Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Go IronGirls!

Nine TriGirls and three coaches are participating in IronMan Florida on Saturday. They are trained, they are ready, they are going to be brilliant!

I love Zona's post to them: "To those about to ROCK, we salute you!"

Good luck, IronGirls, and have fun!!!!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I've been thinking a bit about how a year of involvement in the sport of triathlon has changed me. Here for your reading pleasure is what I've come up with:

  1. I set my alarm to wake up early in the morning on purpose - before Taz stirs even (!!!).
  2. I eat an English muffin with peanut butter and OJ for breakfast instead of Cheetos and a Diet Coke.
  3. I "fuel" and "hydrate" instead of "eat" and "drink."
  4. My main criteria for a hairstyle is that I can pull it out of my face while working out.
  5. I read triathlete or cycling magazines more often than People or In Style.
  6. I'm far more interested in the new Newton running shoes than the latest fashionable fall shoe. I would write "wedge" or "ankle boot" or something, but first I'd have to research what is fashionable this fall.
  7. I frequently arrive at work with goggle marks and smelling like chlorine... and I like it. (Frequently is a bit strong - occasionally is more accurate given my paltry swim training.)
  8. My excuse for not wearing makeup is that I'll just sweat it off during my lunch time workouts.
  9. My main complaint about my job is that I can't commute on my bike because I don't have access to a shower.
  10. I have a Luna bar or a Cliff bar for a mid-afternoon snack instead of a Snickers. (Is there any real difference?)
  11. My latest shopping excursions have been to Performance Bike instead of Nordstrom.
  12. If I lose a pound or two, I worry that I'm not adequately hydrated.
  13. I haven't bought clothes for myself that didn't contain lycra or dry weave in months.
  14. All of my favorite casual clothes are labeled "TriGirl" and can double as workout clothes.
  15. I get upset when I can't take my bike with me on vacation.
  16. Pigging out is called "carbo loading."
  17. I'm actually relieved when we don't have plans on Friday night so that I can be rested for my Saturday morning bike ride.
  18. I've learned to like the taste of Accelerade.
  19. I drink more frequently from a water bottle than a wine glass.
  20. Drinking wine is now "tapering," "recovery," or "contributing to a good cause."

How has triathlon changed you?

Monday, October 29, 2007

WOO HOO BoSox!!!

In 1986, my college roommate Jill and I dressed as New York Mets for Halloween and we made sure we saw Scouter out that night. He is a life-long Boston Red Sox fan. He was not particularly pleased to see us that night, especially when we recounted the legendary first base error that blew a key game for the Sox. (Scouter and I weren't dating at the time and this was typical of Jill and me... yet for some reason, he still asked me out a few months later. At least he knew what he was getting into...)

Scouter's Dad hails from West Virginia but has always been a Boston Red Sox fan. When Taz was born, "Pap" spent many hours whispering the lore of the Sox in his ears including details of all Boston legends and the Curse of the Bambino. Scouter, too, has heard those whispers his entire life.

In 2001, when Taz was a tiny baby and Rainbow was on the way, I gave Scouter two tickets to a late season Boston game including airfare and hotel for his birthday. His reaction was a potent mix of glee and horror. He looked at Taz, who had just started walking; he looked at my huge stomach, incubating an 8 months in the making Rainbow; and he questioned the sanity of me traveling. I laughed at him and told him I had no intention of going - he could take whomever he wanted. That's when the real joy surfaced. He couldn't wait to call his Dad. They went to the game, took a stadium tour, and hit the same local pub every night. It was a great trip.

Still, the shadow of 86 years since the last World Series victory lingered over these long-time Red Sox fans. The magnificent 2004 season finally broke the curse. There was great joy in Mudville. And in Boston. And in Richmond and Fairfax.

Taz was four then. Now, at seven, he plays baseball himself. He loves the game, and he has a good fundamental understanding of it. His favorite thing, besides playing, is watching Boston. He's cheered for them all season and can easily rattle off the starting lineup and a wealth of information about his favorite players.
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We let him stay awake to watch some post-season play and inevitably, his first question every morning was the score of the game. Then he wanted to know all the details. Who played well? Did Big Poppy get a homer? How'd the pitcher do?
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This morning, I woke him but I left game news to Daddy. I heard a shout of joy, followed by his "Mom, Mom! Boston won!" followed by innumerable questions about the game.
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I've long since converted from the Mets to Boston. After all, who could possibly resist that cute fan base?!?

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Hangin' with the Big Girls

One of these things is not like the other...
One of these things doesn't belong...
Can you guess which thing is not like the other...

It's me!

I heard that some TriGirls were cycling at West Creek this morning but I didn't know who or exactly when. Since I missed my ride yesterday morning to go to an information session for the graduate program I'm interested in attending, I definitely needed to get out there. I arrived at West Creek around 9:00 to find the Iron Girls getting ready to take off. They kindly asked me if I wanted to join them, and I jumped on the opportunity.

They were all wearing amazing new TriGirl cycling jerseys and Grandison had mine with her. I did a quick change and felt super cool in my new gear. I'm hoping for cold weather in the duathlon just so I can wear it.

We took off on Cyndi's famous 30 mile loop. I had tried to do it in late August/early September but we got hopelessly lost. And I owe Kermit a big apology because when he said it was hilly, I didn't really think so... then. I must have been in much better shape. Today, I was the one joking about riding the foothills of the Blue Ridge while the Iron Girls looked at me like I was nuts.

In addition to the hills kicking my butt, it was very windy. Somehow, we were always riding into a stiff head wind no matter what direction we rode. "One of these things is not like the other..." kept running through my head. I was ready to bail at the 15 mile point, but Cyndi and Karen convinced me to keep going. They assured me that the second half wasn't as bad, and I stuck it out. They were often distant images waaaay ahead ahead of me. Fortunately, they stopped and waited at the turns or I would have been hopelessly lost again. I finally decided this was good mental training for those days when I'm getting smoked.

