Tri Season 2010 started today with the Frost Yer Fanny duathlon (3 mile run / 15 mile bike / 3 mile run). Given how much my brick last Sunday hurt (my first in I can't remember how long), I was just hoping for survival! Coach Angie told me to go out moderate-fast for the first run, go hard on the bike, and go hard on the last 3 miles. Mkay, we'll see what happens.
Best thing about this race is that its a whopping 15 minutes from my house AND a start that was 30 minutes later than most races. Normally I have to get up at 4:XX and drive ~45 minutes. I forgot that this race was so close and got there ungodly early. I hung out in my truck (with the heat on) and finished up my traditional pre-race meal of a Coke Zero and protein bar. I finally decided to get out of my warm truck and get ready. Started pumping my tires up, and the valve stuck on the rear tire. So I yanked it off, managed to smash my thumb in my tire spoke and slice it right above the cuticle. Its not a race unless there's bodily harm (usually at my own doing). At least this time I know what I did to earn the injury. After a hunt for napkins to mop up my thumb (yay Starbucks!) and gloves to keep my hands warm (left over from field work last week), both tires were pumped, drinks were on the bike, bag was packed, and I was ready to go.
I walked over to transition (normally I ride... this time I was too lazy to put my helmet on) and since it was so cold (37 degrees!), they were super cool with body marking. I managed to get my number on ONLY my right hand and my age on my left calf. Woo! I'm second in racking for my group and I go and get things set up. My friend A shows up and we mull around, basically freezing the whole time. I saw a ton of people I knew, which was fun. Last year, I maybe recognized 1-2 people. This race, between HRTC'ers, MAC swim team people, and OUL teammates, I knew a good 10 people. They finally closed transition at 7:15, and I stripped off my coverups and tried not to freeze in my tri shorts, dri-fit shirt, and cycling sleeves. Brrr!
My wave starts - the run is an out and back through the park, and you're in trees for most of the time. I kept my pace at 10:20 - 10:30 min/mile for the whole time and only stopped at each water station for a 0.05 mile walk. I'm so used to the 5 min run / 1 min walk from half marathon training, and I'm trying to break myself of that habit. At mile 2, I realize that I didn't hit the bathroom a final time before the start and there's no way I'm going to enjoy the 45 min (ish) bike ride with a full bladder. So at transition, I hit the bathroom (quick!) then went and grabbed my bike. Normally, for tri's I'm in the top 10% for the swim, so I'm used to being to the racks early. Today was pretty sad, as my bike was the 2nd to last one on the rack. *sniff*
The bike was a 3-loop 5-mile course, which basically turned into short track speed skating on bikes. There were newbies going slow, me going average, huge guys zooming around, and course officials on motorcycles. Add multiple turns, gravel and potholes in a few spots, and it was fairly tricky. I tried to maintain 18 mph on the bike, but I'm thinking the wind kicked up towards the end, because I could only hold 17 mph for the last lap. My friend thought it was windy too, so that's what I'm sticking with. Cycling sleeves were perfect for the run and bike, but it was getting warm so I ditched them at transition. I love my sleeves - they're perfect for when its a bit cold at the start but you know it will get warm mid-way through the race.
Run #2's goal was to try and hold a 10:00 pace and just do a tiny bit of walking. I liked the run course because it was in the trees, but it wound around a bit, so you could see things (like water stations) through the trees to keep you motivated. Again, I walked at the two water stations (just long enough to eat a powergel chew and drink a bit) and then it was back to running. At the turnaround, Helen (my KatyFit running coach) passed me, so that gave me motivation to push things. I was actually holding a 9:45 pace for a good bit of the run. The final half mile, I pushed it even more, to sub 9:30. It really helped that I could see the finish line well before I got near it, as that kept me motivated. As I hit the final turn to the finish, this guy corners with me and says "come on, you can't let this old grandpa beat you - get moving!" And that was awesome motivation. He still beat me, but I was actually running at at 6:35 sprint at the end - I don't think I've ever finished that fast. And I very nearly puked - even looked around for a strategic place. That's always the sign of a successful finish. Fortunately, after a few minutes, I was fine.
Post race I just grabbed some grapes, said hi to some friends, waited for A's time to post (she was close to placing), and introduced myself to my coach (we've talked on the phone, never met in person). Then after the results were posted, A and I went to a post-race breakfast of belgian waffles, bacon and eggs.
Results:
14 of 26 in Age Group, 278 of 418 Overall
11:02 Run Pace, 17.8 Bike, 10:17 Run Pace
1:57 finish time
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Lactate Profile Test
I signed up with OnUrLeft last week for triathlon coaching. Mainly because having 7 weeks between LoneStar (wait... now its the Memorial Hermann 70.3 Galveston or some crap like that. LoneStar sounds so much better) and Boise was freaking me out. I can figure out how to train for 1 half ironman... but two that close together?
Part of what OnUrLeft likes their athletes (ha, I'm an "athlete") to do is get their lactate profiled, and then they'll use that information to build heart rate zones for training. So last Friday, I went and got that done. It went about as I suspected... increasing speeds on the treadmill and bloodwork.
Before we start, the Terry (the testing guy) interviews me. Asks about my training speeds (slow and fast) and he talked me through the process. Basically, you start running at the slowest speed you can maintain w/out walking for 4.5 minutes. He'll ask for a percieved exertion number (1-10) and take your heart rate then prick your finger to draw blood for the test. During exercise, your blood lactate levels are supposed to increase slightly, level off, then rise sharply. Your lactate threshold (where you should be training for endurance) is right where your level rises sharply. Typically, a lactate level of 4 is about as high as you should be at during endurance workouts. You know, if you're typical and thing go as they're supposed to.
So, he took a baseline test (concentration of 2.1) and off I went. We started at at 12:00 pace and went faster from there. So, as soon as I start runing, I'm hot and bored. How can you not have a fan for a stress test??? And I'm used to being distracted when I run (at the park, with headphones), so 4.5 minutes of running while starring out a window wasn't ideal.
So, at the end of the first interval, we take a sample, and its high. Terry makes a comment that maybe we should have started slower, as my blood lactate is already at 4.7. which is pretty high. My ego is hurt.... a 12:00 pace is REALLY slow. And really, my heart rate and exertion was low. And really? I never ever run that slow.
Treadmill goes up to 11:32, I still feel fine, la la la really boring running. Another finger prick, lactate still is climbing - its at a 5.3. Terry threatens to do one more blood draw and then start me out much slower. Lame.
Up to an 11:07 pace... Terry asks me what I think my heart rate is (I couldn't see the monitor). I guess 170, HR monitor reads 169. Pace is ok but not stressful. Take a blood test, my lactate finally decided to cooperate at a 5.3. Meaning we can move forward.
10:43 pace, things are bit harder, but not awful. I can tell I'm working but I don't feel pukey (my indication that my HR is over 185). Blood lactate moves up to 6.5.
