Es Tri's

2012 Goals

2012-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

1. Less work, more family.
Have you seen my gorgeous family?

This year is about the four of us. This summer will be our first family vacation (more than a weekend). Depending on the next few months, we are either going to Europe (I'm pushing for Germany) or renting an RV and seeing some of the U.S.

2. No race goals.
If I race, do it for the company and the fun (it's not like I'm going to win)!

3. No race planning.
Sign up if I feel like it.

4. NO RUNNING!
I can say that now that Goofy Challenge is behind me. I have to give my back a break or I will be under the knife by year-end! (BTW, check out the Goofy Bling)

5. Find events that Dude and I can do together.
Cycling comes to mind. And I see a lot of hiking in our future. Any suggestions?

6. Cook more!
I live next door to Wegman's, this should be easy! Don't forget to check out my other blog - TRI TO COOK! I foresee more posts there than here over the next year!

7. Eat healthy. See above.

8. More time with friends.
I'd like to do a once a month pot-luck/get-together. I know I live in the sticks, but I figure if you offer good food and good wine, they will come!

9. Better (more) Dude time.
Work has been insane. Then there was the stupid Ironman thing. And the move. And the new dog. And have I mentioned work? It's time to get back to the basics.

10. Me, Me, Me.
After #1 and #9 I have to say, sometimes it is all about me! More family and more Dude time = Happy Me. In addition to that, I swear, I'm going back to school to finish those last four classes for my MBA. And I'm stalking Groupon/Daily Deals/Specialicious for massage, manicure, pedicure, and spa day deals.

2011 in Review

2012-01-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

Better late then never...

2011 in Review
Jan = Sick...and that's all I have to say about that!

Feb = Bought House - ok, bought property where the house would eventually be built.

Mar = Injured

Apr = Face of America

May = Lake Anna 70.3

June = Training - Almost every workout!!!

July = Musselman 70.3 - I didn't post a race report but it was hot, I did worse than last year, and spent most of the post race at the hospital with Patti. Friends - when it's hot, take salt tablets and hydrate!!!!

Aug = Training - Again, almost every workout!!!

Sep = Work...and that's all I have to say about that. Oh, and training during the week stopped.

Oct = Work, Move, and Charlie-Poo adopted us

Nov = Work, Unpacking, and Ironman

Dec = Work, Holiday, and Eating!

Happy New Year!!!

Ironman Arizona (IM-AZing) Race Report

2012-01-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

Back Story: I signed up a year ago with all kinds of lofty goals. I was going to work through the winter to improve my run and get down to a sub-five marathon (shut up, I’m NOT fast), summer was going to be all about the bike, and I was going to swim twice a week to get stronger. My goal…13:30.

Then life happened.

I was sick or injured most of the winter and didn’t run a winter marathon. I finally got my head out of my a$$ and started training in the Spring. Summer was good, I did almost all the weekday workouts, swam once a week, and got the weekend stuff in. Come September, training ceased. I was working 70+ hours a week so weekday workouts stopped happening. Our house was finishing so there was the move (and getting two houses ready for the rental market). We got a dog. What can I say, training kept getting pushed lower and lower on the priority scale. I did make sure I got the weekend runs/rides in but my lofty goals were reduced to (a) finishing, and (b) try to break 15 hours.

Race Plan: When I felt good HAMMER IT until it didn’t feel good anymore. Probably NOT the best Ironman plan, but due to the lack of training, I knew it was going to hurt. I also knew at times it wasn’t going to hurt so I’d take advantage of those moments.

Swim Motto: PULL, PULL, PULLThis year I noticed during swim practices I am confident and feel like I’m the fastest swimmer in my lane. When I swim in the fast lane I push myself to keep up with them and I manage to stay on their toes. That confidence disappears on race day though. I start swimming and just assume everyone is faster than me so I relax and just let everyone pass me.

Well not at Ironman.

This swim was the most physical one I’ve ever been in. There was punching, shoving, body checking, kicking, dunking, etc. I rarely got a clear area and even somehow got wrapped up in Tina’s (Team Z blind athlete) guide tether at the turn around point. Once I was turned around, I became a drill instructor and just kept yelling Pull! Pull! Pull! in my head, knowing my arms would feel like rubber at the end, but what do I need arms for on the bike?!

Overall I was thrilled with my swim! The volunteers pulled me out of the water, wetsuit strippers stripped me, and I ran/walked into transition with a gigantic smile on my face. I knew I PR’d the swim and really, the swim was the only thing I worried about. I knew I could ride the miles, and I knew, if required, I could walk the marathon. The swim was my biggest obstacle and I rocked it!
Distance/Time: 2.4 miles – Goal 1:30; Actual 1:24:26: PR by ~4 minutes!!

T1 – Goal 10 min; Actual 10:53 - I did a last minute change in the morning and swam in a swim suit instead of my compression shorts and sports bra (stupid, stupid, stupid). I wasted minutes trying to get into my Zoot’s but a wet body and compression shorts are not a good combination. I gave up, threw on my bike shorts and headed out

Bike Motto: Live the Plan: If you feel good, get in aero and HAMMER IT!
Split 1: This is a pretty fast course, or maybe it was the ZIPP 404 Firecrest tires. Regardless, the first loop was FAST. Great tailwinds, I felt good, so I hammered it.
37.4 miles 17.81 mph pace

Split 2: I spent this loop looking forward to the turn-around to get those tailwinds. Boy was I in for a surprise! Seriously, how could the winds turn so drastically? Oh well, I still felt good so I got in aero and hammered it. I was thrilled when I was still hitting my time goal at the turn-around point.
74.6 miles 16.45 mph pace

Split 3: I was a little down after the second loop but I kept telling myself just one more to go and maybe those winds will be my friend again. My neck was hurting so I stayed in aero and focused on the 6” in front of my tire. Made the turn-around …what was I in for…more wind, but not as bad as last time. Body check – feeling good, HAMMER IT!
112 miles 16.97 mph pace

Total Bike 112 miles: Goal 7:00; Actual 6:33:59/17:06 mph pace – PR by 14 minutes (against B2B, 41 minutes faster than Switzerland)!! That was AWESOME!!

T2 – Goal 10 min; Actual 6:51 - Robin, my Ironman Switzerland partner in crime, helped me into T2, into my run gear, and sent me on my way.

Run Motto: Anyone Can Run For Five Minutes (I do 5:1 run/walk intervals, so every time the watch went off to run, I said that…out loud)

Split 1: Started to run and realized I may have killed my legs on the bike. This is going to be a LOONNGG night. Plodded along waiting for my watch to go off so I could walk, and plodded, and plodded. How long can five minutes last? WTF…Seriously, when can I walk…wait a minute, Michele programmed my watch for 5 HOUR:1 HOUR increments instead of 5 MINUTES:1 MINUTE intervals. We had a good laugh about that when I saw her cheering on the course.
2.5 miles 13:35/mile pace

Split 2: The women with Dr. Hoy’s Pain Relief Gel are ANGELS – a little bit of that and my calf started working again! This course was a little hilly so I walked the inclines, and I walked my one minute increments. In between, I concentrated on form and cadence.
11.5 miles 12:12/mile pace

Split 3: (this was my worst loop mentally) The loops seemed to take F.O.R.E.V.E.R. And I could never figure out where I was. I saw people across the lake, but couldn’t figure out if I was heading there or if I had already been there. And my back hurt, really really hurt and Dr Hoy’s Pain Relief Gel doesn’t help bone on bone grating. I finally started in on the chicken broth and cola and my mood turned. Best advice I’ve ever received way back in 2008, “if they offer you chicken broth, take the chicken broth”!
20 miles 12:37/mile pace

Split 4: This guy dressed up as Batman kept leap-frogging me and I decided there was no way Batman was going to beat me.
Forget the pain, stay ahead of Bruce Wayne!
Finally made it around the endless loop to the finish line turn- in and assumed it was right there. Nope. There was a woman just ahead of me as we turned in, so I kicked it to get ahead of her (again, thinking the finish line was right there). It wasn’t so I had to hold that pace for longer than what was comfortable. FINALLY, finish line just ahead… smile, high five, smile, take it in, smile, check to see if others were around me, nope, OWN the Finish Line!

ESTHER LETSCHE – YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!!!

Yeah I am!
26.2 miles 13:12/mile pace

Total Run 26.2 miles: Goal 5:30; 5:33:05/12:42 pace (11 min slower than IMS)

Final –13:49:11 (PR by 29 minutes)

It really was IM-AZing!

2011-11-17T07:54:00.001-08:00

Catching up in Haiku:

Ironman! Sunday!
Moved into house, its AWESOME!
Bought dog named Charlie.

Hope to blog more soon!

House...

2011-09-04T03:42:00.001-07:00

Last we spoke (yeah, yeah, yeah...) the footers were about to be started. Well, July 1st that happened.

Around July 9th we got basement walls:

Then I went to a race and on vacation so I missed two weeks of visiting. Next thing you know, it's July 30th and viola:

We have a house! Here's a room by room...
Entry:

Office:

Living Room:

Kitchen:

Sunroom:

Master Bedroom:

J's Room:

Basement:

By August 7th we had windows:

Around August 19th plumbing and electrical was done. Those would be boring pictures, so here's the huge master tub:

August 28th showed they were prepping to start the stonework outside:

And by August 31st the stonework was almost done:

The insulation was also done, but I don't have pictures of that.

And finally, by Friday, September 2nd, the drywall was 100% installed:
Kitchen and Sunroom:

And the started the siding:

We were told it would most likely be done mid to late October...PERFECT with my training schedule!!!

Oh, and I can't write a post about the house without mentioning my backyard:

CAN'T WAIT!!!

Organized Randomness

2011-06-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

1. Living Arrangements:
I was filling out some paperwork and had to list my address and whether I Own, Rent, or Other (Explain). So I checked Other and I have to come up with an explanation. Living in Sin? Freeloading wench? Live-In Cook/Lover?

2. New House:
At last look, my neighbors should be moving in any day now. That may be an exaggeration but last week they were putting shingles on and they have windows.

3. New House:
I still have dirt. But the footers are allegedly being put in today so the “real” construction should start soon.

4. Triathlon:
The other day I was asked what is my favorite part of triathlon. I use to quickly say running (ok, I use to say transitions which is still true), but the favorite sport was running. Not so much anymore. My calf is pretty much heeled but it still flares up and my back just hurts... All. The. Time.

5. Triathlon:
That said, it’s official, my favorite part is cycling. (And even as I type that I said ICK!)

6. Food:
I’m going to try a new nutritionist next week. Her name is Shelby and she works primarily with athletes. Her website is shelbykfitness.com – check it out.

7. Food:
I’m getting wishy-washy on the veggie delivery. It’s great in that I try new things and we are eating healthier but it’s darn expensive! I can't wait until I live next to Wegman's!

8. Life:
I’m going to see Mamma Mia at Wolf Trap tonight and I’ve had the song Dancing Queen in my head all day.

9. Life:
You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen.

10. Life:
Just try to get that song out of your head now!!!

11. Work:
3.5 day weekend couldn’t come soon enough!!!!

12. Work:
I rarely mention work here (or anywhere electronically) so I’ll say a lot by saying a little:

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

13. Work:
If you choose to add expletives in there, that’s your choice.

Check It...

2011-06-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

Finally added some recipes to my Tri To Cook Blog.

Only three of them, but they are all fabulous! Grilled Vegetable Salad with Greens, Tomatoes, Herbs and some other stuff, Chard and Salami Frittata - made with prosciutto, and Roasted Cod on Large Garlic Croutons which may be one of the best things I have ever made.

