Hello race week! Where did you come from?! I Have been awaiting your arrival for so long! Now that you are here, I’m kind of wishing time would slow down a bit so we could savor this a bit longer!
We made it to Mont Tremblant last Monday and have filled our week with tapering workouts, family time, and relaxation.
Swim: 2187 yards
We got to swim in one of the most cleanest, nicest pools ever in Mont Tremblant! Why can’t we have an indoor facility like this in Ames?!
Bike: 31.5 miles
Riding in our condo thanks to the rain outside.Putting in some work, but alas the storms showed up and cut our work a bit short for this ride!
Run: 14.7 miles
Getting my happy on with my last double digit run done before race day in this beautiful place!These running/biking trails are spectacular!Running with my fave for a few miles to shake out the legs post massage.
Strength Training: 10 minutes of core most days
Weekly Totals: 5 hours & 54 minutes
Weekly Positives:
Crossing the border into Canada!Arriving at our condo…look at this view!Riding the gondola to the top of the hills to look out over Mont Tremblant!The top! These views!This amazing pizza…I’m dreaming about it!Getting a pre-race massage at our condo. Melanie Jardot did a FANTASTIC job. HIGHLY recommend her for massage if you are in need of one in Mont Tremblant!My family from California came came for a few days! #happyheartLove these three monkeys!Family snugglesWe went to the top on the gondola again!Getting ready to ride the luge in the summer!Riding into the village…that is the Ironman tent in the background!Taking a quick gander at the Ironman Village as it gets set up!Enjoying a beer by the fire after babysitting the nieces so my sister and brother-in-law could enjoy a date night!
Quote of the Week:
My heart is full of happiness, love, and gratitude!
How is it even possible that we are just under 2 weeks away from Ironman Mont Tremblant?!?! We spent this last week in Lake Placid, NY and it was spectacular! The views, the training, the quiet time, the time spent meeting others…all of it was simply spectacular!
Swim: 11,966 yards
First swim in Mirror Lake in Lake Placid with my fave on Tuesday! These views are amazing!First swim in Mirror Lake…there is a 1.2 mile cable in the water to follow, just like the black line on the bottom of the pool! How awesome!First swim in Mirror Lake…I just love the underwater cable!Swimming in Mirror Lake again on Wednesday…this underwater cable is the bomb!Swimming in Mirror Lake on Friday with my New Wave buoy! I love that there are no motorized boats allowed on this lake!Sunday morning’s swim in Mirror Lake was a bit chilly as the air temps were 51*F when I started.Thankfully the sky started to clear up and allow the sun to start to shine through during Sunday’s swim, but it was till only 59*F when I had to strip my wetsuit…brrr!
Bike: 93.8 miles
Easy recovery ride to shed the training camp fatigueEasy spin on the bike on a rainy day.Riding the Ironman Lake Placid bike course means a quick stop at the Olympic Bobsled track!Mojo loves the views of the Ironman Lake Placid bike course!I also love the views of the Ironman Lake Placid bike course!After climbing out of Jay, it was time for a little descending.But we had more climbing (this is looking backwards) back to Lake Placid from Wilmington.Amazing waterfall views on the way back into Lake Placid!Beautiful views on the Ironman Lake Placid bike course!
Run: 7.96 miles
Views from my run on River Road (part of the Ironman Lake Placid run course).Views from my run on River Road (part of the Ironman Lake Placid run course).
I forgot to take pics of my run around Mirror Lake 😦
Strength Training: 10 minutes of core almost daily
Weekly Totals: 12 hours & 13 minutes
Weekly Positives:
Soaking in the beauty of Mirror Lake!
Getting to explore the Olympic venues!
The Ice Hockey venue where Miracle on Ice took place!Being tourists in Lake PlacidThe Ski jump!Standing on the podium for the ski jumpOvercoming fears and going to the top of the ski jump to look out over Lake Placid and surrounding areas.
Free music on the lake on Tuesday night!
A beautiful night for a free concert on the lake!
Eating at some great places:
Sitting on the deck overlooking the lake at The CottageSelfie on the dock at The CottageEnjoying a drink at the Blue Line Brewery in Saranac Lake.Emma’s ice cream (don’t worry…it is dairy free for me)Big Slide Brewery has some great pizza options and some pretty tasty craft brews also!
