Fit-Pic: The Calm Before the 70.3 Storm

Nothing like 1,500 or so bikes racked in transition at the Boulder Reservoir before tomorrow's Ironman 70.3 Boulder. Also known as the Pro Town Showdown, it's the one race on the circuit where not only most of the pro triathletes who call Boulder home come to toe the line but also where they can sleep in their own beds the night before the race. If only I could be so lucky....

Who wants to guess how much that transition area is worth with so many primo rides parked there for the night?

Fit-Pic: Swimming Ironman 70.3 Racine

The swim is easily my favorite part of a triathlon. It might be the shortest part of the race, but it's the one discipline that rarely leaves me disappointed with the results. Just don't count two races in Chicago: one were I hyperventilated for some unknown reason, and last year where a rip current took over most of Lake Michigan and left triathletes swimming upstream. So if there's one portion of today's Ironman 70.3 Racine that I want to remember, it's the swim. That plunge into Lake Michigan to swim 1.2 miles was divine--the coolest, literally and figuratively, part of the day.

Stay tuned for a race report, but I'll be catching up on some sleep and hydration first.

The One Month Countdown

First it was T minus 363 days--the morning last September where I stood in the volunteer line at Monona Terrace in Madison, Wis., to get my credit card swiped and receive my permission slip to register for the 2010 Ironman Wisconsin. Now the countdown stands at 30 days before I'll be adding the final race-morning touches to my bike, rising way earlier than I do for any other race and floating in Lake Monona until the cannon booms at 7 a.m. on September 12. Scary that only 30 days are left, and even scarier that only about half of those--tops--are reserved for the last of the hard-core training.

I've been quite reserved when it comes to talking about my race schedule here on Fit-Ink. Not for any reason in particular but in part because I'm not big on sharing all of my workout with the world. I feel bad enough for the friends who inevitably end up hearing about it for lack of anything else I can talk about (if you're training for an Ironman, it's a challenge, in my opinion, to focus on other stuff). And well, sometimes I cringe at some of the people who post every single workout and every single reaction to said workout on their Facebook or their Twitter, or both. I'm biased: if it's a pro, I'll eat it up. After all, there might be a helpful hint to my own training. Other than that, I have to stop reading the updates that start looking like Training Peaks entries.

I know I make plenty of right, wrong and so-so actions when it comes to my hours (or lack of) in the pool/lake, on the saddle or pavement pounding and I'm not sure I want to become the laughing stock of the blogosphere overnight. And this time around with Ironman, I've learned fast that everyone has a different way to train. Not that I was surprised the first time but on any given weekend I'll have a friend who wants to ride a century followed by a short run, another friend who's busting out 20-mile bike, 6-mile run bricks, and another who continues to say training has started but the collective group wonders how that person will reach the finish line. Who is it that said that one plan doesn't suit all?

Anyway, with 30 days left before this Ironman showdown, there's definitely some prepping to still be done. And not necessarily the good kind--some items should have been figured out months ago. You think I would have learned that the first time I did this two years ago, but no. I still have to:

• Figure out my nutrition on the bike. I've been drinking Hammer Nutrition's Perpetuem during longer races against the better judgment of my stomach, but it just didn't seem to cut it at the Steelhead 70.3. I blame my bonking on the run largely on lack of proper fuel on the bike. Or running out. Goal: hope that a new drink fits the bill.
• Get bike tuned. I've put this off all season--bad me, I know--but it needs more that a little TLC before this 140.6-mile race. Only problem is that last time I took it to the shop, it messed up my week of workouts (I had to beg to surrender it for less than a week), and cost more than $300 to fix a chain, cassette, tape, wires and more.
• Pack my bags. This was a disaster last time and I really should have followed the advice from the countless blogs I read about laying out all your gear before packing it and taking pictures so you could easily do it over and over again. Nope, instead I spent forever packing, brought enough triathlon gear to last me a week, and didn't use half of what I toted into my hotel room--and then had to tote out by myself the day after the race when I really didn't want to carry anything.
• Select race day clothing. You'd think this would be easy. After all, everyone urges you to train like it's dress rehearsal for race day. I must have earmuffs and blinders on when I'm supposed to hear and listen to that statement because I don't wear my race day outfit as often as I should, and I forget that 40 miles in that outfit isn't the same as 112 miles plus a marathon when we're talking chafing. Goal: find a pair of shorts in my arsenal that cancel any rubbing and burning. Enough said.
• Figure out how I'm going to survive this marathon. Yes, I know after I get off the bike, a time check will tell me if I can walk the entire 26.2 if need be. The question is: do I really want that to happen? Of course not. But when you have your slowest run split ever in a half Ironman, know you've avoided running for a multitude of reasons, and have resorted to walking in every running race this year but a 5K, you start to wonder what's going on.
• Swim a mile, or two, or three. Usually, you'll find me swimming in the lake at least three times a week. That was last summer, the summer before and the summer before that. I don't know what it is this year, but I cannot drag myself into the water. It's almost like I'm afraid to go outside and bake in the sun unless I'm on my bike. And my pool swims? I'm the queen bee of the 10-minutes and she's out--15 if I'm really feeling good. In fact, I should be making my way to the water right now instead of typing this.
• Ride the bike course. This is one thing I've actually handled well this time around. Scared to tackle the hills in year one, it was only with a month left before race day that I started making weekend drives to Madison to check out the course and know it's twists, turns and climbs before thrown out there on race day. I've already ridden the course twice with No. 3 on its way--and that's including the times I had to bail because of work commitments that crept up at the last minute (ahem, June's mid-week Vision Quest ride).

Sure, 30 days might seem like plenty of time to work out these kinks--go running, force myself into the pool for an hour or more, practice properly. But after 333 days, that final 30--or 29 being that it's already later in the day--really isn't a heck of a lot. I guess I have my work cut out for me. To the finish line or bust!

In the Presence of Greatness

What's better than participating in a race where you know some big name pros are starting off in the waters ahead of you or at the front of the start line? Well, almost better, since the racing is half the fun. The answer? Meeting them in person. And that's exactly what I get to do tonight with two triathlon greats, Craig Alexander and Mirinda Carfrae.

He's fresh off a win at the first Ironman 70.3 Racine (old course, new name, same race weekend). She's fresh off a win at the Vineman Ironman 70.3. They're both world champions, he at the Ironman and she at the Ironman 70.3. But both Craig Alexander and Mirinda Carfrae will be at the same place tonight: Arlington Heights' Metropolis Performing Theater's ballroom.

As if that wasn't enough Ironman-related excitement, Chrissie Wellington, the three-time Ironman World Champion who smashed the Ironman-distance record this past weekend at Challenge Roth, will be there next week on Monday, July 26.

Both events run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and require a ticket to attend. Tickets cost $15 for one event and $25 to attend both events. The theater is located at 111 W. Campbell Street in Arlington Heights and doors open at 6 p.m. to get seated.

Here are more details about the events and the athletes' excitement from a press release:

The events are presented by Runners High ‘n Tri, where the owners are fans of Alexander and Wellington and are encouraging local fitness enthusiasts to participate in the Q&A sessions. Wellington appears on the wake of her recently announced multi-year partnership with Brooks, a key player in making her visit possible.

The dynamic duo--now triple threat with the recent addition of Carfrae--will share their awe-inspiring stories of overcoming the seemingly impossible on their roads to the top. Bob Babbitt, co-founder of Competitor Magazine and an Ironman Triathlon Hall of Fame inductee, will moderate the Q&A sessions.

“I’m honored to share my experiences as the Ironman World Champion in the same series as Chrissie Wellington with fellow running mates in the Chicagoland community,” said Alexander. “Last year’s dialogue with the local Runners High ‘n Tri customers was a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to another great evening.”

