Mike and Sean both finished before the midnight cutoff and I honestly couldn't be prouder of both of them!
Here's Erin, Sarah and I saying goodbye (and good luck) to the boys just before the race:
Showing posts with label triathlon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label triathlon. Show all posts
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Ironman 2010
I am beyond proud of Mike and Sean. This last weekend we all travelled to Tempe, Arizona for the 2010 Ironman competition. For those of you who don't know what a feat this is, the Ironman consists of three parts: a 2.4 mile open water swim, a 112 mile bike ride and finally a 26.2 mile run. That's a total of 140.6 miles and the contestants are given a cutoff time of 17 hours. The pros that won the race did it in 8 hours and 7 minutes, but for me it was way cooler to watch the "average Joes" finish. There's something about seeing a normal person push themselves to do something so amazing that was just fantastic to watch.
Mike and Sean both finished before the midnight cutoff and I honestly couldn't be prouder of both of them!
Here's Erin, Sarah and I saying goodbye (and good luck) to the boys just before the race:
The swim start... that's seriously a lot of people:
Our cheering squad - we had some bright shirts made so that the boys could see us when they passed on the course:
Here's Mike on the bike:
And on the run:
And, finally, at the finish - I was incredibly happy he was still alive and judging by the look on his face in the picture, he was happy to have pizza:
Like I said (and can't say enough!) I'm so proud of both Mike and Sean... what they did this weekend was such a huge accomplishment and is utterly amazing to me. Here are both of the boys at the finish line with their medals:
This was a fantastic trip and it was so much fun for the cheering crew to run around for 17 hours screaming at the top of our lungs! Our families and friends back home got to track Mike and Sean on the internet (Ironman has a great website) and were following along the whole way!
Mike and Sean both finished before the midnight cutoff and I honestly couldn't be prouder of both of them!
Here's Erin, Sarah and I saying goodbye (and good luck) to the boys just before the race:
Thursday, November 18, 2010
It's Almost Here!
Wow, I can't believe it... what started out as a crazy idea between two friends is now upon us! For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, it's almost Ironman time! No, I'm not doing one... Mike and Sean are! We're headed to Arizona this weekend for festivities and I can't wait! I swear, I think I get more nervous than the two of them do! Once he gets going, Mike is totally fine... I, on the other hand, am nervous and fidgety the entire time... only this time, it's a roughly 14 hour race!!!
We're going to hang out for an extra day in AZ and then head back home. I'm so super excited because on the way home, we're stopping to see my college (and after college) roommate Joanna and her husband Chris. They just had a sweet little baby girl that I absolutely can't wait to meet!
We're going to hang out for an extra day in AZ and then head back home. I'm so super excited because on the way home, we're stopping to see my college (and after college) roommate Joanna and her husband Chris. They just had a sweet little baby girl that I absolutely can't wait to meet!
Monday, June 5, 2006
I Did It!
Drum roll please... ladies and gentlemen, I completed my first triathlon! I can't believe what an amazing, inspiring weekend this was!
We got to LA around 9pm on Friday night. Checked into the hotel, watched some TV, went to bed. On Saturday we woke up and went to the expo. This is where you check in, get your bib number (and race number - 506 for me!) and get a bunch of free goodies. Here's Kristen and I at the Expo:
The night before the race (Saturday night) we had to prep. The first big thing was to write our numbers in sharpie on our arms and legs. This was so that the photographers and people running the race knew who we were at all times. We also had to put on special ankle chips that were the timing devices used during the race. You would run or bike across these big carpets that have sensors in them and read your chip. Here's my ankle chip:
The race itself was a lot of fun. They sent the groups off in waves (mine had purple swim caps) and before your swim wave went, they had you stand about waist deep in the water. Sally Edwards, a woman who has not only competed in the Masters Ironman (2 mile swim, 120 mile bike, marathon run), but held the record in it, waded out in front of us an pumped us up. It was really inspiring to have her tell us little tricks that help her race. And then, they counted down and off we went. The first hundred yards or so of the swim were absolutely terrifying for me. I'm not an open water swimmer, so this was VERY new to me. It was completely disorienting - when I looked down it was nothing but green, when I looked up it was hard to sight the buoy and I was surrounded by women who had no issue kicking or swimming over me. Once I got into my rhythm and stopped freaking out, I was fine. I am so proud of that swim... my time put me 59th out of the 619 competitors! As the swim ended, we had to run back to the transition area - which meant up a sandy beach and then a concrete hill. The whole way there were crowds of people cheering - they don't know your name, but they call out your number to keep encouraging you. It was awesome! I dried my feet, put on my shoes, socks, helmet and