Race Report - Copper Creek

I have been doing triathlons since 2007 but racing Copper Creek was a day of firsts for me:

• First time doing Copper Creek
• First race in the 40+ age bracket
• First triathlon after being diagnosed with MS
• First time using my ladies triathlon Bia GPS watch
• First time racing with the Kyle’s Bike team

It was supposed to be my first time racing on the Kyle’s Bikes Specialized Alias.  Saturday night I aired things up pulled the bike bags off of my Trek and loaded the Alias into the car.  Sunday morning I was up at 5:15 to a glorious sunrise and checked the weather.  The radar was not looking promising.  Storms were coming in so I made the call to switch to the Trek.  I am used to riding it and felt more comfortable on it should the rains arrive before I got done with the bike portion of the race.  I did a quick check of my gear (for a gear list you can check my blog at: http://blaesing-thompson.blogspot.com/2014/06/gearing-up-to-tri.html)  I should have checked my list twice.

Part of the Kyle's Bike Team - Andy and Scott

I had my traditional prerace meal of gluten free toast and almond butter on my drive down to Pleasant Hill.  Once I arrived I stopped to pick up my race chip and went to the bike tent before going to claim my spot in transition.  I had ridden (rode?) the MS bike ride the day before and noticed my bike had a squeak but since I didn’t plan to ride it I hadn’t put any lube on it.  The guys at the tent fixed me right up.

My race setup

Then I headed into transition rocking my Kyle’s Bike team trikit.  They had us grouped by wave in transition so I was with all the 40 and over ladies near the swim in/run out area.  I got my area set up socks rolled down into my bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses on the aerobars, running shoes/visor/race numbers in the back, a little towel to dry off my feet and misc gear like sunscreen, my extra water bottle and a banana. (photo of my transition area is in the folder)

After I was good with my set up I wandered out to check out the lake, visit the triracers tent, and then use the porta potty.  I made sure I had my chip and watch on, grabbed my cap and goggles and headed out of transition.  I ran into my triracer training buddy and sat and shot the breeze to move time along.  I was feeling anxious and excited, and between the 25 mile bike and three hours gardening the day before I was trying to conserve my energy.

My triracer training buddy Galen

Waiting to jump into the lake

About then one of the race volunteers made an announcement that they were going to move the start up to 7:45 in an attempt to get ahead of the coming storm.  After a race brief and a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner we were ready to race.  There were five waves and of course I was in the fifth wave.

The beach at Copper Creek is narrow and rocky so the start is actually a treading water start which was new to me, and is also the longest sprint swim course in the area.  I was treading water trying to get a handle on my new triathlon Bia GPS watch for ladies.  The triathlon settings are still in beta so I had to run each component of the race as a separate event.  I spent time in each transition fiddling with it.  It kept going to sleep while we were treading water for five minutes waiting for our start buzzer.  We got a 15 second count down so I got it started and we were off.

coming out of the lake after the swim

I decided pretty early on that this race was going to be for me.  I was not going to focus on time, or how fast I could go, I just wanted to finish and feel solid at the end of things.  I went into the swim pretty conservative and maintained about an 80% output rate throughout the 750 meter course.  I was a competitive swimmer when I was young so the swim is really my only advantage when racing.  I swam through parts of the two heats in front of me and came out towards the front of my heat and felt alright.  My only difficulty was foggy goggles as I realized I forgot to pack my antifog but I got through it and managed to sight pretty straight between buoys.   I ran up the hill out of the lake and down the sidewalk to transition.

Running to the bike mount line

I realized my second hiccup was I forgot to unvelcro my bike shoes so I sat down, rolled up my socks and pulled the shoes on.  After the race I realized I was pretty darn lucky.  I had the bike shoes that go with the specialized and have a different style cleat than the shoes I use with Trek.  Fortunately after my jaunt across the transition area I hopped on the bike and was off despite the mismatched cleat/pedal set.  My quads were barking at me right away and I thought I was sunk when we hit the first section of rolling hills.  After a couple of miles and a major mental struggle I got into a groove and was rolling at a solid pace.  About mile four there is a serious down and up hill and then a flat section before the turn around.


