Does this Route Marshal vest make me look fat?

So on to this morning.

Nervous about my 100 miler on the bike today—since my bum is still bothering me.

I met Yoda at Boundary Waters State Park for the 2013 Tour de Cure century ride.  It was Columbus’ idea to volunteer as a Route Marshal to help the cause and to get to ride the course.  We both wore our new SBM jerseys for a test drive.  Must say… loved it.

As you can see, I wore my official vest quite proudly.

It was literally like a bib.  All jokes aside.  A bib that turned into a wild, blowing cape once I was riding.

Met a few friends along the way.  This is Neil, who is training for Ironman Lake Placid – his second IM – he finished IM Arizona in November of last year.  I rarely meet a stranger. Just saying .  He proudly wore his bib too.

We started off promptly at 7:00…  Yoda was not a Marshal.  So I joked that I was her personal Marshal and she was lucky to have me—you know—-in case of emergencies.  It was a joke that was convenient pretty much all day long.

Oh, I was happy that lunch was promised at the end. And I had a bracelet to prove it.

Off we went. A little rain here and there. Big fat rain in the beginning—we thought it was going to be a rough one— but it seemed to hold off okay.

Yoda and I were pacing pretty well for cruising… I was thinking we’d have about a 6:45-7:00 100 miles, which add another 12 miles to that, I am at an 8 hour 112 miles for CDA—I will take it, gratefully.

As promised, it was a hilly route, but a great ride… until Mile 66.6  (I kid you not)—-here’s the proof.

A multiple of three, yes…. but not a lucky number.

The bottom fell out right as we pulled into an aid station.  Crazy winds, rain, lightning and rumors of hail.  Weird ribbons of freezing cold air.

We were told that the ride was done, and we were to put our bikes into this U-haul and catch a ride back.

Yoda and I put our bikes in the U-haul (but not before Yoda showed off her CrossFit skilz and helped loaded water into the U-haul… don’t worry, I helped too… but I had to pause for picture… #winning)…

And then we found a random stranger to give us a ride back to the park… the 35 miles back.

So we got into the car for the ride back… and at some point in the car (after a picture, OF COURSE)… Yoda and I were like, “Uh… we are in the car with strangers… and our bikes are on a random U-haul somewhere.”

Then I realized that my keys to my car (to drive home) were also in the random U-haul.

Crap. This could go very badly…

(But it didn’t). After what seemed like an eternity later, we were back at the park… and a very big thanks to whoever gave us the ride because we really stunk up her car.

Mud mud mud everywhere.

Then we waited for another eternity for the U-haul to come back.  And we were so glad it did.  Man, I was scared of the possible story I would have to tell my insurance company…

“So you put your expensive bike into a random U-haul?”

Nevermind.

Finally, the U-haul showed…I got notification that Columbus had a sag vehicle headed his way (he was at Mile 75)… Yoda and I walked back barefoot to the car, and without even thinking about it… we got the heck out of dodge.

It was an almost 70 miler that should have been 100 that felt like 100 after the rain and stress.  So it was a good day.

Yoda always takes pictures of cows.

My nutrition was spot-on… it was actually fortunate that this was a ride to benefit diabetes—because there was no junk food at the stations—so I stuck to my nutrition plan… which was Gatorade, Huma Gels and Shot Bloks.  I had bananas and oranges at the aid stations and one rebel Diet Coke… but it was a great balance.

Also, I know that if I can ride 70ish miles with my bum feeling like this… that I am going to be okay on race day. I have 5 more weeks. And I’ll be okay.  We ALL will!

About 3,200 feet of climbing, I think, in 66.6 miles.

Congrats to all the SBM friends who did GREAT in races this weekend—– Jennifer H., you are an Ironman!  And the voice of Swim Bike Kid, Virginia, who finished her first 70.3.

For all of the girls who missed ATL IronGirl because of this hellish weather—-remember to just keep moving forward and there’s another day and another race. You got that one too.

And finally… the Expert had a CRAZY day on the cursed Silver Comet Trail… blog post from Swim Bike Dad to come soon!

Yes, that’s a tree in the path…

Not quitting (ah-hem—-because “I’m no quitter!”)… just skipping.  You know… forgetting to show up for it.  Or being really late.  So that I miss the swim start.

I was driving the Swim Bike Kid #2 to the doctor today (another thing going on, sick kid)… and I had this thought:   We can all  fly out to CDA, do Athlete Check-In on Friday, then Saturday check in my bike…. and then, on Saturday night, I could roofie my whole family (so they don’t wake up on time), and then I could “oops, I overslept!” and then that’s that.

For about 5 minutes, that “plan” became MY actual plan.  (Nevermind the idea of roofie-ing kids… what in the—-).

Oversleeping. For my Ironman. My plan. Un-freaking-real. 

I doggie paddled in the pool. I went to spin class this AM.   I did not like any of it.  

Could be… because I am in pain.  Could be because I have a poor attitude, I’m not sleeping, I’m aggravated in general…

My broken ass is killing me to sit on a bike seat, to bend over, and to sit (nevermind the Century ride I have planned on Sunday)… my bad hip hurts to even walk (let’s not talk about running)… and I’m pretty sure that my nutritional fails this week have pushed me back up to from 198 to—-about—-oh—-245 pounds.

Ironman.  Ha.

At least I won’t slip on my cleats anymore…

After spinning class, I tried to sneak past Coach Monster (who could read my bad attitude from a mile away).  He caught me as I was leaving the building.  He told me to get my head straight.  To get it straight now—because now is what matters.  The he grabbed my face and shook me.  Which kind of jiggled some sense into me.

Lord knows I am trying.  (Or am I?)

I want this finish.  (Or do I? Am I setting myself up for a giant [expensive] act of self-sabotage?)

I can do this race. (Or can I? I mean really…)

Ughhhhh. Everyone said Ironman would be completely insane. “The training,” everyone said, “That’s the tip of the crazy iceberg.”

Don’t let the cheerful exterior fool you. I’m full of incredible amounts of grump inside.

Yes.  And maybe the iceberg analogy isn’t the best right now—-since I have a rear end the size of Titanic and Lake Couer d’Alene is pretty darn cold…

So I focus on the process. I trust my Coach. And I pray (a lot).  For now, that’s my story. It will be okay.

Have a great weekend friends.

You really aren’t THAT strange…

Having a coach is not that weird in the sport of triathlon. It’s true that triathletes may be the only group of people over the ages of twenty-four who do have coaches, but you will be surprised (and in a good way) at the way a coach will change your motivation, your goals and set your mind at ease about training.

Even Coach Monster (my coach) has a coach. If the coach has a coach, then we should all have a coach. Or something like that. Yes, having a coach costs money. Some coaches cost a lot of money. But sometimes, you’d be surprised—the cost per month for being a coached athlete is likely to be less than a few eating-out extravaganzas.

Coaches Know Things

I hired Coach Monster for his help to get me to my first Olympic distance race. One telephone conversation with Coach Monster and I learned more about triathlon than from all the books I had ingested. I had approached my training semi-correctly up until that point because I had attempted to swim, bike, and run. But other than that—I was not doing much else correctly.  I learned quickly the hows and whys… and it made more sense. Period.

Coaches Should Be Nice. Really.

Coach Monster is not an in-person coach. I see him in cycling class on Fridays.  We email and chatter during the week about training. Mostly, he formulates my training plan and sends me the workouts electronically. Then, I cry and question his sanity. Then he tells me to suck it up and to focus.

