Ironman Texas 2019–The Woodlands

Posted on April 30, 2019 by tootallfritz

I’ve been MIA, training for Ironman Texas! I didn’t really say much about it on social media or even to my friends/family until basically it was time to race. I told my parents a mere month before it actually happened. They worry and I was trying to keep Mom’s stress at a minimum. Smile As most of you probably know, I’ve been recovering from the bike crash/concussion that occurred in early September 2018 and my training started a bit behind, in comparison to others. I didn’t know if I was actually going to do the race but started back training and attempting a build at the end of December to try to figure it out. Thankfully, in December the doc gave me a nerve block to help with the rear occipital lobe pressure headaches (due to my occipital bone pinching/pressing on my occipital nerve) and I was off & running, quite literally within a day or so of the nerve block. I’m still not 100% but I’m so much better than I was and I just adjusted training accordingly & thankfully my bestie, Julie M. really helped with the driving and travel to TX to keep my fatigue going into race day as low as possible. So I should really dedicate this race to Dr. Kidder and Julie for all her help. Huge thanks to both!

The Woodlands, TX is a beautiful area but its also busy. Think major suburb of a large city, Houston in this instance. And its named appropriately because there are quite literally trees and wooded areas everywhere. Hard to even know what businesses are around because everything is hidden by trees. That being said, everything was smooth and getting around was easy thanks to Google Maps. Packet pick up was beside the canal in a parking area. Hardest part of packet pick up was deciding where to park. But once we figured that out, we saved that garage location as a favorite on our gps unit and parked there for EVERYTHING. Plus it was nice because we could walk along the canal, where we would eventually be swimming, to get to the Ironman Village.

Packet pick up was fast and easy. No lines. No weight stations, like we had in Lake Placid where they took our weight and recorded it for medical purposes. This was both good cuz I’m a little fluffy still from the weight I gained during the post concussion “fun” and also bad because the heat was high and I was concerned that medical might actually need the participants weights due to dehydration issues on race day. Julie M. and I at Ironman Village.

Lots of hotel options around the race site. If you don’t mind spending the big bucks, you could have stayed at the Westin or Marriott on the canal and avoided the need for a rental car, if you flew into the area. We had a car (and a budget) so opted for a hotel about 10-15 minutes away, the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Shenandoah (beware – I’m a Hilton rewards member but opted to book thru Expedia and they were not pleasant to me at check in, definitely gave preferential treatment to their rewards members and made us wait past check in time for a room while members were being checked in immediately.) We had a suite with a full sized refrigerator, dishwasher, stovetop, dishes & fireplace which was $600 for 3 nights. Plus they had nice grills in a common area for guest use. This enabled us to take our own food, grocery shop, cook, eat, drink and rest without having to eat out and run around more than necessary. I don’t love eating out before big races because I have a sensitive stomach. I was feeling good and I wanted to keep it that way. So we only ate out once, on Thursday for lunch, before the Saturday race. Huge win for me!! The room and location was perfect.

Friday – Practice Swim, Short Run & Bike/Bag Check. The weather was perfect for hanging out. We headed to the swim start at Northshore Park on Friday morning for a short swim. The water looked and felt amazing, even thought we had heard there were possible water “quality” issues, plus it was so much cleaner than the canal!! Beautiful area for running too, with lots of trails and paths around the park. So much shade! We loved the run and couldn’t wait to get out there for the marathon on race day. Yes, we are sick like that. Also saw lots of friends, Julie’s Endure It crew, my TriDot people and other friends who were racing.

The swim start was about a mile from transition so after the we finished at the park, we drove down to transition to check our bikes and bags. Once again, we expected long lines and a wait. Nothing. We parked. Walked our bikes/bags to transition. They check our bracelets to make sure we matched the numbers on our bikes and bags. They took a photo of our bikes (for security reasons). We were asked if we needed help. Then we we were able to rack our bikes. It was such a process with long lines and big wait times in Lake Placid that we were quite impressed with how quickly and smoothly it went. We racked our bikes, let quite a bit of air out of our tires so they wouldn’t explode in the heat of the day Friday before we came back on Saturday morning. Dropped our bags, and left. Spent the rest of the day hanging out at the hotel and resting/relaxing/hydrating/eating.

Race Day – My race

Saturday was race day. We were up bright and early, headed to transition to put nutrition on our bikes, inflate tires to the proper point and take care of last minutes needs before hiking the mile to the swim start. Everything was smooth. Everyone was calm. I was easily able to borrow a pump. Put my tailwind on my bike. FORGOT to put my Nuun tabs in my Tailwind, which I realized when we were checking our morning clothes bag at the swim start. Thankfully Julie had a ziplock with her stuff. So I swam with a tube of Nuun (in a ziplock) in my Tri top (under my wetsuit). That’s another thing … WETSUIT LEGAL! Yes, just makes the start of my day easier. Thanks to the Triathlon Gods on that one because I was prepared to swim in my swimskin and it was a pleasant surprise.

Swim (2.4 miles) – Race started on time. Pros were off at 6:25 for the men, 6:30 for the women. Age groupers started with a rolling self seeded start at 6:40am and it seemed smooth and easy getting into the water. I was stress-free and just ready to start. I had hoped for a fast-ish swim (for me) since it was a single loop but I had heard this was one of the slower Ironman swims. Course was easily broken down into 1/3s. 1/3 out, 1/3 back, 1/3 thru the canal. See below. Start is at the top. Finish at the bottom, furthest point.

It was slower than I had anticipated. But I also didn’t anticipate my goggles not sealing. I stopped numerous times (5-6) to dump water out of my goggles and attempt to reseal them but it didn’t work. I contemplated taking them off all together but didn’t think that would be a better. Ultimately, I just kept swimming with limited vision and dirty water clouding my eyes. I was sighting the bright green swim caps around me vs attempting to really “see” anything. Progress was slow. It took me awhile to get into a rhythm and I never felt completely comfortable with the vision issue. I was VERY thankful to have a wetsuit at that point since I was stopping on and off to clear water from my goggles, which was absolutely pointless because they immediately filled back up with lake water.

The course was crowded and never really thinned out the way that I had thought it would. Sun was in our eyes on the back side of the course and particularly when we were turning into the channel leading to the canal. Plus it really bottled up going into the canal and I was just locked into place where I was, not able to really pass anyone or speed up toward the finish. We were all just “in line“ basically trying to get out of the water. Eventually, a couple volunteers just reached down and pulled me out of the water. My vision was very blurred by that point from the water, my left eye was covered with some sort of film and I was disoriented. Thankfully volunteers pointed me to the wetsuit strippers and those ladies literally got me out of my wetsuit, I didn’t even have it unzipped since I was disoriented. Good times! But onto T1.

Photos of the swim courtesy of the Ironman Texas Facebook page:

Transition – All the bags were lined up, in order, on the ground, in a concrete area. We ran thru, grabbed our bags & went to the changing tent. Super easy. Changing tent volunteers were super helpful, sprayed me with sunscreen, picked up all my swim stuff & rebagged it for me. I left them with my bag & was off to find my bike. I pulled out my Nuun canister, emptied the tabs into my hand, tossed the canister into a garbage can, all without missing a beat. Found my bike, added Nuun to the Tailwind already on the bike, and I was off ….. with slightly blurred vision but it was already improving.

Bike (112 miles) – Lots of turns getting out of the area but eventually we were funneled onto the Hardy Toll Road for the majority of the bike. This is labeled as a fast & flat course; however, there are several bridges that we climbed and descended numerous times. On the IMTX Facebook page, I heard that there were 18 bridges that we climbed/descended. I didn’t count but there were quite a few.

Flat & fast? Well, not totally flat with the bridges but it had the potential to be fast. Apparently the course was short last year but that was corrected this year so we had a full 112 miles. Once on the Hardy, it was a straight out (21ish miles) and back, 2x. The “out” was into the wind and slow going. The back was with the wind and fast. In addition to fighting the wind on the first “out”, I was also fighting some serious nausea. I should have been down in aero to fight the wind better but I was seriously ill and when I was down in aero, I was in the perfect position to “toss my cookies”. I knew that was not in my best interest because the heat was quickly rising. So I was upright, chewing pepto tabs like candy and holding in the nutrition that I had already put into my body. I hit the turnaround, the nausea was gone, I had the wind at my back and I gave some serious thanks to the universe. I stayed in high Zone 2 and even crept into Z3 as the wind quickly pushed me to the turnaround.

Then back into the wind and that’s when the fun began. I was in good spirits because I knew I only had to go 21ish miles and I could get an aided ride back but ….. I started cramping. Serious cramping, like the kind that wakes you in the middle off the night and you jump out of bed with a leg or calf cramped up. Serious. And this would not go away. I felt good otherwise so it was frustrating. I can only assume that due to the heat, I managed to flush my own electrolytes by drinking too much water. I had a lot of electrolytes in my nutrition but the cramps kept coming. I stopped 8x for cramping, legs locked up, pulling my bike off the road, attempting to get out of my pedals before I tipped over. Then I’d rub out my legs, and get started again, hoping that was the end of the cramping. I also stopped 5 or 6 times at aid stations to get extra fluids & fuel (Gatorade & bananas). I went thru all my Tailwind/Nuun concoction, used 8 Huma gels and drank 4 of the large Gatorades on course. I knew I had an electrolyte issue and didn’t want to be ruined for the run. There were not any salt tabs on the bike course because its not normal to need them out there. I had salt tabs in my run bag. I just needed to get back to transition to access them. The last time my leg locked up at mile 105 and I just prayed to get back to T2. I finally made it. So thankful!!! Grabbed my run bag in transition, headed to the run tent, immediately took 6 salt caps, changed, volunteer took my bag, I ran out. Transition in Texas was easy. They have a great set up.

