Ironman 70.3 Muncie – 2016

Posted on July 14, 2016 by tootallfritz

Last weekend was Ironman 70.3 Muncie. Close to home, within 2 hours of where I currently live in NE Indiana. 2016 is my second appearance at this event, the first time in 2012 just after I tore a tendon in my foot. That year, I showed up to swim & bike, then I took a DNF since I couldn’t run. This year, my only goal was a finish. Little did I know, that’s all the cards had in store for me.

Packet pick-up was at the race site this year verses the convention center like it was in 2012. Loved it! The race is kinda “out of the way” at Prairie Creek Reservoir. Definitely not a venue that you’ll stumble across unless you have Google maps loaded! It was nice to see the venue in the day light. I immediately noticed that the water looked calm & clean, despite the wind. I also noticed the site was much better groomed than it was in 2012. No pesky rocks this year. Lots of nice grassy areas. Clean beach. Yay!!!

I arrived at the venue after 5pm because I was waiting for as long as possible to leave home so the kids didn’t kill each other weren’t home alone too long before hubby got home from work. I’m so bad about looking at the event schedule. And the last pre-race meeting was at 5pm. I realized this as I was picking up my packet. Good news, packet pick-up was fast since everyone else had already been thru and I was on to the meeting very quickly. Cool SWAG this year. Ironman 70.3 Muncie backpack & gender specific tee, plus we got a Cliff Bar. This year they put the race specific logo on the bag & I really liked that. The last several years, IM has given out generic bags that just say “Ironman 70.3”. They in turn give that for each 70.3 event. So if you do multiple 70.3 events, you get the exact same bag for each race. Boring. Happy to see the change for this year.

Race day started early. Transition opened at 5am. Transition closed at 6:45am for a 7am start. I was concerned about parking so got to the reservoir pretty close to 5am and was happy I had cuz parking filled up very quickly. Set up transition quickly but it was still visibly dark. And visibly chaotic.

Hit the potties & was surprised that it looked like there were only about 20 potties for approximately 2200 athletes (and their families/friends). The lines were long. Like really long. Fortunately, I was there early enough to wait thru that line 2x. Hydrate much?

Race started at 7am. My wave started at 7:59am. I believe there were 5 minutes between waves this year, which was a little better than the 3 minutes from when I participated in 2012. This event was not wetsuit legal, the water temp on race day was between 77 & 78 degrees, which is typical for this event. USAT rules do not allow wetsuits when water temps are greater than 76.1 degrees. No wetsuit, no problem. I must say, I was calm. I’m not a fast swimmer but I can swim for a long time. Like Dory, I “Just Keep Swimming”. Once in the water, it seemed cool & refreshing. Not much turbulence. I always start toward the back of my wave (cuz that’s where I finish the swim) and always get jammed up in the beginning. I may be slow but its inevitable that the breast strokers start ahead of me and I have to figure out a way to get around them. I felt strong on the swim. I was focused, stayed on course, pulled thru my stroke. I didn’t have the moments of panic that have visited in the past. It was difficult heading into shore on the last 1/3 of the course cuz the sun was in our eyes and I just couldn’t see the buoys in front of me. That resulted in me spending too much time checking my position but overall, I was happy with the swim and hoping my time would show as much. It didn’t. 50:30 swim for 1.2 miles. I was hoping for 45 minutes but overall happy cuz I was comfortable in the water and in my opinion that’s a win!!

On to the bike! As I moved into transition, I forgot about the swim and started focusing on the bike. I was really hoping for a good bike split. My last 70.3 at Cutting Edge in June had a slow bike split and I was hoping that was a result of 1) the high temps and 2) still being fatigued from my double marathon weekend at the beginning of May. I spent a lot of time resting in June, plus the temps at Muncie were much milder (70s & 80s). So I and hoping my time would show as much. It didn’t. I couldn’t get any power/speed. I wasn’t fatigued per say. I was well fueled (thank you Tailwind Nutrition!!!). I was hydrated. I just couldn’t get any speed. Why?!?!? No idea. I’m not going to lie, I was frustrated out there. But I did see Sharon S. out on course & that probably the bright spot in my bike! She got the first pic below. Second pic was from an Ironman photog. Great aid stations on the bike, every 15ish miles. Food, water, Gatorade, gels, & potties. It always amazes me how steady & brave the bike aid station volunteers are to hold out the water or Gatorade so we can grab it as we zoom past. Smile

