Timra's IRONMAN journey

2011 Ironman Arizona ROCKED !!

2011-12-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

Ironman Arizona 2011
It has taken me a bit of time to finally write my race report … possibly due to coming home celebrating Thanksgiving and then heading to Cozumel to cheer on the rest of the insane Z’rs who were doing ironman this year.
So here it is my race day report.
My morning started with a bit of trepidation… my swims since Mussleman have not gone super smoothly and I have had many moments of pure panic when in the water. I participated in the practice swim on Sat in hopes of just getting the jitters out however since I can’t seem to figure out exactly what it is that is making me stress my Sat. swim really wasn’t much help for Sunday.
Prior to the race the IM AZ ING group all gathered together for pictures and some real support. I can’t begin to express how I feel about this group of people not to mention the friends, family and team mates who came out to support us. You all made this day such a great day !!! Es and Jodie – what more can I say .. you are the best friends a girl could ask for I am beyond thankful that I was able to do this race with each of you. Dennis I will never look at Barbie the same. Bob I’m thrilled to be a part of Bob’s babes , Sally and Tracey your finish had to be the most emotional ironman finish I have been a part of to date !!!! Michelle Tucker you set the Sherpa bar so high I’m not sure anyone will ever reach it, thanks so much for everything leading up to the race , during the race and after ( you definitely got one on me with the gift from H and I really appreciated it )
SO – My swim : 1:49:54 ( felt like a week !!! )
As I said before I have struggled in the swim since June and for some reason when I panic it takes me a few minutes to get my head back in the game and continue. The start was pretty crazy , I got beat up more than either of my previous Ironman swims but for the most part that didn’t make me panic so I thought that I was going to be ok. I knew that I was swimming slower than I wanted and that I was probably swimming so close to the side of the lake that I was definitely adding distance to my overall race but I decided that slow and easy was better than freaking out and not finishing. When I finally got to the turnaround at the ½ way point I was thrilled but starting to worry that I might not make the cut off. I tried to see my watch to see how much time I had but realized that my wetsuit sleeve was covering it so I had to just hope for the best. When I made the final turn to head back to the finish the water seemed like it got really choppy however it may have been in my head but that caused me to stop and when I did the panic set in. My heart rate went sky high and I couldn’t breathe or calm down… for just a minute I thought about waving my hand and asking for help instead I put my head in the water and repeated over and over again …. Who Says I Can’t ( thank god for Jothy Rosenberg ) Anyway it took a good 5 minutes for me to calm down enough to get back in a rhythm and when I did I was all of the sudden freezing cold. My hands were cramping and I couldn’t feel the right one. My whole body seemed to be getting cold and I was thinking I might be getting hypothermic so I decided my only choice was try and swim faster and get out of the water …. So I dug deep and headed to the finish. This was by far my slowest Ironman swim … almost 15 min. slower than Placid in 09 but when I made it to the finish all the stress and fear just seemed to roll off my back. When the volunteer at the swim finish grabbed my hand to pull me out I knew “ Life the rest of the day would be GOOD !!! “
T-1 11:01(no I didn’t take a nap ) I was just really cold and had a hard time getting my clothes off and on.
The bike : 7:04:46 average speed 15.82 mph
I have done Arizona before so I knew what to expect and going into race day I felt pretty good about my riding so I wasn’t to stressed, in fact I just so happy to be out of the water that I wasn’t even thinking about riding 112 miles. Loop 1 was pretty uneventful and I felt great heading out to loop 2 however, at some point on loop 2 the wind really kicked up and the head wind heading back into town was crazy strong. My bike computer wasn’t working and that was probably a good thing because I couldn’t tell how much I was slowing down and I just dug in and got it done. Loop 3 didn’t seem to change that much as far as conditions but I was definitely feeling the effects when I hit the turn around to head back to town. Seeing everyone on the course was such a great distraction the last loop and even though I was so frustrated that I got a much later start on the bike than everyone else I knew I was making up time and my watch told me that I was going to be really close to my goal of a 7 hr. bike. At about mile 105 I caught up to Jodie and we enjoyed a good “bitch session heading in to the finish !! “ Overall I felt great getting off the bike and as much as I hate running I was looking forward to starting the marathon.
T 2 7:32 Better than T1 but nothing to brag about. Thanks to Robin I got in and out without forgetting anything important and with a smile !!!
The Run : 5:44:12 pace 13.08 over all
Although on this particular day my swim was my biggest stress, the run over all is always where I struggle. I have never been someone who enjoys running much more than 6 miles and I have never been nor do I think I ever will be fast buy most people’s standards. However, after riding 112 miles I don’t actually process the fact that I have 26.2 miles to run until I am about 6-7 miles in. On this day I felt great when I started to run. My legs were strong (for me) and my toes and ankle seemed to be good to go. I took off doing a 5 min run and 1 min walk and when I hit the first significant mile marker at like mile 4 I realized that I was running under a 12 min pace. I was thrilled!!! I saw Michelle about 5 miles in and I think she was even shocked at the pace I was going. Then at mile 7 my watch decided to stop working all together… no over all time and no intervals … nothing … I will admit to a brief moment of anger and frustration as I was really afraid if I got off my 5/1 pace to early that I would hit a wall. I saw my dad at mile 8 or 9 and ask him to see if he could find Super Sherpa Michelle and tell her I desperately needed a watch to wear. I’d lost my 5/1 pace but I was still running for a significant amount between walks so I just hoped it would be enough. Mile 11 or so I was greeted with a huge happy Team Z cheer squad and thanks to Rich a watch so at least I could see my overall time and figure out how I was doing. I’m pretty sure that I kept a under 12 min pace until the ½ way point and even when I started to slow down I realized that I was on track to finish under 15 hours. My previous IM was 15:58 and my goal for the day was 15:30 so when I saw that I might finish under 15 I was really excited. I decided to just keep pushing as hard as I could and try not to slow down too much. I think I was about 5 miles from the finish at a really dark turn when I ran into Ryan and Ed…. Ryan noticed me and gave me the push I needed to keep it up and Ed was completely engrossed in his computer so I am not sure he even knew I passed however just that one familiar face was enough to push me through to the end ! That and the fact that my feet and hips were killing me and all I wanted was to be done !!!!!
The last 2 miles were a blurr… I remember seeing Mike and he made me laugh and walked with me a bit and I remember splitting off to the finish and being so thankful but I don’t remember if I even realized until I rounded the corner and saw the finish that I was going to break the 15 hour mark. When I was finally able to see the clock at the finish ( BTW I can’t see well without my glasses so it took a while to focus enough to see how close I was to 15hrs) anyway I was so damn happy… 14:57:16 a 1 hr 1 min and 16 second PR !!!
2011 has been a really hard year and many days I wondered why I was even doing Ironman. Had it not been for the support of my friends and family on many a dark day and my work with people like Jothy I don’t know that I would have made it to the start or the finish. My personal and professional life definitely seemed a much larger challenge than the ironman many times this year. On race day however, the pride of fighting through the dark days and the AM AZ ING support I had was the best. I’ve been reminded often this year to even be in a position to consider doing Ironman is something to be thankful for. I tried all year to race and live with gratitude and I know in the end it was worth it. I am so proud of all the first time racers and how great they all did it was the perfect ending to a perfect day. To be at the finish line with you was the best!!! Not real sure if I have another Ironman in my future and if I do it will be in 2013. The one thing I do know that my 2011 Ironman will always be a special day that I am very grateful for !!!!!!

2011-11-07T05:56:00.000-08:00

It's November 7th less than 2 weeks to race day ... a easy taper weekend spent with good friends was just what my head needed. This is the fist time in all my years of triathlon that I truly feel the need to stop the outside world every once in a while. I have so many open items that will require probably even more effort than Ironman starting in December and I am unsure if my just letting it go until after the race is the correct answer however that is what I am choosing. I just want to try and enjoy this experience and allow myself to be proud of where I have come even when other things are crazy !

Recovery and taper are odd ... you think you would be totally rested and felling great but it really is the opposite. Your still tired from the last few weeks of builds and your body starts to show signs of little nagging injuries. Muscles that have not hurt all season start to hurt and it totally freaks you out. I'm pretty sure it is all mental in fact having been down this road 2 previous times I know that it will all be OK but it does get in your head but it is still hard to deal with at points !

Spending some quality time again this week with with my good friends. I've been pretty lucky to have them this time around just to keep me focused on being positive and to allow me time to be sad when I have needed. My goal the next 13 days is to Be Grateful for the journey and all of the positive things in my life and not dwell on the things I can not change at this point !

2011-11-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

- Just something that seems to be in my head today 20 days from race day when life seems to be a bit crazy !

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

2011-10-31T03:03:00.000-07:00

Tapper - when all your injuries come out and your just plain tired. So, it is so easy to forget what I felt like 2 years ago when I was tapering for a ironman and even easier to be stress about how I'm feeling at the moment. This week was our first real week of taper and for me all the aches and pains I've been avoiding have come on strong. My ankle seems to be the most significant of all. I'm hoping that 20 days of rest will allow me to be Ok on race day and I am planning to do just that - REST my ankle and hopefully my mind.

Bright spots in my week were a 1 hr and 25 minute swim in a VERY cold (much like Arizona ) lake on Tuesday. I will admit for me this year the swim seems to be my biggest mental block. I had a really difficult swim in a race in early July and since that day I have struggled more than once in open water. I know it is all mental and I think I may have finally kicked it but I worry that come race day I am going to have to work hard to keep my head in the game for the swim and not panic in the water. Thanks to my good friend Michelle I got in a good open water swim and was able to keep a pretty consistent pace for it.

PR'd a 10K this weekend ... hoping that all these PR's are a sign of good things to come. I got a 1:02:04 for many that would still be really slow but for me that it was great, very close to 10 minute mile pace. In the past I have really fought to get under a 11 min mile on any distance over 3 miles. A few weeks ago I PR'd a 1/2 marathon and then my 1/2 ironman 2 weeks later so I want to believe that all things considered I am really ready for this Ironman and it will be a good day.

My personal a professional life continues to be turbulent and frustrating so my goal in November is to quite the voices and allow myself to let things just be what they are until after the race in December. I know that is easier said than done but starting today that is my goal.

Looking forward to a 60 mile ride today that I didn't get in this weekend due to the weather and then a pretty easy week ahead.

Will 3 be a charm ?

2011-10-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

This is my finisher photo for Arizona in 2009 .... it is the beginning of a long 2 years and it was a great day even with injuries and frustration for most of my marathon.

I didn't write down anything from my 2009 journey and I now wish I had because in reading my post from 2008 Lake Placid Ironman this morning I realized that through everything in my life the past few years I have come so far and that some days you need to reflect on the good to appreciate the journey you are on.

That being said I am starting my 2011 Ironman blog late in the game ... it's only 25 days to race day ALL of the hard training is behind me .... thank god !!! However, this year has thrown me so many curve balls that this journey may prove to be the hardest one of all.

The physical training for Ironman can be overwhelming at times and there are days when I personally find myself wondering why in the world I have signed up to do a 3rd Ironman.... what am I trying to prove and who and I trying to prove it to ?? Both questions I am still working on the answers to and those lead me to the mental side of training and finishing a Ironman. 2011 has been quite a long and frustrating year thus far for me. My professional life has been in upheaval since January and every time I think things might be settling down it seems like I get thrown a 100 mile per hour curve ball. However, in the midst of all the craziness and frustration I have had such positive and amazing opportunities that somehow I have continued to get up and fight and believe that it will all work out in the end. My Arizona Ironman is honestly the thing that seems to be going good 25 days from race day. I am relatively uninjured ( dealing with some ankle pain when I get to 13 miles of running but nothing I can't push through for 13 more miles on race day ) In 09 my feet hurt at mile 4 and I had to pus through 22.2 miles of pain so 13 sounds pretty easy right now.

This past weekend was a big one I did a 20 mile run on Friday flew to NC and worked on Sat. returned home on Sat night so that I could ride 120 miles on Sunday. The run was ok. Logistically it was hard as I had to start so early that I needed to do the 1st 1.5 hours inside on a track that takes 13 loops to equal a mile... I did just over 8 miles running around in circles (over 100 laps ) I then did a quick change to dry warm clothes and headed to the trail where my good friend Mike Beegen was meeting me to run the next 1 hour and 24 minutes... ( my friends rock )

Mike and I had a good run ... we kept a pretty good pace and I felt really good until the last 10 - 15 minutes at that point the ankle started hurting and I got a little ( a lot ) frustrated .. however, I had another amazing friend Steve Crawford waiting in the parking lot to finish the run with me and to thankfully give me some moral support and distraction !! I wasn't able to keep the 11:20 pace I had with Mike but Steve was patient with me and we got it done ..... 18-20 what ever the final number ended up being it was in the bank.

The bike ride on Sunday was a bit harder and much much longer !!!! The ride started about a hour from my house and wheels up was 7:30 so I was up at 4:45 am to eat, drink some coffee and get mentally ready for the day. It was COLD not much more than 40 degrees when we started. If your reading this you know me well enough to know that I hate to be cold so I was a bit grumpy even before the start of the day. Then I picked up the cue sheets for the ride and saw that we were actually going to be doing 123.8 miles and my attitude continued to decline. The first 20 miles were really cold ( at least I was freezing ) however I was riding with my good friends and we were joking and chatting and basically keeping each other from just bitching ... there was bitching but it was short and usually humorous. Thank you Becky, Jodie, Dennis (aka Barbie ) and a new friend Mark for being with me. Our fist loop was 50 miles, it did get warmer so when we got back to the car most of us shredded layers and filled up on nutrition and were in a pretty good frame of mind starting the 2nd 73.8 mile loop. We started off singing and that its self is humorous enough or scary enough to usually thin our crowd out .. yet everyone remained ( sorry Tracey Ford I know my voice is frightening ) anyway, about 20-30 miles in to a pretty hilly ride thus far the wind really picked up most of us were struggling to stay positive and get the ride done.. we stayed together in a group until we got to mile 95 and even though we were all fighting mentally and physically and were more than ready to be done we were still smiling !!!

I wasn't the best friend ever at this point mentally I needed to get this ride in the bag somehow we had been out for 8 hrs all ready and I was starting to want to quite Mark was feeling the same so he and I picked up our pace and heading toward the finish. At mile 112 we had a brief celebration thinking at IM we would be done however we still had more than 10 miles to go and it was getting dark and cold and we just wanted to be done. Thankfully at mile 121 I remembered a little short cut that would avoid a big hill and take at least 2 maybe more miles off the ride so we detoured and knocked out the last 3 miles. It was a long day and in the end I am still not sure how I feel about it ... ride time was much longer than I thought it would be but knowing that its done opens the door to focus on the big prize, the finish line on November 20th. So I guess I am happy and looking forward to the next few weeks.

I plan to try to put the personal and emotional baggage away for a few weeks and concentrate on the life I have right in front of me ... finishing a 3rd Ironman with a the most amazing group of friends that I could ever ask for.... I know there will be some soul searching between now and then and that I won't be able to walk away from all the stuff that is happening but I hope to put it in a place that allows me to be grateful for journey. I plan to write more over the next few weeks with the hopes of being able to get the demons out of my head. In the end maybe I won't but I think it is such a great way to reflect when the race is over and life has moved on. Now I am going to get some work done and think about what I'm going to eat the rest of the day.

Weeks to recover and what is next ???

2008-08-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

So I have had a few weeks to recover and think about what is next for myself.....
Another Ironman ~ a new job ~ a change of residence ??? I'm not sure about much but I have made a few decisions.....

- Most importantly, I need to thank my friends and family who made the trip - traveled the journey - supported me and waited in the rain until all hours of the night to watch me cross the finish line.... I LOVE ALL OF YOU !! YOU MAKE MY LIFE SO GREAT ~ THANK YOU !!!!!!

#1) I will be in Lake Placid in July 09 to cheer on my amazing friends and hope to help them as much as they helped me.

#2) I am planning to sign up for Ironman Arizona (Nov. 09 ) with hopes of traveling this
amazing journey once again. Jay and Dad - if I remember correctly your paying my entry fee !!

#3) I will continue to do Team in Training to remind me how lucky I was to make the journey...
I will support all the cancer fundraising I can.... Carol Miller - I'll walk as far as I need to to support breast cancer and help raise awareness.... most of all ~ while I am healthy I will try to make a difference, even if it seems small. To all of you (Arlene, Greg, Mark , Carol and anyone I am forgetting ) My accomplishments pale in comparison to how you live each day. I hope to honor each and everyone of you every time I am healthy enough to race a race !!

#4) My good friend Paula who talked me in to my first triathlon is finally doing one of her own
and I am joining her in Las Vegas Oct 19th - go PAULA you will ROCK !! ( ps..thanks for giving me this life - I owe you big time )

#5) I will attempt to find a balance between triathlon, work and personal life ... if any of you have ideas ~ I welcome any suggestions....

Thanks everyone ! Without all of you ~ nothing I've done so far would be nearly as fun !!

( Team Pink ~ you are my angles !! Thank you )

2008-07-22T04:57:00.001-07:00

What a adventure this past few days has been.

I am going to attempt to write a race report for Sunday. I have never been very good at this stuff but I honestly made a conscious effort to take in everything on Sunday and try to remember what was going on around me so that I could tell everyone about it.

4:00 am - The alarm went off and I just sat there thinking today is the day. I am going to become a ironman. Then I thought wow - it is going to be a long, long day. I got up and ate my first meal of the day ..... pulled together my final stuff and we headed to the race start. When we pulled out in the car my good friend Heidi emerged from the motor home with very sleepy eyes and a huge sign to send Al and I off with good wishes....thanks Heidi ~ I think we both needed the tension breaker even then.

5:00 am - walked to the Olympic Oval where transition was and stood in line to have our bodies marked. At that point I was really getting nervous. We had to go into transition and put the final touches and nutrition in our gear bags and on our bikes. I must have gone back to my bag at least 5 times feeling like I was forgetting something. (I didn't). Once we finished in transition we
walked up to the Team Z tent where everyone was getting ready to go. That's when really started to get emotional ( scared ) I found myself crying from all the nerves. I kept looking out at the water doubting my ability to swim 2.4 miles with 2,400 people around me. For those of you who have never watched a ironman on TV or in person. The start is really amazing. Also, a bit intimidating. I was lucky a few of my close friends Katie especially gave me a hug and calmed me down ...... assuring me that I was ready for what lie ahead. When we started to work out way to the beach I was calming down ...... I can only remember looking up on the hill and seeing my friends and family ...... and yelling out to them that I was on my way to them. I was so happy to see them before starting but that too made me cry again. My dad came up to the start shoot to give me a hug and I couldn't look at him because I was afraid I would fall apart again and the race was starting in 3 minutes..... The National Anthem was sang and I was in the water moving to a position that I felt comfortable starting in. ( way right and in the back ) I was with my team mate Siri at that point and she was the only thing keeping me from total breakdown. She has that way about her.... just makes you smile and tells you it will all be OK. When the cannon went off we said our goodbyes .... Siri told me to have fun and off I went. I tried my old count your first 30 strokes to calm down and just keep moving forward but with over 2,000 people all starting at once time in a not so big lake ..... my first 30 strokes were not so continues... I had to stop a few times and find a line to swim in. I think it was probably about 15 or 20 minutes into the swim before I was able to relax and start just thinking about my own race. I got beat up a bit on the first loop of the swim but it was not nearly as bad as I anticipated so I came out of the water on loop one feeling much better, ran over the timing mat and got back in the water for loop number two. I don't remember if it had started raining on my first loop or if it was the second but at some point while we were swimmimg the rain started and as you will read it didn't stop for the next 14 hours. Anyway, I was out of the water in 1:33 right on target for what I thought I would do. I let the wet suit strippers take do there thing and I headed up the hill towards transition. I saw everyone.... Stef, Dave, Jay, Julie, Karen ( thanks for taking my wet suit KP) Heidi, Katy, Steve, Danielle my dad all of them yelling and cheering my name - hooting and hollering. It is such a cool feeling running to transition. I got to T1 changed my clothes grabbed all my stuff and headed out to get my bike..... ( fyi - I packed a raincoat but it was in my special needs bag that I wouldn't see until mile 56. The weather man said chance of showers late afternoon. I think he got fired yesterday by the way) Anyway ... I ran out of the tent and around the corner and I saw Jenni ~ i think she was more excited than me.... she grabbed my bike and handed it to me and told me to go have fun. ( Jeni was a bike in/out volunteer that's why she was in transition )

So off I was for 112 miles on the bike. At that point the rain was coming down pretty steadily and I realized that it was going to be a long wet ride. I had hopes that it would let up so I just dug in and made the first of many climbs and kept going. The first loop didn't seem all that bad ~ the fast downhills were hard because the rain was hitting your face so hard that it was really hard to see ... at one point I looked down at my cyclomotor and saw I was going 43 miles per hour on wet pavement and I couldn't really see the road in front of me so I decided to slow down a bit on the downhills. As for the climbs, I am just not a great climber and even though I am better now than I was a year ago I still struggle but I do OK. The spectators and race volunteers were so great out on the course... the best part of the first loop was the Team Z tent at about mile 40 ... I could hear Linda R. when I was coming up to the turn and that really gave me a boost. The out and back is great because I was able to see so many of my teammates most of them coming back when I was going out because they are all pretty much faster than me but it was still great seeing them and hearing all the go Z cheers. At the end of the out and back you have a 11 mile climb to get back to the village and start loop 2. The climb isn't the hardest thing in the world but it isn't easy either and all I could think about was damn after this I get to do it again !! ye he can't wait. Again - the first loop 11 mile climb there were spectators out all over I saw a ton of Z'rs and they were amazing. At the top of the last climb refereed to as "Big Bear" it was like the tour deFrance the hill was packed with tons of people cheering and bringing you up the hill. It was great. Coming into the village is totally awesome .... I could hear the Z nation at least a mile out... I was so excited to pass them and see everyone braving the rain to cheer us on. Team Z you are the best.

Loop 2 on of the bike...... it was still raining .... and not lightly I think that was when I started getting a little frustrated with the whole being wet thing. I felt like a damn raisin. However, I didn't really have a choice so off I went to do loop 2. Not much different than loop one still pelting rain and a bit more tired but I was feeling good and once I realized that it was pretty clear I would make the bike cut off I enjoyed it much more.

The run - Ok most of you know I hate to run and I am not fast by any standard so when I got off the bike I can not say that I was excited to start running however, just getting off the bike was nice. So I came into transition and again Jenni was screaming my name - very excited to see me making the cut off ...she grabbed my bike told me I was kicking butt and I ran pick up my clothes and change for the run. Needless to say I was drenched and getting out of my wet clothes was not all the easy. My dry clothes went on wet due to the fact I didn't have have a towel and it was so muddy in the changing tent thatany towels they had were on the ground to try to keep you from getting muddy feet. The towels didn't help all that much but I put my barely dry clothes on and headed out on the run. I have to tell you that 26.2 miles seemed like 100 from the start. I had never done a marathon. My longest run prior to the race was 20 miles. I just took off and decided that I would run as long as I could and then walk if I needed oh yeah and on the hills.... so the run and the ride obviously had hills - several so I did walk a lot but for the most part I ran 5 minutes and walked 1 minute for the first 15 miles then I hit the wall.... the last 11.2 miles was pretty damn hard. I was just moving as best as I could forward - one step at the time !!!! Going from aide station to aide station. I think it was mile 23 when I thought for sure I had it in the bag. My friend Steve was out there and I was so thankful to have a friend to chat with for a bit and as we entered the village and the last big hill I could hear Heidi yelling "GO TIMRA LU " and I was grinning from ear to ear at that point. Heidi, Danielle and Steve walked me to the turn around and once I turned the corner to do the last 1.2 mile out and back - I could hear the Z Nation going wild. It was so awesome..... Team Z you are great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't remember who all I saw but it seemed like 100 people with wet green clothes screamin' my name. I got past the Z'rs and went about a 1/4 of a mile and my two oldest(time not age) friends Stef and Jules were waiting for me to walk the the rest of the way to the village with me.... we were laughing, telling jokes and Stef was telling me about all the cute boys that she had found for me....... funny the last thing I was thinking about was a date but leave it to Stef to remind me that when the race was over I might have time for a date ??? Anyway, I got about 1/4 mile from the Olympic oval where the finish line was and decided I could run to the finish.... I heard them say my name over the speakers when I entered the oval and I was so excited to round the corner and see the finish line. The greatest thing is that every participant gets to cross the line with the IRONMAN ribbon and then you hear them say - TIMRA STUMP you are a IRONMAN.... that was such a great moment. All I could think about was I DID IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I crossed the line and once again
everyone was there for me.... it was the best !!!!!

I finished !!!!!!

2008-07-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

Ipromise to update with a official - Race Report- later ~ but for now .... I wan't to just
wind down drink some beer and enjoy my family. It was a amazing experience !!!!
It rained from 7:00 am until 10 pm but I did it !!!!!

Sat. Night 13 hrs to go !!!!!

2008-07-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

I am officially freaking out...... it is amazing how much tension you can feel before one of these events. I can't even imagine how I am going to feel when I get up at 4am tomorrow to start this
journey......

Thanks so much to all of you who are watching me and rooting me on from near and far.
I can't ever begin to tell you how much I appreciate all of you and your encouragement.
Without you I would never had made it this far. I will do everything possible to cross that
finish line tomorrow evening and hope that if any of you aspire to do something you think is
impossible that you will just go do it !!!!

Pain in temporary. Pride is FOREVER !!!!!

Well were here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-17T17:53:00.001-07:00

Jeni, Al and I arrived at around 3pm today ..... easy drive from DC - good weather and
good conversation. Jenni tried to reassure the two of us....not sure about AL but it
didn't do a lot for me. I am so freaked out right now.

We made a nice dinner at our house tonight and just relaxed. It was nice but I am
wondering if I can sleep.... my nerves are all messed up !!

Anyway - I have posted a photo at registration and one of AL and I at the turn off
into Placid. When I saw that first sign it totally freaked me out !!!! I will try to update with
photos and anything good between now and Sunday. Less than 3 days to go ??????

2008-07-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

Check this out on UTUBE - then if you really want to be inspired watch any of the others that
will be listed.... it's pretty amazing to watch !!!
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=Bh1yMnrby3w

1 WEEK to go !!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-13T03:42:00.000-07:00

As I sit here the countdown is officially on..... 1 week and 18 minutes until the start ......

I have a 40 mile ride today and I opted not to ride with the team. Long drive expensive gas and just wanted to try to sleep in a bit. So I am getting ready to put in my last longer ( funny 40 miles no longer seems long) ride before the race and trying to stay calm and keep to the plan.

The plan is - Have FUN - enjoy this experience and feel the accomplishment !!

I am having fun - yesterday Team Z went to a local Olympic distance race and had about 15
relays as well as 10-12 participants... new Zr's is what we call some of them. For some it was
there 1st triathlon ever and let me tell you how amazing you feel when you finish - no matter how long it takes you you just feel great..... The relay teams were made up of many of out IM
folks... just getting in a last workout and for me trying to remain distracted. I did the swim
part of my team and had a great time. Good distraction for a few hours.

I just looked for race results from my 1st race in 2004 and couldn't find them.... I can't believe
that I didn't keep that time in my scrap book ... there are photos and I know it took a long time ... I also know I was the very last person to cross the finish line .... I just don't have the time ???
I'm guessing that I didn't really want to remember it. Anyway, not a big deal it was just a
curiosity... I know I have come a long ~ long way. I don't need to see my times to prove that.
To date this journey has been amazing. I have made friends that will last me a life time and I
have gained confidence in myself that I may never have found. I know that I can accomplish
anything. I can do it in a triathlon and I can do it in my life. Next Sunday will be the beginning and end of a great journey ~ one that will lead me to new challenges, new triumphs and I am sure new pains !!

" Pain is temporary. Pride is FOREVER !! "

It's official I have a number #2325

2008-07-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Wow - not that it has not seemed official for all this time but when you see your name with
a number next to it - it is so real.....

#2325
that is my official IRONMAN number ..... let's hope that that is my finish time as well.

I got this today ~ it makes sense what more can I say ????????????

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go, only 1 of 2 things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!

40 yrs old and still kicking !!

2008-07-07T04:39:00.000-07:00

I thought today would be a good day to reflect on being 40 and doing this event.

I obviously believe I am capable and in my heart I know I am more capable than I was at 30 but I will be the first to admit that some days I feel every muscle in my 40 year old body and question the age thing big time...... Not today ~ I watched the Olympic trials this weekend and Dorra Torrez rocked the pool at 41 ~ she looked amazing and I have to tell you I'd give anything to look like her. More than anything she said something that really hit me. You just have to believe. I promise "I BELIEVE !!"

I'm dealing a lot with the emotions of the event ~ I'm scared, I'm nervous and I am doing everything to stay calm between now and the 20th.

At this point in the game it's all about emotion.... how to keep that emotion in check. I have tried each day to just stay positive and believe in the training. To believe in what I have done and how far I have come. Less than 2 weeks to go ...............

To drink or not to drink ??

2008-07-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

I had aspirations of not drinking in the month of July ???? I changed them to not drinking from the 5th to the 19th ........ 1st off who can go to a concert with Heidi and Barry and not have a cocktail or two. Not me !! 2nd - I figure the 4th will require a beer or something.... so my plan now is to strart the no drinking on Sat. the 5th.....

Oh and the 19th - I need a beer or two the night before the race ~ it's tradition!! I've had a beer or two prior to any triathlon I've done so I can't change now.....

2008-06-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

It's 9:30 pm on Sunday the 29th of June - 3 weeks from today at this moment I will be out on the run corse at lake Placid - it will be dark - and I might (ok I will) be trying to find everybit
of strength I have to finish.... I'd like to finish by 11pm but like I have said from day one .....

I want to finsish and if it is 30 sec. before midnight - I still want to finish.....

This week was weird... I started my blog and that really got me thinking so much more about the actual event. Not that I have not thought about it a ton ...... but now I am thinking about the day...the journey the accomplishment and how to get the most of every minute of the experience. This by all accounts will probably be my only ironman so I want to enjoy every minute that I can.

3 weeks - last week was a recovery week and for those of you who have never trained for a endurance event I can tell you - it is much needed rest and exhaustion all at the same time....
all of the sudden 30 minute runs hurt and exhaust you ..... 45 minute flat rides seem like hours or hills.... really you just want to sleep and not do anything. However, you still have to keep to the schedule and suck it up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week is a small build week and then it is all taper to the race.
Monday I will run 60 minutes, Tues. I will ride 60min and swim the same, Wed. run - Thurs - ride and swim again... Friday is our off day ( the 4th of July as well ) Sat we run 2 hrs... for me that is 10 miles and Sun. we ride 60 miles....

I'M WORKING ON MY RACE PLAN THIS WEEK...... WONDERING WHAT I WILL NEED TO DRAW FROM WHEN THE GOING GETS TUFF ??? I DOUBT THAT IS SOMETHING I WILL SHARE PRIOR TO LP BUT WHEN I FINISH I WILL FILL YOU IN.

****** getting more nervous and emotional each day **** I'm scared as hell but I'm told that that is normal and good.... still it is a challange to stay positive and not be overwhelmed.

24 days

2008-06-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

All the photos -
I guess I wanted to post what I think is my support team and show that in the end
we still have fun.... even when the race is hard or the cause is heart breaking.

Someone ask me yesterday - How I got started in TRIATHLON....
It all started in 2004 when Paula Braxton persuaded me to sign up for a Olympic Distance
triathlon to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society... I thought it was crazy
and I was so overwhelmed at the idea of swimming a mile, riding 25 and running 6.2 but the cause was worth it and I figured I had nothing to loose. As some of you know my life at that
time was a bit out of control and I was really having a hard time. So I signed up and dug in !!

Just a side note - if you ever think you might want to try to do a endurance event but your scared and don't know where to start .... go to www.teamintraining.org and check it out.
I truly believe that "TNT" saved me from falling apart in a time where it would have been easy to go the other direction it gave me a healthy alternative and made me believe in myself again !!

Now - the photos

Stefanie Mastos ( Beckner ) My best friend from Junior High and high School - She has made me laugh on days that I totally wanted to give up...she's my drinking partner and she and her husband "Hot Diggity Dave" are making the trip to Placid to cheer me on and I am so thankful to them for that......

My Dad and I - No explanation needed however I will tell you that when I told him I was doing a IRONMAN - he told me that I had to have been switched at birth !!!!!

Arlene Klauber - is a amazing woman who I have become close friends with over the past several years. She has been a honored team mate of mine as well as a team participant. She is battling returning cancer after being in remission for 9 years and she has amazing spirit and will. Every time I think I can't I think of her !!!!!

Team Pink - My bestest of bestest group of friends. The women and men who keep me grounded (Heidi) and encourage me even when I think I want to qive up.(Steve)

COACH BRYAN - Bryan has was my TNT coach and our official Team Pink coch for Timberman 1/2 Iron.... he IM's me off the legdge at least once a week.... and he just has twins that are destin to play BUCKEYE FOOTBALL some day !!

Jenni Banks - The uber athlete in my life - the one who makes everything seem EASY but always finds time to help me when I need it ~ she has taught me so much about the sport from riding technique to bike maintenance she is the one I go to for it all. ( Thanks Jen if you read this)

Team in Training - My St. A's team this year - a great race and a such a good group... they were very patient with the fact that I was training for the IRONMAN and not always doing the same work out.

The boa's and the plunge - Just making a point that I'm still having fun !!!!

Bart & I at St. A's - OK so this is personal - I beat him and I PR'd the race ( personal best )
now it was his first race and probably my 13th or 14th but I still beat him and I know that drove him mad so I had to post that picture !!!

Mooseman - this picture was taken before the most miserable race I have had to date....
water was 60 degrees - my feet froze while swimming and the air temp by the time I was running was in the 90's - all I can say is it SUCKED !! but I finished !

25 days and counting

2008-06-25T05:33:00.000-07:00

Ok - so I thought about doing this months ago - and then really didn't think I had much to say or much anyone would want to hear....

Hell, most of the people I hang out with don't really think I'm insane in fact they have either done a IRONMAN or they are planning to do one ~ so in my silly little Northern Virginia crowd I am just another person training to compete in a IROMAN event.....

So now I am 25 days away from finishing my goal - crossing the finish line and becoming a IRONMAN - The past several weeks have been a true test of my ability and patients. I have questioned myself on more than one occasion and I have wondered it I can actually do this....
I can say with out a doubt that it is a mental test as well as physical and some days I am scared as hell but others I feel amazing, proud and like I can do anything.

Many of my friends who don't train for triathlon and with a group of people that are amazing athletes have ask me so many times - what do you do to train ??? How many hours .....
This past weekend was our last "BIG" training weekend. On Saturday I ran 20 miles and it was the longest run I had ever done. It took me a little over 4 hrs and it was hard. I finished and I was so proud of myself when I was done. Then on Sunday we rode 122.5 miles ( I did a bit over 125 due to a little back tracking I had to do) The ride took a bit over 8hrs. Yep - your reading correctly 8 hours on a bike seat - can you say FUN ??? NOT !!!!! Now let me put that into race day perspective...... 12 hours and I won't be near the finish line. Actually I will only be about 8-10 miles in to my MARATHON ---- marathon are you kidding me I'm doing my 1st marathon at the end of a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike in the Adirondack mountains..... funny ha !!!

Now - that said ...YES I'm scared and yes I am freaking out a bit. However, I will tell you that Monday morning I woke up, felt great only a little soreness and thought all right you have made it through the hardest part. You have trained ~ You have worked hard and now you are going to recover and tapper and be ready to conquer the most incredible experience of your life so far.
( what does that say about my life ??? that will be a question to be answered after the finish line)

I will try to post every few days - what I'm doing ...... and thinking. I hope that you'll find it interesting and if nothing else you'll enjoy the journey with me a bit.

1st of March

2008-03-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

So it seems like this is the time to start thinking ahead to July and sharing with many of my friends and family the journey to IRONMAN that I have decided to take.

Answers to the few most obvious questions I seem to get.
1. What is a IRONMAN
** ironman is a triathlon that is made up of
2.4 mile swim , 112 mile bike , 26.2 mile run
2. Is it in Hawaii ?
** as much as I would like to be doing this in Hawaii the race that many of you see on
television or equate to IRONMAN in Kona is not the race I will be participating in.
Kona is a race that you have to qualify for and / or lottery into and I assure that I will not
be finishing my race nearly fast enough to qualify for that particular event. However, believe
me when I tell you that any IRONMAN distance race is a amazing journey and for normal
everyday people like you and I a incredible journey of patience and persistence to get to the
finish line.
3. When is the race and where ???
My race will be held July 20th in Lake Placid, NY
4. Why ?
not enouth time today to give you the answer to that question but I will just say
that I am doing it for ME becasue I truly believe I can.
5. How long will it take to finish ?
Some amazing athletes will finish in 10 hours, most will finish between 13-15 hours.
I hope to finish aroun 16 hours but really only care about finishing at all !!!
To be a official IM finisher and receive a medal at the finishline I will have to be across the
finish line in 17 hours or less. So that is my #1 goal !!! Just FINISH !!!