Ted, Tired, Time Is Passing Too Quickly and Shirts ...

So, most of you have seen pictures of the fantastic Ted ... Love that dog to pieces.  Any who, this past Monday afternoon I had my asthma/allergy specialist appointment. The biggest revelation that happened after my allergy testing was done ... I am allergic to Ted and ALL shedding dogs :-(.  I was asked if he slept in the bedroom and I sad "Um, yes, his kennel is in our room and he does like to snuggle up IN bed".  That is not supposed to happen anymore. Hmmmm, not sure how we will change that after 4 years. 

I left the appointment with a different asthma medication as well as allergy medications ... Hoping that it helps and gets me back to more of a "normal" state. Who knows if that will ever happen ... I haven't been normal in more than 5 years ... But I have found a "new" normal.  Let's hope the new normal continues to grow into a healthier one :-). 

This past week has also been one of extreme fatigue.  Ladies, if this gives you a picture of that level.  I fell asleep while getting my eyebrows waxed. Oops :-). That was a small sign that I was tired!!  it was an extremely busy week and a challenge to get adequate rest. One of my big goals for the next two weeks ... get proper rest!!!  

I did manage to still get the majority of my training in, minus one LONG ride.  We had friends over in Thursday (very fun and I got to finally meet my survivor friend Ann that lives in Arizona - we have been talking since January), and I was up a lot later than my normal has been, so I made the decision to sleep in on Friday morning. Yes, it was only to 6am, but hey, that was pretty awesome :-).   The plan was to make up the long ride on a spin bike at the Tone Zone while we were up north for the weekend, but I forgot my bike shorts :-(. That was a sign that my body needed rest.  I WAS able to get my open water swim in (that was so much better than Racine!!!) as well as my run, so successful training week overall. And, the biggest accomplishment ... I got a LOT of sleep!  This old bod needed it!!!!  

I do have to say that time is moving TOO quickly. I can't believe that race day will be here in just FIVE short weeks!!!  I vividly remember waiting in line to sign up for this race that was just a thought and a gulp about a year ago. Now it's almost here. The weeks just seem to be flying by!  Only two more weeks of BIG work left before the taper begins.  So, if I am a little tired and cranky ... you will know why.  The taper will be welcomed.  I have been told and have witnessed people cranky during taper ... It wasn't the case for me last time and hoping the same is true this time around too. :-). We will just have to see!!  

Shirts again ... 

More and more of you have been asking about the Effcansah - Team IronMichele Wilkinson shirts.  They are ready to order and will be available for pickup/shipment at the end of August/early September!!!  We have about 20 shirt orders in place already, so keep the orders coming!! All of the shirts are a unisex cotton t-shirt and come in Sapphire Blue :-).  When you place your order online, it will state that they are on backorder, they will definitely be done in time for race day.  The company printing the shirts will be doing one mass printing, so that is the reasoning behind the backordered on the site.   

If you would like to order one or more shirt(s) for you and your family to wear on race day out on the course or at any other time :-), please place your order by August 20th. The cost for the shirts are $15.00 each and ALL of the proceeds will go to Dr. Mark Burkard's breast cancer research at the UW Carbone Cancer Center.  

You may choose to have your shirt(s) shipped to your door or you can choose to pick them up in Madison from yours truly on Tuesday, September 4th from 5:30 - 7:30pm at Fleet Feet on Old Sauk Road or in Janesville on Thursday, September 5th from 5:30 - 7:30pm at the Janesville Athletic Club On Blackbridge Road.  

Please email me if you have any questions.  It would be great to see a lot of you out there supporting Effcansah!  Thanks so much to Dawn Whyte for getting this set up!!  You are awesome!!  It'll be so exciting to see Effcansah shirts out there on the course :-).  I have attached a picture of the mock up of the shirts too :-). 

And, below is a link to the website :-)

http://shop.effcansah.com/Team-IronMichele-Ironman.htm

I hope you all have a fantastic evening, and an awesome upcoming week!  And remember ... Life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday!!!  