The following Monday, July 26, the Dynamic Duo series will continue with a Q&A session with Wellington.

"I'm excited to be a part of an event series in conjunction with my fellow Ironman World Champion, Craig Alexander, and am looking forward to sharing tips and having dialogue with other triathlon and fitness enthusiasts," said Wellingon. "I'm also honored to appear on behalf of the Brooks Running team. I'm very grateful for the support of my fans and I'm looking forward to a spectacular event with Runners High 'n Tri."

Tickets are $15 per person for either event or $25 per person for admittance to both events. Tickets are available for purchase at Runners High ‘n Tri and they are required for entrance into the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to get a photo taken with Alexander and Wellington following the event. Event proceeds will benefit Alexander and Wellington’s charities, WINGS (a safe house for domestically abused women and children) and the Blazeman Foundation for ALS, respectively.

“We’re thrilled that to have both Ironman World Champions make an appearance and talk with their loyal fans at this unprecedented series,” said Mark Rouse, co-owner of Runners High ‘n Tri and 14-time finisher of the Ironman. “It's a great privilege to have both Craig and Chrissie here to share their incredible journeys as champion triathletes with our local community. Both of these extraordinary athletes have a mile long list of accolades and we are gearing up to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

I can't wait to hear what they have to say. And expect news from some exclusive interviews with them soon. Photos grabbed from thomas pix at flickr and examiner.com.

What's to Love This Weekend

What a week! For me, anyway, between work, play and what always seems like a million other things. Chicago's celebrating after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Festival season is in full swing. The weather's nice--almost all the time. Marcus Samuellson, the underdog I was rooting for, won Top Chef Masters, and Landon and Carley, deemed the underdogs as the teams whittled away, won $100,000 at The Challenge: Fresh Meat II in an endurance adventure I totally would have loved. But that's not to say that all good things happened during the week and that the weekend means wind-down time. Sure, we'll be getting some R&R from the office, but there's plenty to look forward to. Last weekend may have been the weekend of the half Ironman with 70.3 races in Hawaii, Kansas, and New Hampshire in addition to triathlons of all distances, Rock 'N' Roll San Diego, century rides and 5K/10K races, but this weekend promises to have just as much excitement. Check it out:

• Thirsty on the run? If you're running along the Lakefront Path in Chicago, forgot your hydration and can't fathom another sip of water from a water fountain, look for the Fleet Feet hydration stations. Fleet Fleet Sports Chicago sets up three stations along the heavily trafficked parts of the path that are fully equipped with friendly volunteers, water and Gatorade. You have to get out there early as they usually shut down by 10:30 but those stations make running in the heat so much less worrisome. And it's far easier to tackle those 20-milers when you have a hydration source to rely on for your needs--personal experience taught me that one.
• For some reason I like to escape Chicago the weekend of the Old Town Art Fair--I do it every year. It's an easy excuse to go to Michigan and get in the first tri of the season, the Motor City Triathlon. It's not as large as the Chicago races, which I love, a fun course, and if you stick around for the raffle, you're most likely to go home with something.
• Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe will be bearing their baby bumps at the New York Mini 10K on Saturday. I'm so curious as to how fast they'll still be able to run with their extra baggage--bets are on that they can still beat me.
• Hy-Vee Triathlon...where the big names in the sport come to race. It's only in Iowa, but I think because of the celeb status at this race--with the likes of Emma Snowsill, Laura Bennett and Hunter Kemper appearing in the past--that made me think that way. And I remember watching it on TV on a random weekend afternoon a few summers ago, right around the time I was getting into triathlon.
• More half Ironman action in Boise and Maryland (Eagleman)
• Or if those races aren't in the schedule, tune in to watch the 2009 Ironman 70.3 World Championship on TV come Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. Eastern. You'll see how the race unfolded for the pros and a few fan-favorite stories like Rocco DiSpirito's. I already have the DVR set for this one.
• Half marathons around Chicago that I still haven't had a chance to race for one reason or another--North Shore Half and 13.1. And the North Shore Half had an awesome goody bag this year that included a race backpack.

