2 Week Ironman Turn-Around

Before I head into my Ironman WI race report I thought I would do a quick re-cap of what exactly I did for the 2 weeks between a 2nd place finish at Ironman Louisville and then onto racing IM WI since I sure have gotten that question a lot...usually quickly followed (or preceded by) "I could never do that" or  "You are crazy".  Unfortunately I have been called crazy more in the last few weeks than I probably ever have been before, and let me tell you, I have done MUCH crazier things ;)

Let me pre-face this 2 week Turn-Around info by saying that this is only a good idea (still debatable) for well-seasoned Iron-distance athletes and those with no injuries.  The body is an amazing thing and truly adapts to what you make it do.  Ironman takes a toll on the body, but I can say that over the years my body had adapted.  Sure, I still get so sore I can barely walk, but after those first 2 days the recovery period (mentally and physically) is much quicker.

Wait, but WHY did I do this??  Well, this was my last chance at both of these races!!  Ironman is changing the pro race circuit and these two (2 of my fav. races) are no longer having a pro prize purse.  This, in addition to the fact that I have finished 2nd twice at Louisville AND there was a lighter field, made me want to go there and and go for the win!!  So I did...but ended in 2nd (again) as you read in my last blog.  Anyhow- no brainer for WI since I live here and it's the best race ever, right?!!

Anyhow...here's how it went!  I was very lucky to have some NormaTec Boots lent to me from one of my swimmers, so I was spoiled with getting to sit in those at least once per day during the two weeks. I think these were crucial in the recovery and my legs coming around to actually wanting to run the second week.  Mixed in there were some naps, but not a ton.

I had less swimming than I would have liked the second week due to a bad bee sting on my eye on Tuesday, which left it completely swollen shut on Wednesday and partially shut on Thursday.

As you can see from my Training Peaks input, both weeks were VERY light with the main goal just getting loosened up.  I was on the roller before and after every run and making sure to stretch well.

Thank-you's to those that were crucial for recovery: 

Chantry at Peak Performance Massage

Jessi Koch at Active Body Dynamics

Mark Hering - for doing some short easy stuff w/me

Speed Cycling - I needed that group ride! 

Gary Geiger for the NormaTec's 

Lindsey Heim for the Shorewood Pool Sponsorship during week 1 

Ironman Louisville - Gear and Nutrition Report!

Round 3 at Ironman Louisville is in the books.  It seemed to be the toughest conditions I've had at this race (raced 2011 and 2012) so I am happy to come out with a finish and another 2nd place!!  I'll give my full race report soon, but wanted to do this quick gear and nutrition report first as a HUGE thank you to my sponsors that provide me with arguably some of the best products out there.

Gear
Kit:
Team Timex Castelli Clothing

Swim:
Blue Seventy PZ3TX Swimskin

Bike:
Trek Speed Concept 9 series w/ Shimano Ultegra Di2
Powertap G3 SES 6.7 Carbon Wheels
Powertap Joule GPS computer
Rudy Project Wingspan Aero helmet and Rydon Sunglasses

Run:
Feetures Elite no show tab sock
Newton Distance III shoes
Nathan SpeedDraw plus insulated hand held bottle
Headsweats Powerbar Visor

Nutrition

Breakfast:
Oats with Peanut butter and bannana
Bottle of Nuun

Race:
Bike-  8 Powerbar 1x caffeine gels, ~4 bottles perform, a good amount of water, 5 or so endurolyte pills, 2x First Endurance pre-race pills
Run-   7 gels, Drank a random mix of perform, water, ice and coke, 7 or so endurolyte pills, 2x pre-race pills, 2x Myothon pills

No stomach issues this time!!  Eliminating the solids seemed to do the trick.

Full report to come!!  Summary:  Tough hot day. hung in there for 2nd and punched a ticket to the Ironman World Championships in Kona by being ranked in the top 35 women in the world.  Very excited and thankful for all the support :)

Ironman Canada Race Report & Course Tips!

