Winter Triathlon Training

Chicago is currently going through another deep freeze - ugh! - which has made it impossible to do any form of training outside.  Now, I've never been a fan of cold weather, but I always try to get some runs in outside even when it is cold, negative degree wind chills - yeah... no way, not happening!

      My Ironman training is in full force so that means, no skipping any workouts not even for the crappy weather or the fact that my car won't start in this weather, or a busy schedule etc.  This week my workout total will be 6 hours and 20 minutes - together it sounds like a lot but when it is divided over 6 days - since one day is a rest day - really isn't too bad.

    My favorite workouts lately seem to be my swims!  I love the challenge they provide and seems to be way more entertaining than biking and less mundane than running on a treadmill right now!  My favorite swim workout this week was 5 x 100's in which I had to keep a consistent pace throughout each set.  I found this workout to be incredibly challenging but felt really accomplished once I finished and was able to keep a consistent pace throughout.  I was also STARVING after this workout!  Why is it that after a swim workout I am always so hungry, way hungrier than after any other workout??

Maybe my new swimming enjoyment has to do with my Christmas gift from Santa this year - swim gear to help me get better at my swim and to shave off a bunch of time! I have to admit... I already feel like a better swimmer.  I definitely feel legit when I bring all my equipment to the gym pool!

Current Ironman Training Stats for 2015:
  Total Training Time: 5 hrs and 58 minutes!
  Total Swim Distance: 4200 yds
  Total Bike Time: 2hrs and 10 minutes
  Total Run Time: 2 hrs
  Total Run Mileage: 12 miles

These stats don't seem too impressive to me yet, but I know as training continues I will be in awe by how far I will have come and the progress I will have made!  I WILL CONQUER IMWI!!

Well Hello 2015

    It's hard to believe that 2015 is already here!  How does time go by so fast??  For New Years Eve, I went out with my bestie to a bar downtown - we had a great time and as always it was a fun way to ring in the New Year.  My siblings were teasing me though with my simple 2015 fb post; "Dear 2015, I love you already!"  They of course thought that something ridiculously EPIC happened on NYE - which didn't - my response to them was that 2014 was pretty much a horrible year for me, so 2015 has to be better right?

    I started really looking back on my year - alot of things happened, both good and bad:
         - I was unemployed for 7 months
         - I then landed a Part Time job on a trial type basis and then was fired after 4 months
         - My nephew/godson was born
         - I started a new relationship and then that ended
         - I traveled to Connecticut and visited some relatives over the summer
         - I completed my first 1/2 Ironman
         - I took the Cross Country Team to State for the 2nd year in a row
         - I traveled to Connecticut for a second time

    As I started thinking about all these things that happened this year, I suddenly realized - wait a minute - there were way more good things that happened to me than bad.  All at once I realized that actually my year was pretty good, kind of a roller coaster, but like any other year the obstacles and joys help to form me into the person that I am today.  Sure, if I had my way, I would have enjoyed a year without any major struggles but through this year I learned lessons like:
         - One person's negative opinion doesn't rank higher than multiple people's positive opinion
         - Despite struggles and moments of failure - my family still loves my unconditionally
         - You can never make every single person happy
         - What's truly important is constantly trying to do your best and give it your all

    While 2014, wasn't what I was expecting, looking back on it - I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything.  They have helped me to be a stronger more loving person today - and to me, that is a successful year!  Now 2015 has officially started, I know that it will be a year with new adventures, new obstacles and new struggles.  I have no idea what this year holds for me, except for a new job and pursuing my first Full Ironman Race - I am excited to see where this year takes me.

    May 2015 be a year full of joy and happiness that far outweighs the obstacles and struggles of your life!

Ironman Wisconsin Training - Wait... WHAT??

      This past summer, I challenged myself to a 70.3 Ironman race in Racine, Wisconsin.  The training was really hard, incredibly demanding, physically draining and unbelievably rewarding!  It had been a goal of mine for quite a while and so I decided to take the plunge and really focus on getting myself there.  It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life in which I had to overcome ALOT of obstacles to get to race day and then of course, nothing can ever go completely smoothly on race day and I had to struggle with a flat tire 12 miles in on the bike.  But, all in all, I was able to move past the flat tire and cramping issues and finish the race with my incredible family cheering me on through the finish line!

       I have to admit, after completing my 1/2 Ironman, I was in a weird state of feeling very accomplished and proud of myself and yet a little lost, not knowing what would be next.  A full Ironman has always been a goal in the back of my mind but my body has completely fallen apart on every marathon I have ever done, so could a FULL Ironman really be in my future?  It took me 4 years of training -yes you read that right! - for me to get to the starting line of the 1/2 IM, which is probably one of the reasons I was prepared to grab my bike and run with it if I couldn't fix my flat! LOL!  The 1st 1/2 I was registered for - I got injured a week out! So no starting line for that year.  The next year I got sick with a really weird Mono type virus that completely knocked me out.  The next year my best friend got married the weekend of the race.  So finally after 4 years I made it to the starting line and more importantly the finish line!  I actually think my parents were really worried about me after the race, because I am such a goal oriented person and I didn't have a solid goal in mind for after I finished the race.  Did I want to return to my running roots and focus on trying to get to Boston?  Did I want to stay with triathlons and work on getting faster in the Sprint and Olympic distances?  Did I want to pursue the Full Ironman?  Or did I want to pursue other personal goals?

       After enjoying,   a painful, week long break from all physical activity at my mother's request, I was going completely stir crazy! I NEEDED the gym - is that weird??  I still hadn't decided on my next goal but was just enjoying some training downtime and focusing on my Cross Country team - which made it to State the second year in a row! Congrats Girls!!

I was online stalking people who did the Madison Ironman and reliving my 1/2 IM experience and decided that I really wanted to do a Full Ironman.  Madison is one of those races though that typically fills up incredibly fast and the only way to really guarantee a spot would be to volunteer the year before, which means that my IM would be 2 years away. Ok - Now I had a plan.  Then I quickly found out that registration hadn't closed for the 2015 IM.  What to do, what to do??  I really struggled with this inner turmoil, with the voice in my head saying, "There is NO way you can do a Full Ironman" and the other voice that said, "Girl, you got this!"  I mentioned to my Dad that registration was still open, to which he quickly responded with, "You would be really stupid not to sign up! You are already 1/2 way there, you are in great shape! Your body doesn't seem to hate you any more and I will be there cheering you on!"  I laughed and said, "Ok, I'm SOLD!"  So that night, I did it - I signed up for my first FULL Ironman! What?!
        So, What does that mean??  Well for those of you that don't know a FULL Ironman is 140.6 miles!  A 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride and finished off with a nice 26.2 mile run or a full marathon.  Wait... what?? I signed up for that!? I've clearly lost my mind...
         The race is officially 295 days, 6 hours, 56 mins, 30,29,28...seconds away! EEK!  My training has already started and I've recruited the help of a coach to help guide me through the process and answer any questions I have but mainly to give me the confidence to get to that start line but more importantly the finish line!
       I don't want to kill you all with training details but I do plan on updating once a week about how training is going, etc.  So if you get bored with my IM posts - that's fine, just don't read my long boring posts! LOL!!