There's definitely more to look forward to, and I know I'm missing a few that were on my list, just that I have to pack and hit the road for my Motor City adventure.

From Restaurant to Race Course, Rocco DiSpirito Does Triathlon

He preached healthy eating on The Biggest Loser, transformed from a chef flab to a chef fab most likely thanks to a healthier diet and activity outside the kitchen, but until earlier this year I never pegged Rocco DiSpirito as a triathlete. There's no good answer as to why--chefs who run are featured in Runner's World all the time and a handful just completed the New York City Marathon--but it just happened. Forget the reality failure that was The Restaurant, DiSpirito has easily been putting energy into his next triathlon venture as proven by his updates to Twitter and requests for training suggestions. And this weekend the training comes to a close when he arrives at the start line at the fourth annual Foster Grant Ironman World Championships 70.3 in Clearwater, Fla.

On November 14, DiSpirito joins more than 1,500 athletes who qualified at 70.3 races spanning the globe by finishing near the top of their age groups. They'll all swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles in less than seven and a half hours.

"I am thrilled to have this opportunity to compete in the Ironman World Championship 70.3 event," DiSpirito said in a press release. "I look forward to participating amongst some of the world's most talented athletes."

This isn't DiSpirito's first foray at the 70.3 distance, nor in triathlon as a whole. He last competed the 2007 St. Croix Ironman 70.3 as well as the 2007 Nautica Malibu Triathlon (J-Lo and Teri Hatcher have competed in this one in the past).

The accomplished chef and author not only stands out in the kitchen, but also as an athlete. DiSpirito's triathlon experience consists of participating in a variety of events including the 2007 St Croix Ironman 70.3 and the 2007 Nautica Malibu Triathlon, presented by Toyota. How he does it while managing his schedule as a chef is beyond me. One thing is for sure: those post-workout snacks are some tasty feasts.

Track DiSpirito's race progress as well as the other competitors at ironman.com. Posted by Kate

Gettin' Lucky in Kentucky

The winner's circle isn't only reserved for horses in the Bluegrass State. Louisville might be home to the Kentucky Derby but it's also host to one of the few Ironman events in the States with all the hype cooling off after the May event only to ramp up again come the end of August. Ironman Louisville was among one of the many endurance events taking place over the weekend--I only touched on a few last week, even accidentally omitting the infamous Hood to Coast relay--and for those participating it was all about getting lucky in Kentucky but not in the phrase's traditional connotation.

Part of the reason to hold an Ironman event in Louisville in August is for the added challenge of battling the heat and humidity in addition to the distance and terrain. Take China's Ironman this April where the temps soared to 113 degrees, or Ironman Arizona when it was held in April left athletes struggling through scorching sunlight and intense winds (both events have since been moved to different times of the year). Typically Louisville is no exception with heavy rain producing fast currents in the Ohio River when the race was first held in 2007 and then intense heat--nearly equated to Kona proportions--last year. But 2009 was different, with projected highs only being in the 70s--I heard high of 75 on The Weather Channel as they rolled through the State Fair forecast. So at least from a weather standpoint you could say that triathletes were getting lucky in having a better-than-average race day.

The other luck and hard work comes on the race course itself with the record-setting crowd--news posted online stated that nearly 3,000 athletes were registered to participate--competing for rights to boast Ironman completion and for one of the 64 age-group slots, 8 pro slots to October's World Championships. This weekend marked the last chance to nab a ticket to Kona in 2009--Ironman Wisconsin on September 13 marks the first chance to qualify for the 2010 Championships.

Talk about an eclectic crowd--triathletes came from more than 20 countries and across North America to race in Louisville. If you check out the results, you'll see racers from Texas, Colorado, Indiana, California, Kansas, and Ohio just to name a few states. And maybe it's just my quick scan of other Ironman results but Ironman Lake Placid tends to have several racers from the East Coast, especially New York, and Ironman Wisconsin has a large concentration of athletes from Wisconsin and Illinois.

