2013 Had Ups and Downs

Like most years, 2013 was a roller coaster ride.  There were ups and downs.  Luckily I had more ups than downs 🙂

Let’s start with the lows, so I can end 2013 on a high note!!

Downs:

• Superior Man Triathlon, August 25: DNF (Did Not Finish)
• Grandpa died September 9 (just 6 days shy of turning 96 years young): While I am very sad that he is gone, I am happy that he lived such a monumental life and is now reunited and dancing with Grandma.
• I fell into a mental slump after my DNF in August and really struggled to find self-control again.  Every workout I did was a challenge both physically and mentally and I lost focus for a while.
• I injured my right shin after the Indianapolis Marathon and had to go though physical therapy.  As it turns out, it was caused by my back on my left side…go figure.
• I got sick, strep throat, severe sinus infection and the beginning stages of pneumonia, in the middle of December (just before winter break).

Ups:

• Bringing in the New Year with a New Year’s Day “5K” race
• Little Rock Marathon, March 3: While this wasn’t a PR for me, I was very happy breaking the 4 hour barrier and had a fantabulous weekend with friends!!
• Drake 1/2 Marathon, April 28:  While this wasn’t a PR for me, I did get to help a friend find the inner strength to push herself when it got challenging and finish the race.
• Ironman Kansas 70.3, June 9:  I set a PR with a time of 6:05.53 (shaving 26.51 off this distance)
• Lake Geode Olympic Distance Triathlon, July 13:  I set another PR with a time of 2:53.40 (shaving 11.46 off this distance)
• Okoboji Triathlon, July 20:  Another PR with a time of 1:55.07 (shaving 3.00 off this odd distance triathlon)
• Olympic Distance Triathlon Age Group Nationals, August 10:  I broke the PR I set at Lake Geode one month earlier and set a new PR with a time of 2:49.03 (shaving 4.37 off my Lake Geode time)
• The Iron Hippie and I renovated our back yard…regrading the  slope of land, installing a new fence, putting in a fire pit with a small patio around it and seeding the lawn.  We still have some work to do, but the yard already looks 100% better than when we bought the house.
• Signed up for Ironman Wisconsin 2014, September 9:  I will again be competing in Ironman Wisconsin on September 7, 2014.  I am excited to train and race at that level again!!
• I was blessed to spend time with family (both immediate and extended) when we celebrated Grandpa’s life.
• Indianapolis Marathon, October 19:  I ran my 2nd fastest marathon to date and finished in 3:56.42.  While I didn’t qualify for Boston like I originally hoped, I did execute a near perfect race given the circumstances of the day.
• I was blessed to create MANY amazing memories with family and friends in 2013!!
• Finished off they year happy, healthy and ready to start IRONMAN training 🙂

Racing Success in 2013 = 6 medals and 1 trophy…I’m looking forward to many more “ups” in 2014!!!

What were some of your ups and downs of 2013?

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USA Triathlon Olympic-Distance National Championship…Oh My!!

Saturday morning I competed in the Lake Geode Challenge Triathlon and was super ecstatic about getting 2nd in my age group!!  Little did I know that it would only get better…

Tuesday morning when I checked my email, what should I find in my inbox?!?!?!?

The email I received letting me know I had qualified for Nationals…WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

I had NO idea Lake Geode Challenge Triathlon was a qualifying race, NOR did even think I could/would qualify for Nationals!!  This was a HUGE decision to make!!  Olympic-Distance National Championship is on August 10, 2013…my 70.3 race is on August 25, 2013.  I still have this lingering goal of breaking 6 hours on the 70.3 distance, but if I race at nationals, I’m unsure of how that will factor into pushing my limits and breaking that 6 hour barrier in Duluth on August 25.

I immediately emailed Coach Julie and asked for her opinion.  Her response, “The timing isn’t awesome, but it’s not terrible either. Nationals is close to home this year & next, but next year will not be a good year for you to do it. So, I say if you want to do it, this is the year! Whatever way you choose, I’ll make it happen.”

I pondered this for most of the day, but came to the following decision…

Yes…I am racing at the National Championship on August 10 and then turning around and racing my 70.3 a short 2 weeks later.  Crazy????  Maybe, but this is an opportunity that may not come my way for quite some time, so I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity!!  Seize the day!!