Half Ironman 70.3 Brick Workouts

Remember that song by the Commodores, "Brick House?" Well, if you're a triathlete, your "brick house" is going to be built with a lot less dancing and a lot more pain.

In the last post, I talked about gear and how much you should borrow. Today I'm covering brick workouts, or bricks, as most of us call them. And just like the Commodores, I "ain't holding nothing back."

Bricks were one of, if not my biggest, sources of anxiety when I was training for my Half Ironman. How many bricks do I do a week? How long should my bricks be? Are they all going to feel terrible? Will this ever get easier? Am I really going to be able to run a half marathon after a 56-mile bike ride?

Two

10-30 minutes

No

Yes

Yes

If you go back to my post on a 20-week training plan, you'll see my actual training plan, and you can see the brick workouts I did. I did a short brick during the week and a longer brick on the weekends. Everyone you ask will have a different opinion on the effectiveness of bricks. I think they're a must, otherwise your legs are not going to understand what you're asking them to do when you get off the bike on race day.

Scene: Race Day, mile 55 of bike course
Legs: WEEEEEE! One more mile to go. That wasn't so bad. You're welcome!

Scene:  T2, changes into running shoes
Legs:  Wait. What are you doing? Why are you changing shoes? You want me to do what? Bitch, I just rode 56 miles!

Because there are so many different schools of thought on bricks, I thought I'd bring in reinforcements. These are the people I went to during my training, to ask about bricks, and at least a hundred other things.

Also, you know if you're riding your bike this much, it needs regular tune-ups, right? Red Kite is my bike shop. In addition to keeping Truffle Butter (my bike's name is Truffle Butter) in tip-top, Shannon suggested purple handlebar tape for my race, which is hands-down the smartest thing anyone recommended to me. Out of 3,500 racers, I was the only one with purple handlebar tape, which A) made it easy to find my bike in transition, and B) afforded me lots of "Good job, purple handlebars!" during the bike portion. And if you know me, then you know how much I needed people to talk to me during that race.

Okay, on with the show.

Patrick Harkins

Co-Owner, Red Kite Bicycle Studio

Ironman Chattanooga 2014

As amazingly sucky as bricks can be, we need them for a couple of reasons. First, you just have to get your body used to running off the bike. That sensation you get the first time you run after riding - super heavy legs, like something is wrong, or that you've just made some terrible life choices? That actually goes away. Well, it gets better - much better. But, like anything else, you have to do it to get used to it. One thing that not a lot of folks realize about triathlons is that it doesn't matter how well you run. It matters how well you run off the bike. You may get close to running as fast off the bike as you do normally, but you have to practice and let your body adapt. 

The second, and maybe more important argument in favor of bricks has to do with energy allocation. A triathlon is an exercise in allocation - the more energy you use on the bike, the less energy you have left for the run. I learned this lesson in a very painful way while training for IM Chattanooga with my girlfriend, Wendi. Wendi is... let's just say she's the athlete in the family. She's an accomplished ultra-runner, but less experienced on the bike. We'd go on long training days together, and I learned that, if I tempered my effort VERY CAREFULLY on the bike, I'd be able to just barely hang on to Wendi during the run afterwards (seriously - barely). But if I went too hard on the bike, a couple of things would happen: 1) I'd be too tired to run well afterwards, and 2) Wendi would be mad, which made #1 a whole lot worse. I won't lie, there were tears. Luckily for me (and our relationship), I eventually learned my lesson and it served me well on race day. So - you need bricks because... if you learn to ride like there's a run afterwards, you'll be a lot happier. Just ask Wendi. 

Marne McLyman

These My Bitches

Ironman Lake Placid 2008

Ironman Louisville 2009

Ironman Florida 2012

Ironman Chattanooga 2014

The term "brick" couldn't be more accurate for this type of workout. You hop off your bike after riding several hours, ready to run with the grace of a gazelle in the African plains. Your foot makes contact with the pavement and you start running only to discover that you are running more like a hippo in a mud bath versus that gazelle on the plains. THIS is a brick workout. It is evil. It is necessary. A traditional brick workout consists of a bike ride immediately followed by a run. The combo of distances will vary depending on what you are training for, but the bottom line is if you are signed up for a triathlon, a sprint distance to an Ironman, you should do at least one brick workout a week. I'm currently training for Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga. I do my brick workout on the weekend as part of my long training days. I'm about a month out from race day, so my brick workout is about a 55 mile bike ride and a 2 mile run. In the past when I've trained for Ironman races, I have done shorter rides with longer runs to mix it up. The main goal of a brick workout is to get used to that feeling of running right after you finish your bike ride. These workouts are also great for mental training because 9 times out of 10 your legs will feel like bricks... that hippo running through mud. You need the mental toughness training to gain the confidence that you can get through those first few miles. Your legs will wake up and that inner gazelle will come out. And if it doesn't... don't sweat it. Just put one foot in front of the other, one mile at a time. Ain't no shame in the Ironman shuffle!

Daniel Hudgins

Coach, X3 Endurance

Ironman Wisconsin 2013

Ironman Texas 2014

Brick workouts provide some benefits in training for any distance triathlon. Three great reasons to do them: 1) physical adaptations, 2) an understanding of how to run once you get off the bike, and 3) mental toughness. The cycling portion should contain periods of aerobic and anaerobic work. This will really provide some good strength since cycling requires a little more muscular strength than running. Reaching a high heart rate and high gearing combine to create a great cycling workout. The run portion will teach your body to transition properly from the very quick turnover of the legs in cycling to the slower turnover in running. A lot of triathletes tend to get off the bike and run too fast. I encourage people in training to start out much slower than they think they should on the run. Then pick up the pace. Aim to negative split the run, and you will do it in your race as well. In terms of mental toughness, cycling combined with running creates a really gritty mindset, too. It will leave you feeling like a champion just knowing you can run - and run well - once you get off the bike. 

