I have been so lucky to have lots of wonderful active women to train with the last several years. An important sub group have been my close mom friends that I bike with. We dubbed our group “Bike with your Bambino” and there is a pretty substantial group of us that continue to bike with our kids as they get older and older. We went out for a 2 1/2 hour ride yesterday and had a total blast. It’s really fun to ride at the back of the group and listen to all the comments of the people who pass us. I hear “The baby brigade”, “wow they are racing”, “moms unite”, and many other hilarious little comments. Our kids have grown up either in the backpack or in the Chariot and most the time the kids are perfectly happy for 1 or 2 or even sometimes 3 hours riding. We get in great workouts, after all, every ride pulling 60 pounds is like a hill workout.

Laura, Gaye, Hillary, Me, and Lindsay

So thanks to all the moms in my life, and to all the women that I train with, we sure have a lot of fun staying healthy.

Every year Phidippides Track Club has one night where we do an all out 5K on the track. It’s an exact 5K since the track don’t lie. Afterwards we get together for a potluck and it’s always a fun time.

The point for us Practical Coaching folks is to PR in this workout. It’s the only one we have for the day, and it’s meant to be run hard. I’m so excited to say that almost everyone had a great day and really threw down.

I prepared mentally, and physically most the day, making sure that I took and extra short nap with Annie, and that I ate a good lunch with proper timing. I haven’t run a 5K in over 4 months when I ran 20:25 back in April. It’s been a goal to break 20 for awhile, but I could just never get it done.

The goal was to go out slow and make up for it on the last two miles. I really struggle with that direction b/c I “think” I’m going out slow, but it always turns out to be faster than I can hold.

The first 0.15 was in 36.01, and then it was onto counting laps. The first mile went 96.46, 95.19, 94.65, 94.91 for a 6:21.21.

I knew I had gone a little fast which meant it was still important to drop it down harder. I tried to quicken it up, but two laps of that and I was dropping into a little lul. The next mile was 94.06, 94.90, 97.10, 97.44 for a 6:23.50.

At this point I looked at my watch and did a little fuzzy math. It read 13:20. My oxygen deprived brain was able to figure out that I had to run under a 6:40 to break 20. I was so excited. I knew if I could just settle into myself and crank out the laps I would be golden. 98.44, 98.13, 98.23, 94.45 for a final mile 6:29.25, and a final time of 19:49.

It hurt, it hurt bad, but it was doable, and I think it’s doable in a more consistent and better executed race. I would love to try to complete it backwards, so 6:30, 6:23, 6:20. That would be really fun. This really was a big milestone for me to get through as I have tried unsuccessfully to get it done a few times. It was definitely a deposit in the bank of confidence.

Congrats as well to my other teammates who had a great day, and for those who didn’t, I hope you were able to learn more about yourself and your racing.

So I get an email from USAT today.

“Six weeks. Six weeks? Yep, it’s the final six weeks of training for the biggest race of your life. The top 16 places in each age group (rolling down to 20) will represent Team USA on the Gold Coast of Australia. Will you be flying into Queensland next year? We hope so. Remember, this is the ONLY race that qualifies you for this Aussy extravaganza.”

Okay #1: 6 weeks, holy molly, I feel the sudden urge to be faster, do more, be more. Calm down Sonja, breathe. breathe.

#2: 16 slots, what the heck? For the last 10 months they have said on their website that it is 8 slots rolling down to 13th. Now it’s 16, rolling to 20th. They are seriously going to need to roll down a little farther b/c some people just aren’t going to want to go all the way to Australlia.

#3: Yes I know it’s the only race, why do you think I’m so stinkin nervous, but yea, thanks for rubbing it in.

So, the time has come in my training where I get to go fast…A LOT. Yes ladies and gentleman, start your engines. My workouts have been quick, fast and peppy. I have been looking forward to this part of training for ooohhh, about 11 months, and now that it’s here all I can say is OUCH. I forgot how much going fast hurts. The muscles are actually groaning every night. I have some sort of “build to race pace” in every workout, it seems. I get home from these epic suffer-fests (that I secretly love) and I am hitting the ice bath, the foam roller, the trigger point rollers, the stick, some husband lovin’, and occasionally the jar of Advil. I wake up the next morning, and the legs are like normal again. It’s just uncanny.

