I kept a log of all the training I did in the past 7 months from signing up for the Ironman to the race.
Here is a summary:
SWIM
46 swims
101,200 meters
BIKE
63 bikes
2180 miles
RUN
83 runs
588 miles
Here are some fun facts on those distances:
SWIM - 101,200 meters = 63.25 miles
My driveway to Independence - 52 miles
My driveway to Charles City - 53 miles
My driveway to Webster City - 55 miles
My driveway to Newton - 63 miles
BIKE - 2180 miles
My driveway to San Diego - 1827 miles
My driveway to Vancouver, Canada - 1886 miles
My driveway to Mexico City - 1945 miles
My driveway to Guatemala - 2553 miles
RUN - 588 miles
My driveway to International Falls - 505 miles
My driveway to Cincinnati - 579 miles
My driveway to Louisville - 582 miles
My driveway to Oklahoma City - 627 miles
Total Miles - 2831
My driveway to El Salvador/Honduras - 2799 miles
My driveway to Juneau, AK - 2820 miles
Sunday, November 4, 2018
RACE DAY
The time had come. All the training was done. Even the rare double taper that I had to do since we changed the plan from Chattanooga to Louisville. Mandy and I went to Louisville without the kids this time. We couldn't really pull them from school again, so we took off on our own. On Friday we went to the Ironman Village to check in and attend the athlete briefing that they hold to give you all the race prep. It was a beautiful day, mid 50s, sun was shining, very little breeze and perfect conditions. However, race day forecast was overcast and raining all day long. So we hit up Dick's and Target to stock up on rain gear. I got a light rain jacket, some wool socks, hat and gloves to race in. Mandy got an umbrella, some sweet purple rain boots, and a hat and gloves as well.
On Saturday morning there was an open practice swim in the Ohio River. You could enter the water where the swim exit was for the race, work your way upstream, and then back down the river to the exit. I thought this would be a good thing to do since it would acclimate me to the river as well as getting used to the wetsuit again. I was planning on doing some open swims during my training where I would use the wetsuit in the lake for practice, but on top of all the other hours of training I just never got around to doing it. I was also training for a warm water swim in Chattanooga where I wasn't even going to need to use the wetsuit. So when the plans changed, I realized I was going to need to swim in the wetsuit and did almost no training in it. So we went to the practice swim and I geared up and jumped in the water. I start working my way upstream and get about 100 yards in and start to get a panic attack. This had never happened to me ever so at first I figured it would pass quickly, but as I tried to regain my composure it just kept getting worse. I was having a hard timee breathing. It felt like the wetsuit was compressing my chest. I was looking around at the kayakers in the water that were there to assist people and make sure no one drowns, and wondering if I needed to make my way over to them for help. My pride prevented me from doing that, but I did turn around and thought heading back downstream would help. It did a little, but I was glad to get out of the water, which I had only been in for 5-10 minutes. I went off to the side to regroup. I was thinking how in the world was I going to swim for 90 minutes the next day when I couldn't even get into a decent stroke that morning. I knew mentally I could not leave without getting back in that water and proving that I could make that swim. So after I composed myself, I walked back down that ramp and into the water and tried it again. This time I was able to relax and get a comfortable swim in. I didn't make it far upstream, but it was far enough to have the confidence that I could do it. And that I could get that anomoly of a panic attack out of my head. Not sure what that was all about, but I'm glad it was only a one-time thing.
The rest of the day was just staying off my feet, watching some college football, and packing up my gear bags. They give you 5 bags to pack for race day. A run bag for all your run gear, a bike bag for all your bike gear, a morning clothes bag for you to pack up your clothes that you wear to the start line, and 2 special needs bags. These bags are for half way through the bike and run that you can pack extra nutrition, clean socks/clothes, etc that you think you might need during the race. I packed those with some extra advil, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a fudge round and flat coke. These were some things I had read that were good nutrition that will keep you going, as well as the fudge round for something that you can look forward to. When you are burning upwards of 8000 calories during the day you don't really need to worry about overeating, just in making sure what you do eat agrees with your stomach.
The night before I went to bed plenty early, but due to nerves/anxiety/excitement/bathroom trips due to good hydration, etc, I could not sleep. I kid you not, I do not believe I got one minute of sleep. I know there are nights you feel like you never slept but really you probably dozed off for an hour or so and didn't realize it. But I seriously do not believe I had a minute of sleep. I was lying there doing the best I could to get comfortable and rest. Even though it was not in the form of sleeping, I was hoping that would give me the rest I needed.
Sunday morning. The alarm goes off at 4:30 am. I guess the best part of not sleeping was that when 4:30 came it felt like it was the middle of the day so I didn't have that morning grogginess. We got down to the transition and got body marked, then made the mile or so walk to the swim start. They line you up in groups based on expected time of finish. We had about an hour and a half wait there in the light rain before I'd start moving to the water. During the wait, they made an announcement that due to strong currents, the first part of the swim upstream was getting cancelled. So when we jumped off the pier we'd just go straight downstream instead of the short upstream swim around this island before we went down the river. This shortened the swim down to about 1 mile, but was a huge relief after trying to swim upstream during that practice swim. As we were walking down to the river we heard the cannon go off for the pros. All the sudden that made it real, and you knew it was on.
SWIM
About 9:00 I finally jumped in the water. We were going in about 1-2 at a time off the pier. You were supposed to make your way out towards the middle of the river by the buoys, but it was a little difficult due to the currents. I was getting out there pretty good, but as I looked over to my left most people were not making their way off the shoreline too far. The kayakers were constantly telling people to move out into the river further, but either people couldn't, or just didn't want to realizing this would just be harder and be a longer route. Then as we got closer to the exit, now they were telling you to push over to the shore so you wouldn't get carried downstream and miss the exit. It felt like I was swimming straight to the shore so that with the current it would take me at a 45 degree angle to the exit. Once I got to the swim exit at Joe's Crab Shack I got out of the water and headed up where the volunteers were to help you get out of your wetsuit. There were 2 volunteers that each grabbed a sleeve and yanked my arms out. Then they told me to sit down and each grabbed the wetsuit and yanked it off my legs. Took about 300 seconds to get that thing off. It was great. During registration they give you a bracelet to wear and give to a volunteer that really helps you out during the race as a thanks. I had 2 since I brought the Chattanooga one as well. So I gave both of those volunteers a bracelet since I told them I can't imagine anyone helping me out as much as they did getting me out of that wetsuit quickly. Swim felt great. Partly because it was shortened, but even so I felt really good and there was no effects of the panic attack from the day before. Just a nice swim in the Ohio River.