At about the 24 mile point, we were stopped waiting for some others in our group. And waiting. And waiting. I finally had to leave them to get back to West Creek - I was supposed to be home by 11 and already knew I wasn't going to make it. Someone please let me know what happened - I hope everyone was okay.

I finished the 27.75 mile loop at an average speed of 16.5 mph which surprised me a little - I felt like I was riding much harder. Perhaps the wind, perhaps the hills, perhaps the fact that my stomach now hangs down to my thighs when I'm riding...

So what's not like the others?

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Miscellany

I haven't done a good miscellany post in awhile...

Well to be honest, I haven't done a good miscellany post ever. But what the hell; it's what I've got today.

Last night, I went to a TriGirl happy hour/fundraiser for Safe Harbor. Safe Harbor is a fantastic organization dedicated to protecting women and children from abuse. As I may have mentioned once or twice, it is the 2007 TriGirl charity. I love that TriGirl picks a charity to support each year. As a bonus, it helps me justify wine-drinking on a Wednesday night. he he

I had a chance to catch up with Deanna L who is tapering for IronMan Florida. She cracks me up. We used to work together about eight years ago, and she always acted like her projects were too hard but she would always always nail them. And she's going to do the same thing with IMFL.

It was also great to see Grandison, Jennihoo, Melissa, Mary Jo, Debbie, Patti, Kay... man I hope I'm not forgetting anybody and I'm sorry if I am... Everyone looks so different wearing normal clothes and makeup. J, I missed you girlfriend, but I sure will enjoy those new sunglasses... HA! (I ransomed Jennifer's sunglasses that she left at my house last weekend - the only way she could get them back was to come to happy hour last night.)

I was well-behaved last night since I had to drive home in the dark and rain. And to be honest, I don't feel like drinking much wine after my all-out drunkfest last Saturday night. Did I mention Jennifer, my friend Michelle and I were the first people on the dance floor? Actually, the only people on the dance floor for awhile? Yeah, I was a mess early.

So I was able to hop up for a run this morning. Now I didn't get all nuts and go to the TriGirl run because, you know, that shit starts at 6 a.m. when it's dark and I'm sleeping... but I did run 4.5 miles after the school bus came at a more civilized hour. I recently read a training post by Melanie McQuaid (XTerra World Champion) where she wrote about doing one minute intervals and how much they helped her speed. So toward the end of each mile, I ran as hard as I could (hard being relative... it is me after all) for one minute, then I did active recovery. My interval speed was typically in the 7:20 min/mi range. After the first interval, my recovery speed was in the mid-8s. Cool! I thought. But then my recovery jumped to high 10s after the second interval. Overall, I ran an 8:59 minute/mile pace which is faster than anything I've done lately, so I was happy with that. Maybe I will focus on the run more in 2008 after dedicating 2007 to the bike.

Oh speaking of which, as I was looking for my old "tag" post, I read an old post from January where I wrote about how much biking sucked. I noted that never would I willingly ride 45 minutes straight uphill as we were doing every week in cycling class. How funny that not three months later, I rode the Blue Ridge? Willingly, even. Maybe I've come further than I thought on my bike because now I really enjoy it. Not 45 minutes uphill - I'm not totally insane - but biking in general that is.

I'll wrap up with a quick kid funny. My sister-in-law just had an adorable baby boy on Oct. 12. On hearing the news, Rainbow (who absolutely loves babies), sighed loudly, put her hand on her hips and said with exasperation, "What does it take to get a girl cousin around here?!?!?"

And that's all I've got... thank goodness...

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Tag - I'm It!

Margo tagged me with the following questions. I answered them here when I had done only one event so instead of cheating and copying those answers, I'll give you new ones. After all I have a whopping four triathlons under my belt now. (Actually 4 1/3 if you count the relay I did with Annnn this summer.)

1. Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever
Well I do have to cheat here and go with my original answer. The best part of my first event was the surprise of seeing my husband and kids on the course. I didn't expect them to be there at all, but in fact they drove around and found me three times. Rainbow and Taz were so excited when they saw me and it made me so unbelievably happy and inspired to see them.

2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon.
My most recent tri was the Giant Acorn. The best part was having a TriGirl dinner and sleepover at Jennifer's house the night before. I've known Jennifer for something like 30 years and it is always great to spend time with her and her sisters. (So glad they got interested in triathlon and joined TriGirls!) I also enjoyed getting to know baby pink TriGirls Lesley and Jennihoo and hanging out with Patti and Courtney. A specific memory would be something along the lines of saying, "I really shouldn't have any more wine..." while watching Patti pour more into my glass. Then drinking it.

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?
I was mortified when I flatted in the Luray Olympic and had absolutely no freaking idea what to do. That's pathetic isn't it? Even more pathetic is that I still haven't learned to change a tire. That is a big goal for the off-season! I must learn and then practice, practice, practice. Also embarrassing is the absurd amount of time I spend in transition. What do I do in there?

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?
At the Giant Acorn, I started in the last swim wave which meant I passed a ton of people on the bike. I have worked hard on the bike this year and it was great to feel it paying dividends.

5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?
That I can push through times that suck and before long, they don't suck anymore. Perspective is everything.

6. What is The Big Goal that you're working towards?
Last time, I said a half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) and that's still the goal. The question is whether it is a short term goal (as in 2008 season) or a longer-term goal. There are a lot of moving parts to this decision.

I'm not sure who's done this before and who hasn't (Siren?) so if you haven't - tag! You're it! And if you have but want to update your answers, please do.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Today's Run

But first, the lyrics from an original song by the internationally famous Right On band, heard Saturday night (this will be relevant...):

I see your hiney
It's big and shiny
You'd better hide it
Before I bite it

So yesterday, I emailed the Bean to coordinate today's run. Our email string went something like this:

Me: "Want to run tomorrow?"

