going back to Chattanooga for one grand finale on the last weekend of August. Another couple, Donny and Pam Schilling, joined us this time, along with Danny and Jackie Williams again.

We got a cool little cabin with a pool and a fantastic view. Too bad we didn't actually get to enjoy the pool or the cabin much, due to all that training :(


We got in lots of climbing again, and I felt even stronger on those mountains than I did the first time, so improvement was shown there ;) I know we'll be thankful in Canada that we made the extra effort to climb more!!

One scary thing that I encountered this time was coming down the mountain after it just began to rain. I was TERRIFIED!!!! I really was. I remember being told by someone once that if the roads are freshly wet from rain, you have to be extra careful coming down a mountain. Well, that's kinda hard to do, considering I freak out anyway and try not to constantly break when flying down a mountain. These are mountains that Matt maxed out going down at 50 mph. They are STEEP!!!!! I started praying out loud at the top of the mountain, and I bet I prayed to God about 12 times before I got to the bottom. No kidding. I was so thankful to get to the bottom I can't even explain it!!!!!!!

We had a great time though!!! We decided to grill that night instead of go out--Jackie bought the BEST filets at Fresh Market!!! Divine!!!!! The most tender meat you ever tasted ;) So, our meal consisted of salad, steak, baked potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and veggies, and some yummy bread!! I made a candy bar dessert too :)

Leaving you with some pics :)

Heart O Dixie tri race report

Seems like I've been too busy too breathe lately, which is shown by my lack of blogging. Between work, training for Ironman Canada, and organizing tri team meeting details, there is not much time left for leisure ;) That explains why I have been trying to finish this race report now for 2 weeks. Sorry :)

Last weekend (make that 2 wknds ago-----I am now editing the blog I started 2 wks ago!), we raced Heart O' Dixie for the 3rd year in a row. We packed our things up and headed out Friday evening. We have a friend who is nice enough to let us stay at his home, since he has a cabin at the fairgrounds in which he stays every year. That leaves a nice, empty home for us to stay at the night before the race for free!!!!! Thank you Patrick ;)

Patrick text Matt Friday evening as we were making the drive to Philadelphia. He said Matt was number #167 or so. He then said I was #12? "What?" I said. "He's joking. We signed up at the same time. Why would I be so close to the start?" Apparently, they seeded the top 10 men and top couple women they recognized from previous races. I should take that as a compliment, right? I will say it was very flattering to put my bike in transition next to the "elite men." I was not worthy, by any means in my mind, but it was nice to think the race directors thought so ;)
Only, this put additional pressure on myself. "What if I bomb this race? What if I my legs won't make it through this one due to all the Ironman training buildup and fatigue?" I thought. Oh well, we would just have to find out.

I walked up to the front of the pack, still wondering if they really wanted ME to be up so close to the front? "I'm going to get clobbered and swam over in this swim!!," I thought. Ugh, not so much. Here comes the race report:

Swim: I jumped in and decided to bilateral breathe the whole time--(something I
usually don't do in races. Strange enough, I only got passed by one swimmer
in the water. Good thing---I couldn't see the buoy b/c my goggles were fogged
up. I was sighting a white gazebo, not the place I was supposed to be
sighting!! Ughh......me and my wonderful sighting abilities:) Luckily, when
he passed me, I tried to draft off his feet and realized he was making a sharp
right turn. I followed his lead and it put me back on track. Not a stellar
swim by me--------swim time was about 25 seconds worse than last year. I blame
it on bad sighting and fatigue ;)
Swim: 15:02

Bike: Last year, I biked 22 mph on that rolling course. I remember looking at last
year's results and thinking, "Oh, I can beat that. I am a much stronger biker,
especially on hills, since I have been focusing more on them for Canada
coming up. Well, after 5 miles, I just lost all motivation. I looked around
me and there was NO one in sight. "Is this a race?" I asked myself. It felt
like an ordinary training day. This proceeded for the first TWENTY miles of
the race!!!!!!!! One guy passed me, otherwise it was like a ghost town out
there. Needless to say, this didn't help my motivation that was already
lacking :( I kept on keeping on though, and up ahead at mile 21, I saw the
first place female at the time. I passed her with 6 miles left on the bike.
I knew this was the only place I would hold her off. She comes from a strong
running background I heard, and according to her Heatwave results this past
season, she was running stronger than ever. I pulled into T2 and got ready
for the run.
Bike Average: 21.9 mph (close to last year, but not cigar. Blame it on the
Ironman training fatigue and slight headwind?)

Run: Here's where I thought it might all fall apart........or did at least for the
first couple miles. Mile 1 is slight uphill the whole time.....not so
encouraging after just getting off the bike and legs still getting used to
the run pace. I immediately started walking out of T2. My friend, Stacy, was
leaving T2 the exact same time as me. He turned around and looked at me. "You
ok?" he asked. Just exhausted and no mental game, I told him. I did start
running at a slow pace and kept him in sight ahead of me. I kept waiting for
the female that I passed on the bike to come zooming by me. And she did. Mile
2, I believe. I told myself to dig deep. My legs weren't feeling extremely
heavy. I was just fatigued all over. I always have a reserve in me in runs,
somehow. I don't know where I finally found it that day, but starting at mile
3, my legs just got stronger and stronger. Looking back on my Garmin, each
mile split got faster and faster. I was pretty happy to have negative splits
on that humid and hilly run.
Average Pace: 7:21 pace
(pace is not totally correct though----the course is short,
which leads to a faster overall split......I'm not
complainin' ;)

3rd overall female (out of 94)
1st overall Mississippian female

Like I said, my race was actually slower that last year by 1 minute, but given the circumstances and fatigue lately, I am still proud of it.



I laughed with Matt after the race. I told him I saw two VERY pregnant ladies out at the post-race awards. I envied them. I'm sure they didn't feel the same way, being "about to pop" and standing out in the extreme heat :)
I continue to have the baby itch. I told Matt I want to be that large next year at Heart O' Dixie, so I won't even have the desire to race while he's racing it ;)
I think it's time. I know it's time ;)