SWIM DETAILS | Division Rank: 223
TRANSITION 1
On Saturday morning there was an open practice swim in the Ohio River. You could enter the water where the swim exit was for the race, work your way upstream, and then back down the river to the exit. I thought this would be a good thing to do since it would acclimate me to the river as well as getting used to the wetsuit again. I was planning on doing some open swims during my training where I would use the wetsuit in the lake for practice, but on top of all the other hours of training I just never got around to doing it. I was also training for a warm water swim in Chattanooga where I wasn't even going to need to use the wetsuit. So when the plans changed, I realized I was going to need to swim in the wetsuit and did almost no training in it. So we went to the practice swim and I geared up and jumped in the water. I start working my way upstream and get about 100 yards in and start to get a panic attack. This had never happened to me ever so at first I figured it would pass quickly, but as I tried to regain my composure it just kept getting worse. I was having a hard timee breathing. It felt like the wetsuit was compressing my chest. I was looking around at the kayakers in the water that were there to assist people and make sure no one drowns, and wondering if I needed to make my way over to them for help. My pride prevented me from doing that, but I did turn around and thought heading back downstream would help. It did a little, but I was glad to get out of the water, which I had only been in for 5-10 minutes. I went off to the side to regroup. I was thinking how in the world was I going to swim for 90 minutes the next day when I couldn't even get into a decent stroke that morning. I knew mentally I could not leave without getting back in that water and proving that I could make that swim. So after I composed myself, I walked back down that ramp and into the water and tried it again. This time I was able to relax and get a comfortable swim in. I didn't make it far upstream, but it was far enough to have the confidence that I could do it. And that I could get that anomoly of a panic attack out of my head. Not sure what that was all about, but I'm glad it was only a one-time thing.
The rest of the day was just staying off my feet, watching some college football, and packing up my gear bags. They give you 5 bags to pack for race day. A run bag for all your run gear, a bike bag for all your bike gear, a morning clothes bag for you to pack up your clothes that you wear to the start line, and 2 special needs bags. These bags are for half way through the bike and run that you can pack extra nutrition, clean socks/clothes, etc that you think you might need during the race. I packed those with some extra advil, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a fudge round and flat coke. These were some things I had read that were good nutrition that will keep you going, as well as the fudge round for something that you can look forward to. When you are burning upwards of 8000 calories during the day you don't really need to worry about overeating, just in making sure what you do eat agrees with your stomach.
The night before I went to bed plenty early, but due to nerves/anxiety/excitement/bathroom trips due to good hydration, etc, I could not sleep. I kid you not, I do not believe I got one minute of sleep. I know there are nights you feel like you never slept but really you probably dozed off for an hour or so and didn't realize it. But I seriously do not believe I had a minute of sleep. I was lying there doing the best I could to get comfortable and rest. Even though it was not in the form of sleeping, I was hoping that would give me the rest I needed.
Sunday morning. The alarm goes off at 4:30 am. I guess the best part of not sleeping was that when 4:30 came it felt like it was the middle of the day so I didn't have that morning grogginess. We got down to the transition and got body marked, then made the mile or so walk to the swim start. They line you up in groups based on expected time of finish. We had about an hour and a half wait there in the light rain before I'd start moving to the water. During the wait, they made an announcement that due to strong currents, the first part of the swim upstream was getting cancelled. So when we jumped off the pier we'd just go straight downstream instead of the short upstream swim around this island before we went down the river. This shortened the swim down to about 1 mile, but was a huge relief after trying to swim upstream during that practice swim. As we were walking down to the river we heard the cannon go off for the pros. All the sudden that made it real, and you knew it was on.
SWIM
About 9:00 I finally jumped in the water. We were going in about 1-2 at a time off the pier. You were supposed to make your way out towards the middle of the river by the buoys, but it was a little difficult due to the currents. I was getting out there pretty good, but as I looked over to my left most people were not making their way off the shoreline too far. The kayakers were constantly telling people to move out into the river further, but either people couldn't, or just didn't want to realizing this would just be harder and be a longer route. Then as we got closer to the exit, now they were telling you to push over to the shore so you wouldn't get carried downstream and miss the exit. It felt like I was swimming straight to the shore so that with the current it would take me at a 45 degree angle to the exit. Once I got to the swim exit at Joe's Crab Shack I got out of the water and headed up where the volunteers were to help you get out of your wetsuit. There were 2 volunteers that each grabbed a sleeve and yanked my arms out. Then they told me to sit down and each grabbed the wetsuit and yanked it off my legs. Took about 300 seconds to get that thing off. It was great. During registration they give you a bracelet to wear and give to a volunteer that really helps you out during the race as a thanks. I had 2 since I brought the Chattanooga one as well. So I gave both of those volunteers a bracelet since I told them I can't imagine anyone helping me out as much as they did getting me out of that wetsuit quickly. Swim felt great. Partly because it was shortened, but even so I felt really good and there was no effects of the panic attack from the day before. Just a nice swim in the Ohio River.
SWIM DETAILS | Division Rank: 223
| Split Name | Distance | Split Time | Race Time | Pace | Division Rank | Gender Rank | Overall Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2.4 mi | 00:17:51 | 00:17:51 | 00:27/100m | 223 | 1227 | 1703 |
You run over and grab your bike bag and head into the changing tent. It's a huge tent lined with chairs to strip off your swim stuff and put on your bike gear. After I found a chair, put my gear on as quickly as I could. This included the wool socks, rain jacket, and gloves I had just bought since it was in the low 50s with steady light rain. I hit the porta potty, grabbed my bike and off I went.
