Adventures with an Average Ironmom

It's been almost 2 weeks since the amazing race in which I officially became and Ironmom. I've been reliving the events in my mind since then, while catching up on everything I've put on hold in real life preparing for the race. I've finally found a moment to get it all down, so here it goes... The week before Ironman I left the gym in the capable hands of the Trunk Trainers team and enjoyed all of the race week festivities. Between the Parade of Nations, packet pick-up, the Underpants Run and Pre-Race Banquet and meeting I was a little over extended. I tried to squeeze in my final workouts and also enjoy the stay-cation on Alii Dr. sponsored by one of my support crew members, Louise. It was fun, but I was more exhausted from pre-race activities than during training.   I wound up scrambling Friday to get my gear packed, find a new bike tire, and get a new pair of goggles. Jeff made spaghetti while I packed things up and when I finally turned my bike and gear i...

Out of the three sports of triathlon, the run is by far my favorite and the easiest to train for. Putting on a pair of shoes and heading out the door is way easier than deciding where to swim or bike, what gear to bring, and how to best keep from getting hurt. The wear and tear on the body is greater, but it also tones and conditions best too. Before moving to Hawaii the most running I had done was for soccer, track team, and for fun runs like Race for the Cure. I had never run or walked more than a 5k at once unless it was on a hike. While training for my first Lavaman in 2008 I ran on a treadmill 6.2 miles one time before the race. Since I had never tried running before I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. I decided to enter the Kona Half Marathon and have participated in that event 3 times, two when the race was on Alii Dr. on the Ironman course before having the boys, and one 2015 in Waikoloa. I decided to go big when I turned 26 training for and running in the Portland Mar...

I still can't believe I rode 100 miles on my bike yesterday. I never in a million years thought I would ever ride a bike for 7 hours straight. It was extremely challenging, and something I will never forget. I'm on a mission, and it had to happen. So when I woke up yesterday at 4:30am with the opportunity I've been waiting weeks for, I went for it. And I didn't stop until 100. A 100 mile ride on Queen Kaahumanu Hwy is daunting on any day. The sun is hot, the winds push you all over the road and the traffic is not only fast, but unpredictable too. Everything is loud. Cars and trucks rushing by are loud, the wind is loud. So loud you can't hear your bike, which is unnerving because you are constantly shifting and trying to avoid debris like nails, glass, and roadkill. The shoulder is uneven, and with the sun just up over the mountain by the time I got on the road at 6:10am, I could see every bubble in the asphalt, with their shadows marking up the shoulder. No wonde...

Now I know what people mean when they say "the struggle is real". Ironmom training is hard. I was hanging in there, with my workouts going pretty much according to plan, but the last few weeks have been quite challenging. The first bump in the road came after my glorious 91 mile bike ride July 24. My friend Dot followed me from NELHA all the way to Hawi and back. We left about 8:45am and didn't get back until around late afternoon. It took me 6 hours, 2 minutes and although it was hot, windy, rained, and intense with traffic I felt great. I was ready to ride further or run, but I had to get back to the family. I had also swam 2.4 in the pool in 93 minutes and had a good run  that week. After the ride I noticed a crack forming in the fork of Baby Blue. As I looked closer I read the sticker on the fork. I showed the crack to Oliver and he suggested I take it in to BikeWorks to get it inspected. Perhaps there was a warranty to replace it, since it looked like more than...

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...