I typically give my athletes one or two brick workouts a week.  

One: 

When: Mid-week

What: Bike to Run Brick

The Workout:

45-75 minute hard cycling session (preferably indoors on the trainer to ride hard enough consistently)

20 minute run, negative split (run faster the last 10 minutes than the first 10 minutes)

Two: 

When: Two or three times near the middle and end of a 20 week training period.

What: A multi-brick workout on the weekend in place of a single long ride and a single long run. 

The Workout:

(3x brick) 

Try to ride and run smart - slightly increasing the pace each time.

Ride 20 miles, Run 3

Ride 20 miles, Run 3

Ride 20 miles, Run 3

Meg Willoughby

These My Bitches

Ironman 70.3 Augusta

Ironman 70.3 Muncie

Beach2Battleship 140.6, 2013
Ironman Chattanooga 118.4, 2015 (inside joke alert)

Bricks are definitely not fun. No one looks forward to them. But I think it IS important to do them for whatever distance triathlon you are preparing for. People new to triathlons just don’t realize how odd it feels to get off a bike and start running. Your legs don’t know what to do. You’ve been sitting and using a certain set of muscles for the bike, and suddenly you are running and engaging another set of muscles to run. And your legs feel like jello. EVERYONE’S legs feel like jello. But doing bricks helps you to prepare for this feeling (and not mentally FREAK OUT) and learn how to push through. Because after about 10 minutes, your legs start to work again and you can find your stride. Bricks teach your leg muscles to transition, but they also give you confidence and the mental training to push through that crappy feeling on race day. Even running 10-15 minutes after a ride is good for a shorter distance triathlon. For a half or full IM, 30min - 1hour is good.

***

I hope this helps! I know bricks are what people have the most questions about when training for a triathlon, or at least I did. Post your questions and comments and I'll make sure you get the answers and information you need. And go get your bike tuned up!

Half Ironman 70.3 Gear List

In my last post, I shared the 20-week training plan I used for Ironman 70.3 Augusta. Today we're going to talk about gear - what you need to get started, and what you need to buy versus borrow. Spoiler alert:  borrow it.

My first triathlon was Team Magic's Girls Tri It On in 2012, and the only thing I bought was my race registration. I didn't have a swimsuit or a tri kit, so I borrowed tri shorts and swam in a lululemon tank top. I didn't have a bike, so I rode my husband's old, college mountain bike. I knew I wanted to keep going in the sport, so at the end of the season, I bought a tri kit on clearance and got a used bike on Craigslist.

The amount of gear out there for this sport is obscene. You're going to want all of it, especially if your triathlon friends have it. When I registered for Ironman Augusta, I wanted things I didn't have and couldn't afford. But I made it work. Below is the list of things I begged, borrowed, or stole for my 70.3.

Already Had:
YMCA membership
Garmin watch
running shoes
bike
helmet
clip-in pedals and shoes
prescription sunglasses
all manner of running, cycling and tri clothes
swimsuits and goggles
transition bag

Bought:
race registration
triathlon coach
Training Peaks
NAC Masters membership
swim bag, pull buoy, paddles and fins
regular bike tune-ups
tri kit
multiple swimsuits, goggles, sports bras and running shoes
bike pump
6-9 months of workout fuel and hydration
acupuncture

Begged:
nutrition
yoga
bike classes
open water swim coaching

Borrowed:
bike trainer
wetsuit
chest strap and heart-rate monitor
rice cooker and The Feed Zone cookbook

When you sign up for a race like this, you think about the big ticket items - race registration, bike tune-ups, paying for access to a pool, etc. But I'll tell you what surprised me, how much money I spent on the things I needed to do my work-outs. I'm talking about Nuun, Perpetuem, Huma gels, Stinger Waffles, and the gasoline to drive to your long rides, which are probably in Franklin or on Natchez Trace. I think my nutrition and hydration alone cost me $20/week, especially towards the end when my training days were 4-6 hours long.

Nashville, and East Nasty, is full of closeted triathletes. You'd be surprised how many of us there are. And we have all of this stuff. If this is your first 70.3, and for sure if it's your first triathlon, borrow as much as you can. If you have a blog or a Facebook page, tell people what you're looking to borrow. That's how I got my wetsuit (thanks, Emma!).

Questions? Leave a comment with what you'd like to borrow, and I'll connect you to someone I think may be able to help.

Half Ironman 70.3 20-Week Training Plan

In my last post, I spoke very broadly about a 70.3 training schedule and different plans you can download from the web. Today I'm sharing my 20-week plan. This is the plan I used in 2014 to train for Ironman 70.3 Augusta.



Some notes. This is a Google Doc, which means you can download it and edit it for your race. I highlighted the week I was currently in in green. I highlighted my races in red. OWS means open water swim. Pay attention to my notes. I kept track of when I bought shoes, goggles, had my bike tuned up, etc. Lastly, and most important, I am not a triathlon coach. I'm just your pal Kim sharing my training plan for you to use as a guide in creating your own.

A good rule of thumb is to do three workouts a week in each of the three sports (3 swims, 3 bikes, 3 runs), with one of them being a long ride / long run. I also did strength training (at least in the beginning) and yoga. This was my schedule:

Monday:
rest

Tuesday:
bike and brick
strength training

Wednesday:
run
swim

Thursday:
bike and brick
yoga

Friday:
run
swim

Saturday:
long ride and brick

Sunday:
long run
open water swim

If that looks like a lot, that's because it is. It takes a lot of time to train for three different sports simultaneously. On average, I worked out 12 hours a week. It gets insane towards the end because you're working out for 4-5 hours on Saturday, not including the time it takes to drive to and fro Natchez Trace. My longest week of training was Week 17. I logged 15.5 hours that week.

Again, here is my 2014 Ironman 70.3 Augusta 20-Week Training Plan. And here are the instructions on how to download it so you can save it as your own and edit it for your race.