Then my bike broke. Initially, I thought the chain had just popped off, which was odd cuz that had never happened in the 3.5 years I’ve had this bike. But it wasn’t just that. My derailleur was also broken and my chain was jammed behind the brakes. It was stuck. Nothing I could fix roadside. At that point, I kinda laughed to be honest. I was already 38 miles into a poor bike split. I figured, if the bike is going to break, I was super thankful it broke on day when I was already having a subpar performance!! Then immediately, my thoughts went to “OMGosh, am I going to have to DNF this race AGAIN (like in 2012)?” Thankfully, I did not have to DNF. Ironman SAG support came rolling up after a short while. It took the dude a minute to figure out the problem, then he pulled out a giant wrench. He removed the crank arms that held on the chain ring so he could get to the chain. Fixed the chain, adjusted the broken derailleur and told me to take it easy and not shift much as I limped back to transition. That did the trick to get me back to transition! And my bike has been in the shop since Tuesday awaiting a new derailleur. Hoping to pick it up tomorrow. Anyhow, slow for me bike split: 3:40:39. I was hoping to go under 3 hours but I was WAY off that before I broke. I’m guessing that SAG found & fixed me within 20 minutes of the break, which is AWESOME. I could have been there for an hour or more. Thank you Ironman SAG!!

On to the run. Smooth transition. Sprayed down with sunscreen again. Took off on the run. I had heard the run was hilly. That was accurate. At this point, I had nothing to gain by trying to rush, so I took my time. Didn’t stress about the hills. Or the heat. Just ran. Walked up the bigger hills Walked thru aid stations, which were every mile apart. Lots of run support. Great aid stations. Lots of potties. I tried to enjoy it. One loop run which is unusual for IM 70.3 courses. It was good. Got to the turnaround and cruised back at whatever pace I could manage without pushing. Run Split: 2:31:32.

Total time: 7:09:20. Not where I was hoping to be but hey, a finish is a finish. My goal for the year is to go under 6 hours for the 70.3 distance. If I don’t figure out how to freshen up these legs & find my power on the bike, that goal is going to be impossible. I’m also having issues with my saddle this year. I’ve swapped it out 3x already and just can not get comfortable (I’m flat out miserable). UGH. Hoping to get everything dialed in by Steelhead so I can make an honest attempt at the sub 6 hour finish. Only time will tell if that’s a realistic goal (for this year) but I’m focusing on me this month. Nutrition. Rest. Chiropractor. And I’m going to get a massage the week before Steelhead to try to flush out any nastiness from my legs pre-race. I must say, I was frustrated Saturday after my finish. It was not the race I envisioned but honestly, there are so many people who would give anything to be out there just DOING something, that I must thank my lucky stars for my health, my motivation and the constant drive to keep moving, even when life isn’t perfect. And who has a perfect life? I, of course, have a lot to focus on other than my fitness but I continue to make fitness a priority while simultaneously managing the family, work and life. So that’s a WIN in my book. And the finisher medal to prove it.

** Keep TRIing, Even When Things Aren’t Going YOUR Way ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Whooha Gear Giveaway Winner!

Posted on June 15, 2016 by tootallfritz

Thank you for participating in the Whooha Gear giveaway!! Whooha is an amazing company with great products & inspiring messages. THAT, I love.

Today the Random Number Generator selected #19.

Number 19 was Joyelle P!!

Joyelle, please email me at amanda@tootallfritz.com with your shirt size, mailing addy & let me know if still want the BE shirt.

For the rest of us, we can order here and use the 10% off code: INSPIRE to add a few new inspirational tees to our wardrobe.

** Go Forth & Inspire ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Cutting Edge Half Classic 70.3 – Race Review

Posted on June 13, 2016 by tootallfritz

Effingham, IL is a town that feels like home. Its 5 hours from my current home, just north of Ft Wayne, IN. Three hours from the south Chicago burbs. It’s a frequent stop when I travel alone or with friends. I’ve spent more time in Effingham hotels than anywhere else so it felt right to head there for the first TRI of the season, the Cutting Edge Half Classic 70.3 on the shores of Lake Sara.

Pretty much my only concern about the weekend was the heat. I knew I could cover the distance. I still don’t feel 100% recovered from the 6 marathons I’ve already ran this year. Make that 12 since last June. But I’m getting there or at least I tried to really focus on resting last week. Wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be but I was in a good place with it. The forecasted temps though, had me concerned. The “feels like temp” was predicted to be 105 by 2pm when I anticipated finishing. I was hoping they would be wrong. They weren’t. Possibly the first forecast I’ve ever know to be exactly right. Oh well!

Packet pick-up was easy and quick at the race site, inside, with real bathrooms. About 100 yds from the beach. Next to the finish line. Option of race day packet pick-up. Lake Sara was calm, clean and warm. 80 degrees, which means that wetsuits were not allowed according to USAT rules.

Transition was small. It probably would have accommodated 100-150 racers. Wooden transition “racks” that let our back tire slide into a slot. Kinda cool and one I hadn’t seen before this event. Enough space to put my transition bag behind the bike and out of the way without taking it back to the car. Sweet!! Speaking of the car. If you are an iron fan, you may park a mile or further from transition. And don’t forget your cash, cuz you’ll pay to park in that spot! But at Cutting Edge, parking was about 100 yds from transition. Easy. No fuss. Free parking.

