Great Run!!

Today is another one of those days where I thought I knew what I was going to blog about. I had a great run at lunch. Felt those endorphins I haven't felt for a long time.

That is great, but it wasn't the best part of the day. It was being reminded that there is more to life right now than Ironman. Yes, it is a huge part of my life, but there are things that are more important. Yes, I am being vague, but this post is selfish. It's to remind me that no matter what happens, all will be okay. That I am lucky to have surrounded myself with amazing people.

And the Ginger Calamari at Logan Taven is really REALLY good

First ride in and...

I didn't even fall. YAY!!

It felt pretty good, expect for the wind! DANG! I am really surprised I didn't go backwards, or blown over. The shifting is going to take some time to get used to, especially going from the small ring to the big one. I really don't think my wrist is supposed to hurt.

But the best part, Big Yellow (temporary name) was making a noise. I used all my logic and reasoning to figure out what was going on. It was continuous, kept going even if I was not pedaling, and would speed up and slow down; so, it had to be the back tire. I knew I didn't have time to get back to Conte's, so I pulled over and started futzing with the wheel. I am so glad I didn't take Big Yellow back to Conte's because it was the bike computer. The reader was slightly in and every time the magnet went by, would clip the sensor. Woo-Hoo!! I figured it out and didn't embarrass myself.

On to the more important issue, naming Big Yellow. If you are a regular reader, you know I name stuff. Cars (Judy, Izzy, Audrey, now Marcus), Bikes (Carlos), and a few stuffed animals (I won't name those). So not having a name for Big Yellow is a bit hard for me. I thought something would come to me, but not yet. Everyone has been helpful and here are a few suggestions.

Either Italian or British or Spanish
Alejandro
Alfonzo
Dante
Vincent
Alistair
Giovanni
Giuseppe
Raphael
Leonardo
Donatello
Michelangelo -- yes - those are the Ninja Turtles
Joshua
Dexter
Ferguson
Garrick
Konrad
Reginald
Paulo
Maurizio (pronounced Maruitizo)

My parents made a few suggestions as well and I have a few front runners.

Anyone out there have any ideas??? Decision to be decided. Next ride is Thursday morning...

He's Home!!

I have to say, my love for Conte's gets stronger every day. I went over there at 7 to have them swap everything from Carlos to the new bike. When they were working on it, I went over to the Harris Teeter to get the bike shop guys some cookies as a thank you (aka, a bribe).

I got back and the new bike was ready. We did some chatting about the knee problems I have had and we started a basic fitting. The former bike fitter happened to be in the store and she came over to help out. Let's just say I was the last person in the store, an hour after they closed. And they were just really great about everything.

So, he is home - yet to be named. Tomorrow night is our first planned outing. I hope the weather holds up. Today it was very rainy, so it was the treadmill for me. But it was a tempo day so it's not to bad to do it on the treadmill.

I'm in L-O-V-E

You know how they say it hits you when you least expect it... well, I think it's true. I was kind of looking, but didn't think I would find what I was looking for. I had bad experiences in the past and did not want to get my hopes up.

Then I saw him. They kept telling me he was the one to go for, but I resisted. Finally, I figured I would give it a chance and I am so glad I did. I never expected to be this comfortable and I am really happy I listened to others.

Meet my new love, best friend and pride and joy
Okay, it might not have been that romantic, however the gist is the same. Coach was pushing me towards a tri bike, Rox suggested I look into it, but I just wasn't feeling it. I went to a few bike shops to look around and wound up back at Conte's. They started showing me tri bikes and I poo-poo'ed it right away. After looking at some road bikes, the guy went back to the tri bikes and talked me into just riding one. And I did. And I loved it. Well - not loved it, but really liked and and thought it could work.

