Home

I am home. And it's nice.

It's a bit hard to believe that this morning I was in Colorado, on a beautiful hike. Followed by a tasty breakfast and pie - Tuesday is pie day at the Walnut Cafe. And to the airport, into my middle seat, and back now back in DC.

Even with all the travel, I am so not tired, as my body clock thinks it's 9:30 pm, not 11:30 pm. That's an issue as I have to go to work tomorrow.

So what's next? I should swim, but CUA swims are over and Wilson pool is closed. I should bike, but I need to put the pedals back on, and I am lazy. I should run, but really REALLY need new (and larger) shoes. It's not Tuesday, so no yoga Steve. I have piles of laundry and a horribly messy apartment. Cleaning is working out, right?!?!?!

Plus, after 6 days in Boulder, it kind of leaves a healthy lifestyle impression. The fresh air, food, hiking trails, bike friendliness, and minimalist lifestyle attitude – I do feel the need to clean and make some changes. Hopefully these views will stick around for awhile.

Not Quite Like Yesterday

Molly and I tired, but not so successfully.

We got a slow start to the morning and tried to go hiking. After a quick trip to Boulder falls, we were off for a more challenging hike. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had a different idea. It never rained where we were, but there were a ton of black clouds all around us and wasn't the best idea to go hiking. So, we drove around for more beautiful views of the mountains.

Molly was a bit tired so as she napped, I headed to Boulder Beer. To my unpleasant surprise, they were not serving alcohol or beer because they lost their license for 3 days. Figures. Get rained out on my hike without rain and went to a beer tour without being able to sample beer.

After those not-so-great moments today, Molly and I decided on a small bike tour and to try 1 more brewery, Twisted Pine Brewing. They were open, serving beer, and it was happy hour - so the sampler we went. All 15.
Might I remind you all that we biked there...
And eventually did make it back to Molly's...

(Dad, I hope you are proud :-)

Tomorrow I head back to DC. I am hoping to get in a good hike before I head to the airport. Hopefully Mother Nature will allow it this time.

Last Full Day In Colorado!

It's sad because I am just starting to get used to the elevation and time change.

Yesterday I managed to sleep until 7, which was awesome. Molly and I took our time getting ready in the morning and finally started the day by returning Sapphire. He did a great job getting me though the 17.2 miles of Boulder with an average of 16 mph. I am slowly staring to look a road bikes and Giant maybe an option...

Before I knew it, Molly and I were in the mountains. We stopped for a few pictures and the decided to go for a short hike. Only about a mile (and I forgot my Garmin, but I think it would have been awesome to GPS the route) but it was really nice. Molly went nice and slow so my lungs wouldn't explode on some of the switch backs but I fully understand why people in Boulder are so in shape.

The rest of the day was spent at a brewery, 2 shows from the fringe festival, and some sushi. Overall, yesterday was a great day and I can only hope for the same today.

I Am An Irongirl!! Again!

Yesterday was a lot of fun. There is something to be said about having an event with all women. It seems so supportive, positive and much less intense.

It was another early morning - but for me, not too bad as I was still on East Coast time. We had some breakfast and were off to the race. Have you ever seen those people who bike to the race start and thought they were so bad a$$? It's over rated. HA! Actually, it was a pretty good 3.7 mile warm up.

Once we got to the start, it was the normal body marking and setting up the transition area. It was really fun because Mimi and I got to be next to each other, and we were one row away from Molly, Katie, and Molly (Katie's friend from Albuquerque, NM). Mimi and I took a quick walk to the swim start and it was a beautiful sunrise. We finished getting ready and it was off the start.

The Swim.
It was only 400 meters, so I wasn't too worried. Molly wanted to be at the front (it was a run in start) and I was okay with it. We had about 5 minutes before we went off and there was some good music playing, so I was having a little dance party. It was fun! Once the Aflac duck quacked - that was the starting gun, we ran in and started. The water was about 72 degrees and without a wet suit, it hit my lungs pretty hard. And the sun was coming up and I couldn't see the first two buoys. But, I managed to sight off of someone in front of me and do okay. The problem, it took me 2 minutes to get from the water to the transition area! It was a far distance, and I was not running!

