Family of 5! {Billings, MT Wedding Photographer}
9 years ago
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Trifecta Finishers! Woop!
So, this last weekend Cor, Chris, some other friends and I ran in the Riverbank Run in Missoula. The Riverbank Run is great-it runs through downtown Missoula, campus, and along the river. Chris, Cor and I did this race last year and it was the first race for all of us. We loved it and had to do it again. Last year we all ran the 10K together and that was the initial plan this year...However, somehow Cor and I ended up signed up for the Trifecta...
So what's the trifecta? Well, the Riverbank Run has three different races you can run. First is the 10K, then an hour and a half later is the 5K, and an hour after that there is the mile run. Or, if you're into being crazy-you can run all three! Fun right? Actually it was a lot of fun and I 'm definitely glad we did it. After all, the race proved, once again-It's always worth it in the end!
We had a lot of fun in all the races. The 10K was really great. We took off about ten minutes from our 10K time from last year so that felt good. Chris ran in the 5K so it was fun to run that with him but the 5K was definitely more of a struggle than the 10K. My legs just didn't want to move! We had about half an hour to "rest" in between the 10 and 5K and during that half hour your legs cramp up pretty good. You'd think a rest would be nice but I actually wish there wasn't as much time between races.
The one mile wasn't too bad. Basically just wanted to finish it and finally be done! We were finally down close to the finish, running along the river and I was completely content to just coast in. However, Cor wasn't having it-"I'm going to push you and you're going to like it!" Haha. So we kicked it in and finished! It was a great day and a great race and I had a blast with Chris, Cor and everyone else!!
Trifecta Finishers! Cor, me, Emma, and Julie
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Griz Triathlon 2009
The Griz has come and gone and all in all it was a great experience. As you all know-I was pretty nervous in the days leading up to the race. I was basically a mess and couldn't focus on much else. In the couple days before the race my friend Bryan (Shout out to a great coach/friend!) spent a lot of time with me "pimping out" my mountain bike as best he could, answering my numerous last minute questions, and attempting to keep me calm (I might have declared I was quitting a few times the night before). Anyway, I made it through the week and before I knew it, it was race day!
Mom drove up for the race the day before and it was great to have her around to take my mind off the race somewhat...I got up super early the day of the race since my heat was at 8:30 and headed over for the pre-race meeting with my friend Emma, who also completed her first triathlon :) Before my heat, I had some time to wait around at the pool by myself. Mom, Cor, and Chris weren't there yet and neither was anyone else I knew. I watched the beginning of the first heat of the day (8:00) and my heart was pounding like crazy! I could not calm down. Thank goodness Bryan walked into the pool shortly! Before I knew it I was in the pool waiting for my start-the first couple of laps went well but I still couldn't seem to calm down. I started having trouble getting my breathing under control because I was breathing too fast so I took a short break and collected myself and finished the swim. All in all, the swim didn't go too bad. Even with the one lap that I struggled with a bit, I completed the swim in 23 minutes (under my estimate).
I got out of the pool and ran outside to the transition area to get dressed for the bike. Pulling on my pants over my wet suit was harder than I thought it was going to be! The transition seemed to take forever but I got through it and on the bike. The bike went alright, a little longer than I would have liked though. During the first part of the bike I kept thinking about my swim, no matter how much I tried not to, so I was a little distracted and I think that hurt me. The second half of the bike went great though-I was really enjoying myself. One of my favorite things about the Tri was that when you would pass people during the bike or run (going the opposite way) everyone would yell "great job" or "looking good" to eachother. I thought that was awesome and sometimes it was exactly what you needed to hear. Very cool. As a guy was passing me at the beginning of the bike (hate to admit this but-he wasn't passing me going the other way unfortunately, just passing me) he yelled out "You go girl!" and gave me a huge smile. Sounds kind of silly but it really boosted my spirits and helped me focus on the bike finally instead of the swim!
Once the bike was over I dismounted (somewhat un-smoothly) and headed out on the run. The run definitely held the two hardest challenges of the whole race. I can't even explain how difficult it was to force my legs to run after getting off the bike at first. That first half mile of the run was killer! It felt like I was going nowhere-frustrating. The next challenge that awaited me was "the hill". Basically, the run course heads straight up Mt. Sentinel for a bit and it was steep! I did not even attempt to run up it and my calves were burning like crazy! Once that hill was over though it was home free-just half of the 5K left and I finally, finally crossed the finish line!
