Watch Me Tri

Race Report

2006-09-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Before the race
Originally uploaded by stephanielynn.

Race Report

We picked up our registration packet and our timing chip, then headed over to the race site for bike inspections and racking. We looked around at the course and got a feel for where we would be heading out of and into for the transitions. Beth and I were a rollercoaster of emotions. When I felt nervous, she felt excited and vice versa. We sat in on the course talk given by the race director and had a lot of questions answered thus fears calmed (some fears, anyways). For instance, we learned that the bike course would be manned by 120 volunteers so we wouldn't have to stop at any intersections. Whew! I cannot tell you what a relief that was to hear. We also found out that while we had to be at the park at 5:30 AM, my wave wouldn't start until 8:04, and Beth's start was at 8:12, the third and second to last groups to start! What a bummer. We were more bummed that we wouldn't be able to start together, for even though we are the same age group, they split us up alphabetically because our group was so big.

Saturday evening we went shopping at a nearby mall to get our minds off the race and just have some fun. I was in bed by 10:30 hoping to get a good six hours of sleep before the 4:30 AM alarm went off. Unfortunately, I think I had maybe an hour of sleep. I remember looking at the clock every hour, trying hard to think of anything other than the day ahead but I just couldn't stop thinking about it. I was scared. I was scared that I would be so tired that I wouldn't be able to perform, at all. Mainly I was concerned about the swim. Eventually I gave up all hope of getting back to sleep and just wanted the time to speed up so the even would be here already and I would not have any more time to worry about it.

We headed out the door into the dark hours of 5 AM. On our way we decided that the song "Staying Alive" would be our theme song that we would sing to ourselves to get us through tough moments of the course. Once there, we got marked, set up our transistions, and waited. The sun came up, Peter and Griffin met up with us and at 7:40 AM I stood in front of the swim start, scared out of my mind. I almost wanted to cry I felt so scared. I don't know why, but I just really lost all confidence in my swimming and I couldn't even think about how I felt about biking and running. Peter tried to calm me down but telling me to ignore all the "hoopla" going around me and just tunnel in on my task. He told me I was ready, I had prepared, I could do this. He believe in me more at that point than I did. I'm so glad he was there.

They called my group and I headed down to the swim start. I still felt scared and I tried to focus, but by the time they shouted "Go" or whatever they shouted (I don't remember), I was still freaking out. I hung out at the end of the pack and started to freestyle but I couldn't catch my breath. I realized my breathing was too fast and there was no way I could continue like that. Oh man, that was a scary moment. It's like I forgot how to swim. But, thankfully I prepared for that kind of moment by telling myself that if I got flustered on the swim I would just breaststroke until I felt calm. So, I started out with the breaststroke. Then it was just me and the water in my mind. My breaths slowed down and the panic had passed. It also helped to see someone doing a backfloat. I told myself that if all else fails I know I could do the backstroke. I started freestyling and found my groove after a minute or so. I actually enjoyed the moment. I remember at one point I was looking out over the lake on a breath and saw the most scenic view of the sun over the trees over the water. If I hadn't been doing this event, I wouldn't have seen that. It was beautiful.

Before I knew it, I was at the swim finish. I almost cried when I saw it ahead. I knew at that moment that I would be great. I got up out of the water and Peter was there cheering me on. I was so happy. I felt so proud. At T1 I moved a little slowly getting ready for the bike leg. I'm a little ashamed to admit this but my time was 5 minutes. That's a little pathetic, but oh well. I got on the bike and head out. You might not be able to see it in this picture, but I was smiling as I headed out onto the bike course. I felt like I was smiling the whole way. Having done the bike course a few weeks ago, I was completely confident in myself and my abilities. I got passed by a lot of road bikes, but that didn't bug me at all. I passed a few people, but not too many. There were a lot of people out there on the roads cheering on the bikers. It was a great show of report and I was really impressed. I didn't have any problems on the bike (no flats, yay!) and everything went smoothly. The hills seemed smaller than I remembered them, even though they weren't small.

