Just a quick check in with you guys.
Budapest was absolutely AMAZING!! I can't even begin to tell you how cool it was to be swimming in the Danube, biking around Budapest and running through some of the most historic and beautiful sights EVER! If you ever get a chance to race over here in europe...DO IT! !
The race was flat and fast! I had about 15 different people ask me about my bike and make comments on how nice it was! I also wore my PowerTri visor and my black PowerTri long sleeve shirt so I would be representing! I feel pretty good about my race efforts. I sure wish I could swim just THAT MUCH faster, ride just THAT MUCH faster and definitely RUN just THAT MUCH faster! That way I would be placing just THAT MUCH better! I ended up racing a 2:10 time and placing 16th.....but, that is at a World championship. So...I am pretty pleased with that. I just know that I could do better....but, maybe that is just because I am always thinking I could be doing better.
Guess that's what keeps me motivated to keep trying.
But, I sure am enjoying just the joy of being able to do what I am doing!
So, after the race we went to the awards ceremony and party and then got about 2 hours sleep before we got on a train (with ALL our race gear, bikes, bike box, etc.) and went up to Vienna. Spent 2 days there...totally awesome and amazing and loved every minute of it....and we hopped on another train (and I mean hopped cause between two bikes and all our gear it is a miracle we made it) and have now arrived in Prague. Yet another amazing place! Oh...and I ran 3 hours along the Danube yesterday morning which was the best pre-Kona run I could have done! I also rode my bike this morning for just a short hour before heading to the train to head into Budapest. I was hoping to do a long ride here in Europe...but, it's tough between getting lost, not having enough time and all the cobblestone roads! I am thinking I will try and ride here in Prague and even get in a short run along the Moldau. We'll see what tomorrow brings for weather as well....cause man it has been wet here! Lots of rain!!
Anyways...we'll spend just one more day here in Prague, head into Paris for 2 days and then Home again!
It's been a great trip and an amazing experience!
Hope you are all doing well!
See you next week, when I decide to do some real training again...cause Kona is only THREE weeks away! Time to get to work again!
Keena
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Twas the Night Before the Race and All Through The House.....
Still here in Budapest and haven't been lost permanently, arrested or killed by a car or angry Hungarian!
All is well!
Visited an amazing museum today called "House of Terror" that documented all of the horrible events that have happened here in Budapest/Hungary during WWII and during the Cold War.
No wonder the people here are not quite....friendly....
They are helpful...enough, but they don't quite warm up to you (or maybe it's just ME!)
They also seem to have a somewhat resigned attitude towards their lot. meaning....they just shrug their shoulders and say "ehhh...just wait" or "Eeet Eees Eempossible" when we ask them if we can go here or do that.
I think a solid couple of generations of communism could do that to a people!
Anyways...been so preoccupied with learning about this beautiful area and just trying to not get permanently lost in this place that the race hasn't been giving me too much nerves or stress.
But...NOW...the night before the race...Time to FOCUS!
It has been SOOO wet that everything is sloshy and I feel like a prune from head to toe. But, it hasn't been as cold today and that makes me verrrryyy happy!
We set up our bikes at transition today and it is great!
we also watched the men's elite (pro) race and it was impressive! Those guys can fly!
It was also so cool cause on our way to set up our bikes at transition we were allowed to take them right over the chain bridge (the most amazing bridge here in budapest) while it was closed to all traffic. So...just Nichole and me, riding our bikes over the bridge. We made sure to document it with some pics! It was awesome!
So, tonight was a perfect dinner with some pasta and then back to our room to get all our soggy gear packed in our bags and then we will be heading out to the Metro to take the train to our race at about 5:30 a.m. (or about 9:30 p.m. for US time!)
Haven't done much swimming, biking or running over the last 5 days...so, I hope to feel very FRESH and ready to race tomorrow morning!
Here goes!!
All is well!
Visited an amazing museum today called "House of Terror" that documented all of the horrible events that have happened here in Budapest/Hungary during WWII and during the Cold War.
No wonder the people here are not quite....friendly....
They are helpful...enough, but they don't quite warm up to you (or maybe it's just ME!)
They also seem to have a somewhat resigned attitude towards their lot. meaning....they just shrug their shoulders and say "ehhh...just wait" or "Eeet Eees Eempossible" when we ask them if we can go here or do that.
I think a solid couple of generations of communism could do that to a people!
Anyways...been so preoccupied with learning about this beautiful area and just trying to not get permanently lost in this place that the race hasn't been giving me too much nerves or stress.
But...NOW...the night before the race...Time to FOCUS!
It has been SOOO wet that everything is sloshy and I feel like a prune from head to toe. But, it hasn't been as cold today and that makes me verrrryyy happy!
We set up our bikes at transition today and it is great!
we also watched the men's elite (pro) race and it was impressive! Those guys can fly!
It was also so cool cause on our way to set up our bikes at transition we were allowed to take them right over the chain bridge (the most amazing bridge here in budapest) while it was closed to all traffic. So...just Nichole and me, riding our bikes over the bridge. We made sure to document it with some pics! It was awesome!
So, tonight was a perfect dinner with some pasta and then back to our room to get all our soggy gear packed in our bags and then we will be heading out to the Metro to take the train to our race at about 5:30 a.m. (or about 9:30 p.m. for US time!)
Haven't done much swimming, biking or running over the last 5 days...so, I hope to feel very FRESH and ready to race tomorrow morning!
Here goes!!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
More Fun Times in Budapest
Day Two in Budapest was spent mainly with Team USA stuff, getting ready for the race and still trying to find Nichole's Lost Luggage.
