Trijinx

My Alternate Existence

2008-03-22T23:44:00.002-04:00

I like to think that I live a life of moderation,but I am so, so wrong.
What I really live is a life of extremes that are not necessarily related to one another at all.
The other day I was described by a self-proclaimed fence-rider as a fence-rider.
Yes, I agreed. I am.
Six months ago I was up by 5:45 most days, starting with a workout, moving into teaching a couple of classes, and then finishing the day off with a shift at the restaurant.
Post burnout, and post classes-getting-cancelled, I'm working nine to ten shifts a week at the restaurant and getting up at ten on an early day.
Forget the workouts.

Tonight I had a table I've had before. Not super-regulars, but every-now-and-then-on-a-Saturday-nighters. The woman mentioned that she worked with FURS, and I told her that as a TRIgirl, I had been involved with them somewhat when they were our sponsored charity. Her husband perked up at this, telling me that he has been doing tris for the past few years. We got into a more involved discussion...

I spoke flippantly about my Ironman and next-week marathon and the ensuing lack of anything whatsoever. He talked up the Shady Grove Sprint. I rolled my eyes internally. This is the girl who would actually rather swim 2.4 miles in the gulf than 300 meters in a suffocating pool. He admired my Ironman finish. I admired his sticktoitiveness with the sprints.

He started asking me about Ironman, and I spilled details. He said, "I see the twinkle in your eye," and I started to tear up. Yeah, y'all expect that of me. I promised him he'd see me there, though most likely not as a participant. I still covet the cheerleader position.

I had a job interview on Thursday, which I thought promising. During my meeting with several of the team members at the company, I was asked, "Given your experience with teaching and the restaurants, do you think you would be happy in an office environment?"

I answered positively then, but that question is haunting me. I do like the open water better than the pool.

Fat and Lazy...

2008-02-27T02:22:00.002-05:00

Wow. I can't belive I finished Ironman in November. If I told anyone who didn't know me, they would totally think I was lying. I thing that since finsihing the Ironman (and, of course, running the Richmond Marathon the following week,) my workouts have included two two-mile runs, a six mile run, a half-hour swim, and a cycling class. Oh yeah, I may have gone for a walk a few times, as well.

Is this what we call burnout? Granted, I've been living la vida loca, translated as the restaurant lifestyle--working late, enjoying a couple of wines or beers, sleeping in... until the next "double" takes its toll.

As my favorite kitchen guy Paul would say, "Seriously."

Seriously, I have abondened all good habits for slovenly ones. Went from Ironman to Areyoukiddingmeyoureallythinkicouldwalkamile?isntitsleetingorsomething?girl.

I have pipe dreams about the upcoming season, but I'm not ready to face them.

So.

Congratulations to Mom and Dad, who once again ran the Colonial Half in ridiculous weather conditions (aka winter.)
And the Beebs, who makes it to the gym on a regular basis for Eagleman training.
And Lolly, who is maintaining even though she's not training for anything at all right now.
And the guys from Dyron's training blog, who havent quite managed to motivate me, although they make me think about it!
And Anna, who runs. Long.
And the TRIgirls and Maramarc folk who keep on keepin on.
And SanDee J. Gammon who still calls me for a workout, even though she knows I often fall through.
That's how I know, even though I'm slacking now, that I WILL BE BACK.
Just don't push me...

I love you all.

Carmen Leah Hamlin

dont hate in 08/carmen33

2008-01-21T23:43:00.000-05:00

So this is my new signature. The year needed a motto, and I needed a name. The plan? Not yet formed.

As my friends, family, acquaintances, and training partners know, I have a bit of an attitude problem. The toddler in me wants all to know that I do what I want to do. I wanted to do ironman, so I did. I wanted--and decided, long before Ironman was finished--to totally take a break from training after the race and party on, dude.

Well, I did run the Richmond marathon the week after Ironman. BUT only because I love the race and because my sister was running her first marathon (and her first run EVER longer than 13.1 miles, God bless her!)

Goal accomplished. That is, of ,party on, dude.

So, I figured life would take shape again when classes resumed January 14. The wrench thrown in my plan--classes cancelled due to low enrollment. So, I've been "gettin my Hondo on steady" ever since. The upside is that this may be the kick in the pants I need to do something full-time, or as many of us refer to it, "real."

So.

In the past two months, I've gone running twice, bought a new car, had a job shift, buried a pet, worked my ass off, and celebrated Christmas, the new year, and my thirty-third year of life. I've reconnected with my wonderful friends and coworkers who thought I'd fallen off the planet in the past year. One major bonus: I've read more than I had in the past two years combined (going from about a book every week or two to a book every day or two.) BUT I've also gained about fifteen pounds and had a hard time getting anything accomplished besides reading or going to work (especially, read: training.)

The wonderful truth about being a human being is that as much as we try to achieve balance, things constantly shift. We think we want things to stay the same, but, really. No.

Do I have major training goals for 2008? Nope.
Do I want to work a little, play a little, race a little? Absolutely.

I'm feeling less lofty, but more human. I'm trying to wallow in moderation. whereas I usually go full throttle in opposite directions.

Plus, I've been getting some smacktalk from the boys.

Ironman Florida 2007

2007-11-06T02:38:00.000-05:00

It's true.
I am an Ironman.

Nobody else can do it for you, and you can't do it by yourself.
It was the longest day of my life, and it seems like it just flew by.
Ironman is an incredible achievement, and it's also just a race.

I am never doing an Ironman again, and I have reserved my spot for IMFL 2008.

Who's in?

Lessons I've Learned in 2007 (Well, September, Anyway!)

2007-09-25T00:29:00.000-04:00

The number one lesson I've learned this year is that I can't do everything.

I guess I've known that for a long time, but one of the problems with having an abundance of choices in our lives is that sometimes we have to choose to choose.
Which brings me to another lesson in time management. Ask a busy person...
Well, with teaching and training and smiling and laughing at people's lame jokes and bringing them absoltely whatever they ask for (those last few are all waiting tables, of course,) I just can't seem to find the time to update this gosh darned blog 'o mine.

So, I've been thinking (usually on a four plus hour bike ride or a two-mile timed swim) of what I could actually post that would in some way represent my last month or so of triathlon without actually covering all of it.

And, in the spirit of Things You May or May Not Want to Know About Me, I offer you the following Lessons, in no particular order.

1. Life does indeed get in the way.
2. No matter how many times you've lost the weight, or how much you exercise, you still have to pay attention to everything you put in your mouth.
3. And what comes out of it! Even I have found someone who, as Susie puts it, "makes Carmen sound like a kindergarten teacher."
4. Sometimes the best race is the slowest one.
5. There are pages of things I could do instead of the race, but I'll probably still end up out there. Thanks, Anna.
6. A new bike is going to have it's own new set of things to get used to, but boy do I love it anyway. And it gets better and better every ride.
7. I guess it's inevitable that I'm going to bawl like a baby at some point during Ironman since I do during at least half my training sessions these days. Don't worry--it's just my sensitive side.
8. I can't really drop out if twelve of my training partners are racing with me, and thirteen of my family members along with countless friends and TRIgirls are coming out to cheer and support, now can I? See #7.
9. If you can't run, walk.
10. January to November is a long, long, long time.
11. I'm glad none of my college professors were training for Ironman. I'm not so amenable to excuses these days.
12. I'm just a slow-twitch kind of girl.
13. There are times when I would do anything to have someone to train with and others when I really need four hours completely to myself. At those times, running is a pleasant excuse.
14. Girls do have outside parts.
15. Training is hard.

My Weight Watchers leader used to say (and probably still does; I just haven't been around those parts in several months,) "When you have a bad week, you need the meeting. When you have a good week, the meeting needs you." I may have quoted that here before. There are different times during my training that I have needed something from a training partner, coach, family member, or sometimes, Someone Who Is Completely Not Involved In Any Of This. Actually, there have been several times when I was so happy to talk to a friend who couldn't care less about triathlon, just so I could take a mental break, if not a physical one. Oh, but how soon do we get caught right back up in planning the next race, the next team event, the next carpool to a training ride. Thank goodness for those girls!

During the past month, I've given myself permission to go slow, to sleep in, to ignore my blog. I've met fifty-four new students and gotten to know them and their research subjects. We've discussed conocimiento, the paradox of seeing beyond belief, and what school uniforms mean. I've convinced (some of) them that they get to take a class as opposed to have to take a class. I use the same tactics on myself.

In the meantime, is there anything nicer than a long bike ride on a sunny afternoon with the Beebs? More entertaining than a run and coffee date with SanDee J? More motivational than a training race with the TRIgirls? Better than postPatriot dinner with Anna and Deanna? I think not.

But ask me again at 11:59 on November 3.

I've Also Been Tagged... I'm Pretty Slow, Too!

2007-08-14T23:23:00.000-04:00

I guess I've been tagged by all the TRIgirl bloggers for this chain letter style listing by now. It's kind of like a pyramid scheme. Please send a dollar and add your name to the bottom of the list.

Jobs I’ve Held
Babysitter
Little League Softball Umpire
TCBY girl
Receptionist at Pediatric Opthalmology
Olan Mills telemarketer (5 days!)
Sam's Club sample distributor
Herman's Sporting Goods cashier
Campus post office mail sorter
Writing tutor
Computer consultant
Nanny--two different families
Caterer--Incredible Edibles, Virginia Museum
Server--Charley's, Pasta Luna, Richbrau, Garland's Way, Hondo's
Bartender--Charley's, Pasta Luna, Colonial Downs, Brio
Restaurant manager--Melito's
Substitute teacher--Henrico County
High School teacher--Monacan
College Instructor--VCU, UR, J. Sarge

Movies I Can Watch Over & Over
I'm changing this to books. I read the same books millions of times.
The Great Gatsby
Sunset Over Chocolate Mountains
anything by David Sedaris
anything by Joan Didion
Boys of My Youth
I Am Charlotte Simmons

My Guilty Pleasures
Sleeping in
"Cake-Killing"

Places I've Lived
Richmond, VA

Shows I Enjoy
House
The Office
Sex and the City

Places I Have Been on Vacation
Orlando, FL
Naples, FL
the Everglades, FL
South Beach, FL
the Bahamas
Jekyll Island, GA
Myrtle Beach, SC
Hatteras, NC
Nags Head, NC
Virginia Beach, VA
Blue Ridge Mountains, VA
Baltimore, MD
Philadelphia, PA
New Hamphire
Vermont
Maine
Finger Lakes, NY
NY, NY
New Jersey
Toronto, Ontario
Huntsville, Ontario
Nashville, TN
West Virginia
Deer Creek, IN
Kentucky
Arkansas
Oklahoma
Texas
New Orleans, LA
Mississippi
Cherokee, NC
Alabama
Phoenix, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
New Mexico
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
France
Spain
Italy
Switzerland
the Netherlands
Greece
the Greek Islands
Turkey
Belgium
Israel

These are all places I actually visited and stayed. The list would be much longer if I included all the places I passed through. For example, I put my feet under the fences into Lebanon and Egypt, but they did not make the list. I've driven through Delaware a bunch of times, but only once did I take advantage of the sales-tax-free shopping. I didn't really want to admit to New Jersey, but there it is.

Favorite Foods
steak
seafood
plums
mangoes
cherries
potato chips
butter
salt & pepper
tomatoes
dark chocolate
red wine
coffee
Mom's spaghetti sauce (which isn't as secret as it sounds)
Grandma's biscuits

I consider all of these items to be food, although some might consider several to be condiments or beverages.

Body Parts I've Injured
I've busted my chin open five times. Stitches three times. The last time I did it there wasn't enough skin left there to stitch, and the doctor told me if I ever did it again I'd have to get a skin graft. I guess I finally learned how to use my hands rather than my face to break a fall. Either that or did more pushups than your average eight-year-old.

Websites I Visit Daily
I do not go online every day. On purpose. Favorites include
TRIgirl Training Forum
VCU Blackboard and email
UR Blackboard and email
Cavtel email
Triblogs and my brother's and sister-in-law's blogs

Awards I’ve Won
Third-place Athena Charlottesville Olympic Tri
Volunteer Spirit Award at 3Sports Tri
Best in Team at the only corporate restaurant I ever worked at

Those are the recent ones. I won some departmental awards and scholarships and honoraries long, long ago in a land far, far away. The most interesting award I ever won was in third grade. It was the More Gold Than Fort Knox Award for the student who had the most stuff in her or his desk. My prize was a Laura Ingalls Wilder book and three outliner pens. Remember those?!?!

Nicknames I've Been Called
Carm
Carcalebo
Cool
Ceecer
Carmen.com
Carmen.70.3.com
Gloria
Mostly I'm just Carmen. There are a lot of people who know only my first name, and others who know only my last name. One of the distinctions of being a waitress and a teacher.

Other Bloggers
Don't break the chain or you will have bad luck. Ha. Anyone who would like to answer these bone-chilling and exclusively revealing questions, please do.

For the Love of Tri

2007-08-14T22:53:00.000-04:00

It's funny to me every now and then when I get talking about triathlon to someone who doesn't know me. It happens a lot when I am waiting tables. I just did my first tri two years ago, in many ways a lifetime, in others, yeah, two years ago.

Recently, I've *obviously* been focused on my training for Ironman. But even more recently, I've been remembering why I enjoy triathlon so much! Not in any particular order, a few of the reasons...

*The camaraderie of TRIgirls.
*Knowing that I'm doing something good for myself.
*The diversity of workouts.
*Seeing my surroundings on foot or on bike.
*Sweating at an appropriate time.
*Sharing a "hobby" with my brother and sister.
*Being part of the excitement of a race.
*Sharing in the accomplishments of others.
*Appreciating things like water and sitting down.
*Swimming, biking, and running. Really.
*And lifting weights.

My nephew just completed his first triathlon last weekend. Reading my sister-in-law's report on it made me a little jealous--not only do I wish I could have been there to cheer for Asher, but I wish I had done this when I was seven years old!

As frustrated as I get that tri coverage is often limited to the annual Kona montage, I do love those inspirational stories. And I hope that I can always experience the same excitement and enthusiasm as I had as a first-time racer, kinda like a kid.

Charlottesville Olympic Tri Race Report

2007-08-04T17:28:00.000-04:00

I already droned on about prerace, so let's jump right into the lake...

The Swim

The swim was in a very flat, very calm lake. Some hairy vegetation that wrapped around my goggles once or twice was really the only major obstacle. The water is usually too warm for wetsuits, but race day was a little cooler than normal, so some of the athletes suited up for the swim. Not I. Actually, I did Naylor's Beach 06 and Sandman 05 and 06 wetsuitless. I've raced in my lovely new TRIgirl logo-ed suit only twice, for Smith Mountain Lake Sprint and Eagleman. And here in Walnut Creek State Park, I felt as though the water still verged on too warm, so I was fine without.

Another interesting aspect of the swim portion is that it was a double loop. This is the first race course I've done that was not poin-to-point or a single loop (other than the local sprint pool swims, of course!) Apparently, many swimmers, particularly in the men's waves, skipped the last buoy on the loop, leading to spectacular, yet inaccurate, swim times.

As for me, my major accomplishment here was SWIMMING THE ENTIRE SECOND LOOP FREESTYLE!!! I was so freaking proud of myself that I got choked up just thinking about it. Which is a great example of how trivial some of our personal tri accomplishments may seem to others, but how big they are in our own little worlds... As Grandison predicted, Som simply said, "Why didn't you swim all freestyle?!"