Well, I've had a good week to reflect on my experience in Whistler, BC Canada last weekend and I can say it was overall a fun time. Whistler is an excellent destination and I couldn't think of a more beautiful place to race!

 Swim:  We had a small pro women's field so I knew it would be easy to keep track of some good feet. I was shooting to swim on Karen and/or Bree's feet and that's exactly what went down.  We went out hard for only a few hundred meters then I settled in nicely behind them as they swam the first loop side by side.  It was a two loop swim in PERFECT water (clear and 66 degrees).  The second loop Karen pulled to the front and seemed to pick it up a bit until we started hitting slower 1st loop swim traffic.  Then it was just a matter of navigating.   The sun was an issue on the back stretch, so having some mirrored goggles was key.   Came out just behind Bree, 4th swimmer.  56min and change.

T1:   It was a bit chilly in the morning, but I opted not to put on anything for the ride, which made for a quick transition!  Made sure to have my bike in an easy gear as there is an uphill mount and a climb just out of transition.

Bike:   I ride with power so this is always useful and part of my goals for the ride - not too many power spikes (which proved tough on this course) and keep the avg up where it should be for IM.  My secondary goal was to stay up near the front of the race since these were all girls I knew I could ride with.  With Anna and Karen up ahead, Bree caught me a few miles into the ride and we proceeded to stay together almost the entire ride (along with an official on a motorcycle- also the whole time).  It was pretty helpful to have someone to work on pacing with and to keep motivation up when I was in a lul.  She had one more gear than me, so keeping up on the descents was tough/frustrating.  I had a 12/27, but would probably go with an 11/27 or 11/28 in the future.  There were plenty of 10% grade climbs- including some in the last 20 miles which proved to just smash my legs!  No matter how much you think you're saving, it is not enough to climb at the end of 100mi.   4th off the bike, 5:31 split.

T2:   quick change into run shoes and some water and sunscreen

Run:  I took off on the run feeling ok, thinking I still probably had a shot at moving up in the race.  I was getting feedback that everyone looked like crap and that's always motivating to me....unfortunately it wasn't long before I also started to look like crap.  Soon it seems like it was somewhat of a death-march-determination-survivalfest for all of the women and they just held on a bit better than me!  I used all the tricks in my book to make my body keep running, but there were just too many porto-stops and some weird stomach pains that didn't allow for any fast running.   3:27....slowest marathon in a long time!  On the plus-side, there were plenty of aid stations and it was a very well shaded trail run the whole time!  Gorgeous run course!

Overall:  I snuck in under 10hrs - 9:59.  I was able to hang on to 4th place and am happy knowing that I did what I could with what my body had for the day.  Like I said after the race, some days you're the hammer and some days you're the nail.  After 18 or so Ironman races I can safely say that some feel awesome all day, some are awesome part of the day (like this one) and some are just tough all the way through.  I'm just thankful my body puts up with it and I can come away healthy and ready for the next one, whatever it may bring!!

Thank-you's:   First to Mark who is my biggest supporter, believer in my potential and proud of me no matter what.  Next to coach Cliff English who takes time to talk me through the ups and downs in training, and helps me get to the finish line healthy and in the best shape I can be.

My sponsors:  Timex Multisport team and our affiliated sponsors-  Trek Bikes, Shimano, Castelli, Feetures, Blue Seventy

My personal sponsors: Powertap, Rudy Project, Peak Performance Massage Madison, Powerbar, Endurance House Middleton, Speed Cycling

THANK YOU!

Thanks for reading - next up, IRONMAN WI!!  Home turf, baby!

Ironman Cozumel 2013

Hey!  I made it to off season!!

I was lucky enough to travel to Mexico again for my last race of the year.  Ironman Cozumel is truly an amazing race, venue, and community.  The volunteers go above and beyond and the community support top notch, a close second to Madison (of course).  I came into this race feeling more fit than last year, and with another year of racing under my belt I had that much more experience of how to race and make it the best race possible.  I didn’t go into the race with any expectations except to execute the race the best I could.   I ended up in 8th place (made enough to pay for the trip!) and am overall happy with the day....like every race, I learned plenty of lessons :) 

Pre-race prep with Jennifer - nice easy ride to the east coast of the island. 

