The Cabin and Training ...

Well, this was the first summer weekend at the cabin.  It was incredible!  I am always able to find peace when I am up in the Northwoods ... However, coming back home to reality is always a challenge.  The good thing about the cabin, is that it will always be waiting for us and we will be up there most weekends this summer to enjoy it.  It's a great place to take a step back and really appreciate everything that I am blessed with in my life.  It also gives me clarity about what is important, what I value, and who I want in my life.  I have found, that when we get sucked into the hustle and bustle of life, we sometimes forget what is important, what is good and what we need to appreciate from this gift of life that we have been given.  The cabin is always the perfect place to bring me back to where I need to be.  

One of the so many great examples I could give as to why I love it up here so much ... Last night we had a bonfire with 14 people (adults and children).  We all hung out by the fire,  talking, telling stories, laughing, listening to music and  spending time together. No electronics to distract anyone, just the best company.  

We are blessed with wonderful neighbors and friends that live on our lake and friends that live close by who are genuinely good people. There is no ulterior motive as to why they want to know you, they don't care what you do for a living, how much money you make or don't make or what you are training for (if anything). They are kind and giving people and really fun to be around. How can it get any better than that?  I don't think it can. 

The training aspect and the time spent at the cabin may prove to be a bit of a challenge over the next months.  It's so relaxing up here ... That it, at times, creates a bit of a mojo killer.  I can't let that happen.  With summer approaching and training amping up, my training schedule and work schedule will be changing a bit, so  I know, that I will need to be extremely organized when it comes to family time and training.  Family comes first, training second ... But if I would like to do well (for me) on Ironman race day, I need to make sure that training is still a definite priority. 

I am extremely fortunate to have friends who are also awesome training partners that are willing to ride, run and swim at the a$$crack of dawn with me.  We help each other, push each other, keeping each other company and solving some of the worlds problems too ;-).  My goal and focus this summer will be to get my training in during the week so I can relax most of the weekend. When we are up north, I will take advantage of the open water swims that are just a few short steps from the house (see the attached picture of the view of the lake from the pier), and I'll make a point to get out on the  beautiful northwoods streets to run. The scenery is just breathtaking. 

There are only 14 weeks and 6 days left until race day ... Thanks again for coming along on this ride with me. It truly means a lot.  I do hope you have all had a wonderful long weekend with family and friends ... And remember ... Life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday!!!

Training and Sparky's Birthday ...

Short and sweet today ....

It was a LONG  training week for me this past week ... I got my first 50 mile bike ride in. I can't remember when I parked my a$$ on the bike for that many miles.  It felt good to get back outside and be friends with my bike again.  I definitely have work to do, but, all will be good.  There are still 16 weeks until the big day, so plenty of time.  This morning was my long run.  That went really well.  Laura a/k/a Lolo and Sherri joined me, which was awesome.  We did an out and back on the trail, as Lolo had to get home by a certain time, but I was ecstatic that she could join us for a little bit. When she left, Sherri said, "I can keep running" ... Well, she ran the whole 10 miles with me!!!   I have to say, the fact that she did an impromptu 10 miler, makes her a definite rockstar in my eyes :-)!!  So, thanks Sherri for sticking it out and keeping me company.  We didn't solve all of the world's problems, but we made a dent ;-). 

The run on Wednesday, also went well.  They are always fun for me (and yes, I know I have a weird sense of what I think is fun) as they are always interesting.  The plan has me doing either some type of speed work or hill repeats. This week, Deb was kind enough to join in on the Wednesday challenge :-).  The rest of the training for the week, well, I will put it this way ... It got done.  I haven't been sleeping very well, so I was happy to accomplish what I accomplished.  Let's keep our fingers crossed that the sleep fairies will be on my side for the next several nights!  

Today, we celebrate my daughter Parker a/k/a Sparky's 11th birthday!  I love this girl and am so proud to be able to call myself her mom. She is becoming such an amazing, strong, kind, caring and confident young woman.  I am attaching a picture of my peanut :-), so Happy Birthday Sparkster!  Looking forward to the cake tonight!!  

I do hope you are all enjoying this amazing weather and appreciate what a gift it is to wake up every morning and do what we can do to make this life the best we possibly can :-). Enjoy the week everyone and remember ... Life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday!!!

It's really started now, An AH HA Moment and Mom's Day ...

Look out ... It's another LONG one!!! :-). 

Well, this past week proved that I am really training for an Ironman. Wowza! It's been a long time since I have parked my bootay on a bike for that long in one session. I really enjoyed it, so that is a good sign. Now that the half marathon is over, I can focus on the big picture. 

The ride yesterday was a 2.5 hour ride.  Focused on nutrition and drills.  It went really well. Blake gave some great tips on where to start and, so far so good :-). Yay me on the nutrition end as Ironman in 2010 was less than stellar ... In fact it was miserable, so hoping that his guidance will aide in better nutrition for the race this year and a body that is happier with me on race day :-). 

