Go Monica!

Dear Voice of Reason,

2010-06-22T18:28:00.001-07:00

Why have you forsaken me?? When I was a Sophomore in high school you convinced me that it was a good idea to tape nudie magazine pics on the windows of my moms soccer van and drive through Mt Washington (which actually turned out to be the funniest day of my life). And now, you told it was a good idea to climb to 11,300ft. Here I am, moving slower than an 80 yr old man with arthritis and a bum hip, and I have to admit this was another crazy idea that turned out to be a day I'll never forget.

It goes a little something like this... I had to go on a work trip to Omaha this past February. What's there to do in Omaha in February?! So I got a bunch of books and read all week. One was called The Seven Summits, made me think, 'Hmm, that sounds like fun'. I personal train David who climbed Rainier 2x. I got back in town and said 'David, I want to climb.' He said 'Ok, let's do it.' He chose the climb, planned the trip, and this weekend it all went down.

Thursday morning myself, David, Michael, and Jacque flew to Portland. I have never been to the west coast... it's gorgeous! We drove from sea level to our lodge on the side of our mountain at 6000ft. The views were spectacular as we drove up and up through the clouds!!

Friday: Climb school!! We got to meet our bomb dot com guide Sheldon! She's a rockstar and totally made this trip the experience that it was. Sheldon is a freestyle competitive skier and is the only girl guide at Timberline. If I was a bettin' girl, I'd say Sheldon could out climb any of those dudes. Any who... we got outfitted with our packs, boots, ice axes, crampons, and harness and headed out to a gully at the base to learn how to use it all. I have to admit, this is when I realized I was in over my head. I was all over the place, stumbling over my feet. Not good when you have spiky things on your shoes! As much of a fool as I made out of myself, it wasn't anything I wasn't used to, I was even more pumped for our climb! Shortly after school let out, we had an early dinner and headed off to bed.

When we were hanging out in our room earlier in the day I found a walnut in my shoe. It didn't phase me. I always eat and sometimes it doesn't always make it in my mouth. When I went back to my room later, I found a cashew tucked nicely in between my pillows. Weird, not sure how I managed that one. I stepped out to call my folks, came back in and Jacque solved the puzzle.. we had a mouse!! Holy cow this mountain climber freaked out! We called for a new room and thank the lord they had one. Jacque trapped our trail mix bandit in the wall and it was flipping out trying to escape, which of course made me flip... it was a sight.

Phew, ok new room, 6pm, past bedtime. Few hours later... alarm goes off. WTF dude!! Why is it still light outside. Smart Monica set the alarm for midnight eastern time... back to bed. Three hours later, pitch black outside, real alarm goes off. It's midnight, time to rise and shine!!

12:30am Saturday - We're geared up and at climber check in. We have a private group: Me, Jacque, David, Michael and our 2 guides Sheldon and Cliff. We double checked our gear, peed one last time (have you ever tried to pop a squat with a damn harness on... about 20min later I pulled it off!).

1:00a - Snow cat arrived (a big bulldozer thingy that took us to 8500ft), we loaded up and headed up the mountain side. I started to get really hot and nervous. WTF was happening, you can't freak out before you start?!

1:30a - Off the snow cat, head lamps on, packs strapped, trekking poles in hand. Deep breath, and we're off!

After that, I couldn't check my watch. We went up and up. It got a bit steep so we breaked to put our crampons on. Up some more, whenever I thought it was really steep, it got steeper. We traversed, back and forth, up into the clouds. The sleet was sideways, the air was non existent. The altitude started to get to me. My head was pounding, I couldn't eat or drink enough, and the best part is when I asked what our altitude was it was always like 3ft higher than the last time I asked!! Holy hell this is hard!

4:30-ish - We hit Crater Rock where we were told to put on our puffies, steady ourselves, take a seat on our packs, and eat and drink up. The guides grabbed their shovels and axes and went off to test the snow. Our last 1000ft were super steep and required ropes, belays, and axes. So snow has to be stable to climb on it, so the guides did some tests first. They have a ranking system to see if the snow is stable, 0-30. 15 or lower, red flag, and snow would most likely fall away from under us. 16 or better, we're in the clear. The guides called us up for the verdict. Our snow received the whopping ranking of a 3. Not even debatable, they told us if we climbed, we'd avalanche.

So we all hoped in the snow hole, took some pics at our summit, and packed up to head back down. At this point we were sitting still for 30min and I was frozen!! Walking up no matter how hard the wind was blowing, I was hot! As soon as you stop working, the real temps set in. My hands of course went numb, so we jumped around and swung our arms, and headed back down.

5:00ish - we were flying downhill, plunge stepping past all kinds of groups on their slow ascent. We had to break the news to them, you aren't going to summit today. Most groups didn't care, they were there for the views, the experience.

At first, I was so disappointed we didn't make it up. But then the sun started to rise, and I can not even begin to describe the sights. I was on top of the world, literally! It was amazing!!

7:00a - off the mountain. we did it! It was so tough in ways I've never dealt with. But we all made it, and got to see the most beautiful sunrise of my life, it made everything worth it.

We cleaned up, had a giant breakfast, and headed to Portland for the day. We waited in a line that wrapped around the block for, what else, a doughnut! My was called the Memphis Mafia and it was bigger than my head. A chocolatey peanut buttery banana goey goodness.

Sunday - I woke up and couldn't move my legs. As the day went on, it got worse. I have never, ever, it my whole life, been this sore. My quads and calves only work about every 4th try.

All in all, amazing trip with amazing friends. The coolest experience ever! I've found a new hobby, and I'm already planning the next adventure. Stay tuned ;-)

Wild ride

2010-06-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Holy cow May was nuts! I spent the month at Derby, Rev 3 Knoxville, vacay to NYC, celebrated Sophie's 1st Birthday, and got back out on the IMKY course... and it's been an amazing whirlwind to say the least.

Derby was a wash out, it rained all day. But nothing could ruin the fun my big bro and his bachelor party buds had. They rented a tour bus and driver and made the cross counrty trek (from Texas) to celebrate KY style. They were hilarious, and my parents house still smells like the day after a drunken college party.

Rev 3 Knox was everything it was cracked up to be and soo much more. The course was tough as nails... but I didn't expect anything less from HG! What other race has tooooons of pre-race giveaways, transition areas with a pretty name plate, free post race boxed lunches, fabulous awards, handstand contests, and a finish line lai! Soo looking forward to Rev3 Cedar Point, then Rev3 Costa Rica in Feb!! Holla!

NYC was more of a whirlwind than a get away. I had never been so we took a long weekend and I believe we saw every square inch of the city. We stayed in a high rise apartment in Central Park and did 5th Ave, Times Square, Empire State, Ground Zero, Ellis, Statue of Liberty, Today Show concert (saw Sting front row!), Jimmy Fallon show (disappoinment, mostly pre-recorded), FAO, Wall Street, Grennich, SoHo, skinniest apartment in NYC (8ft wide, 3 stories tall!), Brooklyn Bridge, Rockafellar, Central Station, Central Park, street performers, street performers in shiny spandex kicking each others arse (it was commical), China Town, Little Italy, local dive bars, Long Island, Queens, and hundreds of other places! How did we get to it all in 4 days? Simple: coffee, pretzels, and of course pizza. I LOVED the City!

Summer is in full swing and so is the training! This weekend is a local Olympic. The local races are my fave because it's a tough training day with all your friends! Looking forward to the challenge!!

Next weekend is the climb up Mt Hood. I've gotten all my gear and have absolutely no clue how or when to use it. Thank goodness for climb school the day before! And get this, I just found out our start time: 12:30a. Seriously?! Do you really think it's a good idea to send a moron (that's me!) up the side of a mountain in the middle of the night??!! It's dark, cold... and have you ever seen me on minimal rest? It's a sight. I'll be sure to keep you posted.

That's it for now! Happy training!!

Is your team racing Rev 3 Knoxville??

2010-05-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ha! Good luck!! Because my team will crush yours!! Team Trakkers is sending AG world champs, national champs, and record holders. Word or caution: you are going down!

:-) Looking forward to seeing you this weekend!

Fast Forward

2010-04-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

Soooo let's pretend the past month (or 2) of no-posts never happened. I could tell you all about how busy I've been and blah blah blah, but I'd be preaching to the choir I'm sure. So let's get caught up...

I went out to Colorado Springs to get my Level 2 Coaching Cert. It was SO much fun! I met great new friends, worked out at the OTC, met some of the residents, learned from the resident coaches, ran through the Garden of the Gods, then drove up to Denver to hang with my at-one-time equal athlete bud but she has since purchased a pair of laser rocket legs and has so shot past me. This chick is tough and WILL be in the trials! We spent our typical Mo-Bean night togheter over bison burgers (France's finest!), fried pickles, and super drippy onion rings. She gave me the best compliment ever... 'Mo, you've got a good shoulder on your heads'. Thank you Jill, that means so much to me ;-)

I've got a new coach! He was a presenter at our clinic and is a super bad arse Level 3 coach. He's worked with some stud athletes and I've already learned so much from him. Our goal: IMKY '11, it's on.

And the big news... I've got a sexy new ride!! Argon E-114, it...so...rocks!

Racing season has begun. The Rev 3 Oly in Knoxville is right around the corner and I am SO pumped to meet my Trakkers teammates. We're going to throw down some mad times. Is your team racing in Knox? Ha! Good luck!

Tomorrow is the Derby mini and Marathon. Forecast: rain with intermittent severe weather. Sounds like a party!

Train on.

The Bucket

2010-03-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

So I've always been a bit skeptical of the bucket list, because really I think it's quite morbid. But over Christmas break my bro and cousin came with theirs. After chiming in enough times to be annoying I decided to heck with it, I'll make one too. Not really putting too much effort behind it I came up with more of a To Do list for the year. It's been edited for blogging purposes but here's the short version...

In 2010 I want to: learn Spanish, go on an exotic vacay, climb a mountain, play soccer again, do a 50 mile trail run.

The quarterly report: Spanish - not happening any time soon. If Colorado Springs is considered exotic then that's a score (even though it's not really what I had in mind). The other three - well on their way - successes

By the bruises on my legs you can tell I'm back in soccer. I suck soooo bad but it feels sooo good to run guys into walls! I missed this sport so badly and while it feels so good to be playing again... I'm really not exaggerating when I say I've lost any skill I once had!!

The 50 miler is on it's way. There are a few good ones coming up and I figure I just need to take the plunge and do one... right?

And for the most exciting news... On June 19th I'm climbing Mt. Hood!!! I've never done anything like this and I couldn't be more pumped!! I'm headed west with some friends and we'll have a private guided tour (which makes me think of plush cabins and hot chocolate!). But then I was told that you can't come off your rope to pee... I think I'm in for a rude awakening!! Day 1 is climb school so my dumbass doesn't threaten the lives of my rope team. Day 2 is Summit Day! Up, photo op, and back down in one long day. I don't think I could be more unprepared, clueless, or green. Here's to new challenges!!

Let the Races Begin!

2010-02-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

Today was the first race for our Beginner Tri Group that are gearing up for the Rev3 Oly in May. For most of our athletes, this was their very first race, and they killed it!! They rode outside for the first time this year, they clipped in, they flip turned, and they SMILED!! It was awesome!!

The racing season is right around the corner and it makes me so pumped just thinking about it!! People were out riding, running hard, maybe swimming but I wouldn't know because I haven't been to the pool it a few weeks (sound familiar).

As for me, I'm gearing up for triple crown, mini, Rev3 Oly, Kansas 70.3. That's gets me to June, we'll see how things go from there. But if I have any sort of expectations I better get my bum into some chlorine!!! Goal for the week: swim!

As for the lenten season, I have had no cereal to date... and I'm starting to get the shakes! Going gluten free has really helped me to keep everything under control. I would normally quit cereal but start scarfing down boxes of wheat thins or pretzels or whatever else I can get my hands on. Gluten free is tough, but I feel so much better on it! I eat lots of fruits, veggies, stir frys, yogurt, and lara bars. The forum on team.firstendurance.com has a ton of great suggestions as well. Time to shape up for the season.

Hope you're enjoying the heat wave, congrats to all tri finishers!!! Train on :-)

Fat Tuesday!

2010-02-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

So Fat Tuesday is most definitely one of the best days of the year. It's a day where you can throw it all out the window and say to hell with it! Give me calories, sugar, and whatever else I can stuff in my face, because beginning tomorrow and for forty days from then, it's strictly off limits.

How did I celebrate such a big day?? With 5 Guys of course! We bundled up Sophia and my brother, sis in law, and I hiked out to our brand new 5 Guys for the world's BEST burger. Honestly, I hate burgers, and I rarely eat red meat... but this was the bomb!! Best Fat Tuesday EVER!!

So what's in store for tomorrow? One of my biggest vices is cereal, I'm so totally addicted! Put a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in front of me and it'll be gone! So, I'm giving it up. 40 days and 40 nights cereal free, it'll definitely be a challenge!

I was looking into ways to take it another step further so I logged onto the Team First Endurance website for some suggestions. They have some really great nutrition programs that are backed by science and are pretty cutting edge. I decided to try their gluten free diet. Check it out at www.team.firstendurance.com under their programs tab. It's three days on, three days off, starting tomorrow. I've gone gluten free before IMKY '08 and not only raced my best, but felt my very best! I had more energy, clear skin, and no belly issues on my runs.

So tomorrow, It's on! Until then... Happy Fat Tuesday!

Take it off!!

2010-01-31T18:30:00.000-08:00

So I was talking to one of my good friends and training buddy. She had just finished a long run and was pretty bummed about it: Instead of holding pace for 17 miles, she was over pace and called it after 10. It made me think of how many times I've felt the same way about a workout... just went out and busted it, but it wasn't up to par so it was written off.

It's so easy to take for granted how talented we are, because no matter what we always want to be better. Not a bad thing to want, but sometimes we need to take it all off and get back to the basics. Forget the garmin, HRM, iPod. Forget the splitting the turnaround, timing your hills, forget the worry... and just go. Just head out the door, run how you feel, and remember why we even do this crazy stuff. After all, we do it for fun! We do this for the rush, the camaraderie, the masochism. We do it to find out what we're made of. And sometimes the best way to find that answer is by not looking for it at all. Take it off, and go. Train on ;-)

A Bust

2010-01-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, the big New Year swim was a bust. The sickies hit me the night prior and the day of my head was floating before I ever hit the pool.

The good news: It's rescheduled! Mark your calendars to join me on Wednesday, 1/20. Same time, same place. It's going down!!

The 10K

2010-01-05T04:48:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow morning, 5:30a, Mary T meter side. The workout: 100x100. Yup, a 10K swim. Can you think of a better way to ring in the new year (don't answer that)?? OK, so I know it's dumb. But you have to admit there is a strange appeal to not knowing if you've got what it takes. Join me for part or all, or at least peel me off the bottom and drive me home. Train on!

New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-28T07:41:00.000-08:00

Let me get you up to speed. Since the last post I have moved into my new place, gotten settled into my new job, partnered up with a bomb new local tri shop, and survived Christmas. The New Year is less than one week away so naturally I feel compelled to reflect on the year...

This time last year I had just graduated and I was gearing up to move to Florida to pursue a lifestyle that consisted of swimming, biking, and running. I learned a lot from the 10 weeks I spent down south: I realized that I want to live close to my family, and that I can serve a greater purpose. I came home, got a great job counseling others to lead healthier lives, and planted my feet firmly in KY. So, you ask, what's next?

My resolutions for 2010 are to:

Grow as a triathlon coach: I've partnered with some amazing friends who are starting VO2 Multisport, a local tri shop to offer coaching and personal training services. This sport evolves everyday and I hope to attend seminars, advance my certifications, and gain a few more along the way.
Stay on top of this darned blog!! I love to write about my trials and experiences and learn about you readers along the way. I'll post more pictures and regular updates of my clumsy, often comedic adventures.
Become more adventurous: This year is about trying new things and branching out. I got into a rut last year, training for the same races in the same way and getting the same results. This year is all about changing it up: racing all new races, dabbling in ultra runs, adventure races, hike more, try new training theories... learn to embrace new adventures.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Train on.

Schooled by a Two Year Old

2009-10-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

I used to love playgrounds! Whenever I'd find a new one it was easy to transform it into my own little fantasy world of pirate ships and molten lava pits... don't act like you're not following. I could spent hours on the tire swing, merry go round, monkey bars and balance beam. I would go home after hours of playing, covered in dirt and not the least bit worn out.

So I was pretty pumped to take my 2 year old niece to the coolest playground on the island and revert back to the good ol' days when my biggest worry was how many times I could cross the monkey bars. But that feeling was stomped on pretty quickly. Do you know what happens to adults on tire swings?? They get nauseous. And even when my life depends on it to cross the monkey bars over the bubbling lava pit, I couldn't pull it off. My playground time was pretty much a failure. And everything I tried to do, my little niece did it ten times better.

When did I become such an old lady! It's sad. So tomorrow, I'm going back, and I'm not leaving until I cross the lava pit without committing a painful suicide. Here's to being a kid again!

Murphy Family Vacation

2009-10-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

Arriving in Hilton Head is the most refreshing feeling I've ever felt. The smell of the salty ocean and mossy breeze, the whole fam being together, beach cruisers, riding through the forrest. It's my favorite place.

This is the view that I wake up to every morning. So far I've ran four times, eaten great fish, got a great pair of boots, seen two alligators, and have been to the beach none. I know, it sounds a bit off. There's been a nip in the air so we've been waiting for the right day. Today is gorgeous, today is beach day. We're heading up the the Harbor Town Bakery for coffee and banana nut pancakes, then it's off to flaunt our full bellies in the sand.

Next post will include pretty ocean and nature pics, until then here's my nutty family...

Make the most of everyday!

Not a virgin anymore

2009-10-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

That's right! Last weekend was my first marathon. I registered for Columbus knowing that I was 8 weeks post-Ironman and that lightning fast legs aren't in the cards (not that they would be without the IM). None the less I need something to train for, so Columbus it was.

After my brother, Christopher, and I practiced our starts we all piled in the car and headed out on our loooooong (supposed to be three hour) drive. About an hour into the drive my brilliant father decided he needs to stop and eat (seriously?! You didn't think about this before we left?). So our sarcastically long drive turned into a real long drive.

Needed a good stretch and some fuel before continuing on the road ahead.

We finally made it to the expo... way later than necessary.