sunglasses and hopped on my bike. You sort of had to run it out of the transition area because they wouldn't let you ride so that you didn't run the other people in the area over. The ride was gorgeous - two laps around the lake. I was really nervous about the bike part - since my accident I've been worried about speed. I feel like I was pretty cautious the first time around the loop and then once I hit the second time I just went with it. I had to talk myself (literally) through some of the tough spots, but again, there were people cheering everywhere. I saw a pretty bad crash - it looked like two girls hit each other and there were fire trucks there, but all I saw was some skinned up knees. At the end of the bike circuit you have to jump off your bike and jog it back into the transition area. Those first few steps were scary. After an hour of hard peddling, your legs literally feel like noodles when you try to walk. I actually thought I was going to fall and take my bike with me. I dumped the bike and helmet, took a sip of water and headed out for the run. My legs still felt like jello and it was really hard for me to find my running rhythm, especially my breathing. There were a few very challenging hills and I never saw the 2 mile marker, which made those last 2 miles feel like forever. The coolest part was the water stops - it's just like you see on TV! I ran by and grabbed my cup of water, took a sip and dumped the rest over my head to cool myself off. Then you get to just toss it to the side of the path. It was awesome! Finally, the end was near. I knew because I could hear music. The finish line was in the middle of the park - you had to run through a long corridor to get there. They had set up these huge speakers and had music blasting. As I made the turn into the corridor I suddenly got all misty eyed. Those of you who know me well know that I'm not really a crier... but this was just really overwhelming. It hit me that not only was I nearing the end of my first triathlon, but I had achieved the goals I set for myself - to finish, not to walk on the run, to really try not to be scared on the bike... the icing on the cake was that as I crossed the finish line, they said:
It was the coolest thing ever - there were people all over the place cheering - the cool thing about this race is that everyone just wants everyone else to do it - so they all cheer. They simultaneously cut off my chip, put a medal around my neck, handed me a bottle of water and wooshed me away from the finish line. I couldn't help but cry - the whole thing was so overwhelming!
Here's Kristen and I after the race:
Note the awesome medals around our necks - they look a lot like the Olympic medals and say the distances we competed (.75k swim, 20k bike, 5k run). On the back they say "The woman who starts the race is not the same woman that finishes the race".
I saw so many things that were really, genuinely inspiring during this race. Girls getting off their bikes to help other ones with flat tires or messed up chains, women encouraging other women to keep going during the race, and (this one really hit me) a woman with a prosthetic leg on the run portion of the race. There were women from 14 all the way up into their 60s that completed this course. There was a whole wave of survivors - women who have beat or are fighting breast cancer. Talk about inspiration! AND, to make things even better, Sally Edwards finds that last person and bikes and runs with them. She makes sure that she is the last person to cross the finish line, to prove that for some, it's not about the time, but just finishing! It was absolutely amazing!!!
I have way more pictures - if you want to see them, send me an email!
We got to LA around 9pm on Friday night. Checked into the hotel, watched some TV, went to bed. On Saturday we woke up and went to the expo. This is where you check in, get your bib number (and race number - 506 for me!) and get a bunch of free goodies. Here's Kristen and I at the Expo:
The night before the race (Saturday night) we had to prep. The first big thing was to write our numbers in sharpie on our arms and legs. This was so that the photographers and people running the race knew who we were at all times. We also had to put on special ankle chips that were the timing devices used during the race. You would run or bike across these big carpets that have sensors in them and read your chip. Here's my ankle chip:
The morning of the race we got up at 4:30am, ate some cereal and got dressed. We left the hotel at 4:45am and headed over to the course. Here's Kristen and I upon arrival at the park:
The transition area (that's the place where you keep you bike, towel, shoes, etc) opened at 5am and you want to be there right away to get a good spot. I had prime real estate - right on the end! Here's a picture of Kristen and I in the transition area before the race:
My final time was 01:57:38. Pretty darn good for a first timer! Here's how the splits broke down:
Swim: 00:17:06 (59 out of 619!!!)
Swim to Bike Transition: 00:03:38
Bike: 01:03:38 (396 out of 619)
Bike to Run Transition: 00:01:13
Run: 00:32:02 (216 out of 619)
The transition area (that's the place where you keep you bike, towel, shoes, etc) opened at 5am and you want to be there right away to get a good spot. I had prime real estate - right on the end! Here's a picture of Kristen and I in the transition area before the race:
My final time was 01:57:38. Pretty darn good for a first timer! Here's how the splits broke down:
Swim: 00:17:06 (59 out of 619!!!)