Quick selfie with my bike. Smile

The swim. One wave. Two loops. Each loop 0.60 miles. Must stop swimming between loops, stand up and shout out your race number so they could keep track of everyone. I thought this was a great thing for them to do and a smart way to watch the swimmers closely. Also, I’d like to make a note about the swim setup. They had the buoys out, parallel to the beach, going both to the left and the right. The swim did not look crazy intimidating like some I’ve seen. It was nice. The water was nice. I was planning for a good swim, even without my wetsuit!! Gun goes off, I was a bit nervous but was confident I could do it. But alas I could not get a seal on my goggles. I was a bit surprised because they had never failed me previous. Then I realized I had both sunscreen on my face & an under eye moisturizer (cuz my allergies are leaving me with bags beneath my eyes every morning!!!). Yeah, something “new” on race day. Ugh, I couldn’t see anything. My goggles were full of lake water. The first loop was definitely easier than the second cuz I was around more swimmers. It was harder for me, and my blurry vision, to see and stay on course the second loop! I did attempt to dump the water and reseal my goggles at the half way point since I had to stop swimming and stand up to report my number. Didn’t work. So I just tried to swim on even though my eyes were irritated and I couldn’t see. “Fast” swim for me, even with my stupid goggles & blurred vision. 40:05 for the distance. But my watch only called it 1851 yards instead of the 2200 yds that I was expecting. It was the theme for the race, my watch not equaling the specified distance and I’m pretty sure the race officials were right. I think my watch was just as overheated as I was from the very beginning.

Bike. 2 loops. Windy. Hot. My bike computer did not pick up my sensors. I can’t read my watch in aero. Yeah, I was flying blind but felt so slow. Verified by looking at my watch a couple times, yep super slow but I felt powerless to change that. Roads were decent. Mostly tar & chip. Aid stations every 10 miles. 3 turns each loop, around a cone in the road. Course was well marked. Course officials and/or police were at key intersections/turns to help. Traffic on course but the drivers were courteous. Wind was head on or a cross wind 90% of the course. There were a few short places with it at our back & I was flying but yeah, otherwise, it was kinda miserable. Not because of the course but because of the wind and heat. 56 miles, my watch read 55.4. Time – 3:25:19. My last half IM had a bike time under 3 hours so I was slightly disappointed but I did it.

Run. 2 loops. Hot as Hell. Where did that stupid wind go? Aid stations every mile. Glorious volunteers giving out cold sponges, soaking our nasty dirty, sweaty sponges in cold bowls of ice water. Helping to put ice down the back of our tri suits. Offering water, ice, gatorade, shade from their tent, electrolyte tabs, orange slices, bananas, gels, cheers and support. The further we got away from the lake, the hotter it got. So that “feels like” temp of 105 had to be so much higher out on those country roads. I’m not sure I would have made it thru without the volunteers and aid stations. The middle aid station even had a sprinkler. Passed that sprinkler 4x and utilized it each time. We’ve all had hot races. Some people manage it better than others. I’m big and soak in a lot of heat and sun and it just melts me. But with the aid stations close together and knowing they had ice ahead, I was able to keep moving a little better than I normally would with a heat like this. Many races in conditions like this will have hot water & gatorade. No ice. This race went above and beyond, I can’t even imagine the amount of ice they went thru and it was a saving grace for so many people, myself included. 13.1 miles. Time 2:37:52. My watch said 11.8 miles and a time of 2:19. Not accurate at all on my end.

Overall, great race. I’d go back. I thought the course was very manageable. It was fun to see the people I had met along the way and pass them on the loops. Kinda made things go by faster. I’d definitely recommend this event to newbies and seasoned triathletes alike. And guess what, when I finished they had food. I’ve been to a couple of those iron events where I didn’t get food because they ran out (or were waiting on more) or because the line was so long that I didn’t have the energy to wait. Not the case at Cutting Edge. Plenty of food and COLD drinks at the end.

I won the Athena division with a total time of 6:48. Only one other Athena finished. It was such a hot day and there were a lot of DNFs. Only 67 age groupers finished. 2 Athenas. 1 Clydesdale. My trophy & Heed were my division award. Gender specific tee & finisher medal below.

That’s a wrap for the first 70.3 of 2016. It wasn’t pretty but I’m hoping I can only go up from this point. Know that there are days where a DNF is not wimp out but a necessity. But also know that when you look inside yourself, the answer will be there, its always easier to quit but if you can continue, do it. The finish line is a sweet reward.

