Q&As

1) How much slack do you have on the leash?

Well, when I run with el Bandito (Spanish for Bandit) I use a hands-free leash system that connects to my waist with a lunge buster that helps tremendously if he decides he wants dash off suddenly after a bunny or whatnot.

2) Have you thought about bringing water for him?

Yes. I will bring a bowl and fill it with water from bottles after the race so Bandit can re-hydrate.

3) What's the sudden obsession with running skirts?

Dunno. I didn't have said obsession when I started and then suddenly I did a few weeks ago. But now that I do, surely you can't blame me for wanting to look cute?!?!

4) Have you lost interest in triathlon? All you talk about now is running, and you haven't mentioned any triathlon goals for 2008.

No, I haven't lost interest in triathlon. I'm not a hardcore athlete that trains/races through the whole year. I'm in it for fun and nothing more. My triathlon season probably starts back up in May. In the mean time, I don't want to sit on my rear eating ice cream everyday, so please indulge me as I focus a bit more on running for now. Life is short. I want to live it to the fullest and am still exploring different ways to do that. :)

5) How do you feel about your baby turning 14 and being out of state on her birthday this weekend?

Okay, nobody actually asked me this question, but I wanted to work this in somehow because it is on my mind. It bothers me more than it does her. It's weird, and I'm not happy about it. :(

Skirt Obsession & Doggie Dash Training

I returned the odd-colored gym girl skirt and decided to shop around some more. They had an all black one that was clearly too big and kinda boring from a color perspective, but WAY on sale. I decided to take that (and still got $$ back with the exchange) and altered it when I got home. I too the waist in a full 2" by adding a pleat. I think it turned out cute and fits well now! I ran in it today and I felt awesome.

This afternoon, I've been obsessing over the skirts at runningskirts.com. I want to order something 'fun' and can't decide between choctreuse, chocqua, and navy/white (or the midnight...navy and light blue). I think I'm going with Chocqua and if it fits well, will put some other color on my Christmas list. :)

Obsessed? Maybe. Not sure why, but I think I need to abandon shorts in favor of skirts. I just do. Today I was thinking that I could potentially even swim in one and do a pool swim sprint tri entirely in a skirt...

Training for the Doggie Dash w/ Bandit is going not so well. Part of the concern has been leash training with him with distractions. I'm concerned about keeping him in control when surrounded with a bunch of running human/dog pairs. The other concern is my knees which haven't been the same after the half-marathon. I've openly reconsidered the race, but Husband thinks I'll be fine if I'm okay with starting at the back and walking as much as needed to keep Bandit under control and the knees in check. I really want to give it a go, so I just need to ultra-conservative on my approach to the event, and I think it will turn out okay.

Must.Regain.Structure.

When I decided to take a break, I truly did NOT mean for it to mean sleeping in, eating cake (for breakfast), and slacking off (completely), yet that is exactly what I have been doing. Trying to get serious now. Game face on.

1) I've decided to enter the 5K Doggie Dash (with Bandit) that happens 10am Sunday 04Nov. I must give a shoutout to Cindy for pointing this opportunity out to me. I love the idea of this race. It's something fun that I can't take too seriously because I'll have doggy in tow. Money goes to AHA and you should know by now that I'm an animal lover. I'll be home alone most of that weekend and need something to do anyway. Also, I don't want to compete in the RR Duathlon (5K run, 25K, bike 5K run) that same day because I need to pick my son up at 3am that morning.

2) I've decided to return the running skirt that I bought last week becuase the colors of this particular skirt (purplish blue and pink) are all wrong for me. Trust me on this. But I'm going to order something online that should be a better match for my color palette/taste (hopefully brown!!).

3) I'm thinking about buying a Brooks Nightlife cap to get me through the dark running hours that are facing me for the next several months - it's bright yellow with splices of reflective stuff plus a blinking light. What do y'all think?? Good investment or waste of $$ ?

4) Our half-mary photos are available. I like a few of the ones of Husband & I running side-by-side. I think I might order a few 5x7s because looking at these pics just makes me happy. If I could figure out how to show them to you, I would, but I can't, so you'll have to trust me on this too.

[edited - if you want to go to the trouble to see the photos, you can go to http://www.sportphoto.com/Event.aspx?EventID=29 and enter bib#1206. The ones I like the most are 0041 and 0042.]

Okay, so there you have it. For the short term, I need to put a training schedule together for Bandit and I. I think we'll do 2 miles tomorrow...

This and That

1) FINISH TIME POSTED

Official time was based on crossing the start mat (not gun time), so my official finish was 2:36:58 for a pace of 11:59 min/mi. I'll take that as a Personal Best for this distance even though is it actually a negligible improvement.

2) KNEES STILL HURT

Naproxin has been my friend. Knee pain is not making me happy.

3) IDEAS FOR 2008 ARE FORMING

I think I want to give the half-marathon distance another go at the Fiesta de Albuquerque in April. I don't feel like I've done it 'gracefully' yet; I still need to conquer those last three miles.

I'm toying with the idea of the MS-150 in August. I like the idea of a LONG bike ride that isn't a race.

Beyond that, I'm not sure.

4) REMAINDER OF 2007 CALENDAR STILL EMPTY

I'll probably do something for fun, but I'm not sure what that might be (yet).

Duke City Half-Mary Finisher!

PREFACE

"We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment" - Jim Rohn

...for me today, it was the pain of discipline.

PRE-RACE

Yesterday morning, Husband went downtown to get our packets. I *heart* the brown long sleeve t-shirt that we got. It's totally my color.

I agonized last night over the weather forcast. Yesterday it was pretty nice...80deg when we spent the afternoon at Wilson Stadium watching the 5A schools compete in Pageant of the Bands. It was hard to believe that the weather forcast for today could come true. But when I woke up in the morning and heard the wind howling, I knew that they were right...a cold front/storm had moved in.

I decided to wear my favorite running shorts underneath a pair of capri length athletic pants and a sleeveless shirt underneath a long sleeve one with the thumb hole thing, no gloves. Also my yellow hat. Stepped outside to test my attire in the crisp morning air, and it seemed okay. I loaded up my fuel belt with Accelerade and 3 gels. Used a race belt for my number, and strapped my Garmin on my wrist.

We arrived at the race venue early enough to search the crowd for familiar faces and watch the full Marathon start, but it was a good 5 degrees cooler downtown that it had been at home and the wind had picked up. We ended up taking cover inside a building instead. At 15mins before the scheduled start, we braved the cold air and made our way to the start line.

The race started pretty much on time. I was happy about that. I started my Garmin when the gun went off, not when we crossed the mat. I'm not sure if they used the start mat or gun time as official time. I noted that it took about 48 seconds for us to get to the start mat, in case that matters.

OFF AND RUNNING

My Garmin made a weird beeeeep. I looked down. Lost satellite connection...something about hitting enter...so I did. Maybe I shouldn't have? My Garmin was basically just a watch for the rest of the race, so I was blind to my pace. Drat!! Guess we're just gonna' run on feel today.

Took our first walk break after the 1st aid station (mile 2?). By then I was feeling fairly comfortable, not cold anymore.

Took our next walk break after the 3rd aid station (mile 4?). I took a little extra time to take a gel and take off my long sleeve shirt and tie it around my waist. I was feeling pretty good, but had no idea what pace we were doing.

We stopped for walk breaks at the next two aid stations (miles 5, 6?). The aid stations offered water and gatorade. Sometimes I took water, other times I just used it as a reminder to drink some of my accelerade.

I hit the lap button on my Garmin at the turn point, and looked at the elapsed time for the first time: 1:15:45. I was convinced that was better than my half-point time at Chips-n-Salsa. I was happy and smiled. I looked up and noticed a race photographer. It will be interesting to see how that photo turned out (assuming they took one).

I started paying attention to elapsed time on my watch at the next several mile markers.

17 minutes later, we had gone another 1.5 miles. I tried doing the math in my head and figured that we were running something under 12 min/mile up to this point.