In my next post, I'll start talking about the gear you need, and don't need, to get started. There's so much stuff you need, but should borrow unless you're going to become an insane person who does one or two of these races a year. To be continued!

Half Ironman 70.3 Training Schedule

Let's talk about a training schedule for your first 70.3, or Half-Iron distance triathlon. I followed a 20-week training plan, which is pretty standard. There are a lot of good, free training plans online, but in my case, they were all either too intermediate, or too beginner. I took this plan and this plan and made my own "Advanced Beginner" 20-week training plan.

I'm going to assume if you're doing this sport, then you're an organized maniac, so treat yo' self:  make a spreadsheet. Label the first column "Week", and each row "1, 2, 3..." until you get to 20. Title the second column "Date", scroll down to Row 20, and type in the date of the Monday before your race. Let's say your race is Sunday, September 25, 2016, then you will type 9/19/16. Keep going backwards until you have all 20 rows filled out.

My 20-week training plan started in May, but I was months into my training by the time 5/12/14 rolled around. Why? Because I had to build a foundation before I started training, a Couch to Half Iron, if you will. I hired a triathlon coach and started working with her in February, 7 months before my race.

The kind of foundation you need to build depends on your level of fitness. When I started, I had completed 4 sprint distance triathlons, 1 Olympic, and 4 half marathons. I weighed 180 lbs. I had already lost 20 lbs, and ultimately lost another 20, but I started training at a weight that I felt was a little too heavy for my build and frame (I'm 5"6').

When I started building my foundation, I was already training for a half marathon, so the running was there, but I needed to add cycling, swimming and strength training. I'd say I was working out about 6-7 hours a week that first month. I was swimming on my own at the Downtown Y, doing a group strength class once or twice a week and not riding my bike. Well, that all changed! 

I'll go into this in my next post - on how many millions of dollars this sport is going to cost you, j/k, j/k. For now I'll leave you with this, in addition to hiring a triathlon coach, I bought a bike trainer, joined NAC Masters, quit the Y and started doing 2 days of strength training in my living room. 

Stay tuned!

Half Ironman 70.3 Series

Are you registered for a 70.3 race in 2016? I'm not! But here's what I am going to be doing with my time - sharing everything I learned during my 7 months of training and 7 hours of racing. I had a triathlon coach, swim coach and nutritionist. I'll be tapping them for help on these posts, as well as other triathlete friends. It's going to be so fun, you guys!

Here are the topics I'm thinking about:

training schedule
training costs
what gear you need to get started
hydration and nutrition
bricks
swimming:  OWS
                    wetsuits
                    masters/coach
other races while training
taper
long ride nutrition/recovery
bonking
bike maintenance and flats
bike classes
heart-rate
vagina maintenance (v. important)
rice cakes
places to ride
yoga and strength training
race day outfit
post-race gear/bag
post-race recovery
race week nutrition
race day tips:  Garmin
                        headlamp
                        bathroom breaks
                        chafing

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

If you're a triathlete, you know the official 'Ironman' name and race series is trademarked. That means no other races can call themselves 'Ironman'. There are tons of awesome independent 70.3 races that will be easier on your wallet, and you refer to those races as 'Half-Iron distance', as opposed to 'Half Ironman'.

You're an Iron(wo)man when you complete a 140.6 Iron(wo)man race. You're not going to be able to keep your family from referring to you as such, but check yourself around other triathletes, especially ones who have done a 140.6. These nutjobs are going to be your greatest resource for all things training and race related. Respect the time, money and training it took to get there. That M-Dot calf tattoo don't come cheap.

Half Ironman 70.3 Augusta - One Year Later

One year ago, I completed Ironman 70.3 Augusta, my longest endurance race to date. The race is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run = 70.3 miles. It took me 7 hours and 32 minutes. I trained for 7 months, 4 of which with a triathlon coach, and all with a swimming coach. I hated my training by the end, but loved my race, which means I did it right. I still think back on the race as one of the happiest days of my life. I LOVED my race.

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of my race. It was also the day of both IM 70.3 Augusta and IM 140.6 Chattanooga. Because I had friends competing in both of those races, my Facebook feed was full of race-related posts. Early in the day, I was reflective of my experience and excited for my friends. I monitored them throughout the day, tracking them online and checking Facebook for updates. Again, I was a little reflective, but mostly I was proud of my friends and grateful to the spectators for keeping us updated.

At some point early in the evening, my feeling a "little reflective" turned into feeling a little sad. I started seeing finish line pictures from Augusta and it made me cry. Was I crying because I was proud, sad, or bored from being home on the couch? Did I feel left out because everyone was doing something I wasn't? Did I regret that I wasn't out there racing? When I opted not to do IM 70.3 Chattanooga, I didn't feel anything except glad I wasn't there. What was different about yesterday?

This post isn't for anyone who raced yesterday. I am so fucking proud of all of you that I can hardly stand it. This post is for anyone who did a really big thing once that they got a lot of attention for, and then never did again. Now when other people do that really big thing, you feel kind of weird. And you feel super shitty for feeling weird.

I am genuinely not interested in doing a 140.6 mile race. And as I sit today, I am not interested in doing another 70.3 mile race. I still love a half marathon and sprint-distance triathlon, but that's it for me.

I think yesterday felt like an expiration date, that I have to quit talking about my race now and that makes me sad. I remember on my one-year wedding anniversary feeling like I had to take my wedding pictures down from Facebook, that the time to talk about my wedding had passed. Maybe I need to give myself permission to keep talking about that big thing I did that I'm really proud of. Man, I hope that's it because if I'm just a victim of FOMO, I'm going to feel so lame.

Half Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga -- Doing It!

A week ago, Ironman announced a new 70.3. And guess where it is? Chattanooga! Prior to this, I was planning on doing Augusta again with some of my Nashville tri friends. I loved Augusta and was looking forward to racing it again and trying for a faster finish time. But ultimately I went with Chattanooga because:

location

travel expense

race date

future race plans.

