A journey through life, training, Ironmans, marathons, jewelry, and wine

Moving on to a new blog

2011-03-15T22:03:00.001-07:00

Hey there! Check out the following link...this is where I'll be posting new stuff going forward!

http://swirlytwirlygirl.blogspot.com/

1/11/11

2011-01-11T13:58:00.000-08:00

So this blog originally began to chart my journey through training for my first Ironman...back in 2005. Six years has passed and my life has taken shape around so many other things (in addition to Ironmans) that I feel the need to write about it all. There were many significant things that happened in 2010, but the most common thread throughout my year was about cancer. My life is (and was) touched by cancer in so many ways that it's opened my eyes a bit more to the world, what really matters, and it makes me want to go through each day with more purpose, joy, and gratefulness.

And so it begins...soon...when I have a little more time. (Ha...haven't we heard that one before?)

Cal 70.3....here I come again!

2010-08-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

I did it, I've rejoined the triathlon world after over 1.5 years of retirement! I was signed up for it earlier this year, but last August was plagued with biceps tendonitis and was still kicking the problem in March, so I ended up no-showing. It was a tough decision in some respects, but I must admit, a little liberating. Honestly, I think I was a little burnt out and it was good to take a little break.

Meanwhile, this year has been focused on running. After this weekend's marathon (Pikes Peak Marathon), I will have completed four marathons, two half marathons, and one 50 mile race in 8 month's time. I have made great strides (pun intended) in my speed...which I attribute to my Mon/Weds/Fri lunch runs (consistency!) and speed work that I've been doing.

In 2007 I did a 7:53, 2008 was a 7:30, and 2009 was a 7:02. I'm hoping to stick with that trend and shave another 20-30 minutes off my time in 2011. If all goes well and I'm really back in the saddle, I'll consider trying to get a roll-down slot for a full Ironman race in 2011. We'll see.

Now I just need to hit the pool and see how the shoulder is doing. I'll do that in September, once I'm rested up from this crazy marathon coming this weekend.

86 400 seconds in a day

2010-08-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

It seems like a lot of time, but after working a full day, commuting home (albeit 7 miles...it still can take up to 40 minutes!), feeding the dog, going for a run, scrounging up something for dinner, throwing on the boob-tube, and sitting down...it seems I have maybe 400 seconds left before I hit the hay.

Here's how I'd like to spend those 86,400 seconds: Sleeping in until 8, enjoying a latte with breakfast out on my patio while reading on my Kindle, work on my training plan and schedule my next triathlon, go for a run, shower, run some errands, blog, have dinner prepared for me by my live-in chef, drink some wine, and then make jewelry into the wee hours of the night. Yep, that would be perfect. I could finally make some headway on my jewelry project, finesse my photography skills, and improve my Etsy listings. ...sigh... My Etsy site is a work in progress, that's for sure! I have so many pieces to post, and just need to find the time. Where there's a will, there's a way, right?

In the meantime, check it out and spread the word! www.swirlytwirlygirl.com

Back to it!

2010-08-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm back in the saddle and ready to keep going with my blog. After my last full Ironman (2 years ago!) I competed in a half Ironman and a sprint tri, a couple of marathons, and my first ultramarathon (50 miles).

Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2008 - Revenge was sweet!

2008-06-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

I don’t think I slept much more than a wink the night before the race…this time, even though I felt an immense amount of pressure to make the bike cut-off and finish successfully, I almost felt like a kid waiting to wake up on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought me. I don’t know a better way to describe it than to say I was excited and calm all at the same time. Excited to see what the day had in store for me, calm because I knew I put in the training and was ready to execute it.

I left the hotel room at 5am, made a quick stop to the nearby Starbucks, and was in the transition area by about 5:30am. I made a checklist of my morning activities on a small post-it note which helped me keep on track and ensure that I had everything ready. Checklists are great…even down to the most simple and ridiculous detail…it takes that extra bit of pressure off of you on race morning. This was the first time I actually remembered to put water in my aero-bottle! Feed bottle contained 1400 calories of Infinit. Got my special needs and T1/T2 bags all squared away, then moved away from the nervous-nellies and found a happy place on the grass to keep a sound mind.

Here’s a picture of Bryce and me, right before I started shoe-horning my body into my wetsuit.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27992366@N04/2609900672/in/photostream/

I was flooded with emotion when I gave Bryce a kiss and hug goodbye before making my way over to the swim start. Tears welled up as I thought back to IMCDA 2007 and the disappointment I experienced. I knew I couldn’t go through that again and this was my chance to prove something very big to myself.

As crazy as the swim start can be with 2200 athletes trying to swim in one area, there’s something to be said for that little piece of relief that hits me when I hear the gun go off signaling the start of the race. This is it, I’ve done the training, and now I just need to get through the day.

Ah, what a difference a couple of degrees makes! I think it was close to 60 degrees and my face didn’t hurt near as much as it did on the Friday morning practice swim. I never really got into the groove and rhythm of the swim like I usually do by the halfway point…I just kept battling with crooked swimmers or people stopping to figure out where they were while trying to dodge the breast-stroke-kickers. 1:39 and I was done with that swim. Not my best time, but I knew I played it smart and didn’t burn through my energy stores needed for the bike…and “the line” (mile 18...that's where you put your nose to the grindstone, forget about the pain, and try to actually push it).

