Tag Archives: triathlon

Chicago Triathlon Open Water Swim Clinic ….

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Last Friday a few friends and I headed downtown to experience an open  water swim clinic organized by Lifetime Fitness and the Chicago Triathlon.  It was the kickoff party to the Chicago Triathlon training season!

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The clinic was $20 and included a box lunch + drink at the Park Plaza Grill in Millennium Park, open water swim instruction (or time trial for the more experienced), 2 beers, ice cream, a goodie bag and loads of fun, fun, fun.   We checked in at the Park Plaza Grill around noon for the 1pm start.  We had our own area, were body marked and got to meet up with friends while we lunched.  I know the “body marking” seems pretty official for a swim clinic but it was an easy way for them to keep track of us, our bags, and this made bag check super easy.  A lot of photos in this post are courtesy of the Lifetime Triathlon photog. 

Open Water Swim Clinic_check in

Speaking of friends, it’s always good to know crazy F’N Runners people who are willing to skip work on a Friday to go downtown to see if their wetsuit will really keep them afloat.  F’N Runners from front left:  Julie, Betsy, Suzanne, & Kate.  Back left:  Don, Me, Susan, Amanda W, Michelle, & Ed.

Open Water Swim Clinic

After lunch we suited up in our wetsuits for a 1.5 mile wetsuit “waddle” or “dash” to the beach.  It was a sweaty, hot leisurely run to the beach but first Lifetime Fitness and the Chicago Triathlon toured us around the park and gave the tourists a real show.  Push-ups, jumping jacks, mountain climbers in the Millennium Park fountains.

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Photos by the symphony pits:

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Then the dash to the beach in our wetsuits!

Wetsuit Waddle

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Once we got the beach, it was swim instruction, swimming and overall clowning around.  The water was cold, breathtaking with Lake Michigan being a cool 61 degrees!   Fun!! 

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This clinic was a TOTAL blast. Possibly because I was with a bunch of people I know & “love”.  Possibly because the instructors were all super cool and actually gave good tips that were useful and applicable to real life open water TRI swimming.  Partially cuz any day is a good day to skip work and go drink beer work on your open water skills.  This clinic was as much party as it was clinic and the $20 price tag was cheap for everything that we received.  However, if $20 is beyond your budget but you are still interested in some open water swim help, the Chicago Triathlon is offering open water swim clinics a couple times a month for $5, wetsuit use included for the first 50 participants.  The next one is TUE, June 25th at 6pm.  Here is the link to the FB event HERE.  Or maybe you should just go like the Chicago Triathlon Facebook page HERE so you’ll be up to date on all their upcoming clinics & events. 

Cover Photo

Triathlon is one of those things that may seem intimidating at first look but the majority of those who participate are doing so for fitness.  To test themselves.  To challenge themselves.  To step outside their comfort zones and do something that will make them stronger mentally and physically.  This is why I love triathlon.  This is why ….. as much as I bitch complain about the swimming being an inconvenience and how I dislike going to the pool …. it’s the bare bones reasoning of why I keep coming back. 

If you are interested in triathlon or signed up for one this year,  I’d strongly recommend checking out one of these clinics.   Even if you’re a pro at the open water swim, it will force you to put on your wetsuit and get in the cold water your feet wet.  This is cheap clinic to help people get over their fear of the open water swim, or help them to get more comfortable in the water.  Big win in my opinion.  I’ll definitely go back and do another one if I can work it out with the family.  And to be honest, this may even sway me toward the Chicago TRI sometime in the future.  Thanks, Chicago Triathlon! 

** Give it a TRI ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Back in the Pool …

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Yesterday was it.  I had ran out of excuses.   I’m 46 days out from a 70.3 triathlon in Racine, WI and I just HAD to get my ass in the pool.  I didn’t want to do it but those ironmen are mean.  Rough.  They swim with their fists and it’s important to stay as far in front of the next wave as possible!  So I went to the pool.  I wasn’t thrilled but I faked mustered a smile.

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This go round, I decided to swim at Governors State University.  They have a nice 24.99 yard  (odd distance to eliminate it from being legal for competition) lap pool and it’s normally not too busy.  It’s open from 6am – 9pm M-F, and has similar Saturday hours but who the hell wants to do a swim workout on Saturday?  Not me!  Plus, they let me do month to month so when TRI season is over, I don’t have a nasty gym membership requiring me to sell my soul to cancel.  Win, Win.  I also noticed some improvements to the pool area since the last time I used it for TRI training.  Kinda cool and relaxing, if you head to an indoor pool for that.