The location is a no-brainer. Chattanooga is a 2-hour drive from Nashville, as opposed to Augusta, which is a 6-hour drive. This means I can buzz up to Chattanooga on the weekends and train on the course, which is HUGE.

The travel expenses incurred during Augusta were substantial:  gas, food, hotel, etc. It added up. Chattanooga will be cheaper primarily because it's closer. I also won't need a hotel. I have friends in Chattanooga who have graciously offered up their homes for training weekends, as well as the actual race.

The race date, May 17, is a deterrent for a lot of people because it's so early in the season, but I like that it's early. Oh, and my birthday is May 20, so DUH. I trained well for Augusta and I've maintained it for the most part. If I follow the same 20-week training plan, I'll start training on Dec. 29, which is 7 weeks away. I like that I won't have those bleak winter months to lose my training and gain Christmas weight. I was worried if I did Augusta, that by the time I started training, I would be starting from scratch. I also like getting my big race over with early in the season and spending the rest of the summer doing fun, local races.

We all remember how vehemently I decreed 2 weeks after Augusta that a 140.6 just wasn't in the stars for me. Show of hands if you actually believed that. No one? That's what I thought. Well, you were all right. About a month to the day after Augusta, my friend Marne talked me into doing a 140.6 in 2016, which is the year I turn 40 (hashtag: fabulous by forty).

So.... the new plan is volunteer at IM 140.6 Chattanooga in 2015 (same day as Augusta) and race IM 140.6 Chattanooga in 2016. Also on the table is IM 140.6 Lake Placid with Marne in 2016. My hesitation with Lake Placid is cost and distance. I want people to see me do my first 140.6 and Lake Placid is too far to expect people to travel. The cost of flying me, John and my bike there, plus hotel probably rules this one out. But I have until June to decide, so we'll see.

Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga 2015 -- doing it! Ironman 140.6 Chattanooga 2016 -- probably doing it!

Yours forever in HAM,
Kim

Checking In: Two Weeks Post Half Ironman 70.3 Augusta

Okay, technically, two weeks and three days. But who's counting?

I didn't think about how I would feel after the race, or how long I would feel that way. As a long-time resident of camp, I'll Show You, it's been uncomfortable to live in a space of sheer joy and pride, which is undoubtedly why I keep crying every time someone says something nice to me. But this new space is nice, and I'm acclimating to it.

The first week is a blur. I don't know what I did for those seven days. I think I spent the whole week unpacking and writing my race recap. I remember being tired and sore, and sleeping a lot. Oh god, and crying. SO MUCH CRYING.

The second week, last week, was still weird. I was still more tired than usual and had a hard time figuring out what to do with myself all day. I couldn't get into a rhythm. Nothing felt right and my emotions were running high. I also dreamt about the race every night, usually that I was lost on the course. We had that full/blood moon last week, so maybe the moon is to blame. I don't know. Science.

This week, I'm back! I had a super awesome weekend and I woke up on Monday feeling like my old self. My sleep is back on track and my days feel normal and less terrifyingly unstructured. I feel like my brain turned back on.

The biggest adjustments have been sleep, food and time management. The sleep is probably obvious. When you work-out for 10-12 hours a week, you sleep like a baby. The circadian rhythm is going to get me, but it hasn't gotten me yet.

While I stayed at my 1,500 a day calorie goal during training, I could go over a little and still lose weight. I could also eat like a dumbass and still lose weight. Not anymore! It's a work in progress, but I'm trying not to go over my calorie goal, at least not every day.

I followed a 20-week training plan, but I started training for this race in February. So for seven months, I had a thing I did every day that took anywhere from 2-6 hours. I'm figuring out a new routine and it's becoming more comfortable every day, but it's an adjustment for sure. Right now, my problem days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - the days I rode my bike.

I don't currently have a gym membership, so I'm figuring out what to do and where. There's a Planet Fitness down the street, but is that a place actual people go? There's also McCabe Community Center and Centennial Sportsplex. I don't know what I'll do yet.

Oh! And I have a black toe, which I'm super excited about! No, really, I am! Y'all, I feel so hardcore. For years, I've heard people complain about their toenails turning black and falling off, but it's never happened to me. Finally I can lay claim to that elusive black toe bragging right. I've shockingly refrained from photographing it thus far. Thus far...

To be continued!

*I told you I bought those pictures.

Race Recap: Half Ironman 70.3 Augusta

Race day! After what felt like 15 minutes of sleep, my alarm went off on Sunday at 3:45am. I plan my race mornings by scheduling backwards from the time transition closes. Transition closed at 7:15am, so I planned on arriving around 6:15am. We stopped & picked up Cathy en route, so she wouldn't have to hassle with parking her car. I held it together until John dropped us off at the shuttle & then the floodgates opened. Cathy took this picture of me crying on the shuttle. Y'all...

I got to transition with all kinds of time, which I like. I put on my headlamp (pro tip) & leisurely set up my transition area & met all of my transition neighbors (Hi, Susannne Allen!). Once I was set up, I walked one row up & found Kristie & then we got body marked & walked the mile to the swim start.

Here's where the one thing I did wrong that day happened. I accidentally wore my GD Garmin to the swim start. My Garmin that's not waterproof & was supposed to be strapped onto the handlebars of my bike. So... oops.

Luckily, I still had two hours until my swim start, so I left Kristie & hopped on the shuttle back to transition. With my Garmin safely on my handlebars, I got back on the shuttle. I actually made a lot of friends this time because everyone had questions about where the shuttle went & I was like, 'Hey, I've ridden this whole ding dang circuit. Let me tell you where it goes'. Everyone laughed & before I knew it, I was standing back beside Kristie at the swim start.