Now the bike is what took me out of the game last year, so this is where I needed to play it smart. I felt so good on the first loop, I can’t even begin to tell you. The ‘hills’ that I remembered from last year seemed a little bit smaller, and my legs felt strong. I think it took me about 3:45 to get through the first loop. I do have to admit I wasn’t necessarily that excited to start the second loop of the bike…it’s a tough bike course! On the second loop I was coming up on another bicyclist and I could hear a motorcycle coming up behind me. I was careful not to encroach the drafting zone but I kept hearing this motorcycle just sitting on my tire…waiting for him to pass. Next thing I knew, I heard a guy say “You’re on tv, Brenda.” Geez, I probably should have sucked in my stomach and improved my posture, but oh well! With nothing better to do, I started chatting up the guy holding the camera on the motorcycle and gave him my sad-boohoo story of missing the bike cut-off by 2 minutes schpeel. In a way, it was cathartic to be able to tell people of last year’s race because it held me more accountable to achieving a very necessary outcome this year. As I made it back in town I was so jazzed that I was going to make it into the bike cutoff with plenty of time to spare that I pushed against that headwind, passed several on the last 20 miles and came in after 7 hours 34 minutes. I thought I might have been able to pull off a 7 hour ride, but I can’t tell you how happy I was to be done and see that bike finish. I dismounted my bike and ran to the bike finish arch and hugged it while bystanders and volunteers laughed. I turned to a few and said, “If you only knew…” Eureka ! I think I might have been the most excited person on the course that day to be starting the marathon.

The coaches warned us about getting to amped up on the bike course and to ultimately hold back until the line (mile 18) where then we should kick things into gear and get’er done. Under any other circumstance I would have likely complied but I apparently got my heart rate soaring coming in against those crosswinds and perhaps running a bit too fast on the first two miles of the run with all the spectators around cause next thing I noticed, I had some stomach cramping and bloating around mile 3. I also noticed that my Garmin heart rate monitor was not working for some reason which was bothering me mentally. Uh oh! Thankfully I knew just what to do, I stopped taking in calories, laid off the fluids, and walked from mile 4 to mile 9 just to get back on track and let my heart rate settle. I picked up the pace after that, felt good, and got over the fact that my stupid HR monitor was telling me I was at 30bpm. The GPS worked, so I went off pace (perhaps Coach Patrick and Rich sabotaged my Garmin for that very reason???) I knew my body, I didn’t need a stinkin’ watch to tell me how I was feeling. I came back in through town to start my second loop where Bryce was antagonizing me to ‘step it up a notch’. I told him I was holding some in reserve for mile 18.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27992366@N04/2609070917/in/photostream/

Around mile 17 I was mentally preparing for “The Line” and thinking about my several One Things that would get me to the finish line in light of how difficult things got or how much pain I was in. (1. To finish; 2: To run the best IM marathon I ever have; 3. To finish when it was still light out) I kept looking at my watch trying to calculate whether I could make it in by 9:30pm and knew I was cutting it close, though I was CERTAIN that I would nail 2 of my 3 One Things. I felt a little loopy in my head and took in a bit more calories and fluids. I also started to feel some pain creeping in my body since the Tylenol I took at 5am was wearing off. I had a little Ziploc bag of meds in my pocket so I stopped at an aid station and picked through it for 2 Tylenol. Now I was ready to Bear Down and give it all I had.

Mile 18 and I started running with a purpose and a pace. I ran the whole last 8 miles of the race with exception to the few uphills. I began counting each of my victims that I picked off during those 8 miles and decided that at victim #60 I would allow myself 30 seconds of walking. Wouldn’t you know that I was approaching a group of three people that kept each other on track and convinced one another to keep running so I had this moving target for almost a mile. Oh, the tragedy! I finally passed them and almost yelled out “62”. I could feel a nagging blister on my left pinky toe that decided to relieve itself at mile 24 and I nearly crumbled to the ground. Seriously, how could a flippin’ little blister be that painful? I modified my gait a bit trying to stay off that portion of my foot but could then feel other muscles threaten in my left shin to cramp, so I bucked it up and ran “normally” (ha, I wish I could see video footage of this!) I was running like the wind (if you want to call 11 minute miles running like the wind) and rounded the corner to see the finish line lights down a slightly graded downhill. I handed out high fives like I never have before, smiling from ear to ear. I spaced myself out from a finisher ahead of me so that we could have our own little piece of glory at the finish line. Oddly, I didn’t hear Mike Reilly announce my name and that I was an Ironman, but I’ve been told he did.

15:01:00
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27992366@N04/2609903090/in/photostream/

Success. Redemption. Revenge. Goodbye evil monkey!

Like any true athlete, I can’t help but analyze this race and think about the things I can do to improve my speed and come through that finish line even faster next time (yes, I said next time):
*I trained with a Garmin Forerunner 305, using GPS and heart rate, along with perceived effort. I have no doubt that a power meter is one of the next steps for me to take if I want to improve greatly.
*I trained by myself 95% of the time, and know that I could benefit in speed and technique on both the run and ride if I started doing more group rides and running with someone that can push me a bit more.
*Continue to focus on my diet and lean up.

What’s next? I would LOVE to do another one. Here I am, still hobbling around and vividly remembering how hard this was, but I want to do another. I just have to test out Bryce and see when and if I can get his blessing. I’ve nearly convinced him to sign up for Cal 70.3 with me…misery loves company.

