Endure to the End...

I'm going to have to first explain a couple of simple thing about my church before I can dive into the real topic. I am in charge of helping the Young Women in my church do the personal enrichment program that is called personal progress. It is a program that the church has developed to help the young women become closer to God and also learn and develop life skills that everyone needs. 

I plan and do an activity with them the first Tuesday of the month. They also work on the program on their own and with their families. This last activity we had we read a lot of scriptures about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have read many scriptures about the atonement, but this time was struck at all the sacrifices that Jesus and God both went through to be able to make it so we could live this life here on earth and return to live with them after we die or in other words that are used in my church a lot "endure to the end."

Now here is where the triathlon bit comes in :). I think that we can all draw analogies to things we experience in our lives the most, for me one of those things happens to be Ironman training and racing. When Jesus was on the earth he also talked in parables that were likened to the people of that day. 

So, in an ironman and sometimes in training, there comes a point where you want to throw up your arms and quit. You just want to say "I'm done! I can't go any more! I'm just going to sit on this curb and have someone pick me up!" It's at this point in the race that I remember all the sacrifices that Scott has made for me to be able to do this crazy dream. I think of all the friends and family cheering for me. When I have that in my mind, there is no way I can slow down, give up, or sit on the curb. I have to endure to the end because of all that has been given to me!

I think we should think the same thing about life. We all face struggles and trials, but what if we thought about all the people cheering us on from above and all the sacrifices that Christ and Heavenly Father have gone through to make it possible to "endure to the end." I know life is easier when we think about our heavenly "cheer squad." We will not be able to throw up our hands when we face the hardest trials in our lives, because Christ has done so much more. 

So here's to the racing season and to life... endure it well!

IM 70.3 Oceanside

Oceanside 70.3

The brief overview:

• First time racing so close to a full ironman (3 weeks after). I've always taken 2 weeks off after an ironman.
• Biggest and deepest pro field (at least what I was told)
• Swim: 29:43 (goal: 28 or under 30)
• Bike: 2:34:29 (goal: 2:25)
• Run: 1:27:36 (goal: 1:25)
• Place: 19th 

Thanks to Reser Bicycle Outfitters I got the hook up with this awesome Lazer helmet before I left for Oceanside!

This is Scott sporting the helmet in his most "aero" position.

Unfortunately, I didn't get my custom kit in time for Oceanside, so I made a makeshift kit to use. 

The back with Reser on my shoulders and Beyond Exercise on my back.

CPS on each side of my legs

I left on Wednesday to California and was picked up in the afternoon by my AWESOME homestay Amy! We did a quick trip to the grocery and some dinner (thanks for the delicious meal!). When we got to the house my jaw dropped to the floor! I got to live in paradise for the long weekend! Orange grove in the font with a porch swing out front with a gorgeous view and a pool out back with pretty flowers and the inside was decorated like a palace. I wish I could have stayed longer!

But then I would have missed these guys!

Even if I could facetime! 

Thursday we went to early morning swim where I did a quick 30 min swim with some pick ups and then headed home and ran around all the other gorgeous houses with amazing yards. We went and checked in on Thursday as well so I could go get my bike and also talk with Race Day Wheels. I was able to get a Zipp 404/808 combination and a sponsorship with them! They are a company who you can rent race wheels from at certain races around and if they aren't at the race you are going to, they will ship them to you!

Sunny California! 

Friday was a nice bike ride and then some relaxing. We also dropped our bikes off in transition since they recommended we do that. It was also the pro meeting which was in a stuffy room with lots of sweaty athletes, not the most pleasant experience. 

Scott got in late that night (around 11:30). I was already asleep but happened to make a bathroom break as he walked into the room he was going to sleep in. I almost had a heart attack when I saw him since I wasn't expecting to see anyone! 

In transition right before I started.

Race morning we got all packed up and left and about 8 minutes down the road I realized my garmin was dead! So we turned around and went back to get the charger so I could charge it while we drove to the race. Oh typical me! Something always has to go wrong at a race or it wouldn't be right. We got to transition with PLENTY of time. Nothing like my last 70.3 where Allison and I had less than 10 minutes to set up. 

While I was setting up I realized I had also forgotten SOCKS! Homestay to the rescue!! She was also doing the race and had 2 extra pairs of socks, one day I'll get everything down right! I finished setting up my transition area (you set everything out next to your bike that you need to transition from swim to bike and bike to run. 

