Still Alive & Kicking

It has been far too long since I've posted. Almost a year actually and it's quite shameful.

So much to catch up on but for the sake of boring anybody who might actually still be checking in I'll keep it brief.

Since I last posted about my race in Kansas, I'll summarize the rest of my racing season in 2011. It rocked! I continue to race in Boulder with top finishes in all of my races. The season culminated with Ironman Canada in August. My ultimate goal was to secure a slot to Kona since I've been trying to get back ever since I went in 2008.  I went into the race saying whether or not I got the slot I was going to take a break from IM in 2012 because I was sick of  "the chase". While I came extremely close, 36 seconds I believe, I once again missed it by just 1 slot. It was very disappointing but overall I had a great race and a PR of 10:22 - finishing 10th female overall (including pros) and 4th overall amateur in the race. In fact, I led most of the women's race until about 13 miles into the run. Need to learn how to run a 3:30 IM marathon!!! Women's 30-34 age group is top notch with some seriously strong women. It's was an honor to do well and race against such incredibly athletic women and I came away from it very proud. Some day I'll get back to Penticton and get some redemption though.

Once Canada was over Kevin and I enjoyed the Fall & Winter with very little structured training. In January I set my sights on the Boston Marathon (April 2012). I qualified in March of 2011 and was looking forward to running in the race as it's been on my "must do" list since I started running. My training was going great and I was getting stronger/faster each week until I hit a little speed bump:

That's right, Kevin & I are having a baby on/around October 3rd! And....IT'S A BOY!!!!

That being said, I put training for Boston on the back burner for a bit. While I'm still running, swimming, and doing lots of things to stay in shape I've shifted from "training" to "exercising" for my health & baby's. So far I've really enjoyed being pregnant and I think it's amazing life experience. Our bodies are incredible in so many ways. For years I've enjoyed what it can do as an athlete and now I'm reveling in the awesomeness that is making life.

That's the latest in our world without boring everyone with minute details. I'm going to work on over hauling the blog a little bit since it's been so long and could use a new look. Hopefully I can be a bit more consistent, at least until Baby H comes and I have zero time for myself :)

The Land of Oz (Kansas 70.3)

This past weekend we flew to Kansas City, MO and drove over to Lawrence, KS for the half ironman. This was a bit of a last minute decision for us because I wasn't sure I was going to be able to race Boulder 70.3 in August, which I'm already signed up for, because of a work conflict. I really wanted (and needed) to get in a 70.3 before Ironman Canada in August. I also really love this distance. I have not been on my bike as much as I would have liked because I've just been too busy and traveling allot with work. I wasn't very confident going into the weekend but kept reminding myself it was a tune up and a good way to see where my fitness lies 10 weeks out from Canada. A solid training effort, if nothing else. After all, it was the first race for me this season.

Race morning rolled around and the forecast was calling for thunderstorms. On the way to the race site Sunday morning we could see lightening off in the distance and I was confident they would cancel the swim. Which would suck for me because I need the swim to gap my competitors on the bike. Fortunately, the storms moved the other direction but unfortunately the wind was blowing pretty hard.

I was hoping for a 28-29 minutes swim but as soon as we took off I knew it would be slow because it was super choppy. I started with 2 other girls and held on strong for the first 1/3 of the swim. We started to catch some of the slower folks and I lost their feet while swimming over a bunch of men zig zagging across the lake. Knowing my bike wasn't up to par I knew I was going to have to push the swim and run if I wanted a chance on the podium. After the final buoy turn, and getting knocked all over the place by some big waves, I put my head down and hammered to shore. When I stood up I looked at my watch at saw 32 minutes. WTF...No way! I knew I was in the top 3 of the women out of the water and I had pushed it harder than I usually do. Seems everyone was 3-5 minutes off of the predicted swim times so the wind was already taking it's toll on the day.

I was excited T1 with one girl right on my heels. I wasn't sure what I could do on this leg but I decided I might as well lay it all out of the line. The first 20-30 minutes we were flying 28-30 mph and I knew the way back was going to suck with the wind in our face and I was starting to doubt if the disc wheel was the smartest idea. Sure enough we made our first few turns and it seemed that the wind was at our side or head on for the rest of the ride. I felt like I was crawling and possibly pushing the pace a bit too hard to knock out the type of run split I was hoping for. I hadn't passed any girls in my AG yet and none had passed me. I wasn't sure exactly what place I was in but I assumed top 3 still. Finally, one girl passed me and I simply couldn't stay with her. Through a stiff head wind we finally made it back to T2 and I was happy with my time and ability to hold my position in the field.