I started hitting the lap button at every mile marker. The next two miles were 12:38, 12:13.

I was getting warm. I told husband that I wanted to stop at the next mile marker to take off my pants so I could just run in shorts. I also needed another gel. With an extra long walk break, that next mile clocked in at 13:29.

Then I don't really know what happened. My ankles started to hurt. My lower back started to hurt. My knees started to hurt. My hips started to hurt. I hadn't had any pain up to this point and suddenly everything seemed to hurt. Every step sent pain shooting through my body. It hurt so much, I was fighting back tears. To add insult to injury, the wind picked back up. Noticing that I no longer had a happy face, Husband suggested another walk break. That seemed like a good idea. I put my long sleeve shirt back on. It seemed like everyone passed me while I hobbled and limp/walked. 13:30 min later, another mile was behind us.

I noticed a woman with a really cute running skirt who also happened to be walking. I shouted "hey, cute running skirt!" to her. She smiled and said "thanks"

Volunteers tried to be helpful and were telling us "One mile to go"...then "a half mile to go." I shouted "That's too far! I'm so done with running!!" The cute skirt lady came up beside me and said "Come on, you can do it. You're almost there."

That last half mile took forever. Cute skirt lady started counting down the blocks. Husband was a few steps ahead and kept looking back to make sure I was still moving forward.

And then finally we were done.

IMMEDIATE AFTER THOUGHTS

I'm blessed - I'm extremely grateful that Husband ran this with me today. Having him there with me this morning was awesome.

It's a wash - On Friday, I told Cindy that I'd either run this one faster or slower than Chips-n-Salsa and either way was okay with me. Instead, it was almost exactly the same! According to my watch, I ended up finishing a mere 15secs faster than my last half-marathon. It will be interesting to see what the official time is.

I hurt...a lot - I'm happy to have finished, but my body hurts all over. The aches and pains in my joints/low back make me wonder if this distance is simply more than my body can safely handle. I remain in awe of all of you who are somehow able to run farther distances.

I think I need a break - I don't have anthing else on my race calendar right now, and I really don't know what I want to do next. Nothing's jumping out at me. I think I'll take some time to figure it out.

Half-Mary a'comin'

I haven't done anything since Monday. Nada. Zip. My next plan run happens to be 13.1 miles on Sunday morning. I wish I could get pyched up for it, but I guess I'm looking at it as just another run.

I hope to see Cindy there. Consider leaving her some comment love, she's facing her first full Marathon at the same venue!! Go Cindy Go!!

This morning we went out for a little 'retail therapy'. I'm pleased to have found a gym-girl skirt on sale. I've toyed with the idea of wearing it on Sunday, but I probably ought to make sure I like running in it before committing to wear it for 13.1 miles. I probably should stick with my favorite running shorts.

Scratch that. Looks like tights may be in order...I just now looked at the weather forcast for Sunday. It's gonna be chilly and they're saying winds 25-35 MPH. Yikes!!

Hey Cindy, you might get to test those new gloves out sooner than you thought. Now I'm wishing I had bought some. :(

P.S. Thanks for all the supportive comments on my last post. You folks make it hard for me to sulk around for too long. :)

What goes up must come down

Sorry in advance, this is mostly a venting post for my own mental health. Skip it if you want to read about training or PRs or were looking for light reading. I'll try to keep it brief in case you go ahead and read on...

After having an awesome day on Monday, things seem to have gone downhill fast.

#1) I got a call that my dad has been in the hospital for a few weeks with some complications after getting a flu or something like that. Neither my sister or I are on great terms with our dad. Realizing that some day (soon or in the future) we are going to be forced to make some decisions on his behalf really shook things up.

#2) I received an anonymous note complaining about Bandit's barking during the day while we're at work. We've had him since January and nobody has said anything to us before. I know the recent balloon fiesta really freaked him out. Should I assume this is a new issue? Has it been going on for months? I want to take care of the problem, but since the note-writer didn't have the kahunas to let him/herself be known, I don't know who to ask for more info or to find out if what we try to do to rectify the situation is sufficient. Sigh. I've re-enlisted in-home trainers and they come again next Thursday morning.

#3) Remember when I mentioned work stress for the past few weeks? Whaat I didn't mention is that we're going through layoffs in my department. People have been finding out their status as of this week. My group seems to have been one of the hardest hit. I didn't lose my job, but several of my coworkers did. It hasn't been fun.

#4) Our microwave died. This wouldn't be such a big dea, but with issues 1-3, this is just really bad timing to have to deal with this.

Something to ponder - I wonder if running/biking/swimming makes me happy simply because it temporarily distracts me from the reality of life?!?! Has anyone else ever felt like that??

Slow-n-Steady's Most Excellent Monday Adventure

Taper Schmaper

Saturday afternoon, I went 7.2miles with Hubby. He went further, but I'm not sure how much. He literaly runs circles around me when he tries to run 'with' me because can't match my slow pace. It must be funny to watch.

This morning, I went 8.5 miles total. I was happy to have the company of Shytrigirl for 3 of those miles. We were also escorted by some black dog for a couple miles(frustrating!!). My morning run ended with a 2 mile stretch up a hill and back. It sure is a lot easier to do that hill at the beginning of a run than it is at the end.

Add that to the 3 miles on Friday and I've covered about 18miles in the past 3 days. With a half-marathon one week out, I'm pretty sure that I'm violating all of the rules of tapering, but I really don't care. For my own sake, I needed to run more than I needed to taper. And you know what? I'm feeling a lot less stressed now. :)

One last random topic. A few of you have commented on the new photos that I put up. Thanks!! Once I got past how disgusing my body looks, I decided that I actually like that photo on the bike at Elephant Man. I don't recall seeing the photographer; so I think the smile was just an honest expression of how I was feeling at the time...happily enjoying such a beautiful morning. I do this stuff simply because I can, not because I'm any good at it. And when I'm out there, I feel alive beyond words. That photo is on my blog to remind me of the real point whenever I'm beating myself up about something as pointless as the length of time at which it takes me to traverse the course. :)

Speedwork

Today I did get outside to run, but only three-ish miles. This morning I felt like I needed to divert some of my pent up negative energy (aka anxiety from work stress).

I decided to run two miles 'fast' (5K pace), trying to hold a pace or negative split, and then run easy coming home. And I was determined to do this outside and enjoy the scenery and fresh air.

Mr. Garmin says that I was mostly successful. Not sure why I slowed down on that second half mile segment, maybe because I had to cross the road?!? Anyway, I did what I set out to do which is a confidence builder in and of itself.

What's not so great is that I realized just how much I *don't* like running 'fast' (5K pace). That was supposed to be my 5K pace. After several months of longer slower runs, I don't think I could hold it up that pace for an entire 5K; at least I don't think I'd *want* to. On the other hand, that easy segment at the end was considerably more enjoyable.

This leaves me feeling like Goldilocks when it comes to running. A 5K is too short and fast. A half-marathon seems too long . So what (if any) distance is just right? Or is it just a matter of not being quite prepared again? Sigh.

I need to figure this out so that I know what I want to do next...

One step at a time...

This morning I did get to the gym for my upper body strength workout and while I was there I added 20mins on the dreadmill just to get some more running into my schedule. I brought my shuffle and tried to mix it up a bit by changing the dreadmill speed up or down when different songs came on so I could run to the rhythm. That was enough of a distraction to keep me moving for 20mins...one step at a time

I have found my job to be incredibly stressful for the past few weeks and today was no exception. To be perfectly honest, I don't handle stress very well and often let it get the best of me. I've had a few sleepless nights this week and that really needs to change. I'm looking forward to a longer run OUTSIDE tomorrow to clear my head. I intend to enjoy the moment for what it is and let my stress go...one step at a time

Whole Lotta Nuttin'

That pretty much sums up my training week so far. Also describes how much Apple Pie is remaining.