** Happy TRIing, All ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Whooha Gear Giveaway & Discount Code ….

Posted on June 8, 2016 by tootallfritz

Whooha Gear is my go to favorite for lifestyle tees & tanks. I’ve long been a fan of their clothing line, optimistic attitudes and their “Believe, Achieve, Inspire” type quotes. Each piece is branded “Play Hard, Take Chances & Keep Smilin’”. Why, yes, I will! Factor in the low prices & great selection and now you know why I’m hooked. Smile

Some of my Whooha Gear collection is below. I pulled these from the archives so you won’t see all of them in the current lineup. I’ve added a link to the ones that are still available. I wear these pieces nonstop. If you travel with me, you may be tired of looking at them but no worries, I got a few new ones for our future trips!!!

I Run Long Sleeve Burnout Hoodie

Heartbeat Slub Tee I Run Long Sleeve Thermal

Regret Nothing Slub Tee

As you can tell, I’ve been collecting for a while and I’ve just added two new ones this week. The Chase Your Dreams Slub Tee and the Be Yourself Slub Tee. Michael loves the “don’t follow your dreams, chase them” tee. He insisted on taking a pic. So “Hello” from Mr. Michael!! I’m a huge fan too. Wore that one yesterday & today I’m wearing the Be Yourself. BE strong, humble, true, happy, inspired, fearless, kind, bold, selfless, hopeful, courageous, love, consistent, graceful, disciplined, bright, brave and wise. Just BE yourself. I couldn’t say it better myself. We are all different. That’s the great thing about everyone. Don’t be afraid to BE you!

Whooha Gear has graciously offered a giveaway of one tee to one lucky reader! And since they are all about you BEing yourself, they want you to pick the shirt you like best. So the winner will get to pick either the Chase Dreams or the BE shirt.

To enter the giveaway, please comment below as to which shirt you would pick upon winning this amazing giveaway! You can get a bonus entry by sharing this giveaway via any social media outlet of your choosing. Just make sure to let me know in your comment (below) WHERE you shared it. In fact, tag me if you can, cuz I’ll need to verify the share if you win via the bonus entry.

If you are so excited about Whooha Gear that you can’t wait for the win, then feel free to use the discount code: INSPIRE for 10% of your purchase! Whooooohaaaaaa!

Giveaway starts now & a winner will be drawn on Wednesday, June 15th, around noon EST. Good luck!

** Be Inspired, Inspire & Chase YOUR Dreams ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle – Inaugural 100K Ride

Posted on May 26, 2016 by tootallfritz

The 2016 Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle was on May 21, 2016. This was the 3rd year for the Spring Cycle event but the first time adding the 100K distance (62 miles). It was also the first time I participated. To be honest, I’ve been intrigued by the event in the past, but this year the 100K pulled me in for registration!

It was a cool, crisp morning on Saturday with temps expected to reach the 70s. The 100K had 258 participants, who started at 9am. The remaining 1,050ish participants started at 10am to ride the 10, 16, 34 or 44 mile routes. Large crowd. Easy venue for packet pickup & the start, all of which was at the Arts United Center on Main Street in Ft Wayne. I was happy to have started early because there were several events in Ft Wayne and parking looked difficult as it got closer to the start time. So many bikes! The 100K was off at 9am on the dot! There I am!

The route traveled thru Ft Wayne, out of town and toward Antwerp, OH. Mostly low traveled country roads and some busier roads with a wide shoulder. Police at most major intersections. Course markers both painted on the road, then larger visual signs to help cyclists follow the route.

Four aid stations for the 100K, one that we hit 2x, one at the turnaround and the last one near the end. I only stopped at the turnaround point where I was pleased to see that there was NOT a line to the ladies room but the line for the men’s room was quite long! Such a roll reversal, where were all my lady cyclists for the 100K? The aid station had bananas, water & Gatorade, snacks and energy bars. It was a quick in and out and I was back on the road. The wind was decently strong and it was overcast. I was wondering if it would rain even though it was starting to warm up. I definitely wanted to keep moving and get back to the finish area.

The return trip to Ft Wayne took us down some nice roads with the wind at our back. Smooth sailing for a bit, then we hit Amish Country and the roads weren’t as smooth (read pretty darn rough on my bum) & there was horse “debris” that we had to dodge. Not something I’m totally unfamiliar with but it forces me to be extra vigilant. About this time, we also started meeting the cyclists from the other events. That was nice. I tend to fall in a category of my own when I ride. I’m not fast enough for the fast people and I’m not slow enough for the slower riders. That means I spend a lot of time pushing alone. Not a bad thing because I ride for triathlon and we can’t draft. Plus, the road cyclists make me nervous when they travel in large packs and are so close to each other. I always worry they will crash and take me with them! So once I joined the other riders, it was game on, just like a triathlon when we are pushing back to T2 …… “ON YOUR LEFT”.

I want to shout out all the police and volunteers who helped with this event. It takes a lot of people to put on a 100K ride. So many intersections, especially when we traveled thru several towns and the ride started and ended in the middle of downtown Ft Wayne. Getting back downtown in the afternoon was not an easy task for us or the many police officers who were assigned to help with traffic. They did a great job and seemed to be patient. Thanks for that.

