Suz News

The 31 Days Of Chlorine

2012-02-02T21:06:00.003-06:00

When doing some research on goal setting and motivation for a fitness talk I recently gave in Phoenix, I uncovered that less than 5% of people actually write down their goals. I quickly decided that I was going to write all of my goals down for 2012 and beyond and join this elite population who challenges themselves and lives life to the fullest.

I set some large yearly goals and then worked backwards to create smaller goals to help pave the way toward my bigger goals. My smaller goals are now monthly goals that I am using as stepping stones to help achieve my long term goals. All this goal setting lead to the creation my first monthly goal of 2012 and wa-la, "The January Swim Challenge" was born.

There were only 2 rules that I wrote down next to this goal:

1. I will swim every single day in January
2. I will complete a minimum of 2,000 yards per day for the swim session to count

Then Devon added a third rule:

3. Not every swim will be epic. Shorter, easier, and recovery swim days will be mixed in

Swimming is my favorite sport to train for in the winter months in Minne-snow-ta with strength training, biking, and running all close behind. During the rest of the year it is a three way tie of favorites between swimming, biking, and running but in the winter I love the pool and the group that I swim with in Chaska.

I LOVE hard work and I can honestly say that I was extremely driven and excited to swim each and every day this past month with only two exceptions. On the 7th Day Of Chlorine my arms and shoulders were fatigued and sore. I had already completed a bike run brick that morning and I definitely took the volume of the swim challenge out too aggressive in the opening week logging 9 hours and 15 mins (22,250 yards) in the first 6 days. No wonder my arms didn't want to function on day 7. But I am the type of person that once I decide to do something I follow through no matter what, so I rallied and hit the pool at 5pm on that memorable Saturday night and I logged just over the minimum of 2,000 yards so my swim streak could live to see another day. Once I got going I enjoyed it and was glad I followed through.

On the 11th Day Of Chlorine my swim streak was in major jeopardy because I was in Arizona for work. I woke up at 4am and taught a HUGE boot camp class which was a total blast. Then I spent the majority of the day in the airport and flying back home. By the time I arrived to Minneapolis it was after 6:30pm and both of the pools I have access to are not available past 5:55pm, one I can't even swim in past 3pm. I was tired and I didn't know if I should even proceed with my scheduled workouts. Luckily my good friend Heidi who fully supports all the crazy things I do (especially when it comes to swimming) saved the swim challenge! She coaches multiple swim teams that practice at a middle school late on the week nights. Heidi said there should be some extra room in the pool at the tail end of her practice at about 8:15pm. I biked and then was in the pool with her team by 8:15 but the practice ended at 8:30pm. Heidi hung around and kept the pool open for me until I hit 2,000 yards at almost 9pm. She knew full well that we both would be jumping back in the pool again at 4:50am the very next morning but she was more than willing to stay and wait so I could finish. Her kindness is so incredible but this instance hardly scratches the surface of the thoughtful and considerate things that she and Ann have done for me since moving to Chaska. They are incredible women and that is why I love living in Chaksa and training with them.

The January Swim Challenge Totals:

Week 1 Total = 27,450 yards (10 hours 4 mins)

Week 2 Total = 17,050 yards (5 hours, 44 mins)

Week 3 Total = 23,950 yards (8 hours, 3 mins)

Week 4 Total= 23,700 yards (8 hours, 1 min)

Last 3 days of the month= 9,300 yards (3 hours, 7 mins)

Month Total = 101,450 yards (34 hours, 59 mins)

*I spent November and December building up my swimming volume in preparation for this monster month!

The January Swim Challenge was a fun success but definitely a challenge, mostly a challenge of finding pool hours that fit my sometimes unpredictable schedule. I would love to do this again but not any closer to the start of my triathlon season as I had to dial back my bike and run volume a little bit because the swimming took more out of me than I ever expected. However, I did make some big gains in the pool and achieved my first goal of 2012! Now for February...

Suffer Road

2012-01-27T22:10:00.022-06:00

On Monday January 9th I did my first running race of the year and my first track meet ever at MDRA's Meet Of The Miles. My 1 mile time was disappointing and I learned that running an all out mile indoors on a track is technical and a lot different than road racing. I started too hard, slacked off in the middle laps but finished strong. By the skin of my teeth I somehow slid in just under 6:00 mins but was way off a PR.

When I shamefully reported my time to my coach he reminded me that I was neither trained or rested so it wasn't a shocker. We haven't done any speed work yet and with good reason, it is January! I decided to do this track meet at the last minute and am still glad that I did. It was a good experience and fun to catch up with several triathletes that I haven't seen since the summer. Heidi also pointed out that I should have cut right to the inside lane and stayed there and that would have made a time difference as well. I think I ran my mile in lane 2. I will have to do this meet again so I can redeem my indoor mile time!

One week from today I am headed to FL to visit my sister and I can't wait! We are running the Melbourne Beach Music Half Marathon together which is also the National Masters Half Marathon Championship so I am looking forward to getting my butt kicked by a slew of fierce 40+ year old women. Master and Grandmaster endurance athletes are so inspiring and I hope I am still racing when I am 40.

I haven't run a half marathon since 2009 so I am planning on a descent PR. Although I have done 6 half ironmans since my last half marathon, running 13.1 miles after 2:30+ of biking is a different experience than just running a half marathon road race on fresh legs. I am not in tip top shape but I have put in quality training time so I will use this as a test to see what kind of pre-season shape I am currently in. Almost all of my long runs and tempo runs have been done with Ann, I have been loving her company and we have been working hard.

I did my last tempo interval run yesterday on what we call Suffer Road, where we do all of our running and biking repeats. It is a nice stretch of 1.5 miles with no stops, minimal traffic and a shoulder as wide as the driving lanes. Every memory I have on that street is pure pain and suffering but it is also where the magic happens. My run went really well and I can't wait to race!

I'm currently counting down the days until I can see my sister, get to swim laps outdoors, run outside in shorts, and return to the Lululemon Outlet!

Super Excited...

2012-01-14T21:57:00.006-06:00

about my 4 new books that just arrived in the mail!!! No I am not in college but who doesn't want a cheaper grocery bill? Can't wait to try a bunch of new recipes!

Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie

2012-01-05T14:58:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is the smoothie I have been sipping on for the last month. My sis made up the recipe and I added the Chia Seeds. So yummy!!!

Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie

1 cup So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk (You could use soy milk too but I think Coconut Milk is the best)
A big spoonful of Almond Butter
A big handful of frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (NOT the kind with alcohol)
A big squirt of agave (to taste, depending on how sweet you want it)
A big handful of Chia Seeds

I'm so excited for another new year and all that 2012 will bring!

-SMF

Every Dog Has It's Day

2011-12-19T08:46:00.023-06:00

Saturday December 3rd was my dog Miles big day! He has been on a running program and training hard since May so it was finally time for him to show off his stuff in a race. There are not many running races in the Twin Cities that allow dogs but the Reindeer Run 5K is one of them. Miles started at a 13+ minute per mile pace in May and I would only let him run for 10 minutes tops. In November he was up to doing 2-2.5 mile tempo runs at 8:30-8:50 pace with me on my short easy transition runs. Not too shabby for a 7.5 pound Chihuahua/Yorkie mix, he has good looks and athleticism going for him.

This was my first Reindeer Run and boy was it crowded, there were tons of people so I made sure that Miles and I started in the very back as I didn't want my precious pooch to get trampled. I let Miles set the pace and I just stayed right next to him. We passed a ton of people and other dogs, it was so funny to hear the stuff racers randomly shouted out as we went by. I heard, "Look at that little dog, if he can make it we can make it, he's my motivation!" And, "That tiny dog is running faster than we are!" There were a lot of people running with bells and Miles would get so scared every time he heard bells jingling and would stop running and look up at me. He has also never seen so many people at one time in his whole life. I am so proud of him for running a 5K, his longest run ever! I clocked him at 31:00 even and that was with weaving all over the place around strollers and hundreds of people and him stopping when he heard the bells. Miles was also the cutest and the smallest dog at the event. Yay Miles, he is an athlete. Miles has big goals for 2012 and he can't wait to pick out his race for next season!

Happy Holidays to everyone! This time of year is so busy and the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas just flies by! I was blessed to spend Thanksgiving in FL with my entire family! I haven't spent a Thanksgiving with my parents or Nana since 2008 or with my sister since 2005. I survived my very first Black Friday and now I am totally hooked! We went to one of only two Lululemon outlets in the country and shopping with a massive crowd and huge sales was a big rush similar to what I feel when racing a triathlon. They had "power hour" at Lulu where one item would be an incredible price but only for one hour and so there was a mad dash when the announcement was made and I was pushed and shoved and I forgot my name and who I shopping for and what size they wear and I just kept grabbing stuff. They had three "power hours" during Black Friday so we made three trips back to Lululemon and hit up all three, it was a blast and a total surprise as to what the sale item would be each time. The same mall also had a Coach outlet, True Religion, 7 For All Mankind, Joe's Jeans, Burberry, Juicy, Crocs, Fendi, great makeup stores, and many others. I bought so much stuff I had to mail a box of it home. I left FL with my suitcase, my stomach, and my heart full...tons of shopping, tons of eating and I just love my family more than anything. It was also a treat to run outside in 80 degree weather every day.

Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza!

I miss my sister so much! She has already booked me a flight to come back for 8 days and run a half marathon with her the first weekend in February as my Christmas gift, I can't wait!

I highly doubt I will blog again in 2011, I have been so busy with work, work travel, the holidays and swimming every spare moment I get. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! 2011 was a fun and exciting year for my career and for racing so I can't wait to make 2012 even better, to set some new goals and make some plans. This is definitely one of my favorite times of the year, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the holiday season!!!! See you next year...

XOXO,
S

MS. FOX

2011-11-13T19:56:00.024-06:00

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." -George Bernard Shaw

I truly thought that when your last name was Finger and you go get a legal name change it would be self explanatory! Apparently it is not! I can't believe all the questions that I have gotten! Why? Did you get married? Were you married and you just got divorced and then changed your name back to your maiden name? Are you in the witness protection program? Do you hate your parents? How did you choose Fox? Etc etc etc...

It has been my life long dream to legally change my last name and it turns out that any US citizen with no criminal history, no financial problems, and $352.50 to burn can legally change their name to absolutely anything they want, even Ochocinco. I picked out the name Fox over 10 years ago with my family. I wanted to keep my initials the same, nobody can mispronounce Fox, and it sounds short, sweet, cute, and athletic. I spent months researching F last names and scoured entire phone books. The fact that I still love the name I picked out over a decade ago was even more of a reason to make it official. My dog Miles looks like a fox and I love that a fox has so much meaning and appearance in pop culture and folklore in many societies around the world.

It was quite a process of filling out and filing loads of court documents, going through an extensive background check to make sure that I was not attempting to hide from criminal or financial trouble, appearing in court with two witnesses to testify on my behalf that the name change was for my own personal reasons, and changing my driver's license, SSN, all accounts, all personal records, car title, etc. This has been quite a journey but totally worth it after being named after a body part for over 28 years! I have never felt like my last name was really Finger, in my mind I have been Suzie Fox for quite sometime and I couldn't be happier or feel more true to myself now that I am Ms. Suzanne Marie Fox. My family has been calling me Suzie Fox for years. I have NEVER been married and I DID NOT just get married but with my new name I will forever be in the honeymoon phase!

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." -Sir Cecil Beaton

TC 10 Mile Race Report

2011-10-18T19:51:00.002-05:00

Last year when I covered the TC 10 course (the last 10 miles of the TC Marathon) I was such an injured, beat up, and over-raced mess that I don't even remember it. My memory of the marathon course stops at about Lake Calhoun. I shouldn't have been running, I was a blonde disaster in Brooks. It was so nice to end my season this year injury free, energetic, smiling, and enjoying the lovely fall colors and leaves in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. This was my last race of the season so I really took it in. I didn't want it to end because I knew the worst week of the year was to immediately follow, my annual rest week. Miserable but very necessary for longevity in endurance sports.

I couldn't be more pleased with my 10 mile time of 1:09:17, a 6:55 pace and 4:03 faster than the only other 10 Mile I have ever done which was earlier this year in April. Somehow I ended up in the midst of a bet and the stakes were pretty high. If I beat my friend Brent in the 10 mile then a bunch of us from OHP were going to go out for dinner and he had to dress up like a women with heels, make up, a wig, the whole 9. If he beat me then I had to wear JonnyJ's 3 piece suit out to dinner and dress up like a man. I am not really sure how this all came about but there was no way on earth I was dressing up like a dude and I was able to beat Brent by a few seconds to save myself from cross dressing!

After the race I headed to the German House on Sumit which Optum had rented. We had a prime spot lining the course and were at mile 25.5. Oputm really knows how to throw a marathon party. There was a bar, a balloon machine, massage therapists on hand, and a private announcer to announce the Optum athletes as they passed by. It was fun to spend the day watching the many marathon runners expend themselves to the fullest while celebrating the end of my season with my co-workers, celebrating our athletes, and celebrating the first full year of OHP, a perfect day! This was also my last race ever as Suzie Finger! I can now count down to my big day in hours instead of days...so excited!!!

Iron Girl Duathlon Race Report

2011-10-17T11:14:00.009-05:00

Photo by the lovely Tiffany Storms

A race packet containing Iron supplements and Soft Cups could only mean one thing, time for the Iron Girl Duathlon. After Iron Girl last year I said I would NEVER do this race again. Never say never. There are a ton of things about this race that drive me nuts but ultimately there are more things I enjoy about it like my fave pizza place Nick & Willies is right by to the packet pickup (best veggie pizzas EVER).

I came down with a bad cold and sore throat two days before the race which I think was the result from a work trip to Atlanta for OHP. It was a great opportunity that I was thankful to be a part of but I got very little sleep and got worn down, I rarely get sick. On race day I was over the sore throat and just had the cold, my nose wouldn't stop running but I felt strong enough to race well.

The race started again this year with the 50 and over women in wave one and then descending oldest to youngest. For the second year in a row 29 and under was the last wave so I had 1 hour and 5 minutes from the time transition closed until my wave started. I went and sat in my car when they closed trany and blew my nose about 30 times and listened to music, I should have brought one of my dogs. When there was 30 mins left until my wave started I began warming up.

As usual the run course was crowded from the previous waves as some of it is on narrow trails so there was lots of weaving around other women. I ran the first 1.5 miles with a girl in my AG who was wearing 5 Finger shoes. I couldn't stop wondering how long her transitions would be getting those puppies on and off and finally I decided that I didn't want to find out and I took off alone for the last .5 mile. My run 1 was the best I've ever had in my 4 IGs and I was really happy to go 12:18, 6:09 pace.

The bike course has been different all 4 years I've raced and this year it was .7 miles longer which was fine with me. Nothing scares me more than this bike course because of the congestion of being the last wave on a 2 loop coned in course with 1,100 others riding all over the place, some on right and some on the left. I am really proud of the improvements I have made with my bike handling this year thanks to Chris Balser and JonnnyJ and getting out there and practicing often by myself. This year at IG was the best I have ever handled my bike, I don't think there is any better bike handling practice than IG. It was very eventful and clustered and I did a good job avoiding multiple crashes and turning each corner with plenty of company. As I was finishing my first loop and starting the second a girl screamed at me as I passed her, "You are going too fast! Slow down!" She sounded really upset with me.

My second run wasn't the greatest but I did my best. The strangest thing of all was that there was only 15 seconds separating my winning time and Tina's time, the female who took second but I never saw her once all day. I still find it odd that we were :15 apart in real time but I had no idea she was even there, that is how the ghost of racing at IG plays out without a competitive wave.

I am very happy that I went back again because I doubt I will be able to race again next year as the race will be only 2 weeks after IM Wisc. Whether or not I ever race this race again I feel much better closing my IG chapter than any of my previous IG races if I were to walk away now. It was a lovely day with perfect fall weather and the volunteers always do a fabulous job!

MDRA's City Of Lakes 25K & Impulse Online Shopping

2011-09-18T17:55:00.009-05:00

City Of Lakes 25K was a fabulous event that I was happy to be a part of. This was the second longest running race that I have ever done at 15.5 miles so I was interested to see how things would shake out. I strained my calf in a run the day before so I was a bit worried about how it would feel during the race. The weather was gorgeous! I kept overhearing people saying how hot it was so I invite them to come do Pigman. COL 25K was almost completely shaded and the temperature was lovely, even with Pigman at its "coldest" this year, I was still roasting so this race was a real treat.

Including the race I ended up running 20 miles total on the day, my longest ever training run. Due to injuries I didn't get to train much at all for my marathon last year and I never made it past 17. I just love running only races because there is nothing to stress over or worry about and no transition to set up. Chip timed running races are even better because then it doesn't matter if you get there a little late. Or a lot late which I did. You can also be in the porta potty when the race starts which I was. I ran the first 9 miles with Derek and then he took off, I can tell that Kort has been training him very well for the Twin Cities Marathon, he was in great long distance running shape and I couldn't keep up any longer. My calf was hurting the whole time but it was constant dull pain and it wasn't enough to drop out or effect my performance much if at all, just an annoyance and something to keep an eye on. My goal was to break 2 hours and I came in 1:59:01, 7:42 pace.

After the 25K and got to congratulate my friend Bree her COL PR, she ran a wonderful race and is all set for a speedy TCM, I'm excited for her. Then I ran a cool down run with my client and got to hear all about her COL PR. All finishers got sweet beer mugs! I wish all races gave away beer mugs instead of t-shirts, medals, bags, etc. Something I will actually use! I use them for everything from water glasses to smoothie glasses and yes the occasional celebratory cold beer after a hard effort. Running socks rock too, I am obsessed with good quality running socks and a few races give those out, running socks and beer mugs!

During the entire race I was daydreaming and planning my tri schedule for 2012, I realized this year how much I love short course tris and duathlons. I planned all the dus and short course races in my head that I wanted to do for next year, I didn't even want to do a single Olympic. Only sprints, 'tweens, and dus, no long course next year I decided. Not even one single half iron would make my scheduling cut, next year would be all about speed. Short, fast, and painful!

Less than 24 hours later I did some online shopping and I made the most impulsive purchase of my life...much more on that later but needless to say as much as I loved City Of Lakes I will not be able to race it again next year as I will have a scheduling conflict due to said online impulse purchase, Ironman Wisconsin! I couldn't be more excited and I will be in GREAT company!!!

MDRA Victory Doubleheader

2011-09-08T16:20:00.016-05:00

My run and swim still leave much to be desired so I am trying something new. I have almost completely shut down my biking and multi-sport racing and am attacking my weaker disciplines starting with a mini running season. At the end of this month I am considering stopping biking for the rest of the year and going swim and run crazy through Jan or Feb.

The kickoff of my run season was on Labor Day at the MDRA Victory Doubleheader. Victory offers a 10K distance, a 5K distance, or one can run both and do the double challenge. I was anticipating a 10K PR because of the flat course and ideal running weather but was doing the race at the end of a run heavy week so I wasn't sure what to expect. I am training and running right through these late season running races and I just wrapped up a 48.5 mile running week the day before Victory. That is a lot of miles for me and was the most miles I have logged in one week since the winter of '09 when I was doing a base building running program and the most I did then was only 50, my biggest week ever. Ann and I did an epic 70 min threshold run on the Wednesday before Victory and we were hoping we had something left in the tank come Monday, that was the hardest training run I have ever done but I loved it and I love Ann for suffering through it with me.

MDRA put on a stellar race as expected and the weather was ideal, there couldn't have been anything better about the race and I will keep Victory on my calender for many Labor Day weekends to come. It was great to have a few friends out there running and to have my friend Bree there cheering. The water stop was the best water stop ever! It was Heidi's husband, Heidi's kids, Ann's kids, and Heidi's neighbors so Ann and I got plenty of support as we went by. The weather was too perfect to grab any water but the water stop sure had a great volunteer crew and with an out and back course we got to go through it twice.

I was happy to have a 1:26 10K PR and finish in 41:15, a 6:38 pace but I want to be much faster both running off the bike and not off the bike so there is lots of work to be done.

A 5K right after a 10K felt like I was running off the bike but it was tons of fun. The water stop was still up and running so I enjoyed going by two more times during the 5K. I didn't push the 5K but I didn't totally dog it either and I ended up with a 21:20, 6:52 pace. It was a lovely day to be running in orange and black and who doesn't love a three day weekend?! Thank you Heidi and MDRA for a spectacular race!

2011-09-03T18:24:00.002-05:00

Pigman 2.0

2011-08-24T17:22:00.034-05:00

"If at first you don't succeed, call it version 1.0" -Unknown

Last year was without a doubt Pigman version 1.0!

I made the drive from my garage all the way to the hotel in Cedar Rapids without stopping once! That was really impressive because I drank 62 ounces of water on the way and I have been told I am high maintenance a time or two. We had a fun tri team pasta dinner and I was super excited when I got back to my room because gymnastics was on TV, I love to watch gymnastics, I love their braids, their makeup and glittery leotards!

It was a great day for the men and women in red and black! (From left to right) Kevin reset the Masters CR, DKT reset his own Overall CR, Thad had a Pig PR, Kort had a half iron PR and looked so strong! I am so proud of her after all she has been through this year, I think this is the first time all season she has truly raced to her potential, she's back! I had a 30:08 Pig PR :-) We won the club award, how great is it to have 4 fast teammates make me some $ just for showing up? Thanks guys! Way to go team!

I'm so glad that I raced AG b/c I got a pink Gear West swim cap! I usually toss the race caps but the pink one is a keeper. I like a wave start much better, I enjoy an aggressive and physical start followed by a clean swim. This was my first time trial tri start and it featured a clean start and then weaving around traffic the whole swim. I get more competitive juices flowing with an entire wave charging at once but I am not going to complain about cutting 4:40 off my swim time from last year.

I love the bike course at Pig, it is in my top 5 bike courses for sure. Aside from having to slow way down unnecessarily twice for traffic (a cop sent a car right in front of me turning back into the park and there was a stopped semi truck blocking the whole shoulder at one point waiting for bikers up ahead to get through an intersection) my ride went well and I knocked off 11:30.

My hat broke around mile 3.5 of the run but it was actually a welcome distraction to keep attempting to fix it or at least rig a way to get it to stay on my head. This helped pass a lot of time. The ice at the water stops each mile is the highlight of this run course! My run was a tad disappointing because both my calves cramped the last two miles and it really slowed my overall run split down. It was still 13:38 faster than last year so I'm stoked. The weather and my body were both in much better condition this edition of Pigman. All in all I couldn't be happier with a half hour course PR and redeeming myself from Pigman 1.0, I feel accomplished! Sometime in the future I will go back on a mission to break 5 hours. I was so close, 1:24, shoot, but that is what keeps me training hard, never satisfied, and coming back for more, there is so much for me to improve upon and plenty of fuel to fire my off-season training.

I did earn a spot for long course worlds which was my season long goal and even though I am not going to claim the spot I am happy to have qualified.

The last few days have been a whirlwind and a another reminder that life is so precious and both our bodies and physical movement are a gift never to be taken for granted!

Turtleman Duathlon; All Aboard The Bad Bike Voodoo Train

2011-08-14T09:37:00.025-05:00

There has been some really bad luck on the bike leg for the ladies this year and on Saturday I joined the bad luck bike club...

None of the other girls would start in the elite wave so it was just me and all the boys. I didn't mind lining up with all guys but as expected once we started they took off at a blistering pace and I was running all alone and the "race" never once had a race feel to it, I felt like it was just me out for a training day all alone. The first run was 1.86 miles and covered part of the regular Turtleman run going backwards and then we looped through a neighborhood to bring us back to transition. My first run went as well as I could have hoped for without feeling that competitive vibe of being surrounded by any other competitors, I averaged a 6:20 pace.

The bike was 22.4 miles vs. 21 miles in years past so I was happy about that except it had rained really hard all morning so the roads were soaked and slippery in many places. The rain did slow down and then stopped once we got started but conditions were still wet out there. Slick roads combined with nearly all the turns coned in really tight wasn't the best scenario for me. I hit a cone on my first sharp right hand turn and my bike skidded into oncoming traffic and I had a near crash. Luckily no cars were coming but I almost hit a parked cop car, this rattled me and so I took every turn for the rest of the race way too slowly. I pretty much came to a complete stop. About two miles in my bike started making a really weird noise. I thought I had a flat because I have never heard noise like that before and have never flatted on a race wheel so I am not sure what kind of sound that makes. I contemplated stopping to check things out but decided to just keep going and spent large portions of the ride turned around trying to see what was making all the racket. I knew it was my disc but no matter what angle I turned and looked I couldn't see what was going on behind and underneath me. The noise was atrocious so I just hopped that I wasn't doing any damage to my wheel by continuing to ride. It felt like I was putting out a ton of effort on the bike and not moving all that fast. I didn't get a chance to inspect my bike until after I finished the race and there was a large piece of clear packing tape stuck in my chain ring that had been grinding through with every pedal rotation, ugh.

My second run was pretty good, not stellar but I'm fine with it. 4.97 miles is the longest I have ever run off the bike in a du. I averaged a 7:06 pace. About 400 yards from the finish line was the first time all day that I saw another female. We finished together but she had started behind me in the age group time trial so she was actually ahead of me in real time. The final few yards to the finish line was the first time I actually felt like I was racing so it was really fun to sprint to the end with an actual person out on the course with me. We went back and forth three times and I love an intense hard finish. Not a good day on the bike for me but all in all it was a nice workout which was all I was seeking at this event in the first place and I had a lot fun.

Our new post race tradition is that Miles gets to tear up my race number. This started as an accident about three races ago when I was unpacking and left one on the floor. Miles being the Terrier that he is loves the texture of the race numbers because they are so hard to rip. He gets just as if not more excited to play with my race numbers than when he gets new toys, bones, and raw hides. He just loves to see how fast he can shred my number.

I am going to decide by the end of the day on Sunday whether or not to do Pigman and if I don't do it I want to replace it with another tri. I def want to get one last tri in this season whether it is Big Pig or something else. Pigman is a really tough course so I need to make a final decision and get my head mentally in it if I am going to race. I'm sure I am driving Devon, Dan, Kort, Heidi, and my parents crazy with my indecisiveness as they are all trying to help me in my decision making process. I registered in January, have a hotel room reserved and a weekend dog sitter lined up but I still don't know what to do. Usually I am totally type A and know exactly what I want but I am having great difficulty with what to do on this one. Hummmm, to Pig or not to Pig?

My Escape

2011-08-07T12:54:00.030-05:00

I got a new car!!! It has been a long time coming but I finally got a new car that will be perfect for me in the MN winters and in the summers. It fits my bike inside without having to take any wheels off yet it is a smaller SUV and is my fave color! No not pink! My fave color is actually not pink, it is school bus yellow, the same color as my bike, so yes my bike matches my car. It was really sad to trade in my Mustang, I have had it since 2001 and I have had so many great memories in that car.

Last weekend I went home to visit my parents and pick up my new car, it is a Ford Escape, super sporty and just right for me. I am in the peak of my training and I had to do 7 hours of training in 2 days so I didn't get to spend too much time with my family but it was great to be home. My dad and I got to do one run together and I got to have breakfast with my Nana, she is doing so well now!

My parents bought the car so I could make all my car payments to them with no interest plus I did get some descent money for the Stang so both those things are good news. Unfortunately I do have a car payment now so I decided not to do Long Course Worlds and I declined my roll down spot to BOUS. So the excitement of my new Ford Escape has also turned into a disappointing but financially practical escape out of two late season destination races I had on my radar. I wish triathlon wasn't so expensive but destination races really add up in cost. I hate owing people money so I would rather use the money I saved for those races to begin paying off my new car. As a single income 20-something year old I feel privileged to have already done one destination race this year, if I did another I would just feel guilty using a big chunk of change for something other than my car payment. I hope to have it payed off within 1.5-2 years and will probably only do races within driving distance until it is paid for. I am signed up to race AG at Pigman Long Course on Aug 21 which would have hopefully set me up to qualify for Worlds. I will probably still race at Big Pig but am not 100% sure.

While at home, the kids got shampooed, deep conditioned, and their nails clipped and little Miles got his first hair cut! He looks so handsome! My dad cut his hair and took it very seriously, he got out a comb and everything and really took his time and did a great job, I was impressed.

I have been working WAY more hours this year than last year so I haven't been able to do many time trials. TNT is my fave workout so I have really missed those. I did get to do my second and last TNT of the summer this past Tues which was a blast. I was so happy to get another crack at putting out a solid TT after my bad and scary mechanical at the first one of the year. This is not my year for TNT in more ways than one, a car did a u-turn right in front me this time, scary and aggravating but what could I do? At least I didn't have to get off my bike this time! Oh well, I felt really strong and had a nice ride besides for that minor disturbance, I love that TT course and wish I could have been out there more this season!

TNT 8-2-2011

Training has been long and the weather has been extremely hot and humid but I am enjoying every minute because I know that the race season is coming to a close and summer doesn't last forever in MN! The rest of my season is up in the air so I will race each race like it will be my last because I am still making last minute decisions on how to end my tri season and I am unsure and undecided on several events. Cheers to uncertainty, spontaneity and living and racing in the moment.

Chisago Half; The 6th Toe

2011-07-25T21:48:00.029-05:00

The day after HOLT I discovered a painful and gross issue taking place where the saddle hits my most personal of areas. While a common problem among cyclists and triathletes the situation produced endless pain and made me feel uncomfortable in my own skin and created a near bikeless week. I didn't decide to race at Chisago until the night before. In a race that long it hurts down there by the end of the bike no matter what so I figured I might as well just go for it. Life is short and I enjoy suffering so why not? Saddle sores turned out to be the least of my worries.

