As I dug my spoon into our shared pint of Stewart's ice cream, eyes fixated on Gaby Douglas’ uneven bars routine, my husband, John, turned to me and said, "Maybe we should be eating tofu or salads." I didn’t put my spoon up until the pint was gone. But the next night I cooked a salad appropriate for watching chiseled Olympians sweat over fractions of points and seconds.
Many people have asked me how SJ did in the Ironman. And the people that followed SJ's results want to know how this self proclaimed "non-triathlete" managed to go so fast and qualify for the Kona World Championships. This was his first Ironman and he finished 3rd in his age-group and 27th overall (not including pros) out of 2100+ competitors.
If you read my previous blog, you now know what motivated me to try an Ironman. What a day! Ironman definitely lived up to the hype. Before I go into details I have to say that I am incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from people cheering and volunteering along the route, from my fellow competitors, and from those who sent messages of congratulations afterwards. Thank you!
The race started with a 4:15AM ferry to Ross Dock - the park under the GW Bridge in NJ.
It seems like everyone has a different reason to train for months, devote 4 summer days, and lots of money to compete in a race that takes all day in heat and up and down brutal hills. I thought it would be a bit remiss to not share why I departed from the norm and relative comfort of the Olympic distance circuit. It probably came as a bit of a surprise to my coach, sponsors, competitors and triathlon community. But not to me.
Last day to enter contest: Monday Aug. 13, 2012
Win a case of ZICO coconut water!!
Laurel and I still train together every day, even though she’s working out longer and harder than ever to prepare for the New York Ironman, while I’ve scaled back since I’m 4-months pregnant. Our eating habits are wildly different now, too. Laurel’s 18-mile runs leave her hungry for thousands of calories, while I actually need to slash my normally enormous in-season calorie consumption.
Case in point: Our recent favorite smoothie creations, below.
Read them, try them, or just glance at the titles, then comment below on which one you like best or tweet your response to @athletefood. No need to leave your email address in the comment, we'll track you down.
We’ll select one reader randomly and reward the lucky Athlete Food fan with a case of ZICO coconut water.
—Bec
Not only are Kona qualifying points and prize money at stake in tomorrow's NYC Ironman, but the American pros in the race will be vying for a National title.
Here's a look at the ladies who will be competing in the 2012 US Ironman National Championship, in race number order:
