Unsustainable

I am starting to hit my breaking point with training and work. My current lifestyle is unsustainable long term.


Basically my job, which pays the bills, AND! pays for my triathlon lifestyle, comes first. Without it, I would ditch triathlon in a heartbeat and just be a runner and do only local races. Priorities people!!!

Fortunately (but also unfortunately) I have been working a shit-ton of overtime! Yes, the extra cash is wonderful, but that in itself is expensive: NO FREE TIME TO SPEND IT!!!

Well, my free time currently is training. And with Ironman crunch training currently going on, I am doing LOTS of it!

Here is a sample of a Tuesday:

• Wake up @ 6 AM, run from 6:30-7:30AM.
• Work from 9AM-6PM
• Ride bike from 6-8PM
• Work AGAIN from 8-9:30-ish or till 10PM
• Get home, try to be in bed by 10:30

Wednesday:

• Wake up @ 6 AM, run from 6:30-7:30AM.
• Work from 9AM-8PM
• Pool from 8:30-9:30PM-ish
• Try to be in bed by 10PM

Thursday:

• Repeat Tuesday, same volume, different variation of a run/bike workout.

DO YOU SEE ANY FREE TIME IN THERE?!?!

Before I go any further. This is no "woe is me" cry for help. I am bringing this all onto myself! I could tell work, "Nope! Not gonna work OT." I could be like, "Fuck triathlon! I am gonna be a professional couch surfer instead." And all of a sudden I have all the time in the world.

But, that is not the reality of life right now.

FORTUNATELY!!! Ironman training and working overtime are both short term things (and will be over soon!!! *fingers crossed*) but UNFORTUNATELY they are colliding at the same time.

I was thinking this morning about the last time I actually cooked myself a meal outside of breakfast? I can't remember! Work has provided food for me for the past I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER that I think the only things I have bought at the grocery store have been gatorade, uncrustables, generic chocolate Ensure, and a case of water, and that has all been for training!

I am looking forward to August 20th, the day where I won't be able to physically move, yet totally free from a HUGE obligation.

Over and out!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Irn Bru & Meat Pies

If there was ever Ironman Scotland, this is a sample of what might be provided in terms of on course nutrition, AND!!!! weapons for battling the Brits during the run.(I was at a Scottish fest over the weekend)

This is a Scottish Orange Soda. It is disgusting. Tastes like liquid bubble gum and or liquid children's tylonel, with fizz

A meat pie and a bridie, with HP sauce.

Also useful for WHEN the zombies attack ;)

However, before you can cross the finish line, you have to do two more events:

#1 The Sheaf Toss:

and #2: The "throw the kettle bell thing over another pole" thing....

As you might be able to tell, my loopiness is pretty much there. I am in the thick of Ironman training with lots and lots of volume going on. Good news though! My body is handling it a lot better this year vs last year.

One more 100+ mile ride to go this weekend then taper!!

Success!!!

I finally had the breakthrough in Ironman training that I have been yearning for during this Ironman specific training cycle.

Yesterday I did a 5 hour bike plus a 1.5 hour brick run. Still small in comparison to the full Ironman, but 4 weeks out a decent length workout! Everything went well, mostly because I paced myself good enough (I could have gone a tad slower on the bike) on the bike which led to a very good run on some hills. I owe the above to also smart nutrition.

Nutrition, I have learned, can be fudged from the 70.3 distance and shorter. Now, I wouldn't play around too much during a 70.3, but at least you can recover from one by shoving copious amounts of salt and vinegar chips + pretzels + powerbar chocolate sticks + an espresso Gu + coke + gatorade + water all down your gullet @ once. (This works by the way!!!)

But nutrition for the 140.6 distance, I have learned, CANNOT be fudged! (Mmmmmmm, maybe fudge in bike special needs? Fudge doesn't melt, right?!?)

And I struggled with this last season for Lake Placid, and I was struggling with it this season for Mont Tremblant: I COULD NOT FIND A CONSISTENT EATING PLAN + FOOD THAT MY STOMACH WANTED AND WORKED AND I COULD GET DOWN EASILY

I think I solved that yesterday:

30 mins: Gu
60 mins: Kona Mocha + Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot
90 mins: UNCRUSTABLE!!!
2 hours: Kona Mocha + Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot
2.5 hours: Gu
3 hours (or special needs bag): Generic Chocolate Ensure
3.5 hours: Gu
4 hours: Kona Mocha + Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot
4.5 hours: UNCRUSTABLE!!!
5 hours:  Kona Mocha + Vanilla EFS Liquid Shot
5.5 hours: Gu
6 hours: I BETTER BE FUCKING DONE!!!!

