tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53656894553325493602024-03-13T18:33:17.120-05:00TRI Mommy TRIThe joys and struggles of training and racing during pregnancy, motherhood and beyond!Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.comBlogger208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-60354937097850771422023-10-09T10:19:00.000-05:002023-10-09T10:19:32.786-05:00Spain<p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Going into the National Championships, I had a couple goals in mind. After looking at past results, I believed I could make the podium (top 10 make podium). I have only ever done the Olympic distance at Nationals in the past, and I only made the podium once (2 years ago I was 9th). My very first year of racing Nationals was back in 2014. Top 18 qualify for Team USA with the Olympic distance, and that was my #1 goal, as Chicago was hosting the World Championships in 2015 (qualification happens a year prior). I made it, finishing 17th! There are also what is known as “roll down” slots. Basically, Team USA can take a total of 18 per age group and slots will roll down as far as 29th. My goal was definitely to automatically qualify though and lock down my spot!</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Of my 7 years racing Nationals, my first 6 were Olympic distance, and I have automatically qualified 4 of those times, been offered a roll down slot once (the year I decided 2 weeks prior to the race that I would do it so I started biking and swimming 2 weeks out), and I failed to finish in the top 29 once (my worst race ever when I wanted to drop out and quit). This year was my first year with the Sprint distance. Only EIGHT automatically qualify with the sprint distance. In the past I have always felt that I had slim chance of being able to automatically qualify with the sprint distance. My philosophy in the past was always that I could out-train people in the longer distances, but that I have never been naturally fast enough to compete well at shorter distances. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-kbD-Ch-iRSa_h6ZkxpG-ENnAXPvH8v2RDWMj2-w8G1CII-PWNUiNjsnpQCYPDVWS2dQL8BoE8pVpYeZYFLZe_-OCPWVBiz3Pur0hWm22sgKK97lt3p-Bqmo-TR7SJKFZpTfO8D4u8gh4ADlsJj7hB-0YXu6MVynN2pI-K5jPg8IyB0Un2l2wHUH0jqd/s3888/ITU%20Worlds%2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-kbD-Ch-iRSa_h6ZkxpG-ENnAXPvH8v2RDWMj2-w8G1CII-PWNUiNjsnpQCYPDVWS2dQL8BoE8pVpYeZYFLZe_-OCPWVBiz3Pur0hWm22sgKK97lt3p-Bqmo-TR7SJKFZpTfO8D4u8gh4ADlsJj7hB-0YXu6MVynN2pI-K5jPg8IyB0Un2l2wHUH0jqd/s320/ITU%20Worlds%2015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">2015 Chicago World Championship</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Things have also changed in the triathlon world. When I was racing World’s at the Olympic distance (2015 & 2016), the sprint distance raced the same weekend at the same venue. Then a couple years ago, they separated the World Championships for them, moving the Sprint World Championships from the fall to the summer, and making it a draft legal race. This means that, even though I could qualify in a non-draft National Championship race using my time trial bike, I would need a road bike for World’s and racing strategy changes as well (time trial bikes/aero bars are not legal in draft legal races for safety reasons).</span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>At first the draft legal concept was intimidating (my first bike crash was drafting related), but the summer time frame was VERY appealing! It felt like this was my shot at having the opportunity to compete for Team USA again. I coach volleyball in the fall, so when it was in Chicago, I only had to miss one game. When I went to Cozumel, I had to miss a week of volleyball, which is pretty uncomfortable as head coach. As my team was improving over the years, I just couldn’t miss any time in the gym anymore. After that, I stopped taking any Team USA slots that I was offered.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NLdOFE_aPeTxDbESPKnKPAgxphKSgx042JYCuQ1idpQMgaFSLghrbM3kfOm_tqsnv4gOJbj0KlESx-eQeanmWXj0zm8y71FK-LeZ8BCO7F6INcy-1hM8v5z1p_MQ5mYcjMdXuLPZ_8BWMQA5UU0sr4G6_bxVmlkWDUQZegj1tk9taIiYxr-IzFfEgZS_/s3216/Cozumel%20Tri%2070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="3216" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NLdOFE_aPeTxDbESPKnKPAgxphKSgx042JYCuQ1idpQMgaFSLghrbM3kfOm_tqsnv4gOJbj0KlESx-eQeanmWXj0zm8y71FK-LeZ8BCO7F6INcy-1hM8v5z1p_MQ5mYcjMdXuLPZ_8BWMQA5UU0sr4G6_bxVmlkWDUQZegj1tk9taIiYxr-IzFfEgZS_/s320/Cozumel%20Tri%2070.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">2016 Cozumel World Championship</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Going into Nationals, I assumed Sprint World’s would take place in the summer of 2024 (ideally in July like it was this year). A couple weeks after Nationals, qualifiers received an email stating that dates were yet to be announced, but that it would likely be in October. By that point, I was already decided on accepting my spot if the dates were possible. I had tried on Team USA race kits at Nationals for sizing. I was ready to take the plunge, even though it meant competing in a draft-legal race.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A couple days ago, the dates were officially announced as October 17-20. Sprint World’s will compete alongside Olympic distance again in the fall. It may stay that way. As disappointing as it is, it just means that I will have to shift towards a new goal. There have also been rumors that Nationals will be hosted in New Jersey in September next year, which I would not want to do. Maybe it’s just time to take a season off from triathlon again.</p><div><br /></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-8507823326320752062023-09-11T10:26:00.002-05:002023-09-11T10:26:50.947-05:00Running Bear Triathlon 2023<p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As the 2x champion of this race, and it being a good “just for the fun of it” type of race, I decided to go up to Three Lakes for the Running Bear triathlon again this year. Baya came along with me, and we just went up for the day. We had done a family trip right after Nationals, so with only a week between Nationals and this race, I did zero training again for it. </span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lfyfL9S0MD_hst4sedqhGIWtYtGzsGwDnrJYBEwufw5z5jt6Xe7gvESj1ELq5n0JlTIluw5PmF6Ql5IqpaJ2d8BxGitfRWZpOOUn7OriHqTdgpRy1n1Q2jA1_xvy2elfDXlYnoPQkGn3kmvvpNtZveBMJ7vAKi6JSyKbbh2eyxTFk8NoehaYxKEm5kC-/s4032/IMG_3964.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: lem;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_lfyfL9S0MD_hst4sedqhGIWtYtGzsGwDnrJYBEwufw5z5jt6Xe7gvESj1ELq5n0JlTIluw5PmF6Ql5IqpaJ2d8BxGitfRWZpOOUn7OriHqTdgpRy1n1Q2jA1_xvy2elfDXlYnoPQkGn3kmvvpNtZveBMJ7vAKi6JSyKbbh2eyxTFk8NoehaYxKEm5kC-/s320/IMG_3964.JPG" width="320" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div> While the intention is just to have fun with this race, of course I can’t be happy with subpar performance either. It’s a tough balance to find. If someone knows the secret to that, let me know! This is the race that starts with the bike and ends with the swim. The bike route is a fun one, and 2 men pulled away pretty early, leaving me in 3rd behind them. I wear running shoes for this race, so I can make the first transition as fast as possible. When I got to the cabin (T1) to drop my bike off, I literally hopped off and told a volunteer, “Here take it,” and quick took off my helmet and hit the road running.<p></p><p></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I knew the men had quite the lead at that point so I knew it would take a fast run to try to close the gap. Not far behind me though was the next woman, who I knew had been a good collegiate runner. I could not let up on the gas at that point. The run is brutal though! There are so many tough hills. I glanced behind me a few times to see if I could see her gaining on me. I didn’t want her to pass me without me knowing it was coming! Nearing the end of the run and not seeing anyone coming up on me, I felt confident that I could hold the lead, but unfortunately I also hadn’t caught sight of either of the men in front of me.</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NS_Jm2io5f4afChfDRipQDazG2sy990SlOeONdiTJQ7DkGZLCzskHcslo5xssM-Si5OJbue-dF4dBG7dM--GZt2Ed7jaeMvBov2JUTDe8W4h0kEd_eHzPa7xhic2HmmxGZh7q8lAEAMkk982a4TPVTPur1x-E4xaVm9LPo3BiPMHPAZ8IXze2F3Kv5VK/s4032/IMG_3970.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NS_Jm2io5f4afChfDRipQDazG2sy990SlOeONdiTJQ7DkGZLCzskHcslo5xssM-Si5OJbue-dF4dBG7dM--GZt2Ed7jaeMvBov2JUTDe8W4h0kEd_eHzPa7xhic2HmmxGZh7q8lAEAMkk982a4TPVTPur1x-E4xaVm9LPo3BiPMHPAZ8IXze2F3Kv5VK/s320/IMG_3970.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>My strategy for the race this year was to make transitions as fast as possible, so for T2, I hardly slowed down. A volunteer handed me my goggles from my transition bag, I kicked off my shoes as I ran, and just kept going with my socks on. By time I was down on the dock, I could see the lead male exiting the water and the second male ahead of me at least halfway across. I guess I wasn’t beating the males this year either, but I was first female overall by almost 4 full minutes, which in a race that short, is a sizable distance.</span><p></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>That concludes the triathlon season already for 2023! Now I wait for an official announcement regarding dates for Spain.</span></p><div><br /></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-6038739597175229562023-08-31T22:24:00.008-05:002023-08-31T22:24:59.809-05:00USAT Milwaukee Sprint Nationals<p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This was my 7th time racing at USAT Nationals, but every other year I have raced the Olympic distance (1500m swim/40k bike/10k run). Sprint distance is literally half the distance in each event, which made the training load a lot more manageable amidst the chaos of our lives right now. It still seemed like too much at times, and I had seriously contemplated pulling out of it altogether. I love finding out what I am capable of though, so I pushed through. Looking at past results, I thought I had a chance at making podium (which I have only done once before at Nationals – 2 years ago when I placed 9th). It takes making top 8 to automatically qualify for the World Championships, but I thought I had a chance, so that was my goal going into the race. Shoot high, right?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHx1CrWOBkguuaPUrvpBA6f65AD-s-tQb3_1m51YwWl-kCIqD4kSJ68gr-_tZxcGwZvt0I0lbtgKtKKOXDuaE3npAfWgpQ4TV_VetRNRPDMbH7jJHPy4d3RrjA9g2J0WU-I9sCFHYqchRw0u9Nt6tPhX1NUGKJfGG3VlIk2NET0iFrCoqG9zMmqi9og2X/s3748/USAT%20Milwaukee%202.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2499" data-original-width="3748" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHx1CrWOBkguuaPUrvpBA6f65AD-s-tQb3_1m51YwWl-kCIqD4kSJ68gr-_tZxcGwZvt0I0lbtgKtKKOXDuaE3npAfWgpQ4TV_VetRNRPDMbH7jJHPy4d3RrjA9g2J0WU-I9sCFHYqchRw0u9Nt6tPhX1NUGKJfGG3VlIk2NET0iFrCoqG9zMmqi9og2X/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As I was packing for the race, I could not find one of my triathlon gear bags. Since our house is under construction and we are living in only half of it right now, we have yet to unpack all of our boxes. After driving myself crazy that I could not find it, I accepted the fact that I would have to just buy a race belt (usually around $10) at the race expo. For Nationals, we have to pick up our race packet as well as check in our bike the day before the race. Fortunately, I caught the fact that I had missed the packet pick-up closing time and adjusted our leave time (I would have been 2 hours late and missed it!). We of course didn’t leave as early as I was hoping either, and then after we left we had to turn back around to switch out cars because the one we started with didn’t sound so good! I spent the rest of the drive stressing out about getting parked and to packet pick-up in time.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtgpYXlYtpgoxC1PnUZvWWRu544AdAXW4cFhu1ndm5WvW9u9R_kWhYN-lDmI1OcvZSMo2W9pfyKqHdxgz0RDmmpLbma9KTm8tNen3T1nVfD3vav8C7_bmticIMkfsym0mOWvZNRUEeeM4JEwkvzVyugBALb2S7WA5MLEetZRHo9tehiY1DhnM_jTsJnGV/s3683/USAT%20Milwaukee%2036.