The swim was just a straight line of buoys, no turns at all. Swimming out was the sloppiest mosh pit of all time and it was also very foggy. There were men and women of all ages and ability levels in each of the many waves and nobody could quite figure out how the waves were selected. I got trapped behind numerous swimmers in the prior wave on the way out and spent much of my swim zig zagging through the masses. On the way back, every time I pulled my head up to sight there were multiple swimmers coming straight at me. Two way traffic with very little to sight off of was an aquatic nightmare and it wasn't long before I got in a head-on collision with a male swimmer. Ouch! The rest of the swim was a blur and literally and figuratively a massive headache. Needless to say my swim time was slower than I anticipated.

I was mentally out of it from the swim collision and I dropped my goggles when I was running into transition. My friend Brent was doing the sprint and he said to leave them and he would get them for me. I wasn't really comprehending what he was saying so I turned back around and picked them up. Then I have no idea what happened because my goggles weren't in transition after the race so I must have dropped them again, things were really fuzzy so who knows? Transition was a cluster, none of the racks were in a straight line and everywhere I turned I almost ran into a huge tree or another rack of bikes. What a clustery maze, 1,400 bikes packed in like sardines.

I don't really remember anything about the first 5+ miles of the bike, my head was throbbing, must be what drunk driving is like. Kevin who was doing the sprint race passed me on the bike and yelled something out to me. I have no idea what he said and I couldn't figure out who he was until he was out of sight and then I was able to put it all together so I just smiled at him when he went by. It really isn't that hard to recognize who Kevin is, there are not many people who ride by wearing a Gear West uni that are so tall that their saddle is at the height of my ears, but I had a splitting headache and was pretty confused. This was a wake up call and I began contemplating if I should be on wheels and was wondering if I had whiplash. I really had to focus out there but eventually the pain lessened and by mile 25ish I was coming back to life mentally. I liked that the course was rural and non-technical and there were three really fun and super fast descents that were a blast. There were hardly any hills but there was tons of headwind in several long stretches. I was hoping to bike a couple minutes faster but did the best I could.

The best part of the run was getting to run several miles with and just behind my teammate Julia, it felt like I was just out on a training run and I was running really relaxed and comfortable. Then at about mile 4 I could feel a blister forming in between my big toe and my second toe on my right foot. This blister had a mind of its own and pretty soon I could feel it wrapping underneath my big toe and it began to really hurt to put any weight on my right foot. The ~~blister~~ ~~tumor~~ 6th toe was expanding at a rapid rate and getting more painful with each step. I began putting more weight on my left foot to compensate and doing a limp/run/shuffle. The toe and foot pain soon trumped all head and crotch pain and I almost dropped out. Around mile 7 the 8 gels I took throughout the day alerted me that they needed an escape route and were threatening to come out both ends. My muscles and physical conditioning felt really good the whole race and I felt the most prepared I have ever been for a half but all these unconventional nonsense injuries were holding me back. My head, toe, crotch, and stomach issues were relentless.

The highlight of the race was coming back into the park, I was running about 10 seconds behind Ann as she had just passed me about a 1/2 mile earlier. It was her first half and her whole family was camped out at the entrance back into the park, her husband, her 4 kids and even her dog were going nuts as she ran by and she was so excited to see them! That was a really special moment for her and I am glad I got to see it. She did so well going sub 5 hours in her first 70.3 and I was so proud of her. I told her she would have an amazing swim and run and she would pass a ton of people on the run including me. She did just that passing 7 women on the run including me. It all comes down to the run in a half, every time, the run will make or break you and knew it would make Ann.

I really appreciate all the cheers out on the course and am also very grateful for all who congratulated me after I crossed the finish line so I apologize for my anti-social bee-line to the porta potty as gels came out immediately in both directions. In the end I was happy with my race (4:56), I wish my swim and bike would have been quicker but I was really happy with my run. It was my fastest half marathon off the bike, a 1:40. This distance never feels like a race to me, it is still survival mode. I never race a half with time or placement goals, I think it is a big accomplishment for me just to finish and I look forward to continuing to develop my long course racing, I think it will take years to find my 70.3 potential and I want to keep giving it a tri once or twice a season. A really solid half is somewhere inside me but it might take a few more seasons to surface.

Heart Of The Lakes Triathlon; Bye Bye Bluebirds

2011-07-19T18:54:00.018-05:00

Sunday at HOLT were the hottest conditions that I have ever raced in, it was well over 90 degrees with 90% humidity. I do not have much experience with endurance events in extreme heat so I am pretty inefficient still in very hot temps, especially on the run and I prefer cooler weather. However, I do love stiff competition, pressure, I am addicted to chaos and I knew the heat would make for an interesting day out there. I went on a 3 minute warm up run with my athlete Cyndi and that was plenty! We basically did a loop around the sprint and long course transition areas, stopped several times to chat with people and still ended up looking like we just got out of the shower upon completion. Transition is in the street of a residential area in Annadale and there are lots of houses nearby. Two men and a dog came outside of their house which was right next to Ann and my spot in transition. They sat on their front porch smoking cigarettes, were intrigued by the pre-race happenings, and they took a quick liking to Ann and I. We had fans, chain smoking fans, but fans none-the-less, and they ended up watching the whole race. It started to get too hot and too smokey for me so I ended up going down to the lake really early, I couldn't wait to cool off a little, I just wanted to do a very short swim warm up and then sit in the lake at the swim start until it was go time.

The elite wave was large just like at Waconia and I was pumped for a messy and aggressive start. I swam to the first turn buoy in a small pack and then pushed the pace the rest of the way. There was a new small pack a bit further up in front of me but I just couldn't catch them before the swim ended but I came pretty close. I ended up exiting the swim a few seconds behind the pack I couldn't catch but a sizable distance ahead of the pack I began the swim with. Knocking 2:22 off my HOLT swim time from last year felt awesome and I knew that no matter what happened the rest of the day in the heat I had a swim to be proud of.

T1 is a long run and when I got to my bike our front porch fans were still smoking cigarettes and cheering. I felt really strong on the bike early on which was good because I was 11th out of the water and had to go to work quickly. I have never sweat so much on the bike, sweat was just pouring off my face. My hands were so sweaty that I had a difficult time gripping my bars and was nervous my hands would slip off and I would crash. It was also slippery when shifting gears. I made up some solid ground and took over the lead when I found Becky at about mile 15-16. It was really heating up and I could feel my body starting to get sluggish. In the last 1/4 mile Jan caught up to me and we went back and forth until the dismount line where we ended up side by side. The local resident smokers were still out on their porch when I racked my bike, I thought they would for sure be inside enjoying their AC. I got out of T2 as fast as I could and was the first female out on the run course.

The run felt uncomfortably hot from the first stride, fortunately HOLT is incredibly organized. They added extra water stops and had plenty of water and cold sponges but I was still struggling. I hope I will get stronger in the heat with experience but I had to go into survival mode to make it to the finish line. I settled into a pace that I knew I could hold in the heat wave and just decided that whoever passed me would pass me as this was the maximum speed I could run in these conditions and just wanted to get the job done of finishing. Around mile 1 Jan and Becky passed me together but Becky shortly left us completely in the dust. I tried to keep Jan in sight so I had someone to focus on because I was fading fast. About halfway through I started getting totally overheated and very dizzy. With a mile to go Kortney passed me, I knew it was her because I saw her behind me at a prior turn but when she went by I couldn't see her clearly, she just looked like a blur of red and black. Then I realized everything was blurry. I was wearing Marta's fastskin with her last name on my butt and Marta knows everyone. I got so many cheers from people coming in off the bike course, I was in rough shape but all the "Go Marta!" and "Yay Lewiniski" cheers helped me beat the heat. I should race as Marta more often, she knows way more tri people than I do and has a loud fan base, everyone loves Marta.

As I approached the finish line my HR had to be through the roof and my eyes couldn't focus, everything was all so blurred. I collapsed but I am not sure where, it was either just before, at, or just passed the finish line. A volunteer came and collected me and took me to the med tent. I was fully conscious and not at all injured or anything it was just hard to keep my eyes opened and my vision was hazy, I was so dizzy. About 5 volunteers hovered over me and put ice packs inside my race suit all over my body and then several more med volunteers were dumping cold pitchers of water on me. Someone took my pulse with a stethoscope. My athletes/friends Cyndi and Patty had finished their races and came over and sat with me, I was so happy to look up and see them, they both have huge smiles and big personalities, they are so great. A few of my teammates, friends, and competitors came by too and I was happy to see that they had all finished and were doing okay as it was just so warm and humid. The med tent was busy! I finally cooled off, my HR lowered and my vision cleared up. I can't say enough about how wonderful the volunteers and the organization at HOLT are, the course is also one of if not the best marked courses around.

I really had no interest in how I placed with the state I was in towards the end of the run but I ended up 4th which I was really happy about. My run was 2:37 slower than last year but just like I told the athletes I coach, "Throw that run split out! It was hot as hell!" Everyone ran much slower. The good news is that an improved swim and a :55 faster bike allowed me to beat my overall time from last year by :51. Ann had a great race, she finished 6th and won the female Master award. HOLT gives these large framed pieces of bird art as awards. We both thought it was a Bluebird this year but we were quickly corrected that it was actually a Barn Swallow. Ann's husband was kind enough to carry our art to the car for us. We packed up our stuff in transition and the men were STILL out there and STILL smoking. They couldn't wait to ask us how our "marathon" went.

The awards were resting up against the front tire while Ann's husband loaded all three of our bikes and all of our gear into the car. When we drove off we heard the loudest noise ever! A huge bang and glass shattering. We all thought we hit a car, a gun shot went off, or all our bikes had fallen off the bike rack. We stopped to see what the ruckus was and we had run over the artwork awards! There was glass everywhere and it was a total mess with tire marks on the prints. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! Bye bye Bluebirds! We cleaned up as best as we could, the pics don't do justice but we snapped a pic of our glassless prints and bent frames.

I was so happy to get home to my AC. A green smoothie, tons of water, a trainer ride in the AC with a Chihuahua sleeping on each side of my front wheel, an ice bath, and a good nights sleep were my ticket back to full recovery.

-SMF

Optumhealth Performance Minneman Triathlon

2011-07-10T20:00:00.041-05:00

Friday July 1st was my parents' 33rd wedding anniversary! In a society where divorce is the norm I am so fortunate that my parental unit is happily married. These are a few of the many pics we had taken on Father's Day by Christine Wood Photography, she is so sweet and talented. My dad just turned 60 at the end of June and my mom (a cougar) will be 66 in October. I think they look great for their ages and they are both in excellent health.

Saturday July 2 was the Optumhealth Minneman Sprint Triathlon. I went for a warm up run with Dan and I could tell right away that I was exhausted. Minneman was my second to last short course race of 2011 and my training volume has drastically picked up, especially on the bike. My legs felt really tired during the bike leg and I could not find my normal rhythm. It felt like I was pulling a burley of quintuplets. I was the second female out of the water and took over the lead just after the bike mount line. Pam and Jenny both caught me turning back into the park and we all came into T2 together. Luckily quick transitions combined with my hard work in the water starting to pay off and a :27 faster run than last year helped offset my sub par bike split. I biked a full 1:20 SLOWER than last year! Ouch! I can't wait for the bike leg of my next race so I can put this one in the past and really hammer the pedals and feel like myself again.

The race between long course endurance superstar Pam N and myself was really close. I finished in 2nd just 7 seconds ahead of her. Pam is so hardcore she camped out at the race site the night before and some of the events she does makes me fatigued just listening to the distances she covers. Jenny picked up the win and I am so happy to see her returning to top form after being injured. I was able to take home a paycheck for the Suzie Needs A New Car Before It Snows Fund. After all the car trouble I was having with the Explorer my mom drove up with my Mustang a month or so ago. I love that car, my parents bought it for me with money they saved for me to go to college and since I ended up getting a softball scholarship they bought me a new car instead. Unfortunately it does not function in a Minnesnowta winter. It is so nice to place at races that are kind enough to support the poor amateur triathletes like myself, thanks Optumhealth Performance! The two OHP races so far this year have been top notch and it is so great to have all my OHP people there! OHP races where Gear West does the bike support are the best and make me feel really relaxed and comfortable. The long finish chute at Minneman was really professional looking and a blast to run through even though I was not feeling too hot and running scared.

Some pics from the race by Paul Phillips:

Jeremy filling in as Jenny

Minneman was my last race as a 27 year old. On July 5th I turned the ripe old age of 28. I worked an 11 hour day on my birthday but took the following day off to go biking all day. Brooks and I rode for 4 hours on our time trial bikes and did some long intervals at HIM race pace mixed in. We rode the Chaksa course (the BEST bike course in the state, all hills), then we rode out to Waconia for a loop around the Waconia course, headed to Victoria, then back to Chaska and did another loop of the Chaksa bike course, rode to Carver and then back home. It was my longest bike ride ever and I was really excited! I felt strong and did the whole ride with Raw Revolution Organic Greens Super Food Bars, Honey Stingers gels, and lots of water. A couple hours later I had to opportunity to mountain bike with former pro mountain biker Chris Balser. It was an epic ride for me! Biking with Balser is no joke! I was so scared, I thought I was going to loose all my teeth on the various obstacles he insisted I ride over. He is so much fun, so patient, and was so helpful in teaching me to handle my bike better. I only wiped out once and it was going uphill, what a great day of riding!

Yesterday one of my athletes and I did a 4:15 ride out in Chisago City, we rode the Chisago Half course and then some as we got lost about 3 times. Unfortunately the bike course is really flat and fast, I was hoping there would be some hills. We did find some massive hills when we got lost in Taylors Falls. There was a huge bluff that we had to climb to get back to the course and it was so steep I thought I was going to tip over for sure, I have no idea how I made it to the top without bailing off and doing hike-a-bike, I wish they could work that hill into the course. With a transition run my workout totaled 5 hours, my longest ever brick. Every time I do one of those long workouts I feel an amazing sense of physical accomplishment but I also get scared about the distance of Long Course Worlds, it is so far! I think it will take me at least 10 hours with all the elevation on the bike and the run, not to mention the swim is longer than an Ironman.

Training has been great but long and work has been very busy so it is luxurious to have a lazy Sunday night and finally update my blog with two Chihuahuas sleeping on my lap.

'Tis Better To Have Lead And Lost Than Never To Have Lead At All

2011-06-27T22:45:00.015-05:00

Or maybe the saying is "tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but at this particular time in my life I am much more interested in work and triathlon and could care less about love...

Waconia was Sunday! It will be the closest to home I am racing this year, both my Chaska girls were racing, the elite field was stacked promising for an exciting race and in my opinion Waconia is the best bike course in the MMS series! I was super stoked for the ultimate race day sleep in since I live so close to the venue, I had my alarm set for 30 mins LATER than I get up on a weekday. Unfortunately puppies just like babies usually have other plans. Miles woke me up once at 2:30am and again about an hour before my alarm was set to go off and there was no going back to sleep after that.

There was finally a huge elite wave lined up for the swim start, the previous races I have done this year have been fairly small sized fields. I like it rough and just love the combat start of a triathlon swim and there was some of that in store at Waconia, very fun! I believe the swim was longer this year than last, I was really shocked to come out of the water 2 seconds slower this year when I know my swim has improved. Although after looking at the results from last year it looked like the swim times were 1-2 full minutes slower this year for both the men and the women so I was eventually content just being 2 seconds slower.

Pics by Nick M

Some people thought the bike course was really windy but it is always windy in Chaska and Waconia. That is what I train in so it was just anther day on the bike for me, I actually thought it was rather calm for this area, Ann and I did some rides recently where it felt like we were in a wind tunnel. I was 11th out of the water and biked myself into the lead at mile 15. The last three girls I reeled in were all my Gear West teammates (Becky, Julia, and Heidi) and I wanted to cheer them on as I went by but I just can't speak on bike. I have to ride so hard to catch them because they swim so fast! I tried to eek a few words out to Heidi when I realized I was foaming at the mouth, gross! I love every inch of that course except for the turn back into the park off Hwy 5, that one gets me every time and I slow down way too much for it. Brooks helped me practice taking it really wide by following his line so I actually had a game plan this year. The turn finally came (way too soon, I wanted to ride at least 10 more miles) and it was coned off really tight! Oh no, so much for my game plan! I slowed way down and showed a small crowd on hand how not to take a corner, there is always next year though. I just love that course, it was a 20 mile party that I didn't want to end.

Coming into T2

I love this pic of Marta, she always looks like she is having so much fun!!!

Being in the lead of a race that competitive was really fun but I knew there were about a dozen girls coming for me who all run faster than I do. There were 5 girls who came off the bike really close together shortly after me and they were closing in quickly. My legs felt great on the bike but terrible as soon as I started running. I stayed in the lead until mile 1 of the run when Heidi ran me down. It felt like I was running super slow but Heidi said I was running really fast and she had to work so hard to catch me that she thinks that may have slowed her down for the rest of the run. I must have done the 1 mile dash and crash. Next came Becky who was running so fast I felt a breeze as she flew by, she was absolutely flying and I was really impressed. I held on in 3rd until just passed the half way turn around cone at mile 2 where I saw Michelle right over my shoulder. I learned at Buffalo that once Michelle passes me I won't see her until the next race, she runs that fast (a 3:08 or something out of control at the Boston Marathon this year). She was running so fast she looked blurry when she went by. Next in line to play let's run Suzie down was Julia, she was running super fast but I was able to keep her in sight and hold steady about 10ish seconds back. I knew I couldn't catch her but I needed to use her as a pacer because the parade of girls passing me was alarming and I needed to turn on the damage control to stay in the top 5. I was scared to look behind me but I did it anyway and almost peed my pants. The fastest runner on the 2010 MN tri scene Jenny W was right there, I was running so scared. I could see the finish line and heard Kevin yell that she was 6 seconds behind me and I had better lay the hammer down. Somehow a miracle happened and I finished in 5th just seconds before Jenny, she is such a speedster! Becky continued on to win with Michelle right behind her and Heidi only 20 seconds back from Becky. Poor Ann went off course on the bike and lost a significant chunk of time, I was so bummed for her! She also flatted at the Gear West Du, when catastrophes haven't happen to her on the bike she has been having a fantastic season!

It was a great women's race, there was so much jockeying for position, I raced everywhere from 11th to 1st and everywhere in between and so many other girls went back and fourth all over the course, it was fun day! Even with the long swim I was 1:43 faster overall than last year, my bike was :55 faster and even though it felt like I was running slow because the other girls are just so fast my run was :46 faster. It is definitely NO fun to get passed by 4 girls on the run but it is a big accomplishment that I have improved my swim and bike enough to even put myself in the position to be passed, last year at this race I never raced in a position better than 5th place. Therefor it is better to have lead and lost than to have never lead at all. The top 5 overall men and women got beer mugs and I can bet that mine and Heidi's will get the most use. Cheers!

-SMF

Daddy Day

2011-06-19T20:52:00.016-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads! For the first time in years I got to spend Father's Day with my dad. Not only did I get to spend the day with him but we got to spend the entire weekend together. I took my parents to Parings on Friday night and they loved it. Since I love food so much and end up blogging about food more often then not if you have never been to Parings in Eden Prairie you should check it out! AMAZING! Great food and it is connected to a nice liquor store, my parents are wine freaks and they thought it was great that you could buy fine wine at the liquor store and they will bring it next door and cork it for you free of charge to enjoy with your meal. Good stuff.

My dad is a trooper and pretty darn fit for turning 60 next week, he ran 8 out of the 11 miles I ran on Saturday morning with me. He had mixed feelings about the XC trails I took him on with crazy steep climbs and at one point he joked about calling 911 on an intense incline but he hung in there and kept up with me although he was def not a fan of my DP hill workout. Lots of shopping, a Padres game, and more good food on Saturday. Pizza Luce, best veggie pizza and draft beer combo going, love that place!

I took my dad out for brunch on Sunday morning for Father's Day at his fave resto in MN Good Earth, it was fantastic as always. I appreciate my parents and my family more and more the older I get. My parents are so incredibly supportive of everything that I do, I am so fortunate and I love them so much!

Half Iron training def started this week, I can feel the extra volume and I love it, hello quads! Hello glutes! Hello hips! The weather turned out to be lovely today and after my parents left Brooks and I got a nice 3 hour ride in. We rode from my house to the Lake Waconia course, one time around the course, and back home, it was great. Brooks is my official HIM training partner whether he likes it or not, I broke the news to him this week. We are doing the same half and he lives way too close to me not to be my long ride and long run suffer buddy. A perfect weekend of family, eating, training, shopping, baseball, and dogs!

-Suz

Oputmhealth Performance Manitou Sprint Triathlon

2011-06-15T21:21:00.030-05:00

The Ladies of Manitou, Photo by Tiffany Storms

Sunday was our Oputmhealth Performance Manitou Sprint Triathlon. It was great to have a venue filled with my co-workers and OHP athletes who were there to both race and volunteer. I felt refreshed to be able to rack next to my tri coach in transition, have my swim coach Tim there to talk to before the swim start, have one of my fave co-workers Patty on hand for cheering/support, have Crystal my PT from Spine and Sport there to care for my ankle post race, and it was fun to have JonnyJ and Dan there because I work directly for both of them and they each support me so much in everything I do and are like second and third coaches to me. Since this was my fourth and final race in a 4 week straight racing block I got to go bananas and give it an all out effort. Plus I had a Thai Bodywork session scheduled with Sigrid the following morning and I knew she would piece me back together.

The .5 Mile Swim; Silly Boys

I was really surprised when I looked the night before the race and found the swim was 1/2 mile! All other sprint tris I have done were a 1/3 or 1/4 mile swim. What kind of a swimmer's sprint tri did I sign up for? A .5 mile swim with only 13.5 miles to redeem myself on the bike?!?! 1/2 mile swim is the same distance swim as Waconia and HOLT but you get 20-21 miles of bike redemption! The elite males decided to go off course and turn one buoy too early. This is the same mistake I made at Buffalo in 2010 and I knew it was wrong but most of our wave seemed to be following the silly boys. I took about 3 strokes off course and knew I should trust my instincts. So I stopped swimming to tread water so I could pull my head up and peep the scene. Most people were headed off course but there were a couple people swimming the correct way and that is where I decided to turn around and go. After the final turn I ended up off course heading back to the beach. I was going the right direction but somehow positioned myself an extra 25 yards too far away from the buoy line, cancel any time I saved from not going off course the first go around. I exited the water WITH other people, there were 4 of us! This is new for me this season! I am not used to exiting the water with alive and breathing people, last year I was all alone at every race, I came out in 6th and WAS WITH the female chase pack :-)

Photo by Denny Johnson

The 13.5 Mile Bike & The 5K Run; Too Little Too Late

Photo by Denny Johnson

Photo by Terry Lee

I biked into 3rd place rather quickly and then caught Becky just before the turn-around. There is only so much a girl can do in 13.5 miles, I ran out of real estate and didn't pass Claire until the end of the ride. I was in the lead for all of about 18 seconds as she came off the bike right behind me and beat me out of transition. All that hard work on the bike only to come into T2 with a college track star on my heels who is in a league of her own on the run. The only running I did in college was from the dugout to the pitcher's mound. I love out and back runs because I enjoy checking in on the men's race to see how things are shaking out for them but I also dislike out and back runs because I would rather not know what is going on behind me. Becky is a very talented and fast runner and she appeared to be charging at a rapid pace but I ended up holding my position in second place until the finish line.

Photo by Denny Johnson

The puke-tastic face photo by Momma Simpson

The weather was pooch perfect, not too hot and not too cold, so Miles was in attendance once again. He got to go on a warm-up run, a cool-down run, he got to eat a hot dog bun, he accompanied me to accept my check where he was mistaken for a cat, and he got stand on the podium. Ozzie was super jealous when we got home and he tried to pick a fight with poor Miles. I tell Ozzie all the time that if he was nice then he could come with me anytime he wants but little Ozzie hates men and often attacks. He is no longer allowed to make any public appearances after trying to take a bite out of Jenny Wilcox son's hand at Crioxathlon last year.

Podium Puppy

Thanks to everyone at Optumhealth Performance and all the volunteers for putting on a top notch race and for all the support I get from OHP both athletically and professionally, I am so lucky to work there, what a great opportunity I have! An even bigger thanks to Kris S and his family for all the work they put into the race each year.

I have this weekend off from racing, I am getting my hair done on Thursday and have family coming to MN on Friday. The Padres are in town and we are getting a family picture done by Christine Wood Photography. There will be lots of eating and training mixed in as well, I can't wait! Next up is Lake Waconia, the best tri and the best bike course in the MMS series and I am super excited to be doing another race with both my Chaska girls! And speaking of my Chaska girls...HUGE CONGRATS to Heidi for a course record breaking win at Trinona on Sunday! Exactly one year ago from Trinona she suffered a season ending bone breaking bike crash and I am so proud of how hard she works and how strong she has come back, nobody is more deserving! Ann took 5th and had a great race as well. Heidi worked 14 hours the day before the race and between the two of them they have 7 kids!!! I don't know how they do it, ROCK STARS!!! So proud my Chaska girls!

Buffalo Olympic Race Report

2011-06-06T12:11:00.018-05:00

Heidi & Ann = 2 great reasons to do Buffalo

On Saturday I took a leap of faith and butchered my long pretty fingernails into barley there stubs because of my lofty ambitions that I would be a middle of the pack swimmer at Buffalo instead of bringing up the rear. Last year my two inch nails had no chance of contact with anyone I was so far behind, but this year I was hoping I had improved and there would be a few girls within striking distance and I didn't want to scratch them. My goals for the swim were to beat my time from last year, do NOT go off course like I did last year, DO sight of the duckies this year, do NOT sight off the cameraman like I did last year, do NOT mistake the cameraman for a racer like I did last year, do NOT be the last one out of the water like I was last year. Mission accomplished on all accounts and I was 3:36 faster than last year. Thank you Heidi and Tim! Tim Walton needs a raise!

There was construction all over the normal olympic bike course so we had to do two loops around the sprint course and I was NOT a fan, there was nothing the race staff could have done about the construction, it was in NO WAY their fault but the bike course was total chaos. I had to come to a complete stop twice to avoid crashing into cyclists riding 3-4 abreast in tight coned in areas, there was NOWHERE to go, I had 9 lives today and lost my voice yelling, "On your left! On your left! On your left! Too late, don't move! Hold your position, I'm coming right down the middle!" One of my friends had to ride into the ditch to avoid a crash. The bike course would have been ideal if it weren't for the insane amount of congestion. My race wheels were rubbing terribly the whole ride, I have never heard rubbing that loud, it was frustrating. I went back and forth with Derek a few times on the second loop of the bike and he said he could hear the rubbing from really far away. When wheeling my bike into transition I noticed it was rubbing so I had some adjustments made which backfired and made the rubbing about 6 times as loud. Nothing was rubbing or touching without me on the bike but right away in my warm up ride it was LOUD. I didn't know what to do and I sure wasn't going to take it back to where I took it before the race. Matt and Jon were super nice to take a little peek right before the race started because I was kind of freaking out. Matt spun the back and Jon spun the front, I figured they would most likely be the top amateur men and if they thought it was okay then it probably was. Unfortunately the problem only occurred once my weight was on the bike. I was a little disappointed with my bike split but there was one high point, Jonny spent a long time on Wednesday helping me with bike handling and also taught me a new and much cooler way to mount my bike. I tried it for the first time at Buffalo and I actually executed it, nothing catastrophic happened, to the casual non-triathlete spectator it might have even looked fancy.

The weather couldn't have been better from start to finish. I came off the bike in 4th and I could tell during the many turns and chances to check in on the competition that Michelle was going to pass me at some point. I ran scared for the first 4.5-5 miles and then she passed me with probably about a 1-1.5 miles to go, she can sure run! The run at Buffalo is always hard for me! There is a LONG hill on the way out and then when you turn around and come back down it doesn't feel like you are going downhill at all! It doesn't even feel flat, it still feels like you are running uphill. Just like last year I got to run the entire run near Derek, I couldn't speak at all but he is super encouraging, fun to race with, and he pushes me, somehow we end up on most courses together. I was able to run 2:41 faster than last year and was very happy about that! I was really happy with my swim and run improvements!

Olympic distance races are really challenging and humbling for me. I am super happy with my race (for me) and am even more excited for my friends and athletes who raced especially my 17 year old athlete who completed her very first tri! But what makes me the happiest is that I don't have any more olympic distance races on my calender this season! Bring on the sprints and halfs! And those super fun somewhere between a sprint and olympic distance races in the MMS Series, those are great!

MILES' BIG DAY AT THE APPLE DUATHLON

2011-06-03T07:44:00.008-05:00

He's so handsome! Go Miles Go!

Sunday is my MN tri season opener. I am doing my one and only Olympic distance tri of the year. I do Buffalo because it is the only race that I get to do with my Chaska training partners (they love Buffalo), we train so hard together almost daily and then go our separate ways to the races. I also like to do one Olympic distance race per year for the same reason I think all swimmers should do at least one duathlon, it is the ultimate challenge of my limiter. I have 4 athletes racing at Buffalo on Sunday and I can't wait to cheer them on and watch them race! It is going to be a super fun weekend! May the water be warm and the swim course be short! Please? Even just a little tiny bit short?