See what I did there? NO MORE SNICKERS BARS!!! They work if you buy one at a convenience store and eat it on the spot. Unfortunately that doesn't exist during a race! Freezing works, but even in cool temps, if will still thaw out in 30 mins, and pressed up against your body (even with a jersey in between) it will melt into a disgusting gooey mess within that 30 mins. And not to mention it will sitting in your T1 bag for however long before the race even starts + the amount of time you are swimming. Sorry Snickers, but you are out!!!

But I found a REALLY good and SMART replacement! Smucker's Uncrustables! They are frozen, but even when totally thawed out and baking in the sun, they don't get messy. Aaaaahhhhhh. And! Who doesn't love a PB&J?!

 So no hunger spells. No dizzy spells. The temps got up into the 80's, and the EFS was giving me plenty of electrolytes. The Uncrustables @ 210 calories were enough to settle my stomach. It.just.worked! And! I knocked the number of Gu's down to 4. BAM!

I always do this, but my bike wound up being 99.62 miles. Gah! I don't have a distance display on my Garmin (because I would drive myself insane looking at it), but don't worry! I hopped back onto the bike after my run and got that last .38 miles in ;)

Side note: I was riding past a Jehovah's Witness, uh, Church? at one point, and this woman in her car came out of the parking lot and I was worried she might crash into me. Hypothetically speaking,  if she had, and had she helped me, do you think she still would have tried to recruit me?

As for the run, I FORCED myself to take the first 3 miles EASY! Then I started getting excited about everything in life, and by mile 6 my split was an 8:06. Whoops! Gotta reign that back in if I wanted to stay smooth for the entire run.

My run course was run UP!, then run down, then flats, then run back UP!, the back down. The last major up UP! totally kicked my ass, dropping my final mile split to a 9:30. OUCH! But I ran in Rockefeller State Park. OMG! It was sooooooo beautiful there today. Had Monet been painting there then, he prolly would have had to call his doctor after 4 hours. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ;)

Fortunately Mont Tremblant is NOT as hilly as what I did. The first 2 miles of the course are uphill, but at an annoying pitch that isn't too steep, but steep enough that it is annoying. Did you get that? ANNOYING!!!

I think I have one more 5 hour ride, and then taper starts!

This Ironman training cycle, compared to last season, feels REALLY short! But! My long rides have been showing a HUGE improvement over last season, so my coach and I are doing something right!!

I miss the good `ole days of the TDF when....

...Lance was winning year after year

...there was a rivalry between him and Ullrich, aka, the "Bad Guy"

...the leaders looked behind them with dirty looks then hit the gas

...doping was rampant (hahahahahahhahahahahahaha!!!!)

...nobody wore helmets

...there was OLN!!!!

...Cavendish wasn't such a fucking princess

...I looked up to Tyler Hamilton cuz he seemed like such a good guy

...Mario Cippolini was racing. He truly was a styling man!

...there was a pirate racing. RIP Pantani!!!

...Richard Virenque owned the mountains year after year

...they did prologues through strange futuristic theme parks

...the still fastest prologue ever was ridden on a Cervelo P3

...there was a guy nicknamed "The Cannibal" who raced like one

...his name was Eddy Merxx, and he raced to put food on the table

...a guy named "The Badger"! (he won it 5 times as well)

...a guy died climbing Mont Ventoux (I have seen his monument) (he was stoned and drinking liquor that day)

...a young American beat a cocky Frenchman by 8 seconds on the last day!!!

...another American got busted with an 11:1 ratio of testosterone in his system!

...some unknown dude put 30+ mins into the field on a breakaway, and wound up winning the tour! (after that american was DQ-ed)

...stages were so long, that the riders would finish before the race officials

...riders had to fill up their own water bottles

Sadly this year, I have NOT been following the tour. I just don't have that fire anymore. We don't have anymore "came back from cancer to win it 7 times in a row" stories or "good vs evil" (Ullrich vs Lance) stories.

Its most likey a change in interests. I saw 3 stages of the tour in 2003, including L'Alpe D'Huez and the Champs Elysees. Now that triathlon has taken over my life, I get more jazzed about the Ironman World Championships than the tour.

