Last week was all about focus! Staying focused during training, on the process of chasing my dreams, while packing for a weekend getaway, on my pre-race preparations, on my race strategy, during my race…focus, Focus, FOCUS!!
Swim: 4596 yards
Focus! Push the pace and challenge yourself on the longer stuff!!First open water swim of the season! I remained wetsuit hicky free thanks to the #trislide by SBR Sports, Inc.! Get some today using code KEPL18 for 20% off your next order!!
Bike: 38.4 miles
Pre-race prep…solid 20 minute working set nailing my goal watts!!Pre-race spin on the bike. Mojo is ready to race! Don’t worry…I didn’t ride around in the hotel lobby! 🙂
Run: 13.3 miles
Pre race prep…Run off the bike Wednesday morning with a solid goal race pace for the first 12 minutes as planned! #confidencebuilderRunning in the heat of the day to acclimate…Summer is finally here and it puts a smile on my face!!Pre-race shake out run! I got to enjoy 10 easy minutes with my fave! He went on for a longer run!!
Kansas City Olympic Distance Triathlon:
Swim…lap #1 done!Swim…done!T1Time to ride!What a HOT run!Race done!
Strength Training: 10 minutes of core strength or stretching daily
Weekly Totals: 6 hours & 56 minutes
Quote of the Week:
“Focus! Focus on today! Focus on this moment! What can I do today to make me better tomorrow?!”
Attitude of Gratitude:
So grateful to Nick, at Vitality Massage, for helping me keep my body healthy and race ready!So grateful + blessed to be part of this amazing Coeur Sports team! I have met so many incredible women in sport and am excited to meet even more!! #TeamCoeur2018 #CourageTeam18Thanks to my fave for taking some fab pics of me in our new Coeur Sports 2018 team kit!! #rockstarA clean bike is a FAST bike!! Mojo is clean and ready to race!!The 50 meter outdoor pool has water in it!! #signsofsummerFlat Kecia is ready to toe the start line of her first triathlon of 2018. Time to go have some fun!!So grateful to have my fave as Sherpa/spectator extraordinaire for me!!
How was your week?! What were you grateful for last week?! How do you keep your focus and stay in the moment?!
Last week’s focus was to show up and do the work! I was super grateful that spring decided to finally show up also!! Wahoo!!
Swim: 7300 yards
All you have to do is show up…and have some fun!Show up and follow the line. It will eventually lead to greatness!When you GET to swim, bike, run, and recover in the same day, you show up to do the work!
Bike: 38.1 miles
Show up! Do the work! Have fun!When you GET to swim, bike, run, and recover in the same day, you show up to do the work!
Run: 10.6 miles
Show up! That’s the mantra this week! So grateful for spring weather and this girl! #BasillovesrunningWhat a BEAUTIFUL morning for a run with bubble gum tongue! So glad I showed up this morning! #BasillovesrunningWhen you GET to swim, bike, run, and recover in the same day, you show up to do the work!
“Some days it just flows and I feel like I’m born to do this, other days it feels like I’m trudging through hell. Every day I make the choice to show up and see what I’ve got, and to try and be better. My advice: keep showing up.” ~Desiree Linden
Attitude of Gratitude:
Grateful to Nick at Vitality Massage for the post race flush! Body is ready to build, build, build!Signs of spring…FINALLY!Dog walks are the best when you don’t have to bundle up!New Garmin day! #therunnersflatChecking my gait while picking up our new Garmins! #therunnersflatCPR/AED recertification day!SO happy to have this pretty lady back home in Iowa! #lovemyneighborBeing filmed for a video being put together for Team Chiropractic…what does it take to be an Ironman??? Many hours staring at the same walls! Desire, focus, determination, grit, tenacity, belief in yourself…just to name a few!When you GET to swim, bike, run, and recover (in my Normatec boots) in the same day, you show up to do the work!
How was your week?! What were you grateful for last week?! How do you commit to showing up, seeing what you’ve got to give, and trying to be better than you were before?!
