Tourist Season

That's right!  It offically tourism season....the season in which all the bikes in spin class will be cluttered by people who have no intention of remaining there more than 2-3 weeks, the season where the step classes will be so jam packed that the a/c will cease to be effective, the season of treadmills clogged by those walking 2.5 mph and yapping to their friend about how "bad" they were last night when they ate that second slice of carrot cake...This is the time of year I dread most.  My gym is packed and therefore my patience is minimal.  By February these tourist have usually forgotten about their "goals" and all gone back home to resume their normal routine and that's when my serious training can begin!  I'm not saying that I don't appreciate them giving their money to our hard working personal trainers or signing up for a gym membership they won't use, therefore supporting the efforts to continually maintain and increase the quality of the equipment.  I'm just saying, I think I'll do my working out at home in January, this will alleviate some of the headache I get by going to the gym and not being able to do a normal routine b/c everything is FULL! 

I actually make resolutions sometimes too, but this year there are only two....do an Olympic Distance Tri and Podium SOMETHING! 

Rock on!  Here's looking ahead! 

Christmas recap

Wow! Just realized my last post was on the 17th! This month FLEW by.  I think I logged 6 work outs too.  See, here's the deal....I hosted Christmas. I hosted both my family and my husbands and they all stayed at our house.  My reward for this was a big family Christmas and loss in fitness.  So good and bad. 
I'm now under about 12 inches of snow with no way to get out of my house.  I have a little bike trainer I'm borrowing but that gets boring b/c I can't follow my distance and speed, I thought about buying the same spin bike my gym has, but that thing cost $1500!!!!  I'm also looking at treadmills, but again, I don't know what I need b/c Mike will be pounding out speed and distance training for the Half and I'll be at least pumping out distance, so we can't just go to Walmart, you know? 

I'm frustrated to say the least, but hopefully with him taking the week off we can solve this issue of the "at home gym".

Hope everyone had a merry Christmas!  Santa brought me new bike components!!!!  I basically got a new bike!!! 

Lazy or Busy?

It's Friday.  I've had my second workout of the week today.  What the?!?! 
This is not me! 

I worked out on my trainer for like the first time EVER!  How does that work?  I need gear tips. What's the best kind?
I'm working out on a friend's trainer and I'm not feeling like it's right.  I was breathing hard and sweating, but I need to gauge...I need numbers!  I want to know distance, speed, etc.  I'm a numbers gal.  That's why I have an overpriced Garmin!  I NEED NUMBERS! 

So back to the "workout".  I watched Human Target on Hulu.com and so I guess I did 45 minutes of cardio. I don't know how good or bad I did and I feel like I'm sinking under the Holiday pressure b/c I can't get these workouts in AND we've had school canceled 4 out of 5 days this week!  Sheesh!  What's the deal??  I'm not running outside either, we're covered in snow and it's been under 20 degrees (40 is my limit).  I'm hoping after the holidays things will even out.  We're going to PA this weekend and our hotel has a gym.  I'll get on the treadmill some hopefully. I'm just tired of these pitiful workouts! 

Wow! I must be a south pole elf!

What to do!

Oh geez! I have not posted in so long.  That would be mainly because I've been out of the gym!  I've been at home playing Santa's elf for 4 days!  Okay, part of the reason I've been home is because it's been dumping snow on us.   It's pretty hard to be motivated to get out in this blizzard-like weather.  I've been asking my husband for a treadmill for 3 years.  He doesn't want one in the house, LOL!  Oh well, guess we'll be moving the trainer for the bikes inside. 
I'm going to attempt to get to the gym today. It's (with wind-chill) -10 below.  I'm a bit sick of being inside and sledding in the frigid temps is out.

In the winter months I'm not working out nearly as hard or as long or as often. I would LOVE some tips on what we triathletes should be doing on our "off season".  I'm just not sure.  Should we stay in shape like normal, keep training hardcore?  What?  I know it's the season to work on our weakest sport (ie. swimming), but how much should we be doing?  I don't want to burn myself out, but I don't want to get lazy either.  Where's the balance?  Is there a secret off-season training guide I've missed? 

Well, off to battle the day!

Ranting

I have a bit of a rant built up inside, but I'll start by saying that I'm slacking!  Big Time! Here's why....All that "holly jolly" that goes in to Christmas is produced my MAMA!  I have been decorated, putting away, sewing, cooking, cleaning, repeat.   I'm finding that squeezing in a 1/2 mile swim or a 4 mile run is a bit of a chore in and of itself right now.  So if I have a love handle or two in January just look away. I'll get it in gear.   I have faith.

Okay, on to my rant.  I went out yesterday NOVEMBER 29th and went shopping for Christmas decorations.   I walk into Lowes and the place has very little VERY little decoration but plenty of storage junk. I went to Kohl's...pick over.  Then to Hobby Lobby...a garden aisle now replaces the Christmas hobby aisle...seriously, what the ?#$@??  I am wildly frustrated about the fact that if you don't shop Black Friday (which I don't b/c I'm not crazy) you don't shop!  It's like, okay, black friday is over, so Christmas shopping is over?!?! Well I've got news for Black Friday. I went online that day hoping to score some deals and this Barbie Digital Nail Printer that Samantha is talking non-stop about was $140 originally and went up to $199 on Black Friday! Seriously, it's a scam!  I'm just now decorating. It's NOT EVEN DECEMBER!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh, okay, I actually feel better.  But one more thing...I think the Salvation Army bell people are getting hostile and I'm pretty sure the pitch of that dang bell is getting higher.   So walking in and out of stores they get closer to you and ring the bell louder and faster.  I'm exhausted.  But still have shopping to do so wish me luck.  I'm sure there's going to be a few more rants to come. 

Any ideas for my husband for Christmas are greatly appreciated! 

I'm Thankful

I'm so incredibly thankful for my family.  I needed to say that on Thanksgiving.  I'm blessed and know it.  I know that I'm also only given what God intends me to have and I thank him everyday that he intended these wonderful people for me.

  I am currently in Smith Mountain Lake, VA for Thanksgiving and LOVE it here.  There is a great sprint tri here in May and an international distance in September, btw.  This year all I made were the pies, so I am happy to just sit, relax, and listen to my husband, daughter, and mother in law playing Toy Story 3 Yahtzee. 
I've been struggling with my attitude and the kick back from my win at Saturdays indoor Sprint Tri.  I'm resolved that I'll never truly find peace with it, but I will one day look back and realize how strong I am.  I will be sitting in my nursing home one day reminiscing the glory days and speaking fondly of my "win".  So I will (today) be thankful for my strength. 

Mike and I went for a little 3 mile run this morning to get ready for turkey, stuffing, APPLE PIE, sweet potatoes, the works.  It was in the 40's and I had some asthma issues, but my knee felt good.  I have to say, the best part of the run is getting to do it with my best friend.  He's so awesome and our little running "dates" remind me.  I'm thankful for a very happy marriage. 

I'm thankful for so much, but these things are what I was sitting there smiling about today. Just needed to share.

Who says that?

Today was disappointing.  I think that would put it mildly.  You'd think coming off a win that I'd be feeling like I can walk on clouds...nope.

I show up at the Y today, feeling a little under the weather as I have been for a week now.  I show up and go directly to the time sheet to see my times from the race. Good news! I came in 3rd over all!  I am super proud of myself in that respect.  Just last year I came in second to last.  I feel that personally (even out of race shape) that I'm doing a really good job.  I feel like I am a bit behind in the off season, but who cares, I'm still placing!  Well there is a very important person in my life (I will not name names), but as I was looking at my sheet I mentioned that I was feeling proud of how fast I'm getting, well this person said, "you have a lot faster to get too".  I was stunned...WHO SAYS THAT???  Well then this person proceeds to point out that even though I won over all female (by less than a minute, btw), that it was on a mere technicality b/c April had the bike course wrong.  Then....this person proceeded to follow that statement up with, "sorry to burst your bubble."  You can probably understand why I left after fighting back tears and 1/2 mile on the treadmill.  I couldn't look at anyone.  I felt miserable.  I'm easily offended so this was like stabbing me in the face!

So I'm going to go to bed and scream into my head all night.

Please, if you mentor someone, don't be a jerk :)

An undeserved win

Yesterday I did an indoor triathlon.  I have to start by saying that I won overall female...this is important b/c I beat out April, the girl I look up to and train with and who always keeps me movin'.  I am not sure the results entirely as I haven't seen times, but we were within seconds of each other!  She's a phenomenal athlete...placed third overall for the women at the Charlie Williamson Memorial Triathlon here in WV.  We're both out of race shape, but love to compete with each other.

I said the first part b/c I'm wildly disappointed in myself. I was so lackadaisical about this race, I wasn't feeling well the night before and didn't even think I'd go.  I had no butterflies, no excitement, and I was really under the weather.  Yet I won.  I feel the win is undeserved per my attitude.  There were several first time racers there and I felt like their attitude deserved them more of  a win than I ever did! 

On the other hand...I did have fun :)  Maybe I'll do the next one, maybe not, but whatever I do I better carry a better attitude to go with it.  I may never win another race, so I wish this came with more intensity.
I'm hoping to post some pics eventually, we'll see! 

