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INCREASING YOUR VO2 MAX
(A GRAPHIC EXPLANATION)

THIS POST GOES OUT TO RON HARRISON.

LET'S ASSUME THAT YOU ARE A TRIATHLETE ENTERING THE START OF THE SEASON. YOUR GOAL IS TO REACH THE PEAK OF YOUR CURRENT ATHLETIC ABILITY FOR YOUR "A" RACE BY THE YEAR'S END. TO DO THIS, YOU WILL WANT TO REACH A LEVEL OF FITNESS BY THAT RACE WHICH MAXIMIZES THE ABILITIES OF YOUR "GAS TANK".  THE GAS TANK CAN BE CONSIDERED AS YOUR LUNGS, MUSCLES AND GENERAL ATHLETIC ABILITY.



MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME TO USE WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS A V02 MAX TEST TO DETERMINE THE SIZE AND LIMITS OF THEIR GAS TANK. RESULTS FROM THIS TEST HELP DETERMINE AN ATHLETE'S LEVEL OF FITNESS AND ABILITY. BASED ON THIS TEST, HEART RATE ZONES ARE CREATED ON WHICH AN ATHLETE CAN GAUGE THEIR LEVEL OF EFFORT IN TRAINING AND RACING. AS A RESULT, YOU (AND/OR YOUR COACH) WILL KNOW IF YOU PUSHED IT OR IF YOU WERE SANDBAGGING!



A VO2 MAX TEST IS OFTEN CONDUCTED EITHER ON A STATIONARY BIKE OR A TREADMILL. AN OXYGEN MASK WITH A TUBE CONNECTING TO THE V02 TESTING MACHINE IS STRAPPED TO THE FACE OF THE ATHLETE AND THEN THE FUN BEGINS (AKA V02 MAX TEST). THE MASK CAN FEEL A BIT AWKWARD BUT IS NECESSARY TO GET CORRECT RESULTS.  TRIATTIC CAN PROVIDE VO2 TESTS ON BOTH THE BIKE AND/OR A TREADMILL.  VISIT http://www.triattic.com/services/ FOR MORE INFORMATION.


V02 CAN BE EXPLAINED SIMPLY AS OXYGEN CONSUMPTION. V02 MAX, THEREFORE, IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF OXYGEN YOUR BODY CAN CONSUME. ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR V02 MAX, YOU CAN ADJUST YOUR TRAINING TO PEAK TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES BY THE END OF THE SEASON, WHICH IS ALSO MANY PEOPLE'S "A" RACE. THE BELOW GRAPHIC IS USED TO SHOW HOW YOUR GAS TANK AND ITS FULLNESS INCREASES AND DECREASES OVER THE PERIOD OF RACE SEASON BASED ON LEVEL OF TRAINING.

IN THE OFFSEASON, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LET YOUR BODY RECOVER. IT IS A TIME TO RELAX AND NOT PUSH YOUR BODY LIKE YOU DO IN THE TRIATHLON SEASON. IT GIVES YOU TIME TO DO SOME OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED OUT ON LIKE HIKING, CANOEING OR OTHER VARIOUS OUTDOOR SPORTS. AT THE SAME TIME, DOING SOME FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WILL KEEP YOUR BODY IN SHAPE. IN STAYING ACTIVE, YOUR GAS TANK WILL STAY AT THE SAME VOLUME AND COULD POSSIBLY SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE OVER THIS PERIOD. HOWEVER, THE GAS VOLUME WILL REDUCE OVER THIS TIME, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING. IT IS SIMPLY YOUR BODY RECOVERING.



NOTE:  THE QUANTITIES AND PERCENTAGES GIVEN ABOVE ARE FOR EXPLANATION PURPOSES ONLY.  VOLUME SIZES AND INCREASES WILL VARY.

Ironman Arizona Preview

IRONMAN ARIZONA
Sunday, November 18, 2012
7:00 a.m. MST
Tempe, AZ 
Sandy Holt: Bib # 496, F25-29
Swim: 2.4 miles

Arizona swim venue is known for being fast; cool temperature, flat water and no current.

Temperature (9:30 a.m. MST on 11/17): 62 degrees F

Bike: 112 miles

Flat and windy on the these open roads in Arizona.  This is a 3 loop bike course with the turnaround 100m from transition.

Forecast for 11/18/12: Sunny, with a high near 75.  East southeast wind around 6 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon.

