tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877266180927994402024-02-19T01:24:19.416-06:00Kortney Haag
Kortney Haag is a mom to two young active boys and understands the time challenges many athletes face and the importance of balance in life as well as in training. She has had extensive experience coaching and racing at all triathlon distances. You can contact her at kortneyhaag@gmail.comKortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-50801915842459439312013-06-03T08:52:00.000-05:002013-06-03T08:52:44.340-05:00Change in plans...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I just got done racing the Buffalo Olympic triathlon and it was fun but cold. If anyone knows me they would know that I like it the hotter the better! Race officials said the water temperature was 66 degrees but not sure about that one - it felt pretty cold to me! I had a solid race but had a mechanical issue on the bike that probably cost me about 90 seconds which is quite a bit of time but I ended up 3rd overall. Swim went as well as expected with being so cold I never felt like I could really get into a groove. I camped out way too long in T2 putting on gloves, arm warmers - you name it! I knew I would be chilled so I wanted to make sure I could stay as warm as I could. The run was where I was pleasantly surprised - I ran decent considering I am fighting some glute/hammy issues. I struggled with this last year but it is working it's way out. <br />
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Couple of weeks ago was the famous Gear West Duathlon - this race has been my nemesis for the last couple of years because I can never seem to pace myself for duathlons and either go out way too hard on the run or too slow. It is also off course and I am so afraid of pulling a muscle since it is sketchy terrain and it is usually muddy. Two years ago I lost my shoe on the run course because it got stuck in the mud so there is a great picture of me running with it.<br />
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This year I again didn't pace myself right and felt like my heart was coming out of my chest but made up some time on the bike to end up with third overall. Even though every year I dread the thought of running in the mud this is a race that I come back to every year I can - it is the season opener for most of us in Minnesota and it is fun to see everyone you haven't seen for the last 6 months - as well as it is a good check on where you are with your fitness. <br />
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Concentrating on my footing so I don't fall!!</div>
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Boys are great - they are growing up so much - Owen is almost done with Kindergarten and Keaton had his first year of Montessori school. He went two times a week from September to May and he cried every time I dropped him off - I was hoping the last day of his school I would get by without any tears but it wasn't so. I know it was all a show for me because I would hang out for 5 mins and peak in on him and he would be fine and start playing with his friends but still....it would break my heart and it would all I could think about for the next hour as I would try and work. Owen is participating in a 5k run this weekend - it is part of his schools Fun Run and there was the option of the Kids 1 mile run but he really wanted to do the 5k - that's my kind of boy - go long or go home! <br />
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Keaton hammin it up!</div>
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Playing at the park</div>
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Speaking of going long - I had the chance to do Ironman Wisconsin again this year. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to go through it all again. I had already set my race schedule up and I am somewhat a creature of habit but Derek convinced me to do it. I got the email that I could register for it about 2 months ago and so after talks with the coach and Derek it was in the plan. I had a solid race last year but GI issues crept up to me on the run the last hour and it wasn't pretty. I want a do over and be able to celebrate at the finish line with my family and friends this year and not pass out in the porta potty! Hope everyone is off to a great start of their season - sure hope it warms up - We need some 90's so I can swim in my pool!<br />
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Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-64928372527505023902013-02-28T12:52:00.000-06:002013-02-28T12:52:17.507-06:00It's been a while...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sorry it's been a while since my last post...September to be exact! It is almost spring...yipee...Keaton and I actually went to the park today for about 45 mins and had his snack there until our hands got cold and we made our way back home. It seems like winter will be around for a while with all of the snow we have in Minnesota. For a whole week I had to run on the treadmill and I thought I was going to go crazy. I went for a 9 mile run on Sunday and it was so nice to be outside even if I was jumping over puddles and ice. We have been pretty healthy here in the Haag household except for Keaton getting the nasty flu bug and was sick for about 5 days - poor guy probably lost about 5 lbs. <br />
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Keaton on day #3 being sick </div>
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Hopefully winter will be gone soon but wanted to post a picture of the awesome hockey rink my husband and our neighbor put together for the kids. <br />
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Owen has gotten his fill out of it this winter!! This was my first year experiencing hockey in our household. Owen was a Mite 1 and his team were the Wildcats. I got asked to be the team manager and I had no idea what I was supposed to do or if I was doing it right but I took the bull by the horns and only three more weeks of hockey left...yipee, now on to soccer and baseball! <br />
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I am super excited about my race season - no Ironmans this year and I really don't know when the next one will be. I loved Ironman Wisconsin but I missed those epic hard workouts - like the ones I have been doing the last 3 weeks on the bike - feeling the burn in the legs! So here is the schedule for 2013:<br />
Some run races this spring and then:<br />
Gear West Duathlon<br />
Buffalo Olympic<br />
Lifetime Olympic<br />
Chisago Half<br />
Age Groups National Championships<br />
Pigman Long Course<br />
Hyvee <br />
Age Groups Long Course National Championships<br />
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There might be a couple more to add it just have to wait and see what the summer brings with the kids. I usually do about 11-12 races a summer so this doesn't seem a lot to me but I know it will be busy. I want to be able to watch a lot of my athletes race and I have one that is doing Ironman Wisconsin this year and very excited for him to accomplish his goal! Coaching and personal training is going great as well - I find myself so tied up with coaching and training sometimes that a goal of mine for this season is balance - Balance in that triathlon is important in my life but it is not the most important thing. I have a new coach and mentor and he is helping me realize this. He told me a couple weeks back - "Kortney - go get a hobby that doesn't involve swimming, biking, or running. I took his advice and it has been great to be able to help out more at Owen's school, as well as surprising him for lunch. I really love being active but without recovery and downtime there is no way I will get faster. </div>
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Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-40477860639311836002012-09-13T14:29:00.002-05:002012-09-13T14:51:13.528-05:00Ironman Wisconsin Race Report - <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't want to make this a super long post because I am still trying to get my life back together after being gone for four days and then I am leaving in two days to see one of my athletes finish her first triathlon out in Malibu, California. <br />
I had a great day in Wisconsin but it didn't turn out the way I had planned, some things went out of the plan but that is what happens during an Ironman - you have to expect the unexpected.<br />
We packed up the van on Friday, there were three kids and three adults and I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to get it all in there. We were pretty packed in! <br />
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We drove to the hotel in Wisconsin and my sister then took the kids and the van to my mom's house who lives a little over an hour south of Madison. I was so grateful for her to make the trip, she helped us so much with the kids and then she had her own to take care of! <br />
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It was pretty awesome to be a part of all the buzz that was going on in the city and I was very excited to race. Poor Derek got some of the brunt of my nervousness and anticipation as I had a couple of melt downs about my coffee being cold and not getting my oatmeal right - thanks Derek for putting up with me. <br />
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I knew the day was going to be a little chiller than expected and I was going back and forth on what to wear - I decided just to wear my Gear West jersey with triathlon shorts and arm warmers because I do get cold out there and I like to race in the heat!<br />
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Race day arrived and felt good to go. I got in the water at a good time and got to see fellow Minnesotan Anthony Hirschman waiting in line so that helped calm my nerves. I lined up just by the ski jump and I treaded water for about 6 mins. I didn't get beat up too bad but there were a couple of times some man hands came after me. The only time it got real physical was when we were going around or close to the buoys. I found some feet to swim on for the last section of the race and that was nice. Running up the helix was awesome - I saw Derek and my family and I knew it was going to be a fun day. <br />
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I had rode the course so I knew what to expect and absolutely loved it! I wanted to get in around 250-300 calories per hour on the bike. The best part of the bike were the climbs because of all the people waiting for you to run and cheer. At Old Sauk Pass I saw three guys in basketball outfits and thought they were hilarious - they were cheering for me and telling me I looked great. At that time I was in somewhat of a daze and just smiling at people and concentrating on the race. I remember thinking to myself on the second loop I hope those guys are there again because they were hilarious - come to find out it was my husband, his brother and friend! <br />
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Around mile 50 my bike computer went out as well as the tape was falling off my handlebars. I was annoyed by this but it was probably a good thing so I didn't try and hold a certain mph on the flats but to just go by feel. The other problem that happened was that I dropped my chain three times - this is not like me and super annoyed that I did this as it costed me somewhere around 2-5 mins on the bike. <br />
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I was so happy to start the run and knew I was in a good position coming in - I passed two pros on the bike and didn't think there were too many other amateurs ahead of me. As I was exiting T2 a volunteer told me I was in the top 10 and 2nd amateur female - I was happy with this and just wanted to run a solid marathon hoping to not have any issues with the hamstring. My hamstring actually felt the best it had going into the race with seeing Crystal at Spine and sport and getting massages weekly to really work it out. What was really bothering me was my back as I had a rib out of place that I do struggle with time to time and Crystal put some kinesology tape on it the night before.<br />
