Adventures with an Average Ironmom

This weekend was a perfect example of why I call myself the Average Ironmom. While I admit I have a lot of energy, drive, determination and multi-tasking skill and am always seeking out big challenges, my triathlete expertise is average compared to your typical Iron-person. I set out on Saturday to do my first 80 mile bike ride ever, and ended up with a story to tell.   My longest ride until then was 65 miles during a heavily supported Bike MS ride. That was in 2013, a year after having had Jason. I had signed up in 2011 to participate in Bike MS at a Lavaman Pre-race expo. The Bike MS Hawaii: Go Big or Go Home Ride covers the entire Ironman course over 2 days, and I figured it was a great way to experience the ride, just in case I ever wanted to do Ironman. Candice the race coordinator even gave me a pair of cycling socks to seal the deal. July of that year I found out I was pregnant with Jason. The lingering hope to still participate in the August race ...

On November 29, 1987 Sean "Peaman" Pagett, founder of Frozen Pea Productions, hosted the first Peaman Race at Kailua-Kona pier on the West Side of the Big Island. He created the events due to a shortage of races in an increasingly popular sport. These monthly swim-run events of varying distances put on by the community, for the community are free, have no pre-race entry and anyone can participate. By signing out, you get your name in the paper and snacks at the end. Heck, you can have the snacks even if you don't sign out. The most beginner of athlete can enter these races, and there is always a short "Pea-wee" course consisting of a 200 yard swim and 1 mile run. This is where the triathlon bug bit me. The same friend who got me hooked on swimming in the ocean also introduced me to Peaman races. I was slow and nervous about swimming in a group, but it was also very exiting staging my transition area and seeing all of the people who came out to part...

Fridays are reserved for long training days. I am lucky enough to have coverage for the gym with three different shifts of volunteers from 6am-1pm so I can train. This morning I decided to sleep a little longer than usual, having yet to wake feeling rested since Honu. Out the door and down to the pool by 6:45 am to try and get 2.4 miles in before the dual dentist appointment at 8:30am for the kids. I think it will take about 90 minutes, so I'll be cutting it close. By the time I get there and get ready, gel and water on the side, I have about 75 minutes to safely make it out of the pool and over to the dentist in time. Maybe I can still make 4225 yards. Ironmoms sometimes have to swim faster to get their workouts in anyway. The first 20 minutes I didn't even look at my watch, feeling one with the water like my old swim team days in high school. Back then, we swam everyday, outside in the winter at a country club where the steam would billow off the water as we chur...

Boy oh boy, what a difference a year can make. Last Saturday was the Ironman 70.3 Honu triathlon, my second half-Ironman to date. And I came out swinging, cutting 51 minutes off my time and having a ball even on a tougher course. When I participated in the race last year I didn't even know if I was going to finish. I had put my name in the Ironman drawing, but was not selected to participate in 2016. So I chose motherhood over training, and hardly spent any time preparing for the race. I used my old road bike, and swam in the ocean only a handful of times. My running was usually cut short by a one year old who needed mom more than mom needed Honu. When the race came around, I almost didn't even go pick up my packet. Even the pre-race prep was too time consuming, let alone being gone the whole day to race and having to recover after. I went for the experience in 2016 and after a decent swim, pulled myself through the bike and run (walk really), thin...

Today was a good day. I took yesterday off as to be super fresh for my biggest workout since Honu, the only Half Ironman I've ever undertaken to date, and awoke rested and ready to go. As I do every morning at 4:30am I checked my e-mail on my phone as I made the coffee, trying to be as quiet as possible so the boys would stay asleep. In my inbox was an e-mail from Meredith Atwood the Swim Bike Mom. I had written to her seeking sponsorship and her response blew me away. In the e-mail was a proposal to be the first Sponsored Athlete Swim Bike Mom has ever had. What an honor this would be to represent the tri moms out there, and to work with a woman who has already done what I aspire to do. She started with a blog, wrote a book, and has created a fun company with her success as a triathlon mom. This is such a great opportunity and I can't wait for the months to come with this new highlight to my Ironmom journey. I was out the door by 5am, to stash a few bottles of water and Gat...