Made it through the crowds, got checked in, took a few stupid pics, and went to find food.

Stay with me, here's where I stop rambling. You see, my lil bro is a bomb runner. He's got these laser rocket legs that I just wasn't born with. He really is so naturally gifted... he's just not always the sharpest tool ;-)

Christopher has done one marathon prior to C-bus where he paced sub-3 for 21 miles before getting sick and having me walk him across the finish line over 4 hours later. My heart broke for him because I knew how hard he trained for that race and all he got out of it were ankles torn to shreds because he somehow thought it was a good idea to wear old cotton socks with the elastic worn out. They ended up under his feet and his shoes were literally filled with blood puddles.

This time around he figured out a solid nutrition plan and nailed his long runs. He even bought a new pair of socks just for this race (which, no joke, he couldn't find the night before the race. They eventually turned up).

It was race morning and Christopher had his game face on (clearly). It was frrreeeezing that morning, a balmy 2 degrees with 30mph winds (at least that's how it felt). Our sorry arses bumbled to the start line and decided to make a final pit stop. In the port-o-pots, we heard the gun go off. Probably not the best place to be for the start of the race.

I ended up crossing the start with the 5:30 pace group, and I had no idea where Christopher was. About three miles into the run, Christopher comes running by (with his sweatpants tied around his neck that he forgot to leave with my parents!). We had a quick chat, he tells me how frustrated he is with all the bottle necking and swerving, and wished me luck. Despite a less than ideal start, he looked great.

I'll be honest, I looked in every medical tent I passed to make sure I didn't have a bloodied brother curled up inside. I had already told myself that no matter how on pace I was, if he pulls another Chicago Mary I'm staying with him.

But fortunately, once he passed at mile 3 I didn't see him again until I ran down the finish chute and saw him cheering with the rest of the fam. He had his race, and a really fast one at that. This time around he wanted to race smarter, qualify for Boston, then train his arse off for April. His qualifying time is 3:10:59... and he ran a 3:11:42.

42 seconds! Can you believe it!? 42 teensy tiny seconds! He ran such a smart race and slowly worked his way back up to pace, and missed it by 42 silly ol' seconds. 3:11 is a huge PR for him, but it was hard to get excited when he was so, SO close. If only he wouldn't have stopped to pee, or what if he would've started on pace... It's so frustrating and it makes my heart ache.

But the bottom line is he raced his ass off. He nailed nutrition, he nailed his training, he wore socks with snug ankle holes. He knew exactly what he needed to run that last mile in and he left it all on the line.

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." ~ Michael Jordan

Christopher, you'll get your race.

And then to add salt to the wound, he got a broken medal (hence the half #1 finger).

Train on.

Cbus Update

2009-10-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first marathon. I ran a 3:52. Before the race I thought I could pull off a sub-3:40 with my sad semi-training plan. But I was humbled.

I have never been so sore, stiff, or achy. Ironman is cherry pie compared to this. There were times when I had no control over my knees and they would start to buckle. Around mile 20 I felt like someone was stabbing my right bum over and over and it would send shooting pain down my leg. The race was humbling, exciting, and has left me wanting more.

I have some great pics, but no camera cord. So those will have to wait.

Congrats to everyone who showed this race who's boss! My lil bro totally dominated but I'll save his story for when I have my pics.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind. As soon as I finished, my family gathered me up and stuffed me in the car. We squeezed three people in the back and drove three hours home. When we got home my legs decided they had had enough abuse and stopped working. Thankfully my mom helped me out because after being home for only a half hour I was being dumped off at the airport. I flew to Chicago, tried to get off the plane, and literally had to peel my bum off the seat. My legs were useless and my hips were worse than the Tinman's. Finally I boarded my last flight of the night and made it to Appleton, WI, where I truly looked and felt disabled.

I just had the worlds best cinnamon apple waffles for breakfast and it's now time for a food coma. Good night.

Cbus Mary

2009-10-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

So we landed in Columbus, went through the expo, and got checked in. Now the fam is sitting around the hotel waiting for the dinner bell.

We're set to start at 7:30a tomorrow and my twitter will automatically be updating when I cross over the timing mats (pretty cool!). The weather should be pretty cool, but Ken Combs hooked me up with some sweet gear to run in. Because let's be honest, more important than pacing and nutrition is how cool your get-up is.

Good luck to everyone running both Cbus and L'ville! Here's to fast legs and fun times!!

Big Island

2009-10-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I wanted it, and I didn't think it would hurt this bad (get you minds out of the gutter!). Kona has come and gone and whenever I think about the race I feel as if I'm being punched in the chest. Last year I didn't get this feeling. But this year it's different. This year all my friends are there, swimming in my favorite place in the entire universe, telling me all about the heat, the ripped up bodies! It really, truly hurts to think about.

I so badly want to shake everyone that was there who says they're disappointed with their performance!! Oh bologna!! I would have given a kidney to be there and you're complaining that your sock was on funny. There was a double above the knee amputee out there looking Pele right in her eyes. Amazing feats are accomplished out there, and to be a part of it is no small achievement. Get over yourself and embrace how hard you've worked and how far you've come, because this opportunity is not one that's just handed out.

Congrats to all of my dear friends and training partners. Two ironmans in six weeks, enough said. Train on.

In my head

2009-10-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday's run was one of the most enjoyable runs I've been on all year. I teamed up with Mighty Mouse Kelli Miller, who doesn't know the words 'quit' or 'back-off', for a 16 miler. The goals for the run were to stay in the moment and hold a steady pace. Here's a recap of the day...

Hi Kelli!!, start the watch, feels fast, too dark to see my pace, 1 mile beep marker, Larry's already done 15 and still going, legs are heavy, ouch first hill, dang it's a pretty morning, warming up and feeling better, my stomach hurts, Hi Larry!!, he's flying at mile 20, sweet a gas station let's stop, no bathrooms! what a joke, I love that Kelli's doing all the talking, stay focused, strong up the hill, you're breathing way too hard, savior! gas station numbero 2 and it's open, I'll be right back, ahh much better, flat roads from here, this is hard, mile 5 beep marker, good idea let's run to Indiana, downhill, weeee, damn tree limbs, back in the rhythm, Uncle Pete!!, stop the watch for a hug, back on our way, downtown smells funny, it's too sunny I can't see anything, stay strong, stay focused, I see the bridge!, not so bad, that river has a whole new meaning, hellooooo Indiana!, man what a gorgeous day, mile 8 beep marker, Holla!! Half Way done, one more hour, you can do anything for one more hour!, my stomach hurts, hmmm, no wonder it was so easy to cross over the bridge, we have a huge headwind heading back in to Louisville, this is hard, Yes! I'd love to stop at the Marriott for water, mmm breakfast smells good, on our way back, I'm hungry and my legs are heavy, get your rhythm, stay focused, you're doing great, dang! downtown really smells funky, almost back to Grinstead, where did this huge hill come from, hold your form, will it ever end, ahh! made it to the top, Grinstead!, feeling great, ohh, not so great, hold it together, water break, 3 more miles, you can do anything for a little 5k, made it to the parks, stay focused, it hurts, out of Cherokee, just two more little hills, running strong, it's such a beautiful day, I wish I would have brought my sunnies, OK, I'm going to die now, I feel like my knees will buckle soon, we'll stop for Kelli's gloves she dropped, just make it to the gloves, just make it to the gloves, ouch this hill sucks, strong to the top, I said STRONG to the top, you aren't a power walker move your arse!, Done! now where are her gloves, gloves!! quick walk break, so much for a walk break, go catch Kelli, last 1.25 miles, I can do anything for 1.25 miles, don't slow down!, it hurts, my legs are slowing down, dig deeper!!, Heeyy! Thank goodness you honked at me, I needed to snap back into it, last mile, I hate this climb back to the park, hold your pace, last mile, woooow, you're way off pace, move your ass girl!, this hill is the worst, I'm going to faceplant and everyone will see me, stay focused, hold your form, your back on pace, David!!! Hi!!, wow, he totally picked me up, made it to the overpass!!, Holla!! So close to being home free!, go go goooo, .2 miles left, I can't breathe, sprint!!, .1 mile left, faster, faster!!, 16.00, stop and walk, ahhhh, such relief, Dunzo!

Thanks Kelli, you kicked my arse!

Nice to meet you!

2009-09-26T14:27:00.001-07:00

Hi there, my name is Monica. I used to be a regular here but this little thing called life has kept me away. It's been too long... way too long. So I'm back now and back for good. Let me bring you up to speed...

In the smallest nutshell I could manage, here's what my past 2 months have looked like:

I finished IMKY, but the coolest news from that day is that every single athlete I helped coach also finished the race. It was incredible!
I got a job as a Health Educator. My co-workers are awesome and I feel right at home, and my supervisors are the type of people that you really want to work hard for.
I'm personal training and coaching at The Training Studio, which couldn't be going much better. I work with some of the most passionate and experienced people in the biz. We're putting together big things!
I bought a condo! I know what you're thinking... NO, I have no idea how to cook and I have flooded the kitchen because I used the wrong soap in the dishwasher, but I'm super pumped to learn new things (like how to do the laundry) and live in the Park!!
I'm training for the Columbus Marathon on October 18th! This will be my first stand alone mary and I am totally freaking out about it!

PLEASE send me thoughts on what has worked for you during your marathons!! I need the inside scoop and I would love to hear a good success story because right now 20 miles = slow death. Help!

Trial of Miles

2009-08-03T11:17:00.001-07:00

We have landed in August, which means only one thing to a Louisville triathlete... we are in the Ironman homestretch. The long hours in the saddle, pounding the pavement and splashing about are being stored in the bank, ready for withdrawal on the 30th. It's right around the corner, 4 weeks away.

Nervous tension is in the air. This Saturday the course was filled with not just recreational riders, there were Zipp wheels, aero helmets, 'on your left's, power meters... you name it. The dress rehearsals have begun!

Saturday morning greeted me with heavy legs. I was crabby and had ridden this route the week before. I silently sulked through the first hour, going into autopilot at the sound of spinning wheels.

The hills jolted me awake and back to life. The windy decent down 1694 suddenly forced my senses on red alert, which is when I realized 'This is it, we're in the homestretch, put your heart into this workout and make it count, because this is your last chance to iron out the kinks, to put long miles in the bank... we're in the Homestretch!'

It hit me like a ton of bricks. No one was making me ride, and it's a convenient excuse to be 'tired, fatigued, worn out from yesterdays run'. You name it, I heard it (hell I was the one coming up with the best of them!). But then, as I'm out of the saddle gasping for air, cursing my 11-23 cassette and clawing my way up to the boys with 200 horsepower quads, I realized that I'm not doing this for anyone else but me. I'm the only one who will be disappointed at a sad effort, or thrilled to be totally spent after a hard effort, either way it was solely up to me. I brought to life my goals for this race and kept them at the front of my thoughts. I determine the outcome. It's the Trial of Miles, the mental battle, the elusive easy way out.

I finally finished the day, eight hours later, totally spent, with a smile on my face. There is no easy way out. Train on.

Coach Troy Training Camp

2009-07-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was invited to help with an IMKY weekend training camp hosted by Coach Troy Jacobson (of Spinervals) and locally by The Training Studio. I love being a part of tri camps and meeting new people, so I eagerly agreed! The weekend went something like this... You think you're shape? Think again!!

Friday was intros, lectures, and dinner. At dinner I got to know the campers and was able to get a feel for the caliber of athletes attending. The caliber: kick ass. There were some blazing campers!

Saturday was scheduled to be a long ride and t-run. We met at the Galt House at 6:00a and were welcomed with thunderstorms. After some quick thinking we reorganized the day, we met back at 9:00a and decided to do a long run instead. I led a group who was supposed to run between 8:00-8:30 miles... none of our splits were over 8:00 and the campers were talking away the whole time!

After the run we had rounded up a number of trainers and Troy led the campers through a killer trainer session. It's pretty cool that it worked out this way as the campers were able to experience the Spinerval smash-fest live and in person; a feature other camps can't reproduce! This involved several sets to failure, big-12, and isometric squats (yes, they had to hop off and squat post-long run!!).

Dinner that night was fan-freaking-tastic!! We all went to Fourth Street Live and ate at Fridays! Afterwards everyone was invited to have a few drinks at Fourth Street, but most, including myself, were satisfied with the amazing peanut butter chocolate chip pie and the sound of bedtime. I slept like a baby!

Sunday morning, 5:00a wake up call. We met again at 6:00a and this time we were welcomed by sunny skies!! Game on! Myself and Larry were in charge of the front pack of riders for our overdistance ride. Troy also joined the fun and showed us all that he can single handedly ride us under the table! This was one strong pack of riders!

In our group was: Larry, Troy, myself, 2 female campers, and 2 male campers. These girls were amazing cyclists and triathletes. We managed to hang with the boys until they dropped us on the second loop. Us girls clawed our way back to them on 42, and caught them before they left our aid station (which was, by the way, the greatest aid station ever!! There were cookies, homemade scones, the works!! The Training Studio crew were THE BOMB!!) and were able to hang on for dear life over the last 25 miles... into a killer headwind!

These campers climbed so strong and maintained a solid steady pace throughout the course of the day. I never once could let my guard down and cruise on the back of the pack. We worked, the whole time! It was awesome!

I was able to meet some very cool people this weekend! Coach Troy is so smart and I learned more than I ever expected. I will definitely sign up for another one of his camps! The Training Studio crew is such a tight knit family and I'm so thankful to be a part of it! I had a great weekend and I have a renewed sense of drive for the sport. Now if only I could feel my legs!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Train on!!

SERIOUSLY!?

2009-07-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

I did my long ride today, and as I was out I got to thinking about my recovery and how I don't take it very seriously. I told myself that today I would go home to an ice bath and my super protein shake, I would stretch and foam roll and walk right by the cookies without touching a single one... but instead I found myself driving home well past the '30 minute window', purseless, with shattered glass throughout the car and no more passenger window.

Today started great. It was a small group ride that split off half way through and left me and my brother to log the miles solo. It wasn't too windy or hot, and I felt better than I thought I would. But then I turned onto 42 and got really confused. I think I'm generally a good person: I treat people how I want to be treated and I have strong values and I go to church every week (almost every week). So I couldn't figure out what I did to piss these a-holes off to the point where they felt the need to prove themselves. These dumbass drivers read a one-sided article about how they should consider cyclists an inconvenience and all of sudden they have to prove they're bigger. I get it!! You win! Not only are you bigger but you can blow my ass into smithereens!! But it never fails. Idiots in their Earthf***er 4000's feel the need to pass within inches and for what reason I have no idea.

Back on track... So my brother and I finish up, we load our bikes into his car and drive back to my car which was parked downtown (I left earlier from the rowhouse to get extra miles). I knew I had a t-run in store, but after taking our sweet time I reaaaally didn't feel like doing it. I threw my bike in my car, had a debate with myself, and decided to hell with it, throw on your shoes and move your arse.

There was this super shady dude at the bathrooms that kept fidgeting and pacing, both Sean and I noticed him but didn't think much too much of it. After I was off on my run I considered doubling back to my car but knew I would jump in and drive home, so I steered clear. 29 min and 43 sec later I made it back to my car to find a sweet little surprise from Mr. Shady himself. My passenger window was shattered and my purse was gone. No, I didn't leave it sitting there in the open for him to nab, but I did pull it out to grab my Garmin before the run so he knew where it was. Grrr!! Who does this guy think he is!?! People work so hard for what they have Ol' Stickyfingers somehow feels entitled to sidestep that minor detail.

I cancelled my cards and no charges had been attempted. When the cops came they said they're normally looking for cash. Do you want to no how much cash I had?? Four whole dollars. My cell phone was sitting in the drivers seat (now that was dumb on my part), my bike in the back untouched, and he goes through all that trouble for four bucks! I hope it was worth it.

It's been one of those days, but all in all, I'm healthy and have lost nothing more than material. I've got more to live for than to dwell on small potatoes... so bring it.

Double Whammy

2009-07-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today is Monday, and I feel like I've been hit by a bus. Saturday was the Muncie Half, and it was sooo much fun (more on that in a bit), but then I decided to go out with my besties who were in town for the night. Not a good idea. I was up for 24 hours straight. Sunday I woke up at 8:30a, drove home, ate, went back to bed, woke up at 5:00p, ate dinner, and was in bed at 10:00p. I was worthless, and today is no different. I've done nothing but sleep the last two days... and I'm still exhausted! Racing + night out with the girls = being hit by a bus might not be so bad compared to this.

OK, so Muncie...

I got up at 4:50a and left the hotel by 5:10a (efficiency). We decided to tour beautiful Indiana for a while before actually arriving at the race. This little detour took about an hour to get to the start!! Still plenty of time to get set up, warmed up, and stuffed in my wetsuit.

SWIM: I felt great in the water. It was super choppy from the wind but I just stayed the course and did my thing. I strolled out of the water in 35 min! This is where I like to complain about how hard I work only to get slower, but you know that's a lie.

BIKE: Onto my ride. The first 10 or so miles are protected and faaaast! It's hard not to fly on this part. It was so much fun to see the local OC or Training Studio jerseys all over the course. I never felt like I was working too hard, but whenever I checked my HRM it said 240. Hmmm. Anyways, I hit the turnaround a bit slower than I wanted so I picked it up the second half, or least I attempted to pick it up. The last 15 miles welcomed me with rain that felt like razors. So much for gaining lost time.

RUN: I started the run with some guy who talked me straight through the first five miles, it was awesome!! He told me all about his training, managing investments, life in Chicago. You name it, we talked about it. I hit the turn around a minute off my goal pace, maybe if I wasn't Chatty Cathy I could've focused more on the goal at hand. I said peace out to my new found friend and picked it up to try to salvage a race. Things were going great, but the hills on the last 1.5 miles slowed me down.

Overall, it was such a fun day! I have no complaints! I felt great the whole day, I smiled through most of it, and was encouraged by the many friends and teammates out on the course! Congrats to all the finishers!! It was a tough day with tough conditions, but it made that finish line all the more sweet.

I have now been awake for 5 hours, my longest streak since Saturday, so it's time for a nap. Good night.

Muncie Endurathon

2009-07-09T13:14:00.001-07:00

I was originally scheduled to be on a plane bound for Providence, RI today to race the 70.3. But after some careful consideration I decided to nix those plans and go have some fun with good friends in the much more exciting town of Muncie, IN. Muncie is a fast, flat course with home-cooking at the finish line (crucial in deciding which races to do).

