JenuineIMexperience

Racing for Recovery Half-Ironman

2011-06-11T21:03:00.007-04:00

Last Sunday was my A race for the year, the Racing for Recovery Half-Ironman in Monroe, MI. I haven't done a half-ironman distance race since 2007 and the last one I finished was this very same race where I set my PR at just shy of 6:03. I signed up for it again, because I knew there was a possibility I could go sub-6 on this course and because it is just too hard for both of us to be seriously training during the summer now that we have the little guy.

Unfortunately, my training was plagued from the get-go. First, I had to get over a hip flexor injury which had my run training ramping up more slowly than what was on the schedule. Second, I got two bad sinus infections that required antibiotics. The first infection was so bad I lost two weeks of training. And, I was still getting over the second on race morning. Crazily enough though, I still thought around 6 hours was achievable. My bike training had been solid and that is where you can gain a lot of time.

I talked two of my girlfriends, Paula and Bridget, into doing it with me. Paula and I had trained for Ironman Lake Placid together, so it was nice to get back out there with her both for training and racing. Bridget is new to triathlon, but she is always up for fun albeit crazy adventures. She never trained more than 1 hour a week on the bike, but figured she could gut her way through it. Her run and swim training were rock solid though. In fact, she is a fabulous runner who did a marathon just 2 weeks prior to the half!

Bridget's family and our family shared a suite at the local hotel. I think the kids enjoyed spending time together. Her daughter is just 1 hour younger than my son! The night before the race we went to a great Italian restaurant that Paula had found. The service was kind of slow, so Bridget and I took the kids to a playground across the street where we saw a momma duck sitting on a nest. But, I digress.

On race morning, I was still hacking up a lung but otherwise ready to get to racing. The water was nowhere as cold as I worried it would be, but was still a little shocking when we got wet pre-race. Bridget hadn't worn her wetsuit in a couple years and neither of us had practiced open water swimming prior to that morning. That didn't worry me so much, because I have swam in open water a bunch of times but I was worried about her. She must have been worried about it too, because she suddenly looked panicked, started crying and said she couldn't do it. I didn't want to put her through a miserable experience so told her that it was perfectly fine if she wanted to drop out. She impressed me though by saying that she hadn't trained in the pool so hard with me just to drop out now.

Before we knew it, we were off. The course has you go out to a far buoy, turn left to the next buoy, turn left again and head back towards shore where you make a right turn, swim parallel to the beach, take another left and then head back 500 meters to the exit. When we started swimming, my chest felt tight and it made me feel panicky, so I stuck to just breathing on my right side every stroke. I eventually was able to settle down and start alternate breathing. The sighting wasn't too bad for me and I did really well hitting every buoy dead on until the last 500 meters. Those buoys were the size of basketballs and I'm sure I added some distance to my race because I couldn't see them at all. As usual when I got to the end of the swim, I thought "thank god I didn't drown and now it is all downhill from here". I saw my friend Danielle and told her that I was never racing in Lake Erie again. I also told myself I didn't have to rush through transition if my 1.2 mile swim time was greater than 50 minutes which unfortunately it was. One of these days I'd like to swim well enough for there to still be bikes left on the racks.

Usually, the bike is where I can gain some ground back from my deplorable swim. I knew almost immediately that I didn't have the giddyup I needed to bike the way I usually can though. The road surface was deplorable also. The bike course has you go out 13 miles with lots of turns and then you do 3 10+-mile loops before heading back. I managed to catch Bridget who was about 5 minutes ahead of me after about 10 miles. I wasn't passing a ton of people like normal though. Not sure if it was because of the way I felt or just that the field of participants was also good on the bike. While Matt, Steve and the kids weren't at the swim exit, they were at the end of the 1st loop on the bike. By the time I saw them the next time, I had to stop at the porto potty. All the bumps on the road were not kind to my bladder or my lady bits. I told Matt as much and he told me to ignore that pain and get back to business. When I asked him how Bridget was doing, he told me Bridget was fine and not to worry about her (I thought it was code for she had dropped out which wasn't the case). He told me he'd see me next at the finish, so I hopped back on my bike for more bumpy riding. The last 6 or so miles were just plain hell and I couldn't wait to get off my bike. I did the math and figured I rode the 56-mile course at about 18 mph (exactly 18 mph according to race results) which was 1-2 mph slower than I hoped for. It was definitely not going to be a PR day.

I saw Paula running as I was coming in on the bike. Her husband told me that she was about 10 minutes ahead of me. I was hopeful I could catch up with her, so we could run the rest of the race together. Well, I did catch her around mile 4, but she was having severe asthma issues. I walked a couple minutes with her, but she shooed me on. At this point, we witnessed a participant passed out on the side of the path. Luckily, it was near an aid station so they were able to quickly get him help. After I saw that, I wondered if I was being an idiot running in this heat just "for fun" when I had a 14-month-old to take care of. My mantra became "I'm slow, but I'm fine." The heat was starting to take its toll as was the cold I was fighting. I told myself to keep running, but stopped to walk at almost every mile marker and aid station. At the halfway point, I told Danielle I wasn't sure I could run another loop. She quipped "Do you want me to run with you?" She just had hip surgery, so I knew I was being a ninny. It didn't stop me from sobbing when I saw Paula's husband though. I filled him in that she'd have to drop at the halfway point and complained again about the heat, but I kept on.

Now, remember I was convinced that Bridget had dropped and I knew Paula was dropping, so I kept on just so one of us would finish. My pace was slower than molasses. Most miles were around 11-11.5 minute pace, but I definitely saw some 13-14 minute miles. With about 2 miles to go, I saw Bridget on the out and back section. She looked darn good and was only about a mile behind me. I knew I needed to put on some speed or she could catch me. Eventually, I crossed the finish line with my slowest half-marathon ever and my second slowest half-Ironman ever at 6:40. Bridget crossed just 3 minutes later. Turns out that she tried to quit on the bike with about 8 miles to go, but her husband didn't know where she was to come get her, so she had to finish. Paula's husband told her to do what she does best and boy did she ever. She mowed down that run field on a day that had even the fiercest competitors suffering and almost caught me even though I had a 30 minute lead on her off the bike. Incredible! Can you imagine what she could have done had she actually trained for the race and not have done a marathon 2 weeks prior?!

Am I disappointed in my performance? No. Despite several setbacks in training, I still finished it. It wasn't pretty, but I didn't quit. Who cares what my time was? I can proudly tell my boy someday that his mom persevered even though she wanted to quit several times throughout the race.

I think I'm done with long course for now. I scratched an itch, but the training is just too much with the little guy. I want to be energetic for him not wiped out from riding my bike for 4 hours. I think I'll stick to short course for awhile. It'll be nice to be done with a race in less than 1.5 hours!

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures from the weekend.

The momma duck was just under the stairs he was climbing.

It was so nice to have my family there to support me!

Bridget and me with the kids

We both got sunburns (we are the whitest of white chicks!) despite reapplying sunscreen prior to the start of the run

Gasp!

2011-05-16T17:37:00.003-04:00

Seriously, a post finally! My blogger ethic has gone somewhere apparently.

Where to start? Well, I'm still training for the Racing for Recovery half-Ironman which is in (gulp) less than 3 weeks. I had a minor setback in training where I was off working out for nearly 2 weeks due to illness right in the middle of my training plan. I decided to just roll with it, get back on track and see where I could get to in the time I had left.

The last two weekends were big for me. Last weekend, I rode almost 51 miles in 3 hours with my pal Paula (also doing the half-IM) and then got up the next day and did a huge negative split 10.6 mile run (first half was 10:30 pace and second half was 9:30 pace). When I started out that morning, my legs seriously felt like lead, but they perked up eventually.

Then, this past weekend, I rode 72 miles on Friday with my pal Nicole (she is training for the Lake Tahoe century ride with Team in Training) and did the Cleveland half-marathon on Sunday. The ride had its ups and downs (sometimes literally as we climbed in and out of the valley), but we both were able to finish strong. It is the longest ride I've been on in almost 3 years.

For the Cleveland half, I had no intention of racing it. I just had a 2-hour run on the training plan and figured it would fit the bill. Paula and I started out together chatting and running easy. I even stopped to use the loo along the way, which added a couple minutes to my time. I don't think I'd have been too happy with the race had I wanted to go for a goal time, because it was so crowded almost the entire way. I had opted for short sleeves and shorts, which seemed like a good idea until about the halfway point. The wind and rain drops picked up then and I started to get cold. I couldn't believe so many people were out in shorts and had kids out with no hats. I mean I was cold and I was running!

Between miles 8 and 9, Paula started to slow down and I just really wanted to be done so we parted ways. I sucked down a gel before mile 10, saw my friend Suz handing out free high 5's at the bottom of the Carnegie bridge and found a new gear. The last three miles were by far the fastest of the day. I finished in 2:15:07, which is nowhere near a PR, but worked well for a solid training day on tired legs.

I don't know what to expect for the half-IM. Oh, I guess I can expect to be very cold in the swim (water temperature still hasn't gotten above 50 yet). But, once that is over, I guess I have a good shot of doing well on the bike and run if these past two weekends are any indication. Goal time is sub-6 (my half-IM PR is on this course and is just under 6:03), but I'll be a happy camper with a finish also. Heck, I'm a mom to a 1 year old, so training for and completing a half-IM feels like an accomplishment!

Speaking of that delightful child, here are a couple of relatively recent pictures:

Not gone, just busy

2011-01-26T11:10:00.004-05:00

My blogging ethic has been deplorable! I do think about posts all the time and read all of my buddy's posts.

Work madness is starting to settle. That is good from a personal life standpoint, but not sure how I feel about the direction my particular niche of the business is going long-term. It is too bad defined benefit plans are going the way of the dodo. They really are the most efficient delivery of retirement benefits and allow employees to afford to retire. I realize that 401(k) plans make more sense to the average employee, but I could shake each and every one that chooses that plan over the defined benefit plan. Good luck guaranteeing you'll make enough money through your own savings (even with the company match) to last you through retirement. Not that I don't think that these plans have their place alongside DB plans. I suppose eventually I'll need to find a different way to make money with my mad problem-solving skillz. Enough soap box and debbie downer attitude!

Right now, I am not doing much triathlon specific training. I'm fighting a hip flexor injury. I thought I'd work at stretching and strengthening it (two things sorely lacking in my post-baby workout plan), but I think I need a doc's help to fully rehab. I've got my appointment on Friday. Wish me luck, because I have a half-Ironman coming up in June and I need to be running again!!

In the meantime, I'm doing some P90X - bringing it in fact. Mostly, I'm doing just the strength and yoga videos and using biking/swimming as my cardio. I can already tell I'm getting stronger and more flexible. Hopefully, it will pay off once the half-IM training plan ramps up.

I'm also of course raising my sweet little boy. I swear he is the happiest kid and I'm so grateful that he is the way he is! He spends most of his time pulling himself up on things and I'm sure walking won't be too far away. Fun times!

Lessons learned

2010-12-09T16:10:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I experienced the worst traffic ever in my over 20 years of driving experience. Many mistakes were made and lessons were learned.

But, let me back up. We had set up a play date at Parsley's house on my day off because she was the only one of us without 4WD and she was snowed in. Parsley and HHH just did amazing marathons, so they weren't up for running and sweetly volunteered to watch Salty's, Bridget's and my kiddos while the three of us went for a run. Yesterday morning, Bridget texted me and asked if we should be getting together given how bad the weather was by her house. I posted a message to FB to find out the conditions by Parsley's house, because it was clear by mine. She said the weather seemed fine, so we all decided to give it a go.

On the way there, it was kind of bad near downtown, but drivable. I figured I was closer to Parsley's house than mine and could let the bad weather pass before heading back home. Lesson One: Check weather conditions before you head out or head home to make sure you won't have to deal with horrible weather at some point while you are out.

We had a great play date. I was able to run without pain and at a decent clip especially given the road conditions. The kids all seemed to have a good time and it was great to catch up with my mommy running friends. At 2:30, we headed for home. I was almost to 490 when the roads were just stopped. I got a text from Salty who was about 5 minutes ahead of me that the lanes weren't moving at all. I noticed that traffic seemed to be moving off the E. 55 exit, so I got over and got off. That was Lesson Two: Never get off the highway particularly in a bad part of town that you are unfamiliar with.

From there, it just got worse and worse. Traffic had slowed to practically no movement at all. The whole town was totally gridlocked already and rush hour hadn't even started. I talked to Bridget who gave me some options for getting back to the highway, but unfortunately, the roads just weren't moving.

I had the bright idea to get to the Cleveland Clinic where I knew there was covered, safe parking and food/drink. It took nearly four hours to get there, but finally at 6:30, I maneuvered into the parking garage. Of course, I hadn't showered and was wearing no underwear or bra because I forgot them, so I can't even imagine what people thought as they saw me wandering around. Lesson Three: Make sure all of your post-run clothes are packed.

The baby, who normally goes weeks without crying, had been screaming at me off and on for an hour by the time I got to the garage. And, when I pulled him out of the seat, I noticed that he was very stinky. When I changed him, it was a blow-out and I completely ran out of wipes, which I knew I was low on to begin with. Lesson Four: Make sure you have plenty of wipes and don't just think "oh the other mommies will have me covered if I run out".

So, we were trapped at the Clinic for three hours. Will was so out of routine that he cried at the drop of a hat. But, I did find food/drink for me and we had a safe place to wait out the storm.

When I left at 9:30, I actually headed back towards downtown and took E. 55 to the highway. It still took an hour to get home, but due to conditions and not the other cars. After that 8-hour travel adventure, I couldn't stomach the thought of putting either of us in a car today, so I took the day off of work. We are back on routine and the little man is back to his usual, happy self.

So, I won't win the mom of the year award for my stupid decisions yesterday, but I have learned some lessons that I will remember going forward.

Here are some pictures to remember the day:

Before we left the house

Out on our playdate with one of his girlfriends, Salty's daughter

With his other girlfriend and birthday buddy, Bridget's daughter

View on our drive in the hood

Finally fell asleep at the Clinic

VP of Operations?

2010-11-09T12:11:00.004-05:00

Doesn't my son look like he could be the next VP of Operations for SlobberCo? : )

Here are a couple more of his "school" pictures taken at daycare last month. He's such a joyful little guy!

Stomp the Grapes half-marathon

2010-11-07T10:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I ran the Stomp the Grapes half-marathon. While my training has been half-baked at best, I seem to be running a lot faster than I did pre-baby. So, 7 months post-baby, I attempted to best my PR of 2:02:41 set back at the Cleveland half-marathon in May 2007. Luckily for me, Bridget said she would pace me.

Yesterday's weather was cold and windy. Can't blame the race directors for that, but I do have a list of grievances (as well as some kudos):

Grievance #1: 12 PM race start (sure, it gave the weather a chance to warm up but it took the whole damn day especially because you had to be there no later than 10:45 in order to park)

Kudos #1: Race swag was pretty cool - tech shirt, tech hat and tech socks all with the race logo on them

Kudos #2: Heated porto john units

Grievance #2: Aid stations few and far between (luckily, I brought my fuel belt)

Grievance #3: Putting all the hills on the second half of the course

Grievance #4: Point to point race with no parking at the finish line (sure they were willing to bus spectators to the finish line, but I didn't want my mom freezing in the cold for two hours so she couldn't come)

Grievance #5: Nothing but water at the finish line and no direction as to where the drop bags were for those of us with fuzzy heads

Grievance #6: 3 porto-potties at the finish and nowhere private to change

Grievance #7: Only 8 busses during peak time to bus back to start, which then made Bridget and me stand in the cold for an hour before finally getting back (we didn't even bother going to finisher's party because we were so chilled to the bone)

Kudos #3: Bus drivers were really nice and worked their butts off to get to/from

But, enough bitching, lets get to the race.

My friend Salty told me to try to hold sub-9 minute pace for each mile then unleash at the end. I told Bridget the plan and she tried her hardest to hold me to that. We really rocked it for the first 7 miles with each mile between 8:48 and 8:58, but then the hills started, my tummy rebelled and the wheels fell off the cart. I don't know if it was the stomach flu earlier that week, starting way too fast, being hungry from missing lunch (did eat some beforehand and some during the race but apparently not enough), the hilly back half or what, but my tummy was not a happy camper. I also had a strange pain in my left hip that I've never experienced before. It probably was the lack of hill training. But, despite all that I finished in 2:02:08, which was a 33 second PR!

I do think I have a sub-2 performance in me, but the cards were not right for it yesterday. So, even though I am not a huge fan of the Fall Classic half-marathon, I will be trying for that sub-2 in two weeks. Wish me luck!

Leave No Trace Half-marathon

2010-09-06T06:22:00.003-04:00

My big race of the season, Dances with Dirt, is coming up this weekend. We've got five fabulous ladies for the team (well four plus me) and we have already assigned the legs. I'll be going first for the first time ever (this is my seventh DWD). Total mileage for the three legs is 13.85 miles.

Now, I've been running a lot (for me) lately, but it hasn't been often on trails let alone hills. My longest run this year was 12 miles and that was two weeks ago. So, when Bridget asked if I'd like to run the inaugural Leave No Trace trail half-marathon this weekend, I thought "why not?".

The race was being held on the private trails of a local boy scout camp, so I had no idea what to expect. For some reason I didn't get my normal pre-race nerves. I guess I was treating it as a training race with DWD just a week away which was probably the reason why. Plus, I had no idea what I was capable of doing.

The field for the race was pretty small with less than 80 participants. I worried (needlessly) about running alone. One guy (John) said good morning and told me he was going to run with me (after I declared that I was slow). I think he was kidding, but it turned out that we ran together the entire race. More on that later. The race director said the first loop was 4 miles and the second was 9. More on that later too.

The good thing about such a small race is it started right on time. At 7:30 AM, we took off and quickly settled into the right pace groups despite the single track trail. I fell in at the back of about 8 people. The trail was a nice mixture of hills, flat, gravel road, dirt trail, rooty trail, etc. The hills weren't easy, but they could have been much worse. By the time we ended the first loop, we had travelled 5 (not 4) miles according to my Garmin and John and I left the group we were travelling with behind.

John and I started up an easy conversation about biking and running. He loved to charge up the hills and at some point, I stopped being able to charge up them too. I told him to leave me behind, but he said he'd just wait at the top which he did. I earned that company by keeping him from going off-course twice. The course was exceptionally well-marked, but it is easy to get distracted and miss a turn. Luckily, my DWD experience kept my mind in the game.