Enjoy!

Thirteen About The Move

2011-06-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

1. My townhouse rented, it showed for two days, got five applications, and one person is moving in on 26 June.

2. Which is great! Think of all the $$$ I can save in the next 4 or 5 months until the house is built!

3. But, now I have to pack. I hate packing (but I love unpacking). So far the “stuff” in my office, spare room and bedroom are done. By the end of the weekend, the closets, living room and kitchen will be done.

4. Storage facility is reserved, movers come next Friday, and the carpets get cleaned on the 25th then I am D-O-N-E with that place!

5. Except that whole being a slumlord, I mean landlord.

6. And I have to do that whole change of address thing. Hopefully my junk mail will decrease.

7. I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly so training has taken the back seat this week. Missed both bike rides during the week, both strength, and one swim. ARGH!

8. And because of the timing of this, our weekend getaway is cancelled.

9. But still, I’m glad it rented and I’m looking forward to saving some money over the next couple months!

10. I didn’t think I had a lot of stuff until I started packing. By my guesstimate, I have about quarter of stuff then Dude has. This means packing his place is going to SUCK!

11. New House News – Apparently we are NOT on the neighbor’s schedule. If we were we’d be getting the foundation poured by now. So far we have an excavated basement. In other words, no progress since last week.

12. But the neighbors have all their exterior framing, roof, most interior framing, and the porch done (again, they signed a week before us).

13. I hate the neighbors. OK, I don’t really hate them but I’m really jealous of them. They got my first choice house (not that we could afford it), the lot we wanted (no ugly green box in the yard), the stone we wanted (but ours is still awesome), and now a much faster build. But I am 1/4 acre closer to Wegman’s then they are!

13

2011-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

1. Two posts in one day, and a Thursday 13 on time. Apparently miracles DO happen.

2. I’ve finally gotten into the Training Groove. And just in time since IM-AZ is 5 months and 11 days away!

3. I am doing strength training with Barry the Strongman. He had me flipping 375 pound tires, over and over again. Pretty cool stuff, and great for the core muscles! Unfortunately, he got a new job and so far, aligning our schedules has been difficult.

4. My calf is all heeled now but I’ve had back pain for months. I finally let Dr Tara take x-rays and here’s the results:

I have mild scoliosis – lower back.
Then where my spine is SUPPOSE to curve (think side view towards the bottom), it is perfectly straight (has no give).
AND the lowest disk is almost non-existent due to arthritis.
But wait, there’s more…
bone spurs on my spine and hips.

And THAT is why I wake up in pain everyday and why I have to build up my core muscles!

5. Along with the Training Groove, I’m also on the Eating Groove. Which, by the way, is counter-productive. By IM-AZ I'd like to look like Princess Leah in this picture, but the way things are going, I'm more likely going to look like Jabba the Hut!

6. House News!!! They STARTED!!!! (3 ½ months after we signed all the paperwork and without telling us, sigh …details). As of last Sunday, they have excavated the basement and as soon as Dude gets around to sending me pictures I’ll post them. If they work at the same pace as they did with our neighbors we should have basement walls this week, floor next week, and metal beams the following week!!

7. Townhouse is on the rental market (through a realtor, I don’t have the time or energy to deal with it) and besides not wanting to pack/store everything I hope it rents soon!

8. Back to the eating thing, we just started getting veggies delivered to us though South Mountain Veggies and it’s pretty cool. Since I tend to stick with veggies I know when shopping this will give me a chance to play with new items. Last week I got beets and rhubarb as part of the bag. The beets made their way into a grilled veggie salad and the rhubarb was used in a fantastic strawberry-rhubarb pie.

9. Speaking of cooking, and the above mentioned dishes, I am WAY behind on blogging on my Tri To Cook site. I have at least 8 recipes written down, just need to type/add them to the blog. Maybe this weekend!

10. It’s been a while since I blogged, but Face of America was a rousing success in money raising. Team Steel Wheels raised over $24K and the event itself raised over $400K! As for the actual ride, day one was a freezing wet adventure and day two was great. Definitely an inspiring weekend made more so by one of our team members, Jothy Rosenberg, who lost his leg and half a lung when he was a teenager and was told he would not survive. He’s in his 40’s now – check out his book and you will probably never say “I can’t do that” again! I love this picture of our team after the race!

11. It’s Thursday, Dude’s birthday is Sunday and I have NO IDEA what to get him.

12. Dude and I are taking a quick weekend getaway in 3 weeks. Either Blackwater Falls or Seneca, WV. He wants to camp, I want to cabin and it looks like he’s going to win.

13. I just got my bonus and I know I should save it for everything we’ll need at the house, but Penny has been eyeing new wheels. Not ZIPPs mind you, but something more lightweight/racier. Hmmmmmmm….

General Smallwood Olympic Relay Race Report

2011-06-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

Back Story This was a complete last minute, “sure, I’ll ride the bike in a relay”. Found out my pal Becky would be my relay partner – cool! To make sure I did not get roped into doing the full race (it’s been known to happen) I did not bring running shoes, goggles, or a wetsuit. Just me and Penny!

Pre: The race was less than an hour away so I got up at 4 and headed out. Pop Tart breakfast with a bottle of water plus I had time to have a pancake at Team Z Central. This was a very small race venue and by appearances, Team Z made up a good 80% of the field.

Swim (Becky) – ~29:25 minutes Becky has been having issues with nausea when swimming and with (stupid) Cozumel coming up, she’s testing new things and trying to get more time in the water. She had no issues during the swim. YEAH!

T1 – 2:50 There was a 1/4 mile run from the swim finish to transition. I was waiting in transition and had a “she looks familiar, doh, that’s Becky, it’s time to go!” moment.

Bike 25M – Ride Time 1:23
First I will say there was absolutely NO DRAMA during this ride. I ate, drank, and stayed upright through the whole thing!!!! I wanted to do the ride at this race because it is the same venue for Waterman in October and I have to say I really like the course. Only two “I F-ING hate hills” at the beginning and the rest were rollers. I rarely came out of aero and only shifted to the small ring twice.

T2 – :32 Now THAT is what a transition time should look like!

Run 6.2M (Becky) – Run Time 1:11
Becky was grousing about being such a slow runner but I think she did a FINE job especially since it seemed like the first half of the run was uphill!

Final –3:07
In typical “Es Relay Fashion” I missed seeing the finish (unless I was the runner, I have never seen my team finish). All in all a fun time, beautiful day, great relay partner, fabulous Team Z burger (with hand-cut shoestring fries), and a single serve box of wine (due to the whole “no beer” resolution).

Oh, wait, there is one small detail I forgot to mention.

Yep, Team “10 Less” (there’s a story behind the name, but I don’t want to type it out) came in 3rd place. BOOYA!

5+ months until 11/20/11 – IM Arizona – It’s gonna be IM-AZing!

Kinetic 2011 70.3 Race Report

2011-05-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Alternate Title 1 – So…Nutrition IS Important
Alternate Title 2 – Kinetic Curse
Alternate Title 3 – I’d like a do-over please!

Back Story: I did Kinetic in 2009 in prep for Ironman Switzerland and pulled the tendons in my hamstring. If you recall from that race report I dragged my bum leg behind me for 13.1 miles but by golly I finished. This year, the race was my kick in the pants to start training for Arizona, and my opportunity to overcome the Kinetic Curse.

Pre: We were expecting rain so I had all my gear stowed in big Ziploc bags and under a giant garbage bag. I also got Rock Star parking right next to transition so I could put my gear bag away after setting up transition versus lugging it over to Team Z Central. That caused me to linger in transition longer then norm so I didn’t get my secondary breakfast at the tent (pancake or bagel) so the bowl of oatmeal was going to have to hold me (Mistake #1). Got into my wetsuit (otherwise known as sausage stuffing) and was all ready to go. No fear since I didn’t have lofty goals for this race.

Swim 1.2 Miles – 43:18 (includes run to timer): 5m 28s slower than last time here, but not a PW either. “Easy” swim, no contact and relatively straight line. I think the swim to the first buoy caused the slow time because I couldn’t find a rhythm and was just flailing arms. Or it could be that I haven’t been to swim practice in over a month. Whatever.

T1 – 6:40: What the…?? Last time I did this race my T1 time was 3:07! I do remember telling the woman next to me that at this point my swim was only slightly slower then transition time.

Bike 56M – Ride Time 3:28:18:
A PR at this race but it was a different course then last time so it probably doesn’t count. So I’m riding along, drinking my Gatoraid/water every 10 minutes like normal. When I was on the bike an hour I ate my first Hammer Gel. Almost immediately I started having vision problems. It was raining so I wiped my glasses off and noticed that I had tunnel vision and my head was feeling kind of loopy. I stopped and was standing over my bike when I realized I was about to pass out. I just got off the bike and was laying Penny down when I blacked out. No idea how long I was out but came to and immediately panicked. I seriously thought I had a stroke because it was exactly the way my Mother described hers. I kept trying to stand up and kept falling over so I assumed I lost function of my legs. So I did what any normal person would do – I laid on the side of the road crying like a pansy-ass sissy girl, thinking OMG I had a stroke, OMG I had a stroke, OMG I had a stroke.

After a bit of blubbering I was able to stand, I drank some Gatoraid and soon was able to ride again. My plan was to get to the point where you start the second loop and head to the end instead. Instead, by the time I got there I was feeling better so I decided to keep on going (Mistake #2).

Around mile 40 I started feeling nauseous. Around mile 45 I got sick (lesson learned – stop the bike, there’s no place to get sick while riding without getting it on you or your bike). And again some 20 minutes later and THAT is when I knew my day was done.

So What The F Happened: I’m calling this a nutrition FAIL. I had a small bowl of oatmeal around 4:30 AM. I didn’t eat again until almost 9AM and that was after “pre-race nerves”, swimming, and biking for an hour. My blood sugar had to been bottomed out. The episode happened almost immediately after eating gel which is almost all sugar so I think it shocked my system (causing the blackout). All my food on the bike was sugar based so I think the getting sick was a result of too much sugar on an empty stomach and a bit from drinking nuclear lake water.

So my lessons learned are eat sooner on the bike and be prepared (like I have been in the past) with salty food, sweet food, and some miscellaneous food just in case.

Still plenty of time to TRAIN, practice, and get it together before 11/20/11 – IM Arizona – It’s gonna be IM-AZing!

I would like to say Thank You to all of my Team Z family for checking up on me, both Saturday afternoon and on Sunday. If my Mom only knew how much people watch out for and take of each other she wouldn’t worry about me so much!

Positive Attitude…Activate!

2011-04-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

1. A dear friend is going through a health scare and I am scared to death of the results. To make matters worse, she’s not here so I feel helpless. I know she is where she needs to be to get the best medical care/attention, but I’d give anything to go to these appointments with her. And in typical “Es Fashion”, I tend to make jokes when talking to her but my heart breaks when I think about what she’s going through and the fact that her support system is hundreds of miles away.

2. The same weekend I found out about her, I found out another friend was in the hospital because his pancreas was essentially giving up. He was in a coma for three weeks and thankfully he’s rallied and is back home now. He has to make a major life change (no alcohol) but I hope he realizes there is more to life than his dear Miller Lite. Right now he swears he will never drink again. I only hope this fear of death sticks with him for the long haul.

3. All this worry and fear about my friends has made me realize that Life is Good! So, if you recall, I want this year to be more c’est la vie, less Type A so here goes! POSITIVE ATTITUDE…ACTIVATE!