The Bike

The bike course started with a long "false flat" out of the parking lot. Susie had told me she racked her bike in the small chain ring--"Didn't you notice the hill as we came in?" Um, no. It also didn't look like a hill to me as I rode out on it, although it sure did feel like one! This ride was very challenging for me, as I usually struggle with my uphills. I was grateful more than once for our training rides with the Maramarc group on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I passed and got re-passed by a couple of other riders, but the only two I passed that didn't pass me back were a woman on a mountain bike and a seventy-four-year-old man. As I was enjoying the passing scenery, I also noted that I rode past a beautiful turtle. Then I started thinking about describing my experiences post-race, and I thought how it would sound if I said or wrote, "I passed a turtle." Then I laughed out loud. Laughed so hard I fell off my bike and lost about fifteen minutes... No, just passed a turtle. basically, that's the kind of stuff I think about while I'm swimming, bikeing, or running for any amount of time by myself. And people wonder why I've never used an iPod. With entertainment like this, who needs one? The other thing I do to pass the time on the bike is to wait for Anna and Susie to pass me. Anna flew by, complaining that her chain was stuck in the small ring. She now insists that we were going uphill at the time, but I'm not so sure. Susie caught me going right into transition, and as we headed out for

The Run

Cyndi was just starting her second of the two loops on the trail. Always great to see the girls in pink! I do love a trail run, but I was pretty beat for this one. Of course, the challenging course makes it so much rewarding at the finish. I must admit I did fall on my face once, but I'm fairly springy. Bounced back up and just got an extra cup of water at the next aid station to rinse off some of the dirt. Wasn't so effective at keeping my feet dry, but I wasn't thinking so clearly! I walked more than I would like to admit on the second loop--definitely not a negative split!

Sometimes I wonder whose silly idea it was to run all these races on roads when we can be back on the trails, anyway. I guess when I participate in a race of ginormous proportions such as Monument Ave 10K or the VA Beach Rock'N'Roll Half Marathon, I don't even notice that we're on a venue primarily used by automobiles. But when I did my first couple of sprint tris, it seemed somewhat odd to be running on the sidewalk through a neighborhood as "normal" people drove by doing what they do. And even though this trail was tricky, I'll take it over the cornfields and blazing pavement of Naylor's Beach any day!

The Finish

Cheerleaders Derek, Melissa, and Dave joined the TRIgirls who had already finished to see me across the line. Susie won second place in her age group, Ed came in third Clydesdale, and Anna came in second Athena. I was waiting with her to get her award, and before they got to her name, they called mine! I brought home a pair of socks for my third place finish in the Athena division, which was pretty cool. I never thought I'd win an award, but sometimes it's about sticking it out past retirement or signing up Athena in a small race.

I've been planning my 2008 tri season recently--looking forward to doing all my favorite races without "worrying" about Ironman. As of now, Charlottesville is on the list!

Charlottesville Olympic Tri Race Report, Preface

2007-07-31T15:40:00.000-04:00

The Outlook
I was OhSoExcited about this triathlon. Really!
Just about an hour away from home, lake swim, trail run, small number of participants. All good criteria in my book.
After completing Eagleman a month and a half ago, an Olymic distance seemed so, well, easy! While I had been incredibly anxious about Maylor's Beach last year (my first Olympic distance,) my anticipation for Charlottesville was completely different. I was totally looking forward to it, felt extremely well-trained, and was already imagining it as a new favorite.

The Trip
Got a couple of screws loose on the travel plans. Anna's beautiful new bike doesn't actually fit on her bike rack any more, so instead of riding with her, I followed her up to the race site. My alarm went off at four am, and we got on the road about five. It was dark out for most of the drive, but it was pretty relaxing. I just listened to music and watched Anna's taillights. Much easier than on my way back home when i stopped paying attention for just a second and ended up driving halfway to Lynchburg!

PreRace MisPreparation
Here's where the pitfalls begin. This was my eleventh triathlon, and never before had I experienced any organizational difficulties, much less an Evil Triathlete. Now I got both.
I signed my waiver and proceeded through the packet pickup line. When I showed my license and USAT card, the woman checking called my number out, 220, although I could clearly see that my name had already been crossed off the list. The other woman agreed--220 was missing from the race number box.
"Sit tight," one said. "We'll straighten it out."
"Where's Dan?"
"I don't know who he is."
"He's in the canoe."
The volunteers had this conversation while I sat patiently on the bench.
Then they went back to distributiing packets.
A few minutes later, I asked if there was someone I could find or ask.
"Yes! Do you know Patty?"
"No. I'm from Richmond."
"Oh." And they continued to hand out packets.
Finally another volunteer located Patty, who said I needed to re-register.
The guy hading out goodie bags handed me a registration form. Actually, two.
"May I have a pen?"
More digging around.
I turned in my "new" registration, then waited again while a woman copied all of the information I had just written onto a blank race number, 244.
"Here you go!"
"May I have my race packet?"
The guy handed me a course map and a couple of race brochures.
"Could I get a bag, too, please?"
"We're all out."
Of course they were. Obviously they had handed out all the bags while I was sitting on the bench for twenty minutes.

I moved over to the chip line, where I had to explain my situation to someone else.
"Hold on while I go check," she said. Five minutes later she returned to tell me that my chip would now be fine, but that I couldn't use the stretchy chip band because they were only for relay teams.
"Oh."

Having volunteered at a couple of races this year myself, I appreciate that these people are out there to make the race possible for us, but this was truly a frustrating experience because nobody seemed to have the wherewithal or authority to make any decisions about a mixup, or the ability to find someone who could. Well, I thought, at least this is all out of the way before the race. I was starting to get a little anxious now, though, where I'd been calm all morning before arrival.

I got bodymarked and went back to the "festival-style" transition area, where I'd already racked my bike and set up my transition gear. A guy had racked his bike so that his front wheel rested not-so-gently on my bag.
I moved it over. "I'm sorry if that was in your way."
"Well, you took my spot."
"Excuse me?"
"You took my spot. I had my towel over here, and I was going to put my bike there."
"Well, I had no idea. There was no bike here, and there aren't any numbered spots."
"I put my stuff to the right of where I was going to rack my bike. That's the way it works."
He was being pretty sarcastic with me at this point, so I just said,
"Well, it looks like we both fit here. I didn't mean to ruin your race."
"I was just letting you know triathlon etiquette."

I didn't reply. Just finished bodygliding while I listened to him give some others around us tips on how to race and train for distance triathlon. "So you've done an Ironman?" someone asked. "No. That's the only distance I haven't done," he replied. "I mean, besides this one." Then he went on to talk about the half he had completed. In other words, this distance tri expert had completed zero Olympics, one half, and zero Ironmans. I'm glad he was preaching to me about etiquette!

At this point I realized that the packeteers had failed to give me a swim cap, so I went back over to "my" bench to retrieve it. Plus, I was starting to get worked up about the Evil Triathlete. I know I didn't make that obvious, so I thought I'd point it out!

Thank goodness for TRIgirls! I met back up with Anna, Lynn, Susie, Cyndi, and surprise entrant Mary. I vented, and then Cyndi braided my hair. I hope that was as calming for her as it was for me. Once again I took advantage of her Mom Skills. I hope this may become a tradition!

I decided that Everything that Could Go Wrong already had, so that I must be in for a great race!!! We headed down to the lake.

NO SELF-DEPRECATING REMARKS

2007-07-25T13:27:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, one of my favorite sayings is, "Not with that attitude, you can't." Truth be told, I ripped it off of my brother. He doesn't mind a little plagiarism.

One of my other favorites, and I made this one up myself (very creative, I know,) is, "No self-deprecating remarks." This is actually a rule that I have had in many of my classrooms. "Ms. Hamlin, I'm not a good writer." "I know it's boring, but.."

I find that I "get" to use these sayings frequently with my training partners. I laughed out loud as I read Diane's blog account of Deanna L's self-deprecating, "I'm slow" comments as she continued to extend the length of her ride (at a not-too-shabby 17.2 mph no less!)

Then I laughed out loud again when I got to the next section, where Diane logged her swim workout, needing to "build confidence" that she could actually swim .9 miles in a race, while she completed a 1000m workout at less than 1:05/100m!!! Sounds strong to me...

The diverse group of women with whom I train is filled with people who don't have the attitude that they can't. TRIgirls rock, and I've seen the posters to prove it. They just need to drop the self-deprecating remarks, as well.

Especially if they're faster than me!

Training After Eagleman!

2007-07-16T13:21:00.000-04:00

I realized my "positive" post wasn't so much. Obviously, I needed an exclamation point.

Gearing up for cheerleading at Shady Grove next weekend, followed by racing the Charlottesville International Distance July 29. Lake swim, rolling bike, trail run--sweet!

The end of summer school means more time to shower after those weekday brick workouts! Also, now that I' don't have to go straight from VCU to Hondos, I can actually sit down and eat a healthy dinner instead of grazing on french fries, seafood bisque, and assorted fried appetizers at work.

The Camp Hilbert pool is conveniently located sorta close to West Creek. Kay, Anna, Jennifer, and I have really enjoyed this new post-brick hangout! Yesterday, I think Anna and I could even include blowing up our new rafts as another aerobic activity sandwiched in between our 30/10 brick and Swimming with Som.

Oh, yeah, Swimming with Som! After a health-induced hiatus, I made it back to Sunday swimming the past two weeks. Ahhhhh. Love it.

Training After Eagleman.

2007-07-16T13:11:00.000-04:00

Okay. I just posted some of my more negative thinking with a question mark. Now here's the positive stuff.

I ran the James River Scramble the week after Eagleman. I love this race, and I think it made it okay for me to run again (ever) after my first half iron.

I have skipped a few workouts, but none of the key bricks. Felt exhausted yet proud of myself after finishing this weekend's brick with Anna.

My Weight Watchers leader once said, "If you've had a bad week, you need the meeting. If you've had a good week, the meeting needs you." I think this is applicable also to training with the TRIgirls. I always come away from a workout or a clinic or the forum or a blog with a better attitude.

Speaking of Weight Watchers and TRIgirl blogs, several girls have mentioned weight loss or maintenace, and Grandison has dubbed July "Nutrition Month." I have gained fifteen pounds over the last ten months (an accomplishment of sorts, considering I was training for/am training for 70.3 and 140.6!) As Jonah pointed out, it's a lifelong battle for some of us to mantain weight, and I tend to slack off completely once I achieve a weight goal or ramp up my mileage.

So, I'm officially back on the boat. Actively paying attention to what I eat, even though there are so many more interesting things to pay attention to! Forget body image; we're talking about my mile times here...

Training After Eagleman?!

2007-07-09T14:15:00.000-04:00

Many of us have read bits and pieces about the emotional letdown after a race, knowing that we expect to be just plain tired, as well.

In addition to recovering my first Ironman 70.3 physically, mentally, and emotionally, I find myself battling other transition periods with perhaps even more difficulty.

School
Aarrrrrrggggghhhh! I am teaching a summer course that meets thirteen times over a period of eight weeks. Only one of my students has been to every class.

No School
The end of my summer class means more shifts at the restaurant. Pray for good tips and no burnout.

Breakdowns
Not mental, yet. In the past month, my car has been in the shop twice, my lawn mower was "totaled," my bike went in for some not-too-major adjustments and repairs, and my air conditioning system in the house clunked out. I stand out in my two-foot lawn and wonder, "Will I ever be able to buy a new bike?"

Lethargy
Is it just the heat and humidity? I have had a hard time getting motivated to do all of my workouts. Ironically, for the first time ever, I completing more swims than bikes or runs.

Eagleman Race Report

2007-06-16T17:07:00.000-04:00

Would you believe, seven days later, I am STILL wearing my Eagleman shirt?
I certainly hope not.
That you would believe it, that is.
So, this was the biggest race of my life...

Weather:
Perfect. The only thing to complain about is that I can't blame anything on it.

Swim:
Much as I expected. I did well, but was aware the whole time that I was using extra energy to breaststroke. Don't tell Som.

Bike:
A beautiful ride. I prefer a few hills to break up the monotony, but this course was flat and fast. There was some headwind on the way back in, and I was starting to chafe a bit--wishing for an uphill to stand on... Although I drank six bottles of fluid, I didn't feel the urge to pee, so I didn't test out peeing on the bike. Years of teaching and waiting tables really enable the "holding" factor. I felt so great during the first half of the bike that I imagined myself saying and doing all sorts of ridiculous things post-race. "Sure, I'd love to bike 500 miles over the weekend," for example. I came to my senses around mile 45.

Run:
I honestly have to say the best part about the run was seeing Blake. Then Som. Then Dr. Rick. Then Mark. Then Rick E. Then Ed Amy Liz Susie CynD Deannas Anna Lynn Kate Mary Jo Jonah Molly Sharon not necessarily in that order who did I forget it was so great doing outandback and seeing pink punctuated by Maramarc.
I felt great for the first six miles. Steady pace, walked the water stops. Could really feel the compilation of bike and breaststroke by mile 11, and I walked a bit more. Head up. TRIgirl representin. For most of the run course I must have looked really good or really bad because almost everyone that passed me in the other direction had a positive comment for me. I think it was my contagious positive attitude and gritted teeth that may or may not be a smile. Sorry I missed speedy Jeff, but, wait a second! Didn't I see Karen and Shawn at mile .1, and here they are again at mile 3?!

Most Memorable Moment:
Okay. I TOTALLY crashed and fell off my bike at the dismount area coming into T2. What's that about not using the front brake at twenty miles per hour? And where was Bob Dickerson when I needed him?
Thanks goodness SanDee witnessed the whole thing--the Gammons are always good to have around for an embarrassing moment.

Finish Line:
How wonderful to finish a race into the arms of TRIgirls and Maramarc folk. I especially appreciate the way our cheerleaders ignored that special postrace smell. And I swear SanDee cried first. Not counting when I did DURING the race. Mark handed me my TRIgirl Half-Ironman Finisher pint glass, out of which so far I've only drunk water!

Anna, Deanna, and I "relaxed" on the grass by the car until Mom & Dad finally got there--two hours after I finished. So much for Maryland traffic. They took us out for burgers and beer, and the girls and I made the wisest decision of our lives and stayed over an extra night, chilling with a foot each in the hotel pool and hot tub until we were ready to go out for ice cream.

Post Race Thoughts

Three years ago I ran my first mile since two that were required in high school. Just shy of two years ago I finished my first sprint triathlon. Although "Anything is Possible," I NEVER thought I would do anything this [stupid]. Ha.
So do I feel any different? Yes. I was a lot more tired and cranky this week.
Many peeps who don't TRI or do other endurance activity don't really "get" Ironman, or half of it. They're impressed when I run a mile or three.

So the race itself is six hours and forty minutes or so that I spend with myself and think about how I got to be where I am. Ironman, 70.3, and the other tri distances are less to me about swimming, biking, and running as they are about me, Mom, Dad, Dyron, Shannon, Grandison, SanDee, Susie, Jennifer, Cyndi, Deanna, Anna, Sharon, Molly, Kate, Lynn, Deanna, Jonah, Mary Jo, Liz, Amy, Cheryl, and the rest of the TRIgirls and Maramarc-ers. And goodness gracious, my friends who don't tri and listen to me, anyway. God bless you all, especially those of you who have spent over six hours and forty minutes with me. Time sure breeds some strange thoughts!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
carmen

Eagleman Eve

2007-06-09T11:43:00.000-04:00

Isn't that a new national holiday?!

Kate just chastised Lynn and me for sitting indoors on such a beautiful day, but I am under strict orders from my massage therapist/tanning counselor/mom to stay out of the sun and keep my feet up today! The most invigorating activity I've done today is rubbing some lotion on my legs and giving myself a mini-pedicure.

Kate O drove me, Lynn, and Deanna B up here yesterday--we caravaned with Cyndi and her family. It was great to hit the expo and bike inspection before one million people arrived. We had a great pre-prerace meal of wild salmon, brown rice, veggies, and wheat bread (mine with lots of butter, of course!) before Anna joined us just in time to get a little dinner and play a rousing game of Yahtzee.

We were just finishing up our game when the brewing thunderstorm knocked out power in our lakeside cottage. Thank goodness there was a good stock of decorative candles, most of which had never been lit before. I was happy to put them to good use.

The storm may have cooled things down a bit, but it also created a much more ragged surface on our lake. We're going to check out the Choptank in a little while and assess the damage to the previously serene river surface...

