Fitness Purgatory - Saying Goodbye to Ironman 2026

So what is going on?  I mentioned my Ironman journey for 2026 came to a halt in June. Bare with me as this is a longer post.

After the half Ironman race in Boulder in June, I had to face the facts that something was not right, something was very wrong with me. My recovery from that race was not great, trying workout after the race with a short run, bike or swim left me heavily fatigued (not MS fatigue) and ready to nap. Something was wrong but I had no idea what, and then the week after the race I recieved an email from Feisty Media about this thing called REDs. The list in the email and research that followed was exactly what I was experiencing. I had read about REDs the year before in a book about endurance athletes but never in a million years did I think it would impact me.

"You push through fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep, low energy, or nagging injuries — and you still get the workout done. So you must be OK, right? For a while, you can get away it. But the problem is that getting the workout done and actually fueling enough to recover and optimize your performance and health are not the same thing.

Left unaddressed, chronic underfueling can negatively impact both physical and mental health, increase the risk of illness and injury, stagnate performance, and lead to low mood and a loss of joy in the process." From Feisty Media email

So what is REDs? "Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is a condition where the body lacks sufficient energy to support both daily functions and training, leading to a systemic breakdown.

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport is a condition that occurs when an athlete‘s nutritional fueling is insufficient to meet the demands of their training and daily activities. Essentially, the “energy in” is less than the “energy out.” This energy imbalance can impact multiple areas of the body, including the endocrine, metabolic, hematologic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and immune systems. It also affects psychological health, leading to a cascade of well-being issues.

Athletes who have increased their training load but have not adjusted their caloric intake to meet their heightened nutritional needs. These athletes are unintentionally underfueling.

https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/women-health/understanding-relative-energy-deficiency-in-sport-red-s-risks-of-eating-disorders-in-athletes/"

How did I get here? As athletes and younger women we are encouraged to fast before short early morning workouts as a fat burning activity, however body chemsitry has different ideas when one is going through Perimeopause. So the short answer is I was chronically underfueling for my training the last 16 months by only fueling before, during longer workouts (over 40 minutes) but not for the shorter efforts. I was ALSO unintentionally chronically under fueling for meals. AND I was dealing with all the issues related to perimenopause which overlap in symptoms with REDs. Unfortunately, recovery isn’t instant — it often takes 6–12 months, but full recovery is possible with the right support. 

So what am I doing? I have met with a dietitian who said I need to be eating 2300+ calories a day not training and over 2800 - 3500 calories in a training state (which I am currently not allowed to be in). I need to focus on quality carbs, proteins, fiber/fat in every meal. I am meeting with a functional health specialist who has run A LOT of tests to see if there are some other underlying things causing or being effected by this. We have had a few smaller red flags with my thyroid, my iron levels, and we are doing one more test to see if my GI tract is pulling nutrients correctly or if I have a leaky gut. 

For fitness, I am doing more gentle things like walking longer with the dogs, doing a really easy swim (mostly for my sanity) once a week, an easy bike once a week, and lots and lots of strength work. NO RUNNING. Targeting three times a week lifting weights or doing body weight/band work (20-45 minutes each session). I am gaining perimenopause weight through this but also gaining muscle (regular inbody checks at the gym) so hopefully in a couple of months the strength work will spike my metabolism and things should start going the other way again. I am checking recovery with the occasional medium intensity cardio activity but so far doing that is not great and causes heavy fatigue. In the meantime, I am doing some low key kayaking adventures, learning pickel ball but with lots of rest, and hope to do some hiking. I am trying to give myself grace and time to work the plan and hopefully recover enough to some day train and race again.

To all my friends out there please please please eat to support the activities you are doing. Don't try to use cardio to lose weight as it can stress your body more (I wasn't doing that but there is a lot of research out there to support this). Make sure you add strength related activities to your reroutine as this is supper important especially once we are over 40, 50, 60...

I'll do another more technical blog on this with research links as well, but for now that is what is going on. Rest (so many naps), strength work, finding new/old things to spend my time doing (kayaking, hiking, pickel ball) and eating like it's my job is the name of the game.

As always thanks for reading.