Photo below from somewhere on the bike course, thankfully not while I was grimacing in pain from leg cramps.

Run (26.2 miles) – 3 loop course. So thankful to be running but it was hot, hot, hot. A volunteer said it was 87 at one point when I hit an aid station. Not that I asked, didn’t change my plan to merely survive this darn thing so I could get back home to my kids. Just keep moving forward, right?

The run course was full, mostly of athletes walking and spectators were everywhere, spilling out onto the course. If you like people ~~yelling at~~ cheering for you while you run, then TX may be the Ironman course for you! Lots of people. Mostly drunk people, but lots of people. It was hard to maneuver the course sections along the canal because of all the bodies. The fast Iron people were done and meandering back to their hotel or car, with their crew of family/friends. Some spectators were cheering and high fiving and entertaining the runners and crowds alike. Kids. Dogs. Strollers. Restaurant goers. Bar patrons. It was crazy. But once we got away from the canal, it calmed down and the crowds thinned. We ran a lot of shaded paths and trails thru the woods. Those were my favorite parts, the quiet spots, away from the sun and the people. And lots of room for me to just run. And run, I did …. but slowly and with stops at every aid station for water, ice, pickles, coke, and chicken broth. Ironman run aid stations are like a buffet. Eat, drink, be merry.

Loop 1 was fun. Loop 2 was long and I was in the nomads land of “am I ever going to finish this thing?”. Loop 3 was a celebration for a long hard winter of trainer rides and questioning my own sanity. But as always, if we just keep moving, the finish line finally comes into sight. So sweet!!

SWAG:

Coveted backpack which Michael claimed for school as soon as he saw it:

So how was it? I liked it. Organizers, police and volunteers did an amazing job! Did I like it better than Ironman Lake Placid? Hard to get better than Lake Placid. Although the course is harder at LP because its in the mountains, its undeniably beautiful. Always something to look at scenery wise in the swim, bike & run. While I certainly can’t comment on what I “saw”during the TX swim, the bike was pretty blasé on the toll road. Nothing to see, just keep moving. Wind was a factor which was a bit of an equalizer, in my opinion, for the lack of elevation. The run was entertaining in TX but a 2 loop course suits my personality better and since I’m a runner, I want to run with as little interference as possible. I liked the TX run course because of the variety and overall, I think the run course was the best part of this particular race. This would have been a great race for my mom & kids to spectate. If you want more info on spectating IMTX, please go download the Crushing Iron Podcast #263 where Coach Robbie Bruce from C26 Coaching talks about his experience spectating.

What You Should Know, If You’re Considering IMTX

Hot weather race.
Take extra fuel & electrolytes. Plan to carry extra electrolytes on the bike.
If you are from the Northern or Midwestern states, plan to ride your trainer all winter long. And then you’ll have to ride some more. Plan on IMTX being your first outdoor ride of the season.
Expect extra soreness/fatigue in your neck & shoulders from being outside and having to pay attention with your head up for the first time since last fall.
Water quality may be questionable (I’ve heard a lot of people got sick).
Expect wind on the bike.
Easy transitions.
Spectator friendly.
Great Finishers area, accessible to friends/family/spectators.
Easy bike pick up after the race because its possible to navigate around the race course to regain access to transition & the bikes/bags.

Overall, a great race. Definitely give it a “TRI” at Ironman Texas!

Next up for me: 1) Revel Mt Hood Marathon in Portland OR on June 29th. 2) Super Marathon in Snoqualmie Pass, WA on June 30th. 4) RAIN Ride, Terre Haute to Richmond IN on July 20th and 5) Ironman Arizona on November 24th.

Stats: Ironman Texas was my 2nd full Ironman, which also included my 53rd marathon. I’ve ran marathons in 31 states so far. Texas was not a new state for me but it was for Julie, which is why we went. Still slowly chipping away at my 50 states goal.

** Happy Running & Racing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Ironman Lake Placid – 20th Anniversary – Race Report

Posted on August 1, 2018 by tootallfritz

I’ve been MIA for months & months. Not racing. Not socializing. Just training and going thru the motions of life as a busy working parent. The buildup to Ironman Lake Placid was the longest I’ve ever done without interspersing races to alleviate the boredom. I usually run 10-12 marathons per year, in addition to racing 3-4 half ironman distance TRIs. In 2018, I did one marathon prior to Lake Placid. 1 Olympic triathlon. 1 half iron distance triathlon. Then IMLP on July 22, 2018.

I trained for 25 weeks. I had a couple cycles within the training plan, a little time off here and there to manage life. I did the best that I could, on all fronts, with this volume of training. I hit most of my workouts, not necessarily as prescribed but usually managed the time or distance requirements, with a few exceptions. I had a coach. Do I recommend having a coach? Yes. Have I ever had a coach before, or felt like I needed one? No. However, the added volume required for this distance necessitated a clean buildup without any BS or extra workouts. I didn’t want to mess this up in case I never had the opportunity to do it again. As it was, I waited over 9 years to sign up for my first full iron distance race. I didn’t want to blow it!

Pre-Race! Ironman races require packet pick up, pre-race meetings and bike check-in, all before race day. As a result, this adds to the cost of the trip and the $$ that you’ll spend while visiting the area. Lake Placid is one of the most expensive venues on the Ironman circuit. If you are heading to Lake Placid, save your pennies and some dollars too! We arrived on Thursday for the Sunday race.

Friday – Early morning practice swim & the Bacon Meat & Greet by Lake Mirror. Both were optional.

Mirror Lake is very clean and clear. Some of the best water I’ve swam in to date. There is a famed cable that runs between the buoys. If you can get on the cable or close to it, there isn’t much need to site on race day. This makes the Lake Placid swim fast, if you can use the cable! Beware, the buoys are connected to the cable. If you are swimming over or “on top” of the cable, then be prepared to swim under the buoys!

Packet pickup & pre-race meeting – Mandatory. We did both of these things on FRI. Packet pick up was quick but did have a few extra steps, like weigh in. Volunteers weighed each athlete & wrote the weight and which scales were used on the back of our bibs. If there was a medical emergency, like dehydration, they had our pre-race baseline. Scales used at packet pick-up are then transferred to the medical tent for consistency purposes. Serious stuff. Also serious, the pre-race meeting. Don’t miss it. They have several and each venue is different. This is where they give new info, tell about changes to the course, or make note of places that are dangerous. And maybe, just maybe, Mike Reilly will make an appearance to toss out a few words of encouragement and motivation!

Bike check-in is also mandatory, the day prior to the race. I’d highly recommend taking the bike for a short spin before checking it in for the night. Lots can happen in transit. Make sure you don’t need any last minute adjustments before race day. Lines for bike check-in were long. We waited probably 20 minutes to get to the point where they took our bike, put it against a white screen, then photographed it. Then it was returned to us, we waited another 15-20 minutes to get into transition, where each athlete had a volunteer escort them to their transition spot. Then we said goodbye to our bikes. Hung our Bike & Run bags on the hooks. And walked away.

View of bikes, all racked in the Olympic Oval. Source: Ironman Lake Placid Facebook page

View of my bike, seat sitting on #628. Not a lot of room for the bikes since we didn’t have a normal transition set up. Volunteers in T1 would go get the bikes off the rack & bring it to the end of the row for you. Then there were “bike catchers” after the bike segment who would take your bike back to its transition spot.

Race day! The clouds were dark and rain was on the way! We dropped our nutrition with our bikes. Pumped tires. Put our clothes & shoes in the “Morning Bag”, dropped it on the hook below our run/bike bags. Then headed to the swim start. It was a wetsuit legal day. Meaning water temp was 76.1 degrees or below. Happy Dance!!! 2.4 mile swim, here we come!

Pro field took off at 6:20am. Age groupers had a self-seeded, rolling start beginning at 6:40am with the goal of having everyone in the water by 7am. 2 loop swim course. Between loop 1 and 2, athletes had to exit the water, run across the beach & re-enter the water. Photo source: Ironman Lake Placid Facebook Page (I don’t think this is the 2018 start).

A couple things about the swim. I don’t want to scare anyone but I think its important to address. Mirror Lake is possibly the best water I’ve ever swam. Until race day. The water was still awesome but the athletes were VERY aggressive. I was at the back of the 1:11-1:20 group. I thought I’d swim about 1:20. I swam a 1:16. Maybe I should have been in the middle of this group, instead of at the back, but it shouldn’t have mattered much. The people around me beat the crap out of me. Plus we were constantly passing swimmers who had started ahead of us, and who really wanted to swim the line. It was total carnage. I heard of people being punched (purposely), I head of lifeguards threatening to pull swimmers who were being too aggressive. I saw swimmers hanging onto boats & rafts before we even got a couple buoys into the swim. I saw a green swim cap on the bottom of the lake and am guessing the poor soul’s goggles were under the water, somewhere near the cap. It was rough. I erroneously assumed that if I held my line (which wasn’t even on “the line”) then I’d have clear water on the 2nd loop. Well, I didn’t. And it was worse cuz then we were passing the slower swimmers. I gave up my position and navigated myself out of the way. I lost 2+ minutes on that 2nd loop, I’m kinda mad about that. But maybe it was the right thing. The swim is supposed to be the easy part. Relaxing. Fun. I was just mad and felt like I should have taken boxing classes to prepare. IF by chance you are not a strong swimmer, please swim very wide to avoid the crunch. Apparently the swim gets crazy like this every year due to overcrowding. My friend said she swam wide and was fine. So take note, swim wide.