The bike.
Molly offered to drive the bike course, but I declined. I didn't want to see what I was about to do. I knew the first was going to a false flat to start, and some rollers. That was enough to know for me. Sure enough, the first 4 or so miles too forever! I was sucking air and hating my choice to do this race. Sapphire was doing the best he could, but all I could wish for was Blain. But once the first part was done, the bike was actually kind of fun. I picked up some speed and still enjoyed looking around. And to my pleasant surprise, I averaged 16 mph. WooHoo!

The run.
This is where I had some issues due to the elevation. I tried to run, I really did, but I just couldn't. There were even a few times when I started on my walk break and felt a bit dizzy and light headed. But I did just keep moving forward. Not a great run time, but all things considered, I don't think it was that bad for me.

The finish.
Having a few people finish before you is fun because they come back and cheer for you. I noticed Mimi first, as she also had the DC Tri top on, and then heard Molly screaming her head off, which was super nice. I was still sucking air but managed to finish running, which is always nice.

Overall, it was a really fun race. It was nice being with friends, not taking the race too seriously, and just having a good time.
After the race, it was off to a micro brewery for lunch, a nice nap and a trip to the Rockies game. Vacations are awesome.

572

That's my number!

I am all checked in and ready to go for Iron Girl Boulder. So far, it's been a fun trip.

Yesterday, I got in and Molly picked me up. We headed to downtown Boulder for some looking around and shopping which turned into one of my favorite thing - margaritas and queso! I can't help it, people know what I like...
Oh, and Molly made me bike there. I think she is out to get me and make me even more tired for tomorrow so she can kick my butt even more!
It was actually a good thing to help me get used to the altitude a bit faster, but still. I am not used to casual riding.
And after a lovely dinner Molly made, I was off to bed. I did make it until 9, so I thought that was a success.

Today I woke up promptly at 4. I forced my self back to sleep for 2 more hours and tossed and turned another 2. Molly's friend Katie arrived and after breakfast we headed to pick up my rental bike. I sat in the back with this bike, trying to bond. Katie named him Sapphire - and I knew immediately I would like this girl and why she was friends with Molly. Plus we bonded at the REI sale.

We headed to the Boulder reservoir to do packet pick up and as we pulled into the parking lot, Molly told the woman we were here for the event, who which her response "Awesome". And we drove off. I love the fact that the woman's response was just "Awesome". So Boulder, as Molly said.

Once all that was done, it was time to properly fit Sapphire. After I got him to a decent fit, the three of us headed our for a ride. Roughly 10 miles and I had enough. It was a bit harder than I should have gone, but I didn't want to embarrass my self in front of Molly or Katie - so I went a bit harder when I was leading (so I could set the pace) and tried to stay on Molly's wheel when she was leading. Smart - no. But I think we established that I don't always make smart decisions.

So now, Mimi is on her way over (coming up from Colorado Springs) and it will be another early wake up call. But, hopefully it won't be too bad for me as I have the 2 hour time difference that I am not adjust to yet. I just need to get rid of this headache - due to this silly altitude thing... I miss being at sea level.

I'm in KC

Quick little layover in the Kansas City Airport - and they have free wireless so I figured I would post.

After another late night of packing, it was another 4:45 wake up call for my 6:45 flight. I really need to do better about vacations and sleep. However I did fall right to sleep on the plane and woke up very confused. I mean I was in a full deep sleep where I thought my scarf really was a pillow and my jacket was a blanket. I really had no idea where I was when I woke up.

Oh, there is my flight.

Off to Colorado!! People keep telling me the bike course isn't that bad, not that hilly - we shall see. I have a hard time believing anything in Boulder is flat...