Racine 70.3, Six Weeks and Shirts!!!!

Sorry I didn't write last week, it was a frustrating weekend health wise, and I was just plain tired.  No energy and no creativity to write.  A few days before Racine 70.3 race day, I started coughing, which I just chalked up to asthma.  Well, the day before Racine, I was not feeling well and could feel the cr@p filling in my lungs ... Not the best way to enter a race weekend.  I should have known by the extended taper the week prior to the race, that something was going on (Wednesday, July 24, the doc confirmed I have bronchitis again).  I was tired and run down before race week ... this should be a gentle reminder to me to slow down and say no more often.  As the training is really ramping up, taking care of me and my family has to be priority number one.  

So, Racine 70.3 ... The day before the race, Jacque and I headed to check in and get our bikes in transition.  We went to dinner with the local tri group we belong to (SWAT).  Dinner was great and it was fun to get to know the members a little better!  Came back to the hotel and settled in for the night. I coughed or tried to stop my cough all night and had wacky triathlon dreams, so wasn't super rested.  I don't think I ever am the night before a big race. 

The alarm goes off at 4:00am, we eat, get ready and head over to the race venue at about 5:00am to get transition set up, get body marked and just soak it all in. While at body marking, I had asked the gentleman if he had neat handwriting as I needed him to write a name on my calf. After seeing my Effcansah jersey, he asked if I was a survivor ... Yep ... Well, his wife, that was body marking too, is a survivor as well and she has better handwriting too :-). 

As she was marking me, I asked her to write the name Steffani on my calf (she is an amazing woman that is going through the fight). If you don't know, I do every race, in honor of a survivor that is fighting the cancer fight.  She thought that was pretty awesome that I was doing that.   As soon as she finished writing her name ... I broke down.  It makes me so grateful that I am able to do these races and participate in such an amazing sport AND to think of the strength of all of these men and women who are fighting cancer or have fought, can be really overwhelming and inspiring.  The race is one day, fighting cancer is a tough job, one that I have endured, and am now on the other side of, but so many are going through this right now, including Steffani, who was in my thoughts the entire day and I wanted to honor her and those that are still fighting or have lost their battle.   

The swim - well, that was the most brutal swim, I have ever had. 4 foot swells in Lake Michigan and water temperature of 64 degrees.  I am usually a pretty confident swimmer, but this one shook me.  They took 50 people out of the water and a boat even capsized. Eesh. When I finished and got out of the water, I was so happy just to be done with that portion!  

The bike - that actually went well for me. I was able to manage to hold 18+ miles an hour on the bike. I really enjoyed the bike which is saying a lot as I haven't been liking the bike for a couple of years :-). Made it back in and off on the run I went! 

The run - it was hot, humid and there wasn't any shade .... Not my best, but it was what I had in me that day. It was fun to be able to see friends racing out on the course and was so happy to see B, the kids and my friends that took time out of their day to watch me and all of the others hard at work out on the course racing! 

One of the best parts was to be able to see my friend Jacque out there and complete her first half ironman!  Loved being able to share that with her!  Attaching a picture of us post race :-). 

There are only 6 weeks until race day ... A lot of work needs to be done in that time frame. I am both excited and nervous.  Fingers crossed that I stay healthy and get all of my workouts in and make it to the start line.  This upcoming weekend, we are heading up north!  Besides having to ride a spin bike for 6-7 hours (the Tone Zone won't know what to do with me), running 2.5 hours and doing an open water swim, it will be relaxing :-).  The goal is to get it done as early in the day as possible so I will still be able to enjoy time with B, the kiddos and their friends. The cabin always brings me peace ... So I take any chance I can get to go up there. 