Out of the water. Run maybe 3 blocks to transition. Grab Bike bag. Go to changing tent. Volunteers may be available to help you get changed. When I was there, the tent was full and the volunteers were busy. I got ready by myself, then ran out of the tent with my bike bag. Wrong. Don’t do that. Thankfully a kind volunteer outside the tent offered to take it for me! Run thru transition toward bike. Yell out bike number. Volunteer gets your bike & brings it to the end of the rack. Run bike out of transition. Mount bike at Bike Mount Line. Transition 1 – 7:25.

On the bike. Yikes. Here come the mountains. And the rain. Hello rain. Pelting rain. Off for 2 loops – 112 miles total. According to Ironman, each loop had approximately 4,182 feet of climbing, so total climbing on both loops = 8,364 feet.

This was my weakest area. I knew it. I’m a poor climber. I rode every hill in my area, many, many times. But nothing can compare. I suffered. I didn’t go fast. I couldn’t go fast.

Downhill out of Lake Placid. Toward the Olympic Ski Jumps, then the Keene Descent. The infamous Keene Descent, which consisted of the majority of our descending for the entire loop, was something I was actually looking forward to but the pelting rain, and crazy winds took the fun out of it. I’m a good downhill rider but I was upright, holding on for dear life, hoping the wind wouldn’t blow my wheels off the road surface. Upper Jay. Wilmington. Out and back on Haselton. Yay, got to see the family on Haselton because we stayed out that way! Hello family! Goodbye family! Thru Wilmington toward Whiteface Mountain. Turn on 86. Detour thru the Whiteface Mountain Ski area. Back on 86. Goldilocks “hill”. Momma Bear hill. Baby Bear hill. Papa Bear hill. Just finished the “3 Bears” which wasn’t near as bad as some of the other “unnamed” hills. Big hill up Northwood Road, back into Lake Placid. Pass Lake Placid Lake. On to loop 2.

Aid stations on the bike were every 10-12 miles. Water, Gatorade, potties, bananas, oranges, Cliff products. Medical support was usually in this area too. Roads & intersections where we had turns were staffed by police or volunteers. Some spectator support interspersed along the course.

It’s a tough bike course. Also breathtakingly beautiful. This was one of my favorite areas going toward Keene. My friend Elina G took this photo. The entire area is amazing and definitely helped pass the time on the bike. And I was on the bike forever. 7 hrs & 35 minutes, which was 35 minutes longer than I had even predicted.

But I finally got my axx over the 3 Bears on the final loop and was headed back toward transition. I cried a few tears. It was about a minute of ugly cry. I was so grateful to be headed toward my run shoes. I wasn’t unduly chafed. I wasn’t hurting. I was just ready to get off the bike.

Rolled up to T2. Dismounted at the Bike Dismount line. Volunteers took my bike. I walked to my Run bag. Walked to the changing tent. I was barefoot and there were a lot of rocks. And I was tired. Into the changing tent a volunteer helped me with sunscreen and getting ready to run. She filled my bottle and mixed my Tailwind. Then I was off & running. Yes, finally! Lake Placid was my 50th marathon so it was a bit of a celebratory run for me. T2 – 5:23

Two loop run course. 26.2 miles total. Out & back course so I got to see all my friends multiple times. Run out of town was awesome. Downhill, my favorite!! Saw Leslie B spectating. She got this photo! Thank you!

Lots of people spectating, drinking and having a huge party along the run course. Past the crowds, past the Olympic Ski Jump, out toward River Road. Quiet, peaceful. Nice views. Some hills. Ironman listed elevation as 1,604 per loop. So that was a total climb of 3,208 ft. To be honest, it didn’t seem that bad to me. But then maybe I was just THAT happy to be off the bike. There were some hills, yes. Some big ones. I would run part of the hill, then walk the rest of the way up. My general strategy was run to the aid station. Aid stations were every mile. Walk THRU the aid station and make sure I got enough ice, water, coke, oranges, etc. I really was in survival mode. Keep moving. Keep the sugar going in to avoid low blood sugar. I had a couple twinges in my quads while running. Each time, I stopped immediately and took some salt capsules. I was very focused on what my body needed to keep moving. That was all that mattered. I knew the finish would eventually present itself IF I just kept moving.

Run was finally coming to an end. That 2nd loop was a bit of a celebration for me. And then once I got back to the big climb to get back into town, I was just happy knowing I was almost done. I walked up the giant hill. With all the spectators yelling and cheering. Turned the corner for more climbing. All while walking. Then everything flattened out for a tiny out and back along Mirror Lake Drive. Then into the Olympic Oval for the finish. I was really cruising at this point. I know everyone says to “take it all in” and not go too fast at the finish but I really just wanted to be finished. I passed a lot of people on the carpet toward the finish. I did have to slow at the finish because of a lady in front of me. I knew I could pass her but then I knew she would probably be upset because she might not get her moment. So I slowed up but then finally was finished. Done, Done, DONE!!! Yes!! That’s me in the back with my hands up as Mike Reilly called my name.

And just like that I’m an Ironman! 5:00 marathon for #50. New York was my 30th state too in my quest to run a marathon in all 50 states. I’m an Ironman. A dream that was 9+ years in the making. 14 hrs & 5 minutes was my official time for the full day.

Lots of SWAG:

Ironman Lake Placid is a great race. This was the 20th anniversary and they have a rich tradition with Ironman. I liked the race a lot. Its difficult to set up a race of 140.6 miles and have things go pretty smoothly. And I think overall the process from start to finish was smooth. There were 2092 finishers and many who were not able to finish for a variety of reasons. The distance is not something to take lightly. It takes something more than being fit and a good training cycle to finish something like this. It takes heart & courage. And luck. There are so many things that can go wrong that have nothing to do with the athlete or their preparation. I’m very thankful that I was able to finish something like this.

The training cycle for the 140.6 distance is long. And not so fun. I was very thankful my friend Julie M was going thru this at the same time because she was my sounding board or “complaint department” when I was tired or grumpy or frustrated or just needed to talk. Thanks, Julie for ALWAYS being there. So happy that we took this journey together, even if we took different paths to get to the finish line! Julie M YOU ARE AN IRONMAN! Congrats, girl! So proud of you!!!

And that’s a wrap! Thanks to hubby for managing the house/dogs while I was training and racing this cycle. Thanks to mom for coming on the trip with me and managing the kids when Julie & I were out and about doing Ironman things. Thanks to Julie’s hubby, Joe for all he did for us in Lake Placid: getting our bikes, entertaining the kids, driving the parents/kids to the finish. Thanks to my coach Diana S for dealing with my hectic schedule and putting together a plan to get me to the finish without blowing me up before I got to the race. Thanks to the Masters Swim coaches (Dave & Bill) at Jorgensen YMCA in Ft Wayne IN for making me a decent swimmer who can apparently take a beating. And lastly, thanks to Ron K from FNA Outdoors in New Lenox IL for keeping me rocking & rolling on the bike for the last 5+ years. Nobody can be an Ironman without an awesome bike … that also works great!

Thanks to YOU for reading this long report. And if you made it this far, you might be wondering if I’ll be doing anymore Ironman races. If you talked to me while I was training, I for sure said “one & done”. Yeah, well, I think I’m going to go to Louisville next year with some friends. So yeah, I think I’ll do it again. I have a few months to change my mind but I’ll probably sign up for Ironman Louisville, October 2019.

Next up: Dam to Dam Century Ride in Wabash IN (9/9/18) and the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon (11/3/18).

** Happy Racing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Grand Rapids Triathlon 70.3 & The USAT Athena/Clydesdale National Championship – 2018

Posted on June 21, 2018 by tootallfritz

The Grand Rapids Triathlon is held the 2nd weekend of June in Grand Rapids, MI. This year, the race was on June 10, 2018. The GR TRI has also been the host of the Athena/Clydesdale National Championship race for the last several years.

What’s an Athena? An Athena or Clydesdale is a classification by USAT (USA Triathlon) that is defined by the weight of the athlete. The athlete must be 165(+) lbs as a woman, or 225(+) for a man. This type of classification is not found in all triathlon races. Ironman races will NOT have an Athena/Clydesdale division. Most other “non-branded” triathlons will follow USAT guidelines and offer it as an option. If you are an athlete who meets the weight requirements you get to CHOOSE if you want to race in that division. Its not a requirement. You may race your normal age group, if you want. If you choose to race Athena/Clydesdale, you are pulled out of your normal age group and added to the Athena division for which you qualify. For Nationals, the divisions were: 39 & Under, 40-59 and 60+.

