Ironman Wisconsin 2007 is now less than 2 days away and my excitement continues to grow! I am truthfully at a loss for words when trying to express how I feel about this journey. I think I'll do a better job of summing it all up once I have crossed the finish line (so stay tuned). For now though, I'm going to thank all the people who got me where I am today.
Thank you to all the coaches who have directed, encouraged and pushed me throughout the last two years.
To Dave, Adam, Dan, Cindi and Kevin: you all turned me into a swimmer. When I signed up for Ironman, the swim was my biggest fear and concern. Thanks to all your encouragement and effort, I am confident that I will complete the swim with flying colors. I'm already looking forward to getting back in the pool!
To Cindi: thank you for the great endurance sessions this winter/spring. Without a doubt, you pushed me to get through workouts when I felt like not working very hard or calling it a day.
To Jason: You have really gone the extra mile to ensure that I had a successful season and was well prepared for Ironman. The balanced approach you took to my training, the support and the friendship have meant the world to me. I know that when I cross that finish line, I owe a lot of it to you.
Thank you to all my training partners - whether or not you are doing Ironman, you pushed me, endured tough workouts, shared in my successes and along the way developed some great friendships.
To Ed: You are truly an inspiration and a great friend. Your fighting spirit, caring words and friendship have pushed me every step of the way this summer. I'm so fortunate to have you on the sidelines.
To the Ironman Video Posse (Donovan, Katie, Jesse, Jessica, Pete, Matt, Ed, Becca): It's great to be at the starting line of this event with all of you and to be part of the video. These past months and coming days/months will leave me with many great memories like stopping off at Wollersheim Winery on a training ride after losing the map or looking out for the giant snapping turtle in the quarry. I can't wait to see you all out on the course and cheer you on.
To Darla: You have been my rock. No matter what has happened in my life - training related or otherwise - you've been there to support me. I couldn't have gotten where I am without that support. And of course, it's always been fun swimming, biking and running together. I look forward to more of it come.
To Petra, Amanda, Dotty, Charlie, Karen and Mary: I'll not forget my Madison Multisport days and all our Masters Swim classes together. Each of you has added to this experience in ways that I can't even begin to explain.
To Peter: You are probably one of the big reasons I'm doing this event. Last year you planted it in my head that I was capable of completing this journey. Somehow, I ended up registered and you were always there to endure the training, the girl talk and my many demands. I look forward to celebrating this journey and wish you all the luck in the world on Sunday.
Thank you to all my friends and family who have supported me throughout this journey, even when they didn't necessarily understand why I'm so crazy to do this!
To my parents, my grandpa Dick and grandma Sue, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Mike and cousin Amelia: Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to be there to support me. You don't know how much it means to have you there on Sunday. Just seeing your faces during the race will mean so much. You have no idea! All your support throughout the year has also meant the world to me. Thank you! I love you all!
To my brothers - Allan and Mike: I wish you guys could be here! I promise to call you when I'm done. I can't wait to see you guys in November. Thanks for always supporting me!
To Jim, Dana, Sean, Jess, John, James, Cory, Sonia, Nanda: Each of you has listened to me for countless hours talk about this day and all my training even though you yourselves aren't involved in this sport. I can't wait to see you out on the course and to share the experience with you once it's over. For those of you who can't be here - Sean, Jess, Sonia and Nanda - I'll miss seeing you out there, but I'll know you are cheering me on from afar!
Sunday is a big day and I couldn't get there without everyone I've mentioned and many that I didn't. They say it takes a village to raise a child, well it takes a village to make an Ironman :) Thank You from the bottom of my heart!
My Dad (Dale) is going to be the point man on Sunday. So feel free to call him for updates. His cell phone number is (262) 893-6933. I think someone will have my cell also, so feel free to call it or leave a message. I'll return the call after the race. My mom (Ellen) will also have her cell - (414) 915-9511. See you out on the course - I have a journey to complete.
Love,
Andrea
Bib #2072
www.ironmanlive.com
Friday, September 7, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
The Big Red '100' and the Big Orange Buoys
Despite a tight, cramped up quad, I ventured out on my hour long ride yesterday in the hopes that it would loosen things up. Sure enough, the ride did loosen things up (HUGE sigh of relief!)and it also put me face to face with the 'Big Red 100'. Mile 100 of the bike is approximately 1/2 mile from the corner of Fitchrona and Whalen. It is spray painted in BIG RED numbers right on the road. As I rode over it, I thought 'So this is it. This is where I'll hit the 100 mile mark on the bike'. At that point, I'm sure my feet will hurt, my legs will be sore and I'll just be looking forward to giving my bike away at the point. It really hit home when I saw that - Ironman is here. There's no escaping it now...it's gonna happen. The writing is 'on the road'.
