I feel off today. I had a good day at work and was looking forward to the track workout.
It was pouring and there were multiple accidents along 480, so I took some back roads. About half way there I got rear ended. Of course my bumper got jacked, not too bad, but bad enough that I need to get it fixed. So I had to get the other peoples info. Two cars behind me and of course the guy that hit me didnt have insurance info on him. Farge. Neither of them waited for cops, blah. So I just left, didn't really know what else to do.
Nobody that came to the track wanted to run in the rain tonight so we just went to Applebees. I prob was not much fun, I should have been but I think the accident fudged with my tri high.
I called my insurance company when I got home. Gave them all the info I got, now I have to wait to hear back. I hope I don't end up getting screwed because I didn't wait for cops. They never called my cell or anything though. Don't think they were really concerned since noone was hurt.
I am sleepy, tried to run on the treadmill but remembered how much I hate the treadmill and ended up leaving after 11 minutes. Oh well, I deserve a small respite. I need to get back on track ASAP though.
I will have to post about Chicago later, don't think I can do it justice tonight.
Blast From the Past
For those of you who weren't in my life or missed out on the story here is my post about last years Chicago Triathlon. I will try to post this year's version tonight or tomorrow.
Wednesday 09.01.04 [11:54 pm]
Here is the detailed version of my Chicago Story. I will add a short blog for those that are too tired to read it in its entirety later.
Saturday morning I woke up at 7:30 and headed down to the lobby with my wetsuit. We walked a little over a mile to a beach just south of the harbor and museums. We put on our wetsuits and did some drills and laps back and forth along the shore to get a feel for the open water and to get used to the temperature. The water was about 72 F that morning and that seemed awfully cold to me. It wasn’t bad once you were in for about two minutes. I swam for about 15 minutes then we all changed back into our street clothes and headed back to the hotel. I went out to breakfast with my family, C, and K. I got some delicious blueberry pancakes and a fruit plate. The fruit plate was so huge we ended up getting a take out box for it. We had to get back to the hotel by 11 to unpack our bikes so we headed back right after eating. On the way over there was a homeless man that looked like he had some burn scars on his face, a little boy walking in front of us went up and gave him high five. It was so sweet. I had my mom give him our leftovers from breakfast. It is too bad we don’t all have eyes like that little boy and just see people for what they are, people. No more and no less no matter what walk of life we are in. I swear we can learn so many lessons from children.
We got back to the hotel and went and got our bikes out of the van. We all met up in the lobby to put our pedals back on and pumped up our tires. While pumping my tires I tipped over my bike. Luckily I noticed while I was rolling the bike to the elevator that I had pulled my rear shifting wire out of place and it wasn’t shifting because there was no tension. Coach K fixed it in a jiffy!
My parents and hubby headed over to the field museum and I went out to bike the 10-k run course with A and her man. We just took it leisurely and rode out and back along the run course just to check it out. Afterwards A’s man held out water bottles as we rode by so we could practice catching them while riding since we would have to do that in the race.
I went up to the room and finished the signs I was making for everyone’s hotel doors. I gave those to T to put up when she was going around and then headed over to the museum. We had lunch when I got to the museum and it was delicious, as it should be for the outrageous prices. My husband and I just got two sandwiches and two drinks and it came to $18.00. After eating we went and checked out the Forbidden City exhibit. It was pretty neat. I really liked looking at the tapestry paintings and the clothes. We also checked out the gem room, mineral collection, and dinosaur exhibit. Right now they have the largest T-Rex fossil found so far there. Since I was a geology concentration in college I thought that was all pretty cool.
After that we headed back to the hotel and got ready for the pasta party. At the pasta party we found out how much everyone raised. I can’t remember the total for all 222 Team in Training participants but it was really significant. For our 9 Northern Ohio participants alone we raised over $38,000! We also heard a speech from a mother who had lost her child in the battle against Leukemia. Her daughter was actually one of the first honorees in the Team in Training program for the Chicago Marathon. Unfortunately she lost her battle but her parents have stayed involved and hopefully all the money raised will make it so that no one else has to lose their child. It was a very emotional but also inspirational evening.
After the pasta party coach K went over all of the details we had to know for the race the next morning and sent us on our way. I stopped by C and K’s room to let them use my tape to attach their Gu packets to their bikes. Then I went up to my room and got everything ready for the morning. It was only 9:30 so I played cards with my family and watched some of the Olympics before heading to bed around 11.
I woke up at 4:30am to a call from A wanting to know if I had something. For the life of me I can’t remember what now. Everyone had teased me the night before about how I would be out at the transition zone at 3am waiting for the race to start so I had decided not to wake up until 4:45. (Transition opened at 4:30) So I got out of bed and took a quick shower to warm up my muscles. Put on my tri shorts and top, grabbed my bike and backpack, and headed downstairs. We rode our bikes over to transition and luckily Coach K had told us we could get in on the north end because the entrance on the south end was backed up about a half mile. We got right into transition and set up our stuff at our racks. The transition area was about 50 times the size of the transitions zones that I have seen at the local races I have done. My rack was right in the middle of the whole transition zone. Luckily I was right by a tree so I had a good focal point to remember where my bike was. It was so windy that my bike was rocking back and forth on the rack. I had to stick my race number, socks, and top underneath my shoes and helmet so that they would (hopefully) not fly away. I couldn’t find A so I walked the transition zone from the bike in to my area and from the swim in to my area. Then I went and got my body marked. I found A just before they shut transition at 6. There were still people about half a mile away walking their bikes toward the transition zone at 6. I have no idea if they let them in or not.
We walked over and watched the first heat of swimmers start at 6:15. Then we went back to the hotel to go to the bathroom so we weren’t just sitting in the cold. We got back over to the swim start around 7:15 and watched B start his race. He looked really great on the swim. I staked out a bathroom and waited in line. I got back in time to find my family and Coaches K and M. We watched A start her swim. We were cheering her on and she looks up and yells, “There’s a lot of people in here!” I got some last minute tips from Coach K and then went to put on my wetsuit. I had forgotten to bring warm up pants so I was wearing my cotton Victoria’s Secret striped PJ pants before the race. Coach K got me to ask Coach M if she would wear them for good luck. You should have seen her face! I put on body glide and everyone helped me get the shoulders of my wetsuit on nice and snug then I headed over to the start line and got in line with my wave (36). My wave had females from age groups 20-24 and from 15-19. We also had males age group 55-59. I made sure to stay to the right and in front so that I could start by the rope and in the front. There was another Team in Training participant in my heat. She was 16 and had raised over $4000! Absolutely amazing!
About 4 minutes before our start we hopped in the water. I got over to the rope and adjusted my goggles and got ready. When they announced that there were 30 seconds to the start I started my watch. The horn went off and I started swimming. My left goggle leaked the whole swim but surprisingly it didn’t really bother me. What bothered me a little more was all the people! It was absolutely crazy! And according to coach M I had a pretty clear course the whole way. I ran into quite a few people. I would look up and it would appear that I had a clear course then someone would come at me from some crazy direction! It was nuts. I managed to get into a groove and headed south along the rope. As I was swimming I could see my mom following me along the course so I gave a wave and kept going. At about 300 yards the course turns and you head back north. At this point I gave up on swimming next to the rope because people from previous heats were clinging to the rope for dear life! So I moved a little closer to the boats in the harbor and tried to steer clear of all other swimmers. As I got towards the end of the swim I started looking for the stairs and headed left towards them. I looked for a good place to get up (they had volunteers helping you out of the water because it wasn’t on a beach and someone could really hurt themselves on that first stair) and reached for the first free hand I saw. As I came out I glanced at my watch and saw that I had completed the swim in 26 minutes! I was so ecstatic! I could have stopped the race right there and been content. The swim portion of the race was all for coach K because he really helped me become a faster swimmer and I can’t thank him enough (not to mention for the great program he made that helped me to become a competitive triathlete).
I think the worst part of the race was the run from the swim to the transition zone. Not only did it suck because they tacked that time onto your swim, but it was on cement and it was about a 500 yard run. I have tough feet, but I wanted to walk so badly! The only thing that kept me going was the high fives from the kids along the course and the volunteers cheering “Go Team!” I sucked it up and kept running even though it hurt.
Once I got into transition it was much better because it was all grass. I looked for my row and headed to my bike. My hands were still pretty cold when I got to my bike but I managed to get my socks on and then my shoes. I had put these quick lace things on my shoes but the right shoe came untied at the end so I ended up having to tie that one anyways. I threw on my TNT top and snapped on my helmet. My bike fell as I took it off the rack but I recovered it quickly and headed out to the bike course.