Is there an advantage to racing the Athena division? Depends on the race. This can be a very competitive group of athletes. Just because an athlete is 165 lbs or more, does not mean they are not fast. We all come in a different package. We have different strengths & weaknesses. We are individuals. I think options are good. Over the last 10+ years, I’ve seen so many of the non-branded races disappear and get gobbled up by the big dogs. I like to support non-branded races so that we have more options. As a result, I felt like it was also important to support the Athena/Clydesdale division at Nationals because if we don’t race that division, it too will disappear. So, I raced Athena at the USAT National Championships in Grand Rapids. Race Review below. Feel free to discuss your opinion on the Athena/Clydesdales division in the comments. I know its controversial and I’d love to hear your opinion.

Grand Rapids Triathlon Race Review

I needed an early season 70.3 this year to prep for IM Lake Placid in July. The early season race that I did a couple years ago (Cutting Edge Half Triathlon 70.3 in Effingham, IL) was no longer in operation. My options were Grand Rapids or the IM 70.3 Wisconsin in Madison. Grand Rapids was closer. Non-branded. Cheaper. And home of the 2018 Athena/Clydesdales National Championships. It was an easy decision for me to try Grand Rapids and I am so glad I did!

It was a 2.5 hour drive to Grand Rapids from the Ft Wayne, IN area. Straight to packet pick-up. Plenty of free parking. Decent sized expo. Several vendors. Organized packet pick up & race meeting. Lots of SWAG. Race number tattoos!! Plus a separate area for the Athena/Clydesdale athletes to go for packet pick up and weigh in. Yes, we all had to weigh in to participate in the championships. Since my predominant distance is the 70.3, there aren’t a lot of non-branded races that offer that distance. Therefore, I race Ironman more often than not. In Ironman, as mentioned above, there is NOT an Athena division. So I haven’t had much opportunity to race this division. I was not surprised that I had to weigh in but I was surprised that they had the scales behind a privacy screen. Everything was very nicely done & respectful in regards to recording our weight. If we did not weigh in at least 5 lbs over the minimum (170(+) at the expo), then we would have to reweigh on race morning, in our race kit. Shoes off for the weigh in! They were very determined to make sure that everyone met the weight requirement. Not an issue for me. I did not have to reweigh on race morning. Smile Photo below from GR TRI Facebook page – if you are one of these lovely ladies in this picture, let me know so I can tag you!

Race morning. There were various parking areas around the race site in Ada, MI. We parked at the Amway Headquarters, then put our transition bags on our back and rode to the race site. Maybe a mile or so. The other option was walking or being dropped off, if you had spectators/shepras. Spectators could take a shuttle but no bikes on the shuttles! We did ride to the race site in the dark but it was drama free on closed roads which were partially lit. The weather was cool & overcast. And there was nothing but smooth water looking out at the inlet of the Thornapple River where we would be swimming.

Transition was LONG and narrow. Very long. The 70.3 athletes were positioned closest to the “bike out”. Good news for us. Transition spaces were not marked individually, just a series of numbers per rack. First come, best spot! I got an end spot! Leslie B’s mom got a picture of a few of us setting up transition. I’m in the rear right of the photo, my side/back is to the camera. I’m in a navy & orange kit.

Team Stella Fly got this photo below of transition, from the front. I was down the line much further, past the yellow port-o-potty. This might be 1/3 of transition. Maybe. I was WAY past the potties. But great shot!

Swim started at 7am sharp. 1.2 miles. The Athenas & Clydesdales were in the first wave and we had fresh, calm water ahead of us!! Of course, it didn’t take long for the 2nd wave to catch up but it was still nice. 5 minutes between each wave. Start is below (from the GR TRI Facebook page):

Heading toward a yellow buoy hidden by the trees. Maybe I’m in there somewhere? Photo courtesy of GR TRI Facebook page.

Out of the water in record time (for me!!), even though I swam a little extra. Smile Straight to the wetsuit strippers. Such a nice perk! I love races with wetsuit strippers. Since I hurt my back a couple years ago, getting in and particularly OUT of my wetsuit is a real challenge. The “strippers” really help me so much!! Thank you!!!!

Long dash to transition, then THRU transition. Trying not to crash into anyone from the shorter races who were leisurely walking thru the area before their races. Heart rate was definitely up by the time I got to my spot! Wetsuit & swim cap down. Goggles …..ooops, lost my goggles somewhere. Helmet on. Glasses. Shoes. Go, go, GO! Out of transition. Bike mount line. Plenty of room but its always important to focus on getting on the bike, clipping in correctly and not rushing too much and hurting yourself or anyone else. I’ve seen so many accidents on or around the bike mount line over the years. And the people who do the flying mounts, well …. good luck, I’m just going to move to the side and safely mount my bike. I’m not “flying” anywhere. Winking smile

Bike course is an out and back. 56 miles. Lots of volunteers. Most roads had police or volunteers to direct traffic. Thank you!!! A few hills. 2 aid stations (that we hit 2x). Headwind going out. Tailwind coming home. 6 miles of VERY rough road at the turnaround. OUCH.

Slow first half. Faster 2nd half. My legs were toast the entire time. Quads were BURNING. I had a poor bike split. Whether my back is to blame. Or my training volume for Lake Placid. Or maybe something was just off, not really sure, but it was a tough day on the bike. I wasn’t 1/3 of the way into it and both feet were numb & my left hip/glute/hamstring were screaming at me. I had to be VERY careful when I dismounted my bike and ran back into transition on numb feet. I was wondering how long the feet would stay numb. It was a very odd sensation, one I haven’t had before, but alas it passed once I put on my run shoes & got going. So thankful! Awesome volunteers below as we were approaching T2. Pic courtesy of the GR TRI Facebook page. I just love FB, don’t you?!?!

I hustled thru T2 as much as possible with numb feet, dodging people who weren’t in as big of a hurry as myself. But it wasn’t horrible. Bike back on rack. Helmet, glasses off. Shoes on, slowly cuz well, my feet where NUMB. WTHeck?!? Race belt. Visor, no, I don’t need the visor today. Go, go, GO!

Out of T2 & onto the run. Thank the good Lord, I’m off that damn bike. I have a love hate relationship with the bike. I love my bike. Its good to me. It’s a great bike. I just want to be better. A lot better. And I don’t really understand why its so freaking hard for me?!?! But I’m running now. 2 loops. Out and back course. Aid stations every 1.5 miles. 4 total aid stations on course, which we passed 2x. Lots of support out there. Lots of food. Ice. Water. Coca Cola. 2 hills, which we passed 2x.

I like loop and out/back type courses specifically when I have friends racing. I did get to see several people on the run, some I saw 2x. I was motivated to not let one of my fast teammates pass me on the run. So I did push a bit faster than I probably would have normally, just trying to get around that first loop before he passed me to finish. I made it. Whew! Overall a great day. It was overcast most of the day which helps me a lot. I melt in the heat. It wasn’t cool but it wasn’t hot. And I had the overcast skies on my side.

Overall, I thought Grand Rapids was a top notch race. I’ll definitely go back. I was impressed. Great area. Well organized. Lots of support and volunteers. Vendors. Lower fees than branded races. GREAT swag! And I was fortunate to be part of the Clydesdale & Athena National Championships where I placed 2nd in my division! WhooHooooo!

SWAG – Race Tank, Finishers Visor, Event poster, Athena/Clydesdale National Championship water bottle, Quench Gum, HexArmor Cold Rush cooling towel, plus a few other things from the expo. See photo below.

2nd place Athena – 40-59 Division. Me, Leslie B & Nikki W on the podium. My friend Andé from IL, also got 2nd (with a MUCH faster time) in the 39 & Under Division. Great to see old friends & make some new ones!

Up close. Green medal is the finishers medal for the GR 70.3 with the Clydesdale/Athena National Championship lanyard. USAT medal for placing top 3 in the National Championships. 2nd place plaque for my division from GR TRI.

The Grand Rapids Triathlon is partnered with MI Titanium. They offer a Double Down Challenge for anyone who does both races. I guess I’m headed to MI Titanium now on August 19th. Gotta get that Double Down medal and check out the MI Titanium race. I’ve heard great things and am looking forward to another race with this group. Hope to see you there! Like Grand Rapids TRI, there are a lot of distances & options to choose from, even Aquabike & Duathlon if you don’t like to swim! See you in August!

Next up: Ironman Lake Placid on July 22, 2018.

Happy TRIing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Muncie May Triathlon – Muncie, IN

Posted on May 23, 2018 by tootallfritz

It can be a bit challenging to find an early season triathlon that gives you everything you want and more! I registered for the Muncie May Triathlon this year after my beloved Pokagon Triathlon was discontinued. This race is put on by American Multisport & is in Muncie, IN. This group puts on several triathlons throughout the year, of varying distances, with races taking place at the Prairie Creek Reservoir. This is the same location as the IM 70.3 Muncie event that is held each year in July. Great way to check out the venue in a low key setting.

The Muncie May event is in mid May, May 12th for 2018 and May 18th for 2019. One of the first open water events in the Midwest. However, the Prairie Creek Reservoir is on the shallow side so the water heats up quickly with a few nice days. The race this year was wetsuit legal with water temp around 63 degrees. That being said, many events at the reservoir are NOT wetsuit legal, so watch for current info on their website & Facebook page.

So what’s the scoop on this race?!?!

The Muncie May TRI is a great event for athletes of varying abilities. They offer an Olympic distance, Oly relay, Sprint, Sprint Relay, Super Sprint, Duathlon, Du Relay, Sprint Du, Sprint Du relay, & Aquabike. That’s a lot of options and I hope I didn’t miss anything!

