Ronald McDonald Firecracker 5K- RECAP

For 6 years we have raced this race together.  It was one of the first and one of the only we have managed to race for every year since we started.  

A Patrick's photo bomb attempts!

This year we had the added bonus of our friend, Cheryl, being out at the race (Cheryl is training for her first marathon).  In addition, we had Patrick's sister, Jennifer, her husband, and in-laws, plus the nephews.  All out racing!  It was a good day having family out there with us- int he beginning we thought we were sacrificing family and friends but it seems they made a few sacrifices to come hang out with us!! 

Alright back to the race recap.  This course goes through down town near the court houses, then out on to Bay Front, which is hot but the pay off is a beautiful view.  Shortly after the turn around runners pass back by Veterans Park- passing the helicopter and the wall.  It is a moving park and in reflecting back on the race being a salute to the 4th of July and a fundraiser for the children and families struggling with medical conditions, it is incredible to think of all our community goes through and overcomes on a daily basis.   After passing the park it is straight home (finish line).  A few small curves and one right turn brings you in sight of the finish line (always a beautiful site).   


This event has a great finish line, full of spectators, finished racers, volunteers, and race officials.  
After finishing this race I went back to cheer on Jennifer and Cheryl.  Cheryl was found with a smile on her face- may have been because she was busted taking a few slower steps. :)   We both laughed and she picked up the pace.  Cheryl has a strong push to the finish line and is good about laughing and smiling all the way.   She is such an inspiration- being a mother, working full time, balancing life, training, fun, and family- but she manages very well.    

Patrick was 17th and in the top third of the pack.  He stayed strong and had a good run.  
I was 23rd and in the top half of the pack.  Only about 20 people behind Patrick- hiding in the weeds ready to start making my move!!!!  

In looking back at results both Patrick and I have shaved a little over 13 minutes off our times for this race in the past 6 years!!  That's 2 minutes a year and nearly 5 minutes a miles!!

Racing on Saturday also came on the heels of the Pea Ridge Running Club having volunteered at the local Ronald McDonald House.  A wonderful experience for all of us.  We are glad to be a part of a running club that gives back to the community.  

PEA RIDGE!!!!

MPI Portofino Sunset Tri- RECAP

A few Thursday nights (8 really) during the summer months about 50 to 60 people can be found racing out at the beach.  The Portofino Sunset Tris are a fun, fast, and super short triathlon that gives racers of all levels time to work on transition, form, speed, and comradery. 

Got stuck in traffic so a 5 minute set up was all I got. 

This event consists of a 300 yard swim, 7.5 mile bike, and 1.5 mile run.  Like I said SUPER FAST!!! 

I raced race number 4 this year.  

I was the first female out of the water- with a youth hot on my heels (she actually beat me out of T1).  They started the race in 2 waves, men going out first followed by the women.  While I understand this wave start it was frustrating for me to have to swim through the slower guys; however, let's face it this is true race style for most of the women who are faster in the water.  Once hitting shore it is a good jog to T1 but mostly through grass which is nice.  I decided to not wear socks for this distance and quickly slipped on my shoes and took off- not as quick as the 12 year old mounting her bike just ahead of me. but still speedy.  The bike was fun- out and turn and out and turn then back to T2.  It was a beautiful day out with a slight breeze making the final leg have a nice little tail wind- YAY!!!  I was the 2nd female to return to the transition area from the bike.  Upon entering back into T2 I struggled with getting my knee braces on (I blame it on the salt water).  I was out of T2 and off on the run.  thinking it should be little problem given it was only 1.5 miles.  I struggled with the run.  It started by me forgetting my run belt and having to pin on my run bib as I was leaving transition- yes, there was blood.  My calves cramped and felt like rubber bands about to snap!  I made it to the turn around and pushed through till the finish line, still able to pass back by a few runners.     

The course is well supported by other triathletes so they yell at cars for you and say nice words of encouragement.  

Patrick had a meeting to attend and could not race this night but he will be racing in a future race where I will be volunteering. 

The race also has a handful of giveaways at the end- which is nice so us slow people can win too!!!

I was 6th in the women for this event and 30th overall.  Still hanging out mid pack.

Won a shirt!!!