I mounted my bike and headed up the on ramp to Lake Shore Drive. As I was getting onto Lake Shore Drive another TNT participant passed me and shouted “Go Team”. At that point I decided I was going to try and cheer on all the TNT participants I saw on the bike course. I figured cheering wasn’t going to slow my legs down anyways and that would help me get through the toughest part of the race. It worked! I had a fabulous bike ride. The course was relatively flat but mile 1-6 and 13-20 were pretty tough because the wind was really bad. Luckily coach K had told me before the race that I shouldn’t push it into the wind and should get into a lower gear and keep a high cadence. While I was out on the course I saw A, C, L, and L2! It was really cool being able to cheer each other on! The course was right on Lake Shore Drive. They had shut down the inside two lanes in both directions. This course is a little odd because you have to ride on the left and pass on the right. I didn’t have to worry about that too often, but I did pass some mountain bikes! I actually passed someone on a road bike too! I was with her the whole bike ride but I really pushed it on the last stretch of 6 miles and lost her after the water bottle exchange. My quads were a little sore coming into the last 6-mile stretch so I ended up taking my second gel before the water bottle exchange. I had planned on taking it right before the run. I decided I needed it early though. (I hadn’t eaten as much as I had planned on eating that morning so I knew I might need some extra fuel)
I came into transition feeling pretty good, found my bike rack, put my bike back on the rack, took off my helmet, put on my race number belt, and my sunglasses (I had forgotten to put them on for the bike ride). As I was running out of transition I dropped the glasses but decided it was worth it to stop and grab them. The end of the bike leg and start of the run course were packed with spectators. I had my name on my shirt so there were lots of people cheering me on as well as cheering “Go Team!” It was really awesome! The first mile of the run was on grass, which was fine by me. I saw my parents and David and waved. Then I got focused and started getting serious. I knew coming off the bike that I would have to have a good run in order to break 3 hours. I focused on keeping my arms down, shoulders back, and head up. At the mile mark I glanced at my watch and I was going around 7 minute miles. I grabbed a Gu from the Gu stop and tore it open…Chocolate. Not what I was expecting but I forced it down anyways. I managed to grab a water and got most of it down, and not on the front of my shirt. I managed to get water or Gatorade at every mile marker except for mile 3. In retrospect I probably should have gotten water at all of the stops because that last Gu did not get absorbed into my system quickly and upset my stomach a little. Not enough to slow me down though, luckily.
Once I hit the three-mile mark I realized that I could run 10-minute miles and still break three hours and I sighed an inward sigh of relief. This race was so awesome because you were never alone on the run. I have no idea how many people I passed but that is exactly what I did the whole 6 miles is pass people. It was really neat. The only woman that passed me was in a wheelchair. She was absolutely amazing just for doing the race so I don’t mind at all! I also didn’t get passed by many men, which made me feel really good. I even passed someone whose shirt read "Evere been smoked by a fatty?" I believe he was in the Clydesdale divison. What is funny is that the past couple road races I ran before training for this I usually did get "smoked by fatties" as well as those people pushing their kids in the buggy's! Not this race though
Closing on the finish
The last two miles were a little harder because they were towards the wind but I still managed to keep around 8 minute miles. As I closed in on the finish I saw my parents on the right and blew them a kiss and I saw that my coaches were right across from them on the left. They were all cheering me on but I had no idea how far the finish was so I just kept my pace until I saw the finish line. Once I saw the finish line I kicked it in hard and I admit I did one of those goofy raise your hands in the air triumph poses as I crossed the finish line.
Words cannot describe how amazing it felt to finish that race. I was beaming from ear to ear. They put a medal over my neck and I wandered aimlessly into the crowd of people who had just finished the race. I heard someone say great job Team and turned to see one of the guys that I had seen out on the bike course and on the run. I congratulated him as well and told him I needed a hug. Then I heard my husband yelling and I ran over to him and we hugged and kissed over the fence. I told him how amazing it was and that I wanted to do another one! We talked while we waited for my parents to catch up to him. I gave my mom a big hug and asked her how I looked on the run. We talked some more and then I went to find some fluids and to sign in at the Team in Training Tent. On the way I found C and K and we all caught up on how each of us did. I went over to the TNT tent and checked in and got a banana and some water. Then we headed out to where Coach K and M were to cheer on the rest of the team. Everyone on our team finished the triathlon! They all did such an amazing job! All the fundraising and training had paid off big time!
After everyone had finished A and I went back to transition to get our stuff. It was quite a hike from the finish line to transition but eventually we got there. My parents and David and I went to find something to eat. There was a grill by the Buckingham Fountain so I ordered a Portabella Sandwich. It was so delicious!!! We had a nice lunch then we headed back to the hotel. We took a short nap and then got ready for the TNT party.
Apparently triathletes are not much for dancing because the DJ could only get a few of us out on the floor. We had to go pack our bikes half way through the party but we came back and I got out on the dance floor. I got some other people to do the “Casper Slide” with me. After that it was pretty much just me dancing though. A little later a mother who had done the triathlon this morning got her girls out on the floor with her. They were twins and they must have been about 3 years old. At first she was just dancing with her one daughter. She didn’t have any hair so she had probably just gone through Chemo. I just stood next to my husband and watched this beautiful girl dance in her mother’s arms. She was just smiling and swinging her head back. You could tell her mom was her heroine and it was so touching to watch. I got very teary eyed and had to get myself under control. I attempted to go dance with them but the little girl was shy. She hid behind her mother when I said hello. So I told her mother how beautiful her daughter was and headed back to my corner of the dance floor. I danced the night away in my corner while the mom and her two adorable twins danced in theirs. I even managed to get my hubby to dance a few tunes with me! I hope that this little girl beats this disease! And I hope that the money that I helped to raise makes a difference and that we find a cure and soon! I would do this all over again even though the fundraising was difficult just to see that little girl dancing with her mother again. That is really what this whole thing is about, saving lives.
Dancing at the TNT Victory Party
After the party ended I went out with B, T, and Coach K and M to have a celebratory drink, and some more food! It was a great evening and I went back to the hotel and crashed until 9am the next morning. I am just now getting caught back up with everything. Today I received a check in the mail that put me over my $3800 minimum fundraising goal!!! It really is amazing what you can do when you work hard! Thank you so much to all my donors and supporters! I really could not have done this without your support and help! I managed to reach both my fundraising goal and my time goal in the triathlon! My finish time was 2:54:23! I will probably keep this blog going as a work out log so it won’t get exciting anytime soon but you can always check in to see how my training is going and what my latest endeavor is. For those of you that made it through this entry I am very impressed! Sorry it was so long.
Wednesday 09.01.04 [11:54 pm]
Here is the detailed version of my Chicago Story. I will add a short blog for those that are too tired to read it in its entirety later.
Saturday morning I woke up at 7:30 and headed down to the lobby with my wetsuit. We walked a little over a mile to a beach just south of the harbor and museums. We put on our wetsuits and did some drills and laps back and forth along the shore to get a feel for the open water and to get used to the temperature. The water was about 72 F that morning and that seemed awfully cold to me. It wasn’t bad once you were in for about two minutes. I swam for about 15 minutes then we all changed back into our street clothes and headed back to the hotel. I went out to breakfast with my family, C, and K. I got some delicious blueberry pancakes and a fruit plate. The fruit plate was so huge we ended up getting a take out box for it. We had to get back to the hotel by 11 to unpack our bikes so we headed back right after eating. On the way over there was a homeless man that looked like he had some burn scars on his face, a little boy walking in front of us went up and gave him high five. It was so sweet. I had my mom give him our leftovers from breakfast. It is too bad we don’t all have eyes like that little boy and just see people for what they are, people. No more and no less no matter what walk of life we are in. I swear we can learn so many lessons from children.
We got back to the hotel and went and got our bikes out of the van. We all met up in the lobby to put our pedals back on and pumped up our tires. While pumping my tires I tipped over my bike. Luckily I noticed while I was rolling the bike to the elevator that I had pulled my rear shifting wire out of place and it wasn’t shifting because there was no tension. Coach K fixed it in a jiffy!
My parents and hubby headed over to the field museum and I went out to bike the 10-k run course with A and her man. We just took it leisurely and rode out and back along the run course just to check it out. Afterwards A’s man held out water bottles as we rode by so we could practice catching them while riding since we would have to do that in the race.