Run: 26.2 miles

Three loop run winding around Tempe Town Lake and Papago Park.  This course is flat with no shade.





Online Tracking available starting at 6:30 a.m. MST @ IRONMAN.





Ironman Florida 2012

Ironman Florida is one of the most popular races on the circuit.  Located in Panama City Beach, FL in the beginning of November.  It is known for it's beautiful beaches, flat and fast course, and nice weather.


Ironman Florida 2009 was the first Ironman for brother and sister, Michael and I (Sandy Holt).  Here is a video from our 2009 journey. Click here for You Tube Video  In 2010, Charlie Johnson joined the mix, and in 2012 all three were back for what turned out to be a fantastic day of racing.

Race Results:

 
In June of 2011 I received my USA Triathlon Level 1 coaching certification and by July 2011 Michael and I had started Triattic, LLC.  I immediately started coaching myself, Charlie and Michael. Within a few months all of us were showing big improvements and producing new PR's at almost every race.  (Check back for an update on clients and results within the next few weeks).
 
For Charlie and I our training changed in a number of different ways.  We increased our total volume from previous Ironman training blocks, we focused more on race specific pacing and efforts, and we made sure we got plenty of recovery.
 
Sandy Holt Training for IMFL 2010: Swim - 42:37, Bike - 94:57:13, Run - 52:31:11 (Total Hours from June 6, 2010 - November 6, 2010)
 
 
 
Sandy Holt Training for IMFL 2012: Swim - 52:06, Bike - 113:14:05, Run - 66:25:38 (Total Hours from June 9, 2012 - November 3, 2012)
 
 
 
For those of you out there who think you don't have time to train for an Ironman, think again. Michael was one of my more challenging athletes to coach (due to time constraints). His schedule is very busy, he is owner and President of two company's, he has a wife and two children (10 and 14 years old), travels Monday - Friday for work and only has the weekends to spend with his family.
 
So, how could I get him to his best shape for Ironman with as little as 10 hours a week? Quality over quantity and knowing how far and hard to push without risking injury. Michael does not have access to a swimming facility, so his only swim training comes from strength workouts and swims during events.
 
Michael Holt Training for IMFL 2012: Swim - 2:06:30, Bike - 56:29:07, Run - 30:28:40 (Total Hours from August 5, 2012 - November 3, 2012) 
 

Charlie Johnson improvement from 2010-2012: 16 minutes for 2.8%
 
Photographed by: Paul Pagano
 
Sandy Holt improvement from 2010-2012: 28 minutes for 4.1%
 
Photographed by: Paul Pagano
 
Michael Holt improvement from 2010-2012: 1 hour 46 minutes for 13%
 
 
 
If you are signed up for Ironman Florida 2013 looking for a coaching team to help you finish or set a new PR contact sandy@triattic.com for coaching information.

 
  

One Step Closer

Triattic is proud to announce that we have officially launched our online store! Click on the shop link above or HERE to have a look.
 
We are now selling Hammer Nutrition and Honey Stinger products. If you are wanting any products from Hammer or Stinger that you do not see online let us know and we can make an order.
 
 
 
Along with these nutrition and supplement products we also have Triattic apparel and swag; running singlets, shirts and visors.
 
 
 
We are in the process of finalizing our design with Sugoi for our custom tri kits for next year. If you would like to get on the pre-order list you will receive a 15% off MSRP. We will be ordering the Custom RS Tri Top and Shorts Click for sizing. Send an email with your size for your pre-order by October 31, 2012. 
 
RS Tri Tank
 

Ironman Augusta 70.3 Post Race Report

1.2 mile Swim, 56 mile Bike, 13.1 mile Run


The weekend started with a team pre-race brick on Saturday morning. That morning we got a short swim in the Savanna River on the swim course. As promised, the current was rippin - this swim course is one of the fastest 1.2 mile swim venues you will see in any half ironman. After the swim, the team headed out for a short bike and run with a few accelerations mixed in to get the blood flowing and pre-race jitters out. 


Augusta 70.3 was most everyone "A-race" for the season. Training for endurance events: half ironmans, ironmans and marathons takes more than just the miles. Each and every athlete had to train their physical and mental strengths to be ready for this event. A multitude of obstacles always shows its face when training for such a race. Whether it was work obligations, family time, illness, or staying motivated that they had to deal with, everyone did, and all eleven triattics that started on race day, finished!!!