So, after some inner dialog that goes into any major purchase (and this is now the most expensive thing I will own after Marcus - my car) I decided to go for it. There were a thousand pros/cons going through my head but all the cons were things I can get over; for example
1. Shifting on the aero bars
2. Using the areo bars
3. Price (even though this is a really good deal)
or cons that were stupid; for example
1. This is way to much bike for me
2. People will wonder why I am so slow on such a great bike
The pros - and all that really matters
1. I WANT TO BE AN IRONMAN

I know what they say, it's the engine, not the vehicle that makes you go fast. I just hope this new vehicle helps the engine to be a bit faster.

Tomorrow I will get the pedals and bike computer switched over, test out some new saddles, and bring him home. Once we spend some time together, I am sure the name will come to me...

More pictures of my new love soon!!!

I Peadled for Peace!!

I just finished my first full group ride, through city streets and everything! Once again, I almost backed out, but I donated money so I felt I should give it a try - and I really do need to work on my fear of biking in the city.

Well, this ride took care of that! We started on East Capital street and biked through the city. There is something kind of neat about biking around the monuments. However, there is also a lot of stop lights, stop signs and cars - and this was at 9 in the morning. We are on Pennsylvania Ave, approaching a stop light, I clip out on the right (just as I have been the past 20 stop lights/signs) and in slow motion, fall to the left. I was pretty much at a stop so it didn't hurt as bad as the one 2.5 weeks ago, but still... the ego is just as hurt. And my left knee a bit. Everyone was again nice, those with clips said it has happened to them, those without say that is why they won't get them. Carlos was fine, I hoped back on and kept going. It almost happened again in Georgetown, but some how I managed to shift my entire body weight to the right to keep from falling.

The rest the ride went pretty well. There was one girl who stayed back with me so technically, I was draft the entire first half of the ride. But all went pretty well. The second half had a few more rolling hills so I was able to keep up the group and that made me feel much better.

Then we got back to the city. It was 80 degrees, sunny, beautiful at noon. That means LOTS OF TOURISTS!! But we had a larger group which is very helpful when you are biking on Independence Ave by the White House. Everyone was so supportive on being in my first city riding, giving me pointers and making sure I was okay.

So 36 miles, a few hours, one fall and a lot of lessons learned. In my book, that is a great day.

I am so Sneaky!!

I have always wanted to be part of a surprise party, and tonight I was. My first roommate when I lived in DC is graduating business school, and it's her birthday Sunday. Her boyfriend, sister-in-law, and brother decided to throw a surprise party. I was in charge of keeping her from her brother's place, where the party was, after she arrived via train. Pretty easy in theory as I work across the street from the train station. However plans changed and things didn't go as we had hopped. I had to use my excellent acting skills and insist we stick to the original plan, embellish a few stories, all to make it seem normal.

And it worked, she was surprised, and all went well.

And true to form, I left early because I was tired and have to get up to bike in the morning. I am not complaining, just stating what things have become. I am still happy with my choice.

Today I ran at lunch in the 80 degree high humidity. YUCK!! I need to start adjusting my schedule so I can have a decent run again... it's been awhile.

Happy Birthday to My Favorite Brother

After potentially freaking out my parents by yesterdays post (saying I am an aunt, even though it's not biologically), today is my favorite (and only) brother's birthday!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIN!!

This morning I did get up and bike around Hains Point. I met up with the DC tri club 'fun Thursday ride'. And it was.

I'm an Aunt, I'm an Aunt, I'm an Aunt

No, my brother did not have a baby - well, not that I know of...

I have posted before about my friends from G-Dale, they are a second family to me. Therese was the one who just got married and we were all together for the first time in years (parents, husbands, kid(s), etc). Well, Nicole went into labor 3 weeks early and had a baby girl!! I think she just had such a great time at the reception that she wanted to come out early and join us.

Oh, and I did run at lunch in the 75 degree heat and swim after work. I can't remember what I was going to say today, I am just to excited about my friends baby.

I can't wait to buy more presents that make a lot of noise!!!

Does Sleep Count as a Workout?

