New York!!

Alright, so after Canada we returned to Boulder for a few days and then it was off to New York to meet Gregory's mom Joelle!! We had a blast!! I could not believe we accomplished what we did in the time allotted. Starting Friday-Sunday we walked a LOT, saw the Empire State, went to Staton Island to see the Statue of Liberty, saw to the "Phantom of the Opera", Radio City Hall, the Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Ground Zero, the Frick Exibit walked in Central Park and on 5th street (and yes, visited the LARGEST Tiffany's store ever!!)...let me catch my breath. We also ATE a lot! Ranging from Steakhouse, Italian, Mediterranian, Seafood and my personal favorite the "River Cafe" (It's underneath the Brooklyn Bridge and you have a view of New York...beautiful!..and the food is amazing!)

So, here are a few pictures of the trip:

Joelle arriving and within 5 minutes emptying her suitcase filled with goodies!! Yes, we are spoiled! 3 boxes of French Chocolate!
Gregory and I posing at the Statue of Liberty

Freezing in Central Park

I couldn't resist this picture; a dessert at the "River Cafe" . Gregory ordered mousse and ice cream which came constructed like this! Wow

The end of a great meal and a great trip!!

Merci Beaucoup Joelle et Joyous Anniversarie Cocole!

Christmas in Pictures

As you might have noticed, this blog is in the process of getting a "face-lift". Don't worry, interesting posts to follow!

But for now, I will leave you with some pictures of Christmas in Canada with my folks and sister.

This is our backyard...it looks pretty and the sun in shining, but it is darn cold!!
This is our dog Rupert. He likes to have his belly scratched and he likes to eat timbits!

Another beautiful pic from our backyard

Chewy the eskimo and Rupert posing after a brisk walk (or crawl through knee deep sections of snow!)

My hubby...he does not wear mitts! he is crazy!

Gregory and I with our new "Eddie Hats" Thanks santa!

Me and my sister goofing around.

Four hours and a complete 500 piece puzzle!

Mom and dad. Aren't they cute!!

Dad feeding the cows in the morning (the sun comes up at 8:30 am!!)

The Great Pumpkin Adventure!!

Ok, I know it has been FOREVER since I have posted. To be honest, I have no excuse. I am not training, I am sleeping a lot, I am enjoying life!!! Work has picked up as I am in a final surge with some projects. I should be finished some major projects within the month and will be ready to fill the schedule back up, so if anyone needs or knows of anyone who needs a website update/rebranding/redesign, feel free to give me a shout! I am your web-lady!


Gregory and I did go to one of my best friends wedding a few weeks back in Chicago, which was fabulous!! I love weddings!!

On the training front, it is not non-existent, but almost!! LOL Actually, I have been running a lot, and actually swam a bit...just joined the world of Boulder rec Center. Biking has been awesome now that Gregory is getting geared up for IMOZ. We biked two weekends ago and Gregory tackled Ward with me on super windy Sunday...he did it for the cookies, LOL! Actually, I am very impressed with Gregory; he always downplays his biking strength, but now he is biking with a power meter and has his numbers, he can't SLACK anymore or pretend he is slow. Kid you not, after 2 weeks back on the bike, he is dragging me around on the flats! He is becoming a monster on the bike...and I will be lucky if I can suck his wheel in a few more weeks!!

The beauty of the "off" season, is that you get to do things you don't usually get to do during the "on" season. For instance, taking a friday evening to not only carve a pumpkin, but to gut it, steam it and blend it for future cooking (now that I have the time). But, let me tell you, this can be an adventure...

Let the masacre begin!!

An ice cream scoop comes in handy!

Don't leave too much pumpkin for the squirrels (it says GO AWAY squirrels) High yielding produce! We have a lot of pumpkin puree in our freezer!

Hee, hee...I do like to carve a pumpkin....

And yes...a trademark!

And within a day...the squirrels were ready to feast...

And withing 4 days, they were still eating, deflating poor, poor Mr. Pumpkin

The aftermath....Sooo, sooo sad...Warrant out for the arrest of the local squirrel!

Lovely, lovely fall in Boulder!!

Ok, so the trees are starting to change colors and the wind is picking up!! I think it is fall in CO!!!

This is one of my favorite times of the year because for some of us, it means the "off season" soaking it all up!! Going out, having fun. Turning over the wardrobe from sleavless to sweaters. well, maybe a little to soon for that one!

It also marks my first year riding in the CO rockies during the fall. Last year I was too scared to venture up into the "mountains' by myself..I think Jamestown was the furthest I went. Oh, how times have changed. In Boulder/surrounding area, you can always find someone climbing in the mountains even if there is 10 ft of snow! LOL.

I spent my 2 week "IMWI anniversary" in the mountains this weekend, taking my sweet time enjoying the weather and colors and eating m&m's!! (gluten free!!). It is absolutely gorgeous!! Since we had a "bit" of bad weather last week, I experienced the snow dusted mountain peaks in addition to the redish/orange/yellow leaves changing color the past two days. Absolutely amazing!!

From a physical standpoint, there is no denying it, I am still pretty much in the dumps (physically) and it will take time to recovery. BUT, I am not going to let gorgeous fall days pass me by without taking advantage of them...it is rare opportunity you see the peak-to-peak on days like today! I even got the hubby a Ward cookie.

Ok, so next up is another wedding next weekend in Chicago. PARTY time with the friends!!..and some long runs on the lakefront that I LOVE!

Oh and Congrats to Jillian who completed Augusta 70.3 this weekend!! so proud of you!!