He has always been very nice to me. Well of course your coach should be nice to you, you might say. Yes, I agree. It sounds simple. But I know people who have crappy, mean-spirited coaches.

You can find almost any triathlete who might be willing to coach you—and for cheap. But do not fool yourself: the coach-athlete relationship is a relationship. You would not be friends with someone who sucked or was constantly mean. So do not put up with a mean, sucky coach.

I may be chunky, but Coach Monster has never said, “You know, you’d be a lot faster if you lost some weight there, Two Ton.” (Even though it’s true).  And while we discuss nutrition and diet, he waits for me to bring it up. Once weight is in conversation play, he showers me with his advice and we discuss. I find this wonderful, because my sensitivity is then removed from the game. If I bring it up, we discuss it. If I am quiet, he says nothing.

Other coaches might look at an athlete like me and say, “Thanks, but no thanks. Not until you lose fifty pounds.”  You have to find the right coach for you—someone who enjoys the challenge of a beginner.

Coach Monster is very tough, but he has never been unkind to me. (And he even wears SBM gear. Awwwww.)

No Brainer

The no-thinking about the workouts is a nice benefit to a coach. I wake up, read my plan and (usually) do what I am told.  When I am too busy to even remember my shoe size, I like the no brainer aspect.

You just show up.  And you do. Like a triathlon robot. And I like that.

Personality

Find a coach who is a good match for you, personality-wise. Coach Monster is a good personality match for me. He does not let me slack, but at the same time he understands my struggles and issues. He’s tough, which is also good for me. Plus, we have the same demented sense of humor.  You want someone who thinks like you—or at least, relates to you on some level.

Understanding Your Goals

If your coach believes you should be running a six-minute mile and you just started running yesterday, then she might not be the best coach for you. Some coaches may have been tri-ing for so many years that they have lost a grip on what it means to run a twelve-minute mile (on a good day).

Your coach should recognize your goals, no matter how crazy. But your coach should also understand your life, your family and your (true) limitations. By “true” limitations, I mean your working hours, number of kids and the like—not your lame-o excuses as to why you could “never” become a triathlete.

Catalyst

Find a coach to bring out what’s inside of you! Coach Monster’s goal is to be a catalyst for his athletes. “I don’t have any magic formula to my coaching,” he has explained to me. “I really simply try to bring out what is already inside in the athlete. I’m not trying to put anything into the athlete—I’m trying to pull it out.“

Your End of the Bargain

As coached athletes, we have a duty to try not to drive our coaches up the wall. Note that I said “try.” We also have a duty of hard work. If you are paying money for a coach, then for Pete’s sake, pay attention to the coach and work hard!

Where do I find a coach?

There are a million coaches out there.  You can start with USAT and get their list of coaches. But I think the best way to find a coach is word of mouth.  Who at the swimming pool knows a good coach? Who loves their coach?  Ask around, and you’ll be surprised.

Also, if you’d like to (in the comments) shout out GREAT coaches you know, please do so.  Add their website and city/state, and we can be a good resource for each other!

…Hi everyone, Felipe here!

Regardless of who you are— a dad, a mom, a single dude, a single duddette, a married couple with no kids or with pets–pretty much this whole idea of a triathlon can be daunting for anyone. Think about an Ironman and it will get really DAUNTING… well, we are on our road to what will be our first full Ironman on May 18th at Ironman Texas.

For starters, we have seen SBM posts about how many of us mortals have real jobs, significant others, homes to take care of, lawns to mow, laundry to do, kids to take care of…. Now add a Ironman training plan to the mix and things get really interesting. Often, it would be easy to find a lot of excuses like —we have hectic jobs, lives or just too tired to not do it—-but the reality is, that someone out there busier than you is actually training for these races—-so why not give it a try and go for it?

My wife and I got hooked, like many of you, to this triathlon thing not too long ago. We went from running a few 5Ks and riding our bikes for a few miles to doing a 70.3 in about 10 months when we did 70.3 Austin. Then just to add on to it, we had this great idea (more like crazy idea) that we would sign up for our first Ironman without even completing our first 70.3.

We finished our first 70.3, in one piece, despite having a crash 2 weeks before it when I went down and my wife who was behind me run me over with her bike, only a few road rashes later and a visit to the ER to clear our heads from any concussions and we were on our way to conquer our first 70.3. We had a blast, and that was our only purpose (besides finishing it)—-yes, we were in pain from our bruises and rashes, not denying that, but our purpose was not to kill our selves out there or crush any course records, for us was the joy of doing this together and sharing the moment. What better than sharing the finish together, that was pricesless… coming down the shute we don’t remember anything, we were just holding hands (her more like dragging me to the finish line) but just full of happiness of finishing this which in our minds or anyone’s mind seems crazier than anything.

After returning from IM 70.3 Austin we had a few weeks of break to recover, relax, catch up with home stuff before we entered Ironman training.

That was back in December, fast forward 6 months, numerous laps in the pool, hundreds of miles on the trainer (due to winter weather) and outside on the later months, and many miles on the running shoes, we are now only a week away from jumping in the waters of Lake Woodlands to start what will be our first Ironman with 2000 of our closest triathlon friends or 2000 crazier people than us. These 6 months have been definitely interesting in many ways.

One of the things that I’m grateful for is to be able to share this experience with my wife, who gladly pushes me out of the bed (literally) in the mornings to drag our butts to the pool or to the living room where we have our trainers. Also, I’m grateful that we inspire each other and keep each other sane. It is true what they say that you need “2 to tango.” In our case, we have been able to make a team out of our journey. We don’t consider this my journey or her journey, we consider this our journey.

…It hasn’t been easy, lots of joys as when we reach new limits never thought of before, like riding 100 miles with limited stopping to simulate race day, or swimming the race distance for the first time at the lake knowing that we can do this within the 2:20 limit, or thinking that we can run a full marathon after 112 miles of biking (that’s yet to be seen, stay tuned on May 18th to find out). On my side, it has been a journey of being an asmathic kid who couldn’t even run 100m without popping out the inhaler—to being able to train my body and brain to endure and not to give up.

Talking about juggling things, I will admit, I don’t know how you parents, moms, dads, single or married do it. Hats off to you.

Putting 15, 16, and some weeks 22 hours of training seems insane to not only whoever is looking at you doing it, but can’t imagine if you have soccer practices, dance lessons, softball, beisball, whatever your kiddos are into, so you are not a selfish parent just thinking on your journey. We shamely sometimes struggled and it was just the two of us with our corporate jobs. Lost a few friends on the way because they couldn’t hang out with us either on the bike or while running  or swimming (just kidding), but social life just becomes extremely limited, and you probably guessed it right, your friends just don’t understand you unless they are triathetes, note I say triathletes because any friend that does only one of the 3 will still call you crazy, I have a few that have, and yes like most of you, our world kinda goes around triathlon, even when we try to not make it go around it, it just gravitates there for some odd reason.

Even thought we love our new tri life, and things are going well for us. I’ve noticed that a lot of times we suffer of lack of motivation. That’s when having a teammate/soulmate to help you and push each other comes handy. Long days of work can turn into no training days really easy, or simply just sore from the previous day can turn into “I’m in pain, let’s not train” but when one of us gets to that zone we just pull each other out of it (like kicking each other out of bed for a 4 am trainer bike ride to nowhere).

