Utah Half Iron Race

We did the Utah Half and lived to tell the tale!!! Hooray! Here's a rundown of the happenings (the long version) . . .

Thursday- KayDee and I headed to Provo. We wanted to get there an extra day early just to have enough time to pick up our packets and get settled, etc. Upon arrival in Provo we noticed tha KayDee's rear bike tire had some bad gouges in it and a few spots worn down to the threads. Yikes!!! We had to buy her some new tires and get them put on the bike before the tri. At 5:00 we had our carb-loaded meal of chicken parmesan at Cafe Paesan (thank you Kristie for the intro). It was yummy! They had yummy cookies too. LOL! Packet pick up was at SBR Sports in Orem and everyone there looked pretty serious and professional. KayDee and I pretended we knew what we were doing. :0) We spent the night with my "Provo family" and didn't quite know what to do or how to feel without kids to put to bed. Needless to say, we went to bed!

Friday- We had a good night's sleep and woke up around 7:45 but layed in bed until 8:00 (we never get to sleep that late or stay in bed at home!). Mama Ann made us a hot and fresh breakfast of eggs, melon, greek yogurt, an english muffin, and a glass of milk. It was perfect and delicious! From there we set off to go check out Utah Lake and the bike/run course. It was a beautiful morning at the lake. The water was glassy and there was no wind. Looked like a great spot for a swim. We could only hope for such conditions the following morning. We found a guy there named George who was also doing the tri. He was from Wyoming and had travelled by himself so we asked if he wanted to drive the bike course with us. He was happy to. After wondering around for quite a long time, we had the course mostly figured out. The directions were not very good in some spots. When we returned to the lake we hopped on the bikes and rode around for a few minutes and then went for a short run to get the legs moving after 2 days rest. From there we drove up to Wasatch Running in Sandy to pick up KayDee's wetsuit rental then back to Provo to check into our hotel. We decided to take advantage of the time we had before Scott and the kids arrived to get our stuff layed out and prepared for the following morning. We decided on dinner at Chilis (chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and broccoli) and in true"me" tradition, I had to have a little dessert. For some reason it doesn't effect me adversley before a race. :0)
We headed back to the hotel and waited for Scott and the kids. They did not show up until 9:30 (but that is a long story in and of itself)!!! Bed time!!!

Saturday- 3:50 A.M. the alarm goes off! We had everything layed out so that all we had to do was roll out of bed, get dressed, and head out the door. We arrived at Utah Lake around 4:30. All of the info said that body marking started at 4:00 and transition opened at 4:30. Since the bike racks were not assigned and it was "first come first served," we figured the place would be packed.Wrong!!! We were like the second or third car there. At any rate, we got good positioning in transition. LOL! We got set up and marked and spent what seemed like a VERY LONG time waiting and being nervous for the tri to start. Oh, and let me not forget to mention the man eating mosquitos!!! When the pre-race meeting was pushed back 20 minutes we knew that was not a very good sign but the start was only delayed 15 minutes. All of the women were thrown in the 4th and final wave and we were in the water around 7:10-7:15.

The swim (1.2 miles) was great! I swim to KayDee's left so that when we breathe we can see eachother. It was smooth sailing. Not to many bumps or kicks. We had to make 2 loops around the course before heading in. The boat ramp at Utah Lake was so slimey that they had to have men in the water helping everyone out. :0) Once we made the near half mile trek to transition our swim time clocked in at 40:01.

Spent 2:39 in transition. I think we were the only ones that actually put on some bike shorts but I am not ashamed of it at all! 56 miles is a long time to sit on a seat. :0)

We approached the bike just like any other Saturday morning ride. We kept a good pace and rode side-by side when we could and talked. Even though the bike takes up the majority of the race time, it went by quickly. The course was flat as fast. Super fast for us! I think our average pace was 18.6 mph). We ate and drank a lot on the bike to keep fueled. Scott and the kids were able to see us out on the course so that was cool!

The last 10 miles or so of the bike my body started to feel some wear. Couldn't have been happier to get off the bike. Spent 2:44 in T2.