We found a pool!  Super happy for this since the Ocean was 'closed' because of the current and waves. 

On our way to Bike/T1 drop on Saturday 

SWIM:  The swim was shortened due to an unsafe current and swim conditions.  After my struggles in the current last year, I was actually happy to hear this news.  It seemed like a logistical nightmare to have everyone get to the T1 (old swim start) and then re-load on busses to the new swim start 1.9 miles down the road, but somehow they seemed to pull it off flawlessly.   It was an in water start and a point-to-point swim with the current.  All went fairly smoothly and I had some nice feet to hang on almost all of the swim.  I came out in 37:22, a perfect spot right with the girls I wanted to be with! 

BIKE - 3 loops, 112miles, 5hr14min:  I flew through T1, determind not to let this group leave me in the dust.  Since racing with power at Ironman Florida and Rev3 Florida in November, I had a good idea of where I wanted to be and luckily the girls were riding in just that zone.  It is truly a completely different race when you’re out there as a pro.  It can be a lonely bike ride, which is why you see small groups form during the race.  It is amazing how just having  1 or 2 other people in your sights or nearby can make it seem easier.  The headwind was much worse than last year on the far side of the island.  I think it’s a 12 mile stretch, but it felt like FOREVER.  By the 3rd loop there were some serious packs (peleton’s) of men age-groupers catching up, that proved to be extremely annoying, disruptive, and dangerous.  They were riding with no regard what -so-ever to the rules of passing, drafting, or even just general cycling ettiquite.  There was almost no way out of it and at many points I found myself just riding on the far left (oncoming traffic) lane to avoid getting mixed in or knocked off my bike.  Ugh.  Finally an official did show up and threw out plenty of warnings, however I only saw 1 penalty go out.  

Out there on the bike is where I think I started to chip away at my chances for an awesome race.  Between the wind on each lap and trying not to get hit/mixed up with the guys on the last 20 or so miles of the ride I completely ignored nutrition.  I wasn’t used to the gatorade so I wasn’t drinking much, it was windy so the sweat was evaporating quickly, and I just didn’t eat enough calories.  I got off the bike in a deficit, which made for an extremely challenging last leg of the race.  

RUN - 3 times out and back:  I knew I was already in tough shape starting the run, but sometimes I can salvage things.  I pushed all my worries aside, reminded myself it was the last race of the year, and planned to give it all I could.  I left T2 with another pro (girl in red, Celine I think, ended up 4th) and thought “ok, run with her”....this was not a good idea!  Another lesson - stick to YOUR OWN RACE.  Chick went out hard and stubborn me was like ‘Just stick with her, you’ll settle in’.  First mile was ~6:30 and yep, then I knew I needed to not worry about this chica.  Maybe she would die and come back to me :)  After that first one the miles really just got slower and slower as the marathon went.  I was taking everything I could at the aid stations thinking something would get some snap back in my legs, but nothing worked.  I slugged it out, and experienced what it feels like to bonk and cramp during an Ironman.  I don’t wish this upon anyone!!  One false move, or running too fast and one or both quads and/or my right hamstring would just shut down.  Wow, it was tough.  I went through the 2nd loop still in 5th or 6th and knew it would take all the mental and physical gusto I had left to keep a run going for the last loop.  I was on the aid station to aid station plan, which soon turned into the walk the aid station plan, which turned into only walk once between aid station plan.  It was not pretty...and I know it never is toward the end, but this was a new version of the ‘Ironman shuffle’ that I really hope to never do again.  I ran (and walked) a 3:31 giving every single thing I had and managed to hang on for 8th place.  

