OMG…Chrissie Wellington is hysterical…

Chrissie’s Blog about Timberman 2008

30th Anniversary of Ironman? I didn't know...

Greg sent me a link to an article from one of the original Ironman athletes Henry Forrest...it's a great read... I'll recap the best part...the part I can relate most to:

"I didn’t get to pick up speed as I neared the transition area as I did during the swim. My legs just wouldn’t pedal any faster. I got off the bike, and my support crew was there. Some of the race officials were there too. “You’re doing great. Keep going. Looking good,” they were saying. “Yeah, right,” I thought. I felt like death sucking on a life saver. I didn’t think I had ever been that tired before. But I didn’t have to bike any more. Now I could run. But something was wrong with my legs! They didn’t want to run. They couldn’t run. They had been pedaling for so long and were so used to moving in circles that they still wanted to pedal. Had I ruined my legs? I was afraid that if I looked as uncoordinated as I felt, people would be “cracking up” watching it. It was a horrible feeling, but after a mile or so, it started to fade away. I realized I was getting my pace back. My stride was good."

I'll write more later on how we've actually been a part of the Ironman Revisted Race (if you click on results, look at the last name of the first individual) we got to walk in the shoes of the orginal athletes...very, very cool experience!

My opinion of fate...

...I stepped on my scale this morning (12 days out from IM) and it didn't read anything. Nothing. Blank screen. Maybe it's trying to tell me something?

Ironman was also created to teach us things about ourselves and others...

I have learned a LOT about sport, competition and most importantly about myself during IM training.

IM is not a race, it’s an experience.

IM is not about beating other people; it’s about conquering the demons in your head and racing against yourself.

IM training has taught me patience. It takes a patient person to start slow and build an effort throughout the day to end on a high note- this has been hard for me.

IM training has also taught me there are boundaries you can push and others that you shouldn’t but finding that "place" is what it is all about. Sometimes breaking through a "wall" allows you to find that place but getting past it is oh so rewarding.

IM training is lonely. I’ve spent so many hours having internal conversations with myself in the water, on the bike and during runs. I never thought I had so much to say to myself! Greg put it best after our first RR, when I got back to the car he said “me and my bike have nothing left to say to each other…after six hours there is just nothing left to say” I agree with him.

IM training is expensive. ‘Nuff said.

IM training makes you slow. Not in a negative way, but in a way that seems to zap all speed you thought you had and give you the ability to go forever at a slower pace. Patience comes back into play here.

IM training can be cruel on your body. There are parts of my body screaming for me to stop when other parts are screaming hey- we just got started don’t stop now…it’s the angel/devil syndrome and I fight it everyday.

IM has taught me there are a lot of bad drivers out there.

IM training has allowed me to meet some incredible people. I have enjoyed so many new friends this season, it's a blessing to be surrounded by such well rounded athletic people.

IM training has taught me there are a lot of hard working competitors out there training their hearts out to cross a line in the road...that line means the world to us…as will the words “YOU are an Ironman” as we cross that painted line.

IM training has allowed me to see to many different towns that I otherwise would never have driven to or around, it’s a great way to explore.

IM training takes a lot of planning. I’m teetering on Type-A these days.

IM training takes priority over a lot of other activities; it becomes a way of life. Embrace it or hate it- you made the decision to sign up for it!

IM training has taught me that if you put your mind to it, you can do more than you ever thought possible of yourself. Take a chance, you might be surprised what you’re capable of.

I’m sure I’ve learned more... but as I start to taper I began to reflect back on all my hard work I thought I would take a few moments to write down some of my lessons learned...I'm sure there will be more after race day!

IM WI RR#2 and Happy Anniversary to us :)

8/23/08 First and foremost our anniversary, not just any anniversary but our FIVE year anniversary! Time flies when we're having fun!!

This date stuck out in my august schedule not just because it was our anniversary but because it was our second (and final) race rehearsal for IM WI (which is exactly two weeks from today! Ek!)