4. After a three week hiatus I am back to exercising!!!!! My calf is 90% healed so I am run/walking. I took Penny for a ride on Tuesday, muy happy! And I’m back in the pool (and was told twice in one practice that I have a beautiful stroke).

5. So here’s a picture of our house from March:

And from this past weekend:

Wait, that’s the same picture. But if you were to go there today it would look EXACTLY the same. Word is they will start late April. Right now they have a promotion going on that says houses will be done in six months. Since we signed a contract two months before this promotion I HOPE our house will be done within six months as well!!!! That would give us an end of October move in which means Recovery/Taper period. That would work!!!

6. On Sunday, Dude, J, and I hiked the property. We spent about an hour along the lake shore and didn’t come near the end where it opens up into the “big lake”. It is beautiful, peaceful, and right in my backyard!!! Sooooo excited about moving!

7. As for my townhouse, the kitchen has a new look - I got new countertops, sink, faucet, and drawer/cabinet pulls installed. Final cleaning and de-personalizing is in the works and it will be back on the rental market soon!

8. This week, Dude and I were supposed to start our “diet” – more protein & veggies and fewer (but better) carbs. Unfortunately I’ve been busy. Next week I’ll be out of town thru Wed, then have Face of America ride Fri – Sun. I guess diet starts 18 April. Still trying to drop 10 pounds before IMAZ!

9. Face of America in next weekend. We had a fabulous Happy Hour at Glory Days last Friday – raised $1,100! And if you eat at ANY Glory Days in the month of April, give me the food receipt (not the credit card receipt) and Glory Days will donate 10% of food purchases to Team Steel Wheels! Or you can DONATE HERE!

10. This getting up at 4 AM to make swim practice is tough. I always feel incredible until about noon then nose dive into exhaustion. Any ideas on how to extend the post exercise energy? Since I’m thinking about starting to run 4-days a week, maybe a lunch time run might do the trick.

11. Dude and I are heading to Colorado this weekend. We will be spending the weekend with my BFF and her family. I’m planning a meal for Friday, we are hiking Saturday then joining her family for dinner, and then Sunday Dude and I are on our own. We may go to Boulder to see another friend or may just goof around in Denver.

12. Hmm, if the government shutdown happens I’ll be in Colorado. Can you say darn-it!

13. Don’t forget to check out my cooking blog - Tri To Cook! Oh, and just so you know, I’m a little behind on blogging on that one as well.

13 Things

2011-03-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

1. Pulled tendons.
2. Micro tear in calf.
3. Probable Heel Spur.
4. Possible Plantar Fasciitis.
5. Can't go barefoot...ever again.
6. I get tortured twice a week with Active Release Therapy.
7. It literally brings me to tears.
8. But today, for the first time since 5 March, I am walking without a limp.
9. Haven't been able to swim, bike, or run for over a week.
10. And can't for another week.
11. Which gets me to the day before National Marathon.
12. Should I run it?
13. Do I dare?

13 on time!

2011-03-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

1. Weight – I’m going the wrong way. I was thinking today that I lost a lot when I first joined Team Z, and the next year when I was training for Ironman. Then I realized I was working out six days a week, often twice a day. Maybe that is why I lost weight.

2. Exercise – See above. My run this weekend was slow and steady. Issues with my calf/ankle/Achilles and now heel and back pain cut my Monday run short.

3. Injured?! – See above. Now this whole calf/ankle/Achilles/heel/back pain (I think it is all related) is cutting into my swim. Only lasted half of practice this morning before my back was hurting too bad to continue. Time to see Dr. Tara and get this fixed!

4. T.E.A.M. Steel Wheels – Letters and bribery went out yesterday and I’ve raised $340 in 24 hours. 70 emails went out last night – wish me luck. So far I have 2 dinners and 2 baked goods to make. DONATE HERE!

5. Personal Hell at the Office 1 – It’s raining. A LOT! And apparently my window leaks. When it hits the windowsill it splatters to the back of my neck. FUN!

Then there’s a car parked outside my office where the alarm goes off ALL F-ING DAY! Oh, it shuts off and I start to think joyful thoughts, then within 60 seconds it starts again. We have NO IDEA who owns this car. I swear they’re stealth!

6. My Back – is KILLING me! And Dr. Tara’s office doesn’t open until 3, then I have to make an appointment. Fingers crossed she can squeeze me in today.

7. Musselman – House is booked! Looking forward to a relaxing weekend on the lake. Oh, and the Half-Ironman. And goofing around at the Micro-Mussell (watch out Iron-Cat)!

8. House Update – Sunday is our full day at the “This is What You Get” Center. I mean Design Center. I’m thinking Bailey’s in my coffee, a liquid lunch, and maybe some Vicoden is required to survive this trip.

9. Rental Property – My place is on the rental market. I’ve had four people look and one is semi-interested but she doesn’t want to move in until the end of May. At this rate, it may still be available!

10. Personal Hell at the Office 2 – The cafeteria is at the other end of the lobby from where I sit. In the morning I get to smell bacon – salty, wonderful bacon. About an hour before lunch they start baking cookies – sweet decadent cookies. It takes ALL of my will power to not succumb to these temptations!

11. Vacation (I mean very important work meeting) – I’ve arranged a business trip to Denver next month. I love having employees out there, especially during the end of ski season. I mean Performance Review time.

12. Netflix – Dude found Netflix streaming. I’m afraid we will never leave the couch again! We’re in the middle of Season 3 of the show 24 (I didn’t start watching until the final season). It’s hokey…but strangely addicting.

13. New Blog – Tri To Cook! Check it out!!

Thursday (Friday) Thirteen

2011-03-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

1. Weight Goal – Nothing to report. Still the same and I’m considering joining Weight Watchers – in-person. I’ve done the on-line thing and stick with it for about 30 seconds. If I have to check in somewhere so I feel accountable (she said as she finished the slice of cake from an office mates birthday).

2. Exercise Goal – 5 am still sucks. I need to run more. I wonder if I’ll ever do weight training again. Anybody want to buy a Kinetic bike trainer??? Daylight savings is around the corner and Penny is getting antsy (but my seat bones are not)!

3. Red Nose Race #3 Recap – This was supposed to be my 16 mile run. Started running and just below my calf muscle feels like a tight ball and as a result I can’t flex my foot/ankle. I’ve been having this problem for a year and I’ve learned that usually by mile three it works itself out. Well, not today. I only did 10 miles, most at a 5:1 run/walk. Because of the pain in my calf, my form was completely off so it jacked up my hips and lower back as well. I really need to see a Dr about this!

4. T.E.A.M. Steel Wheels – My letters will go out this weekend and am going to resort to bribery. For one week only, if you donate over $50 and live in the local area, I will make you dinner. If you are not from the local area, I will send you baked good (I’m experimenting with scones and biscotti now). We are also going to do at least two Happy Hour fundraisers, hopefully details will be out within the next week.

5. Change to Race Schedule – After looking at the long-term schedule for IM training I will most likely have to remove the Covered Bridges ride and possibly the Great Pumpkin ride from the schedule. I’m down to the marathon, three 70.3’s, and Ironman.

6. Run Faster – Well, I’m putting the run faster on hold until after the marathon (but I have every intention of incorporating it into my training) but I have implemented it into my swimming.

I now swim in the fastest lane at practice. Now, before you start thinking “wow, she’s bad ass” you should know our Team Z West pool is often quite empty. Joining the fast lane started because last week there was only one person in the lane so I joined him. We actually swim at the same pace but Competitive Me just had to “beat him”. Mind you, we were splitting the lane so we weren’t even really swimming together. My only goal was to catch and pass him, regardless of where either of us were in the workout.
So today, we’re all getting in the pool and someone had to go down a lane. He looked at me and said you get the fast lane, you’re faster than me.

I think he was setting me up. New guy leads, first set is a 500 in Zone 2. He TAKES OFF. Competitive Me tries to keep up. We finish the set and I ask (pant) was that your zone 2? Yep. CRAP!!! I ended up doing the entire swim practice in zone 4 except when we were doing a 200 in zone 5. And that’s when I caught him. BOOYA!

7. 20 Mile Run – Done. The good news is the calf issue worked itself out (this time). The better news, aside from the marathon I won’t be running anything over 14 miles until early fall!

8. Ironman Arizona Update – Bike transportation is set-up. If you know anyone in the Northern Virginia area racing, please let them know there is special pricing available through trisportexpress.com. Go to the bottom of the left column and use the Northern VA IM-AZ link! We haven’t nailed down the pick-up/drop-off location yet, but most likely Arlington. The next big planning hurdle is finding a place to stay. Then of course the training (kicks off a week after the marathon)!

9. House Update – Since I wrote the Design Center blog, there’s not much to report other then there is a boat load of paperwork involved. Got the call today that all of the permits were filed two weeks ago so anywhere between two to four weeks will be ground-breaking. I kind of want to go out there with a ribbon and big scissors but Dude will think I’m a freak! Can’t wait until they start though because for each delay it’s pushing closing/moving closer and closer to Ironman!

10. Dude loves me – As many of you know I do finance for a living. This means I live/die by spreadsheets. You can figure that I have a slew of spreadsheets built for the building/buying of this house. I was showing Dude my latest addition, where I went room by room of my place and have a list of everything I have. I then have it broken down by whether it goes to storage, gets moved to his place, sell, etc. Then I have where it will go in the new house. He got as far as reading the column headers, looked at me, said “I love you honey, but…” Then just gave me a look that basically said “you crazy”.

He’ll appreciate my organization skills in a couple months.

11. Hair – I got 4 inches cut off!!! It’s now right at shoulder length (shortest it’s been in 3 years) and I LOVE IT!! I wear it curly and it rocks! It also looks quite professional when I straighten it.

12. Vacation or lack thereof – Remember when I said I was going to save money this year? Well, BHP (before house purchase) we were planning on a quick weekend trip to Colorado to visit friends. Well, Dude’s sticking to our save money plan and that trip is no longer on the books. So sad! I need a break!!!

13. New Blog – Did you see that I launched my cooking blog? Tri To Cook! Check it out!!

My First Design Center Visit

2011-03-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

I spent 3 hours at the Design Center for the new house and got the cabinets down to two colors (Java Glaze (brown with a wash where you can see black on the edges) or Sasparilla (black), granite is picked (Crema Bordeoux), and the tile is somewhat narrowed down. All choices still need Dude's look/ok.

One of the advantages of building NEW is because you get to make the choices and roll everything into your mortgage, right?!? That's what I thought at least. I know I'm not getting a custom home, so my dreams of the walk-in shower with jets is on hold, as is my dream for a pot-filler above the stove, and my custom built drawer for my pasta machine. OK, I'm fine with that but I still thought I would get "my kitchen" - an open kitchen with stainless appliances, double oven, beautiful island with shelves for my cookbooks, big sink....

Then I got to the design center, or as Dude calls it "Sorry, this is what you're getting" Center.

Three major things that ticked me off (and had I known, I may not have gone new).

Appliance packages:
1 - Builder's Choice - plain old white GE appliance (free);
2 - GE Profile Stainless - Dishwasher, cheesy looking 36" Cook top, Microwave above (with vent), Double Oven, Side-by-side refrigerator (relatively inexpensive);
3 - GE Monogram Stainless - Dishwasher, 36" Cook top, Wall Mount Vent Hood, Single Oven, Microwave, Side-by-side refrigerator (pricey, but within budget);
4 - GE Monogram Stainless - Dishwasher, 36" Cook top, GE Wall Mount Vent Hood, Double Oven, Ugly Side-by-side refrigerator (take out a 2nd mortgage for this one and you're still not getting what you want);

What do I want? Well...
I want a French Door Refrigerator - not exactly new technology and the number one choice in fridges these days. Oh, and they run about the same price as a side-by-side. But NO, a French Door Fridge is not an option but "that's one of the main things people ask for".
I also want the wall mount vent AND a double oven, or a single/double oven, or a single oven with a convection microwave (or Advantium but I know that's pushing it) and I want this without jacking the price up to the "second mortgage required" price range.