It's my party and I'll tri if I want to

Today is my 33rd birthday.  I feared and fought my 30's to the skin of my teeth, I went into them balling my eyes out and lying in bed all day, even the diamond earrings from my sweet husband couldn't mend the heartache I felt for the loss of my 20's.  Well let me tell you what....I'm waaaay more awesome now, LOL!  I'm a tried and true triathlete.  I'm also the wife of a very competitive triathlete.  My daughter wants to be a triathlete!  I've come so far from the days of thinking that a workout was 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer at level 4.  I actually feel like a different person.  AND I'm 10 pounds lighter!  I'm thinking the 30's ain't so bad.  

So, Some people think having a birthday is an excellent excuse to go nuts and eat cake and do whatever they want...well I'm one of those people.  Only I didn't want a cake on my birthday.  But what I did want was much more decadent and much more taboo.....The all mighty Chick Fil A  Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake (insert angelic singing here).

However, the calories on one of the small little treasures is over 600 !!! What???? Yup, 660 to be somewhat exact.  So my friend Andrea and I decided we'd "earn" one. We woke up this morning and got to the gym and ran 3 miles on the treadmill.  Then we were going to take a spin class to do the biking and that was a good thing b/c I ended up needing to teach the spin class, I'm a pretty brutal teacher.  After the hour long torture I put us through in there (about 16-20 miles and countless hills) we got in the pool and did 500meters (don't laugh we were TIRED).  I now know why we swim first in triathlons....sheesh! 

We then felt as though we earned that delicious, creamy, sugary, fatty, yumminess.  I ate the entire thing!!!!  Okay, it was a small, but whatever!  It was awesome!  Who needs cake? Seriously?

I think I need to put this birthday as a gold standard birthday.  I should always do a triathlon on my birthday, what a great way to make sure I'm still alive!

HIIT Me Baby

I went to Ohio this weekend.  Ohio actually HAS stuff there!  Like malls, RUNNING STORES, restaurants, awesome gyms, etc!  I went to Clevend and went with our friends to their gym (can't remember the name) and did a class called HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  I don't know how to explain this, but I guess it's like crossfit or P90X or insanity, but it's in an gymnasium with other people which makes you work harder.
I have had sore legs today and yesterday (did the class Satureday), but during the class I didn't exactly feel like I was overwhelmed.  We did a lot with the Bosu ball and I had the up the intensity on some of the stuff b/c I knew we were only doing that 45 minute class and I'm use to going for a lot longer and don't like to "waste" workouts.  Do I sound like a snob?  Not trying to, I'm actually just really in to challenging myself.  I am working against NOT being an athlete for 29 years and then being one for only the past 2 or 3.  I love  my workouts, I covet them.  I'm a little stingy with the time I have to do them.

So Friday I ran about 3 miles, little soreness in my knee, but I'm feeling a lot better! The HIIT was a little stressful on my inner thighs, but I wasn't put out of the game for it.  Today was PITIFUL! Waste of time!  20 minutes on the elliptical trainer and some arms and abs and back, but seriously poor weight training. But got the grocery shopping done!

So, what are we eating the week before binge-fest 2010 Thanksgiving?
Well I'm eating some of that rockin' Kashi Go-Lean with Protein cereal for breakfast!  It's great with about 1/2 cup of blueberries on it!  Eating open faced tuna sandwiches too.  Dinners are fish or chicken mainly, but I throw in a variety of sides and try to cook stuff up differently.

Here is a little bit more labor intensive breakfast, but wow!
Pumpkin Spice French Toast

1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
VERY SMALL sprinkle of nutmeg
2 eggs
3 egg whites
6-8 slices of whole wheat bread

In a bowl mix all the ingredients except for the bread.  I find the a stick blender or regular blender is very helpful to make this smooth! Pour into a pie plate.  Set aside
Heat nonstick skillet with cooking spray or butter on medium.
Dredge a slice of bread through the pumpkin mixture and then transfer to the skillet immediately.  Repeat with the next slices and fit what you can into your skillet.  Cook them thoroughly on each side.

I like to put a small pat of butter on them and then just about 1 Tablespoon of agave nectar.  You could get crazy and sprinkle pecans (or another nut) and crasins on them! 

I'm kinda digging through recipes and trying to really get some good Clean ones out, so hopefully I'll keep up with the recipes, but please keep in mind that these are not loaded down with sugar, salt, and fat, so some of the flavors will not be a favorite, but I feel like if you eat this way long enough you will change WHAT you like and your body will thank you!

Food for thought

Wow! I just read this really bizarre article in "Cooking Light" magazine.  It was just a graph really, not a full article, but it went through a time line of the day on Thanksgiving where the person preparing the meal was "sampling" as she went and by the time dinner was served she'd "sampled" over 700 calories!!!!   That was NOT including any meals eaten. It was just a lick of the frosting here, a bite of the bacon there, a bit handful of marshmallows, etc.  But what was so insane was that the little nibbles she took were no more than what I do when I'm cooking! It just made me think about that lick of the knife when making my daughters PB&J! Hmmm....

So anyway, I was really sore from getting back into running and since I have loads of Christmas orders for Milkshake Baby I decided to take Wednesday off (that and Sam was getting out of school early).  Today I furthered my leg rest and worked on my swim.  I did 25 laps in a 25meter pool where 1 lap is 50meters.  I did not just swim, I SWAM!  I was working my lats today, yup, that was how I got my strength training in. 

I've got my first indoor triathlon coming in November, but I haven't really been training, so we'll see.  I mean, I've just been working out, but not doing interval training, brick training, yada yada yada.  I'm wondering if I'll even place...LOL!!!! I'm wondering if I'll care when I don't! Ah! Scary thought!

As far as eating, well, I was doing REALLY well today, not even craving sweets, until I went to Sam's Club and walked through their stupid sampling aisles..ugh!  Yup, I bought the cookies I tasted AND ate one on the way home!!! I'm all messed up. I working on it, actively!

Here's a great dessert recipe if you're trying to get off sweets, but are dying, much like I am.

1 large or 2 small Granny Smith Apples, cut, peeled, cored, and cubed
1 Tablespoon Craisins (or raisins)
Generously sprinkle of cinnamon
Less than 1 Tablespoon of raw sugar (yes, it's not much better than white, but it makes me feel better)
1/3 cup lowfat frozen yogurt
1 Tablespoon granola (I HIGHLY recommend Cascadian Farm)

In a small microwave safe bowl, combine apple, craisins, cinnamon, and sugar.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on your "vegetable" setting (about 1-2 minutes if you don't have one).
Spoon the hot, yumminess into a mug (this will make you feel much better about the smaller serving size), and top it with the frozen yogurt and the granola. 

It's not perfect, it's not apple crisp, but it sure does help my craving.  Plus your getting your all-too-important fiber, some bone strengthening calcium, and a little less guilt! Enjoy!

A beating and a recipe

Failing miserably at my attempt to reduce my sugar intake.  I walked in the door after a 3.75 mile run, and 3 trips to the store and let my hunger consume me...I went for the sugar cookies (only 2, but still)!  Ugh! Then my husband brought me a mini blizzard after his trip to Lowes, and while I only ate half it felt terrible.  You see, I'm a very healthy person (or attempt to be) but sugar is my weakness! If I can past the initial "detox" of it I'm usually good, but this time of year with all the candy and available "treats" and the fact that I loooove to bake, well, you see the trouble.  My abs are history right now.  I'm running slower and haven't even entered the pool in almost 2 weeks.  Okay, hopefully my post later this week will find me feeling a little more in control.  In the meantime, here is a little clean snack that has been helping me through this week,

1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
7 almonds
1/2 banana (or 1 whole small)
1 tsp agave nectar

Crush up the almonds in a baggy using a rolling pin, slice the banana, mix all the stuff together.  Eat it guilt free!  Your body will will enjoy the low glycemic sweetness of the nectar and protein of the cottage cheese.  The banana will replace electrolytes and the almonds will make your skin pretty ;)

Back to the Run

Well I've been running again for about a week.  It is AMAZING how quickly one loses the ability to run.  I have been struggling with leg strength and speed this whole week.  I did a mile, then 3 miles, then 2 miles, then another 3 miles last week. I did this along with my spin classes. I didn't swim..whoops.  Today I did around 4ish miles.  I'd know for sure, but my Garmin is still lying dormant, ugh, I've GOT to remember to recharge it! 

Another thing I've been struggling with is candy!  The Halloween stash around my house has been killing me!  I'm not into junk food, but that doesn't mean I'm not human and don't crave it!  I think I'll have to chunk it.  I hate being wasteful, but really, what good does candy do for your body?  I've been thinking about cutting out sweets cold turkey just to get the craving to subside.  Boy, this is day one and it is HARD!  I've been eating relatively clean, but I miss my fruits and in season veggies!  Fall/Winter is rough on my snacking habits.  And although I picked about 10 gallons of blueberries this summer I have gone through that so quickly! I'm almost out :(. 


Gonna run more tomorrow and maybe Wednesday, but Thursday I'm getting in the pool and Friday I'm heading to Ohio to hang with my some friends so that might include more running, we'll see. I'm not interested in over-stressing my body. 

Winter!

Yup, it's that time of year! 

Swim lesson

Today I got in the pool and attempted a swim lesson for a friend of mine from church.  I fear I was more hindering than helpful.  I have bad habits (my "coach" tells me he wants to cut off my left arm because I can't enter the water correctly on that side) and I am really slow, but I am also far from denying a friend assistance.  I figure perhaps in my whirlwind of information there might be a piece of wisdom in there. 