I was all smiles when I hit the finish. I was ready to rack the bike!

The finish line festival offered a bike valet so we could rack our bikes, enjoy the expo and go to the finish line party. I was very happy with that. I was parked very close to the finish line but would not have stayed if the bike valet wasn’t offered. The first 1200 participants received a medal & tee shirt. We also received a picnic lunch (hot dog, chips & a drink) and there was beer to purchase for those who were interested. However, the cycling was definitely the main event. It looked as if most rode, ate & left. Good time. Good day. Great support. Thanks, Ft Wayne! I’ll be back next year!

** Happy Cycling ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Favorite Things …. New Edition

Posted on May 10, 2016 by tootallfritz

I haven’t done a favorite things post in a while! That’s because I’ve been busying using what I Iove and not deviating from the box. I’ve dropped a few brands because some of my preferences have changed but if you must know I’m still wearing Athleta & Saucony EVERYTHING, I’ve tossed in a couple pair of 7” Nike Pros, some Gypsy Runner & I don’t run without my Injinji Socks. Enough said on the “normal”. Let’s talk about what’s NEW! And for the record, I’m not an ambassador or affiliate for any of these brands, I don’t have a discount code ~~but if you find one send it to me~~, and I don’t have free product to give you. Lame, huh? Sorry, I’ll try to do better next time.

Tailwind Nutrition – How many of you have this sitting in your fuel drawer but haven’t yet tried it? I had a few packets sitting for months, like 6+ months. I didn’t try it til I had enough with my tummy issues. Tailwind politely calls our tummy issues “gut bombs”. So appropriate.

Tailwind is a liquid nutrition that is wheat, gluten, diary & soy free. It’s 100% natural. It was designed for people running ultra distance like 50 & 100 mile races but I’m proof that it works great for marathons too! This product hydrates, fuels & gives the electrolytes needed to race for as long as I like. Easy to mix, clear since it doesn’t have artificial additives for color & flavor, comes in 7 flavors (one of which is unflavored) and with or without caffeine. It has the consistency of water and has a light refreshing taste. Plus it has glucose/sucrose which helps fast delivery of energy to the muscles. I’ve been low on sugar before while racing and it’s not pretty. Sometimes the miles & time on our feet get away from us. Sometimes the heat & humidity take more out of the body than we can possibly understand until it’s too late. With the constant stream of tailwind going into my system, I feel good, all the time. Even when those around me are getting sick, crashing & heading for the med tent. For more info, checkout the tailwind website. They have more info that I can possibly share, I just know it has worked wonders for me and I’m confident that I’ll finally get that PR that I’ve been chasing.

FlipBelt Hydration Bottles – Have you seen these yet? You now know that I’m in love with Tailwind. The reason it took me so long to try it was because I didn’t want to CARRY IT. I despise hydration belts with all my being. I don’t even care if they are good ones that don’t move or bounce. I avoid them like the plague. I also dislike handhelds. And I haven’t had the desire to try a hydration vest. So when FlipBelt came out with their new hydration bottles, I ordered one before the ink was dry on the website.

I use my FlipBelt ALL the time. I load it up for runs & races and go, go, go. I was hoping it was be just as awesome with the hydration bottles. It worked great & did NOT bounce. I was so happy! I use the 11oz bottle & mix in my Tailwind. Tip: If I’m using the scoop out of the Tailwind bag, I also use a baby formula dispenser to get my Tailwind in the FlipBelt bottles. The opening on the bottle is small, which is good cuz its easy for drinking and carrying, not so good for adding fuel to the bottle! The bottles are curved to fit snuggly to our body. I can only carry one 11 oz bottle at a time or I’m not comfortable. But the Tailwind mixes so nicely, that I put 4 scoops into ONE 11oz bottle for marathons. That’s 400 calories and I make sure I drink that by the 20 mile mark. Then I use water on course for extra hydration. These FlipBelt bottles are a great option for hydration on the go! Tip: FlipBelt usually is running some sort of special discount code on their Facebook Page. Go find them on FB if you are looking for a discount!

Eagle Creek Pack It Sport Bags. I had never heard of Eagle Creek until a couple weeks ago when they sent the RockNBloggers some free stuff. It was right before I left for my double marathon weekend & I tweeted out a pic real quick, packed up the bags to go & I left. I had zero idea how helpful they would be for that race weekend.

They sent me a large Foot Locker that fit shoes up to size 11. I always have more than one pair of run shoes for these big weekends but the plan is to race in one shoe unless there is a problem. I was able to put my main pair of shoes in the locker, plus I added my watch, fuel, socks, calf sleeves and FlipBelt to the foot locker. Super easy. I pulled it out on race morning and had everything I needed for the run other than my clothes. VERY nice having everything in one place! Quick pics below before I stuffed the rest of the goodies into the shoe locker. Lots of room. Sealed up the shoes and the smell (if that’s an issue).

