Smith Sports Blog

Dana's St. Anthony's Experience

2009-04-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

As a newbie runner I must say exuberantly, “What a day for a race!” Athletes and spectators gathered and greeted the beautiful, Florida sunshine for the 26th annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon event. As a first time triathlon spectator I have to share some of my own thoughts and excitement from the day. My first impression was the different looks on the athletes’ faces. Some had a look of fear – they were probably first-timers too, or maybe they just couldn’t find the port-a-potty. Some people had the look of determination; the look that one has after weeks and months of training. For many of these athletes, this event has been looming in the forefront of their minds, and race day is what it’s all about. When we arrived at North Shore for parking you could feel the buzz of excitement in the air and the closer we got to the meeting spot, the stronger that energy felt. The waves of nervous, excited energy could be likened to room full of toddlers the day before Christmas, and it was such an overwhelming feeling that I couldn’t help but wish that I was more than just a spectator. We met up with Ali and Dave only to discover that the swim was cancelled for the age-groupers because of unsafe water conditions due to choppy 3-ft waves coming out of the Gulf. I could see the disappointment and frustration written all over Ali’s face, and later she pondered aloud if maybe triathletes were going soft. Ha!

After catching up with Ali and Dave, the girls: Anne-Marie, Jen, Audrey, Amy, and I, headed over to the bike-in, bike-out area. We claimed a little stretch along the railings as our spot and geared up for the start of the race. Somehow the actual start escaped me and I wasn’t really sure when the pros began their swim, but the crowd was amped to hear the announcer say the first pro male was out of the water. We waited anxiously to see them come speeding around the first turn. We were in prime position to see so many bikers loose their water bottles and fishtail through the first bend, but more than that we could see the power these athletes had to muscle through the second leg of their race. We stood there a while longer to take in the sights of the bikers. All around me I could hear other newbies asking the same questions I was having. Questions like, “What are those disks on their back wheel for?”, “Why did they forget to put their shoes on?”, etc… And as the morning went by, those and many other questions were answered. The veteran girls on our team were more than willing to catch me up to speed while we watched and waited anxiously for Dave and then Ali to ride by. Shortly after Ali rode by on her bike-out we moved to another prime location to see the runners.

It amazed me to see the different variety of athletes that went by. I couldn’t help but wonder what brought each of them here. We all have our own reasons for competing, but the beautiful commonality amongst these athletes is the kind of drive and work that goes into preparing for this kind of event. We watched as Dave went by, headed to the finish and walked over to congratulate him. He was a big, sweaty mess but he had a grin on his face that wouldn’t stop. With puppy-like excitement I wanted to ask “How do you feel?”, “Are you tired or mostly just super-proud to have accomplished a finish?”, “What was the hardest part?” But with great restrain I kept quiet and let him walk it off – so to speak. We left Dave so he could refuel and rest, and headed back to watch for Ali. Along the way you could hear people recounting the details of their own journey, and we didn’t have to wait long before Ali was spotted. As soon as she heard us cheering, a huge smile broke on her face that made that 5 am wakeup call all worth it. There it was, that “it” factor I had missed all these years; the camaraderie and support that comes from participating in sports. That high you get from a job well done, and that feeling you get when you know you might have been an inspiration to someone else.

So, will I go to another triathlon event? You betcha! I am already looking forward to next season when more of our team will be out there giving everyone else a run for their money.

Great Races and Great Future Races

2009-04-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

So many things…where to even begin? First, a BIG congratulations to everyone that has competed in a race already this year. We have seen several first-timers come out to run and several veterans push themselves further in a running event or triathlon. I am so proud of everyone that toes the line of any race! It takes dedication to train and courage to compete!

Second, I want to thank Cal DeKuiper for “believing in the training”. Cal competed in the Steelcase Duathlon in Grand Rapids, MI this past weekend. Cal is incredibly disciplined and dedicated to everything he does…his family, his training, his career and his work towards his doctorate! Yes, he is a busy man. On Sunday, we headed up to Grand Rapids to “just do the race”. Not to push himself to the limit, but to get a feel for where his training has brought him up to at this point in the year. The race consisted of a 5K run, a 30K bike and another 5K run. I want to share with y’all how his race went:

“I usually run about a 9 and a half to 10 minute mile on the first race of the year so I just kind of cruised around today thinking well, who knows. I never pushed it, but ran 7:40’s on the first 5k, rode the bike at 19.5 mph just relaxing and I figured I’d be slower but ran 7:35’s on the 2nd 5k. I’m so much faster than I have ever been in my life.”

Nice job Cal! It will be very exciting to see where Cal is at when the Steelhead Half Ironman comes around!

Last and certainly not least, I have a new project I’m working on. I have been racing for several years now and therefore have seen a lot of well run races and a lot of “I’m not coming back next year” races. Over the past year I have thought it would be a great challenge to organize a race. To make a long story short, an opportunity presented itself after the Clearwater Iron Girl 10K a few weeks back and now things are starting to come together. Though nothing is official as we are still waiting to hear back from Indian Rocks about the permit, but mark your calendars for the 1st annual 5K and 10K on October 17th. And stay tuned for more details over the next month!

Taking Control Newsletter - March 2009

2009-04-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, the first edition of "Taking Control", the Smith Sports Training Newsletter is available here:

http://www.smithsports.us/newsletter/marchNews.htm

Be sure to subscribe at http://www.smithsports.us to get access to the monthly newsletter before everyone else!

A Lake Michigan Run

2009-02-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

January 30, 2009.
I was planning to swim, but woke up to eight to ten inches of the softest fluffy white snow and it was still snowing. There was absolutely no wind and the snowflakes were the size of a quarter, falling straight down. I headed towards the Lake Michigan shoreline, about 1000 yards away, following the road around the dune. The snow was so light that you really didn't know you were running through it. It was near pitch black, no snowplows, no cars, not even a tire track until I was almost back home. I followed the shoreline for about a mile and a half. Lake Michigan was only iced over for about 100 yards out and there were many small icebergs bobbing around. It was perfectly quiet. I headed through the trail in the woods to loop back home. This was a special day, not the typical snow run. I have to admit that I did quite a bit of walking and standing, just to look around. There aren't many places on this planet that you feel like you are the only person around - this is one of them - "first curve beach".

Ask Ali, she knows this run very well.

Submitted by: Cal DeKuiper

Looking Back and Ahead

2009-01-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

Wow...when did 2009 happen? That's how the past few months have been for us at Smith Sports...flying by! Before we get too far from 2008 and too far into 2009, I want to reflect on some of the highlights and focus on some of the upcoming events.

2008's Top 5
1. Gasparilla Race Weekend: This was a BIG weekend for Smith Sports! Not 3, not 5, but 11 members participated in either the 5k, 15k, half marathon or marathon. It was a great way to kick off 2008.

2. Florida 70.3: You never forget your first...Half Ironman, that is. You know you have an insanely tough team when Pros are dropping out of the race due to the hot, humid weather and your 2 Half Ironman first timers finish strong.

3. Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon: Circling the Rock on a ferry boat filled with 2000 nervous and excited wetsuit clad athletes before the horn blows and everyone on that boat plunges into the freezing cold San Francisco Bay within 10 minutes is something you will NEVER forget.

4. Top Gun Triathlon and Steelhead 70.3: The Florida Posse and the Michigan Posse racing on the same day. Talk about representation about the nation!

5. Ragnar Relay Florida: Find me another team that decorates a van like a boat, dresses up as the cast of Gilligan's Island (girls as the guys and guys as the girls...dress and all) and runs 194 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do for 33 hours!

Yes, 2008 was a great year! But I am confident that 2009 won't disappoint in any way! Here are a few things to look forward to in the coming year:
1. Smith Sports Endurance Team will be an official USA-Triathlon team.

2. The Florida Posse will hit the road for Benton Harbor to join the Michigan Posse for the Steelhead 70.3 Half Ironman.

3. Ragnar Relay will see at least one Ultra (6 member) Smith Sports Endurance Team and at least one Regular (12 member) Smith Sports Endurance Team running across the state.

And that's just the beginning. Check back often to see what else we will be up to.

2008-12-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

Even though this was a training run and we were running another 6 miles back to the car after the race, I still wanted to get in under 1:50. It was close and a bit painful at the end, but I set a PR.

