No time to be sick...

Yesterday and Today have been off days for me. I woke up on Friday and felt okay, but then after taking the puppy to the dogpark I came home and felt terrible. I had a horrible headache, my body was achey, and I had a general blah feeling. I did some stuff around the house (dishes, laundry, pick up) and then laid on the coach for most of the rest of the afternoon. I finally went upstairs and slept for a little bit. Around 6-ish, I woke up and took Scout out for his walk. Jason came home a little later. My head was a little warm, but it was a come and go thing. I went to bed early and told him (Jason) I would let him know in the morning whether I was going to make the 10 miler or not.

I woke up this morning feeling ick again. I took Scout out for his walk (because he won't go with anyone else in the morning if I'm there...he'll go hide under the bed until I take him out). It was a good test to see if I thought I should try and do the run. Since I was getting chills during the walk I decided that I would skip the run today. I gotta get feeling better before I put more stress on my body. I haven't done much today, but I've been up and alert. I'm hoping that it was just a 24 or so thing. So much for my weekend of training....I was also hoping to get a bike ride in tomorrow. Ohh well.

Here's to hoping the ick is gone completely in the morning and I can resume my training as scheduled....so much going on. Disney Wine and Dine half marathon October 2nd, the le Tour de Femme October 9th, Cannonball Run half marathon October 16th. NO TIME TO BE SICK!!

When did 7 miles become a short run??

Okay...so this happens every time I start training for something longer...but really?? Today my mid week run with a 7 mile run (1 mile easy, 2 miles mid-temp, 1 mile easy, 2 miles mid-temp, 1 mile easy). Hmmm averaged out to a 10:45 m/m pace. Crazy right? I guess all this training is starting to pay off.


(this is a pic of me after the 7 mile run...sitting in the car)

It's especially crazy since I was so unmotivated to do this run today. The humidity came back and I felt like I could just go back to bed and not worry about my run. I made myself go, and I went out of the neighborhood so I wouldn't stop until the workout was done. I choose Shelley Lake because I know it's a 2 mile loop, and though I love my runmeter, it isn't accurate all the time. The GPS just can't always see through the trees I'm running under...and I like to run under shady trees if I get the chance. Comfort over the runmeter. I felt like I was going slow, but I guess I wasn't. At least not slow for me. I tried to play by the rules (easy and mid temp) but I'm not sure I did. I would of loved it if my runmeter had worked so I could of seen the splits the way the really were. It's so funny. I did adjust the runmeter mileage at the end of the run, it was off by 3/4 of a mile (approximately). When I looked at the map it had me on it had me running in the middle of the lake at times. I mean what a cool trick...but I can't do that.

(my runmeter stop watch...after the adjustment)

The other thing I can't run without when doing longer runs (for me anything over 3 miles is a longer run) is my fuel belt. I love my fuel belt! My friend Ruth got me my fuel belt when I was training for the Nike Women's Marathon the summer of 2008. It took a little bit to get used to, but I love having water and "snacks" at my disposal. The little bottle are great too...I just freeze them and put them in the holders and off I go. I went through 3 of the 4 bottles that my fuel belt holds, (Last week I went through 9 bottles for my 15/16.5 mile run...I held one in my hand for the last bit) for this run today.

(my fuel belt after the run...it get's a little wet...just sayin'...ohh and the pockets hold my nutrition for the run)

After the run I did enjoy some chocolate milk and of course more water. Chocolate Milk is really important for me, since I have no desire to eat after I run. Wait a couple of hours and I can devour just about anything...but right after a run...eeehhhh. I think that has a lot to do with everything getting jostled around. I can drink some chocolate milk and work on my recovery as my stomach settles and lets me eat something a little later.


(yummy chocolate milk...I get it at Costco...either this or Chocolate Soy Milk "SILK")

Water of course...is essential. I'm not sure how much I sweat, but I can tell you it's a lot. North Carolina humidity makes me work a little harder. Good thing I grew up a swimmer, at least my lungs should be used to breathing water! HA!


(some water for afterwards in my TRYSPORTS bottle)

15 mile Run....

So today was the longest run of our training program for the half marathon (that is less than a month away). I decided to take the boys out to the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) for the long run because it has hard pack sand (easier on the body) and it's pretty much a straight shot so no one gets lost. It was a beautiful morning when we started @ 7:30 am, it was still cool out, and very low humidity. We started at mile marker 5.5 and ran to the beginning of the trail the 0 mile marker, and then out to the 7.5 mile marker. The run was pretty much divided into 2 runs an 11 mile run and a 4 mile run, with a break to replenish water bottles/ Gatorade bottles (for the boys). It worked out pretty well, except I get ditzy after 10 miles of running and I ended up not seeing the mile markers (which are placed every 1/2 mile) after mile marker 5.5. So I ended up doing a 16.5 mile run....except I figured it out and ran 15.11 miles and walked 1.55 miles. I was truly over the run and my hip was acting up again so the walk back was necessary. At least the weather was BEAUTIFUL! So happy for the great weather to be running in. I'm so proud of my running partners, my husband who saw the 7.5 mile marker, and my friend Chris who didn't see it but figured it out way before me. So my run distance and time was 15.11 miles in 2:57:19, which made in 11:44/mile, and my walk the rest of the way was 1.55 miles in 28:33, which made it 18:25 miles (can't tell I was over that run could you??).