It started to drizzle right after I made the turn around but it felt nice and wasn’t make the road too slick.  I got to the hill and was moving at a pretty good pace however half way up the other side while moving gears on my front ring I blew a chain.  Fortunately the gear transition was almost complete so I popped the chain back on, waited for traffic to pass and kicked it in gear up the rest of the hill.  I spent some energy trying to overtake all the space I loss with my minutes standing on the hill and around mile 10.5 it really started raining and I was happy to get off the bike by mile 12.

Another slow transition transpired from bike to run related to having to tie my shoes and tinker with my watch.  I had forgotten to get some stretch laces early enough to get a trial run in and had to do things old school.  I have some laces in the queue and will be ready for a fast shoe transition at my next race.  I had the usual spaghetti legs as I made my way around the lake and up onto the hilly run course.  I was just focused on trying to keep a steady albeit slow pace.  The rain was all happening on the other side of the lake so I was feeling the effects of the humidity without the bonus cooling and as I heated up my feet started their tingling.  I walked through all the water stops and drank a cup and wore a cup of water.  I ran for a while with several folks and finished the lap around the lake with a fellow doing his first triathlon.  I think chatting and running got us both around the lake where my triracer teammates cheered me on to the finish line.

saving my sanity with a nice icy soak

I was happy to finish my first race with MS, on Kyle’s Team (thanks Katherine for being my photographer), and glorious ice bath just across the finish line.  I wish I had one of those after every steamy run! While this race was tied for my slowest sprint race time I was ok with that.  I know I left a lot in the tank, but I am still figuring out my limits and I am good with how things came out.  I know where I need to focus my training energy for my next races.

Final outcome 12 of 14 in my new age group.  Swim: 15:54 T1 2:08 Bike 46:59 T2 1:22 Run 32:25 Final time 1:38:48.  I have a lot of room to improve however right now my next two races are twice as long but they are also races I have done in the past.  I will spend the next six weeks building my bike miles and working to find the faster run pace I had before the summer heat arrived.  Thanks for reading.

A big thank you goes out to Kyle's Bikes and the Discount Tri Supply Team for sponsoring me and getting me out to a new (to me) race.

Bike MS: C.H. Robinson Cruise the Cornfields

I chose to ride the Bike MS: C.H. Robinson Cruise the Cornfields (June 21st, 2014) because I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in February of 2014 just a few short months before my 40th birthday.  For those of you who do not know much about multiple sclerosis it is an autoimmune disease where a persons body attacks the protective coating, myelin, around the nervous system as well as the brain.  It affects the nerves ability to send impulses correctly and can cause vision and motor impairment, as well as tingling in the extremities and fatigue just to name a few things.  For more information about MS you can take a look at this great article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37556.php

I wanted to do an MS event sponsored by the National MS Society.  The MS Society and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America both do work to provide support programs, services and research which makes a huge difference to people LIKE ME who live with multiple sclerosis.  When a fellow triathlete who has a spouse with MS told me that my MS Society Chapter was holding their MS Bike event in Ames where I live it was a no-brainer for me.  I was in.  I had two weeks to do the obligatory fundraising of $100 but I wasn’t worried.  You can still donate for 2014 BikeMS until July 11th at the link below.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=13447566&pg=personal&fr_id=23097

As for the actual event.  My husband and I decided that it made sense for him to ride with me so I would not be out on the 25 mile open road course alone.  These rides are supported but don’t have a designated start time so riders can be pretty spread out.  It isn’t a race and neither is living with MS so we decided to go easy (keep pedaling, minimal stops but easy pace).  I really struggle with the heat due to my MS so I wanted to make an early start of things so I could get home and rest for Copper Creek Triathlon the next morning.

We were blessed with a beautiful spring morning.  It was in the mid-sixties with a light wind and glorious sunshine.  We set out around 8:30 am and hit the course which ran right through our neighborhood.  It set out to the North on Dakota until we got to Cameron School road where we caught up with the first MS Rider we would see.  He was walking up a hill without a helmet on so I am going to use the opportunity to plug bicycle safety.  It is NEVER ok to ride without a helmet.  I have lost friends who were riding without a helmet and were hit. I have a friend with a metal plate in his head, and last year the bike helmet saved me from a head injury when I went over the handlebars and my helmet cracked instead of my skull.  Be safe, wear a helmet, dress brightly, be aware and use a mirror on your bike, use arm signals, and follow traffic laws.

