Swim: 1:18:10 Bike: 6:45:23 Run: 4:59:55 Overall: 13:15:11 Rank: 1510 Rank in Age Group: 64

Transition 1: 6:53
Transition 2: 4:50

-23 minutes from last year!!!

She's running....

KI came past on the out and back of her first half. She looked a little tired and maybe a little crampy, but after 127 miles, any of us might look a little road weary as well. Of course we could instantly tell it was her by the telltale smile for her kids, family and friends as she headed up the hill.

Still Going Strong!

The latest update is that K finished her first 30 miles of the second loop in 1:33:28 - that's only 3 minutes slower than the same distance in the first loop! She's got less than 24 miles left. We're not sure if tha split is correct, because she hasn't been gone out on the second loop for an hour and half yet as far as we can tell...but we'll see. Hoping t see her come in for bike-to-run transition around 3pm.

1:30:01 + 1:48:55 = 3:18:56
One pretty good loop of the Ironman Bike Course!

She's on loop 2 and we're anticipating seeing her again around 3pm. Until then, we'd like to send out our thanks to a few people.

First, IronKip Crew. As we mentioned before, we have a bigger and better crew than ever before.

The usual suspects are, of course here, including Uncle WIllie and Aunt Myrtie, Nanny & Poppy, Grammy, Kristi, Tammi & Petey Jones (with new addition Seth), Jake Teske, Matt & Jenn Huckans, Mary, Billy and Darcy Heyman, and we're hoping that PJ Banazek joins us shortly. This year we also saw the return of Andrew Jobson who was part of the team for the inaugural IronKip event, but was away last year. We've also added IronKip Rookies Emily "Po Po" Paterson, Maja, Spencer & Maxwell Grey, Karen, Chris, Michael, and Timmy Williams, Robbie LaClair and his lady friend Shannon, as well as the dual purpose Eppolito family (Doc, Eggie, Lisa, Kathy & Peter), here supporting their Mary Epstein, but game on for the IronKip festivities. We're hoping we get to see the Millis family sometime soon.

We're hearing a lot of buzz on the street about how huge the IronKip team is. Lots of comments about how loved this IronKip person must be to have such a huge, noisy, enthusiastic, and mobile posse. KI looks like she's having the time of her life!

We seem to improve the sport of spectating each year. This year we have 2 tents, a dozen chairs, a grill, music, a bass drum, wood block, cow bells, and horns.

56 miles on the bike? Check!

She just came through with a huge grin. We were able to catch her in several places. Again, this year's crew is kicking butt being in every place we could possibly see her.

Best,
Melissa

Updated info

So the stats from ironmanlive.com show that ki's official swim time was 1:18:10 and she's ranked 1491 overall her killer transition time was just 6:53.

She's still on the bike and hasn't reached mile 30 quite yet. You can watch her live at ironmanlive.com

Best,
Melissa

KI ROCKS!

OK IronKip Admirers! (yep, you, Dad!)

KI did GREAT on the swim. We're pretty sure her first lap was faster than her normal split, though she came out of the water at about 1:17, which is comparable to last year.

I have to say, her swim to bike transition was significantly faster than last year. By not wearing socks on the bike or run, and wearing a tri suit, she's clearly saving a bunch of time.

She came out of the water with as big a grin as ever and made eye contact with every one of her adoring fans.

The IronKip Dot Crew this year is bigger and better than ever.

Y'all Ready For This?

So we wrapped up the final day with plenty of silliness, and off KI went to bed. No idea yet how well she slept given the nerves that were bound to creep in, but she seemed really ready and pretty darn relaxed yesterday.

Well.... I'm in bed, with some of my favorite people resting peacefully upstairs, and in hotels nearby. My kids & mom are snuggled in at my sisters a block away, and my dad let me know that he'd be wearing his O2, & ready for a full day of "Ironman Live" at his computer in Corning tomorrow.