Also, safe travels to some of those I know are heading to Kona this week...still 2 weeks to go , but I know they will fly bye!!

The best feeling in the world!!

Run, run, run.....

yup, yesterday I went for my first post-IM run. Usually these runs feel like total crap (because usually I try 3 days after the race, LOL!!) This year I have promised to be "honest" with myself on how I feel, the recovery etc...but...yesterday, I could not hold back.

I am no where near 100% nor at a position where swim/bike/run should feel good nor let alone should be part of the equation. BUT, I WANTED to run, so I did...I told myself, maybe 10-20 minutes; I wanted to do what I love for a bit and then get back to work....well 10 minutes turned into 75 minutes. 75 minutes of absolute bliss!! the best feeling ever!! I headed out the door with my shoes and some music for a little "loop" that turned into a big "loop". I couldn't stop; I did not want to stop. My legs felt great for the first bit...then they got tired, and I slowed down and took it easy, but that was ok..for the first time in a long time I had no HR monitor and I was running exactly at the pace/distance I wanted to. It was such a release!! Yes, it was not 100% "at XXXXXX pace, at XXXX HR" and I didn't give a flying f#&*k what I was running speed-wise. I was taking in the cool weather, the overcast clouds floating over the mountains with just my shoes, IPOD and thoughts.....what a wonderful feeling!

Most important, I was processing what happened a little over a week ago and upon reflection I am in n utter amazement that I could do (run)what I was at the moment. I am SO blessed to have a healthy body that bounces back; a strong mind that keeps me going and a determination that keeps me looking for the next challenge.

But, the next challenge needs to wait...for once I am doing this "recovery" thing properly. I am taking the needed time for "myself" to rebuild and refocus. It is so important to me because I know i have so many life changes that await me.

This is the best feeling in the world...waiting for everything to fall into place. With a little patience and faith, I will be on my way....

I wish I had more to say...but that is it...I am happy, healthy and enjoying life!

Some Photos and fun stuff!

This is me about 1/4 of a mile from the finish, coming up State Street, balling my eyes out. What an emotional day!

Here is a link to some awesome video footage Gregory took throughout the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHttPIXN98A

And here is a link to a bunch more photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/goodcookies4me/IronmanWisconsin2009?feat=directlink


I am in recovery mode at the moment. This Ironman took a lot more out of me emotionally and physically than expected. For the moment, I am happy basking in the "uncertainty" and "open book" that lies ahead. More on that later....

Chapter 2: The Journey

13 miles and over 7 hours to complete it, I had the time to do whatever I pleased. A thought crossed my mind when going through the halfway point “should I ask Gregory to take the camera?” Because really, I was not going anywhere fast and if I was going to do this and fulfill my one desire (to have fun and enjoy) I figured what better way to catch it on camera. However, then I realized that it was not a good idea since I would probably kill the camera with the sweat/puke/water that seemed to encompass me on this journey.

I headed back down State Street for round #2. I always say to myself during this point of the Ironman “this may be the last, so enjoy it” and I always seem to end up back where I started, so I didn’t tell myself it would be the last, but rather, “no more for a while…enjoy it” For some reason this takes the urgency out of the equation. This year, I giggled because I was not looking for a tampon, but damn, I was hurting.

I wish I could put a positive spin on everything, and I sure as hell try to, but this time around, I was in pain, physically and emotionally to extents, I had never experienced before. I kept asking myself “how much more can I endure??” And every time I stopped to walk, I told myself…”just get it under control and then start running again” Truthfully, my run was not a run, it was a shuffle. I recalled a few weeks ago when I had my strongest long run, and laughed at what I considered a “run” now. That is the beauty of Ironman, it humbles and it brings you down to your roots.

I decided to throw all of my strategies/rules and plans out of the window; I knew I needed calories, so I did the one thing that I knew would not hurt me any more than I was hurting (hey, I had 7 hours to spend walking and on the porto-john if necessary, LOL!) I turned to the dark side and started drinking COKE!! OMG…what a wonderful taste, feeling and boost you get from coke. Coke literally rips my guts apart, but I figured I could not do any more damage than what had already been done, and I wanted to look forward to something… I mean WHO looks forward to WATER at an aid station?? I also started eating a few chips and kept them down!! Whooo hoooo..things were looking good!

Every step hurt and I just wanted to sit down and stop. There were many times where I would go for a ¼ mile thinking “just run one mile and walk the aid station” but I couldn’t and had to walk. The tanks were empty; thankfully my brain was in overdrive! So, I made it back down to state street with the music blasting and beer flowing; this is one of my favorite parts of the course. You really cannot focus on yourself because there is too much going on. I promised myself I would “run this part”. So, I stated doing my “run” (gimped shuffle) and made it up and down state street without a HR spike and other than the physical pain, I really was starting to feel a bit better energy-wise (it’ s called the “coke miracle”). I high fived little kids and thanked the “intoxicated” spectators for their support (they are the best!! Talk about enthusiastic!)
I then hit the 20 mile mark and chuckled to myself; my self-discovery journey started at mile 4…WAY too early for a marathon, but here I was, still going and still pushing my pathetic self to the finish. I had a bit of a pity party at that moment, thinking of the time I spent training, how the run is my strongest, and what an embarrassment I was to my sponsors, and then I took a look around me. People were walking, barfing and downright suffering and I was still shuffling and moving (albeit in pain); I had nothing to be ashamed of. I was at the end of my journey; I had covered 134.6 miles and was at the point where I was going to face the thing I was most scared off: myself. Moment of truth, what does Ironman mean to me?

