A Sprint Tri in 4 days???

I can't believe I have a Tri this weekend!!! I'm not sure I'm ready for this. I've been working on my running, which means I've been running a ton!! So I've been on my bike once in the last month...and it was a for a 12 mile bike ride around my neighborhood. I've only been in the pool a couple of times. I'm not super concerned about the swim or the bike for a sprint. This race is a 300 yd swim, a 10 mile bike, and a 5K run. I've heard it is a very hilly course. So I'm nervous about getting through this event....but I still feel like even though I haven't specifically trained for this race I'll do okay. I'm not planning on winning anything...just going to have FUN!!

The other thing going on this week is either a summer cold or crazy allergies. My guess is allergies, as I'm all stuffy and headache-y. I'm sure the weather is playing a part in it all as well. It's been crazy pressure changes with lot's of thunderstorms. If I could get rid of the post nasal drip and get my head to stop draining I'd be okay. Keep your fingers crossed for this weekend.

This tri is the one I won at the Trek Store Ladies Night. My friend Kim and I both won, and chose to do an "easy" tri close by. The good thing about this tri is that is about 5 minutes from my house. I love not having to travel. I'll update after the tri on Sunday (Rex Wellness, with finishstrong series).

Post workout Fuel....

I am no expert on nutrition, but I try to keep my body going before, during and after I do a workout. One of my best friends who just happens to be an amazing triathlete turned me onto drinking chocolate milk after a long ride or run. One of my big problems after I do a long run or ride is that I have NO desire to eat anything...nothing...nada. So getting some protein in the form of a drink has been very helpful to me. There are lot's of recovery drinks out there...and I've tried a few, but nothing beats some ice cold chocolate milk (or soy milk) after those long workouts! I keep the milk cold by putting it in a cooler back with frozen water bottles. It's my reward after a long workout.

What's coming up...

Lot's and Lot's of Running is what is in my immediate future. We (myself, my husband Jason, my friend Chris, and my friend Kim) are actively training for the Disney Wine and Dine half Marathon in October. 3 of us (Jason, Chris, and I) have a pretty aggressive training plan, that only requires us to run 3 x week, but they are very specific workouts. This week in particular has been hard because the amount of mileage and the extreme heat we are experiencing here in North Carolina. This weeks 3 runs consist of a 4 mile run (I did that), an 8 mile run (I did that), and a 13 mile run (doing that tomorrow). The training schedule takes us up to 15 miles and I love the idea of training over the amount I'm going to run...so that I know I'll be comfortable on the actual "race day".

The only other event as of right now on my radar is a sprint triathlon in August. This is the race I won from going to the Trek Ladies night. My friend Kim and I both won a free race and we decided that we would do this race together. Mostly due to fact that there would no travel involved and we wouldn't really have to train for it. Not that we aren't swimming, biking and running anyways...but once you get a level of fitness the sprints can be easier (if you aren't competitive) but the longer distances (Olympic and Full and Half Iron mans) take some training. I wanted to be focusing on my running, but still have some fun with the other sports too.

Duke Multiple Myeloma Bike Ride.

This is the 3rd year of the Duke Multiple Myeloma Bike Ride, and the 3rd year I've been a part of it. This year they offered 3 different distances so that people of all abilities of riding can come be a part of this great cause. There were: 100K, 50K, and 25K routes and this year I decided on the 50K. The routes are very hilly and a nice workout. I did the 100K route last year and knew that this year I was not quite ready for those hills, and distance. I love being on my bike, but I've been running more lately and haven't gotten as much distance in.

My ride was great. I rode with my friend Bill and Elaine, and we enjoyed the beautiful views of the route. I think the biggest hill on our ride was Mt. Sinai, and it was a doozy. We got to talk to other cyclist along the way and I got to meet a few other people who's parent(s) have been dealing with Multiple Myeloma as well. It was nice to be around people who know what this cancer can do to people. My Mom was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in February 2007, and had her stem cell transplant in October 2007. She is currently in remission from the cancer, but is dealing with the many after effects of the chemo and drug treatments to put her cancer into remission.

My friend Kim and her Mom rode the 25K route which started an hour after the 50 and 100K routes. Unfortunately their ride was not as pleasant as mine. Kim's Mom (Linda) got spooked by a motorist honking their horn, while she was going about 18 mph down a hill and ended up flipping her bike. She was taken to Duke Medical Center where she had a broken elbow, facial fractures and bleeding on the brain. Thankfully the doctors at Duke were able to help her and she has had surgery on her face and elbow and is doing fine now.

