Cramming for a Race Plan

AKA Don't Die at Ragnar Napa Plan.

First, no matter what, I'm not going to die at Ragnar Napa.  I'm aware of that.  Second, Ragnar Napa is in two weeks, and the longest run I've done since Vineman is 3 miles.  I've been swimming and biking a lot, but running only a little.  Third, I'm actually in the best shape of my life coming off of Vineman, and have been keeping up my activity levels, I just haven't been running much - lots of swim and bike.  Last, my legs at Ragnar Napa switched recently, and my mileage went up.  I'm fine with that.  I told the team captain to give me whatever runner position (I am runner position 10).  I know I can handle the mileage.  I've run Ragnar before, I can handle it.  Granted for the other two Ragnars I ran I was in the middle of other training - first time training for a full marathon, second in the middle of training for Vineman - so I was in better running shape. I would just like for my runs at Ragnar to not be ugly, and not let my team down (we're all in it for fun, but if I have slow way down it'll be less fun for everyone).  So, in comes the cramming for a race training plan.

This is not the way to train for a race or a Ragnar, just in case you're curious.  This is what I'm doing because I'm dumb and haven't been training at all.  My legs are the following all rated hard or very hard, nothing shorter than 6.6 miles, all are hilly.

First Leg:

That's not flat.  Guess I better do some hilly runs.

Second leg:

Also, clearly not flat.  Hills.  Time for some hills.

Third leg:

No big hills.  This one is relatively flat all things considered.  Still, running hills is in my future.

I could do any one of these distances at this point and be okay, it wouldn't be super fast, but I could get it done, its the fact that I'll have to do all three over 24-ish hours.  This should be interesting.

So, how am I going to cram my training in to the next two weeks?  First, off, I don't want to get injured, so I won't be running every day, although I will be running WAY more than I have been.  Second, I've never trained for a Ragnar by running twice in one day, I'm gonna put it in here, but if I don't do that (realistically its very unlikely that two runs in one day will happen), I'm okay with that too, I just want to hit a couple of higher mileage runs and get in some good hilly runs (I'm thinking an Amalfi run or two are in my future - if you live in LA and want to come run with me, please do!).

Today (8/31) pm run? Maybe.  I haven't been feeling very good, like really really tired and a bit under the weather, so I don't know.  This whole plan could go out the window based on how I've been feeling the past couple days.  If I'm feeling okay at the end of the day and its not stupidly hot outside, as it has been all week, I'll try to get in a couple of miles, at least 3.  If its hot, I'll do a core workout and maybe an easy trainer ride.

Tomorrow (9/1) morning I have a 10k, so that's a good start.

Sunday (9/2) morning I plan on getting in a hilly 7-ish mile run in the morning and 3-5 mile run in the afternoon/evening.

Monday (9/3) I'll hopefully get in another good hilly 7-ish mile run in the morning and do a core workout.  I would also like to get in a good bike ride sometime this weekend (2 hours).  Having Monday off means that might be possible.  Maybe.

Tuesday (9/4), Swim, cross training is good, I can't just run every single day.

Wednesday (9/5), one hour bike, again cross training, lets prevent an injury.

Thursday (9/6) track workout, 90 minutes.

Friday (9/7) swim am, run pm - 4-5 miles.

Saturday (9/8) am run 8 hilly miles.  There's no way I'm running Saturday afternoon/evening.  Not even going to try.

Sunday (9/9) morning another am run, at least 8 hilly miles.  Sunday afternoon 6-7 miles, hills.

Monday (9/10), rest and core.

Tuesday (9/11) one hour bike ride followed by masters swim (I'll be on the westside of LA all afternoon and swim is in Culver City, so I am not going to go home in between, might as well get in a ride, this ride could turn in to a run, we'll see).

Wednesday (9/12) run 5-6 miles, hills preferably (if Tuesday's ride changes to a run this will become the ride).

Thursday (9/13) am run 7 hilly miles (this will only happen if I've packed and gotten all my stuff together already, we'll see).  Thursday mid-day get in a van and drive to Napa.

Friday-Saturday (9/14-15) Ragnar Napa.

Also, I'll be doing lots of stretching and recovery.  This isn't really that much of a "cram" schedule.  But, its all the training I'll be doing for Napa specifically, so I think that qualifies as cramming.  And, I've been working out, but haven't been pushing myself and don't do any workouts I don't feel like doing, this changes now.  I will be fine at Napa, I just need to bump up my mileage and not skip runs.  I'm only concerned because my running has been taking a back burner recently. It just needs to come back, front and center.

My plan for Ragnar Napa is to have fun.  I know that no matter what I'll have fun.  I just don't want to be in pain the whole time, hence my two-week training plan.  We'll see how this all really goes.

Are you running Ragnar Napa?  Have you been training?  Have you gone in to a relay completely untrained or undertrained?  Does my plan seem silly?  Do you have any tips for me?

My Ragnar Napa team is a team through work, we start at 11am - Fit for Ferren - a play on Fit for Flight - a work program - I work for Red Bull.  So if you see us out there come find me and say hi, I'm in van 2 - I'll be the one trying not to look like death since I'm the only one on my team that has run a Ragnar before and I don't want to scare anyone on the team, I want them to have fun too!  Oh, and I'll definitely be rocking my Ragnar Ambassador gear out there - so find me and say hi!

This $h!t is hard

Once upon a time, WAY back in February, I think (clearly so long ago that I can't recall exactly when) the Ironteam was doing a ride on PCH that included some climbing.  I had pulled a muscle and wasn't able to do the entire ride, so was given a modified route - I had to climb the hill to Pepperdine, on PCH from Cross Creek to Malibu Canyon, a category 5, I think its less than a mile long, three times.  I had attempted to make it up this, at the time, seemingly monstrous hill, only once before and only made it about half way, and had to walk my bike up the rest of the way.  I know, I know.  Not good.

Anyway, this day I began up the hill and made it just under half way and stopped.  I couldn't get going again and began to walk my bike again (it was around this time that I wondered if an ironman was something I was truly capable of).  I didn't get too far when I ran in to Coach Brad, who gave me a look.  Those who know him know the looks he is capable of.  I told him I couldn't get all the way up and he just continued to look at me.  He made me get back on my bike, it took a couple tries and some help (after that I can now get back on my bike going up hill, so that's good news), but I did it.  It didn't seem as hard for the next bit, probably because not only was Brad riding next to me, but he was pushing me too. Seriously!? I could barely get up the hill and he was getting not only himself up, but me too.

Anyway, at this point I said, "I have to do this two more times?!" I was horrified that I would have to go up this hill again, immediately.  After I got to the top I would I have to ride down the street adjacent to it and go back up it again - strangely, the harder part for me was the downhill and I had to get off my bike and walk part of it the first time cause I was so petrified - this is not a problem for me anymore - hello 44.9 mph on the back side of Nasty Grade at Wildflower (downhill fear is now long gone).  Back to the part where I'm being pushed up the hill.

After being told that yes, I do have to ride up this hill two more times (without being pushed), I resigned myself to it.  But, not before looking over and blurting out, "This shit is hard!"  The response was laughter and a snide remark about running marathons (which is where I started the season, as a marathoner).  With a bit of laughter I was now at the top and sent off on my merry way to go conquer this hill again.  And, it was hard, but the next two times that day (and every single time since) I rode all the way up, no stops.  That day I had to give myself little goals, such as, if you can make it to the call box you can stop, if you can make it to the next light pole you can stop, etc.  It worked and I made it up.  Now that monstrous hill is nothing but a little bump along the way.