Off on the run, it was a fast course with only 1 hill that we had to do twice on the 2 loop course. I was holding a solid 7:00-7:10 pace and felt comfortable, besides really tight glutes. I knew I shouldn't go out too fast because it always feels easy right off the bike. I have been loving the run this year and was having a blast at this point. I felt great and the miles were ticking by. My pace was slipping a little bit by mile 9-10 but not enough for me to care. No one had passed me and from what I could tell on the out and back sections, no one was really close to sneaking up on me. I pushed through and crossed the line in 4:56 and in 3rd place, 18th overall female.

Given how early this race was for me and where my biking is (or is not, really) I am thrilled with how it went. I felt great the entire day and was able to PR on my run (1:36). I decided to take a slot to the Half Ironman World Championships now that it is in Las Vegas. I'm not 100% sure if I'll go if I end up getting a Kona slot in Canada but I think it would be pretty sweet (or stupid) to race Canada, Vegas, Kona all within 6 weeks.

The season is off to an unexpected great start! Next race is Sunday in Boulder and I can't wait to throw down.

Not the best picture but it's all we got...I look like I'm going to sneeze.

What do these things have in common?

The Bolder Boulder 10k race here in Boulder and the U2 Concert recently at Invesco Field in Denver?

They both attracted 60,000+ people! Pretty sick that a measly little 10k can attract the same crowds that U2 can, in my opinion. I guess that's Boulder for ya. We're a bunch of endurance junkies...

On May 21st we went to the U2 concert with tickets that we got at 3pm on the day of the concert. Talk about luck! It was the best concert I've ever been too, hands down. What I think is amazing is that they sold out Invesco Field. I've never been to an arena show and with the stage and show they created they had no trouble rocking it out in such a huge space. Most artists can't even sell out a normal convention center. This concert was on my bucket list, feels good to check it off. Now I just need to see Madonna. I saw New Kids on the Block when I was 8 years old so my life will be complete after Madonna :)

On to the Bolder Boulder. I debated when my alarm went off at 5am Monday morning if I really wanted to go suffer through a 10k. They hurt so bad! I love/hate this race. It's a blast because it is the largest 10k in the world right in my backyard. The energy is insane and it's a great way to start your Memorial Day. But the downside is it's the largest 10k in the world, it's crowded. AND, it's on a holiday when I'd usually prefer to sleep in. I decided to go because allot of friends were racing and I was curious with all of my training how much faster I could go over last year. We had a pretty big training weekend and this certainly wasn't an A race with Ironman coming up in a few short months. My legs were not feeling great on the bike yesterday so I didn't have high hopes for a great run. Guess, you never know until you get out there because I had a PR and ended up 5th in my age group. I ran it in 42:58 (6:56 pace) which I was happy with. I think I can run faster on fresh legs but I'll take it given the week I've had kicking my own ass on the track and bike!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic Memorial Day. We're off to a BBQ, it's time for a drink!

Detox is Rough

A little history: In 2006 I had my gallbladder removed because of a huge stone in it. Not cool! I've always had a sensitive stomach and allot of stomach aches. After the surgery I was hoping to feel 100x better but it wasn't. I went in for more testing and they found that I had severe reflux which I think was going on at the same time as the gallstone but it masked by that pain. This is scary because left untreated it can lead to esophageal cancer which is pretty much a death sentence.

Ever since I've been on reflux medication and had numerous upper endoscopy tests to make sure all is well down in my gut. I first started on 40mg 2x a day and hated it, horrible side effects. I switched meds and have been on 20mg 1x a day since. I can tell when I forget to take my them because I get the worst heart burn and other stomach ailments that aren't allot of fun. It's very frustrating, especially as an athlete. This type of medication can lead to increased risk of osteoporosis, which already runs in my family. Being so young, I do NOT want to be on this medication for the rest of my life so I decided that if I could control it with my diet I would. There are surgery options as well but I'm all for trying the natural fix first.

I already eat pretty healthy but during big training blocks I can get lazy because it's all I can do to get enough calories. I know certain things that trigger it already (onions, tomato, garlic, wine-NOOOOOOO), pretty much anything acidic. I try to limit these things as much as possible but with the medication it's OK to eat them, mostly. But the issue is that I don't want to rely on these meds.