June 2026 - Ironman 70.3 Race Report – Boulder, Colorado

Bear with me this one is a bit long.  A few weeks ago, my primary care physician (close to my age) and I were talking about how I've been frustrated this spring with my body being this ever-changing alien state for me.  He's seen how hard I work at the gym as we often work out at the same time in the winter months. He made the comment that sometimes we just need to remember to be grateful that we are able to keep exercising and meeting goals even if they aren't as fast or big as they used to be now that we are getting older. And while that is true, I am not willing to accept defeat, because if I do my MS will progress and I will lose mobility and my sanity.  That said I knew I could run into issues going into this race and I told my partner/sherpa Steve that my time would likely be somewhere between 6 hours and 45 minutes and 7:30 depending on what the day delivered and my body produced.

I have been working with a professional triathlon coach since February and had a good base of swim, bike and run before that as I never took much in the way of time off after my half marathon (13.1 mile) and half ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) races last fall.  It made it easier to jump into a training routine in February but seems it is now causing issues because as it turns out my body needed that rest. My run times have been getting slower and slower while my peri weight popped up to 12 lbs. gained almost overnight by December. While I have noted in another post I am now on hormone replacement therapy but that takes time to dial in and I continue to carry the weight and the training load.

So, to the race. My coach does videos on a variety of topics, and she sent me a race prep one for long course races early last week. Carb load like it’s my job 1-3 days before the race, onboard salt, hydrate and rest. The week before I was traveling for work to Salt Lake so I got some altitude training there and honestly have never had issues with altitude below 8000 feet.  I did this same race on a slightly different course in 2019, so I knew what to expect. Even so we chose to leave Tuesday night, so we had a shorter drive on Wednesday. Thursday, we drove up into the mountains for some short hikes at 14 and 13k feet and then went to see the Cubbies play the Rockies for an afternoon game on a cooler day, sitting in the shade. I continued to carb load, salt, hydrate into Friday morning.

In the swim shoot right before the start
with my hand up

For the first time ever, Friday I rode my bike to the course where I met Steve to get checked in and then did a short open water swim practice. The water was great and I felt strong and ready to race. After a hearty brunch I was chilling with books while Steve hit some local disc golf courses.

Race day I was well hydrated, had a light breakfast and headed to the course. I was surrounded by first-time racers in transition so that was fun. I went to the swim coral with about 30 minutes left after doing the dance of the wetsuit. I lined up where I guessed I’d be timewise as the start is self seed, but it turned out the lake and mother nature had other plans. We were hyped for the race and groups of four started loading into the water.  But the night before the wind, which had been on and off since we got there, never went back to off and besides people chop there was a fair bit of wind chop.  I’d say just shy of white caps, and we were swimming into the wind for the first leg. I did A LOT of backstroke and was not alone in that. I was focused on keeping my head above water to breathe and struggled to get my arms over the waves each stroke with front crawl. It was still choppy on the crossover but part way I finally got into a rhythm with crawl and had the wind with me on the way back to shore.  This was the first race ever where I seriously considered stopping at a kayak and I have had two choppier swims than this but much shorter. time around 42 minutes (slowest 1.2 miles by a lot). I drank a lot of lake and that factored in with trying to get hydration on at the start of the bike.

Pumped and ready to go

I used a lot more energy than I planned on the swim, so I took a couple of minutes in transition to take on some carbs, burp up some lake, and get ready to head out on the bike. Before I left the park, I had one of my three water bottles fall out, I stopped and switched locations so my two fuel hydration bottles were on the frame. My other cage is behind my seat but had shifted down on the drive out and I didn’t want to stop and fix it, so when I lost another water bottle before getting to the road I just left it as it was my water one and I knew I could stop on course and get that refilled. At this point I was a bit rattled and frustrated. This was not made better by a 5-mile shallow climb into the foothills with my bike in the wrong front ring. I figured out my issue at around mile ten rolling the base of the foothills, and by then was in a goove and picking up speed. 

Having fun on the second lap. 
Almost done on the bike

It is a two-lap bike course and I took on liquid carbs every 5 miles with food in between, so I stopped at mile 20 hydration station to use the restroom (still well hydrated) and take on some food carbs. I saw Steve shortly after and kept pushing hard to the next aid station where I filled up my empty water bottle with water and ate some more food carbs, then went back to it for the last 25 miles. The bike felt strong, and I never had negative head space like I usually do. I could have kept riding as I was having a lot of fun. My fueling plan seemed to work well but that all went out the window once I got back to transition for the run. Averaged just over 17 mph on a fairly hilly bike course for a time of 3:18.