10:21 pace, and I really miss the fan. Slightly pukey, guess my HR was 175, and I'm spot on. Lactate is now at 7.0.
10:00 pace (which is fast for me - I've only ran a sub-10 min 5k once, when fire ants invaded my shoes in transition and then I had ants in my shoes biting me the whole bike/run.... fun!). Definitely feeling like I'm working harder, HR is 181. Lactate is 7.2. Terry calls the test done.
Apparently, my threshold is at a 10:43 pace. I feel like a wuss, as I swear that during my half marathon training runs, I could sustain a 10:30 to 10:15 pace no problem. Maybe that pace doesn't feel so bad because I was running outside with a group. I dunno. I just hate seeing scientific confirmation that I'm slow. But at least I'm good at judging my HR based on feel!
Terry emailed my results to my coach and in a few days, she'll set up my training zones. Should be interesting to see how those stack up.
Part of what OnUrLeft likes their athletes (ha, I'm an "athlete") to do is get their lactate profiled, and then they'll use that information to build heart rate zones for training. So last Friday, I went and got that done. It went about as I suspected... increasing speeds on the treadmill and bloodwork.
Before we start, the Terry (the testing guy) interviews me. Asks about my training speeds (slow and fast) and he talked me through the process. Basically, you start running at the slowest speed you can maintain w/out walking for 4.5 minutes. He'll ask for a percieved exertion number (1-10) and take your heart rate then prick your finger to draw blood for the test. During exercise, your blood lactate levels are supposed to increase slightly, level off, then rise sharply. Your lactate threshold (where you should be training for endurance) is right where your level rises sharply. Typically, a lactate level of 4 is about as high as you should be at during endurance workouts. You know, if you're typical and thing go as they're supposed to.
So, he took a baseline test (concentration of 2.1) and off I went. We started at at 12:00 pace and went faster from there. So, as soon as I start runing, I'm hot and bored. How can you not have a fan for a stress test??? And I'm used to being distracted when I run (at the park, with headphones), so 4.5 minutes of running while starring out a window wasn't ideal.
So, at the end of the first interval, we take a sample, and its high. Terry makes a comment that maybe we should have started slower, as my blood lactate is already at 4.7. which is pretty high. My ego is hurt.... a 12:00 pace is REALLY slow. And really, my heart rate and exertion was low. And really? I never ever run that slow.
Treadmill goes up to 11:32, I still feel fine, la la la really boring running. Another finger prick, lactate still is climbing - its at a 5.3. Terry threatens to do one more blood draw and then start me out much slower. Lame.
Up to an 11:07 pace... Terry asks me what I think my heart rate is (I couldn't see the monitor). I guess 170, HR monitor reads 169. Pace is ok but not stressful. Take a blood test, my lactate finally decided to cooperate at a 5.3. Meaning we can move forward.
10:43 pace, things are bit harder, but not awful. I can tell I'm working but I don't feel pukey (my indication that my HR is over 185). Blood lactate moves up to 6.5.
10:21 pace, and I really miss the fan. Slightly pukey, guess my HR was 175, and I'm spot on. Lactate is now at 7.0.
10:00 pace (which is fast for me - I've only ran a sub-10 min 5k once, when fire ants invaded my shoes in transition and then I had ants in my shoes biting me the whole bike/run.... fun!). Definitely feeling like I'm working harder, HR is 181. Lactate is 7.2. Terry calls the test done.
Apparently, my threshold is at a 10:43 pace. I feel like a wuss, as I swear that during my half marathon training runs, I could sustain a 10:30 to 10:15 pace no problem. Maybe that pace doesn't feel so bad because I was running outside with a group. I dunno. I just hate seeing scientific confirmation that I'm slow. But at least I'm good at judging my HR based on feel!
Terry emailed my results to my coach and in a few days, she'll set up my training zones. Should be interesting to see how those stack up.
Monday, February 15, 2010
First weekend back
My Olympic tri is in less than 2 months... and I've got a silly duathlon on Feb 28th I haven't touched my bike since IronStar in November and I haven't run (other than to catch a flight last weekend) since the Houston Half Marathon on Jan 17th: gulp : So, with that, I need to get training!
Part of the deal with resting was to let my legs heal. I have a weird muscle pull (tear?) in my right inner thigh from IronStar, which apparently made me limp a but during running and then caused my IT band on my left leg go wonky. Three weeks of no running/biking was intended to heal things..... Plus, I've been training for something pretty much since Jan 2009, so a three week break was welcome. Sleeping in until 6:20 AM during the week, sleeping in late both Saturdays and Sundays (a true luxury), not having to nap away the weekend because my long workouts wore me out.
But now here I am with an Oly tri and HIM looming.... Looming!
Saturday was an easy 5 mile run at the park. Hard part was motivating myself out of the house, since it was 37 degrees. Brrrr. But I also had places to be in the afternoon, so I was out on the trail by 11 AM. Funny how 37 degrees seems cold but I always somehow manage to overheat (in capri tights, a long-sleeve drifit shirt and a fleece vest). Funny, I'm rarely happy with temperatures... always wanting it colder or warmer than it actually is. The run was at a decent pace (around 10:15 for my run portions) and felt good for 4 miles. Then my thigh started to feel a bit wonky, so I slowed things down a bit and walked the itty bitty hills. IT band felt ok, though (probably because I did preventative KT taping). So overall, the run was ok, but not spectacular. But, full discolosure, I'm dissapointed that after 3 weeks of rest, my dang leg still hurt. :/
Sunday I met a coworker at the park for a ~30 mile bike ride. My first ride since November..... and I was expecting the worst. Buzz (my bike) is a year old now, but I've got a bunch of new things that make it feel different. New cassette (with different gearing), new saddle (Adamo ISM Road - funky!), new shoes (Sidi Genius 5s) I remember the first time last year that I cycled this far. From my truck its 3.5 miles through twisty heavy pedestrian pavement to George Bush Park, then ~7 miles to the gun range, then 4 miles to the turn around. I don't know if it was because it was hot or what, but going to the turn-around seemed so very far away. Not to mention coming back. And so tiring! But this quickly became my 30-mile ride of choice (its 100% paved trail with no roads to cross). And yesterday, I was very surprised to find that this ride (even with a 4 month break from the bike) was no problem at all. Even road at similar speeds to last year. And it was FUN. After weeks of gloom and rain, yesterday morning was sunny and 50 degrees. Timed the ride just perfect, as the clouds started showing up when we got back to the parking lot. Legs felt good, saddle felt good (a bit sore, but nothing I wouldn't expect after a 4 month break), energy level good (no afternoon nap needed). And I have 2 bruises on my upper thighs that I have no idea where they came from! Bruises are always a good sign of successful tri training :)
I'm also going to hit up 2 supported rides in March, so I can get in some longer distance. Its boooring to do the same 30 mile route each week, and even more booring to do it twice in the same day. So, I'm doing these 2 rides:
March 7th: Continental Express (hey look, its basically the IronStar course... good test for my new gears!)