TRANSITION 2
Transition Details
| T1: Swim-to-bike | 00:14:41 |
BIKE
Heading out for a 112 mike bike the best thing I've found you can do is to just settle in and relax realizing you have a long ride ahead of you. The first 20 miles were relatively flat heading out of town. I started my nutrition plan of taking Base Salt every 5 miles, and a Clif Gel every 30 minutes. This along with having a water bottle to rinse down the Gel and a Gatorade bottle to rinse down the salt. Having to wear gloves made taking the salt a little more challenging since you lick the salt off your thumb. But in a way it helps give you a task that takes some time and gives you something to take your mind off riding. Once you get to about mile 20 we started 2 - 35 mile loops. This is where the rolling hills started. Nothing too big though, very manageable. We were riding through Kentucky horse country. There were a lot of really nice horse farms and most of the ranches and houses out in this area were very nice. There weren't a ton of spectators out there along the course. There were pockets here and there, but mostly it was riders and the road. As the day goes on, you tend to find yourself riding around the same people for stretches at a time. You'd pass them, then they'd pass you back. And since there is nothing else to do, you seem to get to know the riding traits of a lot of the people around you. There were 2 little towns that we rode through on the loops. In one of the towns they actually bused spectators from the starting line out to this town for viewing of the bike. Mandy took that bus so was in this town for my 2 loops through. The first time through I didn't see her. But on the second ride through as I was heading through town with my head on a swivel looking for her I heard someone yell "Freddy". I looked over and saw her that time. That was a fun little pick me up knowing that I had at least 1 person out there cheering specifically for me. Thankfully her yelling at me didn't cause me to crash. She said that happened to some people that when they were looking around for their family they caused some crashes. At about mile 62 was where the bike special needs bag was. They were laid out by race number in a parking lot right off the road. I pulled in and grabbed my back. I took my advil, ate my PB&J sandwich and fudge round, and hit the porta again. The blogs were right, the sandwich tasted great since I was getting pretty hungry by this point in spite of my every 30 min gels. And the fudge round hit the spot as a nice little treat. I put the Coke in my water bottle holder as I headed back out, but never drank it. I hadn't trained with Coke, and I was feeling really good with the water and Gatorade I was taking in, so figured I'd pass on experimenting with it. In all it was probably a 10 minute pit stop. During the bike there were times of light rain, but mostly it held off. Almost worse than the rain was that the road was pretty wet, so whenever you'd be behind someone there was a little stream of water coming off their back tire in a fountain that would be coming right at you if you got in that drafting position. Which drafting is illegal and they could penalize you for it, but you did find yourself in that position from time to time based on the amount of people out there. After the 2 loops, you had that 20 miles stretch back into town. For about the last 30-35 miles I got behind a bigger guy about my size that was going at a decent clip, and about the same cadence as me up and down the hills, etc. Without drafting, I kept right behind him the entire time. I doubt he knew I was tailing him for that long, but he was doing a great job of being my pacer. I was going to try and see if I could get his bib number to see how he finished, but could never get to where I could see it. As we were nearing transition I was taking inventory of how my body was feeling heading into the run. I like to think I did a good job of compartmentalizing the race. Only concentrating on the segment I was doing and not looking ahead. Even on the bike, in taking it a few miles at a time and not doing math on how many miles I had yet to ride. I tried that at about mile 7, and then realizing I still had 105 to go I figured I should hold off on any more calculations for at least a few hours. Anyway, with a few miles to go it felt like my legs were in great shape. I was thinking that it had to be deceiving me and that when I get off the bike they will turn to jelly, but over those last few bike miles I was really hoping that they were going to feel as strong as I thought they were.
BIKE DETAILS | Division Rank: 195
| Split Name | Distance | Split Time | Race Time | Pace | Division Rank | Gender Rank | Overall Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 112 mi | 07:04:42 | 07:37:14 | 15.82 mph | 195 | 1008 | 1272 |
I dismounted the bike, handed it off to a volunteer, and headed to my run back and into the changing tent. Same deal here, found a chair and got all the bike gear off and run gear on. Legs were a little tired but didn't feel like jelly so that was a good sign. Hit the porta again and as I'm heading out the chute to the run I stopped and talked to Mandy. Told her I was feeling great and looking forward to getting the run started. Knowing you have another 5-6 hours ahead of you is a little daunting, but there was so much action going on you didn't really think of it. So after a couple minute chat, it was off on the run.
Transition Details
| T2: Bike-to-run | 00:13:28 |
RUN
Off on the run through downtown Louisville. As the day has gone on the temp has gradually increased so it is maybe upper 50s by this time. Still overcast and a light mist if anything. It was almost perfect running conditions. I had thrown on my Garmin watch. I had never trained with it because I didn't think it worked. But it charged to 100% and turned on when I tested it out so I thought I might as well wear it for the race to give me an idea on my time if I was up against any cutoffs, etc. About a quarter mile in I checked it and it said I was at 8 min/mile pace. I thought this couldn't be right since I don't normally run that fast if I just start out fresh on a 5 mile run, much less after a 7 hour bike warm-up. But assuming it is correct, I figure I better slow it down some and get in a more realistic pace. At about a half mile I check again and it still says 8:20 mile pace so I think it can't be right. It didn't feel like I was running that pace either. Before I got to the first mile the thing shut off and didn't work the rest of the time. So I had no idea my time or pace the rest of the run. i was just running off of feel. My strategy on the run was to run the entire thing, but allow myself to walk through all the aid stations which were about every mile. This gave me short, attainable goals of running a mile and getting to the next aid station, and then walking through it and getting any nutrition if I needed it. The first 7-8 miles felt like they went by pretty quick. It was an out and back course that you had to do twice, so as you are running down the left hand side of a 4 lane road there were people running back at you on the other side of the road. So there was a lot going on around you which really helped pass the miles. It wasn't all that exciting of a course, but you did get to go past U. of Louisvilles campus and football stadium and Churchill Downs. So that was pretty neat. After your first out and back you get to the turn for lap 2. You're at about mile 13, so half way home. But the evil course designers set it up so that you are literally a half block from the grand finish line when you have to turn the corner and go back out. Go straight and you are 100 yards from the finish and all the pageantry that is set up (and you can see it right in front of