And they were fast. The men and women professional winners, Viktor Zyemtsev and Nina Kraft, won in course record-setting time, and a record 2,345 triathletes finished the race. Some of the age groupers even bested the pros, finishing among the top 10 overall. While there weren't many Chicagoans competing, the bulk is tapering for Ironman Wisconsin, there were a few area athletes participating. There are probably more with Chicago connections, but one that stands out is D'Arcy Lynch who finished second among the 30- to 34-year-old women. The cool news with that story is that this year will mark Lynch's third trip to Kona--she first qualified at Ironman Wisconsin in 2006 and then scored a spot at last year's Ironman Louisville. Another standout is MJ Slikas, who won her 40-44 age group and also earned a return trip to the Big Island. Congrats!

Check out the official results and updates at ironman.com. I'd post them here, but didn't want to be too repetitive. Photo grabbed from merfam at flickr. Posted by Kate

The Steelhead Short Report

There's a reason it's taken me forever to post an update about the Steelhead 70.3 Triathlon on August 1: I cannot finish my race report. I'm partially to blame as I'm always psyched to write reports about good races and less-than-thrilled to share the bad ones. And while we all dealt with the weather conditions that definitely affected my racing day, there was more to what I like to call my downfall than that. So while I'm still finishing up the play-by-play, here's an abbreviated version.

Happy Thoughts
*Good dinner the night before with my parents at Timothy's in Union Pier.
*Having my parents watch me compete, especially since my husband was stuck in Chicago on call and no one would trade shifts with him (which also falls into the not-so-happy category).
*The swim wasn't canceled this year. Hooray for not running 2 miles, then biking and then running 13.1 (my legs really didn't like that last year).
*Knowing several people who were also racing. My gym had really good representation, especially the Thursday night spin class, which also meant I didn't have to walk the 1.2 miles to the swim start by myself.
*Body surfing in the water. We had gentle waves building in Lake Michigan as the morning wore on, and if you caught them right you could surf across them, making the long swim go by just a little faster and more fun.
*The post-race party. OK, so it's not really the party because a local Benton Harbor restaurant does host an event for athletes after the race, but the finish line atmosphere is a fun one. After you've received your medal and had your chip clipped, you don't want to exit the athlete-only area right away. There are chairs to relax in--and they're undercover--kiddie pools filled with ice-cold Gatorade, soda and water, and tables that start looking like the Farmer's Market I was missing at home, filled with fresh peaches, nectarines and plums. Delish after chomping down on mushy bananas and Sport Beans on the course. And that's not even counting the Pizza Hut buffet that awaits after reuniting with your family outside the athlete-only zone. It sounds grossly unhealthy and yeah, it kind of is since you can beg volunteers to keep piling pizza, chicken, burgers, pasta, and garlic bread and breadsticks onto your plate, but it's oh so good upon finishing. And after a painful bike and run (more to come on that), it was well deserved too.
*Ideal water temperature. Lake Michigan can be finicky in terms of its temperature. Take the chilly temps hovering around Racine for the 2008 Spirit of Racine--I froze in 56-degree water--and again in 2009 where it measured 59 degrees the day before the race. I never heard the water temperature in Benton Harbor but it wasn't a brace-yourself-it's-cold day and the water felt pretty good.
*The volunteers at these half Ironman races are amazing. I didn't really pay attention to them on the bike because I carry my own fuel and can't grab a bottle while riding (definitely a skill I need to work on), but on the run they were plentiful and with the exception of one bad choice on my end they were always stocked with cups, sponges and food. Thank you!
*The cops stopping traffic at the major intersections. I sound like I'm whining but I swear I had a close call with a car last year at the race. I'm riding my bike past an intersection and a cop has instructed a car to pull out onto the main road, but the car looks like it's about to plow into me and the guy who's about to pass me instead of making a tight turn and going into the far lanes. Talk about scary. But at least I wasn't put in a similar situation this time around.
*Having relatively the same run course as last year. I like signing up for the same race year after year so that I can gauge improvement--or lack of--and get more familiar with the course. And while the 2008 course was different from the 2007 one with an added hill that we had to run up twice, everything was the same this time around.

