Time Out

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

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.

I think I just did another race...

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'

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!