Crossing the finish line was perfect-definitely felt like I would never get there! Mom, Cor, Chris, Coach Bryan and some other friends were all there to celebrate and of course, take pictures! One of the other best things about finishing was the free food! Gotta love bagels :)
Anyway, the race was amazing, I'm so so glad I went through with it and can't wait for the next one. I signed up for a tri in Helena at the end of May that I'm very excited for.
Lastly, I want to say thank you to everyone who helped and supported me during this process. (Promise I won't be so high maintenance before the next race :) Mom-thank you so much for coming up to watch! I'm so glad you could be there and celebrate with me. Cor and Chris-basically, thanks for putting up with me! Bryan-well...where do I start? You helped me a ton and I definitely couldn't/wouldn't have done it without you. Your passion for the sport kept me motivated until the end and I owe you big time. I'm sure we can figure something out ;)
One race down! I week until the Riverbank Run, 2 weeks until Bloomsday, and 6 weeks until the Queen City Triathlon in Helena! Love it :)
Mom drove up for the race the day before and it was great to have her around to take my mind off the race somewhat...I got up super early the day of the race since my heat was at 8:30 and headed over for the pre-race meeting with my friend Emma, who also completed her first triathlon :) Before my heat, I had some time to wait around at the pool by myself. Mom, Cor, and Chris weren't there yet and neither was anyone else I knew. I watched the beginning of the first heat of the day (8:00) and my heart was pounding like crazy! I could not calm down. Thank goodness Bryan walked into the pool shortly! Before I knew it I was in the pool waiting for my start-the first couple of laps went well but I still couldn't seem to calm down. I started having trouble getting my breathing under control because I was breathing too fast so I took a short break and collected myself and finished the swim. All in all, the swim didn't go too bad. Even with the one lap that I struggled with a bit, I completed the swim in 23 minutes (under my estimate).
I got out of the pool and ran outside to the transition area to get dressed for the bike. Pulling on my pants over my wet suit was harder than I thought it was going to be! The transition seemed to take forever but I got through it and on the bike. The bike went alright, a little longer than I would have liked though. During the first part of the bike I kept thinking about my swim, no matter how much I tried not to, so I was a little distracted and I think that hurt me. The second half of the bike went great though-I was really enjoying myself. One of my favorite things about the Tri was that when you would pass people during the bike or run (going the opposite way) everyone would yell "great job" or "looking good" to eachother. I thought that was awesome and sometimes it was exactly what you needed to hear. Very cool. As a guy was passing me at the beginning of the bike (hate to admit this but-he wasn't passing me going the other way unfortunately, just passing me) he yelled out "You go girl!" and gave me a huge smile. Sounds kind of silly but it really boosted my spirits and helped me focus on the bike finally instead of the swim!
Once the bike was over I dismounted (somewhat un-smoothly) and headed out on the run. The run definitely held the two hardest challenges of the whole race. I can't even explain how difficult it was to force my legs to run after getting off the bike at first. That first half mile of the run was killer! It felt like I was going nowhere-frustrating. The next challenge that awaited me was "the hill". Basically, the run course heads straight up Mt. Sentinel for a bit and it was steep! I did not even attempt to run up it and my calves were burning like crazy! Once that hill was over though it was home free-just half of the 5K left and I finally, finally crossed the finish line!
Crossing the finish line was perfect-definitely felt like I would never get there! Mom, Cor, Chris, Coach Bryan and some other friends were all there to celebrate and of course, take pictures! One of the other best things about finishing was the free food! Gotta love bagels :)
Anyway, the race was amazing, I'm so so glad I went through with it and can't wait for the next one. I signed up for a tri in Helena at the end of May that I'm very excited for.
Lastly, I want to say thank you to everyone who helped and supported me during this process. (Promise I won't be so high maintenance before the next race :) Mom-thank you so much for coming up to watch! I'm so glad you could be there and celebrate with me. Cor and Chris-basically, thanks for putting up with me! Bryan-well...where do I start? You helped me a ton and I definitely couldn't/wouldn't have done it without you. Your passion for the sport kept me motivated until the end and I owe you big time. I'm sure we can figure something out ;)
One race down! I week until the Riverbank Run, 2 weeks until Bloomsday, and 6 weeks until the Queen City Triathlon in Helena! Love it :)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Mission Accomplished!
Just some pictures for now...when I'm feeling more motivated I'll write a little more :)
28 people in a seven lane pool is pretty crazy!
Out of the pool! (23 minutes)
Transition from swim to bike
Dressed and ready to ride
Finished! 1 hour and fifty minutes
Me and Mom :)
Me and Cor-ready to refuel
Me and Christopher :)
Me and my "coach"
Me and Erica and the sweet sign she made!
Monday, April 6, 2009
The TRI countdown has officially begun..........5 more days!!
I am so so excited and so so terrified at the same time! I went and rode the bike route this afternnon and it wasn't too bad. There's one main hill...towards the end of the ride that is a little challenging but whatever. It was a pretty windy ride too...it's through the canyon so pretty sure it's always windy which is not so cool. The ride took me a little longer than I had initially hoped but that's ok. I need to remember to go into the race without setting my expectations too high. I need to remember that this is my first TRI and I will be thrilled just to complete it :)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
***Lovin it***
I really am lovin this training lifestyle and I really don't want to stop after the Griz.....so I have a few more races to add to my summer plan.
April 11-Grizzly Triathlon
April 25-Riverbank Run (10K)
May 3-Bloomsday in Spokane (12 K) *7.46 miles of fun :)
May 30-Queen City Triathlon in Helena (sprint distance like the Griz)
July 12-Missoula Marathon (I would run the half-this is tentative for now)
I am super excited for all of these races. Cor, Chris and I ran in the Riverbank and was the first race for all of us. We loved it and are all doing it again.
Bloomsday is a race in Spokane that has been there for years and is crazy. There are like 55,000 people who run in it, one year it was even the largest foot race in the US. The race is supposed to be tons of fun-there are bands around every corner and is through downtown Spokane, mostly by the river and Riverfront Park. Chris and I are going with a few friends from here and my friend Jen from Gonzaga is going to meet us there as well. It will be fun to spend some time in Spokane and see Jen again!
The Queen City Triathlon is another sprint distance tri that is aimed at beginners with a swim in the pool and the same distances as the Griz (swim-1000 yds, bike-12 mi, run-5 K). I'm excited to continue with triathlon and my friend Emma is going to do it too. Yeeeah!
The Missoula Marathon-I would like to run the half marathon so we'll see how it goes. I plan to train for it and test my knees. My knees have felt pretty strong throughout my training so I think I could definitely do the half.
....let's see-I feel like there's something else big happening this summer that belongs on my agenda....OH yeah! August 15! I'm getting married :) Chris and I booked our plane tickets last week for Playa Del Carmen....can't wait!!!
April 11-Grizzly Triathlon
April 25-Riverbank Run (10K)
May 3-Bloomsday in Spokane (12 K) *7.46 miles of fun :)
May 30-Queen City Triathlon in Helena (sprint distance like the Griz)
July 12-Missoula Marathon (I would run the half-this is tentative for now)
I am super excited for all of these races. Cor, Chris and I ran in the Riverbank and was the first race for all of us. We loved it and are all doing it again.
Bloomsday is a race in Spokane that has been there for years and is crazy. There are like 55,000 people who run in it, one year it was even the largest foot race in the US. The race is supposed to be tons of fun-there are bands around every corner and is through downtown Spokane, mostly by the river and Riverfront Park. Chris and I are going with a few friends from here and my friend Jen from Gonzaga is going to meet us there as well. It will be fun to spend some time in Spokane and see Jen again!
The Queen City Triathlon is another sprint distance tri that is aimed at beginners with a swim in the pool and the same distances as the Griz (swim-1000 yds, bike-12 mi, run-5 K). I'm excited to continue with triathlon and my friend Emma is going to do it too. Yeeeah!
The Missoula Marathon-I would like to run the half marathon so we'll see how it goes. I plan to train for it and test my knees. My knees have felt pretty strong throughout my training so I think I could definitely do the half.
....let's see-I feel like there's something else big happening this summer that belongs on my agenda....OH yeah! August 15! I'm getting married :) Chris and I booked our plane tickets last week for Playa Del Carmen....can't wait!!!
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