I got back to transition, quickly took some gatorad and some cliff blocks, and headed into the run. I thought my T2 time was good, but then I saw it was 2 minutes. I didn't think I took that long but then I realized that I was at the back of transition and I think a lot of that time was spent going from the entrance to my rack, and then from my rack to the run start. Oh well, it is what it is. Peter met me at the run start and told me that I was doing great and that my times so far were better than my expected times! I purposefully chose not to wear my watch that day because I was afraid of what it might tell me. Hearing that just made me want to push harder. The run course was a lot of fun. I passed quite a lot of people on the hills (oh my, it was a hilly run course!) and thanked myself for getting in hill training. I still felt really great at this point and I think I must have been smiling the whole way. I kept cheering people on as I passed them, or as they passed me (which did happen a few times).

Then, the finish was before me. I pushed and sprinted the last tenth of a mile across the finish line. At the end, we all got Iron Girl medals.

I made it. I am a triathlete. I am an Iron Girl! I met my goal of 2 and a half hours and middle of the pack. My final results:

2 hours, 26 minutes, 09 seconds.

I had such a blast doing this. I challenged myself and became better because of it. Beth crossed the finish a little after I did. She said she is going to do Iron Girl 2007. Already we are thinking of how we can improve our times for next year.

I am an Iron Girl!

2006-08-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

Full race report and pics(!) tomorrow.

On my way

2006-08-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way to being an "Iron Girl". Beth and I are heading to Columbia, MD in an hour to sign-in, pick up our goodies, check in our bike, etc. I've been really calm about the event until recently. Thursday night I had a dream that I got a flat tire. Friend, I must confess that I never did learn how to change a flat on my bike so I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will not happen tomorrow. Last night I had a dream that I was walking by the lake and there were Gi-normous waves crashing about. Whew...that was a nightmare! Luckily I woke up and remembered that I'm swimming in a smallish lake, so I don't think I have to worry about huge waves (only those caused by other swimmers).

I've got to pack and check over my list three or four times (OC, a little!) before I leave. I wish the best of luck to anyone racing this weekend...especially Sherry, I hope to see you out there strong tomorrow!

Back at 'em

2006-08-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the kind supportive comments regarding my last post. I am continuously amazed at this blogging community. It turns out that a few days rest was just what I needed. I slowed down this week. My workouts, however, thanked me for this little repose. I have had the best two runs this week in a long time. Yesterday I went for a four mile jaunt around Northwest DC. The combination of the beautiful, almost fall-like, weather and the rested muscles made for an awesome run. I was still going strong by the time I rounded the corner onto my street. Training for the tri has been great, but I miss running. It's just so easy to throw on a pair or running shoes and head out the door. No need to worry about swim caps, goggles, dehairing (yup, I said it), towel, etc etc...or helmet, air in tires, yada yada. Also, there's no other exercise where I can turn all the daily frustrations into power and strength. When I'm biking and swimming, I'm too worried about my form or my vehicle, etc. I really enjoy swimming and biking, but I guess I'm just a runner (albeit a slow one) at heart.

Anyways...many things to look forward to this week. Discounted dinner with my baby at a fancy restaurant for DC's restaurant week (yippee!), oh and vacation! If anyone has a recommendation for must sees in San Francisco, please send them my way. I also need some tips on restaurants to try while I'm there.

Race Day: 14 days.
Feeling: Ready.

In a Funk.

2006-08-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

Everything was going great. I had my first open water swim experience since training on Saturday, July 29th (outcome: challenging but manageable). I've been really sticking to the schedule, so much so that I went for a pool workout right after my haircut and style (had to fit in the workout somewhere…which meant I couldn't enjoy my hair at it's best since I'll never be able to style my hair as well as Damian).

Beth and I also rode the Iron Girl event bike course in Columbia, MD this past Saturday. The course was extremely hilly and difficult but never did I think that I couldn't do it or curse myself at signing up for the event. I was really really excited afterwards, as a matter of fact. I felt to proud and accomplished that I had come this far.