I discovered exactly what I thought I would; I found out that I COULD do it. I had visualized this moment as me approaching the finish line, sub 11 hours, claiming my Kona spot, and being a HUGE success. Contrary to my predictions, this moment dawned on me at my lowest of lows, when I looked at the sun and I realized that it would be down soon and I had 4 miles to go. I asked a spectator what time it was and he said 6:15 pm. I was SURPRISED it was still that early (I thought I would be finishing over 13 hrs) and then put a new goal in my head: “Finish before the sun goes down, you owe your husband and dad that much. Last time your dad flew down for this he froze in the cold till well past 10 pm”

I literally told myself “suck it up princess” and after the 22 mile aid station I started back up…fast shuffle/walk, which then turned into an awkward shuffle/jog; that is as good as it got, but damn it HURT!! I was in a different world of pain, running on everything I had left to give. Mile 23 came and went; I discovered chicken broth (it has been a long time since I was out on the course late enough for the broth and I forgot how wonderful it is!!). Just keep moving..just keep moving; I came upon another man who seemed to be in a similar predicament and all I did was look at him and say “C’mon, let’s finish this bitch up…this is Ironman”…..and I kept going. My body was pretty much numb those last few miles, yet, the pain was so real; I don’t think I will ever allow myself to forget the pain because I know it will benefit me in my future challenges.

Then came the moment of truth, mile 25…and I broke down, literally. I was crying, I was so emotionally spent, exhausted and all I had was one more mile of a long, hellish, yet extraordinary rewarding day. Somehow, I managed to pick up my feet a little more coming up State Street moving more like a jog than a shuffle. I kept my eyes on the Capitol…just get yourself up this hill, around the block and you are done. I saw Joe and CTC members and cried more; I am so fortunate to have such wonderful friends and support. Every step, every breath hurt and I told myself “it is just temporary, soon it will be over” up State Street around the block and there is was…the finish…

But, off to my right were my wonderful husband and dad. I stopped, gave Gregory a kiss and cried…I looked at the clock, and at the sun, I had made it, I had beat the sun….it may have not been what I had hoped for or knew what I was capable, but it was everything I NEEDED from the day….

I was and Ironman, but more important, I was sure I had given it everything. I always question what it might be like to have a “perfect day” when I might hit my goals and get a Kona spot…but that will have to wait. What I DO know is what a day looks like when you have given EVERYTHING you have…just for one day, I towed the line, no questions, no quitting, no hesitations…this was MY day, and it is one that I will remember and take with me throughout my life and will help me tackle new challenges.

I am an Ironman!

IMWI 2009 -First Chapter

Wow, another Ironman. This technically marks the 6th Ironman I have participated in over the past 3 years. Like I said in my previous post, each time I do one, I learn more and more about myself and yesterday did not disappoint.

Before I get into details, there are so many people I need to thank!!

Your love and support has carried me through the thick and thin of this year. First, my family! Mom and dad, Joelle and Claude and the most AMAZING husband! I am so fortunate to have the lifestyle and support that allows me to do what I enjoy. Thank you Bridget and Colleen for the “race kit” and ongoing encouragement! You two are the best! Thanks Tasha for the “sperm helmet”. Thanks Carole for some awesome coaching! Thank you to my sponsors: Brooks, Pyrasports and Pamela’s Products (best gluten free cookies!). Thank you Megan (Forbes Nutritional Consulting) for getting me on track this year with my nutrition. Ironman really is a “team” sport; or at least in my opinion it is.

Now back to IM Wisconsin 2009! I was never signed up to do this Ironman until Oceanside this year when I had another horrible ½ Ironman race. I really could not think of another triathlon I would want to do in the face of another failure than IMWI. A lot happens to the ego and enjoyment of the sport when you put a lot of time in it and don’t get the results you know you can achieve. I was crushed at that time and needed to re-focus my energy back to the “roots” of the sport; the enjoyment factor!

So, I took off to France, road my bike and enjoyed; then I got down to business for IMWI! I made myself a promise to do everything that I could to ensure I prepared properly for the race (in my control). I am in the best shape of my life at the moment and knew I could have a GREAT race in WI should “everything go right”…but, it’s Ironman, anything can happen….
Sunday morning started out early for the breakfast and as I was going through my routine, I realized “hey, I made it a whole year without doing an Ironman” (which is unusual for me) For some reason, this struck me as a refreshing change….weird things go through your head at 3:30 am.

Ok, on to the race, won’t bore you with unnecessary details. Swim was awesome!! My fastest yet! I felt strong the whole way through. I did something brave and started with the “inside group” this year; this lead me to have a perfect “line” through the swim and a great draft! Yes, it was a rough start, but when isn’t it? Oddly thought, one thought that just kept reoccurring through the swim was “this might be the last time you are in the water for a long, long time so enjoy it”.

Now to the bike; things started out great. Had the usual…OMG, tired, tired feeling for the first 2 miles then settled in and brought the HR down by the time I reached Verona. I had my nutrition planned out; eat everything I packed and then there are an extra 300 calories in special needs bag. Before I go any further, I need to explain my nutrition plan, because it is important as to how the rest of my Ironman unfolded. I was relying on Carbo-Pro and gels (and a few Cliff block shots) with a majority of my Carbo-Pro mixed as a concentrate in a bottle that I would squeeze into my aero-drink with water to dilute it. I started the ride with 2 bottles of pre-mixed Carbo-Pro at proper concentration that I would replace with the water/Carbo-pro concentrate after they were consumed.

