What we've anticipated for a year...becoming IRONMEN

Goal: To become ironmen
Strategy: To finish by midnight(within the allotted 17 hours) & stay together

Alarm went off at 4:15am. Since our sister, Kiara, doesn't own a toaster, we broiled the bread in the oven (our typical pre-race meal of peanut butter on toast). As you know (see past entries), things tend to not go so smoothly for us. Our sister's entire apartment was awakened by the smoke alarm...oops! We chugged coffee & we hit the road to Monona Terrace.

TIPS & insights:
#1 Grab everything from the car. Yep, Britt forgot her water bottles in the trunk.
#2 Bring the morning dry clothes race bag. Yep, Britt forgot it and thought sharing Kirstin's bag would work. It caused Kirstin's bag to break, cycling into a whole set of other issues.
#3 Body marking: No need to pull down your pants...just pull up the leg. A stud behind us said "you don't have to drop pants." Slightly embarrassed, we know he enjoyed a peak of our rears.
#4 Use inside women's bathroom. The men's line was slow-moving & long while we zipped through our line. Now, we know the root of porta-potty issues before races...BOYS.


SWIM:
While entering the water, we recognized and talked to "attempting ironman" (a DC triathlete whose blog we followed). We experienced the washing machine for the first 1000 yards. We not only tried to keep a swim pace but tried to stay above water. Next time, our preparation will include water defense classes. We made it out of the swim without black eyes and only minor bruising and scratches. It's all part of the ironman experience.

Swim Insights:
#1: Everyone wants to be front & center (regardless of swim speed & ability)
#2: Swim next to females. Men think they're faster and they're definitely more aggressive.

T1:
After a run up the helix, Kirstin waited for Britt at the transition. Off we went to get our bikes. We got some personal cheers from our family and a fellow CTCer.

Transition Learnings:
#1 Transitions are a free fall all. Volunteers are very helpful; however, we prefer to change ourselves. Read...AWKWARD!
#2 Watch where you look. Nudity is everywhere.



BIKE:
The bike course is tough. But, the volunteers & spectators were amazing. They powered us up hills by banging on pots/pans and yelling which helped distract our minds for a few moments. We heard comments such as "get up here, you paid for this" & "see you soon" (since we did the main loop twice). We easily spotted our family a couple times because of the HUGE, BRIGHT yellow flag our mom made. Despite us knowing, our grandma saw us on the bike course as well. Our dad picked her up and parked by the course so she could see us. How sweet! Our awesome tri club sponsored an aid station which had a pirate theme. It was great to see some familiar faces. At mile 56, we decided to pass up special needs bag. Kirstin regretted this after realizing they were handing out ham sandwiches. The next 14 miles were tougher than expected. Our butts, muscles and bladder need a break so we stopped at mile 70. We visited the porta-potties and chatted with fellow CTCers, participants and volunteers. At mile 85, Britt got busted with a red penalty. Her charge - DRAFTING. Because we didn't pass a penalty box for the remainder of the ride, she checked in at transition. Her consequence: watching a timer for 4 minutes & getting her beautiful bib marked. Once again, Kirstin (being the nice sister that she is) waited as Britt served her time.

Bike Insights:
#1 Fast bikers get Gatorade in fancy water bottles. We got the cheap, plastic bottles. No biggie, but we did pay $500. Yes, we do triathlons for the schwag.
#2 Penalties are committed regularly; however, not in front of officials.

T2:
Changed into our run outfits. This time we refused help and did it ourselves. Much more comfortable. And, off we went.


RUN:
As we made our way to the run course, we saw our dedicated Ironfans (our family). Feeling strong, we ran the first half only walking through the aid stations. Since the stations were less than a mile apart, we had ample breaks. Since we stuck to power bars/gels/blocks on the bike, it was nice to have coke, fruit, and broth on the run. The second half took us a bit longer as we began to walk up and down hills. As we came up on the capital, we knew we had accomplished what we had trained and prepared for over the past year. That feeling was awesome. As we neared the finish line, the crowd, bright lights, noise, and seeing the Team Francour flag was overwhelming. It was somewhat of a blur. We heard "Kirstin F. & Brittany F., sisters from Chicago, you are IRONMEN"

The funny things people asked us:
Question: How did you find each other on the course?
Answer: Luck. Kidding, we planned to stay together.
Question: How long was this Ironman?
Answer: Not all triathlons are Ironman distance.
Question: You went to Hawaii?
Answer: Madison, we're not that fast.

Final Thoughts:
The journey to the Ironman was extremely difficult, long, exhausting, emotionally draining, expensive, eye-opening and socially isolating. But, we learned a lot, had tons of great laughs, became quite flexible, got in shape and met new friends. The accomplishment is indescribable. Worth it? YES! Doing it next year? NO! But, we'll be there to volunteer and cheer on fellow athletes!

Thanks to our family for their cheering, Jaime for her support, Jenni for coming, Get a Grip, CTC, and all the folks on the course for volunteering and cheering!

Brian and Erik, we hope you enjoyed the post!

