St. Jude Memphis Marathon

30 hours post-marathon, I am still trying to figure out how I feel about what just happened, and why. I went into the weekend a little leary of this race, as I prepared very little - much like with Chicago 2009. But, having two marathons under my belt, knowing that it was going to be good weather, and that I would have Alicia running beside me the whole time, I felt a little confident at least. I wasn't super-psyched about the race from the start of the long weekend, but there have been plenty of races I went into not feeling it, and ended up with either a PR or at least the ability to mentally overcome whatever obstacle there were to my enjoyment of the event. For St. Jude, however, this never quite happened.

I started the race at a wall. I would say by Mile 3 I knew I wasn't going to feel any better two miles, six miles, ten miles, or twenty six miles into it. I usually am able to give a play-by-play of my races, and distinctly recap what happend at each mile, but for whatever reason my head just wasn't in the game yesterday. I started off wishing it was already over and wondering when it would all end. At mile 11 I started crying and told Alicia that I was seriously considering breaking off with the half-marathoners and just finishing then. She pushed me, and although now I'm glad that she did, I really just wanted to stop at 13.1 miles in.

After that half-way mark I wasn't the same. Prior to that I was trying to cheer myself up (you know, the whole "fake it 'til you make it" trick). I was taking photos along the route, posing with an Elvis impersonator and some random-ass panda on the side of the road, and video-taping a nice little version of The Village People's YMCA. But after that first half I was mentally and physically done. I'm not sure how much of a part the physical fitness came into play, as I was able to accomplish this feat in Chicago just a year prior (running a full marathon with little training, I mean), and Alicia was like Mary Poppins on crack with just as little training as I had. Sincerely - she was like a motivational speaker who just eventually got pissed and wanted to slap me before it was all over with. Looking back, I think a lot of it was mental.

Although I was physically in pain, it wasn't until I sat down to stretch about 17 miles in that I mentally gave up and cried loudly to Alicia that I couldn't finish. She was supportive, and told me that she really thought I would regret it if I didn't keep going - but she understood that if I was in that much pain and needed to quit. It was up to me. Because the ball was now in my court, however, and I was being told that I could throw in the towel or not, I kept going. Grimace and all.

Most of the race was a blur as I was more in my head than anywhere else. I stopped a dozen times or more to stretch, avoided eye contact with anyone I came in contact with, forced water and Gu's hoping anything would help - but didn't. My solace was having looked at the elevation map of the race beforehand, and being under the impression that it was almost all downhill (literally) after mile 19. Well, mile 19 came and went and the course looked no less hilly than it had been the prior miles. I was truly defeated at this point. I was ticked at Alicia for her chipper "C'mon girl" attitude, and she was ticked at me for my "Screw the world" one. I later told her I honestly felt homicidal when she told me, at mile 22, that I "wasn't even trying". Ugh!!!!!!

I believe it was somewhere between miles 23 and 24 that I just got so sick and tired of being out on the road that I forced myself, with all I had, to run as much as I could (this looked more like a shuffle really). I ran more those last 2-3 miles than I did the prior 5 or so. We made our way up the last hill and around the corner to see mile marker 26 just ahead. For the last .2 Alicia and I continued to run together and there should be a nice shot of us holding hands up in the air as we cross the finish line together! Finally - the torture was over.

As I said, I'm not sure what was so different about this race than the prior two marathons. Yes, Chicago was a struggle, and maybe I was having subconscious flashbacks of that race that hampered my mental status this time around - who knows. One thing is for sure - we have the Miami Marathon coming up in less than two months, and there WILL be training for that one. I plan on getting back on the treadmill for a small run in another three days, and continuing 3 short runs during the week, with long runs on weekends with Alicia. Never in my life do I want to feel again what I felt yesterday. And if it was a lack of training, at least I'll nip that one in the bud. If it was something else however - well, I don't know. I may have to evaluate things going on in my life right now and see what needs to change.

Memphis Training

Well, after San Francisco I really thought I would keep up the marathon training. Having signed up for the Memphis full Marathon, rather than just the half, I thought I had learned my lesson regarding lack of training from Chicago 2009, but I guess not. We're now 3 weeks from the race, and the 17-20 miler I had planned for today turned into a 14.25 miler with mostly walking during the last 7 or so miles. Pathetic. I haven't been eating well lately, which probably contributed to the sucky run, and my body just felt like lead about 6 miles into the run. Ugh. So, I'm gonna do the best I can considering my lack of training, and now the lack of time I have to prepare. Planning on another longer run next weekend - maybe a 13 miler or so, and a shorter run the weekend prior to the marathon, but really thinking of amping up my current non-existent week-day running regime, and logging some 3-5 milers during the week. We'll see how this pans out....

Run The Farm 10k

Had a horrible run this morning during the Run The Farm 10k in Elizabeth, In. A few weeks ago I talked Shane into running with me since Alicia wasn't interested, and at 8:30 this morning we pulled into a large field converted into a parking lot for the fifty or so runners/walkers completing either a 10k, 5k or 1 mile walk. After getting our bibs, hitting the potty, and walking over to the start line, we had just five minutes or so to spare before the start. The weather was a chilly 30 degrees or so, and most of us were bundled up with hats, ear-warmers, gloves and layers galore.

The course was a two-loop run around the farm of the people who owned the property, and all proceeds for the race went to Parkinson's research. I asked Shane to stay with me through the course since, it being such a small turn out, I knew I'd be pulling up the rear and didn't want to go it alone. Less than a mile in however, my lack of sleep from the night before was already catching up with me and Shane asked if he could run ahead. The course was very hilly, but not nearly as brutal as the run the prior weekend through Waverly Park. This may have been due to the fact that I could actually see what lie ahead of me and on the ground I stepped on. I'd say it was a half/half course of running through overgrown fields where a path had been mowed, and through the woods.

A little over two miles in I was already tuckered. As I said, I had a horrible nights sleep the prior evening thanks to some pretty wicked heartburn, and I hadn't eaten well that morning due to lack of appetite (half a Cliff bar and some Vitamin Water). I seriously considered quitting the race after the first loop at 3.1 miles, but since I was the one who talked Shane into doing this race I knew I would never hear the end of it if I gave up. Plus, I would have felt pretty bad about myself - not being able to pull out a mere 6.2 miles after having run so many half marathons and two full marathons in the past 13 months.

So, I came upon the start/finish line of the first loop and headed out for the second 3.1 miles. Less than a half mile in I knew I had made the right choice. Even though I was dragging, I knew there was no turning back now and that I would be so much happier with myself finishing the full 10k rather than just a 5k. Going into the second loop however, I already knew I was pretty much on my own and that there were no other runners behind me. The second loop seemed shorter since I knew what to expect, and with a half mile or so left to go I saw Shane coming at me from the end of the course after having finished 10-15 minutes earlier. I guess I was going so slow he got worried :)

I trudged up another couple of hills, made my way out of the woods, around the barn, and past the front of the residence that was built on the land and headed towards the finish line. My goal for the race was an hour and thirty minutes, and I stopped my watch just at 1:25:55. Score!

Overall this was a pretty decent race. If I had gotten better sleep and fuel I feel I may have done better. I told Shane afterwards that I like trail races to break up the monotony of running, however, I think I like road races more so that I can settle into a constant pace, get in the zone, and not have to pay attention to where I'm stepping. For this being such a small race I was surprised that all runners received a shirt, as well as a ceramic medalion-like finishers "medal." Everyone involved was so nice, and I have to say I wouldn't mind doing this one again if the mood strikes.

Pure Screamin' Hell 6.66 Mile Run

Completed my first-ever trail run this week. On Halloween night. In the dark. Yes, you read that correctly. Pitch. Black. Well - except for the dimly lit headlamps we wore. This was an annual race that took place in the woods of a local park, closely located to an old tuberculosis hospital which is said to be haunted. However, the scariest thing about the evening was the number of times I tripped and nearly fell on multiple roots and rocks throughout the trail.

The total mileage of the race was 6.66 miles - very appropriate for a Halloween night run. However, because of the way the race was set up there weren't any mile markers or a clear indication of where we were on the course. This was fine because Alicia and I - along with the three other ladies we met along the trail and ended up running with - kept eachother company with interesting and often hilarious conversation. With a mile or so left to go, I twisted my ankle pretty good and yelled out a few choice curse words. This incident came just on the heels of one of the other runners taking a big plunge and ending up with a bloody knee that ultimately needed stitches. Ouch! This was trecherous stuff!

Near the end someone made a joke about all of us running across the finish line together holding hands. Somehow the joke ended up as a reality as this is exactly what our finishing photo would have looked like (had there been a finishing photo). The five of us came in dead last (only 75 or so runners altogether), but this was fine with us since it was more about the experience we had than setting any PR's. Our official time was just under 1:54.

I have to say, as frustrating and anxiety provoking as this race was, it was definitely my most fun race yet. I am looking forward to signing up for it again next year, and am also anticipating running my second trail race this coming weekend. This one is in the daytime however (booo - how boring :), and will be on a farm rather than in the thick forest. Still, another 10k under my belt and another training run for Memphis in approximately one month!

Louisville Half Marathon

Completed my 12th Half-Marathon this morning on a beautiful, cool, sunny day! Both my best friend/training partner Alicia and I were not feeling it as we started the race this morning. She has been sick off and on this week, and I've been in my own funk lately. Barely training (surprise, surprise) for the race didn't help either.

It took me about 2 1/2 to 3 miles to get into a groove, and after that it was an easy pace to the end. About 4 1/2 miles in I could tell that my pinky-toenail was scraping against my fourth toe and knew I was gonna have a bleeder on my hands (or feet) soon. It wasn't long before I felt the sticky substance surround half of my foot and had to muddle through for the tail end of the race.

The route is an out-and-back course, and as we rounded the turn around point I was surprised to see that no mats had been laid out to keep track of runners' time and exclaimed, "We totally could have cheated!" Not that I would have. Even if the powers that be knew nothing of my dishonesty, I couldn't accept the medal, or even claim that I had "finished" the race in good conscious. So, we did an about face and headed back for another 6 miles.

