The race is not officially over until the FAANT girls get their Ironman tattoos!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Last Road to Ironman Texas
Follow Janet and Dr Crane on their journey to Ironman Texas in this video
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Journey to a Texas IronMan
Hi Everyone,
IronMan Texas is officially in the books! Dr. Crane and I both finished a very long day last Saturday of 140.6 miles. Now it is Monday and just this morning, it is hitting me that we both have the title of IronMan.
Was it worth it?
Yes.
Was it hard?
Yes.
Would you do it again? Initally we both stated no. Now that I have slept…well, lets just say I have time to think about it. ;)
I set rules for myself the night before the race: One, keep a consistent swim stroke. Two, hold back on bike speed and keep it consistent. Three, walk the run portion with a consistent stride. The steps were key in allowing me to cross the finish line Saturday night.
The cloud cover truly gave us a break for most of race day. Had the sun been out with the humidity, I will say things may have not been so stellar. The swim start was a little scary since this was my first mass swim start. When the gun went off, I was still on the ramp and was pushed into the water. Two bodies swam right over me. For a split second I thought I was going to freak out, then something inside told me to focus and I fought to get above water and push for space. Soon the swim stroke began, consistent and non stop. After awhile 2.4 miles were complete.
Standing upright after the swim was funny. My left foot wanted to keep kicking however not lift upright to the stair case. I laughed getting up the stairs and then walked/jogged to the transition tent. It was amazing how calm I felt and how the body was telling the brain to just hang out today and let me do this race. Once in the tent, the volunteers were amazing. I can’t for the life of me remember the volunteers names, but let me tell you – they were EXCELLENT! I was assisted from start to finish to prepare for the bike and within a few minutes, I picked up Celeste and off we went on the bike journey.
The first half of the ride was wonderful. The sky was overcast and in pockets, rain fell which was cooling. The scenery was soothing. I held back on the bike speed and just enjoyed the ride. The second half was flat and I was starting to get figity in the seat. I kept rolling through waterstop after waterstop and did not stop all 112 miles. I kept my promise to keep it easy and enjoy every minute.
Rolling into transition two was bitter sweet. I was sad to dismount after a great ride however this was the point where I knew I was going to be an IronMan. After another awesome transition, I was off for a three loop walk. I kept timing pretty consistent and received very large blisters on both feet. I won’t gross you out but walking on a bed of water in your shoe is not an enjoyable task. I stopped at every water stop, high fived the crowds and just smiled.
Last lap I made sure I thanked every volunteer. They had a long day also and each person was spectacular. Walking down the final path, I smiled and tipped my visor to all of the people screaming and yelling words of joy to myself and other race participants. I saw my husband Dennis and held back tears. I heard Sherpa #2, my friend Laurie screaming at the top of her lungs. We hugged and I was handed Ms. Kitty (beanie baby) that I had all through training. I actually picked up my feet and jogged (this hurt a lot) through the finish line and I heard it – Janet Dixon, you’re an IronMan! A friend of mine name Scott was volunteering and waited for me as I crossed the finish line. We hugged and high fived. Volunteers were smiling with one stating I looked so happy. I can’t describe the feeling but I will never forget that moment. Dennis caught up to me after the finish line chute and I just kept smiling.
The next day, the only thing that hurt was my feet and the blisters. My knee was annoyed since I kept rolling my foot out to avoid walking on the blisters. I expected to be in a lot more pain but it was not happening. That tells me I paced myself exactly as planned however, I could have taken in more nutrition before and during the race as I was hungry on the swim and on the run. That’s okay, I finished in time and 10 minutes faster than I anticipated.
So that’s it my friends – the journey has come to a close. I hope it was fun for you. So what’s next? Let me think a bit on that one. ;)
Talk to ya……soon!
Janet, IronMan 2011
IronMan Texas is officially in the books! Dr. Crane and I both finished a very long day last Saturday of 140.6 miles. Now it is Monday and just this morning, it is hitting me that we both have the title of IronMan.
Was it worth it?
Yes.
Was it hard?
Yes.
Would you do it again? Initally we both stated no. Now that I have slept…well, lets just say I have time to think about it. ;)
I set rules for myself the night before the race: One, keep a consistent swim stroke. Two, hold back on bike speed and keep it consistent. Three, walk the run portion with a consistent stride. The steps were key in allowing me to cross the finish line Saturday night.