Yes....we are now on 3 days and no luggage for Nichole. It has been very stressful for her. We even drove out to the airport yesterday just to try and get some help in person. NO LUCK. They pretty much just said..."wait". No real help there.
So...good thing is that Nichole has both Kristin and I with clothes and luggage can keep her clean, clothed and doing pretty well.
We ran the course yesterday....it is gorgeous! We run over the same bridge three times (it is the oldest bridge in Budapest, called the Chain Bridge). And we also run right past the Cathedral we are staying right next to (St. Stephens Cathedral)...the largest cathedral in Budapest. The streets are all cobbled and so charming. I am enjoying just walking them right now....but it is going to be so cool to run them on Sunday. All the streets are going to be completely closed for the race...so we are going to be owning the city for the day. Fun!
We also swam yesterday. We are swimming in a side tributary of the Danube (so...all the cold water without the incredible current). Water temp is FREEZING!! It is around the low 50 degrees right now! BRRRRR......
But, we swam and it was fine once we acclimated.
Bikes are also good. Rode around town yesterday and everything felt good. So...that was fun and a great way to see a ton of sites!
After doing all those fun events, we hired a taxi and rode out to the airport. No luck on the luggage, so we just turned around and came back. DANG...poor Nichole!
Finally, ended the day with Perfection!
Got ourselves a nice little gelato (of course there is a gelato shop right next to our hotel) and we went and sat on the large steps of St. Stephens Cathedral and listened to the bells ringing while we enjoyed our gelato and chilled. It was truly perfect!
Today is going to be all about sightseeing! Planning on doing the hop on hop off bus and then going to as many museums and sites as possible! It is really our only training free/triathlon not focused day so far. So, I have every intention of enjoying every moment of sightseeing!
Nichole and Kristin are both terrific traveling companions and we are having a terrific time!
Off to see Budapest!
Yes....we are now on 3 days and no luggage for Nichole. It has been very stressful for her. We even drove out to the airport yesterday just to try and get some help in person. NO LUCK. They pretty much just said..."wait". No real help there.
So...good thing is that Nichole has both Kristin and I with clothes and luggage can keep her clean, clothed and doing pretty well.
We ran the course yesterday....it is gorgeous! We run over the same bridge three times (it is the oldest bridge in Budapest, called the Chain Bridge). And we also run right past the Cathedral we are staying right next to (St. Stephens Cathedral)...the largest cathedral in Budapest. The streets are all cobbled and so charming. I am enjoying just walking them right now....but it is going to be so cool to run them on Sunday. All the streets are going to be completely closed for the race...so we are going to be owning the city for the day. Fun!
We also swam yesterday. We are swimming in a side tributary of the Danube (so...all the cold water without the incredible current). Water temp is FREEZING!! It is around the low 50 degrees right now! BRRRRR......
But, we swam and it was fine once we acclimated.
Bikes are also good. Rode around town yesterday and everything felt good. So...that was fun and a great way to see a ton of sites!
After doing all those fun events, we hired a taxi and rode out to the airport. No luck on the luggage, so we just turned around and came back. DANG...poor Nichole!
Finally, ended the day with Perfection!
Got ourselves a nice little gelato (of course there is a gelato shop right next to our hotel) and we went and sat on the large steps of St. Stephens Cathedral and listened to the bells ringing while we enjoyed our gelato and chilled. It was truly perfect!
Today is going to be all about sightseeing! Planning on doing the hop on hop off bus and then going to as many museums and sites as possible! It is really our only training free/triathlon not focused day so far. So, I have every intention of enjoying every moment of sightseeing!
Nichole and Kristin are both terrific traveling companions and we are having a terrific time!
Off to see Budapest!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Alive and Kickin' in Budapest
Day One is under my belt here in Budapest!
What a gorgeous City!
Got in late last night after about 24 hours of travel (5 hour layover in Detroit and 2 hour layover in Paris). Easy enough traveling though. I figure anything is pretty easy without kids. And...it was!
After a terrific night's sleep (with Nichole Beckstead on one side and Kristin Kyle on the other side...yes, we are all sharing two twin beds that we have pushed together!), we woke today ready to go!
Only problem....the stupid, idiot, lame, loser airline LOST Nichole's luggage!
She has been a very good sport about the whole thing...but she is now starting to get a little (ok...maybe a lot) mad and freaked out that no one is helping her find it! Every number we call is either out of order or no one answers.
So, we have decided we are going to go back to the airport tomorrow morning and see what we can do in person.
The crazy part is: we SAW her luggage on the cart on the tarmac as we boarded the plane from Paris to Budapest. So...where the HECK did it go??
Airlines SUCK!
But...on to more fun things!
We had an awesome run this morning along the Danube. So pretty, and amazing to be running past all these historic buildings and monuments!
We also enjoyed some terrific food (cause...really, it's all about the running and food!). I had Hungarian goulash and it was great! The food here has been very good!
We also did a lot of walking and exploring today and got a better sense of the layout of the city.
Went to a Team USA bike ride tonight...but, had some mechanical issues (both Nichole and I) and ended up spending our time having the team mechanics help us fix the head set, wheels, etc. But, everything is functioning well now...so, bring on the speed baby!
Oh....and....the weather! It has been raining and COLD since we got here....AND...it is supposed to stay rainy and cold for the rest of the week! How awesome is that?!
IT'S NOT!
