How sick am I????

[Running Mommy]

Yesterday I started pondering which IM I'm gonna do next???
Should I do IMAZ again or CDA? Or maybe FL?????
I know which one Nanci will vote for! :D
Speaking of nanci, I think we are of the same cloth... We like to torture our bodies for long periods of time. :p

[KSH]

Well, of course you want to do another one! This time, your goal is to race without all the cramping and stomach issues! HA!

They say completing an Ironman is like child birth... once you forget all about the pain and suffering, you are ready to do it again!

One of these days... after I attack a Half IM, I MIGHT consider a full IM. Who knows though? I really have to get rid of my running pain before I can even consider such things.

Right now, my goal is to do an Olympic distance tri.

[tprevost]

I can't spectate on the other ones so ya gotta do IMAZ!!! This time I will leave the boys at home HARUMPH! After someone asked if you were ever going to do another one, and you said "yep", I figured it was inevitable! :p

so, IMAZ, do IMAZ!!! I want Melisa to do it too so I have two people to cheer for! YEAH!!!! :D :D :D

Tracy

[Nanci]

IM is _much_ easier in Florida!!! The ocean is beautiful!! Crystal blue! You start from the beach, no extra swimming! The bike course is one huge loop- and spectators can drive and see you at various points! There is no dump! You get to race on Saturday!! You run into a state park and back!!

Nanci

[mommelisa]

Denise - I'm totally rooting for IMFL too, because then you can do it with me! Are there any community fund spots left? I think you can deduct it, since its a charity contribution... Come do FL!

BTW - girlfriend, I wasn't sure where to post this but, YOU ROCK!! I'm so, so excited for you IRONWOMAN, and I am SO, SO taking notes on everything you did, LOL! It was so great to see you on the bike course, I told Tracy - I'm not sure she'd even know who was yelling for her! But, at that point, it doesn't really matter, does it, just the hooting and hollering lifts you up!

We need to get together!

[btchance]

Nope, not sick at all. If you're anything like me, once you've done something, you want to keep getting better and find new ways to challenge myself. Personally, I would like to either do the HIM or IM in Oklahoma (Redman) at some point, possibly next year but I kinda doubt I can find the time to train enough before then. Someday though. Let us know which one you decide to do next !!!

[CorsairMac]

ok - here's CorsairMommy just putting her .02 cents in: you might want to rethink Fl! Gods love ya Nanci but FL has Humidity RM! Humidity like ya'll ain't used to competing in hun. Don't know the CDA location........but why limit yourself to just 1??

(and you thought You were sick??)

[Jones]

I know this was not one of the original options but, I vote for IMNZ. I guess I have just always wanted to go to NZ again and if I were to do an IM I would want it to be some where far away and really cool. Oh and they still have space available for 2007 but hey who says you can't do two IM's in a year?;) :D
Jones.

[DirtDiva]

If you do IMNZ I'll come cheer you on! (If I'm back there by then.) You've got 46 weeks, 2 days, 10 hours, 15 minutes and some seconds to train for it. ;)

[crazycanuck]

HEy you could always make it a family vacation to a different country...How about coming down to Busselton, Western Australia to do the Ironman WA....Or you could do the one in Port Macquarie in NSW...

I'd def come and cheer ya on. Plus how could you not want to come down here and do an ironman in a funky place?

c

[Lise]

OK. Here's the deal. Madison, Wisconsin, is about a three hour drive for me. Need we say more? http://www.ironmanwisconsin.com/ :p

Then, I vote Florida because Nanci's there, and we would make an incredible cheering team for Denise and Melisa. Of course, knowing Nanci, she will have transformed into an iron-distance triathlete by then, and her BF and Tony and I will be the iron-sherpas!

After that, I vote for NZ, as I've always wanted a sufficient excuse to go there. Australia is also good.

Where's CDA?

Oh, yeah, we'll egg you on! Just think, all the skills and knowledge you have. Why not use them again?

The only reason I don't want to do another marathon is that all that run-training doesn't let me spend time on the bike. I'm going to train for 1/2 marathons to get my run down for when I do a 1/2IM...plan is for next year. After following Denise's training and race, a 1/2IM doesn't sound quite so hard! Lots of training, but manageable.

[Tri Girl]

I would like to either do the HIM or IM in Oklahoma (Redman)

btchance- you gotta do Redman.:) Last year I volunteered at the Redman, and now after lurking here for the last 6 months and following Running Mommy's IM journey (and being totally inspired, impressed, and in awe of her), I'm training for the full Redman in Sept. You should see if you can wrangle some others into doing a relay if you're not ready for the whole deal yourself! Just something to think about....

As for you, Running Mommy, you are an amazing inspiration to me. I vote for IMFL. You've already done IMAZ, now you can move on to another venue and test yourself all over again (of course, having learned soooo much on your first IM adventure).
Whatever you choose, you have to bring us along for the ride again!!!
YOU ARE AN IRONWOMAN!!! How cool.....

[Nanci]

IM Florida is in November- the humidity is gone by then, and anyway, it's nothing compared to the midwest, say, Minnesota.

I highly doubt an Ironman is in my future. I just can't swim fast enough. Like that report that was just posted, KSH, I swim three times as slow! And that's in a sprint, imagine how exponentially bad that would be for 2.4 miles!!

But oh, I want to. Just to be even with BF.

Although I _do_ hold the record long run and long bike and long total event records. STILL, it's not an Ironman.

Nanci

[Lise]

Wasn't me talking about humidity....let's check...that was Corsair. Of course Corsair rides up mountains when it's 12F, so she can draw the line anywhere she wants, as far as I'm concerned! Don't like humidity? OK! Living in Chicago, humidity is a way of life. Florida in November is nice.

Nanci, wasn't it you who went from "can I really do a century?" to "I just rode 600K in 27 hours" in the space of not too many months? I understand about slow swimming. Oh, I am slooooow. But you've got the endurance thing! If you could do the swim in the cut off time, you could handle the bike and the run. C'mon. You know you want to. What is the cut off time for the swim, anyways?

I don't dream of IM glory because I just don't have a job that allows me to train enough hours and sleep regularly enough to be ready for it. A HIM, 1/2IM, or the fancy new title: IM70.3, will be quite a challenge for me.

[tprevost]

So Lise... does that mean if Denise does FL, you're gonna go there and cheer?????? Huh, does it??? Maybe I should jump a plane to FL too! ;) I've got to say, it was absolutely incredible to be surrounded by so many fit people who are so passionate about their sport! AND, I would love to go spend the whole time there (I had to go back and forth w/the boys to the hotel at AZ)

OKAY, Denise, DO FLORIDA!!!

Hee Hee!

Tracy

[btchance]

btchance- you gotta do Redman.:) Last year I volunteered at the Redman, and now after lurking here for the last 6 months and following Running Mommy's IM journey (and being totally inspired, impressed, and in awe of her), I'm training for the full Redman in Sept. You should see if you can wrangle some others into doing a relay if you're not ready for the whole deal yourself! Just something to think about...

I think I could be ready this year to do the half, it's just that I'm in medical school in Alabama and absolutely can't get home this year to do it. Next year, however, I've heard that we have a lot of time off, so I might be able to get back. Let's hope so!!! And good luck this year, I definately want to hear how it goes.

[Lise]

Yep, if Denise does Florida, I will go cheer. I need to know some months in advance, so I can request the time off, but I would LOVE to be there.

OK, everybody, let's chant so IronMommy can hear us:

Do Florida! Do Florida! Do Florida! :p :p :p

[Running Mommy]

Oh holy hell Nanci.... If *I* can make the swim cut off ANYONE can!! I am so seriously slow it's scary!! I just plod along in the water... Kinda like my running... :D
My swim teacher at the Y used to say "you just cruise along and enjoy yourself"... Funny thing is I'm TRYING to swim fast, I'm just NOT!
If you put some time in the pool you could do it. But it's such a personal thing, I'll never fault anyone for deciding it's just not something they want to do. Butttt..... if you have a fire in there anywhere........ :D

[Nanci]

Whatever, Ironman Lady,

Have you ever had some guy in a kayak follow you around, when you _weren't_ having a cramp, saying "You can hold on if you want to?"

I'm like, "Im not dying, I'm just slow!" Like slower than the 80 year old guy who's basically walking, since it's so shallow...

Nanci

[KSH]

If you put some time in the pool you could do it.

To that comment. I guess I am going to get on my "soap box" about this... since I have been hounding my boyfriend on this topic.

Swimming is ALL ABOUT FORM. If you have good form, you will get fast and you will have endurance. There is no reason to swim laps... if you want to get faster and compete... unless you have worked on your form.

Yes, that sounds a little harsh... but let's think about it.

There you are in the pool... thrashing about... trying to make it to the other end.... it's hard, and miserable. But you keep doing it. Lap after lap. Pretty soon you find a way to make it all work, but it's horribly wrong and you get worn out quickly.

Then, you decide to work on your form. Now, you have to spend the time CORRECTING the form you have "made" work. It's easier to start with a clean slate... versus having to erase that horrible form from your "memory".

There is hope though, once you get good form, and HAVE IT. I haven't been in a swim team in 15 years... but my form is still there. It's ingrained into my body.

*Takes a breath*

OK... maybe that was a tangent? Sorry.

*Steps away from the keyboard*

[withm]

Many years ago I went to a swim camp to improve my swimming performance. They have come a long way since then, and you will find an incredible amount of information at their website, Total Immersion.

http://www.totalimmersion.net/

They offer clinics all around the country. They are not cheap, but there texts, videos, and you can even get a lot of instruction and see videos on their website if you have a fast connection. The founder, Terry Laughlin was practically the sole source of information for Fitness Swimmer magazine (sadly no longer being published.) Anyway, you will probably find many tips to become more streamlined in the water and improve your swimming.

No affiliation, and I haven't even tried to swim in about 4 yrs from fear of reinjuring a fragile rotator cuff.

[Running Mommy]

Funny. I was just talking about going to the TI camp tonight with Tony. It's about 400 clams if I remember correctly for a weekend camp. But I would need the camp. I literally will need someone in the pool with me. I have the book and video. But they haven't helped much. I think I need someone there to manually put me in the correct position so I know what it feels like. I have made some improvements, but I know there is so much more I could do.
So I will prolly haul my butt off to camp sometime in the next 6 months.
You are right about form being everything in swimming though, I'll certainly give you that!

[LittleBlackDuck]

Maybe think of it in another way Denise if you still can't make up your mind which IM to do. Which IM would you regret NOT doing? And like some of the other girls have said, don't limit yourself to just those around you. You could go on vacation AND Ironman :D .

[Lise]

Funny. I was just talking about going to the TI camp tonight with Tony. It's about 400 clams if I remember correctly for a weekend camp. But I would need the camp. I literally will need someone in the pool with me. I have the book and video. But they haven't helped much. I think I need someone there to manually put me in the correct position so I know what it feels like. I have made some improvements, but I know there is so much more I could do.
So I will prolly haul my butt off to camp sometime in the next 6 months.
You are right about form being everything in swimming though, I'll certainly give you that!
I thought about doing that camp last fall. I feel the same way. If someone manually corrects me, I can remember it. I have to "learn" it with my muscles before my mind gets it. Just haven't been willing to spend the money yet.

[Nanci]

What if your shoulder joints are bad from work, and it's really difficult to freestyle? Do you think learning proper form would help? If I raise my arms just to brush my hair, even, it's snap crackle pop.

Nanci

[Running Mommy]

that just reminded me of something in the race. A guy next to me did the entire race on his back. But he wasn't backstroking. His arms were in the water. So I guess he was doing some sort of scuttle thing?? All I know is everytime I looked up to sight, there he was moving along backwards. It was wierd? But if he stayed w/ me I'm sure he made the cut off. By the time I hit the steps I had lost sight of him though.

[Nanci]

I heard only four people didn't make the swim cut off.

It's easy to swim on your back- I could do that forever.

Nanci

[tprevost]

does anyone have a website for these T1 camps?

T~

[Lise]

It's T-I, as in Total Immersion. I read your post as T-1, as in the first transition! I thought...who needs a camp to learn how to do transition? :o
But for Total Immersion swimming, we have:
http://www.totalimmersion.net/workshops-p1.html

[DirtDiva]

that just reminded me of something in the race. A guy next to me did the entire race on his back. But he wasn't backstroking. His arms were in the water. So I guess he was doing some sort of scuttle thing?? All I know is everytime I looked up to sight, there he was moving along backwards. It was wierd? But if he stayed w/ me I'm sure he made the cut off. By the time I hit the steps I had lost sight of him though.
It was called "survival backstroke" when I was doing lifesaving awards at highschool. I shoulda kept that up - woulda been a much cooler way to make some money during university holidays than working retail was. :p

[tprevost]

Okay Denise, time is up! Which one are you doing next! ;)

T~

[Running Mommy]

I'm going back to IMAZ. It's just much easier. Someday I may do cda (couer d'alene) but for now I'm staying close to home...

[mommelisa]

I'm going back to IMAZ. It's just much easier. Someday I may do cda (couer d'alene) but for now I'm staying close to home...

RM - did you hear any rumors about the "big announcement"? I was supposed to ride this weekend with a friend of mine that has a friend that knows the RD for IMAZ and he said that they're thinking of having 2 races now?? One in April and one in the fall maybe? OR - maybe SOMA will become part of the 70.3... hm! That's an interesting thought!!

If I can get through IMFL well enough, let's plan to cyber (and in person hopefully a few times) train for IMAZ together - sound good???

[tprevost]

Oooooh COOL :cool: Now I'll have TWO people to cheer for!!!! AND, next year I'm comin' without the chicklets! ;)

YIPPEEE!!!

T~

ps. Melisa, I heard that IMAZ rumour too on another board, let me know if you get anything concrete!