Colfax Half Marathon Race Report

aka - when did I figure out how to run so fast?
aaka - PR baby!

So - quick report:  I stuck to the plan (mostly), ran hard, didn't die, and crushed my old 13.1 PR for a time of 2:08:23.  Holy awesome.

Long report:

Pre-Race
As part of my Ambassador duties, I had to work the Expo on Saturday from 8:30-2:30.  That was a lot of time on my feet and my legs were TIRED that night.  We had what is becoming a pre-race dinner tradition of sushi and froyo (they're in the same building, you can't have one without the other) and went to bed at 9:30.

Alarm went off at 4:20 and my neighbor was picking me up at 5 AM.  I got dressed - Ambassador short sleeve shirt and my new Coeur tri shorts, plus some layers because it was 5 AM and cold out.  I made some coffee to drink on the ride over and grabbed my stuff and headed out.  My breakfast was a bit different this time.  I made the coconut blueberry chocolate rice cakes from the FeedZone, only I used raspberries and just mixed everything together and put it in a bowl.  Much easier to eat that way.  No idea how many calories I had, probably 300-400.  We got there at 5:45, found easy parking and did the usual pre-race routine.

With 10 min before the start (which was at 6:45) I wandered over to the start line with my tri club and wedged myself in between gaps in the corral fence to get into the proper start line.  Where I stood for a good long while looking for anyone I knew.  I didn't find anyone, which was weird.  In fact, I didn't see a single familiar face for the entire 13.1 miles, which was also a bit weird.

Race Plan

• Mile 1 & 2: do NOT get excited and run fast.  This will be hard because we're running through the zoo and it will be fun and exciting.  must.not.get.excited.  !!!
• Miles 3~7: keep heart rate around 160, creeping up to 165 towards the half way point of the race.  This is the uphill portion of the course, which according to the interwebs is a whopping 150 feet of climbing.  Still, I need to keep things controlled and in check.
• Mile 7-10: heart rate around 165, push where I can but don't burn too many matches.
• Mile 10, 11, 12: evaluate how I feel and see if I can pick up the pace.  This is downhill and hopefully I can fly
• Mike 13: run hard.  do not die.  simple!
• Nutrition is going to be pretty simple.  I'm going to eat ~400 calories of some FeedZone rice cakes on the way to the race. I'm leaving at 5 AM and the race is at 6:45 AM, so that gives me plenty of time.  Then I'll have some SunRype with me and try to get in ~200 calories/hour.  I'll have 1 scoop of Osmo in my handheld and probably just refill with plain water when that runs out.

Race

For once, I actually had a decent time of sticking with my ~155 bpm goal for the first two miles.  It helped that those were sort of "padding miles" where we were running around City Park and nearby roads.  Nothing special there.  Ok, in looking back at my garmin file, my HR was closer to 160 but the pace felt easy.

The weird/not-so-fun part was running with my new Coeur tri shorts.  You know the "never anything new on race day" thing?  Well these shorts were BRAND new.  I had 3 SunRype bars (120 cals) for my race nutrition shoved in the very generous pocket in the back of the shorts.  And almost immediately, the shorts began to fall down.  They fit great and I didn't want a smaller size in the store (to minimize waistband-belly rolls), but maybe I do need a smaller size.  Or a drawstring.  Or something.  It was so bad that I ended up cramming a bar down my sports bra, and cramming a bar up each leg.  Fortunately the shorts have leg grips and the bars stayed put there.  I think I spent the first 1.5 miles fidgeting with my shorts, trying to make them stay put.  They finally settled into a happy spot and I didn't mess with them for the rest of the race.  But I need to tweak these (or get a smaller size) to make them functional for 70.3s or longer.

At ~mile 2 we got to the zoo, which was pretty cool.  I really haven't been there since I was a kid and it was nice.  They had people out with semi-educational signs, telling you which animals were coming up next.  The only one I remember was "the color of a flamingo depends upon what they've eaten" (paraphrased).  I saw monkeys, turkey vultures, a hippo, elephants and flamingos.  It was pretty cool, maybe the highlight of the course.

