Now what?

I've been asking myself this question for, well over a week, now. So here goes. I don't really know how to create the sort of buzz that a trip and an ironman did. I'm hoping that whatever I attempt doesn't end up as some sort of referendum on my "regular life". But the URL says it all. I don't know why I've waited so many years (eight? nine?) to claim this blog or web address, but here goes:




http://unencumberedwoman.blogspot.com/

Ironman? What Ironman?

Packed my things. Went on a trip. Did an Ironman. Now I'm back here. Just like the Cold Cows.

The summer of the Eagles....

Lyrics to prove it....


Take It To The Limit lyrics
Songwriters: Henley, Don; Meisner, Randy; Frey, Glenn;All alone at the end of the evening
And the bright lights have faded to blue
I was thinking 'bout a woman
Who might have loved me, and I never knew

You know I've always been a dreamer
(Spent my life running 'round)
And it's so hard to change
(Can't seem to settle down)
But the dreams I've seen lately
Keep on turning out and burning out
And turning out the same

So put me on a highway
And show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time

You can spend all your time making money
You can spend all your love making time
If it all fell to pieces tomorrow
Would you still be mine?

And when you're looking for your freedom
(Nobody seems to care)
And you can't find the door
(Can't find it anywhere)
When there's nothing to believe in
Still you're coming back, you're running back
You're coming back for more

So put me on a highway
And show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
One more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
One more time

Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
Take it to the limit
One more time
...

these lyrics are last corrected by Sally Mohle

so put me on a highway, and show me the sign....

sealed with a kiss.

the day after.

I've learned that more than one person is checking the blog to see how things went and the least I can do is give a word or two.  Folks might be getting personalized blow by blow accounts, but here's some of my inspiration, just about twenty four hours after I crossed the finish line:

• I finished the event, in 13 hours and 12 minutes and change.  My 3.8 k swim was 1:10, my first transition was 7:09, my 180k bike was 6 hours 38 minutes and change, my second transition was 6 minutes, and my run was 5 hours and 9 minutes.  This total put me in the upper 50 percent of my age group.
• I'm happy that i finished. Canada ironman has been a dream for many years, and last year I failed to finish, so the goal yesterday was to get myself across the finish line.

Tidbits of the day:

• 6:45--pros start, and I'm still standing in the portolet line....oops!  (i still made it to the start on time). 
• 7:00 race begins and I proceed to be pummeled and climbed over by guys for the next 70 minutes.
• 8:30 on the bike.  crowds are screaming on the way out of town.  The layout is awesome and the support on this course is beyond compare.  I see Peter and Nan and the girls and give a big hi.
• The first third of the day consists of riding through spectacular countryside, sunny, beautiful roads, rolling hills eventually turning to mountain passes for remainder of day.
• 12:30. Lunchtime!!!!  We have a special needs bag that we submit so we can stash away any special nutrition.  By this time, I've eaten enough sport nutrition stuff, so I'm craving my specially packed PB sandwich and bagel and cookie that Kathy made for us (have i mentioned how much i adore our host?).  Anyway, I forgot that on this course the SN station is actually a little (quite a lot) beyond the halfway mark, so I was cheerfully calling out *lunchtime!* as we were rolling into the area.  
• My favorite hand-made sign of the day?  "you guys are crazy"....on the ride. Then there she was, later on during the run, with a sign, "you guys are still crazy!"  I told her that she was my favorite and she laughed with glee.
• The hills on this course are deadly.  With 900 first time Ironman athletes, I don't like being passed by somebody going 47 miles an hour down hill when we have one marked lane with cones going down the median and the surface is slick from new rain.
• The run.  Well, a while back I had proposed, what happens if the longest run, ever, in preparation for an Ironman is 14 miles?  I knew from the outset that it would most likely mean a lot of walking and jogging.  And so it was.  I got myself to the 13 mile turnaround in about two and a half hours.
• When I reached the turnaround, I got down on my hands and knees and kissed the electronic mat that we cross over ( i hollered that this was as far as I got last year and the crowd went wild!)  I was off like a bandit and Lady Gaga was playing on somebody's radio.
• I see Peter, the girls, and Nan at mile 22. I give them all giant hugs and Peter and I walk and talk for a while. It's the first time I've seen him in hours, and it feels wonderful.  We talk about the weather and how I was doing and was I going to finish and see you at the finish line.
• The last 3-4 miles are almost entirely populated by appreciative people, cheering, talking, playing music.  I still walked some, but, really.  Time to move unless you're really fried.
• An adorable volunteer also a nurse, Amy, helped me transition out of the event and then set me loose.  So there I am with foil wrapper keeping me warm, with a slice of veggie dominoes pizza and a bag of chips and a cup of melon, looking for my family.  There they were, all smiles by the bandshell.   
• 
  