New Orleans was a crap race and I hated every minute of it. St. Croix was a fun race, as always, and a decent one compared to last year, but in no way was it the confidence boost I was looking for to know that the hard work was paying off. I needed to do a race for myself that was fun AND strong, so hopefully this weekend is my ticket. I'll be surrounded to by great friends, teammates, and family. And for the first time this year I'm excited to get out there!!

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will" - Gandhi. My will has been missing since early in the year, I'm looking forward to digging deep to find it. Bring on the pain, and good luck to everyone racing this weekend!!

Swimmin' like a rock

2009-07-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

I love to complain about how bad of a swimmer I am. Every race I get out of the water baffled by the time on my watch. 'How can I be so slow when I work my arse off!?! Grr!!' - That's normally what runs through my head in T1. But, if I'm brutally honest I know exactly why those numbers don't diminish over time. The proof is in the pudding, and this week I've had my taste.

Guess how many times I made it to the pool in the past week? One time, and I didn't even get to swim, there was a meet going on... so zero times! I made it to the river for a few swims, the quarry, and I even got in the dirty ol' channel, but how many times did I get in the pool... goose egg. Long and slow seems to work just fine in my book, yet it I never fail to be perplexed that I can't swim fast in a race.

I love to throw up a lung when I ride and run, but for some reason I can't do it in the pool! How do you swimmers not rip your eyeballs out from the boredom? I know I need to suck it up and get it done, after all the only way to become a better swimmer is to, well, swim.

I have a race next week. My last two races were pretty uneventful, and this is a fast course, so I'm looking for a good confidence boost - just racing against myself and the clock. A swimmer friend told me he swims a bit everyday leading up to a race, so I'll try the strategy. Starting Monday (that's not an excuse to have the weekend off, that's because no pool in the city is open this weekend!) I'll swim everyday. It's a silly little goal, as that's only five days, but for me it's a toughy. So bring on the green hair and that sexy chlorine smell, I'm gonna learn to swim!

Who's bad

2009-06-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

I'm at a total loss of words. I am, quite possibly, the biggest MJ fan.

Back in the day my dad used to take me and my brothers to Blockbuster on the weekends and we would each get to rent a movie. I always rented Moonwalker. Weekend after weekend, I got the same movie, every single Blockbuster visit. I learned the dances from Thriller and Smooth Criminal (even though I was baffled by the whole lean to the side without falling over trick). I thought it was so cool how he could totally turn into a car. And I used to tell my friends that my mom was going to take me to LA to visit him one day, which as it turns out, was a lie.

I'll still play his songs on blast when I'm on my trainer, and when you see me pre-race in the zone... I'm listening to MJ. I know every dance move and every lyric on his Greatest Hits album. I'll never forget 'em.

Weekend Tri Camp!

2009-06-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Oh man, what a whirlwind!! This weekend, Heather G and I hosted a tri camp originally for our Team Louisville athletes. Last minute we decided to open the camp and we got a huge response. We ended up with nearly 30 athletes!

THURSDAY:
I saw a tree get struck by lightning about 100yds away from me. I prayed it wasn't an omen for the weekend ahead. We kicked off camp with a cookout at the Murphy House just for our TL athletes and almost everyone was able to make it (which is funny considering not many people can make it to the strength training session regularly scheduled for that same time/day... hmmmm ;-) ). It was a laid back and delicious night!

FRIDAY:

Myself, Heather, Larry, and Brian took an early morning dip in the Ohio channel. I hadn't swam there since IMKY last year and I really had no plans to get in there again until I was forced to at IMKY this year, but I didn't want to drop the campers in until we knew it wouldn't gross them out. Surprisingly enough, it really wasn't bad! I had a decent swim free of sticks, sharks, and dead fish, score!

We followed the swim with what was supposed to be a hilly 3 hour ride. About an hour or so into the ride, Heather rode up ahead and decided to turn onto whichever road struck her fancy ;-) Long story short, about an hour and a half later we found each other and had to beeline back home to get ready for camp.

We officially kicked off at Bluegrass Bicycle on Friday afternoon. We handed out schwag, introduced everyone, talked through IMKY, and headed back downtown for a river swim.

We weren't sure of the caliber of swimmers, but everyone did stellar and proved stronger than the current. We wrapped up with a dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory and called it a night.

SATURDAY:
We were welcomed with storms and strong winds in the early morning. By 7:00a the storms looked to be gone (or at least on a break) so we split up and headed out to tackle the bike course. As the hours ticked by, the sun got hotter and the wind got stronger. All of our riders seemed to be doing great despite tough conditions, and Bob (our SAG and life support) made sure we were all fed and watered. Coming back into town we had some strong headwinds. I realized I had no salt, no EFS, no sunblock, no solid food (way to go coach!). Thank the Lord, Mark was there to pull my sorry arse back into town. And as Noah brilliantly put it, we owe him a mouth kiss!

It was 4:00pm, a 112 mile ride and 4 mile run was in the bank, and I was ready for a burger... but I settled for another stupid bar. Dinner that night was at the Downtown Bristol (which was awesome!). I made up for it with wontons, calamari, and a stir fry as big as my head. From there I beelined it to bed, zapped from the nonstop day.

SUNDAY:
I was woken up in the middle of the night by a calf filled with rocks. I tried to rub it, I stretched it, I even tried to cry but none of it made the darn thing relax. I guess I got what I deserved, even after drinking around 4 gallons of water with dinner my pee was still orange the next morning. Lesson learned: water and gel alone won't get you through a 7 hour training day (I think I've learned this lesson a few other times).

The night before Heather had decided she was going to book an early flight home. So I got up a bit early to dump her at the airport and go hang out with the cool campers some more.

Sunday was run day. We met at Waterfront Park, talked through T1 and T2, went over the run course, warmed up on the 2nd street bridge and headed out onto the course.

Team Murphy was fully assembled: I was on a mountain bike with the front runners making sure they made the right turns, Sean was running mid-pack, Dad was on a bike bringing up the rear, and Mom was vehicle support with water/ice/gels/encouragement. It was a really fun day!! Probably because I was biking while they were running their asses off, but also because I got to ride through and talk to most everyone.

We wrapped up while sitting in the fountains at the waterfront, what a great finish to a great weekend of training!!

And no worries, after everyone had left I went to meet JoJo who put me in my place and ran me into the ground in the pouring rain... I needed it.

Just the beginning of a hard few weeks of training ahead. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of the campers and it's helped me to fully appreciate the hard work that comes with our little hobby. More Lessons Learned: Honor your commitments, treat others how you want to be treated, stay true to yourself, and be sure to tell your training partners how much they rock. Train on.

Sophia Margaret

2009-06-01T13:42:00.001-07:00

Sophia was scheduled to arrive on Thursday, but on Wednesday we got the call saying she was coming early!! Katie went into labor on Wednesday morning and by Wednesday afternoon we had this little 7lb3oz bundle of joy.

Everyone is happy and healthy!!

I pretty much hung out at the hospital all day Thursday and Friday. Saturday was a long ride on the Ironman course. There were some new people coming out to ride that were supposed to be hot dogs (that term always makes me laugh), but I had a good ride the week before so I knew I could keep up. Wrong! All of 30 miles into it I was hurting, and by mile 50 I was toast. Even if I would have brought my camera like I keep saying I will, I don't think I could muster the energy to click the button. It was bad. It took everything in me to hang on to the wheel in front, and if it wasn't for my training partners pulling me back I'd still be out on the course!!

Then I made the mistake of telling people... fast people... I was running afterwards. When I arrived back at my car (which I remember as being spotted and blurry) all I wanted to do was beeline it home. I threw my bike in the car, turned around and saw Pam waiting for me in her running shoes. Damn!

My stomach was empty and I was already so far in the red that I don't think a gel would do much good. I stumbled into my running shoes knowing speedy Pam would drop me 2 steps into the run and I could sneak back to my car. Not so. We ran together and ticked the miles away. We turned around 2 miles into it and I actually felt OK. Not good, but not like death. At 30 min we were back at the car, which was once again blurry and spotted and fading into the distance. I finally made it home and really felt like I had just completed a race. I was twitchy and tired and totally spent.

I made a huge fruit and protein smoothie which hit the spot for all of an hour. I was starving again and only wanted a seaweed salad and veggie roll. I convinced my mom to go with me because I thought it'd be safer if I drove with my eyes closed than in the state I was in. We went to three sushi places, all closed. Dang economy and shortened hours! Still haven't gotten my sushi.

Sunday called for a long run, which turned into a long shuffle after my legs decided they'd had enough for the weekend. I put it in the bank, made it home, cleaned up and went to visit my beautiful new niece who had just gotten home from the hospital. She's hilarious! Sophia likes to punch when she sleeps just to make sure whoever is holding her is on their toes... gets me every time. If it's too bright in the room she'll give you the stink eye until she's moved to a more comfortable ambiance. Her breech legs shoot straight out and her little hands look like Benjamin Buttons. She's the most precious little thing I've ever seen in my whole life.

This week calls for a super exciting build. LT testing, Ohio River swimming, loooong riding, and everything in between. Party on!

Woopty Woo!!

2009-05-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this great post about the scenic riding through the hills of Kentucky. All the horse farms, tall trees, endless country roads and 'rollers' that go on for days! Gas stations that sell more BBQ than gas, hollers from the pickup trucks, groups of people on horse back that outnumber the people on bikes. I love riding here, there's nothing better!

But then I found out that in T minus 41 hours Sean and Katie are going to bring Lil' Angel Sophia into the world!! I am ecstatic! The air feels electric, I can't believe that the being inside Katie's huge belly is going to be outside her belly in less that 2 days! It's surreal.

If you can't tell, I will be a first time Aunt. This is all so new and exciting and I feel like riding my bike is small potatoes compared to meeting my niece! Ah, I can't wait!

Congratulations Sean and Katie!! Good Luck on Thursday!!

Guess Who's???

2009-05-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

Can you guess who's kankles these are? I'll give you a hint, Sean's are the pair on the right side (considered the control group). Give up? They are my beyond preggers sister-in-law Katie's!! Thankfully I consider Katie to fit more of the 'sister' than the 'in-law' role so she was kind enough to let me photograph this little nugget of history.

Sean and Katie are expecting their first baby (Sophia Margaret) and she's due in less than two weeks!!! When they went in to their weekly checkup the Doc mentioned that her feet we among the worst he's seen! They are fun to laugh at and poke to see how long the fingerprint stays, but I can only imagine how much they hurt :-(

Good luck Kater-Potater Toes!! In just a few short weeks you'll know why it was worth it!!

While Katie is suffering from swollen kankles, I've been sidelined with swollen snot head. I have, yet again, another sinus infection! I didn't bother with the Doc because I just got off my last Z Pack less than a month ago, so below is my new daily ritual...
Ahhhh, the Neti! This beautiful device was introduced to me by my also-snot-faced brother (apparently good sinuses run in the family... not). The watering can for your nose goes in one nostril and empties out the other, bringing with it my goopy face inhabitants. It's a party.

I still sound like a creepy old man, but at least I'm able to sort-of workout. Yesterday I spun on the trainer for a whopping 25 minutes and felt faint the entire time. My Dad finally called and asked if I wanted to go out to lunch, which sounded to me like the perfect excuse to call it quits. Today I got in a decent swim. Every breath was followed by a hackly cough (gross I know, but at least I don't spit it out in the water!). Slowly but surely, we're making a comeback.

We've got a beautiful week ahead and I hope to get some good ridin' in horse country!! I got a sweet new camera for my birthday so hopefully some good photogs will follow. Train on homies!!

St. Croix 70.3

2009-05-06T11:09:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh, St. Croix. It has to be one of my favorite places in the world and is by far my favorite race.

But I had mixed emotions heading down there this year. I had a crappy race leading into it which told me my fitness sucked and my head wasn't in it, I've been dealing with stupid injuries that kept me from running, and I've been traveling every weekend since I came home from Florida. I just wanted a break from it all.

I thought about going down there and just doing the sprint, or not going down there at all. But then I snapped out of it, sucked it up, and decided to take on the Beast. After all, it's St. Croix. Why the hell wouldn't I go down there?!

So we arrive, and it's just beautiful! The airport served up Cruzan Rum punch as a welcome gift to start the trip off right. I booked a sweet hotel with a loft and ocean views... this was the break I needed.

I was so much more nonchalant about the race this time around. I didn't care how good I did, I didn't drive the course (I remember well enough the torture of the Beast), and I told myself if I had to limp on the run I'm calling it quits. I was just there to have a good time and try to enjoy racing again.

By race day I was feeling great. I got in some ocean swims, rode on the course, and even went for a 10 minute run. I felt strong and was eager for race day!

SWIM: The water was calm and clear race morning. They say the swim is a triangle, but I don't see it. Last year it took me 40 minutes because the chop and convoluted shape of the course; you look up to spot and see buoys everywhere (and I'm sure the fact that I'm not the most brilliant swimmer was a factor). Anyways, I felt good and actually stayed somewhat on course. 35 minutes later I was out of the water.

BIKE: My rides earlier in the week have felt just OK, nothing special. My front derailer hates me and always gives me problems (until I take it to the shop, then it works fine). But on race day, I felt great and everything worked perfectly.

I tried not to push too hard because I was terrified of what loomed ahead at mile 20. Last year I rode up the Beast with a 12-25 cassette. I was seated the entire time because I was too nervous to stand thinking I would flip over backwards, and I nearly threw up a lung before the first switchback. I love the hills and hammering climbs, but I did not want to go through that again!

At mile 15 I geared down to prepare and for the climb. My heart rate sky rocketed just thinking about it. Then I realized I suck at this whole high cadence thing as packs of people flew by, so I geared back up and hammered to the mile 20 marker.

THE BEAST: I can't describe the feeling of making that turn out of the rain forest and coming face to face with more of a wall than a road. People ahead are seemingly standing still, most walking their bikes, some falling over, everyone swerving all over the place to get that extra ounce of momentum. I was already geared way down (and yes, I put a 12-27 on), so I dropped my head and started to climb.

I don't understand why I pass people when I climb. I was in my smallest gear and if I pedaled any slower I was sure I would tump. So along came my next obstacle: passing on the Beast. Draft and blocking rules don't apply here, people are literally all over the place fighting for air. To make matters more exciting, only one side of the road is repaved, the other pretty nasty. I dropped my head and counted my pedal strokes; 20 seated, 20 standing, 30 seated, 30 standing... I felt like I was in Frogger, trying to make it up without hitting any of the crazy riders! I would yell that I was coming up on the right (because we ride on the left there), but they didn't care. One dude was even walking his bike up in the middle of the road!! Seriously?!

This year I was much more prepared for the climb. My lungs never went into the weird spasm they did last year, but man the riders I got stuck climbing next too were 100 times worse! I have no idea how long it took to climb that damn thing, but somehow I made it.

OK... BACK TO THE BIKE:
Woohoo! Made it over the Beast! Now it was time to squeeze my brakes so hard on the descent that both hands cramped. The course is super technical, and that's definitely where I lost time. I think I would take corners faster if I actually dismounted and looked both ways first!! It was sad that everyone I passed climbing up flew right back by me on the switchbacks going down.

The course is beautiful and perfectly suited for me (sans the sharp turns). It's really windy, yet never at your back, and it's super hilly. If I knew how to corner without being such a girl I might actually do OK. I got off the bike in fourth and felt like I could've ridden another whole loop!

RUN:
It was hot... really hot, and humid, and sunny. I had no idea how I would feel on the run, so I started out really conservative. I didn't try to hit any paces, I just wanted to keep on running and enjoy the moment. I made it into the Bucaneer for the 2 mile loop. It's so pretty back there. We run on packed trails and overlook the ocean, I saw a snorkeler (yes, I was in full on enjoy-the-moment mode). I made it back to transition for the half way point of the run. I felt great, had no pain, and realized no one had passed me. So I picked it up a bit and tried to start picking off the girls ahead. I was too afraid to stop and walk because that's when I had been cramping up, so I just kept shuffling along.

I finished in 5:41, 16 minutes faster than last year! I placed third in my AG, and was the 20th amateur female. I didn't get any slots, which I really wasn't banking on, but I did trip up the stairs in front of everyone at the awards ceremony! AND, the best news is... I didn't get sick afterwards!! I really don't feel like I pushed myself too hard at this race which may have something to do with it.

Now I'm back at home and ready to get at it!! I had sooo much fun out there and it was just what I needed to get my head right. I'm in town for the entire month, I've got a strong program, and a renewed sense of determination.

It's time to start training!

Super Star

2009-04-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Chicago trip was sooo much fun! I drove up late on Friday with Aimee and met the others for a drink in the hotel lobby. We got up early to get primped and prepped for out big shoot (who am I kidding... we got up early to eat!).

Call was a t 11:00, and we were scheduled to be on our bikes at 12:30. Around 1:00 they finally called us in to record our intros. Leave it to me to be uber creative... it went a little something like this, "Hi I'm Monica from Louisville, KY. I'm a personal trainer and triathlete." I know, it's genius.

1:45 I'm on my bike and starving!! We'd been sitting around for so long waiting and none of us thought we'd have time to grab a bite.

We are told that the video is a 90 minute aero-base and we're not stopping for a break since they were running behind. I thought for sure that I'd be the jackass who had to pee and hold up the whole production, little did I know I'd sweat so much in the first 10 minutes that I wouldn't have to go for the next three days!! They turned off the AC because the sound was picking up in the mics. Thanks, I love the smell of 25 sweaty men in a small, stagnant room.

OK, so we hit 90 minutes. I'm totally dying, I'm drenched, I can't wait to stand and stretch. This was not aero-base at all. I was in a daze thinking about burritos and chips and salsa, when I hear Troy call the next set. For real? We're at 90 minutes and half the class is slumped over on their bikes? We're going longer? I look up, obviously shocked and see the crew smiling at me to keep my head up and smile back. I didn't sign up for this.

2 hours of riding and I was done. I have never ever worked so hard on the trainer! They sent out pictures from the day, I wasn't in any and I'm pretty sure it's because I looked remarkably similar to death.

All in all, fun times were had. We celebrated at On The Border with margaritas and burritos, well worth it!

Chi-town

2009-04-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Since I got back in town from Florida I haven't made it two weeks without packin' up and heading somewhere else for a weekend. Two weeks ago I was in New Orleans, in two more weeks I'll be in St. Croix, and today I'm headed to Chicago. I love to travel but I feel like I'm living out of a suitcase!!