Apple Duathlon; Living Up To His Name

2011-05-30T07:39:00.044-05:00

I didn't make the most brilliant decisions in the 24 hours leading up to the Apple Duathlon. My brand new Felt Virtue One Mountain Bike was ready for pick up at Gear West on Friday afternoon. I was so excited to welcome home Felt #3 that all my good judgement went out the window. I had a 20 minute race prep bike ride to do and I couldn't resist doing it on my new mountain bike.

I even had my tri cycling shoes on and started to head outside with my Felt road bike but I couldn't fight off the excitement to mountain bike so I changed shoes and headed out with my new toy. If one of the athletes I coach did something silly like that I would be horrified so hopefully Devon does not ever read my blog. I live on 26 miles of trails that are a mix of paved trails and XC trails. 38 seconds into my very first ride I was fumbling around with the shifters, they are so different from a tri or road bike, and so are the handle bars. I couldn't figure out which one shifted up and which ones shifted down, my wheels got stuck in some thick dried up mud, I forgot I was clipped in and I crashed. I wouldn't even call it a crash it was a slow motion wipe out, I was going all of about 2 mph but even to tip over from that height and land on hard packed mud still hurt. I finished the ride and boy was it ever fun but when I woke up in the morning my low back and my left hip were super sore and stiff!

On the drive to Sartell I sang off key to every Adele song ever released and I had Miles on my lap, he stood up with his back paws on my legs and perched his front paws on the driver's side window and stuck his nose out the window the whole drive, he was in heaven. In the car I tried a brand new pre race breakfast that I read about in an endurance nutrition book and my stomach became super upset. GPS took me to some house in a residential neighborhood in Sartell but I recognized it as being part of the run course so I just drove the run course and finally found my way. After setting up transition I told my co-worker Chris H that I had a nasty upset stomach and something was going to soon come out either end (but using a bit more descriptive and detailed words) which I am sure he just loved to hear. Still feeling sick I took Miles on a big walk to tucker him out so he would nap while I raced.

One of the my favorite things about Apple besides the great community, the enthusiastic volunteers, and the stellar organization of the race is the physically challenged athletes that lead off the event. It is so special and inspiring and then to see them out on the course later on in the race is really touching. As soon as the race started my stomach felt much better and my back and hip loosened up but my legs still felt pretty darn spent from the Gear West Du.

I came in from the first run in 4th in 19:57 (6:25 pace and :16 faster than last year, I will take that). I was behind a girl from CO, Becky and Kortney. I love the bike course at Apple and couldn't wait to get on the saddle, even though the runs at Apple are flat they always feel hard and painful so the bike is my treat and the break between the suffering. I found the girl from CO first, then Kort, and then Becky. I don't have a bike computer right now so I am not sure when I took over the lead but I would guess it was in the first 3 or 4 miles. I have never been in the lead in a duathlon before so that was a very exciting moment for me, I decided right then and there that no matter how short lived my lead was meant to last it was a pretty gosh darn fun feeling and I tried to seize the moment while pushing the pace. The last stretch of the bike was right into the wind and I felt myself getting tired. I felt like my pace slowed down but after looking at the splits I was only one second off of Julie's bike effort and she does not ever slow down, let up or have a bad bike ride so it must have been an illusion from the wind. Even though I took some "chances" (chances for me anyway) on the bike course and I turned much better than last year the bike splits for the women overall were slower because of the strong winds, I was 4 seconds slower than last year but happier with my ride this year.

Photo by Kimm Anderson of the St. Cloud Times

The second 5K was brutal and it hurt. Duathlons just plain hurt, they are hard! I was suffering bad but running as fast as I possibly could regardless. Even as a non-swimmer I prefer a triathlon, they hurt much less. Running off the bike in a triathlon is fun, running off the bike in a duathlon is PAIN but the pain eases at the finish line. Intense pain is necessary to discover your full potential. I was able to run the second 5K :47 faster then last year and my overall time was :53 faster, 12:31 faster than my ROY season in '09, I am proud of those mini self-improvements and my progress. When I crossed the finish line and had won I was really happy but then I immediately saw that Kortney was injured and had dropped out after starting the last run and I got really upset and sad for her. She is one of my best friends, my co-worker, and training partner and I don't like to see anyone DNF especially Kortney, so it was really hard to even be excited about winning.

Miles' reward for being so good while I raced was partaking in my cool down run and being allowed to scarf down some scraps from the post race spread. Miles is living up to his name! I have him on a run/walk program and he PRed on our cool down run at Apple! He ran for 9:59 straight so I am calling it 10 whole minutes!!! Pretty impressive stuff for a 7 lb Chihuahua! He just couldn't muster out that last second, the little guy just stopped dead in his tracks and gave me the time to pick me up and carry me right now look.

Photo by Steve Stenzel

Jerry joked at the awards ceremony about how much dog food I could buy with my prize money. My dogs are so spoiled that they get organic dog food delivered to our front door from a ranch in FL so I will have to order them some extra special treats next time I place an order.

I wish Kort a speedy recovery from her pulled muscle and I hope she will be back dominating the MN tri scene very soon! Happy Memorial Day to everyone! I am looking forward to some careful mountain biking with my girlfriends and hopefully going to go see the Hangover 2!

DO NOT GET A PEDICURE BEFORE THE GEAR WEST DUATHLON!

2011-05-23T18:54:00.030-05:00

Shoes were lost. Legs were caked with mud. Duathletes wiped out left and right. The pedicure I got on Wednesday, totaled! My brand new pink Brooks Mach XC flats, soiled! My three coats of mascara were smeared and running all over, but it was all worth while and in great fun at the Gear West Duathlon...

My two goals were NOT to bonk on the second run and to have fun. Last year my running splits were so lopsided and I was so frustrated. I cramped up and fell apart on the second run. I was really proud of my first run in 2010 but couldn't have been more disappointed with my second, my total run time for the 5K was faster than my total run time for the proceeding 4K! So this year I pulled up my splits on the computer and made myself eat breakfast on race morning and just stare at them while I ate. I was determined to save something for the second run this year, I didn't care how bad it would hurt or if I had to conserve energy on the bike I was going to finish with a strong second run.

The XC running trails were a saturated swamp from start to finish, it was time to get down and dirty, and it was time to have fun. I was super excited that Derek was starting in wave 1 because that meant I could pace off of him for the first run. We have done two running races at near identical times already this year and I knew that if I ran at a puke-a-licious pace I could run with him or right behind him. I knew that if I succumbed to any level of pain or suffering he would run away from me. A person that I can run with at puke pace on a good day is always the person I look to line up behind on race morning to push myself to my full potential and Derek fit the bill. It was sloshy, slippery and slimy but I hung onto Derek for dear life and ended up finishing the first 5K in 19:19, 3 seconds behind him and in 5th place for the women.

T1 with the Haags, photos by the Stenzels

On the bike I was able to catch Kortney and one more female climbing the huge hill on Homestead and CR-24. The course was full of potholes and rain puddles and it then began to rain. I took the corners uber conservative with the weather and roads in the condition they were in. I slowed way down the make the right turn onto CR-19 and realized that both Kort and a dude that I worked so hard to pass had caught back up and were right behind me. I then thought of my Nana (who recently had a stroke) and remembered that I intend to dedicate every bike leg in every race this year to her. I want to ride for her and honor her through my cycling as she bought me my Felt B2. When the pain gets unbearable my thoughts can go right to her and to God and it eases the pain for me and puts my mental focus on my Nana who is so much stronger than I could ever be and who is battling a much more important battle everyday. As soon as I thought of Nana I found a new gear and was able to hold my position in third until I pulled into T2.

Julie and Kort burst into trany just seconds behind me and I was fumbling with my muddy wet flats. The right shoe went on perfectly but I couldn't get the left one on. My heel was on top of the back of the shoe and the right side of the shoe was bent inside and flipped under my foot as well. I couldn't get it to go on correctly and I watched Julie run right out onto the run course. Kort was right next to me and I knew I needed minutes, not seconds on a run course with her, so I just decided my shoe was on good enough and I bolted. Kortney passed both Julie and I as soon as we hit the first grass hill. I remembered my personal run goal and figured I should make a move and tucked in behind Kortney. I ran right behind her for several hundred yards and then realized that there must have been something very wrong because her pace suddenly slowed down. We came to another grassy hill and I charged the hill and passed her. I continued on running as fast as I could and pushing all my physical limits to the fullest yet expecting her to re-pass me at any given second.

The puddles had quadrupled in size and depth the second go-around after everyone had ran through once and the elite men twice. I got a big high five from Paul Phillips in the woods as I did a hideous dance to avoid a massive mudslide of a puddle. There was one sharp left on the trail that was so slick and wet that if there wouldn't have been a tree next to the turn to use as a railing I would have wiped out both times through. I eventually made it up the final jumbo grass hill, took my lap around the dirt track and sprinted to the finish line with my teammate Thad and I was somehow still in third.

The line to hose yourself off was twice as long as the line for food and triple the line length to view results. My poor poor pedi! When I took off my shoes there was mud and grime caught under every toenail and I got 8 blisters on my left foot for running with my shoe folded up in both the back and on the side, it was worth it though, it always is. As I type I still have mud underneath multiple fingernails that I can not get scrubbed out. Thanks to everyone at Gear West and to all the volunteers for putting on such a great race, it was a day that no participant will soon forget. Even more exciting than receiving my very first multi-sport check was a receiving a huge hug, a huge smile, and some extremely kind words at the finish line from Frank who is my boss's boss at OHP, that was the highlight of the day for me, he was so happy!

Last year I bluntly blogged that the Gear West Duathlon XC trails owned me. They owned me once again this year, but this year they only owned my heart because I loved this sludgy race!

THE TRUNK OF A FOODIE

2011-05-16T19:59:00.011-05:00

Over the weekend I spent $313.81 on groceries for one person! And I only went to 2 stores! How do people feed husbands and kids? I officially spend all my money on groceries and triathlon gear. But I guess...If it makes you happy it can't be that bad!

The first MMS Series race is this weekend, it is finally here!!! The good ol' Gear West Du, the race that I love to hate! The run course is so hard I want to swear it off my calender for good and become a perma-volunteer but I can't refrain from coming back for more! We are supposed to have a nice week of warm weather so I hope that carries over into the weekend. I live to run in the rain and listen to Adele, I think that could be my favorite workout but I prefer it to be dry on the bike. On Saturday I ran over 8 miles pain free in the rain and I listened to the same Adele song on repeat the entire time, Turning Tables, love her music so much, every song she sings!

Can't wait to see people I haven't seen all winter, can't wait to trek through that jungle of a XC run course, and to attempt to better my time from last year.

See you at the races!!!

TC 1 Mile & ROAD ID

2011-05-15T00:28:00.030-05:00

Thursday night was the TC 1 Mile and that is my favorite running race, I just LOVE it! Watching the elites who come from all over the country to run 1600 meters and compete for a chance at taking home $14,000 is a thrill. The fans are incredible. I don't even think half of them set out with intentions to watch, I believe they are the downtown happy hour patio crowd enjoying a adult beverage and they can't resist the urge to peep the scene and cheer us on.

Sometime between the GIG 10K and the time the horn honked to start the 1 Mile race I was asked to join the MDRA running team. MDRA as in Minnesota Distance Running Association, not Midwest Drag Racing Association, I have accidentally stumbled upon their website by mistake several times. The Drag Racing Association would want NO part of me, but apparently the Minnesota Distance Running Association did! The TC 1 Mile is on the MN Team Circuit so I got to run in the MN Team Circuit Championship Wave at the mile. This made me happy because all three people that I carpooled to the race with were racing in this wave and I didn't want to get separated from them. It would have mounted into a terrible disaster of turning the clock back to 1990 before cell phones! We would have never found each other. How did we ever survive without cell phones? I was also super excited to start the race with our new (and only female) running coach at OHP Bekah. She races for the Run and Fun team, we are lucky to have her on the staff, if anyone needs a great run coach she is your girl!

1 mile all out hurts so good! Last year I went 5:55 so my goal was to beat my time from 2010. Pam and I decided we better bring our A game since we were reppin MDRA and it was our first race on our new squad. It was neat to shave 14 seconds off my previous mile and come in at 5:41.1 (16 out of 1,068 females). Of course the best part of the night was getting together with my Chaska crew and two of my fave OHP training buddies for a few cold ones and a yummy salad afterwards at the Local. Good times!

Captured on Yndecam @ the TC 1 Mile

ROAD ID

I finally crawled out from under a rock and ordered up a Road ID. It is just silly NOT to have one if you are a cyclist or a runner! I am leaving a permanent link up on the top right of my blog if anyone doesn't have one and needs to order one. Maybe I can be part of saving a life if someone orders one from my site or maybe it will even help save my own. They are super cheap and come in all sorts of fun colors. I just purchased and received the Wrist ID Slim in black and am going to wear it on every training run, ride, OWS, and at every race.

If I ever find myself in a situation where I can’t speak for myself, my Road ID will speak for me. Road ID is an excellent company with a wonderful story. My dad has the Wrist ID Sport in red and he loves it.

The other new piece of bling I'm pumped to sport on my wrist this year is a W.W.J.J.D. bracelet, standing for "WHAT WOULD JONNY J DO." Two W.W.J.J.D. bracelets definitely brought me good luck at the mile!

TNT; The Double Breakdown

2011-05-13T15:24:00.042-05:00

Tuesday was the first TNT race of the 2011 series and I was so excited! We finally had warm weather! It was 91 degrees plus I saved up some money this off-season and bought a disc wheel, I couldn't wait to put it to the test. I've only used a disc twice, Dan's at Gear West Du last year and Kevin's at the Gator Half. I loved the noises it made while shifting, the light feel and everything about a disc so I figured it was time to splurge and purchase my very own.

I was on a disc wheel high and feeling super strong the first 5.5 miles. Shortly after the halfway point I was stomping my pedals and flying downhill when my pedals completely locked up. I almost crashed because I went to mash down on the pedals as hard as I could and they didn't move, all that force with nowhere to go really jerked me around, I got lucky and somehow retained balance. Not sure what to do next I had to roll to a stop and bail off. My feet were stuck at super awkward angles so I barley got unclipped in time. Turned out my chain had skipped off to the right of big ring 12 and was stuck between the cassette and the frame, it didn't drop, it was just totally jammed there. I had to pull it out and put it back in place and it was so hard to get a hold of as the strength and weight of me pushing the pedals couldn't even get it budge when riding. People were sailing by me and I was losing so much time, that made it even more frustrating and I got pretty flustered monkeying around with that darn chain. I finally got myself together and then rode the rest of the way scared that it would get stuck again and that I would go down.

Luckily it happened in a time trail and not a multi-sport race. That is why I love the first TNT of the year, the timing of it is perfect before the Gear West Du, you can test your new equipment in a race setting plus get a last ditch threshold bike session in 13 days out. At least I know that my next TNT will be much faster and I am really pleased with the way I felt on the bike before the incident even though my total TT time was disappointing.

I am seriously considering ditching all transportation methods completely and beginning an ultra-running frenzy. The next morning and less than 12 hours later my car wouldn't start when I went to leave for work on Wednesday. AAA got someone out to tow it to a body shop but I missed a meeting at work. The feeling of being stranded without a car and unable to leave your house when you need to be somewhere is so frustrating. Dan told me that I could work from home but I wanted to teach my core class so I was determined to find a way to Eden Prairie. Fortunately I have met some of the nicest people since moving to Chaska and Heidi let me borrow her spare car. She is very brave and trusting and maybe totally crazy because she let me drive her stick shift! I was hell on wheels! I was squeaking and stalling all over the place. Every time I miraculously arrived at a destination in one piece the car smelled like burning parts when I got out. I held up an entire line of cars in a left hand turn lane because I was first in line and I stalled. The light turned red before I could get 'er going again, middle fingers were raised and people were laying on the horn. Stopped at a red light on a hill? Forget it! I almost rolled into the car behind me numerous times. It is a leg and an arm strength training workout to drive a stick shift and a stick was definitely invented by a man! Sticks were also obviously invented before cell phones! I try to stay off the phone at all times when driving but a really important work call came in that I had to take and it was like a 3 ring circus!

My car was finally fixed by Thursday afternoon and I was so happy to have an automatic once again. I am ever so grateful to Heidi for her generosity, she really saved me! It is now once again safe to be out on the roads of the Chaska, Eden Prairie, and Golden Valley areas since I have returned the stick shift back to its rightful owner. I was seriously warning everyone I know in those areas to clear their loved ones off the streets. I would call work right before I left and tell them if I wasn't there in 20 mins to call the highway patrol. What a crazy 24 hours, all I can really do is smile and laugh, so much in life is truly out of our control, we just have to roll with the punches and make the best of it. Even when one or two things go totally wrong there is still so much left to feel good about.

-S

EATIN' GOOD

2011-05-06T17:05:00.044-05:00

There are few things that I enjoy more than cooking and even fewer things I enjoy more than eating. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way food tastes after a really hard and/or really long workout. Cooking is great stress relief for me and relaxing to a candle lit dinner makes my day.

Grilled Mushroom & Chicken Salad

Grilled Shrimp & Hummus Salad

Double Bean Salad

Sigrid Salad (An attempt to recreate an amazing salad Sigrid made me...Organic Flax Oil, Cottage Cheese, & Avocado Salad)

Tomato, Goat Cheese & Walnut Salad

Avocado, Cashew, & Pecan Salad

Raw Balls (All raw ingredients...2 kinds of nuts, almond butter, dates, carob powder, etc. rolled in organic coconut)

Peanut Butter Cups with dark chocolate, natural peanut butter, whole wheat graham crackers, etc.

GET IN GEAR 10K; WE CHANGE WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT

2011-04-30T16:02:00.041-05:00

Photo by Paul Phillips/Competitive Image

The dictionary defines change as: to give a different position, course, or direction to. That describes my life in many ways right now. I recently found out that I have a sprained ankle and a minor tear in my meniscus. The goal of my whole season was to peak at Pigman Long Course to qualify for and complete ITU Long Course Worlds. Needless to say I am currently undergoing change. Change in scheduling, change in training, change in pain threshold, lots of change. I live for a constant physical challenge and was hoping the distance of Worlds would be that major challenge for me in 2011 but now my fate will all depend on how the healing process goes. I am so lucky to have Spine and Sport right inside my workplace at OHP and Casey is taking excellent care of me so I am in great hands. Most likely I will end up inserting myself into the most competitive local short course races this season and getting my challenge fix through competing against the stellar local talent. I also want to go home and visit my Nana every free weekend I have. My body can currently tolerate swimming, biking, and runs under 8 miles so I am very fortunate and blessed for that much activity although it is extremely limiting towards my ultimate 2011 goal as I have found myself seeking greater pleasure in long course, the longer the better. It is what it is and I will make the most out of whatever situation I am faced with.

Another change took place today at Get In Gear, I was registered for the half marathon but had to switch to the 10K due to my injuries. Waiting for the start it was pouring and chilly but once we took off it only sprinkled and I love running in light rain and prefer to run in 50-65 degree temps. All things considered I turned it into a great day. I set a goal to break 43 minutes and was pleased to accomplish that. Since I was doing the 10K I got to ride with my friend Ann who is so pleasant to be around before a race. I have removed negativity from my life that surrounded me in the past and I feel so confident and happy this year because of the company I keep even though the chips are a little down right now. I got to run large portions of the race with (but mostly behind) Ann and fellow triathlete Diane H and they both pushed me, I loved it. My time was 42:41, 6:53 avg pace, I am very content with that right now. It wouldn't be the first sockless running flat race of the year without a little blood, time to toughen up those feet of mine.

My Nana is on the fast track to a full recovery and the doctors can not believe her progress. She is stubborn, relentless, and such a positive person so I am not surprised. Her speech is nearly perfect, she practices her exercises at home like crazy and goes to three different classes a week to aid in her recovery. It was such a joy to spend Easter with her. She has so many friends stopping by and our family is so big that it was a struggle to get any alone time with her. Luckily before I hit the road we sat down for Kombucha tea time together, it was perfect. If attitude has anything to do with stroke recovery she will be healthier than ever before in no time.

As always I got in some GREAT riding at my parents' house...hills, hills, and more hills, butt kicking spring training for sure. You can ride all the way to Texas on the same serene county road with hardly any traffic. I rode for 3 hours one day and saw 6 cars, incredible. On my all-time favorite training road I pass this little town with a population of 5 called Nora. The sign cracks me up every time I see it. I want my picture with the sign so bad but I can never find one of the five people who live there to take my pic. I did see two cute cats though, I wonder if they are counted in the population?

Rain or shine, injured or unscathed I will make it a great year in every way possible!

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” -Reinhold Niebuhr

MDRA's Fred Kurz 10 Mile Running Race

2011-04-11T18:15:00.025-05:00

Nana (my grandma and my last grandparent still living) just had two strokes less than a week apart. This news was a total shock to me because even though Nana is 87 she is in near perfect health. She still runs, eats super healthy, drinks/grows Kombucha tea, travels internationally by herself, has outlived every single one of her high school classmates, and has an extremely active social life. Nana just traveled to Abu Dhabi in November all alone. We are very close and I am heartbroken as she is having trouble speaking due to numbness on the right side of her face. Nana is one of the most interesting people I know (a self-made go-getter who grew up during the Great Depression with nothing) and if I can not ever hold another conversation with her again I will be crushed and devastated. The world is a better place with her beautiful voice and lovely insight. I have been sad for the last week, I haven't been sleeping too much, and I have lost my usual ginormous Homer Simpson sized appetite. She is still in the hospital and I will get to see her when I go home for Easter. My eyes fill with tears each time I try to mentally prepare myself for her current condition, so everyday I hope and pray that she will get much better over the next several weeks, if anything gets worse I am going to drop everything and go home to be with her.

Since the end of 2010 I have been having some spiritual and emotional runs, it only happens when I run alone and in yoga class. I have felt God's presence all around me which has guided me through some deep thinking and sole searching. I wanted to use the Fred Kurz 10 Mile as devotion time to pray and think about my Nana.

It was a beautiful day and a wonderful race put on by MDRA on a flat dirt trail with a handicap start and all my Chaska training partners were there as well as the Haags. I wanted to do this race last year but with my knee injury I was forced to miss out on all the pre-tri season running races. 10 miles was a brand new distance for me (guaranteed PR!) and I was excited as my running is literally miles ahead of where it was last year. I designed myself a hard-core cycling specific strength program and have been following it since Oct, so another reason for this race was to test how that strength program affects my run. My quads are packing some serious heat and hopefully it will pay off on the bike because my jeans sure don't fit like they used to.

Besides for taking the first 4 miles out way too hard I am very happy with my overall time of 1:13:22, a 7:22 avg pace. I prayed and thought about Nana the entire run and I felt her spirit so strongly as I know she loves when I race because it makes me so happy and I feel so alive. The best thing about her is that every time I talk to her she always tells me that she is proud of me and that she loves me before we hang up the phone or before I leave and that means a lot coming from someone as accomplished as herself. I only hope I will be able to hear those words come out of her mouth again.

All my friends had super races, there were lots of PRs and high placing male and female Chaskans! Kort, Ann, and I went 1,2,3.

1.Kortney Haag 1:07:22, 6:45 pace
2.Ann Snuggerud 1:11:42, 7:11 pace
3.Suzie Finger 1:13:32, 7:22 pace

"The greatest wealth is health." ~Virgil

The Big 6-0!

2011-04-06T21:44:00.015-05:00

We FINALLY hit 60 degrees today in Minnesota! There is still snow in my front yard but my favorite roads are all clear for cycling in my neck of the woods and the sun was out so I was delighted to get my first MN outdoor ride of the season in. Unfortunately it was exactly 20 days later than I ventured outside last year but I will take it. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed all 28 miles I snuck in this afternoon.

4-6-2011
More dead grass than snow!!!

"Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella." ~Terri Guillemets

We've made it, spring is really here to stay! -SMF

March Exercise Of The Month; The Jonny Undo

2011-03-31T08:41:00.029-05:00

AKA: Tri Yoga With Sigrid @ Optumhealth Performance

The best thing I did for myself this off-season was become a regular at Sigrid's Tri Yoga starting in November. This is hands down, no comparison, the best yoga class I have ever been to, nothing else comes close. She is truly amazing, Sigrid is a healer. We call it "The Jonny Undo" because athletes go to Jonny's classes to suffer and then come see Sigrid to reverse the effect, get all the kinks out, and for all around fabulous yoga. The class is triathlon specific and Sigrid spends a great deal of time focusing on strengthening, protecting, and opening those muscles we use repeatedly as triathletes: the shoulders, the hips, the glutes, the triceps, the hammies, the core, amazing relief to the low back, and better release to the IT Band than the foam roller. When I leave Sigrid's class each week I feel my best physically and mentally and credit Sigrid for keeping me injury free this off-season. With the busy muli-sport season right around the corner Tri Yoga is now only on Wednesday nights at 5:30pm.

Roadie Night with Jeremy is at 6:30-8:30pm immediately following Tri Yoga, making Wednesday nights a perfect 3 hour training combination. Starting Wed April 6th (weather permitting) Roadie Night will move outside! Can't wait to see you all on Wednesday nights! Both these classes are fantastic and part of my weekly training plan. The best way to spend your Wednesday nights! And Sigrid LOVES yoga newbies! Come try it out!

TRASHY VIDEO

2011-03-30T16:00:00.013-05:00

One of the participants from the Gator Half Triathlon just linked me to a video of the pre-race trash can drama, I am so glad she found me because I enjoyed having a good laugh watching it. Marta said a salad dressing container floated by her leg before she took off.

KC also wrote up a cool race report on her blog, she linked the official results, and made this video below of the triathlon. I am lined up in the front row as far right as you can go at the swim start, the dolphin diver on the outside. I was super pumped to kick off the 2011 season and couldn't wait to start the swim.

Gator Half Triathlon Race Report By The Photos

2011-03-28T20:01:00.064-05:00

It was so wonderful to have my entire family, my dog, and one of my triathlon besties all at the race venue of my first far away from home triathlon. I got to see my family at the end of the 56 mile bike, in T2, and all over the twisty two loop half marathon run course. They yelled out positive words of encouragement and my sister held up Miles and made his paws clap for me when I ran by. My Dad was on the prowl and camera ready so I will make this race report like a children's book and let the pics tell the majority of the story...

1.2 Mile Swim; Trash Talk

Less than a minute before the men's swim wave was set to kick off the race I heard tons of people scream, "Ewwwww!" I turned my head to exhibit the commotion and someone pulled a huge silver trash can out of the lake right underneath our feet where we stood at the make-shift start line. The trash can was complete with a large black bag full of trash inside. The swim was delayed to remove the garbage can and everyone began to chatter about the trash and how gross the lake was. I went right to the zone and shut it all out even though I was totally disgusted. The swim was the only portion of this early season race that I planned to push hard and I was too excited to care. For some odd reason the women were to start in one wave only 30 seconds behind the solo wave of all the guys. The first few minutes were a washing machine of men and I have never been so aggressive and physical, I wanted to get through them as fast as possible, find some open water and see if all the long pool hours I put in this winter paid off. The 2.25 loop swim was my favorite part of the race and I was really happy to go 9 seconds faster per 100 than my best half swim last year and I was the 8th girl out. The swim exit had no beach, it was exactly like climbing out of the pool, we all had to push ourselves out of the lake and up onto a grassy overhang.

56 Mile Bike; Hill-less Heart Brake

I have never raced out of the tri-state area so I have never seen women draft before. It broke my heart to see every single women who passed me on the bike fly by in a tight pack sucking the wheel of the person in front of them, usually a male. Even though I took the bike very conservative and wasn't in race mode after T1 I was appalled. This makes me respect the ladies I race against at home even more than I already do. Girls in the Midwest don't cheat. There wasn't a single USAT marshal on the whole course and it was a total female draft fest. Obnoxious. Maddening. Disappointing. I am not sure what my bike time was because they added our entire T2 time onto our bike leg and I also had to pull off the course and stop on the side of the road to make a quick adjustment in the first 1/8 mile in.

The 13.1 Mile Run; 78 Degree Difference

It was 87 degrees and super humid by the time I dismounted my bike. Exactly one week earlier I did my last long run in 9 degrees and snow showers, total shock to the system! I was HOT and there was zero shade out there! I found a nice groove right away on the run and held a sustainable strong training day pace for the first 9 miles, I was so relaxed I was even able to pee myself at mile 6.5. There was a lovely stretch through dirt road trails that I loved, trail running and sunshine never fail to make me a happy girl. They ran out water the last 4 miles and I started to unravel. The heat, thirst, and dehydration was really getting to me and those last 4 miles were a struggle but I finished strong in 4:57:50 as the 8th female. I crossed the finish line into Marta's arms and I couldn't get ice cold water, rip off my shoes and jump into the lake fast enough. I finally cooled off, hugged my family tight, kissed Miles, and greatly enjoyed the rest of my vacation in Florida.

The Assembly

2011-03-26T15:49:00.026-05:00

My boys behaved so well on the plane ride to FL! Not a peep the entire flight. Ozzie was a bit of a rascal on the car ride to the airport and until we boarded the aircraft but a total angel once we took our seat.

I have no idea what took place in their kennel under my seat but when we landed Miles came out of the carrier with his tongue hanging out and a Mohawk. The Mohawk will not go away! Not even after getting him wet. He ran through the sprinkles one night and my sister toweled him off but the Mohawk remained. He went swimming in the ocean and his fur air dried styled in the Mohawk. Even after I gave him a bath on Tuesday and matted it down, the Mohawk still dried sticking straight up, so the Mohawk stays! I now have a rocker Chorkie.

