Monument 10k Race Report

Here's the Bean, me, and Masha in the parking lot prior to the event. I left my camera in the car b/c I didn't want to carry it during the race or walk back to the car, so it's my only photo. We parked at the Jefferson to have access to luxury bathrooms pre- and post-race. An excellent strategy!

We met a group of TriGirls at the Cathedral prior to the race, so as more photos are available, I'll post them. We had a big group of women sporting the pink! It is so fun to be running and have total strangers yell "Go TriGirl!"

The event started at 8:30, and we were hustling over to the start line at 8:27 - but never to fear; our group - F - was back aways and didn't start until something like 8:45. We met up with TriGirl Jennifer in our group and chatted as we inched forward. We were joking that F meant Fast. The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" blasted through the speakers along with an extremely jovial announcer - I want some of whatever he's on! Then it was our turn. We did the slow shuffle across the timing mats, I hit the starter on my Garmin, and we were off.

The Bean took off like a shot. I saw her little ponytail bouncing way up in the distance. Then Masha took off. I kept to my race strategy of going out slowly so I wouldn't exhaust myself early. It's not worth it to me to fight through the crowds. Plus, Jennifer and I needed to hit the first set of porto-potties! Lovely things that they were.

It was at that point, as I went to stop the timer on my Garmin, that I realized it had never started. I know I pushed the button, but perhaps I just acknowledged a low signal or something? I don't know. All I know is that I only tracked 4.9 miles of the event. Damn user error. Sigh. On the bright side, I had a good run without worrying about or having any ability to track my time because I didn't know how far into the race I was when I started timing. Oh well!

I caught up with the Bean. She was a little tired after her fast start! I also saw Mark at the TriGirl cheering section near the half way point and gratefully dropped off the sweatshirt that had been tied around my waist and which was starting to annoy me. Thanks, Mark! I never did see Annnnn's husband. I so wanted to shout, "Ann totally rocks!" as she'd instructed. And she does.

Then I traded spots with Masha through a water station. The crowds and bands were really great, especially for the last two miles. I love Richmond's friendly race supporters!

I crossed the finish line at 1:12 or so clock/start time so I estimated my time to be in the 57 - 58 minute range. I have to say I was quite a bit disappointed. My realistic goal was 55 and my dream goal 52. Yikes!

The Bean crossed shortly after me but we didn't see Masha for awhile. We did see a growing group of TriGirls. Congratulations to Kate T for her 52 minute time!!!! ... breaking her previous year's time by a whopping 22 minutes! She is going to be smiling until Tuesday at least.

We hung around and chatted, and the Bean introduced me to two TriGirls who have kids at our kids' school. She knows everyone! The Bean, I have to say, felt like a minor celebrity because some people recognized her from my blog. She doesn't read it, so I teased her a little about what I may or may not have said about her... ha!

We were supposed to meet a group of TriGirls at Bandito's but big loser that I am, I couldn't remember where it was. We drove around a bit, called information who said they had no listing, and even asked some pedestrians to no avail. Finally, after joking about how well we used to know that area 20 years ago, we headed back to our west end enclave and had lunch at California Tortilla. I think it was tasty, but I admit that I would have happily eaten pretty much anything at that point.

Once I got home, I checked my unofficial chip time online and was pleased to see it as 54:14. Better than I thought! Cool! And I'm within 46 seconds of my pre-race estimate for the TriGirl teams. Yes!

All in all, another good year at the Monument 10k.

Week in Review

Hello everyone, boys and girlfriends alike!

Thanks for all your help, girlfriends, on my wardrobe quandry. Please keep commenting and emailing on the post below - not only do I need your input, the messages themselves are absolutely cracking me up. I think our little group is on our fourth or fifth bottle of wine by now...

Thought it was about time to mention a few workouts. Since that is supposedly my point.

After swimming on Sunday, I did a weights class and my last indoor cycling class on Monday. Who'd have thought at the beginning of indoor cycling that I would be sorry to see it end? Certainly not moi! Tuesday, I ran five miles with the Bean at a 10:03 minutes/mile pace. She's getting faster! Wednesday, I braved traffic and cycled around my neighborhood for 20 miles. Twenty miles is a damn long way. I'm just sayin'... It took me ~70 minutes for a 17.0 mph pace. That's the best I've ever tracked so I'm very happy - but hoping to do better! I need to worry about distance though before I even think about speed with a half-century coming up on May 5. Then I did yoga which felt really good. Thurday I ran solo - four miles, 9:06 minutes/mile on average. Today I did weights with the instructor who annoys me. Really, who starts with inner thigh, calves, biceps and triceps as four of the first five exercises? Apparently she's never heard of working big muscle groups first. Then, tommorrow is the 10k.

So even if you're not Grandison, you are probably noticing a teeny tiny problem with my week. Yep, no rest day. Uh-oh! I'm gonna be in trouble...

In my defense, Saturdays were my rest days but with the 10k this week, and TriGirl cycling starting on Saturdays, I have to re-evaluate my schedule to make sure I'm getting adequate rest. I'm thinking about dumping one of my three/week runs, at least in the short term, so I can focus on the bike without killing myself. It may actually take care of itself because my left heel is killing me - I've got to make an appointment to see Dr. Stadler to find out what's going on. I thought it was plantar fasciitis but maybe not because it doesn't stop hurting when I stretch it. So hold me accountable for that, please.

I'm looking forward to seeing a big group of TriGirls sporting our pink tomorrow at the 10k! If you see us, give us a shout out. "Go TriGirl!" works just fine.