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	32 ft
Location:	Bay Pines, FL	Elev. Gain:	+49 ft
Date:	12/14/08	Up/Downhill:	[+160/-111]
Time:	07:40 AM	Difficulty:	2.3 / 5.0

Weather:	Mostly Cloudy
	62 F temp; 75% humidity
	62 F heat index; winds E 7

Performance

Distance:	13.12 miles
Time:	1:49:39
Speed:	7.2 mph
Pace:	8' 21 /mi	Heart Rate:	177 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	1554		191 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	172 - 191	1h 34m	86%	11.35 mi
Zone 4	153 - 172	0h 16m	15%	2.01 mi
Zone 3	134 - 153	0h 02m	2%	0.24 mi
Zone 2	115 - 134	0h 00m	0%	0.03 mi
Zone 1	96 - 115	0h 00m	0%	0.01 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.00 mi

Posted from bimactive.com

2008-12-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

With bells on our shoes and Christmas ribbons in our hair, our group of 5 ran the Jingle Bell Run together. The goal was to get in under 30 minutes and we did just that.

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	3 ft
Location:	Saint Petersburg, FL	Elev. Gain:	+0 ft
Date:	12/10/08	Up/Downhill:	[+26/-26]
Time:	07:28 PM	Difficulty:	1.5 / 5.0

Performance

Distance:	2.93 miles
Time:	0:27:46
Speed:	6.3 mph
Pace:	9' 29 /mi
Calories:	347

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Posted from bimactive.com

2008-11-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

10k Turkey Trot - Ran the race with Gary. Started off at 9 min/mi and just kept getting faster. It felt great...ready to step it up with pace and distance.

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	38 ft
Location:	Clearwater, FL	Elev. Gain:	-7 ft
Date:	11/27/08	Up/Downhill:	[+127/-134]
Time:	08:51 AM	Difficulty:	1.9 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	56 F temp; 71% humidity
	56 F heat index; winds NE 6

Performance

Distance:	6.24 miles
Time:	0:52:14
Speed:	7.2 mph
Pace:	8' 22 /mi
Calories:	740

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Posted from bimactive.com

Ragnar Relay - Legs 2 and 3

2008-11-20T14:02:00.001-08:00

The rest of the story...

Anne-Marie – NO Pickles! I knew from the start that it was going to be a while before I would be running my leg, about 8 and a half hours or so. Had a blast during that time going from stop to stop cheering everybody on and making sure they had everything they needed. I got some great pictures of everyone and just enjoyed a great day. When we saw Ali off on her leg it quickly sunk in that it was my turn next, and I started feeling a little nervous. Jen and I headed to the next exchange and I started to get ready. Because it was going to get dark while I was running I had to don the snazzy reflective vest and snapped the head lamp on the brim of my cap (little did I know how much I would come to love that little light!). Then the time came and I could see Ali coming up to the exchange. She passed on the slapper and I was off for my 10 mile leg. The first half of the leg was a little tough, there was no shoulder so I was running on grass for about 2 miles. As it started getting dark I was getting worried about hitting a hole or something. This gave way to a great stretch of road that had some great rolling (not so rolling) hills, and as it came on full dark it was an amazing experience to be out there "doing it" – I got into a zone and just enjoyed the run.I was ready to pass on the slapper by the time the exchange rolled around. Because it was a major exchange there seemed to be a ton of people lining the path to the exchange point, and all of them were cheering the runners on – a definite boast as I handed off to Jen.

Jen – Ready…Set…Go! Ahhhh, the 2nd leg. I was pumped. The 11 hour wait is over. 13.4 miles this time. Was I ready? How was it going to feel? After spending the last several hours frequently visiting the porta potties on the route I was anxious to start running again. I had been feeling sick to my stomach the whole time. Not sure if it was something I ate or just all the Gu’s, Accelerade and Power Bars but I figured it should disappear somewhat as I got into my run. I was right. Yeah! The route this time was going to be a tough one with some major hills to climb, but I was ready. The first couple of miles went ok, but then found myself in a less desirable neighborhood and no other runners in sight. Really just wanted to see someone or even one of the vans go by just to make sure I didn’t take a wrong turn, but nothing for quite a while it seemed. I eventually made my way through and then out into a rural area. Not sure which scared me the most, the less desirable neighborhood or the middle of nowhere. I finally see the 1st hill up ahead and a pack of 5 dogs running down their front yard. They would stop each time I looked at them, I think my headlight threw them off but as soon as I would look at the road again, they would start inching forward. They barked and I kept looking, I made it to the start of the hill climb, but now the dogs were running after me. Oh geeze! I turned my visor around so the light shined in their eyes and ran as fast as I could up the hill. They eventually chickened out. The hill must have been too tough for them…they obviously didn’t train like I did ;-> Ahh, the posse showed up and hung with me till the next checkpoint, they had heard from the other vans to stick to the runners on this leg, it was an ugly one. The rest of the run felt great. I got to see the space shuttle in the sky next to the huge moon. Awesome sight. I couldn’t have asked for a clearer sky. Anne-Marie then joined me on the bike and stayed with me through the next leg. It was perfect and I really needed someone by then. I had a lot of soft sand to run through, she had to walk the bike…it was tough running through it…kinda like very soft sand at the beach. Twisted my ankles a lot. Knees hurting by now. Yeah, a trail. It was the Withlacoochee State trail, nice! Dark, too, but Anne-Marie stuck with me. Even with something in the woods rustling on either side. Thanx girlfriend! I was mentally digging deep for the last 4 miles. It seemed to take forever, but made it to the exchange, posse cheering me on and Audrey ready to take over. Whew…that was a long one. Now where are those compression socks?

Audrey – My 2nd leg started at a little after 9pm with mileage to total 15.9 miles. I had high hopes for a great leg after my signage issue in the last leg. As I left the exchange point, I was off with Anne-Marie in tow on the bike. It took a little bit for my legs to start to warm up after such a long hiatus of running and sitting in the car. My entire run consisted of running along the shoulder of SR-50. Let’s just say the shoulder was completely slanted and filled with road kill. About mile 3, I started to experience shooting pain running up my right leg to my knee with a desperate need for Tylenol. To make matters worse, I started to feel sick about mile 6. I ended up starting a run/walk along the route. When I finally arrived at the exchange point for the first portion of my course, I made a stop at the port-a-potty and took some Tylenol. Off again, I went in complete pain. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to stand the pain long enough to finish this portion, let along my last leg. Somehow, I managed to make it to the exchange point.

Dave – This is when the stomach ache began. I might even call it Montezuma’s Revenge. We’re talking bad stuff here, but my wonderful girlfriend Ali, kept me company on the bike and she talked me through the entire 8 miles. I managed to run the whole way and was excited to have only one more run to go.

Chris – So leg 2 starts at 1:52 am, boy is it nice out, night running is the best. This leg is only 6.1 miles and after the disappointment of the first leg I decided to run this one hard knowing that for leg 3 I would be tired and it would be hot again. With Sherry leading me on the bike I was able to maintain a 7:55 per mile pace for this leg. As I approached the finish I was happy to see Ali, passed on the slap bracelet and was ready for a nap (all 10 minutes of one).

Ali – After a 2 hr rest lying down in the back of the van, I jumped on the bike to pace with Dave while he ran. We tried to keep someone on the bike at all times since we were running through some dark, random places. It was actually nice to get my legs loosened up and stretch it out. When Dave got done Chris took off for his quick 6 miler so I had a quick turn around from the bike to the run and before I knew it, I was standing in the exchange corral with a vest and headlamp. Bring it on! Chris came flying in and I was off. Ouch…those hamstrings were still a bit tight, but nothing a good 11 mile run won’t cure. After a mile Dave appeared on the bike next to me, all was good from there out. I had what would be a scenic course if it would have been light out, but all I knew was it contained some rolling hills. More rolling up, then rolling down, but it was actually nice to do something besides run straight and flat for 2 hours! Surprisingly, I felt great (minus the tightness in the hammies) and held my pace. I knew the last mile was over a bridge, and I love bridges so I had something to look forward to the whole way. It was worth the wait, with the full moon, the water was beautiful. All I could think about was how I wanted to go for a swim. In the meantime, I’ll just get to the exchange point and get this bracelet on Anne-Marie! Two down, one 14 miler left! Woo-hoo!

Anne-Marie – After my first leg I had hopped on the bike and rode with Jen through her 2nd leg and with Audrey through her 1st leg – almost 16 miles! Wow. But it definitely was a great way to spin out the legs and I think it really helped keep things loose for the 2nd and 3rd legs.
It was late. We saw Ali off from her exchange and figured it would be time for my 2nd leg around 4:00am. Sleep wasn't really happening, so we waited at the exchange for Ali to come through with Dave on the bike – my stomach was bugging me a little and I don't even know how many times I had to run to the port-a-potty. I had the spiffy reflective vest on and light ready to go for my 9.7 miles. Because it was dark, it wasn't that easy seeing who was coming so there were a few false starts until we saw Ali. As she came up I was feeling a little nervous, but quickly got into a groove as we went along. Chris was riding the bike along with me and was so great the entire time – he definitely kept me going and psyched along the way. It was awesome.
Could see the sun just starting to come up as I ran along into the next exchange, and it was so great to know that we were now two thirds done! Just one more leg each and we would be in Daytona. Jen wasn't quite at the exchange point yet so I got to abuse her a little with the slapper. Then it was time to pass it off and Jen took over for her last leg!