It was in the high 70s by then so I put on my cooling bolero to keep the sun off my arms and keep my upper body cooler as it drops my skin temp about 5 degrees if I can keep it wet while I run. I chugged the last of my bike fuel, but I figured out quick in the run that this was not going to be my day. My runs have felt heavy for most of the spring, and I have struggled with spiking heart rates so I use a heart rate monitor for all training all runs and bikes. Coming onto the course my legs I knew I should have been around a 12-minute mile, but I just couldn’t get things going at all. 

Darn it one more lap to go.

I kept pushing forward at the pace my body wanted to go which was closer to a 14-minute mile. I walked through all the hydrations stations onboarding ice and water for my person, drinking water, and every other station took on some sort of carb as either pretzels, bananas or a gel. On the second lap I started adding a little bit of electrolytes as well but since I hadn’t trained with those, I didn’t go crazy. I even had some flat coke at one of the last couple of aid stations because at that point I was run walking just to keep moving forward. I never felt like I was bonking, I just didn’t have any gears to work through on the run. Second slowest half marathon in 15 years of racing at 3 Hours 8 minutes.  Steve and I ran through all six of my 70.3 races on the drive home.  The race reports of all of them can be found on the race reports page linked above.

I was upset when I finished as this is just another disappointing run to continue the streak this year. I know something has to change in my training, nutrition and such, but I fueled well and really didn’t feel affected by the elevation during the race. In the end I was happy to finish my sixth complete half ironman race. I had a lot of fun with the three prairie dog neighborhoods we passed on the two laps of the run. It was a beautiful day, in a beautiful part of the country, and a quick but fun trip out to Colorado with my favorite adult human. I know it won’t be my last 70.3 but I am already making changes in my training. I am planning for two weeks of very light training, doing whatever feels right each day, adding 2-3 strength workouts a week, and building in a second rest day for yoga and reading books.

Official finishing photo
 Time 7 hours and 24 minutes

Ultimately, I just want to FINISH Ironman California in October.  It does not have to be fast, I just want to make it under the 17 hour cutoff so my plan is to focus on building a strong swim and bike to try to get that part done in under 8 hours 30 minutes, and do the bare minimum for run/walk training as I can walk the whole marathon if I have to. I meet with a nutritionist in two weeks and my coach next week to restructure my plan going forward so hopefully with time I will trim some of the peri weight my body is clinging too and find my run legs again.

Always hard to find the right balance and not aggrevate my MS. For the 10th year I am raising funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society along with my inspring MS running group RAMMS so if you want to contribute to this year’s fundraising effort, I would really appreciate the support.  Donate here: https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/857805

As always thank you for reading.  Get out there and chase your goals no matter how big or small they may be.

Race Reports Jan - May 2026

 

I finished a half ironman this weekend but this is not about that, this blog is my spring lead up to getting there. I did a mini sprint indoor triathlon.  I did a 5k run, and a half marathon run.  And I did a sprint triathlon.

Jess got us knocking out the bike miles.

So starting with the mini sprint indoor triathlon January.  I do this one every year that I don't have something broken on my body.  It is a fundraiser for Girls on the Run and Steve and I usually do it together (but he forgot to sign up) so I did it with my awesome friend Jess.  It consists of a 400 yard pool swim, followed by a wardrobe change and then a 7 mile spin bike ride, and a 2 miles treadmill run.  The swim went fine, I'd had a fair bit of cycling going into this so the bike went fine although Jess kicked my butt there.  Then I was off to the back nine to do my 2 mile run. I kept having a heart rate spike (thanks for nothing perimenopause) but pushed it down under 20 minutes despite short walks.  

Next up was a Rosy Cheeks 5k run with Steve in February.  My goal was to hit 10 minute miles and while their distance was a tad short at around a 2.9 mile run I was able to keep things right at a 10 minute mile on a brisk winter day.

Me at the end repping my MS
Run team RAMMS

April brought the Drake half marathon.  I was still having heart rate issues and not having quality feeling runs.  It had been since March that I had a long run that felt strong and it was more of an anomoly so I wasn't sure how things were going to go.  I had the miles in, I'd been doing a lot of cycling, strength and other things that should have supported a solid race. I worked my fueling and race plan but even so things did not go as I had hoped. I wasn't able to sustain a pace I knew I was capable of and as I got to the last four miles it took all the mental strength I had not to slow down and walk to the finish.  My body was just not having it on this run and I finished feeling very disheartened. Steve started this one with me but he wasn't feeling right either and pulled himself off the course partway in.  