Home For 10 Hours

After a wonderful 5 days in New England, Karen and I headed back to DC today. It was a fun ride back. We caravanned with Hans, Casey and Lindsey - which was really helpful. As Karen said, she wasn't the best sidekick, but it was all good. She did bring a book on tape, so that was fun to listen to on the drive - even though I don't know how it ended... So as sidekicks go - between the snacks, book on tape, amazing gas mileage car, I think Karen was a great 'side kick'.

But now, I am now unpacking to repack - including some bike stuff. I am renting a bike in Colorado and am taking my pedals - after Danny was a huge help to remove them, as I failed multiple times. It's helpful to have bike knowledgeable friends. Anyway, I have a cab coming for me at 5:15 so I must stop typing.

Eventually, this post will have a collage of the "Welcome to ____" states we drove through. Some are missing, but I will figure something out. Until then, here is a picture of the house I had to leave...

Next post - (hopefully) from Colorado!

Last Day In NH

Today is my last full day in New Hampshire :-(
I tried to sleep in again, but woke up at 6:30 (and that was after going to bed around 11:30). I heard someone in the kitchen around 7, and that's when I noticed THE SUN WAS OUT! Julia had started the coffee so we grabbed a cup and headed down to the dock. Sandy joined us later and it was a perfect way to start the morning.
We had another great breakfast along with a breakfast potato battle between Hans and Sandy. It was close, and after a few voting flips, it was a tie. Even though Hans did try some voodoo pot banging... These potatoes when superb with Lindsey's french toast. All followed by a nap. Vacation is wonderful...

With the sun out, it was the perfect opportunity to relax, and enjoy the day. I made it out for a wag (walk/jog) and confirmed that I need new, bigger, shoes.

I am sad to leave tomorrow, but am excited to head to Colorado!

I Like Vacation

Today is the first day I felt like I was on vacation. No alarm (except that my alarm did go off 6:30, oops), nothing to do, just time to relax. But of course we were all still up by 7:30. The good and bad part of the day is that it was raining.

The house made another fabulous breakfast and after cleaning up, the biggest debate was on what to do on the rainy day. After much sitting around, we decided on an outlet mall. There would be walking around, shopping, but staying dry. Unfortunately, the outlet mall was pretty disappointing, not much to be had. We made it back to the house and it 'cleared up' just enough where I thought I could get in a swim. After all, I was in a house with about 12 people who just did a half Ironman, and I was eating like I had done one as well. A workout was definitely needed! Because the weather was a bit iffy and some people in the house were concerned, I decided to go around the island - but still had no idea when I would be back. We determined if I wasn't back in an hour, time to worry.

I have to say, I had a great time. It was so fun to see the houses, the beautifully surroundings, and at one point there were seagulls (or some type of bird) sitting in the middle of the water. Obviously on rocks, but it looked really awesome.

As I rounded the last turn, I saw the bridge to our island. When I went to sight it again, I saw a figure on the bridge. It waved and me, I waved back, so I figured it was someone I knew who was making sure I was okay. As I got closer, sure enough, it was Bryan. We had a nice little chat, and I made it back to the dock. After I showered, we realized it was about 1.4 miles. I took my time, but overall, it was a decent swim time - 52 minutes-ish.

The rest of the evening was filled with burgers, chicken, wine, beer, drinking go fish, Spice Girls, and M-dot chocolate chip cookies - I put my new present to good use. As I mentioned on our last group house, I earn my keep not by cooking, but by cleaning and making cookies. This trip was no different, just different shaped cookies.

Yay Everyone!!

What fun! I really think I may give up this participating in races and take up tracking/looking for my friends, and cheering full time. It was awesome!