I went up to the room and finished the signs I was making for everyone’s hotel doors. I gave those to T to put up when she was going around and then headed over to the museum. We had lunch when I got to the museum and it was delicious, as it should be for the outrageous prices. My husband and I just got two sandwiches and two drinks and it came to $18.00. After eating we went and checked out the Forbidden City exhibit. It was pretty neat. I really liked looking at the tapestry paintings and the clothes. We also checked out the gem room, mineral collection, and dinosaur exhibit. Right now they have the largest T-Rex fossil found so far there. Since I was a geology concentration in college I thought that was all pretty cool.
After that we headed back to the hotel and got ready for the pasta party. At the pasta party we found out how much everyone raised. I can’t remember the total for all 222 Team in Training participants but it was really significant. For our 9 Northern Ohio participants alone we raised over $38,000! We also heard a speech from a mother who had lost her child in the battle against Leukemia. Her daughter was actually one of the first honorees in the Team in Training program for the Chicago Marathon. Unfortunately she lost her battle but her parents have stayed involved and hopefully all the money raised will make it so that no one else has to lose their child. It was a very emotional but also inspirational evening.
After the pasta party coach K went over all of the details we had to know for the race the next morning and sent us on our way. I stopped by C and K’s room to let them use my tape to attach their Gu packets to their bikes. Then I went up to my room and got everything ready for the morning. It was only 9:30 so I played cards with my family and watched some of the Olympics before heading to bed around 11.
I woke up at 4:30am to a call from A wanting to know if I had something. For the life of me I can’t remember what now. Everyone had teased me the night before about how I would be out at the transition zone at 3am waiting for the race to start so I had decided not to wake up until 4:45. (Transition opened at 4:30) So I got out of bed and took a quick shower to warm up my muscles. Put on my tri shorts and top, grabbed my bike and backpack, and headed downstairs. We rode our bikes over to transition and luckily Coach K had told us we could get in on the north end because the entrance on the south end was backed up about a half mile. We got right into transition and set up our stuff at our racks. The transition area was about 50 times the size of the transitions zones that I have seen at the local races I have done. My rack was right in the middle of the whole transition zone. Luckily I was right by a tree so I had a good focal point to remember where my bike was. It was so windy that my bike was rocking back and forth on the rack. I had to stick my race number, socks, and top underneath my shoes and helmet so that they would (hopefully) not fly away. I couldn’t find A so I walked the transition zone from the bike in to my area and from the swim in to my area. Then I went and got my body marked. I found A just before they shut transition at 6. There were still people about half a mile away walking their bikes toward the transition zone at 6. I have no idea if they let them in or not.
We walked over and watched the first heat of swimmers start at 6:15. Then we went back to the hotel to go to the bathroom so we weren’t just sitting in the cold. We got back over to the swim start around 7:15 and watched B start his race. He looked really great on the swim. I staked out a bathroom and waited in line. I got back in time to find my family and Coaches K and M. We watched A start her swim. We were cheering her on and she looks up and yells, “There’s a lot of people in here!” I got some last minute tips from Coach K and then went to put on my wetsuit. I had forgotten to bring warm up pants so I was wearing my cotton Victoria’s Secret striped PJ pants before the race. Coach K got me to ask Coach M if she would wear them for good luck. You should have seen her face! I put on body glide and everyone helped me get the shoulders of my wetsuit on nice and snug then I headed over to the start line and got in line with my wave (36). My wave had females from age groups 20-24 and from 15-19. We also had males age group 55-59. I made sure to stay to the right and in front so that I could start by the rope and in the front. There was another Team in Training participant in my heat. She was 16 and had raised over $4000! Absolutely amazing!
About 4 minutes before our start we hopped in the water. I got over to the rope and adjusted my goggles and got ready. When they announced that there were 30 seconds to the start I started my watch. The horn went off and I started swimming. My left goggle leaked the whole swim but surprisingly it didn’t really bother me. What bothered me a little more was all the people! It was absolutely crazy! And according to coach M I had a pretty clear course the whole way. I ran into quite a few people. I would look up and it would appear that I had a clear course then someone would come at me from some crazy direction! It was nuts. I managed to get into a groove and headed south along the rope. As I was swimming I could see my mom following me along the course so I gave a wave and kept going. At about 300 yards the course turns and you head back north. At this point I gave up on swimming next to the rope because people from previous heats were clinging to the rope for dear life! So I moved a little closer to the boats in the harbor and tried to steer clear of all other swimmers. As I got towards the end of the swim I started looking for the stairs and headed left towards them. I looked for a good place to get up (they had volunteers helping you out of the water because it wasn’t on a beach and someone could really hurt themselves on that first stair) and reached for the first free hand I saw. As I came out I glanced at my watch and saw that I had completed the swim in 26 minutes! I was so ecstatic! I could have stopped the race right there and been content. The swim portion of the race was all for coach K because he really helped me become a faster swimmer and I can’t thank him enough (not to mention for the great program he made that helped me to become a competitive triathlete).
I think the worst part of the race was the run from the swim to the transition zone. Not only did it suck because they tacked that time onto your swim, but it was on cement and it was about a 500 yard run. I have tough feet, but I wanted to walk so badly! The only thing that kept me going was the high fives from the kids along the course and the volunteers cheering “Go Team!” I sucked it up and kept running even though it hurt.
Once I got into transition it was much better because it was all grass. I looked for my row and headed to my bike. My hands were still pretty cold when I got to my bike but I managed to get my socks on and then my shoes. I had put these quick lace things on my shoes but the right shoe came untied at the end so I ended up having to tie that one anyways. I threw on my TNT top and snapped on my helmet. My bike fell as I took it off the rack but I recovered it quickly and headed out to the bike course.
I mounted my bike and headed up the on ramp to Lake Shore Drive. As I was getting onto Lake Shore Drive another TNT participant passed me and shouted “Go Team”. At that point I decided I was going to try and cheer on all the TNT participants I saw on the bike course. I figured cheering wasn’t going to slow my legs down anyways and that would help me get through the toughest part of the race. It worked! I had a fabulous bike ride. The course was relatively flat but mile 1-6 and 13-20 were pretty tough because the wind was really bad. Luckily coach K had told me before the race that I shouldn’t push it into the wind and should get into a lower gear and keep a high cadence. While I was out on the course I saw A, C, L, and L2! It was really cool being able to cheer each other on! The course was right on Lake Shore Drive. They had shut down the inside two lanes in both directions. This course is a little odd because you have to ride on the left and pass on the right. I didn’t have to worry about that too often, but I did pass some mountain bikes! I actually passed someone on a road bike too! I was with her the whole bike ride but I really pushed it on the last stretch of 6 miles and lost her after the water bottle exchange. My quads were a little sore coming into the last 6-mile stretch so I ended up taking my second gel before the water bottle exchange. I had planned on taking it right before the run. I decided I needed it early though. (I hadn’t eaten as much as I had planned on eating that morning so I knew I might need some extra fuel)
I came into transition feeling pretty good, found my bike rack, put my bike back on the rack, took off my helmet, put on my race number belt, and my sunglasses (I had forgotten to put them on for the bike ride). As I was running out of transition I dropped the glasses but decided it was worth it to stop and grab them. The end of the bike leg and start of the run course were packed with spectators. I had my name on my shirt so there were lots of people cheering me on as well as cheering “Go Team!” It was really awesome! The first mile of the run was on grass, which was fine by me. I saw my parents and David and waved. Then I got focused and started getting serious. I knew coming off the bike that I would have to have a good run in order to break 3 hours. I focused on keeping my arms down, shoulders back, and head up. At the mile mark I glanced at my watch and I was going around 7 minute miles. I grabbed a Gu from the Gu stop and tore it open…Chocolate. Not what I was expecting but I forced it down anyways. I managed to grab a water and got most of it down, and not on the front of my shirt. I managed to get water or Gatorade at every mile marker except for mile 3. In retrospect I probably should have gotten water at all of the stops because that last Gu did not get absorbed into my system quickly and upset my stomach a little. Not enough to slow me down though, luckily.