Today was a full and busy day. Maja and her boys arrived last evening, and spent the morning on the water doing all kinds of things. Tammi and her boys also arrived last night. EuroBungy was on the schedule for kids and grown-ups this morning, followed by a pizza party and homerun derby at the local school, (orchestrated by Scott). Karen and her boys arrived this afternoon in time for several buckets of "Vermontster" at Ben and Jerry's.

With transportation provided by Auntie M, Andy and I went for a 7 a.m. swim, with Jake Teske in tow. We then left for IM 2011 registration. After that, it was a quick ride around town, & then to transition to drop off our bikes. We later went back to drop off transition bags, & cover computers & cassettes with plastic bags.

I received a phone call from Coach Krista, early this evening. She was so positive and excited, I wish I could have pulled her through the phone lines to get her here... She's the best. Pep talk, a few reminders, and last minute advice which I will take with me tomorrow.

Pre-race meal tonight was tuna with fragrant rice and salad from The Caribbean Cowboy.

Wake up call @ 4 a.m., breakfast, then off to body marking at 5.

All I have to do tomorrow is have fun.

For those of you who have not yet had a chance, please think about making a contribution to Kendra's Recovery Fund... I have chosen my 140.6 mile challenge tomorrow, they have not chosen the long-term challenges they face as a result of her accident. Thank you for all of your support...

Yip Yip!

Less than 18.5 Hours to go!!

We're in the home stretch. Just 18 hours til the swim start. IronKip is in great spirits. Her bike is racked, and her bags are nearly packed. The gang's all arriving (Jones, Grays are here now, and the Williams are on their way). As people are arriving, they're getting to see the full Scott-e-mon treatment in daylight.

This morning was a leisurely 20 minute swim with IronAndy and aspiring Ironboy Jake Teske - Ruby accompanied the team to the lake and Daddy and Romi came to surprise us shortly after they headed out into the water.

The big news for today is that both IronKip and IronAndy have officially registered for Ironman Lake Placid 2011!

After registering, the Iron Twins went for a quick bike ride, and brought their bikes into transition on the racks.

Day 2 Photo Journal

Day 2 of IronWeek Wrap up

Hi IronKip Fans, Auntie M here!

Today was a long (in a good way) day! We started with a swim, then another trip to Placid Planet and Starbucks, then Price Chopper for some last minute food and drink for the masses who will be joining us in town. IronMOM KI took the time to bake M-Dot cookies for Sunday before the girls arrived with their Grammy.

We headed down to the beach and got registered for the Ironman Kids Fun Run around 1:30. Ruby ran 1/4 mile with Mommy, Romi ran 1/2 mile with me and finished with Mommy, and Andrew ran 1 mile all on his own, but Aunt Debbie was racing pretty fast to keep up and get pictures! All three kids had great runs and finished hard!

After the race the kids took a quick dip (wading) in Mirror Lake before we headed over to the Athlete Village for the important stuff: sno-cones, balloon art, and face painting! They made IronKip support signs for race day at the Janus tent, and then headed back to the house for a late lunch and some much-needed downtime.

Romi, Ruby and I made the beds for guests while IronKip made trail mix for her IronFans to enjoy throughout the weekend. Grammy cut out special IronFan coupons for free stickers at A Placid Life for the kids to hand out on race day.

After some dilly dallying at home, IronKip, IronAndy, and Mary Eppolito headed to the Horse Show grounds for the mandatory competitors rules meeting. The night culminated with Scott, Jake Teske, Emily Paterson, and Hunter arriving. Once the whole gang got settled in, Scott revealed some pretty cool stuff he's been up to. IronAndy and Cherstin came by for a visit just in time to see Scottie's handiwork.

Tomorrow will start early with a swim, followed by - get this - Registration for Ironman Lake Placid 2011!! Both IronKip and IronAndy are back at it next year, before they even do this year's race! More power to them!

So, that's the narrative. We'll get some key photos up here shortly.