Ok, back to the ride.  We continued along to County Line road where we passed a young woman wearing the same jersey as me.  This is significant because they only give them to people who have been diagnosed with MS (my first perk :).  One of my goals was to make a new MS friend so after we had passed her a couple of time the next time we rode up on her I asked her for her story.  She was also a mom of two who was diagnosed ten years ago.  She used to be a runner but had a major flare up while she was off meds and now has motor control issues in one leg.  She has taken to biking for fitness now.  Like me she has also changed to a whole food diet and appears to be living well with MS.  

All in all doing this event makes me more grateful for every day I have energy and still have my mobility, vision and mental capacity.  Joe and I rode in to the finish line and received our Bike MS shirts and medals, and then headed towards home to stop at the neighborhood coffee house for a cool cup of caf before heading home to kids and yard work

.  It was a great day and I hope to do a ride again next year.

Race Report - Hope Run for Hospice

This is the second year we have done this run as a family and is my first “race” of 2014.  Last year Joe ran alone and I ran with the kids.   Abigail imploded in the heat and humidity, and I lost my patience and spent the whole race running in circles back to get her..  This year we decided we would run pretty much as a family.  It was perfect sunny spring morning and not too hot or humid.  Abby and I decided we would run together and Joe would push the bike buggy with Joshua inside as he was going to take it easy due to a leg muscle strain.  

We love this race because Mary Greeley Hospital helps sponsor Mileage Club at the elementary schools in town.  The kids who participate have a chance to earn a free admission to the event by putting in 25 miles at lunch recess over several weeks at school.  Abby set her goal early and even though we knew months beforehand she had a soccer tournament that weekend I told her if she got in we would run.  Her final tally was 32 miles in the end.  The is a great run also because it helps to raise funds for the Ames Hospice House which is in our neighborhood.  They do wonderful end of life work and even supported my neighbor’s family this year when her mother passed.  

Run for Hospice is a timed race and has two distances 2.5k and 5k.  I love this race because there are hundreds of families running and being active together.  As I pulled our times from the website I couldn't help but notice family after family coming across the line with the same times.

Since this wasn't a run where I cared about time Abby and I decided we would walk once a mile when she needed it.  She did great however and I think we walked for a block each mile including the water stop in mile two.  Joe caught up with us at the water stop and all four of us ran together since by then Joshua was tired of riding along.  I am guessing next year he will be running with us.

We all crossed the finish line within 25 seconds of each other with Abby taking the lead due to her last second burst of speed.  Final times 34:36, 34:37 and the guys at 34:51.  We saw lots of friends at the finish and Joshua did the 50 meter little guy run with the biggest grin on his face.  I am pretty blessed and we hope to continue this family tradition for years to come.

Gearing Up to Tri

This is my first blog post for the Kyle's Bike triathlon team and the discounttrisupply.com blog so I thought I would share here too.  My first triathlon of the season is Sunday so I will post more soon!  

Since we had our first triathlon clinic at Kyle's Bike on May 28th thought we would give you a recap on all things transition.  Gearing up to Tri, looking to do your first triathlon, or just want a comprehensive gear list for your next race.  Here is what I use to prepare. 

Transition bag: (this is a large backpack with mesh sides and lots of pockets)

• Running shoes (with speed laces like yanks, these let you pull your shoes on quickly with no tying)
• Bike shoes (if you are shopping for tri shoes look for ones with velcro straps for quick and easy entry and exit in transition)
• Socks rolled down to arch (you just tuck your toe in and roll them on)
• Helmet
• Sunglasses
• Hat/visor
• Number belt/ race number
• Sunscreen (put some on first thing in the morning but I keep some spray on sunscreen in my transition kit too)
• Swim cap (you will be issued one by the race director)
• Swim goggles (I bring two pairs - one that is mirrored for sunny days and one that isn't for overcast days, always good to have a backup pair just in case)
• Goggle Anti-Fog (forgot this at my last race and could not see)
• Wetsuit (depends on water temp - this was my first major purchase after a bike - mine doesn't have sleeves and is fitted to my body so it goes on pretty smooth)
• Bath towel  (to put gear on) / Hand towel (use to try off if needed)
• Banana, 2 gels (stinger), Stinger waffle, Larabar (Use what works for you, don’t try something new race day!) 
• Extra bottle with water (I take sips from this at transition and after the race)
• Extra EFS powdered in a baggie (or whatever electrolyte drink works best for your body)
• Misc mini gear bag: sharpie, Kleenex, electrical tape, bug spray, spare goggles, two plastic shopping sacks (to get the wetsuit on for use on your feet) garbage bag, small sack with dry clothes(bag them so they stay dry), body glide, butt chamois cream, walking shoes/sandals for before and after the race