Yes, we did wake up at 3 and were on the road by 3:34. Yes, that was really REALLY early (that would be wake up calls at 5, 6:30, and 3 - GO VACATION!). But, 100% worth it. We had rock star parking and we were in the park and 2 rows from the tent; vs. over at the resort and bussed in. Needless to say, we all promptly put our seats down and took a nap. 5:45 was a much better wake up call. Yes, I realize that is still early and a sad statement.

Everyone got all set up and I set up my area - the tent. I collected keys, flip flops, and an engagement ring. Once the pros were back from the swim and on their bikes, I went to find my spot at the swim finish and start keeping track of the 25-ish DC Tri Club members in the race.

Things started off pretty well and I was getting some great shots. I was standing on a chair, using Sandy's camera, and got almost everyone out of the water. I did miss a few, and even with my bright pink IM support crew hat, not many people saw (or heard) me. Here is one of my favorites. After we almost feel over laughing, Julia did say I could use the pic (yes, she is drinking with her hand still stuck in her wet suit).
I stayed and watched the last swimmers come out of the water. It's always such a great sight to see all the kayakers and volunteers gather around the last few swimmers, hitting their kayaks for support and everyone on the beach cheering them on. Unfortunately, the last guy in did not make the cut off :-(

Once the last swimmer made it out of the water, I ran back to our tent just in time to miss Andy Potts starting his run. That's right, that is how fast the Pros are. It was NUTS! Also, it started raining. Not good as most of our people (and the entire race participants) were still on the bike course.

The next part of the morning was spent trying to find our bikers and runners. Our tent was on the run out part, but we could still see the bike in. AJ's parents and Toby's parents were both in the tent with me and by about the first 5th DC Tri person in, we had a great system. I started keeping track of people's times when they came in the bike, pass us on the run, start the second lap of the run, and overall finish. Most of the time I could get a decent picture of someone coming in on the bike (this is Lindsey - I love how she is clear and in focus and everything else is a bit blurry - that's how fast she was moving!).

The run was a bit harder to track people as they all have very different speeds. Coming in on the bike was actually pretty close to their swim order, but the run was all over the place. That being said, I did manage to get at least one picture of everyone I was following; like this great picture of Karen and Glenn. Some have a few more, but overall, I was really happy. Throw in the pictures the parents took - we have a great set.

Overall, even with the early start of the day and the rain, it was so much fun. There were many PR's set and I think they all had great races. It was a lot of fun to be a part of, and I hoped I made the day a bit easier for everyone.
Now, it's really vacation time!

I'm In New Hampshire!!!

What a fun 2 days. They have been an early 2 days - which really isn't fair when you are on vacation, but whatever.

Karen picked me up at 6 on Friday to start our adventure north. We packed up the car and were on the road by 6:15. I had my coffee and did my best to be a good shot gun rider. Karen is an awesome road trip partner as she had a bag of snacks ready to go. AND some of the little baggies (she knows my portion control issues) had my name on them. Woot!

We flew through Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey (and flew without speeding!!). Made it in and out of New York. And stopped to Connecticut by 10:45. Why? EZ Pass. It's the best and every time we went through the EZ Pass lane Karen yelled "APPROVED!" Also, we realized that we totally lucked out with traffic and had some extra time. Neither one of us had been to Rhode Island, so we went to Providence for lunch!! Who does that? WE DO!!

After walking around Federal Hill, we headed to Toby's parents house for dinner and to spend the night. Oh, that was in Massachusetts. That's 6 states and a district for me, 7 states and a district for Karen (she lives in Virginia, but I don't hold it against her).

This morning we got up early so Karen, Toby and Casey could do a little ride. Because Blain is at home, I didn't ride and learned from Hans how to properly clean my bike. Blain will be happy. We packed up the cars with more food from Costco and headed into New Hampshire.

I have to say, this going to a race and not racing - VERY FUN!! We got to the check in and everyone was running around getting numbers, finding safety pins, going to pre race meetings, and I just sat back, healed people's stuff, and looked at all the pretty scenery. Plus, Sandy and Lindsey got me a sweet sherpa present AND I bought my self one too.
But now I have to go bed because we are getting up at 3 to be on the road by 3:30 so we can get a good parking spot. I plan on taking a nap while everyone is riding.