Beanie: "I'll run if you show me your hiney."

Me: "Only if you promise not to bite it."

We ran five miles this morning (10:19 min/mi average), of course chatting the entire time. Beanie was laughing about one of our friends who thought the band sounded exactly like Bon Jovi. I didn't even remember them playing Bon Jovi.

But I did wear my running skirt, so I could flash her my big ole shiny white hiney throughout the run.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Whoa - back up!

As I was catching up on blogs this morning, I realized that I forgot to post about my fun Saturday morning bike ride as some of my co-riders did. I guess by the time I posted on Sunday night, I had either killed those brain cells or somehow managed to otherwise forget that the post I wrote in my head never actually made it to the screen... so we'll see what I can remember...

Richard, Kathryn, Kermit and I met in my driveway to do the same loop we did last week to Manakin and back. I had just told Kathryn we were riding the night before at a school event, so I was surprised and happy that she was able to join us. She hadn't ridden in three weeks while her bike was in the shop but she still kicked my butt.

We took off fast 'cause that's how I roll... Richard always teases me that I start every ride as though it's a time trial. It was a little chilly but not nearly as cold as last week. I wore cycling shorts and arm warmers and was comfortable for most of the ride. Richard and Kathryn had summer gear and Kermit was dressed for a snow storm, so we looked like a multi-season cycling fashion show-on-the-road.

I wasn't sure whether Annnn was going to be able to meet us or not, but she honked and waved as she drove by us on Patterson so we zipped through West Creek to pick her up. She was ready to ride but I was ready to chat! Finally the group made me get back on my bike. We hit a couple big hills on Patterson then looped through Manakin towards Broad Street. Annnn took the lead and powered off at a fast pace. Annn, Kathryn and I alternated leading while the boys kept up the rear and enjoyed the draft. I heard them chatting the whole time so clearly they needed to be working harder!

We separated when we got back to West Creek, with Kathryn and I turning towards home. I checked our pace at that point (17.7 mph) and again when we got back to my house (17.6 mph). That last hilly section kicks my butt every time but the pace impact wasn't as great as I expected.

Scouter joked that I was in and out of the shower before Richard and Kermit got back - he thought Kathryn and I dropped them. Maybe next time! ha ha

Can't wait to do it again! I love our Saturday rides.

Pumpkin Pickin'

Yesterday, Rainbow and I went to the Ashland Berry Farm with her Brownie troop to enjoy a hayride and pick some pumpkins.

Frankly, the whole experience was very odd. It sounds a lot better in concept than it actually was. Granted, I would have been perfectly content spending the entire day on the couch and I think Rainbow was in agreement. Scouter had to roust us from some quality snuggle time to get us going.

All the Brownies and parents met to caravan to the Farm. We jumped in the car with another mom and her daughter. The kids immediately slapped on headphones and started watching a movie... thank goodness because the other mom was very interested in stopping on the way for a six pack and started telling me about her neighbor on crack. I thought she was kidding about both but apparently not. It was a long car ride.

We finally arrived at the farm, alcohol free, and hopped on a hay ride for the trip out to the pumpkin patch. Again, great concept. Should have been fun... but in actuality, not so much. We rode for about 10 minute in a swirl of dust and dirt. Literally, the kids were hiding their faces in their shirts to avoid the "smoke" as they called it.

The pumpkin patch itself was cute I guess. Rainbow and her friends were in search of the perfect pumpkin. Rainbow found one for herself and asked to pick one for Taz as well. Then we spotted a little baby pumpkin that neither of us could resist. We lugged them back to the dust bowl for the return trip. Whee.

The kids ran through a maze and jumped in a moon bounce a bit before we headed home. When we finally returned safely to our own car, I asked Rainbow if she had fun. "Not really," she responded.

While Rainbow and I were sidestepping drunk drivers and enduring dust storms, Taz and Scouter were touring a private farm and picking pumpkins with Cub Scouts. They had an enjoyable hayride, saw a calf that had just been born less than an hour earlier, and got to hold baby chicks. And they brought home two nice pumpkins.

Next year, we're all going with Cub Scouts.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Can I Get a Right On?!?

Last night, we went to a fundraiser for Comfort Zone Camp. They throw a fabulous bash! The fall festival is on a horse farm in Goochland with food, drinks, and the Right On! band with their 70s music and pink sequined stage show. We had a blast!

Here's me, Beth and Beanie posing in front of the port a johns thinking we were all funny:

Here we are a bit later: me, Scouter, Stuart, and Jennifer. I promised Jennifer we'd dance on stage but when we tried to make a run, we were turned away. By the time the band was letting people on stage later in the evening, we had lost interest. Or perhaps the balance and coordination necessary to climb the steps.


And here's my posse: Allison, Kim, Beanie, Mary Beth, me, and Beth. I have no idea who the chick is in front. She may know one of my girlfriends or she may be some drunk who likes to be in pictures.


What a great time!

This morning? Not so much.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Progress?

One of the things I really like about the company I'm currently with is that every Friday, we have bagels. Big yummy bagels from Einstein. I eagerly anticipate Bagel Fridays. I skip my normal oatmeal or English muffin with peanut butter or Luna bar and rush to work to have my bagel. I usually have a lovely sesame seed bagel with light cream cheese or every now and then I get really crazy and have an asiago cheese or everything bagel or maybe even honey walnut cream cheese. Sometimes I don't even go to my desk before I pop my jumbo sesame delight into the toaster oven. Mmmm...

So imagine my dismay when I skipped into the kitchen near my office this morning and discovered.... donuts. Oh the horror! They were sticky chocolaty goopy contraptions that struck me as extremely unappetizing. Revolting even.