Seems pretty simple, right? Well, yes it is until you look down and realize that the sponge in your aero-drink is gone (and I had used electrical tape to ensure this would not happen!!) so my aero-drink was spilling over ½ it’s contents all over me when I was hitting the bumps in the road (you forget how spoiled you are riding in Boulder with the perfect roads until you ride elsewhere!). This would be no-good nutrition wise, because I would lose ½ my nutrition from spilling if I were to put the concentrate with water in the bottle, so I figured I would sip from the concentrate and then chase with water. I decided to have a few gels before switching to my “new” nutrition strategy and was feeling great; I made sure to keep the salt and hydration under control as it was heating up. Between Mt Horeb and Cross Plains I put my plan into effect (concentrate Carbo-Pro does not taste good!), but it soon became apparent that this was not a good idea. Around the ½ point, I had bloated out and my belly was sloshing; I was in trouble. I had to stop the Carbo-Pro concentrate. Special needs contained a few more gels and a rice-krispy treat I had packed “just in case” and I happily took them and started on my rice krispy treat although feeling nauseous as hell. Then, the inevitable….everything started coming back up…I feel really bad for the person(s) riding behind me. So, the series of events in the second loop until Cross Plains goes as such: gel, water, salt tablet, throw up…again, and again…I just could not allow myself to stop eating because if I did that would be the end of it; I wish I could say I was having fun on the bike, but I wasn’t.

Until, I stopped at Cross Plains. That is where my Chicago tri-club friends were at. I decided that it was my goal to make it there till I stopped to take some preventative measures. Plan of action: Immodium and tums and salt and rest. I stopped to fill up my bottles and group myself and then as I was heading back out, I spotted Bridget, Colleen and Jillian. I stopped for photo op and a quick chat. Sometimes all it takes is a familiar face and some encouragement when you are at the lowest of lows to bring you out of the slump. As I was leaving, Bridget yells to me “be careful and HAVE FUN” which really helped me snap out of it. Here I was miserable, sick and hating biking, which defeated the whole purpose of the race. It was then that I decided to “back off”. I took the pedal OFF the medal and began to take in what was going in around me. I knew it was going to be one of “those days” where I was going to hurt like none other; sure as hell a lot more than when you are having a “good day” but if I was going to go through with it, I wanted to make sure I was doing it for all the right reasons.


Colleen checking in with me. I was looking for some Tums, LOL!
Me, getting ready to finish the bike up. Looking/feeling pretty gross right now....

So, I made it back up the hills, passed Gregory and my dad (AWESOME spectators) and back to the capitol. I made sure to take in all the cheers and energy of that course and when I made it to transition; I knew I was in for a very “special” run.

Out of T2 I stopped to see Gregory and dad; Gregory had been doing his homework, knowing that Kona was in sight if I had a good run. 5 minutes to chase down the girls ahead and I was golden, however, the only thing that went through my head was “2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, only 1000 calories” I need to go into preventative mode before I even think of running a strong marathon. So, off I went, paying attention to the HR monitor…which, I turned off after 2 miles because it was ridiculous. I was taking in gels, and keeping most of it down…but, it was too late and I knew it. I was thinking of what Carole told me “don’t walk, just don’t walk” and I kept that up till mile 4 when the dizziness and heat started getting the best of me. I walked; at first I felt bad and “mentally weak” and then I asked myself “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING??” I had 22 more miles to go and at the rate I was going, I was NOT going to make it. Rule #1 when it comes to Ironman, FIRST GOAL IS TO FINISH BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN! (After a broken bike fork at mile 95 in Florida, things take on a whole new meaning). So, I moved onto my backup plan…walk and run, walk and run…crawl if necessary, but make sure to cross the finish line and NOT end up in the medical tent. I watched my age group girls run so strong and I could pick out the winners at certain points when they would pass in the opposite direction. Parts of me were envious, but that was quickly forgotten when I focused on “MY” goal, to finish and the great feeling you have after such an accomplishment. I was having the “BEST” race I could have considering the circumstances. I WILLED myself to move when I thought I would drop and when my legs would start to shake, I would just keep shuffling.

I met so many amazing people out there yesterday; chatted with a Timex pro who was having a similar bad day, chatted with the United States Air Force Team that was out there as a Team racing, chatted with other age groupers who had come out and faded like me, walking the hills and shuffling the straits.

When I made my way up to the capitol to start loop two, I saw Gregory and dad again, handed off my HR monitor, and told them it would be a “while”. Dad asked me “are you going to finish or drop out”; which is the same question he asked me 3 years ago during my first IM when I came into T2 pretty close to transition cut-off shivering and cold and I told him “NO, I WILL WALK THE WHOLE DAMN THING IF I HAVE TOO, I HAVE THE TIME”, and I went off determined to make it, without a cut-off time looming but a long 13 miles of time to think…
And this is where it gets good…more to come

Almost time!