After that race we did adjust our meal planning to support more consistent protein, carbs and veggie/fiber in each meal and that did seem to help some. Perimenopause has packed on 12 pounds in the last four months while eating well and training hard. I started HRT in February and added 3 more things a couple weeks before the race so was starting to get better sleep, recovery and fewer hot flashes. I also was sweating like a beast the entire race. It was 35 degrees with a 10 mph wind and I was in lite layers and yet I was chaffed and soaked through and struggled with heart rate again.  A disappointing race and just added to my body frustrations for what is normally a race I enjoy and feel strong doing even after coming off a broken ankle two years ago.  I guess there is always next year.

Jess and I at the finish line.

My last pre 70.3 race was TriByKnight.  It is not one I had done before since it is almost two hours from us but it had a 9 am start and a pool swim which is great for the first weekend in May.  It is definately one I would do again!  Steve and my friend Jess had also signed up.  Steve had some issues with his bike part way through the course he was not able to resolved and pulled off the course so that was a bummer.

2nd place in the 50-54 age group out of four

The pool swim was interesting as you went up and down each lane and self seeded your start position.  I was ready to have some fun and get babs out for another ride as we are still getting to know each other.  The swim was chaotic but knocked it out 200 yards and headed to the bike.  The bike was 15 miles and had some rollers at the end with a side of wind but I felt strong and managed almost 18 mph.  I got off the bike for the run and yet again my legs just wouldn't do what I wanted. What should have been an comfortable 10 minute mile 5k was me fighting with my body on all three laps just to keep running.  I wish I could figure out what is going on with my run but alas more work to be done.  Still 12 lbs of extra fat holding me back but it was a beautiful day spent with two great people.  I also managed to get second place and podium which was crazy.  Had the fastest bike and swim in my age group.

Next up is the 70.3.  More to come on that.

Ironman Journey - Spring

Working hard to see what my body will allow gearing up for the Ironman Triathlon in October of 2026 (swim 2.4 miles, ride 112 miles, run/walk 26.2 miles).  My first focus was to get a couple of shorter races in and gear up for the Boulder 1/2 Ironman (swim 1.2, bike 56 miles, run 13.1 miles) next weekend (June 13th - follow me here.)  I did Boulder in Aug 2019 on a slightly different course 25 lbs lighter, not going through perimenpause so this is going to be full of other challenges related to busy work schedule and peri which packed on a bonus 12 pounds outside of my control the last six months.

Despite all of that I feel like training has been going fairly well.  I have a coach that has been guiding me since February. I ran the stats to see what my total miles and total hours looked like for the spring for just swim, run and biking.  I think a lot of these miles are on the bike at this point but I am curious to see how things progres into the summer.

Because I like data here are my training stats for January through the month of May.  I expect to have way more time and distance in the three main areas as well as twice as much time with strength work, over the next four months but this week I am making it about me and taking things easier.  Processing my thoughts from my race this weekend.  See the race report coming up next.

Got the skis out yay!!!

Occasionally I blow off a workout and do this instead (cross country ski) on a gorgeous winter day. Occasionally I get to go somewhere else to run like DC in January before the mall became a circus act.

Running the mall on a beautiful winter morning
in DC with my favorite running partner.

Annoying the dogs while I ride inside.

Living room bike

Sometimes I just have to grind out the miles indoors.  Here is my livingroom setup on my older road bike. Steve helped me fund a new to me bike, a 2024 Trek Domaine that I got set up for racing. Carbon fiber, electric shifters and disc brakes.  It's like a whole new world on this bike.  Still dialing in the comfort with my local crew at the Ames Bikeworld but wow what a difference from my 20 year old Trek 1500.  Just have to remember to charge the shifter batteries.

Let me introduce you to Babs.  We are spending a lot
of time together these days.  Riding is getting fun again!

Heading into the tough summer training months as my MS really doesn't like being outside when it is hot and muggy so likely some more indoor training ahead, but at least the outdoor pool is open now so yay!

So let me leave you here with a question.  What goal have you been sitting on that you want to shoot for?  Is it a fitness goal, a strength goal, a reading goal, a new activity goal?  What can you do to plan to start?  What can you do to take a step forward on your goals?  They don't have to be big, they don't have to be super hard, but they should help you grow.