Post-half marathon I decided I was going to go off all drugs and do a diet cleanse. I'm on day 3 and although I'm starving I already feel better overall! My goal has been to simply eat organic fresh foods from the earth. Nothing processed, no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol, etc. I'm eating allot of lean meat, fruits, and veggies. I'm waiting 4-5 hours between meals and 12 hours between dinner & breaky. That is the roughest part because I'm used to eating all day, especially during workouts. I lost 5 lbs in 24 hours, mostly water I'm sure. The first afternoon I had a bit of reflux but today I've had none. After 5 days I will start adding things back in on 5 day increments. I'll start with gluten free carbs, then dairy, then gluten. Alcohol & caffeine will be last. Each time I'll track what upsets my stomach and hopefully settle on a good diet for me.

The hardest part has been cutting the booze, caffeine, and the sweets. I love all 3 in a sinful way but they are also the worst for my stomach. Although I'm hungry most of the day I have been sleeping like a baby, I'm not bloated at all any more, and my stomach feels much better. It's amazing how great your body runs when you put good fuel into it. I also think it's good to give our bodies a break from all the crap we put into them all the time.

I'm so sick of bland food and I've had some really horrible workouts this week because I'm under-fueled. I chose to do this right after the half since I knew I would be training too much this week and I wanted to get it out of the way before most of my races start. I'm eager to see how it will (or won't) improve my performance this season.

Nashville Half Marathon below.....

Nashville Half Marathon

I try to get to Nashville at least once a year to see my grandparents and other family that lives there. My Papa will be 92 this June and they've been married 69 years this summer. Amazing, right?

We decided to go this Spring before the summer got way to busy. I've run the Nashville Marathon or Half Marathon a few times and it's a time of the year so we decided to go last weekend so I could run the half.

I was super tight and stiff the week before the race, even with a massage a few days out. I also had a horrible track session last Wednesday....brutal! I wasn't too optimistic I could get the turnover I was hoping for on race day.

The race was on Saturday and typically has 25,000 people or so running. I decided that this might be last year running this because it's just too darn crowded. I don't like it. I had guessed that if I had a good race I could run a 1:35, roughly 7:15 pace. After all, it was sea level. I had put this down as by guesstimate finish time so I got to leave in coral 1, thank God! I didn't want to fight the crowds any longer than I had to.

Kevin dropped me off about 6:15 so I could find the port-o-potties. Gotta love race morning nerves and what they do to your GI. I stood in line for 35 minutes and moved about 3 feet. Finally with 10 minutes until start I decided I was either going to have to hold it or find another option. I ran toward the start line and off to the left their was a grove of trees that many of the racers were using as an alternative to the port-o-potties. I had no choice, I found a tree and did my business. Ah, much better!

I decided that I wasn't going to be conservative on this start. It's only 13.1 miles so I don't have much time to make it up if I started too slow. Time to hit it. First mile, 6:45 pace. It felt easy and my legs felt great. I eventually settled into a 6:56-6:58 pace and it was right on. Aerobically I didn't feel like I was working that hard-I love oxygen! But that was all my legs could do. At about mile 8 I started to doubt whether I could continue to hold that pace, I was feeling it a bit. I downed a gel and pushed on. I started to think I might do it and beat my goal time. The last mile was pretty brutal as I was ready to be done and my quads hurt bad! The last 50 yards was downhill and it was a nice break from the rest of the hilly course I had just run.

I finished in 1:32:57. My watch said I averaged a 6:56 pace which I was stoked about. This was my fastest half ever and it's a huge PR. I left Nashville super sore and super excited about my season.

Baby Gear!!!!

Bet you thought I was pregnant didn't you?! Sorry, not yet. We're still just practicing as much as possible. hehe!

But, I recently acquired some pretty rad baby gear! Check it out...

One of my clients is Phil & Teds. They have some pretty awesome stuff by the way. I think I might start a collection in our basement :) If you're in the market, check them out. I went up to meet with them last week in Fort Collins and she gave me a few of these carriers for our staff. I think I might put Campi in it to try it out. After all, he is already playing with barbies!

Marathon post below.....

Napa Valley Marathon

Originally Kevin & I had planned to go up to Napa for a little racing and wine drinking. When I got this new job I realized I had some sales training to be back for on Monday. I also couldn't get the time off we had planned so soon after starting so we cancelled Kevin's flight and I flew out alone. Thankfully one of my dearest friends, Katie, lives out there. She was willing to pick me up and haul my a$$ around wine country. Bummer, for her!