I went swimming today and had some tool split the lane with me. He was totally trying to compete with me and I kept thinking, “Oh yeah, you’re such a stud, you’re just beating the pants off a 3 time Ironman who just did IMCDA 3 days ago.”

I’m planning on sleeping in this weekend, catching up on some housework, organizing some closets, gardening, and drinking some wine! Next week I’ll work on my training plan and start hitting the trails to train for Pikes Peak marathon which is a mere 7.5 weeks away.

I'm anxiously awaiting for the race photographers to post pictures and also learned that I made it on the race highlights DVD which I'm going to send away for.

Thanks to all for following my story and being so supportive, you were with me the whole way!

Tenacious-B, that's my middle name...look out Ironman Coeur d'Alene!

2008-06-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hello from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho!

Has it really been a year since I was last here? They say time flies...but with this heavy monkey that's been riding my back for the past 365 days, it's dragged on a little. I plan to put him to shame and throw him to the curb on Sunday...just you wait!

The big question mark this year is the swim. Coeur d'Alene Lake is currently 55 degrees and that's substantially colder than what most triathletes are accustomed to. Last year it was the white-caps and choppy water conditions we battled, this year it will be the cold. I'm just about to go meet with a group to do a practice swim right now. A few of them went out yesterday and explained that it felt as though you were sticking your face directly into snow. Fantastic! I guess this race wouldn't mean much if it were easy.

So, this year I trained much smarter and I'm ready. The cannon goes off at 7am on Sunday, June 22nd where I'll start my 2.4 mile swim, then ride my bike 112 miles through nearly 6000 feet of total elevation gain, then run 26.2 miles.

On Sunday, you can see live updates and track my progress on www.ironman.com. My race number is #1928. There will be live video feed on the course and they will keep a camera on the finish line. You can also select the Track an Athlete link to view my pace and what I've completed so far.

I'll see you all on the other side of the finish line on Sunday!

Third time was not a charm

2007-06-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a much more difficult day than I anticipated, the swim was choppy and rough, so they made it optional to the athletes, though I did it anyways. The bike had a fair amount of winds and a lot of hills, which just depleted me. It hurt, and most of my body hurt, I had aches and pains exponentially worse than ever before, and I never quite got warm through the 8.5 hours of the bike. When I crossed the bike finish line, I found out that I had missed the time cutoff by 2 minutes, which meant they wouldn't allow me to do the marathon. I was shocked, though the last hour of the bike I did start wondering if this might happen and had to prepare myself mentally for it. In some ways I was a little relieved, however all I wanted to do was get off that bike. I "think" I had 26.2 miles still left in me, though I'm sure it wouldn't have been pretty. DNF - that's what they call it, did-not-finish. I'll chalk this up to a lesson learned and use it for that next time. Yes, I said next time, again...

Thanks everyone for your words of support, sorry if I kept you online checking the internet for updates late last night. I did finish the whole bike leg but unfortunately they may not post all those interval times.

I had this goal to finish when it was still light outside, and go have a burger and beer afterwards. To shed some positive light on the whole thing, I did "finish" during daylight, and I did have that burger and beer ;-) Next time, I'd just rather hear Mike Reilly call out my name and tell me I'm an Ironman before the burger and beer.

Ironman #2 - wrap up

2006-04-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

My day began at 4am on Sunday. I got to the transition area shortly after 5am and my nerves began to build as the morning progressed. Brief moments of doubt crept in my head. It seemed so different this time around. Just one year ago I was standing in the same place having never completed an Ironman triathlon - it definitely was nice being less of a rookie.

1950 athletes entered the water around 6:45 where we all had to tread water until the cannon went off at 7. I got clocked in the head a few times, but managed to avoid any kicks to the face. It took nearly 30 minutes for us all to spread out and find our own pace and space. At that point I just tried to swim in as straight of a line as possible and avoid those crazy-crooked-swimmers that zigzagged amongst me. I worked really hard this time to improve my swim, and found that it paid off. After 1 hour 33 minutes (an 11 minute improvement from last year!), I exited the water and had two volunteers kindly peel me out of my wetsuit.

It was a different source of evil this time. I didn’t have to battle 30-40 mph winds on the bike this time; this year I encountered high 80 to low 90-degree temperatures with crosswinds of 5-10 mph. Pick your poison... Out of the 1950 athletes, there were over 200 that did not finish and were likely victims of the heat.

Over the course of 112 miles I saw many cacti, endless desert, and obsessed over whether I was getting enough fluids and calories. I enjoyed the bike part most out of this race, I felt as though all the hours I did in training really paid off. I saw several cyclists along the side of the road fixing flats, but thankfully I did not have to fix any myself. I finished the bike in 7 hours 5 minutes (a 30 minute improvement from last year). I can’t help but wonder how I would have done had there been no wind this year… And next time someone really needs to tell me if my helmet is on crooked - I rode for 112 miles looking like that!

I experienced some minor hydration issues early in the run (I’ll spare you the details) and had to walk through it for a bit. Along the way I met many people, heard stories about their day, and offered supportive words to some that were not looking too good. The cloud cover came in late in the afternoon and the temperature dropped to the low 80s. I was on track to meet my race goal up until about mile 10 of the marathon, that’s when I started slowing down, walking a little more, and running a little less. The amount of negotiation that your brain and body goes through at times like this is really amazing. I resolved that as long as I improved my overall time against last year’s race, I’d be happy.