Maybe the Tour should be shortened, or, just turned into one gigantic continuous stage where the riders ride all 21 stages in succession with fricking chainsaws on the the handlebars.

Thanks Kevin for sharing!

Happy Friday!!!

Mossman Sprint Triathlon Race Report

On Sunday, Beth and I did the Mossman Sprint Triathlon at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, CT.

I have a small history with this race, my first DNS back in 2008 when my eyes got terribly infected with pink eye and corneal infiltrators. Long story short, I didn't want to jump into Long Island Sound with infected eyes and race. But! I have always kept this race on the radar. I wanted to do a sprint race this year and this was the one that best fit my busy 2012 race schedule. So here goes!!!

The Nitty Gritties:
Total Time: 1:07:23
Overall: 25/531
Age Group: 1/36 (M30-34) BAM!!!
Satisfaction Level: Overwhelming!

Pre Race:
Uh, I spent 4 days out on the North Fork of Long Island riding my butt off, so after a 3.5 hour ride going from the North Fork to the South Fork and across Shelter Island (including the ferries) and back to the North Fork, then dropping 100 miles in 4:47:xx the next day, I would say I was NOT tapered at all for this race. It was a sprint race after all!

Then Saturday we went back to NYC for dinner and a show, getting home before midnight with the alarm set for 4AM. Uhg. 4 hours of sleep anyone?

I warmed up for 5 mins in the water, which, for the Long Island Sound, didn't taste very salty....(I HATE salt water!!!)

Swim: 11:41
I was in wave #2. I hadn't swam in almost a week, but I felt good! It was a short short distance to the first turn buoy before you settle in along the length of the beach before turning towards shore.

I went out VERY aggressively and just hung onto the leaders. With only one bad sighting error, I hung with the leaders for most of the way and wound up coming out of the water in 11:41 (not knowing I was already in the lead of my AG)

T1: 1:36
I just transitioned....

Bike: 32:56
So after biking tons of miles days before and zero sleep, this is where my body would either just be flat or would charge ahead.

It charged ahead!

Since I was in wave #2 and one of the first out of the water in that wave, I had super super clear road ahead of me. Unfortunately the bike is a two looper and as I was approaching transition for the start of loop #2, I saw the traffic that I would need to work through. It wasn't too  bad! EVERYONE was staying to the right and nobody was veering. It was awesome! Thank you fellow racers! Beth saw me as she was finishing loop #1, and was WAY ahead of where I thought she was going to be. I knew she was having a good day!

I evenly split the two loops, finishing loop #2 one second off. I held 22 flat for the course. This was actually a rather technical course with lots of turns, so you had to bleed off a ton of speed at the corners before accelerating again. I was working the bike pretty hard the entire time. VERY happy with this bike split

T2: 1:25 (estimate)
Since they lumped T1 time + bike time together, they also lumped the T2 time + run time together. Next season I am going to make a point of getting my transitions down faster. I know how to do a flying dismount, yet I don't do em. I need to run sockless with pull and synch lases only. Next season!!!


Run: 20 mins (estimate)
Didn't run with a watch. I recall leaving transition and the clock saying 50:xx and finishing with the clock saying 1:10:xx, so I am calling this 20 mins.

It was so strange starting the run this far ahead of everyone else. Basically I was in this fuzzy zone of the race. The elites were all way ahead of me. Everyone else was behind me. Some of the run directions were fuzzy and there were volunteers not paying attention. I had to yell for directions a few times!!!

The run course was basically a 1.55 mile up, 1.55 mile down. Running up sucked, but I kept reminding myself that the 2nd half would fly by! And it did! On my way down, I was keeping track of how many women I saw coming the other way, then I saw Beth, knowing she was way up in her age group.

But I had no idea where I was in my age group, but I had a feeling I was leading it. Only a couple people passed me on the run, but they were either younger or older than me. I was still running like someone was after me! (Zombie training)

Good thing I kept my effort up and I ended up winning my age group. The 2nd place finisher in my age group ran the 3rd fastest run of the day and made up 3 mins on me! If it were a 10K, I would have been caught.

After thoughts:
After finishing and drinking some water, I hung by the finish eagerly waiting on Beth's finish. She came in not far after me with a 1st place in her age group as well! Great job!

Winners!!!