MY RANT= If you've never been on bicycle riding in traffic you may not realize how much little noises effect cyclist. Please do not honk your horn at us while we are riding. We assume that you are about to run into us and we tend to panic. Most of us are clipped into our pedals and not able to just put our feet on the ground when our actions cause our bikes to fall or flip....which means we go with our bikes. Please realize that your car has brakes. Yep it sure does and if it doesn't than you should get it looked at. Be considerate of cyclist (as we should be of motorist) while sharing the road, know that if you get to close to us and knock us over it's not just a little tap it's a life. We are real living breathing human beings out there, enjoying the fresh air, and getting some great exercise. Cycling is not easy, but those of us who love to do it love the challenge we put our bodies through to make it up those hills and against the winds. Take a minute and remember that we are people too.

Relay for Life

On June 18th-19th our little team Heart n' Sole took the track at Leesville High School and walked, ran, and chatted through the night. Relay for Life is an all night walk to bring people together and raise money for the American Cancer Society. It was a wonderful evening with awesome activities throughout the night. Our team of friends raised about $5,000 for the American Cancer Society and had a great time doing it. This is something I plan on doing on a yearly basis. The ceremonies they had were wonderful and emotional. If you have ever had someone in your life deal with the monster of Cancer there is no way this event should not be on your list of things to do. Next year just sign up with us!!*smiles*

Trek Ladies Night

Had a great night at the Trek Ladies Night (@ the Trek Store, in N. Raleigh). The event was from 6-9, and I thought that I would go hang out for a little bit and then come back home and do my run. Well as it turned out I stayed all night it was a fun evening with lot's of information and some great deals. And to top it all off some great raffle prizes. I actually won 2 prizes and was given one prize by someone who won it and didn't want it. So I first won a $10 gift card to the Trek Store. I gave that to Kim's Mom Linda who was also at the event, because she needs more stuff than I do! *smiles* I then won free entry into a FS Series Triathlon, happy to say that my friend Kim also won free entry into a race so we will race together again!!*smiles* (maybe my running will be better by the next race). Then a very nice lady gave me her free Pilates Mat Workout voucher, so I can try out the Pilates studio (which is pretty close to home). Of course it doesn't hurt that the Trek Store is close to my home to. Overall the friendly atmosphere, the good spread of food, wine, water and sodas, the fun raffles and great deals made this a FAB Event!

THANKS TREK BIKES OF RALEIGH!!

Kerr Lake Olympic Distance Triathlon 2010

(taking a drink at one of the small shady spots on the run course)

(Kim running like the Wind)

(Second bike back, I was so ready to be off my bike)

( Transition 1 - sitting down to put my bike shoes on)

(Getting ready before the swim)

We arrived at the campsite after picking up our packets at the YMCA. We had bad directions to the Y from the GPS...it tried to take us to a retirement center. We used our heads though and found Packet Pickup without the GPS. The campsite was pretty nice, a little hilly but not to bad. Kim and I set up the Taj Mahal (huge tent), that 3 of us were sleeping in (there was room for 5+ people. By the end of setting up the tent we were sweating up a storm. It wasn't that hard to set up the tent...but it was a very hot and humid day. The rest of the crew started to show up and we hung out for a little bit. Kim and I took our bikes out for a quick little spin to make sure the gears were shifting. We rode over to the transition area that was being set up. We talked to some of the race officials, they were very nice and happy to chat with us for a minute or two. We went back to the campsite and cooked up an AWESOME dinner on the propane stove of grilled chicken, new potatoes with garlic butter, bread with spread-y cheese, salad with blue cheese and croutons. Yummy!! Kim and I then went and took a shower at the campground showers, it was so nice to cool off a little bit. We came back and had dessert (grasshopper cookies). I turned in for the night around 8:45 to read before bed to try and settle my nerves. I did have to go to the bathroom before I went to sleep....I took the flashlight and walked down to the campsite toilets, I was followed by a toady frog who kinda freaked me out until I figured out what was making all the following noises. The night cooled off a little and we had a fan in the tent that if nothing else had some white noise to drown out all the rest of the night noises.