Overall: 9:27, (swim 0.5mi short), 8th place woman

This race panned out much differently than I thought it would (obviously didn’t envision the run going that way), but I am very happy with how it turned out.  I love racing as much as ever!  There are lessons to learn at each race, and just because it doesn’t go as planned doesn’t mean it isn’t a success.  This was another lesson to me in racing my own race and another true test of mental toughness and motivations for finishing.  When your body wants to give out and stop so bad YOU have to be the one to make it go.  No amount of cheering, support, friends, or anything else can make you go.  The motivation and drive has to come from you.  How bad do YOU want it?  What are YOU racing for?  You need to be so strong in your conviction to complete what you came to do that you can’t be derailed, whether it’s finishing the race before the cutoff, reaching a time goal, or improving in a certain area, fully commit to it.  

ANYHOW!  I am excited for off season and to get back at it for another great year next year.  Huge thanks to everyone for the support throughout this entire year:  Mark (love you), Cliff English Coaching, Timex Multisport Team, Powerbar, Endurance House, Speed Cycling, Computrainer, Rudy Project, Powertap, Peak Performance Massage, and everyone else who had a hand in helping me live my passion.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  

Thanks for reading! 

Florida Train-cation / Racing into shape

After all the fun in Hawaii (2 glorious weeks!) at the beginning of October, I realized it was time to get down to some business to get ready for my last race of the season, Ironman Cozumel.   I love racing, so of course I had to plan some epic training around some races to get motivated!

THE PLAN:  Wisconsin is cold...so I thought it might be nice to get a bit more outdoor training.  I volunteered to drive my grandma down to her winter home in Naples, FL...IF we could detour for a couple days for me to do part of Ironman FL :)  She agreed.  After Panama City Beach, it was a day drive to Naples, a week of training, then Rev3 Florida Half Ironman (just over an hour from grandma's) and I fly home Tuesday.  Sounds good, right??

IRONMAN FL:  I executed my plan of trying to swim hard and just survive the ocean swim (more on this coming), bike hard and try to 'stay in the mix' and run a couple miles.   WELL....I did get dropped from the pack I wanted to swim with, but it was still an ok swim.  I was happy with my starting position and did get out well...I only got dropped really when we had to get out at the end of the first loop, run around a table, and get back in.  This just zapped my energy!  FL Ironman was my first bike under 5 hrs (4:49) and I am happy to report it was competitive w/the other women pro's, which were also fast due to the great conditions!  Another plus is that I felt just fine getting off the bike (maybe a little light on nutrition, but ok).   Props to my friends that raced and fought for some awesome PR's and finished strong!!

Side note on the Ocean Swim:  I get motion sickness and often puke in salt water swims.  I have notoriously had horrible ocean swims (3xKona and Cozumel last year) and really want to fix this!  The only way I can figure is just to do more of them, since I don't actually live by an ocean to train in.

MORE DRIVING:  After Ironman FL, we booked it (9 hr drive the day after the race) to Naples, FL.  I was SPENT and immediately zonked out for 12 hrs when we finally got there!  Anyhow, it was a nice week of some volume, sunshine, swimming outdoors, and flat bike rides.

REV3 Half Ironman Venice, FL:  This was today.  Solid training day and made some monies.  I did have a horrible swim, which sucks.  It just was not going well right from the start....no good explanation, but I think when I got dropped and was swimming solo I was probably swimming just a little crooked here and there :)  Anyhow, it was a solo mission on the bike...really, I only passed a couple people and only got passed by a couple.  TONS of turns and 180 degree turn-arounds which I really don't think are good for me, but I tried to be technical :) I got off in 9th I think and just wanted to finish the thing.  It was getting hot and I forgot my hand-held bottle so I was really noticing the distance between aid stations!  I was using all my normal cues, but I just couldn't muster the normal 1/2 speed that usually comes pretty easy.  Oh well, hung on and even passed a girl in the last mile to take 8th.  Maybe I can just run that speed twice for a full!!  

swim: 29min :/  bike: 2:28  run: 1:30 :/   overall 4:34 (I think)

GOING HOME and MORE!  I am excited to get home for a little bit of normal life :)  I've got 2 days then Mark and I are off to my girl Christine's wedding in Colorado next weekend. Then it's 10 days home before Ironman Cozumel where I get to celebrate a Mexican Thanksgiving for the seconds year in a row.