you), or turn right and go back out. That was tough, but you also get a taste of the finish which motivates you for the 2nd lap. Just after that turn is the run special needs. I had the same things in this one. I was debating the sandwich since I wasn't really feeling it, but I knew I could use the calories. So I choked down about 3/4ths of it and about half the fudge round, and a few sips of the Coke. It was probably a bad decision because for the next 4-5 miles my stomach was fairly upset, somewhere between just being full and wanting to throw up. Really the only thing I was looking forward to in the bag was the Advil, but in trying to be quick I totally forgot about it til about a half mile down the road and there is obviously no going back to get it. That probably would have helped over that last couple hours. The last 5 miles or so were the toughest, as to be expected. They were the toughest part of the 2 marathons I have run, and didn't think this would be any different. I was really anticipating one of the biggest mental challenges to be running most of the marathon in the dark, since I didn't start til about 5pm and with it being overcast all day it got dark pretty fast. However with all the street lights and activity going on it really wasn't that big a deal. It was definitely harder doing the few training runs I did in the dark. Looking back that makes sense, since it was just me and the moon and a vacant country road in Holland vs. thousands of people in vibrant downtown Louisville. I guess it is always good to train in more adverse conditions than the event so that when you get to the race everything seems easier. My pace faded down the stretch as my legs were getting sore and the hammys were getting tight. As I rolled to the finish, the one thing I kept reading was that to make sure when you get to the chute that you are alone. You don't want someone sprinting up behind you to steal or share your thunder coming through the line. So as I was getting very close I kept looking behind me to make sure there were no heroes running up on me. I even heard someone yell at me that I was almost there and to quit looking behind me and enjoy the finish. At that point I knew I was alone and cruised down the finish chute. I was trying to take it all in, but also the red carpet they laid down was had some wrinkles in it and was also not flat as it was covering up something. It was already hard to get the feet too high off the ground, so I had to keep my eyes down to make sure that I didn't trip. After all that training and time thinking about what it was going to be like running through that finish, tripping was not going to be in the plans.
RUN DETAILS | Division Rank: 192
| Split Name | Distance | Split Time | Race Time | Pace | Division Rank | Gender Rank | Overall Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 26.2 mi | 05:25:36 | 13:16:18 | 12:25/mi | 192 | 968 | 1257 |
After finishing, a volunteer takes you to get you your medal, get you something to drink if you want, and they take your finisher pic. I really had always wanted to stay and watch people finish, but after being wet for 13 hours I really just wanted to get dry and warm. So we made the half mile walk back to the truck and headed back to the hotel. As soon as we got to the hotel, I took a warm shower, threw on some warm clothes and went right to bed. I would guess I was showered and in bed asleep within an hour after finishing. But after a full day of working out and running on zero sleep, it was time to hit the rack.
It was a great experience and better than I even imagined. Not to sound arrogant, but in a strange way it was easier than I expected. Based on what I went through in the Pigman Ironman 70.3, I fully expected this would push my body to the max where it would just break down and I'd have to deal with a lot of pain to finish. That was not the case at all. Due to the amount of training I did, along with the much improved nutrition plan I had (which means I actually had one this time), my body felt way better than it did on the half Ironman. It was a classic case of train smarter not harder. Ok I trained harder too, but definitely smarter was the key to success.
After that Pigman I told Mandy I had retired, and if I ever mentioned wanting to do something like that again to never let me sign up. Well I'm glad she didn't listen to me and let me sign up for this. It was probably the crowning achievement of my athletic life. I have had some people ask if I'm looking at what's next, or if that is a bucket list deal and now that it is checked off I'm done with this sort of thing. Honest answer is I don't know. I'm about 50/50 right now. I really loved working towards a goal, being in shape, and achieving something that not many people do. On the other hand, it was a large time and financial commitment, and my hip has taken a lot of wear and tear and not sure how much it can do. So I guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out.
SCOTT YODER, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
“When you think you’re done, you’re only at 40% of your total potential.” - David Goggins
Before I get to race day, I wanted to post one last thing on my motivation to attempt an Ironman. It is a race that has always intrigued me. I've always wondered if I was tough enough mentally and physically to ever do it. Well, I came across David Goggins. He is widely regarded as the toughest athlete on the planet. I had read a lot about him, and he had recently been on several podcasts talking about his journey.
It was mid March. I was listening to the Rich Roll podcast with Goggins. If you listen to it below, from about 1:20 to 1:25 is when I finally hit the register button to officially sign up. Everything he was saying rang true to me. I felt like I was getting called out, so I had to either step up and do this or forget about it. So I guess I got talked into it from the toughest human on the planet. Probably not someone that you say, "well if he can do it, I can do it."
Instead of breaking down some of the things he covers, I think it is best to just listen for yourself. If you are ever looking for motivation, you need to listen to Goggins. The things he has done and put himself through are unbelievable. Once you start listening to him you won't be able to shut it off. Here are some of those podcasts.
FYI, David Goggins uses very colorful language. Parental Advisory on these podcasts.
http://www.richroll.com/podcast/david-goggins/
https://podtail.com/en/podcast/the-joe-rogan-experience/-1080-david-goggins/
https://podtail.com/en/podcast/the-jim-rome-podcast/25-david-goggins-2-19-2018/
It was mid March. I was listening to the Rich Roll podcast with Goggins. If you listen to it below, from about 1:20 to 1:25 is when I finally hit the register button to officially sign up. Everything he was saying rang true to me. I felt like I was getting called out, so I had to either step up and do this or forget about it. So I guess I got talked into it from the toughest human on the planet. Probably not someone that you say, "well if he can do it, I can do it."
Instead of breaking down some of the things he covers, I think it is best to just listen for yourself. If you are ever looking for motivation, you need to listen to Goggins. The things he has done and put himself through are unbelievable. Once you start listening to him you won't be able to shut it off. Here are some of those podcasts.
FYI, David Goggins uses very colorful language. Parental Advisory on these podcasts.
http://www.richroll.com/podcast/david-goggins/
https://podtail.com/en/podcast/the-joe-rogan-experience/-1080-david-goggins/
https://podtail.com/en/podcast/the-jim-rome-podcast/25-david-goggins-2-19-2018/
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
On To Louisville!