And then…Saturday night as I'm lying in bed I start freaking out. My body hurt. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. So yesterday I decided to take a break from training. I cleaned the apartment. I ran some errands. I had an iced chai with whip from Starbucks. I painted.

But I still feel blah today. I know I should run today, but I just don't feel like it. I'm going on vacation next week and wish it were this week. I think I just need a break. I hope I didn't use up all my energy out there on the country roads this past weekend. I know I just need to push through until this cloud passes.

Everywhere and here

2006-07-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

My summer classes are done. Done I say! These eight weeks have flown by and amazingly I have accomplished in this short amount of time what has normally taken me a whole year! See what happens when I put my mind to something. Yes, I am the little choo-choo that could.

Ok, I don't want to get too ahead of myself. I really can't complain about the classes. I enjoyed them but I am glad they are over. Now I can get back to other important things. Like training! Oh, and blogging!

Last night I had a dream about swimming. I think this is the third time since I've started swimming (back in January) that I've had a swimming dream. I love them. There's something so peaceful about dreaming that you're gliding through a body of water. Last night I dreamt that I was swimming in a lake. It kept getting bigger, which is a good thing, since it started out as a tiny little pond. It was never a scary dream. I even questioned in the dream if there were aligators in the lake but some kind dream character assured me there were no aligators, and I believed him. So I just swam around the lake, enjoying the serenity of it all. Can you tell I'm looking forward to my lake swim this weekend?

Tomorrow I am leaving work early to make it to the bike shop before they close for a bike fitting. Today is the first day that I have not had any tingling feeling since my ride on Saturday. I am determined not to have numb hands from my planned ride on Sunday.

I wish everyone luck on their races this weekend!

Time flies...

2006-07-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

...when you're busy.

Quick recap of the past few weeks:

Went to Florida on family vacation. It was hot and a little crazy but it's always nice to spend time with family and get out of the office.
Mid-terms, and homework galore.

In training news, I'm sticking more to a schedule than I have over the past few months, but it's still not good enough. The triathlon is in five weeks and I am determined to stick to a training strict training schedule over these next five weeks. After this week, I really have no excuse to not stick with the program.

Not that I have been terrible about training. I have been running, biking, and swimming several times a week. Yesterday I went on a 22 mile bike ride around Northwest DC. It was my first time on the Capital Crescent Trail and it was an awesome and beautiful wooded trail! This city never ceases to amaze me. Around Chevy Chase I got a little turned around trying to find the trail and ended up riding along with 3 other people that just got back from a 3 week bike tour through France. I would love to do that some day. The only bad part about the ride was the fact that my hands are still a little numb...more than 24 hours later! I've read enough to know not to be too concerned...as it usually goes away. However, I also know enough to go to the bike shop and figure out just what the heck is wrong. I'm hoping I will just have to adjust the seat and maybe buy some gloves.

Now back to studying.

Weddings, workouts, bears, Oh My!

2006-07-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Weekend Report: I spent the weekend in Danville, Va for a college friend's wedding. I headed down early Friday morning with another friend and our respective SO's. The wedding itself was really nice. I was a reader in the wedding so I was able to pretty much enjoy the weekend with no major responsibilities. We stayed at the Comfort Inn and once again I was disappointed by the lack of a decent sized swimming pool. So I decided to bike instead since I was without decent running shoes after leaving them behind in class after my exam on Thursday (can you tell the exam took up a lot of my brain power?). However, the Comfort Inn in Danville, Va doesn't have a gym on premises!!! Oh, but they do offer complimentary passes to a gym down the street. So I went down to the front desk, asked for my free pass, and then drove to the gym where I worked out on the bike and did some weights. Now that's motivation. Peter said I was probably the only person in two weeks to request the gym pass. I think there may be some truth to that.

The ride home on Sunday was eventful. I somehow got off of Route 29 and ended up 15 miles off course. On the way back to 29 we saw a black bear on the road! It immediately ran into the woods but we got a pretty good view. Amazing!

