madcity girl

I’ve wanted to participate in the Madison Mini-Marathon since it’s inaugural run last August. Unfortunately, I was out of town during last year’s race so I was unable to participate. Afterward, I heard nothing but great things about the race. I definitely wanted in for 2010.

Several aspects of the race were appealing to me—the proximity of the start line to my apartment, the post-race party at the Memorial Union terrace, last year’s fabulous race t-shirts, and the timing of the event (just three weeks out from Ironman Wisconsin). All good reasons to sign up. So I did. And the race took place on Saturday, August 21.

Unfortunately, I had a bit of an injury scare the day before the race. I had raced my last Aquathon on Thursday night (which included a 5k run) and felt some stiffness in my left knee the following morning. By Friday afternoon, my knee was completely locked. I couldn’t straighten it and had trouble simply walking across the office. As you can probably imagine, I was worried sick all day—that I wouldn’t be able to run the mini. And more importantly, that my Ironman Wisconsin dreams would be crushed. But then a miracle happened. As the work day came to an end and I was able to get up from my desk and onto my feet, the pain subsided. By race morning, I was seemingly back to normal. It was time to get my run on.

I’ve come to learn that race morning is infinitely easier when you keep it local. I literally rolled out of bed, got dressed and pinned on my race number, ate a piece of toast with peanut butter, and was on my way. I biked the few blocks to the Memorial Union and joined the masses of runners preparing for the start of the half-marathon. I had a lot of friends who were doing the race and was able to see many of them beforehand.

Although the race began at 7 a.m., it took a few minutes for us to actually start moving. The first mile was all uphill as we climbed Langdon Street (Greek row) toward the state capitol. I wasn’t sprinting, but was running at a good pace and weaving between packs of runners. As we rounded the capitol, we passed by the farmers’ market before heading down State Street. I felt winded from the Langdon hill, and hoped I hadn’t taken it out too hard. My goal was to run the race as hard as possible, while keeping a pace I could feasibly maintain for 13.1 miles. I’ve had first hand experience with taking a half-marathon out too hard and bonking in the middle. All I have to do is call on that horrendous experience to keep my pace in check.

Although still early in the morning, it was already very humid. But luckily, the skies were overcast, so we didn’t have the hot sun to deal with. I took in fluids at every aid station and dumped water on my head repeatedly. Within the first few miles I was soaking wet. After weaving through the Mills neighborhood, we entered the Arboretum and ran on the roads for the next few miles. My legs were tired from training (and racing on Thursday), but overall, I felt strong. I kept telling myself that 13.1 was nothing compared to the 20+ mile training runs I had done the previous two weekends.

Once we emerged from the arboretum, we ran by Camp Randall stadium and then toward the Lakeshore path. My legs and feet felt increasingly heavy (probably partially due to my wet running shoes), but I knew that the finish line was in sight. It was great to run along the lake and take in the beautiful sights of campus and the sailboats gliding across the water in the distance. With one mile to go to the finish line, I locked my jaw and kicked it into high gear. As I rounded the Memorial Union, the big crowds of people cheered me through the elaborate finish line arch. The announcer said my name and commented that my running posture was excellent. Whatever that means. My official time was 1:36:33. Which made for a 7:23 pace and personal record for me at the half-marathon distance. I was the 21st female overall (out of 1,767).

I was happy with my performance, but even more happy to be part of such a great Madison event. I would definitely recommend the Madison Mini-Marathon for anyone looking for a late-summer race (there are both 5k and half-marathon distances offered). The half-marathon course highlights the very best parts of downtown Madison, and everything throughout the weekend was phenomenally well-organized. And you certainly can’t beat post-race beers on the terrace.

I spent the past weekend camping with a group of six friends at Peninsula State Park in Door County. As I’ve mentioned previously, I grew up camping there with my family. Door County continues to be one of my very favorite places to spend a summer or fall weekend. The area offers the perfect balance of the great outdoors with great dining and shopping. What can I say, I need a little bit of both.