It wasn't long before our lack of training and the prior weeks stressors got the best of us and we began walking for just as long and just as often as we ran. This was quite alright with both of us however, as we were now on the downswing of the race and only wished to finish. Conversations of where to eat after the race and our gastrointestinal problems soon filled the air. By mile 10 we were running from landmark to landmark, and only wished that the race would soon be over - heinies and hamstrings were getting a little tight.

On our last turn, with only .1 mile left to go, Alicia got her second wind and pulled out ahead of me. I tried to ram it into high gear so we could finish together but that didn't quite work and I ended up crossing the finish line probably 5 - 7 seconds behind her. I also like to think that I didn't want to steal her glory, as I've finished first in my fair share of the races we've competed in together and it's only right that I give her her moments....... oh, who am I kidding?! She kicked my ass fair and square! Either way we both finished another race, and both got a pretty sweet medal to hang around our necks. I finished in an unofficial time of 2:43:56 - not a PR by any means, but probably right on par with some others that I've run.

Our next race is the Waverly Hills 6.66 mile trail run on Halloween night. I'm concerned about this race for two reasons: 1 - it doesn't start 'til 8:00 p.m. and we'll be running the course in the dark with only headlamps to guide our way, and 2 - trail runs are a whole other beast! Needless to say, I've asked for a personal day the following morning since I know we won't be pulling into home until close to midnight, and if my 7 mile hiking trip this past weekend is any indication as to how my calves are going to feel, I will be needing all the recovery time I can get!

Feelin' like a fraud

I've come to the realization recently that I am a physical fitness fraud. I've been "running" since 2005, and "competing" in triathlons for a year now, yet my exercise and eating habits outside of these events is more couch potato than iron(wo)man. I came home from a vacation in Disney World this past week weighing the most I've ever weighed in my entire life - 141 pounds. Now, some of you may be saying to yourself, "Are you kidding me? She's 141 pounds and she's complaining about this???" But for someone who is a self proclaimed "athlete," and comes from a family of obesity, this is a big deal.

I would say 99.9 percent of people who know me know that I have completed multiple half marathons, marathons and triathlons. I went through the lunch line at work the other day and I took two desserts. A patient told me "You don't look like you eat that much." My reply? "I work out a lot!" The truth is - I don't. Not even close. I barely trained at all for my first marathon, and for the second - I did a once-a-week long run on Saturday mornings and that was it. I trained hard for my first Olympic Triathlon, but the others I looked at as a way to maintain and have something to do that weekend. People come up to me and say, "You've done how many of these events? I could NEVER do that, that is awesome." When I hear this though, I almost feel fake - like I'm getting all the glory for barely any work. Now, that is not to say that the races and triathlons themselves aren't grueling (see my previous posts for the Chicago Marathon and the Shelbyville Back to Health Olympic Triathlon), but I just feel that my lack of training and my lack of eating the way I should mock the other athletes that are out there really working hard and making positive changes in their lives.

Because of this, I've decided to make changes all the way around. No longer will I be taking the easy way out, and "getting by" in these races. No longer will my work outs (lol - or lack there of) end with a trip to McDonalds. I recently went to the grocery and made healthy choices rather than unhealthy ones. The problem in this area is that I am such a picky eater that I am limited on what I will eat. I WISH that I liked a larger variety of foods, including vegetables, but I just don't.

I've also decided that I'm not happy just being a "thin" person anymore - although the thinness is fastly fading away as I pack on the pounds, accumulating more muffintop and cellulite than should be legal. I want to be fit and even toned. At 34 years old, I'm not getting any younger and it's going to be even harder to lose as time goes on.

So today I jumped on the treadmill for a three mile run, did some strength training with my home weights and stability ball, and am planning on eating in moderation this evening (and every evening from here on out) when I go out with a girlfriend later on. From now on, I will be a bona fide "athlete" instead of just playing one in the public eye. I will make good life choices that result in more than just a medal around my neck. And, when someone asked how I've lost so much weight (15-20 pounds is my goal), and how I stay so thin, I will honestly be able to tell them that it took a lot of hard work, dedication, good choices, and a realistic look at what I needed to do on the inside, in order to see results on the outside.

A Busy Fall

Just realized I only have four more weeks 'til my next half-marathon, and a mere 10 weeks 'til the next full - ugh! Allergies kicked my butt this morning, and I bowed out of the 10-miler we had scheduled as a training run. I'm trying to figure out the training schedule for the marathon, but the half, two 10k's and a trip to Disney World is sorely hampering my abilities to schedule appropriately length training runs.

I've been hella-unmotivated for the past few months or so - since finishing the San Francisco Marathon. True, I just had another sprint-length tri last week, but that doesn't necessarily mean I appropriately trained for it. I have to try to figure out something to get me back in the game - back on my toes and out there training. The weather is starting to get cooler, so there should be absolutely no excuses for not running and biking out there. Guess I'll have to break out the old Excel spreadsheet and put some numbers together. Funny, I love to PREPARE and PLAN for the training, it's the actual ACTION part of training that creates a snafu. Sigh...

Oldham County Tri - bringing it full circle

Yesterday I competed in the Oldham County Mini Triathlon, the same triathlon that started it all just one year ago this exact same weekend. It's interesting to see how far I've come with this sport, and to be able to compete for the second time in my first-ever tri.

The morning was warmer than predicted by our not-so-accurate weathermen, as the day started off in what felt more like the low seventies than high sixties. Before I was able to get my bike on my car, the rain came pouring down which had me a little concerned. After driving to the OC, checking in, getting marked, and setting up in transition, there was little more to do than wait around and check out the competition before Alicia, Lori, Bill and I took our turn at the pool. I had already dipped a foot in to check out the temperature when we first walked down, and the chilly water definitely had me nervous - I don't do well with cold weather/water. Brrrrr. I heard later on that there had been a leak in the pool and that staff had to keep filling it up with water from the hose, hence there was no time for the water to warm up before the race. I estimated that it was between 70-75 degrees in the pool.

I saw that athletes marked in the low 200's were taking off, so I lined up to wait my turn to jump in the frigid pool (I was #237). There was a 20 second staggered start between athletes, and normally I would have jumped in the pool and waited until it was time to push off from the side to go. But the water being so cold turned me into a major weinie, and I opted to stand at the side and jump in at the last second. It was definitely a shock to my system, and I have to say that besides doing the Polar Bear Plunge in 2005, this was the coldest water I have ever been in! It took about two laps to get used to the temp, but soon I was focusing more on form and how many laps I had left in this leg of the race.

After pulling myself up out of the water, I walked my way to T1 where I had a fairly good transition time and it was off to the bike course. Because of the earlier rain I was a little nervous about the potential for slick roads and was very cautious throughout the course. I rode my breaks on most of the downhills, which there were a lot of! I remembered from the first time around that this race has continuous rolling hills, and the only change this time was that they added two more miles for a total of 10 rather than 8. I made it through okay however, with an average of 3 1/2 minutes per mile.

Pulling up to T2, I had no trouble clipping out and waddling my way to store my bike and switch out shoes. Surprisingly, my legs felt strong starting out on the run course, which was a cross country route mostly on gravel. I hit the 1 mile marker approximately 12 minutes after starting the run - decent considering my notorious slow pace and the uneven terrain. After the turnaround I slapped a high-five to Bill, and felt relieved to see the finish line up ahead.

I had forgotten to hit "start" on my stopwatch when I jumped in the pool, so I could only estimate that I finished the race in about 1:19 - about 4 minutes slower than last year, which I didn't think was too bad considering the extra two biking miles. Pretty soon, Alicia was coming across the finish line, and we ended our adventure with a hot shower and a nice breakfast at Cracker Barrell - woo hoo.

I'm definitely happy to have completed another event - my 7th triathlon in a 12 month period, and that I've found a sport that I truly enjoy competing in. Mostly though, I'm thankful that I get to enjoy this experience with friends who enjoy it as much as I do. Up next - the Louisville Half Marathon followed by the Waverly Hills 6.66 mile trail run on Halloween. Nice!

Looking Ahead at 2011

With only four months left in the year, it's time to start mentally planning and preparing for the events of 2011. By the end of 2010, I will have completed 19 races in a 12 month period. The goal I set for myself for this year was to complete at least one event per month for the entire year - and while I've achieved this goal so far (and even surpassed it numerous months), in 2011 I would like to focus on longer events.

I completed my first full marathon in October 2009, and then another in San Francisco in July 2010. I am currently signed up for the Memphis Marathon in December (solely by default, as I had planned on only the half, which ended up filling up before I got around to registering), which will give me a total of three in a 14 month period. Next year, I would like to complete at least two more full marathons, and also tackle the half-distance triathlon (1.2 mile swim/56 mile bike / 13.1 mile run), which I'm hoping to do in Cedar Point in September. To keep myself motivated and busy however, I also plan on doing the Shelbyville Tri Series again (a series of four sprints taking place monthly beginning in January), as well as some other smaller races throughout the year.

The Ironman Louisville just took place this past weekend, and my ultimate goal is to compete (and complete) one of those AMAZING races! If all goes well, and I don't completely fall out during the half next year, I plan on making that my goal for 2012. Not sure I will do it here in Louisville - it always takes place that last weekend in August, which historically is a very hot and humid time of year, so I'll be keeping my eye out for another location that may be more suitable to my total weinie-ness. Either way, I've learned to never say never and to just go with it and see what happens. After all, after completing my first half marathon in 2005, I swore I would not put my mind and body through that pain ever again. Five years later, I guess this addiction has made a liar out of me!

Getting Better with Age

It's been quite a year so far, and every day that I go out for a run, a bike ride or swim, I'm amazed at how much I have accomplished over the past five years - and particularly over the past year.

I was in JROTC in high school, and once a year we had to do a physical fitness test. Now, I was just a scrawny little thing in my teen years - my current height of 5'6", but a mere 110 pounds max during that entire four years. For whatever reason however, I just couldn't find the ability within myself to run one mile in the time alloted - a fairly slow 13 minute pace. I recall struggling every year to get by. Now, the sit ups, pull ups, standing long jump, etc. I could pull off without a problem. I mean, how hard is it to move through a crunch with your tummy flat as a board, and to hold up the weight of little more than skin and bones on a bar for 30 seconds? Piece of cake. But it was the endurance, the cardio, and the lung capacity that always got me when it came to those "other" events. I guess I just figured that being skinny equaled being healthy, and as long as I was thin I didn't necessarily need to do any type of strength or cardio training. Nearly 20 years later however, boy was I wrong!