First Time 70.3 Ironman Finishers:

Melissa Thompson, 28, Thomasville, GA: 5:13:53 

Swim: 29:12
Bike: 2:56:33
Run: 1:42:02

Melissa had the second fastest run split in her age group, running her way from 32nd place off the bike to 14th out of 148 girls in her age group. Congratulations on such a fantastic first 70.3 finish! Next year: Melissa plans to work on speed and will concentrate on Olympic distance triathlons.


Keith Rowe, 51, Tallahassee, FL: 5:42:06

Swim: 29:58
Bike: 2:48:45
Run: 2:12:38

Balancing work and training was Keith's biggest obstacle. We came up with a schedule that allowed him to do both. We had limited hours to train but Keith always made the workouts count and it showed. He is a true testament to quality over quantity. Congratulations Keith!



Al Curry, 50, Tallahassee, FL: 6:02:04 

Swim: 30:32
Bike: 2:55:36
Run: 2:28:51

Al came to us in December last year, so impressed with his wife's (Jo Curry) accomplishments that he wanted to start doing triathlons as well. Al and Jo (her report below) have lost more than 100 lbs over the last two years. This year alone Al have finished his first triathlon (Red Hills), first Olympic (North Florida) and now his first 70.3. Al will be tackling 26.2 miles next year at the famous Big Sur Marathon.

Brian Bazinet, 37, Tallahassee, FL: 6:15:59

Swim: 33:21
Bike: 3:07:06
Run: 2:27:48

Overcoming setbacks is Brian's strong suit. When the going got tough, Brian never gave up. From illnesses to a bike crash that held Brian from weeks of training, he overcame them all to finish his first 70.3. You will see Brian next year training for his first full Ironman!! Best of luck and we are so happy to help you along the way. Keep the fight in you and never give up!

Lori Westphal, 42, Atlanta, GA: 6:22:04

Swim: 31:41
Bike: 3:30:01
Run: 2:10:48

Mid-season Lori moved from Tallahassee to Atlanta, GA. Finding new routes, training partners, and swimming pools to use was challenging. Through all this Lori made it to the finish line. She also just made it under the 10:00/mile average and finished her 13.1 miles with an average of 9:59/mile. Great race Lori and congratulations on the finish!

Darren Allen, 41, Tallahassee, FL: 6:27:06

Swim: 28:49
Bike: 2:58:49
Run: 2:46:42

A TRUE INSPIRATION! What you all may not know about Darren is that he is in remission with Leukemia. Darren came to us wanting to be fitter and healthier for his family. He has dealt with many physical and mental struggles over the years and training for a marathon (Twisted Ankle) and 70.3 now only added another obstacle for him to tackle. Owning his own business, having a wife, and young son only added to his duties. Darren never complained and did what he needed to make it to the finish line at Augusta. We have watched Darren blossom over the past year and have also gained a true friend during the process. Congratulations Darren on your first 70.3 finish! We are so proud of you!

Returning 70.3 Ironman Finishers:

Charlie Johnson, 33, Tallahassee, FL: 4:07:54

Swim: 22:57
Bike: 2:21:35
Run: 1:19:44

Charlie Johnson was the fastest Age Grouper of the day in Augusta, GA finishing 1st in his age group and qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship race in Vegas. 

This was Charlie's 3rd time racing in Augusta. He improved all three of his sport times and had an overall PR of 15 minutes from his previous Augusta finish in 2010 with a time of 4:23:48. 

This race is not the end of the season for Charlie. He will be racing at Ironman Florida on November 3 in Panama City Beach. Keep up the hard work and dedication Charlie!

Eric Godin, 28, Tallahassee, FL: 4:39:15

Swim: 22:19
Bike: 2:37:24
Run: 1:33:20

Team member Eric Godin was on a mission to prove he was a strong biker. Mission accomplished. Not only did Eric have a new 56 mile PR he also ran a 1:33:20 off the bike for an average pace of 7:07/mile. Eric ran from 18th place off the bike to 10th. Congratulations Eric and we will see you in Panama City for your first 140.6!

Sandy Holt, 27, Tallahassee, FL: 5:03:31

Swim: 24:56
Bike: 2:42:27
Run: 1:50:54

Congratulations Coach Sandy on your 9th half Ironman finish. Coach Sandy will also be racing at Ironman FL on Nov. 3.