Some Awesome News: Susan won the Leadville 100 mile MTB race this last weekend. Lance Armstrong came out to race as well and he got second in the mens race. But Susan, heh heh, she got first in the women’s race. All that, a week after the Wild West Relay. She is truly a stud woman! Here’s an excerpt from the Rocky Mountain News:

Though the main attraction lived up to its billing in the 15th running of this race, the top female finisher came as much more of a surprise … at least, to her.

“I am just shocked,” Susan Williams, of Littleton, said after crossing the finish line in 8:40:55. “I just wanted to get under 10:30. I just can’t believe how this turned out.”

It was Williams’ first time riding in the Leadville 100, and she knew little of what to expect but stayed focused on what she though her strengths were.

Troy and I headed out to Boulder this morning to watch and cheer those we knew that were competing in the Boulder 5430 Long Course. Apparently we just can’t get enough of triathlon b/c we are still at the races on the weekends I’m not racing. Also, Trakkers had a tent set up and I couldn’t wait to meet Charlie. We missed meeting each other at St. Anthony’s and he has come incredible distance with the Trakker product since then, so I was excited to talk to him in person.

When we first got there we were able to see Anthony and Kirk come in off the bike and go out on the run. I also saw Jordan finish his first loop on the run and was excited to see him in the top 10 in the men’s Pro field. He was throwin’ it down! Troy, Annie and I headed over to meet Charlie and had an awesome talk about the Trakkers product. You guys and gals are going to love this product when it’s out. You will wear a devise during the race and all your peeps back home can watch your progress online. The screen shots of the site look awesome, and Charlie has some great goals of having TV monitors at the Trakkers tent in big races where he will be streaming the stats of the runners wearing Trakkers devises. There are so many places he can go with technology, I can’t wait to wear one in a race! Supposedly he is planning on having 10 athletes wearing the first prototype at Kona this year. Exciting business! Charlie also hooked me up with some great new training aids. A new cycling/tri outfit, and two awesome Splish suits are now making their home in my closet. Many thanks Charlie and Trakkers for making me feel super special today!

Okay, so speaking of Splish. Do you are have any of these suits? They are the bomb and I now know why lots of pro triathletes like Bree Wee and Amanda Lovato are racing in them. You seriously DON’T need a sports bra. The fit on them is awesome. I would love to get my hands on a few more of these!

Note: Troy is cleaning in the background while I am AGAIN embarrassing myself with the built in Mac camera.

Back to the race! We were able to see lots of friends out on the run course. The course was two laps around the reservoir and we hung out by our favorite tree cheering on everyone that went by. Luckily the temps stayed in the 80’s today and overcast which is very untypical for this race so lots of people were having great days and running super strong. Kirk looked like a rock star, Anthony looked strong and like he was having fun. Dennis, Julie, Jill, and Todd were all running great. So much fun! Chelsea though…that lady requires her own paragraph.

Chelsea is one of those competitors that makes me learn things about myself. She is not in the front of the pack, quite the opposite really. She was shooting for the 7 hour mark and I just can’t begin to explain what a different race she endures in comparison to the 4-5 hour athletes. Chelsea came off the bike looking strong and happy. By the time we saw her at the end of the first loop she was playing the numbers game…looking at her watch wondering why she was so off her goal time. I ran as far as the officials would let me with her, and told her to stop looking at her watch, to stop ruining her experience. She took off her watch and gave it to me. Right there…in the middle of her race…she relinquished her watch. I was really impressed. Troy, Annie and I hopped in the car and jetted over to the other side of the reservoir. I walked back along the course and encountered Chelsea running along at what would be mile 10 for her. The lady is determined. I was lucky to walk/run a mile with her and it gave me a new perspective. I guess I was under the impression that competition fizzles out towards the back of the pack. NOT SO. Chelsea is as competitive as I am, keeping her focus, remaining determined, and aiming for a good attitude. Her race may be longer in time, but it is no less intense and focused. We left Chelsea at mile 11, running…to the finish…of her first half-ironman. I was humbled…in a big way.