March 28th: Bluebonnet Express
Probably do ~50-60 miles for each of those rides. That should set me up nicely for my April races.
Part of the deal with resting was to let my legs heal. I have a weird muscle pull (tear?) in my right inner thigh from IronStar, which apparently made me limp a but during running and then caused my IT band on my left leg go wonky. Three weeks of no running/biking was intended to heal things..... Plus, I've been training for something pretty much since Jan 2009, so a three week break was welcome. Sleeping in until 6:20 AM during the week, sleeping in late both Saturdays and Sundays (a true luxury), not having to nap away the weekend because my long workouts wore me out.
But now here I am with an Oly tri and HIM looming.... Looming!
Saturday was an easy 5 mile run at the park. Hard part was motivating myself out of the house, since it was 37 degrees. Brrrr. But I also had places to be in the afternoon, so I was out on the trail by 11 AM. Funny how 37 degrees seems cold but I always somehow manage to overheat (in capri tights, a long-sleeve drifit shirt and a fleece vest). Funny, I'm rarely happy with temperatures... always wanting it colder or warmer than it actually is. The run was at a decent pace (around 10:15 for my run portions) and felt good for 4 miles. Then my thigh started to feel a bit wonky, so I slowed things down a bit and walked the itty bitty hills. IT band felt ok, though (probably because I did preventative KT taping). So overall, the run was ok, but not spectacular. But, full discolosure, I'm dissapointed that after 3 weeks of rest, my dang leg still hurt. :/
Sunday I met a coworker at the park for a ~30 mile bike ride. My first ride since November..... and I was expecting the worst. Buzz (my bike) is a year old now, but I've got a bunch of new things that make it feel different. New cassette (with different gearing), new saddle (Adamo ISM Road - funky!), new shoes (Sidi Genius 5s) I remember the first time last year that I cycled this far. From my truck its 3.5 miles through twisty heavy pedestrian pavement to George Bush Park, then ~7 miles to the gun range, then 4 miles to the turn around. I don't know if it was because it was hot or what, but going to the turn-around seemed so very far away. Not to mention coming back. And so tiring! But this quickly became my 30-mile ride of choice (its 100% paved trail with no roads to cross). And yesterday, I was very surprised to find that this ride (even with a 4 month break from the bike) was no problem at all. Even road at similar speeds to last year. And it was FUN. After weeks of gloom and rain, yesterday morning was sunny and 50 degrees. Timed the ride just perfect, as the clouds started showing up when we got back to the parking lot. Legs felt good, saddle felt good (a bit sore, but nothing I wouldn't expect after a 4 month break), energy level good (no afternoon nap needed). And I have 2 bruises on my upper thighs that I have no idea where they came from! Bruises are always a good sign of successful tri training :)
I'm also going to hit up 2 supported rides in March, so I can get in some longer distance. Its boooring to do the same 30 mile route each week, and even more booring to do it twice in the same day. So, I'm doing these 2 rides:
March 7th: Continental Express (hey look, its basically the IronStar course... good test for my new gears!)
March 28th: Bluebonnet Express
Probably do ~50-60 miles for each of those rides. That should set me up nicely for my April races.
Log - Week Ending 2/13
Ok, so I was supposed to be in full training mode.... Seems instead I decided to "ease" into training. Oopsie!
Swim: 1 hrs 15 min / 2600 yds (stuck in the hot pool.... IM workout)
Bike: 45 min spin class
Run: 58 min / 5.2 mile easy run
Pilates: none!
Yoga: 1 hr
Skiing: Another glorious day skiinig at Alpine Meadows, Tahoe on Monday. Took the Garmin 305 with me... hit 44 mph. Sweet!
Also registered with OnUrLeft for coaching. So, a slower week than planned, but I still made progress.
Swim: 1 hrs 15 min / 2600 yds (stuck in the hot pool.... IM workout)
Bike: 45 min spin class
Run: 58 min / 5.2 mile easy run
Pilates: none!
Yoga: 1 hr
Skiing: Another glorious day skiinig at Alpine Meadows, Tahoe on Monday. Took the Garmin 305 with me... hit 44 mph. Sweet!
Also registered with OnUrLeft for coaching. So, a slower week than planned, but I still made progress.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Log - Week Ending 2/6
Week 3 of bummitude - completed with a long skiing weekend!
Swim: 1 hrs 10 min / 3500 yds
Bike: nothing!
Run: nothing again!
Pilates: 55 min
Skiing: hours and hours and hours! Friday was moguls - definitely a leg workout!
This weekend I need to get back on schedule and find a coach. The next few weeks are gonna hurt :/
Swim: 1 hrs 10 min / 3500 yds
Bike: nothing!
Run: nothing again!
Pilates: 55 min
Skiing: hours and hours and hours! Friday was moguls - definitely a leg workout!
This weekend I need to get back on schedule and find a coach. The next few weeks are gonna hurt :/
Monday, February 01, 2010
Log - Week Ending 1/30
I'm in week 2 of my three week bum-fest!
Swim: 2 hrs 15 min / 6500 yds
Bike: nothing!
Run: nothing again!
Pilates: 50 min
Saturday I slept in until 11 AM. I only woke up because Swift-kitty thought I had slept in enough. I can't even remember the last time I was in bed that late. : awesome :
Plan for this week is to continue the bummage. I was supposed to swim this morning, but my alarm went off, it was cold, I had both kitties sleeping on me, and I decided that we were all too warm and comfortable to get out of bed and swim. So we ditched swimming and slept in - yay!
I should go to pilates tonight, swim on Wednesday. Thurs I fly to Reno to see Rochelle, Skip, and Wyatt, and go SKIING. Hopefully I won't yard-sale it on the slopes and hurt myself. That would suck, since I'm less than 3 months out from my HIM.
Swim: 2 hrs 15 min / 6500 yds
Bike: nothing!
Run: nothing again!
Pilates: 50 min
Saturday I slept in until 11 AM. I only woke up because Swift-kitty thought I had slept in enough. I can't even remember the last time I was in bed that late. : awesome :
Plan for this week is to continue the bummage. I was supposed to swim this morning, but my alarm went off, it was cold, I had both kitties sleeping on me, and I decided that we were all too warm and comfortable to get out of bed and swim. So we ditched swimming and slept in - yay!
