Going into taper I was looking forward to spending more time with my family & catching up on sleep. I kept waiting for that feel good feeling & more energy, but truth is that it never really came. I felt tired, lethargic, sore, heavy, & hungry all the time. I was eating everything in sight, so much so that I was weighing myself to make sure I was not gaining weight, I wasn't. I told coach Jen my concerns & she said that is how I am supposed to feel & stop weighing myself it will only make me crazy. She was right, it was making me nuts so I stopped. The last 3 week leading up to the ironman I was getting a massage a week form my friend Bernie, a massage student & accomplished triathlete. He played a major roll in getting my muscles race ready & helping me relax physically & mentally for one of the biggest days of my life. I can't thank you enough Bernie. I was so excited to leave for Louisville that I started packing on Monday to leave on Thursday. I even made Todd pack early so once he came home from apprentice school we could hit the road. Luckily he was able to get Friday off of school or it could have been an issue. I just wanted to get to Louisville to soak it all up!
THURSDAY~ I woke up early & made breakfast, eggs on sandwich thin with spinach & avocado, and yogurt & granola. Eva & i enjoyed our meal & while we waited for the rain to stop I finished packing things up & finally headed to the gym for my swim & bike ride since the rain was not stopping. After my quick workout I brought Eva to my in laws where her & Shane are staying for the next few days. She was very excited to go & without a doubt will be spoiled all weekend, isn't that what grandparents are for?! Once Todd came home we headed out & made one last stop to pickup a favorite dish of chicken & lemon rice for me & a pizza for Todd from a local restaurant before tackling the 5 hour drive to Louisville. They are 1 hour ahead so it was late when we arrived to our hotel. Not surprising but we were hungry again so went down to the hotel restaurant for some grub. I had a chicken & apple salad & cornbread....YUM! We stayed at the Hyatt which was just half a block from the ironman finish line on fourth street live. Fourth street live was like a little mini Vegas with all the lights, bars, & music. I wish I could stay and party but it was way past my bedtime.
FRIDAY~ slept in today till 8:30am! No workouts scheduled for today....yay! It was time to really start carb loading, so we were on a mission to find FOOD! We ended up at a place called Dish on toast & it was real southern home cooking deliciousness. I had a massive breakfast complete with eggs, pancakes, toast, bacon, hash browns, grits, orange juice, & coffee. Next was athlete check-in, I ran into some tri smart peeps & solidified our dinner plans. While waiting in line I was able to see the pro panel that included Kate Bevilaqua (IMLOU winner) & Nina Kraft who all i think about when i hear her name is how she was banned from racing for 2 years for doping. I think if you are a cheater you should be banned for life, just like Lance. Ok, enough of that rant, I got my ironman backpack with all 5 of my race bags & other goodies. Todd & I browsed the expo & picked up some items I needed & ran into some more friends. How exciting to have so many people there that I know. Recently my foot was hurting more than normal, to be honest it was feeling so good that i did a few runs without taping it like i usually do, turned out to be a big mistake. i visited the ART therapists to see if they could help me. They did some work on it & taped it for me but it still hurt. I was just praying it felt better on Sunday. It was once again time to eat....this time in the heart of fourth street live. We found a cool sports bar with stools outside & a restaurant & bowling alley inside. We had some very tasty pretzel bread sticks & chicken wraps. With full bellies we went back to catch a nap before dinner with my team at 5pm. Dinner was at the Old spaghetti factory since I am carb loading it was more of the same, pizza bread, & chicken penne pasta with a small side salad. After dinner we all walked over to the "mandatory" athlete meeting & agreed to meet up for our pre-race swim, bike, run tomorrow morning at 9am. I was hoping for a great night of sleep but my noisy neighbors kept me up till almost 3am....not good.
SATURDAY~ Surprisingly I woke up feeling good on such little sleep. I had my morning coffee some yogurt & granola & a banana and headed to the Ohio River for a little workout. I met my team & prayed the river was not as disgusting as I thought. It actually turned out to be fine, it was a little merkey and warm but did not taste bad. I always put water in my mouth.....anyway, it was a short 10 minute swim followed by a 20 minute bike, & a 10 minute run. It felt good to get the blood pumping & work up a sweat. The temperature was very comfortable for me but I knew race day was going to be hot. My team & I said our goodbyes till tomorrow. I wanted to drive the run course so I knew what was to come then it was time to feed me. We went back to Dish on toast & had the breakfast buffet. I had a spinach, mushroom, & tomato omlet, pancakes, bacon, biscuit, fruit, hash browns, orange juice, & coffee. I don't think they thought a chick could eat so much...haha! We went back to the hotel so I could start sorting my gear for all my race bags. Bike & bike & run gear bag drop off was from 12-5pm. Once that was all set I had some time to kill before my friends Vanessa, Ezeh, & Mia came to town. I am a fan of getting in the hot tub & pool before a race so Todd & I were off to the pool for some relaxation, unfortunately there was no hot tub. I was very disappointed but still splashed around in the pool for a bit, then decided I should go up & take a hot bath in place of the hot tub. Best idea EVER! I felt wonderful after that. By then my friends had arrived & we had dinner at the hotel that night. My dinner was blackened salmon with polenta & corn salsa...heaven I tell ya. The ironman finish line was all set up so we took a stroll to see it, in about 24 hours with determination, strength & faith I would be crossing that finish line & becoming an ironman. Bedtime was near so we hugged & my girls wished me luck& I headed upstairs to make my bottles of nutrition for the race & double check everything & have one last conversation with coach Jen. She gave me a little pep talk & told me I was ready & I felt ready.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
THE LONG RUN......