So, I am sitting writing, having my coffee and thinking that in 24 hours I will be in the water with 2000 other triathletes.
This is the part that astounds me! Over 2000 athletes have pushed, pulled, dragged, and forced their bodies to the limit over the last year. Endless days of biking, running and swimming and it all come down to this one day. Going to bed early, waking up early, and sacrificing those daily pleasures to get the training in. What a special day it is!
But, let’s face it, no one does this alone, we all need some sort of support system! Families, friends, teammates and the odd stranger help us, motivate us, and get us going some days when it feels impossible to move one more inch!
This morning, my race top will arrive, and not only do I have my sponsors listed, I also have my family and friends because they are as much a part of this journey!
However, there is one portion of the Ironman that I strangely dread, yet anticipate because I know that this will be all “me”’ pure, elemental “me”. I am talking about those last 6 miles of the marathon (perhaps it starts earlier for others, last year it was the last 10 miles for me) where you are stripped to the bone of all the layers you shielded yourself with to get you to that point. The HR, the rate of perceived exertion, the positive mental talk, the loud cheering from those around and the amazing volunteers encouragement are drown out by the real “reason” you are out there covering 140.6 miles. You draw upon strength you never knew you had and learn SO MUCH about yourself. Whether it is the pain from a hard year, divorce, fight, death…you confront those issues and FACE them! At the end of the day, when you cross that line, you cross more than a race finish line, you cross a line that enables you to attack the next problem, setback and challenge in life. It really is life changing; every Ironman I have done has helped me grown and learn about myself.
This year, I am hoping to get to this part and embrace it, know it is going to hurt like none other and go with it. At the end of the day, I want to cross that line and say I “did it” fully, not half heartedly ; I want to give it my all physically and mentally. Then, and only then, I want to be DONE…for a while at least; time to soak up what has been already a phenomenal year!

La Marmotte pictures!

So I lied, this post is going to be re-visiting July 4th, La Marmotte!

Today, Gregory and I went to Wallgreens to get my little disposeable camera developed. The pictures turned out awesome!

This is me very excited at 5 in the morning to be on my bike...

Off I go!
Here is the start area. every rider passes through the red arch over the timing mat. (in the direction that I am taking the picture from...you will see the actual chaos in the next pic)

Yup, this is my wave of +2000 bikers. and yes, I did pee behind the tree to your right in front of everyone!

This is when we were "herded" to the start area. Look at ALL the cyclists and flags! amazing!

A kind rider asked in "another language" but with body language, I understood he offered to take my picture. I was a bundle of nerves!

This picture is fuzzy and does not do it any justice, but the constant stream of riders continued for the entire ride.

I met a German fellow on the way and he saw me taking pics and offered to take mine. so here is an "action pic" I was really enjoying myself (first climbg, that explains it! LOL)

Here is my German friend! Thumbs up! no problem for him (obviously my photo taking skills on a bike are not as good as his!)

And here is the CHAOS at Col du Glandon (first summit where they "herd" you into a chute because the descent is so dangerous they need to limit the riders)

HUNDREDS of riders at the summit. It was phenomenal!!

This is Valloire, right after Col du Telegraphe and right before Col du Galibier (it is a ski resort)

This is where I stopped for my "Mars bar" and hydration in Valloire (the aid station was one mile up and it was out of this world busy! )

And this was me at the finish!! Never really cried before..even at an Ironman..but this event did me in. So very special (poor hubby thought I was hurt cause I was crying, LOL!)

Yup, totally shelled, but OH SO HAPPY!!

I am going to keep many of the lessons and challenges faced during this event in my head a week from now.

This year has taught me so much! learning how to climb "my mountains"

Cheers!

Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition!

They say the fourth discipline for triathlon (short and long) is nutrition, and that is no joke!! How do you fuel yourself for such a long event? Well, there are many ways to fuel yourself, but what to eat that will get you to the finish line without GI (gastrointestinal) distress?

To be honest, I have NEVER completed an Ironman where I DID NOT have GI troubles. However, I have never done an IM where I knew what my food “limitations” were. This year is different; I have found that I have “food allergies” that can greatly influence my GI and performance. To keep it short and sweet; I have fast acting response allergic reaction to peanuts and eggs (dose sensitive), slower response to gliadin (gluten) and fructose absorption issues.

What does this lead to? Well, a lot of time on the port-o-john (diarrhea), and sometimes debilitating cramps and bloating.

I know this may be too much information, but I know a LOT of athletes struggle with these issues, and what better way to conquer them than to be open and honest?

I first want to thank my nutritionist Megan Forbes who has taken me from “ground zero” to a healthy gut and normal GI. Another HUGE thanks to my sponsor Pamela’s Products who has supplied me with some of the best pre/post and during gluten free fuel for my training and racing!

So, what do I eat/drink during racing/training/everyday life?

Well, it is pretty simple and very diverse even though it looks very restrictive. I base my diet off of the four food groups; believe it or not, it is pretty balanced!! Just like a “normal person” should eat. Here are some examples of what I can eat/drink without consequence, in which you can make a number of delicious meals and snacks out of.

Protein: (this is the category to be careful of egg and peanuts) turkey, chicken, beef, fish, shellfish…my favorite is tuna (especially in sushi!) –actually, I can eat any sort of protein; these are just what I prefer. Nut butters also supply essential oils and protein; I LOVE almond butter.

Carbohydrates: brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat (this is the category to be careful of gluten)
(one a side note, I use “NO EGG” as an egg replacement when cooking, it consists of potato starch, so technically belongs to this category)

Fruits/veggies: (this is the category I need to pay attention to Re. the fructose- fruit sugar) broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, turnip etc…pretty much any veggie!! before races and big training days, I will steam/cook them for easier digestion.

Fruits are difficult for me because I must take them with a proper balance of glucose so I can absorb the fructose. But, as of now a fruit after lunch with low fructose content seems to be working well for me. For precaution, I cut out all fruits one week before any race/competition.