My swims this past week were not their best, as I haven't been sleeping well ... but, I got them done, so that was a definite plus, and hopefully this week, they will be great :-). 

The run aspect of my training was good. I felt strong during all of them.  On Wednesday, there were hill repeats. Wow ... they completely kicked my a$$!!!  Thanks to Deb for being free at the last minute that morning to be able to run with me.  I am not too sure she was fired up about it, but it sure felt great when we were done!!  

Today, was my long run. 1.5 hours in zone 2 (definite conversational pace) with a 15-30 second walk at each mile.  really have to give my coach Blake props. Less than 6 months ago, the thought of running a 10ish minute mile in zone 2 and having it feel like a comfortable pace was definitely NOT possible. Today, I felt like I could do this forever. Without the guidance of Blake, I don't think I could have gotten there. I know I am the one doing the work, and I definitely give myself credit for that, but the information/drills have been invaluable. So, thanks Coach Blake!!!  And, thanks to my friend Sherri for running the first half hour with me. Helped make that last solo hour much better. 

After the half marathon this past weekend, I had a major AH HA moment ... While I was extremely pleased with my performance at the half marathon and I loved being able spending time with Terri and Clint, the question that I have continued to ask myself since that day was ... DID I HAVE FUN?

This is the conclusion I have come to .... Although I was happy with my race time and all of the work that I put into training for this race paid off, the race itself wasn't very fun for me as I felt like I was going to throw up for the last 3+ miles and the smiles were not flowing.  I know some of you think that I am completely crazy for not wanting to continue to want to be faster and always want to PR (personal record) but to me, life isn't always about the PR.  

One of the things that I am most proud of, is that I have always finished every race I've entered, and I have the MOST FUN POSSIBLE while doing it. We all know I am not going to EVER podium in anything, nor will I qualify for Kona (the Superbowl of triathlons), so having a lot of fun along the way is one of the best ways that I can think of to celebrate this gift of life that we are given.  And this race, besides spending time with Terri and Clint, was NOT fun. 

When i think back to previous races, some of my favorite memories have been running with friends, talking the whole time, FB'ing during the event and stopping for photo ops along the way :-). As a matter of fact, there was a beautiful photo op on the race course last weekend.  We couldn't stop because we were trying to hit our time goal. What a great picture of Terri, Clint and me that would have been. I can totally envision the photo and it would have been a good one. :-).   

As for Ironman, I have definitely have  goals for myself. A time goal is one of them, but F-U-N is also definitely at the top end of the goal list. Part of the ironman experience for me, is to make sure that when I see those people that took time out of their day to watch me race and support me, is that I will make my best effort to acknowledge and appreciate everyone out there, with a big sweaty hug that they all deserve while I am on the run.  When I am on the bike,  I will wave and say "hi",  but won't be stopping for a chat at that time :-). Why, you ask?? Well ...

I have seen and witnessed first hand that stopping on the bike during the event can really piss some participants off, and rightfully so. At Ironman Wisconsin last year, I witnessed a participant, who thought it would be a great idea to stop mid-climb on Timber Lane to show his family some love (those of you that have climbed it, you know exactly what I am talking about). Well, the two people directly behind him almost fell over because there was no warning that he would be stopping. It was not a good moment for the person that stopped.

So, on that note, I will make sure, that if I see you on the bike, I will give a shout out and a big smile...especially on loop one...loop two isn't quite as fun. But if you are so inclined to hang out for the run portion, be prepared to get a big hug and a smile from this triathlete :-).

I still have a lot of work to do to make it to the start line of the race. I am confident that I will get there, and I will, hopefully, have an incredible day all around. Part of that day and experience, will be able to see all of you. If you haven't already figured this out ... I am a people person ... You have decided to join me on this ride by reading my little blog, so let's all make the ride as fun as possible!!  :-). 

Last, but not definitely least ... Mother's Day. What a great day all around. I feel blessed to be a Mom to my two incredible kiddos. They make me proud and so happy that I can say that I am their Mom. Big props also goes out to my Mom. She is an amazing woman. 

I am attaching one of my favorite photos of Jack, Sparky and me. It was Jack's 10th birthday, and the day we decided we should shave my head. The hair was on its way out and Jack was fired up to be able to take a scissors to his Mom's head. I remember vividly, how cold my head felt after we were done, but more so, how happy I was to have those two little people by my side and how fortunate I felt to have Brendon there to say how beautiful I looked after it was all gone.  Life truly is short, and I feel lucky to still be here. 

So, Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there, whether it be to 2 legged people or to 4 legged fur people!  You make a difference :-). Enjoy the rest of the night and remember ... Life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday!!!

Recovery Week, Half Marathon and Dad ... In No Particular Order

WARNING: this is LONG ...

Well, this past week was a recovery week and was fantastic! Time to train was manageable, work was pretty calm and I was able to get a few things done around the house and enjoy the week! So, I <3 recovery weeks.