But, the good news is....I am just happy to be here and it isn't dampening my spirits! In fact...I hope everyone else gets all bummed out and let's it affect them and then I can race right past them! OK...that's not gonna happen...but, I can use that as a good motivator to keep me from getting bugged that I am fully clothed with 6 layers of warmth to keep me from freezing! Glad I brought hats, gloves and pants as well as my teeny bikini (ok...not really the teeny bikini...but, you get the idea!)
Tomorrow....
We will be running the race course with Team USA and also Swimming the course. Team pictures are also tomorrow night. Gonna be FUN!
Also...of course...planning on our trip back to the airport .
AND...really want to make it to the a couple of museums cause I can't wait to learn more about Budapest and the history of this place!
Finally...don't forget all the fabulous food I plan on eating tomorrow. Didn't get near enough today (according to me) so, guess I'll just have to make plans to really live it up tomorrow! yeah..I know, I''m racing...but, I really like food....so, they'll just have to learn to get along!
So...Budapest is 8 hours ahead of Utah. Which means it is 10:30 p.m. as I write this and that means...it's time for BED for me! And...along with food...I really like to SLEEP! (I would make the best baby ever!)
Goodnight!
Keena
What a gorgeous City!
Got in late last night after about 24 hours of travel (5 hour layover in Detroit and 2 hour layover in Paris). Easy enough traveling though. I figure anything is pretty easy without kids. And...it was!
After a terrific night's sleep (with Nichole Beckstead on one side and Kristin Kyle on the other side...yes, we are all sharing two twin beds that we have pushed together!), we woke today ready to go!
Only problem....the stupid, idiot, lame, loser airline LOST Nichole's luggage!
She has been a very good sport about the whole thing...but she is now starting to get a little (ok...maybe a lot) mad and freaked out that no one is helping her find it! Every number we call is either out of order or no one answers.
So, we have decided we are going to go back to the airport tomorrow morning and see what we can do in person.
The crazy part is: we SAW her luggage on the cart on the tarmac as we boarded the plane from Paris to Budapest. So...where the HECK did it go??
Airlines SUCK!
But...on to more fun things!
We had an awesome run this morning along the Danube. So pretty, and amazing to be running past all these historic buildings and monuments!
We also enjoyed some terrific food (cause...really, it's all about the running and food!). I had Hungarian goulash and it was great! The food here has been very good!
We also did a lot of walking and exploring today and got a better sense of the layout of the city.
Went to a Team USA bike ride tonight...but, had some mechanical issues (both Nichole and I) and ended up spending our time having the team mechanics help us fix the head set, wheels, etc. But, everything is functioning well now...so, bring on the speed baby!
Oh....and....the weather! It has been raining and COLD since we got here....AND...it is supposed to stay rainy and cold for the rest of the week! How awesome is that?!
IT'S NOT!
But, the good news is....I am just happy to be here and it isn't dampening my spirits! In fact...I hope everyone else gets all bummed out and let's it affect them and then I can race right past them! OK...that's not gonna happen...but, I can use that as a good motivator to keep me from getting bugged that I am fully clothed with 6 layers of warmth to keep me from freezing! Glad I brought hats, gloves and pants as well as my teeny bikini (ok...not really the teeny bikini...but, you get the idea!)
Tomorrow....
We will be running the race course with Team USA and also Swimming the course. Team pictures are also tomorrow night. Gonna be FUN!
Also...of course...planning on our trip back to the airport .
AND...really want to make it to the a couple of museums cause I can't wait to learn more about Budapest and the history of this place!
Finally...don't forget all the fabulous food I plan on eating tomorrow. Didn't get near enough today (according to me) so, guess I'll just have to make plans to really live it up tomorrow! yeah..I know, I''m racing...but, I really like food....so, they'll just have to learn to get along!
So...Budapest is 8 hours ahead of Utah. Which means it is 10:30 p.m. as I write this and that means...it's time for BED for me! And...along with food...I really like to SLEEP! (I would make the best baby ever!)
Goodnight!
Keena
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Summer Time and the living is....Easy?
Wow!
It's been a while since I checked in!
Here's the problem...Summer time is awesome...But, I have 4 kids that are officially out of school and require a special little something called a "mom". I know...needy little buggers! Who invited them to the party, huh?
Oh yeah...that would be me! And what a party it is!
So, while I LOVE summer and LOVE being with my kids and spending as much time as we can together...it does make certain parts of my life take a backseat in the order of importance. If only I didn't need sleep. That would fix everything!
But, I am one of those lame-O humans that not only needs sleep...but, needs more than my fair share of sleep to function properly. So, while my husband gets by on about 5 hours a night, I on the other hand am a much happier and pleasant individual to tolerate when I enjoy about 8 or so hours of sleep.
sigh.
So, with that lengthy introduction to why I haven't posted in a while (cause I know all 0 of you really care), here goes my quick Reader's Digest version of my summer!
This summer can be broken down into 4 main categories:
1. Family
2. Work
3. Training myself
4. Sleep
That is pretty simple, huh.
1. Kids had a great summer. We spend lots of time at the beginning of summer taking them to Seven Peaks and enjoying the sun when it decided to show it's happy face. I was able to do a little double duty by taking my kids swimming and then slipping out for a mid day run on the mountain behind the pool and then coming back an hour or so later without them being the wiser. It's great that my kids are at an age that I can do that! I remember so vividly when they were all just little buggers and I would be on total lifeguard patrol making sure they were all within eyesight so they wouldn't slip silently under the water and ruin our whole day (ok...maybe even longer cause I really like them!)
They were in piano lessons for the first bit of summer, but I had to pull the plug on it for a bit cause I just couldn't force the practice and cover the cost right now. All of them were just heartbroken when I told them we were going to take a short break (Ha!)...