 

Gary McAdams 5K- RECAP

Patrick first did this race in 2008 as a part of the one 5K per month plan.  This is one of the few that year I missed due to being in school.
This run is one of our yearly beach runs- it is flat and HOT!!!  For this years race it seems they got the bright idea to adjust the course a little.  Instead of staying in the neighborhoods we would come back out to the main road earlier.  While this was no problem for us mid-packers, rumor is there was some misdirection for the leaders (no worries they had time to take a detour).  While the changes were "interesting" (no zoning out) they really provided no benefit to us as racers.  In fact there was a slight problem created with having the 2 course water stops close together in order to get them completed prior to runners exiting the neighborhoods and getting onto the main road.  The water stops felt like they were at miles 1 and 1.5 in order to accommodate the changes in the course.  This left a long, straight, hot black top stretch with no water support.  
The after party for this race is always fun and entertaining.  They have a live band, hot dogs, pizza, watermelon, and beer.  The group running this race is normally diverse in their running experience.  
Patrick had a good run with a time of 32:39. 
I had a good run (and was able to run the full distance) with a time of 33:56 putting me 6th of 13 in my age group. For me this is awesome to be mid pack on a run!!!! 
  

It was a gorgeous day. 

** Some of you may not know the story about my written affirmations.  It started as we were facing Ironman New Orleans 70.3.  I had read some about what others had done to help motive and inspire themselves through the event.  I found lots of suggestions on having a montra.  I starting doing this for long races- may first being "I will finish" and sure enough there in New Orleans I gained and the finish line step by step till crossing over it!  So I use the visual montra because sometimes in the racing mode it is difficult to recall your positive montra; being able to look down and see it there helps!!!  All that said to say, I knew I was going to struggle with this 5K because I was struggling with running everyday.  I made my montra "Press On".  That's all I had to do that day was to press on.  I glanced down about 100 times during this short run to see "Press On".  And I did never stopping to walk during the 3.2 miles.  Just pressed on.  It brought me back to having confidence in my running and to having faith in the finish line pull.    

Happy Father's Day

I have talked a lot about family support, my father is one of the biggest supporters.  
When Patrick and I announced we were going to start running he said, "ok".  When we told him we were going to start racing triathlon he said, "alright".  When we decided to complete a Half Ironman he said, "sounds good."  When we confirmed our entry into IMCHOO my dad said, "We'll be there."  

Through out my life my father has been one of my greatest supporters and teachers.  He allowed me to explore the world, with guidance yet freedom!!!!  He showed me the importance of little things in life.  He brought lessons to life with stories of his childhood.  He grew with us- through our excitement, through our pains, through our unknown moments.  
My father has played one of the biggest roles in forming who I am today (good or bad or ugly).  He taught me to be stubborn, to trust in love, to believe in dreams, and to have the confidence to push on.  
It is the moments my father may only remember in passing that I recall as highlights in my life:  Fungus in the woods, watching him fishing on jetties, going to the river with him and hearing the generating alarms, swimming at the beach, him sipping scotch at dinner, seeing him playing golf with my grandmother, joining in him laughing with my Pop, his smile at my graduations, listening to him joking with my brother, and experiencing his love of my mother.  These little moments and so many more are the reasons I admire my father for the the man he was, the man he grew to be, and the man I have still yet to know.  

On this journey to Ironman I am so thankful to have my father, who has been there since the beginning. Someone who helped to create this stubborn, determined, crazy child.  Someone who will love me no matter what happens on that day.  Someone who will be there for the joy of this accomplishment.  Someone who is pushing me because he believes in achieving dreams.  

Thank you Daddy, for loving me through my life, for loving my brother through his life, for loving my mother through it all.  Thank you for extending this love to Patrick and my ever growing circle of family and friends.  

You will forever be more than my hero, more than my teacher, and more than my guide; because you will forever be my father, something greater than words can explain. 

I love you, Daddy, today and everyday.  
(I'll see you at the finish line with an Oatmeal Pie and a Twinkie.)  


 

Balancing It All

Like most people I have had times where it has been difficult to balance life- family, work, exercise, food, rest, and fun.  But over the past few years I have been striving for more balance in my life.  This isn't easy when training for an Ironman.  
Let's face it I don't intend on being the first person to finish- I do intend on finishing, which takes training, dedication, and time.  All things that other parts of my life like family and work take as well.  So how do we balance these things out while working towards our goal.  
1) We train as a part of normal life.  Granted we have been out of our normal grove lately (but getting back there).  Since we have the expectation that we are going to train it is not a surprise, instead it is scheduled "me time" or "us time"  (swimming is full on "me time"; biking is normally "us time"; running can be either depending on my mood).  One of the nice things about racing together is we can train together, giving us time to just be in the smae space enjoying the similar experiences. 

Patrick with the Nephews

2) We understand life happens.  Sometimes work starts early or runs long.  Sometimes a friend needs you.  Sometimes your head aches.  Sometimes you need a hug.  All of these things come above a run or a bike or a swim.  The training will be there but it isn't more important than any person in our lives.  There are times when this is difficult to give up a run but we try to figure out a different time to get in our distance; we always step back to evaluate the moments.  Yes, we have missed things.  Yes, we have been late to things.  Yes, we have fallen asleep at things (well, Patrick has).  But I don't think anyone will say that we cared more about the miles than we did about them.  