Monday: Beth and I went to Masters Swimming. We did the stroke clinic again this week. It was great. Every time I go I learn something else. This week I learned that the way I had been taught to enter my hands in the water was wrong. Ho-hum.

Tuesday: I woke up somewhat early (9 am) hoping to get in a short brick workout before the events of the day began. I had a great 10 mile bike ride down Rock Creek Park. There were a lot of people out walking, jogging, and biking. It was a beautiful day, albeit a hot one. As soon as I got back home and put the bike up I headed out for a 10 minute run. When my feet hit the pavement my legs started screaming at me! Now I know why they call it a "brick". My knees were really aching. However, after a minute the pain subsided and my legs felt normal running again. When I got back, red in the face and sweating, I felt so good! It was a lot of fun! I told that to Peter and he just thought I was crazy.

53 days until race day!!!

How appropriate

2006-06-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

"It doesn't get better than this, but you get better. You make choices that define you, make you deeper and broader. " - Ron Suskind

Weather is a scary thing

2006-06-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

It's nasty out there. There's been a huge cloud just hanging over the DC area for the past couple of days wreaking havoc on the area. Fortunately I haven't really been affected. I still have power. My commute to work this morning was normal. I didn't forget my umbrella today.

However, the rain did cause me to miss Masters Swimming tonight. The parkway which we take to the pool was flooded, and the only other route would take us about an hour to get there. So we decided to stay inside and stay dry. Good thing too, because ten minutes after eight the thunder and lightning started which means Masters Swimming was canceled anyways. For some reason, even though it is an indoor pool, they shut it down at the hint of thunder. Can anyone shed light on this? Are indoor pools really at risk during thunderstorms? I'm curious.

Luckily after my 3.1 mile run during lunch today I still felt a lot of energy to burn (does this mean my training has been working?). I wanted to keep running but the gym was busy and I got bumped off the treadmills. So I hopped on the bike and rode for an additional 20 minutes. My legs really wanted to go longer, but alas I had to get back to work. Since I missed swimming tonight, I HAVE to swim on Wednesday, despite the exam studying cram that is sure to ensue that evening. Sidenote: I will be so relieved,happy,ready when my summer classes are over. Sigh.

Goal schedule for week:
Monday-run (Done. Ran 3.1 miles, biked an additional 20 minutes)
Tuesday- strength, bike 30 minutes or as time allows (Tuesdays and Thursdays are really busy days because of class)
Wednesday - run 3 miles, swim 1000 yards
Thursday - bike 30 minutes, strength if time allows (see Tuesday)
Friday - Rest (on the road to out of town wedding)
Saturday - Swim or Run or bike depending on hotel ammenities
Sunday - Rest

Additional goals for week:
Eat healthy. Drink lots of water. Don't put off studying until the last minute. Get enough sleep.

Back in the saddle

2006-06-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Back from the bike shop with a new bike, woo-woo! I'm not telling you what I got just yet, you'll have to remain in suspense for just a leeetle big longer. I must have ridden about a dozen different bikes, some hybrids, some road bikes, and some in between. Up and down I rode (yay for being about to try out the bikes!) on the same city streets. I practically became friends with the neighorhood folk, sitting out on their stoop watching me test yet another bike out. Here is the winner:

The 2006 Specialized Sirrus. Yes, it is a hybrid and I am fully aware that I may be laughed at or snuffed by real roadies. But ya know what, this is the bike I felt most comfortable on and enjoyed the most riding. That's what really counts. I tried out several different road bikes and just wasn't feeling it. I'm sure my experience on the road bikes would have been a lot better had I been riding on a street with fewer to zero potholes, no cars going every which way, car doors sporadically opening from nowhere, etc. But in all honesty, I don't envision myself riding any country roads anytime soon. This bike will take me around town and down the bike paths and through multiple races. Also, don't be fooled by the flat handlebars and the word "hybrid". This baby is fast! I hope the weather forecaster's predictions are wrong about tomorrow just as they were about today (no rain, yippee!). I can't wait to take this baby out for a long ride.