.Gov State Pool   Gov State Pool_chairs

Then I got in the water and fought with my goggles for 16 minutes before I was able to get them adjusted properly and actually get to some real swimming.  Then I was almost out of time and needed to pack it up and head home to the family.  In all, I had a craptastic 35 minutes of adjusting my goggles and floundering around swimming for a distance total of 1250 yards ( 0.71 miles).  Impressive, I know.  At this rate, it will take me well over an hour to get thru the 1.2 mile swim in Racine.  That means just about every wave behind me will not only swim over the top of my slow ass but also punch & kick me as they pass me up.  I’m seeing stars already.  I can only hope that the water in Racine is cold.  Super cold.  Let’s slow those crazy people down!  Okay, more importantly a water temp under 78 degrees means it’s wetsuit legal.  Yay, me!  Although I “normally” don’t need a wetsuit for that distance, it’s nice to have because it provides a little added buoyancy, fixes some of the imperfections in my swim, and HELLO, it holds me up when those assholes punch me in the side of the head.   Feel free to read my IM Muncie 70.3 report HERE.

The good news, is that the swim in Racine looks SWEET!  It’s a point to point swim where we hop in the water in one spot, and swim a parallel line with the beach to another location and get out.  No stupid M to swim.  Or V.  Or J.  Or whatever crazy shape that they make to slow us poor sighting swimmers down.  Just two right turns around buoys and straight swimming.  Racine, we may become friends after all.  Looks like I’ll just be able to put my head down and swim, hopefully in someone else’s slip stream!

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Swim #1 down.  Many more to go.  I think I better just leave my swim clothes in my car and go as often as I’m able.  My goal is 2x per week til Racine on July 21st.  We’ll see how that works with the family and job and commute and life dynamic but that’s the plan as of today.

Which part of TRI training is most daunting or inconvenient for you?

** Happy TRIing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Swim Analysis….

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Well, last night was a totally new experience.  While I have swam my entire life, I don’t lay claim to having any particular skills.  I can swim for a long time but not particularly fast.  I’ve been wanting to take a formal swim “lesson” for well over a year but apparently my work, life, family schedule isn’t very user friendly so it never worked out.  However, last night MJ from TriSmart carved a notch out of her evening to help myself and a friend.

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I won’t say that we were thrilled about going, quite the contrary.  Initially, we were going to swim at the same time that TriSmart had a group swim and this was super intimidating for us.  I have swam with TriSmart before but it wasn’t my fault, we “all” just happened to be at the same pool.  It’s happened multiple times actually and its not fun.  They do workouts and I just swim.  Since their workouts are broken down into shorter segments where they work on one particular skill for a shorter period of time, they get a decent pace going.  And they splash a lot of water around.  And the rocking and rolling of the pool tidal waves make me want to stay as far away from them as possible so that I can “just” swim.  The thought of jumping right into a group session where I was ALSO supposed to be getting individualized instruction, sounded less than ideal.  Fortunately, MJ managed to get us an earlier slot and it was a much more relaxed atmosphere.  Thanks, MJ!

We did a 100 yard (4 lengths of the pool, 25 yard = 1 length) time trial where my lack of swimming really showed in my poor endurance.  I was 10 seconds faster on the first length vs the last.  Oooops.  Sorry about that!   Actually that’s how I run too.  I know, even splits are better.  Boooooo!!!!

We did a 50 yard swim to test efficiency by determining how many strokes it took to get thru one length.  Too many apparently.  Therefore, I need to work on efficiency with the end goal being less strokes to cover the length of the pool verses those I used last night.  How to get more efficient?  Rotate more in the water and get that slipstream going!

We received lots of tips, like I should NOT hold my breath when I swim.   🙂  I don’t think that’s normal for me but I was nervous.  I haven’t been in the pool since August.  Plus, I really was holding my breath and “forgetting” to exhale while I was face down in the water.

I also managed to forget about my “rotation”, a skill that I worked on for probably 6 months prior to my first half ironman in 2008.  I wasn’t reaching far enough and I also was not rotating my body enough in the water.  As soon as it was mentioned, the light bulb popped on…..

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I’ve previous worked on the reach and follow thru for long periods of time.  I would have thought it to be ingrained in my memory but apparently not.  In fact, I’m quite certain that I swam all year last year NOT reaching and NOT following thru with good rotation.  I can see the lack of it here in this video that MJ shot:

I am also bringing my arms too far in front of my body.  She wants them wider so as not to cross motion but continue the motion going forward.  Lots to work on.  Where to start?  Ugh!  The swim analysis comes with a workout so that I can start working on remembering what I “used to”  know and also fix some of the things that I didn’t even know where wrong, like trying to swim with my arms wider in the water.  Lots of fun ahead!

