So many thoughts running through my head right now. So many things to say. Some of them not appropriate for this audience as I know it would likely be retold. Others are 100% pertinent, but not what I want to write about right now.

I basically just don't want to be at work right now. It's a gorgeous Friday afternoon. Big plans tonight, birthday party for Ali and then hanging out with M.A. later on.  Can't wait to see him again.

Oh, lesson learned last night though. Eating Thai food before running intervals is not wise.  I had lunch around noon and then finished my yummy leftovers around three- so when I ran a little after five, I wasn't totally digested. Uuuuuughhhhh.

:)

Smiling with giddiness. That's all right now!

Bri's First Olympic

I feel like I should have a doll made to commemorate this upcoming day! I went ahead and registered for an Olympic distance triathlon in September in Lake Stevens. I can't even begin to describe how excited I am for this- my first time at this distance. Yup, I've done the other three- varying stages of sprint, a 70.3 and a 140.6. Somehow this distance (I think it would be a 31.1??) I've always passed up. So, a .9 mile swim, 24 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run (I've also never done a 10k).  I'm not setting any lofty goals for this - an easy three hours should do it.
Broken down,
.9 mi swim = approx 30 min
24 mi bike= approx 80 min
6.2 mi run = approx 60 min
total time: 2:50

I think that's reasonable since it's only seven weeks away, yikes! I have a couple sprint distances I want to do between now and then too. New courses, time for a challenge :)

trail run

I'll never understand why people go trail running and wear headphones.  I personally have never found more enjoyment and solitude in running through the woods by myself hearing every footstep land, cracking twigs, slapping rocks and tripping over roots. Listening to birds flitting about in the trees and imaging what kind of little woodland creature I've frightened with my gasping breath as I pass by and hear them scampering off.  I had a great run this morning. It's hot here again- around 80 already when I returned at noon- and in the woods there's not really a breeze and it's muggy- I didn't take water. I never take anything with me when I run out there except my Garmin. And even then sometimes I wish I didn't- but I could find myself out there for hours and I really should keep track of time and distance since trying to guess at either out there would be a huge failure.

I saw a horse today. Completely unexpected. I know people ride out there since there's frequently large piles left in the middle of the trail by them- haha poor mountain bikers! But I found myself semi-lost today (it's impossible to actually get lost at these trails since there's so many intersections, I think the furthest with out a trail marker is .8 miles) but I turned left instead of right or something and went on a a different trail than I tried to plan.  A ways out there I come around a corner to see a huge horse just yards away.  Of course I stepped off the trail quickly so I wouldn't spook it and so the rider could pass easily. The horse could have cared less that I was only feet from it as it passed and ther rider wished me a good run. I forget how HUGE those animals are! And magnificent. 

And as I left the trail, I saw a snake. This time alive and slithering across the path- I narrowly missed it with my right foot but amazingly it didn't seem to bother me that much. Within minutes it was out of my mind. Progress.

VFF!

So, I did my first run tonight in my new VFF's. And I love them! My left quad and calf muscle are still pretty tight and sore from sunday's hike so I had to take it easy- which was a good thing! I only did 1.25 miles but I think it was a good break-in run. So excited!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

i'll admit it....

.... I like The Bachelorette.  Sad, but true. And I'm also in love with Chris and Ali needs to get rid of him so I can trek to MA and find him for myself.  Ok kidding, they are super cute together. But I also love her with Roberto. Frank on the other hand, I've wanted her to get rid of him for weeks. And tonight cemented that. My roomie is playing soccer right now but I sent her an update text. She'd better be home soon!!!!

Hiking. Oh, we went hiking yesterday. I haven't been hiking in a long time. But I'd done the first half of the route we chose.  Yeah, the first half- nothing like the rest.  It wound up being about 8 miles round trip, including the side trip to the waterfalls- totally worth it. The main trail is 3.7 miles and about 2500 feet elevation change. I should have known when the guide book called it "Difficult" I would be hurting.  Luckily I didn't actually read the trail description or I might not have gone!! Anyway, it was beautiful. Gorgeous and strenuous and I am SORE today. My calves and quads are killing me. But, as I said, totally worth it.  Although I've never been so aware of my calves before when swimming like I was tonight.

Oh, Bachelorette is back on... must go glare at Frank now. And stupid ugly Nicole.

i got some new shoes!!!

Hooray! I did it. After riding a mountain bike from Kenmore to downtown Seattle for "The Bite" today, Joram and I stopped by REI and I picked up some VFF's! Yes, you heard me right, I got the glove toe running shoes! KSOs.  And I think I will love them!

However, I did not 'love' riding to Seattle on my roommates unfamiliar bike. She's about five inches shorter than me so the frame is a little small, and I haven't ridden a bike and not been clipped into the pedals in over four years so that was an adventure. Got the hang of it and did pretty well though- 34 miles round trip. And lots of eating in between. Fish taco, fried mac 'n cheese, roasted corn, Thai iced tea, split a funnel cake... yay for food!

Getting up early tomorrow to go on a hike with Joram and a couple of his friends.  I've done part of this hike before and it is beautiful! Can't wait!

barefoot running?