It seemed so hard at the time, and now I don't even really think about it as I approach it, what was hard before isn't now, hard has a new definition.  That day Coach Brad shared my words of wisdom with the team.  And a few people have since shared back with me after a tough workout, its appropriate, training for an ironman is hard, really hard.

To my teammates racing Ironman Canada this weekend, yes, this shit is hard, but damn, its so worth it.  I wish I could be there with you, cheering you on your big day.  But, I'll be cheering for you from LA and thinking about you all, all day long.  I can't wait to see the updates on Facebook and Twitter and track all you rockstars all day long.  It is going to be an amazing day.

And just remember, yes, this shit is hard, but if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it.

A bit of advice for all of my friends racing Ironman Canada.  I'm no expert on triathlon, or racing, or anything really, so take this for what you think its worth.  Remember to enjoy the day and smile.  You have worked so incredibly hard to get to this point.  Enjoy the day, enjoy the experience.  Be happy to be out there and remember that not everyone has the courage, or ability, to start such a fantastic thing.  The best thing I did on race day?  I had fun.  I had one of the best days of my life, I really enjoyed it.  So, while you're out there, take a moment to realize just how far you've come and appreciate it and appreciate where you are.  You've done amazing things not only for yourself but for the world around you.  We, collectively raised more than $400,000, that is no small thing.  You are all super heroes and made this season so incredibly wonderful.  Remember you are not just changing yourself, you are changing the world.  Scratch what I said at the beginning of this paragraph, I'm an expert at one thing, having fun, and I had fun during my ironman, the whole day.

Now go have some fun! Can't wait to hear about and see a ton of pictures from all you Ironmen to be!

In the wise words of Dr. Seuss: "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"

Go get it!

Death before DNF

Back in May I DNF'd Wildflower.  I missed the bike cutoff by minutes (~15 mins).  It was super shitty.  I knew what the course cutoffs were, and unfortunately I missed the bike cutoff, and I know exactly where and why it happened.  I was pissed and sad and upset and I still went out for the run and got pulled off the course because I was so stupidly dehydrated from crying and not drinking anything, obviously not my smartest moment.

So, you might wonder how I went from DNF at Wildflower on May 5th, to finisher and Ironman at Vineman on July 28th (just 12 short weeks later).  Well, simply, I did what I was told and I worked my ass off.  In the three months between Wildflower and Vineman I worked really really hard.  I did all of the workouts unless there was a solid reason not to (I'll be honest and say I know I missed a couple).  And, when I did the workouts I gave it everything I could.  There were a few workouts I couldn't finish (for whatever reason - most I can't remember at this point).  But, I worked hard and it paid off.  Before Wildflower I was not always giving 100% every time.  After I started giving 150% all of the time.  It was the only way.

We had a trainer ride this season titled "Death Before DNF."  (DNF = Did Not Finish)  Let me just tell you, from what I recall, it was brutal.  We had a number of these difficult trainer rides with cleverly chosen names (Son of the Grim Reaper was another, I can't remember the other names, I think I've tried to put them out of my head).  Anyway, those trainer rides were no easy thing to get through.  But, I did a lot of them.

And, they helped.  Last week I saw a sticker that said "Death Before DNF." It made me laugh and I forwarded the image to one of the coaches saying it made me think of all of those heinous trainer rides. His response? "Those were awesome." I responded telling him he was a twisted man.  And the second I pressed send I knew I shouldn't have said that, cause I knew what he was going to say.  His response: "Did they or did they not get you across the finish line? If yes, then yes awesome."  Of course, I had to agree.  But he's still a little twisted.

So, from DNF at Wildflower, a 70.3 to three short months later a finisher and Ironman at Vineman 140.6  Yep, those trainer rides sucked but they were awesome.  Average bike speed at Wildflower: 11.60 mph.  Average bike speed at Vineman: 14.16 mph.  I'm still not blazingly fast, but clearly a LOT faster than I was.  When I look back through my Garmin data from the period between Wildflower and Vineman I can see the improvement.  And, I can see I finally seemed to find my way with the bike in early June - my speed picked way up in general at that point.  Also, my swim pace got faster.  Average pace/100 at Wildflower: 2:29.  Average pace/100 at Vineman: 2:16.  Doing the work clearly paid off.

I'm actually excited to work on my speed in all three disciplines (swim/bike/run) in the off season.  But, I'm really excited to work on picking up the pace on my bike.  I joined the team on Saturday for a 3 hour, conversational ride.  I did almost 40 miles with an average pace of 14.5 mph (I actually rode only like 2.5 hours).  Amazing that my "conversational pace" is 14.5 mph.  I didn't feel like I was killing myself to go that pace, it felt comfortable, although I was sore later that day and the next day (my longest workout since Vineman).  And, when we climbed the one hill, coming up Ocean Ave on our way back in (a category 5) I didn't go in to the little chain ring, which I always do (I have a triple chain ring in front), and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  Win.  It's awesome to see improvement and I can't wait to see more.

I sucked at pretty much everything on the bike for a large part of the season, now not quite so much.  Fun fact: aero was something I was able to figure out quickly and easily.  (I needed to learn something in a somewhat effortless manner on the bike.)  And, other fun fact: I can easily move my bottles between all four of my bottle cages.  I figured out this skill at Wildflower, when I was trying to save time, and have gotten better at it as time has gone by. Someone commented on it at Vineman, I was holding one bottle between my teeth, grabbed one from a rear cage, put it in the front cage and then took the one from my teeth and put it back in the rear cage.  A valuable skill.  One of my teammates commented on this skill over the weekend as well.  Me from a few months ago had to stop to deal with the bottle switching.  Me from a few months ago still fell a lot, and on Saturday I managed to do a wobbly maneuver around a car in a driveway as well, pretty sure a few people thought I was going to fall at that point - I didn't.  Improvement.  Vast improvement.  Clearly putting in the work, well it works.

Wildflower, look out, I'm coming for you.  Oh, and this year, my goal is not just going to be to finish.  While that is the primary goal, I think maybe I need to have a time goal in mind too.

Comfort is Overrated.

"Prepare to get uncomfortable." This was a theme throughout the nine months of training leading up to Vineman.  I read it in emails, heard it at practice.  Basically, discomfort was a common theme.  Oftentimes it was in regard to temperature and acclimating.  It was a little annoying at times (driving to Wildflower and Vineman with no a/c was not fun), but I get why the coaches pushed it.  Being uncomfortable can actually be a good thing.

Why on earth would anyone choose to be uncomortable though?  Life is pleasant and just fine when you are comfortable.  Comfortable is good, right?  Its easy and breezy.  Getting outside of your comfort zone is not something most people aim to do.  Most people want to stay right where they are, in their comfort zone.

Before I joined the Ironteam I was very comfortable in my life.  I was ambling along, I thought I was really living it.  I was wrong.  I was living, but I wasn't really LIVING my life.  I wasn't taking advantage of it.  I wasn't pushing myself to bigger things.  Before Ironteam I was just sort of being.

A year ago today a friend passed away suddenly.  We hadn't been close in years, but his death was still so shocking, like a slap in the face.  It was a wake up call.  He was all about living every day to the fullest.  I knew I wasn't really doing that.  I had been sort of considering training for a triathlon for a while, and his death pushed me to take the leap.  I went straight for the deep end and signed up to train for Vineman (with a little help from some Ironteam pushers) - a full iron distance triathlon.  Go big or go home, right?