Have you have done a swim analysis?   Would you think about it?  We have a few more months before TRI season really takes off in the Midwest, so now is the time to hit the pool and correct some of the little flaws that might be weighing US down.  🙂

** Happy TRIing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com **

2013 …. What Lies Ahead

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Since it’s been all Ragnar for quite some time, I thought I would take a break just for now and instead pin down a few 2013 goals.  Better late than never, right?

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I have a few general goals  that I will focus on for the entire year.  And remember, I roll with the K.I.S.S. principle.  Nothing too complicated, just simple but challenging goals.

  1. Run 1000 miles –  Although this seems like a no brainer, things happen, life happens and I don’t want to neglect my life in order to rack up run miles.  1000 miles is challenging, coming in at just under 20 miles a week, but also reasonable if I remain uninjured on the fitness wagon.
  2. Bike 2000 miles – Now this one may seem a little “Coo-Coo” but I biked almost 1000 miles this year and let’s just say that I didn’t give it a full effort.  I want to log miles every week of the year from here on out regardless of if TRI season is in session.
  3. Swim – Okay, I’m not ready to step in the pool yet…..still in denial here.
  4. Strength Train & Stretch – 2x per week.  This will be the first to be dropped.  I’m already worried about my schedule.  But this is the “goal”.  It won’t happen if it doesn’t even make the list, right?
  5. Drink 2 liters of water daily.
  6. Consume 5-7 servings of fruits & veggies daily.
  7. Be happy and have a positive attitude!

After the “general” goals, I then broke my training and race schedule into three parts:  Spring, Summer, Fall.  Each session having one goal race.  One focus.  Everything else will be for fun or quite possibly just not exist.  I’ve come to realize that with Aby in 3 sports per year, plus a toddler at home, our time is no longer our own.  I want Aby to be successful.  I want to support her in every way, which includes being at every race/game.  I’m not willing to sacrifice being her biggest supporter in order to once again, “log miles”.  For me, that means less racing, fewer “fun” miles, more focus oriented training.  

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Between each session, I will rest and recover.  For example, this week, I’m doing nothing resting and focusing on non-impact activities to freshen up from Ragnar.  The bottom line is that “most” of us can’t just keep going without some downtime or we will get hurt or burnt out.  I know that there is an exception to every rule, Susan M, but most of us mere mortals need to rest.  I also find that as I get “older”, I have to be smarter about recovery.  Maybe because I’ve been doing this for most of my life?  Yes, that’s a “reality bites” admission.  Maybe because I’m not a sprinter youngin’ anymore?  I now focus on training smarter, not harder and utilize tools like Post Workout Recovery, ice baths and massage sticks to just be able to walk recover for the next workout.

Spring Session – Goal Race – Lansing Marathon – April 21, 2013

If you haven’t heard that I’m running the Lansing Marathon, then this is the first time you’ve stumbled on this blog cuz I’ve talked about it, given away a prize pack and basically tried to recruit everyone, and anyone, who runs to join me.   Don’t feel bad if I haven’t hit you up YET cuz I’ll get you eventually.  🙂  If you would like to join me in Lansing for the full, half, marathon relay or 5K, please feel free to use the $10 off discount code CHICAGO10 and click HERE to register.  You know a girl doesn’t like to run alone and I certainly hope to see YOU there!

Summer Session – Goal Race – Ironman 70.3 Racine – July 21, 2013

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My TRI season last year didn’t go well. Ironman 70.3 Muncie was shorted due to the ridiculous heat (my report HERE) plus a tendon in my foot was torn so I couldn’t run, or finish.  I went with the intention to DNF.  I succeeded in acquiring my first DNF but it was not my favorite venue.  My second, and final, 70.3 of the year was going to be the Great Illini Challenge (my report HERE) but that race was called off due to the possibility probability of severe weather.  Completed triathlons in 2012 = Zero.  This year will be better.

Fall Session – Goal Race – TBD

I know many have their entire year planned but I’m keeping the fall schedule open.  This tends to be my fastest time of year.   I love the weather, I love the speed that my base mileage brings, I love to race.  However, the prior two sessions will dictate what Fall of 2013 will bring.  I’ve tossed around adding in another marathon but I need to see how my health is and how I am sitting mentally.  I may just sit on the couch and snuggle my baby run a half and some shorter races to take advantage of the speed.  Plus, if I’ve nailed some of my previous goal races, I’ll be cycling down rather than up.  Only time will tell.  I love a good mystery!!