Shirts!!!!  A lot of you have been asking ... Effcansah - Team IronMichele Wilkinson shirts are ready to order and will be available for pickup/shipment at the end of August/early September!!!  If you would like to order one or more for you and your family to wear on race day out on the course, please order by August 20th. The cost for the shirts are $15.00 each and all proceeds will go to Dr. Mark Burkard's research at the UW Carbone Cancer Center.  You may choose to have your shirt(s) shipped to your door or you can choose to pick them up in Madison from yours truly on Tuesday, September 4th from 5:30 - 7:30pm (at Fleet Feet on Old Sauk Road) or in Janesville on Thursday, September 5th from 5:30 - 7:30pm at the Janesville Athletic Club.  Please email me if you have any questions.  It would be great to see a lot of you out there supporting Effcansah!  Thanks so much to Dawn Whyte for getting this set up!!  You are awesome!!  It'll be so exciting to see Effcansah shirts out there on the course :-).  I have attached a picture of the mock up of the shirts too :-). 

I am attaching a link to the website :-)

http://shop.effcansah.com/Team-IronMichele-Ironman.htm

I hope you all have a fantastic evening, and an awesome upcoming week!  And remember ... Life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday!!!  

Two Months and Time Is Flying By!!

I truly can't believe that Ironman is only two months away. The weeks just seem to be FLYING by!  I do vividly remember waiting in line with Alison to register.  That seems like forever and a day ago. 

Training has been pretty solid although I am in a state of perpetual fatigue ... Not a shock at this point as everything is really ramping up and really will continue to do so for the next 5-6 weeks ... Then the beloved (some call it dreaded) taper begins.  I am excited for it as I know that all of the hard work I have put in, will be utilized soon :-).  

Now that the race is coming up, people keep asking me at what time will I finish? Do I have an answer ... Yes, do I want to share the answer ... Sure. Hey, in the perfect world, I would love to finish in the 13:XX hour range ... Is that a pipe dream?  It could be.  Thinking that the 14:XX range is more realistic, and who knows a time of 15:XX may be what she writes that day, but we will have to see. I do know this, if I don't have a cup of coffee in both transitions (swim to bike and bike to run), I should be able to crack 16 hours.  If you don't already know, I am not fast, I haven't ever claimed to be ... I will never earn a spot to Kona based on my speed and I am perfectly happy with that ... I have had friends/acquaintances  tell me that I could be faster, and maybe I could be, but how would I be able to give all of you that will be out there to support me and the others racing that day, a big sweaty hug on the run if I was speedy?    And believe me, there will be sweaty hugs given!!!  I always have to remember this, no matter what time I finish, as long as it's before midnight, I will still be an Ironman :-). 

This past week, I rode the course for the first time in three years with Alison. I forgot how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful it was. Don't get me wrong, it was still hard, but the sheer beauty of it, is simply amazing. I always wonder, do the fasty's appreciate the beauty of the course. I really hope they do as it is just incredible! I did learn this on while on the ride ... It is a lot more fun to ride up Timber Lane when there are a 1,000+ people cheering everyone on :-).  We did have as much fun as one could have on the course and finished it out with a quick stop at Candinas Cholocates and then breakfast at Hubbard Avenue Diner. So, a great morning overall!!!  

Sidebar note:  We were able to make it up to the cabin over the weekend so that was great. Nothing like pure relaxation at its finest.  The majority of B's family was up, and that was really nice. We had a perfect weather day, and just all around fun. Those are the memories that I hold close to my heart!  And as always, we have had a great time with our neighbors and new friends on the lake. Really just fun and incredible people all around! 

Back to training.  Sunday morning, I probably had one of my best runs ever. Not because it was crazy fast, not because I hit all of the goals set out for me during the run ... I ran alone (which I never do) and I, for maybe the first time, absolutely LOVED it!  Could it have been the tranquility of the northwoods in the morning or being able to see the sun rise between the trees (photo attached), could it have been the sounds of the birds singing away?  ... Not sure exactly what, but it was so peaceful that I could have just kept on going. What a great feeling and I'm so happy that I was able to experience it.  I do know that when I get back to reality,, I will love to have the time running with the running buds again.  It is always so nice to spend time with them and hear about what is going on in their lives.  They truly are gifts in my life :-). 

Today, is a schwimmy in the lake.  Going to be another beautiful day out and the water feels pretty perfect, so I'm looking forward to it!  