Kate and I already finished a Scrabble game before nine am. She pulled out a couple of bonus words and kicked my ass. On to other ways to distract ourselves from thinking too much about tomorrow's race, while keeping shaded and rested!

Volunteering at the Powersprint Tri

2007-06-09T11:30:00.001-04:00

Last Sunday, I volunteered for the first time ever in an official capacity at a race. I figure that since I've completed nine triathlons now, I was behind schedule in giving back to the sport. Despite the hurricane conditions, it was a fantastic experience. Many of the girls I've trained with for the past year or two participated, including my sister. We also had a record number of TRIgirls completing their first triathlon, which was exciting for our group and intimidating?! for the other racers. Aha...

After body marking with Jonah and Susie--and of course we had to add some inspirational messages along with the requisite race numbers and ages--I joined others outside the pool as they awaited their swim starts.

When I though we were getting closer to the time the Beebs would cross the finish, I joined my dad just ahead of the finish line, where we unsuccessfully attempted to ward off the rain by holding umbrellas sideways against the wind. Shannon had a great race, particularly considering she had alreqady been diagnosed with step and has since been diagnosed with pneumonia! As her doctor said after chastising her for racing, "You healthy people are sometimes so unhealthy!"

T-girl Jennifer S joined me for some cheering--encouraging runners to sprint in the finish and smile big for the cameras--and running out to pick up Cathy and Kay--keep it moving, girls! I was so impressed with all of the Baby Pinks and their performance. What a reward for all the hard work they've put in over the past couple of months. I don't know that I would have finished in those horrific weather conditions... but Karen insisted, contrary to my wishes, that she would still rather do a sprint in hurricane conditions than a half iron in perfect weather. Liar pants.

I look forward to helping out again on July 1 for I Love the Tavern!

Peer Pressure

2007-06-09T11:27:00.000-04:00

Here I am sitting at the Eagleman TRIgirl house, clicking away on Deanna's laptop. She's killing me on post numbers and details, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to do a few updates...

Admittedly, this kind of TRIgirl pressure is much less daunting than the kind that got me signed up for Eagleman and IMFL in the first place!

More Hills

2007-05-14T10:05:00.000-04:00

Some TRIgirls and Maramarc folks headed for the hills again this Saturday. (Mis)led by coaches Mark, Ed, and Blake, our sixty mile ride stretched into seventy! Wow. The fifty-miler we'd ridden a few weeks ago had been my longest bike to date.

Once again, Cyndi carried me and my bike up into the mountains. This time her husband accompanied us, as well. We departed the commuter lot at six am and returned at five thirty pm. Not just a morning ride. Some Canadian bikers along the way asked me how many were with our group. "Not as many as last time."

The thirty-five miles out was really a pleasant ride. The only thing I didn't enjoy about it was the realization of the reverse route.

There were a lot of interesting creepy crawlies on the ride. Shiny black beetles, thick segmented worms, fat colorful caterpillars. Totally different from any I come across here in town.

Part of the ride seemed more pasture than mountain, complete with grazing cattle.

Several vultures took air as I approached them. I couldn't see why they were there, but I could smell it.

I drank a twenty-ounce Coke at the turn-around. It was truly the nectar of the gods.

My chain fell off once. I had grease not only all over my hands, but subsequently all over my face. Does that make me look more or less professional?

A cycling tan is like a trucker tan, only different.

It's interesting to me how the highs and lows during an intense endurance activity mirror the highs and lows of everyday, only the intensity level of them reflects the level of exertion. I'm frequently emotional during long rides or runs. In the Blue Ridge, these emotional highs and lows are inversely proportional to the hills themselves. Going uphill, I curse myself, my bike, my coaches, the mountains. I vow to quit. Downhill, I could go on forever. This is the best ride of my life.

When I finally finish, six hours or days or years later, everything is different from when I started. The temperature, the air, the mood, me. The physical exhaustion leads to emotional exhaustion.

I'm proud of myself.

Swimming!

2007-05-09T17:19:00.000-04:00

I swam two miles today.
Farthest swim distance ever.

I joined the JCC today, bringing my workout bag into the membership office with me. That's how much I was looking forward to this swim.
In the interest of full disclosure, my family belonged to the JCC when I was small, and I actually swam on their team for two summers back when they had only one pool. My mom taught water aerobics there, as well. They let anyone join the team. I never got out of the "novice" category in anything but backstroke, and I was used to bringing up the rear in any heat.
So, the facility looks really different...

I loved my swim! As many "issues" as I have with the swim portion of the tri, they all surface in race situations, or occasionally when I'm swimming in a crowded lane and start thinking about race situations. Swimming in the Smith Mountain Lake Sprint Tri last Saturday was my first swim in over a month, so I'm sure that added to my unease.

But today, I spent around seventy minutes swimming up and back and up and back, just thinking some and counting a lot. It was totally relaxing.

I was so pleased with my swim today, I'm on that high that comes after a first race mixed with the commitment of New Year's Day.
Or, you know, when you join a new gym.

Smith Mountain Lake Triathlon

2007-05-07T11:05:00.000-04:00

Context
Haven't participated in a tri since October 15, so I was ready to kick off the season. Felt very prepared since I'm training for much longer distances.

Location
Smith Mountain lake is beautiful, and our accomodations, graciously provided by my TRIgirl little sister Jennifer and her family, were fantastic.

Nutrition and Hydration
During and right before the race, I enjoyed Clif Shot Bloks, Kashi bars, oatmeal, water, and Gatorade. The evening before the race brought fresh red snapper with coconut macadamia crust and a spicy pineapple salsa. The Strebel's postrace cookout was divine--especially the deviled eggs! The margaritas were delicious...

Swim
My first swim in a wetsuit, although not my first open water experience. I've completed two Sandmans and one Naylor's Beach, so the lake water was quite calm and inviting in comparison to the Atlantic Ocean and the Rappahannock River. Even the wetsuit provides warmth and flotation. That being said, I still experienced my traditional shallow breathing, not-putting-my-head-under-the-water breaststroking. Totally inefficient. Also quite frustrating, because although I know it's all in my head and I "just need to relax," um, okay. I even think I'll be fine prerace. One day...

Bike
First bike with the aerobottle. What a great invention. Felt pretty good on the bike--rolling hills, no real climbs. Stayed in the large chain ring for the most part. There was a bit of traffic on Smith Mountain Lake Parkway that interfered some--had to hit the brakes to avoid rear-ending a truck at one point.

Run
Standard out-and-back. Sharing the road with not only other runners, but also the last cyclists, which made for a more congested course than I've seen on a tri before. Three water stops, which was really nice for a sprint distance. I felt good here and had no problems with a negative split.

Afterthoughts
1. It is so fun to race as part of a training team. Of course, we have the best jerseys and wetsuits! And we get the name recognition--hearing "Go, TRIgirl!" while wearing a veritable disguise of swim cap, goggles, and wetsuit is very encouraging.
2. Hmmm. This was the first race that had bakery cake at the finish line. I ate a rose.
3. I registered for this race as Athena (first time to ever do so,) which is a category for women weighing over 150 pounds. I thought I may have a shot at an award by doing so, but not among these fast women! There were eight Athena entries, and I finished fifth out of six Athena finishers. I would have been nine out of fifteen had I registered in my age group. My brother thinks the whole Athena/Clydesdale (men over 200 lbs.) is kind of silly, and I kind of agree. But I also think Ironman is kind of silly, and I'm signed up for that, too. Sigh.
4. I like racing.

Workouts, Burger King Style

2007-04-27T13:55:00.000-04:00

Not eating fast food, and not necessarily working out fast, but doing the workouts my way.

From the very inception of TRIgirl (and as with Kim's TriMoms before that,) Grandison has practiced and preached fitting training into our often already busy lives. As a women and a mother (okay, as a human being,) she understands that we all have different family- and work-related issues that we have to work our training around. TRIgirl schedules are very sensitive and accomodating to that reality.

I've always taken that part of the schedule seriously, although I do like to point out to Blake or Ed or whomever that "it's MY workout!" particularly if a coach is suggesting that I do something difficult. Mostly it's just rhetoric--I complain while smiling, and while actually doing the workout.

The past couple of weeks I've found myself really having to change my training schedule for health reasons. I've been under doctor's orders not to swim for almost a month now, and I've gone back and forth between relief at having a valid excuse to frustration at not being able to participate in a third of my tri training. The past couple of weeks I've also skipped a number of strength training sessions in favor of an extra two hours of sleep. I'm trying to listen to my body so I can make a faster recovery from what seems to be a never-ending ear infection.

I just read a couple of other TRIgirl blogs in which the girls referred to skipped workouts and, guiltily, felt a little better that I wasn't alone. So, less guilty about missing my own workout, but more guilty about being glad someone else did, too. Hmmm.

Sometimes the workout customizations can be funny, intentional or not.

Jonah saw me running Thursday morning in the Near West End, and again that afternoon at West Creek. I had to explain that I had switched Tuesday and Thursday's schedules and divided the resulting run in two...

...and I didn't notice until Melissa pointed it out, but overachiever Cyndi is going to run for twelve hours on Saturday while the rest of us complete twelve miles.

She'd like fries with that.

Blue Ridge Parkway 50-Miler

2007-04-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

Wow!
This was the first time I ever rode farther than about forty miles.
Wow!
This was the hilliest course I have ever ridden.
Wow!
This was the first time I'd gotten up at 5 am on a Saturday all year...

The best part of a hard workout is that I can bitch about it during and exaggerate about it afterwards. No matter how hard it seems at the time, when it is over, I will drink the tastiest water of my life, eat the most flavorful food, and sit on the most comfortable... pavement. And a little while after it's all over, I'll be able to imagine working out again some time in the future.

I got up at five, packed half the workout clothes and gear I own, and met the TRIgirls and Maramarc crew at the Gaskins commuter lot. Much to everyone's surprise, I arrived a few minutes BEFORE the slated time of 6 am. I had even stopped at the Sev to pick up one more Gatorade and a ginormous cup of coffee.

Cyndi drove me, Kate O, and our bikes in the midst of the caravan. Most of our conversation heading west is unprintable here, but we sure had a good time. I realized how smart I was to ride with two moms, since they had brought the best snacks! A cyclist cannot live by bars and shot blocks alone, but really enjoys a croissant with Nutella and some honey wheat pretzels.

When we arrived at the parking lot around Mile 14 of the Parkway, several of us discussed how we might pass the time waiting in the cars while everyone else rode...
Coaches Ed and Blake shared a few words of wisdom and some sunscreen, and we were off. As we headed down the mountain, I was surprised at how much of the descent was uphill! When we got to the bottom, I commented that our coaches had lied to us and that this ride was not, in fact, fun at all. Several of the girls disagreed.

As we made our way back up from Mile 0 to Mile 14, the ascent was even steeper than the descent... I've never hung out in the granny gear like that before. I was secretly thankful that I have NOT upgraded to a bike with only two chain rings in the front. When we finally arrived back up to the cars for a rehydration/refueling break, I was pleasantly surprised that we had actually completed over half of our ride. Several of us spread out a serious picnic on Cyndi's tailgate and wondered where the kegs were. I dipped pieces of my energy bar directly into Cyndi's economy size vat of peanut butter, ate half Kate's bag of pretzels, and who knows what else. At this point, it was all better than four-star dining. I commented that our coaches had lied to us and that this ride was not, in fact, fun at all. Several of the girls agreed.

Back up the mountain, heading for the 25 mile marker. I noted, with dismay, that there were only two downhills during this eleven mile portion of the ride. I then noted, with pleasure, that meant the last eleven miles of the whole ride weren't going to be so painful. This section of the ride was by far the hardest for me. My lower back was hurting so badly about halfway through this leg that I actually cried. Mostly just because I could. When I saw Kate T and Anna stopped just ahead of the 25-mile marker, I couldn't get off my bike fast enough. It felt so good just to lie down in the grass on the shoulder for just a minute, and I guess the shot blocks even still tasted okay.

Had the last eleven miles been the entire workout, it would have been one of my favorites ever. Picked up some good speed on the downhills, and felt pretty darn proud of myself for finishing the ride at all. We resumed our tailgate back at the parking lot--about fifteen of us sitting in the middle of the road breaking bread together. I knew I'd picked the best training boyfriend when Bob sat down next to me and offered me half of his Italian sub. That beats trail mix any day!

I think this was the hardest workout I've ever done in my life, and I include my four marathons when I say that.

Actually, that's what I was thinking on Saturday.

Today, I'm remembering what a great ride I had, what a beautiful day it was, and how much fun I had with Cyndi, Kate, Bob, and everyone else. Thank God for my health, my training team, and a sunny April day in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Speed Workout

2007-04-23T14:25:00.000-04:00

I had never done any speed work before in my life until TRIgirls joined forces with Maramarc back in December. I don't love doing repeats, but I can see their effectiveness reflected in my race times.
Thursday brought us ten of these half-mile lovelies.
Based on my previous timed mile of about 7:30, Mark has assigned me a target half-mile time of 3:40. I didn't hit it AT ALL on Thursday, but I was pretty pleased with my consistency.
HM 1--4:12 (I counted it as warm-up)
HM 2--3:52
HM 3--3:52
HM 4--3:56
HM 5--3:54
HM 6--3:55
HM 7--3:58
HM 8--4:01
HM 9--3:58
HM 10-3:58
SanDee ran the first four repeats (her first ever!) and after that, she would run, jog, and/or walk around and run me up the hill on the Vita Course for each of my remaining repeats. It was a true blessing--I really needed the "encouragement."

Belated Posts

2007-04-23T14:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I'm the last to say it, and now it's repetitive, but it really is hard to train AND blog about training. Oh yeah, and work, and be a human being...
So, here's the update.

Work: Still plugging along at VCU and Hondo's. This is the last week of classes, so I'm prepping for that transition period that comes at the end of every semester--being super-busy for a couple of weeks, then knowing that I'm going to have a small crisis when I DON'T have to go to school--that feeling of having forgotten or lost something important. I am teaching one summer class at VCU, and Joe has offered me two classes at UR in the fall already. I was seriously considering finding a fulltime job at the end of this semester, but now I'm thinking that I may just keep the adjunct-waitress schedule through Ironman. I won't make my millions, but I will have some flexibility in scheduling that is great for the long hours of training.

Health: My body finally fell apart at thirty-two. I have been to the doctor more in the past three months than in the past five years. In between minor girl procedures, I'm suffering with the world's longest lasting ear infection. I haven't been in the pool for over three weeks, and this is not going to be the last interruption in my swim training this summer.

Attitude: We are FINALLY experiencing more seasonable temperatures. I'm always in a better mood when I can open my windows!

Training: Aside from the aforementioned swimming hiatus, I've been successfully completing all my workouts. I have skimped a couple of times on weight training, but I will say that it has usually been to get in a couple more hours of much-needed sleep. I've been trying to focus on listening more to my body on the rest side of things... I'm feeling pretty strong on the bike and run workouts, and actually was very proud of my workouts last week, which were our toughest to date. Thursday's run was TEN half-mile repeats (most done before was six,) and Saturday's fifty-mile ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway was not only the farthest I'd ever biked, it was also the hilliest.

Monument Avenue 10K Race Report

2007-04-01T14:50:00.000-04:00

The Monument Avenue 10K is a special race to me. It was the first race I ever ran, in 2004, which is either three years ago or a lifetime ago, depending on how you look at it. I had just started running, thanks to some inspiration from my brother Dyron and the autobiography of Dick Traum, and was ready for my first run with thousands of other people, water stops, and a big clock.

This year, I started in Wave E, for people with predicted finish times of :51 to :54. Perhaps a bit ambitious, but I've been training! My previous times for this race have fluctuated quite a bit.
2004--1:03:59
2005--56:33
2006--1:06:34
Mostly, they reflect my weight gain last year (and it was hot!) but it's also interesting how any particular factors can influence one's time on race day.