Dairy: I LOVE dairy products! Yogurt, cheese, milk etc… it Is all good. Sometimes I have chocolate milk for recovery. I like ALL types of cheese and use yogurt in my cooking as well as breakfast most mornings. No restrictions here!

So, as you can see, I have A LOT to work with. I think it comes down to the “hype” that everyone has and feels when they hear “gluten allergy” or any sort of food allergy for that matter. All it takes is a little creativity and research to cook up some great recipes!


This is a gluten/egg free bread I made for training/recovery. Contains: Coconut oil, pumpkin sauce, applesauce, sugar, brown rice flour, NO EGG, baking powder, cinnamon, and lots of CHOCOLATE!! yummy! notice the bits missing from the top...I thing we have a mouse:)

Now what do I use for racing/training?

I currently rely on Carbo-Pro and Hammer Gels for training and racing, substituted with gluten/egg-free high energy concoctions that I make up in the kitchen. So far, my gluten-free rice-krispy treat is the winner for “packed in goodness, carbohydrate booster, satiety satisfier, and DAMN IT TASTES GOOD” factor.

All kidding aside, Carbo-Pro is excellent for me because it only contains short chain carbohydrates and no fructose with the right osmotic balance. Coupled with Hammer gel that is made of maltodextrin instead of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) I have a great nutrition plan! Yes, it is boring but it works and I have cut down my port-o-john stops by A LOT!!

I can’t say I have ever been happier about where I am nutrition-wise; I know my limitations and how to work around them without sacrificing satisfaction!! Speaking of satisfaction…it’s the weekend, time for a glass of wine!

Next up: my opinion of drinking and training…should be an interesting post

Here we go again!

Wow, I officially have “butterflies” in my stomach ….IMOO is rapidly approaching! Something is much different this year though; I am not uneasy, nor replaying every possible scenario in my head, or strategizing about Kona. I am thinking about my favorite IM course, wonderful friends, and GREAT day I will have (regardless of the time!). This time around it is for ENJOYMENT; back to my roots!

Most important is the fact that my dad is making a “repeat performance” himself. Four years ago he stood shivering in the rain for over 15 hrs to watch me finish my first! I can still remember him waiting for me at the finish, giving me a hug and “getting” what it is all about. Ironman is magical, it is so special, and it is not always about that Kona slot. Each time you do an Ironman, or train for one, you discover yourself, again and again. You find strength where you thought there was none, you are humbled by each “hard” day and the unknowns you confront on “race day”.

I will be honest; I lost sight of this earlier this year and last year. I was so focused on the “time” and “Kona” to realize what was really missing: My “Desire”. So, I took a little trip to France, rode my bike, and dug deep to question “why do I do this”. I conquered mountains, finished “La Marmotte” and at the end of the day, I knew that I had to take the “pressure off”. For once I am going into a race without a “back up plan” or another race lined up “just in case” This Ironman is like a fancy dessert, one you don’t want to neglect because you will miss the complex taste and fulfillment and one you cannot eat twice.

I plan on updating my blog this week on a more regular basis to cover some of the things I have learned re. Ironman; the preparation, nutrition and “little things” that make the Madison course so Magical!!

It's getting hot in here!

Holy moly!! It has been HOT, HOT, HOT in Boulder!!

I think I am noticing it a wee bit more because our air conditioning is out-of-order for the time being and the office is a sauna. Not a problem, I think of it as a “detox”, where I sweat out all my bodily toxins (nothing to do with wine).

So, as I mentioned in my earlier post, I had a “challenging” weekend of training; of course I survived, if not I wouldn’t be writing this post. Now I don’t usually go into specifics of what my training involves (other than biking, running…and…what is the other one….oh well, must not be important) but this one was a doozy!! Last “BIG” weekend (actually, just one day) before starting the “taper” for Wisconsin.

Before I go any further, from the ankle standpoint, things are great!! I have healed MUCH faster than anticipated so I am a happy camper.

Saturday started out VERY early for me, BIG breakfast and off to the pool for a swim. Pretty uneventful, I looked at a black line for an hour and cursed at how “little” distance I can get cover in an hour (soon the NEMO fairy will visit me with gills and fins). Anyhow, it was off to the bike…a LONG bike in some already scorching temperatures. I decided last minute to go and meet up with Megan and some of her friends at Amante to “start” the ride with. Low and behold Tingle, JK1 and JK2 appeared. Unfortunately, none of these options worked out as Megan and her crew were heading straight up into hill country beginning with Lee Hill…(um, not feeling that sadistic) and some confusion lead to me missing the JK and Tingle group so I was flying solo…which, was for the best.

I headed out 36 in attempt to warm up the legs (although I was already sweating buckets due to the heat) Got into a rhythm and focused on the HR and keeping everything in check. Before I knew it I was at highway 66 and there was a lot of orange construction, plus a big billboard that said “Under construction” (what I missed was the 5 second delay which then said “closed to cyclists”) I was ready to turn around because it did not look good, but then 2 cyclists in front of me made the right turn so I figured “it must still be open.” So, I turned right, heading to Hygiene, following the two cyclists, when less than a mile they slow down, and crossed the construction barrier in the middle of the road to head back. I passed them in awe, wondering what they were doing, it wasn’t until a mile or so later where the shoulder disappears and the road is “skinny” that I realized “Hey, the road is probably closed…CRAP” so the option was to turn around or continue to Hygiene. I decided crossing a construction area was probably not the best idea, so I hauled ass to get to the turn-off to Hygiene. Meanwhile, the few drivers that passed me were very nice, I DO love Boulder….even when I AM IN THE WRONG; the drivers are still nice!!