Okay, Girlfriends, I need your help...

It's times like these that I really miss my college roommates. Guys, especially once they're husbands, are nowhere near as helpful or insightful. Or fun, frankly. Perhaps we'll chat about that...

Can you help me out girlfriends, and pretend you're my roommate? Here's the scene: we're in my room; you're kicked back on my bed with a glass of wine and a cigarette; I'm popping in and out of the closet modeling various outfits for a formal event I'm going to Saturday night. You are throwing in some unsolicited feedback, like I may want to buy some boobs and a girdle, and I may call you a bitch once or twice as I steal a drag.

The grim reality is that I was in my room with my five and six year old children giving commentary and taking pictures. In most of them, I am clenching my jaw saying "just click the mumble mumble button..." Scouter's big input was to wear whatever is most comfortable. Yeah, like comfort is my main objective.

Pretend I'm not scowling and have on makeup, jewelry, and a hairstyle. And please ignore how messy my room is. I'm the sloppy roommate. Here are the options:

So what do you think? Do we need to go shopping?

__________________________

Update: So as we're opening our second bottle of wine, you asked me what event I'm going to anyway. I can't believe I didn't tell you! It's the Comfort Zone Camp 7th Annual Grief Relief Gala at the Science Museum. TriGirl Melissa, aka volunteer extraordinaire, is going to be there along with girlfriends Cate, Mary Beth, and Alison. You should totally join me!!!!

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BTW, while we're chatting again, the first dress didn't show up very well - it is actually prettier than it looks. The top is a stretchy black/bronze fabric and the skirt is a shiny bronze. Not that I'm trying to sway your opinion! Also my shoes with the last dress are fabulous! I'm sorry they weren't in the picture.

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Damn, I'm starting to feel a little buzz. Let me kick off these great shoes and lounge with you while we chat some more...

Swim

"Swimming, swimming, swimming... just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."
~ Dory, Finding Nemo

I love that movie, and Ellen Degeneres as Dory absolutely cracks me up. We'll have to get Finding Nemo back into the rotation at home to supplement current favorites (by the younger crowd, anyway) Open Season and High School Musical. And Dreamer is going to be big - the kids watched it on HBO last night, and Rainbow has a new favorite. Note to the Easter Bunny - include in this year's basket!!!! (The Easter Bunny leaves a little candy but mostly other fun treats at our house. Good boy.)

As for my own swimming, I realized that I have already logged as much swimming distance this year as I swam in total in 2006. That's a very poor commentary on my swimming in 2006! But nonetheless, pretty cool that at least I've shown some improvement. And hey, it's not December yet. (I'll have to drop these stupid comparisons in 2008 methinks!)

I swam last night with old friends and TriGirls Jennifer and Jackie which made the evening so enjoyable. They were rock stars in the pool during their college years so I will only be able to keep up with them for a short while before they restore their former glory and leave me in the dust, desperately trying to keep up with their wake. Last night, at least, I got to chat with them during the brief breaks Som allows.

I swam 2100 yards including two - count 'em - two 100 IMs. And actually had fun. Well, except for the parts where I was swimming...

Have you noticed that I've been positively giddy of late? I think the spring weather is affecting me.

New Gear

I had a great shopping day today! Check out the cool TriGirl stuff I picked up at training this morning. And after a little light shopping, Melissa and I did a trial du in preparation for her event in two weeks. We were time constrained, so we totalled a four miles of running and ten miles of cycling in a run-bike-run format. It was fun, and she is so ready for her event! Thanks, M, for letting me tag along!

This afternoon, Taz helped me hook up the bike rack that Scouter gave me for Christmas:

...So we could head to Agees and buy more cool gear! Here's what I bought for Scouter:

And here's what I got myself. The new shades didn't show up so well, but they are pink. Surprised? I thought not. The seat is a female-specific model. I'm hoping for a little more comfort... ahem...

And here's what the kids worked me for. They attach to their bikes which will be nice for their tri in June. Plus we got a cute new helmet for Rainbow which she really needed. Her old one was cheap and getting too tight. I would have taken a picture but it was on her head spinning around our cul-de-sac as I was snapping.

Scouter decided I am official obsessed not only with triathlon but with this blog as he caught me taking these pictures just for it. He does have a point...

Let Them Eat Cake

While some of you were perhaps enjoying an icy beverage at the RTC happy hour tonight, I was kicking up my heels at the Cub Scout blue and gold banquet. It was quite an event. Taz was promoted to a Tiger Cub.

And, he won a prize in the cake decorating contest for best use of theme - or something similar. Isn't that a cute tiger cake? He was as excited about that as any of the other activities of the evening.

Cheers!

10k

I've had a secret goal time in mind for the Monument 10k on March 31 that I've only admited to one other person. And it's 52 minutes.

I'm telling you now only because... I ran 10k in 51:09 this morning.

I'm so excited! That's 8:11 minute/mile average.

In typical me fashion, I have to point out that I don't trust my Garmin. It has deceived me before. And I don't know the distance for certain because I ran a different route than usual today to get all six miles in without having to run past my house (thereby avoiding any potential temptation to stop). If I didn't run 6.2, I came pretty close because I added a loop to a 5 1/2 mile run that I've done and tracked a lot. I'm going to try to put my negative self-talk aside and just let myself be happy with my performance for a change.

I felt great today. I actually set out to do my usual 5 mile loop, decided on a different, slightly longer route about a mile in, then decided at about mile 3 that I should do a whole 10k at least once before the event. Usually, my mind works the other way, trying to convince my body to go shorter. I wonder what causes days like today and how I can experience more of them?