I was glad to see Anna join my in the E group--we trained together a lot last season, but I haven't seen her much over the winter. Just as the C wave took off, I ducked out of the corral for a last-minute pee break down a side street. It was so totally worth it. Our gun when off at 8:44, fourteen minutes after the official race start, and we took off!

I was really proud of my pacing at the Shamrock 8K a couple of weeks ago, and tried to do the same thing here--not start too fast, but at the same time, not too slow, which I think I may have done a few times in the past. I had just read two articles in the current issue of Runner's World that were applicable here--one on starting off a little faster in a 5K, and the other on what the elites think to themselves during a race.

I generally think about when I'm going to throw up or if I have to pee (not this time!) or how far to the next water stop... I added in some "I think I can, I think I can, I know I can!" as suggested by someone much faster than I quoted in RW. I knew I was on track to PR, so I imagined seeing my sister at the end and telling her--actually, more like having her catch me first, or something! I thought about the first-time runners, I thought about Ironman, but only a little, because that thought hurt! I thought "faster, stronger"--another ripoff from RW.

In no particular order, here are the highlights of this year's race.

***A gorgeous spring day in Richmond.
***Driving to the start with my very special friends Ashley and Lauren and my newfound friend and TRIgirl little sister Jennifer.
***Meeting up with, cheering for and beeing cheered for by, and just generally loving, over thirty TRIgirls before, during, and after the race.
***Wearing my TRIgirl jersey--it is so cool to be part of such a great team!
***Getting caught up in the excitement with over 25,000 participants.
***Seeing my sweet, sweet sister Shannon, who, unable to run due to blisters and funny legs, held some gear for us.
***Seeing my dad, waiting for my mom, at the finish. I love that my whole family participates in races together.
***Cheering first-time racer Kay to the finish.
***Post-race Mexican and margaritas with TRIgirls Jennifer, Cathy, and Kay.
***Getting my PR! 54:09.

PS My pacing was great again! First 5K--27:04, second 5K--27:05! "That is consistent if I have ever heard it."--the Beeber

Input, Output, and Honesty

2007-03-23T13:36:00.000-04:00

While I haven't posted in a while, I have managed to read other TRIgirls blogs here and there, and I've been thinking baout Renee's honesty, Deanna's nutrition, and Cyndi's battle with the party demons, and how there is so much overlap in what we all experience in and out of training.

I train a lot.
I eat more.

More calories in that calories out equals weight gain. I know this. I've been a member of Weight Watchers for about five years. I achieved Lifetime status a couple of years ago when I hit my goal weight, which I'm currently over by about fifteen pounds. The thing is nutrition and "dieting" is like training and a whole lot of other things in life.

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. The Seven Ps.

I need to follow my workout schedule. I need to watch my intake, counting Points or whatever. I need to prepare to make these things easier for me--packing my swim stuff or running shoes (in my super-cute new TRIgirl duffel) to have for when opportunity strikes--the same way I always had a toothbrush and a change of clothes with me when I went out in my college years (and, okay, since then, too!) Bringing a sandwich and a piece of fruit with me to work, so I have something to munch on in lieu of the ten desserts a purveyor brought for us to sample.

That way, when an occasion arises when I really don't have the energy for a workout or there's a schedule conflict with an event I really want to attend or life presents me with the perfect dessert (or bag of kettle chips, as the case may be,) I can skip a workout or veer off my nutrition plan without regret.

It makes me cringe to hear people, and usually they are women, say, "I was bad," followed by a description of something they ate. As my WW leader points out, nobody ever got fat by eating a piece of cheesecake. The same goes for training. When being ribbed about missing a cycling class a couple of weeks ago, I replied, "You're right. I probably can't finish Eagleman now."

Point being that these "bad" moments are exceptions. If I ate a steady diet of cookies, hadn't biked in two months, and smoked a pack a day, it would be a different story. If I felt the need to report that "I was good" because I ate a serving of vegetables, I'd start worrying. So, as long as I can remember the last creme brulee, skipped workout, and Camel Special Light in my life, and as long as I can say with certainty that it was the exception, I will be honest about its place in my life. My goal is to relish the small indulgences because they are, indeed, indulgences.

Shamrock 8K Race Report

2007-03-23T13:23:00.000-04:00

My first 8K ever. When I mentioned this to some people who don't train with me, I got a lot of encouraging comments about pacing myself, working up to that distance, etc. Funny since my races have all been much longer than that recently. However, there are so many little lessons in returning to a short distance and enjoying the first race of the season...
1. the value of a PR--it has been a long time since I'd PRed in any event, so trying something new can give one a little shot in the arm
2. the value of a race--I hadn't raced since November, so it was kind of exciting to be back in the circuit (especially coming from one who is often teased about the number of races I enter each season)
3. the value of speedwork--thanks to the great coaching from Maramarc and TRIgirl, this is the first time I have ever worked on speed. While I was hoping to be a bit faster than I was, I still ran a faster pace than in any other race I've done.
4. the value of a TRIgirl weekend--Monica graciously opened her beach house to nine TRIgirls, and eleven of us ran in the 8K. Post race, I enjoyed a very relaxing day of eating and expo-shooping with TRIgirls Monica, Kathleen, and Teresa, who was also celebrating her birthday.
One difficult thing about running this time of year is the wild fluctuations in temperature. Today, for example, it is eighty degrees. Race day it was thirty-five and very windy. We even got snow flurries as we drove around post race. Another benefit of shacking up with a bunch of TRIgirls--sharing clothes! Kate O generously lent me a vest, I wore some mismatched gloves that I found in my car, and I'm not sure any of the other runners left the house without a little piece of Teresa's running wardrobe.
Traditionally, I don't wear a watch when I run, so having no idea when I started, here were the clock times I saw running along...
Mile 1--9:01
Mile 2--18:00
Mile 3--26:58
Mile 4--36:02
Finish--44:29
I'll give myself a bonus point for consistent pacing! Ran a touch faster at the beginnning and the end, meriting a chip time of 44:14.
What a great way to end my Spring Break!

Spring Break in the Winter

2007-03-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

Wow! I really hadn't realized how long it had been since I last posted. You've seen the shirts that say Run, Eat, Sleep, Repeat? Well, add in Bike, Swim, Lift Weights, Wait Tables, Teach Classes, Read Student Writing, and that's where I've been for the past month.

Belly Buttons, or, The Measure of Success

2007-02-16T13:28:00.000-05:00

This post spurred on by the comment on the last post, but also developed around a concept I've been discussing with my classes today.

First of all, we all measure our workouts in different ways. Sometimes according to time or distance, perhaps by an RPE (rate of perceived exertion) on a scale of one to four or maybe one to ten. And I swear I have a heart rate monitor somewhere! I've even been wearing the watch part of it on my runs the past couple of months, before which I NEVER ran with a watch, so you can see I am already measuring my progress in measuring my workouts...

So, sweat is another way we can measure our output. Molly and I keep intending to weigh ourselves pre- and post-workout to monitor our water-weight loss. Don't know if she's ever followed through, but I only remember at inconvenient times such as now.

Perhaps more interesting than sweat quantity is sweat pattern. Like snowflakes, no two sweat patterns appear to be the same. I won't detail other people's patterns here, but don't think I haven't noticed! One identifying detail of my own pattern is that I seem to sweat two belly buttons. I can't figure out why this happens, but I get two perfect circles of sweat adjacent to each other right where my (one) navel is located. Hmmmm.

So the other part of my thinking occurs this way...
I have my students do some journal writing on different subjects to practice and develop their critical thinking skills. The idea is to move away from superficial pro/con summaries into a more complicated analysis of a given concept, attempting to understand and explain how it reflects, exemplifies, or influences our cultural values.

Earlier this week I had them respond to an article I had read about Gov. Mike Huckabee's institution of a "BMI report card" in Arkansas and recent legislation in the state senate to repeal it based on the reuted adverse affect on students' self-esteem. Rather than arguing for or against the state implementation of a BMI report, we wrote about and discussed the different elements of the piece. For example, several students thought, as is frequently reported, tat BMI is a measure of body fat. Other students had never heard or used the word "esteem" without a "self" in front of it. We talked about information as a starting point for analysis, eventually moving to solutions--both in terms of BMI reporting and in terms of writing the dreaded English 200 researched essay.

One of the conclusions I drew was that while BMI doesn't measure that much, the relationship among public education, BMI reporting, and self-esteem measures, in ways we can only begin to address, "our" cultural values in what I might describe as a leaky vessel.

It's My Workout

2007-02-12T13:46:00.000-05:00

...and my blog and my life. Thank goodness I have so many coaches, friends, and supporters to help me with all of these.
Several of you have let me know it's time for a new post.

I have been keeping up for the most part with my prescribed workout schedule for Eagleman training. After battling (another) cold all week, however, I decided it was okay to sleep through the run repeats Saturday and just show up for cycling. I had felt okay on the bike Thursday, but had had a really hard time on that morning's run with temperatures in the low 20s. I tried to make up my speed workout on Sunday and went with Lauren to the vita course. I ran a mile in about 7:36 and immediately decided against doing the four half-mile repeats that were to follow. Started jogging aroung the course, then slowed to a walk. Then a slower walk. Had the whole internal debate over whether I would feel better if I went ahead and threw up or whether it was worth staving off, and if so, what might be the best method of doing so, or was I even in control, after all? Some spitting, some long swallows, deep breaths. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Swimming with Som was okay--I think the cold temperatures were really adversely affecting my already stuffed up head, but the pool wasn't as bad. I sat out a couple of fifties in the middle of our main set, but other than that, I completed my workout, and actually felt pretty good about some of it.

We were focusing on stroke count, and I usually average 15-16 strokes per 25 on a good day. When we did 4x25 with a decreasing stroke count, I made the mistake of hitting 13 on the first one. I did manage to hit 12, 11, and 10 on the subsequent lengths, but you've never seen so much kicking and gliding!

I have been very proud of my progress on the bike during our cycling classes at Maramarc, and I can't wait to get back outside and see the results. Although I joke that it's my workout and others, including the coaches, should mind their own workouts, I really do push myself to what I perceive their expectations to be. And measure my efforts in the amount of sweat on my top and on the floor below my bike. If the sweat is an accurate measure, my workouts have been tough ones.

So, although I was sorry that Ed's Shenanigans was cancelled this morning due to Ed's Vegas Vacation, I enjoyed every extra minute that I slept in... all 195 of them.

Blog Tag What?

2007-01-29T14:18:00.000-05:00

Wow. All these things I never knew about. Deanna blog-tagged me, along with the other TRIgirl bloggers, so I'll try to answer the questions, but I'm afraid I'm breaking the chain...

Yikes. I used to think I had a good memory, but many race details run together for me. From the most recent tri, I remember how cold it was! TRIgirl Anna may be from Canada, but it took a lot of convincing to keep her from dropping out of this year's Richmond Sprint Triathlon. I decided it was worth a ridiculously long T1 time to ensure that I wouldn't lose a limb to frostbite on the bike.

Am I allowed to plagiarize? DB summed it up about Naylor's--the only GOOD thing about that race was finishing with her. I really had a bad race, and I think I may have quit if it weren't for SanDee at the water stop and Deanna pulling me to the finish.

I honestly don't remember much about my first triathlon. It was one of the Shady Grove sprints in 2005. Tri shorts? Who ever heard of those? I wore the Trimom team suit for the swim and then pulled on running shorts and running shoes to get me through the bike as well as the run. If nothing else, I've upgraded my tri-wear since then!

One thing I've discovered, not necessarily about myself, but about physical endurance, is that the body can usually do whatever the mind will let it. Sometimes during a workout, I have to turn my mind off completely in order to get anything accomplished. I realize about myself that I am able to challenge myself, but I sure can be lazy. I have a lot of bad habits that interfere with my training. But I guess that's called life.

My most embarrassing tri moment is pretty well-known. My "girls" tried to make a getaway out the sides of my top coming out of the pool in a sprint tri early in the season. They were fairly successful. Moral: don't wear anything during the swim that you havent't practiced it in (this particular top had been great for bike-run bricks.) Solution: our TRIgirl jerseys (and my turbo top) have been great in every race since. Too bad they hadn't come in earlier!

The big goal? IRONMAN FLORIDA 2007.

And, Yes, My LIfe Is Ruled by TRIgirl

2007-01-26T14:20:00.000-05:00

I don't mean for it to be, and I do balance it out occasionally. However, having such a structured training plan does help me better manage my time. I know I'm not the only one with that issue!

This weekend...

Saturday morning we meet at Maramarc to run four timed half-miles. This extreme event (so called because the temperatures will be in the teens) is followed by an hour and a half of cycling class in the aero position. Ahhh... then we enjoy TRIgirl coffee at Starbucks.

Saturday evening brings the Richmond Triathlon Club's annual banquet. Hunter Kemper is the keynote speaker, and I'm looking forward to hearing his address as well as socializing with others in the Richmond triathlon community--TRIgirls and otherwise!

Sunday evening after swim class, we will be meeting back over at Maramarc for the TRIgirl 2007 informational meeting. I'm really looking forward to this since I will not only see my regular partners in crime, but we will be joined by TRIgirls who have been MIA since the official season ended and also apparently by a million new recruits.

In addition to Michelle, I have another little sister, Jennifer, since my last post. My real little sister, TRIgirl Shannon, aka the Beebs, will be returning for 2007, as well. What a great family!

So, within the confines of this tri-structure, I will also attend a work meeting (subject: port wine,) read some student response writing, plan my classes for the week, and maintain the semblance of a social life. Maybe.

Time Flies When You're Training

2007-01-26T14:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay, okay. Enough about the off-season, the workouts, what-have-you. I realize that we technically haven't ramped up for Eagleman yet, but even these short workouts take time. I was just reading Melissa's recent post where she noted that she couldn't believe it was already Tuesday.

Well, neither can I! Yet, it's Friday.

Then I check my own blog, and Susie's taking me to task for not posting. Here I was thinking I was getting an extra rant in, and it appears I'm behind.

As I've explained to my students, any given amount of time--a week, a year, five years--is a smaller percentage of your life as you age, so the time really DOES go faster as you age, you see.

This lesson is in my English classes.

And I'm still not old.

Back to School

2007-01-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was my first day of classes; today is my second. It's always exciting to start a new semester, meet new students, etc. Ahhhh, the feeling you get from a fresh new notebook...

My keywords for the semester are "initiative" and "academic curiosity." My students are probably already tired of hearing them, but I really try to emphasize the importance of being engaged in your own life. This class can't just happen to a student; he or she must actively participate. The rest of us are there to help.

I use many training metaphors for developing good research and writing processes. I am very frequently in the role of coach as a writing instructor. Just as Grandison, Ed, Som, Mark, and Blake can't put my miles in for me, I can't do the research and writing for my students. I am there, however, to help them plan, to suggest potential resources, and to offer extra help in areas of weakness. I am excited by their progress and I learn something new from them every day.

My school schedule is fortunately not interfering with my workout schedule so far, and I even found a time slot to swim before classes on Wednesdays. Kate T and I tried it out this week, and I think I can keep it up...

I'm also looking forward to meeting my TRIgirl "Little Sister" Michelle. The addition of a mentorship program to TRIgirl this year just makes the organization better and better. Sharing tri experience, excitement, and resources--how rewarding!

I Feel Good

2007-01-13T14:02:00.000-05:00

It was SO HARD to get up this morning for a timed one-mile, two timed half-miles, and an hour-and-a-half ride on the trainer in the aero position.

It was even harder to get up yesterday, so I didn't, really. I didn't have to be at work until six p.m., so I spent this one last day of "vacation" finishing up a novel for TRIgirl Deanna L's book club next week. Ah, the luxury.

I dragged into Maramarc *only* ten minutes late this morning, just in time to start our warmup. I need to remind myself that I will ALWAYS feel better after my workout than I do before. Well, of course there's an asterisk with that statement, but we live in a world where not only TRIgirls are Caution: Very Hot!