My awesome BlueSeventy gear!

The water that morning was VERY warm (67) compared to what it usually is (under 60). They played the national anthem which I missed hearing when I did New Zealand. I love starting our races with that reminder of all the people who have made all this possible!

It was a deep water start but they didn't let us get in till about 10 minutes before our start time. It was super foggy and I had worn my mirrored (darker tinted) goggles because I heard the sun was awful on the way back in. The start was a lot bigger than New Zealand but still 35 people on that line was not too bad. I picked a spot in the middle so I wouldn't get squished on the inside but that I wouldn't have to swim too much further.

We were off! This time I actually started my Garmin, but I only had 28% battery life! The first 1/4 wasn't bad I stayed with the front group. I lost my feet though so I went looking for some more. I realized there was a long draft line to the left of me hugging the buoy line so I went and joined. When we turned the fog was so thick that we couldn't see the next buoy. People got confused and started swimming in wrong directions and at this point the waves had picked up as well.

Made it out of the swim! Not the time I wanted but I never have swum under 30 minutes so I'll take it! Loved my BlueSeventy Helix again! It's so fast to swim in and also designed for a fast transition. 

Onto the bike... I was reading two Navy seal books at the time (Lone Survivor and American Sniper) and the course was mostly on Camp Pendelton. Camp Pendleton is a Marines base and is also where they do the sniper training talked about in the books. It was neat to see the different land marks from the books. 

It was still really foggy and I kept taking my glasses off and putting them back on. I was passed by one girl and passed 3 girls near the beginning but then I was pretty much on my own. I kept hearing something rub occasionally but couldn't figure out what it was. (Just figured out it was my wheel rubbing on the top of my brakes). My shifting was also off. Going up hills I would shift into an easier gear and then on the way down it would take at least 5 minutes of trying to get my chain in a harder gear. It wasn't the end of the world, but made it so I couldn't push it down the hills as well. Everyone always has things that go wrong in their race. Even when you win you always have things that could have gone better so I don't use this as an excuse but rather a learning opportunity. After occasions of my brakes rubbing my tires I double check them before the race. This time my brakes were too open so the top of them was rubbing, I know to check this as well now. I have also learned that I need to shift through all the gears on my bike before checking it in. Eventually I'll get a system down as I race more I will learn and grow more. 

In T2 (Bike to run). I wasn't so happy with my bike ride so I was sad even though I am smiling in this picture.

I am always happy to get off my bike and get running. My hip and leg wasn't 100% still from New Zealand but was doing SO much better so I wasn't as scared to run on it. I had volunteers yelling at me to do things as I left transition and I dropped my bottle with Sword in it and it all spilled out. I was upset but nothing I could do! 

The race was a 2 loop course which I enjoy. I feel like you can break the race up a little more when it's in loops. At the end of the first loop I caught a guy and we started running together for a little. Another guy joined us and then me and him went off a little faster. It was so nice to have some one to run with for the majority of the second lap. We caught 3-4 girls so I was happy to have at least done that. My Garmin died about 4-5 miles into the run so I didn't have any idea of time etc. It was good to just run and race though. I went in for the finish and my running buddy had to go do his second lap. It is seriously so amazing the class that most of the guy age groupers have. They always made sure that I had "first pick" when we went through aid stations and that I had the shortest route on turns etc. 

Scott saw me at the finish and we went and got food and my bike taken care of and went back to my home stay's house after cheering some others on. 

We stupidly took a red eye flight that night back with 3 legs! We didn't really sleep on the plane and got back around 9am. I took an awesome nap and this cute little one woke me up and came and snuggled for a while!

A very special thanks goes to our neighbors Barney and Emily who watched Emi while we were in California!

Another special thanks to my homestay Amy! It was so good to meet you and hope we run into each other again! Good luck with the rest of your season!

Also, a thanks to my coach Meredith Gardner! Thanks to my Sherpa for life, Scott! And of course thanks to my sponsors who have helped me get to my races with the right gear!

Best snuggles ever!

We got to die eggs as a family!

She asks to get up on my aero bars with me so she can pretend to bike and have the fan in her face.

Easter dress!

She LOVED finding eggs on easter afternoon.

Monday long run after easter= restock my nutrition! (Starburst jelly beans)

Also, my church published two easter videos that were AMAZING! Scott and I actually just got around to watching them and I was so inspired by them. 

You can watch them here and here.