Monday, June 29, 2009

Rev3 Announces Full Iron Distance Event - 09/12/2010

Rev3 Full Distance Event takes place September 12, 2010 -- Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH

Revolution3 officially announced that Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH will serve as the host venue for its newest event, a full distance triathlon in September, 2010. Taking place on September 12, 2010, the event will consist of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a 26.2-mile run.

The inaugural full distance Rev3 will take place within the Cedar Point Park and will include access to the park for family members and friends. In addition, a professional prize purse of $150,000 will be offered as well as prizes for top age group finishers. Registration for the event is available at www.rev3tri.com beginning September 1, 2009.

I get a lot of questions about what I am going to do after IM FL ... well, this looks very interesting! I have heard nothing but AMAZING things about this amusement park (voted best in the world! 11 years in a row) and it is going to be a Trakkers event.

More about the park and the race (from the Rev3 website):

With 75 diverse rides, including 17 roller coasters; a huge outdoor water park (Soak City); four resort hotels; a luxury RV campground with cottages and cabins; two large marinas; outdoor entertainment complex featuring go-karts, miniature golf and more (Challenge Park); award-winning live shows; gift shops; delicious eateries; four giant kids’ areas and more, it’s easy to see why Cedar Point has been voted the “Best Amusement Park in the World” for an unmatched 11 years in a row!

The swim will be held on the beautiful Lake Erie, with athletes entering the water inside the park from the beach of Hotel Breakers, which serves as the host hotel for the Rev3 event and is located within 100 yards from the swim start. Following the swim, the scenic bike course will take athletes on a 112 mile ride through the country side of Erie County. The run will consist of a two loop course through downtown Sandusky on what is considered to be a generally flat run. The finish line will be positioned at Cedar Point and is sure to be one of the most spectacular finish line experiences around!

“Our immediate goal is to make triathlons a more interactive, enjoyable experience for spectators and family members by providing fun activities for children and family members during the race. We’re about change. Change for the age grouper, change for the professional athlete, and change for the spectators,” claims Todd Gollnick, Rev3 Race Director.

"We are honored and excited to be the host for the Revolution3 event. It's world class athletes competing at a world class facility. Sandusky welcomes each of the athletes and their families with open arms," stated Matt Kline, City Manager, Sandusky, Ohio.

Anyone care to join me in Ohio??? My kids will love this!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Weekly Musings

With July around the corner and no rain in sight, Houston is hotter than ever. The good news is that I am able to do most of my training in the morning (when it is just the humidity that gets me!) and at lunch at the gym, so I am not out in the 100+ degree temps, except for my long ride each week.

I never thought I would be thankful for wind on a bike ride (other than a tail wind that is), but the wind yesterday sure helped keep me cool enough. It wasn't until my 3 mile run that I really felt the stifling heat! I was prepared with a water bottle and salt, but despite the heat I felt pretty strong on my run. These bricks really help me evaluate my bike nutrition to determine if I am taking in enough calories and to make sure that I don't get any stomach distress on the run.

This week also found me running alone. I am VERY lucky in that my normal weekly schedule includes two longish runs with my training partner, Mark. Mark has work and vacation conflicts until mid-August, so I will be doing my morning runs alone. Boring! Well, I figured that my music alone was not going to cut it for me and decided to listen to the Twilight books on my iPod instead and I am happy to report that it worked like a charm. I did two 1 hour runs and one 1.5 hour run alone this week and Edward and Bella were great company (go ahead and laugh at me, my husband does!).

In other big news this week, I am almost finished finalizing my race schedule for the rest of the year leading up to IM FL. I registered for the Redman AquaBike Full in September instead of doing a late season HIM based on the recommendations of many seasoned triathletes on BT. I will also be doing a local Olympic distance race in August, so now I just need to pick a Sprint for fun in July. There is also a local century ride in July that I will be doing to practice pacing and nutrition so that I can make adjustments as needed in my plan.

Emotionally, I am struggling with knowing which plan I should be following. Right now I am following Don Fink's Competitive Plan and I was planning on following this as long as I can, but as the hours increase I am worried about over training and injury. If I am smart and listen to my body and adjust as needed, I am hopeful that I will be ok through the hours.

Here is a summary of the plan:
During the build phase (the current phase I am in, weeks 11 of 11-20), the plan begins with 12 hours and concludes with 16 hours, averaging 13 hours per week.

The peak phase (week 21-30) starts at 16 hours and peaks at 20 hours, averaging 15 hours per week.

I feel confident that I could be ready for IM FL on fewer hours, but I would like to be my best -- it is a fine line, I think!