What a great race! Glad I came back to do this race. It truly is a gem of a race. Small (well, 532 finishers is a good #), LOCAL!, and full of people I know. I love the low pressure of local races vs the big circus of a WTC event.

This race was also a confirmation of my fitness. Looking at the results, I actually went wire to wire in my age group! Yay Ironman training!

Instead of a trophy or medal they gave out gift certificates for a free entry into next year's race! Sweet! Basically an $85 value! I will take that! Guess I already have a race on the docket for next year. Gotta defend my title!!!

Crunch Time!

After last weekend's "introduction" to Ironman specific workouts, my coach emailed me with "Jon, its crunch time!"

Over a few emails, this past weekend's efforts went from a 5.5 hour Saturday ride plus a Sunday 2.5 hour to a Saturday 5 hour ride plus whatever Sunday run to finally a phone call to solidify things. The phone went like this:

"Jon, how much time do you have this weekend? It's crunch time! I want you to do 6 hours on the bike on Saturday plus a 30 min run. Then on Sunday I want you to do another 4 hours on the bike plus a 45 min run"

HOLY SHIT!!!! (and I had to work OT both days....)

I immediately thought back to that training camp with him a year ago....

Just a few days earlier from this phone call, I already done 2 x 30 mins @ 250 watts and 245 watt intervals plus two easy rides of 90 mins and 60 mins.

It was a big bike week, easily the biggest one so far this season....

So after 5 bike workouts, 265 miles in almost 14.5 hours, this was INDEED the biggest week of biking so far this season.


I cannot sit down on a bicycle seat for a few days, and I need a lower neck massage BADLY!

So Saturday I linked up with @johnpierz up on route 100 and we did loops upon loops of Titicus, Hardscrabble road, Somers, and North Salem. John is a week ahead of me in Ironman training since he is doing IMNYC. I had to do a 6 hour ride, so didn't he. And! We are the same speed, so it was a HUGE mental break to have someone to chat with and otherwise break up the monotony of such a long ride. Thanks for the company, John! And! You are going to do great @ IMNYC! Hope to see you at the finish line!

Despite the heat warnings of the day, it was pretty hazy and even clouded up some which meant there was really only one hour in the direct sunlight. I think this saved me, especially when I hit my 30 min brick run, which I was able to hold an 8:12 pace while trying my best to slow-the-f-down! Can't hold that for a full 26.2 after just riding 112.97!!!

Sunday was a tad cooler, but I only had to ride 4 hours and then run another brick. Unfortunately I could hardly sit down on the saddle and keeping my neck up in the aero position felt harder than doing 1000 squats. OUCH!

The butt issue eventually went away, but my neck, OMG! hurt SO bad with 2 hours left to go. I think this is more to do with just riding a ton, and not so much my position. Didn't have any neck or butt issues on Saturday's 6 hour ride, since my body was fresher. My body should be even fresher for IMMT!

In regards to nutrition, I am comparing last weekend's Placid ugly 90 miler to this weekend's rides. I ditched the the 50/50 gatorade/water mixture and just went with water, then used EFS liquid shots every hour + Endurolyte pills every 30 mins. No more thirst issues. Up in Placid, I kept getting thirstier and thirstier despite drinking more and more water/gatorade mixture. The sugar just makes me want pure water. I have experienced this when I was using Infinit in the heat.

So the fact that I was fine electrolyte wise on a HOT day (ride ended in 94 degrees) on just water + EFS + Endurolytes = I got my electrolyte and thirst quenching issues FIXED.

I am still tweaking my calorie intake. I don't like liquid only, and I love chocolate and orange Gu, but I am getting sick of clif bars, especially if it is hot out. But I can't eat Gu for entire 5-6 hour ride. But! I keep getting hankerings for Snickers bars. Yes, Snickers. Especially at the two hour mark. So I think I am going to freeze a snickers bar, and it should be thawed out (but not melted hopefully!) by the 2 hour mark of Ironman.

Right now what I hope to do is this for IMMT on the bike:
30 mins: Eat a Gu (or nothing at all if I feel sloshy)
60 mins: 1/2 EFS liquid shot (half vanilla, half mocha + 1 oz water to thin)
1.5 hours: Gu
2 hours: Snickers bar
2.5 hours: Gu
3 hours: 1/2 EFS liquid shot (of hit up a generic chocolate Ensure @ special needs)
3.5 hours: GU
4 hours: Snickers Bar
4.5 hours: Gu
5 hours: 1/2 EFS liquid shot
5.5 hours: Gu
6 hours: DONE (and start running!)