2. Work has been great...for the most part. Summer is an upside down time. You would think that would be when I am most busy with clients cause they are training for all these races. But, you would be wrong. Summer is the most quiet time of the season cause most people figure they are too close to the races, so they are either ready or not, so what's the point? I have a terrific group of core athletes and we kept them going through the summer, but it is the fall and winter where we really get cookin'. Boot camp stayed nice and consistent. Tuesdays classes were always bigger than Thursday classes, cause any athlete that was racing would always take Thursday off...which meant we shrunk a bit on those days. And of course, with a little smaller class I would always make it even harder! I would say over all, it was a great summer for work!
3. Training myself this summer was a blast! I have definitely had an terrific summer of training and racing. I got into a nice schedule of speed work and power during the weekdays and then the longer stuff on a Friday or Saturday, or racing on Saturday. I was re-capping my summer of training in my head and here are the highlights:
End of June was the Lubbock race....Buffalo Springs Ironman 70.3. Good stuff and glad I did it!
Next week was the 4th of July weekend. Had my 20th High School Reunion, which was great fun. Did a terrific 2 hour run up in the mountains by our cabin and enjoyed a beautiful swim, bike, run with my athletes up at Deer Creek and on the BAM course.
Thursday after that did a 6 hour ride with a 40 min. swim in the lake (Thanks Heath and Natalie).
Two days later did the Echo triathlon. Won the sprint distance overall. Felt good to go shorter and faster and to win.
Week after that trained with athletes on the Utah Half Ironman course. Good to get them comfortable with the course.
During the weekdays, throwing in speedwork on the running (and, yes...much of that is on the treadmill!) Don't know why, but I like doing my speedwork there! Guess it is because I can control the speed and focus on my form more clearly. Also...I watch movies while doing it and that makes it even more fun!
Next week (July 23rd), did the 4 Peaks ride which is almost 100 miles with approximatley 10,000 feet of elevation. Left at 5 a.m. and rode up Suncrest, Alpine Loop, down past Sundance and then up South Fork and then down Provo Canyon and up Squaw Peak and then home for a 5 mile run in the mid day heat. It was an absolutely awesome and perfect day of training! Thanks a TON to Sarah Jarvis for kicking my butt up Squaw Peak in particular! We had a great group of riders go on this training day (thanks James, Heath and crew)!
Next week (July 31st) was the 4th Annual ULTOT (Utah Lake to Top of Timp). So, I left from my house at 5 a.m. and rode to Utah Lake (AF boat harbor) and swam by myself from 5:30-6:00 a.m. and then swam for another 30 min. with the group from 6-6:30 a.m. (needed to get in some extra swimming!) Then we rode up the Alpine Loop on the AF Canyon side to the Timpooneke trail head and then ran to the TOP of Timpanogos (over 11,000 feet elevation). The whole event is just over 7,000 feet of elevation gain. So, it is a good amount of climbing. The run DOWN is what I totally get a rush out of! But, boy do my quads pay for it later! It took just about 4 hours to run up and down the mountain. Which can be a little depressing considering it is only 14 miles round trip. But, when you look at the elevation, it is all good!
First week of August was a race in the BAM (Battle at Midway). Chose to do the shorter distance again (loving it!) and WON the overall. It was a good course with lots of hills on the run!
Friday August 13th I swam, biked and ran the Utah Half Ironman course again with James, Spencer, and Shane. It was a great workout with just the right amount of speed and effort.
Next day, Saturday August 14th was a race in the Park City Triathlon. Brought my kids with me and they had a blast just hanging out in Park City. I did the sprint distance again....and won the overall (female) title. Really enjoyed the run course on that race, so I went out and ran another 4 or so miles and ended up missing the awards. Oops! Fun race!
Finally...last weekend I raced in the Jordanelle triathlon (sprint again)....and won the women's overall title. Didn't feel too super fast on the bike...but, it is a false flat course and makes you feel like you are riding through sand with your brakes on. So...I figured as long as I FEEL like I am working...I am probably ok! The run is another fun one with some dirt trails and hills. Once again...went out and ran the course again and cheered on all the other athletes...and missed the awards ceremony! Oh well!
Oh...also, did another 5+ hour ride last Tuesday with a couple of other athletes (thanks Shane, Heath and Melissa). We rode up and over Suncrest, up Wasatch Blvd and then the plan was to climb Immigration Canyon (much easier)...but, Heath was like "Little Cottonwood canyon is right here...let's just climb it!" I was not a happy camper cause I knew my legs were toast from all my other training and racing. Boy was that an UGLY ride for me! Not only was it noon and HOT, but once we got climbing we got stuck in construction that was re-paving (meaning hot TAR) the entire canyon! Little Cottonwood is already a tough climb cause it is pretty much straight up steep, but then to have hot tar coated on your wheels and the sun beating down (and legs and a brain that are already fried)....it was perhaps a top 3 most miserable rides ever moment for me! But, the good news is: I made it! Thanks to Shane sticking by me and hearing me pretty much swear my way to the top! After we made it back down to Draper (and still had about 2 more hours of riding) we stopped and got ourselves apple fritters and chocolate milk. It was the BEST! And...if I am going to be real honest....after I finally made it home....I totally went out and rewarded myself with a big ol' Coldstone! That was even better! Hey...a girls gotta do what a girl's gotta do!
So far this week all I have done is a very nice, comfy 3200 m swim (lots of drills and pulling), and a 90 minute bike that was mostly easy.