Nothing about training for an ironman was comfortable.  I was outside my comfort zone from day one.  I knew how to run, but not well (as I was informed of over and over and over and over by the coaches - thank you for correcting my form, as irritating as it was at the time, I know it helped).  I knew how to ride a bike (well, a beach cruiser) and everything about learning to ride a road bike was WAY outside my comfort zone (clipping in, riding on the road with traffic, 112 miles on a bike - so far outside my comfort zone I don't even know where to start).  Swimming, well, I knew how to swim, but I never swam for 90+ minutes at a time (ocean swimming was nerve wracking, endless laps in the pool were exhausting, multi-hour swims were just so long).  Workouts of 5, 6, 7, 8+ hours? Not comfortable in any way.  Swim. Bike. Run. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Stay uncomfortable for hours on end.

Let me tell you, in my experience, being comfortable is over rated.  My life has become so much more full and fantastic since I've stepped outside of my comfort zone.  Training six (sometimes seven) days a week? Sure thing, lets go.  Riding my bike 56+ miles at a time? Lets do it.  Pier to pier swim? I'm in.  Ironteam helped me open this door, and now I'm stepping outside my comfort zone in other ways too.  It just makes life so much more interesting.

As one of the coaches said to me last weekend when I said I was sort of ambling along, "Its like you're living your life at an 11 now, right?" Yep.  It's like life was in black and white before, but now its in color (and HD) and I'm loving it.  Nothing in my life is perfect, but I don't need it to be, or want it to be, the imperfections are part of what makes it great (even when its hard).  I'm loving the life that I have and appreciating it, every single day.

So, while Darin (aka Koncreet)'s death was a horrible shock and is a tragedy, on so many levels, it woke me up.  I'm so sad that he is gone.  He was an amazing light in all of our lives, through everything, he was still a friend to me.  Darin, you are missed every day.  If I could turn back the clock and find a way to bring you back I would.  But, since I can't, I will remember you often and continue to live every day to the fullest.  Thank you for inspiring me.  I will never forget you.  You inspired to me start really living my life.  You inspired me to do something great with my life.  And training for and completing an ironman, definitely great.  And, its just the beginning.

Because life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

In the words of RuPaul:

"That was then, this is now, Here we go, starting over! You decide, change your mind, miracles happen every day! This is the beginning, the beginning! This is the beginning, the beginning of the rest of your life!"

Do you ever step outside of your comfort zone? Do you think the reward is worth it?

Run Brilliant

Mizuno has this cool thing happening right now called the Mezamasshi Run Project.  I was emailed, through this blog, about the Mezamasshi Run Project and asked if I would be willing to share it here.  Mezamashii means "eye-opening" or "brilliant" in Japanese.  So, Mizuno is promoting "Run Brilliant."  I think having a run that brings brilliance, or inspiration in to your life and world is fantastic and if a great pair of running shoes can help you get there, even better!

I could use some brilliant or eye-opening runs.  I have had some pretty good runs recently, but now that Vineman is done, its time to work on my running some more and go for a PR (or two) before the next ironteam season starts up in November.  A little brilliance could go a long way on the road to a PR.

From their website: "Mizuno will give away thousands of shoes to runners who are looking to experience more euphoric, brilliant, mezamashii running."  So, I had to wonder, what's the catch?  It appears the only "catch" is that you get some great shoes and hopefully some pretty great running in them.   I think its pretty cool, sort of an off beat marketing campaign.  Instead of spending millions on ad campaigns use word of mouth, the running community is a great one and the online running community is very vocal and loves to spread the love, so this might be a stroke of genius (or, perhaps, brilliance?).  So, I thought about it for a while and it seems like something that I would be really in to.  I am not a member of the Mesamashii Run Project, yet! I'm hoping to be added still, but I thought I would share a little about it here and maybe one of you will apply and be picked, even if I'm not - if you get picked and can pick someone, consider picking me. (Pick me! Please!)

I have worn Mizunos in the past and I really enjoyed them.  They make a wide variety of styles and colors that can work for most anyone.  Mizuno's website has a very cool precision fit program so you can find the shoe that will work best for you as well.

Here's a little more from their website:

• The Mezamashii Run Project is an effort by Mizuno to help create a more euphoric running experience — a more "brilliant" run — for more runners everywhere.
• The word "mezamashii" means "eye-opening" or "brilliant" in Japanese — it's a word that captures the euphoric feeling of a brilliant run.
• Mizuno believes their shoes can help runners achieve this mezamashii feeling more often, so they’re inviting thousands of runners to receive a free pair of shoes and join their quest for the brilliant run.
• These founding Mezamashii Run Project members will be allowed to invite other runners into the project who they deem worthy — other runners who will also receive a free pair of Mizuno running shoes.
• The Mezamashii community will continue to receive brilliant run inspiration from Mizuno in the form of early access to product launches and other exclusive Mizuno events.
• In this initial phase, Mizuno is relying on word of mouth and social media to create buzz between those who have received invites and those who want invites.
• Over the course of the remainder of the year, Mizuno will give away thousands of shoes to runners who are looking to experience more euphoric, brilliant, mezamashii running.

One more thing about Mizuno that I really admire is their philosophy.  From their wesbite: "Philosophy: Never Settle is more than just a tagline.  It's Mizuno's calling.  Mizuno's way of seeing the world.  And the rallying cry for the entire company."

This is my kind of company.  Never Settle.  They are speaking right to me.  What do you think of the Mezamashii Run Project? 

Come on Mizuno and Mezamashii, pick me and help me find some brilliance on my run... I'll share the journey here with you...

Post Iroman Depression

Recovering from an ironman isn't just about the physical recovery.  You also have to deal with mental and emotional recovery as well.  A lot of people experience post ironman blues or depression.  This is something I was legitimately worried about for myself.

If you don't know by now, I am bipolar.  This means that I have major ups and downs (among other things, including anxiety, irritability, etc).  My extreme mood swings are stabilized by three medications that I take daily, Lexapro (an anti-depressant), Welbutrin (a second anti-depressant) and Lithium (a mood stabilizer).  I tend to verge more toward the depressive side, so I need the anti-depressant combination, but I can't just take those because with just anti-depressants I get manic, so I need the lithium to stabilize me, its annoying to have to take all those pills, but they do the job. Sometimes I go off my medication, not smart, I know, but I'm on it right now and intend to stay that way.  Taking all of this medication made training a bit more complicated, but I got through it all, quite successfully.

When you're training for an ironman you are working out a lot, it becomes like a part time job.  All of this working out gives you a huge amount of endorphins, helping your moods stay positive and encouraging general well being.  You work, train, eat, sleep, repeat, repeat, repeat.  Oftentimes your social life becomes greatly diminished (or nonexistent - which mine basically was by the end).  Other things you enjoy, including hobbies, tend to take a back burner, if they are present at all.  You have a single minded focus on your race, on one particular day.  That day has been the focus of months and months of training.  And, then the day comes, and it passes by in the blink of an eye (seriously 15:44:00 went by so fast).  And, whether you had a fantastic day (like I did) or a difficult day, suddenly all that focus, all that training, all that energy spent on ironman has nowhere to go.  And, hence post ironman depression, or blues.  It is a very real thing for a lot of people, and my concerns about it were not unfounded.

Your body has been so up on endorphins and so focused and suddenly you are doing far less, meaning less endorphins, and you don't have a single thing to focus on, you are free.  But, that freedom can lead you to a place where you are wandering around aimlessly, lost.  As I tend to verge more on the depressive side of bipolar, I was quite concerned about post ironman blues.  But, instead of becoming completely unfocused and unhinged I took a different approach.