Izzy's Canine Good Citizen Achievement

Learning About Dolphins

3) We surround ourselves with people who get it.  You don't have to train for an Ironman to understand how big it is or how much time it takes.  In fact if we look over our friends we know only a handful who have completed or competed in an Ironman; our friends come from all walks of life, but they get it.  And what they "get" is that this is important to us.  Therefore, it is important to them.  Together we all experience different challenges in life and together through sharing our challenges and efforts we grow to be better people. 
4) We try.  Everyday we try.  It may not be a good day at work, we may have a fight, it may be raining- but we honestly try.  What do we try at?  Being balanced, being better, being stronger, being happy.  

We have chosen to not just commit ourselves to the process of Ironman.  Instead we want to be able to look back and not have missed life while we trained, because what fun will beers after the finish be without family, friends, and each other there to celebrate!!! 

No Beer- I will take frozen Yogurt for a Finishline Award!

  

Together We Go Round and Round- Years and Years

In March 2008, Patrick started our journey from 5K to Ironman.  A journey we never thought would have such a path; a journey that really started in the Fall of 1994. 

The vest days.

This was when Patrick and I first met.  Neither of us was a runner, or a cyclist, or a swimmer; we were just kids- kids on a walk.  Yep, those were the days when Patrick was a walker!!!  
He would pass by my house causally walking his dog.  I would see him from the branches of the magnolia tree and jump down, run in the house, yell to my mother that I was going for a walk, and out the front door I would go.  Sometimes it was my dogs we would walk, sometimes his dogs, sometimes a combination, and sometimes none.  We walked miles around that neighborhood- never counting or tracking, not caring about speed, in any shoes that were near the door.  We walked and walked; we talked and talked. 

Second to last short hair cut!

This was the first time Patrick ever tried to hold my hand.
This was the first time he made me laugh. 
The was the first time our parents embarrassed us (calling out nicknames or driving backwards in the neighborhood). 
This was the first time I knew our journey would be longer than the miles we walked. 
We only had a brief time together to take these walks before Patrick moved away and we only saw each other when in neighboring towns.  But our steps taken together had already created a connection to something bigger than I would have been able to comprehend at that young age.  We each had our own lives and our own interest.  We grew to be better friends, supporting each other through the teenage years.  

In college we decided to give in to what it was that was bigger than us- we started back in our relationship (with more miles between us).  We became engaged still living 500 miles apart from each other- I guess it didn't seem like many miles since we had already walked as far in our youth building the path of this relationship.  In 2003, we became husband and wife.  While I am sure we walked some in those years it took time for us to realize that our path would come full circle to walking around the neighborhood together (granted now it is more like me chasing him around the neighborhood).  
As we are soon to celebrate 11 years of marriage and 20 years of knowing each other, it is exciting to look at our journey and a worn path.  

 While the journey to Ironman will challenge my body, my mind, and my soul; this journey will take me to the brink of breaking, but my heart will be protected and will be my strength through the last mile.  Because no race can take from me what Patrick and I have built together.  
Thank you, my love, for journeying through life with me (and for being willing to journey to Ironman with me).   

Yep, he deals with this kind of crazy every day.

 

Marineland Intermediate Triathlon- RECAP and why you can't trust Patrick on race day :)

This is the first time we have raced the race and it was GREAT!!!  The group putting on this race is a family rooted in triathlon and racing but more importantly they are a family.  This is our second time racing with this group (our first was a marathon in March) and we have been impressed both times with their level of care for the athletes, their jovial attitude, and their overall love for the sport.  
When we arrived at the event site there was some cloud coverage and then there was a down pour!!!!  Therefore we started the race with wet shoes and socks, and caps, and helmets (in case you needed to know what happens when it rains).  But what can you do- good news is the swim is first, so you are wet any way!  

I don't know what I was doing.

