My VDOT score is a 41.  I used my time from the Frostbite run.  I was running sporadically and was no where close to where I was when I BQ’d.  Training at that pace would certainly lead to injury.  11 weeks to go until Champagne and my running is starting to really progress.  I hope to PR with a time between 1:40-1:45.

With all the snow and the below zero temps this week, most of my runs were on the treadmill.  I did 10 outside on Monday, 10 on the treadmill Tuesday, 5 on the treadmill Wednesday, Thursday on the treadmill again with 10, and back outside Friday and Saturday.  Thank God for Glee, or I could never make it through the long treadmill runs.

We made our way down to the start.  I left Travis and Steven in the transition area and went to find some coffee and a place to watch the start.  Julie, Sandy and I found a great spot on the roof top.  Watching the swim start was scary, and amazing.  All those people!  It was really cool seeing the pro’s in T1.  Thanks to the Hardy Breed Kits, it made it easy to spot the guys.  We saw them all in T1 and we shouted as loud as we could, but it turns out they couldn’t hear us.

Thanks to Chad we found our way to Verona.  The crowds were great!  We saw all the boys go around the first loop, and we had time to go grab some lunch, come back and make a spot on a street corner before they all came around again.  Eric S.  was off to a great start, Travis too!  I know Steven saw me on the second loop.

We headed back down town to see Steven, and Jason get out of T2 and start the run!  Chad and I made a detour to the Great Dane and had a beer.  The run course is also 2 loop so we got to see everyone on the run.  My brother came by and was looking good.  Steven gave me a quick kiss on the first loop.  ” It’s gonna be a long second half”  was all he said.  When Jason came though, he didn’t look so hot.  All we saw was Sandy darting into  Walgreens, and coming out with a Mountain Dew.  I think we shouted some words of encouragement, but what can you say? 

We went to the finish line and watched everyone role in.  Seeing my brother , Steven, and all the Hardy Breed rabbits cross the finish line was so cool.  I was instantly filled with a sense of pride.  I still don’t know how they were standing, and in some cases leaning.  Everyone finished and did an amazing job!  We got all the gear back to hotel and grabbed a quick bite before going to bed.  Just watching the race was exhausting!   After watching the Ironman, I knew I wanted to do one, but it also put a lot of doubt in my mind.  Seriously?  12 hours of constant movement?  I just don’t know. Watching my husband train, and the time and dedication he put in to it makes me appreciate the Ironman race.  Great job everyone!

All the women went out in wave 3.  I started out the run feeling good.  I let the first female pass me , but I kept her close the whole run.  She slowed toward the end but I didn’t passer her.  It’s hard to save the energy for the bike, but you have to.  I was first out of transition.  Popped a Red Bull shot and was off.

I was passed by the #2 female around mile 5, then I passed her.  I felt strong on the hills.  I was passed again after the turn around by Bette.  She is an amazing cyclist.  Around mile 10 I was in 3rd.  I tried to pass at the end, but just couldn’t pull it off.

I finished in 3rd overall female! I was happy with my time on the run and bike.  averaging over 20 mph is a huge improvement for me!  I had to run after the finish to catch my youngest son’s baseball game.  I cooked in the sun, but he got a couple hits and played catcher.  He’s number 4 just like Molina!  Later I ,of course, had to  have a beer to celebrate!

We left Thursday night, and got into Boston late.  Friday we went for a little run and then we had our first experience with the subway or the “T”  as they call it.  Once we figured it out, it is quite easy to navigate.  We made our way to an eclectic place in Cambridge for breakfast called “The Friendly Toast”.  It was wonderful!  After breakfast, we went to tour the Sam Adams Brewery.  You can’t beat free beer.

After that we went to the expo to get my bib and shirt.  This was the expo to beat all expo’s.  Everything and everyone to do with running was there. Nike, Asics, Saucony all had huge areas. Of corse I stopped at the Newton booth and checked out the new shoes.   There were some great shirts!  I got a pink Saucony shirt that says”  26.2M is a long way for a bowl of chowda.”  I think we tried every kind of energy, recovery, bar, drink there was.

On Saturday we went to Harvard and walked around the campus and ate at Mr Bently Burgers.  It was on Diners, Drive-inns and Dives! I had a great veggie burger.   You do a lot of walking in Boston, which is good cause  I ate a lot, but bad cause I had to run a Marathon on Monday.

Sunday we had an early dinner at the Upper Crust Pizza and then  lounged around the hotel.  Monday morning we ate breakfast at the hotel with our new Canadian friends we made. ( She was running and her husband hung out with Steven during the race.)  The shuttle took us from our hotel to the area where the buses would take us out to the start.  We left the hotel around 6:45 ish and got on the buses fairly quickly.  An hour later we were at Hopkinton.  Once in the Athletes Village we found an area to sit.  I wish I would have brought a garbage bag.  The ground was wet, and there are no chairs.  I was in the 2nd heat, so I had a while to wait.  Most of that time was spent waiting in line at the porta potty.  When it was finally time, I ditched my extra’s bag on the bus, and headed to my corral.  Now I  was warned in advance that the first 4 mile are down hill and its easy to start off to fast.  That said,  I didn’t listen.

I was feeling good. Going through Ashland at mile 4 there was a great biker bar with everyone smoking, drinking, and cheering us on!  The first 10 miles went by fast.  My stomach wash starting that sloshing feeling.  At mile 13-14 you are going through Wellesley.  The College girls were screaming so loud. It was great.  I skipped my gu at mile 15 because I couldn’t stomach it.  I started out running like I was going to run a 3:30.  Hello!  That was so not going to happen.  By the time I saw Steven at mile 17, in the Newton hills, I had hit a wall.  Not a mental one but a physical one.  My hip was hurting and aching with every step.  I think I was over compensating for my injured leg.  I stopped and whined to Steven,”  I don’t think I can do this.”  He gave me the support I needed to keep going.  I knew I just had to finish.  “Cross the finish line that’s it”.  I just kept repeating it.  I stopped a few times to walk, but that almost hurt worse.

Around mile 21 you are going by Boston College.  I’m telling you,  having  a thousand college kids yelling and cheering for you gets you moving a little faster.  I finally decided to eat a few sports beans, but was out of my drink.  Some wonderful spectator along the side had dixie cups of beer.  I needed a drink so of course I took it and it tasted pretty damn good about then.  The last 5 miles is pretty down hill and hard on the quads.    Entering the last mile was awesome, all the people.  You turn the corner and can see the finish!  Yes I made it!  4:17:21 but I did it, even when I felt like quitting.

I made my way through the finishing shoot, got my medal, food, etc.  I met Steven at our pre-arranged meeting area.  I just collapsed, my legs were cramping.  I started crying tears of pain and joy!  It was a great experience and something I can check off my list.   I will admit I questioned why I signed up to run the Chicago marathon with my bff Courtney  on 10-10-10!

I iced my leg today and used my bone simulator, before Steven and I went to the pool.  We swam a 2800 yard set.  mixed 150′s, 100′s 50′s and 25′s.

This week I still did what I could of p90x, yoga, upper body weights and abs.  I swam on Wednesday and again this morning.  I head to fitclub(of course its gorgeous out) and started by doing 15 min of pool running the therapy pool.  Then I started my swim set:

4×100 odd free even back

13x[100 @ 1:55, 2x25 @:35]

50 free

2x [4x75] pull/swim

The hardest part of the 13 100′s set was the 25′s.  I was trying to sprint the 100′s and coming in too soon.  When I slowed down the 100′s I then sprinted the 25′s.   I got the work out from the swim planner ap I downloaded on Steven’s iPhone.  You enter the distance you want your work out to be , and presto you’ve got a workout.  You can change the warm up if you don’t like it , or the main set. It’s a great ap.

Later on we went to the Wheel Fast open house.  There was lots of food and drinks, and everyone talking shop.  I found a few things I could use for Christmas.  Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to watch Ironman Kona.  I think Dan said he would have everyone over after Christmas to watch it.  Thanks Matt for having us.  It was a great time!  Merry Christmas!

It seems incresingly more difficult to get up in the mornings and work out.  I hit the snooze a few times this morning, so all I had time to do was a 30 min. run on the treadmill.  I am still planning on running the jingle bell and the Frostbite, but I need a push or maybe a shove…

So to celebrate turning thirty,on Thursday I did a 1 mile warm up, and then 2×3 miles at half marathon pace, and then a mile cool down for a total of 8. 

On Saturday morning I did a swim work out:  300 warm up, 6×150′s pull, and then 9×200′s fast, mod, mod-fast, fast.  I was supposed to do 12×25′s but my goggles broke so I took it as a sign to leave.  I had a great party Saturday night given by my wonderful fiance.  He got me a princess cake, new cycling bibs and sleeveless jersey.  How cool is that?

The next morning we went for little run, down the river walk to check out the swim start.  After a shower we took our bikes to transition and got them checked in.  All slots were numbered, so it didn’t matter when you dropped of your bike, just sometime before 7:30 pm, unless your a Pro, then I guess you didn’t have too.  Steven and I then drove the bike course to see what we were up against.   Overall it didn’t look to bad.  A few technical turns and somehills.  We went to dinner around 5 at a neat little bar called 1103.  I was starting to get nervous.  After dinner, it was back to the hotel.  I think I was asleep by 9.

The alarm went off about 5.  I think I finally got up around 5:30.  We had everything pretty much ready, so we ate a PBJ and drank some coffee before catching the shuttle to transition.  The shuttle, and transition areas were set up great.  I got my transition area set up with little drama.  I wandered over to Steven’s and helped him out (it’s been a while since he’s had to set up in transition).  We then took the shuttle to the swim start, got our chips and hit the porta pottys one last time.  At the start of the race, the announced the Pros.  Wow, I’m at the same race as Pip Taylor, and Greg  Bennett!  It was the coolest moment ever!   I got my wet suit on and waited with Steven until his heat was going to start.  I was in heat 12.   Waiting on the docks before my heat, I felt strangely calm.  They called our heat to the water, and I jumped in and held on to a rope on the dock.  The water was 70 degrees, man I was glad I had the wet suit on.  The swim was point to point down river, and we had a current that helped push us a little.  I swam through so much crap though, at one point I thought I was caught in a fishing net.   My swim time was still 26:36.

After I came out of the water I was trying to run and get my arms out of my wet suit.  Thank God for the wetsuit strippers.  Helmet, shoes, glasses, a bite of poptart andI was off on the bike.  I started out strong on the bike, but I didn’t want to push it too hard.  I knew the run was going to be tough.  There was one hill that seemed never ending.  I saw a few flats, no wrecks.  I lucked out that I wasn’t one.  The last 10-15 mile there was a head wind that slowed me down a bit, but I did the bike in 3:04:53.  Way better than I thought I would!  I went through 2 bottles of Gatorade and some Hammer gel on the bike course.

The run was going to be a 2 loop up and down the streets of downtown Augusta.  When started the first mile you joined in with others who were on there 2nd lap.  I came up the hill out of transition and joined everyone else, a couple of people said”  welcome to the run”   The only thing I didn’t like about the run was passing the finish three different time before you actually got to.   Around mile 6 I had to stop and walk at an aid station.  The sun was out and it was hot and humid.  I took a quick porta potty break and continued on.   Around mile 10 I saw Steven on the side of the road.  He had just finished.  “ Hey babe you look great”  I think I told him to go away.  I was hot and crabby, and mad that he was done, and I still had 3 miles to go.  The crowds and the music was great, it helped push me through the last few miles.

As I came around the corner and saw the finish, I couldn’t help but smile.  I did it!  Something I never dreamed I could do!  I saw Steven laying on the ground waiting for me.  I almost missed him.  “Kim, Kim “  he mumbled.  I helped him up and gave him a big hug.  “I never could have done it without you”  I said, and that’s the truth.  We changed clothes and got some food and beer.  We checked the results before walking back to the hotel.  With my last few months of training being practically non existent, I just wanted to finish, but finishing  in 5hours 52 mins was way better than I ever thought I would do!  Steven did so awesome also.  He finished around 5:15.  Congrats toDan A. and to  Dan D. who also got a roll down slot to Clearwater.

I was so excited after the race, I can’t wait to do another.  Well after the wedding.

After work I did a 5min warm up on the treadmill, and then 8×400 repeats.  I felt the need to get some speed work in.  I finished the evening with 15min of abs.

Dan passed me around mile 5ish maybe, and said “  Man did you kill me in the swim!”  To which I replied, “  Ya 3rd out of the water.  “  And then the hills came.  I was keeping a good pace even with the hills, but the last 5 miles were hurting, and I knew then my run was going to suffer. 

I got in to transition and Steven was there.  “Good bike, you did awesome”  he said.  I think I mumbled something about not feeling good.  ” You can do it”  He cheered.  I was glad I had my hat today, as there wasn’t much shade.  I took a big drink of Heed at mile 3.5 that left me feeling ill, but I was feeling that hot, prickly skin, dehydrated feeling, and I knew I had to drink something.  I had serious doubts as to if I could finishthe race.  I just kept turning over my legs.  My run was around a 9:30 pace.  The bike, hills,and heat were out to get me.  When I was finishing the last .25 mile my kids and my Dad and Step mom were there to watch me finish!  It was a nice surprise.   I  finished 2nd over all women, and 23rd overall with a time of 3hrs and 32min.   This was a mentally tough race for me.  I just wasn’t in it, but I finished well.  I was happy with my swim, and bike.  Thanks to everyone who volunteered.  It was a very challenging race!

Warm up: 500 free
 8×50′s on the 1:00

I can’t express how much I really didn’t want to go ride.  This is when a training partner is really nice, otherwise I might have skipped it.  We road down to panther west and out to the Curran blacktop and to Auburn.  We took the Chatham trail back home for 40miles total.  My legs were tired from the start, but we had a decent ride.   I am so glad tomorrow is a rest day!