So I should be an Ironman now, right?
Well, not so fast. I just got another curve ball on the road to Ironman. Last week we made the trek to Chattanooga for the race that was on Sept 30. As we rolled into town last Thursday we were about 1 mile from the hotel when we hear on the radio that the swim portion of Ironman Chattanooga was cancelled due to flooding, strong currents and a dangerously high level of e coli in the river. The event was just going to be a bike/run. I couldn't believe after all the training that I would not be able to try a full, legit Ironman.
On Friday we went down to the Ironman Village for registration and the mandatory athlete briefing even though my heart wasn't really into it. I got registered even though for the past 12 hours I was not feeling like putting in a grueling 13 hour day on Sunday to not accomplish what I set out to do. At the athlete briefing they were very apologetic to everyone for having to cancel the swim, and especially to the 441 first timers. They over-emphasized that even though it wasn't a standard Ironman, that it would be considered one and that everyone that finished would still be called an Ironman. This didn't fly with me. No matter how much they tried to sell that, I wasn't buying. It wasn't even a triathlon anymore, so in no way was it an Ironman in my eyes.
So after we left Mandy and I went over my options. I started to look to see if there was another one coming up that I could transfer into. There are 3 left this year, Florida, Louisville and Arizona. Florida and Arizona are sold out, but Louisville was still open for registration. It is Oct 14th. Perfect. Even though I was unable to transfer my registration since I was not able to give Chattanooga a 45 day notice, I could still register and jump ship and try it again in 2 weeks. So that is what I did. Signed up for Louisville, backed out of Chattanooga, and reset my training back 2 weeks. It definitely felt like I was quitting when I was not getting ready to race like everyone else there, but the more I thought it through, there is no way I could have done Chattanooga and felt like I accomplished my goal. I would have had to do it all again next year with the 6 months of training, etc. And since I'm already in shape and would have to sign up for another race either way, I figured I may as well change plans and knock out the real thing in Louisville.
Having made the decision to skip the race, I realized I needed to get a workout in over the weekend. I had thought about just doing the bike portion of the race since I was registered and bail out on the run, but I didn't want to put in a full 116 mile training ride. I needed to go about 70 miles. Mandy said that I should do 1 loop of the 2 loop course and cut the route short. I told her that if I did that, I would be heading back to transition just ahead of the pros that did both loops and so it would look like I was in the lead! She didn't see the problem, but that would have been a hilarious to see me leading these 160 lb pro endurance athletes back into town. So instead of doing that, I opted to hit the track at a local high school .5 miles from our hotel for a run. Turns out it was the high school of the late, great Reggie White. The field is named after him, and so it was pretty cool to knock out 10 miles around Reggie White field.
Now we're back home. Did a 70 mile bike with a 2 mile run today to get back on track for another 2 week taper. We'll see if the double taper if an effective training strategy. Whether it is or not, I'm glad it worked out that Louisville in 2 weeks was still an option.
I'm ready to go dominate Louisville!
Well, not so fast. I just got another curve ball on the road to Ironman. Last week we made the trek to Chattanooga for the race that was on Sept 30. As we rolled into town last Thursday we were about 1 mile from the hotel when we hear on the radio that the swim portion of Ironman Chattanooga was cancelled due to flooding, strong currents and a dangerously high level of e coli in the river. The event was just going to be a bike/run. I couldn't believe after all the training that I would not be able to try a full, legit Ironman.
On Friday we went down to the Ironman Village for registration and the mandatory athlete briefing even though my heart wasn't really into it. I got registered even though for the past 12 hours I was not feeling like putting in a grueling 13 hour day on Sunday to not accomplish what I set out to do. At the athlete briefing they were very apologetic to everyone for having to cancel the swim, and especially to the 441 first timers. They over-emphasized that even though it wasn't a standard Ironman, that it would be considered one and that everyone that finished would still be called an Ironman. This didn't fly with me. No matter how much they tried to sell that, I wasn't buying. It wasn't even a triathlon anymore, so in no way was it an Ironman in my eyes.
So after we left Mandy and I went over my options. I started to look to see if there was another one coming up that I could transfer into. There are 3 left this year, Florida, Louisville and Arizona. Florida and Arizona are sold out, but Louisville was still open for registration. It is Oct 14th. Perfect. Even though I was unable to transfer my registration since I was not able to give Chattanooga a 45 day notice, I could still register and jump ship and try it again in 2 weeks. So that is what I did. Signed up for Louisville, backed out of Chattanooga, and reset my training back 2 weeks. It definitely felt like I was quitting when I was not getting ready to race like everyone else there, but the more I thought it through, there is no way I could have done Chattanooga and felt like I accomplished my goal. I would have had to do it all again next year with the 6 months of training, etc. And since I'm already in shape and would have to sign up for another race either way, I figured I may as well change plans and knock out the real thing in Louisville.
Having made the decision to skip the race, I realized I needed to get a workout in over the weekend. I had thought about just doing the bike portion of the race since I was registered and bail out on the run, but I didn't want to put in a full 116 mile training ride. I needed to go about 70 miles. Mandy said that I should do 1 loop of the 2 loop course and cut the route short. I told her that if I did that, I would be heading back to transition just ahead of the pros that did both loops and so it would look like I was in the lead! She didn't see the problem, but that would have been a hilarious to see me leading these 160 lb pro endurance athletes back into town. So instead of doing that, I opted to hit the track at a local high school .5 miles from our hotel for a run. Turns out it was the high school of the late, great Reggie White. The field is named after him, and so it was pretty cool to knock out 10 miles around Reggie White field.
Now we're back home. Did a 70 mile bike with a 2 mile run today to get back on track for another 2 week taper. We'll see if the double taper if an effective training strategy. Whether it is or not, I'm glad it worked out that Louisville in 2 weeks was still an option.
I'm ready to go dominate Louisville!