This morning my nerves really jump started. I drove along John Nolen drive towards the start of the swim course. Gatorade hosts morning swim practices of the course where athletes can take a test drive of the swim course. The big orange buoys were out and MAN - are they far apart! In reality, it's no further than any of the half IM's I've done. I was just surprised by how far apart the buoys looked. This is it...holy cow, I'm doing Ironman!
I headed for the swim start and a bunch of athletes had already gathered. I was fortunate to have many friends and training partners down there to ease the nerves and fuel the excitement. The water was choppy this morning as we are expecting some storms, but this is good practice! The first half of the loop flew by and as I turned the corner for the 2nd half of the loop everything slowed down. The water got choppier and it seemed like forever to that last buoy. I got there though and headed into shore feeling more excited and comfortable than when I started.
So, now I am headed for registration in just under an hour. Once I have that under my belt, it's really official. Ready or not Ironman, here I come! I will be joined in the registration experience by my friends Jesse and Steve - all first timers!
Even the weather seems like it's going to cooperate on Sunday....(I hope I'm not eating those words come Sunday)!
I'll be posting final race thoughts and thank yous tonight. The countdown to IM Wisconsin 2007 continues....2 days 20 hours and counting!
This morning my nerves really jump started. I drove along John Nolen drive towards the start of the swim course. Gatorade hosts morning swim practices of the course where athletes can take a test drive of the swim course. The big orange buoys were out and MAN - are they far apart! In reality, it's no further than any of the half IM's I've done. I was just surprised by how far apart the buoys looked. This is it...holy cow, I'm doing Ironman!
I headed for the swim start and a bunch of athletes had already gathered. I was fortunate to have many friends and training partners down there to ease the nerves and fuel the excitement. The water was choppy this morning as we are expecting some storms, but this is good practice! The first half of the loop flew by and as I turned the corner for the 2nd half of the loop everything slowed down. The water got choppier and it seemed like forever to that last buoy. I got there though and headed into shore feeling more excited and comfortable than when I started.
So, now I am headed for registration in just under an hour. Once I have that under my belt, it's really official. Ready or not Ironman, here I come! I will be joined in the registration experience by my friends Jesse and Steve - all first timers!
Even the weather seems like it's going to cooperate on Sunday....(I hope I'm not eating those words come Sunday)!
I'll be posting final race thoughts and thank yous tonight. The countdown to IM Wisconsin 2007 continues....2 days 20 hours and counting!
Monday, September 3, 2007
The week of Ironman is HERE!
I'm so ready to get this week rolling! I'm excited about everything from registration, the gatorade swim, dinner with my family on Saturday, the RACE (duh!), the FINISH of the RACE, the athlete breakfast afterwards...everything! What a great time in my life. I'm tackling something I never thought I could. AND I'm doing it in the company of so many good friends, training partners, family and my home community. That's some pretty spectacular stuff.
Despite being excited and ready to 'get it on' so to speak, I am nervous as well. I'm not really sure what about, but the nerves are there. I truly felt them for the first time tonight. I got a chance to hang out with a group of friends that's doing an Ironman video together.
My friend Steve Donovan has been recording the training, racing and thoughts of 8 of us friends doing Ironman this year. The video is going to be amazing and the group is GREAT! Steve has put a ton of hard work into this video and it is going to be something that we will each treasure for a very long time.
The stars of this video include:
Becca - 2 time Ironman and the Life of the Party
Jessica - 3 time Ironman (is that right Jessica?)and owner of SBR Coaching
Katie - 1st time and the Collegiate Athlete
Steve - 1st time and Video Extraordinare
Ed - 1st time and SuperDad
Matt - 1st time Gluten-Free Ironman
Jesse - 1st time and our token black guy
Pete - IM WI 2006 finisher with the coolest nickname (the Rocket!)
Andrea - 1st time and author of this blog
It should also be noted that Jim will be recording on Ironman Sunday via motor scooter. Look out for a crazy cameraman on the course. Thanks Jim in advance for doing this. I look forward to seeing you out there!
The point of that whole chunk of information is two fold. One - to address a very important part of my Ironman journey. And Two - to tell you all that my nerves didn't really kick in until we were all together tonight. 6 days out from the big event and asking each other how we are feeling, etc...I also realized though that this is going to be cool. And I mean, REALLY COOL! Not only am I going to be out there working towards something just for me, but I'm also going to be thinking of and supporting all those that I've come to know well over the last few years. I'll be hoping that they are having their best possible days and enjoying the experience as well.