Also, we always remember something someone told us on one of our first tri’s when were were newbies, we have to remember that  we don’t get paid for this— we pay to do this–so we have to make sure we enjoy our journey and make it the best journey. Yes, we compete, and yes, we want to be faster and better… but to a point–we don’t want to become pros, nor quit our good paying jobs to do this—in the meantime, let’s enjoy it and have fun and continue making money so we can buy more triathlon toys!

So in the meantime we will continue our journey …become an IRON couple on May 18th before midnight!!

Two styles.

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3 Block Style (2 x 3)

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Go here to order yours!

Outside pool just opened and I was going to swim outside. But it was a tight schedule because I had to get the kids to school between 8-8:30, and make my 10:00 meeting. So everything had to be perfect to make it work.

The girl, Stella (age 4), usually dresses herself, which on some days can be the brightest part of my day because she is a fashionable kiddo.  On this particular morning, she wanted to wear her big, fluffy, frilly Easter dress to school. I told her that wouldn’t work for school. Which started a fifteen minute negotiation with a 40 pound kid.  James (the boy) is trying to get dressed, by keeps sticking his nose in.  I’m laying out dresses, picking out dresses, “nooooooooo not THAT one, daddy!!!”  and more of this.

Finally, she picks out a green one, but it’s short.  She needed to wear some pants under it, because it was short and it was a little chilly.  But she loses her mind because none of her friends wear pants under their dresses (or so she says—–turns out, she’s right, I note as I drop her off). She wouldn’t change dresses and she wouldn’t put on the pants.

Which resulted in me.  Placing said pants. On her.

She wailed the whole way to school that:  “I am not beautiful in these pants” and “Daddy doesn’t love me!”  She said her friends were going to think she was ugly. (She’s four years old!)  I am pretty sure I promised a trampoline and trip to Disney if she would just calm down before we got into the school.  The only thing that finally worked was when I told her that her friends would laugh at her if she was crying like a baby in school. (Terrible parenting, I know.)

But she was right. None of her friends had pants on. Ooops.

After the drama and the drop-off, I arrived at the gym with only 20 minutes to swim.

I couldn’t help but think that maybe the easier decision would have been to take the time—- to help her have the ‘perfect’ dress— and look at me like I was the hero—- instead of forcing and rushing so I could squeeze a terrible swim in.

But then having a heart attack from being an out-of-shape, miserable dad would not do her any good either. So it’s a toss-up.

It’s all about making time for everything all the time. While it’s tough, it’s worth it—the life of a Swim Bike Dad.

“Here is some last minute advice to help the IRON-ATHLETE on race day:

1. Read the Athlete Guide – there is some good stuff in there and it’s probably safe to say, it has all of the answers you will ask on Thursday or Friday.

2. Create an itinerary – start with 7:00AM on race day and work your way backwards until you get to travel day. I know this seems too much like work, but some of you have trained for almost a year to get to this day…don’t let the last few days ruin your special day.

3. Pack your race bags before you leave your home. Everything you need for an Ironman should be purchased at your local tri shop. I can pretty much guarantee they won’t have the flavor gel YOU love at the Expo. All you should do after your packet pick-up is transfer from one bag to the other.

4. Avoid eating disasters – long lines and unplanned waits makes an Ironman athlete irritable (as if race week doesn’t already do that). Plan your pre race meals ahead of time and order take-out. Have your crew pick up the meal and eat it in the luxury of your own hotel room. Getting stuck on a waiting list will bump into your early bedtime.

5. Save the Expo shopping adventure for the day after the big race. If you have to go to the expo on Thursday or Friday before the race, set a time limit and a budget. You can spend hours on your feet looking for your name on a shirt…trust me – it’s on there, if you have to have the shirt, buy it and save the name hunting for bedtime. Also – WARNING…Ironman knows how much money you make and they also know how to create a shirt you MUST have! Stick to your budget and save money for the Finisher garb!

6. Avoid big group meet-ups – you can spend hours waiting for everyone to show…save that for after you cross the finish line!

7. Special Needs – put a small treat in your special needs bag…a small snickers won’t kill your race and nothing taste as good as melted M&M’s in the middle of a long ride. If you have kids, let them put a small present in your bag – it will be a great reminder of why you WILL to get to the finish line…they are waiting for you and chances are they WILL be hungry!

8. Never Stop Moving Forward…until you are done!  [SBM Note:  You know I love this one!]

Here is some last minute advice to help the IRON-SPECTATOR on race day:

1. If you haven’t already realized – you have limited questions on Ironman Race Week…if you have already reached your limit – I’m sorry I didn’t post this sooner.

2. If your athlete has a coach…get their email and send them your list of questions…their job is take the load off the athlete…I’m sure they won’t mind helping you avoid the IronElephant in the room.

3. Read the Athlete Guide – You can actually help your athlete if you know the answers to some of their questions…and believe it or not…a lot of those little annoying questions you have are answered there as well.

4. Be patient – not just on race day but also in the days leading up to the race. Understand that your athlete is under a bit of stress. As an Iron Spectator, you have already piled up a monumental amount of ata-boys for putting up with this athlete…your turn to cash in is next week, please take a deep breath, count to 10 and repeat after me, “I am going to get this annoying athlete to the finishline no matter how annoying they are today!”

5. Be present – Don’t just be there on race day…be everywhere! There’s nothing better than a surprise “There they are!” on race day. The hour you spend to get to that surprise location, will mean the world to the athlete – never mind the hoops you had to jump through to get there…not to mention – it kills time and don’t say this out loud, but you will have a lot of time to kill!

6. Be positive – this one seems obvious, but it kinda hurts a little more when you still have 2 loops to run and you get the “Can you hurry, I’m hungry!” look from your spectators. The one thing you will all agree on…the sooner the athlete finishes – the happier everyone will be!

7. Post race hunger attack – order a few pizzas during race day and have them in your room for after your athlete finishes and your crew gets back to the room. It may be cold, but it will taste so good! Don’t be shy and dig in…your athlete already had his/her post race meal – it’s time for yours. Also, order extra, your athlete may not be hungry when you first get back to the room, but at 2 or 3 am, when the crew sleeps, the athlete EATS!!!

8. Lastly – DON’T MISS THE FINISH!!! – Everyone sacrificed something for the Athlete to get to the finishline…it’s not just time for them to celebrate – it’s time for the athlete and their crew – you earned it!”

2. I have completed two half Iron distance races (Ironman 70.3 Miami in 2011, and Ironman 70.3 Augusta in 2012). I have no desire to do a full Ironman.  That statement may or may not be true. Waiting to see how Ironman CDA pans out for the woman!!

3. Like the wife, I am also a former Olympic-style weightlifter turned endurance athlete.  It’s true that she “dragged” me into triathlon.  It’s also true that I did an Olympic distance triathlon as my first race. It was the hardest day of my life.  Where Meredith had trained for five months for it, I had trained about five days—-and while I finished—-I almost had a coronary.  Still, it was enough to give me the tri bug.
4. Currently, I am battling a torn meniscus in my right knee, and hoping the Swim Bike Dad-ishness will bring me back to training life.

5.  I like swimming the best out of the three sports—-especially in the open water.

6. I can do a flying dismount.  Okay, so I have done it once.  Just to show the wife I could.

7. I will end up in the medical tent at the end of a race and not think twice about it.

8. Being the “Iron Dad” (the support system to an Iron person-in-training), is tough, but it has given me some extra quality time with my kids.

