Cake Balls for a Cause! Giveaway!!!!!

I think most people know that Katie and I are planning to run the Petco 5K9 in May and that we're fundraising for the Petco Foundation/Austin Pets Alive! along with the race.

I just found out that Cake Ball Addiction is going to offer cake balls as an incentive to donate!!! How exciting! Especially since they have the BEST cake balls in Austin! Yum!!

So here's how it will work:
Beginning at 10pm on Feb 27th the first 3 people in the Austin area to donate $50 or more to our 5K9 Run page here will get 1 dozen red velvet cake balls as a great big THANK YOU! Please make sure to put in your name on the donation page and please leave a comment here or on Katie's facebook page that you'd like the cake balls if you are one of the first 3 to donate. Cake balls don't ship well, so you have to be in the Austin area to claim the cake ball. They will be available after March 7th and I'll do my best to deliver them to you by the weekend of March 9th.


Thank you so much to the generous people at Cake Ball Addiction for making this giveaway possible!

Katie

Katie & Connor Christmas 2012

Life is shaping up to be a little different this year, and I probably won't be racing as much as usual. Since life is kind of focusing on Katie and Connor right now, I guess the blog can too.

Katie started having tiny little nosebleeds in November and then on Jan. 17th she had a major one, Jeff took her to the vet the next day and they told him nosebleeds in dogs are not normal and often are caused by major issues. We took her to the specialist on Jan 25th and after looking at her and hearing about her symptoms he told us Katie definitely has nasal cancer, they could do a CT scan to see the size and extend of the tumor. Then he said "you're looking at about 9-18 months" I said "that's without any treatment, right?" He looked at me sadly and said, "No that's WITH radiation treatment". We were devastated. We took Katie home and started reading and researching trying to figure out what to do. We decided we didn't want to do radiation (the side effects are pretty bad), and since we weren't going to do treatment there wasn't much point in doing the CT scan. We also learned that it's very normal for a dog with nasal cancer to seem perfectly healthy and happy until the very end. Katie certainly didn't seem sick, aside from the nosebleeds.

From facebook on Jan. 26th: "We found out yesterday that Katie has nasal cancer. Even with chemo/radiation the prognosis is bad (9-18 months), so I think we're going to enjoy whatever time we get with her and spoil the heck out of her. With no treatment life expectancy is about 3-6 months (but Katie will probably do better than that, she's tough). She's not in any pain and feels fine right now. So if I'm not my typical smiley self for the next few months you'll all know why, this is truly heartbreaking for both Jeff and me."

The outpouring of support from friends and family was overwhelming! I started to reframe the situation a little bit. I wanted to really appreciate and enjoy our time with Katie but that's hard to do that when you feel really sad. Plus, I think dogs are really good at picking up on how we feel and we didn't want to give Katie sad vibes. She was still our same Katie, energetic and always ready to GO! So we wanted to let her have as much fun as possible for as long as possible! It got a little easier when the medication and supplements stopped her nosebleeds (this is probably temporary, but we'll enjoy it while we can!). 

Connor and Katie used to love to run with me, but when Connor started to slow down to the point he couldn't really run anymore, I stopped taking both of them. On Feb. 1st I decided to see if Katie was still strong enough to run, Jeff kept Connor occupied and I planned to take Katie out for 1/4 to 1/2 mile if she could do it. 1 mile later we got back home and Katie was one very happy dog! So I decided to set a goal for us.

From facebook on Feb. 1st: "It's good to have a goal. Katie wanted a goal, so I told her as long as she's healthy enough and still feeling good we'll run the Petco 5K9 Run in May. Neither of my dogs have ever run a race (which is weird because they used to run with me all the time). Katie seems happy and excited about running in a race!"

WalkRunWag asked for ambassadors to promote the run in each city, I sent them our story and they said we'd make great ambassadors! Then I decided since we're ambassadors and this is my biggest goal race for the year (yes, I just said a 5K fun run is my biggest event of the year!), we should fundraise for the event, especially since the money goes to Austin Pets Alive! an awesome local organization.

So far Katie is having the best time training, and seems to be loving all the attention and fame that comes with being a WalkRunWag Ambassador! She even has her own facebook page now.

I really hope that we get to run the 5K9 Run in May, but if we don't, at least we know we've made the most of our time with Katie. 