I wonder if I should give her or him (gender is not yet known) a name? Any ideas?

More lessons

2006-06-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

Swam 500 yards, maybe? I attended the Masters Swim stroke clinic so my swim workout was on technique rather than distance. The stroke clinic has been really helpful on the two occasions I have attended. I am learning all about swimming "downhill" (finding my buoyancy), keeping my left hand out of the right hand's "cookie jar" and vice versa (focus on reaching straight), and this week I learned that I have been breathing wrong all along. I'm a runner (not a very long distance runner, but a runner none the less) so I am used to having continuous breaths: inhale and exhale, etc etc. This is what I have been doing during all my swims as well, a continuous exhale until I take the next inhale. However, as I learned Monday, this isn't good during swimming. When the body exhales, it sinks lower. So when you turn on your side to take a breath, you have to reach your head up which throws your body out of it's straight alignment and causes more drag than necessary. Or something like that. So, the coach told me to time my breath. I have to hold my breath for a little until just before I take an inhale. It was pretty complicated and confusing at the beginning of the lesson, but after a few laps I felt I was starting to get the hang of it. I could definitely tell a difference from my first lap and my last lap (with the latter being better) and I'm excited to practice this new knowledge in my next swim workout.

Tuesday I ran a nice easy 3.5 miles around the National Mall during lunch. The sun was a little overbearing at times, but overall it was great weather and I felt refreshed (though hot) afterwards. I love runs like that.

It's 10 o'clock and I still have a stat assignment and mid-term due tomorrow. Ugh, only six more weeks of summer classes, not that I am counting.

The Mammoth (and plea for help!)

2006-06-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Today I met Beth at Memorial Bridge for our 18 mile bike ride. However, it was 4 miles just to bike to the bridge and already I was hot and my tush was sore. We met up on the steps overlooking the Potomac, hydrated, and then set out into Virginia via the Mount Vernon Trail. I had never been on that trail before, a shame since I've lived here for four years! It was really beautiful, and the breeze made the heat a little bearable. After about four miles, I had lost Beth (she was way ahead of me) and my tush needed a break. I rode back to a little park I saw a mile back and sat in the shade waiting for Beth to come back. When she found me a few minutes later, I told her about my tush woes. We decided to trade bikes for a little while. OMG, the difference between her bike and mine was like night and day! Her bike felt like I was sitting on clouds, I could go faster with little effort, and all the gears actually worked! After riding her bike for only five minutes I decided it was too cruel to let her ride mine any longer. We both decided that my bike pretty much sucks for several reasons:

1) It's too damn small for me! I think the frame would be more apt to someone 5'4 (I'm 5'7).
2) The seat. Oh my god how much I hate that seat. It feels like you are sitting on a rock. You can feel every little bump and groove in the road...trust me, it doesn't feel good.
3) It's heavy and the tires are really fat. It's a mountain bike. Not a road bike!
4) Only half of the gears work, and they don't shift well.

Ok, I could probably go on but you get the point. I bought the bike used for $25 two years ago so it's not like I am out of money getting rid of the mammoth. That's my nickname for the hunk of metal and rubber, hence the title of this post.

So I need a new bike, but I don't really know where to start. I wonder if I should get a road bike or get a hybrid? I'm such a rookie, all you bikers out there will laugh, but I'm a little intimidated by road bikes. They just look so flimsy and fragile. Also, they're expensive. I have some money to spend, but I'm not looking to break the bank. Can anyone out there give me some suggestions, or even some advice about buying a new bike? My tush and I will thank you!

Oh Little Bumblebee

2006-06-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

I couldn't sleep the other night. My mind was racing with thoughts about the triathlon. I was exhausted after my summer graduate courses started during the same time that I had multiple deadlines at work. I began wondering if maybe I wouldn't have time to train for the triathlon. Maybe I hadn't been taking the triathlon as seriously as I should. I mean, I can run a 5k just fine. I do that multiple times a week. But...I've never had to swim, bike, and then run before. How on earth will I be able to find the energy to do all of that with only two and a half months left before the race?