Only 2 more sleeps until Ironman Race Day!

Peace Out,

Auntie M

Ford Ironman Lake Placid Post Kids Fun Run Interview with Romi & Ruby LaClair

So, the LaClair IronGirls made their first ever post-race video! Click on the link below:

http://www.fordironmanvideos.com/wvideo.php?view_key=5314873

You'll want to turn your sound up, as it was VERY loud at the event today!

Photos of the IronKids will be up shortly!

Cheers,

Auntie M

Ironman...Ironmom...IronKip!

Taking time out after the short swim and bike test to bake MDOT cookies for the family.

The Calm Before The Storm

In just a few days this area will look like an ant hill. Right now, it's mellow and vast.

And so begins IronFriday!

Dropped IronKip and IronAndy off for a short 20 minute swim.

Will pluck them from the water and head to Placid Planet then Starbucks then figure out what'd next. It's ON baby!! Dufigh Jibi!

Our Day in Photos

OK, so I promise to do better with keeping things in order tomorrow, and we'll have a few more updates so folks can keep track of IronKip throughout the day. Here's a quick pictorial of the day on Thursday before I hit the sack. Tomorrow begins with a swim at 8 before the rain rolls in.

Starting the day

We started (after dropping off lil' speedy and grabbing SBUX) by going to registration. We picked up IronAndy and Cherstin as per our routine, and started our roll.

Our Day So Far

KI would like these pink 404 clinchers for her birthday please, Scottie!

Shopping for nuun and other nutrition at Placid Planet when we picked up Lil' Speedy.

Post swim strip. They had a relaxing swim in great time and were smiling when they got to shore.

Check out IronKip's goggle hickie. Thiw is from wearing her goggles upside down. Yep. Upside down.

Memmmmmmorieeeees

So we were talking with the folks at Placid Planet about bike sizes, and IronKip recalled her bike in between little blue and little speedy last year. I happened to have a photo of it on my phone. Enjoy!

Your video message from the Ford Ironman Triathlon

Something new in the Athlete's Village this year - Ford lets you make videos to share your experience. To see our first very giddy, very silly attempt, click on the link below:

http://www.fordironmanvideos.com/wvideo.php?view_key=47807078061282871

IronWeek Has Started!!

We began the morning with our traditional Starbucks run. We just finished race registration and packet pickup and will be heading down to Mirror Lake for the first swim of the week.

The energy in town is palpable, despite the overcast skies and damp roads. It's going to be a GREAT week! We'll keep you posted with photos an updates as we go.

Best,
Auntie M

tapering

I have been enjoying shorter, less intense workouts, and even skipped a few since my last blog. Lots of family activities and commitments, as well as an 18 hole golf tournament have occupied the days since my last entry. I got to see Kendra, (the young lady who I am raising funds for), and had a nice visit with her mother Debbie after golf, which made my day. What an amazing family. So much love, dedication, and unwavering strength.

Tomorrow, I will head to Lake Placid after Hunter's midget league playoff game. Thursday morning I'll swim with IronAndy, then weigh in & pick up race day bags, bibs, cap, & loot. I plan to post daily once I'm there, as the energy in LP this week is such that one cannot help but want to share it. It's electric.

Sounds like we'll have quite a crew on the course this year. I really look forward to seeing friends and family along the way. Melissa and Scott have lots of fun planned for dotcrewdotcom... and I loaded the suburban today with drinks, coolers, craft supplies, first aid kit, sunblock, folding chairs, and snacks for the spectators... and we're adding a second tent for shade/shelter. It's going to be a great day.

More tomorrow!

Some Pre-Race News & Notes

Hi Gang!

We're getting sooooo close to race week! Can you feel the Ironman fever? I can!

I wanted to share a few bits and bobs with IronKip's adoring public to help get folks in the loop for race day.

First of all, one thing we all need to know is that KI's bib # will be 2710 - that's the # we'll all be looking for throughout the day. Also good to know is that IronAndy will be # 1193.