Bike:

•  In working order - tires properly inflated, gears all shifting properly, brakes working
• Small snack bag on top tube – gel, larabar, stinger gummies (for anything longer than a sprint)
• Emergency bag on seat stem – co2 cartridge, spare tube, tube removal tool, multi tool, mini first aid, gel, and I carry a copy of identifying information too.
• Pump held on with electrical tape to front tube
• Water bottles (front with water, back with EFS or other energy drink)
• Helmet on aerobars with sunglasses open inside - this makes it quick and easy to put glasses on, then helmet (strapped) then grab the bike and go.

On my body

• Timing chip / race numbers - I keep my race numbers on a belt that I clip on when I start the run or bike depending on the length of the race.
• Racing watch - I usually use a ladies Timex just to get overall time and splits, but just received my first Bia which is a ladies triathlon watch (they have a guys version too) a fraction of the size of a Garmin and super-fast to lock in the GPS
• Sunscreen, butt butter and body glide already applied
• Tri shorts/Tri top/ Trisuit
• Sports bra (or whatever guys need)
• Gel in pocket (generally don’t grab this until the T2 and may have two or three gels for a distance like a half ironman)
• Cover ups (to be taken off before start – can go to goodwill and leave these at race start or give to your support team)
• Comfy shoes (to be taken off before start – can leave these at transition)
• I also race with a road ID bracelet which makes it quick and easy for people to figure out who I am

Buddy bag (this is a bag my husband/support person can carry while I race – I don’t always have a person at the race):

• Wallet/ Phone

Setup:

• Get number, timing chip, and body markings
• Rack bike (use the seat to hang the bike, set up towel under rear tire)
• Put water bottles on bike
• Fold towel in thirds, lay on ground under bike
• Temporarily put cap and goggles (and wetsuit) on front end of towel (I wrap my goggles in      my cap and put them under my shoulder strap until I need them.
• Place bike shoes in front of towel, toes away (some folks keep their shoes attached to their bikes with rubber bands hooked to the heal loop attached to the bikes.  They go through transition without shoes and then jump on their bikes at the bike mount and pedal into their shoes.  I am not that hardcore or coordinated so pick what works best for you.)
• Place rolled socks one in each shoe, inside the  bike shoes
• Helmet on aerobars (or on bike shoes), straps open, or back of helmet on toes of bike shoes 
• Place sunglasses in helmet, bows open, lens down
• Put number on belt, set next to running shoes with hat
• Place running shoes on number belt, toes away
• Fold up bag and put at back of towel
• Put on wetsuit (if needed) and grab cap and goggles and go warm up in the lake

I have done 18 races from sprint to 1/2 Ironman and I use pretty much the same kit for all three distances.  The big difference for me is adding nutrition in the form of gel, gummies, bars as well as a third or fourth water bottle for the 1/2 distance if it is due to be really hot.  Since being diagnosed with MS this spring I am a little more concerned with the heat and I may bring along several bags of ice in a mini cooler to keep me cool at the transition points as well.

Prerace meal:  I generally eat the same thing race morning, usually on the drive to the race site.  For me this is usually toast with almond butter, a string cheese, and a glass of juice.  I occasionally add a hardboiled egg or some similar variation to the mix.  It is important to have some prerace fuel.  I usually eat a banana in transition before the race as well.

Prerace warm-up: This varies depending on race length, time transition closes and race morning temperatures.  If the water is really cold I usually skip the swim warm up and just do a short run. I also enjoy chatting with the racers around me in transition to burn off jitters and have someone to give a shout out to on the race course.   For my A races I will generally go out and run part of the run out course (maybe 10 minutes) and then hop in the water for a short swim.  It is good to get the bike out of transition and make sure you are geared right for departure however I am kind of lazy when it comes to the bike so I usually just walk it to its spot and call it good.  I also take time to get the lay of the land, swim in, bike in and out, and run out. I also avail myself of the facilities.

