Muncie 70.3 - DNF

I went into Muncie, my second 70.3, with a great mindset. I only started getting nervous the day before, but having such an epic race three weeks prior at Tri Louisville, I felt really confident. Besides, this was the same half IM I had done last year so I knew the course and what to expect – no surprises.

Jen and I got into town, went straight to the expo and got all checked in, put the bike on the rack, bought some swag, then made our way to the hotel. I was getting really excited at this point as we drove up to the expo on the running course, which I remembered from last year – this made it real!

After we got all checked into the hotel we decided to go ahead and grab some dinner, opting out of the Landshark dinner I had originally RSVP’d to. Since we were just down the street from the same Italian place I ate last year, and it was still fairly early, I figured we could beat the crowds and take some leftovers with us for later if we got hungry again. Dinner was a pleasant mix of chicken parmesan, salad, mozzarella sticks and a cold beer topped off with a trio of mini desserts. I definitely felt fueled up for the race.

Later that evening in the hotel room I popped some melatonin to try and ensure a decent nights sleep. Taking these at 7:30 meant I was drowsy and ready to nod off about 9:30. I put on a meditation geared towards lessening anxiety, and tried to focus on relaxing so that I could sleep peacefully. I also needed to calm a little bit of nerves I was now getting about the race itself.

The 3:30 wake-up call wasn’t too bad and after a breakfast of oatmeal and some fluids I was ready to go by 4:00. The transition area opened at 5:00, and I knew from last year that the line of cars to park tends to get a bit long, which means less of a chance for ample parking if you get there much later. We pulled in, went straight to transition to get my body marked, set up my spot and meander around the reservoir killing time as we basically had three hours until my swim went off. They announced that the race would not be wetsuit legal, which meant all of us who opted to wear the suit were to start in the very back, going off in the last wave at 8:18. My original swim was 7:59 so this wasn’t much later. Jen and I made our way back to the car to drop off the things I would no longer need for the race and relaxed a bit. I decided to do another meditation in the car just to keep the nerves at bay, and we even napped a little before getting back out about 6:30 a.m.

I grabbed my wetsuit from transition, as the area would soon be closed off, and we made our way to a LONG restroom line. Unfortunately, my urge to go had passed since we waited so long, and I only got a chance to go #1. Because we still had over an hour before my swim wave however, I was eventually able to get some relief about thirty minutes prior to the race, which was a huge weight off my shoulders.

Waiting around usually gets me really anxious before a race. I remember last year at Muncie, the pre-race wait seemed to be the worst for my anxiety and nerves. So much so that I teared up and cried a bit as my wave walked to the swim start. This year, however, I was cool as a cucumber. I would say on a 1-10 scale my anxiety never got above a 2 – it was more the excitement and anticipation of getting ready for a race that I felt great about. I was in a much better headspace this year than last, and I planned to just go out there and do it – no expectations. Of course, my goal was always to beat last years time, but the ultimate is always to “just finish.”

Each swim wave had approximately 30-50 people each. By the time they got to mine however, so many people had opted to wear the wetsuit that we had over 100. This meant a very crowded start. I made my way down to the banks of the lake and was able to relieve myself, once more, before getting into the water (sorry, but I just couldn’t hold it any longer and I REALLY had to go - plus I can't pee WHILE swimming).

The gun went off and I had to walk a few yards before I could completely submerge into the water and get going. That first 300-400 yards were tough as there were so many athletes that I was either passing people (WHAT? I was actually PASSING people on a swim?) or they were mowing me over. I got over to the right side of the buoys to get away from the crowd which seemed to help immensely, but this also meant that my ability to keep a straight line also suffered, and it felt like I was constantly having to pull myself back over to the left to keep from getting too far off course.