The cloud cover truly gave us a break for most of race day. Had the sun been out with the humidity, I will say things may have not been so stellar. The swim start was a little scary since this was my first mass swim start. When the gun went off, I was still on the ramp and was pushed into the water. Two bodies swam right over me. For a split second I thought I was going to freak out, then something inside told me to focus and I fought to get above water and push for space. Soon the swim stroke began, consistent and non stop. After awhile 2.4 miles were complete.
Standing upright after the swim was funny. My left foot wanted to keep kicking however not lift upright to the stair case. I laughed getting up the stairs and then walked/jogged to the transition tent. It was amazing how calm I felt and how the body was telling the brain to just hang out today and let me do this race. Once in the tent, the volunteers were amazing. I can’t for the life of me remember the volunteers names, but let me tell you – they were EXCELLENT! I was assisted from start to finish to prepare for the bike and within a few minutes, I picked up Celeste and off we went on the bike journey.
The first half of the ride was wonderful. The sky was overcast and in pockets, rain fell which was cooling. The scenery was soothing. I held back on the bike speed and just enjoyed the ride. The second half was flat and I was starting to get figity in the seat. I kept rolling through waterstop after waterstop and did not stop all 112 miles. I kept my promise to keep it easy and enjoy every minute.
Rolling into transition two was bitter sweet. I was sad to dismount after a great ride however this was the point where I knew I was going to be an IronMan. After another awesome transition, I was off for a three loop walk. I kept timing pretty consistent and received very large blisters on both feet. I won’t gross you out but walking on a bed of water in your shoe is not an enjoyable task. I stopped at every water stop, high fived the crowds and just smiled.
Last lap I made sure I thanked every volunteer. They had a long day also and each person was spectacular. Walking down the final path, I smiled and tipped my visor to all of the people screaming and yelling words of joy to myself and other race participants. I saw my husband Dennis and held back tears. I heard Sherpa #2, my friend Laurie screaming at the top of her lungs. We hugged and I was handed Ms. Kitty (beanie baby) that I had all through training. I actually picked up my feet and jogged (this hurt a lot) through the finish line and I heard it – Janet Dixon, you’re an IronMan! A friend of mine name Scott was volunteering and waited for me as I crossed the finish line. We hugged and high fived. Volunteers were smiling with one stating I looked so happy. I can’t describe the feeling but I will never forget that moment. Dennis caught up to me after the finish line chute and I just kept smiling.
The next day, the only thing that hurt was my feet and the blisters. My knee was annoyed since I kept rolling my foot out to avoid walking on the blisters. I expected to be in a lot more pain but it was not happening. That tells me I paced myself exactly as planned however, I could have taken in more nutrition before and during the race as I was hungry on the swim and on the run. That’s okay, I finished in time and 10 minutes faster than I anticipated.
So that’s it my friends – the journey has come to a close. I hope it was fun for you. So what’s next? Let me think a bit on that one. ;)
Talk to ya……soon!
Janet, IronMan 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunburned Feet Can Lead to Skin Cancer
It’s that time of year again! Lots of my Facebook friends are posting pictures with sunburned feet! Seems like no one ever remembers to apply sunscreen on their feet. Sandal season exposes our often lily white feet to way too much sun exposure. So what about a little sun on your feet? Well, even though skin cancer on your feet is rare, it is often nasty and pretty deadly! Protect your feet with sun screen or you may regret it!
Not all brown or pink skin spots are melanomas, and they are rarely in the feet; but when they are, they are usually nasty! Melanoma is a cancer that begins in the cells of the skin that produce pigment or color. It is often called malignant melanoma because it spreads to other parts of the body as it grows beneath the surface of the skin. Unlike many other cancers, it can strike at any age.
Melanoma that occurs in the foot often goes unnoticed during the earliest stage, when it would be more easily treated. By the time melanoma of the foot is diagnosed, it has frequently progressed to an advanced stage and is quite deadly. Early detection is the key to decreasing the death rate from melanoma.
Who is at risk of melanoma? All of us, but certain factors can make you more at risk: fair skin, especially with freckles, blond or red hair, blistering sunburns before the age of 18, and numerous moles. (Sounds like my entire family, especially the red-head!)
What should I look for? Melanoma usually looks like a brown or black spot on the skin or even under or near the toenails, but occasionally it can be red, pink or even white.
Melanoma symptoms are known as "ABCD".
A: Asymmetry, meaning abnormal and uneven shape;
B: Border irregularity meaning it looks like it had a ragged or blurred edge;
C: Color, usually a mix of colors instead of uniform throughout; and
D: Diameter, melanoma is usually getting bigger where a mole stays about the same. If you have any of these symptoms or a dark spot under your toenail that wasn’t caused by banging or dropping something on your toe, call or contact the office immediately!