Myself and a few training partners are headed to Chi-town to shoot two Spinervals videos. I'm not quite sure what they were thinking (or what I was thinking for that matter) when I was invited; typically when I ride the trainer I dress like a damn fool and look like I'm going to vomit then die, and now it's going to be recorded. Lovely.

I finally made it outside for a ride yesterday! The forecasted sunny 60+ degree day was rainy and cold, but I was in good company. We rode the IM loop plus some. My goal was to pull like a banshee for the first half and then chase the other smarter riders for the second. It was fun and felt so good to climb again. The t-run, however, was not as joyful. The only company I had for it were the squirrels who scared the piss out of me when they scurried through the woods as I ran by. I felt the monster blister on my foot pop and my groin was so tight I couldn't run straight. Fun times were had.

All jokes aside, I've been feeling pretty good and am looking forward to the season ahead. There are so many awesome athletes training for IMKY here that it makes it hard not to want to workout. Train on homies.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Easter has come and gone leaving me about 20 pounds heavier after inhaling Mom's french toast casserole. Life doesn't get much better than french toast casserole. After brunch we went out for an Easter egg hunt. You can pretty easily spot me and my brothers, when it comes to the Easter egg hunt we mean business.

This week has been weird. Not good weird or bad weird, just weird. A few days ago when I thought my head would float away I decided against the trek to Brazil for Ironman; the timing just isn't right. I booked my plans for St. Croix but with totally different expectations than originally anticipated, and I also registered for a few different races and revamped the whole 09 race season. I needed a change.

Now I'm feeling much more myself and quite relieved to have removed the weight of a big race so soon. AND in even cooler news, I'll be around for Sophia's 0st Birthday!

My soon to be niece is breached, which is fine right now but she better start flipping soon. So Sean and I googled some brilliant ideas and made poor Katie try them out.

My mom was also there to show her support

They didn't work.

I haven't gotten outside once this week to ride, I think that's why I'm so antsy. I'm trying to find the motivation to hop on the trainer then onto the treadmill, but this rain and grey and yuck makes nap time so inviting. Tomorrow is 2.5 hours of Goshen Hill repeats followed by more of Goshen Hill on foot. I'm actually really excited for it and will be there rain or shine. Off to have a party on the trainer!

Nawlins 70.3 Race Report

2009-04-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

New Orleans was a great experience: I met up with old friends from Team USA, got to see my favorite brothers and sisters from anotha motha (the Gollnicks!), and enjoyed New Orleans for the first time ever. The race, however, was a different story...

I'm not quite sure why I'm writing this report as it's going to consist of a bunch of whining about how bad I felt and blah blah blah. It was a bad race, it just wasn't there. The venue was beautiful, the spectators were great, it was well organized... but my race just wasn't there. You've been warned, here it is.

I felt really prepared and fit going into the weekend. Saturday I rode, ran, and swam with Heather and it felt good to have my legs under me. I practiced my start several times, made sure my bike was ready to ride, and practiced pacing on the run.

Sunday morning came after a good nights sleep. I arrived in plenty of time, got setup, ran through transitions, walked a mile to the start, and warmed up with Jill (in our wetsuits, my parents have some great pics!).

SWIM - I don't really know what to say about this besides it was just plain long! It was a point to point swim and just went on forever. I found it sooo hard to stay focused and it was obvious when I checked my watch at the exit... a whole 5 minutes slower than usual. Not a great start.

BIKE - Now in my comfort zone I made my move. I wanted to have an aggressive ride and since my swim was a joke I figured I had nothing to lose. I went out hard and tried to hold it, only to find out my groin had other plans. I've been having it out with my groin since December and it decided to speak up during the race... perfect.

It was a cool ride though! We went out the Bayou (I have no idea what that means but that's what I was told) and saw snakes, turtles, and gators throughout. We went through some of the devastation, had an aid station manned by men in red dresses, the locals offered up their beer, and Regis and Kelly were taping on the course!

RUN - The run started out much better than expected considering how my legs felt on the ride. The first 6 miles ticked away pretty steadily and I ran through the 10K mark right on pace. My feet started to hurt pretty bad but I wriggled my toes and ran on. Finally it got so painful that I stopped and pulled my shoes off. I tried to adjust my socks and rub my feet in hopes that I would feel my toes again. I loosened my laces and ran on. I ended up having to pull my shoes three times and by the time I made it to the finish I couldn't walk. It was no good.

Now I'm sitting on my couch sick as a dog! After every race I manage to get a nasty cold/sinus infection that completely knocks me out. On a brighter note it was a great weekend spent with great friends and the worlds best parents. I learned a lot from this race and know exactly what I need to do for next month.

Congrats to everyone who finished the race! There were Louisvillians, Florida Campers, Team USAers, and so many others I knew out there! It was great to have so much support on the course, congrats to all and train on!!

Packin' Up

2009-04-01T08:38:00.001-07:00

I just got back in town last week and already I'm heading out!! Tomorrow I'm off to New Orleans for the inaugural 70.3! My parents and I are making the 10+ hour drive (and by that I mean I'll be sleeping in the back while they tote me south :-)).

This race will be a great benchmark for my current fitness level. While I have been able to ride outside for the past two months, I still don't feel like I'm back to the level I was at the end of the season last year. New Orleans is the first race of the year; a no pressure, dust off the cobwebs, have some fun with great friends type of race.

Several Louisville tri-stars will be racing Sunday including Larry, Aimee, Scott and Mark. Be on the lookout for 'em! My Team USA buddies will be out there with me too (sans Justin who's too cool for NO and is racing Oceanside instead).

Jill, Karen, and myself (the three in the middle) will battle it out in NO :-)

I'm supposed to be wearing a Trakker so you'll be able to watch online in real time to see exactly how I'm doing, my pace, where on the course I am, etc. I just hope my little blinking dot keeps moving forward!! More details on that to come.

Have a great weekend, train on homies!

Rev3Tri

2009-03-29T07:51:00.001-07:00

ATTENTION ALL TRIATHLETES: There's a new race in town and it's gonna be awwwwesome!

Rev3 will be held in Middlebury, CT on June 7th. It will feature a huge pro field, a sweeeet amateur prize purse, it will debut Trakkers for all participants, and it's taking place on a theme park open only to triathletes and their families!!

Check out www.rev3tri.com for more details!! If you are racing IMKY, this is the perfect prep race in regards to the timing and course description.

When you register be sure to enter the following code: NSS144 for a sweet discount!

Happy Training!

Home Sweet Home

2009-03-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

I made it!! 14 hours of drive time plus a few more in pit stops and I am sitting at my desktop. It is sooooo good to be home!

My mama flew in to Florida on Wednesday morning and we spent the next two days eating french toast, getting roasted on the beach, sitting at outdoor cafes, window shopping... It was awesome!

We trekked home yesterday making a stop at All3Sports in Hotlanta. The shop is AMAZING and everyone there is truly top notch. It's definitely where I'll be doing my online shopping!

My trip to Florida was a great experience and I learned a ton of valuable lessons. I've come to realize that your body can be pushed much further once you stop telling yourself that you can't. This trip started out full of 'I can'ts', but workout after workout I began to to surprise myself and somewhere along the road I began to believe in myself, and that I can.

Most importantly I've learned that all this hard won't account for anything unless I use it to inspire others. I can run myself into the ground day and night and selfishly expect someone to care, which pretty much describes a typical triathlete. Or I can use this trip, training, and the knowledge gained to help get someone off the couch, into the gym, or through their workout when they really feel like taking a nap. I'm always tired, however, I never regret forcing myself to go for a swim when I really wasn't up for it (which, by the way, is always).

Other bits of knowledge I've picked up on during my two month stint: don't ride over bridges in the dark, don't fuel for a 4 hour ride with water, put sunscreen on your back when you swim in an outdoor pool, don't wear a new pair of racing flats for the first time on a 16 mile run, chocolate soymilk is a gift from heaven, you don't really have to separate your darks and whites you just have to press the 'colors' button, always carry a spare and look at what you're standing in when you pull over to change a flat, always be thankful that you have the ability to complete a workout, and say something positive when you look in the mirror ;-)

Train on!

Power of Powder

2009-03-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm out of Carbo Pro. So plain ol' water and Roctane were on board for my 4 hour ride today. It started strong with a few good intervals, but 2 hours into it I had to bag it before I fell over on the side of the road. Plain ol' water just doesn't work the same as when it's filled with magic powder. I managed to pedal into Starbucks for a scone and Vivanno which gave me just enough energy to make it home. Now, I feel totally trashed! Looks like I'm off to the grocery (aka the Gollnick's garage) to buy some good stuff and try again on Thursday. Until then, lots of food and rest are in order.

This past weekend was my last in Florida :-( Friday I headed to Tampa to visit family for the day. Seeing everyone made me more excited to get back to Louisville! Eva, my almost 1 yr old niece, is a pistol! When I left town she couldn't walk, now she runs around with my oversized purse!!

Saturday was a long ride with Jeff and Kelli (also in town from the Ville) and a long/painfree run on Sunday (first successful run in quite some time!). There were also a few swims, t-runs, and open water sessions thrown in there to make it one jam packed weekend.

I happened to be watching the news on Sunday evening and saw the Discovery was launching. I thought, 'I wonder if I can see it from my window'. Below was my view... it was pretty cool.

My Mama arrives in town tomorrow and I cannot WAIT to see her!! We're going to spend two days on the beach drinking cocktails, which will probably turn into her watching me swim laps in Siesta while we both chug water and get sunburns, but none-the-less I'm getting some much needed mom time.

Happy St. Patty's Day!! I don't have any green beer but I've eaten a bowl of Lucky Charms... that's gotta count for something! Peace out.

Biking has done me wrooooong

2009-03-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

So there I am, pumping gas on Siesta Beach in my swim suit fresh after an ocean swim. Spring Breakers are driving by in their rental Wranglers, music on blast, making it as obvious as possible that they've been drinking. I'm just taking it all in and chatting with Heather (who refused to get out because she was still halfway in her wetsuit), when, without ever thinking twice, I turn my head and blow a big snot rocket!! Right there at the gas station... surrounded by drunk kids, I decide that must be the best way to rid my discomfort. Seriously!?

Then, earlier that day we were walking to the beach. It was a long drive there and we had to park pretty far, most of the campers were ahead of me when I decided I had to pee. My first instinct was to look towards the bush on my left and thought 'perfect!'. Now don't get too nervous Mom, I didn't do it. But the thought crossed my mind! What has all this riding done to me!! It must mean that I've spent wayyy to much time in the saddle if snot rockets and bush stops feel normal. What's next? Peeing in the fake plants at the mall because 'I just had to go'? This is soo not good, something must be done.

It's been way too long since I've had on 'normal' clothes and did 'normal' things. I keep talking to friends at home who ask if I've gone to St. Armands Circle or Siesta or some fancy smanchy restaurant. My response: I've ridden my bike through St. Armands a few times trying to hold on to the super bikers ahead of me, I do open water swims at Siesta, and the only restaurants I eat at are The Pancake House and Hungry Howie's Pizza Buffet because they serve a lot of food.

My goal for next week: go to the beach to learn how to paddle board, put on a pair of jeans, and no... absolutely NO snot rockets off the bike! Wish me luck!!

The Rundown

2009-03-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

My weak lil ankles are making a comeback... this week's run volume consisted of 30 painfree miles!! Nowhere near where I should be right now, but it's a step in the right direction, so I'm pretty pumped.

Our last camp of the season wrapped up on Sunday and we definitely went out with a bang! The Sheriff decided to pay us a few visits, the spring breakers on Siesta were pretty excited to see 'Navy SEALs' training as we showed up in wetsuits, one kid even tried a sneaky move to steal from our bags but was caught redhanded, and we had a rider clip a wheel and go down (fortunatley no major injuries). It was a long weekend... but one that won't be remember for the incidents, rather remembered for the athletes. These campers were the bomb. Hands down. I've met some great friends and learned something from everyone.

Sadly and happily I'm returning home soon. I'm sad to leave Florida, the great people, and the amazing weather. I'm super pumped to see my family, friends, and a homecooked meal!! I've got about a week and a half left and I'll be sure to make the most of it. Off for some run intervals...

Just one of those days!

2009-03-05T05:41:00.001-08:00

Saturday was the Gasparilla 15K in which me and my half useful foot had to sit out and watch, but it actually turned out great because I got to see Ryan Hall win the race!! He was absolutely amazing to watch!! Joanie did awesome, and Jeff came in 16th overall! Way to represent KY!! After the 15K I hobbled around for what counted as a 6mile run. After that, my foot was dunzo. So I went to the car and enjoyed the homemade cookies my Mama sent :-)

Sunday was the Tour de Cure in Venice. There was a pretty fun group of riders planning on being there, so we decided to bandit it to get in some long miles. A few downpours later and 30 mph gusts, I was ready to call it! I had lost the group, had no idea where I was, I was pushing Z4 going 12mph. It was not fun... but somehow we made it. A sloooooow 5 hours later I was thawing out in the car (the course was short, thankfully... I'm not that fast!).

Monday was a recovery day. I rode a few miles with Jeff then refueled at the Pancake House with the worlds largest plate of french toast, it was awesome!!

Tuesday was San Antonio, and a beautiful day!! I had changed my back tire the day before and when I got to San An it was flat. So I changed it again with my last spare, borrowed a tube just in case from another rider, and we were on our way.

The ride started out great, then we turned onto the road that hates me and I dropped back a bit. My trusty Scott was feeling off but I blamed it on the rain from Sunday... a few miles later, another flat. This time I actually checked my tire, nothing. So I changed the flat and raced to catch the group (which never happened, thankfully they stopped for me).

After about 30 minutes riding on my last spare it felt squishy again. Seriously?! Give me a break!! So we all stopped, I posted my bike up on a fence post and used the hand pump that another rider had. I was pretty frustrated at this point, so when I yanked the pump out I pulled the little twisty seal off too!! Just as I thought my day couldn't get much worse, I realized I was standing in a mound of fire ants!!! I wanted to scream and throw a fit and sit on the side of the road until someone picked me up to take me back to my car!! I was DONE, I had enough!! I had gone out there to get in 60+ miles, but the last thing I wanted to do at this point was ride more. I want to go hoooooooome!

One hissy fit later, I was back on my bike with the group. I felt aweful for making them wait so many times, especially since everyone was on a time crunch. So I made myself shut up and ride. I had gotten the ants off my leg and had enough air in my wheels to make it. I ended up getting in a solid 50 mile ride; not as far as I wanted but it was quality. I stuck with the group and pulled a few times, I guess being so worked up helped me ride better!!

Wednesday was my first run after going after seeing the PT a few times. I started out super slow on the treadmill with strict orders to stop with any pain. I told myself I would run for 30 minutes. 30 minutes later I felt fine, so I decided to go for 45. At 45 I had to finish out the mile so I ended up running for 51 minutes... and felt great!! I was super pumped! Afterwards I foam rolled the crap out of my calves (Diagnosis: my calves are super tight so anterior tib had to work too hard to flex the foot which caused the tendonitis) and I still feel good! Holla!

After a swim (I got in a 3400 in the same time Heather got in 4300, ouch!) I picked up Max and his super cool sister and we headed to Hungry Harry's Pizza Buffet. We special ordered our cheeseless/all veggie pizzas, loaded up on salads, and ate for two and a half hours straight!!

Camp starts today... last spring camp of the year! I love camp and couldn't be more excited, I'm so glad I've gotten this opportunity and have learned so much from the campers and coaches. I've gotten to meet some really great people, all of which are so friendly and helpful!

The sun is shining and it's supposed to be in the 80's all weekend!! I'm off to bike, run, and swim before camp starts. Until next time...

Hottie Alert!

2009-02-25T07:34:00.001-08:00

Max Longree, winner of IM Louisville '08 is in town and staying down the street from me!! Holla!! We've swam together twice now... and by that I mean he happened to be at the pool when I was. He's here to escape the German winter and to get in some training for IM Brazil. Oh my gosh... ME TOO!! It MUST be fate!

Injury Report:

I have a funny feeling this is going to be a recurring caption in my posts. The training has been going phenomenal and I'm finally feeling a bit stronger on the bike and swim. I got in a great 100 mile ride this weekend and felt surprisingly strong throughout, and I'm regularly putting in 5 hour training days.

I've taken some time off running because of a nagging overuse injury. Yesterday was the one week off mark, so I decided to give it a go. I warmed up nice and slow, stretched, and ran! It felt great! 50 minutes into the run, however, my foot exploded. Yes that's right, I'm now hobbling around on a half-useful foot. Fortunately some good friends hooked me up with a physical therapist specializing in sports injuries; I go in tomorrow!

After the run we went for a swim. It was a really good swim and I even had a breakthrough moment (not because Max was there... even though he was there and I couldn't help but to always breathe to his side ;-)) when I started using the dreaded band. I'm working on a more powerful pull and faster turnover, and tying my feet together really seemed to drive the point home. My times were faster afterwards! Gold star for me!

Post swim we lifted some weights. After all, our day had consisted of riding 45 miles of intervals, running for an hour (almost), and swimming... why not put the cherry on top?! Well this was the straw that broke Monica's back, literally. We were doing some convoluted Heather exercise when my back just gave out. I'm now sitting here typing in the weirdest position because even the slightest movement sends sharp shooting pains down my back to the top of my bum. Last night I was lying down watching TV and it took me about 45 minutes to figure out how to stand up and walk to the bathroom. Today it's all spasmy and pissed off! Seriously? Can't a girl get a break? Why didn't IronHeather's back snap in half? Oy!

Well onto brighter topics... yesterday was Fat Tuesday! I'm giving up cereal for Lent so yesterday I ate a whole box of Oh's. So today... I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Dammit!! OK, so Monica's Lent starts tomorrow. Starting tomorrow, no cereal! Man, I'm bad at this!

Tonight the Gollnick's and I are going to The Pancake House to celebrate Fat Wednesday. The trainer that I'm working with told me that in order to get down to my race weight I need to take in 4000 calories! Yes, you read that right! In order to get DOWN to my race weight, meaning in order for me to LOSE weight, I need to eat 4000 calories per day... so bring on the pancakes!