In the week after the race I did work out.  My workouts were never more than an hour and were easy, but it was good for my brain to keep moving (I did what my coaches told me to do, no more).  I know it was good for my body too, but it was almost more important for my personal mental health to keep myself in motion.  About a week after the race I kinked my neck and could not workout for the entire next week.  It was incredibly frustrating, and I was very antsy.  But, I kept myself busy and let myself heal.  I spent time with my family, spent time with friends (who were so incredibly understanding when I was MIA during my heavy training), caught up on some dvr'd tv shows (which I realize now, I mostly didn't miss, interesting, maybe a smaller cable package is in my immediate future), cleaned my apartment.  I kept myself busy without letting it get overwhelming.  I was worried the weekend would be harder, without having multi-hour training sessions what was I going to do with myself?  I managed well, went to dinner and a movie with a couple of girlfriends, I went out and supported my teammates who are training for Ironman Canada (which is less than 2 weeks away) and a low key baseball game with another girlfriend and her two little boys, went to Sunday practice with the intention of swimming, but mostly just played in the ocean and offered more support as our Canada teammates had a hot 12 mile run in front of them.  I also got in a solid nap on Sunday afternoon, still awesome to nap even when you don't workout.

I haven't felt any post-ironman blues and for that I'm grateful.  I've found new things to channel my energy toward and am getting myself back in to a regular training schedule.  It looks like I am going to be coaching this fall for Girls on the Run Los Angeles, and I'm super excited about that, something to focus on that is not all about me will be a very good thing.  And, I'll be doing some off season training to work on speed and strength on the bike specifically, but also in the pool and on the run.  And, I have goals to look forward to next year, like Wildflower and Vineman 70.3.

Maybe the fact that I was aware of this possibility and was proactive about not letting it take over my life is why I haven't experienced post ironman depression/blues.  Maybe not.  I realize I'm not completely out of the woods just yet, its only been two weeks and I've been in a post-race high ever since, but I'm feeling positive about it (speaking of post race high, I have avoided registering for any races, except a fun 10k, in that post race glow that can cause an itchy registration finger - win!).  I just know that to this point I've felt good.  No one suggested post-ironman blues to me, but I knew that when all was said and done there was a possibility of falling down a dark tunnel if I let myself.  So, I built in a safety net including support of family and friends and used the safety net I didn't know would be there, the Ironteam, who are now like family too.

Do you suffer from post-race blues, even when a race went well?  How do you manage it?

Ironman Recovery

Completing an ironman is a huge undertaking and it truly taxes your body, no matter how well trained you are, and I was pretty well trained by TNT Ironteam Los Angeles's amazing coaches.  I legitimately felt significantly less sore after Vineman than I did after my first marathon (or any of the marathons I've completed for that matter).  After marathon number 1 I was limping around for days.  And, while the next two weren't quite as bad, I was still very sore.  So, how did I walk away from 140.6 miles with no limp and minimal soreness?  I'm not an expert, but this is what worked for me.

Having this to look at certainly helped with my recovery!

First, the night of the race I drank my standard recovery drink about 10 minutes after I finished (repeated a couple hours later for good measure), I also drank a few bottles of water immediately and had a late night cheeseburger from In 'n' Out.  Every time I finish a marathon, or half, I don't have an appetite for hours, but after nearly 16 hours of exercise, taking in some calories is necessary.  I have become a big believer in the recovery drink throughout my training, it really does help, and I'm not just talking about chocolate milk here, I'm taking about a serious recovery drink.  There are lots of different brands on the market, and lots of flavors, you just have to try them til you find one that is palatable for you.  I like Fluid Recovery and Hammer Recoverite, both chocolate flavor.

The morning after the race, on only a few hours of sleep (like 5 or 6 hours maybe), I headed back to the race start with a couple of our coaches and a few teammates.  We did a recovery swim in the river.  No wetsuit necessary, just a bathing suit, swim cap and goggles and a nice, easy 20 minute swim.  It might sound awful to wake up early the morning after an ironman and swim, but I know that it helped.  I was sore and a little limpy heading in to the water, coming out, I felt significantly better.  Moving your body, stretching out your now tight muscles is super helpful.  I floated on my back for a minute too and just let myself be and stretch and it felt amazing.  That swim was really slow, but it helped in a big, big way.

The night after the race I slept in compression socks and travelled home in them that Monday (the night of the race I was too tired to put compression socks back on after being in them all day).  I'm a huge believer in compression both during physical activity and in recovery (seriously I wear compression socks or sleeves for all of our long workouts).  I wore my CEP calf sleeves during the bike portion of the race and Pro Compression socks during the run (I love that Pro Compression has such a wide range of colors too! I wore orange on race day, totally not matching, but you could spot me from pretty far down the road).  And in the week after the race I wore both CEP socks and Pro Compression socks (obviously not at the same time), I slept in them every night.  It's like your calves are getting a hug when you wear them, and after 15:44:00 of swim/bike/run, a hug for the calves is quite nice.  Plus, the compression helped with the swollen feet/ankles post race.

Swollen feet - not cute, also please ignore the bad nail polish.

All week I also utilized The Stick, my foam roller, my Moji 360 (compact and fits in my purse - so easy to take to work) and this spiky ball that Coach Brad lent me (I swear I'll give it back soon - it is really amazing and I need to buy one for myself, also nice and compact and easy to take to work).  Between stretching and utilizing these tools, my body felt much better and not as tight.

magic spiky ball

On the Tuesday after the race I got myself back in the pool.  I swam 2,000 yards, which, again sounds like it would be pretty miserable that close to an ironman, but it was helpful.  It was very slow, and about 1500 yards in my arms started to feel like noodles and my hands like bricks.  As exhausting as it was I know that completely stopping all physical activity is a bad idea.  The next day I put my bike on the trainer and did a nice 30 minute ride (it was way too hot to ride outside after work and I didn't want to drive all the way to Santa Monica for a 30 minute ride).  My legs actually felt good and I did a slightly longer 45 minute ride on Thursday, also on the trainer because it was too hot outside.  On Friday morning I did an open water swim, and again, like Tuesday's swim, I was tired quickly, but I wound up getting in about 2,300 yards.  Not bad.  That Saturday I went out and met some teammates for an easy 60 minute ride, during which we stopped to watch a kids triathlon - so cute!  And then I did my first run since race day - a 5 minute transition run.  I did it at a 9:05 pace (whoa! fast for me!) and felt good, but it was only five minutes.  The next day, Sunday, I did another open water swim, this time I only swam about 2,000 yards and then did a 30 minute run.  I ran with a teammate and we did just over 3 miles in 30 minutes, 9:55 pace.  My legs never felt like they were going to fall off and I didn't need to use an interval (I don't normally for a short run, but I was prepared to in case it felt too hard).  Win!  Staying active has helped my body tremendously in recovery.

I've also been getting a ton of sleep.  As soon as I feel tired enough to fall asleep I do.  The week after the race I was averaging 9-10 hours every night.  And, I was sleeping very soundly, out cold, not moving all night.  Giving my body the rest it so craved and needed was also helpful.  A week after the race, on Saturday night though I slept funny and woke up with a small pain in my neck.  It got worse on Sunday and lingered all week.  I think I may need to start seeing a chiropractor as every time I get a kink in my neck its the same exact spot.  I'm back to a regular 7-8 hours of sleep a night and feeling good.  Although, not being able to workout at all for a couple of days made me kind of antsy.  And, the neck pain seems to have come at a good time, weather wise, last week it was over 100* in the Valley nearly every, with a peak on Friday of 105*, gross, this week is shaping up to be a hot one as well.  This past weekend I did a short open water swim on Sunday and my neck seems to be okay, so I'll be back to a regular (albeit lighter) schedule this week.

