Race schedule...

Race schedule/Events… My spring and summer is starting to take shape.  I’m not planning a lot of races; I guess it’s just not my thing.  For the first time I get to do a triathlon with three of my five boys.  Gavin, Riley and Wyatt have all signed up for Chase the Police Triathlon in Walker in July.  I offered to swim with them if they wanted me to and they all took me up on my offer.  I’m so excited!! Westin, my youngest, wants to do the Lakes Country Triathlon again as a team.  Our team from last year was Wes, Sarah Simpson, and myself. (pictured above) 

Here is what my season is looking like…
March –
I think every weekend we have some type of hockey going on except Easter weekend.
Total Immersion swim training camp in Kona at the end of the month
I plan to ship my bike out there to get some riding in before and after my swim sessions.  I’ll have my running shoes with me too.  I never leave home without a pair.
April -
Run For the Lakes half marathon
May -
Arcadia Brute 200K bike ride
Kona Training Camp
June -
Hawaii 70.3 (last day of training camp)
Kickapoo 200K bike ride
Open water swim race (1 & 2 mile)…not registered yet
July -
Tri for a Cause Triathlon
Chase the Police Triathlon
August -
Dairyland Dare 300K bike ride
Baxter Triathlon (team)
September –
Critical Volume Training, and more training, and then some more training
October –
IM World championships Kona

When I’m hitting my peak training volume and getting ready for my A race of the season many will be wrapping up their triathlon seasons.  I keep reminding myself to stay focused on my current goals and I won’t start “training” for Ironman until June.  My plan is to take a week off after the 70.3 at the beginning on June and then start my IM training.  I try to shift my focus or my goal every 6-8 weeks so the work I’m doing is specific to where I need to be right now, but my mind right now isn’t in my Kona training.  Right now my focus is on a the Nisswa half marathon.

Bike seat dilemma...I love my bike seat.  It doesn’t look fast and it doesn’t look pretty.  I get jealous when I see these sleek beautiful saddles on other girls’ tri bikes, but then I get on my bike and I can ride for hours in pure comfort.  The jealousy goes away.  I have to thank Chris Balser for the amazing fit on my bike and Terry for creating the Butterfly carbon. 
Now, my dilemma…my seat is ripping and I need to buy a new one.  My seat is from 2005 and Terry no longer makes my version.  So do I go with the new Terry Butterfly carbon or do I try a new saddle?  I’m looking at the ISM (time trail, racing II, or prologue) and the Terry FLX carbon.  More than likely I will order all of them and see which one works.  I really don’t like new gear…I like my old stuff that works.  My saddle has so many great miles on it and we have won a lot of races and had a few crashes.  It may become a piece of art on my Kona room wall.   

Swimming…It’s really not my thing or it didn’t use to be my thing.  My list of loves from my last blog post had no mention of swimming, but I’m starting to really enjoy swimming.  Why?  Maybe because it is getting easier or maybe because I’m getting a little faster…something is changing.   I’ve been going with a friend to Total Immersion classes at the YWCA Uptown over the winter.  I have learned so much in such a short amount of time. My biggest fear for Kona was the ocean swim.  I’m becoming more confident and after my two training camps in Kona I know I will be able to line up on the start line October 12, 2013 and I know I will have a great swim no matter how big the waves are or how many elbows I get to the face.

A few new products/supplements I’m trying out...I’ll let you know what I think of them.
Magnesium oil
Energy bits…100% spirulina
MAPP (master amino pattern)

Update on the gluten thing…I realized I’m not a huge gluten/wheat person.  When I removed it from my diet I didn’t notice a huge change or really any change at all; ,maybe because there wasn’t a lot of gluten in my diet to begin with.  I think some people are more sensitive to gluten than others.  For me, I feel the best when I eat vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins.  I feel the best and recover from my training when I eat real food that I’ve prepared.  The less packaging involved the better. In my training and in life I’m open to trying new things and seeing what works.  I have no problem after I’ve given it a try saying, “Nope, that’s not for me.” There are certain “diets” and certain training plans which are very successful for one person and a complete failure for another.  We all need to find our way and what works for us.  I believe there isn’t one perfect way or right way to train and or eat, but I do believe we each have our way which works for us.  We just have figure out which way works for us.

Happy training!

Love...

LOVE

Valentine’s Day is a few short days away and it got me thinking about love and all the things I love…

1.        My best friend…Lee.  We started dating in high school and now 19 years later and 5 wonderful boys we are still having the time of our lives.  Whenever I think of someplace I want to travel to or something I want to do I think of Lee being right there with me.   We have so much fun together and he believes in me more than anyone.  He is an amazing Dad to our boys.   I love him.