I crossed the finish line at 15 hours, 8 minutes, and 59 seconds, taking 24 minutes off of last year's finish time. It was not quite the 2 hour improvement I was hoping for (maybe that was a lofty goal?) but I can guarantee you that I left it on the course, specifically between miles 86 and 112 where I averaged 21.5 mph. Not even an hour after the finish, all the symptoms of a cold crept in - I feel very fortunate that I was able to stave it off until then. I did get my burger after the race, but I skipped the beer this time. I will drink plenty of those in the weeks to come. ;-) And next time, (yes, I again said next time) I will finish a little earlier in the evening to enjoy that beer afterwards.

I’m not ready to retire from Ironmans just yet, but I definitely would like to get more than a 12-month break between this one and the next…well, there is an exception to that statement. I’ve signed up for the Kona Ironman World Championship lottery slot. There are 200 lottery slots given out and I will find out whether I am one of the “lucky ones” on April 15th. I will keep you posted! Third time is alway a charm, right???

Thank you all for your encouraging words and support! As much as they say this is an individual sport, I attribute my successful finishes to those who have individually touched my life and motivated me to challenge myself time and time again.

Here we go again - Ironman #2

2006-04-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, in about 115 hours I’ll be getting the number 1768 painted on my legs & arms, zipping up my wetsuit, and getting ready to jump in the water to start a 2.4 mile swim, followed by 112 miles on the bike, and a marathon run of 26.2 miles. How has one year possibly passed by this fast? And did I really sign up for this again?

It’s a bit different going into this race for the second time, I’m a bit less anxious, a bit more confident, but I also have higher expectations to live up to for myself. All I can hope for is continued good health over these next 4 days (as Bryce is sick with a cold right now – argh!), no kicks to the face in the swim, no 30 – 40 mph winds on the bike, no flat tires, and a smooth run through the finish line. Last year my goal was to finish with a smile; this year it will be to leave it on the course and finish two hours earlier so that I can go get a beer and burger afterwards…priorities, you know… ;-)

The following website will offer live coverage and updates: www.ironmanlive.com
You’ll click on the Ironman Arizona icon that indicates it has live coverage (it will be toward the top in the center of the page). That will bring up an extra window that will give you some text updates and have various tabs across the top. Then you can select the “Athlete Finder” tab and input my bib number (1768) or last name. The “Video and Audio” tab will allow you to see live camera footage of various parts of the race. As the day progresses, they keep a camera on the finish line, up until midnight, where you can see everyone finish. There's also course information on www.ironmanarizona.com.

I'm heading out to Arizona on Thursday around noon. Here’s to another good race and I hope to send you all an update of how things went early next week!

23 weeks, 6 days

2005-10-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

until IMAZ 2006. It snuck up on me, just like I knew it would. We just went to Kona and watched the Ironman World Championships which was incredibly inspiring. These athletes, both pros and amateurs, were amazing. It made me want to train harder, eat better, and continue to improve in the sport of triathlon. As I sit here today and think about all of this now, for the first time in my life, I was able to openly admit to my husband yesterday that I have a calling to pursue this triathlon thing further, to see just how far I can get. I guess I'm talking a bit cryptically right now...I feel that the minute I actually put it in writing, then it actually becomes a true goal that I'll need to strive for...so here it goes: I am feeling as though I was put here on earth to become a professional triathlete, to spread the word that 'Anything is Possible' (the Ironman motto). I had barely even run 3 miles just four years ago, so wouldn't it be incredible to actually qualify for the Kona IM World Championships? And make a name for myself??? So, there, I've said it.

I just happened upon an email about PowerBar looking to add new athletes to their sponsorship, so I'll start there, and who knows where it all will end up.

My plan was to train for IMAZ for 22 weeks, so I have just under 2 weeks to get my training plan together. I bought new tires for my bike yesterday, as a result of the three flats that I suffered about three weeks ago. I'm planning to buy some cookbooks to inspire my diet and give me a better nutrition strategy...if I'm going to get anywhere near to being competitive, I likely have to take off about 30+ pounds off of this frame...baby steps, baby steps.

Here's to those who dream!

I'm back...well sort of

2005-07-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

Nearly six weeks ago I completed my fourth stand-alone marathon (five if you count the marathon within the Ironman race) I set a new PR with 4 hours and 53 minutes...zero seconds. I was hoping for a 4:45, but in my heart of hearts, I really knew that I didn't train very hard for this race so I'm very satisfied with the 4:53. I'm glad to have that monkey off my back, I think I was still burnt out from the Ironman race.

I started back to swimming on June 15th and feel as though I'm nearly back to where I was with speed, maybe not endurance just yet. I honestly can't believe that I swam for an hour and forty five minutes straight! I am just fatigued as ever after 45 minutes of swimming right now!

Just this weekend I finally got back on my bike and did 30 miles along the coast. This was my FIRST time back on my bike since IMAZ!!! By the last 8 miles I was pretty ready to get off the bike and looked forward to breakfast more than anything. My legs actually ached worse than they ever did during and after the Ironman.

I'm now on my journey to lose some weight - started the South Beach Diet last week, July 5th, and officially fell off the wagon this morning when I had a bagel with cream cheese. It's just that I felt like I was majorly dragging this morning, I barely have enough energy to type, so I decided to experiment and see what a carb-ridden-bagel could actually do....whether good or bad. So, we'll see...

