The Tri-Spot

It's been months!

2011-12-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

Well, since my full marathon in Chicago in October, I did complete the St. Louis Rock and Roll Half Marathon in late-October - after that....... nothin'! It's been a tough year - lots of work stress, the ending of a significant relatioship, a bout with depression - all of which really hamper a gals motivation level and energy. So.... I shouldn't have been surprised when I stepped on the scale today to discover that I am officially 20 pounds over my "comfortable" weight. This is not to say that I'm "overweight," as many people who know me personally would probably tell you that I look healthy and thin. However, for a medium framed 5'5" woman, I should weigh no more than 141 pounds. I'm 150. YIKES!

There is a history of obesity in my family, which is frightening to me since so many family members have passed away due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. And though I have worked my ass off (literally sometimes) in the past to stay thin, healthy and in-shape, slacking off this year really did me in. I can't believe how fast it seemed to have come on. I can remember going to the doctor a few years ago, stepping on the scale at 130, and my doctor telling me to "watch it" since I had an increase of 5-10 pounds since my prior visit. Just a year ago, it was 140. And now.... ugh! I shutter at the thought of sitting here at the same time next year complaining of the dreaded 160. No way! I'm putting a stop to this now!

I got on the treadmill yesterday - the first time in forever - for a slow and steady three miles. Then on to the bike trainer today after work for a 45 minute spin. I can't remember the last time I worked out two days in a row. Along with this, I'm also taking a homeopathic that is supposed to aid in depression, mood, concentration, energy and (subsequently) is a natural appetite suppressant. I've never been big on diet pills, as I love to eat, and don't think low fat/no fat foods are exactly "healthy" (I mean, what's the point, right?) So....although I had decided just a few months ago to slow down on the races in 2012 (I completed 19 in 2010, and at least 7 in 2011), I'm going to use these races to give me the added motivation I need to get my ass up and out and work off some of this fat!

Chicago Marathon - Part II

2011-10-12T15:32:00.001-07:00

Well, just like with most all of my races, I had good intentions of training hard and solidifying a good performance this year - especially since I blew my first marathon in 2009 (also Chicago). But, much like most of my races, I failed my goal of weekend long-runs and cross training on the bike. Instead, Alicia and I winged the 26.2 miles we ran/walked 4 days ago, and I'm STILL paying for it!

Reading older posts, you've probably determined by now that although I love to race, I hate to train. And, as those of you that race know, these two combinations don't go together too well - especially when you're talking long distances, such as the marathon. But, having done it twice before (and twice before promising myself I would never do it again), I went out with high hopes but no expectation other than to finish. Now.... normally during a non-trained-for half marathon I can still get a halfway decent finishing time despite a tired body and sore legs. Since my back-to-back races in May however (the Derby HM on Saturday, Flying Pig full on Sunday), my knees haven't quite been what they used to be. And boy oh boy did I feel it this past weekend.

The weather was decent at the start, but by "decent" I mean it was cool enough to run a marathon in had it stayed that way. However, when the sun came out and the air temperature started to rise, we knew we were in for a scorcher of a race. We did our regular 4:1 intervals to start and I was amazed at how good I felt. I usually take a while to warm up and then knock it out of the park 3-4 miles in, but this was unlike anything I've ever felt at the beginning of a race before, so I had a small thought that perhaps I could actually have a decent no-training-for-this-race run afterall.

Alicia had even less training than I did, so it didn't surprise me when she had to cut the running distance short and walk more. This went on after the first 3-4 miles, and stayed that way until 8 or so. For the few miles after that, I felt we were holding our own pretty well, and were still on our way to a decent race. At one point I looked down and saw that we were on pace to do a 5:15 - 5:30 finish, which would have been a PR for us both. Little did we know at the time, Karma had a different idea of how this race would go.

I'm not sure at what point we felt it, or who felt it first, but the injuries of marathons past - hey, I kinda like that label, witty me :) - soon crept up and my left knee (the one I WASN'T already wearing a brace on), and Alicia's ankle started to whisper to us that they were present and accounted for. Soon before the half-way mark we were both doing little more than walking, and had both already agreed that we would be perfectly fine with walking the remainder of the race so long as we finished it. No truer words have been spoken during a race, because that is pretty much exactly the way it went down. Between blistered feet, GI issues, tweeking ankles, and aching knees we all but ditched any sort of run/walk method and instead turned our marathon into a nice little "hey, let's catch up with one another" stroll.

This went on for many miles, and we seemed to be doing okay with it. At mile 16 someone handed us both a beer and we enjoyed and took comfort in the fact that we were having a good time and that the pain was at least bearable - heck, we may even feel the best we've ever felt after a race considering the amount of exersion we're NOT putting into it. My naive little mind actually thought this for a long time into the second part of the race. I'm not sure at what point in all changed, but if I had to guess I'd say it was somewhere between 19 and 22 miles because at 22 I hit a complete and utter brick wall that did everything it could to not allow me to go any further.

By this point I had switched the knee brace to my left leg, although it really was too late. Alicia had caught somewhat of a second wind and was doing her usual high-pitched, so giddy you wanna slap her motivational talk and wanted nothing more than to finish the race if only to stop the pain. I, however, would have loved to do the same, but my knee hurt so badly that I could do little more than limp ahead. We began intervals of "shuffling" and walking just to get closer to the finish line a little bit faster. Whene we got to the 25th mile I felt somewhat relieved until I realized that this would be the LONGEST. MILE. EVER. One thing we had going for us however, is that at least we weren't the young woman who lay on the ground a mere 1/2 mile to the finish with EMS standing around her chugging a bottle of water. I mean, at least we were going to make it to the finish line. Right?

We turned our next-to-last corner and saw the last, and only, hill of the entire course (who the hell does that, by the way? ends a marathon on a hill????) and knew we were home free. Alicia ran ahead as I was still hobbling in pain, and finished probably 10-15 seconds faster than my unofficial time of 6:58:32. Yes, I had a seven hour marathon! Pathetic. But.... at least I went out there and did it - pain and all. It's not something I ENJOY doing. It's just that I tend to get myself in these situations where I have good intentions of knocking one out of the park, only to realize a few weeks before the race that I've had time (or energy, or motivation, or any other excuse you want to insert here) to do little more than hang out in the dugout all season. So, we'll chock this one up to another one of Connie's grand ideas that didn't quite pan out. Yes, I got the medal, and yes I have the blisters and still-throbbing knees to prove that I did the race. But I would much rather be sitting here typing out a post on how I trained with all my blood, sweat and tears and went out on race day knowing that I gave it my best shot. I haven't felt that way in any races this year. Maybe it's time to try something different..... Until next time.

Providence Rock and Roll Half Marathon

2011-09-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Obviously been a while since I've updated anything, and mostly that has been due to working A LOT, and hence not training much at all - for anything. I geared it up for a bit there, preparing for the Rev 3 Half IM to take place in a week, but after working way too many hours, and being unable to find the time or energy to train properly, I backed out and have decided to try another time.
I did complete the Providence R&R Half at the beginning of August, and took the opportunity to also turn it into a mini-vacation in Boston for a few days. It was pretty humid when we arrived on the Saturday before the race, and by Sunday morning the rain had started. We were already pretty drenched before the race even started, so it was no big deal when it decided to rain - sometimes downpour - during the ENTIRE 13.1 miles. Unfortunate for me, I remembered to Body Glide my thighs, but not the insides of my arms, so by the end of the race I had two spots that had been rubbed raw and hurt like heck! For not training much (other than some long bike rides over the summer), I finished in a respectable time of 2:39:13.
A few weeekends later, I was watching the Louisville Ironman in my hometown and it really got me bummed that I pulled out of Rev 3. I just don't know if I want to try to push myself to that limit (both physically, AND mentally) after minimal training. Speaking of which.....
Chicago is in 4 weeks, and although I've tried to get Alicia to meet me out a few weekend mornings to run, nothing has panned out. I have good intentions by telling myself that I'm going to run anyway, even without a partner, but longer distances are hard to complete alone. The wienie part of me starts telling myself that I'm too tired, I'm too hot, I can't go on, and that 3 miles should be plenty for today - there's always next weekend. So, I've just sent her a text asking that we meet this weekend for a 10 miler, and then add on 4 miles to each additional weekend building up to Chicago. I know it's not ideal training, but it's certainly better than nothing - and the last thing I want is a repeat of Memphis.
But for now, no more races scheduled until then. Was toying with doing either a sprint or olympic tri this weekend, but after paying some bills I don't really have the extra cash, so I'm gonna wait to hear back from Alicia and hope for the best. Worse case scenario - I go out on my own and muddle through the best I can. Until next time...

Buckheads Border Challenge Olympic Tri

2011-07-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Well, another tri down, another Sunday spent relaxing after a hot shower and glowing over my finish. The tri started on the banks of the Ohio River on the Kentucky side, and took us to the Indiana side where we finished the full .9 miles. It was a somewhat tough course, as I had a hard time keeping track of the direction I was going, and spent lots of time near the end trying to keep away from the bank where lots of rocks, logs and weeds loomed. Almost as tough as the swim, though, was trying to walk my way out of the water in knee-deep mud for 50-feet or so. I looked at my watch upon getting out, and saw that it took me 47 minutes to finish - about 8 minutes slower than Knoxville, and 5 minutes faster than Taylorsville, both of which took place last year.

I hopped on the bike after spraying myself wish some SPF, donning my helment and sunglasses, and slipping on my shoes. I believe I was in transition for approximately 2 1/2 minutes, then pedaled away. This was a two-loop out-and-back course which was nearly completely flat! I don't mind courses set up this way, as it gives me a chance to see what's coming the next time around so I know what to expect. Plus, I like to break the race up a little bit, and thinking, "Okay, just three (or two, or one) more of what I just did and I'm done." It was hard to tell who was on their first or second loop, so I wasn't sure exactly how far behind I was. (I say "far behind" b/c I'm pretty sure I was one of the last people out of the water). When I got to the last turnaround I noticed approximately 4-5 bikes behind me, so I felt assured that I wasn't the LAST person on the course.

Finishing up the bike course (in approximately 1:36), I traded my helmet for a hat, sprayed more SPF, and put on some socks and shoes before heading out on jello-like legs. I walked a large part of the first mile, and was concerned that I may have to walk all of it. At this point, the water I consumed on the bike was catching up with me, and I had to pee like a race horse! I asked a few volunteers if there were any porta-pots ahead, and was more than a little discouraged to hear that there weren't any, but instead there was a nice lot of woods near the turn around point. Jeez buddy, thanks a lot. That doesn't quite help a female wearing a one-piece trisuit. Needless to say, I got to the half-way point just fine, turned around, and just couldn't hold it any longer. I commenced to squatting behind a large piece of concrete and let it rip - through my trisuit. I had heard of triathletes "going" in their gear before, mostly during half and full Ironman competitions, and always thought that was more than a little gross. However, with more than 3 miles left to go, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Luckily, there was a water stop ahead and I was able to douse my contaminated suit with water to keep from any additional stinkiness.

Coming around the corner to make my way back across the Second Street Bridge and towards the finish line, a volunteer asked if I had passsed anyone. "No, I think I'm the last one," I replied. This statement doesn't bother me much, since I also finished dead-last in the Taylorsville Olympic Tri this time last year. Hey, at least I'm out here doing it, right? The only thing that concerned me at this point was that I had heard that they close the race down at the four hour point. I wasn't sure at what point they started timing this four hours, but I didn't want to take any chances. I walked the up-hill of the bridge, and ran as much of the decent into Indiana as possible. For the remainder of the half-mile or so, I ran/walked until I saw the "Finish" sign up ahead. Surely I can run to the finish line, right? All of these people still standing around, waiting for the last person to cross - I can't let the public down! I pulled it out of me and ran the last .3 miles or so until coming to a stop after crossing under the Finish sign, and that lovely medal was hung around my neck.

All in all, it was a pretty good race. I can now say I swam across the river from Kentucky to Indiana - not many people can. The bike courses flat surface was a nice break from the hills I'm so used to in these races, and even the run was mostly flat which helped keep me sane. Oddly enough, even though it took me 3:55 to finish, it didn't seem that long. The bike seemed to fly by, and even the run wasn't so brutal.

A few things that I would change about this race - make sure there are places to use the potty along the course - this would be my #1 complaint. If I had to go #2, it would have been bad news bears. Also, they advertised that there would be clocks along the course, and there were not. I don't mind this so much b/c I wear a watch, which is what I always go by since it's accurate to MY personal time. But beyond clocks, mile markers would have been nice. Thirdly, they also advertised that there would be a Kids Fun Zone with inflatables and whatnot to keep kids busy during the race. There was nothing that resembled this at all. Again, if you're going to advertise something, make sure you have it. And lastly, and probably the most important for some people (those who compete to win or look forward to winning some prize money, or just want their finishing time set in stone), I heard that the timing for the race was not working (either correctly or at all), so there are no official finishing times, meaning no awards for those who really work hard to kick ass at these races. I understand that accidents happen, but for some people their finishing time is a really big deal!

For an inaugural race though, I thought it was mostly excellent, and I give it one-and-a-half thumbs up! And, for me personally, I now know what to work on over the next few months as I prepare for the HalfRev in Ohio in September. Definitey looking forward to it!

Tri Training Resumes, and first Duathlon Completed

2011-06-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a week since my first-ever duathlon, and I'm starting to really get into the groove of tri-training again. I have my first Olympic of the year (third overall) in approximately one month, and the half-ironman in exactly 3 months from today. Although I haven't swam much, I have been getting out on the bike a lot more, and trying to keep up with running. The running is harder with Kentucky's humid, summer heat, but I'm doing the best I can with 3-4 milers a few times a week.

The duathlon was put on by Oldham Co. Parks and Recreation and was a 3k run/10 mile bike/3k run. I told Alicia afterwards that I felt this duathlon was harder than a tri since we were on our feet running, then cycling, then running again. The course was the same that I've done twice before through the Oldham Co. Tri, and the hills weren't any easier this time around. I felt fairly decent throughout, although we walked a lot of the last 3k. It was a fairly small race with only 50 or so participants, which was only proved by my getting runner-up in my age group at an unofficial 1:33:34 finishing time. I believe only a handful of participants came in after Alicia and I crossed the finish line.

I'll probably do a duathlon again, although my focus right now is on the Oly tri swim that will take me from the banks of Kentucky to the banks of Indiana. A little scared about that one, but I figured if it was that unsafe they wouldn't have gotten the go-ahead to schedule the event. My legs are definitely feeling stronger this year - I can go up one particular hill at 8mph rather than the 6mph I was struggling with last year. ;) I think I just need to invest in some softer, thicker, more comfortable bike shorts so my toosh doesn't hurt nearly so bad. Butt (pun intended), I guess that's the price we triathletes pay for the sport we love!

Back-to-Back races complete!

2011-05-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm two days post completing a half marathon and full marathon back-to-back this past weekend. Alicia and I first signed up for the Cincinnati Flying Pig full-marathon earlier in the year, and later, when we learned the Derby Mini Marathon route was changed, and that it would be completely flat, we talked ourselves into completing both races...... in the same weekend!

Alicia's foot had been giving her some trouble during our training runs, as had my knees, so we were both a little concerned about the mileage. The first race was the Derby Mini on Saturday. After many weeks of rain, we were happy to see that the morning sun was shining through, and it was going to be a great day for a race. I felt WONDERFUL to start off, but could tell that Alicia either wasn't feeling it, or was having some trouble elsewhere. She had been struggling with a chest cold earlier in the week, and it hadn't quite let up. About 2.5 miles in, we had to walk longer than we normally would because her foot had started hurting. This concerned us both with 11 miles left to go, not to mention the marathon the next day. We ended up walking a lot more than we originally intended, but this turned out to be a good thing because it really forced us to take it easy and save something for Sunday's race. I was feeling so good though, and would have probably PR'd if I'd gone all out, that it was hard to hold back. Needless to say, we crossed the finish line at 2:48, which was a really decent time considering how much we walked, and was surprising to me especially, since this was the same finishing time I had during the half marathon in Miami - where I only walked the scheduled walk-breaks we normally take.

After the race we stuck around town long enough to get showers, grab some food, and then headed to Cincinnati. Unfortunately, there was some lovely construction going on and what should have been an hour and a half long drive turned into over a three hour trip. We picked up our gear from the expo, checked into the hotel, and went to Carrabba's for some Italian food. We wanted to take it as easy as possible for the next morning's race, so we went back to the hotel right after dinner, each took an Epsom salt bath, and were in bed with the lights out at 8:30 p.m. I slept horribly, as I normally do the night before a big race, and 4:00 a.m. came pretty early Sunday morning.

We made our way to the parking lot and had plenty of time to relax and finish our pre-race meals before heading to the porta-pot and the start line. The weather for this race wasn't nearly as cooperative as the day before, and it was a breezy, slightly-chilly, and rainy morning. The worst was over within the first few miles of the race however, and the breeze and cool air were a Godsend for the remainder of the race.

I felt pretty decent for most of the race, and nothing from the day before hampered my physical abilities along the way for the first 20 miles or so. Alicia and I started with the normal 4:1 intervals, but decided early on that we wanted to take this race easy as well, as finishing was our only goal. The mental part didn't really start to hit until about mile 18 or so. Even then, it wasn't too terribly bad. Alicia and I still had our senses of humor, and were still talking and cracking jokes along the way - even after I had to re-bandage some gnarly blisters about 16 miles in. It wasn't until the 20 mile mark that I really had to take it "one mile at a time." Thinking of the six additional miles we had to go was way too daunting for me, and Alicia and I were starting to argue about really stupid things - "This is an incline, Alicia! We're going uphill!" "No we're not, you don't know what you're talking about, it's downhill!" My feet were REALLY starting to hurt at this point. Luckily, my knees and Alicia's foot had held out, but the 39+ total miles we would spend upright were getting to us both. We both had blisters, and the continuous pounding of the pavement was making for some pretty sore dogs. Still, we kept at it, and I focused solely on making it to the next mile ahead.

Soon, we had one more mile to go and were so happy to crest the last hill and see the finish line in the distance. Alicia, wanting to get it over with, moved ahead of me. My body felt shot at this point, however, and knowing that I would at least finish was enough for me, so I kept my slow pace through the end. My unofficial finishing time was 6:25 - approximately 5 minutes faster than my Memphis Marathon-From-Hell race from December.

Crossing the finish line, I was so happy to have accomplished such a wonderful goal. And surprisingly enough, we met many people along the way who were also completing back-to-back races, many of them finishing two FULL marathons - I could not imagine. Two days later, I'm so glad that I did it. My knees are definitely more sore than they have ever been after a race, and my feet are itchy as they heal from all the blisters and asphault pounding, and I'm not quite ready to say that I'll ever do it again - but I am happy to be a part of that small percentage of people that have completed back-to-back long distance races. Next on the list - Buffalo Trails Olympic Tri in less than a month, and the beginning of Half Ironman training in less than one week!

Run The Bluegrass Half Marathon

2011-04-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Wow - what a night. The Kentucky Wildcats made it to the Final Four, and since Alicia and I had a race in Lexington this morning, we decided to head down yesterday afternoon to catch the action at one of the local restaurants. We firmly planted ourselves at a pizza joint at 4:30 p.m. and commenced to drinking and carbing up for our run. Alicia, bad influence that she is, talked me into three pitchers of beer and three shots of Jager-bomb. This is less-than-stellar pre-race nutrition, by the way. When the game ended at 11:30 or so - the Cats lost :( - Alicia and I headed back to the hotel to try and get a good 7 hours of shut-eye before the race.

Because my motivation has been horrible these past few weeks, and because I copped out on doing a 10-mile race along with a scheduled triathlon the day after, I was determined to run this half marathon - hangover or not! I slept horribly (almost always do after a night of that much drinking), and woke up trying to figure out if how bad I was going to feel running the race, was as bad as how I would feel if I - once again - threw in the towel (I also have to add here that many of Alicia's family and friends had bets on whether or not we would do the race after a night like they all knew we would have). Wanting to prove them all wrong, we promptly got out of bed and got dressed to drive to the start line.

It was a great day for a race. Sunny, about 40 degrees starting off (although feeling warmer), with a slight breeze. It took me about two miles or so into the race before I decided that I would not, after all, be tossing my cookies from the prior evenings events, and got into a good little groove. About 7 miles or so in I started to feel a little pain in my left knee. This had happened in previous races/runs as well, so I wasn't too terribly concerned, but it got worse as the race went on and the last few miles were little more than a scurried jog to the finish line.

Alicia had stayed with me until Mile 11, but her foot was bothering her, and she said it felt better to run at a faster pace, so she went ahead - which I didn't mind at all, of course. Coming down the finishers shoot, she cheered me on at the sidelines as I made my way to the finish line. I had an unofficial finishing time of 2:37, which is 11 minutes faster than my Miami time from two months ago. Can't complain about that - especially since, after all those drinks, I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to run the race!

Flying Pig is in a month, and the only thing I'm concerned about is the fact that Alicia and I have also signed up for the Derby Half Marathon to take place the day prior. We both promised to take it easy on that one, but it'll be hard to do. We completed an 18 mile training run two weeks ago, and survived. But because we ran on sidewalks rather than asphalt, my calves, knees and quads were killing me by mile 13. We plan a 20 miler next weekend and are going to look for a route that we can run on nothing but streets. I'm also gonna have to break out the ol' knee brace to see if that will help this pain. There's no way I could finish "The Pig" after the Derby half if I'm feeling this way.

Rodes City Run - NEW PR!!!

2011-03-13T09:03:00.001-07:00

I went to the race yesterday fully expecting to merely mosey along and survive, since my training has been less than slacking lately (the 15 miles I was supposed to get in last weekend turned into 7 since the area around Red River Gorge is nothing but hills - and very steep inclines at that). I got the new Garmin Forerunner 405cx however, and was able to wear it for the first time during the race. I planned to run with 4:1 intervals, but apparently I didn't set the watch up correctly (damn you, technology!) and never got the reminder "beep" to take my walk break. Not that I really NEED a reminder, I mean, I've been doing it this long without one. So when I looked down at my watch and saw that I had ran longer than four minutes I thought to myself "Well, I'll just do 6:1 and see how that feels." So, six minutes came and went and, much like Forest Gump, "I kept running and running...."

Between miles one and two there is a slight hill that goes on for a while. Now, if you've read any of my prior blogs you know that I despise hills. No, really - despise. So, when I found myself setting small goals to try and get up it without stopping (Okay, I'm going to run to THAT sign there. Okay, now I'm going to run to THAT telephone pole), I was confident that I could run the whole stretch, and felt mighty proud of myself when I did.

Having defeated this hill and feeling rather accomplished, I decided that a flat surface was no time to take a walk break, so I kept going. And when I came upon the first water stop, I willed my body to keep running forward (granted, I had my fuel belt with me since an additional 10 mile training run was planned for after the race - and I drank from that.) I was surprised at how good I felt, and that I was able to run this distance without the interval walk breaks - I haven't NOT done planned walk breaks during a run for about two years.

At 3.1 miles in I checked the Garmin and saw that I was 31:40 into the run. Shortly after this I saw a co-worker of mine who was standing on the side of the road cheering for her son who was also running the race. I ran by, saying a quick hello and giving her a high five, and continued on down the road. The excitement of having a personal "fan" there to keep me going must have been a little much for me though, because I could feel my heart rate increase and started to feel that I was overdoing it. I slowed my pace a bit, took some deeper breaths, and kept going. Shortly after I opened up the GU I had been carrying in my hand - I prefer to ingest hand-held GU since the heat from my hand warms it up and makes it more liquid-like and less thick - I got a little choked up and was forced to take a walk break, and another water break, for a minute. (Note to self: It's probably a good idea to WALK while eating during a race so that the Heimlich maneuver is not a part of your racing equation).

The break did me good, because when I started running again it was almost like starting with fresh legs (the reason I like the interval runs in the first place). I was going at a pretty good clip when ahead came another slight hill - which I am proud to say I ran up without incident. At some point I do remember having to take another one-minute break between 4-5 miles, but luckily this didn't hamper my overall race.

After passing the 5 mile marker it felt good to know I was in the home stretch. Mentally, I kept focusing on running one block at a time. I wanted to take a walk break so badly, but I had looked down at my watch and saw that I had between 11-12 minutes to run the last 1.2 miles for a PR. If I walked now, that might not happen and I would be kicking myself for having taken that break (I had been keeping a 10:30 minute pace, but didn't want to take any chances). I kept going and before I knew it, I had rounded the last corner to see the finish line a short distance ahead. I told myself that I was making good time, and wasn't going to look down at the watch to check my time - I would just do my best and hope for a PR. Someone apparently kept moving the finish line further and further away though, because I found myself running with no end in sight. When I was finally able to see the mats on the ground, I did look down at the Garmin and saw that I had almost one minute exactly to finish with a PR. I kicked it up a notch and sprinted that last little bit. I thought I was going to throw up. I felt that I had pushed myself during this race already, and to have to crank it up even more during these last yards was tough. I passed the finishing mat and hit "stop" on the watch. Unofficially I came in at just 3 second faster than my prior year PR (later, at home, I would find that I actually finished a full MINUTE and FOUR SECOND faster than my best time - I had remembered the time from 2010 incorrectly. Oops.)

So, a new year, a new race season and a new PR - not a bad way to start off 2011. The Papa Johns 10-miler is just a few weeks away, and if I crank up the training now, I'm pretty confident I can break my own record on that race as well. Not to get too confident in myself, but the last few years has shown that I'm getting stronger and faster in my races. Must be something in the water....

Case of the blahs...

2011-03-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

Got a huge case of non-motivation mixed with some depression that isn't doing a thing for my training right now. Even missed the Anthem 5k - the first of a series of three races that I've done every year for the past 7 years. Had a recent break up after 3 1/2 years and I'm struggling at the moment. I know getting out there and being active would help, but I just can't find the motivation to do it. Funny - this is the exact same advice I give to my patient's on an almost daily basis, yet I can't make myself do it. Have a girls-weekend coming up though, and a 15 miler planned in that time period that I HAVE to get in so that I can survive the Flying Pig Marathon - I NEVER want a repeat of Memphis again! One thing that I do think will definitely help, is the new Garmin 405 that I have coming in the mail tomorrow. I always love trying out these new gadgets, and just having that watch alone will be enough to get me up and running in the next few days. I just hope the novelty sticks. I need whatever help I can to get myself up out of this chair, and out of the house.

Results!

2011-02-20T15:30:00.001-08:00

Shelbyville Tri Series reults are IN!!!!! Didn't do as bad as I thought - see results to the right ------->

Shelbyville Tri Series #2

2011-02-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Just completed my first tri of the year, and boy has my lack of training been showing on this one. The course was run/bike/swim due to the weather. Felt like sub-freezing temperatures this morning, and that bone cutting wind didn't help.

There looked to be about 50 or so participants this year, and less than a half mile into the race I was bringing up the rear with about 4-5 people behind me. That 10 mile run yesterday did nothing for me, as my legs grew tired very quickly, and with a few rolling hills that hampered me even more I was bound for a slow race. I had eated a Cliff Bar and some Muscle Milk in the car on the way to the race, but they didn't help more poor aching legs. I was able to run most of it though, and encouraged others, as they encouraged me, that we were all doing a "great job." I grabbed a GU about 30 minutes in while making my way to the first transition. I'm sure it didn't hurt to have this on the "ride from hell" that I was about to experience. I came into T1 and looked down at my watch - an unofficial 33:40.

The transition went smoothly, as I was already dressed appropriately and only had to switch out shoes, put on my helmet and sunglasses and mount my bike. I had the luxury of chatting for a few minutes with a guy that I know from one of the local running groups - it was nice to see a friendly face and hear some words of encouragement. After I got on the bike I headed out to do the two-loop course, which had changed from last year. Last years course had a number of rolling hills, and this one was mostly flat. However, one turn to the right onto the highway and it was nothing by headwind for 1.5 - 2 miles - brutal! Not only that, but it started to sprinkle to boot, and it didn't help that some folks who had already finished their first loop were now passing by me with seemingly effortless speed. I had been messing with my gears to try and find the easiest one to get me through this wind tunnel, and ended up almost losing my chain. I got off my bike once, thought that I had the situation under control, and then got off again shortly after just certain that the chain had finally come off. Luckily, a fella directing traffic was able to look at it for me and got it taken care of. Off I went to finish the first lap, and then the second. Since I already knew what I was in for, I'm pretty certain I had a negative split time, and with no trouble with my chain this time around, I came in to T2 at just past 55 minutes (the total finishing time of the overall winner - kinda puts thing into perspective!).

T2 took a little longer as I had to strip many layers of clothing, don my swim cap, and run a few yards to the indoor pool. Once inside the building, I crossed the mat, jumped into the warm water, put on the goggles, and I was off. About 100 yards in I could feel my arms getting tired. I noticed though that about half-way through I started getting into a groove and felt great. I heard some Landsharks cheering my name, and another friend took pictures when I'd come up at the end of the lanes. It was great to know that so many people were there supporting me - most of whom had already finished the race.

I touched the wall in an unoffical 1:48:50, which is 2 minutes slower than my best time on this length of a race. I think I finished the swim in 11 minutes or so. Results will be out in the next few days, so I will know then what my actual times are.

Oldham Co. in Sept. 2009 was my first triathlon. However, Shelbyville is the series I did last year where I met some of the tri-friends that have been with me since. Over the past few months I've met even more people from the Landsharks socials and other events and have been fortunate enough to build some friendships with some of them. I absolutely love this sport - it's so great to be around like-minded people who are so supportive of you, no matter if you finish first, or dead last. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to do something that I love, and to be around people who can relate to every emotional, physical, and spiritual moment that comes with competing in triathlons.

Flying Pig Training Begins

2011-02-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

Just got in from a 10.4 mile run that was supposed to be 12, but Alicia had to get back in time to get ready for work so we had to cut it a little short. Was a little tired towards the end, and knees started aching (still do, sorta), but I had to keep moving on and telling myself, "You just did a half-marathon 3 weeks ago! You can DO this!"

Still averaging about a 11:30 - 12 min. pace, but I've always been slow and, although I wouldn't mind being a faster runner, if slow is what it takes to finish the race, then so be it. I am planning on getting a HR monitor so I can see just exactly if I am working at my highest capacity or not. If not, it sure feels like it, but it will be interesting to find out just the same. I think I'm becoming a tri/technology geek - I should be receiving my tax return in a week or so, and I'm already scoping out a Garmin, a watch that keeps track of swim laps, and some aero-bars for the bike. Being the anal person that I am, I'm definitely feeling that the purchase will be worth it since I will now be able to keep track of EXACT statistics (mileage/laps, calories, HR, elevation, etc.) Plus, the aero-bars are a must for my half-ironman in September. I'm excited!

Tomorrow is my first tri of the year - the Shelbyville Race Series #2, which I did last year for the first time. I'm really looking forward to this one - gonna be a bit chilly, but I'm definitely ready to jump back in there and get my feet wet (literally). Also, there are going to be a lot of Landsharks competing, and it will be nice to meet up with friends, and hopefully meet some new folks, too.

For now, I'm off and running again - this time to VO2 Multisport (tri store) to learn how to change a flat tire. Again, practical and needed workshop, but also an opportunity to talk to and meet more people......

I'm Back!

2011-02-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

Sitting here relaxing on the couch after a great 6-mile training trail run this morning. I'm trying to get more active/involved in training sessions and other social events with the Louisville Lansharks - a local triathlon training club that I joined last year, but didn't really do much with. There were about 10 of us out there this morning, and it took a little while to get warmed up and in the swing of things, but after it was all said and done I felt great (as usual) and keep meeting more and more new people each time I go out.

I also started doing some weights/strength training. First day was Thursday (just 3 days ago), but have done two sets so far and am planning on borrowing P90X from a co-worker and plan on starting that this week. Here's hoping I can maintain over the next 3 months, and will hopefully see results both with my body as far as physical appearance, and with my strength, endurance, and cardio for runs/tris.

I've also signed up for back to back races this spring. I'm going to be doing the Derby half marathon on the last Saturday in April, and the Cincinnati Flying Pig the next day. The Derby race changed their course this year and it's mostly flat, so I figured - why not??? More bling, and more races to add to this years already insane schedule!

Miami Half Marathon

2011-02-01T15:08:00.000-08:00

Just got in from Miami about 1:00 a.m. this morning and it was a great vacation/running trip. Spent the first few days on the beach, catching a Miami Heat game (beat the Pistons by 1 point), and soaking up the sun before our marathon (Shane and Alicia) and my half. I haven't done much of anything in terms of training since the Memphis Marathon and - let's face it, I didn't do much preparation for that one either. But my head was in a better place for this race, and I feel my confidence and fitness is at least to the point where I can run a half and feel pretty good with little training.

The morning started off kind of chilly - 54 degrees at the start - and was one of the earliest races I've been in with the gun going off at 6:15 a.m. This of course being due to the Miami weather, and the fact that it was a warm and humid 75 degrees by 11:00 a.m. that day. Alicia and I quickly got separated from Shane since he's a bit faster, and we ended up trying out a new interval of 4:1 rather than our usual 6:1. This felt pretty good throughout the race, and I never really felt that I got tired, or that I was looking at my watch numerous times counting down the minutes to the next walk break.

I filled up on Muscle Milk and Gatorade pre-race, and had to make my first pit stop two miles in. Much like the New Orleans half marathon just 11 months prior, this race felt like it went by quickly. Before I knew it we were running up Ocean Drive and hitting the 5 mile mark. At 6 miles, another potty break called and we lost 3-4 minutes due to some slow urinators.

I continued to feel good throughout, and Alicia and I even managed to run up the small inclines as we entered onto numerous bridges throughout the race - this is a good thing for the both of us as we tend to lose it during the hills and end up walking at least some of it. At mile 9 or so my thighs could feel the burn and it was only then that I really started to feel the effects of the prior miles.

Alicia and I had planned on splitting up at the marathon/half split-off, but after a short walk break I wasn't quite ready to pick it up again, and Alicia took off at the 11.5-12 mile mark. I continued with the 4:1 intervals, and sprinted to the finish line the last 100 feet or so to make it a solid 2:48:00 race - a measley 12:50 min. mile. Not my best attempt, but certainly not my worst either.

I've been talking to some folks about getting involved in some kind of structured workout plan. I'm looking into P90X at this point, and am hoping that with some determination and guidance I can pull off getting more toned, adding strength and endurance, and helping out my cardio for the upcoming races this year. 2010 was a great year as far as quantity and, I do have to admit, Rev3 Knoxville and the San Francisco Marathon were two races that I truly felt I trained hard for and ended up being fantastic events for me. In 2011 however, I will have the Half-Rev in September, and need to make sure I'm in tip-top shape come race time. With that said, here's to getting back on the treadmill/bike trainer/swimming pool and hopefully another PR in the upcoming Shelbyville Tri Series and Triple Crown races.....

The 2011 Season Begins....

2011-01-13T19:14:00.000-08:00

Went to my first Louisville Landsharks social tonight (a local triathlon club that I've belonged to for a year now). Met some new folks, and caught up with peeps I've met since starting tri's this past year. Really looking forward to a great 2011 season. Started working out at the gym a week or two ago - did one hour of spin and 30 minute swim tonight before the banquet, and forgot how good it feels to get sore, pump up my endorphins, and sweat a bit - okay, a lot!

So far I've signed up for two half-marathons (Miami in two weeks and Providence in August), one full marathon (Cincinnati Flying Pig in May), and have my eye on a half dozen or so triathlons including what I'm hoping will be my first half Ironman in Cedar Point in September - crossing my fingers that this all works out!

St. Jude Memphis Marathon

2010-12-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-07T16:31:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-12T06:49:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-08-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

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???!!

2010-08-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-30T19:36:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-29T13:55:00.001-07:00

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!!!!!

2010-07-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-06-12T06:59:00.001-07:00

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!!

2010-06-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-06-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-05-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-05-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

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?!

2010-04-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-18T14:55:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-12T18:46:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-03-30T16:08:00.001-07:00

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!!

2010-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-03-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-01T16:33:00.001-08:00

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

2010-02-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

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.

Great RUN!

2010-02-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

Got my sleep-lovin' self out of bed at 7:45 this morning for my 4-miler before work. Had a great run! Legs felt great - real strong. Must be all that spinning I'm doing! Started out running sprints for 1 minute with 1 minute recovery, 6 times. Then did my normal 6:1 interval runs, but then added 2 minutes of all-out sprints after the 1 minute walk portion before another minute recovery and then continuing another 6 minute run. Did this for the entire portion of the run, and went back and forth on whether or not to just make this my 6-miler for the week, but ultimately decided agains it (I'm sure I'll regret this later). Anyhoo - hoping to get in my 90 minute of spin tomorrow night. After that, I'll have 3 days to complete my 6 mile run and a second swim session of 900 meters. Whoo - all this training is hard, but my stomach hasn't been this flat in a while, and I'm nearly under 130 pounds which hasn't happened in the past 2-3 years at least. Feeling great!

Withdrawals

2010-02-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

Did a combination of an hour of spin and a 40 minute swim last night after doing a 5 mile run the night before. Took the day off today because I didn't want to overdo it - and the legs are a little achy - but sitting here on the my chair all evening I feel the itch to get up and do something. I'm going to try to get up early tomorrow morning and pull out a 4-miler before heading to work.

JCPS had a snow day today and also tomorrow, which means I'll be getting off at 4:00 rather than 6:00 - YAH! If all goes as planned, I'll have plenty of time to get to the gym and knock out the hour and a half of spin that I'm scheduled to do. I went into spin class 15 minutes early yesterday to get in the full hour that was scheduled - so getting there (and more than likely completing my ride) before class even starts is going to be tough. Keeping the motivation to stay on the bike for that long, not to mention not having someone PUSHING me and TELLING me what moves to do - this should be an interesting experiment. Guess I'll put on my ipod and hope for the best! 1 1/2 weeks til my third triathlon!

Note To Self

2010-02-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

I found out the hard way yesterday that I cannot yet do spin class two days in a row. I also found out the hard way this morning, that completing swim lessons the day after the second spin class is also a bad idea. I'm feeling pretty good overall, but a little tired from all the training this week. I never got my runs in, and am supposed to have a 3 and 5 miler done by the end of the week (two days away). I've decided that even though the training log has different events six days per week, I'm going to try to double up on a couple of days and do two events in one day just to get it out of the way. Plus, I feel this will only help when the actual triathlons come around, as the events are back to back to back anyway.

So, here's to hoping I have enough strength and energy to get at least my longer run in tomorrow. Won't feel so bad about missing just a three-miler this week. ;)

Training resumes...

2010-02-03T17:29:00.001-08:00

It's three days after the triathlon, and training has continued. 900 meters of swim yesterday, and I got back on the bike for a 50 minute spin class this evening. Feeling pretty good, but can definitely see that I have a ways to go before I'm Oly and Half-Ironman ready - especially the swim portion. I'm still taking swim lessons, and need to continue to work on my form and endurance - just seem to be getting really out of breath lately. It probably wouldn't hurt to do some strength training as well. All of this training will be much easier when I switch to a new position at work at the beginning of March. Will be getting off at least 2 hours earlier than I do now, which will help a lot. Okay - on the agenda for tomorow - a 4 mile run.

Duathlon

2010-01-31T17:39:00.000-08:00

The triathlon ended up being a duathlon of the run and swim portions only - 3k and 400m respectively. It was a COLD morning of only about 12 degrees at the start line, and there was still plenty of ice and snow on the track that we ran around. It was a really small race with only about 50 participants, if that, and I was bringing up the rear nearly the whole way. By the time I warmed up it was time to head back into the building for the swim - all the while my snot had already frozen inside of my nostrils. I looked down at my watch and saw that I was just over 20 minutes in - not bad considering running isn't my strong suit.

I spent MAYBE 2 minutes in transition as I had my trisuit on underneath my running clothes, so it was just a matter of peeling layers, taking a quick drink of water, and then crossing the mat and jumping into the ultra-warm water of hte pool.

I was pretty well exhausted by this point, and 75 meters in I got a nice big mouthful of water which stopped me in my tracks and I spent the next 30 seconds or so hacking and coughing halfway down the lane. That hampered my moral a little bit, but I was soon back at it and, arms tired and out of breath, I managed to swim on.

I got about 3/4 of the way done and passed a guy who had been backstroking. At the end of that lane, I finally caught up with Alicia (my tri partner) who had been at least 2-4 minutes ahead of me during the running portion. Alicia looked exhausted and said "I'm done." "You're not done, girl . C'mon" and with that I was freestyling again.

During all of this, the man and wife team of Kelly and Jeff Miller who own VO2 Multisport in Louisville, and who also put together the triathlon training for the Knoxville Oly in May, were cheering us from the side-lines. It was a tremendous help to see them at the end of the lanes as I popped up to head back down and heard "Great job" "You're looking good" etc. It really kept me going.

I got near the end of the swim and saw some steps to the side. I stood up and was about to walk out when I heard "Touch the wall, you have to swim to the wall!" Duh. Another step, and one huge swimming leap, and I was done!

I forgot to hit stop on my watch, but Alicia seems to think we finished in about 32 minutes - we both started at the same time, and she did remember to hit stop, about 30 seconds after we finished up.

It was a great experience, and even though it was exhausting, I had tons of fun! I'm a little nervous about the next one three weeks from now when we will be doing all three events (weather pending), and the swim will still be last at that point due to the season. Not sure how I'm gonna keep up my endurance for that, but we got our training workout from the Oly coach today, so that'll keep us working out like we need to and hopefully survive this next event!

Well - spin and swim tomorrow, should be good times!

T-minus 12 hours and counting...

2010-01-30T16:52:00.000-08:00

Been keeping up the training pretty regularly this week, and in approximately 12 hours I will be competing in my first sprint-tri of the year! The bike portion has been cancelled since we got some snow last night, but the run is on and the indoor swim as well.

Had my third spin class this morning and I feel like it's getting easier as far as me being able to keep up with the class, and I love the way I feel afterwards! I also did a swim after class a few days ago, but that kicked my butt since I was exhausted - but so worth it!

So.... 3k run at 8:30 a.m. with a 400m swim afterwards - here I come!

Spinning!

2010-01-26T16:37:00.000-08:00

Had my first ever spin class last night and, man, that was tough! Five minutes in I was already watching the clock and it must've been the longest 45 minutes of my life! I clipped in with my new cycling shoes for the first time, and tried getting used to those as well. Everyone around me was kicking my but as she told us to "stand, run it out!" "jump" and "turn up the resistance." I don't think I did even half of what she told us to do, but sat there cycling most of the time. I was dripping sweat the entire time. Afterwards though, I felt great and slept like a rock. Tomorrow, the plan is a morning swim before work, then a meeting at local multi-sport store about triathlon training and an upcoming oly in May in Knoxville. I'm really hoping Alicia will go for it - it's an open-water swim and the longest length we will have ever competed in. YIPPEEEE!

Events for 2010!

2010-01-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm back after taking several months off after the Chicago Marathon. I've now been training for about a month or so for several triathlons this year, as well as a few half-marathons. People have been saying to me, "But... didn't you do a full marathon, and aren't you going to stick with those for now?" Well, not quite. I found that as easy as it is to "fake" a half-marathon (i.e. complete one with little to no training - no matter how agonizing that is) you can't do that with a full. So, I'm back to half-marathons with some sprint-length triathlons in between.

So far on the agenda for this year:

January - sprint trithalon (400m/6m/3k)
February - sprint triathlon (400m/12m/5k), Mardi Gras Half Marathon
March - Anthem 5k, Rodes City Run 10k, sprint triathlon (400m/12m/5k)
April - Papa Johns 10 miler, Derby Festival Half Marthon, St. Louis Half Marathon
May - sprint triathlon (400m/16m/5k)

Those are the ones I will definitely be signing up for (or have already) and I'm also looking into some longer bike rides as well as a half-Ironman in September to help me celebrate my 34th Birthday!

Since completing that first triathlon I am completely hooked! My friend Alicia and I have been working with a swim coach for the past month and have improved our form and time in the water significantly from last September. I find that I get bored easily with 'just running' and that the three separate events switches it up just enough to keep it interesting and keep my adrenaline pumping. So, I'm super-psyched about these upcoming events - the first of which is a mere week away!

Training, at this point, has consisted mostly of swims with a little running thrown in. Ran my longest distance of the new year (four miles) just yesterday, and haven't been on a bike since Fall, but feel confident that I can pull off the small distances in next weeks event with no problem. I've joined the YMCA where they offer spin classes and a pool, to keep my legs strong and to continue working on my stroke and form for the swim. I still have the treadmill at home, and am planning on utilizing that a whole lot more in the coming months - especially if I DO end up registering for that half-ironman in September.

I'm nearly off to bed now to get ready for an early 6:30 a.m. swim lesson. As always, I will continue to post with my training, thoughts, epiphanies, etc. during this crazy time. Happy 2010!

Chicago Marthon - I DID IT!

2009-10-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Painful. Elated. Sore. Accomplished. Emotional. Wreck. These are all of the words, and then some, that I would use to describe yesterday's Chicago Marathon.

Of course, alot of these words probably wouldn't even be an issue if I had trained properly for this race. I signed up with good intentions, and had even began training with a running group about 2 months out, but shin splints caused both physical and mental damage and I was down for the count and unable to get back up to the amount of mileage that was being ran by the time I was able to step foot to the pavement again. And although a sprint triathlon 4 weeks out and a half-marathon with a PR 3 weeks out were possible, they just weren't enough to make this marathon any easier on me.

The night before I sat on the bed in the hotel room and really began questioning my ability to pull it off. It had also been a busy day since we landed in Chicago at around 7:00 that morning. A lot of walking, going to the expo, having lunch, walking some more, and trying to keep ourselves warm in the brisk, 40 degree, downtown weather left me a little drained in more ways than one. I even thought that I might be coming down with something as I laid in bed - feeling like the last thing in the world I wanted to do the next morning was get up and run 26.2 miles.

That night I woke up probably every hour - par for the course for me on the night before any big event. At 5:00 a.m. we got up, took a shower, put on our gear, and headed out the door. The low of the morning was to be around 30 degrees, but stepping outside it wasn't too terribly bad. We had about an hour and a half to walk to the start line (just a 1/2 mile or so away), do any last minute pottying, drop a bag of gear to change into after the race (the high was to be around 50 degrees, and standing around in wet, sweaty clothes would have been mighty uncomfortable).

Me and the rest of the crew - about 6 of us total - lined up on the corral and waited for the gun to go off at 7:30. It took about 7 minutes to get from where we stood to the start line, but after that we were off. With 45,000 people, it was hard to find a good, steady pace, but by a mile or two in my feet had thawed enough and the crowd had thinned out somewhat, which made things easier.

I was going along at a pretty good pace and doing my normal mathematical calculations in my head. At the 6 mile mark I thought, "Okay, just 20 more miles to go - or about 4 more of what you just did." At the 8 mile mark it became just 3 more of what I just did. That was totally do-able. At the halfway mark - the 13.1 miles that make up the 8 prior half marathons that I accomplished, having to do ONE MORE of what I had just done seemed a little harder. I'm pretty sure it was a mind thing rather than physical, because at mile 14 I remember distinctly thinking that this had been the furthest I had ever run. EVER.

I started off doing my 6/1 intervals, but it was around this time that I went down to 4/1. I kept thinking of how someone once told me that at mile 17 a lot of runners "hit the wall" and I was preparing myself mentally for that not to happen. At mile 16 however, I had to tell myself not to cry - although physically I was still feeling good for the most part. I got past the infamous 17 mile wall okay, and even bypassed said wall with no problem. At 18, the thoughts of wanting to cry crept up again, but I was able to push them back down somehow.

The next 5 miles are kind of a blur. This is probably a good thing, as acquiring PTSD isn't something that I really wanted to get while running this race. I do recall though having to back down the intervals to 4/2, and at some pointing having to cut back even less to running one song (I ALWAYS run with an ipod) and walking one song.

At mile 23, I lost it. Physically I was in a lot of pain, and mentally I was shot. I can't recall the exact moment it started, but for about a quarter of a mile or so after that mile I cried. I also looked down at my feet and noticed the left side of my left shoe had been saturated with blood. This had happened before, so I wasn't too concerned. Plus, ironically, this was one of the few parts of my foot (feet) that weren't in excrutiating pain, so I put it out of my mind.

After the tears dried up the last 5k was simply a whirlwind of emotion. There was no way I was quitting a marathon with only 3 miles to go. Could I finish in the 6 hours alloted to finish? Would I still get a medal if I didn't? How much more time do I have? If I walk at this pace for the last three miles, would that cut it? Why it is that walking is just as painful as running? I walked more than ran, and when I did run it was for a minute or two at the most.

At one point I passed a "ONE MILE TO GO" sign and looked at my watch to see that I had 20 minutes to reach the finish line in under the 6 hour mark. I used to do quite a bit of training on my treadmill, so I know what a 17 mile pace (a 3.5 level) feels like. I tried to make sure that at the very minimum I walked at that same pace, but didn't want to take any chances and somehow during the last mile I was able to run more than I had the 3 or 4 miles prior.

Rounding a corner just before the 26 mile marker there is a large hill. I had heard of this hill in the past, and at this point I believe I had 10 minutes or so to finish. .2 miles in 10 minutes? Gravy. I power-walked the hill because there was no way I could run up it, and at the crest near the top where you make your final turn and can actually SEE the FINISH LINE, I started to run again. From that point on, I ran through the finish line and got an official time of 5:55:04. I DID IT!

It wasn't long before I started crying again. Yes, I was in a pretty good amount of pain - probably a 6 or 7 on a scale to 10 - but mostly I was completely overwhelmed and overcome with the emotion of having had just completed a 26.2 mile race. No, I hadn't trained much for it. And yes, a lot of people gave me flack and questioned if and why I would want to do this to myself. But in the end, every pain, tear, drop of sweat, moment of anguish, grimace, and ache was totally worth it.

So... I sit here now, approximately 31 hours after crossing the finish line, and there are very few parts of my body which I can say are not sore. There are body parts that are sore that I didn't even know I HAD! Yet, the question that I have had asked of me - and that which I have asked myself - is will I ever do it again? Well... knowing that my less-than-stellar time had more to do with my lack of training rather than my abilities, I know that I can do better. So, being the overachiever that I am, I would say that, yes, I probably will do it again. And although I don't have any children of my own, I liken the pain that I am experiencing right now, and the thought of doing this again, to childbirth. I've heard it been said that by the time you're pregnant with your second (or third), that you have forgotten all about the pain of your first and that it is all worth it regardless of the physical stress. I would have to say that at this point, I'm not looking to birth another marathon - but I'm not quite ready to get my tubes tied either.

Chicago Marathon

2009-10-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it's 3 days until the Chicago Marathon, which will hopefully be my first FULL marathon - if I can complete it. From previous posts, you can already see that I have trained very little for this event and, quite honestly, haven't ran a lick since the USAF Half Marathon nearly 3 weeks ago.

Here are a couple of things that I feel will keep me going.

1: I am a DETERMINED person. My very first half-marathon, I hurt my foot somehow around mile 7 and, in terrible pain and with tears streaming down my face, I managed to finish the last 6.1 miles. This is not the story of someone who easily gives up.

2: I have a positive mindset. My third half-marathon took place during my second year of graduate school. With a full time job, internship, a house and dog to maintain, and a full case load at school, there was little time left over to train for a 13.1 miler. However, this did not stop me and I succeeded in completing the run with absolutely no prior training that season at all.

3: I have a "plan." Since adopting the run/walk method (6 minute run, one minute walk), I have completed two half marathons and had a course PR and overall PR on each race. I feel better throughout and after the run, and get less fatigued with this method. I also think more about the minutes I have left to run rather than the miles, so taking these "baby steps/goals" seems much more feasible than thinking "26 miles." I CAN DO THIS!

4: I've already told so many people that I'm running this marathon so if I don't complete it, I will look like a total wienie.

5: If for some reason I absolutely, positively, cannot go on and I end up a DNF, then THAT is the worst case scenario. I did not finish. I'm not gonna die, humanity will not end, the wolves won't come out and eat me - I just don't finish! But hey, at least I had the courage to start.

USAF Half-Marathon

2009-09-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's been one week since my triathlon, and yesterday I completed my eighth half-marathon in Dayton, Oh. The weather was a bit hot, and by the fourth mile I had shed my shirt and was running in only a sports bra, which only barely helped the conditions. I brought along four Gu's which I downed every half-hour or so - by the third and fourth ones I was nearly ready to vomit, but knew that I had to do whatever it took to finish the race.

You see, I signed up for the Chicago Marathon in February 2009. That gave me 9 months to prepare - both physically and mentally - for the race which was to be my first ever full length marathon. Sure, I had run 6 half-marathons by that point, one of which was completed with no training whatsoever. So I thought that with the minimal amount of training possible (have I ever mentioned that while I LOVE participating in these endurance sporting events, I really despise the training portion), I would be able to pull off the full marathon - piece of cake. Well, needless to say, that fantasy came to a halt during the USAF Half-Marathon when, by mile three, I had already decided that if I had to run 23.2 more miles I would surely die.

I thought that what I lacked in physical preparedness, I would and could make up for with my mental state. I figured with some positive self-talk and a cool and catchy mantra I could make it. And well, if I didn't think that I could make it by mile three, then by mile twelve when that last 1.1 dragged on I knew it wasn't going to happen. By that point, if someone had come up to me and said, "congratulations, now do what you just did one more time" then we would have had a homocidal runner on our hands.

So, I finished this half-marathon with a personal best of 2:27:07, and decided that during the next three weeks while waiting for the Chicago trip, I would just focus on being supportive to my boyfriend who will be running his 13th full marathon that weekend. Besides, I'm a bonafide "triathlete" now - and cannot be bothered with the task of merely RUNNING anymore. Anything not involving a swim and a bike, count me out. :)

Day 48 - TRIATHLON!!

2009-09-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Ahhh. All the hard work has paid off and the day of the triathlon has finally come - and gone.

Had to get up early and get to the tri site by 6:45 a.m. We went inside the Oldham Co. Community Center to get our packets, timing chips, get marked and mentally prepare for the day. Set up our gear in the transition area, and had lots of time to stand around and watch all the other atheletes prepare as well. Our start times weren't until 8:30 a.m. so we watched the first of the triathletes take off in the pool. Surprisingly, it didn't look as if they were swimming very fast, but as I was told in my earlier swim lessons, form will get you further faster - plus, this isn't exactly the Olympics!

Shane (the boyfriend) showed up and I bribed him to take plenty of pictures. Pretty soon we were lining up and before I knew it I was standing at the end of the pool with my tri suit on, swim cap in place, and goggles around my neck. Hopped in the pool, which was only slightly frigid, and simultaneously kicked off the wall and hit the timer on my stopwatch. I was off!

Now, since in every one of my practice rounds of this 400m swim I could never get the full length without doing a little backstroke every now and then, imagine my surprise when I made the entire swim doing freestyle with a minimal amount of breaststroke. It felt great, and at no time did I feel winded or too tired to make it. Twelve minutes after my first stroke, I was pulling myself up out of the pool.

Surprisingly, I ran pretty adamantly to T1 to dry off my feet, lace up my shoes, put on my helmet and sunglasses, and I was off again. Transitioning from swimming to the bike was fairly easy, but the big burden was yet to come. This was an extremely hilly course throughout with an eight mile out-and-back which lent very little breaks. It seems that every time I got down one hill or around a corner, another hill was staring me right in the face. I didn't think to check the stopwatch when getting on the bike, but according to the computer on my handlebars I completed the miles in 40 minutes. I probably could've saved a mere 10 seconds or so if I hadn't missed the turn to the finish line and been forced to do a quick turnaround - but overall it was a good ride. Even if my glutes and hamstrings were barking afterwards.

On to T2 and all I had to do was slip off my helmet, don my hat, and take in a quick Gu and some water. My watch told me that I crossed the start line for the run at 52:23. Now, they had told me that this was a cross country run and, knowing only that meant that we would be running on a grassy trail, I didn't anticipate the uneven ground and - oh jeez - are those MORE hills? Through the grass, over a stream, onto some gravel, and back through the hills to the finish line I go. At mile one (of the 1.86 total mile run) I was a little disturbed to see that it had apparently taken me sixteen minutes to run that distance. This only made me pick it up a bit during the last leg, and I cross the finish line in an unofficial 1:15. Yeah me!

Felt great afterwards, and a nice big brunch at Cracker Barrell just topped it off! A few things I will have to remember for next time around: Invest in the cycling shoes and clips. My tennis shoes got wet in transition and my feet kept slipping off the pedals. Consider a silicone swim cap which will actually keep my hair DRY - not just out of my face. And definitely bring a change of clothes for afterwards. Although the tri suit serves it's purpose for the race, a wet, constricting one-piece isn't ideal for standing around and celebrating.

Until next time...

Day 45

2009-09-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well - did a trial run of the triathlon tonight and I feel very confident that Saturday is going to be so much fun and totally do-able.

Started off with the 400 meter swim which was somewhat exhausting. Quickly got out of the pool to transition and get on the bike as fast as we could, and did a full 8 mile bike ride which is what the tri is. Transitioned from there again to the run, which felt REALLY weird for the first mile or so - almost like lead and I'm sure we looked totally funny running. Did a 1.8 mile run which is just under what the actual tri run will be - all of this in around 1:10. I'm feeling great!

Thought it was going to be at least an hour and a half, but apparently not. Still, with 199 other people participating, things may get a little hairy in the water and also on the bike ride, so it may hamper our time. Also, wore the trisuit for the first time to get a feel for what the actual tri will feel like. Fits good, feels good, and can't forsee any problems with it. Woo Hoo!!! Now time to relax and take a breather for the next two days until GAME TIME!!!!

Day 44

2009-09-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

Went on a 16 mile bike ride yesterday, after a one week haitus from all types of exercise - unfortunately by choice since I just didn't have the motivation to do much of anything for the past 8 days. Felt pretty good, did a lot of hills, and felt pretty worn out by the end of the day.

The pool opened back up today, and my tri-partner and I are going to do a practice run tomorrow with all three events. Not sure how far we'll go, but am certain that I'll do atleast the 400m swim if not more since it's been about 3 weeks since I last swam. Going to do everything with my trisuit on to get a good feel for it and get used to biking all wet - should be nice and comfortable.

Yawnnnn. Tired now, gonna hit the hay and prepare for tomorrow - and Saturday! Just 4 more days now!

Day 41

2009-09-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

Computer got a virus and haven't been able to post anything for the past week - not that there has been much to post. Went for a 3.5 mile run last Monday and the shins felt great. Since then, haven't done jack-smack. Supposed to get up this morning for a 10 mile run, but slept horribly so that didn't happen. On-call for work all weekend (36 hours straight) which tends to put a huge damper on things. Looking forward to Labor Day, finally getting a break, and doing either a bike or run.

Got some information in the mail about the triathlon - just one week away!! So excited. Went out and got some new running shorts, a few biking jersey's, sunglasses and a swim cap. So ready for this!

Day 34

2009-08-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

Had a great 17.1 mile bike ride this morning - trying to add two miles every time I go out and work my way up to 50. Thinking about doing a minimum of 15 during the week, and the long rides on the weekends.

Going to try a short run sometime tomorrow to try out the shins. They've been feeling better while walking, but still a little sore to the touch. Still taking the anti-inflamatory and doing the stretches/exercises, but actually running is what will determine where I really am in the healing process.

The Ironman competition is being held here in Louisville tomorrow, and I'm thinking about getting up early to go watch the start and at least the first transition from the swim to the bike. After that, it'll probably be at least 3-4 hours before the athletes are back in town to transition for the run. Kinda excited about seeing this since my tri (albeit MUCH smaller than an Ironman) is in two short weeks!

Day 31

2009-08-26T06:18:00.001-07:00

Went to the physical therapist yesterday and the shin feels better already. Slapped on some hydrocordizone and rubbed it in with an ultrasound wand. Then did some stretches and some massage (which hurt like heck), but hey - if it works... Also picked up my prescribed anti-inflammatory.

The therapist says I need to come twice a week for the next four weeks (less if I feel better), and that I can even try a short run on Sunday (4 days from now) to see how it feels. I have to do the massage at least once a day (which honestly, I think helps the most), and some stretches along with some exercises to build my hip muscles. Also told I need to go to a specialty store to get fitted for proper running shoes just to make sure.

I'm stoked, because she also told me that running in the Chicago marathon is "not impossible." Of course, taking some time off when I'm supposed to be building my miles isn't ideal. I'm happy with the news though, and am doing everything I can to make it happen. Who knows, maybe I won't have to walk the tri and half-marathon after all.

Did a 13.2 mile bike ride yesterday. Still struggling up the hills for some reason, no matter which gear I'm in. My riding partner still kicks my butt on those. Feeling good and strong, can't wait for the pool to open back up. Overall, feeling great and actually can't believe the shin is feeling better after just one visit with the PT. Next appointment is five days from now.

Day 30

2009-08-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

Went to my PCP yesterday, and it's definitely shin splints. Gave me an anti-inflammatory, told me to apply heat and/or ice, and then gave a referral to a physical therapist whom I have an appointment with this morning. I am praying that they will be able to do something for me so that I can get back on my feet (literally) and train and complete Chicago.

I've resigned to the fact that I may have to walk the 3k in the triathlon, and even maybe the half marathon in Dayton. I'm fine with this, as long as I'm able to compete in Chicago - this is my only hope at this point. It's a little over a month and a half away, so we'll see....

Did 11 miles on the bike last night in 48 minutes. Had a nice ride, the weather was great, and I went out by myself - I actually found it very relaxing to ride by myself. Gives me a lot of time to think about things and just enjoy my surroundings. Hoping to pump up the biking to maybe 20 miles during the week, and longer on the weekends. May have to invest in a new saddle though. Toosh doesn't hurt so much while riding, but after yesterday's 11 I know it'll be painful to get back on today (ouch!).

Even though I may have to walk the "running" portion, I'm feeling good about the biking, and even the swimming, even though I haven't been in the pool for almost a month. It opens again in about 2 weeks, which will give me a week to get in and continue to train before the tri. Man, I'm getting pretty pumped!

Day 27

2009-08-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Did a fifteen and a half mile bike ride this morning and feeling good about it. Went to the bike shop afterwards and loaded up on some gear - a rearview mirror, computer to track my mileage, light for the back, and a couple of water cages and bottles. Also found out that my tires were apparently way low - supposed to have 120 (pounds of pressure?) but only had about 80. O0ps. Still need to get a bike pump, which I went off and forgot.

Shin still buggin' me, and the rest of the running group (marathon/half runners - no triathletes) are doing well in their training. Just wish I could join them. Pool still closed for two more weeks, but at least I can cross train with the biking and get SOME cardio in. Weather is supposed to be great this week, and I am hoping my motivation is better than the past few days!

Day 26

2009-08-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Ugh - haven't worked out or trained in 4 days. I feel like such a bum, but haven't had the motivation all week long. Looking forward to a long run tomorrow morning with Alicia - maybe a 12 miler or so.

My shin is still giving me fits, and I am really hoping that by next weekend it's better because I can't afford to skip too many more days as far as the running goes. Triathlon in approximately 3 weeks, the half-marathon a week after that. It's just so darn debilitating - and I was on a roll with my 12 and then 9 miler. We'll see what happens in the next 5-6 days.

Day 22

2009-08-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Attempted to run this morning, but didn't get halfway down the block before I was in pain - not only discomfort, but pain - in my left leg. Got frustrated, turned back, and ended up with a short 6.5 mile bike ride instead before work. Still not sure if it is merely a shin splint, or something more. May end up going to the doctor next week if this keeps up, and may end up bowing out of this Saturday's run and hope that it heals quickly enough for me to be okay for the triathlon and USAF Half-Marathon.

Ride felt great - some jerk told me to get on the sidewalk. People really should be more accepting of those of us looking to improve our health and lifestyle through athletics. Oh well - it's now the end of my day and I feel great that I accomplished something besides just work. Today was the first day that I worked out before working my 10-6 shift - think I'm going to enjoy being able to get my training/working out out of the way before heading to the job. I'm so tired at the end of the day otherwise - no motivation to do anything.

Day 21

2009-08-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

Was slated for a 14 mile run yesterday, but ended up with just over 9. Thought I might've had a shin splint in my left leg, but now I'm not so sure - could be something more. Either way, I'm really hoping that it doesn't hamper my training for Chicago.

I'm feeling good about Dayton, and am thinking that with this cross training for the triathlon I'll make pretty good time - maybe even a PR.

The run yesterday was actually pretty good, and I felt great in all other areas - cardio, breathing, mentally - except for the leg. Still bothering me some today, a little sore and I should probably take some Ibuprofen and ice it, but I'm a slacker when it comes to that stuff - we'll see.

Would love to get on the bike today, and still might, but I'm on-call for work and can never truly relax and enjoy myself since I tend to get anxious about getting a call. Maybe later this evening - haven't been on it for five days.

Day 18

2009-08-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

Feeling really worn out tonight. Body is a little sore from the swim/bike last night, and my left shin is STILL killin' me. The route for Saturday's 14 miler came out today, and I'm not sure I can complete even FOUR miles, let alone 14. Slept horribly last night, even after popping a Simply Sleep. Still wondering if that's from the evening workouts or stress.

Went to my 10-6 shift today, so hopefully I can work out in the morning and that will help with the sleeping problems at night. Sure hope so. The pool is going to be closed for three weeks though - of course, right in the middle of my training! Oh well, I still have the outdoor pool and my bike and running shoes. Feeling really good about this triathlon.

Day 17

2009-08-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

First day of working out/training since my 12 mile run on Saturday. Did a 45 minute swim at the pool, and timed my 400m which came out to just over 13 minutes - a whole minute less than the last time I timed myself. Also did an hour bike ride which was about 6 1/2 miles or so. First time out on the road bike and although I do love it, it's still a struggle to get up the hills - even in the lowest gears. Just like my 12 mile run though, I feel exhausted this evening and feel great about the workout.

This Saturday's run, which is only 3 days away, is supposed to be a 14 miler but I'm a little leary. The area just to the right of my left shin is killin me. Very sore while walking and also to the touch. I've been trying to stretch it out, but don't think it's the muscle. Possibly a shin splint? Not sure, but I was actually looking forward to the 14 mile run - which will be the longest I have EVER run, race or no race. I have a few more days to see how it feels and will probably decide for sure on Friday evening if I'll run or not.

Still feeling good about my training. I need to get some accessories for my bike, but other than that the gear I've been using for my runs is good, as well as swim (sans swim cap). Sent in my registration for the triathlon so there is no looking back now. Also booked the hotel in Dayton for the USAF Half-Marathon which is the weekend after my tri. Looking so forward to both of these events, and with my 12 miler coming in just at 2 hours, feel that I might have a PR on my hands in Dayton!

Day 16

2009-08-11T14:36:00.002-07:00

Rain for the past two days and haven't done much training - indoor, or out. Shins are really bothering me from Saturday's 12-miler, but just sent out an email to Nikki (new running partner) about doing a 14-miler this Saturday. Plan on possibly going to the pool and biking sometime over the next two days (hopefully both). Feeling pretty good, kinda tired lately, but overall felt great about the 12-miler which was done in 2 hours - a record pace for a half/marathon. Hoping I can keep that up and get a PR in Dayton for the USAF HalfMarathon in September.

Day 14

2009-08-09T13:16:00.001-07:00

Legs are definitely stiff and sore today, but I've felt worse. Trying to get up and move around as much as possible, but it's also a sweltering 95 degrees outside so I'm trying to spend as much time indoors too. Way too hot to do anything of any physical value. If I get the urge, may get on a treadmill for a walk later just to loosen up a bit. Need to mow the lawn, but no way I'm doing it in this heat!

Day 13

2009-08-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

Had planned on a 10 miler this morning, but ended up being almost a 12 - feeling pretty good. Found a running partner who is my speed, and also enjoys the interval running, so this may work out well. Chicago will also be her first Marathon, so all the better! Now off to a lake party where I can hopefully get in some meters and experience an open-water swim. Usually wouldn't do this much in one day, but knowing that I'm on-call tomorrow and won't be doing much of anything is pretty good motivation. Looking forward to a possible bike ride with Alicia on Monday - weather pending!

Day 12

2009-08-07T16:15:00.001-07:00

Picked up my bike today and I absolutely love it! Can't wait to accessorize it - computer, clipless pedals/shoes, gloves, repair kit, etc. It is so light, I can't believe it! Alicia and I are planning to ride on Monday if it doesn't rain - looking so forward to it.

Confirmed with my (hopefully) new running partner that we're meeting at 6 a.m. tomorrow for a 10-miler. Never really look forward to running, and even less to early mornings, but I know I need to do this in order to actually finish the Chicago Marathon. Apparently, she is just as slow as I am so this will be good :) Hopefully I'll have enough energy for a swim in the lake tomorrow as well - been over a week since I've done any laps.

Mailing off my registration for the triathlon tomorrow - no turning back after that! Not that I would even want to. Will post tomorrow after my run.

Day 11

2009-08-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Didn't get to sleep until well after 1:00 a.m. which seems to be a common theme lately. Planned on riding and swimming today, but am really tired and my shins are still somewhat sore. Getting the bike tomorrow and figure there is no way I can NOT ride after getting it, so since I know I will be getting a ride in I don't feel so bad taking the day off.

Need to call my hopefully-new running partner to set up a definite plan for us getting together and running this weekend. The plan is to do a 10-mile run, and then fit in at least a 400m swim at an annual lake party that I always attend. We'll see how this goes. Regardless, I'm so excited to be getting my new bike tomorrow and can't wait to try it out!

Day 10

2009-08-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

On my third day in a row working out, and feeling pretty good. I was out sick from work yesterday with a fever, but after spending all day lying around I was going stir crazy from not doing ANYTHING and figured I would jump on the treadmill at the end of the day since 1) my fever broke and I was feeling somewhat better, and 2) sitting on the couch alternating between the computer, reading, and watching TV can only last so long.

I planned on merely walking since I didn't want to push myself, and ended up doing another 3-miler at a slightly slower pace than Monday. Felt pretty good afterwards, but today my shins are a little sore. I NEED to start stretching more, but it's boring and I lose interest easy so I usually forgo it.

Today I rode the bike to have dinner with friends. It was only 6 1/2 miles round trip, but it was still a form of excercise and I always feel great after a ride. Still, legs are a little sore, but I can visibly see that they're getting more toned which is good. Plan on riding again tomorrow - probably at least 10 or so, and doing 800m at the pool. Feeling great about this training, and have even printed out a schedule to follow. I'm a geek when it comes to creating spreadsheets, and if I have a box that I can check off with the amount of miles/meters that I cover in training, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

The bad thing about these workouts after getting home in the early evening, is that I'm having so much trouble falling asleep lately. For instance, I got home around 8:45 p.m. from the bike ride this evening, read for a bit and then turned off the light at 10:00. It's now 12:18 a.m. and I'm STILL up and not tired a lick. Hoping this all changes next week when I begin my 10-6 shift and can work out before going in. This should help. Hopefully.

Day 8

2009-08-03T17:22:00.001-07:00

Ran 3 mile this morning and feeling pretty good about it. Hoping to do the same tomorrow.

A running group founder is trying to hook me and another member up to train for Chicago together since we both run about the same pace and are on the same training schedule. Here's hoping it works out, as I have been slacking in the marathon-training department lately.

Put a deposit down on a road bike two days ago, and am picking it up in 4. Got a Trek 2.1 WSD which rides great! I absolutely love it and am looking forward to riding soon!

Training going good so far, don't feel like I'm slacking overall. Need to pick up the running and swimming this week.

Day 6

2009-08-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

After a 3 day haitus from working out, I'm back into the swing of things today. I ran a five miler this morning (although was scheduled for a 13, and hoped for a 10). Sleep was my enemy and by the time I got outside at 9:00 a.m. it was hella-hot and didn't do much for my motivation.

Going again today to look at/price/test drive different bikes with Alicia (tri-partner). Only 6 more days 'til purchase time! After that, I plan to take a short (shorter than I'd hoped, or expected) bike ride to the pool for some laps.

Good news is - before heading out for a run this morning (and while my boyfriend was coming in from his own 17-mile run), he made the comment that I'm "looking more toned." I hadn't thought so, but obviously somethings gotta be happening to my body if I'm doing all of this working out which I had never done before.

Feeling just okay about my run this morning. I KNOW I need to get up earlier and just do it (run itself, and run more MILES), but my mindset at this point is more focused on getting my swim form down as well as building up my legs for the bike ride. Good thing though is that with the five miler came a heck of a whole lot more calories burned than I would ever get biking or swimming. I guess it does have it's perks after all.

Day 4

2009-07-30T17:30:00.001-07:00

Completely unmotivated today. Need to pick up the running - not so much for the tri, but definitely for the half and full marathon's coming up. Planned to run tonight, but thinking of nixing that idea to hit the bed early and wake up tomorrow for the run. Then again.... I have at least a 10 miler scheduled for Saturday (day 6) with the running group, so may hold out for that . We'll see. A little sore from the bike/swim yesterday, but overall feel pretty good. Wish this weather would cooperate - but rainy and muggy lately.

Day 3

2009-07-29T16:31:00.001-07:00

The leisurely bicycle ride and swim lessons went better than expected yesterday. We did the short-route which is only a 6-miler with no hills, but we did some endurance training in the pool and my body is feeling it today. Definitely tired today - never seem to sleep well when I work out at night, which I KNOW not to do, but swim lessons end at 8pm so it's a little hard to avoid that now. Luckily our last lesson is tomorrow, and my work hours will change to 10-6 when school starts, so I'll be able to get my workouts done in the morning instead.

Felt great last night, which I knew I would after I got going. Think I'll take the night off tonight however - have the bike, swim tomorrow, then a 10-mile run on Saturday. Ugh.

Day Two - ZZZZZzzzzzz

2009-07-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

So after my first day of training - doing the bike and swim in the afternoon, and then the 3 mile run at 9:30 p.m., I had a really hard time sleeping last night. Might've been the adrenaline pumping through my veins when I finally layed down at 11:30. Needless to say, I think I got about 5 hours of not-so-great sleep, and am not looking forward to swim lessons this evening. Not to mention, it's raining and muggy out and the last thing I want to do is put on a bikini and drive or bike to the swimming facility. This is a perfect example of the entries into my boyfriend's "excuses why Connie can't run/train for the marathon" book that he's been collecting.

You see, I have a slight motivation problem. I WANT to participate in all these events (half-marathons, marathons, triathlons, etc.) but my lack of wanting to actually train is what gets me in trouble. I don't understand why, when 9 times out of 10 when I'm doing the training or even after finishing, I feel great about it! I even think to myself "Man, I need to do this more often, it feels awesome!" Less than 24 hours later however, when another training event is on the schedule, I think of every excuse known to woman-kind in order to avoid it. "It's too early, too late, too hot, too cold, raining, snowing, I don't have my ipod, I didn't bring my running clothes, I have gas." You get the picture.

Seeing as how Alicia, my triathlon partner, is on her way over as I type this, and the boyfriend will be pulling in any minute, I guess my want to avoid a guilt trip from either party is enough to just get me out the door. Whatever works! Not sure what they have in store as far as the lesson tonight, but my goal is to swim at least 200m if we get there early enough.

First day of triathlon training!

2009-07-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Since I am still on vacation from last weeks trip to Chicago, and it's the first day of a brand new week, I thought what better way to spend it than to actually start my triathlon training! I went to a bike store to check out road bikes (pricing, size, etc) and am 99% sure of the one I am getting - a 2009 Gary Fisher ARC Super GS. Yeah, I know, this information meant NOTHING to me either as of 10:00 this morning, but after spending an hour with the guy at the store, and many more hours researching this brand on the internet at home, I've found that this is a good brand, with a good reputation (it comes under the same umbrella as Trek which, if you know bikes, you know Trek), so I feel pretty confident about this upcoming purchase.

Afterwards, I got on my $250 Costco-bought Schwinn Hybrid which, no offense to Schwinn, was a little like going to McDonalds for an apple pie dessert after just having eaten an expensive steak dinner. The difference between the GF road bike and the Schwinn is unparallel - just unbelievable.

After my 4.5 mile bike ride to the swimming pool, I swam my first non-stop 400m swim in 16:13, took a little break to work on my freestyle form, then gave the 400m another go and came out with a 14:08 time - not bad. This at least gives me a baseline to work from so I know what I need to improve on. It also proves that I WILL be able to actually swim 400m during the actual triathlon without dying!

I got back on the bike for the 4.5 mile trip home and am feeling pretty good about my workout for the day. However, 6 hours later, the fact that I am scheduled to do a 3 mile run tonight is slowly creeping up on me. After my dinner of penne pasta with green tea I'll hop on the treadmill to knock that one out as my marathon training runs concurrently with my triathlon training - something that I've also been procrastinating on.