Please know that the support of our family and friends means the world to Jeff, Connor, Katie, & me right now. We truly appreciate each and every one of you! THANK YOU!!

Austin Marathon 2013

I trained for the marathon this year with Gilbert's Gazelles. I really enjoyed it, it was a little more challenging and higher mileage that what I've done before, but I felt good all through training. I did 3 runs of 20+ miles and actually enjoyed all of them. So based on my training I felt really good going into the marathon this year. My goals were:
1. Have Fun & Finish
2. PR over my 2010 marathon (5:26)
3. If I have a perfect day, I'd love to go sub 5:00

Jeff got me to the start early, but after lining up and just 6 minutes before start time, I decided I needed to use the restroom again. There are porta-potties at every aid station (every mile) but they always have lines and I wanted to go for a PR and definitely didn't want to waste time standing in line during the race! So as the race started I was standing in line. My time wouldn't start until I crossed the start mat, so I wasn't wasting time, but I didn't want to start at the very back of the pack either. I let myself get a little nervous about it, even though I knew it was unnecessary. As soon as I finished, I rushed back to the start, gave Jeff a quick good luck kiss and got into the mass heading across the start mat. I crossed the mat and started running, it was crowded but I wasn't getting stuck behind walkers or anything, so I assumed I had gotten back to the start just in time.

As I ran up San Jacinto I heard and saw lots of spectators, my legs felt good and I felt the sun on my shoulders. I was suddenly smiling from ear to ear and I thought "this is so much FUN! This is exactly why I LOVE racing!" I tried to really let myself feel that and let it set the tone for my day.

Soon the 3:40 pace group passed me and I realized I had actually started closer to the 3:00 runners than the 4:45 where I had planned to start! Oh well, luckily I'm good at running my own pace and not getting concerned about people passing. And when the 3:40 group passed I knew to expect lots of people to go by for the first few miles. At mile 2 I ran by City Hall looking for my spectating crew of Kristen, Ingrid, Shayla, Jeff, & Jim (KIS,J2), but instead I saw Rita and threw her my gloves. Then around the corner I heard before I saw KIS!! J2 wasn't there, but I assumed Jeff was still en route since I had mangled the start plan a little.

Waving to my KIS crew to make sure they saw me in the mass of people at mile 2! Photo by Kristen Carey

As I ran up Congress, I thought about Gilbert's advice to be patient and NOT go out too fast, I let people pass me going up the hills on Congress and told myself to be patient. I saw Southies Gina, E-beth & Kelly cheering! When I turned onto South First I knew I'd get to pick up the pace some going downhill- Yay! Maggie and Linda both doing the half, both passed me and I talked with each of them for a minute. I saw Alysha on S. 1st and was impressed that she picked me out of the crowd! I saw the Southie crew again on S. 1st, but I'm pretty sure they didn't see me this time! As I crossed the First street bridge I saw my KIS crew again and this time J2 was with them, good!

High fiving Shayla on the First Street bridge. Photo by Kristen Carey

I found Lauren just after the bridge and ran with her for awhile. Texas 4000 was running the mile 9 water stop. They must have found every single person they know to come out and cheer, just past the Lamar bridge was "Livestrong Way" there were hundreds (if not over a thousand) people out wearing yellow, with yellow signs, yellow chalk on the ground and all cheering their hearts out- it was amazing! One of the highlights of my marathon! Melissa from book club was at the Mopac crossover, there weren't a lot of spectators right there, so it was great to see her! At mile 9 I was on pace for a sub 5 hour marathon. I knew I'd lose some time in the next 5 or 6 miles, but I also knew the last 7 miles could be faster if I felt good and so far I was feeling awesome!

As I ran up Winsted and Exposition I tried to remember to be patient and as long as my legs felt good when I turned on 35th I was in good shape. Devon, Tom & Carolyn were spectating on Winsted, which was the only part of the course I hadn't run numerous times (it's not normally runnable due to traffic). Exposition is definitely the toughest part of the course for me, with a few steep hills. As I got closer to Westover I couldn't help but think "whoever made the spectating plan for my KISJ2 crew is a genius (me), I am SO happy I'll see them here!" As I started up the Westover hill, Kristen was there taking pictures and told me everyone else was at the top of the hill.