I didn't pay any attention to my Garmin until the four mile point because I was just feeling good and enjoying my run. I was breathing and trying hard and all - just having fun with it. I was shocked to see my time at that point which was actually sub-8:00/mile and although I tried to maintain that pace for the remaining 2.2, I was getting tired, hungry, and thirsty. Also surprised, happy, and determined to keep going!

Fortunately I will have the chance to do it again on the Monument course in about nine days. We'll see whether today's time was a fluke or not.

I can't wait!

Thanks, Blake!

I hit the road this morning for a bike ride from my house. I'm so ridiculously proud of myself!

I'd love to tell you how far and how fast I went, but unfortunately, I somehow managed to disable my bike computer when taking the front wheel off my bike for transport last week. And of course, I can't figure out how to make it work again.

I'm hauling the whole thing to Agee's this weekend, along with Scouter and his bike, to show me how to fix it and to have them look at my gearing again. I'm having a hard time getting in and out of the big chain ring. While I'm there, I also plan to get geared up with a new saddle, another bottle rack, a spare tube, and whatever else catches my fancy. To the extent that Scouter will allow without freaking, that is...

Scouter and I are planning to attend an RTC sponsored bike maintenance class in April. I can't wait! We both really need to develop some skills in that area.

Back to the program... I can tell you that I rode for 55 minutes. Yep, should've gone a full hour but really I had only allotted 45 minutes and had to race to work afterwards - but it was so worth it.

Clipping in and out takes on more significance when done in traffic at a stop light. I didn't let myself worry about it too much in advance and actually did okay. No falls, anyway. (yet!) Riding behind Taz and Rainbow earlier this week was good practice - they alternate between speeding down the rode (with me flying behind) to a dead stop with no warning. Now that's some serious pressure to stop/clip out fast!

Note to HNDAGRL and pretty much any service truck that passed me: Share the rode! I am allowed to be there and you running me over is not going to teach either of us a lesson.

There's got to be a petition somewhere regarding bike lanes. Seriously, how hard could it be to add few feet of asphalt and a white stripe?

It was chilly this morning but I had the gloves I purchased prior to the ACAC sprint tri in October along with some winter biking pants and shoe covers that I bought this winter but hadn't used. I added three layers of workout tops and was good to go. My ears were cold at first but I warmed up pretty quickly. Or at least got distracted.

I'm gonna have to drive my route tonight to see how far I went - inquiring minds want to know. Mine anyway.

I actually used my big chain ring again today. At one point I was stuggling on a hill and realized that I was in the hardest gears, front and back. Gee, no wonder! My route was fairly hilly and I felt much stronger than the last time I rode these streets, which was probably in October. Indoor cycling, as much as I bitched and whined about it all winter long on this very blog, really paid off.

Thanks, Blake!

Nada

My apologies to those of you who may read this blog for any kind of workout information for failing so miserably at staying on topic. Every now and then, I have nothing else on my mind and throw you a bone.

Like today. I've got nothing.

So I'll tell you that I did make it to the weights class on Friday. The instructor spent an inordinate amount of time on chest and not enough on legs but other than that, it was a good class. And that's just me inflicting my own issues!

Saturday was a much-needed rest day. I was jonesing to bike but it was damn cold. I didn't really have time anyway. I did get to go to the Richmond Tri Club running form clinic. The main thing I got out of it was that heel striking is bad. Uh, I actually knew that. The speaker went off on a tangent about stretching, recommending less stretching. He advised one participant with plantar faceitis (sp??) to stop stretching. Since I suspect that I have it in both feet, I'm very curious about that advice and tend to think it is off base. Any thoughts or advice? I need to do a little research before I discount his advice out of hand as I am a big proponent of stretching myself.

Sunday, I had limited time and we didn't have TriGirl swimming, so I went to the Y for a run around the surrounding neighborhood before it opened (5 miles, 9:12 minutes/mile average pace) then swam. Som had kindly posted a swim workout on the forum for us. I printed it, took it with me, and actually did most of it. Even the crazy breastroke/fly combo, 100 IM, and 50 fly. There were 8 sets of 50 free with targeted decreasing times for each set of four, and I actually did them. And timed myself! My first 50 was embarrassingly slow - 1:10 - followed by 1:05, 1:05, and 1:00. I have to admit that the times are rough estimates. The clock was on the other side of the pool and I assumed that I wouldn't remember details like 1:02. But anyway, the first half went well.

At that point, I was supposed to start over and decrease times for the next four 50s. Well, somehow my brain and body did not communicate effectively and I clocked 1:00 for my first 50. I'm not trying to say that's fast or anything, but given that 1:00 was my fastest time in my first set, I was in trouble! Miraculously, the next two 50s were 1:00 also and the final was slightly less; maybe 0:58.

Even though these times sucked, I'm posting them to track any improvement I may show the next time I do these.

I skipped 400 meters of the workout because I ran out of time (and energy) for a total of 2000 meters. It's interesting to note that my stroke count in a meter pool was 21 versus 17 in a yard pool. I didn't think the difference was that dramatic. Perhaps I need some re-education in the metric system.

Monday (yesterday), I went to an on the ball/weights class that was very good. We did one move in particular that killed my hamstrings, laying on our backs on the floor with our heels pressed into the ball. We held that position for an eternity, then rolled the ball in towards us and pushed it back out. Ouch! I'm a big fan of dead lifts for hamstrings and lower back because they feel pretty easy when I'm doing them, but man am I sore the next day. Those are the kind of exercises I like!