Have you solidified a couple goals for 2013?  Do you have the entire year planned or are you okay with a couple question marks?

** Happy Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Big Girl Decisions…..

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I had to put on my big girl panties over the last couple days and make some tough decisions.  As most of you know, my entire summer has been formulated around the Great Illini 70.3 which will occur this Saturday, September 1st.  

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Things became much more difficult when I tore the tendon in my foot on June 2nd but we pushed forward in rehab with the only goal being that I complete the 70.3 on September 1st.  In order to make this happen, the plan was to run the first loop of the run portion (6.55 miles) and then run/walk the second loop at whatever pace I could manage.  No time goal, just a quest to finish.  This focus to finish, to not let anymore bibs die, to not add another DNF to the roster, to not give up and just go sit on the couch and gain weight has propelled me forward this summer when honestly, I was pretty empty and upset inside.  I remained positive overall but I was bummed out!

I also spent a lot of time on the trainer inside due to mechanical issues and not being able to run scheduling issues and that didn’t help my attitude mood!

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So week after week, I rode, swam, did rehab exercises and then at the beginning of this month we brought back the run.  The run, the glorious run, that is so freeing to the soul and puts a smile on my face even in the most trying times.  Things were good again.

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But not really.  Although the foot is “better” as in better than it was, it is a long way from normal.  Even further from being pain free.  So last Friday, during rehab/therapy, it was laid open like this,  “Well, you do what you want and I’ll fix whatever damage comes from it…… but this is probably not a good idea”.  Awesome. 

The bottom line is that I “could” finish the 70.3 on Saturday but why risk causing further damage?  Why chance making this rehab process even one day longer?  Or worse yet, re-tear the tendon which is in healing mode and have to start completely over.   Or rupture the stupid Plantar Fascia which screams at me daily.   There isn’t a reason in my opinion.  I have nothing to prove.  This process for me has always been about my health and gaining a higher level of fitness and it would be counter productive to move forward with the 70.3 on Saturday due to the fact that I am not properly trained or healed up for the 13.1 mile run.

I am, however, perfectly able to participate in the Olympic distance event (.94 mile swim, 24.9 mile bike & 6.2 mile run) without causing further damage.  I’m certainly not running fast at this point but I can cover the distance and that’s what I plan to do in order to get a FINISH and be proud of the fact that I didn’t just give up when it would have been the easy thing to do. 

I saw a TRI necklace on CafePress and it was titled TRIumph. 

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I really feel like this is what 2012 is to me, learning to TRIumph when the cards aren’t stacked in my favor.  Learning that being tough, or a BAMR, isn’t about pushing thru the pain but rather taking a minute to listen to the body and focus on myself so that I can heal and be better in the future.  So Great Illini, I’m still coming, just downgrade me to the Olympic distance, please!  I mean, if it’s good enough for the Olympians, it’s good enough for me!

I’m so happy to put a close on this season Saturday and start fresh again.  New strategies and goals are on the horizon.  It’s a new dawn, a new day……

** Happy TRIumphing ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Ironman 70.3 Muncie Race Report

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This post could easily be titled the “Good, Bad & Ugly” but let’s be positive, right!  So I will instead focus on what I did right, what could have gone better and what just went well…. WRONG!

ironman 70. Muncie Cover

First, remember that this Ironman 70.3 Muncie was shortened due to the excessive heat warning.  It had been 108 static temp in Muncie the day before the race and health officials advised Ironman to shorten or cancel the race.  So the 70.3 distance was reduced to 37.2 (1 mile swim, 30 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) and the start time was moved up by a half hour to 6:30 am.

I hit transition pre-race with none to much time to spare, got my bike racked and somehow managed to forget how my bike pump worked.  The bike pump that I’ve owned for 7 years.  The bike pump that was deflating rather than inflating my tires.  Was I stressed?  I didn’t think so but subconsciously, maybe a little.  Thankfully, the lady in transition next to me was able to “remind me” how to inflate my tires.  This was a sign.  A big one.  I should have heeded the warning.

Transition was big.  There were 1700 registered participants and it looked like this in just about every direction.

ironman 70. Muncie transition

Each race has a certain way to ensure that only athletes get into transition to keep the bikes and gear secure.  Ironman gave us wristbands at check in and only athletes wearing the band could get inside the transition walls.

ironman 70. Muncie bracelet

The race started promptly, ushering the pros into the water with the boom of a cannon.  Then each wave thereafter left in 3 minute intervals on the sound of a horn.  The waves were sorted according to age groups.  The older age groups at the top with the younger ones following.  This resulted in us oldies just getting plowed over, under and shoved/kicked/punched by our much younger friends.  So not cool.  I’m trying to remember how the waves in previous races were scheduled and I’m at a loss.  However, I do not recall ever experiencing pandemonium in the water in any other TRI event in which I have ever participated.  It was not fun.