Ok, since RR#1 (8/2/08) I have done a couple things differently- here goes:

• Changed Cassette to 12/27 (from 12/25) gave me an "Extra" gear on the hills so I can take the hills a little easier
  
• I moved my seat up and hoods down (less aero, more comfortable) I'm still having saddle discomfort so this was a solution, only problem is it changed all my power numbers (they went up) and with the ergomo issues I've already had (see previous posts) this didn't help. I'll explain more later.
• Stopped riding with socks
• Added a caffeine gel in on the bike
• Ate more breakfast the morning of

Ok, quick ergomo issues- bad ergomo #1 through mid-July. Got replacement ergomo #2 (great!) well, computer on ergomo #2 hasn't been holding a charge (so it dies in the middle of rides) went back to FitWerx (great store if you're looking for terrific service!) and Marty gave me back my old computer head from ergomo #1 (he still had it, in that unit it was the bottom bracket that was a problem!) So I used BB from ergomo #2 and computer from ergomo #1. Perfect combo- EXCEPT- my terrific husband helped me set up computer #1 with all the numbers from my BB#2 (confused yet?) and the numbers didn't get saved :*( So for all you ergomo users my k-factor was wrong (set at 245, should have been 179..do the math, my watts were WAY HIGH) and I didn't realize this until about hours 2-3 (thinking to myself, I'm riding really high numbers...ergomo is messed up here we go again and I started riding by RPE, great practice.)
So I rode blind (again!) but at post-race lunch at Panera bread Greg and I figured all this out and with a slight adjustment on Computer #1, I *should* be good to go for IM WI. I think I've had enough of the ergomo issues, jeesh!

Swim RR- 2.4mi (two 1.2mi loops) (friday night) Super relaxed, similar pacing I was either a little faster on loop #1 or went a tad shorter/straighter!)
RR#2 TOTAL SWIM TIME: 1:14:45 (loop #1: 36:45, loop #2: 38:00)
RR#1 TOTAL SWIM TIME: 1:17:45 (loop #1: 38:45, loop #2: 39:00)

Bike/Run RR- 112mi bike (2 loops @42mi/loop + 1 28mi loop) + 6mi run
Same EXACT course as RR#1, only variations were in the road surfaces, there are a couple roads on this course that are in BAD shape! And to have to ride them 3x really hurts! Well, add in two other roads that were good on RR#1 that are now being ripped up/paved, etc...it was a nightmare. Steel plates in the roads, gravels trenches across the roads, etc. I've never bunny hopped so much in my life! So stop signs, railroad tracks, construction, etc...made for a very hard day! But I digress...same course, similar weather conditions made for a GREAT basis for comparison.

RR#2 TOTAL BIKE TIME: 6:35:30 (see hourly splits below)
RR#1 TOTAL BIKE TIME: 6:29:05 (see hourly splits below)

Loop #1- I was *supposed* to try to hold 155w for the first hour (based on latest higher FTP number) I was having a hard time staying that low (especially on hills) so I did what I could to "take it easy" and keep power numbers down...hour #2 I was *supposed* to get up to 165w but again was realizing it was really hard to go that easy...I did what I could but with so many hills though these miles, I was VERY hard.
By the time I was making my way back to the car I was realizing my watts were crazy high and I was way high on my goal watts....assuming ergomo was acting up again, I decided from here on out I would "wing it" old-skool....RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort)

Loop #1- H20 only first 30min then a bottle of Infinit (420cals)+ 2 Bloks at 1:30 and 36oz of water. 1/2 Odwalla Bar at 2:30

Loop #2- Was riding along with no issues when boom- hit a big bump (par for the course) I reached back to push down bottle in rear hydration system (common after a large bump) and the whole bottle and support was loose...weird. I pulled over and WHOA, my rear hydration unit had sheared apart (a Beaker Concepts H.5, the "Aircraft Grade Aluminum" sheared right off) so it was flapping in the wind. I called Greg (a few miles ahead of me) and he came back to me (almost getting killed in front of my eyes pulling a U-turn in front of a car to get to me, can't you see it on the news "wife watches husband get hit by car on their 5 year anniversary"!! Ugh, anyway) he had some tape on his bike and I had a rubberband and we secured it (so it wouldn't break completely and drop on my back tire and send me flying) Why not take it OFF you ask? Well, not only do you need an Allen Wrench, but also needle-nose pliers (do YOU carry those in your saddle bag? Me neither! I did what I could do!)
After that debacle, loop #2 was uneventful.

Loop #2- a bottle of Infinit (420cals)+ 2 Bloks at 1:30 and 36oz of water. Caffeine gel at 4:30 and 1/2 Odwalla Bar at 5:00.

Loop#3- I was ready to be off my bike, the roads were so bumpy I was going numb in my saddle area and arms (from being in aero) I felt like I was riding on top of a washing machine on the spin cycle...I shifted so much during the day, my right forearm muscle was hurting!! Weird!