In the coming days, I'll post:
-Final Race Thoughts
-Thank You Message
-Predicted Times/People to Cheer For
Finally, the latest in weather variance:
On 9/1/2007: Temperature: 73 degrees, Precipitation: Partly Sunny
On 9/3/2007: Temperature: 68 degrees, Precipitation: Partly Cloudy
Temperature Variance: -5 degrees
Precipitation Variance: No Rain - thank god!
Despite being excited and ready to 'get it on' so to speak, I am nervous as well. I'm not really sure what about, but the nerves are there. I truly felt them for the first time tonight. I got a chance to hang out with a group of friends that's doing an Ironman video together.
My friend Steve Donovan has been recording the training, racing and thoughts of 8 of us friends doing Ironman this year. The video is going to be amazing and the group is GREAT! Steve has put a ton of hard work into this video and it is going to be something that we will each treasure for a very long time.
The stars of this video include:
Becca - 2 time Ironman and the Life of the Party
Jessica - 3 time Ironman (is that right Jessica?)and owner of SBR Coaching
Katie - 1st time and the Collegiate Athlete
Steve - 1st time and Video Extraordinare
Ed - 1st time and SuperDad
Matt - 1st time Gluten-Free Ironman
Jesse - 1st time and our token black guy
Pete - IM WI 2006 finisher with the coolest nickname (the Rocket!)
Andrea - 1st time and author of this blog
It should also be noted that Jim will be recording on Ironman Sunday via motor scooter. Look out for a crazy cameraman on the course. Thanks Jim in advance for doing this. I look forward to seeing you out there!
The point of that whole chunk of information is two fold. One - to address a very important part of my Ironman journey. And Two - to tell you all that my nerves didn't really kick in until we were all together tonight. 6 days out from the big event and asking each other how we are feeling, etc...I also realized though that this is going to be cool. And I mean, REALLY COOL! Not only am I going to be out there working towards something just for me, but I'm also going to be thinking of and supporting all those that I've come to know well over the last few years. I'll be hoping that they are having their best possible days and enjoying the experience as well.
In the coming days, I'll post:
-Final Race Thoughts
-Thank You Message
-Predicted Times/People to Cheer For
Finally, the latest in weather variance:
On 9/1/2007: Temperature: 73 degrees, Precipitation: Partly Sunny
On 9/3/2007: Temperature: 68 degrees, Precipitation: Partly Cloudy
Temperature Variance: -5 degrees
Precipitation Variance: No Rain - thank god!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Calculated Risks: Haircuts and Triathlon
First things first - the results of the haircut poll. It was quite close, but ultimately the majority said 'Yes, cut it shorter!'. And today, I did just that...well, only 1/2 - 1 inch shorter. I chickened out. There was no way I could chop the hair I have been trying to grow out for well over a year. Each time I have gone in the past year, the thought of hacking it all off was VERY tempting. But I displayed restraint and stuck with the painful growing out process (ladies - you know what I'm talking about!).
When I started the poll 3 weeks ago, the whole idea was to have something more manageable for my athletic pursuits. In the end though, a ponytail will just have to do the trick. It's worked this long...no need to hack it off on a whim.
I do very little on a whim. I'm not very impulsive and usually take well calculated risks. Triathlon is no exception. It seems that many people just fall into being a triathlete. It usually goes something like this: Friend encourages/dares non-triathlete friend into doing a tri. The non-triathlete friend agrees thinking 'No Problem!'. The day of the event comes and the non-triathlete shows up with a Huffy from Walmart, a swimsuit (but no wetsuit), old Nike running shoes that will be used for biking and running and a sense of adventure.
For me though, well I just don't function like that. I knew full well what I was getting myself into before my first tri. I had all the gear, the swim classes, the bike classes, the nutrition. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right the first time.
Ironman was no different. About this time last year, I still hadn't decided if I was going to do Ironman in 2007 or 2008. I knew I could do the bike and the run, but I had no confidence in my ability to do the swim. After our final Open Water swim class last year - just 4 days before Ironman - I discovered that I could indeed swim the distance. With some hard work over the next year, I too could be an Ironman. So the journey began.
One year later, it's here. Ok, so it's not today, but it's only 8 days away and it's definitely here. Between now and Monday September 10th, all of us doing IM WI 2007 will think of not much else.
- What will I put in all my special needs bags?
- When will I go to registration - Thursday or Friday?
- What will the weather be like?
- How much is it really gonna hurt?
- Will I have fun?
- How great is it going to be to see my friends and family out on the course?!
- What is it going to be like to finish?
- What time do I need to start getting in the water so I can get to my desired position?
- Will it be hard to bike up the helix after 112 grueling miles in the WI countryside?
- Will my nutrition and hydration plan hold up?
- Gee, I wish they could play my favorite songs while I'm out on the course!