The real gem of this collection was something I didn’t use initially when I packed up. It was the large Fitness Locker. I took this with me for my dirty run clothes. It’s water proof & antimicrobial. I was thinking it would be prefect for my wet, nasty marathon clothes. Little did I know how much I would need it. There was non-stop rain at the Kentucky Derby Marathon. Upon finishing the race, I had a wet singlet, bra, shorts, compression sleeves, socks, flip belt & visor. Normally, I would have been thieving the bag in our hotel room that’s reserved for dry cleaning, but not this time. I threw ALL those clothes & the visor into the Fitness Locker and zipped it up. Done. No wetness. No smell. Then I threw the Fitness Locker in my gym bag with all my other CLEAN clothes & zipped everything up.

Then we headed over to Cincinnati, where I did it all again. Got done with the Flying Pig Marathon the next day. No rain but this time we had heat, humidity, sprinklers & water hoses. Same scenario when I got back to the hotel. I was drenched, my clothes were drenched. So I grabbed the Fitness Locker, which didn’t smell at all from the Derby race, and unzipped it to add the clothes from Flying Pig: wet singlet, bra, shorts, compression sleeves, socks, flip belt & visor. The bag was now full with 2 full sets of wet clothes but it easily zipped & I tossed it into my regular bag with the remaining clean clothes. Easiest travel I’ve ever had with wet, gross, dirty clothes. I’m very happy to add these Eagle Creek Pack It Sport bags to my travel collection. Check out their website if you need help organizing your fitness clothes & gear or need to transport wet/gross clothes to and from the gym or while traveling. Prices are very reasonable and that is the best part!

Okay, that’s the latest edition of my “Favorite Things” list. I think these are all relatively new products that are noteworthy. I hope they help you as much as they have helped me.

Do you have any new products that you’re loving? If so, let us know in the comments below!

** Happy Running & TRIing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Feeling Flat ….. How Stress Effects the Body

Posted on February 18, 2016 by tootallfritz

There are so many ups and downs of a typical training cycle. Two weeks ago, I was flying high, hitting my numbers and ran the “easiest” 20 miler I’ve ever run. This week, I’m quite literally sinking in the pool. My butt is dragging.

I swam this morning and should currently be on the treadmill knocking out my tempo run. But I’m stalling. Trying to figure out if I should run or not. Of course, I’m going to run but should I try for the tempo pace? That is the question. I’m tired and well, I have an angry hamstring that popped up out of nowhere. Sad smile

To be honest, I expected to be fresh this week. I had 3 forced rest days (SAT, SUN & MON) because the little guy was in the hospital with pneumonia. He is doing much better now. Still weak but improving every day. His biggest complaint at this point is that his back hurts (from the hospital bed, or maybe the pneumonia?) and that he can’t run as fast as he used to before he got sick. Give it some time, Buddy. Just a little time. As for myself, I’m guessing that hanging out with the little guy in the hospital and being stressed/worried about him was probably more daunting on my mind and body than I realized. I’m back on schedule & trying to follow my plan. I expected to knock out one more killer week before pulling back next week to recharge for the Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon on 2/28. But alas, I’m just tired. And my back hurts too! And one of my hamstrings is on strike. So I’m just slogging thru the week. Not pushing at all. I’m trying to focus on getting some extra rest, making sure I get extra nutrients, and hoping that I’ll bounce back next week while I’m “tapering” for RNRNOLA.

It’s important to realize that events in our lives effect our bodies. A stress reaction is real. Stress takes a toll on the mind and body. You might feel fatigued, get sick, have stomach issues or stress eat (that’s me!). Long term stress can do some serious damage if we are unable to manage it properly. Please see the awesome graphic below from Life Advantage. Go HERE to see the full article on how stress can effect the body.

Bottom line, give yourself a break when your body is rebelling. Look at what’s happened in life for the last couple weeks if something “new” has popped up. Don’t stress about not feeling great. Just focus on what you can do to improve the situation. Sleep and making sure you get lots of fruits & veggies to up the nutrients in your body is so important. Drink lots of water to flush all the toxins. Avoid caffeine & alcohol. Exercise. Don’t push hard on the workouts but get the blood flowing and you’ll be back to normal before you know it.

** Cheers – Amanda – TooTallFritz **

The Influence of Social Media on Fitness

Posted on February 3, 2016 by tootallfritz

The influence of social media on fitness is currently huge. I can’t log onto Facebook or Instagram without seeing sweaty gym selfies on my newsfeed. There is a constant barrage of posts about fitness, workouts and training. Sometimes the meaning of these fitness posts get lost on its audience and I want to take a minute to think about that. Oh, and here is my sweaty selfie from my morning ride on the trainer.