Jen – 3rd leg...LAST leg…only 6 miles….I got this! Just about an hour away from saying I did it. I exchanged with Anne-Marie and I was off. Chris joined me on the bike this time. It was still dark and soon would get light, but he was able to get one last support ride in. Thank goodness, I needed it! Thanx buddy! This was definitely a slower run, I felt good, but definitely felt the pain more and the fatigue. We were all running on next to no sleep. Tummy was still upset. Seemed to always disappear when I ran but quickly came back when I stopped. But, no worries, only 6 miles to go. It was a scenic route with a couple of big lakes and lots of frogs on the road…dead. The posse as usual came by showing their support with honks and woo-hoo’s never wavering in their aid to the runner on the road. Chris would either sing a couple lines of a song or just be his funny self to help take the edge off. Finally, the infamous “One Mile To Go” sign…I had made it. I told Chris to go ahead and check on Audrey and see if I could take over on the bike and ride with her. I was worried about her injury from her last run and Chris had just done 2 bike legs with Anne-Marie and myself. He rode ahead and I finished the last mile…damn proud of myself for making it. Got to the exchange and set Audrey off. Couldn’t ride with her as it was daylight, but hopped in the van to stick close to her.

Audrey – With two horrible legs on my record and still in some pain, I headed off with fingers crossed that I could finish my last leg of the relay. Well, I didn’t make it far…less than a half a mile before the shooting pain was too unbearable to run. Although I didn’t want to stop and let down the team, my body was screaming at me to stop. I gave in to walking and knew I couldn’t make it. Thankfully, we were able to substitute runners for those who dropped out due to injury. Jen took one for the team and jumped back on the course after completing her legs immediately prior to finish my section…THANKS Jen!

Jen – Audrey got about 1/3 of a mile and was still in too much pain to run, but bless her heart, said she would walk it if she had to. Everyone else had longer runs for their last legs so I knew what I had to do. I put my shoes back on, told the posse I had 2-3 miles left in me and would do my best, but to check on me every mile. I took off. I actually felt better on this run than my last one. I was faster too. The posse checked on me every mile and was there with mega support! It fueled me to keep going. I knew I could make it the first 3 to the next exchange. Chris came up in the car and said Ali was there and would take over. There was no way I could let her do that…I was still upright…I knew I was done after this and she still had 14 miles to go. I had to finish it out, I told Chris, tell her I got it…I’m going 4 more! Oh boy, I passed the exchange station, Ali gave one more offer. I was too worried about her on her next run and knew I could do this; after all, I was done after this. I told her I got it and passed the exchange. I was committed now. No turning back. What the hell was I thinking! What did I just do? Ok….FOCUS! The next four were tough, gagged a lot with tons of roadkill on the road, dug deep into the soul again, but made it. Then happily slapped that wristband on Ginger and said Run Baby Run! Wow, I really did it, 37+ miles….YEEHAW…what a RUSH! Special thanx to the posse. You guys are INSANE! I love you all!

Dave – My last run of the day! I was so excited to get this run over with. I took one of those new Roctane Gu’s and felt great for the first 4 miles. The humidity killed me on my first 2 runs and the third wasn’t any different. I was completely soaked and I tried to stay as hydrated as possible. The last 2 of my 7 mile trek I did a walk/run and as I climbed the last hill the finish line was in sight. I ran as hard as I could and crossed the exchange point with a huge smile on my face. I was finally done and ready to cheer on the rest of our crew for the last few runs. Plus, I can’t wait to put my Ginger costume back on. ; )

Chris – Leg 3 started real nice, cloudy and a little cooler in the middle of the Ocala National forest. Only 15.7 miles until I am finished. As always I started out too fast and then the sun came out. The last 8 miles were tough but thanks to Poncho running with me and keeping my mind occupied I was able to finish with an average pace of 9:36 per mile. That was ahead of the plan and now I was done. Towel off, change clothes and a nice nap in the back of the forerunner. Now that it is done it was not as bad as I imagined it to be, I am now ready for the finish line party, see you in Daytona Beach! WAY TO GO S.S. INSANITY!!!!

Ali – I can’t believe it’s here already…my last run! Surprisingly, this whole adventure has flown by! As I got the bracelet and turned to run, I was mentally in the game, but my legs needed a bit of convincing. It took a mile or so to shake them out. The quads were a little tired and the hamstrings were like rubber bands stretched to their endpoint. But it’s all mental, right? And you can’t expect to run across Florida from coast to coast without feeling a little bit of pain, so suck it up and go! It was 7.4 miles to the first exchange and my plan was to run all the way there and then if I needed to resort to a walk/run, so be it. Luckily I have the best family, Dad and Nan drove over from Dunedin to cheer us on and help us out…as if they haven’t already done enough! So I was fortunate enough to have 3 vehicles supporting me along the way. It was so helpful because it was hot and humid and I needed to continuously dump water on me to try and cool off. I got to my favorite signs, the “One Mile to Go” marker and ran it in feeling pretty good. Saw the posse and kept on trucking. I told Dad to head up about 2 miles and be ready to run. When I saw him, I started the walk/run. We would go for a mile to a mile and a half and then walk for about 2 minutes. It allowed me to get my heart rate down, get some extra water and get ready for the next stint. Sometimes you just have to break it down, one mile at a time! This worked great and with a mile and a half left, I was ready to pound it out…well it may not have actually been pounding, but I ran the whole thing with a smile on my face and a feeling of great accomplishment and respect for my incredible team! 5 runners down, 1 runner left. Anne-Marie stood in the exchange looking strong and confident. Bring it home girl! We will see you in Daytona Beach!

Anne-Marie – "36 hours never seemed like a long time until it seemed like it would never end!" By the time my 3rd leg rolled around I was getting pretty darn tired. I'd managed to grab literally a few minutes of sleep here and there, but nothing any more substantial. The day had warmed up quite a bit and we were running along the highway with little shade. This leg was going to be tough – 16 miles – but doable. We got to drive through some beautiful countryside during the day supporting and cheering on the team. Waiting for Ali at the exchange was pretty nerve racking, I was worried that I was going to really struggle with the run and didn't want to let the rest of the team down. I was ready as Ali passed off the slapper, and started my last leg. It took a little bit to work out the stiffness in my legs, but that soon passed and I was able to settle into a good groove. Now this is where having the support and caring of an awesome group of people comes in – stopped along the side of the road at the perfect intervals my team and Ponch & Nan had cold water and a ton of encouragement. I'd already figured out that at 6.4 miles I would have run the distance of a marathon in 24 hours, so as I crossed that mark I couldn't help but let out a "YES!". It was only another miles and a half or so to the next exchange at that point, but because we were getting closer to Daytona Beach it was definitely getting busier. After the exchange I had a great running partner for the next 3 miles – he helped keep me going and my spirits up as we headed to the home stretch. I think the best part of our run together was getting to the top of the bridge that took us over the causeway – it was beautiful – but there was no time to stop and admire the view. Daytona awaited! The team was all there at the turn around and then it was straight down A1a to the finish. That last 5 miles was really tough. It has gotten quite cold and there was a strong wind blowing. I just kept picking something in the distance and concentrated on getting there until I saw that beautiful blue sign and the team waiting there to run the last little bit in with me. Crossing the finish line with the team was awesome. I was filled with the emotion of what I and the rest of us had managed to accomplish in the last 33 hours – WE DID IT!

Ragnar - The Finish Line

2008-11-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

We made it! Wow...what a crazy 33 hours! When you say you're going to run from Clearwater to Daytona Beach, you don't REALLY know what to think...how's it going to feel, what all do I need, can this be done? Now the 6 of us know exactly how it feels...a mixture of accomplishment, relief and no race would be complete without a little bit of pain and suffering. It was a great time and we will definitely be back next year! Have to at least hold our 2nd place finish in the Ultra Mixed division!

Stay tuned for the 2nd half of the race blog coming soon...