Friday, September 21, 2018
Everybody Wanna be a Beast
Just over a week to go til Ironman Chattanooga! Training is in the taper phase. However, biking 70 miles last weekend and 50 this weekend hardly feels like a taper. But I guess compared to the 100 milers I have done 50 should feel like nothing. I'm feeling ready and prepared with my fitness and nutrition plan, but I do have my moments of doubt that creep into my mind wondering if I can really knock out 140.6 miles. I do my best to push those thoughts out quickly, but sometimes its harder than others. A prime example of this occurred the other night.
For years, actually most of my adult life, I have had a recurring dream that I'm trying to get ready for a sports practice or game, and just cannot get ready. Tasks that I have done hundreds of times with ease, become impossible to complete. It usually starts with me having no clue what my locker combination is, so I work forever to try and get in just to get my clothes to get started. I'll put my shoes on, but then realize I didn't put on socks first. I'll take off the shoes, put on socks and shoes, then realize I never taped my ankles. I'll put on my football pants, only to realize I never put the pads in them. This type of thing happens to about everything I need to do to get ready, and inevitably I never make it to the practice field or game before it is over. This "dream" reared it's ugly head just the other night, although this time it was triathlon specific to this race. I was in the hotel the night before, and couldn't get anything prepared for the next morning and just wanted to get to bed. I eventually just went to bed and was going to finish up in the morning. Well, the next morning I realize that I never checked my bike into the transition area the day before as required, I had not packed any of the 5 bags they give you for your gear, and I was still in the hotel room at 6:30 am and the race started at 7:30 am. These are the dreams that you wake up in a panic, wide awake, and feeling like you are in no way ready for this. But that is when I take a minute, and think back to everything I have done in the past 6 months to prepare to try and convince myself that I, in fact, am ready.
One thing that gets me back on track is watching motivational videos. During the last year of prep, I have gotten into watching motivational videos to get me pumped up. One that I particularly like is a short video by motivational speaker Eric Thomas. For reference, he is speaking to the NC State football team. So some of the things he says is relevant to that audience, but some themes he touches on are universal. Here are a couple of those that I really like:
The Grind - always time to grind. You gotta outgrind, and no one should out work you.
Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanence.
Everybody wants to be a beast....until it's time to do what beasts do.
Real lions like to hunt. They love the process as much as they like the prize.
A real man in the dark, when no one is watching, is putting in work.
Here is the video, enjoy and get motivated!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASIT7U463Q0
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Alex - Game 2
Game #2
Cedar Valley vs. ISC X-Plosion Blue
@ CV Complex
Won 4-2
Alex say this picture and I told her she was battling that girl.
With her smirky little grin she says 'I know. And I won.'
Lots of good passes -
she is great at seeing the field and getting the ball to her teammates.
THIS KID
He gets drug everywhere. Always.
It mostly involves his sisters activities.
He might drag his feet a bit but he always makes the best of the situation...
And keeps us all laughing in the process.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Brooklyn's 2018-2019 Season Opener
Brooklyn's 1st game of the season
Cedar Valley vs ISC......won 4-3
We like to call that a "NUTMEG"!!!
B's first time playing forward since U8....had a couple shots on goal
But she still feels more comfortable in the back field like her mama
That girl totally tripped.....
Queen of the Slide Tackles
Friday, July 13, 2018
Training gets put on hold: Life had other plans for me this week
Just as I was getting ready to settle into some serious training this month, life threw us a curveball. Actually threw Mandy a curveball and my training took on the collateral damage. Last Friday night, July 6th, as we were getting settled for the night, I was gearing up for a big weekend of my long run and bike. Mandy started experiencing some serious chest pains that she believed might be a heart attack. Just a couple weeks ago a co-worker of mine's husband was having some chest pains. He was going to take a shower and lay down instead of getting it checked out, and within an hour or so he had died of a heart attack. So with this fresh in my mind, I wasn't about to take any chances and took Mandy to the ER. She was diagnosed with a Winslow hernia, a rare form of hernia that needed immediate medical attention. They put her in an ambulance and took her straight to the University of Iowa Hospitals to meet with GI surgeons to figure out the next course of action. After 8 hours in the ER exam room, and talking with 5 different surgeons, the verdict was that she needed surgery that day to fix the issue. The head GI surgeon at UIHC had reassured me that she had done intestinal surgeries many times, however to show you just how rare this condition was, she did add that she had never seen anything like what Mandy had. Everything I saw that they had written down said exploratory surgery, meaning cut her open and figure it out from there. Thankfully God is great, and the 3.5 hour surgery went great. However for Mandy, going from Friday afternoon when all is well and you think you're in great health, to 24 hours later you have 22 staples in your stomach after being cut on, that is quite the whirlwind. We had to stay in the hospital for 4 more days, getting released on the following Wednesday the 11th. Mandy is still recovering and in some pain, but all is well medically and we hope for continued recovery.
Obviously my first and only priority at the time was Mandy's health and that she was going to be OK. Once we knew that was going to be the case, then I started thinking about the week of missed training. The Mon-Wed was no big deal, but I missed my long bike on Sat and my long run on Sun. This was the 2nd week in a row that I missed the long weekend workouts. This had me in a bit of panic. I was contemplating scrapping this whole quest and conceding that too many life happenings were going to keep popping up and derail my training leaving me unprepared. After some time contemplating this, Mandy convinced me that was ridiculous. I had put in too many hours to this point to get discouraged (31 miles of swimming, 819 biking, and 293.5 running), and keep on working through the process. The journey now just has an interesting and unique speed bump.
It's Friday night. The long bike and run of the weekend lie ahead. Time to conquer them and get back on track!
Obviously my first and only priority at the time was Mandy's health and that she was going to be OK. Once we knew that was going to be the case, then I started thinking about the week of missed training. The Mon-Wed was no big deal, but I missed my long bike on Sat and my long run on Sun. This was the 2nd week in a row that I missed the long weekend workouts. This had me in a bit of panic. I was contemplating scrapping this whole quest and conceding that too many life happenings were going to keep popping up and derail my training leaving me unprepared. After some time contemplating this, Mandy convinced me that was ridiculous. I had put in too many hours to this point to get discouraged (31 miles of swimming, 819 biking, and 293.5 running), and keep on working through the process. The journey now just has an interesting and unique speed bump.
It's Friday night. The long bike and run of the weekend lie ahead. Time to conquer them and get back on track!