Race morning- I woke up maybe 3 times before it was time to get up (that's normal for me). I had had some kind of strange dream where in the end I was running through a crowd of steroid using pee wee football players (who knows what that means?). I got up and went to the bathroom, got all my stuff together, changed into my tri clothes (tri shorts, tri top, sports bra), and got my bike together. I got too antsy around 7am and started walking over to the race site, and set up my transition area, got body marked (I was number 20 which was marked on all 4 of my extremities, and an Athena -which is a big A on the back of my left calf), and got my timing chip. I was happy to have a neoprene chip holder for this race. I'm not sure I would been able to handle the disposable one today. My friend Ruth showed up in transition with frozen water bottles! YEA! That was an awesome thing to have. Everyone else (that I know) started showing up...and I was excited that D and Jenn D were racing along with Kim and I. I also got to see my coach from last years Team In Training Tri I did, Bruce, a former teammate Tom, and the TNT crew. They ended up having 2 participants doing this race.

Swim- We were the 5th and final heat of swimmers. The swim was not wetsuit legal, but if you wanted to wear a wetsuit you could but you would be DQ'd (ie: you couldn't win any prizes). I had brought my wetsuit with me, but decided not to wear it. When the air horn went off, I started my swim and ended up in the middle of the pack (I think). It was not my best swim, but it wasn't horrible either. I had a girl in a wetsuit that kept trying to swim over me, pass me, and then stop (literally stop) and do it all over again. It was kinda annoying but I worked on trying to not be around her. I was happy to get to the end of the swim and climb out of the water and "run" up the hill to transition. My time for the swim to transition 1 was 33:24.

T1- Transition 1 is the transition between the swim and the bike. Where we take off our swim gear and put on our bike gear. I sat down and put on my bike shoes and got all my stuff together before going out of T1 on the bike. My time was 2:12. I was telling my cheerleaders as I was transitioning that this was going to be the longest transition EVER...I felt like I was going slow...but I was making sure I could make it through the bike. I needed to make sure I got my honey stingers in my pocket along with my enduralytes. Once I got it all together off I went to run out to the mount/dismount line to get on my bike.

Bike - My legs were already spent. Crazy huh? I guess the swim took more out of me than I thought. We had to climb out of the park, it wasn't a steep hill out but it was long and steady. Then came a fun down hill, and then came all the hills....climbing up and cruising down. It was a hilly course. 40K bike ride that I finished in 1:22:56, 17.7 mph. Apparently I got a penalty on the bike, but I don't know when, where, or why. The penalty is 2:00 added to my final time. I was very much over this ride at mile 17, the headwind had really picked up, the heat was brutal, and the hills were killer. I just kept telling myself...you can do it, you can do it. I usually really like my bike, so I was feeling pretty bad to be having the "pep" talk on the bike.

T2- The transition from the bike to run. I have to rack my bike, take off my helmet, take off my bike shoes, put on my running shoes, my running hat, my race belt, and grab a water bottle. Go run out of transition and onto the run course. I again sat down to change my shoes, but I wanted to calm my nerves a little. My time was 1:47.

"Run" - EPIC FAIL. My main goal for this race was to do my run/walk intervals all the way through. Well the heat (it was about 95 degrees out) and the humidity (it felt like soup), caused my fail on the run. I started out with my shuffle run out of transition. I felt terrible, so I started walking almost right away just to get my feet under me. I figured I'd start running once I got myself calmed down. Well I did run some of the 10K course, however I truly walked most of it. It was tough walking 6.2 miles and I thought about not finishing a million times. However I did meet a lot of cool people out on the run. It was hot enough that at times I would look around and EVERYONE was walking. Yeah...it was BRUTAL. I kept trying to run, but in the end I walked and walked. My time ended up being 1:35:39. I was soooo TIRED!

Results - So having finished was a good enough thing for me. I was not going to let this race beat me down. 14 people who started this race ended up not finishing it. In the end that turned out to be a good thing. I ended up getting 3rd place in the Athena category (the race division I'm in) with a time of 3:37:55 (that's with my 2:00 penalty). My friend Kim totally rocked this race even though she said her bike was terrible (and she is usually faster than me on the bike) with a time of 3:21:57 and got 1st place in Athena. Even though it was a hard race, that took a lot out of us, it was good.

Would I do this race again? Sure would. Especially now that I know I can make it through it in brutal heat and wind, just think how nice it would of been with ideal race conditions. Of course there is no guarantee of good weather, but if I made it through this heat, I can make it through almost anything. Racing is supposed to be FUN, and even though I didn't have fun every minute of this race, it was still a happy thing that I can do this race, finish it, and go on to race again.