For the past two summers I have found bike maintenance to be exactly like high school shop class; flirt with boys and they do it all for me but in the end I DON'T learn a thing for myself. That was acceptable for the napkin holder I was supposed to have made by myself back in the late '90s and will never ever attempt to make again but I want to be completely independent and capable when it comes to my bike so I can travel and race alone if I so chose and take care of all my bike needs by myself. I can't tell you how many gracious triathletes and cyclist have helped me make bike adjustments over the last two years and I hope to have to ask WAY less this year. The thought of putting my bike together from many pieces and loose bolts was totally intimidating and if it weren't for Marta I would still have no idea what to do. Her patience and kindness is a virtue and a gift! I put the bike together myself under her guidance and instruction. I was so proud, I now know how to put my bike back together all by myself but don't have 100% confidence to ride it afterwards without someone else with mega bike knowledge checking it over first...next year!

TOTAL GEEKS

All we brought to FL was our race day gear so we had to be total geeks on our first outdoor ride of 2011 riding with our race wheels and all I brought was my aero helmet.

About to take off on the first trainer-free ride of 2011...

Take Two :-)

BALLOONS & RACE WHEELS

We have both secretly always wanted to bring a balloon to transition but that is something we just can't do at home. So we were super pumped to be out of town and not know a sole so we could have our one time only balloon fun, not because we couldn't find out spot in trany just because. Balloons and race wheels must have been the ultimate contradiction. It was a tough call to pick from so many great balloons but Marta ended up choosing Sponge Bob and I went with Disney Princesses.

Ready Or NOT? Here We Come!

2011-03-16T22:23:00.018-05:00

Signing up for an early season race seemed like a great idea on a snowy night in December, but now...ummm...ugh...half of me wants to throw up thinking about it and half of me is geeked out with excitement. Marta is dreaming of 808's and sports bras and puppy dogs and sunshine and shopping and margaritas. If you want to make the winter FLY by sign up for a very early race because it will be here before you know it and before you are ready. I can now count the days until race day on one hand. It has already been and will continue to be a full week+ of taking all the necessary pre-vaycay/pre-race precautions:

WEDNESDAY- Last a$$ kicking bike effort at OHP with Jonny J, it was a doozie! This class will make the race feel ez!

THURSDAY- Gear West shipped all my race equipment (bike, wheels, helmet, bike shoes, wetsuit, pump, etc) so that makes plenty of room in my suitcase for the more important staples (heels, sundresses, lotsa lotsa makeup, bikinis, teeny tiny jean shorts, and some more heels)

FRIDAY- Got my hair did so I can suffer in style with fresh highlights. I chopped 7 inches off and boy was I ready for a change and not only with my hair.

SATURDAY- Brick workout done with race day nutrition plan and the whole day/night spent writing programs to get way ahead so I don't have to work on vaycay. Round one of packing clothes, this is where I totally over packed.

SUNDAY- More work, last long run with race day nutrition, coaching clinic

MONDAY- The kickoff of TAPER week!!!! And the kickoff of operation juice everything left in the fridge and all my wheat grass trays.

TUESDAY- Ugly Swimsuit Tuesday during Tri Swim @ OHP, 2 hour massage, & last corporate fitness class before I bust outta dodge. Bikes & gear arrived in FL!

WEDNESDAY- Last amazing Tri Yoga class with Sigrid. Last longish brick done with the heat jacked to the upper 70s. Last day of work!!! Dog baths for my boys and round two of packing clothes where I made the final cuts of what outfits stay and what outfits go, yet still managed to over pack. I will have to sit on my suitcase to get it zipped shut and am on pace to change outfits 4 times per day and still not wear everything I packed.

THURSDAY- Final swim/run with my Chaska crew and then I'm Ft. Myers bound at 10:00am!!!! Yey! It is finally time!

I even over packed my carry on with enough Raw Rev bars and raw nuts to feed a family of 6 for a week, then my books and magazines. One of our awesome OHP athletes made me a plane ride gift bag full of magazines, gum, travel size tissues, and wet wipes. It was so sweet and thoughtful it almost made me cry.

Ozzie held steady on the scale at 3.5 lbs and Miles somehow lost a whole pound and weighed in this morning at 7 lbs even so the dogs are a go! I told them we are leaving for spring break tomorrow and they are so pumped for some sun, to see their doggy cousins and to play in a huge fenced in yard.

Conservative As Sh!t:

And the race day game plan from coach:

"Be conservative as sh!t. Keep a lid on the effort."

Looks like a fun filled training day is in order with an emphasis on the vaycay and the fun, hence the heels and bikinis. My race day goal: Get a tan and enjoy my first half with a disc wheel! I desperately need a little color on my pasty white bod, my skin color alarmingly matches the Minnesota snow we have piled high!

I plan to be completely computerless and turn my blackberry off except to check in now and then for work and take a whole week hiatus from technology, work, and reality.

Happy St. Patty's Day my friends!

-S

T-Minus 14 Days

2011-03-05T18:14:00.000-06:00

Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow

I can sum up my life since my last post in three words: Snow, Work, Training. After setting the new Minnesota all-time snow record for the month of December it has not continued to let up. We are now only inches away from setting the all-time snowiest winter record in Minnesota history. We've come this far already, why stop now? Over President's Day weekend my mom came to visit and was just supposed to stay for two nights. She ended up getting snowed in and stayed four nights. We had so much fun and haven't gotten to spend this much time together alone since the summer after my freshman year of college and I don't even think it was ever just the two of us back then. Before the crazy Sunday blizzard we had a blast doing an obnoxious amount of shopping, doing facials, having great conversation, cooking great meals, going out to eat at our fave places, and the absolutely most hilarious experience with a vacuum that I won't begin to explain because you HAD to be there. Spending time with family, especially my mom really brings me back to center.

T-Minus 14 Days

My 2011 racing season is only 14 days away, I can't believe it! I just opened an email from the race director who noted the race was in two weeks and I got goose bumps and a rush of excitement! Kicking off the season with Marta at a long course race/vacation in FL will be the highlight of my winter/spring. If all goes as planned I will be racing in November so I am not going to push at this March long course race. I will go hard on my swim and then cruise the rest of the course at 75-85% or else I won't make it to November feeling strong. We are just going for a long but fun filled training day in the sun and a single ladies ONLY vacation. I have not gone on a spring break since 2007 and I couldn't have picked a better year to escape. Since '07 my sister has bought 2 houses in FL and my parents have bought one and I have not made it out to see any of them yet! My sister has a ton of things planned for us already and I totally forgot what it feels like to ride my bike on the ground with both my wheels spinning and how to run without 5849594589458 layers on.

2011 is going to be very different for me in many ways. Last year I didn't set any goals and I had no direction or real purpose to my season and it was just race, race, race, over race, get sick, get injured, and preform below my capability. This year I am going to race much less and I have a goal. Being a coach has changed my thoughts and views on triathlon drastically as well. I want to be more of a role model then a competitor this season and focus on my athletes. I want to smile more during races, talk to people I do not know, help others, hang out longer after races and give back more then I did last year. I can see where there is immense reward in guiding others to their goals and playing a small role in their success. I put in way more hours per week coaching my 14 peeps then I spend working out so I am extremely invested. Until the end of August I will pour the bulk of my energy into my athletes and every race I do will just be play time for me.

My goal this year is to qualify at Pigman Long Course for the ITU Long Course World Championships in Henderson, NV. I hate to put a single season goal in the hands of one race but that is what I am shooting for. The ITU Worlds is a super unique distance (2.48 mile swim, 74.5 mile bike, 18.64 mile run) and racing in NV would mean so much to me since I grew up there.

After the March destination long course race I am doing a pair of local running races in the month of April. May will bring my two fave dus! Then I will do a handful of my fave local tris in June & July. August will be all about peaking for Big Pig and then should I be so lucky to qualify I will need a long time to get my butt in shape to the take on the Silverman course in Henderson as that is rumored to be one of the toughest courses in the country.

That is the 2011 game plan but the funny thing about life is that it is unpredictable so I will enjoy each moment and take it one day at a time.

I am happy to once again be fueled by Raw Revolution for 2011. With my erratic work schedule, Raw Rev Bars fuel my constant dashboard dining, are my go-to food staple when on the go and before and after my workouts, best bars ever! I recently got to sample the Raspberry & Chocolate and the Coconut & Agave bars. They are both my new fave flaves, both taste like an extremely naughty desert, and they did not last long in my kitchen. Unfortunately those two flavors haven't made it to any stores in MN yet as far as I know but are available online.

I finally found race day nutrition that works for me after 2 years of trial and error using many brands. I will be using all Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews & Honey Stinger Gels this season. They taste better then anything I have ever used and their ingredients align with my nutritional views better than anything else on the market. I can't wait to race all year using essentially honey in a gel packet. As always I will be proudly representing Gear West again this season and will also be representing my employer Oputmhealth Performance. I am so thrilled to be part of the OHP family and it never ever feels like I am at work when at the performance center, it is constant play time surrounded by excellent people.

Wishing everyone happy training and racing in 2011. May you all achieve your goals, have tons of fun, and may milti-sport bless your life, push you physically and bring you as much happiness as it does for me!

-SMF

February Exercise Of The Month

2011-02-21T15:33:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted an exercises of the month since last June because in July I started teaching so many group fitness classes each week that the blog exercises fell by the wayside. Good thing it is my blog and I can do whatever I want to. I will put up two exercises this month to make up for lost time.

Paper Plate Pikes demonstrated by my awesome core class. We had a sweaty blast doing a full hour of paper plate core work. So slide on over to OHP and join in the fun. Mondays and Wednesdays from 12pm-1pm. Do the paper plate pikes until fatigue X 2. Paper plates slide really well on all surfaces especially carpet.

A$$ Blasters are a 1 leg bridge with the resting leg straight up in the air, sole of the shoe parallel to the ceiling. As you lift up fully extend the resting leg and fire the glutes, keep the abs pulled in tight the whole time. 20 on each leg X 3.

The Gift of Ginger Root

2011-02-05T11:03:00.000-06:00

It seems as if almost everyone around me is sick or getting over being sick. Luckily I have not been one of the many sicklings this winter and have been juicing myself daily with the wonderful gift of ginger root. Every morning I have been having one of these two juices:

-1 large red grapefruit
-1 inch slice of fresh ginger root (such amazing stuff for our bodies in so many ways)
-1 Gala apple

Or

-2 small oranges
-1 large red grapefruit
-1 inch slice of fresh ginger root

My All Time Low, Icicle Mascara, & Scale Tales

2011-01-23T12:09:00.000-06:00

Burrrrrrr! On Friday as I left for work at 5:15am the car read -31 air temp. I am not sure if it was really that cold or if my poor SUV was so frozen that it was going berserk. The temp kept changing to numbers between -24 and -31. I did pass by a bank that displayed -19 air temp so that might have been more accurate for the Twin Cities. However I did see on the news that it was as low as -33 air temp in other parts of Minnesota on Friday, by far the coldest it has been since I've moved here.

Little Ozzie has been playing dead since Wednesday every time I say, "potty outside." He rolls over on his back and cocks his head to the side and pretends to be dead. Then every few seconds he will turn his head back towards me and open his eyes to see if I am looking at him and then he plays dead again if we make eye contact...I can't say I blame him but I have been having to carry him outside and set him on the ground. Oz spends all day sleeping in front of the fireplace or sitting and staring at the fire.

I hit a new all time low for running outside this morning. Previously the coldest I have gone out for a run in was 4 degrees air temp. Today I ran just over 8.5 miles in -10 air temp, -21 with the windchill. I really enjoy running outside in the winter. It was wonderful! Icicle eyebrows and icicles on my eyelashes instead of mascara!

Training is going so well and I have never been this excited for the start of a new season! It will be VERY HARD work and loads of fun! Biking on the trainer and strength training at home are fantastic right now! All my fave trashy trainer shows started brand new seasons just in time for the New Year. All on at once right now are The Bachelor, Jersey Shore, Storage Wars, The Bad Girls Club and tonight Kourtney & Kim Take New York premiers. With mindless garbage TV this great, how can you stay off the trainer? My trainer is my La-Z-Boy :-) Or my yoga mat, dumbbells, med ball, BOSU, agility ladder and physio ball.

A TALE FROM THE SCALE

On March 16 Marta and I fly out for our first triathlon of the year. From now on I will be weighing my doggies twice a week to make sure they weigh less than 20 lbs combined. The airline rules state that you can fly two dogs for the price of one if their combined weight plus their dog carrier is 20 lbs or less and fits under the seat in front of you. Yesterday my boys weighed in at a combined total of 11.5 lbs. Phew!!! Their airplane kennel weighs about 2 lbs so we are well under the limit but Miles seems to be growing everyday. Ozzie's weight has dropped from 4 to 3.5 lbs since moving to the townhouse and he is full grown (think teeny tiny Chi Chi and a million stairs to climb all day, I guess it pays to take the stairs). My Miles is up to 8 lbs! I don't know anything about his parents so there is no telling how big he will get. Being that he is part Chihuahua, I am betting he will stay fairly small. Let's hope so, otherwise it will be an extra $200, ($100 each way) every time I travel. Yes, of course I am bringing my pups with me! They are my kids and it is Spring Break! 2 Felts, 2 eager athletes, and 2 Chihuahuas will all be boarding a flight in less than two months! We are super stoked!!!

Happy winter training to all, stay warm everyone!

-SMF

2011? Bring It On!

2011-01-01T16:23:00.000-06:00

2010 was a great year! I am thankful for the many amazing opportunities I have had this past year and I am grateful to have so many fabulous people in my life. Athletically in 2010 I did my first half iron distance triathlon and I ran my first marathon! Professionally, I finally did something that I have wanted to do for years; I started my very own LLC so I could do personal training independently. After working for and learning valuable lessons under several different companies I must say this is a wonderful blessing of freedom, adventure and fun. In July I began teaching corporate fitness classes and late this fall I started triathlon coaching and teaching triathlon specific fitness classes. I am very fortunate to be employed at a fantastic and cutting edge triathlon training center that I believe in. It is so special to work with like-minded and driven people and know that every single person who walks through our door shares the same passion that I do.

Above all, the the biggest and best highlight of my 2010 was adopting my second child Miles! I am now a proud doggie momma of two.

"Saving one dog won't change the world, but surely the world will change for that one dog." -unknown

Earlier this week I met with my new coach and finalized my race schedule and my goals for 2011 which I plan to keep private but I am super excited for! Focused and coached training starts on Monday and I am pumped!

There is something very exhilarating about beginning a brand new year with a brand new career and being newly single. I feel like I am at a point in my life where possibilities are endless. Bring on 2011!

I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and successful new year! Thank you for reading my blog and thanks for your continued support and friendship in my journey through life.

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” -Oprah Winfrey

-S

2010-12-10T13:42:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from Miles & Ozzie!!!

Banana Broccoli Smoothie

2010-12-05T14:38:00.000-06:00

I am so BEYOND obsessed with this smoothie, I have been making it everyday!!!

Juice:
-3 apples
-1/2 lime
-1/3rd a bunch of broccoli
-1/2 a cucumber

Then pour juice into the vita mix and add a large handful of spinach, 1 avocado and 1 banana and blend until smooth. Serves 2. This makes a lot! If you are making it for yourself you will only want half the recipe.

The smoothie will come out OHP green :-)

Be sure to check out my friend Marta's recipe for Dolmas on MN Tri News.
I think I am addicted to these, I have made them 3 times in 3 weeks. Below is a batch that I just made, they are amazing.

My new fave snack is 1/2 a Broccoli Banana Smoothie plus 2 Dolmas, yummy!

-SMF

One Down, One To Go

2010-11-28T18:26:00.000-06:00

It has been 57 days since my marathon and it finally happened...

The nasty blisters came during the marathon, those popped within a week and shortly after both my big toe toenails turned black.

Then the black toesies turned green...

About 8 people told me they would fall off so I waited and I waited...then almost 2 months post mary, today was the day for my left big toe.

Aren't endurance sports sexy?

Off it went

Toenail-less toe

The right toenail isn't even loose yet. One down, one to go.

-S

Miles and Miles

2010-11-19T16:01:00.000-06:00

Whoa, it has been over a month since my last blog post! Where does the time go and what the heck has happened to 2010? Thanksgiving is less than a week away already! I do owe a little credit for my lack of blogging to my new puppy for eating the power cord to my computer.

My new pooch has been named Miles. I think the name is adorable and with all the miles I log biking and running it is very fitting. Miles just completed three weeks of a five week puppy school and he has learned three tricks so far. I am so proud of him! He has good looks and brains, the total package. Miles knows how to sit, lie down, and how to "leave it." As in, leaving a treat alone and completely ignoring it when I am holding it out in my hand right in front of him until I tell him he can have it. At each puppy class the doggies get 30 minutes of play time to practice socialization with other dogs and Miles spends the bulk of that time frame mounting a precious and playful Goldendoodle named Tilly. I guess boys will be boys regardless of their species.

Double fisting Chihuahuas

The last weekend in October I took a trip home to visit my parents in South Dakota to surprise my mom for her birthday. It was a double surprise visit because she had no idea I was coming home and she also had no idea I got a new puppy. (Good thing my parents are the busiest people I know and neither or them read my blog or use facebook otherwise my cover would have been blown on the puppy). I just walked into my mom's office with Miles and said, "Surprise!" My parents both loved their new Grandpuppy. We spent the weekend cooking, watching the world series, and cleaning out my parents' massive organic garden for the winter. While I was home I went to see my stylist and did my annual November brunette job for the winter months, tis the season to go darker. I got two different color brown lowlights darker than my natural color plus a little natural dirty blonde thrown in the mix. The weather was unreal for late October and I enjoyed a final 2010 outdoor spin on my tri bike in 65 degree sunshine and a nice run with my dad.

Armloads of green and purple kale I picked from the garden

The first weekend in November Kortney and I attended a USAT level 1 triathlon coaching certification clinic in Madison. It was three intense days packed with great high profile speakers and excellent information. We are both coaching at Optumhealth Performance and I'm also teaching 3 fitness classes a week at OHP in addition to the 3 corporate fitness classes I teach each week. The 3 classes at OHP are open to the public and triathlon specific so come check them out! I teach a 90 minute brick spin class from 9:30am-11:00am every Monday and a core strength class every Monday and Wednesday from 12pm-1pm. Everyone is welcome!!! BYOB (bring your own bike) and running shoes to the brick spin, you get to train on your race day ride and we will hook you up to a Tacx trainer or Computrainer where you can monitor your watts for the whole workout. There are many other awesome classes and top notch instructors so check out the coaching staff and schedule here and come take a peek at the performance center, it is state of the art, nothing else like it for tri training in the area.

My winter base building is underway with a super strong emphasis on swimming. I have been cooking up a storm lately, lots of great new recipes, more new juices flowing, and plenty of blending taking place. I hope to get some recipes and exercises posted soon. With my personal training business, triathlon coaching, my own training, teaching 6 fitness classes a week, and being a doggie momma of two, there are no guarantees on how much blogging will be taking place this winter but I will do my best. I believe I have boyfriend too, I think his name is Dan but I am not sure because we are both so busy that I rarely see him and we do our best communicating via email and blackberry messenger. We wouldn't have it any other way though, we are both living out our dreams and fulfilling some long time career goals.

Happy Holidays to all!!!
Sweat, snow, hugs, and lots of Chihuahua kisses,
SMF

HIBERNATION

2010-10-17T13:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the couch. Rest, wow what a concept! I am currently hibernating from all things swimming, biking, and running. I love waking up sore and with the weather being 80+ degrees in October I thought it would be torture but it just feels right. This is what my body needed. It has been fun to eat lots of pizza, enjoy a few cold beers, stay up late watching post season baseball, and do nothing but strength training. My fantasy baseball team didn't do too well this season but that is what I get for picking my entire team by looks. My squad "Ozzie's All-stars" came in 8th out of 12. At least we had enough solid performing good looking players to keep us out of last place and my team definitely would have looked the best if assembled out on the field together.

I have a new man in my life as of Friday afternoon. He is incredibly handsome and a great kisser. We decided to take the plunge and he moved in with me immediately because it was love at first sight, we are even sleeping together already and he loves to cuddle. Isn't he perfect? Scroll down and have a look...

I am sure I didn't fool anyone and I bet that nobody actually thought he was a person because I have already put up about 700 pictures of him on my facebook. Feel free to de-friend me or block my status updates because of too many dog pictures, I can't help it and I won't be offended. My dogs are my kids, I just love them. For the record when I said sleeping together, I meant that he sleeps in my bed with Ozzie and I. Just so we're clear and nobody thinks I am a puppy pedophile. And as far as guys go I never kiss and tell :-)

Helping me blog...

I love his shirt!!!

My new puppy was found wondering the streets of Miami,OK. He was taken to a overcrowded shelter and they were going to have to kill all the dogs they didn't have room for. My baby boy was on the chopping block but luckily a great dog rescue group in Minnesota took in the dogs they did not have room for in OK. I have wanted a little brother for Ozzie forever and have been actively looking for over 2 years but have been waiting for the perfect fit as I will only adopt a rescue dog so it can sometimes take a while to find the right one but if you are patient it will happen. He was worth the wait. I haven't named him yet, I just can't decide. I have been taking suggestions from anyone and everyone, so let me know if you have any other cute ideas. My faves so far are:

1. Oso (so cute to have two O named doggies, Ozzie and Oso)
2. Rocco (my sister's fave so far)
3. Summit (my fave beer and the name of a street in the Twin Cities marathon that is the absolute hardest stretch, all uphill, right where I wanted to die and dropout)
4. Bachelor
5. Reno (where I grew up and lived the longest)
6. Romeo (the b/f's fave)
7. Amigo (since he is part Chihuahua, a Spanish name is cute, b/f's other fave)

We think he is about 2 months old and he is a Chihuahua Yorkie mix. He is as sweet as can be and LOVES people! I feel so blessed. My house is full of love, dogs, and bikes, exactly the way I want it.

-Suzie Q

Tales From a Twin Cities Marathon Dropout FINISHER

2010-10-05T11:40:00.000-05:00

My dad signed me up for TCM on March 24th and since then I spent exactly one day training for this race. I did one lonely 17 mile run on September 4th with TCM on my mind. All my other training never exceeded 13ish miles and strictly revolved around the 12 triathlons, 3 duathlons, and 5 time trials I did this summer. On the car ride with my parents to the race I was still hadn't decided if I was really going to run or not. With the longest run of my life being that one and only 17 miler, 2 sore knees, and a sore right hip, somehow my severely under-run trained and over-raced body ended up toeing the starting line anyway surprisingly excited. I made a playlist for my ipod titled Will She Make It? and made sure the playlist totaled 6 hours (the marathon cut off time) just in case.

My knees started hurting bad at mile 1.6 until mile 6 but the first 10K flew by nonetheless. The weather was absolutely perfect and within 2 miles it was time to strip off my arm warmers. I shoved them in the back pocket of my tank but it felt so awkward on my low back that eventually I opted to stuff them in my bra bringing back memories from middle school. I could not believe all the spectators! I was so disappointed that I wore headphones. I turned them off right away as I have never watched or run a marathon before and I was astonished by all the fans. There was not an inch of the 26.2 mile course that wasn't overflowing with excited people screaming and cheering, the energy was electric. Somewhere around mile 4 I tucked in behind a guy wearing nothing but a teeny tiny barley there yellow bath towel around his waist. He was continuously squeaking a large yellow rubber ducky and the crowd just went nuts for him. I ran behind him for about 2 miles because it was so much fun to watch the crowd explode in laughter and applause, he was clearly the fan favorite. I spent the better part of those 2 miles wondering but definitely NOT ever wanting to find out if he had anything on underneath his towel.

Around mile 6 all my knee pain went away and I felt amazing from mile 6 to mile 17. Those were my best miles and I got to see Terry, Greta X 3, CY, and Erik along that stretch.

Terry was the first person I saw that I knew so I got super excited at the sight of him, he snapped this picture.

Mile 17 is where the wheels fell off. Both my knees were killing me, I had developed a sexy but ridiculously painful blister, and my hips felt stiff, locked, and sore. It was disappointing because regardless of my lack of training I felt like I was fit enough to keep going cardiovascular-wise but my lower body wanted no part of this marathon and I began my first of WAY TOO MANY walk breaks. I could not even power walk like the MILFs in the suburb neighborhoods or those people who go to Mall Of America to speed walk (and NOT shop???) Slow was my only functioning walking option, so slow it was. I walked so much from mile 17 to the end, I walked until I saw someone I knew and then I tried to start back up running before they saw me and then run until I was out of their sight, then walk walk walk walk. I saw Lydia at mile 18ish and she really pumped me up for a few extra minutes of running but then I got the most intense knee pain of the day in my right knee and then all the self doubt started up. I thought of the 20+ people who told me not to do the marathon who I knew were right. I was afraid I was doing permanent and career ending damage to my knees so I got nervous and decided I was done. I was just walking along until I saw the next person I knew so I could use their phone and call Dan to come and collect me off the course. Then I realized that I didn't even know my own boyfriend's phone number. With modern technology I have never actually keyed in his number before, I just hit the speed dial from my cell phone, I had no idea how to get a hold of him without my own phone. I needed to find the right person who would have his number stored in their phone. I could have called my mom who was somewhere along the course but she doesn't know the Twin Cities area at all and I don't think she could have found me but I do have her number memorized. Then I saw him, he was perfect, there was Devon who I knew had Dan's number. I started to make my way over to him but I just couldn't do it. Who uses a professional triathlete's cell phone to drop out of a race? That just sounded wrong, so on I went.

I made it to a designated athlete dropout station and I stopped and stood there. I didn't know what was supposed to happen but I waited there for about 30 seconds to a minute and there was nobody there. I was just standing alone by a sign. If someone would have been there to assist me that would have been it for me. I figured it was a sign to keep going so I did. A half mile later there was Greta again, YES! Now I was completely and totally done! She no doubt had Dan's number and I was about to become an official marathon dropout. I shimmied off the course, shut off my watch, and threw in the towel, but Greta had other plans for me. She was all about me finishing. She asked me how important this race was for me to finish and how much it meant. She told me to just keep going another mile or so and by that time I would be far enough that I would want to finish. She agreed to call Dan for me and let him know I was hurting. Greta even walked with me for a few minutes in her bike cleats and she also was nice enough to collect my gross sweaty arm warmers fresh out of my bra way back at mile 14, now that is a true friend :-)

Photo by Greta

A mile later I found Dan and I stopped again and abandoned the course. I asked him what I should do and told him what hurt and how bad. We talked a little bit but I don't even remember what he said to me because I was dizzy and confused. I have no idea if he told me to stop or go, he was in the middle of a sentence and I just took off running again, I was back in the game. Aside from seeing Jen I don't remember anything from the point where I saw Dan to mile 23 where my friend Bree was volunteering except I knew that I did way more walking than running.

My friend Bree had made me a sign and I gave her a big hug. She ran with me for a minute and it was so great to see her. That was the point where I decided I was going to finish no matter what but I would have never made it to that point if it weren't for Greta.

I just took the most massive walk break of the day right before mile 24 and luckily was I running again when I passed my Chaska training partners, I would have died if they had seen me walking. Ann leaped out of the crowd and started running with me for a few minutes. It was awesome to chat with her and hear all about her 10 mile race except she was running so FAST! Sadly that was the fastest pace I pushed all day, finally she doubled back and when she was out of sight I needed about 3 whole minutes of walking to recover.

All I remember from Ann to the finish line was seeing Steve in his full on chicken costume and someone wearing a blowup fat suit with a name tag style sign that read Personal Trainer, it was hilarious! All of the sudden there was the finish line and I had somehow gone from a Twin Cities Marathon dropout to a FINISHER and I was so happy! I would have never forgave myself if I would have quit. Thank you Greta!!! And thanks to everyone who cheered me on, you made my day! I will never ever wear an ipod again. I already know that I missed seeing Marta because of it and I am upset about that! Despite all the pain I loved it. I am coming back next year properly trained, I will not walk, I will be sans headphones, and possibly in costume. However, you will see me in much more material than a bath towel.

I am so proud of my dad! He is 59 and completed his third marathon on Sunday. I really don't think that many people can say that their dad has run a marathon. The opportunity to run a marathon with my dad and sister on the same day was really special. We made sure to take a picture because my dad said this might be his last one and my sister wants to get pregnant. I told them we should all do it again next year but you just never know where life will lead you.

I drew the most inspiration from my sister's father-in-law. He had the sweeper bus trailing him the entire last 6 miles. If the sweeper catches you then you have to get on the bus and your race is over. The bus was picking people up left and right and kicking them off the course. He could not walk at all the last 6 miles or his day was done. He beat the bus with it breathing down his neck for 6 miles to receive an official finish time. We were so proud of him, that would have been so stressful. I personally could not have ran the final 6 miles without even one walk break, wow!

A gorgeous day of running in a gorgeous city with family and friends, it was perfection!

Iron Girl Duathlon; Sayonara

2010-09-26T19:49:00.000-05:00

All photos courtesy of Steve Stenzel

I feel extremely LUCKY to be alive! I came within an inch from being hit by a car who refused to stop for a Bloomington policeman. Never have I been so shaken up and traumatized as I was today flying downhill at top speed when a car went through the intersection directly in front of me. I could feel the velocity of the car it was such a close call, someone was watching over me today...