Rocky has the right idea - sleep!

The week after the race I knew my metabolism was still in high gear and I could probably eat pretty much anything I wanted, but all I was craving was healthy foods.  I did indulge in ice cream.  But for the most part it was all lean meats, veggies, fruits.  So, I gave my body what it wanted, and clearly needed.  And, lots and lots of water.

I'm feeling pretty good at this point.  And, I'll be returning to a regular training schedule this week, obviously much lower volume than just a few short weeks ago.  But, my body has been recovering well.  Now its time to start some off-season work, including, most importantly some speed/hill work on my bike and I'll also continue to swim and run.  I've dropped the Marine Corps Marathon at the end of October.  I don't have enough vacation time to use to make the trip worthwhile, and I'm not really feeling it, I want to run my next marathon strong and I want to PR.  I'm not sure I'll be where I want to at that point, so I've sold my bib.  I will run MCM, just not this year.  I need to find a half marathon to run, I think its time to return to the distance and see what I can do, since last year was an epic fail for every half I attempted.  I plan on going in to next season strong and ready to conquer Wildflower.  I will finish this time.

How do you recover form a big race?  Do you have any tips?

Vineman

Vineman.  Also known as Best Day Ever.

July 28, 2012. Full Vineman triathlon. 140.6 miles of awesome (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run), 15:44:00.  Yep, best day ever.

Its been a little over a week since Vineman, and  I've had time to decompress and reflect on this incredible journey.  I still can't believe its over, every day I wake up and I can't believe its done.  Spoiler alert - I finished (15:44:00).  Spoiler alert 2: I didn't win.  Spoiler alert 3: I had the best time ever, I smiled the whole day.  Now, I shall try to get through this without it turning in to a full novel.

finish line picture. I wasn't just smiling like that
because I was finished, I was smiling like that
ALL DAY LONG.

Note - part of what has taken me so long to write this is that by actually writing this it means its really done.  Also, I tried to keep this brief, I swear, but 15 hours 44 minutes of physical activity is hard to boil down, even if a lot of it is fuzzy in my memory at this point, feel free to skim or just look at pictures, or skip altogether. But, know this, if you want to read about someone enjoying an ironman and smiling the whole day, this is the post for you.  Also this post does not do this day justice in my opinion, still working on one that will, or could even try to do it justice.

So, you should know by now that this has been the most challenging experience of my life.  If you've read even just a little of this blog you'll know that reaching race day was never inevitable and there were many times when it seemed like I wouldn't make it (seriously, just look back on some previous posts, almost anything since November of 2011, and you'll see just how far I've come).  Even when it seemed like an insane endeavor and it seemed like quitting would be the best option, I kept on pushing through and now I'm an Ironman.  The day that I finally felt that this was all something I could do was the day of our 5/3 monster brick (5 hour ride, 3 hour run - minimum 70 miles on the bike 16 miles run).  Training weekend didn't go all that well for me, and while I covered the distances this still seemed like something that might not happen for me.  But, on the day of the 5/3 I knew I could do it, mostly because I was working hard and being successful and partly because of a conversation I had while running with a coach.  He asked me, "Who's going to be an ironman in four weeks?" I responded, "Me, as long as I can get off my bike before the time cutoff I know I'll finish."  He then said something that gave me the last bit of confidence I really needed, he said, "I would bet my life that you'll be off your bike well before the cutoff."  Knowing that he (and others around me) had that kind of faith in me gave me the last boost I needed before race day.  I knew it was mine for the taking.

The days before the event I stopped being nervous at all and was just plain excited.  We arrived Wednesday and had short workouts every day.  It was great being up at the race site with all of my teammates and coaches and I was just so excited for race day to finally arrive.  (Of note, I'm pretty sure my roommate for the weekend was not enjoying my excessive excitement levels - sorry MKak! I just couldn't help myself, I was stoked. It might have been a tad annoying.  But, I went in to this weekend intending to enjoy every piece of it, and I did.)

On Friday we did our short workouts and went to packet pickup where we watched a video with a chicken puppet, I don't think I understood one word the chicken said.  On the way out of the auditorium, before getting our hands stamped so we could get our packets we had to be weighed.  Somehow I had missed this bit of information.  I get why they have to do it, but it caught me off guard.  Best moment of the weigh in?  Outside with two of my teammates chatting about it, one had lost 4 pounds, I had stayed the same, and the third? Well, in his words, "The scales are broken! BROKEN!"

packet pick up

I was super excited when I saw my swim cap was yellow.  Yellow was the color of my swim cap for Desert Tri and that went well - a good omen in my books (and thankfully not white like Wildflower).  This is a point to point race, so we had to set up our T2 gear and leave it over night.  I got everything set up, bought a couple of things at the little expo and then we headed back to the hotel for the afternoon to prepare our special needs bags and then head to the inspiration dinner.

T2

Antonio the flamingo was at the end of my transition rack,
making it easy to find my stuff on race day

Wrist band allowing me in to transition

dropping the bike off with the team for truck transport to the race start in the morning

after dinner with an incredible poster made by our Ironteam staff with words of encouragement

Friday afternoon/evening wasn't great.  I had a couple of conversations/arguments with my mom (seriously, the day before my ironman?) that stressed me out.  But, I did my best to put it out of my head.  Elsa kindly came over and braided my hair for me for the next day and chatted with me and helped me feel calmer and more relaxed, thank you Elsa!  Shortly before bed there was a knock on the door, Holly S had a little good luck token for me for the next day.  His name is Cock-a-Doodle-Doo (what Holly had decided she would yell at me if I looked like I need a push - every time I hear it it makes me laugh).

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo had a front row seat to my bike on race day.  We also

had a couple of conversations, no he didn't talk back to me.  But, whenever

his head would sink out of sight in the bento box I would have to pull him back up.

He kept me smiling throughout the day.  Thank you Holly!

I slept all the way through the night (this rarely happens the night before a race for me, I usually wake up one or two times, slightly nervous and/or panicky).  The alarm went off shortly before 4am and I started to get ready.

I quickly realized that when I had unplugged my Garmin the night before it had turned itself on and had been on ALL NIGHT!  It was half dead. I don't know why I unplugged it, I should've just left it plugged in all night.  Not enough battery to get me through the day.  Begin anxiety attack.  I plugged it in the bathroom and texted Coach Brad.  He told me not to worry and to bring it and the charger to the hotel lobby.  I finished dressing, put my breakfast together and walked to the hotel lobby to meet up with the team at 4:30am.  I plugged my watch in there and then before we left on the bus Coach Dave took the watch for me to finish charging in his car.  Relief.  The pre-dawn bus ride to the start was quiet and dark.  I sat next to my teammate Riz, who seemed cool, calm and collected, which kept me feeling the same way.  I listened to a couple of songs on repeat and slowly ate my breakfast (oatmeal, peanut butter and banana).  We got to the race site and I ran in to the Safeway to use the bathroom, my stomach was feeling a little nervous.  After a quick bathroom break and retrieving my now fully charged Garmin (thank goodness that thing charges quick!) I dropped off my special needs bags and headed down to transition.

race morning, 4:30am in the hotel lobby, me and Marvin

My phone started buzzing from my pocket (I had almost left it in my hotel room because I wasn't going to need it for the day, but decided to bring it along, I don't know why).  It was a text from my mom, she was down by transition.  What?! I hadn't expected her to be at the race start.  I started to tear up, I was beyond excited that she was there.  I got in to transition, racked my bike and quickly went over to hug her.  I was teary, but they were good tears, happy tears.  Seeing her there somehow made me calmer and more relaxed for the race.  Coach Brad saw me crying and told me to stop, cause that's water loss.  Laughing, I went and set up my transition.  I went for a very short warm up run, packed up my backpack and handed it off to my mom.