Last week was all about discipline! Discipline to go workout (even when I didn’t want to), discipline while racing (start off easy, build into race pace, and try to hammer it at the end), discipline to use the data given to me from Inside Tracker. Discipline, discipline, discipline…As Coach Kelly says, “You don’t always have to be motivated, but you do have to be disciplined.” #trackcatstrong
Taking a page from the Andrea’s book #disciplineovermotivation this week! My permanent reminder at work by my desk!
Swim: 5550 yards
“Focus! Focus on this moment! Focus on today! Focus on what can make you better tomorrow!” Today’s focus was FUN! I’m so grateful to SBR Sports, Inc. for taking away the dry, itchy, chlorine saturated skin and helping to keep swimming FUN!!Getting to the pool took #disciplineovermotivation, but I’m so grateful that I went!
Bike: 42.3 miles
God intervals required a much needed massage afterwards!As winter continues to surround us, I tapped into warmer days + the Kona sunset with my Coeur Sports Kona kit on this morning’s ride.An easy ride to spin out the legs mid week! If Ruth can ride 18 miles for each survivor of the OKC bombing, I can ride for an hour! #showup #dothework
Run: 19.7 miles
Hello blue skies and sunshine!! Please stay around!!Short run with the bubble gum tongue to round out the work week! #runlove #BasillovesrunningFirst race of 2018 is in the books! My finish time wasn’t as good as I’d hoped for, but it was better than I expected! #happygirl #mydrakerelays
Strength Training: 10 minutes of core strength daily
Yoga: 30 minutes
Mat time to stretch out the sore legs post race!
Weekly Totals: 9 hours & 57 minutes
Quote of the Week:
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” ~Jim Rohn
Attitude of Gratitude:
I’m so grateful to have this amazing man by my side in life! Congratulations to all of the Boston Marathon finishers! #bostonstrongI’m so grateful for my #solesister!Thank you Nick at Vitality Massage for keeping me healthy and race ready!Thank you SBR Sports, Inc for removing all the chlorine!! Use code KEPL18 at checkout for 20% off your next order!!Thank you Sound Probiotics for keeping my gut healthy and helping me recover!“I love my inflatable pillow Mama” ~Basil So grateful for Normatec! #recoveryisimportantWhen you are unmotivated to workout and your AMAZING husband knows it, so he drew this beauty on our chalkboard wall by my bike to encourage and support me! #imaluckygirlTraci, we love you! So grateful to have such close friends at work!Celebrating no more radiation for a colleague overcoming breast cancer. I work with amazing people! #wewearpinkforcherylWahoo!! My Coeur Sports 2018 team kit arrived just in time for race weekend!More Coeur Sports 2018 team gear!Sushi for a pre-race lunch…YUMMY!!We have two very happy girls because spring FINALLY decided to show up!! Yay for long walks in the warmth + sunshine!!
Tips for when you’re unmotivated:
Text, call, email someone who is invested in your journey and will encourage + push you.
Put your feet on the floor and go do the work before your brain thinks about why it doesn’t think you should. JUST SHOW UP!!
Focus on your “Why.” Why do you want to achieve x, y, or z? Write about it! Reconnect with it.
Envision yourself achieving success. How does it make you feel?! Tap into those amazing feelings!
Find the FUN! Remember how much FUN you’ve had doing this before and how much FUN you are going to have in the future.
Listen to your favorite motivating song(s) to pump you up and get you moving in the right direction!
Eat a snack that makes you excited to go do the work! Taste success!
Make the decision ahead of time to do the work. Commit to it and follow through! JUST SHOW UP!
Prepare to celebrate! After you’ve shown up and done the work, CELEBRATE! Throw a dance party, jam out to your favorite song singing at the top of your lungs, do a handstand, indulge in a sweet reward, stand in power pose. Whatever it is, just celebrate!
Sign up for a race! Sometimes this is all the motivation you need to SHOW UP and DO THE WORK!
Order some fun, new gear to motivate you!
How was your week?! What were you grateful for last week?! What tips do you have for staying disciplined when you aren’t motivated?!
