The holidays are upon us

Wow, Thanksgiving has come and gone. This marks the beginning of the holiday season. Less than four weeks until Christmas and then its New Years! Where has this time gone???
During the drive to and from my Thanksgiving pre-dinner 10k I began thinking about how I forget or take for granted so many things.
I am so incredibly thankful for:
• my entire family, they are always there for me no matter what
• my friends
• for those who have touched my life even just for an instance
• for those friends who are no longer on this earth physically but guide me spiritually
• my health
• instances in my life which have made me who I have become today
• my little nephews who have brought the enjoyment of grandPARENThood to my parents, particularly my Dad who was working such long hours as we were growing up providing for us
• my parents for teaching me discipline and responsibility
• fellow members of TriWisconsin and Badgerland Striders, I have made so many new friends thru these clubs
• learning not to stress out so much, some things are simply out of our control
• accepting me for who I am, good or bad
• having the opportunity to travel and experience other cultures
• Ted
I hope each of you find reason for Thanksgiving in your lives.
Tis the season...

here's a couple shots of my adorable nephews!

Aren't they the cutest?! I guess frogs like bananas as Woody was trying to eat Brodie's costume!
Happy Halloween!

flashbacks

A co-worker was asking for baby/kid pictures of us. Here's what my Mom dug up.
Agh, some things are better left as buried memories:)
and keep your laughter to a minimum...we all have our bad phases.
Enjoy!

What a morning!

Woke up with the plan to run easy for 30 minutes outdoors and then hop on my bike, which is set up on a trainer, and ride indoors for 30 minutes. Plans changed once I got out the door and saw the beautiful sunrise in its vibrant oranges, reds and pinks on the horizon and realized the temperatures were pretty much ideal for running. This must have been what body was craving and missing for so long. My easy run became less of a struggle and much more enjoyable and I think my pace was faster, thanks to all those factors.
In days past, my legs could only tolerate running ever other day. I had run the relay (7 miles) on Sunday, ran for 30 minutes last night (and negative split) and then logged 62 minutes this morning! It felt so good to run. I haven't said that in a really, really long time! Sure, my right calf is tight and my shins are a bit sore but its not like the injured feeling I have been experiencing on and off for the last 2+ years.
Now the mission is to stay injury free and make good of the offers I have put out there to friends to stick to my guns and train with them!
Tonight. Barthel Farms visit to grab some of the best apples around! Yummy!

Lakefront Marathon (relay)