Race starts at 9am with a race day packet pickup option. Therefore, you can easily drive in the morning of the event if you are within 3 hours of Muncie. Packet pick-up was easy & quick. Body marking on site. Practice swim area open and available to those who want it. And the water is usually pretty calm.

Small intimate venue at Prairie Creek Reservoir. Indoor bathrooms & showers. On site parking. If you’ve only been to the Reservoir for the IM event, then go back for an American Multisport event. Totally different atmosphere. Small parking area. Small transition area. Very low key race at the same great venue.

Races start at 9am. Super sprint first, then sprint, then Olympic. I did the Olympic and the times estimates were a bit off as to when we got in the water. They waited for everyone in the previous category to get out of the water before the next group got started. Safety first! Then we self seeded and got into the water in pairs. Very easy. No drama. No fighting. Nobody swam over the top of me.

Once we hit the water, it was noticeably rough on this particular day. The wind was really blowing and the current in the water was pushing us off course a bit. Tougher swim that usual at this venue. The swim was counter clockwise too, opposite direction of the IM event. 1.5K swim for the Olympic, which is 1600 yds. I swam 1800 though just for fun, or maybe I had trouble staying on course with the wind & waves. Smile

Once out of the water, there was a short run to transition. Small transition but it wasn’t chaotic. Smooth sailing in and out. Then on to the bike course which had some new pavement! Olympic distance was a 2 loop bike course. The wind which gave us some hassle in the swim was in full force on the bike. Yes! Love a challenge, right? A few tiny hills but only 577 ft of ascent on the two loops and a total of 25.3 miles.

Back to transition for T2. Just as easy as T1. Not crowded. Easy in and out. On to the run which was an out and back course for the 10K. Same route as the IM event in July. Small rolling hills. 213 ft of elevation gain for the 10K. Warm. Its always warm. There is a bit of shade on the back side of the out/back but overall, its usually sunny in this area. Make sure to not forget a hat or visor. This venue is good about having ice due to its notoriously warm runs. So ask for ice, even if you don’t see it out. I did and they did have some in coolers. Took me an extra minute at a couple of the aid stations but it was worth it because I heat up fast.

Overall a GREAT race. I’ll definitely be back. Registration is open for 2019 and I’m considering registering early for that event. I’m also looking at my calendar to see if I can fit in another American Multisport event before the year is out. Lots to choose from between now & September. And bottom line, if we like our “non-branded” events, we need to support them by showing up and racing so they stick around for years to come. Too many great races have been discontinued because of lack of participation! So let’s race American Multisport!!

Other than a great race, they also provide great SWAG. See below for the pullover & finishers medal. I’m wearing the pullover right now. Lightweight & perfect!

My next race is the Grand Rapids TRI. Another “non-branded” event. Sprint, Oly, 70.3 & Aquabike in each distance. Still time to register! Race is on June 10th. Hope to see you there!!

** Give it a TRI ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Dam to Dam Century Ride – Wabash, IN

Posted on September 14, 2017 by tootallfritz

Sunday, I rode my first Dam to Dam Century Ride in Wabash, IN. It wasn’t only my first D2D but also my first EVER century ride. I had zero expectations. My plan was to show up, ride & finish. Mission accomplished.

Easy drive to Wabash, IN which is about 80 minutes from my house. The start/finish & packet pickup were at the local YMCA, plenty of parking and space for the riders. Packet pick up and breakfast was in the gym. Well organized. Fast. We all received a wristband with a number to call in case we had issues with the ride, our bikes or needed help. It was a nice touch and one that I certainly appreciated. I’ve done several organized rides but never one where I felt confident that if I had a problem, someone would actually be able to help.

I started with the 7:30am crew. We hit the course early, while the main group started at 8am. I was happy to get moving. It was cold, low 40s. Plus, I knew that riding 100 miles would take me just short of forever. Might as well get started! We left the Y and started weaving thru Wabash. I immediately noticed 3 things. 1) Holy Hills. We were climbing before our saddles even got warm. 2) The course was well marked with directional arrows BEFORE the intersection where we would need to turn. 3) I would be riding 104 miles NOT 100 miles. Small detail but something I noticed immediately.

It was a beautiful morning. Cool. Foggy. Breathtaking views. I was happy to be out. Happy to be riding. Happy to be tackling something that had been on my bucket list for several years. Even stopped for a few pictures.

And a selfie! Thanks to Ron at FNA Outdoors for helping me out again this year. Great guy. Great bike shop. Cool gear. Awesome bike.

I rode the 104 mile route. Aid stations were located about every 20 miles. Closer in some spots but never further. The aid stations reminded me of ultra running. Food, food & more food. Pic below of the first aid station. Trail mix, PB&J, cookies, water, Gatorade, tomato juice, pickles, bacon, chips, etc. Every aid station had different food items, but the food was always plentiful. If you like ultra/trail runs because of the food, you’ll love century rides!

Best part of the day, in my opinion, a field of sunflowers. So many. Sunflowers as far as the eyes could see. I took this while riding and am thankful it wasn’t blurry!

We rode thru the countryside, across several bridges & dams. Thru the Salamonie Reservoir & State Park. Red Bridge State Recreation area. Mississinewa Reservoir. Past the Stockdale Mill.

Once I hit Stockdale, mile 64, I was pretty flat. I had 3 weeks of building for marathon training & also 3 weeks of building on the bike to be ready for the century. I was starting to feel it. I wasn’t exhausted but definitely tired & I had been riding solo for about 10 miles without seeing many other riders.

After Stockdale, things went downhill fast, mentally. I was alone. Fighting some heavy winds. Mentally breaking down. I knew it was a mental thing but that didn’t help me get thru it any faster. From Stockdale to North Manchester, it was a real slog. As soon as I hit the city limits of North Manchester, a big pack of cyclists passed me. Then we all hit the aid station at mile 82 together. Riders kept pouring into that aid station while I was there. Obviously, I hadn’t been out there alone. I sat for a few minutes, ate 2 brownies, hit the potty, texted a friend that I was on the brink of the “ugly cry”. Then rolled out, about the same time as 10 other riders. 8 disappeared immediately. 2 were in my sights. I was not alone. So I tried to keep those 2 gentlemen in sight. Helped me focus. Rolled down the miles a lot faster just knowing someone was close. Passed thru Largo, then back to Wabash. We were directed onto a bike path for a short stint. I was alone again but it was very pretty.

Then I made my only directional mistake of the day once I got off the path. I misinterpreted an arrow. I crossed the road and started a huge climb up a very ugly hill. Then I was in a busy part of town. Then I noticed there weren’t any more arrows. I messed up. Thanks to Google Maps, I found my way back to the YMCA. 107 miles total. Just shy of 7 hours on the bike. Wow. Longest. Ride. Ever.

Overall, I was very impressed with D2D. I’d definitely go back and ride it again. I’d like to be able to do it as an annual event. It wasn’t super close to home but manageable. And it was just a good event from start to finish. Great directional info, signs, and volunteers. The aid stations were on point with lots of goodies. I loved that they were pretty close together, especially when I started to struggle, it helped to know I only had to make it to the next aid station. The majority of the roads were decent too, which I appreciate. Great experience, I hope to return next year.

** Happy Running, Riding OR Whatever YOU Enjoy ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Ironman 70.3 Ohio Race Review

Posted on August 1, 2017 by tootallfritz

Ironman 70.3 Ohio is in its infancy and I think we all want to know what kind of race Ironman is delivering in Ohio. I was interested to see how it compared to other 70.3 events in the Midwest. I was also interested to see what Delaware, OH had to offer.

Delaware was about 2.5 hours away from my home in the Ft Wayne, Indiana area. I was flying solo for this trip so packed & pulled out as soon as I could get Mr. Michael over to hang out with my parents. Minivan/Bike selfie for the win! Love being a minivan mom! When I’m old & wrinkly I’ll probably still be driving one around cuz my bike REALLY likes riding inside. Smile

3 hours later, I pulled into Delaware, OH. Home of Ohio Wesleyan University. Easy enough drive. Cute town. Beautiful church in the downtown area . Typical small college town with a main street area lined with shops & restaurants.

The expo was on the Selby Stadium campus. Big merchandise tent with A LOT of IM 70.3 Ohio stuff. The merchandise tent was much bigger than Muncie & was larger than what I usually see at Steelhead too. Not sure why, but it was impressive & I’ve done quite a few IM 70.3s. Smallish expo otherwise but the highlight was free sunscreen from Ohio Health, then both NormaTec & Rapid Reboot had recovery boots for people to try. I’m part of the Best TRI Club Ever (BTCE) & we get a discount with Rapid Reboot so I was happy to try out a pair of those to see how they compared. LOVED them!!! I think they would be great for Aby & I to help with recovery. Maybe Santa could bring a pair for us to share?!?!?!

Saw one of my BTCE teammates at the expo & we got to hang out, drop our run bags together, then we eventually did dinner. Thanks, Laura!

What makes IM 70.3 Ohio slightly different than most 70.3s in the Midwest would be multiple transition zones. Transition 1 was by Delaware Lake at Delaware State Park. Transition 2 was inside Selby Stadium. Below.

Hard to see all the bike racks because they are sitting on the white lines. We had to pack our run bags the day before & drop in our T2 spot so that we would have what we needed when we brought our bikes in for the run. Those bags are the red spots you see on the white lines.