Once we got out of the zoo and onto Montview Blvd, I knew the work was going to start.  They changed the course from when I did it in 2012, mainly by reversing things.  We went out on Montview and back on Colfax (sorta).  I actually liked this, as Colfax really isn't that scenic.  I knew there was a big, long (not very steep) uphill for several miles.  I just went by HR and tried to keep my form strong and my feet light.  I was checking my watch at every mile and doing the math.  For a 2:10, I'd need a 9:55/mile pace, so at mile 4 I'd need to be around 39:40, mile 5 at 49:35, etc.  Pretty easy race math.  I kept checking my HR and pace on my watch and was amazed to see I was already at my goal pace, going uphill, with a pretty comfortable HR between 160 and 165.  Interesting.  I knew that things were either going to go very well or go very badly with these numbers.  My hope was to just hold on and shoot for very well.

The nice thing about running along a straight road for miles and miles is you can see when the hill ends.  Thank goodness.  My left foot was not doing me any favors by going completely numb.  It did this during my tempo run earlier in the week and I was *hoping* it wouldn't happen during the race.  But it did.  I walked through the aid station and the numbness went away a bit, but not completely.  I just said screw it and hoped that my leg/foot would release when I got to the top of the hill and started running of flats.  Fortunately, this was the case here and my foot was just fine for the rest of the race.  *phew*

We got to what I thought was the top of the hill around mile 6 and in my head, we should have been turning and headed back down Colfax - DOWNHILL.  This was not the case.  We kinda meandered around for another ~2 miles (seemingly uphill) until we got to the fire station (which was absent of shirtless firemen, big bummer) and THEN we got our downhill.  Sorta.  It turns out that we were on rollers and the big downhill I was hoping for just wasn't there.  

Based on my plan for the race, I was beginning to push faster around mile 6, but in reality, I was just aiming for consistent HR and pacing as we went up and down these rollers.  Faster on the downhill, steady on the uphill.  I had a few key words I would say (aloud or in my head) to my self: "fly" for the downs, "keep the wheels on" for all other times.  Based on my garmin file, my HR was at 170 bpm from mile 8 to the finish. I'm not sure I've ever run for 5 miles with that high of a HR. Normally I want to die at that HR (or slow down) but I knew I was doing great and my effort actually felt really good.  I'd look at my watch and see 9:4x or faster and was just amazed.  So I turned off the part of my brain that normally looks at numbers and freaks out and slows down and just kept my effort steady.  Foot on the gas, as it were.

I think around mile 5 I ate some of my fruit snack bar. Maybe at mile 6, I'm not sure.  But it was about an hour in.  Maybe around mile 8 I got a bit fuzzy, probably from lack of calories, so I tried to eat a nibble of the bar every mile.  Thus the "keep the wheels on".  I was just inside the line of falling apart, from effort and maybe a bit of nutrition.  (I still haven't found a way to really eat much when you're going hard).  

So "wheels on" just became my thing until we made it to the sweet, sweet downhill at mile 11.  That's when I really started passing people.  Fun!  I really don't remember a whole lot about those last few miles, other than "fly" and "wheels" and trying to catch a woman with a Denver RnR 2011 race shirt.  City Park showed up and I knew we had ~1 mile left and I needed to keep pushing as much as I could.  I don't think my pace really increased all that much (TrainingPeaks does have my fastest 5 minutes as the race finish).  I was just trying to go hard and not die.  There's a little uphill at the finish that sucks and they're not very nice and place the finish a good ways behind the start line, so you see a blue arch, think its the finish, and realize its the start arch.  I knew about this and it still got me a bit.  Lame.  But I just ran and ran and ran. And then the finish showed up, I ran though it (I think the RnR shirt woman came across the same time as me), and I got a medal from a friendly fireman.

And then I was a bit asthma-y, with no inhaler, and wandered over to medical, where they had zero inhalers (WTF?)  I thought about finding my friend who was cheering at the finish (she had one) but by that point I just wanted to sit down.  Fortunately the asthma chilled out and I was fine.

Time: 2:08:23 - that's a 9 min PR and WELL under my "scary" goal of 2:10.  Amazing.

Pace: 9:48/mile - that's a 0:42/mile PR pace.  Wow.