We got up to Napa on Saturday morning and did packet pick up. I had told myself I wasn't going to do any tastings on Saturday, pre-race. BUT, one of my favorite wines is right in Sonoma and we weren't going to have time to hit it the next day so we stopped in. Twist my arm, I'm such a lush! It was well worth it though, check it out - Valley of the Moon. Their zins are to die for! We also discovered an orgasmic Port wine while there. They just released a well aged brandy and this port is infused with it. Holy moly it is some tasty decadence. It's in the wine cellar for a special occasion. Blogging is a special occasion, right? At the rate I've been doing it lately it might be :)

I digress...the night before the race we went to The Culinary Institute of America! Wowza, the food was almost as good as the vino! It's a must do if you are ever up that way.

Ok, on to the race...the forecast had been calling for rain all week leading up to the race. I was cautiously optimistic that it would hold off but Saturday afternoon the slow drizzle started and as soon as I woke up race morning I heard it coming down. Fantabulous! Fortunately, it wasn't too cold. Actually, it was about perfect racing conditions at a comfy 50*!

The race starts in Calistoga and runs down the Silverado Trail Road into Napa. The scenery couldn't be better and the course is flat or slightly downhill!

It was a fairly uneventful race for me. I wore too much thinking I would get cold. Within the first mile I had shed 1 layer. My goal for the race was to break 3:30. Based on the training runs I had done at altitude I knew I could do it if I could just be patient in the first half of the race. I have a bad habit, like most I think, of going out WAY too fast. I ran my first mile right at 8' pace. My goal was to run 8' miles through the half, re-evaluate, then drop it from there. A few miles in I had settled confortably into a 7:55 pace. It felt easy but I decided to keep it steady. Another runner started running with me. We chatted quickly about our finish goals and he asked if he could pace off of me. It was a nice distraction. I was feeling great, getting my nutrition spot on, and holding my pace between 7:52-7:55 each mile. And yes, it was still dumping rain! It was one soggy run all day!

By 18 I was feeling the fatigue but I wasn't slowing. At this point I decided I would re-evaluate how I felt at mile 20 and decide if I could pick it up the last 10k home. By 20 I was feeling ok but didn't feel like I had much more to give. I decided to just keep it steady at 7:53ish. At this point my stomach wasn't feeling great either. I was having reflux and having trouble getting another gel down, which I could have used. I stuck to water and a few tiny sips from my flask. Blah!

I picked up the pace the last mile, mostly from adrenaline and wanting it to be over as quick as possible. I crossed the line officially in 3:28:15! I had my garmin on and I clocked the course a bit long which sucked when I thought I was almost there, I had another half mile to go. Boston qualifying time was 3:40 so I beat that by over 10 minutes. All I came away with was this...

Sorry, if you just lost your lunch. All in all, I was stoked with my time and felt I executed it well, in comparison to my past open marathons. I was really hoping to pick up the pace the last 10k and everything in my training indicated I could do it. It just wasn't happening on race day for some reason. Oh well, no complaints and I'm not disappointed! I learn something new with every marathon I do and I'm loving the distance more and more. My goal for Ironman Canada is to run a 3:30-3:35 marathon. I know with the fitness I have now and the time I still have to put in I can do it,. with allot of hard work this summer. In 2009 I ran my IM marathon only 3 minutes slower than my early season open. WTF, right? Crazy~if you ask me!

All in all it was a great weekend and a great race! I would do it again in a heart beat. It was a small race (2200 runners) and a spectacular course. And the wine tastings the next day were awesome! Well, fun until I threw up in the bushes outside one winery!

Boston Bound

Once again, it's been ages since I have posted. I have been so busy with work I haven't had allot of extra time. Speaking of work, I love my new job and it is going so well. I had a small performance review just 2 months in and got nothing but great feedback. You never know what people think so early on so it was nice to be complimented and rewarded so soon! Dream job!!!!

I'm in Bozeman for work this week. I had never been to Montana and it certainly is Big Sky country. Not much up here but that's what makes it so special. I cant wait to come back and go up to Glacier. I've never been to Alaska but I don't think it would be much different. This is pristine land, much of it untouched by human. Truly epic!



I want to do a race report from my marathon. I'll get that up this weekend when I am not pecking on my iPad. In a nutshell...it was a great race and a HUGE personal best for me and I finally qualified for Boston by over 10 minutes. I just hope I can register with the new regulations.

More details about the soggy run coming soon!