On Monday, It was really cold in the morning so attempted to run on the treadmill at the fitness center at work. I wanted to do 4 miles, but it was sooooo incredibly boring that I just couldn't take it and quit at 2. I have no idea why anyone would enjoy running on a treadmill, and I applaud those of you who don't enjoy it but have the willpower to do it anyway.

On Tuesday, I felt stuck at home until about 9:15 because my dog would not go outside and he needed to be outside because the cleaning people (who come every 2 weeks) were coming later that afternoon. Why wouldn't he go outside? Well, we have this little event known as the International Balloon Fiesta going on this week. There are somewhere near a thousand balloons registered. That's a whole lotta' balloons. Apparently, Bandit is TERRIFIED by the big scary balloon invasion and on Tuesday they were touching down all over our neighborhood.

Then there was today. I would have liked to bike to work. Instead, I had to drop off my car at the shop to have a tire repaired and do some other work. And this evening, I'm attending an event at Daughter's school.

Mabe the tides will turn tomorrow. Thursday is my scheduled strength workout at the gym. I'll probably go ahead and do that, and/or if I'm feeling brave I may give that treadmill another attempt.

On Friday, I really MUST run. I have a half-marathon in less than 2 weeks and at this rate I'm not going to be in any better position for it than last time. :(

Still Slow

I did my longish slow run Saturday instead of the usual Sunday morning before church because I was expecting to need to pick son up very early this morning* when he returned from a Band competition in Denver. After that, I knew I'd want to 'sleep in' and my long run just wasn't going to happen . Very Early as in he called at 3:45am asking me to be there in a half hour. Yikes!


If anyone was concerned that my earlier run this week might be an indication that I've lost rights to tuse my slow-n-steady moniker, the answer is a resounding NO. First 3 miles came in around 11:30 (which is what I was aiming at); Next three about 12:15 (a little slower, not bad); final 3 around 14:00 (mostly wogging - walking/jogging). Not exactly the confidence builder I was hoping for. Oh well.

Today was going to be a Sunday afternoon bike ride, but it was too windy for my taste and I had the overwhelming urge to make home-made apple pie. Hmmm. Skipped ride for apple pie. Wonder if that has anything to do with my ever-expanding mid-section? Nahhhhhhh....

Battle of the Bulge

Some people decide to pick-up a healthy lifestyle so that they can lose weight. Good thing that wasn't MY motivation. I currently weigh more than I ever have before (with the exception of when I was pregnant). What is up with that? It's mostly in my mid-section. I have some serious tummy flab going on.

My daughter has been tracking her weight and height since the beginning of the year. She is now a half inch taller than me and weighs a full 24pounds less. There is a 6 inch difference in our waist measurments. I was whining about this to her, and she mustered up all her teenage wisdom and said "Mom, you've had two kids and you're OLD. You look good for your age. I hope I look as good as you do when I'm old". Thanks, dear.

Old me and my tummy flab better get our act together, because Husband and I are now signed up for the Duke City half-marathon on 21-Oct. Bring it on!!

A Running Experiment

The Plan:

Run "Fast" for a mile (think 5K pace), being careful not to go out too fast and burn out. Walk a quarter mile. Run "Fast" for a quarter mile trying to duplicate the pace from the first mile. Walk a quarter mile. Run "FastFast" for the final quarter mile.

The Results:

Not bad! First mile average was 9:56min/mi, and I did a reasonable job guarding against going out too fast. First quarter mile was 9:49 - pretty good pace match. Final quarter mile was 8:38. For me, that is really good.

(Note: Pay no attention to that little leftover .01 mile, I just didn't hit my stop button on time!!)

The Purpose:

I have done a lot of long slow runs and hadn't done anything resembling speedwork for months. I wanted to reassure myself that I can, in fact, pull off something faster than an 11:30 if I really try. I also wanted to see if I could replicate a pace by feel. Finally, I wanted to see how fast I could run (all out) for a short distance.

The Conclusion:

I think it was a success. I might try this again in a few weeks.

Keeping me Honest

In the spirit of keeping me honest, here are my stats for September. At some point, I'm going to graph this to give a better picture of my progress over the year. :)

Run: 48.5 miles

Bike: 190 miles

Swim: 9000 meters

Other: 5 gym workouts - upper body strength

Races: a half-mary and an Oly tri

Thoughts: 1) Adding the upper body strength has been interesting, but it came at the cost of swim or run time. I'll continue for at least another month before deciding if that stays or goes. 2) I really feel like I need to run more, but I'm not sure how to fit that in. 3) I'm happy about those races. I had fun. 4) Fall is here! Bike commuting will become a test of will-power in colder dark mornings. How much do I want it? Guess I'll find out soon!!

October Outlook: May or may not do another half-marathon in about 3 weeks. I'm leaving this to Husband's whim. I want to keep working on my run base and will target 9-10miles for the next few Sundays. No other races planned. I don't do well without a goal; this could be interesting.

I am an Elephant Man - or something like that :)

(I'll try to edit this later and add links to fellow bloggers. Sorry, I can never remember how to do that and want to get this posted)

Pre-race

Got a call from GeekGirl on Saturday afternoon. She was on the bike course following S.Baboo and gave me the low down. In summary, I should expect it to be hilly, bumpy, & scenic.

My friend & I left at about 2:30pm and drove through a storm. It quite windy when we arrived. We drove the bike course and I knew that this was going to be a challenge. I had little sinking feeling in my stomach and started feeling quite anxious about how the next morning would unfold.

We attended the pre-race meeting and the athlete's dinner, which was pretty good.

SWTriGal walked over to the car with us to admire my new steed (photo is of friend taking bike off car).

We called it an early night and slept well as per the plan.

We arrived plenty early in transition and got set up near the bike out. During the pre-race meeting, I was surprised by the Most-Wonderful-and-Supportive husband who had awakened at some rediculous hour to drive down alone so that he could be there to support me before and after the swim. I am SO BLESSED; I cannot tell you how much that meant to me.

They concluded the pre-race meeting with a blessing from a local Pastor and the National Anthem. I thought that was a nice touch.

The Swim

The swim was basically in the shape of a triangle. They started the race in two waves - men under 50, then everyone else. They started our wave when the men had cleared the second bouy. I counted to 10 and started swimming. This time, my swim was MUCH better, in that I didn't panic and need to flip on my back or anything. However, I did manage to swim terribly off course in the middle and probably added and extra two tenths of a mile, so my swim time wasn't so good. Despite this, my goal for the swim was simply to swim 'well' and not panic, and in my mind I accomplished this. Next time, I'll add 'stay on course' to my plan!!

T1

I'm not sure where T1 officially started and the swim ended, but the run from the water to T1 was very long and uphill. I had placed my sandals near the water so I didn't have to trudge all that way barefoot. That was a good move. Husband was there to cheer me on. That really lifted my spirits. He made a point to let me know that he would be heading home and told me to have fun. I still can't believe he drove 2.5hrs each way just to stay for an hour or so. He SO ROCKS!! Other than that, T1 was pretty uneventful. My wetsuit came off easier than it did at Buffman Squeaky and I was happy about that.

The Bike

The bike was challenging, very challenging. But I must say that there were portions that were just absolutely BEAUTIFUL. As much as I was struggling, I couldn't help but enjoy it because of the scenery. At one point, I even caught myself singing out loud.

Cindy yelled "We're doing great" or something like that as she passed me at mile 6. I didn't see very many other cyclists out there, maybe three. It was a bit lonely.

They had bottle exchanges at miles 10 and 20. I picked up some water at mile 10.

I leap frogged with one woman who was having trouble with her wheel. She ended up getting a flat near the end and walked her bike into T2 (bummer!!).