Bad news was the swim was first.  The waves were crashing into the turn buoys causing them to move and rock- towards and away and towards and away.  The buoys moved to the poitn that the far buoy was replaced with one of the race workers standing out in the ocean directing us around the loop.  
  Upon the horn we all started out- all of us from every race type (there were three different races going into the water, while two race types started out for a run).  As I ran out into the water I began my struggle and I don't struggle in the water normally.  I ran out made my dive in and BLAM hit by waves.  I started to feel for the waves, but after a few strokes there we were standing up on our feet again trying to move further out.  I got an open spot and took it!  I pushed to the first buoy and made my left.  The problem now was fighting the crashing waves as we moved to the next buoy.  The waves were crashing on us and we were being directed by the swim support to not go out further, causing us to have to fight the break.  As I passed gentleman, who is larger than me, a wave pushed him over on top of my right side causing me to get pushed under on my breath stroke.  I stroked faster to get away from anyone and everyone before breathing again.  As I spotted up I noticed the buoy switch and noticed the actual buoy drifting off down the shore.  Making the next turn the current forced us towards shore.  Upon reaching the shore we ran around one more buoy and back into the water for round 2.  The nice thing that made this round easier was the fact that most of the racers were racing the shorter distance, opening up space in the waves.  After drinking more sea water than I would have liked, my swim was over.  The run up to transistion was different than running on our beaches; these beaches were hard and the sand was a course grain- this was "easy" compared to our run at home.  
 

Hard sand is AWESOME!

I made it to transition as the first female and the four person.  Patrick was shortly behind me and we exchanged "good jobs" and nods in transition.  I struggled here getting my cycling shorts on and felt out of sorts after having struggled in the swim which is normally a relaxing start for me even in rough waters.  I grabbed my bike and was off.  

The route was 2 loops.  I pushed hard on the outs in order to take advantage of the tail wind; all the while knowing the returns would be difficult.  I got an opportunity to pass the shorter distance racers- giving me more confidence in my push.  As I passed I gave hellos and good jobs.  Loop 2 was a little more lonely so on the return I cheered on runners!  The best part of the bike was the officer at the turn around point.  On my first loop I double checked with him that we ALL turn around; he confirmed and wished my good luck and I told him I would be back.  At my second turn he yelled, "welcome back", while stopping a few cars.  I waved, thanked him, and smiled, as he cheered me back towards transition. 
Patrick was only a few minutes behind me coming off the bike.  After fighting to get my knee braces on in the transition area, grabbing my visor and run belt, I was off for the run and I had to pee!!!! 

Yep races are in fact won and lost in the bathrooms!!!  I was having a rough time running given that my bladder was about to explode every time my foot hit the ground.  The bathroom stalls were all full, including the men's, so I was going to try to run the first loop before returning to the bathrooms.  It was not to be.  In the first half mile all I could do was watch the side lines for a place to stop along the way.  Patrick caught me just shy of a mile and about the time that enough was enough.  I found a cover picnic table and told Patrick this road side spot was going to have to do.  Now I know you are thinking, "why would she tell us all of this?" Well I am telling you for 2 reasons- 1. Because it happens out there and it isn't always well timed; 2. Because the actions of my husband proves he may be more competitive than me!  So I huddled in the corner.  Patrick called out that a cyclist was coming by, so I waited.  After he passed it was on!  I looked up to make sure I wasn't getting a "quick, quick" signal to find there was no one there to even give the signal.  My husband who had been claiming to be having shin pain was gone.  I finished up as quickly as possible and grabbing my shorts in a upward yanking position I moved back onto the run course-- right in front of another runner.  The guy now right

behind me was trying to silent his chuckle, as men who race know what happens in the bushes.  Upon Patrick coming back on me for the first loop all I could do was smile and call him names.  He yelled at me, "it is a race".  Really!!!!  Did he seriously just leave me peeing in the bushes just for the chance to beat me??  YUP!!!!  The run was fairly calm form this point.  There was some rain that started as a lite sprinkle and then became a wall of rain.  I pushed through the last few miles, laughing with the guys at the water station.  
My approach to the finish made me laugh as Patrick was standing there.  I knew he had beat me and he crushed my spirit in that pass- this was the first time for him to beat me in triathlon.  He had my full respect (as disappointed as I was in myself) because he pushed through in every discipline, including water intake balance.  My pride in him was greater than any disappointment in myself.  
This was a fun event.  They handed out awards.  Patrick and I both taking first in our age groups.  I was the first female out of the water.  It was a good day. 

1st place for each of us

One of the best things about this race group is they don't take down the finish line till the last athlete come in.  this is something that not all races do and that I respect in this race.  Patrick and stayed for the last racer, a woman who was doing her first duathon and she was doing it at the longer distance.  It was wonderful to be standing there cheering her to the finish along with her friends and the race team.  This woman was so joyed by her own finish and by the support form everyone. 
 

Sometimes I just roam around

Final not worthy event- we showered with an old man!!!  Patrick told me not to say it that way, but it is what it is.  :)  We had plans to go to lunch with family so we wanted to shower off.  There was a beach shower so Patrick and I took turns holding the water and rinsing.  Then one of the older guys came up with his shower bag.  As fellow athletes we welcomed him into our shower-hold-soap-rinse cycle.  He was a nice and polite old guy!!!