This will only have me eating 5 or 6 Gu's total on the bike. I'd like to bring this number down a bit more. I am finding bar type foods that are on the dryer side, like clif bars, are hard to chew and get down and make me thirst, while bars like Snickers have a bit more moisture to them (blame it on the creamy nugget?) and are easier to go down and stomach.

I just remember saying after Placid last year that I wished I had eaten more solids for the first half of the bike, then all gels for the 2nd half. Looking back now, I am not sure I can stomach that this year! Amazing how your food tastes change. I still have TONS of time to experiment with foods choices, but I am VERY happy to have gotten down my hydration & electrolyte needs.

2012 Half Year in Review

I did this blog post in 2010 and thought it was a great mid season wrap up to an already busy season. Last season was very race light and didn't really warrant one.

This year? HOLY CRAP!!!! Not only have I raced WAY more than ever, but I have also PR-ed EVERY SINGLE FREAKING RACE I HAVE ENTERED. Weeee hoo!!!

I wrote back in early January and then again in March that "I have made a bet with myself to PR all distances this season (* gulp! *)"

and

"I have no idea the stakes, and if I am holding up my end of the bargain, who is holding up the other end of the bargain? The other side of myself?"

With only three more races to go this season (not counting post Ironman), it will come down to a sprint, a 2 mile swim, and an Ironman.

But first! Here is how my year has played out so far:

I started out the year worried to death that my Fall 2011 knee injury would reappear. So how to do confirm that it won't reappear? You race a 10K, the Joe Kleinerman 10K around Central Park.

The race set a theme that I have kept true to so far this season: PR-ing.

I set a 1:33 PR and dropped my 10K time down to a 43:21. Not bad considering I was barely post injury and totally untrained for this distance and intensity.

Later in January was my first bid to go sub 1:45 in the 13.1 distance. Unfortunately the only snowstorm we got all season landed that day, most severely on Central Park, turning this race into a 2.5 hour/16.5 mile fun run with some of my favorite people followed by bagels and the hottest and best shower I have ever taken in my life!

February brought out some speed in me I never imagined I ever had, dropping not only my first sub 7 min pace in a race, but a 6:17 average pace and first sub 20 min 5K at the Gridiron Classic 4 miler around Central Park. I recall wanting to die at mile 2 during that race, which is how I should have felt!

The only other race I did in February was with my MOST favorite person, where we got wet and did the Sweetheart Tri. Let's just say I was the slow one in this race!

March was only one race, but a race I had my eyes set on to KILL a long standing PR for the 13.1 distance, especially after the non race in January. At the National Half I dropped 13 mins off my time and came in for a 1:32 and change for one of the most satisfying PR's of my life!

April was another one race month, with another stab at the 10K distance, The Scotland Run around Central Park. Was trying for a sub 40, but it wasn't my day. Still PR'ed again though! Lopping another 1:47 off for a 41:34. Getting closer to that sub 40!

Unfortunately my luck ran out, with a stupid slip in the shower, and resulting in bruised ribs. Ouch! After muscle spasms and being barely able to breath, I was wondering if my season was either over or going to need to be paired down.

After three weeks of very frustrating training and a blister from hell, my first triathlon of the season, the MonticelloMan Half, was just around the corner. My goal for this race was just to finish and do my best and see what happens.

Well, SOMETHING happened, because I snuck just under 5 hours for the first time for a 70.3 and had an otherwise great day finishing 2nd in my age group!

The following weekend it was back to racing again, this time as the biker on a relay team, Tom Selleck's Mustache, at the Kinetic Half. I said I was going to go a 2:30, and I did just that!

Rounding out May, I did a 2 mile OWS in some warm conditions sans a safety blanket wetsuit. It was a terrible time for me, but still an 8 sec PR!

June brought what I call "My Northern Series" of races, since everything else was down south.

First up was Rev3 Quassy Olympic, my first Olympic in almost 3 years. After killing the swim and about to kill the bike in the hunt for a very good placing, two flats ended my day on a cold and wet course. Bummer, but I had revenge in my mind!