I should go to pilates tonight, swim on Wednesday. Thurs I fly to Reno to see Rochelle, Skip, and Wyatt, and go SKIING. Hopefully I won't yard-sale it on the slopes and hurt myself. That would suck, since I'm less than 3 months out from my HIM.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
1 Hour Postal Swim - 2009
My friend twisted my arm and had me swim the 1-hr postal challenge today. Which broke my "do nothing hard for 3 weeks" rule... sorta. The challenge is to swim 1 hr non-stop for distance. I did this challenge in 2006. Funny, reading back on my posts, I was really freaked out over the concept of swimming that long without stopping. Freaked over what my distance, soreness, fatigue during and after would be. Flash forward 3 years and its almost comical how "eh" I was today. There's many reasons for the "eh" - pretty much all my training in 2009. Completing a 2500 open water swim in Chicago, doing a Half Iron distance Aquabike, 2x a week workouts with ~3500 yards per workout. Doing the 3,000 yard postal challenge in October 2008 and 2009. Distance swimming for me is much more manageable and routine. Its hard to pick a workout (when I'm training) where I don't get in at least 3,000 yards. Back in 2006, I had this whole elaborate plan for the 1-hr postal - 5 x 12 minute "mini-sets". I even practiced it a few times before the event. This morning, I intended to do the 5 x 12 minutes and just wing it on the "mini-sets", but my watch timer wasn't working. I was 200 yards into the start of the swim and just decided that I was going to try 7 x 500 yards with a 50 of easy free or backstroke between each 500 yard interval. Didn't even get stressed over this, just went "eh, watch isn't working, what do I feel like swimming?"
I ended up swimming 3420 yards in 1 hour. I was kinda bummed - hoping to swim 3500. My 3,000 yard last October was done in 47 minutes (1:36 / 100 yard pace). I was hoping for more progress given the 3 years and all the training. However, what I need to remember is that I purposely wasn't working hard during the swim. I was never even out of breath. My coach even commented on how "easy" I took certain 50's. Part of me is mad at myself for not pushing more - I know I could have done better. However, taking things into perspective.... I've been doing off-season swimming since November (low intensity) and I'm in the second week of my three week "do nothing challenging" period. And I went into this swim without a plan. I should actually be happy that I essentially hit the easy button on this swim and had 50 more yards than 3 years ago, a swim that was challenging for me at the time.
I guess all things considered, I should be pleased. I just wish I felt good about this morning. At least I'm not sore :) There, that's something to feel good about.
I ended up swimming 3420 yards in 1 hour. I was kinda bummed - hoping to swim 3500. My 3,000 yard last October was done in 47 minutes (1:36 / 100 yard pace). I was hoping for more progress given the 3 years and all the training. However, what I need to remember is that I purposely wasn't working hard during the swim. I was never even out of breath. My coach even commented on how "easy" I took certain 50's. Part of me is mad at myself for not pushing more - I know I could have done better. However, taking things into perspective.... I've been doing off-season swimming since November (low intensity) and I'm in the second week of my three week "do nothing challenging" period. And I went into this swim without a plan. I should actually be happy that I essentially hit the easy button on this swim and had 50 more yards than 3 years ago, a swim that was challenging for me at the time.
I guess all things considered, I should be pleased. I just wish I felt good about this morning. At least I'm not sore :) There, that's something to feel good about.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Log: Week ending Jan 23
I was actually a bum - YAY!
Swim: 0 [for the record, I did pack and set my alarm Wednesday but then decided that rest seemed like a better idea]
Bike: 0
Run: 0
Pilates: 2 hrs
It honestly took until Thurs before I could walk normally - my legs were that unhappy from the half marathon. So sleep and some easy pilates were right on target.
This was also the first weekend in a looooooong time that I didn't have to train. That meant sleeping in Saturday, spending the day with Will at the zoo, a late lunch at Little Bigs (sliders and a kaluah milkshake - yum!), and a birthday party that night. Normally I turn into a pumpkin by 10 PM at parties since I have to get up early and do something athletic, not to mention I really can't drink. But Saturday I was out until 1 AM and had some drinks! Craziness! Sunday was more sleeping in and a 90 min massage....
2 more weeks of bumming and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it :)
Swim: 0 [for the record, I did pack and set my alarm Wednesday but then decided that rest seemed like a better idea]
Bike: 0
Run: 0
Pilates: 2 hrs
It honestly took until Thurs before I could walk normally - my legs were that unhappy from the half marathon. So sleep and some easy pilates were right on target.
This was also the first weekend in a looooooong time that I didn't have to train. That meant sleeping in Saturday, spending the day with Will at the zoo, a late lunch at Little Bigs (sliders and a kaluah milkshake - yum!), and a birthday party that night. Normally I turn into a pumpkin by 10 PM at parties since I have to get up early and do something athletic, not to mention I really can't drink. But Saturday I was out until 1 AM and had some drinks! Craziness! Sunday was more sleeping in and a 90 min massage....
2 more weeks of bumming and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it :)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Race Report: Houston Half Marathon
I'm sitting at my desk with my race number starring at me, yet I don't know how to begin. So, I guess I'll begin at the beginning!
Sunday morning I was up at 5 AM, out the door by 5:20. Breakfast consisted of my traditional Coke Zero and protein bar. Bad news was that I could still feel last night's dinner in my stomach... which was not a good thing! Got a free parking space ~3/4 mile behind the convention center. Ended up walking to the convention center (start of the race) with a guy who flew in from Georgia. Walked in the convention center and whoa.... that's a lot of people. Decided to hit the porta-john before the lines got go bad. Wandered over to find my running club, which thankfully had a sign, otherwise I would have been screwed. Did a bit of stretching, got my stuff ready for the day, wandered over to the bag check in to check my stuff, wandered back to my running club. Yup, lots 'o wandering. Then it was time to walk to the race start. We were in the second wave, probably about in the middle of the crowd. Even though it was in the mid-40's I wasn't cold. Partly because of being sandwiched btwn people, partly because of my awesome new arm sleeves. We heard a big KABOOM and realized that was the gun for the elites. More standing around, a bit of forward progress as the first wave went, more standing around. Then another gun and that was the start of our wave. I thought it was very cool that they were playing Iron Maiden's Run to the Hills at the start of my race. I was with my coach (Helen) and two other girls (Heather and Tara) who had been in my running group since July. The goal was to run together until the 9 mile turn-around point and then see what pace we could do after that point.
Lots of shuffling up to the start, then a slow jog. I haven't checked my Garmin, but given all the people, I'd estimate my pace was somewhere around a 12:30 mile. More shuffle running, trying to find space. Up the hill at the Elysian Viaduct. Helen instructed us to do a slow jog up the hill. I got confused and went into greyhound mode (I hate having people in front of me) and went a bit too fast.. which Helen promptly yelled "slow down and take it all in". Which kinda became a running joke when I fell behind later on. Up over I-10 then downhill into the Heights. This was the very cool part, since the Half and Full marathoners all merged here and the street was just a sea of people as far as you could see. Then it was just running with a lot of people. Lots of weaving around, trying to avoid the walkers, potholes, road patches, etc. We do a 5:1 run/walk ratio, and I was amazed with how good running felt. There are times where the 5 mins just drag on and on and on. For the majority of the race, when my watch beeped (all 4 of us were beeping in unison, it was pretty funny) it was like, already? time to walk? ok. *beep* time to run? no problem!
The first oh, hour or so flew by really quickly. What I remember is weaving through the crowd, chasing Helen (my coach), running past houses with residents outside cheering (some even were blasting music), random people handing out snacks to runners, the guy wearing a full-on furry cow costume, and just how good running felt. Nothing hurt, pace was good, I was having fun.