I took the day off of work on Friday and made the drive with two of my friends. We took the scenic route along Lake Michigan, and enjoyed the great views from the port cities along the way. Upon arriving at the park, we set up camp and headed out on a bike ride to the beach. By the time we made it back to the site an hour our two later, our other friends had arrived and we enjoyed a delicious camp dinner—foil packets with potatoes, sausage, onions, peppers, and brussel spouts. After several rounds of competitive Banagrams by the light of our headlamps, we retired to our tents for the night.

Saturday was filled with more adventures. I woke up early to get in a short run along the lake with one of my friends. We arrived back to camp just as our other friends were beginning to emerge from their tents. After a quick camp breakfast, we hopped in our cars to head to the Cana Island Lighthouse. There, we took a tour of the grounds and climbed the daunting spiral staircase all the way to top. The views of Lake Michigan were incredible. We pondered what life must have been like back in the day for the families of lighthouse keepers. It was fun to learn more about the trials and tribulations such families faced.

After our informative lighthouse visit, we drove the peninsula and took in a few shops and boutiques. We stopped for ice cream at Wilson’s and then headed back to camp for lunch. Back at the park, we ventured out on our bikes for another trip to the beach. After some nice time in the sun and requisite lake baths, we got ready for our night out in the big city. We had reservations for a fish boil at the White Gull Inn at 7pm. I’ve been to a few fish boils at the White Gull Inn over the years, but the experience never gets old. I love the whole production of cooking the Michigan white fish in a big cauldron of water, and the giant flame and boil over that erupt as the master boiler throws kerosene at the fire. We drank beers as we watched the show from the patio. Once the food was ready, we headed in for a buffet dinner of white fish, potatoes, bread, coleslaw, and fresh cherry pie. Afterward, I was so stuffed I could barely move.

The next morning we did a group run together. It was great to further explore the roads and trails of the park. After breakfast and packing up camp, our time together sadly came to an end. We parted ways and headed home. But luckily, I’ll be back soon. I have a fall camping trip scheduled in Door County in early October. One thing’s for certain—I’ll never tire of long weekends in Door County.

This past Saturday, I rode the Dairyland Dare 200k. And unlike last year, I actually finished the ride. All 125.2 miles plus some. I had intended to do the ride alone, but ended up running into a few friends at registration on the morning of the ride. They invited me to ride with them, and I figured I could use the company. Plus, I knew they would push me. The three friends I rode with are all notably faster than I am, so I knew it would be a great challenge to try to stay with them for all 200 kilometers.

The nice thing about the Dairyland Dare is that there is no formal mass start.  The race begins at Harris Park in Dodgeville and riders can begin at any point after 6 a.m. I rolled out of bed at 5 a.m., drove to Dodgeville (a little less than an hour’s drive from Madison), and was riding by 6:30 a.m. It’s kind of fun how the volunteers organize small group starts. Essentially, 4-5 riders line up behind an official start gate, the volunteers ring a cow bell and drop a ribbon, and you’re off.  That way it still feels like an official start, but without the crowds and jostling. It’s really a great way to deal with crowd control out on the course.

The Dairyland Dare is well known for its extreme terrain and killer hills. There are several course distances to choose from - a 50k, 100k, 150k, 200k, 250k, and 300k. I chose the 200k ride because the distance is longer and the terrain more extreme than the Ironman Wisconsin bike course. I wanted something that would test my physical limits and make next month’s Ironman course seem easy in comparison (if that’s even possible). But I do have my limits, and I think anything beyond a 200k would probably push me over the edge.

The 200 kilometer course features 13,547 total feet of elevation gain (yes, Wisconsin has hills—lots of them) and eight stages, with aid stations in between each. The aid stations offered water, HEED, bars, PB&J, fruit, cookies, meat sticks, and other necessities. The course was well-marked and the volunteers were wonderful. The roads were also great—smooth with very little traffic. Definitely a great day weather-wise and a really well-organized event.

