In November, 2011 as I hit the road and skidded along on my helmet, arm and shoulder, I thought that it could soon be over for me.  And, oddly, I was okay with that, but worried about my kids and Rick.  I knew I wouldn’t be feeling any pain, but that they would have to deal with the aftermath and sorrow.  My crash, all my fault, also took down my friend Rose who was riding right behind me and couldn’t…

The degree of nervousness I felt about my first time cycling from sea level to the top of Maui’s Haleakala Crater at 10,000 feet was close to what I feel before a major race. I didn’t know exactly what the day would bring, but I knew there would be times when I would have to dig deep through pain and fatigue and just keep on going.

My two favorite moments in Ironman are signing up for an event and crossing the finish line.  When I sign up for an event it is often close to a year away, so I can imagine the excitement of the venue, picture the beauty of the destination and dream about the great race I will have.  I share my excitement with virtually everyone!  And while they congratulate me, I know that many of my friends think I’m crazy or addicted….

It took me 4 years, 14 hours, 13 minutes and 33 seconds to return to Kona and cross the finish line of the Ironman World Championships after my first failed attempt in 2009.  And what joy I felt when I arrived under the finishers arch on Ali’i Drive.  Ten days later, I am still smiling.   Race morning, I was crying.  I felt a lot of self-imposed pressure to finish the race this time, but I was not feeling confident…

Right before an Ironman, or any big race, comes what is called a “taper”.  This rest and preparation period is designed to allow your body to absorb the months of work it has done and rest for the big event.  It’s also a time to prepare mentally for the challenges that will arise on race day.   The taper period involves less time training.  Instead of 20-30 hours per week spent swimming, biking, running and strength training, during a taper…

I really didn’t think I would be going to the Ironman World Championships in Kona this October.  And my summer schedule showed it.  Pre-planned, extended trips to Europe, San Francisco and Boulder all took place within the meat of my training schedule. And a not-to-be missed trip to Santa Fe is coming up.   Instead of stressing out about how to do all of my training and therefore become a terrible person to travel with, I decided to 1) enjoy…

In 2009 I qualified to compete at the Ironman World Championship when I was the first Hawaii finisher in my age group at Honu.  But on race day at Kona, a pre-race injury caused me to DNF with only a half a mile to go when time ran out at midnight.   Since 2009, I have been on a mission to return to Kona, competing in a number of Ironman qualifying races around the world—in Mexico, Australia, France and New…

I have never had a problem finding my bike in T1.  And I have never had to maneuver among a mob of bikes leaving T1 as I start out on the bike leg of a triathlon.  That’s because even though I’ve been doing triathlons for nearly 10 years, I continue to be an exceptionally slow swimmer.   In some ways, being a slow swimmer has made me a better racer in the other parts of triathlon. My transitions are typically…

When I made it to Ironman Kona in 2009, it was when they awarded a slot to the first Hawaii finisher in each age group category and I won my category that year. (Now, slots are awarded by lottery.) Ever since that personally eventful race, I’ve been doing pretty much everything I could to get back.  At midnight in 2009, I could hear the cheering and announcements and see the lights at the finish line, but my race ended with…

Feeling fit, well-trained and confident, I entered the Ironman Hawaii 70.3 event with expectations of achieving a PR at my 8th running of this event.  My best time was in 2011 with a total race time of 6:20:45.  This year, my time was 6:55.58–more than 35 minutes off of my best time.  Here’s how it went for me.   The Swim.  I had been humbled by last weekend’s Outrigger Swim, but also encouraged.  I knew nothing could be as tough…