As with everyone else out there, I want to get faster and stronger. So, I sucked it up today, tried to steady my nerves, tried to put my fear aside and met up for a no-drop group ride. Because that is the safest way to start, right? Pushing myself to keep up with a group, but no getting dropped. I knew it would be very challenging for this endurance pace girl. I know I'm not super fast.
Going into it I figured best case scenario I would be able to hang on the back, worst case scenario people have to wait for me. But, guess what happened? Wish I could say I hung right in there. Nope... I got dropped. Yep. I'm so slow that I get dropped on a no-drop ride.
And then I cried. Yes, I cried while driving home because I was frustrated and embarrassed and feeling down on myself. I was mad and sad and insert other feelings. I know I need to push myself to improve, but it sucks. It sucks always being the slowest. It sucks getting left behind.
Right now I am frustrated. But I am determined to get faster and stronger.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Ironman Coeur d'Alene - The Numbers
Some interesting, or not so interesting (all depends on what you are in to) numbers from Ironman Coeur d'Alene.
Overall: Starters = 2153, Finishers = 2032, My Rank = 1330
Age Group: Starters = 100, Finishers = 90, My Rank = 48 (The next finisher in my age group was 6 seconds after me. She had an hour and 9 minutes on me going into the run. This is why I'm glad I held back on the swim and the bike. To hold it together for the run.)
Goggles knocked off = 4 times. All on the first lap. It was insane!
Water temp = 62. Like a bathtub. :)
Average heart rate on the bike = 129. Number of times I thought there were strange birds in the Coeur d'Alene hills before remembering I had turned the alarm on on my Garmin to let me know I was pushing too far into zone 3 = embarrassing number. But once I realized those were not birds chirping at me, and that it was my Garmin yelling at me I was on top of it. Easy spinning up the hills. Sticking to my race.
Number of times peed in Wisconsin = 0. Number of times peed in Coeur d'Alene = 17. Number of stops = 7. You do the math on that one. I will let you know that 5 times were during the swim. Post race results of all this pee talk. Wisconsin - Medical tent for IV. Coeur d'Alene - Food tent for pizza. Did I over compensate a little from fear of a Wisconsin repeat? Maybe. Was 17 times a little extreme? YES! Is there a happy medium out there? I sure hope so.
Consciousness of the people around me as I headed to the finish line = 0%
Consciousness of the time on the clock = 100%
Maybe there is a happy medium for this one as well. A little more celebrating and absorbing the finish wouldn't hurt.
Time cut from Wisconsin 2007 to Coeur d'Alene 2009 = 1:32:09.
The goal = 13:30. The finishing time = 13:30:44. Success!
Overall: Starters = 2153, Finishers = 2032, My Rank = 1330
Age Group: Starters = 100, Finishers = 90, My Rank = 48 (The next finisher in my age group was 6 seconds after me. She had an hour and 9 minutes on me going into the run. This is why I'm glad I held back on the swim and the bike. To hold it together for the run.)
Goggles knocked off = 4 times. All on the first lap. It was insane!
Water temp = 62. Like a bathtub. :)
Average heart rate on the bike = 129. Number of times I thought there were strange birds in the Coeur d'Alene hills before remembering I had turned the alarm on on my Garmin to let me know I was pushing too far into zone 3 = embarrassing number. But once I realized those were not birds chirping at me, and that it was my Garmin yelling at me I was on top of it. Easy spinning up the hills. Sticking to my race.
Number of times peed in Wisconsin = 0. Number of times peed in Coeur d'Alene = 17. Number of stops = 7. You do the math on that one. I will let you know that 5 times were during the swim. Post race results of all this pee talk. Wisconsin - Medical tent for IV. Coeur d'Alene - Food tent for pizza. Did I over compensate a little from fear of a Wisconsin repeat? Maybe. Was 17 times a little extreme? YES! Is there a happy medium out there? I sure hope so.