Today I am planning on getting my speedwork going with around 12-14 miles of a mix. About 2 miles of warm up. 6x1 mile repeats at about a 6:40 pace (that's all my legs will give me!), 10x1 minute ALL OUT efforts (love those!) and then remaining distance/time at race pace+about 15 sec/mile. We'll see how my very tired legs will do!
I am on the back end of my training.
Budapest is coming up! I leave in less than TWO weeks for Budapest and the first of my World Championship races. This one is for Olympic distance on Sept. 12th. So...I gotta stick in there for speed this week and early next and then I'll begin a taper for that race.
Right after the race on the 12th, I will try and get in another 5+ hour ride (hopefully somewhere in Eastern Europe cause that would be so cool!) Nichole Beckstead, Kristin Kyle and I are going to be going straight from Budapest to Vienna for 2 days, then Prague for 2 days and then finally ending up in Paris for 2 days before we head back home. Seriously...how much more FUN can a girl have??
After I get home from that adventure, I will have 2 weeks and then Cade and I will leave for Kona and my 2nd World Championship in the form of Ironman. Yes...this is the A race, mother of them all. But, I also have a very realistic approach to this race in that I just want to finish it and enjoy the day and not embarrass myself! So....all I have to do is go in to the race with a reasonable amount of fitness and the goal of finishing NOT last! It is going to be an awesome day and an amazing experience!
Finally I will head out to Clearwater, Florida about 3 weeks after Kona and do my 3rd and final World Championship of the year for the Ironman 70.3 world champs. Everyone keeps getting faster at this race....so, I am hoping to just keep a good pace, not fall apart on the run and better my time from last year (I think it was a 4:45)....And of course...have FUN!
So, that is my summer recap and my plans for the Autumn!
What will I do when I finish all these events? My husband just laughs at me when I tell him I am going to take a break.
He knows better!
It's been a while since I checked in!
Here's the problem...Summer time is awesome...But, I have 4 kids that are officially out of school and require a special little something called a "mom". I know...needy little buggers! Who invited them to the party, huh?
Oh yeah...that would be me! And what a party it is!
So, while I LOVE summer and LOVE being with my kids and spending as much time as we can together...it does make certain parts of my life take a backseat in the order of importance. If only I didn't need sleep. That would fix everything!
But, I am one of those lame-O humans that not only needs sleep...but, needs more than my fair share of sleep to function properly. So, while my husband gets by on about 5 hours a night, I on the other hand am a much happier and pleasant individual to tolerate when I enjoy about 8 or so hours of sleep.
sigh.
So, with that lengthy introduction to why I haven't posted in a while (cause I know all 0 of you really care), here goes my quick Reader's Digest version of my summer!
This summer can be broken down into 4 main categories:
1. Family
2. Work
3. Training myself
4. Sleep
That is pretty simple, huh.
1. Kids had a great summer. We spend lots of time at the beginning of summer taking them to Seven Peaks and enjoying the sun when it decided to show it's happy face. I was able to do a little double duty by taking my kids swimming and then slipping out for a mid day run on the mountain behind the pool and then coming back an hour or so later without them being the wiser. It's great that my kids are at an age that I can do that! I remember so vividly when they were all just little buggers and I would be on total lifeguard patrol making sure they were all within eyesight so they wouldn't slip silently under the water and ruin our whole day (ok...maybe even longer cause I really like them!)
They were in piano lessons for the first bit of summer, but I had to pull the plug on it for a bit cause I just couldn't force the practice and cover the cost right now. All of them were just heartbroken when I told them we were going to take a short break (Ha!)...
2. Work has been great...for the most part. Summer is an upside down time. You would think that would be when I am most busy with clients cause they are training for all these races. But, you would be wrong. Summer is the most quiet time of the season cause most people figure they are too close to the races, so they are either ready or not, so what's the point? I have a terrific group of core athletes and we kept them going through the summer, but it is the fall and winter where we really get cookin'. Boot camp stayed nice and consistent. Tuesdays classes were always bigger than Thursday classes, cause any athlete that was racing would always take Thursday off...which meant we shrunk a bit on those days. And of course, with a little smaller class I would always make it even harder! I would say over all, it was a great summer for work!
3. Training myself this summer was a blast! I have definitely had an terrific summer of training and racing. I got into a nice schedule of speed work and power during the weekdays and then the longer stuff on a Friday or Saturday, or racing on Saturday. I was re-capping my summer of training in my head and here are the highlights:
End of June was the Lubbock race....Buffalo Springs Ironman 70.3. Good stuff and glad I did it!
Next week was the 4th of July weekend. Had my 20th High School Reunion, which was great fun. Did a terrific 2 hour run up in the mountains by our cabin and enjoyed a beautiful swim, bike, run with my athletes up at Deer Creek and on the BAM course.
Thursday after that did a 6 hour ride with a 40 min. swim in the lake (Thanks Heath and Natalie).
Two days later did the Echo triathlon. Won the sprint distance overall. Felt good to go shorter and faster and to win.
Week after that trained with athletes on the Utah Half Ironman course. Good to get them comfortable with the course.
During the weekdays, throwing in speedwork on the running (and, yes...much of that is on the treadmill!) Don't know why, but I like doing my speedwork there! Guess it is because I can control the speed and focus on my form more clearly. Also...I watch movies while doing it and that makes it even more fun!
Next week (July 23rd), did the 4 Peaks ride which is almost 100 miles with approximatley 10,000 feet of elevation. Left at 5 a.m. and rode up Suncrest, Alpine Loop, down past Sundance and then up South Fork and then down Provo Canyon and up Squaw Peak and then home for a 5 mile run in the mid day heat. It was an absolutely awesome and perfect day of training! Thanks a TON to Sarah Jarvis for kicking my butt up Squaw Peak in particular! We had a great group of riders go on this training day (thanks James, Heath and crew)!
