Training trip to Wisconsin

Last weekend I took a trip up to Madison, Wisconsin to do a few things. Primarily, I went to train on the Ironman Wisconsin bike course. I did race it last year, but I believe a refresher course in always a good thing when you want to race your hardest to win. Yes, I will be racing IMMOO on September 11, 2011, and now feeling even more excited since being up there. The other reason I went to Madison, well actually Verona, Wisconsin, was to get a new bike fit done on the Guru Dynamic Fit Unit at the Rocket Bicycle Studio in Verona, where the SBR Coaching and Training center is located.

SBR Coaching and Rocket Bicycles is one of only 27 locations in the U.S. and Canada where you get a customized fit on the Guru Dynamic Fit unit, which is a computerized robotic assisted bicycle fitting system. I was amazed! I thought I had been in a good position on my bike for a long time. I had done a Retul a year ago on my old bike and then just transfered the dimensions onto my new bike. I have been riding fine, but I was looking to see if there was anything that I could change or tweek that could bring me some more power into the pedal stroke. Guess what!?!? There was a lot that needed changed.

SBR head coach, Jessica Laufenburg, is not only trained directly by Guru on the bike fitting, but has a degree in bio mechanics as well. I felt pretty confident I was in good hands. And boy does she have a good eye.She could see right away in my pedal strokes and the way that I was sitting that I would need some changes. First,  we sat down and talked about the comfort or any problems I currently had on my bike. I then got on and she took a look at my riding style. After that, the dimensions of my bike and body were programed into the DFU.

I got on the unit and rode easy to get the feel. It felt just like I was on my own bicycle. While pedaling, you are able to see on the t.v. monitor your stroke efficiency and power wattage. After a bit, Jessica started to manipulate the machine into different positions, making the seat, handlebars, or tube length move in all directions. At the same time we were able to see where my pedal stroke started to lack in power and where it got stronger. This is, in my opinion, why this unit it so awesome. We were able to instantly find the perfect position that was comfortable for me, while creating the strongest power in the pedal for racing.  All of this was done without having to guess or trial run the new position. I made a few changes in my seat height, stem, and crank length. It truly was amazing! I have been riding the position now for a few days and I am very happy with the changes.

 Thank you to Jessica, Pete, and Jeff for your hard work getting me fixed up. I'm so pumped up for Ironman Wisconsin. If anyone is serious about getting the proper fit on your bike, please don't look any further. The Guru DFU is definitely the most impressive and precise fit I've ever had.   SBRCoaching.com and rocketbicyclestudio.com

The rest of my trip was very eventful, as well, but I'll spare most of the training details. I did ride the entire bike course on Saturday and so glad I did. I had been contacted by a friend who was also going to be riding the course with a group, and was excited to have a riding companion. (as of late I've been training alone, and I hate long rides alone.) The morning of the ride I woke up early and decided I'd ride alone....why? Well after a bit of thought, this was my one and only chance before September 11th to ride the course and get in down pat in my mind. I could foresee that talking a lot....which we all know I do:)....would probably take away a lot of focus from the main goal of the ride. I made the right choice. I was extremely happy with my ride. It is really a wonderful course and challenging as well. In one loop, of the two loop course, there is just about 4000ft of climbing. I love it!!! I had a great weekend in Wisconsin. I am now back home and have a lot of work to do. The drive is in full gear...HERE I GO!!!

Mooseman 70.3

Wow, this was a whirlwind trip, but a really great one, at that!!!
A week before Mooseman 70.3, I decided to take a week training trip out to Santa Monica to train with my coach, Siri, and my other teammates. It had been raining here for a week and expected more rain, so getting away was perfect. I got in one last hard week of training before race week. I really appreciate having the time and ability to be able to do this. It makes a huge difference in my training when I have coach and others to train with.

I flew home to Ohio to regroup myself for a total of 14hrs, and then took off for New Hampshire.
What a spectacular place! I could see myself living summers in New Hampshire....lake living, quiet, peaceful nights, simplicity. I have to say thank you to Jeff Norcia, my homestay,  and his family for making me feel so welcome. This was first official race organized homestay and I was a little nervous. He went above and beyond to make me comfortable and rested for the race.

I felt really great race morning despite the little sleep I got the night prior, but that is to be expected. Race morning the temperature was only in the 40's and was quite chilly. The water temp was bordering just bellow 60 degrees, but when its colder outside of the water it really felt quite nice. I've discovered this year that I can swim in much colder water than I thought and I really actually prefer the cold temps. I wear a BlueSeventy Helix wetsuit and I can say no matter how cold the water had ever been, my core temp always stays warm.

The lake was super beautiful and I must say that the swim was one of the easier ones I have done. There were only 8 of us in our wave, and the water was flat and sun blocked by the hills. So with this said, I was disappointed in my swim performance. As many of you know this is my weak point, but also a place where I have been making many improvements in my training. So when my swim did not reflect the work I have done I was not happy. With this said,  in every race there are many opportunities to learn and grow and tweak focuses in your training. I'm learning I need to figure out what is blocking me in my swim racing and will move forward with a focus on that.

So now on to the bike. The course is the most scenic and pretty course I have raced so far.
I had the opportunity to drive the course a few days before the race and check out the terror hills that I had heard about. At first I didn't think they were all that bad.....but DUH, Erin, you are in a car, not on a bike. They turned out to be a lot more difficult than I expected. There is one long climb with 16% grades on the course that is done twice on the two loop course. I knew ahead of time I would not use my disc wheel and stuck with the HED Jet 6 and Jet 9 to keep me fast. You hit the climb right about mile 6 and for the first loop I felt barely warmed up before I started climbing. I have to say I was almost in tears getting tot he top because it felt a lot more difficult than I expected. I pushed through and made it, of course. The second time around was much easier than the first. I think my legs had just gotten into the grove after that. This was a pretty difficult bike course, as you can see by the bike times. They are a lot slower than on a faster course. I do like the challenge though. Also ,with the hills, it really spaced out the athletes and kept the course very fair. I saw little drafting.

I came into T2 knowing I was beat tired, but that I needed to get my game face on for the run. I ran out of transition hard but after the first mile I started to feel a little defeated. Unlike some races that have hilly bike course and then flat runs, this one had a few nice rolling hills in it. I had a moment of negative thoughts and wasn't sure how hard I could go. I kept on running but had to get my mind together and pull out only the positives and push away the negative thoughts.  This is something I have been working on a bit and have the skills to turn it around. There was a guy running next to me at a pretty good pace and I decided to latch onto his pace. It was perfect. He was actually suffering a little too and we both pushed each other and hung together the rest of the run. In the end, when we finished the run I actually made a half marathon personal best during this race. I have been working hard on my speed and the fact that it was a hilly course and I did my best really gave me some confidence that I am making strides in my training.



During this race I was thinking to myself, I am never doing this race again. These hills are so killer. However, within a few hours after the race I thought, I can't wait to come back next year. Things always seems hard in the moment but the successes that are made out of the difficult times are the biggest reward and keep you want more.

Thank you again to the Norcia family for taking me in, cheering me on, and being super generous. I can't thank you enough. Also have to thank my sponsors, HED and Blue Seventy. This race would not have been the same without the warmth of my wetsuit and super light fast wheels getting up those hills.
Most of all, thank you to my coach, Siri Lindley, for taking this journey with me, believing in me, and showing me I have the strength to do anything I set my intention to do!!!