I quickly ran out of bed and pulled out the triathlon training book that had started to develop a thin layer of dust on the jacket. I was trying to find some assurance that in the amount of time I have left I will be able to accomplish my goal. This is what I found:

"The bumblebee should not be able to fly. After a series of analyses and observations, NASA scientists concluded that given the bee's body design and weight, there is simply no way the insect should be able to get off the ground. Thankfully, the scientists didn't tell the bumblebee, which blissfully takes to the air with little regard for humankind's most esteemed aviation experts." -Eric Harr, Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week

Surely if the bumblebee can fly, then I can swim, bike and run the distance. I can finish the remaining 10 classes left for my Masters in only one year while working full-time. I can do all of this and more. All I have to do is believe that I can do it. I was taught this as a kid (haven't we all read "The Little Engine that Could" as young'ns?), but sometimes I still need to be reminded.

The next day I went to the pool, alone without my training partner for the first time. It was early in the afternoon and I had the entire pool to myself for a while. I swam 1200 yards, the farthest I have ever swam, farther than is required for the race. I swam the distance. I had the strength left to swim more but I didn't need to. I knew that I could and that was all I needed.

Running Across America

2006-06-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

I've decided to run across America. Ok, not literally. I didn't have anyone fooled, not even for a second, I'm sure. My gym has a new program this month asking members to come together and track how many miles they run or walk. The goal is to make it to San Francisco by July 4th. Right now we are in Pittsburgh (we've got a long way to go). Today I helped by running 3.75 miles. I know that will probably just get us outside of Pittsburgh, but hey, every little bit counts.

Here's a tangent: I've been thinking a lot about Forrest Gump lately. Remember when Forrest just starts running and continues running for a lonnnnng time? I mean, that's just impossible. But wouldn't it be nice? On another tangent, I've been wondering lately, does my 2 x 3-4 miles a week qualify me as a runner?

Swimming with the Masters

2006-06-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I got the bright idea that Beth and I should join a Masters Swim group. Beth agreed and we decided to try a local area's swim workout on Monday. Monday afternoon I started freaking out...what if I can't keep up? what if I completely run into another swimmer (i.e. testing my pool etiquette skills)? what if they make me do the butterfly? Oh me oh my, I cannot do the butterfly!!! I call Beth and tell her my worries and as always she is completely laid back and tells me we are going. If it's really bad we can just leave, she reasons with me.

We arrived at the pool a little early and were able to talk to one of the coordinators of the group. He immediately squashed most of the fears I had about joining the group. He told me if I couldn't do the butterfly, I didn't have to! If I couldn't swim 3000 yards, I didn't have to! What's more, the coach holds two stroke clinics each week. One clinic focuses on freestyle, the other focuses on the other three strokes. So if I decide I want to learn the butterfly later on, I can!

Beth and I decided to check out the freestyle stroke clinic that was being held that night. It would give us an opportunity to get more feedback on our form as well as give us a chance to check out the other swimmers in the group (I was still nervous about swimming with the "masters"). The coach, noticing several new faces that night, decided to start with the basics. He made us do several drills to improve bouyancy in hopes that we would swim more efficiently. It was really helpful! Next week he said he would focus on the stroke. Ya-hoo, I can't wait! It's almost like having a private swim coach, for almost nothing (it costs about 4 bucks for each workout).

Toddlers and Tots

2006-06-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am the proud new aunt to a beautiful baby boy. Ryan Anthony was born on Friday, June 2nd at 9:17 in the morning. He's so tiny and cute. Ryan, Mom and Dad are all doing fine. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them.

While he was going down the birth canal, I watched my three year old neice-soon to be big sister- in the hospital waiting room. The hospital had a little courtyard that we immediately took advantage of. We played every game I could think of, from London Bridge to Simon Says, toss in a little Red Light Green Light and top it off with some Duck Duck Goose. That girl has energy! When I was taking a break from all the games she would just run and run in circles, full speed! I kept thinking how wonderful it would be to have that kind of energy now when I am trying to get through my runs.