What a weekend! Saturday was cool but the sun made it feel a little warmer than it really was. The weather forecast for Sunday was appearing dicey. Cool morning, cloudy and chance of showers...yuck. Its one thing if its 70s and rain but another if its 50s and rain.
Thankfully, the weather held up for all of us. It was cold along the lake but we were spared the rain until later in the day. By then we were grubbing down at the Cheesecake Factory!
At the start of the marathon (relay) it was sunshine, virtually no wind and temps around 50. Following some speeches, the gun went off. We were on our way! Everyone had their goals: Mikey wanted to break the 3 hour mark, Julie was shooting for her 3 hours and 30 minutes and I was hoping to run my 7 mile leg in the timeframe of 49 minutes (this would happen on one heck of a great day!) to 53 minutes (more realistic).
Given the fact that Mom and Dad and Brian were following all of us, I figured I would first see them at the transition area of Concordia University. I was pleasantly surprised to see them at the 5 mile mark...hopefully I looked strong at this point!
I hadn't peeked at my watch to see what my times were but they were calling out splits at each mile mark. I am terrible at math so me trying to crunch the numbers would have been a little too distracting for me while running. Did I ever mention that I don't chew gum and run because of the fact that I am not that coordinated?! :)
Ok, back on track...
I was heading down the final stretch of Lake Dr, nearing the transition area. Almost done!!! I spot Erin who's ready to pull the ankle bracelet with the chip off my leg and strap it to hers. She was off and running. Julie came is pretty much right after I made it thru the transition area. As always, she had her big beautiful smile beaming across her face. Fortunately, Brian spotted me right after that and we high-tailed it to my car which was parked about a half mile away. Poor Brian was trying to keep up with me. You see, he was toting Julie's gear bag which I think she packed everything she owned into. I did ask him if he wanted me to grab anything but he declined. I was freaking out because Erin hadn't met any of the other girls on the team so I wanted to be at the next transition to point her out to Kimberly. I was feeling bad because we didn't find Mom or Dad at Concordia but had no time to waste searching for them. And worse yet, Mom had my cell phone so I couldn't call her nor my other team mates to update them on the elapsed race time. At this point, I was thinking the run was a piece of cake and all this going on afterwards was way more stressful. I knew Dad was going to be pissed. Left him a note letting him know that Brian was with me and that we would see them 3.5 miles down the course at the next transition.
Off I raced to mile 10.5. Found a good parking spot and darted off to Virmond Park to find Kimberly. She was easy to spot. Thankfully!
Hung out there while she was stretching out. Waited for Mikey to come thru. He was looking very fresh and fluid. Saw a few other friends who were running. Spotted Erin easily. She and Kimberly exchanged the timing chip and off Kimberly flew.
Sidenote, Kimberly is training for Ironman Florida so she was going to run her leg and then run back to Virmond Park to get some long miles in.
We waited there for Julie to come thru. She wasn't too far behind Erin. Where does Julie get her energy and endurance??? Sheesh!
Dad found us here and as I figured, he wasn't too happy. He's not a very patient guy and it was really wearing on him. He calmed down after this point.
I had contemplated trying to catch Mikey at another location prior to the next transition area which was at roughly mile 19 but I worried that we would miss him or get caught up in traffic congestion.
Off we went to mile 19. Parked the car and chatted with some friends who were volunteering at this aid station. Kept an eye out for Kat, our team mate running the last leg. I didn't spot her so I started freaking out a little. I was hoping she was out and about for a warm up. The lead guys came thru as did Ted's relay member. More and more people trickled thru. Some girl relay runners...could they be an all girls team, competition? If so, they had a HUGE lead! Dang!
I found Kat. A huge sigh of relief:)
And there was Mikey. Still making it look easy.
After some time, Kimberly rounded the corner. She was looking strong. Kat pulled the bracelet off her ankle and was tearing it up. From this point, Erin and I went downtown to find a parking spot. We were following Ted as he was driving faster than I have ever seen him drive. Parked, grabbed a few things and hustled down to the finish area. Just as Erin and I were nearing the finish shute, they were announcing Mikey's name. I checked my watch and he finished under 2 hour and 51 minutes! Crushing his personal best time by more than 10 MINUTES! Holy crap!!!!
We spotted him in the finish area. Talked with him a bit and then I went out to find Kat. While doing so, I saw more friends who were finishing. Its always at this point that I wish that I were running the full marathon. But that thought is very short lived as I think back to how I was feeling after my 7 miles.
Here comes Kat! She hits the shute under 3hours and 9 minutes. Outstanding!!!
Julie finished right around 3 hours and 24 minutes. She's amazing! Just like a machine, always coming in under 3 hours and 30 minutes regardless of where she's at in her training.
I'm so proud of both her and Mikey. They each ran their race and ran it extremely well!
We hung out for the awards.
Mikey finished 17th overall and 4th in his age group. His 1/2 marathon split was 1:24:50 and finish time was 2:50:51 so his first and second halves were virtually the same! His pace as 6:31 minutes a mile. Wow!
I guess that he ran with Dick Beardsley for a little while. That's pretty cool. If you aren't familiar with who this guy is, check out this article that was posted on JSonline Off the Couch. What a story!

http://blogs.jsonline.com/offthecouch/archive/2008/10/03/beardsley-shares-his-wisdom-on-addiction-marathons-and-persistence.aspx

Julie finished 201th overall and 3rd in her age group and 22nd female. Her finish time was 3:24:03 meaning she held a pace of 7:47 minutes a mile.
Our relay team, Team InStep - Four Non Blondes, finished first in the Female Open division with a time of 3:09:49 and our pace was 7:15 minutes a mile. We were the 6th relay team to cross the finish line.
Ted's team, Team InStep, finished 1st overall in teh relays and first in the Male Open division with a time of 2:35:39. Yeah, that's fast with a pace of 5:57 minute miles!
We all walked away with some hardware, which is always great to be rewarded for our efforts.
Here are a couple pictures compliments of Mom.
Next up, Discovery Run 15k on October 25th. Anything else in between is a bonus. Discovery Run is a great race, there's a 5k and a 15k with a finish at the Ale House. Nothing beats a race with unlimited microbrew afterwards...along with the candy corn they have after crossing the finish!

Fall

Brrrrrrr....fall is definitely here to stay. Mornings are chilly. Yesterday I dug out my winter cap and gloves before heading out for my run. Just not ready to let go of summer but probably don't have a choice anymore.
Lakefront Marathon is Sunday. Julie and Mikey are running the full marathon. I will be doing the relay, running the first leg and going out to cheer on the family, my relay team and others I recognize on the course.
Our number one fans, Mom and Dad, will be down for the weekend and to cheer us on from various locations!!!
Hoping the temperatures are a little warmer than they have been.
Should be a beautiful run, as the leaves are beginning to change.
Whatever you end up doing this weekend, make the most of it!
Stay tuned...