Next week (July 31st) was the 4th Annual ULTOT (Utah Lake to Top of Timp). So, I left from my house at 5 a.m. and rode to Utah Lake (AF boat harbor) and swam by myself from 5:30-6:00 a.m. and then swam for another 30 min. with the group from 6-6:30 a.m. (needed to get in some extra swimming!) Then we rode up the Alpine Loop on the AF Canyon side to the Timpooneke trail head and then ran to the TOP of Timpanogos (over 11,000 feet elevation). The whole event is just over 7,000 feet of elevation gain. So, it is a good amount of climbing. The run DOWN is what I totally get a rush out of! But, boy do my quads pay for it later! It took just about 4 hours to run up and down the mountain. Which can be a little depressing considering it is only 14 miles round trip. But, when you look at the elevation, it is all good!
First week of August was a race in the BAM (Battle at Midway). Chose to do the shorter distance again (loving it!) and WON the overall. It was a good course with lots of hills on the run!
Friday August 13th I swam, biked and ran the Utah Half Ironman course again with James, Spencer, and Shane. It was a great workout with just the right amount of speed and effort.
Next day, Saturday August 14th was a race in the Park City Triathlon. Brought my kids with me and they had a blast just hanging out in Park City. I did the sprint distance again....and won the overall (female) title. Really enjoyed the run course on that race, so I went out and ran another 4 or so miles and ended up missing the awards. Oops! Fun race!
Finally...last weekend I raced in the Jordanelle triathlon (sprint again)....and won the women's overall title. Didn't feel too super fast on the bike...but, it is a false flat course and makes you feel like you are riding through sand with your brakes on. So...I figured as long as I FEEL like I am working...I am probably ok! The run is another fun one with some dirt trails and hills. Once again...went out and ran the course again and cheered on all the other athletes...and missed the awards ceremony! Oh well!
Oh...also, did another 5+ hour ride last Tuesday with a couple of other athletes (thanks Shane, Heath and Melissa). We rode up and over Suncrest, up Wasatch Blvd and then the plan was to climb Immigration Canyon (much easier)...but, Heath was like "Little Cottonwood canyon is right here...let's just climb it!" I was not a happy camper cause I knew my legs were toast from all my other training and racing. Boy was that an UGLY ride for me! Not only was it noon and HOT, but once we got climbing we got stuck in construction that was re-paving (meaning hot TAR) the entire canyon! Little Cottonwood is already a tough climb cause it is pretty much straight up steep, but then to have hot tar coated on your wheels and the sun beating down (and legs and a brain that are already fried)....it was perhaps a top 3 most miserable rides ever moment for me! But, the good news is: I made it! Thanks to Shane sticking by me and hearing me pretty much swear my way to the top! After we made it back down to Draper (and still had about 2 more hours of riding) we stopped and got ourselves apple fritters and chocolate milk. It was the BEST! And...if I am going to be real honest....after I finally made it home....I totally went out and rewarded myself with a big ol' Coldstone! That was even better! Hey...a girls gotta do what a girl's gotta do!
So far this week all I have done is a very nice, comfy 3200 m swim (lots of drills and pulling), and a 90 minute bike that was mostly easy.
Today I am planning on getting my speedwork going with around 12-14 miles of a mix. About 2 miles of warm up. 6x1 mile repeats at about a 6:40 pace (that's all my legs will give me!), 10x1 minute ALL OUT efforts (love those!) and then remaining distance/time at race pace+about 15 sec/mile. We'll see how my very tired legs will do!
I am on the back end of my training.
Budapest is coming up! I leave in less than TWO weeks for Budapest and the first of my World Championship races. This one is for Olympic distance on Sept. 12th. So...I gotta stick in there for speed this week and early next and then I'll begin a taper for that race.
Right after the race on the 12th, I will try and get in another 5+ hour ride (hopefully somewhere in Eastern Europe cause that would be so cool!) Nichole Beckstead, Kristin Kyle and I are going to be going straight from Budapest to Vienna for 2 days, then Prague for 2 days and then finally ending up in Paris for 2 days before we head back home. Seriously...how much more FUN can a girl have??
After I get home from that adventure, I will have 2 weeks and then Cade and I will leave for Kona and my 2nd World Championship in the form of Ironman. Yes...this is the A race, mother of them all. But, I also have a very realistic approach to this race in that I just want to finish it and enjoy the day and not embarrass myself! So....all I have to do is go in to the race with a reasonable amount of fitness and the goal of finishing NOT last! It is going to be an awesome day and an amazing experience!
Finally I will head out to Clearwater, Florida about 3 weeks after Kona and do my 3rd and final World Championship of the year for the Ironman 70.3 world champs. Everyone keeps getting faster at this race....so, I am hoping to just keep a good pace, not fall apart on the run and better my time from last year (I think it was a 4:45)....And of course...have FUN!
So, that is my summer recap and my plans for the Autumn!
What will I do when I finish all these events? My husband just laughs at me when I tell him I am going to take a break.
He knows better!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Three World Championships in Three Months!!
My RACE RECAP from the Buffalo Springs Lake Ironman 70.3 Triathlon.
In short....this race kicked my freaking A@#!!!!
It was a GREAT RACE!
I had TWO objectives going down to this race.
#1: Qualify for the World Championships for this distance. Mission Accomplished!