Two men in my office had just gleefully selected their own sugary confection as I stopped dead and my tracks and assumed the facial expression of one who had just smelled something really nasty. They laughed at me and suggested that I grab a donut.

"Absolutely not," I responded. "I couldn't." I paused for a moment. "Well, I could I guess. But I won't." Another beat. "Well maybe I will."

I grabbed a glaze encrusted blueberry donut thinking it looked the most healthy - clearly healthy is relative here - and stomped back to my desk. And I ate it. And it was good. Damn good.

But I really wanted my bagel.

So if I actually wanted to ingest something marginally healthy instead of a sticky sweet calorie laden nutritionally void item, does that count as progress?

I didn't think so either.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Doin' the Du

So I've officially committed (and even registered) for a duathlon in November. That crazy girl Annnn talked me into it. As usual, I'm swayed by the social aspects. We're driving down to Smithfield Friday afternoon for packet pickup, staying overnight, and doin' the du Saturday morning. Thank goodness the race begins at a civilized 9:30 a.m. as I suspect wine consumption will play a large role in my Friday night pre-race preparation.

I've never done a du before so I need to practice running before cycling. And it wouldn't hurt to do a brick or two between now and then. Committing two weeks before the race doesn't leave a lot of time for preparation, but what the hell. That's one week of training and one week of tapering, right?

My running has been abysmally slow lately. I've been attributing the slow times to running/chatting with the Bean, and Monday's slow run on chatting with Jon, but the truth of the matter is I'm just not fast right now (not that I've ever been particularly speedy). I ran by myself today with my iPod blaring and only posted a dismal 9:46 min/mile for four miles. What to blame, what to blame? I don't know, maybe my pre-Halloween Reeese's cup eating fat ass and my mental readiness for the off season?

But no matter. I'm doing the race for the experience and for fun, and mostly to hang out and suffer the abuse that is time with Annnn.

What better way to end the season?

(And this really is it. Really. I know I said that after Luray and again after Giant Acorn, but I mean it this time!!!)

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Makeover, part 1

After hating my hair for the entire summer, I finally contacted TriGirl and hair stylist extraordinaire Mary Jo of Imago fame. It is, after all, where the fun people go.

So here's me before....

And here's me after (part 1)...

If you ignore the "just take the effing picture" expression on my face, the hair is better, no? I don't look like triangle head girl in Dilbert or even Scary Spice anymore!

During part 2 of the makeover, Mary Jo will fix the bad color.

Hell, maybe I'll get really crazy and part 3 will involve wearing a little makeup.

Tired Legs

Man my legs are wiped.

Yesterday I did a weights class at lunch and was disappointed that we did a lot of upper body and not as much lower body. That didn't last long.

Then I ran with my friend Jon of Coffee and Bagels fame. Jon lives outside of Chicago but comes to Richmond on business occasionally, so it was nice to catch up. We ran four miles chatting the whole way. Well, me at least. It felt faster than it was - 9:50/mile average speed. (Sorry, Jon!)

So this morning, instead of my regular run, I took the opportunity to ride my bike. My legs were tired but I managed a little over 12 miles at a 17.5 mph pace. Traffic was fairly heavy and at one point I was riding directly into the sun which made me really nervous, thinking cars behind me wouldn't be able to see me.

(Somewhere in the fan district, a woman just let out a maniacal laugh...)

My legs ached when I walked up the stairs at work. Just imagine how someone who did Kona must feel today.

(And Kermit, I mean the Ironman, not a delicious hot caffeinated beverage!)

Although a delicious hot caffeinated beverage sounds pretty good right now...

Monday, October 15, 2007

Kona

I forgot to mention in my last post that I spent what little free time I had this weekend checking on the athletes at the Ironman World Championships in Kona.

What an awesome win for Chrissie Wellington and a great event for Samantha McGlone. I'm saddened by all the top pros who didn't have their best day (or even a good day) due to illness or injury like Michellie Jones and Natascha Badmann.

But all the amazing stories! Lisa Bentley is my new favorite female pro. Check out this story. How cool is she?!? She did it, too, running across the finish line with Carter.

I've also been following Elizabeth Fedofsky in her second run at the big one as an age group competitor. She had a great race with a 15 minute PR.

What an unbelievable experience. I can't wait to watch more on Dec. 1 when the highlights are televised. Where I will drink wine and cheer for the athletes. Again.

Busy Weekend

Whew I don't think we could have fit one more thing into this weekend. Craziness!

The most exciting news is that Scouter's sister Amy had a baby on Friday. Little Evan is so so cute. Rainbow and Taz couldn't wait to meet him and Amy even let each of them hold him. Rainbow especially loved that even though she did a lot of grumbling about another dumb boy cousin beforehand. This is the first time they've seen a newborn and they couldn't believe they were ever that tiny. I was telling them stories all weekend about when they were born, by popular demand.

Saturday, I was able to squeeze in a bike ride only by going early so it was time to break out my cold weather gear. The forecast called for ~ 40 degrees but in actuality, it was closer to 48. Still chilly to start but I was overly warm very quickly. By the time Richard and I rode from my house to West Creek to meet Annnn, I was peeling off layers. My long lined riding pants will be better when temperatures truly are 40 or below. In the meantime, I have to get some new ones that aren't quite as warm. Shopping! Yeah! The better news is that I will be able to ride outside more this fall and winter.

Annnn and Richard double-teamed me for much of the ride and came up with quite a few nicknames for me. Very entertaining. I even started coming up with nicknames for myself by the end of the ride. As for nicknames for them, Richard is stuck with TriGirl Richard but I'll have to come up with something more creative for Annn than "bitch"... he he

The rest of the day was a flurry of kid-related activities with a little cooking thrown in. I made an appetizer and a salad to take to a dinner party Sat night plus brownies to take to church Sunday morning. The appetizer and salad made it to their intended destination, but the brownies didn't fare as well since Scouter housed them late-night. The kids were thrilled because we got to keep the rest of the pan. I'm sad to say the entire thing was gone by last night and I had more than my fair share.