My husband, whom I've decided to call Scouter for purposes of this blog (an old college nickname), was out of town so unfortunately I missed cycling. I'm hoping to get out for a ride tomorrow morning or possibly go to class tomorrow night to make it up. Does that count as a commitment?

This morning, Tuesday in case you're keeping track, I ran 5 miles with Beanie at a 10:24 minute/mile pace. We had a good chat that somehow resulted in me volunteering to lead a committee on our school's PTA. How did she do that?!? Actually, it will be fun - Cate and I are going to host the hospitality committee together to provide special themed lunches for the teachers throughout the school year.

I'm Rainbow's room mother this year, and we had a Young Authors' Brunch in her classroom this morning. It was adorable! All the kids were dressed up and each one read a story s/he had written with his/her 4th grade journal buddy. Rainbow's was the best presentation and her story was very funny. It was all about teeth and how she can't wait to lose them. We had an authors' reception afterward with a nice spread of fruit and snacks. The kids were so cute and excited! And her teacher was so proud.

Hey, I did have something to write about after all!

Good Deeds

My babies are so amazing. Just in case you think I may be a wee bit biased, judge for yourself!

On Saturday, they played games with the residents of a nearby nursing home with Taz's Cub Scout troup. In December, we sang Christmas carols at this same nursing home, and the kids and residents remembered each other. Rainbow was the first child to charge the crowd, armed with her Scrabble Junior board and a big smile. She and Taz played with a couple who were so cute. We met the husband over the holidays, but his wife had been too sick to participate that night so they were very happy to meet her. The kids had a blast and wanted to know if they could go back every day.

Afterwards, we went to get haircuts. Rainbow has been growing her hair "as long as Rapunzel's" to donate to Locks of Love. Saturday was the day! I thought she might get upset or change her mind when scissors neared her head, but she was excited. Taz was very encouraging. Rainbow spent the remainder of the weekend brushing and styling her hair. She looked particularly cute with two tiny little pigtails sticking out of her head. Alas, peer pressure starts young and she worried that the kids in her kindergarten class would make fun of her. I told her that her friends all like her for what's on the inside, not her hair, but she didn't really grasp (or buy into) that concept. Then I told her she can always grow it back out. Finally, I asked her how she thought the kids felt who have to go to school with no hair. We talked about how much happier one little girl is going to be, getting to go to school with a wig made from Rainbow's beautiful hair. She was very proud and happy when she thought about it that way. She does have gorgous hair - white blond, curly, and thick. It will make a beautiful wig.

Their good deeds continued on Sunday. They helped TriGirls Melissa, Andi and me make dinner for the Safe Harbor Shelter which assists victims of domestic violence. We talked about how some parents can be bad people, and that this shelter helps the mommies and children find a better life. They made brownies, chocolate chip and (extremely coated) sugar cookies, while Melissa, Andi and I made Herb Mustard Breast of Chicken (thanks, Oprah!). We made extra for ourselves but I haven't tried it yet. It smelled wonderful! I can confirm that the cookies and brownies are tasty!

After all this sitting, my active babies needed to burn off some energy! Rainbow road her bike and Taz, his skateboard, to a nearby playground. They spent almost the entire time running around, picking up trash. I asked them several times if they'd prefer to play, but they told me they were helping the earth by picking up litter. I can't argue with that!

I'm so proud of my babies.

Now if only I could get them (mainly Taz) to sleep through the night.

Week in Review

As long as I make it to my weights class tomorrow, I should hit all my goals for the week. Yippee! I tallied weekly goal achievement ratio year to date on the right - running was great at 10/10 but swimming - not so good with only 5/10. Go figure. I suspect that I will be in a tiny bit of trouble at the end of the year since my overall goal is 45/52 weeks for each activity. The best I can do at swimming is 47/52 if I hit every goal every week for the rest of the year. Highly unlikely, but I'm a girl who likes a challenge.

My week starts on Sunday as far as my training log goes. Normally on Sunday morning, I run with a friend. This week, I admit to a slight hangover after too much white AND red wine the night before at the Bean's, coupled with a deep disregard for daylight saving's time. Fortunately, when I got home Sat night, Masha had left a message that she couldn't run. Yes! Rainbow and I finally rolled out of bed Sunday morning at 11. In all fairness, it was 10 to us! ha ha Thank goodness one of my kids got my sleeping genes! Taz got my husband's so he was up at 6 a.m. raring to go. I love him to pieces but I don't want to see so much of him before the sun comes up.

I almost procrastinated to the point that I didn't have time to run before Som's swimming class, but I managed to eek out 3 1/4 miles at an 8:37 minute/mile pace. I was concentrating on running fast since I knew it would be short, and man it kicked my ass. I was breathing hard! I took a super fast shower so I wouldn't offend Kathryn in the car on the way to swimming, and we were off.

Som's class has been packed this year and there are some fast new TriGirls. We were late and therefore ended up in the lane with them since it was the only one with space. Not the best idea and I was happy to get out of the pool 2100 yards later! I will definitely try harder to be on time from now on to get in the right (read: slower) lane.

Som has been punishing us in the new season. This week's adventure included some crazy butterfly/breastroke combination stroke he must have invented in a particularly devious moment followed by a 100 IM (25 yards each butterfly, backstroke, breastroke, freestyle). When I used to swim summer league swim team as a kid, my best strokes were butterfly and breastroke - but the fly is long forgotten. I think I more closely resembled a drowning mosquito than a butterfly.