Then after we dropped our run bags, we headed 6 miles away to Delaware State Park to drop our bikes in T1. I didn’t love this but it was mandatory due to very little parking at the park & a need to shuttle athletes in on race morning. Last year, there was a tornado that touched down in the park overnight while the bikes were in transition. Yes, that was definitely in the back of my head.

Race day started bright and early as we all needed to board a school bus to be shuttled to the swim venue. We were able to park in 2 different locations. I picked the one closest to T2 since I would need to get my bike & all my gear (sans transition bag) back to my car solo. My parking area was about 0.6 mi from Selby Stadium.

Good news was delivered via Facebook right before we boarded the shuttle. Wetsuit legal! We boarded buses. As soon as a bus was full, it would leave. Lots of buses. I didn’t have to wait at all. Easy ride to the venue. We were dropped near transition. Went thru body marking. Then finally had access to our bikes again. Everything looked fine, just damp with dew. Biggest challenge was pumping tires when we couldn’t carry in a pump unless someone we knew could carry it back out for us. We were not returning to T1 after we left on our bikes & there wasn’t room in our bike bags for an air pump. Luckily, someone loved the lady beside me & she had her tire pump in transition. She was kind enough to share with me! Much appreciated!

I set up my spot and prepared my bike bag for when I returned for the swim. Everything from our swim needed to go INSIDE our bike bag & then volunteers collected the bags & transported our swim & morning stuff to the T2 area for us to retrieve after the race. Quick picture with Laura before we left our phones in the bike bag. Then out of transition by 6:45a when it closed.

Our swim waves were at 8:04 & 8:08a. Long wait. I was definitely stiff, tired & ready by the time my wave went off. The lake water the day before was a bit choppy but smooth by race morning. We waded into the water & treaded water as we waited for the start. 4 minutes between waves. Seemed like we swam somewhat parallel to shore to start but according to the map, we swam in a triangle. First segment to the red turn buoy was 500m, then a long 800m stretch into the sun. I don’t think any of us would have hit those last 2 buoys on the long side without help from the guards. The sun was in our eyes & we could see buoys over on the other side but not the ones “in front” of us. I kept hearing the guards yell, “swim right, swim right”. Finally we made it to the final turn buoy for a 600m kick to shore. It was kinda carnage. We could see again but the course narrowed, basically there were more swimmers & the guards were in closer to the buoys so it seemed like we didn’t have much room to swim. The people in front of us who were struggling were just lounging, kinda stopped in the water. Or going very slow. The people behind us were trying to swim over us to get out of the water. I got smacked in the head & my goggles were dislodged but I didn’t lose them. The gentleman was very nice about it but I couldn’t get my goggles to reseal after that. Oh well, just keep swimming, right?

Finally out of the water. Almost an identical swim split as Muncie even though I felt like I did better. It seems like the harder I try and the MORE I want to do better, the slower I go. Is that even possible? The mysteries of the swim elude me!

On the bike. Splitting headache & nausea the first 22 miles. Maybe that guy hit me harder than I thought? After some ibuprofen & pepto, I was good to go, just in time to turn out of the wind. Smile First half of the course was super easy, very few turns. Good roads & we were frequently separated from the cars by traffic cones. Last 20+ miles had a lot more turns & the “where are we going now” feeling. I wouldn’t call this a particularly fast course because of the number of turns toward the end. And the roads were open. So we had cars to deal with the majority of the time. There were several times that the riders were having to wait on cars, or a car would pass us, then have to slow because they couldn’t get around the next group of riders and we’d have to brake to keep from running into the cars in front of us. Traffic got increasing more congested as we were nearing town for T2. So as we were navigating the course & all the turns at the end, we were also fighting real traffic. Very unsafe at times.

Hit the ground running at the dismount line, onto the track around the football field, onto the astro turf for transition. HOT. The astro turf was burning hot on my bare feet. I fortunately wasn’t too far into the rack for T2. So I grabbed my run bag (that had been sitting since the previous day) & realized that my shoes were burning hot too. Fun. It was upper 80s probably by the time we got off the bike. Quick T2 cuz well, I wanted to get away from the astro turf.

Onto the run. Two loops. Still hot. Some breeze. Some shade. A few nice people who brought out water to spray on us or splash us. One spot where kids with giant water guns were having fun spraying us. However, the aid stations weren’t as prepared for the heat as most IM events which I have done in the past. There was ice in maybe 3 or 4 spots over the 13.1 miles. What little ice they did have would go fast & I didn’t get any on the second loop until I was headed back to the stadium with about a mile to go. It made me feel really bad for those behind me.

Great volunteers on the run course. No vehicular traffic that I remember. Varied elevation but mostly flat with a few small hills.

Finish. The sweet finish. We ran back into Selby Stadium. Did a partial lap around the track & we were done. Yes!!! Nice finish. I went to pick up my morning/bike bag. Hands were full! Then I went to the food tent. They were grilling hamburgers & chicken but it was gone when I got there & they were waiting for more. I didn’t feel like waiting. Went to T2 to get my bike & the rest of my gear. Quite the balancing act getting the bike & all the gear back to the car without my transition bag. If I had thought about it, I should have left my transition bag inside my run bag so it was there when I was ready to pack everything up at the end of the race! Or maybe another backpack. That would have been helpful.

Overall a good race. Nice venue at OH Wesleyan. The two transition locations was not ideal for me but I still enjoyed the race. Volunteers, police & spectators were great as usual. Plenty of SWAG, pictured below.

Thanks to Delaware OH for letting us invade your town. Great hospitality.

** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Ironman 70.3 Muncie – 2017 Edition

Posted on July 12, 2017 by tootallfritz

Saturday brought the 2017 edition of the Ironman 70.3 Muncie event in Muncie, IN. My third time participating. I must say I’m not even sure why I signed up because my first and second experiences at Muncie were less than stellar (torn tendon in my foot in 2012 & ruptured discs in my back + a broken bike in 2016). But several of my friends were going. Peer pressure? No. Its just more fun to race with friends. So I signed up with mixed emotions. Spoiler Alert: Muncie delivered a good race for all of us!

Muncie is a Saturday event. So we went down Friday afternoon to get our packets. It rained the entire drive. Some thunder. Some lightening. Lots of rain. We got to the venue. It was REALLY muddy but not raining. We parked pretty far away and hiked in so that I had a chance of not getting stuck. Quick check of the water to see that the buoys were out and the water was calm. Pretty normal for Muncie. The swim is in the Prairie Creek Reservoir, so warm water without much chop is the norm.

Packet pickup was smooth & easy, as are all Ironman events that I’ve ever done. Packet, check. Event bag, check. Race shirt, check. Activate chip, check. Then we hit the mandatory pre-race meeting and had a hard time paying attention because the skies were turning black and a new storm was rolling into the venue. We ended up cutting the meeting short & hiking back to the car, just in time to pull out as the thundering rains came down. Rain. Thunder. Lightening. Hail. Downed trees. Tornado sirens. This went on for hours & Ironman ended up shutting down packet pick with a plan to resume early before the race start on Saturday morning.

Opening packet pick up early, really affected all of us, not just those who didn’t have their packets. Although transition didn’t open until 5a, they were opening the venue at 4a for packet pick-up. Since the venue was really muddy before the big storm on Friday night, there was an extra level of anxiety for some of us, okay ME, that we would struggle with parking and/or get stuck getting parked or getting out to go home! Although many people did get stuck on Saturday morning, the boy scouts were helping push people out. And we parked further back, where there was less traffic and we got in pretty easily on race morning.

Transition closed at 6:45 since the first swim wave started at 7a. We left our shoes, grabbed our swim gear and wetsuits. The bonus of a stormy Friday was wetsuit legal temps on race day! First workout of the day, wiggling into our wetsuits! Then my wave took off at 7:45a. Get ready to swim, bike & run!!!

Swim started with five minutes between each wave. But it was a madhouse as usual. 128 ladies in my division/swim wave. I was pretty much right in the thick of it when I would have preferred to be swimming alone. I breathe bilaterally, which works in my favor cuz I can see who is trying to beat the crap out of me on both sides. I’m not a fast swimmer but I can swim a long time. I don’t need to start at the front but if I start too far back, I get trapped. Placing myself in the swim is never fun and I never seem to put myself in the right spot. I held my own with the fist swimming ladies in my age group. Let the fasties go, and we started swimming up on the wave in front of us pretty quickly. That’s when things get dicey. We got to them about the same time the fasties in the age group behind us got to us. Lots of extra traffic. But I was just swimming from buoy to buoy & looking at all the kayaker lifeguards to see if any of them were my friend Sheryl. Didn’t see her. Sad smile

Swim course was set up like an inverted triangle with 2 long sides and a short “leg” in between.

As we swam around the second turn buoy, heading back to shore in the final leg of the swim, the sun was in our eyes. So blinding. I’ve done this race 2 other times but the sun seemed so much brighter this time. I couldn’t see the buoys at all. Had to stop several time to see if I was on track. This last leg should have been where I picked it up but I didn’t since I couldn’t see. In fact, I was so blinded that about half way thru that final leg, I swam up on a gentlemen from one of the waves in front of me. Scared the poo out of me. I froze, popped my head up & apologized. Well, I must have really tightened up when I hit him because my left calf cramped & I was dead in the water. Quite literally. Clutching my cramped calf in one hand, trying to swim with one hand out of the way of all the bazillion swimmers who were fighting to get around me once I stopped. Not fun. I couldn’t get the cramp to pass & was trying to massage it in the water. Hundreds of people passed me as I was sidelined & then I was eventually able to start swimming again & get out of the water. Yes! Victory. Back on land. Better yet, there were wetsuit strippers!! Life savers because with my back in its current state of disrepair, I really struggle getting out of my wetsuit. Super thankful for the lady that helped me & helped pull me back up off the ground since I was struggling there too!