Kitchen Sink Choices
I want an under mount single bowl sink. Is that asking for too much? It's the same price as a double bowl. It takes up the same room. It's the same to install, no, actually, it should be easier since there's only one drain. But NO, not an option but "that's one of the main things people ask for".

Kitchen Island
Like I said, I have the color of the cabinets down to two colors. Here's a perfect idea, I'd like my island in Sasparilla and the rest of the cabinets in the Java Glaze (because the colors look great together). I mean, both colors are available, right?! And it's not like they have already built out the cabinets. But NO, not an option but "that's one of the main things people ask for".

So, at the end of the day, I'll probably get choice 3 in appliances, and I'll find a way to get the installers to install the sink that I want, and my island won't be contrasting but it will still look great. But going in, I already know that I will eventually be spending a lot of money to get the appliances I want (and dang it GE, post the prices of your Monogram stuff) and re-doing the island into something I want.

And did you notice the theme of "that's one of the main things people ask for", yep, every time I asked for something, that was the response I got. I have an idea...make these AVAILABLE CHOICES and you'll have happier customers.

OK Es, breathe...
count to 10...
and remember you are getting a beautiful house within a half mile of Wegmans.

Breathe in...Wegmans, Wegmans, Wegmans...
Breathe out!

New Blog

2011-03-02T17:46:00.001-08:00

I've launched my new blog - no fear, this one will remain active.

My other blog is Tri To Cook and will be 100% about cooking. This blog will remain about triathlons, training, and life in general.

If you're interested in cooking, go take a look. Let me know what you think.

In the meantime, Happy Training! And stay tuned, hopefully a blog about my first Design Center visit is coming up and hopefully a Thursday 13 tomorrow!

Thursday Thirteen on a Tuesday

2011-02-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

This use to be so much easier – I just don’t know what my problem is these days. I started writing this two weeks ago so I figured I’d just post it today….

1. Weight Goal – It’s time - I have to slim down for Ironman and to feel a little better about myself. I’ve said it before I obsess about my weight. I know I’m not fat, but my knees and feet will thank me if I could shed some pounds. On the plus side (no pun intended), I look better now then I did in my previous life at the same weight - more solid. Guess you could say this endurance training base has its perks. Without further ado –

Current = 150
Goal (by Nov) = 140
For Reference:
Air Force days (91-97) = 130 – 140
Marriage (96-06) = topped out at 178
Officially Divorced (07) = 160
First marathon (Feb 09) = 141
Ironman (Jul 09) = 147
Fall 2010 = 154

2. Exercise Goal – I’m back on the "paying myself" $5 for each workout and I’m sadly already behind the power curve. I hate the bike trainer, I hate 5 am swim practice, and I hate that it gets dark so early. On the plus side, it’s staying light a little longer and soon outdoor cycling will start. Penny will be excited to come off the wall for the first time since November. And as for 5 am swim practice, I just need to suck it up and get it done!

3. Money Goal – Big things happening this year (keep your pants on, I’ll spill the beans in a sec) so the goal this year is to SAVE MONEY! That means no crazy Ironman spending (I cringe when I look at what I spent for Ironman Switzerland), postponing my Girl’s Weekend to celebrate my 40th birthday (gulp) until next year, and watching my pennies every chance I get. That includes limiting my 7-11 coffee to days I swim and Fridays (because I’m still buying my lottery tickets).

4. Eating Goal – As part of the weight/money goals there will be changes in my eating/drinking habits. The big one is no beer until after Ironman (caveat - one beer the night before each big race is tradition). As far as eating, far less eating out! I'm a darn good cook it's time to do it more often.

5. 2012 Goal – One of my personal goals is to be a tad less Type-A in 2012. Less obsessing, More Moderation. I want this to be a “c’est la vie” year and just enjoy living without the indecision, second guessing, worrying that I usually go through. Wish me luck – this is soooo not me!

6. Red Nose Race #1 Recap – This was a 14 mile Team Z “race against the clock” race. I was not officially timed because watches were not allowed and I wore mine. In my head I predicted 2:45 and I finished in 2:43. I ran the first 10 miles with Dennis and Sally at about a 11:30 pace then Dennis and I ran the last five and somehow managed a 11:18 average pace. Felt good and I really liked the trail we were running on.

7. Freezin’ For A Reason “Race” Recap – This is an easy recap… After being sick for a month I thought it best to NOT jump in a freezing lake on an already cold and wet day. I did donate my registration money since it is a FABULOUS cause. Next year!

8. October 70.3 Race Pick – Set-Up Events introduced a new race series and quite conveniently they have The Waterman 70.3 in Maryland on 8 Oct. This means that aside from Musselman and IMAZ all of my races are within two hours of home so I’ll be able to cut a lot of the travel costs from my Ironman Prep budget (See #3).

9. “Run Faster” or “Damn you Iron-Jason” – I met Iron-Jason for dinner last Wed and we discussed training strategy. His advice – “Just run faster” - as if it’s that easy. Sunday was Red Nose #2 Race and I planned on running 14 miles. I got there late so I started 11 minutes behind everyone else. About ½ mile in there was an ice patch that seemed to last F-O-R-E-V-E-R so I quickly decided I was just going to do 5 miles then leave and go run on the W&OD. Just past the 2 mile mark Dennis was heading back so I turned around and ran back with him. Overall, I’m guessing I did just over 4 miles at around 11:30 pace. I went to the Vienna W&OD and started heeding Jason’s advice. The first 5 miles (miles 5-9) were ~ 11:00 pace. Mile 6-8.5 (or miles 10-12.5) = 9:30 (!!) pace, next mile at just under 10 min and the last was just over 10 min pace. I did it, I “Just Ran Faster” but OMG I could barely move on Monday. Damn You Iron-Jason!

10. T.E.A.M. Steel Wheels – I’m falling behind on raising money. I need to do my email letter writing sooner then later. I also need to send Thank You’s to those who have donated money. Want to know how you can help? Go here and make a donation! As a team we raised $750 dollars in 24 hours Superbowl weekend. $500 was automatically contributed when we sold all the squares then Coach Ed and Becky Fulkerson also donated their winnings to Team Steel Wheels. How cool was that?!?!

11. Change to Race Schedule – To continue to save money, my race schedule is changing. I’m only doing the big races. Wilderness ride and the Super Double Top Secret Olympic Distance are not going to happen. That still leaves me with a marathon, three 70.3’s, one 100+ mile ride, (possibly) two fun rides (depends on #12), and of course, Ironman.

12. Oh, and Dude and I are buying a House – A year and two months after the big announcement that we were going to move in together we are REALLY doing it. We accidently went house hunting a couple weeks ago – the sign for a Model Home reeled us in – and two weeks later, we have an agreed upon offer on THIS Richmond American Home. In addition to moving in with Dude, getting a brand new house (and my gourmet kitchen), there's a WEGMAN's less than a ½ mile from my house!!! How freakin’ awesome is that!
Here's a pic of the property (you can see Lake Manassas between the trees.

13. Hold Me Accountable – OK, so the goals have been stated so now I ask that YOU hold me accountable!

2011 Race Calendar

2011-01-13T13:07:00.001-08:00

Conveniently, I have 13 races/events in my schedule for 2011 so this doubles as my Thursday Thirteen.

1. Jan/Feb - Red Nose Run Series – there are actually three races, 30 Jan, 13 Feb, and 19 Feb co-sponsored by Team Z. The distance varies based on what you are suppose to run for the week so mine will be 14, 16, 18 mile races. The catch is you are racing against your predicted time so watches are not allowed. Well, sorry folks, I’m cheating. These are very important training runs for me and I need heart rate data. To off-set my cheating I will submit an 8-minute mile pace for my prediction so there is no chance that I’ll win.

2. Feb - Freezin’ For A Reason – Not a race, but a fun-event to raise money for Camp Sunshine. And an excuse to bring out the FEXX costume, jump in a frozen lake, then party like a rockstar.

3. Mar - National Marathon – This was supposed to be an “A” race but the plague that hit me in December moved this to a “C” race. I hope to finish and really hope to break the 5-hour mark.

4. Apr - Face Of America – This is my charity event for the year. It’s a 2-day ~100 mile ride from D.C. to Gettysberg, PA in support of disabled service men and women. The injured soldiers ride on hand bikes and other modified bikes so “we” are there to help them on the hills. Check out World T.E.A.M. Sports for info. Please make a donation here. Or join our team, T.E.A.M Steel Wheels. (Sadly I will miss RumpASS in The BumpASS this year)

5. May - Kinetic Half – I wasn’t planning on this race but it showed up on the Team Z race calendar. And I have a beef with this race after my injury in 2009. It’s early season so I’m not expecting much besides shaking the cobwebs out.

6. May - Wilderness Ride – Again not something in my original plans but another Team Z Race/Event. It’s not a race, just a hilly ride. Not sure what distance I will do yet.

7. Jun - Super Double Top Secret Olympic Distance (Relay) – There’s a new race series starting but we don’t know the details yet but this showed up on the Team Calendar. If relays are allowed I’ll do the run. And for the record, the wetsuit and bike will be left at home. NO CHANCE of doing the whole dang thing.

8. Jul - Micro-Mussel – I just have to beat Cheater! Oh, and I need to find a new tricycle or preferably a Big Wheel!

9. Jul – Musselman Half – This is my “A-“ race. My goal is to beat last year’s time, PR a half, and still make a homemade ravioli dinner for my housemates.

10. Aug – Lancaster County Covered Bridge Metric Century – This is a very well organized metric century that Dude and I missed out on in 2010 because it sold out. Hopefully we will make it this year.

11. Early October Half Ironman – This is TBD but it will either be the weekend of 1-2 Oct or 8-9 October. And it will be somewhere relatively close-by. Goal is to reel in my Ironman Plan.

12. Oct – Great Pumpkin Metric Century – This is one of my annual rides that I’ve only missed once in the five years that I’ve lived here. Truth be told, I do it for “all-things pumpkin” at the rest stops (soup, cake, pie, cookies, etc.)!

13. Nov – IRONMAN ARIZONA – Holy cow, I’m doing another Ironman! My only published goal is “to beat my IM-Switzerland time”. By how much…well, that’s my secret.

2010 - Year in Review

2011-01-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

Or Better Late Then Never...

2010 will not go down in any record books for me. Truth be told, I'm just glad that it's over. This is also delayed because the year ended with me sick...sick almost consistently from 7 December until YESTERDAY (I did have a 5-day break in there, but still) a MONTH of sinus infections, ear infections, walking pneumonia, and bronchitis. Apparently my immune system went on holiday.