Consciousness of the people around me as I headed to the finish line = 0%
Consciousness of the time on the clock = 100%
Maybe there is a happy medium for this one as well. A little more celebrating and absorbing the finish wouldn't hurt.
Time cut from Wisconsin 2007 to Coeur d'Alene 2009 = 1:32:09.
The goal = 13:30. The finishing time = 13:30:44. Success!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Ironman Coeur d'Alene - The Faces
Ironman brings out many emotions throughout the day. At times my face can read like a book. Here are the faces of Ironman Coeur d'Alene, TriShannon style.
Me being me.
Freaked out.
Nervous.
Scared.
Beat-up.
Focused.
Determined.
Exhausted.
Happy.
I had the swing of emotions ranging from fear and tears about 5 minutes before the start to extreme joy in crossing the finish line right on my goal time.
Great day. Great race. Awesome volunteers. Beautiful city. Couldn't ask for more out of Ironman Coeur d'Alene.
Me being me.
Freaked out.
Nervous.
Scared.
Beat-up.
Focused.
Determined.
Exhausted.
Happy.
I had the swing of emotions ranging from fear and tears about 5 minutes before the start to extreme joy in crossing the finish line right on my goal time.
Great day. Great race. Awesome volunteers. Beautiful city. Couldn't ask for more out of Ironman Coeur d'Alene.
Friday, June 19, 2009
34 More Hours
34 hours from now it begins.
That thing that was once a year away, then 6 months, then 1 month, then a week, now just a little over a day. That thing that grows and consumes a part of you and your life. That thing that you want so badly. That thing you work so hard for. That thing that can evoke every feeling within you. That thing that excites and scares you at the same time. That thing that others call you crazy for doing. That others question you about. What is it? Why are you doing it? It's that thing they will never understand until they do it. That little thing called Ironman.
In 34 hours the journey becomes the moment. The moment I've dreamed of for the past year. I will swim, bike and run my heart out. Driven by the goal of crossing that finish line again. Of hearing those coveted words... "You are an Ironman."
Good luck to everyone out there racing Coeur d'Alene. Our dreams meet on Sunday.
That thing that was once a year away, then 6 months, then 1 month, then a week, now just a little over a day. That thing that grows and consumes a part of you and your life. That thing that you want so badly. That thing you work so hard for. That thing that can evoke every feeling within you. That thing that excites and scares you at the same time. That thing that others call you crazy for doing. That others question you about. What is it? Why are you doing it? It's that thing they will never understand until they do it. That little thing called Ironman.
In 34 hours the journey becomes the moment. The moment I've dreamed of for the past year. I will swim, bike and run my heart out. Driven by the goal of crossing that finish line again. Of hearing those coveted words... "You are an Ironman."
Good luck to everyone out there racing Coeur d'Alene. Our dreams meet on Sunday.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Cross that off the list
Making a list and checking twice (okay maybe more like four or five times), not really trying to find out who is naughty or nice (more like trying to stay sane).
Yes. It's about that time. I'm in full on taper mode. I'm scared, I'm stressed, I'm anxious, I'm nervous, I'm sometimes excited, but then back to scared, stressed, anxious and nervous. Seems as though I've taken up list making to keep my sanity. If I make a list I feel like I'm organized and in control of all this. If I cross something off the list I'm making progress.
My current running lists are:
1 - Things that need to be done before leaving for Coeur d'Alene. Yesterday I crossed off print out maps and directions, laundry and get heart rate monitor working again. And just now got to cross off mow the lawn - fun times!
2 - Things I need to get before leaving for Coeur d'Alene. That would include a new bar end for my bike since one of mine seems to have suddenly disappeared. And thanks to Jordan, we now have boatloads of SPF 50 sunscreen.