I got into the water and it was like a dream!  I was surrounded by fellow triathletes (which ALWAYS get the motivation flowing) and the swim team had forgotten to take down their lane lines, so we had 4 lanes!!!  It was awesome!  I didn't do much of my own working out but I had fun doing some drills! 

So basically I just told her to how to use the pull buoys, the swim paddles and how to roll to breathe. It was HOPEFULLY productive, but at least we had fun :) 

The Pit of Despair

Today was a pretty fun/intense ride.  I went with a friend and she has a hybrid bike, so we paced it pretty slow, but let me paint a mental picture ( I might go out and photograph this place soon just b/c it's sooooo pretty)...

You go to a fairly unassuming road that has almost a 2% decline, ride about 200 yards and then your decline starts to DECLINE!  You're thinking "crap! How far down are we going?! And can I get back out??!!" .  You come to the bottom of this first downhill after about 1/8 of a mile and cross a really pretty wooden bridge that crosses a beautiful little creek...however...you never see the creek b/c you become immediately distracted by the seemingly 900% grade on the hill in front of you!  And did I mention that there is very little speed to be made from the giant downhill due to TWO hair pins at the bottom of the road?

I'd go on, but I can see that this will become a VERY long story and so I'll cut to the meat and potatoes... The ride goes like that for 3 miles to the end and then 3 miles back out (there are NO shortcuts), well we thought we'd be rock stars and do that stinkin' thing twice.  For the mathematically impaired, that's 12 miles total.  You're thinking, "12 miles, HA! I could do that in 30 minutes!"  It took us over an HOUR!!!!  Now I mentioned she was on a heavier bike, but I'm not gonna lie, I think the ol' heart-rate was peaking on my end for sure!  I didn't count the hills, so I need to do that.  I'm also going to bring my Garmin when I go again to see the grade percentage and what the heck my poor heart is doing, and that speed thing would be interesting too, but the crazy turns back it almost impossible to start the uphills off a down.  I might bring Mike so we can PR it and see how long it takes at a race pace.  I'm pretty sure tomorrow is an off or light day :)

Swimmin'

Did a pretty decent swim today.  It's amazing how quickly you can get a full workout it with no one around to talk to you (I have a love hate with this).  I did this:

200m warm up
200m paddles
200m pull buoy with paddles
200m pull buoy only
100m kick board (b/c I HATE this)
6 x 200m race pace with 1-2 min rest between each 200

I've got a hand problem I'm trying to work on right now, so I do a lot with the paddles.  I'm putting my hand in heel first.  I'm starting to feel like a golfer when I work on fine tuning stuff like this.   I'm not seeing any vast improvements, but I'm working.  Tomorrow my friend Andrea and I are hoping to get outside for a pretty rough (but beautiful) bike ride that will total 12 + miles but is littered with hills designed by the devil himself!  More on that tomorrow hopefully! 

Seriously?! Seriously?!

So I guess we're going to up the game....

My husband has done only sprint distance triathlons (as have I).  Well I was hanging around the gym chit chatting (which I'm exceptionally good at, btw) and a friend of ours asked if I would be interested in doing a half iron distance...IN MAY!!!  What??!!!!  Okay, well, that was my reaction, my husband's reaction was, "heck yeah!".  So he's in I guess.  They're doing White Lake in NC in May.  I'm pretty sure that neither one of us knows how to get him ready, but someone is going to get a lot of money in bike components from the Evans! 

I'm just hoping to get through my first Olympic distance by the end of the season!  I'm also hoping to finally get through my first half marathon too. 

Well the USAT Triathlon magazine informed me that my two day a week swims "aren't cutting it". My question is how on earth do I fit these 3 sports into one already jam packed week?  I'm waiting to find this secret.  If I were a better athlete I'd consider hiring a program coach, but they're too expensive and I'm too old.

Here is what I'm hoping to get through this week:

3-4 swims with drills (that I'm hoping to find on the internet)
1 outdoor bike ride
1 spin class
1 upper body and 1 lower body weight training work out.

Now, if I throw in some rest days, ugh, I'm looking at a hard core week. 

Tri TV

It's been over a week since I posted and seriously, not much has changed.  There was this little race in Kona over the weekend, may have heard of it.   I was so excited to watch it and then ended up in Nashville, TN venue shopping for my sisters wedding instead.  That's okay.  It's going to come on TV in TWO MONTHS??!!!!  What is that about???  Haven't we triathletes earned televised coverage yet?  Seriously!  It's like waaaaaayyyyy harder than football, basketball, baseball, and soccer COMBINED!  These people are super human and yet we're watching guys with muffin tops hit each other for 2-4 seconds at a time...ugh! Okay, I do like football, but I'm having a sour moment about it taking up tri-time. 

Well I'm still sorta sick.  I'm very weak right now, my knee is shot and I'm just choosing not to worry about it.  I'll get back in the game. I've got goals....Olympic distance goals....!!!!  I've also decided that should I get through another season or two I might entertain the idea of a 1/2 iron.  Hmmm.... guess we'll see about that. :)

Beckley 5K Race Report

Beckley Half Marathon - 5K Race Oct. 2, 2010

Woke up this morning and although I was highly depressed and didn't want to get out of bed because I was SUPPOSE to be doing a Half Marathon, I got up and did the 5K and went out to support my husband in his venture into his first Half.

I haven't run since Friday, been sick, to the doctor (blood work, the whole nine yards), and been depressed and stressed since I found out I couldn't run.  Well I got my clothes on, butt in the truck and didn't even care that I forgot my Garmin...it was only 3 MILES!  I got a little better attitude when I saw the other racers, but still felt like a goober because I was in the group with a bunch of runners and walkers and then had to stand on the sideline for the Half Marathoners to start.  Ugh!  Torture!  Well we lined up 5 minutes after the racers of the Half took off.  I was in the front because I felt like it and didn't want to be playing tag getting around walkers.  I stayed toward the front as the race began, but inevitably there's always the group that starts off sprinting and they, of course, passed me.  About 200 yards into the race the fact that it was 37 degrees started catching up with me.  I COULDN'T MOVE!  It was awful!  I couldn't get my legs to go any faster than a jog, literally! It was weird.  I thought that feeling would wear off and it did NOT!  I got a teensy bit looser by about mile 2, but still felt bad.  I felt a little better about the fact that I was now passing the "starting line sprinters" by the 10's, but  I was at about mile 2 1/4 and this thug-kid wouldn't let me pass him, seriously, the little sh&# was swerving and looking back to make sure I couldn't!  You almost got to see a 32 year old woman knock out a 15 year old kid (Mike says I should have kicked his shoe to throw his pace, LOL!)!  Little booger needs to learn some racing rules.  Oh! He was also spitting....if that had hit me I'd have probably spanked him!   So I got to 1/4 mile out (knee hurting, body still recovering from being sick) and decided I wouldn't sprint. The finish was downhill and I was NOT going to do that to my knee, so I said "so be it" and just paced myself into the finish...this cost me the 1st place in my age group title.

Moral of the story is...don't suck.   I don't know what's wrong with my knee, why I was sick, and why I can't find motivation under any of the rocks I'm flipping over.  I wasn't into this race today.  I can't believe I've dignified this with a blog, but I need to remember these.  I need to learn from them.  I need to figure out what the heck is wrong with my knee.

My pitiful, non-PR stat was 25:33 for a 5K.  Ugh!

And...I'm out

It's been a cruddy week. I've made the hard, irritating decision to drop the half marathon.  My knee is not happy and where it was taking 3 miles to feel it, it's now only taking 1.  I have no swelling, redness, etc, but I'm not feeling good at all about it.  My coach tells me that there are other half marathons and to NOT tear myself up over this one.   Depending on when you ask me, I might be okay with it, but last night I dreamed that my husband was doing a triathlon and I couldn't even complete a 5K...I was devastated....of course that same 5K course in my dream included a repelling section...

The race is next week and while he is doing the half marathon, I'm going to do the 5K.  I won't place which is a bummer b/c I'm not fast enough, but I guess it's something to do.  I'm not running all week b/c it's the one thing I'm perfectly trained for and don't need to to more.  I will do other things- swim, bike, elliptical- but not run.

This week I did this:
Monday- walked steep hills for 2 miles then did some TRX (google this it's pretty cool)
Tuesday- did an awesome bike ride with some friends..I should actually blog about this by itself.
Wednesday- took my first day off in a week.
Thursday- went to run 3 miles outside, got 1.5 into it and was so dizzy I thought I was going to pass out, so I walked home (1.5 miles).
Friday- got new shoes (4 pair), got on the treadmill and ran a mile in each one to choose the perfect shoes (more about this later).  Then did some TRX (seriously, google this!)
Saturday -So sick I couldn't even walk around.
Sunday - still sick, really icky stuff. Probably explains the weird dizzy spell I had on Thursday.

This week will be another low profile week.  It's weird to have trained and trained for a race only to drop it.  This is a new experience for me.  It's making me feel like a quitter, I hope I'm not, I'm 32 years old and not interested in filing some of my best upcoming racing years under "had to have knee surgery".  I'm going to be smart about this and hopefully that will suppress the overwhelming sense of failure.

Finally!