The run was the portion that I was dreading. We headed out without problem until KayDee realized she forgot her belt with her number on it. She had to go back. :0) At this point it was 94 degrees or so. Hot!!! We had not trained in the heat and I could really tell. For the first 6 miles I had a sharp pain in my stomach. Not fun. Then once I got rid of that my legs were just super tight. I was holding KayDee back with my slow pace so I told her to leave me and go ahead. I did not choose to break the rules and listen to my music, so during that time I remember thinking a lot about how I hate running and how I vowed never to run again if I survived. He he he! I saw KayDee a few more times on the route before we finished, as well as Scott, Grandma Orchard, and the kids.

The last 2 miles seemed like it went on forever but I finally made it back to the finish area. I was so excited to get across that line! My little cheering squad was there cheering me on. The kids got to join me in the last stretch to the finish line. It was a super special moment. :0)

KayDee was waiting for me at the finish as well. She finished 15 minutes ahead of me. The first thing she said to me was to NEVER ask her to do something like this again. :0) We both had a blast training and participating in the event but we're not sure how long it will take to agree to do it again! My run time was a horrible 2:35:57 for a grand total of 6:20:42.2.

Week 11 Totals

Wow! Less than one week left until the big day. We are definitely getting nervous! :0)

Swim: 2700 meters (1.68 miles)
Bike: 39.3 miles
Run: 19.2 miles

Week 10 Totals

Two weeks from today KayDee and I will be doing the Utah Half!!! Time is ticking away. At this point it's getting harder and harder to wake up so early in the morning for training AND our bodies are starting to wear down. It's been a great 3 months of intense training though and a great experience (as long as we don't die on race day). LOL!

This week we had 2 bricks. We had a little fun taking pictures/video during one of them while we were out at Gunlock swimming and on the road. :0)

 

Swim: 3100 meters (1.94 miles)

Bike: 89 miles

Run: 14.5 miles



Share the road!

After nearly getting run over yesterday by a lady in her car talking on her cell phone I seriously considered purchsing on of the jerseys from this website.

Does it really make you feel better to honk at cyclists or to pass them on the side with only inches to spare? Seriously people, don't get so up tight! :0)

Riding with the Bison

On my 30 mile ride in Jackson I had the experience of riding home along side a herd of bison for a small stretch. I was a little nervous since I wasn't inside a car or anything for protection. I pulled my phone out and got it camera in case something happened to me. LOL! :0)

Week 9 Totals

Week 9 was spent training while on vacation in Jackson Hole, WY. Beautiful scenery but challenging to do when your brain thinks you should be relaxing. And, worst of all, week 9 is the maximum work load to date before the race! (I only swam once!) Below are some pics I took while out in nature. :0)

Rainy morning run along the Snake River.

Morning bike ride. The mountain pictured is called the "Sleeping Indian."

A herd of bison on the same ride.

On a run. Tetons in the background.

10.5 mile run through Grand Teton National Park.

Swim: 1200 meters
Bike: 79 miles
Run: 18.5 miles

Week 8 Totals

Swim: 3000 meters (3.125 miles)
Bike: 70 miles
Run: 17.5 miles

Week 7 Totals

Swim: 5400 meters (3.37 miles)
Bike: 51.5 miles
Run: 14.5 miles

5 more weeks and counting!!!

Week 6 Totals

Man it's a busy summer! Missed a swim workout this week. :0(

Swim: 1850 meters (1.16 miles)
Bike: 30.5 miles
Run: 22.1 miles (Thank you Bryce Canyon Half!)

New this week . . .

This week I had my bike fit with Dave at Red Rock Bicycle Co. They use the Body Geometry (BG) Fit process which is pretty cool. Among many things, my seat went up even more and my handle bars were brought in closer, shifter bar ends shortened. The two main sources of drag while riding are your bike and your body so why not make sure you are sitting on that thing as best as possible, especially if you are riding in aero position at all. I've only had one short ride on it since the fit (with a bum knee from softball) but so far it feels great!