We joked that we hoped the race director was just mistaken about the second loop being 9 miles since the first was 5. By the time we hit mile 11, I was starting to hurt especially in my feet. At mile 12, we passed a guy "with authority" and I told myself "just 1.1 more miles". At mile 13, the end was nowhere in sight. We realized that the RD was not wrong unfortunately. At 13.5 miles, we started up a switchback hill and I pleaded with John to leave me behind. I was just spent. He said "nope" and encouraged me to start running again. I already felt bad about slowing him down, so I kept running. He told me my brain was just rebelling because it had gotten me through the last mile once already.

I am very thankful for him, because when we hit the finish line, I was so proud of myself. It took me 2:34:32 to run the 14 miles, which was good for 54th out of 78 runner and 8th out of 17 females. Bridget did awesome finishing 4 minutes ahead of me, which was good for 5th female and 3rd in our age group!!

So, I guess I'm ready for DWD. I went the distance and I didn't feel too badly the next day other than a blood blister on the bottom of my foot which should heal by Saturday. Game on!

GCT video

2010-08-10T09:53:00.001-04:00

My hubby put together a quick video from Sunday's race. Not sure how he had the time to video and take care of the kiddo, but he is a great multi-tasker! I thought I'd gone 1:15 on the bike, but was actually 1:16. Close enough, right? According to my bike computer, the distance was 24 miles, not the 23 advertised or the 24.8 that is a typical International distance. So, bike average was 18.8 instead of 19.5. Still not too bad.

Greater Cleveland Triathlon!

2010-08-09T12:53:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was my big triathlon of the year, the Greater Cleveland International distance triathlon. As I awoke at 4 AM to prepare for the day, I thought of a few things: 1) Why did I think this was a good idea when I signed up very pregnant in December? (it is all TriSara's fault) : ) ; 2) Getting up at 4 AM used to be harder before having my little guy (actually felt rested because he didn't get up to eat until 4:30); 3) Nursing/pumping adds 30 minutes to the normal get-ready routine; 4) This is the least anal I've been about getting my stuff together ever (normally, I am checking and rechecking that I packed everything) and 5) Would the swim actually happen this year after being canceled the last two years?

I showed up early, got body marked by TriEric and set up my transition in the wrong rack. I thought the two racks encompassed all of the 16 applicable numbers, but it turns out that the first 8 went on the first rack, where I put my bike and unfortunately I was in the last 8 of numbers. Doh! One of the gals was a real biatch about it, so I moved my bike (so much for getting there early to get a good spot) to a spot with excess sand around it. I did meet a cool girl named Amanda from Washington, D.C. I also noticed how many Team In Training people were there - good for them and great for us to have actual cheerleaders on the run course because of them.

After setting up transition, I headed to my car for an abbreviated pumping session. I only got 15 minutes of pumping before having to head out to the pre-race athlete's meeting. Then, it was off for the long walk to the swim start. Luckily, I ran into Daisy and Dave and we were able to walk together. That was the extent of my warm-up.

For the swim, the race director had decided to put males and females together, so we were just going by age group. I was a little nervous about that, but it turned out to be fine. For once, I was in the 2nd wave instead of the last one. The lake was turning choppy and we had to swim against the natural current. The race says that the swim is .75 miles, but I don't believe it. Based on swim times, it was either longer than that or the treadmill effect and waves affected everyone equally. I had hoped to get out in about 30 minutes, but instead took just over 37 minutes. At this point, I was last in my age group (of course, I didn't know that). As a side note, I got to see my friend Suz randomly as I got out of the swim as she was cheering for a couple of her friends doing the duathlon. And, I was excited to see my hubby and little boy just before the transition area (Will was sporting a onesie my hubby made that said "Eat my Mommy's Dust" and had a picture of a bike on it).

T1 was way slower than it should have been, because I couldn't get my wetsuit over my timing chip. The chip was really clunky large and we were told to wear them outside the wetsuit. I wish I had thought to take it off first before removing my wetsuit. Oh well, live and learn.

So, 2:16 minutes after entering transition, I took off on the bike. The first 5 miles were terribly congested with sprint duathletes. Eventually, there was some clear road though thankfully. I did keep trading spots with this one older dude, because he would pass me and then slow down. I eventually gave up and stayed behind him (at a legal distance), because it wasn't worth the effort to pass him. I just wish he'd been able to keep up a consistent speed. But, maybe it was good in the long run, because I stayed conservative for the first half of the ride, which is more uphill than downhill.

After making the hard left at the bottom of Chilicothe, I saw Amanda from D.C. I thought first "I should catch up to her and tell her about the big, steep hill coming up" and then thought "I should want to catch her just for competition sake". LOL! So, as I passed her I warned her to get into her small gears quickly after getting onto that hill (she told me later that she was very grateful for this advice). When I went up that hill, it was actually way easier than usual - could be adrenaline or could be it is a good time to pass people. Towards the end of the hills, I told one guy who was struggling as I passed him "Happy fun down time is coming" and he said I made his day. The rest of the ride was uneventful and I managed to not get stopped by a train this time. I did the bike in 1:16:07, which was good for a 19.5 mph average and put me solidly in 5th place in my age group (again, I had no idea). I was the 4th fastest biker female that day!

T2 went much better at 1:05 and I was soon on the run.

As I exited transition, Matt and Will were there (I swear Matt was all over the place on this race) to cheer me on again. I really had to pee, but told myself that I didn't have the luxury of using the facilities if I wanted to break my goal of 3 hours. I had no idea how fast I'd be able to run and every second would help!

I dropped my Hammer Gel as I was coming out of transition, so I knew I needed to get calories in another way. This meant Gatorade, which I usually don't use on the run, but I was fearful of bonking. They did have Hammer Gel on the course, but by the time I got to it, my mouth was so dry and it sounded seriously unappetizing.

The plan for the run was to just make it to the next mile marker or aid station and I was only allowed to walk the aid stations. I saw Daisy running back with an amazing 2nd female overall finish. I saw a ton of people from the club including a guy named James who I ran with for a few minutes. It turns out that his son was born in the same hospital as mine on the same day!

The aid station run by Fleet Feet was cheerful amidst the industrial road background (unfortunately they didn't have lubricant for my chafed arms) and the aid station run by the Willoughby South track team was amazing! They had a pirate theme and their coach (another club member) ran next to me with a pirate map showing me the way to the finish.

Oh yah, and of course, I was running - uphill and down, in the shade and in the open. My miles were consistently around 9:30-10:00 minute pace with only the hilliest mile slightly over 10 minute pace. From miles 4-5.75, I just chanted in my head "get to the shade". I was boiling at this point, but knew I was almost finished. Eventually, I made it back to the shady path and to the finish line with a 6.2 mile run time of 1:00:30 (9:46 pace). I must have looked bad, because EH immediately got me ice to put in my shirt. I'll admit to feeling a little light headed, but after some cold drinks it was much better!

Oh, and did I break the 3-hour goal barrier? Yes, I did! I finished in 2:57:03, which was good for 5th out of 10 in my age group. My International distance PR is 2:49 on another course. I haven't done the International distance triathlon on this course since 2004 when it was my first International distance triathlon and I think I did that one in 3:07.

Overall, I am quite pleased with how the day turned out. I am just over 4 months post-baby and was able to perform at an acceptable level for me. I do wonder sometimes if I should be a duathlete instead, because then I'd have a better chance for hardware. However, I like doing all three sports even if I'm not good at all of them, so a triathlete I shall remain.

This is likely the end of the triathlon season for me. The next two weekends, Will and I will be cheering Matt on at the Vermillion and Lorain triathlons. Next up for me is Dances with Dirt baby, yah!

First Triathlon Post-Baby

2010-07-30T15:09:00.004-04:00

Well, I guess I was worried for nothing. I actually performed way better than I thought I would at this past weekend's Fairport Harbor Pirate triathlon. Maybe the shortened swim and the countless hybrid bikes to pass motivated me, but I managed to get 3rd in my age group (out of 22)!

My swim is still horribly slow, but it is a little better since I had an open water swim lesson on Saturday. Apparently, I need higher elbows and to reach out wider. My bike is rock solid though. I LOVED racing and passing everyone I could catch out there. Flat course + my triathlon bike + me = FAST! But, of course, you eventually have to get off your bike and try to outrun those you passed. My run is okay, but not super speedy.

I passed BS just before T2, but she ran past me like I was standing still, which I basically was while mounting that hill out of the park. I'm really proud of her for finally doing her first triathlon! The first one I ever did, I was almost dead last. Not so for BS! If the ladies in her age group wouldn't have been so competitive, she would have snagged an age group award easily and certainly finished in the top third of the females. Incredible!

I'm feeling fairly good about the GCT Olympic now. I just have to survive the swim and then I'll be set! Of course, this bike course isn't flat, but I'm pretty decent on hills too. Wish me luck!

Here is a picture of me with BS and AS - two fast chicas (picture courtesy of AS)!

Here are a couple of pictures of the happy, little guy. He is 4 months old now!

A triathlon you say?

2010-07-20T11:56:00.003-04:00

My first triathlon post-baby is coming up on Sunday. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

On one hand, my running and biking have been coming along nicely, but on the other, my swimming is in the crapper (and no that is not a reference to the Lake Erie water). MN and I have an open water swim lesson on Saturday, so hopefully that will help identify what the heck I did to my stroke while I was pregnant. Of course, I was never that great of a swimmer, but I want to be faster darn it!

I've been training about 7 hours a week. I run 3-5 days for a total of 20-25 miles, bike on the trainer 2 days, bike outside 1 day and swim 1-2 days (hmmm...maybe that is why my swim is so bad - lack of focus on it). Anyway, my long run is up to just over 10 miles at a 9:48 pace and my shorter runs are around 9:15-9:30 pace (even with the stroller). My long bike is up to 31 miles at 18.4 mph pace (flat course). My longest swim is still around 2000 meters, which is longer than I need to go for GCT, but it is going to be a slow slog. Good news is that I can still use the "I just had a baby 4.5 months ago" as an excuse for not hitting a PR on that course if I need to do so. Lets hope the stars align and I don't have to use that excuse.

Being back at work means I need to juggle being a mom, being a good worker and being an athlete. I think I'm doing okay at all three so far, but I'm definitely tired. I'm so thankful to have Wednesdays off. Not only do I get to run and hang out with my fellow mommy runner friends, but I can also catch up on some sleep. Will is still not sleeping through the night, but hopefully he will soon. He's so fun the rest of the time that I don't mind that so much.

The last couple Sundays have been fun too, because I've gotten to swim and have a picnic with some of my favorite people. Plus, Will gets to see his birthday buddy! Here is a picture of them this past Sunday.

Wish me luck this weekend!

Three months old!

2010-06-29T12:52:00.003-04:00

My little guy will be three months old tomorrow - my how time flies! Speaking of flying, here is a video Matt took of me "flying" Will around. He loves it and I get an ab workout - win/win!!

I am back to work now. In many ways, it is easier than I imagined. Maybe that is because I have been doing this for so long that it is easy to slip back into routine. Don't get me wrong. I miss my little guy terribly, but it makes the time we do have together that much better. Luckily, they are allowing me to work part-time which starts next week, so I'll get to spend an extra day with him each week. I'll also get to see my running mommy friends who I miss like crazy!

Being back to work means juggling my workout schedule even more than I was. This morning, my son got up at 3:30 AM to eat. I got back into bed at 4:15 am and the 5:15 alarm sounded way too soon. I lay there contemplating skipping my trainer ride, but luckily my hubby kept poking me and encouraging me to get up and git'r done. I rode for 45 minutes, sweated a bucket of sweat and was grateful for his prodding by the time I finished. Of course, I'll probably be a zombie by 9 PM tonight, but it was worth it! I have the Fairport Tri on 7/25 and GCT on 8/8, so I better keep my head in the game.

Besides a couple early morning trainer rides a week, I'll attempt to get away for at least one lunch run a week downtown. I wish I was faster, so I could keep up with e-Speed, but that would be serious wishful thinking!! I'm trying to talk a couple of my co-workers into joining me and CV may be able to get away occasionally. It is much more fun and likely to happen if I have company!

Besides keeping a regular workout schedule, I did manage to race another 5-miler. Matt ran with the stroller (it was Father's Day) at a much faster pace than I could manage, but I did eek out a sub 9:30 average on the hilly course on a hot, humid day. I know that isn't fast for most of you regular readers, but it is pretty good for me especially < 12 weeks post partum.

I'll leave you with a couple of recent pictures of the little guy - he is such a joy!!

Just one week left : (

2010-06-16T20:47:00.003-04:00

My baby boy is 11 weeks old today. This is good, because it means he is sleeping longer stretches, smiles all the time and is learning new stuff every day! It is bad though, because it means I am going back to work in a week. : ( In some ways, it will be nice to do adult things again, but I'll miss my little guy terribly. At least I'll only be working 4 days a week starting in July, so I'll get an extra day with him and we'll get to see my workout mommy friends and his little buddies!

In workout news, I'm improving steadily with the bike being the best. I'm swimming 1-2 times a week for about 1800 meters, running 3-4 times a week (long run is now 7 miles) and biking 2 times a week (long bike is now 26 miles). Matt and I have developed a schedule for getting our workouts in each week, while maximizing our time with the little guy. It may mean less sleep, but it will be worth it!

My first triathlon back is July 25. I think I'll be ready for it as it is a sprint. The real test will be the GCT Olympic distance on August 8. Fingers crossed!

Two Months!

2010-05-31T15:12:00.003-04:00

Wow, time is flying! My baby boy is now two months old! He is packing on the poundage and is absolutely adorable!

Speaking of poundage, I am losing mine slowly but steadily. I finished the pregnancy up 42 pounds and now I only have 9 pounds to lose. I expect those 9 pounds to be stubborn, especially with my love for chocolate milkshakes and frozen cokes!

My fitness is starting to come around. Biking seems to be the one that is improving the fastest, but I suppose that is no surprise when it was the one event out of the three I was good at to begin with. Running is surprisingly going well also. Bridget and I ran a 5-mile race with the strollers on Saturday and managed a 10:30 pace. Sure, it isn't as fast as I was before, but it is way faster than I expected. I credit getting back up to speed to running with other mommies like Bridget, Eva, Sara and Laura. It is nice to be able to do a group run again and the lunch afterwards rocks as well (see, I told you those 9 pounds would be stubborn).

Swimming is tough. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm sure it doesn't help that I can only get there once a week right now (although very grateful to my MIL and my hubby for making that happen) or that the pool is set up in the 50 meter format, but I thought I would lose the least fitness there having swum until the day before Will was born. Oh well. It is getting better, just slowly. My first triathlon is July 25 at Fairport Harbor (a sprint) and have also signed up for the GCT olympic. Just need to have it in gear by then! : )

Overall, things are going well and I can't complain. Will has slept 6 hours straight the last two nights and it is heavenly. He has great smiles and I'm going to miss him when I go back to work in just over 3 weeks. Sigh. Must get paid, right?

Bridget and me with our kiddos after the race (note the great shirts Bridget's hubby, Steve, made for us)

Matt ran it too!

Six Weeks

2010-05-11T18:52:00.004-04:00

My baby boy is six weeks old tomorrow. He is growing like a weed and is just so darn cute! At the doctor this past Friday, he weighed 11.25 pounds (he was 7.5 pounds at birth). My little guy is getting big so fast and is so strong! He can hold his head up now and the smiles are officially real! Time is just flying!

One plus to time flying is I can now get back to exercising like a normal person. Technically, I've already been exercising (4 trainer rides and 2 run-walks plus a ton of walks), but now I don't have to feel worried about it. Tomorrow, I go for my 6-week check-up and then am meeting Bridget for a run with the strollers. She's already up to 4.25 miles, so I need to get my butt in gear! I also need to figure out how to get back into the pool - my triathlon is coming up fast! Now, if I can just get Will to sleep a little longer at night...

My adorable little man:

Lunch with Aunt Nicole yesterday:

Not long now

2010-05-01T20:52:00.005-04:00

Well, my little guy is a month old now and he's growing like a weed! The sleep deprivation gets to me at times, but he is totally worth it!

I am chomping at the bit to do some real exercise. I've mostly been walking, but have lifted weights twice and rode the trainer once. That trainer ride was humbling. I wonder how running will go. Less than 2 weeks left till I can find out! Maybe then, these last 15 pounds will start to melt. Wish me luck!

Baby C

2010-04-15T11:13:00.004-04:00

So, 15 days ago, I gave birth to William David on March 31. He was 7 pounds, 7 oz. and was 20.5" long. It was a rough delivery which included 3 hours of pushing, but he's totally worth it.

My doctor said I had no exercise restrictions other than not swimming for 6 weeks, but should listen to my body. I was out walking 5 days after he was born and I'm up to 1.5 miles. Body says to take it easy though. I think I'll wait a few more weeks till I try running.

Today, my preggo workout buddies, Bridget and Sara are visiting with their baby girls (future dating prospects for Will). Bridget and I had our babies within 1.25 hours of each other. We texted throughout the day and both delivered happy, healthy babies! How cool is that?!

Here is a picture of Will taken 10 minutes ago. : )

Overuse injury?

2010-03-25T07:11:00.003-04:00

I walked 1.5 miles on the treadmill the other morning. After, I stretched like I usually do, but when I did the hamstring stretch, my heel felt like it was tearing. Not good.

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, so I met up with BS and Salty (and her adorable son) for a 3.5 mile walk in the park. My heel felt fine in my shoes, but now it aches terribly. I can't believe I got an overuse injury at almost 41 weeks pregnant! Guess it is time to bust out the little tub for a mini ice bath for my feet.

Picture of my adorable pregnant friends and me after our walk:

Dead sexy picture of me on the treadmill just before the injury occurred:

The due date has now officially passed

2010-03-22T07:30:00.003-04:00

No baby yet. Probably not too surprising. Babies show up on their due date 3-5% of the time. We'll just continue to be patient and he'll show up when he's supposed to show up.

On Saturday morning, I had a lovely 2.5 mile walk with BS and EM on the Towpath followed by a scrumptious breakfast at Fishers. Hopefully, the next time we go for a walk there, it will be with the strollers.

Yesterday, Matt and I went for a 1-mile walk at the park near our house. It was a little colder/windier today, but still nice to get out and not feel like such a bump on the log. There isn't much to do around the house (especially with my husband man nesting), so I'm catching up on DVR'd shows and reading books. Not such a bad gig.

This afternoon, I'll meet BS again for a mall walk (weather isn't as cooperative today) and a pedicure. Nothing like pretty toes during labor, right?! : )

I will keep you all posted. In the meantime, here are some new pictures:

Latest "bump" picture

Me sitting on playground equipment telling our son that he can't play on it till he comes out

Matt and me on our walk

Bonus picture from my 4th grade class (I'm easily spotted)

Almost done

2010-03-19T10:43:00.003-04:00

So, today is my last day of work for awhile. I'm glad, because I'm uncomfortable and I hate having people depend on me finishing up projects. Many of my co-workers went into labor the weekend after finishing up with work. We work in a high stress environment, so maybe knowing that you are done with that for awhile is enough of a catalyst to get the party started. I'm not saying I'm not okay with that, but I also can't claim to be not scared. One way or another, he is coming out, so I shouldn't stress about it, right?

I'm still working out, but it is pretty low key (yoga, walking, elliptical and swimming). One of my co-workers said his wife walked to help induce labor and he thought that I couldn't use that given my normal level of activity. I don't know if he is right, but I'm still planning to meet up with fellow preggos, BS and EM for a sunny walk on the Towpath tomorrow morning followed by a yummy breakfast! It is weird to me to make plans that I may not be able to keep. Of course, no one would be mad if I had to cancel due to being in labor, but still it is weird.

Some days I feel huge and others I feel small. Earlier this week, one lady asked if I would make it to the end of the project we are doing for them, which is June 1 and I said "no, I'm due Sunday". She was flabbergasted! It must have been a good optical illusion with my clothes that day. Then, today, one tri club member saw me at the gym and he said "You're still pregnant?! I thought you were due in December judging by your size then." Uh, thanks. I'll let you be the judge. Here are a couple pictures from this past weekend at 39 weeks. (If you don't like belly shots, please stop scrolling down) : )

This last one is of my sausage-like toes with my hubby's ring on the big one (hee hee)

Catching a Leprechaun

2010-03-13T14:51:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, at two weeks before our due dates, Bridget and I did the Catch a Leprechaun 5k in Lorain, OH. Earlier in the week, we signed up in order to guarantee a race shirt. Bridget texted me "Thinking about signing up as an Athena." I texted back "That's what I did". Her response "Seriously? I was joking, but okay."

I thought it was our best chance to medal. The race isn't very well attended, but there were plenty of people in our respective age groups.

We lined up in back and without speaking about it, starting trotting together instead of walking (our original plan). Neither of us had run in about 8 weeks. After 0.5 mile, we took a 0.25 mile walk break. Then, we started running again. Towards the end of that 0.5 mile, we saw all of our friends and family coming back from the out and back section. They cheered for us and we felt like rock stars. We took another 0.25 mile walk break, ran another 0.5 mile, another 0.25 mile walk break and then ran the last 0.85 miles. Other than some shin pain for the first couple miles, I felt great the whole time!

We finished as #1 and #2 in the division (there was actually a #3, but she walked the race with her daughter) in a time of 44:43. It was way faster than I had even hoped. Getting a medal just made it all the sweeter!

Here are a couple pictures of us (one before the race and one after with our medals):

After the race, we picked up bagels and headed to see TriSara to visit with her and her adorable new daughter! What a cutie!

Bridget and I thought about doing the St. Malachi 2-mile walk today, but the weather was just too unfavorable for a walk. The countdown is on to get to meet my son and her daughter. Wish for us that we don't go too late!

Wasn't Crazy After All

2010-02-27T07:31:00.003-05:00

In my last post, I mentioned that I was planning to do a 25 x 100 swim challenge. Well, Bridget and I made it! We broke up our sets into 4 100s, which consisted of 100 swim, 100 pull, 100 kick w/ board and 100 breast/free. We made it through 4 sets of these before having to answer the frequent pregnant call of nature. We ate a donut hole and headed back for the remaining 2 sets followed by 100 cooldown.

By the end, my calves were feeling a little crampy, but it was worth it to feel the pride of accomplishment! It is funny that a distance that would have been routine in my pre-pregnant training I consider to now be an accomplishment. Well, I haven't been swimming more than a mile and most of the time I use pool toys like fins and paddles. On this swim, we used neither. Rock on!

I couldn't have done it without Bridget. She'd never swum that far in her life, so it was even bigger accomplishment for her! I can't tell you how grateful I am to have her in my life. I'd met her a few times previously and had run with her once, but I really didn't know her. Through this shared pregnancy experience, I have made one very good friend. I would be stir crazy without her. We ran together till about 30 weeks, then we took up swimming together (with TriSara too!). And, we have a shared love for second breakfast. : )

I'm leaving soon for our next swim followed by hopefully breakfast at Lucky's! We are both still moving at 37 weeks along and my doc thinks it is fabulous!

Here are some recent pictures of the two of us together.

At her shower on February 6

Another shower pic, but from the side:

Kicking in the pool this past weekend:

All done:

We'll soon be done with our pregnant adventures (I had my first labor dream last night), but then we'll have new workout adventures with our kids in tow!

Oh, and congrats to TriSara for the birth of her beautiful daughter! We often told her that she had to have her baby, so we could have ours! : ) It won't be long now. Gulp... Doc thinks my baby will be 8 pounds by his due date.

Officially Lost My Mind

2010-02-17T11:20:00.003-05:00

So, my triathlon club is having a swim challenge on Sunday morning. The lowest distance is 25 x 100 yards, so I just wrote it off as not doable. But, then I talked to the fitness director at my gym (where the swim challenge will take place) and she said "C'mon, you have 4 hours to do it." Well, I thought I'd gauge the interest of fellow preggo, Bridget (due 2 days after me), because we were going to swim there that morning anyway (although we usually only go 1200-1300). She's up for it, so we are now signed up. I have officially lost my mind doing this at 36 weeks pregnant, but I can always bail if I don't feel good, right? I'll definitely earn those pancakes this Sunday!

I promised Matt that I would talk to my doctor about it tomorrow when I go in for my first weekly visit. I don't suspect he'll be a problem though. He thinks it is great that I'm so active. Wish me luck!

I'll leave you with two pictures of the bump at 35 weeks. One offers a unique perspective (and also explains why I've lost sight of my feet) and the other is me in my dead sexy maternity suit.

Not long now

2010-02-03T09:35:00.003-05:00

"Not long now." That's what I keep hearing from everyone. In the grand scheme, it is definitely a short time till I welcome my baby boy to the world, but for now it still feels far away. My due date is in 6.5 weeks, but who knows if he'll show up on time?

I'm still feeling fairly good and have continued lifting, swimming and doing the crosstrainer. Bridget and I are even thinking of attempting the Frostbite Prediction Run this weekend, which is a 5k. In that race, you don't have to be fast, just good at predicting your finishing time.

In other news, my mother-in-law's shower for me is this Sunday and I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family. Plus, it will be great to finish up the nursery. I'm sure I'll be nesting soon.

I'll leave you with new pictures of the bump from this past weekend at 33 weeks along (don't I look like a redneck in the second one?!):

Surprisingly good workouts

2010-01-17T14:35:00.004-05:00

I'd heard that the third trimester brought back the tiredness, but it really hasn't happened yet. I know, I'm early in the third trimester still, but I really feel good right now.

In fact, I had two great workouts this weekend. Yesterday, I met Sara for a swim. I've found the secret to keeping up with her (she's a lifelong swimmer) is 1) having her be 5 weeks further along than me and 2) using swimming aids like flippers or paddles. It worked for us and we polished off 1200 yards before polishing off a yummy breakfast at FirstWatch. She is my inspiration and helps set the bar for what I can still do at this point. I mean, if she can do flip turns at 36 weeks, why can't I?!

Then, today I met Bridget, who is also 31 weeks along, for a run/walk at N. Chagrin. The bridle trails were slick and the all purpose path had patches of black ice, so we opted for the road which was dry as a bone. We were able to run with just a couple walk breaks for 3 miles. I thought my running days were over, but I'm glad she talked me into trying it again after 3 weeks. I felt great the whole time! Then, of course, we had a yummy breakfast at Yours Truly!

I'm truly grateful for these ladies for keeping me active and providing fabulous company these last few months! You know we'll be meeting up after we've given birth and have been cleared for exercise! A jogging stroller is a definite purchase for me if I don't get it as a shower gift.

I'll leave you with a picture from this morning prior to the run:

30 weeks bump

2010-01-12T12:38:00.004-05:00

I probably shouldn't be sharing this picture of the bump at 30 weeks, because I have terrible bedhead and no make-up, but you'll probably just look at the bump anyway and my husband saw me like this live (and he still loves me).

This picture proves that I'm still moving. Shut up! Prenatal yoga does so count! : )

Worst leg cramp ever

2010-01-08T12:28:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday night, I woke up screaming with the worst leg cramp I have ever had. That is saying something, because I have done marathons and Ironman, which reduced my legs to worthless the next day. Luckily for me, my husband woke up right away and got to work massaging my calf. It loosened up and I tried to get up to go to the bathroom when it seized again. My poor hubby had to talk me through the pain while he massage it yet again. He even recommended Lamaze breathing. Thank goodness he was there, because I don't think I could have worked it out by myself. Yesterday, I was walking around like a gimp, but thankfully it is just a little tender today and no other cramps have occurred since then (knock on wood).

Ah, the joys of pregnancy! I think nature makes you go through all of these less than fun symptoms, so you don't want to stay pregnant or keep getting pregnant (although that doesn't explain the Duggars).

So, the weather as you know has been complete crap lately. While I was enjoying the cooler weather for running to not worry about overheating, I can't justify the slippery running surface when I have precious cargo on board. When you add to that the fact that the treadmill exacerbates my shin pain problem, I have officially stopped running. My last run was the day after Christmas with Matt for our annual jingle bell jog. I'm glad I at least got to get that in before stopping.

Now, work is super busy, so I've missed a couple of workouts. I'm so tired these days that getting up super early to get in my workout before coming here for 12+ hours just can't happen. I am meeting BS and TriSara for a swim tomorrow morning, which should be funny with our big preggo bellies!

Well, just 10 or so weeks left before getting to meet our son in the outside world. We really are looking forward to it (even if I am petrified of the birth itself and learning how to care for a newborn).

I'll leave with you with a few pictures from the last couple of weeks:

My mother and me on Christmas Day

A picture of the bump the day after Christmas (28 weeks along)

Matt's hands on my bump before our Jingle Bell Jog

Matt and me before the Jingle Bell Jog

Snow

2009-12-20T19:42:00.003-05:00

One of my mottos is "a day without snow is another day closer to Spring". I still hold that view, but now it gets the added "a day without snow is another day closer to my son's birth!" I start the third trimester tomorrow, so just one season left till I actually get to meet him on the outside!

Well, we've not had as much snow as usual and certainly not as much as the east coast received, but we did get a couple inches on Saturday. Luckily, it didn't make the trail surface slippery, so I was able to get a good 3 mile walk in with Sara and Bridget on Saturday on the Mastick bridle trails and a nice 3.4 mile run with Bridget on Sunday on the Towpath (I talked her into it after Suzi had to cancel - thanks Bridget!). I have a feeling my running days are numbered, because my luck with running surface being okay isn't going to hold and it is just too hot in the gym to run on the treadmill.

In other news, the mister and I had date night last night. We checked out a new to me restaurant on Chagrin Blvd. called Paladar. The pulled pork was sweet and yummy, but the churros had a little too much cinnamon on them. Here is a picture of me actually in a dress and pantyhose from last night.

Reindeer Run 5k and pumpkin pancakes!

2009-12-06T07:16:00.005-05:00

It's crazy, but I'm posting another race report! Yesterday morning, I "ran" the Reindeer Run 5k with a bunch of good friends.

The morning was the chilliest I've run in for a long time. It was about 30 degrees at race start. Luckily, I can still find some running clothes that fit. Here is a belly picture for those who love them (sorry if you don't love them) of me in my running tights and XL(!) sports bra.

I picked up e-Speed on the way to the race. She went on to not only win the race, but had a huge 5k PR. That's why we call her speedy! Congrats E!

There were 5 pregnant gals running the race. Sara made us all cute signs to wear on our backs during the race. See pictures below. Salty is about 11 weeks and she still placed well into the top 3rd of the group! EM is about 21 weeks and she finished faster than my PR. Of course, Salty and EM are way fast when they are not pregnant. Bridget (25 weeks), Sara (30 weeks) and I (25 weeks) ran together with Bridget's hubby Steve. I think all of us thought we'd be happy with 45 minutes.

As is typical these days, my shins were just killing me till about mile 2.8. Otherwise, I felt great. I wasn't the only one, because we came in at 38:53, which is about 12:30 pace per mile. Not too shabby! Sara even picked up the pace in the last .1 miles and got a huge preggo PR!

We then went out to the Original House of Pancakes for some yummy pancakes. The other two in our group also had great days - MN almost PR'd and CV won her age group! Oh, and can I tell you that pumpkin pancakes are most delicious?! Sara picks the best breakfast places!

That is the last close 5k for awhile. Bridget and I are talking about doing the Chili Bowl in February. By then, running is probably out, but we'll see!

Me with my cute sign!

Sara and me with our signs

Sara and me from the front

The whole group of runner girls plus 5 baby bumps

Personal Worst or Personal Best?!!

2009-12-04T11:17:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it but I actually have a race report to write. On Thanksgiving, I participated in my 8th Cleveland Turkey Trot. It was a personal worst as a runner, but a personal best as a pregnant lady.

The day dawned rainy and cool, but by the time we got out there, it was sunny and mild. Uh oh, we all overdressed! I had an entourage accompany me for the race. My husband and sister-in-law paced me and we had fellow preggo, Bridget and her husband Steve join us.

Bridget and I recalled that the course went past the Muni lot, so porta potties should be available. Unfortunately, they changed the course this year and we never went past the Muni lot. Doh! Instead, we got to see such sights as The Crazy Horse and Bada Bing Gentleman's Club!

Along the way, Bridget and I eyed parking lots and buildings to see if any would serve as a makeshift potty. None ever seemed right, so we sucked it up till the end. The pregnant bladder is nothing to mess with, but we are "in the trimester of well being", so the babies weren't too uncooperative.

We took a few walk breaks along the way and my shins didn't warm up till mile 3, but I knew we'd make the full 5 miles. It was just so nice to chat with everyone along the way. Seriously, I think I like these kind of races better than trying to race for time.

Eventually, we hit the finish line in 1:06:30 or so. Bridget and I joked that we were going to push each other out of the way in the attempt to be the first across the line, but we ending crossing together.

All in all, it was a great morning for a run and I'm really glad I got out there to do it with such fabulous company!

Next up is the Reindeer Run 5k this weekend with a bunch of runner friends, including 4 other preggos. Good times and great pancakes ahead!

Me during the Trot (why don't I look pregnant in this shot?)

Matt, Maggie and me at the end

Maggie, Bridget and me climbing the dreaded W. 3 hill

My entourage minus Matt (the photographer)

Bridget and me crossing together

Prenatal Yoga

2009-11-22T19:08:00.003-05:00

This may sound weird, but while I am okay with still running, swimming, biking (stationary) and lifting weights, I'd been concerned about yoga. I guess I know how to back off on the former activities (just go slower or easier), but there are poses in yoga you just shouldn't do while pregnant.

I've still been going to my regular yoga class (sporadically) though since the beginning of the 2nd trimester. I've just tried to listen to my body. Plus, it is nice to spend time with E-speed.

On Saturday, Bridget and I tried a prenatal yoga class in downtown Willoughby. It was her first yoga class ever and I think she liked it. She's due two days after me and it is so nice to get to share experiences with her. We even have run together a couple times (including that morning) with nice hearty breakfasts afterwards (my kind of girl!) Anyway, I digress.

This class was pretty cool. I never worried about overdoing it and there was Savasana at the beginning and end of class. I left there feeling relaxed and with less aches than when I came in. I hope I can keep going.

I'll leave you with an updated picture of the bump. It was taken today when my friend Sam, her daughter and I went to see Planet 51. Wouldn't recommend the movie.

Halfway

2009-11-01T08:30:00.004-05:00

I'm officially halfway in the pregnancy. We found out on Thursday that we are having a boy! So far, he is growing exactly on schedule!

We went to Italy from October 14 through October 23. Here is a 2-minute video of some of the pictures we took.

We had a very nice time, but it is always good to be home.

I didn't officially exercise in Italy, but we did walk a lot. This week, I got back on the wagon. Yesterday, I met a group of my runner friends. There were supposed to be 3 other pregnant ladies there, but unfortunately they were ill or the weather wasn't worth the drive. Luckily, I ran into TriGuyJT, so had a running partner for about 20 minutes. I ran my longest distance in a couple months, 4 miles, in 53 minutes. Not fast, but am still getting it done. I think I may be able to do the 5-mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving.

Here is a picture of the group before our run. I'm definitely the round one! : )

Drumroll please...

2009-09-27T11:08:00.003-04:00

So, I don't know if anyone is still checking in on me, but I have a good reason for being MIA...I'm pregnant! Finally!

As of today, I am 15 weeks along and am due March 21 (Matt has suggested we name the baby Vernal if he/she is born on that day - I'll have to veto). Everything is going well so far (knock on wood). I am starting to feel a little better. I only threw up twice, but my tummy has definitely not been a happy camper.

I am still working out, but the volume and intensity is way down. I don't know how MN ran a half-marathon at 4 months or how Salty ran the way she did the whole time. I just don't have more then 4 miles of running in me at a time right now. I am sad slow too, but I don't care. And, I take random days off now. I never would have done that pre-pregnancy. I don't even feel bad about it. Maybe I'll come back to training in early summer with a rejuvenated feeling towards it.

I'm not sure how often I'll be posting since my training is kind of boring right now, but did want to let you know what's up. Here is a picture of the kiddo from our last ultrasound around 12-13 weeks.

P.S. I am keeping up on your blogs even if I don't comment very often. Keep up on writing!

Newbies practice

2009-07-18T14:52:00.002-04:00

Wow, it has been over a month since I last blogged. Well, I don't have much to say I guess. When you aren't really training for anything and you write a training blog, you run out of items of note. : )

However, I am still the newbies director for the Cleveland Triathlon Club. This year, I thought I'd plan several sessions ahead of time to provide lots of good, safe training opportunities to new triathletes. So far, we have done:

- a bike ride in Rocky River Reservation before the CTC picnic
- a bike ride and run in Peninsula
- a bike ride out in Mentor Headlands
- a bike ride and then run in Peninsula

Ok, yah, lots of biking, but it was too cold before to swim. Thankfully, that has changed. So, this past Sunday was the best.