T2

It was a little disheartening to see people packing up to leave while I entered transition, but T2 seemed to go smoothly. I was very happy to be off my bike and start the run. I remembered to WoooHooo as per the plan. ;)

The Run

I started off happy to be running, and this quickly faded. The run course was difficult, more so than I expected and had trained for. It was hilly and hot. At my last Oly, I ran the whole thing. This time, I walked quite a bit. The first .8 miles was a bit of a trail run including a fairly steep uphill portion in sand!! :(

On my second mile, I saw SWTriGal and my friend, both looking strong out there. On the second Dam, I saw Cindy. We cheered and hooted for each other. That was a bright spot for me. :)

GeekGirl and her fellow Outlaws were manning the water station at the run turn point. Their station rocked and was by far the best out there. They even won a trophy for it. In addition to having water/gatorade, I was fully hosed down with a power squirt gun, a few folks dumped water on me per my request, and I was offered Gu (I refused, having just had one a half mile earlier).

With about a mile and half left, I really ran out of steam and two runners passed me including the lady who had walked her bike in with a flat.

After what seemed like an eternity, the finish line was finally within earshot. I crossed the line waving my arms in the air like a crazy woman.

Post Race

My friend got a massage while waiting for me to finish. I was hungry and took advantage of the food that they had out. All of my friends placed in their respective divisions. I loved cheering for them. The RD made a point to stop the awards when the final finisher was crossing the line so we could all cheer for her. That rocked.

I wish they had a slow-n-steady division (awards for the final three finishers in reverse order, wouldn't that be cool??). I wouldn't placed in that either, because I think I was fourth from last overall.

Afterthoughts

This was a first time event and a really well done race. The volunteers were awesome. I tried to thank everyone one of them when I passed them on the course. The RD did a great job; I'm planning to send her a note of thanks. The officials rocked and kept the course safe. My Totally-Awesome-Most-Wonderful Husband came down to watch me swim, which was incredible beyond words. The water was comfortable. The bike course was absolutely beautiful (albeit very challenging). The run wasn't so much fun for me, but we did get the unique opportunity to run across the Dam which has been closed to the public since 9/11. The only downside (and this is very minor) is that the shirts are plain white with black ink.

All-in-all, I'm glad I put this one on my calendar. It was a nice ending to my 2007 Tri season.

Something of a plan

Mon - Off
Tue - 2-3 mi easry run - didn't happen
Wed - 4.5mi run with hills - done
Thu - Upper body strength - done
Fri - Swim; 6 mi easy run
Sat - short, easy bike
Sun - RACE

Leave Sat 2pm - meet friend who is driving
Arrive Elephante Butte 5pm
Check in, packet pick-up
Drive bike course
Athlete's dinner/meeting
Early to bed
Sleep well
Bagel & PB at 6am
Arrive transition 6:30am
Stay calm
Swim well (good form)
Be happy
Luna bars and Accelerade on the bike
Spin easy up the hills
Don't worry about getting passed
Gel on the bike when 6mi left
WooHoo at start of run
H20/Gatorade from run aid stations
Gel at turn point
Enjoy the moment
Finish smiling
Thank volunteers
Come home
Post race report
Sleep well

Mental Prep

What's the opposite of being psyched out? Psyched in? Well, whatever it is, that is what I'm trying to do for myself.

Today Husband & I completed 18miles of our intended 20-30mile ride. This was not a fun afternoon to be riding, it was windy and rainy. I only got about 12miles and 2 of the 3 hills recorded by my Garmin because I accidently turned it off before we were done. Grrrrr. I really wanted data from the third hill.

We were tackling said hills in preparation for next week's Elephant Man Triathlon especially after seeing the reconnaissance report from SWTrigal.

According to my Garmin, that second little hill we did today climbs 200ft in about a half mile. I just barely made it to the top...slowly...but I did make it. The hill at the end of Elephant man is a 400ft climb over about 4 miles. I think a long slow climb is going to find me taking a long (slow) time. And the bike profile shows a lot of little rollers before we get to that climb. It's going to be challenging, but doable.

I expect my training this week to be hit and miss. Husband is travelling, so I'll be on my own during the work week to get the kids to school and such. This means no bike commuting, no early morning gym, and probably no morning runs. Sigh. I'll just do the best with whatever opportunities come my way and chalk the rest up to tapering.

Chuggin' Along

Yesterday Cindy & I planned to go to Cochiti Lake and swim. We did go to Cochiti Lake and we did swim. But we did not swim *at* Cochiti Lake. As it turns out, yesterday was very foggy in the morning. We went in and out of fog on the way up to the lake hoping that it would clear up or be clear when we got there. No such luck. We got there and the gate was closed. DRAT!


Anyway, we were good and swam at the gym. It wasn't the same as swimming a mile or so in the lake, but I'm confident that we are both ready to do the swim at Elephant Man. Since she comments, but doesn't blog, feel free to leave some encouragement for her here - this will be her first Oly!! I'll be sure to pass it on. :)


This morning, I had a two hour block of time available to run. I took advantage of it and finished 9.5 milrd with a few minutes to spare. Tomorrow I'm hoping to complete some sort of middle distance bike ride (20-30miles) in the afternoon with Husband.



Daughter got 3 inches off her hair today. Despite the fact that she loves how her hair turned out and actually thanked me for taking her, all I could get on camera was her 'annoyed at Mom' look. LOL. That's life with a teenage girl.

What's on my mind today

1) GORP (Good Ol' Raisins & Peanuts)

Yummmm. I just love this stuff. I'm thinking of replacing some of the peanuts with soy nuts and adding some 'craisins' and/or other dried fruit and putting it in my bento box for my long rides. What would be better is if I could figure out how to bake this into some sort of bar so I could grab bite sized pieces rather than have to scoop up loose stuff. Someone suggested using peanut butter to glue it together and make balls & then roll it in powdered sugar...sounds messy to me.

2) Alternative Energy

Today I signed up to buy 300 KWatts of Wind Engery per month as part of my regular utility service. Wind energy is clean, uses no fossil fuels or water, and generates no waste. I've been looking at replacing my SUV with a Hybrid SUV (I have my eye on something that will be available next fall). With the kind of driving that I do, I could expect to run my car on the rechargeable battery fairly often. I also consider the use of "Lisa-Power" to get myself to work 2 days a week as a positive alternative energy source. I really should cycle more often to do errands.

I do think that our society as a whole needs to be more responsible about non-renewable resources and waste in general. My teenage son questions whether we can make a difference. I believe we *all* make a difference one way or another in the choices we make about recycling, energy sources, water use, etc.

3) Elephant Man.

The bike profile is scaring me. I"m just gonna' do what I can do, but the closer the race gets, the more freaked out I get about the bike portion.

Only my Nose is Running

Yep, that's right. Today's long run? Didn't happen. I know that it is okay to train as long as whatever ails me is above the neck, but I just felt miserable all day and didn't see the point is pushing myself. I slept in this morning *and* took a nap this afternoon. I actually feel better now than I did earlier today, so maybe I'm on the mend. Or maybe it's the cold medicine. LOL.

I was contemplating the missed run. I don't think it will impact me too greatly for Elephant Man (which is now only 2 weeks away). I do, however, think it might have been the deal breaker with regard to whether or not I attempt a second half marathon at the end of October. If I do another one, I really don't want to go in without the distance. I don't want to run more than 8 miles next weekend so that I'm in good shape for the Elephant Man the following week. I'll only do a 10K at the end of that Oly. So my next chance for a decently long (12ish) mile run will be the week after that. That will be after having long runs of 0, 8, 6 consecutively...maybe not such a great idea. I'll play it by ear. I'm really not sure I even *want* to run another half-marathon so this could all be a mute point.

After my nap, I spent some time on my bikes. First, I replaced the rear break pads on my Giant. I had replaced the front ones some time ago and the rears were in bad shape. Next I installed front and rear lights. My commute isn't in dark yet, but I've seen other bikes with their lights on in the early morning and I think it is a wise decision to help be visible to cars.