Swim:  1.2 miles in 31:29 minutes (1:37/100m pace)
Nutrition:  1 cup coffee, 1 banana, 1 Uncrustable for breakfast (supposed to eat 2 Uncrustables, but couldn't get second one down), Huma gel 15 minutes before swim

The race started at 7:30am, but my swim wave (18) didn't start until 8:40am. Kristie & I were lucky to be in the same age group, which meant we were close in transition & in the same swim wave. We helped each other get into our wetsuits & then it was go time.

You had the option of sitting on the dock, or jumping in & treading water until the gun went off. We both jumped in. Y'all, that water was FREEZING. I'm a strong swimmer & I had read the current is stronger in the middle, so I made my way to the middle. I looked around & realized Kristie was beside me, so we high-fived, wished each other good luck, & then the gun went off.

It's always a little Thunderdome at the beginning of open water swims, but I can usually swim out of it & I did. I always give myself to the first buoy to relax & get into a rhythm. When I passed the first buoy, I kicked it in a little. Kristie had told me there were 19 buoys, so every time I passed one, I'd swim a little faster. After the 4th or 5th buoy, they quit numbering them, so at that point, I just decided to swim my balls off.

Disclaimer:  this was the fastest, easiest swim I've ever done. I realized real quick that there weren't a lot of swimmers around me & then I noticed that I was passing people in different colored swim caps. I took this for a good sign & swam faster. I felt like I had only been in the water 10 minutes when it was time to get out. I loved this swim!

T1:  9:21
Nutrition:  Huma gel

This is the first race I've done in a wetsuit, so I did a lot of data mining on best practices for getting in & out of that thing quickly. Enter wetsuit strippers. Yes, that's a thing. I was told to peel the top half of the wetsuit down as I was coming out of the water & when I got to the strippers, to sit on my butt, hold on to the top of my tri shorts & throw my neoprene legs into the air. It was awesome & hilarious. Those strippers were pros. They pulled that wetsuit off of me in seconds.

Beside the wetsuit strippers were sunscreen appliers. No one was using them but me, so three of them went HAM on me with sunscreen. A girl bent down & covered my legs, while another girl did my arms & a guy did my back. It was real weird & surprisingly effective as I did not, in fact, get sunburned.

I got to my bike, sat down & dried my feet off & rubbed the sunscreen in a little before taking a gel & walking my bike to bike-out. I took my time because I was so worried about forgetting something & then being stuck out on the bike course for 4 hours without something important, which luckily didn't happen.

Bike:  56 miles in 3:49:48 (14:63 mph average pace)
Nutrition:  2 bottles of Hammer Perpetuem, 2 bottles of Nuun, 2 rice cakes, 1 banana. Salt pills:  one million.

Oy, the bike. The bike is the weakest part of triathlon for me. Cathy & I drove the bike course the day before, so I kind of understood the course. Kind of. Everyone had told me that this course was nothing compared to Natchez Trace & they were totally right. All of my practice rides were harder than this course. Train hard, race easy.

Marne warned me that I would start too fast & to slow my roll in the beginning. Sure enough, my first few miles were at 18.5 mph. Y'all, that's insane for someone who averages 14 mph. I was like, 'Dumbass, slow down. You are doing this wrong'. But it was so fun to go fast with the fast people! Alas, I slowed down. Womp, womp.

But everyone was super awesome. My handlebars really stood out & everyone that passed me commented on them. I got a lot of, "Good job, purple handlebars!". So thanks, Shannon. Good call on the purple handlebar tape.

I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but Mari-Etta Parrish, dietitian to the stars, helped me with my nutrition plan for the race. And THANK GOD because the tweaks she made saved me. In all of my training rides, I just drank 1 bottle of Perpetuem & 1 bottle of Nuun. Mari-Etta told me to drink 2 bottles of Perpetuem because I'd need the calories, so I had a ziploc baggie of Perpetuem on my bike & an extra Nuun tablet. I also had 4 rice cakes with instructions to eat one every 50 minutes.

There were 3 water stop/aid stations. I stopped at the second one. I took my sweet time & pulled over, clipped out & mixed two new water bottles of Perpetuem & Nuun. Also, I took some bananas for the road as I could no longer get the rice cakes down my gullet. It wasn't the rice cakes' fault. I made them on Thursday & had them in a cooler until Sunday morning, so they had freezer burn & were completely inedible. But the bananas worked. I had no issues on the bike with hydration or nutrition. Thanks, Mari-Etta!

I always take salt pills when I ride because my legs cramp. I usually take one every time I eat, but I had read to take one every time you feel a stomach cramp or a muscle twinge, so I did. And I felt a lot of things. I think I was taking a salt pill every half hour or so, so I probably took 8. Whatever, I didn't cramp!

The last part of the bike course is downhill. Julie had told me to spin-out to get my legs ready for the run, so I did. I also cried. A lot. I don't know what in the hell happened to me out there. When I got to mile 46 or so, I realized I had done it, I had survived the bike course & I just started bawling. It was volcanic, but I couldn't stop it. And then I was done & it was time to run.

T2:  8:02
Nutrition:  Huma gel

I knew I was supposed to have peed on the bike course, but I didn't & I was super worried about it. As I was running out of transition, I asked the girl beside me if she peed & she did & said I should go now instead of out on the run course. So I literally turned around in the middle of the run-out & went back to the port-a-potties. And I peed for like a hundred minutes, so good call random girl in transition.

Oh, also, I forgot to change my shoes, so I ran halfway out of transition in my bike shoes.

Run:  13.1 miles in 2:53:50 (13:16 average pace)
Nutrition:  Nuun in hand-held bottle, 2 Huma gels (couldn't get anymore gels down, so took Powerade at aid stations). Salt pills: 2-3.