I am FINALLY posting...it's been over a WEEK!  I had that low you get after coming off a great race.  I have been super dooper busy at my store too! I did get a little bit of training in this week. Monday I taught a spin class and did weights.  I've been slacky about those weights and I've been LOVIN' my husbands birthday cake...does NOT mix.  Tuesday I ran at home.  That was an interesting one...I set out to do 5 miles, a mile in, I decided I hated the shorts I was wearing, my ipod was too heavy, my cell phone was still in my hand and getting irritating, and so went back by my house and dropped everything but the Garmin and set back out.  At mile 3 my left knee started hurting so I stopped 4 miles in.  Wednesday was an off/ run errands day.  Thursday was suppose to be a run day with April, but she ended up busy so I swam a mile! Slowly but surely!  Friday I just had time to teach spin before I had to get back home and clean for the in-laws coming in town.


Yesterday my husband and I set out for an 11 miler.  3 miles in I was almost crying in pain from my left knee.  We were still 2 miles away from the car and walking didn't seem to hurt, so we walked, talked, and had a fun "date". I'm so unbelievably frustrated with my knee though.  I have a 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks and I've only ever hit 10 miles.  This is getting hairy.

I've ordered 6 pairs of shoes to try (we have NO running stores in this area...I've mentioned it's the 2nd fattest state in the nation, right?!)  and see if that's it.  Pain in the past has always been corrected by my shoes...please pray!!!1

Today I wanted to test my theory of slowing down and walking the downhills.  I ran/jogged/walked 3 miles in my hilly neighborhood at no faster than 10 min miles.  My knee had that, "careful, I could get irritated" twinge to it, but I got through the exercise. 

Oh boy.  Let's see what this week has in store!  I hope I am better soon. R.I.C.E!!

Chuck Smith 10K Race Report

Today Mike and I ran in the Chuck Smith 10K in Beckley, WV.  Everyday this week has been sunny and 70's, naturally it was 50's and drizzling today.  I'll be honest, I think that's why I did so well.  You see, I lived in Alabama for 7 years and HATE the heat...almost as much as I HATE open water swimming!  Give me a ski resort and keep your beach!  I need the cold weather.  Well...I need it,but I could have done without the drizzle.

So we started off and I watched the Garmin to make sure I didn't sprint out of the gate (my downfall).  There weren't too many 10K women runners, but it's nice to have competition!  So I kept my pace between 8 and 9 minute miles and watched my back and ended up coming in first overall female!  Kinda rocked!  It was my longest running race every and I am just happy I did so well.  I wanted to hit 54:00 and ended up with 51:42!!!  There really are no words for how you feel during an actual race!!

I did have some violent knee trouble about mile 3 and worried I'd have to drop the race, but I prayed and ran and prayed and ran and then before I knew it, I was done!  I'm feeling like crud now, but hopefully some ibuprofen, ice, and rest will help.  Guess I won't be doing my 11 mile run tomorrow...grrr.

I am also so proud of my spin class chica's who rocked the 5K!! They are working so incredibly hard and I'm so incredibly proud.  They hung back and watched me get my trophy....despite the freezing cold rain trying to run us off.  What a good race!

Chelsea

I did some just plain old swimming yesterday.  It felt good.  No timing, no counting, just 35 or 45 minutes of laps.   I felt pretty slow, so on some I stepped it up, but I just enjoyed myself.

Today I taught spin and then worked tri's, shoulders, and abs.  It was a pretty easy workout, but I do wonder if that's now because I'm in much better shape.  I certainly hope that's the case!

Tomorrow Mike and I are racing in a 10K running race.  It's my furthest running race and I'm NOT excited.  It's good for me though; switch it up.

Well in other news, my sister (see pic - she's the short one, muah ha ha ha!!!!) has decided she's put on too much weight and is now wanting me to help her get it off.  I  have given her the first rules:  1. It's 80% diet.  Watch what you eat, eat clean, eat often.  2.  MUSCLE.  Put it on.  It burns more calories that fat, protects your musculoskeletal system, and you CAN'T get too muscle-y unless you commit to it and work extremely hard for JUST that.  3.  Make it a lifestyle. If you're just "visiting" the healthy-zone, you're not committed and you'll fail.  Make it the way you live. Let the prepackaged snack foods and couch potato behavior become foreign to you.

So now she's got me sending her a diet plan.  For the record, I HATE the word "diet".  I'm basically telling her to load up on the protein and add some complex carbs for breakfast.  Light snack of a lean protein and fruit mid morning; Big salad/veggie serving with some good proteins and fatty acids for lunch; some carbs to power through mid afternoon (good complex carbs) along with a bit of lean protein again; small balanced dinner.  She can treat herself to something light for dessert, but it's a good idea to remove sugar from the diet!

Hopefully she'll stick to all of this, start subscribing to good, clean magazines like Clean Eating, Eating Light, and Oxygen (hmmm Christmas ideas) and make this the way she rolls!!! 

Okay, and a side note...the picture of us was from Christmas.  I couldn't find a recent picture of her.  This is what she wants to get back to!

Intentions

Monday I had a half sick, half tired little girl on my hands and since there was no school and I didn't want to pawn her off on a neighbor or sitter, I didn't workout.  I could have figured out the trainer on the bike or done a P90x video, but I just threw in the towel and cleaned house and played with her. 

I got up Tuesday morning and put my swim gear on with the intent to head to the pool...then I caught a glimpse of myself in the suit and wanted to cry!  My muscles! Waaaah!  Where are they??  So I changed into gym clothes and decided on a good, hardcore, heavy lifting day.   When I got to the gym, April grabbed me for a quick 3 mile run...legs still felt like lead from Sunday's 10 mile run!  Ugh!  After that I did a hearty round of lats, bi's, and abs!  Felt good too. 

This morning I woke up with the intent to go on a bike ride with my friend Andrea...well it rained last night and we weren't sure if it meant to continue and since I don't get paid to do this stuff we scrapped it. I haven't done anything today and I'm still plenty sore from my day yesterday. So I'm now counted for having actually worked out 2 days in the last 5!!!!  Gotta love holiday weekends :) 

I've got a race on Saturday anyway. It's a 10K, but it's the furthest running race I've done. I'm actually interested in how I do, but not nearly as excited as if I were doing a triathlon...do they have a Triathletes Anonymous?   I think I might have a problem.  

Tomorrow is a swim and then tri's and shoulders and ab's (again).  I'm suppose to do legs, but with a race coming, I guess that's stupid.  I also have to make room to teach spin on Friday.  So for the next 3 days I'm going to move my lazy butt!

The first double digit-er

"Ran" 10 miles today.  Why "ran"?  Because I did so with my friend who is much slower, so it was more of a run/jog.  She tried to walk a couple of times...there would be none of that on my watch, LOL! She and I did a 10-11min/mi pace for 7 miles.  That was wildly helpful for me since I usually come out of the gate under 9min/mi for the first 2-3 miles...not good if you're trying to sustain distance and are already a poor runner.  So running with her got me to keep a slow pace for a bit.  I went on by myself for the last 3 miles and did it around 9:15 min/mi pace, not fast, but doable.  I told you I'm having foot trouble, well this run didn't aggravate it as much as the last time when I did 9, but I think it's thanks to the slower pace.

During the race I'm going to try to keep b/t 9-10min/miles.  I know, I know, why not just walk it!  Well it's my first 1/2 marathon and it's not like I'm trying to win anything...heck, I'll probably be one of the only women running it at all...it IS West Virginia! :)

Next Season

Okay, next season I'm going to schedule a tri for September.  I'm feeling like a bum.  I taught spin on Friday and decided on a day off.  I've been pretty tired for about 2 weeks now, so I'm just taking it a day at a time while still trying to get my mileage in.  I think if I had another tri to train for I'd have the kick in the pants I need to stay motivated. 

I had a yard sale today and the whole thing reminded me why I don't do yard sales :)  'Nuf said!

I'm going to HOPEFULLY get a run in tomorrow, a longer one.  I'd like to get up to 10 miles, but we'll see.  I NEED to be there, but the time/pain is always a bit of a challenge.  I'll have an update on how that goes later!

2 is better than 1

Great, slow run today.  Hmmm, "slow run", I seem to use that a LOT these days.  Well my feet are all messed up and I'm not "feelin' it" lately.  I might need a new pair of running shoes to soften my mood :)
Either way, my friend April (remember her from Tri training?) and I did a 10K loop with her little dog and it was way more fun running with a friend! Hopefully we'll get more of these in together.  We hold the same pace and have a lot to talk about, so it's a good time.  

Running on "E"

Boy, did I have a nasty workout yesterday.  I'm getting tired I think.  I've definitely reached critical mass on my burn-out-o-meter!  I don't know what I was setting out for yesterday, but I starting hurting when I only 2 miles in, so I went a whopping 3.25 miles and it took me about 30 minutes!!!  I just had to listen when my back cramped and my knee was yelling and throwing a fit. 

Today I did some strength training.  I did legs (yeah, yeah, not smart) and then did some sprints (only about a 1/4 mile total) and then 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.  I feel like I wasted an hour at the gym.  It's amazing how far I've come, this pitiful workout would have been considered a really good one 2 years ago! 

I'm very frustrated though.  I've been putting on a bit of body fat lately; not weight, but fat. I want more muscle, but I feel like I'm fighting against something and I can't figure it out.  I've not changed my diet and I'm still working out, but maybe not as long.  I really need to get that figured out.  I practice "Clean Eating", but that's a lifestyle, so you have to program for yourself.  I definitely recommend it, but it's a bit harder to get use to.  It is very much NOT American-diet friendly.