The last thing I did was swap the seats between the two bikes. The one on the left is what was on my LeMond, the one on the right is the cushy Rx Serfas gel saddle that I had put on my Giant. I took a picture, because I notice several differences. The Serfas is wider in the back and has never caused pain to the 'sit' area. The other saddle is narrower and has left me with some hot spots. Yes, that saddle is a pain in the butt! Also, the Serfas is split farther toward the front. The other saddle is actually solid at the very front. No wonder my tender female parts have been sore! Anyway, I can tolerate the uncomfortable saddle on my short commutes at least until I buy another Serfas or something else for my LeMond. But I am *not* doing any more long rides on that other saddle.

Ah...wouldn't you know it, Performance Bike has another sale going on. Husband wants a second pair of bike shorts (Ha! I've converted him!), and I'm looking for some of that highly reflective stuff to wear in the morning. Off to spend more $$...

Bike and Sneeze

Woke up this morning sniffling and sneezing and my throat is scratchy. Drat! It seems I've caught a cold. That didn't stop us from our morning bike ride, although I wasn't breaking any speed records today. We only managed to cover 39miles in the time it took us to go 45miles on Labor Day. Oh well. Now, I wish I could figure out a way to strap a box of tissues to my bike...

Attack of the killer....mouse

This morning I completed another confidence-building open water swim with Cindy. I'm happy to report that I had no anxiety or panic attacks at all. I'm feeling good about the upcoming swim at ElephantMan.

Got home and showered right away. As I was getting ready to step out of the shower when a mouse came running full speed at me followed closely by our female cat. I shreiked in terror, surprising even myself. Anyone who heard me would have thought I was being attacked by a psycho killer, but alas, it was just a tiny mouse. Good golly! What is it with me and irrational fears lately?

Anyway, I high tailed it out of there and left the house to do errands, hoping that the cats would take care of this unwelcomed critter by the time I got home. I came home a few hours later and the cats were sleeping. I checked each room of the house for a legs-up mouse and found nothing. Crud! It must be in here somewhere, my luck it's lurking under my bed waiting to come at me again when I least expect it. And what's with the cats sleeping on the job?!?!?

I had to leave again for other errands and got back after Husband returned from work. The first thing he asked was, "What should we do about the mouse?"

"Oh crud, where is it?"

"In the shower. It's trapped and can't get out."

Gahhhh! I *knew* that mouse was coming after me in there!!!

Anyway, the mouse was subject to our own version of catch and release. But if it comes in again...I'm sicking the cats on it!

Reflecting Back on Goals

I wrote some goals last December for this year. I figured this was a good time to reflect back and re-prioritize if needed since my race season is almost over.

Go Farther! - Mission Accomplished. This was my primary goal, and I've done what I set out to do.
1. complete 10K race - DONE
2. complete Olympic triathlon - DONE
3. complete half marathon - DONE

Go Faster! - Not gonna' happen this year, and that's OK.
1. under 27:35 min stand-alone 5K – just under 9min mi/hr – BWAHHH!! What was I thinking?!?!? I'm nowhere close and I'm really not working toward this.
2. under 01:30:00 at Socorro Chile Harvest Tri - Didn't do the race, but they changed the venue so it wouldn't have been apples to apples anyway.

Have fun! - For the most part, I think I've succeeded here.
1. Do 3 races of any sort just for kicks - not as stepping stones to farther or faster – 2 for 3 so far, Run for the Zoo and Gallup Tri. I think Elephant Man counts too.
2. No races because I feel “I have to” – only because “I want to” - DONE
3. Rockin’ race photos :) - This sounded good on paper, but I don't have race photos (much less rockin' ones) for most of the races that I did this year.

Fact of the Day

Black widows are nocturnal. Only the female black widow bites humans, and she bites only when disturbed.

Apparently a female had taken residence on our hot tub patio and was 'disturbed' by Husband. She has since been evicted...permanently. He had a very uncomfortable local reaction, but nothing too serious.

Chips-n-Salsa Half-Marathon Finisher!!

THE DAYS LEADING UP:

1) My incredibly wonderful and loving husband surprised me by training for and signing up for the race without me knowing so that he could be there to support me. I discovered this on Thursday evening and was left speechless. I had absolutely no idea that he planned that or that he was ramping up his run mileage. I think it's one of the most romantic things he's ever done for me. I feel blessed beyond words.

2) Lia & I had exchanged a few blog comments and email suggesting we could run together which I thought would ROCK. I fully intended to follow up with her on Saturday, However, regretfully, I never found time on Saturday because...



3) Saturday was packed full! My teenage son had a full day (8-5) of band activities. After that, there were errands to run including an unsuccessful shoe shopping experience for my daughter (spent 1.5 hrs and no success...grrrr). By the time we finally made it home, we ate dinner and went directly to bed. I was wiped out. Son is at the left back row in this picture.

PRE-RACE:

The race venue is not very far from my house, but we headed out early because they had stressed the importance of early arrival due to the number of people in the event and limited parking. We heeded the warning and left earlier than we might have otherwise. That was a good move. The parking situation seemed to get ugly shortly after we picked up our chips.I wondered if Lia was there and if I would be able to pick her out in the crowd. No luck on my part.

Cindy did manage to find me though. She had told me she would be wearing a red shirt. There was an entire running group clad in red shirts, so she was not going to be easy to find. My yellow hat, on the other hand, was a bit more unique. :)

I also found my friend from work that has been at every triathlon with me. She regularly runs 12 miles on Sundays, so this wasn't much more than a normal Sunday run for her.

AND WE'RE OFF

It was a bit crowded for the first mile and I forgot to start my Garmin right away. It thinned out soon enough though. The plan was to run a mile, walk a bit, then run to the next mile marker, repeat, and that is what I did from the beginning.

It was an out and back and I wondered when I'd see the lead runners. The answer - mile 4. Man, they were booking it!! Next, I wondered when I'd see my friend from work and Cindy. The answer - somewhere between miles 5 and 6. They both looked great. Go, go, go!

I looked forward to each mile marker and the short walk to get my heart rate back down, catch my breath, and take care of nutrition/hydration. I was thrilled when we got to the turn point. I shouted "WoooHooo! Headin' home!!" I also realized that I was passing some of the walkers. Yessssss!!

Things got interesting at mile 8. I knew it was going to be a struggle from this point forward, and took an extra long walk break. It was mind over matter. I kept moving forward, but every step was begining to hurt...a lot.

My incredibly wonderful and loving husband had been running at my side. I could tell if was a struggle for him to try move this slow. He would turn around and run backwards. He would loop back behind me and then catch back up. I encouraged him to just go on ahead at his own pace to finish the race. We talked about this for most of mile 10. I finally convinced him that I would be fine and to go on ahead. When we hit the marker at mile 11, he took off ahead of me promising to be there for me at the finish.

My Garmin shows that my pace slowed way down after he left. I decided to take walk breaks every half mile at that point.

I wasn't alone for very long though. Before I had gone a half mile, my friend from work came running up the road to bring me in.

Those last few miles were PAINFUL. I hurt everywhere. I knew we were close, but yet still so far. My friend and I chatted to pass the time, and I kept moving forward.

Near the end, I saw my husband coming back up the road to join us. I felt like a rockstar with my own posse. When the finish was in sight, they both encouraged me to 'sprint it in', but my legs weren't having any of that. I finished with a 'strong jog' instead.

Across the line. beeeeeeep. I stopped. Someone gave me water and a medal. I was shaking. I couldn't believe how much pain I was in. I started walking to get out of the way of other finishers and all I could muster was a hobble.

POST RACE:

They had apples and breakfast burritos and chips-n-salsa. I hobbled through the line and was afraid to stop moving for fear I wouldn't be able to start again. Hobbled over to the finish results, but they didn't have anything up past 2:00:00 yet, and I didn't want to wait around.Hobbled over to the car which seemed sooooo far away. Getting into the car was an ordeal. My legs just didn't want to cooperate. I practically had to lift my right leg with my arms.

I never declared my time predictions, but I'll share now.