I know how to run a half marathon. Now granted, I've never run one after a 56-mile bike ride, but still, this was familiar territory. Plus, I did 2 bricks a week in my training. The first mile of the run felt terrible, but, of course it did. Real early on, like in the second mile, I saw a woman in the same running shoes as me, so I said, 'Hey, shoe twin, good job!'. She asked if she could run with me & we ended up running the whole run together. Her name is Laura (Hi, Laura!) & it was so nice to have someone to run with. It honestly probably saved my run because I kept up my pace so I wouldn't slow her down.

This course is awesome because it's lined with spectators. John, Jaime & Lana were everywhere & it helped so much. There was a rule that spectators couldn't run with you (obvi), or beside you, that was pacing & it was an immediate disqualification. So if your friends & family wanted to follow along beside you, they had to side shuffle. Y'all, John Baldwin side shuffled his butt off. Every time I passed him, he was side shuffling & cow-belling me so hard. It was the best part of the race.

The one thing that I was worried about & had no control over was my knee giving out. And it did. Luckily, it didn't give out until mile 10, so I just had to run a 5k & I could do that on a bum knee. When it first went out, I stopped & walked, mostly because I was scared of falling like I did in Oak Barrel. Laura walked with me for a mile. She told me she was going to start running again at mile 11, so I started with her, but I couldn't keep up, so we parted ways. I ran the rest of the way, but at a slower pace. And then before I knew it, I was at the finish chute. When I turned the corner into the chute, I started crying. Again.

 At some point on the run, my transition neighbor joined us for a few miles & she told us that someone had told her that once you get to the finish chute, to slow down, smile & not look down or mess with your watch - to take it all in & to listen for your name. So as I ran into the finish chute, I remembered what she said & I slowed down, smiled & listened for my name. It was over in seconds, but it was the best feeling in the world.

Lessons Learned:

I LOVED this race! When I started looking at 70.3 races, this one came highly recommended & I see why. I wanted this race to be a BFD, which is why I chose an Ironman branded race. Yes, I paid a high registration fee & yes, I spent a million dollars at the expo, but, for me, it was worth it. Also, Augusta is very drive-able from Nashville & there are lots of hotel options in every price range.

Augusta is a great race host city. Tri Augusta & the unofficial Augusta 70.3 Ironman Facebook page helped so much. I learned a lot from both of these groups.

Let's talk about the race course. The swim is the fastest, easiest swim you'll probably ever do in a race. The bike course isn't easy, but if you train on Natchez Trace, you'll be ready. The trick to the bike isn't the course or the mileage, it's making sure your hydration & nutrition are right & making sure you can change your own flat tire. The run is nothing. If you run in Nashville, especially with East Nasty, you've run harder courses. It's completely flat. But it's not boring! I thought the run course was really scenic & even though you run the same loop twice, I didn't even notice. Plus, the entire run is lined with spectators. It's awesome.

A) I would do this race again. B) I'd push anyone looking at doing their first 70.3, to do this race. But sign up soon. I signed up last December, before the price went up in January. And I believe it sold out in either March or April. And yes, it will again be held on the same day as Ironman Chattanooga next year.

Looking Ahead:

I know I'm not supposed to decide this yet, but I'm not planning on doing a full Ironman. When I signed up for this race, I was unhappy with a lot of things & needed an outlet for that negative energy. I was also unhappy with my weight & kind of just wanted to prove that I could do this thing. I'm not that person anymore. I'm obviously outwardly different in that I've gone from 198 lbs to 161 lbs. But the biggest change is inward. I went into therapy in February/March & am honestly just a different person now. Welcome to your late thirties! *I also very quietly left my job & started a social media business, which I'd like to devote my time & attention to.

*That's we in the biz call 'burying the lead'.

In addition to having time to clean my house & buy groceries again, it's also important to me to be the kind of wife & friend worthy of the love I'm receiving from these exceptional people that I'm lucky enough to have in my life. The outpouring of support you all have shown me is beyond anything I ever expected.

As far as training, I'm done! Heh. I smartly signed up for a half marathon in December so that I'd have to jump right back into something after a week-ish of celebrating & recovering. I'm obviously interested in keeping this hot new bod, albeit with significantly less cardio. I'm interested in more yoga & I'm interested in strength training. My friend Dawn had an awesome trainer here & I may look into working with him. I know she had great results. We'll see! But for this week, you can find me in Halloween pajamas on my couch, eating candy & randomly crying anytime someone says something nice to me.

Race Summary:
Swim:  31:29
Bike:  3:49:38
Run:  2:53:50
Total Time:  7:32:20
Age Group:  150/166 (39 women DNS or DNF)
Overall:  2364/3290

Full race photostream here & on Facebook.

I'm going to spend the rest of my life thanking people, but to start, I'd like to thank:  John, April, Jaime, Lana, Cathy, Kristie, Mary Katherine, Marshall, Melanie, Jessica, Heidi, Katie, Alexis, Patrick, Shannon, Red Kite, Paige, 12South Yoga, Chris, NAC Masters, Mari-Etta, Chatty, Emma, Kathy, Monday Night Ladies Ride, TriSuccess, Caroline, Julie, Marne, Maureen, Kristine, Team CV, Karen & Paul, Beth, Allison, Rita, SKB, Chrissi, Jeney, Freya, Lauren, Jen, Season, NRC, my Pancake Run family & my enormous East Nasty family. ENFL.

Half Ironman 70.3 Training: Week 20 -- Race Week!

Continuing the taper I started last week, this week was all about rest & recovery. Here's what my training looked like:

Swim:

40 minute NAC Masters swim

Bike:

60 minute bike ride (14.40 miles)
Avg mph:  14.5

22 minute bike ride (3.70 miles)
Avg mph:  10.1
1.36 mile brick (16 minutes)

Bike total:  18.1 miles

Run:

2.49 mile run (31:51 minutes)

Run total (including bricks):  3.85 miles

Total training:  2.83 hours

This week was also about organization, the fourth sport of triathlon. I made a spreadsheet of my race weekend schedule & a list of things to do & buy before I leave on Friday. Oh, & I also had to hydrate, eat a lot of protein & get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. And did I mention that John is sick? Yeah, we're currently living in separate zones of our house to keep me from getting sick. We're using Linda to courier messages to each other. I'm just kidding. Linda would never climb that many stairs.