Thanks for following!!

AND my usual Thanks to my sponsors!! Check them out HERE on my NEW website!!

Huge thanks to Eric Engel for re-doing my site - please consider him if you need an update or site made.

Check out pictures from my travels and follow me on Instagram:  http://instagram.com/jackietrigirl

Lake Placid

This was my first year making the trip out to Ironman Lake Placid (LP) and it did not disappoint. I chose this Ironman not only for the right timing in the season, but also because of all of the great things I’ve heard about it. The drive went relatively quick and was super nice in the Timex Ford Edge. The town of Lake Placid is nestled in the woods, surrounded by the Adirondack Mountains, is extremely welcoming, and seems to Love Ironman!

The weather worked out perfectly for race day. Early race morning, for the first time in LP history, the call was made for a non-wetsuit swim with the water temperature up to 77 degrees F. I ditched the wetsuit for a speedsuit and was ready to go! I had a plan for the swim to take it pretty easy and stay with the front women. With ~40 pro’s at the swim start I thought it would be a fairly gentle swim start, but I was seriously wrong. This was by far the most vicious first 500m I have ever dealt with. It seemed that everyone was out for blood (for some reason) and battling to get into the perfect position. After having to stop a couple times to choke, I decided to put in a little effort to bust out of this crazy battle zone and try and get out in front to connect with the lead group that was pulling away. The effort was a mostly a success and I lead out a chase group for most of the first loop until catching a straggler from the lead group to draft the rest of the way in. The rest of the swim continued pretty steady. I came out on the feet of Heather W with a decent non-wetsuit swim time. 0: 57:20

T1: This was a little messy….When the call was made for a non-wetsuit swim I threw my calf sleeves into my T1 bag since I had never swam with them on. In hindsight, I would probably swim with them since putting on tight calf sleeves on wet legs is incredibly difficult. They went on (finally) and I ran out of there, frustrated that I had been passed in transition, but ready to have a good bike ride. I looked down on the way to my bike, and oh yeah, still had my speed suit around my waist!! Ahhh. Epic transition fail.

My goal for the bike ride was to ride my own race, not go out too hard, and stay on top of nutrition. My biking still needs some work and is not at the level it needs to be to stick with or pass the leaders. Anyhow, even with this in mind I still went out relatively hard knowing Tyler Stewart would eventually pass, but determined not to let anyone else past me. I finished the first loop still in 3^rd place, but was very soon passed and into 4^th. My legs felt ok, not amazing, so I was very worried about the second half of the ride. I saw a couple girls within minutes on those little out and backs on the ride and was riding scared and in damage control the rest of the way. I will be adding more long rides to my training so I can stay with it better those last 20 miles rather than just hanging on. I was still climbing well the last bit into LP, but I was out of power for the flats. I came into T2 in 5^th, not far off 4^th. 5:30

T2: nothing exciting here. Put on some shoes and a visor, shoved a couple things in my pockets, and put on a race belt. Done.

I took off on the run feeling great; not really thinking at the time it was because the first 6 miles are slightly downhill. I was running well, thinking about a high cadence and before long made a pass to move back into 4^th. I worked the rest of the run to stay there and keep up a decent pace. I could have probably used another gel or two on the run to keep the steam a bit higher the last 6 miles or so, but luckily I had enough juice to hang on. 3:22

Overall: 9:56, 4^th woman. I’m happy with my time, staying steady most of the day, and to be able to easily see areas where I can make up more time in the next IM. This placing moved me up in the Kona Pro rankings, but I am still just a few places away from qualifying for Kona this year. I’m not sure if I’ll throw in another IM in hopes of qualifying this year still or just rest up and make a plan for next year….gotta see how recovery goes. Motivation is higher than ever and I can’t wait for my legs to get back to normal and get working on that bike!