Doing laundry…
Meeting Amy Farrell…one of my Coeur Sports teammates!
This lady is AMAZING!
Last day in Lake Placid:
Soaking in the views one last time at Mirror Lake
Quote of the Week:
“The best gifts in the world are not in the material objects one can buy from the store, but in the memories we make with the people we love!” ~Amanda Boyarshinov
What a week! Full of travel, fun, laughs, training camp, and adventures! Other than traveling over 1500 miles by car, this is brief rundown of my week…
Swim: 6976 yards
Starting the day off right! #swimlove with my fave for some #mondaymotivationMorning swim in 86*F water in La Porte, Indiana with my fave! #toohotforlapswimmingOpen water endurance swim at Track Cat Training Camp!
Bike: 98.4 miles
Last workout in Iowa for a while! #tuesdaytimetrial with my fave!Long ride in Vermont at the Track Cat Training Camp on Friday up to Smuggler’s Notch! Epic climbs and views!Climbing my way up App Gap in Vermont at the Track Cat Training Camp on Saturday…That. Was. HARD! So much fun at the top!
Run: 16.7 miles
Last long run before #IMMT in Stowe, Vermont…now it is time to taper and soak up all this training!
Strength Training: 10 minutes of core strength almost daily
Weekly Totals: 12 hours & 46 minutes
Weekly Positives:
I will have a separate post on the Track Cat Training Camp later this week, but it was SO much fun, challenging, beautiful, and a truly amazing experience!
#trackcatstrong
Stopping at Niagara Falls on our way out to Vermont…We have never been here before and it was beautiful!
Riding a ferry across Lake Champlain from Vermont into New York…that was the first time I’ve ever driven a car onto a boat and taken a fairy ride! It felt good to get out and stretch the legs a bit!
Arriving in Lake Placid…This is where we will spend the next week of our trication!
Getting our bib numbers for Ironman Mont Tremblant!! It is getting so close to race day!! I can’t believe it!!
Quote of the Week:
“Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures!” ~Lovelle Drachman
Last week was HOT + HUMID + STICKY + GROSS! I think we got a taste of what hell is like!
Yep…Last week was VERY hot + humid! Good thing we leave soon for some cooler temps in the New England states and Canada!Ha Ha! This doesn’t show the heat index, which was even higher…
Swim:
Monday morning meters!Pushing myself to new limits in the pool Tuesday morning left me with a HUGE smile on my face!
Bike:
Pushing myself to new limits on this #timetrialtuesday of #triweekWe rode inside on Thursday because of an excessive heat advisory! Looking forward to cooler temps in the Northeast!Last long ride (107+ miles) in Iowa done before leaving for the NE! With an excessive heat advisory Saturday, there were a few times I felt like I was in hell, but I kept on going!
Run:
“Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds.” ~Marta Wednesday’s 18 mile run was a sufferfest, but I was determined to #nevergiveup and was SO happy to be done!Run off the bike in the excessive heat advisory on Saturday was tough, but I finished strong!Helping my fave get some birthday miles in Sunday morning! Happy Birthday to the Iron Hippie!
Strength Training: 10 minutes of core strength daily
Weekly Totals: 17 hours & 8 minutes
Weekly Positives:
With a really tight calf comes dry needling. Thanks to Dr. Chris at Team Chiropractic for keeping me healthy and getting me in to see him right away!Thank you Kyle for getting Mojo ready for my last big push to Ironman Mont Tremblant! You are the BEST! Kyle’s Bikes all the way!Basil says, “#winningtakesguts I’m so glad Sound Probiotics keeps you healthy mama!”So grateful to have Nick with Vitality Massage as part of my tribe!
Quote of the Week:
“If you’re going through hell, keep going!” ~Winston Churchill
Last week flew by in the blink of an eye! So much fun, lots of recovery time, family time, and a race to cap off the week!
Swim: 1574 yards
I love swimming at home home! So awesome with the New Wave Swim Buoy in Lake Okoboji!#swimlove with my fave at home home!
Bike: 45.7 miles
Pure joy comes when you learn new skills! Congratulations to Maggie! She stared fear in the face and won! So proud of you Maggie!“Mama, you say recovery ride. We say recovery is sleeping!” ~Basil and Mya
Run: 7.71 miles
Sweaty, nasty race prep miles.