And that takes us all the way to... Monday! We're zipping right along!

Usually I do a weights class at lunchtime on Mondays but this week, I had to attend a last minute meeting that could only fit on everyone's schedule at noon. Fortunately, I discovered that there is a weights class at 4:45 on Mondays. Although hopefully I won't need that bit of information again. I was planning to hit the weight room but did that instead. We blew through a lot of exercises quickly, then I was off to cycling class with Ed. The big downside to Monday was that I didn't get to see much of my babies. I was going to defer cycling class until Wednesday to hang out with them, but I remembered that I had to bring my bike home for...

Tuesday! The Bean and I ran Tuesday morning for a slow 5 miles at an average pace of 10:47 minutes/mile. My legs were tired, so that was fine. We had a good conversation, reminding each other of all the things we'd already talked about on Saturday night. And laughing at the memory of Cate doing cartwheels after a few cocktails.

Tuesday night, I ventured out on my bike on the actual rode! With actual scenery! And motion! It was wonderful. TriGirls Ann and Melissa were my lovely companions. I normally wouldn't go out three nights in a row, but my husband took the kids to baseball practice leaving me to my own devices.

I am surprised to find that I have the bike bug. Who'd have guessed that would happen?!?!?!? Not me, and probably not my coaches Blake and Ed after watching me struggle throughout class all winter. And then it was...

Wednesday! Normally I do yoga on Wednesdays but this week I went to spin class. Yep, that bug bit hard. The instructor had us standing a lot in levels 7 - 10 and I scoffed after experiencing Maramarc classes. For a minute. Then I cranked up the intensity like I was supposed to and died along with everybody else.

Wednesday night, my kids and I tried a class we just discovered called Parent Child Yoga at the Y. Rainbow loves doing yoga poses with me and enjoyed the class. Taz preferred to run around the studio which needless to say the instructor did not appreciate, particularly when another little boy joined him. It was tough to keep him interested and reined in. The class got off to a slow start, then the instructor tried to cram a lot of moves in at the end. She said to us after class that she wasn't usually so disorganized. The kids claim to want to go back, so we will try it again but I will make Taz burn off some energy first and I definitely won't expect to get any yoga myself during it. I counted it this week anyway, giving myself bonus points for good intentions.

So that brings us to today, Thursday. Once again I couldn't get my fat ass out of bed for the TriGirl run and have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I never will. It is just too early for me. And dark. The Bean and I ran a leisurly 5 miles around the neighborhood after sunrise at a 10:24 minute/mile pace. I felt slow and I suspect the Bean felt like it was too fast but we made it through. Good companionship and conversation trumps speed any day.

At lunch today I tackled my best workout of all... shopping! I found myself with a free hour which very rarely happens so I hit a store close to my office and did a little damage. One cute dress that I can dress up to wear to work or make a little funky for play, two workout tops, a pair of capris for Rainbow and a pair of shorts for Taz. We realized this week that they have outgrown a lot of their spring clothes. Rainbow loves to shop with me; Taz doesn't question the fact that clothes he's never seen before appear in his drawers.

Weights tomorrow followed by a Daisy pizza party at our house... Daisy's are the kindergarten version of Girl Scouts. Saturday brings a rest day or maybe a bike ride (I'm obsessed!!!!) and a Richmond Triathlon Club running clinic, dance for Rainbow and baseball for Taz. Rainbow starts tee ball soon and then Saturdays will really get crazy!

And that my friends is the week in review.

Red = Fast!

Red = Fast, right? That was my theory yesterday when I went out for my first outdoor bike ride of 2007 on my red bike dressed in a red bike jersey and even red socks. Hey, all that red has gotta help.

And I think it did. Probably supplemented just a tad by Blake and Ed's indoor cycling torture... um, I mean training... over the last few months. I actually rode in the big chain ring for a good bit of the ride, which I've never done before unless I've been flying downhill. The hills at West Creek seemed - dare I say - easy compared to the hills we invent on our trainers every Monday night.

I met TriGirls Melissa and Annnnn out there. We were pretty pathetic to start - all three of us attempted to put air in Melissa's tire, only to have to play damsels in distress and ask some poor guy (cute, too, as Melissa - the single one - pointed out) to help us with the pump. Turns out that in our eagerness, we had somehow broken the seal between the little plug thingy and the tube. (Impressed with my grasp of the basic components of a bike, aren't you? C'mon, admit it.) Cute boy then gave an impromptu lesson in changing a tire tube.

Finally we were off! We cycled around the parking lot and practiced with our new shoe clips for a few minutes before feeling confident enough to hit the street. Traffic out there was lighter than I expected on a week night, and those drivers who are trying to get through are very safe and must be used to cyclists and runners. We saw many of each. We only rode about 10 miles but it was a great 10 miles.

I can't wait to do it again!

Year of the Bike

2007 is the Year of the Bike! It is my area with the most room for improvement.

Fortunately, my husband enjoys biking too. He has no interest in swimming or running so triathlons are out, but he agreed to do several cycling events with me this year. Yippee! We're registered for the Capital to Capital event on May 5, and we're planning to register for Heart of Virginia once it opens.

Capital to Capital is a ride between Richmond and Jamestown. Cyclists have the option to bike a half century (50 miles), which is one way, or return for the full century. We may bike to the half way point one-way then turn back for a half century that still returns us to our car. The trail is supposed to be really nice - can't wait to see it. I'd like to think I could do the whole thing, but that's pretty aggressive training in eight weeks. Maybe next year!