Ragnar Relay - The first 5

2008-11-14T15:20:00.000-08:00

Jen – On your mark…get set…GO! I took off, so much excitement brewing inside, definitely had to slow down and watch my pace. Headed out of the park and on to the causeway, beautiful view and met a buddy.
We said hi and ended up running together for a while. I loved the camaraderie. All the support teams were great along the way, cheering not only their runners, but others too. I headed straight up the Pinellas trail, familiar view so far, but I seemed to breeze through until around mile 7, then started feeling the mileage, but all in all a great run…Finished right on time.

Audrey – Runner 2, Legs 3 & 4, 6.7 miles. According to the race bible, both legs were supposed to be easy. I figured it would be a nice warm-up for my opening leg. BUT that didn’t happen. A signage issue caused an off-course jaunt of 3 miles, which meant my total mileage ended up being 9.6 miles. Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one who ended up lost and unable to tell from the map exactly which direction we were supposed to go. Thankfully, Poncho was there on his bike to do a little riding ahead and phone calling to help us find out way. Of course, once back on track, the overcast sky turned sunny and HOT fast! Thanks to the crew of the S.S. Insanity for provided support and fuel along the route. My first leg of the race is done and I can’t wait for my next portion of the race at night.

Dave – I was thinking, “Can’t we SWIM across Florida?” as Audrey passes me the wrist slapper “baton” straight out of the 80’s. The team screams, “Go Ginger go!” and we’re off! Ten more miles to go… I spent most of the fifth leg trying to catch some people and it was going pretty well, but I noticed I was getting a little tired already. Not good. A very nice team offered me some water right before leg 6 started and I gladly accepted. My second leg was only 3.6 miles and I remember running along a river, some hills, and even some sand along the side of the road, but to be honest, it was mostly a blur. I perked right up when the sixth exchange was in sight. I was all smiles and celebration when I finished and handed Chris the wrist slapper. I think we got some good video of me acting like a fool, which should be entertaining when we watch it later. The best part so far was using my engineering skills to get the “showers” working, which were just tents with a garden hose sticking through the top, but felt more like an oasis in the middle of the Sahara. I need to be a lot smarter from here on out. Start slow, stay hydrated, and keep good food in my system. I’ll let you know how it works out.

Chris - So here comes Dave, why did he have so run so fast as it is really Hot out here!!!! Maybe that’s because it is 1 PM and very humid. So I started and the pace was a tad fast but it felt OK. Made it through the first check point at 6.3 miles and I knew 7.4 was going to be tough and it was. As I approach the finish I see Ali waiting for me, all smiles and I was sure happy to see her as it meant I was done for the first leg. Time to relax and get fueled up for the next leg. What a great team to be a member of, having fun, running and many laughs and all the support one could ask for. Time to rest, see you on leg 2!

Ali – I don’t know if this Ultra thing is good for people that are competitive. As Chris came in and slapped the bracelet on me, I was off and running for 12.7 miles. As always, I took off a little faster than I had really wanted to, what can I say, I get a bit excited at the start. J My first run was straight on SR-52…non-stop, no turns, just go. I had a guy pass me within the first mile and even though the killer instinct in me wanted to kick it in, I actually was able to keep myself in check…and pass him another mile up the road. After that it was smooth sailing with an occasional wind blast from big trucks going up. I lost my visor twice before deciding it was a smart idea to turn it around. I also had one good blast that lifted my feet off the ground! Yes, seriously, off the ground! But I felt great and loved all the honks and thumbs ups along the way! Plus, my team rocks…or sails for that matter. They were everywhere along the course, which was a good mental boost as I got close to the end. Coming into the exchange, Anne-Marie was ready and waiting with her “How Can I Help You” reflective vest on and headlamp clipped to her visor. I passed off the slap bracelet very willingly and off she went. Give me some water, trail mix and a PBJ and I’m ready for Round 2!

Daytona Beach...Here We Run!

2008-11-13T17:46:00.001-08:00

4 months ago we all thought it would be a great idea to sign up for Ragnar Relay in Florida. At the time all we knew was there were 6 of us (an ultra team) that were going to run 191 miles. Easy enough, right? Well that was before we decided to turn this into a whole themed event! It has definitely made things entertaining. It started with our team name, S.S. Insanity. Of course that led to some sort of boat theme. Since we're from Tampa Bay, a pirates theme came to mind first. That was until Audrey came up with Gilligan's Island! The best idea EVER! And that's where things started to get really entertaining...especially since we did a role reversal in characters. I'm the Skipper, Jen is Gilligan, Audrey is the Millionaire (without a wife), Anne-Marie is the Professor, Chris is Mary Ann and Dave is Ginger! Yes, he is wearing a dress. The ideas just kept flowing after that. Thanks to Nan, we have some AWESOME shirts to wear while we're running! A big thank you to Dad and Nan also for helping us decorate the van and Forerunner today! Hey, we may not be the fastest team, but we're definitely going to look good doing it! :) Stay tuned for the craziness that is about to ensue over the next 48 hours!

3 Time Ironman!

2008-11-02T02:24:00.001-08:00

Wow...what an amazing day! After being sick for the past week and not being able to train, I managed to PR with a 12:05.17! That's 38 minutes faster than by best...granted that was from IM WI, which is insanely hilly, but still! Wow, it was a pretty exciting day to say the least! But before I get into that, I have to give a shout out to the Posse. Dave, Chris, Jen and Audrey came up to watch the race and not only did they watch, but they took turns running with my during the marathon. I couldn't have done it without them! I'm extremely fortunate to have the best friends you could hope for!

Now, onto the good stuff...the nitty, gritty details of the day. The cannon went off at 7 am so we were up at 4:30 am...actually we were awake at midnight when I apparently had a little issue with the alarm clock in the condo and it went off at 12:00, but minor details. After some yogurt and granola and rounding up the trips, we were off to the transition area to get Scott, my bike, fueled up for the long ride ahead and get bodymarked with my number and age. Of course we still had an hour left after this was all done, so we headed into the Convention Center which was slightly warmer than the 50 degree weather that was going on outside. A little bit of chatting, a little bit of stretching, 2 trips to the restroom, and we were ready to suit up. Let me just say right now, I hate wetsuits. Not only are they a pain to put on...as you'll see from the pictures of my yanking it up, and yes with my hands down my pants (thanks Audrey), but I get so freaking hot and they are so confining. But I suck it up and get it on. By this time, we're ready to hit the beach. After a final pep talk from the gang and hugs all around, Dad and I are making our way over the timing mat into the corral. There appears to be a lot of room behind us as we wait at waters edge, but once the pros start (10 mins. before us regular folks) and the age groupers are cleared out of the water, it was looking a bit tight. All I knew was when that cannon went off, I was running into the water and not looking back.

The swim was a 2 loop course that required you to get out of the water after the first loop, run through a timing mat and then diagonal back out to, what I thought, was the first buoy. It would only make sense, right? Then do your 2nd lap and exit up to transition. Well, here's how it actually went. The race started and we all went charging into the water, I actually felt great at the start and had a bit of space around me, unlike WI which is a deep water start and I feel like I'm getting pummeled from the get-go. We started about 3/4 of the way down in the starting corral so as to avoid the line huggers. This was definitely a good plan because it was a bit less congested, until you got to the red buoy which was roughly 800 meters out. The buoys are always a cluster-you-know-what. But I made it around and tried to maintain that wide angle. It was a short distance along the backside, but we were swimming directly into the sun and for those of you that remember be swimming the Ludington Triathlon, you know how much I suck at sighting into the sun. My eyes were not happy! But at least here I could just follow the crowd and before I knew it, we were angling around the next red buoy and swimming for shore, another 800 meters back in. There was a tall condo building just to the right of the buoys, so I would sight every 6-8 strokes, if that and keep heading for it. It seemed to work out well, but it seemed to have gotten a bit more congested. People were swimming crooked, one guy swam over me, I had someone hitting my feet until I gave a few hard kicks and they backed off. The usual stuff. As we neared the shore, I continued swimming until my fingers scraped the bottom. I stood up and did as much of a jog as I could up on the beach and through the semi-circle fencing over the timing mat before trudging back into the water. Now, this is where things get interesting. As I'm attempting to jog into the water, I'm watching all the people ahead of walking out on an angle, not in the direction of the first buoy. Most of them weren't even close to aiming for the 2nd buoy. I guess I missed the announcement about buoys being optional! I had even made sure I looked at the map beforehand because the whole out of the water thing was new to me and it definitely showed up angling toward the 1st one. So I start swimming towards the 1st buoy and as I neared it I realized I was 1 of 3 people that were trying to be fair. We sort of collectively said screw it, and veered just to the left of it and then took the rest of the buoys at our left. While the rest of the field seemed to decide the 2nd one was not importantly either. After that, I'm not really sure what people did. I guess they just figured they had to stay to the left of the red one on the end. I was irritated and stopped paying attention to everyone else at this point. The back side of the swim and the final turn were a mess again, but knowing we were almost out of there, I attempted to kick it in and get the heck out of there. I came out of the water in 1:09.02. I knew it would be slower than WI since that's in a lake and this is the Gulf, so I wasn't too disheartened, but I do wonder how much time I could have shaved off if I followed the pack. I've never been very good at that though. :)