Well, low and behold, at the turnoff to Hygiene was 2 cop cars and I immediately knew what was going to happen…so I just pulled over before they could motion me too. The cop was actually very stern at first, as he should be. But I told him what happened, and that I was out of country for 10 weeks and just got back without any sort of forewarning of the construction; and that this was a simple mistake that I would NEVER make again nor was it intentional. NOT that this is an excuse! As a cyclist (which is considered a motor vehicle) I SHOULD pay more attention to the signs and warnings on the road (there was a sign at Hygiene road stating 66 was closed which I missed, MY FAULT!). I do not appreciate bikers whose reckless actions ruins the reputations of the “good” cyclists, and I was one of those BAD cyclists on Saturday. Personally it was mortifying and disheartened expecting the DESERVED punishment, BUT, the policeman saw how concerned I was and decided not take any “demerits” on my driving record AND decreased the fee. I was very grateful, yet still upset at myself. A lesson learned!!


Here is my ticket (notice the type of offender: Bike, Yellow...Fast...LOL!! ..ok I made the last part up!) So, resuming my ride, with a ticket in my back pocket (which I imagined was a speeding ticket to make myself feel better!) I headed out for the remaining “LONG TIME” of my ride…which meant a wee bit longer on the flats and then heading up to Hill Country….YES, COOKIE TOWN!! WARD!! 16 miles of climbing bliss….14 miles of fun, 2 miles of HELL!! The last two miles of that climb do me in!! Combined with the altitude, and the odor of “Pot” (does anyone else notice this!!?? It smells like marijuana up there!!) Do me in. I kept my HR in check till those last two miles, and I WAS NOT going to turn down 2 miles of hurt…I HAD to get the cookie (although Gregory eats them now because of my allergies…3 more weeks till I can indulge!). I made it…albeit very slow, and very painful!! You can climb as many +10% grade climbs in the Frech Alpes, but other than Galibier, none of them compare to the altitude you experience in the Colorado mountains! So, yes, I sucked wind, and I…SUCKED!!

Good news is that it was a cool 30 degrees (Celcius, I am still on the Canadian/French system) at Ward, and then I descended and I entered the “Furnace”. It was FRIGGEN HOT!! I knew things were going to crap when my HR started climbing under “reasonable perceived effort”….in other words; things were going to get ugly… I did the best I could, lots of hydration, and “sucking it up”

This is me VERY EXCITED TO GO RUN!!

ICING ON THE CAKE!!

Running at 3 in the afternoon when it is +35 degrees celcius, no shade and you are already cooked. It’s in the head baby, all in the head. I went from running to shuffling, to walking, to shuffling to…well you get the idea. The longest hour of running in my LIFE!! Yes, I could have said “this sucks, I am stopping” but I needed that “uncomfortable” feeling to add to my “checklist” of “uncomfortable feelings” for Ironman. You never know what will be thrown at you come race day and a lot of it comes down to “experience” or “how much can you take” …well I took it yesterday…..I think I am still cooling down from it!! It was not pretty, I DID NOT go fast (for all of you who think I am a good runner, I think you would have enjoyed yesterdays performance) BUT I FINISHED

Isn’t that what it’s all about?? When you think of Ironman, you can think of the many time goals you have and how you expect to hit them…but, you always need to keep in mind, this is Ironman, this is 140.6!! I distance most normal people are not meant to cover in 17 hrs (unless you are in a car!) So many things can happen, unpredictable good and bad things!! So, at the end of the day, you need to take a step back and look at what you are doing/have done, the time put into it…and SMILE!!

I AM SMILING!!

I LOVE Boulder, but....

Could we not benefit from a little more oxygen?? I mean this is ridiculous!! I might succumb to depression from the way I feel, LOL!! Of course I am JOKING! but it REALLY is difficult to to adjust to the "5430"

In the French Alpe's, I was at about 2000, climbing to heights higher than Ward and the Peak to Peak, however, that 1 or 2 hours a day at "high altitude" does not EVEN compare to 24/7 at "5430"

For some reason, this time back to altitude did not give me the luxurious 1-2 day window when I "barely noticed it" NOPE, I felt it the minute I stepped off the plane. Dry mouth, tight chest when exerting myself....which, means flopping around like a dead fish on the dock when I try to swim (yes, I am sure I look like that!) but wait...I always look like that when I swim...whatever!!

Anyhow, it has been a few hard days. But, I am pleased to annouce that last night I slept the WHOLE night through without waking up!! yes, that is right, 8 hrs of uninterupted sleep! JET LAG is OVER!!

Things on the work-front are BUSY! which is extremely GOOD...well, good for me, but not the blog entries!! Sorry, I will try to keep up.

Training-wise, I am in the stage of "OMG, IMWI...MY FAVORITE IM!! it's in less than 1 MONTH!!" so, I am smiling, A LOT!! And yes, the ankle is good...I am in ACTIVE recovery.

I am looking forward to catching up with my GREAT friends in Boulder. I have MISSED them so much!! I actually had to ask for an "extra" swim workout today so that I could see some friends I had not seen since June!! ( and I NEVER want to swim more, LOL!!)

This weekend marks an "epic workout" weekend...for those of us who do IM or any other sort of sport, there is always the "build" portion in the training to an ultimate "workout or event" that will challenge you, mold you, and make you the strongest you can be on that "race day". Saturday marks this for me. I am strangely excited, scared and anxious...stay tuned for the report...

Back in Boulder and on the mend!!