Early detection is critical in melanoma! Critical steps towards early detection and prevention include wearing shoes at the beach (flip flops just aren’t going to do it); use sunscreen on your feet; inspect your feet daily; if you wear toenail polish, take it off at least once a month to inspect the nails; avoid sun exposure during the height of the day (Thank God we wear shoes biking and running in triathlon!).
Remember, if you think any spot on your foot or ankle has the "ABCD’s" of melanoma, call or contact the office immediately for a skin and nail inspection. Early detection is the key to successful treatment!
Not all brown or pink skin spots are melanomas, and they are rarely in the feet; but when they are, they are usually nasty! Melanoma is a cancer that begins in the cells of the skin that produce pigment or color. It is often called malignant melanoma because it spreads to other parts of the body as it grows beneath the surface of the skin. Unlike many other cancers, it can strike at any age.
Melanoma that occurs in the foot often goes unnoticed during the earliest stage, when it would be more easily treated. By the time melanoma of the foot is diagnosed, it has frequently progressed to an advanced stage and is quite deadly. Early detection is the key to decreasing the death rate from melanoma.
Who is at risk of melanoma? All of us, but certain factors can make you more at risk: fair skin, especially with freckles, blond or red hair, blistering sunburns before the age of 18, and numerous moles. (Sounds like my entire family, especially the red-head!)
What should I look for? Melanoma usually looks like a brown or black spot on the skin or even under or near the toenails, but occasionally it can be red, pink or even white.
Melanoma symptoms are known as "ABCD".
A: Asymmetry, meaning abnormal and uneven shape;
B: Border irregularity meaning it looks like it had a ragged or blurred edge;
C: Color, usually a mix of colors instead of uniform throughout; and
D: Diameter, melanoma is usually getting bigger where a mole stays about the same. If you have any of these symptoms or a dark spot under your toenail that wasn’t caused by banging or dropping something on your toe, call or contact the office immediately!
Early detection is critical in melanoma! Critical steps towards early detection and prevention include wearing shoes at the beach (flip flops just aren’t going to do it); use sunscreen on your feet; inspect your feet daily; if you wear toenail polish, take it off at least once a month to inspect the nails; avoid sun exposure during the height of the day (Thank God we wear shoes biking and running in triathlon!).
Remember, if you think any spot on your foot or ankle has the "ABCD’s" of melanoma, call or contact the office immediately for a skin and nail inspection. Early detection is the key to successful treatment!
Friday, May 13, 2011
The Journey to a Texas IronMan
Well folks, at this time next week, Dr. Crane and I will experience the 2011 Texas IronMan course. As expected, time flew right on by and geez, what a difference life has become since we registered for the event back on June 25th of last year.
This week at the practice, multiple IronMan friends stopped in to cast well wishes. Finally today, I felt a few jitters then again, maybe it was the air conditioning. Seriously though, I am now excited on top of curious and it is probably safe to say many participants are in the same boat. So bring it May 21st, there is a course of 140.6 miles to be consumed.
Now we know what it takes to train for a full IronMan. IronMan training takes strength, endurance, determination, speed, risk, power, preparation, perseverance, courage, persistence, dedication and attitude. Let’s not also forget to tack on eating and sleeping!
I am hooked on this sport which doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. I do hope however each week of this blog, you were able to take bits and pieces of this journey and apply this in your life. At the practice, we promote healthy lifestyles which inevitably leads to healthy bodies and guess what? That healthy body includes healthy feet!
If you read this blog then felt the need to go for a walk, a run or make a positive change in your life, then my work here was a success. Knowing you followed along each week fueled me to keep going, so I must thank you for the virtual push. I am in awe of all the twitter followers (we even went international with followers), the wonderful emails and facebook posts. After next weekend, I promise to update you on the event then we move forward with a new twist to this blog...but more on that later.
Talk to ya next week after IronMan,
Janet
This week at the practice, multiple IronMan friends stopped in to cast well wishes. Finally today, I felt a few jitters then again, maybe it was the air conditioning. Seriously though, I am now excited on top of curious and it is probably safe to say many participants are in the same boat. So bring it May 21st, there is a course of 140.6 miles to be consumed.
Now we know what it takes to train for a full IronMan. IronMan training takes strength, endurance, determination, speed, risk, power, preparation, perseverance, courage, persistence, dedication and attitude. Let’s not also forget to tack on eating and sleeping!