#2: Experience what Kona will most likely feel like in October, as I have been told this course is much like the Ironman World Champs in Kona. Mission Accomplished!
I felt absolutely great on the swim. Thought I was doing great on the bike. Fell apart on the run....and spent almost TWO hours in the medical tent getting TWO IVs after the race.
In TEN years of racing I have NEVER had to go to the med tent for any help. But, as soon as I crossed the finish line on this race, they pretty much carried me to the tent where I pretty much just lay in a heap while they fixed me up.
The girl next to me had passed out 100 meters from the finish line! Sucks to be her! I was glad I at least crossed the line then decided to lose it!
The funny thing is...I felt absolutely fine the next day! I am hardly even sore from this race! I think I'm going to get more IV's from now on!
So, a couple terrific things I learned on this race:
I can do hard things. yay!
I had NO injuries. I felt great structurally. But, I think I did a poor job fueling on the bike and went into the run on empty (I remember feeling HUNGRY at the end of the bike portion and knowing that isn't such a great way to start a 1/2 marathon!).
At the 5 mile mark on this 13 mile run, I was really worried I wasn't going to finish. It was a hot day...but, it wasn't out of control. I just don't think I was fully acclimated to the heat because of our very cool weather we had experienced here in Utah.
I was light headed and dizzy and started feeling very wobbly on my feet. Not a good feeling when you know you have a ways to go.
The run course was very hilly during certain parts and then had NO shade on the black top with the heat coming down. I knew that if I were to just finish this thing, I had to change my strategy on this run.
So, by mile 5 as I was wobbling along, I just had a total shift in my thinking. I stopped focusing on what anyone else was doing, who was around me, what I was thinking...and made my mind go QUIET.
I consciously started changing my breathing to make it a more deep, yoga focused breath and began counting EVERY step i took. I dropped my head to look 12 inches in front of me, ignored all surroundings and just counted 100 steps on each foot.
By the time I would hit about 800, I would reach the next aid station, pull up, dump water over my head, ice down my shirt, suck on an orange, sip on some water, and then keep counting, breathing and watching the blacktop move under my feet.
This was no social outing. This was NO St. George Ironman with happy smiles, waving, high fiving and feeling good. This was work! But, I hadn't let the blackness that was threatening to overtake my head and body win at that mile 5 aid station.
I was MOVING! I was even passing people again...not that I was really too concerned with that at this point. And, even better than any of that...I was back in charge of myself! I was master and I kept telling my head to be quiet and let my body do what it knows it can do.
Yes...I did what so many of you have always wanted to do. I told myself to SHUT UP and move out of the way!
I am so glad I went down and experienced that. It was a great day for a breakthrough on mind letting matter do what it needs to do!
I am just so lucky and blessed to be doing what I get to do!
It was also great to watch the AMAZING and AWESOME James Lawrence complete his 8TH IRONMAN 70.3 in his quest for a World Record 21 of these races this year (and raise money for his charity)! I actually didn't watch him, cause he started before me and finished before me. But, I was cheering him on in my head on the course! For any of you that want to support his cause (and it is a good one to raise money to build dams in Africa)...go to his website: triandgiveadam.com. He will be doing SEVEN Ironman 70.3 races in 6 weeks starting next week! You can follow his blog and get some tweets from him!
So, that's it for now!
Hope you are all happy and well and enjoying the fantastic summer weather we are FINALLY basking in!
Keep up the good work and I'll look forward to seeing you all in class and out there at the races!
Happy Training,
Keena
In short....this race kicked my freaking A@#!!!!
It was a GREAT RACE!
I had TWO objectives going down to this race.
#1: Qualify for the World Championships for this distance. Mission Accomplished!
#2: Experience what Kona will most likely feel like in October, as I have been told this course is much like the Ironman World Champs in Kona. Mission Accomplished!
I felt absolutely great on the swim. Thought I was doing great on the bike. Fell apart on the run....and spent almost TWO hours in the medical tent getting TWO IVs after the race.
In TEN years of racing I have NEVER had to go to the med tent for any help. But, as soon as I crossed the finish line on this race, they pretty much carried me to the tent where I pretty much just lay in a heap while they fixed me up.
The girl next to me had passed out 100 meters from the finish line! Sucks to be her! I was glad I at least crossed the line then decided to lose it!
The funny thing is...I felt absolutely fine the next day! I am hardly even sore from this race! I think I'm going to get more IV's from now on!
So, a couple terrific things I learned on this race:
I can do hard things. yay!
I had NO injuries. I felt great structurally. But, I think I did a poor job fueling on the bike and went into the run on empty (I remember feeling HUNGRY at the end of the bike portion and knowing that isn't such a great way to start a 1/2 marathon!).
At the 5 mile mark on this 13 mile run, I was really worried I wasn't going to finish. It was a hot day...but, it wasn't out of control. I just don't think I was fully acclimated to the heat because of our very cool weather we had experienced here in Utah.
I was light headed and dizzy and started feeling very wobbly on my feet. Not a good feeling when you know you have a ways to go.
The run course was very hilly during certain parts and then had NO shade on the black top with the heat coming down. I knew that if I were to just finish this thing, I had to change my strategy on this run.
So, by mile 5 as I was wobbling along, I just had a total shift in my thinking. I stopped focusing on what anyone else was doing, who was around me, what I was thinking...and made my mind go QUIET.
I consciously started changing my breathing to make it a more deep, yoga focused breath and began counting EVERY step i took. I dropped my head to look 12 inches in front of me, ignored all surroundings and just counted 100 steps on each foot.