Why I Need A(nother) Martini

Because life has been insanely busy since I started this new job. I was doing both jobs simultaneously for about a week. It was great for the bank account but not for the mind! Let's just say the liquor cabinet dried up a bit too much that week! My very first day on the job with Backpacker I was in Salt Lake City for Winter Outdoor Retailer. It was a sink or swim experience for sure as I hadn't had an ounce of preparation or training. It was good in allot of ways because I could hit the floor running and just meet as many people as possible. The show was a blast and I fell in love with the job and my colleagues immediately. I am so happy to be back in this industry, let's just say it's a but more relaxed than the health care industry. Our first night at dinner, we hadn't been seated 5 minutes and we all had one tequila shot down the hatch. These people know how to have fun! We closed our biggest issue of the year right after OR so it was definitely a stressful/busy time to start. Not to mention, a week after the show my boss's wife had a baby so he's out through the rest of February! Baptism by Fire! (martini in hand)

I've had to amend my race schedule about 15.5 times already. It seems every week at work I found out about another trip that overlaps a race I had planned. It's not the end of the world since the places I have to go are places like Montana, Jackson Hole, New York City, Utah, etc. But it definitely is frustrating when I've already paid for some races and simply have to eat the cash now! Next year will be easier because I can plan ahead and build races around my work travel. This year I don't have much choice and just have to make it happen. I'd skip every race this year if I had to for this opportunity. Work is what allows me to go to these races so if it requires a few sacrifices here and there, I'm OK with it.

Quick marathon & race plans update. My marathon is a mere 3 weeks away. Yesterday I did my final longest run. It was windy has heck but I couldn't pass up the 63 degree February day and went out to brave the 40 mph gusts. If I only I was training for Kona it would have served a greater purpose. Each week I've been getting stronger and I'm super happy with how fit I am this early in the year. I may be pushing my luck by saying this but I think I'm fitter (running wise) that I was before Ironman Florida last year. I can't wait to see how this run goes and the rest of the year unfolds because of it. And even better, my ankle has stayed stable and healthy!

Speaking of the rest of the year and my other races. As mentioned I've had to amend quite a few things because of work. We had planned to stay in Napa to enjoy some vino but I have sales training the day after so have to run and rush back. I think at this point I'm not going to be able to do Lubbock 70.3 in June or Boulder 70.3 in August. I can't say Lubbock is a favorite race but it was one more to try for that Kona slot early in the year and I have some redemption needed on that course. Boulder 70.3, however, is a favorite and I was hoping to try to defend my win from 2010. I might be able to get back the day before the race but I'll be coming off of a 4-5 day trade show with 10 hour days and very little sleep. Not ideal racing conditions at all! I BRIEFLY dabbled with the idea of adding in Ironman St. George in early May. Knowing how fit I am now, it wouldn't be that bad but it I quickly realized it's sandwiched between two trips and I don't really want to give WTC any more of my money so I think that one is off the table! We did however manage to pull together a 6 person female team to do the Trans Tahoe (relay) swim in July. It's an 11 mile swim across Lake Tahoe. I have always wanted to go to Tahoe so what better way to experience it than swim across? The water could be as low as 55 degrees and no wet suits are allowed. It's going to be an experience for sure but I can't think of a more fun even with 6 fantastic girls! Thankfully there are no conflicts (yet) with Ironman Canada so that remains my focus and hopefully I can get a Kona slot there and squeeze in a trip to the Big Island.

"If you just go with the flow, no matter what weird things happen along the way, you always end up exactly where you belong." — Tom Upton

Exciting News

I can finally announce it...I have a NEW JOB!!!! I am now the Rocky Mountain Rep for Active Interest Media (AIM) and their publications: Backpacker, Climbing, Urban Climber, Snews, and Yellowstone Journal! I will be selling print, digital, and event sponsorships throughout the Rockies!

I am so excited and have been so anxious to share the news. This is a dream job for me and I couldn't be more thrilled. I have been trying to get back into the Outdoor Industry for so long and have had several opportunities that just didn't workout. This is the best opportunity I've had and I am so thankful that they chose me! I'm excited to start something new, something more challenging than what I've been doing, and something that is going to be so much fun!

My territory will initially be Colorado, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming. There may be some opportunity to move east and possibly cover part of Texas, Minnesota, etc. The travel will be amazing and I'm hoping it will allow me to explore some incredible places, meet incredible people, and go on some incredible adventures!

I gave my notice at work today and will be starting NEXT WEEK. It's going to be sink or swim with my first day being at Winter Outdoor Retailer! Some of my good friends will be there with their companies so that makes it even more exciting! It was very hard to give my notice because I love the people I work with. Being a smaller, family owned business makes it more difficult and I truly care about the company and the people there.

But this was something I simply could NOT pass up.