9. Yes, I often tell my wife to stop being a sissy and suck it up. I think marriage is about being partners, so I treat her always like an equal. I don’t let her quit or slack or complain—-and she doesn’t put up with my crap either. Together, we are hard on each other.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

10.   My wife likes a goatee and a beard. I have determined the beard to be “unlucky,” and I hate the goatee… but I keep it just for her.

11.   The next “big” race is Ironman Augusta in September. Training commences hardcore after wife is done with Coeur d’Alene.

My name is Paul, I am 34 years old, husband, father and soon to be Iron distance triathlon completer. I wanted to share my story with you, as I am proof that anyone one can get of their bum and get fit!

The above photo is the before and after shot, from how I used to live my life, 278 pounds, sofa sitting, take away eating not very fit Daddy and then three years later, triathlon loving, 200 pound Daddy.

It’s taken a lot of work to get here, an understanding and patient wife, and amazing kiddies who not only understand that I need to go training, but also come along with me!

It started in 2009 with me buying a bike, and attempting to cycle the unimaginable distance of 4.5 miles to the train station to get to work, the idea was to do this once or twice a week to see if I could lose a few pounds. 6 months later I had signed up through work to cycle 340 miles across Europe over 4 days, and this is when the ‘cycling bug’ hit, and realised I was actually enjoying physical activity.

In 2011 I then started cycling a number of century sportives, Sarah would bring the kiddies to cheer me through the finish line and then collapse next to me at the end.

In 2012 I entered the world of Triathlons and started to swim and run, taking part in a local sprint distance and falling in love with the sport, I had to then put triathlon trianing on hold, as I got a place on the Ride Across Britain, 970 miles in nine days from Land’s End to John O’Groats, so training was all about the bike.  This was an amazing lifetime’s experience and the day after finshing, I was back in work and someone said to me “Enrty into the Challenge Henley Iron distance triathlon opens today, fancy doing it”?

Part of me thinks why oh why did I say yes, but another part of me says BRING IT ON! So on the 8^th september I will be doing my first Iron Distance…

So, how can you work a 40 hour week, be a husband, daddy, and triathlete? A question I hear quite a bit and here’s my answer – make as much of your day as you can!

I am pretty lucky and work 40 miles from home, so I use this to get my cycle training in, leaving early and either cycling 15, 24 or 40 miles to the office, working 8 hours and then cycling back the same distance in the evening, bathe the kiddies and put them to bed, sit down for dinner with my wife, then head out to the pool for a late swim. On the weekend I love to go out for a run with my son cycling along side usually between 4 and 10 miles, chatting and talking about everything from our belief’s and school hot topics one minute to Skylanders the next.

So, this year I have a training plan that builds up with the season, a sprint distance to complete in May and one in June, a half Ironman in august and a full one in September, perfect training, or so I thought until yesterday I had an email saying I had won entry into the Outlaw half iron distance triathlon on the 2^nd June, oh crap I am now doing a half iron distance in 3 weeks, that is going to hurt, but I will no say no and even if it takes all day, I will finish it!

]]> http://www.swimbikemom.com/2013/05/guest-post-from-sofa-takeaway-dad-to-a-swim-bike-dad.html/feed 1 http://www.swimbikemom.com/2013/05/guest-post-from-sofa-takeaway-dad-to-a-swim-bike-dad.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SwimBikeMom/~3/CF4Jde1Wybo/10-day-dedication.html http://www.swimbikemom.com/2013/05/10-day-dedication.html#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 05:00:53 +0000 Swim Bike Mom http://www.swimbikemom.com/?p=8145 With 40 (HOLY SMOKES!) days left until Ironman Coeur d’Alene, I am dedicating each ten day block of training to important  people in my life. I have written dedications to my Dad, my Mom, Coach Monster, Grandparents,  YOU, my SBM friends, and then Yoda, Sweet Red and Mountain Goat.  After this one, there are only THREE dedications left…. oh my goodness.  Time is ticking!

The next 10 days of training are dedicated to three special members of the SBM Team. “Team”? Well, the Expert always jokes that it takes a “Team” of people to keep me standing upright and alive.  We all know that standing upright is not my strength, but I have some of the best out there helping me along.

Dr. Miracle Man Hands

He is not only the nicest practitioner I know, but he’s funny and… well, does miracles. Ah-hem.  I mean, he cured my Dead Butt!  Has treated my proprioception and running issues… my hips, my knees, and my neck. I was in excruciating pain with my left hip (the other one, yes) before Augusta 70.3 last year…. and after our first session, I walked out with almost no pain.  It was my first experience with ART therapy, and while that’s no piece of cake (read: painful as all hell), I’m proof that you can walk out of a session virtually “healed” and wondering why you didn’t do it sooner.

In his years of practice, Dr. MMH has successfully treated thousands of patients with acute and chronic conditions ranging from sports related injuries, to arthritis, sciatica, spinal disc herniations, scoliosis, headaches and migraines, plantar fasciitis and many other neuro-musculo-skeletal related conditions. He, over the years, has treated athletes of all calibers…. frequently is “the” Ironman ART specialist at events… and is a big fan of triathletes.

Though I am his FAVORITE patient ever!  He won’t admit it. But it’s true. Ha ha! Because I always have something messed up due to my klutziness.  I’m repeat business!

Augusta 70.3 last year

He even made a “house call” to the hotel the night before Augusta to tape my knee.  Don’t ask him to do that for you… I told you, I’m his favorite. Heh heh.  (But that tells you the type of dude he is.  Just awesome.)

If you are anywhere near Atlanta and are plagued by your knees, hips, neck, shoulder or swim technique, IT band, feet or foot pronation, or any other body part that triathlon is nagging, check out Dr. Sadri and his team at 1st Choice Healthcare.  Seriously, they are an amazing group who have worked on triathletes for years and years… miracle people, really. If you aren’t near Atlanta, check out an ART specialist in your area.  ART therapy, while not “fun,” is amazing stuff.

——————————————————————————–

Ilana Katz, MS,RD,LD

Founder and Owner of Optimal Nutrition for Life

You know me. I have rarely met a food or drink I don’t like.  For years (and years), I have been completely led astray and hopeless when it came to food.  I tried and tried to figure out why I couldn’t lose weight. Then I found out that I actually DO have a metabolism.  A pretty good one too.  But I still didn’t know what to do with it.

Little by little, I have been rehabilitated with the help of Ilana Katz.  It’s no secret what I weigh these days.  And I don’t see any point in hiding it. I mean, so what if people know what I weigh?

I can thank Ilana for steady, progressive not just weight loss—but improvement in body composition, health and overall feeling better.  I feel better when I eat as prescribed.  She has helped me beyond words. Oh, and she’s a two-time Ironman and awesome friend to boot!

Oh, and last year she introduced me to my pals, Dimity (far right) and Sarah (far left) —the mother runners of AnotherMotherRunner.com.  We had met in cyberspace, but never in person. Fun!

This was OBVIOUSLY right at the beginning when Ilana got ahold of me nutritionally! See the improvement? See? See?  Proof in my lack of butt pudding!

While I still battle the food addiction, I don’t have the fear and hopelessness that I used to have.  And I can thank Ilana for that. She’s the contributor to the nutrition section of my book and we have co-authored the ebook, the Complete Metabolic Boost and Burn.

When I started to tri, I was hovering around 239 pounds. I am right around 199 now.  And I hope to keep going down.  You can check out the plan that helped me here: Metabolic Boost – and Ilana’s website at OnForLife.com.

