Green Lake | Luv What You Do

Tri Season Begins [and Ends] July 31, 2012

Filed under: Biking,Races,Running,Travel,Triathlon — Luv What You Do @ 10:09 pm
Tags: family, Green Lake, sunrise, Wisconsin

This year’s triathlon season began this weekend in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Since it was my only tri of the summer, I was really looking forward to the weekend! Sadly, I had a cold leading up to the race but was so happy to wake up Sunday with an unstuffed nose and a clear head. We had a fantastic day on Saturday playing on the lake before Sunday’s early morning rise. The sun was just creeping up over the trees and the lake looked calm and peaceful.

Note to self…don’t ever forget to bring oatmeal for out of town races or you’re breakfast will be this hodgepodge of brown rice, almond milk, banana, and blueberries. Luckily, it tasted a little better than it looked!

We headed down to the pier to load our bikes onto the boat. I thought it was neat to drive to packet pickup in a boat, but arriving at a triathlon by boat…EVEN COOLER!!!

I loved the wind in my hair as we bounced across the lake heading towards the race site.

Look who was leading the way and even more excited to arrive!

We unloaded our bikes at the pier and made our way to the transition site. The Ripon Medical Center triathlon is a small (around 200 people) community race. The transition area was easy to access and the other races were warm and friendly.

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The best part about the morning was watching the sun rise over the lake!

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It was stunning!

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Our pre-race pictures!

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Just before the boys entered the water, my parents and the BOY got dropped off to watch the race and cheer us on. I was feeling a little nervous before entering the water.

The boys went in about 10 minutes before me making the swim look easy (because for them…it is!).

Finally it was our time…

While I was out in the water, the boys came out of the water and went into transition. My Dad got some awesome action shots along the way!

What felt like hours later (although it was closer to 16 minutes), I finally excited the water and strolled my way into transition.

My thoughts on my swim…the first 5 minutes went wonderfully. I was calm, my stroke was strong-ish, and I channeled my inner Olympian. Then I hit the first buoy, slowed down a bit, rounded the second buoy, and my goggles fogged up completely and I had no idea where I was going. I was able to make my way back to the beach, but my goggles were already starting to leak. I finished the last few feet breast stroking with my goggles on my forehead before dragging myself out of the water. My swim was slow, but steady and I was thrilled that I stayed calm and actually had some fun this time.

I took my time in transition feeling excited to have the bike and run ahead of me. It was a gorgeous day to be out for a bike ride!

I mounted my bike and rode off towards the 1 mile long hill that started the 15 mile bike ride. It was a tough transition powering up the hill, but once I made it to the highway, I hit my stride. It was a beautiful day for a bike ride and I love biking through the rolling hills surrounded by greens and farmland. The miles flew by, and I got a lot of practice switching my gears. I passed a few people around my age around mile 5 and then was on my own for most of the bike, except for the speedy guys on aerobikes whizzing by me. The ride was hilly, but for me the hardest part was riding the one mile back down to transition along the winding hill at 25mph. I kept one hand on the brake and my eyes fixed forward hoping that I didn’t fall. I arrived safely to transition about 15 minutes after my brother…

Before heading out for a hilly 5K run. Didn’t my dad get some incredible photos?!

When I made it back to transition, there was only one portion of the race left and it was my favorite! I hit the run at full speed and then realized that I was headed back up another huge 1 mile hill. Yikes! The 5K was non-stop up and down, and I was happy that I had been training in the hills this summer! I saw my brother right before the half way turn around point, and my parents were waiting for him at the finish.

A few minutes later, it was my turn to sprint to the finish. With the help of the hill, I had whole lot of momentum (and some adrenaline) to carry me across the finish line with the Fam cheering me on the whole way!