Once I hit the three-mile mark I realized that I could run 10-minute miles and still break three hours and I sighed an inward sigh of relief. This race was so awesome because you were never alone on the run. I have no idea how many people I passed but that is exactly what I did the whole 6 miles is pass people. It was really neat. The only woman that passed me was in a wheelchair. She was absolutely amazing just for doing the race so I don’t mind at all! I also didn’t get passed by many men, which made me feel really good. I even passed someone whose shirt read "Evere been smoked by a fatty?" I believe he was in the Clydesdale divison. What is funny is that the past couple road races I ran before training for this I usually did get "smoked by fatties" as well as those people pushing their kids in the buggy's! Not this race though
Closing on the finish
The last two miles were a little harder because they were towards the wind but I still managed to keep around 8 minute miles. As I closed in on the finish I saw my parents on the right and blew them a kiss and I saw that my coaches were right across from them on the left. They were all cheering me on but I had no idea how far the finish was so I just kept my pace until I saw the finish line. Once I saw the finish line I kicked it in hard and I admit I did one of those goofy raise your hands in the air triumph poses as I crossed the finish line.
Words cannot describe how amazing it felt to finish that race. I was beaming from ear to ear. They put a medal over my neck and I wandered aimlessly into the crowd of people who had just finished the race. I heard someone say great job Team and turned to see one of the guys that I had seen out on the bike course and on the run. I congratulated him as well and told him I needed a hug. Then I heard my husband yelling and I ran over to him and we hugged and kissed over the fence. I told him how amazing it was and that I wanted to do another one! We talked while we waited for my parents to catch up to him. I gave my mom a big hug and asked her how I looked on the run. We talked some more and then I went to find some fluids and to sign in at the Team in Training Tent. On the way I found C and K and we all caught up on how each of us did. I went over to the TNT tent and checked in and got a banana and some water. Then we headed out to where Coach K and M were to cheer on the rest of the team. Everyone on our team finished the triathlon! They all did such an amazing job! All the fundraising and training had paid off big time!
After everyone had finished A and I went back to transition to get our stuff. It was quite a hike from the finish line to transition but eventually we got there. My parents and David and I went to find something to eat. There was a grill by the Buckingham Fountain so I ordered a Portabella Sandwich. It was so delicious!!! We had a nice lunch then we headed back to the hotel. We took a short nap and then got ready for the TNT party.
Apparently triathletes are not much for dancing because the DJ could only get a few of us out on the floor. We had to go pack our bikes half way through the party but we came back and I got out on the dance floor. I got some other people to do the “Casper Slide” with me. After that it was pretty much just me dancing though. A little later a mother who had done the triathlon this morning got her girls out on the floor with her. They were twins and they must have been about 3 years old. At first she was just dancing with her one daughter. She didn’t have any hair so she had probably just gone through Chemo. I just stood next to my husband and watched this beautiful girl dance in her mother’s arms. She was just smiling and swinging her head back. You could tell her mom was her heroine and it was so touching to watch. I got very teary eyed and had to get myself under control. I attempted to go dance with them but the little girl was shy. She hid behind her mother when I said hello. So I told her mother how beautiful her daughter was and headed back to my corner of the dance floor. I danced the night away in my corner while the mom and her two adorable twins danced in theirs. I even managed to get my hubby to dance a few tunes with me! I hope that this little girl beats this disease! And I hope that the money that I helped to raise makes a difference and that we find a cure and soon! I would do this all over again even though the fundraising was difficult just to see that little girl dancing with her mother again. That is really what this whole thing is about, saving lives.
Dancing at the TNT Victory Party
After the party ended I went out with B, T, and Coach K and M to have a celebratory drink, and some more food! It was a great evening and I went back to the hotel and crashed until 9am the next morning. I am just now getting caught back up with everything. Today I received a check in the mail that put me over my $3800 minimum fundraising goal!!! It really is amazing what you can do when you work hard! Thank you so much to all my donors and supporters! I really could not have done this without your support and help! I managed to reach both my fundraising goal and my time goal in the triathlon! My finish time was 2:54:23! I will probably keep this blog going as a work out log so it won’t get exciting anytime soon but you can always check in to see how my training is going and what my latest endeavor is. For those of you that made it through this entry I am very impressed! Sorry it was so long.
Chicago Tri
I had a wonderful weekend and a wonderful race. Once again one of the best days ever.
I love Chicago and I love the Chicago Tri.
I made my goal and came in at 2:36:20, and placed 3rd in my age group. I am super pumped :)
Now I am off to recover and get some sleep! More details and photos are on the way!
I love Chicago and I love the Chicago Tri.
I made my goal and came in at 2:36:20, and placed 3rd in my age group. I am super pumped :)
Now I am off to recover and get some sleep! More details and photos are on the way!
Wish Me Luck
I got all my important errands done today! Even got in the 30 minute swim! WooHoo!
Everything is packed for Chicago and my flight leaves bright and early tomorrow. I doubt I will have internet access but if you want to track me you can sign up for cell phone or email updates, plus this year the website will have a webcam of the finish line!
http://www.chicagotriathlon.com/
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Everything is packed for Chicago and my flight leaves bright and early tomorrow. I doubt I will have internet access but if you want to track me you can sign up for cell phone or email updates, plus this year the website will have a webcam of the finish line!
http://www.chicagotriathlon.com/
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Do you ever just run out of blog titles?
Well I did tonight!
Didn't get in my swim today, but I am okay with that. I worked until 10pm tonight trying to get the pod modeling report set so that I can take tomorrow off. I got a lot done, but I may have to go in tomorrow. We will see if what I did was sufficient or if I need to run Tongue a few more times. Ugggh. At least I will have some time in the morning to sleep in, swim, do laundry, and pack.
I need to run some other errands, recycling, shopping etc. But it isn't the end of the world if I can't do those. Although I would much prefer to get my goodies here than in Chicago where it is bound to be more expensive!
I am getting pretty excited about Chicago. Thanks to everyone that will be rooting me on :) Your support means a lot. Hopefully I will have a good race.
here's the predicted times
Swim: 27-29 minutes. Last year I did it in 28:42
T1: 2:30 Last Year 3:17
Bike: 1:18:00 to 1:22:00 (between 18 and 19mph) Last year I did 1:32:23 but that was on a hybrid.
T2: 2-2:30 last year was 1:59 (but I didn't have multiple shoes...)
Run: 44-46 Minutes last year was 48
If I go slower than 1:26 on the bike I will prob be disappointed, but if I have a really good run I will deal with it.
So if I meet my "A" goal for each leg I will come in around 2:34-2:36
My overall goal is to come in under 2:40, this should put me in top ten in my age group.
Wish me luck!!!
I am really pumped for my "mentees" everyone has all of their funds in and are ready to race :) This weekend is going to be a blast!
Didn't get in my swim today, but I am okay with that. I worked until 10pm tonight trying to get the pod modeling report set so that I can take tomorrow off. I got a lot done, but I may have to go in tomorrow. We will see if what I did was sufficient or if I need to run Tongue a few more times. Ugggh. At least I will have some time in the morning to sleep in, swim, do laundry, and pack.
I need to run some other errands, recycling, shopping etc. But it isn't the end of the world if I can't do those. Although I would much prefer to get my goodies here than in Chicago where it is bound to be more expensive!
I am getting pretty excited about Chicago. Thanks to everyone that will be rooting me on :) Your support means a lot. Hopefully I will have a good race.
here's the predicted times
Swim: 27-29 minutes. Last year I did it in 28:42
T1: 2:30 Last Year 3:17
Bike: 1:18:00 to 1:22:00 (between 18 and 19mph) Last year I did 1:32:23 but that was on a hybrid.
T2: 2-2:30 last year was 1:59 (but I didn't have multiple shoes...)
Run: 44-46 Minutes last year was 48
If I go slower than 1:26 on the bike I will prob be disappointed, but if I have a really good run I will deal with it.
So if I meet my "A" goal for each leg I will come in around 2:34-2:36
My overall goal is to come in under 2:40, this should put me in top ten in my age group.
Wish me luck!!!
I am really pumped for my "mentees" everyone has all of their funds in and are ready to race :) This weekend is going to be a blast!
Update
Wow the next few months are prob going to be filled with lots of bummers. My top three choices of houses to look at tonight all had issues. One has $3,000 worth of violations, YIKES! And the other two have bids on them :(
This may get rough on me :\
This may get rough on me :\
FOUL
I was in a horrible mood today. Work was a bear. Probably the worst ever. It is very frustrating to have no control over an issue when deadlines are looming.
My track workout was kind of sporadic, probably because of my foul mood.
Did a mile warm up.
8* 400
1:25.91
1:26.28
1:23.15
1:33.07
1:29.54
1:24.46
1:27.31
1:22.51
Then a 15 minute cool down.
We may be looking at a couple of houses tomorrow night which will be cool! And I should get in an easy 30 minute swim. I will probably be at work for awhile tomorrow, I would really like to take Thursday off or at least only a half day so I am not packing into the wee hours of night for Chicago.
