Saturday, September 28, 2013

I Haven’t Done This In 20 Years

Today I did something I haven’t done since I was 26 years old.

I rode 100 miles.

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{Heidi always has to find a way to get in the picture even if it is just her tail. Photo bombing Golden Retrievers are the worst}

Who says you slow down with age? I felt a million times better on this century ride than I did on the one 20 years ago. I’m not going to say it was a piece of cake, but it also didn’t kick my butt (although it hurt my butt).

Just like doing your first 20 mile run in marathon training is a milestone, I think riding your first 100 miles in Ironman training is a milestone. Now, if I can just run 26.2 miles after, I’ll be good to go. No, I did not run after today’s ride, but I am sure that is coming.

I split this ride into three loops. When we started out it was a balmy 32 degrees. Throughout the day I would shed my tights, gloves and ear warmers.  Ken did the first one (31 miles) with me. My friends, Leigh and Barb, met me for the second loop (38 miles) and I did the last one by myself (same as the first loop – 31 miles). I needed to take in about 1,500 calories on this ride, and I did pretty well.

1 mint chocolate Clif Bar ~250 cals
1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich ~300 cals
1 almond/coconut Kind Bar ~ 200 cals
1 orange GU ~100 cals
1 blackberry GU ~100 cals
1 mint chocolate GU (ick) ~100 cals
48 ounces Power Bar Perform drink ~420 cals
24 ounces water

Total Calories: 1,470

I like to break up my solid food into small pieces and put into Ziploc bags in my Bento Box. Makes for easy feasting. After the ride, it looks like this, a mess of wrappers, coins and crumbs:

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This ride made me a bit more confident for Ironman Florida. It took me about 5 hours and 56 minutes – but I also climbed 2,900 feet.

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Florida will be more difficult due to heat, humidity and wind, but it is a very flat course and I’ll have sea level on my side.  Who knows what the hell will happen on race day.

The only let down for the day was my freaking Garmin. I was excited to see “100 miles” on my watch for the first time. Instead it looked like this. Not enough space for a damn 100!

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{I know that says 6 hours, but moving time was 5:56. Hey, and that’s a shit load of calories
burned sister!}

I am pathetic because I thought I rode 100 miles and I only rode 00.01. I definitely need this sticker now:

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I am showing you this picture of me and Sam because you can see that I should have re-applied sunscreen to my nose. I am Rudolph.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What has been a milestone in your training? The first time I ever ran double digits was HUGE for me.

Do you feel more fit than you did in your younger years? YES. I never was a runner and I was never consistent about working out. In fact, from age 29 to 40 I did very little for exercise.

SUAR

41 comments:

  1. My training for today was watching UGA beat LSU!

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  2. AWESOME!!! Love reading about your training! PS-mint GUs are gro-ss!!! Try the salted caramel flavor-so yummy!

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  3. My hero! Even if you only rode 00.01 miles. Good effort!

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  4. Nice work!!! That elevation profile is no joke! Holy crap. A milestone for me was definitely the first time I hit double digits running and triple digits cycling. I've been running for 15 years but I'm way more fit now than I ever have been.

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  5. What what! Great job!

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  6. Great Job! If Heidi wasn't in your pictures, it would be kind of weird, wouldn't it?

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    1. Yes. She is my sidekick for sure. Now if I could just teach her to ride a bike...

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  7. I just did double digits (10 mile run) for the first time EVER today as did my very good friend! Training for my 1st half marathon on 10/27 and I was the 5K'er who said "I will never do long distance like a 1/2 marathon!" HA

    Thanks for your blog, it is so inspiring.........

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    1. Congrats to you and your friend. Such a good feeling!

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  8. Nicely done!! You're a rock star. The end.

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  9. At least your Garmin lasted the full ride. I did 101.1 miles in June and the Garmin died at 97.49 miles. Doh!!! I'm 40 years old and in better shape than I ever was. Keep up the great work.

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  10. Damn! That's impressive.

    I have my first marathon a week from tomorrow! I did two 20-milers. The first one sucked so much! The second one was a lot better, but I'm still pretty nervous.

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  11. Does that really say 5000+ calories?! How to you even have time for anything after working out and spending the rest of your day eating? Lol!