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The run course is tough, lots of hills and you can't get into a rhythm with all of the turning but I felt good and kept up my nutrition as I had planned. I saw my family again around mile 5 and gave Owen a high five! As I was making my way to the special needs run bag around the halfway point I started to feel crappy. I was thinking to myself I wish I had another pair of shorts in there because I really feel like I could poop my pants! If anyone saw my pace you can see that it slowly went down the ladder - I was on pace to do about a 3:30 to 3:40 marathon and I remember Cathy Yndestad saying to me keep strong Kort nice and steady. I kept those thoughts in my head and just kept on truckin - but did have to find a bathroom about every 5 mins and sometimes had to wait to use one. That can really bring your time down and that is what happened. I had never experienced this kind of issues on my training runs after a bike but I know that in a race so many emotions, endorphins, etc can come into play that can affect your nutrition and I do think that I did take in too many carbs at one time and my body can't handle that. Your body can only process about 30-60 grams of carbs per hour and I will need to go back and evaluate through racing and training of what I can process. Ironman is a whole different ballgame versus the half and I think I got my half ironman nutrition down pretty good. As I was making my way to the finish line I heard my name cheered but was in such a daze that I had no clue that I was finishing the race. A volunteer held me up and brought me over to a grassy area where I told her - I need to use the bathroom - AGAIN! Derek eventually found me and all I wanted to do was lay in the grass and not move. <br />
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Everyone came over to congratulate me and it was great to see them all - friends from college, almost my whole family as well as my in- laws. I could not had asked for more support and encouragement from them. I didn't get a chance to celebrate with them, take pictures, nothing....I went straight back to my hotel where I passed out for about a half hour after taking a bath, tried to eat 1/2 of a pizza but couldn't stomach it, went to bed where somewhere about midnight I woke up with the worst feeling in my stomach. I then spent the rest of the night by the toilet! The next morning I was still feeling horrible so we made our way to Urgent Care after talking to a couple of people about my issues and they suggested to not mess around with my symptoms. I got 2.5 bags of IV's and after 4 hours in the room was released to go home. I so wanted to be one of those who was eating dairy queen and loving every minute of it but all I got was some saltine crackers and chicken broth - yummy! My good friend Harvey told me to just let it go - literally the next time because he saw a woman at Grandma's marathon running with poo poo down the back of her shorts an someone asked her if she needed anything and her reply was "To qualify for Boston!"<br />
Looking back I need to remember that I did have a good time with all the circumstances that happened that day, I have a great family who loves and supports me. The support that was out there that day cheering me and all of the other athletes on that day - WOW you guys are the reason why I wouldn't want to do any other Ironman just because the amount of love you receive out there is amazing. Thank you!!! Someday I hope to be back there to race but next year I am there to support my athletes and those who cheered for me last Sunday! </div>
Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-7901356842500074392012-08-24T17:12:00.000-05:002012-08-24T17:12:20.556-05:00The last 5 months...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been a while since my last post ummm to be exact 5 months...sorry, that is what happens when you are training for an Ironman, have two young children, work part time and have an injury you wish would go away!!!<br />
With the hamstring not doing the greatest the whole summer I have been racing but not like I would like to and not like I feel I could. As far as races went - I did a couple of 70.3's that went well, placing first and third. I never seemed to recover any speed for the Olympic races and trained through them, hoping to get my fitness back. I have Ironman Wisconsin in a couple of weeks and with it being my first I just would like to finish but finish within my potential. <br />
I finally did a run today and didn't have any pain - I have been putting on kinesiology tape every time I run now for the last 2 weeks and it seems to help. I just hope it holds up for the marathon and doesn't give me any trouble. I am looking forward to just doing some yoga for two weeks after the race and nothing else!<br />
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Summer seemed to fly by - we swam a lot in the pool and Owen will probably be a faster swimmer then me in the next couple of years. He also started Kindergarten this week and I had a few tears as he got on the bus. Keaton is his happy crazy self and never seems to stop talking. The two of them fight like crazy at times but then love each other so much and play so well at other times.<br />
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The weekend after Ironman I have the opportunity to watch one of my athletes race in Malibu. She was one of the Lucky 7 CNN chose to train for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. I can't wait to watch her race - she has been so determined since we started working together in February and has done some 5k's as well as open water swims and very anxious to put it all together! While in Malibu I also get the opportunity to meet Rich Roll - ultra endurance athlete as well as Chrissie Wellington - whoo hoo - what a way to celebrate Ironman - let's just hope I do OK as I will be in great company! <br />
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Picture of an athlete and me at the Liberty Half Ironman where I finished 1st and Melissa placed first in her age group for the Olympic Race!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3JFSX9LgDZb2xwyyYc4pTH6eHLS8IcIC1s1Hj4oE7KaN0CTRFwEXiqSc0klZzcvf_G2wc0b68YSzTrAz5wK5hIGZ9VphQkBx7nb0ZKHBl6gMbTdDCbSURvwBBpMclGVewS1wnYREuw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3JFSX9LgDZb2xwyyYc4pTH6eHLS8IcIC1s1Hj4oE7KaN0CTRFwEXiqSc0klZzcvf_G2wc0b68YSzTrAz5wK5hIGZ9VphQkBx7nb0ZKHBl6gMbTdDCbSURvwBBpMclGVewS1wnYREuw/s1600/photo.JPG" /></a></div>
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Owen and Keaton with Santa Clause during Santa's summer vacation<br />
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Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-83041447960041568492012-04-15T06:59:00.002-05:002012-04-15T07:09:24.011-05:00Hamstring StrainWell a little set back but I am just glad it didn't happen in June. Last year I pulled my hamstring during a race and it never healed properly. I had been getting it worked on for the past 2 months but I went to go run the MDRA 7 mile race two weeks ago and as I was warming up I got my foot stuck in my warm up pants (note to self - do not wear long warmup pants when warming up next time)...ugh! I knew I did something horrible because I could feel the pull and tear and down I went to the ground. I could hardly walk back to my car and then I had to drive a stick shift home which aggrivated it even more! <br />I should have posted some pics of it about a week ago because it looked like someone took a baseball bat and beat the heck out of my leg. It was all black and blue up and down and now it is working it's way down to my calf. It is a grade 2 hamstring strain so I haven't ran for 2 weeks - and hoping I can run by the end of the week without pain. I am trying to stay positive knowing that it is early and Ironman Wisconsin is in September. I just wanted to start out the season healthy and strong but just have to remember that injuries happen in this sport and to take care of it now and work on other disciplines of the sport - I can bike and swim! Just wanted to say thanks to Crystal at Spine and Sports as well as others at the Spine and Sports Chiro team for taking care of me!Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-27680675731682054332012-02-03T20:24:00.006-06:002012-02-05T20:23:00.223-06:00New Year, New House, New GoalsWell it is February 3rd and I finally writing my first blog of the new year! Shame on me but I do have excuses...just like everyone else! We moved about 2 weeks ago to the great city of Maple Grove. We love our new house so far and so do the kids. We have met some of the neighbors and they are super nice and have children Owen's age so he is very excited about this. Good friends of ours live about 4 houses down and we have loved getting together with them for runs, playdates and carpooling. Here is a picture of the outside of the house with the nice UHaul in front of it!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKB_RKfxhStNuK48kRKug8Jwsl7tmWj9R_QX8CIwtR2HlYrepusJ5SUGNrW4uElciBKaz9ucK9wv6Qw4XZppO893io5w5-WSiXsttgccX-qhpvhxqXHK6GjMg0WYZybYlMjFY81QZWg/s1600/IMAG0937.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKB_RKfxhStNuK48kRKug8Jwsl7tmWj9R_QX8CIwtR2HlYrepusJ5SUGNrW4uElciBKaz9ucK9wv6Qw4XZppO893io5w5-WSiXsttgccX-qhpvhxqXHK6GjMg0WYZybYlMjFY81QZWg/s320/IMAG0937.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705841772306353298" /></a><br />I will show pictures of the inside once we actually have furniture in there. I still haven't figured out what's better in the new place - the turkey that comes everyday getting it's food from the neighbors (Owen has named him Biff) or the fact that we are going to be tan this summer with the pool in our backyard.<div>This year my race schedule will be a little different. I won't be racing as much and will miss out on some of my favorite race as I decided to race Ironman Wisconsin. My goals this year are to get to the start line of Wisconsin injury free, healthy and happy. I have been battling a glute issue that just won't go away. I pulled it last May and never treated it properly and it is still bugging me. Seems like me and the foam roller have become best friends and I even carry a tennis ball in my purse so when I drive I am rolling and digging into it. </div><div>Coaching has been keeping me busy as well. I started coaching an athlete that was chosen as one of the Lucky 7 for CNN Fit Nation with Dr. Gupta. She will be competing in the Malibu Triathlon in September and I am so excited to show her how triathlon can change and inspire her life. I am also excited because with our move I am a lot closer to a lot of my athletes that I will be able to bike, swim and run with them more. </div><div>Owen and Keaton are doing great and are starting to play with eachother more. Owen still needs to remember that Keaton is 3 years younger than him and he can't wrestle and tackle like he can. I have a feeling that I will be breaking up a lot of wrestling matches for the next 15 years!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-56612965624552927262011-10-26T13:22:00.011-05:002011-10-26T18:55:38.956-05:00Austin 70.3 - Yeeehaw!<div>What a fun way to end my season in warm and sunny Austin!<br /><br /><div>Derek and I left for our trip on Friday and I had already shipped my bike to the hotel so it was there waiting for us to put together. This is what it looked like before so I was a little nervous about making sure my fit was perfect, but I knew Derek would be more anal about putting it together than I would!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23Fc6VXwKuR24E7gsfohFPiVD5NkPRv5vufq0xQETX5Ohd3OFUfvHzd3YaxdYqu5AdlstgVkP4XfVor0Oj3OUAqdJ3SFMjXss9eT2ljHF6yEVJkqyImOGoCl3sStviLu5a1Cc_NWcUQ/s1600/294211_249605561758549_100001273203577_718591_1760164398_n[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667887739953193442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23Fc6VXwKuR24E7gsfohFPiVD5NkPRv5vufq0xQETX5Ohd3OFUfvHzd3YaxdYqu5AdlstgVkP4XfVor0Oj3OUAqdJ3SFMjXss9eT2ljHF6yEVJkqyImOGoCl3sStviLu5a1Cc_NWcUQ/s320/294211_249605561758549_100001273203577_718591_1760164398_n%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" /></a> Friday night we walked around 6th street and could hear the music outside of the bars desperately wanting to go in and party but I knew I would have my chance come Sunday night.<br />Saturday we headed to the race site to drop off my bike, check out the course and do a little pre race warmup. I was very happy to hear that the water was around 72 degrees so that would mean wetsuits would be legal. As I was heading toward the water to swim I saw fellow coach and triathlete Kris Swarthout and his brother in law Kris. It was so nice to see a familiar face in the mass of people there. Kris told me some more about the bike course and how there was an area in which it was gravel and that the bike course elevation was somewhat similar to Ironman Wisconsin. I was excited to hear this since I will be doing Ironman Wisconsin next year. The run course was also very hilly and with portions of trail running. However, the trail had huge rocks and divots in it so you really had to watch where you were running. I slept great Saturday night and woke up Sunday ready to race!</div><br /><div><br /><div>When I got to the swim start our bikes were already there, but it was still dark out and difficult to setup transition and pump up your tires. T1 and T2 were also in different areas so you were given transition bags to put all of your gear into after each transition.