Transitions can be a great place to catch your breath and shave a few seconds, but making sure you have all the necessary gear, and things set up so they are quick and easy to get a hold of will put you ahead of the game.

More information for those new to the sport:

http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/13-Tips-for-Sprint-Triathlon-Rookies.htm?page=1

MS ... sometime it just sucks.

Well another busy weekend and fun trip playing hooky to Kansas City and now the body has had enough.  But before that here is a health update.  Last week I had my labs run, my first mammogram (clean), and an annual physical with my regular doctor.  I always do this around my birthday so I remember.  As it turns out my MS meds are adversely affecting my blood counts.

From my drug company's website possible side effects: "Blood problems. You may have a drop in the levels of infection-fighting blood cells, red blood cells or cells that help to form blood clots. If the drop in levels is severe, it can lessen your ability to fight infections, make you feel tired or sluggish or cause you to bruise or bleed easily."  I am feeling sluggish, bruising easily, and my white blood count has dropped to half what is was but I am still clotting ok (the new kitten has been testing that for me).  As my dad pointed out (he used to be a drug rep) that so long as the white blood cells I have work right that I can still stay healthy.  I just plan to steer clear of contagious people.

I had been having abdominal pain much of last week leading up to my appointment and with my labs being monitored already my doctor worked on the side of caution.  I spent Friday afternoon sitting in the clinic reception drinking horrible goop and waiting.  I had a CT scan with contrast and then had to wait some more to make sure I didn't need surgery for appendicitis.  It ended up being nine hours without food but I got through it and it turned out it wasn't my appendix it was a ruptured cyst on my ovary.  Apparently I have a family history of these and they resolve themselves over time but can make a person highly uncomfortable.  My doctor called my on her afternoon off to give me the results.

I have to give my primary care doctor, Dr B a big kuddos.  She is about my age and has been incredibly supportive of my health care needs for the last six years.  I asked her why she didn't press me a year ago to have MS testing and she said she likes to let people run through their course of options.  I appreciate her listening to me about my thyroid and where I feel best with my test numbers.  I appreciate that she moved her schedule around to tell me herself that I have MS and offered to be there for any questions or needs I might have related to things I might experience on this journey.  It makes me feel better to know she and her awesome nurse have my back.  You should know I struggle with mainstream medicine because I feel that MDs are traditionally trained around pharmaceuticals and symptom treatment, and do not get the training they need to look at the big picture and troubleshoot the root cause of people's issues.  I have three years of experiences with neurologist who couldn't diagnose my root problem because I passed all their tests but still had unexplained issues.  Anyway stories for another day, so it is a big deal that I appreciate my primary care physician.

So what have I been up to?  Well, Saturday morning I had an awesome time being "coach Shawn" to a group of 25 - 9 and 10 year olds learning about triathlon.  It was super fun and I plan to help out again in a few weeks.  Hopefully Abby can come with me next time as she wants to do a triathlon this summer too.  Then I raced up to Ames to watch Abby play in her last regular season soccer game.  Her team has REALLY improved over the last few weeks and I am really proud of the progress of Abby and her teammates.  They had soccer tryouts for next year and I wish each and everyone of them the best as they fragment onto new teams next year.  Most of them have been playing together since first grade.  Saturday afternoon we had our Girl Scout potluck... my sketchy narrowing in one dates left a few people confused but we had a nice time with the families that came.  The girls picked the badges they want to work on next year.  Now to spend the summer working on getting one or two helpers so I don't have to do it all myself.

My mom and husband (although he now says he isn't going to say anything to me about my scheduling) keep giving me a hard time about doing too much.  But the thing is somethings keep me going.  Like coaching these kids in triathlon, doing triathlon clinics, and most of the time leading my Girl Scout troop especially at camp.  It makes my heart sing... and while not required activities they are things I enjoy... it is the required activities that drag me down (getting the kids out the door in the morning, cleaning my piles of crap up... etc.) so keep up with the gentle reminders to slow down, but remember I need the heart sing opportunities too...