My A goal was to finish between 2:30:00 and 2:45:00. That would require running about 12min miles. I thought that was doable, but would require mental toughness for miles 9-13 since I hadn't worked my long runs up as far as I had hoped.

My B goal was to finish between 2:45:00 and 3:00:00. That would require running about 13min miles. I figured that was realistic even if I ended up walking a lot of the last few miles.

My C goal (okay maybe my over-arching goal) was to finish strong and uninjured.

My finish time was something like 02:38:08. I'm sore, but happy. :)

half-mary planning

I never really declared an A race this year, so I've trained through most of my events. I'm trying out a mini-taper for the half-marathon, mostly an attempt to save my legs for Sunday. Mini-taper basically means no long bike rides on Saturday and an extra rest day this week. Hope it works out for me!!

Monday was 45mile bike
Yesterday was OFF
Today was bike (to work and errands) - 15miles
Tomorrow upper body strength at gym
Friday swim 2000M; easy 2-3 mile run
Saturday OFF
Sunday half-marathon & watch IM MOO!!

I'm planning on bringing my ipod nano and fuel belt with 3 bottles accelerade, one water, and two gels. I can get the rest from the course aid stations. Not sure what I'm wearing, but probably the yellow hat that is in my profile pic. I love that hat for running.

The route is changed this year. Usually, this event comes up into Loma Larga in Corrales which is practically my back yard (okay, not my back yard, but where I do my long runs). This year it goes up 4th (to 313?) to Bernalillo due to construction on Alameda. Drat! I lose a bit of a psychological edge, but I think the new route will have less traffic and hence be safer, so that is a plus.

Packet pick-up started today. I intend to get mine tomorrow!!

Monday Miscellany

Saturday, I decided that I wanted to try Accelerade in powder form and bought some. Blue Raspberry to be exact.

Husband & I had today off work because it's Labor Day. Plus, the kids had spent the night up at Glorietta for the Lives Ablaze conference, not needing to be picked up until about 3pm. Yes, the rare night alone followed by nearly a full day without work or parenting responsibilities. I think Labor Day is now one of my favorite holidays.

We didn't have to get up early and had a leisurly morning. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to head out at about 9:15am for a bike ride.

By the way, when the powder form of Accelerade mixes up, it looks way different than the premixed kind. It's opaque and weird looking. If I didn't know that I liked their premixed kind already, there is no way you would get me to drink something that looks like that. But it came along on the ride. And it kind of matches the color of my bike. That made me laugh.

We ended up going 45 miles. My longest ride ever was 46 miles. I just don't seem to be able to break that.

It totally rocks that Husband enjoys cycling and we can ride together. I definately push it when I ride with him, but I was uttering bad things (gosh DARN IT, you fast-peddling-father-of-my-children, SLOW DOWN so I can catch up you skinny-legged-cycling-ANIMAL!!) under my breath when I had to kick it up to 20-21MPH to catch up with him because he had settled into an 18-19 MPH pace and I had fallen behind.

Perhaps this is why I enjoy riding with women that are happy going at a slower pace. I think I could go even farther if the pace was right.

One downside to the longish ride today - my 'tender female parts' were not feeling very good when we were done. I think I may need bike shorts with better padding or something like that. Ladies, if you have any suggestions, please email me.

And for the record, the weird looking Accelerade tasted just fine. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. I even mixed up some more when I got home.

The kids are back home, laundry needs to be done, and tomorrow I need to get up early and go to work. Guess my holiday is over, but it was fun while it lasted. :)

Dream it, then do it.

On the ride home from Buffman&Squeaky Triathlon in May, I decided that I was going to run the Chips-n-Salsa half-marathon this year. I signed up a few days later and have had three full months to prepare. I even put a count down to this particular race on my blog.

That being said, I now find myself one week out from my longest planned run ever, the half-mary itself.

This morning I ran 8.3 miles. Eight miles is becoming a comfortable distance. That's progress, and something that I feel good about. But 8 miles won't be enough on Sunday. Somehow, next weekend I need to dig in and find 5 more miles in me to get to the finish line.

I have calculated an expected finish time based on my training paces. I've looked at the finish times from last year. I can predict that I will be one of the last to cross the line. At first I thought that at least the walkers would be behind me, but they are letting them start 30mins earlier, and it's entirely possible that I may not catch up with them.

I've been one of the very last before, and I know what it feels like. You know what? It's actually not so bad.

13.1 miles for the first time, on my own terms, & at my own pace to the finish line. That's what my race is going to be about next Sunday.

Bring it on!!

August by the Numbers

I like to perform a tally each month to keep me honest. I have my 2nd ever Oly coming up in a month. I thought it would be fitting to compare my August stats with those from April since both are the month prior to an Oly. Here's how it stacks up.

Swim: August -5400M, April -10,800

No surprise. I have new logistical issues keeping me from getting to the pool as often as I had in the past. However, one thing in my favor is a few open water swims in August vs. none in April.

Bike: August - 254 miles, April - 121 miles

Historically, this has been my weakest link, and I've made an effort to spend more time in the saddle and work on my base. I hope it pays off at Elephant Man. If nothing else, I'm starting to enjoy cycling. :)

Run: August- 43 miles, April - 42.5

Basically a wash. With the half-mary coming next weekend, I wish this month's mileage had been higher. But it is what it is.

Races: August - nada, April - nada

I feel good, and I'm ready for whatever September might have in store. Bring it on!!

workout schedule

It's getting close to the end of the month where I tally some stats to keep me honest. I know in advance that my cycling will be the highest ever. Swimming and running...not so much. But this is okay, I've shifted focus to work on my weak area and I've learned that cycling is actually a lot of fun, not necessarily something to dread. Now that the kids are back in school, I can't manage very many two-a-days, so that is also affecting running. In the summer, I could squeeze in some 2-4 mile runs in the afternoon a few days a week. Now those are gone...

Here's what my workout schedule currently looks like (going back to last Friday). After this I have one week 'til the half mary and a few after that 'til Elephant Man.

Fri : 1 mile open water swim
Sat: 30-35 mile bike
Sun: 9-11 mile run & watch IMLOU
Mon: 13 mile bike (to work&back)
Tue: OFF
Wed: 13 mile bike (to work&back)
Thu: strength/core
Fri: 2000M swim & 4-6 mi run
Sat: 35-40 mile bike
Sun: 7-9 mile run

Perspective

I have my first ever half-marathon in less than two weeks and I don't feel prepared. I think there's a good chance that I'll be one of the last runners out there (again). Disappointing reality rears its ugly head again.

Normally, this wouldn't bother me too much, but with the Ironman hootinanny this weekend, and the Ironman festivities the day that I am scheduled to run said half-marathon, I am left feeling pretty lame about my abilities (or lack-thereof).

Ironically, a friend happened to send me an article by John Bingham where he writes about choosing to view running, any form of running, as a gift. Somehow I had momentarily forgotten that point, but it is so true.

That article was just what I needed today. I'll close with a few of his words.

"So if you see me smiling while I'm running, don't be surprised. What I know for sure is that I am the best runner I know how to be and the best runner that I'm willing to be. That might not be much, baby, but it's all I've got." - John Bingham

Finally - Bike photos

First, My Giant is being re-purposed as my work-horse commuter. I need a few more things for this transformation to be completed; specifically, a good headlight/taillight set. It won't be long and my morning commutes will be starting before the sun comes up.

Second, My new LeMond Versailles carbon fibre bike is being customized to my liking. I know the blue sidewall tires don't match very well, but that is the color that Performance stocks in my preferred tire (Vrendstein Fortezza TriComp). They also come in a black or grey which would look nicer, but I can't find those locally. Don't be surprised if/when I find them, I switch them out in vain if the blue hasn't faded enough by then. And if anyone is looking to send me an early Christmas present, well, hint hint hint. LOL.

I found that buying a bike is a very personal thing. I did try a lot of bikes over the course of a month including tribikes and kept coming back to this one because it is simply a joy to ride. And ride it, I have. :)

Ten Things I've Learned since Husband Started Cycling

1) Every bike rider needs to take along his/her own pump, tire levers, spare tubes.