<br />I was in wave 10 - about 25 mins after the pro men started. When I had swam the day before the water was pretty choppy because of the wind so I was expecting the same that morning, but luckily the wind was holding back until later in the day. I wanted to find some feet to draft off of but the waves were 5 mins apart, so that made it difficult to catch faster swimmers in earlier waves. I had a great swim for me - 30 mins! I didn't start out fast at all but built into the swim - this is what Dan wanted me to do so I listened!! I stripped off my wetsuit, threw it into the race supplied transition bag with goggles and cap and off I went on the bike. The bike was definitely challenging because of the number of people on the course. For about the first 20 miles I rode on the right side yelling on your left continuously! There were parts of the course in which you couldn't pass anyone due to construction and road conditions so that really brought my mph down. I was happy with my time on the bike considering the pros didn't have to deal with the traffic and the wind that seemed to pick up the last 20 miles on the course. I did have one mishap on the bike though - as I was running through transition to rack my bike a huge gust of wind blew through and I lost my footing and fell down pretty hard scraping up my knee and side of my leg. I don't think that caused me any issues on the run but it did hurt!</div><br /><div>I knew I was in a good spot coming out of T2 and Derek yelled that I was the number one or two amateur out there. The run course was changed this year from 2 laps to 3 due to the drought in Austin. It was tough to run around the same path 3 times mentally and physically! The wind had definitely picked up and so had the heat. I just tried to maintain my pace and not go out too hard the first lap. I wanted to run harder the last 4 miles but didn't have much left in the tank to negative split. I was so happy to see the finish line and also see Derek and my friend Jacquie waiting there for me. I finished 6th overall and second amateur for the day.<br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeml7gzjIfH5iZswcURs-LCmvs1J8-PRL5bqLm96asacksoncH5jKWF-LkfaARf7URTGMB7r71Pdhpcthmu59aFgf-xIue2yPb5XUYVaspZzJJvk8CRDFdUBJr-LMnEx0zMixqcah1g/s1600/310993_250510545001384_100001273203577_722153_1234762888_s[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667886342645007042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 78px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkeml7gzjIfH5iZswcURs-LCmvs1J8-PRL5bqLm96asacksoncH5jKWF-LkfaARf7URTGMB7r71Pdhpcthmu59aFgf-xIue2yPb5XUYVaspZzJJvk8CRDFdUBJr-LMnEx0zMixqcah1g/s320/310993_250510545001384_100001273203577_722153_1234762888_s%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="center">Picture of the 30-34 Age Group Winners</div><br /><div>In all, I was so happy with my performance and a big thanks to Gear West for all their support, Dan at OptumHealth Performance for being an amazing coach and friend, and to my family for their support as well. Derek's parents took care of Owen and Keaton while we were gone and the kids had a blast with their grandparents. I asked Owen if he missed us and he plainly said no I didn't miss you. I also gave Owen my trophy from the race and he asked Derek why I got second place! I guess I better step it up for him next year!</div><br /><div align="center">Below are pictures of the boys and their Grandparents<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidACaRbZYDnGs_qin3OUIuzIj-PvaF0rFn0__wRGVf65o5x3E4UJFig0fsYSf2cPY6x0AP78WR6q4rfwm6p1HLxqtl_yWtbdb3LfYEkjVTkWe5NNb7aM2wRSqefMqkfEJVGHxhDlC_w/s1600/DSC00086.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667886738705961298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidACaRbZYDnGs_qin3OUIuzIj-PvaF0rFn0__wRGVf65o5x3E4UJFig0fsYSf2cPY6x0AP78WR6q4rfwm6p1HLxqtl_yWtbdb3LfYEkjVTkWe5NNb7aM2wRSqefMqkfEJVGHxhDlC_w/s320/DSC00086.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667886494204815474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbrvjlUjTmSUz8DOqlfvhI5ecrUPZckQqWoS_b3en1o7RLlSxYVeL2jD_dDIcwyOZPnvOFOcdaordu35DkGMODbNhGPz4qltlFPC9dPSe-2XqNweZY032gj9SGULmYdHNTaCOk9p6VQ/s320/DSC00065.JPG" border="0" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG8m2r1B66KEoD1gDQ2SdjdwF-hV-DA6g2NldNXQDWRq_rL1wCEH7KQ-t7zaP-b5mSmGW_EOjyE6ZrpEVmpjSmvijsXCgC7-AuS-Zn3Qfxig1t7WPAiue0V0ptc6PhAeou1MknV0z3g/s1600/DSC00094.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667949557130666610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG8m2r1B66KEoD1gDQ2SdjdwF-hV-DA6g2NldNXQDWRq_rL1wCEH7KQ-t7zaP-b5mSmGW_EOjyE6ZrpEVmpjSmvijsXCgC7-AuS-Zn3Qfxig1t7WPAiue0V0ptc6PhAeou1MknV0z3g/s320/DSC00094.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div><br /><div></div></div>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-17129823703351705112011-10-15T19:08:00.007-05:002011-10-16T09:15:26.467-05:00Ready for a Vacation...wait race!This Friday, Derek and I are heading to Austin, TX. I am going to race Austin 70.3 and so looking forward to getting out of my house! Owen was sick last week and now Keaton is sick and I am hoping I stay healthy one more week! We also put our house on the market and I have a full time job keeping the house clean. Our house was never "dirty" before but it's a different story when you have to make sure the beds are nice and neat, the toys are all put away or hidden, the sink is empty and all the stainless is cleaned. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 231px; height: 116px; text-align: center; display: block;" border="0" alt="" src="http://c0028922.cdn1.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/styles/images/logo.jpg" />The weather looks to be in the 80's - perfect racing weather and I am so excited to go to the corporate headquarters of Whole Foods. The bike course is supposed to be challenging so looking foward to climbing some hills since I will be doing lots of that in preparation for Ironman Wisconsin next year. I have never traveled to a race before or done a Ironman series race. I am very nervous about making sure my bike gets put together correctly as well as making sure I don't forget to pack anything I need. I will be in good company though because Coach Kris from Optum Health Performance will be there racing as well so it will be fun having him there to party with afterwards! I will miss my boys though!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OJRehrcdY0Ju09mMaUBuSYvVnzs13bu-nvl-znOHRKsqiN2hFbKuH_u7mJiQspVZba0NguCSYTCsDdyhN4wb54OdWuJ4wJ3VZq4PgB8swxLd9fXOKOaWT309p0F_m70XcH-hs7kxXQ/s1600/IMAG0760.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 191px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663909116284326642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OJRehrcdY0Ju09mMaUBuSYvVnzs13bu-nvl-znOHRKsqiN2hFbKuH_u7mJiQspVZba0NguCSYTCsDdyhN4wb54OdWuJ4wJ3VZq4PgB8swxLd9fXOKOaWT309p0F_m70XcH-hs7kxXQ/s320/IMAG0760.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJ5MCSby3uiB_lOfdufimJNhyphenhyphen7xhHGQ4Wzkci5ThfVNc2BSoynB8fRR-e9RkrkBMj3K_O7IxUe4ypwvikbX7nTixetzGWTJ_hbT_lLthSB4iwEVs0NyhTE_WlT5uro7bA7zxd8ZUwQg/s1600/IMAG0748.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 191px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663908415682702210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJ5MCSby3uiB_lOfdufimJNhyphenhyphen7xhHGQ4Wzkci5ThfVNc2BSoynB8fRR-e9RkrkBMj3K_O7IxUe4ypwvikbX7nTixetzGWTJ_hbT_lLthSB4iwEVs0NyhTE_WlT5uro7bA7zxd8ZUwQg/s320/IMAG0748.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /></div></div>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-77092293571786534212011-09-26T10:38:00.002-05:002011-09-26T11:10:38.887-05:00Peregrine Charities Race Report - brrrr...it was a cold one!I wasn't sure if I was going to make the trip down to Iowa since my sister's due date was the day of the race. However, I decided that since I had raced this race every year since it's start I wanted to go and support the race and the charity. The race director does an amazing job with volunteers, organization, and post race. <br />I like racing in the heat and it seems like it takes me forever to warm up. I knew that it was going to be a cold morning and to bring my warm weather gear. We had dinner with Hannah and David and David gave me some good advice that if I had any chance to get ahead of people I needed to bike my booty off so be warm on the bike. I decided I was going to wear my gloves and jacket no matter what!<br />Race morning it was about 45 degrees at the start and the water temp was about 63 degrees. I was trying out a new wetsuit to see if I liked it and if it helped my swim at all...turns out it didn't!!! I had been having some pain in my left shoulder and tried working it out with some massage but it was still bothering me. I tried hanging onto to some of the other women but I just didn't have any speed or pull - worst swim of the year! I was out there swimming all bymyself and need to just punish myself in the water - and not be comfortable....enough said. I got to my bike and knew I was about 2 minutes behind all the other women and opted not to put my gloves on since I thought it would take too much time - dumb move! Bike went great and had the fastest bike split and caught Janet right at the 35k mark. She had a great swim and was first women out of the water so I was glad I caught up to her. I came into T2 with about a minute ahead of her but she left before me because I couldn't get my helmet off or my feet into my shoes - my hands were so frozen. I finally ripped my helmet off my head breaking the strap and a women said to me "Kortney...just relax and breath and get those shoes on..." thank you to whomever that was. After the longest T2 in history - 1:49 to be exact I made my way onto the run. I wanted to conserve myself since I always go out hard and then feel like I die at the end so that is what I did but every race is different and what I should have done was ran harder to pass Janet and see if she could hang with me because I couldn't catch her at the end - I had a better run split than her but spent too much time in T2 and she beat me by 28 seconds. I ended up third overall and congrats to Claire Boostma who won. She had a great race - she is now a part of the Gear West Devlopment Team and it is great to have her as a part of the team!Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-59829608573477087002011-09-08T19:45:00.006-05:002011-09-09T18:54:49.831-05:00St. Croix Valley Olympic Race Report - New Course Record!!I went into St Croix with my sites set on a great swim time. With my injuries in the start of the summer I never felt like I could "race" the swim and wasn't in swimming shape until the last couple of weeks. I wanted to go out hard and not hold back and see what would happen to the rest of my race. Tim Walton (swim coach <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">extraordinaire</span> from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Optum</span> Health Performance) has been helping me a lot with my stroke and was in my heat so I really wanted to beat him out of the water! I came out of the water at 22:00 and change and was super excited to see that it was under 23:00. The bike course is challenging with some hills and since it was raining a little I had to be a little conservative on the corners. I was shocked to see though after the race that I averaged 23 mph on the bike - last year I could only muster 22.1mph. Coming into transition I checked my watch and knew if I could run around a 40 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">min</span> 10k, I might havea shot at the course record. I didn't want to bonk at the end of the race and be mad at myself for going out too strong so I just concentrated on my form and cadence for the first couple of miles knowing that these were the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">hardest</span> of the run with a few hills. At mile 4 I checked my split and saw it was about a 6:15 ...only 2 more miles...about 13 more minutes of pushing. At the last mile I checked my watch again and knew I was close. I couldn't remember exactly what the record was, but knew it was 2:09: and change. I was hoping it was closer to 2:10 because as I was making my way to the finish line I was past the 2:09 mark. As I crossed the finish line Jerry said to me "I think you did it Kort". I gave Tim a high five, chatted with him and thanked him for cheering me on. My excitement was short lived as I saw one of my athletes in the transition area. I was wondering why he was walking and was ready to start yelling at him to run until I saw a big gash on his head. He told me got got into a bike accident and wasn't able to finish. I was so bummed to see him like that because he has worked so hard and really wanted to leave it all out there to see what he was capable of. I understand the frustration of having your body and mind ready to race, but certain circumstances prevent you from completing. However, things happen for a reason and that only makes you stronger and more determined. Next up is Peregrine Charities triathlon, Twin Cities 10 mile and Austin 70.3!Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-83092128705604605662011-08-23T12:30:00.007-05:002011-08-23T19:42:13.505-05:00Pigman Race ReportGreat weather yesterday resulted in some course records and lots of PR's. David Thompson lowered his course record by 4 minutes and Derek and I also PR'd. I was looking forward to this race the whole year - it was definitely my A race.