I have the AFC 1/2 marathon in just a month, with the hopes that I can complete it in less than two hours. I need to really kick my running into gear over this next three weeks!

So, I'm back to old habits, good habits, and hoping to improve, continue to gain more confidence in my capabilities, and ultimately find that structure in my life that I had when training for IMAZ. I've missed it, my body has missed it, and I think my well-being has missed it too.

Another marathon?

2005-06-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

So after the hoopla was over from IMAZ, I decided I needed to stay on the path of fitness and continue, so I signed up for RNR marathon again, this will be my third San Diego RNR marathon, but my fourth marathon overall, and if you count the marathon within IMAZ, then it's really the fifth.

I haven't been very motivated with the training for this marathon, and am really not sure what the marathon Gods will bring me on Sunday. I only hope to beat my best time of 5:01.

IMAZ 2006 seems like an eternity away, but I'm sure it will sneak up fast. I'm planning to run a half marathon in sub-two hours in August, and then might just try and get my base back in gear for triathlons. We're going to watch the Kona IM Championship on Oct 15th, and when we return from Hawaii, that will be the kick-off to my training for IMAZ - should be very motivated at that point!

So, in four days my feet will meet the pavement once again...and we'll just have to see if that 17-miler 'long run' I did about 3-plus weeks ago paid off. All I can tell myself is that I've felt worse 'pain' and done more miles than 26.2....oddly though, I'm not recalling any pain from IMAZ...I really don't know how that happened.

2005-05-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

Brenda Gibson, you are an Ironman

2005-05-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

10:30pm, 15 and a half hours, and still smiling

Brenda Gibson, you are an Ironman

2005-04-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Hello All! I wanted to update you on my Ironman experience...sorry it's quite lengthy, but I've never been one to just use a few words ;-)

We got to Arizona on Wednesday night before the race. On Thursday it was 90 degrees and I was obsessively checking weather in hopes it would cool down quickly. I was really anxious, really scared, really excited, and really restless, continuously, for those 48 hours leading up to the race. I was eating like a bottomless pit, trying to load up my body with carbohydrates and aiming for at least 500 grams of carbs...many thin mint Girl Scout cookies, french fries, crackers, fruit juice...not quite the Atkins diet!

On Saturday, I woke up at 4 a.m. and we got to the race site around 5:15 a.m. where 1830 athletes mulled around, checking their tire pressure, stretching, re-checking their bikes, and getting those last bit of calories in. The forecast for the day turned out to be a high of 75 and approximately 20 mph winds. I was happy about the temperature, but a little unsure of the winds.

At 6:45 a.m. I made my way toward the water - you could certainly pick out the confident versus non-confident based on who was jumping in the water, and who was procrastinating. I felt as though I was about to do a bungee-jump off a 200 foot bridge, kind of feeling like I just needed someone to push me in rather than making that jump independently. The water was a brisk 65 degrees and was murky brown...they called it 'sediment' but I called it ominous. We had to swim about 200 yards up to the start line and then all 1800 of us were treading water for about 5-10 minutes until the cannon went off. Boom! And the chaos ensued. It's a pretty funny moment when you're "swimming" in a sea of people, hands and feet slapping all about you, I'm just happy to say that I took no major kicks to the face and didn't get a bruise. People were actually quite polite (which is a rarity from what I've heard) and apologized for the kick that they delivered to my shin or the hit that they delivered to my upper torso. An open-water swim is incredibly different, and more difficult, than a pool swim. You're constantly trying to sight the buoys to make sure you're still on course, and you don't have that nice black line at the bottom of the pool to guide you in the right direction. People started spreading out about 15 minutes into the swim and that's when things started getting better for me...well, with the exception that there was a ski-jet with two lifeguards hovering close by to me, which created a bit of anxiety for me. "Why are they hovering around me? Do I look like a wounded seal and they are just predicting that I'll need to be pulled from the water soon? Am I the slowest swimmer in this race and I'm bringing up the backend?" I finally realized that none of my fears were warranted, there were plenty of people behind me, and it just so happened that for safety reasons, there were jet-skis all about the course, and they weren't just focusing on me! Phew!!! The swim was 2.4 miles, however I think that with all the zigzagging I did on the course, I must have swam a good 2.8 miles. Note to self: work on stroke to ensure efficiency...and suggest that the race directors paint a big black line on the bottom of the lake so that next time I can just follow that...did I just say next time??? The swim was done and to me, the worst part was over.

I had quite the fan club cheering me on all day long - thanks to Bryce, my parents, Janessa, Sue, Susan L., Andrea, Andy and many, many other spectators, they made my day even better and kept a smile on my face with their individual attention and assurance they gave me. And thanks to many of you who called throughout the day to check on my progress, I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have you all.