This weekend is the Gasparilla Distance Classic! It's a huge road race weekend in Tampa and Joanie and Mount and a few other friends will be in town to race the 15K with me!! Heather hopes to reclaim her title as top local female (which consists of a sweet prize purse). After the race we're planning an open water swim and a trip to some shop in some mall that has the best chocolate in Florida (FYI - you may not want to seek my consultation on nutrition advice, it might be a little off).

Anyways, despite my wimpy body I'm having the most amazing time down here! The people are great, the weather is beautiful, the ocean is clear and has a sand bar so when I freak myself out by seeing sharks and killer jelly fish that aren't really there I can just put my feet down and stand! I miss my family SOOOO much and can't wait see them. My dad got his braces off and looks like a stud and I hear that Katie is walking around with a pumpkin in her shirt. Oh man!! It's been too long, but I'm soaking it all in and making the most of it!

Stay strong up north, I'm sending sunshine your way!! Peace out homies :-)

The Sickies

2009-02-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

This week has been slooooooow slow! I dug myself into a hole this weekend after attempting to run a half marathon while sick and on an injured foot. This week, I'm paying the consequences.

I've been laying around since Sunday drinking green tea and icing my foot. I can't complain though, compared to how I felt on Saturday I now feel like a new person. It still sounds like someone is covering my ears whenever anyone talks to me, and every now and then something gross coughs up from my throat, but I'm not longer walking into walks or losing my breath after climbing up stairs.

As for the foot, still hurts :-( I water jogged yesterday for all of 10 minutes and got so bored that I just started swimming without really realizing it. I've been icing, stretching, massaging, adviling, and doing single leg bosu squats daily so this silly setback doesn't rear its ugly head again. Man! Where's Bridg the Miracle Worker when I need her!! I've never had to deal with silly injuries on my own because the world's best physical therapist lives in Louisville and is a great friend!! If you live in Louisville, take advantage of Bridgid's knowledge and expertise! She'll get you up and running in no time.

The biking and swimming are coming along quite well! I'm finally seeing my times drop in the water and I'm sometimes holding on to the super bikers I ride with (not really, but at least I'm keeping them in eyesight).

Stay safe and stay strong, until next time!

Update...

2009-02-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

Well hello! Long time no see! I've been pretty lame about updating the blog; things have been busy/sick/pooped/whatever. So here's the update on the past weekish...

Last Tuesday rode the hills of San Antonio for 4.5 hours and felt great! Went for an hour t-run because my foot wasn't bothering me (started hurting after the Saturday trail run).

Wednesday woke up: foot felt great, had a head and chest cold :-(

Thursday: Camp #2 started!! SUPER fun group of athletes, 2 were randomly from Kentucky!!
Saturday: really feeling the sickies!! Felt horrible all day long! BUT my wonderful Valentine brought me the best gift I could ever ask for, a heart shaped COOKIE CAKE!! Oh man I feel better already! (Thanks Heather, that totally made my day!)

While it appears that I'm shoving my fist down my throat, I'm really just politely eating with a knife.

Sunday: 4:00am wake up call (which I hear is really good if you're feeling under the weather) for the Sarasota Half Mary. Felt good during the warm up, but realized before mile 2 that this was a bad idea. Ran easy through the finish; after crossing the line my foot and head were both throbbing to the point where I thought it may just feel better if they explode.

Brings me to today: slept in (finally!) for a full 12 hours!! Taking it easy for the next few days to get back up to par!

This morning I finally decided to register for IM Brazil!! I was on the fence for the longest time because it's the same weekend as my brother and sister-in-law are due to deliver their first baby (Princess Sophia!!), but after having a heart-to-heart with them, and with myself regarding my goals for the year, I came to realize this is an opportunity I cannot pass by. So we are officially in Ironman training mode!

I'll be better about the updates!! We don't have another camp until March so now my priorities are on getting well and back into the daily grind. Until next time!

Women's CAMP!!

2009-02-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

Oh man, what a weekend! Camp #1: The Women's Camp just wrapped up today and it was the most fun I've had in a long time!!! Here's a recap...

Day #1:

Thursday kicked off with introductions, The Mental Game, nutrition info, lots of laughs, and even more chocolate!! We had 4 coaches and 12 campers, most of which hadn't ever met and everyone seemed to click from the beginning. There was no sizing each other up or 'what's your age group and key races for the year' type questions. Just a bunch of tri-chicas ready to have a good time in the sun.

Day #2:

Friday started early with breakfast and a short run at Fit 2 Run. After we went in the shop for run analysis, drills, shopping, and smoothies. A few hours later we were back at the bike shop and ready to ride! The group rode 60ish miles and had some great pace lines going. After a quick change we headed to the pool for a swim and underwater taping. Post-swim we had yet another quick change and headed to dinner. It was a jammed packed day but full of quality workouts with some great and talented women!

Day #3:

Saturday I picked up Heather and the two of us headed to Oscar Scherer for a trail 5K (the other campers wanted to sleep in a bit so they met us there!). After the 5K, which by the way was SO much fun, we met up with the group for about an hour or so of trail running. The weather was sooo nice and the company was even better! After the run, we fueled at the aid station (AKA Todd's car) and split. Half the campers came with me and Jenn to Siesta Key for an ocean swim. The other half went with Heather and Liz for open water techniques at the Y (the ocean was 55 degrees!). After a short, frigid dip in the ocean we headed back to Village. First Watch provided a great lunch that gave everyone enough energy for a long ride. 60-75mile later (depending on the group) we were done for the day and totally trashed!!! We rewarded ourselves with pancakes topped with chocolate chips, a PJ party, and a trike race!

Day #4:

We did a long run on own own (or rode) and met at 10 for a strength training session. We finished wrapping up with a few closing comments and everyone went on their way.

This camp was such an amazing experience made up of some truly great triathletes. These women are fierce, competitive, encouraging, and team players... all people I'm so thankful to have met. Technically I was a coach at this camp, but I learned a lot from these women.

I hope to stay in touch with each of you and can't wait to meet again!

25 Random Facts...

2009-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm a facebooker. So after being tagged a few times to create my '25 Random Facts' list I finally took the time to do so and thought I'd share 'em with you...

1. I would rather ride my bike than go to the bars.

2. My family are my best friends in the whole wide world and I would do anything for them

3. Nothing makes be happier than a big bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

4. When I was seven my Dad chopped my bottom lip off with an ax, a few years prior I fell in the fireplace and busted my head open, and spilled boiling soup down my arm for some nice third degree burns... I was a bit of a problem child.

5. I just graduated with my MBA and am currently putting it to good use by vacationing in Florida until the weather in Kentucky doesn't suck anymore.

6. I absolutely love training for and racing long course triathlons and would like to see if there is a career in it for me.

7. However, point #6 is not worth sacrificing my friends, family, and life for... and the most successful triathletes have found a great balance.

8. I love to laugh, and make people laugh, and will fall madly in love with anyone who can make me laugh.

9. My biggest regret is throwing away my soccer career for a social life.

10. I want to write a book about my life... a lot has happened in my 24 years!

11. I see myself living in Kona or Boulder: both places where a car, makeup, and 9-5 aren't necessary or the norm.

12. I can't live without my coffee and soymilk.

13. On my to do list: learn to stand-up paddle board, bungee jump off of something cool, snowshoe in Colorado, sky dive, ride a camel, and go to Italy where my mama was raised.

14. This year I will be racing in three different countries!

15. I was born and raised in Louisville,Ky. I went to undergrad at the University of Louisville and grad school at Bellarmine University in Louisville. I've moved out and lived on my own but have never really left town or my family.

16. In addition to #15, I just moved away from my family two weeks ago. It's the scariest thing I've ever done.

17. I have a big heart. I will do just about anything for any of my friends to make sure that they're happy.

18. I served detention nearly every day of my Senior year in high school and hold the record for the most demerits without being kicked out... we won't get into details.

19. I've grown and changed a lot since high school (thankfully) and most people who know me now have a hard time believing I was ever as big of a punk as I used to be.

20. Cookie cake will be the death of me. Put one in front of me and it will be gone in seconds.

21. I try very hard to be organized so I make a ton of notes and always seem to lose them!

22. I'm a sorority girl; yet another small fact that people wouldn't guess about me.

23. I have my personal trainer certification, my real estate license, I'm a certified triathlon coach, I have a Bachelors in Ex Phys and a Masters in Business Administration, and I still have no idea which to pursue.

24. Materialistic people piss me off... even though when it comes to jeans and sunglasses I'm one of them!

25. There's never a dull moment :-)

It's a...

2009-01-30T19:30:00.001-08:00

GIRL!!!! So I was reading through my blog and realized I never filled you in on the fantastic news. Sean and Katie's Baby X is officially a Baby Girl!! Congrats, you will be the most amazing parents!

Ahhh Florida

2009-01-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

So currently in Louisville there is a major ice storm. 100,000 homes in metro Louisville are without power and heat, the ice is causing trees to fall (two of which have hit the house... thankfully no major damage), all schools and most businesses are closed forcing Louisvillians to be confined to the darkness of their home. In all seriousness, please be safe and use your best judgement when traveling.

For example, if you are the only swimmer at Mary T. at a time of day that you'd usually have to circle swim, you may not have used your best judgement (I won't mention any names ;-) ).

Sean sent me this picture of his street before the weather got really bad.
I think it looks pretty, but then again I'm not suffering through it. After I received his e-mail, I thought it would be nice of me to take a picture of my street... just to compare.
Well, this is just the culdesac, but you get the idea. I hope the palm trees bring some sort of warmth to your homes.

On to training: Yesterday my back was really tender and tight. I guess I fell harder than I gave myself credit for. So I bummed around most of the morning waiting for my Advil to kick in, then finally decided to go for a swim.

I've been practicing flip turns so I can keep up with the rest of the group on the repeats (that's right, this 'swimmer' has no earthly idea how to do a flip turn!). My so-called flip turns really suck and it's quite funny to watch; I'll have someone video it next time for some comic relief. If anyone out there has any helpful advice for please send it my way!

The main set was 8x300. The first time through I used flip turns and thought for sure I was slowing myself down. The next time through I just pushed off the wall and was 10 whole seconds slower!! Wow, so these things really work! I forced myself to look like a fool and do the stupid flip turn for the remainder of the main set. Oh and did I mention I also had to use the tempo trainer?! Way too much to concentrate on!!

I decided not to spin after my swim because my back was obviously pissed at me. The rest of the evening consisted of me running a few errands and staying curled up in a ball.

This morning my back was still really stiff so I opted against a morning run. I decided to spin on the trainer for a pretty easy hour and a half (yes, I am aware it's 80* here and about 20* at home) and surprisingly felt great. I put it in a tough gear, I stood, I rode with high cadence and nothing seemed to phase it! Sweeeet!

So from there I decided against my better judgement and went for a run. I did 8 miles with some long pickups and couldn't feel a thing! Vwaala! All it took was a little exercise to kick the stupid back injury. I had a great run despite the crazy wind, and thanks to my big bro Sean who hooked me up with some awesome training playlists. Even though I didn't have Coach by my side to yell my splits, I had Eminem carry me through the intervals and Daft Punk get me home on my recovery.

Now I'm getting ready to go for a walk with my stand-in-mom, and then a loooong stretch (and lots of food!). I'm so thankful this bike wreck didn't turn into something more serious. Stay safe, stay warm, and stay in touch! Peace out.

Weekend Adventures

2009-01-27T05:57:00.000-08:00

The weather here is finally warming up to Florida standards and is allowing for some amazing training! Friday started off with an excellent long ride. Even though the legs were trashed we somehow managed to ride around 4 hours and see some beautiful horse farms and strawberry fields.

Saturday was pretty chill. Early I was on babysitting duty at the Gollnick's; Zach and I cooked chocolate chip pancakes for everyone then rocked out some Guitar Hero. Around 10ish I gathered the kidos and we headed to the Y for a swim. The boys showed me how to do a flip turn and critiqued my stroke through underwater analysis (which entailed them lying on the bottom of the pool and waving as I passed over top) :-) At one point during the 100 repeats Josh asked why I keep running into the lane line. I wanted to tell him it's because I don't know how to swim but I couldn't get enough air to say anything!

Sunday was funday! We headed over to Alafia State Park for a trail half marathon. Heather and I got there over an hour early but somehow managed to make it to the start line with seconds to spare!! We had a good long warmup which led to us getting lost on the trails and cutting through bushes trying to follow the announcers voice to the start!! I was covered in burs and had cuts all over my legs, but we made it! The trail race was super fun, but soooo much more difficult than I had expected. There were sharp descents and even steeper inclines, twists, turns, roots, limbs... I never got bored! 2 hours later I finished and was a bloody, muddy mess. Ann was there to greet me (yay! she did the 5K) and we got me cleaned up and hung out for a bit. Heather accepted her First Place award, introduced us to a really cool guy who is traveling around the country racing to raise money for St. Jude, then we headed home (after making a pit stop at Smoothie King, mmmm, my quads needed the boost!). Once back in town I spun out the legs and got caught up on Greys, then went to the pool for a recovery swim. By nightfall, I was pooped!

Monday started before dawn. Heather and I headed out on our bikes around 5:50a to meet a group in Sarasota for their 6:45a Starbucks ride. We were cutting through some back trails, went over a bridge, I lost my balance and steered straight off the edge! It was about a three foot drop and I couldn't see a thing! Luckily I landed on my side and felt OK, nothing too damaged except my ego. I caught back up to Heather to realize I had lost my water bottles, this day is not starting out great. We made it to Starbucks in time, but once we got there I realized my back was really tight. I hung out in the coffee shop while the rest of the group hammered down Longboat Key. I rode easy back home and decided to take the rest of the day off. My back is still pretty tight/tender, but nothing some stretching and Advil can't cure.

On to today: getting ready to head to the pool then riding solo. If my back starts to bother me I'm beelining it home, so I didn't want to mess up anyone elses ride.

Lessons Learned: never eat trail mix with raisins the night before a long run, and never ride your bike over bridges in the dark. Until next time, keep on keepin on!

Saddle Up

2009-01-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago I was scheming ways to sabotage my indoor trainer. As much as I love to watch enriching shows like Greys and Real World, there's not much I dislike more than trying to enjoy them while keeping my heart rate in zone 2. About one week ago I officially refused to ride my trainer at all.

So now, I'm in some sweeeet weather that lets me get back in the saddle....and boy have I. Yesterday the Heathernator did her easy run with me while I did pickups (yes, even my pickups are 'recovery pace' for her. Ha!). After 10 miles, my lungs exploded. We parted ways to gear up for a group ride; I had about 45 minutes to get ready. About 45 minutes later I found my way home after getting lost in the trails. So now I'm supposed to be meeting for a ride and haven't changed, eaten, rehydrated, or even caught my breath!! 15 minutes later I make it to the ride start and have a bento box stuffed full of food, these people think I'm crazy. 10 minutes into it I'm being dropped and my heart rate is out of control (if only I would've gotten on that stupid trainer when I was supposed to!). Around this point I was also informed that this easy ride was a 50 miler, oh man! 1 Peanut Butter PowerBar, a Roctane, and a CarboPro/G2 mixture later I was back on their wheels. It ended up being super fun and everyone with us was super cool. 2.5 hours in the saddle, Day 1 down.

Day 2 began with a long ride (what? Yesterday wasn't long!?). I woke up to more frost on the grass and knew it would be a challenge. The only cold weather outfit I brought was in the dirty clothes hamper, doodie! After putting together an extremely coordinated outfit (ha! not), I rode over to meet the group, they had a good laugh on my behalf, and we headed out.

There are two key pluses to my new riding partner: 1) She brings a lot of really good food with her (I had two bottles for our 4 hour ride) and 2) She pees... a lot! And when someone (me) secretly skips all of her trainer rides these little pee breaks are greatly appreciated :-) Seriously though, the ride was really fun and went pretty well. The legs weren't with me the entire ride, but they gave it a good effort and the horse farms around here make me feel right at home.

Now it's time to rest up for a fun-filled day tomorrow. I can't remember what it entails but I do know my poor butt gets a break from the saddle. Hope you all have a great weekend! Warm or cold, just be thankful that you're healthy and able... and go for it! Until next time!!

BLIZZARD!

2009-01-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

Oh poo! I packed the Louisville cold in my suitcase and brought it with me to Florida!! Yesterday temps dropped to a whopping 50 (gasp), and all the locals stood out in their down coats and parkas. The grocery was a madhouse and chatter of snow filled every overheard conversation. Abby's (the 14 year old daughter) track practice was even cancelled as they took shelter indoors and stretched in the gym instead.

I took advantage of the dreary weather and used it as my only off day for the next two weeks. While it wasn't Kentucky cold, the wind here is no joke. I almost lost a limb to a runaway shopping cart in Target's parking lot!

G got back in town today from her amazing win in Chile. Read the story at ironman.com; she's definitely an animal and a fighter when there's a number stamped on her arm. After a swim in the the outdoor pool (I'll admit it, my ears almost froze off) I came back and waited to hook up with Heather for an easy ride. Should've known, she opted for the trainer :-) so I finished out my day with a gym session and some laundry (had to call my mom first to make sure I didn't screw it up... so far so good).

Tomorrow the real training begins, and the next two weeks I'm told are high volume weeks. I've got a long run and ride tomorrow, swim/ride Friday, can't remember Saturday, and a half marathon in Tampa and swim on Sunday!! I'll keep you posted! Until then I'm lacing up the snow boots and going out for sushi :-)

Touchdown Florida!

2009-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

I've landed... in sunny Sarasota (sort of... Lakewood Ranch, just outside Sarasota)!!

Our journey began on Thursday when my Dad and I loaded up the car, had a tearful goodbye with my mom, and headed south in search of temps above 0.

After about 12 hours on the road we called it quits and bunkered down for the night at the Florida border. We made it to Lakewood Ranch around 2:00p on Friday and met my homestay family. I was super nervous, but it turns out they are great and suuuuuper sweet. For the next few months I'll be living with Sue (the mother) and her three kidos: Chris (10), Cam (12), and Abby (14).

My dad and I spent the weekend together getting me settled in. It was so much fun and I didn't want it to end!! We worked out together, found the essentials (gym, grocery, bank, church...), dined on Siesta Key, and bummed around in the 70degree weather. Then Sunday I drove him to the Tampa airport and had yet another tearful goodbye. It was hard to let go.

The house is quite cozy and the family is helping me feel right at home.

My bedroom

My bathroom (I forgot to shut the door!)