One more cool thing about this race. All the proceeds from this race went to the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life in Vance County, NC. I love that we could go race and raise money for Cancer Research!

(I'll put some pictures up with this post as soon as I find the cord to upload the pictures from the camera)

Race Day is Tomorrow....

I'm up and I've walked Scout, I've even gone by the set up area for the Gary Kirby Tri (the Sprint Tri, in my neighborhood) this morning. Everyone was getting all their stuff together in transition and warming up in the pool. I told a few spectators the good spot to be at (to see their people the most), the round-a-bout that the bike and the run goes through. Happy to help people find good spots to cheer on their folks! Talked to one of the vendors (selling ITRI, IRUN, ICYCLE, dri-fit T's), he won't be at my race tomorrow, but said he did it a couple of years ago and it's a good race! I told them that they just re-paved a couple of the roads....and he said that the ride would be AWESOME then. I'm kinda excited about that.

Going through all the stuff I'm going to need. I have most stuff packed up, but realized as I was going through stuff in my head that I have NONE of my swimming stuff packed. HA!! That would not of been a good thing. So I'll get my goggles, a spare cap, a spare suit (in case of ??), my wetsuit, and baby shampoo (it works as anti-fog), in my bag this morning.

I also need to go get a battery powered fan for sleeping in the tent tonight. Think I'll go hit up Target in just a little bit. I'll get the fan and some gallon jugs of bottled water. I'll need to go to HT to get my banana nut muffin for pre-race food. Ummmm...I'm sure there is more stuff I "need" but can't think of it right now.

Gonna go get my swim stuff together right now, go clean my bike up a little bit, go take a shower, get dressed, go to Target and get my stuff, go get some lunch, come home and de-stress for a little bit before Kim and Stephanie come to pick me up. Then we go to packet pick up, to the camp site, get our tent's all set up and hang out.

Arrrrggggghhhhhh......pre race jitters that start the day before is nerve racking!! Think calming thoughts for me!!

3 days...till Kerr Lake...

So only 3 days until the big race.

I got a massage tonight because my shoulders have been killing me, and my back started having spasms while at work today. FUN right? Unfortunately I still haven't done a single workout this week. Ahhh I took tamper to the extreme. I'm feeling better, and I hope tomorrow will be even better!

Tomorrow I get to be with my Special Olympics Athletes at their Summer Games Swim Meet. I'm super excited for them. It's going to be a great day!!

Then I'll be packing and getting ready to camp and race! I can't believe it's this weekend!! Am I ready? Can I do this? Am I going to make it through this race? Will it be to hot? Will it be to sticky? Can I get my head wrapped around this race? Ahhh well I know one thing for sure....it's gonna be fun!! Everyone is still welcome to come cheer me on!!*smiles*

4 days away from Race Day..

WOW!! I can't believe Race Day is approaching so soon. Busy week this week.

Last weekend (Memorial Day Weekend) I had my last "hard" workouts which included a 4 mile run in the sticky heat, a swim, and a 46 mile hilly bike ride. No worries about the swim and bike....now if I can just make it through the run I'll be golden. I felt strong on my bike on Sunday and really enjoyed the ride. Of course we had an enjoyable weekend with friends as well. Nothing like a good old fashion cookout to make life happy (as long as I wasn't the one grillin').

Now this week I've got ton's to get ready for. "We" (my partner in crime Kim and I) decided we would camp before the race. This race is taking place in a state park. Now I'm not a huge fan of camping, but I think this will be fun (ish) and at least I'll have a shower right after the race!! WOO HOO!! We have some other friends coming out to camp with us and cheer us on in the race. Gotta love friends!! So I've gotta figure out my camping stuff, and my tri stuff and get that all packed up. I also have a big day on Friday as it is my Special Olympics Athletes Summer Games! I will be there coaching on my swimmers all day on Friday and I'm super excited about seeing their smiling faces. So if you are in the area and see me being frantic (just a little) you'll know why! *smiles*

If you wanna come out and cheer, ring a cow bell, sing a song to me on race morning....the Kerr Lake Triathlon is taking place at Bullocksville State Park in Henderson, NC. The race starts at 8:00 am, I'm not sure yet when my wave will start the swim.