The run has over recent years been the hardest discipline of triathlon. When I started racing I only did running races then graduated to tris & while I still do run races triathlon is my life. In my run only career I was consistently getting faster over the years & kept bettering my race times, it was very exciting & encouraging. For a while after competing in triathlon my run time did not decline too much after biking but then I got pregnant & took some time off of racing & when I got back to it it was hard to say the least. Things went up & down for a few seasons, I would have some really great races & some where I had to walk. Things were not consistent, but thinking back I was not training progressively either.
About 2 years ago I developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot & thought I could just train through it....boy was I wrong. I tried different shoes, ice, ibuprofen, everything but a foot doctor. My methods just masked the problem & I had to back out of the marathon in fear I would do more damage :-(. I continued to run till it became almost unbearable to walk upon waking & the pain after runs was horrific. Finally I went to see a foot & ankle doctor, I didn't know what to expect but I was hopeful he had some answers for me. I had some X-rays that revealed I had heel spurs on both heels but that was not the cause of my pain, I had a sever case of plantar fasciosis....apparently worse than fasciitis. Who knew!!! On the spot he said I should get a cortisone shot but I could not run till he was sure the inflammation was gone. I agreed to not run & got the shot. HOLY SHOT!!! if you have never had a cortisone shot it is crazy painful, i was like a child & asked to hold the other doctors hand & squeezed so tight he asked me to stop. immediately after I thought it was a mistake because I could not put any weight on it & it swelled up so much but the next day after icing it felt 90% better....already! I was also fitted for orthotics & never EVER go barefoot. So I had 4 months off of running which did not help my need to get faster, now all I wanted was to just run again.
Christmas time came & I found out I won the free training for a year from my coach Jennifer Harrison, I was super excited but now I really had to get running if I wanted to do IM. My doctor said I could start out with 20 minute treadmill runs & slowly progress. Jen has taken me from a 20 minute run to a 3 hour run in about 7 months. Over these few months it has been painful, promising, aggravating, exciting & more. I have had PT on my calf & foot, I have iced, taped, & taken more meds than I like to admit. All of it got me to this point.....my 3 hour long run. This was a great feeling run I needed going into this IM. I didn't have to walk or stop due to fatigue or pain, just traffic lights. Oh & the terrifying 1/2 mile out & back where I saw 3 coyotes & a deer. I was only scared of the coyotes....boy that 1 mile was a fast one too. Haha! Anyway, I logged 18.5 miles on that 3 hour run & it was the highlight of my week. I hope the first 18 miles of the marathon go that well.....without coyote sightings of course but I need to see some horses. I am racing in the right place that's for sure!
Goodnight,
Courtney
About 2 years ago I developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot & thought I could just train through it....boy was I wrong. I tried different shoes, ice, ibuprofen, everything but a foot doctor. My methods just masked the problem & I had to back out of the marathon in fear I would do more damage :-(. I continued to run till it became almost unbearable to walk upon waking & the pain after runs was horrific. Finally I went to see a foot & ankle doctor, I didn't know what to expect but I was hopeful he had some answers for me. I had some X-rays that revealed I had heel spurs on both heels but that was not the cause of my pain, I had a sever case of plantar fasciosis....apparently worse than fasciitis. Who knew!!! On the spot he said I should get a cortisone shot but I could not run till he was sure the inflammation was gone. I agreed to not run & got the shot. HOLY SHOT!!! if you have never had a cortisone shot it is crazy painful, i was like a child & asked to hold the other doctors hand & squeezed so tight he asked me to stop. immediately after I thought it was a mistake because I could not put any weight on it & it swelled up so much but the next day after icing it felt 90% better....already! I was also fitted for orthotics & never EVER go barefoot. So I had 4 months off of running which did not help my need to get faster, now all I wanted was to just run again.