——————————————————————————–

Mike “McBlessings” Lenhart

I feel that Mike Lenhart needs no further introduction from me. By now, you all know him as McBlessings.  And he’s part of the “SBM Team” because he keeps me grounded and thankful and reminded of the good things in life. He’s the founder and president of the Getting 2 Tri Foundation, and a long time SBM friend.  He is also a contributor to my book, and a great friend.  When I think that I have it hard… he gives me lessons in perspective…in a way that only a McBlessing can.

Mike has a way of introducing people who can help each other. And he’s such an inspiration, especially through his work with G2T.  Here’s a post about a great fundraiser last year for G2T.

The Getting2Tri foundation is a one-of-a-kind organization that spans its focus from athletic endeavors to the changing of people’s lifestyles. We build communities for the coaching, training and mentoring of individuals with disabilities in the sports of swimming, cycling, and running. Individuals with disabilities participating are called “paratriathletes” and their backgrounds are just as varied as their goals; wounded veterans from recent conflicts to individuals with limb loss due to disease or paralysis or injuries inflicted through some form of trauma.

Mike says, “I have the fortunate role of surrounding myself with heroes. We’ve created an organization that uses sports as a vehicle for goal accomplishments in the lives of people with physical disabilities. Every individual the foundation touches is unique and special. We never grow tired of sharing his or her successes. It was always my hope to have an impact on individuals with disabilities and I believe we’re doing that. But what I didn’t anticipate was the impact we’d have on the able-bodied community. It’s been amazing to witness some truly life-changing things happen to our community of athletes and volunteers. It has certainly forever changed my life and I know it will change yours. Consider getting involved today.”

You can read his recent post about his experience in Boston during the marathon, and follow him on Twitter @g2tprez, and check out Getting 2 Tri here.

Thank you for changing me.  For helping me through some really dark times, and keeping me moving forward. I dedicate the next 10 days of training to you.  Training which includes TWO century rides, and lots of swimming, and creative ways to simulate running.

Hugs to you all.
Meredith

]]> http://www.swimbikemom.com/2013/05/10-day-dedication.html/feed 4 http://www.swimbikemom.com/2013/05/10-day-dedication.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SwimBikeMom/~3/E1QnOD9TeTg/the-expert-is-baaaaack.html http://www.swimbikemom.com/2013/05/the-expert-is-baaaaack.html#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 14:47:03 +0000 A Post from the Expert http://www.swimbikemom.com/?p=8268 Hi everyone.  Swim Bike Dad here.  The original Swim Bike Dad.  Better know by my wife as “The Expert.”

So here I am making an attempt at bloggin. Because Swim Bike Mom and I decided that it would be a fun thing to work together on this Swim Bike Mission.

We will see if our marriage survives it. I am here because she’s impossible to say “no” to.  She’s relentless actually. Ha!

I definitely won’t engage the blog as much as my wife does, but I do want to take some time to write about the tri life from a working dad perspective—-and especially a working dad and husband with a wife in the middle of some crazy Ironman training. Crazy, yes.

I think it warrants this picture.

Also, you can send your guest posts (if you are a Swim Bike Dad or Dude) to SwimBikeMom at gmail dot com with pictures, and we will post those up here as well.

See you soon!

Oh. Silly me.  As if diapers are the main issues and troubles. Kids are hard. Haaaard.  Man, I had no idea.

Then, my friends with teenagers laugh at me. “You think ages four and five is hard?”  And they laugh, their eyes all crazy and bloodshot.  Yikes.

The Expert was travelling most of this week, so I was doing mom and dad duty. (Happy Mother’s Day! Work your ass off all week with the kids so you can “earn” Mother’s Day! Ha ha!!) The Expert usually drops the kids at school/daycare and I pick them up.  Well, trying to drop, pick-up, feed, clean, and train for a little race in the middle of all this…it’s kind of nuts.

Friday morning, the Swim Bike Boy Kid would not put on his shoes, and insisted on wearing waaaay too tight pants. While the Swim Bike Girl Kid, would not do anything but cling to me and cry. Which broke my heart.

Kids add an insane element to life. I think back to BK (before kids)… seriously, how easy.  I thought I had so much stuff to do.  I had no idea. Now, I have stuff to do.  Lots and lots of it. And I know you guys do too!

So happy Mother’s day to all the Swim Bike Moms out there.  Happy Mother’s Day for the often thankless and crazy job of (attempting) to raise people to grow up to become non-ax-murdering, contributing members of society.  An accomplishment that is not determined  earned or unearned until a scary, many years later.

Here’s a little post just for you, my Swim Bike Moms…

* * *

A Triathlete Mother’s Prayer

Dear God,

This has been a really hard day. And I am still wearing my sweaty sports bra. From like 7 hours ago.

I hope you didn’t see me feed the kids that crap for dinner. Or watch me guzzle two glasses of wine before the crap was even rolling to a boil (while I stretched my hamstrings by putting my feet up on the cutting board…I’ll disinfect it later).

And maybe, just maybe, you didn’t see me scream at the kid when he took a Sharpie to my tri bike.  (“Did you seriously just write the word ‘poop’ and draw a pig on my bike!?? You  little—–”)

And I am sorry when I lost my mind when, between the two of them, they ate an entire box of my gels.  Oh, and then when my son put my new running shoe in the toilet. And when my daughter used an entire tube of Body Glide liquid powder on her one-eyed baby doll. Oh, help me Lord.  What was going on today?

I know I am not a picture of motherhood perfection–not like my other non-triathlon friends– I am not those women who manage to actually get made-up for school events.  Those whomen don’t show up to school sweating like a monkey and wearing a visor and running shoes.  But I am doing the best I can. With what I got.

And despite all of my faults, I have a request.  Or a few.

If you can just let me go to sleep right now… and sleep for the next six hours so I can get up to run, I promise I won’t yell at the kids tomorrow.  And then, when I wake up really early and tip-toe out of the house, can you please let the kids stay in their rooms—because when they get up and run to my husband, then he gets mad—and it’s this whole thing. I need my tiptoes to be unheard. Please.

Then on this weekend’s run, can you please let my daughter not poop her pants in the gym childcare? Because the last time that happened, I had to go change all her clothes and re-deposit her in the childcare. But it turned out that I ran for 2 more miles with poop on my chin.  I couldn’t figure out that smell (or the looks from others).

Oh, and maybe, just once—before a race if you can not let the kids be up all night with a stomach virus.  That would be really great.  And if my daughter would stop hiding my goggles.  That would be super.

And although my requests are selfish, I pray most of all that my children will see that swimming, biking and running is a good thing.

I pray that they will always know that triathlon makes for a healthier and happier mommy… and that most of the time, I am doing all these miles so I can be better for them.  A stronger mom, someone they can be so very proud of.  Someone who can outrun their friends’ moms. Someone who can climb hills on a bike like a mother… who is way better than that dumb kid’s mom who—-nevermind. Ah-hem.

Dear God, most of all, I pray that being a Swim Bike Mom shows my kids that I love them so much…  that I would kick “Run” right on out of the traditional “Swim Bike Run” trilogy—and put in its place—Mom.

Because running may be what keeps me sane… but being a Mom is my motivation to Just Keep Moving Forward.

Amen.

Happy Mother’s Day… You Mothers!

#SwimBikeMom
#JustKeepMovingForward

Where were the kids?  Oh my goodness… I must have left them at home…

Just kidding.