Heart of Virginia is a two day event with various distance options each day. This will be the one in which we will accept a longer distance challenge, plus experience two consecutive days in the saddle which I've never done before. I suspect that I will find out fairly quickly whether I need a different saddle or not! Hopefully, I'll make that discovery during training and not during the event.

I need to figure out a good training plan for us and then whether we can do at least some of our long training rides together, which would be amazing. I'm thinking of booking our neighbors (twin eighth graders) once a week. They can decide who gets to sit on any given day. We'll have to work around baseball practice and games for both kids, plus Rainbow's dance, but having a set schedule works much better for me to make sure I actually do it.

I'm excited to get out and ride, and having an event scheduled will be very motivating to increase distance!

On the Ball

Not me personally. That's the class I took yesterday at the Y. It is a weight training class using the exercise ball, and it's usually great.

I went flying into class a few minutes late yesterday (as usual) to discover that the only spot available was by freaky space-hog girl (as usual). She seems to feel that she deserves 1/4 of the studio while the rest of us cram into the remaining space. I'm always the one to invade her carefully crafted workout space, baracaded by weights, step, ball, mat, and whatever other equipment we are using on a particular day. So I'm immediately annoyed.

Then I realize that the teacher is one whom I don't particularly like. I mean, I like her - she's very nice. I just don't like her class. She tends to start with small muscle groups first which I find frustrating. I was taught to start with large muscle groups. Starting with small muscle groups makes it hard hard to exhaust the larger ones when we finally get to them. True to form, the first thing we did was bicep curls followed by triceps. At this point I'm fuming because I don't care about my arms but do want a good chest and back workout.

I also notice that I desperately need to shave and purchase some self-tanner.

That's when the little voice in my head kicked in to remind me that workouts are supposed to be fun. I made a concerted effort to look for something - anything - positive! And I found a remarkable number of things.

The instructor did a great lower body work out, in a Di-approved order. She also did great abs. I love abs on the ball or the bosu - they are so hard and they require good form. I also noticed that this instructor is very organized, moving from one exercise to the next efficiently so she has time for muscle groups that other instructors typically skip, like lower back, rotator cuff, and calves. And still she leaves room for a good long stretch at the end.

Wow, that was actually a really good workout. I left her class in a much better mood than I usually do. Attitude is everything.

Memories

Today, I had lunch with an old high school friend. We reconnected at our - gulp! - 20 year reunion. He lives out of town but comes to the big city occasionally on business. He and his wife have new babies, so it was fun to hear his sleep deprivation and life-change stories. He reminded me of a time that my cousin and I played a prank on him. He claims - although I have no recollection of this event - that we sent his parents a letter about his absenteism, claiming to be from the school administration. He got in HUGE trouble! I have to admit, it sounds like something we would do. Um, I mean, something we would have done...

More good memories this afternoon on my run - I just love it when there is an actual Tri connection to my various ramblings! For the record, I ran 5 miles today at 9:12 minutes/mile. I usually run in the morning but had to be at work early today. Well, early for me (8:30) which is probably normal for the rest of the working world.

But I did (sort of) have a point... I put a bunch of old songs from our CD collection on my iPod recently so today I was running to mostly late 80s and 90s tunes. It's funny how a song can remind you of a specific event or person so clearly. A lot of the music reminds me of my husband, whom I've known since 1986. (!!!) Def Leopard reminds me of our college days, the Cure when we were dating, and the Lightning Seeds of when we were just married and moving into our first house. The Judybats remind me of our college friends Ed & Colleen - they were a popular local band in Tennesee when Ed was in grad school. AC/DC reminds me of the Bean and makes me laugh to imagine her rocking out in her Catholic school uniform when she was young. Her husband comes to mind with any Rolling Stones tune. They've been his favorite forever. We went to a Stones concert together recently in Charlottesville - the one with the bomb scare - and it was amazing. I didn't really want to go but have been a huge fan ever since. Mary J Blige reminds me of my college roommate, Jill, while Janet Jackson and L'il Kim remind me of her husband Andy. Shakira is all Cate! Linkin Park is my brother. A good run, filled with good thoughts of people I love.

I've got to get some Zepplin, Dave Matthews, and Rush on my iPod next. And who knows what else I'll find as I stroll down memory lane via CD...

Enough Already

I'm going to stop whining and complaining about my petty little issues now, after several recent blogs on various subjects. Really, I am! (Well, okay, for a little while anyway.)

I've had several reminders that my silly flu or upper respiratory infection or three pounds or thirteen pounds are in fact trivial, particularly when compared to people with real issues.

Saturday, my friend Jodi lost her father to cancer. Doctors had only discovered the cancer two and a half short weeks earlier. I met Jodi and her family when we were in seventh grade and remember her father fondly as a friendly, funny teddy bear of a man. The last time I saw him was in his home in Toronto about 12 years ago. He was mixing drinks and teasing me about my southern accent like old times. (Well, okay, in 7th grade he only mixed us Kool Aid!) He touched and brightened many lives during his lifetime and he will be dearly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Jodi and her family.

Then yesterday, I discovered Siren's blog. Not only is she wickedly funny, she has transformed herself into a triathlete by overcoming serious obstacles. Her recent post called "A New Day" is inspirational. Check it out.

That's not to say that I don't appreciate everyone's support of my "issues." I truly do. It just means that I'm going to pull my head out of my ass occasionally and recognize that they are trivial in the overall scheme of things.