2.       My boys…there is a reason I have no girls.  I was meant to be a mom of 5 boys.  They keep each and every day exciting and never stop amazing me with their humor, kindness, and work ethic.  They will do amazing things and I’m one proud mom.

3.       Good Coffee, Dark chocolate, Jams/Jellies….I love a good cup of coffee.  I have been known to drink more than a pot of coffee is a day all on my own.  The first thing I do every single morning is walk downstairs to start the coffee pot.  I don’t even think my eyes are open.  Real dark chocolate is my weakness and homemade jams and jellies I just love!

4.       Sweating and working hard….training my mind like I train my body…I love getting to that place…where I’m able to block everything out and focus on my breathe and do what I know I’m capable of…our bodies want to quit way before our minds will…we can train our minds to focus and push on. 

5.       Sunshine… I love the sunshine. It makes me want to smile.  When it’s a beautiful day I think about getting outside for a run on the trails or riding my bike. 

6.       Naps…In my opinion, naps are the key of a successful IM training plan.  Doing two a day workouts with a nap in the middle of the day was a daily ritual for me last summer and most days now that my training has stepped up a notch. 

7.       Massages… every Friday at 3:45 I have a reoccurring massage appointment.  It is the end of the week for me.  The majority of my training is done M-F with my weekends open for family activities.  The Friday massage is a perfect way to end my training week.

8.       Yoga…there is no way I would have the speed I’ve gained over the last few years without yoga.  Through yoga I have built a strong foundation to stack my training miles.  Through yoga I have built a strong mind where I’m able to breathe and push on.

9.       Travel…when I’m not training I love to travel.  Well, actually I love to train and travel together.   My swim training camp at the end of March to Hawaii and my tri training camp at the end of May are right up my alley.   

10.   Shoes….I love a good pair of shoes.  I think I have over 25 pairs of different tennis shoes in my closet right now and I do pass on my old ones.  Also, my boys have now come to realize the UPS truck is actually a delivery truck which delivers more than just shoes. (the 27 is only my tennis shoes…not counting boots and heels…just don’t tell Lee;)

11.   Being in my kitchen…I love cooking and baking in my kitchen and having my boys all around doing their homework, playing knee hockey, or just chatting. 

12.   Pedicures…my feet are nothing pretty.  They have some serious miles on them and the miles all show.  I’m proud of my feet for all they have done for me and carried me over the years.  They will carry me over many more miles.  I love to sit in a massaging chair and have a pedicure…usually on a Friday afternoon right before a massage. 

13.   Long bike rides like the Triple Crown series and someday I want to do the RAAM (Ride Across America).  I love being on my bike.

14.   Long Runs…as much as I love long bike rides I think I love long runs even more.  One of my favorite runs I have ever done was the Voyager 50 mile Ultra marathon.  I never trained for it except I added an hour of trail running each week.  I had no goals but to just finish.  If it worked a little better with my triathlon training this year I would definitely do it again.  Someday soon I will do another one of those ultra trail races.  I just have to cross the IM World championships off my bucket list first.

15.   Training equipment I love…my trainer, my treadmill, Nike shoes, compression socks, foam roller, EMS(Electric Muscle Stimulator), PR bars, Vitamixer, Extreme Endurance

16.   My body…It takes care of me …it is my vessel to carry me to my goals.  I will respect and honor and take care of myself through good nutrition, sleep, and making a conscious decision to be happy and be a good person. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Busy by Choice

It’s a busy time of year…it’s the end of the semester for me with my teaching and the boys’ hockey teams are in full swing with games, practices, and tournaments.  One thing I’ve learned over the years is when I’m able to get a training session in I need to make it count.  I usually take Sundays and plan my training sessions, plan our dinners, create my grocery lists and schedule my training sessions in between everything.  I always have a plan, but have learned to not let a missed session ruin my day or my week.  I make sure that when I have the opportunity to swim, bike, run, or take a yoga class I make it count.  When the day is over (the clock ticks 8pm) I move to the next day’s training sessions and what may have been missed is gone.  There is no need to try “making” it up with double sessions.    

Family….I want to be a role model for my boys.  Through my actions I want them to believe they are capable of anything if they are willing to be disciplined, work hard, and make a few sacrifices.  Through my actions I want to teach them they should never ever count themselves short; to never ever set the bar too low.  They need to first dream it, set a goal, create a plan, and then follow through day after day.  And remember boys…Don’t be a Lance (a cheater). 

My Kona room….walls are going up this week to create my Kona room.  Thank you Miller Construction.  Now off to Cosco for those heaters.