Run, Wendy, Run

I tend to take out my anger on whatever exercise I'm doing that day (I really need to take up kick boxing).  But I don't do gossipy, girly, drama-y things well and today was action packed with all of the above!  I was just going to run about 3 miles by the time I was able to get out because it was so hot, but I ended up having so much extra steam to let off that I did 5.  I also did a few pitiful lower ab exercises and some shoulders.  I need to FOCUS!  Oh well, I have 2-4 more runs scheduled this week and since I'm contemplating not teaching spin anymore I'm going to have to figure that out too.  Oh dear!  And by the way, can someone point me to the pool? 

Toy

As promised yesterday...pics of the new toy!  You see...we moved to West Virginia with only a front wheel drive vehicle and a 2x4 Xterra because we had been living in Alabama, we had no need and no need in the foreseeable future for anything with 4 wheel drive. We never thought we'd be living here, or anywhere with a bunch of snow!  Well last winter (our 3rd in WV) we had several FEET of snow, horrible winter, most snow on record for this area and while I drove it okay, I didn't have the ability to get out of my house some days.  This planted the seed that we finally needed to break down and get something sooner than later.  Sooo.....we did!

I need to get a better front pic.  But we ended up with a 2011 Toyota Tundra! LOVE IT! Drives so nicely!

New shoes?

I taught spin class today and then lifted tri's and bi's with my good friends' sadist body-building husband!  I felt so good that on the way home I contemplated going for a run when I got there. But the thing that stopped me was that my shoes are hurting!!!  I have foot problems as it is, and I have corrective orthopedic inserts that had to be made for me, but my feet have been swelling on my long runs and just straight burn by the end!!  I need to find some more shoes for sure, wider ones!   Ugh! I've been in Asics for about 2 years now and love them and hate Nike's, but I need something lighter and more breathable and with a wide toe, but a bit taller as my inserts add a slight amount of height.  Geez, wow I've gotten picky.  Well we'll see what I come up with. 

The husband and I did get a new toy today!  I'll get pics up tomorrow!

Well what now???

I am entering the "off season" of Triathlons.  I'm not scheduled for anymore outdoor ones and the indoor season isn't until November.  So now I'm training for a 1/2 marathon.  I'll be honest, this is not the funnest thing I've ever done.  I really, truly think I'm doing it for the car sticker and bragging rights (I live in WV...one of the laziest states in the US, so YES, 13.1 miles gets you bragging rights).  I really want to spend some more time on my bike, but I never go alone and there isn't a plethora of opportunity to do that around here, plus the days are rapidly shrinking.  I can assure you that I have vacated the open water for the season too! Bleh, hate it!  So now my question is, "how do I stay in shape"?  I don't want to burn myself out yet I don't want to lose my edge either.  Any and all suggestions welcome!

Right now I'm teaching spin classes for 45 minutes on M,W, F.  I am trying to get in 15-20miles/ week  running and I'm swimming about 1 day a week (yes, I plan to increase that number after the 1/2 marathon).  Brick workouts aren't something I like to do, but I don't know if I should save those for the season or continue them throughout the year and if so, how often?  I'd like to work on my strength training which I'm trying to do about 2 days a week, but sheesh, I've got a life too!  So maybe I'll get all this figured out.  Again, any and all suggestions welcome!

First day of the rest of our lives

Oh, boo.  Today was the first day of Kindergarten.  There wasn't any crying, but I didn't eat much all day and my workout was pitiful.  Apparently Sam didn't eat much either because she almost ate me out of the house when she got home! Here's the deal, I have been staying at home since she was born, aside from almost 2 years working PRN as a labor and delivery nurse.  But when we moved to West Virginia we decided that both financially and logistically me staying at home made the most sense....our closest family is 600 miles away!  So it's a bit hard to part with her for the biggest part of the day; to not know if she is eating all her lunch, playing well with others, or even keeping her nose clean.  I have done everything and now in one day I've given it over to another person.  It's extremely hard.  I know I shouldn't worry, but she's the only child we're having and all of the sudden she's starting, what feels like, the first part of the rest of her life! 

Okay, wiping tears and sniffles, I did actually make it solemnly to the gym.  I was going to do spin, but all the bikes were full, so I got on the treadmill and pushed out 2.5 miles. The first 1/2 mile was a warm up and then I did .5 race pace, then .25 sprint, .5 race pace, .25 sprint, then the rest race pace.  This worked me, but I had to beg myself to finish!  I then followed up with a VERY pitiful upper body strength training workout.  Geez, I need a trainer!

I didn't workout any yesterday b/c I was running around like a crazy person between getting Samantha to orientation and then running out to school supplies, yada yada yada.  

Did I hear a Niner in there?

Quick note, took Saturday off because we were stretched in 11 different directions (well b/t 2 parties) and there was just zippo time for running.  Sunday we bought the little one a new bike b/c the old one (bought LAST YEAR) got too small and went out to our giant YMCA soccer complex for her to ride with daddy and I got in 9 miles.  It was great! 

The last time I took my mileage that high I was pretty sore, but aside from learning I need wider shoes b/c I have weird blisters, I felt okay!  I did an nice average 9 min/mile and didn't push too hard, but I think I can push harder soon. 

This week I'm going to get the baby off to Kindergarten.  She's such a big girl!

Sushi and Beer

Have you ever had days where just about everything gets on your nerves?  You try to hold a good, positive attitude, but you fail miserably?  Well by the time I finally got running yesterday evening (about 7:30) I found I was running off everything from the day!  This will motivate and inspire speed,  but what a cruddy way to get there!

Mike (the super-speed husband) and I set out on our running "date".  I was fussy from my day already, but he told me he'd run my pace b/c there is a section we go on that is a little sketchy and I'd rather not turn up a statistic.  So we set out and he kept up with me, and then when he saw I fell behind on a hill I did what he always does, turns around and say, "are you doing okay?"....now I am so blessed to have such an attentive husband, but that is NOT how I saw his concern yesterday, I simply told him, "if you ask me that again on this run I'm going to get pissed and offended, so knock it off, you KNOW I'm slower than you, it's not a problem, it's just how it is"...I'm a gem, huh?!  No, I just think I took out my long events of the day on him and we were only about 1/2 mile into the  run, so the sweat, muscle fatigue, and burn hadn't kicked in yet.  I actually felt really bad about getting on him, I mean he WAS going at my pace after all, he could have kicked my butt and been finished with the whole thing by the time I round mile 4!  Oh, we were doing a 10K loop that is our next race.

Well we chilled out and went with our super cool neighbors to sushi afterwards and it was wonderful!!!!  It's kinda our thing...sushi.  We always ALWAYS go there, ever since we were just dating, and then before Samantha, it's so fun.  And when Dan and Ashley go, we just laugh the whole time!  I had a Saporo (did I spell that right?) with dinner last night.  It was in a can and about a beer and half size,  I think I realized after the 3rd time I fill my little mug up with the same can that I felt GREAT and my legs didn't hurt and I realized it was the first time I'd had a drink for about 3 weeks!  Holy cow!  Moral of the story is, sushi and beer make everything better :)

The stat's from this run were sans Garmin (plugged it in and left it at home, DOH!), but Mike timed us on his HR monitor.  I did the 10K loop in 51 minutes, but I got horrid stomach cramps and had to slow my pace for the last 3/4mile, I even walked some and prayed no one got to see me get sick!  Maybe I can do the run in under 50!  I'm not a fast runner, but I'm working hard.

Die tri-ing

Took two days off only to realize that I'm still sluggish.  I just did NOT have it in me on Tuesday and Wednesday, instead I sat in the theater on Wednesday and watched "Cat's and Dog's" with Sam and ate the candy corn she didn't eat, YUMMY (see I'm not totally unreasonable.  She gets candy sometimes)!   But sugar does nothing for me and my training so I put the bag down :( . 

Today I set out for a 5 mile run...set OUT for a 5 miler...it was doomed from the start.  My lousy new-ish socks kept creeping down my shoe, so at mile 1 I ran back to the house and changed them (threw out the others).  Set out again and I should have had another drink of water before leaving because I KNEW I hadn't had enough to drink...yup, mile 3.2 I had a cramp!  A CRAMP! What an annoying reason to lose speed.  So I slowed down to stretch it out and my already pitiful pace got even slower. I got to 3.75 miles and said, "forget it, 4 miles is enough", I stopped at 4 miles and it took me 39 darn minutes!  It was one of the slower workouts I've had in awhile. 

I came home and didn't even make it to my kitchen, I grabbed 2 waterbottles out of my Xterra and sounded like my lab when I was drinking them down!  I felt like a failure so I went in to be abused by Tony Horton and his evil Ab Ripper X.  I need to tone up some more, I let that go WAY slack getting ready for the last tri.  Beginnertriathlete.com had some info about training programs, any info I can get on whether those are worth the money would be wonderful! 

Epilogue:
April (my training buddy) and I were at the movies with the kids together yesterday, and during the latest preview for Nanny McPhee returns we started talking all crazy about training for an Olympic Distance tri for next season.....Oh Mercy!   I might die, but I'd die tri-ing, LOL!

Deep Thoughts

I went back to the gym today to and went directly to the pool!  I needed to go find the weights, my awesome-ish abs (okay that might be a stretch) and 11 inch biceps are going away because I spent the past 3 weeks "cramming" for my tri.  But after seeing my horrifying and disgraceful swim time I figured I'd just get started on what will inevitably be my focus over the winter months. 