As Yoda and I suspected, it was a mass swim start.  The ducks were trying out the new Ironman rolling swim start – the ducks were first, as Yoda pointed out.

Beautiful day!

Okay, maybe not us. But the day, at least.

I have  a neoprene cap with a chin strap to wear in Coeur d’Alene, where the water temps are promising to be between 50-60 degrees.  I hate the darn thing.  Yes, it will keep me warm, but it’s awful.  I need to know really how important that cap is.  Also, I am experimenting with ear plugs, and I am very happy with them.  I can’t hear anything anyone says to me before swimming, but otherwise it’s pretty good.

So Yoda and I took off on a 3000m open water swim, and it was awesome.  The water was so calm today. Which was much appreciated after the last two swims out at Mary Alice.

But about 500 meters into the swim, I had a mild panic attack.  

Not about swimming.  Well, sort of.

Suddenly, the lake was  scary Gremlin water!

Last weekend when Columbus was at the house during our trainer party (the same day, I broke my ass), he told me about a swim he had over a month ago.  He and a friend went out in the frigid water at Mary Alice, and headed home.  A few hours later, he learned that a body… a BODY…. a no-longer-living-person… had washed up on the beach at Mary Alice…  Right where they were swimming.  Just a few hours later.

Omg.

I am scared of two things in this world… killer whales and dead bodies. (Which actually go hand in hand, when you think about it.) But seriously.  I don’t do funerals or viewings. I usually freak out and feel like I am going to pass out when I see caskets. It’s a thing, and a stupid thing.  My dad always says, “Be scared of the living, not the dead.”  But really, I think he’s scared that I won’t attend his  funeral.  (I will, Dad. I promise.) But if I attend a funeral, then you know I really (really) love you or your family.

So when Columbus told me about the BODY washing up on the shore… at the park where I regularly swim… I kind of got sick.

But then I forgot about it.

Until… 500 meters in the swim today.

When a two-foot-long log bumped up against me.

A BODY!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!

I shot straight up, and choked on some water… and then thought, Oh, a log. Whew.  And I kept going.  But then I found myself looking for bodies.  And freaking out every so often.  But I began to play mind tricks and eventually forgot about it. Thank goodness.

When we got to shore, I told Yoda about the body story.  I think she was glad I didn’t tell her before we swam.

On to the “run.”  Coach Monster has me doing a lot of walking and elliptical. Because between my bad hip issues and recent breaking ass incident, I’m not in the best pelvic shape.

This is Yoda… But I don’t think any of you confused that fact.

But I felt GREAT today. And I had my Kinvara shoes (which I love…love!).  Yoda and I set out to run at least 1:30, and for the most part… I did.

I felt amazing.  I haven’t really run since April 7.  That’s over a month.  Holy cow. And training for an Ironman. So timely, let me tell you.

I ran the first mile.

Then the second.

Third.

Fourth…

Fifth…

And I was so free. And happy.  I had to start walking around 5, because my hip began to act up.

But otherwise, it was great. I wasn’t flying, but I felt like I was.  I felt lighter, and healthier.  And my shoes were flashy- and I really enjoyed running in them and getting rid of the stability trainers.

All I could think during the run was how grateful I was to be out there running.

Think you hate running?  Have it taken away for a month, and see how it feels.  Yes, we may dread it sometimes. It may be torture, blah blah whine whine…. but I have been dying to run.  And it was great.

I was thankful to run.  Just thankful.

Check out those hyperextended elbows. Proof of weightlifting past. LOL!

I am hopeful about Coeur d’Alene for the first time in a week or so.  This past week has been trying and depressing, and I’ve been all over the place.  One moment, “I’ve got this. I can do this. I have done a ton of riding and swimming.  I have, in the past year, done a ton of running. I can do this.”

Next moment, “Oh em geeeee, I suck at EVERYTHING! I am such a LOSER! Poor me!! Me and my broken ass!”

Ah Ironman.

So, today, I enjoyed the beautiful sun, the excellent company, a successful 3000-ish meter swim, and a 6.7 mile run/walk… and of course, a wee bit of treat at the favorite doughnut shop ever… Dutch Monkey Doughnuts.  Oh, the best!

Here’s to SIX weeks to race day.  This CAN be done… it can, it can.  And I will prove it.  That is all.  Right? Right.

#JustKeepMovingForward!!!

The morning started early and we headed out to get to the event in time for the 7:30 information meeting…which didn’t start until 8:00. Both boys were excited to compete, and they both had worked pretty hard lately on transitions, etc. Very cute. Both kids were in the same age group (8 – 11 year olds), and they had to swim 100 meters, bike 2 miles, and run about a mile (I think). I knew they would be super strong in the swim, and they were. It was actually pretty funny to try to watch them pass other kids in the pool….didn’t work too well…..lots of little pile ups.

Watching them role through transition was pretty funny. My younger son almost forgot to put on his helmet. I was standing on the side screaming, “HELMET! HELMET!” like a crazy mom. He finally heard.

We couldn’t see the bike ride, but we heard the story of our oldest son’s wipe out. Apparently he was going down a hill and didn’t take the turn quite right, hit the curb, and came off the bike. His arm is pretty scratched up, but my tough kid was able to get up and keep going. HE ROCKS! It was exciting to see them both running in at the end of the run. Both were hauling it and trying to pass kids in front of them. Super cute! My kids are ROCK STARS!

Most importantly, both kids had a blast! They both declared that the event was more fun than a soccer game, which is a BIG statement. Both are ready for their Iron Kids event next weekend, where, thankfully, they will be in different age groups. I am glad they are in love. Swim, Bike, Family! Woot! Woot!

Watching my kids tri was also very inspiring for me. I went to meet a new tri friend for an open water swim after their event, and I was absolutely on Cloud 9. It was a great day for an open water swim, but I was also completely on a high from watching my kids try a tri with such passion and effort. They rock! I’m completely convinced that KIDS TRI HARDEST!

Now….on to the next….

As you know, I have been having a bit of a struggle with triathlon lately, but today it hit me……

It’s not about the bike, swim, or run. It’s about this guy –

And it’s about his brothers and sister. It’s about who they see me as. It’s about my pride in being their STRONG mom.

Today I did a grueling and hilly 25 mile ride with a group of people who are ALL faster than I am. We started at 5:00 am in the pitch of dark. As we entered Fort Jackson for the ride, the small group quickly broke into fast, middle, and me. About 6 miles in (I think…couldn’t see the bike computer), we went over a big bump and my bike computer flew off. As I was trailing way behind the group, no one heard it. I stopped and looked around in the dark for the computer. No luck. I got back on and was, by that point, way behind. A bit later I found them all waiting for me. HUMILIATED is an understatement. I stuttered out my excuses, but the truth is…I’m just slower than they are. But, darn it, I did the ride. I love that these people let my slow behind ride with them. One day I hope to be worthy of the honor.

I was feeling a bit down about it as I pulled in, but then I was immediately greeted by my oldest son telling me about the new soccer shoes he wants. My youngest (above) looked at me and said, “Did you have a good bike, Mommy?” and then followed with “How far did you ride?” ….as if he knows about distances, hills, or riding at all….he’s barely 3. BUT…he knows that Mommy rides. I was proud…immediately. My slow pace left my head…and I was proud.

Thanks triathlon. I’ll continue to just keep moving forward.

It’s not a time trial start per se… but more of a controlled, restricted start.