T1 didn't go as smooth as I had hoped. I began running up the beach, stripping off my wetsuit to my waist before reaching the wetsuit peelers. Yes, there are actually volunteers who strip off your wetsuit for you, it's so great! I dropped to my bum, put my feet up, and woosh, it was off. I hopped up and continued the trek up the sand, under the fresh water sprayers, and onto the boardwalk which lead into the resorts parking lot/transition area. First, you have to pick up your "Swim to Bike" bag and then head into the change tent. Again, they have volunteers to assist you...in getting dressed. It's actually quite nice. I wasn't changing, but I had to get on my HR strap, watch, socks, bike shoes, gloves, sunglasses, helmet, and the most difficult arm warmers. Yes, try putting on arm warmers when your arms are wet. It was a fight but between the two of us, we finally got them pulled up far enough. After a quick stop in the port-a-potty and a whole lot of nose blowing, I grabbed Scott and was running for the transition exit. The whole ordeal took 7:21, not as fast as I was hoping, but I was heading on the bike and focused on a 6 hr ride now.

The bike was a single loop, which I wasn't familiar with either. WI has you going out of town 16 miles and then doing a double loop before returning. It's kind of bitter sweet that way...knowing what lies ahead the 2nd time. All I knew was FL was a whole lot flatter than WI, so I was ready to go. After 10 miles of paralleling the shoreline we headed north onto a highway. It was an open course, which had me a bit nervous at the start, but it turned out to not be an issue even with all the highway riding we ended up doing. Since it wasn't even 9 am yet, it was still cold, probably in the mid to upper 50's by this point. The sun was just coming up, but we weren't feeling it yet. I was so cold and my nose was running like crazy. That's always a fun experience while you're biking. If there would have been a competition for blowing snot rockets and spitting lugies, I so would have won. It wasn't pretty, but it was necessary! I knew if I averaged 18.66 mph, that was a 6 hr ride, so I tried to stay in the upper 18's to 19. I was doing great for the 1st 20 or so miles...and then we turned...into the wind. It was pretty brutal, but I never train without it and that's what I kept telling myself. So I managed to hold my speed for the most part. I was passing some and getting passed my tons...that's what happens when you're a better swimmer. :) At the dinner and meeting Thursday night, the bike course official really got on us about drafting. You're supposed to be 4 bike lengths behind the person in front of you and if you want to pass, you need to do it within 20 secs. Now 4 bike lengths is a LONG way. Nobody really does that, but I try to have at least 2 in between. However, there were times when I was getting passed my groups of 20-25 riders! It was insane! After it happened twice, I passed a girl who I had been playing cat and mouse with for some time and told her I missed the memo about the 112 mile group ride! Oh well, all I could do was hope the officials on motorcycles would see them and do their job. After what felt like forever, we finally turned south and I was able to crank it up a bit. I was feeling good, drinking my Heed/Carbo-Pro mix every 5-10 minutes and taking a bite of a Powerbar every 20-30 mins. It seemed to be working well for me. Another turn and we were no longer on a highway, but a country road that was cracked every 50 feet it seemed. Not fun! Of all the roads in the area, they couldn't have found a better road than this? It soon turned north and then east on the out and back, which meant into the wind again! This was between 60 and 70 miles and I was hitting the wall. I backed off a little, regrouped, ate and drank some more and at the turn around I was ready to go. This is the point where I just start counting down the miles 10 at a time. It's all a mental game and you have to have some way of beating it. But I must say the 2nd to best feeling on the bike is when you hit 100 miles. On this course it was at the top of an overpass heading back into town and you could see the tall beach condo buildings ahead. I let out a "Woot, woot" and picked up the speed. I knew it was going to be close to the 6 hr mark. The last 6 or so miles were heading east along the shoreline, same as when we went out. Only this time, we were going directly into the wind. How cruel at the end of the race! As we made the final turn, I saw our condo and knew it wasn't even a 1/2 mile left. I was just at 6 hrs at that point. At the dismount line, my clock read 6:03! I'll definitely take that! This is the best part of the bike...getting off! And even though I love Scott and he's been good to me, I needed to hand him off to the volunteers and start running!

T2 is my favorite because it's short and sweet. Grab your bag, run into the tent, throw on running shoes and a visor, grab my gels and go! Well...after another stop at the port-a-potty with a lot of nose blowing...then go! I came flying out of transition and down the road knowing the posse was just up ahead. Jen and Audrey were going to run the 1st lap with me and I thought Dave and Chris were going to run the 2nd lap. I got out onto the main road and across from the campground was Nan, Dave and Chris. There was a lot of cheering and I remember yelling "6:03 baby!" and I was off with Chris hollering behind me that Audrey and Jen would be up ahead. I wanted to maintain a 9:30-9:45 from the start because if I went out to hard (like usual), I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on, especially after pushing hard on the bike. I made the 1st turn, checked my watch and saw 9:00. Slow down Ali. Luckily Jen and Audrey were about a mile up the road so they jumped in and I let them know the plan. Audrey set the pace and Jen stuck by my side. It was perfect. We ran through some neighborhoods on the way out which required us to run over speed bumps...not so fun when you can barely pick up your legs on the 2nd loop. The course led us out to the state park, all the way through, turned around and headed back along the same way. About a mile after the turn you hit the Ford motivational section which contains a giant message board that displays a message when you cross a mat triggering your number. Audrey entered a message at the expo the day before. We crossed the mat and just before we passed the board "Smith Sports Posse" came up in lights! I loved it! It starts me thinking about all the amazing people I train with, work with and train! They are an extraordinary group and, whether they know it or not, they got me through a lot of this race mentally! We exited the park and about a mile up I spotted Chris and Dave. That was a nice surprise! They had started running a little while after I had gone by, caught Poncho, turned to run with him about a mile and a half, then turned back and ran to meet us. So we had the whole gang together for awhile. With about 3 miles left to the turnaround we saw Ponch heading out for his last loop so Chris turned and joined him. Dave ran another 1-2 miles and stopped to wait for me to come back around. He was going to run me to Chris who, I was hoping, would finish up the last lap with me. So Audrey led the way and her and Jen jumped off the course at the campground while I went up and made the turn around. I love going through the corral, even if it's not for the actual finish yet. Everyone is so excited, cheering and giving out high fives! I try and soak in the energy and excitement as much as possible. I came back around to the campground and Jen jumped back in with me with my water bottle of Heed and Carbo-Pro. We met up with Dave and the two of them ran me to Chris and Dad. At that point they all did a switch, Chris joined me and Dave and Jen joined Dad. Apparently Dad was flying...at the end of the marathon...no, no...at the end of the Ironman, him and Dave took off running 7:30's for the last 3 miles! He's amazing! Chris was my saving grace on that last lap. He just hung right by me and gave me a little ego boost when I needed it. Coming out of the state park it started to get dark and it seemed like it went pitch black within a matter of minutes! Good thing I still had my arm warmers on and pulled down around my wrist because I didn't grab my shirt from Jen when she turned around. I yanked up the arm warmers and felt good. At that point, it was about 5 miles left and I knew it was time to shut off the mind and let auto-pilot take over. It was going to be close to 12 hours, probably a bit over, but I wanted to see what I could do. I didn't look at the watch, but I tried picking it up. I haven't checked the Garmin yet, but my last 6.55 miles was almost as fast as my 1st 6.55 miles and Chris said we definitely took it up a notch. With about a mile and a half to go you could hear Mike Riley telling people they were an Ironman. It was a blur after that. All I know is we got to the start of the corral and Chris veered off to the left and I had a big smile plastered across my face as I tried to hold back the tears. Not so much from finishing even though the 1st time I heard "Allison Smith, you are an Ironman" it was incredibly emotional, but this time it was tears of joy and thankfulness for the incredible friends I have. Not only did they come to watch and support me, but they got me through an entire marathon and then stood at the finish line with signs they made cheering me all the way across! What a great end to the day!