Yesterday, Scouter's parents spent the day with us while Amy tried to get some sleep. She and Evan will be released from the hospital today. I'm not sure she is prepared for how tough the first few weeks will be, but fortunately her mom will stay with her as long as she'd like.

Yesterday I made a big pot of chili although not a traditional chili. This recipe included eggplant, tofu and kielbasa in addition to the usual tomatoes and spices. It was tasty; I'll have to post the recipe on the TriGirl forum as it could be made with all tofu, all sausage, or a mix like I did. I'm not sure Scouter or his parents realized what I was feeding them or they may not have eaten it. Tee hee. Scouter's parents took a bunch of it to Amy & Chris so they could have dinner already prepared for tonight.

I'm really tired today and not at all excited to be back at work.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Retro

I had a throw-back week.

And not just my "LOVE" graphic.

My workout week looked a lot like my pre-TriGirls efforts. Monday & today, I did a weights class at the Y. The one I love. Today was actually "on the ball" which uses a large exercise ball for resistance. The most killer of today's moves was a hamstring thing where you lie on your back with your heels on the ball in a bridge and roll the ball towards your bottom. About a million times. Ouch. I will definitely feel that one tomorrow.

Tuesday and Thursday, I ran. Tuesday was actually my "run therapy" day as opposed to a major workout because I ran with the Bean. We can solve the world's problems in five miles or less. Or ours anyway. Even solo on Thursday, my time was unremarkable.

Wednesday marked my return to yoga. It was great; it was horrible. Or more accurately, my attempt to do it was horrible. But it will get better again with practice.

In the old days, I would have also run on Sunday. That's where I deviate this week though. I miss my bike and can't wait to meet Annnn and Richard for a spin tomorrow. I have to figure out a way to fit in at least one more bike during the week through the off season.

"Off season" being relative - Annnn has talked me into a Du and I think it just may work with my schedule. Yeah!!!!

Notice that I don't miss swimming. Not one teeny tiny bit.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Give a Blog Some Love

I got really fancy last week and installed Google Analytics on my site. Checking statistics today, I discovered that 100 unique visitors have read this blog. I'm shocked!

I know of maybe 10 people who read it. Even my husband has no interest (although I have read him some of the comments... Jodi...).

So now I'm curious. If you read this site, please say hi! Give me some comment love! How can you resist that groovy 60s graphic?!?!

Thanks!

Big Nut Pics

Thanks to my brother in law, Brent, for attending the race and taking pictures for TriGirls! What a good guy. And a much better supporter of my triathlon habit than his big brother Scouter, I might add...

Jennifer and me braving the cold, cold waters of Lake Anna

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Me b*tching and complaining about the cold and getting in very slowly


Jennifer on the bike - I have to tell you that I thought this photo was of me at first and I was very excited about how great my butt looked. Then I realized it's Jennifer. We have the same bike and wore the same outfit, but alas, the similarity ends there. I should have known my legs would never look that thin.


Me heading out on the run. I was pumped about my great ride but the first hill soon took me down. I'm not smiling in the later run pictures.


All the TriGirls after the finish: Patty, Charlotte, Molly, Liz, Lesley, me, Jenni, Jennifer

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Back to Yoga

I went to a yoga class today. It's the first one I've attended since May, and I felt as though I'd never done it before. My hips in particular were very tight. I remembered the names of the poses but had little ability to actually contort my body into them.

Down Dog pose was particularly evil today. My legs weren't adequately warm and the blood rushing to my head was painful.
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Now the question is, did my head explode during down dog because I haven't done yoga in so long or because Scouter and I downed two bottles of Cabernet last night?

Monday, October 8, 2007

Next Swim - February!

Or maybe March... yes!

I started packing my gym bag last night with thoughts of an early morning swim today. Then I realized - why? There was no point in training now for my next event in June (maybe May). So, back it all went. Since today was a school holiday, I slept in a bit instead. Ahhh... the off season...

Annnnn has made a compelling case for one last race this year, but it's a duathlon so no swim. Very tempting. I'm in if I can make the schedule work.

And this just in! Here's a post race photo from the Big Nut. More to come...

Jennihoo, me, Lesley, Jennifer, Liz, Molly, and Patty in the RTC tent

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Big Nut Race Report

(I'll add more pictures as I get them...)

The Giant Acorn sprint triathlon (or Big Nut as TriGirls' call it) was a blast.

Some of us spent the night at TriGirl Jennifer's beautiful home. Jennifer, Lesley, Jennihoo and I met there Friday evening and headed to packet pickup. Packet pickup was uncrowded and simple. The swim course had been changed to move us into deeper water - Lake Anna has been very effected by drought conditions impacting the entire state of Virginia. With the buoys in place, 750 meters looked long. There were 650 participants so the transition area was large. We all found our spots in preparation for the next day. Jennifer and I were in the back with the other 40+ age groupers. We were close to the swim and run entrance/exits but pretty much as far away from the bike entrance/exit as we could be. Oh well.

There was a nice little triathlon shopping area set up, so we all indulged. I purchased Nuun electrolyte tablets (although I opted not to use them on race day since I've never tried them before) and some vanilla Gu, my favorite.

Then we headed to a great restaurant called Tavern on the Rail. The restaurant was a general store that has been converted and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It was really cool. Jennifer made reservations in the bar area. Here we are waiting for some other girls:

Lesley, Jennihoo, Jennifer, me at the bar

Not a great picture, I know. But you should see how bad the other one is!