Friday, July 6, 2018
90 Days Out - Prepared or Time to Panic?
Half-way home on the training. I set up my training plan based on a combination of resources of the Ironman official site and triathlete.com. So what I would assume pretty reliable sources. I have been feeling pretty good where I'm at too. Been logging the time based on my plan, and not really experiencing any soreness or injury (knock on wood). But this week I got the Ironman Chattanooga newsletter and it lays out where you should be at, and how these next 3 months should look.
To this point my long bike has been 60 miles with a 2 mile run afterward, and I'm up to 11 miles on the run. The newsletter said I should be doing 80 miles comfortably at this point. Whaa?!
Also my plan had me gradually building miles all the way through mid Sept with about a 2 week taper. This thing said I should be a little more front loaded on the training and that basically all of Sept will be tapering. Huh?!
So looks like I have to change up the plan on the fly, and make some adjustments to really ramp up the miles over these next 6-8 weeks. It's doable but it has put some doubt in my mind that I have been doing enough. I guess this is why people get coaches. But I don't need no stinkin' coach!
I feel like now it's getting serious. Except for the very noticeable headband tan line that is going across my forehead.
To this point my long bike has been 60 miles with a 2 mile run afterward, and I'm up to 11 miles on the run. The newsletter said I should be doing 80 miles comfortably at this point. Whaa?!
Also my plan had me gradually building miles all the way through mid Sept with about a 2 week taper. This thing said I should be a little more front loaded on the training and that basically all of Sept will be tapering. Huh?!
So looks like I have to change up the plan on the fly, and make some adjustments to really ramp up the miles over these next 6-8 weeks. It's doable but it has put some doubt in my mind that I have been doing enough. I guess this is why people get coaches. But I don't need no stinkin' coach!
I feel like now it's getting serious. Except for the very noticeable headband tan line that is going across my forehead.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
One Month In
Well, I'm about a month into training and all seems to be going well. I have worked through some normal soreness, but as I am building my base miles that seems to be going away. I did just run into my first minor setback. Toward the end of a 50 mile bike last Saturday, my bike started making a loud clicking sound on each revolution. Took the bike into the shop, and they said I have a bad bearing in there somewhere so they are ordering the part and getting it fixed. Good thing this past week was a recovery week so I was planning on dialing back the miles anyway. It did force me to ride the stationary bike at the Y yesterday for 2 hours though. I'm thankful for the Dan Patrick podcast which helped me get through that. Although sitting on that seat for 2 hours was way more painful than the 3.25 hours I spent on my bike on that 50 miler. I will be happy to get my bike back this week.
I have been keeping a log of all the time/miles spent since I signed up for this race, which was on March 14th. That was a Wednesday, and my log starts on March 17th. There must have been a few days of shock that had to wear off before I got out the door for my first training run (or I was too preoccupied by March Madness to get started right away).
Official count as of today:
19 hours swimming
523 miles biking
181.5 miles running
No idea if that is on track or if I'm not getting enough miles in. I go back and forth quite a bit on feeling pretty good that I'm doing enough, still being almost 4 months out, and sheer panic that I'm not doing nearly enough. I guess I need to trust the training plan I have laid out, and time will tell which feeling is correct. My guess is a little of both.
Another side benefit of this, that I counted on going in, is that regardless of what happens I will get in shape and shed some unwanted lbs. that have accrued over the last year or so. I use a scale at the fitness center at work, and I have no idea if the pounds are correct but I figure if I use the same scale throughout I can at least know how many lbs. I lose. I started the year on that scale at 245, which was my final playing weight at Iowa 20 years ago and have no reason to carry that much weight around now. At last check a couple days ago it read 219. So down 26 lbs. I still have more that I don't need to be carrying for 140.6 miles, so hopefully I can drop another 15-20 and see how I feel.
Trust the Process.
I have been keeping a log of all the time/miles spent since I signed up for this race, which was on March 14th. That was a Wednesday, and my log starts on March 17th. There must have been a few days of shock that had to wear off before I got out the door for my first training run (or I was too preoccupied by March Madness to get started right away).
Official count as of today:
19 hours swimming
523 miles biking
181.5 miles running
No idea if that is on track or if I'm not getting enough miles in. I go back and forth quite a bit on feeling pretty good that I'm doing enough, still being almost 4 months out, and sheer panic that I'm not doing nearly enough. I guess I need to trust the training plan I have laid out, and time will tell which feeling is correct. My guess is a little of both.
Another side benefit of this, that I counted on going in, is that regardless of what happens I will get in shape and shed some unwanted lbs. that have accrued over the last year or so. I use a scale at the fitness center at work, and I have no idea if the pounds are correct but I figure if I use the same scale throughout I can at least know how many lbs. I lose. I started the year on that scale at 245, which was my final playing weight at Iowa 20 years ago and have no reason to carry that much weight around now. At last check a couple days ago it read 219. So down 26 lbs. I still have more that I don't need to be carrying for 140.6 miles, so hopefully I can drop another 15-20 and see how I feel.
Trust the Process.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
The Journey Begins
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Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Over the Last Couple of Years
It has been awhile since any updates here so quick review....
Scott & Mandy - We got passports! Through Scott's work we went to St. Lucia and the Bahamas. We decided if we didn't have kids, living on the beach selling bracelets made from shells we find seems like a pretty look idea. Then eventually buying jet skis and renting them out to people on the beach.....after they bought one of my bracelets, of course.
And, I also took a trip to Haiti. I was able to spend 10 days at Real Hope for Haiti with Nick & Staci, Deb & Doyle and others fun people from Minnesota. I was in charge of making wedding cakes for two weddings. Wait until I get the pictures on here for how they got to the reception....ha! I was also able to spend the afternoon observing in the doctor's office.....lets just say HIPPA doesn't exist there. And beyond that, just spending time loving on kiddos recovering from the effects of starvation. What a mission RHFH is for the people of Cazale.
Scott is the constant rock of the family. He continues to work hard at Mudd, you know...so we can eat and everything. And he also kept the family on track while I was back in school.