By the time I would hit about 800, I would reach the next aid station, pull up, dump water over my head, ice down my shirt, suck on an orange, sip on some water, and then keep counting, breathing and watching the blacktop move under my feet.
This was no social outing. This was NO St. George Ironman with happy smiles, waving, high fiving and feeling good. This was work! But, I hadn't let the blackness that was threatening to overtake my head and body win at that mile 5 aid station.
I was MOVING! I was even passing people again...not that I was really too concerned with that at this point. And, even better than any of that...I was back in charge of myself! I was master and I kept telling my head to be quiet and let my body do what it knows it can do.
Yes...I did what so many of you have always wanted to do. I told myself to SHUT UP and move out of the way!
I am so glad I went down and experienced that. It was a great day for a breakthrough on mind letting matter do what it needs to do!
I am just so lucky and blessed to be doing what I get to do!
It was also great to watch the AMAZING and AWESOME James Lawrence complete his 8TH IRONMAN 70.3 in his quest for a World Record 21 of these races this year (and raise money for his charity)! I actually didn't watch him, cause he started before me and finished before me. But, I was cheering him on in my head on the course! For any of you that want to support his cause (and it is a good one to raise money to build dams in Africa)...go to his website: triandgiveadam.com. He will be doing SEVEN Ironman 70.3 races in 6 weeks starting next week! You can follow his blog and get some tweets from him!
So, that's it for now!
Hope you are all happy and well and enjoying the fantastic summer weather we are FINALLY basking in!
Keep up the good work and I'll look forward to seeing you all in class and out there at the races!
Happy Training,
Keena
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
So, it's been a bit since I last checked in. Had a rough week last week. Body and brain kinda melted down. Probably a triple whammy from the crappy weather, fatigue from everything I've made my body do for the last several months (ok..years)...and well...just life.
So, I pulled out of my first race ever (wait..I've had to pull out of two other races...but they were for mechanical issues and a hamstring pull), for no reason other than I was just too dang tired to do it. Seriously. I was halfway through the bike (and a short Olympic distance of all things), and all I wanted to do was go home, take a hot bath (yep, it was cold) and go back to bed. I was TIRED. Not a "my muscles are working hard and I'm tired" kind of tired. It was a "My muscles, brain, and the rest of me are mush and I am exhausted" kind of tired. So, I pull into transition (after completely shutting down and putting into transition), and seriously sat down and could NOT make myself put my shoes on to do the run. I couldn't imagine running even 1 block, much less 6 miles. Funny, huh. Ha, ha.
So, I decided to hand in my timing chip, gather up my stuff and call it a day. Good call. I am still glad I did it, cause I think the run would have just demolished me. I still had to go to my boys baseball games all afternoon, but it was manageable cause I did take my hot bath and felt a bit better.
That was Saturday. Sunday and Monday....I laid around my house ALL DAY (it was Memorial Day on Monday) and didn't do a thing. It felt bad to not feel good....but, it felt so good to be able to just lay around. My daughter Covey was not humored. She pulled a framed saying off our wall that I have that talks about playing with your kids and making them a priority and brought it over to me as I was playing couch potato and was like "Mom! See this? You need to PLAY with me! Stop being laaaazzzyyyy!"
Her guilt trip was totally effective. But, it still didn't really get me out there playing. Instead I just made her go get a book and read it together. Victory. Still laying around....but, not so terrible of a mom...
Anyways...this last several days have been terrific. I feel recovered and happy and energetic again. So, it is all good.
I guess that we just have to listen to what our bodies tell us and try to go with that. Not easy. I know my brain and my body sometimes disconnect. So, I am glad my body made me listen for a few days and I am now the better (at least I hope!) for it!
That's all for now~
So, I pulled out of my first race ever (wait..I've had to pull out of two other races...but they were for mechanical issues and a hamstring pull), for no reason other than I was just too dang tired to do it. Seriously. I was halfway through the bike (and a short Olympic distance of all things), and all I wanted to do was go home, take a hot bath (yep, it was cold) and go back to bed. I was TIRED. Not a "my muscles are working hard and I'm tired" kind of tired. It was a "My muscles, brain, and the rest of me are mush and I am exhausted" kind of tired. So, I pull into transition (after completely shutting down and putting into transition), and seriously sat down and could NOT make myself put my shoes on to do the run. I couldn't imagine running even 1 block, much less 6 miles. Funny, huh. Ha, ha.
So, I decided to hand in my timing chip, gather up my stuff and call it a day. Good call. I am still glad I did it, cause I think the run would have just demolished me. I still had to go to my boys baseball games all afternoon, but it was manageable cause I did take my hot bath and felt a bit better.
That was Saturday. Sunday and Monday....I laid around my house ALL DAY (it was Memorial Day on Monday) and didn't do a thing. It felt bad to not feel good....but, it felt so good to be able to just lay around. My daughter Covey was not humored. She pulled a framed saying off our wall that I have that talks about playing with your kids and making them a priority and brought it over to me as I was playing couch potato and was like "Mom! See this? You need to PLAY with me! Stop being laaaazzzyyyy!"
Her guilt trip was totally effective. But, it still didn't really get me out there playing. Instead I just made her go get a book and read it together. Victory. Still laying around....but, not so terrible of a mom...
Anyways...this last several days have been terrific. I feel recovered and happy and energetic again. So, it is all good.
I guess that we just have to listen to what our bodies tell us and try to go with that. Not easy. I know my brain and my body sometimes disconnect. So, I am glad my body made me listen for a few days and I am now the better (at least I hope!) for it!
That's all for now~
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