This is my most favorite picture of Annie recently. She is at Steve and Kristin’s house, in their backyard river.
Annie has been such a rock star recently. We endeavored to start the potty training escapade about a month ago and I was expecting the worst. Several of my friends have had what I would call a more difficult time with this milestone. I tried to prepare myself for poo in the pants and tinkles on the kitchen floor.

Boy was I in for a treat. Annie did a great job learning to do her business on the pot. I followed the direction of a book that my friend Amy emailed to me and we were getting some good traction. Troy watched her one day about 4 days after we started the training and I came home to a pretty much potty trained kid. He kinda threw out what I was doing and went with his own gut. Why does this make me furious and in awe at the same time?

He was able to tap into her natural desire to use the potty. A few days later we had the infamous first “poo” in the pot and she’s been pretty much golden ever since. Two Words. Rock Star.

We have had a little trouble getting her to go on the big potty in public places…they are kinda scary, but today I’m glad to announce she hit up the Costco potty like a champ, and Monday she was chill with the potty at the day care, so I think we are well on our way.

She loves her Winnie the Pooh potty and we kinda have to drag it everywhere. In fact we just take the little purple cup when we are on the go. We have had several embarrassing moments where she pulled out the purple cup from the diaper bag, pulled down her pants, put the cup down and did her business, all unbeknownst to us. Once it was while Troy was cheering at Boulder peak, another time when I was at Costco looking at frozen veggies, and more recently at a Criterion race that Troy and I were at with Steve. I thought Steve was going to DIE from embarrassment. Like DIE for real, I’ve never seen him so red in the face!

Update: I was just searching for a picture of the Winnie the Pooh Potty and I found out that it was recalled. What the heck? Apparently the little picture of Pooh and his friends has that crazy China lead paint. Troy is currently ripping the plaque off as we speak. Fun Times.

Annie and I tubbing down Boulder Creek at Tana’s Birthday Festivities.

Some of my triathlon peeps and I went to dinner this evening and we were talking a little bit about weight loss. I got to thinking this evening and realized that I have maintained my weight loss goals for about 18 months now. I can’t believe that I actually made that thing they call “A Lifestyle Change”. It’s been equal parts of more exercise and better eating. A lot of you that read this blog see the current Sonja as the newer thiner version of the Sonja you know, but my triathlon peeps never ever got to know the rounder Sonja. I went searching for a few pics this evening and found some.

In many ways the plumper Sonja is still right there inside of me, and I really enjoyed her. In other ways, I really like the new self confidence that I have found with a fit lifestyle. I found that loving the body I was in was what gave me the permission to release the extra pounds. “You gotta love it to leave it”. I’m not ashamed of these photos, I’m proud of them, proud of what I was able to part with and proud of what I hung on to. It was when I stopped talking down to myself about my weight, and started being proud of who I was that I started getting some traction with weight loss and self acceptance.

My best friend Michelle recently hit her weight loss goals and I am so super proud of her. She has also made the lifestyle change and found “the secret” that doing the right stuff for your body is easy when you do it right (eat enough, exercise enough, find the balance, accept yourself). I’m so proud.

So, without further delay, here are a few pics of the body I used to inhabit.

I’m not waiting for photos, since Steve and Susan took them and it will probably take some cajoling to get some out of them.

The day started off awesome. Chris decided the van looked like a bus and drove us…with the other busses…into the bus station at 120th ave off I-25. Oops, Detour! Back on the road, laughing, introducing ourselves, listening to XM radio. The energy in the van was insane and Steve-O was quiet as a mouse. Couldn’t get a word in edge-wise. I knew that we all meshed well, and that things were going to be fun. Chris was a total joker and kept us laughing the entire way…little did we know it was just a preview of what was to come.

Okay, a little overview of the team:

Leg 1 ~ Tim: Susan’s Husband, kinda reminds me of Troy, stoic, six foot five high, long long legs, hilarious dry sense of humor when he gets warmed up, no doubt a very good papa, AKA Beer Run.

Leg 2 ~ Me

Leg 3 ~ Steve: My coach, you all know him.

Leg 4 ~ Chris: Total kickbutt 23 year old triathlete, SLO town resident, Susan’s Training Partner during her Olympic year, made me laugh so hard I peed my pants…twice, balls to the wall runner, fellow Steamboat Hot Springs rock climbing partner (the kids wall), man with many nicknames (Detour, Bus Stop, Red Bull), and just a generally hilarious good guy.

Leg 5 ~ Susan: Olympic Bronze Medalist, mom to 2 girls, humble, motherly, Captain our Captian, fearless leader, roadkill counter, roadkill passer.

Leg 6 ~ Jill: she’ll ruthlessly pass your a$$ with an innocent smile on her face, energizer bunny, going through a breakup (he was supposed to run my leg, so I’m happy for the split…sorry Jill, it was meant to be), Ironwoman, cute as sin.

THE GOAL: Run 36 legs ranging from 2.5 miles to 10 miles from the Budwiser factory in Fort Collins to the High School in Steamboat Springs NONSTOP. Instead of the normal team of twelve, we had an ultra team of 6, so we each ran 6 different legs.

Legs 1-6: We were all excited to get going and Tim was sad to leave the Budwiser factory. The beer was calling. It was hard not to go out too fast and I think several of us did (Ahem Steve…4:42 mile pace at some point and Chris…sub 6’s most the way), but the majority of us were generally subdued by the 103 degree weather. There was plenty of skin showing amongst all the runners, so that was exciting. Our start time was to be 12:30 but we asked the race director to change to 12:00 and that was nice. Chris made sure they announced that we had the bronze medalist as our captain, so that was fun.

Legs 7-12 ~ I honestly don’t remember any of these legs at all. They must have been mellow and boring because the fun was just starting. There was lots of joking and smack talking as we started to pass slower teams that started ahead (roadkill we called it). There were a few teams that we started to develop some rivalries with…all of them Ultra teams that were ALL MEN…just had to point that out. Teams 103 and 104 were especially on our radar screen.

Legs 13-18 ~ The fun got started as we climbed up to Red Feather Lakes. Tim had an especially difficult leg of almost 6 miles with 1200 or so vertical, on a dirt road where the vans driving to the next leg continueally shot up a ton of dust. Sometimes the runner could barely see. My leg was next and this was my most challenging leg, the one I wanted to do the best on, so I dropped it down. It was 8.5 miles with 2 miles of downhill on the front and back. I worked the 4.5 mile uphill hard and got lots of roadkill. The van was following close and stopped to cheer a ton. Chris was yelling “SONJA” in full Stella form and I could hear him from a quarter mile away. I ran the entire way with a huge smile on my heart and when I finished the sun had gone down. Steve had a crazy all downhill leg which he managed to slaughter and then Chris had a downhill-ish leg in the dark. He was running so fast that when Susan and I were standing there waiting for him to come in the volunteer said “Is that a person on a bike?”. All you could see was the head-light and the red blinky rear light we had to wear and those two lights were moving so fast it looked like a bicyclist. HAHA! Susan and Jill had pitch dark night legs on a paved road. We were in Wyoming by then and with no moon you could see every single star.

Legs 19-24 ~ This segment started off with some star gazing. Showing Steve the Milky Way for the first time…the guy has never seen the milky way, crazy. Wow. These legs were all flat and downhill and pitch dark, some longer than others. I had a very peaceful run. I passed three people right off the bat and then I had nothing but pitch dark, trees, and stars to keep me company for 4 miles. It was effortless, fast and a total blast. Steve had a longer leg and I think he experienced a bit of vertigo. When Susan and I retrieved him at the end of his leg he was delerious and stumbling. We got him warmed up, fed up, and rested up and 20 minutes later he was a total chatter bug. It was a little scary there for a second, man that boy knows how to go hard. I think his pace on that leg was low 6 min miles. Susan and Jill again were nails, picking up some good roadkill for the girls team (the girls and boys were competing for road kill).

Legs 25-30 ~ These were a challenge. tims leg was hard, just like his last two, and the sun was starting to come up. I had managed to catch a few ZZZs along the way and was super tired. The last several legs I had passed team 103’s guy and there he was again waiting at the exchange. He asked if I was going to pass him again. I said “No, we’re going to run together this leg”. And we did. shoulder to shoulder we swapped stories for 7 miles. I learned about his life, and his team, and shared silly stories about ours. His name was Bo, and I was verry happy to have his company for 7 miles. I don’t remember much of the rest of the legs this time. Were were just crusin at this point, we melded well as a team and everyone was allways willing to help out another person with food, water, driving the van, directions, etc.

Legs 31-36 ~ These legs were brutal. Tim started it off with ANOTHER difficult leg…he had to run up Rabbit Ears Pass and it was brutal. It was mid morning and hot again, and his leg was just asphalt hill after asphalt hill. My leg showed up on the log book as flat and 4.5 miles. Nope it was up a big hill, then down a big hill, then up a big hill and down a big hill. I thought it was never going to end and I was trying my hardest to run hard. Steve had a hilly leg as well and all of us were a bit shocked on the steepness of the terrain. Chris got to run DOWN Rabbit Ears pass into Steamboat and his leg was evil downhill, super steep, leg killer downhill. Susan, I think, had her strongest leg, clocking like 7:15 pace and making it look totally easy. Jill brought it home for us and managed to pass team 104 which I think made them collapse in a hissy fit. But hey, we had girls and they had all boys, so it wasn’t like we were racing them anyways. We all ran in the last 50 yards together, some looking quite gimpy (Chris).

After some post race grub we hit up the Steamboat Springs Hot Springs and had a blast playing in the water. Chris and I attacked the little kids climbing wall until we had it mastered, although we kept having to wait in line behind the little kids. My shoulders were sore the next day.

We went back at 4pm for the awards ceremony where we humbly accepted our award for winning the Ultra Coed Team category. Tim alerted us yesterday that we set the corse record by 2.5 hours. BooYa. Sha-nizzle!

There were so many good times that I can’t even type them all. Steve and Chris were hilarious together, half the time talking smack, half the time spooning each other in the back seat. They made this entire trip a laughing fest. All of us have sore cheeks and abbs from all the laughing we did. I made some great new friends and can’t wait to do some training with Jill in the future. Susan and Tim are easy going, humble folks, and Susan is my new idol. If I am ever successful in triathlon I want to be just like her, she puts the term “positive role model” to shame.

Aside: In case anyone reads this who is doing a future relay I wanted to touch on my nutrition a little bit. Last year when I did the Colorado Relay I bonked BAD. This year I wanted to counteract that fact, and I did a smashing job. I want to share what I learned. First off, you won’t want to eat. You just won’t. It’s fun, your laughing, you think it will be fine. But you have to, and you have to have a plan. You can’t just bring some stuff and expect to eat it, you have to give yourself a plan for exactly what you are going to eat and when. My plan was to drink a Mix1 immediately after I got in the van (they are shelf stable, and I like them A LOT), then change my clothes to the next set of running clothes, then eat an almond butter and honey sandwich. I did that after every single run I had. After I did my little Mix1/Sandwich thing, I continued to snack on almonds, rice cakes, and Cheesy Bunnies, all while staying on top of water and Gatorade. I made sure to stop consuming the leg before me, and I was good to go. I think it’s natural to feel queazy in the middle of the night. Your body really wants to be sleeping and instead you are running, and eating (and laughing) so I think it’s normal to feel a little sick…all of us felt this and I thought we all did a pretty good job with nutrition. I had very little soreness the next several days, but I have felt flat in the legs. Epsom Salt baths have helped, and I am clearly on the road to being fully recovered. I Hope this helps any future runners.

I just wanted to post to let you all know I survived the Epic Wild West Relay. It was an absolute blast. I am resting and recovering and plan to write a race report once I have a few pictures to post as well.

We did great, won the Ultra (6 person team) Coed (3 boys, 3 girls) division. Nifty medal for our enjoyment. Everyone raced well and stayed very steady and strong. We enjoyed each others company and there was no sleep to be had by most.

A couple weeks ago I Andrea introduced me to Susan at the gravel pond. She was looking for another runner to run on her Wild West 24 Hour Ultra Relay Team. I got so excited but before I could tell her yes Steve snagged the spot. I gave him all sorts of heck for it, including calling him a “stinker” several times. I was forced to sit on the sidelines while he trained a little harder running the last several weeks.

Well, yesterday I got the call. Apparently another runner has become unavailable and a spot is open. After a phone call to secure a sitter for Annie on Friday, I called back and said “Sure, sign me up”. As I started getting my things together last night I was 2 parts giddy to 1 part crazy. This is an ultra team so unlike the relay I did last year where we each ran three times, this is double that…I run 6 times in the race. My legs range from 3.8 miles to 8.5 miles, and also range in difficulty from Easy to Very Hard. I have a total of about 30 miles of running. That’s more than I run in a week. We start in Fort Collins and run our little legs all the way to Steamboat Springs, via the back-roads and a short stint into Wyoming. Fun times!

Last year when I did the Colorado Relay I had an absolute blast, but I bonked hard after the race. So this time I am going to try to have a total blast again, but without the bonk. I didn’t eat enough last year, so this year I am planning my meals more specifically and have purchased some things that I know I will want to eat.

Another obsticle…running outfits. If you train with me you know that I pretty much have like three different training outfits, your probably sick of them by now too. Well, I needed 6 sets of running clothes and I could only conjur up about 4 1/2. So I treated myself to a trip to Runners Roost today to pick up two new pairs of shorts and a new sports bra. Yippy-Ky-Yea. Check them out:

New Asics shorts in navy blue, very sort and comfy

New Pearl Izumi shorts in a bold blue…and me having way too much fun with the built in camera on the mac.

I’m excited also to take along my Core Concepts hoodie, and Carve Full Zip Jacket to wear in the van between runs and maybe on a midnight…or 3am…or 5am run through the middle of NOWHERE Colorado. This should be super cool, I love meeting new people, especially active ones, and it’s also exciting to know that I get to hang with the best women’s triathlete the US has ever had, bronze medal…wozer, can you even imagine making the podium at the Olympics?

So, when you are popping your popcorn Friday night, settling down to a nice flick on the big screen, send a few good thoughts my direction as I run down some lonely dirt road in the middle of Wyoming or Colorado, with trees, bugs, and the moon to keep me company (no iPods allowed).

My Partner in Crime (PIC) Michelle has now entered blog land. Michelle is a totally awesome mom of two beautiful girls who somehow manages to balance a tremendous career, and a phenominal triathlon hobby, all while being a great mommy and wife. She truely does this all with grace, class, and a spunky attitude. She is totally my peeps, and I just love her to death (Can you tell?). We kinda look alike, except she has 6-pack abs. She’s my twinkie!

Michelle has absolutely knocked it out of the park this year. She is a total bad a$$ swimmer, always has been, and continues to beat Steve out of the water every single race.

Her bike has progressed farther that I even think she realizes. She’s dedicated, and she gets in the work. I rode with her last week and as several of us rode in a paceline I was begging her (in my mind) to not pull through as hard as she was. She was pulling as hard as the boys and looked calm and cool doing so. She is super strong and I can’t wait to see her bike times diminish like her run times.

Speaking of her run. This lady ran a 54:32 10K off the bike at age group nationals last year. She walked twice due to a leg cramp. This winter she put in the miles. She ran up mount Evans and is planning a run up Pikes peak this coming month. She has hit the track workouts hard and several weeks ago at Loveland Lake to Lake she ran a 47:53 10K off the bike. Last night at track I ran the last 300 of her last 1000 with her and could not believe how hard she is throwing it down on the track. I jumped into her last interval at the 300 to go spot and she was running 6:50 mile pace. She started to lay it down with me and ran the last part of her LAST interval at 6:15 pace. She LAYED it down.

The best thing about having great friends in the triathlon community is that when they excel or jump a new hurdle you feel that success with them. I am so tremendously proud of Michelle and can’t wait to experience future successes with her. Check out my PIC’s blog, and leave her some comment love.

Check Out Her Blog Here

Chilin’ at TJ’s in Portland

Michelle and I getting our swagger on. Attitude.