I’ve intentionally held off giving weekly updates for Ironman Louisville until this week, but I do love weekly updates. Thirty seems like a good number to start counting down from! Last week I hit the “reset button” in so many different places in my life. I was able to ease back into a training routine (after being sick), put some life stresses to rest, celebrate turning 41, enjoy spring break with a relaxing week at home sans work, spring clean the house (we even moved the fridge and stove to clean behind them), and adjust to daylight savings time. Now begins the final push to the end of the school year. Only 11 more weeks, but who’s counting?! 😉
Swim: 5300 yards
#swimlove in the middle of the day?! Yes!!Making an effort, not an excuse!
Bike:
Rolling out of 40 and into 41 like “Hell yeah! 40 was an amazing year! Cheers to an even better 41!”Reverse brick day!Endurance rides can sometimes be boring, but today I kept my focus and nailed this ride as it was scheduled!
Run: 12.6 miles
“Mom, thanks for taking me running! I love running and I love you!” ~BasilWarm enough for shorts?! YES!! Soaking up the sun + vitamin D!!#chasingdreams and putting in the work!
“When it rains, look for rainbows. When it is dark, look for stars.”
Attitude of Gratitude:
The biggest birthday card I’ve ever received! Thank you Laylah!Birthday Massage! Thanks Nick! Vitality Massage 🙂Birthday lunch date with my #solesisterWe are SO grateful to have SBR Sports, Inc. in our tribe this year! #sbrambassadorBarnana delivery!NBS = No Bull Shit delivery with personalized notes!“Mom, are you done cleaning yet?! I just want the house put back together!” ~BasilMy idea of a SERIOUSLY yummy dinner!
How was your week? Do you look for the rainbows and the stars?
How is the first month of 2018 already in the rearview mirror?! It seems like the start of the new year was just yesterday! Here is a look at what the month had in store for me:
Training:
This month my training was hit or miss thanks to an illness shortly after the start of the year and most recently the inability to turn my head. Thankfully I am back to feeling 100% and am ready to regain consistency in February! I did establish a racing schedule for 2018 that I am SUPER PUMPED about! I’ve let myself fully recover from my 2017 racing season and am SO ready to start rebuilding the engine for a stronger + fun filled 2018!
Celebrating the end of the #batcapchallenge on January 1!First power test of 2018! Grateful for a healthy body! I’m ready to work hard and rebuild my fitness + surpass 2017!So grateful to run with my fave + get some fresh air before the freezing temps return!
Swim: 8500 yards
Bike: 127 miles
Run: 24.8 miles
Totals: 20 hours & 53 minutes
Family:
We were so blessed to have our twin nieces (and my sister) come stay with us for a weekend early in January so we could attend their swim meet. The twins convinced the Iron Hippie to make a cake from scratch when they came to visit us. The recipe used was one the twins found on the internet and was a bit dry…it needs some love! We also got to spend some time back home home with family for the Okoboji Winter Games.
The twins are ready for their swim meet!The cake is done!Date night! #balanceMe and my fave listening to Damon Dotson!Snowshoeing adventures with my fam!Lunch with the twins at their school!Putting puzzles together with the twins!Winter wonderland with Dad + my fave!Catching up with my “baby brother” at home home!
Reading:
My Weight Has Nothing to Do with How Good a Runner I Am by Allie Kieffer is a MUST READ! Wow! Body image plagues society! As an endurance athlete not on the skinny side, I often feel that I should lose weight to perform better…not because I think I am overweight, but because I see + hear what society says about being “skinnier.” I am STRONG! Stronger now than I have ever been…my swim times are dropping, my FTP on the bike is climbing, and my run times have gotten faster during the marathon of my Ironman races. If I were to lose weight, I may perform better, but I may also lose this strength. That is not a risk I am willing to take. It is time for society to change! The negative body image stereotyping MUST go, we need to focus on nutrient dense foods (count the colors not calories people), and we need to be grateful for what our bodies do for us! “As women, we shared more similarities than differences: We are all perseverant, powerful, confident, and healthy. And, dare I say it, strong.” #strongisthenewskinny
2017: A Year of Rediscovering Joy where Amelia shares how she rediscovered joy as she overcame injury. “True joy and true gratitude does not come from the victory – it comes from the pursuit of the achievement.”
The Champion Mindset: An athlete’s Guide to Mental Toughness by Joanna Zeiger is a great read! To race at your best, you have to not only train the body, but also the mind. Zeiger takes you through her “own personal journey from a struggling novice swimmer to Olympian and World Champion.”