Ride Fail

I tried. It is not often that I regret getting up to do a workout. Today, it was one of those days. And one of the first workouts I cut short.

I am not sure what was going on, but I just didn't wake up. After my first loop at Hains Point, my legs were hurting, my back didn't feel right, even my left arm was hurting. I couldn't get comfortable on the bike and decided to cut the ride short. I didn't want to risk injury or do something stupid, like fall over, so I stopped.

I am pretty sure I made the right decision. But I do wish I could go back to bed instead of going to work...

To Bike or Not To Bike

Tonight was a planning meeting for Timberman with Karen. We are heading up to Boston on Friday to stay with Toby, then head up to New Hampshire on Saturday. I haven't been north of New York, so I am really excited.

Still debating the bike. Yesterday was towards yes, today towards no. Tomorrow??? I think it would be nice to not feel the need to bike, obligation to work out. I'm not training for anything - other than a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike.

My life is full of hard decisions.

Like how many alarms to set to get up at 5:45 to go ride tomorrow morning.

Another date with Yoga

Yoga Steve + only 4 people in the class = lots of attention and tweaking of poses = PAIN!

But in the good way. It was a small Tuesday yoga class, but another good one. I just really like the 45 minutes to an hour of relaxation during the day. It's a nice break from the swim/bike/run. And I think the 3 long weekends have taken a toll on my body, especially the legs.

I am pretty excited to take the weekend off and cheer everyone on Sunday. I am debating on whether or not to bring my bike and ride up there in New Hampshire. I should. I think Karen and I will have the room in her car. And I heard there is ice cream... but I am pretty lazy and could use a relaxing weekend.

It was a swim

I think my body is telling me something. It's tired.

I knew I would be late due to a late meeting, and the need to pick up my dry cleaning, but traffic was also bad. It was very tempting to just go home. But, my suit was on and I figured Toby would be mad if I didn't show up.

Once I got there, I couldn't keep up with Toby, so I swam with Dena. I am not sure how much I swam, but it was a nice stretch swim. Not fast (which I couldn't when I tried) but I am glad I went. Even though my swims have been disappointing, I still do love swimming.


And on a personal note (not like this entire blog isn't personal...) take a moment to let those around you how much you care about them. If you are reading this, please know I do care about you. Thanks

AWESOME!!!

That is how I feel about today's race. Let me explain.

After a traffic filled uneventful drive up to Delaware on Saturday, Mary Elizabeth and I meet up with Brooke and Diane at the hotel. We promptly drove the bike course and made fun of Mary Elizabeth for saying it was flat when there was 1 bridge overpass and a few tiny bumps (I can't even call them rollers). Our first choice for dinner wasn't an option, so we went for the second best choice - Matildas. Nothing says pre race dinner like an Australian pub!

After a lovely dinner with the most friendly waiter I have ever had, we were back at the hotel from some rest and relaxation - aka black jack and poker, played with Peanut M&M's and Skittles. This was a bit complicated because I ate all the red, orange and purple Skittles, while others were after the M&M's. After Brooke won the hand she said to Diane "What does that tell you"
Diane - "It tells me I should have eaten them when I had the chance." And that is how our pre-race day went.

Race Day!
Another 4:30 am wake up call. 'Nuf said.
We got there nice and early to do packet pick up and set up our transition areas. All pretty low key.

Swim.
I gave my watch to Mary Elizabeth for her Du, so I went into the swim not knowing how I would do when I was done. Turns out, ignorance is bliss.
I felt really good in the water. Nice strong swim strokes, good sighting, was towards the front of my wave, passed people from the 2 waves in front of me. I hopped on my bike feeling really good.
My time - AGAIN, not good for me. This was my slowest 100M split yet! I really can't keep blaming long courses, but my times are ALL OVER THE PLACE between the swims, tri's and AV's. But, I was still in the top 4th, which is where I normally am, so I guess it's okay.

