The Finish Line at Wildflower May 2006

This is at the finish line at Wildflower last May.... I was REALLY happy, as you can tell. That half ironman took 7 hours, 53 minutes, 18 seconds for me to complete.
A quick overview of my goals for the next four months of training:March: Complete "swim camp", a three week intensive swim program that my coach designed. It sets the foundation for the swim portion of the Ironman, after swim camp I will just need to do "maintanence" swimming. April: Run a competitive half marathon. Last spring I ran a half marathon in 2 hours 18 minutes, this past January I ran a similar course half marathon in 2 hours, 31 minutes..... I obviously lost ground! My goal is to run a 2 hour 18 minute half marathon in April. May: Run a full marathon (my first) - either the Flying Pig marathon in Cincinnati in early May, or the Cleveland Marathon mid-May. I also would like to enter the "Little Smokies" half ironman end of May. June: complete my first century ride (100 plus miles) if I haven't already tackled that sometime in April or May.

V.I.P.s!!!

Here' s the man who is going to make sure I come back from Idaho in one piece! and don't end up in the hospital that day (the temperature at last year's Ironman Idaho was in the 100's!) Coach Kurt is a seasoned triathlete, runner, coach, etc. etc. He has dozens of successful Marathons, Ironman's, trips to Hawaii and Boston under his belt. He also helped build the northern Ohio Team in Training triathlon program, and has been involved with this sport for over two decades. I'm in good hands as I train over the next four months!

This is a photo of my dear friend, Karen (nickname Wild C) who introduced me to the sport of triathlon and encouraged me to take the plunge and join Team in Training to do my first Olympic distance triathlon. We're pictured here enjoying Starbucks at approximately 5:45 am the morning before the 2005 Chicago Accenture triathlon.

Ironman Idaho is in 114 days.......

As many of you know, I have set a personal goal of competing in an full Ironman triathlon this year..... I will be heading out to Coeur d'Alene Idaho for Ironman Idaho on June 24, 2007. Distances = 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run. consecutively. What a goal and what an opportunity to prove to myself that I can do anything, huh! It will be especially meaningful because of where I started two and a half years ago, out of shape, 50 plus pounds overweight, newly separated from my ex husband, confused, depressed, etc. etc. I had never run and when I first started I could only run for about two minutes, truly. I had never biked, except as a kid. I was a good swimmer, but nothing competitively. I was a true NEWBIE!

The reason for all this background info. is that I feel that if I can complete this Ironman, then ANYONE can get fit and change their bodies. Those of you who know me know what a difference this sport has made in my life, and there have been so many inspirational people along the way, many of whom I met through Team in Training and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society....I'm hoping to be inspirational for anyone who can relate to my fitness "story".

Soooo, I have decided to blog my efforts. It is for selfish reasons really, the more people I share my goal with, the more accountability I feel, and its great to know that I've got many wonderful friends and family that are behind me on this.

I've posted an update from my trip to California for the Wildflower Triathlons last May with Team in Training, which was the longest distance race I have done to date, a half Ironman. My goal coming out of that experience was to mantain my fitness/endurance level over the summer, develop a strong running base in fall, ditto for swimming in winter, and then start serious biking this spring. Guess what.... that didn't happen. none of it. I am in nowhere NEAR as good of shape as I was in May, I'm about 20 lbs. heavier, and I have slipped in my speed and endurance levels. I'll spare you the details/excuses of why, but I'm basically starting from scratch for Ironman Idaho (I have a decent base level of fitness/endurance, but like I've said, I've gone backwards in many aspects from last May). What that means is that for the next 114 days I have to make every day count, no "off days", if I am to cross the finish line on June 24th inury free and still being able to communicate (and before they close the course down!)

I am not alone on this journey, I am working closely with my good friend and seasoned triathlon coach Kurt, and I have many close friends who are accomplished runners and triathletes who are helping me.

Bottom Line, I feel blessed to have this opportunity, and I know that once I come back from Coeur d'Alene the sky's the limit.... I will be able to accomplish anything:) Thanks for joining me on this ride!

The "trail" run course

This was a dusty, hot, and at times treacherous (at least it felt like it to me) half marathon, which ended the Half Ironman at Wildflower. I had to walk most of the hills on this run course, and I lost my footing more than once. I honestly did feel like one of the trail horses I used to ride out at a dude ranch in Wyoming, I have a new appreciation for what those horses do all day on the trails in the hot sun.... hopefully I won't be reincarnated as a trail horse in a future life.

On the Bike Course.....

AT this point of the bike, I really was holding on for dear life. I was coming down the descent of "nasty grade" going about 45 miles per hour, you know you are in trouble when you apply your brake and nothing happens.................. At one point I did think "I might die soon", but I held on, my knees hurt from trying to grip the bike so hard!!!

Susanna and Me - Pre-Race Smiles

Lake San Antonio, CA, home of Wildflower Triathlon

Coack Kurt at the Campsite

Laura P. addressing TNT triathletes

The highlight of race weekend, besides finishing (!), was hearing Laura address the hundreds of TNT athletes who had come from across the country to compete at Wildflower.

Wildflower Triathlon is considered the "Woodstock" of triathlons........ because most of athletes and spectators camp over the weekend, plus there are lots of impromptu parties, music, the occasional streakers through the campsites, the drunken coeds at the water stops, and, like the guys pictured above, the triathletes who convert their vans into a Margaretaville on wheels and then party right next to your campsite until 3 in the morning. The two guys who own this van (the guy with the beard and the guy with the camera) reminded me of Cheech and Chong. Here is some of the team posing in front of the party van.

Wildflower Teammates McSpeedy and Coastie