<br />We headed down to Des Moines Iowa to spend the week with Derek's family on Sunday afternoon after I raced the YWCA Women's Triathlon. This was a great race and so well organized. I wasn't sure I was going to race this until about a week before. I have only done two sprints before the YWCA race and I go about the same speed for an Olympic as I do a Sprint!!! Sprint races are not for me but it was tons of fun though and I had a blast just racing with women. I hope I am able to do this race next year and it fits into my schedule because I would love to support it.
<br />It was great being in Des Moines because the kids love their grandparents and we get time to see friends from college and I got to go shopping by myself. Wow, the damage you can do when you shop without kids is amazing! I went to Adventureland with Owen one day too and remembered what it felt like to have your stomach do somersaults! The only bad thing about being there was that Keaton had to go to Urgent Care on Friday. We were at the park and he touched a metal slide. It wasn't even that hot that day but his poor little hands got burnt very badly. He has second degree burns on both of the palms of his hands. He is a trooper though and adjusting really well to having his hands all bandaged up. I felt so horrible for him and didn't want to leave him when we left for Cedar Rapids for the race on Saturday.
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<br /><div>It was really nice not having the kids to worry about while I was racing on Sunday. I decided to race age group because there were not any girls signed up for the elite wave when I looked on Friday night. Then Sunday morning I noticed two girls racking their bikes in the elite area.... darn it! My wave started about 16 minutes after the elite wave so I was trying to figure out what position I was out on the course. I had a great swim for me and I actually liked doing the time trial start. I didn't get pushed and shoved around as much as I do starting with the men! The bike went great too - I pushed it hard the whole time but had some issues with my gels and water that I need to get figured out before the next 70.3. My run is still not where I want it to be. I was hoping to go just under 7 min miles but took the first 5k out too hard. I was checking my splits at every mile and kept telling myself to slow down and I did slow down - almost to a 8:30 min mile from mile 10-11....the killer hill! I will come back to this race next year to defeat that thing! I thought about walking at one moment but told myself NO - you are racing against the clock!</div>
<br /><div>After finishing I chatted with Ruth Brennan Morrey - she passed me on the run around mile 7, and she was flying. She ran like a 6:30 per minute mile - wow! I thought she had finished before me but since I started behind her I had actually beat her a little under a minute. She is a rookie this year but you wouldn't know it - she is good! I finished second female overall and happy with my time of 4:36:54 but wish I would have kept a better eye on where the elites were on the run because I was beaten by 37 seconds. In a race this long there are things you can do to make up 37 seconds. I feel like I am still learning this distance as I hadn't raced a half for two years and this is my third one. I think I am going to sign up for Austin 70.3 in October so if any of you have done Austin let me know what you think.</div>
<br /><div>The picture below is of the Gear West Triathlon Team - we won the team award and poor Suzie got bombarded from David right after finishing the race to take this picture. No idea why him and Thad still had on their race belts because they seriously had been done for about an hour when we took this picture!</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJBvHEosfs0MaAZK9OnVaeGkJ-lB_qxwcrklT0qH2X4JrSz4qKRTfnXifHHERvN-nMLqx-RN4gSpVYjPg6-HOqZwmHOApW_qRM1T_H4ibgmwQEsUvz2jBWtYXR4U9JAMxiMburvi1lQ/s1600/GWDT+Pigman[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644115773109238370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJBvHEosfs0MaAZK9OnVaeGkJ-lB_qxwcrklT0qH2X4JrSz4qKRTfnXifHHERvN-nMLqx-RN4gSpVYjPg6-HOqZwmHOApW_qRM1T_H4ibgmwQEsUvz2jBWtYXR4U9JAMxiMburvi1lQ/s320/GWDT+Pigman%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-71053316043890740682011-07-26T20:19:00.007-05:002011-07-27T14:04:19.516-05:00Twin Cities Triathlon - History in the MakingSince I was injured at the beginning of the season I wasn't able to race in two of Optum Health's stellar races - Manitou and Minneman.<br />I was very excited about Twin Cities Triathlon because not only was the race venue gorgeous, the course challenging, but because a number of my athletes were also competing.<br />The swim was in the Mississippi and even with having my fastest swim due to the current, it was the fastest swim ever for others too! I came out of the water more than 2 minutes behind the other elite women. I knew the bike was going to be challenging and hilly so I was looking forward to it. Since I have had bad luck on the bike this season (chain dropping on the past two races) I wanted to see how hard I could bike. I pushed myself and had a great bike split, finally working my way into second place. I knew I had to put some time on Becky on the bike because she is a stellar runner but I didn't catch her until about mile 20. I figured I had about 1 minute on her going into the run.<br />I had no idea how hard the run course was going to be. My legs just were not feeling it. I saw the lead men on their way back from the turnaround point and I was saying good job to all of them. If I am able to speak - that means I'm not running hard enough! Becky caught me close to mile 3 and she was movin! I ended up 3rd female overall and happy with my bike splits but not my run at all. I also learned that I got a penalty for placement of equipment. I was so confused about this but lots of other people received the same penalty. Not sure what I did - I am wondering if I racked my bike in the wrong spot. I wish they would tell you so you know what you need to correct.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg4jwfrBANUIl4eJyGHaeuIJmOFDUjowrNnj8raqTfgomUrOjEoKz2X6PNizaNTG-oAf53MUA9oyW6McQ8R-7MSI9b4aGmXHVYOpoFiJHkaWXa60yOYYY7kZ5tt3rh70bJIapXOyZtw/s1600/mail+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634109205026001106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg4jwfrBANUIl4eJyGHaeuIJmOFDUjowrNnj8raqTfgomUrOjEoKz2X6PNizaNTG-oAf53MUA9oyW6McQ8R-7MSI9b4aGmXHVYOpoFiJHkaWXa60yOYYY7kZ5tt3rh70bJIapXOyZtw/s320/mail+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There was a first place finisher in our family though. My father in law came from Iowa to race the sprint course and he got first in his age group - so proud of him! Here is a picture of him and Owen finishing the race together!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZHs7-HkXJ8-CdVmYbsxZGwx5DRB5oWVU7PEV7F_t5i-S1BJYWT27RbBGM0v4JAEc1wXy5sBA6TuGbs8vdD3JbMbqT7EifHWuBEpLfgnDLrNxVzabFPTkRNM02lBsh9teFwhBHhBBGg/s1600/mail.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634109143660727298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZHs7-HkXJ8-CdVmYbsxZGwx5DRB5oWVU7PEV7F_t5i-S1BJYWT27RbBGM0v4JAEc1wXy5sBA6TuGbs8vdD3JbMbqT7EifHWuBEpLfgnDLrNxVzabFPTkRNM02lBsh9teFwhBHhBBGg/s320/mail.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I can't wait to see how many people sign up next year - it is definintely a must do race. I am taking the next couple of weeks to prepare for Pigman Long Course. Derek is gone this weekend so I am a single mom - we will see how much training I can get done :)Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-21783396048215047432011-07-17T20:01:00.007-05:002011-07-22T13:32:43.001-05:00HOLT Race Report: Bad Voodoo continuesI love this race and was looking forward to it all week long. I knew the weather was going to be warm but I thrive in the warm weather. I would much rather it be 90 degrees than 75. I also knew this was going to be good training for Pigman Long Course in August which is known to be steamy.<br />My swim is still not where it needs to be - especially since I didn't swim for six weeks and then I fell down the stairs a couple of weeks ago and I might have a slight crack in my rib or a rib out of place. Swimming hurts as well as taking in deep breaths. I was hoping that with the rain the lake would cool down....it did but not enough, so no wetsuits. So again I struggled in the open water and had to do some catching up on the bike. The bike was going great until I got my chain caught again earth rear derailer. This happened last week at Lifetime and again I had to get off my bike to put the chain back on. It was pretty scary going 24 mph when your wheel is jammed and also sucky when you loose time because of it. I am really frustrated because this has happened the last two races so I have no idea of where my biking fitness is at. I came off the bike in 5th and knew I had some work to do on the run. It was really hot at this time and some people were walking on the course. It was hard to run by them because you kind of say to yourself "if their walking....I can walk too!" I wasn't sure how fast I was running because my watch wasn't working and I like to know my splits. At every water stop I considered taking my gel but the thought of warm gel in my mouth did not sound appealing.<br />At that point you play mind games with yourself...if only I didn't drop my chain...if only I took my gel....should I take my gel?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtViEQgB1G6PqnPfBPXN3nd92jrUJoLnVLcrXTPriKEtBePhFd9HdKn97AHCTF7x4JqoXlEQMoX3pY-Xx5QYvlCxs3QQKrJ9mXvLFHNzOjDWn-aIHsHf9a2QnSy7aOzZCmbQptJwb2bw/s1600/83042-023-018f%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtViEQgB1G6PqnPfBPXN3nd92jrUJoLnVLcrXTPriKEtBePhFd9HdKn97AHCTF7x4JqoXlEQMoX3pY-Xx5QYvlCxs3QQKrJ9mXvLFHNzOjDWn-aIHsHf9a2QnSy7aOzZCmbQptJwb2bw/s320/83042-023-018f%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632246005553047922" /></a><br /><br />I finally caught Suzie with about a mile left and just wanted the race to be over with. So much that I thought the end of the race was about 20 yards short of the finish line! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_wAIqVpxWg3I-BTsrGhwQ9spg7IzMtAJ0XFL157cuZLtMS5CsLnA5vkSrxQNGE6D0u6L5mW0hY99auujB5RNRgRsSEZf4irlONChgpCyfAFlVSb85XcuP9JZIRQW3HOUYt6DB6blew/s1600/New+Image.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_wAIqVpxWg3I-BTsrGhwQ9spg7IzMtAJ0XFL157cuZLtMS5CsLnA5vkSrxQNGE6D0u6L5mW0hY99auujB5RNRgRsSEZf4irlONChgpCyfAFlVSb85XcuP9JZIRQW3HOUYt6DB6blew/s320/New+Image.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632245779657097554" /></a><br /><br />I ended up third female overall so it's a long road to recovery but it's coming :)Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-81266030259855366622011-07-10T08:34:00.010-05:002011-07-10T20:12:51.987-05:00Lifetime Fitness Race Report - Can't a girl catch a break!<div align="center"><strong>5 days ago running with a cast on </strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtSktByfHlb9TW70SeCnNb4xYno98AaeMJ4kxZWeHI6UKbAkFc8GXyXgU6NUFI8ii7L_a2H7iro6n16uqVGSHuSplhiSAxKFuQsRija1B2NEg59RHKkKpMtPEpCNZwoDQjn-CJlbXvw/s1600/270318_2155404445943_1271403184_32503025_8380781_n%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627716975718353074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtSktByfHlb9TW70SeCnNb4xYno98AaeMJ4kxZWeHI6UKbAkFc8GXyXgU6NUFI8ii7L_a2H7iro6n16uqVGSHuSplhiSAxKFuQsRija1B2NEg59RHKkKpMtPEpCNZwoDQjn-CJlbXvw/s320/270318_2155404445943_1271403184_32503025_8380781_n%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo courtesy of Paul Phillips (Competitive Image)</span> <br /><p align="center"><br /><strong>Yesterday crossing the finish line at Lifetime Fitness </strong></p><br /><p align="center"><strong>(much better!)