Pleased with my times--7:32 in the mile (which Coach Mark graciously recorded as a 7:30,) followed by a downhill 3:41 half mile and an uphill 3:52 half mile, graciously timed by Kate O.

I assumed a leadership position during our indoor cycling, sitting up front with the coaches and facing the rest of the class. The real treat about riding here is that Mark and Ed can't keep a close eye on you. I'm sure Blake would manage to find a way, but he is still in Colorado working on his USAT coaching certification.

Now, after TRIgirl coffee and a long shower, I feel good.

Other reasons I feel good:

*Celebrated my birthday last Saturday with TRIgirls and other friends.
*Swam with Som on Sunday for the first time in three months.
*Made it to 32! Had birthday dinner with Mom, Dad, and Ashley at great new restaurant, Cous Cous.
*Successfully completed two swims, two strength trainings, three bikes, and three runs this week.
*Met with other English 200 teachers--getting excited about the upcoming semester.
*Treated myself to five new books and finished reading one.
*Worked with Grandison on TRIgirl press release and philanthropy.
*Saw an old friend today and met a new TRIgirl!

Life is good.
And thanks, James Brown.

This TRIgirl in 2007

2007-01-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

So, TRIgirl really is influencing my life above and beyond triathlon.

Of course, my big goal for 2007 is IMFL in November, so that entails many hours of TRIgirl training. I have also fallen into the habit of having TRIgirl coffee at least five days a week. At my parttime job, a coworker offered to bet me that I couldn't get through a shift without mentioning the TRIgirls. I looked at her and said, "Why in the world would I want to do that?"

I've been working with Grandison on some planning for the 2007 season as her social coordinator/marketing assistant, and so I've been reflecting on my expereince with the group for things such as testimonials and biographical information. I really have made some of the best friendships of my life with these women. G and I keep coming back to the idea that it is so important to surround yourself with people who improve themselves and the world around them, and that's much of what this organization is all about. I am going out for my birthday tonight (it's on Monday--two more shopping days!) and ninety percent of the people who are coming out with me are either TRIgirls or married to one or the daughter of one. Wow.

I'm also enjoying the potential TRIgirl networking as I focus some on my working-for-money life this year. It's nice to have so much support from such a diverse group.

Okay, I'll admit I also did work out with the TRIgirls this week...

Tuesday--met SanDee and Lynn at the vita course. Ran a warmup mile, than ran two miles at tempo pace. My prescribed pace is an 8:50 mile, but I ran them in 8:30 each. i felt that was a pace I could sustain for a 5K, but should run at 8:50 for a 10K. Need to work on slowing down for those longer runs...
Cycling class that evening.

Wednesday--Ed's Shenanigans. Good to back in the swing after the holidays. Met Kate T at Am Fam for my first swim since October 15's sprint tri. We did a half mile in about sixteen minutes, then joked about our $180 workout, since we've been skipping the gym for several months.

Thursday--met Lynn at UR track for half mile repeats. Either we were both having a particularly hard day or we don't know how to properly use a track... neither of us hit our pace goals. I think I need to take Track 101. Ed's Cycling this evening was obscene. Molly and I were trying to measure our sweat volume. I did have a quarter-sized dry spot on my tank when we finished, however, so obviously Ed went really easy on us. I texted Lynn, who along with the Deannas was at Wine Club, with the following quote from Ed: "Level Nine. Stand Up."

Friday was a rest day (much needed and even more enjoyed) and I slept in a bit today, skipping cycling class, but joining the group for a half hour run afterwards. Friend and new TRIgirl Kay and I went for a hilly walk this afternoon to catch up with each other and enjoy the unseasonably warm day--over 70 degrees!

I'm very much looking forward to an evening out with these great women tonight, and seeing many of them again tomorrow for the inaugural SWS event--Som's TRIgirl Master's swim class, or as I prefer to refer... Swimming with Som.

Training Notes

2006-12-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

We just got our first personalized training schedules from Maramarc. I'm a bit intimidated! Our January calendars and our December ones are exactly the same, only totally different.

Of course we are building on our cycling base, thanks to Ed. The biggest change, however, is the inclusion of personal time goals for our runs. At the beginning of December we each participated in a timed one-mile run, upon which our goal times are based. We ran said one-miler after a "warmup" that totally wore me out! Thank goodness, because I'm scared to death of my so-called tempo pace for next month.

Based on a 7:45 mile, my 1/2 mile speedwork splits should be 3:45, my tempo run pace is 8:50 miles, and my easy, recovery pace is a 10:35 mile.

While apprehensive, I am also eagerly anticipating working on actually running at different speeds, as opposed to doing all my runs somewhere between nine and ten minute miles.

Time to get a new watch!

The Other Season

2006-12-27T09:44:00.000-05:00

I've written quite a bit about my training during the tri season, and I've posted about the off season, as well. Much of my thinking right now doesn't have a whole lot to do with triathlon, though. So, this post is a bookmark for myself. Forgive the self-indulgence.

Tis the season. The holiday season. A time to spend with family and friends, perhaps relax (or get stressed out,) and, of course, reflect on the ending year and the beginning one.

This year, for the first time in a long while, my brother and sister-in-law hauled their three kids back to Virginia to spend Christmas with our side of the family. That has been the best part of the season.

Anticipation. I had a tough time wrapping up my school semester and prepping for the holidays. I was finishing up my school responsibilities just as the restaurant was full swing in the busiest month of the year, so I was really pulled in a lot of different directions. Two major events took place over the Christmas weekend, too, that have put me back into an introspective mood and in a place for reassessment of my life.

Fortune. I am so fortunate to have the family and friends that I do. I can't imagine where I would be today without them. I'm also fortunate to have my health, and of course to have a home, a job, a car, more than enough food, etc.

Sometimes I put all of this to the test.

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions because they are often pithy and almost always soon forgotten. Changes need to be made daily and usually in small starts. I'll use a training metaphor...

Of course I couldn't complete the Ironman tomorrow. But I will in November 2007. Each week I will do something to increase my strength and endurance.

In my life I will make the same plans, avoiding the use of "always" or "never" or "diet."

However, I have an outline of areas of my life that are important and will be included in my weekly plans. I'm trying to be more aware of my relationships with the aforementioned, primarily family and friends, but also with my own body, my spirituality, and, again, even my job. Sometimes I take these all for granted.

If I want to maintain positive relationships with all of these people and things, I need to put in the time and effort necessary and be thankful for them every day.

Bike Crash

2006-12-13T11:07:00.000-05:00

It was inevitable that I would be the first (if not only) participant in Ed's indoor cycling class to fall off my bike.

While it was on the trainer.

The "Off-Season," Huh, What??!!

2006-12-06T14:02:00.000-05:00

After meeting for some tried-and-true calisthenics and a timed one-mile run Saturday morning, those TRIgirls and Maramarc affiliates who are preparing for Eagleman, Coeur d'Alene, or Florida this year were each issued a personalized workout schedule for the month of December. Each month we will run our mile and get a new schedule. Sounds simple.

Which, actually, is the best thing about having great coaches. I take my mind out of the equation and just do what I'm told. If Grandison told me to jump off a bridge, yes, yes, I absolutely would. Well, okay, sometimes I may or may not cheat just a little bit. But two of my favorite mantras are, "You're only cheating yourself," and, "It's MY workout!" Paradoxical, yes, but aren't most important things?

Having said that, my weekly training consists right now, in this so-called off-season, of ten workouts.

Ten.

Workouts.

I guess that's what happens when you roll three sports into one and work on strength building to boot.

Monday 6 am--Ed's Shenanigans, formerly known as Strength Training
Tuesday 7 am--run with TRIgirls
Tuesday 7 pm--cycling with Ed
Wednesday 6 am--Ed's Shenanigans
Wednesday at-a-time-I-can-fit-it-in-if-possible--swim
Thursday 6 or 7 am--run with TRIgirls
Thursday 7 pm--cycling with Ed
Friday--REST DAY!!!! Much needed and well-deserved
Saturday 7 am--cycling with Ed
Sunday am--run with TRIgirls
Sunday 5 pm--swim with Som

I guess I will have to start considering Monday and Saturday to be rest days since I will exercise only once. My life is very different from what is was three years ago...

End of Season/Semester Blues

2006-12-04T13:25:00.000-05:00

I have read much about the experience of triathletes going into the taper before a big race and not knowing quite what to do with themselves.

I have this feeling of extra time and a bit of awkward uselessness at the end of each school semester.

I guess right now these two are kind of coinciding. Although, as I pointed out to myself this morning, my "off season" does include ten workouts a week right now.

This is the last week of classes at both UR and VCU. I really did overextend myself this semester with the four classes, four to five shifts at the restaurant, and eight to ten workouts with the TRIgirls EVERY WEEK. So, right now, I'm having that last-week-of-school panic. And while I know that everything will get done, I'm already worrying about the next thing. How much am I going to have to work at the restaurant over break? How much time am I going to need to devote to my three classes next semester? When can I get the new textbook I'll be using for English 111? Will I need to extend my work schedule in January and February to make up for teaching one class fewer?

And I guess the answer to all of these questions comes down to balance. That, and the fact that our inboxes are rarely empty, nor do they necessarily need to be. Part of the end-of-semester panic comes with the WhatAmIGoingToDoNow feeling of too much time on my hands when that inbox really is empty. For the first time since August.

That last race of the season? Skipped it.

This week I start my indoor cycling for the off season. Weekends are filled with holiday parties and get-togethers with out-of-town friends and family.

Goals for December:
1. Maintain weight.
2. Get into off-season training routine.
3. Relax my mind.

The hectic schedule will begin again all too soon.

Turkey Trot, Etc.

2006-11-27T14:18:00.000-05:00

...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.

TRIgirls Rock the OBX

2006-11-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

After Grandison, Lynn, and I finished the Richmond Marathon and showered, we piled in Susie Q's ride and headed south. There were TRIgirls representing at the Outer Banks Half Marathon, and we had a cheerleading favor to return!

We arrived at High Tide, SanDee and Gregg's oceanfront property to a party in progress. I didn't know TRIgirls were supposed to drink that much wine the night before their race! They aren't, really, so we reluctantly took over that job...

Susie and I modeled our Lucky jeans for everyone--I think soon they are going to have to become an official TRIgirl sponsor. Grandison was crowned queen (although SanDee and others vied for the tiara...) and I ate another million slices of pizza. And cookies. Mmmmmm... cookies. I wish I could say more about the evening, but I ran a marathon and drank a bunch of wine. That's all she wrote.

Lynn, Susie, and I (Lynn--note the use of the Oxford comma there) ended our evening by soaking in the hot tub and posing for pictures in the king size bed.

We were up early the next morning, although not as early as Grandison! Or the runners, of course. Teresa chauffeured us down the point-to-point course to Manteo High School, where we cheered Mary Jo, Deanna B, SanDee, Twila, Aimee, Deanna L, Kathleen, and Katherine to a strong, if rainy, finish.

That MHS link is for Molly, who directed us everywhere in Manteo except really nowhere at all.

Since the number of races I am allowed to enter next year has been severely restricted, I've been looking forward to being a cheerleader. Now, I'm not going to say that everything we said on the sidelines at OBX was totally helpful (e.g., "Cold wet towels just ahead!" in the chilly downpour,) but at least we kept the runner's minds off their miles and aching muscles. Cheering on racers is the perfect opportunity to apply the Golden Rule. I know I like to know what's coming up next, but most importantly, I need the energy from the crowd. Other than the focused elites, it seems as though the relationship between runners and crowd is like that of band and audience--we were more likely to cheer for the runners who smiled or waved back at us or those who picked up their pace when we cheered them on. Note to self: Remember to wear your name on you somewhere! People use it and it helps.

Much of the weekend was a blur--I always get a little stupid after a marathon. Apparently, so does Lynn, and so does my UR student Mike Kirn. She made up a song about SpongeLynn and he labeled his Christmas list "Halloween."

As much as I would like to thank SanDee and Gregg for their generous hospitality in Nags Head, I want to thank Gregg even more for the Udder Balm.

That's the kind of vacation I need to recover from!

Peace out, TRIgirls.

Richmond Marathon--Race Report

2006-11-13T13:11:00.000-05:00

Holy guacamole! What a terribly hot day! I guess the headline news for the Richmond Marathon this year was the temperature. While many of the spectators commented on how spectacular the weather was for watching the race, it was not so comfortable out there on the course. And, yes, a few cheerleaders did complain about how hot they were out there watching. I ignored them so that we might remain friends...

The Race
I started in wave three (of four) accompanied by Lynn and Kate O. I intended to run with the 4:30 pace group, but somehow lost them right at the start line. TRIgirls make great company, anyway. I was already sweaty by mile 2, where the first water stop was. I took a cup of water and one of Powerade. Repeated at the second stop at mile 4, where the highlight was some very special cheerleading. Grandison's husband Mark was out with Matthew and Lily, and I just might have to give Matthew the Cheerleader of the Race award--clapping and jumping up and down--we'll have to get a read on this kid's vertical. Grandison attributes much of his enthusiasm to the fact that he has now completed two races himself. Runners make for great support. I remembered this at OBX the next day...

We had to get Twila's attention as we ran through her hood down on Riverside... right about mile 8 is also where we caught Kate T and Anna. Goota love the five-TRIgirl posse cruising through Southside. We make a great photo op!

At this point I was getting two waters and two Powerades at each water stop. The temperature was rising, and Kate O was in charge of shade direction. I ran ahead of the girls from the stop at mile 12, I think. Was looking for some pink around the halfway mark, but I ended up with some more tangible aid. First, a woman handed me a bottle of water, which I finished over the course of about a hundred yards. Then... Part of the reason I was searching for a teammate was to get a call made ahead for some additional course support. Although I had liberally Body-Glided (new official verb) before the race, I sensed chafing. Then, a miracle occurred. As I ran past the Forest Hill fire station, there sat a guy (firefighter?) holding out a handful of bandaids and little tubes of vaseline. Well, kids, the back pockets of a TRIgirl jersey hold more than just chicken legs and Snickers bars! I don't want to think about the alternate ending to my race without that little tube.

Carrie and Mary (former TRIgirls) were on bike patrol throughout these miles, so it was nice to see them a couple of times in the middle of the race. Jonah caught me on her bike at about mile 15 and rode me across the Lee Bridge. It was perfect timing because not only was that sixteenth mile tough, but the sun was really beating down on the bridge, and at about 11:00 the temperature was well into the mid-seventies. I don't remember what we talked about, but I was thankful to listen to her!

I bypassed the junk food stops (as usual.) Grandison and SanDee are new converts to the gummi principle, but I still have an aversion to chewing while running. I had actually acquired some shot blocks at the expo, but went with the Nothing New On Race Day mantra and left them at home. No Coke or beer for this TRIgirl on course, either.

Mile 17 brought a cold wet towel, a quick pit stop, and another mystery woman with a bonus bottle of water. The long trek up the Boulevard hill brought a Party Stop featuring Ashley, Lauren, and Kay--some more cheerleader awards need to be presented here. Ashley had broken 40 on the 8K, and Lauren had also run--her first race ever!

Just before Mile 20, I was starting to feel a little dizzy and nauseous. I had chill bumps on my arms and legs, usually a sign of dehydration. I powered up the rest of the hill, telling myself at Mile 20 I would eat a third GU, drink some more fluids, and allow myself to walk. So, walking I was, when I passed the TRIgirl party stop. I princess-waved at Beebie, SanDee, Teresa, Mooly, Derik, and the rest of the support squad. Really, I wasn't feeling so hot, so it was hard to focus on the group. I was devoting more energy to not throwing up. But as I learned from Naylor's Beach, even if you don't feel good, make sure you look good!

The next three miles were rough. I walked most of them. Highlight was seeing Cyndi and the kids for the THIRD time--what great support!

Mile 23 brough a sweet, sweet ray of sunshine. There in her miniskirt was Susie Q. She was accompanied by LB3, but more importantly, she was equipped with GU and Gatorade. I actually stood there and talked to them for about a minute, which really shows how delirious I must have been. I GUed up and took off with my bottle of Purple Rain. Ahhh! I could feel it going through my body.