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2455" data-original-width="3683" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtgpYXlYtpgoxC1PnUZvWWRu544AdAXW4cFhu1ndm5WvW9u9R_kWhYN-lDmI1OcvZSMo2W9pfyKqHdxgz0RDmmpLbma9KTm8tNen3T1nVfD3vav8C7_bmticIMkfsym0mOWvZNRUEeeM4JEwkvzVyugBALb2S7WA5MLEetZRHo9tehiY1DhnM_jTsJnGV/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%2036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Andy dropped me off with my gear and I made it to packet pick-up with 15 minutes to spare. Whew! After getting all checked in, buying a new race belt at the expo, and doing a shake-out run, Andy and I went out to eat. Later as we were pulling into our hotel, I realized that I had forgotten to pack my pre-race breakfast! I ALWAYS pack my breakfast, which is ALWAYS the same thing every time. Things just didn’t seem to be going my way. The hotel offered a packed breakfast bag to-go that I was able to pick up in the morning, and it actually had good pre-race items. I got my transition set up, and my wave started at 7:23am, which was great compared to a 9:22am start that I would have had with the Olympic distance!</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM44ZfuowFvpALnOuGtiI9SKlpz1PpkuDF0lyIYx2j_7Xk43TDofECxDcNIhL51nSBOwJNY5Q9VyVY1sXxfF8fOA_Fbr_aPxJ0LqjGNesrcZXFFdv-CWVuLSg9oJJ5LWdWgLbitlS5hec--DUDioBw79nLOb8_6RnQN_27zlb59ARoQ2eWUNs5UBGu3HSP/s2697/USAT%20Milwaukee%2071.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="2697" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM44ZfuowFvpALnOuGtiI9SKlpz1PpkuDF0lyIYx2j_7Xk43TDofECxDcNIhL51nSBOwJNY5Q9VyVY1sXxfF8fOA_Fbr_aPxJ0LqjGNesrcZXFFdv-CWVuLSg9oJJ5LWdWgLbitlS5hec--DUDioBw79nLOb8_6RnQN_27zlb59ARoQ2eWUNs5UBGu3HSP/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%2071.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I felt like I had a good start with my swim but it wasn’t long before I was getting passed. My time was slower than what I know I should be able to do, but I didn’t want to focus on my time being slow. I hoped to make up for it on the bike. I was really grateful for the shorter distances while I was out there racing! The bike ended up being a lot tougher than what I was hoping. The first half went alright, but when it came to the bridge, the cross wind was so brutal that when I got to the downhill, I felt like the wind could literally knock me over. I had the disc on the back wheel, but I think even if I hadn’t had that on, I would have still felt unsteady. That was the most terrified I have ever felt in the wind. I needed to take advantage of the downhill to make up for the lost time in the ascent, but I felt so unsteady that I stayed out of my aero bars and I could not push the speed. That was incredibly discouraging.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaqQLe051KwZFB6U403Oj2iNawf49KOIrCNrPyUMvJNdYYEMilSHtWQcfp2rh5rWVcD1-OtG9puJOzKLmwS95ZaY7DWEcinmW9jF2QChvLxEn4yXvm5H36EVHD7F7Evv4sEF3Odenvyvcbo_sl-iaNhDkPYru_C0o3gMbtdIJew4cN7gr5lAaX1fkSn7N/s2510/USAT%20Milwaukee%2090.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: lem;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2510" data-original-width="1673" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaqQLe051KwZFB6U403Oj2iNawf49KOIrCNrPyUMvJNdYYEMilSHtWQcfp2rh5rWVcD1-OtG9puJOzKLmwS95ZaY7DWEcinmW9jF2QChvLxEn4yXvm5H36EVHD7F7Evv4sEF3Odenvyvcbo_sl-iaNhDkPYru_C0o3gMbtdIJew4cN7gr5lAaX1fkSn7N/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%2090.JPG" width="213" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div> I switched out my bike for my run gear in T2 and started running through transition when suddenly I realized that I had forgotten to grab my race belt with my bib number (remember that race belt I had just bought the day before for this?!)! So I TURNED AROUND and went back and grabbed the race belt by my stuff and buckled it on. I wasted more time yet again. I tried to just start catching anybody who was in front of me at that point, which with age groups overlapping at this point, there were plenty to chase down. Someone called out, “Good job, 6302!” and I got nervous because that must have meant that someone from my age group was right behind me (I was 6304).<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="white-space: pre;"><span> </span><span style="white-space: normal;">The first mile was too slow, probably around 6:52. That was also about the point at which I saw Andy and asked him what place I was in. He said 8th. Two miles to go. I had done that distance so many times in training I reassured myself and picked up the pace. I wanted to hold that spot. Top 10 make the podium. Top 8 automatically qualify for the World Championships. I could not let anyone catch me at that point. My best bet was to try to catch the next one in front of me. A man passed me at a good clip and I decided to go with him. With a half mile to go, someone again yelled, “Nice job, 6302!” At that point I was suspicious so I looked down at the race bib I had put on and I had accidentally grabbed my transition neighbor’s belt! What a doofus! I wasted that time in transition for nothing, as I then flipped my belt around so nobody else would read my bib as I finished the race (my timing chip was on my ankle so it didn’t affect results or anything like that). In the last quarter mile, I pushed hard. When I hit the carpet for the finish chute, I gave it anything I had left. </span></span></span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sP635-lC-Ir9FPrCVA_4X4C3yJVJ6x4FpwsibLw6fp7nL4dvONU85huGEmOug6baXBEXsWazCADBdI4MQARxXdoV_jpG-QOlVgbWQPB2Ssaauhu07AXvrlrs_m1A0aZqTPTLOHftJ1yDToVxvDETXn5_tw1OIi1M2xVsuzoh_hL-F5A6QcGFEBDOOQej/s3466/USAT%20Milwaukee%20107.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2600" data-original-width="3466" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sP635-lC-Ir9FPrCVA_4X4C3yJVJ6x4FpwsibLw6fp7nL4dvONU85huGEmOug6baXBEXsWazCADBdI4MQARxXdoV_jpG-QOlVgbWQPB2Ssaauhu07AXvrlrs_m1A0aZqTPTLOHftJ1yDToVxvDETXn5_tw1OIi1M2xVsuzoh_hL-F5A6QcGFEBDOOQej/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%20107.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I finished 8th in 1:14:23, surpassing my goal of 1:15 and accomplishing what I had believed I could do. I not only made podium, but I placed high enough to automatically qualify for Team USA for the World Championships in Malaga, Spain for 2024! There were so many times, leading up to the race, and during the race, that I could have felt defeated (and there were times in training where I was definitely defeated!). But if life has taught me nothing else, I should know that when things don’t go your way, keeping pushing ahead. Live unashamed. Live without regrets. Also, don’t take someone else’s race bib.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEGEBN5JcKGioxkzvHcTiSfaMzO_OJlVlmJLMXYrFp5v8UU61CQxOQVInN4u2p8sb9f4e7AVgST2LseP6eRSqPCX4nJtPDsFKTR8dXYHVjkJNZvP_i7O2crBwuIscZ-KwwlCX4nxjeoAkVQKD_8EYxXj7louLhOuBAV9k2TEp-7XNypw0au9A5Z3giM3T/s3935/USAT%20Milwaukee%20110.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="3935" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEGEBN5JcKGioxkzvHcTiSfaMzO_OJlVlmJLMXYrFp5v8UU61CQxOQVInN4u2p8sb9f4e7AVgST2LseP6eRSqPCX4nJtPDsFKTR8dXYHVjkJNZvP_i7O2crBwuIscZ-KwwlCX4nxjeoAkVQKD_8EYxXj7louLhOuBAV9k2TEp-7XNypw0au9A5Z3giM3T/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%20110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div><br /></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-53216188199950093102023-08-31T21:03:00.002-05:002023-08-31T21:03:37.977-05:00Catching Up<p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It’s been a long time since I posted (a year!), but there have been big events, which has kept me too busy to keep up with the blog, but which I would also like to write about. Last year after Nationals, I thought I would take 2023 off from triathlon. I was discouraged by my results at Nationals (after all, even though I qualified for Team USA again, I didn’t have the time I wanted and didn’t make podium like the year prior). Then I did the Three Lakes triathlon and had a lot of fun, so I thought maybe I would just drop down to the Sprint distance at Nationals (once they finally announced that it would be returning to Milwaukee for another year). I love racing in Milwaukee. USAT does a great job hosting there, it’s in my own state, and from start to finish it’s a great course! So once the location was announced, I took the plunge and registered for the sprint distance for Nationals.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>During the past year though, our family has undergone an immense number of changes. July of 2022, we got the phone call about a safe haven baby boy who was in need of a home. For those that don’t know much of our adoption journey, we actually applied for the domestic infant program through Lutheran Social Services (LSS) when Rowyn was about 6 months old. We knew that it could be a long process and a long wait. Four years later, we decided to transfer out of that program and into public adoption. This was a hard decision, but our children were getting a lot older, and with no end in sight for the waiting period, we thought we would go the route of a young child(ren) instead of a baby. After almost a year in that program, we go the phone call. Life really does change that fast. Wyatt was 3 days old already and was in the NICU in Marshfield. We visited him that night and brought him home at a week old! Who needs more than 4 days to get ready for a baby?! Never mind the fact that I had just cleaned out all of our baby stuff the weeks to months prior to this!</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Wyatt was a huge blessing at a tough time in our lives. Throwing a baby into the mix at a time of transition and uncertainty definitely hasn’t been easy, but we are ever so grateful for him! We were at a time of job searching, the kids getting into swim club and hockey, and then finally moving this past winter. New schools, new jobs, an apartment, selling our dream house, and recently moving into a new house, we have been challenged in so many ways.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEkofIqF2LhNSLGtZhIAsFd9qky4SVdzIQK2z0xRbE77PS_-GPqiOsq14PmHp_tXre8r2GMtu5JU_38MK1BAq-d-Mpj7y7KUK7qfAUFzmpiLMC3o0-_12jmw76jky2peUEkS3NCL98upJRrCikNzFFYOIgwqY-choFZ6vVJ-knZ4mvn3gxEsELL5s9Vlr/s4032/IMG_3532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEkofIqF2LhNSLGtZhIAsFd9qky4SVdzIQK2z0xRbE77PS_-GPqiOsq14PmHp_tXre8r2GMtu5JU_38MK1BAq-d-Mpj7y7KUK7qfAUFzmpiLMC3o0-_12jmw76jky2peUEkS3NCL98upJRrCikNzFFYOIgwqY-choFZ6vVJ-knZ4mvn3gxEsELL5s9Vlr/w240-h320/IMG_3532.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the midst of this constant state of chaos, I also attempted to train for sprint Nationals. I lost our lake for swim training, but we bought season passes to the waterpark in town, so 0-2 times/week I would swim some quick laps there. I tried to get in 2 bike rides/week, and besides a couple 20-milers, they were mostly really short rides. Honestly, I don’t think I would have had the willpower or motivation to train for the Olympic distance this year. It has just been too much to take on. I am fortunate that I was able to get as much training in as I did. I like to do the distance workouts during the track season, which was super helpful for getting a good run base established early on at least. I typically kept up with 5 runs/week, which included 2 hard runs off the bike, a long run, and 2 other easy runs. The runs off the bike were often 2 miles hard. The fall-back goal was sub-7 pace, but I had some good ones that I averaged 6:43 and 6:41, so I thought I was capable of holding a decent pace on race day.<p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As if I didn’t have enough going on with all those other things, I also started a new Track Club and competed in 4 meets. That will be for later posts though, so I’ll be jumping around in the timeline a bit. Next up, I’ll share the blunders, mishaps, and victories that were sprint Nationals!</p><div><br /></div><br />Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-13057839376261980192022-08-17T08:29:00.007-05:002022-08-17T22:24:21.518-05:00Running Bear Triathlon 2022<p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Before I even got to Nationals, I was feeling burned out and just very tired. My thought was to take end my season after the race, and take off next season. Last year, I did the Running Bear Triathlon in Three Lakes the weekend after Nationals and had fun with that. This year though, I felt like I couldn’t push for another week. I would take off from structured training after Nationals, and would see what I felt like doing. Well, I held true to my word, and did no swimming, biking, or running that week, until Saturday when I did an easy 3 mile run, simply because I needed to be moving again.