Place: 377/1325 AG (F30-39), 1944/5839 OA  

Yes, in a running race, I placed in the top ~1/3 of the finishers.  I can't say that's ever happened before. Sweet!

Post-Race

I spent the post race walking back and forth between my charity tent (Smart-Girl) and my tri club tent, making sure the charity was ok and chatting with my friends.  I brought some shoes to change into and I'm so glad I did.  My Gone for a Run PR Soles (review) are pretty ugly but oh-so-comfy.  I wandered over and cheered on my club's relay team (my husband did leg 3 - his longest race distance ever with 6 miles).  And then we got crappy beers (again, Mich Ultra for a CO race, really?!?) and some nice looking but eh tasting BBW.  And then it was a long walk to my husband's car. 

Altitude Multisport -we had a lot of runners!

Both of us were finishers!

I think this is the first time we've both received medals at the same race!

Walking the next morning wasn't fun, but it was tolerable.  Probably due to all the post-race walking.

What's next

Boise 70.3!  I told Coach Michelle that I wanted to "race-race" this one a few days prior to Colfax.  Now, after setting this HUGE run PR, I'm really excited to see what I'm able to do at Boise.  It should be fun.  And painful.  But a good kind of painful :)  

Gear Review - Gone for a Run Arm Warmers

My old arm warmers are looking pretty ragged.  I got them in Jan 2010 at the expo for my first Half Marathon.  The velcro on my aerobars have done a number on them - they're pulled and ratty looking.  

As part of my Gone for a Run Ambassadorship, I thought I'd give their arm warmers a try.  They come in all sorts of fun designs and well, I needed new ones anyways.  I ended up selecting the "Will run for beer" ones.  I thought it was appropriate.  Especially since I've been known to run to the local brewery and meet my husband for beers/dinner.

these are pretty cool looking

The Specs:

• Top nylon-spandex fabric
• UV protection 50+ and anti-bacterial fabric
• Compression fit with "stay put" grip
• Available in multiple sizes

Depending on design, the arm warmers range from $21.99 - $25.99.

sizing: 

SIZE	LENGTH	WIDTH (at top)
X-Small	16.25"	4.5"
Small	16.5"	4.5"
Medium	17.5"	4.75"

I ordered a small.  I measured my old arm warmers (laid them flat on the counter and measured the diameter at the top) and thought I'd be ok.  What I forgot was that my old arm warmers are VERY stretchy.  As a result, these arm warmers are pretty tight. 

I put them on for a chilly recovery ride on my bike.  I rarely use arm warmers for running but I like them for cycling.  

the true sign of a recovery ride: nothing matches

Thoughts

• they seemed to have more of a cooling effect than a warming effect when I was riding.  That wasn't so good as it was pretty chilly out.
• the text is screen printed, which is a bit stiff but not so stiff that you really noticed it.  I imagine it would soften up with time and use.
• the stretch was pretty good.  I didn't have any bunching at my elbows or too much tightness anywhere.
• the length was really good
• I really didn't like the grippy stuff at the top of the sleeves.  It irritated my skin.  If it did that on a 1 hour easy bike ride I don't think it would be pretty for a run.
• I almost wish I'd ordered a medium.

Overall, these were just ok.  I think I like my old arm warmers better, mainly because I like the fabric better.  (sorry)

But, if you need grips on your sleeves and want something with a cute slogan or colorful fabric, give these a try!

snazzy!

*disclaimer* Gone for a Run provided these arm warmers to me to wear and review.  All opinions remain my own.

My new favorite commuter mug

Will and I have been a bit cheap this year (or smart, depending on how you look at it) and are taking breakfast with us on our ski trips instead of stopping somewhere along the way.  This usually consists of either a protein bar or if I really am organized, a breakfast sandwich.  And coffee.  Definitely coffee.

Our commuter mugs are all at least 5 years old.  Will has poached been using the best in our collection leaving me with the remaining mugs, which all leak to varying degrees.  Leaky mugs are annoying.  I was getting frustrated and was even thinking of getting a new mug this year.  I mean, its no fun showing up anywhere with coffee dribbles on you!