I woke up this morning feeling like poo. My apartment was a sty. I was just exhausted when I got up and my head hurt. So I decided sleep was more important. I did do a few loads of laundry in between naps but that is it.

Now I am about to go to bed and it's 9.

Back in DC and Carlos is Ready to Roll

It was a really good weekend at home. This morning I had another decent swim. Coach let me pick my own workout - that always makes me happy. But here is the thing about the Y that happened yesterday that I didn't get a chance to share (as driving the bike course was way more important).

I go to the check in desk and gave them my DC license and Y card. I noticed a sign that said they were only doing towel service for certain types of memberships starting April 15. Now the last few times I have been, I bring my own towel. This time I figured why make my mom wash another towel when I can just use the Y's. So I ask the guy if I can have a towel. He points to the sign and says I do not have the membership that includes towel service. I explain that my DC membership does include towel service. He just said, "sorry". Not even in a nice, sad, way like this cute kitten. Just point blank - "no, sorry". Boo!!

So after my swim I used a bunch of paper towels out of spite - which I was upset about doing because that whole saving the environment thing.
The point of all this was I remembered my towel today and had a good swim.

I left 70 degree weather in G-dale to 55 degree and rainy DC. But, I did make it back in time to head to the bike shop and grab Carlos. The bike shop guy said a lot of stuff that they fixed, and I said a lot of "okay"s and paid. He then gave me a quick overview on how to maintain my bike - so great!! Hopefully I can make it to a class soon.

I think the weather will clear up tomorrow so hopefully I can take Carlos out for a test ride. YAY!

Challenging

That is what I am calling what I just drove with my dad.After an awesome night at Therese and Warren's wedding, a decent swim at the Y, my dad and I headed to Madison to drive the bike course. I knew it was hilly and a ton of turns. However, this is not what I was expecting. I am glad I saw it, took a few pictures for motivation, and now really need to get my butt in gear and on the bike. Whatever bike that might be....

Ahhh... So Beautiful

It's that time in between the wedding and reception. Ahhh, such a beautiful wedding. It's always nice to come home to family and friends.

This morning I did sneak in a run before the festivities started. I was running around Scout Lake and downtown G-Dale. The one thing I noticed on my run, things aren't blooming yet. The trees around the lake were still bare and no green starting to bud. It was a bit sad looking to be April and no green, but my allergies were MUCH happier.

Oh, and The Bike Rack called and said Carlos was done early. I explained that I was in G-dale, and the bike shop guy was familiar with the town, and said I could pick him up Monday night as planned. I hope he is better!!! (and not too expensive...)

Blah!! AHHH!!!

I had my day set around my 2 hour bike ride and my 3:35 flight to Milwaukee. I get up, dressed, packed up Marcus and headed out to the Mt Vernon trail for a nice ride. Right away, Carlos was making some noises, worse than yesterday. Then the chain fell off. It fell off again. The breaks were squeaking worse than normal. I clipped out and tripped. The noise was getting louder and this was all within 30 minutes. I was getting nervous and decided to turn around and take Carlos to the bike shop for a little work. As I was riding back, the chain fell off again and the seat fell back, again. I didn't know what was going on.

So, after some venting to Roxanne, I took a longer run than coach said I should do. I ran around Roosevelt Island and it was beautiful, except for the snakes. It was the closest to zen running I have ever been and it was a pretty enjoyable run.

I headed right to The Bike Rack to see if they could take Carlos for the weekend and make him better. The first thing they noticed, the dent on the top tube. It's always been there and I didn't think too much about it. Well, apparently that is a huge deal on an aluminum frame. So, now I am not sure what to do. I left Carlos to get a tune up, work on the breaks and seat.

I have some serious thinking to do about a new bike or take my chances.

But now I need to pack 4-5 outfits for my friends wedding tomorrow. Why so many, because you never really know what the weather will be like in Wisconsin in April. There is a high of 82 in DC and 50 in G-Dale. However, weather dot com has not been the most reliable so I am bringing my closet home. Good times.