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sunday morning I woke up and told Andy that I was going to do the race as long as my tires weren’t flat. Good to go! It didn’t start until 11am, so I had plenty of time to make a decision and pack up for it. Last year I was 2nd behind the overall male by only 1:18, so early in the season, I was hoping to get in some hard training for an attempt at beating him. Since life has had a lot of curveballs, my goal became to just have fun and I figured I should still be able to finish as Top Female. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I was trying to come up with little ways to cut time, as the Top Male had beat me out of T1 since I was changing my shoes and he wasn’t! So I tested out riding my bike with my running flats on and felt comfortable with that plan. In T2 last year, I had also put a swim cap on and took a drink of water. This year, I had my hair braided so I could skip the swim cap and I didn’t bother with a water bottle for transition since the swim is so short anyway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O7dKvC8QSGs" width="545" youtube-src-id="O7dKvC8QSGs"></iframe></div><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The returning male champ took a lead right away on the bike and I couldn’t go with him, but tried to keep him within my sight as much as possible. The bike has a lot of curves and rolling hills, so it’s pretty fun. I was passed by another male that caught up to the lead and stayed on his tail for a chunk of it, but he eventually dropped off from him and I couldn’t see the lead anymore at all. The last quarter mile of the bike is on gravel, but I felt a lot more confident going over it this year. I caught and passed the guy in second in T1 as he was changing his shoes and I could just take off on the run!</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I felt a lot stronger on the run this year than last year, probably because I didn’t push as hard on the bike (and I really have had great run training this year!). As I was running out, there were a lot of bikers coming in, including females, so I focused on staying relaxed but pushing on the run. I widened my lead on those behind me and I was slowly gaining on the lead male. The final mile has some tough hills and I lost sight of anyone else.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bkpbeDHaayU" width="545" youtube-src-id="bkpbeDHaayU"></iframe></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMw1DvWlDwTcFhV8QnhDECMF2TjzuMQq2pNY-IhbVr4SGItULt4x_mmOJSDOU4-cx2W9yGOohbtZg-VNPJwvpU-3kqWHzQyxIlkBp_0ooR_VbEeiyarwywPKkrxk_Uk4ria3p75eXmjMm52EuhBW_YTreodWq1bbEXxxWdwao2E9GTmJEbpBdJ5gGCPA/s2917/RunningBear22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2917" data-original-width="2388" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMw1DvWlDwTcFhV8QnhDECMF2TjzuMQq2pNY-IhbVr4SGItULt4x_mmOJSDOU4-cx2W9yGOohbtZg-VNPJwvpU-3kqWHzQyxIlkBp_0ooR_VbEeiyarwywPKkrxk_Uk4ria3p75eXmjMm52EuhBW_YTreodWq1bbEXxxWdwao2E9GTmJEbpBdJ5gGCPA/s320/RunningBear22.JPG" width="262" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I got to T2, I took off my shoes and socks, grabbed my goggles and hurried down to the water. I could see the leader in the water still! I knew it would be tough to catch him, so I just tried to swim strong, in a straight line (not so well), and catch my breath from the run. I came out of the water only 37 seconds behind the lead male, cutting the gap in half from last year! I also ended up dropping 2 seconds from my overall time from last year. That may not seem like much, but I was impressed I could pull that off this year! Maybe I’m not quite ready to rule out triathlons from next summer yet. But maybe I’m ready to dropping down to the shorter sprint distance races at least. I must say, it was nice to end on a good note feeling positive about things!<p></p><br /><div><br /></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-29370260747463577722022-08-08T19:09:00.002-05:002022-08-17T22:20:22.767-05:00USAT Nationals - Milwaukee '22<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DVNcjyYERSO3E4QC9KOCF5WMC5P3aOF4aoF73W26DurxSa1KXaEi0KaLHXC0wkVp87uDA23HGbu8tfR41wk1Qtt8Zjgy7nTXpuAJPZybm7KENIZBGnUXuWpEJgaum8uNek6DP3Z2P6txksICrssOGO3wetM7Euak3mST1Yvn8aOXuCIs3hsKfMTFHQ/s4143/USAT%20Milwaukee%209.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2763" data-original-width="4143" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DVNcjyYERSO3E4QC9KOCF5WMC5P3aOF4aoF73W26DurxSa1KXaEi0KaLHXC0wkVp87uDA23HGbu8tfR41wk1Qtt8Zjgy7nTXpuAJPZybm7KENIZBGnUXuWpEJgaum8uNek6DP3Z2P6txksICrssOGO3wetM7Euak3mST1Yvn8aOXuCIs3hsKfMTFHQ/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There have been huge changes in our lives recently that has resulted in a lot of sleepless nights. Events have taken a physical toll on me. I debated pulling out of Nationals altogether as a result. But I also had put a lot of training into it and had already paid for it (and it is an expensive race), so I went with the naïve optimism that I would still be able to perform at a high level. My race here last year was so good for me that I didn’t want to think about the potential of not making podium again. Just trying to stay positive, right?<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVr-8UvthjL-6mDO0QmNcnrZUFhr9ml51qx6xuSwlgmfTY5-zNKrn603OG2sAQHyLcxoTzU81bRxrx8ZmHQBtbycot5Y94drtpvknvAHPa9rI40jhUlMy7xQWRPZLZzpOZCzmkMZfec1VWjvQGjHWA2tLuBrKebUvVz6GuwICXy4kN55KV0hHnr296Q/s4196/USAT%20Milwaukee%2062.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2797" data-original-width="4196" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVr-8UvthjL-6mDO0QmNcnrZUFhr9ml51qx6xuSwlgmfTY5-zNKrn603OG2sAQHyLcxoTzU81bRxrx8ZmHQBtbycot5Y94drtpvknvAHPa9rI40jhUlMy7xQWRPZLZzpOZCzmkMZfec1VWjvQGjHWA2tLuBrKebUvVz6GuwICXy4kN55KV0hHnr296Q/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%2062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The waters of Lake Michigan measured at a frigid 62 degrees. While cool waters are supposed to help you swim faster, I think there is a point of cold at which that is no longer true. My arms felt rigid, and my hands and feet felt numb. I was over 2.5 minutes slower than last year. I tried not to become disheartened and to just focus on having a great ride.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayMXu9sxtmT4TdiKuWX7HNwLn_8PV0a97RYVW0fcprOrTZITntqoaY9Y8NU3hNR1RxX744u05ki3bc85pcD9WCiFo_bJLKQ-j5nu-RrKOqv-VgOaHJjP4b9Qc4PmkH3NQUzGYLHlKpFPW3Uq_L9QQqBnQyulfiSliPv2C9Kz6NwRd2lQqr5TVFOsYyA/s3332/USAT%20Milwaukee%2084.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3332" data-original-width="2222" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhayMXu9sxtmT4TdiKuWX7HNwLn_8PV0a97RYVW0fcprOrTZITntqoaY9Y8NU3hNR1RxX744u05ki3bc85pcD9WCiFo_bJLKQ-j5nu-RrKOqv-VgOaHJjP4b9Qc4PmkH3NQUzGYLHlKpFPW3Uq_L9QQqBnQyulfiSliPv2C9Kz6NwRd2lQqr5TVFOsYyA/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%2084.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The first few miles on the bike felt good, but over the course I struggled to put out the watts that I should have been. I was passed by a couple women in my age group and couldn’t keep them in sight. This is not how the bike usually plays out for me! The top of my storage box on the back of my bike popped open within the last few miles and I tried fumbling around and putting it back on while riding but it just slowed me down. It was a relief to finish on the bike. I was about 3 minutes slower than I should have been. <p></p><p></p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I have been running incredibly well in training and was hoping to be close to a seven-minute pace originally. By time I got off the bike, I just told myself over and over to just keep going. I didn’t want to fall apart like I did in Omaha. I assumed that to make Top 10 for podium, I would need at least a 2:20 overall time or faster. Heading out on the run, I knew I wouldn’t make that time. I was looking at 2:25 at least. Part of me regretting being there. I wasn’t having fun. I wasn’t performing well. I was really struggling mentally and physically. It was high heat and humidity with sunny skies as well. I think there were a lot of factors that played into it that really got to me.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdz-MObX-IVCLwHjyUcWkw2A1BJknf98vt7_nA7ZHPz-2aX8ghgkozBjDO3-4en26ridoFVYcDre18dU-nJgVPgKhDsxJisE8hh_MAbqD6fdfBavY5LE0UDhVlkQi91NyX7KkyYmzwOBe4Xvp6FJuOfw9AEgaFGkqHN6sPr-cGdWTiN9-Z0Vjg6fj2Q/s3428/USAT%20Milwaukee%2092.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3428" data-original-width="2285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdz-MObX-IVCLwHjyUcWkw2A1BJknf98vt7_nA7ZHPz-2aX8ghgkozBjDO3-4en26ridoFVYcDre18dU-nJgVPgKhDsxJisE8hh_MAbqD6fdfBavY5LE0UDhVlkQi91NyX7KkyYmzwOBe4Xvp6FJuOfw9AEgaFGkqHN6sPr-cGdWTiN9-Z0Vjg6fj2Q/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%2092.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I finished in 2:26:10. Not my best performance, but not my worst. After looking at results, it seemed that a lot of swims were longer and overall times were slower than I would have expected. I could have been 10th and made podium with 2:24:00! I finished 16th overall, which still qualified me for Team USA for the World Championships in Spain next fall, although I will not be taking the spot. It took me a while to come to the point of feeling okay about how things went. Training had taken a back seat the last three weeks, and the accumulated lack of sleep really wore me down. I am feeling the need for a season off, and I look forward to everything that next summer can hold. At the end of the day, I can say that I did my best on that day, and I can’t feel bad about that! <p></p><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxIPVmyX0Hlz98PQA6oJkCt6bEjIkPwerfmxMzTcpOevZGmmzDvJrfQqCQ7nUf5iPmXQZJFurb2OBi9wYZT_L1pds6fiP3Od-jSgSTFp-_fhKzoNWFElU2FkJEvp9lPXctYe0sMTqtphqjQGTJjWi1gi1OWC-Eu0lwB7FCkktcLIr-NjGkKbr-tveAg/s4640/USAT%20Milwaukee%20105.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3093" data-original-width="4640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxIPVmyX0Hlz98PQA6oJkCt6bEjIkPwerfmxMzTcpOevZGmmzDvJrfQqCQ7nUf5iPmXQZJFurb2OBi9wYZT_L1pds6fiP3Od-jSgSTFp-_fhKzoNWFElU2FkJEvp9lPXctYe0sMTqtphqjQGTJjWi1gi1OWC-Eu0lwB7FCkktcLIr-NjGkKbr-tveAg/s320/USAT%20Milwaukee%20105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-46139835565100463792022-07-05T21:18:00.004-05:002022-08-17T22:19:03.827-05:00BSG & River Vault 2022!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In June, Marathon hosted the <u>Badger State Games Track and Field </u>meet. We started going to BSG Track several years ago when it was hosted in La Crosse. Then it moved to DC Everest then went on a 2-year hiatus. This was the first year back since 2019, and with a great location, we were not going to miss out! We ended up taking the kids with and they got to participate as well. We also had our biggest Club showing with 10 of us there! The fun part is the low-key atmosphere, competing within your age group, and the medals. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I registered for shot, disc, pole vault, and the 800m run. I had only one disc and shot practice, but I lucked out with one good throw for each, breaking 30 feet in shot, and over 90 feet in disc! Both were near my best marks. I missed the 800 since it was at the same time I was vaulting, but I was feeling good that day! I made 11’ with a lot of clearance, so while another girl went to 11-3, I passed to 11-6. Maybe I should have done that height with her, as she beat me with 11-3, and I missed at 11-6, but while I ended up 2nd overall, I was the only one in my age group, so I did come away with a Gold (same for my other events). The kids did great! Their favorite was the long jump, but they also ran the 100m dash and the 4x100m relay and they all came away with medals. Myles even ended up winning his 8U category in the long jump and Rowyn was 3rd! (They are 7 and 5 years old).</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Doing Badger State Games Track gave me the confidence to do the <u>River Vault</u> again this year. When you don’t get a lot of practices in, and several of them do not go well, it really shakes the confidence. <i>Doubt is always lurking and grows deeper roots every chance it gets. It can be tough to shake that. </i>My goal was to get that 11-6 mark. 2021 was the first summer since 2016 that I hadn’t hit that height. With 2019 being my best summer with hitting a new PR of 12 feet, I wasn’t ready to settle for 11’ yet.<br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC1k5dW3yiCAtNMaxquos_q-Uy2YSetqmM6dFSkIQr5vDxNXWHlNwoZaKmVHTnClkvExQbJa_3IWNOFWf6kcL6gyeVoB8Dw5WCln4IOvRVRJackxL66S-ptbcGJEHtnm5Q6bkNyj6kOf-LUE_IvbeyRdazENBaDO8Hs5foyDNhbNSMQUFWtLQM-F9Fw/s3983/RV22Champ.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2987" data-original-width="3983" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC1k5dW3yiCAtNMaxquos_q-Uy2YSetqmM6dFSkIQr5vDxNXWHlNwoZaKmVHTnClkvExQbJa_3IWNOFWf6kcL6gyeVoB8Dw5WCln4IOvRVRJackxL66S-ptbcGJEHtnm5Q6bkNyj6kOf-LUE_IvbeyRdazENBaDO8Hs5foyDNhbNSMQUFWtLQM-F9Fw/s320/RV22Champ.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div>