Bike.
F.L.A.T!! That means fast. My goal was to spend as much time in aero as possible and push it. It was about 19.5 miles of FLAT. I also wanted to have better nutrition so I ate a bit more and drank more than last week.

I pushed it and I stayed in aero. Overall, I think it all worked pretty well for me as I finished in 1:04 and averaged around 18 mph! Woot!!

Run.
I wanted to push the run a bit more than I normally do, but also knew I just pushed the bike. My legs can only handle so much... I started with my run 1 minute, walk 1 minute. I felt good so I started running 5-10 seconds earlier and go 5-10 seconds longer. It may not seem like much, but I think it was. And I tried to concentrate on my form, use the proper muscles efficiently.
But here's the deal; I don't believe the time. Well, the distance really. And my GPS data backs me up. I think the course was at least 0.2 miles short.
BUT, if I just look at my GPS data or knock down the 3 miles a bit, I either have my second or third fastest minute/mile split EVER for a triathlon (and that's out of 16).

This means that for me this was my:
Fastest bike split.
Top 2nd or 3rd run split.
Slowest swim split (but second in my division out of 15).

Even though the course was FLAT with perfect weather conditions (low 80's, cloudy, no humidity, no wind, a few drops of rain on the bike and run to cool off) and I feel my swim is right where it should be, this was a great race.

Thanks to Mary Elizabeth (who placed 3rd in her division in the Du!), Brooke (who started 5 minutes after me and my goal was to not have her catch me - it was close!!) and Diane (who is now officially a triathlete) for making the race even better.

Off To Bear, Delaware

I am off to 3rd weekend away. This time to Bear, Delaware with Brooke, Diane, and Mary Elizabeth. It should be a perfect weekend for a 0.5 mile swim (or 2 mile run for Mary Elizabeth), 19.5 mile bike, and 3 mile run. I haven't biked since last week, but I am hoping Blain will be okay. And I am hoping to 'push' my run a bit more, see what happens.

But overall, I am just looking forward to having a good time with Brooke, Diane, and Mary Elizabeth.

So You Think You Want To Be An Ironman?

Last night was one of the staple DC Tri Club events. The So You Think You Want To Be An Ironman seminar. It's a panel of 6-7 Ironmen with lots of different backgrounds and perspectives. I was lucky enough to be on the panel in 2008 after my Ironman to represent the back of the pack participant. It was one of my favorite events I have ever done with the club.

This year I helped facilitate the questions and my goal was to let each panelist talk and share their unique experiences. We had a newly turned pro, a Kona qualifier, a 57 year old top 3 in her age group finisher (and Kona qualifier), a coach, a few others, and my pick for the panel - a 14 hour and 59 minute first time finisher. There was a lot of great information shared, and I was happy to be part of that side of the event.

To close the evening, I asked everyone to share one of their 'moments'. So much of an Ironman story can sound so daunting, scary, hard, painful - lots of negatives. I wanted people to leave on a high note, something that makes the Ironman, all its training and ups and downs worthwhile. There were a lot of great answers, but I am going to try and type out the story from one person, told from her perspective. Hopefully I don't screw it up too badly.

"I was on the beach at Kona before the race and next to me was this man who had this look of terror on his face. We started talking and I learned his name was Roy, he was a white man from Nigeria who now lived in Dubai, and this was his first Ironman - he was a lottery spot winner. We were chatting and started talking about how you say 'good luck'. Not in other languages, but other forms; like 'break a leg'. He was saying in Africa, there are the "chased" and the "predators". The chased run as fast as they can, but at some point they have to decide to stop, turn around to face the predator, and get their horns into it to fight. So go and get your horns into it."