WHAT I DID RIGHT

  • I showed up
  • I had a good attitude

WHAT COULD HAVE GONE BETTER

  • The Swim – I panicked.  I started out good, I was toward the back of my wave like always.  I let the fasties get out of the way but I was immediately trapped behind some ladies doing breast stroke and who were just not swimming.  I stopped, let them get a bit ahead, I swam up on them again, stopped again because I didn’t have a clear shot around anywhere and then the real chaos began.  The wave behind us came thundering thru.  Holy crap.  They didn’t really care that we were in the way, they didn’t care that there wasn’t a way thru, they just swam over us.  Wow.  That was fun, and then the wave just kept coming.  I never had a chance to get in a grove, and just focus on swimming because from there on out I was panicked. At some point, somebody kicked me really hard in the ear and my head was ringing a bit.  In fact, a lifeguard asked if I was okay.  What to say?  “Hell, no!  These people are monsters!”  But I laughed & said, “I think so, I’m almost there right?”.  This was the longest and slowest mile I’ve ever swam.  I could have dog paddled the mile faster if I had a straight shot or if I had just focused on dog paddling! This mile swim took longer than my 1.2 mile swim in my last half iron event and I think I’m a stronger swimmer now!  I would free style a couple strokes, then stop to make sure I wasn’t about to be attacked, then free style a few more then recheck my surroundings.  Swim – 1 mile – 45:09
  • Getting in and out of transition.  The transition mat was long, possibly a 1/4 mile or more.  It was rough on my hurt foot transversing the mat with all the gravel everywhere and my being concerned about re-tearing the tendon.  I was very ginger and slow getting up the beach/mat into transition.

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WHAT WENT WRONG

  • Goggle Malfunction – I  was running a bit late the morning of the race but decided I had better put more Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo on my goggle lenses to avoid fogging during the race.   In my hurried state, I apparently didn’t get all the shampoo rinsed off and well, the “no tears” slogan is a lie.  That stuff BURNS the eyes!  So during the awesome swim that I had, my right eye was BURNING, watering and distracting me.  I stopped 2x to lift the goggles to let any water escape but since the water was so flipping hot too warm to be wetsuit legal, it was difficult to fiddle with my goggles and not drown since I was also treading water at the same time.  Totally my fault.  My eye was red and irritated for 12 hours after the race.

The bike went well.  Nothing spectacular but good.  I was pretty comfortable, the course which was advertised as “flat” had some small rolling hills so I was able to get some decent speed, which helped.  It was two loops so very crowded in spots as the fasties from the earlier waves were crushing their second loop as I was just beginning my first.

The water stops were frequent due to the shortened course and the volunteers were brave and had steady hands holding out ice cold bottles of squeezable water for the bikers to grab on the way thru.  Each time I connected with a bottle perfectly and was so proud of the volunteers.  They had a very tough job and I’m sure the bike water stations had to be very stressful for them.  I saw people dropping bottles, hitting bottles out of their hands and these were large 3/4 liter squeezable bottles.  It was dangerous for the volunteers!  At one station, the biker in front of me dropped his bottle.  It was after I had already connected with mine.  I was holding a water bottle, zooming along, then had to run over his bottle with one hand steering and somehow managed not to fall.   This was definitely the highlight of my day and I was immediately thankful that I avoided the crash!

Although the bike course was packed, everyone was polite even when rolling past a full 10+ mph faster than me!  Those people kick butt on the bike and the swim and the run.  It was absolutely amazing.  This is the point where I realized that I’m just not fast enough or aggressive enough for Ironman racing.  I’m just not at a point in my life with the kids/family, fulltime job and fulltime commute where I can train hard enough to be even remotely competitive with these type of people.  Although, I like to participate and perform at the best of MY ability, I am perfectly happy to do it on a smaller front at our local races.  This is about fun and fitness to me, not about big name events, prize purses, racing with the pros or jostling for a position which really means very little in the end.   Bike – 30 miles – 1:35:06 – 18.9 mph

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Overall, I think Ironman did a great job with the race.  I think they were smart and courteous to decrease the distance rather than canceling the race.  I think they know triathlon racing in and out.  They had plenty of on course support, post race drinks/food, massages.  They also gave a great swag bag with a gender specific shirt, a backpack which I neglected to photograph previously (below) since I was using it and the finishers (I didn’t run and didn’t finish) received a hat and a nice medal to reward their achievement.

ironman 70. Muncie bag

The venue was Prairie Creek Reservoir in Muncie.  It was large enough to accommodate the people but not one of my favorites.  The water was very turned up, dirty, weedy, and warm at 86 degrees.  The grounds had a lot of rocks and tree debris which was difficult on bare feet.  I would recommend a pair of throwaway flip flops for anyone racing here so that you don’t have to walk around barefoot at anytime.