Saturday morning I got to play with my other neice, Corinne, who is almost two years old. Her mommy was a little under the weather so I took Corinne out running with me in her baby jogger. She loved it!!! While it was a little harder to run while pushing the stroller, I was amazed at how easy it really was. Corinne was also great motivation, she kept giving me high fives just when it seemed my resolve to keep running was wavering. I only did two and a half miles, but I completed what I set out to do. I should have taken a picture of Corinne's hair after we stopped. It was completely windblown!

I hope I am able to complete all my workouts this week. I am starting my summer classes so my Tuesday and Thursday evenings are going to be completely shot. Also, I have so much work to do this week for the real job that I'm just not looking forward to this week AT ALL. Luckily I already made plans with Beth to try out this Masters Swimming team tomorrow night so I know I'll at least get ONE swim workout in. I hope we aren't the slowest on the team! Really, even if we are I just hope we're able to keep up AND learn something too. I really don't know what to expect though so we'll just have to see.

Where have I been?

2006-05-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

Oh, don't be fooled by the post; I've been here. I just haven't been blogging. Long story short I realized that I probably shouldn't be blogging from work and by the time I get home I don't feel like looking at a computer another minute. BUT...now I'm back. Why? Do I really have interesting stories to tell? Advice to contribute? Fun pictures to look at? I guess only time will tell and you'll have to be the judge of that.

Inspired by Jessi's progress, I realize I need to set some weekly goals. My training has been OK lately. I can be proud that I finally bit the bullet and started a strength program. I mean, I always knew that I needed to do it, and when I did it I could see results, I just never could keep up with a program for more than a few weeks. I realized I needed to change my attitude about strength training to keep it up and now I find I actually ENJOY lifting twice a week. Ok, and it doesn't hurt that I can start seeing results and it happens to be bikini season.

So yeah, we were talking about goals, right? Well, here are my goals for the week:

1. 2x of each: swim, run, bike
2. Complete 2 strength workouts
3. Drink 80-100 ounces of water everyday (this should be easy for me but unfortunately I really have to try at it...perhaps I should get a larger water bottle at work!)
4. Take a multivitamin everyday
5. Be in bed by 10:30 M-F
6. Blog at least 3 times.

It's already Tuesday (woo-hoo for Holiday weekends!) so I've got some catching up to do...

Today's News

2006-05-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

...is no news. I didn't work out today. Instead, I met Peter for lunch. Granted, it was a healthy lunch. I couldn't work out after work because I was meeting a friend for dinner (yummmm...Zaytinya). From now on, I vow to work out during lunch every day with 2 exceptions: 1) Friday - everyone needs a day off sometimes and 2) If work is really, really, really crazy. Number 2 doesn't happen all that often, actually, it's very rare but I do have to make an exception in case it does happen. I gotta keep the dough rolling in ya'll.

New shoes update

Yesterday I worked out with my new 'old' Adidas. I only took them out for a 3.5 mile run. The first half mile I started to get shin splints. I stopped and stretched, then started back. The shin splints went away but it took me a while to get into the run. I blame this on not having my mp3 player with me. It was weird to hear myself breathing over the sound of my feet hitting the path. I'm so used to my music now, I even have songs that I play on certain parts of my run. I just was off without the music. Around the end of mile 2 I found my stride and started enjoying myself. I could hear footsteps running my pace a few strides behind me. I looked back and saw the steps belonged to two Marines. I couldn't help wondering what they must have been thinking about knowing they were running the same pace as a girl. At a stoplight about a mile later, one of them looked at me and jokingly said "I think you're following us" to which I pointed out that they were behind me. Good thing our paths went different directions shortly after because I was at the end of my run and losing steam (in other words, I think I probably would have ended up following them afterall). All in all, I am happy with the shoes. I was experiencing a little hip pain yesterday, but not nearly as much as the times after I ran with the old shoes. I'm going out for a run tomorrow and making sure I have my mp3 player this time!