Strength Training: 10 minutes of core almost daily (I did miss a couple of days)
Getting some help with my core work…holding plank with 3 of my nieces on my back!
Weekly Totals: 5 hours & 44 minutes
Weekly Positives:
So grateful to CEP Compression for my Tour prize! I will recover like a champ! THANK YOU!Tubing is part of the pre-race training plan, right?!4 of my favorite girls swimming in the lake off the boat!Family + Lake Okoboji = #happyheartCheering on the participants at the start of the Okoboji Marathon.2nd place AG at the Okoboji Triathlon! I’ll have a race report on the blog later this week!Enjoying Indian cuisine with our friends + being blessed with these gifts from India = #happyheart
Quote of the Week:
“Rest. It’s part of the plan. Muscles are torn in training, fed in the kitchen, and built in bed.”
I’m mentally and physically ready for this last big push to Ironman Mont Tremblant! Only 5 more weeks?! CRAZY!!
Last week was a HARD week…I reached to complete fatigue! Lots of training, lots of emotions, lots of food, lots of exhaustion, lots of naps, lots of laundry, lots of balance…lots of imperfection, lots of lessons learned! Thanks to Coach Kelly for helping me get #trackcatstrong and pulling me out of the “quicksand” right before I sink.
Swim: 13,345 yards
Monday Morning Meters! What a beautiful morning for some #swimloveThursday morning meters!4100 morning meters to start my BIG training Friday!Pool shenanigans after a long Saturday!
Bike: 133 miles
Easy spin on the bike Monday!All the Watts ThursdayI’m in a big build…today (Friday) adversity had me sitting on the side of the road in tears with 10 miles to go. I had lots of thoughts and choices while sitting under the tree. I chose to get back on Mojo and continue to chase my dreams! As Coach Kelly says, “it is supposed to feel like that and that this is what it takes. :)” First solo century is in the books!While the Iron Hippie races Saturday, I do my recovery ride and finish just in time to see him come in off the bike!
Run: 36.4 miles
So happy + #grateful to finally put together a pretty solid long run despite the full sun, warm temps, + high dew point. Mother Nature put up a fight, but I won Wednesday!Thursday’s miles off the bikePut a fork in me! I’m done! Friday’s run off the bike did me in!Sunday’s split long run: AM 10 mile run + PM 8 mile run = most running miles in one day so far this year!Thank you WTForecast for this! With the heat index at 99*F, my split long run on Sunday was exactly as you predicted!My weather app was right! This split long run on Sunday gave me a “Sriracha enema” and it wasn’t pleasant, but it’s done! Bring on the recovery week!
Strength Training: 10 minutes of core strength daily
Weekly Totals: 20 hours & 22 minutes
Weekly Positives:
So much fun to watch dog jumping downtown this July 4th weekend!A much needed massage Wednesday to get everything ready for a BIG training weekend! Thanks Nick at Vitality Massage for keeping me healthy + injury free!So much fun to meet my Coeur Sports teammate, Michelle, Saturday and cheer her on to 1st place AG as she raced in Iowa last weekend!Spectating while the Iron Hippie races himself to a HUGE PR at the Accel Olympic-distance Triathlon! 2nd out of the water in his AG is AMAZING…he learned to swim 8 years ago!Turning social media friends into real friends is so much fun! So glad Jen and I connected in real life!
Quote of the Week:
“There is no perfect time. No perfect opportunity. No perfect situation. No perfect moment. You either make it happen, or you don’t.” ~Melissa Stockwell
I honestly can’t believe how quickly the summer is flying by! How is it possible that we are down to 7 weeks from race day and leave for our long summer vacation in just 3 weeks?!?! Here is a snapshot of last week:
Swim: 5455 yards
Doing the work, even when we can’t swim outside because the pool is closed!Outdoor swimming is the best! So #grateful to have my fave at my side for so many of life’s crazy adventures!
Bike: 101 miles
Easy spin post long run to loosen up the legs!“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” ~my mama This seems to be the theme this week! I just keep doin’ the work!Mojo and I spent some quality time with Mother Nature! I love the open roads on 2 wheels in Iowa!