Felt lilke walking some more, but was encouraged by three women who were running. They decided to walk for a minute at 24, but by then I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Two more miles! They went by faster than I thought they would.

Saw Grandison cheering in the final yards, and I had a strong finish. That's my other every-race goal! I got a bottle of water, joined Grandison, and cheered in the rest of the TRIgirls... what a great celebration! Congratulations especially to first-timers Sharon, Kate, and Kate. More cheers for Mary, Anna, and Lynn on their PRs. G--a special race for you!

Nutrition/Hydration
Prerace: 24 oz. water, 24 oz. coffee, almond butter and banana sandwich.
Race:
One Dixie cup of water and one Dixie cup of Powerade at Miles 2, 4, and 6. Two cups of water and two of Powerade at Miles 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24.
Bonus 16 oz. bottle of water at Mile 13.
Bonus 20 oz. botle of water at Mile 17.
Special TRIgirl bottle of Gatorade "brought to you by Susie Q" at Mile 23.
One GU each at Miles 8, 14, 20, and 23.
Postrace: two 16 oz. bottles of water, one bottle of Powerade, one million slices of pizza.

Race Goals and Statistics
My original goal was to finish in 4:30. I amended that to a new PR (under 4:37:13). Then i changed THAT to under 4:45. I didn't quite make that one, either...

26.2 finish--4:45:57
20 mile--3:36:27
13.1--2:21:27

I finished 110 out of 200 in my age group.
588 out of 1112 women.
1866 out of 2917 finishers.

Stat of the Day
I passed 21 people in the final two-tenths of a mile!

Marathon Motto
Look good even if you don't feel good. Finish strong.

Post-Registration; Pre-Marathon

2006-11-07T18:49:00.000-05:00

So, I had a little post-registration letdown Sunday afternoon. I honestly worried more about registering for Ironman than I think I will about the actual race (although of course that feeling is subject to change, specifically in about 51 weeks.)

Although I am still in a serious relationship with Windows 98, I managed to register in the first half hour. i had to read the paper while I was doing it so I wouldn't freak out too badly in the minutes it took for each page to load, but everything worked out okay. The only tragic event of the day was that Grandison did not make it through registration in time, but we're working on a couple of alternative entry strategies (how's that for corporate lingo?) so our head Tgirl can race with us. Other TRIgirls on board are Susie, Lynn, Deanna B, Kate T, Anna, and Cyndi. Coaches Som and Blake will also be racing with us, and Kate O is considering said alternative entry strategies.

I am absolutely beside myself about the whole thing. Not only is there the excitement of the actual challenge, but I am thrilled to be training for and participating in my (first?) Ironman with the girls and boys in Pink. Also, now that I am registered, I don't ever have to think again. I just have to do exactly what Grandison, Blake, and Som say. Oh yeah, and Ed. I will always do exactly whatever Ed says, too.

Maybe all that not thinking for a year will make me a less freaky swimmer, as well. Let's hope.

Meanwhile, back in 2006... four days til the Richmond Marathon (America's Friendliest!) I've done my training. I'm looking foward to making posters, watching What It Takes at Deanna B's, carbo loading at Kate O's, representin' at Packet Pickup, and getting my cheer on at SanDee's in the OBX all as part of the TRIgirl race weekend. Hope the five pounds I put on in pizza and Halloween candy this week don't slow me down too much!

Ironman Florida

2006-11-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

Following today; registering tomorrow.

My last tri of the season was three weeks ago. I have neither swum nor biked, but I've been doing lots of other stuff!

Today SanDee and I ran a very cold six miles for our taper. Next Saturday is the Richmond Marathon (me) and Sunday brings the OBX half (her.) We didn't hit the road until about ten am, which was a welcome reprieve from the early runs. Not that I've been to a Thursday group run recently, but it still felt nice to sleep in a bit.

Feeling tired today and avoiding grading essays--nothing new there, either.

Focusing on hydration and nutrition for this week.

Much more nervous about something going wrong with tomorrow's registration process than anything disastrous happening during the marathon...

Time Out

2006-10-31T16:10:00.000-05:00

Well, we're officially tapering pre-marathon now. I love this time of year; it's Halloween, Daylight Savings Time just ended, and the temperature is in the seventies. All the leaves have turned, and they've about halfway finished falling. I'm glad the kids won't have to wear coats over their Halloween costumes.

Every three months or so, I drop off the face of the earth for a couple of days, and this past weekend was it for me. I stayed up way past my bedtime Friday night with a friend who moved to Nashville yesterday, so I missed my Saturday long run, the last before the marathon. Initially I was going to skip the whole going-away festivities--if he moves, he can't be mad at me--but I'm glad I didn't. It was raining really hard Saturday morning, anyway.

Saturday was also the five-year anniversary of my home ownership. I absolutely love my house and yard and everything about it. Now that Mom hooked up the landscape, it's even more fabulous.

So I pretty much stayed in all weekend, alternating between the sofa and the bed. I ordered Chinese, watched a movie, and read Motherless Brooklyn for Lynn's book club. At one point I almost felt slothful, but not quite. I needed the break. I answered the phone only twice.

Of course, I had to make up my long run yesterday. When I trained for my first marathon, Richmond 2004, I put in every single mile by myself. It was cathartic then, but now I've gotten spoiled by always having a trigirl or several with whom to run. Monday I split my fifteen into thirds--out to VCU and back, out to UR and back, and out to VCU and back. I even stopped off at my morning classes. After the first five, I changed into lighter clothes and my new shoes. After the second five I relaced my shoes with my Yanks. I was sorry about all the squats, lunges, and step-ups I had done that morning with Ed.

Ran six, well, five, well, maybe four and a half with Susie this morning. Met SanDee and Lynn for TRIgirl coffee, which, we are all staring to agree, is the most important part of the workout.

I still haven't biked or swum in over two weeks. Not feeling guilty, either.

Thinking a lot about job prospects for the next year. Not acting on them, so much. Just thinking. A lot. Doing a lot of thinking.

Drinking a Post Road Pumpkin Ale.
Dressed as myself.
Happy Halloween.

Update on Training & Things I Don't Have Time For

2006-10-23T13:37:00.000-04:00

Or, Things For Which I Don't Have Time

Every now and then I get a little busy. When I first started this blog, I was on "summer vacation," meaning I was waiting tables about seven or eight shifts a week and training for an Olympic-distance triathlon, but not teaching any classes. Therefore, I posted more frequently. Now that I'm working four to five shifts a week, teaching four classes, and training for the marathon, I have less time.

However, if Lynn is going to be a loyal blog reader, I owe it to her to post at least once a week. So here are some of my thoughts on several aspects of my schedule...

Seems like those activities have squeezed out a lot of other things I used to do. My mom came over Friday and Saturday to help my in my yard. I used to really enjoy a little gardening, but haven't had much time. My yard has turned into a bit of a jungle over the past couple of rainy seasons (that's the term we use here in tropical Richmond.) So Mom came by with tools and snacks, and we have been working on "creating a palette" for the next planting season. In fact, Mom was out at the house working in my yard this morning while I was teaching at VCU. What a terrific lady!

We ran 20 miles yesterday and I felt great. By "we," I mean me, Lynn, Kate O, Sharon, Mary, Kate T, Anna, and Grandison. By "great," I mean Lynn and I managed to walk around the outlet malls all afternoon with Not-Trigirls-Yet Kay and Sherri. While forty degrees is far from ideal for triathlon, I don't mind it a bit for a long run.

I worked a bar shift Saturday night and wore three-inch heels for eight hours. Never sacrifice fashion for marathon training. Well, okay, sometimes.

Ironman Florida 2007 registration is on November 5. That is two weeks from today.

I absolutely love teaching college writing classes. I also enjoy working in the restaurant. That being said, I have been thinking recently, and a lot this week, about applying again with public high schools. There's something appealing about benefits and retirement.

I went to two Team in Training (they say TNT, bnut we know what the acronym really is) fundraisers last week. What a great organization. Congratulations to Susie on her Olympic distance tri, and best wishes to Ashley in her marathon. I won't say good luck because she doesn't need luck. The girl is FAST.

I read "Sentimental Journeys" with my UR students last week. I love Joan Didion. I don't read as much as I'd like while school is in session, either. I'm looking forward to joining Lynn's book club for their November meeting, although I haven't gotten very far into Motherless Brooklyn yet.

I'm also going to go to Lynn's wine club meeting and Deanna's tri movie screening. The TRIgirls took over my mornings a long time ago, but now my evenings are pinked in, too.

I'm trying to plan out 2007 training, gently, and in my head. Need to focus on "nutrition" in the winter months. Looking into duct tape as a possible solution to limiting my added fats, sugars, and alcohol.

Richmond Sprint Tri Race Report

2006-10-16T17:30:00.000-04:00

Thirty-eight degrees!

In a sport where we pay a lot of attention to a lot of numbers, 38 was the number several of us were focused on last week after Meteorologist SanDee reported the forcasted temperature for the morning of the race. So, yeah, it was cold. Reportedly, this is the last tri of the season on the East Coast.

Two other numbers I thought were exciting:
50--the percentage of female competitors
40--the percentage of first-time triathletes
I like to think that TRIgirl plays a significant role in increasing these numbers. I also think there is such a high percentage of first-timers because then most people know better than to do such a chilly race again!

And, finally, 12.
That's the number of minutes I took off my time from last year!

The pool deck was a sea of pink as TRIgirls gathered for the time trial start. Thank goodness for the pool swim this time of year. My goal was to swim 300 of the 400 meters freestyle, since I rely so heavily on breaststroke in race situations. I din't quite make it, but I was pretty happy with my percentage. I swam the first 50 and the last 25 completely freestyle, and the rest of them time was probably evenly split between breast and free. The best part of the swim--Lynn handing me my towel as I got out. Grandison was so smart to tinitiate the TRIgirl towel station! Swim time: 8:29. Including the breaststroke and the long-ass run back to transition, a pleasing time for me!

Although Triboi Bobby was disappointed that he didn't catch me sooner than he did on the bike, I felt like my ride was pretty uneventful. The first couple of miles I concentrated on the searing pain from the little daggers being thrust over and over again into my thighs. Then I realized it was just the cold air. I had by far my longest T1 time ever, but I thought it was worth the extra couple of minutes to try to make myself more comfortable out there. If there's a next time in this kind of weather, I will probably wear even more clothing. I hadn't ridden the course since the race last year, and while the hill was still long, I felt much better prepared to tackle it.

You know it's a cold day when SanDee says she's looking forward to the run as the "best part" of the race. As I started out, I looked at my feet--no lie--three times to make sure I had changed from my bike shoes to my running shoes. I hadn't realized how cold and stiff those dogs had gotten on the ride!

As always, TRIgirls were representing at the finish line. A couple more numbers here...
18 TRIgirl competitors!
4 TRIgirl volunteers!
More TRIgirl cheerleaders at the finish line.

If you want all the numbers, check out the results page.
http://richmondsprint.richmondmultisports.com/results.php

I think I just did another race...

2006-10-09T14:36:00.000-04:00

Since Grandison has challenged me to limit my schedule to five races in 2007, I keep packing them in this year. I mean, I have two and a half more months.
Seriously, there is no way I am going to limit myself that severely next year, either.
Yesterday was the Richmond Road Runners Club's trail runs out at Pocahontas State Park. The ridiculous amount of rain we've gotten over the past few days did not leave the trails in tiptop condition, but we had a few shining moments, anyway.
Mary Jo won the 10K for all females! Grandison came in second for her age group for the 30 K, even though she forgot to leave a trail of breadcrumbs and actually ran about 35K. I really appreciate a coach who goes above and beyond...
Kate and kept a steady pace over the river and through the wood and sometimes through the river. I'm not a huge fan of running with wet feet. As Kate put it, we really didn't need them to feel any heavier than they already did on that third loop.
It was really nice to do a "training run" that offered not only water stops, but even gels and snacks. While I didn't take advantage of the pretzels and cookies during the run, I was grateful for them afterwards.
Sharon and Mary also did the 30K, and Twila and Aimee represented in the 20K. I was glad to see Blake out there, but disappointed that he wasn't sporting his TRIgirl pink with the rest of us.
I'm pretty sure I made the better decision by doing this trail run instead of the Big Nut (formerly known as the Giant Acorn.) Susie reported that she, SanDee, the Deannas, and Cyndi braved a really rough swim. She also had to cover up her pink with a jacket for a chilly, bumpy ride.

Rain & Rest Days

2006-10-07T12:29:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's hard to take a rest day. I find it easier when I absolutely wear myself out, or when it's pouring down rain outside.

This Wednesday, I was up at 5:30, strength trained with Ed & Lynn for an hour, had Trigirl coffee with Lynn, showered, changed, and headed to school. Taught two classes at VCU, graded two class sets of Reader Responses, had a student conference, posted a week's worth of assignments on Blackboard, moved my car to avoid a ticket, and finally headed to University of Richmond three hours afater my VCU arrival. At UR, taught two classes, chatted with Trigirl/UR professor Susie, had two student conferences, read several drafts, met with a guy who also adjuncts at both VCU and UR and is in my VCU portfolio group. Breathe. Changed clothes in the Jepson basement bathroom, got back in the car, and headed out to West Creek to meet SanDee and Susie for a bike ride. Post-bike, headed to Mom & Dad's for a quick shower and snack, and made it to work at Hondo's minutes before my six o'clock shift. Worked until 12:30.

When my alarm went off the next morning at 5:30, I had no guilt whatsoever about resetting it for a couple of hours later and skipping my run.

I have actually learned from experience that I have much better runs/races if I take a few days off beforehand--it's just hard to make myself skip a workout. Unless I skip say, two months worth. Then it's hard to get restarted!

Thursday night I got a last-minute invitation to see Umphrey's McGee at the 9:30 Club in DC. Totally worth it! As I've learned from Shannon's "Flexible Schedule," sometimes there are better things to do than workout or even... grade papers.

It started raining while I was in DC and it hasn't stopped yet. In fact, my heart just jumped out of my body in response to a clap of thunder a few minutes ago. I'm not sure "clap" is the right word--my entire neighborhood shook, and it knocked SanDee out of the shower.

I thought the rain would keep me inside and encourage me to grade the portfolios I've been neglecting, but now a ride up to the "Big Nut" with SanDee, Susie, and both Deannas sounds more appealing. We all may be rethinking our race commitments for tomorrow--they are doing the Giant Acorn Sprint Triathlon, and I am running a 30K trail run at Pocahontas State Park with several other Trigirls--but this rain has got to stop sometime! In the meantime, I think three rest days is exactly what my inner coach called for.

Maymont Race Report, or My Favorite Race Ever!

2006-09-30T18:27:00.000-04:00

What a fabulous run!

Someone asked me recently what my favorite race was. Actually, it was TRIgirl Sharon. We had a lot to talk about over the course of eighteen miles last Sunday. Hmmm, I thought. That's kind of like asking me about my favorite food, color, or anything else. I might prefer one color for the outside of my house, but quite another for a new shirt or a fall sunrise. Or for my favorite food, for that matter.

So, first my favorite race was the James River Scramble--an off-road 10K. Then I thought, well, maybe it's the Richmond Marathon, America's Friendliest, and my first. The Monument Avenue 10K is not my favorite race to run (too crowded and flat,) but it was my first race ever. The Sandman, because it's challenging and exhilarating. Then I remembered the Maymont XCountry Festival Half Marathon. Loved that. My list started and ended with a trail run.

I ran the Maymont Half in 2004, its inaugural year. Completely different from the Rock-N-Roll Half, which had been my first half ever less than a month before. RnR was crowded, Maymont was lonely. RnR was riotous, Maymont was serene. RnR was flat, Maymont was hilly. And off-road. I loved it, and I was faster.