</strong></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMxTWLkiVhwPT6XIg3S5ys9eLRFnZdQUI2cUfXCNMh_ES5ikPNI4dplbMVJkzbO7dKr1X14UNXZ-y0VtbIXz3VWDx4CO5iidYCu_o0IKT15Txqy4VLI0eRnlnyeEdDac6b1krKrcL7Q/s1600/265178_2049839559159_1039566857_2354488_1071401_n%5B1%5D.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627717718448122754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMxTWLkiVhwPT6XIg3S5ys9eLRFnZdQUI2cUfXCNMh_ES5ikPNI4dplbMVJkzbO7dKr1X14UNXZ-y0VtbIXz3VWDx4CO5iidYCu_o0IKT15Txqy4VLI0eRnlnyeEdDac6b1krKrcL7Q/s320/265178_2049839559159_1039566857_2354488_1071401_n%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo courtsey of Kerry Yndestad (Yndecam)</span> <br /><p align="left">When I went to get my cast off on July 5th. There were two questions I asked my doctor: <br /><p align="left">1. Can I swim today? <br /><p align="left">2. Can I swim in the open water and race a triathlon in 4 days? <br /><p align="left">The answer was a resounding, Yes! I was super excited to race Lifetime because I love the atmosphere and it's so fun to see the professional triathletes on the course at the same time! With no swimming for six weeks I knew the swim was going to be brutal, but I talked with Coach Dan beforehand and went into the race just to have fun and push myself. <br /><p align="left">I knew the water was going to warm at Lake Nokomis, but I was crossing my fingers it would be wetsuit legal, unfortunately that wasn't the case. The temp was somewhere around 81 degrees! I forgot how brutal the swim start is - I tried hanging on to people's feet with no success. I found myself out in the open water pretty much by myself. My sighting was good ...probably because I was going so slow! I came out of the water 28 mins and 30 secs later. That is a lot of time to make up on people when they get out 7-8 mins before you! <br /><p align="left">The bike was going great until I went over a pothole and I dropped my chain - I was going about 23 mph when that happened, so there went all my momentum. I was able to stop, jump off and put it back on. I have no idea how much time I lost, but it had to be around 3-4 mins. <br /><p align="left">I was looking forward to the run because the course is pretty flat and there are always great crowds cheering you on. During my warmup I ran what I thought was part of the run course - needless to say that wasn't part of the course. I took the same route during the race and realized I was off track after about 30 seconds. I turned around and someone I had passed about a minute ago was heading in a different direction. I was so mad at myself because that cost me another minute. In a race this competitive you can't make mistakes and I was just ready to have the race over with. <br /><p align="left">I finished strong with a little kick at the end to catch a woman in front of me. Derek and the boys were there to cheer me on and cheer me up afterwards. Even though I had my issues, it was so fun to be back to racing and seeing all of the friends and other triathletes I have come to know and love. We really have a great community of athletes here, but also just really amazing and wonderful people as well. Up next is Heart of the Lakes where I am sure it will be non wetsuit as well. I am going to be swimming everyday this week!!! <br /><p align="left"><br /><p align="left"></p></div>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-88948071370622120672011-05-30T17:50:00.003-05:002011-05-30T20:20:14.460-05:00Listen to your body...or your husband!At about 2:30 on Monday afternoon there was almost a huge sale on Ebay of triathlon merchandise. That is about the time I found out that I had a broken bone in my hand.<br />Kind of a long story to tell so I am going to keep it simple since I am kind of typing with one hand. Basically injured myself at the Gear West Duathlon and thought I was ready to race. I was questioning myself all week with the injury but also my fitness and wanted to see where I was at. I should have just stuck with the training plan but I raced and wasn't able to finish. Let's just say Derek had to carry me over his shoulder to the van after I was at the medical tent. Then on Sunday I deicded to join some friends for a recovey ride. Derek told me to just take the day off but I didn't listen and told him "I can still bike even if I can't run!" Well no sooner than about 15 minutes into the bike did I catch someone's wheel and went down I went pretty hard. My good friend Marta drove me back to the house where I tried to recoup. My hand was still bothering me and pretty black and blue this morning so off to Urgent Care I went to find out I broke my pisiform bone. Pretty much sucks but life will go on and I will be back!Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-49039854795606580562011-05-22T13:14:00.017-05:002011-05-22T21:02:38.835-05:00Mud, Sweat, and FallsAt this time last year I was 36 weeks pregnant and had so much fun volunteering at the GearWest Du, but really missed being out there racing. This year I knew it was going to be a muddy mess out on the run with all the rain we've had, but that is what makes this event so much fun. Kris Swarthout was announcing today and said if it would've been dry out there then that wouldn't have made for such an exciting day...agreed!<br /><br />At GearWest in 2009, I was chatting with a friend and missed the start so I had to basically run through people to make my way to the lead women and didn't have a lot in the tank on those trails. I didn't want to make that mistake again, so I made sure I didn't go out too hard the first mile, but then second guessed my strategy about 1 mile in. I should have tried to get a little distance from people on the dry asphalt surface before the uneven trails. I came into T1 4th, but had the hardest time getting my helmet on - I was in there for over a minute....doh. Now I know what I will be doing before Buffalo - practicing T1 transitions! I saw Derek and Suzie come into T1 while I was still fumbling with my helmet. Derek got out of there before me and I know exactly what he was saying under his breath as he ran by me with his bike...Kort, get outta here!<br />The bike went OK - but Suzie caught me on the way up to County Road 24. I caught up to her, but there was another biker with us as we were making a right turn and I wanted to make sure we weren't drafting, so I dropped back 4 or 5 bike lengths, but then she took off like her pants were on fire and I didn't see her until we were back in T2. Julie Hull caught me on the bike too - both girls are mad crazy bikers!<br />After really pushing it, I caught up to Julie and Suzie on the run, but was having some trouble getting the right footing on the trails and pulled a glute muscle coming up a hill and Suzie blasted past me. As we were going into the woods I knew it was going to be a mess in there. I came up to a big mud pit and saw a lot of people taking pictures. (now I know why) As I planted my shoe into the ground, my foot came out, but my shoe decided it would prefer to stay in the mud! I said a few choice words under my breath and turned around to retrieve it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYPTtmJ9DJvaZRxGWZThtkvvbeXcfu3nXFyqbbaVzzSHRZUERPSzmwL10RwvLWRfI2SutqfdPDjbZraZgr7OrjUKrODYK1OoAAjQavG-RrrWWZYxVUJYGe04n1DzE8dWHjVIVPLcwdg/s1600/Courtney-Low.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609722078742292370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 106px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYPTtmJ9DJvaZRxGWZThtkvvbeXcfu3nXFyqbbaVzzSHRZUERPSzmwL10RwvLWRfI2SutqfdPDjbZraZgr7OrjUKrODYK1OoAAjQavG-RrrWWZYxVUJYGe04n1DzE8dWHjVIVPLcwdg/s320/Courtney-Low.jpg" border="0" /></a> Paul Phillips from <a href="http://competitiveimage.us/">Competitve Image </a>snapped some great play-by-play pictures (above)...I guess I wasn't the only one out there that lost a shoe in the mudbowl! I stopped to put my shoe back on and started running, but then I slipped and fell. I was trying to catch Suzie, but at that point I knew it was a lost cause. I gutted my way up the monster hill to the finish line in fourth place. It was pretty funny to see everyone all muddy and laughing about the situation out there.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609723324980568018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZf1o_iSKXe6SjTm0fezFyJwp4MhDlEJ9rClmaRdORGgxAa6HL1MdtI0AQ-zP6WVJmhPYTTyn-mwi-QvevgH_d8Ge0vlAcqS-hFoCxXf90qqGJgTk7ek-8kEi2vuSz1RinNSg8ND9-w/s320/247050_10150191686305878_507720877_7160765_1795342_n%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p align="center">Photo taken by Steve Stenzel<br /><br />I wish the day would have gone a little better, but it is always great to come home to the boys. They help me take my mind off of the racing when I see them smile and give me big kisses when I come home. Keaton is now walking like a drunken sailor all over the house and is so proud of himself.<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DvaVzMiO_4V_8fSGjuKYqf2ARZvdYLSmLJWlmA-NUAbYAMNkzA-k0wXPV3dC_t4ptQHJ-J0xi5FMPJTWGHIPs79cm0ZR_Pi9_i7UyF_bgmtlkxTQ2c9Z4UiRVEh8_G1oqhqL2xcACA/s1600/IMAG0076.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609712065583880050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DvaVzMiO_4V_8fSGjuKYqf2ARZvdYLSmLJWlmA-NUAbYAMNkzA-k0wXPV3dC_t4ptQHJ-J0xi5FMPJTWGHIPs79cm0ZR_Pi9_i7UyF_bgmtlkxTQ2c9Z4UiRVEh8_G1oqhqL2xcACA/s320/IMAG0076.jpg" border="0" /></a> Owen is obsessed with McDonalds and there are Batman toys in Happy Meals right now. That means I got to play Batman and Robin for about 20 minutes before I could take a shower and get the mud off me! Thanks to my brother and sister in law for watching the boys for us, so Derek and I could race. I don't know what I would do without family. Congratulations to all the racers out there today!!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uT3RFm2zmzFaAMmT46Zzul8DMWnpcwy1r5u_oatR0W_cF04Hv68q8n_taGP4JkxqhCREkflyTAdDvcueSNrNVdiwXv-CB4wkMA-IL7otgvUwzFyvIhrREBHWBV2DI_b4HScKdR0sqQ/s1600/IMAG0073.