I am hooked on this sport which doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. I do hope however each week of this blog, you were able to take bits and pieces of this journey and apply this in your life. At the practice, we promote healthy lifestyles which inevitably leads to healthy bodies and guess what? That healthy body includes healthy feet!
If you read this blog then felt the need to go for a walk, a run or make a positive change in your life, then my work here was a success. Knowing you followed along each week fueled me to keep going, so I must thank you for the virtual push. I am in awe of all the twitter followers (we even went international with followers), the wonderful emails and facebook posts. After next weekend, I promise to update you on the event then we move forward with a new twist to this blog...but more on that later.
Talk to ya next week after IronMan,
Janet
Friday, May 6, 2011
The Journey to a Texas IronMan
Hi Everyone,
“The taper” has arrived. In a nutshell, taper means to reduce the training volume while maintaining or in some cases slightly increasing your intensity. So for months, the muscles have been broken down then rebuilt. You would think I would be all over the fact I get to have a breather and rest up before the race….not so fast.
It was exciting to see another day off added to my weekly workouts. It turns out the extra day off replaced sweat with guilt. I kept thinking I needed to workout! I stared at Celeste, the super tri bike. I walked around the house looking to clean something however the housekeepers already took care of that for us. So I did my best to “taper” by playing with the dogs and have conversations with the members of the household who were also surprised at my being at home. I thought to myself, what the heck am I going to do post IronMan? Instantly, my mind responded “plan the next IM silly”. I thought that was a pretty cool response.
The goal for the next two weeks is to stay healthy and don’t over do things. I really hope I am prepared enough to finish this race. Finishing 140.6 miles before the cut off is the goal and trust me, I take nothing for granted. I made myself stop following the strings of online comments about the race, the route and the weather. Let’s face it, Houston in May is humid and hot, the lake is shallow and turns into a canal, and the bike route is pretty flat which can be mentally challenging (I actually like hills now – nutty eh?). Considering I cannot change any of the above, all there is to do is roll with it.
Am I nervous? In all honesty, my answer is no. If anything, there is curousity about race day. A lot of patients and friends stop in to check on me and I hear repeated feedback of how relaxed I am about the race. I can’t figure out why I am not nervous. Then again, I have busted my tail over the past year so maybe it’s a way the body is telling me that we will be good on race day. I like that and I like the fact others are feeding off my calmness throughout the work day and at home. So if you would, do me a favor and keep your fingers crossed the calmness stays through race day and beyond.
Talk to ya next week,
Janet
“The taper” has arrived. In a nutshell, taper means to reduce the training volume while maintaining or in some cases slightly increasing your intensity. So for months, the muscles have been broken down then rebuilt. You would think I would be all over the fact I get to have a breather and rest up before the race….not so fast.
It was exciting to see another day off added to my weekly workouts. It turns out the extra day off replaced sweat with guilt. I kept thinking I needed to workout! I stared at Celeste, the super tri bike. I walked around the house looking to clean something however the housekeepers already took care of that for us. So I did my best to “taper” by playing with the dogs and have conversations with the members of the household who were also surprised at my being at home. I thought to myself, what the heck am I going to do post IronMan? Instantly, my mind responded “plan the next IM silly”. I thought that was a pretty cool response.
The goal for the next two weeks is to stay healthy and don’t over do things. I really hope I am prepared enough to finish this race. Finishing 140.6 miles before the cut off is the goal and trust me, I take nothing for granted. I made myself stop following the strings of online comments about the race, the route and the weather. Let’s face it, Houston in May is humid and hot, the lake is shallow and turns into a canal, and the bike route is pretty flat which can be mentally challenging (I actually like hills now – nutty eh?). Considering I cannot change any of the above, all there is to do is roll with it.
Am I nervous? In all honesty, my answer is no. If anything, there is curousity about race day. A lot of patients and friends stop in to check on me and I hear repeated feedback of how relaxed I am about the race. I can’t figure out why I am not nervous. Then again, I have busted my tail over the past year so maybe it’s a way the body is telling me that we will be good on race day. I like that and I like the fact others are feeding off my calmness throughout the work day and at home. So if you would, do me a favor and keep your fingers crossed the calmness stays through race day and beyond.
Talk to ya next week,
Janet
Monday, May 2, 2011
You Know You Are A Triathlete When?