As I predicted, my friends Tom, Mark, and Jackie pushed me hard throughout the day. According to Tom, we maintained an 18mph pace for the first 100 miles. Which is just amazing to me considering how much of that time we spent climbing. I’m sure it helped that I was oftentimes in the back of the pack drafting off the others. But it was anything but easy. In fact, I was working so hard I could barely keep up a conversation. Just like any endurance event, I had highs and lows—at some points I felt great, others I felt completely out of it. Tom informed me that the gearing of my bike (an 11-23 cassette) was in no way ideal for the course, or for Ironman Wisconsin for that matter. Apparently, I had less gears to work with, which made it more difficult for me to climb. So I’ll definitely be looking at swapping out my cassette for Ironman Wisconsin.

One thing that really helped me get through the day was the silliness of Tom and Mark. They added a lot of comic relief to the day, engaging with other riders, riding “no handed” for the photographers, and high-fiving every volunteer in sight. Although I was struggling and in pain, they kept me laughing. My favorite memory is when they saw another rider sporting a yellow US Postal Service jersey and started yelling at him in French accents and racing after him like he was Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France. It was classic.

We were all very tired during the last 20 miles of the race. The ride seemed like it was never going to end. I was sweaty, smelly, tired, hungry, and my legs were cashed. But I was excited when we hit the final aid station and were told we only had 8 miles to go. As we approached the finish, we saw a photographer crouched down behind a big red arch at the finish line. We decided to all ride through the arch together and raise our right arms. But as we squeezed through the arch, Mark’s bike tapped mine, and then I hit Tom’s. Luckily, we were able to recover without taking out the photographer! We finished the ride in 8 hours and 8 minutes. Afterward, we enjoyed post-race festivities in the Harris Park shelter—a burrito bar from Bluephies, homemade smoothies, and ice-cold soda. It was a great day and an epic ride.

FYI - the great pictures above are from Brad Guck. He totally captured the great scenery and essence of the Dairyland Dare.

It’s hard to believe another concert season has come and gone. As many of you know, Concerts on the Square is one of my favorite Madison traditions. It’s a very popular annual six-concert summer series put on by the Madison Symphony Orchestra on the capitol square. Picture this: a beautiful summer evening, picnic blankets covering the entire capitol lawn, families and friends catching up over picnic foods and glasses of wine, and sweet symphony music floating in the air. Seriously, what could be better?

This year, I was able to make it to three of the six concerts. It wasn’t my best record. Attendance was much lower among my friends and I this year compared to last. It was disappointing, but I can certainly understand busy schedules. There were several competing priorities, including softball games, work, triathlon training, and vacations. And for some reason, all of my male friends have decided (amongst themselves, apparently) that the concerts on the square are too feminine for their tastes. So instead, many of them spend their Wednesday nights at bar trivia. Inside. a bar. Which is clearly their loss.

Not to be all Debbie Downer (I promise I’ll get to the good stuff next), but one thing that disappointed me most about this year’s series is that tables were banned. You know that cute little table-in-a-bag from Crate & Barrel that my parents gave me for my birthday a few years ago? The one that gets me loads of compliments and sets the perfect stage for the ultimate concert picnic? Yeah, that one. Well apparently the powers that be decided that tables make unsightly indentations in the capitol square lawn. And that just can’t be.

I found out the hard way during the first concert of the summer. I had carefully set up my table and was arranging food and drinks, as a security guard came up and informed me of the new policy. I couldn’t believe my ears. Instead of making a scene and taking it out on the security guard, the mere enforcer of a stupid rule, I simply nodded and deconstructed my table. Part of me has wanted to stage a demonstration ever since to prove that tables like mine are not responsible for holes in the lawn. I could literally get on top of my table and jump up and and down and there would be no damage to the grass. But alas, I have no fight in me. So I’ve grown to arrange my food and drink on my picnic blanket just like everyone else. But I sure do miss my table in a bag.