“The 2013 IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene will feature a rolling start. Athletes will enter the water in a continuous stream through a controlled access point, similar to how running road races are started. An athlete’s times will start when they cross timing mats under the swim arch.

Athletes will be directed to self-seed on race morning based on their projected swim time. Volunteers and staff will be in the staging area with signs and will assist with this process. Self-seeding will not be mandatory but will be encouraged. All athletes will have access to a dedicated warm-up area in the water located adjacent to the swim start.

Age-group athletes will begin entering the water at 6:35 a.m. for IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene and will have the 2 hours and 20 minutes from the time the last athlete enters the water to complete the swim. An athlete’s time does not begin until he or she crosses the timing mat located below the swim arch. All athletes are expected to start by 7:00 a.m., thus keeping all other timelines and cutoffs the same. This will ensure that all participants have at least the full 17 hours (subject to intermediate cutoffs) to complete the event.”

So yes, Sunday I fell. And I fell hard.

And it hurt.  I suffered through Sunday night. I waited through Monday (skipped workout). And yesterday (swam 3000 – nothing else) and then worked a 10 hour day at the desk (ouch).  I woke up today, expecting to feel better.  Wasn’t the case.  I’m in an ass-ton of pain.  I’m going to keep typing “ass” because it makes me feel better. Sorry.

It’s fitting. Come on.

Luckily, I was scheduled to see Dr. Miracle Man Hands.  Before I went to see him, I thought I could get in 2 hours of my ass on the trainer.

30 minutes later, I was scrunchy-cry face in pain.  Aero position hurt because it stretched the ass; upright hurt because it compressed the ass. (Okay, fine.. I will stop saying ass now.)

So I got off the bike.  Hopped on the treadmill—knowing I couldn’t run—but thinking I could huff a good, fast-paced hour walk.

Nope.  That hurt too. And I don’t mean lazy, “aw man, that hurts.” I mean sharp, owie, I quit Ironman training kind of pain.

After all that has happened,  I began thinking, “Well, now would be the time to quit.”  I have just been hurting for days.  And I’m tired. And I can’t train properly—can’t run, can’t bike—who can actually complete an Ironman just swimming?

This is ludicrous.

So I called the Emory ortho—Dr. Fletcher’s office—and they could see me at 1:30.  So I had Dr. Miracle Man Hands at 11:30, and then orthopedic doc at 1:30. I was armed and ready.  [I managed to eat a hamburger and fries in between.  Ack!!! Let's not talk about how terrible my nutrition has been since this happened.  Let's just say that ONE-derland has evaporated again.  Ah-hem. ]

I see my favorite Dr. MMH, and I immediately drop to the table and say, “My ass is broken.” (Okay, one more time.)

He laughs. “Let me check.”

He pokes around.

“Your ass is not broken. I am certain. You have jammed your SI Joint. And it’s inflamed. And it will hurt for a bit. But you are okay. Get your x-rays, and text me and tell me that I am right.”

He adjusts me. I couldn’t bend over without crying before I walked in.  I could bend over and only wimper when I left.

On to Dr. Fletcher.  I knew he would x-ray me.  And I would get hard core answers (and more x-ray pictures for my collection and insanely stupid motivational posters).

X-rays? Nope.

“You are bruised.  You might have a broken tailbone, but there’s nothing we can do for that anyway.  We aren’t going to x-ray. Do what you can handle, workout-wise.  And in a week if you are in pain, we’ll shoot you up with a shot. You are okay.”

So I have no x-rays to show. I have no concrete anything.  I just have me.  A pain in my own ass. And a glimmer of Ironman Coeur d’Alene—that feels like it’s slipping like sand through my fingers.

Not to be dramatic.  But really…

Today, I played in the yellow mushroom waterfall. Okay. I wanted to.

Then again… I have a friend who said, “You are getting all the crap over BEFORE race day. You’re going to shine on race day.”

Maybe. So we’ll just go with that story for now. Because I can expect to miss another 4-6 runs and bike workouts… and maybe more.

But what can I do?  As Coach Monster says, “It is what it is. Move on, let’s do what we can. You have an enormous base.  You can do this.”

For starters, I can put down this 2nd glass of wine and chocolate…well…maybe tomorrow.

For tonight, I am allowing myself to act as insane as I feel… maybe feel sorry for myself (poor me! Ironman! poor me!).. and tomorrow, I will pick up and move on and realize that there’s more to this life than Ironman. I will do my best, and that’s that.  That’s all any of us can do.

So for now… cheers. To my ass!  :)

which I knew was the case…. And….I have to say this x-ray makes my legs look fat…. sigh….

But … my normal bones do not mean that I do not have a lot of abnormal PAIN!

Monday I wrote a post about my knee pain. I was writing to ask for advice from those of you who read this. I sent it to Meredith (SBM) for a preview, but then I decided it was a stupid and whiny post. I hadn’t done the ONE THING that I know I needed to do…. I hadn’t been to the doctor. SO…when SBM emailed me her suggestion of ART therapy, I tried to find it. BUT…the ONE guy in town who does that was full until June. SO…I asked some coaches at my school what to do. All said to go to Moore Orthopedic Clinic and see a doctor. Today I went.

I was lucky enough to get to wear these sexy paper shorts under my dress….

SO SEXY!

So, I got there and first saw the nicest male nurse….who was also a cutie. REALLY nice. He told me about how he had IT band issues before because he was a runner. He asked me about triathlons. SO nice. THEN the doctor came in. His first words were, “I know a little about your situation. So when are you going to stop this stuff?” (meaning running). I was a bit put off. HOWEVER, as we talked, I realized he was just funny and sarcastic…one of my favorite traits (though he’s not a fan of distance running). He felt my leg and declared, “HOLY CRAP! That IT Band is tight as hell!” I laughed. I like an adult who will just curse right there in front of a stranger. He told me to do lots of stretching, rolling, icing, etc. (all of which I have done). Then he said that he wanted to give me a cortisone shot. UGH! He did. It hurt. It hurt A LOT! Though I thought it would hurt more when I saw the GIANT needle that was going in my knee…BUT…..after he finished he said I can cycle tomorrow and run tomorrow. He said that I SHOULD run….to see if it worked. He also said that if it helps but I think I need more, he can do another shot next Wednesday, before I leave for Florida for my 70.3. So….now I have HOPE. I HOPE that it will feel better when I try to run tomorrow. I HOPE that I can get through this race. HOPE! HOPE! HOPE! (Right now it hurts.)

Not trying to do my race is not an option….but I am scared. HOWEVER, there is always a bright side. I have found so many people willing to offer help and advice. I know MANY have had this issue, and I appreciate every piece of advice that I am getting.

SBK Fans…..any advice?? Please??

We spend a whole heck of a lot of time in real life and in blog land talking.  Especially some of us as we train for new and big events.  I think we talk because it’s how we work out the nerves.  We talk about our training. We talk about our gear.  We talk about nutrition.  And we talk about how we juggle our family life with all of the above.  But you know what we don’t spend much time talking about?

Spectating at a race for others —-and in particular spectating a big race like an Ironman —-when you’ve got kiddos in tow.  So, as many of us venture into triathlon season and begin to make plans to be at our own races and those of others, and let’s face it we’re a Swim Bike Family, so some of us our bound to have kids…. let’s talk about it!

I have a little bit of insight to offer as I have had my kiddo spectate many running races, a few sprint triathlons and last year he came with me to Ironman Lake Placid to spectate and cheer for about a dozen of our friends.  So, I’ll give you my thoughts, but goodness knows that I’d love to hear what you have to contribute as well.