Muddy run/walk up to transition. Found my bike. My friend Sara got out of water at the same time as me and was particularly speedy. I felt dull in transition, like I didn’t know what to do. How many times have I done this?!?!?. Put down my swim stuff. Thanked the Big Man (once again) for my end spot in transition. Put on my bike glasses. Sprayed myself with sunscreen, put on bike shoes. Grabbed my helmet. Started to open a bottle of water but realized I would have plenty of time to drink on the bike. Go, Go, Go!! And Sara zipped by me at this point as I was getting my bike off the rack. Side note: I always struggle getting my bike off the rack because my bike is so much bigger than most. I have to tilt it sideways to get it in and out and be careful to not mess up anyone else’s transition area. I also have to be careful to not lose my nutrition in the process. Not graceful. Not fast. But at last I’m rolling.

Jogging out of T1 with my bike, hop over the giant river of mud to the road, roll to the Mount Line. Hoping there isn’t a lot of mud stuck in my bike cleats to prevent them from clipping. Finally I’m clipped in and rolling. Slowly. Everyone is flying past me. My legs feel heavy. I wonder what the day will bring and if my legs will shake out. I’ve felt nothing but heavy & fatigued on the bike for about a year now. Ever since I ruptured 2 discs in my back last summer. But recently, I had been feeling better. Then I had 2 really bad rides the week of the race after vacation. Maybe I’m not getting better? Maybe it was wishful thinking? Hmmmm, only time will tell.

Rolling. I knew I had about 6 miles of rougher type roads before we hit the main drag where we would loop 2x. I just settled in, took in some Tailwind for calories & tried to relax. The work would start on the main drag & I felt like it wasn’t worth wasting too much energy hitting it too hard before the road smoothed out.

Once I hit US 35, the main drag, there was new pavement, spectators & other riders hitting it hard. Relatively flat course with a few rollers. Total of 1021 ft of elevation gain for entire bike course. First section on 35 before the turnaround was from mile 6-17. I wasn’t really sure how far it was to the turn around (rookie mistake!!) and I thought the wind was at my back but I wasn’t sure about that either. I should have been pushing way harder in this section but I was still riding pretty easy. Once I hit the turnaround, somewhere after mile 17, I started looking for my friends, fighting the wind & figuring out my strategy. Yeah, a little late, right? Miles 17-28ish. Into the wind. Hit the turnaround for the final loop around mile 28 & then I put the hammer down. My legs had come back. Like many endurance athletes, the beginning of a run or ride may be yucky but the body knows what’s up and will eventually get on board, once it warms up. Just takes me awhile! So I pushed a lot harder on the second loop and passed some people. I grabbed water at every aid station. As always, the volunteers at the bike aid stations impress the heck out of me. They are smart, pay attention to the riders & deliver into my hand whatever I call for as I’m approaching. Great job, volunteers!!! Thank you!!!

I was hoping to get my bike split back under 3 hours but I started too slow to make it happen. Decent bike though & the best bike split I’ve had in over a year so I was happy and know what to do for next time. No back pain during the bike! HUGE win!!!

Transition 2, back to my lovely end spot. So lucky!! Tilted my bike to get it under the rack. No need to worry about losing my nutrition and my rackmate wasn’t back yet so I didn’t need to worry about disrupting her bike/gear. Shoes. Sunscreen. Visor. Race belt. Go, go, go! I left T2 in a jog. A jog is about all I’ve got these days regardless if I want to go fast or slow. So away I went in my one and only gear. Slow.

I was looking forward to the first aid station on this run. Last year they had a water hose & were spraying people down. I saved my “thank a volunteer” bracelet for whoever was on the other end of that water hose. It was heating up. Probably close to 80 by the time I got to the run. The temps were cooler than normal for Muncie but still hot for me. I knew the run course had some rolling hills. Nothing too bad, only 161 ft of elevation gain, but one of the issues with my back is that nerve damage prevents me from raising my feet off the ground too far when I’m running, so hills are a challenge. Even little ones. My plan was to just keep moving, regardless of the pace. Just keep moving.

Course was an out & back. Aid stations & potties about every mile. Closed course. Lots of spectators. Decent roads. Some shade. Slight breeze at times.

I love a good out & back course because I get to see my friends. Racing is about challenging myself, staying motivated to push my limits, & the friends I meet along the way. An out & back lets me see those friends who are racing with me! Yay!

The finish eventually presented itself. Finish Line = Pure Joy! It was a good day of racing for me & the people I knew who went to Muncie. Bonus, the wind that slowed us a bit on the bike, and cooled us a bit on the run, also dried up a lot of the mud so we could get out of our parking spots. Yes!

Shout out to my bestie, Julie M. She completed her first half ironman only 5 weeks after her first EVER triathlon. Racing with this chick makes things fun. So happy she drank the Triathlon Koolaid!

Shout out to FNA Bicycles. They hooked me up with a badass Felt bike this year. I had to save my pennies for a long time for this bike but it was worth it. The geometry on this bike is so much better for my body. And the electronic shifting ….. worth the $$. It still amazes me that when I shift, even under a load, everything just moves. So nice to have equipment that works!

Lastly, thumbs up for Muncie. They continue to deliver a great race, year after year. Amazing volunteers. Great venue. Best post race food in the Midwest on the IM 70.3 circuit. If you are looking for a race that is good for beginners & experienced racers alike, Muncie might be for you. It is in the middle of nowhere but its worth the trip. Expect a non-wetsuit legal swim, flat bike with a few rollers, and a hot/humid run with some hills. And the SWAG is below. Cute bag, cute gender specific shirt & I’m loving the medal this year!

Next up, Ironman 70.3 Ohio – 7/30/17.

** Give It a TRI ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Pokagon Olympic Distance Triathlon–Angola IN

Posted on May 26, 2017 by tootallfritz

Last Saturday brought us a cool 50 degree day that is perfect for running but a bit chilly for triathlon! However, it was the 11th annual Pokagon State Park Triathlon & I was signed up for the Olympic distance event. 1500m swim (.94 miles), 40K bike (24.8 miles) & a 10K trail run (6.2 miles). First triathlon for 2017 and I was excited. I’ve been working on my swimming ALL freaking winter and was hoping to be comfortable in the water and well, let’s be honest, faster. So I was ready!

The race didn’t start until 9am so we weren’t rushed. We got to the park early. Made it thru packet pick up in about 60 seconds, which included body marking. Checked on the water. The weekend previous the water temp for Lake James was 39 degrees. So water temperature was on everyone’s mind. Fortunately after a week of 80-90 degrees, the water temp increased to 63 degrees by race day. I know that’s cold for some people but honestly, it wasn’t that bad with a wetsuit. My fingers & toes didn’t go numb …. so it was good. Smile

Swim – We walked down a longish stone staircase to get to the beach for our swim in Lake James. Keep in mind that when we come out of the water, we have to climb back up to get to transition. So a decent walk to the swim start. But once we were on the beach everything was good. Even though it was an early spring race, the beach was in decent condition & the water was pretty clean. What I love about this swim, that I haven’t seen at many other races, was the line between the buoys. So nice. So minimal sighting was necessary & I was just able to follow the line. I’m not a straight swimmer so did hit the rope a couple times with my stroke & I may have hit someone on the other side once, thankfully it was Julie so she didn’t get too mad at me! The Olympic swim was straight out from shore 375m , around a buoy, back to shore, walk onto the beach to the other side of the line & repeat. 2 loops. Easy. My swim wasn’t perfect but it was decent for me & “fast” compared to my previous swim spits. I don’t usually drop a lot of numbers because I know we are all at different levels but I was happy to get out of the water & see a 31. I lapped my watch to start my transition 1 time & stop my swim time. After the race, I saw I swam a 31:52, which is about 2:03/100yd. Fast for me. I was happy!!

It took me a little over 2 minutes to get up the stairs & into transition. I wasn’t running hard but I was jogging & trying to move as quickly as I could without wearing myself out on the steps. Little did I know, the real challenge was getting my wetsuit off over the huge square box of a timing chip that was attached to my ankle! It took way more effort than I expected. I had to sit down. I almost panicked because I just couldn’t get my suit off over the chip. Somehow I was eventually on my way & running out of transition with my bike.

The bike. 40K – 24.8 miles One loop. On my beautiful new bike! Yes, the bike is faster than me!