2) Thinking the other person has it covered is not a good strategy.

3) Knowing how to do a few basic bicycle maintenance tasks is powerful.

4) Passing this knowledge on to a man...priceless.

5) Bike trainers can be a good investment.

6) The Tour de Cubs is ongoing even as I type (Husband on trainer watching Cubs on TV).

7) I missed out on a lot when I was riding by myself. Okay, I actually learned this before he started cycling, but I'm reminded everytime I ride with him now vs. riding alone.

8) "Let's go at a speed that can be maintained for hours" means something totally different to him than it does to me. "Let's go at a speed that *I* can maintain for hours" is much more clear.

9) "Why are you having trouble keeping up?" isn't meant to be derogatory and is no cause for an argument. He is just seeking to understand.

10) Why I bought my pretty new LeMond carbon fiber road bike still escapes him, but he knows riding it makes me smile because he was right there with me when I was smiling. :)

Yes, I know I owe photos and info on said new bike...patience, my friends.

This-n-That

On Naming the Blog:
Appreciate all the feedback on renaming my blog. I don't want to steal someone else's blog name, so I think Chasing Rabbits is out, but I'm leaning toward something similar, Chasin' Bunnies. There is a secondary meaning with that phrase...

The Cyst Situation:
Had a pelvic ultrasound on Friday to take a look at the cyst. The right ovary shows just a tiny little bubble on it at this point. The technician thinks that the painful cyst ruptured and this is all that is remaining. Sounds reasonable to me, as I went from excutiating pain to basically no pain practically overnight. The bad news is that the ultrasound showed a cyst on the left side as well.

Sittin' in the Saddle:
I have done a lot of bike riding this weekend; probably ~80miles total, possibly more. That is a lot for me. It included about 15miles testing my new bike before I bought it and another 35miles after I brought it home. New bike deserves a post of its own, so stay tuned for more detail sometime this week when I have more energy to post about it.

Legs Veto Long Run:
For my long run this morning, I took Bandit with me to chase bunnies up a hill and back for a total of 2 miles. I returned him to home, picked up my hydration belt, and ran up the hill again and back...2 more miles. Then I decided to run to a point that is 3 miles from home...that takes me to 7 miles. I figured, just another half mile out before turning around and I'd get in a good 11 miles today.

However, on the return trip, my legs demanded that we stop at mile 8. Done. Finshed. Kaput. Husband bailed me out by car so I didn't have to be late for church.

Too Much of a Good Thing?
So, what went wrong? I don't think it was a nutrition issue. I really didn't bonk, my legs just hurt too much to keep going. I'm thinking that I basically over did it this weekend on the bike. At my current fitness level, it was not a good idea to bike so much two days in a row (Fri and Sat) and then try to follow it up with a long run Sunday morning. Live and learn. I shall rest tomorrow.

Re-naming this blog

Lisa TRI-ing to be Fit just doesn't capture my attitude about fitness anymore so I want to rename this blog. I'm not creating a new one, just changing the title. It might mess up bloglines.

Here's were my head's at. My whole attitude about this is that crossing the finish line pretty much rocks no matter how long it takes. Things that used to seem impossible, suddenly seem possible. Every day that I can do this I am blessed. I truly relate to the Tortoise - hence the Slow&Steady moniker attached to my signature (which I intend to keep).

Names I've thought about:

• Keep Moving Forward or Still Moving Forward- the mantra Bubba shared with me that kept me going during Buffman Squeaky this year. It is also what went through my head on my 10mile run on Sunday
• Finish Smiling or Always Finish Smiling - one of my over-riding goals in every race (as in "have fun and...")
• Chasing Rabbits - relates to being a Tortoise at the back-of-the-pack
• Because I Can - the reason why I do this!!
• Slow&Steady - to match the moniker and better tie in the whole tortoise and the hare thing.

What do you think and/or do you have any good ideas? At some point I may put this up for a vote. In any event, I'll warn you in advance. :)

Ten happy things

I am feeling a LOT better today. And things are just good. Here's a quick list of ten happy things.

1) I have a new IPOD shuffle. I kept wanting one but wouldn't buy it. I wanted to win one somehow. Well, we finally got one as a gift for opening a new account, which we wanted to do anyway. Booyah!
2) Son loaded up my shuffle with a selection of music to help with half-marathon training. Tested it out this morning on my 10 mile run. The shuffle ROCKS.

3) Yes, boys and girls, you read that right. I completed a 10 mile run this morning. This is awesome on many fronts. First, I am feeling a lot better with regard to that whole cyst thing. Second, today was my longest run ever and I really didn't expect to be able to go that far given my physical condition earlier this week. Third, I'm feeling more confident about my ability to actually complete the half-marathon after the run today.

4) The Park Party was a lot of fun. Son & I won the three-legged race. All we won was bragging rights, so I'm using them now. LOL

5) I have a comfy new seat and pedals on their way thanks to a decent sale at Performance.com. I'm going to be ready when I get around to buying my new bike. I'm leaning toward a full carbon road bike. Maybe I'll make a final decision next weekend.

6) I also bought Husband a pair of bike shorts, which I think he will appreciate. I hope that will make it easier to talk him into going on longer rides with me. His only complaint from Saturday was a sore rear.

7) I'm really liking Accelerade. Primarily, I notice improvement in recovery since I've started using it.

8) Husband made tiramusu from scratch last night. Yummmmmm. It doesn't quite match the theme of the other items on my list, but life isn't just about training!!

9) My new fuel belt is working okay. It has four 6oz (I think a little more fits in there) bottles on it to spread the weight around. It's comfortable and I think this will be okay for half marathon training and the half marathon itself. I'll still need to stop at aid stations for some extra hydration. Today I made a quick stop home after mile 8, ditched the belt, and picked up my dog for two more miles. When I go further, I'll do roughly the same thing, picking the belt back up after dropping off the dog.

10) I need to clean and lube my chain. The fact that I know how to do this makes me happy. I also like it when it's all clean and pretty. So I'm looking forward to it.

There ya' have it. After a cruddy week and some disappointment, I've perked back up and am all smiley and happy again.

On the mend

I started feeling like I was coming back to life on Friday and decided to go for a run. I took Bandit out with me for 2 miles, brought him back, and did one more mile on my own. It was difficult, uncomfortable, and slow. I guess I wasn't feeling quite as much better than I thought, but at least I got out of the house and moved my body.

I also took my son to the HS for registration, which is something I always dread. It seems so disorganized and takes forever. When we were leaving, my son said something like: "Mom, I feel bad for the people who have to be there all day working at each of the stations. People get cranky about the lines and take it out on the people who are working, but it isn't their fault." Yep, he's quite the observant and considerate young man. Makes a Mamma' proud :)

This morning, Husband & I went on a 30-35mile bike ride. Cycling seems to be much easier on my body than running. I let him lead for most of it. At one point he was maintaining a 17-18MPH pace, too fast for me! I caught up and kindly asked him to please slow down. Afterall, I need him to stay close and protect me from the creepy people that we occasionally come across. Somewhere in the middle of the ride, I accidently reset my bike computer, so the exact stats from the ride are lost.

This afternoon, the kids & I took the cats to a shot clinic. Our female is pretty good, she got a little freaked out by some barking dogs, but otherwise did great. Our male was terrible. I am sure that he called the vet all kinds of bad names in cat language. He was HISSED! They basically had to put him in a little kitty straight jacket to complete the exam and give him his shots. He's not aggressive at home, but he really doesn't like going to the vet.

Tomorrow, if I'm up for it, I'm going to attempt a long run in the morning. In the afternoon, our church is sponsoring a Park Party community. Son is working food, and Daughter is doing face painting.

Enjoy the weekend!!