About to start up the BIG hill to Westover. Photo by Kristen Carey

 I'm sure I would have walked a little of that hill if I hadn't known they were up there! I saw them and Ingrid flashed this sign at me! So Cool! Ingrid's awesome signs were another highlight of my marathon!

The first of Ingrid's Awesome marathon signs! It's a "mom" sign from Connor & Katie- CUTE! Photo by Kristen Carey

I continued up Exposition and thought I had another hill or 2 when I saw the light at 35th, wow, I'm at the top already! Not often I think that! I hit the half marathon mark at 2:32, just about perfect according to Gilbert's plan (negative split the second half because the first half is so hilly), and I still felt really good!

I saw Nicki on Shoal Creek around mile 16 and told her I felt great! I passed the Gazelle Band and said hi to Jay at mile 17. But shortly after that I started to get a side stitch, I don't get them too often, but when I do they usually keep coming back. I walked for a minute and got rid of it, I was sure it wouldn't come back. Great Northern was one of the few places with not many spectators and I really could have used them then, but near the curve a lady came jogging toward me and said "this is a lonely stretch with not many people, but don't worry, just around the corner there are lots of people!" I really appreciated her! I saw Del, Kim & Jen  and then Annette, Nicki, at Foster and then Veronica & Bianca, and right after that the stitch came back- oh no! I tried to run through it, but it got worse and I had to walk to get rid of it again. I got to Northcross and saw my KISJ2 crew again and Ingrid had another awesome sign for me! She ran with me and asked how I was doing, I told her I felt great except for a couple of side stitches but I was sure they were gone now. And of course, right after that, I felt it come back again, I ran through it as long as I could then had to walk again.

A smile power sign from Ingrid! Photo by Kristen Carey

A high five from Jim. Photo by Kristen Carey

A Mama Mudge high five, looks like we both had to stretch for that one! Photo by Kristen Carey

And a high five from my awesome husband! Photo by Kristen Carey

I was really impressed that the Crestview neighborhood came out in force to spectate! They even had Domino the giant Violet Crown pig out on Morrow!

Domino the Crestview Pig, notice how big he is, he's being pulled on a trailer behind a truck (random photo from the internet)

 I saw Tracy running the opposite direction down Morrow whooping and cheering wearing her cowboy hat and boa, I'm pretty sure she didn't see me, but it was fun to see her! There were lots of house parties and lots of kids cheering in Crestview, so even though I was disappointed that the side stitches were slowing me down (and they kept coming back) I really enjoyed running through Crestview! At mile 19.5 I passed "Jenny Corner" I knew Jenny wouldn't be there, but I found a random spectator, high fived her and thanked her, thought of Jenny out skiing and ran on. Alysha showed up again at mile 20.5, she was like a little leprechaun who kept showing up at the best places! Then Monica ran with me a little at Thunderbird Coffee. As I got close to the mile 21 water stop, I saw Laura, she started cheering my name and then everyone else at the water stop started cheering my name, it was pretty cool! I was off pace by now, but aside from the side stitches I was having the best time! I was still hoping the stitches would stop and I could bomb down Duval and still be close to 5 hours.

I saw Carolyn again on Guadalupe and on 51st I spotted Mark up ahead, I caught him, but had to walk with a stitch again so he got ahead. I hadn't seen Bonnie in forever, but I saw her working the water stop on 51st. I turned onto Duval and I heard before I saw Betsy, David, Amy & Matt going crazy for me! Betsy even made me a special book club inside joke sign! I really need to get a picture of this sign! I wanted to tell her that aside from a few side stitches this race really had been "Magic every Mutha F'ing Mile" so far! Amy came out to run with me and asked if I wanted a jello shot, at first I thought "oh jello sounds yummy" but then I realized there was also vodka in it and I couldn't run 3 more miles with vodka in my tummy! So I turned her down, then she said, will you pretend so I can get a picture? That was fun! Thanks Amy!

pretending to take a jello shot, photo by Amy Bush

I caught Mark again on the little hill past 45th (and another side stitch), I chatted with him for a minute and told him we were still on pace for about 5:10 (that may have been slightly generous). And then at 43rd I saw my KISJ2 crew again! Yay! Less than 3 miles to go! Mudge high fived me and told me to make sure to look for my special chalk sign. Ingrid had written "Si Se Puede" on the road for me! YAY!!