I've been reading a lot over the years and especially lately about barefoot running.  Joram showed me be the Vibram Five Finger running shoes awhile back and now I'm seeing or hearing about them everywhere.  And I must admit- I'm totally intrigued!  I'm considering getting a pair to wear for the rest of the summer and into the fall since I'll probably need new running shoes soon anyway. I've been noticing my feet are cramping more than they used to and blistering a lot too. I'm wondering if it has to do with my shoes even though I wear several different brands and styles to help mix it up.  Running... one of the simplest and purist forms of exercise has gotten so complicated!

I need to run more...

There it is. Plain and simple. I need to run more- with more quality. I also need to bike and swim more with more focused workouts. I was out riding last night and I passed a couple guys that I could tell did not like being passed by a girl. So, of course they passed me right back. Naturally I decided to hang on and make them work to keep that pass. Not close enough to draft, but close enough that if they lost focus for even a second I'd go sailing by. It was lovely!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

it's too hot!

I'm so glad I'm still in recovery. Summer has come to Seattle. We've getting get our standard week in July when the temps hit the high 80's and into the 90's.  It's hard to motivate, it's hard to work out. But it's enjoyable to spend time with friends.

However, beginning tomorrow- it's back to the training.  I'm looking at the Federal Escape at the end of the month. Last year I took first in my age group and third overall.  I'm not expecting a finish quite as spectacular, but I'd still like to do well. 

i wish...

I wish I was funny. Like really funny, all the time. Always with something witty and relevant to say. But, alas, I am not. Sure, I'm funny enough. And depending on who you are, you'll get to see different levels of my funny.  I'm constantly cracking up my family since I'm so comfortable around them I just blurt things out. My friends- depends on their sense of humor- and how much I'm really feeling them at that point they know I'm relatively funny. A guy I dated once. He thought I was funny enough. It usually took him off guard though. He commented once "I never noticed how funny you are!" Nice. I should have known then it was doomed. Just like the time I got pooped on by a bird at dinner outside in Kirkland, and then the guy broke up with me on a boat the next day. These are signs that I shouldn't ignore.

Anyway, I wish I was funny. I think I'm pretty funny. Unfortunately, most of my funny/witty thoughts come to me while I'm working out/training.  Joram has been the recipient of strange comments "I no longer fear the pain of childbirth because of Ironman" I didnt' even remember saying that until I saw he had quoted me on his blog. (Shout out to Nine Minutes on Tumblr)  And living with me for two years he saw it all. There's actually a picture of me with my head in a mixing bowl, licking every last drop.  Yup, that guy probably has some good blackmail on me. 

But rarely do I make people laugh out loud. Like really laugh. However, I can recall several times that I've made myself laugh so hard while running or riding that I've nearly fallen off my bike, or gotten so out of breath running that I had to stop.

I was thinking about this today while riding. I also have the best ideas to blog about while I'm riding.  I wish I could take notes! Today I was thinking about the snake I saw the other day while I out running. Shivers just thinking about it. Even though it was only about six or eight inches long- and I think it was dead- I jumped over it like it was a rattler.  Anyway,  I was thinking about how I needed to start keeping track of the snakes I see because it seems like there's more than there used to be and wouldn't you know it, in the middle of the road another snake. Dead. I still let out a frightened squeal and peddled away quickly. This one was over a foot long and black and red. Shivers again thinking about it.   About  a mile down the road I decided that I'm going to wear my swim lap counter on a ride one day (little tiny finger watch) and count the roadkill. And since the timer keeps going, I'll get an average of about how many minutes there is between dead creatures on the road.  Okay, maybe I won't do that. It seems kind of morbid. And just plain gross.

How did I get from wanting to be funny, to thinking about counting roadkill? I need more sleep! It's supposed to be 93 tomorrow. That's crazy hot in Seattle!

How it all went down

Oh Ironman. You are an evil tortuous wonderful thing. I loathe and crave you at the same time.  I try to stay away and then I find myself checking registration status and contemplating the amount of cash I could drop into this race year after year.

The race was Sunday June 27. I took off from work the 23-28.  On Wednesday, I spent the day packing, unpacking, re-packing, doing laundry, checking lists, checking gear etc.  Thursday morning I met my sister for the long drive. My mom was kind enough to meet me at I-90 so I didn't have to double back. Little Lilly and my sister were going to drive over with me, and then the rest of the family would come over on Friday.

Thursday we got into town and I checked in. And then checked out the water. Gulp. Wow, that was choppy. But not too cold. Got  a little swim, ride and run in and then we headed back to WA to get dinner and relax. Sadly, our hotel was back across the WA/ID border (about 22 miles from the race).

Friday morning, we were up pretty early and back to the course for another swim. Yup, even choppier.  My nerves start building as I see that the forecast has the temperature going up every time I looked at it. Great, we've hit 70 in the Pacific Northwest once this year and now it's supposed to be 82 on race day.  Wendi, Lilly and I headed back to the hotel to wait for the rest of the family to arrive. 

Since we had a little time to kill before we headed back to Idaho for my meeting we took the girls to the pool. Lilly was fearless. I guess at 22 months you just have no idea! Emily (who just turned 4) was a little more weary of it. She had the death grip around my neck but didn't want to get out. So cute!