We hit the 10k part, went up a hill then south on Montrose, the one street that had familiar landmarks. At about oh, 8.5 miles, my digestive system decided it really did not like my dinner the previous night. It was uncomfortable, but not awful. No porta-johns in site, plus, I didn't want to lose my running partners. The GI thing passed, but I was slowing down by that point. Maybe not so much slowing down as Helen and this other girl got faster. Tara (who I ran with consistenly since July) and I stayed together, which turned out to be a good thing. At the turn-around, we lost Helen but trudged on. At mile 11, we hit Allen Parkway, which has a gradual hill and is the last stretch before you hit downtown. My GI was being difficult (very annoying) and Tara had a case of "everything hurt". Now, I don't even know Tara's last name and I'm pretty sure we'd never be friends IRL, but I was so glad to have her for that last part of the race. I kept her going (only 4 more run segments... we can do it) and she kept me going. Really, we were what eachother needed. I really think that if I didn't have her, I would have just said screw it and walked more than I did. But I didn't and I kept running.
As we approached the finish line, I was really expecting more "hoopla". I had visions of the last mile being full of noise and spectators. Really, it was the last 1/4 mile that was like that. The mile before that was a bit spooky, running through downtown on relatively empty streets (compared to the crowds of the day). My GI started really being unhappy, and with the finish line in sight I did say "screw it" and walked for a bit, until Coach Scott found me, put his arm around me, and made me run. Was it fun? no. But am I glad he did it? yes. My "realistic" goal was 2:45, my stretch goal was 2:30. I finished in 2:31 and am very very pleased. In fact, my 10k - 9 mile split had me running a whole 1 min/mile pace faster than my overall pace. Pretty cool. Did an arm pump as I crossed the finish line (mainly so you could see me in the pictures - which failed since I was behind giants and all you can see is my arm). Then we found our coach, took some pictures, and got our medals. And then I had a huge asthma attack (why now after I ran 13.1 miles???) and my poor legs transformed into stiff, sore limbs. That's ok, though, because they didn't hurt when I was running, and that's what matters.
So, in summary:
Got out of work early to pick up my packet on Friday. Nothing too exciting there. I suppose I was expecting "more" from the expo, but it was just ok. I picked up some new sunglasses and some arm-warmers, so that was cool.
Saturday I vegged on the couch for most of the day. Caught up on my TiVo list and played 2 hrs of Super Mario Bros Wii (why is that game so hard???). Dinner was at the Bull and Bear. Not the best choice (in hindsight) but I thought I was ok with a grilled chicken philly cheesesteak sammich. Home, got my race stuff prepped and was in bed by 10 PM.
Sunday morning I was up at 5 AM, out the door by 5:20. Breakfast consisted of my traditional Coke Zero and protein bar. Bad news was that I could still feel last night's dinner in my stomach... which was not a good thing! Got a free parking space ~3/4 mile behind the convention center. Ended up walking to the convention center (start of the race) with a guy who flew in from Georgia. Walked in the convention center and whoa.... that's a lot of people. Decided to hit the porta-john before the lines got go bad. Wandered over to find my running club, which thankfully had a sign, otherwise I would have been screwed. Did a bit of stretching, got my stuff ready for the day, wandered over to the bag check in to check my stuff, wandered back to my running club. Yup, lots 'o wandering. Then it was time to walk to the race start. We were in the second wave, probably about in the middle of the crowd. Even though it was in the mid-40's I wasn't cold. Partly because of being sandwiched btwn people, partly because of my awesome new arm sleeves. We heard a big KABOOM and realized that was the gun for the elites. More standing around, a bit of forward progress as the first wave went, more standing around. Then another gun and that was the start of our wave. I thought it was very cool that they were playing Iron Maiden's Run to the Hills at the start of my race. I was with my coach (Helen) and two other girls (Heather and Tara) who had been in my running group since July. The goal was to run together until the 9 mile turn-around point and then see what pace we could do after that point.
Lots of shuffling up to the start, then a slow jog. I haven't checked my Garmin, but given all the people, I'd estimate my pace was somewhere around a 12:30 mile. More shuffle running, trying to find space. Up the hill at the Elysian Viaduct. Helen instructed us to do a slow jog up the hill. I got confused and went into greyhound mode (I hate having people in front of me) and went a bit too fast.. which Helen promptly yelled "slow down and take it all in". Which kinda became a running joke when I fell behind later on. Up over I-10 then downhill into the Heights. This was the very cool part, since the Half and Full marathoners all merged here and the street was just a sea of people as far as you could see. Then it was just running with a lot of people. Lots of weaving around, trying to avoid the walkers, potholes, road patches, etc. We do a 5:1 run/walk ratio, and I was amazed with how good running felt. There are times where the 5 mins just drag on and on and on. For the majority of the race, when my watch beeped (all 4 of us were beeping in unison, it was pretty funny) it was like, already? time to walk? ok. *beep* time to run? no problem!
The first oh, hour or so flew by really quickly. What I remember is weaving through the crowd, chasing Helen (my coach), running past houses with residents outside cheering (some even were blasting music), random people handing out snacks to runners, the guy wearing a full-on furry cow costume, and just how good running felt. Nothing hurt, pace was good, I was having fun.
We hit the 10k part, went up a hill then south on Montrose, the one street that had familiar landmarks. At about oh, 8.5 miles, my digestive system decided it really did not like my dinner the previous night. It was uncomfortable, but not awful. No porta-johns in site, plus, I didn't want to lose my running partners. The GI thing passed, but I was slowing down by that point. Maybe not so much slowing down as Helen and this other girl got faster. Tara (who I ran with consistenly since July) and I stayed together, which turned out to be a good thing. At the turn-around, we lost Helen but trudged on. At mile 11, we hit Allen Parkway, which has a gradual hill and is the last stretch before you hit downtown. My GI was being difficult (very annoying) and Tara had a case of "everything hurt". Now, I don't even know Tara's last name and I'm pretty sure we'd never be friends IRL, but I was so glad to have her for that last part of the race. I kept her going (only 4 more run segments... we can do it) and she kept me going. Really, we were what eachother needed. I really think that if I didn't have her, I would have just said screw it and walked more than I did. But I didn't and I kept running.
As we approached the finish line, I was really expecting more "hoopla". I had visions of the last mile being full of noise and spectators. Really, it was the last 1/4 mile that was like that. The mile before that was a bit spooky, running through downtown on relatively empty streets (compared to the crowds of the day). My GI started really being unhappy, and with the finish line in sight I did say "screw it" and walked for a bit, until Coach Scott found me, put his arm around me, and made me run. Was it fun? no. But am I glad he did it? yes. My "realistic" goal was 2:45, my stretch goal was 2:30. I finished in 2:31 and am very very pleased. In fact, my 10k - 9 mile split had me running a whole 1 min/mile pace faster than my overall pace. Pretty cool. Did an arm pump as I crossed the finish line (mainly so you could see me in the pictures - which failed since I was behind giants and all you can see is my arm). Then we found our coach, took some pictures, and got our medals. And then I had a huge asthma attack (why now after I ran 13.1 miles???) and my poor legs transformed into stiff, sore limbs. That's ok, though, because they didn't hurt when I was running, and that's what matters.