My track workout was kind of sporadic, probably because of my foul mood.
Did a mile warm up.
8* 400
1:25.91
1:26.28
1:23.15
1:33.07
1:29.54
1:24.46
1:27.31
1:22.51
Then a 15 minute cool down.
We may be looking at a couple of houses tomorrow night which will be cool! And I should get in an easy 30 minute swim. I will probably be at work for awhile tomorrow, I would really like to take Thursday off or at least only a half day so I am not packing into the wee hours of night for Chicago.
Migraine City
This is going to have to be short. This is my seventh major headache/migraine in as many days. Uggh.
In brief I had a great weekend (despite the headaches). Friday night was a blast.
Saturday I went to my sororities picnic and saw some old friends and met some newbies. My cousin came down to Ohio and met me at the picnic. We had some good picnic food, heard some gossip, then headed back to Cleveland. I got a really nice card from JG and a donation which were both unexpected. I am very lucky to call her my "sister." Her card made me smile and it made me feel really good about mentoring and Team in Training. Thank you!!!
Eug Engagement Ceremony, HUM HUM SING! Congrats SH and JP!
Casey and I drove back to Cleveland amidst some major downpours. But once we got back the storms ended. We sat around, looked at photos, then went to Primo Vino for dinner. I vowed to get a good photo of my cousin this weekend but failed. She is one of the more beautiful people I know but never photos well, I think she got it from my grandmother.
Sunday I ran 12 miles with Curly Su. I felt really good and my legs feel fresh today!!!
I also bought an new pair of tri shorts for Chicago and am working on setting up a wine tasting event to help meet my fundraising minimum for Columbus.
Tonight I washed my bike over at CK's. It is almost spotless!!! I would have needed a toothbrush to properly clean the chain, but it is pretty slick now! I had to send the bike with Curly Su to get shipped to Chicago. Practicing getting in and out of my shoes while riding will have to wait until sometime on Saturday in Chicago!
Stopped at Curly Su's on the way home, had way to much fun trying on some clothes ;)
This weekend my cat Milford learned a new trick. He always sits like the picture below. He can do this even in the middle of the floor. Well now he has figured out that if he walks with his front two paws in this position he can wipe his behind on our carpet, how fantastic...
Off to sleep :)
In brief I had a great weekend (despite the headaches). Friday night was a blast.
Saturday I went to my sororities picnic and saw some old friends and met some newbies. My cousin came down to Ohio and met me at the picnic. We had some good picnic food, heard some gossip, then headed back to Cleveland. I got a really nice card from JG and a donation which were both unexpected. I am very lucky to call her my "sister." Her card made me smile and it made me feel really good about mentoring and Team in Training. Thank you!!!
Eug Engagement Ceremony, HUM HUM SING! Congrats SH and JP!Sunday I ran 12 miles with Curly Su. I felt really good and my legs feel fresh today!!!
I also bought an new pair of tri shorts for Chicago and am working on setting up a wine tasting event to help meet my fundraising minimum for Columbus.
Tonight I washed my bike over at CK's. It is almost spotless!!! I would have needed a toothbrush to properly clean the chain, but it is pretty slick now! I had to send the bike with Curly Su to get shipped to Chicago. Practicing getting in and out of my shoes while riding will have to wait until sometime on Saturday in Chicago!
Stopped at Curly Su's on the way home, had way to much fun trying on some clothes ;)
This weekend my cat Milford learned a new trick. He always sits like the picture below. He can do this even in the middle of the floor. Well now he has figured out that if he walks with his front two paws in this position he can wipe his behind on our carpet, how fantastic...
Off to sleep :)
Swimming and Greek Festivities
Managed to wake up early this morning and head out to N. Royalton for the swim class. I felt fairly good although breakfast consisted of a chocolate donut.
We had a good workout. 300 meter easy warm up, 3 sets of 5*100 (first hundred drill each set), with a 100 meter easy swim and 50 breaststroke in between. Then a 100 meter cool down, So 2200 meters total. I was doing my hundreds between 1:35 and 1:40 so I am happy with that.
Coach K questioned me when I mentioned I hadn't been swimming much. Not sure if it was a "You haven't been swimming, yikes you are going to suck in Chicago", or a "Wow, you are swimming pretty well for someone who hasn't been training..."
Work went surprisingly well today. Not any real progress on POD but we finally got some issues cleared up and can move ahead with confidence!
After work I ran to the grocery store and started the Florida Salad for tomorrow's picnic. Took me about an hour to set it up. So by that time I needed to head over to Curly Su's to attend the Greek Festival tonight. I got there and was wearing jeans but it was incredibly hot. Curly Su loaned me a skirt for the night. It is quite cute! I felt much more comfortable. As the night progressed I think it transferred Curly Su's abilities to me as I began to do her dance and I managed to cop out of tomorrow's bike ride ;) JUST KIDDING!
But I did cop out of the bike ride. It is incredibly late and I need some sleep. I am just going to have to do a double on Sunday with a run and bike.
I still need to wake up early to clean up the apartment and finish the salad for the picnic. So I will leave you with some pics!
We had a good workout. 300 meter easy warm up, 3 sets of 5*100 (first hundred drill each set), with a 100 meter easy swim and 50 breaststroke in between. Then a 100 meter cool down, So 2200 meters total. I was doing my hundreds between 1:35 and 1:40 so I am happy with that.
Coach K questioned me when I mentioned I hadn't been swimming much. Not sure if it was a "You haven't been swimming, yikes you are going to suck in Chicago", or a "Wow, you are swimming pretty well for someone who hasn't been training..."
Work went surprisingly well today. Not any real progress on POD but we finally got some issues cleared up and can move ahead with confidence!
After work I ran to the grocery store and started the Florida Salad for tomorrow's picnic. Took me about an hour to set it up. So by that time I needed to head over to Curly Su's to attend the Greek Festival tonight. I got there and was wearing jeans but it was incredibly hot. Curly Su loaned me a skirt for the night. It is quite cute! I felt much more comfortable. As the night progressed I think it transferred Curly Su's abilities to me as I began to do her dance and I managed to cop out of tomorrow's bike ride ;) JUST KIDDING!
But I did cop out of the bike ride. It is incredibly late and I need some sleep. I am just going to have to do a double on Sunday with a run and bike.
I still need to wake up early to clean up the apartment and finish the salad for the picnic. So I will leave you with some pics!
Cycling
Rode my bike to my in-laws tonight after work. I didn't take the long route since I was running a bit late. I got in 18 miles in an hour and 11 minutes. It is pretty hilly so I guess that isn't too bad. I still feel pretty slow though, even with the new aerobars. I just avoided the rain. Let's hope the lighting stops before morning because I really need to get in one last good swim workout.
I have totally been neglecting the swimming and cycling in comparison to running. In this month alone I ran 11 times, cycled 3 times, and swam 4 times. Hours spent running 9, cycling 3, swimming 2...
On a good note though it looks like I have more rides under my belt than I did for Memphis, and Chicago is pancake flat!!!
Also I guess Columbus really should be my "A" race. But it would be nice to kick butt in both races.
Tonight I practiced getting into my bike shoes while riding. I think I need a lot more practice or this really isn't efficient at all. I think it took me way more time than it would to just put the darn things on in transition. I am going to work on getting out of them while riding though because I think that could save a lot of time as opposed to taking off and putting on the running shoes in T2...
Ahh these are the mundane things running through my head.
Tomorrow we are going to the Greek Fair with a bunch of friends and then Saturday is the Eug picnic. Should be fun.
I have totally been neglecting the swimming and cycling in comparison to running. In this month alone I ran 11 times, cycled 3 times, and swam 4 times. Hours spent running 9, cycling 3, swimming 2...
On a good note though it looks like I have more rides under my belt than I did for Memphis, and Chicago is pancake flat!!!
Also I guess Columbus really should be my "A" race. But it would be nice to kick butt in both races.
Tonight I practiced getting into my bike shoes while riding. I think I need a lot more practice or this really isn't efficient at all. I think it took me way more time than it would to just put the darn things on in transition. I am going to work on getting out of them while riding though because I think that could save a lot of time as opposed to taking off and putting on the running shoes in T2...
Ahh these are the mundane things running through my head.
Tomorrow we are going to the Greek Fair with a bunch of friends and then Saturday is the Eug picnic. Should be fun.
P,S.