Listening to:
The Find Your Awesome Podcast with Olympian Samantha Livingston…WOW!!! I SO connected to what Samantha and Kelsey discussed in this podcast!!! I have SO many perfectionist tendencies that I am trying to shed and leave behind. “Perfection is driven by the fear of what people will think.” I will continue to work to shed these perfectionist tendencies. I don’t want to live in fear of what other people think or what I think that they think!
The Find Your Awesome Podcast with Professional Triathlete Amber Ferreira is a must listen to! Kelsey Abbott interviews Amber and learns more about Amber’s “pro career to date, her love of racing up mountains, her mindset, resiliency and heart. We dig into her current project—recovering from stage 3 adrenal fatigue. Amber Ferreira is a professional triathlete, a physical therapist and a multisport coach. She’s the 2014 Ironman Lake Placid Champion and the two-time US National Snowshoe champion. She’s also a heart-driven, spunky human who loves to dream big and loves to laugh.”
Pumped For:
My 2018 race schedule! I am SO excited to be racing Ironman Wisconsin 70.3, Ironman Ohio 70.3, and Ironman Louisville as my long distance races this year! The Ironman has become my lifestyle! I love the Ironman distance! I love the feels that come with training + racing ALL. DAY. LONG! I love the excitement crossing the Ironman finish line brings so many people! I love the challenges that each new Ironman journey + race brings! I LOVE IRONMAN!
Grateful For:
-My body allowing me to push it to new levels, but also accepting the recovery I give it to perform stronger + better in the future.
-A snow day + a few days with 2 hour delays to start this month at school. I’m not a fan of having to make up the snow days, but it is always nice to have a break from school from time to time. Oh…and the 2 hour delays we don’t have to make up! 🙂
-The most supportive husband ever! I’m so grateful the Iron Hippie is willing to support me on my #IMLou journey! This will be the first Ironman race I participate in with him as sherpa + spectator extraordinaire!
-Dr. Chris Feil with Team Chiropractic for helping me overcome my “whiplash” symptoms from the car accident I was NEVER in. We have no idea how it happened!
-Nick Morton with Vitality Massage for keeping me on the train moving forward thanks to my biweekly massages!
–Coach Kelly’s flexibility this month as life threw me a couple of curve balls!
-Being a SBR Sports Inc Ambassador for 2018! I absolutely LOVE the TRISWIM, TRISLIDE and SKINSLICK products to remove chlorine and keep me chafe + blister free during training, racing, and snowshoeing! These products are a dream!
How was your month of January?! What are you pumped up about?! What are you grateful for?!
“Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do – this is what it’s all about.” ~PattiSue Plummer, US Olympian
Grab your favorite beverage, kick up your feet, and enjoy what is a really long race report! 🙂
Pre-Race:
The alarm went off at 3 am, but I was already laying awake. I didn’t sleep well at all, which was a first for me, but thankfully it didn’t seem to impact my day. After eating my pre-race breakfast of muesli + peanut butter + Pure Clean Beet Powder + frozen mixed berries with a Karma Kombucha, I donned my Coeur Sports race kit and prepared for the day by reading my pre-race quote from Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox before heading to the race start.
My pre-race ritual…read Swimming to Antarctica while drinking my Karma Kombucha!
We arrived at parking lot #2 by 4:30 am, which made it easy to find a place to park that would be convenient for after the race to get all of our gear loaded up. We walked to the transition area, dropped off our bike and run special needs bags, and waited until 5 am for body marking and the transition area to open. After body marking, I had bike support fill my tires, lubed up the chain (it had rained on Saturday after Mojo was racked for the night and I wanted to make sure my chain was greased back up), filled my water bottle, put my bike bottles on my bike, got my Garmin on my bike and started, saw Erika and gave her a pre-race hug, put my salty balls in my T1 bag, and hit the kybo up one more time before heading to the swim start.
Ready to race!