Coming down Duval ready for some high fives from my KISJ2 crew! Photo by Kristen Carey

My feet were starting to hurt, my legs were getting tired, but I felt much better than expected- nothing hurt too much and I felt great nutritionally and mentally, if only I could keep the side stitch from coming back! I saw Alysha the leprechaun again near the bottom of Duval. I had really wanted to take the downhills on Duval fast and I was disappointed that I just couldn't do it without bringing on the stupid stitch! I ran through campus, knowing that short stretch would seem longer than it should, and it did. I crossed MLK and knew I just had a few blocks to go. Then Tracy appeared out of the crowd and started running with me, she warned me about the awful hill coming up, I had run it in training a lot, so I knew exactly what to expect, but it was awesome to have her there talking me through it!

About to start up the insult hill with Coach Tracy there for support, and of course my KISJ2 crew cheering like crazy! Photo by Kristen Carey

As I started up the "insult hill" I saw my KISJ2 crew one more time! Jeff told me I was "too fast" and they couldn't make it to the finish line before me! At the turn, Tracey wished me well and I ran to the finish line! Finish time was 5:16, and I felt good and had fun the entire way! So 2 of 3 goals accomplished. I didn't think it was possible to have as much fun as I did during a marathon! And I PRed over my 2010 marathon by 10 minutes. I'm sure I could have been really close to 5:00 if I could have gotten rid of the side stitches.

Recovery is going really well and I can't wait to run another marathon and try for sub 5:00!

A few of my Marathon Highlights:
Feeling So Awesome at the start
"Livestrong Way"
Ingrid's awesome signs, and Betsy's special sign
The "jello shot incident"
Seeing so many friends out on the course! I knew where I'd see my KISJ2 crew and a few other people, but a lot of others were a surprise, I looked forward to seeing those I knew about and was happily surprised every time I saw someone I didn't know would be out there!

Notes mostly for me:
Weather: 36 at start, 68 at 12:00, sunny, windy in second half (headwind on Woodrow & Duval)
Clothing: nike shorts & embrocation on legs, long sleeved Gazelle shirt, compression socks
Shoes: Newton Terra Momentum
Nutrition: Infinit- 300 calories, Honey Stinger gummies- 160 calories, water at aid stations

Pre Austin Marathon 2013

5 days til the Austin Marathon! I'm feeling good about my training, Gilbert's Gazelles pushed me, but I've stayed healthy. I switched to Newton running shoes in April, I took the transition slow, but I love them now, I haven't had my typical IT band problems in a long time, and even my Achille's is feeling pretty good. I ran 20+ miles 3 times in training and all 3 went really well. The race day weather is looking cold, great for most runners, not so good for me, but it isn't forecast to be so cold I can't deal with it. I'm getting nervous and excited about the race, but that's pretty normal. Before my first marathon in 2010 I made a list of all the things I was looking forward to during the race, all of those are still true (except the parts about Ave H and 47th, because of slight route changes), but what I really loved in 2010 and what I'm most looking forward to this year is seeing friends spectating along the course!

Goals for the marathon this time:
1. Have Fun & Finish
2. PR over my 2010 marathon (5:26)
3. If I have a perfect day, I'd love to go sub 5:00

Good luck to everyone else running this weekend and an early THANK YOU to everyone planning to be on the course volunteering or spectating!

Run for the Water

A late and super short (for me) race report. I wanted to do one since I actually had a fantastic run.
Linda and I got to the start fairly early and it was cold! I was wearing a ton of clothes, but I'd much rather be too warm than too cold. We found Monica and the 3 of us started together. We chatted and ran along at about a 10:30 pace, fast for me! But I felt good, I ran with them for 2 or 3 miles then decided to let them go because there was no way I could run 10:30 for 10 miles! I felt great and even through the hills continued to feel really good. A girl dressed as a box of popcorn kept playing tag with me. I never really felt overly hot and I wasn't really cold either. I just felt really really good! I got back on to Ceasar Chavez for the last few miles and I knew I was going to finish faster than I had expected. I saw Laura ride by on her mountain bike and she cheered "Go Heather" for me, when she did, the box of popcorn girl said "are you Heather from Tri Zones?" I said "yes" and she said "it's Stacey Green" of course I had no idea who she was all dressed up as a box of popcorn, I could have chatted with her the entire run! But we were close to the finish and I was close to coming in under 1:50, so I didn't chat for long. I was just hoping for under 2 hours (1:50-1:55 was my realistic goal), so when I finished in 1:45:25 I was ecstatic! That's a 10:30 pace, and a faster pace than I've ever run even a 5K!