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  12. You are quite the iconic role model! I have no grand plans to ever do an ironman, but I did run my first-ever 26.2 last weekend! That was the hugest mile stone ever, and it was so surreal. (now I have a few "friends" trying to brainwash me into doing an ultra with them.....the jury is still out on that one). Go YOU!!!!

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  13. You truly rock! Ran just 3 miles - in the rain and felt accomplished. And yes much, much better shape at 51 yrs than ever before. I didn't start running until I was 46.

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  14. Today we ran 8, which is our last "long" run before our marathon next Sunday. When we finished I said, "Let's not do this next Saturday." I said on the run today that the marathon is the icing in the cake, because the training has been so fricking impressive.

    In The Feed Zone cookbook, the author talks about the importance of liquid calories, because if cyclists ate all the calories they needed, they'd be on the toilet for 5 hours after racing. Tee hee!

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  15. I am definitely more fit than in my younger years! I seem to have access to better nutrition and more free time to train. In my youth, it was all about survival... As far as training milestones go, I remember reaching kilometers 22, 29, and 32 as big achievements... I could never ride 100 miles, though, good job! And my Garmin blacked out today too!!! Thankfully, after pressing all 4 buttons at the same time, it came back to life:)

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  16. I did my first 20 miler run today. The last 4 were tough. But I guess that is how we get stronger. Congrats on reaching your milestone.

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  17. You totally rock!!! 100 miles on the bike makes me hurt just thinking about it.
    I definitely feel stronger now (at 44) than I did as a college athlete.

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  18. My first century was last year. I did an organized one that was very hilly. Lots of people tried to talk me out of it. I'm so glad I did it, because it was the official start of my Ironman training (because I did it all wrong, starting with a 100+ mile ride and all)

    I am definitely a faster runner and cyclist than I was before, however, I was a varsity gymnast at a D1 school. So, I am in a very different shape than I was previously. There are amazing things that I used to be able to do, like flip, twist, and swing, that I cannot do at all anymore. But I can do an Ironman now, and qualified and confirmed my entry in Boston 2014, and all sorts of new athletic things that I could not do as a varsity gymnast. Its just different now. I think the fact that I was used to training for 20+ hours per week from an early age has made it a lot more normal to me to do the high volume training, although I am no where near that amount of time now since graduation due to jobs, family, and parenting.

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  19. running in the black forestSeptember 29, 2013 at 12:19 AM

    I do all my training in kilometers because the numbers seem so much more impressive...my weekly total was 40 km instead of 24 miles. So you didn't ride 100, you rode 160 even better!

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  20. The first time I ran a more-than-marathon-distance training run (for an ultra) was definitely a milestone for me. Beforehand, I was just focused on the distance, my route, and the practical details (fuel, cooling, apparent, etc), but later that day, it hit me, "You just ran MORE than a marathon this morning! By yourself! Without anyone cheering or waiting at a finish line. You just went out and DID IT, like that's something you DO. Hmph. Well, I guess it is, now!"

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  21. Congratulations!!! Running 20 miles was definitely the biggest milestone for me. Participating in the Duathlon Nationals will be the next!!!
    You continue to be a HUGE inspiration. Thank you!!

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  22. I have an older treadmill (10+ years), so the first time I ran double digits on it, the displayed rolled over, too. Boy, was I pissed! But the first 10 mile run was a huge milestone, as was my first half marathon (I've not done a full).

    I am definitely more fit than when I was younger. We once did the Body-for-Life program (2 cycles) and I was in decent shape then, too (right before our wedding - 12 years ago on 10/6).

    Lemme just say, 100 MILES! Wha? That's great - HUGE! You are going to be SO ready for Florida!

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  23. We did a big climb yesterday and since it was so snowy and freezing, none of us put sunscreen on (the thought of taking off our gloves in 10 degree weather just wasn't going to happen!) As a result, you're Rudolph is looking pretty good compared to mine!

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  24. Awesome job Beth! And five weeks from now, you can sleep in with your Ironman medal around your neck!

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  25. I absolutely feel more fit at 33, training for ironman Louisville than I did at 23. I was 270 pounds at 23 and hated life. Now I'm 160 with about 30 pounds of hard core muscle from crossfit and marathon running. I remember I couldn't jog 5 minutes in the beginning, and I still remember when I was able to run one 10 minute mile on the treadmill at the gym. I hated exercising, now I think I'd have a legitimate life crisis if I couldn't train and lift. It's funny how life works.

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  26. Awesome! I'd love to be able to do this too!