I finally got into a good groove although there was a bit of bottle-necking around the first turn, but then it was fairly smooth sailing from that point. I could already tell that the extra body glide I used was helping to keep my arms from chafing from the wetsuit – a huge problem for me last year. I rounded the last turn and headed back to shore, but this proved to be a bit of a pain as this direction takes you right into the sun and it’s hard to gauge where you are at all. I could distinguish direction by only the athletes around me until I could see the outline of a buoy up ahead. I muddled along and was ready to be done with the swim until, finally, I made my way to shore and out of the water. I opted not to have my wetsuit stripped as they had athletes lay on the grass last year and my tri suit got muddy. Since my wetsuit is a little big to begin with, it’s not a problem stripping it off solo anyway, so I just began to take it down as I made my way to T1. I looked down to hit the button on my Garmin to signal that I was done with the swim portion, but something was amiss. According to my watch I had only swam 650 yards, which was obviously not right. “Oh well,” I thought, “I know I swam the full 1.2 and I’ll find out the time later. I’ll just pick it back up on the bike.”

Jen was standing at the sidelines and yelled out that she had Karen and Ericka on Facetime. I was so surprised and excited at this I yelled out “Hi Karen and Ericka, I feel great! I had such a good swim!” I was really feeling some positive adrenaline at that point and the confidence will still high. I had just over a two-minute T1 where I dried off a bit, donned the cycling shoes, gloves and helmet, grabbed and downed a Honey Stinger wafer, and out I went. Again, there was Jen cheering me on! It was so great having a friend there with me this year.

As I made my way to the line to mount my bike a volunteer says, “Hey Landshark.” Attempting to recognize him but unable to place the face I said, “Hey there, how are you?” He says, “Great, how’re you?” “I am fantastic. Really fantastic!” I'm never this cheerful during a race - another sign of my optimistic mindset on this day. Clipped in, I went to hit the Garmin once more to signal the start of the cycling portion but, again, something wasn’t right. I’m not sure if the swim snafu threw me off or what, but I must’ve hit the wrong button as the only screen that came up was one that shows Distance and Time – not the normal cycling screen where I’m able to see my speed. Not wanting to spend any more time in T1 however, I just let it go and went on from there. I think this is where I made my first mistake.

Going along on the bike I determined that, even though I wasn’t going to be able to tell my exact speed, if I hit the mile markers (every 5 miles) in under 20 minutes I was going at least 15mph, which was fine by me. This was possible mistake #2. Since I had little more to go by than feel (and I was feeling so great) I went out too hard and too fast at an 18.2 mph average – something I have never achieved before, and is way too fast for me to maintain for 56 miles. Regardless, I was moving right along on this beautiful and sunny day, which wasn’t shaping up to be too terribly hot with a high of only 82 degrees. If you’re going to do a triathlon in July, 82 degrees is just about the best you can hope for. This was comparable to the weather from last year's race so, again, my continued goal of a possible PR loomed nearby.

I made my way to the portion of the race where you do the two loops and came up on mile marker 10. I remembered from last year that it took a little over 10 miles to get from one end of the loop the other before the turnaround, as I made a note of my mileage. I also remember that at the turnaround, there is a slight downhill, which I was really looking forward to. Being in the last wave of swimmers meant that a lot of folks were already on their second loop as I was beginning my first. Because I was moving right along and even passing some people, I didn’t concern myself with being too far in the back of the pack - another mental game that can creep up on you if you allow it. Up ahead I noticed the cones for the turnaround and was thankful to be about 1/3 of the way done with the bike. That is, until, I hit that turn and the headwind proved to be more brutal than I could have imagined. I didn’t think much of the wind on the way out as it felt like more of a crosswind, and nothing as severe as this. I guess my internal wind sock was off because it was definitely coming straight at me for the second part of the first loop and I felt like I was cycling through mud. I was still going at least 15mph according to the mile markers, but I could also feel myself slowing WAY DOWN from that first 20 miles or so.