At the swim start, I got into my Roka wetsuit, ate part of a granola bar and two Pure Clean Beet’ums, drank down some water, dropped off my morning clothes bag, got another hug from Erika, and made my way to the water for the swim warm-up. As I was exiting the water from the swim warm-up, a lady came up to me and gave me a hug and we shared good luck wishes to each other. I have no idea who this lady was because we were both wearing wetsuits, swim caps, and goggles, but I am grateful for the pre-race hug, so thank you to whomever you were! It was this point that I decided it didn’t matter what the day brought me, I was going to race with Coeur (French for heart) for the entire day! I am going to share my coeur, but also fill my coeur up throughout the entire day!
The Iron Hippie and I making our way to the water.
After the Canada National Anthem and fly over, the fireworks went off and the male pros were off, followed by the female pros and then the age group athletes.
Lined up and ready to start!
Swim: 1:24:16 (average pace of 2:11/100 meters)
We lined up by the 1:15-1:20 pace sign for the swim and were soon moving into separate corrals waiting for the beep every 5 seconds to send the next group of swimmers into the water. This was the cleanest swim start I’ve ever experienced! As I entered the water, a calm came over me like I’ve never experienced before and I set out at comfortable pace. I felt solid and strong. The water temperature of 66*F was perfect…I much prefer the colder water! I had very little contact with other swimmers until buoy #6 when I swam up on a guy who couldn’t hold a straight line for nothing. He was definitely a faster swimmer than I was, but because he was zig-zagging back and forth all over the course, he swam a lot farther than he needed to. Every time I tried to pass him, I would get cut off by him again. This continued for about 3 more buoys before I finally passed him. The rest of the swim was pretty uneventful as I had very little contact with other swimmers. I had a slower swim than I’d hoped for, but also didn’t leave everything in the water. I was trying to pace myself well for the long bike + run ahead. So much coeur during the swim!
Let’s get this party started! #swimlove
T1: 10:09
There is a rather long run (300 meters) from the swim exit to transition. When I got to the transition area, I grabbed my T1 bag and quickly made my way into the women’s change tent. I was shocked at the lack of volunteers in the change tent to help the athletes. I am very self sufficient and don’t change, but for those ladies who do a full change and need help getting a dry sports bra on a wet body, they would have had to get help from other female athletes. I quickly put on my socks, bike shoes, and helmet. I loaded my pockets and put on my arm coolers and sunglasses as I ran to my bike.
Long run on the red carpet from the swim exit to transition!
Bike: 7:05:08 (average speed of 15.81 mph)
As I left transition on my bike, I saw Dad and my Aunt Linda cheering me on! I quickly mounted Mojo after the mount line and set off on the bike. Coach Kelly instructed me to dial it back and go out conservatively for the first 56 miles. I was feeling good and really wanted to hammer, but I knew I had a long day in the saddle, so I sat back and tried to keep my watts near the 130 mark. I consumed 2 salty ball every 30 minutes on the bike and NBS hydration every 20 minutes while sipping water the rest of the ride, which is exactly what I’d done in training and it worked beautifully.
Let’s go ride!
This course is essentially 2 x 2 different out and back sections. The first out and back is from the village on Montee Ryan to 117 out to Labelle, back on 117 to St. Jovite, from St. Jovite back on 117 to Montee Ryan and back to the village. There is a “no passing zone” on Montee Ryan in each direction (away from the village and toward the village). The second out and back is 10K out and 10K back on Chemin Duplessis. There is another “no passing zone” on one of the big descents on this section as we return to the village. If an athlete passes another athlete in any of these “zones,” the athlete doing the passing is automatically disqualified and removed from the course. There is plenty of climbing on this course, but in my opinion, this is much easier than Ironman Wisconsin’s bike course.
Loving this course and enjoying the beautiful views!
I felt great during the first 56 miles as I consumed my nutrition according to plan and held back my power so I could open it up during the next 56 miles (or so I thought). My only two goals were to keep my power at 130 watts or less and not get lapped by the professional triathletes racing. I had to remind another athlete of the “no passing zone” leaving the village on Montee Ryan as we were headed to 117, since he attempted to start passing me, but backed off when I reminding him of the no passing zone. I also wanted to go faster in this section, but there was an athlete in front of me that I had to stay behind on the descent to avoid a DQ. As I made my way out to Labelle, I was in awe of the beautiful scenery around me. Sure there were hills to climb, but there were also some amazing descents to enjoy. As I made my way to St. Jovite, I just soaked it all in…the beauty, the spectators out cheering, and the feelings of pure joy that I was getting to ride my bicycle! I was also super pumped to have achieved both of my goals for the first 56 miles!