Which brings me to the Pat Griskus Olympic, at the same venue as Rev3. This time my swim was not very good, but I made up for it on the bike and run and placed 6th/32 and well enough to qualify for USAT Olympic Nationals. While I am not doing that race, it was a nice confirmation of A) Finishing a damn race! and B) Holding my own against some good competition.

Finally, I rounded out June with my A- race of the year, Ironman Mont Tremblant 70.3. Despite a botched run, I had the swim and bike of my life, riding into T2 in 12th place!!! A new personal best for me. Note to self: Remember to eat on the run!!!

Actual time: 4:54:42. A 5 min PR!!!

But! Last but not least, with hot weather hitting the last weekend of June and massive storms knocking out power in the mid Atlantic region, I headed back up 87 to Lake Placid for the beginning of Ironman specific training. In case you were worried, yes Lake Placid still has hills, and yes, a headwind through the gorge on 86 still fucking sucks!

It was a humbling two days of training, but it was an awesome time!

Ironman Mont Tremblant will be here before I know it!

Got The "F" Outa Town!!!

I was supposed to head down to DC this past weekend, until I got a call from a recently minted Ironman, who explained to me that it would be 100 degrees all weekend, and that it would be no fun to train in.

Agreed.

And staying put in good ole not awesome White Plains would be not nearly as hot, but still in the "this is not fun" category of hot.

DC Weather:

White Plains Weather:

Without realizing I was saying this, I said, "Let's go to Lake Placid!"

Then I checked the weather:

And that only just confirmed it.

On the drive up to Placid, suddenly twitter exploded with "THE END OF WORLD IS UPON US!!!!" DC got SLAMMED with a huge storm, and people to this day are still without power. Gross. Also, Skyline was unsafe to ride due to forest fires and bad air quality. Even grosser.

Something was telling us to escape to Placid!

And OMG are we lucky we did! The weather was PERFECT. Dry conditions. Not too hot. Mirror Lake was chilly (I only remember it as a bathtub last time I swam in it) and the ice cream was just as good :)

We stayed at the Golden Arrow with a room overlooking all of Mirror Lake. It was so great!

Sunrise day 1

sunrise day 2

First thing Saturday morning we did the entire out and back of the lake, 1.6 miles, in about 41 mins. I showed Beth how to "cheat" while swimming, aka, just swimming along the buoy line of Mirror Lake

You can tell who the "real" swimmer is (*hint, its NOT me!*)

Then we hopped onto the bikes, and rode! Since Beth just did CDA not even a week before, this was her self described "Lake Placid Recovery Camp."

She just did one loop of the course minus the out and backs while I did two loops minus the out and backs but with an out and back of the run course for a total of 90 miles in 5 hours flat. Learned that I need to learn how to pace myself better on these long rides again. I have forgotten how!

I learned from this ride that my body is really really good at going fast for about 2.5 hours, then it dies, telling me, "I only ride fast for 2.5 hours. WTF is this riding longer than 2.5 hour thing? I want to run now!"

Also going on this weekend was a horse show, skating show, AND! mini BBQ fest. Dinner was an easy choice.

Sunday was just a 2 hour run, but even though it wasn't temperature hot, the sun was already out full blaze. I did a long out and back of the run course, but with 30 mins left, and at the corner of River Road and 73, I was completely out of water and not going to make it back. Fortunately there was a guy there running a tri camp, Tri Training Camp of Lake Placid, with a fully stocked jeep with Infiit and cold cold cold water. Thank you sir for helping me out!!!! You saved my day!!!

Beth also came out and kept me company for a bit of the run while she biked the run course to see what it looked like. She successfully held the aero position @ 3 mph.

After a yummy lunch we set off for a 2 hour hike. Nothing like doing another 4.5 miles of hiking after an almost 14 mile run.

After some soft serve ice cream, we cooled our legs down with a quick spin of the legs on the paddle boat. Yes, Beth was able to preview the entire Lake Placid course by biking the bike, run AND swim courses! haha!

She pedaled. I steered

Our hotel

I was STARVING again by the time we finished "biking" the swim course, so we hit up Milano's and then one final ice cream stop @ Ben & Jerry's.

I was passed out by 9PM. Urf! Ironman training is going to kick my butt this time, again!

What an awesome weekend it was! Got in some great training in some great weather with some great company.

I am looking forward to my "recovery camp" in about 8 weeks when I am done for the season.

You can read about Beth's Ironman swim, bike, and run legs on her blog.