The following is a reprint from my blog that I couldn't help posting to Janet's blog for her followers. I have had a running gag going for the last few years on and off on my website and it makes up the last chapter of my book. “You know you are a runner when….” Lots of my friends contributed to the list from 2008 to late 2009, when we published the first book…. I felt it was fitting to add this year, especially since Janet and I are less than three weeks away from Ironman Texas, “You know you are a triathlete when…” Feel free to send comments back and I will add them to the list. This inaugural list was compiled by Janet and I emailing each other and drinking wine at the same time. Please do not be offended and you are required to laugh. If you do not get it, you need to ask a triathlete……
You know you are a triathlete when…
You know you are a triathlete when…
- You think it’s normal to wear spandex 24/7.
- You can blow your nose while on the bike without using tissue. (runners call this a snot rocket)
- You know the psi needed for your tires, yet can’t remember the garage door code.
- You have found even more areas to apply body glide you didn’t think were possible.
- You have no problem loaning body glide or chapstick to a triathlete you don’t even know.
- You come to the realization there is justification for public nudity in transition, and you are OK with it.
- You feel that receiving a drafting penalty hurts worse than a tax bill.
- You think swimming through pee is not so bad, and you pee often in your wetsuit and/or in the lake.
- You contemplate how to pee on the bike when riding, and you are a girl.
- You can speed on your bike, eat a gel and yell “on your left” to a pedestrian or other cyclist, all at the same time.
- You put your helmet on backwards leaving transition and don’t want to stop and fix it because it takes too much time.
- You think it’s sexy to have your race number sun burnt into your calf and show it off like a badge of honor.
- You have worse tan lines than a farmer’s tan.
- Your cycling race wheels are worth more than your neighbor’s car….or your car.
- You realize flatulance is pretty funny in a wetsuit and warm on cold swim days.
- You plan for your first Ironman tattoo before you even sign up for the race.
- You press your race bibs with an iron and file or display for future admiration.
- You find yourself yelling “on your left” as you pass other carts in the grocery store.
- You find that a six hour bike ride is a warm up.
- You wash your bike more than you wash the dog.
- You look forward to aging as this will be your only way to stand on the podium in an older age group or qualify for Kona.
- You realize you look like a squid or a sperm in your aero helmet and kinda like it.
- You realize salt tablets on hot race days are like crack for triathletes.
- You conveniently happen to have your race medal on you at work for “show and tell”.
- New tri gear websites make you salivate.
- You’ve been known to check your Training peaks log even more often then your email on your IPhone.
- When you start to think it is normal to go to bed before 9pm and get up at 5am.
- You can’t remember the last time you slept in past 6 am on a Saturday.
- You rationalize that somehow it’s not completely crazy to try the first open water swim of the season when the lake water is only 58 degrees.
- You own at least ten swim suits, five pair of goggles, a dozen bathing caps, swim fins, a pool buoy and at least a wet suit and speed suit if not two.
- You have an entire chest of drawers full of running and biking clothing; but still shop for more practically weekly or even daily.
- You have more pair of athletic socks with “wicking action” then you have pantyhose or dress socks.
- You own more than a dozen pairs of running shoes and can justify why you need each and every one.
- Your inventory of hats and visors equals your running shoes or greater.
- You have at one time documented and tallied everything you eat or put in your mouth, even a tic-tac, in order to evaluate your nutrition even though you are at least 20 pounds under your “ideal weight”.
- You have a plan “A”, plan “B”’, and a “try not to die” race plan.
- You start to think an Ironman is not such an insurmountable challenge and start figuring out how you can qualify for Kona.
- You regularly have to explain that you are not a victim of domestic violence, those are just your “crash bruises”.
- Your biggest fear is skin cancer even though you practically bathe in sunscreen.
- Even your kids start to think they have to swim, bike or run just to spend quality time with Mommy.
- You have more water bottles than wine glasses in your cupboards.
- Your refrigerator has more protein shakes and Gatorade in it than milk or soda.
- You have a following on Facebook that lives vicariously through your training and racing ups and downs.
- You have peeps that you feel like you have known forever through training, but they may not even know your last name (or your first, come to think of it).
- Blisters, chaffing, road rash and sunburn (an the occasional broken toe) are just a minor annoyance.
- You show off your peeling sunburn and chip holder tan line on your ankle with pride on the Monday after a race.
- All of your t-shirts say things like 70.3, 140.6, etc…and you have at least 100+ you can’t part with.
- When you wake up in the morning with every muscle and joint in your entire body hurting and think, “I had a great work out yesterday”.
