Turkey Trot, Etc.

...and what a great Thanksgiving Break it was!

You may be wondering, "What in the world has Carmen been doing since the TRIgirl excursion to the Outer Banks?!" Or, you may be wondering, "Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?!" Well, I can't answer that second question, but...

I took my workouts down a notch or several post-marathon. Keep in mind that I had already eliminated swimming and biking from my diet since October 15, the date of the last triathlon on the East Coast, aka the Richmond Sprint Tri, in which I, along with many other TRIgirls, participated. (How's that for a complex sentence?)

I participated in Ed's Shenanigan's (formerly known as strength training) a couple of times, and I ran two miles twice and three miles once.

Really, I may or may not have exhibited some behavior consistent with the end of bothe the semester and the triathlon season. Even though the semester isn't quite over...

So... Thursday, more specifically the fourth Thursday in November, I completed the Turkey Trot which starts and finishes at University of Richmond. One of my UR students asked me today, "So, what is that, like, eight miles?" To which I replied, "Yes, yes it is like eight miles." Because it is one darn hilly 10K. Although my training the day before consisted of some wine and perhaps a cigarette or maybe more than one, I was very, very pleased with my time of 58 minutes and some change. I was also pleased to cross that line just ahead of my dad--I am now officially competing with the Masters Men category.

Did a bit of tailgating with the TRIgirls afterwards--Deannas, Sharon, Mary, and Kate O--but unfortunately the weather was not tailgate-appropriate. Where was the cold rain when I was running the marathon a couple of weeks ago? I tell you what--some people will complain either way, won't they?

The Turkey Trot really did get me back on track for my training, though. It's easy to let it all fade away post-marathon--take a week off, which turns into two, into three... you know the drill. This is where the TRIgirl play an integral part in my "off-season" workouts.

Friday was beautiful! Went for a 20+ mile bike ride with SanDee, Gregg, Bobby, Lynn, Susie, and LB3. LB3 introduced us to a pretty ride back of Capital One--relatively no traffic, but a change from our mindless circles. I was really glad that I had procrastinated on taking my bike over to Maramarc for winter storage.

Saturday, Lynn and I met at Performance for the Early Bird specials. I am now the proud owner of bike underwear, something I would never have believed existed a year or so ago. We the sped on down to the Vita Course to meet SanDee, Theresa, and surprise guest Maureen for a run. I wasn't really sure what I was setting out to do, and the first couple of miles were pretty tough, but I ended up running five and feeling pretty good about it. Susie joined our posse for coffee afterwards, and then I met Not-Trigirl-Yet Ashley for lunch. See! I still have a non-trigirl-life! Okay, even if I feel compelled to add the "yet" to her name...

Later that afternoon, I went over to SanDee and Gregg's so that Gregg could so graciously install my new... TA DA!!! aerobars and bike computer, both purchased earlier at the aforementioned sale. So exciting!!!!!

Sunday, we took my new components for a test drive. I actually rode my fancy bike over to Stratford Hills, where I met SanDee, Gregg, and Lynn for a 20-mile loop down Cherokee and Old Gun. It really was such a beautiful weekend for running and riding. I felt really comfortable using my aerobars, even though I was fairly conservative about it on the Old Gun stretch--lots of hills, curves, and cars. The computer is such a great tool, too. Now maybe I'll even consider wearing a watch to run! I rode back home to round out my excursion to an even 30 miles.

Today, it's back to the old grind.