Lo and behold, Gone for a Run offered up a commuter mug as part of my Ambassadorship!  Bingo!  I selected the 140.6 theme, so I can be a triathlon snob, even when I'm heading to the slopes.  (I'm not quite a tri-snob on the slopes but do keep meaning to get an M-Dot sticker for my helmet.)

I used my new mug last Friday on our way up to the slopes.  We left at 6:30 and coffee was *definitely* required.

somewhere along I-70....

Thoughts:

• I really like the size.  We have a Subaru which has *terrible* cupholders - they're tiny.  This mug fits no problem!
• I like my coffee to stay HOT.  The mug seems to be well insulated.  The outside stayed nice and cool, which tells me that the heat is staying with my coffee, where it belongs!
• The lid has a flip cap which seals really well.  So well that I had sealed it up on the mountain when I was done and it was pressurized when we returned to town.  I haven't actually done a proper seal test (ie hold it upside down) but I think it would do well.
• The lid is a rubberized threaded gasket. NO LEAKS!  Yay!  I can drink coffee without fear of getting dribbles on me.  Hurray!

a little nicer photo.  Source: Gone for a Run

Specs:

• 15.2 ounces capacity
• stainless steel
• available in black, red, or blue

I think this mug would work really well in the summer with some frozen recovery drink as well.

I also thought about getting this design.  I like the trees.
Source: Gone for a Run

Price: $17.99

Website link: http://www.goneforarun.com/Commuter_Cups_s/1487.htm

There are 30 designs, so odds are pretty good that you'll find a commuter mug that you'll love!

*disclaimer* Gone for a Run provided this commuter mug for me to use and review.  All opinions remain my own.

Gear Review - PR//SOLES Recovery Sandals

I got these shoes in November and I've been meaning to review these guys for a LONG time.  I broke my toe in early December and it has been really, really cold here.  Both of these conditions aren't all that friendly for sandal wearing.  I also keep wanting to wear them after skiing, but I haven't figured out how to do that and not freeze.

We had a BEAUTIFUL weekend last weekend and I finally broke out the sandals for some extended wearing.  It was in the 60's both days.  I had a 10 mi race on Saturday and a 43 mile bike ride on Sunday - both of which were good opportunities to wear the sandals afterwards and see how they did.

post-cycling fashion statement.  Also: SHORTS IN JANUARY!

You can get these sandals from Gone for a Run and they come in pink/navy and orange/navy.  I got the pink because I did not want Broncos colors on my feet....

Blurb from the website:

PR SOLES are specifically designed for runners to provide the most comfortable post-run footwear option and promote recovery of sore and tired feet. Just step into these super comfortable sandals featuring ACUPOINT soles to have your feet massaged as you walk. PR SOLES are lightweight, breathable, waterproof and feature our unique foam cushioned acupoint soles for ultimate massaging comfort that both refresh and energize your feet. 

How do PR SOLES work? The unique raised ‘triggers’ on the acupoint soles activate nerve endings in the feet that send healing relief through the entire body. These triggers are specially designed to massage your feet improving circulation and breaking up painful lactic acid and uric acid that accumulate in the feet after a run or any extended time on your feet. 

Recover Faster and Smarter By slipping on PR||SOLES after a run or activity, the triggers will immediately engage your feet to increase circulation and nerve stimulation which benefits the entire body. Here are just a few of the benefits of applying massaging action to the feet: 
1. Improves circulation by stimulating blood flow, which will refresh the feet and legs. 
2. Breaks up accumulated wastes such as lactic and uric acid in the feet. 
3. Alleviates foot, leg and lower back pain 
4. Reduces swelling and tension 
5. Stimulates nerve endings benefiting the entire body 
6. Feet and legs recover faster

My plantar fascia have been pretty crabby with me, mainly because its off season, and in my dumb little head, off season means I can also take a break on restorative practices, such as massaging my feet daily to keep my PF happy.  I knew that after running 10 miles hard on Saturday my feet would be sore and tired and slipping on some nice sandals would feel REALLY good.  Post finish asthma attack, I put the sandals on and walked to the car and kept them on for pretty much the afternoon.  Then on Sunday, I wore them after my bike ride, around the house, and to the grocery store.  