So, in summary:
- Do not eat at the Bull and Bear before a race. Your stomach will thank you.
- KT tape is awesome
- Running with my training partners and coach was awesome.
- I ran just shy of my stretch goal, and exactly at my training pace
- At no point in time did I think "why am I doing this??? I'm a swimmer, not a runner!". I guess this means I'm a runner now.... eeps!
- Even though my legs still hurt (its Wednesday), I still get nothing but good feelings when I think about my race.
- And I'm looking forward to running this race next year! Woo!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Day before the Houston Half Marathon
Goals for the day: watch tv, play Super Mario Bros Wii (its hard, seriously), drink a LOT of water (something I've not been good about lately), charge up my garmin, shower and re-tape my knee with KT tape, and pick up my bike from the shop.
So that's the pre-race day post. This is the first day in months that I've slept in on a Saturday and it was awesome. Hoping today goes well and that I have fun!
I left work early yesterday to get my packet pick-up and to tour the Expo. I was actually well behaved at the expo and didn't buy a whole lot of stuff. Got a new pair of sunglasses (that make me look bad-ass. I figure I'm not fast, so I may as well look good, right?) and some arm warmers. I was really torn on what to wear at the start of the race for my upper body. Race-start temperature is ~40 degrees, which is a bit too chilly for all the standing around I'll be doing before the race starts. I usually wear a light weight long sleeve over my t-shirt (excuse me, tech short sleeve shirt) and then after ~1 or 2 miles I take the long sleeve off and tie it around my waist. I really don't want to have to mess with that (full disclosure: I don't want my race picture to have me with a shirt tied around my waist), and I really don't feel like buying a "disposable" long sleeve shirt, so the arm warmers are perfect. They're sleeves without the shirt, which means they're compact and I should be able to tuck them into my hydration belt. Plus I can use the sleeves on future runs and bike rides.
The goody back sucked, compared to other races I've been in and what I was expecting with all the sponsors this race has. No hats, towels, water bottles.... I don't even get a real bag - its plastic. The one really cool thing, though. My race number has my name on it:
Legs feel eh, still. I pulled something in my right inner thigh from IronStar and its still tweaky. Tweaky to the point that I've started limping when I run, which has made my IT band on my left knee go tweaky. I bought some KT Tape , which hopefully (?) will help. We shall see. I probably should add "ice knee" to my goal for today too.
So that's the pre-race day post. This is the first day in months that I've slept in on a Saturday and it was awesome. Hoping today goes well and that I have fun!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Getting ready for hills
So, IronStar last November kicked my butt. Those teeny little 150 foot high hills hurt. IronStar was a warmup for the Boise 70.3 race - whose hills are 300 feet tall. I ran out of gear going up these tiny 150 footers and was really, really freaking out about having to go up hills twice the size. I actually planned to do weights in the off-season to strengthen my legs for those hills, except then I forgot until a week ago. Oops! And here I am, 3 weeks away from having to start training, and still in the hole for those hills.
I dropped my bike off today at the shop for its very first tune-up. Since I put 1,000 miles on Buzz last year, the tech said I needed a new chain and cassette. We were talking and I was lamenting about my wussy legs and Boise. So the tech busts out a different cassette with more gears. Why didn't I think of that??? I now feel a bit (but not much) better about those hills, knowing that I have engineering on my side.
I dropped my bike off today at the shop for its very first tune-up. Since I put 1,000 miles on Buzz last year, the tech said I needed a new chain and cassette. We were talking and I was lamenting about my wussy legs and Boise. So the tech busts out a different cassette with more gears. Why didn't I think of that??? I now feel a bit (but not much) better about those hills, knowing that I have engineering on my side.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Blogging? what is that?
Ok, I need to get in the habit of writing things on here. Its hard, though, when life takes over and I get too busy. Or just want to veg. And having a blogging goal is a good way to try to focus.... In the past, I blogged about observations or how crappy my job was. Blogging was theraputic and I needed an outlet. 3 years later and I really don't need that sort of outlet... I'm happy (for the most part), which is a new thing for me. But my life is very fractured, mostly because my job is crazy but also because of my triathlon training schedule. Which makes coherent thought, especially when it comes to blogging.
So, if anything, I will try to blog weekly, if only to post training updates and total distances/times per week. And to post goals for the week/month/whatever. And we'll just see how it goes.
So, if anything, I will try to blog weekly, if only to post training updates and total distances/times per week. And to post goals for the week/month/whatever. And we'll just see how it goes.
Friday, January 01, 2010
2009 Training in Review
Funny, first post in a loooong time is looking back on training distances from 2009. I hope to do more active blogging on triathlon training for 2010.