And yes, seeing 12:05 wasn't what I had originally hoped for, but I'll take the extra 5 minutes! After attempting to walk around for a bit, scarfing down a piece of pizza and then getting a shower, I told Dave no matter what I say, don't let me do an Ironman next year. 2 in 2 months was a little much for me and I think my body needs a little recovery. Especially seeing as how in 2 weeks we are running across Florida for Ragnar Relays. Next year, I'm all about the Half IMs! But wow, what a sense of accomplishment! Just another checkmark on the list!

Motivational Signs

2008-10-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

Audrey making her motivational sign for the run course. To fully appreciate this sign you have to know the story. A few weeks ago I was out on a Tuesday doing an 80 mile bike ride and it was so absurbdly windy that as I was coming into the wind, on a slight incline, I was going about 11 mph and my heart rate was 161! I text Audrey and asked her if she would text God and ask him to stop breathing so hard. Hence...the sign! :)

Transition Bags

2008-10-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

Getting all my gear together to drop off today! I'm getting better at this...the first time was a little stressful...what do I need, what do I need? You never know what the weather is going to do. But I think we are good to go for tomorrow! Can't wait!

IM FL - the beginning

2008-10-30T19:40:00.001-07:00

And so the adventure begins…Ironman Florida! It can never be simple, planned out or normal. What fun is that! Instead, Audrey and I hit the road Wednesday night at 9 pm after we finished Boot Camp. It’s only a 6-7 hour drive to Panama City Beach from Clearwater, why not do it at night and avoid the traffic. Honestly, it was a great move because we made it in 6 hours exactly and that’s including my potty breaks every 2 hours! And on a side note, who knew there were more deer along the side of the road in Florida than Michigan! Holy deer country!

The “plan” was to stay in a cabin at Campers Inn because Ponch and Nan are here with the motorhome and the campground is practically across the road from the host resort/transition area. Now, we stayed in the cabins at Fort Wilderness in Disney for the Half IM there so this will be the same thing, right? Um…could we have been more wrong. Yes, that was Disney and nothing is like Disney, but how different can cabins be. Let’s just say we couldn’t even figure out how to get the door open when we got there at 3 am for starters. Let’s also mention its 40 degrees outside, I’m getting over a nasty cold and we’re extremely tired! After figuring out you don’t actually use the handle to open the door (silly us!), you pull the rope which lifts the 4x4 level contraption so the door can be opened. We step inside and I do mean a single step because that’s all the more room there was before you ran into either the full size bed or the bunk beds. That’s all folks. If you shuffled your way in between the set of beds, you reached what we initially hoped was the heater fixed to the wall. Mistake #2 (or is that 3 now)! Our options were low fan or high fan and last I checked fan ≠ heat! We looked at each other, simultaneously let out a “Hell No” and ran for the HEATED car. We called Ponch and Nan and headed for the motorhome. Heat, bathroom, and sleep…we were now happy.

Come morning, we decided to discuss our options with the front desk help. “Yeah, you can rent one of these little space heaters for a $10 deposit. They’re a hot commodity this weekend!” she explains. No, really! That would have been a bit more helpful yesterday. But seriously, she was wonderful and I really appreciate their help because she fully refunded us for last night and the rest of the stay. We figured we might as well start with the host resort and take our chances on a room still being available. We were in luck; there was 1 efficiency she could get us into. Unfortunately, while we were making the phone calls to arrange the cancellations, it was booked out from under us. Again, the woman working was looking out for us because she comes back with an efficiency in one of their other properties that’s a bit bigger, has a balcony looking out over the gulf, and she will give it to us for the same rate. Um…is that a question! Thank you, thank you, thank you! We got checked into Sunbird Condos, made our way up to the 6th floor, entered our room and began shrieking with excitement when we saw the view! This is awesome! The rest of the day has pretty much followed suit, so I’m just going to pray that tomorrow and, most importantly, Saturday are the same! Bring on the IM!

2008-10-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that the wind has been relentless the past few days, this 80 miler had to be done! The first 45 miles weren't too bad since it was more of a cross wind. But when I turned into it and the road was a slight incline, I glanced down to see my speed at 11 mph and my HR at 160! That's when you know it's a good ride. After stopping at Taylor Park to refuel and refocus, I was determined to see 80 at the end. It's rides like this that I love because the confidence you gain from finishing it power you through your next tough training ride or race!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	27 ft
Location:	Safety Harbor, FL	Elev. Gain:	-7 ft
Date:	10/14/08	Up/Downhill:	[+1003/-1010]
Time:	09:30 AM	Difficulty:	5.0 / 5.0

Weather:	Fair
	88 F temp; 53% humidity
	93 F heat index; winds E 15

Performance

Distance:	80.05 miles
Time:	4:50:11
Speed:	16.6 mph
Pace:	3' 37 /mi	Heart Rate:	148 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	3835		171 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Speed (mph)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	172 - 191	0h 00m	0%	0.00 mi
Zone 4	153 - 172	1h 46m	36%	28.69 mi
Zone 3	134 - 153	2h 51m	58%	48.84 mi
Zone 2	115 - 134	0h 34m	11%	6.83 mi
Zone 1	96 - 115	0h 14m	5%	0.81 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 01m	0%	0.01 mi

Posted from bimactive.com

USA-T Coaching Clinic

2008-10-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how in a 12 hour span I can go from being in New Orleans chatting with fellow newbie triathlon coaches as well as veteran coaches who work at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, to flying back to Clearwater, to being back to the Monday routine at Lifestyles. I love my job, don't get me wrong, but I have to admit it was a little difficult to come back to after this weekend. I had been looking forward to attending the USA-T Coaching Clinic ever since I signed up months ago. I had no idea to what caliber the presenters would be! Bobby McGee who, it seems, has worked with anyone who is someone in the world of running...triathletes, marathoners, sprinters, you name someone, and chances are he has corrected their form and improved their speed! I felt like a kid at Christmas, loving everything I was getting, but still wanting more. He was amazing to listen to and I can't wait to put his ideas into practice. John Crawley and Bob Seebohar also came from the OTC. John presented on cycling techniques and Bob discussed nutrition as well as strength training. Ah strength training...my favorite and comfort zone! The funny part about this presentation was I expected him to discuss strength training in a functional manner. You know, focusing on core and balance with iso abs, 1 leg squats, stability ball exercises, and on and on. Well that's exactly what he did, but noone seemed to have any idea about this style of training. Most had a hard time doing the exercise. I was blown away! These are exercises I do with my clients in the first 4 weeks of training them. I had to give myself a little pat on the back that I actually knew what I was doing. :) Maybe I shouldn't say it like...for all my clients that are reading this, I promise I really do know what I'm doing... :) I just mean I'm ahead of the field in this area and I didn't realize to what extent. It was pretty exciting. Two of the other presenters were two of the guys that worked at Elmwood Fitness Center, which is where the clinic was held. Ben and Jeff also started up a triathlon club, Rising Sun through the fitness center. Not only did they do a great job presenting on swimming and triathlon specific training, but they were so incredibly helpful and allowed me to pick their brains about how to fully develop a triathlon team and what all I needed to do so. Thanks guys! All in all, it was an amazing weekend! The fitness center was more than I could have imagined...the longer I was there, the closer I was getting to telling the posse I was New Orleans bound. 2 outdoor pools (6-lane and 8-lane), 1 indoor pool, jacuzzi, huge lifting area with plenty of machines, large carpeted group fitness room, spin room with 52 bikes, racquetball courts, separate room for Hammer Strength machines, cardio equipment (that each had a flat, touch screen tv) upstairs in the center of a track, separate personal training studio, rock climbing ball, basketball courts, and a cafe/lounge area in the center with a Starbucks and wireless internet. I could go on and on, but I think you get my point...it was a personal trainer/coaches dream come true! Then today was back to reality. But to be quite honest, I love my reality because minus the fitness center, I can bring all that information I learned this weekend and pour it into what I've already been doing with my clients and my posse members, making them and me that much better, stronger, and competitive!

2008-09-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

The 26.2 mile 2-loop IM WI run course. Despite a bit of a shoe issue (running in a shoe a 1/2 size too big), I had a great first half. Then my poor feet started hurting as they were sliding all over and landing on my orthotics anywhere but the right spot. So Dad and I walked the last half and got to "see" what the race is really like not being in the zone. It was a great experience!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	871 ft
Location:	Madison, WI	Elev. Gain:	+9 ft
Date:	09/07/08	Up/Downhill:	[+898/-889]
Time:	03:14 PM	Difficulty:	4.0 / 5.0

Performance

Distance:	26.63 miles
Time:	6:03:07
Speed:	4.4 mph
Pace:	13' 38 /mi	Heart Rate:	132 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	2411		167 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Pace (min/mile)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	172 - 191	0h 00m	0%	0.00 mi
Zone 4	153 - 172	1h 22m	22%	8.42 mi
Zone 3	134 - 153	1h 08m	18%	6.58 mi
Zone 2	115 - 134	1h 43m	28%	6.58 mi
Zone 1	96 - 115	2h 12m	36%	7.47 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 08m	2%	0.09 mi

Posted from bimactive.com

2008-09-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

The 112 mile Ironman Wisconsin bike course. It's a bit brutal as you can see from the elevation. But that's why we do what we do! :) This year was a bit slower than last year, but I'm ok with that, all things considering. It just gives me more motivation for IM FL coming up on Nov. 1st!

