Two Girls, Two Bikes....and a lot of goose poop?

Let me start off by saying I have a core group of girls that I consider to be my closest friends. Really...they are more than just friends. They are extensions of my family. I've known one for over 30 years (We were five when we met and we were at a BAR). Some I've been friends with since junior high, a couple have just been in the last ten years and one I've only known for the last three years (oh...we met in a bar too...hmmmm). As any friendship goes, there have been ups and downs...we fight, we make up. Our lives get too busy to talk, yet when we get a minute, we can pick up right where we left off. Their roles in our family are god-parents, "other moms," the other half of my brain, and villagers (It takes a village to raise a child...and I have a BIG one) These ladies all have a special place in my heart!

I'm singling one out for this blog (Be scared you other friends....you could be next). Three years ago, I met Jen. Her fiance, who seems to be a good judge of character, knew from   the minute he met me that Jen and I would become good friends. Upon meeting one another, we discovered we have MANY things in common. We come from similar family structures, our personalities are much alike (almost scary at times....right Jen?), we love the same things...the list goes on. Long story short (because there is a point to this blog), she and I are very close! 

During the spring semester at UMD, I was in a Health and Wellness class talking about SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realist and Timely) goals. As a part of the course work, we identified a health goal we would aim for. It could be as simple as becoming more flexible or as complicated as running Grandma's Marathon. As the time, I was working out once or twice a week, but didn't have any particular goal in mind. When looking for something that I thought I could physically do, I tripped upon the Aflac Iron Girl Series website. They were holding a duathlon (run/bike) in Bloomington in September, which at the time, was nine months away. I could visualize this as an attainable goal for myself...but having a friend do it with would make it even better. My first person I thought of was Jen. She worked out often and was just starting to run for 'fun.' =)

I sent her the information on the race and approached the matter as we needed to set a personal goal to aim for. Sure...we both were aiming for weight loss...but we didn't get more specific than that. She contemplated for a few days (I signed up for it right away) and finally decided that she too could do it! After all, there was NINE months to prepare for the race. Easy enough, right?

Training started - I started by focusing on the running, as I knew my biking would not be an issue. Jen focused on the running and didn't have a bike. I got a nasty cold five weeks into my training that knocked me out of the training routine for over a month. Each time we'd train, we let each other know what we had accomplished. We would have the occasional workout together, but much of our training was on our own. 

Summer brought about the purchase of a new road bike for me. What a purchase! I LOVE my bike. It did take a bit to get used to the non-suspension that I was used to with my mountain bike...but it cruised! Jen, still focusing on the running, borrowed a road bike from a friend. There were times when Jen thought she was not meant to ride that bike. After a few short trial rides, she needed to bring it to the shop for some repairs and some other things. Through it all...she was concerned about being able to do the full 22 miles required for the duathlon. I didn't have any fears about her being able to do it. She is more physically fit than I am! 

Over the summer months, we biked together all of TWO times. =) Once from Carlton to Mahtowa and once from 21st Ave E to the end of Park Point. This is our most memorable trip. AGAIN...something happened to JEN'S bike. She got a flat tire...6.5 miles away from the truck...and neither of us had an air pump. OH...and it was getting dark! We (wait, I) walked through goose poop in the park (barefoot), the shrubs tried to eat my bike, I tripped over a pipe (thought I broke my toes) and this was just in the first three miles of our walk back to the truck. WHAT A NIGHT! We giggled a lot that night!

Our training came to an end last Sunday (9/26). We fulfilled our goal! We competed in the Aflac Iron Girl Duathlon in Bloomington. Talk about an AMAZING experience! It is a day we will not forget. The day started early (4:45 AM). It was cold and a fog laid over the lake

Picture from Gretchen's hotel room overlooking Normandale Lake

we would run around. We prepared our bikes in the transition area. We prepared our bodies and minds for what lie ahead...and we jumped a lot to keep our bodies warm (Temp was 47). Before I knew it, it was race time. Jen and I, because of an age difference, started in different heats. My heat started at 7:55 and she didn't start until 8:15. It was hard to leave my duathlonUnless you've been in that starting chute, one cannot fully understand the power of being surrounded by women, much like yourself, who are trying something for the first time or even a second time. The mood is upbeat and positive! People who don't even know one another are cheering for each other (and don't forget those spectators along the roads). This continued onto the course as well. It was not unusual to hear, "Keep it up," "You're doing great," "You can do it," while people passed you. It was a challenging bike course. The run was mostly flat and rather enjoyable.

My thoughts for the first 2 mile run...."gotta get to my bike!" That's my strong point. I even had some encouragement from friends along the route. Once I got back to my bike...I was ready to GOOOOOOO! Had a great ride! Got back to the transition area and prepared for the last two mile run! I just couldn't run....I power walked the whole thing! I WALKED across the finish line with my kids cheering me on!!! Talk about ahh...mazing! Then I had to wait for Jen to cross. This was torture! I didn't have any idea on how she was doing, where she was in the race or worst of all, if she'd been hurt. Time dragged on...and then, there she was! She crossed the finish line (running, unlike me) with style and grace! It was so good to see her and to marvel at what we had just accomplished. With no specific overall time goal in mind, we both finished the race in under three hours! Our overall goals included: having fun, stepping outside the comfort zone of our workout routines, and crossing the finish line! All of which were successfully accomplished!

Jen and myself at the finish line!

In one monumental moment, we went from two girls with two bikes to the

QUACK-TASTIC 

IRON GIRL DUO!

Thank you Jen for coming on this adventure with me. It was an honor to stand by you at the finish line and congratulate one another on a job well done! It has been life changing experience. I look forward to the next adventure we find to challenge our bodies and minds. 

To those that are considering trying the Aflac Iron Girl Series, I strongly suggest you sign up. It is an experience you will never forget or regret. Remember, you control your destiny and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to. The following quote from James A. Worsham was included in an after event email from Aflac. "One of the biggest factors in success is the courage to undertake something." What will you undertake today?