Starting the race

At race time it was only 40 degrees but I am still sweating from Pigman so I didn't mind. I told myself on the Big Pig run course that I would never ever complain about cold weather ever again. Transition closed at 7:00am and my 10th and final wave left at 8:15am. While standing around for 1 hour and 15 minutes in shorts I kept having to force myself to embrace the cooler weather as it was just over a month ago that I was fantasying about snow and icicles to get me through the Pig run. The first and second runs consisted of knee pain in both knees and hip pain on the right side. I was 47 seconds slower than last year on the first run and 33 seconds slower on the second but that was expected and accepted. The bike course has been totally different each of the last three years.

I am a huge triathlon/duathlon newbie advocate, I love encouraging newbies, I am a newbie. That being said there are races that do an outstanding job organizing the first time racers so everyone is safe and there are some that do not. Minneman is great example of a race that does it right. I absolutely loved that race, it is tied with Waconia for my favorite race this year. Minneman did a wonderful job catering to new racers with a novice wave starting last which made everyone happy especially the novice athletes. At Iron Girl there were 989 finishers on a two loop bike course with no elite wave and the waves departing oldest to youngest, kicking off with the 50+ year olds. In a word it was chaos! Even on both runs. Think 989 women on a very narrow running path around a lake. Then think 989 cyclists on a two loop 11 mile coned in bike course mostly on mountain bikes, hybrids, and road bikes riding on the far left. I like the Iron Girl organization and I love that they market to first timers, that is outstanding, I just have never felt safe on this bike course and I am not sure if the newbies do either. Any rider with a tri bike or clip on aerobars is put at great jeopardy and if you have race wheels look out. I love the distances of this duathlon better than any other du but I knew it would be my last year, I had to complete some unfinished business from last year.

Around mile 3 I was bombing downhill about 35mph but luckily I was on my game today paying tons of extra attention to my surroundings and I had my guard up at all times. A cop tried to hold up a car crossing the intersection that I was headed through, the car would not stop, and the officer bailed out of the way just in time not to get plowed over. I breaked as hard as I could coming to a complete stop and was paralyzed in fear. I couldn't breath normally for about 5 minutes. It felt like someone was holding their hand over my mouth, my heart was racing. This of course was in no way shape or form the race's fault or the Bloomington police and is not a reflection on either of them. The car who almost took out the cop and could have killed an athlete also had the nerve to yell at the cop as he went by. Incredulous! The officer felt so bad, he apologized to me and couldn't believe what had happened. I let him know there was nothing he could do, I thanked him, did my best to pull myself together, and proceeded onward. I did lose my sunglasses which I am very sad about because Marta gave them to me and she got them at Cancun 70.3. I was wearing them loose above my eyes and letting them defrost because they got foggy in transition and I couldn't see when I first put them on.

Illegal pass by me on the right. I yelled, "On your left!" So she moved to the left and I had no choice. It looks like my sunglasses landed on my cables and later fell off somewhere.

The highlight of the event and the reason I came back again was because I crashed on this course last year and I wanted to complete it one more time and stay upright on my bike. Even though I am in a racing slump of injury and exhaustion at the moment it felt incredibly empowering to pass by the scene of last years head first slide over my handlebars knowing that I am a better bike handler this year. I looked the sharp downhill turn in the eye both times around and knew that I was a smarter rider. As someone so kindly pointed out that my last 5 multi-sport races have been "despicable displays" (thanks I respect bluntness and honesty and couldn't have said it better myself. Everyone has their own personal take on when to call it a season, I am tired not dead and I would rather race regardless of my results. I'm doing the very best I can right now and I am having fun) I feel like I am finally in control of my bike and it is not controlling me. I have been practicing my turns and handling really hard and I feel like I am in a great place right now handling wise even if my bike power has dropped in correlation with my race schedule increasing. My trainer and I are in love so it isn't always easy for me to turn off Pawn Stars, unleash my Felt and venture into the great outdoors but I have been doing it often and riping around parking lots and Chaska's many round-abouts.

Iron Girl is Ozzie's favorite race because every year I receive a duck at packet pickup complete with a squeaker inside that quacks, "Aflac!" Oz just goes nuts when I bring him home his new squeaking duck each year and I know he will be heartbroken without one in years to come. I will have to buy him a cute new toy the last Sunday in September from now on since he has become accustom to receiving one, hopefully he won't know it isn't the Aflac Iron Girl duck.

This race also holds a special spot near and dear to me because it was my very first multi-sport race in 2008. I got my first road bike in late July and trained so hard for it. That was one of my favorite days and also the day I became hooked on multi-sport events. I hope this race continues to bring happiness to new duathletes as it did for me in 2008. The last two years at Iron Girl have been a rough road for me but the joy that it brought me my first year overrides the last two years. I would recommend this race to anyone who wants to try their first duathlon, this race is for you girls, and you will love it!

9/21/08 My first Iron Girl, first multi-sport event, and the most nervous I have ever been before a race. I have no idea why I wore 2 watches and a Richard Simmon's sweatband but I did. 23rd/805

2009- Don't ever give up on a race no matter what happens and no matter how long you have to lay on the pavement. I broke my cable and had to ride from mile 7 to mile 19 holding my shifter tight in place to stay in the gear I needed. The ambulance will wait for you right at the finish line. 3rd/862

2010-My last Iron Girl hurrah, running out of T2. 5th/898

Waving to Steve

Just a few yards from the finish chute, in pain and making the ugly face

Congrats to the winner, super speedster Jenny Wilcox

Sayonara,
S

Dear Body,

2010-09-25T13:50:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is your very last multi-sport event of the year, I PROMISE! Please get me to the finish line in one piece! Top 5 would be nice but after all I have put you through this season that might be too much to ask.

XOXO,
Suzie

Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic

2010-09-24T13:21:00.000-05:00

I am obsessed with this raw drink and can not get enough. It is juicer-less, blender-less, and takes about 15 seconds to prepare so anyone can enjoy it, no expensive appliances needed. I've been calling it "my tonic" or "the tonic" but the official name is Bragg Vinegar Health Drink. The apple cider vinegar is a HUGE appetite suppressant making the tonic perfect for between meals, an addition to a raw juice fast, and a solution to late night hunger.

Not all apple cider vinegar is created equal, so if you want the best of the best be sure to get Braggs because it comes with the "Mother," it is always raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized, and always organic. I have been mixing 2 tsp. acv with 2 tsp. raw agave because agave is my favorite sweetener and there is a ridiculous sale right now at Harvest Moon on the 44 ouncer! Dirt cheap!

Blackstrap Molasses is good stuff too, which I always have on hand from making my signature homemade raisin walnut bread.

For the last month I have been going Kombucha Krazzzeeeee! I have 2 different flavors of over 3 total gallons fermenting on the counter at once and have been drinking all 3 gallons per week. The new batches are not ready in time at the rate I have been consuming it and I am running out of glass containers and fridge space to store the finished product. I have been nonstop craving my magic tea 24/7 of late.

Enjoy the tonic!

Cheers,
S

Fort Snelling 5 X 5K Relays; Mosquitoes & Recreation

2010-09-20T13:46:00.000-05:00

Stick a fork in my 2010 triathlon season because it is done, over-done rather. Last year my triathlon season (and career) didn't begin until July 18 so I was heartbroken to hang up my wetsuit in the closet for the winter, I wanted more. This year I have been holding on by a thread physically and emotionally since Aug 2 and I am definitely ready to surrender. Everything I have done since I dismounted my bike at Waseca 1/3 Iron has been a disappointment but I have come to not only accept it but learn a great deal from it.

The three best things about triathlon season coming to a close are:
1. I can wear mascara to all the rest of my events this year!
2. Post-season baseball is just around the corner
3. Fall is here and that means BOOTS! I love boots so much. Fall is my favorite time of year to get all dressed up, I love fall but NOT winter. Unfortunately since I moved to Minnesota from Florida in late 2005, fall does mean that the Minnesota winter is on the horizon. Needless to say, I have learned to make the absolute most of every single day between Labor Day and the first snow fall.

Sunday was the Fort Snelling 5 X 5K Relays and it was all about the fun factor. When I do races for fun the most important aspects of the event are friends, fun, looking good, and where/what we'll eat afterwards...results go out the window.

Friends= check...We had a great group of Gear West gals: Kortney, Julia, Hannah, Marta, and myself.

Fun= check...Only one person ran the 5K loop at a time so the rest of us got to socialize and cheer on our runner. Plus it was perfect running weather.

Looking good= double check...We all wore matching Gear West running tanks and one of the males declared us the cutest team out there haha. So no matter how we felt we ran at least we put on a good show in the looks department I guess.

I ran the first leg because I couldn't afford much of a warm-up. I'm still having constant knee pain in my left knee and on again off again pain in my right knee. I didn't have many miles in me so I did the minimal possible warm-up a person should probably ever do for a 5K. A very short slow jog to the porta potty. Break for a final pee. An even slower jog back from the porta potty. A short slow jog to observe the tail end of the course with two of the shortest strides anyone has ever seen. I lined up at the start and there were only two other girls. The mosquitoes and the real runners were out in full force. I stood in the very back behind the only two other girls and next to a guy in a cotton shirt and the oldest guy there. I figured I could maybe hang with cotton shirt and the older man.

Mile 1- I took it out right behind the girls and stayed with them for about 1.25 miles. The first mile felt extremely comfortable and then I died. I looked at my watch, sub 6:20. No wonder, that is way too fast for me to start a 5K. I was checking out the girl right in front of me and realized she was wearing the same pair of black booty shorts that I also own. I don't wear mine in public because they fit me like a thong. Her shorts were rolled over the waistband about 3 times and ready to slip off her teeny tiny torso, she was a true runner with a true runner's build. It then sank in that I had about 35 pounds on her in butt, hips, thighs, and muscle. The two fast girls began to build their pace and mine crumbled against my will within the next .25 mile and I never saw them again.

Mile 2- The older guy was impressively tan and even more impressively fit and he disappeared as well with cotton shirt breathing over his shoulder. Holy smokes my pace was rapidly dropping, I could definitely feel that I did a half iron tri one week earlier, I was tired and sore through the hips. I was all alone and we appeared to be the only recreational team there, good thing it was a fun run. This is about the time my knee pain kicked in in full swing but I had no problems running though it for this short of a race, it didn't slow me down.

Mile 3- I officially positive split the 5K. I think I could be the world's worst running and biking pacer at every possible distance. I believe I also positive split the majority if not all of my bike and run legs in multi-sport this year. Good thing I only have one swimming speed! It was a downhill finish to the end and as soon as I hit the downhill section I could also hear my girls cheering me on. I ended up going 21:12, a 6:49 pace. I would be okay with that in a tri or du but this was stand alone 5K. But it was all in good fun and I have never done a 5K race before without a bike leg attached so I guess it was a guaranteed PR by default.

It wouldn't be a race and I wouldn't be me if I didn't do something slightly embarrassing, goofy, or off kilter, so naturally I closed out the race with a sprint down the wrong finish chute. But to be fair they set up the finish chute while I was on the run course so I wasn't expecting it. Somehow the rest of the first leg runners got the memo because I seemed to have been the only person to miss the chute. I felt like I was going to barf for about 2 minutes after I finished but I walked it off nicely was grateful for a fun speed workout with my girlfriends. It was nice to be able to enjoy the rest of the race without having to worry about taking my turn. I got to relax, swat mosquitoes, and yell for the rest of my team who all did awesome.

After the relay race Kort and I hit the trainers in her basement. This is the first time my knees have ever hurt while biking which downright scared me. It was pain I could spin through but uncomfortable and alarming. I was thankful to have Kortney there through the pain and we chatted through the entire spin which made it fly by. When I got home I took an ice bath, I am probably the only person on the planet who has ever taken an ice bath after a 5K. Ice baths have become a staple for me lately and I have been in the frozen tube about 3 times a week. I am not quite sure what I have done to myself and I am not sure if I will do anymore events this year. It was a great day with friends and possibly my season ender. It has been a great ride with new highs, unfortunately new and unexpected lows, and everyday has been a lesson on what to do differently next year.

XOXO,
S

Square Lake Long Course; Man Plans, God Laughs

2010-09-15T11:01:00.001-05:00

If I didn't live over an hour away from Square Lake I would swim there weekly. It is the cleanest and clearest lake I have ever been in. I did the Square Lake short course last year and it was love at first stroke. The hilly and windy bike course was also enjoyable so I decided I would go back in 2010 to do the long course.

I was worried that the second loop of the two loop swim would get messy with the wave start but it ended up spreading out perfectly. I ran into the water with a nice clean path and somehow as soon as I dove in and began to swim I ended up sandwiched between a guy and a girl. I got hammered by both of them for the first minute of the swim, both were swimming on top of me, one on each side. In a mixture of annoyance and panic I told myself to just keep breathing and it will all clear out eventually. As soon I broke loose from our threesome it was smooth sailing. Square Lake is so gorgeous that I didn't mind climbing 70 stairs to get to transition, it is totally worth it. I actually counted 69 stairs on the way up to T1 but I am assuming I missed one on my ascend up the long steep staircase. My hands were freezing and I dropped my goggles twice in T1 trying to tuck them into the sleeve of my wetsuit. I ran back and retrieved them both times because I love my goggles and a wasted 10 seconds each time wasn't worth replacing them in such a long race.

I did a 17 mile run last Saturday and got intense knee pain in both knees at mile 9. I took the next three days off from running and the pain went away in my right knee. I only did two short easy runs the rest of the week and the pain was still there in the left knee. I really wanted to push the pace on the bike in preparation that my left knee and possibly my right knee as well were going to give me some complications during the run and slow my pace. I ended up passing and repassing the same two guys for the first half of the two loop bike. They were legally biking around the same pace and I would catch and pass them on the flat stretches and hills and lose them on the turns. I think they were both surprised that there was an eight inch blonde braid coming out of my helmet. Halfway through the first loop one of the guys (the smartest of the three of us) slowed his pace and we dropped him for good. Twenty minutes later I realized that I should back off a little too, this distance is no joke and the bike course is unforgiving, but it was too little too late.

After the first loop I realized I took it out way too hard and fast. I thought I could hold my pace for both loops but the wind and hills shut me down and said otherwise. The second loop felt much harder and slower and my hips were sore the whole time. Thirty minutes into the second loop I caught my buddy who had originally dropped the two of us and I passed him one final time. Less than ten minutes later the smarty who pulled back early on came whizzing by looking strong and riding hard never to be seen again. I really don't think I have the 56 mile pacing down at all and it will both haunt and fuel me all winter on my trainer that I could not do bike under 2:40 at a half in my first three attempts. I feel like I am a strong enough cyclist but I am doing something wrong when the ride is over 24-33 miles at race pace. I want to be 2:3X badly!

I was violently attacked by Gu Gel packs for 3/4 of the ride. I taped all my gels impeccably straight on my Felt the night before. When I ripped the first one off all the rest of my gels became cocked to the left side and the sharp corners were stabbing and rubbing my left inner thigh the whole time. Those gel packs are mean and relentless. I was fighting with my Gus the whole ride trying to straighten them out but they would not move. They were pointed to the left and ripping all my skin off. It hurt so bad and I started bleeding. I considered just ripping them all off but then they would all be opened and I would have nowhere to put them without making a Guey mess. I thought about just ingesting them all at once so they would stop digging into my leg. But I have learned from prior experience that bad things happen to my body when taking more than one shot in a row with no place to go to the bathroom and I have also learned my freshman year in college that bad things happen when taking more than one shot of alcohol at once. So I stuck to my rule of thumb; nothing good happens in triathlon or in boozing when I take more than one shot at once, it is just bad news for me in either case. I continuously wrestled with the gel shots to twist them back to the center but they preferred ripping all the skin off my thigh instead.

As soon as I got on the run course both my quads cramped up bad. It never fully went away but the intensity of the pain would come and go. It was the type of pain I could push through and mentally block out to keep going but at a slower than anticipated pace. I planned on starting the run out super slow and building. My heart rate was so high when I started and remained that way throughout, I could never get it to drop. Not even during my 500 walk breaks. I don't wear a heart rate monitor when racing but my breathing was abnormally labored and I was gasping for air. I made it all the way to mile 8 without walking and decided that I was accustomed to the quad cramping but I was just struggling to breathe like I never have before in a race. Then at mile 8 I got a cramp in my right calf too. This was not the type of pain I could run through or even put much weight on. I told myself that I could walk through the water stop at mile 8. I started to run again and the pain in my calf was too much so I began a constant walk of shame. My only goal for this race was to have the opportunity to do once last tri. To me a triathlon does NOT mean walking AT ALL. It means swim, bike RUN! I was beyond upset that I had to walk. The pain in my calf was out of control and I decided that maybe I should DNF. I didn't even know how to DNF. What do you even do? I was out in the middle of nowhere and there wasn't exactly a cab to hail or bus to catch, how do you drop out of a race and get back to transition? I had no idea and I concluded that I didn't want to find out. Just as I was about to have a total mental and physical breakdown and uncontrollably cry like a 40 year old woman watching Oprah...

I was blessed by the presence of one of my awesome teammates cooling down on a bike ride long after finishing his race. He rode along next to me and talked me though a whole bunch things like where my nutrition was off and how to run smarter, he sprayed me with water often, got me extra fluids, offered me more nutrition, and kept forcing me to run. With my labored breathing and inventory of lower limb cramps it was difficult but I was able to run a little. He would say- run to this next tree, or the next mail box, the speed limit sign, mini goals. At one point he even had to resort to a threat of physical violence, something like- Suzie if you do not start running I am going to hit you. I honestly think that would have felt much better on my body than running. I am not the type of person who needs any outside motivation, I get it all from within but this pain...

Finally I made it back to the park and my calf cramp came on stronger than ever before. With about 1/8 mile to go it was downhill to the finish and I had to limp/hop on one leg to the finish line. As soon as I stopped running my left knee which had remained pain free the whole 13.1 miles exploded with pain and I got a new cramp, a Charlie horse in my right foot. I was not upset at all, this was the absolute most mental and physical strength it has ever taken me to finish a race. I was proud to have finished and was so grateful that I have the best teammate ever. It was not my day, my car even stalled on the way home...but I know there will be plenty of other days with much happier endings.

From The Secret Daily Teachings

"To create your tomorrow, go over your day when you are in bed tonight just before you fall asleep, and feel gratitude for the good moments. If there was something you wanted to happen differently, replay it in your mind the way you wanted it to go. As you fall asleep, say, "I will sleep deeply and wake up full of energy. Tomorrow is going to be the most beautiful day of my life."

Good night!

May the joy be with you,

Rhonda Byrne
The Secret and The Power... bringing joy to billions

-S

Pigman Half; What Nourishes Me Also Destroys Me

2010-09-03T19:24:00.001-05:00

Warning: you are about to embark on a LONG blog entry. I wrote most of it for my own well-being so I don't spiral down the same path next season. I had an unanticipated extra 30+ minutes during Pigman half to think and I have had a bunch of time since to reflect on this race and my season. The first part is a Pigman race report, the second part is just for me. Fee free to zone out anytime, it turned into a total book, my apologies...

When walking down to the beach it was so foggy that I could not see a single buoy, not even the closest one. So we warmed up and we waited. And waited. The swim start ended up being delayed a full hour and all I could think about as we sat on the beach waiting for the fog to clear is that for every minute longer we waited to start the hotter it would be on the run. Eventually the call was made to start the race and I still could not see the first buoy, so off we went into no man's land. I was so grateful that the relay teams started with the elites in the first wave. All the elites took off pushing a pace that I am a several years of hardcore swim practice away from even hanging onto the back end of. I would have been left to fend for myself had it not been for the relayers.

I had no idea where to swim, I felt like I was swimming blindfolded but luckily there were quite a few relay swimmers still in my limited line of vision and I was forced to sight off of them and them only. They were navigating me all over the place and it seemed like each swimmer was headed in a totally different direction. It was confusing but I was just grateful to see other bodies out there. I had a slightly panicked feeling beginning a 1.2 mile swim unable to see the course and totally being unaware of what direction I was headed in. The elites took off so fast that I felt like I was the only person out there who couldn't see. I felt much better after I talked to Oscar who lead the way along with my Gear West teammates DKT and Thad. Oscar said that they couldn't see where they were going either, they went off course several times, and a boat had to maneuver along right in front of them to direct them and give them something to sight off of.

Finally I made it to the first buoy which I still could not see until I was just a few feet from it. Almost every buoy was basketball size, the smallness of the buoys and the immense fog was a quite a combination. About halfway through the swim it was as if someone suddenly turned on the lights. All of the fog was lifted within a second, it wasn't gradual, it all disappeared in the blink of an eye and suddenly the swim course was crystal clear. Just like at the YWCA Tri and Turtleman I was unusually tired on the swim. This was bad news considering that the main take away message from my first half at Liberty was that the swim was the easiest and only non-painful part. At Pigman the swim was still the easiest part but it was WAY harder then it should have been and I was exhausted. My immense gratitude for finally actually being able to see and the race being barley wetsuit legal kept me moving and pushed me to the swim exit. My body felt heavy and absolutely gassed just from the short run to T1 and I knew I had to stay positive because my body was drained already at this point. It was less than 40 minutes into a 5+ hour race and I was spent. This had me terrified and I was scared that I would not make it to the finish line.

I never pre-viewed the bike course but I did study the well detailed map and route in the race packet the night before. I have always had a bizarre photographic memory for anything non-scholastic like boy's phone numbers, baseball stats, etc. as long as I didn't learn it in school I can remember it for life. I knew where all the turns were, I had heard it was mostly rollers, and I was all around stoked for the bike portion. My plan was to ride comfortably quick. Unfortunately I never felt comfortable and I certainly never felt quit. I loved that bike course. It was my type of biking scene, I wish I would have had more to bring. Needless to say I was very disappointed with my bike split. It was torture riding on open hilly roads just the way I like it and not having more to give.

My arms, back, and shoulders even became exhausted from supporting myself in the aero position and there were many times that I had to come up out of my bars to give my upper body some relief. This did not happen at Liberty. The best part of the ride was passing my boyfriend after he had already rounded the turn around cone and was in route back to Palo comfortably in 3rd place. My male Gear West teammates were in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th positions and looking strong as I passed them. At least the boys were kicking butt, I was the only GW female racing and I was in rough shape.

I usually don't rack by Dan because he is a bull in a China shop in transition. He's fast, effective, and always to be found in the top 10 transition times but I have learned my lesson on more than one occasion to steer clear and park a few places down. I have witnessed him take down an entire transition rack with his bike and not break stride or blink an eye. Today I really wanted to be next to him for some reason. Sure enough, I got to T2 and his bike was racked in my spot. I laughed but didn't think anything of it and just racked my bike in his slot and was done with it. I then bent down to put on my flats which were directly underneath his Shaquille O'Neal sized cycling shoe still connected to his pedal which was in the lowest position to the ground. Everything I needed for my run was in a nice pile trapped under his ginormous shoe. My socks, shoes, visor, nutrition, and Garmin were all in lock down. It was totally jammed and I couldn't get to it. I started kicking his shoe and trying to twist it off...come on Speed Play! It wouldn't budge with my stuff smashed underneath it. I had to push my stack of gear down to the ground as hard as I could while sliding it out to pry it loose. If only I would have known what was in store for me on the run course I might have taken a seat on the ground, taken my sweet time, and had a good laugh. There turned out to be absolutely no need to rush!

It was over 90 degrees when I got off my bike with straight up ridiculous humidity. The run was a suffer fest for me and I totally blew up! By the time I got to mile 2-4 the elite men were making their way back. I freaked out when I counted 6 out of the first 10 males walking. If the elite men were walking what the heck was going to happen to me?!? They were not sneaking in a few steps while taking in nutrition at the aid stations, they were outright walking! There was not a cloud in the sky or a sliver of shade on the course. Fortunately the course was extremely well supported. At every single mile there was ice, water, Heed, fruit, the whole 9 yards. I hit rock bottom out there on the run and I believe it was blessing in disguise and my wake up call. I did a lot of thinking and sole searching during my 13.1 pokey miles and I need to make some major changes to my racing schedule for next year. More on that later...

I was expecting to see Dan still in 3rd place but more and more boys kept coming by with no sign of mine. Each guy was looking worse off then the next. Finally I spotted him when I hit mile 4.25 and he was walking. He crossed the road and came to over to tell me he was done. I yelled at him and screamed that he'd better to start running and finish strong and to suck it up because he only had 4 miles left. Little did I know, I would be walking too when I got to the exact spot he was at. I ran all the way to mile 8, it was painful and it was much slower than I ever dreamed I would run in a race but I only walked briefly through the water stops. The aid stations were heaven and the volunteers were angels. At each station I grabbed a cup of ice and two cups of liquid. I dumped ice down the front and back of my one piece and saved a couple cubes to rub on my face. I drank as much Heed/water as I could stomach each time and I dumped the second cup of water on my head. These were the absolute hottest conditions I have ever trained or raced in. It made Waseca feel like a meat locker in comparison. Thank goodness this race was EXTREMELY WELL supported or I (and I am sure many others) would have been in serious medical trouble or dropped out completely. The quick walk breaks to execute my BigPig cooling off routine were my treat. My sole focus was to make it to the next water stop alive.

A male racer asked me out on a date around mile 6-7ish. I am hoping he was asking every girl that passed him out on a date during the run maybe to get some laughs, smiles, and lighten the mood. There is no way that anyone could have found me remotely attractive or date worthy out there unless they go for the extremely sunburned, grossly sweaty girls with ice cube stuffed sports bras.

I can't express how much it helps to be part of a team or tri club on a grueling day. It was so nice to see teammates and Gear West Tri Club members out on the run course. I was dying a slow death out there so a smile and some praise from a friendly face went a long way and gave me a boost of life to trudge along a little further. Plus I am a proud member of the speed up when you see someone you know club. I was super embarrassed to see people I knew while I was stinking up the run course but at the same time I appreciated their presence and it made a big helpful difference.

My walk breaks kept getting longer and longer at every mile. Each time that I stopped running it got ten times harder to start back up running again. Finally the finish line was in sight and the longest, hottest, and worst race of my season was over and done. The half iron distance is by far the most rewarding distance that I have competed in this far. Even when you preform way below your expectations it is still a huge accomplishment to cross the finish line after such a long haul and you can't be too mad at yourself. Everyone who finished no matter what their time at this race should be proud.

Normally after a race the thought of food makes me sick and one glance at the post race spread offered usually makes me even sicker. Not at Pigman. They had a smorgasbord of fresh fruit. Strawberries, bananas, grapes, oranges, apples, and watermelon. And to top it all off they had a jumbo box of Raw Revolution Bars. The purest and most delicious bars on the planet, my sponsor, and my bar of choice. Happiness!!! I never have an appetite within 2-6 hours after a race. Maybe I went so slow that I didn't get my normal funny and nauseous feeling in my gut because I was ravenous. They even had a huge bucket of ice cold beer and that made the boys very happy. It was the best food selection I have ever seen after a race, there was something for everyone.

Pigman destroyed me physically for over a week afterwards. I did feel a bit better when I talked to one of my friends who is a triathlete but did not race and solely came to spectate. She said it was so hot she didn't feel normal until Wednesday just from watching and she even had a chair and an umbrella. This concludes my race report, the rest of this blog entry will be boring to read but I need to write it for me. As I mentioned earlier I need to make some major changes and I want to be able to look back on this entry. Feel free to tune out now, it is going to be a big yawn but necessary for my own personal reflection.

Pigman Afterthoughts and the Aftermath of Over-racing:

A few people have been telling me that I have been over racing this year. I didn't physically feel it or believe it until Turtleman but I thought it was because I was sick. The next day at YWCA I thought I was in rare form because I was still sick and attempting a double. I did finally beat my cold two days before Pigman but my body was still in shambles. I am too new at this sport to be racing this much, I do not have the base yet. I am not sure where I began to go wrong.

One experienced triathlete suggested that I might have blown my season early on at Liberty half. Racing 4 weeks in a row with Liberty half being the fourth straight race. I obviously could have done a much better job at Liberty if I was rested going into my first ever half iron. Should I do that long of a race next year that early in the season I will defiantly rest the weekend before.

Another opinion from someone else was that doing the Chaska/HOLT double which was another four straight races in a row pushed me over the edge. That double made for 5 races in a 4 week block.

I personally think I broke down from doing a time trial two days after dropping over at the finish line of Waseca 1/3 Iron. I should have passed up that time trail. Then to do the Turtleman/YWCA double made it worse. Also, doing a double the week before a half is just plain idiotic, who does that expecting good results? Who does that period? I realized all this on the Pigman run course, I had 2 hr. 6 mins. and change to reflect on how I wrecked my body and got to this point. Everything really hit home.

I have concluded that next year I will do 7-10 multi-sport races max and a time trial or two when there are no events planned anywhere near them. This summer I have so far done 11 triathlons, 2 duathlons, 5 time trails, and a bike tour. Someone with experience might be able to handle this volume but I have only been doing triathlons since mid July of last year. I know that I will want to race every weekend again next year. So I need to look at this post often and remember how I felt at Pigman. I have physically never felt that bad before, I have no idea how I made it to the finish. It was terrible. It is hard not to race every weekend because it is so much fun and there are so many great local races. Mentally I can do it but I can't handle it physically especially since I like the half distance the best.

