What are my earnings, loyal age group triathlete?

What's my reward for a season of Iron-training?  Why, a fabulous camping trip to Rock Island with the girls, of course! Saturday was my last regular training day, with an eighty mile ride (steady, minimal stops), followed by a brisk eight mile run.  The whole affair wasn't perfectly fast or even neat and tidy, but I didn't feel too bad, and any time one makes their way all the way through an iron training plan, no matter how many workouts are altered or skipped, it's celebration time!  

So, my reward, in pictures:

The journey starts, as many family trips do, at Gill's Rock, Door County.

Ahh...the unencumbered woman ponders a bright sunny day on the ferry to Washington Island.

So we park on Washington Island, and head to the passenger boat: Karfi.

friends amongst us.  The parking lot is littered with bumper stickered vehicles.

Not nearly enough recall stickers in DC, oh...the divide...

Mad River Glen!!!! Go fire, Vermont!

Chiaravelli Montessori. What a tiny little world.

 We quickly learn that our fellow campers have a trick to camping on Rock Island. It's called a Dolly.  They pile as much stuff as they can on the small Karfi Boat, then bring a hand truck in order to pull everything to their campsite.  There may be no cars allowed on Rock Island, but it's hard to get folks away from the concept of car camping, which usually includes bringing, well, a lot of stuff on board!
We were proud to carry everything in on our backs.  Great teamwork, great practice, and we didn't gorge ourselves on weird Piggly Wiggly retro food (you know the drill: hot dogs, chips, beer, juice, smokes, cereal).  This was our two day allotment and as it turns out, we still gorged ourselves. What a delight!

What would camping be without gingham tablecloth.  How did this happen?

Tent set up, site ready.  Three girls ready for fun and adventure.  Let's go to the water!

OK, Addie...take a few pictures of me that commemorate the journey to Ironman Wisconsin 2012.

This will be my seventh Ironman.  OK then.  Eight if I were to count that dud year in Penticton...

 And then on to the sandy beach.  Take note, this must be the sweetest, lightest, finest sand I've seen on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan.  A perfect day to boot, sparsely populated beach. We're completely thrilled.  I whip out my crochet while the kids wade around the rocks, swim, play in sand, an generally devour the joy that is a fabulous beach in late summer.  It never gets old in our family.

Looking east. This is about 200 meters from our campsite.

 By the time evening rolled around we were feeling the satisfaction of seasoned Rock Island travelers.  Our neighbors were a curious lot.  Four strapping young guys with enough camping gear to fill the rear of a 4x4 truck.  They were nice enough, and kept the volume down, aided by the fact that the sites are quite well spread from each other.  Our sunset walked revealed some of the best photo-ops for Addie.

Would I ever tire of this?

How did we achieve this color?

Addie, all the way.

Chester Hjortur Thordarson's Boathouse/library.  Keepers of Rock Island history know that this inventor-genius built this great hall to house his valuable book collection.  Restored, beautiful, for the sharing as a Wisconsin State Park.  How's that for public works?

Water containers, portal to the campsite path.

Rock Island.

 Day two we hiked the 6.5 mile loop around the island.  We were tuckered out, but the path is truly gentle and do-able for just about anyone.

Water Tower.

Pottawatomie Lighthouse.  Lovely.

Inside the light housing.

Here we are! " It's too beautiful to photograph!!!" "Mom, you always say that!"

Morning view of our beloved beach.

How precious, this stone?

 And then it's back to Ellison Bay.  No small feat, considering the cleaning, tidying, packing, boat jumping involved.  Throw the clothes into the washer and yes, one more shot at the sweetness of a summer day at my favorite town beach.  Ashby and I are up for it.  Addie has had enough. She wants a bath, a dvd, and a cold soda.  What can I say? She's becoming her own person that we love so much.

It's simply unjust to leave this beach alone anytime before Labor Day. 

 The three of us rally for one last night out.  This summer has seen plenty of great sunsets and this one rivals them all.  The girls are skipping stones and I'm taking photos, watching the other sunset-gapers come and go.  I love it, every time.  The weather is perfect and the sun is just nearing the tip of the town bluff, Fall is coming.

It never gets old.

And then it's gone. Just like anything.  Just like everything.

It doesn't have to be fun to be fun! ~JW

 Don't look now, but it's adventure time!!! Don't miss out on the season, if at all possible.  If, LF, you are stuck at a cubicle or meeting somewhere, I'm so sorry.  Take a peek at these photos and think about sneaking away, if for a very short time.  So here's my dream day in Madison, Wisconsin, site of the Ironman Wisconsin in eighty days (but who's counting?).

IM Wisconsin bike course

IM Wisconsin bike course

 It all started with a bang. My new great friend and training buddy Jilly dragged me over seventy miles of the Ironman course.  We'll just do the stem and the loop once, OK?  Yeah, whatever you say, boss.  It was actually a delightful ride. Riding with Jilly is terrific, because she's raced IMMOO every year (yes EVERY YEAR for ten years) and trains frequently on the bike course.  Watching her attack the course gave me a sense of the few occasions that one should brake on the ride, and where she flows.  I always need a confidence booster on descents, so I felt a bit of permission when watching her glide ahead of me down hills.  We got out early enough to enjoy sun without too much heat (about 88F) and we were finished before noon.  I'm not going to elaborate on the training.  To know Jilly is to know steady riding, just my style, with a few notches added for "not stopping for anything more than 1-2 minutes).  Then we jumped into Lake Monona for a little swim.  Jilly admits that I was about to witness her "weakest sport".  Thank goodness, "the crack in the armor", I respond.

But as we finished I realized that if I jumped into the car and drove back to Oak Park, I'd rob Addie of her opportunity to be in charge of Ashby and house and order pizza and TV for dinner.  So, If I were a typical tri-geek, I'd obviously don running shoes and add another workout to the mix, but alas, that's not me, at least not today!  I put my day clothes on and headed for State Street, my favorite midwestern town with major retail boulevard closed to all automobile traffic!

LOVE IT!

When in Madison, I've got a couple of responsibilities. First, just loving Madison.  I'm loving this Badger Liqour sign on pink that sits smack in the middle of everything.  Blue sky, soft clouds, hot, low humidity. I'm happy!!!! 

Badger Liquor: Ice Cubes~

Beyond photography, stop number one is the unisex hair salon, always a deal and capable of cutting my hair as short as I prefer. I was pretty punchy in the salon, after an iced coffee-thing and unencumbered-ness, so my stylist definitely earned her tip.

Short enough for summer training?

Yes!

 And, naturally, lunchtime.  Typical earthy-college-town-lunch-affair.  Tibet/Indian/type food, great for vegetarians and all-around flexitarians like me!

Bhat Tarkari

 And then a walk to the mother-lode.  Bumper sticker store (they sell other things: self-help books, t-shrts, music, incense, jewelry, you know the drill).  But this is where I rely on replenishing bumper-sticker supply, especially since the Subaru is a little light right now.

Shakti!

 You probably wonder how many bumper stickers I grabbed? That, LF, will remain a secret, until you see the Subaru proudly adorned with new additions.  Some classics, some new.  I'm loving it!!!! Must be summer, and I must have grown up in a crunchy college town!!!! The guy behind the counter wasn't too cheerful.  They might be feeling pretty low, since there's Walker stuff all around us, but as I become the grizzled ol' mother, I can only say, "the struggle continues".

And a glimpse up State Street towards the capitol building.  This is a hoot on Ironman Day, especially for those who are sitting drinking a beer and eating a salad.  On the run course, I'm not so sure, but as Jilly says:  "It doesn't have to be fun to be fun!"  (what a fabulous bumper sticker that would be!!!!).

And here it is, IM run course!!! This is so fun on IM day!!! Lots of athletes, lots of heat, lots of pain!!!

I was back in the car in time for driving all the way home (not a short trip), and in time for pizza with the kids.  Nothing exploded, and with a  mere 10 or so hours away from home. Revitalized, energized, exercised, and ready for a new day, a new adventure!!!

IM Wisconsin Bike Route

Jim and I snuck up to Madison for a little ride, run and some r&r. The rain and storms were fierce in the morning, so we didn't hit the road until 11:30 AM. Until then, we drove around Madison, grabbed some coffee, and visited the site of an open water swim which was much delayed due to weather.  By the time we hit the bikes in Madison, we decided to do the first and final 15 of the IM course, plus one of the 38 mile loops rather than two.  I indulged the pacing goddesses and took it as easy as possible.  The day was simply spectacular and provided a rare opportunity for photographs.  This course is absolutely breathtaking, but since we often feel like we're on death's door while we're riding, it's tough to appreciate.  Yesterday wasn't one of those days.  I slowed down, stopped for photo ops, and took in as much fuel as I could handle.  Here's a sampling of what I saw:

Mile 30 & 68, approximately. Outside of Mt. Horeb

Three weeks out from race day, you'll see a lot of this.

Soon after we turn onto one of our first major descents

same view

This ambitious hill is always an adventure, a mile or so beyond last shot.

Stopping to get a view, for once.

Fish eye view

This is farmland, after all

Peak of Mt. Horeb, views in every direction.

Mile 35, 73

Pit stop. I'm not alone.

Anyone need coaching?  We'll make you faster, smarter, stronger, and more gorgeous!

Mile 45, 83.  Crest of hill.

Mile 48 & 86 or so. Final big climb before tumbling into Verona, the start (again) of the loop, or return to Madison

This is looking back down the ascent

Either the first descent (mile 10) or the final hill (mile 98) either way, it's a hammerfest.

Heading back towards Madison.

Day trip to the nearest progressive college town can't miss a visit to the local bumpersticker shop.  Is this seriously 139 miles from my home? What happened to Karen? How could this be?