We met out at Fairport Harbor. There is this nice little race there every year. I set up the club's transition racks, gave a brief talk about how to set up transition and what to expect in a race (including for the love of god, please don't ride next to your buddy and please stay to the right when you are biking). Mickey, awesome race director for the Greater Cleveland Triathlon, handed out goody bags to each participant.

We then headed into the water to do the 500 meter swim course. Some of the participants got into the spirit and ran up the beach to transition area. I did not do that though. : )

I sent the fast, experienced triathletes off to do the bike course. I told my group that we'd ride as slow as the slowest rider, but that quickly changed. We got spread out and I found myself in the middle of the group. I wasn't worried about the front of the group, because Kim and Bill were leading and they knew where they were going. I stopped to wait for the slowest riders (guy was riding a fixed gear bike). We made the first left, but then ahead, I see Mickey head off course past the second left. I sprinted up to him to get him back on course and told the slowest ones where to go and turn around. Mickey and I got back on course and eventually caught up to the two I had sent ahead. Mickey knew the way back, so he said he'd get them back safely. I sprinted ahead to catch up to the other riders. I never did catch them, but they were all waiting at transition area.

Once we regrouped, we headed out on the run course. Again, we didn't stay together, but nobody got lost.

I was very happy with the way the practice went and I hope the newbies who showed up feel a little more confident come race day. Tracie's mom and grandma watched the bike racks and her mom played photographer role, so I'll share pictures when I get them.

Rockman Triathlon

2009-06-12T21:20:00.003-04:00

So, I am a little late with the race report, but better late than never, right?

As I mentioned previously, my friend from high school (Michelle) and I met up again after not seeing each other in 11 years. It turned out that she was an Ironman triathlete too, but she lives in Minnesota now. So, we picked a race in between our homes to do together. As I'm not trained well enough for a half, we picked the sprint distance of the Rockman Triathlon in Rockford, IL.

I drove up to Illinois on Friday morning after a wonderful night's visit with another high school friend and her family in the Toledo area. I made the mistake of waiting to stop for a pit stop until I hit Illinois not knowing I would be smack dab in Chicago traffic. By the time I hit that rest stop, I really HAD TO GO! I eat like crap on long drives (don't judge me!). I decided I deserved a McDonald's hamburger. The problem was they were still serving breakfast. WTF! It was 11:30! Well, apparently, not in Illinois. I forgot about central time.

After we met up at the hotel (a Staybridge Suites - highly recommend with their free laundry room and large room with a kitchen), we decided to go swim in the race lake. One of the race guys told us we'd need to enter at the dock away from the beach, because the resident director (known by the locals as Hasselhoff) wouldn't let racers onto the beach or out on the course from the beach. The problem was the entry at the dock was DISGUSTING! Michelle made me go first. We swam a loop of the half-Ironman course in around 20 or so minutes. The weeds in the lake were so high that they literally wrapped around my arms and totally freaked me out. There was no way I was going back for another loop. RD said the lake had been treated, so I can't imagine what the weeds were like before. Getting out of the water by that dock was even more disgusting. We had brown stuff all over our wetsuits and faces - GROSS!

Neither of us was well trained for the race, so we decided to make it a training weekend and just train through the race. On Saturday morning, we headed out from our hotel on our bikes to the race course. When we got to the transition area, we actually got to meet the RD. He was funny and understandably stressed, but he educated us on the transition flow and sprint swim course (thankfully on a non weedy section of the lake). He is also the one who told us about Hasselhoff. We then headed out to do the sprint course and then ride back to the hotel. We did 30 miles total.

The next morning the forecast called for rain. Boo! It held off until the half-Iron folks headed out on the swim. We had to wait an hour to begin our swim. Before the National Anthem, the RD announced that the guitarist for Cheap Trick, Rick Nielson, was there. My hubby is a big fan and had told me the day before that Cheap Trick was from Rockford and that I should let him know if I met any of them. Yah right! Well, soon after the announcement, this guy in a Cheap Trick shirt walks up to us, tells us how glad he is to see us and gives both of us a hug. I was grinning from ear to ear. I checked later and it was definitely him. Very cool!

Soon enough, we were headed on the swim. I just concentrated on smooth strokes and staying straight. I hit every buoy dead on. My swim was a little slower than I'd like, but I was pleased with my sighting. Of course, there was a big hill to climb to get to transition. According to the results, I was 79th out of 122 swimmers. By the time I got out of T1, I was in 65th place. Goes to show you that practicing transitions is very important!

As you know, the bike is my favorite, so I started passing people like it was my job. I passed one guy, who then passed me back, but then I passed him and didn't see him again on the bike. Remember this guy because he comes into the story later. No one else passed me on the bike. By the time I finished the bike, I was in 41st place and in 40th place by the time I hit the run (again, transitions!).

The run course was hilly, but I don't mind hills. I'd like to say I didn't have much giddyup, but I think I just couldn't motivate. I was having too much fun chatting with others around me. The guy from the bike part came up to me and asked if I was the girl on the Cervelo. Now, we all know that there are lots of Cervelos out there, but I knew he was talking about me. I said "Yep". He said "Man, I tried to hang with you, but I couldn't." It made me feel good. It also made me wonder why I don't just race bikes instead of doing the triathlon stuff.

So, I finished the run and ended up in 59th place overall out of 122. My friend Michelle who is a much better swimmer, comparable biker and runner could not be caught. She finished over 2 minutes ahead of me and was 46th place. I was 5th in our age group out of 15 (13th woman out of 44). Michelle was 2nd in the age group and 9th female.

Here are my times:
Swim plus run up beach: 11:23
T1: 1:41
Bike: 38:23 (19.4 mph pace)
T2: 1:04
Run: 28:15 (9:07 pace)
Total time: 1:20:47

Given the shape I'm in and that I ran a half-marathon last weekend on little training, I'm proud of my performance. It was also a great way to catch up with an old friend and to experience a new shared interest together!

Concord Distance Classic Half-Marathon

2009-06-01T21:04:00.006-04:00

So, I actually raced yesterday for the first time in months. Matt had signed up for the Concord Distance Classic half-marathon and he wasn't totally prepared, so I figured I could join him being only slightly more prepared than him.

A few days before the race, the race director sent out a rather frantic e-mail basically telling us that way more people signed up than he expected. Parking would be tight and there would be limited bathroom opportunities (3 businesses in the plaza opened up the doors for runners to use the bathrooms - absolutely no porta potties).

Knowing that fact, Matt and I didn't get there until 30 minutes before it was supposed to start. We snagged the last parking spot in one of the lots, then headed for the registration area. I was pleasantly surprised with how organized the volunteers were and with the nice drawstring bags and no-sleeved running tech shirts that we got.

We stopped back at the car to drop off our goodies and to pee basically in the open next to one of the office buildings. Hey, I'm not shy about stuff like that!!

The morning was very sunny, but quite cool in the shade (perfect running temperatures). I still opted for my red CTC tank running top paired with my black Triks skort. We ran into some good friends there (SY, Salty, CV, etc.) Here is a picture of me waiting for the start.

Our plan was to run together and to pace about 10 minute miles with an overall goal time of 2:11. It was just another training run given our respective undertraining instead of a race. We were just hoping to survive it and not go above a 10 minute overall pace.

The race started about five minutes late and I was chilly, but soon we were on our way. The pack took off and apparently, I felt the need to keep with them. Matt let me pace. We hit the first mile marker in 9:06. Oops, a little fast. Matt asked me to reign it in a little, so I didn't blow myself up. The next mile was a little slower, but probably a little too fast. I kept saying "but we are going downhill and I want to bank some time before hitting the uphills".

Around mile 2, we spotted my in-laws, who are always the best fan support! Then, a mile later, I saw GP, who was a welcome surprise! I kept up a fairly even pace for the first 6 miles.

The uphills finally came just after mile 6. I was actually glad to see them, because I knew that I could catch some people here. All of my training during the winter with the downtown girls on the hills in the Flats and my recent training with Hallie on the N. Chagrin hills was about to pay off. When you see my splits later, you may disagree, but some of the hills were steep and some were long, but I was steadily plowing through the crowd. It was just after mile 6 when I started putting a gap on Matt unintentionally. I wondered what happened to him, but found out later, he was taking these and uploading them to Facebook while running:

I figured he would eventually catch up, so I kept plowing along. I recalled from the race director's e-mail that there was a water stop at mile 8. I took my chocolate Hammer gel right before that aid station. When I got there with the chocolate paste taste in my mouth, all they had was red Powerade and no water. Now, I have been around long enough to know that you aren't supposed to combine Powerade and gel, but I really needed a drink. My stomach threatened to rebel, but I told it to suck it up and thankfully it did. About that time, Matt caught up with me again, partly because I intentionally walked the aid station (only time I walked the whole race) in the hopes of regrouping. He told me that if I was feeling good I should go for it. I was, so I did. He took this picture a half-mile later.

Just after mile 10 marker, the course started heading downhill again. I picked the pace back up despite my groaning knees. I saw a group of 6 people walking in front of me. I almost caught them when they started running again. I hate when that happens. I never did catch up with them again.

My legs never really did get that dead feeling like they usually do around mile 10. I either paced myself well, or coming in undertrained was a good thing. I was able to pick the pace back up and finish strong at 2:07:58. I started to head backward on the course to find Matt, but all of a sudden he was right behind me. Turns out that he tried to catch me by the finish line, but I beat him by 12 seconds. It was the first time I've ever beaten him in a race, but to be fair, he was taking pictures instead of running his hardest.

Overall, I was pleased with my performance. I feel like I can continue with this half-baked training plan and still be able to perform well at Dances with Dirt in September. It makes me feel better about putting my whole training life on hold while we try to start a family.

In other news, my newbies training sessions have been going well. I did three in May, have one scheduled in June and another in July. The July session will be a full triathlon practice including T1 and T2. I even got official permission from Lake Metroparks!

Oh, and I'm racing a sprint triathlon in Illinois this weekend with my high school friend who now lives in Minnesota. Can't wait!!

Finally, splits for those who like those:
Mile 1: 9:06
2: 9:40
3: 9:42
4: 9:30
5: 9:35
6 & 7: 19:51 (beginning of hills and I missed mile 6 marker)
8: 10:11
9: 10:21
10: 10:30
11: 9:40
12: 9:17
13: 9:32
.1: 1:04

Racing!

2009-05-25T07:30:00.002-04:00

So, my first triathlon is coming up in less than 2 weeks. I think I'm ready for it. Most of my warm-ups are longer than the distances I'll be doing that day. Not to say that it will be easy of course. Sprints are always hard, because you have to go balls to the wall the whole time and I'm not really a balls to the wall kind of gal.

I also signed up for a half-marathon next Sunday. I'm not really prepared for it. I only run about 15-17 miles a week total, which usually consists of a weekday 5-7 miler and a weekend run of 7-9 miles. My hubby signed up for it though and he has only gone 7 miles on his longest run after his feet operation this January. My longest run in the last 6 months is 9.4 miles and that was yesterday. But, I felt pretty good during and after it.

Our plan is to try to run it together and aim for a 10-minute mile pace. No, it won't be anywhere near a PR for either of us, but the plan is to have fun.

I don't know what else I'll be racing this year. It all depends on what happens on our quest to become parents.

In other news, we have decided on our vacation this year. We are going to ITALY in mid-October! We'll fly into Rome, spend a day/night there, take a train to Florence, rent a car to drive to our villa in Tuscany, spend 7 nights there and then back to Rome for one last night before coming home. Can't wait! Neither of us have ever been to Italy. Anyone have any suggestions of things to do/see in the Tuscan region?

Missing in Action yet again

2009-05-04T17:43:00.002-04:00

I think my attention span is getting shorter the longer I use Facebook. I mean I do read all of my friends' blogs (cyber and local) regularly, but it is much easier to post a status update than write a blog post. It hasn't helped that I've been super busy at work.

I've been here since 7:30 AM, so think I deserve a blogging break and will take it. My brain is fried anyway.

So, when I last spoke to you all, I was working on the flip turns. They briefly degraded badly, but then I got some awesome advice and I've been doing well at them since. I do not do open turns any longer. I can't believe it took me so long to get up the nerve, but once I did, I took to it so naturally. This is a big deal for me, because most things do not come to me naturally (other than mad computer hacking and numchuck skillz of course - no, seriously, mad math skillz is my forte). I think about flip turns all the time and can't wait to get back in the pool. I even prefer the longer sets now, because I can flip more. And, my times are starting to drop. Still not fast, but much better than last year. It is nice to be excited about swimming for a change - last year's slowness was a total downer.

My running is coming along too. I don't do the big volume like eSpeed, Daisy or Salty, but I'm up to 9 miles on the trails on the weekend long run. And, I feel awesome when I finish. I'm so happy being out on the trails and getting muddy again!

My bike is status quo, which I think is probably okay. I'm relatively decent at biking, so maintaining works. Matt and I rode the Old Mill hill the weekend before last. I'd never been on it before and had heard such horror stories. When I finally rode the hill, it was steep and long, but totally doable. I guess that is what I get for listening to others and not just trying it out for myself. During that ride, Matt called me "scrappy" for not letting myself get dropped and "most combative" for challenging him on most of the uphills.

Finally, I've been lifting weights once a week. That is not new, but I did buy a new strength training book geared to triathletes. I try out a few new exercises each week and so far, I've been sore for days after. You know, the good kind of sore.

In summary, all is going fairly well on the training front. It helps keep me sane during all the work madness and trying to get pregnant BS. As Eric says, "Game on"!

More flip turns!

2009-04-14T12:10:00.002-04:00

Folks, I am a flipping fool now! Last Thursday I did about 50 turns total in the practice pool at CSU. Today, I flipped the entire workout in the 50 meter pool. I'm not going back! They're not perfect, but they are getting better!

In other news, I actually signed up for a race. It is on June 7th in Rockford, IL. I am meeting my Minnesotan friend there for a 4-day weekend visit that encompasses a sprint triathlon. It should be fun, although I'm not looking forward to the 7.5 hour one-way drive. Luckily, my dear friend Jen said I could stay the night on the way up (over?) there, so that will break up the trip.

No other race plans yet. The summer is pretty full with both Matt's and my 20-year reunions and other sundry plans. I am also planning to lead a slate of sessions for the newbies portion of the Cleveland Triathlon Club. I want to set a good example for whomever takes over the job next year and of course, help introduce newbies to the sport!

Flip turns!

2009-04-07T08:56:00.003-04:00

So, in my last post, I committed to learning how to flip turn. I started off with my two swims last week, where I just waited until the end of the workout to practice a few flips.

Today, I thought "the only way I'm going to learn how to do this is to actually do it while I'm swimming during the workout". The first few were pretty rough, but after awhile I started getting used to it. Now, I seem to have found the right spot to flip to get my feet on the wall, but haven't figured out how to rotate onto my stomach after I push off. Baby steps, right?

I wish I had gotten this desire to learn how to flip turn when the pool was set up for 25 yards. Now, with the 50 meter setup, I don't get as many chances. And, until the last few, I was afraid to try flipping in the deep end, but I seem to have gotten over that.

After spending time with my friend from high school last week, I realized that I was really letting my mind get in the way for both flip turning and my speed in the pool. She only learned to swim a couple years ago and she can hold 1:30 for 100s (I'm a happy girl if I make 2:00 let alone hold it) and she flips. She never told herself that she'd be slow because she learned to swim as an adult or that she couldn't flip turn because she learned as an adult. I'm going to use her as inspiration to push myself further. Oh, and that goes for the bike and run too. Swim, bike and run...you are on notice! : )

How to become a swimming shark

2009-03-30T12:22:00.002-04:00

I volunteered at yesterday's last Cleveland Triathlon Club pre-season indoor triathlon held at Case Western Reserve University. They have a nice pool, spinning bikes that overlook a 200M indoor track and the aforementioned track. For a change, we had the participants run on the track instead of the treadmill. I'm sure that introduced some human error into the equation, but it was a heck of a lot more fun to watch (and hopefully compete).

After the triathlon ended, the "kids" (I call them the kids still although they are fully grown up and married to each other now, but they don't mind) held a swimming pointers clinic. Alison and Steve both swam for Case and Steve is the men's coach there now, so I definitely trust any pointers they give. Heck, after their swim clinic in November, my times dramatically decreased.

Well, yesterday I was told that my stroke mechanics look good, but I need to rotate my hips as much as my shoulders. I practiced some balance drills then gave it a try. I felt so smooth! I can't wait to try it out in a 25-yard pool to see if there is any improvement. After making the correction, I was given a thumbs up by both of them.

Now, they may have been blowing sunshine up my butt, but I'd like to think that I have a chance at being a decent swimmer. Alison said if I can learn how to flip turn, I'll truly be a swimming shark. Now, if I can just get over my dislike for having water go up my nose...

Long Lost Friend Found

2009-03-19T13:48:00.002-04:00

When I was in junior high and high school, I was incredibly shy (my husband doesn't believe it, but it is true). I had very few friends, but the ones I had were gold.

One of them, Michelle, was one of my two best friends and we did everything together. I remember riding in the back of her dad's Ford Crown Victoria. I remember getting caramel sundaes at McDonald's while staying at her parent's vacation trailer in East Harbor. I remember making milkshakes with vanilla ice cream and her parents' tropical schnapps (as far as I know, they never realized we did that). I remember joining the gymnastics team with her even though I was a terrible gymnast (who does a free roll/forward roll as an acrobatic pass on the balance beam?!). I remember her standing up with me as one of my bridesmaids in my first wedding. So, how did it happen that we lost contact with each other? I honestly don't know. It didn't help that we went to different colleges or that I got married so young or that she moved to Minnesota after she got married. I'm such a dork that I didn't know her new last name.

One of the reasons I joined Facebook was to find her. Unfortunately, she wasn't on there. Then, just a few weeks ago, I got a friend request from one of our mutual friends, Noel. She told me that she and Michelle had been looking for me for a long time. Noel updated me on what was going on with her life and also told me that Michelle was still in Minnesota and was an Ironman triathlete. What?! Wow, I wish they'd found me earlier. How cool is that?!

Michelle and I finally connected via phone soon after that. She filled me in on her triathlete adventures, including doing Ironman Wisconsin this past September in quite a respectable time. She trains under a coach with a team. Like me, her best event is the bike, but she holds her own on the other two events as well. She called me the other night and suggested a couple races we could pick from to do together in Illinois. Sounded like a good idea to me, so I looked them up. They're both half-Ironmans.