One of the crazy things that happened on our run today started with the drive out to the ATT. Chris was sitting in the back seat and he had to adjust and put body glide on as well and get his stuff together (earphone repair). After he did all that he was missing a piece of his earphones (a wire that connects the ipod to the earphones). He searched all over the backseat and everywhere but still couldn't find it. After we got to the ATT he searched again and looked under the seats in the back everywhere and it was still missing. Ohh well, we figured it would turn up eventually. Bummer for him though because he didn't have his music to run with, but he was a trooper and we off on the run without. Chris and I were running along together and chatting a little (I tried to comfort him with singing some of the song on my iphone...that I carry with me...but he didn't seem to enjoy that). At about mile 7 Chris was a little bit in front of me and I noticed something dangling out the back of his shorts. I said to him "doesn't that feel weird hitting your leg?", he responded with a "what are you talking about" look...and I pull this thing out the back of his shorts...guess what it is?? Yep the wire he couldn't find in the car, how it caught up in the back of his shorts...we will never know. What I do know is that once Chris got his music in his ears he was a happy camper and off he went!!

The other wild thing that happened was with a group of cyclist. Now we all know I love my bike, but I am a stickler for bike etiquette. I was running along (in the 2nd part of my run) getting more and more tired as I went. These two ladies come by me on their mountain bikes and one of them comes over right in front of me even though there was no one else on the trail for a little bit in front of her. She almost hit me with the way she came over, and it was unnerving. I didn't say anything because I just figured they would be on their way and they were obviously new cyclist. Well a little farther up the trail the ladies "stopped" (one was pulled over on the side of the trail, and the other was riding her bike in circles around the trail) waiting for some people behind me. As I'm running up they start yelling we were worried about you we didn't know what happened to you (clearly not talking to me). The girl who was actually stopped gets on her bike and starts riding, the other girl goes behind me with the two guys behind me. The two guys ride on the left side of me (as they should) and the other girl rode up on the right side of me (startling me as she did). I couldn't help it I yelled out at her...pick a side and don't split with me in the middle. RUDE was all I could think. Again clearly not experienced cyclist, and I was clearly getting grumpy from running so long. Arrrggghhh. Thankfully I didn't see them again.

Ohh and I wanted to get pictures of us after the run, I even brought my camera...but I forgot (again long runs make me ditzy). We drank our chocolate milk and ate our protein bars (honey stinger bar for me, cliff bar for Jason, and a cliff bar for Chris), then drove to get a burrito (for Jason and I) and ice from the grocery store for my ice bath, then home.

ICE BATH-
I bought 2 bags of ice for the ice bath and I probably should of had 3 or 4 bags of ice for the ice bath.
Okay so if you don't know what an ice bath is...well it is exactly what it sounds like a bath with ice. There is a trick to being able to do an ice bath, if you put the ice in than try to get in you'll never make it. You should put cold water in the tub with you sitting in the tub and then put the ice in. I usually wear a sweatshirt on top and a hat to keep warm, and I sometimes have hot tea or hot chocolate, but not today.

The rest of night consists of eating, and drinking wine....maybe a dip in the hot tub.

Stress and Working Out

I know we all have stress in our lives, and lately I've had a wee bit more than my "normal" stress going on. I know it's all in how we react to the stress that makes things in our lives go smoothly or not. Stress just makes me want to curl up in a ball and do nothing. Even though I know getting a workout in will make me actually feel better. However my workout lately have been stressful as well. As I get into the longer long runs I'm putting more stress on my body. Yes I'm prepared for it, but WOW between the two stresses...I'm DRAINED.

Most of my stress lately is from family drama. I'm 36 years old, am married to a wonderful guy, have a 7 year old choc. lab as my child what kind of family stress can I have? Well....it's there I tell you!!*smiles* I have parents and family that live across the country from me (in Portland, Oregon), that alone can be a little stressful. Add in the fact that both my parents although young (59 and 60 years old) have major health problems. Ohh and that those health problems can lead to unstable personalities. Yep you got it.....family drama.

I sit here thinking about my week this week: my allergies have started to kick up, the pressure from the storms coming in (Earl) have played havoc with my head, and I have a 15 mile run to do tomorrow. I did some of my workouts in this week, but I haven't been very consistent. I'm working hard to get out of the workout blahs and be ready for my race (less than a month away). Here's hoping I can beat the stress (emotional) and the stress (physical) from my workouts doesn't break me down to much.