Tomorrow, after a short bike and run and some time spent on the lake, we will be back to reality and the hustle and bustle of life. I have really come to appreciate this down time as I have time to read, take walks, enjoy the family time, as well as the quiet time up here.  I crave it and when we leave, can't wait to come back up!! 

I hope you have all had an awesome weekend.  Sorry the post didn't make it until this morning but the service is sketchy up here and we have spent most of our time at home base out on the lake :-).  Enjoy your Monday and remember, life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday after Racine 70.3 :-). 

Here You Go ... ;-)

As I mentioned in the shorty post, the training week was good!  I felt strong with all of my training sessions, so that is a plus. But I DO need to get my arse in the pool more ... and that will happen. Four swims this week ... There, I put it out there, so, now it has to happen:-). 

I have been really pleased with my bike ... Not that I am wicked fast or anything, but the biggest thing is that I really like my bike again.  After Ironman Wisconsin 2010, I didn't like my bike ... I disliked it so much that I didn't ride it ... AT ALL, no, not even once for over a year.  Hoping this loving my bike trend continues.  A big bonus is that It I have been able to ride with Alison, Brendon, Jacque, Lyndsey (that is next week) and Synthina :-). Good times with good people. I have ridden to Beloit, Cambridge, Whitewater and somewhere in Illinois (no, I don't know where). Who would have ever thought that it would happen and I would enjoy it again!  In a couple of weeks my friend Jodi and I will be riding the course, then, the week after that ... Camp with Blake and the BBMC'ers. All fun days :-). 

The running training is great with my favorite running buds who have helped me train for one ironman already, are back for more this year :-). Love those ladies. 

This past week wasn't without some issues ... Come on, there has to be some wacky thing going on in the Wilkinson household.  Well, B has Lyme Disease and has had few complications, but will be as good as new over time. He is not as much of a sharer as I am, so I am going to leave it at that. :-). 

Less than 9 weeks until the big day. Key workouts include, a 2 hour run tomorrow, two loops of the ironman course Wednesday and a 3000ish yard swim on Thursday.  The rest of the sessions will all be squeezed in there at different times. Mostly at the pre buttcrack of dawn.  Another twist in trying to fit all of this training in, is that my hours at at the club have increased. Good times livin' the dream :-). 

The weekend, we'll head back up north. Can't wait to get up there and see our neighbors. Love those guys and hopefully some of B's family.  That is my favorite place in the world and love it more every time we go up. 

So, this journey, it's so personal for everyone.  No one's is more important than another's, because it's just that, PERSONAL.  And everyone's story/journey is inspiring in it's own way.   As I've said several times before, my journey is about finishing, having fun with a smile on my face, and racing to celebrate the cancer survivors out there, those that have lost their battle, and my own 5 year canciversary. It always brings tears to my eyes, both happy and sad, but tears nonetheless. 

Total sidebar, but some of you have been asking.  Team IronMichele Wilkinson shirt ordering info should be up in the next few weeks ... I'll post as soon as I have the final info and link :-).  One more sidebar ... When we came home from the cabin last week, Ted thought it would be great to have a little snack ... The plastic inside helmet adjustment thingys ... Gotta love that dog, but man, is he a stinker ... I wasn't really wanting to buy a new helmet at this point (photo of the helmet with Ted is attached). 

Off to make sure the hubcap gets some rest and go to bed myself ... 5 am run in the morning :-). Nite everyone and remember ... Life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday  ... Which will be from the Tribute Brewing Company as we have no wifi at the cabin ... So it may be a little sassy, just sayin'. :-)

Short and Sweet Tonight ... Long Post Tomorrow ...

9 weeks ... ACK!  No, actually I am excited and am feeling better about my training. 

It was a solid week all around, so happy about that. One run needed to be shortened significantly, but it's all good. I did manage to find the pool again ... I always miss it when I do. 

Nite everyone and I will have a more in depth blog post tomorrow. Thanks for being patient :-). Off to have a beer and relax. 

Laters!!