So! How in the world does one entertain a small child  while spectating at an Ironman?  There are a lot of different ways, but I assure you that it can be done.

Involve Them – Believe it or not Ironman is a pretty kid & family friendly event.  As Swim, Bike, Mom says…. It takes a village people.  I am always amazed how many kids are actually there in Ironman village throughout the event.  And Ironman itself goes out of their way to include the kids.  So, the first thing that I did race weekend was sign the kiddo up the for the IronKids race.  He was ecstatic to be taking part in an event in front of all of the grown ups.  At Lake Placid Ironman, the Iron Kids race is only a run and they break the distances down by age.  At four years old, they ensured that it was a very manageable distance.  All of the kids were handed medals by Andy Potts.  Super impressive for the Moms …. and Dads in the crowds.  I’m not sure that all of the kiddos knew, but we sure did! And the medals were nice, not the little plastic jobbies that many races have, so all of the kids were pumped and they were “Iron Kids,” comparable to an Ironman.

Here They Are In Their “Iron” Distance Race.

Prep Them – Ironman is a long day.  Give them some sense of what they’ll be doing for the day.  It helped me that my son had been to some of my “swimin’, bikin’, runnin’ races.”  So he had some clue of what to expect while we were there.  I did explain to him that it would be a long day and that we really needed to cheer our friends on.  I expressed that they needed us out there.  Again, he’s been to a few races so he knows how important it is to cheer for your peeps, so he was all in.  Of course he didn’t realize exactly what he was all in for, but he understood that we needed to help.

Go Friends Go!

Get Them Gear – Again, Ironman is family friendly.  In Lake Placid they had a cheer station where you could make signs for your peeps.  We made many signs.  Some of them were just scribbles on paper, but hey, he felt like he was making something important that would spur on our peeps.  We also sought out some cow bells.  And lastly we had supporter t-shirts.  We were a part of the bigger team.  He felt so cool since we matched the team jerseys, etc.  These gear-y things are also a great distraction when they’re bored.  Here, play with the bell, here can you help me get out the sign, etc.

Do Your Kid Research – Is there are playground near by?  A shady spot where you could take a nap?  Can the kids play on the beach after the swim is finished?  All of these things are good to know so that you have options while your Iron Peeps are out on the bike and run course.  You have some serious time to kill during these stretches where you can’t really “spectate” them, might as well find something fun for the kids to do.

Track Your Athletes on Ironman Live - Track your athlete as much as you can if you can on Ironman Live.  This will ensure (or so you hope) that you will not miss them.  [SBM Note: I have heard that Ironman Live is not always accurate.... and many have suggested trying "Track My Athlete."]  Unfortunately, we were tracking too many people last year to see them all each time on top of the fact that we were tracking with 3000 other people so the internet got really slow, but we got most of it.  Using the tracker helped us to see where people were and decide where we needed to be to best cheer them on.

Have a Recharge Station – If at all possible, try and make your accommodations either on or right near the course.  Last year we camped out of town for Ironman Lake Placid, but we had athlete friends with a house right near the course, and clearly since they were racing, they were not using it during the day.  We made 3 or 4 trips back to the house through out the course of the day to take a rest from the race course and relax.  Of course we made sure to see our peeps in on the first loop of the bike before we headed there and then timed it out to be back on the course as they were approaching.

Pack Light, but Pack Smart – I brought a back pack on to the course for the two of us.  I brought snacks, money for more food, a video game, sun screen, swim stuff and a blanket.  All of the above got used.  I didn’t bother trying to lug around a chair because I knew it would annoy me.  We used the blanket or sat down on the road.  We had to be flexible because we just couldn’t bring everything with us.  Any distractions that you can carry with you without a lot of bulk or weight are priceless.

Relaxing on the backpack near the swim finish and T1…

Try and Be Ahead of Their Needs – Yes you want to and will be there for your athletes, but you also have to be understanding of your kids needs.  I really tried to stay out ahead of his needs.  I aimed to feed him before he was hungry, potty him before it was necessary, make sure to get at least one sizable nap in before he was beyond the point of tired, and I just kept changing things up in an attempt to make the day fun for him too.

Oh and Make the Finish Line a Late Night Party – Staying up for the finish of an Ironman is tough work as a kid.  Heck it’s tough work as an adult.  So, you need to make it fun.  We bought glow sticks, glow bracelets and glow necklaces.  No child was allowed to open them until well after dark.  But boy did the atmosphere change once we did.  No longer were the kids too tired to cheer in our friends.  They became the life of the party with his glow bling on.  With the excitement of an Ironman finish line the atmosphere is electric and the kids catch on quickly that this is exciting stuff.  At Lake Placid they finish on the Olympic Oval and it’s truly a sight to behold.  I had no issues enticing the kiddo to stand by the fence, chant for people and clap.  Again, electric …. oh the magic.

Remember that Spectating is Hard Work – And they’re going to need a nap…. Wherever they are!

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Another great post about spectating an Ironman with kids is from SBM friend who calls herself “IronWife”—- check it out here: http://staggerforwardrejoicing.com/ironday-from-the-perspective-of-wife-and-kids/

I think I just had an idea…

Here was yesterday:  one Expert, the Weatherman (who should have known that it wasn’t going to rain, hello!?)… and my CDA friend, Columbus (who at some point during the ride actually said, “I can get ALL the maps on my Garmin now.”  I thought,  Now that is going on the blog! Columbus has all the maps!)

So after spending 5.5 hours on the bike trainer, I was going to the bathroom before finishing up my last 30 minutes.

Coming back from the bathroom, my slick bike shoes met with the slick hardwood floors… and I ended up hitting the ground. Right on my rear. Hard.

Hard.

I hit so hard that it knocked the wind out of me. Columbus, who had finished his 4 hour trainer ride and was in the middle of a 2 hour treadmill run, dashed over to me. I rolled onto my stomach on the floor. I immediately thought, Well, I just broke my tailbone.…

I hit the floor SO hard.  So hard. I swear I shook the house. I didn’t even have a chance to brace myself. Which may, in hindsight, been good because I might have broken a wrist or elbow or something.

So after laying on the floor for a bit… what did I do?  Well, I paced around —-then I got back on the bike, of course.  [I needed to know if I could bike....  And it was not great. But I could do it. Yay, number one.]

But today, I am in a lot of pain. Sitting at the desk is painful. Bending over is painful. Walking is painful. We won’t talk about the potty.

So again.  Here I am. Swim Bike Klutz trying to do Ironman.

I am trying to figure out all the lessons I am learning through this process. Through the process of the past year and a half—breaking and spraining feet, broken ribs, job issues, family issues, the new hip pain, my stupid klutzy ways… now pain in the rear. Literally.

All of these lessons. Life lessons and perspective and keeping focused on what really matters.

Because you can bike forever and feel strong and fit… but then you walk and crack your rear on the floor. Almost 6 hour trainer ride notwithstanding.

And you can possibly break your butt, and not be able to bike or train or do anything but eat ice cream (which is all I want to do right now).

I’m just frustrated—nothing seems to be working out as I planned right now.  So many things are up in the air…. I feel like it’s going to take a miracle to get me across that finish line at this rate.

But all I know is that I love my family. I am lucky to have the chance to even experience all of this. The good, the bad and the ridiculous.

So that’s my story. And onward I go. #JustKeepMovingForward