I am not thrilled with my time for either of my halfs that I did this year and it is my own fault. I never even gave myself a shot to do well at a half, I went into both of them tired. I know that if I spread myself out more I will have better results at all my races. I have had a fraction of disappointment after every single race this season. I now realize that I could have done better all around the board if I would have been rested. I don't think I strung a single race together this year. I had some great splits at races but didn't do anything that great this year consecutively. I am proud of my bike split at Buffalo, Waconia, and Waseca but not too tickled about any race I did as a whole. Subconsciously I think I was trying to pack in the racing to get two years of experience out of one year because I am new. I went for quantity performance over quality performance. I am going to make a smaller schedule and stick to it no matter what for 2011. I don't ever want to put myself out there like I did at Pigman. I know as well as anyone from working in the fitness industry that positive physiological adaptations to the human body will only occur if you break the body down and then properly let it heal. I was working my butt off training, racing, and on my nutrition but I missed a key ingredient this year for success and that was rest/recovery.

If anyone is actually still reading this I hope that you can learn from me. I felt slow, sloppy, out of shape and weak the whole race at Pigman. It was not fun and I don't wish feeling that upon anyone. I have learned a whole bunch this season and the best lessons have come from my worst races. I have always believed that the most important races are the ones where I crash and burn, I take the most home from them. For me there is no better motivator then failure or poor performance, not money, not prizes, not winning, only bettering myself.

I planned on doing Square Lake half which is 3 weeks after Pigman. I think that is reasonable time to recover. I will actually and honestly listen to my body though when I make a decision. There is no other local triathlon left that I have any interest in doing except Square Lake half. I hope I can rest up and end the season with a better performance than at Pigman. If Pigman was it for me or if I bomb at Square Lake I can accept that. I dug my own grave and it will fuel my training throughout the off-season and set me on a strict an proper race schedule for my experience level next year. I desperately want to crawl back out of the hole I have dug myself into and close the tri season on a high note. I will for sure be doing the Iron Girl Du, a 5 X 5 relay running race with 4 of my girlfriends, and Twin Cities Marathon with my family. Those will all be great but there is nothing more fun to me than triathlons, so I hope to make it to the starting line at Square Lake. I am going to rest it up as much as I can, think positive, and make a push to give one myself last tri.

-Suz

YWCA Tri; In Sickness And In Health

2010-08-25T11:43:00.000-05:00

Pale & pooped but making my way to the finish line

On Saturday after racing sick at Turtleman my body was exhausted and I was worn to the core. I knew there was no way that I could race competitively the very next day at the YWCA Women's Tri. I contemplated for a long time whether or not I should skip it altogether. Last year the Y Tri was by far my favorite race and hands down my vote at seasons end for the athlete's choice for favorite race. It is the only opportunity in the state to do a women's only triathlon. The race caters to newbies so there is not another race that I know of that can match the energy and excitement of hundreds upon hundreds of fresh triathlon meat eager to participate in their first tri. It is special. There is a unique vibe that you don't feel at any other triathlon. I love what the YWCA stands for, I love this race, and the race director and race coordinator are so supportive. This is not only a race that I like to compete in but a race that I like to associate myself with. On the flip side, I didn't feel like I even had a shot to place in the top 25 because I was so run down. When I was healthy and did a double in July it wasn't too taxing but being sick as a dog changed the game completely.

There were over 1,000 girls registered for the YWCA Tri and I guarantee that over 900 of them signed up strictly to have fun. I thought to myself on Saturday night, why can't I be one of them? Why can't I do a race just for fun? I have been so hard on myself all season long so why can't I join the 900 others setting out for the sole purpose of finishing a triathlon and having fun? I decided to say so what to my results and go enjoy myself. There was no way I was going to hide under the covers because I physically could not perform at the level I am capable of. Unfortunately, there are always going to be people who keep tabs on results and maybe even people who might enjoy to see me fall apart, who knows? Luckily I have always been a free spirit and have never cared what other people think. I love triathlon and this race way more than I could ever possibly care what people think about me or my race results. My mind was made up.

The 500 yard swim; To Noodle Or Not Too Noodle

I knew I was in trouble within the first 50 yards of the swim start. I have never been so tired on an open water swim before in my life. Since the race caters to first timers there were lifeguards lining the swim course holding out noodles to rest on. Those noodles looked so inviting! After about 100 yards I contemplated grabbing onto one but talked myself out of it. 200 yards...boy those noodles look AMAZING, should I? No keep going. 300 yards...geez they are really tempting me with these noodles, they are almost sticking them right in my swim path and making it easier to accept the noodle then to pass it by...don't do it, keep going. 400 yards...I almost reached out for a noodle because I was so spent but decided I shouldn't occupy a noodle when there might be another girl who is seriously panicking and feeling in danger. Who was I too hog a noodle because I was over raced and sick because I ran my own body into the ground via over training and over racing. I didn't deserve a noodle, so I plugged away until finally my fingers brushed the beach sand and I had survived.

The 15 Mile Bike; Flat Or No Flat?

I was bummed that the venue was moved from Baker to Nakomis because the bike course at the YWCA Tri last year was perfection. Hills, county roads, and almost the entire TNT course, it was 15 miles of biking paradise. The bike course at Nakomis was full of turns, twists, pot holes, city roads without a hill or incline in sight and it was 100% technical. When I signed up for the race I decided to view the glass half full and accept it as a challenge and take some chances on the corners. Unfortunately, I didn't have much strength at all on the bike but it was excellent technical practice for me which I desperately need. My head and my heart where out on that bike course but my body said otherwise. I received quite a few texts and emails asking if I got a flat or crashed after the results were posted. Nope, it wasn't a flat and it was not a crash, it was the best I could do on that day. My sister was expecting me to be one of the first few ladies off the bike. When I didn't show up near the front of the pack she panicked and starting texting Dan.

The 5K run; All's Well That Ends Well

I enjoyed the run around Lake Nakomis. The lake gave me some pretty scenery to look at and help take my mind off the suffering I was putting my sick and worn out body through for the second day in a row. It is always comforting to dip under a 7 minute pace especially when ill. I was content with my run and it was nice to end the race with a somewhat respectable run after an uncharacteristic bike leg.

It was fabulous to see my friends Greta and Lydia both have great races. They have each battled and overcome some serious health issues this season and for them to go 1-2 was awesome, I couldn't have been happier for each of them.

This was also a special day because it was the first time my sister has been able to come watch me race. She was in FL all of last summer and has been in NY, FL, and SD a bunch this summer so she hasn't ever been able to come out and spectate yet since I began triathlon. I loved knowing that she would be waiting for me at the finish line with my niece and nephew (wiener dogs, I am still waiting for a human niece or nephew). It was refreshing to spend the whole rest of the day with my sister as well even though I wasn't up for much more than lying on the couch and riffling through a box of Kleenex at an alarming rate of nose blowing. It was great to have some high quality sister time after a rough race. My sister said she was proud of me for getting 6th place out of 871 finishers. I told her that I should have done much better. She said that there are 865 other girls out there who would have loved to have placed 6th. She is right. Even though I should have performed better, I did the best that I could and I had fun. I am glad that I was a part of this special race 2 years in a row. In sickness and in health there is nowhere else I would have rather been.

-S

Turtleman Triathlon; Super Tri Momma

2010-08-17T12:45:00.000-05:00

Kort was first out of the water looking super fit just 8 weeks after giving birth

Prologue; There Are No Mistakes, Only Lessons

I was so dehydrated after Waseca that I did not pee for almost 24 hours and I had been chugging water non-stop since the race ended. (Too much info I know, but this was the beginning of my downhill slide into 12 days of sickness and counting). My coach told me to take the whole week off from training and my dad told me to listen to my coach. It is sometimes hard to listen to your coach when he is also your boyfriend. I am still writing the book on how to date your coach, I am far from perfect and I must be a glutton for learning the hard way. On Monday morning (the day after Waseca) I woke up with a bad sore throat and a blank training calender on Training Peaks. I rarely ever get sick, maybe once every two or three years. So I did what I always do when I feel like I am coming down with something, I get the carrot, onion, garlic, spirulina juice flowing and the neti pot in action. Something also possessed me to do two bike rides on Monday. Tuesday I felt even worse but I swam and did a time trial. I knew I had no business doing TNT right after a 3 hour race but I wanted to go one last time before it ended for the year, I love TNT and this was the very last one that fit my schedule. Bad choice, I felt terrible the whole ride and besides for the first TNT of the year that took place in the pouring rain it was my slowest showing of 2010. Worse then seeing my time and average speed from the time trial was what came to follow. Wednesday morning my throat was on fire and I had developed a nasty cold.

For the last 12 days I have battled the same bad cold, the same nagging sore throat, dehydration, diarrhea, loss of appetite and goose bumps while simultaneously sweating. TMI again but this has been my reality as of late. Putting my neti pot into over drive and a steady diet of garlic juice couldn't even cure me because I wouldn't stop training. I never took a single day off after Waseca and as the week went on I felt worse yet trained harder. My coach wouldn't even write me workouts because I was so sick so I made them up myself. The week ended and the weekend rolled around...still sick, still training and training hard...not sleeping at all. It was so hard to sleep when my nose was either running down my pillow or so stopped up I couldn't get any air. Another week went by...still sick yet training and by the night before Turtleman my sore throat was gone but I had no energy, no strength, my lingering cold, and a wacked out body temperature (really hot then really cold in an instant, or both hot/cold at once). I didn't feel like myself but still wanted to race. I have been blessed this season with no injuries and no sickness until now so decided I to take a gamble knowing full well that I wouldn't be 100% and I didn't feel very strong. I love to race and there was no stopping me. I told myself no excuses, do your best, and accept the end result. Plus I didn't want to miss Kortney or Ann's return to racing.

The 1K swim/slide/crawl/sink; EWWWWWWWWW

Words can't really describe the "swim" at Trutleman. You just had to be there. The water was dark brown, it looked like someone took a #2 and failed to flush. Yes it was that exact color! I stood by the lake for a long time deciding if I really wanted to put my face in it. I finally psyched myself into getting in and I took one step in the lake and sunk straight down to my knees. The whole bottom of the lake was slick muddy quicksand. There was no sturdy place to even stand, you sunk right down. I couldn't stop laughing at myself and everyone else. You took a step and then just dropped off the face of the earth. Everyone was laughing together, everyone had a great sense of humor, and the entire elite wave was united in a mix of disgust, laughter, and anticipation of how we would swim through this mess and where we would start the swim. The lake was too shallow to swim for the first 50 yards but you couldn't run on the bottom either. The boys started jumping up and down and the entire lake shook. I have never seen anything like it and with all the racers warming up and playing around in the muddy chaos it really got stirred up and turned an even darker brown, lovely. Finally we got the go ahead for a waist deep start and together the elite wave did a combination of a swim, crawl, and scramble to get to a section deep enough to swim. About halfway through the swim I got really tired and weak and I knew it would be a challenging race for my body in its current state.

The 36K bike; Snotty Suzie

My bike has been my bread and butter all season long so it was a little bit disheartening to not have my usual strength and power out there. I was last out of the water (that would have been the case in perfect health as well) but hoping to make up some ground on the bike. Unfortunately I knew ahead of time that my cycling capabilities may suffer the biggest blow. I was hoping I would magically be healthy upon mounting my bike but no dice. I gave it my best effort and my best attitude but I was unable to bike to my full potential. It was extremely hard to breath on the bike with all my congestion and I spent the majority of the ride blowing snot out of my nose so I could breath. Sorry TMI once again, but this was the story of my ride. I rode into transition, yes literally got to ride my bike in transition and was still holding my position in last place. On the bright side, I was able to exit out of transition ahead of two other girls.

The 8K run; Running By My Blog Reader

Running felt really daunting but it was so much easier to breath through my congestion on the run then on the bike. I focused on a quick cadence, proper form, and continued to blow my nose the entire time. I had so much snot coming out of my nose that I found I could get more out at once if I blew it into both my hands and wiped it on my fastskin then if I opted for the traditional farmer's blow. Considering that my fastskin was caked in mud from the swim (we all came out of the water wearing a base layer of brownish grime) snot became the best looking and cleanest addition to my wardrobe. The highlight of my run was at mile 3...there was a cute girl sitting in a lawn chair spectating and as I ran by she yelled, "Go Suzie!!! I love your blog!" I have a bonified and official reader who admits in public to not only reading my blog but liking it :-) That was fun to hear especially when I wasn't feeling like myself. I ended up passing one more female just before the finish line to come in as the 5th elite female and the 6th overall female.

The best part of Turtleman was Kortney's win. Kort has become not only one of my good triathlete buddies but one of my best friends. I had the privilege of seeing her about three times a week throughout her entire pregnancy and she looked absolutely amazing the whole time. She worked her butt off to stay in shape while having a healthy and beautiful baby. I have never seen such a fantastic example of a healthy and vibrant pregnancy. Her body and spirit were both beautiful all nine months. She looked lean but ripped and the only added weight she gained was pure baby bump. Immediately after giving birth she looked the exact same as before she got pregnant. It was so exciting to watch her win and a pleasure to be there with her. She is so positive, driven, motivated, and deserving, the exact type of person that I like to surround myself with. It has only been 2 months since she gave birth and she looks better than ever because she has worked so hard to balance both her family and her training. She is proof that you can have it all, elite athlete status, a family, and a career. I am so proud of her and can't wait to see what the next few seasons have in store for her. Kort is a super tri momma and an inspiration to us all.

The men and women Turtleman lawn chair podiums

All these great photos were taken by Terrence Lee

I always seek the positive out of every life experience and realized that my rendezvous in Turtle Lake may have been one of the best things that has ever happened for my swim training. I now have absolutely NO STANDARDS for lake swimming. So that (used to be) NASTY looking lake that is a one minute walk from my front door now appears clean and pristine and I took my first dip in it today. Heidi was far too grossed out to get in so she watched me give it a go. I told her that if she would have been at Turtleman this year she would be right there swimming next to me, well maybe about 500 yards ahead, but she would have dove right in nonetheless.

-S

Waseca 1/3 Iron; The Susan & Suzie Show

2010-08-04T21:17:00.000-05:00

On Saturday afternoon we packed up and headed to Waseca, MN for the second annual Waseca 1/3 Iron Triathlon.

My little bundle of joy is Waseca bound

Saturday evening eight of us (including my parents!!!) enjoyed a nice pre-race dinner in Owatonna. Waseca's finest hotel allows dogs to shack up for an additional $10 per night as long as they stay in the room the entire time and only used the side entrance. Nowhere in the rules did it prohibit excess barking, so just like last year Ozzie got to make the trip to Waseca.

The 1 Mile Swim; The Susan Show

As I was walking down to the swim start I thought that I spotted super swimmer Susan Williams. I wasn't 100% positive it was her because I had never met her and had only raced against her twice. The first time was at Buffalo where she was one of the unlucky athletes who flatted so she DNF and the second time was at Waconia where we finished within a minute of each other. I came out on top that day but she is a MUCH better swimmer and the swim at Waseca was double the distance of Waconia. I knew I would have to have the bike ride of my life to even hang with her because our run times at Waconia were near identical. I knew it would be interesting, I knew it would be fun, and I figured we would put on quite a show handing the lead back and forth amongst each other. I wasn't totally sure what Susan looked like and she could have also been there to do the sprint race. I decided to make a last minute change to my biking game plan in anticipation that it was the real superb swimming Susan.

It turned out to be Susan indeed and she put on quite a show in the water swimming 1 mile in 25:02. As expected, Susan came out with an enormous gap on the entire women's field and a 6:53 lead over me! Ouch! And that was with a 3:20 improvement over last year on my end. I had a major sighting slip up out there, but I got reoriented, I made my way back on course, I recovered, and I still bettered my time from '09.

The 33 Mile Bike; Unleashing The Animal Inside Me

Pulling into transition, photo courtesy of Lydia Novotny

I felt so strong, comfortable, and aggressive on the bike and decided to make a bold move and go all out in attempt to start the run with a lead. I figured that if I rode at about 85-95% and tried to save something for the run which was my original pre-Susan plan, that might spit Susan and I out of T2 together to run a toe to toe 8.8 miles. I concluded that I would take my chances going for broke on the bike and start the run solo. My legs were rested and eager to go to work and I believe this was my best bike effort yet. For better or worse, I rode that course like a time trail with no looking back, no regrets, I was confident in my decision and I will stand by it. Besides for the pink on my Sidi cycling shoes not a single thing about me during these 33 miles was remotely feminine. I was spitting, grunting, blowing snot all over, sweating like a barbarian, and I broke two nails. I caught Susan at mile 24 to take over the lead.

I got my tri bike two days before Waseca '09 which became my first race on a tri bike. Last year for this race I also had my race wheels, aero helmet, the whole kit and caboodle. So to see that I rode 4:42 faster fully equipped with the exact same gear on the exact same course makes me very happy! The #1 female bike split and an incredible improvement was the 1 year old birthday present I gave Mr. Felt.

I ended up riding 8:24 faster than Susan giving myself a 1:52 lead beginning the run. Of course I didn't know any of this at the time, all I knew was that both Lydia and Susan were in hot pursuit. I could not leave my friend Lydia out of the equation as she is a very strong runner and when healthy she can bury me in any running distance, long, short, mid-distance, you name it.

The 8.8 Mile Run; Letting Go

Dan in route to his second Waseca 1/3 Iron title. This is Dan's 11th year in triathlon and he said Waseca was not the hottest race he has ever done but top 5 for sure.

The run course consisted of two loops of flat running with two inclines per loop and zero shade. My plan was to run the first 4.4 mile loop relaxed at a 7:20-7:30 pace and let my legs shake out. Then I was going to build my pace and push the second loop and shoot for around a 7:10-7:15 overall average. My body felt great during the first mile, I was relaxed but hot and ran a 7:19. As the miles went on I kept getting hotter and hotter and more and more uncomfortable. My splits got slower and slower with every mile. It was the strangest thing; my legs weren't tired, I had no cramps, no pain anywhere in my body, my cardio felt right on point, I followed my nutrition plan to a T, but I was so uncomfortably hot. I do must of my runs right smack in the middle of the day so I was surprised that the heat was effecting me so much. My pace was falling apart. I hung on and successfully made it around the first loop with the lead still in tack, barley. At mile 4.5 I waved to my parents and smiled for dad's camera but behind that smile I was severely struggling. I didn't know it until I saw the sequence of pictures that my dad took but Susan had crept up right behind me.

Mile 4.5...the girl in blue is a short courser, behind her in red is Susan hot on my heels

Just before 5 mile I realized I was majorly overheating, chocolate Gu tastes SO much better going down, I learned that twice out there. At the mile 5 marker I snuck my first peak over my shoulder and there was Susan about 20 yards behind me. There was a water station at mile 6 and I hoped that some fluids would lift me up. The competitor inside me picked up the pace and put up a fight for the next 1.3 miles but simultaneously the realist inside me feared for my well-being. I had never been this hot before. My vision was a bit blurry and I was pushing a pace that heat and my body were not allowing. Finally at mile 6.2 I realized I needed to let go. If I continued to hold Susan off I wouldn't be able to finish period, I was burning up. At mile 6.3 I slowed my pace and she went in for the pass with friendly things to say on the way. As she retook the lead I told her to finish strong. She looked like she was running very well in the heat. That very moment closed the curtains on the Susan & Suzie Show and began immediate production of The Susan Show. And what a show she put on. Susan not only beat all the other females but she beat the heat and lowered the course record by 2:16, her performance deserved a huge round of applause.

I not only let go of my lead but I was forced to let go of race pace running all together and I set into survival mode. It wasn't until Susan passed me by that I truly understood the rough shape I was in and how hot I was. I don't remember too much about the final 2 miles, my head was spinning. I do remember seeing that I ran mile 8 in 9:12! Every single mile was slower than the last and that is not good! My goal is always the opposite, I always hope to negative split my runs. My run ended up being 1:09 slower than last year and I averaged a 7:37 pace. The last .8 mile I was fighting to stay on my feet, I was just SOOOO hot, my body wanted to shut down but I wouldn't let it. I did everything I could to make it to the finish line. I never stopped my Garmin at the finish but I would be curious to see just how long that last stretch took me. I did not walk but it was the closest I have ever come to walking in a race.

The Finish Line; Down I Go

When I FINALLY made it to the finish line I just stood right on the line for a few seconds. I felt my body collapsing and I tried to hold myself upright by taking a few shuffling steps forward but then down I went right on a volunteer's feet. I was fully conscious just completely overheated. I couldn't think or move and my body couldn't support itself any longer. I remember three medics dumping water on my head and taking my pulse. I am not sure how long I laid there on the ground before two medics assisted me to the med tent.

The Medical Tent; In Good Company

I laid down in the tent and got a bunch more cold water dumped on my face and head and my pulse taken again. The medics and volunteers were great, they got me ice, water, and took great care of me. My parents and Dan were there with me as well. Soon after Lydia was next in the tent needing to cool down. Then Lydia's husband, her Boxer Oscar, and Steve In (his new) Speedo all filed in to check on us. I sat up feeling much better and realized I was in great company, we had a fun crew in the med tent. After one last heart rate check I was cleared to leave. At one point which was over 10 minutes after finishing the race and while lying down my heart rate was 130, which is aerobic for me. My mom said that I kept saying, "My friend Sarah is still on the course. She needs some more water, bring her water. Those other athletes need more water, there are not enough water stops. Sarah has to go around the lake again, Sarah needs water." Someone mentioned that the temperature when I finished the run was 88 degrees to go along with an overabundance of humidity.

I finally got to meet Susan while packing up in transition and what a nice girl she is. The kind of girl you root for and the kind of girl who has worked hard in this sport for a long time and you are happy to see win. We both decided it was cool that there was always a Su--- in the lead from start to finish. It was a great event and a special day that I got to share with my parents. In the end, I went 7:10 faster than last year. No matter what it takes to get to the finish line it is always fun and it is always worth it. All I want is to be stronger, faster, tougher, and wiser with each passing year and I believe I accomplished that at Waseca. Self-improvement is all that I was really after and I am confident that with all the hard work that I put in, I will always be better tomorrow than I am today.

-S

Minnesota State Time Trial Championship

2010-07-28T15:36:00.001-05:00

I have never done a time trial longer than 11 miles so it may have not been the most brilliant idea to do my first 40K time trial at the Minnesota State Time Trial Championship. However, it fit my schedule nicely and it sure was fun. Upon registering, I noticed right away that I didn't fit into any of the female categories. I was not a Cat 1, 2 ,3, or 4 cyclist. I don't have a cycling license, and the youngest age group they offered was 30-34 and counting. Earlier in the week, Julia advised me to register as Cat 4 and purchase a one day license, so that is exactly what I did.

My friend Greta made the trip north to Scandia to cheer and spectate and I am sure glad she came. We had fun checking out and drooling over all the hot fast bikes and race wheels. It was a two loop course and there were some serious looking female cyclist who came out to play. There were six turns on the first loop and five on the second. I was surprised by how much headwind there was on certain sections on the course. The first half of the loop featured wide open county roads with some noticeable elevation at times and the back half winded around a bit and was technical. That stretch reminded me of the bike course at Timberman, curvy and shaded by trees so it was just dark enough that you never knew what was coming up next. This was the most fatigued that my legs have ever felt while riding. I don't know if it was from all the racing I have been doing, if I was just tired or it was an off day. There were some stretches where I worked into a rhythm and my legs felt pretty powerful but overall my lower body felt spent. I was glad that I participated and was happy with my time of 1:04:44, a 1st place Cat 4 finish. There are some majorly talented female time trialist in this state that is for sure. The overall female winner went 1:01:16! I appreciated knowing where my time trialing stacks up and I left with a hungry feeling that I have a LONG way to go and plenty to work toward in cycling.

Sunday was a beautiful early morning open water swim with a great group of all guys. I was super fortunate to score some mid-season open water swimming pointers from one of our state's best swimmers, Oscar. Following the swim, I waited until the hottest possible time of the day to set out for my long run. I usually do this because I love the heat/humidity and enjoy to get drenched in my own sweat. Today I specifically did it because I have Pigman in the back of my mind which I have heard has no shade on the half marathon course and gets pretty toasty. My coach trains me by time and pace/effort instead of distance, heart rate, etc. The longest run I have done until today was 13.1 miles in a race. After the run was completed by time, I paged through my Garmin and it turned out that I logged my longest ever run at 13.67 miles. A new milestone for me which will be short lived with the TC marathon on the docket in October. I sealed my long run off with an ice bath with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide poured in.

After doing 5 triathlons in the last 4 weekends I found myself wishing I would have done a triathlon in addition to my time trail. I felt a little sad that I can now count the number of triathlons I have left in 2010 on one hand. But I soon found out that the sun would still rise on Monday morning and the Bachelorette would still air on Monday evening if I went an entire weekend without racing in a triathlon. Life goes on and I will be back in action this weekend at the Waseca 1/3 Iron race. A super unique distance that I love and wish there was more of. My parents are making the drive to Waceca and just like last year they will be in attendance for their first and only tri of 2010, so it will be a special day. They will be cheering Dan and I on and taking photos. Last year we even taught my mom how to man T1 and shout out to Dan how many men came out of the water before him. I am looking forward to spending time with my parents, getting right back to racing, and improving my 1/3 Iron time from last season.

-SMF

Heart Of The Lakes Triathlon; Completely Naked

2010-07-26T13:22:00.000-05:00

What are the odds that I would be assigned the exact same bib number at both races for my first double? That's right, I was #18 both days, how ironic? The HOLT volunteer equipped with a sharpie and ready to mark my body asked me for my number. I opened my packet and saw that I was #18 again. I laughed and said, "18? I was number 18 at my last race too, I guess I didn't need to scrub my skin so hard after all, I could have just left my number written on my body." She looked at me like I had two heads and was a disgusting slob but forced a smile anyway. It wasn't until after I walked away that I realized she probably thought that my last race was two or three weeks ago not yesterday. She must have been thinking, stay away from #18, she is lacking in the personal hygiene department.

The .5 Mile So-called Non Wetsuit Swim

I purposely set my expectations exceptionally low for my first non-wetsuit swim so I wouldn't be disappointed with myself. But then...I ended up performing even worse!. So the only thing to do was bookmark my swim split to my favorites on my computer and if there ever comes a day when I even think about skipping a swim workout this winter I can pull it up, cringe, and make a beeline to the pool. I did feel nice and free out there without a wetsuit, I felt completely naked like I was skinny dipping. But that fun free feeling was accompanied by feeling slow, sloppy, ABSOLUTELY freezing from the swim warm-up to the swim start and not the slightest bit buoyant. I felt vertical instead of horizontal. It was very choppy and windy and I was breathing right into the waves, I think I choked on and swallowed up half the lake.

The 21 Mile Bike; Emptying The Tank

The bike course was ultra windy and even while hammering my hardest it took a very long time to get my average speed up above 21 MPH. The first half of the course we were fighting a strong headwind which was frustrating because the course was flat and would have otherwise been super fast. Exiting the water 6:09 behind the female leader and 2:17 down on the eventual female winner is not a good way to begin a triathlon. There is only so much a girl can do on a 21 mile mostly flat bike course. I could feel that my legs were a little bit fatigued from racing the day before but I gave it every last ounce of energy I had left and entirely emptied the tank. I stayed positive, rode like crazy, and pedaled and grinded myself from 12th into 3rd place entering T2.

The 5.3 Mile Run; Rear Ended On Foot

My legs surprisingly felt solid on the run and I actually felt better than the day before at Chaska even. The run course was gorgeous and I loved that it was mostly flat and very scenic. I saw cornfields, roosters, and there was a nice stretch along the lake. For the third triathlon in a row, nobody passed me on the run course, I felt strong, and I finished in the same position that I dismounted my bike. Unfortunately, with less than half a mile to go I approached a tipped over bike, a triathlete on the ground, and a swarm of my male Gear West teammates surrounding the unidentified person lying belly up on the road. My first instinct was that it was Dan who was racing with a disc injury to his back and in a world of hurt before we even started the event. I was upset with him for even racing and concerned about him the whole race. As I got closer, the boys shouted to me that Dan got hit. I started to slow down because all I could see were cycling shoes and legs and I thought Dan was spread out on the pavement. I forgot we have a new Dan on the team, Dan H, who was hovered over the person on the ground. I completely expend myself at every race so it is normal for me to get a bit dizzy and loopy at the tail end of races. I was really confused. Was that Dan H standing upright? Did they mean Dan H got hit? He is on his feet so he must be okay. Wait that is not Dan H, it said Thompson on his butt. Was that David? Where did David come from? Was it Dan H wearing Thompson's fastskin? Who was hurt? Who was on the ground? Which Dan? So I yelled, "My Dan?" They all said yes, my Dan. I got close enough to see just one bike and a woman on the pavement. Where was my Dan and where was his bike? Then Kevin popped out wearing this...

Pics extracted from the Gear West blog

What kind of a circus was taking place here? Kevin ran with me for a minute to try to explain the situation. But I couldn't hear him very well over my laughter at his new tri suit and I was preoccupied with checking out his new spandex physique. I believe he was telling me I needed to finish and that I was in 3rd place which I did not know at the time. He also said that my Dan finished the race and was struck by a biker while he was running. I knew I just needed to finish the race so I could check on him. It turned out that the cyclist smashed into him from behind and he never even saw her coming. How does a biker hit a runner? I just don't understand how this could have happened. The running and biking shared portion of road at HOLT was huge and wide open. Maybe she was a new rider and was reaching for her water bottle or her shoes. Maybe she blacked out. The only other possible explanation was that she was checking out my boyfriend's sexy butt and ripped legs and she was just plain mesmerized and crashed right into him. That would explain it all and make it totally understandable. I truly hope she is okay, rumor was that she DNF and headed straight to the hospital. All I know is that Dan was running in 5th place and Brett L was running about 10 seconds behind Dan and would not have otherwise caught him. When Dan was hit he went down and then got back up and then went down again. Brett stopped to checked on the biker and Dan got up a second time. Brett could have easily taken over 5th place but he let Dan maintain his position and made certain that Dan crossed the finish line 4 seconds ahead of him. That was so incredibly kind, a huge display of sportsmanship, and what triathlon is really all about. Dan has always spoken very highly of Brett but now he thinks the world of him. He is still telling the story and making sure everyone is aware of what Brett did for him. I hope something can be learned about sportsmanship from this unfortunate situation and people understand that Brett gave up his race to come to the aid of a cyclist in danger, plus he let his competition regain placing after getting knocked down. I hope that everyone would have and will do the same if the situation is presented. It was a classy move from an all around classy guy. Thanks for reminding us Brett that there are many more important things in life than how you place and that the well being and safety of ALL our fellow triathletes should always be one of them!