Kerrville Triathlon Race Report

Kerrville was such a fun race last year and I was only 1 minute from my half iron PR, so I was really hoping for a good day and a PR this year. I went out to Kerrville on Friday to make the most of a fun weekend. I felt great on race morning and Kristen, Ingrid and I executed our pre-race parking strategy perfectly. It wasn't as cold as I was afraid it would be, so I waited until about 30 minutes before my start to put my (borrowed from Coach Jen) wetsuit on. I got it on, went to zip it up and it broke, so the zipper was only attached to one side! I asked 2 random guys beside me for help, they worked on it for a minute, but I quickly realized they couldn't fix it. Then I saw Julie, Kay, Vanessa, Rey & Miguel so I ran over to them to ask for help. Julie had worn the wetsuit for the sprint on Saturday and she knew how to fix it. I took it off and she and Kay went to work. Now it was less than 20 minutes til my start. I knew I didn't need the wetsuit to stay warm, but I knew it would help me swim a little faster, probably 2 or 3 minutes, not a huge deal, but enough that if they could fix it, I wanted it. They kept working frantically while we walked toward the swim start and with about 5 minutes til my start the zipper broke completely out of the wetsuit! By the time I lined up with the rest of the girls in my wave, it was only about 30 seconds til they let us in the water.

SWIM
BRRRR!!! The water felt cold without the wetsuit, but once I started swimming it wasn't bad. I forgot that the river bends so the course isn't exactly straight, I sighted, swam straight, then realized I was off course. Unfortunately, I forgot about the bend in the river until I was about halfway through the swim, so I kept getting a little off course. I did the same thing last year. Other than my slight issue with sighting/navigation I had a good swim, I felt strong, and I didn't feel like the lack of wetsuit was an issue. I remembered enjoying the sunrise last year during the swim, but this year it was cloudy, overcast and drizzly so no seeing the sun rise. I passed quite a few people from the waves ahead of mine (I was in the second to last wave this year). I got to the ramp and the awesome volunteers helped me out, I crossed the timing mat at 46:23  just over 3 minutes slower than last year, that's probably mostly due to lack of wetsuit (of my 8 total half irons this was my first wetsuitless swim), so I wasn't unhappy with it, even though it's one of my slower half iron swim times.

T1
I ran up the big hill into T1 got to my bike and had a really hard time deciding what I wanted out there. I was sorry I didn't wear my arm warmers last year so I planned on wearing them this year, but after the swim I decided I didn't want them. It was still drizzly and I hate wearing sunglasses when they get foggy or wet and I wasn't sure they'd stay in the pocket of my new tri top. So I threw the arm warmers and sunglasses into the bag and headed out of T1. My bike didn't seem to be rolling quite right so I stopped to make sure my brakes weren't rubbing (I have issues with brake rub on my Mavic wheels), nope, both were spinning fine, it must have been the mud in transition. T1 was 3:57 a little faster than last year since I didn't have a wetsuit to strip.

BIKE
I got onto the bike course and felt good, my lower back hurt a little (the hotel bed didn't quite agree with my back) but I figured it would loosen up in a few miles. I hit hwy 27 and felt the tailwind. The wind was forecast to be pretty strong, and I'm generally pretty awful at riding into the wind, so I really wanted to take advantage of the tailwind as much as possible. My average speed was right around 17.0 mph for the first 12 or so miles until I turned and hit the newly chip sealed road and the headwind- YIKES! Chip seal always slows me down and this was really awful super rough nasty chip seal! I'm also pretty terrible at riding into a headwind, so I watched my speed drop. Coach Jen had given me some tips for riding on chip seal, so I tried really hard to "power through it" but I felt like I was working super hard and getting nothing for it. That road was only 2 or 3 miles but it felt like forever! I had a hard time recovering and getting my speed back, my back was still hurting a little and my legs were feeling a little tired already- not good! I couldn't remember if I had used my Mavic wheels with an 11-25 cassette last year or my Eastons with the 11-28 "climbing" cassette. Jeff thought I'd used my Mavics so I went with those, but as soon as I got onto the 1 steep climb on the course I knew I'd used my Eastons last year! It wasn't really an issue, that steep spot just felt significantly harder than it had last year. I made it up the climb fine, and then turned onto chip sealy, headwindy 173- YUCK!! Then it started to rain on me, between the headwind, the chip seal and the rain, I was NOT happy. I also knew I had already lost any chance at a PR and I really didn't want to go out and ride that loop again. I actually thought about stopping and DNFing, I didn't want to DNF the Texas Tri Series, but I knew Stacy or Dan would give me a volunteer job for my tri series credit if I asked. I made it to the corner where everyone was cheering, I saw Becky, Linda C, Emmie, and Lynn, they all cheered like crazy and were super encouraging! It gave me enough of a boost that I went straight out for a second loop instead of turning into the finish and DNFing.

I gave Tom a fakey half smile just after deciding I was really going to go out for a second loop instead of DNFing. Photo by Tom Marek

The tailwind on hwy 27 felt great! But instead of trying to really push and make up for my dismal first loop, I tried to recover and save my energy for the rest of the loop. By the time I got to 173 again, my back and legs were really hurting and I was REALLY ready to get off my bike! Of course the wind had picked up even more- so it was even harder the second time. I was super frustrated and I wanted to cry, at one point I just let out the loudest scream I possibly could- good thing no one was around me! It made me think of a story Ingrid shared with me about Ultraman Canada this year, and I smiled. Eventually I finally made it back to town. I was SO happy to see the dismount line! I went to stand up off my bike and thought my legs might buckle. I was certain I would not be able to run at all, I was considering my options- a DNF or walking 13.1 miles- neither was appealing at all. Bike time was 4:10, my worst half iron bike ever!

T2
I slowly walked into T2, still thinking about whether I wanted to DNF or walk an entire half marathon. I started getting my run stuff together and thought maybe I could find June on the course and walk with her (she power walks) walking with someone would make it feel better. I got up and walked out of T2, and saw Bob H. I didn't even smile at him, but he said something encouraging to me. T2 was 4:07, which is pretty fast considering I wasn't trying to hurry at all.

RUN
I got onto the run course, saw Betsy & David, told them I had the worst bike ever and I was going to retire from half irons. Then I decided to try running a few steps just to see how bad it felt. SHOCKINGLY, it didn't feel that bad, actually it felt kind of GOOD! I decided I would just run as much as I could, I might even be able to finish before 4:00pm. I had told Kristen I would finish around 3 if I had a great day and hopefully before 4 if things didn't go great. I have no idea how my legs and back could hurt so much on the bike and then feel fine on the run- but I'm not complaining! The run was 4 loops, all my teammates and friends were ahead of me, but because of the loops I got to see all of them. I was really starting to have fun and enjoy this race again! I finished the first loop and told the Tri Zones & TWCC spectators near the finish that I still had 3 loops to go, their reply "Don't worry, we'll be here" That was really nice! People said I looked so happy and smiley, I was back to my normal self!

This time the smile was real! Photo by Tom Marek

I remembered the trail part of the run being pretty hilly, but it didn't seem as hilly as I remembered and I was able to run all but the very steepest of the hills. At the beginning of loop 3 I saw Betsy & David again and Betsy asked "are you still going to retire?" I laughed and said "I don't think so, I think I'm over it already". Just like last year, the volunteers on the run course were awesome, super encouraging and nice, even though they had been out there all day and I was toward the back of the pack.

3rd loop and still smiling for real. Photo by Kristen Carey

I felt awesome and 100% enjoyed the run until about halfway through the 3rd loop when my legs started to get a little tired. I walked the uphills on the trail and then ran back toward the finish line to start my final loop. As I started my last loop I realized I had run each loop in 40 minutes or less and if I could run the last one in 43 minutes I would finish the run in 2:40, which was my original goal for the run! I really hadn't thought that was possible after having such a tough ride! Of course I was getting more tired so 43 minutes was a little challenging on the last loop, but I was still having fun, talking with other athletes still on the course, and thanking the volunteers. My original goal was to finish the race by 3:00, before the awards ceremony (I almost always finish during the awards ceremony), I finished around 3:30 during the awards ceremony, so Logan wasn't there to announce, but as I got close to the finish line, I saw that all the TWCCers had run over to high five me as I finished- cool! :) Run time was 2:40:07, 10 seconds slower than my fastest half iron run, I'm ecstatic with that considering I almost DNFed instead of even trying to run!

Overall time was 7:45:09, not my fastest half, but not my slowest either. As disappointed as I was with my bike, I was just as happy with my run- so even though it wasn't the race I wanted, it sort of evened out in the end. Plus I was pretty pleased with the mental effort I put in to keep going when I really didn't want to. Betsy posted on my facebook after the race "Way to keep patient and let your race come back to you!"

Julie must have gotten all the fast antelope this year. Photo by Katherine Mudge

Sport Legs

What is SportLegs

SportLegs is a supplement that contains vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and lactate. Based on the ingredients it doesn't seem like SportLegs should do a whole lot. The makers claim "It primes muscles with lactate, your muscles' natural fuel, so they make less lactic acid. It works better than electrolytes, without sodium or painkillers." and "Bicycling magazine's testers conclude, 'SportLegs really works. It pushes back the point where your legs start to 'burn' during hard efforts, allowing you to ride harder, happier.'" The website looks pretty gimmicky with a lot of testimonials and not a whole lot of real information (as a scientist I'm a big fan of double blind studies and from what I can tell, they haven't done any). But then they have all these testimonials. Sure a lot of them are sponsored athletes, but the majority of sponsored athletes are probably getting nothing more than free product. So they obviously think the product works if they want to get it for free. And if you dig a little deeper on the website you can find some supported sciency claims. 

Obviously magnesium and calcium are important in muscle contraction and relaxation and in ATP production (adenosine triphosphate is the energy that cells use, food eaten is eventually broken down into ATP). But I didn't realize they can be limiting factors in skeletal muscle fatigue and ATP production.

My Experience with SportLegs

I first tried SportLegs back in 2007 when Jeff first started working for Performance, I think we got a free sample bottle. I honestly don't remember if I thought they did anything or not. I do remember looking at the ingredients and thinking they shouldn't do anything. I only used them a couple times and didn't give it any more thought. Then while I was training for Ironman Cozumel 2011, my legs kept feeling tired and sluggish, especially at the beginning of rides. It would sometimes take me 1-2 hours to get warmed up, feel decent and be able to ride at my normal long ride pace (which is only about 14-15 mph so riding at 12mph was really brutal!). Sometime in February after Ironman Cozumel 2011, I found a bottle of SportLegs at home and decided to try them before a ride, I had a great ride! My legs felt great from the start! I assumed it was just a fluke, or placebo effect, but I kept using them and my legs kept feeling great! Even on some really tough rides like Marble Falls and the Easter Hill Country Tour! So I've continued to use SportLegs for most of my rides this season, even most of the short ones and I have only had that tired sluggish legs feeling 2 or 3 times this year. Does that mean SportLegs work? I have no idea, it could be placebo effect, it could be that my legs are getting stronger, or it could be something else. Then I got on the bike at the Austin Tri on Monday and my legs felt awful- that tired sluggish feeling is NOT what you want at a race! I kept trying to figure out why my legs felt like crap and why I just couldn't pedal as fast as I wanted. About halfway through the bike I realized I hadn't taken my SportLegs that morning...hmmm, interesting.

The other thing that I find interesting is that SportLegs claims to stop "the burn" but my issue isn't really lactic acid build up after riding hard for awhile. My issue is icky feeling legs from the minute I start to ride. This from the SportLegs sciency page may in part explain my issue: 

• "How taking SportLegs first helps performance: SportLegs uses lactate, your body's primary high-exertion muscle fuel, to signal muscles not to overproduce lactate before you even begin exercise. Muscles switch from lactate overproduction to net lactate consumption in response to a rise in blood lactate concentration, regardless of whether blood lactate is raised naturally or from exogenous infusion (7,8,9,10,11,12,13). That's precisely what SportLegs accomplishes. It's 86.4% lactate. Taken an hour before exercise, SportLegs raises blood lactate, so you experience exercise with less limb "pump" and heaviness, and improved lactate transfer facilitates a noticeably higher Lactate Threshold"

What do you think of SportLegs? Have you used them? Do you feel like they work?