Saturday, we were up early but dawdled around the hotel before going back to Idaho for the family to check out the race course and see where I'd be spending up to 17 hours on Sunday.  My aunt thought the bike course was nuts. All the switchbacks and hills.  Yup, it's not a super easy course by any means.

Sunday. Race Day.  I woke up about 3:30am, without nerves!  I was even able to eat two bowls of oatmeal and a banana without wanting to throw up.  At 5am, we all left and made the journey back to ID. We found great parking and headed to the course.  I put my  bottles on my bike and checked the tires, checked my Transition bags and dropped off my special needs bags.  After a short wait in the port-a-potty line I found my supporters. All 12 of them! They looked great in their "Bri's Bunch" shirts. I love my family and friends.  Half hour to race start and I wasn't nervous! The water was flat!

The pros started and I headed down to the water's edge chatting with other athletes here and there, helping zip wetsuits etc.  And then- 7am! The cannon goes off and I forgot my plan of waiting a few seconds and there I went, running into the water. Calm, cool and collected.

However, that all change a couple hundred meters out. Battling the men, who will just repeatedly punch  you in the back of the head instead of trying to actually get around you, the waves picked up (wind and boats) and kept throwing me off course. Around the second buoy, it basically turned into a mosh pit. We all stopped moving. There was yelling, swearing and pushing. I never did figure out what the hold up was, and I didnt' care. At this point. both my calves and my right hamstring were cramping. Great. 

The swim went pretty smoothly overall. A little slower than I'd hoped- 1:27- but a decent time nonetheless. Smoothly through transition and sunscreen (next time I will spend more time getting lathered!!) And onto the bike.  My cheerleaders were at the T1 exit and calling my name from all directions. Needless to say, I was pumped!!!

My focus on the bike was to ride steady and not push myself too much.  It was pretty uneventful, but I took about 30 minute off from my previous race time.

However, the run loomed ahead of me.  The RUN. How would this go? I felt better than I did last time, and I was just over half an hour ahead of my previous time so I knew I could do this under 15 hours without a problem.  I put it into my head to just enjoy it, not stress too much, stay hydrated and meet people.  I chatted with a bunch of other Ironman and around mile 9 or 10, I met Stewart. We just happened along at the same pace and started chatting.  This was his first Ironman. A police officer from Southern Cali with 9 year old twin boys.  I'm not sure when it happened but we suddenly had a bond and unspoken decision that we would get each other to the finish line. At one point he said he didn't think he had any running left in him. I told him I had faith.  And he did. Then when my legs started cramping again he slowed his pace back to a walk for me and waited patiently when I had to stop and put on a band-aid.  We definitely needed each other.  As we made the final turn to the finish line- just a few blocks to go- we stepped it up and ran all the way down Sherman Ave. Amongst the crowds lining the street we were high fiving, high stepping, cheering for ourselves, thanking the people who kept us motivated. We passed under the arch and into the final few meters the bright lights and music and yelling overwhelming. I couldn't even hear my family in the front row- on the other side of the stands! Stewart and I crossed the line together with arms overhead in victory and huge smiles on our faces. 

My "catcher" Miguel had just done a spring Ironman and is doing Kentucky shortly. He was incredible, what an amazing smile and so happy for me. He kept asking me how I felt, telling me I looked great, that I should be proud of myself etc. Very cool volunteer.  I grabbed some pizza and found my family. Jacque brought me cake, flowers and balloon.  Damn, the frosting on that cake was good.  We all hung out near the lake while I got my wits back about me (after being escorted to the bathroom- my big sister is awesome!)  After a bit, we gathered up my bike and Transition bags and made the walk back to the car. This time, I wasn't driving back to the hotel.  The back seat of my car is actually super comfortable!

At the hotel, I was not ready for bed. I packed up my gear and finally convinced myself to take a cold shower. Oh, the sunburn. The pain.  Basically I just washed my hair and splashed soapy water at myself.  I finally made it to bed around 1am.  Only to wake up around 3:00 when the crisp sheets touched my blazing red arms.  And then every half hour or so until I finally woke up at 7 and stole my niece for breakfast.   How was I the first one up?? Sheesh. There's something wrong with me.

Anyway, we finally all went back to CDA to get the rest of my gear and check out the merchandise tent and eat again!  Mmmmm Q'doba!

By late Monday I was already thinking about registering for next year.  :)

Oh Canada!

I really need to give a run-down of Ironman #2, but I'm still basking in the glow around the office. (Found my pics on the website and I'm smiling in all of them- I'm officially insane!).

Heading to Vancouver, BC this weekend to run a relay! I've never done that before. It's a really short relay, only 16k and four people. However, we couldn't find a fourth so one guy is running the third and fourth legs. I'm running first. The flattest, shortest part!  :)  No way was I going to let the guys trick me into running up the side of a mountain only a week after Ironman!

I'm also thinking about a supersprint tri on July 11.  I love this race. I usually do the sprint, but I'd like to take it easy still (and actually have a shot at winning the entire thing. hehe.)