She wasn't sure what happened to Roy, if he finished or not, but that wasn't the point of the story.
At some moment, you have to stop, turn around, get your horns into the Ironman, and fight.

Being Lazy Paid Off!

I don't know what is going around this town, but someone 'higher up' is not happy with us. As DCist put it
"Phew: so it looks like D.C. might have missed the brunt of the second wave, though Northern Virginia is getting pounded as we type. But has it been an insane day, or what? Massive rain. Flooding and damage. Power outages and Metro closures. Flames shooting out of the ground in Dupont Circle. Tornado watches to the south of us. A suspicious package (of course). Demon teddy bears, even! We at DCist would like to take this opportunity to apologize to whatever forces-that-be that are behind all of this for whatever it is we did to piss you off. Please don't cancel Fort Reno on us, 'kay?"

The storms and metro closures greatly affected me this morning (the above pic is of Rock Creek Park). As I mentioned yesterday, I have been really tired. So instead of emailing around about the typical Thursday morning ride, I decided to stay silent. If I don't say I am going, I am not bailing (even if it's expected I am there...). I was woken up by claps of thunder and flickering blots of lightening. Thank goodness I was not on my bike!! (and from what I hear, everyone who was biking was okay.) Once I got out of bed, I heard my metro was closed due to a power outage and flooding. Let's just say it took quite awhile to get to work...

Because I missed my run yesterday, and skipped my bike (thankfully) this morning, it was off to the treadmill today. No excuses.

I hopped on and was feeling pretty good when I hit 4 minutes - my normal walk break time. I was not tired or fatigued as I normally would be. So I kept going. And a bit faster. I kept working on my form and cadence and was feeling really good. Don't get me wrong, I was forming a puddle of sweat around me, but I felt really good. I made it 20 minutes without a walk break! And my goal quickly became a 5K. And guess what, I made it!! A 5K in 38 minutes with 1 one minute walk break!! To put it in perspective, I did my 5K in Richmond in 44:36.

I know today's run was not after a swim and a bike, and was on a treadmill (controlled speed) but I would to call this run "PROGRESS".

So, thanks to my laziness yesterday and this morning, I had a great run. WOOT!

So Tired!

Man, I don't know what my deal was today but I don't think I ever woke up. I am just exhausted. I couldn't get my self down to the treadmill. And, I am still sore from yoga. My core, and right hamstring. Sore in the good way, but sore.

I'm off to bed.

Yoga is a workout!

I took another class with Yoga Steve today. I had to cut it short because I had a 1 o’clock meeting. Yoga Steve’s class is from 12:20 – 1, but last week, he went until 1:15. Which would have been awesome, but alas – stupid meetings and doing my job.

Anyway, the gym in my building is currently being redesigned, which includes the room where all the weights and yoga classes are held. Because there is no room, we hold yoga class in the hall way, on the way out the building if you are going for a run. This is all fine, however I know a few people who go out for their run during this time frame. My friend Scott was coming back from his run and I swear, he went by me 3 times just to mock my poses. On one pass he smirked and said “Come on, do a real workout”. He said this as I had a puddle of sweat forming under me as I was in some sort of warrior/triangle pose.

I will be the first to admit that I originally thought yoga was just a good stretch. Oh no. I was wrong.

Because I Like Pain

I am going to swim practice. I have been disappointed in my swims lately, so I figured I better go.

Yes, I did just get out of my car after a 7+ hour drive back from Cleveland after my International distance tri, but as Toby said "You're totally coming. We discussed this last Monday :) After a long travel trip there is nothing better than to stretch out in the pool!!!"

But here is the problem, Toby makes me do the entire workout (which I wrote) and I have a feeling her swimmer friend will be there too. That is not a "stretch" swim.

Blah. I better go and change so I am not late... But if I am late, maybe I can skip part of the workout...

Ouch

That's how I feel right now. But in a very good way.