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609711897139224658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uT3RFm2zmzFaAMmT46Zzul8DMWnpcwy1r5u_oatR0W_cF04Hv68q8n_taGP4JkxqhCREkflyTAdDvcueSNrNVdiwXv-CB4wkMA-IL7otgvUwzFyvIhrREBHWBV2DI_b4HScKdR0sqQ/s320/IMAG0073.jpg" border="0" /></a>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-26732795087441226652011-05-02T10:10:00.004-05:002011-05-02T13:35:38.514-05:00Get in Gear 1/2 Marthon - In Rain or ShineIt is suppose to be spring here in Minnesota but old man winter wants to stick around and let his presence be known! Saturday was the Get in Gear 1/2 marathon and waking up to pouring rain just wasn't my cup of tea. I like running in the heat and would prefer it to be like 80 degrees outside. Some would think I am insane but I actually race better in the heat. <br />I had a mental breakdown this last week and was hoping my head was in the game to run 13.1 miles in the rain. Last weekend we were in Des Moines and hoping we could ride in 60 degree weather but alas that wasn't going to happen. We pounded out a 3 hour windy ride and Derek pretty much had to pull me the whole way home. I don't know how he didn't yell at me to suck it up because I pretty much complained the whole ride and at one point threatened to turn around and just ride on the trainer! Then on Sunday I had a tough run to prepare me for the half marathon and just didn't have the desire to do it. My legs were kickin but my mind just said stop - I didn't want to be on that trail anymore pounding out 3x12 mins at half marathon pace - I wanted to go home and drink hot chocolate! After talking with my coach I needed a little downtime. I hadn't had a day off for a long time and I finally took it - no yoga, no strength training, no easy swim or bike - NOTHING. As athletes it is hard to let our bodies rest because we think we need to be pushing all the time - judging where our fitness is at but that is where injuries and burnout rear their ugly head. I think for me I feel like I am constantly on my feet with 2 small kids at home and when I do get to relax I sometimes can't. I feel like I should do laundry or clean the bathroom or make dinner. I think as moms who are also competitive athletes this will always be a struggle for us. <br />Anyway.... back to the race. Derek and I were both racing, he was doing the 10K and me the half. We didn't get to warm up at all and were way back in the starting chute. Since there were so many people racing it took us a full 1:30 to get to the start line. It was hard to get into a groove for a pace for the first miles because you had to weave around so many people since we started way back. Finally at about mile 4 I felt like I was cruising and ran with a friend of mine for almost the whole race. I never really felt like I got into a good groove because at one point I had a side cramp and then I was wearing a rain jacket that chaffed me right below my neck and it was killing me! I crossed the finish line at 1:33:40 so about a 7:09 minute pace, not the best time for me but considering the conditions I will take it. I learn something every race and know it is preparing me for the races ahead. <br />Owen and Keaton are starting to enjoy eachothers company more but that also means Owen is starting to beat up on him more and boss Keaton around. I guess that will just prepare me for what is going to happen in the future. I pretty much know that I can't buy any new furniture for the next 6 years! <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlY0RndafljgZ0xF4XMd52-UrB4rJ2CP54-rhM0V9vKZrZzlHoe5AgO5dmkp_L9ZARHqKIob3BeB2Uplgob-iheAVRPqptTiH1RAWK_hPmZAE-XpO5hTrOqyLPKUvmxhgmlxLTvmyrw/s1600/IMAG0056.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 214px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602145381462720962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlY0RndafljgZ0xF4XMd52-UrB4rJ2CP54-rhM0V9vKZrZzlHoe5AgO5dmkp_L9ZARHqKIob3BeB2Uplgob-iheAVRPqptTiH1RAWK_hPmZAE-XpO5hTrOqyLPKUvmxhgmlxLTvmyrw/s320/IMAG0056.jpg" /></a>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-10390207042645799172011-04-11T14:41:00.006-05:002011-04-11T20:32:08.637-05:00Fred Kurtz 10 Mile Race<div>What a great race. Derek and I both were able to race because my great sister volunteered to watch the boys for us in the morning. The weather was perfect and it was a fast out and back course. The other cool thing about the race was that it had a handicapped start based on past races, so everyone would finish the race at about the same time. Derek and some of my other friends started about 3-4 minutes ahead of me and my friend Heidi. I was excited to start with Heidi but but her hamstring was bothering her so she wasn't able to finish. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_al4wmYEhuawDMAO92XKurqR3OAB-kt-d3m5AwMnbMVQIlKrNcUNGWceeARaKs-ZOUQ5v0quIr-xixYUtcf0LyV5oyhxFWKy0qE0H8U_T5zv9eE07UiHd34ASc66eZjZHEZ2qk-6QYw/s1600/208700_10150147401602672_675587671_6712520_615441_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594428699672255410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_al4wmYEhuawDMAO92XKurqR3OAB-kt-d3m5AwMnbMVQIlKrNcUNGWceeARaKs-ZOUQ5v0quIr-xixYUtcf0LyV5oyhxFWKy0qE0H8U_T5zv9eE07UiHd34ASc66eZjZHEZ2qk-6QYw/s320/208700_10150147401602672_675587671_6712520_615441_n.jpg" /></a><br />I knew I wanted to beat my Twin Cities 10 mile time and to do that I would have to run about 6:45's. I started out too hard - was doing about 6:30's the first mile and a half and then I toned it down. I always seem to go out too hard and need to learn to pace better and get stronger towards the end. As I was approaching mile 5 I saw Derek and Suzie ahead of me - but then noticed that my shoe was untied. I didn't double-knot them because I just plain forgot, but need to remember the little things because that probably cost me about 20 seconds! I was feeling really good and knew I needed to push the pace a little harder because I wasn't breathing that heavy and as I passed Derek we exchanged a couple of words so I knew I could go a little harder. <br />I had a good feeling I was in first place for women but I didn't want anyone behind me (men or women) to pass me at the end. As we turned the corner off of the trail I knew the finish line was close but it still seemed so far away. I kept looking at my watch pushing myself to run harder so I could beat my goal. I crossed the line at 1:07:22 (6:45 pace) which I am happy about. Next up is the Get in Gear Half Marathon and I have a new goal in mind for that too. Derek had a great race as well, setting a new PR for him. My friends Suzie and Ann won their age group and I believe had PR's as well - great job everyone!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbH-I8uPH7tA-M_rWKXqFuBAVJ60Fe7ADc9vZRyWi9auihe5kQMXsInbz7fWG7eTJioseradQXIVDuc_U-AdyZ-bKV65nzHZMMDGCSrrD_-7vNFdhyphenhyphencbGSHmGqkWHsy3c2-SfzURxBw/s1600/207754_1897314666346_1045988025_2256088_3792228_n%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594429044725966978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbH-I8uPH7tA-M_rWKXqFuBAVJ60Fe7ADc9vZRyWi9auihe5kQMXsInbz7fWG7eTJioseradQXIVDuc_U-AdyZ-bKV65nzHZMMDGCSrrD_-7vNFdhyphenhyphencbGSHmGqkWHsy3c2-SfzURxBw/s320/207754_1897314666346_1045988025_2256088_3792228_n%255B1%255D.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Owen is running a kids race next weekend - the Mudball. He is hoping he gets dirty and muddy. I am sure we can find a way for him to do both! Keaton will turn 10 months this weekend as well - he isn't walking yet but very close. I am ready for him to walk so he will stop eating the dirt outside and food off the floor inside!</div>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-24149156338353735912011-04-03T13:41:00.007-05:002011-04-03T18:13:14.663-05:00Mistaken IdentityI was mistaken for a man yesterday. Not the most flattering thing but when you register for a race and accidentally put yourself as male I guess that is what happens. I did pretty well amoung the men though - placing 8th overall and second female. I am sure when I registered I was also doing some other type of activity like changing a diaper, folding laundry or making dinner! The race was fun and the weather was great! Spring is finally here and I wanted to see where I was at with my running. I have been doing a lot of aerobic base work so throwing myself into some speedwork was good for me. I am not sore at all today so I know I could and should have pushed harder. Next week I am doing a 10mile run and since I would like to focus on half ironmans this year those longer distance running races will help. It was a tough course and I averaged 6:37 per mile so I am happy with that. I paced myself well the first mile and not sure if I went out too slow that first mile since I was talking to my competition for most of the mile! We started out together and I could tell she was a runner - she was bouncing around in the starting shoot like an Engergizer Bunny while I was chatting it up with some fellow triathletes that I knew. I guess I just don't have the competitive drive when it comes to running races like I do in triathlons. She asked me if she could pace with me and I was like sure I would like to hit somewhere between 40 and 41 minutes. At about mile 2.5 she dropped behind me and I was like where did you go? Here is a picture of us on the second lap. You can see she is still kind of bouncing around!!! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXst4QnbNdHBA1In0DyQBXutx4KR-ylXr0ZzbbFiJa-FXQ8r4zL3UvZalBB8VrelBzoYNgaC9HJDe42hg_Pw9vjvEWLZQusmhbHiNvifgEli2KwA5S9znofv8GRGi_bcCUCn5N09JnqQ/s1600/P1000124.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591496757810417618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXst4QnbNdHBA1In0DyQBXutx4KR-ylXr0ZzbbFiJa-FXQ8r4zL3UvZalBB8VrelBzoYNgaC9HJDe42hg_Pw9vjvEWLZQusmhbHiNvifgEli2KwA5S9znofv8GRGi_bcCUCn5N09JnqQ/s320/P1000124.JPG" /></a> <br /><br />I knew she was behind me most of the race but I wasn't out to get first I was wanting a certain pace and time. There was some ice on the path and everytime I made a move to the other side of the trail she would do the same. Finally she stopped drafting off of me and asked if I was the defending champion - I told her no and off she went. I was like you can have it chica - but now I look back and I am mad I didn't push myself to hang with her and try for a sprint finish at the end - that would have been cool. Not sure if I would have won that sprint finish as she was only 19 years old and has more fast twitch fibers in there! However.... you live and learn and now I know next week just go for it! Lastly here is a picture of my cheering squad. Owen is use to the races but Keaton needs to get use to it or he will have a long summer :) <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNZP08LjBslEj_B2CF8Q6cmD12XUZdieL6PH1uwzliuRjEu8mBz0DcsSLlA831Qb3wk83EW2guTA5Q_D7TFWPXxfi5auJMeIhIN8i_5gMrfC80M9DzveoWFdYHIvFkmffSi6Ibbq-1A/s1600/P1000127.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591497611993133538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNZP08LjBslEj_B2CF8Q6cmD12XUZdieL6PH1uwzliuRjEu8mBz0DcsSLlA831Qb3wk83EW2guTA5Q_D7TFWPXxfi5auJMeIhIN8i_5gMrfC80M9DzveoWFdYHIvFkmffSi6Ibbq-1A/s320/P1000127.JPG" /></a>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-75873687517654642372011-03-03T13:01:00.003-06:002011-03-03T13:29:15.961-06:00Busy, Busy Busy<div>I can't believe that my last post was back in December but I do have excuses - Owen and Keaton. Plus, I am now coaching 10 athletes, training myself for the 2011 season and just trying to get some sleep. Keaton has been better with the sleeping. I finally called the Dr. on his 8 month birthday just to confirm that he did not need to nurse in the middle of the night and he would be fine. I know I nursed Owen once in the middle of the night until he was about 10 months old and then we had to stop cold turkey because I broke my collarbone on a bike accident. So, yes the Dr. confirmed that he is not starving, he just wants his mommy. So I stopped that night and so far so good. He still wakes up a couple times at night and I need to put his pacfier in his mouth (next thing we need to get rid of) but it is much better - I am at least getting 5 hours of continuous sleep. </div><br /><div>Keaton is trying to climb stairs now... here is a picture of him doing just that. </div>I am afraid he is going to be walking in about a month - I would actually welcome that because he likes to eat anything on the floor right now.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579933200132465138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ckhVHWHBQxnlo10EoOk3bt7hFbF8Jzi9QfMe5j54dnvGNTflKRQ7gUj6kLWitTdUGd_DhNVtyWNPmSkn1DkKoKfghnEFYh8oy0t2HODmkVxANWIGjwf9PAjdLnc9ubsKB8xQPCRKaw/s320/IMAG0023.jpg" /><br /><div>Owen is still a Star Wars lover - we went shopping this afternoon and he saw a Star wars shirt and I refused to buy him anymore since we have about five so I broke down and got a Batman shirt. </div><div> </div><div>I have finally narrowed down my race schedule this year. I went back and forth about going to Age Group National Championships this year or focusing more on long course. I decided that long course is more of my race. I love the Olympic distance and will be doing lots of them but Age Groups was also the same weekend as Pigman Long Course in Cedar Rapids and I won that race in 2009 in some extreme conditions and would like to see how I would do this year in hopefully some nicer weather. </div><div> </div><div>Owen is also going to be racing this year - he has a 1 mile race in April and will be doing the Twin Cities Marathon 1 mile race as well. Derek is also doing the marathon this year and we talked his father into racing it as well. Looking forward to watching him cross the finish line! Well Happy Training everyone - time to play with the kiddos!