The view from the kitchen

My new pool is outdoors! It's really neat! Apparently Florida is experiencing some sort of cold spell (feels like paradise to me), so the lady at the front desk of the Y told me to rest assured, their pool is heated. Well yesterday I swam in it for the first time and thought I was going to pass out!! It's like swimming in a bath tub... or better yet, a hot tub!

Working out here has been so easy, it's hard to not want to! Every road has a bike lane, there are jogging paths and trails everywhere, and most people commute sans a car. It's great!!

Sunday was supposed to be an easy ride with Sven, however, Sven had different plans. My first ride outside since Novemeber and we were pushing 26mph on the straights, so much for easy. After a little over an hour I was pooped and went straight to bed.

Monday was funday, and my first day as a big girl without my parents! I worked all morning and then around 1:30 decided to start the workouts. I swam a 3900 in boiling water, then rode for an hour with a few pickups (yet still slower than yesterdays ride), then ran for 45 min through the trails. It was so much fun!! I finished around 6:00 and was famished. I ate and fell right to sleep!!

Which brings me to today. I have to take my car in, run a few errands, then hopefully the wind will die down and I can get a nice long run in without getting blown away. I'll let you know how it goes, until then!!

Reality Check

2009-01-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

4 more days until I leave for Florida. In past posts I'd mentioned how nervous and scared I was, how I'd never left my family, and boo hoo, blah, blah, blah. Well today at breakfast, my big bro Sean put everything into perspective.

When Sean was 22ish, he decided to take a break from school and pursue his passion to play professional soccer. He spoke with many of his coaches who each encouraged him to go for it and that he has what it takes. As you may know, soccer isn't all that hyped up in the US, however, in Europe it's a different story.

Most of Sean's coaches were from some part of Europe, and low and behold, a coach came through and got him a tryout in his hometown... of Sarajevo. As in Sarajevo, Bosnia. As in foreign language, violence, recently war stricken.

Sean accepted this opportunity to play pro, because after all, it was his dream. He went to Bosnia for 3ish weeks, totally on his own. He was put up in a hotel and picked up every morning for practice, beyond that he was totally and utterly on his own in a foreign country.

Talk about reality check. I'm sitting at breakfast talking about how nervous I am to go to paradise, to the Sunshine State, and train all day in the sun, and have to swim in the ocean! Tough life I have. Of course it will be hard to leave the comfort of my parents home and I will miss seeing their beautiful faces each and everyday, but seriously. I'm worried about traveling to a sandy beach that is a short direct flight away?

Sean really helped to bring me back down to Planet Earth and realize just how good I have it. There are major issues apparent in our world, country, and state, yet I'm nervous to go to the beach. I was in serious need of this reality check!!

Lesson learned, thanks Sean. And now when people ask if I'm excited about heading south, I know exactly how to reply, "Heck yeah!!" I couldn't be more fortunate!

As for Sean, he made the team (duh, he's the bomb!) but realized that Sarajevo just wasn't his thang! Thank God because now he's become a just as amazing brother, friend, and soon to be Daddy (we find out tomorrow if Baby Murphy is a boy or girl!!).

Until next time, train on!!

The Countdown

2009-01-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

This time next week, I will have a new home... in sunny Florida!! In six short days my dad and I will begin our journey to the Sunshine State. I am filled with so many emotions, I don't know how to respond anymore when people ask how excited I am.

On one hand, I don't think I could be more excited!! I've been given this amazing opportunity to train with some of the most fun, competitive, and successful athletes in the sport. I've found a great homestay who will hopefully be patient with my domestic skills, and I'll be working tri camps throughout the state with some of the most well-known coaches! I know if I open myself up to the challenge, I'll come out of it a more well rounded coach and athlete.

On the other hand, Team Louisville has kicked off and just one week into it, I'm totally hooked! We have such a dynamic group of athletes, coaches, sponsors, and local support. Right when things start to come together I up and leave :-( And then, of course, there's the whole leaving my family thing that's just killing me. I haven't been sleeping at night because I'm worried sick about flying the coop. I know it's something that will make me stronger, but that doesn't mean it will be easy.

I guess Coach G understood I was having separation anxiety, so she did her part to get my mind off the trip... by ramping up my training volume. Starting yesterday I have three daily workouts. Yesterday was a 13 mile aerobic run, spin drills, and strength session. Today is a 4K swim, aerobic spin, followed by another swim. Tomorrow: long run, long swim, strength. This continues through Wednesday, then I'll have the weekend to recover and get settled into the Florida house before really ramping things up the following week.

I know this is an amazing opportunity and things wouldn't have worked out as well as they did if it wasn't meant to be. So I'm putting on my big girl panties and going for it.

Here's to breaking out of my comfort zone, to trying something new, and to taking a chance. Here's to finding out what I'm really made of.

As for now, off to ride the trainer. Happy Training!

Out of the Rut

2009-01-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

I've been in a rut. I always love change, always love to be on the go... but lately I've been on the same ol' schedule doing the same ol' thing. It got monotonous. I have these huge dreams of living in a small mountain town, or on a small island, where the lifestyle is far from robotic. Where the people are friendly, carefree, and non-materialistic... that's just so me, but I've never been decisive enough to go for it.

So for 2009 I vowed to do whatever makes me happy, to go out on a limb, and live out my craziest dreams. I want to travel all over the world, meet new people, race great races, share memories with my family, and do whatever else comes my way.

I used to be so carefree, such a go-with-the-flow kinda girl. Whatever I felt like doing, I did. Now don't get me wrong, I took a few wrong turns and stumbled more than once, but I always got back up and grew strong from each experience.

Then somewhere along the road I got scared, lost my confidence, and hid behind the ones I knew would protect me. I began to play it safe, and that meant boring. I got stuck in a rut.

Here I am today: I've created a great image and built a great resume that would impress just about anyone... anyone except for me. So 2009 is about me. It sounds selfish, but really it's not... because what makes me happy is my family and my friends.

I resolve to be the best daughter, sister, aunt (or Uncle if we're including the Hoetker's ;-) and friend. I resolve to treat others how I want to be treated and always put friends and family before me. I resolve to be the best and most well-rounded triathlete and coach, and to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way no matter how unfamiliar.

2009 isn't about being a new person, it's about taking full advantage of the person I am. It's about having roots and wings. I've got strong roots that will only grow stronger, now it's time to spread my wings. Here's to the road less traveled!

The Murphy Family Christmas

2008-12-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

Shewwwy! It's New Year's Eve and I'm writing about Christmas, ha! I'm so cool.

Christmas at the Murphy house isn't meant for the weak. It's a full 48 hours of food, wine, church, food, Rock Band, gifts, food, Wii, dance offs, and lots of food. Eating actually makes up about 24 of our 48 hour get together. Christmas meal alone consists of appetizers and vino, then a sit down antipasto, main course number 1 of ravioli (mmm, homemade sauce!), main course number 2 of pork tenderloin and veggies, then the salad (we're Italian, it comes last), then a Wii break, and finally the coffee/dessert/gross panetone. It's a lot! It's actually quite overwhelming! But I sooo love Christmas because our whole family comes together.

This Christmas has really helped me to fully appreciate the Murphy crew. We are all so close, and thanks to Christopher and his orange pants, we make up one smokin' hot band!

Christmas this year has been amazing!! Not so much because of the super cool gifts Santa brought me (don't get me wrong, they are SUPER cool), but because something made me realize just how lucky I am. I would really only trade Sean in if I could for someone less farty... just kidding, I know you read this :-) Seriously though, my family is the bomb and they made my holiday!

Buon Natale and Happy New Year (don't know how to day that in Italian).

The Graduate

2008-12-23T05:08:00.001-08:00

I don't feel like hopping on the trainer for a fun-filled hour and a half (I see a recurring theme to when I post :-)), so instead... update time!

This past Wednesday I finally graduated from school!! 6 1/2 years straight through of Bachelor's and Master's work completed (ahhh... exhale)! Bellarmine does commencement a little different from UofL. First off we had to wear these silly Harry Potter robes with drapey things on the arms, then we had to put on a silly Harry potter hood that went down to my butt and chocked me the entire ceremony. But other than looking a little cooky, commencement was actually enjoyable (again, I'm a dork).

There were two speakers: the honorary graduate and the President. First the honorary grad got up and spoke about grace; and how it's through the grace of God, my parents, donors, professors and mentors that I was there and graduating. He was pretty funny too... but I'm not sure if he meant to be.

Next was the President who spoke about confidence and leadership; he said to trust our decision making capabilities and believe in ourselves, always follow and stand up for what we believe.

I thought the ceremony was really cool. It was short and sweet and to the point, but also packed with meaning. I am soooo not the sentimental/emotional type person, but it was nostalgic and I came away from there feeling empowered.

People have been asking what I'm doing with all my free time: well, I'm busier than ever. The Team is getting ready to start in January, training is in full swing, and working around the St. Matthews area makes drive time everywhere three times what it normally is. I absolutely love this time of year, but for some reason the traffic seems absurdly ridiculous this time around. I would just start walking places if it wasn't -30 degrees (not really, but it feels like it), I'd get there twice as fast!

Anyways, waiting until the last minute to finish shopping as usual, put too much on my plate as usual, trying to cram everything in and stressing out because there needs to be more hours in a day... as usual. Man, life was so much easier as a college student... I want to go back to school ;-)

Merry Christmas to all and make the most of every minute! Everyone is stuck in traffic so don't let it bother you, let your friends and family know you care about them, wear a smile all day long (it's contagious), and be thankful for those who've touched your life. :-)

Ready or Not

2008-12-15T13:02:00.001-08:00

It's cold... and rainy... and all I want to do is eat and sleep. So instead of going for a run, I've decided to post an update ;-)

I graduate on Wednesday and I'm pretty pumped!! I still don't have my grades from this semester so I can't officially brag that it's with honors (although it should be unless I failed both classes... God, I hope that's not the case!).

So... what am I going to do with my degree? That seems to be the big question on everyone's mind (what happened to the good ol' congrats?!). I plan to travel with my degree. That's it. My secret is out.

Seriously though, with or without an MBA I'm sooo not cut out for business suits and cubicles. I love personal training and coaching and training for triathlons. Some people don't look at that as a career, but it makes me happy and pays the bills. So for now, and in the near future, it's my career :-)

January something (exact date TBD) I'm packing up my newly purchased car and driving to Lakewood Ranch, FL. I'm staying with a super cool homestay and will be coaching tri camps almost every weekend, coaching my online clients, and getting run into the ground with some solid training. I plan on being there for about 8 weeks total, but I'm sure I'll travel home at least once for a long weekend and home cooked meal.

I'm nervous to officially set my departure date because it will come all too soon. While I'm so, SO excited and feel blessed for this amazing opportunity, the truth is I've never left home for more than 10 days! I went to college and grad school in Louisville, and the farthest I've lived from my parents is Old Louisville (about a 20 min drive home ;-).

For this reason I'm slightly undomesticated. My first apartment I flooded the kitchen with bubbles when I put the wrong soap in the dishwasher, and I couldn't begin to tell you how to do a load of laundry. I know, it's pathetic, but I haven't even begun to describe my cooking skills. I don't think I've ever cooked a pizza without burning that stupid cardboard piece into the bottom of it (Seriously, why do they hide that there!?)

This journey will be a challenge on so many different levels, but one that's way overdue. I need to do this for me. When I was trying to decide whether to go to Florida or not, I kept thinking of all the reasons not to go: I have great personal training clients that I can't leave behind, it will be expensive, I don't have a place to stay... Then slowly each one began to work itself out, and even though I'm totally freaked out, I'm totally eager to be a grown up and do something so out of my comfort zone. So, just like I answer people right before the start of a race when asked if I feel ready, ready or not...

Dunzo!!

2008-12-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

It's Wednesday night and I just got home from my very last class as an MBA student at Bellarmine!! All of my classmates are out partying at Shenanigan's but I have a swim date in the morning so I'm left in front of my computer to reflect on the journey...

I remember being in orientation 2.5 years ago and having to say an interesting fact about myself. I was so excited to share that I was getting ready to compete in my very first Ironman (IM Wisconsin '06). No one in the room, including myself, had any idea what the race was about and how it would change me.

To date I've finished five Ironman's and have completely fallen in love with the sport. These past few years have been filled with variety: I've worked in corporate development, earned my real estate license, received my personal trainer and tri coach certifications, and started my coaching company; and through all the change the one aspect that remained a rock in my crazy life is racing triathlon.

People ask if I'm excited/relieved to be completed... and graduating with honors I might add ;-). While I am super excited, I'm also kinda bummed to say goodbye to my Monday and Wednesday nights at the Business School (aka the library). I had so much fun in the program (I know... I'm a huge nerd), and while this chapter has come to an end it's an experience I'll never forget.

AND, I promise next time I'll tackle to most annoying question... "So what do you plan on doing with your MBA?" But for now I'll leave you with my smart-ass answer I've been handing out, "Well, in this thriving economy I plan to distribute my resume amongst major corporations and leave them to bid for the most competitive salary". Duh, have you not noticed gas prices? Or the unemployment rates? Or the fact that we're shutting down parks because our city, much less our nation, is battling one of the most devastating recessions we've ever seen? Yup! This is the time to go job hunting. Until next time ;-)

FINALS WEEK!!

2008-12-02T11:56:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH!! So let me tell you about my week:

I officially started training again. I told coach to give me everything she's got because in a few short weeks I'll be in Florida training with her and I would prefer not to die. Well, as always, she took me way too seriously. My arms are falling off as I'm writing this (which is sad because the swim workouts really aren't that bad) and I'm not even done for the day.
My personal training schedule is bananas!! Don't get me wrong, this is absolutely not a complaint. Everyday this week I have appointments from 6:00am through 7:00 at night (I'm exaggerating; there are breaks in between... but you get the point).
Then last and the MOST exciting of all the bullet points listed so far... IT'S FINALS WEEK!! Most people don't get so excited for this week, but for me it's uber special because this is my last Finals Week EVER! On December 17th I'll officially have my M.B.A. and will be finished with school forever (or at least until I figure out which Ex Phys program to apply for ;-)!!!

My nutty week has been smooth sailing so far. This morning I did a 4000m swim (which was comical to watch me flounder through), then came home and began writing a SWOT analysis on my company, I updated training logs, made a few calls, and now I'm putting off working on my stats final (a case study using MS Project to analyze whether the budget and timetable are feasible... talk about exciting!).

Then tonight: 5 mile run, personal training appointment, quick speech at a track workout, and finish the SWOT presentation. Maybe, at some point, I'll get to sleep.

Tomorrow starts with a 6:00a personal training session, a swim workout, 1 hour and 30 minutes of crazy fun on the trainer, then more SWOT (my presentation is tomorrow night!!). Wish me luck that I don't rip my head off or spaz out on coffee intake ;-) Until then...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-26T10:08:00.001-08:00

So Week 1 of Back-In-Training is going well so far. Nothing too crazy of course, lots of running and swimming becasue I'm a wimp when it comes to riding in the cold. I'm doing one of my all-time faviroite races tomorrow, the Iroquois Parl Turkey Trot. It's a five mile family-fun race through the hills. I'm thinking I might dress up as an indian, or maybe a turkey. Any thoughts?

So, yes, it's Thanksgiving!! Woohoo!! I heard on the radio that the average American will gain 2.7lbs. this weekend!!!! Holy moly that's a lot of weight added to our country in a few short days!

I've been doing some thinking about what I'm most grateful for... and here's what I came up with so far:
1. My family...duh. They are the best and super cool. My mom and dad are my support crew and saviors when it comes to racing. They encourage me in every walk of life and have made me to person I am today!
2. My bros. Even though they are technically included in point #1, they deserve a special mention. My two brothers, Sean and Christopher, are my very best friends in the whole wide world. They are super hilarious, and they love me for the dork I am!
3. Hollie the Heffer. She's been my closest friend since we were in the 3rd grade (not including the time when she stole my 8th grade boyfriend, even though she technically dated him first...). She's the most beautiful person I know and has the biggest heart; she'll do anything to help a girl out!
4. My coach, Big G for taking me in and molding me into something fierce (well sort of, it's a work in progress). She's taught me to be tough and fight like a boy, all while wearing pink and a huge smile.
5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch... I love food way too much to pass up an opportunity to thank my lucky stars for something so tasty as cereal. I think the reason why I race is becuase I know my loving mom will buy me a box and have it waiting for me at the finish. Mmmmmm!
6. And of course, all the beautiful people I've met through this sport. I've had some stellar races and some less than stellar (much less), but regardless my friends, family, and fans are there every step of the way. I hope that I can have even half the impact on someone as fans have had on me. The supporters of this sport are what gives it a special place in my heart.

So tomorrow, get out and enjoy the day!! Be thankful for your ability to be active and surround yourself with loved ones who value the same. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Off-season Completed

2008-11-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Believe me I fully understand the importance of an off season. My '08 race schedule started early and I've pretty much been "in-season" for 12 months straight. Clearwater was my last big race of the year which was two weeks ago.

So these last two weeks are supposed to be pure bliss: no structure, eat whatever I want, workout when I feel like it, go out with the friends I've been blowing off all year... I had been looking forward to these two weeks for quite some time now.

So here we are, two weeks into my off-season: I've gone out to the bars, eaten the pizza, didn't workout when I was tired... and I'm sick of it!! I'm ready to scream!! I'm sooo ready to get back at it, to hammer in the pool (ha, don't get the wrong impression. I'm still a snail in the water but when I splash around it makes me at least feel fast) and on the roads. I'm done with the off-season!

So, today, I decided it was officially over. Time to start training. I wrote a plan for the next few months (not sure what coach thinks about that yet ;-) ) and started back at it... it feels good to move again.

So, what am I training for? Good question... as of now the still very tentative schedule is a half marathon in Miami in January, the MIT in March, New Orleans 70.3 in April, St. Croix 70.3 in May, then we'll re-evaluate.

I'll let you know how my first week of training goes... until then!

Recap

2008-11-18T07:08:00.000-08:00

Looking back, this past year has been a whirlwind! 2 full Ironmans, 4 half's, successfully launched Iron Endurance, and in three short weeks I'll have my MBA!

While things may not have panned out exactly as planned, my year couldn't have turned out more perfect. I didn't make Kona this time around, but it allowed me to focus on Clearwater and truly enjoy the 70.3 experience.