Also this past week I invested it an infamous "rocketman" helmet. :0) The Specialized TT2 helmet. It may look silly but I can tell a difference in drag at faster paces.

It's kind of been a rough last half of the week with training because I've been cleaning so much. My body just gets completely exhausted. BUT, this afternoon we are off to Bryce Canyon for the Half Marathon Saturday morning. I am excited because it is a mostly downhill course with some killer scenery. We'll see how the knees take that much downhill!

Week 5 Totals

Missed out on a 6 mile run and a 2 hour bike ride this week. After coming back from the cabin for the 4th I just flat out needed a day off. :0) Still no too bad though . . .

Swim: 4,800 meters (3 miles)
Bike: 57 miles
Run: 16 miles

Bryce Canyon Half Marathon coming up this weekend!!!

Week 4 Totals

This past weekend was a little crazy with the 4th of July holiday so I did what I could with training. We spent the long weekend at my parent's cabin in Kolob. KayDee and I even went swimming in the reservoir in the brisk 60 degree water. I'll have to see if I can round up a picture to post.:0)

Swim: 2300 meters (1.44 miles)
Bike: 18 miles (6 mountain biking)
Run: 19.2 miles

Signing My Life Away

So, I totally just signed my life away in signing up for this half iron. Yikes! :0) See what I mean by reading below:

2. Waiver.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENT IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS, AND THAT A REGISTERED PARTY SHOULD NOT PARTICIPATE UNLESS THEY ARE MEDICALLY ABLE AND PROPERLY TRAINED. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT EVENTS MAY BE HELD OVER PUBLIC ROADS AND FACILITES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DURING THE EVENT AND UPON WHICH HAZARDS ARE TO BE EXPECTED. PARTICIPATION CARRIES WITH IT CERTAIN INHERENT RISKS THAT CANNOT BE ELIMINATED COMPLETELY RANGING FROM MINOR INJURIES TO CATASTROPHIC INJURIES INCLUDING DEATH. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT IN CONSIDERATION OF BEING PERMITTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENT, YOU AND ANY REGISTERED PARTY, THE HEIRS, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS OF YOU OR THE REGISTERED PARTY DO HEREBY RELEASE, WAIVE, DISCHARGE AND CONVENANT NOT TO SUE imATHLETE FOR ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENT BY YOU OR ANY REGISTERED PARTY.

I understand and acknowledge the physical and mental rigors associated with triathlon, duathlon, or other multi-sport events, and realize that running, bicycling, swimming and other portions of such Events are inherently dangerous and represent an extreme test of a person's physical and mental limits. I understand that participation involves risks and dangers which include, without limitation, the potential for serious bodily injury, permanent disability, paralysis and death; loss or damage to property; exposure to extreme conditions and circumstances; accidents, illness, contact or collision with other participants, spectators, vehicles or other natural or manmade objects; dangers arising from adverse weather conditions; imperfect course conditions; water, road and surface hazards; equipment failure; inadequate safety measures; participants of varying skill levels; situations beyond the immediate control of the Event Organizers; and other undefined harm or damage which may not be readily foreseeable, and other presently unknown risks and dangers ("Risks"). I understand that these Risks may be caused in whole or in part by my own actions or inactions, the actions or inactions of others participating in the Event, or the acts, inaction or negligence of the Released Parties defined below, and I hereby expressly assume all such Risks and responsibility for any damages, liabilities, losses or expenses which I incur as a result of my participation in the Event.

On the brighter side of things, I found out that the bugman that came to spray has done this tri before and said it is one of his favorite races of all time. Nice to know . . . . AND, my sister KayDee is signed up too! Yippee!!

Totals - Week 3

Scott was out of town for most of the week. Only missed one running workout!

Swim: 4600 meters (2.87 miles)
Bike: 69 miles
Run: 11.75 miles

Have a nice brick coming up on Monday. :0)

VO2 Max Test Results

Fun on the bike!