Also good to know is that Ironman has finally posted the Traffic & Spectator Guide on their website. You can get to it here: http://ironmanlakeplacid.com/2010IMLPRoadClosure.pdf

This includes alternate routes to get where you need to go, which roads are closed during which hours, as well as a race course map. If you're heading to Placid to spectate in person, keep in mind that road closures begin at 5am on Sunday, and alternate routes will be VERY congested - give yourself extra time. If you don;t know Placid, I strongly recommend you park in one of the lots indicated on the guide, and take the shuttles to get around.

Lastly, If you're planning to hang with the IronKip DotCrewDotCom Posse, we'll be located on the corner of Parkside Drive and Lake Placid Club Drive, behind the tennis courts (this is provided we get out there on Friday and pitch our tents to stake our claim in time. Stay tuned for updates on this as needed. If, on race day, you find yourself not knowing where to be, you can always pop into A Placid Life, our Life is good store at the other end of Main Street (2413) and my team will be able to reach Debbie or me to help guide you to the right place.

OK, that's it for now. We'll have more updates before race day, including updated photos, and of course a narrative of the days leading up to the race (all 3 kids are doing the kids fun run on Friday!).

Dufigh Jibi!

Auntie M

Open water swim

Today's workout was a 1 hour, (roughly 2 mile), open water swim. I was struggling to find a safe way to get this swim in, as most of my kayaking friends have jobs and/or children at home to tend to.... Last night at Hunter's ball game, Coach PJ offered the idea and location for this mornings' safe swim... The water was calm, and I believe it was shallow enough for me to touch at any point during the swim, had I needed to. I hugged the shoreline from Morgia's Beach for 1/2 an hour to a little island, then made my way back to the start point. There was not a boat in sight, (which was comforting, as my biggest fear is being hit by a prop...), and the water was relatively calm for most of it.

10 days until the race. I'm getting excited.

More tomorrow!

special training partner today

Just finished a one hour run, e-z pace, per Coach Krista's training plan for the day. As I was getting ready to head out, I asked Hunter if he'd like to run a mile or two with me, after which I would run home with him, then finish up. He said sure, and as we headed out, he changed his mind & hopped on his bike. The little duffer hung in for over 4 miles, with soft tires & lots of humid heat. By far, my favorite run of the season. I love my boy.

I spoke with my coach last evening for 45 minutes, (she always pumps me up, & is so knowledgeable...). We have decided to play a bit with my hydration for the bike portion of the race. I will be doing a longer ride than I typically do this close to the race, followed by a 1 hr run. Trying a lower fructose drink than the Ironman Performance for the 1st hour of the ride, switching to diluted IMP for 2nd hour, and full IMP for the run. Hopefully this will minimize the issues I've been having with the new drink.... We shall see!

Looking for someone to kayak with me for a 2mile open water swim on either Wednesday or Thursday this week, please call if you have a boat & are available!!

Thank you to those who have donated to Kendra's recovery fund. the meter will register your donations by later today. It means a great deal to me to support this amazing family.

More tomorrow!

Boilermaker

Yesterday was a fun shorter training run. I hit the road at 4:30 a.m, picking up my neighbors Jen and Nicole, and heading to Utica for my eighth Boilermaker run with my pal Lisa. Lisa's sister Sarah also joined us, for her first 15k. We had lots of fun, lots of laughs, saw crazy things, and finished at the beer truck. My pace was deliberately slow, (for the purpose of chatting and having fun), my heart rate remained in zone two for almost the entire run. I felt like I could have run another 15K and felt pretty good.... the training is paying off. It's nice to remember that I do actually love to run....

Today, strength training at the Y with Kim, & a long swim are on the schedule. 4 baseball games for Hunter this week, followed by a weekend tournament. Romi is enrolled in a morning LAX day camp, & Ruby is doing week 2 of Dr Seuss camp for a few hours each day. Busy, busy!

More tomorrow....

Hello Ironman supporters! It's been awhile... Here's a quick month in review:

The first Sunday in June, I returned to Newfound Lake, NH for the Mooseman 1/2 iron distance triathlon. Ironman has purchased the event, and turned it into something quite different from the race I loved so much... Not much moose, but a lot of Ironman 70.3 EVERYWHERE. The bike course was changed as well, and was much more challenging than the old one. The new much steeper course coupled with chilly temps and LOTS of rain, made for a tough day. I got out of the race exactly what I had put into it, which resulted in hypothermia, dehydration, and the inspiration to train harder and smarter. A reality check of sorts. The best part of the experience was my surprise support crew consisting of Lisa, Jack, and Harrison.... swimming in the hotel pool as we arrived Saturday night. Lisa trekked across the NorthEast with my God sons, knowing there were heavy showers in the forecast all day for the race... she packed rainboots, raincoats, & lots of activities for the little guys... And MAN, were they adorable at the finish line, sloshing in mud, and puddles, and ginormous mud puddles.... Lisa never ceases to amaze me.

Since the race, I have done several longer rides, 3 of which were on part of the IMLP course. I haven't spent much time in the water, and I've done most of the running workouts prescribed by Coach Krista. My most excellent little sister Melissa has watched my children during 2 of the longer rides in LP, in one case driving 6 hours and spending the night at my house so I could get a super early start. Without her, I would not have been able to get those rides in at all.

My friend Karen Williams kayaked with me in Lake Ontario for an open water training swim, and has offered to do so again on many occasions, but the time just doesn't seem to workout... I'm hoping she'll continue to offer, as I need to get my buns in the water....

Ironman has joined forces with PowerBar, and created a new beverage which will be offered on course this year. The good news: IM sent every athlete registered for IMLP a free case. The bad news: they sent it so late in the season, that I haven't gotten used to it yet... The old Endurance formula Gatorade mixed and diluted with other stuff worked great for me in past years, and unfortunately the new stuff is giving me some gastro issues. Race day hydration for me has yet to be determined....

Scott and my kids continue to be supportive and understanding re: this training thing. Trying to juggle everyone's needs and commitments has been very challenging and demanding, resulting in skipped workouts 30% of the time. 5 a.m. long runs and rides seem to work best from a family stand point, as I am able to make it home before everyone is awake in some cases. The down side is that I run out of steam around 8pm. But I love all of it. Most of the time.

I drove to LP at 8 pm Wednesday night for my last long ride, which was Thursday morning. Temperatures were already in the mid 70s at 5:50 when I headed out. 37 miles into the 90 mile day, I hit something metal on the shoulder of the road, and gashed my tire. It took me roughly 40 minutes to wrestle the tire off, insert the new tube, and get the tire back on with a dollar bill lining the inner rubber as a makeshift patch. I phoned Placid Planet to let then know I was on my way, and headed back from Wilmington to LP. After 35 minutes there, I felt better about having struggled so with the flat repair. Apparently some of the 650 wheels are more difficult to work with than my old 700s. They too struggled to muscle the old tire off, and the new one on. At this point, I had another partial loop to do, roughly 45 miles. It was 12:04pm, half an our later than the time I would have finished the entire ride had I not blown the tire, and it was 94 degrees, full sun overhead. I felt OK, but not great for the first half of loop 2. The second half tested my mental and physical stamina like never before.... What a mental game. I felt nauseated, not thirsty, DEFINITELY not hungry, yet I had to drink lots, swallow enduralytes, and eat... while trying to see through the burning sweat constantly dripping into my eyes, maintaining forward momentum. But it's done.

As my fellow Ironman friend Jeff Kellogg says, the hay is in the barn at this point, the toughest training is behind me, and now for the taper....

Boilermaker 15K is this Sunday, and I'm looking forward to running it with my BFF Lisa Millis for the 8th consecutive year. We've done it under all conditions: a little rain, still breast feeding with a 6 mo old, 6 mos pregnant, her 6 weeks pregnant, (with what we later found out was twins), Her mom, my trainer Kim, and the list goes on. It's always a hoot to see the spectators and spectacles along the course... and this year, I'm heading there with 2 gal pals from Watertown at 4:45 a.m. Nicole and Jen B. Can't wait.

I will post again, and appreciate everyone's support and encouragement!!

It's been awhile!

Hello! I have a few minutes of uninterrupted time to update my progress... I'm in the thick of training for Ironman Lake Placid again, (currently 8 days until Mooseman 1/2 Ironman, and 57 days until IMLP). The past several weeks have been increasingly intense as far as training, and family requirements. As always, my family comes first, and it's been a real challenge getting in even 75% of the training... Rides and runs have ramped up in both time and intensity. I've actually been swimming a bit, which is not something I've been good about doing prior to my first two IM events.

I'm enjoying the new bike much more this year. I am hopeful that by riding the Cervelo for the entire training season, I will feel strong and confident on race day. Last year, I was fitted for the bike only 3 1/2 weeks before IM, allowing my body very little time in the saddle to adjust to the new muscle recruitment patterns the new bike required. I'm feeling much better about "lil speedy" so far this year. I just hit the 1100 mile mark yesterday on the new wheels... and I LOVE IT!

I ran the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach in March again this year as a training race. Mom and Dad drove from D.C., & met Romi, my friend Tammi & I at the airport. We had some St Patties Day fun, bought and lost a hermit crab, drank a little too much too close to the race, and had a great time. I hadn't trained very hard for the distance, and had technical difficulties the morning of the race, which added comedy and new challenges to the day. I will continue to do this one as many years as I can, as it is my favorite marathon venue.

Coach Krista is still steering me and my training in the right direction. I saw her in February for fitness testing on both the bike and treadmill. We have been using that data for my training this spring, and I feel pretty good about how things are going. Krista will be leaving Baltimore In June for a great job opportunity with a race team in Boulder CO. Thankfully, she will continue to coach me. She is one of my idols, and such a positive influence in my life. I love her, her positive energy, and her confidence in me. Hopefully I'll still get to see her a few times a year.... She is an amazing woman and athlete.

My sister Auntie Em, (or M, or however you all want to spell it), continues to be a great support. She is becoming a triathlete herself, with a few races on her schedule this summer. I will keep everyone posted on her progress through IronKip.

Scottie, my sweet Scottie... he continues to be my very significant other half, in so many ways. Lots of encouragement, ideas, suggestions, and support. I couldn't do any of this without him.

I continue to draw strength from my kids, who are the breath in my sails. They are all busy with school, friends, and activities which include baseball, hip hop, ballet & tap, lacrosse, gymnastics, and school ... I think of all they do in a week, and I laugh, and shake my head. We all are looking forward to summer vacation, and some unscheduled fun.

And so it begins...

While she's been out and about running around Mirror Lake, down Route 11 narrowly escaping the wrath of snowplows, and pumping away on her bike in the basement for months now, it seems that training season is ramping up and the snow is melting away.

On Sunday March 21st, KI finished the VA Beach Shamrock Marathon! Here, in her own words, is what she learned from this "training run":

Note to self: never run a marathon without your HR monitor, or at LEAST a pacing device. Never wear a new storage contraption on race day, and never run the 1st 16 miles without nutrition. Having said that, had a GREAT day, hit the wall at mile 14ish, but muddled through & finished just in time for some beer, Irish stew, and a kickin' band at the finish party!

And so it begins! We'll get KI to start getting on and providing updates regarding her training some time soon. It's not easy when you've got 3 super busy kids and are sneaking training in whenever you can, but we know she can do it. It's time for a 3peat and I'm hedging my bets that she shaves more time off her Ironman finish again this year....for she IS IronKip.

Love,

Auntie M