- When you know the exact distances that make up a sprint, Olympic, Half-Ironman, and Ironman race segments by heart and keep explaining to your friends that they are not all an Ironman and not all in Hawaii.
- When your workouts have taken the pace of any kind of social life.
- When you cross the finish line of your first triathlon.
Smile…..and add to the list!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Journey to a Texas IronMan
Hi Everyone!
It is hard to believe this was the final weekend of long workouts. On Saturday, a dear friend of mine and I completed over one hundred hilly, windy, sunshiny miles. A huge shout out to Laurie for hanging with me for the day. I even met a Facebook friend I have never met in person right on the course! Glad to meet you in person Stacy and I promise I will look for you as you volunteer on the run course at IM TX. You rock for being a volunteer !
The ride took place during the German fest rally in Muenster Texas. To meet the mileage requirement, I knocked out 40+ miles beforehand then had a ball on the rally’s long course. We would highly recommend this rally as there are three different course options and includes complimentary entry to the festival and beverage tickets to boot. The course has great scenery and had awesome aid stations with some of the friendliest volunteers I have seen in quite some time. The longer distance courses are for intermediate and above riders. For casual or beginner riders, consider the 35k distance, it is flat versus the hilly, longer course options. A group of us are already committed to ride next year so join us! Check out www.germanfest.net for more details and mark your calendar the last weekend of April 2012.
Afterward, we took in some awesome German food and I managed to meet new friends which included a person who wants to accomplish a sprint distance however does not know how to swim. The conversation was an instant flashback of two years ago with the realization of just how far things have moved right along to this very day. It was invigorating to welcome a new athlete to the world of triathlon.
Today, the last long run took place in the midst of cool, damp rainy weather. Many of my friends were running local races as well as the marathon in Oklahoma City. In a nutshell, the weather in OKC changed rapidly causing a delay and simply miserable conditions. For those of you who started racing in such weather conditions in OKC, I tip my running visor to you. For someone very special to me, it was a heart breaking day but you will have another race very soon and you will qualify for Boston. It’s what we do, we reflect then get right back into it. We will celebrate achieving your goal very soon.
Finally, a huge congrats goes to my coach who raced 70.3 St. Croix today. Taking third in her age group on such a brutal course is no joke. One day, I want to be just like my coach. Something tells me I have one heck of a long rode ahead to pull that one off but hey, why not? There I said it. You know what that means…..
Talk to ya next week,
Janet
It is hard to believe this was the final weekend of long workouts. On Saturday, a dear friend of mine and I completed over one hundred hilly, windy, sunshiny miles. A huge shout out to Laurie for hanging with me for the day. I even met a Facebook friend I have never met in person right on the course! Glad to meet you in person Stacy and I promise I will look for you as you volunteer on the run course at IM TX. You rock for being a volunteer !
The ride took place during the German fest rally in Muenster Texas. To meet the mileage requirement, I knocked out 40+ miles beforehand then had a ball on the rally’s long course. We would highly recommend this rally as there are three different course options and includes complimentary entry to the festival and beverage tickets to boot. The course has great scenery and had awesome aid stations with some of the friendliest volunteers I have seen in quite some time. The longer distance courses are for intermediate and above riders. For casual or beginner riders, consider the 35k distance, it is flat versus the hilly, longer course options. A group of us are already committed to ride next year so join us! Check out www.germanfest.net for more details and mark your calendar the last weekend of April 2012.
Afterward, we took in some awesome German food and I managed to meet new friends which included a person who wants to accomplish a sprint distance however does not know how to swim. The conversation was an instant flashback of two years ago with the realization of just how far things have moved right along to this very day. It was invigorating to welcome a new athlete to the world of triathlon.
Today, the last long run took place in the midst of cool, damp rainy weather. Many of my friends were running local races as well as the marathon in Oklahoma City. In a nutshell, the weather in OKC changed rapidly causing a delay and simply miserable conditions. For those of you who started racing in such weather conditions in OKC, I tip my running visor to you. For someone very special to me, it was a heart breaking day but you will have another race very soon and you will qualify for Boston. It’s what we do, we reflect then get right back into it. We will celebrate achieving your goal very soon.
Finally, a huge congrats goes to my coach who raced 70.3 St. Croix today. Taking third in her age group on such a brutal course is no joke. One day, I want to be just like my coach. Something tells me I have one heck of a long rode ahead to pull that one off but hey, why not? There I said it. You know what that means…..
Talk to ya next week,
Janet
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