Forgot to mention that the waves were absolutely huge tonight and I cut my feet on the stupid Lake Erie rocks :( Oh and the algae is really quite gross (no matter how much Carty may try to convince you otherwise)! :)
Another Double Take
I got to the group workout early tonight and actually did some dynamic stretching woot woot! Got in a bunch of stretches and drills that I normally neglect, even though I know they will improve my technique (and flexibility!)
Got an email from Curly Su wanting to run before the open water swim tonight and I decided to take her up on it. Her, B and I ran about 4 miles easy before the swim. It was still pretty humid but since we took it easy it was a pleasant run.
The swim was pretty rough tonight. I left the wetsuit on so I can get used to it for Chicago. (Let's hope it is cold in Chicago because that suit definitely improves my pace) The lake (Erie) was pretty choppy tonight and I swallowed a lot of unnecessary water. But I got in around 1500 meters and I did really well with sighting tonight. Speedster K wasn't there tonight so I kinda felt speedy (Coach K wasn't in a wetsuit or I am sure he would have put me in my place). Everyone did pretty well A is definitely going to have a great swim in Chicago. I am really excited (although a bit worried about my performance).
No Charlie horses tonight thank goodness. I did have quite an embarrassing moment before the swim though, there is no changing room there and I was changing behind a building, lets just say I gave someone a good (or maybe not so good) show. I was pretty embarrassed, that is the bad part about running before the swim, I can't show up already in my suit, eh. Luckily I didn't see the persons face so I will never know who it was.
Newho Milford is demanding my attention and threatening with keyboard foulplay.
Night!
Got an email from Curly Su wanting to run before the open water swim tonight and I decided to take her up on it. Her, B and I ran about 4 miles easy before the swim. It was still pretty humid but since we took it easy it was a pleasant run.
The swim was pretty rough tonight. I left the wetsuit on so I can get used to it for Chicago. (Let's hope it is cold in Chicago because that suit definitely improves my pace) The lake (Erie) was pretty choppy tonight and I swallowed a lot of unnecessary water. But I got in around 1500 meters and I did really well with sighting tonight. Speedster K wasn't there tonight so I kinda felt speedy (Coach K wasn't in a wetsuit or I am sure he would have put me in my place). Everyone did pretty well A is definitely going to have a great swim in Chicago. I am really excited (although a bit worried about my performance).
No Charlie horses tonight thank goodness. I did have quite an embarrassing moment before the swim though, there is no changing room there and I was changing behind a building, lets just say I gave someone a good (or maybe not so good) show. I was pretty embarrassed, that is the bad part about running before the swim, I can't show up already in my suit, eh. Luckily I didn't see the persons face so I will never know who it was.
Newho Milford is demanding my attention and threatening with keyboard foulplay.
Night!
"Double Header"
Tuesday track workout tonight per the usual routine :) My quads are still a wreck but that luckily didn't prevent me from having a good workout. It was only 79 tonight ;) So I am sure that helped too. Ran in my racing flats again and the ankle didn't feel too bad. I am debating whether to wear them for the run portion in Chicago...
Here's the run down on tonight's workout:
2 mile warm up
3 x 4*400 (200 jog between 400, 400 between sets)
1:36.88
1:35.56
1:34.50
1:30.72
1:31.67
1:29.78
1:29.56
1:28.41
1:24.15
1:23.19
1:21.38
1:19.21
1 mile cool down
Came straight home and hopped in the pool for a little bit. Did a 200 warm up, 200 pull buoy, 80 kick, 40 catch-up, 40 one arm, 40 slow arm recovery, 20 head down, 20 all out, 40 kick, 80 cool down and 40 back, just a quick 20 minute swim but I definitely feel better about getting in the pool than not.
I am a little worried about the swim and bike in Chicago, obviously the running shouldn't be an issue this year which is really awesome. If someone had told me in college I would be running like I am now I never would have believed it.
Got another migraine today which was not fun. Let's hope that is the end of that.
Here's the run down on tonight's workout:
2 mile warm up
3 x 4*400 (200 jog between 400, 400 between sets)
1:36.88
1:35.56
1:34.50
1:30.72
1:31.67
1:29.78
1:29.56
1:28.41
1:24.15
1:23.19
1:21.38
1:19.21
1 mile cool down
Came straight home and hopped in the pool for a little bit. Did a 200 warm up, 200 pull buoy, 80 kick, 40 catch-up, 40 one arm, 40 slow arm recovery, 20 head down, 20 all out, 40 kick, 80 cool down and 40 back, just a quick 20 minute swim but I definitely feel better about getting in the pool than not.
I am a little worried about the swim and bike in Chicago, obviously the running shouldn't be an issue this year which is really awesome. If someone had told me in college I would be running like I am now I never would have believed it.
Got another migraine today which was not fun. Let's hope that is the end of that.
Race Prep
Chicago Triathlon is in two weeks and tonight was the last TNT workshop. Everyone from the team showed which was great. I am so excited for everyone. I really think we are going to have a great time in Chicago and I can't wait to see everyone in competition!
The team are little sneaks and they got Coaches B and K and myself some awesome t-shirts and Nalgene bottles. Talk about being spoiled. It is an honor working with such dedicated and wonderful people.
My legs were incredibly sore today, I really felt like I had run a marathon yesterday as opposed to 17 miles. No clue why I felt so bad...I also had a killer migraine so that probably didn't help.
Got home from the workshop tonight and went out for a quick jog. It made my legs feel a lot better. It goes against common sense, you would think if you are sore you should rest but for some reason the light mileage seems to help recovery go faster. I certainly am feeling better now than I did before the run.
The team are little sneaks and they got Coaches B and K and myself some awesome t-shirts and Nalgene bottles. Talk about being spoiled. It is an honor working with such dedicated and wonderful people.
My legs were incredibly sore today, I really felt like I had run a marathon yesterday as opposed to 17 miles. No clue why I felt so bad...I also had a killer migraine so that probably didn't help.Got home from the workshop tonight and went out for a quick jog. It made my legs feel a lot better. It goes against common sense, you would think if you are sore you should rest but for some reason the light mileage seems to help recovery go faster. I certainly am feeling better now than I did before the run.
Great Friends Good Times
I am absolutely exhausted!!! We had a very busy but fun weekend! Friday night we headed out to visit college friends in Bloomville, Ohio. We caught up on everything new and played poker , Cranium, and Donkey Konga all night. Ate lots of junk food ala chips and dip style! We ended up staying up till 4AM :) Time flies while having fun!
(Luck was on my side this weekend as I was the clear winner in Poker, Cranium, and had many more strikes than usual in Bowling, although I was the "chump" quite a few times in Donkey Konga...hmmm)
So we woke up around 9 or 10 and started to get around. My calf finally felt semi normal again so I did 30 minutes on our friends elliptical trainer. The others were watching Stargate. I am not usually into SciFi but I think I could actually get hooked on this show if I let myself. David and I both tried out WarCraft. Could totally get addicted to that game if it didn't cost an outrageous amount of money on top of having to pay per month. Yikes. I guess I will stick to Dungeon Siege and Diablo II, not that I have any time for gaming lately. We had some delicious steaks and corn off the grill for lunch and played some more Donkey Konga before heading out. Another game that could be pretty fun if not so expensive.
I had my Bowling Fundraiser for LLS that night in Fairview Park. We didn't have a big turnout but those of us who were there had a great time and we helped to raise $140! (Not quite the $1000 I was hoping for, but that's okay.)
Poor hubby can't bowl because of his herniated disc, but his mom, and WildBill kept him company while we bowled the night away! I am very lucky to have such generous friends, most of which drove all the way from the East Side to come support!
After bowling David and I came home and watched Resident Evil. We had both that and Resident Evil apocalypse which needed to be returned by close today. So we were up pretty late watching that, I liked it but it is creepy and not the best movie to watch before bed.
Woke up at 5:40 this morning to go to Lyndhurst for the Perfect 10-miler. Got there at 6 and did a 5 mile "warm up" with Curly Su. We just took it easy, around 10 minute pace. After our warm up we picked up our race packets and chips and toed the line for the race. A and I ran the race in an hour and 20 minutes averaging 8 minute miles which is what I need to do in Columbus to reach my 3:30 goal. It was extremely humid this morning and I didn't feel great, paybacks from the snack food Friday night. So I was definitely happy that I managed to keep the pace (mostly due to A, thanks!!!)
After the race we ate some grub and ran back to my apartment, showered quickly then headed out to watch B finish his first half-ironman! HOLY COW!!!
We didn't make it in time to catch the bike but we caught B at mile 4 of the run, in 7th place!!! I jogged another 2 miles while we were waiting for him to get back to the 9 mile mark. (to get in my scheduled 17) My right achilles is a little painful and my quads are really sore, I felt like I did a 20+, probably the humidity and lack of nutrition.