Nutrition…It was my birthday a few weeks ago and my sister, Donna, makes me a raspberry cheesecake for my birthday every year and it was delicious!  For me, I view food as fuel for my next workout and recovery for my workout I just finished, but our world is filled with amazing cooks and chefs and great food.  There is always some space for a little splurge.  My A race…KONA…is still months away.  If I go too crazy with my eating now it will definitely be a long road to Kona. 

Training…My training is slowly coming back.  Not yet where I would like it to be at this point on the year, but I have time and I need to focus on what I can now.  I will cut a ride/run/swim short or miss a yoga class to spend an evening with Lee and the boys.  When summer comes there won’t be any skipping on training sessions.

Training in Kona…I get to spend 10 days at the end of May training on course and then racing the 70.3 Hawaii IM.  There is an opportunity to attend a swim training camp at the end of March.  This is the advice I received from a good friend who is planning on attending the camp…

I think when you're chasing the dream of a lifetime, you go to any lengths. You have the money. I have the money. I might not feel like I have it right now, but I'm remembering Scott Jurek, how he risked everything for his dream. This is what it means for me, today, to go to the edge: To consider this trip an investment in my future.

I'm doing it. Going for broke, Michelle. And you are too.

I think it's essential that I do it, and you too. Swimming is the area of your performance where you have the most room to grow. If you could become so comfortable swimming in the ocean and finding focal points, you could relax into the swim the way you relax in a pool lane.

Well, I’m doing it…chasing my dream, going for broke.  Kona open water swim camp end of March here I come!  GAME ON J

My title for this entry was Busy by Choice…what I mean by that is I choose the lifestyle I want to live.  If anytime I thought I was too busy and didn’t have time for…
Family dinners
Saturday night family movie and pizza
Breakfast Friday mornings with Lee
Sunday mornings coffee and scones with Lee
Friday lunch dates with my boys
Visiting my parents on Tuesdays
and all the other activities and traditions we have as a family I would say No to whatever is causing me and family to be too busy.  I’m living the life I want to live and don’t ever want to look back with regret or ask myself...”What if…” or say… “I wish I would have…”
There are too many people rushing through life just to make it to the next day.  Put down the phone, get off the computer, and look at someone when they are talking and really listen to what they are saying.  Life is too short to not enjoy all the moments.

New Year and New Adventures…

The day after Christmas I cleaned out my pantry and have been experimenting with new foods over the last week.  My husband, Lee, has decided to join me in eating healthier.  Our boys, Mitchel 14, Gavin 12, Riley 12, Wyatt 12, and Westin 11 are along for the journey since we are the ones buying the groceries for them.  White bread has left our house along with flour and pasta – white and wheat.

I see life as a journey of constantly learning and trying new things.  I don’t see life in black and white…so on that note I’m not saying I will never make carmel rolls again or head up to Nisswa for a scone from Stone House, but I’m moving toward a healthier lifestyle and nutrition is a huge part of my life journey.  I’ve told my boys since they were little I was going to live to be 130.  On my journey I want to rock the IM Kona race course.  My body needs to be in the best physical and mental shape possible.  Fueling my body with best possible foods available can only help me reach my goals.

The day after I cleaned my pantry out I headed to Cosco for my dream mixer…THE VITAMIX.  I first read about the Vitamix in Rich Roll’s book – Finding Ultra.  You really can make the best smoothies in that thing!  Wyatt and I made a spinach smoothie and he couldn’t believe it had any spinach in it. (picture above)

This last Sunday I attempted the Kona bike ride with the LAMS (Lakes Area Multisport Group).  After about an hour into the ride I stopped sweating, became very weak, got a headache, and just didn’t feel “right”.  I got off my bike a few different times, but really didn’t feel any better.  At first I was confused as to why my body would feel this way.  Then I started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.  My body had become use to using the junk I had been eating for fuel and now when I started fueling my body better with good high quality foods it was confused as to where the energy was coming from to keep moving forward.  What I learned from this experience is 1. I should have went to the vending machine and grabbed a coke (actually I wouldn’t have – only on race day) 2.  Our bodies are so very smart and I have to give it time to adjust to the new fuel I am giving it.  

My training has started for my first race of the year – Nisswa half marathon.  A month after that I will be heading to Hawaii for 10 days of training and racing the 70.3 on the last day.  My plan is to use the Hawaii trip to work out any kinks with transporting my bike and the amount of time I want to head out to the Big Island before the race.  

It’s almost 8pm and for me that means BED.  I’m very strict about my sleep.  I will skip workouts to make sure I’m getting enough sleep.  This time of year I’m good with 8 hours, but when summer comes and my training hours tick upward I bump it to 10 hours which usually means napping.

Happy New Year!