Vegas Baby!

Early Friday morning, Adam and I headed out to Vegas. No, we haven't added late night partying, and gambling to our training regimine. This originally was supposed to be a trip for a little R n R,and some warm weather, and just hang out without the computers and phones on (much). A "no work" trip which rarely happens for us. But with Adam's achilles, and our extended winter we decided to bring our bikes and train!!! It was worth it.

How funny, a training trip in Las Vegas!!! Not what you'd immediately think of as a triathlon training mecca......however it turned out to be awesome!! We did get some well needed RnR, but also some incredible training. We were the tri geeks walking through the casino with our tri bikes and gear in the mornings headed out to ride, while people we passed were stumbling barefoot holding their high heels in 1 hand carrying a 1/2 empty drink in the other hand!!! We were triathletes by day, and I enjoyed the soaking in the pool in the afternoon and Adam played Blackjack. And of course there is always great food in Vegas, and plenty of people watching, oh my!

Friday we headed out to ride on the this year's 1/2 Max Nationals course by Lake Mead. We had done USAT club nationals out there 2 years ago and quickly remembered how hard that race was. The riding is awesome. Pretty tough a lot of long climbing, and for me its always a good workout just trying to stay behind Adam. Anyone planning on doing this race better find some hills to practice. I LOVE the Mtns and LOVE the desert so I was loving life.

Saturday we did another long bike with some tough intervals, and a run off the bike. I had dead legs by the end of 2 days of 3 + hr rides, but know I got some good work in. Next up was a swim, and we found an awesome pool in Henderson. This pool had long course meters outdoors! but a swim meet was going on so we swam our laps indoors. But what a neet facility. The place was huge. Why can places like this have such cool pool facilities and we live in Chicagoland and do our masters in health club pools. I was feeling pretty tired by the end of all this, and headed to the casino pool to "soak" my legs. Yea, not really cold enough for a true ice/ bath, but very relaxing. I was the white tri-girl from the north in a bikini with biker tan lines looking a little out of place. Have you ever seen the people at these places. Wow, lots of bling and people with a whole lot going on. That night we went to see Cirqu de Soleil/ "O". Talk about athletes. OMG! This was an amazing show. These people show true athletiscim in a way different from swimming biking and running. I sat there with saucer eyes and my jaw dropped for 2 hrs! I highly recommend seeing this if you ever get a chance.

Sunday we drove out to Red Rock. Now I was on cloud 9! This is one of those places where the rocks in the Mtns are bright red and cool formations. I did a long run on the edge of Red Rock National Park, I decided on an out/back where the way back was mostly uphill and facing this awesome view. Then we did a "recovery" ride around the scenic loop through the Park. At this point my legs are pretty toasted, and the first part of this ride has a lot of climbing. A few times I wondered if I could actually get the pedals to turn over but, then came the peak with an awesome overlook, and the views were amazing and made the hard work worth it.

We got home yesterday to...38 degrees? Are you kidding? I still had shorts and t-shirt on. It was freezing. This is exactly why we decided to haul our bikes with us and get some training in.

Train Safe.

Race Fever!!!

Wildflower 2006, 1 of the hottest, toughest and most fun races!




Race fever!

I have it, some of my athletes have it!!

I'm a little fired up, I had 2 athletes do awesome this weekend at Ultramax Max Trac duathlon in Missouri after a tough winter of training and overcoming many obstacles.
Congratulations to Diana. She was first in her age group and is a breast cancer survivor. She has worked so hard to come back from her illness. Way to go girl!!!! I can't say enough about such a cool lady who is an anesthesiologist who has overcome this!! Also, congratulations to Tonya who also won her age group, after battling achilles tendonitis much of last season and following sinus surgery this spring. Way to go ladies you rock!