Chaska Triathlon; My Playground

2010-07-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

Well I couldn't help myself, I just couldn't let the season pass me by without going back to the place where it all began one year ago. I was registered for Heart Of The Lakes Triathlon just 24 hours later, but I desperately wanted into the Chaska Triathlon. I found over a dozen reasons to attempt the double and only one reason not to. I better get used to this double because I can not imagine EVER missing my beloved Chaska Triathlon and HOLT is the MN State Triathlon Championship. My reasons to add Chaska to my schedule were:

-It is my local triathlon
-Living less than a mile from transition= the ultimate sleep in and a super short drive to the race
-It is a short swim
-Chaksa is wetsuit legal unlike HOLT
-The bike course is my playground, I ride it all the time
-The bike course is 16 miles which is long for a sprint and favors me
-The bike course is super hilly and always windy, just the way I like it, it wouldn't be my playground if it wasn't extremely challenging
-Ann had to switch from participant to volunteer, so someone needed to represent the Chaska blondes
-It was my very first tri so it will always be a special race to me
-I did it last year so I can directly see my improvement
-I wanted to defend my first title
-I didn't think there was anything wrong with going for a win
-Nick said he was racing too so I decided we should go for the double re-peat and try to keep the male and female champs from Chaska (we both won last year too and both live in Chaska)
-I have not labeled a single race an "A" or "B" race. My only goal this year is to improve. Every race is an "O" race. "O" as in opportunity. Opportunity to learn and opportunity to improve. So bring on the races, make it a double. I am not resting for anything or trying to peak for a particular race, I just want to race and race often.
-Kort and I got an opportunity to team up and do some personal training in the Chaska race director's physical therapy building for 3 months. I really like him and wanted to support his race.

The only reason not to race at Chaska was to be fresh and rested for HOLT. Truthfully, HOLT was the only race on my schedule that I was not looking forward to. I feel bad saying that because I love triathlon so dearly but a non wetsuit swim is not my cup of tea. Of course I wanted to experience the historic HOLT, I love supporting all MMS Series races, I do love all triathlons regardless of the course/rules/distance, and it would be a great chance to improve/challenge myself but why skip out on a race I love in the process?

I arrived at Chaksa with a strange and unfamiliar feeling that I have NEVER had before. I felt like I actually had a chance to win. I have never felt that way arriving at any other race. I still had to work HARD but I had a strange smidgen of confidence that I could actually win. For the first time ever at a race, I felt like I was in complete control of the race the entire time, usually I feel like the race controls me. I also knew every inch of the course (another first) and that makes a world of difference.

The 1/3 Mile Swim; A Lake Full Of Smiles

Lydia & I pre-race...a huge highlight of the day was seeing my friend Lydia complete her first tri since having a kidney removed during the off-season

I told myself to enjoy every stroke because tomorrow my wetsuit would be deemed illegal and there would be no free speed or buoyancy assistance. The Chaksa swim course has to be one of the most accurate in the state because the lake is so small that you must use the entire thing. It is one lap around the fountain and back to shore so it can not differ from year to year. It must be long of 1/3 mile because my time was on the slow side even for me. Overall I was content with my swim because it was 42 seconds faster than last year. Besides, how could you not have a great time out there when the entire elite wave was sporting bright yellow smiley face swim caps?

The 16 Mile Bike; My Roads, My Course

I love the Chaska bike course. It is a biker's course with hill after hill and plenty of wind. Chaska has to be the hardest sprint bike course in the state. I only averaged 21.6 MPH and I had to scratch, claw, and suffer for it! It ended up being 1:02 faster than last year. There isn't much that pulls me away from my trainer/trashy reality TV show combo but the biking in Chaska and surrounding areas has me out and about often. Sweating like a pig on my trainer or burning my legs and lungs at a time trial are my idea of a good time and my favorite way to train on the bike. I only leave the trainer for good roads or good people and Chaska features both, so I have headed outdoors regularly since moving here. I can ride from my front door and through the entire Chaska bike course without hitting a single stoplight. I can also ride two separate routes from my house to the Waconia Triathlon venue without hitting a single stoplight until you reach Main Street in Waconia. The biking out here rocks and it is not easy.

Being consistently one of the last swimmers out of the water and a strong cyclist I never really know what place I am in because I track down so many other competitors out on the bike course and never truly know how many I have passed and how many are still ahead of me. I just try catch the women one by one and make my way into contention. When I reeled in the OptumHealth M.J.E.T female relay biker at mile 13 I figured that I was in first place. I didn't think that any solo female could be ahead of their relay team at that point in the race and I was correct.

The 5K run; Immediate Exhaustion

The Chaska run course is very challenging as well. The entire first mile is straight uphill. Your splits eventually even out because the second mile is completely flat, and the final mile is a huge downhill drop off. However, the combination of 16 hardcore miles on your bike followed by a steep 1 mile climb on foot is tough stuff. Getting to the top of that monster hill was a wonderful feeling because I knew from last year that rest of the run would feel easy and also Heidi was waiting at the top. I did run 51 seconds faster last year but I felt strong the entire run for the second straight race. The final downhill mile is tricky because it is such a sharp descent that it is a struggle to maintain your footing, balance, and stride.

I was interested to see how my body would respond at HOLT because I did not hold back one bit at Chaska. Every time I put on a uniform, a Gear West uniform nonetheless, I give it everything I have. I don't believe in "just enough" to win. If my name is going on the results then it will be my best effort each and every time. I was going for my good friend and training partner Heidi's course record. I fell 27 seconds short of HKM's record but I did defended my very first triathlon title and I did it on my home turf while beating my time from last year.

A HUGE thanks to Mike for putting on another great addition of the Chaska Triathlon and to all the volunteers!

I am proud to live in Chaska and the people that I have met since moving here make me love Chaska and this sport even more!

-SMF

Chaskans Take Chaska

2010-07-17T16:52:00.000-05:00

We did it!

Today was a very special day for not only myself but fellow Chaskan Nick Madrinich as we both defended our first triathlon title and got to do so at our hometown race. Last year the Chaska River City Days Triathlon was special for both of us as well because we each recorded our very first win. It was super to re-peat the victory with Nick because we both live right here in Chaska and it wouldn't have been as sweet if another male was victorious since Nick and I shared the day last year, it only seemed right that we both went back to back. We both beat our times from 2009 and ironically both recorded the 2nd fastest times on this course for our respective gender. Here is the scoop on Minnesota Tri News.

Tomorrow will be my first ever triathlon double as I will race at Heart Of The Lakes Triathlon. If I can't handle the double, it certainly won't be from lack of food and fresh juice or lack of heart.

-S

Timberman Triathlon; The Three-peat

2010-07-12T19:59:00.000-05:00

Ann & I...purple casts are in style right now!

My life has felt like one big triathlon lately, I have been super busy transitioning from one thing to the next and always on the go, just the way I like it. I've been racing nearly every weekend, training myself silly and I have lots of super exciting things taking place that I am very jazzed about and have wanted to do for a very long. Something I have dreamed of doing for over 5 years is in the process of becoming my reality and that is thrilling. I hope to get a blog post going at some point with an update but lately it has been difficult to even find the time to get my race reports up before I am back on the start line for the next race, which is also just the way I like it.

Although I have been on a juicing tear as always, I haven't had a chance to post recipes. That might have to be more of an off-season thing, it is my blog and I will get juicy when I want to. I just got an awesome new juice and smoothie book from a new author with over 100 recipes. They are all super hard core health nut beverages. Some even call for ingredients that I have never tried and am excited to experiment with like bee pollen, noni, royal jelly, ginkgo, and brewer's yeast. I am taking it upon myself to attempt to make them all. I will have to post a few of my favorites at some point, I am making good headway in the kitchen but not on my blog.

I also turned 27 years young last Monday. The good thing about being a triathlete is that USAT has already been making me feel old all year long. I was in shock when I registered for Liberty back in December and I had to state that I was 27 ALREADY! That sounded so old! I just sat there staring at my computer screen asking how the heck am I going to be 27 years old in July? I realized I was pushing 30! When I think of all my friends and relatives in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, they each look SO wonderful and their ages don't sound or seem old at all. But when it was ME, holy smokes, 27 sounded so old. Luckily strangers have been writing that I am 27 on my calves, arms, and thighs since May with an ultra thick sharpie and that has prepared me for my actual birthday and helped softened the blow. I had a fantastic birthday and my favorite gift came from a special 5 year old who is right handed and recently broke her right arm. She loves art and made me this oil painting with her left hand which took her an entire week. I have it hanging on my fridge and it reminds me of how much I love the simple and thoughtful things in life.

Timberman was an absolutely gorgeous venue. Townhouses and log cabins at Sugar Lake Lodge lined the bike/run course and Sugar Lake itself. After a 3am wake up call for Minneman last weekend it was amazing to be bunking just a short walk from body marking.

It is very rare that I find a perfect swim course and Timberman offered all three qualities that make for absolute perfection in my eyes. Crystal clear, calm, and most importantly, short of the advertised distance. The Lake was incredibly clean with perfect conditions. You could watch your hands enter the water and see each individual swimmer underwater, it was just like a pool with rocks on the bottom. My last swim before Timberman was on Thursday at OptumHealth with one of Dan's best friends and former pro, Charlie. He helped me so much and taped me swimming. I haven't seen myself swim since last summer when I first started. The incredible visibility of Sugar Lake allowed me to continue our Thursday swim session at the race and I could focus in on and actually see the the form specific key things that needed work. Usually in a race you can't see yourself catch or pull, it is a thick and dark greenish blur. It was also estimated by a few Timberman veterans that the swim is always just shy of an actual mile. I am happy when a swim venue provides one of the three mentioned variables, but having all three was paradise. Exiting the water I spotted Ann cheering me on with her huge purple cast and it was great motivation to not only ride hard for myself but ride for my friend was cheated out of her own race.

I am still not sold on my bike split. It was a very tough course. Lots of long drawn out hills to climb and plenty of headwind. I expected to bike about 2-2.5 minutes faster than my official bike split states. I felt strong and solid out there with the exception of a small run in with a dog, but that certainly didn't cost me very much time. The way my body felt and the way I rode reminded me of how I felt on the bike at the Gear West Du. Strong enough to ride hard and turn in a solid bike spilt but lacking that extra something I have had at all my other races. Maybe the bike course ate me up and my split is correct. It was a challenge, but I still believe I went faster. Upon seeing my time posted after the race, I actually thought that I was charged with a 2 minute penalty (for I have no idea what) and they tacked it onto my bike split. Then I looked at the problem results and I was not on the list. The time I think I biked wouldn't have mattered in my overall placing, I would still have been second as Jan smoked me pretty good (never any weaknesses in her game), I am just very confused. The only other thing that happened out there was a little tiny metal piece poked out of my right shifter mid-ride and I just jammed it back into position the best I could. I am not sure what the part was or its purpose on the shifter but I don't think that would have altered my performance any. Dan constantly states that in his opinion Timberman is the hardest bike course in Minnesota, so maybe the route truly put me in my place. It remains a mystery. Triathlon is the only individual sport I have ever been involved in my entire life and I am still learning that when things don't go so hot out there you have to look in the mirror and own it because there is no one to blame but yourself, no excuses. However, I enjoyed the bike course greatly no matter what my time was. There was very little traffic, wide open roads, and it exhausted my legs just the way I like, giving them numerous doses of that burning pain I crave while cycling.

Seeing Ann in T2 a second time was hard. I knew that on an Olympic course we would have battled it out. She being the better swimmer and the better distance runner and me the stronger biker would have left us neck and neck on the run course for some friendly competition. The Timberman run course was by far my favorite of the year this far. There was a nice two mile stretch on a dirt road. I do a lot of run training on dirt roads and they are my preferred surface to run on. For the first time this year I felt strong running. I am hoping this was a stepping stone to bringing my run back for good. I haven't felt so solid on a run course since last year at Square Lake. The out and back course gave me a chance to see my boyfriend for the first time since he zipped up my wetsuit pre-swim and make sure he was in line to win his 3rd straight Timberman Triathlon. (This was his very first three-peat title). I also got to check in and see that John was on track for his goal, which was also my goal, we were both gunning for a second place finish. The first five miles came easy compared to my running disasters so far this year and I was so happy with the way my body was responding after the tough ride. With one mile left I didn't start to struggle but the run started to feel much harder. Just in the nick of time as if on cue to save me from potentially falling apart, Dan appeared on his cool down run. He ran with me for a minute or two and always knows just what to say to either encourage me to pick it up or make me mad enough to go faster. Just a few minutes together on the course was all I needed to take off on my own and finish strong, exactly the way I started. This also marked the third race that Dan and I have gone 1-2. He being the 1st place finisher on all three occasions.

My first Timberman experience was fantastic and I can't imagine not returning year after year. My only complaint was that the lodge does not allow pets. It has been over a year since I have spent more than one night away from Ozzie. He travels everywhere and does everything with me, we even fly on planes together. I knew he was in good hands all weekend at Aunt Stephanee's and he was in Doxie heaven playing with her two Doxins. There is no shortage of organic dog food over there and a massive overflowing doggie toy chest. She even makes her own homemade raw dog treats in her dehydrator.

A huge thanks to all the volunteers and everyone else involved in making Timberman an extraordinary race and venue. Just like every other MMS Series race it was a first class experience and I can now see why Dan calls Timberman the best race in the series. Dan does NOT like to comment or write about races EVER so I was super surprised when he agreed to share his race experience with Minnesota Tri News. I thought I had better link it because this will be the closest he ever comes to blogging or public race commentary, the boy won't even join facebook...It must be because he is so fond of Timberman and so passionate about his new business venture OptumHeath.

-S

Minneman Triathlon; Continuing My Trend

2010-07-08T21:35:00.001-05:00

Post race with Paul & Heidi, photo from HKM

Pre-swim with Greta & Paul. All photos captured by YndeCam, what a superb photography job YndeCam does!

The .3 Mile Swim; MinneSwim

Lake George made for a very bizarre swim or swim-like experience. It was the shallowest lake that I have ever seen. If you have done the St. Croix Valley Triathlon in Hudson over labor day, Lake George made that seem deep. We could touch the entire time except for a small portion by the turn around buoy. This made for everything I have ever learned about beach starts and how long to dolphin dive go right out the window and I had no idea how to approach the swim start. We all lined up and I searched for a fast swimmer who I knew had done this race before because my clueless self wanted to shadow their swim start. It was hard to tell who anyone was when we were all clad in full body wetsuits, swim caps, and goggles. Bingo, I spotted Kevin who I knew did Minneman last year and who has successfully been around the block a few times and is a great swimmer. I placed myself right behind him as the elite wave was tiny and nearly single file. It was go time and I just copied whatever Kevin did. It turned out to be a much larger amount of dolphin dives than usual, tallying up for a grand total of more then at Buffalo which I thought was dolphin dive city before Minneman. When Kevin stopped diving and started swimming I dove to the spot where he had stopped diving and then swam away. It was a rather windy morning which made for the waviest swim I have ever participated in. There was a point early on where it got a bit physical with me and about four others and that combined with the waves made me miss a few breaths. Usually if things get rowdy out there you have to suck it up until it calms down. If you get shorted out of a few breaths or swallow water you just deal with it. I decided I would take the luxury to stand up for a few seconds and get myself reoriented. It was a total jungle out there. I saw some people dolphin diving almost the whole course, a few people ran the entire swim, I saw someone power walking, I truly saw it all. After rounding the turn around buoy it was only a few strokes until the ground became within foot reach and I decided my dolphin dive might be faster than my swim. After an obnoxious number of dolphin dives I was worried that if I continued to dive my way home I would be too tired to bike as hard as I planned on. So I opted for a long Baywatch style run into shore, anything is faster than my swim stroke. The .3 mile swim is by far my favorite distance. I do love swimming longer but anytime I am in an actual race, the shortest swim they offer is the one that suits me best.

For the first time in my triathlon history I glanced out at a swim course and immediately declared it to be short. For me to say a swim course looks short it apparently has to be a .3 mile swim and it has to be super duper noticeably short of an actual 1/3 mile. Usually they all look long to me, including every other .3 mile course I've ever stared down. Short it was indeed! So short in fact, that after looking at the results, the Minneman 2010 swim course brought out the Michael Phelps in all of us. Here are a few funny observations...

1. My pace at Minneman was 1:11/100 yards and the fastest I have ever done a single 100 in was 1:26 and I almost passed out upon completion.

2. According to the swim results, I supposedly swam the course faster in 2010 then DKT did in '09...for anyone who knows me and my aquatic abilities that is HILARIOUS, and will make you laugh so hard your stomach will hurt. The swim must have been EXTRA long in '09.

3. I once had a dream that I did a tri with my swim pace sub 1:20/100 yards. Now I have seen it on paper, but I am so far removed from that pace I can't take my swim results anywhere near serious. I thought my watch was broken when I exited the water.

Completion of my Baywatch jog

Exiting the water (left to right) good friend Greta, teammate & super cyclist Julie, myself

The 13 Mile Bike; Over Before It Started

These were the flattest and fastest 13 miles I have ever covered. I do not recall any hills and I am certain my butt never left my saddle. The end of the course was just technical enough (technical in my world) to take me off my game and cost me some time. We winded through a neighborhood and I kept coming out of my bars anticipating a turn. The final stretch leading back into the park was technical for me as well and on a narrow trail. Not knowing a thing about the course held me back throughout the ride as I feel so much more comfortable when I can preview a course beforehand or study written course directions. However, there were enough wide open stretches to attack a tad and play a small version of my game of catch up. I came off the bike in 4th place just behind Sarah Mercer. Sarah caught me in the final residential neighborhood when I struggled a bit with the turns. I was amazed at how technical of a rider she is and how fast she dropped me on corners and turns alone. Watching her handle her bike inspired me to improve, I will be like her someday.

The 3 Mile Run; The Jenny Train

I continued my trend at Minneman that has been the story of my season this far. Hang in there/do my best on the first run or the swim, hammer my bike as hard as I can to get into contention for a top 5 placing, and then get passed on the final run for a top 10 finish. At each race this far I have come off the bike in a higher place than I have finished the race. I am not going to change anything, the bike is my race right now. All I can do is keep swimming and running and train like crazy until my weaker disciplines catch up to my bike. I will keep biking out of mind in races, that is where I have the most fun and that is the longest leg of the race. I also continued my latest trend of getting 6th place in my second straight race.

The story of the Minneman run was the Jennys. You know you are in a competitive race when there are two sets of females with the same name who can beat you and not just one person by the name alone. Two Jennys, two Julies. The Jennys sure can run! Jenny S came off the bike in 5th place and ran herself into 2nd place. Jenny W came off the bike in 6th and ran herself into 3rd place. I actually felt pretty good on the run for the first 5 minutes before I bonked. At all the races prior this year I have started the run a hot mess. The Jenny train went on to pass myself and two other women in route to turning in the #1 and #2 run splits. I wish I could have hopped aboard the Jenny train and tucked in behind Jenny W all the way to finish, but that just wasn't in the cards for me:-)

Congrats to CY and DKT on their victories and congratulations to the Jennys as they both continue to impress me! A huge congrats to the entire novice wave on completion of their first triathlon. What a perfect race to call your first with the shallow lake. Welcome to the triathlon, the fantastic addiction that will fill your calender and drain your pocketbook yet light up your life and keep you coming back for more.

Happy belated 4th of July to everyone! Hope it was safe and filled with fun!
-Suz

Lake Waconia Triathlon; Boyfriend/Girlfriend Identical Races

2010-07-01T11:50:00.001-05:00

All photos by Marisa Skees

I promised myself before my very first triathlon that I would ALWAYS cross the finish line with a smile on my face. Always. Every single race. Every single time. No matter what happens out there, I would finish the race smiling. Smile through the pain. Smile through the victories. Smile through the hurt. Smile through the PRs. Smile through the disappointments. Always smile NO MATTER WHAT. I found Waconia the to be my biggest challenge yet to find my smile and I found it even harder to write about.

The phone call came from Heidi while I was volunteering at the Manitou Triathlon. She called to see who had won the men's race and then nonchalantly informed me that she and my other training partner Ann had just been in a bike crash. I was shocked and upset but neither one was headed to get checked out so I was hoping their injuries were minor. About five hours later a second phone call came and Heidi had broken her left arm at the elbow. Shortly after the text from Ann came and she had broken her wrist. I couldn't fight back the tears. I cried for Heidi because her season was over. She just got a brand new bike, somewhat recovered from a foot injury, and was registered to race the next five weekends straight. I cried for Ann because I wanted her to have a break out season this year. I cried selfish tears because these are two of my three local training partners who I would miss seeing and training with daily. These are the girls who welcomed me to Chaska and made sure I had a place to swim. These are the girls who have helped make me a better swimmer and who I love to bike with. They deserve to be healthy and to race all summer. These are the girls who I have seen work their tails off daily all winter long and now it has all been taken away. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and I try to see the best and take the positive out of every situation. I am still struggling with why this happened to two of the nicest girls who have been so kind and supportive of me. Maybe we can all use this to serve as a reminder to be as safe as possible when cycling. Don't ever take your training for granted no matter how difficult it may seem, no matter how tired you are, and no matter what else you would rather be doing because you never know when it could come to an end. Don't take your races for granted no matter what goes wrong out there. No matter how poorly you perform, you are lucky to be out there. It is a privilege to have a healthy body and be competing in a sport that you love. Don't take it for granted because I know two girls who would love to be in your shoes. They both have great attitudes and are handling it well but their expected disappointment can not go unnoticed.

Waconia was the only race that all three of us were doing together and we talked about it often while training this winter. I am glad that I ended up racing at Buffalo and we shared that day of racing together, I never dreamed it would be the last time this year. I get sad when people ask me how Heidi and Ann are doing. I got sad when I saw their names on the Waconia participant list. I get sad when I swim and their lane is empty. I got sad on the drive to Waconia both to pick up my packet and on race morning. The night before Waconia my friend and teammate Marta emailed me to let me know she would be unable to race. I thought about all three of those girls during the race and was bummed that they each couldn't be there and that made it extra hard to find a smile. Okay that is it with the sad stuff, moving on to the positive things I was able to take away from the day. I was thrilled to be racing with my boyfriend. He can not stand doing the same races as me because says he worries about me the entire race but I love it. I love seeing him out on the course, especially at a race like Waconia with an out and back run where I knew we would pass each other. It was also great to catch up with other females who I am enjoying getting to know like Julia and Marlo. Plus Dan had a handful of his athlete's racing who I love to see happy and successful. His athletes mean the world to him and he takes their results more serious than his own.

The .5 Mile Swim; Rumor Has It

Big sexy biceps :-)

All I have ever heard about Waconia is how rough the swim is and how choppy and wavy the water is. Not in 2010. The rumored most brutal swim in Minnesota was the calmest swim of the season this far. There was not a wave in sight. It is extremely easy for me to feel dissatisfaction as a swimmer because I only train with people way faster than me. I enjoy training with superior swimmers and wouldn't change a thing but it does point out the obvious, swimming will be a long road for me but a journey I am dedicated to taking. I have also been racing in the elite wave all year and being in the back of the pack constantly gives me the illusion I struggling. For me and for where I have come from with my swim, I excelled out there. It just requires looking back to previous race results post race to understand my improvement. Heading on the bike course race after race trailing by a significant amount is mentally difficult and deceiving to what I have personally accomplished. I still had not done a tri yet at this time last year so I had to pull up my results from my first triathlon last July to gage where I was one year ago. At a .3 mile swim in the Chaska tri in July '09 I was swimming 2:02/100 yards. At Wacoina on Sunday I swam .5 mile at 1:40/100 yards. 1 X 100 yards @ 1:48 was my FAP (fast as possible) collapse and cough at the wall pool pace last summer. I may be in the back but I can only compare myself to myself, that is the only way I can keep my chin up. My swim results make me proud of myself and grateful for the people who have aided my improvement. It was also neat to see that an OptumHeath MJET, one of Dan's athlete's Oscar, and 2 Chaska males were 4 of the first 5 out of the water.

The 20 Mile Bike; A boyfriend/girlfriend bike-a-thon

Wearing the sunglasses Marta gave me for good luck

Dan and I wore identical wetsuits and identical goggles for Waconia. We had a near identical breakfast and pre-race dinner. Our front race wheels are identical and we both wear Lazer aero helmets. Well, it just so happened that we had almost identical races at Waconia. Dan and I found it hilarious that we both finished in 6th place overall and we both turned in the #1 male and female bike splits for the day. I loved the Waconia bike course. It was hilly and not too technical minus the downhill 120 degree right hand turn back into the park that I slowed down to a crawl for. Nobody had more fun on that bike course than I did on Sunday, it was my style of riding and I enjoyed every second. I may know the least about bike mechanics and I might be the worst bike handler out there, but nobody enjoyed those 20 miles more than me, I can guarantee it.

The 4 mile run; Cemetery Hill

I got the memo that the run course featured an early climb referred to as "Cemetery Hill." What I did not know was that the entire run was a collection of mini Cemetery Hills without cemeteries. With the toughest men's field of the year this far displayed at Waconia, it was exciting to have an out and back run so we ladies could have a look in on the action we normally miss while still out on the course. It looked like a close race between the three male leaders running off the front and was setting up to be an exciting finish. I counted the top men one by one until I found mine who was running strong just behind six-time Lake Waconia champion with the most intimidating legs I have ever seen. Not bad for Dan's first ever endurance double, I was really proud of him. I am still waiting for a race where I feel strong on the run. It was expected that my swim would limit me this season but I was expecting my run to pick up some of the slack. It is now July 1st and I have proved that my right knee can run pain free after completing 2 duathlons and 3 triathlons without a re-injury. It is now officially time to turn up the heat and bring on the speed work to my run training and see if I can get my run going by season's end. Bring on the speed! Bring on the pain!

A BIG bright spot of the day was Julia's 3rd place finish! She had a super race and impressed a lot of people but I knew she could do it all along. I like her more every time she beats me, is that wrong?

From the Secret Daily Teachings

The fastest way to become the Master of your thoughts and emotions is through challenging situations. If your life is going along fairly smoothly, there are not the same opportunities that enable you to strengthen your power and become the Master of your thoughts and emotions.
You see, even challenges are beautiful opportunities in disguise.

-Suz

Croixathlon

2010-06-28T14:12:00.001-05:00

I got to watch my first triathlon ever on Saturday! Believe it or not I have never been to a triathlon where I wasn't racing or volunteering. The only multi-sport event I have ever spectated was the '09 Minneapolis Duathlon. When you are volunteering you often get stuck in one spot and only get to take in a single select discipline. On Saturday I got to enjoy Crioxathlon in Hudson, WI. I got to partake in all the fun, casual, and carefree spectator activities including: picture taking, videotaping, cheering, chit chatting the day away, eating lots of food I brought along, and bringing my dog to the park. The only thing missing was my kid that I don't yet have. However, this race offers childcare which makes it easy breezy for both parents to race. In fact all the proceeds of this race directly help children as well, very cool stuff.

I really wanted to race at Crioxathlon but my coach wouldn't let me. There was an slight smidgen of an argument on Thursday night. FYI and just for the record, Dan did NOT win the argument, automatic registration closing and the clock won. I have insomnia, so long after Dan fell asleep, I crept down to the computer ever so sneaky to register anyway after he told me not to. The clock read 12:02am as I entered the Crioxathlon website and I was greeted with a big "Registration Closed." Apparently registration automatically ended Thursday at midnight, I was two seconds too late.

I will be doing Croixathlon in 2011, the venue was too unique to pass up. The swim to bike transition has an out of control steep hill with several random stair cases mixed in. You have to bring a second pair of shoes for T1 and leave them at the beach. Wetsuits are also allowed to be dropped off on the beach before ascending these stairs...

that lead to this hill...

The hill doesn't stop here, it keeps going...

Then there are two more final staircases to climb before you are presented with the standard distance T1 run that must be completed as well.

It took Dan 2:24 just to tackle the hill and he had the second fastest time! That gave him a total T1 time of 3:10 and he is one of the fastest transitioners I have ever seen. If you are the lucky male or female with the fastest time up the hill you earn the title King/Queen of the Hill, accompanied by a costume to be worn at the award ceremony.

Cathy Lee was crowned "Queen of the Hill" and her performance did not stop there, she continued on for the overall female victory. Go Cathy!

The day before Crioxathlon one year ago was Dan and my first date. We went to the lake together and ended up laying on the beach in our swimsuits and talking for hours. Dan got a horrible sunburn and was in a world of hurt. He said he usually avoids the sun the day before a race but I was a special exception. So this year at Crioxatlon with no peeling skin or burning irritation I was expecting big things from him. A win and course record for sure! And he did not disappoint me.