Sunday Joe and I dropped the kids off with my folks for almost a week.  On the way home we talked about running away to Kansas City to try to take in a Royals game.  Even though the weather was to be sketchy Monday night we decided to go.  It poured Monday night and Tuesday morning, but we shopped and giggled and had a lot of much needed carefree fun.  We even went and ran three miles together on a trail across from our hotel in the pouring rain.  We almost never run together and it was a fast, fun run for me and my heart sang.

I have to say though that it all caught up with me this afternoon.  After two hours in the car Sunday, four hours on Monday, six hours on Tuesday (had to go to Des Moines to pick up Joe from work) my body is saying that is enough.  So while I wanted to go pick up the free bricks to line my new as of yet unplanted garden bed, and mow the more than ankle deep front yard before going on my first triracers Ames ride of the season... my body did boycott and the only thing I managed to do this afternoon was take a quiet nap for an hour, eat the dinner Joe made for us, and write this blog (while Joe mowed the front yard and then played with the super energetic kitten) which is a major effort to type.  So I am going to head to bed and hope tomorrow leaves me with more energy so I don't have to let myself down again... and can keep up with my kids when my folks bring them back tomorrow.

I just want to say I appreciate you all.  I had several people tell me today they are impressed with how I handle this illness, and while I shed a few quiet tears today, I try to continue to be that person you all believe I am.  As always... thanks for reading.  Remember if you are willing and able... please consider a donation to my MS Bike ride next week.  I will get it done even if it takes me all morning...   Shawn's Bike MS fundraising page

Quick MS Update

Just wanted to post a quick MS update.  The last two weekends have been super busy with the end of preschool for JJ.  We rode our bike with third wheel to the library, my office and then to preschool to ride the Cyride bus and have our end of year preschool.  Next year JJ is off to kindergarten.

 

Saturday the 24th started with a bike ride with my triathlon team, watching Abby play part of a game in a soccer tournament, and then JJ and I went on a mission for flooring for our bedroom.  Then Abby and I had a date to get pedicures thanks to a gift certificate from a friend.  Sunday was  my 40th birthday.  I spent the morning cleaning house, had brunch cooked for me by Abby and Joe and then had a surprise visit from my dear college friend Kara who was passing through with her family on their way home to Texas.  We wrapped up the day with a splurge to Hickory Park and then had DQ chocolate ice cream cake.  It was a great birthday. We started off Memorial day with Joe and I going for a training ride so I could finally hit the road with my team tri bike.  What a sweet ride!!  Thank you Kyle's Bikes for sponsoring me.  I am loving this carbon fiber ride.  To close out the long weekend we had neighbors, friends and coworkers over for a potluck and were blessed with great conversation and beautiful weather.

This past work week my office packed up and moved from the north end of the complex back to the south end of the  complex where we normal are housed.  It was a lot of packing, hauling boxes and still persists in chaos.  I spent parts of last Friday pulling up carpet in the bedroom.  The joys of pulling staples and tack strips by hand... ah.  Saturday morning I painted an accent wall and then spent much of the day between shuttling kids around, helping my folks help me install new flooring into the bedroom (see facebook for photos).  We had a nice family dinner of a rare pizza and left over birthday cake.  Sunday we hit the yard hard.   I have three 4x8 raised beds in the backyard and several flats of garden starts I grew in my basement in need of some outside time.  I also had the idea of expanding another bed in the yard to make room for a sunflower garden and a space to plan cucumber and zucchini plants as they take up more room in my boxes.

Joe got the lawn mowed while the flooring was going in, and then tackled the tiller to pull the sod up for the new garden.  The kids helped a little in the pulling out of a dead tree and bush and planting of two new plants.  We got the garden all processed and new soil added but didn't get the plants in yet.  I have been watering them and they are protected on the screened in porch.  So anyway we have been busy which is why I am up way past my bedtime writing this blog (write or explode).  Oh did I mention we got a kitten on my birthday.  She is around 6 weeks old and still doesn't have a name but is so funny and cute.  She has yet to be introduced to the two big dogs, and the older cat.  She has however met our visiting Bearded Dragon who will be staying with us for June.