Rather then go month by month, here's a summary:

- I did my first Polar Plunge, and will be repeating it in 2011.
- I ran my first half-marathon, guess you could call that a PR!
- I participated in one Relay (should have been two but more on that in a bit) and did one Oly - did NOT PR in either.
- I did two 70.3's. One in Hell (Florida) and one at a fantastic venue (Musselman - Lake Seneca, New York) that I'll be returning to in 2011. Did NOT PR in either.
- I got robbed in the MicroMussell and will redeem myself in 2011.
- I did not do Marine Corp Marathon (but if you look at my results you'll see that "I" finished in 4:08 - that was actually my ROCKSTAR cousin who came down here with 3 days notice and still finished in 4:08. BTW, she's also skinnier and prettier then me...BIATCH).
- I ran the Marine Corp 10K against Doctor's orders. Did NOT PR.
- I travelled to North Carolina to do an Ironman Relay and ended up attempting the whole dang thing. I got to the halfway point in the marathon and called it a day (and I am STILL kicking myself for not finishing)!!!!

If you remember my Motivation Plan, I was to "give myself" $5 for every workout I did. Well, I "made" $605 - that is sadly 2.32 workouts a week which is almost exactly what IM AZ costs. Convenient!

In total...
I swam 52,365 meters, or 12.4 Iron-Distance swims,
I biked 1,217 miles, or 10.85 Iron-Distance bike rides, and
I ran 445 miles, or 16.97 marathons.

Compared to 2009 (which I quit tracking in Sep 2009):
I swam 100,312 meters, or 23.75 Iron-Distance swims,
I biked 1,518 miles, or 13.53 Iron-Distance bike rides, and
I ran 512 miles, or 19.52 marathons.

Aside from racing/training, I had a blast in Vegas with some great friends, I got promoted at work (which includes my very own parking spot), I got a bad-ass tattoo, I went on a non-race related vacation in Grand Cayman and I'm still head over heels, madly in love with Dude.

All in all, LIFE IS GOOD!

BRING IT 2011 - it's time to KICK AZ!!!!

2011 Race Schedule and goals coming soon!

If It's Not One Thing...

2010-12-13T13:41:00.000-08:00

…it’s another.

It has been a year of excuses, injuries, sickness, laziness, depression, and restlessness and I can’t seem to get out of this “too {insert excuse} to exercise” mode.

Remember when I said “its all on” about starting training last week? Well that didn’t happen, not even close.

I ran on Monday night, it was about 25 degrees and windy as all get out. I should preface that by saying I left work early because I felt like I was knocking on death’s door.

Well, that cold windy run did a number on me and I spent Tue thru Fri on the couch sneezing, coughing, aching, feverish, and needing rest. By Friday night I had horrible cabin fever so Dude, J, and I went to Borders where I preceded to try to nap in one of their comfy chairs.

Saturday I thought I was feeling a bit better so I went to run errands. Here’s a hint of how bad I felt, I was in and out of Wegman’s fast enough that my coffee that I left in the car did not get cold and it was just below 40 degrees outside. If I’m rushing through my happy place, you know I’m not feeling well.

Sunday was another lounge away and drink Day-Quil day.

So here it is Monday again, it’s 25 degrees and windy as all get out. And yes, I’m going to attempt another run.

Wish me luck!

A Week and A Day

2010-11-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

later and I finally have time to announce that YES - I - DID!

I'm signed up for Ironman Arizona! It sold out in less then 40 minutes (further proof that Arizona is better then Cozumel - 24 hours later, Cozumel is still taking registrations!).

I immediately went into full Ironman training by skipping 90% of the training.

I swear, this week I'll do ~60% of the training.

But next week...it's ALL ON!

Thursday 13 - Why Ironman Arizona is better than Ironman Cozumel

2010-11-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

The team race next year is (stupid) Cozumel. There are a rogue number of us doing Arizona and there is an on-going battle on why people should do one race over another. Here’s my 13 in support of Arizona.

1. Arizona is wetsuit legal – salt water does not have near the buoyancy to make up for no wetsuit! And drinking salt water = bad.

2. Desert climate so NO humidity in Arizona – the weather should be quite pleasant! Cozumel – hot, humid, sticky!

3. Desert climate so NO bugs in Arizona! Ask Damon Taaffe for his race report and picture of his mosquito devoured back from Cozumel, then remember that he is fast and probably finished a good three + hours before “normal” people do!

4. Far less chance of getting Montezuma’s revenge in Arizona. Imagine, training for 9 months to a year, getting to Cozumel a couple days early and spending the day before (or worse, day of) on the toilet.

5. Race Support Issue One – I’ve vacationed in Mexico, 3 times (oh, and BTW, got Montezuma’s revenge each time, including the trip to Cozumel) and the Mexican people are very…I can’t think of a way to put it without sounding racist (and I swear, I am not racist!!!). I just don’t see how people in a beach resort/vacation area (whether it’s Mexico, Jamaica, Aruba, etc.) can change their sense of immediacy, their response time, their way of life for even one day to support you through the race (as volunteers or as officials).

6. Race Support Issue Two – again, I refer to Damon’s race report. They ran out of liquids, salty products (in a humid environment), – by the time HE GOT THERE! Again, he is fast! Special Needs was OFF the course, and not manned or even really marked so you could find it. The expo had no race gear – trust me, you will forget something and you will want an expo with TRIATHLON stuff – not Mexican art and trinkets.

7. Logistics – trust me, travelling with a bike is a pain in the a$$, refer to this post! As of this year, none of the bike transport companies are sponsored by IM Cozumel. Add that the mechanical support to put your bike back together will be limited in Cozumel (according to Damon’s report).

8. Special needs in Cozumel are actually called Special Food Stations – and it explicitly states “The Special Foods Station is for nutritional purposes ONLY, and ONLY food items will be allowed in the bag” So much for change of clothes, rain gear, lights, etc., all things that you just might want during the race.

9. The Tempe/Scottsdale/Phoenix area is actually quite nice for your support team and there are some incredible spas if they want a resort atmosphere. Add that they can eat/drink ANYTHING they want without fear of the toilet = WIN!

10. THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!! You’ll still be in that post-race calorie burning mode – eat up! Or, you’ll be 3 days pre-race and watching every morsel of food you are putting in your body. Hmm, I’ll take two pieces of pumpkin pie please!

11. It’s not a team race…so what. My first Ironman was not a team race and in a different country and it was still fabulous. We had maybe 9 supporters (7 that I met during the run portion) and I still felt the love! There is at a minimum 10 people racing IM-AZ that will be bringing supporters – you WILL feel the Team Z support! You will still train with the team since their race is the following week. Plus…

12. You can always go to Cozumel with your Finisher’s medal, WATCH, GLOAT, and enjoy copious amounts of margaritas as you cheer your friends on (that’s my plan!).

13. You Are An Ironman sounds so much better than Usted Es (Spanish word es, not my name) Un Ironman!

Beach 2 Battleship 140.6 Race Report

2010-11-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

Alternate Title 1 – What happens when a relay turns into an Ironman (screw you WTC, I’m using the term Ironman, it’s easier to type then Iron-Distance or Ultra-Triathlon)
Alternate Title 2 – Hey Rocky, Watch me pull an Ironman out of my hat!
Alternate Title 3 – Seriously, don’t try this!

Package Pick-up/Back Story
Many months ago I signed up to ride the 112 miles in an Iron-distance race. Well, I had a feeling that my swimmer was not going to show since I hadn’t heard from her since June and she never replied to any email that CH or I sent. So I packed my wetsuit, just in case. While at packet pick-up I finally heard from her, and sure enough, she wasn’t going to show.

OK – I’ll swim (I mean, the swim profile says it’s with current, how bad can 2.4 miles be??), bike, and CH will run.

CH and I start texting and I notice signs that she doesn’t want to run. She has been plagued with injuries so after some back and forth I tell her it’s OK if she doesn’t want to come down.

OK – I’ll swim, bike, and call it a day.

I went to the pre-brief and started thinking, I wonder if I could do the whole thing. I called Iron-Jason to see if he thought I could pull an Ironman out of my A$$ and he said go for it, what’s the worst that can happen.

I go back and forth in my brain and decide WTF, I’ll be a ROCKSTAR for trying, and a ROCKSTAR SUPERHERO if I finish.

I went and picked up the run portion of the packet, changed from relay to individual, and bought all kinds of gear and nutrition required for the race.

I got a decent night sleep, at least until 3 A.M, then the nerves kicked in. Alarm went off around 4 A.M., ate something and headed to the start.

Pre:
Got all situated and found the Team Z-er’s that were going to swim. We put on our wetsuits and got on the bus to the start. It seemed like a very long drive for a 2.4 mile swim, then we got to stand in the cold waiting for the start. As we walked to the water (and the nerves were in high gear) I realized not only was I going to attempt an Ironman, I was about to get the crap beat out of me for about 15 minutes with the swim start. AWESOME! They corralled us up and blew an air horn, and the fun begins!

Swim 2.4 Miles – 1:30 in water, official time: 1:32:46 (includes run to timer)
Once again, I had an “easy” Ironman experience. I wasn’t hit, punched, swam over, nothing. I found my space and just tried to get comfortable. At first my goggles were leaking and they were driving me nuts. I finally got them situated and got into a groove. I did stop (way too often) to find the next buoy, but I still managed to stay in the groove. 2.4 miles is a very long way but I was never in pain (surprising since I only swam about 10 times, once being on Tuesday). The current wasn’t as strong as I was hoping and the water was very choppy but I’m pretty darn happy with my time.

T1 – 12:03
My first experience with a changing tent. Got out of my wetsuit and into my bike gear (it’s just as hard to get spandex on in a tent as out in the open). But I did take some time to really dry off, get some lube on, and to make sure I had everything. Grabbed Penny and headed out.

Bike 112M – Bike computer ride time 6:36 - Official Time (includes stops) 6:47:58 -
Mind-numbingly boring! Me no-likey 112 mile loops. Including the volunteers (who were awesome and I thanked whenever I remembered) there were less than 100 people out there cheering. Add the F-ING headwind for the first 80 miles and I was not a happy camper. Hydration was not an issue - I stopped at every porta-potty except at special needs (but stopped 10 minutes up the road at a mini-mart) and at the last stop.
For the first 30 miles I was convinced I would finish the race.
Miles ~31-60 I thought I’ll just stop at the half-way point on the run.
Miles ~61-75 – F-This, I’m stopping after the bike and drinking beer (I got screwed up on my nutrition for a bit and this was my bonking/crying in the porta-potty phase).
Got back on my nutrition track and started doing math, and for the rest of the ride I thought “Wow, at this pace I have plenty of time to finish this race”.

Oh, and notice the PR on the bike?! BOO-YA! (OK, it's 100% due to the lack of hills (mountains) compared to Switzerland).

T2 – 10:42
Absolutely thrilled to get off of Penny and I may have asked bike catcher to “throw that b!tch away”. Got changed, asked the volunteer to talk me out of heading out. She told me I was awesome for even trying so I headed out to the run. Another stop at a porta-potty (stupid hydration) and off I went.

Run 26.2 (or Not)- Time: ~3:00 (obviously not)
I s-l-o-w-l-y jogged out of transition and down the road until I rounded the corner to get on the overpass. I stepped on something that was jabbing into my foot so I took a moment to figure out what it was. Hmm, a nail, good thing I checked! I basically walked any incline and “ran” the rest. I had to stop at every other porta-potty, so maybe I’ll wear a diaper for my next Ironman. The crowd support was great through downtown Wilmington, but aside from that there was barely anyone out cheering. The sun set around mile 7 and it started getting chilly. By now, it felt like I was getting stabbed in my lower back with each step (car accident in the beginning of October) so between the pain, cold, and lack of crowd (oh, and the fact that I was only partially trained for the bike portion) I decided I was calling it a day at the ½ marathon point.