We opted to leave the bar area because a man hanging out by himself with a bottle of wine took a little too much interest in us and wouldn't stop talking. He continued to listen to our conversation for the rest of the night and seemed enthralled.

Jackie, Caroline, Courtney and Patty joined us shortly thereafter. We ordered a few bottles of wine and delicious dinners. We discussed lots of good girl topics, laughed frequently and loudly, and pretty much entertained everyone in the restaurant. Then we made the irrational decision to return to Jennifer's house and open more wine. In hindsight, not the wisest decision... but quite a bit of fun!

The younger girls proved themselves to be smarter than us old dogs, and they went to bed earlier. I finally got Patty and Jennifer out of my room around midnight and crashed hard. But you know when you've been hydrating all day and then had to much wine? I was up peeing all night and at some point, my head started a dull ache which prevented a good night's rest.

Thank goodness the race started at a civilized 10 a.m. We all struggled out of bed the next morning to a pre-triathlon smorgasbord of bagels, oatmeal, bananas and orange juice. Jennifer is such a great hostess! I choked down a few bites of oatmeal and some Advil, then we headed to the race sight.

Lake Anna Beach Marina is beautiful. The race changed the venue from a sleepy little country marina into a thriving triathlon community. Cars and racers were everywhere. We passed some cyclists and a few runners warming up on the course and marveled at their motivation. Ours was sorely lacking!

Is there a race report in here somewhere!?!?!? Perhaps now would be a good time to refill your beverage, grab a snack, and get comfortable. I appear to be on a streak.

We arrived at the transition area and set up our stuff. Jennifer lent me a bright pink tee shirt to mark my spot so that I could easily find it during transition. (Note to self: next time, remember flip flops and Garmin. Don't bring wine for the night before.) We caught up with other TriGirls Charlotte, Liz, Molly, and Lorene. Jennifer was body marked as age 25 because she looks so young and fit, but for some reason she insisted on having it changed. I think she could have pulled it off! I saw Erin with RTC and she told me to bring the TriGirls by their tent after the race for some beer and wine. That lifted our spirits (excuse the pun), Patty in particular as she was feeling the worst from the preceding evening of frivolity.

There was plenty of time for pre-race jitters since Patty, Jennifer & I were in the eighth and final wave (women 40+, Athenas, and relays) which started at 10:28. The water temperature had dropped four degrees since the last published reading to a chilly 76. It was a wet suit legal event. I have a wet suit but opted not to use it for the first time in a race. My brother-in-law Brent arrived just before the swim start, and I was thrilled to see a family member. Jennifer and I were the last two participants in the water, moving slowly and complaining loudly the entire way while those around us laughed at our silliness. We treaded water and chatted for a couple minutes, then the horn sounded and we were off!

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Swim. Once we started swimming, I didn't notice the frigid water temperature. I concentrated on my race goals: swimming mostly freestyle, staying calm, and sighting well. The course was triangular and I made it to the first orange buoy easily. As I made the turn, I spotted Jennifer just ahead of me. I tried to catch her draft but kept hitting her feet. Assuming she would be annoyed, I backed off and swam my own race, spotting buoys and her frequently. At the second turn I called her name and we swam the last leg together. I was thrilled to keep up with her as she is a far better swimmer than I. We climbed out together, jogged up a few stairs and right to our bikes. Swim time: 16:58 (6th of 24 women in my age group).

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T1. My goal in transition was to do them quickly as opposed to my usual lallygagging. I could have saved myself a few seconds by having my bike shoes unstrapped and open, but I think the extra time I took to wipe all the mud off my feet was well spent to avoid blisters or other problems later. As I left T1, I saw Jennifer's husband and daughter who waved and cheered - that was a nice surprise and boost. T1: 2:12 (11th/24)

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Bike. I really wanted to have a strong bike. One disadvantage of an open water swim is that bike traffic is much more congested. This race started on a small hill with a section of poor road conditions. For the first half mile, I probably broke every rule in the book because the road was so crowded and bikers were all over the place. Once I cleared this first section, I started working my plan to ride hard the entire 12 miles. I knew there were three rolling hills at the beginning and I tackled them at a brisk pace. I sighted groups ahead of me and pushed until I caught them, then pushed to pass them. When I hit the rare open space, I grabbed a few sips of Accelerade then attacked again. Since we were the last wave, they were legitimate passes of either people out of the water before me in my wave or previous waves. I was constantly saying "on your left" and loving it. One guy passed me towards the end but I don't remember anyone else passing me.

Brent told me later that he watched our swim start then left to escort an official around the bike course on his motorcycle. After one loop, he dropped the official and roared back out to find me. But I was too fast for him - he spotted me just as I was finishing the bike.

I had a great bike and was really happy with myself for pushing hard and staying strong throughout. As much as I've talked about what a pretty course it is, I didn't see one bit of it yesterday. Bike time: 37:54 (19 mph, 6th/24)

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T2: Nothing special here. I sat down to change my shoes and wondered if I would be able to get up again, but I managed. Grabbed my race belt, a Gu and my TriGirl visor and took off at a slow jog. T2: 1:37 (13th/24)

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Run: I saw Jennifer's family again and got some much-needed encouragement. The run course started on the same small hill as the bike course but it felt much much worse this time. I reminded myself that this was good news for a downhill finish, but my legs were wiped. The next first half mile was a slight uphill, then we hit a turn for a slight downhill. I saw Liz finishing her run and Jennifer finishing her bike, both looking strong. My secret goal for this race was to "go podium" as Annnn calls it, but I knew that was dependent upon the field and entirely out of my control. I could just give it my best race. Three women in my age group blew past me in this first section, and I knew I didn't have it in me to catch them - much less stay ahead. I let them go along with my hopes of placing. Oh well.