On Tuesday of this past week, with my extra free time, I was able to stop by and see my Dad. You never know what you are going to get when you see him, so I always go in a little nervous. It was an average day for him, so nothing terrible, nothing fantastic (a Dad word). I do have to share this. I miss my Dad. Yes, he is still alive, but he is not really my Dad anymore. He knows me about 50% of the time and the conversations are not conversations anymore, I try, and he really wants to have them and I believe he thinks they are, but they really aren't as, in general, they make no sense. I SO miss the talks we were able to have, whether it be laughing about nothing, or having serious life conversations.

Some of my favorite memories of time with my Dad were when we were still in Cherrywood and he was still driving. He would call mid afternoon and ask if he could come over. "Absolutely" was always my response. I knew what was coming next. He would generally arrive in about 45 minutes, with about the same mix of stuff in his hands. A case of beer for Brendon, a bag of random food from Copps usually containing, fried chicken, "nice ham" as he called it, some jello thing with fruit in it, a crab salad and fruit snacks for the kids. Lastly, he would almost always hand me a $20 dollar bill. Funny combination, but always predictable. Then we would proceed to sit and talk and talk until it was about 4:30. That tme was his magic alarm for him to go home. He didn't feel comfortable driving at rush hour. God, I miss those days. Sometimes, a girl just needs her Dad, you know??

Back to why you are all here reading ... Training. Well, on Saturday, I had my first race of the season. The Wisconsin Half Marathon in Kenosha, WI. I have been working really hard to prepare for this race and was ready to go. Got up at the pre-buttcrack of dawn to meet Alison and Ann to make the trip to Kenosha (I am attaching a beautiful sunrise picture from our drive - and no, I was not driving when I took the picture). When we got the the race, we went our separate ways, agreeing to meet after the race was over. My plan was to meet Terri (one of my dearest friends EVER) and her husband Clint to run together. We had a plan. The one thing always consistent with my plan ... I run every race in honor of a cancer survivor. Yesterday was for Ann Melton. I have never officially met her, but another friend of mine Jan connected us and we have talked several times. She is going thru treatment for breast cancer, actually the same treatment that I received, so there is a definite connection there. And, besides that, she rocks!!!!

So, the race starts at 7:00am sharp and we all take off. Up ahead we see a friend running and thought it would be a good idea to catch up ... Hmmmm, maybe not the best idea. Said hello and let them go on their way. Terri, Clint and I, well, Clint slowed down ... We did not for a little bit. All was going well. At about mile 4, Clint veered off for a minute and caught us in a little bit. At about mile 5ish, Terri took her turn to veer off and said she would catch up with us. We were in track to crack a 2 hour half marathon. Something I have been unable to do in the past.

Clint and I were on track and feeling good ... Then mile 9 came ... I was beat and it was going to be close. Clint kept talking to me as I was unable to at this point. At mile 10, he said we needed to step it up a bit ... I think at mile 11, he was running backwards as he was feeling great and this was completely aerobic for him, while me ... I was in definite zone 4, almost threshold running. The two guys next to me said, "What is he doing?" My response, "He is trying to get me to go faster." I appreciated it, although I was not showing him ANY love at that moment. In fact, he was getting some pretty interesting choice words from me ;-). Mile 12, he continued to encourage me in his own way and I literally gave it ALL I HAD for that last 1.1, well 1.2 miles, as the course was a little long). When I saw the 13.1 on my garmin, I saw the 1:59 and change ... Where was the finish line. Apparently about a minute away...I pushed as hard as I could and crossed the finish line with a time of 2:00:35. I have to say, I was ecstatic!!! I gave it everything I had and although I did not finish the race in less than 2 hours, I ran a half marathon in 1:59 and change :-).

So proud and so happy!!!! Thankful that Terri and Clint were there and believed in me that morning. Thanks to Clint who pushed me ... although I did not really enjoy him at the time, i am so grateful for him now. I was so glad that when I saw Alison, she said ... "Go, go, go!" So happy that my husband and friends believed in me and helped me train for the race. So happy that my coach gave me the tools to be able to do what I did yesterday. I not only PR'ed (personal record) my half marathon time by over 2 minutes, but I PR'ed this particular course by 14 minutes!!!!! That was huge!!!!!! Thinking and hoping with continued hard work, that my Ironman day will be a good one too :-). It is now 18 weeks away!!!

This week, I am back to the reality of getting up a little before 4:00am to swim, really start to work on my biking as there are some longer rides than I have been used to on deck (no one appreciated my joke when Blake told us we'd all be tired as I said, "Tired?!?! I'm out ;-). ), the running is about the same, so that is good, but man, am I SORE!!!! Not sure how my recovery run will happen tomorrow, but it will. I am hoping my friend Scott will join me to make it less painful.

So, let the true Ironman training begin ... Not that it didn't before, but I wanted to focus on the half marathon ... Now that that is done, it is all triathlon from here on out!!!!!

I hope you have all been able to get out to enjoy this incredible day and hope you all have a fabulous week! And remember, life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday!!!