Hello everyone! I hope each of you are doing well and having a great week (and for my fellow Madisonians, I hope you are safe after tonight’s crazy storm!!). Thank you for all your continued support and encouragement. It means so much to me! I was able to visit Erin for a few days last week and for the weekend. I’m so happy that I was able to spend time with her and her family. She was admitted to the hospital partway through my visit to start chemo, so we spent a lot of time coloring in the Hello Kitty coloring book her mom bought her and watching tv in the hospital room. ☺ Erin has been doing pretty well and has her bone marrow transplant tomorrow. Although this is a tough time, she is remaining positive. Erin is such a strong and amazing person!!

We are three days from the triathlon and all I can think is “What if I get stuck in my wetsuit? What if I get lost in the transition area and wander around aimlessly?!”. Ok, maybe I’m not too worried about those things, but in all seriousness, I’m really nervous! This will be my first official race and it’s a little nerve-racking to know that I’m out there doing it on my own. I’ve also never really run before without having music or a running buddy to talk to, so I’m hoping it won’t feel like the run is dragging on. But, at the same time, I know that I am not alone in this. My coach, teammates, and other Team in Training members from Wisconsin and other states will be there, as well. It will be great to see them on the course and have the coaches there to cheer us on. My parents are also coming in for the race to cheer me on, so I have many people to look forward to seeing throughout the race!

A week and a half ago my teammates and I also did a run through of the triathlon. My coach paired us up and gave us our distances. Brady, who is with the Team in Training group training for the Madison Ironman, joined us for the morning so that I would have someone to do each of the events with. It was really nice of him to join us so that I could get the full training in and not be alone! Together we swam, biked, and ran the full distances. It took us a little over three and a half hours to do it – I’m a slow biker ☹ But I was still happy with the time and very excited that I finished it! The run was a bit rough, I was definitely getting tired at that point, but we made it through without stopping or walking! It helped a ton to have Brady there to keep pace with and encouraging me to keep going. When we neared the parking lot at the end of our run, and of our triathlon run through, we had a surprise waiting for us. My teammates and coach had all stayed to watch Brady and me finish the triathlon! They were finishing up their run when Brady and I were nearing the end of our biking and transitioning to the run, so we thought that they would head home when we were running since everyone had such busy schedules that day. But, we were wrong and I was very surprised and happy to see my teammates! It was incredibly nice of them to stay. “You are just always smiling!” said Susan when I tiredly jogged over to where they were standing, a huge grin on my face. Boy, I definitely didn’t have that smile even ten minutes before that as I was silently telling my exhausted self that I was crazy for trying a triathlon. But, how could I not have a huge smile on my face now?! I finished a triathlon (unofficial, but still a triathlon) AND had the most amazing teammates there to cheer me on at the finish!

The triathlon run-through went well and now I KNOW I can do it! I’m still nervous for race day, but very very excited, too. I have a feeling I’m not going to get much sleep the night before from nerves and excitement, but hopefully I’ll catch a few ZZZs. ☺

Hope everyone has a great week! Next time I post I will officially be a triathlete!!!

Wow, it’s been less than two weeks since I’ve last posted but I feel as if so much has happened since then! It’s been a crazy few weeks since finals finished. Every three or four days I’ve been switching towns from Madison to Belmont to Libertyville (and soon to Ohio to visit Erin!) so that I can make the most of my few weeks before I leave to study abroad in Ireland. It went to Belmont in southwest Wisconsin where my grandma lives to visit her and my other relatives for a few days. She loves watching Dancing With the Stars and some of my cousins go up on Mondays to watch it with her, so I was happy I could join in! It was also her 97th birthday last week (go grandma!) so it was fun to celebrate that with her, too. I’ve been home a few times, too, to see my parents and brother (who has been awesome and got me a bunch of things that would help me during my training, like protein bars and shakes and muscle recovery mixes to go in my water!). It’s also been nice to go home and visit friends and getting things ready for Ireland.

It’s been great to be here in Madison and train with my teammates, too. Having them nearby makes training a lot of fun and much easier. Speaking of fun, the Madison Mud Run was a blast!!! Team Face Plant lived up to its name as several of us took a few tumbles (I almost brought Abby down with me when I tripped over a stump and flung forward!) The day started out a bit chilly and very windy. Our first obstacle was a water crossing where our feet sunk into mud at the bottom and we used ropes to pull ourselves across. The ice-cold water and our now muddy shoes and legs made my body shake with chills for a bit, but soon the sun came out and it was nice and warm! The obstacles were a lot of fun and included monkey bars, a slip-n-slide, and a blow-up obstacle course. We ended by diving right into that big mud pit and crawling through to get to the finish line. Beer, wings, and chips and queso filled our stomachs soon after. YUM. What a great way to end the mud run. It was a ton of fun, and despite having to wash my clothes a few times and having to wash my bathtub after showering post-mud run, we plan to do it again in October!

It was great getting to spend more time with my teammates Susan and Susie at the mud run. The mud run gave us a chance to get some exercise in, but have a ton of fun and get to know each other better at the same time. Each week, our team becomes more and more like a small community of friends within a larger community serving a great purpose. Everyone on the team is incredible with how far we’ve come and how supportive we all are of each other. One great example of this happened last week. My teammate Julia knows that I’m actually most worried about the biking and haven’t gotten much practice in doing my full distance, so we went out for a 28 mile bike ride last weekend and practiced shifting gears and going up hills. It was a tough workout and I am much slower than she is, but she stuck with me and helped me get through it! Dano, who has been a part of Team in Training for several years and joins us for workouts sometimes, is going with me today to look at bikes. I don’t know much about them, but I do know that I want to keep up with triathlons and training and I am going to need a different bike to do that! He is very knowledgeable and is so kind to take time out of his day to help me.

Everyone in the Team in Training program is so amazing and supportive, and this shows in the events we do together. Each of our teammates, coaches, mentors, and others in the program are like friends standing with us, ready to take on the challenge. We help each other succeed and make it through to the end instead of concerning ourselves with being the best out there. Last Thursday a few of us participated in an Aquathon, which is a swim and bike biathlon. We had to swim 1000 meters in Lake Mendota followed by a 5k run. Julia and I pulled into the parking lot, intimidated by everyone getting their transition areas set up and wetsuits on, looking professional and experienced. We looked at each other, wondering if it was too late to turn around and hurry home before anyone saw us. Together, we walked over to sign in and find our teammates, telling ourselves the whole time that we were crazy. But, we knew it was for a great cause and that we could do it together. We found the rest of the group as we were getting our race numbers written on our arms and legs in Sharpie. I felt like a little amateur girl who got lost and accidentally ended up in a group of strong pros. Was I really doing this? Did I actually belong here? We were about to find out. Julia and I got our wetsuits on and we joined Patrick, Coach Rebecca, and Dano on the beach. As we headed into the water to get a quick warm-up in, we were told that the water temperature was 54 degrees. Wait, what?! I dipped my head in and got that “ice cream headache” I had heard about. Still, it felt great to be swimming around.

The 81 participants gathered on the beach, ready for the race to begin. Once the horn went off, we eased our way into the water, giving the mass a few seconds head start so we weren’t caught in a mob of people. Knowing that this was my first multi-sport event, Dano told me that he would stick with me the whole time. As much as I wanted to be strong and show I could do it alone, I was actually really relieved to have someone with me. Rebecca stuck with Julia, too, since it was also her first multi-sport event. This is the kind of amazing camaraderie the Team in Training represents. Rebecca and Dano didn’t care about winning or beating their own personal records. They cared more that Julia and I felt comfortable and had someone with us to show us the ropes, so to speak. Dano gave me great advice as headed to the transition zone and throughout the run. Having him along side me also made it a lot more fun and pushed me to swim and run harder. I sprinted to the finish line and could not keep a smile off my face. I successfully completed my first biathlon! It was an amazing experience, and I cannot wait to do more. Special thanks to Dano, Rebecca, Julia, and Patrick helping me get through it!!

Julia: “I think we need to turn left on this road.”

Me: “Are you sure that’s a road??”

Julia: “I’m not really sure where to go. Rebecca said you would know.”

Me: *look of bewilderment*

Julia: “I thought that might be your reaction.”

It’s 6:00am and about 60 degrees on a calm, slightly cloudy Friday morning. Julia and I pull up to see coach Rebecca, Patrick (back from Europe and able to train with us again!), Lynn, and Dano ready and waiting with their wetsuits already on. Woops, we’re late. We get out of the car and head towards the group, looking like two puppies who know they just messed on the nice living room rug. After a few warm greetings and happy hello’s, we begin the awkward (and rather difficult!) process of putting our wetsuits one. Shimmy shimmy. Ah, ok, got the wetsuit over the hips. “Ah, you’re at the ‘drop it like it’s hot’ stage!” jokes Dano. I finishing pulling my sleeveless wetsuit up over my shoulders as Rebecca zips up the back and velcro’s the neck. We all grab our swim caps and goggles and head towards the water. We tip-toe in, not entirely sure we’re prepared for our first outdoor swim of the season. It’s a bit chilly, but my excitement at being in the water overcomes me and I dive right in. I haven’t worn a wetsuit since I was little, so the buoyancy was a bit of a new experience for me. I start rolling around and swimming in the water, happy as a kid on Christmas day. (Because of my enjoyment of being in the water, my teammates like to joke around that I’m like a baby seal). That morning was a short swim, mostly to help us get used to wearing wetsuits as we swim. Julia was very timid at first and worried about swimming, as it is not her strongest event, but after awhile she plunged in, too, and did very well. It was a great swim and I was a little sad to get out of the water.

We are less than a month away from the Elkhart Lake and I cannot believe that it is so close! I feel a lot better about the swim now that I’ve gotten to wear my wetsuit and feel the difference it makes in swimming. Everyone on the team has been doing a great job and I feel like we are really starting to bond. Tomorrow, I am participating in the Madison Mud Run with Team Face Plant, which consists of myself, teammates Susan and Susie, Susan’s son Ian, as well as Abby and Clarke, two friends from school. The course is 4.6 miles long and consists of about 15 obstacles throughout it. I love getting muddy, so this event sounds like it will be great! It will be fun to do my first “race” and with such a fun group of people!

(Lynn, Coach Rebecca, Julia, Me, Patrick)

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all doing well. For my college friends, I hope finals are going well and aren't leaving you too sleep deprived! We're almost done!! It has been very busy lately with all my end of semester papers and exams, plus finishing up things at work for the year, but I have been able to keep up pretty well with my training! My bosses gave out fun awards a few days ago to the student staff. Mine was "most likely to become an Ironman finisher!" It's funny since I haven't done my first triathlon yet, but it was still great to get and made me even more excited about all the hard work my teammates and I have been putting in. I can't wait for the triathlon!!! It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it and push yourself. I never thought I could do a triathlon and now I want to do more! Who knows, maybe next year I'll be doing the half ironman or a marathon or something! But for now, I still need to do my first triathlon!

My teammates and I are going up to Elkhart Lake this weekend to get a feel for the course and the environment we'll be racing in. I'm very excited about our little field trip there. Some of us are also doing the Madison Mud Run on May 15, just for fun. It's a 5 mile run with a bunch of obstacles throughout it and you end up getting all muddy. I think it will be a lot of fun!

Thank you for all your continued support. I'm so excited that I reached my fundraising goal!! It's all because of you and your wonderful support. High-fives to all my amazing family and friends!!!

Love and well wishes,

Kate

A big thank you to everyone for continuing to be so supportive and helpful! I am very blessed to have an amazing group of friends and family. Fundraising is going well, I can't believe I'm at 80% of my goal! My friend Erin has been doing very well and is beginning her rounds of tests for her bone marrow transplant, which we are hoping will be at the end of May. She is such a strong person and is remaining positive during this process.

It was difficult to train this week since I had four big papers due at the same time, but I'm looking forward to pushing myself more next week and working towards my training goal. I hope this snow/sleet weather Madison got today is over by tomorrow. My tri team has a group ride in the morning around the arboretum and surrounding areas - I'd hate for the weather to put a damper on that!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

-Kate