I am here for you if you want to share and have an accountability buddy.  Have a great week!

Road to Ironman - January

I have a love of all things data so I ran some numbers for the end of year for my fitness adventures.  To recap 2025 I did 2 half marathons, a marathon and a half Ironman triathlon last year.  I was training into October until my last race then backed off a little but kept my base.

Stats from 2025 roughly

Run: 788 miles, longest run 26.4 miles, time spent running 160 hours, net climbing 29000 feet

Bike: 390 miles, longest 56 miles, time spent biking 30 hours, climbing 7600 ft

Swim: 96 miles, longest swim 3200 yards (1.8 miles), time spent swimming 61 hours

Stats from the end of the year

Stats from the start of this year, and totals from Sept.

I have no idea what my mileage will look like by October 20th but I know it will be A LOT more than last year. So far January has been alright.  I've been consistent with runs, bikes, swims, weekly strength work and daily dog walks, even with a week of work travel to DC.  So far I am feeling all right. 

First race of the season was an indoor triathlon two weeks ago.  400 yard swim at 6:32, 7 mile bike right at 22 minutes, and 2 mile run at 19:51 with a little walking due to tired legs.  Good first effort for the season.

The hard things right now are figuring out training nutrition and the right kinds of calories to support the training.  We are working hard to ramp up quality proteins, add supportive supplements like creatin and reduce empty calorie snacking.  I'm am also working hard to build strength to build speed in all three disciplines. 

This past week I started working with a professional triathlon coach. Her specialty is middle aged ladies, and people with health issues.  I am both excited and nervous.  The original first week workouts were not okay and made me very anxious, so we pulled back and adjusted and got onto the routine I already had working. Week one's workouts ended up being fine.  I'm building but not feeling over tired or overwhelmed, that is outside of perimenopause keeping me up at night.

More to come. I'll keep checking in on my journey to my first, only, last ironman triathlon (1OL).

BHAG - Another 70.3 - Wisconsin 2025

 

Welp another one done.  This was my 5th complete half ironman.  Last year I did the swim on a relay so technically the 6th one I have participated in.

The last complete one I did was in 2019 in Boulder Colorado.  I knew going into this that I had done enough training to get through the race okay, but that I had probably under trained on the bike (story of my 70.3s).

I like this race because it is close to home, we stay with family, and have support on the course to encourage me along.  It was a bit of an overcast day which kept the temps down and that wasn't an issue until the end of the race when I was a bit cold.

I was prepared for a chilly swim so was pleasantly surprised when the water temp with a wetsuit on was nearly perfect.  I wasn't prepared for the weird shoot to get in the water so had to make a train through the masses to get up closer to the front of the swim start with a target time of around 35 minutes. Traffic in the lake wasn't terrible but a lot of people were not swimming straight.  After 40+ years of pool swimming that isn't an issue for me and I generally site and go.  The lake side swim felt strong and then we made the turn to come back along the retaining wall side and it was a bit choppy so I had to really be careful when breathing not to suck lake.  It was just cold enough I didn't have any issues with my bad shoulder and came out of the lake strong for my loopy run up the parking ramp to the bike.

I knew the bike was going to be a challenge for me due to a few things: lack of building up long enough rides to have the mileage in (longest training ride was 30 miles), lack of mental toughness on the bike, and hills... all the hills.  This is a similar course to what I did in 2016 so at least I knew what I was in for but that didn't make it any easier.  I pushed my hydration on the bike to try to get through my salty electrolyte and water bottles.  I also ate a tiny orange and some other small bites to get some food in me on the bike.  I did forget to get some salt capsules in me (had some the night before and first thing in the morning but this caught up with me later in the run). I did see Steve and my cousin Jay early in on the bike but then they were off to disc golf while I ground it out.  I also should have stopped to use the bathroom around mile 40 at the fueling station to make the transition go a tad faster to the run but it worked out.  Did the windy up the ramp to the transition and was pleased to see my friend Leslie there waiting for me.

We chatted while I got my gear sorted to start the run which is probably why I forgot my salt but I wasn't out to set any land speed records on the run.  I used the restroom on the way out and hit the course.  I was run to see several of my triracers teammates on the run even though they were finishing as I was heading out.  My goal for the run was to do it without pain and faster than the 3 hour run I did in 2016.  I did tape my knee to give my IT band and kneecap a little more stability and was glad to have it.