I missed the Maymont Half last year because it was inconveniently scheduled for the same weekend as Sandman. Don't think I didn't consider running it on Saturday, then heading down to the beach for the tri the next day. And if you do think it, don't tell Grandison!

So, this year, I was super-glad to see that the Maymont Half was a couple of weeks later, and it fit in perfectly with our maraathon training schedule. I'd had my eye on it for a while, but was reluctant to register. The girls have been giving me a hard time about my over-enthusiasm, aka signing up for every race. Funny how, within a week after I posted about it, seven other TRIgirls joined me. Sometime I'll write a little something about peer pressure.

The Course
The Maymont Half takes place just outside Maymont Park on the James River. The course actually crosses the river four times, or as Sharon put it, "a lot." We spent a little time on the Buttermilk Trail, ran around Belle Isle, finished at Maymont. We even started with a lap around the vita course in Byrd Park, the TRIgirls' Thursday morning hangout. (I mean BEFORE Starbucks.) Perfect.

The Weather
The last day of September in Richmond. While I briefly missed having a transition area in which to leave my super-cute hoodie, I braved the early morning chill in my TRIgirl tank. The temperature started out around fifty degrees and got up to about sixty. Sllight breeze, humidity not bad, even for Richmond. Perfect.

The Outfits
With TRIgirls sporting pink, we got more than one (actually, more than twenty) comments on the course. I think there were about twenty people out on the course watching. So, if you think the jersey looks good by itself, check it out in a pack.

The Company
I ran the entire race with TRIgirls. Okay, except I didn't talk to anyone for the last mile. Working too hard. I generally enjoy running at least part of my long races alone because after a week filled with students and restaurant clientele, I need a little Carmen time. But today, I enjoyed the company the first part of the race, and I used the energy and the push for the rest of it. Lynn, Sharon , and Kate O were my buddies for the first three miles or so, which are very tough for me. I have a really hard time warming up, especially when I literally have to warm up. I ran the bulk of the miles with Susie, Anna, and Kate T. Anna kept us abreast of all things mathematical with one of those things, you know, on your wrist, that tells everything but the time. Well, I think hers even tells the time. I'm terrible at pacing myself, so it was great to have someone (the voice of reason?) saying, "8:30--Slow Down!" and it was even better to actually slow down. I told them at about mile 9 that I was on track for my PR, and they all kept me on the pace the rest of the way.

The Times
I had a PR of 2:08:06. My previous Half PR was at this race in 2004, 2:11:20. Did I mention I love this race?! Four other TRIgirls had PRs today, and Grandison finished second in her age group, which is also my age group. I was 23 out of 49, and top half always makes me happy! Our amazing swim coach Som finished first in his age group.

The TRIgirl Post Party and Aftermath
Starbucks, of course. I couldn't risk going anywhere bloody marys were served because then I wouldn't have accomplished ANYTHING this afternoon. Since I forewent the alcohol, I managed to accomplish a three-hour nap. Hmmm. Now I have forty-five minutes before I meet the girls out for TRIgirls Gone Not So Wild, then tomorrow we ride bikes, have coffee, and swim, and then Monday morning is strength training, and so it goes. The life of a TRIgirl...

Theory of Relativity

2006-09-25T13:46:00.000-04:00

One of many things Sharon and I talked about during the course of our 18-mile run yesterday is the relativity of athleticism, goals, etc. I was feeling a bit of a slacker since I skipped the Thursday morning TRIgirl run and then missed the Saturday bike ride. (I could write a few pages about the utter delight of sleeping in, however!)
One way I justified missing the ride is that it was *only* 18 miles, nothing compared to the 40-mile rides we'd done in preparation for Naylor's. Plus, the only tri I have left this season is a sprint with a 12-mile ride. I find myself thinking, "Cake."
Someone told me a couple of days ago that I'm more athletic than most people. I was mid-denial when I realized that he was probably right. I'm not as athletic as Ironman finishers or Olympic gymnasts or even others on my team. In the course of missing those two TRIgirl workouts, I took three rest days in a row. I felt a little bad about that until I realized my totals for the week included 27 miles of running, 14 miles of biking, over 5000 yards of swimming, and two hours of strength training.
For someone who couldn't run a mile three years ago, that's not half bad!

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed in the last week with schoolwork--teaching a new class, reading & commenting on endless stacks of student writing. I read Iron Wil's blog comments about the new course plans she developed, the degrees she completed, etc., and I thought wow, she does all this AND trained for Ironman. Kate and Anna are ready to sign up for Florida in 2007. Not me.

But I did register for Eagleman 70.3, TRIgirls' "official" half-Iron distance for next year. And I did show up for three workouts in the last two days. And I did teach my classes. And I did spend time with friends. And I might even grade a portfolio or two, just don't pressure me.

Sandman Triathlon, Virginia Beach

2006-09-18T14:15:00.000-04:00

The Sandman is like a sprint triathlon. Often when my students say something is like something, I reply that not only is it LIKE something, it actually IS that thing. However, when my swim and run times are about equal, I don't quite consider the race to be a sprint.

Having done Sandman last year, I wasn't experiencing any pre-race anxiety. I had already accepted the fact that freestyle would not play a part in my swim. When my three trigirl-to-be friends and I hit the beach Saturday afternoon, however, I started thinking that my weekend might be better spent drinking margaritas and cracking crab legs than planning for and participating in the race. The four of us bravely sat on the beach, wearing hoods and wrapped in beach towels, trying to read our books and magazines without letting the wind turn the pages for us. As many of my friends are aware, sun worship is my part-time job, although pay is not a premium. Me voluntarily walking off the beach is a good indication that the weather is not friendly. That being said, it really wasn't so bad. I think I was mostly afraid I'd be cold, which makes me kind of laugh out loud now.

Race morning, I got up earlier than I thought I would. Since I'd organized all my stuff the night before (highly unusual for me, but I was being thoughtful for the sake of my hotel roommates,) I really didn't have much to do. Brushed my teeth, drank some water, and ate a bar. There's even a real live bathroom in the transition area for this race! I went down to transition, three blocks away from my hotel, and joined Jonah in line for bike inspection. Set up my transition area fairly quickly, and headed to the Seven Eleven for coffee. This was part of the plan all along. I've gotten too familiar with triathlon's hurry-up-and-wait. Mary Jo finally made it through the now-long inspection line and into transition. I have to give her props for an anxiety level about one percent of that she had at Naylor's!

Mary Jo and I walked down to 32nd Strret, where the swim would start. I tested the water (and may or may not have peed.) The temperature was great! I started actually looking forward to the swim. The water was still choppy, but not entirely covered with whitecaps as it had been the day before.

Watching the first wave of open registration, I was glad to have the advantage of learning from someone else's mistakes. The current was pretty strong, and many of the swimmers were getting carried past the first buoy, having to fight the current to go back around it the right direction. Knowing that I'd rather add to my time by swimming a little extra than struggle against the waves themselves, I positioned myself REALLY FAR down the beach. Thank goodness. While I still swam primarily breaststroke, I did incorporate some backstroke as well as a little "LA Combo" (thanks, Som!) into my repertoire. The most notable thing about the swim was not the number of times I was kicked or got my butt grabbed, but the number of times someone said, "Sorry!" All-female wave explains some of it, but I guess these swimmers were just nicer and/or less competitive than those I "ran into" (or vice-versa) at Naylor's.

I got out of the water to cheers from Mary Jo's crowd, and ran--okay, walked--up to the transition area.

On the bike, I pretty much just chilled. It's a flat course, and I was pretty beaten down from the swim. I was worried towards the beginning that I got a draft penalty. Some dude on a yellow bike passed me, then immediately slowed down. This method was repeated by several other cyclists during the 14-mile ride, and I finally just pulled over and got off my bike each time it happened. Just kidding. But most of my bike thoughts revolved around the USAT rules and how I owuld prevent an official from penalizing me unless I actually benefitted from a draft! Anyway, I neither drafted nor was penalized. So much for my bike thinking.

The run, also was fairly uneventful. Out-and-back on the boardwalk. Concrete. Headwind on the way back. Saw Mary Jo and Jonah sporting their pink. Heard loud cheering from my friend LA and her husband Douglas, as well as from my girls, Mary JO's girls, and Jonah's family. I decided the best thing about this entire race experience was that I had more personal cheerleaders than I'd ever had before. It was so great! I also must say that I had a fabulous last .2 miles. I always like to have a fast finish, and I think I passed about ten people then. Jonah had a great fast finish, too, fighting off some potential passers. Mary Jo, she just looked scary! I wouldn't even have tried to pass her!

Among the seven girls who traveled with me and Mary Jo, I'm hoping at least a few caught the spirit (Ashley said it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement!) but even if none tri next year, at least Lauren and Tracy are set to be the cheerleaders. We've got some pink for them...

Oh yeah... my times:
Overall 1:52:43
1000m ocean swim 27:02
T1 1:50
14 mile bike 52:32
T2 1:28
5K run 29:49
I finished 20th out of 33 in my age group, and I took about 12 minutes off my time from last year!

Taking Care of Me

2006-09-10T13:10:00.000-04:00

No, not taking care of myself! You can read about that in any women's magazine. Sometimes I appreciate others taking care of me. Yesterday, SanDee picked me up at 6:30 for our bike ride. I finally put my front wheel back on my bike--I actually touched my bike--for the first time since Naylor's Beach. I do believe in magic, as well as the power of ignoring things until they go away. Unfortunately, when we got to West Creek, my bike had not fixed itself, nor was I any closer to fixing it. The brake was still rubbing the front wheel, just as it had been throughout my entire race two weeks ago.
SanDee took me back to her house, via Starbucks, and her husband Gregg worked the magic. Not only is he a tennis pro, but he also finished his first tri this summer, and he is spectacular with the bike--as both rider and mechanic.
After my bike was back in shape, SanDee loaded both it and me back in the car, and took us back to West Creek. Although SanDee had already ridden one loop earlier, she rode two more with me. I never thought a bike ride could feel so smooth. After doing 40-milers and riding 26 on the brake, 16 miles with no brake felt like I was flying.
We dropped by our homes to grab bathing suits and non trigirl clothes, and headed over to Westwood to watch Gregg show some tennis skills.
Back at SanDee's, she made me a sandwich, served it up with some chips (our shared weakness) and watermelon, and we spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the pool. Did I mention that she even cut my sandwich in half? A few other trigirls joined us. Gregg kept us hydrated and in cookies, and SanDee made sure each guest had beer when needed.
I'm so fortunate to be part of this family!

More Flexible Schedule

2006-09-10T12:59:00.000-04:00

When I discussed, or rather, poked fun at, Shannon's flexible schedule, I got a lot of feedback, most of which was serious. The girls really think both schedules and flexibility are important. In the past two weeks, I've made many adaptations to my own schedule, some intentional and some not.

With the cooler weather comes the new school year, and this semester I am teaching four classes on two different campuses. One of the courses is completely new to me, which of course means some extra planning time, as well. I've cut my work schedule at the restaurant back to *only* four shifts a week, but there are some things that have to get cut out of the schedule. Sleep and my social life are usually the first to go, but they have a way of creeping back in here and there. I did just mow my lawn this morning, as a cooldown from our 16-mile run, but I told my neighbor that just because I mowed my lawn didn't mean he could expect me to wash my car, clean my gutters, or weed the flower beds. I can't be a trigirl AND a gardener!

Life is all about choices. Hmmm, you've heard that before? Well, yesterday I decided to hang out at SanDee's pool rather than clean my house. On Wednesday night, I decided to go out for beers with my coworkers rather than get some sleep before an early morning run. Thursday morning, I decided not to make that early morning run in favor of sleeping in. Some days it's easier to follow tapering and recovery schedules than others.

Right now, i really want to go outside and take a walk. It's beautiful. However, since I'm between a 16-mile run and an hour swim workout, maybe I'd be better off sitting outside grading papers. Then i can decide to go to Legend for beer and bluegrass with Mary Jo later on. I'll keep you posted on the final decision!

TRIgirls Gone Wild, Part Two

2006-09-10T12:51:00.000-04:00

I will dedicate this post to Rose, who should be checking out the TRIgirl website for registration information just about now. Rose recognized me at a charity wine and beer event the other night, where I was enjoying a Legend Brown Ale or several with trigirls Susie, Mary Jo, Deanna L, and honorary trigirl Lee. Lee is really good at partying with the girls; we just need to get her to the workouts!
Apparently Rose remembered meeting me one time three or so years ago when several teachers from James River and Monacan met for happy hour together. Wow. Even more impressive than her memory was Rose's receptiveness to Susie's and mine totally no-pressure insistence that she, as well as every other woman in the Richmond metropolitan area, should be a trigirl. So, Rose, pony up!

Although Lynn and SanDee were unable (or unwilling?) to join us for the second venture out on the town in two weeks, I can assure them that the TRIgirls were well-represented. There will just be no documentation since SanDee is the staff photographer.

Rock-N-Roll Half Marathon Weekend Update

2006-09-04T14:17:00.000-04:00

Here it is, Labor Day, and I am sitting at school in between classes. I had forgotten since my stint here as an undergrad, but the folks in charge of holidays never sent the memo to the University of Richmond. So, instead of lollygagging in Virginia Beach for another day, my sister and I cruised down 64 West this morning. Trip highlight: gas at Wawa for $2.32 a gallon!

Yesterday's Half seems like ages ago, until I stand up or sit down. Then my quads remind me. With such a flat course, I'm surprised that's where I'm feeling it.

This was my third annual Virginia beach Rock-N-Roll Half. I ran in 2004 (first half ever) with my friend Mary Catherine. Last year, I convinced my mom, dad, brother, and sister to join me, and we have now started a family vacation tradition. This year, in addition to my family, the TRIgirls were representing! Post-race, we met at T, of course. Grandison, Lynn, Deanna, Teresa, Monica, Anna, Kate, and I posed for pictures, but Shannon had already hit the beach with a beer.

I guess this isn't a very complete race report, since I have yet to look up my time! We weren't really sure what to expect for race conditions, since Hurricane Ernesto blew through on Friday, and some of weren't even sure we would make it to the beach. Sunday turned out to be beautiful, however, although halfway through the race the temperature felt more appropriate for hanging out at the beach than for running next to it!

I had a great first 10K--ran that in a "negative split," and was feeling better with each mile. Just after Mile 8, I was looking forward to my GU, tucked into the back of my TRIgirl top, as I'd heard a nasty rumor that the race was not providing gels as they have in the past. I had the GU in my hand, ready for the next water stop... waiting... got to Mile 9, and officially started my attitude problem. Although I'd hydrated well that morning and the day before, I was THIRSTY, and decided to walk to the next water stop, which finally appeared after Mile 10. Wow. I remember remembering that the same sort of thing happened last year--the Mystery of the Missing Water Stop, so post-race I encouraged runners I know to contact the powers that be with a request for more stops in the future. This is a race that I really enjoy, and it's a shame that only eight stops were provided over 13 miles, especially with the growing number of participants who take a longer time to finish. After all this is late summer in Virginia!

I ran by myself the whole time, which I frequently really enjoy. I'm a very social being, so every now and then, I think I need the solitude one can only find among 20,000 others! Dad and Dyron passed me on my mile-plus walk, and Lynn's husband Derik gave me a shout-out, and other than that, I had to get to that T for familiar faces.

After participating in so many triathlons the past two seasons, it's somewhat refreshing to run a race. I keep thinking I must be forgetting something. All I have to do is show up at the starting line! Nothing to carry, nothing to set up--it's a light, strange feeling.

Naylor's Beach Race Report

2006-08-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Resting peacefully this week, kind of.

As for most of the TRIgirls participating, Naylor's was my first ever Olympic distance triathlon. Going into the race, I'd swum father than 1500 meters, biked farther than 26 miles, and run farther than a 10K. But never all in a row.