Today's plan: Get some stuff done around the house, get stuff ready for tomorrow (15 miles is a long way), and have a relaxing day.

Tomorrow's plan: Get up take care of the puppy child, take the boys out to the ATT and run like the wind. Come home eat like a champ, maybe an ice bath, and lot's of wine!!*smiles*

Workout Blahs

Why does this happen.

Today I woke up energized, ready to take on the world. I was thinking about my running route, what I would wear all the good pre-run vibes were happening. I took my sweet puppy dog for a walk, and all of a sudden the weight of the world was upon me and all I want to do is crawl back into bed. My eyes can barely open as I walk back to the house towards the end of the dog walk. I can blame the weather, except I train in all kinds of weather. I can't blame lack of sleep, as I got 8 hours last night. Emotional stress? Maybe, but I know I feel better after I do a workout. Who knows...but that is what my day is today. Don't get me wrong my run will happen, after I take a little more time for sleep. Good thing today is going to be a cooler day and I have the option of running a little later (maybe that's why I want to go back to bed?).

Rex Wellness Sprint Tri

Yesterday I went to packet pick up to get my numbers and my race shirt. I'm pretty sure when I put in my registration in I registered for a Men's Medium shirt because with my shoulders I usually don't fit into the Women's shirts. I showed up with my picture ID (which they asked for), and they handed me a Women's Medium shirt- I asked if they had a larger size. They said no, and I said they could keep the shirt (it would fit a 10 year old). The lady at packet pick up said to check back after the race to see if they had any extra's. When I looked at my number I was surprised that I was 105, as this is a pool swim based on your swim time. I grew up a competitive swimmer and swimming tends to be my strong suit. Middle of the pack makes me nervous and I was not looking forward to having to pass many people in the pool. Ohh well, this is supposed to be a fun triathlon I figured I'd just make the best of it.

Today I got up at 5 am (I'm lucky I live pretty close to the race site, and have a husband who was kind enough to take my sweet puppy dog for a walk this morning). After getting all my stuff together (most of which I gathered last night) and filling up one more water bottle I put pumped up my bike tires and put my bike on the car. I got to the race site at 5:39am, and found my friend Kim immediately. We set up our transition areas as we were just a row away from each other, because of my crazy swim time. I was 105 and she was 120. We surveyed the in's and out's (bike in, bike out, run in, run out) and went to see the pool.

This was a 250 yd swim, which we snaked through the pool. As the race started I was watching the swimmers go, when we got to about #22 swimming, I thought this is where I should be swimming at. YIKES! It got progressively slower as my number got closer. As luck would have it they took a break in the swim before I started my swim. That was AWESOME for me. The swimmer in front me swam approximately 3 lengths of the pool before I started. I had free and clear swimming for most of my swim and I by the end I caught up to the swimmer in front of me. I was just happy to not have to climb over any swimmers in the pool, or be effected by any breast-strokers or walkers. It took me 4 minutes and 29 seconds to finish the swim.

The run from the pool to the transition area was pretty long, but over concrete and grass so easy on the feet. I got to my bike put my helmet and sunglasses on, wiped off my feet and got my socks and bike shoes on, ran my bike out to the mount line and off I went. My T1 time was 1:39

It was a hilly bike course, but I didn't get passed by anyone on my bike and I passed quite a few people. I always like it when I don't get passed. I do have a slight advantage with biking a hilly course as my "normal" Sunday bike ride (47 miles) is in N. Raleigh and very hilly. I felt good coming off my bike. Of course I'm a talker on the course so I was yelling out encouraging words to my fellow athletes, having a good time. My bike time was 33:24

The next transition probably shouldn't of taken me as long as it did, but it did. It's always hard getting off the bike and getting my legs moving for a run. It's a shuffle. My T2 time was 1:26

My run could of been better, but again it was a hilly course lot's of inclines and declines not much flat. I did walk up more than a few of the hills, but I'm pretty sure I could walk them faster than I can run them! It's just hard to make my legs run after walking up a hill. I did it though, and my friend Kim never caught me. It would of been nice to run together, but I'm happy that she didn't catch me. My run took me 37:02.

Overall it was a fun race. I placed 2nd in my division with a time of 1:17:58. This race only gave out prizes for 1st place, and the 2nd, and 3rd place prize money was given to the Rex Wellness program. So I'm glad the money that would of been spent on a prize for me went to a good cause.

Ohh and I did end up getting a men's medium race shirt! WOO HOO!! Happy Fun Sprint Triathlon!!

My friend Kim gave me the facts, and here they are:

Here are the stats.
1 -- you took second in the Athena Class
2 -- you were 37th out of 103 females
3 -- if you look at the splits for those 103 females, you ranked 6th in the swim and 5th on the bike.
All of this crazy summer training is paying off!

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.