During the last uphill portion of the run, I felt the strongest that I had all summer. It was an amazing feeling! It’s been a year of ups and downs and a few weeks of stress, but climbing up that final hill, I finally felt like a triathlete! When I crossed the finish, I was in great spirits. I loved everything about this race. It was well run with some of the friendliest and most enthusiastic volunteers that I have ever seen. And…who doesn’t want to dig into a huge slice (or four) of watermelon when they’re done?! Not to mention that I did beat my brother by a full four minutes : )

Post race…we were all smiles!!! And, planning to return next summer to compete in the Green Lake Triathlon again!!! I hope to see some of you there!

We boarded our boat to head back home for some food and a victory beer!

Plus a few handfuls of chocolate covered raisins…one of my post race favorite snacks!!! All in all, it was such a fun and exciting weekend, and I am thrilled to have competed in my third tri season. Even though it was the shortest of the three, it was definitely a weekend to remember! I am huge fan of the sprint distance triathlon, and I see many more in my future : )

A few days post race, I am feeling incredible! My shoulders are a little sore (will someone please refer me back to this post next summer when it comes time for training in the pool?!), but I was back on my bike this morning for a leisurely ride, and I am looking forward to my family visiting this weekend. Saturday, it is back to Wisconsin for the Rugged Maniac Mud Run!

Final Results

Swim: 16:00

Transition 1: 2:40

15 mile Bike: 55:49

Transition 2: 1:40

5k Run: 24:43

TOTAL: 1:40:50

Overall Place: 71

Division Place: 3/10

Female Place: 16/73

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This Weekend in Wisconsin July 29, 2012

Filed under: Races,Travel,Triathlon — Luv What You Do @ 8:28 pm
Tags: Green Lake, Olympics, Sunset, Wisconsin

Despite my cold, this weekend was fantastic and I’m not even sure where to begin. I guess the best place is to thank everyone for your support with this weekend’s race. I so appreciate the texts, emails, comments, rides, dinner, bike concierge, help with my gear, cheerleading, and photography (Dad…you did great work with my camera!). I was smiling all weekend!

On Friday, we hit the road for Green Lake, Wisconsin. We have close family friends with a house on the lake. Their son, my brother and I were all doing the short distance triathlon on Sunday. The three of us have never done a race together and after a year of talking about, I was excited for the weekend! I knew that we would have a lot of fun hanging out (because we always do) and that this no-pressure race would be a fun way to be active and see more of Green Lake. On the way up, I saw the biggest (and by that I mean the widest) rainbow that I have ever seen in my entire life. I swear you could see every color clearly, and this picture doesn’t even do it justice!

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The BOY and I arrived a few minutes after my family just as the sun was setting over the lake.

By the time we unpacked the car, my Mom already had a dinner spread set out for everyone. We tucked into the couches to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. I guess I should warn you that I LOVE the Olympic games. I used to think that I was going to be an Olympic gymnasts…crazy, I know…that is a story for a different day! We dug into all of the sweets that I had made for the weekend and had a great time watching the parade of countries, trying to guess the sport of the flag holder, before the final torch was lit.

We went to bed at a reasonable time and were up early for some fun on the lake. We all piled into the boat before breakfast to enjoy the beautiful weather and watch my brother do a wakeboard run.

After the boat ride, our friend and I went out for a 30 minute run. When we got back, most of the gang was awake, so we went over to the sand bar to hang out and throw around a football.

Then zipped across the lack for packet pickup. Coolest way to travel to packet pick up EVER!

I was feeling less congested which was great, but my energy was totally shot! I am surprised how much this cold took out of me. I was starting to feel a little nervous, especially as the competitive talk between my brother and I began. When we arrived at the site, they were already starting to set up for the race. The three of us (my bro, our friend, and I) headed up to get our packets. The boys had done this race in the past, so they knew exactly where to go.

It was a gorgeous day and the views from the race site were impressive!

We arrived home to find the pups catching up on the Olympic games.

I jumped in the shower and then headed down to the pier for the ceremonial pre-triathlon braiding of the hair while the BOY, Mom and I sipped on a cocktail.

