Moooo!

Last post before IMOO! Yesterday was so crazy that I did not get a chance to post. I got up and headed into the city to pick up my wheels at 9 am. I then did a quick 30 min ride and a 20 min swim as my final workouts before the race.

the great Madison bike path that I rode on!

I then met my blog friend Kevin @ IronmanByThirty and his wife Jennie for lunch. After we parted ways, I hung around at the expo before meeting up with Laurie, who I met through Mary's Facebook page (I love the 21st century!!!), who was kind enough to take me around the bike course! We then made a late entrance into the athlete's dinner which was as per usual. By that point, I was exhausted so I went home and went to bed!

Laurie and I!

Today, I got up and ate a delicious carbo-load breakfast at IHOP. I then packed up my transition bags, got my bike stickered up and ready to go and brought my stuff down to the Terrace to drop it off. I had a quick meet up with Kevin again so I could give him my bike ticket (in case I cannot get my bike out of transition). I then met Laurie, one of her daughters, and 2 of her friends for lunch. By this point it was getting late, so I made my way back to the hotel to sit with my feet up - which is what I've been doing for the rest of the day!

3rd time's the charm!

About the bike course - it is a twisty, turny roller coaster of craziness. I think it's gonna be tricky but also a lot of fun. Definitely will NOT get bored at any point!

Tentative goals for the race tomorrow include:

swim: 1:10 +/- 5 mins
bike: 1:20 +/- 5 mins
run: ??!?!?!?!?!!

If you want to track me: www.ironmanlive.com

Search for either "Alexa Harding" or bib # 255!

Mad-Town!

GAME ON!!!

HELLO WISCONSIN!!

Today has been crazy! GOOD crazy!

I departed from my hotel room in South Bend at 9 am to try to avoid Chicago traffic. Didn't work as well as I'd hoped but I managed to get through Chicago without any problems other than some slow traffic. I determined that my time of arrival in Madison would be about 12:30, which was wayyy too early to check into my hotel, so I headed straight down to Monona Terrace, found a parking garage, and registered for Ironman #3! Monona Terrace is really cool.. it's a HUGE convention center right on the lake, across from the capitol building!

Then, I figured I should do my workouts while I was in the area, so I went back to my car to get my stuff. Unfortunately, my swimsuit, wetsuit, sneakers, and running clothes were buried in my suitcase, so I got my HUGE suitcase out of my car, set it on the ground and dug through it in the middle of the parking garage. After getting everything, I headed down to the beachfront and hopped in the water. The water temperature was good but it was pretty choppy, and there was a lot of seaweed. I started swimming towards a buoy, but once I got out a ways, I couldn't see the buoy anymore. I turned around and swam to another buoy, but then I started panicking a bit because it was choppy, I couldn't see where to swim, there was barely anyone else swimming, and I kept imagining that one of the alleged giant black snakes of Lake Monona was swimming around me. I ended up swimming back to the shore and getting out.. after 6 minutes and 47 seconds. After calming myself down, I went back out for round 2. For some reason, the lake really creeped me out. I think I swam 15 minutes total. Not great, but at least it was something. Then I went for a 30 min easy run.

So, the freakout wasn't great, but I powered through it.

I also got a glimpse of.. THE HELIX!!!

Now I'm at my hotel room, ordered some food, and am watching bad TV with my compression socks on and my legs up. Also I am trying to get some of my stuff organized for the next few days. Tomorrow, I am heading into town in the morning to pick up my race wheels, do a quick ride on my bike and a quick dip in the lake. Then I am meeting a creepy internet friend, Laurie, at 3:30 to drive the course and then hit the athlete dinner!

Hit the Road, Jack

I'm going to try to do what I did during Ironman Coeur D'Alene race week.. blog every day. This is going to be quick because I am exhausted and already in bed, but at least it's something!

I hit the road at 8:30 this morning after finishing up my packing and dropping Fiona off at the vet where she is kenneled while I am out of town. I drove 512 miles - through Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Toledo, and finally ending in South Bend, Indiana at about 5:30 for an overnight stop.

Apparently, South Bend, Indiana is the home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish! I did not know this - actually, I did not even know that Notre Dame was in Indiana! I drove into town wearing my Penn State hoodie that my dad got me a few years ago. I was filled with trepidation about being heckled, harassed, beat up, murdered, but turns out, folks here are open-minded towards rival football teams!

It's a pretty cute town. I got a hotel room for $61 and then wandered downtown to an Irish restaurant that I found via google - Fiddler's Hearth. It got good reviews, had a good menu, and had an open mic night tonight! I had veggie stuffed potato pancakes, a hefeweisen, and flourless chocolate cake for dessert. Yes, I know, I shouldn't be eating stuff like this before Ironman, I should be watching my weight and whatnot, but I was hungry and chatting with the bartender and various other local patrons. It just happened. Tomorrow, it ends!

Now I am off to sleep, and heading off on the final leg of my trip out tomorrow morning. I can't wait to drive through Chicago! I am hoping to time it so that I don't get stuck in rush hour traffic.

Taper is the Devil

You heard me.

Taper can take any mild mannered person (not that I am claiming to be that person) and turn them into a raging lunatic. As someone who is used to working out for at LEAST 1-2 hours per day, I am now expected to sit on my couch for hours at a time. This is boring. My back and ass are sore from freaking sitting. I have pent up energy out the wazoo and I can only imagine what I am like to be around right now.

On Saturday, I had a meltdown. I slept in, did my recover ride in the morning, showered and put actual real clothes on with the plan of running Ironman-related errands during the afternoon. I hopped in my car to drive to Triple A so I could pick up some maps of Wisconsin for my upcoming road trip. Triple A is less than 1 mile from my house. I pulled into a parking spot behind a Triple A driver's ed car, and my car would not go into park. It also wouldn't go into reverse. I was stuck. I ended up putting my car in neutral, engaging the emergency brake, and left it running to go inside.

Is it irony that this happened at Triple A, or is it the universe mocking me?

A Triple A guy was there in 15 minutes and he showed me how to "unstick" the shifter using a small button located next to it. I had to stick a key or another long, skinny object into the hole (that's what she said?) and push down on this button in order to move the shifter. While the Triple A guy was fiddling with my car, I started crying. Of course. I am leaving for Ironman Wisconsin on Wed. morning, which I am driving to. It was Saturday afternoon on Labor Day weekend. Most garages were closed until Tuesday. I drove home, crying, while the Triple A guy followed me in his truck to make sure I didn't get stuck. Worst case scenarios were flashing through my mind. Having to forgo my errands and wait for a tow truck to take the car to the garage. Having to pay for an SUV-sized rental car for a week. Having to ask my parents to drive their Honda-CRV up to Rochester so I could borrow it. Having my car die on the way to Wisconsin.

Cue:  emotional Alexa pre-Ironman car-triggered freakout.

An hour of sobbing later, I started calling garages and couldn't get ahold of anyone. I then figured that my car was drivable, just annoying, and I wasn't sure if this problem was serious, but I had things to do (bike shop, running store, etc.) so I set out. I got to the bike shop and my car fixed itself in the parking lot. It was fine for the rest of the day and all of Sunday. On Monday, it was sticking again, on and off throughout the day.

I think my car is possessed.

Apologies to the people who had to deal with me while I was crying - those include the Triple A guy, my dad, and my friend Ari. To those of you who didn't answer your phones, consider yourselves lucky! Thanks for the advice from the Train-This teammates!

I have the WORST car karma when it comes to freaking Ironman. I also almost got rear-ended by a truck today after going over my race plan with Mary. If I make it to and from IMOO in one piece, consider me happy!

On a positive note, besides my car being crazy, I am basically prepared for my trip! I only had to work 1 overnight this week. My race wheels are reserved. My car's oil has been changed. My nutrition has been purchased. The majority of my suitcase is packed (the rest of the clothes need to be washed first). I have obtained some audio books from Kim. I have gone over my race plan with Mary. My bike has been cleaned and new decals have been applied (I will have a separate post on this soon). Four good luck hugs have been obtained.

Exciting!

Moooooooooo!

The Ironman Face-Off

On September 11, two athletes, Alexa Harding and Mark Olivieri, will go head to head at two separate Ironman events. Alexa at Ironman Wisconsin vs. Mark at REV3 Cedar Point. High stakes have been wagered on the outcome of this contest.

These two athletes have some similarities. Both have been doing triathlons for about the same amount of time (less than 5 years). Both are loud and love to talk. Both dislike clothes (Mark has rarely been sighted with a shirt on and Alexa hates pants). Both love it when people look at their abs and therefore have slightly inflated egos. (Mark's is bigger - his ego, NOT his abs).

In an attempt to create some controversy for this contest, I have made a list of criteria that will determine the odds for these two athletes. There are 8 categories in which the contestants will be evaluated. This assessment is not at all biased and was NOT written by one of the athletes who is participating in this contest. TOTALLY UNBIASED, PEOPLE!


Biology
Alexa: XX chromosomes
Mark: XY chromosomes
Advantage: Mark. No matter how fast Chrissie Wellington may be (or how much of a freak of nature she is), she will always be beaten by her male counterparts: Macca, Chris Lieto, the Raelerts, etc.

Coaching
Alexa: Mary Eggers
Mark: Mary Eggers
Advantage: Neither. It's a tie.

Equipment
Alexa: 2008 Cervelo P2C, Zipp 404s
Mark: 2011 Kestral, Zipp 808s
Advantage: Mark. Newer bike, faster wheels, 'nuff said.

Schedule
Alexa: works 41 hours a week, rotates through days, evenings, nights, is single and lives alone.
Mark: college professor (tenure-track) with summers off, has a wife and 5 young children.
Advantage: Alexa. Five kids is insane.

Mental Stability
Alexa: reasonably emotionally unstable in most aspects of her life, somehow manages to pull it together for race day (except during IMLP where she cried on the run).
Mark: he's a man. men don't have a soul, do they?
Advantage: Mark. Reason? He doesn't menstruate. Game over.

Race Experience
Mark: 1 Ironman, unknown # of other races.
Alexa: 2 Ironmans, 3 HIMs, and Alexa continues to kick Mark's ass in races at all distances (running races, IM, half-IM, Olympic distance tris, etc).
Advantage: Alexa. Proven to be faster (sorry Mark!).

Race Venue
Alexa: has never even BEEN to Wisconsin.
Mark: returning to REV3 Cedar Point which he raced last year.
Advantage: Mark.

The Badass Factor
Alexa: has an attitude, 4 tattoos, curses like a sailor, has totaled 2 cars in less than 10 years.
Mark: watches Twilight with his wife, has to talk to his kids about "the birds and the bees," plays the piano, has crashed his bike going 40 mph.
Advantage: Alexa. Clearly. Would have been an even easier win if Mark hadn't crashed his bike.

Now I don't actually know how to calculate odds, but PLEASE leave a comment and let me know who you are rooting for! The fun part of this is - we are not racing at the same venue, so we will have NO IDEA who wins until we are finished and can check in with Mary!

*Disclaimer: I can do this to Mark because we are buddies and he knows I am teasing him. Also, he dishes it out just as bad!

Balance

With 12 days left before Ironman Wisconsin, I have been thinking a lot about this season. Doing two Ironmans in 3 months is hard. And I haven't even DONE the 2nd one yet! I have essentially been in Ironman mode since March (with the exception of July). Even in July, I raced mini-Mussel, volunteered at Musselman, and drove up to Lake Placid to watch that Ironman. I wouldn't exactly call that an "Ironman vacation." I only took one week off from training after Ironman Coeur D'Alene!

Honestly, would I do it again? Probably not. I'm not saying that I regret the decision - it's been a great learning experience, I am getting to see parts of the country that I have never been to, and I am interacting with lots of great people. I think it's something that I needed to do for myself. I had the time, I don't have a lot of commitments in my life at the moment, so it would be hard to justify not doing it. It was a chance to do something incredible and I am glad that I had the means to do it. Plus, it makes me feel like a badass.

That being said, it has been hard to be so dedicated to something for so long. For ~6 months I have been living in Ironman land where all I do is work, sleep, eat, and train. I can forget a late night at the bar. I can forget day trips on the weekend. I can forget horseback riding. I can forget going on vacation. I can forget dating.

If I am lucky, I get to ride my bike with some friends. Or I can go to a(n early) movie with someone. Or I can chat with someone via Skype, Facebook, or phone.

I am 27, single, and live in a tiny apartment with my cat. One of those things I have no control over (that I am an almost 30 year old cat lady) but the other two are directly affected by my lifestyle. I am single because all I do is train (at least, that's why I like to think that I am single), and I live in a teeny apartment because I spend all of my money on triathlons! I am fine with the 2nd but I am getting really tired of the first.

So, all you people who keep asking me why I am not doing Ironman next year. This is why. I love Ironman, triathlon, training, talking about it, doing it, etc. But.. I am having real trouble balancing it with the rest of my life. And sorry, but I am not content with living for triathlon. I am not a professional triathlete. This is not a livelihood. This is my hobby. It is a hobby that I am passionate about, but I am not ready to sacrifice everything to do it. And yes, I have made some of my best friends through the sport, and I love the sport, but there are other things that I love as well that I've had to put aside in order to focus on Ironman. And I don't think it's fair to me, and it's definitely not fair to anyone else that is affected by this (mostly, my family and my poor horse Cherry).

Besides, I don't want to be 40, single, and unable to talk about anything except triathlon!

I think one Ironman every other year is a much better way to approach this. It will give me a season in between to focus more on maintaining balance in my life with people, activities, and other hobbies that don't involve swimming, biking or running.

IMC 2013, be prepared!

great weekend! but sadly, no photos :(

I had an absolutely fantastic weekend! My training for IM Wisconsin is done, so this past week was a rest week and now I have a half-week of tune-up and then 10 days of taper. This allows me some time to actually play!

Saturday morning I slept in til 8 which was glorious. I then met Kim for a 90 min bike/30 min run brick workout. We rode a great loop from her house in Perinton - Victor - Mendon - Pittsford - back to Perinton. Then I met up with Kim, Travis, Matthias, and Solveig in Webster to kayak in the Irondeqoit Bay. Sadly, I have no photos because I didn't want to risk ruining my digital camera, but it was REALLY fun. I love that I have friends that want to go do things like this. Because kayaking is pretty hard - my arms were burning after 10 minutes and we stayed out for 2 hours! I estimate that we kayaked about 5 miles total. Afterwards, Matthias, Solveig and I went to Boulder Coffee in the city where we sat and chatted, and I drank a delicious frozen hot chocolate, which will definitely be the cause of many, many return trips to that place!

After two workouts and kayaking, I was exhausted and I was in bed at around 9 because I just could not keep my eyes open any longer! That's how you know it's been a great day!

Sunday I slept in til 8 again and then met up with Jon at Starbucks because he was in town for a wedding (Jon actually lives in White Plains, NY). We had fun chatting about Ironman, recovery, injuries, etc. He's heading to Niagara Falls today, lucky bastard.

Here in Rochester, NY, we did not see any of Irene, but we did have high winds on Sunday so I opted to do my 1 hour bike ride inside. (I don't want to get hit by any weird flying objects so close to Ironman Wisconsin!). I went to put my bike on the trainer and doh... I had a flat rear tire! I decided to just replace the tire because it was looking pretty gnarly, so I took the wheel off and while I was waiting til noon (when the bike shop opened), I cleaned my cassette! A few hours later, new tire installed, I did 1 hour on the bike and then ran for an hour in the wind. Turned out to be a pretty good run.

With nothing else to do for the day, I watched some NCIS Season 8 (which just came out on Friday), caught up on some laundry, chatted with some friends, and did some reading.

Spectacular weekend!

I have some good blog posts coming up, I promise! :)

13 days til IMOO!