Activity

Route:	--	Elev. Avg:	1001 ft
Location:	Madison, WI	Elev. Gain:	+3 ft
Date:	09/07/08	Up/Downhill:	[+6312/-6309]
Time:	08:16 AM	Difficulty:	4.5 / 5.0

Performance

Distance:	112.19 miles
Time:	6:51:58
Speed:	16.3 mph
Pace:	3' 41 /mi	Heart Rate:	147 bpm (Avg)
Calories:	5719		175 bpm (Peak)

Map

Elevation (ft)

Speed (mph)

Heart Rate (bpm)

Heart Rate Zones

Zone	Range (bpm)	Time In Zone		Distance In Zone
Zone 5	172 - 191	0h 05m	1%	0.74 mi
Zone 4	153 - 172	2h 34m	37%	34.26 mi
Zone 3	134 - 153	3h 54m	56%	65.55 mi
Zone 2	115 - 134	0h 43m	10%	16.35 mi
Zone 1	96 - 115	0h 03m	0%	1.25 mi
(none)	out of range	0h 00m	0%	0.00 mi

Posted from bimactive.com

Bringing it Back

2008-09-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Alright...I've given out enough excuses. The truth is, there is no excuse for why my last blog was in 2006. That's right, 2 years ago. "I'm busy" really loses it's credibility when it's been that long. So I'm back...and this time with "The Posse". I guess I could say I have been busy over these past 2 years meeting some amazing people. The kind of people that smile and get excited about waking up at 5 am on Sunday morning to run. The kind of people that will drive, whether 1 or 6 hours, to support one another in a race. The kind of people that make me love getting up to do my job every day. What I'm trying to say is I am blessed to be surrounded with such driven, dedicated and supportive friends/teammates. But you will hear more about them as the weeks go on as they will also be contributing to the blog...because we all know how good I am at keeping up on my own. :) Then again, it's a new year (or 2) with new races and new motivation!

An Unwanted Break

2006-09-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

So after the Half Ironman, I had to take a little time off. Not because I wanted to (even though Sunday morning I woke up and didn’t think I could move…I guess that bachelorette party wasn’t a good thing to attend when I got back in town), but because I had to have a tumor removed from my back. In the beginning of July I noticed something funny on the right side of my upper back. After a week when it started growing and bleeding profusely upon impact, I had a doctor check it out. Thankfully it was benign and he would be able to do it himself. I would just have to wait a few weeks till my race was over.

Tuesday after the Half I headed back to the doctor. After a bit of a surprise by how much it had grown over the past few weeks, he felt confident he could remove all of it. He numbed the area and before I knew it, it was over and I was being bandaged up. I was also being instructed to “take it easy” until I came back in to have the stitches removed. For those of you that know me, you know this is like asking for a miracle. I was good on Tuesday and Wednesday…mainly because I couldn’t move my right arm without pain shooting through my shoulder and back. But on Thursday I couldn’t take it any longer. Rob and I went for a bike ride. Since I couldn’t get down into the aero bars, we just did a nice and easy ride to the State Park and back. Hey, that’s taking it easy in my world. It’s not like I could just sit there and do nothing…I had another race coming up in two and a half weeks. And this wasn’t just any race, this was the Ludington Lighthouse Triathlon…as in my hometown. After over a year of racing, I had never done a triathlon here. I had to do it. Plus, I had convinced not only my dad to do the Sprint Triathlon, but my brother to do it as a relay with two of my friends.

Even though I biked and attempted to swim (which really just led to kicking), I was good and didn’t run for over a week. I won’t lie and say I didn’t try…I did and it hurt, so I stuck with the biking and swimming. I went back in to have the stitches removed two weeks later…6 days before the Ludington Triathlon. I was given the stamp of approval after the doctor removed the stitches, but with a warning to keep an eye on it.

With a box of band-aids and Neosporin, I was tumor free and ready to race!

Steel and Iron

2006-09-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, I know. It's been awhile...as in two months, which in my world means like 3 races. I'll try and bring you up to date over the next few blogs.

First, the big event...the Steelhead Half Ironman. I finished! That was the main goal for this race. It was just to do it...to see what it feels like...to learn from it. And just what did I learn? That I need more than a month and a half if I want to actually be competitive in a Half Ironman. Ok, so I didn't really learn this, I just reinforced the fact, but it's definitely motivated me for the next one.

On Friday night at the pre-race meeting we found out the swim would be starting from the St. Joe Pier. As everyone began talking about jumping off the pier, all I could think is I want to dive off of that thing. So when the meeting was over, down to the pier we went. After multiple attempts, I finally figured out how to keep my goggles on and I was ready for the morning. We headed to dinner and then back to the motorhome to try and get some sleep.

In the morning, Dad and I planned on heading to the transition area so I could get set up with plenty of time before having to take the shuttle bus over to the swim start. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a problem with the shuttles from the parking area to the transition area and a group of us had to practically throw ourselves in front of a bus and beg the driver to take us to the transition area. This was after standing at the designated pick-up spot for 15 minutes before we started to walk in the general direction of the transition area. By the time we actually got to transition, I didn’t have much time to get set up, do the mandatory port-a-potty stop, and then catch one of the last buses to the pier. Luckily I was one of the latter waves, so I had time to de-stress and then get in the water to warm up.

The swim was awesome, and I must say my dive was beautiful. J I think I was actually in the lead for the first 30 seconds because of it. Ok, maybe not, but it was positive thinking. After swimming past a bazillion buoys, I saw the huge Gatorade bottle up on the beach and made the turn for shore. At the end of the 1.2 mile swim, my time was 33:19. I guess those swims back and forth across Hamlin Lake helped. The run from the water up to the transition area felt like a mile. My transition was good and 4 and a half minutes after exiting the water, I was headed out on the bike.

I drove the bike course early Friday morning to check it out. I had been told there were a lot of rolling hills and I wanted to see for myself. Within the first ten minutes of driving I realized they weren’t lying! And within the first ten minutes of biking that morning I made a mental note to find some hilly roads to train on back home! I felt really strong despite being passed by tons of men and several women as well. I kept reminding myself that this was a long race and I needed to race it at my pace, it’s not a sprint triathlon. I settled in and enjoyed the ride. The volunteers were wonderful, full of encouragement at every aid station, and made you feel like such a pro handing off water bottles, gels, and bananas as we zipped by. After about an hour and a half I saw two familiar, extremely supportive faces. My dad and Nan were driving the bike route slowly, trying to find me in the mass of 1400 cyclists. That gave me an extra boost and put a big smile on my face. They were so wonderful, driving to several other points along the way to cheer me on. It’s amazing how much that truly helps! Around mile 40 I could feel myself slowing down a bit. I had started a little too strong and put a little too much extra into my pedaling when I saw Dad and Nan. Luckily a few miles up the road, Jocelyn, a girl I had met at another race who is a phenomenal runner and triathlete, caught up with me. Her encouraging words and drive helped me refocus it and kick it in to get through those final fifteen miles. I wanted to complete the 56 miles in less than 3 hours…as I jumped off my bike and ran into the transition area, my CatEye computer read 2:55:50. Just made it! I saw my cousin, Meisha as I was coming into transition. She ran alongside transition as I quickly found my spot, racked my bike, put on my running shoes, and ran for the port-a-potty…only wasting 2 and a half minutes in transition. Some cheers and quick words of encouragement from her and I was out.