Anyhow B ended up taking down another couple runners and with the difference in start times took 6th overall!!! I am friends with some serious bada$$es!!! (Our friend K from SERC creamed everyone at the 10-miler by over 2 minutes)
After the tri I headed to my in-laws so David and I could watch the second Resident evil movie, didn't really care for that one at all...Seems like I have watched more movies this week than all summer combined! To top off the weekend we went and saw Aristocrats. I don't think I would recommend the movie to anyone, but I found it entertaining and there was some absolutely hilarious (yet sometimes foul) material in the movie.
Now I am off to find some nutrition, "Radio On", and my bed!
(Luck was on my side this weekend as I was the clear winner in Poker, Cranium, and had many more strikes than usual in Bowling, although I was the "chump" quite a few times in Donkey Konga...hmmm)So we woke up around 9 or 10 and started to get around. My calf finally felt semi normal again so I did 30 minutes on our friends elliptical trainer. The others were watching Stargate. I am not usually into SciFi but I think I could actually get hooked on this show if I let myself. David and I both tried out WarCraft. Could totally get addicted to that game if it didn't cost an outrageous amount of money on top of having to pay per month. Yikes. I guess I will stick to Dungeon Siege and Diablo II, not that I have any time for gaming lately. We had some delicious steaks and corn off the grill for lunch and played some more Donkey Konga before heading out. Another game that could be pretty fun if not so expensive.
I had my Bowling Fundraiser for LLS that night in Fairview Park. We didn't have a big turnout but those of us who were there had a great time and we helped to raise $140! (Not quite the $1000 I was hoping for, but that's okay.)
Poor hubby can't bowl because of his herniated disc, but his mom, and WildBill kept him company while we bowled the night away! I am very lucky to have such generous friends, most of which drove all the way from the East Side to come support!After bowling David and I came home and watched Resident Evil. We had both that and Resident Evil apocalypse which needed to be returned by close today. So we were up pretty late watching that, I liked it but it is creepy and not the best movie to watch before bed.
Woke up at 5:40 this morning to go to Lyndhurst for the Perfect 10-miler. Got there at 6 and did a 5 mile "warm up" with Curly Su. We just took it easy, around 10 minute pace. After our warm up we picked up our race packets and chips and toed the line for the race. A and I ran the race in an hour and 20 minutes averaging 8 minute miles which is what I need to do in Columbus to reach my 3:30 goal. It was extremely humid this morning and I didn't feel great, paybacks from the snack food Friday night. So I was definitely happy that I managed to keep the pace (mostly due to A, thanks!!!)
After the race we ate some grub and ran back to my apartment, showered quickly then headed out to watch B finish his first half-ironman! HOLY COW!!!
We didn't make it in time to catch the bike but we caught B at mile 4 of the run, in 7th place!!! I jogged another 2 miles while we were waiting for him to get back to the 9 mile mark. (to get in my scheduled 17) My right achilles is a little painful and my quads are really sore, I felt like I did a 20+, probably the humidity and lack of nutrition.
Anyhow B ended up taking down another couple runners and with the difference in start times took 6th overall!!! I am friends with some serious bada$$es!!! (Our friend K from SERC creamed everyone at the 10-miler by over 2 minutes)
After the tri I headed to my in-laws so David and I could watch the second Resident evil movie, didn't really care for that one at all...Seems like I have watched more movies this week than all summer combined! To top off the weekend we went and saw Aristocrats. I don't think I would recommend the movie to anyone, but I found it entertaining and there was some absolutely hilarious (yet sometimes foul) material in the movie.
Now I am off to find some nutrition, "Radio On", and my bed!
Double GRRR
Wednesday night went to Lake Erie for an open water swim practice. Started out in my wetsuit but I felt like I was overheating really shortly after we started. Coach K used this to demonstrate that the wetsuit is indeed faster because he had trouble keeping up with me the first two laps but did not after I took off the wetsuit. I still felt way more comfortable in my regular suit :)
Everything was going pretty well until the final "relay." As my guy tagged me to go I pushed off and instantly felt the most horrible clenching pain in my left calf, charlie horse :( Eventually I stretched it out (after feeling very humiliated that these two guys were "helping" me to stay afloat, I felt very foolish) the darn thing has been REALLY sore ever since though. I didn't work out yesterday and probably won't today either. I have been icing and stretching and drinking lots of drinks with potassium and calcium, it doesn't seem to have helped.
If anyone has any miracle cures for a Charlie Horse recovery let me know.
On top of the fact that I can't work out my check fuel cap and check engine lights came on yesterday, bloody brilliant! So I am pretty sure I have a leak in my evaporative system, but I am going to buy a fuel cap first and hope that it fixes it.
Monday
Check Engine Light Diagnostic= $90
Purge Valve= $60
Labor= $90
Relief that your car is fixed...Pricewait...
Thursday
Fuel Cap and Engine Light are back on
Ford's Quote: EVAP Diagnostic $180
Fuel Cap $21
Conclusion, I am going for the fuel cap. Meanwhile I am probably emitting horrible things into atmosphere :(
On a positive note I had a very nice meal Wednesday night after the swim with my TNT friends and last night we had a good meal at David's parents. I also managed to watch two movies yesterday, one in the AM and one in the evening. Spanglish which I liked a lot and Muppets Treasure Island, which was also pretty good (Thanks Mon for sticking the idea into my head!)
Tonight and tomorrow we are visiting with friends then we have to be back for my bowling fundraiser at 7.
Sunday I am supposed to run 17 miles so let's all send good vibes to my calf! I paid $37.50 to run in a 10 mile race on Sunday so I really don't want to miss it.
Everything was going pretty well until the final "relay." As my guy tagged me to go I pushed off and instantly felt the most horrible clenching pain in my left calf, charlie horse :( Eventually I stretched it out (after feeling very humiliated that these two guys were "helping" me to stay afloat, I felt very foolish) the darn thing has been REALLY sore ever since though. I didn't work out yesterday and probably won't today either. I have been icing and stretching and drinking lots of drinks with potassium and calcium, it doesn't seem to have helped.
If anyone has any miracle cures for a Charlie Horse recovery let me know.
On top of the fact that I can't work out my check fuel cap and check engine lights came on yesterday, bloody brilliant! So I am pretty sure I have a leak in my evaporative system, but I am going to buy a fuel cap first and hope that it fixes it.
Monday
Check Engine Light Diagnostic= $90
Purge Valve= $60
Labor= $90
Relief that your car is fixed...Pricewait...
Thursday
Fuel Cap and Engine Light are back on
Ford's Quote: EVAP Diagnostic $180
Fuel Cap $21
Conclusion, I am going for the fuel cap. Meanwhile I am probably emitting horrible things into atmosphere :(
On a positive note I had a very nice meal Wednesday night after the swim with my TNT friends and last night we had a good meal at David's parents. I also managed to watch two movies yesterday, one in the AM and one in the evening. Spanglish which I liked a lot and Muppets Treasure Island, which was also pretty good (Thanks Mon for sticking the idea into my head!)
Tonight and tomorrow we are visiting with friends then we have to be back for my bowling fundraiser at 7.
Sunday I am supposed to run 17 miles so let's all send good vibes to my calf! I paid $37.50 to run in a 10 mile race on Sunday so I really don't want to miss it.
Comic of the day
My dad sent me this one :) Very Funny.
Track workout was hot and humid, as usual for this summer. I did a mile and a half warm up in my new Asics. They feel okay, not great, not sure if I am liking the half step up in size, but I will give them a few more weeks to see how I really feel.
We did 3 sets of 400, 600, 800 tonight. We were supposed to do each set even pace for what we wanted the 800 to be, with the first set being the slowest, 3 rd set being the fastest. Yeah well you know me, always go out too fast :/ The new Saucony's sure look fast, not sure if they actually made me faster, my ankle was bothering me tonight and I don't know if it from the shoes or not...
So here are the splits:
1:33.50, 2:17.78, 3:06.63
1:34.56, 2:22.09, 3:11.31
1:34.87, 2:21.23, 3:22.46 (I punked out on the last 800 and coasted the first and third 200 during it, hence the slower time)
Cooled down 3/4 of a mile, felt too cruddy to finish off the mile.
Came straight home and David and I went to the pool. He did some water running while I did some form drills. I was a big slacker last week and didn't swim at all. We were just in the pool for 15 minutes, but I am sure it is better than nothing!!!