Like a revolving door

I'm OUT - no Socorro Triathlon for me this weekend. The CT scan stuff (drinking the contrast material and being injected with iodine) made me sick and dehydrated. Plus I still have the pain. I contacted the race director and my entry has been forwarded to next year's race. Yes, I'm disappointed, and in fact, I don't want to talk about it anymore. Time to move on and look forward.

I'm IN - just signed up for Elephant Man, the oly at the end of September.

Tagged!

Tagged by both Molly and GeekGirl!

Jobs I've Held:
fast food preparer at Burger King
child care provider at a church
jewelry seller from a cart at Portside by the Maumee River in Toledo
BASIC instructor for kids at a Computer Camp
Co-op engineer (worked in QA, diffusion, & product engineering)
Engineer and/or Engineering Group Leader (worked in Yield Analysis, Product Engineering, Quality & Reliability Engineering, Defect Reduction)
Program Manager (supporting software engineering quality systems using CMMI as the framework)

Places I've lived:
Toledo, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Findlay, Ohio
Albuquerque, NM
Corrales, NM

Movies I can Watch Over & Over:
Shrek
Mary Poppins
Napolian Dynamite

My guilty pleasures:
ice cream
red wine
dark chocolate
ebay

Shows I enjoy:
Survivor
American Idol
Scrubs
The office
Monk

Places I've been on vacation:
Maui
California
Colorado
Florida
Kentucky
Nevada
Oregon
Washington
Illinois
Paris
Stockholm
Vermont
Michigan
Wisconsin
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Texas
Indiana
Maine
Massechusetts
Niagra Falls
Copenhagen
Cancun
Arizona
Toronto
Sydney
Melbourne
Canberra
Hamilton Island (great barrier reef)
Auckland

also been to Dublin, Shanghai, & Bangalore for work and got to go sightseeing :)

Favorite Foods
Butter Chicken (an Indian dish)
Pizza with pepporoni & mushrooms
Sea Bass
Lobster
Potatoes
Ice Cream (does that count as food??)

Websites I visit Daily:
your blogs!!

Body Parts I have injured:
pinky finger, left hand (broken 3 times)
ring finger, right hand (broken once)
left forearm (burned)
head (concussion)
chin (split open)
left wrist (split open)
right knee (split open)
right adductor or abductor, I forget which
lower back (torn muscle)

Awards I've won
(may fill this in later, or not)

Nicknames I've been called:
Lee
Lee Lee
Brainy
Pokie
Mommy :)

Tag others:
Vickie, ShyTriGirl, Marcy, Javamom, Brendaj

(hopefully i'll update with links later, otherwise, sorry 'bout that)

Update

Thank you all for your thoughts, comments, well wishes, prayers, etc.

After a few hours being home yesterday, I decided 'better safe than sorry' and took myself to ER. I spent about 8 hours at the hospital having various unpleasantries done to me including an abdominal CT scan to get a good look at my internal organs and pinpoint the cause of my pain. For those of you who don't know, a CT scan of this sort includes drinking a ridiculous amount of a foul tasting "contrast material" and being injected with iodine. Not fun.

Anyway, the results showed that I am NOT suffering from appendicitis. Instead, the pain is coming from an ovarian cyst. This is actually a much better scenario. I was dismissed with after-care instructions including a follow-up visit next week. I am very happy to know that this will NOT require a CT scan, but simply an utrasound. What happens next is still up in the air, but there is a much better chance of having this work itself out than if it had been my appendix. So YAY!

I came home with a prescription for percocet which did a lovely job of taking the pain away, but had the unfortunate side effect of making me feel like I was 'flying' all night. Apparently, flying takes a lot out of a person because this morning I feel like I was in a boxing match with a kangaroo and lost.

I'm staying home today and hope to be back at work tomorrow.

I need to decide what to do about the race this weekend. I can tell you one thing, when I was waiting for the test results and thinking over the scenario of needing surgery and what recovery would mean, I realized (once again) how blessed we are every day that we are actually ABLE to get up in the morning and run, bike, and/or swim. It's so easy to take that for granted.

Take care and enjoy the rest of your week.

Bummer...

Woke up this morning with a sharp knife-like pain in my lower right abdomen. Went into work, but the pain was bothering me quite a bit and my co-workers talked me into heading off to urgent care.

I'm back home at the moment on a clear fluids diet with instructions for what sypmtoms indicate a trip to ER would be prudent. It seems I may have appendicitis. I am not happy about this at all.

I've done a little research online since coming home. While it is entirely possible for this to work itself out without surgery, it doesn't look very probable. I wonder if I just ought to head over to ER there right now and get it over with rather than try this clear liquids thing. While I definately don't want to spend the day at the hospital or have surgery if I don't need to, I also don't want to waste time hoping this will get better on its own and end up in a really bad situation.

Anyway, if I go MIA for a few days, you'll know what happened. :(

I might not be fast, but...

Somewhere in the past few days I came across a saying that seems more and more fitting as time goes on. I would like to credit the source, but I can't for the life of me remember where I saw/heard that. However, it's stuck in my head and I kinda' like it.

I skipped a swim workout one morning because my toe nail polish was chipping. I repainted them and went the next morning and thought "I may not be fast, but at least I look good"

I was all giddy when my second pair of running shoes this time turned out to have some pink detail and thought to myself, "I may not be fast, but at least I'll look good"

I was disappointed when the GoGirl! shirt didn't fit, because I may not be fast, but I wanted to look good.

I still love the blue tape in my handlebars because I may not be fast, but at least it looks good.

I was actually really happy with my finish pics after Buffman Squeaky even though I finished 4th from last because in my mind, I may not be fast, but at least I looked good.

I have a sprint triathlon next weekend. Now, what should I wear? Afterall, I know I'm not fast...

Short version of my training since having checked into the blog earlier this week: I swam, I biked, and I biked some more.

I got up this morning to go run, but here I sit on my rear end instead. It's pretty much a given that I'll regret this later today when I end up running in 90deg heat.

In other news, my list of reasons why bicycles are better than cars just keeps growing.

On Thursday I had decided to go offsite to have lunch with Husband. I should have been on my bike that day, but was exhausted from the ride the day before, so I drove in. As much of a pain in the neck fixing a flat on a bike is....multiply that times a hundred when you have a flat on a vehicle...in a crowded parking lot....at 12:30 in the afternoon....dressed for work...

Oh, it gets better. Friday, we were all ready to take the tire up to a local shop to see if it can be repaired...and the car won't start. Good golly, what next? We finally got the car going and the tire taking in...and there's damage to the sidewall and it can't be repaired, it needs to be replaced. Of course.

Lucky for me, once we got home, I only needed to walk my bike about 100yards before I could hop on and ride off into the sunset and leave my car worries behind. And that's pretty much what I did...

Accelerade, Cycling, and more

The good people of Accelerade found me via my blog and asked me to try out their product and blog about my experiences (as well as post on their website). I agreed.

Thirty 20-oz bottles of Accelerade arrived at my doorstep, and I've used it on two bike rides so far.

The first time, I tried the flavor that is colored blue. I didn't think it had much taste at all, which was a good thing. The second time, I tried the flavor that is colored orange. It had a more noticble taste, but wasn't overbearing. I really don't like sweet stuff. I've never been a soda drinker and didn't put sugar in my coffee when I was a coffee drinker. Most sports drinks are too sickly sweet for me. I have two more flavors to try, but so far, Accelerade is right on the money with regard to taste.

I have felt better during and after the rides with Accelerade than I have in the past. Is it the sports drink or just my own experience? Not sure yet, but I'm looking forward to using this product some more.

Shout out to SW TriGal and GeekGirl
who worked around my schedule and let me come on a 45mile ride today ( I took vacation, but still had an important phone conference to join mid-day). It was an *awesome morning* for a bike ride because we got what the rare cloudy sky!! However, it still totally wore me out. I'm in awe of you folks that put in huge mileage week after week after week.

I've been sitting on my rear this evening and honestly don't want to get up. Bring me my pillow, I think I'll just sleep right here. Thx.