The Little Engine

My nutrition lately has sucked. I'm not even sure I can classify what I've been eating as "nutrition." That implies some caloric value does it not? I'm thinking the chips and dip I had for dinner last night aren't anywhere near the base of the food pyramid. And frankly, I haven't really cared.

So today I got the following tips from Graeme Street:

TIP 1: Remove all excess sugars and 'junk food' from your eating

regimen right NOW! This junk is only getting in the way of your progress. This is the FIRST and most important step to getting your nutrition on track and a gateway to unlimited results!

REMOVE: Processed sugars, trans fats, saturated fats, white flour, artificial sweeteners, and anything else that you KNOW is JUNK! If it comes in a fancy package...it's probably JUNK! You must start to read the labels and understand what you're putting in there!

TIP 2: Replace these foods with WHOLESOME, NATURAL, EARTHFOODS! Yes, 'earth foods'. You know, the food that mother nature put here for us all to eat that didn't come from a factory. These foods include vegetables, fruits, organic meats, unprocessed grains, an untampered with food that doesn't come it a package.

********

I totally get that I'm sabotaging my good exercise habits. I just don't know if I'm in the right frame of mind to do better.

I think I can, I think I can...

Back in the Saddle

After missing most of my workouts last week, I'm trying to return to my regular schedule. Although I didn't run on Sunday, I did swim 2500 yards. Yesterday, I took my regular weights class and attended TriGirl cycling. I seriously debated postponing cycling until Wednesday night but decided I wouldn't be any more motivated by then. It was a good class and I'm glad I went. (Read: I'm glad I got it over with.) It still kicks my butt every single time but I guess I'm used to it by now. I hope biking on the road feels easier in comparison.

This morning, I ran. My legs are pretty shot on Tuesday mornings after weights and cycling on Monday. Thank goodness Masha met me for part of it. We start running towards each other from our respective houses at the same time, meeting at about the one mile point, then we do a loop around the lake, run back to our meeting point, and go our separate ways. I usually run straight home but today I tacked on an extra mile to hit a total of six (9:27 minutes/mile average).

Somehow my five mile weekday runs have shrunk to four miles, and my long Sunday runs have been shorter too. The longer distances (relatively speaking) I've done recently have been tough. I need to get back to my regular distances to work on endurance a little more. I don't want to be dragging for the last mile of the Monument 10k at the end of the month!

I'm sore in different places today - the middle of my chest, hip flexors, and outer hips. The oddest is the top of my feet. I'm not sure what exactly I did to work those muscles! It feels good to be a little sore and back in my routine.

It's just a number... right?

I'd been feeling pretty good about myself lately, then I had to blow it by stepping on the scales yesterday. I managed to pack on three pounds over one single stinkin' little weekend, so instead of being at my (easy) goal weight, I'm three pounds heavier. Given that my real goal is significantly lighter, this is definitely not good. This is the weight that has been my max for the last two years. Hitting it should automatically invoke good behavior.

But did it? Hell, no. I drowned my sorrows in half of a pint of Haggan Daas coffee ice cream. Four servings my ass! That is a single serving carton if I've ever seen one. So 500 calories later, I'm regreting my actions but my thighs have already accepted their destiny.

Sigh.

Book Review

The last three books I've read have been outstanding. I wouldn't wish two months of consecutive viruses on anyone, but if you do have the opportunity to catch up on your reading, I highly recommend any of the following.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, which was my book club selection last month, is a memoir. The author, along with her brother and two sister, were raised in abject poverty by her very unconventional parents. Their living conditions were absolutely unbelievable, and her subsequent success as an author quite remarkable. She never writes of her parents with anything but love, and the book is quite funny even when describing horrifying situations or events. It reminds me a little of Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, although The Glass Castle occurs in the United States. Reading it made me want to do something to improve the poverty and starvation existing within our own country. I'm even happier than I was previously that TriGirls are supporting a women's shelter with food and necessities this year. (Wow, there is a triathlon link to this particular blog post after all!) This book got 4 1/2 stars on Amazon.com.

The next book is The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I was hesitant to start it because the topic disturbed me. A doctor delivers his wife's baby when they get caught in a snow storm and is surprised when she delivers twins. He recognizes the signs of Down's Syndrome in the second child and sends her away with the nurse, telling his wife she was stillborn. The book follows the doctor's family, including the twin son, and the dysfunctional relationships that result from his decision as well as what happens to the daughter he sent away. The children are born in the 60s, as was I, so it is interesting to read about the events of the times that shaped their lives, particularly the "father knows best" mentality of a 50s upbringing that contributed to the doctor's decision. Each chapter is written from a different perspective, so you experience each character's perception of his/her life. Amazon gives this book 3 1/2 stars.

The last book in my little informal review today is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The main character is a boy who grows up in Afghanistan then flees to the United States with his father when the Russians invade. The book opens by alluding to an event that occurred when he was twelve that shaped his life from that point forward, leads up to that event, and beyond. The author weaves personal events, tragedy, historical and current events into a story I couldn't put down. This was Hosseini's debut novel and I can't wait to read his next one. It is called A Thousand Splendid Suns and is expected in May. Hopefully, he will some day write a sequel to The Kite Runner because I'd love to know what happens to the main characters beyond the ending. Don't read the Publisher's Weekly review on Amazon if you are going to read this book - the plot summary reveals way too much in my opinion. It did get 4 1/2 well-deserved stars.

So now I need a new book. Any suggestions?

