Team in Training

Mont Tremblant Half Ironman…I Finished!

~ Jill ~ 2 Comments

I started training in January, with some very cold runs.  And soon it was June.  After months of swimming, biking and running, I finished my first Half Ironman on Sunday.  I said under 8 hours (because I really had NO idea how long this was really going to take), and finished in 6 hours and 58 minutes!  A HUGE thank you to Mark who supported me when I went off for 2 hour runs, Monday night swims and 5 hour bike rides in New Jersey.   He was on this 6 month journey with me.

Best of all?  I raised over $4,000 for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society (and over $8,000 when it’s matched by Bloomberg!).   32 of us raised nearly $150,000.  I raced with people who have had cancer and used LLS during treatment.  I couldn’t say more about this cause and the organization.  I’ve done 5 races with Team in Training, and estimate I’ve raised over $15,000.

I drove up to Canada with fellow Team in Training teammates, Kelly and Stephanie, on a Friday.  Nothing like telling border patrol you are visiting to help fight cancer.  What a beautiful location!

And then some day before practice on the bike and in the lake…and posed for pictures.  It was all fun and games at this point.  Except that it was raining, that was a little dreary.  But meant I didn’t need quite as much sunblock.

And then it was race day!  Someone laughed at my LL Bean tote I used to cart my stuff to the transition area.  What can I say, it’s my beach tote and works well.  I already have one coat of sunscreen on at 5 am.  And reapplied before the bike and run.  Got to protect the skin!  Even if it means 2 minutes off my time.

I have videos, but no space on the blog, so some shots I borrowed from my finisher pics (and if you want the video or want to see what the swim start for us amateurs looks like, let me know).  Let’s just say I wasn’t running into the water.

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Finish Pic

And now what…maybe a full Ironman?  We’ll have to see about that.

And a shout out to my littlest fan, Ben.  Look at him supporting Auntie Jill with his cute little t-shirt on race day.

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63 Miles. Farther Than I’ve Been.

~ Jill ~ 2 Comments

It was a big training weekend, our last big one before the race (in a week!).   Again, both days started with my standard PB&J, though I changed up the bread for something with less fiber this week.

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Saturday morning destination:  Coney Island at 7:30 a.m. (= 6 am train out of Manhattan).   The water was COOOOLD, or about 56 degrees.  I moved myself up to the advanced group and stayed in there for the 25 minutes.  My toes were numb.  The entire time I was thinking about the Bachelorette episode with Tiara going for the plunge in the freezing lake and ending up in the hospital.  Then it was off to run through Brooklyn.

IMG_5536Back at it Sunday morning.  It was a 63 mile ride waaaayyyyy out to Rockland Lake with a few fellow TNTers.  Ok, so I stopped to take pictures along the way.  My food for the ride above.  Can you tell I like the sweet/chocolate flavors?  This is just the start of the ride.  I’m on the George Washington Bridge with Manhattan behind me.IMG_1503 IMG_1492

And we made it.  I thought I was the slowest, but we rode as a group.  With a few pit stops, and stops to make sure everyone was ok and still with us.  Yes, that’s my bike jersey that makes me feel a little more professional.  I’m not as matchy matchy as all of the other bikers, so only sort of look the part.

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Half Ironman for Lymphoma & Leukemia

~ Jill ~ 2 Comments
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One of our 1st Saturday morning Central Park runs.

It’s a cold run when we head out in the winter to run.  But 18 degrees in fresh snow is nothing when it’s for a great cause.  I did my first triathlon at 30, now 7 years ago.  And after 5 NYC Triathlons and over $6,000 raised for Team in Training, I’m embarking on my first Half Ironman.  I’ll be raising $3,900 for Lymphoma & Leukemia and finishing a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.2 mile run in Mont Tremblant, Canada.

Check out my Fundraising Site:  http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/immontre13/jlewandosky

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Group training on the computrainers at Tailwinds on Saturday.
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Monday night 8:30 swims at Asphalt Green.

 

I’m training with 2 people who have benefited from the support of LLS, having been diagnosed with Hodgkins.  If they can train, I can too.  And if they can finish, I can too.  Even I wonder how I became a triathlete, I was very not sporty in high school.  But I’m here and feel better than ever.  In fact, this blog started with a triathlon in 2009.  And I continued on in for my 5th 2012. I’m addicted, and I’m addicted to the cause.  LLS has raised $750 million running Team in Training.  I’m a small part.

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Smiling at the 2012 NYC Triathlon finish.

I just hope I’m smiling like this in June!

NYC Tri: 2 Flats, Steamy Run, Sub 3 Hours

~ Jill ~ 1 Comment

The title sums up my race.  It was a great day for the NYC Triathlon (my 3rd with Team in Training).  There was no choppy water, just a dead fish or two (yes, really).  I had my fastest time on the swim and was having a great bike ride.  Then about 20 minutes from the transition I hear “PSHHHHHHHH”.  Flat tire!!  Since TNT makes us practice, I knew I could do it, it just wasn’t going to be pretty.  I pull over as bikers fly by me, and realize that I don’t have the right tube and used my OTHER spare for the flat before the race even started.

And out of nowhere, the Toga Bikes truck appears.  It was like someone was watching out for me because we are warned you might never get help because there is one truck over the course.  Two guys jump out, give me a new tube, fix up the sliced tire…hold the bike while I clip on and push me off back into the pack.  Below is the very start of the run as we head to the street and into Central Park.

And where we come up out of the river.

I still finished the bike in decent time, despite the 15 minute delay.  Good race, good story.  More than anything, I proved to myself I could deal with the unexpected.  And until next year…

NY Times article post race here.