As I exited the transition through the chute, I spotted Rob, Erica, and Mom. Seeing them, in addition to the fact that my legs actually didn’t feel like jell-o, brought a smile to my face. Within the first few miles of the race, your legs were truly tested as you ran up a dirt road. Thankfully it was followed by an aid station, a little more uphill and then a nice long downhill run. The first 5 miles felt good besides the fact I couldn’t feel my toes on my left foot. But after about an hour I was starting to have a hard time taking in anything besides water and Gatorade. I choked down part of a gel at one point, but was starting to hurt and slow down by the time I got to the turn around. Again, my wonderful dad and step-mom were there waiting for me. Dad ran with me for a little bit and helped me calm down and re-lengthen my stride that had shortened significantly. I knew I was going to finish, I just knew my run wasn’t going to be as good as it could and should have been. I walked the aid stations on the way and took advantage of the cups of ice the volunteers were handing out. This may have been my saving grace. A few ice cubes under my cap, a few down my back, and a few to chomp on. After walking up the steep down ramp from the main road, I knew I only had about 2 miles to go. I dug in and picked up the pace. At this point, I just wanted it to be over. As I came into the finish chute, I saw my family cheering me on, and kept that image as I sprinted (well it felt like a sprint after all that!) across the finish line. 5:51:55…under 6 hours, which I was hoping for in this first race.

The second I stopped running I thought my legs were going to collapse under me. My dad found me just in time as my legs cramped up and I could barely walk. We walked/stumbled/shuffled around for a bit before we found the wonderful ladies doing massages. Talk about relief!

All in all, it was a great experience. The atmosphere of the race was incredible, the volunteers were wonderful, and I learned what I need to keep working on. Needless to say, I am doing a few marathons and half marathons this winter.

Swimming, swimming, but not in the swimming pool...

2006-07-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

When I used to teach swim lessons we would have to sing songs with the kindergarten group before getting into the pool. My favorite was:

"Swimming, swimming in the swimming pool. When days are hot, when days are cool, in the swimming pool. Back stroke, side stroke, and fancy diving too. Oh, don't you wish that you could have nothing else to do. "

Well, on most days swimming is my favorite part of training and I do wish that I could have nothing else to do. However, Monday morning this fun little tune that typically runs through my head was not helping. My cousin, Meisha called at 7:45 am to say it was a little windy on the lake, but not too bad and she would kayak while I swam if I wanted to. Yes, another family member helping me train...I swear I am the luckiest person who trains for these races. So I got down to Meisha's house, pulled on the wetsuit, surveyed the lake...a little wavy...and jumped in. I wasn't too concerned with the waves, I had seen worse.

I did a race in Miami last fall where the swim was in the ocean and the waves were so fierce that the buoys got loose and floated into shore before my wave began. I just stood there laughing because what was the point in freaking out and worrying about it...you just have to accept that some days Mother Nature has a mind of her own. I had one of the best races that day because I didn't stress about it. I had no expectations and it worked out in my favor. The difference between that swam and the one I was experiencing Monday was the way the waves were moving. In Miami I had to swim out to the buoy (well, where it had been), then parallel to the shore until I hit the location of the once existing last buoy, and then back in. As the waves crashed in towards shore, you could turn your head toward shore to breath and then you got a nice little ride in at the end of the swim. My training swim here in Hamlin Lake consisted of me swimming directly across the lake and then coming straight back. I could still avoid sucking down water if I breathed to the opposite side of the waves, but no matter which way I was swimming, the waves were never with me. And in the middle of the lake it was even worse. Not to mention the boats that were out and about early that morning...their wake was definitely not helping the matter.

So instead of singing my typically motivating swimming song, I found myself searching for another means to keep me moving. I began thinking about that race in Miami. And then I replayed the 3-6 foot waves that were breaking at the buoys in Grand Haven a few weeks ago. You never know what the swim may consist of. This was good practice for anything, especially when Lake Michigan is involved! Even though this morning I was back to my song as I swam circles at the pool, dreading having to get out and go to work, I know getting thrashed around that morning, and any morning was well worth it. And not to mention the cute little couple who were sitting on a bench about 100 feet down from my cousin's house cheering for me when I got done swimming that morning. I looked tough swimming that morning...that's something Mother Nature doesn't have a say in.

Our Own Tour...

2006-07-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

And the great workouts just keep coming. After working at the marina all day and feeling a little sore from the run the night before, I was thinking a nap sounded better than riding. But that's the great thing about my brother, he doesn't leave me that option...and yes, that is a good thing. I had told him I wanted to do an easy 2.5-3 hour low-intensity ride. Even though he's just getting back into riding and has been going 20 miles, he was up for the challenge. So as soon as I pulled into the park after work I saw him walking the bikes over to the shop to air up the tires, adjust the derailleurs, and all that other good stuff. Thirty minutes later our bikes were aired up, water bottles were filled, and we were ready to roll.

After the first ten minutes of consistent hills, we finally got into a rhythm with our cadence ranging between 90-100. I've really been trying to work on this...that and keeping my heels down. Earlier this week I took my bike in to get it professionally fitted. All I can say is Corey is a genius. Ok, so maybe it's just the fact that he's gone through a lot of training and he's done races so he's incredibly knowledgeable, but I was blown away by how much more comfortable I was on my bike. As he put it, you should just feel like you're hanging out on the bike while your legs spin. That's exactly how it was. Even though I had told Rob I wanted to do this ride at a lower intensity, I was feeling so good with the new adjustments and the higher cadence that the low intensity wasn't even an option. And this is why I love training with my bro, he's such a good sport, he kept right up, pushing me the entire time.

We got to our turn around point and I could feel myself shifting slightly in my seat. Nowhere near what it was the previous week when I rode 65 miles with my dad and I was crying before the turn around. Yes, that's right crying because it hurt so bad...all I could think is I was never going to be able to finish the biking part of the half ironman in three weeks. Well thanks to Corey and his crew at Village Bike Shop, this was no longer a concern. And the shifting in my seat was just due to the saddle being slightly too wide. A new one had already been ordered for me and should be here next week.

When we got within ten minutes of home I could tell I was getting a little tired, but I don't think the hills were helping with this. After turning into the campground and dismounting, we quickly changed shoes and started walking. We did one lap around the park and my legs felt surprising good considering I had just rode 50 miles. So I ran a mile and was amazed at how much easier it was after spinning at a higher cadence than I used to. Before, I was all about forcing the pedals around, not spinning, and my legs paid for this in the run. Now I felt like I could keep on running. So bring on that half ironman...now I'm ready.

Just Keep Running...

2006-07-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

I love those days where it just falls into place...where you actually lengthen your workout instead of cut it short because it just feels good. After sleeping for roughly 3 hours last night (thanks to being a procrastinator and finally finishing my web site around 3 am), driving to AQ, sitting through class, meeting friends for lunch, and then driving back home, running wasn't top on my list. I figured a power nap would revive me. But after getting up I managed to waste a few hours doing something unmemorable that probably accomplished nothing, but passing the time...ok, so I was really procrastinating and making up excuses about being tired. Finally around 7:30 pm I snapped out of it and decided I would just go for a 4 mile run. That was better than blowing it off all together, right? So off I went, slow and steady. Well by the time I hit mile 3, slow and steady had turned into a decent pace and I was in the zone. I felt good, so I made a right turn, relaxed into the run and just hung on for the ride. 9 miles later I was sprinting up my hilly backdrive, swatting mosquitos away from my face, but smiling the whole time. I love training workouts like this, don't we all. It's reassurance that we've been doing something right, and that's exactly what I needed after today.

Road to Reality

2006-07-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

As I was driving home from class tonight I had a million ideas going through my head for this web site. There was so much I wanted to include, so much I wanted to tell everyone, but then I started to think about where it all starts. You always hear people say they want to go to the gym, or they want to start running, or they want to lose 5 pounds. How does that want become reality?

My want is to do an Ironman. No wait, let me rephrase that, my want is to qualify for the Ironman in Kona. So as I was driving home I began thinking, how do I stay motivated for my somewhat large want? I looked at my dashboard and saw the picture I had taped in my car. It has four smaller pictures within it, a swimmer, a biker, a runner, and the phrase "Do You Tri?". Along the top, my own addition: "Road to Kona".

That's my motivation everyday, to "tri" my hardest. Not only when I am out training, but on those days when I'm trying to get myself to go train and I just don't want to fathom doing it again.

As I continued driving, my phone rang. It's Rob, my brother checking to make sure we are going to bike when I get back into town. This is my biggest motivator and support system, my family. They know my goals and are willing to do all they can to help me achieve them. As I hung up, I looked at the background on my phone, it's the same triathlon picture as the one on my dashboard. By this point you're probably thinking I am crazy obsessive (can't say you would be wrong on that assessment), but more importantly I'm sure you have probably picked up on the fact that I am a big fan of surrounding myself with motivation. Whether it be pictures, phone calls, or daily reminders taped in my car, if it's staring my in the face all day, it's no longer a choice. Instead it's the road that leads from want to reality.

Welcome

2006-07-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

After all this time, I'm finally blogging...welcome to my world!