Overall, a great week! Happy training!

Mileage for Week Ending 6/28/09
Swim: 5800 yards in 2:30
Bike: 93 miles in 5:35
Run: 28.75 miles in 4:13
Total Time: 12:18

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Tri Bike Udate

After a lot of soul searching I have decided not to get a tri bike right now. After racing Gulf Coast, I realized that my bike is comfortable and I am happy with my set up. It is aero and fast and I am happy with the results that I getting on it, so I am not going to take the tri bike plunge right now.

The other deciding factor is that in addition to being a triathlete, I am also a photography enthusiast and I would rather invest the money in a new lens since I already have a bike that allows me to race and follow my iron dream!

Ironman on the brain

They (who are they, anyway?) say that when you are experiencing something, you see / hear whatever you are going through all around you. For example, when you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, all of a sudden, you see pregnant women everywhere! Well, I have Ironman on the brain.

We watched Wheel of Fortune on Monday because I actually got home from work before it was over and one of the puzzles was:

Curling
Iron
Man

I have also heard lots of references about the movie Ironman recently, which I know are not triathlon related, but it still reminds me of this journey that I am taking.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Boston, IM Watching, Mileage and Inspiration

I am happy to report that I was able to successfully execute my training plan while traveling in Boston, despite the late nights out and over indulging on yummy food! The weather was amazing! 60s and low 70s with zero humidity in the middle of the day – that is a far cry from what I am used to here in Texas!

I also had the most.amazing.massage.ever. in Boston. Bill was uber talented with his hands and while I would not call the massage relaxing (bordered on painful, but the good kind), he definitely worked the tightness out of my legs and did a world of good for my sciatic nerve. He told me that my right side is significantly tighter than my left side (on a scale of 1 – 10, my left side was a 4 and my right side was an 8), so I am going to schedule some time with the physical therapist associated with my doctor’s office to see if we can figure out why and to make sure that it doesn’t get so tight again that is causes pain while I am riding. I also clearly need to find a local massage therapist who works on athletes!

This Sunday evening I found myself online watching the Ironman CDA finishers … I was on the verge of tears the entire time. I cannot wait for Florida. I am excited and nervous, but I know that I will be ready and I am anxious for it to be my turn. I have also been working on my goals for IMFL. Finishing is my #1 goal (and my true focus) and honestly, nothing else really matters … but I am anal retentive so having general time and pace goals for each leg will help me meet my #1 goal.

With that said my goals are as follows (to be further defined in the months ahead):

1. Finish
2. Run the entire marathon (currently trying to determine my pace goal)
3. On a perfect day, with perfect weather, perfect nutrition and a perfect race execution, I would love to finish sub 13:00

I can say without hesitation that I will not be disappointed if I do not achieve #3 in my first IM.

There I said it, my first IM.

Without having even finished my first, I am starting to contemplate a second.

Why?

For me, the training is a life style and I need to have goals so that I will keep training (I like to say that the goal keeps me honest with myself). That, and my wonderful husband seems resigned to the fact that I will continue to pursue these goals and he loves me even more for it. I know, I have the most.incredible.husband.ever. It is my blog and I can brag if I want to :)

Mileage for Week Ending 6/21/09
Swim: 5200 yards in 2:00
Bike: 73 miles in 4:10
Run: 29.00 miles in 4:26
Total Time: 10:36

I saw this street sign and had to stop to take a photo, inspiration is everywhere!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Mileage for Week Ending 6/14/09

Another week has come and gone and this Sunday evening has me blogging from Boston. I am hopeful that this trip will not derail my training for the week - I have great intentions for swimming and running while I am here!

My amazing and devoted husband broke his collar bone last week, so right now I am just thankful to be healthy! I have been doing some research on my sciatic nerve and I have a plan of action if the pain strikes again!

Mileage for Week Ending 6/14/09
Swim: 6000 yards in 2:25
Bike: 85 miles in 4:47
Run: 22.25 miles in 3:31
Total Time: 10:43

Monday, June 8, 2009

You know your IM is getting closer when ...

... you start scheduling things on your calendar that fall AFTER your IM!

And in case you are wondering, no, I am talking about my next race, but other fun stuff on the calendar all the same!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

IM Florida is 5 months from today!

I am so excited about the IM count down -- each passing week makes this goal more real!

Mileage for Week Ending 6/7/09
Swim: 5450 yards in 2:25
Bike: 84 miles in 5:00
Run: 20 miles in 3:12
Total Time: 9:37