<div><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There were over 35 females competing between 2 flights, and I was in the higher flight. It was pretty stacked this year with good vaulters, and I wasn’t seeded very high! I believe 15 of us made 11 feet. I made 10-6, 11, and 11-6 all on my first attempts! That dropped the remaining field to only 8. I didn’t have any good attempts at 12’, but after 3.5 hours of vaulting, I think my body was just done. Since I didn’t have any misses at my made heights, I ended up 5th overall for females! I also had a minimum of 10-20 years of age on my fellow competitors, so I still won my age category.<p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I have our 2 club meets in July yet, but I am ecstatic that I already hit the 11-6 mark! I am also in the thick of training for triathlon Nationals, so while it means I am pretty fit, it’s also a lot to try to balance and to ask of my body. One month left until Nationals!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YLvL1tTYUb0" width="545" youtube-src-id="YLvL1tTYUb0"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div></p></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-80261280394782572212022-01-25T19:13:00.000-06:002022-01-25T19:13:35.928-06:00One Month Post-Surgery<p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I thought I would share one final update on my leg for anyone who might be considering going down this same road. I wore compression the full 4 weeks after vein surgery. If I skipped it in the morning (after 3 full weeks), I would put them on after lunch before I worked out. I was a little nervous (and excited) to ditch them altogether for a workout. </p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigm1dtpz5qgH10-FiFaEZI3rMddGPCD32CLVXLKiK9Ck0K3nBDVPAiUs6mvrfJ6a60LobiAd97aHjWCrykfFbRNc3j29JP_P_RBj5QvxuYae-BkCCvp4aBn9Tdi20o9tQEET5wAPLIZrOf_OSjaoLfgHX8bJAwewIyjykkj5ITkCMsUNP2-D_JTuuOLg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigm1dtpz5qgH10-FiFaEZI3rMddGPCD32CLVXLKiK9Ck0K3nBDVPAiUs6mvrfJ6a60LobiAd97aHjWCrykfFbRNc3j29JP_P_RBj5QvxuYae-BkCCvp4aBn9Tdi20o9tQEET5wAPLIZrOf_OSjaoLfgHX8bJAwewIyjykkj5ITkCMsUNP2-D_JTuuOLg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Exactly 4 weeks post-surgery, I thought I would try running without them, even though it was my hard run day of the week. Easy pace felt okay, but as soon as I started doing strides, my leg started bothering me. So I put my tights on for the rest of the run since I was starting threshold work. When I wear the tights, running hard doesn’t bother it at all. While most of the visible bruising was gone at that point already, there were superficial clots that were lurking under the surface. They were hard, tender spots, and even a lengthy hard section in my thigh that was where the vein used to be. My calf was mostly good (one smaller clot), but my whole thigh had them. The dark lines/areas on my leg were the spots that had clots under the surface. When I pressed down on my skin, you can also see the long line of clot in my thigh.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxywDDvci1nVOzvXSS0V2J8dIrJVeoQSotxbejCw1NOtRMvvQGYJyW491mv9PpOtXbo8bGNtJYdL2Q_m6Bm9erRGHjYPhq97e2BTuVN3viw8JC2yOoCCM_kq82bbkMnEjTp15l9onnz-EBxWcS9na4YGCdDzVfXOjsfXitXyvrdGk8NaXDZZEPMbGIFg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxywDDvci1nVOzvXSS0V2J8dIrJVeoQSotxbejCw1NOtRMvvQGYJyW491mv9PpOtXbo8bGNtJYdL2Q_m6Bm9erRGHjYPhq97e2BTuVN3viw8JC2yOoCCM_kq82bbkMnEjTp15l9onnz-EBxWcS9na4YGCdDzVfXOjsfXitXyvrdGk8NaXDZZEPMbGIFg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I started rubbing frankincense, lavender, and deep blue oils on the clotted areas at night to try to massage/loosen it up in hopes that they would dissolve faster. My friend warned me that I may need to keep wearing compression for my threshold runs for another month, as the clots were what was causing the discomfort. Fortunately, on my lifting days, I felt okay without compression. Even box jumps (higher impact) were okay. Week 5 hit, and I thought I would test out strides without compression before putting them on before threshold work. I was in luck! I was able to run without the tights, with only minor/tolerable discomfort. The clots are still there, but hopefully with the massaging and oils, they are beginning to dissolve. One month post-surgery, and I would say that my leg no longer looks “ugly”. Even more important, I am back to 100%!<p></p><div><br /></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-31077961835477801172022-01-07T10:42:00.002-06:002022-01-07T10:42:22.155-06:00Bouncing Back<p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Timing for surgery could not have been any better! I had it on December 21, which meant that the first week post-op was during Christmas, when we go back “home” for several days to spend with our families. We always take a week off from lifting as a result, and it can be challenging to find good times to squeeze in a run. It had natural down time perfectly built right in. Plus, no feeling like I “had to” go for a run.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEhNF4DFGDmkpdMod11llrSipWUqonkFLh6THUadNkzZj-FNphe2HJDPHs8xn1ub6J0ESNqFJZAvhxj63aeRQouCC0pcm0hFu2QYpEVgW-1Bi2OKLwPGMMay_noiT70rd7RBHUYZZfUA0R06SAUhF4i1n59f-GKhN7f7yvZfoJNxCQ-ENsbmIOsZFyHg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEhNF4DFGDmkpdMod11llrSipWUqonkFLh6THUadNkzZj-FNphe2HJDPHs8xn1ub6J0ESNqFJZAvhxj63aeRQouCC0pcm0hFu2QYpEVgW-1Bi2OKLwPGMMay_noiT70rd7RBHUYZZfUA0R06SAUhF4i1n59f-GKhN7f7yvZfoJNxCQ-ENsbmIOsZFyHg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The day after, I walked some laps in our house in the afternoon, but after school, Baya convinced me to go down to the ice to watch them skate. Despite my protests (Too many stairs! I’ll freeze just sitting there!), Baya helped me put on my snow pants and boots. Andy had stayed out there until 10pm the night before shoveling off the big rink, but the small rink wasn’t cleared. I thought walking with a shovel would be okay until he got home. I ended up clearing off the entire small rink! It was fortunate that we did all that before leaving the next morning, as it ended up raining on Christmas Eve and it would have ruined anything that wasn’t shoveled, but it sure made the rinks nice!<p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I stuck to just walking the entire first week. Nine days after surgery, I took the kids to the Dome and jogged a lap with Rowyn. Despite being cleared to return to regular activity (with the advice of easing back into it), running did not feel great at that point. Since the kids were on break still for my 2nd week post-surgery, I decided to take advantage of that week and not worry about trying to run or lift yet. Instead, I did a lot of shoveling, ice-skating, xc skiing, and snowshoeing. It was great!</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl1BoTGWOrFJFrYtpmlZrAMj4CyUz-4kCWXXYqft_g4jCYX6S8BVJWntfx3QPU1ftburreKHZRg78BwmnnTg7GbV4Mn5g4ojQFNGnIyfL8TEOM9Zyo4DTHIJrF-hKC-XvKzvEBcAK6x-x8fzMjUSxvB9bnX3kK381-Sgu3Vje94Obqf71w7LYT5_s6aQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl1BoTGWOrFJFrYtpmlZrAMj4CyUz-4kCWXXYqft_g4jCYX6S8BVJWntfx3QPU1ftburreKHZRg78BwmnnTg7GbV4Mn5g4ojQFNGnIyfL8TEOM9Zyo4DTHIJrF-hKC-XvKzvEBcAK6x-x8fzMjUSxvB9bnX3kK381-Sgu3Vje94Obqf71w7LYT5_s6aQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;">It's healing so well!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>After 2 weeks off, the kids returned to school and I did my first run back on the treadmill. I just ran 1 mile at an easy pace and felt no pain! I also lifted with lighter weights afterwards. After 2 weeks off, I am okay with building back into mileage and will probably keep it to 12-15 miles this first week before hitting 20 or so miles next week (I was doing 22.5 miles typically before). Lifting felt fine, except box jumps made me nervous. I did not feel as powerful in that leg and it’s a higher impact. I think by the end of the week when I do them again though that I will be comfortable jumping more again.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The recovery experience has been impressive. After 2 weeks, most of the glue had come off. I had full range of motion without pain. There was still bruising, so the kids would bother it when they would crawl on my lap and kick around, but otherwise it was feeling good. Some of the incisions were barely noticeable already. Others will take a while longer to fully heal. I’ll wear the compression for at least a full 3 weeks before I wean off from them. </p>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-40859393592197324862021-12-30T19:03:00.008-06:002022-01-04T18:58:40.539-06:00Post-Op<div class="MsoNormal">
*Warning: this post does contain pictures that may be considered graphic.<br><br>
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After surgery, I was not to drive for the next 24 hours. I was also supposed to elevate my leg as much as possible and while sitting. I was allowed to walk and climb stairs starting the day after surgery. After I hit the 24-hour mark, it became less painful to walk, and walking helped to loosen up my calf and thigh, which felt very tight. I could not walk normal though at that point. For the first week I was to minimize standing for long periods of time, and not lift anything heavier than 30 pounds. I stuck to just walking that first week, except when I put on my ice skates again starting 5 days after surgery. I had one day to prepare for this, so I did use it to get in my run with over 1,000 feet of climbing so I could hit that goal before the end of the year!<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP-oGbBdMSihiZJz4032TzLwP1-kwXRe1JqoDYKLLQnWYts7k5FfGvYANiGlKLvqtrIGODgfn687m-TV43Z_8j9ytUAjbGadfILDA1ussGB4GOXYGgzyms2pTz2TMolI8I-ZeohOT8W4kwVSUrS4v56aOkhKFx5li63fN7z9R6uBuovQhPKbMtLUa3Wg=s4032" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-indent: 0in;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP-oGbBdMSihiZJz4032TzLwP1-kwXRe1JqoDYKLLQnWYts7k5FfGvYANiGlKLvqtrIGODgfn687m-TV43Z_8j9ytUAjbGadfILDA1ussGB4GOXYGgzyms2pTz2TMolI8I-ZeohOT8W4kwVSUrS4v56aOkhKFx5li63fN7z9R6uBuovQhPKbMtLUa3Wg=s320" width="240"/></a>
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After 48 hours, I was supposed to take the bandages off and I could finally shower (no baths or soaking though). The first picture is the bandages after the ace wrap came off. It took a bit of work to get all the bandages off as some were stuck to me. I did not have any stitches. The 46 incisions were all glued with Dermabond. You can still see the blue marker outline from the doctor that he marked me up with prior to surgery. At the very top is where I had my big bleeder, so I have a large scab still there from that. There are a lot of incision marks in a large cluster on my calf as well. The worst initial bruising was at the top of my thigh above the first incision. I later had bruising from the top to the bottom.<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjitucVim2HPAWtG05El8xPOFEPLHkoNhYclR23Um_NdLMKlPhRC9M5-uHuyQ9CtZfuBWseXl3rlI1ax8vB0DOIoU45HJoUPM_UGoRxPj7xCDj1O9YwCaawZWd7O2Z4X-vCdoL_d7Kxb8PlgMxqIPWj7n3IHnGr_MPZANnsm8YVshkLGe-U7tW6100QEA=s4032" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjitucVim2HPAWtG05El8xPOFEPLHkoNhYclR23Um_NdLMKlPhRC9M5-uHuyQ9CtZfuBWseXl3rlI1ax8vB0DOIoU45HJoUPM_UGoRxPj7xCDj1O9YwCaawZWd7O2Z4X-vCdoL_d7Kxb8PlgMxqIPWj7n3IHnGr_MPZANnsm8YVshkLGe-U7tW6100QEA=s320" width="240"/></a>
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Since I was done with the bandages, I now wear medical grade compression tights during the day for the next 2-4 weeks. My thigh and calf had loosened up so I was walking normal at that point already. I had my one-week follow-up appointment where they did an ultrasound of the vein that was ablated to make sure that was successful (it was!), so all restrictions were lifted, and I would just need to continue to wear the compression for the next few weeks. I plan to ease back into running and lifting in the next week or two. It is still tender and sensitive from the bruising and I elevate it when sitting still. The doctor said that my leg will look ugly for the first 2 months because of bruising, so I guess that’s the bonus of it being winter. I’ll follow up with progress and healing pictures that will look much better than these!
</div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-32629880041987690062021-12-26T21:06:00.003-06:002021-12-26T21:06:52.791-06:00Going Under the Knife<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Pregnancy is rough on a woman’s body. It can have lasting effects as well. While I can’t say with 100% certainty that pregnancy caused my varicose veins (pregnancy is often a culprit for healthy young women), it first became visible when I was pregnant with Baya. With the 2nd pregnancy, it expanded, and after my 3rd pregnancy I think it was to the point that it ran from my thigh to my calf on my left leg. Over the years, it has only continued to worsen.
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Varicose veins have a higher risk of blood clots, and while superficial, they can still be painful. They can also cause swelling and pain as well. A friend referred me to the Surgical Associates of Wausau to get mine taken care of. You can’t always see varicose veins either. The veins that were visible running from my thigh and squiggling their way down to my calf (with multiple sets of “bubbles” along the way), were actually the branches that came off from a vein that you couldn’t see that was also varicose.
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I was on the waitlist hoping to get in before the end of the year (insurance put a 12/31 deadline on their approval). Last week, I got a phone call that they had a cancellation and could get me in the next day! Andy and I rearranged our plans and spent most of the day in Wausau. The surgeon had me stand while he marked all the visible branches because once I was laying down on the table, he wouldn’t be able to see them as well and wanted to make sure he got them all.
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">They used partial sedation and shots for local anesthetics the length of my leg. This meant that I was awake the entire time. They ablated the main vein underneath, and then made incisions (46 total) to pull out the visible branches. He started pulling those at my calf and worked his way up. By time he got to the last part of my thigh, the numbing medication was either wearing off, or it wasn’t enough as it was a very tender area! I was trying to hold still while crying and trying to calm through deep breathing. He gave me more shots, and the nurse gave me some anti-nausea medicine as well. Everything was fine until that last section!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwDkhq9Czo8IDaIifvxgtNdV58dATX6XzMf9vuif5FMJY7VMIFyDLocfHa87w8z1fauDzgT2g23GBOG0HGmpASI9nWyPWtJMr3EXD11eijN-keAhAGD8lm0p6dotgZ1N1FhRwFZJyipljCpC5SehWZwRi_Ei8jAGgMht2SWqsgwOX3FXNGBJN0DJ4eVg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwDkhq9Czo8IDaIifvxgtNdV58dATX6XzMf9vuif5FMJY7VMIFyDLocfHa87w8z1fauDzgT2g23GBOG0HGmpASI9nWyPWtJMr3EXD11eijN-keAhAGD8lm0p6dotgZ1N1FhRwFZJyipljCpC5SehWZwRi_Ei8jAGgMht2SWqsgwOX3FXNGBJN0DJ4eVg=s320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I did look at my leg before they wrapped me up, as well as saw the pieces of vein that they had pulled out! Sitting up made me very lightheaded and dizzy though. They took me to the recovery room where I was given more anti-nausea medicine. I was also able to eat and drink for the first time that day finally. Normally recovery is about a half hour, but I only left at 1.5 hours in order to be home when our kids got home from school. I still felt so sick! The nurse helped me dress and wheeled me out to the car.
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">At least we weren’t far from home when I finally threw up. Fortunately, I was also sent home with a vomit bag because of how I was feeling. I felt less nauseous, but I was still lightheaded and dizzy. Rowyn was sitting in the backseat patting my shoulder, “Sorry you don’t feel good, Mom.” What a sweetie! I took ibuprofen because that spot in my thigh really hurt still as well. The rest of my leg actually felt okay. I was able to eat some supper and drank a bunch of water. Andy carried me everywhere that night. The kids, especially my youngest who was home with me all of the next day, were super helpful. I had to keep the wraps on for the first 48 hours, but I’ll reveal what my leg looked like when the wraps come off in the next post!
</div></div></div></div></div></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-79364465229467412962021-12-07T19:34:00.003-06:002021-12-07T19:34:38.736-06:00Transition to Treadmill: Overcome the Dread<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The winter often means the return to the treadmill for many. This could be for various reasons: shortened daylight hours, slippery footing, snowy feet, and the challenge of finding the right mix of wardrobe so you’re not too hot, not too cold, but just right. I will run outside occasionally in the winter these days, but most of my winter running does involve the treadmill. When I was at the Y, I could pass the time by chatting with a friend, watching tv, or even reading a magazine. At home I do none of those things, but I have had a great transition back to the treadmill anyway. How is that possible?!
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsP3BbeZSEvkQ87UAKtxvMZpq6Xz3Co4-sXrF5GIw8eX-Ngu1O3JRhJRw9gU9ATijf34NaTeMBFLPkG4b9IVJcwIpPlmdWx2EyJzNBTE5PLDjHGULz-EnHzxH5HRkBUk6x49e6tiCGjELvZHeDiHc4xsP1mtpqubRToNFUkFSTXzUDnVdIscFFcUyRWw=s241" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="241" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsP3BbeZSEvkQ87UAKtxvMZpq6Xz3Co4-sXrF5GIw8eX-Ngu1O3JRhJRw9gU9ATijf34NaTeMBFLPkG4b9IVJcwIpPlmdWx2EyJzNBTE5PLDjHGULz-EnHzxH5HRkBUk6x49e6tiCGjELvZHeDiHc4xsP1mtpqubRToNFUkFSTXzUDnVdIscFFcUyRWw" width="241" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">First, it’s definitely all about mindset. Isn’t everything? A 3 hour drive to Grandma’s takes FOREVER, so how about those 12 hour driving days we did with the kids to go to Florida last month? They rocked it. Because when they got in the car, they had in their minds that they would be sitting in the car literally the entire day. We prepped with things to do, but there wasn’t complaining about how long it was taking because they knew it would take all day. If you hop on the treadmill to “get it over with,” it’s going to take forever. If you prep yourself with distractions and plan on being there awhile, it’s a lot easier to handle.
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Second, I need the cooler temperatures. If it’s 70 degrees, I feel like I’m dying because it’s so uncomfortably hot. Turn off the heat in your house, crank a fan at you on high, and run without a shirt on. If it’s a tougher run, consider even opening a window and possibly putting a fan in front of it. The run will also feel easier as your body doesn’t have to work so hard just to cool itself. And don’t forget to turn the heat back on in your house when you are done! <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Third, music has been a game changer. In all honesty, this is the ONLY time I use music while running. USAT doesn’t allow you to race with music, so I quit listening to music when running outdoors several years ago and I have never gone back. It makes music a treat when it comes to the treadmill though and I really look forward to it! Tying into that, jamming with music in my ears has me visualizing myself in races, especially when I am doing harder runs. I might be stuck going nowhere on a treadmill, but in my mind I have raced many 800m runs on the track, ran the run course at Nationals countless times, and now I am adding the Three Lakes triathlon course to my options. I can understand the appeal of Zwift and seeing yourself “run courses” on a computer screen, but I feel that I can quite easily be transported mentally to a race when I want to.
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Lastly, give yourself some challenges! Last December, I challenged myself to climb 1,000 feet in a run. That was my focus one day each week. I kept everything at an easy pace, but made that my “hard” day. In early January, I climbed 1,000 feet in just over 4 miles! I do not do enough hill work in general, so this also helps to mentally and physically address a weaker area of mine. This time around, I was able to start at 500 feet of climbing in my first run, with my intent of hitting 1,000 again after a month. Then in January, I plan to transition back into threshold running. It’s a fun change of pace and it gives me something to work toward and get excited about. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">So if you are dreading making the switch to treadmill running and don’t have access to Zwift, a Peloton or online workouts, a TV, etc, I hope you will find some relief in my tips above. What are some things that you have found to work for you?
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-50950503202441063002021-08-29T12:24:00.000-05:002021-08-29T12:24:14.309-05:00Running Bear Triathlon<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-YwE2d8UiiToxaCynGb1Epo6TT6CLt49_mj_Wuz8rLLjhefKbhw1dmjw53nbP5bWtERjetfXna0wlsYWVD0N-CJ3jMWpAomYVJ5gJdZiJ9YetibWtYvS_O8KMo1aeLHSZ-I6jPfSTywn/s2048/Running+Bear+Triathlon+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-YwE2d8UiiToxaCynGb1Epo6TT6CLt49_mj_Wuz8rLLjhefKbhw1dmjw53nbP5bWtERjetfXna0wlsYWVD0N-CJ3jMWpAomYVJ5gJdZiJ9YetibWtYvS_O8KMo1aeLHSZ-I6jPfSTywn/w320-h213/Running+Bear+Triathlon+9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span> </span><span> </span>Andy somehow talked me into doing a little triathlon held locally in Three Lakes a week after Nationals (I mean – I was in shape, so why not, right?). A more unconventional triathlon, it was a point to point bike, run, swim race. It started with a 9.3 mile bike ride that ended at the host’s cabin, where we left our bikes in the yard, and proceeded to run a 5K away from the cabin to another cabin across the lake from our bike drop. From there we exchanged our run shoes for swim goggles and hopped in the lake to swim back across to the cabin where we had left our bikes (a short swim of only a couple hundred yards). </div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HoSitLkUxBK0ZlW5Pr0mCopiVkxWq9oi6Iu71qlGUu2KziRl2FmHzn-bhLnnmENg-xUJpYRnaqBf0BAG5_sMCgLQXuj0xCLOfZxKSnUhtBz_upOQOx7o87y6qIAt3z8HlvWzT726UBJa/s2048/Running+Bear+Triathlon+19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HoSitLkUxBK0ZlW5Pr0mCopiVkxWq9oi6Iu71qlGUu2KziRl2FmHzn-bhLnnmENg-xUJpYRnaqBf0BAG5_sMCgLQXuj0xCLOfZxKSnUhtBz_upOQOx7o87y6qIAt3z8HlvWzT726UBJa/s320/Running+Bear+Triathlon+19.JPG" width="320" /></a><span> </span><span> </span>The question of the logistics of it probably piqued our interest the most, while the quarter mile of gravel before dropping our bikes at the host cabin intimidated me immensely. Around 40 people participated, and as I suspected, I was the only one there with a tri bike. The bike route was curvy, hilly, and fun – that is, until the end when I braced myself as I went over the gravel. Making it to the drop spot without wiping out honestly felt like a big success in itself! I was the first person off the bike, but I had a guy close on my tail who quickly passed me at the beginning of the run, and I never saw again until after I was done. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOI1SeddQ9u68MFW5kDmNRMznD8KJ3ltqTUrkxSRqQeJJSljpXjZep8y6-XrQMzxtJln76FFuOvBMp5hF2u4J6gOv1aZzFPijeXZgzMY0ZPX8FUfflVb3pdP9_HFRcvU-ElvgpSa_ztY6W/s2048/Running+Bear+Triathlon+28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOI1SeddQ9u68MFW5kDmNRMznD8KJ3ltqTUrkxSRqQeJJSljpXjZep8y6-XrQMzxtJln76FFuOvBMp5hF2u4J6gOv1aZzFPijeXZgzMY0ZPX8FUfflVb3pdP9_HFRcvU-ElvgpSa_ztY6W/s320/Running+Bear+Triathlon+28.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div></div><div><span> </span><span> </span>The run was brutally hilly. One long climb after another, and some were quite steep. The 3 miles felt so much longer than they should have! With about a mile left to go, another man came up alongside and passed me and I let him go, though I maintained not too far of a distance behind him. By time I got to the cabin to exchange my run shoes for my swim cap and goggles, I already felt toast and I took my sweet time getting down to the dock for the swim. Once I got there, I saw the #2 guy was backstroking, so I jumped in and quickly passed him. The group did not seem to contain much for strong swimmers. While it was refreshing to cool off with the swim, it was difficult to find my rhythm since I was so out of breath from the run. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6EE1BsrVGNV0FTtRLBXf4UkBhjHF8SPWYJCh4IcrC6U2xjdz6OZUkyBeTLDT28Yg8Q1hk1Uw9K2A1I4gYFsTtGjZyXf_rgUPjqcLaP5YClXtkJlRkyNqNEdxxjOpJfFUIB-BUoIrLOJg/s2048/Running+Bear+Triathlon+36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6EE1BsrVGNV0FTtRLBXf4UkBhjHF8SPWYJCh4IcrC6U2xjdz6OZUkyBeTLDT28Yg8Q1hk1Uw9K2A1I4gYFsTtGjZyXf_rgUPjqcLaP5YClXtkJlRkyNqNEdxxjOpJfFUIB-BUoIrLOJg/s320/Running+Bear+Triathlon+36.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><span> </span><span> </span>I came out of the water in under 49 total minutes – there was no way I thought I could do that! I ended up 1st female and 2nd overall, by only a minute and 18 seconds! So next year the goal would be to cut that time and try to beat all the boys ;) Along the route, Andy was at the side of the road taking pictures while the kids were yelling out of the van windows, “Go, Mom, go!” I think they got me through that run. The atmosphere was far different from Nationals, but it was a fun challenge. Who is with me for next year?!</div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-87141704636335016732021-08-19T22:22:00.001-05:002021-08-19T22:22:37.889-05:002021 USA Triathlon Nationals: Milwaukee!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
I know I have been off the map for some time now. Once I got behind on blog posts, it was easier to abandon altogether. But I’m back, just like racing! <div>I was registered for Nationals in Milwaukee for 2020, and our registration was thankfully deferred. Training looked a bit different this time around, as I lost access to a pool. In more recent years, I was also slow to start bike training because I really struggle mentally with getting on the trainer. In April though, I got outside for a ride and found the joy in biking again! As a result, I typically did 2 rides a week – one outside on the weekend and one short one on the trainer during the week. All swim training was in our (very dark, shallow, muck-bottom) lake. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMtIp1zCsHR31gVI0F_AJfCGG2fuCMS0k7EB6FQVqhdeIZmQ37gRYch5uafb2bOis-7LF9pvQx0x1T5mxQaHJqu8FO3f1HpblBBzaHdka6Bu3Dng795EPZvrRL4QzFx77gYiEWUx08ZEr/s2048/IMG_2640.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMtIp1zCsHR31gVI0F_AJfCGG2fuCMS0k7EB6FQVqhdeIZmQ37gRYch5uafb2bOis-7LF9pvQx0x1T5mxQaHJqu8FO3f1HpblBBzaHdka6Bu3Dng795EPZvrRL4QzFx77gYiEWUx08ZEr/s320/IMG_2640.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>In May, Andy sent me a race listing for a fairly local duathlon, so I took the plunge and registered with a week’s notice. While I was the top female by over 5 minutes, I also realized how much harder I needed to be pushing on my bike rides, so the race served as a good kick in the butt. </div><div>As training went on and I was doing some of my fastest training rides I have ever done, and I was also putting down some fast brick runs (3-3.5 miles averaging 6:59-7:03 pace), I was feeling really excited and optimistic about Nationals. Years ago, I had in my mind the goal of making Top 10 and podium at Nationals (keep in mind, these ladies are FAST!), and I never accomplished that goal. Would this be my year? </div><div>The 1500m swim. I was doing at least 3 swims a week in our lake, but very few were even for the duration of the race. But most were done in my wetsuit and ALL were done in a lake. I felt strong and I thought that my sighting and rhythm had improved. But I had no idea how fast I was actually going! On race day, this time I felt the most comfortable, relaxed (in a good way), and confident for the swim. For once I looked at the course and thought – that’s not that far! (Something I have never thought with all my pool training days). The lake was cold (Lake Michigan after all), but it also felt so clean and refreshing. Andy said it was the best swim start he’s ever seen me have. I hit my goal of 25 minutes for the swim, which was also my 2nd fastest Olympic swim EVER! </div><div><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBrww5LlDZL9I3j4eU1TGj9UBN0uHDgrfLBL4OnMdD5Rx_Jy97pKabAUqNBRWkSp2gQ9b91AcA_J_2_XykzkmO2gIAZmJ-6wf995GRAGvVHOBj-KOYEN3ZSWdtZIpvb2tOIj24HW5sxzR/s2048/IMG_5628.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBrww5LlDZL9I3j4eU1TGj9UBN0uHDgrfLBL4OnMdD5Rx_Jy97pKabAUqNBRWkSp2gQ9b91AcA_J_2_XykzkmO2gIAZmJ-6wf995GRAGvVHOBj-KOYEN3ZSWdtZIpvb2tOIj24HW5sxzR/s320/IMG_5628.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div>Off to the 40k (24.8 mile) bike leg. Due to drafting rules, there were a few hard surges in the beginning to get a good position and avoid penalties, but otherwise it was a good ride. Rolling hills are no big deal, but the bridge we rode in Milwaukee was definitely a speed suck. I just tried to stay aggressive, and I hit my goal time of 1:05, which was also my fastest bike split for the Olympic distance! </div><div>On to the 10k run! I thought my first mile might be slow coming off the bike, but my first 2 miles beeped as sub-7 pace. It was really hitting me after that point and I pep talked myself through the next miles, knowing I had to have 0 regrets when it was over – that even if I didn’t make podium, I knew I had given it everything I had on that day. My run ended up slower than what I was hoping for (goal was 43-44 minutes), and I ended with a 44:55 (7:13 pace). </div><div>My overall time of 2:19:44 was my second fastest Olympic distance race EVER and off from my best by just over a minute, which I did 7 years ago in 2014! For reference, I personally feel I had my best race performances in 2013 and 2014. To perform at this level at age 35 (as good as I was when I was 28!), with drastically LESS training volume, is nothing short of amazing. </div><div>Cheers to chasing goals, a more balanced life with training as a mom, and my family. My kids have put many miles on their bikes riding next to me while I run, and they cheer me on from the raft while I swim around the lake. My husband believes in me even when I don’t, and spends hours putting together memories for me – pictures and this sweet race recap video. So enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jxT_fmkd51c" width="545" youtube-src-id="jxT_fmkd51c"></iframe></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /><div><br /></div></div>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-86081200826259444532020-05-24T11:24:00.000-05:002020-05-24T11:28:45.865-05:00The Build Challenge<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I have been writing workouts for my high school distance and mid-distance runners. With having our spring season canceled and hopefully getting July to compete locally instead, we focused on building mileage for the past four weeks and I did it along with them. Prior to the build, I was typically running 24-26 miles per week. That mileage was manageable to juggle with home-schooling and little kids so I was a bit nervous about the undertaking of trying to fit in 40 miles in a week for the final week. I have not run that many miles since 2013!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><br />
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Taking things one week at a time was definitely helpful. Even thinking two weeks ahead was overwhelming. I tried to keep lifting 3 times per week, and I also added in one short, hard bike ride per week. On Mondays, I did an aerobic run, followed by two recovery runs, and then on Thursdays I kept doing my threshold run, though it dropped in distance from 4 miles to 3 miles during the build. Friday was another recovery run and Saturday I would do a long, easy pace run. Some days, I felt fatigued, and other days I felt really strong. My body adapted REALLY well to the build though! My last run was 10.4 miles and I was able to comfortably pick up the pace at the end. I never anticipated that I would feel that good!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">A peak at my training log!</span></td></tr>
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I was also nervous about how my hip would fare. Over the winter, I had been dealing with pain in my left hip that would prevent me from running some days, and at its worst, I could even feel it when I walked. I am always nervous about getting a career-ending injury and I was even concerned this may have been arthritis already! I tried multiple methods that did not seem to help it improve. Then I started focusing on stabilizing that hip by strengthening the muscles around it. I was diligently doing single leg exercises for it every time I lifted. My self-diagnosis is that I had a weak left glute. It was even affecting my squat form when I was doing heavier weights. My form has since corrected as well now and the week I hit 40 miles, I experienced zero complaints from my hip!<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my last post, I also mentioned the yard project I have been doing. I cleared all the trees and the land was excavated. Then the most recent aspect of the project has been building a sand pit/box. I missed two of my lifting days as a result during my 40-mile week, but I still did more than enough digging, lifting, and hauling! I record these extra, strenuous tasks in my training log so when I look back, I can understand why I didn’t get something done, or maybe my performance in a workout was affected.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVZBGSn4V9Y1NB60Tfhz8g-RVe5dEWrkdHxs6mnjyhE0pv7TNZFP0niARKrr2lruzQozOWhn4ev5C7t5zTmgO1-tD2PRdkoWP-M8rAbECeRtURn53VR7O-SRESK5eoDzdwmFtQ_LPknPm/s1600/IMG_2297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVZBGSn4V9Y1NB60Tfhz8g-RVe5dEWrkdHxs6mnjyhE0pv7TNZFP0niARKrr2lruzQozOWhn4ev5C7t5zTmgO1-tD2PRdkoWP-M8rAbECeRtURn53VR7O-SRESK5eoDzdwmFtQ_LPknPm/s320/IMG_2297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Perhaps this year I will not get to compete at all. That would be a huge letdown, but I would not regret the time that I have put into training. I will not regret that I got myself into really good shape, and I really appreciate these challenges (workouts and projects) that I have gone through that keep me sane and make myself better.<br />
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How have you challenged yourself?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-75945682622313433172020-05-04T13:16:00.001-05:002020-05-04T13:16:41.953-05:00Moving Forward<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
I have been slow to write during this time because the last thing I want to do is write something related to COVID-19. I hate to even mention it. Yes, life has changed. That’s not news. Andy and I are high school track coaches who lost the spring season, and our very real chance at having a shot at winning a State Title as a team. There have been all the emotions in our house. There’s the question of when things will be “normal” again. Spring races have been canceled. Early summer races have been canceled. Will I be able to compete this year even? There’s been a lot of speculation but nobody really knows. Triathlon Nationals aren’t until August, but as it draws thousands of people from all over the country – what are the chances of that happening? I’ve had a hard time getting on my bike yet as a result.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">My wave of triathletes after finishing.</span></td></tr>
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As far as summer track meets, I am guessing that the 2 competitions I was planning on won’t happen. Right now, WIAA is now allowing us the month of July for track practice and competition. I can’t even pull out a pit prior to that since school facilities have been closed until the end of June. One month. Much better than nothing, which I have been afraid of, so I am trying to keep my hopes up. We are designing it to be a cross between an abbreviated, rough version of a high school season, and summer Club season, so the meets would be open to all ages. We are also well aware that we could end up losing that as well, but for the time being, it gives us hope, and we could all use more of that.<br />
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I did get in two indoor meets (without practices) and an indoor triathlon, so if all else, fails, I am glad I got that little bit in during 2020. My goal the last several years was to hit 11-6 (and 12 last year), and while I would be left short of that for this year, I at least broke 11 feet both times and went 1 and 2 at the college meets (almost made 11-10 in the video below!). The indoor triathlon was a fun challenge and maybe we could even get another one scheduled before the close of the year.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I am thankful for the things we do have during this time – the extra time with the kids when I would normally have been gone a lot with the season. I’ve still been running (got a treadmill for Christmas!) and lifting weights. We have a big house to move in and space outside. Homeschooling started when it was still winter here and we got in extra skating, tubing, and exploring. Spring came and I resumed a project I had started at the end of volleyball season – clearing an area of our land of trees (So. Many. Trees!) to be turned into a large open yard. I just finished cutting and cleaning up the area and now we wait for excavation to start! The boys liked to come out and “cut” down trees with their chainsaws too. For the time being, it gave me something to focus on when everything else was being taken away. It gave me purpose and at the end of the day, I could feel like I accomplished something (like my farming days).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRf2nlqnpxSzS1Z6temrPlqf4N5TRrQd84OouGxpZpAWYAkiy0JxlAhAs1FBJlmTO-euI-Vvxm_20zBJonMzGn2ODVj2mOUj_i7ipeI8922GYyQkp5R01tbmfQOkTyOy1JgRL4DPQ6Du2k/s1600/IMG_2523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRf2nlqnpxSzS1Z6temrPlqf4N5TRrQd84OouGxpZpAWYAkiy0JxlAhAs1FBJlmTO-euI-Vvxm_20zBJonMzGn2ODVj2mOUj_i7ipeI8922GYyQkp5R01tbmfQOkTyOy1JgRL4DPQ6Du2k/s320/IMG_2523.JPG" width="320" /></a> There’s the struggle with identity as being coaches and athletes without our sports. While I take comfort of knowing my identity truly lies in Christ, there’s still much sadness with all that has been lost. Athletes of all levels, all the way up to Olympians, are feeling it. All you can do is try to stay positive, make the best of things, and remember that this too shall pass. When all hope feels lost, there’s still hope in our Risen Lord. Praise. Jesus.</div>
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Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-60790469536122904972020-02-03T20:36:00.003-06:002020-02-03T20:36:47.564-06:00Growing the Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After Rowyn was born, Andy and I decided to pursue growing our family through domestic infant adoption. In 2017, we met with Lutheran Social Services to begin the process. We started when Rowyn was only months old because we knew that it could be a long process. We completed our home study, educational requirements, and paperwork in 2018. We made our portfolio and then entered the “waiting period.”</div>
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With the domestic infant program, you wait to be chosen by the birth parent(s). This period of waiting is indeed the hardest. With previous due dates of March 9, 6, and 7 for our three biological children, this past March was personally the hardest for us as we were still waiting for our adoptive child. In 2019, Lutheran Social Services also dropped their adoption program, and we transitioned to Holt Wisconsin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We have not been extremely vocal about this whole process, as it is honestly tough to talk about. We have the support of our church, and are often asked about updates. There are simply no updates to give. We are still waiting. We have considered going through an adoption consultant, but cannot currently afford it, even though we are told the wait is much shorter going that route. Our case worker has been encouraging us to be more vocal about our desire and readiness to adopt, so we are finally taking to social media to share a bit of our journey with all of our family, friends, and acquaintances. If you know of anyone who is considering making an adoption plan, help us connect! It seems that many adoptions happen outside of an agency by word of mouth, through family and friends. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you are interested in reading more about our story and our journey, or to donate to our adoption fund, you can do so <a href="https://adopttogether.org/families/?fundraiser=wyss-family-adoption" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span>If you would like to check out our online portfolio, it can be viewed <a href="http://www.holtsunnyridge.org/mainblog/2019/11/26/andy-jayme/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
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Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-30589273739736949062019-08-12T22:41:00.000-05:002019-08-12T22:41:05.468-05:00Cleveland Nationals!<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WylH-8phWAqxBOq0kDv2h1D2kYGCoYZSaQze4SUdlUiStFNn_UD15KuDlIlklKZkmY16sPiXdpkkDpgQ8DNtk-yMvREZ_NXjUunJmckVSCkdYzsu4Uq5zt1UYVF3JNHosrWKc46IevB3/s1600/USAT+Cleveland+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="825" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WylH-8phWAqxBOq0kDv2h1D2kYGCoYZSaQze4SUdlUiStFNn_UD15KuDlIlklKZkmY16sPiXdpkkDpgQ8DNtk-yMvREZ_NXjUunJmckVSCkdYzsu4Uq5zt1UYVF3JNHosrWKc46IevB3/s320/USAT+Cleveland+1.JPG" width="165" /></a> After Nationals in Omaha, I had low expectations for Cleveland as a race venue. After just 2 weeks of focused triathlon training to prepare, I had low expectations for my race results as well. My goals: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->30’ for the 1500 swim<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->sub 8-minute pace for the run.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had put in a lot of good run training over the winter months, but once I started competing in June, my weekly mileage dropped in half and I only got a few hard workouts in. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The venue was at Edgewater Park in Cleveland. It looked beautiful, overlooking Lake Erie with a nice view of the city skyline as well. The swim as IN Lake Erie, and while water temperature was not a concern, the huge waves sure were! On race morning, it was announced that because of the rough water conditions, the swim would be cut in half. I am glad they didn’t cancel the swim portion altogether. That was the wildest swim of my life though! I was slammed and tossed by waves, which made me feel almost a little seasick even. I came out around 14:30, in the middle of the pack, and I was perfectly happy with that.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCxS1urv6ZJuWDHXTqevdZH6wIW1Lp0m4QKCugfPKUoaMzF1Jcjv1JdC6F_4ws78j3rWmaryQ4pB9YQNGv4PAmnwNKPjk5uCW-h_sT90CvmQDqq5jwGzPp6CVYEv4Pw-wlOBr397UKWDI/s1600/USAT+Cleveland+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCxS1urv6ZJuWDHXTqevdZH6wIW1Lp0m4QKCugfPKUoaMzF1Jcjv1JdC6F_4ws78j3rWmaryQ4pB9YQNGv4PAmnwNKPjk5uCW-h_sT90CvmQDqq5jwGzPp6CVYEv4Pw-wlOBr397UKWDI/s320/USAT+Cleveland+7.JPG" width="320" /></a> After a long run to transition, I was off on the bike! Cleveland shut down a big main road and we rode over the bridge and came down by the Brown’s stadium. We rode through part of a park and in front of the apartment we stayed at the night prior! Based on my training rides, I had low expectations for my watts, but the competitive side of me was pushing 20 watts harder than I did in training, though I was nervous that the more aggressive ride would burn me out for the run. My main goal was to have fun, and I was enjoying pushing the bike, so I continued to do so and averaged 21mph! I was definitely nervous transitioning to the run. My legs were feeling the hard ride and my toes were cramping on one foot, making putting shoes on a slower process. I was hoping things would loosen upon the run. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ajHlQwYpMK_BnIR6GoBORcvhM2hEn3fFW71PA8E6IXsU0VjouVABmpn4PgnsPNQe9l0YrvI4VfJO7qk3Z6iUFUIce_9trM43g3A4hcyPrA_cBer6E95ZWaBPd7xPCfjcbb8ugzbTvpa7/s1600/USAT+Cleveland+23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="950" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ajHlQwYpMK_BnIR6GoBORcvhM2hEn3fFW71PA8E6IXsU0VjouVABmpn4PgnsPNQe9l0YrvI4VfJO7qk3Z6iUFUIce_9trM43g3A4hcyPrA_cBer6E95ZWaBPd7xPCfjcbb8ugzbTvpa7/s320/USAT+Cleveland+23.JPG" width="189" /></a> I felt terribly slow running but I pushed the effort. I was hoping for sub-8 and I felt like I was 9’ pace or slower. I didn’t have immediate feedback to know how I was actually doing, and I thought that was probably for the best! I estimated an early mile to be around 7:15, so I thought I must have gotten that wrong. Then my watch beeped giving me times for the next 3 miles of around 6:56 (that can’t be right!), 7:02, and 7:20. At that point, I figured that even if my pace fell off, I would still do just fine. The run included several hills, a couple even that were a steep decline with a U-turn at the bottom to immediately turn around and run back up. I knew that had to have hurt my pace, but I went on effort, and after coming up one hill in the park, we were treated with a gorgeous view of overlooking the lake and the cityscape in the background. It was such a beautiful course, it was impossible not to enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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A big downhill led us past the beach we swam at, a quick punch up and down over an overpass, and we could see the finish line. I didn’t know the age of the woman ahead, so I set out in a sprint to the finish line. I averaged 7:05 pace for the 10K run! It blew all expectations out the window. My biggest goal was to have fun, and I truly enjoyed the entire race.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-9vwDHDfE8ulfMtfy3UsMn-_lnFHsU_Eil49p_sQ8XM8TtEkCRXpxfmmLL-YROQ36aAF80luPQoZn0Vvp3i7c_NFtbtUMZXJg261dAwT4WMAfJmpKb5mIWUntJFg_ju8f-wBGy84DdBJ/s1600/USAT+Cleveland+45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-9vwDHDfE8ulfMtfy3UsMn-_lnFHsU_Eil49p_sQ8XM8TtEkCRXpxfmmLL-YROQ36aAF80luPQoZn0Vvp3i7c_NFtbtUMZXJg261dAwT4WMAfJmpKb5mIWUntJFg_ju8f-wBGy84DdBJ/s320/USAT+Cleveland+45.JPG" width="320" /></a> To add to a gorgeous venue and fast results, was also that I placed high enough in my age group to potentially get a roll down slot for the 2020 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada (if I want to take it). Besides the great race, it was also my birthday and I got to spend the weekend with Andy, and our friend Rob flew up from Florida (he’s from the Cleveland area), and we got to meet and stay with his awesome family.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had already registered for Milwaukee Nationals for next year, but this race offered so much for me. Now I’ll officially end my season and give my body a much needed break for a bit before starting up with off-season training. What a spectacular year it has been!</div>
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Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-27509270335544068212019-08-08T14:02:00.000-05:002019-08-08T14:02:16.419-05:00Two Weeks Notice<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">People usually put in their 2 weeks notice when they are about to quit something. Instead, I had 2 weeks notice for starting something. This Saturday, I will be competing at the USA Triathlon National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. I will have roughly two weeks of training under my belt for it (including a couple days of taper for a track meet in there!).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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So what’s the story behind it? I qualified for Nationals with the High Cliff half-iron distance race that I did last summer (and somehow won!). Since our good friend, Rob, is from Cleveland and it qualifies for World’s in Canada, I originally thought I would compete at it this year. I started training 6 months ago (a logical time to start training for a big race). Shortly after, I was feeling defeated and overwhelmed with trying to balance everything. I told Andy that I decided I wasn’t going to race Nationals. He replied that I could probably do just fine without even training for it. I told him that I would not do that kind of thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMUk24bfAPKTSbHX_Fnjo375ms-H1kLW4tPdzjSH5lTdrjB9fNJG6_kanq9DbL81G21UEpbOWGKxnJpm-vgROJT8KzpWUUPx7msMo_3xwdzQMm0bdQ7yVUh-z1RcLEanwci5uUqZ2uDIf/s1600/IMG_1901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="976" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMUk24bfAPKTSbHX_Fnjo375ms-H1kLW4tPdzjSH5lTdrjB9fNJG6_kanq9DbL81G21UEpbOWGKxnJpm-vgROJT8KzpWUUPx7msMo_3xwdzQMm0bdQ7yVUh-z1RcLEanwci5uUqZ2uDIf/s320/IMG_1901.jpg" width="195" /></a> A couple weeks ago, USAT announced the location of Nationals for the next 2 years – a return to Milwaukee! I raced at Nationals in Milwaukee in 2014 and 2015, when I qualified for Team USA for Chicago and Cozumel. It has been one of my all-time favorite triathlon courses. I was originally anticipating that Nationals would be far away, and so I was prepared to give a longer break to triathlons altogether. With the location announcement also came another announcement – qualification criteria for next year’s Nationals in Milwaukee would be waived for participants of this year’s Nationals. And here I go! I don’t have to worry about qualifying at a race next year in order to compete at Milwaukee. I have the added bonus of this being a no-pressure race. I biked 4 times and swam a handful of times in order to prepare for this. Good thing I had at least some running under my belt, although I have done minimal distance work since June.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So instead of packing poles, I am packing my bike for this weekend! Wish me luck!</div>
<o:p></o:p>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-88300188182590246222019-08-02T14:26:00.000-05:002019-08-02T14:26:02.021-05:00Final Three Eagle Summer Track Meet<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
On Wednesday night, we hosted our final summer meet of the season. The youth crowd was large! It was awesome to see all the little competitors. The pole vault crew was still small, but some great talent nonetheless! Between moving hurdles and watching my kids race, I would quick jump a height. Pretty hectic, but I guess it worked! I cleared 10-6, 11, and 11-6 on my first attempts. I really wanted to end the season with something big again, and I did! I cleared 12 feet for the second time this season!</div>
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I couldn’t be happier with the progress I made this year. Four out of the Top 5 marks of my life were set this year. My goal as a college senior, 9 years and 3 kids ago, was to make 12 feet. Unbelievable that at this point in my life, I did it! Dedicating an entire off-season to the weight room and work on the high bar paid off. I had 3 indoor meets, a spring outdoor meet, and 6 summer meets. 10 total meets this year! That’s a lot! Out of those 10, only 3 had marks lower than 11-6. Four of the meets, I had post-collegiate or lifetime PR’s (or tied them). What an unbelievable season!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next weekend, I am off to triathlon Nationals in Cleveland – a last minute decision that I made a week ago. Which means I have one week of triathlon training under my belt! This will be an experience!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-6958126422636260132019-07-16T11:29:00.000-05:002019-07-16T11:29:06.106-05:00USATF Masters National Outdoor Championships<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsZskZxeoenzbvCE-My2qla7VbRrvoTFy3EWcUB4FDBDtMBUsfZiYsnWKJgprcw5qnRq5w9CPQQi0NYXRGO8UiTyNTUW8TPHJBHdyNv5PRikRClMpZYKs0T_DO7UybHYUABLnxpPszDhm/s1600/IMG_1852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1391" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsZskZxeoenzbvCE-My2qla7VbRrvoTFy3EWcUB4FDBDtMBUsfZiYsnWKJgprcw5qnRq5w9CPQQi0NYXRGO8UiTyNTUW8TPHJBHdyNv5PRikRClMpZYKs0T_DO7UybHYUABLnxpPszDhm/s320/IMG_1852.jpg" width="278" /></a> Andy and I traveled down to Ames, IA to take part in the Masters National Championships this past weekend. The meet actually takes place over the course of 4 days, but since our main events (pole vault and triple jump) both took place on Sunday for us, we just competed in one event each. The forecast had a high of over 90 degrees, full sun, and very humid. All of the women actually competed together, versus being split into two flights, so there were 20 of us competing together! I was the youngest at 32, and the famous 85-year old Flo was the oldest of the group. The line was pretty long for warm-ups, but staying warm wasn’t tough when it was so steamy out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Based on how pole vault at the decathlon played out, I knew I would have a very long wait to get through the lower heights until I would come in. After my warm-ups, I was able to go watch Andy triple jump. He was having a frustrating day, especially when his best jump was a scratch. He still broke 40’ and took second in his age group behind a pretty elite triple jumper. </div>
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After waiting for well over 2 hours, the final pole-vaulter went out, and I was able to do one run through before moving the bar up to 3.20 meters (roughly 10-4). I cleared it and passed to 3.40, then 3.50 (11-2 and 11-6). While I wanted to clear 12’ again, I really didn’t want to end at just 11-6 again. We put it at 3.61 meters (11-10), which was my college PR, and I cleared it! Deciding to go for a PR, we moved it to 12-1.25, and I missed. It would have been great to PR again, but I feel great about tying my second best jump, and being consistent at the higher heights this year. Going into this, I was also a little nervous how it would go after sitting for a couple hours, and then competing by myself. I had a lot of fun, and definitely had a lot of adrenaline going, as I was gripping at my highest, and on my biggest pole – and with the standards pushed back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had a fun surprise with Mrs. Z (now Mrs. Messenger) working the meet, too! She was our elementary art teacher, and we usually get the treat of seeing her at the WI State Track & Field meet, as she officiates that big meet as well. There was also a group of women that pole vaulted that I also did the decathlon with back in June. It’s always fun seeing familiar faces! Andy and I competed under the Three Eagle Track Club, and as a Club Team, we ended up 61 of 115 Club Teams. Pretty cool!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-53432068994303060022019-07-11T07:44:00.001-05:002019-07-11T07:44:29.685-05:00Hometown 5K<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcneSUhPkHxc371XRCQXHZZl9raxrNTgaUZvaHezEEt8MC8mImB4hb40qKMAXPHVmC4a37ERHzIwUSbzai369d8iwzziG3TOCojM8QVMQsR6P7gksesl927-XLCSTPYNIgnmOdYz3Iipn/s1600/IMG_1808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1463" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcneSUhPkHxc371XRCQXHZZl9raxrNTgaUZvaHezEEt8MC8mImB4hb40qKMAXPHVmC4a37ERHzIwUSbzai369d8iwzziG3TOCojM8QVMQsR6P7gksesl927-XLCSTPYNIgnmOdYz3Iipn/s320/IMG_1808.JPG" width="320" /></a> We were back in our hometown a few weeks ago, and although I was not looking to run a 5K, nor did I have any interest or desire to, Andy ended up registering me for it (so of course I had to then!). It was a very hot, sunny day, and I have not been putting in the mileage to run a fast 5K. He has not been doing much distance running at all, so neither of us were very optimistic at what our results would look like!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was the pacer, so fortunately, Andy just stayed with me and we let all the crazies pull ahead in a start that is always too fast. I had no idea what I could really do, as I had recently run a PR 800, but did not feel like I had the stamina for a fast 3 miles. I was correct. We picked off runners ahead of us one-by-one until we were in the top mix and I was top female at that point. We mainly just tried holding on for the second half as the heat and lack of training caught up to us!<o:p></o:p></div>
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We ended up 4<sup>th</sup>and 5<sup>th</sup>overall (and first female for me) with a time of 21:12 (ouch!). My PR is almost a full minute faster than that. Nothing to get excited about, but at least it got my hard run out of the way for the day! ;) </div>
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<o:p></o:p>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-36701123803362153242019-07-10T13:46:00.001-05:002019-07-10T13:46:36.801-05:002019 River Vault<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo6D1sNjGZ7r0qQq10ycOAWvvVZ0qDPmPY7pZOK3ZQXZc08dRt3EqWxxRmn6HiaCOTuXv67aE27uWT8n_yNEeCiy51cVr6qCb3-O2Bn9cGUkhpx9cPUAK-Z-XerbZmsItV2KTnGeKyvXx/s1600/MagazineRV.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo6D1sNjGZ7r0qQq10ycOAWvvVZ0qDPmPY7pZOK3ZQXZc08dRt3EqWxxRmn6HiaCOTuXv67aE27uWT8n_yNEeCiy51cVr6qCb3-O2Bn9cGUkhpx9cPUAK-Z-XerbZmsItV2KTnGeKyvXx/s320/MagazineRV.JPG" width="320" /></a> This was the first year that I made the trek to La Crosse alone for the River Vault. Since this was my 4<sup>th</sup>year there, and the pole vault community is rather small, there was a lot of friendly faces there that always make it a fun event. It was a steamy hot, sunny day. I felt like I was clicking with warm-ups (as always), and started at 10-6. This was also the first year that I competed in the top flight of women, which was also exciting! It also made for the smallest flight out of them all though (an extra bonus). I cleared 10-6, 11, and 11-6 all on first attempts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am now getting a ton of clearance on 11’ that I feel like I could potentially make that my starting height even, which is a great indication of how far I have come this year! I came down on the bar at 11-6, but it stayed up. This also should have prompted me to either a) move my standards up, or b) lower my grip to get in deeper. Instead I did neither of those things heading into 12’. My first attempt at 12’ was the best jump I had at the height. If I would have made either of those adjustments, I am confident I would have cleared it, as I had the height, but came down on it, knocking it off. My takeoffs at 12’ all felt terrible, but I tried to make the most out of each jump regardless. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I feel very fortunate to have already hit the 12’ mark this year, so that I don’t feel pressure at these competitions as the season is already drawing close to the end. Walking away from the River Vault, I didn’t feel as disappointed in the result, as a result of having hit my goal already. However, watching the videos from that day, I feel extra motivation to end my season with a bang – because the height is there!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Heading into Masters Nationals Outdoor Championships this weekend, I am really excited to jump at a big meet like this for the first time. I have some reservations, as there will be 20 women, and I will most likely be starting after most all of them have gotten done competing. This means that I could be sitting for a very long time just waiting to start. At the decathlon, however, I sat for 1.5 hours to wait for only 7 women to finish, and was still able to go in and perform well. It will be both an opportunity and a challenge that I look forward to taking on. </div>
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<o:p></o:p>Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-57985565663631685882019-06-27T21:19:00.002-05:002019-06-27T21:19:48.435-05:00Three Eagle Summer Meet #1<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRCr8VNvuPKae_JzI5CnQeH7KLK3JD5_YZbLhR_4I3x7B33W2_uWnUgHXp_NXGmMLmTP1K2p9eeLOyPm0ZJwDtjzt98gFvAp9VCRmwQKdvdSC8Y08xpIJND49w0MEObd1v2kioFufFNyv/s1600/IMG_2522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRCr8VNvuPKae_JzI5CnQeH7KLK3JD5_YZbLhR_4I3x7B33W2_uWnUgHXp_NXGmMLmTP1K2p9eeLOyPm0ZJwDtjzt98gFvAp9VCRmwQKdvdSC8Y08xpIJND49w0MEObd1v2kioFufFNyv/s320/IMG_2522.jpg" width="320" /></a> Last night, the Three Eagle Track Club (which I am the Club Director and Head Coach of), hosted it’s first of 2 summer meets. These are super low key and inexpensive meets, but it provides an opportunity to compete locally during the summer (instead of driving 4 or more hours). It's also a chance for our kids to have fun with track too! It was forecasted to be hot, and it didn’t disappoint. I spent the morning dragging everything out. My expectations for my personal performance at these meets are pretty low, as I need to make sure the meet runs smoothly as well, which means setting up, moving, and clearing hurdles, and also chasing after our own kids. There were only 4 of us vaulting, and as much as I encourage the crew to get started, it never seems to actually start until I return after the hurdle races (and the 50m, as all 3 kiddos ran that). I cleared 10-6 and 11 on my first attempt, and 11-6 on my second attempt, but I felt like I was <i>way </i>over it. Definitely getting consistent with that 11-6 bar this year!</div>
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My legs honestly felt terrible, but after the big clearance over 11-6, I wanted to go straight to 12’ instead of messing around with anything else. After all, that’s what I was really after. I had so much adrenaline pumping that as I went back on the runway, I said to a fellow vaulter, “Can you film this? Because I’m going to make it.” At that point, there wasn’t room for any doubt. This was happening. First attempt – CLEARED IT! It’s been 9 years and 3 kids since I first set the goal of 12’, and I <b>finally </b>did it. And I still have 3 competitions left to the season! I have things to keep working on (like my weak take-off and getting off the pole sooner), but I think that’s also the exciting part – that I made the height with so much room for improvement. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What’s it like to accomplish a 9 year goal? Absolutely surreal. <b><u>TWELVE FEET</u></b>– that’s <b>legit</b>!<br />
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Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5365689455332549360.post-41078995957056774902019-06-16T15:34:00.001-05:002019-06-16T15:34:28.436-05:00Badger State Games Track 2019<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Badger State Track was hosted in Wausau this year (typically it is in La Crosse), and while the forecast kept showing rain, and Andy had done nothing prior to the week leading up to it, we were set on going. We both picked 4 events and kept pretty busy. Not sure if I have had really bad allergies, or a very bad cold, but I have been miserable and not getting much sleep. Why not go compete in the rain?!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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The day started overcast and misting. We had a headwind(!) in pole vault, but were told that moving the pits was not an option. Fortunately it was calm at times, and we were allowed to wait for the wind if we needed to (definitely waited it out a couple times). I squeezed in my warm-up and ran over to discus to get warmed up and to throw. I have been working on disc quite a bit lately, and the All-American standard for female sub-masters was over 88 feet. My PR the weekend prior was 84-2. I threw 94’ for a 10’ improvement and I smashed the standard! Getting close to 100’ makes me feel a bit more legit throwing the disc!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I got back over to pole vault for run throughs to start at 10-6, and I was already the only female remaining in the competition (the next best height was 8’). After making 10-6 and 11, it took me a couple attempts to make 11-6 (which I have now made 3 times this year)!! Since I was the only female remaining, I chose to go for 11-9 first. My college PR is 11-10, and post-college best is 11-6. There was definitely some bar love but I cleared it!! I got a lot of height on one 12’ attempt, but not enough depth. To be honest, most of my vaults with the bar up felt like junk! While I am frustrated that I am not putting things together better with a full approach at a meet, I am also a bit impressed that I have been making the heights with such poor jumps. I have 4 more meets this summer to put it together to make my 12’ goal!</div>
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I had probably one of my worst throws over at shot, but fortunately I also had my best throw, with a new PR of 29-10 (so close to breaking 30’)! After achieving 3 new personal bests, I felt like I HAD to PR in the 800 as well. My official PR time for the 800 was a 2:46, although I unofficially ran a 2:43 in the Coach’s Race at our home meet this spring. I was seeded with the youth, and they didn’t fail in helping push me and I dropped my time to a 2:39.96!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Andy also had a fantastic day, and his “philosophy of zero training” seemed to have worked again for him, as he triple jumped over 40’ and broke 19’ in the long jump! On top of all that, the clouds disappeared and the sun came out and it ended up being an all-around great day. We had a few other Three Eagle Track Club members competing at the meet as well, which always makes it more fun when you can compete with your team!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrD2VcDL5p3bdEwMyruAxmXXLdjNlptWlb5zzpyOCALCCsXGFtS0zUoqEgfkyEe5Pe40KvcBYd3W0NraJl72mxEuG08RzUvCjNyeLRZJmVsj8ieMnvcYgRbl7qskcJzM9JsNDlBJ0YoeZ/s1600/IMG_1642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrD2VcDL5p3bdEwMyruAxmXXLdjNlptWlb5zzpyOCALCCsXGFtS0zUoqEgfkyEe5Pe40KvcBYd3W0NraJl72mxEuG08RzUvCjNyeLRZJmVsj8ieMnvcYgRbl7qskcJzM9JsNDlBJ0YoeZ/s320/IMG_1642.JPG" width="320" /></a> My personal theory is that when the odds are not in your favor, that’s when you can really shine. My best jumps in college were like that. I sprained my jumping ankle the week of indoor conference. At conference, with a ton of tape on it, I vaulted my indoor record of 11-8. On a crazy windy day at Hamline (I should include that I am a headcase when it comes to wind!), I vaulted 11-10 for my ourdoor record. The wind that day was constantly shifting. Sometimes a tail wind, sometimes cross, and even sometimes a head wind. In those situations, I take the pressure off of myself to perform. If it doesn’t go well? Well, there’s an external factor to blame (ha!). Either way, it’s about having fun and not letting outside factors get the best of you. My motto this year seems to truly be: “it’s about <i>overcoming</i>- not about having all the stars align.”<o:p></o:p></div>
Jayme Wysshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619806413631978177noreply@blogger.com0