I'm a slow swimmer, yes, but I'm not THAT slow, I'm not 25 minutes to finish 750 meters slow, so I have to think that since it wasn't panic and I wasn't being drowned by the Clydesdales, I must have added a great deal of distance by not swimming straight.  I was talking to a Michael Phelps-y kid at the Y and he thinks that's most likely what happened.  This leads to me to a deep thought...wait for it...Not enough emphasis is put on swimming that straight line!  I probably put a lacing around the triangle in the lake and therefore used up time, energy, and my ranking!  I need to really work my siting drills to avoid this in the future.  Maybe one day I'll open my eyes under that murky lake water (shudder...maybe not).

So here's what I did today.  Keep in mind that I'm over 30 and still recovering from Saturday's race...yes...after 30 your muscles hate you and your joints forget about lubrication.  Okay, here's what I did:
250m warm up
400m race pace
250m with training paddles
50m race pace
25m sprint
50m race pace
25m sprint
50m race pace
25m sprint

I did learn that there is not much difference b/t my sprint pace and race pace.  Darn.

For the next 6 weeks I'm diving into my 1/2 marathon training.  I'm too A.D.D. to do a full marathon, so I think I'll only get through a 1/2...let's face it..I'm only doing it to get the 13.1 sticker on my car :)

I did it!

Wow! That was intense.

Here is my recap for the Charlie Williamson Memorial Triathlon in West Virginia. It was a sprint tri with a 750m OWS in a very beautiful lake, 20K bike ride over amazingly tough hills, and a 5K run.

I should do this blog in the way that Caitlin Snow did her recap of the Providence 70.3. She did a stream of consciousness one her thoughts throughout the race.  I felt like it was very effective!  So I'll probably throw some of that in there too

Swim.  Race starts up and its waist deep (on rocks) in the lake start. I can't get in the front so when the gun goes I've got to wade until I can throw my face in without being pummeled by a leg or arm.  I have adrenanline and start thinking "I can do this!", then about 2 minutes in I realize I haven't sited the buoy... crap...it was way too far to my right, straightened back out, 2 minutes later, same thing.  6 minutes in I'm wondering if I can finish.  I'm tired, but I've swallowed so much water from the splashes that I'm also feeling sick.  I'm starting to freak out...okay, calm down...  I get to the buoy and struggle around it....site the next buoy, calm down...  I kept swimming and got in a pattern, looked up and realize that I'm too far to the left...again!  I stop and straighten back out....good, there's the house under construction, I'm going somewhat straighter.  I finally hit buoy 2 and then aim for the shore...crap, this dude is kicking me...shoot, he doesn't even realize it, oh! because he's doing the dang BACK STROKE!  Ugh! Okay pass him...am I the last one?  I look behind me and realize it's close but there are people behind me.  I finally hit the loading ramp for the lake and try to stand...nope too deep...just a few more feet! Sweet! Hard part done! Run up the ramp...feet c'mon, just do it!  Oh, hi mom! Cheese! 

Telling a friend about my daughter's neck, but without context it looks like I'm holding my neck out of panic, LOL!

Bike.  I hit T1 and have decided against my socks for the race, this is good, knocked time off T1.  I hear Noah, my friend's 3 year old yelling to me!.. Hi buddy!  You gonna chase me :) ?..  Grab the bike and I'm off... c'mon legs you can do it! I give the bystanders the thumbs up!  Then I hit hill 1....someone tries to fall in front of me...are you kidding? Already? ....Another chic almost goes down with her...geez I'm outta here, this is a mess...I speed past!  I hit hill 2 and realize how tired I really am.  I just start focusing on my pedals and breathing, and not vomiting.  I hit a few hills later and start struggling up it, see, this course has tons of hills, but the biggest are at the beginning. I'm on another hill and this girl is walking her bike (very common on this course), but an SUV pulls up next to her, they're talking, there isn't any room to go around her...are you KIDDING ME! It's a RACE!!! MOVE!!!....so I say "coming right", she says, "oh sorry, guess I should move"....duh!  Hit Edwards Drive, aka Vomit Hill, I am starting to understand this nickname! Oh no!...please don't throw up, please don't throw up, c'mon legs move the pedals, oh please dude walking your bike don't swerve, crap, gonna have to pass on his right!  "on (pant, pant). your (pant, pant). right (gag, pant)."  Top of the hill! Yes! Did it!  Wow there were a LOT of walkers, feelin' pretty good about ol' girl right now! I passed the T2 where there were a lot of spectators and saw some friends...Hi guys! Woo Hoo!...okay, crowd energy! I got this now!..  I turn for a long flat and slow hills.  I FINALLY get to the turn a turn around in a cul-de-sac...are you for REAL! I can't pass anyone! Oh CRUD!  I can't go this slow! Biking is the only thing I can do fast!  PLEASE MOVE! There are people on the left coming at me, slow pokes on the right not moving! I'm gonna cry!  Sweet, a hole, hit it...hard! Okay that sucked but I got to the final turn around at the top of a hill and just did it anyway. On the way back I saw 2 friends! Awesome! ....Hey guys!...I got to the one section of the course I had never done b/c we always went back to the lake instead of T2 (this race had 2 separate transition areas) during training.  This part was hardish, 2 big hills, but I kept hearing the crowd say "almost there! One more hill!"...well if that's all that's left, I'm standing on it!...I hit the turn in to T2...oh crap! Slow down.  Almost blew the dismount line, whew!...

Run.  Coming into T2 I was FIRST RACK! Yay!  I threw the bike on the rack, ripped off my shoes and started for the socks, oh my! My socks did NOT want to go on.  I did it anyway.  They had wrinkles, but who cares, it's only 3 miles, I could run with no shoes if I had to.  I almost forgot my visor, but got it on, grabbed my race belt and TORE out of T2!...Hey fam!  What's up neighbors!...I hit the road...what's the deal with my legs?  Why won't they move? Oh wait, they are moving.  Aren't they?  I need my Garmin!  I feel like I'm running at 10:30, wildly unacceptable.   Okay, speed up on the downhill.  2 people in front of me.  I'll catch 'em, just wait :) ...I hit water station one....hmm. I didn't drink during this race except one swig on the bike and I'm not thirsty, well I'm not cramping now, sorry guys, no thanks...I see the sign for MILE 1 go by...okay, time to start passing people.  I passed a couple people on the big long uphill and then we spread out some more.  MILE 2...  Wow, that was fast.  I better speed up.  What am I running?  8:30?  Feels like it.  Man, I wish I had the Garmin.  I gotta pass this dude, I love to pass the guys :).  That chic has a "30 something" on her calf.  Oh no! My age group?  36, whew next one up.  She looks about 1/4 mile ahead.  Is she walking up that hill?  Okay I can take her.  Wait, don't spend too much yet.  Okay, up the hill.  Yes, last turn. Mike would tell me to sprint here, but I can't, not yet, just a little closer...I pass a group that has a sign up that says "empty your tanks now"...good idea, hit it girl!  Oh no, she's sped up too, I have to catch her.  C'mon, c'mon.  Where did this other chic come from?  Oh, a relay chic, not that big a deal, but still.  Okay, she's swerving, come on!...I see the end, it's a narrow, roped-off aisle to the end and I'm on the other girls heals, I can't pass her unless I elbow her and I refuse to be that person!...Yes! The timing mat!  I did it!...Then I heard my husband start yelling, "that's not the finish, keep going! keep going!"...WHAT!!!!  Oh CRAP!!!  Me and the other girl had both stopped, then we both his the gas for about 5 more yards to go over the REAL timing mat...that was a stupid lay out,  btw!  2 timing mats apparently stumped a LOT of people. 

This is me realizing that the first mat was NOT the finish!

Well I finished the race with these STATS:

Swim.  24:05 (shameful, yes)
T1. 1:01
Bike. 52:34 (told you there were a lot of hills)
T2. 1:01
Run. 26:40 (get off my case, I've actually gotten faster!)

Me and the ball and chain!  Speedy there finished 13th overall! 

My Ranking were as follows:

Out of 45 individual women I came in 11.
Out of the 30-39 age group I came in 4.
Out of the USAT age group (30-34) I came in 1.

The sucky part was that the awards were given out in the 30-39 age group.  That's the first time I've been in a race where the age groups were laid out that way.  I was ROBBED. JK!  Oh well, there's always next year.  This was the first year I've ever competed outside.  I clearly need to work on the OWS, but that WAS my first lake race

2 days!

2 days away!!! That's the race date! ONLY 2 days.  I feel like I've had all summer to prep for the race and now all of the sudden it's here!  So many things are on the forefront of my mind...where did the time go? am I ready?  will my tire go flat?  will the race be wetsuit legal?  will I finish?  how will I finish if I do finish?  will my tire go flat?  LOL, I'm seriously scared of my bike, but that's a subject for another blog. 

I guess my answers would be this...the time went by so quickly b/c I stopped thinking about the race, I seriously am as ready as I'm ever going to be, if my tire goes flat I hope I can run in bike shoes, I'll know tonight if it's wetsuit legal (9pm is water temp posting), if I dope up on my allergy meds I should muddle through and finish, I'm not planning on being competitive this yet, so I hope to just not come in last (unless my tire goes flat)!

This race has a lot more stress attached b/c it's local, there's a whole lotta ego runnin' around here too!  It's not like heading out of town, doing a race and then talking about it to other triathletes in the area, no sir, now it's time to "bring it"!  Okay, I'm just trying to focus on the fun side and get excited for the crowd, the family that's coming to watch, and to see how my speedy husband does! 