Augusta To Do List:

Make spreadsheet/schedule for weekend
Confirm Augusta hotel
Make pre-race nutrition plan
Make race day nutrition plan
Email nutrition plans to Mari-Etta for feedback
Buy Augusta breakfast food & snacks
Buy insulated cooler/lunch box
Arrange transportation for my sister
Find race tracker app for John, Jaime & Lana
Adjust FB settings so they can tag me during race
Buy salt pills
Buy Huma gels
Paint nails
Register for post-Augusta race
Pack transition bag
Pack weekend bag
Make rice cakes
Chill the fuuuck out

It's weird how this is about the same amount of stuff than I take to an Olympic distance triathlon, which means I'm taking way too much stuff to Olympic distance triathlons. The big differences here are the wetsuit, the practice swim pile & the morning clothes bag pile. Oh, & the headlamp - because apparently I need a headlamp to set up my transition area on Sunday morning...? I swear, if someone told me I'd need to send faxes in transition, there would be a fax machine sitting on this bed. I'm such a sucker.

This morning I did my last training work-out:  20 minute ride, 15 minute run. I almost didn't do it because I thought, 'Today will be the day I wreck & break my leg.' But I'm happy to report I'm still in one piece. Knock on wood.

Seven months & 17 lbs later, I'm officially done training. Next stop:  race day!

Half Ironman 70.3 Training: Week 19

Taper week! My work-outs this week were supposed to be lower hours, but same intensity. That I did. Go easy on the calories & sleep well? Well, that one was less successful...

Here's what my training looked like:

Swim:

60 minute NAC Masters swim
45 minute OWS

Bike:

45 minute bike ride (10.60 miles)
Avg mph:  13.5

1:00 hour bike ride (13.19 miles)
Avg mph:  13.2
1.30 mile brick (15:04 minutes)

1:56 hour bike ride (26.38 miles)
Avg mph:  13.6
1.80 mile brick (23:37)

Bike total:  50.17 miles

Run:

3.37 mile run (42:39 minutes)
2.86 mile run (33:59 minutes)
5.48 mile run (1:06 hours)

Run total (including bricks):  14.81 miles

Total training:  10 hours (including yoga)

I'm feeling confident in my taper, which is good since I pulled it out of my ass. All of my work-outs this week felt good. It was nice cutting the hours back. I only had to ride 2 hours on Saturday. It's amazing how short a 2 hour ride feels now. I was home by 10am. I had no idea what to do with myself.

This is what I did with myself. I took the pdf of my athlete's guide to Kinko's & had them print & bind it. My plan for this week is to make a plan/schedule/spreadsheet for race weekend. I'm getting overwhelmed trying to figure out what all I have to do once I get to Augusta on Friday. Having a hard copy of this guide will help. I hope...

Next up, my last training post:  Week 20 -- Race Week! Stay tuned!

Half Ironman 70.3 Training: Week 18

This was my last hard training week. Starting now, I taper, then rest, then race. And try not to lose my mind. Here's what my training looked like this week:

Swim:

60 minute NAC Masters swim
60 minute OWS

Bike:

1:00 hour bike ride (12.42 miles)
Avg mph:  12.4

4:15 hour bike ride (56.54 miles)
Avg mph:  13.3
2.01 mile brick (24:54 minutes)

Bike total:  68.96 miles

Run:

3.56 mile run (45:08 minutes)
3 mile run (37:08 minutes)
10.50 mile run (2:08 hours)

Run total (including bricks):  17.06 miles

Total training:  12.66 hours (including yoga)

This week, I found acupuncture. I swam with my wetsuit on wrong last weekend & hurt my shoulder. It got progressively worse throughout the week, so on Thursday, I called & made an appointment at East Nashville Community Acupuncture. My shoulder pain went away after my initial appointment on Friday, but I had made appointments for Saturday, Sunday & Monday, so I kept going. I figured with the insanity I put my body through this weekend, it couldn't hurt. I just asked them to shift the focus from my shoulder to my knees. And guess who's knees don't hurt? Acupuncture! Who knew?

Saturday was my longest ride, 56.54 miles. The ride was good & bad. It was good in that my hydration & nutrition worked, & my mood & energy was good throughout the ride. The bad is that it was cold & I was under-dressed. And it rained. And it was REAL windy. How I don't have pneumonia is anyone's guess.

For the last 10 miles of the ride, I was real over it. I wasn't in pain, but my quads were tightening, bordering on cramping. Luckily, I was able to ride through it, but it wasn't enjoyable. I didn't think I'd be able to run after, but I sure as shit could. As soon as I started running, all the pain in my legs went away. What I'm saying is, basically, my body is a wonderland.

Quick highlights:

I swam in my wetsuit today with no shoulder pain.

I learned how to change a flat tire on my bike (front tire only).

I lost another pound & am down 35 pounds!!!

Half Ironman 70.3 Training: Week 17

This week felt like the beginning of the end of high school. I've definitely got senioritis. Also, y'all, my body is so tired. My appetite (for destruction) is out of control. I'm trying real hard not to eat like a maniac, since I'd like to keep this shape after my race. My weekend eating is getting a little ridiculous, but I'm doing good the other 5-6 days. I'm just trying not to start any bad habits I can't break in 3 weeks.

Here's what my training looked like:

Swim:

60 minute NAC Masters swim
60 minute OWS

Bike:

3:20 hour bike ride (27.60 miles)
Avg mph:  8.2

1:54 hour bike ride (22.11 miles)
Avg mph:  11.6
1.22 mile brick (14:04 minutes)

3:43 hour bike ride (50.05 miles)
Avg mph:  13.5
2.35 mile brick (29:40 minutes)

Bike total:  99.76 miles (!!)