Prior to getting on my bike I had a team of three volunteers spraying me down with sunscreen, missing a few areas that I later discovered at about 11:30 p.m. that night...great, more weird tan lines to add to my body! And off I went. I focused on keeping a slow and easy pace, making certain that my heart rate didn't get too high, and started watching the clock for the 20 minute time-point, when I would begin taking in fluids and food. My legs felt good, and I was happy to have the swim behind me. The bike course consisted of three loops and a final city loop (which I later removed the 'c' from city and replaced it with an 'sh'....I'll explain why later) Not too much occurred on that first loop, other than the minor game of leap frog that I played with one guy. You can get a penalty on the course for drafting off of other cyclist, meaning that you need to keep at least three bike lengths between your front tire and their back tire. I found myself beginning to come up on people, but not really wanting to pass them because I was trying to 'hold back' for this first loop. I would tuck in behind them start pacing off of them, then get impatient with how slow they were going, and pass them. This happened throughout the bike portion and I found it to be a rather amusing mind game, if nothing else. About 15 miles into the course I looked down at my bike computer and realized I was going 22 mph! Great, I told myself, if I keep that up, I'd be done in less than six hours! At about 17 miles there was a turnaround point where I was unpleasantly surprised with the wind, and looked down at my bike computer to see that I was only going about 12 mph. Not too bad, but I was a little surprised to feel the headwinds and what it did to my pace and the way I handled the bike. The second loop went even better for me, but at the turnaround I was hit with even stronger wind. By the third loop, the wind was even worse, but I still felt good. At one point I was only going about 7 mph thanks to the wind. I saw the 100-mile marker, then I saw the 111-mile marker, and thought I was home free...only to realize that I still hadn't done the 'final city loop' (remember, I replaced the c with an sh). It was all very confusing, I thought I was just about to finish after seeing 111 miles, but in reality, it was 108 and I would be coming around to that same point again in three miles. It's funny how one can feel fine when they think that the finish line is around the corner, but when there's four more miles to be done, I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I wanted off that stupid bike and how much I hated the final sh...city loop! It was estimated that the winds were 30 to 40 miles per hour that day, and I'd venture to say that it was 40+ at one point during the final loop. The winner of the race actually commented that those winds were every bit as difficult as the Kona Ironman World Championships and was amazed by the amateurs that were able to handle it.

When I dismounted my bike I was in disbelief that I was going to go run a marathon. All through my training, I felt as though I did not train very well for the run, so I was pretty unconfident with how this would go down. I felt as though I had a pretty good pace and my form felt really good when I started running, which usually isn't the case after you've been on a bike for 7.5 hours. For a brief moment I pondered the thought of walking for a bit, but really I knew I wasn't tired enough to justify that and I just needed to set a good pace. I negotiated with myself to run until the five-mile marker. Somewhere around what I thought would be the two-mile marker I encountered a 13-mile marker..."did I make a wrong turn? How could I be on the second loop already?" I feared that something had gone wrong, but also didn't want to ask anyone out of fear that I'd be the laughing stock, so I kept running in a bit of a panic. I soon came across a three-mile marker and was relieved to realize that because it was a two-loop run, I would continue to encounter the first and second lap mile markers. Phew! I started to feel a not-so-good sensation on my pinky toes, both of them, and realized that I had blisters working their way into my feet. I finally decided to stop and sit on the curb to clean up the grass and dirt remaining on my feet from the run across grass after the swim 10 hours ago. Note to self: be sure to clean feet off better in the swim to bike transition and put Vaseline on my feet next time...did I just say next time again??? The sun was going down and it started cooling off. I anticipated that the second half of the run was going to be painful and long, but quite honest, it went by so quickly, and I didn't feel much pain. I met many good people along the way, ran with them for a bit, and then would carry on, to meet someone new. My pace still felt good, and I felt like I was running really fast based off of all the people I was passing. I thought for certain I was running a 10-minute mile or faster, but when I finally timed it, I was running a 12-minute mile. Okay, so maybe I wasn't so fast, but I felt good! As I rounded the corner with the finish line in site I felt goose bumps on my arms, I gave high-fives to many standing along the shoot that I was running down. I felt such incredible bliss, I really can't put words to it...and I crossed the finish line. As you know, my goal was to finish with a smile on my face and not to be the last person to finish. I achieved both! There's nothing like hearing your name announced to thousands while you're crossing the finish line.

What you may believe to be impossible, is truly achievable. Five years ago, if someone had told me that I would complete an Ironman triathlon, I think I would have fallen out of my chair laughing. Infact, five years ago, I could barely run two miles. One year ago, I was hell on wheels when it came to getting on a bike. I don't mean to preach to you, but you all are near and dear to my heart and I want for you each to discover something new about yourself and your capabilities, experience setting a lofty goal, challenging yourself, and feeling that incredible gratification when reaching it. It is amazing! Alright, I'll get off my soapbox now.

So, what's next, you ask? You may have noticed I made several references to 'next time'. As of midnight last night, I registered for Ironman Arizona on April 9, 2006. Note to self: what can be done once, can be done even better the next time. So here we go again! Until then, I look forward to participating in another marathon, maybe a half-Ironman, and supporting Bryce as he takes on two marathons later this year.

Love,
Ironman Brenda

"Unless you test yourself, you stagnate. Unless you try to go way beyond what you've been able to do before, you won't develop and grow. When you go for it 100%, when you don't have the fear of 'what if I fail,' that's when you learn. That's when you're really living." Mark Allen, world champion triathlete

7 days and counting...

2005-04-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Registration for Ironman Arizona: $425
Trek road bike: $1500
Wetsuit and other tri-gear: $500+ (you don’t want to know!)
Crossing the finish line on April 9th and becoming an Ironman: Priceless

For the past 10+ months, some of you have heard nothing but triathlon talk from me – thank you for your patience and support! For some of you, this might come as a surprise – I’ve been so busy training for this triathlon, I’ve managed to lose touch with quite a few of you – sorry about that!