Don't get me wrong, I didn't spend my younger days completely inactive. While sitting on my bed making mixed tapes and fantasizing about Joey McIntire was a favorite past time, I actually did put in my time outdoors, and even had a regime of Richard Simmons "Sweatin' To The Oldies" going for quite a little bit thanks to my mothers expectation that she would herself take up excercise one day (that never did quite pan out, but I will never again listen to the song "Personality" without visions of little Dick Simmons dry humping the air). I'd go for walks around the neighborhood, complete the step-by-step instructions to excercises printed in the latest women's magazines. One wake-up call however, came around the age of 19 when I bought a bike (mountain, hybrid, whatever - it was a cheapy from Sears), and found that I could hardly ride without getting immediately winded, and that my legs were useless for the remainder of the day when I would get out and pedal. I also thought I was really doing something when I would ride from home through Bernheim Forest and back - a puny six mile round trip course. Now, the bike is hardly worth getting on if I'm going to do anything less than 15.

Almost every time I run with friends I say, "Look at how far we've come. I never thought ten years ago I would be doing this." And here I am about to complete my 15th event of the year with still another half marathon and full marathon to go, along with a 6.6 mile trail run and a possible half marathon trail run as well. And because of all this, I am now quite possibly in the best shape of my life. Sure, I will never fit into a Junior size 7 again (and to be quite honest, at 33 years old, would I really want to? How ridiculous would THAT look?) My exterior has aquired a few more flaws here and there, but the inside is nearly as healthy as it can be (I use the word "nearly" because I know that I am not training at my capacity - that I can go harder if I really pushed myself to do so). But the fact that I could once not even complete a full one mile run, and am now competing in endurance events just amazes me. I would also like to give a shout out to all of the other endurance athletes out there who know exactly what I'm talking about. Who somehow found the world of endurance sports in their late twenties or older, and have embraced the endorphins and mental highs that come with completing a race. To all the other sweatin' oldies out there - I salute you!

I'm BAAAAAAACK!

Been a decent week for training, and I'm currently feeling that comforting tiredness that one only gets after a nice, long run. Had a 3 miler on Monday, and took a nice 15 mile bike ride the following day. Since I'm training for a half marathon in 7 weeks, I did a 8 mile loop with a tri friend this morning. Great, cool weather for August - a complete 180 from the temps we've had the past few months. A lot of runners out today, and I felt back in the saddle saying my hello's to those who we passed in the park. Didn't have a particularly fast run - averaged 11:53 per mile - but then again, I will never be a fast runner so I will take what I can get. Getting out there with another person though seems to make all the difference in the world. With the alarm going off at 6:00 a.m. this morning, after not-so-great sleep, my initial instict is to turn it off, roll back over and sleep a few more (or three, or four) hours. Having that obligation to someone else however, tends to keep me motivated. Not to mention the fact that actually completing a run with another person to converse with makes finishing the run that much easier. Were it not for my training partners, I'm not sure I could/would do this on my own. And I'm thankful every early Saturday morning that I have them there to hold me accountable.

Blah

Well, it's possibly the hottest summer on record and my motivation is surely proof of that. I have the Oldham Co. Mini Triathlon in about 3 weeks and have done little more than the occasional bike ride since Tom Sawyer. I'm not sure if my goal of one event per month in 2010 is wearing me out or what (actually, to date I have completed 12 events so far this year), with four months still left to go. I'll have Oldham Co. Tri in Sept, the Louisville half marathon in Oct, and St. Jude Memphis half marathon in December. I'm uncertain as of now what I will be doing in November, but don't want to have come this far and not reach that goal, so I am on the look out. Today, yet again, I'm sitting here in my comfy chair, looking outside on a rainy day which is sure to bring the humidity even higher and hence my want to get out and train even lower. Sigh......

Seven Down, How Many More To Go???!!

Completed my seventh triathlon yesterday in the EP Tom Sawyer Sprint Tri - 800m/14m/5k. We got real lucky with the weather, as it has been very hot and humid lately, with a record temperature of 102 degrees just four days earlier. The morning of the race, however, showed low humidity and a somewhat cool start to the swim.

There were approximately 250-300 athletes participating, and we all lined up near the pool with a staggered start of 20 seconds between athletes. The pool was large - 50 meters long - and very shallow at one end with only 3 feet of depth. This made it difficult to change over to the next lane, as we had to stand up and actually step across the lane dividers rather than swim under them - flip turns were impossible (although I don't know how to do those anyway, so my swim at least was not hampered).

Having a personal best in the 400m of 9 minutes, I signed up for the race stating that I could finish in 19-20 minutes for this 800m. However, halfway through, after already being passed by numerous athletes, I looked down to see that I was already 12 minutes into this leg of the race. Guess I should have trained more after all - also, I kept hitting my arm on the lane dividers, and knew there would be a nice little bruise waiting for me later in the day. I got out of the water and looked at my watch: 24:13. One of my slowest times yet.

I always have a little problem with dizziness coming out of the water, so I more or less walked most of the way over to T1. Not being a proathlete or trying to break any kind of record, I have learned to take it easy and not cause more anxiety to myself in the transition areas. I sat down and calmly put on my cycling shoes, snapped on my belt and helmet, donned my shades, and walked my bike out of T1 and hopped on, clipped in with little problem.

The bike course had some rolling hills, but nothing too terribly bad. After the turn around at mile 7 I headed back in and got a little pissed to see that some cops that were supposed to be directing traffic at an intersection weren't doing too great of a job, as some athletes had to actually stop their bike to let some cars go by. Another safety concern that could have turned out catastrophic, was taking a right hand turn onto a road only to be faced with an SUV coming at me in that same lane. Apparently the guy decided to pass a cyclist in his lane (the correct, right lane), yet gave no regard to those of us (namely me) finishing up and heading back. Asshole.

I always get a little nervous coming off the bike - afraid that I won't unclip in time, or that I will unclip but somehow my shoe will still get caught on the pedal just enough to send me tumbling over onto the ground. My dismount during this race, however, was damn near perfect as my jello legs carried my tired body into T2 to prepare for the run.

Again, I took my time in transition as I downed some Gu between putting on my shoes and tying my laces. I never looked at my watch before or after the bike segment, but my bike computer shows that I was on my bike for approximately 58 minutes - not bad considering, again, that I haven't been on the bike in about 2 months.

I hobbled out of T2 and onto the running course. My legs felt like lead, and body heavy as I struggled during the first half mile or so. I planned on my normal 6:1 intervals, but ended up walking 4 minutes into this portion of the race. A guy coming up behind me got me going again however, with words of encouragement - "C'mon! It's a race. You can do it!" I got going again, and from then on was able to accomplish the 6:1 - even went a little further than that after the water stop - as this area was completely flat and shaded.

Felt pretty decent as I rounded the corner to the last .1 mile, and was even able to pull out a sprint as I crossed the finish line. My unofficial time for this race: 2:01:53. A time that won't be winning me any awards, but for my standards and ability, nothing to shake a stick at either.

I feel pretty good about this race. I definitely wanna get with a tri-friend of mine who is an excellent swimmer to learn some skills that will enable me to be a little faster in the water. I also need to get out on the bike more, and plan on doing some Monday night-Ladies only rides starting tomorrow to build up my strength and endurance again. And as usual, I know just what my abilities are, and what they are not when it comes to the run, so I'll take what I can get as far as that goes. Feel good physically today, not too sore other than the inevitable butt-bone tenderness and not to mention my bruised arm from the continuous run-ins with the lane dividers. Yep - I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm definitely addicted to this sport, and plan on staying in as long as my body and mind will allow me. Next up: Oldham Co. Mini Triathlon in approximately 3 weeks!

Tom Sawyer in 8 days

I'm now a little over one week away from my next triathlon, and I haven't been on my bike since the last - over a month ago. My feet are still healing from the SF Marathon, and are sure to get gharled up even more in this next event. Luckily, it is only a sprint and not an Olympic distance or longer. I have also skipped the pool the last 2-3 weeks. However, despite this lack of training, I'm feeling pretty good about competing in this next tri. I think having done 4 sprints and two olympics so far this year has really boosted my confidence. Not to mention the three half and one full marathons. I am, however, a little peturbed that I have not either toned up or lost any weight despite competing this much in the past year. I know it's my diet, and I should start eating better. I'm a slave to junk food however, and it's hard to eat healthy when time and money are always a factor. Regardless, I feel healthy and happy and would say that I could not imagine going more than a month without some kind of training or event. It's not quite an addiction yet, but it has definitely become a big part of my lifestyle.

SF Marathon

Arrived back in town yesterday after completing my second full Marathon in San Francisco. Took an extra couple of days to visit the sights: Alcatraz, Giant's game, Lombard Street, Coit Tower, Chinatown, and all the other touristy things there is to do in that great town.

Alicia, Shane and I got in about 10:30 a.m. the morning before the race and checked into the hotel before grabbing lunch and heading to the expo to pick up our race packets. For as large a race as SF is, the expo was quite small and congested. The swag wasn't too great, and not a lot of good clothing options on extra gear. I did get a stellar retro green track jacket though, and picked up some Gu's for the race - a marathon staple if you ask me.

Being tired from the long flights, we hit the bed fairly early, but not before having two to four too many drinks at the local pub. Not something you really wanna do the night before a marathon, but we were all so excited to be in a new city that we couldn't help ourselves. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel room - had to be up at 4:00 a.m. to shower, dress, and walk to the start line about a mile or so away.

Shane took off in the 6th wave, while Alicia and I were in the 8th. Us girls had talked about trying to stay together throughout the race - something we have only been able to pull off the first mile or two of a half - but with this being Alicia's first, and only my second full marathon, we stuck by eachother which really helped boost my moral throughout the run.

The first half of the race had some pretty steep hills, and running over Golden Gate Bridge and back was incredibly awesome. I didn't start to really feel tired until 12 miles or so into the course, when the half marathoners broke off to finish their race. I know it was mostly a mental thing at that point, but it didn't help the fact that I knew I would be hitting the wall soon.