Having cased the river several weeks prior to the race, I knew to expect the murky brown water, although I still never saw "all the fish" that had freaked my sister out. No surprise that I breaststroked almost the entire swim. That's my race MO. The first time I considered quitting the race was after passing the second buoy, turning to approach the shore. The next 50 meters took as long to swim as the previous 1000 or so had. I felt as if I were doing the treading water portion of a lifeguard exam. I finally made it close enough in that I could touch bottom, and swam/walked the rest of the way in. It was refreshing to see several pink suits just ahead of me--Shannon, Cyndi, and Grandison. I even got to run up to transition with Grandison, and after 1500 meters of exhausting solitude, it was absolutely exhilarating to see (and even get to talk to!) a teammate.

I was really excited to get on the bike, knowing that at least I wouldn't drown. The first couple of miles were okay; we'd ridden the course before, and I knew what to expect. However, when we turned off before the second hill of our prerace ride, my relief shifted to "huh?" as we weren't actually avoiding the second hill, just climbing a different one. I pedaled past a few people who had hopped off their bikes and were walking them up the hill, until I became aware of a harsh, almost squeaking, whirr. I could see that my front brake was rubbing my tire, and I pulled it off a bit while still riding. The same thing kept happening. and I remembered Mary Jo telling me she had ridden the brake throughout the Shady Grove race. I stopped, got off my bike, turned it upside down, and attempted a quick surgery. At first I hated the thought of losing time, but I hoped I'd be much more comfortable if I could get it fixed. Unfortunately, I wasn't very successful, and I spent the rest of the bike ride in a lightly braked position. For this reason, I was looking forward to the run even more than I had looked forward to the bike after the swim!

I came into the run with the attitude that it was "only a 10K," but that, too, quickly changed. After the first couple of miles, I gave myself permission to walk for a bit, then for a bit more. I told myself that if Dyron walked the last three miles of his half iron, then I could certainly walk three miles here. I thought about him describing his last race as humbling, and I knew exactly what he meant. I almost gave myself permission to quit the race, but realized that must just be the heatstroke talking! Thank goodness sweet SanDee was so encouraging at the water stop, although I did then give myself permission to cry (just a little bit!) Bless her heart, Deanna B appeared like an angel out of nowhere and we finished together. That was the redeeming factor of the run.

Overall on the course, I cried once (almost twice,) threw up none (almost twice,) cursed another racer once, cursed in general twice (out loud, anyway,) and FINISHED (almost quit twice!)

The rumors you've all been hearing, however, are true. The TRIgirls most definitely won Best Dressed (I'm not sure why this has not been made into an official category YET...) while sporting our new trigear. And, as always, the TRIgirls win for most supportive, most fun, most fabulous tri-women ever. Can't wait til the next race!

Prerace party?

2006-08-28T14:32:00.000-04:00

In anticipation of our Olympic tri on Sunday, several enthusiastic trigirls headed out on the town Friday night. Folowing the false assumption that the earlier I go out, the earlier I come home and go to bed, I met Lynn at the Bank at 5:30. Susie joined us shortly thereafter, then SanDee was escorted in by her chauffeur/husband in time to meet up with us as well as attend a bachelor party. Can this girl kill two birds with one stone, or what?!

The party made a brief stop at Sine before heading for Three Monkeys, where we caught the tail end of Jeannie's prerace party, and were later met by Mary Jo and Deanna L. The only way we could have drawn more positive attention would have bee if we were sporting our new trigirl gear! I was reminded of how much fun the evening was when I saw SanDee and Gregg's slideshow presentation the next afternoon...
what a terrific way to settle those prerace jitters!

I guess this is yet another post emphasizing the trigirl camaraderie outside of training as well as during.

In a tamer version, I joined SanDee and some of her friends at the pool for hydration and carbo-loading Saturday afternoon, and continued with more of the same when Anna and Kate T. joined me at home for pasta dinner that evening.

With my transition bag (aka backpack) full and sitting by the door, I made it to bed in time for more than six hours of sleep. I had only one tri-nightmare, when my handlebars went missing, followed by my pedals and shoes. That's another reason I need all the girls around!

Team Spirit

2006-08-24T09:58:00.000-04:00

Today at the run, Grandison delivered our new team jerseys. As she said, we don't have to worry about visibility on the bike! Some of the shades of pink are quite blinding. The tops are really superfabulous, and it's one more way to show that we are part of a team. I can't wait to try the tops out at the race this weekend.

Another note on that camaraderie...
Many people I talk to about the trigirls really want to be part of our group without actually doing a tri (or undergoing a sex change!) I realize how much more pervasive (invasive?) the girls are in my life when not only do we work out together, but we also walk together, go for coffee together, drink wine together, hit the beach together, volunteer together, and enjoy our membership at the Gammon Family Pool together.

What a wonderful group of fun, supportive women.

Tapering and Staying Busy

2006-08-24T09:49:00.000-04:00

This is actually a good week for me to taper because it is also the week that I am gearing up for fall classes to start. My two classes at VCU start tomorrow, and my two at UR start on Monday. Teaching paired with my restaurant job will keep me very busy this fall!

I had big plans for light workouts yesterday, but ended up lying around most of the day, snacking here and there while catching up on three days of newspapers. In retrospect, it was probably the best thing I could have done for myself. I did actually get up around 5:00 pm, put my contacts in, and shower before work!

Today I met the trigirls for our Thursday run. Two miles?! No wonder I still have so much energy...

We do have a long swim planned for tomorrow, and I think Susie and I are finally going to get to check out the UR pool, which has been closed for renovations. Not only will I get my swim workout in, but this also will be the motivation I need to get on campus and finish writing my syllabus!

one of THOSE days

2006-08-21T15:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had one of those days. I worked both nights this weekend, and stayed up WAY past my bedtime on Saturday. If Anna hadn't called me Sunday morning to see if I wanted a ride out to our 14-miler, I don't think I would have made it. Thanks, Anna! She and Kate picked me up, waiting patiently while I scrambled to get myself together. In my haste, I forgot to grab a bar or any other nutrition, although I did grab a Gatorade and a bottle of water. Not until we met the girls did I realize it was the bottle I had refilled and lost the top to... then corked! I guess that exemplifies the morning I was having! Grandison generously shared an extra GU, so on Gatorade, GU, and about two hours of sleep, I completed my longest run since last November's marathon.

I really wasn't feeling so hot after all that, so, although I rode out to Naylor's with Shannon, Anna, and Susie, I didn't even get in for the open-water swim practice. Shannon reported too-close encounters with fish, and Grandison hoped that her kids weren't drinking too much gasoline from the jetskis we shared space with (G--sorry to include your name in a sentence that ends with a preposition...)

All in all, I feel as though I am prepared for both the Naylor's Olympic tri and the Rock-N-Roll Half, so one disastrous training day actually makes me feel okay. If I made fourteen miles under those conditions, these races should feel great!

Starbucks Discount

2006-08-19T11:53:00.000-04:00

We should get one, that is.

Sometimes the trigirls spend more time at Starbucks after the workout than we spend actually doing the workout. We tapered our bike ride down to twenty miles today in preparation for Naylor's next week. Several of us had mechanical issues, which I really hope are not repeated in the race. I was, however, very pleased with myself for properly adjusting my barrel adjuster after riding with a self-shifting chain for the first eight miles.

Enjoyed coffee with Theresa, Lynn, Katherine, Kate T, Molly, Heilbron, and Deanna L. At least, I think we were at Starbucks. Our conversation may have been more appropriate for the locker room. What is it with these female athletes?!

Flexible Schedule

2006-08-19T11:44:00.000-04:00

My sister Shannon, who I consider to be very OCD, showed me her schedule for the school year yesterday, written down on the first page of a journal, complete with pockets full of other important information. This schedule is proudly titled "Flexible Schedule" as a reminder to herself that she can indeed be, and may sometimes need to be, flexible.

Shannon, also known as Beeber, or the Beebs, acompanied me to the pool yesterday for a swim practice originally scheduled for Wednesday. Later, she left our mom's pool early (due to excessive cloud cover, something for which we were once encouraged to blow the emergency whistle, but now for which we are reminded NOT to) and went home to clean the house. That's flexibility!

We did cover 1000 yards straight. Tomorrow, the trigirls head out to Naylor's for one last open water swim before next week's race.

Speed Work

2006-08-17T09:13:00.000-04:00

Today was our first "official" speed workout at the vita course. The nice man on the radio told me it was only sixty-six degrees when I left my house at about six a.m. Have I mentioned how much I am enjoying the preview of autumn in Richmond? After a mile warm-up, we ran three one-mile repeats. This is the type of workout I would NEVER do on my own--yet another reason I am so grateful for the TRIgirls!

We did a timed one-miler back in April, and I finished in 7:42, my PR. Today, I ran the first mile in 7:40, the second in 7:42, and the third in 7:42. No one can accuse me of inconsistency! Of course, then I start thinking on my run about high school science class, and the difference between accuracy and precision... just another example of a runner's brain at work.

Had post-workout coffee with Susie, Lynn, and Deanna. (Nice to have Lynn back in town!) After Lynn and Deanna reluctantly left for work, some guy approached the table: "Did I hear you all talking about triathlons?" I'm sure Susie and I gave him WAY more information than he wanted, needed, or could ever use. Unfortunately, he was ineligible for TRIgirl, but I think the Richmond Tri Club will have a new member by the end of the day.

Yesterday was also a gorgeous pre-fall day. I rode with Sandee on the Riverside-Cherokee-Old Gun route, which I had never done before. Quite a hill experience. I din't notice how long we had been riding uphill until we were coming back, and I think I exceeded the posted speed limit for the first time ever on the bike! This is a 20-miler that I will definitely put on my list of rides to repeat, especially if the company and weather are so lovely.

smokin'

2006-08-17T09:06:00.000-04:00

I wish I were referring only to my speed here, but rather I am addressing a very bad habit. I often joke that there should be another category in triathlon, similar to Athena or Clydesdale, if you will, because I am confident that I would win in the Smokers group.

After afew party cigarettes in high school, I became a full-time smoker in college. Over the past ten years or so, I have actually tapered the habit, lighting up only when drinking or stressing. I'll go for a week with no smokes, then fire through half a pack in one sitting.

I'm trying right now to deal with the one-day-at-a-time, or perhaps, one-race-at-a-time approach. Two weeks out from Naylor's I told myself no cigarettes until after the race, at which point I plan on telling myself, now, not until after the Rock-n-Roll, etc.

Haven't had one since last Friday.

I might even start that nasty gum-chewing habit!

girls on the hills

2006-08-15T09:30:00.000-04:00

Tuesday morning meant hills once again. Since we had a fall weather preview this weekend, several of us went ahead and moved our run time back to seven a.m. instead of six. Wow! What a difference that extra hour of sleep makes. It was also nice to wake up when it was actually light outside. Sandee, Susie, Anna, Deanna B, and I did our requisite hills, but Susie and I were the only ones that attended the essential Starbucks meeting afterwards.

I am looking forward to getting into my fall schedule. Even though I know I will stay enormously busy, I always like the fresh start of a new school year. I even felt that way the couple of years in my life when I was neither teaching nor taking classes. Perhaps the cooler weather is the refreshment needed! Long runs are much easier to look forward to on a breezy fall morning than during the oppressive summer heat and humidity. Hmmm.

We are less than two weeks away from Naylor's, and less than three away from the Rock 'N' Roll Half. I must admit I am ready to scale back a bit, and will have no trouble committing to a taper week or two!

Weekend Training

2006-08-13T09:31:00.000-04:00

As much as I like to tell my non-TriGIRL friends how I "win" the attendance prize for training sessions, even I have to skip one here and there. I picked up a hostess shift for one of the teenagers at work Friday night, and ended up going out with some of my coworkers afterwards. When my alarm went off at 6:15 Saturday morning, I decided that three hours of sleep was NOT enough to ride forty miles on.
I got up, got a 32 oz Gatorade and the morning paper, and got back in bed. When I finally rose from the dead around noon, I was ecstatic to find it was only about 83 degrees outside. I hopped on my bike and rode out to my parents' house and back, stopping briefly there to hydrate and sample a little homemade peach cobbler. Total mileage about 23.

One of the other trigirls, Sandy, and her boyfriend had a big party last night. I went out with Sandee and her husband for a while. We did lots of carb-loading, solid and liquid, but I still made it home before nine. My compliments on the spinach lasagne! We did play a couple of games of ping-pong, so I figure that should at least equal the 17 miles I didn't bike.

This morning I woke up to another beautiful day. Of course we are all commenting on the "lovely fall weather," but we really aren't fooled. We haven't seen the last of the mid-ninties here in Richmond. I met Liz, Sandee, Susie, Grandison, and Amy at the vita course. We ran eight miles out-and-back across the five-nickel bridge and down Riverside Drive. Very hilly, but barely noticeable when the temperature is hovering around eighty, the course is shady, and I've gotten a decent night's sleep.
Good to see Amy, who is not a trigirl, but actually went to high school with me. She just finished her first Ironman. It made me start thinking about how in the world she got into triathlon, which in turn made me start wondering what other people think when they find out that I've gotten into triathlon. Hmmm. That, of course, is the best part about our team--everyone is a motivating factor or inspiration of one type or another.

Midweek Training Time

2006-08-10T14:57:00.000-04:00

I tend to schedule my workouts and be very particular about keeping these appointments; otherwise, training seems to be the first thing to get squeezed out of a busy schedule. Since I am between semesters for teaching, I am pulling a lot of shifts at the restaurant. I just got home from my sixth shift in a row and am looking forward to an evening off before I go back in tomorrow morning.

Although I have never thought of myself as an early riser, I find that the wee hours are indeed the best time to schedule training--at least I know it is done for the day!

Yesterday I went to my strength training class at 6 am. I love having the class because, particularly as a teacher, I have guilt over absences. Last year, after I cut my personal trainer out of my budget, I think I lifted weights once in six months. Sigh.

We had a beautiful day--first day in weeks that the temperature didn't go above ninety. Sandee and I went on a fairly easy bike through the neighborhoods and relaxed at Starbucks before I had to head in for my double shift.

Today it was dark when I woke up. Just as I was heading out the door to meet the girls for our Thursday run, the rain started. I have to admit that I was kind of excited--I'll take rain over 94 degrees any day! Any change in the weather makes a change in training. I generally don't wear a watch, but I felt good today, and I think I ran pretty fast. Four mile negative split.

The rain was also a good excuse for a nap. I cam e home and slept until I had to get ready for work at about 10:30. My girls at work are just impressed that I get up early enough to take a nap before eleven!

tuesday morning hills

2006-08-08T08:16:00.000-04:00

That has become a regular post on our training forum. Three of our workouts (one run, one bike, one swim) we do together, with a coach. The other posted workouts most of try to fit in during the week with a sort of buddy system. Back in April, I got together with a couple of the girls for a run on Tuesday morning, and the meeting time and place have become a bit of an institution. Of course, last week, when attendance was at an all-time high, I slept in.

I have missed only four scheduled workouts this year--some say that's obsessive, others call it over-achieving. I find that it keeps me grounded. I'm not likely to make up a missed run by doing it myself in the hundred-degree damp of a Richmond summer.

This morning Kate, Anna, Sandee, and I met at the vita course promptly at 6:03 or 6:04. When my alarm was going off around 5:30, I could hear the day's forecast. Current temperature seventy-nine degrees. Before we even got off the trail and across the road to that special place we do hill repeats, drops of sweat were stinging the corners of my eyes.

I felt better about halfway through the workout. It takes me forever to get my rhythm some days, and especially in the heat. That's why I prefer a marathon over a 5K, and perhaps why I'm eagerly anticipating Naylor's Beach on August 27--my first Olympic distance tri.

Rest Day

2006-08-07T10:10:00.000-04:00

Mondays are usually rest days. I attend my biweekly strength training class but steer clear from swimming, biking, and running. This first day of the week is a good opportunity to reflect on the weekend's training and prepare for the upcoming week--posting on our team training site, registering for races, etc. Today I finally joined the Richmond Tri Club. Having accomplished that, I decided to make the jump into Blogspot.