Run: 30.8 miles
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” ~my mama Learning lessons is always better to do during training rather than on race day! Today I learned a fair number of lessons during my long run.Giving everything I had during my morning hill repeats, required a quick rest in the street when I was done!Run off the bike post long ride!This morning’s hilly run was powered by Kona motivation thanks to Coeur Sports, my new Orange Mud handheld water bottle, and a whole lot of #believe as I drove my tired legs to the top of each hill I encountered!
Strength Training: 45 minutes + 10 minutes of core daily
Weekly Totals: 14 hours & 58 minutes
Weekly Positives:
Strong, athletic women are the best! Summer doesn’t get much better than this!Spending some much needed time with my sole sister!Love these peeps!
Quote of the Week:
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” ~my mama
Last week was my first full week of summer break and it FLEW by! Here’s a quick look at my week!
Swim: 8093 yards
It has been AWESOME swimming in the 50 meter outdoor pool! I love this pool and am so lucky to get to swim in it all summer!
Jumping back into my happy place!Thank you SBR Sports Inc for allowing me to enjoy some morning chlorine therapy and leave the chlorine at the pool!When you finish your swim MUCH stronger + faster than you started, you experience major #swimlove
Bike: 90.5 miles
I had a couple of trainer rides, but also got to spend 70 glorious miles outdoors on two wheels with very little wind on Friday! It was SO AWESOME!
An easy ride to test the legs post race with some Ironman Tri motivation on the wall. “Anything is possible!”While it may not look like it, I LOVED this ride getting to push it again!Major #bikelove on the trails today with very little wind for 70 miles!!
Run: 25.5 miles
With a few shorter runs throughout the week, I had a split long run on Sunday that I was so excited about…I crushed my goal pace and and averaged a sub 8:30 minute/mile pace for 14 total miles!
That was a hot, humid, and windy run! I think I’ll just lay here for a while to cool down!Jumping for joy because the heat index is much lower today and my run was amazing as a result!Morning miles with my favorite girl!Morning Run split on Sunday with the afternoon one being even faster on the exact same route!So giddy with today’s split run! 2×7 miles at sub 8:30 minute/mile pace left a HUGE smile on my face for run #2 today as I crushed my goal!!
Strength Training: 45 minute + 10 minutes of core daily
Weekly Totals: 14 hours & 12 minutes
Weekly Positives:
Post race massage on Monday was not nearly as painful as my massages typically are. Thanks Nick!
Our twin nieces came and stayed with us for a couple of nights! We had so much fun and didn’t even get it all documented!
Meeting my mother in the middle of no where Iowa to pick up the twins for a couple of nights!Helping to make dinner!Cleaning all the fruit!Playing games!Helping to prepare breakfast!Visiting Iowa State University’s campusVisiting Iowa State University’s campusEating Tropical Snow
Quote of the Week:
“Extremes are easy. Strive for balance.” ~Colin Wright
Last week was full of fun, but there was also some pain involved!
Swim: 11,200 yards
I had 4 swims last week, making this week my largest swim week in 2017! I’m still working on my flip turns, but have a LONG way to go for consistent results…sometimes I push off the wall, sometimes I miss, and I’m almost always off center and rotated when I flip! I’m not going to give up though…just keep swimming + practicing!
Soaring into the new week with 3800 yards of #swimlove on this #motivationalmondayStarting #workforitwednesday off with a splash!Friday night #swimlove is my fave!Finishing off the week with 3600 yards of #swimlove and staring at this line!
Bike: 104 miles
I gained a LOT of self confidence last week on the bike! On Tuesday morning, I had some intervals that pushed me WAY out of my comfort zone…since I am pushing higher watts at my FTP, I have to work SO MUCH HARDER! It will definitely be worth it on race day! Saturday’s long solo ride, was my first ever long solo ride. I was nervous about going out by myself on the open roads, but I chose safe roads, and had a great ride despite my stomach acting up! I synced my phone up with the Iron Hippie’s phone before I left, so he was tracking my every move…safety first!
Overcoming self doubt + working WAY out of my comfort zone = HUGE confidence booster on this #timetrialtuesdaySome #bikelove on this #workforitwednesdayFirst long solo ride on Saturday! HUGE confidence builder!What goes down, must come up!
Run: 23.1 miles
Last week the temperatures started to feel more like late spring, early summer here in central Iowa. This made for some heat acclimation this week! Little by little, I will acclimate to the hot, humid summers that engulf us here in the Midwest!