Typically, this wouldn't be a cause for concern for me, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I am trying to get pregnant. Being in the kind of shape I'd need to be to do a half-Ironman is not recommended by the fertility doctor. So, I had to be lame and tell her that I'd be up for meeting for the one that has a sprint distance attached to it. She could do the half, while I do the sprint and cheer her on afterwards.

I have to admit to being a little frustrated right now. I've put on 10 pounds since Ironman (5 of those in the last year). My clothes don't fit right and I'm not nearly in what I would call good shape. I know that it is necessary to have a little fat on the frame to get pregnant. I really miss training hard though. I know I shouldn't complain and I know this is only temporary. It helps to write it here though.

My swimming is coming along quite nicely though. I'm way faster than I was last year. And, today, in a Clearwater, FL swimming pool, I did my fastest 100 IM ever at 2:02.37 (my previous best was 2:14). Focus on the small things, right?

Can't wait for the cold to go away!

2009-03-03T15:55:00.002-05:00

I love that is so sunny these last few days, but am not liking the frigid temperatures.

Last week, I ran downtown at lunch with Salty, Daisy and e-Speed on a fabulous 50 degree day. I way overdressed, but after some peeling and panting, I was all set to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Yesterday was a different story. It was less than 20 degrees and much worse with the wind chill. However, I managed to dress appropriately enough that only my upper thighs were bright red and itchy as all hell after I finished. The same ladies as last week dragged me up a couple whopper hills and I surprised myself by making it to the top of all of them without stopping, not even to pause at the top to catch my breath. Feeling pretty strong right now. I even ran a monster hill at N. Chagrin without stopping until the top on Saturday morning. I appreciate the downtown ladies slowing down to include me - I go on their easy days and it is a tempo like run for me, which is making me stronger, faster, etc.

Today, my age is starting to show. My lower back aches from yesterday's run and I'm getting crotchety about the weather. Can't wait till the 50 degree days expected later this week! I'm tired of being cold!

Indoor Triathlon

2009-02-15T12:06:00.002-05:00

What's this? An actual race report? Yes, yes, it is. Yesterday, I raced at the CTC's indoor triathlon.

My goal swim distance was 1000 yards for the 20 minute swim. That was a stretch goal for me, because I'm not a consistent 2:00 per 100 kind of girl, but it was a 20-yard pool and worth a shot. So, did I make it? Not quite, but I did go 980, which is still awesome!

Then, we hit the spinning bikes, for a decent 20-minute ride that of course, didn't count distance wise.

Finally, on to the treadmills. I typically run between 6.0 and 7.0 on the treadmill, but it was only 20 minutes, so it was time to push it. My speed varied between 7.1 and 7.5. At the end of 20 minutes, I thought I was going to pass out, but I made it 2.38 miles, which was good enough to put me into 2nd place female overall for the race (of course, there were only 4 females total, but it felt good to not be 4th). And, it was my best indoor triathlon ever! Not bad for not being in top shape!

I leave with you with two videos Matt put together (so talented!) Both are from the indoor triathlon, but one is just of me swimming. Feel free to analyze my form. Note that I already realized that my kick is not good.

High heels

2009-02-13T12:53:00.002-05:00

When I graduated from college and entered the work world, we had to wear business suits 4 days a week. Like many a young lady, I crammed my feet into all types, heights and colors of high heels.

Fairly soon after I started, business casual became the dress code. I still wore high heels though all the time. But then I became a runner...

I had a bout with plantar fasciatis in 2003/2004 when I started training for my first longer distance race, a half-marathon. Ever since then, heels have pretty much been off the purchase/wearing menu. It bummed me out, but I reasoned that being a runner was worth it.

Mom always said you should be kind to your feet and treat them to the best shoes regardless of price, so I have. Clark's is a particular brand favorite of mine. In October, I went into that store and found a pair of heels that were actually comfortable, so I bought them. They are not as fun as some heels (kind of look like orthopedic high heel shoes), but they were still heels.

I've worn them to several client meetings and a couple of romantic dinners without adverse effects. But, I got a little cocky. I wore them to a meeting that was several blocks walk away just because I wanted to look nice.

So, what happened? I survived the walk without too much pain, but I got hit with a terrible foot cramp in the pool the next day. It was so bad I couldn't work it out and had to get out. Very disappointing. And, so I learned yet another lesson. Wear them, but don't push my luck. Guess the downtown client will have to see me in pantsuits from now on. Oh well!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hope you have a great one! I shall start off mine with an indoor triathlon at 6:30 AM. I haven't raced in awhile, so thought it was time to test my fitness. Wish me luck!

I finally understand

2009-02-05T12:57:00.003-05:00

So, my training has taken a beating this past week. I did have a first-rate brick workout on Saturday morning and inspired by Steve, I took this picture after I finished. I love being sweaty! : )

Saturday evening, we set out to go to my company's holiday party. On the way there, I told Matt I wasn't feeling so good. He suggested we turn around, but I hoped it would pass. So, I made my husband, who recently had bunion surgery in both feet, walk (hobble) all the way from the garage through a tunnel and up to the party.

I made it through the cocktail time by sipping on a ginger ale (hate ginger ale). I attempted to sit down for dinner, but by the time Matt had eaten his salad (I couldn't even look at mine), I knew we needed to go. So, I dragged the poor man away from his dinner back down and through the tunnel to the garage. I insisted on driving, because of his feet.

So, I am now praying that I will make it home in time. Did I make it? Yah, not so much. I had to stop on the berm of the highway just before our exit and get violently ill into a plastic bag (thank god I am so damn over prepared) for several minutes. I recovered enough to make it home, but then proceeded to lose it from both ends (TMI I know) off and on for several hours. I haven't been that sick in years! But, it eventually ended and I was able to keep some fluids down.

When I posted my stomach situation onto Facebook, I got a message from one of my co-workers. Turns out she had it too as did another one of our co-workers. We all ate in the same restaurant on Friday at lunch. They got sick even worse than me. Anyway, we think it was food poisoning. Not fun.

Since then, I have only been eating stomach friendly foods (read bland here). Every day, I feel a little better, but still not 100% yet.

I did get back to working out yesterday (short bike ride) and I swam this morning.

In the past, when I would train, I wouldn't have much problem dragging my butt out of bed even when not specifically training for something. Today and yesterday though, it was a major struggle. I think it had more to do with Matt still being in bed, because he can't work out like normal now with the feet, than me recovering from food poisoning. I finally understand that he had a lot to do with my motivation to get up and get going. When your hubby gets up at 4:30 AM in order to go do his morning workout, it doesn't seem so harsh to get up at 5.

Now, I just have to force myself to get back on that routine. I also shall be even more appreciative of all the things Matt does for us after I've been in charge of them for a few weeks. Wish me luck!

The Spitter

2009-01-17T11:32:00.002-05:00

When you are out on a run outside, all bodily function needs like spitting, snotting, burping, farting, etc. are totally in bounds. When I was brought into the running lifestyle, my running pal told me about these rules. You were not to point it out and in fact it was quite acceptable. I'm totally cool with that.

But, what do you do when you are running on a treadmill at the gym and the guy in front of you on the recumbent cycle keeps spitting on the floor? When he first did it today, I thought "no way, I didn't see that?!" But, then he did it again and again and again...

I told Matt about it and he said it was gross, but hopefully the guy would clean it up. When he got off the cycle, he cleaned up his sweat, but ignored the spit. To be truthful, it would have been hard to find because he was spitting on the carpet rather than the mat underneath the bike.

The dude was old and fat. I wonder if he was at an age where he figured he was old enough to get away with shit like that. I hope I never think that is acceptable. I didn't tattle on him though. Should I have?

Who knew?

2009-01-13T12:30:00.004-05:00

So, today for the first time ever, I timed 4 50s doing a stroke other than freestyle and 2 50s doing freestyle. Here is how it went:
backstroke: 1:02, 1:02
breaststroke: :58, :59
free: :59, 1:00

Okay, so I know I'm turtle slow, but lets ignore that. I had no idea that my breaststroke was faster than my freestyle stroke. I guess I'd always figured that free would have to be faster, but apparently not. No worries though - I'm not going to start doing breaststroke during a triathlon. Besides not wanting to wear down my legs prematurely, I hate it when I get kicked by someone doing the breaststroke during a race.

In other news, it seems that the cold and snow have kept the New Year's Resolution crowd down at my gym. I'm not complaining. I'm interested to see if it will be a permanent effect or if they will eventually bully themselves to the gym. Will keep an eye on the situation.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T13:56:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope it has been great so far!

On New Year's Day, I joined the Cleveland Triathlon Club for the annual Polar Plunge. See picture below as well as a fun video my husband put together. It was my fourth time plunging into Lake Erie and it really wasn't too bad. The lack of wind helped tremendously. One of these years I'm going to get my head wet, but I keep chickening out every time. Seriously, your body is so numb, it isn't shocking until you come up out of the water. Even knowing that though, I haven't been able to go under all the way. Oh well, still fun!

I have a smiley face on my swimming suit.

January is the busiest month for me at work, so my posts will probably be even more sporadic. Doesn't help that I don't really have much to write. Nothing too exciting happening here. In the meantime, have a good one!

Willpower

2008-12-23T17:07:00.002-05:00

Willpower, thy name is not Jennifer. I used to be so good with eating healthy stuff and resisting the unhealthy, but not so much anymore. I even joined the Donut Club at work. Of course, one donut a week isn't going to kill me, but if you couple that with the other bad eating habits, oy vey!

Luckily, most of my pants still fit. I still need to reign it in although I suspect that won't happen until the new year. Egad, I've become one of those New Years Resolution people. Ack!

Well, at least I am still working out about 6 hours a week. That'll help somewhat.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!!

Kickbutt workout!

2008-12-02T18:12:00.004-05:00

I borrowed a workout I saw on Steve's blog recently, but modified it so it didn't kick my butt too much. I did the following:

10 pushups, 1 situp
9 pushups, 2 situps
8 pushups, 3 situps
7 pushups, 4 situps
6 pushups, 5 situps
5 pushups, 6 situps
4 pushups, 7 situps
3 pushups, 8 situps
2 pushups, 9 situps
1 pushup, 10 situps

Going into it, I thought the pushups would be the hardest part. I mean, I don't usually do 55 pushups in such a short timeframe. But, they were actually pretty easy (and I did them all man-style). The situps killed me though by about halfway through. I kept getting a cramp in my one ab. Ah, good times for sure!

I then lifted some weights and ran some. All in all, a good workout, which should produce some sore muscles tomorrow. As TriEric says, Game On!

Trotting to a new PR

2008-11-30T17:41:00.003-05:00

Heading into the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, I thought I might have a chance at a PR. The old one, 46:01, didn't seem too hard to beat.

I headed down there with Matt and my fabulous sister-in-law Maggie. We met up with many CTC friends at the registration site. Before I knew it, it was time to line up for the run.

I probably should have lined up a little further ahead, because I got stuck behind so many people at the beginning. I found myself rabbiting around groups of people at a pace that was probably a little fast for me. But, after the first mile, I found some clear space.

I felt pretty good for the first couple of miles until we got into the sunshine. Wow, was I over dressed, but I'm not complaining because it was a lovely day! I quickly stripped off my gloves and stored them in my shirt which made it look like I had a third boob. Hee hee!

Between miles 2 and 3 were the hardest for me, but once I got past mile 3, I knew I just had to hang on to get that PR.

The last mile included the trip up W. 3rd that always seems to be a part of downtown races. Unlike past years though, we just had to make a left onto Lakeside and run into the finish line. That last mile was definitely my fastest making me believe I had paced appropriately. I came to the line with a new PR of 43:42! Now, I just have to figure out how to hold that pace for 8.1 more miles. Baby steps, right?

After the race, I headed back to find Maggie and Matt. I found them at the top of the W 3rd hill. Matt was telling Maggie that it was time to put on the jets. She told him "not this time", but she kept getting faster. By the time she hit the finish line, I could barely keep up. She also set a new PR by almost 2 minutes - and it was her fastest 5k per mile pace too. Great job Maggie!

After, Maggie and I declared that we had earned our Thanksgiving Day pie. We both wore our Turkey Trot shirts to dinner to celebrate our new PRs, plus it was festive! And, we enjoyed my terrific mother-in-law's feast along with that pie!

Breakthrough

2008-11-21T12:10:00.002-05:00

Folks, I think I have finally made a breakthrough with my swimming and I couldn't be happier about it!

I went to a swimming clinic on Sunday hosted by a married couple (we call them "the kids"), who used to swim for Case while in college. Anyway, the drills they used really addressed my particular issue. Apparently, I was swimming like a barge and not a sailboat; i.e., not enough rotation. Once I knew that, I've really concentrated on it and my times have come down dramatically!

I might even have to start wearing a watch again to keep closer track!

In other news, I am very excited about going to see Twilight on Tuesday night with e-Speed. I admit to having the reading tastes of a 16-year-old girl and movie tastes of a 12-year-old boy. : )

Bizzy Bee!

2008-10-31T09:28:00.003-04:00

We can wear costumes to work, so I chose being a bee this year. I contemplated the following ideas to add to the costume, but didn't have a strong enough desire to spend the time customizing it:

- Put a sign around my neck saying "Do you know where my hive is?" - Nic said if you have to explain it, then it isn't funny
- Wear a button saying "Burt's #1 Bee" or "Official Burt's Bee"
- Carry a sign saying "Do you want to know about my secret life?"

Regardless, I still think it is funny. What do you think?

New Haircut

2008-10-30T08:54:00.003-04:00

I got my hair cut shorter, which now includes bangs! I've attached a picture below taken when I got home from the salon. I'll probably never be able to style it the same way again, but I do love it!

Bench Bar Halloween 5k

2008-10-27T08:45:00.002-04:00

Last year, I ran this race with my good friend KB as her first 5k. This year, my co-worker friend talked me into running it again. I haven't really raced a 5k in years, so my 5k PR was from a triathlon this summer - 27:06. Thought I might try for a new PR because the bar wasn't too high.

When I started out, I suspected I might be running a little fast. I saw EH about 20 yards ahead of me. I know she is a fast one, so I dialed it back a little. I hit the first mile marker in 7:15, but the mile did include a nice downhill to the Browns Stadium.

The next mile I was feeling okay, but I could tell I had slowed down. We hit the turn around at the Rock Hall of Fame and headed back the way we came. At their 2 mile marker, my watch said 16:55 (wow, I had really slowed down!) - turns out mile 2 was a little long thankfully.

The last mile included the return trip up what was no longer a nice downhill and instead was a not-so-fun uphill. At this point, I started to get a nasty stitch in my side. I managed to pass this 13-year-old girl who was ahead of me (and I saw her stop to tie her shoes 3 times and she was still ahead of me). Of course, that didn't last long. She passed me after we crested the hill and I never saw her again. I also got passed by a guy pushing a stroller with two hefty toddlers in it. I dug into my suitcase of courage trying to push past the nasty side stitch, but I came up empty. I just hung on until I rounded the corner at mile 3 (that one was short). As I raced down the last .1 mile with renewed energy, I spotted the timer and saw it would indeed be a PR day. I finished in 26:18.

I ran back to run in my co-worker and her daughter. Her 16-year-old daughter did her first 5k and was all smiles at the finish.

After grabbing a quick donut and water, I headed home. Little did I know that I actually placed first place in my age group (out of 8 and was 62 out of 176 overall). I never thought in a million years that I would place in my age group with that time let alone win it. I guess it shows that you just have to pick the right race where your competition stays home! : )

New Krazy Kitty Photo

2008-10-24T09:41:00.002-04:00

What's new?

2008-10-20T17:08:00.002-04:00

What's new with you? Not a lot going on here. Just training to train with no goal in mind. I'm taking it easy - only about 5-6 hours a week these days.

What I haven't shared on this forum is that I'm trying to get pregnant. It just isn't going very well. I suppose I should have figured at my advanced age that it wouldn't be easy, but it still is hard to be patient - it has been almost a year since we started trying.

On the bright side though, I have wonderful friends and family, plus the best husband a girl could ask for. If we aren't able to have our own kid, we are open to adoption. I spent a few hours with GJ (Sam's daughter) yesterday and I know without a doubt that I could love a kid who wasn't biologically mine. So, we'll see how it goes. If it happens, I probably won't share the news until it is past the 12-week point, so be patient along with me. Wish me luck though.

In other news, yesterday was the second CTC duathlon out in Mantua. Wow, it was cold! Luckily, I remembered the hand/foot warmer thingies, so us volunteers were feeling pretty good. I felt bad for those who had to run/bike/run with frost on the ground. The hard core group did awesome though! Daisy and E-speed rocked the course. Plus, I got to hang out with my pal Suzi and the fun married couple (BS & SS).

Not sure how much I'll be posting, but I will be reading/commenting. Check on me once in awhile. : )

Putting it all in Perspective

2008-10-08T08:58:00.002-04:00

I've officially given up my watch for swimming purposes. I don't care how slow I am. I am just going to get some exercise and maintain some fitness. I don't have any races for a long time, so it was just stressing me out to see myself get slower each workout. So, no more watch for me...for now!

Otherwise, not much to report. Just turned 37 a few days ago, so I'm on the slippery down slope to 40. Trying to remember that I do have a few years left with a 3 in front of my 2-digit age. I just don't feel 37, but who knows what 37 is supposed to feel like?!

Work continues to be busy, but I'm doing well so far. I got to be part of a finalist presentation for a prospect on Monday in Pittsburgh. I didn't flub my script too badly. Now, I will keep my fingers crossed that we will win the work. Hard to know what to expect when all of your major competitors are also bidding on the work. I think we are the best though (of course). Wish us luck!

I leave you with a picture of me in the new suit I purchased just for this meeting.

65 mile ride!

2008-09-28T20:40:00.003-04:00

I've mentioned before that my friend Hallie is a budding triathlete. She's really caught the bug, especially on the bike. A few weeks ago we rode 50 miles (her longest ride in mid-July was 24 miles), but it only whetted her desire for more. So, I agreed to ride to Brecksville and back with her from N. Chagrin (a 65 mile ride) yesterday.

She rocked! The course threw some pretty daunting hills at us, but she tackled them like a champ with nary a complaint. This girl is tough! And, apparently, I haven't lost any fitness either.