Race Recap

Well, I have been enjoying my rest and relaxation period a little too much...haven't posted in a very long time!
Honestly, I have tried to take advantage of the remaining summer days here in Wisconsin. Taking hour rides here and there before or after work. Now I am almost being forced to take them strictly after work. Sun rise is getting later and later:(
Feeling great! Well, aside from my nagging neck/shoulder issue I have had going on since a week and a half out from Ironman Wisconsin. But, its not stopping me.
Ok, Ironman Wisconsin was a perfect day. Especially considering what they were forecasting leading up to Sept 7. Forecast called for potential isolated thunderstorms, highs in low 60s and winds from 15-25mph. Not the best conditions to swim 2.4M, bike 112 and run 26.2 miles. Believe me, that's what we dealt with in 2006.
But I came prepared. I stuffed garbage bags, long sleeved shirts, running tights and winter gloves in my transition bags AND my special needs bags. I was not going to be sitting in transition for 71 minutes this time around trying to warm up and keep the uncontrollable shivers at bay.
Weather was in the low 70s, sunny to partly sunny and the winds began to pick up on the second loop of the bike ride, I would figure they were 10-15mph. This year was the first year where I entered the water without the scared as hell feeling building in my gut. I knew I would give it all I got and the day would unfold as it was meant to. I had done the training for the swim and the bike and figured I would survive the run by trying to run the first 2-3 miles before allowing myself to walk (my usual routine/treat to myself). I had bought a brand new full length wetsuit which I wore for the first time two days prior to the race. Its a sweet suit! Super bouyant and extremely flexible. My swim time didn't show the advantages of the suit though. I came out of the water in 85 minutes and 23 seconds. That was almost 9 minutes slower than last year. What the... Oh well, its just a small portion of my big day.
T1 time was 9 minutes and 40 seconds. Sort of slow but I had done all the arrangements and changing on my own where as in past years I had assistance from a volunteer. Packed my packaged pharmacy along with some cliff bloks and was on my way.
Bike felt great. Even on that second loop. I saw a number of people on the side of the road, changing flats. Ted was one of them. Bummer. You always feel a bit nervous and sickened passing athletes changing tires. Even more so when you encounter a familiar face. I got to Verona and was thrilled to see my family there at their usual location. I seriously heard my little brother Mikey WELL before I saw him! It was a treat to see them on both loops, gave me something to look forward to and push thru those wicked hill climbs! It was also fun seeing my fellow TriWisconsin teammates in various locations on the bike, particularly on the hills where encouragement is always a blessing.
Finished the bike in 6 hours, 4 minutes and 38 seconds. A few minutes (3 to be exact) slower than my bike last year.
I couldn't do anything but walk from dismount to the transition area. How in the world am I going to run the marathon?!
T2 was a little faster, thanks to the help of a wonderful volunteer. She helped me change, gathered my stinky/sweaty/ripe tritop, shorts and socks. God bless her! She even got me a glass of ice cold water to take with. Time was 4 minutes and 40 seconds.
Off to the run!
I got my running legs going once I exited the Monona Terrace. Knowing that the crowds were just around the corner was enough to fuel my engines. I had just another 26.2 miles to go before crossing that finish line! I felt really good. I ran until about mile 18 before deciding to take my first walk thru an aid station. I kept it at a minimum. Grabbed my grub and drinks and continued on. I opted to hit two more aid stations and follow this routine.
Mom, Dad, Julie, Mikey and a couple of Mikey's friends were in various locations along the run course so I had to look good just in case they happened to pop up all of a sudden! I was still feeling really good! I saw some more of my team mates both on the sidelines cheering and participating. I was having a blast cheering for them and smiling for complete strangers! Then I heard the announcer at the finish line calling out finisher's names. I am there!!!!! Just a few more blocks and I am done!!! Even though I was probably only going at a snail's pace, I felt like I was sprinting. Down the final stretch and under the Ironman arch. I was an Ironman!!!!
Run time was my fastest Ironman marathon time yet, 3 hours and 51 minutes and 54 seconds. That's about a half hour off my best straight up marathon time! I bested my previous Ironman marathon time by almost 4 minutes.
Wow! I felt awesome! Finishing time was 11 hours and 36 minutes and 14 seconds. Just about 12 minutes off my time from last year which was my personal best time.
What a great day!
Thanks for reading. Now I need to rest:)