Brent was waiting at the water station to capture what I'm sure are some frightening photos of me grabbing a cup and dumping water all over my head. It was probably a good thing that I forgot my Garmin because I focused on good form and basically putting one foot in front of the other the whole time. I saw every TriGirl at some point on the run and high fived most of them. A 46 year old man passed me just after the turn around and I paced myself with him for the second half of the run until he stopped at the water station. With less than a mile to go, I didn't stop. I saw Brent again - he cheered me on and said he'd see me at the finish line.

About 1/4 mile before the finish line, I saw Liz cheering in the TriGirls. Then I saw Jennifer's family again and finally the finish line. Brent was there snapping pictures. He's such a good guy. Run time: 26:42 (6th/24, 8:37 min/mi)

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Post-Race: I turned in my chip then walked around to Brent and stretched. I babbled about how happy I was with my bike although I didn't know times for anything at that point. We cheered in the rest of the TriGirls and I think he got pictures of everyone. He is the new official TriGirl photographer!

Our next stop, not surprisingly, was the RTC tent for some beverages. I even had a beer and it was pretty good. The Virginia Triathlon Series runs a great event. They had burgers and Brunswick stew post-race. We hung out for a long time afterwards. Jennifer and I were among the last participants to get our stuff out of transition.

All in all, a great race. Congratulations to Patty for placing 2nd in her age group, even impaired by an evil hangover, and to all the TriGirls for a strong race. And many thanks to Jennifer for hosting us as well as for putting up with my pre-race anxiety. I'm happy with my results and learned a few more lessons. I will definitely do it again next year - although (hopefully) I'll wait to enjoy wine and late night socializing until after the race...

Friday, October 5, 2007

Race Prep

Admittedly, I don't have a lot of triathlon experience. I've participated in two sprints and one Olympic over the last year. My goals in all three events were to (1) finish, (2) post a reasonably decent time, and (3) enjoy the experience.

For the sprint I'm doing tomorrow, I find that I have a little bit higher expectations of myself. I want to race the event as opposed to just participate. I want to see how hard I can push myself and whether I can turn in a performance to be proud of. Here's what I'm thinking for each area:

The Swim
Okay after all my big talk above, I'll be honest here. I just want it to be over with. I want to get through it without having a panic attack like I did in my first open water swim at Luray. It was dumb to experience my very first open water swim ever in a race. Especially an Olympic distance race. Since then, I've practiced in open water three times. I didn't enjoy it, but I am certainly more comfortable.

What is it with race descriptions that describe the water as "crystal clear" anyway? Bull shit. No lake or river water I've seen has been crystal clear. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. And I certainly couldn't see the person beside me. I'd like to give whoever writes this crap a glass of "crystal clear" lake water to drink and see how their description changes. Evian this isn't.

Okay, rant over.

Swim goal: Predominantly swim freestyle, efficient stroke, sight well, get it done.

Transitions
I completely suck at transitions. In the time I take to meander my way from one event to the next, someone else could finish her run. In past events, I've used transitions as a place to calm down, get my bearings, take a shower, eat a meal, whatever. Tomorrow, I want to be better organized pre-race so I can blast through transition with all engines humming.

The Bike
This is a very new feeling, but I love the bike. This has been "the year of the bike," and I have gained confidence riding it. Never have I had a bike ride that truly sucked (unlike some - okay many - runs). My biggest concern here - assuming that the wild dogs will be contained by the time I ride by - is that I will have another flat tire like I did at Luray. You might think flatting in a race would motivate me to learn to change a flat. In fact I've only talked about it. Many times. Which gives me no credit or experience in actually changing a flat.

I really like this course. It offers some small rolling hills for variety and beautiful views. I've ridden it twice and am comfortable with the route. My bike is newly-tweaked and ready to be ridden. I want to smoke this bike course.

Bike goal: 19 mph average speed or faster

I will have to pump my little brains out to achieve that... but I want it badly and I'm going to try.

The Run
Here's the wild card where I either make my race... or blow my race. Sometimes, I run well. Many times when I'm trying to run fast, it feels horrible and I just want to stop. My best bet on the run is to relax, concentrate on form, and run smooth. Let the time come. We'll see if I can remember that tomorrow.

Run goal: Under 8 1/2 min/mi

There you go sports fans. I've admitted to my goals; now I need to make them reality.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Me Again

Well.

At least I'm prolific today if not entertaining.

I just had to tell you about my awesome bike ride today. And you know, Scouter gets kind of tired of hearing me ramble. Truth be told, I think he only pretends to listen to most of what I say. And I have been known to use that to my advantage on occasion - "Of course I told you that..."

Anyway, I took my newly fitted bike out for a little spin today and it felt great! I planned to go before work but postponed until afternoon once I saw the misty foggy morning. By the time I took off from my house, the day was beautiful - actually even a bit hotter than I anticipated. Fortunately, I had a new flavor of Accelerade called Grapefruit Citrus that was very tangy and tasty.

As I zipped down my street, one of my neighbors passed me in her car as we approached a traffic light. We both stopped, and she rolled down her window. "Will thinks your super fast on your bike!" she called. Sweet! Her son is only eight but hey, I'll take all the praise I can get.

My route is newly paved and very nice. I soon approached the next intersection, near a former co-workers house. She does not like me AT.ALL. so that was incentive to pick up the pace a bit. I wouldn't want to end up as her hood ornament - and I can picture her gunning for me.

I hit a fun downhill stretch that made me feel like I was flying, then turned again to tackle some hills. As I stopped at yet another traffic light (and I caught every single one of them red today), an older man pulled up beside me and rolled down his window. "Looking good!" he called. "How far are you riding?"

"A short ride. Maybe 12 miles," I replied.

"How far have you been? About six?" he inquired.

"Yep - 5 1/2."

"Where ya headed?" he asked next.