Suz Cam

And last but certainly not least, I couldn't resist a re-post of the pic that I just had to steal from MN Tri News of the 2009 Croixathlon men's podium. So many of us have had so much fun and enjoyed oh so many laughs viewing this photo for the past week. I couldn't take the risk of it being lost somewhere in cyberspace and never to be found again as nobody is quite sure where it came from. So I have secured a swiped copy right here on Suz News to be kept forever.

-SMF

June Exercise Of the Month

2010-06-24T19:07:00.001-05:00

Suzie's Oblique Attack

Nobody likes a hangover. I am not talking about the hangover you get after a wild night of boozing. Rather, I am speaking of your stomach hanging over the waistband of your pants, that kind of hangover. I sometimes use the term muffin top. It is often referred to as a spare tire or love handles. My sister calls it an inner tube. My boyfriend calls it back fat. It doesn't matter what you've named it, it has to go. It is summertime! It is swimsuit season and triathlon season. Everyone wants to look hot in their bikini and nobody wants a tri short hangover on race day.

Here is one of the many ways that I attack my obliques. These are three of my favorite oblique exercises and I perform them all in a row with no rest and without dropping out of low side plank. I will break them each down one by one and explain them. Then I will show you a quick clip of them all at once put together.

Oblique Attack #1: Side plank dips. Start in low side plank. Dip your hips up and down while keeping your arms still and your feet stacked. Drop your hips all the way to the ground so they actually touch your mat, then bring them back up to starting position. Keep your abs pulled in tight throughout the entire exercise and make a side crunch motion with the oblique closest to the ground on the way up, that is where you should feel the bulk of the work.

Suz Cam

Oblique Attack #2: Side Plank Crunches. Begin in low side plank. Perform an angled crunch and actually touch your elbow to the ground. The lower you can get and the bigger range of motion you use, the better. Keep your belly sucked in the whole time.

Suz Cam

Oblique Attack #3: Side Plank Twists. Begin in low side plank. Reach as far back and underneath your body as possible and then rotate to reach your arm all the way up to the sky until it is perfectly straight and fully extended. Keep your core tight throughout and mimic that crunching motion as much as possible on the reach underneath. To progress this exercise you can hold a dumbbell in your hand. Make sure it is within arms reach so you don't have to drop out of plank to pick it up.

Suz Cam

Here are all three exercises in a row, I only did 5 reps of each for the camera. At the end of the last rep of the last exercise, hold in side plank until fatigue.

Suz Cam

Do 10-20 reps of all 3 oblique exercises and then hold in low side plank until you collapse. Do 1-3 sets of all these exercises combined before you switch to the other side. So after you come crashing down out of low plank with all 3 exercises completed, that is one set. Rest 30 seconds to a minute and hit the same side as many times as you want and then switch to the other side. Take breaks if you need, but it is the most effective to run through all the exercises without rest.

Work it!

Tri-county Bike Tour; "Wheels & Squeals"

2010-06-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

I am sure that everyone thinks their Grandma is the coolest, but mine seriously and truly is. My Grandma (Nana) called me a month ago and informed me that there was a 45 mile bike tour in her hometown and that I should come visit and do the ride as training. Sorry everyone, but I just don't know any other 86 year olds who find their granddaughters cycling events. If you are the proud and loving granddaughter of a hip Granny like mine who scouts out bike tours for you as well then please let me know and I stand corrected, your Grandma is equally as cool as mine. But for the record, my Nana still runs, has a boyfriend, and travels all over the world by herself for fun, so Grandmas like her are tough to rival. Not to mention, until April my Nana was the very proud owner a Felt B2 and a set of 808s. She jumped on the chance late last summer to loan me money to buy the gear I needed to get started in triathlon and she loves to call me after my races to find out how "we made out on our fast bike."

The bike tour departed Saturday morning from my Dad's former high school and I could see the starting line out my parent's window. Therefor I had the privilege to sleep in, bike to the event as my warm up and I got to be "that guy" who shows up only minutes before start time. I used to think my parents lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Since I started biking in July of '08 I soon realized that they lived in a cycling paradise. The riding out here is NO JOKE! It is huge rolling hill after huge rolling hill after huge rolling hill. There is always tons wind too. Biking at my parents house is my all time favorite place to train and has become my secret destination riding heaven. There are miles and miles of wide open county roads with no traffic, no stops, and high winds. You have to push and fight for each pedal stroke to advance forward. I love it! It makes you mentally tough and it makes you a stronger rider. There is no better place that I have ever trained. There may be way more beautiful places to ride in other states but I can't imagine roads that are a whole lot more challenging.

Mrs. Felt, my Women's Felt Road Bike, got to make her big event debut. I do the majority of my training on her but she never gets any credit and has to stay home every single race day. I dressed her up with a seat bag, a mini pump, and a leaning tower of taped on gels to practice my race day nutrition.

It was a wonderful day with beautiful weather perfect for training and logging miles. I warmed up for the first 10 minutes of the ride, then I got my quality training out of the way (a handful of race pace efforts) so I could ride easy and relaxed and enjoy the rest of the tour.

The official name of the bike tour was "Wheels & Squeals." We averaged one car every 12 miles on the tour and one tractor during the 45 mile excursion. The final 9 miles were on my favorite training road where the wind is so strong it blows you backwards. I was trying to explain in the video footage I shot below that I had to get picked up on this road last summer while training for the Waseca 1/3 Iron. After finishing a 3 hour ride with some gnarly intervals I ran out of gas on this brutal stretch and couldn't continue. The second my required 3 hours were completed I immediately called for a ride home.

I had a transition run planned post ride and as I was spinning home I saw a cone in front of my parent's house and chalk that read "Mile 2." While putting on my Brooks I saw a fit young guy sprint by with a motorcycle leading the way. Turned out there was a 5K taking place and my parents driveway was miler marker 2. The first mile of my run was supposed to be fast so I jumped into the race just behind the guy running in second place. I ran from mile 2 to mile 3 with the race at a sub 6:30 pace and then pulled off in a different direction for some recovery miles.

I always wonder what my dog does while I am out training all day. I came home and Ozzie had scoped out and napped on my Mom's handbag the entire duration of my 2 hour and 50 minute brick workout. What can I say? He has good taste, he is definitely my dog, he loves designer purses just like me.

Ginger has a jumbo doggie mattress...

But she opted to snooze on the tile instead...

Super sweaty post ride and run with Mrs. Felt and my new Lazer Genesis Road Helmet, armed with my Chihuahua and Raw Revolution Bars

Turns out the entire weekend in my parent's small town was named "Wheels & Squeals." In addition to the bike tour and 5K their downtown also featured a 3 day beer garden, 3 nights of live bands, an ugliest and loudest car contest, a kiddie tractor pull, a sack race, chicken judging (?), a three legged race, potato on a spoon (?), a water balloon toss, and a greased pig chase (?). Oh the joys and excitement of small town living.

Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there! I was blessed to spend the entire day with my dad. I went for a nice 8.5 mile run while my dad biked the whole way by my side on a mountain bike. We enjoyed great conversation and soaked up the sun together.

One of my favorite things about visiting my parents is their enormous organic garden, herb garden, 3 Honeycrisp apple trees, 2 apricot trees, and a lemon tree. Nana has a killer garden too. My Mom and Dad currently have spinach, kale, several kinds of dark leafy lettuce, beets, green onions, basil, parsley, mint leaves, radishes, zucchini, cucumbers, broccoli, and tomatoes. In the works and visibly on the way are raspberries, potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, and peppers.

The building in the background behind the golf course and the man made "lake" is the high school where the bike tour started

It is a very short walk from the garden to the juicer. We always make monster salads, nobody ever goes hungry, and I fill my car with produce before I hit the road. It was a lovely weekend full of family, training, eating, juicing, shopping, four furry animals, and loads of fun.

-SMF

Liberty Half Iron; My Body Has Been Put In A Blender

2010-06-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

A huge thanks to Steve Stenzel for taking all the action shots of me in this post at my first half iron. My mom had surgery the day before the race so my whole family was taking care of my mom and in my parent's home town. The surgery was a minor hand surgery but any surgery involving MY MOM is a MAJOR surgery to me. Thanks Steve, my parents really appreciated the photos since they couldn't attend!

In the week leading up to Liberty it was a pleasure to receive so many emails from people telling me about their first half iron experience. It was refreshing to hear that so many girls who I look up to and who now rule the sport of triathlon and excel at the 70.3 distance were once as nervous and as unsure of their abilities as I was heading into the race. I appreciate all the support and encouragement and for sharing your very first half iron journeys with me, here is mine...

The older I get the more I become exactly like my father. On Friday night, I set not 1, not 2, but 3 alarm clocks! Who does that? Besides my dad, and apparently now me, nobody! It was my dream to complete my first half iron this year and I'll be damned if I was going to miss my wake up call. In the end, I woke up exactly 5 minutes before alarm numero uno was set to blare. I didn't even need any of the three.

The 1.2 Mile Swim; Surprise Surprise

It was no surprise that even with a longer distance to cover, I swam faster per 100 at Liberty than I did last weekend at Buffalo since I went off course. However, I was presently surprised by three things. Surprise #1: I loved the swim! It was my second favorite part of the race. I truly enjoy not only swimming in races now but swimming in open water and all my swim training. I believe that is directly attributed to the fabulous people I do my swim training with. I may not be speedy in the water but I am loving it and I think to have a lasting triathlon career it is essential that you love all three sports. Last summer it was the necessary evil that brought me to my bike, this summer it is just plain fun. Surprise #2: Somebody actually drafted off of ME! Someone from MY own wave. The entire swim! For the first time in my 11 month triathlon tenure my body was swimming at a pace that someone else deemed valuable. A real, live, breathing, and swimming person used my draft for all 1.2 miles! Last year I was either too slow or constantly zig zagging of course for anybody to bother. You always here about this drafting business but nobody has ever dared to give my feet a go. Maybe next year I will be fast enough to draft off somebody myself. Surprise #3: The swim was BY FAR the EASIEST part of the race and it was the only leg of the journey that didn't cause my poor body any physical pain.

I knew it would be a long day so I wanted to start off smooth, relaxed, and with a low aerobic heart rate. I know my place in the competitive swim wave. I start in the very back and just let everyone else take off. It makes my start cleaner and I miss out on most of the rough contact. Right after the turn around, the leaders of the second wave who began three minutes behind started to pass me. They were moving fast but passed me with ease. With less than 50 yards to go, a second cluster of wave 2 came tearing by and they were much more aggressive. One of them swam over top of me and a two more clocked me with their arms. I managed to relax enough to pee right before exiting the water, something I have never tried in a race before. I just finally finished paying my Grandma back for my tri bike in April so I am not quite ready to give Mr. Felt a golden shower. He is far too new and precious. I exited the water in 36:37 (1:44/100 yards) and for me that is fast. A faster pace then I have ever swam in any triathlon to date.

The 56 Mile Bike; The Execution of Plan B

My coach asked me on Wednesday night if I was ready for my first half and what my game plan was. I said, "No way am I ready but my plan is to go for broke on the bike." I was seriously planning to ride the whole 56 miles like a time trail and pray for a descent swim and a respectable run. Dan told me that if I do that I would be walking the run. I told Heidi (who has become like my second coach) the same exact thing and she gave me a similar warning. The two combined have been doing triathlon for 37 years, both former pros, both extremely multi-sport wise, both with phenomenal careers. I decided I had better come up with Plan B and fast. Hold back on the bike and save something for the run.

Besides for the amazing biking surrounding Chaska and Carver, the biking outside Baker State Park is my favorite place to ride in the Twin Cities. I love CR 24, Hamel Road, the big hill on CR 19, the hill on Homestead Trail and CR 6. I took it pretty easy on the first loop of the course, maybe too easy. It was really difficult to pace myself as I have never bike 56 miles at race pace. And I have never had to run a half marathon afterwards. My longest ride so far this year has only been 45 miles. This whole day was a 5+ hour experiment for me. Starting the second loop of the course the wind noticeably picked up. I still felt like I should have been riding harder the second go around too. I didn't enjoy the bike portion as much as I thought I would have because the entire time I was questioning the pace I should be pushing. I thought the bike would be my favorite part of the race but I kept thinking I was babying it and was confused and unsure of the effort I should be putting out. The last 10+ miles of the bike course my left hip just got a shooting pain! It was so sharp. The left hip discomfort definitely kept my bike pace in check whether I wanted it to or not. The last few miles of the Liberty Half was the TNT course and I probably would have tried to hammer that as I hard as I could back to transition. My hip wouldn't allow it and kept me at a very modest pace throughout the out and back on 24 for better or for worse.

I biked myself into second place rather quickly following the swim and stayed put for 55 miles. The girl riding in first place, who went on to win, was from IL and was the 15th female overall and the top master at IM Louisville last year. I never caught her or saw her on the bike because she had a much faster swim than me but we ended up with bike splits only 4 seconds apart. My bike time was 2:41:34, 20.8 MPH. During the last minute of the bike one more female did pass me just before turning back into the park.

It was so amazing to see friends on the bike course! Thanks so much to everyone who came out to cheer. During a sprint or an Olympic race I never think about anything. There is just a voice inside my head yelling, "GO!" When you are out on your bike alone for 2 hours 41 minutes and change you do a lot of thinking and you go through a lot of emotions and pain. I got emotional teared up when I saw people I knew. I got to see Kortney, Derek, and Owen three times while riding. Kort and Derek were screaming for me and Derek was honking the minivan horn. I was super pumped and surprised to see Greta twice on the bike course and once at the start of the run. My friend Lydia came out to volunteer and I got to see her three times biking, twice she greeted me at the top of the huge hill that I love to climb on Homestead. It was a bonus to push hard to the top of a steep hill and see a friendly smile when I got there.

Rolling into T2

As I was coming into T2 I heard, "Get out off your bars!" I knew it was the voice of my boyfriend who didn't think he could make it at all to the race. I was so happy to see and hear him even though I knew he wouldn't be able to stay long, I was grateful to have him there for the duration he could stay. I had no idea what it would feel like when I dismounted my bike after 56 miles of riding. My legs almost gave out and I just about face planted. When my feet first hit the ground my legs felt so week and wobbly. Both feet were numb from the cold and my legs were spent. I looked up and saw CY and Julie cheering and smiling at the T2 entrance and I think they were the only thing that kept me from collapsing. I am so glad that they were there! The run through transition was so bizarre. I couldn't feel my feet at all and my legs felt totally out of my own control. Cathy had run down to the T2 exit and I just can't express how good it is to see familiar faces in such a LONG race. Even though I had just saw her a minute earlier, she once again distracted me from wiping out due to lower extremity fatigue and she also put a huge smile on my face.

The 13.1 Mile Run; YES I CAN!

Completing the half marathon with half a dozen blisters

There was a super steep mulch hill right away on the course. After that, the rest of the 13.1 mile out and back run was a paved trail with lots of flat parts but many hills . Dan and John biked along side of me for the first few minutes and shouted out, "Slooowww down! You have a lot of ground to cover. SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN! Take your nutrition! SLOW DOWN!" I went into the run with a positive mind frame the entire time and the first five miles were my favorite part of the whole race. I am not a runner yet by any means. I can count the number of half marathons I have done on one hand including the run at Liberty and with two hands I can count the number of running only races I have entered. This was the hilliest and the toughest. Not to mention I had done a little bit of biking and took a dip in the lake before hand. I changed my thought process from my three previous races this season. At my prior races I convinced myself that I wasn't in run shape yet and doubted my running ability and myself. At Liberty I told myself, "Yes I can! I can run, I can get through this, I can finish and it will be worth it."

A triathlete who I respect very much and who is starting to become a good friend told me two days before Liberty to keep a totally positive mind no matter how you feel off that bike. No matter what you feel, your legs can shake out. That is what being a triathlete is: running off the bike! Work. But fun! That stuck with me for all 13.1 miles.

I held a steady pace the entire time and I am proud of my run (1:43:16, 7:53 pace). I was only 10 seconds off my stand alone half marathon PR. I had no idea because I didn't start my watch until about a 1/4 mile in. I had it turned on in transition to pick up a satellite, I put it on while I was in motion on the run course, but didn't get it secured and hit start until I made it up the initial hill. If I would have known, I might have been able to find an extra 11 seconds. Maybe. I am not sure, but maybe, I was pretty cashed at the finish. The first 5 miles were awesome and they flew by. When I hit mile 4, Josh was headed back with a HUGE lead in first. There was just no other guys in sight and I got super excited when we passed each other. I was pumped for him to pick up his first ever career win (which I find really hard to believe?!?!?!) Plus I was stoked that there really truly was a turn around cone out there somewhere and Josh was proof that it existed! Mile 4 was my only lopsided run split. I ran that mile much faster than the rest but I didn't realize it at the time. At mile 6 both my knees started to hurt, then shortly after both my abductors ached, and then the rain began to come down hard. It just poured and poured. I put socks on in T2 and they just got soaked through my airy flats. The blisters took less than a mile to form inside my sopping wet socks. I could feel multiple blisters on each foot. The biggest being between each of my big and second toes. The blisters were the most pain I felt all day. I wanted to quit so badly because of the sting of those blisters. I slowed my pace a little but it didn't matter. It hurt the same no matter how fast I was running. I had to take my mind to another place to get to the finish. I kept telling myself, this is your dream, just go, don't stop now.

After 5 hours, 4 minutes, and 5 seconds of racing, I found the finish chute! I did it!

It felt so good to cross the line. I was soaking wet, I hurt like hell, but I was done and I had just finished my first half iron race. The awkward stiff limp back to trany hurt more than the whole race. My knees, hips, and abductors were on fire. I was convinced I would never, run, bike, walk, squat, sit, bend down, or race ever again. It felt like somebody had put my body through a blender on a high speed. The positive of the all the intense pain was that although my knees were killing me, my right knee was NOT sore in the spot that I spent 3 months and $1,800 on physical therapy on this past winter. Phew! It was a totally different place and the exact same spot on both knees. That was a wonderful blessing, no pain in my used to be injured spot. I was also pleased that my fitness didn't slow my run down today for the first race this season. Only my blisters and my leg pain in multiple muscle groups. I ended up taking third place but was far more excited to have achieved my dream of completing the half iron distance period. Times and placing didn't matter for me at this race, it was about going the distance and chasing a dream. I have accomplished something that I didn't even know existed two years ago. In June 2008 I didn't even know the order of the three triathlon disciplines. I didn't know the correct names/distances of any triathlon races. I did not yet even own a road bike, tri bike, or cycling shoes. My 5K pace was 30 seconds slower than the half marathon pace I just ran at the end of a half iron. One year ago, in June 2009, I had yet to complete my first triathlon. Dream big, train hard, and aim high. You can accomplish anything! You can even accomplish something you may not even know exists right now at this very moment. Possibilities are endless.

On Saturday following the race, I hated my townhouse for the first time ever since moving in last September. I usually love it dearly each and every day. It is tucked deep down into the woods and I get deer in my front yard all the time. I walk out my front door an I am instantly on 25 miles of running trails, it is totally me. Not on Saturday, I couldn't stand it. There is no way to get into my house without climbing these stairs up out of the garage.

Carrying two 20 lb. bags of ice for my ice bath up these garage stairs in my current state of leg pain just about did me in. Don't think you can pull right up to my front door either. I would have had to go down a pair of equally steep stairs to get there. Going down actually hurt worse than going up. I hoisted one 20 lb. bag on each shoulder and made a sadly slow climb to the top. My downstairs bathroom is a 1/2 bath with no tub so I had to get up these stairs next to the nearest place to soak my beat up body.

My Chihuahua Ozzie awaits at the top wondering what on earth is wrong with me and why I am taking so long

Every muscle in my legs was killing me. It hurt to stand up and it hurt to walk and I couldn't even bare to look at all those stairs. I made a final trip back down to the garage and to get all I could carry of my wet gear out of the car. I was only going back there once more. The rest could wait until tomorrow. Then I gathered everything I needed for the rest of the night (my dog, my cell phone, a large glass of everything juiced together that I could find in my fridge, some snacks, ice packs, and my remote control). I made one more trip up the stairs inside my house, took an ice bath, showered, and climbed in my bed. The plan was to spend the night in White Bear Lake but it wasn't happening! I couldn't move, I was bed ridden in leg and hip pain the rest of the night. I rarely ever watch TV unless I am on my trainer, strength training, or battling insomnia. I just can't sit still long enough. Following my half iron I was dead to the world so I got caught up and watched all three current episodes of the Bachelorette without moving a muscle. Eventually Ozzie needed to go potty outside before we went to sleep for good. I just couldn't physically walk down the stairs again. Going down was just completely out of the question. I put on my compression tights and with my Chihuahua in my arms, we slid our way down the stairs and limped out the front door.

The stiffness, soreness, and unbearable pain DOES go away! I felt much better the day after and by Sunday night I was itching to get back in the pool and eager for some recovery workouts. Each day I feel less sore and my body feels more recovered and ready to go again. Liberty was a great experience for me and I learned a great deal about myself. There are many places for improvement. It is now time for new goals, new dreams, more racing, more training, more learning, and more improvement. Which reminds me why one of my all time favorite quotes is simply, "What's next?"

-S

Buffalo Triathlon; I Can Rest In November

2010-06-06T18:29:00.000-05:00

Myself, Greta, Ann, & Heidi pre-race. Photo courtesy of HKM's adorable Mom. Jerry is in the background currently announcing, "Watch out for Chaska!"

My 2010 schedule posted on this blog is just the races I have made financial commitments to and pre-registered for. I have waited all winter for triathlon season so if I feel good and there is an open race, I'm there. I am very sporadic and my schedule could be subject to rapid expansion without warning.

Kortney and I had plans to drive out and watch Buffalo together as I had all my Chaska training partners racing, a few additional friends/training partners from other parts of the Twin Cities registered, and my former boss doing the sprint race to cheer on. The plan was to be one of those carefree spectators on the sidelines. As race day grew closer I decided that I could rest in November and I wanted in. Plus I could use Buffalo as final preparation for the Liberty Half Iron in 6 days.

Anytime I do an Olympic distance triathlon it automatically turns into a training day and a learning experience for me. The swim takes me right out of the placing and I am fine with that. This entire summer my whole prerogative is to improve. There is no better way to improve your weakest skill then to dolphin dive head first into the racing distance that exploits your weakness the most. I plan on getting roughed up in a number of Olympic races this year. If it will make me a better swimmer and allow me to develop as a triathlete, sign me up!

A big PR came early on Saturday afternoon in my garage. My boyfriend put on and took off my race wheels for every single race last year. I love him for that as he went out of his way to help me with everything triathlon related. This year I am determined to do it myself for every event and become much more bike mechanically independent. I ended up finishing the Gear West Duathlon with a faster time than it took me to put on my race wheels but I did it ALL BY MYSELF for the very first time. Then I just left my race wheels on between Gear West and Apple and did all my training on my road bike so I wouldn't have face them again so soon. Yesterday I got my 808s on in just under 8 minutes!

Buffalo Triathlon Race Report:

The .9 Mile Swim; One Yellow Ducky Too Short

I feel like I have no business being in the elite wave of anything starting in water and I was scared to death of being trampled by the following wave starting two minutes behind. I knew full well that I would be the last one out, I was just planning on a much more respectable last out of the water swim split. There comes a point in every triathlon where I make a complete fool out myself, I just wasn't anticipating it to be so soon today. The swim course went straight out and took a left at a large inflatable yellow duck. It then proceeded forward passed three more ducks and we were to take another left at the final yellow duck for the home stretch back to the beach. It was no surprise that I was swimming all alone with the rest of the elites minutes ahead. Somehow I came up one duck short and took what I thought was my final left turn one yellow ducky too soon and went off course pretty good. Luckily a boat floated out and caught my attention that I needed to turn around and go back. It felt like forever but I would guess that the damage was approximately 2-2 1/2 minutes. Even though my swim time wasn't what I am currently capable of, for the first time ever I swam in open water with confidence and I felt good out there. Last year I muscled my way through every swim and this year I think I may have a hint of technique happening. The great thing about being the last one out of the water is that the elite transition rack is a total ghost town and makes my bike ridiculously easy to spot. I am not going to beat myself up for swimming off course, I am going to celebrate the fact that one year ago I was still doing a combination of a bad freestyle and a doggy paddle. My very first swimming lesson was on June 2, 2009 and I couldn't even make it to the other side of the pool. I greatly appreciate and want to thank everyone in the past year who has helped me with my stroke. Even if you only looked at it one time and just told me one thing. I never ever forget anyone who helps me out in life. I write down every comment and tip for improvement that someone tells me and I review them often. I think swimming in the open water scares some people away from ever attempting a triathlon. Don't let it. If I can learn to swim, anyone can. It has been a year of non-stop dedication in the pool, but anyone is capable of swimming. It all depends on how hard you want to work.

The 24.8 Mile Bike; I'm Hell On Wheels
Entering T1 I knew that Mr. Felt and I would be playing a game we learned all too well last year. Our game is called Catch Up. The rules are simple. Hop on your bike and try to make up as much time as possible on all those talented swimmers. If you started swimming at the age of 26 too, then you know the game. I biked myself from 9th into 4th place on the county roads surrounding Buffalo, Minnesota. I am still Hell On Wheels out there on the turns, but with each race I see a minuscule of progress. I need to get my race wheels set up so I get data on my bike computer like I do with my training wheels. With bike courses that have no mile markers and when I am riding a course sight unseen, it would be nice to know approximately how much distance is left so I can use my energy accordingly. I felt like I could have pushed much harder on the bike, especially since I am running like I have a piano on my back as of late. The bike course always ends far too soon. I wish they had a triathlon with a 1/4 mile swim, a 112 mile rolling hill bike course with no turns, and a 2 mile pancake flat run. My heart goes out to the multiple riders I saw get flat tires. I have never seen more than one person get a flat in a race before. When I saw at least three cyclists with flats my swim slip up didn't seem so major anymore. I became filled with gratitude, I was one of the fortunate ones. Things could have been so much worse, I don't wish a flat on anyone, that is such a shame, it could have been any of us. Both my transitions were shockingly smooth today which was fortunate after my ducky sighting gone bad.

The 6.2 Mile Run; Aftermath Of A Near Runless Winter
My near runless winter is starting to catch up with me as I actually felt like a buffalo on the run. For the third consecutive week I wished the race would have ended at the T2 timing mat. I am frustrated but I am also extremely blessed that I am now healthy and am no longer injured. In fact, for the last three weeks I have felt next to no pain in my knee at all. My coach and I are still afraid to push my run training too hard in the case of a reinjury. Time will tell and time heals all, hopefully my run will come around. I was chased down by two great runners on the 10K run course. Shelly caught me at the turn around, my training partner Ann passed me around the last mile, and one non elite starter also out performed me. I was excited for Ann when she passed me, she is one the nicest girls I've ever met, a fantastic swimmer/runner, and I know how hard she works. The wave start allowed me to run with Kortney's husband Derek who had a much faster finishing time than mine but we got spit out on the 10K course together. It is always nice to see a friendly face when you are struggling. Next week Mr. Felt and I will embark on a new game, we will begin playing Swim Catch Up & Run Course Damage Control all rolled into one, so we better ride that much harder.

Congrats to my Gear West teammates Cathy & Heidi who took the top two female spots. Congratulations to my friend Oscar who absolutely destroyed the swim course in 17:57! He has helped me so much with my swim, although when we swim side by side it looks like we are performing two different sports. Even though I was the straggler, it was exciting to have 3 Chaska females in the top 10! Not too shabby for our teeny tiny 'burb!

A great day of training goes into the books but I hope my race report doesn't sound negative as I try my hardest to find the positive in every situation I encounter, triathlon or otherwise. I must keep reminding myself that this is only my second year. As triathletes, we spend multiple hours training every single day and it becomes an enormous chunk of our life. So when I have days where I don't get all my ducks in a row, I have to remind myself why I started triathlon in the first place. For the incredible personal challenge, for fun, and to inspire others. There has not been one race that hasn't challenged me. There has not been one race that has not been tons of fun. And if I can inspire even one person to try a triathlon, become more active or live a healthier life, then my work is done.

Next time I zip up my one piece it will be for over 5 hours of racing and I will be discovering new limits to push my body to. Liberty half is the race that I visualized all winter long on my trainer. This is the event that fueled me in the pool through all those snowy days with below zero temperatures. Not because I feel any pressure to place or to perform well, because I knew it would be a first for me. I knew that eventually the ice would melt and the sun would shine and there would be a warm day in June that would mark the first time I cover 70.3 miles by water, bike, and on foot. It will be the longest endurance event that I have ever participated in. It will be a special day and I am looking forward to the moment I cross the finish line no matter how long it takes me to get there. It will be a great day and a wonderful feeling for me and all the other first time halfers out there, it will be a day we will never forget.

-SMF

Gear West Duathlon Video Footage

2010-06-04T17:12:00.000-05:00

Here is a very cool video of the 2010 Gear West Duathlon put together by Gear West Bike and Triathlon's Curt Wood, his father-in-law, and his wife Christine Wood. After filming my exercise of the month videos, I can greatly appreciate the hours of hard work that must have gone into making a video as high quality as this one. My short clips are a one take deal with no editing and are a one woman show, but even they can take forever to make sometimes. This video is of professional quality and even set perfectly to music.

You can see the xterra style cross county run course that slowed down all of our run splits and sent our heart rates through the roof. You know it is a tough run course when the pros are asking for a gun and a bullet and Minnesota's finest athletes are keeling over at the finish line. Enjoy!

After watching this video I found myself unbelievably motivated and discovered that I have completely forgotten about all the pain. I wonder when registration opens for 2011?

-S