I mile or two in I got to chatting with a doctor who was racing and that distracted us for a 5k or so but the pace was bit faster than I should have been going so make time to stop at the aid stations as needed.  I was having a little hot spot on one foot about half way in but of course all the Vaseline I saw was at the aid stations before I needed it.  I tried to work my plan with my gels for nutrition but realized I also forgot my baggie of electrolytes (and my salt) so did the best I could with what I had.  The sun was intermittent and there was a light breeze so it was really pretty optimal weather conditions.  the last 5 miles or so I was working a run walk where I would run at a strong pace and then power walk until my heart rate went back down, and then repeated.  That kept me going and allowed me to chat with folks if the opportunity presented itself.  I even saw a guy with an ESRI jersey on (the software vendor for the tools I use to do my job) and apparently his daughter was a GIS person.

I saw the guys as I was powering up the swirls in the parking garage (the transition was on the third floor of a parking garage so to come and go we had to go round and round).  It was pretty much all up hill the last 3/4 of a mile (not a fan) so we did the best we could and managed to finish strong downhill into the shoot.

Was super grateful my body let me do another hard thing as with MS and aging that is never a given.  I was grateful to have my partner in life, cousin and tri friend cheering me on. And grateful mother nature was on her best behavior for another Ironman 70.3 finish. (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run)

Of the 70.3 Ironman races I've done this wasn't my slowest or my fastest but I felt good about how it went and positive my body can handle just a little more.  I've got big goals for 2026 and am talking to a triathlon coach.  More to come on that in the next few weeks.

Until next time, Thanks for reading.

A No Excuse Life - What this Garmin Means to Me - Goals for 2025

From A No Excuse Life by Chris Norton

"Call to Action: Starting today, let your actions speak for you. Reflect on your values and what you want to be known for, then align your actions accordingly. As you consistently live out your beliefs, watch how your identity transforms and how your impact on the world becomes more profound."

After my 2023 Grandma's half marathon I had all these thoughts, not all good, banging through my head. Really pretty negative for me.  

Over the years I have run over a dozen half marathons, done four half ironman triathlons (the last one in 2019 - 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run), and have always had a goal of completing one full ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run).  My 2013 MS diagnosis knocked me back and 2014 was both a hard year, and an amazing year as I got to race on the Kyle's Bike team (they picked me before I knew I had MS for sure).  Three of my half ironmans and most of my half marathons have come after Dx, but for some reason 2023 was hard for me.  

Maybe because it was my first big race post covid, post racoon attack, post broken foot, post IT band nonsense that fought me for four years.  Maybe I needed a couple more long runs in my training plan, maybe my head space was disrupted once I got into the Duluth city limits with all the crowds, but all I know is the last mile of that race nearly beat me.  I stopped having fun and had to dig deep to keep shuffling... like an old lady... to find my way to the finish line.

During that last mile my inner dialog was about whether to invest in myself and my race equipment, or to give up doing long races and on that LONG time goal of doing an Ironman Triathlon.  Maybe MS had beaten me after all... but I couldn't stop thinking about getting a real, proper racing watch that could see me through 15-17 hours of racing.  Something that could track my data effortlessly instead of using my phone and a hand me down apple watch.  Something that could be with me while I keep setting and meeting my goals.

I finished 2023 with a 10k run that went well, and made goals to do more races in 2024, and while I had a few setbacks related a broken ankle, I ended the year on a high note with a solid half marathon and my new Garmin.  With the start of 2024 came a sale on a newer model of Garmin the forerunner 255s (over $100 off) so as a gift to myself for turning 50 and believing in my future goals I invested in myself.  It arrived after I swam as part of an Ironman relay team with my triathlon club in June, but I had it in play for my favorite triathlon in Ames and along for that successful 13.1 run in November.

Me on my 50th birthday at the Clear Lake
Triathlon in 2024

So here are my 2025 goals:

Drop 10 pounds of fat and gain 5 pounds of muscle (go to weights class each week or work with a trainer).  Continue my PT rehab, add some yoga. HAVE FUN!

January - Girls on the Run Indoor Triathlon - have solid legs especially on the bike where I have languished in past years.