My neck and back were complaining by the time we topped the last hill 4 hours after we started though. I told her that I hoped she wouldn't up the ante in another few weeks. We then headed out to a local restaurant for some well-deserved pancake, eggs, breakfast meat and starch of choice meal! That's why we do this, right? ; )

Not Much Time

2008-09-22T07:03:00.003-04:00

Work has been busy plus I've actually been out enjoying the sunshine. I know excuses, excuses. Hopefully, I'll have time for a bigger post later, but for now, I'll leave you with 2 more pictures from DWD (professional photographer captured my struggle through the mudpit) and 1 picture of Jack (no, I wasn't strangling her). Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Poison Ivy

2008-09-14T18:50:00.008-04:00

It's back! Thought I might have dodged the bullet again this year after DWD, but alas not the case. It is just a small case on my legs, but damn it itches! Matt also has it on his one leg. Oh well, at least I know what it is this time.

I leave you with some pictures from DWD.

Dances with Dirt 2008

2008-09-09T09:12:00.002-04:00

As always, DWD was a great time! We had only 4 members to our team this year, but we posted our fastest time ever. It helped tremendously that no one got terribly lost like in the past. It also helped that we were all very well trained for the race!

I had 4 legs. The first, Butt Kicker, lived up to its name. After 1.5 miles, I already felt like my butt had been kicked. Notable for this leg were the many downed trees and branches. I was hurdling them like a track star though!

The second leg, Stripper Pole, features an almost vertical climb. After Butt Kicker, it added insult to injury. But, I made it through the 3.7 miles in an okay time.

Next was my muddy leg, Where's the F'N Bridge. I've never really done a muddy leg before. It has been a dry year, but there was still plenty of mud to be found. For the first 3 or so miles, it is a pretty tame trail run. Then, you cross a canal where you have to watch for boat traffic. Then, the real fun begins. The trail gets muddier and muddier until you get to a mud pit where you can't jump in. You have to flop in on your belly and use ropes to pull you across the mudpit. I thought I was going to get stuck there. Then, after you make it out, you have several more muddy areas to cross. I heard from others that there was potential to get chest deep again if you stepped in the wrong place, but it didn't happen to me. My teammates were impressed with my mud when I got to the exchange, but I needed to clean up to be allowed back into the van. I headed to the lake for a quick rinse.

Finally, I did the last leg, Dirt's Revenge. It is a pretty standard trail run, but by then, I was pretty tired. I have to admit that I walked all of the hills. But then you get to the end, see your teammates and get to run in with them. Overall a very fun day! Oh, and my husband had a huge PR at the 50k and was our cheerleader and videographer at the end. Great job Matt!

The only blemish was that we didn't place in the top 5 for the spirit award. We tried to do it up this year. We had matching outfits (we were the Mardi Gras Mudhounds), so had a Mardi Gras theme. We had a male blow-up doll which we made into a tranny by adding a wig, Mardi Gras mask and teddy. Our van was decorated up and we wore crazy hats at the exchanges. I don't think we would have been as disappointed, but the judges actually interviewed and took pictures of us this year. Matt has the good ideas for next year, so hopefully, we will finally prevail.

I leave you with a video Matt put together of the footage we took that day. Enjoy!

Dances with Dirt!

2008-09-05T07:09:00.003-04:00

It is finally here again. The Mardi Gras Mudhounds are back for more mud, more water and more fun. We've got revamped outfits and are raring to win that spirit prize.

We are down a member, so it will just be 4 of us running the 63 miles. I've got almost 17 on my plate, but I'm ready for the challenge.

Pictures and hopefully video to follow!

Musings, meanderings,...

2008-08-30T18:57:00.004-04:00

Went riding with Matt yesterday morning and realized my aerobar was broken in two on my new bike. It must have happened at last week's triathlon (sorry JT, no video for that race). Didn't realize it until we'd make it out to Shaker Road, so I had to hold it in place for the return trip to Progressive. Needless to say, I was dismayed. My new bike was broken! Arrrggh! Matt pointed out that the more expensive the bike, the more likely the problem. Seems he is correct. Note that it is fixed now.

So, I had to ride my old tri bike this morning for my 50-mile ride with Hallie. Getting onto her was like the awkard beginning conversation of two friends who haven't seen each other in awhile.

Me: "Hi, long time no see."

Her: "Humph, could have told you that the red flashy woman would love you and leave you! And, now you come running back to me. I see how it is!"

Me: "Well, technically, she won't be going away permanently."

Her: "What??!!! grumble, grumble"

Me: "Yah, she just needs to be fixed. But, you know I still love you."

Her: "Couldn't tell it by me. You haven't ridden me in a month!"

Me: "I know. I know. I plan to bring you inside to be my all-time inside bike. In the winter, you can laugh at her while she freezes in the garage. On rainy days, you'll stay dry and clean."

Her: "Well, I guess that sounds okay. As long as you still need me."

: ) Seriously though, it felt weird to be back on my old tri bike at first. The seat was lower and the wheels were smaller, but quickly we found our groove again. Hallie and I rode out to just before the monster hill in Bedford and then back to Strawberry picnic area. It took me just over 3 hours to go the 50 miles. It was her longest distance by far. And, I swear she got stronger instead of slower in the last hour.

After the ride, we grabbed some breakfast at Yours Truly and then headed to Bike Authority to man (woman?) the CTC tent for a few hours with Tracie. Hallie wanted to look at bikes - she can't borrow my road bike forever. : )

Looks like she may purchase a carbon tri bike. I have to admit that there was part of me that thought she hadn't earned the right to get such a fancy ride after only doing two sprint triathlons. However, as I analyzed my reaction, I realized that Matt is right about triathletes' reactions to stuff like this.

When a newbie wants to get into the sport and rides his/her mountain bike, we are all about the encouragement. If same newbie buys a top of the line triathlon bike, we call them a poser and go on about "it is the engine and not the bike". The bottom line though is if you have the money, you can purchase whatever the heck you want. It is America after all.

So, Hallie, if you are reading this, I'm sorry if I came off as anything other than supportive today. You can spend your money however you want. And, you actually do have the engine to go with that Ferrari of a bike.

Ugh

2008-08-28T08:55:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. I haven't posted in forever and a day. It has been a combo of too much work and a fast, furious obsession with a vampire/werewolf book (really written for teenagers - hey, I never grew up!). Work is still busy, but I'll throw a quick post up.

I raced my last triathlon of the season last weekend. I did the Lorain sprint triathlon. As an aside, I think it is weird that I went from Ironman last year to doing two sprints and one Olympic (unintentional duathlon on that one to boot). I certainly am trained to go further, but it was kind of nice trying to be a speedster for a change. So, back to my quick report.

I showed up so early that there was only one other bike on the racks. We could rack anywhere (no sectioning for sprint or olympic), so I racked right near the bike exit/entrance. I'm no fool. : ) My stomach was off, but I just prayed I could hold it together for 1.25-1.5 hours. Ran into many of my friends including TriSara, Jodi and my gal Hallie who talked me into this race (said I'd never do it again after 3 years ago's swim - at least I didn't do the poorly marked Olympic distance this time).

After much waiting around, we finally got to start the race. It was calm in front of the breakwall, but unfortunately we had to swim outside the breakwall. I actually did very well. No panicking when the choppy waves or other participants socked me in the face. No wetsuit. I even went faster than the people who were panicking for a change. I made it through the 400 meters in about 10:40 (not stellar, but not bad given the waves). The run up the beach feels long, but before I knew it, I was in transition. Hallie came in like 10 seconds behind me (she was racked next to me).

I told her to catch me and she said she planned to do it on the run. That lit a fire under me. As the last race, my new bike was ready to hunt. The majority of the race was flat, except for one small hill that took the wind out of most people's sails. Again, the less experienced triathletes were riding side by side, riding on the left side of the road, etc. I yelled "passing on your left" and most didn't even budge. I still whipped past them.

Around mile 5, I see TriSara on the side of the road. I yell "are you okay?". She replies, "yah, stupid wheel problems!" Without her wheel problems, I doubt I ever would have seen her let alone get ahead of her.

I had a blast passing people. With the help of a nice tailwind, I even got up to 27 mph on the flat. Fun! After 14 miles of riding, headed into transition feeling like I could be towards the front of the female pack. Not a place I normally find myself in for sure. Turns out I averaged over 21 mph! Sweet! Love my new bike!

Then, it was onto the run. 4 weeks earlier at the Fairport Harbor sprint, I died on the run, but I did well 2 weeks earlier at the CTC duathlon. Was interested to see how it would go plus I didn't want to lose. It was hot and lacked shade, but I pushed it to the redline. Finally, I saw another woman (and then 4 more) on their way back to the finish. Darn! Not in front. Oh well, takes the pressure off. I only got passed by 2 more women during the run and none of them were in my age group. Overall run time was 27:06 (8:44 pace), an official personal best in a 5k although I have run faster per mile splits in 10k races.

Luckily, the only woman in my age group ahead of me took 2nd overall, which left me first in my age group (out of 7 - 8th female out of 47)! When I showed my medal to Matt several hours later, he said we should celebrate my first age group win. I said "I've won my age group before". He said "not when others were in it". He was right. I won my age group in the Lorain Olympic three years ago. I came in almost dead last, but there was no one else to claim the prize in my age group. I guess it takes me racing in a local sprint race where the fast people (like Jodi who not only won, but also chicked so many men in the Olympic) either do other races or do the Olympic.

Hallie finished a few minutes after I did. She averaged 19 mph on the bike (on my road bike with toe cages) and ran the 5k in under 26 minutes. She's definitely going to be good at this!

After the race, I hung out with TriSara and we had fun catching up while eating the strange post-race fuel (included Twinkies and Hostess Cupcakes).

Definitely good to end the season on a high note. I hadn't planned to race at all this year, but I'm glad I did!

Next up is Dances with Dirt! We've got our outfits and decorations, so time to bring on the fun!!

It's been awhile

2008-08-16T15:00:00.002-04:00

You may have noticed my absence lately, or maybe you haven't. Regardless, I've been busy with work, which hasn't left much time for blogging. However, I have still been doing some fun workouts and races.

"Race", you say? Yep. I set out to do the Greater Cleveland Olympic distance triathlon on August 10, but mother nature made the swim too choppy. I have to admit that I wasn't all that disappointed. Swimming ain't my thang, although I really try to make it my thang. So, we did a 1.2 mile run, 24 mile bike and I think a 6.55 mile run (it was the same course as the half-Ironman - they just did 2 loops).

My friend, Suzi, and my husband discussed amongst themselves and decided I could do the first run in 9 minutes. I'm like, "ok, whatever you say". I thought they were on crack and 10 minutes would be still overly optimistic. But, I did it in 9:24 - not too shabby for me.

Then, I got on the bike. I had a new bike that wanted to play in a bad way. In an uncharacteristic move, I totally let the throttle out and figured if I died on the run, so be it. I caught up to people I usually couldn't hang with to save my life. Definitely fueled me on. I went up the one majorly steep incline and barely noticed it (got to love the compact crank!). We got stopped by a train towards the end of the bike. This was good, because I could take a heart rate break and they would subtract my time, but bad because we were all bunched up then. To make matters worse, after the train stop, we merged with the sprint race. It made it hard to pass and even harder not to draft. Don't dig on the draft thing, so went a little slower than would have towards the end. Did get bunched up again in the park, but you can't pass and drafting at 15 mph isn't all that helpful. Overall, I did the 24 miles in 1:13.52 (about 19.5 mph). I was worried about blowing up on the second run, but figured it was worth it.

The run then went amazingly well. I felt strong and was clicking off fairly consistent miles. Joe (from Ironman Lake Placid video) caught up to me around mile 2. Somehow, I fended him off and finished a minute ahead of him. Total run time was 59:06. If the course was 6.55 miles, then that is a 9-minute mile. Definitely a good run for me.

My total time after train adjustment was 2:25:12 (a time I'd never see in a regulation Olympic distance with a swim), which was good for 4th in my age group out of 6 women. I was a minute out of 3rd place. My age group was very competitive. I would have placed in the top 3 in any other age group. Oh well. What would I do with a plaque anyway? I did place 9th out of 28 females. Overall, a very solid day.

I also got to hang with many of my old and new friends, such as Suzi, PK, Dave, Ben, TriguyJT, Daisy, Tracie, IronG, SnickersGirl, TriEric, Aimee, Solar, Charlie, Stacy,Allanjel, etc. I also heard e-Speed, but I never got to talk with her. I love this race, because the race director is the nicest guy ever and I know everyone! Other than the windy conditions, it was a lovely day to race! Great job everyone!

I leave you with yet another Matt video from the day. My hubby is definitely talented!

Corporate Challenge Obstacle Course

2008-08-10T16:03:00.002-04:00

My company participates in Corporate Challenge every year. I've been part of the running, cycling and swimming (duh) teams in the past. This year, they didn't have cycling or swimming.

They did have a new category - Obstacle Course! Well, you know how I want to be a Gladiator one day. I thought this sounded like a blast, so immediately signed up. That morning I ran on the 10k relay team (posted personal best mile of 7:07) and assisted with the Tug O' War (we were terrible at that).

Then, in the afternoon, it was time for the Obstacle Course. It was fun, but a lot tougher than I expected. We didn't do very well, but at least we showed up (many teams forfeited and you only had to have 4 people). Matt accompanied me for this last event and continued to be the supreme videographer he has become.

Enjoy his latest video! Note that the first three contestants are actuaries. The last is the husband of an actuary who works in construction. He certainly looks more comfortable with this physical feat than we do.

Racing Tomorrow

2008-08-09T07:47:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm racing tomorrow. Olympic distance at the Greater Cleveland Triathlon.

I don't have a real plan other than to hit it as hard as I can without totally flaming out.

The swim is a little shorter than a standard Olympic distance at .75 miles. I'm not complaining. I've only been out in the open water three times this year, but I'm sure I'll be fine. I did tell Matt that I'd never race in Lake Erie again, because it is too variable with the waves. However, it is only .75 miles and I've certainly swum in rough water before.

My new bike is seeing its first race tomorrow. I've been out on her twice and she is light and fast. I do have a small shifting problem (a few times I've dropped the chain going from the small chain ring to the big one). Luckily, Bike Authority is at the expo today and they said they can adjust it. The bike is where I hope to make up some time. I know the course extremely well.

Then, the run will be what it will be. I make no claim to having any kind of speed, but I am usually able to hold a consistent pace.

So, what's the goal? Well, I did this race as my first Olympic 4 years ago. I think I finished it in 3:05, so I have to do better than that to feel good about myself. My PR for Olympic distance is 2:49, but the bike was a little short on that one. With a short swim, maybe I can go sub 2:49. Does it count though? I don't know. Wish all races had consistent distances. Wish me luck!

I'm kind of looking forward to it being over, so I can go back to riding and running long. I've got Dances with Dirt the weekend after Labor Day and want to make sure I've got plenty of mileage base. Time to ramp it up again!

Cervelo P2C - It's here!

2008-08-02T06:54:00.001-04:00

I picked up my new bike yesterday. Check out this fabulous 3 minute video my hubby put together to commemorate my inaugural ride on it! I like! I like!

Ouch!

2008-07-31T17:23:00.003-04:00

So, I got stung by a bee this morning. Matt and I were finishing our bike ride, which went rather well until a bee flew into my bike top and stung me.

I kind of freaked out. I'll admit it. It hurt like a mofo. By the time Matt rode back to me, I was blubbering incoherently "it stung my boob". It took several attempts before he could understand what I was saying. In hindsight, it is pretty freaking funny, but not so much at the time. I haven't been stung since I was 12. I guess I've been lucky considering how much time I spend outside.

In other news, I was quoted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer today. I wish our club would keep expanding. There are so many more triathletes out there than there used to be, but our club has stagnated at 250 members. I know there are more triathletes in Cleveland than that. And it is a great club with lots to offer for the cheap price of $20. So, if there are any Cleveland triathlete lurkers to this blog that aren't members, please sign up and get involved. We need you! We can't keep changing or growing without fresh opinions and help!

Okay, off soap box now. So, what is on tap next for me? Well, this weekend, I am doing some events at the Corporate Challenge for my employer. Specifically, I am part of the 10k relay, tug of war and obstacle relay. Now, I'm not a fast runner, so won't be much help for the run and I'm probably a little small for the tug of war, but I hope to be helpful for the obstacle course. I'm pretty quick on my feet and I love this stuff! Remember how I want to be a Gladiator? Well, this is the first step. Wish me luck!

Then, next weekend, I'm doing the Olympic distance race at Greater Cleveland Triathlon. I seriously considered the half-iron distance. Heck, I trained for IMLP with Sam, so I know I can go the distance. It is just that I don't feel like suffering for 6-7 hours and I'm fairly sure I can't PR it. I know, stupid reason, but I've done no specific training for the race and I'm interested to see how I'll fair at the Olympic distance. I haven't done one in almost 2 years. Good times ahead!

Hallie's First Triathlon

2008-07-27T13:39:00.007-04:00

I was running with two members of my Dances with Dirt team a few weeks ago when one of them, Hallie, said that she's thinking of trying a triathlon one day. So, my ears perked up and I casually mentioned the Lake County Fairport Harbor triathlon to be held on July 27, 2008. It is a very friendly course for new triathletes and is well organized.

She looked it up on-line and thought it looked good. She asked me if I would do it with her and I thought "what the hell; I haven't raced even one triathlon yet this year". So, we both signed up. Matt got the bug too and signed up for it as his first triathlon of the season too.

A couple of weeks ago, Hallie and I went out to Fairport Harbor to try out the bike course. We had intended to swim too, but it had rained hard the last few days and we didn't want to risk the bacteria. So, we headed out on the 12-mile course - the first time through on her mountain bike (we must have looked like quite the pair, mountain bike and time trial bike) and the second time through on my road bike (Bike Authority was nice enough to let me borrow pedals with cages on them). She quickly surmised that the road bike was the way to go for the race. After the ride, we ran most of the run course. Obviously, she was more than ready to race.

Today, dawned bright, warm and sunny - time to race! She was nervous, but ready to go. Unfortunately, due to my old girl status, we couldn't swim in the same wave, but she bravely headed out with the young girls. Her wave took off at 8:15. Mine left 5 minutes later.

Now, I'm not the best swimmer in the world, but I don't freak out when people are near me or when waves hit me or... It is very frustrating though to see those around you freaking out and realize that you aren't going any faster than them even though they are freaking out. But I digress. I managed to get out of the water around 12:40 for the 500 meter swim which is pretty good for me sans wetsuit.