I have currently completed my PTA courses and working through 14 weeks of clinical. Got to say, I am enjoying working at a clinic as opposed to a classroom every day. But working everyday is hard. And, I've done it for 3 WHOLE days. Luckily for me, there was a weekend in between day 2 and 3! Scott has spoiled me. He has worked hard to ensure that I could stay home with our kiddos for the last 12 years. I'm a grateful mama.
Brooklyn - some how this girl is almost to junior high. She is playing soccer, volleyball, basketball...and it toying with the idea of cross country and track next year. She has a strong body with a very soft heart.
Alex - this girl is about 1.5 inches from being as tall as I am but has finally grown into her legs for the moment. Another growth spurt can change that at any moment....but for now, no more running like Bambi. She is fast and looks graceful when she runs.
Riggs - he keeps reminding me he isn't a baby anymore. I keep reminding him that he IS my baby and we will snuggle until I say so. Poor kid. But lucky for me, he loves his mama and puts up with it. Especially when dad says its time for bed....that ensures I get lots of attention and snuggles. I realize he is totally using me to delay bed time but ask me if I care. I don't.
Maizey - new addition to the family. She is a slobbery, loud talking, opinionated, grumpy 2 year old... English Cream Golden Retriever. And she loves snuggles from her buddy Riggs as much as I do. Everyone else that tries to snuggle with her gets her patented 'grrrr'. We say we love you, you say 'grrr'. She really is a sweetheart but might love wrestling more than anything else.
So, missing a lot of details but hoping this will get this started up again to keep track of all the crazy going on for us.
Scott & Mandy - We got passports! Through Scott's work we went to St. Lucia and the Bahamas. We decided if we didn't have kids, living on the beach selling bracelets made from shells we find seems like a pretty look idea. Then eventually buying jet skis and renting them out to people on the beach.....after they bought one of my bracelets, of course.
And, I also took a trip to Haiti. I was able to spend 10 days at Real Hope for Haiti with Nick & Staci, Deb & Doyle and others fun people from Minnesota. I was in charge of making wedding cakes for two weddings. Wait until I get the pictures on here for how they got to the reception....ha! I was also able to spend the afternoon observing in the doctor's office.....lets just say HIPPA doesn't exist there. And beyond that, just spending time loving on kiddos recovering from the effects of starvation. What a mission RHFH is for the people of Cazale.
Scott is the constant rock of the family. He continues to work hard at Mudd, you know...so we can eat and everything. And he also kept the family on track while I was back in school.
I have currently completed my PTA courses and working through 14 weeks of clinical. Got to say, I am enjoying working at a clinic as opposed to a classroom every day. But working everyday is hard. And, I've done it for 3 WHOLE days. Luckily for me, there was a weekend in between day 2 and 3! Scott has spoiled me. He has worked hard to ensure that I could stay home with our kiddos for the last 12 years. I'm a grateful mama.
Brooklyn - some how this girl is almost to junior high. She is playing soccer, volleyball, basketball...and it toying with the idea of cross country and track next year. She has a strong body with a very soft heart.
Alex - this girl is about 1.5 inches from being as tall as I am but has finally grown into her legs for the moment. Another growth spurt can change that at any moment....but for now, no more running like Bambi. She is fast and looks graceful when she runs.
Riggs - he keeps reminding me he isn't a baby anymore. I keep reminding him that he IS my baby and we will snuggle until I say so. Poor kid. But lucky for me, he loves his mama and puts up with it. Especially when dad says its time for bed....that ensures I get lots of attention and snuggles. I realize he is totally using me to delay bed time but ask me if I care. I don't.
Maizey - new addition to the family. She is a slobbery, loud talking, opinionated, grumpy 2 year old... English Cream Golden Retriever. And she loves snuggles from her buddy Riggs as much as I do. Everyone else that tries to snuggle with her gets her patented 'grrrr'. We say we love you, you say 'grrr'. She really is a sweetheart but might love wrestling more than anything else.
So, missing a lot of details but hoping this will get this started up again to keep track of all the crazy going on for us.
Monday, April 27, 2015
While the Boys are Away the Girls will Play
Its always fun when Brooklyn and Alex are on the same team
every other year. This is a same team year!
The girls had their 3rd game of the spring season.
Won 3-0.
Alex scored 1 of the goals!
Their overall record is now 9-0.
Love coaching this U10 team.
They all work so hard and get along great.
Below is last week's game. Brooklyn scored a goal.
side note: we must live in Iowa.
This week....windy and freezing. Last week....hot and sweaty.
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Sunday, April 26, 2015
A Day in the Life of Hawkeye Football
Scott took Riggs down to Iowa City to experience Hawkeye Football.
Scott was coaching at Kamp Kinnick, an alumni led football camp for kids before the Hawkeye Spring Game and Riggs was going as his assistant. But, he ended up being able to participate in the drills too! Its all about who you know ;)
Not sure who had more fun, Scott or Riggs?!
If you ask...they both say 'ME'!
Pouring Rain....but loving every minute of it!
Hawkeye Locker Room
The Infamous 'Pink Locker Room' for the visiting team.
EVERYTHING is pink: lockers, sinks, fixtures....and on and on....
It's so soothing for the visitors. Very thoughtful.
Riggs was not interested in going in there. At all.
Scott finally talked him into it but he wasn't happy.
Robert Gallery
Tim Dwight & Jared DeVries
I'm not real sure what this sign means....
but it looks cool.
Riggs walking down the tunnel to the field...
End of the tunnel.
Can you hear 'Back in Black' playing???
New Facility
Must say, I think Scott is a little (ok, A LOT) envious of the guys
playing now and the facility they get to use.
Team Meeting Room
Indoor Field
Pro Wall - guys currently playing in the NFL
Juice Bar
guys can get any drinks, fruit, sandwiches, snacks....
Weight Room
Monday, April 20, 2015
Puppy Update
Well, after much family discussion.....
we have decided to wait to pick a favorite furry friend.
Our most favorite is the blue merle female but there were already 2 families really hoping for her.
We would have had an equal shot of getting her but decided waiting until August would actually be better timing for our family.
So......in June, Bella will be having her puppies
and we can bring one home the beginning of August.
Bella - The mama
Bo - The Sire
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