3 - Food packing list. Already have all my race nutrition ready to go. Calories counted, baggies of sports drink prepared and more gels than I want to imagine consuming in one week, yet alone one day. This time I'm taking my own peanut butter with me. Last time, in Madison, I could not find "my" peanut butter. And you know how specific we triathletes can get about what we eat. I need "my" peanut butter. Yes, it's the small things that can get me worked up. Eliminating that one this time.
4 - Clothes packing list. Don't want to forget my hat, or end up short on socks. :)
So yeah. The more I cross off, the better I feel.
Yes. It's about that time. I'm in full on taper mode. I'm scared, I'm stressed, I'm anxious, I'm nervous, I'm sometimes excited, but then back to scared, stressed, anxious and nervous. Seems as though I've taken up list making to keep my sanity. If I make a list I feel like I'm organized and in control of all this. If I cross something off the list I'm making progress.
My current running lists are:
1 - Things that need to be done before leaving for Coeur d'Alene. Yesterday I crossed off print out maps and directions, laundry and get heart rate monitor working again. And just now got to cross off mow the lawn - fun times!
2 - Things I need to get before leaving for Coeur d'Alene. That would include a new bar end for my bike since one of mine seems to have suddenly disappeared. And thanks to Jordan, we now have boatloads of SPF 50 sunscreen.
3 - Food packing list. Already have all my race nutrition ready to go. Calories counted, baggies of sports drink prepared and more gels than I want to imagine consuming in one week, yet alone one day. This time I'm taking my own peanut butter with me. Last time, in Madison, I could not find "my" peanut butter. And you know how specific we triathletes can get about what we eat. I need "my" peanut butter. Yes, it's the small things that can get me worked up. Eliminating that one this time.
4 - Clothes packing list. Don't want to forget my hat, or end up short on socks. :)
So yeah. The more I cross off, the better I feel.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Weekend
Last weekend Jordan and I headed to Durango, CO. He was racing the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic and I was set for my longest training weekend for Coeur d'Alene. We made an already long Memorial Day weekend even longer by hitting the road early Friday morning.
3 bikes were loaded and ready to go. 2 on top...
And 1 inside. We see which bike has the priority. Jordan's precious BMC. No outside riding for that one. :)
With Starbucks in hand, off we went.
On the way to Durango we stopped for lunch at this great little organic cafe in Del Norte, CO. It was so good that we stopped on the way home also. Highly recommended!
Saturday morning was the big day. The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. Durango to Silverton, CO. 50 miles and 2 mountain passes (Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass). I was surprisingly calm, but maybe more because I didn't really know what I was in for. I was doing the citizens ride, Jordan was racing. Here's a shot of Jordan primping pre-race.
This was to be only a piece of my long day. 7 hours on the bike followed by an hour run. I was really hoping the weather would hold.
Um... those clouds are awfully low.
Should we really head straight into that cloud? Maybe we should go the other way. Mountain passes are over-rated.
Thankfully the weather held. I was able to get a few shots while riding, but didn't want to stop for the great photos. I was on a mission. This was to be an epic Ironman training day. Plus Jordan is WAY faster than me, so I wanted to limit his waiting time in Silverton.
Of course for this Ironman in training, 50 miles and 2 mountain passes wasn't enough. Jordan graciously agreed to continue on with me in my quest for 7 hours, so off we headed up Red Mountain Pass. (I must admit that at this point all I wanted was to be a normal person who gets to have lunch and a beer in Silverton.)
We got dumped on for the last 15ish minutes of the ride, which made the dreaded transition run even worse. But as any good Ironman in training would do, I sucked it up, changed my clothes and set out for an hour run. I find week after week it's just about getting out the door. I dread the run for the last hour of the ride, I stall changing my clothes and getting started, but once I go it's fine. I wonder why I even get myself all worked up. Definitely something I need to deal with if there is another Ironman in my future.
Sunday was crit day. Jordan opted out on this day. He keeps telling me that crits "aren't his thing." And I can definitely see why. Picture of the group coming around one of the corners. So glad we don't deal with this in triathlon. Scary! I'll keep my 3 bike lengths thank you very much.