I had the opportunity to meet and train with some of triathlons greats this year including: Paula Newby, Paul Huddle, Roch Frey, Jimmy Riccatelo, Michellie Jones, and of course Heather Gollnick. I have met some amazing and inspiring athletes that make my hard work and training look easy.

I ended the season with a new Ironman PR (11:08) and a new half iron PR (4:56)... so where do we go from here?

In 2009 I'll be done with school so I'll be able to refocus my priorities to 1)developing as a triathlete and 2) building Iron Endurance.

My focus next year is Kona!! I'll try a few early season qualifiers so I'll have time to recover and rebuild for October. I've qualified for and accepted my slot on Team USA, so if all works out I'll fly from Kona World Champs to Perth, Australia for Long Course World Champs. I also want to start racing for a cause, so I partnered with Ironman for Autism to raise awareness and funds for autism research (more details to come).

I hope to offer much more comprehensive packages for my athletes next year. Myself and Heather have launched Team Louisville, she's put together three great spring camps that I'll be helping with, and we're in the works of developing a series of lectures and clinics throughout the summer!!

It was quite an amazing year, but looking to next year I see bigger and better opportunities!! Train on.

Clearwater 70.3 World Championship

2008-11-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

Race morning began at 4:45. I had my staple pre-race meal: oatmeal and coffee, both made with soymilk. I was surprisingly calm as we walked to transition.

We got the cool stamps at body marking, I got my rocket set up fairly quickly, and made my way to the beach to begin the process with my nemesis... the wetsuit. After I finally wrapped myself in neoprene, I walked down the beach for a warm up swim and to clear my head. As time passed the music on the loud speakers switched from nice and calm to pump-you-up (Dad couldn't refrain from bustin' a few moves!).

The weather could not have been more perfect!! The wind was calm, the water was calm (and warmer... an ironic 70.3 degrees!), and all my butterflies were flying in the same direction (phew... finally!). I was walking back to my crew after the practice swim when I see this tiny ball of energy jumping towards me. It was none other than Heather who left me with some parting words of inspiration... I was ready!

SWIM - The corral took forever. I was lucky wave #13, so we weaved through one hoarding area to another, until we were finally dumped on the beach. I got a great spot in line next to a girl I knew was fast. The canon blew (soooo loud) and we were off!

Going out felt great. I found my space, not too choppy, stayed with my girl. Then we made the turn and began heading back to shore when the boys caught us. It got a bit crowded, more choppy, and the sun was bearing down... but before I knew it I was on my feet and skipping towards the shore. It wasn't a fast swim, but I felt ready to make it up on the ride.

BIKE - My new hot pink aero helmet definitely made me faster!! I was climbing the first causeway at 20+mph, and halfway through the ride I was right on pace at 23mph. Huge packs of drafters came flying by me, but I raced my race and remained unphased. I didn't even try to hang on to give my legs a break... cheaters never win. The last 10 or so miles were pretty tough. The wind had picked up and my legs were ready for a rest. The packs became more and more tempting, especially when girls that I had passed were flying by me on the tails of the pack. I stayed true and dug deep to T2, watching my average slip away. I came in at 2:33.

I ran into T2 (that's right, I successfully managed to get both feet out of my shoes without unclipping... this girls' getting gooood ;-) ) and had a small laugh as one of the chicas who came whizzing by me in a paceline was arguing an the penalty tent that she wasn't really drafting, just trying to pass and it was unfair for her to get carded. You reap what you sew.

RUN - I started out on the run assessing how I felt: legs - good, nutrition - good, hmmm - for once I actually felt good! The first loop was easy peezy and I managed to hold an OK pace. The third time over the causeway hurt, but I knew I was cutting it close to the 5-hour mark and didn't want to lose it by walking over the silly bridge. By mile 8 I was feeling it and by mile 10 I knew I was dropping off. The last few halfs I did, I fell apart at Mile 10. This time I was determined to push through. The final climb over the stupid causeway sucked! I knew if I would slow to a walk I would climb faster than the silly hop thing I was doing... but I was determined not to stop.

The final few miles felt amazing!! I knew I would break 5 hours and it was all down hill!! I came through the chute in 4:56. 7th place AG. A new PR, not as well as I had wanted, but felt really solid throughout!

My fellow Kentuckians all had pretty great races too. Joanie is a powerhouse who deserves a pat on the back!! Jeff (who passed me twice on the bike) killed it in 4:23!! And my new buddy Tony was the 2nd Male Amateur overall... way to represent Kentucky!

The rest of the week was super chill and so much fun! Next up... off season till December. Then start gearing up for full time training! Until then...

Clearwater Part Deux :-)

2008-11-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

The Gollnick's dropped me off in Clearwater on Thursday night. Friday morning started fairly early when myself, Jon, Justin, and Jill (all Team USA buddies) got some breakfast on the beach and headed down to do a practice swim.

The water was freezing, but the energy and electricity in the air made it worth the walk! Tons of people were swimming and watching, the pros and top coaches were everywhere, and all the major sponsors were present... that's when it hit that I was at the World Championships! The vibe brought back memories of Kona, sans the nerves... this was going to be fun.

We practiced running into the water, which was hilarious! This was my first Aussie-start race and I dove in way, way too early. Lying on my belly on a sandbar, I realized I needed a lot of practice :-)

The swim was followed by an easy ride, and t-run. I cleaned up, packed my bags, and rode my bike to the expo to meet William again for his magic work. He had just finished working on Richie Cunningham so I was hoping some of his speed would rub off on me (as it turned out... it didn't :-) ).

OK, so the massage is done, the bags are turned in, th bike is racked for the night, transition has been walked through (and memorized because I'm obsessive). Good to go!!

Clearwater... Part 1

2008-11-14T16:08:00.000-08:00

I just returned from my whirlwind in Florida, and I decided to break it down into a few posts...

It all started when I flew to Tampa on Tuesday (11/4). Todd Gollnick scooped me up from the airport and took me to my new home for the next three days...the Gollnick residence. As Heather is notorious for, we hit the ground running! We ate lunch, went for a run (where I discovered her new assets... lookin' good ;-) ), went to the salon to go over some business while Heather got her wig split, did a running lecture, got carry out, ate and hit the sack. Phew...Day 1 down.

Day 2 started at 5:45. We headed off to downtown Sarasota for a group ride. Actually, Heather did a group ride while I enjoyed my morning coffee at Starbucks (didn't want to hammer on my taper week). When the group returned Heather went back out, this time with me in tote. We rode 20 miles of easy-peezy, super-duper flat roads. In the past I had despised my disc, but on this ride it proved to be a valuable friend! I made up my mind to definitely use it on the big day.

We quickly changed, ran in Whole Foods for some sushi and a veggie juice (gross...it was Heather's idea!). We drove out to a great nature park for a trail run...and some sight seeing! We saw an armadillo, a turtle bigger than my head, a guy peeing in the bushes, and some crazy birds that can't be found in Kentucky!

Next up, the gym. We did some hip and core work before a quick swim, then FINALLY made it back home (about 12 hours later!!).

Day 3 started at, you guessed it, 5:45! We drove to San Antonio for some "hills". This was SO much fun as Heather was nervous I may be working too hard to climb 'em. I reminded her that I live in the hills and these roads were nothing more than rollers. I rode an easy 20 miler, then went for a 20 min t-run. Heather and her bud, Sean, were still out riding so I got cleaned up and walked down to a cafe for some lunch and R&R.

After Heather scooped me up at the cafe we headed to Clearwater Beach where the real fun started! I arrived at the expo, got checked in, met my girl Ann (she's the bomb!) and got handed off to my parents.

Staying with the Gollnick's was so much fun, Todd and Heather made sure I was well rested and taken care of! We had William (a miracle worker!) drop by the house for a massage, I was fed some of the BEST gluten free foods ever, they even personally delivered soymilk to me in Clearwater after I couldn't find any (after the race I found out the hotel coffee shop sold it...oops!) They are amazing, caring, and so much fun!! And the kids finally told me they liked me... even after I told them I voted for Obama (they clearly weren't happy with my response).

It was a fun start to race week, but now it's time for game face :-)

Halfmax Nationals

2008-11-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

So I'm suuuuper behind on the race report updates. I'll start with Halfmax...

I flew out to Vegas with my very best Team USA buddies Justin and Jill. We stayed off the strip on Lake Mead at the most quality hotel imaginable... The Hacienda. Like I said, quality.

Friday morning was spent at the 24 hour buffet, mmmmm. Our waiter told us he had to go and made sure we were taken care, then on our way out we spotted him at the slots, ha! We took a dip in Lake Mead (freezing!) and somehow managed to put Jill's fully dismantled bike back together!!

Saturday was the race and my morning didn't start out so well! I was setting up transition when I noticed I had a flat (Justin snapped a picture of me just as I noticed it, my expression is classic!). Justin saved the day by taking my wheel to the mechanics for a quick switch so I didn't have to use my only spare. Once I got my wheel back I began the 20 minute process of getting in the wetsuit.

SWIM - The swim was super fun! It was a wave start with all females going together. I got a great position near the front and hung on for dear life! The water was calm and clear, I actually enjoyed it! Maybe a little too much because I came out a few minutes off pace :(

I decided to make up the time in transition so I ran hard to my bike... That's when I noticed they didn't close transition down and the late wavers were still tooling around with their bikes! One guy (who hadn't even started the race!!) was messing with his wetsuit IN TRANSITION as the race is going on, turned around and ran into me! He kicked my foot and broke my toe!! What the hell... Put your wetsuit on outside of the freaking transition area! So much for making up lost time.

BIKE - The bike course was beautiful!! Constant rollers, great scenery, fast descents... it was awesome! I felt like I rode fairly well, not too hard but tried to push it. The last 10 miles were killer!! They were in a drainage ditch (weird, I know!) that was a constant climb.

The last mile into transition was really steep. I had dropped my average enough and didn't want to lose much more time, so I stood up and started to climb hard. I noticed a friend ahead who I wanted to pass before the top. I rode up beside her, wished her luck, and kept on going... when my tire burst! It exploded a half mile from T2, doodie!! I was so close! I pulled over and started to change my flat, when spectators at the top started yelling "Just run it in, you're almost there!!" By the time I would've gotten my wheel changed I could be in transition, so I said to hell with it, took my shoes off, and ran up the hill to transition!

RUN - Mistake number... I don't know I've lost count: I didn't split my watch for the out and back run course. I'm a sort of smart girl so I though I could remember my time when I left T2 and figure my paces from there. But I was wrong. I was running along feeling great and surprised by how easy it was to stay on pace, it was effortless. I came across the finish line at 5:35 which felt pretty good! And best of all I had beat my goal time of a 1:40 run. Well, then reality hit as I checked the results. I ran a 1:49, somewhere I miscalculated and gave myself 10 extra minutes, doodie (again!).

Overall, I won my AG (woohoo) and was 8th female (I think?). A bit disappointed that I didn't push harder on the run, but I got over it quickly when we all started making plans to hit the strip that night!

And best of all I secured my Team USA slot for 2009 Long Course Worlds in Perth, Australia!!

Jilly Bean had a phenomenal race. She hadn't training for 2 months (seriously!!)and still managed to finish strong!! I would still be out on that damned bike course if I were in her position... rock on Jilly! Keep your fingers crossed, she finds out tomorrow if she got a Worlds slot.

That night we managed to make it to the strip, eat pizza and cookies, play a few slots, and drive back to the Hacienda... I was pooped! The next morning started super early with a trip back into town to drop Jill off at the airport :-(, then we did a morning swim in Lake Mead (sans wetsuit) and visited the Hoover Dam... coolest sight ever!!

Awesome trip, beautiful race, and great company!! Up next, Clearwater! I think for that race I'll use my Garmin :-) Train on homies.

Fuel to the Fire

2008-09-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

I woke up Sunday morning feeling rested and ready. I had a great breakfast with the best ever Kona coffee (the Heathernator had been depriving me!). I went through my pre-race plan flawlessly and made the trek to the swim start with "all my butterflies flying in the same direction". I got body marked, found my buddy to wait in line with, had a dose of Kanye West (can't break ritual!), said my goodbyes to Sean and Katie (my saviors), and got ready for what I knew would be the most painful day of my life.

The Swim: I felt super strong on the swim and for once I figured out how not to swim left!! I could tell I was on pace for a good day: I was passing people, drafting (ha, who would of thought!), pulling hard and still felt strong. My goal was to be on the bike by 1:10, so when I was yanked out of the water at the swim finish and saw 1:10 I knew I had to book it. I made it on the bike 2 minutes behind pace, not bad and I knew I could make it up.

The Bike: I wanted the first quarter to be conservative, but my legs were so ready to go! I came through the first water stop way too fast, and without slowing tried to grab a bottle. It had been a while since I raced and I was apparently a bit rusty on how to complete a proper handoff. Needless to say I tagged every volunteer and sent water bottles flying, exiting with a still empty aero bottle and volunteers screaming about how wet they were... I'm SO sorry!

I felt so good on 1694 and was able to spot the girl ahead of me. I climbed in and out of there as if it were River Rd!! I had a huge fan club at the aid station (I went slow this time through) that gave me enough adrenaline to climb out in my big chain ring unphased.

I pushed on to La Grange pretty conservative, and then I spotted Christopher. He's actually pretty hard to miss, my lil bro is about 8 feet tall with curly hair as big as mine. He's the worlds best spotter and runner so when he saw me coming he took off down the road. When I caught him he gave me the update, "She was 6 minutes ahead out of the water and now she's 12 ahead". That was the go ahead I was looking for. I took the leash off my riding legs and dropped the hammer, she's not going to ride away without a fight.

I rode my heart out but was careful to maintain my nutrition. I stuck to the plan, watched my heart rate, timed my calories, and took advantage of the tailwind. From there on out my small chain ring (and everyone else out on the course for that matter) was non-existent.

I came into T2 in record time and feeling like I had just finished the bike leg of a sprint! "10 minutes down, move it!!" that would be my loving mom who turns into a boxing coach at my races ;-) I hurried through transition, gave the sunblock sprayers a good laugh, stopped in the port-o-pot (if you gotta go might as well not slow down your run split!) and continued my hunt.

The Run: Team Murphy was dispersed along the entry to the bridge, so any pains I may have had were easily wiped away through their encouragement. I began up the bridge and spotted my girl heading down. She was just 1 mile up on me... this was going to be an easy battle. I had finally remebered to pack my running legs in T2 and it was getting really hot... just what I had prayed for!

I knew that running in the lead would be enough motivation to hold her off... but I decided to stay conservative and lean on my Garmin for coaching advice. I held my pace until the first turnaround where I recieved my first update. My dad told me she had gained 30 seconds and I needed to increase my average. For some reason I interpretted that as I needed to increase my average by 30 sec, and the thought of having to hold 7:30's was enough to let the demons in. My quads started to scream at me, my heart rate skyrocketed, and my stomach began to do summersaults. I knew I would hit this low, but I didn't expect it to hit this quickly and like a ton of bricks!

I had to calm down, so I walked through the next aid station and took in some calories and tried to psych myself back up. I began to run again when I heard the fish bowl in my stomach... oh gosh. I dropped my head and jumped on the guys feet in front of me, but it only got worse.

Then..."Is that... MONICA MURPHY!!!" It's like they were sent there to rescue me! Aaron and Courtney were glowing when I saw them... they were jumping up and down and screaming like they had just won the lottery. They ran over to me and practically carried through the turnaround, or at least it felt like they did!! I asked Dr. Aaron I they had any stomach medicine, and they said no but that I would be fine and I looked great... so I kept telling myself that.

About a half mile down the road I thought my insides were going to fall out and was convinced that the fish bowl in my belly was going to come out my mouth. I starred at the pavement and continued to plow forward... I am no quitter and I was going to do everything possible to stick to the plan (granted at this point we were on Plan B). I made it back to downtown, stopping at the aid stations and port-o-pots along the way, watching my average pace slip away. The thought of more Gu made me puke a little and the sight of Gatorade made it come back up. I grabbed a piece of PowerBar and tried to shove it down my throat, but when I saw my family cheering me on I got so choked up I nearly gagged myself. They are the most amazing support crew and stay by my side through thick and thin. Sean reminded me that anything is possible. He was right, this was it!

I tucked in behind Robert Taylor (you're an animal!!) and we plowed through rest of the field. I was making up time and feeling pretty good: my stomach was at bay, my legs hurt but they were cooperating, and I was more determined than ever to finish this damn race. But then it hit me...again. The magic pill my Dad gave me wasn't strong enough to stop this belly!

From there on out it was hours between aid stations. I looked up just in time to make eye contact with Heather and Svenigan. She could only muster a thumbs up and it took everything in me to give her one back. My dad stayed within a block of me, riding ahead and waiting for me to pass... he knew I was struggling (I'm not sure if the word "struggling" does justice). Every step sent waves of shock throughout my body. I was starving and only found gu and gluten... both of which made me want to throw up the nothing that was left in my stomach. I was, in fact, dying.

My Plan B slipped to Plan C and slipped to Plan Oh Hell Let's Just Finish. Crossing the line I was filled with so much emotion: I was relieved and furious, I was so proud and so disappointed, I had just finished my fastest Ironman but my biggest loss.

My family and friends are the bomb and were sure to keep the goofy smile on my face all night long. My favorite part about Ironman is cheering the athletes on, so my loved ones gathered around me, got me a huge sandwich, and posted up on the 3rd street curb to try to get a laugh or two out of the racers. It was the perfect ending to see so many fulfill their lifelong dreams... it put my race in perspective.

It felt so good to swim and bike so well... and one day soon my marathon legs and steel stomach will be in my transition bag. Until then, "only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go"... on to Clearwater!

Two Strikes, Bases Loaded

2008-08-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

So it's the night before my BIGGEST race of the year... of the century for that matter. My strategy for this year was to qualify early for the IM World Champs and focus the last half of the year prepping for the race.

I raced Ironman Arizona in April and placed 2nd AG missing my slot... strike one. I then decided to go to St. Croix to redeem myself three weeks later; again 2nd AG and missed the slot... strike two. Tomorrow, 8/31/08, is one day before the qualification cut-off for Kona. Ironman Louisville is the very last chance to qualify for IM World Champs '08. This is it, bases loaded and I'm on my last strike.