My mom and I. Tears of joy

T1

I put on my wetsuit and started to head to the swim start, my wave started in less than 10 minutes, the first wave was already off.  I got almost all the way there and realized I had forgotten body glide and tri-slide, I didn't want to deal with crazy chafing from the sleeveless wetsuit all day, so I sprinted back to my stuff.  Brad was there with a couple of my teammates and put some stuff on my wetusit.  I sprayed my arms with tri slide and sprinted back to the start.  I pushed my way through to the yellow caps (my wave) and started to wade in to the water.  The wave before us was already heading out.  By the time I was waist deep I heard the anmnouncer counting down to the start of my wave. Crap, no time for a warm up (only two minutes between the waves meant there wasn't much time for a warm up no matter what).  I knew I would just have to go and treat the first couple minutes of the race as my warm up.

I felt good throughout the entire swim.  I actually found myself smiling almost the entire time, savoring the moment.  There were a lot of people, and it was crowded, but I found my rhythm and pace and kept drafting off of people.  Swim, swim, swim, draft, pass, find someone new to draft off of, repeat.  It was a little crazy.  I was kicked and punched and grabbed (battle swimming for sure).  One person started swimming diagonally over me (not sure where they were going since they seemed to be swimming toward the non existent shore), I may have elbowed them, and by may have, I mean I did.  I glanced at my watch at the first turn around and realized I was making good time.  I started doing mental math, but was making myself crazy and decided to keep swimming and not worry about my time.  At the turnaround a lot of people were walking (its quite shallow), but I just kept my head down and swam around them.  I could hear, what I assume were officials, yelling "SWIM!" at the walkers.  It was shallow, but still swimmable.  Why on earth someone would want to walk on the rocky bottom of that river I'll never know.

Just before the halfway point (by the bridges) I took a Gu.  This helped significantly last time and I knew I would want it again.  I could hear someone yelling from the bridge to keep swimming, but ignored them as I sucked down the Peanut Butter Gu.  I got on my way again and heard tons of people at the start turnaround point (its a two-loop swim in a sometimes very shallow river).  I kept moving and just focused on what I was doing and finding people to draft off.  I got through the second loop quite easily and happily.  I swam until I couldn't take any more strokes, even though lots of people were already walking toward the ramp.  I looked up and realized my swim was under 1:30 (1:30-1:35 was my A goal for my swim, and a stretch, to be sure), I actually finished in 1:28:09, a full 13+ minutes faster than training weekend (I realize this is not fast for a lot of people, but I'm really proud of it).

I saw my mom as I ran out of the swim and was smiling.  I let a wetsuit stripper pull my wetsuit off of me to save time (but I still wound up in transition for nearly 10 minutes - what the heck? I do know that it took me a couple of minutes to turn my gloves the right way, they were inside out and it took forever to turn them the right way - always double check your transition stuff).  There were still lots of bikes around when I got out of the water and I even saw a couple of my teammates, always nice.   I got myself together, handed off my swim gear to my mom and ran out to start the bike.  I was so happy with getting through my swim in faster than my A goal time that I figured no matter how the rest of the day went I was going to be happy.  It was a great start to a long day.

The bike, is of course, my biggest challenge, always.  I was hoping, if everything was perfect I'd be able to finish in 8 hours.  It had taken me 8:33:56 training weekend (but actually 8:48 elapsed time, I must've paused my watch at some point).  I figured if everything was perfect 8:00 would be fantastic (although probably a stretch).  I knew I could beat the course time cutoffs so I didn't have the time of day showing on my watch.  I didn't want to focus on it all day and find myself in the position I was in at Wildflower (racing the clock).  I focused on my speed and cadence and nutrition.  I had miscalculated my bottles and made too many with Heed+CarboPro combination, so I adjusted what I would eat and ate less.  I actually managed my nutrtion well considering my mistake (I ate and drank enough all day).  I stopped for about a minute at aid station 1 and refilled one of my bottles with my powder I had on me (I carry three bottles of nutrition and one water on the bike).  After that I would throw empty bottles and collect water at each aid station.  I was doing well fueling myself and staying cool.

When I started the bike I looked forward to seeing my teammates out on the course.  I knew a number of them would pass me, some were doing the full (who I would potentially swim faster than) and some doing the full or half aquabike (swim/bike no run) with later swim waves.  I loved seeing everyone and it was so awesome knowing they were all out there with me.  I saw a large group of our cheer squad in Geyserville, and it was incredible to see them - dressed as super heroes with amazingly funny signs (that I'm sure other racers maybe thought were inappropriate, but made all of us laugh).  I passed through and told Coach Dave I was doing great, cause I was.  I seriously could not stop smiling.  I was legitimately enjoying myself and savoring the day.

Most of the day I was leap-frogging with my teammate Travis (training for IM Canada and did the full aquabike), it was nice going back and forth and knowing I was keeping a good pace.  It was a fantastic ride.  I got to the last aid station on loop one before Chalk Hill and saw no line at the porta potties, I had to use an actual bathroom (no I could not just pee on the bike, if that's all that was needed I wouldn't have stopped, also I had a pebble that felt like it was the size of a boulder in one of my shoes and I had to get it out), so I jumped off my bike and dashed in and out.  I was in and out and on my bike in under 3 minutes (yes, I timed how long I was stopped).

I started up Chalk Hill and saw my name on the ground (I knew it was there from a picture posted on my Facebook page).  I was so excited.  The people on their bikes around me probably thought there was something wrong with me because I was so excited to see all of my teammates names, including Leon, our friendly Tower 26 open water swim sea lion buddy.  I saw a couple of our cheer squad at the top of the hill and still couldn't stop smiling.  I passed by Coach's corner and saw Rob and Holly S and told them I was doing great.  I ate part of a honey stinger waffle (some of my nutrition) just after I passed them.  It tasted way too sweet and I was gagging on it.  I choked it down, but was worried about how I was going to handle the rest of my nutrition when it was hard to get that down.

EWS!!! That's me!

I pulled in to special needs and my teammate Holly D was there.  She asked how I was, I told her what was going on with the sweet stuff and she offered me some goldfish crackers.  I figured it couldn't hurt.  I took a small handful and it seemed to reset my taste buds.  I can not thank Holly enough for those crackers, they saved my race day in that moment.  The girl who helped me with my special needs bag was also amazing (as were all the volunteers), told me what was in there, pulled out what I needed and got me on my way again in just a matter of minutes.  (I don't know what compelled me to do this, but I put a small bottle of mouthwash in my special needs bag and rinsed out my mouth - so helpful!)  I ate some Gu chomps with caffeine in them and set out again.