Christmas time came & I found out I won the free training for a year from my coach Jennifer Harrison, I was super excited but now I really had to get running if I wanted to do IM. My doctor said I could start out with 20 minute treadmill runs & slowly progress. Jen has taken me from a 20 minute run to a 3 hour run in about 7 months. Over these few months it has been painful, promising, aggravating, exciting & more. I have had PT on my calf & foot, I have iced, taped, & taken more meds than I like to admit. All of it got me to this point.....my 3 hour long run. This was a great feeling run I needed going into this IM. I didn't have to walk or stop due to fatigue or pain, just traffic lights. Oh & the terrifying 1/2 mile out & back where I saw 3 coyotes & a deer. I was only scared of the coyotes....boy that 1 mile was a fast one too. Haha! Anyway, I logged 18.5 miles on that 3 hour run & it was the highlight of my week. I hope the first 18 miles of the marathon go that well.....without coyote sightings of course but I need to see some horses. I am racing in the right place that's for sure!
Goodnight,
Courtney
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
JHC MADISON RIDE.....
Ok, so I am trying to play catch up on my blog. Now that I am in taper mode I have some more time..:-)
On Sunday July 28th my coach Jen Harrison had an organized ride in Madison, WI. I woke up very early that morning to make the 3 hour drive & be ready to roll by 8am. I had my coffee & breakfast in the car & got to the meeting place about 30 mins early. The weather was ridiculously cold for the end of July so I bundled up like it was a winter ride. I had my ice breaker socks on & toe covers on my shoes, tights with my cycling shorts, a cold gear shirt & gloves....AND I was still cold!
The plan was to do two loops(80 miles), taking it easy on the first loop & pushing harder on the second. This was the second time I went to Madison to ride these hills & the first time left me feeling like I had a lot of work to do, the 25 mph winds didn't help either. I expected the course to be tough, after all I live in flat Illinois & have tried to travel more this year to hit hills I will face in Kentucky. Despite the cold of the day I started off feeling really good, the hills were challenging but doable. After the first loop I was supposed to push it & I started off with another girl named Jenny that soon pushed ahead of me & I was alone for most of the second loop. When you are out there alone, cold, on hills, & things start to hurt, it becomes difficult to keep pushing. I stopped at the sag stop & my left quad near the knee was really hurting now. One of the sag girls, Nathalie was a massage therapist so she spent some time helping to relieve some tightness. I was only about 15 or 20 miles from the finish but that's where the hills become longer & steeper. Nathalie was great as support ahe was at the top of almost every climb making sure the quad was holding up. During one of the climbs another rider passed me & Nthalie yell, ugh, you almost had her.....damn! I recovered from the hill & set out to catch her, I did! I finished the the second loop which seemed windier than the first feeling like I pushed. After I got another quick massage on my quad I was off on my transition run....30 mins. I got to start off my run with my coach but after a few minutes what I thought was a not too bad pace after 80 miles was obviously too slow for Jen so she went ahead with another athlete of hers. I was just glad I did not end up in a field like tha weekend before....haha!
I was tired on the 3 hours drive home so my newly found wake up call is a monster & some beef jerkey. I made my stop & I was happy & alert the whole way.
Catch you all up more tomorrow....
C~
On Sunday July 28th my coach Jen Harrison had an organized ride in Madison, WI. I woke up very early that morning to make the 3 hour drive & be ready to roll by 8am. I had my coffee & breakfast in the car & got to the meeting place about 30 mins early. The weather was ridiculously cold for the end of July so I bundled up like it was a winter ride. I had my ice breaker socks on & toe covers on my shoes, tights with my cycling shorts, a cold gear shirt & gloves....AND I was still cold!
The plan was to do two loops(80 miles), taking it easy on the first loop & pushing harder on the second. This was the second time I went to Madison to ride these hills & the first time left me feeling like I had a lot of work to do, the 25 mph winds didn't help either. I expected the course to be tough, after all I live in flat Illinois & have tried to travel more this year to hit hills I will face in Kentucky. Despite the cold of the day I started off feeling really good, the hills were challenging but doable. After the first loop I was supposed to push it & I started off with another girl named Jenny that soon pushed ahead of me & I was alone for most of the second loop. When you are out there alone, cold, on hills, & things start to hurt, it becomes difficult to keep pushing. I stopped at the sag stop & my left quad near the knee was really hurting now. One of the sag girls, Nathalie was a massage therapist so she spent some time helping to relieve some tightness. I was only about 15 or 20 miles from the finish but that's where the hills become longer & steeper. Nathalie was great as support ahe was at the top of almost every climb making sure the quad was holding up. During one of the climbs another rider passed me & Nthalie yell, ugh, you almost had her.....damn! I recovered from the hill & set out to catch her, I did! I finished the the second loop which seemed windier than the first feeling like I pushed. After I got another quick massage on my quad I was off on my transition run....30 mins. I got to start off my run with my coach but after a few minutes what I thought was a not too bad pace after 80 miles was obviously too slow for Jen so she went ahead with another athlete of hers. I was just glad I did not end up in a field like tha weekend before....haha!
I was tired on the 3 hours drive home so my newly found wake up call is a monster & some beef jerkey. I made my stop & I was happy & alert the whole way.
Catch you all up more tomorrow....
C~
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