2009 totals:
Bike: 92h 21m 04s - 931.87 Mi (includes spinning and cycling)
Run: 59h 23m 10s - 314.55 Mi
Swim: 123h 15m 55s - 305325.1 Yd or 176 miles
Pilates: 31h 15m
Stretching: 14h 25m
Yoga: 16h 05m
Races:
Lone Star
4/5/2009 965m/28 mi/6.5 mi
Places 31/157/619
swim: 20:16.4 2:06/100m
T105:15.7
Bike 1:35:55 17.5 mph
T2 02:39.2
Run 1:20:47 12:26/mile
Total 3:24:53
Silverlake
5/17/2009 400m/10 mi/3 mi
place: 20/35 312/467
Swim 8:17 2:05/100m
T1 2:28
Bike: 32:20:00 18.6 mph
T2 1:20
Run: 30:41:00 10:14/mile
Total 1:15:03
Memorial Hermann SugarLand
6/28/2009 300m/10 mi/3 mi
place: 10/44 236/555
Swim: 5:14 1:44/100 (long course pool)
T1: 02:22.0
Bike: ~30 min
no T2
Run:33:28.4 11:09/mile
Total 1:12:05
Jeff & Brede's
7/12/2009 300m/12 mi/3 mi
place: 11/30 243/404
Swim 5:07 1:43/100m (short course m pool)
T1: 03:00.0
Bike: 40:50:00 17.63 mph
T2 1:49
Run: 29:37.0
Total 1:20:22
TriGirl
8/16/2009 300m/11 mi/3 mi
place: 29/61 99/270
Swim 4:44.3 1:35/100m
T1 1:55.1
Bike 35:19.2 18.7 mph
T2 01:23.3
Run: 33:04.0 11:01/mile
Total 1:16:26
Big Shoulders Open Water Swim
9/12/2009 2500m swim
46:53:00 1:52 OWS Lake Michigan, sleeveless Zoot wetsuit
Firethorne
10/25/2009 500m/15 mi/3 mi
places: 18/33 402/598
swim: 8:57 1:47/100m
T1 2:31.2
Bike 50:54.9 17.7 mph
T2: 1:36.6
Run 31:45.9 10:35/Mile
Total 1:35:45.7
IronStar (swim/bike only) 1.2 mi swim / 56 mi bike
11/8/2009
swim: 41:28 2:08/100m
bike: 3:31:05.7 15.92 mph
no run (relay entry)
2009 totals:
Bike: 92h 21m 04s - 931.87 Mi (includes spinning and cycling)
Run: 59h 23m 10s - 314.55 Mi
Swim: 123h 15m 55s - 305325.1 Yd or 176 miles
Pilates: 31h 15m
Stretching: 14h 25m
Yoga: 16h 05m
Races:
Lone Star
4/5/2009 965m/28 mi/6.5 mi
Places 31/157/619
swim: 20:16.4 2:06/100m
T105:15.7
Bike 1:35:55 17.5 mph
T2 02:39.2
Run 1:20:47 12:26/mile
Total 3:24:53
Silverlake
5/17/2009 400m/10 mi/3 mi
place: 20/35 312/467
Swim 8:17 2:05/100m
T1 2:28
Bike: 32:20:00 18.6 mph
T2 1:20
Run: 30:41:00 10:14/mile
Total 1:15:03
Memorial Hermann SugarLand
6/28/2009 300m/10 mi/3 mi
place: 10/44 236/555
Swim: 5:14 1:44/100 (long course pool)
T1: 02:22.0
Bike: ~30 min
no T2
Run:33:28.4 11:09/mile
Total 1:12:05
Jeff & Brede's
7/12/2009 300m/12 mi/3 mi
place: 11/30 243/404
Swim 5:07 1:43/100m (short course m pool)
T1: 03:00.0
Bike: 40:50:00 17.63 mph
T2 1:49
Run: 29:37.0
Total 1:20:22
TriGirl
8/16/2009 300m/11 mi/3 mi
place: 29/61 99/270
Swim 4:44.3 1:35/100m
T1 1:55.1
Bike 35:19.2 18.7 mph
T2 01:23.3
Run: 33:04.0 11:01/mile
Total 1:16:26
Big Shoulders Open Water Swim
9/12/2009 2500m swim
46:53:00 1:52 OWS Lake Michigan, sleeveless Zoot wetsuit
Firethorne
10/25/2009 500m/15 mi/3 mi
places: 18/33 402/598
swim: 8:57 1:47/100m
T1 2:31.2
Bike 50:54.9 17.7 mph
T2: 1:36.6
Run 31:45.9 10:35/Mile
Total 1:35:45.7
IronStar (swim/bike only) 1.2 mi swim / 56 mi bike
11/8/2009
swim: 41:28 2:08/100m
bike: 3:31:05.7 15.92 mph
no run (relay entry)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
ramblings......
Today we had a new kind of swim practice - 1 hr of pilates follwed by a 1 mile swim outside. This was really, really nice, mostly because it was a beautiful sunday afternoon. I love swimming after pilates. You're relaxed and very self aware. Swimming is just so easy feeling after pilates. The sun was wonderful too - even if my face did get a bit pink.
We're a little over a week away from our Rome trip. We're trying to keep our schedule pretty open. We arrive on March 5th in the morning and leave March 9th in the morning. We want to hit the archaeolgical highlights (Collessium, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Palentine Hill). We wanted to see Pompeii, but its a 3 hr trip each way on a train and pretty crowded. So, instead we're going to Ostia Antica for a half day or so. Its only a 30 min train ride and you pretty much get the same experience as with Pompeii, only with fewer people. Plus, we can hop on the train for one more stop and hit the beach on the Mediterranean Sea. And I'd love to rent bikes and spend some time biking down the Via Appia Antica (Appian Way). This is the section with the catacombs, which we may or may not see.
We're also considering the
Borghese Gallery, which apparently if you only hit one museum, this is the one to see.
I think we're going to pass on the Vatican, mostly because we only have 4 days in Rome and I really don't want to spend a whole day waiting in lines and then inside just looking at stuff. Sure, its cool stuff, but I'd rather be outside in a Piazza eating gelato and people watching.
Also on the list: taking a bazillion pictures, eating my weight in gelato, pizza, and wine, and just hanging out.
We're a little over a week away from our Rome trip. We're trying to keep our schedule pretty open. We arrive on March 5th in the morning and leave March 9th in the morning. We want to hit the archaeolgical highlights (Collessium, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Palentine Hill). We wanted to see Pompeii, but its a 3 hr trip each way on a train and pretty crowded. So, instead we're going to Ostia Antica for a half day or so. Its only a 30 min train ride and you pretty much get the same experience as with Pompeii, only with fewer people. Plus, we can hop on the train for one more stop and hit the beach on the Mediterranean Sea. And I'd love to rent bikes and spend some time biking down the Via Appia Antica (Appian Way). This is the section with the catacombs, which we may or may not see.
We're also considering the
Borghese Gallery, which apparently if you only hit one museum, this is the one to see.
I think we're going to pass on the Vatican, mostly because we only have 4 days in Rome and I really don't want to spend a whole day waiting in lines and then inside just looking at stuff. Sure, its cool stuff, but I'd rather be outside in a Piazza eating gelato and people watching.
Also on the list: taking a bazillion pictures, eating my weight in gelato, pizza, and wine, and just hanging out.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Let the "I'm unprepared for Italy" dreams begin
I had my first dream about our upcoming trip last night. Clearly, I need to start packing NOW if this dream is any indication.
We're flying Delta (crossing fingers) from Houston to Atlanta to Rome. Houston has 2 airports, both of which fly to Atlanta.
In my dream, we roll into IAH, get onto our plane, only our plane doesn't take off. It leaves IAH, folds its wings up and DRIVES to the other airport. This is to pick up the other people going to Atlanta before we leave town. And during this drive, I'm a total wreck.
So then we get to the other airport and leave. I'm very thankful that the flight schedule we chose had 2.5 hrs of layover (our other IRL option had 50 minutes - and that equals lost luggage at ATL). So we get to ATL, only I realize I didn't bring any shoes, sunglasses, or sunscreen with us. How did I not pack those basics? But fortunately for us - there's a Target set up right in the terminal (or at least shelves with Target logos in the middle of the terminal walkways). So I'm shopping, but now panicking because I cannot find sunscreen. And who know if Italy has sunscreen...... and then I wake up.
Yep, definitely a sign that I should start a list and setting things aside now.
We're flying Delta (crossing fingers) from Houston to Atlanta to Rome. Houston has 2 airports, both of which fly to Atlanta.
In my dream, we roll into IAH, get onto our plane, only our plane doesn't take off. It leaves IAH, folds its wings up and DRIVES to the other airport. This is to pick up the other people going to Atlanta before we leave town. And during this drive, I'm a total wreck.