Overall: DNF I circled the cone at the turn around to ensure I did the whole ½ marathon and headed to the side of the finish area to turn in my chip and immediately burst into tears. I’ve only DNF’d one race (and I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, bronchitis, and strep throat). I stopped and tried to talk myself into finishing at least 10 times before I got to where I could hand someone my chip. I gave my chip to a volunteer and said take this before I hurt myself. Went to the team tent, grabbed a steak and ate it caveman style. I soon realized I was exhausted so I caught a ride with Marie back to the hotel.

The following days
Quite honestly, I’ve been beating myself up. I still had 5 hours until the cut-off – I could have finished. Two days later there was no pain, which in my head means I should have pushed myself and finished.

But I’m putting this behind me and getting back on marathon training this weekend.

Oh, and signing up for Ironman Arizona on Monday – this one I will train for!

2010-11-12T18:10:00.001-08:00

You know it's important if I blog by phone: I am doing Beach 2 Battleship 140.6 race tomorrow. Will fill you in on the back story and the results soon!

Marine Corp Marathon or No????

2010-10-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

I ran 18 miles on 2 October, and actually felt really good and thought that perhaps, just maybe, I could actually be ready for MCM.

I got in the accident on 7 October.

I tried to run on 11 October and made it 1/4 mile before walking back to the car.

I rode 50 miles on Saturday (was suppose to do 100) and couldn't turn my head for the last 8 miles or so.

I spent the rest of the weekend on a heating pad in a muscle relaxer coma.

I'm bound and determined to do the B2B ride on 13 Nov since it's a relay and people are depending on me.

Do I dare even attempt MCM on 31 October?

It's too late to do a bib transfer and I already deferred from last year so I can't defer again.

I could go out and run as much as possible then call it a day.

But I know me and I don't believe in DNF.

Decisions, decisions...

The Damage

2010-10-12T09:26:00.001-07:00

Mine needs new bumper, exhaust, bottom of the trunk, heat shield, sway bars, etc., etc., etc.:

Dude's - we haven't gotten the estimate back for what he needs, but if I were a betting person, I'd say a new front end and engine!

There are so many ways this could have been worse so I am thankful the only thing damaged were the cars.

I am still sore but I tried to run last night (GENIUS!) so I feel worse today then I did over the weekend. And as you may have guessed, I did not run over the weekend, did not do Warrior Dash, and did not bike my 90 or whatever miles. FAIL, FAIL, FAIL! I'm going to rest for the rest of the week and try to get close to 100 miles in on Sat and 20 in on Sunday.

Wish me luck!

Thirteen Things to Build Up to a Bad Ending!

2010-10-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

I was having a normal day...

1. I hit snooze for almost an hour. It is so hard to get out of bed on these crisp fall mornings.

2. Free cup of coffee from 7-11 (bought a refillable cup, first 2 refills were free)

3. Work was fine, couple hiccups, but nothing earth-shattering.

4. My company sold a Business Unit out of my sector. Remember the woman that said she'd NEVER work for me from this post? Well, she was part of the divestiture and she has NO IDEA what she's in for with the company that bought them. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

5. After work, Dude met me and some IRONMEN for dinner at Mad Fox in Falls Church. Their Fig and Balsamic Bleu Pizza is TO DIE FOR!!!!

6. I got to hear Jason and Mark's IM-MOO stories. They both had good races - Jason (my IM-Swiss partner) PR'd by almost an hour and Mark did quite well in his first IM, especially considering he just learned how to swim this year!

7. A good time was had by all and we all get in our own cars and head for home.

8. And this is where the night turned to SH!T!!

9. Light turned yellow so I was coming to a stop and BLAM!! I get hit from behind.

10. I start calling the person who hit me every name under the sun, all too filthy to put in print, then I got out of the car, shaken up, but not injured...

11. You may have guessed it...yep, I know the person that hit me...and that person was Dude...FML!

12. End story, we are both fine. Both cars were towed/need repairs. The front of his car is toast - bashed in about 1/4 of the engine compartment. My car's hitch system pushed my exhaust to about the middle of the car. Again, FML!

13. And just so you know, it really sucks filing an insurance claim against someone you love!

#58 - Cook 101 in 1001 - #42

2010-10-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't blooged about the last 22 new recipes I've tried. Truth be told, I've probably tried more then that but I've also been a slacker on recording my 101 in 1001 progress. C'est la vie.

To summarize the 22 that I can remember:
13 are worthy of FOUR Fat Running Chefs - and may make a write-up in a future date
4 receive THREE Fat Running Chefs
4 receive TWO Fat Running Chefs
and 1 receives ONE Fat Running Chefs - only because I have to give it a rating. It actually went down the garbage disposal and we had Chinese take-out

Which brings me to number 42 of Cook 101 in 1001...

Tilapia and Mashed Yams with Pancetta-Sage Breadcrumbs from Epicurious.com.

Background story - On Tue/Thur nights, Dude gets home at about 9:45 which means we eat dinner after 10. We are both trying to eat more healthy and I want something quick/simple that late at night. This tilapia fit the bill.

Changes I made to the recipe:
To pair it down for just Dude and I used 3 tilapia fillets (two would have been plenty), halved the Pancetta and breadcrumbs (I used store-bought and next time I'd use 1/4 cup or less) and only used two small sweet potatos (less then a pound).

To lighten up the recipe I used Brummel & Brummel Yogurt Butter except for 1 Tbs for the Fish. And I added about 1 Tsp EVOO to fish,

For more flavor I added salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mashed yams and I added garlic sea salt to the fish.

Overall Assessment:
The prep work took less then 10 minutes (because I used the store bought bread crumbs).

Cook time - Everything could be done at one time - put the potatoes in the microwave when you start the pancetta - so it took less then 20 minutes from turning on the stove to serving. Add the prep work and that's a 30-minute meal!

Taste was just good. The fish needed a touch more seasoning, maybe cook it in garlic butter or garlic olive oil next time. There was too much breadcrumbs, like I said, I'd cut that in half. The mashed jams were good though.

Overall, I'd give this meal THREE Fat Running Chefs - and yes, this will make another (improved) appearance on Tue/Thur evenings.

Friday Edition of a Much Delayed Thursday Thirteen

2010-10-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

1. Despite the lack of blogging – LIFE IS GRAND. And I really do have a lot on my mind, and talk myself through a blog post quite often. I just never have the chance to sit and type anymore.

2. I’m still “running” MCM…running, that’s funny! I’ve done two 16 mile runs so far. My next couple of weekend’s run mileage will be 18, 20, 16, 14, Race.

3. Two weeks after MCM is the B2B Bike Relay (Full Iron-distance). I’ve been loosely training for this. My next couple of weekend’s bike mileage will be 90, 100, 112, 60, 40 (MCM), 60, Race.

4. Somewhere in there I have a silly little Warrior Dash to do. Run through a pit of fire AND give me a furry warrior helmet. HELLS YEAH!

5. I suppose I should mention I rarely exercise during the week. Work, family, work, laziness, work, prior commitments, etc.

6. Even with the lack of exercise I’ve “maintained” my post Ironman weight. I gained about ten pounds in the depressing months following the race. I managed to lose five by Spring and have stayed there since. I’d still love to drop another 5-10 (marathon weight) but that would require eating less and exercising more.

7. A couple weeks ago a bunch of friends competed in Ironman Wisconsin. I couldn’t make the trip to cheer so I sat behind the computer and cyber-stalked them. WOW! It was fun to watch, text, message, etc. with people there and on-line. And it got me excited thinking about next year’s journey to Ironman Arizona!!!

8. My deal with Dude is I promised I wouldn’t be as obsessed about it as I was for Switzerland. I think I can make good on that…I know I can do the distance, I know my nutrition needs, I know what the training will be like…so I should be able to maintain some semblance of sanity

9. I got back from a week in Grand Cayman last Saturday all refreshed, relaxed, and happy. That lasted until around 10 am on Monday. Stupid job! Stupid career! Stupid need to stay clothed and fed!

10. While on vacation I realized I need to find something I’m passionate about (besides Dude, I can’t retire and do Dude…well I could but…). Once I identify that “thing” I need to try to make that a priority in my life.

11. The top things that come to mind are cooking (eating) and writing (reading). I suppose triathlon/exercise ranks up there, but that’s already relatively steady in my life.

12. So now what?! How can I turn these hobbies into something?! Anyone…Anyone…Bueller…

13. Holy crap – where has this year gone?? I just looked at my calendar and realized (1)it’s is October, (2) I’ve been incredibly busy since July and have done a ton of things, and (3) I haven’t been blogging about any of it!

BTW, did I mention I have a tattoo?

At long last...Musselman 70.3 Race Report

2010-08-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

I am officially the worst blogger in the universe. And just so you know I’m only writing this race report so I can get to the cool picture at the end. Without further ado…

Package Pick-up Since nothing is popping to mind, I’m assuming it was uneventful.

Pre: Per the usual, Team Z rocks, pancakes with Nutella! We were also set up along the start/finish line so it was nice to be able to just hang out with the team before getting in the water.

Swim 1.2 Miles – 40:34 You could walk to the first buoy and that was my plan until I heard a guy talking about his brother’s best-friend’s cousin’s babysitter (or some strange relationship) that walked last year and fell and broke his ankle. DOH! So I swam. And I swear the course was lllooonnnggg. It felt like I was in there for an eternity and at one point I said if that next buoy is not the finish line I’m stopping. And I did, until someone ran into me and made me swim again. That swim SUCKED!

T1 – 3:10 So I put on the skirt to change and was shocked at how easy the bike shorts went on. I continued to get ready for the ride and when I went to put sunscreen on my legs I realized I still had my tri shorts that I wore during the swim on under my bike shorts. Clock was ticking so I decided to ride with both tri shorts and bike shorts. Would I pay for that later???

Bike 56.2M – 3:28 The answer is NO!!! It was actually quite comfortable. The bike ride ROCKED! I was cruising along thinking this course has NOTHIN’ on Mooseman, this is EZ-Peazy! Then I turned a corner and saw a steep wall disguised as a hill. The hills continued but overall it was a great ride and the scenery was GORGEOUS.

T2 – 4:53 This time I really did take off BOTH pairs of shorts and donned the compression shorts. No extra layers this time.

Run 13.1M – 2:31 My calves/ankle hurt at the beginning so I did the 10/2 run/walk. There was a lady that kept passing me and would chirp “you’re doing good” which got VERY annoying so I eventually passed her and never saw her again. The course was hilly and there was a soul-crushing gravel hill that lasted about a mile around mile 7. After that I ran everything except a couple of hills. The locals who were out cooling us off with their hoses are my new BFF’s – true saviors! Overall, I’m happy with my time but I do need to figure out what the heck is wrong with my calves/ankles though!

Overall 6:48 I thought I was going to PR this race and I was SOOOOOO close – two minutes to be exact! Dang-it!

SWAG Best ice-cream in the world, really good juice, a metal thermos, and a cool finisher medal made out a bike cassette (that I would later use as the outer ring of my tattoo).

Yep, you read correctly, I now have my Ironman tattoo. Instead of the MDOT I went conceptual to represent the sport instead of one race.

And now you know why I finally wrote this damn race report!

MicroMussel Race Report

2010-07-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

Finally - My A Race.

An overview of the race: 100m (that's meter, not miles) swim, .6 mile trike (yeah, I mean tricycle), and .2 mile run.

And without further ado...Heeerrreeee'ssss my Radio Flyer (I'm ashamed to say I never named my trike):

Oh yeah, the IronWoman costume came out!

Anyhow...