Overall a great race, I just don’t think Ironman racing is for my more laid back style but it was fun to give it a TRI.

**Happy TRIing! ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Twas The Night Before……

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I’m sitting in a shitty hotel room alone on the eve of Ironman 70.3 Muncie after a long day of travel. The main topic for today unless you live under a rock is still the weather. As I was getting close to Muncie, Indiana the temps kept increasing. It was 106 in Fort Wayne, which I thought was unreal until I got to Muncie where my car read a temp of 108. It has been 108 since I entered this town. I went to the convention center 2x, once for packet pick up and then again for an athlete’s meeting, then I went to dinner. At this point, I’m hoping the thermometer on my car is just stuck/broken because the thought of 108 in INDIANA at 8pm is ridiculous.

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If you haven’t heard people bitching talking about the weather than I know you’ve heard them talking about the fact that Ironman has GASP decided to shorten the race. Yes, shorten the 70.3 mile race (1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13.1 mi run) to a mere 37.2 miles (1 mi swim, 30 mi bike, 6.2 mi run). The health officials here in Muncie are warning people to not go outside tomorrow and not to exercise outdoors. Apparently, today isn’t “hot” but tomorrow is gonna be a real scortcher with expected temps between 110 and 114 degrees. Yep, I’m still gonna be in Muncie, INDIANA tomorrow. No, I didn’t type that incorrectly. Yes, people are really f’ing pissed that the race is being shortened. Ummmmm, okay. As I was driving here, I half expected to pick up my packet and be sent home but no, we are racing. It will just be the modified distance due to EXTENUATING circumstances. I personally don’t think this is unreasonable. Yes, it stinks that people trained months for this race and now will not be completing the full distance but I’d like to think that a reasonable adult would consider this decision to be in the best interest of the athletes. Thanks for thinking of me, Ironman!

They still gave us a cool swag bag with gender specific tech shirts, plus a few other goodies.

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They are still holding the race. They just want us out of here and in the safety of cooler temps as soon as possible. So far, I like the way they have handled the situation. They are even offering us a 50% discount to some of the upcoming 70.3 events which are not yet full. They are also still using this race as a qualifier for the 70.3 championships. They are doing what they can do and I like it and I picked up a couple water bottles to commemorate this event since it will surely go down in history.

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I’m smiling and happy to be here.

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I will race my 996 as far as they will let me and I’m so veeerrrrrry thankful that I know myself well enough left my running shoes at home. I only have my bike shoes and flip flops. I did that on purpose so that I wouldn’t even contemplate the run. I know I can’t do it. I know it would do more harm to my torn tendon but with the run now shortened to 6.2 miles, it would have been very difficult for me to not give it a shot. However, its not even an option since I am without running shoes!

When I travel for races, I like to eat. However, I have to be careful with my pre-race meal. I need to keep it pretty safe, not spicy, not too rich, and this normally equates to a pretty boring dinner. Tonight I stopped at a locally owned place, Amazing Joes, not to far from the convention center to throw a little business at the community which will shut down for tomorrow’s race.

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And it was amazing! Really amazing! First I open the menu and pickle chips POPPED out to greet me. Why, yes, I will! I only ate half of them. I was told the place had wonderful steaks but I knew that was a bit much for my crazy tummy so I picked the most bland pasta dish on the menu, an angel hair pomadoro with chicken. Wow, was I surprised. The dish was packed with flavor and absolutely delicious. I know that was a stellar description but that’s all I got. It was awesome.

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Stop at Amazing Joes on Wheeling Avenue if you head to Muncie, Indiana!

So far, a huge thumbs up to Ironman and Muncie for their “warmth” and hospitality.

** Stay Cool ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Looking Back…..

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I’m now only a couple days out from the Ironman 70.3 Muncie, therefore I decided to look back at the notes I recorded after my last 70.3.   My previous 70.3 occurred on September 6, 2008.  It was before the TTF blog, before Facebook and during a time when people were emailing back and forth as a manner of communication.  My audience was small but I still sent my family & friends LOOOOONNNNNGGGG emails on every detail that they didn’t care about of the race.  Thanks to Mom, Abby S & Lisa E for reading those and many other emails!