"Home."

"Yeah, where's home?" he said rhetorically as he snickered into his hand.

That got a big laugh out of me. It's been a loooong time since anyone hit on me, even jokingly. The light turned green, and we both took off. Our separate ways, in case you're wondering.

The hills didn't seem too bad today since I hit them with fewer miles on my legs. I kept reminding myself of the riding tips Jim Miller gave me Monday night - heels down, pelvis tucked, elbows under shoulders, and the hardest one for me, chin down. Fortunately I've gotten a lot more comfortable on the bike over the last year so all the clipping in and out and traffic didn't bother me.

After the hills, I had a short stretch of false flat. The road was two lanes each way, and in the right lane ahead of me, I saw a kid riding a skateboard and hogging the lane. "On your left!" I called. His head whipped around and he gave me an empty but somehow still condescending look. I whizzed by him and only smiled.

Soon after, I passed another puberty-stricken youth on a bike who gave me the same dumb look. Must be the rage for adolescent boys these days.

I reached my house at only the eight mile point so I added a loop to make an even 10. My average speed was 18.3 mph, which is smoking fast for me especially with all the lights. The bike felt great and I am very comfortable with the adjustments.

Game on, Big Nut!

And another thing...

Just one more review and then I'll stop... for today. I have to tell you I love me some Tom Leonards. Not Tom himself, although I'm sure he's a very nice man, but Tom Leonard's the cross between grocery store/farmers' market.

I've been going there for awhile because I love their fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats but just recently I discovered their prepared food. We've tried several different things and all have been fabulous.
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I went by the store this morning to pick up dinner for a co-worker whose family has been having a tough time - chicken alfredo pasta and caesar salad for him and his wife, mac and cheese and M&M cookies for his kids. While I was there I picked up lunch for myself - caesar salad with shrimp and roasted corn soup.
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The caesar must have been left over from yesterday or quite possibly the day before because the lettuce was not in good shape. I had to pick brown pieces and stalky pieces out of the mix.
But the rich creamy dressing and home made croutons - which I should have picked out! - were yummy. Next time, I will buy lettuce, dressing and croutons separately.
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And the soup... ahh, the soup... was to-die-for. So good that I had it for breakfast and lunch. I'm planning to save the rest for Scouter but I may just have to leave it at work for lunch tomorrow.
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Yum. If you live near Tom's store (or Stew's for that matter), check it out!
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Random aside: Blogger is f*cking with me again and won't align paragraphs correctly, so please ignore the dots between them above. I got tired of messing around with it.

Unsolicited Product Review

I thought I'd give you an opinion on several new products I've tried lately. As you can probably imagine, my opinion is completely unsolicited. Sadly, companies are not inundating me with products begging for my bloggy review. I guess the two of you who read my blog are not at the top of the target market list. Nonetheless, here are my thoughts anyway!

Crest introduced a bunch of new toothpaste flavors over the last year or so, and I've been compelled to try them. Mainly because they were on sale. My first experience with Vanilla Mint was pretty tasty but alas Scouter was not a fan. Then I tried Green Tea Mint. And I have to say, who puts mint in green tea? It is not a good combination. We managed to choke through the entire tube though never to be purchased again.

Our current flavor is Lemon Ice. It is by far the worst and tastes like stale lemon meringue pie without any sugar. And I really hate lemon meringue pie. Even Scouter who likes all things lemon does not like this one.

Who sells toothpaste that results in making you want to brush your teeth with a different flavor of toothpaste? I'm going back to my old standby Cool Mint flavor, even when it's not on sale.

Oh wait... this blog is supposed to be triathlon related. No worries! I can work that in!

Recently, I purchased a pair of Newton running shoes. Because, you know, all the cool kids are wearing them. At least my feet can be cool. Newtons are constructed in such a way that you run on the balls of your feet, simulating barefoot running. The theory is, at least as I understand it, that your foot strike is faster resulting in faster turnover and thus faster times. And they are awesome - I feel fast in them and have actually clocked some pretty decent times for me.

Alas, my feet are not so happy with the change ~ they can't in fact be cool. I originally started wearing New Balance running shoes with inserts a few years ago on the advice of my doctor because I was having recurring ankle problems. With the plantar fasciitis that invaded both feet last winter, I upgraded to custom inserts. And I've been doing pretty well, at least until I got the bright idea to switch shoes. Now my arches are hurting again and my right ankle, which hasn't bothered me for ages, is constantly aching.

I'm going to start alternating the Newtons with the New Balance shoes with more usage of the NBs during training and the Newtons when racing. Hopefully that will work out. Otherwise, I will be wearing an expensive pair of very brightly colored running shoes to my kids' soccer and baseball games.

Maybe the other moms will think I'm cool. Even if my breathe smells like stale lemon merangue pie.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Bike Fit

Tonight I had a bike fit with TriGirl sponsor Jim Miller. He has a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge about the sport, so that in and of itself was great. He measured my bike and assessed my strength and flexibility (or lack thereof) before I ever even got on the bike.

Once I got on the bike and started spinning, I told him I was concerned that he was going to say that my bike was too small for me. He was noncommittal at that point, saying only that bike frame sizes overlap and that I was definitely in the gray area. Uh-oh. It turns out that the bike fits fine, but later he told me his initial impression was that the frame was too small.

Jim made a lot of minor adjustments to my bike. He moved my seat back and leveled it out and dropped my handlebars. Otherwise, he said the fit was remarkably good. I can't wait to ride it on Wednesday to see what a difference it makes. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be at least 2 mph faster in my race on Saturday. Um... NOT.

I came home and sampled a new flavor of Ben & Jerry's, Karamel Sutra, purchased mainly because I liked the name so much. And I have to say it was fab-you-lous.

I'm going to need a few minutes here to compose myself...