Tri bike first Impressions...

[Running Mommy]

hey Tracy, I'll be down at the race site Saturday afternoon for the race meeting and bike check in and all that, so if you get there Sat afternoon I'll def. plan on meeting up with you. Also my husband and 8 yr old son will be there along w/ my cousin and 7 yr old son. So I'll def have to hook you guys up. We are also zoo members, and the zoo is really close to the race site so maybe you can all go while I'm out toiling away on the bike course. I have a bunch of free tickets. I love our zoo out here because you can ride your bikes in it! During the summer when it's super hot and everyone is hibernating my son and I get up early and take our bikes to the zoo. The zoo opens at 7:00 am during the summer! go figure?!
Anyway, yes- BRING THE KIDS!! There is alot to keep them busy, and the transition and finish area are in a park by the lake so they can run around. When it gets closer we can coordinate our plans.
Ok.. to answer the other questions... SOMA is a big 1/2 Iron distance race that takes place every fall out here. Usually right on- or around halloween. I've always wanted to do it, but it never worked out. It's a popular race and always sells out. It also pretty much follows the IMAZ course.

As for why I chose to do an IM?? Hmmm... I guess it's just all these years of watching my friends on Ironmanlive.com come over the finish line and thinking how cool it would be to do it myself. I'm also the poster child for chubby endurance athletes. I can't tell you how many times I've stood at the start line and heard husbands comment to their wives "look honey, if SHE can do it- so can you"...
I've always battled my body image and never truely been comfortable in my skin- as sad as that is. So I think that by doing these crazy things it's my way of saying "yeah I may be fat, but I can run a marathon, or I can do an IM or whatever". Because people have always looked down on me like "If she TRIED she could lose weight"... Well damn I HAVE tried! But I have to starve myself to lose an ounce, and I simply refuse to do that. I eat healthy, train ALOT, and yes- I do enjoy my sweet treats every once in awhile. I think my life is balanced... It's my fat cells that need to get on the program!
Last weekend in nor cal the wives of my husbands friends were all giving me "the look" when I mentioned that I was 7 weeks out from the race. One even looked me up and down and said "really? YOUR doing Ironman? Why? What are you trying to prove"....sigh... Jealous I guess?!
Ok, enough of that! rant off!
IMAZ's course is pretty flat. The only real hill is more of a false flat that goes on for 5-10 miles ( I think) up the beeline hwy. It's also notoriously windy.
IMFL is pancake flat, but has an ocean swim. Before IMAZ came into existance I was going to do IMFL. Because like mommelisa I'm a hill WEENIE! But I also had a friend get stung inside her mouth by a jelly fish at FL a couple of years ago. She managed to complete the race but she looked like a mutant in her race photo! Her cheek was all swollen. YIKES! Plus I used to surf, but I'm not sure how I'd do in an ocean swim. The one good thing though would be the bouyancy!
Anyhoo... I guess that's it. When do you get your bike Mommelisa? Sounds like your getting a total custom job! SWEET!! I'm sooo jealous!! Are you a member of the phoenix tri club? I just joined so I could get 15% off my bike at trisports, but I don't know anyone in the club.

[tprevost]

RM,

I can totally relate to the whole body image thing. All my life I've yo-yo'd and let my scale determine my moods... ICK! YOU are healthy and fit so I am SO hoping that women like you will rub off on me! Part of the reason I have begun reincorporating the biking and a tri into my life is that it gives me what I need to keep striving to improve and continue my fitness routine and training etc. I can't wait to cheer you on!!!!!

Thank you so much for the offer of the zoo tickets! I lived in scottsdale in my early 20's and went to the zoo way back then; I love that zoo! I had no idea they let you ride bikes there! Holy Cow! ... but its pretty clear why they open so early in the summer We are staying over on east apache so we aren't too far from the start/transition area. My kids are pretty young still (and sometimes have a tendency to run off) so I know that I'll have a limit as to how much time I can spend at the course... I'll coordinate w/you as to the best approximate timing.

Anyway, I can't believe that your dh's friend's wife actually said that to you! She clearly has issues of her own... that's all I'm gonna say.

Thank you so much for letting me join in on your cheering squad! I bet your family is SO proud of you!

Mommelisa, I hope that you can come at the same time! Its too bad I can't convince my DH that we need to do some cheering in FL as well!!!! do you have any pictures of you doing the SOMA?

Well, I'm going go get ready to watch the Amgen coverage! Gotta get encouraged for the whoppin' 12 mile bike ride Sunday! The cast comes off Tuesday; but I think I'll be babying the arm for a while - the cast makes me feel safe; kinda scary to get it off, even though its driving me crazy!

Have a great evening!

Trac'

[mommelisa]

G'morning ladies! Denise - you're probably on some epic ride this morning, I can't wait to hear! :-)

I ran about 12 or so with my running partner this morning and I thought how dang lucky we are to be in AZ right now, where I'm running in a short sleeve shirt and shorts! What a great day!

SOMA was a great race. I had extreme fear about swimming in Tempe Town Lake (RM - have you done any training in there?) but you know, this year for IMAZ, since the weather has been so mild, it should be really nice. Prior to SOMA, I'd done one swim in TTL and ended up sick for about a month afterwards. I had a parasite and could NOT keep food IN, if you know what I mean... ugh! But for SOMA it didn't end up being so bad. Maybe you both could do it this year!! I'll cheer you on just before I leave for Panama City - I think it ends up falling the week just before IMFL! Here're my pics, if you want to see:
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_e...D=8017&BIB=753

As for why I started thinking about IM... hm. I think its mostly a mental game. I started out doing marathons first. My mom was sick (cancer) and I think I was kind of mad that she wasn't "fighting" harder - that her body broke down because she wasn't really active before she got sick, so she had nothing to fall back on. Does that make sense? I figured if I could do things like marathons, I would be healthy and if something like cancer happened to me, I'd be strong enough to fight it. (wishful thinking, I know, my mom had brain cancer, no amount of fighting could cure it...) I did a couple of marathons and then I needed a new challenge. Triathlons seemed the next step. I didn't even own a bike when I signed up to do my first tri... lol! My first was an olympic distance and for me, it just wasn't long enough. So I tried a 1/2. That was amazing, but I still needed a challenge. IM is the next logical step for me. I believe that anyone can do it - all you have to do is get your MIND to believe that you can and you can accomplish anything!

Trac - I'll definitely coordinate with you for IMFL. I'll be down there most of the day so we'll meet up. We can exchange phone numbers closer to the date.

-Melisa

[mommelisa]

RM - Nope, not a member of Phoenix Tri Club, I used to run with Racelab, but I stopped having them make my schedule at the beginning of the school year because I couldn't make any of the group workouts. It didn't fit with my kids school schedule. I've been thinking about PTC just to have a group to train with now and then if I wanted. Although, I don't do the group "ride" thing very well. Where are you swimming?

Have you read the book "Be Iron Fit"? There is a bit in there about Energy Givers and Energy Takers. Energy Givers are people who make you feel positive and energized when you're around them. Energy Takers are people who make you feel the opposite. The book says that to take on the challenge of somethink like IM, you need to be positive (seems like you have that going!) and keep your spirits high because nothing can bring you down like negative people. Sounds like your dh's friend's wife is that way. I'd stay away from her until after the race... Then see what she has to say. :-)

[tprevost]

Melisa - I'm sorry to hear about your mom. I can understand about being strong and how that would 'drive' you. I love your pictures! You and Denise look so fresh during/after your events etc! You really look great in your pics!!!

I'm going to go read that book too... I think that philosophy is a good one for life in general as well!

Well, I am very much looking forward to meeting you two ladies! I've got a cousin who lives in north phoenix so I may end up coming a day early to visit him as well.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Tracy

[Running Mommy]

MM- WOW! We have alot in common. I started running when my Grandmother- who I was super close to- was diagnosed with lung cancer. I was teaching step aerobics at the time- so fit, but not a runner. I found it to be an outlet to my stress. I did a 10k in honor of my Grandmother after she died. It was a charity race so I ran for home hospice. That was the begining of this madness. But the funny thing is when I'm struggling in a race I always call on her "Grandma, I know your watching me. Please help me get through this"... I have the feeling I'm going to have a direct line to her up in heaven come April 9th!
cancer really does stink, doesn't it?! It always seems to rob the world of the best people. My grandma was a life long smoker so I always wonder "what if"...
Anyway, yes I was on an "epic" ride. I posted the details... It was wonderful today wasn't it? I couldn't have asked for a better day. I'm going to make a note to god "please deliver the weather that you sent on Feb 25th to us on April 9th" Think it'll work?! ha ha ha
Oh and your pics were GREAT!! Nice muscles there girlie!! WOW! You will look great on that Guru! Did you get the Crono? I saw a magazine ad the other day- sweet ride! You DEFINTELY win in the hottest ride contest!!
Well, I;m fading fast so I'm off to bed!
CIAO!
Denise

[Lise]

Hi, Denise, Tracy, Melisa,

I really enjoy reading about why you want to do IMs, and seeing the pix. I agree that people who want to put us down about athletic endeavors should have no space in our lives. I went out on one date with a guy who, when I talked enthusiastically about my athletic adventures, asked "and how long have you been addicted?" I'm not addicted. I'm happy, I'm active, I'm free. I love the look on Melisa's face crossing the finish line--pure joy!

My dad died of brain cancer when I was five years old. He was an athlete and a teacher. When I told my aunt that I was slow but had endurance, she told me that my dad always said he should be timed with a calendar, not a watch. So it's a family trait! When I ran the 1/2 marathon in September, I had a strong sense of his presence. I had a shirt made for when I ran the Chicago Marathon two weeks later. On the back it said, "I run with my dad", and a picture of him as a young man. I can't tell you how much positive energy I got from other runners. I'll try to attach a picture...wow, small as I made that, it came out huge! OK, I'm kind of dim about these techy things.

Anyways, the next time someone expresses doubt about your iron-ability, you could say, "Yeah, I'm going on a 60/13 bike-run brick tomorrow. Wanna join me?" and leave them with a gaping mouth and walk away.

I'm wishing I could join you all in cheering for Denise in T-1, T-2, and at the finish line! I'll be there in spirit. L.