Headed out on a rare evening ride yesterday. Scott is out of town for the week so I'm going to have to get it in as I can. As always, I have to have a little fun on the bike and decided to snap a few pics. Pretty talented eh? The second one took some major concentration. :0)
I did my version of the Kayenta Loop in the opposite direction as to have the long gradual hills instead of the short steep ones. Covered 16 miles during my hour long ride. Toward the end I had a gear malfunction when my seat post water bottle carrier broke off right in the middle of a round about. I ended up with a quarter water bottle full of Heed down my leg! Good times!

Ragnar: Wasatch Back

This was my first time doing a running relay and I must say it was a total BLAST! I was in Van 1 with mostly family on Scott's side, plus one of their neighbors/friends Sidney. So, you can imagine we had a dandy time all those hours in the van. LOL!

We all rocked our legs coming in ahead of our projected time. I was runner #2 with a total of 13.3 miles. Ironically enough my best run was the first one of 6.7 miles. Since it takes me up to 3.5 miles to get into a groove, it was a real mental struggle on my shorter runs. By the time I got out of my rut the run was over. :0)

Team Name: Bear Lake Monsters

Official Time: 32 hours 53 minutes

Just to give you an idea . . . . the fasted co-ed team finished in 21 hours 48 minutes and the slowest finished in 39 hours 30 minutes.

We now have our sights set on Ragnar: Las Vegas in October. We got the bug! :0)

Totals - Week 2

Week two was a little unbalanced because of Ragnar . . . . a little heavy on the running. :0)

Swim: 1500 meters (missed a workout)
Bike:17 miles (only one bike workout this week)
Run: 25.1 miles

First Week

My first full week of training is officially over and a new one begun. Initially the frequency caught me off guard a bit and my body was feeling it but I think I'm into the swing of things now. Looking back I put in some good running miles that I'm definitely not used to.

Weekly totals:

     Swim - 3,000 meters (1.8 miles)
     Bike - 50 miles
     Run - 14 miles

On Wednesday we leave to head up north for the Ragnar - Wasatch Back Relay that is this weekend. This will be my fist relay so I'm excited but nervous at the same time. I will give a detailed report upon my return. :0)

I need a job!!!

My first week of full-blown training is nearly over and every time I've been out biking and running the only thing I can think about is the fact that I need some kind of job to help fund this little venture of mine. Doing this half-iron the right way will not be cheap! Here's a quick break-down of what my estimations are . . .

$139 - Race Registration
$250 - Coaching/Training Plan for 3 months
$90 - VO2 Max/Resting Metabolic Rate Testing
$150 - Bike Fit (70% of aerodynamic drag is caused by the body, it pays to be sitting on there right!)
$100 - Nutrition/Fuel/Recovery Supplements
$100 - 3 month family pass to the aquatic center
$160 - 2 nights at the Provo Marriott (for race)

Grand Total = $989

And I'm sure there will be other expenses along the way. So, as you can see, I really, really need a job. . . . or a money tree.   :0)

Some Motivation

The Decision

I have always dreamt of completing an Ironman but honestly, a half-iron would be more realistic. At moments a half-iron doesn't even seem realistic but there is just something so cool and fulfilling about setting a goal that is so out there, a goal that people may think you are not capable of attaining, staring it straight in the face and taking it on. Up to the present time I have participated in Sprint distance tri's and some longer bike events. Of the three disciplines, running is my weak point. Because of my poor running ability, I figured I just may never attemp an iron distance but this year I decided to tackle the beast and really focusing on my running. And how am I going about doing that? Signed up for 2 10K's, a relay, a half marathon, and a marathon. :0) If I sign up, I have no choice but to be prepared for the event. And while I'm at it I just decided the other day (with the blessing and support of my family) that I WILL sign up and train for the Utah Half Triathlon (1.2m swim - 56m bike - 13.1 run) on August 27th in Provo, Utah. Now it is in writing and there's no backing out. I'm starting this blog as a way to document my journey. Heaven knows this may be my first and last 70.3!!! Feel free to follow along if you'd like. :0)