Coming up on mile 14 that is exactly what happened. A few people had told us that the second half was easier than the first, as it was flatter. Well, I guess by flatter they meant less steep hills, because the number of hills in the last 13.1 miles sure surpassed the first 13.1. I could tell the run was taking a toll when I looked down at my watch around mile 17 and saw that it had taken us 52 minutes to run just 4 miles. At that pace, it felt like we would never finish the race - with another 9 miles left to go.

Somehow I caught my second wind at Mile 20, and felt good until around Mile 24. Alicia took off around this time, stating she was in a groove and wanted to push herself to make the goal time we set for ourselves: 5:30. I was okay with this, as I know if the situation had been reversed, I would have left her as well. Plus, with only 2.2 miles left to go, my fatigue turned to excitement just knowing I would be crossing the finish line and done with this torture soon enough.

The last mile seemed to take forever - as it always does - and by this time I was doing 3:1 intervals (we had started out with 6:1, then fluctuated between 4:1 and 5:1 for most of the second half). I was able to pick it up and actually sprint through the chute to the finish line, and overall felt pretty decent for having just finished a marathon.

Alicia finished just 3 minutes before me, and Shane 57. We were all very happy with the race, and definitely endorse it for other marathon runners. We're all talking of doing Miami in January, and of course I have a few small races and triathlons between now and then. Alicia says she is now hooked on marathons, and Shane - well, this was #19 for Shane, so he's been addicted for a while.

2 weeks to SF!!!!!

Well, only two weeks 'til my second full marathon, and the training has been going quite well. I haven't been doing too much of anything during the week, but am at least getting the long runs in on the weekends, and did a 17.5 miler, 19 miler, and 13 miler the past three weeks, respectively. Probably do a ten miler next weekend, and then we're off to California!

Knee was giving me some problems during the 17.5 miler - and the last 5-6 miles went incredibly slow with a lot of walking. Bought a knee brace though, and the nineteen miler went a lot smoother. Not a problem at all with this mornings 13, and - knock on wood - I hope to have no problems with that, or any other area in the next few weeks.

Did a lot of hill work today - spent 3-4 miles just going up and down these steep and long inclines. Probably need to get some more of those in before SF. Hills always kill me -whether on a bike or on foot - mostly cardio rather than muscle fatigue, so I'm hoping they won't hamper my marathon time much. Would be a shame to do all this training (unlike for Chicago) and still get a shitty time due to getting tuckered out on hills.

VERY excited though - Shane just got our tickets for the Alcatrez tour, and we've got a Giant's game planned for our last night there. Looking forward to the trip as a whole, but especially the marathon - I just can't wait! Also have another tri I'm doing in about 3-4 weeks and need to sign up for it. After that, it's back to my roots with my second annual "original" triathlon that I first completed in Sept. 2009. Will be celebrating my 34th bday with my 8th tri in 12 months!

The Spine Center Shelbyville Olympic Triathlon

I'm now a little over four hours post this mornings triathlon, and as grueling as it was and as hard a time I had DURING the race, I'm actually feeling pretty good.

It had to have been 80 degrees or more at 8:00 a.m. when we started the swim, and muggy/humid as hell. The men took off in the lake 5 minutes before the women, and the water felt great - 81 degrees which they called "wetsuit illegal" for this race. This was fine with me, as the water felt cool during my entire swim - something I wished I had during the bike and run portions as well.

I pulled out of the water a full 11 minutes slower than my Knoxville time, which surprised me. In Knoxville, we were swimming towards the sun and my goggles offered no protection from the glare, so I stopped many times to lift them up, check that I was going to right way, and muddle on. Of course, in Knoxville we were swimming the last .6 miles WITH the current, so this probably helped. The only thing I can figure is that in the lake, being so close to the shore, you have current/waves/wakes coming towards you sideways and you're having to struggle against them as well. Either way, I felt pretty good during the whole swim, and only got nudged a time or two. See, I KNEW there was a strategy in being a slow swimmer and bringing up the rear. Think I finished the .9 miles in :49 minutes unofficially.

Hopped on the bike and was out of transition in 3 minutes, a few minutes faster than my Knoxville time. This probably had to do with the lack of wetsuit struggle. The bastards made sure we went out hard, with a nice, steep hill within the first half mile of cycling. I struggled up it, still tired and out of breath from the swim, but I somehow managed to make it and enjoyed the smaller hills and flats for the next 7-9 miles.

There are two turn-arounds on this course, and after speeding 26mph down a hill to the first, and seeing others struggle on the way back up, I knew I would be in for some trouble. I still continue to struggle on hills for some reason, and this one was no joke! Wish I knew the grade, but it had to have been somewhat close to the infamous "Mile 16 hill" (as I call it) from Knoxville. This sucker was a doozy. Shortly after beginning, I decided I could walk the bike up almost as fast as I was biking, and attempted to hop off. Worked out fairly decently at first, as I got my left foot unclipped. However, my bike decided to go a different direction where my right foot was still clipped in the pedals and down I went. Not too hard, but it was detrimental to my moral - which by this point was not hurting too terribly bad - but I think this is what started my downward spiral.

I sat there for 10 seconds, thought about sitting longer, and then got up to dust myself off and move on. Got passed by a few people, and felt good to see that another woman decided to get off her bike as well and walked 50 feet or so ahead of me. It was still a rather steep hill, and the heat and humidity of the day wasn't helping. Not to mention that it is not exactly easy to walk in those cycling shoes, and my feet were positioned just right that my calves were feeling every step. I was praying to avoid a cramp - which I did.

As I crested the hill, I hopped back on the bike and continued my journey. Took a right outside of that area, instead of a left which would have taken me BACK to the transition area, and continued to feel undefeated until I came upon hill after hill. I remember at one point thinking that if I saw another "GD Hill" that I was gonna lose it. A couple of times I almost burst out crying - my knees and thighs hurt, booty was getting sore, it was HOT, and I was now in dead last place. The last 15 miles I had to occupy my mind with things like "What else could DNF stand for? Darn Nice Finish? Deadly (G)Narly Face?" Yeah, this is what goes through my mind when I'm in pain and just want to give up.

From the second turn-around on I was all alone. Never saw another biker to the finish line - not even far up ahead of me. Needless to say, this was a slooooow race for me.

I finally re-entered the park and saw many athletes on the running course, both coming and going. Many were walking, all looked tired, so this at least gave me some hope that I could do this. I made my way down to T2, and didn't even look at my watch to see how long I had been on the bike, or how long I was in transition. After stepping on that final mat, the only thing I had in my head was "Just let me get this 10k over with!"

I made my way past the crowd and saw Shane and Alicia and the kids cheering me on. I continued on, but coming up on them I burst into tears and cried "This is so hard!" Alicia asked if I wanted her to run with me, and I nodded yes. She handed me some water and tried to offer words of encouragement to get me back into the spirit. It took the first mile or so before I somewhat-brightened up again and felt like I could complete this horrible race. Alicia didn't dress none too appropriately for walking/running a 100 degree race though (cotton tube dress and flip flops), and as much as she wanted to help me and how much it DID help having her there, I had her turn back around before mile 2 to walk back. Poor thing ended up getting blisters on both feet and was in pain the rest of the day for her efforts.

I passed many racers going the other direction, and heard a lot of "good job" comments from most. A guy that owns the local multisport store stopped in front of me and said "Even if you have to crawl, you will finish this race." This was also an "out and back" course, and it felt good to see the ladies up ahead who marked the turn-around point. Through the race, I poured water both down my throat and over my body just to try and keep cool. My clothes were soaked from head to toe, shoes squeaked, body sore - but DAMNIT, I was determined to finish this race.

By this time, it was pretty clear to me that I was in absolute last place. I was now headed back to the transition/finish line and dozens of cars with bikes racked passed me - finishers of the race. Some waved, others did not. From mile 3-4 I timed myself to see how long it was taking me to complete each mile, so I had an idea of how much longer I would have to endure this pain. I was walking a 16-minute per mile pace, which was fine by me.

I came upon the mile marker that represents one more mile, and knew then that I could do it. My body, however, thought otherwise more than once. Blisters forming, sweat in my eyes, lower back sore. I was now a tired, bad-postured, wet mess of my former 8:00 a.m. self. I was coming up the crest of the last hill and saw Shane walking towards me. Many times during the run portion of this race I thought to myself - Hmm, I've never hallucinated before. I wonder if I will today? This though, was not a hallucination, and when he got within 50 feet of me I burst out crying again. "I hurt so bad," "I'm so tired," "I just want to get this over with." were the sobbing words that he heard. He rubbed my back and told me it was going to be okay, that it was "all downhill from here" - literally, and that I was doing great. He gave me some lukewarm water (exactly what you want during a 100 degree race, right? - of course, his intentions were good), and poured a lot more over my head which felt great.

Seeing a downhill ahead, I told him I'd like to try to run it, and he ran right along with me. Encouraging me. Not too far ahead, I saw the bend before the FINISH line, and kept on running. Alicia and a member of our local Tri club were there cheering me on. Shane had broken away before the turn, and went ahead to catch me on camera at the finish. Many people cheered me on. Me - the last place finisher of this intense race.

This was definitely a very tough course. I'm still trying to decide if it was harder than Knoxville or not, and it's up in the air. The Knoxville swim was easier, since we got to swim with the current and were able to wear wetsuites. The bike course was equally hilly, but I think Knoxville had some steeper hills - so that made it tough. And this running course was quite a bit more hilly than TN, so I'd have to say this one was tougher as far as that event goes. I think the thing that really hampered today's race though, was the heat. Knoxville started out cool, and remained breezy with zero-to-low humidity throughout. The weather today was just brutal!

Overall, I'm always glad when I complete a race, even if I did come in last place. This was a first for me though, so it makes it kind of a special race in that sense. My supporters were great, the folks putting on the race were great, and I got just another t-shirt to commemorate yet another victory on my part. Oh yeah, and bragging rights, too!

This time tomorrow...

Alicia and I were scheduled to do a 3 hour run this morning, but she got the runners trots early and we had to forego SF training. However, this may be a good thing considering I'm going to be doing nearly 4 hours of triathlon tomorrow during the Spine Center Triathlon in Taylorsville. In another 24 hours I should be about halfway through the bike course and feeling the effects of the awesome humidity we have in the air today. Got some storms last night and it's been a muggy couple of days - tomorrow looks no different.

Feeling pretty good about the tri. Did two 400m swims at the pool a few days ago and didn't have any problems with getting tired. Focused on form and breathing and felt I've been able to keep up my endurance - even with the month break between Knoxville and now. I forsee no problems with the bike ride, as I've been told that this route is just as hilly as Knoxville, so I know what to expect. And the run should be a breeze. Guess we'll see what tomorrow brings - and will check back with updates when I've completed the tri, approximately 26 hours from now!

Insanity!!

It's been three days now since my 10 mile run through the torturous hills of West Virginia, and still feeling the effects of the run in my legs. Caught up with Alicia today, and she says she is not doing this weekends Olympic Tri, which will be my second including Knoxville just a month ago. The worrisome thing is, I still need to continue with my SF Marathon training schedule, which means we will be heading out at 4:30 a.m. the morning before the Tri for a 3 hour run. Stupidity? Maybe. Insanity? Definitely. I just REALLY want to keep up with the training because I want to do as well as I can in SF, and don't want to slack at all.

Still feeling good about it all though, and my only big concern with this next Olympic coming up is the swimming since I haven't been in water since Knoxville. Been meaning to, with every good intention, but been a huge procrastinator in this area and have just let it go. Keeping up the bike and runs pretty regularly though, so still feeling good about those. Who knows, maybe I'll go for a dip tomorrow and surprise myself with how much speed/endurance I was able to sustain during this long break.

Cairo, WV - Ridge Runners Marathon / 10-miler

Back from WV and a little sore from a pretty brutal run yesterday. Drove 6 hours the night before and got up a 8:15 to start my 10-miler a whole three hours after the marathon runners started. I have been doing a lot more running and biking lately, so I wasn't the least bit nervous about this run. However, it was pretty humid to begin with, and with a large hill starting us out in the first mile, I was walking after just 3 minutes from the start line. I had planned on doing my normal 6:1 intervals, but it was so darn humid, and a pretty hilly run that I did good just to run the majority of the race.

With a little over a mile left, two of my running group members who started the marathon at 6 that morning came upon me, and swiftly passed by on their way to the finish line to barely make a sub-5 hour race. I pulled in just behind them with an official time of 2:02:34, a full 12 minutes slower than my PR race for the Papa Johns 10-miler just 2 months ago. However, as I said, the humidity and hills are what did me in for this one. It was a decent course overall - not very pretty, but I think the company that we held with 7 total "Marathon Sharks" competing in one way or another made it a really fun weekend.

In exactly one week - my second Olympic Tri in Taylorsville, KY. Planning on doing some biking and running, but really need to get in the pool again to brush up on my skills.

And the training resumes...

Have been continuing to train for the San Francisco Marathon, and my second Olympic Tri, which will take place in less than 2 weeks. Have been meeting up with Alicia on weekends to do our long runs, and pulled out a 2 and a half hour run this past Saturday. Calves were a little sore the following day or two, but nothing that I couldn't handle. In fact, we had a 25 mile bike ride scheduled the next morning. Of course, after waking up at 8 a.m. on a Sunday, driving 45 minutes, unloaded the bikes, and preparing for the ride, I realized I left my cycling shoes at home, and Alicia and I opted for Cracker Barrell instead. Being true to my recent motivation and determination to continue my training however, we managed to make up for it the following day and actually did complete a 25 miler in about 2 hours.

Have discovered that as well as the weekend long-runs have been going, I should probably pick it up during the week, and got my lazy butt out of bed to do a 30 minute run this morning. Only ended up with a 28 minute 2.5 miler, but I guess that's better than nothing. Funny thing is, it was a horrible run and I walked a large portion of it, but still managed just over an 11 minute average pace. It amazed me how my "not much effort" runs can still either surpass, or be right in line with the long distance running paces that I do, considering my HM PR is exactly an 11 minute pace. Sigh......

Shane and I (along with about 5-6 other Louisville Marathon Sharks) are off to West Virginia in 2 days. Those guys will be competing in a full marathon, while I'll be pulling out a huge ten miler - woo hoo! They didn't have a HM, which I still think is ridiculous, along with the fact that I had to pay just as much for my race as they did the Marathon, and all I get is a crummy certificate. I guess I can at least say that I finished an event in West Virginia though, and mark that one off my 50-state goal.

Shane just purchased our tickets for the Alcatrez tour, which we're gonna partake of while in San Francisco. Even though the trip is almost two months away, I am totally stoked to be going to visit that city, as well as to compete in my second (although first actual "trained for") marathon!

Ouch!

I have done something to my left foot and I don't know what. Not too terribly painful, but certainly uncomfortable, and the fact that running makes it worse has me a little concerned. Did a 10 miler with Alicia this morning - our training for San Francisco - and started bothering me about 7 miles in. Was able to push through, but now wondering if I didn't just make it worse!

Felt pretty good on the run this morning. We're planning on adding 30 minutes to our long runs each week, and building up to probably 5 or 5 1/2 hours before tapering down. Feeling good about the marathon, just a little worried about the hills and the time alloted (6 hours). Hoping I can finish, but thinking with the stepped-up training this time around, and my motivation, I can hang :)

For now, guess I'll do some icing on my foot, rest as much as possible, and try to get some bike rides in to enhance leg muscles. Still feeling elated from the Tri last week, and looking forward to my second Olympic-length in about 4 more weeks. Woo Hoo!

Rev3 Knoxville - First Olympic Tri!!

This time yesterday I was just ten minutes or so into the swim portion of my first Olympic Triathlon in Knoxville, TN. And I can honestly say, just 24 hours later, that it was such a fun and amazing experience that I cannot wait to do it again!

The swim took place in the Tennessee River and, needless to say, the water was a lot warmer than the outside air by the time we jumped in at 8:15 am. We swam up river about .3 miles, and then back around to head downstream for the last portion of the race. It took me about that long to get a good groove going - although my Body Glide covered googles and the direct sunlight didn't at all help my initial disorientation. Felt I did pretty well though, and can't remember a time during the whole swim where I felt tired. Nearing the dock, I got pulled up by two volunteers, put my goggles up on my head, pulled the top portion of my wetsuit down, and it was on to T1.

The wetsuit gave me just a little bit of trouble in transition, but I eventually wiggled my way out of it, and sat on my crate to dry my feet off enough to get my socks and cycling shoes on. Downed a Gu on the way out of the transition area, and hopped on the bike with very little trouble from my new clipless pedals.

Away I went on what has to be one of the hilliest courses I have ever (and hope to ever have to) bike. Rounding a corner about 4 miles into this 24.8 mile course, I headed down a steep hill that had some construction going on and hit a few bumps in the road near the bottom. I was going at a pretty good clip when a gust of wind came by and I could feel my bike being blown around, and myself getting a little scared that I would lose control and wipe out. Luckily that didn't happen. Unluckily, however, just a half mile further up the road I spotted a cyclist being attended to by volunteers after having just gotten struck by a car pulling out from a side road. After seeing that the guy was at least alive and somewhat moving around, I treked on with a little more caution and awarness of my surroundings.

S0me of the hills were incredibly steep, while some seemed to go on forever. At one point I looked down and saw that I was going a mere 3.4 mph. Ridiculously slow! Just before mile 16 a line of volunteers was handing out Gatorade in bottles - the kind with the caps that you can suck out of and then push down to close. I grabbed one and noticed that it was not opened. Tried to pull it with my teeth to no avail, and asked another volunteer, while still cycling, to open it for me. A lot of good this did however when, literally two seconds after having it back in my hands, it slipped and fell to the ground. I yelled a few choice words, then apologized to the volunteers for these words, and headed on to conquer an incline that went on for exactly one mile.

Although it was a tough course, I really enjoyed the scenery, and was all but alone through most of the ride which was very peaceful and as relaxing as one can be during a racing event. With about 4 miles left to go however, I had to make my way back up that first large hill where I initially thought I would wipe-out. Very steep, somewhat long, with the sun shining right on me and my legs about to give out, I finally crested that sucker and made my way to the end of the course. Coming up to the dismount area, I unlocked my feet from the pedals and prepared to stop. Apparently my left foot was still somewhat engaged with the pedal, and I toppled over at the end of the bike course. After gaining my composure and prying my handlebars from getting stuck under the frame, the crowd cheered me on and I walked my bike into T2.

T2 seemed to go at least a little more smoothly than T1, although some jackass did take my bike spot which, again, caused a few choice words to spew from my mouth. I slipped on my running shoes, traded my helmet for a cap, and downed another Gu with some water before heading to the porta pot to relieve myself of all the Gatorade that was consumed before race time that morning.

Onto the course, and my left foot, which had been giving me trouble the day before, didn't feel too terribly bad for the first mile. After a walk at Mile 1 for some water, I felt something shift in that same foot however, and was a little uncomfortable for the next 2-3 miles. Headphones were not allowed on the course at all, and although I was highly upset and worried about this at first, found that it wasn't impossible to run without them, and actually felt pretty good throughout the course. I started off doing 4:1 intervals, but felt so good while running I tried to keep from walking as much as I could. I was amazed at how good I felt after having done a swim and then bike and now a run. I thought for sure my legs would feel like lead and I would be completely pooped by this point, but no - I felt great!

With half a mile left to go, the fan-fare quickly picked up and I had so many spectators, volunteers, and finishers telling me how good I looked, that I had just a little further to go, and that I could do it - that I had no problem finding the strength to finish strong! It felt so good and I was so excited to make my way across the finish line. The announcer called my number and name as I ran past, and I threw my arms up in victory and smiled for the camera. I DID IT!

Not five seconds after this great accomplishment, I broke into tears of joy. Some volunteers asked if I was hurt or needed ice before finally concluding that I was just happy to have finished something so amazing. I collected my medal and finishers shirt and simply enjoyed my tears and joyfullness before gaining my composure and heading to the bleachers to watch for my tri-partner and best friend come across the finish line herself.

I must say, I feel really good - physically - after having completed my longest tri to date. My foot it still a little tender today, and I'm hoping this doesn't hamper my marathon training which includes a 13 mile run this weekend. Alicia finished about 20 minutes after me, and is just as elated as I am. We are both feeling so good about ourselves for having finished, and we both feel that the Rev3 is a great event to participate in.

So, my plans for today are to simply relax, maybe take in a movie, and later in the day - when it warms up - to sit outside and bask in both the sunshine and my "win" from yesterday. :)

T-minus 56 hours and counting...

Well, I have to admit that I haven't done much since the Derby Half Marathon a few weeks ago. Had every intention of doing the 4th in the Shelbyville Tri Series this past Sunday, but it was a rain-soaked weekend and my stomach wasn't cooperating, so Alicia and I opted out. Not feeling too guilty about it - considering it's only May and I've run 3 half marathons, completed 3 triathlons and 3 additional long distance races so far this year.

So now, we're down to crunch time. I waited 'til the last minute and just purchased my clipless pedals 3 days ago and tried them out for the FIRST TIME EVER. I must say, pretty sweet! The Rev 3 Knoxville Olympic Tri is Sunday morning, and I'm more exicited than scared/nervous. Alicia called earlier and asked how I felt. My explanation was that it was, after all, just a longer version of the tris that we've been doing, so really nothing to worry about. Knoxville is hella-hilly though, so it should make for an interesting race. I don't do well on hills on the bike, so I know I'm gonna be wanting to die halfway through - but oh well. I always love it afterwards and am SO GLAD that I did it!

Decided that with the upcoming San Fran Marathon trip I'm going to have to skip the half-Ironman in Sept as originally planned. Not too upset about that either. I still have plenty more events/races planned for the rest of the year, and think I've decided: Next year - Half. 2012 - Full.

ANOTHER PR??? Is it possible?!

Been a few days since the Derby Half Marathon (4th on that course, 11th overall), and somehow I ended up pulling out a course PR, even though it was a tough race for me. I hadn't ate well for a few days prior to the race, and the morning was rather muggy with rain off and on. The course was moved to accomodate a new finish, so the hills of Iroquois Park came just a mile into the race, rather than 3 like the previous races. It didn't take long (probably mile 6 or so) for my legs to become somewhat sore, and my breathing was labored - eventually got side stitches and had to slow it down some. Overall, it was a pretty hard race for me, and now that it's all said and done, I have noticed the outside of my left foot is tender when I walk on it. Not sure what that's all about, but hoping it goes away soon, considering I have a tri both this and next weekend. Which brings me to my next bit of news.....

My tri training group got together yesterday morning for an open-water swim clinic. This was my first-ever open-water swim and I was really nervous when we all walked to the edge of the dock in our wetsuits to jump in for a 200m warm up. Found out my wetsuit is apparently too big, but it felt just fine while I swam, and kept me plenty warm enough, so I'm not too concerned about it at this point. All but me and one or two other people were in the water before I got the cajones to actually jump in. The initial shock of the 60 degree water was rather breathtaking, but it wasn't long before that I felt pretty good.

The water was rather choppy due to a windy day, and I got a mouthful more than once. But feeling pretty good about Knoxville in two weeks now that I know what to expect. We worked on sighting and talked about transitioning into the water and back out heading for T1. Like I said, the clinic really put my mind at ease and I'm so glad I did it. Hopefully it will allow me to experience less anxiety in a few weeks.

Ahhhhhh, Spring!

Ended up doing an hour long bike ride the day after my 1.5 hour ride due to anticipated rain later in the week. Booty was severely sore for the first five minutes, but got better the longer I rode. Felt good throughout the ride, and did lots of hills. Ended up forgoing the second scheduled training swim due to working late and then thunderstorms Friday afternoon. Did get my butt out of bed at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday to meet Alicia for a 7 mile run through the park with lots of hills. Felt really great throughout - never got winded, legs felt great, cardio going good - although I'm not sure why I'm so amazed at this considering how much training I've been doing.

Alicia is definitely in for the San Fran Marathon in July, and I've looked up a training schedule for us to follow over the next 16 weeks. Told Shane I was actually kinda excited and taking this marathon so much more seriously than I did Chicago. Feeling really good about it, and about the upcoming triathlons, half-marathons, etc. Even thinking of doing a trail run on Halloween night just to change it up a bit.

Tomorrow starts another training week, and looking forward to getting a 1600m swim in - will be my longest yet! And in another 6 days I will run my 11th half-marathon (and 5th Derby half-marathon). Will it be another PR (or even, COURSE PR?) Stay tuned....

Feelin' good

Did an hour and thirty minute bike ride today - my longest on-road cycling to date. Imagine my surprise when I scrolled through the bike computer and saw that I had achieved 15.8 miles an hour into the ride (my norm is usually no more than 14 miles). Ended the ride with a solid 22.3 miles, and a very sore tooshie! I MUST invest in some cycling shorts - the ultra thin and non-padded running shorts just aren't cutting it. Felt pretty good throughout, but the shoulders and upper back got a little stiff - I'm guessing that's just the nature of the beast. May end up getting re-fitted for my bike soon just to make sure that everything is in order. Can't imagine doing a half or full Ironman with shoulders and neck feeling like that. Or maybe it's something I just need to get used to? Tomorrow's agenda: a 1300m swim.

Keep swimming, keep swimming, keep swimming

Swam my first 1500m today and didn't struggle much doing so. Had a guy sharing a lane with me, and found myself getting water in the mouth a few times due to waves and kicking, but other than that, it was pretty uneventful. I actually did 3 x 500 with 25s rest between, but this is the furthest I've swam thusfar, and the same amount I have to pull out for the Oly in 3 1/2 weeks, so I'm feeling confident that I'm ready to do this.

We have an open-water swim clinic in a few weeks, which is something I really need to participate in. I've never worn the wetsuit in actual water, and doing an open-water swim where I know I can't just stop, hang on the side of the pool or put my feet down is going to be a little intimidating. Looking forward to the "practice round" if you will, so I'm not completely freaked out come race morning .

Tomorrow's plan: a 1 - 1.5 hour bike ride outside. 75 degree weather is a little daunting, but you know what they say - No pain, No gain!

A New PR

Home from St. Louis, and although the course was continuously hilly with temperatures in the mid to high 70's, I was able to pull out a PR for the half-marathon course with a solid 2:25:03. This is my 5th PR of the year, and 7th event overall for 2010. I am SMOKING on these competitions this year and..... I think I have decided that instead of doing just the half in San Francisco, I'm going to go for the full! I have a schedule ready to go, and am just lucky enough that the training starts at week 16, precisely the week we are in right now.

I was a little intimidated by the schedule at first, but seeing that there are only about 5-6 long runs that are more than 13 miles, I'm certain I can pull it off. And I'm determined to do better this time around rather than my near crash and burn in Chicago in October last year. I now know that a marathon cannot be done with minimal training, and although the bulk of my training right now consists of swimming and biking, I'm confident that as long as I get in the long runs on the weekends, my racing will only improve.

I've also decided, along with Shane, to take on all fifty states as far as events/races go. Marathons, halves, tri's, etc. I plan on doing at least one event in all fifty states by life's final call - if said events don't kill me first :) Either way, at this point I'm extremely satisfied with my recent PR, looking forward to another Derby Half Marathon in 2 weeks, and also getting back into my tri training tomorrow with a 1300m swim. Go ME!

Training going SWIMMINGLY - pun intended

Feeling back into the groove of training, and have decided that I will more than likely participate in the half-ironman in September - the same weekend as my 34th birthday! Am feeling more and more confident in the water, and my endurance is amazing! I was just telling a co-worker today that I remember being a teen and swimming from one end of our backyard pool to the other and being exhausted and out of breath. Whereas now, I can swim a continuous 800m and feel great throughout. I'm still working on breathing every 3rd stroke rather than 2 - thinking this will only enhance my swim. I've done this the past two training swims and it seemed to work well. The only thing that would hamper this I think is the adrenaline and competitiveness during the actual tri's that inevitably kick in and I end up getting winded - forcing me to breath every two strokes.

Went on an hour bike ride today, and logged 14 miles. This is fairly slow by cyclist standards, but all I can do is continue to work on it, building up my endurance and leg muscles, and hope for the best. I still need to purchase some clipless pedals. Everyone is telling me this will only improve my ride - guess I'll find out sooner or later. Was hoping to get the two-hour ride out of the way, but it was incredibly windy today and I was paranoid that I was going to have a wipeout on the bike - plus thunderstorms in the forecast and I didn't want to get too far away from home and get caught in a downpour.

Plan to swim again tomorrow, bike on Friday, then it's off to St. Louis for my tenth half-marathon! Shane didn't get into New York so he's looking at alternatives, and is pretty certain he'll be doing San Francisco in July. If I go with him, of course I'm going to run the half - this will make my prospective half-marathon count for 2010 a solid 5 - the most I will have done in one year. Oh, the BLING!

Papa John's 10 miler

Completed the Papa John's 10-miler this morning with a PR 7 minutes faster than my previous record - woo hoo! Felt good the whole time. Started out with great weather (and the $50 dollar bill I found near the start didn't hurt my moral either). 3 miles in we entered the park which is nothing but another 3 miles of hills - some quite steep - and 6 miles in a calm drizzle came into play. Felt great though, because at that point I was getting a bit hot and it was a welcoming cool down. It ended by about mile 7 though, and it was smooth sailing from there. Did the regular 6:1 intervals and was able to finish strong.

I think a lot during races - that's really all you can do. The music playing in the ipod is just a pick-me-up if needed. Feeling good throughout the race, one of the things that I realized is that all of this cross-training has really helped my running. It's amazing! I was just telling Alicia on the car ride in to complete this mornings race, that I really don't run much for training - with both the endurance races and triathlons - but the biking and swimming are doing wonders for my muscles and endurance. It's really great. The workout schedule for the swims this week were 1100 for both days. I mis-read the second schedule and thought I had to swim 800m straight (supposed to do 600m), but I was actually able to do it and breathed only every 3 strokes rather than 2 like normal. I think I've begun to realize that I really can do this triathlon stuff - especially the Oly distance coming up in just over a month. Still up in the air about the half-Ironman in September. If I can talk Alicia into it, it's on! Otherwise, we're definitely in for next year. I'm just feeling so great now, and the training is going great - and I'm doing nothing but gaining muscle and endurance. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks. Will probably make a definite decision after the Knoxville Tri in May. Next week: My 10th half-marathon in St. Louis. Another PR? Hmmmmmm......

The training continues...

The first day of training after my third triathlon 2 days ago, and all is well. Pulled out 1100 meters in the pool this afternoon, and feeling pretty good. My timed 400m was 11:12 - more than 2 minutes slower than Sunday's tri - which at first I was baffled by - but figured that this swimming stuff is probably a lot like running. I don't put too much effort into my training runs, and my pace per mile is usually significantly slower than what I pull out in a race, so I'm assuming swimming is the same way. Still, doesn't quite explain how I shaved an entire 2 minutes off of this tri compared to last, considering both times were acquired during an actual event. Oh well, not gonna lose too much sleep over it.

Feeling a little sluggish today. Haven't been able to hear out of my right ear all day, and both trying to pop it and pouring a cap full of peroxide into it didn't to the trick, so I guess I'm screwed 'til it clears up on it's own. The weather is finally starting to get (and hopefully stay) warm, and as I write this (7:13 p.m. EST) it is still a warm 68 degrees outside. The weather is in my favor for the remainder of the week which means great opportunities for outside runs and bike rides - yah!!!! Until tomorrow....

Triathlon #3 was a success!!

Still feeling the effects of pulling out a PR during yesterday's triathlon. Felt somewhat crappy all day Saturday, and questioned whether I would even be able to compete, but got some OTC medication and, regardless of sleeping horribly and waking up to a cold and windy morning, loaded up the bike onto the car and headed out with Shane to pick up Alicia.

Alicia's pout, as she opened the door, told me even before she opened her mouth that the last thing she wanted to do on this cold, wet, March morning was a triathlon. "Can't we just go out for breakfast?" she solmenly asked. You see, many a morn Alicia and I - having already paid some sort of fee to run in an event - decided at the last minute that we'd rather go out to breakfast somewhere than spend 3+ miles running around the city of Louisville, especially if the temperature dipped below a certain degree. We could usually convince each other of this somewhere around 50 degrees farenheit. But not this morning! This morning, I was geared up to go for some reason.

It sprinkled all the way to Shelbyville, and the wind was horrid and the air quite cool as we set up our bikes and gear up in T1. The swim portion was indoor of course, and I could tell from the faces of the other athletes that we were all dreading running outside and hoping on a bike, already dripping wet, for a 12 mile ride with the cold wind on our face. Alicia and I sucked it up though, just like the rest of them, and got our arms and legs marked, donned our swim caps, and lined up for the start of the swim.

There was a 10 second delay between swimmers, and the line moved pretty quickly. Before I knew it, I took off from the side of the pool and was going at a pretty good pace before being passed by my first swimmer. As I moved along however, I was a littler perterbed to find that some slower swimmers we not moving to the right, or getting to the wall and moving on ahead rather than letting those faster than them pass. I thought for sure, by the last lap, that this was going to definitely hamper my time and thought I'd be lucky to pull out anything below a 12-minute swim. Imagine my surprise when I hoisted myself out from the end of the pool, already toweling off somewhat, tossing my cap, donning my racing belt before looking down to see that I was only 9:40 into the race. Wow - I had somehow managed a sub-ten minute swim - something I have never accomplished before. I was stoked!

I ran to T1, got on the bike, and headed out onto the course. By this time I had at least covered the top portion of my tri suit with a breathable jacket which kept me somewhat warm during the bike. My legs were red from the cold and covered with goosebumps, while my shoes were soaked with rainwater a mile into the bike, but I didn't care. I had never rode in the rain before and I was a little scared to take a corner too quickly and wipe out. Some of the other cyclist and I played leap-frog. Some passed by me never to be seen again, while some were left as only a faint peddler in my bike's rearview mirror. At the turn-around point I mentioned to the volunteers that "This wind sucks." "It always does," is what the man managed to muster.

6.8 miles in I finally passed by Alicia who was still on her way to the turn-around point. She wasn't too far behind me in the swim, but she's not as strong a swimmer as I and so I knew she'd be at least a minute or two behind me on the bike. 8 miles in I took the last turn before heading back to T2. Now, Alicia and I had went out just a few days before and completed a 16 miler, coming into contact with some wind during our last mile or so. But for as long as I've been alive, I have never experienced headwind like I did yesterday morning. The last four miles are nothing but rolling hills - some big, some small inclines that only remind you all too well that your glutes are alive and kickin'. At one point, near the crest of one rather steep hill, I literally got off my bike and had to waddle it up to the top before getting back on and taking advantage of the grade on the other side. This one hill had defeated me - but it would be the last.

I struggled on until the finish, and was so happy to see T2 after the last turn into the parking lot of the park. Getting off my bike to push it across the mat, my legs felt like lead. The rain had finally stopped, but it was still a brisk wind and I was famished from not having had a decent dinner or breakfast that morning. The Cytomax in my sport bottle and an orange-flavored Gu would have to do. Somehow, while taking a large swig, I managed to breath in and the liquid went down the wrong pipe causing a 10-20 second period of choking and gasping for air - exactly what you want while competing in a triathlon. My right shoe had come untied, and everytime I bent down to re-tie it I felt a tug on my thigh muscle which screamed ABORT! ABORT! THERE WILL BE A CRAMP IF YOU DO NOT ABORT! So, here I stand in T2, choking on Cytomax, sweating, cold, rained-on, with an un-tied shoe and a quasi Charlie Horse that won't let me go any further. I nearly asked Shane, who by this point thought it would be a good idea to snap a few pictures, to bend over and tie my shoe, but knowing that in the amount of time it would have taken to argue with him about why he needed to help me out and the time it would take for me to actually do it - cramp or not - I decided not to.

Out of T2 I run - well, actually I was merely walking at this point because I can't run without music and I was busy untangling my headphones from my ipod shuffle that I had just taken out of my racing belt. Before too long though, I actually was running. The way my legs felt however, I imagine my attempt to run at that point probably looked a lot like Betty White's attempt to run in that Snicker's football commercial they've been showing on TV lately. Have you ever tried to run 3.1 miles after having just dismounted from a 12-mile bike ride? It ain't pretty.

Not too far into the run (less than 1/2 mile I'm sure), there is a slight incline and my legs and body just weren't ready for that kind of pressure. I walked for a bit before looking at my watch and seeing that I was about 3 minutes into the last leg of the tri and, if I EVER wanted to finish this dreadful race, I would have to just make myself run. I broke out the 6:1 intervals at this point and trotted along on my way. The run is just like the cycling leg of this triathlon, with an out-and-back format. How happy I was to see the girls handing out water at the turnaround spot, knowing I was almost there. A little ways past that half-way point I saw Alicia up ahead coming towards me. She looked happy, which surprised me given here attempts to persuade me NOT to make her compete this morning, but she just smiled and waved while I pulled one ear-bud out and yelled "Do you hate me yet?" "No." she replied cheerfully!

Back onto the pavement (some of the run was cross-country and somewhat hilly), I felt somewhat good. Maybe it was just knowing that it was almost over and I'd be able to stop moving for a bit, or maybe the sluggishness of my titanium legs finally melted off and I no longer felt like The Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Either way, the finish line was near and I tried to finish strong while making my way across the finish line.

Ahhh, the sweet sigh of relief! As I hit "stop" on my watch the time portrayed was 1:40:54. I knew my time from the last triathlon was 1:42-something, so I immediately knew I had a course PR. Shane had met me at the finish, and we waited about 4-5 additional minutes before seeing Alicia come around the corner. She crossed the finish line approximately 5 minutes behind me, and gave me a big hug - saying "Thank you so much for pushing me to do this!" It was a good moment for the both of us.

So..... the final results came out today, and I was the 17th finisher out of 60 participants. This still blows my mind seeing as how not too many people finished behind me and I felt for sure at least half finished before me. But I guess the numbers don't lie. My swim ended up being my fastest 400m to date (even on practice drills), and almost a full 2 minutes faster than the last triathlon. My bike was 2 minutes and 16 seconds faster - amazing since there was so much wind and I physically got off the bike at one point, and the run - well, I never claimed to be a fast runner, so that portion was actually :36 second slower than the last, but I'm thinking that's still pretty good considering last time the run was the first leg and bike the second. Either way, I am feeling really good about this accomplishment. As I stated before, I didn't feel good the day before, didn't eat well the 24 hours prior to the event, the weather left a lot to be desired, and I had a co-competitor who wasn't feeling it at all. It's good to know that even in these conditions I can still compete at a decent level. And the more I do it, the more I love it!

Preparing for Tri #3

3 more days til my 3rd triathlon - the Shelbyville Max Series which will consist of a 400m swim, 16 mile bike, and 5k - my longest tri to date! I've been able to pick up the training this week, and have completed a 1200 swim and 16 mile bike ride so far. The weather has been kinda crappy today though, and my motivation is way low - but I need to try and fit in another swim and run before Sunday's event.

I used to have anxiety dreams that consisted of my teeth becoming loose and falling out, and I was freaked out about how I was going to go to work the next day without teeth and how I could get some dentures - pronto - and how I looked and sounded when I spoke. For the past week however, I've been having some freakishly odd triathlon anxiety dreams.

For instance, in my first dream I get through the swim okay and end up running through a tunnel to get to T1 which, for some reason, is located in the middle of a football stadium's field. As I enter I notice that mine is the only bike left which tells me that I am the absolute last person to finish the swim and get out on the road. After I take off on the bike though, I can't find my way to the start of the route and I'm asking people and no one knows or they can't tell me - and one person says that it's too late to get on the road because time has run out.

Last night, I had yet another dream where, again, I make it through the swim portion and for some reason I have to solve some kind of puzzle or something before I can move onto the bike. Again, time is running out and no one will help me solve this puzzle. When I finally get through it, I get to T1 and someone has vandalized the bikes and the whole top portion of my bike was missing - in the dream this consisted of my seat and handlebars. Completely weird.

The only thing that I can figure is, this next triathlon will be done in the sequence that is normally done - swim, bike, run - while the prior two (due to weather) were done backwards. Seeing as how I'm only a decent swimmer, and a somewhat slower cyclest and runner, I was always able to pick up some ground in the pool. My fear this time around, is that I will be in absolute last place when it's all said and done. That I will get out of the pool, struggle on the bike, and keep up a pretty slow pace on the run only to cross the finish line dead last.

I guess there's worse things than last place. Like not even having competed at all. But this being such a small triathlon (only 53 or participants in the last leg of the series), it's quite possible and I will again get my butt stomped, only to the point where I'm the last finisher. Sigh........ I guess I'll just have to grin, bear it, hope for the best, and see what Sunday brings.

Rhodes City Run 10k

Woke up this morning at 6:30 and the last thing I wanted to do was get out and run a 10k - pretty much par for the course these days. I do all this training and then come race time my body tells me to SLEEP!! Nevertheless, I met my partner downtown and we made it to the start line about 10 minutes before the gun went off.

Felt pretty good throughout, and was able to get into my groove about 2 miles in. Did my normal 6:1 intervals, and felt after 4 miles that I was probably running faster during my 6 minutes than I had started off - and felt great doing it! Felt sorry for the poor guy (or gal) who fell out around 3.75 miles in with what looked like a seizure, but with 15 people crowded around and help on the way, I merely rubber-necked it for a while and kept heading towards the finish line.

I was keeping a pretty good pace, and around mile 5 looked down to see that I was right at 53 minutes - around a 10:30 pace. I remembered that my best time was right around 1:04-something, and seriously wondered if I could PR this one. Coming up to mile 6 right at 1:04 however, I knew that dream was too far gone to reach. I crossed the finish line at 1:06:19, which I THOUGHT was my second-best time ever for that distance. But imagine my surprise when I got home and looked up the times from races past to see that my previous PR wasn't 1:04-something at all, but instead was 1:06:20, just ONE SECOND slower than today's time. Another PR for me this year! Woo Hoo!

This week has been a much more eventful week for me as far as training goes. The weather keeps getting nicer, and I was able to get outside on my bike for a 16 miler a few days ago, and then a 40 minute run the following day. Next week will be my third tri of the year, and I'm a little concerned that A) I haven't spent as much time in the pool as I should, and B) I still haven't purchased any clipless pedals for my bike, which means another event with slipping feet. Of course, I've never NOT finished a race and I'm hopefull this one will be no different.

Tomorrows agenda - on call for work from 8a to 8p, and a need to get in 1300 meters at the pool - we'll see!

Gettin' back in the swing of things

It's been a little over a week since the 5k, and I've done LITTLE training lately. I swam on Monday evening - exactly one week ago today - with every GOOD intention of following that weeks training plan. I figured my second week in my new position at work would go much more smoothly, but that proved to be untrue as I continued to work 10-12 hour days and ended up breaking down on more than one occasion with all the stress. The weekend brought a little relaxation, although I was on-call for most of Saturday.

Finally got the chance - and energy - to work out today after work, upon being able to leave a full 30 minutes early since my work was done. Woo Hoo!! Spin class wasn't set to start for another few hours, so I hopped on a Spin bike and did a full hour in the cardio section of the gym. I'd never worked out there before, as the one other time I biked sans spin class was done INSIDE the spin room all alone except for one lone maitenance guy who went around checking each bike during the hour I was there. And, although spinning alone isn't exactly ideal, I think I enjoy that option better than the one today. Just too many people and distractions, and although I didn't feel self conscious at all, I still felt that I would have liked to be more "in the zone" with the music and put together my own routine of "2 minutes standing, two minutes seated up-hill" or whatnot.

Either way, I finally got in a workout after two weeks which have consisted of ONLY the 5k and a 1200 meter swim. I almost forgot how good it feels to work out, but it all came back to me after I stepped off the bike and felt my jello legs (jello as is "the muscles are fatigued" and not "my fat shakes like jello" mind you). So, one workout down and 5 to go - including a 10k on Saturday which I am SO not looking forward to considering the low is suppposed to be 37 and rainy - yuck!

Anthem 5K - A new PR!

The Anthem 5k was this morning, a very BRISK and CHILLY morning in downtown Louisville. I think the bank I passed said 24 degrees. BRRRRR..... Still been stressed and not sleeping well all week. Went to bed exhausted last night, but didn't sleep well. I think it's because I was afraid I may oversleep and miss the run. In any case, the last thing I wanted to do was crawl out of bed at 6:15 a.m. and head out in the cold to run such a small race. However, once I got going I felt pretty good. In such a small race there are a lot of un-seasoned participants and walkers, so I think realizing that I was a little faster than most of the people I was coming in contact with gave me a little extra boost. I still did the 6:1 intervals because, as I said, I wasn't looking forward to the run in the first place, and definitely not looking to break any records.

At the 1 mile marker I was just at a 10 min. pace which is lightening fast for me - sad as that may seem. About 19 minutes in I started getting side stitches, but stuck it out and concentrated on my breathing a little more. Passed the 2 mile marker around 21:30 or so. At this point, I had just started another interval of running and thought to myself "If I can't run the last mile without having to walk, I'm a major weinie." So.... I ran the last 1.1 mile and came across the finish in 32:15 - about :42 seconds faster than my prior PR which was just last year.

Obviously this tells me that the work I've been doing has been paying off - even if a lot of the workouts I do aren't spent on running necessarily. I think the endurance and cardio strength, not to mention muscles that have been building in my legs due to spin class have played a huge part in this. I'm feelin' pretty good about this last run, and after finishing up the weekend of being on-call, will once again be ready to face the bike, pool and treadmill for some more training. Next event: Rodes City Run - 10k in 2 weeks and another Sprint Tri the weekend after that. Here goes nothing. Again.

Ugh!

So, after the half-marathon on Sunday I felt I was in a good place to continue my workouts and training. WRONG! I started a new position on Tuesday - the day after returning from NOLA - and since they haven't found a replacement for my old job yet, I've been busting my butt not only trying to get the hang (and organized) of the new position, but also needing to continue to help out with the old. Therefore, I've worked 10-12 hour days, with another long day tomorrow and Friday. My days are completely bogged down, and I have neither the time nor the energy to take care of any workouts at this point. Sucks - I feel like crap and I'm eating even more crappy. Funny how when I AM working out I usually eat the best, and when I'm not, I'm eating the most unhealthy, large portions I can get my hands on - which is EXACTLY what I should NOT be doing. Oh well. Have a 5k scheduled Saturday, and Monday begins a whole new week. We'll start again then....

New Orleans Rock n Roll Half Marathon

Finished my 9th Half-Marathon yesterday, and spent the weekend visiting friends in New Orleans while traveling for the run. GREAT weather, and a perfectly flat run. Did my normal 6:1 intervals throughout, and felt wonderful throughout the entire run! Thought I might've been on course for a PR, but in the end I made out with an unofficial time of 2:29:47 - my second best time overall. Happy with the time, but a little confused as to how I didn't pull out a PR, since my standing personal best (2:27) was during a pretty hot run that had a few rolling hills.

I must say, this is probably the first run I've completed where I felt like I blinked and it was over. At one point I remember being astounded that I was ALREADY at the nine mile marker. Maybe it was because I did feel so good during the run. Cardio, breathing, leg strength were all good throughout the run - and my legs didn't really get fatigued until probably the 11 mile marker. Weather was about 45 starting out, and probably 60 or so upon finishing - perfect!

Tri training continues, and the week ahead as we build back up after a cool down week look a little daunting considering how sore I am today. Nothing new after a 13.1 miler. Keeping it going as best I can, and feeling good.

2nd FULL Triathlon

It's been a minute since I last blogged, but guarantee I've been getting in my workouts and I think they're paying off. Had my second full Tri yesterday (I say "full" because what was supposed to be my second tri turned into a duathlon).

The weather was great, and I actually got a little hot during the run and had to unzip my jacket and take off the gloves during the last mile or so. Again, this was a very small sprint with only 53 participants total, and I was pulling up second-to-last during the 5k run which started off this race - at least up until the half-way point where I caught up with a 49 y/o man who had slowed down for a water break. Normally, I do 6:1 intervals while running (even while training), so running non-stop even for such a short period is somewhat hard for me, but I managed to walk only minimally during this entire run.

I pulled into T1 and am happy to report that I KILLED the other competitors, spending only 28.8 seconds in this area. Of course, most of this is probably due to the fact that the majority of other participants had to change into their cycling shoes, while I biked in my tennis shoes. Although this saved time in T1, I paid for it by being the absolute slowest person to complete the 12 mile bike ride. That's not to say that there weren't a few people behind me (two to be precise) when I made my way to T2, but my 54:35 ride (a 13.3 mph pace) left a little to be desired. Obviously I need to step it up in this area, and I'm thinking (or is it, hoping) that the installation of some clipless pedals will help with that. We'll see.

Spent a little more time in T2 - just about 1:35 minutes, but that is to be expected when you have layers to peel, shoes to tear off, and socks to toss aside - not to mention a 100 foot jog to the indoor pool to start the swim. Intially, I had planned on wearing a swim cap, but after jumping in the pool decided this would take me too much time and threw it aside as I pulled on my goggles and kicked off the side of the pool. Felt great the entire swim, and have continued to breath every 2 strokes rather than 3 which I've found does wonders for my stamina. At one point, a gal in my tri-training group who I had a fairly good lead on during both the run and bike, shot past me during the swim (she swam in college and still had the skills, obviously). I didn't fret however, for half-way through the lanes I spotted my tri-partner/best friend/biggest competitor only one lane ahead of me (note: she kicked my ass in both the run (1.5 minute lead) and bike (2 minute lead). With only 1.5 lanes to go I passed her and came out of the pool with only 3 triathletes behind me. Final approximate finishing time: 1:42:15 for the 5k run, 12 mile bike, and 400m swim.

Now, up until this event I told myself that time and place didn't matter and that I was just in it to finish and to have the experience of having completed a triathlon. After carefully scrutinizing my time against everyone elses however, being the second slowest runner, the slowest cyclist, and near the end of the pack for the swim, I have decided that I must do SOMETHING to get faster/better at these sports. I have been training my ass off so far, and feel that, although there have been improvements, I'm still not where I want to be - especially in comparison to the other participants. I mean - granted, Shelbyville Tri Series is a very small event. But I certainly don't want to be bringing up the rear in larger races, such as the Rev3 Tri in Knoxville in May - which will be my largest (in regards to participants and length) to date.

So.....training starts again tomorrow. Suppose I'll keep on keeping on and have to take a good, hard, long look at my performance and step it up a notch or two.