So to my quick MS update.  I am still taking my meds.  I am still symptomatic.  The heat seems to be causing a flurry of activity just when things seemed to be quieting down.  I met with the MS Lifelines nurse (sponsored by my drug company).  She gave me a few pointers and was great to talk to.  I also had my first round of labs run last week as part of my yearly check up.  I see my doctor later this week to see how things are going as well as having my first mammogram.  I will give an update next weekend.

The highlight of my week was making new MS friend connections.  I know I keep promising a post about the great people I have met who have MS... I will get there eventually.  At the triathlon clinic last week I met a man training for his first triathlon whose wife has MS.  He is riding the MS ride in Ames which I have also signed up for (see my fundraising link below).  We have already connected on Facebook.  Then I had a great conversation with a friend of one of my swimming buddies who has secondary progressive MS.  He is the first person I have talked to whose disease is progressing.  We have also connected over email.  The last great interaction I had is with a coworker who has MS.  We had lunch together and is seems we are MS twins.  He is the first person I have talked to who has the same symptoms as me, who has taking the same meds as me, and who has had similar struggles.  It sucks that anyone has to have MS, but it is nice to know there is a whole community of people out there who get my struggles, who want to hear my story and share theirs, and who are amazing people.  I truly am blessed.

Here is a wonderful article about making photos of the invisible symptoms of MS.  We look normal on the outside but feel far from normal on the inside.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/health/inside-multiple-sclerosis-the-invisible-disease-and-the-seeingms-exhibition/story-fnihoylo-1226934170326

I have one more thing to share.  I signed up to do the MS bike ride in 19 days.  It is a fundraiser for the MS Society to raise funds to do patient support, educate people about MS, and fund cutting edge research.  Even the smallest donations can make a difference so please consider donating to my fundraising page.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=13447566&pg=personal&fr_id=23097

Thank you for reading.

Triathlon My Love...

I mentioned in my last post that my kids and I actually had the pleasure of volunteering at a triathlon last weekend.  I have raced in dozens of triathlons and road races and have always wanted to give some time back.  Hickory Grove is one of those courses I love to hate.  The water quality historically is a crap shoot (although better now that the race is early) and the huge hill out of the lake to transition makes the quads burn.  The bike course is a super technical hilly three laps plus an out and back route.  The run course, especially on a really hot muggy morning covers all types of terrains (gravel, hills, uneven meadow and asphault).  Needless to say I stopped doing this race a few years ago, but the same folks who host this race also host my favorite race Bluff Creek which I will be doing in August.

Joe had been hemming and hawing about doing the Hickory Grove duathlon (run, bike, run).  I told him the kids and I were already planning to go as volunteers, so I got him set up with a teammate of mine who is an animal on the bike so he could do the run.  Post race he confirmed I am indeed not crazy as the run course was uugh!  Besides working the water stop and cheering Joe on we also got to encourage others on the course, cheer on my Kyle's Bike triathlon teammates and enjoy a beautiful day on the edge of a lovely meadow.  Yes I race for the scenery as well as the exercise and challenge.

Now for a little about my triathlon team....  I am the old lady on the team at 40 this year.  Bob the uber cyclist is the next oldest. Christian the trumpet player is next in line.  We have a few race years under our belt to go along with our ages.  Laura is the other lady triathlete and Army lady.  Then we have the newbies Scott and Andy who are probably more hard core than the rest of us and I love their excitement for the sport.  Andy at 26 just rocked his first Ironman and I cant say enough about what a great guy he is and his preparation and enthusiasm for doing this distance (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run).  You can check out his race report at http://www.discounttrisupply.com/blog/ I once thought I would do one as well, but at this point I think that is a long shot.  I would like to try for another 1/2 once I have a better handle on my MS.

Above: Andy, Christian, Kyle, Laura, Bob, Shawn, Scott

Above: Bob, Laura, Christian, Shawn, Scott and Andy

Pictures from our team kickoff party.  We got together in May to kick off the 2014 team and that is where the photos above were taken.  Last week we also held a transition clinic at Kyle's Bikes down in Ankeny.  It was a solid turnout and fun to meet a few folks new to the sport.  I will be posting my transition trips and tricks for the team blog and here later this week.  Stay tuned for race reports this summer as our team progresses through the season.