Well yesterday was suppose to be a 4 mile slow jog, but about an hour before I was to leave (aka Mike is home to babysit), the thunder started and the sky dumped out for the rest of the night! CRAZY storm! Tom, our trainer says that we should always take the day before, the day before the race completely off (aka, foot propped and bon bons eaten, jk!).  Well I needed to help a friend out by teaching her spin class at the Y, so I rolled along on a flat while the rest of my class sweated it out. It was nice, felt good, and I was really never  winded, so I think that's okay.  I always feel so lazy on race week, but I guess it pays off. 

Just a workout

I taught spin today and then did April's (my training buddy) abs class.  I pushed pretty hard in spin, but it felt good.  I plan to swim tomorrow if I get the opportunity.  It's suppose to rain so I might be pool-ridden (darn, LOL!)!  I would like to try out the new wet suit though.

It's a miracle!

Monday I felt terrible in the morning.  I felt so badly that I didn't even have the energy to do laundry! I was sure that I could not do the bike and run out at the tri course we had planned, but lo and behold I had a protein shake with caffeine about 4pm and it was apparently laced with miracle b/c I felt almost 100% better!  I was able to do a slow, but full 12 mile bike ride (only 9 were shown on the Garmin) and a 2.3 mile jog!  I didn't push b/c the race is Saturday and I did feel the lag from being down earlier.  I did the 9 miles around the bike course very slowly, but still in 35 min.  Then did the 2.3 mile run in a VERY disgraceful 21 minutes!!!  The run was done on the old 5K course which has so many hills you can't catch a break.  You're either going uphills so steep that the pace can't stay with you, or you're going down such a steep hill that you don't want to blow a knee, either way, it's a pitiful run.  I am so happy that the race committee changed the course.  It changes the location for T2, but the run is now almost flat! It's spectacular!  I'm getting excited, but I'm by no means one of the competitive players, so it's a little bittersweet. Hopefully next season I might reach my goal of placing in my age group. We'll see :)

Hydrate and rest

Okay, uncle!  A few days ago I started feeling poopy.  I was having nasty headaches and feeling exhausted.  Yesterday and today the headaches have been subsiding but I'm becoming exhausted and unmotivated AND losing my appetite.  I was getting scared that this was the beginning of another burnout, but I've been really on point with resting more (which is increasing my performance too), so I am thinking that I've got a little bug.  I would normally have run yesterday and taken today off, but yesterday I felt so cruddy that I said I'd wait and run today, but once again I'm so tired I'm feeling like it's going to take all my energy just to vacuum.  So I ask myself, "what would I tell a friend in my postion"?  The answer, "rest and hydrate".  If I do have a bug, that extra 4 mile run probably isn't going to do as much good as it will damage, so I'll wait.   I've got a ride and run brick tomorrow, so I'll sit and wait it out until then. 

The race is now 6 days away!!!!!  Pray for good weather and a healthy body!

Warning: This post contains soap box material

I went to the post office today to mail some things and while I was standing at the table putting stuff in packages a lady was there telling the teller (I live in a really small town, they all know each other) about how her granddaughter had symptoms of a brain tumor, but that the doctor concluded that it was not one, but that she was so over weight that she was mimicking symptoms of one! This lady proceeded to talk about how unfair it's going to be to restrict things from her over 100lb 12 year old granddaughter's diet when her brothers and sisters are allowed to eat it.  She finally said, "well, I guess we could all eat a little healthier, it wouldn't kill me to go on a diet either".    This is when I felt like my face was bright red and I was so glad she left b/c I almost exploded!  First of all, when did eating healthy turn into "going on a diet"!!!!!  Why is a  12 year old over 100 pounds and what the heck are you feeding her????  I believe our society is now experiencing a new form of child abuse! 

Okay, deep breath.  My background is dietetics, I know I might know a bit more than most, but it's NOT rocket science.  It's okay NOT to buy Pop Tarts, it's okay NOT to feed your kids Coke instead of water or milk, it's okay to make them eat eggs and toast and fruit for breakfast, it's okay to make them eat at meal time and it's okay NOT to put candy in their mouth EVERY DAY! 

My little girl is the pickiest eater there every was, but I sneak stuff into her food.  I make up a batch of muffins on Sunday, freeze them and pull out the portion the night before for her to have as breakfast.  You're thinking, "muffins aren't healthy, Wendy", um, yeah, mine are!  They have zucchini, whole wheat, a little sucant (google it), even chocolate chips!!! They're made "mini" and she gobbles them!  I sub whole wheat for her bread and since she won't eat anything but PB on a sandwhich I only buy the stuff with zero sugar.  She chooses a fruit to go with it and then either milk or water. For snack she LOVES nuts or craisins.  For dinner we eat a protein, a grain, and a green veggie or two.  We don't add rolls.  For dessert sometimes she gets lowfat icecream or I freeze some yogurt and put it on a stick as a "popsicle".  She's 5 years old and weighs 40 pounds and is wildly energetic.  I'm not saying I'm perfect, oh no sir, but I'm not letting her eat Toaster Streudel's  for every breakfast, Happy meals for every lunch, and pizza for every dinner.  If she gets a sucker it's b/c the lady at the postoffice gave it to her.  Yes, I let her have some of these things as a very once in a while treat!  That's it! 

I'm not a health food nut, but I am not going to let her fall victim to the abuse we are putting on our kids in America.  We have so much, we should be better than this.  We should know better, we're educated.  We should look at food as fuel, putting in a better grade gives us better performance.  And this garbage about sugar not being linked with being hyper, well that's crap.  I can't feed Sam sugar without her turning into a monster an hour later.  And btw, what is a GU? IT'S SUGAR, I use them TO give me energy....geez! I wash my hands over the crud that's put into our brains by society sometimes. 

Okay, feel free to judge me now, I'm stepping off the soap box :)

Just a plain old run

Aaaaaah, went for just a run today, felt wonderful!  My thighs were screaming due to my biking this week, but it was just running! I love to just run sometimes.  Infact, I went out for a "minimalist" run today, so I have no idea how fast I went and I can only assume that I did 7 miles based on the fact that I have done this course before.  I left the Garmin (who knows where, can't seem to find it) at home and my ipod is AWOL too, but I don't know, don't care right now.  My friend April told me I'm too stuck on numbers anyway. 

Well my run had a few hills that are bears, but I just put my "Dorie" on and said, "just keep running, just keep running".  So I feel like I've done my hills for the week. 

I've been battling a headache, so yesterday was an unexpected rest day.  I think my headache is from allergies and the fact that I'm swimming like my lab right now.  I keep my darn head up so much that I'm getting neck cramps.  I'm hoping the massage therapist can get it out today!

New Addition

Got in the lake last night.  We only went about 1/2 the distance we did on Monday.  I was out with my husband and my friend, April (who is a total rock star triathlete).  They are so good to stay with me.  Not only am I a slower swimmer, but I'm a terrified one which makes me tired and MUCH slower.
I went in without the wetsuit b/c it was so hot!  Good news was that the water was a little cool, hopefully just cool enough to make it wetsuit legal next week (keep prayin'!) I found this swim considerably harder due to the fact that I didn't have the floatation and I was fighting the water instead of working with it.  I need to get in a few more times before the race (on the 14th), but I am truly hoping that day-of I can get it and just go with it; ride the adrenaline.
Well we went out with the intention of swimming, biking, and running short distances (1/2mile, 7 mile bike, 2 mile run), but as we were out on the bikes we noticed the ominous hovering black cloud of doom and descided that it was smarter to turn back.  Mike is the fastest, so he went back for the car and not a moment too soon!  As soon as he pulled up the sky dumped out.  So much for the run, my Garmin showed we went almost 6 miles on the bikes, good news was that most of the hills are in the first 1/2 of the ride, so we worked. 
I'll try and get a run in today since it's been since Sunday that I've run!  But truthfully, my run is not as in need as my bike and swim, so my focuses are good I think. 
Here is a peak of my newest tri-gear addition!!!!

I hate it, I hate it, I HATE it!!!!

Oooohh! I HATE swimming in open water!  Wow, did I pick a great sport to get into! 

I also love hearing people talk about how they've seen snakes swimming on the water.  I love it when grass/weeds touch me too!  Ugh! WHY!!!!!!  Okay, I'm doing it anyway.  If I see a snake or a monster of some kind I'm pretty sure my heart WILL stop, so I won't have to be scared long!  Hmmm, I should really get a bigger life insurance plan.

Well I swam with some others in the lake tonight.  We did about 3/4 mile and it was great, it only felt like 2 miles and I only had about 16 panic attacks. 
We did get out and do 11 miles on the bike.  It's a lot harder than it sounds. There is a 23% grade up one of the hills! WV is hilly...like REALLY hilly!  I don't know how long it took us, but I didn't push too hard b/c I was stressed from the swim and I kept hearing my chain grind so I was scared of breaking it. 

I do feel good about checking my training off in open water, but I'm going back out Wednesday night.  That might be all I can stomach in the open before the race.  I really am considering looking for all pool races next season...might be good for my mental health. 

3 days

Friday I taught spin and since the little one wanted to go pick blueberries that's all I got in. 

Saturday was an off day.  We had a ton happening, so fitting in exercise would have probably pushed me over the edge. 