</div>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-92060491291215832082010-12-28T19:57:00.011-06:002010-12-29T11:28:22.332-06:00Surviving the Holidays<div>We have almost survived Christmas. We have one more to celebrate - this weekend Derek's family is coming into town to stay with us for a couple of nights. Owen can't wait to see his Grandparents, he has a special relationship with Derek's Dad and with my Stepdad. Grandpas can play and play and play and play Starwars until the cows come home! </div><div>Christmas begam for us when we went to Illinois on the 17th. Over the course of five days we slept in four different beds. Even though it was hectic to be away from our house and our routine it was awesome to see all of my family. My mom's side of the family always gets together at my cousins house in Chicago and I can't believe how many of us are in one house and the noise level that we create. I think at my cousins house there are at least 50-60 people! We all bring a gift to exchange for a game and it is a 20 dollar minimum so they are pretty decent gifts but the ones that go the fastest are the lottery tickets and alcohol! After Chicago we spent a couple of days in Galena with my mom, stepdad, my sister and the boys in a house at Eagle Ridge Resort. Derek took Owen skiing for the first time and he loved it. It is so neat to see him trying out new activities and being excited about his accomplishments. He got to ride the ski lift so I think that was the highlight of the whole trip! Then we packed the boys back up and drove to Sterling, to see my Grandma and my Dad and Diane. We only spent one night there because I had to get back to work on Thursday. Good thing we have a van because we wouldn't have gotten all of our things home. Let's just say my children are a little spoiled. Owen is so use to my sister getting him tons of presents that this year I told her get him one little thing because she spent way too much money on him for his birthday. After opening her gift I said OK Owen that is it and he replied "you're just kidding, right."<br /><br /></div><div>Christmas day was just the four of us and we went to the Water Park of America and that place is awesome. It is super warm inside and great water rides for kids and really reasonably priced. I want to make it a tradition that we go every year on Christmas - next year Keaton will be tearing the place up just like his brother was this year! Owen really enjoyed Christmas this year and he is still in a funk that it is over. I still have the decorations up and he wants to open the the advent calendar every morning. He told me today there was a piece of candy in number 14. I think Derek put a piece in there to cheer him up! I can imagine how disappointing it could be after Christmas is over for kids because there is all this hype and then the next day is just another day. Kind of like your birthday as you get older - just another day! I can't believe that I am going to be 32 in 2011. After having kids it does seem like the years fly by just a little bit faster. </div><br /><div>In November we took some family pictures with Christine Wood and so happy with how they turned out. I am highlighting some of my favorites in this post.<br /></div><div>Keaton turned 6 months old in December and still not sleeping the best for me at night. I want to give him a break since we were gone and messed up his schedule but I just think I have a bad sleeper. He does go to bed around 6:30 and sleep until about 6:30 but is up a couple of times at night crying out to to me to feed him! I also think he is going to be my trouble maker! Owen was and still is a very special child - he never opened up any of my kitchen cabinets to play in, I never had to lock things up because he wouldn't get into drawers, etc.<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555930098510703154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQ6OY5VEX9aEnVi3lvUTxyKJkwPXrvmjQCHE5L5BiA4VwsRKS_aQkMnvsQ09oJW1bWRqZfbaT229ONtmj9RoazBaf8FIzw-pNUkOB-dnjyYkIxyQIDsfIT9HSbD7ZXDLLLP5ZNmTUsw/s320/111510-36.jpg" /><br /><div>On the other hand Keaton is almost ready to crawl and tries to stand up in his baby bath and looks at me when he does it like he knows he isn't suppose to be doing it. He refuses to eat his baby food and wants to eat what we are eating so I have just resorted to giving him breadsticks to eat when we are eating dinner and then try and sneak baby food in his mouth. Derek said the other day he could see the mischievous demeanour in his eyes! </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555929161151489650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7M17GUedxKyivbE0gKxHLSB6vlZzsc0RQyQa2GXlh0PsHje8Ry7Pb0Vzs0tQmnpU6qouELVK4flcyOcpR9Xo-NLqCt7Fa90DkvYCMRWNot_fqzDGRJOGjrvfFtC6g2S0SvU3iBw-tYQ/s320/111510-6.jpg" /><br /><br /><div>I have my race schedule all ready to go and super excited about 2011. I have some goals I want to accomplish for myself and for the future. I have registered for one race since it was discounted in December and want to register for the rest of them but holding off just in case a unforseen circumstance happens. I will be putting my race schedule up here in the next couple of days so stay tuned. Happy New Year everyone!</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555932314279937506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1wfV7W73X4uVYLDgP6K8G1dpJU4ZCIMhDMv6rL-wQxe2SERBbyeUoIB6zycX_uBnG1iRAVThNE3xmNDG6HcgdjbBqDMfz04k4S8H2Qwkf1NfSC9nN9bnNO-8ubPX3JBimZFcfl3vdw/s320/111510-17.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-46448703268175712702010-12-01T16:39:00.005-06:002010-12-01T17:05:46.848-06:00Sleep Training = No Sleep<div>I am tired. Plain and simple. Keaton has wore me out. For the last month and a half he has been waking every 2 hours at night wanting to be comforted in some way. We tried the cry it out method for a while and I hated it but now we are going back to that and just letting him nurse once at night. He is 17 lbs and does not need to eat three times at night! I couldn't stand to hear him cry but now I am like OK kid.. suck it up and sleep! </div><br /><div>That has been my life lately oh and add on that I started training for 2011, went to a USAT Clinic to be a USAT Level I coach, studied and passed my NSCA Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam, and trying to be a good mom and wife....so if you haven't seen me in a while - that is why! </div><br /><div>Even though Keaton is not a good night sleeper he is a pretty cute kid - he loves to watch Owen play and loves to have his feet played with. He is really good at the yoga pose happy baby. </div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545853183405132898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPP62K7ynZtMKLP1jNGlVsfDTqaQMjVl3C-LvsdScbajKoWSazjTSgyho1PEm0tH-O7fgxmAohEMYi9IYUTPTnkxdJyTvNzpe5EAvQ56BlXMI0_joRxEtgMFzXWSAjrJm5v3zK81XpNw/s320/Keaton+5+months.jpg" /><br /><div>I have been trying to force a sippy cup on him so I can put some milk in there and be able to get away for more than 3 hours at a time. I don't know what it is with my children but neither one of them took a bottle - guess they love their mom!</div><br /><div>Some great news is that I will be coaching with Optum Health performance. So excited to be working with a great company that wants to help people live healthy lives and has an state of the art training facility as well. The company is hoping to roll out more training centers like the one in Minnesota in other metropolitan cities. Check it out at OptumHealthPerformance.com. </div><br /><div>So looking forward to Christmas. We are heading to IL for about 5 days and staying at a resort in Galena called Eagle Ridge. Owen is going to go skiing for the first time and I am going to try cross country skiing. I have never done it but heard it is a great workout and since I won't have access to a pool or bike for that time I figured that would be a great all body workout I can do. This is my Christmas post until the new year so Merry Christmas everyone!!</div>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-72095192897036720682010-10-04T17:57:00.010-05:002010-10-04T20:10:52.282-05:00Owen's Half Mile Race and My 10 Mile RaceOwen had been waiting for this weekend for a long time! I can't precisely remember but I think it was in June when we signed Owen up for the half mile race which was a part of the Twin Cities Marathon weekend. We initally were going to sign him up for the one mile race but Derek took Owen on a "training run" one day and said there was no way he could do a mile - he had to carry him most of the way home.<br /><br />We really wanted Saturday to be about his race because he is always coming to ours and cheering us on. We talked a lot about it and he said he wanted to be body marked and have a cup of water to throw down! Saturday morning we woke him up and told him it was race day and that he needed to have a healthy breakfast. We then body marked him with Lighting McQueen temporary tattoos on the back of his legs. I also made sure I had a cup to put water in and a cowbell.<br /><br />When we arrived to the State Capital Owen could hardly contain himself. We picked up his shirt and race number, did a little prewarm up stretching and he was ready to go!<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524334738661984802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7J2YLDJ0OZfzXh_6mnFB1wyyChu4VDK2JtuCsQfBvm0FaZr1N2ftMF8gjwF8cVTqFYRkygNBfpub_wggG8x9i5DBJORZLIQnmHLqHnxcPxpG8QLGNiBwBiCLGDf0L9TuMaYYLIMaWig/s320/IMG_4888.JPG" />The fan base went to the designated spot to get some good pictures and video. Owen was the last group of kids for the half mile so it was fun watching the older kids before him run. It was hilarious seeing these little legs moving so fast and the expression on their faces was priceless. Derek was running with Owen so it was easy to spot the 6 foot 2 inch guy with sunglasses amoungst the kids! Owen had the biggest smile on his face as he was running towards us. My sister was ringing the cowbell and I had the water ready.<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524336576959122578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiTkDAT2FkvPK3UTK52d8goxKwuGwIiq4kM-omNhnfQ7vcI_CZrPDc0byWMKjoLnpUr-xsljYBYWUWK3B97eFc8dHDYjvfvZJwmtaM3c-2wdNPcKpB5zqgeYe6ajS4BmjohRw-e6_SQ/s320/IMG_4900.JPG" /> Owen wasn't quite sure what to do in the moment so I told him to throw it down and as you can see from the picture - he sure did! <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524336967022808770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeb6APSLCECcJy1aG2hlylVG4g1uir4jN56BjFv_FQeiLWG-Kw44cnZ6cuG0Wy8OCnXiCFJQIEF3uyXWDw_F1eQoDqhytfWpdPCd865ABXmbGRDnusEM_DFTaO_ksmC5nBS4NNqNQaA/s320/IMG_4902.JPG" />Owen finished just under five minute so that is just about a ten minute mile if he would have done the mile - pretty darn good! Here he is with his medal after the race- I was so proud of him - he looked so happy and was having so much fun. I am pretty sure he won his age group :)<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524337855755823810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryLtPMK3zPHIIXyyEaClMK0tmhqypXp2UeIuTRAX6Kc2YZ4PWj9Va8EzsPHJ14y1Vk15R48D6v-CXb52UXGjzHvi09Wun3m3KqoQWRs2wm-w1CdisYJFTAscCBoK5Wz0JXJiqsLCXmA/s320/IMG_4910.JPG" /><br />Sunday I was racing the Twin Cities ten mile and I had a blast. I really didn't have a time goal in mind for the race but just wanted to do sub seven minute miles since I haven't been running alot. Here is a picture that Terrence Lee took of me I think around mile seven or eight.