Not-So-Happy Thoughts
*Me. I'm thinking I wasn't recovered from the Racine race, or what I thought was taking it easy for that race was really harder than planned. I just had more than my fair share of disappointment for the day.
*The close quarters of the transition area. We were so cramped walking the rows of transition and the bikes seemed really close together. Sure, there are bags and more people in the tight quarters before the race, but it was just as bad during the race, especially coming in from the bike. I was hopping over wetsuits that got tossed into the aisle and carefully making sure I didn't swing my bike too close to the bikes already racked. Kinda crazy.
*The pain on the run. Again, this all goes back to me and issues my body was having. My left foot was numb when I started out on the run--that was a new sensation, and not a good one--and then it went to heated pain where my heel felt on fire. That was the plantar fasciitis talking. And that's not counting the issues my right leg was giving me--it just hurt to run and you couldn't ignore it.
*The wind, the wind, the wind. Talk about a strategy going awry...I usually go a comfortable pace to gain my bike legs and then throw it into high gear for the back half. But as we turned onto highway 63 for the long stretch home, we were met with a wall of wind. Ugh, and all you could do was watch the speedometer slip, hold on tight--I swear I was going to get thrown on some of those gusts--and watch the bike time take longer than planned. And while some people said they felt a tailwind earlier, I always thought the wind was blowing around me.
*The path to the bike in area. There was a new twist to get to the bike dismount area. The bike route was mixed up a little this year and in my opinion, not exactly for the better. Instead of turning off the highway, then one more turn before the bike dismount line on a wide road, we had to pull off the highway, turn onto a foot path and pedal--or more like wind because you really couldn't go fast--past lines of spectators, and then dismount. It was a little hairy and I'm an early unclipper and had to clip in and out so I didn't topple over on the turns, and it was nervewracking riding past so many onlookers while in what I called a caution zone.
*Cars on the road, especially a white, beat up Bonneville. While many people complained about drafting at my other half Ironman, Racine, it didn't really affect me except to discourage my speed (or lack thereof) when a pack would go by. This time the drafting was at a minimum, if at all, but there were cars on the road that were getting in the way. I can totally understand the impossibility of having a 56-mile route completely closed to traffic but when a car gets in your way and won't pass you and you can't pass it--yes that's the Bonneville part--it gets incredibly frustrating. And he gave me the finger as I struggled to figure out a way around him. I think he was attempting to pass a slower cyclist in front but there was no oncoming traffic yet he didn't move over and blocked those of us--OK, maybe just me--approaching from behind. Talk about full speed ahead when I could finally pass. And then it happened later where a red minivan was driving down the road ahead of me. It never got in my way but it looked like it tripped up a few people, maybe even caused a woman to ride off the road, lose her balance and have to get back on her bike.
*The rain. It's always nice to hang out at the beach, enjoy the pizza buffet and then slowly head back to transition, pack up and go home. Rain was on its way and fast at the finish. By the time I left the athlete-only area, talked to some friends and got in line for the pizza buffet, it started to sprinkle and then just flat-out rain. So the leisurely post-race atmosphere turned into a chow down, a hustled limp to transition to shove gear into a bag and then more shuffling to the car.

OK so it sounds like a laundry list, but I guess I get very analytical when I have frustrating races. And this one definitely got me flustered. The sad part was the day started like that and never seemed to improve either. Oh well, just chalk it up for the next race. And know that I have to slow down and rest my legs before I'm really sidelined. And I guess this "short report" was a little more than I planned on--more of a highlights or memories list. More to come... Posted by Kate