These are just a random assortment of questions and thoughts that are flying through my head at any given moment.
This has been an interesting journey so far. Signing up, the training, the racing - all for one goal. To arrive at the WI IM starting line healthy and ready to complete the journey. I'm ready. I'm excited to see what I'm truly made of. Through the past year, I've learned that I'm tougher than I thought. On IM Sunday, there will be no doubt - there's a lot more where that came from.
Forecast Variance Report for IM Sunday:
8/31/2007 Temp: 73 degrees, Partly Cloudy
9/1/2007 Temp: 73 degrees, Partly Cloudy
Congrats to those forecasters. Let's keep this forecast for the next 8 days.
When I started the poll 3 weeks ago, the whole idea was to have something more manageable for my athletic pursuits. In the end though, a ponytail will just have to do the trick. It's worked this long...no need to hack it off on a whim.
I do very little on a whim. I'm not very impulsive and usually take well calculated risks. Triathlon is no exception. It seems that many people just fall into being a triathlete. It usually goes something like this: Friend encourages/dares non-triathlete friend into doing a tri. The non-triathlete friend agrees thinking 'No Problem!'. The day of the event comes and the non-triathlete shows up with a Huffy from Walmart, a swimsuit (but no wetsuit), old Nike running shoes that will be used for biking and running and a sense of adventure.
For me though, well I just don't function like that. I knew full well what I was getting myself into before my first tri. I had all the gear, the swim classes, the bike classes, the nutrition. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right the first time.
Ironman was no different. About this time last year, I still hadn't decided if I was going to do Ironman in 2007 or 2008. I knew I could do the bike and the run, but I had no confidence in my ability to do the swim. After our final Open Water swim class last year - just 4 days before Ironman - I discovered that I could indeed swim the distance. With some hard work over the next year, I too could be an Ironman. So the journey began.
One year later, it's here. Ok, so it's not today, but it's only 8 days away and it's definitely here. Between now and Monday September 10th, all of us doing IM WI 2007 will think of not much else.
- What will I put in all my special needs bags?
- When will I go to registration - Thursday or Friday?
- What will the weather be like?
- How much is it really gonna hurt?
- Will I have fun?
- How great is it going to be to see my friends and family out on the course?!
- What is it going to be like to finish?
- What time do I need to start getting in the water so I can get to my desired position?
- Will it be hard to bike up the helix after 112 grueling miles in the WI countryside?
- Will my nutrition and hydration plan hold up?
- Gee, I wish they could play my favorite songs while I'm out on the course!
These are just a random assortment of questions and thoughts that are flying through my head at any given moment.
This has been an interesting journey so far. Signing up, the training, the racing - all for one goal. To arrive at the WI IM starting line healthy and ready to complete the journey. I'm ready. I'm excited to see what I'm truly made of. Through the past year, I've learned that I'm tougher than I thought. On IM Sunday, there will be no doubt - there's a lot more where that came from.
Forecast Variance Report for IM Sunday:
8/31/2007 Temp: 73 degrees, Partly Cloudy
9/1/2007 Temp: 73 degrees, Partly Cloudy
Congrats to those forecasters. Let's keep this forecast for the next 8 days.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Like throwing darts....
I thought it might be fun to track on a daily basis how much the weather forecast changes from day to day leading up to the event.
8/30/2007 - Temp: 62 degrees Precipitation: 50% chance of Rain
8/31/2007 - Temp: 73 degrees Precipitation: 10% chance/Partly Sunny
Temp Change: +11 degrees
Precipitation: Rain to Partly Sunny
I honestly think that when it comes to the 10 day forecast, (Well, heck, any forecast for that matter)the weather folks just sit around and throw darts. It is probably the best way of predicting weather.
The posts are going to become more and more frequent as the day gets closer. I am so darn excited and have so much to write about, but I'll save that for later tonight.
You know you are a tri-geek when: You are absolutely ga-ga over your bike getting brand new bar tape and a much needed bath! Stay Tuned for a picture of the current love of my life - the Diva!
8/30/2007 - Temp: 62 degrees Precipitation: 50% chance of Rain
8/31/2007 - Temp: 73 degrees Precipitation: 10% chance/Partly Sunny
Temp Change: +11 degrees
Precipitation: Rain to Partly Sunny
I honestly think that when it comes to the 10 day forecast, (Well, heck, any forecast for that matter)the weather folks just sit around and throw darts. It is probably the best way of predicting weather.
The posts are going to become more and more frequent as the day gets closer. I am so darn excited and have so much to write about, but I'll save that for later tonight.
You know you are a tri-geek when: You are absolutely ga-ga over your bike getting brand new bar tape and a much needed bath! Stay Tuned for a picture of the current love of my life - the Diva!
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