Next Saturday, April 9th, I will embark on a grueling journey that I never imagined I would try: a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run (all in succession) in Tempe, Arizona. The race starts at 7 a.m. and the course closes at midnight. My goal is to cross the finish line with a smile on my face…and not be the last person to finish! ;-)

There’s a great website that offers live coverage of the race and even specific information on me during the race for those of you that can’t make it to Arizona: www.ironmanlive.com. For those of you that will be there for the race (thank you! thank you!), there is a spectator’s guide and other good information on the following website: www.ironmanarizona.com

Ironman North America has not announced the 2005 TV schedule for this race, but I’ll let you know when they do. For any of you that get Fox Sports Network Arizona (FSN Arizona) they will be showing it on the following days: Saturday, April 9 (race day)-10 p.m. –1/2 hour show; Hour-long highlight shows: Saturday, April 16-5 p.m., Saturday, April 16-3 a.m., Sunday, April 17-1 p.m., Saturday, April 23-7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 23-2 a.m., Monday, April 25-2 p.m., Sunday, May 1-1 p.m. FSN Arizona is offered via satellite service and in Arizona, of course. Usually coverage is focused on the pro athletes, so I am not sure whether I will get any airtime, but it still should be interesting to watch…perhaps I will be so fast that I’ll just be a blur across the TV screen?

So send good thoughts my way on April 9th and I’ll be sure to update you on my Ironman experience!

All or Nothing!

2005-02-03T21:21:00.000-08:00

I'm back on track, in full force! All of this training I've done so far has led me to one conclusion about myself: I am all or nothing. I take things to one excessive extreme or another, whether it be exercising, eating, or working. I was racked with guilt after my birthday weekend, having not complied with my training schedule, so Monday I went to spin class for an hour and a half, got on the eliptical trainer for half an hour, and ran for half an hour. Tuesday I ran 8 miles at the beach, Weds I swam over an hour and today I went to spin class at 5:30 a.m. and then ran for a half hour. That's nearly 7 hours of exercise and I still have this evening, Fri, Sat, and Sun ahead of me. I was hoping to get at least 15 hours, if not 17, in this week...and I just might do it. I also feel as though my clothes are finally fitting better and my spare tire along my gut has gotten a flat, and seems it may soon be gone, I hope.

So this leads me to what my One Thing is...I have two (point proven again, all or nothing!)
1. To be worthy of being called an Ironman when I cross that finish-line. Infact, I plan to get a tatoo...not sure where upon my body yet.
2. To be in my best shape ever: able to wear tri-shorts and a jog bra for the marathon portion of the Ironman race without being self-conscious of my stomach.

And when I say I want to be in the best shape ever, that includes the goals of wearing a size 6 or 8 (depending on make) and acheiving 22-25% body fat.

Lofty goals, yes, but I truly think I can pull them off.

Monday blahs...

2005-01-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

I actually got out of bed at 5:30am, put my swimsuit on, sweatpants, sweatshirt, and then crawled back into bed. It was cold, I wanted 10 more minutes of warmth in my cozy bed, and figured I would be on the road by 5:50 and make it to swim on time. I later awoke, looked at my watch...it was 6:05am and I 'threw in the towel.' I guess what made me feel a little justified is knowing that I am going to spin tonight for an hour and a half and run for about 45 minutes. But now I'm riddled with guilt for not going to swim, I'm in a bad mood, depressed, and to top it all off, it's Monday.

I only did an hour on my bike on Saturday, and nothing yesterday. I'm getting behind and only have 67 days remaining. I'm going to chalk last week up to being my 'active recovery' week and will step things up this week, I have to. The good thing is that truly this week was supposed to be 'active recovery', so I haven't mutilated my overall training schedule, just swapped weeks.

I'm going to have to revise my training schedule though, I'm realizing that it's too low in hours. Weeks that I'm scheduled for 13 hours should be more like 16 hours. I'm also going to have to get up to running 10 or 11 miles this week and 13 by next week.

That's it for now, might write more later. The way I'm feeling about everything in my life right now, I could spend a full day just writing about all the things that feel wrong right now. I don't think this has anything to do with just turning 30, it's just pure coincidence, but I get the feeling that 30 is going to be rough for me, I just feel it. Not the best thing to be this negative, it's not even like me to be this negative.

In one blink of an eye...

2005-01-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

two weeks has passed by!

I attribute my bloglessness to all the time I've spent training over the past two weeks. I've accomplished a lot...ran 8 miles (when I wasn't sure if I could run 5!), completed several hilly 30+ mile rides (one on my own), and just recently, successfully completed a 70 mile ride up to San Juan Capistrano (well, technically it was 67 miles, but I think I can write that off as 70, right?)

I am doing well with my training, however I fear that I'm a bit behind (in mileage for the run, specifically) so will need to re-evaluate my training plan and get a little more aggressive. I swam for an hour yesterday, did an hour and a half at spin last night, and half an hour on the stair-stepper and weights. Three hours on a Monday = tired girl on Tuesday morning.

Note to self: I still need to establish my One Thing...

73 days left.

Back in the saddle again

2005-01-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

6:20am: jumped in pool
7:30am: dragged myself out of pool

I did it, I actually put in an hour of swimming this morning, and my shoulder did not fall off!

To antagonize or motivate?