April - run the Drake Half Marathon (I was supposed to run last year)

May - Clear Lake Olympic Triathlon (.9 mile swim... mind over mater with the cold water, 25 mile bike, 10k run)

June - Run Grandmas Marathon 26.2 miles (MY FIRST MARATHON!!!)

September - 1/2 Ironman Wisconsin (This will force me to bike train over the summer as it is hilly, but I've done it before so I know what I am in for.  Excited to have my teammates on the course with me.)

Oct/Nov - Half Marathon Grand Rapids, MI - hoping to race with my Run A Myelin My Shoes MS race team in Michigan if it works out.

2026 - IRONMAN!  Course/Date TBD

So there it is, out in the universe for all to see.  Hopefully I collect a cheering section along the way but I am determined so who is with me?  Ironman at 52.  You betcha! GOALS!

Working to find my badass self

Well races last year were a bit of a bust.  I signed up to do Drake Half Marathon in April and has a slew of health issues all winter and spring in 2019.  Then did the Hope Run with the boy and got second in my age group (getting old so that helps). Missed the MS bike ride in Minneapolis because it was 40 degrees and raining so no thanks. I signed up for the Ames Triathlon a couple days in advance and it was a great race.  Then didn't race Midnight Madness due to lack of children and a leg injury that cropped up on the group run that morning.  I had to dial way back on running after that and was worried going in to the Boulder Half Ironman but my leg didn't malfunction until the last mile of the run and by then I was in a grove to finish.  After that I missed Bluff Creek because I hadn't had any down time with my kids most of the summer weekends and we just hung out and watched movies and spent time together instead.  And that pretty much wrapped up my lack luster season of missing half the races I signed up for which was a bummer as money is tight.

So this season here is my super tentative plan.  I am tentatively shaping up my season to look like this: 

• Drake half marathon (April 19th)
• MS Bike Ride?? (May 16th)
• Clear Lake sprint triathlon (May 30), 
• Hope run (early June)
• Grandmas marathon - eek first one (June 20),
• Ames tri (June 28 but may do the aquabike depends on my legs), 
• Midnight Madness
• Maybe bluff creek oly (aug 16), 
• Hiking trip (Early August)
• Square Lake half (sept 12) going back to a course I did five years ago to keep the long distance training going as I have my sights set on doing an Ironman once my health is stable.
• Hillbilly half marathon (Nov)

A lot of this depends on the stability of my health as I had a lot of health setback throughout 2019 (I'll have a blog on that soon). I need to see how far behind I am in run training already but keeping up on swimming and strength work with some shorter runs.  I hope to bike a lot more this year (so call if you are looking for a buddy). And need some long run buddies in April and May!  I start bike training tomorrow so here goes another season!

Boulder 1/2 Ironman Race Report

Yes me.. the whole race.

Leading up to this race I had an "oh shit" moment.  I'd spent the last few month packing a house finding a new house, dealing with health issues, moving Joe, moving me, and clearing things out on the acreage.  In June when the dust settled I realized I only had about six weeks to get my training in to go do my fourth Ironman in Boulder the first week of August.

I had a decent base of running, and has been hitting the pool and doing spin class unto May.  I just needed to ramp up the mileage and not get hurt.  I got my bike out of my crammed full garage and did a total of three longish rides, plus riding to work and the gym/pool.  I started ramping up my weekend run distance, and morning pool time started after memorial day in the 50 meter.  About two weeks out from Boulder I had a minor malfunction.  Every muscle in my body got really tight and caused a fair bit of discomfort in my neck and legs making running and road riding challenging.  I dialed back the run and decided to just go race and see what happened.

I love having my name on my race number

I drove out on my own with a stopover to visit my friend Lisa overnight and got to Boulder to pick up my packet on Friday.  It was warm but not ridiculous.  I got my packet, checked my bike and surveyed transition fully prepared to make the best of things.

I met up with Galen and got checked into the AirBnB we were sharing and then we walked down to the local grocer for some dinner and made a plan for the morning.

Water exit compliments
race photographer

We were staying near the venue and left with plenty of time to get there and set up, and as we walked across the parking area I realized I forgot my cooling sleeves which drop my arm temperature up to five degrees when I race on hot days.  There wasn't anything I could do as traffic was only coming in and we were all there already so I had to just go with the flow and figure things out on the run course to keep me cool.  I had some nice chats with my neighbors and we found out the water temp was 75.9 degrees so wetsuit legal.  In the past I might of thought about what to do, but any advantage I can muster these days I take so wetsuit it was.

bike compliments of race photog.