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  27. Wooo hooo! Way to go! Hahah I can't even imagine how sore my poor little butt would be after a century ride - more power to you! ;)

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  28. I have the same Garmin & have used it for 3 years & had NO idea what the number with the 'c' after it was...I am such a dork!

    Your blog is SO inspiring and your humor & ability to laugh at yourself is awesome!

    I'm a runner but find your IM training fascinating!

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  29. Holy crap, you did awesome!! I'm not sure I have much cred in saying that since I just ran a 10K last weekend and thought wow, that's a long way (it was my first). But whatever--you totally rock!! Thanks for the motivation ;-).

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  30. I just started running seriously in February as an effort to try in get back in shape after major ankle surgery. I had never ran more than 3 miles the first time I broke the double digit mark I couldn't believe it. I never even like running before. I am 34 am in the best shape of my life, ran my first 1/2 marathon earlier this month already training for my next! And my Australian Shepherd, Max, is a photo bomber too! Love reading your blog, it is so inspiring!

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  31. I remember my first 10 mile run. I had to do a couple laps in the parking lot to get the garmin to roll over. Tomorrow I do an 18 miler and I'm trying the Welch's Fruit Snacks for fuel.

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  32. Designate one of your jersey pockets as garbage. When you finish a Gu or anything else, put the remains in that pocket. That gets it out of the way for digging out the next bit of food, and there's no chance of becoming a dirty rotten litterbug on the race course. Don't take coins, they are heavy. Take bills, and stuff them into your saddlebag with your tubes. You are more likely to need it to help hold a tire together (I've had to) than to try to buy a taxi. If you are planning to buy something, take a debit card. You might feel dumb paying for a snack with a card, but it will deal with sweat better than a bill. Put it in a special pocket so you don't lose it.

    there is a trick to ziplock bags. It was really hard for me to get into the bag and break the seal. From the seal to the end of the bag is maybe a quarter inch or so. Trim one of the sides so it's shorter. That makes all the difference in getting into the bag, even if it isn't sealed.

    Some people like to tuck Gu or other gels up the leg of their shorts. Keeps it out of the way, still easy to get to, and having it blood temperature makes them go down easier, or so they say.

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  33. Congrats on reaching 100 miles, and holy crap that's a load of calories you torched!! My first 20 miler was definitely a huge milestone for me, made even more emotional by the fact that I tried to train for a marathon last year but basically blew a tendon out at 17 miles and had to drop out. Making it through 20 not once but twice this cycle without injury has been monumental for me.

    I was about 40 lbs. heavier than I am now until my mid-twenties, and couldn't run to save my life. I always just assumed I wasn't athletic and sadly I remember not even trying to run the Presidential Physical Fitness mile run test as a kid because all my jiggly parts embarrassed me and I figured I would never pass it anyway. I never dreamed I would be where I am now and am very grateful to have finally tapped into my inner athlete!

    Keep up the great work - you are going to rock Ironman Florida!

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  34. 100 frickin miles! Wonderful! I can't imagine eating all of that shit even though I know it's a necessity. I have to force myself to take a sip of H2o during a half marathon, let alone eat something. I've never had a bad experience it's just mentally difficult for me during halfs and fulls to hydrate and replenish.
    First time I ran double digits was HUGE for me.

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  35. Congrats on your long ride! I've never ridden a century, but I've run two marathons. I've been working out since January 1988, with only a quick break after my daughter was born, and I just don't feel right if I don't exercise in the morning. Even official "off days" are hard. Anyway, I'm so impressed with all your training, you're gonna rock the IM!

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  36. I've done a metric century 2x now. The first one was up a mountain and then back over. Totally unprepared for how hard that was and cried on the way back. The other one I just did 2 weekends ago and it was all flat and a breeze! Also I trained a bit more for that one. Training makes all the difference in the world!!

    I am in the best shape of my life at 39. I never ever did anything remotely close to what I do now in my earlier years! Bring on 40 I'm ready for her!!

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  37. Even though I weigh quite a bit more now than I did in high school, I'm definitely more fit now. I didn't start exercising intentionally until college and never on a consistent basis until the last four years or so. My younger self would have laughed uncontrollably if I'd said, "someday you will run half marathons."

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  38. You keep me laughing, especially with your description of your disappointment with your Garmin. Congratulations on finishing 100.1!

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