Swim to Bike Transition: 00:03:38
Bike: 01:03:38 (396 out of 619)
Bike to Run Transition: 00:01:13
Run: 00:32:02 (216 out of 619)
The race itself was a lot of fun. They sent the groups off in waves (mine had purple swim caps) and before your swim wave went, they had you stand about waist deep in the water. Sally Edwards, a woman who has not only competed in the Masters Ironman (2 mile swim, 120 mile bike, marathon run), but held the record in it, waded out in front of us an pumped us up. It was really inspiring to have her tell us little tricks that help her race. And then, they counted down and off we went. The first hundred yards or so of the swim were absolutely terrifying for me. I'm not an open water swimmer, so this was VERY new to me. It was completely disorienting - when I looked down it was nothing but green, when I looked up it was hard to sight the buoy and I was surrounded by women who had no issue kicking or swimming over me. Once I got into my rhythm and stopped freaking out, I was fine. I am so proud of that swim... my time put me 59th out of the 619 competitors! As the swim ended, we had to run back to the transition area - which meant up a sandy beach and then a concrete hill. The whole way there were crowds of people cheering - they don't know your name, but they call out your number to keep encouraging you. It was awesome! I dried my feet, put on my shoes, socks, helmet and sunglasses and hopped on my bike. You sort of had to run it out of the transition area because they wouldn't let you ride so that you didn't run the other people in the area over. The ride was gorgeous - two laps around the lake. I was really nervous about the bike part - since my accident I've been worried about speed. I feel like I was pretty cautious the first time around the loop and then once I hit the second time I just went with it. I had to talk myself (literally) through some of the tough spots, but again, there were people cheering everywhere. I saw a pretty bad crash - it looked like two girls hit each other and there were fire trucks there, but all I saw was some skinned up knees. At the end of the bike circuit you have to jump off your bike and jog it back into the transition area. Those first few steps were scary. After an hour of hard peddling, your legs literally feel like noodles when you try to walk. I actually thought I was going to fall and take my bike with me. I dumped the bike and helmet, took a sip of water and headed out for the run. My legs still felt like jello and it was really hard for me to find my running rhythm, especially my breathing. There were a few very challenging hills and I never saw the 2 mile marker, which made those last 2 miles feel like forever. The coolest part was the water stops - it's just like you see on TV! I ran by and grabbed my cup of water, took a sip and dumped the rest over my head to cool myself off. Then you get to just toss it to the side of the path. It was awesome! Finally, the end was near. I knew because I could hear music. The finish line was in the middle of the park - you had to run through a long corridor to get there. They had set up these huge speakers and had music blasting. As I made the turn into the corridor I suddenly got all misty eyed. Those of you who know me well know that I'm not really a crier... but this was just really overwhelming. It hit me that not only was I nearing the end of my first triathlon, but I had achieved the goals I set for myself - to finish, not to walk on the run, to really try not to be scared on the bike... the icing on the cake was that as I crossed the finish line, they said:
"From Roseville, California, Miss Anna Smithson!"
Here's Kristen and I after the race:
Note the awesome medals around our necks - they look a lot like the Olympic medals and say the distances we competed (.75k swim, 20k bike, 5k run). On the back they say "The woman who starts the race is not the same woman that finishes the race".
I saw so many things that were really, genuinely inspiring during this race. Girls getting off their bikes to help other ones with flat tires or messed up chains, women encouraging other women to keep going during the race, and (this one really hit me) a woman with a prosthetic leg on the run portion of the race. There were women from 14 all the way up into their 60s that completed this course. There was a whole wave of survivors - women who have beat or are fighting breast cancer. Talk about inspiration! AND, to make things even better, Sally Edwards finds that last person and bikes and runs with them. She makes sure that she is the last person to cross the finish line, to prove that for some, it's not about the time, but just finishing! It was absolutely amazing!!!
I have way more pictures - if you want to see them, send me an email!
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Tri Time
Holy cow, I'm doing a freaking triathlon in 2 days!!!! That's right, ladies and gents, it's tri time! I can't believe it's finally here! We leave tomorrow around 2pm for LA... so this is going to be my last blog until after the race. I'll be back sometime on Monday! Wish me luck! I need all the happy thoughts I can get! The race is on Sunday at 6am - I know you'll all be sleeping then, but send some good thoughts my way!
Sunday, March 5, 2006
Triathlon!
Ladies and gentlemen, I am entering a triathlon!!! Holy cow! I can't believe it either. It's a buig chunk of everything - first you swim a 1/2 mile, then you bike 13 miles and finally you run a 5k. It's on June 4th - the Danskin Women's Triathlon. I'll be going to LA with some girls from work and I'm really stoked! I started my training this last week... I did a lot of swimming and today was my hard day. I'll keep you all posted on my daily progress at the end of each blog entry! I think I worked it out a little too hard today, so I'm going to try and take it easy for the next few days... don't want to hurt myself before I even get started!
The rest of the weekend was spent performing. I'm so proud of the show! I was worried that parts of it were not going to come together (as were the other 300 people involved), but at the last minute it somehow all fell into place. We start working on Dvorak's "Mass in D" tomorrow - no rest for the weary!
Ok, off to watch the Oscars!
Today's Triathlon Training:
Running: 2 miles
Biking: 13 miles
Swimming: 1/2 mile
Ok, off to watch the Oscars!
Today's Triathlon Training:
Running: 2 miles
Biking: 13 miles
Swimming: 1/2 mile
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)