So then we get to the other airport and leave. I'm very thankful that the flight schedule we chose had 2.5 hrs of layover (our other IRL option had 50 minutes - and that equals lost luggage at ATL). So we get to ATL, only I realize I didn't bring any shoes, sunglasses, or sunscreen with us. How did I not pack those basics? But fortunately for us - there's a Target set up right in the terminal (or at least shelves with Target logos in the middle of the terminal walkways). So I'm shopping, but now panicking because I cannot find sunscreen. And who know if Italy has sunscreen...... and then I wake up.
Yep, definitely a sign that I should start a list and setting things aside now.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Hurrah! I can wear matching shoes again!
Buh-bye big ugly velcro bootie. I had a follow-up appt today and my foot is healed!!! The doctor showed me the before and after x-rays, and remember how I tried to convince myself that the bone wasn't *that* broken? Yeah, well.... it was actually really truly broken. Good thing I didn't run, huh? :smacks self on forehead:
So now I have 6 weeks in a super-hawt navy ankle brace. But at least most of my shoes will fit over that.
And the best part? No more making fun of me. I swear, if I heard another peg-leg or penguin comment...... and no more having to have this conversation over and over again:
Random Stranger: what did you do to your foot
me: I broke it
RS: no way - how?
me: I don't know
RS: what do you mean you don't know?
me: what I mean is, I have no idea how I broke it
and so on. trust me, it got REALLY old. Especially after the very drunk lady at happy hour who kept bugging me and told me that should I ever give birth, I won't need an epidural b/c my pain tolerance is high. umkay, thanks. Really, the less I can do to attract freaks, the better off everybody is.
So now I have 6 weeks in a super-hawt navy ankle brace. But at least most of my shoes will fit over that.
And the best part? No more making fun of me. I swear, if I heard another peg-leg or penguin comment...... and no more having to have this conversation over and over again:
Random Stranger: what did you do to your foot
me: I broke it
RS: no way - how?
me: I don't know
RS: what do you mean you don't know?
me: what I mean is, I have no idea how I broke it
and so on. trust me, it got REALLY old. Especially after the very drunk lady at happy hour who kept bugging me and told me that should I ever give birth, I won't need an epidural b/c my pain tolerance is high. umkay, thanks. Really, the less I can do to attract freaks, the better off everybody is.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
motivation to behave
I found new motivation to rest and let my foot heal. Well, rest is relative, meaning no half-marathons. I'm still swimming, though. But I am trying very hard to not do a lot of walking.
Anyways, the motivation....
Will and I are going to ROME (as in Italy) the first week of March. I'm beyond excited. The only bummer is that when I get excited, I tend to jump up and down. Only with my velcro bootie, the effect of jumping up and down excitedly is really just sad and pathetic and causes Will to break out into fits of laughter and call me a penguin.
Anyways, we have our airfare and bed and breakfast booked. We have 4.5 weeks to learn Italian and read a bunch of guidebooks.
Anyways, the motivation....
Will and I are going to ROME (as in Italy) the first week of March. I'm beyond excited. The only bummer is that when I get excited, I tend to jump up and down. Only with my velcro bootie, the effect of jumping up and down excitedly is really just sad and pathetic and causes Will to break out into fits of laughter and call me a penguin.
Anyways, we have our airfare and bed and breakfast booked. We have 4.5 weeks to learn Italian and read a bunch of guidebooks.
Monday, January 14, 2008
A very strange sequence of events
I'm a big believer of "everything happens for a reason". The past week (or so) is definitely proof of that.
I broke my foot, preventing me from running the Disney half marathon.
My friend (C, that I was running with) - her husband's grandfather's health had declined rapidly. C recently moved to FL to be closer to her family, while her husband stayed behind in SC until he could transfer to FL. When I called on Dec 31 to tell C that I broke my foot, she was in the process of moving out of her SC home, to get her husband moved into Granddaddy's house to better watch after him.
A week later, it was decided that C would be moving back up to SC and acting as Grandaddy's home health care provider. She'd be moving the same day I flew back home. I cancelled my trip so she could have more quality time with her own family.
Last Wednesday, C found out that Grandaddy was hospitalized due to complications from dimensia. She decided to move the very next day (which would have been the day I arrived in Orlando).
Last Thurs (the day I was supposed to be in Orlando), I got a call from my best friend from HS. Her husband's grandfather had passed away, and they were in Alabama for his funeral. They were flying back home with a layover in Houston, but were delayed and would most likely miss their connection in Houston. Sure enough, they were 3 hrs late and missed their plane - and couldn't get on another plane for 24 hrs. Since this was weather related, they were on their own for lodging, etc.
So for 24 hrs, I got to hang out with my friend that I don't get to see very often, because of a very bizarre chain of events. It was really so incredible that something good and fun came out of so many bad things. This almost never happens. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket.
I broke my foot, preventing me from running the Disney half marathon.
My friend (C, that I was running with) - her husband's grandfather's health had declined rapidly. C recently moved to FL to be closer to her family, while her husband stayed behind in SC until he could transfer to FL. When I called on Dec 31 to tell C that I broke my foot, she was in the process of moving out of her SC home, to get her husband moved into Granddaddy's house to better watch after him.
A week later, it was decided that C would be moving back up to SC and acting as Grandaddy's home health care provider. She'd be moving the same day I flew back home. I cancelled my trip so she could have more quality time with her own family.
Last Wednesday, C found out that Grandaddy was hospitalized due to complications from dimensia. She decided to move the very next day (which would have been the day I arrived in Orlando).
Last Thurs (the day I was supposed to be in Orlando), I got a call from my best friend from HS. Her husband's grandfather had passed away, and they were in Alabama for his funeral. They were flying back home with a layover in Houston, but were delayed and would most likely miss their connection in Houston. Sure enough, they were 3 hrs late and missed their plane - and couldn't get on another plane for 24 hrs. Since this was weather related, they were on their own for lodging, etc.
So for 24 hrs, I got to hang out with my friend that I don't get to see very often, because of a very bizarre chain of events. It was really so incredible that something good and fun came out of so many bad things. This almost never happens. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
cancelled
After a lot of thought, I've cancelled my flight to Florida. My friend has a lot going on right now and her training hasn't been going well either. We both decided it would be best if I cancelled my flight and tried to visit her during a less chaotic time.
Bummer.
And I have to work now.
However, husband is wanting to take a trip "just the two of us". Which, he never, ever requests. I know he had something more domestic in mind (he mentioned Vegas). I'm thinking 4 days somewhere in Europe would be fun.
I swear, all I do is work, eat, sleep, train, and plan vacations.....
Bummer.
And I have to work now.
However, husband is wanting to take a trip "just the two of us". Which, he never, ever requests. I know he had something more domestic in mind (he mentioned Vegas). I'm thinking 4 days somewhere in Europe would be fun.
I swear, all I do is work, eat, sleep, train, and plan vacations.....
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