Wish me luck and think of me tomorrow. My race number is lucky #179, Blazeman's number!! I've never felt so prepared for a race, but I also know the beast that is Ironman. I know it's going to be tough, it's going to hurt, and I may even think about quitting... but I also know I'm better than that. Your legs can only carry you so far, then it's up to your head and your heart. Say a quick prayer for all the athletes competing if you think of it, and I can't wait to give ya'll the update.

GOOD LUCK to everyone racing tomorrow: Lewis, this is your race; Heather, you're such a fighter... defend that title!; Sveny and Bree, go get your slots (B- thanks for the blog theme idea ;-); and last but not least to Debi, Aimee, Steve, and everyone else who weekend after weekend drug themselves out of bed to join me for our Saturday long ride and t-run and Sunday morning yucky swim. You have worked tirelessly throughout the entire summer and longer for this day... you earned it! Have fun, be safe, and pray for a home run!

Walkin' the Walk

2008-07-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

I've often told friends and family that I love training for races so much that I could do it full time as a Professional Triathlete. So when 5x Ironman Champion, Heather Gollnick, strolled into town I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity.

Long story short:

Wednesday: I got ridden into the ground. Thankfully, my bike decided to die before I did so I took advantage of the 15 minute reprieve while Bluegrass Bikes in Crestwood got me up and running again (Thanks Bob, you guys are great!).
Thursday: Showed up for a track workout half delirious, followed by an open water swim in which Heather candidly swam laps around me.
Friday: Easy 2 hour recovery ride (hallelujah!!)
Saturday: Hard 56 mile ride followed by a 7 mile run (which turned into a 10 mile run after Heather decided she was feeling spunky.... which was, by the way, a 20 mile run for Heather).
Sunday: Topped off the week with a nice, long open water swim.

Even though I got in some of the best/hardest workouts of my LIFE, I learned so much more than I ever expected. Heather is 100lbs. of animal (not to mention her roles as mother of three, wife, and CEO)! She's a die hard competitor, but she's also one of the most encouraging and inspiring women I've come across in the sport. She lives and trains by very high standards and encourages others to do the same.

Heather put triathlon and training into perspective for me and encouraged me to chase my dreams. I love this sport, the people in it, and I now have a new found respect for those who call it a career. Just a small taste of what it's like to walk the walk!

Thanks for putting up with me! Off for a long run ;-)

Back in the Game!

2008-07-13T14:37:00.001-07:00

So as you can tell from my last post, I've had a tough start to the racing season. I decided to open the season early with a big race - Ironman Arizona. It didn't go quite so well (11:36 - 2nd place AG) so I did what I always do after a bad race... I register for the "redemption race". That last minute decision was the St. Croix 70.3 and was three weeks after IM Arizona (so much for recovery!). St. Croix didn't go quite as planned either (5:57 - 2nd place AG), which helped me to realize that my little redemption race strategy was doing more harm than good. So I had a heart to heart with Coach and we decided to not race for two months and instead crank up the intensity with training.

That brings me to today; the day after the Muncie Endurathon. I've logged countless hours in the pool, on the bike, and around the track. I've ran so fast my heart almost jumped out of my mouth and tried to climb so hard that my legs actually fell off. I even got in the Ohio and swam until I had no shoulders left (but that was mainly because I was too grossed out to stay in longer than I had to)... and it all paid off. I finished the Muncie Endurathon in 5:08, a new PR (and yes, I'm still cursed by 2nd place... I'll explain later).

Race Morning: My alarm was set for 4:50, but at 4:40 I received a phone call. A friend who was also racing (and who likes to get to races incredibly early) was having car problems and needed a lift. I totally understand the importance of having a clear head race morning, so I did what I could to help a friend in need (car problems DON'T equal clear, calm mind) I hurried through my morning routine and headed over to the nearby hotel to scoop up my pal.

When we arrived there was a buzz about the oncoming storms. Apparently three hours away a large storm was rolling in with hail and lots of lightning. I took that as my cue to remove my disc wheel and replaced it with my trusty 808.

I was super clam leading up to the race: I had my transition setup perfectly and rehearsed it a few times in my head and I had backup plans for bad weather. Someone even asked me if I was racing because I seemed too laid back. But I knew there was no reason to be wound up: I was ultra prepared, there was no pressure to do well, no Kona slots on the line, just an opportunity to push myself as hard as I could. So at that, I put my iPod on Kanye West's "Diamonds are Forever" (a pre-race must) and headed for the start.

Swim: By the time my wave was launched the sky had turned grey. We swam a loop: going out and back the water was super choppy, but going across we were carried by the current. So I took advantage of the assistance and pushed it until my lats were screaming. I thought for sure the race would be called, so I figured I'd swim all out until then.

Bike: I didn't take T1 too seriously because the sky was crashing with thunder; I sped through knowing we'd be shut down on the bike course. As soon as I got on my bike lightning began to strike nearby and the skies opened up on us. This type of weather normally has me pulled over in my car waiting for it to pass. But this was different, this was a race and stopping would get me nowhere. I had waited two long, loooong months for this day and no storm could stop me. So I pushed on through, and I pushed pretty hard.

2 hours and 40 minutes later I was in T2, and baffled by how we weren't pulled from the course. The race was going to go on, and now the true test begins.

Run: The weather had began to calm and turned to a light sprinkle (which was a blessing for the run). I started out a little shaky, but after mile 1 I had found my legs and settled into my pace. I had 1 hour and 44 minutes to finish the 13.1 mile run and break a 5 hour finish time, so I decided to go for it. The course was out and back, it was pretty flat, and it was overcast - perfect running conditions. I hit the turnaround in 52 minutes, right on pace! I knew I had more left in me, so I kicked it up for the negative split.

The next three miles were tough but on the money. The sun began to rear its ugly head and the air was thick from the rain... but it was three more miles, I can do anything for three more miles. I continued to push through knowing it was going there was going to be a battle. I felt like I was starting to slow down so I checked my Garmin - 9:05 pace. Ahhh! Way off!! I willed my legs to move faster and was able to hold 8:10 until the next aid station. I didn't want to stop at all during the run, but I knew this one was necessary. I grabbed all the calories and sodium I could and managed shove it all down my throat and plow forward. I latched on to a guy who was keeping great pace and decided not to let him go, but about 5 minutes later my legs had a different plan.

The last three miles were killer and totally threw me off pace, but I was able to pull through and finish in 5:08 - good enough for a new PR, however, still placed me.. you guessed it... 2nd! I'm done with 2nd place. ;-)

I felt great, physically, throughout the entire day. Mentally I was challenged to stay focused throughout the elements. It was a tough day but man it felt good to race again!! I now know what's working and where I need to spend more time, so back to the drawing board to prep for the Big Dance... my A Race.

I'll keep you posted, until then train on!

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride

2008-05-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

Do you know how many times I've been told that saying in the past month?!?! 2nd in Arizona and now 2nd in St. Croix, that's tough!

St. Croix was awesome; the best, most physically challenging race I've ever done. Overall, I'm very pleased with 2nd place. A stacked contingent showed up on race day; I was even told by one girl, "I'm going for the Kona slot. I'm out for blood." Needless to say I passed her early on the bike and made sure to look back and smile in the process. Back to the race...
SWIM: We had to swim about 200yds. through the bay to a small island for the start. The water was very choppy and clouds filled the sky. We got to watch the pros launch and before I knew it we were in the water chasing after them. I think I swam about a mile and a half out there, it was really tough to spot buoys through the waves. I made it out about five minutes off pace, but knew I could make it up on the bike.
BIKE: I tried to stay conservative early on the ride because I knew that Beast was looming ahead. There was an 8 mile loop that came back towards transition, then the 48 mile loop around the island made up the remainder. I passed my friend who was "out for blood" on the 8 mile loop... never saw her again. I came back in to town feeling strong despite the rain and strong winds. Heading back out all I could think about was Mile 20: The Beast. For any readers who are unaware of this Beast, it's a 7/10 mile climb averaging a 14-21% grade, peaking at 27%. To put this in perspective, most walls are built at 27% (maybe that's an exaggeration, but that's how it felt).
THE BEAST: You approach the Beast with a small climb to assure no rider has any speed propeling them uphill. Mile 19 is through rain forest so it's easy to get caught in the beauty around you, then the small climb and switchback and there it hits ya. I started out in my easiest gear pushing about 6mph and slowing... this was going to be a long climb. About 30 ft in to the climb my lungs constrict and I begin to wheeze uncontrollably. I stare down at my front wheel thinking one foot in front of the other. At this point I know I'm close to the top so I look up, damn... I haven't even passed the first of three switchbacks. Switchback # 1 welcomes you with a 21% grade, took it wide. Switchback #2 welcomes you with 27%, this turn was awful. Riders ahead gave me dirty looks for breathing so loud. I just starred down at the pavement as I passed them :) So at this point, I'm literally dying. I'm seeing flashes of red and can't even make out the top of the hill. There are locals running next to me cheering me on but I have no idea what they said. Then, I crossed the line, the peak, I had somehow conquered The Beast. I grabbed a water and geared up for the descent. Wow that sucked, still can't figure out how I made it up.
MORE BIKE: The rest of the ride consisted of normal St. Croix amenities: speed bumps, south shore headwinds, more 15% climbs, technical descents ( I saw about 10 crashes... hammerheads need to learn to use brakes when it rains!), and a big iguana that was ready to attack. It was the coolest and most difficult ride ever.
RUN: I was determined to run strong after my crap performance in Arizona. I has chased down two girls on the bike and knew there were two more ahead on the run. The course was a two loop run through a really cool resort. Lots of hills, spectators, sun, strong wind, and great ocean views. Before loop 2 I had caught and passed girl #1. At the turnaround I saw my support crew (ie my awesome Dad) who informed me I was eight minutes behind girl #2 with 7 miles to go. I decided to go for and it picked up the pace. Two miles into the run a friend told me I was 5 minutes back... I was going to catch her. The next two miles were hilly so I backed down and saved it for the final three. Coming out of the Buccaneer I picked it back up all the way home, but it just wasn't enough. I crossed the finish line completely spent; nothing more I could have done.

It was an awesome race, and while I didn't come away with a Kona slot I did claim Clearwater! So back to the drawing board, and as my brother says "My wedding day is coming!". Train on.

Greetings from St. Croix

2008-05-03T05:09:00.000-07:00

Hello from sunny St. Croix. It's the morning before the big 70.3 and the town is shaping into Triahtlete World. The transition is being built on the waterfront and athletes are buzzing through town. As for me, I'm trying to take it easy. I got a great nights sleep and just had a breakfast of champions at the Avacodo Pit (mmm!) I'm getting ready to go drive the course to get a better handle on The Beast and the technicalities of the bike leg. Feeling great and am so ready to race. My body is feeling fully recovered (thanks to Bridgid!) and the course couldn't play any better to my strengths. Keep an eye on me tomorrow at www.stcroixtriathlon.com or www.ironman.com. See you at the finish!!

Tough day at the office

2008-04-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

So Ironman Arizona has come and gone, and man was it tough! In the days leading up to the race there was clamor of how the winds and temps were expected to be very mild and the race day conditions were seemingly ideal... guess we jinxed ourselves!

Race morning: I woke up at 4:15am feeling surprisingly refreshed and calm. I had my breakfast of champions consisting of oatmeal with soy milk, banana with peanut butter, and coffee (a staple!).

I arrived at transition around 5:20am to take care of business: I got body marked, checked my T1 and T2 bags one last time and took a mental snapshot of where they're located, loaded up my bike with nutrition and inflated my tires. Once all the pre-race prep was completed, I walked down the lake a bit to get away from the commotion and began my mental prep. I warmed up, stretched, and relaxed until about 6:15am.

At 6:30am the age groupers were called to post. I began the process of lubing up and putting on my wetsuit, and about 10 minutes later I was a big ball of neoprene. I wanted to get in the water early to warm up and scout out a good starting position. At 6:45am I jumped in and made my was 200 yd upstream to the line.

The sun had risen and was beaming down on us making it very difficult to spot ahead. The music went from somber to blaring, pump-you-up, you're-gonna-kick-some-booty music. And before I had time to think, the canon blew, and we were off.

The swim: I tend to not lose my cool in the water, even when there are a bunch of swimmers climbing over top of me. It was hard to stay calm with this pack of swimmers; I got elbowed in the head a few times and knocked around a bit, but I was able to eventually find my space and draft off someones toes. I got out of the water at 1:12, not too bad. I had my wetsuit ripped off by some great volunteers, zoomed through transition, and was off for a long ride.

The bike: This is my favorite part of the race! I settled into my rhythm pretty quickly and began passing all the stud swimmers who got out ahead of me. There was a gentle breeze which felt nice because I was already starting to feel the heat. I went a little slowed than expected going out on the first loop, but at the turn around I figured out why. We were taking on a headwind that became my best friend after the turnaround. I averaged about 16mph going out, and about 27-30mph coming back in. I hate headwinds but I just LOVE me some tailwind!

I tried not to push too hard into the headwind, I just sat nice and aero and prayed for that turnaround point to come to me. This is how a flat course becomes hilly. On the last return to town I pushed it a little harder to get my average above 19mph. I maintained about 30 to 31mph for the last 16 miles, it felt really good. However, when I got off me bike in T2 I could tell it may not have been the most strategic move.

The run: I knew a girl ahead of me in transition and I wanted to beat her out. I had a speedy T2, making sure to stop for sunblock on the way out (I learned my lesson in Hawaii when my race numbers were sun burnt into my arms for about a month after the race). Leaving transition in a hurry, I had no time to assess how I felt. About a quarter mile into the run, it hit me like a tin of bricks... I felt like shit. I couldn't breath, my heart rate skyrocketed, and I realized I hadn't peed since the swim (a really bad sign of dehydration). I stopped to fuel, let my HR settled and my GPS to link. I decided to bear down, push through, and think about nothing except staying on pace. It worked... for about a mile. I stopped about every mile to get a good amount of fluid, nutrition, electrolytes, and the ever-important sponges. It is so dry in Arizona that sweat evaporates right off your skin leaving your body with no mechanism for cooling. Each aid station I got into a routine of throwing water over my head, sticking sponges in my top, and carrying ice.

I knew I was still in second (AG) and with each lap my family would let me know I was gaining ground. There was just nothing more left in the tank to turn it up. I maintained a pretty steady 9:30 mile, far from the pace I was shooting for. I knew I had come this far and I wasn't going to quit now, but my body was screaming for a break.

I crossed the line at 11:36 minutes. I came in 2nd in my AG, and missed my goal time by about 36 minutes, but I had never been so happy to cross the line. I may not have qualified for the Big Show, but I overcame the demons in my head and found it within me to push through. This, for me, was the biggest battle of the day. Larger than overcoming any distance in swim, bike, and run, is overcoming the pain that's screaming for us to quit.

So tough day, but sweet victory. And don't think this is the end! I'm moving on to Plan B for Operation Kona. Next stop: St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Three weeks away, Half IM, official Kona and Clearwater Qualifier, and home of "The Beast" one of the longest, steepest climbs of a North America Ironman race. At 16-21% incline for 7/10th of a mile, this is my kind of race!!

I'll keep you posted! Until then, train on.

Aww Poop!

2008-04-12T18:35:00.001-07:00

So the Iornman World Championship Lottery winners were posted tonight and my big bro didn't get the bid. This sucks. Not one of the winners desrves to race on Ali'i Drive as much as Sean does.

This leaves me with only one option. Sean, you're just going to have to qualify for Kona. You know you can do it and you've got a bomb coach who will help. I'll look into the races, you just get to trainin'.

Here we go...

2008-04-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

So it's about 11:00 at night. I'm flying out before 6:00am tomorrow morning, but I can't sleep. Hours logged on the trainer, pavement, and crappy 25 yd pool have culminated to this weekend that has finally arrived. Leading up to tonight, when people ask if I'm ready I would respond "Ready or not" as if that somehow got me out of responding truthfully with "I'm completley freaked out". However, after some soul searching, I've come to realize a few key points about racing that not many people figure out until after the fact... so here they are:

No one really cares about how good I do. Think about it, of course I have family and friends who wish I succeed, but do you think they remeber what place I finished in my last race, or if I met my goal time? We put so much pressure on oursleves as atheletes to the point of illness because we feel we need to perform to others expectations, when in reality nobody cares!
I know exactly how well I'll perform. I know exactly what my capabilities are for each leg of the race through hours of training, heart rate monitoring, and practice races. It's when I leave reality and begin to wonder what if... what if I finish top ten and qualify to turn pro?! What if I can shave a whole hour off my previous time? Then I come back to reality, look at my training and capabilities and begin to set realistic goals worth grinding it out for, goals that are attainable for ME.
It ain't worth getting all worked up over. Before each Ironman I go around to my close friends and family and apologize for my month-long crabby attitude and thank them for putting up with it. In the grand scheme of things, we register for these races to accomplish something great, not to poo on everyone around us in the process. If you can't enjoy the experience then don't sign your your life away to a full time job known as Ironman training. Accept that everyone else will toe the line having missed key workouts. It happens. It's called life. Deal with it.

While the tone of this post may sound a little sarcastic, there is depth. I've figured out the very important lesson of how to remove my pressures and anxiety. I'm now looking towards Sunday with tenacity, not fear. I'm going to go out and leave it all on the course because that's all that I can control. I have no idea the quality of competitors who will be out there with me, and I can't control how fast they finish. But the one thing I can control is me, my attitude, my performance. I know exactly how hard to push because I've done it before. And while I can't control the time I'll cross the line, I know I'll be on E when I do so, because on Sunday I'll lay it all out on the line, I'll focus all of my energy on me, and whether I cross in 10 hours or 17 hours I will have pushed myself to my limit because that's all I can do, and that's all I can control. Train on.

And we're live!

2008-03-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Iron Endurance, a resource for useful (and useless) and entertaining information. Check back periodically to journey through the racing season. For now, here's a preview:

April 13th kicks off the season opener with Ironman Arizona! Track me at www.ironman.com on race day. Training leading up to the race has remained indoors due to the weather, however, I did take advantage of an opportunity to train on the course at a Multisports Race Camp (www.multisports.com - check them out, they're great!). It was a tough weekend but I was pleasantly surprised; long hours on the trainer were paying off!

April 15th is the Ironman World Championships lottery drawing! For Christmas, I decided to enter my brother, Sean, into the lottery. I haven't quite figured out if he's more excited or freaked out about the fact that he may have a slot to the Big Dance; I'll definitely keep you posted!

For now, stay in touch and check out the site www.ironendurance.com. Happy Training!