With skirt steak on the menu, the BOY was pegged for grilling duty. My contribution to dinner was the pasta, which I took care of quickly. Unfortunately, the grill was a few burners short, and so the rest of dinner (minus the pasta) took much longer than expected. I strolled down to the dock to watch the sun set (and take a few dozen pictures) before dinner.

Dinner was incredible! I had salmon, pasta, grilled veggies with olive oil, and ramen slaw and was seriously stuffed by the time I crashed on the couch. I had zero room for dessert, but everyone else dug into the fudge and puppy chow.

Despite taking an afternoon nap, I was wiped out from my cold and the day. I watched a little of the Olympics, trying to channel my inner Michael Phelps and Park Tae-hwan for the triathlon swim. Then, packed up my gear (checking everything for a second and third time) before heading up to bed around 10.

As I lay in bed, I went through the morning’s race in my head trying to remember all of the details of transition and mentally preparing myself for the swim. I did two tri’s last summer, but it’s been almost a year since my last one, which left me feeling a little rusty. Although I felt well-trained, I wasn’t sure how much the cold would wear me out, and I knew it was going to be a hilly race. Despite my nerves (which are pretty typical for me the night before a race), I slept great! Until 5:20am on race day when my alarm went off before the sun was rising…

Coming up next…Race Day in Green Lake, Wisconsin!

Can’t wait to read about this weekend’s triathlon details? Here are last summer’s tri posts:

TREK Women’s Triathlon Part I

TREK Women’s Triathlon Part II

Bang’s Lake Olympic Distance

More Triathlon Photos

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Wisconsin Weekend Part II June 26, 2012

Filed under: Dinner,Seafood,Travel,Vegetables — Luv What You Do @ 9:21 pm
Tags: BBQ, CSA, Green Lake, Sunset, Wisconsin

Let’s get back to the weekend! I think I left off with the group heading up to the house to make dinner after a fun and exciting day of biking and boating!

While everyone was getting cleaned off and pitching in to make dinner, the BOY and I decided to introduce the gang to our favorite appetizer, Grilled Feta!

Nobody had ever heard of it, but they were more than willing to try it out. We put a plate on the table, and people moved in and out of the room, stopping for bites of this warm gooey cheese. They were very impressed, and by the time dinner was ready, there were only a few crumbles remaining!

Our friends are doing a CSA this year and they brought up this week’s share. It included these sweet and delicious strawberries that I just had to snap a picture of!

My Mom and I were in charge of the dinner veggies. Quite possibly, I spent more time eating berries and cheese, but I did manage to wash and cut a few veggies as well. We made a huge fresh salad with the lettuce from the CSA.

Meanwhile, the men were in charge of the grill, with some assistance from this furry friend (most likely looking for handouts)!

I must say, there was a lot of excitement and chatter going on near the grill area.

Our dinner turned out fantastic…especially this basket of stirfry CSA vegetables! And the teriyaki salmon was mouth watering perfection. I told the BOY to take notes because cedar plank salmon is my FAVORITE grilled fish!

After dinner, we headed outside for some wine and the sunset…two things that you know I LOVE!

It looked like it was going to be a promising evening!

We all gathered around the pier to watch the sun setting and my dad play with this fun new toy!

Which he almost lost under the pier, but DID loose under the aqua patio!

The rescue mission provided us with some much needed entertainment as the sky was cloudier than I realized and the sunset was a little bland.

I did manage to take a few pretty photos, but the conversations and laughter were the highlight of our night!

That is until we all loaded back into the boat for some ice cream!

There is an adorable little ice cream parlor on the other side of the lake, and we eagerly trekked in excited to try all of their unique flavors!

Everyone loved their ice cream (and the chocolate turtle that we purchased)! The BOY ordered a caramel sundae, which I must have eaten half of, and my Mom got this cotton candy ice cream that tasted EXACTLY like cotton candy. I was a bigger fan of the chocolate fudge ice cream hiding underneath.

We all piled back into the house exhausted after our long day of eating and activity. I happily flung myself up onto the top bunk above the BOY were I crashed immediately. I was so happy and relaxed after a fun day in Wisconsin and feeling so grateful for the close friends and family that I have. I was looking forward to our next morning together before the BOY and I had to return home to the real world.

Did you miss it???

Here is the first Wisconsin Weekend post!

And you can read about our 4th of July trip to Green Lake last year too!

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Wisconsin Weekend June 24, 2012

Filed under: Biking,Running,Travel — Luv What You Do @ 10:07 pm
Tags: BRICK, Green Lake, Sunset, Wisconsin

It seems like I haven’t opened my laptop in forever, when really it has just been two action-packed days. The BOY and I headed up to Wisconsin to spend the weekend with my parents at our close friend’s home on Green Lake. We drove up Friday afternoon, and the skies were clear and the roads not too crowded.

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The moment we crossed the border into Wisconsin, the BOY and I were already feeling more relaxed!

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It was perfect driving weather, and the view of the open fields, timeless farm houses, and sun setting was beautiful as we chatted throughout the 3 hour drive.

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We were the first to arrive, so we found a local pub with outdoor seating on the lake to grab some dinner and the last of the sunset.

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Don’t we just look more relaxed???

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I think the Spotted Cow beer definitely helped!

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The BOY was thrilled to find cheese curds on the menu (this is Wisconsin after all), which he quickly inhaled! We split the Haddock and Perch Friday Fish Fry, which we really enjoyed!

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As the sun was setting, we made our way back to the house to meet up with everyone else as they arrived. The BOY and I opened a bottle of wine (this is a new one that I found at Trader Joe’s) before heading out for a late night boat ride. Under the star-studded sky we caught up on life, listened to music, and appreciated our natural surroundings.

The next morning, I was up early and full of energy. I was looking forward to hitting the hills on my bike, but first…a boat ride around the lake. What an amazing way to start the day!

I was able to recruit a friend to brave the 26 mile loop around the lake. This is the same route we took last year, except I stopped for some lake view shots.

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The hills were rough and at one point, I looked down and saw that I was riding downhill at 31mph. Man, I love biking in Wisconsin!!!

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After our 25 mile bike ride, we decided to tack on a short 2 mile run. My legs felt like Jello, but it was easy to cool off with the drizzling rain that started just as we were heading out. We made great time on our ride and run, finishing the BRICK in a little over 2 hours. When I returned home, I found the BOY reading by the water. I was super sweaty and ready to hang out on the pier.

The afternoon got even more exciting when my parents arrived just as the sun was beginning to peak out from behind the clouds.

We all piled onto the boat for some water fun!

On a whim, I decided that I wanted to try out my rusty water ski skills. I haven’t skied in at least 2 years, and my legs were crazy tired, but I really wanted to get into the cool water. I figured, why not give skiing another try?!

And…I popped up on my first attempt!

Woohoo! I skied around for a few minutes, even surviving some choppy waters. I attempted to cross the wake, made it out before toppling over. With a smile on my face, I called it quits, hanging my hat on my one successful run. Maybe water skiing is a little like riding a bike!

After some skiing and wakeboarding, we headed back to the dock to pick up refreshments.

And then rode around the lake chatting, sipping on some wine, and taking in the gorgeous homes and spectacular views.

By the time, we pulled back into the dock, it was time for dinner. After a long day, we were all pretty hungry, so we walked up to the house to get started on dinner prep. We had some fresh organic produce and tons of hands to help in the kitchen. First, I just needed a shower.

To Be Continued…

More Wisconsin Weekend Fun to Come!

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Green Lake Day Two July 6, 2011

Filed under: Dinner,Drinks,Travel — Luv What You Do @ 9:14 pm
Tags: CSA, Fireworks, Green Lake, Sunset, Wisconsin

Sunday was another gorgeous day in Green Lake, Wisconsin. After a busy and active day, it was nice to relax a little before dinner. Sunday night’s dinner started off with some refreshing sangria. Thanks Mom! I discovered this Hungry Girl recipe a few years back and it has been a staple at most get togethers ever since!

It is easy and tastes great, so when my mom suggested making an impromptu batch before dinner, I was all for it. We didn’t have any sprite or ginger ale (and I am not drinking soda) so we used raspberry lime flavored sparkling water instead. We used some of the fresh fruit we had cut up for breakfast and lunch.

And although we didn’t let it sit overnight as usual, it turned out perfectly!

We had many people stopping by, for example a neighbor with wild asparagus (that he found locally) homemade soup. The pups were ready and waiting by the door. There was ‘emergency’ garlic bread AND ‘emergency’ pizza.

Plus, the beets finally made it to the grill along with some broccoli (from the CSA) and asparagus (probably from Costco).

We enjoyed another fabulous dinner (although our beets did not turn out…I think we need to slice them next time). The scenery was beautiful and there were smiles and laughter throughout the house. I was too busy enjoying the meal to take any pictures.

We then headed down to the dock for another amazing sunset…

I swear this could be a post card! A few of us gathered around the fire for s’mores and cigars.

And another fireworks show courtesy of our brave friends on the boat. I can’t believe these things are legal in Wisconsin.

It was wonderful to get away for an active and healthy weekend with close family and friends!!! I can’t think of a better way to spend the 4th of July!

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Open Water Swim July 4, 2011

Filed under: Biking,Swimming,Travel,Triathlon — Luv What You Do @ 9:21 pm
Tags: Green Lake, Wisconsin

One benefit of this weekend in Green Lake, Wisconsin was getting in an open water swim before next weekend’s sprint triathlon. I woke up Sunday morning to discover an extra guest at the house for breakfast. Look who stopped by for a treat (or two)!

I ate some fresh fruit and headed down to the pier with my mom for a swim. This was her first time practicing in the open water.

We ‘hired’ an escort to keep an eye on us during our swim. Luckily, the lake was still calm and smooth. Thanks T!

My mom bravely entered the water…then returned with some assistance.

Here I go!

Success! We swam a little over a 1/2 mile.

I was tired after my swim, but I felt great. It definitely helped build my confidence for next weekend. Afterwards, I took a quick spin on the kayak…

And then headed out for a bike ride around Green Lake. We definitely had an active weekend!

We rode 25 miles up and down some impressive hills. It was a beautiful day for a bike ride with a nice breeze and gorgeous views. Unfortunately, I only took a few pictures when we stopped and didn’t get any of the lake or downtown views.

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Taking our Week 3 CSA on the Road to Wisconsin

Filed under: Chicken,Dinner,Salad,Seafood,Travel,Vegetarian — Luv What You Do @ 8:22 pm
Tags: CSA, Fireworks, Green Lake, Sunset, Wisconsin

Hello!!!

I hope that everyone had a fabulous fourth of July weekend! I spent the weekend up in Green Lake, Wisconsin with friends and family. W had such a fabulous time boating, swimming, cooking, biking, fireworking, and spending time together catching up. I unplugged for the weekend (no cell phone, no laptop…I didn’t even wear a watch), so I am back home and looking forward to sharing our weekend with you.

We left early Saturday morning. I made some overnight oats with strawberries to go. What a well rounded portable breakfast!!! We packed up the car, including my bike, and hit the road.

My mom brought up this week’s vegetables and fruits from our CSA, which we used to prepare a delicious dinner on Saturday night. We started with a salad using our fresh lettuce and a few other vegetables, such as the Kohlrabi.

We sliced up some of the other veggies for the grill.

We weren’t exactly sure what to do with the fennel and the beets.

The men were in charge of the meat. They grilled up some marinated salmon and chicken.

There was ‘Emergency’ garlic bread while we waited.

And the BOY enjoyed a bag of chips.

Dinner was enjoyed by friends old and new around a huge table with some spectacular wine and easy conversation. The food was fantastic and the fresh veggies were a hit!