I have race fever because race season is descending upon us!!!!!
I am doing an Ironman this year. Doing an Ironman doesn't lend itself to a lot of racing, which is why I don't do an IM year after year after year, because I love to race. This year I have fewer races than normal on my schedule, and lots of training. With that though, comes lots of tough training and hard workouts. This week I had group ride Tues. Uuuugh, this is often harder than a race, but I love it. Tues night is TOUGH, (really any time you show up it is game on!!!, you have to be prepared for anything!) I was nervous just like a race to do it, but I love it. Did I feel crazy being the only girl that day, and on a tri bike(my road bike is still in Tuscon and the tri bike has the SRM and yes I want to how crazy the power file can look from a group ride)Yes, I felt a little out of place, but it was worth it for some hard fast riding. Thurs was track workout, and more hard work and chances to test the training!

Train Safe, get ready to race!

What a Contrast

I am not the greatest with the camera, but here are a couple pics from the end of the Tuscon camp of those who raced IM AZ this weekend. Congrats to Danny, Carla, and Yuri, and all others (sorry I don't have pics of everyone!) Also I have to say I am so proud of my awesome husband for doing his physical therapy and actually resting his achilles so it can heal. It was hard for him to not race, but in the end he has a tendon that is just about pain free.


As many of my friends, husband and Multisportmadness members headed off to Tempe for their Ironman, I stayed home to train knowing the weather would be Februaryish. Adam had decided last minute to still go down despite not racing, and would cheer and support all our friends and clients. I had not taken the time off work so was cheering for everyone from the comfort of home and the computer.

Friday's contrast started with riding outside. When I started it was still 60 deg. but the front was coming through and the wind was swirling and gusting from all directions. The wind would blow 1 way and I'd be too warm (did I actually over dress?), then it would blow the other way and it would be freezing! I have to say, I was literally riding my bike sideways at times! I just kept saying if its ever like this in a race, I'll be ready! It finally did start raining and I finished my ride up indoors on the trainer. Totally different parked on the trainer vs. fighting the wind.

Sunday when they were getting ready to start their long day in the sun, I was getting ready to race a 5k. It was literally spitting snow in my face and the wind was blowing like mad as usual from the north. What a contrast, that it could be so cold and windy here, and somewhere else it was actually heating up to 95 degrees. I think I forgot what that feels like to be hot when training or racing. I love racing 5ks. They are fast and hurt a lot; you get to go hard as you can and its done. It was fun and an awesome workout despite the cold. What a contrast from what my friends were doing in the southwest. An IM is a long day of racing, and pacing, and for these guys nice and HOT, something they weren't used too with so much indoor training and cold weather running! Great work everyone!

Getting it done!

There are lots of ways to Get it done!

I coach 2 big time ER docs and 1 big time Cardiac surgeon,plus am friends with another ER doc, and of course they are training for 1/2 IMs or IMs, not sprints or olympics! I am ALWAYS amazed at how these guys get their workouts in. Talk about dedication. They have absolutely in-sane schedules and still manage to get the job done. Recently one of them logged in that he managed to fit his run workout in, between 2 surgical cases, even saw the lifeflight landing just as he was finishing up! Now that is time management and getting it done!

This past weekend our friend and athlete Andy W. ran 3:01 at the St. Louis marathon, now that is "gettin er done and fast!"

Kansas won the NCAA champs in the OT, that is gettin it done when it counts under the gun! ( I am not a huge basketball fan, but did play back in the day. I know my friend Brad and former training buddy is loving it as he used to play for them!!!)

My coach Eric had track workout on my schedule, HOORAY. I've been waiting, and of course it was windy and rainy today, but I went and was even suprised with some of the splits so early in the year and on a crap day...I got it done!! :)

Today my tri class did their first "brick workout" for some of them it was their first time ever running off the bike, that is such a lovely feeling; way to go get it done!

This weekend my client Megan M. is off to race IM AZ. She has rocked her workouts and gotten so strong. She'll be gettin it done Arizona style in the heat this weekend.

Good Luck to all the MULTISPORTMADNESS friends and training buddies, go get it done!

MT. LEMMON

This is Mt. Lemmon.

In early March myself and about 20 athletes at our TBC training camp climbed to the top. We did a staggered start time trial to the top to try and catch as many riders ahead of you as you could. It was so fun to climb and climb, and yes climb, and did I say climb? It was just over 2 hrs of climbing pretty much non stop. The terrain changed from desert to forest, which I kind of noticed out of the corner of my eye when I wasn't sucking air. It was 1 tough ride, but I loved it.

Now we are back in Illinois. Unfortunately there is no Mt. Lemmon here. We have Campton Hills!!! ....you could kind of call that climbing, but you don't really have to get out of the saddle. And, we have Town Hall !!!!....yes that is climbing, and its a tough hill esp. on group ride nights, but it lasts less than 5 minutes.

What we do have is Wind. The wind that starts now doesn't let up until the end of June is our Mt. Lemmon. Riding into the wind here is like 1 big force rep that doesn't let up. The other day I was out riding and was freezing. Hey, at this point I was just glad to be outside and not on the trainer again. The wind was fierce like it is here in March, relentless. I tried my best to pretend I was just climbing MT. Lemmon again. Sure, no desert scenery, no forest, just empty corn fields that really let that wind roll! My data on the SRM might have even looked the same even, high watts, slow speed. Who needs MT. Lemmon we we have our wicked wind!!!

Some workouts say " go for a hilly run, or ride on hills stay seated....For us it should say...go for a windy run/ or ride in the wind and stay seated!!!!

Secretly I am dreaming of my next trip to Tuscon to make the climb again, with all the "wind" training it will probably seem easy!

Success is

Success is focusing the full power of all you are

On what you have a burning desire to achieve.

W. A. Peterson



Question of the Week
Are you totally focused on that which you wish to achieve?



I get these quotes from my Dad who has always been a HUGE motivator in my life. He has been able to help me believe that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. This goes all the way back to high school volleyball days when I was in the weight room with the boys lifting in order to increase my jump height, to applying to physical therapy school, to finishing my first triathlon, first Ironman, racing at Worlds etc.

This quote came this week and I have been thinking about it with my athletes and myself. To achieve the goals we set we have to do things that hurt, we may not like, things we dread. That is part of what it takes to accomplish things that may seem impossible. For some, this means getting up at 4:30 in the morning to get their workouts done, others it may mean passing on the sweets and snacks to improve the strength/body weight ratio, others..it may mean spending a little more time staring at the black line at the bottom of the pool, and for some it may mean taking that step towards showing up for group ride.

For me this year it means staying in the weight room (among others things, as I have switched into IM racing again). I've noticed over the past 2 years that once I stop lifting pre-season....I lost my strength faster than before, and then fizzle towards the end of the season, or get minor injuries etc. So, even though this is a workout that seems tedious, or one that could be skipped if short on time (who wants to make another trip to the gym especially when it starts getting nice out), I am going to stick with it through the season and treat it as important as any key workout on the schedule. I started following the BFS weights again in the fall and it keeps it interesting and is always changing. ( more on that later)

Take a good look at what may be keeping you from your goals, and focus on doing what it takes to get the job done.

Firsts....

Good Luck to my athletes Kristi and Miguel doing Ralph's 70.3 this weekend!!!! Race season is officially here and its time to let all that hard winter work pay off. Those indoor long rides and cold dark runs will be worth it when you cross the finish line!

This is the first race of the season for many, and for some a first 1/2 IM ever! You can never get back that feeling of a "first"! That feeling of finishing your first triathlon ever, or finishing your first marathon, first 1/2 IM and then yes, your first Ironman. That is an experience and feeling you can never get back. Running down the finish at my first IM in FL, I had a smile on my face so big it erased the pain and fatigue away (yea almost like having a baby). Its a moment stuck in my brain that still makes me smile. After that, then there is more pressure, and nerves to improve, PR, ....go faster!! Race hard, and enjoy!


First races of the season are exciting too because there is so much motivation and excitement to finally be racing and to see where that winter training has gotten you. It sets a standard to see where your early season fitness really is, and can take you one step closer to your goals.