It's Cold in the Morning!!

Yes, I made it out of bed and on my bike, but it was COLD!! I have to remember that 50 degrees in the morning is not the same as 50 degrees in the evening. Tomorrow I will dress more appropriately. But, the fact is I got out of bed at 5:35 am, biked, and made it into work on time.

The good part about biking that early, the sun is just rising and sets a nice shadow of your biking posture. I could see my rounded shoulders and would try to straighten up. It was almost like biking next to a mirror. (And yes, I realize this is a picture of a sunSET over the Potomac, however I thought it was pretty and you get the idea)

The problem - I am starting to feel sick. I don't know if it's the lack of sleep (6-7 hours a night is not cutting it right now), allergies, the up and down of the temperature, and/or the biking in the cool weather. I have a big weekend coming up and really REALLY don't want to be sick for it. Hopefully proper eating, water, and vitamin C will work.

And wearing the appropriate clothing for tomorrow mornings 2 hour bike ride.

Fatigue Setting In...

I am in a "challenging" week and definitely feeling it in my body. It's partly because I won't have time over the weekend to get some long stuff in, but also because last week, the week before, and this week have been hard weeks.

Today's run wasn't great. It was hot, I wasn't focusing on my stride, and my right back side was really sore from yesterdays fall - on that note, the bruise is starting to turn into pretty colors. I still made out, but felt totally spent when I was done.

Against my better judgement, I had another cup of coffee to get through the afternoon and make it to the pool. I had to do a warm up followed by a 1600 for time. To my surprise, my time wasn't too bad. My arms felt jelly after, but I was happy with it.

I had to cut out of happy hour early, again, to cook, get ready for tomorrow's bike, and get some sleep. I was going to do laundry, clean and start to pack for the weekend, but there aren't 30 hours in the day so something has to give.

One unexpected bonus from this experience, better time management!

It Was Bound to Happen

They say it happens to everyone. I knew it would eventually happen to me. It had to, it's almost a right of passage. Just a painful one.

Tonight, I decided to break out of my shell, get over my insecurities, and head out for a group ride with the DC tri club out of the bike shop I like, Conte's. I met one girl from the club who was super nice and said she would ride with me. She was great. Gave me tips on how to clip in and clip out - which I S-T-I-N-K at doing!!! I am just not comfortable, which is a major reason I don't ride through the city to get to trails.

Anyway, she said practice was the only way to get used to it, and everyone falls. They clip out at one side, lean to the other, and fall. She said it usually happens when everyone is stopped, waiting, and watching.
Without fail, 5 seconds later, we meet up with the group, I clip out with the left, lean to the right, and down I go. I fell off Carlos and I fell H-A-R-D! With everyone standing on the corner, stopped, waiting, and watching.

Now, everyone was great, asked if I was okay, said it has happened to them, etc. The problem is I am a crier, which is the last thing I wanted to do. I was a bit shaky but managed to hold it in. But when I got back on Carlos, the seat was turned, I couldn't shift and the gears sounded off - that is how hard I hit. This group ride is based on hills. I was told to drop down to the lowest gear, but didn't realize it would be right there when I turned a corner. As stated above, I couldn't shift. I quickly clipped out, tripped, and made it down the street - shaking. The tri club girl came down and helped get everything back to normal. Without her, I think I would still be at the bottom of the hill.

I eventually made it up, decided that was enough and somehow made it through traffic lights, stop signs and cars, back to Conte's. My entire right side hurts and I am sitting on an ice pack. My leg has a bit of road rash, but not to bad. I can't get the grease off my right calf - basically I am a mess. My confidence is shot and I am really glad I don't have a bike scheduled for tomorrow - just a swim and run.