The announcer loved this guy. And for good reason. He's only 16 and he easily won the crit and the time trial the next day. Watch out for Yannick Eckmann.
An 18 mile run, not exactly knowing where to go and closed roads caused me to miss Jordan finishing the time trial. I felt really bad. He did great though!
Fabulous weekend of racing for him. Last super long training weekend for me. Can it really be time to start tapering? Ironman Coeur d'Alene... we're headed your way next.
3 bikes were loaded and ready to go. 2 on top...
And 1 inside. We see which bike has the priority. Jordan's precious BMC. No outside riding for that one. :)
With Starbucks in hand, off we went.
On the way to Durango we stopped for lunch at this great little organic cafe in Del Norte, CO. It was so good that we stopped on the way home also. Highly recommended!
Saturday morning was the big day. The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. Durango to Silverton, CO. 50 miles and 2 mountain passes (Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass). I was surprisingly calm, but maybe more because I didn't really know what I was in for. I was doing the citizens ride, Jordan was racing. Here's a shot of Jordan primping pre-race.
This was to be only a piece of my long day. 7 hours on the bike followed by an hour run. I was really hoping the weather would hold.
Um... those clouds are awfully low.
Should we really head straight into that cloud? Maybe we should go the other way. Mountain passes are over-rated.
Thankfully the weather held. I was able to get a few shots while riding, but didn't want to stop for the great photos. I was on a mission. This was to be an epic Ironman training day. Plus Jordan is WAY faster than me, so I wanted to limit his waiting time in Silverton.
Of course for this Ironman in training, 50 miles and 2 mountain passes wasn't enough. Jordan graciously agreed to continue on with me in my quest for 7 hours, so off we headed up Red Mountain Pass. (I must admit that at this point all I wanted was to be a normal person who gets to have lunch and a beer in Silverton.)
We got dumped on for the last 15ish minutes of the ride, which made the dreaded transition run even worse. But as any good Ironman in training would do, I sucked it up, changed my clothes and set out for an hour run. I find week after week it's just about getting out the door. I dread the run for the last hour of the ride, I stall changing my clothes and getting started, but once I go it's fine. I wonder why I even get myself all worked up. Definitely something I need to deal with if there is another Ironman in my future.
Sunday was crit day. Jordan opted out on this day. He keeps telling me that crits "aren't his thing." And I can definitely see why. Picture of the group coming around one of the corners. So glad we don't deal with this in triathlon. Scary! I'll keep my 3 bike lengths thank you very much.
The announcer loved this guy. And for good reason. He's only 16 and he easily won the crit and the time trial the next day. Watch out for Yannick Eckmann.
An 18 mile run, not exactly knowing where to go and closed roads caused me to miss Jordan finishing the time trial. I felt really bad. He did great though!
Fabulous weekend of racing for him. Last super long training weekend for me. Can it really be time to start tapering? Ironman Coeur d'Alene... we're headed your way next.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Technology?
Could this really have gotten me a massive PR on the bike? Could this really have gotten me the fastest bike split in my age group and one of the fastest bike splits of all females?
Who knew I had a 22.4 mph pace in me? I sure didn't. I mean, I've only broken 20 mph in one race. Where did this speed come from?
Is it all my hard work, is it technology or is it a combo? Since I followed it up with my fastest 5K ever (triathlon or stand-alone) I'm going with a combo.
Maybe I'm not a poser in this helmet after all. Thanks Rudy Project!
Who knew I had a 22.4 mph pace in me? I sure didn't. I mean, I've only broken 20 mph in one race. Where did this speed come from?
Is it all my hard work, is it technology or is it a combo? Since I followed it up with my fastest 5K ever (triathlon or stand-alone) I'm going with a combo.
Maybe I'm not a poser in this helmet after all. Thanks Rudy Project!
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