2005-01-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

It's Day 2 of this week that I haven't shown up for swim in the mornings and I've caught a lot of slack for it. I understand that my friends are trying to motivate, however it seems to me as it's more antagonizing. I will swim when I want to swim! There's more to it, really. My left shoulder bursitis has been acting up and I'm a bit freaked out about making it worse. I've also had a bit of insomnia these past two nights which has left me feeling lethargic in the mornings. So, I'm taking advil and focusing on my cycling. I will attempt to swim tomorrow through Friday, avoiding the pull buouy, as I'm sure that's what instigated the inflammation of my shoulder this time around.

My cycling is going well though, I managed to put in 3 hours and 45 minutes on the trainer on Sunday, totalling 56 miles, and then ran for 15 minutes so that I can start getting used to the T2 transition. Last week's goal/training hours called for 10 hours - I managed to get in 8 hours and 45 minutes. This week's goal calls for 10 and a half hours.

It's certainly hard juggling a social life with my training plan. It almost seems easier that I just cut out the socialization for the next 87 days rather than reconfigure my week's training hours. I also just need to do away with the excuses. If I can't swim in the morning due to shoulder pain, there's no reason that I can't get up at that same time and hit the treadmill at the gym or jump on my bike trainer. I guess it's just hard to know when to say when....all the books talk about rest and recovery, many of them indicate that if you're too fatigued to do a workout to the caliber that you would expect, it might be worthwhile to skip the workout and rest instead. So how do I make that call? And how do I do it without the guilt?

The One Thing

2005-01-06T21:05:00.000-08:00

I was obsessed with researching Ironman information, nutrition, and any tips or programs I could find on the internet with regard to Ironman races. I would have done it all day long if I could! I stumbled across a very inspiring and informative website (www.cruciblefitness.com) which I think I may cling to for a bit. Rich Strauss is the author of the below-mentioned material.

"The body will do amazing things, when driven by the single-minded focus created through clarity of purpose. In short, identify why you want to do this to yourself and then commit your head to driving your body to the edge of your physical envelope. In the words of Jack Palance in City Slickers, it's the One Thing."

He outlines how to go about determining that One Thing. It is my goal that within the next two weeks I will determine what my One Thing is...although I'm thinking maybe having Two Things wouldn't be bad...afterall, more is better...isn't it?

So how do I determine my One Thing?

* Identify why you want to do the race before signing up. Are you doing it for you or to prove something to someone else? Be completely honest with yourself. "I'm a doing this Ironman so I can earn a unique title that is mine forever." One Thing = title of Ironman.
Take that One Thing and mate it with your race goals and expectations: "The title is important to me, not the time. I want to finish with a smile on my face."
* Remind yourself, daily, of your One Thing and the race goals and expectations you have built around it. Through this process your One Thing will provide clarity of purpose to your training. When the Phunometer is pegged during a 6 hour long ride, you'll know why you are still out there.
* In your mental rehearsals before the race, visualize the conversation between Mind and Body when the Body begins to question the Mind's commitment to the One Thing. Prepare your rebuttal beforehand.
* On race day, continually remind yourself of the One Thing. Focus completely on its accomplishment. Remember, you can never disappoint your friends or family. They will be proud of you regardless. However, you can let yourself down. In the end, the best we can do is follow our commitment to our One Thing.

He also makes three points he makes with regard to Ironman-How-To. It kind of jumps the gun, I have a lot of other things I need to focus on at the moment, but it's also good to be proactive and put these principles to practice in my current training.

Principle #1: Ironman is not a triathlon, it's a quadathlon(?): swim, bike, run, eat/drink. On race day only 20% of your focus will be on your physical performance while the other 80% will be on how to maintain that performance.

Principle #2: Ironman is not about racing, it is about making good decisions. Use the OODA Loop: Observe the situation, Orient yourself and determine possible courses of action, Decide on a course of action, then Act. Go over, around, under or through the wall.

Principle #3: Show up with a well-made, well-rehearsed plan and expect it to not survive first contact with the race. Be prepared to improvise by "racing in the now." It's a very long day and you have all of it to fix a problem. Do the best you can, right now. The rest of the day will take care of itself when you get there.

Am I swimming upstream?

2005-01-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

I succeeded in getting up early this morning and jumped into the pool at 6:15am. I swam only about 1750 meters (I think?) All the while it seemed that I was swimming against a current or something...I definitely need to work on my form and get some technique pointers from the coach or else I'm going to continue to be the slowest of the entire group! Or maybe I would improve if I could be consistent about showing up to swim at least 3-4 times per week? I'm afraid that my form needs some work though, so I worry about reinforcing any bad habits...ah, the dilemnas of a triathlete!

Pain is temporary, pride is forever

2005-01-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

That was my motto in June 2003 when I completed my first marathon. One year later I completed my third marathon and figured I needed another challenge...something bigger. Low and behold, the inaugural Tempe, Arizona Ironman was announced soon thereafter, and before I knew it, I had invested $425 in the race registration and was looking at road bikes.

I've built my base training up over this past four months and am now about to partake in a 13 week training program. My goal is to finish the race with a smile on my face...and to journal this entire experience along the way.

So...the journey begins.

It's been raining consistently for the past week. I managed to convince myself again this morning (at 5:20 a.m., might I add) that it was not necessary that I get out of bed to go swim...just like yesterday. I'm now a bit puzzled by this early morning rationale - Was I afraid of getting wet from the rain, or the pool?