On to reality - I know it wasn't that bad and it will more than likely happen again and again and again. I don't think Carlos is banged up too bad and training will go on. I was just hoping for a better experience for breaking out of my comfort zone... Hopefully next time.

Caffeine Does the Body Wonders

I have a routine in the morning and I am pretty good with sticking to it. So this morning I got up, made coffee, showered and got dressed. As I was doing my hair (this is not part of the normal schedule but it is Monday and I was the boss today. It will be in a ponytail the rest of the week) I had a cup of coffee. I finished getting ready, filled my-to-go-cup with the rest of the coffee and went out the door. Overall, pretty normal. Get to work, fill my water bottle, make my oatmeal and start reading e-mails. Then I got the shakes. I haven't gotten the shakes from caffeine in AGES!! I mean I have a caffeine addiction like most professionals in their late 20's, early 30's. I ate and drank water and could not shake the shakes.

Luckily, Coach gave me another "challenging" week. I wonder if he laughs an evil laugh when he is writing my workouts and calls them "challenging". Anyway, with heading back to the land of my birth this weekend, I am cramming as much as possible into the next 4 days. So, I got to release a lot of pent up energy outside. It was a beautiful 52 degree sunny day and had the fastest run I have had in awhile.

After fighting DC traffic, I made it down to Hains Point for a few laps. I really concentrated on my cadence and got some really good practice in the aero position. My times were faster so I think that caffeine really lasted all day.

Now lets just see if I get some sleep tonight...

First Real Ride of the Season

And I think it went pretty well.

Coach said 2, 2 and a half hours if my knees felt okay, and a 10-15 minute run if they still felt okay. Well, I did that all, or close. 2 hours, 25 minutes and a 15 minute run. 33 miles!! That is a hair faster than I need to go in 4 and a half months! Woo-Hoo! AND, I felt really good! AND it was a pretty hilly course!!

Jess came over (she is training for the Country music half marathon) and we were meeting Rose up in Columbia. I was biking, Jess running and Rose both. I knew I wanted to do the Columbia triathlon bike course, but the loop part twice. All went pretty well.

But, here are a few things I never thought I would have happen during a bike ride.
1. Approaching a turn with a 20 mph warning sign, look down at bike computer and have it say I was going 8 mph over that warning (I was going 28 mph)
2. Thank the heavens for strong chains that can hold a dog the size of a pony from chasing me down the street
3. Notice in the breeze, the fact that I haven't shaved my legs in awhile - NO JUDGEMENT - It's been winter and I haven't worn shorts or skirts!
4. Laugh out loud when I turned a corner and saw the size of the hill I was about to pedal up.
5. Blow a snot rocket right as a cute cyclist goes by and says "Nice"

But the best part wasn't anything above. It was that after finishing my first loop, I did not want to do the second. I told my self it was okay if I only did one loop because my knee hurt, I was tired, it was my first ride with hills, and my butt wasn't ready to sit that long. Even after thinking all of this, one thought was more powerful. I want to be an Ironman. I want to do whatever it takes to be an Ironman. So I did the second lap.

And the entire time, I had these 2 lines of the band Lifehouse's song "Whatever it takes, to turn this around" running through my head.

This City Has Strange Weather

This morning I wanted to sleep in, however my stupid body clock and stupid getting older wouldn't allow me to sleep in past 8. Roxanne and I had plans to swim, but she was planning on sleep in too, so I decided to get up and run before the swim. She texted, having the same issue of not sleeping in. But, I still managed to get my run in first.

It was 71 degrees when I went out side at 8:45 am. 71!!!!
Amanda - welcome to the beginning of summer in DC...
About half way into my run, it started to sprinkle. While the sun was shinning. It was nice because it cooled me down. I finished as the sun was shinning bright. I hopped into Open City for an iced skim sugar free vanilla latte (Yum!) and ran into some friends finishing brunch. After a bit of chatting, I headed home just as a dark cloud opened up and it just came down!! AND, the sun was STILL shinning!! They were HUGE rain drops and I was squinting because it was so sunny. I found this picture that gives you an idea of what I am talking about.