Today I ran 6 miles.  I went with my friend and we run different paces, so I ran a VERY slow 4.5 miles and then did an average 7:53 for the last 1.5 b/c I took off on my own.  It felt great to open it up!  I felt like I found new legs!  The sprint training seems to be really working!  I'm hoping to keep a nice pace for the triathlon 5K on the 14th too. 

Spin me right round

After my sprinting yesterday I'm feeling a sore in the legs, but not too sore, that's a good sign! 

The drama associated with my pursuit of finding babysitters for all this training continues...I had hoped to get a swim in at lake Chatham and then maybe an outdoor ride,but no such luck.  MAYBE Saturday morning, but we'll see.  Today I took a very intense spin class and worked really hard (forgot my HR monitor...this is going to have to change) and then I hopped on the treadmill for a quick transition and ran a mile in 8:16!  That's good for the old lady :)

Last day on the lake

Yesterday was raining, no pouring, so since it was the last day on the lake we didn't get to do another swim, and since I'm not a professional that's being paid to do this sport,  I also didn't run and I certainly didn't bike (I'm scared of brakes and rain mixed).  So I exercised my ability to relax!   I brought my book to covering at the dock and sat and read.  The little one and I also fed some very aggressive ducks.  It was nice to relax.

Today I didn't have any motivation again.  I don't know if it was being back in town, not enough sleep or what it was, but I still pushed myself to the gym (because I have to use the nursery there for Samantha).  I would have liked to have gone for a nice long, slow run, but I've done enough of those this week, so I worked a little cross training with weights and then did some sprints with my friend Andrea.  It wasn't a long work, but I've read so much lately about sprinting doing wonders for running so I thought that was a good use of my time.  I'm hoping for a cycling buddy for tomorrow evening, but if not I'll probably run b/c the pool is closed at my YMCA for TWO WEEKS! Mind you, we are 2.5 out from the triathlon I'm doing. 

The Trail of Terror!

Okay, so this week we're in Smith Mountain Lake in VA.  It's the most beautiful, clean lake I've ever seen!  In face, its the same lake Mike did his first outdoor tri in earlier this year.
Well we've gone running (we is Mike, his Godfather, and his 2nd cousin) every morning, not something I usually do and I had every intention of getting in a bike ride, but not so far. I've also wanted to swim in the lake everyday to get rid of my extreme fear of open water swimming. I've been IN the lake everyday, but with goggles is a whole other story.  I think I fear that I'll see some giant fish, a killer whale, submarine, I don't know...irrational fear, seriously!

This is the yesterday's workout...

Mike, his Godfather, and I went on what I now affectionately refer to as the "Trail of Terror"!  It wasn't exactly a trail, it was roads, but on these roads I saw a big fat dead snake smeared all over the road...I HATE snakes, HATE them, dead, alive, whatever, HATE them!!!!  Then we got to the end of that freak show and turned left onto a road that I'm seriously scared to even DRIVE on, and stayed on that for about 1/2 mile.  We then turned onto a road that seemed pretty docile until some driver decided we weren't important enough for her to move over more than about 18 inches away!!!!  Sheesh, people, share the road!  So then we turned around and went BACK down the highway from hell (not really a highway, but people seriously try to set records on that road I think!) and then back onto the road with Mr. Hiss.  I was very happy when my husband who runs much faster than I offered to run ahead and put Mr. Hiss in a final resting place so I wouldn't have to see him again. I'm so lucky :) 

Well that run was done without my HR monitor.  This is probably good as I would have been about 10 beats faster the whole way than normal b/c of all my "traumatic" experiences, LOL! 

STAT's were 6.30 miles in 1:00 hours.


Today's run:

I went with Mike's cousin because I wanted to go a bit shorter distance.  We did 3 miles.  Mike had my Garmin, so I don't know our pace, but it was slower than I could have done and I was glad...I'm trying to be more observant with my training needs. 

I had intended on swimming about 1/2 mile in the lake....well....Mike and I got in and I was all geared up in my goggles and we started.  About 12 strokes into it I felt like I was going to panic, see, Mike has to swim right next to me to keep me calm (although he CAN swim much faster).  So I could see him, but I felt like my breathing was too fast, and everytime I stopped I felt like I was going to cry b/c I was getting to worked up.  When I swim open water (and I actually practice this technique in the pool) I close my eyes while my face is IN the water and then open them when I breathe.  I take 5-6 strokes (maybe more, depending on how straight I'm going) and then spot.  Spotting is HARD!!!!  It takes a ton of energy...clearly something I need to work on. 

Well this is where I am this week. I was hoping to have a bike ride in b/c I haven't been on my bike since JUNE!  But we'll see.  I just do what I can do b/c priority number one is the baby girl!

HR training

Okay, so yesterday I did a run.  I did this run WITH my HR monitor (which btw is still annoying) and I tried to stay around 140-160bpm...harder, MUCH harder than I thought it'd be.  Turns out I wanted to run around 170-180!!!!  So I need to work on my pace when going distance running.


Well I set out with the idea that I'd like to finish 6 miles, but I started running with my friend (for the first 3) and she's at a slower pace, so after we split up I felt like I could keep going after 6, so I did 7!  I didn't feel completely spent either. 

I've also been forgoing the ipod lately.  I've felt pretty good without it, but I do wonder if my pace slows a bit too.  I just haven't had anything in music that I've cared for lately.  I'm in a "music slump" I guess, but I am enjoying myself.  

Hey Wendy! It's me, your body!

Rest....ugh, ick, necessary rest!  I'm feeling VERY run down and tired lately, unmotivated too.  I'm trying very hard to stay motivated for my race in August, but I'm not feeling it.  Well I decided to pick the brain of my friend Tom (has at least 2 Ironman races under his belt, one of which is Kona! Total rockstar! Did I mention he's in his 50's?!).  He and I went to the root of my lack of motivation...lack of rest!  I'm also training at 80-90% of my HR most of my workouts which in and of itself is an accident waiting to happen. 

Now, look, I do take rest days, I just don't rest very well.  I clean house, pick blueberries, run after kids, clean house...did I already say that?  Well you see, I'm not exactly sitting with a book and my feet propped up.  I also don't sleep well and haven't since my daughter was born in 2005. 

Okay, I think I've voiced my cause, but here is what our discussion concurred.  A) I need rest, and good rest, taking (sometimes like when I feel really run down) 3-4 days off (can you imagine??!).  B) Take my resting HR, the HR you get before your feet hit the ground out of the bed in the morning.  He says if it's elevated 15 or more beats that maybe that's an off day.  C) USE MY HEARTRATE MONITOR!!!!!  I have an AWESOME Garmin 405cx, but the darn strap hurts my breathing when I use it.  I just need to get over that.  I can't use it in the water, but when I use my husbands Timex I find that I'm not nearly and an awesome enough swimmer to get my HR up that much anyway, so I guess that can slide.  D) Do "pieced" training.  For example: I can set out to swim 800 meters (roughly a sprint distance) but take it 100 meters at a time with a rest in between.  Use each 100 to work on either form, speed, siting, etc.  Much like a Fartlek training (Google it b/c I can't remember the link) in running, sort of .  E) Massage.  Need I say more? 

Okay, so there it is.  My lesson for the week.  I tend to go all out when I train and it's becoming counter productive.  Tom said he'd rather have me under trained that over trained at the tri.  Over-training leads to things like lack of motivation, irritability, even Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  That was pretty shocking to learn.  He also says to go by feeling.  If you get on the treadmill, for example, and feel like you weigh twice your body weight and your legs are like lead, maybe you don't need to run.  He wants me to listen to my body more. 
 
Yesterday was an off day because I felt terrible, still was way too busy for being off.  Today was a nice, tough spin class for 65 minutes. 

New stuff

Well I filled in and taught an abs and glutes class today.  My legs were SCREAMING by the end of it!  I think I need to do more strength training there.  I was going to run, but the ominous looking clouds said if I didn't take the little one to the pool I might not get to, so I sacrificed a run for my baby.

I did get to run! I went back to the Y and ran on the treadmill for 3 miles.  It was so unbelievably slow b/c I've been so tired lately.  I did 1/2 mile "hill" (1% , LOL) , 1/2 mile flat for the duration.  It took me about 27 minutes, I think, I forgot to write it down, but I went at 6.5mph (about a 9.something minute mile).

9!

Did 9 miles yesterday.  Took me exactly 1:30 (and a few seconds but who's counting?).  I think I have a LOT of work to do before October and this race, but at least I hit my mark.  I don't think I'll go past 9 miles until after the tri b/c it took a lot out of me and I think when I finally get my distance up I want to JUST focus on running for a month or so.  We'll see how it goes.  But I did it in my hilly neighborhood and by mile 7.9 I felt like my thighs were on fire!  My muscles definitely need some strength training!

Blah!

Ugh! Ran 4 miles on the treadmill tonight with NO elevation.   I'm getting wimpy.  I was suppose to do 5 miles, but my ego wouldn't let me slow down so then my legs started hurting and then everything went to pot and thus decreasing my mileage for the week (which is only like 7 so far...what ev!). 
Mike, my husband/trainer, tells me I need some more breaks.  I might be over doing it a smidge, but I don't think I am, oh well, I'll take tomorrow off then just spin or swim or maybe go for a bike ride on Friday.  Saturday will most likely be a 8 or 9 mile run, but I'm going to leave my option open to change that to Sunday if the mood strikes (or the weather does).