Pre: Winery stop on the way to the Lake. Quick veggie burrito at the Team Z tent. Chugged two beers in the rain and headed to the "real" race start.

Kevin (in his aero-helmet, Iron-Es, and Iron-Cat (CHEATER)

Swim: Cancelled due to thunderstorm. I wore my goggles for the race since I forgot my mask, and it WAS raining! Instead of the swim, we ran a traffic circle.

T1: Water was ankle deep at the beginning of transition and sloped up to mere puddles. I didn't know how the puddle situation would be like come race time, so I racked RF up on the rack.

Bike: Who'd-a-thunk a .6 mile ride would be so hard! I swear, the "hill" (slight slope) at the far end of the ride felt like IM-Swiss' Heartbreak Hill! The "Rulz" were your butt had to be on the trike the whole time. You had the option of pushing with your feet or pedaling. I chose pedaling! (Other then the behemoth thigh, I love this picture)!

Right at the end of the ride, Cat (forever more known as CHEATER), passed me. She chose to push with her feet and I later learned her butt was NOT on the seat the whole time.

T2: RF back on the rack and off on the run (I suppose I should mention, everyone wore their helmets for the whole race. SMART!

Run: I was a little back from CHEATER so I sprinted to catch up. Finally, close to the turn around I caught up to her and instead of racing fair, she threw an elbow and stuck her arms out so I couldn't pass. I was laughing so hard, I decided that if she needed to CHEAT, I'd let her have the race. OK, maybe not "have the race", she is a faster runner but she did CHEAT!!!

Final: 11:04, 7th out of ~14. Post race I disqualified CHEATER for not keeping her butt on the seat and declared myself 6th place finisher.

Loads of fun, but I felt every inch of that .6 mile ride in my hip flexers and abs for the rest of the weekend. I imagine next year will have far more then 14 racers, there's a $500 prize - the winner did it in 8 minutes.

You Know What Thursday Means...

2010-07-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

1. It's the start of my second 4-day weekend in a row! Boo-ya!

2. I'm now registered to relay the Beach 2 Battleship Iron-Distance race in November. I'm biking, a new Team Z'er is running, and Charlotte is running.

3. It's two weeks after Marine Corp Marathon...hope my legs will be ready for it!

4. Here's a surprise, I actually had fun "camping" last weekend. It helps that there was a cabin. And that everyone knew how I felt about camping so we got the room with the bed. So slept in a bed + incredible bug spray = fun camping.

5. Dude heard that I liked it so he's booked two more trips. Hope there's cabins wherever he's booked!

6. This weekend is Musselman!!!! Finally, a 70.3 that I'm somewhat, a little bit, trained for.

7. So, it's "OFFICIAL", I'm racing IRONMAN Arizona next year. Official is in quotes because I can't register until November.

8. I'm doing a Girl's Week in Grand Cayman for a week in September. There's extra room in the condo, anyone interested???

9. Someone is coming to look at my townhouse tonight. GULP, what if she wants to rent it?! Guess Dude and I are REALLY going to live together!

10. Lots of work to do on the house before someone moves in...plumbing, electric, yard work, wood floors, maybe ceramic in bathrooms.... All tax write-offs and increase value when it's time to sell.

11. Work is crazy busy but it's all good. Still looking for a replacement for myself!

12. Dude and I are going to Colorado next month. Woohoo - time with friends, time in the mountains. Oh, and we will be in a hotel!!