At around 25 miles in it began to hit me. Fatigue set in, some slight dizziness began, and my legs were cramping a bit. I re-evaluated my nutrition and realized that I probably wasn’t taking in as much as I should have (mistake #3). I had Infinit in the torpedo, along with two bottles of water and some sport beans. I had been using sport beans during training rides, but always consumed them during a stop, never while riding. I tore open a bag and poured some into my mouth, but between the slightly heavy breathing, exertion and fatigue I found it hard to chew and continue peddling simultaneously. Mental note: consider going back to Gu’s during the cycling portion of the race.

Everything combined, I had to have a bit of a pep talk with myself and say, “Okay, at the next turnaround that headwind is going to go away and you’ll have a bit of a break at that point. Then, when you get to the last turnaround point, you just have to make your way back to transition. At that point you’ll only have 18 miles or so left. You can do this.” I continued along, made another left to begin that second loop and still, my speed remained slower than it had before despite no longer having that headwind. At this point I began wondering if I could even make it that that last turn around, and seriously considered calling it a day right then. The dizziness persisted and I was now having stomach issues. I felt bloated, despite taking only small sips at a time, and when I would bend over into the aero position it made it worse. The legs were still cramping as well. Alas, I did make it to that last turn around and tried as hard as I could to find my way back to T2.

I think I was about 38 miles in when I decided that I couldn’t go on. Even if I finish out the bike, I thought, there is no way I’m going to be able to do that 13.1 mile run with the way I feel. I didn’t want to have the dizziness get worse to the point that I would wreck and really hurt myself, so at the aid station at mile 40 I called it a day. I pulled over and asked the volunteers, “If I decide to DNF is there someone to come pick me up and take me back?” They sprang into action and called SAG support to come and get me. The volunteers were great, making sure I was okay physically, getting me some cold water, and chatting a bit about the race itself before Bob finally came along with his Stranger Danger van and swept me away back to transition, where I spent just a small amount of time in medical sipping on some Gatorade and having my vitals taken by a not-too-shabby looking doctor. Perk!

Unlike last year, when I was having knee pain 6 miles into the run and considering a DNF (managing to finish the race anyway), I was really okay with making the decision to pull out this year. I knew that I had put in the time and effort to train, that my head was in the best place that it could have possibly been, and that a DNF wasn’t the end of the world. My biggest concern after leaving the med tent was finding Jen to let her know that I was okay. When we finally did meet up where she was waiting for me at Bike-In, she said that she had been keeping track of me and talking with race officials about my progress - or lack thereof. The time cut off to finish the bike was coming up, and she was worried that I had gotten a flat or had wrecked and wouldn't make it in time. The last she heard, I was still on the course being escorted in and was 4 miles out. Somewhere along the way I guess wires got crossed because I had been at the race area for probably 20-30 minutes searching for her, not 4 miles out getting escorted in. Luckily my situation wasn’t emergent so it wasn’t that big of a deal, but this is something IM should probably look into in case there is something more important happening in regards to DNF’s or injuries.

I explained to Jen everything that had happened and did so with a calm and positive demeanor. I think I surprised myself with how okay I was with my DNF. This just reiterates to me that it was the right decision, and that listening to my body rather that pushing myself to the point of possible injury was the best call.

On the drive home I pondered whether or not I would toe the line in Ohio in 6 weeks. With the physical discomfort still fresh in my mind, and recalling my ride on the struggle bus in 2015, I had myself convinced for a time that I don’t enjoy this distance and that life is too short to do things you don’t enjoy. By the time I was relaxing and soaking in some recovery sun at the pool the next morning, however, I had already decided that I would compete in the race. Besides it already being paid for, and the hotel room set up, and Sherpas booked, I really want to give the half IM at least one last try and have a really great race before I possibly retire to the sprint and olympic distance. Muncie in 2015 was a milestone as it was my first 70.3 finish, even though I was in a bad place mentally. Muncie in 2016 was one of the best races I’ve ever competed in as far as my mental and emotional state – my body just wasn’t having it. So Ohio….. well, hopefully Ohio will be a combination of a fully trained and cooperative body along with a great mindset that will equal a stellar race.

Tri Louisville

Going into the race today, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The course is a 4-loop bike and 2-loop run – all of which take you around downtown Louisville. I have been training for Muncie/Ohio for a number of weeks now, and I was planning to use this race as a training race to see where I am in all disciplines and to know better what I need to continue to focus on. With anxiety being a bit high the 24 hours prior, and motivation being just “meh,” I showed up and chose to “just finish,” the Olympic distance tri.

Got to the race earlier than I expected, which was probably a good thing considering limited parking and the amount of triathletes that were already there and setting up 1.5 hours before the race was set to go off. I met up with Jenn Porter and we walked to transition together to set up, and then head down to the swim start. Along the way it was great to see so many Landsharks, and to hear words of encouragement and a huge representation of the club.

The swim was a wave start, which is actually what I prefer since there aren’t as many people to bang into and mow me over. Swimming out the first buoy went fine – I mean, you can’t really screw that up much seeing as it’s a straight shot and not too far out. However, after I hooked a left to swim downstream I realized, a little too late, that the “orange,” I was headed towards was not, in fact, another buoy but instead the vest of a kayaker. Whoops. Easy fix. I got back on course and continued to head down to the last turn buoy before navigating my way to Doc’s Cantina.

There were two minor stops I had to make along the way as I took in a bit of water and had to cough it up. And for whatever reason it felt like the swim was going on FOREVER. I remember thinking at one point that I must be nearing the hour mark, so you can imagine my surprise when I got out and stopped my watch at 33:50 – a full 5 minutes faster than my fastest Olympic swim in Knoxville in 2010. Plus, that little detour tacked on almost another .2 miles. Happy to say, I rocked that swim.

If I rocked the swim, then I made the bike my bitch. Headed to T1 I felt great and super confident. I hopped on, spending a mere 2:50 in transition, and made my way onto the course. There weren’t as many turns as I was expecting, and since it was flat it was a very fast course. I was apprehensive about doing the same loop four times, but I actually really enjoyed it. I’m a numbers gal, so when I can tick it off by telling myself “one down, three to go.” Or “okay, just one more of what you just did (two laps down, two to go),” it helps mentally. I kept looking at my watch in disbelief that I was holding about a 17 mph average. Considering I qualify 15 mph as a good day, I was stoked. Finishing up my fourth lap, after seeing and cheering on numerous Landsharks along the course, I came in at 1:25:09 – a 16.9 mph average. (side note: my Garmin registered 23.8 miles rather than 24.8).

Off to the run and to finish this race, I felt good and strong despite wobbly legs. The run segment of a tri is always my worst as I am typically pooped after the bike. I remember thinking this on this bike course in particular, as I was crushing it so hard I was concerned I would have little left over. I started off with a plan to do 3:1 intervals but, alas, the fatigue and heat set in and I ended up planning to run what I could and to attempt to walk no more than one minute at a time. This plan worked really well for me as it kept me going but not feeling overwhelmed as if I couldn’t accomplish the goal. After two loops around the course, I found myself coming in at 1:12:41 – a 12:38 pace (again, I must announce that the run course was only 5.75 miles rather than the full 6.2).

Overall, I was VERY HAPPY with my race. I felt the best I’ve ever felt during and after a triathlon, and didn’t have any negative or self-deprecating talk creep up like I sometimes do. Looking at my results from Rev 3 Knoxville in 2010, I came in a full 38 minutes faster this year than I did 6 years ago – a new PR!

Even though the distance is twice as far (sans the swim) I am looking forward to Muncie in a few weeks. I have a few 60 mile rides planned between now and then, and hope that I can keep up the momentum on that run course as I did for this one (although slow by most triathlete standards, it was a win for me). So happy, again, that I got to see, hear from, and encourage a number of my Landshark friends out on the course today. You guys represented big time!

Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon

This was a race that was not originally on the calendar for 2016. After seeing the medal though, along with the additional bling that comes with running both RTB and KDF, I decided to sign up a few months ago. The weather was definitely chilly to start, but since the sun was shining - giving off a little bit of warmth - it wasn't too terribly bad. I had completed this same race 5 years ago but, since then, they've changed the course. I've been hearing for years now how hilly this race is, and was always curious as to just HOW hilly - since everyone's definition of "hilly" is subjective. And since I'm a total dunce when it comes to reading elevation maps, I couldn't tell you just from looking what to expect.

I did the San Francisco Marathon in 2011 - a race and city known for its hills. San Francisco, however, was a pancake compared to the hills of Lexington. After taking off 10 minutes late due to some traffic issues, it took a while for my toes and fingers to warm up - they were definitely numb for those first few miles. They were calling for some hell-wind later in the day but, luckily for the most part, it wasn't that bad while the race was going on. I planned on doing my 4:1 intervals throughout, and was able to hold to that plan for the first 4 miles or so. The hills started early on (within the first mile) and never let up going forward. I remember at one point thinking that, since this wasn't a planned race, I'd be okay with walking most of it if I chose/had to. The chilly air kept me running forward though and I was keeping an okay pace for the first 5-6 miles.

I had been fighting the urge to pee since the start of the race, and I had hoped it would go away with time and sweat. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and since all porta-pots along the way had a long line I kept trudging along waiting for the right time. At mile 6.5 I just couldn't stand it anymore and waiting in line behind 5 women for the one pot. Even though I wasn't making stellar time, I didn't want to tack on another 5-7 minutes waiting for a restroom, so my impatience got the better of me and I ran behind a tree off the beaten path to cop a squat instead. I was hoping my shy bladder wouldn't get the better of me, but after a little pep talk as well as some concentration on my music rather than who may be spotting me, relief was granted and I was on my way once more.

The strategy for the remainder of the race was anybody's guess. I ran a little, walked a little, and did what I could to get by. My quads and hamstrings were definitely feeling it by this point, but I was happy knowing that I was at least halfway through the race. The hills still weren't letting up and it truly was a rolling course. That is, until mile 9 which greeted us with a huge, steep uphill climb. By this point I had become more than okay with walking up the hills and that's exactly what I did. Rounding the corner I knew I had just a little more than a 5k to go. Again, I ran what I could and don't really remember keeping track of any time intervals on my watch at this point. I wanted it to be over with. About 11 miles in my gal Terri swooped past me with her son as they headed towards the finish line. Just past mile 12 I spotted a guy on bended knee to my left who was proposing to his girlfriend whom he had been running the race with. This view gave me a smile and a ton of us began to clap and cheer as she accepted his proposal. One last turn to the finish line and I was beat. I had to walk just a little bit more, then I could get up the strength to run it in. My goal had become a 2:30 finish and I crossed the line in 2:32 - which was definitely fine by me.

Typically, a week or two after my races I forget about the pain and start asking myself if I'd ever do it again. I stand firm in my decision that, because that bling was so nice and that race was so tough, I'll never do it again. I told Jenn that next years medal would have to be diamond encrusted in order for me to run the course a second time. Considering the hills, I'm pretty happy with my time. It wasn't the prettiest race (pretty meaning my personal race - the scenery was just GORGEOUS!), but I got it done and was able to add #29 to my list. Next up KDF mini in just a few weeks. The flat course will be a welcome site, and the fact that it was my first, and now will be my 30th half marathon, is somewhat sentimental. I'm looking forward to it!

Sluggish

So I've been little more than a slug since the Run the Bluegrass half a few weeks ago. I've been going to a chiropractor for some neck/shoulder discomfort I had been having, however, while I believe the adjustments are working I think the process of getting everything aligned is causing some neck tightness that is new, and the culprit of some nearly-daily headaches. This isn't good. I've been tired, unmotivated, sore, etc. for almost two weeks. I've missed yoga for the past week and a half and find myself muddling through my OTF workouts. I do believe that a big part of this is the ongoing battle to get my home closed and move into the new condo - a process that has been going on for 5 months now. And while I (apparently) had a definite close date of April 15th, that got pushed back (once again) to the 22nd. I've been saying for months now that I will not be able to full relax and just breathe until the keys are in hand and I'm all moved in. It's truly been one of the most long-lasting stressful events of my life.

Because I've been feeling so unsettled for the past few months, with half the house packed up and continuously waiting on word from realtors, brokers, loan processors, etc. I haven't even gotten into the pool to truly begin my half Ironman training for Muncie. The only upside to this is that it IS 12 weeks away and since I've been keeping up the running and biking at least I'm not really behind on getting prepared. I was even able to feel some relief when I realized recently that this is the week that I officially began IMLOU training last year (which Muncie was a part of) and that gives me no doubt in my mind that I'll be perfectly fine for the first of two half IM's in July.

A friend recently got onto me for not being in the pool at all this year. My explanation was simple: I am a person who thrives in routine and structure. When everything is in its place, figuratively and literally, I excel and can get a regular routine going and stick with it. When it's not, I just can't. I don't feel settled at all right now since I don't know for sure whether I'll actually be closing in 7 days or not. Since the closing, the move, and the days afterwards will all be a complete cluster f#ck, I can't see myself putting on the calendar a 1500 meter swim. If it's on the calendar, I'll feel the need to do it and will get the guilties if it doesn't happen. If not, I'll feel better knowing that I'm saving it for another day - hopefully when life gets a little more calmed down.

So for now, I keep my fingers crossed in the hopes that this April 22nd date is a go and I can get back to normal living soon after. I'm taking the Monday and Tuesday after off to continue getting things in order in the condo (that is, if I DO move that weekend) because, again, if that place is in disarray my life feels like it's also in disarray. Holding my breath, seeing what happens over the next week. In the meantime, yoga tonight, massage tomorrow, bike ride Saturday and an OTF workout Sunday.

Rodes 10k and PJ 10-miler

The last two legs of the triple crown race were awesome. First, the Rodes 10k:

I met up with Ericka, Karen, Bill, Lisa, Erin and Justin at the start of the race. Gotta give props to Bill who let us park in his garage and hang out inside the office which is right at the start of the race. It was a little chilly that morning for just standing around, but since the weather was slightly overcast with a 50-55 degree temp it called for little more than shorts and a t-shirt which was the perfect pick for that day.

I had no specific time goals going into this race, as it's been for the past six months or so worth of races, but knew that I'd be doing the standard 4:1 intervals. I felt great going out, and took it slow and steady up that first hill at the end of Broadway. Rounding the corner onto Grinstead I had a downhill which was welcoming, as well as an upcoming, gradual climb - which should've been a walk break for me, but since it's hard to get that momentum back once I've started walking I opted to run up it instead. In all, I believe I ran the entire 3rd mile, which my Garmin clearly shows (9:24 pace).

Heading back up Lexington was fine, but I started to feel it a little around the 4-mile mark. I was still taking no more than my normal interval breaks, and with acquaintances along the course to keep me going, I puttered along and was happy to take that last right hand turn onto Broadway for the home stretch. It's amazing how long and drawn out that last mile or so can feel when you're headed straight to the finish with no other turns in sight. I could've walked some that last mile, as I was certainly tired enough and was fairly close to last year's PR, but I just slowed it down a bit and did what I could across the finish. Justin's poster board declaring, "Connie Haxby You Have Won a Lap Dance," certainly helped me cross over the last .1 mile and I had a good chuckle. Finishing time was 1:03:? - about 2-3 minutes slower than last year's time, but I will definitely take it.

The PJ 10-miler was a bit of a different story - at least at the beginning. It's amazing how I can wake up NOT feeling well about a race and have the run of my life and, alternately, wake up feeling great and then bonking soon in. I was afraid that today was going to be the latter as up until 3 miles into the race I just wasn't feeling it at all. Again, no goals other than to finish under 2 hours with the 4:1 intervals. My legs felt heavy, my shins were bugging me a bit, and I honestly thought I would be walking through the park and maybe even the subsequent 4 miles that came after. Luckily, I caught some kind of wind after we entered the park and I was able to maintain the intervals as well as I could. I say that because, once again, I wanted to take advantage of the downhills and continue a slow and steady pace up the hills. My fastest mile was 7, which is right out of the park, at around a 9:34 pace. For the remaining 3 miles I focused on those walk breaks every 4 minutes as I started to feel some small blisters creeping up. But feeling good about where I was and how I was feeling overall, I knew I could come close to last year's PR.

Rounding that last corner I had another poster from Justin: "Connie Haxby Magnificent Man Candy Awaits You." Again, a great chuckle and a nice way to get me through that past .2 to .3 miles to the finish. I came in about 5 minutes under the PR at 1:46:42. Well under the 2 hour goal - so I'll take it.

Next up, Run the Bluegrass half marathon in just 4 days. I did this one about 4-5 years ago before they changed the course. It is now hella-hilly from what I hear (someone counted 34 hills once) so I'm not exactly looking forward to the race, but I AM looking forward to that stellar medal!

Anthem 5k

Race season officially began this morning with the Anthem 5k. Well...technically I guess race season never really ended since I did complete the three races of the Polar Bear Grand Prix in Dec/Jan/Feb, but now is when the SERIOUS racing begins. I guess however serious you can be when your race pace average is about a 10:30 pace but...whatever. I'm pretty proud of my second-best finishing time today. It was a great, sunny yet cold day to get out with 6k of my closest friends for the 3.1 miles this morning. I had no expectations going in, and even remember thinking on the course, "they can't all be PR's," and I'm okay with that. I did what has become known as my standard 4:1 intervals, and felt great throughout. Apparently I was hauling butt at one point during the last mile as I looked down to see a 8:10 pace. Whoa! I never run that fast. But... each consecutive mile did end up being faster than the last so there's that. Something about these last few years has me seeing a lot of negative splits - and that's a good thing. Of course, I'm still keeping up with the OTF workouts and started back to Yoga yesterday. I really have a love/hate relationship with yoga. I hate it while I'm doing it (I find it kind of boring, mundane, and with it being hot yoga, I feel sick and/or faint at times), but I love the way I feel afterwards. Since I've felt my body getting more and more tight, I felt the yoga was necessary as I really need a good stretching of this poor old bod from the last decade of giving it a beating.

My training for the Half Ironman races I have coming up will begin soon. I was going to originally do a 20 week training program, but seeing as I have one more whole month of unlimited sessions at OTF, and the weather isn't going to start getting consistently warm until April, I decided on a 12 week plan instead. Besides, I now know what to expect, and feel that a 12 week training for a half IM is doable considering I was training for the full during this time last year - the Muncie half being just a "bonus," along the way. Plus...I've been super stressed out about this whole home buying/selling business and it has me feeling really displaced. Not only because the majority of my stuff has been boxed up for the last 2 months, but also because I don't feel I can properly plan for anything until I know where I'm going to be settling - and maybe even settled altogether. At this point, my buyer has a few more things to submit to get the final loan approval (after already submitting paperwork after paperwork - I found out this morning that she originally wasn't going to agree to continue the process due to frustration, which I totally get, but after mulling it over it looks like she's going to get some additional things together on Monday to submit. Hopefully that's it and we'll be hearing some good news). I'm trying not to stress about it - doing a lot of meditation and telling myself, "there's no need to get all stressed out, there's nothing you can do about it." It helps some, but not enough always. So... in the meantime I'm going to channel my own frustration and anxiety into running, training, etc. I have a 7 mile training run with Karen and Ericka tomorrow in preparation for the Run the Bluegrass and KDF Mini coming up. So at least if (worse case scenario) something DOES fall through with the house, I'll be in excellent shape. Looking for that bright side. :)