• Now to get home.  When we pulled up in front of our house, our host had purchased a beautiful bottle of local wine, had a candle lit with a lovely note, and outside of the house were twinkly lights and handmade sign from the girls:

Saturday

hey mom, they gave you that tacky helmet!? -ashby

well, bike and transition bags are in place, everything is on bedroom floor for tomorrow morning, I've got my plan for breakfast and nutrition, about an hour before i start to try to go to bed/sleep. I guess this is what I've been waiting for all along.  I feel rested (finally) and ready (well, that's relative, isn't it).  Peter and I just went out on the deck to have a half glass of wine and enjoy the outdoors.  He said to me, laughing, "it's like one day a year Karen gets whatever she wants, but the next day she has to do an Ironman."  yeah, that just about sums it up!!!!  So tomorrow....what do I plan to do?  I plan to go out there and not get kicked in the head, eat my nutrition and not get too cold, be very friendly to whoever I can, go for a really long bike ride on my perfectly tuned cervelo, then go running and probably also walking for the remainder of the day.  I think this most likely will be my first ironman finish after dark, so I'm considering the joy of coming into town after dark, but not too long after dark.  I want to soak it all in, I want to enjoy Canada and the magnificence of BC and the down to earth nature of people in this region, and finally, I want to enjoy the love of my family that has come so far with me and had a fabulous week here in one of my favorite places.

their energy is replacing mine!!!! this is a good thing.

the peach!

friday night

Not, the Ironman MC, but she'd be great at it.

We decided to bag the whole IM dinner thing and post meal meeting in favor of Japanese restaurant and street festival that Penticton hosts every summer to celebrate Ironman.  We had a great time, although it's gotten cold around here, and I'm trying to factor temps in to my race dressing/special needs bag plans and all.  We noticed a dearth of Ironman types at the street festival.  They must have been out putting in one last ride on their bikes. and hand washing their compression socks.  Peter and I really want to cruise the expo and take a picture of the award winner for most tri-geeked out, but even we may not have the nerve to do that.  But really, it is always funny to descend upon a town and see everybody all glammed out in their gear and finishers clothing etc. etc...And by the way, just checked updated Wunderground for tomorrow: 20 degrees and clear!!!!! OK y'all, time for conversion time? that would be....68 degrees farenheit.  OK, so...if I can't handle this weather forecast, i don't know WHAT I can handle.  Good grief.  Of course, layering is a must and that's not easy to do on IM day, so we'll have to figure that one out.  But, I have most of the rest of today to worry about that....

friday

this has been a pretty good day.  I'm having fun and not feeling terribly ill.  The hill we hiked up last night sort of tweaked some stuff on my back side, but heck, if i can't handle walking up a hill i shouldn't be doing this event....stretch tomorrow, eat tonight....

this was like a walk up the hill in the East Bay.

Registration!!!!!

this gal is racing AND smiling!

HA!

Now that I'm wearing a little green bracelet, I get free food and entry into strange places....do i really need to do the event???