The second loop is where the bad things started on training weekend.  I was worried.  But, it all seemed to go pretty well.  I chatted with some people along the way.  My mom found me part way through and cheered for me.  Every time I thought it had been a while since I had seen someone another teammate would pop up, either cheering, checking in on the side of the road, or passing by on the bike.  It was amazing.  I never hit that dark ugly place from training weekend.  I sucked down a GU Roctane (chocolate raspberry) with 2 times the caffeine at about mile 70 as well.  (I had decided after training weekend to add in the caffeinated chomps and Gu hoping to stave off the dark ugly places that my mind wandered to, its what I do during a marathon at about mile 20 to get over the wall and it seemed to make logical sense.  It totally worked for me.)  I just kept looking around in disbelief, it was a gorgeous day in a gorgeous place and I was in the middle of an ironman!

My second time through Geyserville I paused and talked to Coach Dave for a minute and let him know I was feeling good.  I refilled one of my bottles and set out again (I have gotten to be kind of expert at switching my bottles between front and rear cages while still in motion and no longer need to stop, a talent I discovered at Wildflower, a couple of other racers commented on my bottle juggling skills - hey, anything to not stop, the only time I stop is when I need to add powder and mix a new bottle).  I passed a couple of teammates that I wasn't expecting to, which made me realize I was doing really good time-wise.  I got to Chalk Hill the second time and knew this would be harder.  While its not a particularly difficult hill (we've done MUCH harder) its at a crappy point in the race - mile 100, and it was warm out.  I was busy dumping water on myself and doing my best to stay cool (I had stripped off my arm coolers part way through the second loop because they didn't feel like they were doing me any good anymore).  I got to our amazing cheer squad (seriously these people were incredible) and couldn't stop smiling.  They were running next to me, in full super hero costumes.  It was amazing.  And, then, I realized my mom was with them cheering too!  Incredible!  Super heroes and my mom on the top of the worst hill helping me get through it.

If these crazy people can't make you smile at the top of a hill at mile 100, nothing will :)

I could not stop smiling the entire time.  I sped off down Chalk Hill exhilerated.  Travis caught up to me at this point and told me he was going to make a deal with me - I was going to finish the bike before him.  I just needed to stay in front of him.  He also reminded me to get my cadence up at the end to prepare for the run and to stop eating and drinking a few miles out.  It was great having him there because that last bit can be a real downer, it feels sort of endless.  But, having him chase me in kept me on pace and I finished in under 8 hours!! 7:54:27.  I couldn't believe it! Under 8 hours (again, I realize this is not fast for a lot of people, but considering where I started and the fact that I picked up an entirely new sport at age 32, now 33, this is rad).

I smiled the whole time on the bike, not just because I was making good time, but because from an outsider's perspective this is something I shouldn't have been able to accomplish at this point, based on where I started.  I have come so incredibly far in the past nine months and I couldn't help but smile and enjoy this part of the journey.  I was not only doing it, I was doing it pretty well and having a good time.

Transition took me 10+ minutes, again.  Seriously, what is my issue?  Although this time, I wasn't really rushing and I wanted to take off my compression sleeves and put on compression socks (which is no easy thing to do when you haven't just been working out for 9.5 hours).  I got going on the run and felt good, still smiling.  I filled up my bottles as I left transition and headed out.  I knew at that point that unless something really drastic happened (like my legs falling off or something) that I was going to finish.  I knew that I would be an ironman.  It was just a matter of how long.  26.2 miles, three loops.

The finish line - it was much darker when I crossed.  But, see that orange/red
arch in the back? That's the turnaround for each loop - so close yet so far!

The first loop of the run was very hot.  I took it slow and stuck to my interval the best I could.  I dumped cold water over my head throughout the loop and put a cup of ice down my sports bra every chance I had.  I also had a sponge with me that I would soak with cold water and put on the back of my neck (shoved in my tri top).  I was moving slower than I wanted to, but I figured it was better than over heating or getting dehydrated.  Coach Brad started running with me during this loop and stuck with me for quite a while, keeping me company, keeping me distracted, making sure I was okay, guarding the porta potty door so I didn't have to touch anything (let me just tell you it was gross).  He told me I needed to finish that loop and the next one within 2.5 hours when we parted ways, I said okay, not sure what time of day it was (I actually had more time than that, but I got that in my head and went with it).

It was during this first loop of the run that I discovered the tree with my initials on it.  We were running toward the biggest uphill on the outbound leg and I pointed to a tree, I knew it was the one without even seeing the initials.  I pointed to it and as we passed I saw the EWS and the cross on in.  (I, sadly, didn't get a picture.)  I don't know how I knew that was the one, but I did, and it made me smile.  A tree with my initials on it? Clearly this was the race I was meant to do.

Guy I don't know, Pikachu Louis and Scott the green screen man! Before I got to this point
Brad told me I was going to see something and that it was real and I wasn't hallucinating,
referring to Scott.  So awesome.  I freaking love these people.

At the corner of Reiman Road and Starr Road, where you leave the neighborhood and head out on a back country road (about a mile in to each loop), and return in to the neighborhood for the end of the loop (about a mile left), the San Francisco Ironteam was there cheering and my friend George, on their team, was there.  Every time I passed them (on the way out and back in) he would come up and jog with me for a minute (in his sandals) and tell me how strong I looked.  I knew it was true.  I felt strong and happy.  I was keeping up with my nutrition plan (although somehow I missed taking my Roctane at mile 20, which actually would've been helpful).  I tried taking a sip of cola in the first loop and had to spit it right back out again.  I realized my body was not going to be happy with that, so I stuck with Gatorade, water, ice and Gu.

Seriously, who smiles this much during a marathon? Especially a marathon at the end of an Ironman?

The second loop was still quite warm, but starting to cool off.  I picked up a shadow during this loop and finally made him come talk to me.  This kid, who was 18, doing an ironman, kept me company for a bit.  He was worried about time cutoffs and started pacing off of me.  My teammate Amy came and ran with me for a bit and then Johnny did too.  When I got to the turnaround Raul picked me up and paced me in the rest of the way.  Having so many people running with me was incredible, and having Raul, Johnny and Brad each run with me was kind of awesome, because they were all part of the tag-team that got me to sign up for Vineman.  I really never felt totally alone, and even when I was running alone I wasn't ever really alone because my teammates were all over that course in our purple TNT Ironteam kits.  On the way back I started to feel a weird pain in my back, near where my kidney is.  I spotted Coach Brad and told him.  He asked if it was a muscle thing or something more.  I legitimately wasn't sure.  He told me to stay aware of it, but said I would still be able to finish no matter what, that we had a large window of time (I'm not sure if this is entirely true, but I chose to believe it).  There was no way I was stopping at that point anyway, I just wanted to make sure someone knew.  But, I didn't try to pick up the pace at that point either.

The tall person in yellow? My shadow. 18 years old and doing his first ironman.

I finished the second loop and Coach Dave told me to not get wet anymore cause it was going to cool off fast.  I had already stopped with the ice so I knew I would be okay.  I grabbed my pull over from special needs and set out on loop three.  It's interesting, toward the end of the day, as the sun is setting, being out on the course.  I was moving pretty slowly (although, looking at my splits, I kept a fairly even pace all day - each loop of the run took me just about 2 hours), but enjoying the day.

As I got to the final turnaround it was getting dark.  A few of my teammates were out there still and Marvin (the Vineman instigator) asked me if I wanted to run alone or if I wanted him to run with me.  I think I said I was good either way (not true, I wanted someone with me), so he joined me.  It just got darker and darker out there and eventually it was pitch black.  Even with both of our headlamps we couldn't see much.  I don't really remember what we talked about, a lot of that loop is sort of fuzzy (seriously, a lot of the day is sort of fuzzy, I realize it seems like I remember a lot, but the day was WAY long and this is just a small snippet of it).  I do remember thinking that it was sort of perfect that he was running in with me.  Just about eleven months before Marvin had been the first one to suggest I train for Vineman, not Hawaii, and there I was running the last four miles of the marathon in Vineman.  It was a very full circle moment.

