IMC Race Report

Sat. Sept 5th
15:08, but at least I finished. Swim: QR quick release zipper broke 1/2 way into the swim. Took in water, did a 1:22. Bike: Felt great the first 85 miles, then started to bonk up Yellow Lake. Stopped nutrition and drinking. 6:42 Run: Legs were ok, but nothing left in the tank. Couldn't eat or drink, except water and ice. Shuffled/walked, until I realized a. I couldn't shuffle for more than 40 seconds, and b. I didn't care, I just wanted for it to be over. Time, close to 7 hours!

I should have heeded the mantra from Friday night carbo load, "Suck it up, Sissy!". But a finish is a finish, that makes 11 in a row for me.

What went wrong: Not enough quality workouts. Didn't have a plan B for nutrition.

Focus for next year: Quality. Forget all the workouts of mile after mile of slow running / slow biking. I have enough base, now I have to get back my speed. Lots of 2 mile runs at full tilt. Lots of tempo and time trial biking. Increase HR and speed. More weight work on leg strength. And continue to lose body weight.

As always, I enjoyed Penticton and seeing friends. I'm stoked about next year, and can't wait to start training. (Rode Th, and ran yesterday)
Got a 20 mile run next Saturday, then Twin Cities Marathon Oct. 4th.

50K ok

Did my first 50k on July 4th, couldn't believe how good I felt! Of course I started super conservatively, and walked the steep uphills and downhills. But still, I finished, and that's all that matters. And I finished feeling really strong, I kind of didn't want to stop. Hmmm, maybe one of the 50 milers could be do-able.......I'll have to give that some more thought...

6 1/2 weeks to Ironman Canada, crunch time. I feel good, I feel recovered from the 50k (and marathon), so time to ramp up training. I plan to focus on the bike, and quality, fast paced runs. About 3 weeks of hard training, then taper. Maybe this year I won't welt on the run? That would be nice, because an Ironman marathon is a long, long,...LONG, long way to walk !!

Been a long, long, long, time!

Minnesota finally got it's second Senator, nearly 8 months after the election. Al Franken won by 312 votes over incumbent Norm Coleman.
But what's really important is 8 weeks until Ironman Canada!

Did Grandma's marathon 2 weeks ago as a training run for a 50k trail run on the Fourth of July. The course is extemely hilly (Afton Alps Ski resort), and it's gonna be *hot*.

Then the rest of July I plan to log quality miles on the bike, and cut back on my running. My running will focus on tempo and intervals (I've got plenty of base). I'll still do a couple 20 milers early August, but I want to do some 5k and 10k races, to remember what it's like to run fast (well, fast for me anyway).

Swim? I've resigned myself to the fact I'm a barge. I'll do a few more swims in July and August, but no matter what, I swim around 1:20.

I'm just stoked to train these last 5 weeks before my taper. Then I get to go back to the beautiful Okanagan Valley, seeing friends, and meeting new ones.

My job has me commuting 2 hours a day, which is precious time I could be training, but it is what it is. I work with a great goup of people, who think I'm crazy for doing Ironman's. But I'll keep promoting the lifestyle, and maybe one of them will drink the Kool-Aid.

Gotta go....... Train? Nah, got to eat and watch Wheel of Fortune! Hey, I've got my priorities you know!