I see many who get annoyed and block or unfollow the posters of these sweaty selfies. The poster may be a friend, blogger, or an acquaintance. But some people like my husband have just had enough.

Other people are inspired and want to see more. It helps them get motivated in the mornings when they’d rather sleep in or just sit and drink coffee in their pajamas. How about you; how do you feel?

For me, it’s about motivation, inspiration and accountability. I don’t have a coach. I don’t really have anyone who cares whether I work out or not. I do it for me. Each workout. Each drop of sweat. Each time I get up and get moving when I just want to sleep, it’s for me. Those sweaty selfie posters, aren’t taking pics of themselves cuz they think they are awesome. They are doing it to hold themselves accountable. To document workouts over time. To watch their own progress. To motivate themselves to stick with it and keep pushing when nobody in their real world cares. If it motivates others, bonus. If not …..

So please keep posting those sweaty selfies. Keep giving me the details of your workouts. Keep working hard cuz that’s what this is all about. It’s not pretty. It’s certainly not sexy. It’s hard work and I’m proud to know so many people who are chasing their dreams and being a positive influence on social media. It’s not bragging, it’s the way that we hold ourselves accountable. It’s the way we connect with others who care about fitness. It’s who we are, day in and day out. If by chance, we possibly motivate even one person along the way, then it was worth it. So let’s see those sweaty selfies! Post yours to social media and tag @tootallfritz on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook!

** Cheers ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Small Gains = Big Motivation

Posted on February 2, 2016 by tootallfritz

Training thru the winter is very different for me than training in the spring, summer & fall. In the winter, I try to hone in on what isn’t right and fix my imbalances or bring back some training that got lost in the shuffle of the warmer months. I don’t spend so much time “free running” where I run the dog on the trails, just to spend time outside. Winter is different. It’s more focused. I try to get the most of our my workouts and keep them as efficient as possible. This year I have big goals and well, there isn’t much time for lollygagging, even if it is the middle of winter.

That’s what I want, to be better than I was yesterday. Better than last year. Better than I’ve been since I moved. I’ve finally checked my excuses at the door. Put my emotions on ice about the IL house and all the drama that surrounded that ordeal and the money lost. I’m ready to roll. I’m ready to work on me. I’m ready to get the most out of my workouts and see where it takes me. As a result, I’m already seeing small gains and that’s motivating me to stick with it and keep pushing.

One of the best things I’ve done so far this year is become more consistent. Over the last couple years, I’ve ran so many marathons that I was never actually training, just ramping up for one, then trying to recover on the fly for the next one. While this is fun and keeps things interesting, it also required that I kept things pretty low key. I never really pushed the pace on any of my runs. I was always in maintenance mode. I was trying to keep my body in check so I didn’t implode.

Last year, in the midst of my “marathon madness”, I tossed in a 70.3 triathlon to try to get my pre-move mojo back. I was instantly reminded why I love the triathlon so much. Its fun and requires more focus than just running. Last summer was disastrous for many reasons but I somehow ~~stumbled~~ made it to the start line, even with subpar TRI fitness. I started. I finished. And I loved every minute of it. So this year, I’m tossing in more triathlons and that requires consistency and commitment.

January was all about 1) hammering out a plan and sticking to it; and, 2) Getting my butt out of bed & into the pool when it opened. The first couple weeks were kinda messed up with the double marathon weekend Jan 9 &10th but I still managed to run 142 miles. That consists of one speed run, one tempo run, the WED night “fun run” at the Y & the Saturday long run at the Y. While, I’m still not hitting my speed & tempo numbers, I’m getting closer. My confidence is growing and I think I’m very close to being able to do the workouts, which I already softened up a bit for fear that my fitness wasn’t exactly where I had initially predicted. Smile It took a little bit to clear the fatigue from my legs and start hitting the numbers. I finally had a good session this morning after a hard look at recovery last week. Yay!!

I also added the bike back in this month. I bit the bullet and bought a new trainer since I lost mine in the flood last summer. Now I have a “smart trainer” and well, it’s way smarter than me and apparently also thinks my fitness is better than my reality. I managed 78 miles on the bike this month, which is low but getting the trainer dialed in was a bit of an issue. Plus so far, I’ve only been riding 2 days a week. I’m planning to add in a 3rd day of riding this week.

And the swim. Last but not least. I hate getting in the water. I don’t even swim for fun anymore. Plus we currently only have one pool at the Y and its used for training, lap swimming & therapy. Therapy takes precedence over everything else so the water is way too warm, usually between 82 & 84 degrees. Not ideal for a triathlete who has to swim in open water but that’s what I currently have available. I’m checking my excuses at the door. I’ve been showing up. I put in 5 swim sessions in January and I’m already noticing a slight improvement in my time per 100yds. Goal in this off season is 2 swims per week. I’ll get them all in this month!