I have never lived in a city where it is sunny and raining at the same time as often as it does here.

UPDATE
Roxanne and I did get our swims in after more lane hopping than I have ever had to do. The vibe was so different than a Tuesday night. Today was la-di-da and no respect to the speed of others in your lane. Very different than the get in, get your workout done, get out, attitude during the week.

Sleep Won Again...

The alarm was set, but the body was not ready to move. I will adjust and spend some time on the trainer tonight after my swim - can you say Rockn' Friday Night!?!? There will be laundry too :-) Oh yeah, I know how to have a good time. HA!!

But I am trying not to get down about my inability to get out of bed. I did get up once this week to do a workout, which was better than the week before. Next week I will shoot for getting up twice.
You gotta have goals.

I "HEART" Conte's

Really, I do. I called and e-mailed a few places and Conte's was the first to reply. I adjusted my day a bit, left work early so I could still swim, headed to Conte's and within 20 minutes, Carlos and his aero bars were as good as new. I even had time to go to the grocery store and get veggies!! YAY SALAD.

My intention was to get up and bike this morning, however due to my allergies, I took a Zyrtec last night. That W-I-P-E-D me O-U-T! I set my alarm for 5:35 pm instead of am. My the time the second alarm went off at 6, I decided more sleep was needed.

This evening was a first for me. I went to the gym after work for 40 minutes on the treadmill (that's not new) but I went to happy hour after (also not new). However, I had the Kristin special of cranberry and orange juice. And a water. I had questions of "no vodka?" and "not even 1 beer?" Nope. That was it. I didn't even order food when I was tempted by the crab/cheese pretzel... Ummm... crab pretzel... I used to have dreams about the crab pretzel before the Columbia wine festival it's so good.

Anyway, I stuck to my plan of not even one. My friends are getting used to my early departure and I think are happy that even show up.

Off to bed and setting my alarm for 5:45 am, not pm.

Stupid Stupid Stupid

I actually did get up at 5:30 to go biking. But it was really dark so I went back to sleep til 6 to go swimming. I got up at 6, put my suit on, changed my mind and changed to my biking outfit.

I had all my bike stuff packed and ready to go so I just grabbed my water and headed out the door. I threw Carlos into Marcus, adjusted the front wheel and handle bars as needed and drove down to Hains Point.

I started my first loop and just wanted to warm up before I concentrated on my cadence and aero position. At the start of the second loop, I went down into position and my left arm kept sliding off. I thought it was my fleece (I didn't dress properly for 50 degree biking and wore my emergency fleece from my rubbermaid container that stays in the Marcus) sliding off, but I wasn't having the same problem with the right side.

I then flashed back to when "I threw Carlos into Marcus, adjusted the front wheel and handle bars as needed" and remembered hearing a crack. I thought it was the top of the rubbermaid container. Nope, it was the left armrest of the aero bars.

STUPID STUPID STUPID!!

Had I just taken 5 extra seconds to put Carlos into the back of my car properly, this would not have happened. STUPID STUPID STUPID!!

I still managed to finish my 75 minute ride and did have some good aero practice. It was a good morning with few people, hardly any cars, little to no wind and good snot rocket practice.

Now I need to find a replacement armrest of my aero bars. Or a lot of duck tape.

Wow, That Was Unexpected

Yesterday's post was about how great my friends have been so far through this experience. Well, today hit a new level. Midwest Airlines was having a fair sale and there was a 10% off coupon. Jess, Kristin and Roxanne booked flights, and I think Lauren might have as well. Others are looking into where they are going to be and planning on being there. That is just so unbelievably great. I am very lucky and thankful to have the support I do. Thank you!!
Tomorrow I am going to do my best to get out of bed and on my bike. I really need to start getting up and on the bike!! Off to bed...