Next year...we will NOT be IMOO '09 participants!

Today was the final day to sign up for next year's Madison Ironman. We've agonized & debated about whether we should participate. It was an extremely difficult decision; however, we've decided to pursue other adventures and experiences. We'll keep you posted.

Brain, This weekend flew by! The recap will be posted soon...keep checking!

we are ironmen

Yes! Sunday, September 7, 2008 we became IRONMEN. The cannon shot off at 7 a.m. The Wisconsin Ironman (140.6 miles) took us 14:04:04. We crossed the finish line a few minutes after 9 p.m. and heard "Kirstin F. and Brittany F., sisters from Chicago, you are IRONMEN!"

Soon, we will post a race recap (after a little bit of recovering & processing)!

Saturday 09.06.08

This morning, we racked our bikes and dropped off T1 & T2 bags. That alone was stressful. But, add Kirstin's bike issues (brake alignments) & 45 minutes to complete everything because we were parked at a meter without anymore cash - craziness.

Now, we relax! Until, tomorrow morning!

FRIDAY 9/5/08

We left Chicago at 4:15 a.m. Submerged into Lake Monona by 8 a.m., along with tons of other athletes to swim one loop (1.2 miles). Then, we registered...which included lots of lines & frequent photo ID checks. We received 2 bibs - first name & last name. At 5:45 p.m., we returned to Monona Terrace for a typical carb-heavy dinner (too much garlic...repercussions to come!) We listened to several speakers and were inspired by music, personal stories and videos. One interesting statistic, this year the woman's field added 10 more athletes from last year's event totaling 658 woman. Go GIRLS!

It's 10 p.m. We're trying to pack our multiple bags! We've separated our gear into T1 (swim to bike) and T2 (bike to run) bags. Our obsession with weather.com has made us loopy. So, we keep questioning and rethinking our gear choices.

Thanks everyone! We appreciate your supportive calls, text messages, emails and posts.

Rain Delay

We postponed leaving due to the torrential downpour. Our new plan is a good night sleep in our own beds & leave tomorrow at 4 a.m. We're trying not to let nerves get the best of us. And, to be as flexible as possible.

To do: swim the course, drive the run & parts of the bike, pick up last minute things, visit our grandmother & have a BLAST.

Let the IMOO festivities begin!

Tonight (Thursday) we travel to Madison. Kiara is allowing us to INVADE her apartment...2 older sisters, 2 fancy road bikes, tons of expensive tri gear & one furry dog (Kiara - McKinley barked dibs to your bed). FUN TIMES!

How are we? That depends! Depends on the moment, the activity or our conversations. So far, we've felt a wide range of emotions. We fear far greater emotional swings over the next few days.

Our main concern is the weather. We've packed in preparation to whatever Mother Nature may throw at us (be kind!) According to weather.com, Sunday's forecast includes isolated storms, a high of 73 degrees and a low of 51 degrees. For the past week, Kirstin has dealt with Hurricane Gustav at work & now he's pestering her here in Chicago with the annoying RAIN! We're hoping to escaped him on our drive into Madison.

Dad...this one's for you! It's official - 'floating W' can take part in the m-dot logo. Mom, no need to worry about copyright issues!

wait (weight)...what?

Today we read one's man experience during Ironman Wisconsin 2005. We weren't nervous until we read you have to weigh in prior to & after the race. Yikes...now, we're especially nervous.

break time's over...lets go!

Today, we cycled part of the Ironman course. Two loops (80 miles total) through Verona - Mt. Horeb - Cross Plaines. It was a bit painful because we're still sore & recovering from the Dairyland Dare. After the first loop, we were taking a QUICK break (restroom, water bottle fill up & snacks). As we leisurely sat on picnic benches munching on trail mix, two triathletes rode by and yelled "Break time's over...let's go!" BUSTED...they totally called out on our lengthy rest. One thing we look forward to on the course is a cooler full of chilled water that this farmer puts out for cyclists. He doesn't request any money but rather wishes all cyclists a safe ride. What a sweet, encouraging, and refreshing gesture. We plan on sending a thank you card...hopefully, it makes it to him. We have become quite familiar with the farmlands of Southwestern Wisconsin. We are also all too familiar with the smell of road kill (chipmunks, mice, squirrels, deer, raccoons, snakes, and other unidentifiable animals). We're trying to convince McKinley to move; however, she's more urban than country.

We stayed true to our celebratory tradition...a large FROSTY & diet pop. Tomorrow, we volunteering at the world's largest triathlon - Chicago Accenture - with our Tri Club.

Our Triathlon Team

Pleasant Prairie Olympic Triathlon - Sunday, August 17 - Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin.

The swimmer! She was our team's first leg and swam .84 miles. Mom made some improvement from last year. This year, she didn't run into the water screaming, found her stroke quicker & kept conversations with the kayaking lifeguards to a minimum. Next year, with additional improvements, we think we have a shot at winning. Mom...We're proud of you & love having you as a teammate.


Kirstin - the biker! 24 miles, an impressive feat after yesterday's 130 mile HILLY ride outside of Madison.

Britt - the runner! 6.2 miles.


Our finishing photo. Look at those medals!

Next time, we're hoping to recruit our remaining family members. Kiara, Erik & Dad, you have one year. It's time to determine which portion of the triathlon you want to participate in, create a cute team name & train. We'll see you at the starting line!


Thanks Kiara! Your cheering helped us!

the dairyland dare

Saturday, we participated in The Dairyland Dare - a cycling challenge in Southwest Wisconsin. We took the dare and signed up for the 200K...124 miles. The ride took us 10 hours, not including the multiple rest stops & Kirstin's flat tire (at 112 miles). Along the way, we laughed with the other cyclists, lost our breath, and took in the beautiful scenery.

We met some cycling & training milestones:
*100 miles - a century
*112 miles - the ironman distance
*130 miles - the longest distance we've traveled on our bikes & the longest time we've been physically active
*3.9 mph incline (our slowest speed)
*42.2 mph descent down a "hill" (our fastest speed)

The course was 130 miles. Therefore, the total mileage we rode was 210K (yes 6 miles makes a difference). We thought we would be home by 8p.m. (latest). We didn't roll into the house until after midnight. Our 19 hour day was an unforgettable experience.

The Dairyland Dare aint't for the faint of heart! Like the website quotes: "we saddled up for one tough ride." It's probably one of the tougher things we've ever done. However, the event was well run & incredibly organized with incredible volunteers. We rank it one of the best we ever signed up for!!

good enough...

5 a.m. this morning, we drove to Verona (outside of Madison) to ride a portion of the Ironman course. Our triathlon club (CTC) & bike shop (Get a Grip) organized a 40 mile ride. Then, we did a 2nd lap. Total mileage - 80 miles - our longest ride to date. Oh my goodness...HILLS! We're pretty sure the first section is entirely uphill and had flashbacks to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The next section is nicknamed "the rollers." During one downhill descent, we reached 41.4 mphs. There were tons of triathletes riding & running alongside us. Beside tender knees, sunburnt skin and sore muscles we became familiar with the course...yeah! Then, we ran 45 minutes. While we thought we'd be home in the early afternoon, we didn't get back until 8 p.m. We celebrated with a large pop & a large chocolate frosty.

a flat tire sabotages our morning ride

Monday, we woke up at 4:30. We ran for 2 hours & 45 minutes. The word which best describes Monday's morning run - BUGGY! Tuesday, we woke up at 5:00 with a goal to ride 2 hours. After the night's severe storms, trash (primarily broken glass) was scattered all along Lakeshore Path. While riding, Britt's back tire was punctured by a shard of glass. We successfully changed Britt's tire (yeah), this was our 3rd flat of the season. Our concern in regard to changing a tire is the amount of time it takes us and the teamwork we use. During the ironman, we must be self sufficient and change our own tire...YIKES!

Our Learnings:
>>After a storm, let the clean up crews remove debris from streets & paths before riding.
>>Our hand pump is hard & Britt's tire was only partially filled for the rest of the ride.

Tonight (Tuesday): we're doing an open-water swim. Wetsuit versus Swimsuit? Lake Michigan is warm. Do we wear our wetsuit? Yes, we need the practice. No, we don't need the hassle.

MUDDY

Today we participated in Muddy Buddy. The course covered 7.2 miles with 4 obstacles and a mud pit. We switched between mountain biking & running. The highlight: seeing and catching up with friends. The lowlight: the STINKY mud pit (we're positive horse poop was added for extra fun) that left us dirty & smelly. While we hosed off at the end, Costco customers must have enjoyed our pre-shower shopping trip.

As for our ironman training...we're hoping for a better week! Monday morning = 2:45 run. We'll keep you posted!

Does this kind of stuff happen to other people?

Instead of riding in the burbs (due to Britt forgetting the bike rack in mom's car), we ventured out to find a new route. North Branch Trail - here we come...

The North Branch Trail is a 20 mile path located north of the city in a forest preserve. It took us 10 miles (45 minutes) through the streets of Chicago to reach the trail. For the most part we were moving along well, except for Britt having some minor chain issues. 29 miles into the ride, we stopped twice to fiddle with the chain. Over the next mile, Britt tried to make sure everything was working properly. The chain became a lesser issue when her entire PEDAL fell off. The first attempt to fix it, Kirstin put the pedals parallel to one another. The second attempt the pedal fell off after a couple rotations. 30 miles away from home, we knew we weren't cycling back. Unfortunately, we didn't know where we were either, nor did other cyclist from the area. And to top it off, we had limited cell service (GO SPRINT).

We walked & pedaled with one foot to the nearest metra station (over 3 miles). Waited over an hour and 1/2 for the metra train (of course train was late due to technical difficulty). 6 hours & 45 minutes later, we're finally home.

Bacteria-filled Saturday

Our alarms were set for 5 a.m. but we snoozed until 6 a.m. We spent 2 hours running along lakeshore path. We cycled down to Ohio Street Beach. It wasn't until we squeezed into our wetsuit that we were told the beach was closed. The reason: high levels of bacteria. The solution: we traveled 1/2 mile north to Oak Street Beach. Does a 1/2 mile make a difference...we'll let you know if we come down with any side effects. Our 2 mile swim was incredibly wavy - the conditions were more conducive to surfing than swimming.

Upon returning home, frustration set in. Our refrigerator wasn't working. We called the apartment's emergency number & our maintenance man. We were told nothing could happen until Tuesday. It takes so long for our apartment management to respond to emergencies. The solution: drink.

Well, we're off to grab a few drinks & carbo-load for tomorrows 4 hour bike & 1 hour run.

bib number 895

Kirstin is happy to report that she did not receive any penalties while racer 895 drafted off of her throughout the bike. Unfortunately, he received 2 penalties. USAT officials are tough!

Spirit of Racine - Race Recap

Alarms went off at 3:45am to wake us up. We drove over 60 miles to reach Racine. Mom met us at the transition at 6:30. Then, we walked over a mile to the swim start. Due to visibility issues, the race was postponed an hour until 8:00.

SWIM - 1.2 miles
Lake Michigan was 55 degrees (FREEZING). Our faces and feet felt like they were going to freeze off. But the wetsuit helped keep our core warm, and peeing in them beforehand didn't hurt either.

BIKE - 56 miles
We've never experienced an aid station on our bikes before; so, we rode past the first one. Volunteers hand out water, sport drinks & gel as cyclists ride by and grab what they need. At the second aid station, we successfully grabbed sport drinks and water. The last station, Brittany tried to grab a gel. After 2 failed attempts she rode on without any gel. A cyclist rode by and said "that didn't work out so well." The USAT officials were out in force. Racer #895 kept drafting off of Kirstin (even when the officials were right next to us on their motorcycles). We're still trying to figure if we got 4 minute penalties. Regardless, we shared tons of laughs and inappropriate comments on the bike.

RUN - 13 miles
The course was two 6.05 mile loops. It was hot & sunny! We saw the same people over & over. Kirstin "bonked" (as Jaime worded it) on the run. At no point did she feel strong. She couldn't get a pace and needed to walk part of it. Britt, on the other hand, felt great and strong. Being the sister and teammate she is, she waited for Kirstin in order to finish together. Her estimated time sacrifice...+20 minutes.

OUR TIME: 5:49.(and some milliseconds)

Our Learning's:
* Wear black spandex (& correct fitting)...or butt cracks show.

* Hydration system - the yellow netting must be properly placed. This keeps the fluid inside the bottle and not from splashing all over your face. Unfortunately, Brittany lost hers about 8 miles into the ride. Kirstin felt like she was in a pool.

* Most supporters (especially when drinking) think we're twins and will strongly debate us about it. While we do like similar since we're sisters, the matching oufits definitely confuse people.

70.3ers

We finished! We are officially 70.3ers. As for now, we're exhausted, sun burnt and grateful for no technical promblems & the massive support along the way! This entry will be followed by a more complete race recap, because we know you want to know & we also want to remember this accomplishment!

Sue L. - great seeing you! The pre-race laughts calmed our nerves.

We greatly appreciate:
Mom - for coming, watching, cheering & supporting us for the entire day. Your enthusiasm and nervousness are contagious. For making and debuting an amazingly, beautiful Ironman Wisconsin flag. We'll post a pic shortly.
Jaime & Kaylei - thanks for your fun sign, loud cheers & driving to multiple spots.
Attempting Ironman - your encouraging words!
CTCers (along the route) - for the thumbs ups, smiles, and waves along the way!
Volunteers - risking lost limbs to serve us drinks & gels.
Supporters - being there!

Post-race follow-up
After the 1/2 Ironman, we made a gas stop. Surprise! My car wouldn't start...of course. Kirstin asked a fellow triathlete (pumping gas) to jump us. Thankfully, he agreed to help but wasn't so excited to do so. He waited as we unloaded the car and took off the bikes in order to get the jumper cables. On a positive note, we had stalled at a gas station versus a random spot in Racine.

As we pulled out of the gas station, I stopped at the light. Kirstin yelled for me to keep revving my engine, but in my stress and frustration, I couldn't do it quick enough. My car died again. Several cars (full of men) offered to help push us into the parking lot across from the gas station. Nice...the "girl" card was blatant. Kirstin did help push for part of the way, and let's just say, it is not that difficult. In any event, it was nice for those guys to help.

Not sure what to do next, we shook our heads and laughed at the situation. Ugh...we just want to get out of the sun and into the shower. Another man approached us asking if we needed help. We thought...um...yeah...but we've had two other group of man already help us. Until he mentioned he was a mechanic. HELLO! He worked on my car for about 45 minutes claiming rotten cables and a dirty battery was to blame. His pointer "REV your engine all the way home." All the way home, all I heard was Kirstin yelling "REV!" We are so very thankful to him fixing the battery which allowed us to get home from a very long day.

It was a very long day, but we are now 70.3ers! :) And, our journey continues...

70.3 here we come!

Today begins the daunting task of packing up all our triathlon equipment & mentally preparing ourselves for 70.3 miles. In regard to the massive amount of tri gear, I think moving apartments may be less stressful. It's unreal the amount of equipment needed to participate in this multisport.

Our weekend plan -
Saturday: packet pickup & racking our bikes
Sunday: FINISH!!

Jaime (who is unable to join us because of a bike accident...that damn limo)...this one's for you!

no matter what

A few years back, the pastor of our church resolved to run..."no matter what." Running became his priority regardless of weather, time, commitments, emotions & other solid excuses. His mantra has been a good motivator; but, occasionally we do allow "uncontrollable forces" to reduce our mileage.

5 am this morning, we were loaded up on the street ready to bike. Frustrated with the thunder, lightening & light rain we determined it wasn't safe. We climbed back into our beds and waited until our brunch date with our mom, brother & sisters. Then, the girls went to a store to create individualized purses.

By afternoon, the weather cleared up & we were on our way! We ran on the lakefront for 2 hours, rode our mountain bikes, and swam 1 mile in Lake Michigan (sporting our wetsuits).

Now, we're home. It's time to kick back with a beer, junk food and a movie. Maybe that is negating our hard work, but so be it! What a great day.

Our Learnings:
Don't grocery shop after nearly 5 hours of working out. We bought 4 cartons of light ice cream, diet pop & 2 bags of baked chips (we're carbo loading for tomorrow's 4 1/2 hour ride & 1 hour run).

We did it...NO MATTER WHAT!

learning is painful

This morning's plan: bike (1 hour) run (50 minutes)! Yes, a brick.
This morning's problem: a flat tire.

22 minutes into our ride, Kirstin's back tire went flat. Kirstin quickly dissembled her back tire (removed the skewer, popped the wheel off, & took off the tire and tube). She laid out her fancy tools that were contained within her saddle bag. We consider ourselves resourceful; therefore, we thought "how difficult is it to change a flat tire." Britt even spent time watching youtube's "How to Change a Bike Tire." But from this point (bike broken apart & tools spread out) - we were clueless. Numerous runners and cyclist offered assistance but we graciously declined. Finally, a cyclist returned to help since it appeared we weren't making any progress. Unfortunately, he was late to work so he called over his friend & handed over this daunting task. His poor friend was stuck! And for us, it was quite a humiliating experience. We were unsure how to use our equipment & went overboard with dissembling the bike (example - removing the skewer isn't necessary). After using his CO2 tool and cartridge & him putting on the tire & wasting his time - we were on our way. Returning home, we scraped up our pride and mustered the "umph" to go for a 40 minute run.

Our current plan: practice changing a tire & practice using our fancy equipment.

Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers.

INSPIRATIONal words

Flipping through a Chicago sport magazine, I came across a Cannondale advertisement (kinda' partial to this brand). The ad: "Test Ride Reason #40: It Has Heart, Ready To Attack." I tend to be a sucker for inspiring words, mantras & quotes.

A few years ago, watching a Navy Seal documentary, one man interviewed said "mind before matter - if you don't mind it doesn't matter." This quote inspired us through several long marathon seasons.

Back in high school, our swim coach used a visualizing technique combined with a self selected buzz word. His intent - to power us through our race. Kirstin's buzz word: "SNICKERS." Yes, the candy bar! But don't laugh, she qualified for state & maintains a huge sweet tooth. Curious about her ironman word/quote? Ideas are welcomed!

Anyway, we're in need of buzz words & suggestions to power us through the next several weeks of our training.

joining the club

This morning we completed our second 56 mile ride on the Racine 1/2 Ironman course. While we didn't master the course, we definitely improved from our first ride. We didn't end our ride with an empty parking lot. We're speeding up! We were part of the fast bunch of the slow group. VICTORY! Maybe not, but we're feeling much better about our cycling progress. And now that we're feeling more comfortable, it's time for aerobars. We're going to look more tri-spiffy, and that's what is important to us :)

Highlights:
-During our Saturday morning ride, we passed a large group of Harley riders. The most bad a*& looking riders of the bunch waved at us (in their cool way). Love of the open rode, fresh air...I guess we have something in common with them. And of course, we're "cool," too.
- Walking 4 miles on Saturday with our mom & younger sister.

Learnings:
-Our cheap (functioning) bike rack doesn't remain attached over bumpy train tracks. We almost endured a major catastrophe - thank goodness the bikes didn't drag on the ground & there wasn't a driver following us!
-Red vines are power fuel candy
-Warm Accelerade isn't the most enjoyable drink

i can't...i have to workout

WOW...an intense week! Following an impressive Sat. & Sun., we turned up the heat. Pay close attention to Wednesday - 3 hour 40 minutes.

RECAP
Monday - a.m. bike (1 h 25 m)
Tuesday - a.m. swim (1 h) & p.m. run (1 h 10m)
Wednesday - a.m. bike (1 h 40 m) p.m. run (1 h) swim (1 h)
Thursday - run (1 h 45 m)
Friday -with full intentions to swim - we changed our plans due to pool over crowding. Plan B - relax outside over a cup of coffee. It was worth it.

Tonight we're off to Wisconsin to celebrate our father's 61st birthday. We'll see the nutritional effects of a true Friday night fish fry. Tomorrow (Saturday) - BRICK - bike...run...swim. Then, on Sunday, riding the Racine 1/2 ironman course - 56 miles.

GO 140.6isters!

"it's not easy"

time: 3:10:23 total distance: 31.9815 miles

Bigfoot was our triathlon season's kickoff. We shaved 23 (LONG) minutes off our last year's time! We should have since we've been training for an ironman & have road bikes (versus mountain bikes). Not as strong as we would have liked, but coming off a 3 hour 50 minute ride...not bad.

Today's quote: "it's not easy."

max speed 33.7

Today's accomplishment: completing our LONG RIDE! We were worried with this morning's rain, clouds & thunder as well as weather.com's report of continous t-showers. However, once the sky cleared up - we began pedaling.


RESULTS
Time: 3:49:46
Distance: 49.95 miles
Average Speed: 13mph
Max Speed: 33.7 mph (faster than posted speed limit signs)

As for the dog walker who yelled & the grandpa-like driver who beeped - (because we're uncertain about your frustration) we'll view this as signs of support & encouragement...thank you!

what's up?

After hours of frustration, online research, negotiations, and contacting our local multisport store (who were also out of our desired wetsuits - not surprisingly); our expensive purchase was finally & officially accomplished. PHEW! On Wednesday (6.18.08) we purchased a Blue Seventy 2008 Reaction wetsuit from an online retailer for $269.10 (10% discount, no tax, shipping and/or handling). The cutest part they created our own personal promotional code - "Brittany08." Now, we anxiously await the arrival of our wetsuits; unfortunately, not in time for this weekend's Bigfoot Triathlon. Therefore, we won't be sporting wetsuits making us look (hence feel) unprepared & inadequate for the swim portion. All we know - it's gonna be CHILLY!

A quick recap from 2007 Bigfoot Triathlon. We participated in the Olympic distance - 1.5K swim, 40K cycle, 10K run. The 10K run was a hilly trail run which we considered difficult & long, 10K run = 6.21 mile run. It wasn't until March 2008 we learned the course was incorrectly marked - actually the run was over 8 miles. Hopefully, this year they get the mileage right...go GPS systems! Last year we finished in 3:33.05 (we're not time focused; however with running fewer miles - time is on our side).

Kudos to Kirstin for a hard training week! Unlike Britt (who began her 10 1/2 summer break) - Kirstin continues to work full time, crazily train, & remain motivated (with a gigantic SMILE :) I'm impressed!

For this weekend's crosstown classic: GO CUBBIES...make us northsiders proud!

ok...we're swimming naked

After contacting 2 more online companies, I GIVE UP! I know your asking, "Why not purchase a 2008 wetsuit which fit perfectly & be done?" Because that's not our style, we're bargain shoppers, deal finders, obsessive researchers (at least that describes Kirstin) & we typically get our way.

My advice to future wetsuit purchasers: order clearance wetsuit in the fall (off season)!

The Never-Ending Wetsuit Purchase

We attempted to negotiate a better discount with online company #2. There offer was a $30 discount, no sales tax, and free shipping & handling. Our counter-offer was $50 off (no tax, free shipping & handling) off each wetsuit. They would not accept this offer. Because I'm easily offended...we'll search elsewhere or buy locally. I guess not everything's negotiable!

Frustrated, I placed our 3rd online wetsuit order. If this isn't successful, our plan - swim naked!

wetsuit - take 3

Well, we're in the same "out of stock" wetsuit predicament as yesterday. My advice to online companies, "if you don't got it, don't list it!" However, online company #2 will give us a $30 discount on 2008 wetsuits because of their mistake. Does everybody have issues like us? Maybe we won't blog it until it's official!

Lake Michigan - you must wait!

wetsuit - round 2

The (1st) online triathlon company informed us the wetsuits we ordered weren't in stock & they forgot to take them off their website. Fortunately, we found another online triathlon company to purchase the 2007 wetsuit. However, we had difficulty deciding on the wetsuit size. This dilemma led Britt to a near melt down. For now, we are committed to lose some weight in order to breathe. Cross your fingers that the online company doesn't contact us tomorrow to inform us our wetsuits aren't in stock.

wetsuit round 2 - savings $10.50 (made this minor hassle worth it!)

2007 Blue Seventy Reaction Wetsuit

Tonight (finally) we tried on wetsuits. A less traumatic experience than expected because we prepared ourselves to look & feel like sausages. After leaving the store, we searched online for the best deal. We each purchased a 2007 model for a $128 saving...GO TEAM CURVES.

2008 wetsuit at store $299 (without 9.5% tax)
vs.
2007 wetsuit online $200.50 (tax, shipping & handling included)

Lake Michigan here we come!

Bike Shoes Aren't Waterproof

Saturday
bike: 45 minutes
run: 1 hour 50 minutes (in EXTREME heat & humidity)
swim: 45 minutes

Sunday
run: 40 minutes
bike: 2 hours 5 minute

On Sunday, we road our bikes around our parent's town. The roads are less traveled and hillier than Chicago's lakefront. Unfortunately, a severe thunderstorm prevented us from completing the last 45 minutes of our ride.

As the thunder began to roll, we pedaled quickly back to our parents' home (for future rides, Britt should handle each ride as though she's caught in a thunderstorm:). Our phones rang and vibrated. How sweet - our family was concerned about us being caught in the thunderstorms. Maybe they were calling to pick us up. NOPE. They called because our Dad backed his borrowed van into Britt's car. Why would she park her car behind the van? Pure stupidity. Our perspective...he shouldn't have backed out of the driveway like bat out of hell. The damage: a destroyed bumper, busted light, and hurt feelings (they weren't worried about us riding in lightening and rain).

Nonetheless, we had solid work outs this weekend.

Our learnings:
- Start long runs no later than 6am during Chicago summer.
- If it looks like a storm and sounds like a storm...it is. Don't push your luck.
- Water bottle cages are meant for bike-specific water bottles not store-bought water.
- Bike computers are waterproof...bike shoes aren't.

TRAIL (lakefront) MAGIC

Early this morning we volunteered for the Soldier Field 10 miler. Our task: remove each finishing medal out of individually wrapped plastic bags. Waste of time & waste of materials...yes! But, we were needed.

Afterwards, we ran 2 hours 20 minutes - 15.19 miles. Luckily, near Navy Pier (our halfway point) there was a candy promotion - Air Heads handing out lollipops. Overly excited Kirstin jumped in front of 2 patiently waiting kids to receive 3 free samples. Hopefully, her "go get 'em" effort continues through training & onto race day. This trail magic boosted our sugar. We're obviously still working on the nutrition thing.

Tomorrow were heading to Racine, Wisconsin to attempt the half ironman bike course. We'll cover 56 miles on our fully loaded bikes. To date, this will be our longest ride.

We're beginning to sport beautiful farmer's tans to compliment our burnt faces.

bike versus us

Just one final mention of The Cure...the concert was a blast! It was amazing to see and hear a band that has created 30 years of hits. Britt was impressed and impressive. She showed off her limited dance moves. Oh, those lucky people that sat behind us.

Today was a historical day for our triathlon journey. We took our brand-new road bikes for a spin. Slightly less than 4 minutes into practicing clipping in and out, Britt got quite the gash on her shin. She also ended our ride by falling off her bike. No worries though...only minor injuries and a bruised ego. Plus, Chicago Traffic Management and a few Cub fans got some entertainment.

SCORE: bike - 2, Britt - 0

Next on our bike list: getting comfortable with shifting gears, learning how to drink/eat while riding, figuring out our computers, and learning how to change a flat. Not to mention hill training. Thank goodness swimming and running are light on gear!

FRIDAY

It's Friday I'm in love
It's Friday I'm in love
But Friday never hesitate...
It's Friday I'm in love
It's Friday I'm in love
But Friday never hesitate...
It's Friday
I'm in love

Thursday (still stuck on The Cure)

Because I intend to finish the lyrics & it's Thursday...here it goes:
Thursday I don't care about you…
Thursday doesn't even start...
Thursday never looking back...
Or Thursday watch the walls instead!

As for Ironman preparation (the purpose of our blog): after work (tonight), we will pick up "partially loaded bikes". We purchased bike gear/equipment at REI. So, we need to "install" saddle bags, bento boxes, and cadence computers. Then, after our "do it yourself" installation, we can claim our bikes to be fully loaded.

We're hoping the bike shop instructs us on changing tires, releasing wheels, and other bike maintenance stuff.

Tuesday & Wednesday (The Cure continued)

tuesday's grey and wednesday too...
tuesday wednesday break my heart...
tuesday wednesday heart attack...
tuesday wednesday stay in bed...

Today (Tuesday) neither Britt or Kirstin woke up to train. Our inspiration is credited to the 4th Tuesday-specific line from "Friday I'm in Love" (listed above).

THE CURE

Here are four phrases we deliberately selected from "Friday I'm in Love" a song by The Cure. These lyrics are appropriate because today is Monday.

I don't care if monday's blue...
Monday you can fall apart...
I don't care if monday's black...
Monday you can hold your head...

Although lines are missing and this entry has no relevance to our training - we're ready to ROCK. Erik...we bought black eyeliner & are having a make up party prior to the concert. 5 DAYS - you're in for a treat!

SWIMMING

We swim at our local park district pool. As you can imagine, it's both a humorous and frustrating experience.

PROS:
1. Conviently close (walkable but usually we drive)
2. CHEAP (winter session $20.00 for 10 weeks & spring $15.00 for 7 weeks)
3. The multitude of lifeguards who keep us safe while eating, socailizing, & jumping rope (safety first)!

CONS:
1. Limited time for adult lap swim (adult lap swim is a loose term).
2. The characters who swim beside us! So far, there have been 2 deep-end explorers who smiled at us as we swam above them, a snorkler who managed flip turns, wet suit wearers, and floaters.
3. Unspoken rules, appropriate lane sharing, and courtesy are not followed.
4. 2 or more swimmers pushing off the wall at the same time!

"Busted Flat in"...Dodgeville

QuadruPedal Race Recap
Division: Mountain Bike
Distance: 33 miles
Finish: DNF
(tri lingo for "did not finish," according to our dad we DNS for "did not start!")

True to form, we arrived decked out in running gear. This encouraged fellow cyclist to comment on our active wear choice. We would like to thank all the non-cycling snobs who refrained from pointing out the obvious. The first 10 yards started out strong (us being in good form and menatlly prepared). And while we were focused and determined, we couldn't ignore the sound of "pppsssssssssssssss." Yep, our dream of finishing and enjoying a post-race celebration ended. Britt had a FLAT. In the end, we justified paying $50.00 for a t-shirt and contributing to a dog charity.

Our LEARNINGS:
*like a boy scout ...always be prepared
*a saddle bag full of spare tubes and bike tools isn't just for appearance sake
*Sprint (cell service) doesn't work in Dodgeville, Wisconsin (or at our parent's house or various locations around Chicago)
*Dodgeville's Walmart is super nice & has moral shoppers (our unlocked bikes weren't stolen)

Friday & Saturday

Post back-to-back bricks on Wednesday and Thursday, we ran 1 hour & 40 minutes after work on Friday. We survived a torrential down pour, allowing us to own the mantra "fair weather fans...that ain't us!"

Saturday, we spent 2 1/2 hours with a certified bike technichian and spent more money ($140 to be exact). We're almost prepared for flat tires, riding in the dark, and inevitable falls. We are becoming bike nerds, and hopefully one day, hard-core cyclists.

QuadruPedal...here we come! 33 miles on our good ole' mountain bikes. Fellow racers...be scared! Even you, century riders!

SIX13 FEMININE 6 (Cannondale Road Bike)

Yesterday was “Bike Fit & Purchase Day!” I woke up crabby in fear of being stripped down, hooked up to machines, tape measured, weighed, and put into compromising positions. Well…the experience proved more comfortable than expected. The assessment is official...we're perfect. In all seriousness, our body dimensions are similiar. Britt has longer legs & Kirstin has a longer torso. Because there's a centimeter difference at 2 spots on our bikes, we aren't allowed to swap bikes ;) Additionally, our hamstring flexibility is lower than average and our upper back muscles are tight. This means: more stretching - less stress.

COST
Bike Fit - $125.00
2008 Cannondale Road Bike - $1350.00
Sidi Bike Shoes - $180.00 (most expensive pair of shoes we've purchased)
Pair of socks - free (one of the few non-traditional ways this bike shop advertises)
Clipless Pedals - $60.00
9% tax - $127.71

Riding a road bike versus our mountain bikes = PRICELESS

Here’s to the next 131 days. Currently, our bikes are being fitted to our body dimensions.

CRAZYLEGS 2008

We all crossed the 8K finish line. Our family (minus Kiara "the photographer") celebrated at Camp Randall with live music and cold beer. The chilly weather nor the long beer lines kept us from the post party. As usual, we closed the party down...GO TEAM! Crazylegs was a great season opener - more events & races to come.

more meltdowns to come

Saturday, our brother (Erik) & parents will join us for the 8k Crazylegs run up in Madison. What motivated them to participate? BEER. But, we'll tell everyone...quality family time. On Sunday, (it's true) we have appointments at a local bike shop. We are soon to be the proud owners of ROAD BIKES. ROAD BIKES? Yes...we're prepared to make the investment. Yes...we're ready to fit into the cycling world. Yes...we're stressed about hours on our bikes, flat tires, and seat sores.

As for training, we're EXHAUSTED & IRRITABLE. Our zombie-like state is hindering our daily productiveness & desire to be social. Another issue - MELTDOWNS. Kirstin...takes this week's meltdown award. Never before has her brand new, noisy $300 cyclops bothered her. Now, it's the bane of her existence. I guess we're adjusting to WORKING and WORKING OUT!

BACK in MOTION (after a hiatus)...a shout out to JULIE (our biggest fan) for checking our blog - this one's for you!

In January, we began working out intensely; however, we became distracted. Today, we can proudly state WE'RE BACK! We've dug ourselves out of winter & reclaimed our commitment to TRAIN for IRONMAN WISCONSIN. 5 months until the big day so excuses are no longer an option. We are blaming our coach potatoe tendancies and workout avoidance on uncooperative weather, work demands, time restaints, social obligations, Seasonal Affective Disorder (Britt's issue), TV schedules, etc...

But, WE'RE OVER IT! For 3 weeks, we've been on the lakefront running path, in the park district pool, and on our cyclops trainer.

Our JOURNEY continues...