Two of the best spectators EVER! Thanks to Dad and Aunt Linda for cheering us on all day long! Love you both!
Each of these out and back sections is done twice. So during the second 56 miles I was ready to cruise, but Mother Nature had increased the winds a bit. I stopped at the first aid station to refill my NBS hydration bottles before fighting some headwinds on the way out to Labelle. Thankfully it was only about 12 miles of fighting the headwind while climbing to Labelle…riding in Iowa means a LOT of windy training rides, so I was ready for this! Mentally I got into a bit of a negative funk as I was struggling physically…not just with the headwinds while climbing, but I felt a bit depleted nutritionally despite nailing my nutrition plan to this point. Once I turned around in Labelle, the tail wind was a blessing and I stopped at the aid station just outside of Labelle to eat a banana and use the kybo…I just can’t make myself pee on the bike while riding. I felt good and strong as I made my way to St. Jovite and was rejuvenated by the crowds and the fact that I was heading back to the village for the final push on the bike course. The 10K out on Chemin Duplessis was tough, but I settled into my easiest gear and steadily climbed my way to the turn around. I was so happy to have ridden the whole course (there were some people who walked their bikes up some of the steeper hills) while staying in my saddle (I never climbed out of the saddle…wahoo). I kept my power and heart rate in check, which would hopefully benefit me on the run! Lots of coeur on the bike!
So much coeur on this course! #bikelove
T2: 5:47
I quickly handed Mojo over to an amazing volunteer who returned her to her spot and removed my helmet on my way to the change tent. I also unzipped my speed top as I knew I wanted to run in the tri top I was wearing under my speed top. I grabbed my T2 bag, stripped my top, changed my socks and shoes, grabbed my nutrition visor, and race belt. I put my race belt and visor on while exiting T2. I made my way to the kybo to pee one more time before starting the run.
Run: 4:51:26 (average pace of 11:07 min/mile)
I felt so strong at the beginning of my run, but having run countless stand alone marathons and 4 marathons at the end of Ironman races, I knew it may not last, so I decided to ride this wave for as long as I could while keeping my pace in check. I broke the marathon into ~8 x 5K segments. I started off easy as I made my way through the first 5K of the run, which is rolling hills. I was so pumped to see one of my Coeur Sports teammates, cheering me on during this section of the run! Thanks for the love Ericka!
Love you Ericka! Thanks for the photo! #runlove
Once I hit the bike path, I knew I had just over a 5K to the turn around. We had done some training runs on this section of the course, so I knew it would be flat and very quiet with few spectators…mostly other athletes + the sounds of our own footfalls. I was still feeling good, so I just kept ticking away the kilometers (everything is in kilometers in Canada). I was taking in water at every aid station, bananas and oranges at nearly every aid station, and my Motts fruit chews every 30 minutes. At mile 4, I HAD to visit the kybo…well, this was a first! I’ve never had this problem during a race before! After a quick stop, I was back to running and spreading all the coeur I could on the course…I hope this lifted others up as much as it lifts me up to spread the love! On my way to the turn around, I saw another Coeur Sports Teammate, Erika, and the Iron Hippie, both running strong! I made it to the turn around, knocking out just over another 5K and was still feeling strong, which I was super stoked about. The only walking I had done to this point was through the aid stations to eat and drink and up the big hills. I decided at this point that I would continue to run (with the exceptions of the aid stations and the bigger hills) at least through the half marathon and re-evaluate how I was feeling. I had never had an IM marathon feel this good, so I just rode the wave and went with it! At about mile 8, I needed to visit the kybo again…ugh! Feeling much lighter, I was still running strong! 😉 Onward…to the end of the bike path and through the rolling hills back to the village! It was so much fun to see Dad and Aunt Linda in the village (as well as all of the other spectators) and know that I was still feeling strong and ready to rock the second half of the marathon!