Weekly Goals

Being sick last week really kicked my butt in many ways. One of them is that I missed all of my weekly goals except running, and the only reason I made that one is that I ran on Saturday with TriGirls instead of doing my usual Sunday run.

I missed my weights class on Friday for a good reason. I was mystery reader in my son's class. He was so excited to see me - it was great! I read two funny books including one in a pirate voice (I am going to be SUCH an embarrassment to him soon!) and another book that is my personal favorite called All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan. It was given to us as a gift from close college friends when Rainbow was a newborn and Taz was a baby. The narrator is a little boy who talks about each member of his family's favorite place on their farm. At the end, his baby sister is born and he can't wait to show her all the places there are to love about their home. Granted, I was extremely hormonal the first time I read it, but it's such a sweet story, it made me cry.

As far as goals go, it's nice to have a clean slate to start a new week. I've already hit my swimming goal thanks to a 2500 yard (extremely crowded) workout last night with Som. I have to say, he was not nice to all the newbies! It was a good, tough workout with lots of long distance sets - for me anyway.

On to weights! Class starts in 15 minutes...

TriGirl Weekend

I've had a TriGirl weekend so far. Last night, we had a Silpada party to raise money for Not With These Hands, followed by a talk on race nutrition/hydration by Dr. Stadler, then dinner with the girls. Dr. Stadler's talk was great and really helped me a lot since I experienced over-hydration at the Army 10 miler last fall. She said hydration and salt supplementation is really an issue when exercising for long periods of time, but perhaps I experienced it on a shorter run since I never eat salt. Her recommendation was Gatorade Endurance, and I will immediately go buy some.

Grandison got us all really cute white short sleeved tee shirts with the TriGirl logo. They run super small, so I snagged one for Rainbow! Sad that an adult size small fits my five year old. But lucky for me, and she loves it!

Dinner at Chadar Thai restaurant was also a lot of fun. I met some new TriGirls and got to catch up with some others. We had multiple tables. My lovely dining companions were Jonah, Melissa, Jennifer, and Annnnn. So cute!

This morning, I had a bike fitting at Maramarc so I decided that if I was going down there anyway, I may as well join the girls for some of their Saturday morning fitness. The Ironman training group and a remarkable number of others bike for an hour then run. I made pancakes for my kiddies this morning then met the group just for the run. Most of the group ran 8 - 10 miles; I ran 7. And the last mile of that 7 was hard! Thank goodness I met up with SanDee and Theresa at the end or I might have walked it in. Yikes! According to the Garmin, which I don't necessarily trust since it kept beeping with a weak signal alert, I ran 7.08 miles at 9:34 minutes/mile average. I suspect I was all over the place on time per mile and definitely did not run negative splits. Mini rant - how can the Garmin have a weak signal on a gorgous sunny day with open sky??? My love-hate relationship with it continues.

The bike fitting was great. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my bike configuration was already pretty good. Coaches Mark and Ed made a few minor adjustments. I am very surprised that more wasn't needed since my husband bought the bike for me and I've never had it fitted. Mark says I'm ready to race - if only a bike fitting could do all that! ha ha

Then more TriGirl fun - TriGirl Melissa and her friend Melissa (no, that's not a typo) threw themselves a birthday bash/ fundraiser for Comfort Zone Camp this afternoon. The kids and I did a little bowling with a fun group for a good cause. Taz and Rainbow had a blast. Coach G was there with her adorable family, and I met TriGirls Cathy and Prissie. I have to admit that Rainbow, my five year old, smoked me at bowling. And I did rely on the bumpers a few times! Bowling is not my sport but it is fun. Even without cocktails...

I'd love to go on the informal TriGirl bike ride tomorrow morning but fear that I pushed my luck too far by being gone so long this morning. Plus, we have our scheduled swim workout tomorrow night that I'm going to attend. There are a lot of FAST new TriGirls who will be there tomorrow night, like my friends Jackie, Jennifer, and Caroline, so I will get bumped down to a slower lane.

Ah, the joy of TriGirl time! I kind of feel like Carmen must feel on a regular basis.

Good Day

I'm finally feeling better and I'm having such a good day.

This morning, I went for a run and actually enjoyed it. I didn't get all crazy and get up early to go to the Vita course or anything, but I did run an abbreviated route around my neighborhood. This is my first exercise in almost a week and I was so happy to be able to do it. My Garmin didn't accurately record the run but the stats are so great that I'm going to tell you anyway - 4 1/2 miles in 8:12 minutes/mile average. The Garmin tracked 4 1/2 miles as roughly equivalent to what it showed as only 4 miles last Thursday. Thursday's run was wrong too, and the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as is usually the case with any story. Even if the distance was only four miles, I still averaged 9:14 minutes/mile which is good for me lately. I felt good, my tunes were kickin', and it was a beautiful morning.

Just a funny aside - as I was running, I saw a man drive down his own driveway to reach the driveway of a neighbor across the street and down one house to pick up the newspaper. I assumed that he was on his way out, but no - he drove back to his own house, parked, and went inside. He was very large and I'm just gonna say that walking the extra 50 feet each way would have done him some good!

But back to me! ha! Today got even better because I was able to meet three of my girlfriends for lunch at the last minute. We had a long lovely lunch and planned a girls' night/happy hour in a few weeks - even better! One of them, Rebekah, even reads my blog, so hi girlfriend!

Tonight, I have book club so the festivities will continue as I get to hang with other great friends, drink a little vino, and discuss a good book.

Ahh, life is good again.