Oh…and a smokin’ fast brick run with the sunrise Tuesday morning made me giddy!Hill repeats with the sunrise is a perfect way to start the day! #rememberingTRJBrick run to follow Saturday’s long ride!Sunday run day! #courageovercomfort
I had good variety in my strength training this last week. Tuesday’s strength session left me with some DOMS that stuck around longer than normal, but Nick with Vitality Massage got me back on track just in time for the weekend’s longer workouts!
Weekly Totals: 16 hours & 17 minutes
Weekly Positives:
I decided to throw my comfort to the wind this weekend and run in just a sports bra and shorts. This is a HUGE step for me as I am very self conscious, but am working to become more self confident!
Nick worked all the kinks out of my legs Friday night and then I headed to the pool to see if some active recovery would help me bounce back from my massage quicker.
Working out the kinks!
We have two of our favorite fur friends staying with us this week, which means 4 big dogs with LOTS of lovin’!!
Puppy play time!
I love my evening snuggles with Basil! She is so calming and relaxing!
Last week was an easy week in preparation for my 1/2 marathon on Saturday.
Swim: 4950 yards
I had 2 swims last week where I spent some time working on my flip turns. They are far more complicated than I think they should be! My goal is to get them mostly under control this month so I can use them more frequently when we get outside in the 50 meter pool!
Going in for the flip…and I missed the wall. Guess I have more practicing to do!Flippin’ Friday night!
Bike: 27.1 miles
I had some good bike rides last week, but nothing with a lot of intensity as I was preparing for the Drake 1/2 Marathon on Saturday. I even had a scheduled run off the bike this week! First brick of the season! 🙂
Why the big grin?! 15 minutes of Z3 work today was above my threshold watts going into Ironman Wisconsin 7 months ago and it felt easy!! Thanks to Coach Kelly for helping me get stronger on the bike this year!!#workforitwednesday + #bikelove with my fave!First scheduled brick of the season done and dusted!!
Run: 15.9 miles
I had a short run off the bike on Thursday to shake out the legs before Saturday’s race. My race didn’t go quite as planned, but I’m still very happy with my official finish time of 1:51:43 on a VERY hilly course! Lesson learned: I think my pre-race massage on Wednesday was too close to my race. My legs felt like lead…even during my shake out run for about 10 minutes on my way to the race start. Unfortunately that lead feeling didn’t go away once the race started. I started off at a pace that I wanted to maintain for the entire race, but at about mile 6, the wheels fell off. I kept talking out loud to my legs hoping they would start to feel light as feathers, but they just wouldn’t listen to all the self talk in the world! I kept pushing as hard as I could throughout the entire race and finished about 3 minutes faster than last year…positive! The rain also held off until after we were done…another positive! While it wasn’t the race I was hoping for, there are still positives and lessons learned for the future. I have already scheduled my pre-race massage for my 70.3 a full week out from the race…lesson learned! 😉
Not quite the race I was hoping for, but I pushed as hard as I could all the way through! Grateful the rain held off until after I finished! Another Drake 1/2 is in the books!
I had a couple of good strength training sessions this week. I really want to get back to yoga, but my left knee is still deeply bruised from my fall a couple of weeks ago. It isn’t ready for me to kneel on it yet!
Weekly Totals: 7 hours & 4 minutes
Weekly Positives:
We had some special deliveries this week from Sound Probiotics and Barnana…SO awesome to have these amazing sponsors supporting us this year!
Special delivery from Sound Probiotics to keep our guts healthy!Someone is eyeing all of our Barnana goodness that arrived this week!
I had a pre-race massage this week and Nick really worked out some tension from my tight muscles! While it was a little too close to my race, it was a lesson learned and I’ve scheduled my next pre-race massage to hopefully avoid the same outcome!
I ended the week with puppy snuggles with my favorite girl! She makes the best pillow!
Sunday snuggles with my girl!
Quote of the Week:
“Never regret anything that has happened in your life, it cannot be changed, undone, or forgotten. So take it as a lesson learned and move on.” ~Author Unknown
Riding a ferry across Lake Champlain from Vermont into New York…that was the first time I’ve ever driven a car onto a boat and taken a fairy ride! It felt good to get out and stretch the legs a bit!
PushMyLimits 