I am back in the States!! I arrived Friday night and am fighting jet-lag. You can get a whole bunch done in a day when you wake up at 4 am, LOL!!

The ankle is doing MUCH better and I have decided to pursue IMWI. So, a few more weeks of hard work lies ahead....

Today was my first time back on a bike with aerobars in 10 weeks and it felt great!!

I am definitely feeling the altitude though!! Ahhhh, nothing beats oxygen, LOL!

Right now I am getting settled and catching up on many odds and ends that need to be taken care of when you have been away for over 2 months. However, I want to give my hubby Kudo's for having the place absolutely spotless and immaculately organized when I returned! The bed was even made!

To all my Boulder peeps, I will be in touch so that we can catch up!!

Im Baaaack!

Long time, no post!!

So much has happened since I last blogged, where to start???

It has been an exciting month! After my last post Joelle and Claude had some friends come and stay with us in the Alpes to hike and vacation. However, the hiking adventures were cut a tad short for Claude who fell and broke her ankle in 3 places! She dragged herself down the mountain using just her arms! When the doctor saw her, he couldn’t imagine how she had gotten down the mountain; usually people are helivacked out! My Auntie Cocole is a tough cookie! She had surgery and spent a few weeks recovering and now is starting to walk with crutches. Joelle has been nothing but wonderful taking care of Claude and hosting Gregory and I.

Now, when I say mountains, I mean “the middle of the mountains”; the boonies! So, when storms roll through, they are pretty nasty!! It is usually after a very hot spell that we have thunderstorms (sometimes tornadoes) roll through bringing hail and snow. 2 weeks ago, when Gregory and I left for one night to watch the tour (more on that in a bit) a storm rolled through, knocking out all internet and phone lines. It has been 2 weeks and the phone line is not repaired and I am working from one of those unique USB drive wireless thingy’s. Very cool, but it is slow and we are still waiting for the local internet company to fix the line (yes, we reside in the middle of the mountains!).
This is an arial shot of the EDF damn. Our house is to the left on the mountain.

This is Allemont in the winter. Our house is below and to the left of the church.

This is what Allemont looks like now in the summer

Now back to Le Tour….the Spaniard who looks like and is built like a 14 yr old boy won (not that I am happy about it..I am a Lance fan). I don’t think that people realize how small the riders are and the power they push! After spending a few months riding in the Alpes, I am realizing that the level of difficulty of Le Tour is greatly underestimated and underplayed by many who have never experienced the Alpes (the TV does not give the climbs or weather enough credit!). Over the course of 3 weeks, the tour riders go from fit to emaciated from the effort and long days.

Gregory and I found out a few days before the time trial in Annecy that our good friend Tony would be arriving in Paris for work and could meet us up to watch Le Tour. So we picked up Tony Wednesday night in Grenoble and got some great engagement news!! Congrats Tony!! We spent the night in Chambery with the “Livestrong” promotional crew and a bunch of media in our hotel. These folks are worked to the bone!! Thursday we rose early to get to Annecy, but the whole city was closed. We parked out side the city and bused to the start area. Having attended the tour once before on Alpe D’Huez, I knew it would be crazy busy!! Which is was, but this experience was unique because it was a time trial. We were able to see the teams warm up and get ready. I did not see Lance, but I did get a good shot of Matthew McConaughey outside the Astana bus, along with a bunch of other riders. We then positioned ourselves near the start to see the riders take-off. WOW!! The riders pass so quickly and SO FAST! It is hard to imagine riding at speeds they are riding at. Seeing the Tour in person really puts into perspective how fit, fast and dedicated the riders are!

So, I got my yearly dose of Le Tour!

It's Matthew!!

Team Garmin

This is how they do their laundry in the team bus.

This is Lance's bike

The Polka Dot bike


As for my riding, biking and swimming; It has been going really, really well (well, till yesterday! More in a bit) After La Marmotte, I made a tough decision to switch coaches. Wolfgang has coached me for almost two years; two years of amazing progress, and I have achieved levels of fitness I never knew I could. Wolfgang helped me obtain the endurance and patience to become a great long-distance triathlete and I very thankful. However, due to a number of factors, including time constraints I felt I needed a coach with a “better fit” for my schedule, demands and goals. After La Marmotte, I started working with Carole Sharpless and am very, very happy with that decision. Over this month, I am moving in the right direction with my swimming (it has never been my strong point), revived my running legs and kept up the strong biking!

But, life is unpredictable, and you never know what obstacles may be thrown in your path. Yesterday, while stepping down from a stone ledge in the garden, I rolled my ankle. This is the ankle that I had surgery on 7 yrs ago to repair torn ligaments (two screws and reconstruction); the only thing that went through my head was “2 months in the middle of the mountains running, swimming and biking, in the boonies and THIS is how I injure myself??” This is not a serious injury, X-rays shows no broken bones, but there is ligament damage. I cannot have an MRI because of the screws so alternative imaging may be required; I will find out on Monday; most likely it is pulled with a few small tears. This brings into play the athletes “desire” to continue training for that “one” important race or the long-term outcome.

I believe that you should learn from your mistakes. Seven years ago, I ran on an ankle that had torn ligaments and needed surgery because I did not listen to my body and I pushed too hard. I don’t want to make that mistake again. So, I am being realistic here; on Monday I might have to call off IMWI, and I am ok with that (but, I am trying to stay optimistic). There is always next year or even the possibility of a IM later in the year. Right now my focus is on the long-term as I have been down the other short-term road before.

I think this is some sort of sick way to make me swim more, LOL!