Run:

5.07 mile run (1:05 hours)
6 mile run (1:16 hours)

Run total (including bricks):  14.64 miles

Total training:  15.5 hours (including yoga)

So on Saturday, I rode my bike to Smyrna. Granted, I started in Brentwood, but still. I rode my bike to Smyrna! That blows my mind. We rode a little over 51 miles. I turned my watch off for a train to pass & forgot to turn it back on, so my data is off.

It wasn't a great ride for me. I couldn't keep up & spent the majority of the 4-hour ride beating myself up. I also ran out of hydration. My bike only has two cages, so I brought cash & told everyone I'd need to stop. But... turns out, Smyrna was the only place to buy water & I didn't need it then. So I ran out. For the last 30-45 minutes of the ride, I was actually hallucinating that I was drinking water. Y'ALL.

It was a hard ride & I was doing my best, but I just couldn't keep up. I've come a long way on the bike, but I'm still slower than everyone I ride with. I felt a little better later on when I saw that at the time we were riding, it was 100% humidity. Surely that played a part in slowing me down. Surely. Also, hallucinations.

I've luckily met & be-friended two women also doing Augusta. We got together this morning to open water swim. I had an off-day today, too. This weekend was clearly a test. I think I just didn't pull my wetsuit over my shoulders tightly enough. Mid-swim, my right shoulder hurt so bad, I had to stop swimming. I got out & adjusted my wetsuit & was able to swim mostly pain-free, but it's real sore now. Great.

Are we there yet?

Half Ironman 70.3 Training: Week 16

Here's what my training looked like this week:

Swim:

60 minute NAC Masters swim

Bike:

1:09 hour bike ride (13.67 miles)
Avg mph:  11.9

1:30 hour bike ride (18.51 miles)
Avg mph:  12.3

2:50 hour bike ride (41 miles)
Avg mph:  14.3
3 mile brick (35:50 minutes)

Bike total:  73.18 miles

Run:

5.30 mile run (1:06 hours)
3.48 mile run (40:47 minutes)
10.01 mile run (2:05 hours)

Run total (including bricks):  21.79 miles

Total training:  12.45 hours (including yoga)

Emotionally, this was a hard week. There was an incident in Shelby Bottoms last Sunday that happened as I was finishing my run. I didn't see it happen, but I was standing at my car immediately after & was one of the people who rushed to help. Of the three of us, one ran over & tried to administer CPR, while me & my other friend stopped & didn't go any further when we realized what we were seeing.

I'm not equipped to see death like this. I had a hard time processing the suddenness & permanence of what I saw. It contradicted the hospital, surrounded by loved ones setting that I had in my head. I couldn't stop crying, I wasn't sleeping & I was having a lot of flashbacks of what I saw. Fortunately, I had a therapy appointment already scheduled for Wednesday.

I learned on Wednesday that because the only other traumatic event I've experienced is 9/11, my brain had connected the two events & I had slipped back into a post-9/11 mindset. We talked through things I would do & say to myself to disconnect the two events & it really did help, almost immediately.

Oddly, Thursday, the day after my appointment, was my worst day. I think because I was processing everything that got brought up on Wednesday, but also because I went back to Shelby. That's where I do my bike rides during the week because I feel safe riding alone there. I drove past where it happened, got real upset, & just sat in my car & cried. I looked around the parking lot & saw moms with kids, people with dogs & old men with bikes & felt a little better.

I basically spent the rest of Thursday crying at people. I went to lunch after my ride & cried at my friend. I went home & cried at John. I called my sister & cried at her. I went to yoga & cried at everyone at yoga. But that night I slept & I woke up on Friday feeling okay & have felt okay ever since.

Thank you for letting me share this. I debated whether or not to write about it, but it became such a big part of my week that it seemed disingenuous not to. To everyone I cried at this week, thank you. It's hard to just sit & be present for someone's pain. Those of you who were able to do that for me, thank you.

Half Ironman 70.3 Training: Week 14

This was a strong training week. I felt good during & after all of my work-outs & even did a couple of things I'm proud of, including a 3 mile brick, a HEADSTAND & not quitting my long ride when I got back to my car 15 minutes before I was supposed to.

Here's what my training looked like:

Swim:

60 minute OWS in wetsuit
(Sportsplex was closed again this week)

Bike:

1:20 hour bike ride (15.05 miles)
Avg mph:  11.2

1:46 hour bike ride (22.20 miles)
Avg mph:  12.5
3 mile brick (35:59 minutes)

3:15 hour bike ride (45 miles)
2 mile brick
(my Garmin died - no data)

Bike total:  82.25 miles

Run:

4.90 mile run (1:00 hour)
7.01 mile run (1:21 hours)

Run total (including bricks):  16.91 miles

Total training:  12 hours

I took my friend Paige's yoga class again on Thursday night & did a headstand! Sooo loving that class. Thanks, Paige!

I had a really great long ride on Saturday:  no Garmin, good weather, good nutrition:

I had 2 cups of coffee & a waffle with PB&J at home, 1 rice cake 50 minutes into the ride, another rice cake 50 minutes later & then a package of caffeinated chocolate candies Season gave me from NRC 50 minutes after that (the package is equal to 1 cup of coffee). Plus, I had a salt pill once an hour (3 total), 1 bottle of Hammer Perpetuem & 1 bottle of Nuun.

It's the first time that I've finished a Trace ride strong. It's also the first time I didn't go home & take a 2-3 hour nap. So yeah, maybe I've finally got this nutrition thing figured out.

In the next 5 weeks (!!), I'm supposed to ice my knees after every long or hard run, get a bike tune-up & buy new running shoes. And not get injured. Oh! I also need to make sure I know how to change a flat. I learned how when I first got my bike, but I've never had to do it & I doubt that information is still in my brain.

Five weeks, y'all!