All of these slow but small gains in January have motivated me to keep up the work, stay committed & do even better in February. I’m being consistent. Not moving around workouts. Not making excuses.

Monday – Off
Tuesday – Swim & Speed Run
Wednesday – Bike & Fun Run
Thursday – Swim & Tempo Run
Friday – Bike (skipped in January in lieu of a rest day)
Saturday – Long Run
Sunday – Long Bike

So far, so good. I’m committed to smashing my marathon PR at the Garmin Marathon & chasing my TRI goals this year. January down. Let’s see what February brings.

** Keep Chasing YOUR Goals ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

2016 Goals …. On Paper

Posted on December 30, 2015 by tootallfritz

I haven’t written about my goals for years. Not because I don’t have a clear set of goals going into each new year but because I’ve been doing this for a long time and redundancy is B.O.R.I.N.G. Plus my training is non-traditional, and my volume is sometimes ridiculous. I don’t want anyone to think they should follow my lead. I finally found a great chiropractor in Ft Wayne who has made a lot of money off of me this year because of my volume & race schedule. He keeps me running even when he thinks I should go sit on the couch. Together we have learned how to juggle races/ mileage & springboard from one set of goals to the next by sacrificing speed. That’s right. If my goal is volume, I sacrifice speed. I can’t have my cake and eat it too. I gotta pick. So let’s see how I will choose to lay out 2016.

The year 2016 will be broken up into 3 seasons. 1) Spring Marathon Season, 2) Triathlon Season and 3) Fall Marathon Season.

My goal race for the spring marathon season is the Garmin Marathon in Olathe, KS on April 16th. Please someone tell me that Olathe is flat and fast. Please. I’ve plugged the numbers into the FIRST Run Less Run Faster iOS app and if I can hang onto my treadmill this winter, I’m going to run 4:15 or faster on the streets of Olathe, in a sparkle skirt of my choosing, possibly dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Outfit to be determined. Goal time, established. 4:15 or bust.

My goal race for triathlon season will be the 70.3 at Rev3 Cedar Point on September 11th. Although, I applied for the Rev3 team/ambassadorship, I was NOT selected. No, I’m not mad. I apply for a lot of things and get rejected but that doesn’t stop me from going after my goals. I still plan to go to Cedar Point and annihilate the swim, bike & run and go under 6 hours for the first time ever. Now this is the main goal of the entire year, my “A” goal, if you will. I want to break 6 hours at the half iron distance and this is as much of a dream as it is a goal. I have a lot of work to do if I even have a chance.

My goal race for the fall marathon season is the inaugural Fort4Fitness Marathon on October 1st. This will be about fun and running with my friends and run club members. My goal here is not about speed but to get as many people as possible to the start line for the 2016 Fort4Fitness races. Marathon or not. It’s a party for the running community in the Ft Wayne, IN area and I’m excited to be part of it. I plan to run, walk, stroll and talk to everyone I see! I was there for the inaugural running the the Fort4Fitness Half Marathon in 2008 and I plan to be there for the inaugural running of the their first full marathon in 2016. Super exciting!

So what do I need to do to meet these goals? I need to stay focused on my healthy eating & get off the last 10-13 lbs that I packed on during the move to Indiana. I’m focused on this. Working on it daily. It will be gone before I hit the Kansas border in April.

In order to meet my “big hairy” goal for the triathlon, I need to become a better, more aggressive, faster, stronger swimmer. The term “just keep swimming” will eventually be replaced with something more aggressive and focused toward pushing the pace. I’ve never worked on my swimming, just basically showed up and swam. This will change. But first I have to get reacquainted with the water. I tore my rotator cuff in August after IM 70.3 Steelhead (race report HERE) and just went back to the pool today, for the first time. It wasn’t bad for a starter swim. I made it a mile in 45 minutes. But I need to slash this time by a lot to help achieve my goal.

I also think that strength work is integral to my performance related goals. I’m dedicating Tuesday & Thursday (before dawn) to my swimming & strength work. I thought I had my strength all figured out but the CrossFit Endurance class has been dropped. So I’m back on my own. But I can do this!!

We’ll start with these goals and build, adjust accordingly.

** Time to Get to Work ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

TooTallFritz

Running Toward: Health, Wellness & PEACE …………………………………….. Running From: Insanity, Screaming Children, Housework & a Big Ass

Category Archives: Cycling

Ironman 70.3 Muncie – 2016

Whooha Gear Giveaway Winner!

Cutting Edge Half Classic 70.3 – Race Review

Whooha Gear Giveaway & Discount Code ….

Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle – Inaugural 100K Ride

Favorite Things …. New Edition

Feeling Flat ….. How Stress Effects the Body

Small Gains = Big Motivation

2016 Goals …. On Paper

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: