IMWI: Round 2

In the Ironman/Triathlon world, when you utter the words, "Ironman Wisconsin" there are a variety of things that can pop into a fellow triathletes mind. For instance, many may think of this site:

The Capitol building amidst the darkness of the late night finishers

Others who who are a little scared from race day might think of something like this:

Legit. This guy hasn't missed a race in years. 

Either way, it never ceases to amaze. And this weekend was no different. Mark and I rolled into town around 3pm, dropped our things at the AirBnB and then headed straight back to Monona Terrace to check-in. We went through the motions. Show your photo ID: check. Sign your life away in case anything happens: check. Make sure your emergency contact is listed correctly: check. Step on the scale for pre-race weigh in: check. Make sure you are branded with your Ironman wristband that serves as your only identification as an athlete throughout the weekend: check. Alas, we were officially checked in and promptly spit out into the Ironman Merchandise store and expo. Let the games begin.

That Capitol 💖
Right after this pic, Mark goes "Ok, now take a picture without touching me" 🙄

I was absolutely exhausted. Madison isn't far away from home. But when you try to cram a 5 day work week into 3 and a half (because Monday was Labor Day) it left me feeling like I was missing out on a few ZZZ's going into race day. Mark and I had dinner with Jacqui and Ryan at the Athlete Welcome Banquet. We sat and listened to Mike Reilly welcome us to town while the Mayor insisted we take home some of the overflow water from Lake Monona. In the weeks leading up to Ironman Wisconsin, Madison had received a record amount of rain causing Lake Monona to overflow and push the swim start/exit back about 100 yards from it's normal location, making transition a tad longer. Honestly, I was just AMAZED at Madison's efforts to make sure the swim portion of this race COULD go on. We said goodnight and parted ways. Tomorrow brought a long list of To Do's.

#rockstarseating

SATURDAY

Mark and I woke up on Saturday morning and I felt extremely refreshed. I needed a solid night of sleep and that's exactly what I got. Mark and I got in the car to meet the group for an open water swim and I got word from Rob that he didn't have to work Saturday night. YES! HE DOESN'T HAVE TO MISS THE RACE! Caveat: He had to work Monday morning at 3am. Loophole: Finish the race as fast as possible so Rob can get home and get some sleep before work. Challenge accepted.

We pulled up to the water and were quite surprised to see some giant white caps throughout the lake. Lake Monona is famous for it's chop the farther out you go, but this was a different story. The air was cold, the wind was strong, and the waves were fierce. Needless to say, BFG wasn't happy about the situation considering his swim training history in the past 365 days.

Rethinking his training plan 🤔

We all survived a short little practice swim. It wasn't ideal, but we knew we could pull it off in the chop if we had too. But, some calmer waters on race morning would definitely be preferable.

No, Speedy did not swim with his bike.
He's not that good.

Mark and I took off to finish up the rest of the low key workouts of the day, a spin around the neighborhood followed by a 1 mile shakeout run. We finished up going through the motions, stickering bikes and helmets and packing up our gear bags. It never takes to long, but the process can be stressful. Did I pack everything I need? Are these 5 extra gels necessary? How about an extra pair of socks? Normally, this is something I can do in my sleep. But it had been a full YEAR since I had done any sort of triathlon, let alone an Ironman. I was trying to remember what the motions felt like.

I went pretty "bare minimum" for this race

We packed up the car and headed back into town for bike and gear check in. This was the easy part. Once it's all packed, all you have to do is drop it off.

Only half of the bikes!

Bikes are in! 

Gear bags too!

We relaxed for a while and finally it was time to eat. EATING ALSO MEANT ROB WAS IN TOWN! We all thoroughly enjoyed our pre-race meal with some great company and laughs. Race day was only 1 sleep away. Hell, my 31st birthday was only 1 sleep away but honestly that was the last thing on my mind. Waking up to some calm water and minimal winds was what I wanted most.

Looks who's hereeeee!!!! 💗 

Mark trying to steal some training through conduction from Coach Speedy

Mark found Lauren on the street and stole her for the evening!

SUNDAY (RACE DAY AND MY BIRTHDAY! 🎈)

The night before a race is always restless sleep, especially a big race like this. And this particular night was no different. Just as I started to feel like I was finally asleep, my alarm went off. Alright it's time to get this show on the road. The morning routine started. Coffee. Banana. Peanut butter english muffin toasted. Let Mother Nature take it's course.

I'm pretty sure 10 years ago I was still awake at 3:48am celebrating my 21st birthday
My how times have changed

I gave Rob a kiss goodbye and told him I'd see him on course at some point. Mark and I made it to transition just as they were opening the doors at 5am. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that giving yourself a few extra minutes to make sure everything is set to go isn't the end of the world. We don't need anymore Ironman Texas repeats as far as I'm concerned. Because within a few minutes of dropping off last minute items to our gear bags, Mark realized he didn't have any socks in in his bike bag. It's currently 5:07am and transition closes at 6:30. What's one to do? ROB TO THE RESCUE. Rob was planning on making it to the swim exit and not seeing us before the start of the race. But when I called him at 5:08am and asked him ever so nicely if he could leave a *tad* earlier than expected to bring Mark his socks, that was the end of that plan. 

Jacqui and Ryan were staying at the Hilton (literally attached to Monona Terrace) so we made our way back up to their room to get away from the commotion until we had to head back down to the starting line. Soon enough, Rob had arrived, wetsuits were being shimmied, and it was damn near go time.  I dropped my morning clothes bag, kissed Rob goodbye, and scaled a fence with Mark and Trina to finally weave our way as close to the front as possible. 

It didn't take long before Mark, Trina, and I found Nate and the 4 of us wiggled through the crowd to the 1:11-1:20 swim start area. Ryan was long gone already but at one point Jacqui squeezed past us and made it a little farther ahead. The closer it got to  firing the gun, the more my nerves intensified. Four years ago I was wading in Lake Monona with all 2500 athletes waiting for the gun to go off. This time around, the mass swim start had been eliminated and we were standing like sardines in the grass waiting to be freed into the water for the newly self seeded swim start. The National Anthem played and within seconds the gun went off to start the pro women's race and I nearly pooped myself. Like I said, I was all sorts of high strung. Before I knew it the amatuer gun was fired and my toes hit the water. IMWI round 2, here goes nothing. 

SWIM

The first couple minutes of any Ironman are always about getting your bearings. Today was no different. We had to swim on a slight angle in order to officially hit the rectangular swim course. I tried to find a buoy, but following the masses ended up being my only option. I don't remember seeing my first buoy until I reached the 2nd one (and I only know that because it said "2" on the side). Usually, the first 5 minutes of THIS particular race are compared to a washing machine, considering the ever so unpopular mass swim start of years past. But this rolling start? Man, I could get used to this. The water was wide open. Sure, there was a foot here, a body there to maneuver around. But NOTHING like it was in the past. I made it to the first turn buoy in what seemed like no time. This was the part I was dreading though. Direct sunlight and a little intenser chop.

Compared to the practice swim on Saturday, the chop was nothing at all. But don't be fooled, it was still present. And that loooooong backstretch hasn't changed in 4 years. It's long and brutal. The sun is KILLER in your eyes the entire time. Sighting is a b*tch. Occasionally a chop takes you by surprise and your arm doesn't even make it out of the water for the next stroke. This time around I kept swimming up on small packs of swimmers, maybe 5-6 at a time. Nothing drastic. But enough for me to have to make a decision. Swim THROUGH or around? When I could, I swam around. But there was a a few times I remember I found my hole and made my move. The shortest distance from point A to B is a straight line. You can't blame me for this one. I'm sure I pissed off a few people. I took in some water in the process (because even though this is my 7th time I'm still somewhat a newb and can't not swallow lake water during a race). Everytime I found my mind drifting off to any sort of negativity (i.e. "well that mouthful of water certainly set you back another minute!") I fell deeper into this nasty mind game of "just how bad will this swim actually be?" I knew I wasn't in the BEST swim shape. The chop certainly wasn't helping. And I could definitely do without this sun in my eyes. I made the final turn towards home and could hear Mike Reilly over the speakers. I was getting close. I finally popped up out of the water and glanced at my watch 1:16:53. By the time I crossed the timing matt I finished that swim in a shocking 1:17:06. Man, maybe I do remember how to triathlon!

Peace out wata ✌

{Sidenote: the last time I swam 2.4 miles in a wetsuit was for Ironman Lake Placid in 2016. (IMTX 2017 was non-wetsuit. IMCHATTY 2017 was also non wetsuit downstream.) I had my all time best swim at IMLP in the calmest of waters with a 1:15:02 and I'd like to say I was in really good swim shape at the time. My 1:17:06 in Lake Monona literally tickled me pretty as I took off for what I thought would be the biggest test of my day.}

T1 7:19

Coming out of the water the wetsuit strippers were busier than I'd hoped for. But I had my wetsuit to my hips on my own and was able to snag one of the last strippers to help me with the lower half. The swim start being pushed back added about 100 yards to T1, not the end of the world. Until you start running on that concrete and realize how FRICKEN COLD THE CEMENT IS. I had barely made it to the base of the helix and I could already tell my feet were numb. The helix crowd was THICK with fans. The energy electric. I know for a fact that my heart rate is never higher than when I'm in transition. I made my passes to those dawdlers. I even passed a few who were running. Finally I was off the concrete ground and inside the Monona Terrace to grab my bike bag, change, and hit the road.

Rob found himself a nice little seat on the concrete wall of the Terrace and stalked us as we found our bikes!

Now the scary part: Ride your bike DOWN the helix 😅

BIKE

In years past, I have watched athletes start their IMWI bike as the exit Monona Terrace coming down from the parking garage helix. Hell, I did it myself 4 years ago. And I swear every time it gives me a set of nerves like nails on a chalkboard. It's a tight turn. And it's 3 full 360 degree turns to the bottom. And at the bottom, you have to make sure you don't run into one of the vestibules where you would normally pay as you exit a parking garage. Legit this is the coolest and scariest transition setups you've ever seen. 

Yea, I wasn't lying.

Over the years, I've become VERY familiar with this bike course. I don't need pavement markings at this point. I've been riding the 40 mile loop on repeat for training for the past 5 summers. But the stick leading out to the loop? That is something I barely remember. I knew it wasn't flat, but I honestly had forgotten anything about it. The stick is 16 miles, then you ride the 40 mile loop twice, and then you ride the stick back to Monona Terrace, hence giving you your 112 mile bike course. 

The wind seemed to be in our favor on the way out. I never had to much trouble and even saw a 14:XX 5 mile split at one point. I knew that wouldn't last forever so I graciously accepted the speed at this point of the bike. We finally entered Verona and as far as I was concerned, this is where the games really began. I felt like I was on my home turf, these are my roads damnit! I knew exactly when to flip into the smaller gears so I wouldn't trash my legs. I knew exactly what hills seemed to tax my body over others. I knew exactly what to flip it into high gear and let loose because if you're smart, you can ride Witte Road like a roller coaster and use practically 0 energy. Some might call this an advantage while others would call it slightly "unfair." Call what you want, I've beaten my body to shreds over the years on this bike course so I think I deserved a little bit of fun today.

One of the millions descends of the day

It didn't take long before I noticed that the wind wasn't what it normally is. Having ridden this course plenty of times over the years, the wind direction is pretty easy to predict, give or take. Today? It pulled a 180 on us. The sections of the course where you can normally pick up some speed, you were fighting the wind. And aggressively. There are few flat sections of this course, but the few that are generally offer minimal wind and a chance for you to relax and gather yourself before you have to start doing some serious work again. This day? We worked allllll day.

Heading into Mount Horeb was the worst. There is a bit of a flat section followed by a false flat followed by a pretty large climb. But, it's normally very manageable. I did everything I could to stay as low as possible and NOT come out of aero even when I was climbing. I needed to conserve as much as possible. Just after Mount Horeb there was a nice little section of wind as well, just before turning onto Witte Road. I barely lifted my head up. I looked up enough that I knew there were no bikes directly in front of me. I didn't want my eyes any higher than they needed to be. Just before turning onto Witte Road I looked up to take the turn and there stood the first person I recognized while on the bike, Jodi Menke. A local triathlon acquaintance, I knew she'd pop up on course at some point. We made eye contact and literally we both screamed. We were both so excited to see each other that no words came out, simply excitement. 

After I enjoyed Witte Road, I started to wonder where Mark was. I knew he should have passed me by now. What if he had an issue in the water? What if he cramped and can't ride? What if something happened and they had to call Rob to go get him? Speaking of, where's ROB!? You have no idea where my mind will take me during a day like this. 

I'm sure I was fighting some sort of wind at this point

Soon it came time to climb the Three Sisters/Bitches (whatever you prefer to call them). I was really starting to worry that I hadn't seen Mark at all. I knew I'd see familiar faces on one of the Sisters so I'd have a chance to ask. Sure enough, I made it to Sister #2 at the base of the hill stood John Lorenz ready to run me up the hill. You're looking great! Jacqui is in the top 7, Nate and Trina are literally just ahead of you! I was feeling great and used that energy to power up the massive hill, but managed to ask John if he had seen my brother at all. He's doing good, just a little ways behind you! THANK GOD! Then, he passed me off to Mr. Giuliano, Ryan's Dad. Mr. Always Excited. Mr. Intensity. His energy was electric and seriously made me feel on top of the world. Holy hell would you look at this girl, she knows how to power up a hill! GO GET EM MEG!"  And just like that, I made it to the top and the crowds thinned.

I started loop 2 and was anticipating the breakdown of my body. Generally, if it's gonna go it'll be on the 2nd half of the bike course. For me, I usually start to get off pattern with my nutrition. My watch is set to beep every 20 minutes to remind me to take in some sort of nutrition. But after 4 hours or so, I just don't wanna sometimes. But today, I was on point. Gel, banana at aide stations, water, nutrition bottle, cliff bar. You name it, I did it. And nothing cramped. Nothing hurt. My stomach survived. 

Just before mile 85ish, I had my first Rob sighting. He was sitting off to the side, solo, no crowds around him, wearing his flashing neon construction work vest so I could find him easily. He pulled the camera down so I could make eye contact. It wasn't until that moment that it clicked. Mark is ok and Rob is just now showing up on course. I bet he took a nap after the swim. Sure enough, this girl knows her fiance best. 

I told ya, head down. Only look as far up as necessary.
#wind

Finally I was on the last section of the loop and knew the stick was quickly approaching. I've never been more excited in my life, until the moment I realized that the wind would be in our face the ENTIRE 16 MILES BACK. And immediately after turning off of the loop, I remembered. I remembered an awful memory. The first 3-4 miles heading back is a nice, steady, mean, dirty, nasty, climb... in a headwind. If ever there are moments in your life that you feel like you're truly being tested for survival mode, this might be one of them. It takes away ANY positivity you had left. It eats at your mental status. It destroys your legs. And I'll be damned, you still have 10 miles to go once you get to the top.

Finally we hit the bike path. Three miles to go. And then it was John Nolan Drive. The capitol building in sight. Let's get this shit over with. But. There's always a but.

Remember the helix that you so cautiously have to ride down at the beginning? You get to climb that to finish off your ride.

Legit, throw it in the smallest gear and say your prayers.

And finally, 6 hours and 27 minutes later, it was time to run. {A casual 48 minutes faster than it took me to bike the course 4 years prior, for the first time. Take away some of this odd wind and I bet it could have been closer to an hour.}

T2 3:18

Rob found me coming off the bike, but I didn't see him. I handed my bike over and took my first steps to get my bearings. (The term "brick legs" is never more appropriate than after riding this course.) It didn't take long before I had my sea legs back and was flying down the aisle of bags to grab mine. Run shoes on. Belt on. Quick pee. And we're off. 

The run out was also different this year because of flooding.
But it worked out because Rob was able to find me!

RUN

I have a lot of mixed emotions about this part of the race. IMCHATTY2017 left me with a bad taste in my mouth after my run went south from the very second I stepped foot off my bike. But I raced A LOT last year and those last 26 miles of the year might have been what put me over the edge.

This year, I knew my run may or may not suffer. I had just spent 9 of the last 12 months focused on run training. This is what you do now! You're a runner! You should be good at this! In the same breath, my body was pretty beat up. My left hamstring suffered a major beating from the months of March-June. Tension and tightness and pains never TRULY went away, only subsided a lot. If I was going to have a bad run, this would be why. And surely enough, that's what happened. 

I mean, I didn't feel great but check out that dude behind me. Yikes.

I hit the run and didn't even look at my watch. Run easy and run don't focus on time. That was my motto. I saw Jacqui and Ryan's parents on State Street right away and was feeling on top of the world! It was starting to get hot, quite a bit actually. It was only 70 degrees, but with no clouds and 112 bikes miles under your belt, you tend to heat up quickly. 

Running on Astro Turf didn't help either
Camp Randall Stadium
ILL - INI!

I saw Ryan on his way home to win the race around mile 2.5, just about the time my run started to go South. My foot tightened up to the point I had to stop and try and stretch it out. It cramped like you would expect in the middle of the night. Soon, that tightness shot up in my calf and hamstring. And before you knew it, my left leg was completely useless. There was more walking than I'm proud of during miles 3-6. It wasn't pretty. But I NEEDED to get my body to a point that I could move comfortably. I finally caught a second wind and saw Rob on State Street. He sat in the middle of the road. construction vest on, camera in the air. Normally this kind of behavior would elicit an Ironman official to ask a spectator to move off course. But, we're pretty sure they thought Rob WAS an Ironman official in that fancy vest of his. 

"Hi Honey kinda having a rough day, hope you enjoyed your nap on my BIRTHDAY!"

This run course really throws me off, every time. There are so many twists and turns and small out and backs that I seriously can't keep it straight. I remember I saw Jon Crane and his wife. Jon damn near clubbed me on the bike course during the last 4 miles with his beer in hand. So  he hopped on the run to apologize and wish me a happy birthday. I could tell he had been drinking for a while, and to be honest, I was a little jealous. 

I remember seeing Lauren Matricardi on the bike path along the lake at one point. She was with her CES friends and stood on the ready to snap my photo in all my birthday glory. When I approached her she asked, "So how do you feel!?" Instead of telling her the honest truth about wanting to sell my left leg to a homeless person, I told her, "You know, I've had better birthdays!" 

Hiiiiiii L-Mat!

The 2nd half of the first loop my body seemed to relax enough to let me actually run. 9-10 minute miles. I wasn't complaining. I knew this had potential to go South quickly so I accepted it with open arms. I made it to the turn around point, literal feet from the finish line (brutal I tell ya) and prayed that I'd be able to pull off 13 more miles on a bum leg. 

Being able to see the finish line and know you have 13 miles to go is the WORST. 

Mile 15 or so is the first time I saw Mark all day. He was finishing up his 1st lap while I was well into my second. We stopped and talked for a minute. He was feeling surprising well, considering he actually didn't train for this race. Me on the other hand? Shoot me. The 2nd half of this run is a big blur. I spent a lot of time trying not to focus on the shooting pain up and down my left leg. I was slow moving for sure. Jacqui had passed me long ago and taken home her first Ironman title ever. I spotted Nate and Trina many times throughout the run.

I knew that was I was on the clock though. Remember how I mentioned Rob needed to get back home so he could sleep for work in the middle of the night? Yea, that was still happening. I had set Rob back longer than I was hoping for. I knew I'd see him again around mile 20 and thought about telling him he didn't have to stay if he didn't want to. But then I saw him. And he was all smiles. And he knew I was hurting. And he gave me a little love tap and sent me on my way. 

Photo Cred: My #1 Spectathlete

The sun officially set and I was only a few miles away from the finish line. The last miles might have hurt the worst. I remember thinking, "Forward motion, keep the forward motion." I got closer and closer and started to get a little emotional. I finished this race 4 years ago and I had a slew of people at the finish line. My mother, who doesn't travel well. My father, who had recently had a heart attack and open heart surgery. My brother, who truly had no idea what it felt like to do something like this. Rob, who had literally spent his ENTIRE day chasing me all over the course. Jacqui and Ryan, who were both hanging from a street lamp as I rounded the final turn to the finish line screaming their heads off. Friends from high school and college who had made the journey to watch me find the finish line after 140.6 miles. 

And today, I had mom and dad glued to their live feed at home. Mark on course with me. Jacqui and Ryan on course with me. And Rob at the finish line, ready to greet me with my birthday kiss. And ALL of my support at home.

#7

People always ask why I keep coming back to do this time and time again. There are plenty of reasons. But honestly. That feeling of crossing the finish line. There's nothing like it. It releases so many raw emotions that you just can't put into words. We repeatedly do what brings us joy. These moments are ingrained in our brains in such a permanent way. Why would you NOT to repeat something like that? 

I've said it before, the more you race the distance, the easier it gets. And it's true. Recovery tends to be quicker. The body doesn't hurt as much after each race. But this one? This one for sure took it's toll on me. I limped and waddled and dragged my foot the rest of the night while waiting for Mark to finish. (Which was only and hour and a half after me) For someone who completely had their focus set elsewhere all summer long, his finish was simply amazing to me. 

He apparently forgot he wasn't exactly ready for take off during the run

As we were saying our goodbyes to Rob, Mark was officially asked to join the wedding party. It was a moment I didn't see coming, nor did I expect to be apart of. Of course it was filled with Rob's smartass comments and we all laughed. But I wouldn't have it any other way I can definitely say it was the perfect end to my birthday. 

I literally had a hard time keeping my eyes open at this point

BFG! BFG! BFG!
Training? What's that? #nailedit

We sent Rob on his way, grabbed our bikes and hit the road. We had to make it home before pizza delivery wasn't an option anymore for a Sunday night. We ate as much as we could (which wasn't much at all) before we both felt sick to our stomachs.

Standing with 2 Ironman Champs. Best Friends. NBD.

The last thing I am is upset with my race. My biggest goal this year was to qualify for Boston. And that happened earlier than I anticipated. So since I was able to spend the 2nd half of my year actually having FUN before I go head down planning this wedding was absolutely amazing. Speaking of Boston, registration for the 2019 race officially closed a short while ago. My application is in. I'm sitting over here, fingers and toes crossed, anxiously awaiting my acceptance.

Jacqui said it best... #squad

The next morning the 6 of us went to the athlete breakfast and sat through the awards ceremony. It's always fun to see the victors on stage the next morning. Jacqui and Ryan were able to stand side by side, champions. It was such an awesome moment to witness. We finally went our separate ways, saying goodbye to the land of nostalgia.

RyBread Racing

{And for those worry warts out there, please know that I have already started seeking treatment for my leg. I'm not about to run Boston on this bum leg of mine. I'm starting at the bottom and checking off all the items on my list if necessary. I've had one intense session of Active Release Therapy done and I'm about to embark on my 2nd as we speak. I already feel relief and I'm certain with some proper relaxation of the muscles and longer recovery, this too shall pass.}

On that note, RyBread OUT! Cheers.

Deja Vu: The RyBread Racing IMWI Lineup

I can't help but feel like I've been here before. Four years ago I packed up all of my triathlon belongings and embarked on my first Ironman journey, naive and full of nerves and uncertainty. This time around, I'm what most would call a "veteran" with some upgraded equipment over the years. But I still can't shake the same emotions I had four years ago.

Pre-Bike check-in 2014!
Please note the borrowed race wheels and road bike

Sometimes I wonder, if I wasn't so naive going into Ironman Wisconsin in 2014, would I have even attempted something like this in the first place? Would I EVER have decided to attempt an Ironman? I remember dismounting my bike on race day, very vividly. I stood still without moving for the first time since the race had started. The volunteer grabbed my bike from me and we made eye contact. "Do me a favor, sell it, " I told him. He laughed. Less than a year later, I owned bike number 2. But in that moment, I swore I'd never ride a bike again.

I might have also LOOKED naive.
Crooked helmet and all 

But here we are, 4 years and 6 full Ironman later. I'm heading back to the land of nostalgia. Looking over the lake from Monona Terrace, that left hand turn onto Witte Road on the bike, wondering "where exactly will the clown show up?",  and cruisin' down State Street with a view of the capitol building. And so.much.more.

IMWI 2014 Swim Start
I'm in there somewhere

Four years ago, I raced alone but had a great deal of support. My family, Rob, many friends, and Ryan (Coach Speedy, who will still tell you to this day, "I fought back tears watching you find that finish line!"). We've used the word "lab rat" over the years to describe my training that summer, and it's damn fitting. Back in the day, RyBread Racing wasn't even a thing. Coaching was still something Ryan "wasn't sure about" for a full time gig. The day I signed up for Madison in 2013, I called him up and told him I wasn't about to do this alone. And the rest is history.

Back when he pulled double duty
Powerbar Tent by day, Coach in the background

This time around, the racing crew looks a little different. In fact, I was the LAST to join the party. Unsure what would happen at Grandma's Marathon in June, I left the 2nd half of 2018 wide open. Once I took care of the major goal of qualifying for Boston, I could do whatever I wanted. And here I am, with my RyBread crew. Don't worry, I'll re-introduce everyone in case you forgot.

The 2018 RyBreading Racing IMWI Lineup

Mr. Tomato
Nathan Tamayo - #mrtomato

IMCHOO 2017
Nate gettin' some support from his dad on the run course!

Once again, we haven't broken the trend. I have raced ALL of my Ironman races with the Tamayo's since Ironman Lake Placid in 2016. Still living the vampire life with the Mrs, Nate continues to show up on race with his guns loaded and ready to tackle whatever comes his way. Living life opposite of the rest of society isn't a piece of cake, but this guy always makes it look easy. Nate raced Ironman Wisconsin as his first IM back in 2012 so he's ready to see what kind of progress he's made over the years. 



Mrs. Tomato

Trina Tamayo - #mrstomato

IMCHOO 2017 Swim exit

This is the first year since 2015 that the Tomatoes and I haven't raced 2 Ironman in one year. I decided to take the running route the first half of 2018, while the Tomatoes decided to donate some of their Ironman funds to their tattoo collection. This year when Trina exits the water, she'll be sporting TWO fabulous sleeves. Of course this passion of theirs cost them some valuable time in the pool. But not to worry, the RnR did them both a solid because I sense some fast swims out of these two! Living the night life makes it hard to find a common time for the group to get together with the Tomatoes. So if racing an Ironman once a year means I get to laugh until my cheeks hurt (which cheeks, eh Trina?! 🤣) then so be it. I don't get nearly enough time with this fabulous couple and I can't wait for more memories in Madison with these 2!

Mr. Speedy

Ryan Giuliano - #speedygiuliano

Aka - Da Coach

IMTX 2018
Overall Amatuer Win
North American Champion

This guy, you know his story. His limits are meant to be pushed on a daily basis. Between him and his wife, they work harder than anyone I know. The amount of work ethic, dedication, and commitment it takes to race at his level for as long as he has is something most can't even fathom. He'll tell you his training has suffered the last few months due to work, life, being sick, stress, and more work. And he's not wrong, I've witnessed multiple training cycles out of his man. But at the end of the day, his willingness to take the mind to that whole separate level is what separates him from the mere mortals of the world. You gotta be willing to really hurt, and that's what this guy does best.

Mrs. Speedy
Jacqui Giuliano - #thecomebackkid

Grand Rapids Half Ironman 2018
Overall Female Champion

I could go on and on about how much these 2 impress me. But until you witness their commitment to the sport, day in and day out, month after month, year after year, you won't truly understand. Winning is the name of their game in that house and together, they do everything the can to make sure that the rest of the pack is chasing them. This summer, Jacqui brought home her first W in the 70.3 triathlon world in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her smile says it all. She oozes joy whenever she's on that race course. Her passion and love for this sport is infectious. It's been an entire YEAR since we've raced a triathlon together (to the day actually, 70.3 Worlds on my birthday last year was our last tri together) and I'm ready to see that smiling face somewhere on the run course on Sunday.

The BFG

Mark Hode - #bfg

IMCHOO 2017
Showin' off for the family

BFG. Brother Bear. Pain in the a$$. He's about to embark on Ironman #3. His training has been.... incomplete, to say the least. Working and flying (yes, flying) has COMPLETELY taken over Mark's day to day life. He's about as close as you can get to sinking his teeth into his private pilot's license and he works his ass off everyday (starting at 5am) to pay for it, because the good Lord knows it ain't cheap to do that. So Mark has taken a different training route for this Ironman. His motto is something along the lines of "Well, I'm gonna get my money's worth at this race and push the 17 hour time limit." He knows what he's in for. He knows it's gonna hurt and that it's gonna be far from pretty. He knew when he signed up for this race he'd be testing his fitness luck due to life.  But he also knows that there's not much that can top that feeling of crossing the Ironman finish line, and he wasn't willing to go an entire year without. 

Nathan Jeffrey

Nathan Jeffrey Vannoy - #amijeffreyoraminate

Post Race IMCHOO 2017
"Ironbae, come at me" - Nathan Jeffrey

So I have to start you off and immediately tell you that unfortunately, Nathan Jeffrey is not racing Ironman Wisconsin. He was the first to sign up for the race, way back when. But as of 48 hours ago, his Dr. officially put him in a boot and told him the race was out of the question due to a stress fracture in his foot. I can tell you 100% that this is the right decision, racing an Ironman with a stress fracture could mean so much more damage in the future. He's still trying to find a way up to Wisconsin for race day, he's told me many times he misses his RyBread family. And we can't imagine race day without our favorite Southern Gentleman. 

Yours Truly
Megan Hode - #mightymouse

Grandma's Marathon 2018
BQ - 3:30:27

Had you told me back in December when I had dedicated 2018 to "Boston Or Bust" that I'd be spending my birthday on the IMWI race course because I already checked BQ off my list, I would have given you a laundry list of reasons why your prediction was wrong. But here we are. This is my 2nd year in a row I've decided to celebrate another trip around the sun in the Ironman world. It was a no brainer, really. Once I knew my body was going to be recovered and ready to go in time to race, I really didn't have to think about where I'd want to race this fall. Madison stole my heart 4 years ago and I've ALWAYS promised myself I'd go back and race one day. One day. I never imagined that "one day" would be with a team of people I've grown to call family on my birthday. My emotions reach an all time high when I think about everything I get to experience in the next 72 hours, and I simply.cant.wait.

I promise you I'll take all the pictures. I'll make all the mental notes. I vow to soak up every moment of the day. I wholeheartedly promise that I will cherish the entire weekend. I'll make sure to bring my words to life for you in my next post about the race. Because we all know, NOTHING ever goes according to plan. And I certainly didn't plan this race into 2018.

And because this race wasn't on the calendar, this guy may or may not be making an appearance because of his work schedule. Of course I WANT him there. But I can't be selfish. I can't throw these curveballs and expect everyone to cater to me. But, I've got my fingers and my toes crossed, all in hopes we'll be able to snap a similar photo at the finish line on Sunday, my 31st birthday. As a side note, if he can't make it, the new Garmin 935 (birthday gift from him! Spoiled, I know!) I'll be sporting on my wrist will serve as a nice little reminder that I know he wants to be there as well.

IMWI 2014 finish line

But we'll have some friends and local triathlon acquaintances there on race day to help us when we need it most. All in all, it's gonna be a great day. Well guys, I'll see ya'll on the other side.

Running on Camp Randall Stadium

IMWI 2014 Finish line

Cheers.

What's Next?

I realized pretty quickly after I qualified for the Boston Marathon at Grandma's Marathon in June, that I didn't think I actually would.

I had people asking me daily, "So what's next?" "You have the whole summer left to race!" I was SO focused on qualifying for Boston that I truly had a one track mind. My mind was already made up. If I didn't qualify, I was going to be running a last chance qualifying marathon somewhere in the local area in August. I had never considered what I'd do if I qualified. Which leads me to believe, I 150% believed that I would still be training to run a marathon right now. 

But we're all well aware that I punched my ticket to Boston on June 16th and I have officially had the rest of the summer to do whatever I want. And I can't express to you enough how badly I've wanted to toe the line of my 7th Ironman and welcome myself back into the triathlon world. Which is why I'm going to do just that.

Ironman Wisconsin 2014
Goal: find the finish line

Ironman Wisconsin was my debut Ironman back in 2014. This year, the race happens to fall ON my birthday and there is a small slew of RyBread friends that are racing (BFG brother included). Would you be shocked if I told you that I'm joining the fun? I mean, I can't let the group celebrate my 31st birthday without me...

But Megan! Your bike legs, you don't have any! And your left hamstring that's been causing you so much distress, what about some good ole fashioned RnR! And the wedding, shouldn't you be planning right now!?

All of these are very valid concerns. But, lemme lay it allllll out for you.

1. It was probably 1 week after Grandma's Marathon that I knew I wanted to try and race an Ironman this year. Location and time of year unknown for sure. I just needed to get back on my bike.

2. During marathon training, I mentioned more than once how much I missed full blown triathlon training. Training to qualify for Boston took it's toll on my body, even though I kept my bike and swim base. Now that I had qualified, I wanted to go back to what I've grown to love, triathlon. I'll finish Boston fully bike trained, but I doubt I could qualify fully bike trained.

3. I gave my body all the time it needed. I checked out the Ironman Wisconsin website and saw that registration was still open (and would be for quite a while). I didn't have to make a rushed decision. Step 1, make sure my body recovers properly from Grandma's. For almost 3 weeks, all of my runs were listed as SLOW in Training Peaks. NOTHING was fast about my running. My bikes were also very slow. I never pushed the pace, I simply pedaled. Eventually I increased bike mileage slowly, eventually started to incorporate back some run speed, and spent almost every morning at the pool at 5am.

Just a casual Sunday stroll in the neighborhood

I even bought myself a new cute suit because everyone loves Summertime Watermelon

4. I told myself I wasn't allowed to sign up for Madison until I felt comfortable that my bike legs would come back in time. How does one know something like that? I ventured North with the BFG and tested out my legs on the Ironman Wisconsin bike course during mid July. If I could pull off 2 loops and still have something left in the tank, Ironman Madison on September 9th, 2018 was a done deal for me.

All systems are a GO

Don't get me wrong though, it's still Madison and kicked my ass.

5. The more I biked and swam, the less and less my left hamstring gave me issues. I was still getting 1 solid speed workout a week on my run legs, but the rest of the week seemed to keep my hamstring in check. Seriously, those people just run crazy amounts of miles without cross training are super human. Everything seemed to be lining up.

6. Rob is back on his night shift schedule. We see each other for a few hours (sometimes a full 24 hours!) on the weekends if we're lucky. It's the busy season, and he has a hard time saying no to weekend work right now. What else is a girl to do on a Saturday morning at 6am if her fiance is just getting home from work? BIKE ALL THE MILES.

7. Most people (other than closer friends and anyone who pays super close attention to Strava) don't even know I've been training. I haven't let it get in the way of life and summer. I recently flew out to Napa, California for Lauren's bachelorette party for 5 days. I didn't have my bike. I had my run shoes and a free 1 day pass at the local pool if I so desired. I drank allllllll the wine and ran according to feel and even cut my long run short because there was wine to be had and I couldn't add 2 more miles and miss out on a solid 15 minutes of wine tasting. 

We had time to spare before hotel check in, so we tripletted the shit out of this pool

Sharing some miles with the bride in Wine Country!

8. I think everyone knows how much I adore Madison, Wisconsin. You'll always hold a special place in your heart for your first Ironman and the city it resides in. It just so happens that mine has one of the BEST crowd supports. It also happens to ALWAYS fall on my birthday weekend (this year, my ACTUAL birthday). And the beauty of this entire course will always take my breath away. (Literally and figuratively). I've always wanted to go back and race. If I let this year slip by without racing, I may never actually get to do it.

9. July 23rd, 2018. D-Day. Only 5 and a half weeks after a BQ marathon, I had signed myself up for Ironman number 7. It's only been 2 weeks since I've signed up. We're exactly 1 month out from race day. And I can't tell you how pumped I am to be back on 2 wheels ready to tackle the backwoods of Wisconsin.

IMWI 2014 Finish line

Guys... I'M BACK!

(But, on next years birthday I plan on NOT racing an Ironman event. I'll do more normal things like drink a few beers and relax or something. Promise 😉)

America: All in the name of F-U-N

I'd like to preface this by stating that no matter how many "bad" days I may have on the road, "disappointing" races I may have, or how many "negative" thoughts that might run through my head after one of those "bad" days, I still won't stop running simply for the fun of it.

The 4th of July happened to fall exactly 2 and a half weeks after Grandma's Marathon. Which is not an ideal amount of time to allow for recovery and jumping into your local 10k for the best holiday ever. Oops. Guilty as charged. In all honesty, I had been REALLY good at listening to Ryan to a T after Grandma's and followed my scheduled RnR plan. I did all of my properly scheduled "SLOW" runs to keep the active recovery alive and well. In fact, my first official speed workout back was supposed to take place on the 4th of July. Surely this was a great alternative to the 1st speed workout post-marathon.

I know I've said this before but when I walked out my front door that morning, I was positive I couldn't remember the last time it was that humid outside. I enjoy the heat, really and truly I do. Ask anyone. But this air was dangerously thick and could make even the skinniest of people feel morbidly obese due to the rapid amount of sweat coming out of their pores. I had signed up for this race less than 12 hours ago and was having a very earnest internal argument in my mind about why I do this kind of thing to myself, time and time again.

I parked the car, dripped a couple droplets of sweat just waiting in line to pick up my bib, and decided to hide in the shade behind the porta potties to try and keep all my electrolytes before this 6.2 mile death march ensued.

Ok, I may have wandered and found a long row of flags and admired them too.

I took off to warm up and didn't look at my watch until I was done. I wanted to run by feel and see how the legs responded. Let's just say, it wasn't fast but it felt good. But it came with approximately a 1.5lb sweat loss over 1 mile. Sweet this is exactly what my body needs right now.

I came to this race solo so I contemplated just getting in my car and going home at this point but decided I should at least see what the legs could give me before the heat took over my body. The gun went off and the first mile is a significant downhill mixed with the usual mile 1 excitement that I carry in my blood so I pulled out a 7:20. Ha, this is a DOWNHILL and you just ran a 7:20 first mile of a 10K, this just ain't gonna be a pretty day. I knew right away. My body wasn't about to respond well to the rest of this race. I hung out in the 7 minute range for mile 2 before I decided to dial it way back and just "enjoy" the day before I actually hurt myself.

The hills came one by one and soon we hit Otis Rd. Otis Road is beginning of our Barrington bike loop, and it comes with one of the worst, unshaded banked hills. I zoned out and just ran easy. Hell, at times "easy" felt like some serious work. The course had a decent amount of shade, but the unshaded sections were out for all the sweat. I felt like I was out for a recovery run as I watched people pass by me, slowly but surely. {No records were being broken by any means and everyone dialed back on the speed ALOT.}

I made it to the turn around and wondered how in the hell I was going to make it the 2nd half of this race without a blister from soaking wet shoes, 3 miles down and 3 miles to go. {Oh yea, I was wearing my Feeatures 😜}

I trudged one foot in front of the other and felt as though I was running horizontal up the last significant hill in DIRECT SUNLIGHT. All energy at this point was completely and utterly zapped. Half mile to go and I hear someone from behind me: "Come on, you can do it! Let's finish this together! I've been behind you the whole time!"  These words spoken by a kid, no older than 15. I turned my head to glance at him and saw the ridiculously large grin on his face. Geez Megan, you look bad enough that you're getting hit on by a high school kid. I thanked him kindly but told him be best finish this race with his posse behind me.

I've never been more excited to see a finish line. And I have never cared less to have one of the worst races of my life. My pace at one point resembled a super slow cooldown. I immediately peeled my RyBread tank off because it was actually stuck to me. My shorts were dripping from every crevice and seemed to dump sweat like a faucet. Some probably assumed I was peeing my pants. "Don't mind me over here, just sweating ✋"

So much gross. 

I found a spot on the curb to sit and stop sweating and dry off long enough to claim my 1st place age group award. Huh? Seriously? I practically crawled that race. 'Twas an experience, that's for sure. My shorts still weren't completely dry by the time I got in the car to drive home but I was only going to get so dry as long as I stayed outside. On the bright side, my legs never felt like this was a bad decision (good sign, 2.5 weeks post marathon!) . Just my rosy red cheeks that were questioning me 😂

I don't even like Gatorade and I downed 2 of them at the finish line immediately after finishing because I needed ALL the sugar

Moral of the story: I still had fun. I laced up my running shoes and trotted through one of my favorite towns and lost enough water weight to justify all the salty brats and beers I was going to ingest later in the day. I can't really complain. In all honesty, I can't get enough of this kind of stuff. Pushing my body to it's limits is what I live for. And the day was young. I had plenty of holiday left and I wasn't about to waste it.

I made my way out to Rob's brothers house that afternoon and was promptly greeted in the pool by his nieces and nephews. From then on, it was HOURS of cannonballs, throwing children across the pool, chasing kids with squirt guns, and constant shrieks of, "MEGAN WATCH ME DO THIS! MEGAN CATCH ME! MEGAN CAN YOU DO THIS?!" Let's just say I contemplated taking a nap during dinner just to make it to fireworks. 

Post pool fun, pre dinner

I'm happy to report that I didn't have to take a nap, and I barely made it to the start of fireworks. And it's a good thing I did, otherwise I would have missed the proposal!

Rob's sister EB and her fiance Derek! 

I've never been apart of any proposal other than my own. And I have to admit, it was so fun to watch. Fireworks were going off in every direction and EB's prince went down on one knee in front of the ENTIRE family (yep, 90% of the Sloan's were there!). It truly was a terrific ending to a great day.

Cheers, America 🍺