It was another 4:30 wake up call. Coffee was made, bagel was toasted, the car was packed and we were off to The Greater Cleveland Triathlon.

We got there nice and early so we could do our packet pickup and make sure our transition areas were set, as this was V's first International distance tri. I am fairly experienced in the world of triathlon, but going into this one, it was more about being with friends. And it showed. I forgot my race chip and swim cap in the car. Somehow I was covered in chain grease already (I blame it on putting on and off bikes in the dark). By the time we started walking to the beach, I figured I should start thinking about the event.

The Swim.
It was wet suit legal, which figures because I left my wet suit back in DC. I had the room, as I drove, but was informed that it had been so hot out, the wet suit wouldn't be allowed. Oh well. We had to walk the 1200 meters down the beach, as it was a point to point swim, which is just mean. But the swim was okay, all things considered. The swells were pretty bad so I am sure I drank a lot of Lake Erie. And my right goggle keep filling up. It was really REALLY annoying. I was getting passed left and right - an odd feeling for me in a swim. Not a great time, I am sure not a great placement, but all practice is good practice.

The Bike.
The benefit of going into a bike course you don't know is there are a lot of surprises. The bad thing is, I don't do that well. I did look at the elevation and knew there was at least 1 climb, but I was not expecting what I had to go up. Plus, there was a headwind the first part as well as a false flat. What was even more frustrating was the fact that I was getting passed by people on mountain bikes, in cages! I just could not go faster.
My other issue today on the bike, my nutrition was horrible. I didn't drink nearly enough or take in enough calories. I think because I didn't know what was coming, I was afraid to get stuck with a water bottle in my hand and looking up a hill. Or start eating a combo when I could be making up some time going downhill or having a tail wind. I know better, and should have done better. But I think I was around 1 hour 35 minutes. Not horrible, but I think I could have done better.

The Walk.
I don't have any idea the last time I went 6.2 miles. I am guessing Ironman... As well as things have been going for me with the run/walk, it sure wasn't today. Actually, the first 3 miles went really well. I was sticking to my run 1 minute, walk 1 minute and finished the first half faster than my last 5K at this race. However, then the pain in my foot started. And it was bad. Both at the ball of my foot and at 2 of my toes. I wanted to rip off my toe nails! So my run 1 minute, walk 1 minute turned into speed walking, without limping so I didn't throw off my knee or back, for the rest of the race. That is until I saw Merissa and had to run for the pictures. ALWAYS run for the pictures.

So, overall, I can't complain. It was a lot of fun and I am so proud of V.
Back to DC tomorrow and off to Bear, DE to do it all again Saturday.

New Present to Blain

In an attempt to buy Blain's love, I bought him a new present. Well, I didn't really buy it, but I permanently borrowed it from a friend, and will replace it later.

New Bar Tape! Look how awesome that green looks?!?! I am super excited to ROCK the Greater Cleveland Triathlon tomorrow.

After a really fun day at Soak City, I am ready to rest up for tomorrow's race. My biggest fear, it's going to be 62 when I start the swim. I wasn't expecting 'cold' weather!!! Oh well...

Wish me no flats and a pain free day tomorrow!

Good Story!

I am in Cleveland! And guess what? It ROCKS! I have already consumed the amount of calories I will be burning off on Sunday, but it was worth it. Who knew that Cleveland had such a cute Little Italy with the best cannolis I have ever had!

In addition to having a great dinner and dessert, I was also told a story I am going to do my best to type out.

A woman was going through a hard time and her friend asked her how she was doing. She picked up a rock, and threw it into a calm lake. She said "See how the lake is disrupted with the ripples and waves? It's bad now, but the ripples will eventually fad away and the lake will become calm again. However, that rock is now part of the lake, and always will be. That is how I feel. This situation will always be a part of me, but all will be calm again, in time."

Something about that story stuck with me. Whether a situation is good or bad, it is now a part of you, and in time, things will calm again.