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524360374279797394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrdsbTjYuo3oe0Jj0QfK6lhGgBAw60Tnv7QqaQZ1gTE3ctKRmoq9LYylmB8_risNz_ljnFsUbGhogrkJX9BP1v54xqOI2HfJfchQx8x-gMR7DznvMXLQt4ktlB9zeFpKEWQrj1tiuLA/s320/37121_1665264911036_1219665075_1846925_8164264_n.jpg" />As you can see I have a big smile on my face - the weather was beautiful for running and I was just enjoying the moment of not actually competing. I still wanted to do well but it was nice not to have any pressure and just run. I finished with a 6:51 per minute mile so I was happy with that. Next up is the Monster Dash Half Marathon on October 30th. We are also celebrating Owen's 4th birthday that weekend - I can't believe he will be four years old - time really does fly. I am going to have to freeze Keaton right now so he doesn't get any bigger!Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-14472654967857224242010-09-26T20:30:00.008-05:002010-09-27T13:10:40.575-05:00Peregrine Charities Race Report - Forgot the bike shoes, but not the lightsabersDerek and I absolutely love this race. We have traveled to Waterloo for the past 3 years for a number of reasons: Waterloo is closer than Minneapolis for both of our parents to come and see the boys and with the grandparents there we can both race. Also, Cedar Falls is a town right next to Waterloo and where Derek and I met and went to college - University of Northern Iowa.<br /><br />I felt like I just wasn't myself this week, with my training. I am not sure if the lack of sleep had caught up to me (Keaton is still getting up twice a night to nurse) or if my body was saying "hey you haven't slowed down for me to recover from having a baby 3 months ago!" I knew there was going to be some great competition at Peregrine, so I was looking forward to having a solid race.<br /><br />I started packing for Owen, Keaton and I a couple of days before we left because I wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything, but low and behold I forgot my bike shoes. I had rode the trainer with my road bike Saturday morning and forgot to take them off afterwards. We were about an hour out when I said to Derek "CRAP" I forgot my bike shoes. We didn't want to turn around because with two kids any extra time in the car is not cool. Derek's Dad was coming to race the sprint course in the morning, so he was able to bring me my mother in laws road bike shoes. I was pretty much freaking out about it the whole night and between Keaton waking up to eat, I think I got 4 hours of sleep.<br /><br />Race morning was COLD! As Derek and I were driving to the race it said 42 degrees and then it went down to 40 degrees! I got the bike shoes and they worked...however I was having a hard time clipping out of the shoes and getting them off. You had to push down on some part of the lever and I thought to myself "Oh boy this is going to be interesting when I get off the bike and my hands are frozen".<br /><br />Swim was same old same old - 24 minutes. Derek and I were talking about this on the way home and I think I am just in survival mode out there - I wasn't really huffing on the swim and he said that he is pushing so hard he is grunting... so for next year, I will be grunting on the swim. That is a priority of mine for next year - swim lessons and coach! I knew I was second out of the water and Janet McCullough had about a 2 minute lead on me. I should have listened to Derek and not put my socks on in transition, because my feet were still frozen on the bike - probably costing me an extra 10-15 seconds. The bike was so cold that my jaw still hurts as I am writing this from clenching it on the bike. There were times that I was secretly wishing I was one of the novices on a mountain bike., and I was racing my first triathlon and had my warm North Face Jacket on! I did manage to catch Janet at about mile 20 on the bike, but knew she was going to push me on the run and I was dreading dismounting with my borrowed bike shoes.<br /><p></p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521577736529164130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xMnmDUj6_DIuItkz7lQV671eUZQr_HA6VHRoGgDtq8DPLuZbsD1PhleH1SVXVibeX-uWeZHRWtjfIW5T6w91bdDq7r36oSwuvP5NErVXxVz-lmOb3na64r15rzwv50yvG5_jMDWuMg/s320/P9250127.jpg" />As you can see from the picture I had to do an old school mount/dismount - pretty much all out stop to clip out and then I couldn't get the shoes off (exactly what I was afraid of) and finally just yanked them off. I think I had about a 20 second lead on Janet coming out of T2. I felt strong for the first 2 miles and I still need to stick to my nutrition plan, because I didn't take my gel until about mile 3. I felt pretty sick to my stomach and almost didn't take it at all. I knew Janet was coming for me and I saw her on the turnaround and she looked really strong. She passed me at mile 4 and I tried hanging with her, but knew I just didn't have it in me today. I finished second for female and happy, considering all of the issues I had going into and during the race. My running is still not where I want it to be, but rest is what I need and I'll get it in November and December. This winter will be about rebuilding and strategizing for next year. Dan Cohen (my coach) gave me some great advice today and he is right on the money when he says it is all about what you do in the off-season. I will need to be patient and take it easy this winter because I feel like my triathlon season just started when for others it has ended. I am running the Twin Cities 10 mile next weekend and Owen is doing the Half Mile race with Derek - we are getting the cow bell ready for him!</p><p>On a side note I was finally able to meet <a href="http://elizabethfedofsky.blogspot.com/">Elizabeth Waterstraat</a>. I really like reading her blog, since she and I have a lot in common. She also had a baby about 9 weeks ago and ended up winning the sprint race - Way to go! </p>Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687726618092799440.post-11508448697316216072010-08-28T19:07:00.003-05:002010-08-29T13:15:09.023-05:00Bike crash, Puke and 100 dollars laterI signed up for the Maple Grove Triathlon pretty early in the season because I knew I would be able to do the race since Keaton would be about 10 weeks old. Derek's parents were going to come up that weekend as well because they bought us tickets to see the musical Wicked for an early Christmas present so we would have babysitters for the race.<br />The race was on Saturday so Friday was an extremely busy day trying to get ready for the race. I like Saturday races because you have the next day to recoup before going to work or in my case having Derek go to work and getting some time to rest with the two boys. My brother, sister in law and nieces were visiting from Kansas and arrived Wednesday night so I wanted to be sure to spend as much time with them as I could since I do not get to see them that much. We had a great day on Thursday going to the Walker Art Center, hanging out downtown at Loring Park and visiting the Basillia. My nieces and Owen are ready to go to church everyday after going to the Basillica - they thought it was the coolest place. Owen asked me Darth Vader was in there! He loved how it was so dark and quiet and had tons of questions about the statues and pictures he saw! I wonder what goes on in the mind of a 3 year old!<br />Friday, Owen went out on the boat with my family (my sister lives in town and she docks her boat on Lake Minnetonka - pretty awesome for me)! I didn't go of course because I had Keaton and it is not the best idea to be out in the sun the day before a race. Derek's parents arrived in town Friday and Derek's Dad was doing the race as well as Derek, Derek's brother and his wife - so I was very excited to be able to race with everyone.<br />The race started at 7:30 in the morning and so we were up bright and early - around 4:45. I was already up though at 2:30 because that is the time that Keaton likes to eat - it is so weird how at 10 weeks old they already have a clock that goes off in their head that at precisely 2:30 I eat! Anyways...it was hard going back to sleep because I knew I was going to be up 2 hours later.<br />It was a great morning - nice and cool but very windy. I do not mind the wind and actually think it gives me an advantage over others. I felt really good coming into the race and tapered well for it.<br />The swim was pretty brutal because it was so windy but I was extremely pleased with my time - I came out around 24 minutes and some change. I knew I could fight through the water but there were some people that were going to be having a hard time out there. Coming out of transition onto the bike course there is a little hill that I made sure I was in my small chain ring but I must have not checked my bike too carefully after coming back from pumping in the van (another crazy thing I have to do with a 10 week old) and my chain was off my bike. Good thing Kris Swarthout was there just calming me down saying "just relax Kort and put it back on"... thanks Kris! I came out of the water with Julia and Michelle and knew that CY was far out in front of us. I passed Julia within about 3 to 5 minutes of the bike and pushed hard. When the wind was at your back it was some fun riding but man when you rode against the wind it was brutality. There were a couple of times I took the corners a little to hard and had to slow down and get back up to speed - I need to work on my cornering because I know I was loosing time. With about 3 miles left in the bike course I went to get a drink of water and got a nice whoosh of wind as I was trying to put my waterbottle back in it's place when I dropped it and it went into my front wheel. My bike went one way and I went the other! I think the people behind me were more freaked out than I was! I was more concerned about my bike than if I broke any bones. I was fine to ride and run the rest of the race but my Zipp 808 wheel was not. The tube part of the wheel had tore off and so it was the end of the race for me. I was so depressed seeing people ride by but everyone was so nice making sure I was OK and Diane even offered me her bike! I got picked up and dropped back off at the race site (the guys who picked me up and the race marshal who waited with me were great by the way). I got to see Derek finish so that was fun and he won his age group! I went to go find my coach Dan before leaving the race because I needed a pep talk and I knew he would make me feel better.<br />Later that afternoon we went over to my sisters place to hang out with my family again before going to the Musical Wicked. Owen was going to stay with them and spend the night and then I had a babysitter for Keaton. Well....Owen got very upset when Derek's parents came to get Derek (I was going to meet them at the Musical after I put Keaton to bed) and proceeded to get so worked up that he puked all over me and him...ALOT! Poor kid... he has had a couple of busy days and is extremely tired. After taking a shower I asked him if he wanted to come home or go with everyone else to dinner and have a sleepover...he wanted to go home with Mommy. That's OK - I am pretty bummed sitting here still smelling like puke but there will be plenty more races and Musicals to go to. Great job to the Maple Grove Race Directors - they put on a amazing event and I can't wait to do it again next year. Also congrats to CY for winning the race and to Julia for coming in as the fist amateur - way to go!Kortneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074753126019328269noreply@blogger.com1