Of course, I was a woman on a mission once I got on the bike. I love the bike part and with only 12 miles to cover, I really had to put the hammer down. Being a newbie friendly course though means lots of bikers on hybrid and mountain bikes plus many who have no idea what bike etiquette is. I swear I passed dozens of people who were riding on the left side of the lane, often 2 or 3 abreast. I know they don't know the rules, so I didn't get angry. I just kept focused on pedaling my butt off.

About 5 minutes before the end of the bike, I come up on Hallie. I say "I'd know that butt anywhere" and she says, "No, you can't pass me - you started 5 minutes behind me". My response was that I'm sure I'd blow up on the run. Total bike time was just over 36 minutes for about a 20mph average. Not too shabby especially with the head wind and playing dodge'em with the other bikers.

So, into T2 I go. I missed my rack, so had to backtrack, but it was otherwise a smooth, quick transition. I ran up the one steep hill out of transition with no stopping. I thought maybe I could also hammer the run, but my shins weren't having it. Instead, I loped along at about a 10-minute per mile pace. Oh well. Around the one mile mark, I look over and there is Hallie. She was running like someone was chasing her. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be me. I kept her in my sights most of the run, but I couldn't make up the gap she widened. At the end of her run, she bought back 2 of the 5 minutes I gained on her and became a triathlete. I'm so proud of her! I think she has the bug now and is planning her next triathlon in a few weeks. I told her to keep the bike for the rest of the season - I like to encourage her.

My total time was just over 1:22, which I think was good for 5th in my age group. I had a hold on 3rd place coming off the bike, but my less than stellar run saw 2 of my age group competitors pass me. Oh well. I did get to finish with GJ (Sam and Joe's daughter) and that was fun for both of us! Oh, and Matt had a rock solid race with a finish time of about 1:13 - welcome back to triathlon honey!

Finally, the CTC was out in force today - TriGuyJT, SnickersGirl, Roger, Michael, Bill M., Bill B., Kevin, Katya, June, Kim, Karen, Tracie (also her first triathlon - great job!), Beth, Adam, etc. Great to see you all! Hope others join the club after doing their first triathlon today - there were nearly 300 racers this year! Thanks to my fabulous in-laws (Jean & Bill) and my friends (Sam, Joe and GJ) for coming out to cheer us on!

I leave you with some pictures. More to come after I get the ones from Hallie's and Sam's cameras.

Hallie and her boyfriend, Ian

Matt's return to triathlon

Sam, Joe and GJ

Me with my huge breakfast!

New bike. Color? Red

2008-07-25T21:15:00.003-04:00

I was seduced in Lake Placid. Seduced by a hot little red, carbon number. I resisted her advances at first, but then succumbed to desire when I returned to Cleveland.

Meet my new girl.

This is just a stock picture and the wheels are yet to be determined, but you get the idea. I pick her up to come live with me in a week. I'm definitely in love! Don't worry about my blue girl. I still love her and will be spending plenty of inside time with her - it was time to bring her indoors for good. Plus, there is plenty of room in the stable.

Lake Placid Video

2008-07-24T10:21:00.001-04:00

My uber creative hubby put together this video for Sam and Joe at Lake Placid. He's incredible! Enjoy!

Ironman Success Amidst the Rain

2008-07-21T08:24:00.002-04:00

Wow, what an awful weather day yesterday! The competitors deserve a Plus sign after their "Ironman" tag. We were definitely Iron Spectators.

The rain started 10 minutes into the swim and didn't really let up until about 9 PM. It made for a less than wonderful day for spectators, but totally awful one for competitors.

Matt and I got down there around 6:40 AM. I saw IronKim go by, but she didn't hear my small voice. Kim, I also saw you twice on the bike and at the finish. I definitely have to work on my volume. You looked great and had a very solid race! You are an Ironman!! Oh, and you always had a smile on your face - looked like you were truly enjoying the experience.

Anyway, we stationed ourselves at the swim exit to watch the athletes race by to transition. Joe had a stellar swim at 1:13 - we almost missed him coming out he was so fast. Sam had an equally awesome swim at 1:27. We did get her attention - she was all smiles! By then, we were totally drenched, so we headed back to the cottage to dry our clothes, get warm and take a little break from the rain (we also invested in some rain ponchos that would prove most valuable later).

After the break, we headed out to the big Papa Bear hill at the end of the bike course to see the athletes finish lap 1 and some of the pros finish lap 2. We saw Joe on the way to the hill and then caught Sam 45 minutes later on her way up the hill. She was in the zone, but when she saw us, again, she was all smiles.

We then headed to a restaurant called "The Cottage" to get some grub (on the walk back we saw Ben Miralia looking good on his bike). Again, we were quite wet and had some time, so we went back to our cottage for another round in the clothes dryer and some break time.

Next, we headed to a place a couple turns from the bike finish to catch Sam and Joe again. We saw Joe during a brief respite from the downpour heading towards a solid bike time of 7:08. We finally got his attention and he favored us with a smile. Then, the rain picked up again in a big way while we waited for Sam. She came through about 1:10 later and headed towards a bike time of 8:14 (I know it is slower than she wanted, but she was slowed down by the torrential downpours - she doesn't like descending hills on a clear day, so this was just terrifying for her but she did it).

We then ran over to the run start to catch her. We did see her, but she was in the pain zone by then and didn't hear us. Plus, there were a ton of spectators. I don't think the crowd was much smaller than usual, which was great given the weather.

We intended to stay out for the rest of the night, but we were both shivering from being so wet. I made the executive decision to go back to the cottage one more time for another round with the clothes dryer and a hot shower for me.

After a short break, we headed downtown for a quick bite to eat and then straight to the finish line. I wish I could have seen more of their run, but it wasn't in the cards. Fortunately, the weather finally broke and the last spectating was fun. Of course, watching at the finish line is always fun. Finally, Sam's and Joe's daughter could come out to watch. I kept Sam's mother and father up-to-date all day via phone, but it isn't the same as watching.

The finish line is always a blast. I saw Tony (Jodi's TTT partner) come in with a smile on his face. A minute later, IronKim came in also wearing a smile. At 14:32:48, Joe crossed the finish line and became an Ironman officially. Less than an hour later at 15:27:29, Sam crossed to earn her Ironman title.

I'm so proud of both of them, not only for persevering through the terrible weather yesterday, but for the months of training. They have a 3-year-old and full-time jobs, but somehow juggled schedules and lost sleep in order to get it all in. It has been great joining them for the ride. Congrats guys, congrats to all the Ironman competitors and enjoy some much deserved time off! I'll see you hobbling around the town soon.

Pictures and maybe a video coming soon.

Woo doggie!

2008-07-19T15:38:00.003-04:00

Wow, am I spent?!

This morning, we took off around 5:55 AM and headed towards Whiteface Mountain. I wore arm warmers, but almost immediately regretted it. It is very humid out there. We rode part of the run course and then hopped on the bike course in reverse. Now, that was nice getting to go down those hills!

Then, we made a left turn off the course and onto the mountain. I forgot how steep and long that climb is. It is 3 miles of almost continuous uphill climbing. Matt quickly got ahead of me. He was nice to stop at Santa's workshop in North Pole, NY to wait for me. But, when we started again, he quickly got way ahead of me again. Yes, he is a better rider, but he was riding his Frankenbike and was carrying a lot of weight in food/water. Eventually, we made it to the toll booth. Matt gave me 2 choices: 1) finish the climb, but then head back to town the way we came or 2) descend now, but ride the course in reverse. The mountain was misty, so I knew there would be no good views. I also knew that we'd have to ride up the Keene 6-mile descent. I still chose option 2. It would give us a longer ride.

On the way back down, I hit a new personal top speed of 43 mph - a little scary, but exhilarating for sure! At this point, we are about 23 miles into what would become a 54 mile ride. The next 20 miles were great as we headed backwards down many of the hills the racers will have to climb tomorrow and onto the flat section. There was a headwind on the flat part, but Matt let me tuck in behind him.

Then, we reached the Keene hill. I asked for a brief pause to get some nutrition in, because I knew I wouldn't have a free hand for the next 6 miles. At first, it was great. There were a ton of bikers coming the other direction, either out there for a ride or if racing, out there for practice on the descent. Eventually though, my quads and spirit were a little shredded. Matt again was way ahead of me. I stopped waving at the bikers coming towards me. I was hot. Very, very hot. But, eventually it was over and we got to enjoy some good downs heading back into town.

All in all, it took me 3:43 to go 53.5 miles. My suitcase of courage was completely empty. But, I really enjoyed that well-deserved burger and french fries at lunch today!

In other news, Sam and Joe are locked and loaded. We had dinner with them, their daughter and Sam's parents last night. They are nervous, but still smiling. Tomorrow is just the icing on the cake - the reward for all the hard training. They will be great!

Matt and I will be cheering for them tomorrow while incorporating a Rocky theme. Sam calls me her Apollo, so it seemed fitting. We'll be wearing "Italian Stallion" t-shirts and we made a poster with a picture of them that says "Gonna Fly Now". Can't wait!

VACATION

2008-07-18T15:42:00.002-04:00

Well, Matt and I are living it up in Lake Placid right now.

We got in last night around 5 PM. We thought, "Let's go for a run to stretch out our legs after 9 hours of driving". So, off we went for a short jog around Mirror Lake. My knee decided around mile 2.6 that it wasn't very happy with my sudden movement after sitting so long, so I walked most of the way back after that. Good news is that it feels fine today.

We walked to dinner where we indulged in some beer. I couldn't do that as a participant in the race. It is kind of nice being here without worrying about me racing or even Matt racing. We even stopped by Placid Planet Bicycles, where I ogled the Cervelo P2C. Definitely drooling for that bike.

This morning we went for a swim on the course. It was our first open water swim of the season. I didn't do so well. I mean, I did feel okay in my wet suit, didn't freak out without lane lanes and remembered how to sight, but I was so slow and as usual I got off course going out. I did a decent job coming back, but by the time I got back to shore, it had taken me 50 minutes. That is slower than my Ironman average last year for 2 loops. Oh well!

Then, we headed out for a run. I went along some of the run course, while Matt did the Mirror Lake loop again. It was a tad humid to say the least, but overall a good 4.5 mile run.

Around 1 PM, we headed to the Ironman village to make signs for Sam & Joe and to do some shopping. While in the sign tent, the sky opened and poured down rain (and hail according to Sam & Joe). We were delayed a little, but thankfully dry. Then, off to the Ironman tent to spend hard earned dollars on more Ironman logo'd stuff that I don't need. I can't help myself.

Now, we are in a coffee shop on a balcony overlooking the swim course enjoying a smoothie. Good times for sure! I love VACATION!!

What's on tap for tomorrow? The mister and I are riding the course backwards, diverting to climb the 8 miles up Whiteface Mountain and then finishing the course backwards minus the Hazelton out and back. Should be quite the adventure.

Hot Dogs!

2008-07-13T13:14:00.005-04:00

My husband sometimes thinks that he is married to a 5-year-old, because I can be rather silly. One example of this is my love, love, love for hot dogs!

On Friday night, Progressive (my husband's employer) had an employee night at the Indians Game, which included discounted tickets and a pre-game party where you could meet Slider and the hot dogs. My favorite by far is Ketchup. Not only is it my hot dog condiment of choice, but he wins the hot dog race way more than the others (sometimes he cheats though).

So, I was super excited the last two weeks about getting to meet Ketchup. Of course, work interfered and we didn't get to the ball park until after the dogs had moved on. I was so disappointed, but Matt cheered me up by buying me a hot dog and beer.

On the way out of the stadium, I went to the ladies' room. Right after we parted, Matt spotted Mustard. He stalled him enough for me to come out and get a picture with the Hot Dog. He wasn't Ketchup, but it still made my night. Thanks honey for indulging my juvenile desires!

Picture of hot dog race

Matt and me after hot dog and beer

Me and Mustard

_______________________

In other news, we head up to Lake Placid on Thursday. Any bloggers getting together up there?

Changing perspective

2008-07-06T08:54:00.002-04:00

Like everyone else in the U.S.A., I am not loving the high gas prices. However, it is making me change my perspective on driving places, especially now that the weather is so nice.

For example, I have been doing my long rides right out of my house instead of driving somewhere to start my ride. There is only a short section that puts me in contact with a lot of traffic, but I was too chicken to attempt it before. Now, I feel liberated!

Today, I want to get a swim in. Instead of driving to the pool, I'm going to bike there. It is about 10 miles away. No big deal, right? Now, I just have to get my hungover ass off the couch. Me thinks the 4th drink (2nd chocolate martini after having had a 16 oz. porter, glass of white wine and of course, the 1st chocolate martini) was a bad idea. : ) It was fun though!

Amazingly good run

2008-06-28T15:27:00.003-04:00

So, you all know that I've been training with Sam while she preps for Ironman Lake Placid. This is her last big weekend before the 3-week taper begins. I'm excited, but also not looking forward to not seeing her as much (I'm sure she'll want some time off after the race). I definitely have enjoyed the journey, almost more than when I trained for LP last year.

Today was her last long run and it was the longest by far. We've routinely done 2.5 hours, but today's schedule had a 3-hour run on tap. Half hour doesn't sound like much, but the 2.5 hour runs were tough at times. However, it ended up being an amazingly good run.

Angela (my former coach and Sam's current coach) and e-Speed joined us on the trails of N. Chagrin. I felt stronger than I have in months and I know Sam was feeling good, because she charged up the biggest hills with no problem. She even gave speedy E-Speed a run for her money on one hill (of course E answered with ease). Of course, that left Ang and me trying to keep up. The last hour it was just me, Sam and E. Every time Sam and E would get talking they would speed up, but I only had to ask them to slow down twice.

All in all, we ran 16.7 miles in 3 hours, which is pretty good for trail running with roots, rocks, mud and hills. It is my longest run since Ironman and it is Sam's longest run ever. I know she is worried about how she'll perform on Ironman day, but after what I've seen today (and the last 6 months), she's more than ready. As Ang said, "the hay is in the barn". Can't wait to see her rock LP course!

Up for a run?

2008-06-25T13:52:00.003-04:00

Sam and I are doing a 3-hour trail run on Saturday morning. We're meeting at 7 AM at Strawberry Picnic area. Anyone want to join us for all or part of it (we'll circle back to start point)? We could use the extra company to get our minds off the run. We already know each other's stories. : )

The Hills

2008-06-22T15:22:00.004-04:00

No, not the TV show. It was the theme of my ride with Matt this morning. I told him I wanted to mix it up and he definitely delivered.

The first hour? We averaged 13 mph. I told him to ride his own pace and wait at major turns. I was quickly used to seeing him stand up, pump his powerful legs a few times and then begin to disappear in the distance. There was this one steep fucking hill that made me wonder if I'd make it up without falling over. I haven't worried about that in a long time. But, I made it up the hill, recovered and carried on.

The second hour, we averaged 16 mph, for an overall average of 14.5 mph (this section included a brick street a la Paris Roubaix - bumpy!). By this time, we were heading back home. Despite some massive final hills of merit, we covered 46 miles total in 2:57 (a 15.6 mph average). Not too shabby given the start of the ride.

The bonus was we rode out of our house, so no gas wasted traveling to a bike ride start. It also saved time. Oh, and I did manage to keep up with Matt after that first hour. Good stuff!

TriGuyJT, did we see you on Chagrin River road this morning wearing a yellow top?

Missing

2008-06-18T09:09:00.002-04:00

Wow, I've been missing blog land for awhile now! I found Facebook, which has taken what little free time I have. Plus, I don't have too much exciting to report for me.

Sam's Ironman is less than 5 weeks away. She did a monster 6 hour ride 45-minute run workout last Friday (thankfully, not with me) and we ran 2.5 hours on trails on Sunday. She's got a couple more big weekends left and then she'll head into taper. Can't wait to see her race!

In other news, my husband has been playing with his video camera and Mac software at home again. Check out his latest video of my kitty and me.

Glorious weekend!

2008-06-01T16:48:00.002-04:00

This weekend was beyond lovely - the weather, the company, the plans etc.

It started out with dinner and a movie (Sex in the City) with 5 of my girlfriends on Friday night. While Hoggy's would not be a restaurant on the SIC girls' list of faves, it hit the spot. The movie was predictable, but highly entertaining!

Saturday morning at 6:30 AM I met Sam for a 2:20 run at N. Chagrin. We ran the trails strong and while not fast, we had a great time. A total of 12.15 strong miles on muddy trails with a good friend rocks!

Saturday night, Matt and I went to a Lake County Captains game. We've lived in Lake County for almost 3 years, but this is the first game we've been to. It's a nice stadium. The baseball players are not as good as I'm used to seeing, but we got to see them up close and personal. $9 a piece and we were 2 rows back from 3rd base - watch out for line drive foul balls! Can't say we ate the healthiest, but we had a nice time.

Then, this morning, Sam, Joe (her husband), Matt and I headed out for a bike ride. Matt turned around after an hour or so and we lost Joe several times (he was faster than us, but sometimes took wrong turns or didn't turn around as expected - he did manage to find us with 15 minutes left in the ride). Before that though, we got passed by a fat, old man on a road bike with hybrid handlebars. I'd like to say that it was only because we were going downhill and he was heavier than us, but he stayed away after the pass. My ego got the best of me for awhile as I tried to catch him. I tried to rationalize that I was at the end of a 4:15 ride (63 miles), but it still hurt. : 0

After the ride, the three of us headed out for a 40-minute run. Sam and I had a great run and found our legs fairly quickly. I guess two weeks of lower mileage makes you stronger/fresher. Overall, I just felt so good for the whole workout!

Sam is heading towards more mileage over the next several weeks as she does her final build towards Ironman. Looks like I'll be along for the ride as well. Good times!

Glorious solo ride

2008-05-26T07:29:00.004-04:00

I rode about 26 miles yesterday. It was gorgeous out, my legs felt like a million bucks and I rode 1 mph faster than I had on that same course 2 weeks ago! Can't beat that with a stick!

During my ride, I got passed by a mountain bike. No, I'm not that slow. It had a motor on it. I almost caught the dude on the hill. Apparently, the motor doesn't help that much. I was up to the challenge of trying to catch him, but he turned off soon after that hill. Oh well. I'm sure I could have got him! ; )

I also saw a Smart Car. I then had "deep thoughts" about whether it made sense to purchase one of those to use for commuting to work. Matt pointed out that the mpg weren't that great for the loss of cargo space. I suspect that the high gas prices will goose inventors to get us off of our gas addiction sooner. At least, I hope it does.