The Great Illini Challenge on September 6, 2008 was my first and most current 70.3.  I have not raced a triathlon since that day.  I do, however, have a crazy beautiful toddler which hubby and I started raising in my time off triathlon.  See hubby, Michael & Aby below.  family_stars & stripes_2012

Some might wonder if I’m nervous since I haven’t raced triathlon for so long.  No, I’m not yet.  Triathlon is where it’s at for me.  I feel at home there and things just click. 

Some might wonder why I picked a 70.3 distance as my return to triathlon.  Timing.  I would have preferred to start with an International/Olympic distance race but timing didn’t work out.  I don’t have a ton of $$ to be racing so I picked just two triathlons (Muncie 7/7 & Great Illini 9/1) for the 2012 season and those were both the 70.3 distance.

Photos & Notes on the Swim/Bike from Great Illini 2008:

Copy of IMG_0287      IMG_0291    IMG_0293  

I tried to be calm and smooth on the swim, I didn’t stress about speed, but just took it easy because I knew that it was going to be the easiest part of the day so I wanted to enjoy it and come out of the water fresh. My goggles did fog up 2x but I just stopped and wiped the fog out and continued on my way, no problem!

** It might be more enjoyable to try to swim the entire 70.3 miles!

Transition was certainly not the frenzied event that it is in shorter TRI races. We were relaxed, joking around with one another, talking with our families, and pretty much stalling to AVOID getting on our bikes! In my relaxed state, I managed to forget my energy gels in transition.  Bad, really bad.

The bike had a great first half, on great roads that were freshly paved. There were lots of very large rolling hills. It was a “what goes down, must go up” theme. The hills also made me realize almost immediately that at some point in transit, something happened to my bike and the chain was loose. Not good, I needed  gears badly with the large hills and they were making a lot of noise and not shifting properly. My chain then popped off at mile 7 at the bottom of a very large hill.

**Mile 10 of bike: Riding is such a great time for self reflection, prayer & quiet thinking.
***Mile 17: It is such a beautiful day, the road is smooth, the sun is shining, and I love these hills!
**Mile 20: Wow, I got up to 33 mph coming down that hill; and it isn’t even bad going up because I get to stand and it allows me to stretch my quads a little! This is really great!
**Mile 40: Why didn’t I make up for sale signs for my bike before I came??
**Mile 41: No biggie about the for sale signs, maybe mom can sell it while I run? No, I’ll just put it on Craig’s List tomorrow!
**Mile 42: A triathlon tattoo was a really bad idea! Wonder if I can have it turned into a cross? I really like crosses!
**Mile 44: There is no shame that a full iron distance person just passed me. I am sure he was a really fast swimmer!!!
**Mile 47: Gel = life/energy and being able to finish the race! If I weren’t so tried I would be really excited.
**Racking the bike = awesome feeling of “last ride”, I don’t even need to sell it, we’ll just throw it in the lake because I’ll get better gas mileage on the way home!

I don’t think we need to relive the run portion of the 70.3 since I won’t be doing the run portion this time.  Although, I’m not looking forward to a DNF, I’ve certainly accepted it.  My strongest part of a TRI is always the run but it’s not meant to be this time around.  So I will be swimming & biking and am thankful I can handle that much!

** Happy TRIing **  Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

5 Days until Ironman Muncie 70.3 & My First DNF

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As we all know, I took some chances this year and entered some big name expensive races which I normally avoid.  Ironically, I won’t be running the Chicago Rock N Roll Half due to the tear in the tendon in my foot and although I plan to participate in Ironman Muncie 70.3 on Saturday, I will have to DNF (Did Not Finish) due to my inability to start/complete the run.

ironman muncie

5 days out from a half iron event, I’ve never felt so unprepared.  My swimming is okay.  I’m not fast but can certainly cover the distance with or without a wetsuit.  Of course, I’d like a cold front to come thru and cool off the Prairie Creek Reservoir so that water temps are wetsuit legal and I can feel fast and free as the wetsuit corrects the imperfections in my form.  But regardless, the swimming will be the easy part on Saturday.