Hung out in the potty line, and then waited for the race to start while I ate a banana.  It was a rolling start and I figured I'd park in the 30-33 minute group but got to chatting and ended up in the 35 minute group with no hope of moving closer to where I should have been. I swam through a lot of people during the swim as a result and that likely slowed me down but I made the best of it and just kept swimming with a time right on target.  The amazing wetsuit strippers and the sunscreen goddesses got me squared away and out onto the bike course.

had to stop on the run and get a picture of this
awesome sign

Then to start my worst leg... As I mentioned above I was a wee behind getting training miles in, and I'd been having some issues with my legs as well as my shoulder and neck and they all came into play at some point on the bike, but so did something else bigger than myself.  This was the first race where I could feel the support and love of friends and family in spirit with me.  I've lost two friends in tri in the last couple of years and one friend earlier this summer who I was supposed to visit on this trip and recently lost his battle with cancer.  I reflected on what amazing people they each were how proud they would be that I was here doing what I love on that beautiful day.  I knew my new love was also cheering me on from back home such that people on FB were wondering if he was there with me.  I also had friends and family from running, tri and life also tracking me and sending their love and support and you know what it lifted me up in the hardest parts of that 56 miles.  For that I was incredibly grateful.  It was a pretty powerful feeling, but inevitably the sneaky bastard hills that you didn't know you were going up but for the drop in speed and the burn in your legs, and the aches of my body made the last ten miles pretty grueling, but fortunately they were all within sight of the venue so that gave me the strength I needed to gut it out and get my ass off the bike.

finish photo compliments of race photg

So on to the run.  As I noted my legs had been a bit of a crap shoot so I'd grately reduced my mileage the last two weeks before the race, and it was sunny and low 80s and I'd forgotten my cooling sleeves so my plan was to go easy on the first loop, and then see how I was doing for the second loop.  I had walked most of a half marathon before so I was fully prepared to do that again.  I got out on the course and they had ice, blessed ice in great abundance.  I wore my hat so I could put ice in it, and I also put ice in the sports bra front and back which gave me a stead stream of core cooling throughout the run.  I can't take on nutrition on the course due to food and gut sensitivities to the offerings so I had a couple ninjxias from Young Living on me, as well as taking one leaving transition.  I figured out within the first couple miles that I felt decent and that I could carry ice in a cup to suck on while I ran.  I also figured out they had potato chips which I could eat at most of the aid stations so every aid stations after mile three I took on ice, water and walked through.  Then had chips as needed as they were available.

Coming into the last couple miles of the first loop/out and back I was running with another mom about my age and we were keeping each other company and still running.  I couldn't believe it so I decided to keep running, and just walk the aid stations and the miles slowly ticked away.  I saw Galen and Lara along the way on the run, and I kept feeling better and better. My running friend dropped off around mile nine and I still felt good so I picked up the pace and ultimately ended up with a significant negative split for the last 5k and looking at my watch realized I still had a chance to be under my goal time of 7 hours so I kicked it in and really pushed the last mile to the point where my angry leg kicked in and I was limping but damit I wasn't going to slow down because I was in the zone.  I ended up finishing with my second fastest of the four half ironman races I have done.  Oh I forgot... 1/2 Ironman - 1.2 mile open water swim, 56 mile rolling hills bike, and 13.1 mile crushed gravel run.

Had to buy this finish picture and plan to print
and frame it to remind me of all the things I
overcame to get here.

With all the adversity I'd dealt with related to my food sensitivities, shingles, MS, divorce and move, falling in love again, I somehow found myself overcoming everything to finish the race strong and feel great in the end.  I am super grateful for my friends and family and teammates who kept me moving the last year encouraging me, handing me tissues, moving all my crap, again... And while I'm never going to be fast, I know I don't plan to quit anytime soon.  Next up, a half marathon in April 2020 and my first marathon in June 2020 and then who knows what the future holds.  All I know is I am ready to face it all head on.  Thanks as always for reading.  Love you all.

Sweet swag pile from the race

One last thought.  I read this article after the race and it really captures what I was feeling that day.  When training, or racing or life get tough do a gratitude mile and be grateful for all the good you have in your life.  Gratitude mile https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a29321193/gratitude-tips-for-long-run/