Well, it isn't as lovely today. I was hoping to get out for another ride this morning, but with the rain, I may run instead. I preach practicing in adverse conditions, but I'm not training for anything. : ) Happy Memorial Day everyone! Don't you wish every weekend was 3 days long?!

Not so smart

2008-05-24T13:34:00.005-04:00

So, I mentioned in my previous post about how sore my calves were. Do you think I'd be smart and take some days off running or at least take it easy on a run? Yah, I'm not that smart!

I went for a run Wednesday night with some CTC peeps. Steve Y. and Chuck were so nice to stay with me. About 15 minutes in, my left calf was a tight, painful knot. Did I turn around then? No, fearless readers, I did not. Instead, I did the whole 6.1 mile loop (at a slow 11:09 pace).

When I got home, I told Matt that I might have been stupid and risked injuring myself. He was kind enough to knead my calf muscle. It hurt so badly that I almost jumped off the couch while he was doing it, but I think it helped tremendously. The next morning was not so bad and now, I feel back to normal. I just wish I could go to my regular massage on June 2, but stupid work is making me cancel it! Oh well!

Now, I'm at work on a lovely Saturday. I should be working, but blogging seemed like a better idea. There is a Kenny Chesney concert at the Browns stadium today, so there are a ton of tailgaters in the muni lot. I was working on a weekend the last time he was in town too. I must be a glutton for punishment! : ) Ugh, country music! (No offense to you country lovers - just ain't my thang!)

I leave you with a photo taken by E-speed during the Cleveland half-marathon (I'm in the melon colored top and Browns stadium is behind me). This time, I smiled when she cheered unlike my pain mask from the marathon 2 years ago. Thanks E and Solar!!

Sore, but lovin' it!

2008-05-20T08:09:00.002-04:00

My calves are so sore and tight I can barely walk. Going down stairs is the worst. However, I love it! I always figure that soreness is proof that you left it all out there on the course.

I'm working from home this morning (have client meeting in Erie, PA this afternoon, so why head west before heading east?) If Sam were here instead of Disney World, I would have swum with her at CSU regardless, but she's not here, so I lifted weights at home instead of swimming.

Speaking of Sam, she and her husband did a fabulous job at the Disney half-IM in hot (90+ degrees) and windy conditions. They had similar swim times, then Joe got a 25 minute lead on her on the bike, but then she recaptured 20 of those minutes on the run. They are well on their way to a stellar performance at IMLP.

Matt has been in Arizona the last two days and thankfully, he comes home tonight. I sleep like crap when he's not here. The temperature there yesterday was well over 110. The temperature here is around 59. If we could split the difference, we'd both have nice weather days.

At least, it is supposed to be nice this weekend. I'll probably be riding long with Sam on Saturday or Sunday this weekend. Anyone interested in joining us? I'll know the details after she gets back on Thursday.

Unofficial PR at Cleveland Half-marathon

2008-05-18T15:20:00.003-04:00

Well, I didn't make an official PR, but I did unofficially. The course was a little long at 13.25 miles according to my Garmin (Sara and Shannon got the same length).

My official time was 2:03:14, which still is my second fastest half-marathon ever. I can tell you that it wasn't an easy run for me. My average HR was 169 and the last 3 miles were well over 170. Around mile 3, I was doubting my sanity for getting into a race for which I didn't really train, but my thoughts the whole race ran the gamut from that to "I think I can PR".

It helps that I know the course so well. This is my regular running grounds, so I know when to hold back and when to push it. Also great was seeing E and Solar cheering on the W. 3 hill between miles 2 and 3 and my husband at the mile 6 aid station.

The best part of the morning though was hanging with TriSara and TriShannon before and after the race. Such fun gals - finally got to meet Shannon in person! It was also awesome to meet TryguyJT after the race finished.

It was a great weekend for meeting blogger pals. On Saturday, I got to meet M (Trying to Tri) when I met up with her and K for a 3-hour ride. We were praying that the rain would hold off and for the most part it did, although the wind was high for sure. We did one loop of the GCT course and then I led us out into Fairport Harbor and beyond for the second half. K is quite the biker and she smoked M and me on several occasions. Luckily for me, she didn't know the route, so had to slow down every once in awhile. : ) Those ladies will be more than prepared for their first half-Ironman in August at GCT!!

Do I think I would have done better if I didn't ride 3 hours on Saturday? Maybe yes, maybe no. Likely no though. I haven't done any speed work, so today was mostly mental anyway. It was worth risking it to hang out with two fun ladies.

Perception

2008-05-15T12:29:00.002-04:00

I was talking to a co-worker yesterday and remembered that he was planning to do a half-marathon soon. I couldn't remember which one, so I asked. He said that it was the Cleveland half. I told him I'd be there as well. We discussed goal times and while he did have a specific time in mind (faster than mine), his main goal will be to stay in front of me. LOL!

I saw him today and asked if he was getting excited. He said that he was so nervous and just wished that it was here already. I looked internally and asked myself if I felt the same way. The answer? Not a bit. Maybe it is because I've done so many of them or maybe it is because I hadn't even thought to sign up until a few days ago. I don't know, but I have a hard time getting worked up about anything these days after Ironman. It is weird.

I wonder if I'll feel the same way about my next Ironman or if it will be just another day.

A few years ago, I was having dinner with husband and he casually mentioned thinking about doing Ironman CDA with a few CTC members with no fan support. At the time I was hugely offended. Ironman was an EVENT! I had to put up with all of his training and tiredness, so I should get to go. His response? "It is just a race". Of course, he'd done several by then and to him, it was just a race. Interesting.

I wish I knew when I would get to train for and race Ironman again. We want to start a family sooner than later and I know that presents its own time and priority challenges. Add to that my demanding job and it just doesn't seem possible.

Well, if I could train less hours, maybe it could happen for me again. I don't know if I need to put in the punishing number of hours that I did the first time. There is something to be said for having a solid, consistent base. Also, I personally feel that Ironman day is mostly mental. You can do anything for one day, right? You just can't let your body tell you otherwise. Maybe I'm cracked, but it is my opinion (like buttholes, it may stink). : )

Anyway, my good friend Sam and her husband (parents of a lovely 3-year-old daughter) are off to Disney this weekend to race their first half-Ironman as a tune-up race prior to Ironman Lake Placid. They have put in the hours and now it is their time to shine. Good luck and have fun!!

Pulling a Stevie

2008-05-14T12:20:00.003-04:00

I call my friend and fellow Lake Placid Ironman finisher, Paula, "Stevie", because when we ride our bikes her head swivels back and forth the whole time. "Did you see the lovely trellis on that house?" My response "There was a house?"

I borrowed this from TriguyJT.

I think it is refreshing that she isn't so die hard focused to ignore the beautiful surroundings. I am afraid of crashing though. : ) But today, I rode my bike at a leisurely pace and took in the beauty of the surroundings. There is this tree farm on the way to Mill Road from N. Chagrin that I absolutely LOVE! I swear it makes me happy every time I see it. Maybe I was meant to be a tree farmer and not an actuary?

In other news, I signed up for the Cleveland half-marathon. I thought my one friend would need a pacer, but she doesn't, so I might shoot for a PR (faster than 2:02:41). I haven't specifically been training for this race, but I am trained well enough. Heck, last year, I got the above PR after riding 5 hours and running 45 minutes the day before.

So, would you think that I'd take Saturday off to rest up for the race? Nah, that's not like me. Instead, I shall meet up with some cool people for a 3-hour bike ride of the GCT course on Saturday morning. 3 hours is less than 5, right? Should still have a chance at a PR. We'll see...

Crossfit and a Perfect Ending

2008-05-11T21:01:00.002-04:00

On Friday, I did an actual CrossFit workout with my friend Nic. She did them all the time in Houston and now, she attends in Cleveland. So, our workout was short, but it packed a punch.

Warm-up
.25 mile jog
3 times of 30 seconds of situps, 30 of seconds squats and 30 seconds standing lunge stretch

Workout
8 x 20 seconds of push-ups with 10 second rest in-between
8 x 20 seconds of planks with 10 second rest in-between
8 x 20 seconds of walking lunges with 10 second rest in-between
8 x 20 seconds of pass the medicine ball sit-ups with 10 second rest in-between

Warmdown
.75 mile walk

Now, going into this, I have to admit that it didn't sound very tough. I can do just about anything for 20 seconds right? Well, let me tell you that I was in for a surprise. Sure, I could do it, but it was tough! By that evening, I was starting to feel it. I woke up the next morning incredibly sore. My abs were so sore that I couldn't cough. Wow, who knew such a short workout would pack such a wallop?! I guess it goes to show you that mixing it up is exactly what your body needs to keep it guessing. I did still manage to run 1:15 on the trails with Sam and do a decent 2-hour bike ride on Saturday morning.

This morning, I was still sore, but it was better. Swimming worked out my remaining kinks. Today was our last day of the tri-swimming class. Part of me was reluctant to go, because the last time I went I was so slow, but it was the last class. I'm so glad I went! Today's class was the perfect ending to a tough, yet good 7-month class. I held my threshold pace and was able to go sub-TP when called upon. Good times!

Scary!

2008-05-06T16:57:00.006-04:00

I guess no one can accuse any of the three of us of not grinding it out all the way to the end! Yowza! Good times at the Hermes 10-miler apparently. : )

Small jpegs courtesy of Brightroom Photos.

Food Choices

2008-05-05T08:42:00.003-04:00

So, we survived the 2:15 trail run yesterday afternoon - 12.25 miles total. It was a tough one on tired legs, but we got through it with fun conversation and dreams of what we would be ordering for dinner. Which brings me to the topic of this blog...food choices.

Last year, while I ate a ton of food, I was generally careful about what I was putting into the engine for fuel. Now? Not so much.

The menu for Saturday lunch with my brother? Cup of corn chowder, small ham & pineapple pizza and half of an "Oreo Oblivion" dessert. Yah, I ate the whole thing. Not a crumb in sight. Worst part? I was still kind of hungry after. It was probably because it wasn't the right choice for post-4.25 hour workout food. It was yummy though.

Last night, Sam orders coffee, small garden salad, grilled chicken sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of cottage fries. The waitress puts her pad away and I say "Oh no, we're not finished ordering." I then order a small garden salad, cheeseburger and bowl of mac & cheese. The waitress' eyes were as big as saucers. Sam gently explains that we just finished running. Now, we didn't eat the entire shared meal, but we polished off a significant portion of it. Sam is all of 95 pounds, so you can imagine the looks of the patrons seated at the table attached to ours.

I went home and later had a bowl of 1/2 fat ice cream. That finally silenced the hunger monster. And, I wonder why I've gained 10 pounds since Ironman?! I was probably a little too thin at Ironman, but still.

It all comes back to food choices. Exercise alone is not going to make a person lose weight (and I'm not saying that is my goal at all). The point is that exercising more makes you more hungry. If you take in more calories than you burn, you will gain weight even if you are working out 10+ hours a week. I think I only lost weight for Ironman, because I was too tired to eat too much. : )

On the flip side, working out with severe food intake reduction is not the right thing either. Your body needs fuel to burn fat. If you don't eat enough, the body thinks it is starving and retains any calorie you put in. The moral? Make sure to eat enough.

So, will I be forgoing the pizza, burgers and ice cream? Nah, that is not for me. "All things in moderation" is the right mantra.

Crazy times

2008-05-04T12:45:00.002-04:00

Wow, I've been MIA, huh? Work has been busy and I've actually been outside training.

Last weekend, I raced the Hermes 10-miler on Saturday and bricked w/ Sam on Sunday.
The 10-miler was a tough one. It was muggy, my HR was elevated and the new course was boring. I did have a negative split, which is great given that the second half has the ascents. My average HR was 173. Who knew I could maintain that for over 90 minutes?!

The next day? I was so sore. Sam was too. You can imagine how much fun the 3-hour ride and 30-minute run was. It felt like we were biking and running through sand. I even stopped us to make sure my brake wasn't rubbing. It wasn't. Sam said during our run, while we were hobbling like old ladies, that we needed our heads examined. At least she is training for Ironman Lake Placid. I'm the one who really needs her head examined! : )

Yesterday, we biked 3.5 hours and ran 40 minutes. I actually felt much better than on Sunday. The weather was awful though. It rained from 45 minutes in until the end. My feet were so frozen that I couldn't feel them. Yes, I do need my head examined.

Today, I am meeting Sam for a 2:15 trail run at 3 PM. So, what do I do this morning? Yes, more training! I met up with TriSara for her newbies brick. It was a leisurely paced ride and I skipped the run, so hopefully, I'll be good to go for my run shortly.

In non-running news, I saw the Ironman movie yesterday with my brother. It totally rocked! When I got home, Matt showed me a movie he put together on his new computer. He put it on his blog if you want to check it out. He definitely captured my goofball nature!

Oh no you din'nt!

2008-04-23T09:15:00.002-04:00

Oh, yes I did! I've posted in the past that this is one of my favorite sayings:

There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
And, dance like no one's watching.

This morning on a solitary trail run, a song called "The Cha-Cha Slide" came on my iPod. For those who have never heard of the song, it is hip-hop line dance where the guy tells you which dance moves to employ. Well, I had just run down a big, steep hill and I thought "Why not?" So, I stopped my watch and got my dance groove on in the middle of the trail. And, you know what? Someone was watching, but I didn't see them until I'd finished. I hope I made those runners' days! I know I made mine.

Tough, but fabulous weekend!

2008-04-20T15:21:00.006-04:00

On Friday, I received an e-mail that put a kibosh on my planned 45-minute run. My running partner's daughter was sick, so she had to cancel. I'm not ballsy enough to run downtown by myself. I was a little disappointed with the impromptu day off until the same running partner negotiated with her hubby to allow her to brick with me on Saturday and run with me on Sunday. Woo hoo!

Oh crap though! Her assigned brick was a 3-hour ride followed by 40-minute run. I haven't ridden outside on my tri bike since September and my longest trainer ride has been 1:40. 3 hours? We'll see. We rode out of N. Chagrin at 8 AM. It was a beautiful morning for a ride. I don't know if it was the great weather, wonderful company or fresh legs (was that a 6-month taper?), but I rode amazingly well. Sam did great too! Only the last 5 minutes of the ride and run were tough. Good times! Check out Sam with her new bike.

After the brick, I helped paint our dining room, then crashed for 2 hours. Yes, I forgot what Ironman training does to me - I sleep...a lot. Can't say I miss it, but it was fun to remember with Sam.

I was a little nervous about our planned 2-hour run this morning after yesterday's long workout. We had two fun running partners - Hallie and Gina - join us. (Gina is a blog buddy, who hopefully will now be a running buddy - assuming she enjoyed the run and didn't mind the pace.)

We took off at 9 AM and ran a combination of real trail and bridle trail. It was wet, but not terribly muddy - just a few bad spots. Don't get me wrong - I had mud all over my legs, but my shoes are salvageable. : ) It was a great run and I really enjoyed getting to know Gina in person! I actually held up very well and was able to finish strong.

After the run, we headed to Yours Truly for a breakfast feast. Ah, good times! Here are a couple pictures from breakfast (Gina and me, and Hallie and Sam)

I knew I was slow, but...

2008-04-13T18:20:00.005-04:00

I ran with a friend who is 29 weeks (just about 7 months along) pregnant yesterday. I had to ask her to slow down, because she was running too fast for me. D'oh!

Then, I went to triswimming today and it didn't get any better. Not only did I swim slower than my 20-minute time trial two months ago, but I couldn't hang at all on the sets at the end. We would regroup after each 75, 50 or 25 and being the slowest meant little to no rest for me. Instead of trying my best, I just gave up and got out of the pool. Worse was I actually started crying about it. Good grief! I was mad at myself, but didn't need to be a baby about it.

TriSara cheered me up in the lockerroom and then accompanied for coffee afterwards. Thanks buddy!

In other news, we have our workout room all set up now. Matt painted it blue yesterday; we got the treadmill from Rob's place and built the Ikea table today. The TV is too low to watch from the treadmill, but I'm sure we'll figure out someway to rectify that. If not, I'll just zone out to my Ipod. Here's a picture for your viewing pleasure!

Have you ever?

2008-04-06T18:40:00.002-04:00

Have you ever been on a trail run that was...

- so muddy that you couldn't see the flesh on the back of your legs when you were finished?

- so filthy that you had to throw your shoes away at the end of the run?

- so dirty that you had to literally scrub your legs clean?

- so fun because you had 3 wonderful women to run and converse with?

- so warm in April in Cleveland that you could run with shorts on?

- so calorie-burning that you justified ordering a shared breakfast afterwards with one of those wonderful women that was so large that the waitress called it "hearty"? and, you were still hungry when you got home?

- so wonderful, because you could run 10.3 miles with no aches, pains or worries after having not run more than 6-8 miles at a time in months?

- so fabulous, because 3 women mentioned above not only didn't complain about the mud, but actually cheered about it?

Well, I had such a run today. My friends, Angela, Sam and Tina were the perfect companions for a perfect run. I'm still smiling. Thanks ladies!

I want to ride my bicycle

2008-04-03T12:16:00.004-04:00

I want to ride my bike. I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it where I like.

Seriously folks, I'm ready to ride outside. Any Cleveland peeps interested in meeting early on Saturday (like ready to ride at 7 AM early) for an hour to hour-and-half ride out of N. Chagrin? Matt and I are headed to Ikea at 10 AM, so I've got to git 'r done early near my house!

At least we did get to ride outside in Florida, even if it was on hybrid bikes! Here are pictures of us on our trusty steeds atop a "Florida hill" (aka bridge over road).

Finally a grown-up?

2008-03-31T12:44:00.006-04:00

What do you get when you aren't training for Ironman and are getting enough sleep? Apparently, you act like a grown-up and start buying stuff for your house (after living there for 2.5 years).

We purchased a used treadmill from our friend Rob. We are going to head to Ikea soon to get some items to transform our now office/workout room just into a workout room. The office will now be upstairs once we move the desk up there. I'm excited to be able to do a brick in winter without leaving the comfort of my home - we'll set the Computrainer up right next to the treadmill.

The big purchase though was a new dining room set from Arhaus. We got a table that will expand to seat 8 comfortably, 8 chairs (of course) and a buffet. Check it out.

We also looked at new dinnerware (I haven't bought new dishes since 1991 and those were $24 for a set of 8 from Hills Department Store) and paint. I may finally have an accent wall! I've always wanted one of those. Now, we may have to entertain more often! We even stimulated the economy at the same time! I feel like such a grown-up! : )