Michael Holt, 35, St. Petersburg, FL: 5:14:16

Swim: 30:08
Bike: 2:37:52
Run: 2:01:05

Michael, President and CEO of Triattic had his best 70.3 finish to date. This was Michael's 8th half Ironman with a new PR by 15 minutes. Michael is owner of two small businesses and is married with two children. Congratulations on your HUGE improvement and continued dedication to training. Michael will also be competing at Ironman Florida on Nov. 3.

Wayne Thumm, 40, Tallahassee, FL: 5:26:05

Swim: 28:38
Bike: 2:49:45
Run: 1:59:24

This was Wayne's 2nd half ironman and he demolished his first race time by over an hour. Wayne had a goal of finishing a 70.3 in under six hours this year. He went above and beyond that goal by a long shot. Congratulations on a fantastic race and great effort out there!!


Jo Curry, 46, Tallahassee, FL: 5:57:22

Swim: 28:20
Bike: 3:00:27
Run: 2:21:33

What a fantastic year Jo Curry has had. Jo has had a PR in every race she has competed in. Augusta was no different for Jo this year. Jo dropped over an hour off of her time from Augusta last year, where she finished in 7:06:52. Over the past year Jo has developed into one of Tallahassee's fastest Master's Female triathletes and she is not slowing down. Congratulations Jo on such a FANTASTIC year! Your dedication, commitment, and love for the sport will take you very far!

For complete results of Ironman Augusta 70.3: http://ironmanaugusta.com/results/

Thanks to Angela Wable, Jason Hand, and Amy Southerland for the GREAT pictures!


Ironman 70.3 Augusta

Are you or someone you know participating in the 4th annual Ironman 70.3 Augusta?

If so, you have come to the right place for information!

Augusta is known as being one of the best half ironman races for first time 70.3 athletes out there or a great course for setting a new 70.3 PR for the veterans. With the downstream wetsuit legal swim, beautiful rolling bike course, and one of the most spectator friendly run courses on the circuit - you have chosen wisely.

What to expect from the course:


1.2 Mile Swim

The 1.2 mile swim is fast!!! I remember attending the pre-race meeting the inaugural year in 2009 and hearing the announcer say, "if you don't make the swim cut off, you are pointing in the wrong direction". Each wave is corralled before the start, so if you are in wave 3-6, you better be ready to get in the corral early. They stack them up and they move fast. This is an in water swim start, depending on how fast the current, strong of a swimmer you are or how much contact you are looking for at the start will dictate where you should line up. Faster swimmers will most likely tread water at the buoy line and wait for the gun to go off, while slower or new athletes will hang on to the dock while they wait.

If you are a spectator - a great place to watch the swim is from on top of the Gordon Hwy bridge, just downstream from the start. Here is a video from that bridge last year:


56 Mile Bike

The 56 mile bike course at Augusta is one of my favorite routes I have done. It has a little bit of everything: flat and fast sections, challenging climbs, beautiful farm land, and GREAT volunteers. You don't have to worry about getting lost or approaching a dangerous intersection at this race. The local ROTC and Reserves are out in full force providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all 3500 athletes!

For those who live in Tallahassee - I hope you road some hills. I recommended to my athletes to hit CR12 or Havana. Here are two elevation profiles, one for Augusta and one for Thomasville Rd/CR12.



Hard to see but - if you have been doing CR12, you have nothing to worry about. This route has almost double the elevation gain of Augusta.



13.1 Mile Run

This run can be a very fast course - almost too fast. The crowd support makes it easy to leave transition in a flash. Be sure you are watching your pace or HR closely. The run course loops the streets of Downtown Augusta making it really easy for the family, friends, fans and Sherpas to see their athletes multiple times. Best place to see a lot of action is near the finish line. 

This course has seen every race day condition you can think of: pleasant in 2009, rainy in 2010, and rainy and humid with sun in 2011. Sunday forecast for Augusta calls for a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Models are showing that a cold front will be pushing through the region over the weekend. Ahead of the cold front will be warmer temperatures and a more humid air mass. The front is forecast to past sometime between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. With this passing front, a chance of rain is present. So expect any kind of condition as this cold front could stall and it could be warm and humid, or it could be passing through during the race (rainy and windy), or we could get lucky and it pushes through Saturday and we have pleasant low humidity condition on Sunday. Plan for it all!