Thoughts on the shoes:

• You really can feel the "triggers" (they look like those old eggfoam mattress pads) when you walk and they feel GOOD.
• The sole beds are firm enough for the trigger points some oomph but they're soft enough to be comfy.  In other words, the cushioning was just right, at least for me
• I like wearing sandals like this after cycling, mainly because I can keep my socks on.
• They are ugly (sorry).  They are a big and bulky (but also VERY light weight).  I'm not sure how you could improve on the looks though, since it seems these sandals are more function over form.
• The sizing on the website is a bit wonky.  I wear a size 9 in running shoes and 8.5 in most other shoes. I took the footbed out of my running shoes and compared that to the size chart and found that I should order a large in the sandals.  They arrived and were HUGE.  I sent them back and got mediums.  Still a bit big (they run wide and I have skinny feet) but with socks they fit just fine.
• I got to test out the Gone for a Run exchange process.  Super smooth and easy!

All in all, I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of these once the weather warms up.  They were really comfy and seemed to make my feet a little less crabby.

Cost: $29.99
Website link: http://www.goneforarun.com/PR_SOLES_Recovery_Sandals_s/1375.htm

*disclaimer* Gone for a Run provided these shoes to me to wear and review.  All opinions remain my own.

Santa Stampede 2013 Race Report

I did this race series last year.  In fact, last year, the 10k was my first race since breaking my heel.  I had been running for maybe 2 months, but never fast and never that far.  So I was excited but apprehensive.  And I was going to be happy with whatever time I finished with.

Fast forward to 2013, which friends have nicknamed "the year of PRs" for me.  And honestly, it has been one PR after another this year.  Really, freaking cool.

I sat down with my race result spreadsheet (yes, I am a nerd) and went through my paces at that distance.  Last year I ran the 10k in 1:04:37 (10:26 pace).  I did a trail 12k in October at a 10:09 pace, and that included hills and uneven footing.  So... if I did this 10k at the 10:09 pace, that would put me around a 1:01:30 (give or take).  Why not round down to sub-60 (9:40 pace) and make it a goal?  I'm pretty sure I've never ran that fast in even a 5k before.  Sure!  No problem!

Temps were in the 20's when we got there at 8:30 AM.  I was smart and wore sweat pants AND ski pants over my running outfit (capris and socks) and I also wore a hoodie and jacket/scarf (over my t-shirt).  I was toasty warm.  Yay!  (related funny: no one recognized me with all my layers)  I saw Will off for the 5k and went inside the lodge to warm up - I found some friends there, so it was nice to hang out with them during the 5k.  After 15 minutes, I went outside to cheer on Will and some other people from my tri club.  While I was waiting, some poor girl (HS cross country?) turned the corner and started puking.  Couldn't even move out of the way.  Her coach or someone finally helped her to the side and to the finish.  I felt her pain, it is uphill to the finish and it hurts.

Once Will finished, I needed to strip down to my run clothes and do a 20 minute warmup.  I always mis-judge the time and never get my full warm up in (sorry Michelle!).  I did get in 15 minutes and included some strides.  I got to the race start with minutes to spare and made a last minute decision to ditch my arm sleeves.  I was pretty cold at the start of my warmup (I think it was low-30 temps by this point?) but by the end I was pretty warm.  I knew that with pushing my pace, I'd only get warmer and I'd end up rolling the sleeves down.  Better to just get rid of them.  And running cold always gives me more motivation to run faster.

sporting my Colfax Ambassador gear and my
festive elf socks

The race plan was to start out semi-conservative for the first mile, keep my pace around 10:00 and HR around 160.  Then start pushing and after 2 miles, ignore my watch and just run fast.

And that's pretty much what I did.  I ran and found a few people I wanted to chase.  I was trying to stay in control for the first mile but I probably did a bad job.  I just wanted to RUN.