Friends are Great

I have said this before, but I really don't think I could be doing what I am trying to do without the support of my friends.

They calm me down on my random freak outs, plan to come with me to events, remind me of what I have done and overall - that it will be okay. Roxanne and I went for a swim tonight followed by a delicious greasy cheeseburger and fries. She is such a great resource to have though all of this because she knows exactly what I am going through. Last year she was training for her first Ironman, in Lake Placid.

And by the way 5 MONTHS!!! Only 5 MONTHS AWAY!!!

According to Google

5 months = 152.184249 days

10 Miles BABY!

And the first 'race' of the season is done. Here is my report

I woke up at 6 after an evening of watching the DC Roller Girls doing roller durby. Yes, Roller Durby. It was awesome.
And I woke up to rain. Yes rain. I was kind of hoping I would get a call from Kristin, Lauren, Rose, Jess, Charles.. someone asking if we were all still running. But no, no call so I started my routine. I went into this thinking of it as a long run, not a race. I got dressed in my smelly pullover (it was dirty but the best one for rain, it matched my outfit best, and I look good in green which is very important for the pictures), packed my fanny pack (it the special running one that holds a water bottle - NOT a typical tourist one!!), grabbed my safety pins for my race number and headed out. I had my knee braces, inhaler, Metro card and credit card for brunch after. My I.D. too, just in case.
Anyone notice what I missed... MY RACE CHIP!!! After all the issues with getting one yesterday, I totally for got to put it on my shoe. I made it down to the metro and was talking with this guy about how crazy it was to be up and running in the rain. I noticed his chip and realized I didn't have mine. There as no time to go back, so no official time for me. Dang!

I make it to the race start where it was cold and still raining. After some time we all found each other, took a few pre pictures, and were off about 10 minutes late. I will post pictures eventually, however I used a disposable and the official ones will take a few days.

Jess and I started together and said good by to the speedy ones. It was still cold, but stopped raining, then started again and was humid, stopped and was cold, started and was cold, etc. Not the best race weather but I will take that over HEAT any day. So Jess and I are moving along, mile by mile. I might have been pushing her just a bit, but she was great. After mile 5, Jess and I decided to go our own paces.

It was good for me to 'practice' being at the end and on my own. To not let the pressures of others during a race get to me, and just concentrate on putting one (wet) foot in front of the other. To watch the race people take down the mile marks and tear down the water stops, even though I was in front of the time cut off. I kept the pace I wanted to, walked when I planned, drank and had my Clif Shots when needed.

Overall, it was a great start to the race season for me. I finished strong and was happy with my time - even though it's not posted. My pain is limited and I know what I need to do for long runs (i.e. remember body glide).

Congrats to everyone who ran and finished!!

Oh, Packet Pick-up

I decided to take the day off from biking because my knee is a bit sore and Coach said it was okay. It is a beautiful day I hate to miss but that's okay.

So I went to the packet pick up with what felt like every other person running tomorrow. After I found my number, I got my packet but there was no chip in my numbered pouch. I was sent to the"Solutions desk" to figure out what to do. The solution... get another chip. How was this documented? On a legal size yellow note pad with a blue pen. Yup, the chances of my actual start and finish time being accurate are slim to none. The probability that I will be charged for not turning in my chip, pretty high.

But the best part of every packet pick up is the expo. I was looking for my Clif Shots - which were a bit harder to find as everyone uses Clif Blocks now (and I do biking, but not running). After I found some stuff I didn't need, I found the BEST T-SHIRT EVER! Dad, this shirt is for you but for me.

Good Swim

Finally. It's been awhile again since I had a decent swim. That might have to do with the fact I keep blowing off my swims. It's the one I feel most comfortable with so I can 'always make it up later'. Anyway, I got to the pool and it actually wasn't crowded, which was great. 5*500 with 45 seconds rest. I only had to circle the last 500, but it was a rough 500.