Swimming news
Beth and I have a lesson with Illeana tomorrow after work. I'm excited to show her the progress we've made (three months ago we were winded after going 20 yards - now we can swim 750 yards +). I'm also excited to get some pointers. I know I need to improve my form, I just need to know what I'm doing wrong first.

The Shoe Hunt

2006-04-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Thursday I went to Fleet Feet with high hopes of purchasing a great pair of new shoes. I walk in, the sales associate asks me about my old shoes, and brings out a new pair of the same shoe. My heart sank a bit. I remember in my pre-running years when I would buy a shoe based on 1) how it looked then 2) how it felt. I don't think I ever bought the same pair of shoes twice. I enjoyed getting a new shoe each time. So, I told the sales associate that I might be interested in exploring my options. He brought out a few other pairs of shoes and after testing them I settled on the Brooks GTS. I wore them home, only a half mile walk, and realized, oh s*#t, these feel like they have no cushion at all! I hate them!!! Panic set in. What if the plantar f. comes back because I'm wearing an uncomfortable shoe? I wore them around the house..."Dammit! Why didn't I just stick to my tried and true shoe???" I knew I had to take them back. So today I shamefully went back to the store, white bag in hand.

Sales Associate: "Can I help you?"
Me: "Hi, I'd like to exchange a pair of shoes I bought on Thursday."
SA: "What happened?"
Me: "Well, hehe...I got home and realized I don't like them. They feel like they don't have any cushion. I like my old shoes and want to get those. I'm not sure why I got a different shoe this time."
SA: Knowingly kids, "Ah ha!...You thought you wanted something different, didn't ya?"
Me: "Yeah, " I shrug.
SA: "You wouldn't believe how many people come back to the store wanting to try something different and then a few days later walk back through the door with the white bag in hand wanting to go back to the tried and true."

He then looks over at the BF and says, "You better watch out!"

We all got a good laugh out of that.

So, I'm now back at home wearing my new pair of the Adidas SuperNova Classics. I can't wait to take them out for a run tomorrow. Now that I have bought the same shoe twice, I feel like I have met a new milestone with running. I feel like like this makes me a more "serious" runner somehow (I'm sure this is all in my head).

Doubt

2006-04-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I am having reservations about the triathlon. If it were next week, I could understand this doubt, but since it is not until August and I am in pretty good shape at the moment, I just can't understand it. Also, I KNOW I can do it. I can do anything I put my mind to, as I have learned over the course of my life. So why am I feeling this ball of panic welling up inside me? I just looked at the Army Ten Miler info in October and thought how great it would be to run that race. But again, the doubt is creeping in.

As I write this, I think I might have realized the root of the problem. Recently, I faced a big decision in my work life. I had my mind set on something for a while and when it came time to come to fruition, I was talked out of it. Granted, I had limited options. But I know if I really wanted it, I could have made it happen. The thing is, I don't know how much I want it. This thing, this thing I have been looking forward to for three years, suddenly I am unsure. I guess that's why I am feeling panicky about everything lately. I just don't know what I want.

But I DO want to complete the Iron Girl Triathlon, and I do want to keep running and swimming and biking (maybe), and I might just want to do the Army 10 Miler. I don't know what I want in life. It's true. But running sure does help to kick those doubtful feelings in the ass every now and then. I just have to remember to think two steps ahead. With hope, I'll figure out what I want eventually (and maybe while I am running!).

****Training Update****
The pool at the Marriot in Memphis is far from a lap pool. Perhaps if the five teeny boppers weren't toying around I could have gotten some swimming in, but otherwise it just didn't look worth it. Instead, I managed to run a few miles on the treadmill before the wedding ceremonies. Peter and I also made a point of walking off all the bbq we ate at every available opportunity. Yesterday I ran 3.75 miles around the National Mall. I can't say it was an easy run, but I can't say it was difficult either. It just was. My hip is hurting me again though. I think it might be time for new shoes (yippeee!!!). Tonight I'm meeting Beth to do some swim training.

You found me!

2006-04-20T17:39:00.000-07:00