Moving on to happier thoughts, my favorite memory from this year’s series involved a local celebrity encounter at the final concert during the first week in August. It was just a small group of us there—Julie, my friend Beth who had driven in from Naperville, and myself. I had taken the day off from work and was able to secure our usual spot under a big tree across from the Old Fashioned. It was a perfect summer night. And because it was also the last concert of the series, people came out in hordes.

Just after arriving for the concert, I looked to my left and noticed Philippe Coquard, the winemaker from Wollersheim winery, sitting next to us with his family. You may remember from past posts that I’m a big fan of Philippe. Fortuitously, my friend Julie had brought a bottle of Wollersheim’s signature Prairie Fume (the concerts on the square special edition) for us to drink with our picnic. Philippe noticed very quickly, and promptly came over to introduce himself as the winemaker. We told him that we knew exactly who he was. He also explained to us that his extended family (some in from France and Italy), about 40 in total, were in town for his daughter’s wedding and thus with him that night. Once Philippe returned to his family, we stared at each other in disbelief and squealed like teenagers.

We decided then and there that we needed a picture with Philippe. And his autograph on Julie’s bottle of wine. Just our luck, I happened to have a Sharpie in my bag. And my friend Beth agreed to serve as our photographer. After a few sips of wine, Julie and I approached Philippe. He very gladly agreed to sign the bottle and take a picture with us. I think his family found it all very entertaining. They, too, stood and snapped pictures of us. Victoriously, we returned to our blanket. And later in the night, as the wine in our glasses slowly dwindled, Philippe swept by to offer us each a pour. It was the absolute perfect way to end the 2010 concert series.

Earlier this month, I competed in the Ripon Medical Center Triathlon. It was my second triathlon and first Olympic-distance race of the season. I’ve done the RMC triathlon six years in a row. It’s one of my all-time favorites. Best of all is that the race takes place on beautiful Green Lake, which I’ve grown to love through countless weekends spent at my best friend’s family’s lake house there.

It’s become an annual race day tradition to drive to the start of the race at the Green Lake Conference Center by way of pontoon boat. As always, it was a beautiful morning, with the sun rising over the peaceful waters. It was Karen, Kate, Brian, and me in the boat, along with all of our bikes piled in the middle. We whizzed across the lake to pick up Karen’s friend, Julie, before heading to the GLCC beach. There, we nuzzled up to a pier and tied up the boat before unloading our bikes and gear. Talk about rock star parking.

We had arrived plenty early to set up our transition areas, use the restroom, and do a quick warm-up jog. Although I was tired from the week’s high training volume (I was already up to 207 miles for the week), I was ready and excited to race. It’s the only race that I’ve ever been able to come into as the reigning champion. I’d been the female long-course champion in 2006, 2008, and 2009 (the race changed locations in 2007 and there was only a sprint distance that year). Even though it’s a very small race, I was proud of my record and hoping I could live up to it in 2010.

All was going well until just a few minutes before the race, at which point I realized I had forgotten the bag with my wetsuit, cap, and goggles. The bag was still back at the house—and it was too late to do anything about that. Luckily, I was able to borrow a cap and goggles from friends. As for the wetsuit, I was going to have to go without. I was disappointed with myself for having made such a careless mistake, but at least I could still swim without a wetsuit. If I had forgotten my bike, it would have been a different story entirely.

After a few quick race announcements and the start of the men’s long course wave, I lined up along the water’s edge for the women’s start. As soon as I heard the start horn, I ran into the water and dove in. The water was both warm and calm. I knew I would have to swim extra hard to make up for not having a wetsuit. Along with another swimmer, I pulled away from the group pretty quickly. We caught up to the men’s wave within the first few minutes. At that point, I had to focus on dodging and swimming around people. After rounding the big orange turn-around buoy, we headed back to shore. I finished the swim in 21:39, which was interestingly faster than my time in 2009, when I swam in a wetsuit. Go figure.

My transition from the swim to the bike was very poky. I spent too much time fumbling around with my timing chip, which seemed to have loosened its grip on my ankle during the swim. After throwing on my bike shoes, helmet, and sunglasses, I ran with my bike through transition and hopped on once I hit the pavement. We climbed a giant hill leading out of the conference center grounds. I was passing many riders and a few men sped by me. It was an interesting mix of serious and recreational athletes from both the short and long course races. Outside of the conference center, we hit the rolling farm lands. I had forgotten just how hilly the course was. I felt like I was out of my saddle climbing constantly.

Eventually, the short and long courses split from each other, and the long course ventured further into the countryside. Suddenly, I was alone and couldn’t see any other riders around me. At that point, my legs began to shut down. They seemed to have no more power or strength left to give me. A few riders suddenly flew past, including another woman. I had seen her in transition that morning and thought to myself, I bet she’s really fast. I tried to hang with them, but quickly realized I was unable to keep the pace. I got a little down as I contemplated how tired I was from training, how stupid I was for forgetting my wetsuit, and that I would unlikely be unable to regain the lead. I was still riding strong, but my head wasn’t in it. I finished the bike in 1:12:45.

I got through transition the second time much quicker. I racked my bike, pulled on my running shoes and visor, and took off. I felt great. Unlike on the bike, my legs didn’t feel as tired while I was running. Mentally, I was able to get back in the game. The first part of the run course was relatively hilly. After the first mile, we cut over to the lake and ran along a flat road. We also did a little bit of off-roading in a construction zone. I tried to focus on passing each runner ahead of me.

At mile two, I could see the first woman ahead of me in the distance. I realized then that I might be able to catch her. I picked up the pace and slowly inched nearer. At the run turnaround, I finally passed her. She was super friendly and we both said great job and good luck to each other. She told me after the race that as soon as I passed her, she knew I was gone. After I had gotten far enough ahead of her, I eased my pace a little. I finished the run in 46:45, for a total time of 2:23:04. I think it was a personal best for me at the Olympic-distance, and definitely my fastest time at the RMC Triathlon. The race was a whole lot closer this year, but in the end, I was able to hold onto the win for another year. I still don’t know how I pulled it off. When I was announced as the female long-course champion, the race director said, congratulations…again. With that, we rode back on the pontoon boat. And then I went water skiing.

I jumped out of bed on race morning and set to work changing into my Orange Shoe tri uniform and preparing my ritual pre-race breakfast—French press coffee, a bagel with peanut butter, and a banana. I could hear light rain falling outside, but remained optimistic that the skies would clear in time for the race start…and if not, I figured at least I had raced in the rain before. As soon as we were ready, Brodie, Lauren, and I loaded the car with our bikes and headed to the race site, which was conveniently located only a few minutes from our condo in Egg Harbor.

Once we arrived to the transition area, I racked my bike and set out my transition items on a small towel. After picking up my timing chip and getting body marked, Lauren and I headed on a short jog to warm up our legs. Halfway through, we heard an announcement that the race was going to be delayed by 30 minutes due to possible thunderstorms moving in across the lake. Lauren and I promptly ended our “warm-up” and headed back to the transition area to catch up with friends.

Luckily, the weather cleared up and there were no further race delays. I joined a group of women who were staging themselves on the beach for the second wave. Once the first was off, we waded into the water and lined ourselves behind the start banner. As soon as I heard the start horn, I dove into the water and began swimming furiously. The first few minutes were extremely chaotic with everyone in such close quarters fighting to get ahead. As we rounded the first buoy, the herd began to thin and we also started reeling in stragglers from the first wave. The rectangular course was dotted with continual buoys, which made it very easy to sight and stay on course. Eventually, I turned the final corner and swam toward shore. The water became very shallow as we neared the beach, but I swam as long as I could before standing and running out of the water. I swam the course in 29:33.

After volunteers helped me strip out of my wetsuit, I ran to the transition area. There, I threw down my wetsuit and fumbled to put on my helmet and bike shoes. I was out of transition in just over a minute. I felt tired and stiff for the first few minutes, but was able to tuck into aero position and gradually find a rhythm. The first 15 miles were extremely flat and fast as we headed along Lake Michigan on our way to Sturgeon Bay. Although I didn’t have a bike computer to gage my speed, I felt strong.

I caught two women within the first few miles, and we played leap frog for several miles. At one point, another female sped by all us like we were standing still. I didn’t like all of the back-and-forth. I was irritated by one man in particular who immediately passed me back each time I passed him (USAT rules require that you drop back out of the draft zone as soon as you are “overtaken” by another cyclist). As we rode through downtown Sturgeon Bay, I was able to break away from the other riders around me. At that point, the course became more difficult—rolling hills, a strong head wind, and poor road surfaces. I put my head down and gutted it out. I also continued monitoring my nutrition, which consisted of Power Bar gels, Gatorade, and electrolyte pills.

During those last several miles on the bike, it occurred to me, that for the first time ever, I was not being passed left and right by other cyclists. I was holding my own. I told myself that no matter what else happened during the race, I was so proud of the progress I had made on the bike this season. I had always felt like I had the potential to be a good cyclist, but had never been able to put it all together. It was clear that my new bike and race wheels (not to mention countless training hours in the saddle) were giving me the confidence I needed to break out from my “weakest link.”

As I neared the transition area, I carefully slipped my feet out of my bike shoes. At the dismout line, I jumped off my bike and ran through transition. I had biked the course in 2:37:30 (21.4 mph). I re-racked my bike and helmet, then quickly pulled on my socks, running shoes, race bib, and a visor. Again, I was out of transition in just over a minute. I grabbed cups of Gatorade and water on my way out. I was able to find my running legs relatively quickly and tried to maintain a pace I could hold for a half-marathon. I had hydrated quite a bit during the bike and felt like I needed to use the bathroom early on. But when I got to the first aid station, the Porta Potty was occupied. I decided to hold off. And as I suspected, eventually I didn’t have to go anymore.

It was fun to run through Egg Harbor because there were crowds of spectators at and around Shipwrecked Brewery. Over the course of the run, about ten people (both racers and spectators) yelled to me, “Go, Lauren!” Lauren is one of my closest friends, and although we were wearing the same orange uniform during the race, we don’t look all that much a like (she’s like two feet taller than me.) It was kind of funny—even our good friend Julie mistook me for Lauren. But Lauren is really fast, so I took it as a big compliment.

The run course was relatively flat, but we hit very steep hills at miles five and nine. I was able to run up the first hill, but was reduced to a walk for the second (I guess that’s why the race’s tag line is “Can’t bluff the bluff”). Just before the second hill, another racer (an acquaintance from Madison) yelled to me, “Go, Kristin! The second place female is about two minutes ahead of you.” As I walked the hill at mile nine, I could see the 2nd place female just ahead of me. I wasn’t sure if I could catch her, but figured I would give it a shot. I ended up catching her at mile 11. As soon as I passed her, though, I could feel my legs begin to cramp and tighten. Just my luck I’d blow up right before the finish line. I quickly popped two electrolyte pills and eased into a more conservative pace. Please let me finish, I pleaded.

Luckily, I was able to keep the cramps in check. I began to get excited during the last two miles as I realized I might finish well and set a personal record. I ran the last two miles with a very nice guy from Appleton, who encouraged me to push through my fatigue and finish strong. As we ran through the final aid station, I downed a cup of Gatorade as a final precaution against cramping. Finally, we descended a long hill into the finish line. I ran the course in 1:38:58 (7:33/mile), with an overall time of 4:48:25, a personal record by more than 26 minutes. I was ecstatic.

I found my friend Brodie across the finish line in the midst of an ice bath. He, too, had raced strong and finished with a big PR. I was super proud of him. We cheered for several of our friends as they crossed the finish line. Then I waited for a turn to hop in the bucket of ice water. I was intrigued since I’d never taken an ice bath before. It was awesome—my legs felt numb and wonderful. I could have stayed in there all day.

After our ice baths, we made our way through the post-race buffett and filled up on BBQ sandwiches and roasted corn. We sat and enjoyed a decent cover band while catching up with friends and waiting for the awards ceremony to begin. At the awards ceremony, I was called up for 2nd place in my age group and the 2nd overall female, for which I was given a crystal lighthouse trophy. I have no idea what I’ll do with the thing (likely stuff it under my bed), but it sure makes me proud.

I headed to Door County this past weekend to compete in my first triathlon of the season—the Door County Half-Ironman. It’s one of my favorite races, primarily because of its great location along Lake Michigan (there’s few places in the world I’d rather spend a summer weekend), but also because it’s an extremely well-run race. And luckily, I was able to share the weekend with two of my closest friends, Lauren and Brodie.

Since we arrived to Door County early on Friday, we had plenty of time to take in the sights before our big race on Sunday. On Friday, we enjoyed a Viking Inn fish boil, ice cream at Wilsons, and a leisurely drive along the penninsula. On Saturday morning, we woke up early and cheered for friends who were competing in the sprint triathlon. Later in the day, we picked up our race packets and enjoyed a pool-side potluck dinner with Brodie’s team, Madison Multisport. I’ll share a full race report in my next post—but for now, here are a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend.

Lots of bikes piled into our condo!

Enjoying ice cream from Wilson's after a fish boil at Viking Inn.

Lauren and Kristin serving as Dailymile spokesmodels during Saturday's sprint triathlon.

Attacking Brodie with the sharp point of my aero helmet.

UW tri team alums make a strong showing at Sunday's half-ironman.

Lauren and Kristin enjoying post-race festivities on Sunday afternoon.

One thing I’ve realized as I’ve grown older is that it becomes increasingly difficult to keep in touch with friends from high school and college. Of my five closest friends from high school, two friends live in Chicago, one in Arizona, one in California, and one Seattle. And everyone’s really busy. Therefore, it’s very difficult to get everyone together in one place at the same time. Lately, the only opportunity we’ve had to fully reunite is for weddings. Our first friend to marry off was Beth, in November 2007. And we’ve had a bit of a dry spell since then.

So it’s a good thing my friend Erin is getting married this September. We’re well over due for a reunion. And Erin found a keeper—his name is Tim, he’s a runner, and an all-around great guy. Needless to say, he quickly received the requisite friend approval.  So Erin and Tim now live in Scottsdale, and are planning a September wedding there, with the reception at the trendy (and mid-century modern!) Valley Ho resort. I’m very excited to celebrate Erin and Tim’s special day, to see their home in Scottsdale, and to catch up with my closest friends from high school. Erin and Tim’s wedding also happens to fall on the weekend after Ironman, so I’ll definitely be ready to cut loose and have some fun. I’ll be on the dance floor for sure.

So last month Erin came back to the Midwest for a bachelorette party/bridal shower extravaganza weekend. We were literally celebrating all over the place for 48 hours straight. All of my closest friends from high school were able to make the trip, except for our friend Katy, who lives in California. We started in Chicago on Friday afternoon with drinks in Wrigleyville, followed by dinner at Socca. From there, we enjoyed a night out on the town.

After a leisurely morning the following day, we drove to Milwaukee to continue the festivities. We met some of Erin and Tim’s family for dinner downtown at Luisa’s. Then we hit an Irish bar for drinks and more good times. I rarely go out one night a week, let alone two in a row, so I was definitely loosing steam by Saturday night. But we all rose to the occasion and had a great time.

After crashing at my parents’ house in Brookfield for the night, the next morning we headed to the lake home of Erin’s aunt and uncle (on Pine Lake), for a bridal shower hosted by her aunts. It was a very classy affair. The lake home itself was stunning—marble floors, beautifully wood-paneled walls, a mind-blowing kitchen, and lake views to die for. The food was equally impressive. I actually felt like I was in a Williams Sonoma catalog, or a movie…it was all just so unreal. I’ve never been to a bridal shower quite like that—it was really impressive. After lunch, Erin opened a seemingly never-ending pile of gifts before we said our sappy goodbyes and headed back to our respective homes.

It was weekend full of festivities and fun. I’m so glad I was able to celebrate Erin and spend time with some of my closest friends. And I can’t wait for our full reunion in September!

Early last month, a few friends a I celebrated my friend Kim’s birthday with a festive dinner party. It’s become somewhat of an annual tradition…my best friend and I cook dinner for Kim and I bake an elaborate cake. Last year, I made a Malt Ball Cake. This year, I chose a recipe from the same cookbook (Baked: New Frontiers in Baking), the Sweet and Salty Cake. According to cookbook authors Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, the cake is their “signature creation, most loved cake, and most requested recipe.” They describe the cake as “an indulgent but sophisticated adult cake: The perfectly salted caramel contrasts beautifully with the rich chocolate layers, giving the cake balance and character.” Definitely sounded like a dessert I needed to try. And what better occasion than Kim’s birthday?

The recipe is more than a little daunting with 24 separate ingredients and a long list of directions that kept me busy for several hours over the course of two days. The directions include steps for making the three layers of classic chocolate cake, the salted caramel filling, the whipped caramel ganache frosting, as well as directors for assembling the cake. Instead of including the full text within this post, you can check out the recipe here.

Our birthday dinner was another great success and I think Kim very much appreciated and enjoyed the cake. I really thought I would love it, too—normally I’m a big fan of the combination of sweet and salty. But I have to admit, the cake was almost a little too salty to me. I did love the chocolate cake and the chocolate ganache, though. Luckily Kim and her husband Matt agreed to take the rest of the cake home—maybe they were just trying to be nice, but they sure made me feel like it was the greatest cake ever. If I make this cake again, I’d definitely ease off the salt just a bit.

I apologize to those of you who are most interested in reading the next installment of my adventures from WS 100…but I need a break. And I also need a chance to catch up on a few other posts before they become completely irrelevant. So I promise to resume coverage and finally wrap up the WS 100 posts early next week.

For the last several summers, I’ve participated in the Aquathon Series, a monthly local race series that consists of a 1,000 meter swim followed by a 5,o00 meter run. The events are low-key and fun, extremely well-organized, and provide the perfect opportunity to catch up with other local athletes while getting in a nice mid-week race effort.

Last year my friend Beth, who I’ve known since I was 8 years old (we were on the same swim team growing up), came to Madison from Naperville to try one of the Aquathon events. Despite a sprained ankle which prevented her from participating in the run portion, she loved the event and was instantly hooked. This year, she registered for the entire five-event series (I think she may win the award for longest commute to the race). But as a teacher with summers off, Beth’s schedule allows her much greater flexibility to make the trip. Which is awesome—I get frequent visits from Beth and we get to race together all summer long!

Beth and I actually skipped the first event of the year, which was scheduled for May 20th. The lake water was pretty much still freezing at that point. And even I have my limits. So instead, we began our series run with the second race on June 17. Beth drove up that afternoon and we completely lucked out with beautiful weather and super pleasant lake temperatures. We arrived at Warner Park beach plenty early to check in, get body marked, warm up, and set up our transition areas.

The race went really well—I felt great in the water and relatively strong during the run, too. Usually the fast girls are able to reel me in during the run, but this time I was finally able to hold them off! I finished as the first female in 35:05 (swim 12:24, transition 0:32, run 22:10). It was my fastest Aquathon ever, and maybe my first win, too! Beth did awesome, too—she looked really strong and had a great smile on her face the entire time. Afterward, I ate a lot of the post-race pretzels and animal crackers, and took pictures with Beth, Brodie, and my great co-workers from Endurance House. Then Beth and I caught up over burgers at the Weary Traveler. It was a perfect night.

Tomorrow (Thursday, 7/15) is the next aquathon. Interestingly, it will feature the “Quaker Steak and Lube Wing Eating Bonus.” Which means that for every wing you eat, you earn a 30 second deduction from your finish time (up to five wings may be eaten). Many of you know I am just as competitive about eating as I am about triathlons…so you know I’m going to stuffing as many wings down my throat as possible. Should be interesting…