I remember thinking, and maybe saying, that while it was a bit lonely out there in the pitch black, with very few people left, there was something magical about it.  Those who were still on the course pushing to finish, seeing a dream become a reality, one step at a time.  Magic.  I do remember saying to Marvin it was all his fault that I was doing it and thanking him in the next breath.  Best peer pressure ever.

Around the (invisible) mini-goats, just over a mile and a half out of the finish Coach Holly came and found us.  I was feeling tired, still happy, but tired and I didn't know how much run I had left in me. Between Marvin and Holly I got through that last bit by running when they told me to and just savoring the moment.  Louis (aka Pikachu) came and met us and took some pictures.  As we got closer Holly gave me a strategy to get to the finish line.  I did what she told me to do.  When we were on Windsor Road the trio took my fuel belt, headlamp and pull over so I could have a good finisher's picture.  As I saw the corner approaching, and knew the finish line was near, I could hardly believe it.  All these months of hard work were finally coming to a summit.  I was grinning from ear to ear.  I know a lot of people cry at this moment in their life, and a lot of people thought I would cry, but all I could do was smile and savor the joy of what I was doing.

Marvin, Holly S and me. I loved running with them, even
in their crazy costumes.

Mile 25+ of the marathon, Mile 139ish of the day, still smiling.

getting ready for the finish

Marvin and Holly peeled off right before I turned in to the chute.  It was really brightly lit, there were people still out there cheering, my heart started beating slightly faster and I sprinted (well, what I thought was sprinting) down to the finish line.  There was a guy in front of me (we had timed it so he'd be done when I got there), but he was screwing around with the finisher's tape, and I knew I couldn't stop or I wouldn't be able to get running again.  So, I thought, screw it, who needs tape? I'm about to be an ironmnan!  I ran for the finish and saw my whole team waiting on the other side.

As soon as I crossed the finish Amy gave me my medal and I saw my family off to the right I ran over to them and gave them each a big (sweaty) hug.  I seriously could not have been happier or prouder of any achievement.  After the race the coaches were their usual intrusive selves (asking when I had last peed, etc).  But, that's what they're there for and I'm glad they are there.  I couldn't have done this without each of their help.

me, my mom, my dad and my sister Stephanie (my little sister,
Alexis, had graciously offered to stay home and watch the dogs)

This was truly a magical day.  I never once thought about quitting (I did have a couple of mildly anxious moments, I think fueled by the sheer amount of time I had been moving).  I really enjoyed the day.  I went in to this journey with the intention of finishing with a smile on my face, no time goals.  I only set time goals because my coaches said I should.  And, I exceeded my A time goals for my swim and my bike and wound up finishing in my B time goal overall (meaning my run was my C time goal, and yet STILL faster than my first marathon!).  And, I finished smiling. Can't beat that.

IronTeam Los Angeles. Most incredible group of people I've ever had the privilege of getting to know.

Vineman was a magical day and this race recap, even though quite long, does not do it justice.  I don't think I can quite explain how amazing and special the day was, not just because I completed an ironman, but also because I had the privilege of racing with the Ironteam and having them cheer me on as well.  Watching my teammates throughout the day was like nothing else I've ever experienced.  This was unlike anything before and I doubt anything will ever be quite like it again.

And you might wonder how I managed to enjoy the whole day so much.  A few weeks ago I was convinced that this day was going to be crazy hard and painful.  But the closer I got the more ready I felt for it.  The more I knew that this wasn't going to be incredibly painful, it was just going to be incredible.  Part of my joy during the day was being out there with the team.  I don't think I could ever do this without such an incredible group of people around me.  Scratch that, I could do it without them, I wouldn't want to.  And, part of my joy came from the fact that I was doing it.  So many people don't have the option.  Our team raised more than $375,000 to help fight blood cancer.  And, I was very aware of that and the people I was doing this in memory of and/or in honor of.  I thought about them a lot and how incredibly lucky and blessed I am to have this kind of opportunity.  I thought about my sister's mom losing her battle with leukemia.  I thought about my sister losing her mom at just 16.  I thought about Gabby, five years old, fighting leukemia and still a ball of sunshine.  I thought about Audrey and how strong and determined she is.  I thought about Darin (not touched by blood cancer but still gone too soon).  The list, unfortunately, goes on and on. Thoughts of these difficulties didn't make me sad, they made me stronger.  They made me realize just how good I have it.  Just how lucky I truly am.  And that is something to smile about every day of the week, even especially when its 15:44:00 of swim/bike/run.  None of my times for the day matter when all is said and done, because that's not why I was out there.  I was out there for a cause.  I was out there for people who couldn't be.  I was out there not just for me but for the people I love and with the people I love.  You want to do an ironman and enjoy it?  Do it for a cause and do it with a group.  That's how to do this with a smile on your face.

Took me a week to cut off the wristband.  And, I love this medal so much.

Back when I decided to sign up for this, there were people who said I was crazy, said I wouldn't finish, didn't think I'd see it through, didn't think it was possible.  To them, at the time I said, really? Watch me.  I didn't do this to prove anyone wrong, I did this for me.  Proving my doubters wrong though? Icing on the cake.  Any time someone tells you that you can't do something or that you aren't capable, use that as motivation and prove them wrong.  You are capable of anything you set your mind to.  Anything. I am proof of that.

Back in November I posted this:  "This is a journey of finding my courage, taking a leap of faith and working hard.  It is sure to be an interesting time in my life and interesting story, I hope you'll join me for this crazy ride."  Its like I was looking in to the future...

I have a couple other shorter posts in the works about Vineman.  But, for now, thank you all for joining me on this crazy ride.  My story isn't over yet, in fact its just beginning.  I can't wait to see what the future holds, this journey is only going to get better and better. (It definitely holds a new bike, Wildflower Long and Olympic next May and Vineman 70.3 next July, for now, and another full in 2014.)

Update: I forgot to mention this, throughout the day all I could think was how much fun I was having and how I couldn't wait to do it all over again.  Seriously.  In the middle of my first ironman I was thinking about when I get to do it all over again.  Talk about amazing day.

There are so many people I need to thank, don't worry I haven't forgotten about you.  Thank you to everyone who donated.  Thank you to my friends who supported me and put up with me being MIA all the time.  Thank you everyone who encouraged me along the way, friends (real and internet), strangers, family, teammates.  Thank you to my incredible team, I learned more from you than you can ever know, how to be a good teammate and more importantly how to be a really fantastic friend.  Thank you to the coaches, I couldn't have done this without you.  Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, you all helped make this day possible for me and I will be forever grateful for that.  Thank you to everyone for listening to me blather on about this training, for all the hugs, all the encouragement, for wiping away my tears, for holding my hand, for every little thing that really meant so much.

Update: (I'm a dope and forgot this) Thank you most of all to my family for supporting me through this crazy journey and putting up with all of this.  You are incredible and I couldn't have done this without your love and support, you each mean more to me than you can possibly know.  You each inspire me every day.  You are amazing people and I couldn't have asked for a better family.

This experience changed me to my core and helped me find something, a part of me, that I didn't know I was looking for, something I didn't know I was missing.