I did this race in 2007, before I owned a wetsuit, and ended up doing the duathlon because the water temp was cold that year too! But I rode the Olympic bike course that day. Not sure it is exactly the same now but I remember it being hilly and windy. It was exactly as I remember on Saturday. But maybe windier & maybe hillier. Smile

I think I talked a little bit last year about a few discs in my back that ruptured (June 2016). Well, I’ve not really recovered. The back issue has caused some neuro issues & my legs are constantly fatigued & lack the power that I had previously. Last year was a long year, fighting the issue with my back & legs, which comes to the forefront when I ride. As soon as TRI season was over, I took some serious time off & did some serious treatments (Anti-Inflammatory, PT, Chiro, Cortisone/Steroid cocktail injections). Took the edge off but I’m far from “better”. I had hoped this would be a great TRI season with the new bike. Well, the bike is only as good as the machine riding it. And my machine has a couple blown valves! So my bike split was about 5 minutes slower than my conservative estimation but I eventually made it back to transition & attempted a real dismount. I learned a couple years ago how to slip out of my shoes as I was riding into transition, but I had yet to get brave enough to do a proper dismount. I tried it once last week in the yard, while it was raining & figured I’d just go for it. So as I was nearing transition, I slipped out of my shoes, then attempted to gracefully dismount. Keeping my left foot on the pedal (atop my shoe) and swinging my right leg over the bike to drop it down behind my left foot. Right foot hitting the ground first. I came in a little fast. And hit the ground “running” a little hard. But I didn’t crash & it didn’t jar my back anymore than random daily activities. See a smoother version of the dismount from Derek Taylor who competed in a different event last weekend. His dismount is opposite mine but its still the same concept. Photo credit: Amanda Taylor – Get to Goal.

Slow bike but my 2nd transition rocked. I loved the new dismount & it really helped me speed into transition and get out on the run quickly.

Run – 10K Trail Run – 6.2 miles! Once again, I’ve ran the 10K portion of this event previously. But I was a lot younger & a lot faster! But still, I remember it being hilly. Trail runs usually are hilly but they are beautiful. I’ve never had a more scenic run portion in a TRI than this one. Temps were still coolish, in the 50s. The trail run was mostly shaded. 3 aid stations. Nice day. I couldn’t go real fast. I had to walk up some hills. And my back was really crabby about the pounding down the hills. But I eventually made it back to the start/finish area. 5 minutes slower than I had anticipated but I made it back!

Best part was that I had time to grab my camera to capture Julie’s first ever triathlon finish! We went 1-2 in our age group, you know. But don’t ask how many people were in the age group! Winking smile

Great SWAG at this event. Unisex Brooks technical tee, pint glass & a few other goodies. Then I got a certificate & coffee mug for the AG award. Very cool!

Huge shout out to FNA Bicycles in New Lenox IL for helping me find the perfect bike. Huge shout out to all the police & volunteers at Pokagon for keeping us safe. And the biggest shout out of all goes to Pokagon State Park which is one of my all time favorite State Parks. Great running trails, beaches & camping areas! Hope to see you out there sometime!

** Give Triathlon A TRI ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

New Year & New Beginnings ……

Posted on February 16, 2017 by tootallfritz

I haven’t been publishing much as of late. I’m in a zone where I’m helping Aby & her friend train for the Little Rock Marathon and that means lots of long runs, not so much racing. Too many blogs do week by week training recaps. I’ll let you read one of those if you are interested; you won’t find it here ~~cuz really, who cares besides me?~~. But I’m running. In the cold, in the snow & we’ve had some surprisingly nice days too! Running. That’s what’s happening.

I’ve also been lifting dumbbell weights & trying to increase my strength without aggravating my back. I ruptured 2 discs in my back last June and they don’t seem to want to repair, despite many sessions of Physical Therapy, Chiropractor, anti-inflammatory meds & several special cocktails of cortisone type shots in my low back & SI Joints. I was asked to stop riding & swimming from September 12th thru December 26, 2016. I did as I was told and I didn’t complain. I didn’t get any better. I eliminated all exercise other than 2 slow, easy runs per week. I gained weight. I lost strength. I became frustrated. I ate too much sugar. No need to write about that.

The first of the year (2017) brought a new beginning. I started adding in more running & strength work. I’m seeing slow improvements. I can lift a gallon of milk. I carried the laundry basket up the stairs today. I can function, as long as I don’t have to sneeze. Then you might actually see tears. Why does sneezing HURT so badly?

We’ve ran up some hills.

We’ve discovered new trails.

I finally got a new bike & started riding again. Michael thinks its “the best bike ever” and was yelling the same when I took this pic. Love that kid. Pure joy.

I started getting up earlier on Monday’s to go to Chicago “early” so I can take advantage of a Master’s Swim class before I go into the office. That lead to my buying some training devices. And believe it or not, I even know what to do with these things! My swim WILL improve this year!

2017 is off to a solid start. I’ve really got my head down and am working on building strength & skills at this point. I’ve registered for a few spring marathons & a few 70.3 triathlons over the summer. My fall season is wide open so far because I had planned ~~for over 2 years~~ to do Ironman North Carolina in October 2017 but they canceled it after last year’s race. For some reason, my fall is staring at me with wide eyes asking me “what’s up”? And I just don’t know. I have no idea how much I can build. I have no idea how much will be taken out of me with what I’ve already committed to racing. I have no idea how my back will feel as my training progresses. I have no idea what I want to do in place of IM NC. My “real life” schedule & the races in which I have interest, just don’t seem to be meshing this year. I refuse to force races into my schedule. Running & Triathlon is fun for me. Its about fitness and challenging myself. Its social. It stops being fun if it causes stress or makes me miss something that I want to do in real life. The family, in particularly the kids come first. I fully agree with the Trace Adkins song, “You’re Going to Miss This”. Time flies and kids grow up fast. I don’t want to miss anything. So maybe I’ll be racing this fall, maybe I’ll just be following Aby around from one Cross Country venue to the next. Who knows. Only time will tell. I refuse to force the schedule.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and fun filled 2017!! Chase those dreams but don’t forget what’s important along the way!

** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

2016 in Review …..

Posted on January 3, 2017 by tootallfritz

2016 was infinitely better than 2015 in so many ways. First, our IL house sold! Yes! We didn’t make any $$ but it was a huge burden to be lifted from our shoulders & it allowed us to do some much needed work on our current house. Second, the kids were insane but definitely adjusted better this year to our new hometown. Third, I was able to run all year. Although, I had some issues with my back, I was “mostly” healthy and while I was limited on my biking and some other things, I ran every step of 2016 with a smile on my face. And that my friends, it a big fat win in my book! Yay for running!!

As for the stats. I’ve currently ran 38 marathons/50Ks in 22 different states. For 2016, I ran 1132 miles & cycled 1450 miles. I ran 12 marathons, 1 which was a 50K: Mississippi Blues Marathon, First Light Marathon, Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon, Garmin Marathon, Kentucky Derby Marathon, Flying Pig Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Rock N Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Rock N Roll San Antonio Marathon & the Huff 50K.

Best Race of the Year goes to the Flying Pig Marathon. I really can’t say enough about this race in Cincinnati, OH. I heard it was good but, really, it was great. Everything from the Expo to the race itself. The community support was beyond amazing. Entertainment. They had every snack you can imagine on course (bacon!!!), stations where you could toss a basketball up to a hoop, cooling stations, great views. Fun, Fun, Fun is how I would describe Flying Pig. It really is a must do but yes, there are hills, and then more hills, and then a few more.

Best Course of the Year goes to Rock N Roll New Orleans. It was really tough to award Flying Pig the best race of the year because RnR New Orleans was a close second. I do think the crowd support and expo was better at Flying Pig and that’s why they get the win. But I can’t leave New Orleans out of the mix. Amazing race. Amazing course. Amazing city. If you are looking for a city tour while you run, then RnR New Orleans is your race. You see everything on this course from the French Quarter, Garden District, Decatur Street, Jackson Square, French Market to City Park. The half marathon runs with the full the entire way til they turn off at mile 13 for the finish. The full then goes around Lake Pontchartrain, over the levies & back toward the finishers party. Amazing race. I’d love to make a return trip and run it again.

I also managed to squeeze in a half marathon at RnR Chicago, the Rat Race 10K in Ft Wayne, IN, the 4 mile Galloping Gobbler, an Olympic distance triathlon at Tri Lakes, IN, the Fort4Fitness 100K Cycle …. and 4 half ironman triathlons: Cutting Edge 70.3, IM 70.3 Muncie, IM 70.3 Steelhead & Rev3 70.3 Cedar Point.

It was a full year. And I’m grateful for all of those finishes! Some of those were much harder than others!

Best SWAG of the year goes to the Huff 50K! Although a close second goes to Flying Pig. And I really LOVED the RnR Finisher Jackets this year!

Best pics of 2016: The crew from IN & IL for the Garmin Marathon, Aby & I at the Rat Race 10K (cuz she doesn’t like to take pics with me anymore!), and me & Nicki at the Rock N Roll San Antonio 10K. Fun, fun, fun!

Best selfie of the year: Bike Selfie at the Cutting Edge 70.3

That’s a wrap for 2016! I hope that all of you had an amazing year! More importantly, my wish for you is a happy, healthy, prosperous 2017. Remember to keep dreaming, keep believing and if your goals don’t scare you …… they aren’t big enough!

** Cheers to 2016 ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

TooTallFritz

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

Tag Archives: triathlon

Ironman Texas 2019–The Woodlands

Ironman Lake Placid – 20th Anniversary – Race Report

Grand Rapids Triathlon 70.3 & The USAT Athena/Clydesdale National Championship – 2018

Muncie May Triathlon – Muncie, IN

Ironman 70.3 Ohio Race Review

Ironman 70.3 Muncie – 2017 Edition

Pokagon Olympic Distance Triathlon–Angola IN

New Year & New Beginnings ……

2016 in Review …..

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: