Ironman journey – Coeur d’Alene

The Ironman journey culminates with the crossing of the finish line and hearing “You are an Ironman” along with the cheers of spectators.

The race can take up to 17 hours to complete. Believe it or not, that’s the easier part. The hardest part is getting there.

The actual Ironman journey is in the training: the long bike rides through the country, the early morning swims, and the joy of long runs.

Along with the swim/bike/run training comes the strength training, injury prevention work, proper nutrition and, when you can manage, enough sleep!

Yummy fuel

It’s the early bed times, the missed parties, and the days you go through like a zombie. It’s the snowy/windy/icy/rainy training days.

So why do people do it? Each person has their reason, whether it’s for the challenge, to test your limits, to inspire others, or to gain confidence in knowing what you can achieve with hard work. Some people do it after battling illness, losing massive amounts of weight, or going through a life change.

I’m not sure why I do it. I’ve always loved running. I love to cycle. And I love endurance sports. I can’t imagine a more fun way to spend time with my husband. And I like to challenge my myself.

CdA journey
My Ironman Coeur d’Alene journey has been an interesting one with lots of ups and a couple downs!

I arrived home from five weeks in Asia on March 14 with a few extra pounds on my body and a lack of fitness!

One of our more strenuous days!

In the 13 weeks since we’ve been home, I’ve worked hard to increase my endurance and keep healthy.

I learned to love my bike trainer, riding hours on there and setting a new personal record of 5 hours, 38 minutes. Outside rides haven’t been as plentiful. However I did get in one glorious and hilly ride in Jasper and a solo 100 miler to test my mental game.

My running mileage stayed quite low due to knee issues and then foot/ankle problems. I went from running three days a week to zero days to two days per week.

But, I ran 13 miles twice and felt strong running in the Oliver half Iron tri. I also pool ran twice and was surprised to find I enjoyed it and could work up quite a sweat. My favourite training run was definitely our family trail run in Jasper!

I practiced yoga once a week and strength trained twice nearly every week. I also foam roll like crazy and keep up my physio exercises. Massage is one of my favourite luxuries, and I’ve been going about once a month. Glorious.

I’ve only been swimming once a week. I decided to only go once instead of forcing myself a second time and despising it! My practice swims have been faster than other years, which I credit to extra strength training. My Oliver time didn’t reflect that, but I feel much stronger.

We competed in one practice race a few weekends ago, which further ignited my love for the sport.

The journey is coming to an end after a challenging few months. We leave for Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday. I can’t wait for the energy of the town, the spirit of the athletes, and the power of the spectators.

I’m excited to hopefully meet blogging friends (Page, Beth, and Emma).

And I can’t wait to race another Ironman with my husband and have family there to support us.

Ironman Arizona 2010

My goal is to have FUN, regardless of my times or pain and discomfort I’m feeling!

Why do you compete in running, triathlon, or anything else?

Catch up

With less than two weeks until Ironman Coeur d’Alene, my busy schedule got the best of me! I spent most of the past weekend wearing fleece PJs, curled up watching movies and reading, drinking fruit smoothies and hot lemon water, and sleeping.

Over the past couple months I’ve kind of been looking over my shoulder wondering when I’ll get sick.

It’s been too many 4:XX mornings during the week and a more than a few weekends. It’s been go-go-go. I have absolutely loved it and embraced the challenge.

However, my body needed a break and it wasn’t afraid to force me to take it.

Image from Pinterest

Hopefully this weekend hit the reset button and I can be 100% healthy for the big day.

Does your body ever force you to take a break, or do you listen and take a break before you’re forced?

Happy birthday and life lessons

Today’s a special day. Harold officially turns six-years-old! Although he’s six in puppy years, according to the chart at my vet’s office he’s actually the big 4-0!

Each year on his birthday I take a photo in the same spot. It’s fun to look at how he’s changed!

On this celebratory day, he’d like to share six life lessons.

6. Stop and smell the roses.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in your never-ending to do list. Instead, slow down and enjoy the simple things. Next time you’re out on a run or walk don’t rush through it already thinking of the next thing you have to do. I’m sure you’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle that next item!

5. Seek adventure.

Get out there, and do something different. Don’t wait until you have more time because you might never find that time. Whether it’s something simple like choosing to run in the rain instead of on a treadmill or spending an entire weekend exploring the mountains instead of sitting on the couch watching movies- seek adventure.

4. Find joy in everything you do. It’s easy to ‘save’ joy for special moments, vacations, celebrations and holidays. Why not find joy every day? Make the choice.

3. Learn to listen, and do it well. If you ask someone how they’re doing, listen to the answer and respond accordingly. If you sense someone is down, listen. They may not want to talk, but I bet they’ll feel better just by knowing you’re there.

2. Run like someone left the gate open.

Running is such a gift. Enjoy it!

1. Love unconditionally. Accept those you love wholeheartedly. I think animals are the only things in the world that know how to do this!

What lessons have you learned from a pet? What’s the hardest lesson to embrace?

Friday faves

Thank you for all your kind comments on my Oliver Half Iron race report. My armpits and heel are healing nicely!

This Friday I thought I’d write about a few things I’m loving lately.

1. Guess what I got in the mail this week? A gorgeous bracelet from Breanna at The Soul Shakedown! She makes beautiful bracelets and sells them on her Etsy shop, Bracelets by Breanna. I won one the other week and had a tough time choosing which one I wanted. I went with the turquoise and elephant bracelet since I adore elephants.

Love it!

2. Babies. The goslings have finally arrived! Harold and I found them on a walk the other day. There is something so amazing about all the baby animals in spring.

We haven’t seen ducklings yet, but I’m on the lookout!

3. Family. My parents watched Harold for us this past weekend and always take great care of him.

When we pulled up to our house early Monday morning, we were shocked to see my mom weeding our yard!  Talk about kindness. I’ve completely neglected the weeds this year and they were out of control.

4. Nike. Kelly bought me this Nike Touch Tailwind tank the other day. Not only is orange my favourite colour, but I also am in love with the soft texture and the cute back!

Click photo for source.

5. The sky. One of the things I love most about cycling is being outside and being in awe of everything I see, from wide open fields and soaring mountains to farm and wild animals to beautiful skies.

I had to stop during my ride last night to snap this photo. Beautiful, right?

Happy Friday!

What are you loving lately? 

Whirlwind race weekend – Oliver half Iron race report

I’ve been a little MIA lately but for good reason! A few weeks ago my husband pitched the idea of doing a half Ironman race to help prepare for Ironman Coeur d’Alene.

So we signed up for the Oliver Half Iron and raced it this past weekend!

image taken from race website

It was a complete whirlwind. We were only away for 68 hours and drove 2,280km in just over 25 hours. It was all worth the exhaustion I feel this week!

The race

The race was in Oliver, BC and is a stunning course. Part of Ironman Canada/Challenge Penticton rides through the area.

This was the 10^th annual Oliver Half Iron. The 2km swim was two loops in a beautiful little lake, the 93km bike was two loops on gorgeous roads surrounded by orchards and vineyards, and the 21km run was two loops mostly on river paths. Nearly 750 people signed up, and 579 people participated.

This was also the first race I saw bike support numerous times! This community loves triathlon, and it shows!

Pre-race

I didn’t plan to taper and wanted to use the race to finish a big week three weeks out from Coeur d’Alene. I got pretty busy and ended up tapering off for five days leading up to it.

We got to Oliver on Saturday morning and went for a short bike and run. We usually swim before a race, too, but I didn’t want to get wet and cold! After we registered, we headed to our hotel the next town over (dazzling Osoyoos) to check in and get our transition bags together. We ate a quick dinner before going back for the athlete meeting.

After that, I crashed hard and slept really well. (The perk of not being well-rested before a race!)

Race day

We woke up bright and early to eat before heading to the race site.

We both like to be early so got there before there were any lineups for body marking and got into transition with lots of space to set up. It was pretty chilly in my books (only 9 Celsius) and the grass was soaking wet. My feet were numb before the day even began!

Although I was ridiculously nervous leading up to the race, I was giddy the morning of and ready to get it started.

2km swim - 39:33

(I swim two km faster in practice so was surprised at the time! See lesson 1!)

photo from race website

There were three waves, and Kelly was in the first and I was in the second. I saw him off and then nervously waited by myself for my start seven minutes later.

Since I was so cold, I didn’t want to go in the water a second sooner than I had to and therefore didn’t do a warm up.

Lesson #1: Always do a swim warm up if you can! It really helps ease anxiety and spikes your heartrate so it won’t be so shocked when you start the race.

The first half of the first lap wasn’t great! I couldn’t catch my breath and swallowed many mouthfuls of water. At one point, I tried to put my feet down which was so silly and freaked me out!

Eventually I got into a rhythm and made it around both turn buoys without too much trouble. We had to get out and run a few metres before hopping in and doing it again. I liked this since IMCdA is two loops. The second loop was a lot better but I sure was glad to get out and get my wetsuit off!

T1 – 8:37

Transition was about 600 metres away from the lake, up a little hill and then down the road. My feet were numb so they hurt a little, but it was better than I expected! I also liked it since the run warmed me up nicely.

I hit a porta-potty right away: barefoot! I cringed but knew it would save me a lot of time. It took me a while to change since it’s so hard to put a sports bra and arm warmers on when you’re wet!

Eventually I had on all my gear, ran my bike out of transition, and started pedalling.

93km bike – 3:07:47

photo taken from race website

The ride was awesome- great roads with incredible scenery. It wasn’t very hilly but it sure was windy for one long stretch. I went from loving the bike to hating it to loving it again depending on whether I was riding with or against the wind!

I tried to push it, but my time definitely doesn’t reflect the effort!

I ate 1.5 Clif bars, 1.5 packs of Honey Stinger chews, and drank two bottles of pink lemonade Nuun. I always try to take all my own fuel for ease.

T2 – 3:45

I love T2 because it means I only have my favourite sport left! I hung my bike on the rack, grabbed my running stuff, and made a decision to stay in what I was wearing, hit the porta-potty again and ran out of there!

Lesson #2 learned: Never try something new on race day! I wore a cycling jersey I’ve biked in countless times before but never ran in. I paid for it later.

21.1km run – 1:46:05

I’ve only done two small bricks this season, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel. Right off the bat, you head up a little hill where there was a lot of crowd support. Since it’s a two loop run, there were already quite a few people on the course.

I decided not to look at my pace on my Garmin and just go with it. It felt like I was moving so slowly but I was passing quite a few people.

The back of my heel was quite cut from the previous weekend so it hurt.

Luckily, I was able to ignore the pain for the majority of it!

I saw Kelly partway and that always gives me a burst of energy! He was feeling good and looking strong! I kept chugging towards the river and the wind was pretty strong but nothing I couldn’t handle.

At this point, I started to notice burning under my arms (see lesson #2.) I made the decision to ignore it!

I always break the run portion of triathlon into pieces, which makes it seem a lot more manageable. The first lap flew by and before I knew it I was turning around to do it again. I didn’t look at my pace at all but had to check my watch a few times for distance. I told myself to pretend the run was 22km, which was lucky because that’s the final distance my Garmin ended up showing!

I saw Kelly again on my way out and was so happy to see he was almost finished the race! I kept focussing on people in front of me to pass.

With about 2km left I started to hurt quite a bit but knew I could hang on. Kelly was on the sidelines cheering for me, and then it was a slight downhill to finish by the lake.

I was so happy to have finished!

Final time: 5:45:44

Once I’m done, I’m always ecstatic and can’t wait for the next one.

Post-race

I dipped in the lake to cool off and clean up. We left within the hour and were sitting in a vehicle for the next nine hours before sleeping in the van for a few hours and hitting the road again!

Shockingly, I wasn’t as sore as I thought I’d be. I have two bad burns under my armpits from my cycling jersey seams, my heel is still cut deep, and I have a black toenail.

I’ve taken it easy so far this week and plan on tapering for the next two before Coeur d’Alene. I definitely didn’t feel great throughout the entire race, which confirms what I already knew. I’m not in the shape I should be in or would like to be in going into Coeur d’Alene.

I’m sure it’s going to hurt! But, that’s part of the experience. Regardless of time, I’m hoping to have a fun day!

What valuable lessons have you learned from race errors?

Wednesday web links – trail running on my mind

My mind has been on trails after our camping trip to Jasper a few weeks ago. I went out to the river valley last week to run. And I am constantly dreaming of signing up for an ultra trail race next summer.

Have you seen Runner’s Ramble’s/Aron’s or Wandirtlust’s/Jojo’s Instagram feeds? Drool worthy. It makes me want to pack our bags (and Harold), load up a vehicle and head to the coast right now.

I’ve mentioned my awe of Kilian Jornet, the Spanish trail running and ski mountaineering phenomenon with mesmerizing running style. Trail Running magazine has an excerpt from his book, Run or Die, due out in July. Completely inspiring.

“Winning isn’t about finishing in first place. It isn’t about beating the others. It is about overcoming yourself. Overcoming your body, your limitations, and your fears. Winning means surpassing yourself and turning your dreams into reality.”

- Kilian Jornet

Speaking of trail races, check out this listing for running vacations in Western Canada.

If you ever needed an excuse to check out our mountains, this might be it!

Do you trail run, hike, or mountain bike? Where is your favourite trail?

Four week itch

Numbers have been assigned,  my longest workouts are finished, and we’re less than four weeks out from IMCdA.  I had a minor panic at the thought of it.

Thankfully, my husband broke it down for me.

• I did a 4km swim the other weekend, so I know I’ve got it (barring no serious issues or hypothermia).
• Although I won’t get in a 180km ride before this race, I biked 160km by myself this training cycle and I’ve ridden 180 a handful of times before.
• My furthest run will be 13 miles, but before IM Canada last year my longest run was only 15 miles.
• If my knee(s) bum out, the worst that happens is I have to walk and have a lot of fun cheering for other people!
• Most importantly, we do it for FUN!

I think nerves are something I will always have to deal with, regardless how prepared I am and how often I’ve participated in a distance. I ran track years ago and would get extremely nervous every single time, whether it was a small or big race and no matter how well I had trained.

I remember sitting on the grass about 20 minutes before Ironman Canada started last year wondering why I signed up for it. But during the event, I loved it!

Like always, my nerves are already kicking in along with doubts. I’ll just keep training, look at our race photos from previous events (to remind me how much I love it), and try to break down what makes me most fearful.

If it’s something I can’t control like water temperature, winds on the bike, rain, and other people on the swim and bike, I shouldn’t waste my energy worrying. (All part of my anxiety!)

Hopefully that will help me stay calm and get me to the start line with a smile!

Do you get nervous before a race? What keeps you calm?

Change the pace – trail running safety

Did you know that Edmonton boasts over 150km of trails in the North Saskatchewan River Valley?

It’s the largest stretch of urban parkland in North America at 7,400 hectares. We are fortunate to have easy access to this trail system for running, walking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Although I love to trail run, I don’t do it nearly enough.  I love to walk, hike, and run them when we’re in Jasper. And I try to get out in Edmonton once in a while.

They’re easier on the joints with soft ground, they’re a nice change from mundane city running, and you connect with nature.

I’m definitely no expert on the sport. However, I think I do a decent job of safety when I run.

With so many kilometres of trails, some of them are pretty empty. Add in other factors like day of the week, time of day, and weather, and they can be downright deserted. I realize the quiet is part of the beauty of trails. But, in the middle of the city, it can also be a danger.

A young woman running alone through a densely treed area without traffic, and sometimes no foot traffic, can be a target.

Here are a few things I do to, hopefully, keep me safe when I run the trails alone:

1. ALWAYS tell someone where you are going, and how long you expect to be gone. If nobody is home, leave a note or call a friend.
2. Change it up. Don’t take the same route at the same time on the same day each time you go. You don’t want to be predictable in case someone notices your routine.
3. Take a phone. If you run into trouble, you can hopefully make a call. Or, if you’re uncomfortable, call someone before you’re in danger. (If you do answer your phone, text someone, or even stop to take a photo, stay aware.)
4. Run without music. Be fully aware of your surroundings without blocking noises out. Plus, part of trail running is the sounds of nature!
5. Make eye contact if/when you pass someone, and say hello. This lets people know you are confident and that you noticed them.
6. Watch other people. If you pass someone going the opposite direction, turn around after a few seconds to ensure they’re still going the opposite direction of you. Or, if you were going the same direction, turn to make sure they’re a safe distance behind.
7. Don’t get too zen. My favourite part of trail running is the peace. But, if you zone out too much, you’re less likely to hear footfalls behind you or see someone on a side trail.
8. Leave something in the tank. Between hills and uneven terrain, trails can take a lot out of you. I like to have a little something in the reserve in case I had to sprint or fight, without depending on adrenaline.

So maybe I sound a little paranoid! But, scary things happen to women all the time when they run alone. These tips definitely apply to running in general. I just find trail running leaves a person more vulnerable without people and/or traffic around.

Have you ever had a scary experience? Do you have any tips to add? 

Other Change the Pace posts:

• Get out of your running slump
• Incorporate cycling into your every day
• Getting started – what to wear to ride a road bike
• Getting started – accessorize…your bike
• Getting started – caring for your bike
• Mountain biking tips for beginners
• Road biking and trails = Cyclocross
• Can you enjoy winter running?
• Staying warm to run when nature has other plans

Perfect ride

Have you had one of those workouts or days where you cheeks hurt from smiling and you don’t want it to end? That was our bike ride on Sunday.

The forecast wasn’t great for home or Jasper. I knew I wanted to ride 180km if we stayed in Edmonton or have a fun ride if we went to Jasper. Jasper wins every time.

It was only +2 at the start of our ride. Not very warm for my poor fingers! But the views more than made up for the cold!

After a ride into town and a quick stop at our favourite bakery (Bear’s Paw) for some fuel, we were on our way.

The sun was shining. Wildlife was out in full force. The lakes were a glorious aquamarine colour. And we got to ride on a newly paved road that was closed to vehicles.

It was seriously cyclist heaven! The road was 14km uphill, which was an amazing workout for me.

Kelly would ride ahead a bit and then come back to me. At one point, he said he could see my smile from so far away.

We loved every minute of it.

On the way back down we ran into a bear and cub! They were off to the side and scuttled up a tree; it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. The cub’s face literally looked like a teddy bear!

It was an absolutely incredible day that solidified my love of cycling and made me realize how lucky we are to be healthy enough to enjoy the outdoors that way, together.

And my cheeks most definitely hurt by the end!

Tell me about your most recent memorable workout or day! 

Keeping your canine happy

I mentioned it earlier this week, but I’ll say it again: long-course triathlon is a selfish sport. Almost every evening involves training, along with some mornings. Weekends are basically written off with hours of training on the schedule.

In between there you fit in full-time work, grocery shopping and food prep, laundry and other house work, and trying to maintain relationships.

I think we’re pretty tame with our training. While many people put in numerous 20+ hour weeks of training, we might put together 14 hours on heavy weeks.

I feel very fortunate in that my husband and I often train together. We also have very supportive family and friends.

However, there’s a lot that gets missed. I don’t visit my niece or family nearly enough. My house could use a deep clean, and I basically only see friends once a month at book club.

The thing I feel the most guilt about is our dog. He’s our furbaby and spends many summer days cooped up in the house while we’re at work, and then out training.

You know he’s feeling a little neglected when he opens your swimming bag zippers and chews your pull buoy, grabs your running shoes and dangles them from his mouth, entices you in games of tug when you’re stretching and strength training, and snuggles so close when you’re trying to work your core. (All real life examples.)

Here are a few simple ways to give your pet some extra time/loving:

• Wake up earlier and double up . With an already early wake up time, waking up even earlier can be a struggle. But it’s worth it. I wake up 15 minutes earlier to take Harold for a quick walk before heading out for the day.
  He loves the extra attention and exercise, and I LOVE starting my day with a brisk walk with my little buddy. Then after work, workouts and supper, we take him for a long walk every evening. It’s nice to spend some time together that’s not training time and Harold gets in his exercise for the day!
• Take five.  After working all day, I like to get my workout on as soon as I get home. If I dawdle, it’s tough to get motivated. But I take the time to play with Harold for at least five-10 minutes. If it’s nice, I sit with him in the yard or take him for a quick walk. If it’s not nice, we’ll play tug in the basement. Kelly does the same when he gets home, so Harold gets a double dose!

• Move your workout outside. If you’re working out at home, move it outside. On warm days when I do strength or physio exercises, I haul all my gear upstairs and outside (weights, medicine ball, kettle bells, yoga mat, and foam roller). That way Harold can be outside with somebody instead of being left in the yard alone.
• Incorporate them in to your exercise. If we go for a recovery run or short brick run, we leash up the hound and take him along. Or, if we’re hitting the trails and take him, we plan for a fast run!
• Do something fun. We try to include Harold in our plans when we go camping. He loves being outside and especially in the mountains. It takes a bit of juggling or skipping workouts on our part, but it’s nice to take him along! If we have a little extra time on the weekend, we take him to our river valley to walk on the beautiful trails there.

I know I’m a crazy dog mom, but a dog is the owner’s responsibility. I feel bad enough for city dogs of people who work outside the home. Throw training in there, and they can be alone a lot of the time.

Are you a dog person? What kind of dog do you have? If not, what kind would you like?