Training the winter away!

Well here goes, I am becoming a real blogger! I have in the past shared some thoughts and experience on my myspace and facebook pages, but I now feel like I am in the right place to really share.

I am in the process of training for my first Ironman triathlon. I was lucky enough this past summer to randomly meet some awesome new friends who have the same passion for the sport of triathlon as I do. A few of them are accomplished in the arena of the Ironman Triathlon, but my friend Christina like me, has not. Needless to say I am very excited to have someone to share the experience with. While our major goal is the same, it is looking like we will be getting there in our own ways. She is able to be a part of a training club that I am hoping to be able to join by summer, so as you may have gathered, for now I am my own coach! Scary, but with the people and books I have access to, I feel I will be able to do it.

Ironman is not the first major athletic goal I have ever set for myself. I have been in sports since I was 13. I ran cross country and track and played basketball. Before I joined the cross country team and really found out how much I loved to run, the plan was to use the sport to get ready for basketball season....little did I know! Back in those days I remember track workouts that I thought would kill me and I will admitt Coach Gilmans workouts brought me to tears at least once. (800 ladders...if you know what those are, then you understand.) Cross Country never brought out the tears, but it still made me strong. Eventually Basketball fell by the wayside and my sister Lisa know longer had to worry about me taking her titles, (not that she was likely all that worried about me taking them anyway!)

In preperations for my second year of running cross country I ran over 100 miles in one summer. I was so proud, I really thought that was something. While I'm not running 100 miles a week, I know that I am doing it much faster than three months. But hey, I was 14, running 2 miles most days was a big deal, plus I did it on my own with out any prodding from my coach, teammates, or family. It was just too bad that I didn't understand how training works cause that season in Cross Country I peaked about a month into the season, which is not a good thing. But alas I stuck with it and did the best I could. I guess I did ok, I believe I was the number one varsity girl runner nearly that whole season. Good times, good times.

Jumping forward, believe it or not, there were a few years of my life where running wasn't a part of my life, at least not on a regular basis. I have a few excuses, such as the foot surgeries I had when I was 18. That knocked me out for a while. In my early 20's, I worked at a health club and while I was more into spinning at the time, I would run from time to time. I guess I would say I started to wear out the running shoes again when I was 29. I had finally (sort of) won the battle of the bulge by working out religously using an in home work out system called The Firm. I still highly recommend it, yes it is the one that advertised "the fanny lifter" and it worked ;) So I was in great shape and had a good friend I worked with at the time who had done a team triathlon (where three people work in a relay team, each person doing one event). I picked his brain about what it takes to do a triathlon, and before I knew it I was signing up for my first triathlon. I picked the Square Lake triathlon in Still Water MN. I almost signed up for the long course (which is a half iron distance), but the more I thought about it, I decided that maybe I should start with a short course, so I did. I want to say I had about two months to get ready. All I had at the time was a mountain bike, a decent swim suit and my asics. I have always loved the water, but never considered myself a great swimmer. So I found myself a place to swim at the pool at the U of M, with the occasional swim in Lake Calhoun (gross I know, but I had to get used to 'live water'). I began biking about everywhere I went, including work which I know my friend/ managers Jenny and Lisa loved espcailly when I was cutting it close to being late for my shift and would show up a hot sweaty mess. I was sent to the cooler to chill out more than once ;) Being an expreinced runner, I didn't focus on running all that much, but I did make sure to run at least 3 days a week.

So finally it was time for my first triathlon. I hardly slept the night before and got to the race site before the sun was up or the markers where in the water. I was so excited. As the race was set to begin and we all lined up on the beach I was just hoping to get through the half mile swim. I knew once I survived that, I would at least live through the rest to see the finish line. Obviously I did survive the swim, made it through my first transition to the bike. I always smile when I see people in tri's on their mountain bikes. That was all I had for my first couple of races, and it worked. I finished the 18 mile bike course and was off to the 5 mile run. I had heard about these things called brick workouts to get your legs used to going from biking to running, I had done a few, but not well enough to get a real idea of what actually happens during that transition. It isn't anything all that bad if you don't mind running on what feels like jello for up to a quarter mile. My legs recovered, I had a great run and crossed the finish line with a smile on my face. My first thoughts upon crossing the finish line were "that was so fun, I can't wait to do it again", which I am guessing is not the response 9 out of 10 people would have to doing a triathlon.

So now it is 3 plus years since that first triathlon. I several more under my race belt since then, each with their own exciting stories, such as my front tire popping off during T2 (bike to run) of my 3rd tri. I wasn't so good at the quick release tires on my new to me road bike at the time. The tire didn't roll away so I simply didn't worry about it and got myself on the run course. Since that first triathlon, I have finished my first two marathons. I knew I was going to do an Ironman one day and thought I better be sure I could handle a marathon first. Turns out I can, so there will be more of those in my future as well.

As for my training for the Madison Ironman 2010, I am indoors right now. I am on my second full week, I started just after the start of the year, but had to take a week off to deal with strep throat. Thank god for antibiotics! I am still needing to get my workouts planned a bit better. I am keeping it basic right now and am aiming to do 3 to 4 workouts per sport per week with two quality workouts in each sport each week.I got this plan from a triathlon book I picked up a while a go called SWIM BIKE RUN. The authors/athletes suggest spending about 19 hours a week training. Right now I would say I am getting at least 12 to 13 in. I am certain that as time goes on and my enduracne builds and I remember to bring sports nutrition with me to the gym I will be hitting those 19 hours. I am getting more and more used to the saddle(seat) on the spinning bikes, and am able to keep at it for two hours at a time without being sore. Hopefully that will translate when it is time to get back on Baby (my road bike). In addition to spending a lot of time in the spinning room I am doing my part to wear out the belt on a treadmill or two along with claiming my spot in the pool. I may not be the fastest swimmer in the pool but I can certainly outlast most anyone in the pool with me. For now my big motivators are getting my first tatoo once I have earned the title of Ironman and being able to keep up with Christina and the gang once we are hitting the hills in Still Water again this spring and summer!

Well I guess this is enough for my first entry. Keep those cowbells ringing!

Katie :)