Miles 2-4 were basically "lets see how fast I can run but still breathe".  There were two girls (also in elf socks) with their moms and we kept leapfrogging each other.  They eventually got in front of me but were running at my target pace, so I just used them as pacers.  It turns out it was their first 10k and they were shooting for a 11:00 pace.  Oh, and a podium in their age group.  They provided a nice little distraction for me, which was much appreciated it.

after winning 1st and 2nd in their age group

This year they changed the course a bit, and had us do an out and back on a side trail.  Most of the run was in one direction on the Platte trail, which was great.  You had room to move and could (mostly) avoid the patches of packed snow and ice .  But on this side trail, traffic was in both directions, AND there was packed snow on both sides of the trail so you had no where to go.  To make it even more crowded, they put a water aid station (to service both sides of the trail), which was a terrible decision.  You had people walking through the aid station and other people trying to run past, all very crowded with patches of ice/snow and no room to move.  I think we had ~1 or 1.5 miles of this crap.  Not cool.

Once we finally got to the main trail again, we had 2 miles left and I decided it was really go time.  I left my 9-year old pacers and just focused on running and not dying.  The not dying part is hard because the last 2 miles are a gradual uphill and as a bonus, we had a headwind.  Yay!

I don't remember too much about those last two miles except just trying to run fast enough to hit my goal and not die.  With about a mile or so left, I came across one of my friends (who is speedy) and I passed her.  I was expecting her to pick it up and hang on, but she never did.

this is apparently what I look like when I'm dying

Then more running, trying not to die, running, running faster.  Finally I hit the hill up into Hudson Gardens (who was hosting the race) and I knew I only had 0.25 mi left, mostly uphill.  I saw Will in about the same spot I saw him, he asked me to smile and I was borederline-pukey and all I could manage was to shake my hand "no".  I couldn't even shake my head.  ha!  Then up to the finish (don't die had been replaced by don't puke) and I was happy to see the race clock was under 1:00, meaning I had hit my goal.

game face

Right after the line, some volunteers were cutting the timing chip off my shoe and I was having a pretty lively internal debate about puking there on the spot or if I should find a bush to puke in or if I should try and walk it off.  Lucky for everyone, I really hate puking, so I just walked it off.   And used my inhaler about 20 times because I really couldn't breathe.  But yay - PR!

Time: 59:25, 9:35/mile pace
Place: 33/56 age group, 298/509 overall

Gear Review - Yakety Yak Knee High Running Socks

I got these socks specifically to wear at my local Santa's Stampede 10k.  Race organizers give you a santa hat to wear, but I get warm easily and the fit on the hat is always wonky, so I end up holding the hat as I run. Not festive!  But now that I had these socks, I was festive and ready to run.

as modeled in my dining room, pre-race

Socks can be a bit risky for me, mainly because my feet hate me.  Really, my feet are very picky and its rare when I can pick something off the shelf and have it work for me.  (see: my collection of rarely worn but very cute running socks.  Honestly, there's only 2 or 3 brands out there that I can wear comfortably).  To add to the challenge, my right pinky toe was possibly broken.  I refuse to get it xrayed and it usually feels fine when I'm running.  Just don't ask me how it feels when I'm not running.  *sigh*  I haven't been able to wear most shoes (other than some old runners) and I had to be selective on my socks because anything too tight would hurt.  And here I was, going for a big PR in a 10k in strange socks.  No worries!

ready to run

These socks are very thin and lightweight.  I had plenty of room in my toes (they didn't bother my broken* toe).  They are a bit tight in the calf (see how stretched they are in the first photo), but the tightness wasn't uncomfortable.  In fact, it probably helped the socks stay up. There isn't any cushion to these, but I normally don't like cushion in my socks. These may look like compression socks, but they really aren't.  They're more like a fun lightweight tall sock.  So keep that in mind when you're buying and wearing them.  They come in a variety of colors and designs.  I definitely see myself getting these St Patrick's Day themed socks or these cute pink/green argyle ones in the future.  They cost $9.99 - very affordable for something "fun" to wear during races, on festive training runs, or when you need something cute or spunky as extra motivation to get out the door and run.

My race went really well, in fact I had a 5 minute PR and beat my goal by 35 seconds.  Along the course (and before and after the race) I got plenty comments about my socks.  They were definitely festive and easy to see!  As for performance, I didn't even notice them as I was running, which to me, is high praise.  My legs and feet felt awesome the entire race.  My toes had room to move and I never developed any hot spots or foot discomfort.  Hurray!

sprinting to the finish - all my husband had to do was look for the socks

Buy them at Gone for a Run, an online store for $9.99

Get 10% off through Dec 20, 2013 with the coupon code "GOTRIERIN10"

*disclaimer* Gone for a Run provided these socks to me to wear and review.  All opinions remain my own.