As for the bike, OUCH, it’s gonna hurt.  I knew upon registering for this race back in April that it would be a real push to be in good enough shape to ride the 56 miles well this early in the season.  The way my schedule works out, time to ride is a real luxury.  I have ridden way more miles on the trainer this month than ever before in my life. I’ve ridden outside, maybe 100 miles this year.  OUCH, this is gonna hurt.

bike cartoon_Stuart McMillen Source:  Stuart McMillen

I’m obviously looking at a less than ideal situation.  Since I’m already planning to DNF, and I’m not really ready to kill the 56 miles on the bike, you might ask why I’m even going?  Because I can!  I can cover the 56 miles even if I do shed a few tears.  I can learn from this experience and move forward with more knowledge as a TRI athlete and I’ll be one step closer to being a better cyclist.  I will get to experience the Ironman atmosphere to see if it is one which I want to spend my money on try again.  The $250 race fee is non-refundable so I’m going to go and do what I can do and walk away with the satisfaction that I didn’t give in and quit when I had so many excuses as to why it would have been “ok” to sit this one out.  And really, after I finish the swim & bike on Saturday, I can officially consider myself 33.33% of an Ironman.  Think they have a tat for that?  A pretty design for 57.2?  No, I didn’t complete the 70.3 this time, no I didn’t even consider the 140.6.  Just 57.2 for me!

image

The 57.2 would forever represent courage to step outside the safety zone.  Courage to do what you can do in any situation.  Courage to push your limits.  Courage to TRI even when you know you could use a few more months of training today may not be your best day.  So I’m heading to Muncie to do what I can do, and on Saturday that will be swimming and biking at the best of the ability I currently possess……..for 57.2 miles of pure hell bliss.

Would you go to a race even if you knew you would need to DNF?  This is certainly a first for me and it just seems strange.

**Keep TRIing! ** Amanda – TooTallFritz ** amanda@tootallfritz.com

Friday Fundays…..

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I haven’t been blogging too much about my Friday Funday’s because this has been a crazy month. For the first time in my life, since I was 16, I have a summer of Friday Fundays that do not include working. Initially when I bargained this into my schedule, the plan was to use the early Friday mornings for my long bike miles, then have over half the day to spend with the kiddos taking them on “field trips” a couple times a month, just hanging by the pool or heading to the lake early on Fridays. As we know, life doesn’t always deliver per our written request. Yes, I’ve had my June Friday’s off work but I have spent an inordinate part of each Friday training, working on rehab, doc appointments or running errands. Planning fail. We went on one field trip during June and that was with Michael’s school. Goal of two field trips per month fail.

Since the indoor pools are on summer vacation schedule, getting in swim time has also been quite a challenge. So my Friday Fundays have been starting with a swim after dropping Michael at school. As I have mentioned, swimming has not been fun since the pools are so overcrowded, I have to share a lane and I drink so much TRI Smart water while swimming. I would rather be swimming in the afternoons after work, before heading home but the pools don’t reopen during the day until 5pm. So I either wait for the pools to open, when I could already have Michael and be home on the weeknights, or I swim on Friday mornings. Therefore, I have been using the Friday Funday for swimming but plan to change that up this week to hopefully avoid the crowds and further free up future Friday Fundays. Here is a pic from Friday’s pool session as I was leaving. The place was packed. I mean, really packed.

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After a swim, I head to the chiro for whatever amount of pain and torture rehab I can endure for the week. Of course, I should be rehabbing 3x per week but my schedule doesn’t allow for that. So the 1x per week rehab date is not a pleasant one.

After rehab, I head home for a torture session long bike ride. The goal is always 50 to 60 miles but I have only hit the 50 mile long ride 2x this month. I will participate in the Ironman Muncie 70.3 next weekend on July 7th where I will have to DNF after the swim & bike and the lack of long bike rides will show. I know its gonna hurt. I knew when I registered that on a “normal” schedule the 56 mile bike portion was going to hurt this early in my season considering my family, work & commute responsibilities, and well, June 2012 has not panned out the way that I planned. So many Friday’s this month, I’ve spent spinning miles on my trainer like this:

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This last Friday was no different, as evidenced by the above photo. I headed out the door for my 50-60 mile ride and as soon as I turned North I noticed the black thunder clouds. I managed 20 miles outdoors, came home and rode on the trainer for another 18, then once the rains blew past, I went back out for an additional 13. I logged 51 miles total, which is still not equivalent to the miles I will need to ride in Muncie next week. Not cool.

So after all this, each Friday, I finish my workouts and rehab about 2pm. Shower off, then head to pick up Michael. Still better than a “real” Friday in my life but not really what I consider a Friday Funday. Next month will be better, right?

What do you do when life throws you a curve ball or two? Let it ruin your mood or just roll with the punches? I try to roll with whatever but would occasionally like things to work out smoothly. 🙂

** Wishing you a Friday Funday or Two! ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **