Bye-Bye AG 25-29

The girls and I will be running the Fairfax Four on New Year's Eve. Somehow the thought of a Nike Hoodie and, more importantly, wine at the finish line has blocked out the thought of running in 30 degree weather. (Hey, I've done it for worse. Remember my first half marathon in 32 degree weather for a green fleece vest?!). Anywho, I realized this will be my last race as an age grouper 25-29. I am moving on up to the AG 30-35.

I really don't wanna go.... That's the toughest age group. I had finally cracked the top quarter of my age group and now this.

However, to help celebrate TriBabes are doing a marathon to help me celebrate my 30th birthday in September. TriMe apparently did this for her 30th too. I guess great minds think alike; or at least masochistic minds do. BarbieGirlNot is probably wondering why she just couldn't just chip in a Starbucks gift card. She got peer-pressured into it, although I gave her the opportunity to stand by for 26.2 miles and watch. So she's a quasi-masochist.

No race has been chosen. If I'm going to run, we're going to do it BIG. Vegas? Ladies, it's going to be fun. Just think, if I really had it my way, we'd be swimming 26.2 miles!

"It's Good Training" - Just Tri Me

Turkey Trot

I told a friend I would help her train for her 1st 5k. I am so proud of her. She is a ma of 2 also. Ipush our 2 youngest sons around while our other kids are at preschool. She just got certified as a ZUMBA instructor so she does that and long walks/runs on the days we don't run together. How motivating is that?!!!! I don't know if it is because I am use to doing longer, slower training runs, but I feel so out of shape when I run with her. She hasn't run competitively since High school and she hated it. But she is a natural!!! I just wish I wasn't slowing her down. Anyway, I am a little upset with myself that I have let all my endurance go in the crapper. But we will be doing the Herndon Turkey trot for any and all those who wish to join us!!! Teammates???????

Off season training?!?!?!

We have officially concluded training???? Really, do we psycho 1/2 ironwomen really ever stop? Ok, I am the first to admit we slack, but in the back of our minds is the next race sometime next year and how much effort do we really want to put into that "startup" training for yet another half???? With all that said I have started an off season training plan that I downloaded off the web site begginertriathlete.com. I would love to say I am following it religiously, but the truth is I am slacking. I hate swimming and therefore have replaced 1 and most the time 2 out of the 3 swims I am suppose to be doing a week with weight training. Which in the actual plan is interspaced throughout the week I just hate to swim. Ok so much for my babbling. I still love that we (all 3 someday hopefully) will keep riding on Sundays and I love that we all still love getting together. I truely love my teammates as I say in every one of these blogs I have done. By the way, I have never blogged before and I have found this to be very fun! Does anyone read these?

Ready, set, no go...

So I don't know if I am mad or relived. The half was cancelled and I am now back at home sitting on my couch instead of firmly planted on my bike. With my projected time I would have been within an hour of finishing right now. Instead, I already ate an apple fritter and am thinking about lunch. What the.....!!!

I am the first to admit I did not want to swim, but not having the chance to do anything is frustrating. I was at least hoping to get the chance to race the Olympic distance on Sunday. I know it takes a lot to set up these events, however, it also takes a lot to get ready for one. The sprint and Olympic are to take place on Sunday(swim for them is cancelled)....seems like they could have shared the road?! Race directors said there wouldn't be enough support for that many athletes...fine with me...kick the sprinters out. I mean J-Lo wouldn't have minded (see previous blog). We paid the most, trained the most and therefore are aloud to whine the most.

I guess it will just have to wait until next year. We have been offered a 50% discount for next year. Wow, how about paying for my hotel, my gas, etc. My whining is free for them! Two of us will be around and might be able to talk the third into coming back out. Who knows, maybe next year will be a 110 out and we fall off our bikes due to the heat.

With no races in sight I am not sure what I will be up to. Time to kick back and reflect on how this training was fun. As much as I just bitched, this year of tris and runs has given me two great friends. We have common interests and goals that without the tris we might not have crossed each others paths. To sum it all up I want to borrow a line or two from some famous commericals...

Tri registration: $175
Hotels, food, gas, etc: $600+
Friendships gained while not even getting to race: Priceless!!!

Thanks for a great year-it makes me sad to think it's kind of over. Maybe we need to find something to do......

Hurricane Hanna & a Half

Our first Half-Iron was in 90 degree heat just a week after a tornado hit. Now, Huricane Hanna is headed up the east coast and over Williamsburg - at the EXACT time we will be racing. No word yet on what modifications they will make to the race or if they'll cancel it (I, of course, am praying for the latter!). I'm sure they'll take away the swim and add more running. Personally, I'd rather take my chances in the water than have to run anymore than required. I've done some races in Hawaii in some 4ft+ waves.... :) Quite honestly, I'm more afraid of getting blown off my bike with my feet still clipped in.

The other girls, of course, would rather do anything else other than a swim. I'm trying to conjure up a 3rd event for them that might be embarrassing, but if you knew what they did to me at a public restaurant, you'd know they aren't easily embarrassed.

I'm actually more excited about this race now than before. It's probably because that remote shot of it being canceled looks likely. It's like one of my students holding out for snow on the day of a major test.

If my next post ends up being from Maine, you'll know I got blown a little off course in the swim. Wish us luck... although surviving is a pretty feasible goal at this point too.


"It's good training!" - Just Tri Me

And this is so special because?????

In this week's issue of People magazine there is an article about Jennifer Lopez doing her first triathlon (!) and six months after giving birth (!!). Wow... she's so special. All hail la Lopez.

It really makes me laugh. Well, J-Lil did her first triathlon six months after giving birth, too. And you know what? My friends and I are doing our SECOND HALF IRON Saturday. We have kids, too. We have jobs (real ones, to boot). Yet we don't get a 3 page spread in People.

So, what am I griping about? Not much. Just wanted to let you know we are way cooler than J-Lo.

Go TriBabes!


"It's Good Training" - Just Tri Me

Close, But No Cigar

At work today I dropped a bookcase on my toe. There was blood, but no broken bones. My first instinct was "oh, not before a race." Then I thought "hmph, maybe this is my ticket out of the Half." As the other girls will attest to, I'm not mentally in this race. I haven't even made my hotel reservations. I guess part of me is still hoping I'll encounter a good excuse not to do it. This is it for the girls, but I still have another two races to go. I know this should be the bigger deal since it's a Half, but I'm just still kaput from the last one.

I have now taken a whole new approach to training. I am referring to it as a"spiritual" based training; as in, "Oh God, please just let me get through this race!"


"It's Good Training!" -Just Tri Me

What Next???

2 Weeks to go till the 2nd craziest (actually this may be the craziest since I already know the type of pain I will be in) thing I have ever done in my life is OVER!!! Man I can't wait. As I was telling my teammates today (on our 5mile run-1st training we all did together for either of our races) I b-tch, whine and moan about my races. Stress myself out to the point where everything in my life seems to be falling apart and going wrong, and then I turn around after the race is over and wonder what race I will do next. Am I a Sadomasachist? Or am I a Triathlete? Isn't this why we do race? To get our life back together? To give ourselves goals and a set schedule to keep our lives active and fit? I don't know if that is why, but I know it is part of why I race. The other part is because without that goal I have no direction. The other reasons I race is because I want my kids to know a healthy life style and a strong, confident woman as their mother. And though my confidence waivers as I near my races I try not to let them know. I keep working out as planned and just keep moving. I hope they know someday the thrill of training for something (anything-football, soccer, lacross, swimming) and the satisfaction when finishing. They don't have to place, just finish or have done the best they ever could. I want them to see me doing these things. Show them how strong women are. By the way, they are 2 and 4 so they have no clue but someday. And maybe someday my teammates and I will meet to do an Ironman!!! HEHEHE!!

I'm baaaaaack

I'm finally back from enjoying my summer vacation. I spent 2 weeks at the in-laws and only gained 3 lbs. (not bad). Then I came home and left right away for a long weekend in Ocean City, Maryland and lost 1/2 lb. (excellent!).

And true to my word I was out running on August 1st. However, I huffed and puffed my way through a 5K (baaaaad!). Then my mother in-law said she didn't feel comfortable with me running since they've had moutain lions in the area (real baaaaaad). So, that was the end of that. I didn't get to hit the Vortex at Mizzou, but I went on a float trip down the Meramec River and got out and swam against a hard current for 20 minutes (fuuuuuuun!). I think people thought I was an idiot who didn't realize I wasn't going anywhere.

Now, I'm back and with a vengence. I subbed 6 AM Spin this morning, did the eliptical trainer for 60 minutes and then subbed 9:30 BOSU Strength. Right now my motivation is my weight. I have to start work soon and need to fit into my clothes again. I know we bagged on BarbieGirlNot for being on Jenny Craig, but I'm getting desperate. I'm on total flush-out/detox this week. I'm doing low-carb (yeah, me! Miss-I-could-survive-the-rest-of-my-life-on-bread) and protein shakes (i.e. Slim-Fast and TriMe's PB & Banana shakes). Plus, I'm trying to add in an extra 30 minutes of running or swimming. We'll see how it goes....

Still doubt I'll be anywhere near ready for the next Half. I've kind of already conceded mentally to the other girls. They've been training hard. I think part of me still thinks I won't end up racing because of a scheduling conflict. I shouldn't have taken so much time off, but I know my body needed it. Although I'm sure my wardrobe might beg to differ....

"It's Good Training" - Just Tri Me

Post-Half Celebration

(L-R: Just Tri Me, Tri Me, BarbieGirlNot)

Summary of our Post-Half Ironman Celebration: Sorry, what happens at Coastal Flats, stays at Coastal Flats.... ;-}

Tri Envy

This whole "I'm not training until August" thing is actually harder than I thought. I am just a competitive person by nature, mostly with myself. I just keep feeling like I need to be training.

I'm completely jealous of the girls. BarbieGirlNot got herself two coaches. TriMe got herself a pretty schweet tri-bike. And I'm sitting around doing nothing. (Even if I'm swimming, ladies, it's not necessarily "training". Some people actually enjoy swimming and do it for fun). I also just found out today that bike check-in for the Patriot Half is on the day of the race, which means I can race. (I was having logistical issues because Tri-Hubby is finishing his training in Georgia the day before the race). So, now, knowing for sure that I'm racing and that the girls are training and bonding, I feel this pull to train. I can handle the not-running-training part, but I feel guilty for not training. I think: I'm going to start training in August with only 4 weeks before the race?!?!?!

I leave next week for two weeks with the in-laws. I'm STILL trying to get off the weight I put on while I was there at Christmas. Even if I wanted to start up training, I don't think the opportunity is there. I might get some running in, but I always feel at the mercy of my hosts that it just doesn't happen. Plus, I'm not very comfortable running the country roads by myself.

The one possibility is going to the University of Missouri Rec Center to swim. They have this cool area called The Vortex. It's a heavy current that swirls. I think "normal" people get in there and let the current push them around the circle. But the one time I went, I started swimming into the current. Man, what an awesome challenge! I was able to hold my location for a minute or two and then I started losing ground and got pushed away by the current. I’m dying to go back and give it another "tri". (har har)

So, we'll see. My body is telling me to take more time off, but my brain is telling me to get real and train. I just wish I didn't care and could be happy with just finishing. Now that we have one Half under our belts, I don't want to finish any slower and the girls are coming out stronger than ever….

Ohhh, how nice it must be to be an ADD triathlete


"Maybe I should be training..." - Just Tri Me

Breaking in the new baby...

Today was my first ride on my new baby. I finally broke down and bought a tri bike. I have raced on a $300 road bike for one race too many. In GA I had gears seize up, my chain locked up and had to listen to a clacking noise the entire race. I'd had enough. So, I started looking for bikes and found a bike way above my needs, but it was a great deal(or so I keep telling myself). I bought the bike of my dreams and promptly put it up in the garage. I looked at it for sometime, went on vacation and now was left with nothing else to do but ride. So when barbiegirlnot asked if anyone was up for a ride I jumped at it. If you have read her blog you know I have tires that are troublesome to change along the way. So of course I would ride with her, she could get the car if I needed it!

The ride started out slow, okay walking my bike to the trail so I didn't catch a nail etc. before we even hit the trail. Once we were on it I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I was hardly moving my legs and my average speed was faster than my old bike when my heart felt like it was going to explode. I am still a little uncomfortable on the bike as my aero bars are too long and will have to be cut. I also had to learn how to grab and replace the water bottles behind me. The first water break was a stop. I did get better and now feel okay with riding, drinking and getting the water bottle back in its spot. We didn't break any land speed records today, but had a great ride and enjoyed each others company more than I enjoyed my new bike.

I had to get on the blog first because I know barbiegirl is going to make fun of me so I wanted to have my say first. I will leave the comic relief to her this time.

Glad to be back in VA with out the Colorado altitude. I did a nice easy 6 mile run, minus falling as I looked at squirrels chasing each other, that's ADHD isn't it? It hurt a little today on the bike and might feel worse tomorrow but it's back to real training. I have the bike, I love the run and hope to get better with some swim help.

Happy running!

Laughing and Training

I know I say this everytime I blog, but Justtrime and Trime are 2 of the greatest women alive. I just love them. How funny is the blog from Justtrime. Yet at the end you will see she said "see you at the pool". HMMMMM! Will she be swimming??!! Trime got a new bike, tires don't come off. Apparently they are glued on. Something Professionals do because they have bike crews(I don't know if that is true) or they just don't finish the race. But for ADD racers like myself, we buy tires that come off so if we get a flat we can finish the race. So, as you all have been guessing both my teammates are OCD Triathletes. But I love them anyway!!!!!

As for me, I got 2 (yes 2) coaches for my swim. I am swimming 4 days a week and have been feeling more chlorinated thatn I have ever felt in my life. Mind you this is my 1st week back swimming. I did not ask for the coaches they have just graciously volunteered to help. I apparently "swim flat", don't reach far enough, and kick like "sh-t". Words of constructive critisism from my coaches. So now most of my swim workouts consist of a warm-up (never knew there was one in swiming), a heart rate set (raising my heart rate till it feels like popping out of my chest) then drills, and a cool down (once again never knew, but this is my favorite part of the workouts). I am not a very efficient swimmer. I don't have to be fast, just more efficient to beat the previous 1.2 mile swim I did in GA. hence the drills. Of course, all of this together is helping me build confidence and endurance in the water. I will let you know at the end of the month when I do my long swim and compare it to the one I did at the begining of this week. I hope to be more efficient, faster, and less tired at the end.

We are doing a 2 hour 30 min ridie on Sunday. If any of you should see 2 women walking, one with a flat tire on her high speed low drag bike, pick us up. She can't change her tire and I won't leave her out there!

Laughing and loving all the crazy things we do!!!!!

EFFD: Bad Day

Escape from Fort Delaware Race Summary: A woman passed me on the bike at mile 14 and shouted over her shoulder, "Don't worry, I'm not in this race." I shouted back, "Don't worry, I don't think I am either!"


I am describing this race as CRAPTACULAR. I'm not even going to put down my race splits or my time. I'll only say that I was 20 minutes slower than my usual Olympic distance tri and was the 8th to last on the bike. (Somehow, though I still managed to finish middle of age group, but that was really by default because the rest of my age group was all lined up right behind me in the final standings.)

The support I received from my teammates is as follows:

TriMe: "SHUT UP AND SWIM"

and

BarbieGirlNot: "stop being an OCD triathlete and start being an ADD one"


I was looking forward to the swim because you get to swim across the Delaware River. I guess in years to come I can say I did that. I got off course 4 times, and it was a straight swim; one side of the river to the other. And it wasn't a "oh, I got a little off course", it was a "I got so off course that the kayakers and police boats had to come get me"… FOUR TIMES!

I really considered packing it up and going home but I paid money and didn't want to waste it. I have to say I was honestly hoping for a bike break down so I could pack it up and go home. But of course, my bike held up and this was one race that had a bike van helping out along the course.

Oh, and the picture that's posted. That's not me at the end of the race. That's me just starting the run...


This race just wasn't any fun for me. Even when I have a not-so-great race, it's still enjoyable. This wasn't. I'm just mentally and physically caput. I have been racing since March 1 of this year and have had no more than a 2 week break from races.

So, I have decided that I'm not training until August. Just not doing it. The girls are planning these bricks and training runs, but I'm out.

If you want to read a training blog, check back for the girls' entries. I might chime in to mention an awesome new routine I’m trying at the gym or how amazing it is when you allow your body time to rest and heal. Happy training ladies, if you need me I'll be lounging at the pool…..

"I'm not training 'til August..." - Just Tri Me

See Mommy Run...at altitude

Back in my home town of Aurora, Colorado for two weeks of vacation is great...and then I go for a run. Growing up here I used to make fun of people who got altitude sickness, now I am one of them. Learing from past trips I took today easy doing a 45 min. run walk. Most of it was running but I took advantage of the walking time. Taking it easy seems to work out better. I feel great and am ready to workout tomorrow.

Lame - but redeeming myself

So, I was lame and registered for the olympic distance Williamsburg Tri while both my teammates registered for the half. I currently am now registered for the half because i felt like such a heel and a traitor/letdown to my team. I feel better now that I will once again race with my team...I hope they know I am loyal. BUT....I will still use the excuse that they talked me into it or at least guilted me into it. I figure the "test of loyalty"story should be a good one. So here I am again stressing about the race. This time I don't have the time set aside for training and I am currently in Cleveland away from all my normal training environments. So I am fat and out of shape and not getting any closer to 70.3 shape. Man I am back to being lame-excuses, excuses, excuses.

2 Weeks down, 11 to go!

I am about to complete my second week of my 13 week triathlon plan. I am doing a lot better at sticking to the plan and the eating is going a lot better. I did miss yesterdays workout due to traveling to NYC to buy a new bike!! It's so nice I am afraid to ride it! I am looking forward to our next tri so much more having this incredible machine on my side. Everyone says I will grow into the bike, don't think that is possible unless I grow some new legs that are really fast.

The best news to report is that all 3 tribabes are again racing the half together! I am so excited and am looking forward to September.

Round 2 Begins Tomorrow!

This time around I am going to have a plan and follow it as much as possible. I have a 13 week plan that I tried to follow last time but life kind of got in the way and brought about 15 pounds with it. Yikes! This time, I vow to not only train better, but also eat better. No longer do I get to say, "Hey, I just ran for an hour...3 cookies are ok aren't they?". I don't plan on doing anything too drastic. Chocolate is still a part of my life and a good glass of wine won't be wasted. However, the extra eating has to stop. The hardest part about our last race was having the extra weight to drag around. It definitely made me slower and less efficient.

So, here I pledge not only to race my second half iron on Sept 6 but to also be 15 pounds lighter!

4 Chicks, 3 Bikes and a Tri

Finish time: 6:59:34 (after the bike, I was elated to get under 7 hours)
Swim: 38:03 with 1/4 mile up-hill sprint to transition; 27th out of 123 women (not bad since I probably did an extra 300 meters by swimming off course)
Bike: 3:48:32; 110th (oops - I'm an ADHD cyclist)
Run: 2:26:57; 68th

Um, so, picking Georgia in June to do our first Half was probably not the smartest idea. With 93 degree heat and "gently (HAHAHA) rolling hills" it made for a wicked race. I was quite intimidated by the value of some of the bikes. I have a great bike, but seeing those tri bikes with their zip wheels I felt completely out of my league. But, being the tight-wad that I am and having spent the money, I was doing the race anyways.

SWIM: On the advice of a friend, I decided to wear the wetsuit. I can't really quantify the benefit but at least I was able to let my legs drag a bit and rest for the bike. Plus I figured it'd add extra protection from snakes in the water… :)

BIKE: I am going to practice restraint while trying to describe the bike… (this is me thinking of what to say using PG language)… Well, it took me almost 4 hours, which was a half hour over the time I was telling everyone (which as you have read is an overestimation of what I was really hoping for). Who knew Georgia had hills?! And they didn't stop! I can't think of more than ½ mile stretch that was flat. Even if it looked flat, when you got there it was a long incline. The highlight was getting up to 36 mph on a downhill though.

I was so thankful I didn't have any mechanical problems on the bike. As my teammates can attest to, I was so stressed out about this. In their eyes, comically so. Namely because I still cannot fix a tire (note to self: learn how to fix a tire before the next race). I even promised a beer to my bike mechanic if I survived the race without popping a tire. As I passed downed-riders, I always asked if they needed anything. This was my way of pacifying Karma.

BarbieGirlNot has this great article about ADHD triathletes versus OCD triathletes. I'm an OCD triathlete overall, but definitely ADHD on the bike. At one point I was trying to catch love bugs. I was whistling Dixie (literally). Trying to guess the species of road kill. I know this is one area I really need to improve on.

On a side note, when the Half and Sprint riders split off on the bike course, I was extremely amused at the volunteer who kept looking at me and yelling, "Sprint turn right! Sprint turn right!". Sorry lady, this slacker is doing the Half today.

RUN: At mile 20 on the bike, I was ready for the run. Yeah, me! ready for the run. I was so naïve to think I could do a 2 hr or less half-marathon followed by a 56 mile bike. I tried to run from the start but I could not get my heart rate down. I really didn't want to start walking because I knew if I started, I would do it again. Turns out, everybody was walking. I also forgot my race number. Doh! Instead of going back I decided to take the penalty. I walked the uphill and ran the downhill. Oddly enough, when I ran, I was averaging less than an 8:30 m/m. This caused people to cheer me on, (my favorite being from a fat, old southern gentleman "You go, Babydoll!"). Guess they thought I was running like that the whole way. I really enjoy the camaraderie that exists during races and the run especially. (TriMe has a great story.) I learned that most of the people that were dying like me were not from Georgia, nor did they think Georgia had hills. And the best part of it, I got my named announced as I crossed the finish line! Woo-hoo!!!

Heroes of the Race:

TriBabes: Because, honestly, who'd a thought!

TriMe, Jr.: For just being awesome and supporting all of us. Like BarbieGirlNot wrote, it was just so nice to see her face after the swim, running along side me to get me up that hill, and then that encouragement after gettting the beat-down on the bike, and being the best medal-girl EVER!

Polka Dot Jersey Guy: Not only did he have the best cycling jersey of the race, a red polka dot jersey, he did the 56 mile bike in tennis shoes and no toe cages. (And he still beat me!)

Sprinkler Neighbor: To that Bibb County resident who put his sprinkler on so we could run under it and cool off during the run and sat out there and cheered all of us on - THANK YOU!!

EPILOGUE: So, I ended up with an IV at the end of the race. The funny thing was that we joked about it on the drive down. TriMe was telling us about how the pros get an IV after a race because it helps speed recovery. We all thought it'd be funny to do this. At the pre-race meeting the director told everyone to leave it to those who needed it. I felt great after the race. I packed up, took pictures of the other girls crossing the finish line, and then TriMe and I ate. Well, I stood up to look for BarbieGirlNot and my stomach flipped and I felt like I was going to hurl and pass-out. I ended up in the medical tent with an IV. (TriMe Jr. was so great and stayed with me the whole time. Such a great kid!). I was a little embarrassed about the episode but better than ending up in a hospital.


It was definitely a profound experience for me. For a girl who couldn't run a mile 2 years ago, I never would have thought I could do something like that. It makes me feel like I've crossed this defining line for triathletes. I was a bit jealous of the girls that they were able to call their hubbies and share with them their triumphs. I guess that's why I detail my races so much here so that he can read them when he can.

TriMe was talking about another Half before this race started. During the bike portion I decided she wasn't allowed to mention Williamsburg until we at least reached North Carolina on the drive home. But, before I even crossed the finish line, I had pretty much decided I'd do it. So, in September TriMe and I will be doing the Patriot's Half in Williamsburg.

"It's good training!" -Just Tri Me




P.S. TriMe, where's my damn 70.3 sticker?!?! ;-P

Not Ready and a Little embarassed!

My totally awesome teammates are Goddesses! They have both signed up for their 2nd 1/2 ironman. And though I trained so well that I wasn't even that sore (ran on Monday and lifted today) I mentally am not ready for another 1/2. The training consumed me. I fought with my husband for time, got frustrated with my kids when I was exhausted from the long training hours and just never felt relaxed thinking about the race. And the truth is...it was the unknown. And I now Know what it will be like which is why it "should" make it easier. And I am already in shape fr the race all I have to do is maintain. And since I know the training worked it would be easier. So why????? I am a wimp. hence the embarassment. I don't want to take the time and energy. I love my kids and I want to be a training mommy, but an unstressed training mommy. So the international will be a good compermise for me. I need to train and do long rides and runs, just not as long as if training for a 1/2. There may be another 1/2 in my future as long as my teammates will do another. We all leave VA next summer and I hope we will make it a tradition to do 1 long race together every year or every other year. I think they were right about our bond. We have shared something so intense and made it. I will never forget them or the day. By the way, I would like to add that we all would never have done as well with out Adrienne's encouragement, motivation and help. She was amazing. I can't speak for the other 2 but coming out of the water after the longest swim I ever done in my life, I saw her. And she yelled at me to run and catch up and without her I don't think I would have made it to the transition. I couldn't believe I finished the swim. She reminded me I had more to go and kept me moving. And coming off the bike her smiling face and words of encouragement helped me put "one foot in front of the other". She Rocks! I will never be able to explain or tell how much it meant to me to have her there. So Thank you Adrienne! And thank you teammates for being the most amazing women I have ever had the honor to be friends with. I love you guys and look forward to Williamsburg. Are we talking about tenessee, yet?

Anyone ready for round 2?

With our first 1/2 Ironman behind us and no aches and pains other than the sunburn to report I am happy to say I have registered for my second 1/2! I plan on doing the Patriots half in Williamsburg on Sept 6. I hope to have at least one of my team mates join me and both would be the greatest!

This past race was a harder course than any of us had planned on and all of our bike and run times reflected this. I have lots of training to do to improve on my time but it's well worth it. I really enjoyed the distance. All three disciplines were a challenge and putting it all together was amazing.

However, the most amazing thing was doing it with my team mates. We have only know each other for a little over a year or two, but at times it feels as if we has been put here for a reason so beyond us. This is something that ranks up there with getting married and having my child. I will always remember this trip and retell it to all that want to hear it. The memories will stay with me when I am 85 and unable to run 10 feet let alone 13.1 miles. We have a common bond that no one can take from us! I love them both and am so proud that I really can't express it in words. If this proves to be the last 1/2 we do as a threesome I don't care, we will keep racing others together. It will probably always be my favorite regardless of have many better courses or times I get in the future. Thanks for a great time girls! Keep on singing...I want to ride my bicycle....

We're Alive!

In case anyone out there in blog land even cares...We all three survived and finished!!!!!!

More later, for now it's simple-BED!

Oh Crap!

So, I am sitting in front of the computer with less than 11 hours before our half ironman. My two team mates are tucked snug in bed and I am on my way. We have trained and we are ready, however it is soooooo scary. The swim is the most trouble for two of us and seeing the buoys out in the water made me want to pee my pants. They seemed like a mile away. Oh wait, they are 1.2 miles away. The bike looked like a nice rolling course. We will have 90+ temps to deal with and hope and pray for two tires that behave. I am looking forward to the run since that is my favorite. I know if I have made it that far I will finish. I can't control a bike melt down but I can control my feet.

I am just going to leave this entry with that. Nothing witty to say at this point.

See ya 70.3 later!

7 Days....

So, this time next week we shall be half-Iron women...

We'll all be sitting around a table with glasses of vino sharing our war stories from the race.....





Oh, who am I kidding, we'll all be in bed this time too pooped to lift the glasses to our lips. ;-)


"It's good training!" - Just Tri

Scared To Death

While my teammates SEEM to do little training for these races, they both end up finishing and with really fast times. I, on the other hand, have been training my butt off (not literally-but I wish it was coming off) and finishing with less than impressive times. Though I am finishing and that should be enough, but like my teammates I have a competative spirit which is how I got roped into this completely crazy 1/2 ironman race. Anyway, I am scared to death! As race day approaches, less than 2 weeks, my stress level rises and I am breaking out in zits (isn't that only suppose to happen to young people???????????), eating tons of junk food (I am a stress eater), and finding myself daydreaming about how I need to swim, bike and run an obnoxious amount of miles in less than 2weeks (there are so many other things to day dream about like david what's his name from Bones). Ok, so I got all cocky in one of my earlier blogs thinking I could actually place or do fairly well. i take all that back. Surviving is my ONLY goal. And if I get roped into this 2nd 1/2 ironman I will certify myself as crazy!!!! On another note....Just tri me talked about tattoos. I am one of those persons who has 8 of them and one of them is a triathlon tattoo. Though, it is not anything affiliated with ironman. I am also looking to get my 9th this summer. I think a tattoo with the maiden mother crone symbol over my belly and my kids birthdays over the mother symbol is appropriate for my last (I am running out of room in the areas that no one can see them) tattoo. Did I tell you all I am scared to death?????

Rain, Running & Randomness

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman in possession of a race registration must be in want of a good training session....

Alright, so Jane Austen I'm not. She'd probably balk at the image of us running around in spandex. Or maybe enlightened by the thought of us taking part in a typically male arena.

Well, the universe seems to be conspiring against me as of late. I had not run since the Potomac Half last Sunday and while I don't really miss it, I know I need to do it. (My overgrowing muffin top and ill-fitting pants second the motion).

Friday, I had a brillant idea that I would pack the jogging stroller in the car and when I dropped off my car for an oil change, I would go for a run around the nearby neighborhood. But it rained all day and I never got it in. I was going to run more this weekend, but it rained. Enter brillant idea number 3, to run after work Monday. Re-enter rain scenario. I was forced to run on the treadmill, which I hate. I convinced myself to do an hour, at whatever pace, just to get it in. I did discover my motivation on the treadmill - to watch the Food Network. It made time fly and kept me on the treadmill knowing I need the treadmill to get rid of muffin top and be able to eat actual muffins.

I tried cycling with TriToddler last weekend but she was quite the backseat rider. I had to stop every 1/2 mile to deal with the angst/complaint/issue of the moment. Then today TriMe and I were going to ride. I don't usually air up my tires before each ride but thought I'd be a good little cyclist today and do it. Instead I let all the air out of the tire and couldn't get the air pump to lock into the nozzle. So I drove over to TriMe's house instead of the planned bike ride there and couldn't get her air pump to work. Then we drove to the bike store where they filled it up and essentially said it was "user error". Finally got out on the road at the time I planned to be home. At least I did get an hour in - yea. I missed swimming for all that.

Speaking of swimming, haven't done that since before the Kinetic Tri. Haven't been running. Haven't been swimming. Haven't been cycling. What have I been doing???

Am ready to do this half-iron and get it over with. I really hope it doesn't rain that day. Just don't think I could mentally handle it...

Oh, and TriMe is pushing for another half-iron in Sept. I really thought I was going to get the summer off. I don't really want to do it, but I'll be darned if I let them do it without me and then gloat about having one more half-iron under their belt than me.

Not really into tattos because I was never really passionate about anything to get one and couldn't figure out where to hide it yet show it. Then thought that if I did an ironman, I'd get the iron-man insignia. Last week decided I could put it at the nape of my neck where my hair covers it unless I put it up in a pony tail (which I rarely wear at work so my students would never know). But here's the big issue - I really don't feel like doing an iron-man. I thought I could put something related to half-iron, but that's not really worth it. The girls and I joked about doing half the ironman symbol. While funny, not funny enough to scar my body for. I guess some people get tattos while drunk, we'd end up with one while on a runner's high...

I'm going to go eat some Cool Whip...


"It's good training." - Just Tri Me

Potomac River Run Half-Marathon: Hey, at least I did it....

Alright, so not my best race but I did it and we should just leave it at that. MUCH slower pace time than the first half-marathon (See, Colleen - this is why I don't want to do a second half-iron). I think my time was around 2:15 which included a potty break. Barbiegirl not was ill so her husband took her place. I don't actually know my finish time because I'm listed as "TBD" on the race log. Probably because when Mr. Barbiegirlnot and I crossed the line they saw a man and woman, yet their scorecard read two females. Here's the kicker: of all the races I've ever done, I've never had my name called as I cross the finish line. We cross and they call Barbiegirlnot's name. The woman isn't even there and she gets her name called!

Had quite an adventure getting there. I eventually made it to the race after missing the exit for Rte. 1 (darn bridge construction) and venturing over to Maryland, where I missed the first exit (stupid misplaced 295 road sign) and the exit after that (daft area revitalization which made it not look how I remembered). So, after many a contributions to the swear jar, I finally turned around at St. Barnabas road. Hell, at the rate I was going, I should have just taken the Beltway all the way around back to Rte 1! Maybe I could have even gotten off at 270 and hit the Frederick marathon.

I have to say this was a very different kind of race…. The early start was 6:30 and some racers took off at 6:00 a.m. So we were just hanging around and went to line up for the 6:30 early start. They said we could start whenever. So we took off at 6:20. It was rather anti-climatic. You just walk up there, cross the mat, beep goes the timer and you're running. Lots of aid stations and great volunteers. On the way back we started passing those that had started at the regular time. Everyone was saying "good job", "way to go". I just felt so guilty. I just wanted to shout back, "Took an early start - not really running that fast!". I was hurting most of the way back. I made it to Stone Bridge and, with my running partner in the loo, I thought I'd sneak a walk in. Low and behold there's the race photographer. I sure as hell wasn't going to let her take a picture of me the one time I was walking. Grrr….

Great post race food too. Can't beat Whole Foods and Bruegger's bagels. Well, you could with Chick-fil-a, but of course they're not open on Sundays. I don't mean to sound snotty, but I just ran a half-marathon. Is it too much to ask for some cream cheese with the bagels? In retrospect, I have to applaud the B&A Half-Marathon because they had pizza AND coffee AND cream cheese for the bagels.

HEROES OF THE RACE:
Mr. Barbiegirlnot: for running a half-marathon on 12 hours notice AND giving the t-shirt to his wife. If that's not love, I don't know what is.

Me: for actually doing the whole flippin' thing after 1.5 hours of cycling while pulling Tri-Toddler in the bike trailer (about half my body weight) the day before and the only time I purposively slowed down was through the aid stations (thank God there were quite a few!)

The Other Idiots: All the other idiots who did the GW 10 miler last week and this race. I was glad to have the company. :)

Next race: Half Iron, baby! Cowboy up!!!

"It's good training!" - Just Tri Me

GW 10 miler

We tri babes ran the GW 10 miler. Here are the before and after pictures. Thanks to Colleen I ran really fast and am actually pretty proud of my time. We ran every mile under 11:00 minutes AND we got popcycles (my spelling sucks). Speedy gonzales Jen missed the popcycles but she totally rocked her time. I will let them tell their stories. Check us out sporting our "See Mommy Run"Gear.

My team rocks...or have we said that before!!!

So, after reading Brooke and Jennifer's blogs I thought I might have a slight pang of wishing I could have raced on Sunday despite the conditions. Then I got in the pool today and was glad to just survive. Having to cough every fourth stroke makes it a long day, but hey I made it a half hour. Turning the bronchitis into pneumonia wouldn't have helped the lungs!

So now for my props to the girls!!! I am so proud of both of you for not only laughing at the weather but kicking its butt too. I hate the cold, the rain, the wind....and you two made short order of them both. Your pictures looked so good and you looked like the strong women I know you are! Everyone out there that isn't as lucky as I am to know you got a little glimpse into your lives and personalities from your take no prisoners attack. I am looking forward to the half, 5 and a half weeks and counting, and think I am lucky to be doing it with the two of you.

Lake Anna Kinetic Sprint Tri.

STATS:
Finish: 1:48:24
Swim: 15:31 (750 meter)
Bike: 59:55 (18 miles)
Run: 27:08 (5K)
Age Group: 13th out of 42
Overall Female: 61 out of 197
Race Day Motto: Hypothermia is a state of mind!

This was by far the worse race conditions I've ever been in (which isn't saying much since most of my races have been in Hawaii). It was somewhere around 58 degrees and pouring down rain the whole time! However, I somehow managed to have a great race. I attribute it to the great atmosphere created by my friends - joking around, laughing at our stupidity, cheering each other on while secretly hoping to beat the other. :-)

I placed 13th in my age group, making it to the top quarter. I am over the moon about this. I needed that sign of progress to keep me going. This of course means that should finishers 1 through 12 not be able to fulfill their commitments, I would be the next one to assume the role…. :-)

SWIM: This was my worst swim ever. It was flippin' cold. I think they said water temp. was 60 degrees. It's just that 60 degrees outside doesn't feel nearly as bad as in the water. I rented a wetsuit and a few days later I was wondering if I had a kid's size wetsuit. While waiting for my wave, I noticed the 12 year old boy we had been talking to had the same wetsuit. So, I have the body of a 12 year old boy. Great….

New rule: no more races in April. It's too darn cold. I was hyperventilating the first 300 meters of the race. I couldn't even put my head in the water. It wasn't until the final turn, with about 200 meters left, that my stroke finally fell into place.

BIKE: I actually had a good ride. Maybe the rain worked to my benefit because I couldn't see much of anything so I wasn't doing my usual site-seeing. However, while reviewing the pictures I realized that my bike bag was dragging against my back wheel. Doh! I managed a decent 17.8 mph average on a hilly terrain. I did realize one thing on the bike - I'm totally screwed for the half-iron. The bike is the part I'm actually nervous about, not the run. Can you believe that?! Now that's true progress.

RUN: I had an awesome run. My GPS has me averaging 8:44 minute/mile. That's the fastest I've ever run in a race. I realize this is still not fast compared to the winners, but it's a big deal to me. This was also in the pouring rain, my shoes soaked, my feet frozen and then my shoe laces were untied the last quarter mile. I got a kick out of the guy who pointed this out to me as we were coming down a narrow path, rain still pouring, on a steep downhill slope and within shouting distance of the finish line. Do you really think I’m going to stop now to tie them?! I'd rather take my chances of tripping over them and rolling through the finish line. Who knows, if I picked up enough speed, I could better my minute/mile average.

HEROES OF THE DAY:
Brooke: for coming down on her own and totally killing the bike competition. You're going to kill us on the half-iron!

My Parents: They just don't have any luck with these triathlons. They drove all the way down to the race site, hung out all day in the cold and rain, and still missed my finish (again!).

Jeff: for finishing his first triathlon. You survived the swim, had a great bike and an awesome run. Nice, strong finish. Congrats on your first race! Told you this sport was addicting…

Big Guy, Little Speedo: If you were there, you know who I'm talking about. Since this is my "mommy" blog I'll keep it PG, but there is a "Seinfeld" joke reference here.


So, it was a pretty decent race despite the awful weather conditions. More than anything it has me psyched for the rest of the race season. I'm still not sure about this half-iron. I know I'm going to have to dig down deep inside, but I know it'll be worth it. At least the rest of the season should be downhill and fun from there. That is, until the fall when I try a marathon….


"It's good training!" - Just Tri Me

Triathlons, Training, and Puller

For all of those who remember what Sunday looked/felt like, think of my teammate and I swimming , biking and running in that crappy pouring down rain. We did the Kinetic Sprint at Lake Anna this sunday and it was cold and wet! First time I ever road my bike in the rain. I felt pretty good though. As I was staning with my friends freezing my butt off waiting for the start of the race I remembered how crazy we triathletes are. But there is so much more because we share this craziness by laughing at ourselves getting nemonia. When we all split off into our groups (I am an old fart and we race last) I was talking with another old lady and she explained to me that she is no longer has the competative spirit. She just likes the sense of accomplishment she gets at the end of the race. I thought she was brillient!!!! I was all about that until I got on the bike. I didn't get passed by anyone and I passed a ton of people. I was scared to death because it was pouring rain, but MY competative attitude kicked in. Of course once I hit the run I was back into the "sense of accomplishment" mode. But all in all the race was awesome. I am so proud of us for getting up and getting out there in the pouring rain. And I can tell my training is working because I just felt like I had done a hard workout not a race. I usually don't want to d much after a race I am so worn out. But I came home feeling fabulous and I am not sore today. With that said...I am scared to death of this 1/2 ironman!!! Now for my the last part of my "speech" . I would like to thank Puller, my 90 lbs mix mut of a dog, with whom I would never get my lazy butt out the door to do a run. See, Puller is big and a high energy dog. I love him, but to tolerate him he needs to be walked/ran for AT LEAST an hour every day rain or shine. So to him I attribute my best 5K run time ever and it happened at the end of this triathlon. He has kept me on my running training schedule because I have to get him out so I might as well run. What would I do without him. I also need to thank my wonderful kids for keeping me totally motivated to show them a healthly way of life. And last but not least, my friends/teammates. Man you guys rock. By the way, Jen you kicked butt on the bike!

Here is a picture of me after the race. Sported the Jersy...It wasn't too bad. I kinda liked it. Course I am am wet and cold and it may have effected my brain.

Self-Doubt: The True Axis of Evil

I know what I wrote about trusting your training, but that still doesn't mean that that darn self-doubt doesn't start creeping in. Sunday is the start of our tri season with the Lake Kinetic sprint in Lake Anna, VA. I'm nervous - and it's only a sprint distance race! I can't imagine what I’m going to be like at our half-iron. But I wonder if I put enough time into training, did I do quality training, should I have done more bricks, will I have improved from last year, does my race outfit make me look fat…


If one good thing has come out of it is an affirmation of my passion for this sport. The last two weeks I've been in a bit of a slump, questioning why I do this and if I'll race next year. While I still haven't answered that question, the butterflies in my stomach and the pounding in my heart when I think about race day tell me I'm still in it for the right reasons - whatever they may be.


Wish us luck! And we're off and running (and biking, and swimming!).....



"It's good training." - Just Tri Me

Nervous!

As if training for this half isn't enough to worry about, I have a lovely case of bronchitis that has kept me in bed all week. I am not sure when I am going to be able to run let alone get in the water again. If I follow the rule of if the cold is in your chest you need to rest, it might be sometime next year! Even though our next event is only a sprint I am not looking forward to it and hope not to drown trying to breath! Guess these events may truly be about just finishing.

Hope everyone's training is going much better. How's the weather in Cali Brooke?

1st Place - Worst Teammate

I am the worst teammate EVER! A few weeks ago when we were planning our race schedule, I was all about the National (half) Marathon and talked BarbieGirlNot into it. But a few days later I decided not to and thought I emailed her about the change of plan. Friday I get a call from her about the race. She signed up and I hadn't. I feel absolutely awful. I was going to rush down and sign up even though I had every intention of hitting the town with Tri-Hubby that night. Saint BarbieGirlNot gave me her blessing and told me not to bother. However, I still feel so guilty...

I am happy to report she did it!!! She finished and got two (yes, T-W-O!!) shirts out of the deal. I'll leave the details to her, but we are so proud. Congrats on your half-marathon. You truly rock, girl!

BarbieGirlNot, you complete us. ;-}


"It's good training" - Just Tri Me

You girls ROCK!!!!!!

My turn to say how much I love this team. I definately would have never in my life even attempted to do something like a 1/2 Ironman. They are such strong motivated women that I like to go visit them in the middle of their workday at their work, just to get my boost of motivation. No need for RedBull or Full Throttle when these girls are around. Let me give you a picture of the last time we all met up: we are sitting in Starbucks talking about what races we will sign up for. Here is what we came up:29 March nations' half marathon, 20 april Fredricksburg Triathlon, 27 april GW 10miler, 4 may Potomac River Run (1/2 marathon),31 may 1/2 ironman triathlon Geargia. Sounds pretty intense. the best thing about my teammates...they both have already suggested we do another 1/2 ironman triathlon THIS YEAR!!!! Gotta love the motivation.

Well last week I was in Cleveland and it got 12 inches of snow the first day there. I ran anyway. As a matter of fact I stuck to my training plan minus the swim. And so far this week I have stuck to it also. But the pool at LTF is currently under renovation. that has thrown a complete monkey wrench into my training. I hate to swim but that is why I need to keep swimming. This bump is killing me mentally. I need to adjust and find somewhere else to swim till next week. Of course I am leaving for CA next friday, but fortunately my friends are triathletes so I am bringing my pedals and wetsuit and they are going to take me on runs, rides and swims. I can't wait. I haven't swam in the pacific ocean in almost 5 years.

My last little pitch: Good luck to all the ladies running in the nation's marathon/half. Hope to see you all sporting your See Mommy Run gear. I know I will be.

Happy running!

To swim or not to swim...

Just like Jennifer, I spent the last 10 days on vacation and the training took a back seat. While walking the streets of London and Dublin does count as exercise, I didn't get one single run in. We were staying right across the street from Kensington Park but the weather was windy and rainy every day. Excuses or just wanting a vacation?! I did climb the almost 500 steps to the top of St. Paul's.

I got back in town Sunday evening and hit the treadmill on Monday for an easy 30 minute run. I was back in the pool today and got out after 600m. I gave it the 15 minute rule and decided it wasn't going to happen. Since swimming is my weakness when I have a bad one it lingers in my training. With that said, I decided to get out and try again a different day. Such is life.

While I am sorry to hear about Jennifer's husband going overseas for a year remote just like my husband, I am now sure there is a reason we are all becoming better friends and training buddies. We have a year to plan and train for races and be each others motivation and reason for plugging along. With the support of each other we can make it to the end of a long year or the end of a long race!

PS- Can't wait to get the bikes of the trainers and outside!

Swimming…. YEA!!!!

Yes, I am poking fun at my teammates. I think that's what makes us a good team because we each have different strengths. I excel at swimming, can handle the bike, but crap out on the run. TriMe is the runner; she has been known to say something to the effect "A half-marathon? I can pull that one out of my @$$!" BarbieGirlNot is the cyclist averaging over 20 mph and cruising by on her trainer for 1.5 hours!!... Yup, I'd say we've got a pretty darn good team! As a team and as individuals we've got a good balance of sass and humility; team support and competiveness; we're driven yet laid-back. I guess it's a good thing we're all going to be around for at least another year…

I really just blogged on to clock in for the week, but ended up doing some team cheerleading. Last week was a "recovery week". And by that I mean I spent the time in Savannah eating fried chicken, pralines, and similar unhealthy, non-training-like meals. We did do a lot of walking around the beautiful squares though. I was also sick so I have to thank my body for coordinating that with my already planned "off-week". I did get on the treadmill one day but couldn't even get through 2.5 miles. I was really bummed because I had worked so hard to build myself up to 7.5 miles and felt like I was going to end up at ground zero again. Yesterday I went for my long run and only logged 6.5 miles and stopped twice for a little walk. I was feeling quite down and Tri-Hubby reminded me that I had been sick all last week, am still congested, and will pick up soon enough. I got in the pool today and did 2600 meters. My workout called for 3000 (although I usually cut the warm-up in half) and cut the last set by 200 meters. But 2600 meters is still a good training session so maybe there is light at the end of the training tunnel.

Two years ago I had read an article in Triathlete magazine that offered a tip that has always stuck with me. When I get pre-race jitters or start to doubt myself I just remind myself: Trust your training.

"It's Good Training" - Just Tri Me

SWIMMING....AARRRGGHHH!!!!!!!!

So this week, I moved into my Base 1 week. Which by the way is mostly swimming. I hate swimming. If I didn't have to get all wet and full of chlorine it wouldn't be so bad. But I drop my kids off in the child center and 9 out of 10 times someone has to come get me out of the pool (interupting my workout) for a poopy diaper or a crying, unconsolable kid. Now I know that almost sounded like I was frustrated with my kids, but the truth is I am usually happy about not having to swim, but it takes me atleast 10 minutes to get dressed because I am wet and full of chlorine. And that is with no shower!!!! So my poor kid sits in a poopy diaper and I feel like the worst ma because of it. Plus, whenever I rush, things become 10times harder and I know this but I always rush when my kids need me. So I am back to the I hate swimming. The last 2 days I actually made it through my swim workouts and got a shower!!!! I am exhausted. I think I am learning how to rate wether my 1 year old will make it through a swim or not: if he has already pooped, eaten at least 1 full bowl of oatmeal, gotten at least 10 hours of sleep, and gotten to chase the dog around the house for at least 10 minutes in the morning he will make it through an hour swim workout. I love my kids and their quirks. My oldest as long as he has gotten sleep the night before and has gone potty will make it. He loves playing with the other kids. If I could just figure out my routine for a good swim workout.....learn to swim!!!!!!!!!! For all of you who swim past me and kick me in the face as you do, I will catch you on the bike!!! Ride hard!

"And I ran…

… I ran so far away. I just ran…." - A Flock of Seagulls

THE TRUE STORY OF MY FIRST 1/2 MARATHON

PREFACE:
What I told people my goals were: to finish, to get a feel for the distance, to finish under 3 hours, to run at least 7 miles of it.

What my real goals were: to finish between 2:30 - 2:45, to run at least 10 miles.

What my secret desire was: to run the whole thing without stopping.

THE STATS:
Finish Time: 2:02:50 (app. 9:22 m/m pace time)

Rank: 27 of 58 in age group (I finished in the top half!)

Number of times I stopped: 0


THE STORY:
It was quite a different environment than a triathlon. It seemed more solitary pre-race but more festive during the actual event. With triathlons, you have to set up your transition area and you usually talk to your rack-mate (or at least the women do), but once the race starts, you really are on your own. I think having such a big group going out at the same time on the run really helps because you tend to keep up with everybody. By the time you get to the run portion of a triathlon, everyone is pretty spread out.

It all went by fairly quickly, much to my amazement and relief. I had planned all these mind games to play with myself (including funniest sounding Maryland towns - #3 Seat Pleasant, #2 - Buckeystown, #1 - Glen Burnie), but really didn't get a chance to employ them. Hmph - guess I was "focused". Around 9.5 miles I was starting to wane a bit. However, one of the volunteers had a radio and was playing the song "Misery Business" by Paramore. Tri-Toddler loves this song and says "my song, my song" every time we hear it. This just made me laugh and gave me the biggest boost to get through another mile. Then around 10.5 miles I started doing the math (this is another one of my race games - I just do math in my head. It really is challenging when you're oxygen-deprived). I figured I had a pretty good shot at finishing at 2 hours. I could not believe it!! Now, my GPS watch clocked 13.1 miles at 2:00 hours but I was still not at the finish line. I'll let you decide the actual achievement.

I'll admit to my supreme dorkiness - I was tearing up as I approached the finish line and was crying as I crossed it. You have to fully understand my running past. In high school I played field hockey, but couldn't run a mile. I think I only made the team because could drive the ball half-way down the field. I played softball, which doesn't require much running. I didn't start running until January 2006 and I could barely run ½ a mile. In my triathlons, I barely broke 10 minute miles. During a race in May 2007 I ran a 9:44 m/m during a sprint and was so elated. So for me to run 13.1 miles, the farthest I've ever run before, at a pace that's faster than my 10K and even my 5K pace time, it was just so empowering.

EPILOGUE
Man was I hurting afterwards!! Not right after, but once I got home. My abs hurt from top to bottom. I'm sure this was from not having good running form and being so cold. In hindsight I probably should not have chosen my first race to be in 34 degree weather! I probably should have also held back a bit because it's going to be quite a challenge to live up to that accomplishment again (or at least until May when I finish a half-iron tri). But, alas, I did it and I've got the hunter green, unisex, ugly-as-sin, fleece vest to prove it!

"It's good training." - Just Tri Me

Back in the water...

So I did pack my bag and hit the water today. I don't think I have swam since my Olympic tri last August. I did 10 x 100 and felt okay, just didn't want to stay any longer. I spent about 25 minutes in the pool resting between each 100. What a wimp! In my defense I do plan on taking Jen's spin class tonight so I need to conserve, or at least that's what I told myself.

Good job on the half Jen! With that pace you can run close to a four hour marathon!!! Give it a shot.

Wish I had the Garmin. I own about 4 different versions of the Polar ones and keep wanting to get the Garmin. Maybe for my birthday1

Our "TRIal's and TRIbulation's"

Went to get new shoes this week and spent $360 because I not only bought running shoes but one of those new Garmin's. This one has the heart rate monitor on it so it was even more expensive. I thanked my husband for the early Birthday gift when he came home from work. He just walked upstairs and closed the door for an hour. I haven't heard the end of it yet. But man is it worth it!!!!!!!! I thought I was so much faster and running much longer distances. It is so good to know what I really am doing. I am still working on the heart rate monitor part. If anyone knows how to actually figure out your max and min heart rates please help me out. The software that came with the Garmin has "standard" max and min for my age bu there has to be more to it. Anyway, I have this week as a rest week... much shorter workouts yeah!!!!!! But next week I am going to step it up.

Got to give you credit Jen a half marathon!!! Yeah! I am proud of you. Hope you recover fast...can you say massages and hot tub!

The Story of My First Half-Marathon

I finished! .... The End.






;-P (details to follow if I ever recover!)

"It's good training!" -Just Tri Me

We're so hot!

The pics look great, but I am more looking forward to the after photos!!

Went out on my bike today, mountain bike that is. It felt horrible for the first 15 minutes but then was okay. The weather is still too cold but oh well. I word my jersey under it all and it was comfy. It's so funny how being outdoors makes things seem better. Going out running tomorrow and hope to bid farewell to the treadmill soon.

I didn't get into the pool this week, it's the easiest for me to make excuses for. I hadn't packed my bag the night before and didn't have time in the morning....or so it seemed! Think I will try to get two in this week and am going to try Jen's night spin class to get that done and not kicked out because the class is too full.

Together at last

We are some great loking chicks in our "See Mommy Run" outfits! By the way, to all who are reading this...These are the before shots. After the 1/2 Ironman we are going to have such hard bodies we will look so young!!!!!
Can you say "Charlies Angel's"?

Yeah!!!!! All three tri babes in one room today! We are all stunning. We rock!!!!! I am not sure where I am suppose to post these so here they are: Gotta love the "Charlies Angel's" Pose.

Fish in Water

I finally got back in the pool this morning. Woo-hoo! I had forgotten how much I love swimming. It took a little while for my legs to get with the program, though. I love how my body just glides through the water and the fluidity with which all my typically uncoordinated appendages seem to work. I'm hoping this will also help alleviate my nagging back/hip problem. (I swear, nothing makes you feel old like complaining about a hip problem.) I did about 2,200 meters, give or take 100 since I always seem to lose count along the way. The last 100 meters of my endurance swim workout called for a moderate pace. I decided to throw caution to the wind (I know, I'm such a rebel) and test my 100 meter time. I was off my record time by about 10 sec. but was still close to my average. Plus, this was after about 2,000 meters so I think that was pretty darn good.

Like Dory in Finding Nemo says, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming….."


"It's good training." -Just Tri Me

Better late than never....

After seeing the Spice Girls on Thursday night, I realized my ass is totally out of shape! Time to step it up and get a little girl power back in my life.

I am going to get my offical training started on Monday and have to say I have enjoyed taking it a little easier this off season. I don't like the 10 pounds, but three vacation in 3 months might have something to do with that. With our next trip only 3 weeks away, I am swearing off dessert and kicking up the cardio. My club strength class today also paid for my lack of motivation with a really good work out. Sometimes working at a gym is a downfall as I don't want to stick around when I am done working to work out for myself. No more excuses-it's game time.

I haven't run more than 45 minutes of late, but since it 's my favorite and fall back I feel like I can always squeak out a long run if needed. After all, it was only a little over 3 months ago that I ran the marathon...were does the fitness level go?!

See you on the road and hopefully in the pool this week.

Loving the Training

I can't tell you how great I feel. I am, of course, exhausted but I am getting my confidence back and i even feel a little bit of competativeness (I can't spell it because it has been so long since I felt it) back. I actually want to do well in the 1/2 ironman not just finish. That is really scary for me yet invigurating (antoher word I can't spell). I got hit really hard with baby number 2 with post partum depression. I didn't realize it till about 6 months after he was born. I had plumeted and everyone but me knew it. Well I kept racing but I was just racing to finish and i never kept to any training schedule. But now I feel I am coming back!!! I have drive, I have confidence, I want to do the scheduled workout, i want to be a better person, and i am loving the time I am spending more with my kids. and for those that got the "See Mommy Run" gear, Dont you think It ROCKS!!!! I have been wearing it to the gym, on the nights when it is freezing and a long run is the last thing I want to do. Putting on my See mommy Run long sleeve hoodie gets me all motivated. I am showing my kids decipline and committment and passion about something. I no longer feel guilty or depressed about leaving them because when I come back wet and sweaty from running in the snow or rain they are happy to see me. and we spend the next hour or so playing and getting ready for bed stress-free and tired. My oldest is even starting to stretch with me. It is too cute. The little things that drove me nuts while I was in my fog of depression are now the things that I look forward to the most...the kids climbing on me while I stretch, the kids asking for my help, them wanting me to put them to bed. Lofe is so good! And I am totally loving the training!

Okay, so funny thing....

Okay, so funny thing… last week I signed up to run a half-marathon. I've never done a running race before and I wanted to get a feel for the half-marathon distance. Following my motto, I figured "it's good training." So, what's so funny about that? Oh, maybe just that it's NEXT weekend!!

You know how they say don't go to the grocery store on an empty stomach? Well, you should never sign up for a race while you're still on a runner's high!

I have no idea what I was thinking. Actually, I do know what I was thinking. Current trends seem to indicate that I am highly wooed by Coke being served along the course at the aid stations and any variation of a t-shirt. As Barbiegirlnot and I discussed, we just do this for the free t-shirt. (And by "free" I mean after you pay your entry fee, train for weeks, wake up at the crack of dawn, push yourself to the extremes, and cross the finish line). This race, the B&A Trail Marathon/Half Marathon, is giving away a fleece vest. All together now, "oooooohhhhhhh. aaaaaahhhhhh." I know! It use to be that I was immediately swayed by a long-sleeve tee or a tech tee. Annapolis Striders totally stepped it up on this one.

With my current long distance run at around 6.7 miles and my longest distance run at 10.5, I am going to do a 13.1 mile race next weekend. I will finish the race whether I run across, walk across or crawl across the finish line. Man, I hope the Coke is caffeinated! Blog and details to follow pending survival. Wish me luck!


"It's good training!" - Just Tri Me

I Got Rhythm…

Okay, so any of you who know me outside of cyberspace know I can barely walk and breathe at the same time, but I finally fell into a rhythm this week with training. I still haven't been able to get to the pool and this is no training plan by any means, but I increased my hours and started laying the foundation. I'm also extremely thrilled to get back into weight training. I have a pair of work-out shorts from our sponsor, seeMOMMYrun, which our team lovingly refers to as "the booty shorts". Hopefully another week or two of training and I'll have the courage to wear them!

Here's how the week panned out:

Sunday: Endurance training - 5K run , 45 min. cycling, and then 15 min. on the stair climber to take the place of swimming

Monday: 10 K run (first 10K run since the DC Tri in October and it was done at my 5K race pace time!!)

Tuesday: 40 min. weights, taught 50 min. Spin class (I actually work harder when I teach than when I'm taking the class myself)

Wednesday: 5K run and Pilates class

Thursday: taught Spin and 20 min. of abs and arms

Friday: 20 min. cardio, 1 hour of weights, and light vacuuming (Yes, vacuuming is considered a work-out. And, if you have to carry a tot on your hip while you do it, it should be considered strength and endurance training. :-)


I also managed to get ahead on my lesson plans and xeroxing, do work and home filing, do the ironing that I've been neglecting for the last three weeks, catch up on TiVo, take Tri-Toddler out in the warm weather, etc. I'm certainly no energizer bunny, but somehow I always seem to be more organized when I'm on overload. With all this going on, I still felt a flow to my week. Training really does center me. The best part was getting to Friday and realizing I still had an off-day. I think I'll hook up the bike trailer and take Tri-Toddler for a ride around the neighborhood. No game-plan, no timing, a pint-sized partner… that's the best training!

"I got rhythm, I got music, I got my girl… who could ask for anything more?"



"It's good training." -Just Tri Me

Week 3 Yeah!!!!

Things are going great. I am in my 3rd week and despite a small sickness setback I have continued to train (against my bodies approval) and have gotten into a routine. Here it is for any of you that wonder if it really can be done with 2 kids, a dog, a high maintenance husband, and a part time job.

Mondays: 30 minute run in the morning @ the gym before work - 60 minute ride on bike trainer @ home watching Buffy the Vampire slayer on DVD on prtable DVD player after kids have gone to bed. In bed by 8:30 Yeah!!!!!!!

Tuesdays: 60 minute long run with 2 kids and dog after preschool and sometimes naps.

Wednesdays: 30 minute swim in the morning which I hope to make longer with some drills but still getting comfortable with the water. - 40 minute run in the evenings with kids and dog.

Thursdays: OFF my favorite day right now!!!!

Fridays: 60 minute bike after work while kids are down for their nap

Saturdays: 30 minute swim in the mornings- 45 minute bike sometime when I can get my hubby to watch the kids

Sundays: Run or bike depending on the weather. I have been alternating which one I do because I feel like I need to train for both and can't decide which one.

Hopefully this will motivate some of you. And anyone who wishs to join me let me know!!!

Here is to training and friends who talk us into these crazy things we do!!!!

TriBabes Gone Viral?

So, a week after Barbiegirlnot's posting, I got sick. Surely this isn't what they mean by getting an internet virus?! Blech! I just started getting back into the swing of things, getting my endurance up and going, getting my weight training regime back on track, and finally undoing the havoc those 5 days in Missouri cost me at Christmas.

I'm trying to look on the bright side of things (I’m told people do this), so, um, when I hack my lungs out, I get a good abdominal crunch in. If I have the presence of mind to twist as I double over I can probably work the obliques too…. I'm drinking more tea instead of coffee with creamer…. I breathe through my nose more because if I open my mouth I cough up a lung….

I have to thank my mom, aka Saint Jane of Springfield, for helping out. I know I would not have recovered so quickly without her help and a huge thanks for taking care of Tri-Toddler Saturday night and letting me sleep. I truly did forget that there was a reason I don't give her microwaveable pizza at dinner time. Poor gassy baby…

Ooooh, on another news front, Tri-Hubby and I might be going on a second (or third?) honeymoon in March. Rumors are swirling that it might involve a certain southern city that I've always wanted to visit and is the location of my favorite novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil… Have you guessed it, yet? SAVANNAH. I'm gonna get me some deep-fried-Paula-Dean-don't-hold-the-mayo-or-butter-southern-home-cooking. Can you hear that?! It's the sound of my arteries clogging already!

In a related story, I plan to start doing at least 1 ten-miler a week starting very soon. :)

"It's good training" -Just Tri Me

Sick Days

Week 1 didn't go as well as planned...I got Strep Throat. Thought it was a sinus infection so I kept plugging along, life as usual. But by Wed. night I couldn't even swallow my own spit. Got a shot in the butt and some steriods from the emergency room doctor and I am in recovery mode. took the kids and dog out for a long walk today. It was warm and beautiful. Perfect for running but since I am still having swallowing issues decided it best not to run. It is always so hard getting back into a routine after taking a couple days off. First couple days are just about getting it done. Then I concentrate on quality workouts. Here is to a better next week!!!

Toto, We're Not in Hawaii Anymore...

This summer we moved back to DC after living in Hawaii for 2 ½ years. I hate going to the gym in January. It's so crowded and you have to fight for a spot in the classes. In Hawaii, when the gym got crowded in January, it was the push I needed to get outdoors and train. January - March - November, what was the difference? I did more running and swimming because I didn't want to fight for a spot in the classes, or fight for a treadmill or, worse, get to the gym to find out there were no more spots left at the daycare. Guess those days are over! I have no idea how I’m going to train in the cold weather. Any ideas? Thank goodness for UnderArmour Cold Weather gear. I also need some ideas for indoor training and cardio workouts for snow days when I can't even get to the gym.


Alright so here it goes, in writing, my goals this year are:

1. Finish a half-iron triathlon - and hopefully not require medical attention, but finishing is priority, of course


2.. Improve efforts with Tri-Toddler's potty training - I know this will make life easier, I just know it....
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Goals on the back burner for which I should not be held liable:

- Really, really, really try to enjoy running. If I could, I would switch the run distance and swim distance.
(- Do a marathon)
- Continue to improve my place in my age group. Last year I went from bottom to middle - woo-hoo!

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My biggest fear is getting kicked off the half-iron course. Hmph, this time last year my fear was getting eaten by a shark on the swim…


On a side note, I took on another Spin class at the gym. I'm really bummed because after I accepted, I found out I don't get free gym membership unless I teach 3 classes a week. Grrr. At least I get free babysitting while I teach (plus the half-hour I get there before class to do abs and sprints and the half hour after so I can work arms and more abs… he, he, he). I need a shirt that reads "Will Work For Free Babysitting" … and Nine West shoes. :)

"It's Good Training" -Just Tri Me