Yep…Still running strong!
With 4 of my 5Ks behind me, it was time to buckle down! The new goal…make it through the next 2 x 5K distances while still running and feeling strong and then re-evaluate. I continued to knock of the kilometers, spread coeur, see Erika and the Iron Hippie on the run, and made my way to the 19 mile point before needing to visit the kybo again…this time I had to wait a bit for an open one, but I knew I COULD NOT make it to the next one without a mess down my legs, so I waited just a few minutes. After lots of relief, I was back to running strong! I was starting to feel the fatigue, but with just over 6 miles this is where I knew I needed to kick in the mental game, stay focused, continue to run as long as I could, spread more coeur, and enjoy the ride to the finish line! As I made my way to mile 24, I could hear Mike Reilly bringing people home to the Ironman Mont Tremblant finish line and I was so excited to hear him call me across that finish line!
Thanks to Beth, my Track Cat teammate, for capturing this finish line photo from the live feed!
Overall: 13:36:44 = 43 of 86 F40-44, 237 of 461 Females, and 1169 of 1816 Overall
It was a beautiful day for racing in Mont Tremblant! The weather was near perfect…a high of 77*F on race day with winds picking up later in the day. This is the first Ironman race that I feel like I executed it the way it should be executed! I finally nailed my nutrition (despite the kybo visits), I was mentally and physically strong, and I had a PR on the distance by almost 30 minutes! I set myself up for a run that I was FINALLY able to actually run and It. Felt. Amazing! Moving up 514 places on the run was a dream! I left some of my coeur on that course, but I took so much more with me! For this, I am very grateful!
Gratitude:
I am SO grateful to my tribe for helping me get to the finish line! My parents, Aunt Linda, my sisters and their families, my friends and family, Jeff & Deb, Nick with Vitality Massage (my massage therapist), Melanie with Massotherapie Sportive (my massage therapist in Mont Tremblant), Chris with Team Chiropractic (my ART Chiropractor), Kyle at Kyle’s Bikes, Coeur Sports + my Coeur teammates, Sound Probiotics, Roka Sports, and Newton Running. A special thanks to Coach Kelly at Track Cat Fitness for setting me up for success, making me #trackcatstrong, and helping me achieve a new PR. To my fave, my #1…the Iron Hippie…you are my rock and I’m so grateful that we are on this crazy journey together! Thank you!
This is just a few weeks late, but better late than never! I raced the Okoboji Triathlon on July 15 and it was so much fun to go short, fast, hard, and have my family cheering for me on bike and run course! This race has a special place in my heart as I get to go home, home to race! It is unique, because it is between the sprint and Olympic distance.
Who’s ready to race?! We are!
Swim: 960 yards in 17:37 (1:50/100 yards average pace)
The women 40+ were in the last swim wave, so I had lots of people to pass during the entire event. Once I settled into my swim pace, I started pacing many people in the previous waves. This swim was about 1 minute faster than last year without a wetsuit this year.
After exiting the swim, there is about a 200 yard run up to transition. I thought I was being super speedy in transition, but apparently I wasn’t as fast as I thought I was! My transition time was a bit slower than last year.
Bike: 18 miles in 54:10 (19.9 mph average speed)
I quickly settled in on the bike and began to climb right away. I was very aware of surrounding athletes and was SUPER pumped that not one athlete passed me on the bike! The last 6 miles of the bike is full of short, punchy hill climbs, and I was ready to punch back! With about 1.5 miles left to ride, I saw my sisters, nieces, and Dad on the course cheering me on!
I quickly racked my bike, changed my shoes, and took off on the run!
Run: 4.5 miles in 38:48 (8:37 min/mile average pace)
I’ve run this course many times and knew there were many rolling hills, so I didn’t push as hard out of T2 as I probably should have and could have. About 1 mile into the run I was passed by the only female who passed me for the entire run (this cost me 1st in my age group and 10th overall female). I should have hung onto her to see what my body was capable of, but I let her go. With about 1.5 miles to the finish line, I again saw my sisters, nieces, and Dad. I was revived with their high-5s and cheers! I allowed that to carry me all the way to the finish line!