On an awesome note we are pre approved for a mortgage loan!!! WOOT WOOT :) Thanks Carla for recommending us!
This is nice because now we know what we can afford worst case scenario, and we can start looking for a house!
Not a typical Monday
Stole this quote from Ultrawalker
Any idiot can run a marathon. It takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon. --Alan Cabelly
Couldn't go to work today because my truck was in the shop from 9-5. Ended up costing me $240 uggh.
I tried to get some work done at home but was having issues with LSPC crashing. I really can't wait until POD is over. Hopefully tomorrow I will make some serious headway on the lower Tongue calibration.
Got my thank you notes written and started the process of applying for pre approval for a home loan. It doesn't look good for getting much money. Apparently the loan officers don't think we can make the payments that we already make for our apartment each month. Not sure why they pick the ratios they do. If Third Federal is the standard then we are going to have to consider condos in Shaker Heights or look at houses in some less ideal neighborhoods. We shall see.
Any idiot can run a marathon. It takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon. --Alan Cabelly
Couldn't go to work today because my truck was in the shop from 9-5. Ended up costing me $240 uggh.
I tried to get some work done at home but was having issues with LSPC crashing. I really can't wait until POD is over. Hopefully tomorrow I will make some serious headway on the lower Tongue calibration.
Got my thank you notes written and started the process of applying for pre approval for a home loan. It doesn't look good for getting much money. Apparently the loan officers don't think we can make the payments that we already make for our apartment each month. Not sure why they pick the ratios they do. If Third Federal is the standard then we are going to have to consider condos in Shaker Heights or look at houses in some less ideal neighborhoods. We shall see.
Sunday SERC Run
It has been forever since I did a Sunday SERC run. Maybe since March! Holy Cow.
I went early this morning to get in 4 with B. Then we did the 12 mile loop with D. So 16 miles total in 2 hours and 18 minutes. Not marathon pace yet, but under 9 min miles so I am happy with that.
We got off the roads for a little bit and onto a trail. It was much cooler in the woods! I felt pretty good during the run. I didn't feel awesome but not too shabby considering I did 10 yesterday and I haven't had a 30+ mile week since Boston. I think the new shoes are going to be a plus, I didn't wear them today because I didn't want to break them in on a long run. But today's run took me over 300 miles on my Brooks.
Hung out at the bagel shop after the run. I forgot how much I enjoy having a leisurely Sunday morning at the Bagel shop :) A few faces were missing today so it wasn't a typical bagel shop conversation, but still very nice.
After hanging out for awhile I went and stopped by Mazzulo's. I got some chicken salad :) Delicious! Almost got taken out by my sister-in-laws jerky ex-boyf in the parking lot. He had to have been going 30mph in the parking lot. Didn't apologize or anything, nice.
Now I am just relaxing waiting for David to get home. I still need to do laundry and write thank you notes :) (And I really should swim...)
I went early this morning to get in 4 with B. Then we did the 12 mile loop with D. So 16 miles total in 2 hours and 18 minutes. Not marathon pace yet, but under 9 min miles so I am happy with that.
We got off the roads for a little bit and onto a trail. It was much cooler in the woods! I felt pretty good during the run. I didn't feel awesome but not too shabby considering I did 10 yesterday and I haven't had a 30+ mile week since Boston. I think the new shoes are going to be a plus, I didn't wear them today because I didn't want to break them in on a long run. But today's run took me over 300 miles on my Brooks.
Hung out at the bagel shop after the run. I forgot how much I enjoy having a leisurely Sunday morning at the Bagel shop :) A few faces were missing today so it wasn't a typical bagel shop conversation, but still very nice.
After hanging out for awhile I went and stopped by Mazzulo's. I got some chicken salad :) Delicious! Almost got taken out by my sister-in-laws jerky ex-boyf in the parking lot. He had to have been going 30mph in the parking lot. Didn't apologize or anything, nice.
Now I am just relaxing waiting for David to get home. I still need to do laundry and write thank you notes :) (And I really should swim...)
Friday Night and Saturday Morning Fun
Last night we went to David's Grandparents for dinner down in Ravenna. His grandmother is a wonderful cook. As a bonus David's cousins made it out with their kids too! I haven't seen them since Christmas. We had a very delicious meal (tomatoes fresh from the garden and the best applesauce ever!) and we played a bit with the kids. I took some so-so pics of the garden, it is really much more lovely than what it looked like in my photos.
After that we went over to Streetsboro to visit with friends. We just hung out at C's apartment, played with her kitties, and chatted! It was really a good time and nice to see everyone! I took way too many photos but I ended up getting some really great shots.
This morning I took it easy on the run. We did 10 miles on the towpath in an hour and a half. At mile 3 we saw some friends from TNT. They joined us for the next 4 (they were doing the end of their brick workout, Hardcore!!!) and we finished up the 3 miles back from the water stop pretty quickly. It was a great run and nice to have company as always. About a mile from Lock 29 I got stung on the leg by a wasp or something. It REALLY HURT!!! I know I am a big baby, but man it stung. And I think running made it hurt worse. I could feel it throbbing and my whole right shin felt pretty bad. It is still sore but I am sure I will survive ;) I don't know how the darn thing stung me in the first place, never had a fly by stinging during a run before :)
After the run Bill gave us some technical tee's, they are awesome!!! If you need t-shirts and printing done drop me a note and I will give you his contact info!!!
Went out to breakfast at Perkin's (after a slight directional mishap that we shall never speak of again). The guys will never let me live that down I am sure! They asked if I was blonde :(
After breakfast I stopped over at Vertical Runner to get some new running shoes. Mine are almost at 300 miles and I want to break some new ones in before they give out on me. I got some other running goodies that I definitely needed but probably can't afford. Why does running gear have to be so pricey?
The new shoes are 6.5 instead of my usual 6 we will see if this helps with the blisters and lost toenails ;)
I got Asics this time around, GT-2100, but supposedly it is the same shoe as my brooks, just a different brand.
I also got a pair of racing flats, for track workouts and shorter races. My fave brand Saucony, Grid Fastswitch Endurance.
The shirts from the Buckeye 50K this year were really sweet so even though I didn't run the race I got one of the technical tees. I also picked up a pack of my gels and a pair of sweet pearl izumi running shorts.
As much as I run and as little as I do laundry I really do need a few more pairs of running shorts and technical tees. Slowly over time I am sure I will acquire a nice running wardrobe.
Speaking of which I have some laundry and dishes to attend to!
After that we went over to Streetsboro to visit with friends. We just hung out at C's apartment, played with her kitties, and chatted! It was really a good time and nice to see everyone! I took way too many photos but I ended up getting some really great shots.
This morning I took it easy on the run. We did 10 miles on the towpath in an hour and a half. At mile 3 we saw some friends from TNT. They joined us for the next 4 (they were doing the end of their brick workout, Hardcore!!!) and we finished up the 3 miles back from the water stop pretty quickly. It was a great run and nice to have company as always. About a mile from Lock 29 I got stung on the leg by a wasp or something. It REALLY HURT!!! I know I am a big baby, but man it stung. And I think running made it hurt worse. I could feel it throbbing and my whole right shin felt pretty bad. It is still sore but I am sure I will survive ;) I don't know how the darn thing stung me in the first place, never had a fly by stinging during a run before :)
After the run Bill gave us some technical tee's, they are awesome!!! If you need t-shirts and printing done drop me a note and I will give you his contact info!!!
Went out to breakfast at Perkin's (after a slight directional mishap that we shall never speak of again). The guys will never let me live that down I am sure! They asked if I was blonde :(
After breakfast I stopped over at Vertical Runner to get some new running shoes. Mine are almost at 300 miles and I want to break some new ones in before they give out on me. I got some other running goodies that I definitely needed but probably can't afford. Why does running gear have to be so pricey?
The new shoes are 6.5 instead of my usual 6 we will see if this helps with the blisters and lost toenails ;)
I got Asics this time around, GT-2100, but supposedly it is the same shoe as my brooks, just a different brand.
I also got a pair of racing flats, for track workouts and shorter races. My fave brand Saucony, Grid Fastswitch Endurance.
The shirts from the Buckeye 50K this year were really sweet so even though I didn't run the race I got one of the technical tees. I also picked up a pack of my gels and a pair of sweet pearl izumi running shorts.
As much as I run and as little as I do laundry I really do need a few more pairs of running shorts and technical tees. Slowly over time I am sure I will acquire a nice running wardrobe.Speaking of which I have some laundry and dishes to attend to!
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