See, if you have ever swam or taking a swimming lesson, you know how important it is to blow the air out your nose. For some reason, I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have and I got to the end of the lane sooner than expected. I took a half stroke to get a breath and did some sort of flip turn thing. I was a bit flustered and pushed off weird. Before I knew knew it, the water was up my nose. If this has ever happened to you, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about. That stinging sensation and you get a few tears because it feels like the water went up your nose and is coming out your eyes. And it lasts at least a 50. But if that is the worst thing on a swim, I will take it.

Now it just needs to stop raining so I can get outside on Carlos. He doesn't like the tease of outside, than being on the trainer, trainer, trainer, outside, trainer, trainer, outside, trainer....

La La

Yesterday I had some down time and did a lot of reading. My reading of choice - Triathlon magazines of course! I have been reading books, websites, other blogs, and magazines all to help prepare myself for September. I even go so far as to mark articles or stories with little sticky flags so I can go back and re-read certain topics.

I start to worry because I am a bit over 5 months away and I haven't biked more than 22 miles or run more than 8. 5 months is a lot of time, but it's not. How do I stay positive? Everything I read talks about this challenge being so mental. In the back of my head, I know I will do my best, no matter what. If my friends and family come out and I don't finish, it will suck, but I will be okay.

This is what popped into my head today during my 40 minute easy run. I was grooving to a little JT, putting one foot in front of the other, and I panicked a bit. But, I kept going. I walked a bit, but kept going. These are the workouts I need to remember. The break through ones are good, but these are almost better.

I Get to do the 10 Miler on Sunday

I was I am by no means trained or ready for a 10 mile 'race' but I am going to do it anyway! My goal, pace in front of the 'pick up' bus.

I was debating telling Coach that Sunday was the race. This was because I was afraid he would say no. But, people reminded me that so far, he has been pretty right on a lot of situations. So, I told him. After some e-mail mishaps, I got my weeks schedule that included Sunday's race. YAY! He is even giving me Monday off!!!!

I have done a few extra workouts so far this week, so it is good to be ahead of schedule. My knees are doing okay - ice and ibuprofen help A LOT.

I just realized I started each of these paragraphs with I. Can you really be worried about being egotistical when you have a blog that is solely dedicated to yourself???

It's Almost Spring!!

There was a lot that I wanted to comment on today and I am sure I won't remember it all, but I will try.
I went for a run at lunch, right after it stopped raining. In DC, do you know what that means. HUMIDITY!!! It took me about 6 years to realize that when it rains, it does not cut the humidity and cool down the temperature, it makes it worse. Let's just say my hair was really pretty when I passed my boss on the mall.

At some point in the afternoon I realized it was beautiful outside. I decided to leave work a bit early, throw Carlos in the car and head to Hains Point.
After an hour sitting in traffic, it made me realize how lucky I am to hardly every drive during rush hour.
Anyway, I hoped on and took off. I was all ready to work on a higher cadence and my aero position. However, the wind had a different idea. There were little white caps on the Potomac. So, aero bar practice really didn't happen. But overall it was a pretty good ride.

Here were a few interesting points on the ride.
1. A beautiful Tuesday afternoon/evening during the Cherry Blossom festival means many MANY cars. Not just a lot of cars, but cars who don't know Hains Point is full of bikers and don't slow down.
2. There is one part of the loop I was doing were there was a back up of the above mentioned cars. I maneuvered between the car and the curb nervously well but it was so close, one of the boys in the drive leaned out and said "Hi Biking Lady". That is too close to cars for my comfort level.
3. Biking during the peak of the Cherry Blossoms means not to open your mouth, even when breathing, or parts of the blossoms might fly in.
4. Really R-E-A-L-L-Y fast bikers bike on Tuesday evenings. And not once did I hear an "On Your Left!" RUDE!
5. These bikers mentioned above: they can do the snot blowing out of the nostril really well. I was actually more jealous of the snot blowing than the speed of their biking.