Loop #3- a bottle of Infinit (420cals)and 20oz of water. Some Gatorade at "t2"

RR#2 TOTAL RUN TIME: 56:48 (see splits below)
RR#1 TOTAL RUNTIME: 55:48 (see splits below)

Run felt great- intentionally tried to go slower than last RR weather was a little warmer tahn last time (last time was about to run so sun had gone down and it was cloudy) nothing but sun this time so HR seemed a tad higher....wanted to run more like 9:45s, not 9:15s Mile 1- 2 oz gatorade, Mile 2- 2oz of gatorade, Mile 3- 2oz of gatorade, Mile 4-2oz of gatorade Mile 5- 2oz of gatorade-TOTAL RUN 56:48 (see splits below)

Race Rehearsal	#2 (8/23/08)	#1 (8/2/08)
Swim Total Time (2.4mi)	1:14:45	1:17:45
Lap #1 (1.2mi)	36:45:00	38:45:00
Lap #2 (1.2mi)	38:00:00	39:00:00
Bike Total Time (112mi)	6:35:30 (.66IF)	6:29:05 (.72IF)
Hour #1	15.513 mi (.57IF)	15.765mi (.647IF)
Hour #2	16.622 mi (.67IF)	16.446mi (.746IF)
Hour #3	18.012 mi (.64IF)	18.713 mi (.728IF)
Hour #4	15.91 mi (.67IF)	16.535 mi (.754IF)
Hour #5	17.898 mi (.68IF)	*17.883 mi (.791IF)
Hour #6	*17.064 mi (.70IF)	17.456 mi (.722IF)
Last ~30mins	11.285 mi (.68IF)	9.542 mi (.631IF)
Run Total Time (6mi)	56:48:00	55:48:00
Mile #1	9:39/mile,151avgHR	9:38/mile,148avgHR
Mile #2	9:26/mile,156avgHR	9:09/mile,153avgHR
Mile #3	9:40/mile,158avgHR	9:09/mile,154avgHR
Mile #4	9:43/mile,159avgHR	9:14/mile,155avgHR
Mile #5	9:32/mile, 161avgHR	9:30/mile,158avgHR
Mile #6	8:47/mile,163avgHR	8:45/mile,162avgHR

*Indicates highest power hour...one goal was to move this power higher to the end of my ride, I was closer but still not quite at the end of my ride, I'm happy I worked harder at the end, though!

What I will take away from this RR-

• FIX Ergomo issues, ASAP...jeesh! Or at least if I need to ride at RPE I know I'm capable and consistent (variable above are due to terrain!)
• Get new rear hydration system :P Or figure out is I can do without on race day.
• Start run as slow as possible, I really can't go too slow...
• The race starts at mile 18 of the run, take it easy until then!

I'm pretty happy with how consistent I am with power and rpe, also on the run... fairly consistent splits and effort level.

Final FTT before IM WI...crazy numbers, no data and I HATE Ergomos

Had my final FTT before IMWI, and ergomo read 244w NPower watts previous test 3-4weeks ago was 205w and for what it's worth, I was getting 222w FTP on the indoor trainer in the spring.

Let me explain- my ergomo has been on the fritz (again!) this time not holding a battery charge (I'm ready to throw it out the window, but that's another story) but it read full battery last night (after dying on Saturday and Monday's rides..go figure) but the past couple rides I was having a hard time getting comfortable on my saddle again (too many issues, I know!) but on Saturday I rode the Timberman course and stopped a couple times and raised my saddle a tiny bit to get me in a more comfortable position. It worked, but the pressure was still there on my saddle. Ergomo died. Not a great day.

Rode again Monday (giving myself a day in between for saddle discomfort reasons) and before I rode I flipped my stem to raise my hoods a little (a little less aero, but a lot less pressure on my saddle area) and my ergomo died 10mins into the ride (it sucks) but in the time I did have the numbers, I was noticed I had significantly more power (like 250 working hard, and 180 going easy)

Hmm..So, I was curious to rest last night...ergomo did not die (hallelujah!) BUT it wouldn't upload the data after wards (still sucks) so all I have is what my screen read which was
:42min
15.85 miles
241avg power
244 NPower
22.6mph
85TSS
1.1+IF
avg HR 168 (max 175) I noticed it was 170 mostly during the 40mins hard and got down to 152 on the 2min recovery.

So thank GOD I paid attention (and only used my ergomo for the set in fear of it dying on me!) SO I read the data and remembered it. Now I'm in a quandary about Saturday's RR...I assume I should use the #'s from last night (even though they are grossly high from previous RR???) I can only assume my saddle height and hood location are to blame???

Oh, and my two favorite things...

G and SOFT SERVE!!! We couldn't go up to Timberman without stopping at the RD's family business for some soft serve (my favorite) I could only put down a "kiddie" cone (with sprinkles!) but my man can handle a small...look at that thing! Imagine a LARGE?