Post-race Party!! (The reason a lot of us do these things)

If you didn't plan on Staying in town on Sunday night - consider changing your plans. Augusta has a fantastic post race party!! Bring your recovery socks, favorite camping chair, and have a beer or two while you watch your fellow athletes finish.



I hope you were able to get some useful information from this!!! Please email me sandy@triattic.com if you have any further questions!


Triattic is bringing a LARGE group to August, GA this year. We have 6 first timers and 5 other athletes representing most age groups out there that day; from female 25-29 to male 50-54 we got you covered.

Darren Allen (M40-44) - race # 724 - 1st time 70.3!
Brian Bazinet (M35-39) - race # 1721 - 1st time 70.3!
Al Curry (M50-54) - race # 270 - 1st time 70.3!
Jo Curry (F45-49) - race # 1341 - 2nd 70.3! - rematch at Augusta!
Michael Holt (M35-39) - race # 1855 - 8th 70.3! - 3rd time in Augusta!
Sandy Holt (F25-29) - race # 3110 - 9th 70.3! - 3rd time in Augusta!
Charlie Johnson (M30-34) - race # 2252 - 5th 70.3! - 3rd time in Augusta!
Keith Rowe (M50-54) - race # 375 - 1st time 70.3!
Wayne Thumm (M40-44) - race # 1158 - 2nd 70.3! - going for the sub-6!
Melissa Thompson (F25-29) - race # 3150 - 1st 70.3!
Lori Westphal (F40-44) - race # 1691 - 1st 70.3!

Live race day coverage can be found at www.ironman.com. Athletes can be tracked by name, age group, and number.

BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE COMPETING AT AUGUSTA!


Looking for Sponsors

Do you have a business that is looking to gain exposure in the endurance world?

Triattic, LLC is looking for 2013 Sponsors.

Triattic helps endurance athletes connect and live the endurance-multisport lifestyle by providing personalized coaching services, group training sessions, clinics, and access to world class products. Our mission is to provide clients the knowledge, skill sets, training, and confidence required to achieve their personal goals.

We will be offering different sponsorship packages based on level of exposure your business is looking for. We have options for logo placement on team uniforms, shirts, direct link on website, and we can also highlight products on blog posts, etc......

If you are interested in sponsoring Triattic for 2013, let us know. Send an email to info@triattic.com or call 1-800-483-6303.

For information on our current athletes and race schedule see our team page: http://www.triattic.com/team/



Ironman Wisconsin Post Race Report

I decided to race Ironman Wisconsin two weeks before the race. Having finished four Ironman races before and knowing that I am currently training for Ironman Florida in November, finishing the race was not a concern. I was going to use this race as a test to see where I am in my goal of breaking 11 hours at FL.

The reason I signed up for this race last minute is because of a journey, quest, goal, dream (you can call it what you like) I have to do all the US Ironman races in one year and try and qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in 2013.

Their are seven Kona qualifiers in the US for 2013 and Ironman Wisconsin was the first on the list. I couldn't start this quest if I missed the first race, could I?

Race schedule: Ironman Wisconsin 9/8/12, Ironman Florida 11/3/12, Arizona 11/18/12 (FULL!! - still need to find a way in), Ironman Texas 5/18/13, Ironman Couer d'Alene 6/23/13, Ironman Lake Placid 7/28/13 and Ironman Kentucky 8/28/13. One down, six to go.

With that being said; I had two weeks to book a flight, hotel, and figure out how to get my bike up to Wisconsin.  This would be the first Ironman race I would attend by myself. Knowing how much goes into pre-race, race, and post-race, I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to handle everything that was at task.

With three days to spare I had booked my flight, found a hotel, and made a bike box. I booked my flight out of Tampa, FL to save on rates. I stayed at a Super 8 that was within (what I thought) 1.5 miles of site, and I got a bike box and reinforced it and disguised it in hopes of dodging the bike fee with Delta. That didn't work, darn. Was stuck paying $150 bucks to get my bike to Wisconsin. Needless to say it didn't come back with me on the flight. I decided to ship it FedEx to save some money.

Onto my trip:

I arrived in Madison on Thursday around 12:30 central time. My bike made it (minus the straps), I got a cab right away and was at my hotel by 2:00 pm. Unpacking and reassembling my bike was a lot easier than I thought. I hoped on my bike headed down to the Monona Terrace (race location) to get checked in.


While checking in I received my race bag, bib number, swim cap, and went through medical check where I was weighed and signed away my life. This was my first race without my name being printed on my race bib number, I borrowed a permanent marker and wrote it in.

I hung around downtown Madison for a while that day and checked out the area. State Street is located from Capital Square all the way to the University. This road is closed to public traffic and can only be used by pedestrians and city buses and cabs. This strip was the highlight of the run course during the race. State Street is lined with hundreds of restaurants, bars, and shops - a great place to hangout.

Friday night was the athlete dinner at the Monona Terrace. Attending these never gets old to me. It is so much fun to watch the welcome video, hear the inspirational stories, and get some stats from Mike Riley about the participants. There was a guy there who was competing in his 90th Ironman! WOW!

Race Day:

Wake up call: 3:30 am! Sleeping the night before an Ironman is over rated, lol. By 4:00 am I had gotten calls from my boyfriend and Mom wishing me luck and letting me know they would be watching me on the internet. Knowing this and also knowing all my friends would also be online, helped that feeling of being alone.

I had my normal breakfast an english muffin with nutella, greek yogurt with fruit and two cups of coffee. I had a cab pick me up at 4:45 am. I was at race site by 4:55 am and was one of the first to get marked and in transition. 

I prepped my bike by putting on my computer, filled up my water bottles and packed my bento box with enough food for 7 hours on the bike (you never know what can happen). I had to drop off my Garmin in my run gear bag and I added a long sleeve shirt into my bike gear bag. After that I got to sit down in the Monona Terrace for about 30-min before I headed down to the swim start, this was my time to mentally prepare for the race. Not having anyone there made it really easy to get into the zone. All I had to do was worry about myself and get ready for the day to come. The transition is very unique in Madison, it is located on the top of the parking deck for the Monona Terrace. You enter and exit transition on a helix.

Swim: 2.4 miles in 1:09:47, 1:48/100m.


Ironman Wisconsin is an in water start. The water temp was 72 degrees so that meant wetsuit legal, yeah for my Cat5! I got in the water at 7:38 am, I had about 22 minutes before the cannon went off. I got in a short warm up and got into position for the start. I took to my normal spot, right on the inside buoy line at the front. This wasn't my fastest 2.4 mile swim but I felt the best I have ever felt during and exiting the water. I didn't have any issues with sighting, going off course or contact. This was actually one of the more uneventful 2.4 mile swims I have done.

T1: 8:03

The run up the helix was AMAZING, hundreds of screaming fans lined the inside of the helix as you ran up it. The screams were so loud it was hard to even think about what you were doing. I made it into T1, found my bag and was in the changing tent without any problems. There has to be a better way to put on arm warmers after a swim, it took me probably close to 2 minutes to get them on. After leaving the change room I stopped in a port-o-let and went on to find my bike. It was waiting for me at the end of the bike isle and I grabbed it and went. I was about to hop on and head down the helix and noticed my chain had been knocked off. Jumped off my bike, fixed my chain, then was off for the 112 mile bike.

Bike: 112 miles in 6:26:03, 17.4 mph.


What I failed to mention earlier, when I was walking down to swim start I remembered that I had forgotten to put on my HR strap before I left the hotel in the morning. Oh boy..........since all I new about the bike course was that it was HARD, I got a quick rush of, oh shit! Then I had to remind myself that I know my body better than I ever have. So I road the course by feel. It is a lollipop bike course, you  head out from transition on a 14 mile stretch before you do two 40 mile loops. My plan was to take the first loop easy and see what it was like and decide to pick it up from there if I wanted. Well, first loop done and knew I couldn't push much harder if I wanted to have a good run. The bike course is everything they said it would be. Turns, uphills, and decents then entire time. It sure did keep you busy, not like sitting on IM Florida course in aero without moving for 2+ hours. If I remember right, I doubt I was in aero for more than 10 minutes at a time. My favorite part of the bike course was climbing the big hills into Cross Plains, WI. The town had came out in full force to line the road like the Tour de France. I saw banana costumes, guys in speedos, girls dressed in hula outfits, body painting - this was my favorite part of the bike course, even though it was the hardest. I felt good the entire time, never had any saddle issues, never got uncomfortable, I road a very smart controlled 100 miles then the unwanted happened. I broke a rear spoke. Oh no............what to do??? I knew bike tech was on the course (somewhere) but I didn't want to stop and wait. So I did what I had to, stopped to do a patch job fix so I wasn't clanging my broken spoke on my frame then I continued on crossing my fingers, riding very easy, hoping to make it back to transition or have bike tech pass with a new tire. Well I never got a new tire but I made it back to transition. (I still need to get it fixed).

T2: 4:30

This time the helix wasn't so much fun, I had a broken spoke and had enough of small chain ring and 25 gear. But I got back, un-clipped, took off my bike shoes and hobbled into the change tent after I found my bag. Took off arm warmers as it had warmed up nicely to the low 70's, stopped in the port-o-let again then was off to a new Ironman Marathon PR!

Run: 26.2 mile run in 4:15:08, 9:44/mile. 
I was really looking forward to the run. I have put in so much run training over the past year and I was hoping it would pay off. I came off the bike and hit mile one in 8:18, oops. It never seizes to amaze me how deceiving pace and effort feels after getting off the bike for 6+ hours. By mile 2 I had found my pace and held steady till mile 11 then the cramps came. I fought with them for about 6 miles, never giving up and taking in what I could at aid stations. By mile 17 they were gone and I held in till the finish. The crowd support on the run course is by far the best support I have ever had in an Ironman. During the run you travel through downtown Madison, State Street, Badger Stadium, the University, oh and the Observatory (the only big hills on the run), and also got off road for a bit on a crushed stone path. Coming into the last few miles I had so much energy and felt the best I had all race. It was at this point that I realized I could have run faster but had backed off from fear.



Ironman is a challenge I enjoy more and more every time. I learn each time that my body is more capable than I want to believe. My quest to try to qualify for Kona will be a true battle of my mental strength. I have to take the chance to over do it. I have yet to have a bad Ironman race, I finish each one filled with energy and wanting more. If I want to get to Kona, I have to fight for it and I have to lay everything on the line. My training has set me up to do that, I just have to make it happen on race day.

Racing Madison I knew I didn't have a shot at qualifying, I used this race as a test. Now I know exactly what it takes and what I am capable of. Ironman Florida girls, watch out!


Where to stay, eat, and what to see while at Ironman Wisconsin


Madison is the capital of Wisconsin. It population is just over 230,000 people and is the second largest city in Wisconsin. If you are flying in from out of town Madison has a region airport (http://www.msnairport.com/) located about 5 miles out from downtown.


Transportation:
I used Green Cab (http://www.greencabofmadison.com/) and public transportation (http://www.cityofmadison.com/metro/) for my transportation needs while visiting for the race.

Hotel Recommendations:
If you plan to race Wisconsin in 2013 and staying in a hotel I recommend booking a hotel in downtown Madison. There are couple hotels within a 10-min walk to Ironman Village and race site.

1. Hilton Madison Monona Terrace is @ race location.
2. Best Western Plus Inn On The Park is only 3 blocks from race location and is located directly on capital square.

Other hotels that are located close to race:
3. Hyatt Place Madison/Downtown
4. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Madison

Ironman has hotel accommodation services for athletes and family: http://ironmanwisconsin.com/athletes/accommodations/

If you are staying at one of the downtown hotels the need for a rental car is not necessary. I participated in Wisconsin Ironman this year and booked a hotel last minute about 2.5 miles away and was able to get around without a rental by the use of public transportation and cabs.

Restaurant Recommendations:

1. Italian: Francesca's Al Lago
Located on MLK in between the Capital building and Ironman village. Price: $$$

2. Great post race meal: Brocach Irish Pub
Located on Main St. on capital square. Price $$
Well known for there Bangers & Mash





3. Local/Organic French/American cuisine: Harvest
Located on Pinckney Street on capital square. Price $$$$

What you don't want to miss while visiting:
 
Madison Farmer's Market: http://madisonfarmersmarket.com/
This is a great place to buy cheese, get local produce, crafts, deserts, and experience local culture.

Check out this short video of a man playing multiple instruments during the Farmer's Market:



State St. will be a deafening experience on race day. It is a highlight of the run course. State Street is lined with a plethora restaurants, bars, and shops.

Madison, Wisconsin did a great job supporting and making the entire Ironman experience unforgettable. It not only takes a great team of race directors and volunteers to make a race like Ironman successful it take the support from the community. Madison goes above and beyond to make sure all the athletes are safe on the race course and provide a great town to visit.

Check back soon for my post race report of Ironman Wisconsin 2012.