Off Season!

Wahoo!

Seriously, I am soooo happy to have survived Tri Season 2013.  Seeing where I was a year ago and where I am now is amazing.  A year ago, I was rebuilding and relearning how to run after breaking my heel, hoping that everything I had planned in 2013 would go well.  This year's tri season exceeded my expectations with the main highlight being IMCDA.  I still can't get over how well that day went - it really was a fantastic day.

I spent Sunday putting Merlin back together (so easy now that I know what I'm doing) and putting away all of my triathlon race stuff.  Its a bit sad, but also nice.  Hopefully I'll remember where I put everything in June.

I'm still a bit tired after Oilman.  My muscles are fine but there's still some underlying fatigue.  I've swam 3x and its gone just ok.  One of those times was a 3k yard postal challenge.  It sounded like a good idea a week before Oilman and then it sounded like a not-very-good idea after.  But I had committed.  And I got a free (really nice) silicone swim cap.  But I was a good 1-2 min slower than in previous years and probably a good 3-4 min slower than I should have been, given how I've been swimming this year.

I went for an easy run Tuesday (or "joggy-jog" as my coach put it).  I did 30 min in beautiful Colorado 50-degree sunshine.  I ran too fast but my legs felt good and I just wanted to RUN.  I wanted to do hot yoga last night but the instructor was a no-show.  So I went home and watched tv.  Same thing, right?

We're easing into the off-season.  I'm not quite sure what my training will look like but I'm pretty sure it will resemble last year pretty closely, with maybe more speed/strength added in since I'm not coming off of a fracture.  I'm also going to really try and do yoga once a week because I think its good for me.  I'm just going to put it on my calendar and let Michelle deal with it.

And I'm going to ski.  This year is looking pretty good so far.  Copper opened up Nov 1 - with a powder day!  I'm hitting the slopes Saturday, which may be a early-season record for me.  And its looking like a powder day.  Now to figure out which skis to bring......  And to find my ski gear.

2014 is shaping up to look like a fun tri year.  I'm doing the Winter Distance Series again.  Its really well done and it does keep you running over the winter.  May will be the Colfax half marathon.  June is Boise 70.3.  Yes, I'm signed up for Boulder 70.3 but I have a very important wedding to attend that same weekend in Idaho, which means Boulder is out.  So Boise it is.  (and I say this making a bit of a squinty/scared face, that race and I do not have a fabulous history).  July will be spent riding my bike lots.  And August 3, 2014 is the Big Show - Ironman Boulder.  And then I'll spend the rest of August sleeping or camping or fishing.

Also in 2014, I have some pretty fun tri-related opportunities.  I've been accepted as an ambassador for 2 groups and accepted on a local tri team.

Colfax Marathon Ambassador: they wrote up this super cool bio for me and I get some pretty nice gear, including a light weight running jacket with a ton of reflective stuff on it.  In return, I promote the race, which is a pretty easy deal.  I'm really looking forward to running through the Denver Zoo during the half marathon.

Gone for a Run: I follow their feed on facebook, and it turns out that they have an internet store focused on running stuff.  They'll send me products every couple of months and I'll review them here on my blog.  I've got two things so far (Yakety Yak Knee Socks and PR Soles sandals).  Both are pretty awesome.

And finally, I managed to get myself on a local triathlon team.  I admit, I have a thing for cool looking kits that you can't just purchase (ie you have to earn it).  Its definitely elitist tri-cool-kid envy.  The envy was alleviated a bit with my two Active Ambassador teams (Sony and SunRype) but this year, it takes more than a free team kit and a bunch of free samples to make me happy.  The Active groups don't have much sense of local community and I've decided that community and friendships are something that I want in my team.  There are two main "you have to apply and be accepted" teams in town and I think the competition is pretty fierce.  I've really focused on building my local resume this year with the goal of being accepted.  And yay, I was accepted to Kompetitve Edge today!  Hurray!