13. Marathon training is going well so far. Had a fantabulous run on Friday. Since then I've gotten some rides in but it's too flipping hot to run!

~~~~That's all, Folks!~~~

13 Training related blurbs...

2010-07-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

1. I've been training!!!! Seriously, I only miss about one swim and one bike ride a week.

2. ...You should remember that I don't do strength training......Or the optional Sunday swim...So those don't count!...

3. And this particular week has been bad - work, getting ready for weekend trip, excuses, excuses...

4. ...But this past weekend I did it all.

5. This coming weekend...well, if I can convince myself that I AM ON VACATION I will run 10 miles tomorrow morning (otherwise I'll work). Then Monday, I'm hoping to get some friends to ride 60 miles.

6. In between I'm camping.

7. Go ahead, ask me how much I'm looking forward to sleeping on the ground and getting eaten by bugs. Go ahead, ask me! I F-ing dare you)

8. I should mention that Musselman 1/2 Ironman is next weekend.

9. I'm more trained for this then IM 1/2 FL (which isn't saying much)!

10. My pal Timra got us some SWEET Tricycles for the Friday Night's Micro Mussel.

11. What's a MicroMussel??
Swim (100 yards) (or so) - Take a flying leap off the dock and start churning. A few seconds later, if all goes well, you'll come ashore at the boat launch.

Bike (0.6 miles) (roughly) - This is where the tricycle comes in - you could do it on a normal bike, but F that, you can also choose a tricycle or BigWheel.

Run (0.2 miles) (give or take) - This is where I might improvise and moonwalk for .2 miles. Or at least across the finish line!

12. Costumes are optional. Betcha I'll be in costumes.

13. Good times and limited memories on the horizon!

Let Me Tell You...

2010-06-18T15:05:00.001-07:00

ER, House, Gray's Anatomy...

ALL...

FULL OF SHIT!

Turns out they don't actually try to diagnose a damn thing...

This is how a "Real" hospital works:

Patient (my mom - Mama Bear) arrives complaining about crushing chest pains, difficulty breathing, and naseous. Hospitals checks for everything heart related. Keeps patient overnight running blood tests. Give patient stress test at 11 am the following day. FINALLY - 8:30 PM Dr comes to see patient only to say "all your tests are normal, I'm discharging you" (without so much as producing a stethascope).

Patients children, "uh, hell no Dr. If it's not the heart, what's causing these symptoms in my mom?"

Dr, "all her cardiac tests are normal, she needs to follow up with her primary care physician to find out what's wrong with her".

I think he's still in a coma from the CLOSED FIST PUNCH TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD!

F-ER!

Fast forward through 3-days of Dr visits Mama Bear is feeling better. They ruled out heart and gall stones (but did find lesions on her liver that now have to be monitored) but they still don't know what caused the cardiac pain/symptoms. They are blaming it on stress and acid reflux.

Poor Mama Bear!

Back in the Saddle (and other stuff)

2010-06-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

Literally!

Not horse saddle but bike saddle! As in I did a 50 mile hilly ride last weekend, the Tuesday night Conte's hill ride, AND 70 miles yesterday!! Can I get a WOOT WOOT?! OK, it wasn't quite 70 it was 67.5 but close enough! And for the record...I feel great while riding!!! I'm still slow as mollasses getting up the hills, but I am TRI-ing to get faster...TRI-ing to pull up versus pushing down...TRI-ing to figure out the shifting!

Speaking of shifting, my derailler is jacked up. The ride ended yesterday stuck in the granny gears so Penny goes back to the shop tomorrow.

Other then that, my running is lagging. After Musselman I will be going to the Dr about my foot/ankle issue. Or maybe after Marine Corp Marathon since that training starts the weekend of the 19th.

Other Stuff:
Today was the Cancer 2 5K race. I've been volunteering with them for 12 weeks and it's hard to explain the joy I felt watching "my runner" cross the finish line. She pulled her calf earlier this week so the coach told her she had to walk. Well, she wanted none of that so she did intervals and would stop when it really hurt, but kept moving and crossed the finish line running and smiling. I'm so proud of her and ALL of the C25K Runners today!

After the race I went to an Bethesda's awesome Farmer's Market so tonight's dinner is New York Strip with Arugula Pesto (homemade), Arugula/Asparagus/Ricotta Ravioli's with warmed garlic olive oil, and grilled tomatoes with some incredible cheese I bought at the market. BTW - all organic - all clean eating! Can't wait!

Speaking of which - it's time to head to Dude's to start cooking. (Oh, and after much delay, the house will be on the rental market next week)

Oh, and as an aside, I guess I should let you all know...

IRONMAN

ARIZONA

2011!!!

STRONG, STRONG, STRONG POSSIBILITY.

As in, if the Team picks it, I will be toeing the line once again!

Half Ironman in Hell…or Ironman FL 70.3 Race Report

2010-05-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

I’ve been looking forward to this race...only because it was in Orlando so I would be seeing my family and maybe see some friends. Beyond that, it’s really hard to be looking forward to a Half when you’ve barely trained for a Sprint!

Package Pick Up/Registration – In true Ironman WTC fashion this was very well organized. My only issues were they did not say that the shirts were “women” sized so the large that I ordered (I like baggy t-shirts) is obscenely tight and will probably be given to Dude’s son (and it will probably be tight on him and he’s skinny)! The other issue was the Expo. I’m used to TRIATHLON Expos. You know, Expos with nutrition, bike stuff, and misc. gear that is often forgotten. Nope, there was one shoe place, a granola booth, then a bunch of advertisement type places for future races, training, peanut butter, grocery stores, etc. I didn’t pack Enduralytes or Chamois Cream because, well, these items are usually available at the Expo. Especially Enduralytes when you are racing in a hot climate! The remainder of my Saturday was spent looking for these items, failing to find them, and coming up with substitutes.

Pre: Woke up in plenty of time and made my way to Disney. The bussing system was well organized and timely. There early, all set-up and spent most of my time hanging on the beach calming my nerves.

Swim 1.2 Miles – 44:02 Slowest I’ve ever done 1.2 miles. I’m blaming that on it not being wetsuit legal. It had nothing to do with the fact I’ve only swam, oh, what, 12 times since December. It was the lack of wetsuit!!!!

T1 – 7:33 Apparently I stopped and wrote an epic novel. Seriously, over 7 1/2 minutes!! It was about a ¼ mile run on mulch to my transition area. For this race I was testing a new changing system. I put on a little skirt so I could strip down without violating the “No Nudity” rule and put on my bike shorts. This worked quite well at home, but putting bike shorts on a wet body caused some issues that bit into my time. Add that I had an end spot so I had an audience for this wrestling match and of course Mom’s taking pictures! Nice! Then the nose piece on my glasses kept falling off and instead of grabbing my spare shades I kept trying to fix them. Finally gave up, grabbed the other pair, and did the 10th of a mile run to the bike out.

Bike 56.2M – 3:18 Holy cow – look at that PR! Gotta love flat, fast courses. The only issue I had was the guy who shipped my bike put the tire on backwards so until the first rest stop I didn’t have mileage/speed/etc. There was A LOT of drafting going on. Seriously, why would you cheat yourself. Whatever! Nutrition was good, it wasn’t too hot, no mechanical issues. I loved that bike ride!

T2 - 6:43 Apparently I stopped and proof-read my epic novel. Seriously, almost 7 minutes!! Another 10th of a mile run to my transition area. I incorporated the changing skirt again to get into my compression shorts. Again, this worked at home, not so much with a sweaty body. I also debated with shin sleeves but since it was so hot, I decided against them. Thank Goodness! Sunscreen, fuel belt, devil horns on and I’m off!

Run 13.1M – An Eternity, or 3:00 The devil horns came in handy because this was truly triathlon HELL. It was 1,000 degrees, no joke. In each of the three (F-ING) loops, there was about 3 miles of “access rode” running which means tall grass, ruts in the roads, swamp on one side, trees on the other. NO SHADE, NO BREEZE. Did I mention it was 1,000 degrees? It turned into a Death March. People that looked in seriously better shape then me were wandering with a dazed look on their face. During my first loop, three people were getting carted off by ambulance for heat exhaustion. My mom said it looked like the finish line was getting hit with sniper fire – people would cross the line and collapse. When I finished there was a line of people on stretchers waiting for ambulances. At each rest stop I’d stuff ice in my hat, down my shirt, in the back and front of my shorts, and on each thigh. I’d then pour buckets of ice water on my head and within a half mile I’d be boiling hot again. It was a mental test to run for more then five minutes. The second loop I was able to “run” to each mile marker then walk for 3 minutes (or 4). Lap three I did that until mile 10. Heading into mile 11 I saw the back of a mile marker and begged to all things holy that it did not say 11 (I knew just how far I still had to go to get to the turn-around and back to that sign). Sure enough…11. I yelled (screamed would the better word) F***!!!!! The girl just ahead of me said "EXACTLY – this is F-ING ridiculous"! From then on I walked. Oh, I’d try to run 2:1 intervals but those were turning into 1:4. Mile 13, only one mile to go and my brain just said no. So I walked until I got to the crowd (adoring fans) and I ran. I definitely had a final sprint at the end since I barely ran anything. I have never been so happy to end a race, and boy howdy, did I smell bad!

Overall 7:17 – I remember getting off the bike thinking that I was going to PR. Silly me! Never, ever, ever, ever underestimate heat. I’d so much prefer to race in the cold! You can always put on more layers but you can only get so naked before they put you in jail.

I was expecting more swag since this was an Ironman sponsored event but for $275 I got a participant shirt (that doesn’t fit), hat, bag, a medal, and a poster. Mooseman cost less last year and in addition to all that (minus poster) we also got a finisher shirt and an awesome thermos…not to mention the margaritas. I never found the athlete’s area after the race (apparently it was quite a walk) so I didn’t get my pizza.

I also want to give a shout out to Tri Sport Express – the company I used to ship my bike down there. Professional, inexpensive, and absolutely stress free. Use them. Seriously, use them, not that other company!!! You’ll save $$$!!!

Six weeks till Mussel Man! I swear I’m going to start training...right after my 12 hours work days and my attempt to maintain a “normal” life!

Lots going on

2010-05-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

and no time to blog.

First - I finally got my promotion. Woo Hoo and double WOOT!!! But now you know why the "no time to blog".

Second - Ironman FL 70.3 is on Sunday (Bib 1681, Wave 15, 7:03 start). Yep, Sunday, as in 3 days and a wake-up. And if you think my training has picked up from the pure laziness since October the answer would be a resounding NO. And the weather...upper 80's and sunny. This is going to be a SUFFER FEST!

I did run 2 1/2 - 3 hours two weeks ago - the run was fine but it was unseasonal HOT and HUMID. My body tends to shut down in those conditions (like I said, SUFFER FEST). Then on Sunday I rode 40 plus miles. The first 25 miles my eyes were swollen shut from the pollen. I took a Benadryl at the rest stop and was in a coma for the final 15. Literally, I put my elbows on my aero pads and closed my eyes whenever the road was straight. Just a little dangerous!

This past weekend Penny was in the shop. Instead of running I went on a hike with Dude. If you want to know the truth, I was kind of hoping that I would get injured so I wouldn't have to race this Sunday. No such luck - still healthy, still racing.

Racing, now that's a funny word.

I will compete. I will do my best. But I have no goals except -
Don't stop swimming, pedaling, or putting one foot in front of the other for 70.3 miles!

Guess What I Did...

2010-04-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

...all of my half-Ironman training over the weekend! And by Sunday afternoon I was paying for it! How the hell did the folks who were finishing a three week build feel?!!

Saturday I went for a run…a 10-mile run at that - and it hurt!! Apparently I now need 3-miles to warm up. First 3-miles was flat-footed plodding as described in my race report then suddenly I was fine. For the training run I was able to stick to an 11 minute mile, including a 1 minute walk at each mile marker. Anyhow, 1-3 sucked, 4-7 was ok, 8-10 hurt...but in a good way. This weekend is Recovery Week but I’m going to do what I did with Shamrock training – 14 miles, three weeks before my half.

Sunday was my 48 mile bike ride. While 48 miles doesn’t seem like much in comparison to last year’s training but since October I’ve only ridden 51 miles and that was over three different occasions. Surprisingly, the bike ride went quite well. First 40 miles was easy-peasy, last 8, not so much. Uphill - the whole entire time! I swear!

What a difference a year makes. Last year nutrition was my 100% focus, this year, not so much! I showed up at the ride with one Gu for a 3 hour+ ride. I do think gels reproduce though because in my search of my car I did find two more and don’t know how/where they came from...or how old they were for that matter.

I got back home around 1:00, showered, and by the time we headed out for lunch I was STARVING. Dude took me for sushi and we more then slightly over indulged. After the fact I figured out everything we ordered (and finished): three special rolls (those are the big ones – 6 pieces each), two rolls (those skinny ones – 6 pieces each), two piece each of salmon, tuna, and fresh water eel.

Yep, 42 pieces of sushi, and three large beers split between the two of us. And please believe me when I say Dude had far more sushi then I did!

We finished (and they gave us some free wine, I think because we had the largest bill of the day) then did some shopping. Went home and neither of us can remember what channel we put on because we went into a sushi coma for about three hours.

Needless to say, there was no need for dinner! (Don't you love google image...the things you find)

Stay tuned…big news coming!!!

RITB Sprint Relay Race Report / Thursday 13

2010-04-22T07:23:00.001-07:00

Day two of triathlon began once again with a pancake with Nutella (Me after eating that pure yumminess).

I was jealous of Jason (1st pic) and Robin’s (2nd pic) MDot tattoos so I made my own (3rd pic - I couldn't see what I was drawing and apparently didn't finish coloring it in):

Bibianna was our swimmer and said she’d be the last one out of the water – she was wrong – she had a good swim.

I took off for the mount line and realized for the second day in a row I was in the wrong gear. Then I couldn’t clip in.

So I cussed a lot and really loud. (Sorry to all the parents who had their kids at the mount line)

I ran my bike to the top of the hill and started from there.

Decent ride, almost the same pace as Saturday but I could definitely feel the burning in my legs

Made it back and Rachel took off on the run.

I got in line for a massage but then headed to the finish to see Rachel finish – Big Smile on her face.

Then back in line for a massage.

It was cold and windy and I was having issues with all of the pollen in the air so I decided to skip the massage and headed home.

Overall Team Z Diva’s came in 14th out of 24. 21st on the swim, 5th for T1, 9th for bike, 15th for T2, and 11th for the run.

All in all a great Tri-Weekend with Team Z!

Rumpass in the Bumpass Oly Race Report = Brain Fart

2010-04-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

First tri of the season and I found that I have forgotten more about triathlons in the past 7 months then I care to admit!

Pre: Team Z Rulz! It was fun to see the nervous newbies, catch up with the veterans, and found a new love for a pancake with Nutella as a pre-race snack. Thanks Lindsay! Couple brain fart moments – I couldn’t remember where/how to attach the bike number, didn’t bring scissors/tape, and forgot sunscreen (I paid for this later).

Swim 1,500 M – 34:42 Over 1 minute faster then Nation’s Tri – probably had more to do with swimming a straight line then anything else. This was by far the choppiest water I’ve ever swum in and got flipped on my back a few times. Brain fart moment – I had taken my goggles off for pictures and started to swim out to the start line with my goggles on top of my head. DOH!

T1 – 2:34 Almost a minute faster then Nation’s. It was a long way from my bike to the mount line and running in bike shoes bites!

Bike 40K – 1:26 Five minutes slower then Nation’s. Had fun on the ride and considering this was only my second time on Penny since October. Per the usual, I need to work on hills…and have a talk with Mother Nature about winds on race day. Brain fart moment - I forgot to check what gear I would need to be in coming out of transition. Bottom of a hill, big gear = FAIL! Then I couldn’t clip in. Rookie mistakes!

T2 - 2:24 One minute faster then Nation’s. First race since Kinetic (May last year) that my knee was not hurting! WOOT! Brain fart moment – I forgot to put my speed laces on my new shoes and this was the first time I had to tie my shoes in a very long time. I did take the extra minute to put my devil horns on though.

Run 10K – 1:14 Twelve (yep, twelve) minutes slower then Nation’s. I’ve been having a problem running lately. For the first 2-3 miles, I have no motion in my right ankle so I flat-foot plod along…very, very, very slowly. About the time I’m ready to call it a day the motion returns and I can run again. So, I’d say my first 3 miles were at a run/walk pace of 13+ minute miles. Eventually, I may have gotten to an 11 minute pace, but I did walk the hills and the portion through the woods where roots were bigger then what I could lift my legs at this point. No final sprint – I was DONE!

Overall 3:20 – 14 minutes slower then Nation’s. Not real happy with the results but considering the sheer lack of training it is better then I deserved! Also, due to lack of base strength, this was the first time I left everything on the course. Like I said, no final sprint because I just couldn’t. I took off my shoes to get in the lake for an ice bath and found that the front of my right ankle down to the arch was grossly swollen and it hurt to walk. I should probably get that looked at but FL ½ Ironman in less then a month.

Rumpus in the Bumpass = great way to start the tri-season!

Stay tuned for the Rumpus in the Bumpass Sprint Relay Race Report.

Travel Thirteen

2010-04-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Everyone should be required to shower or at a minimum wear deodorant before boarding a plane.

Tip the curbside check-in folks well - and have the money showing as they are doing your ticket - sometimes they will move you to better seats.

Claim the armrest as soon as possible. Once you lose control it’s gone forever.

Think about what you are wearing before heading out the door. And men, a button down sleeveless shirt is NEVER an option.

Don’t judge me by the trashy magazines I’m reading. I swear, I only read them when flying (or waiting for my nails to dry).

Just check your bags. Nowadays there is never enough room for everyone’s rollers and now you’re just holding us all up.

Even if you don’t feel like you need to, go to the restroom before getting on the plane.

I still don’t understand the boarding number thing. Shouldn’t it be window seats first, then middle, then aisle. And if that’s the concept, why are people sitting everywhere?!

Book early and try to get the Economy Plus. The extra leg room is SOOOOO worth it!

I never turn off my phone or iPod when they tell me to.

Automatic soap dispensers rarely work. And I'm not a fan of the automatic flushing toilet.

Never, never, never book an early morning flight out of Vegas! You WILL oversleep!

Sometimes, $6 for horrible wine on the plane is worth EVERY penny!

Some final "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" ramblings to make you wonder:
Some things are a "Party in Your Mouth", "Tearing it Up" hurts once you're past a certain age, Pole Dancing is hazardous, and shots are always a bad idea!

Food (x13)

2010-04-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

I’m focusing on food because I went to swim practice this morning (2,500 meters in 60 minutes) so after morning swim practice, as typical
I.
AM.
STARVING.

1. I don’t like crust on toast but I love pizza crust and I eat the crust on my sandwiches first.

2. If I ever invite you over for a meal, just come over. I’m 97% positive you will enjoy the food (100% sure you’ll enjoy the company).

3. But you should know I taste with the same spoon I’m stirring with.

4. If something falls on the floor I throw it away – no 5-second rule in my kitchen.

5. I don’t like tomatoes in/on my burgers or sandwiches. I do like the slices next to my food with a little salt on them.

6. Despite my aversion to tomatoes in my food, I do like tomato sauce and salsa.

7. I prefer my sandwiches cut diagonally.

8. It annoys me when people put salt/pepper on their food without tasting it first.

9. I don’t like green bell peppers but I like red, orange, and yellow ones.

10. Further proof that I was switched at birth - I do not like spicy food! Yep, I’m a disgrace to the Mexi-Rican community! Knowing that there’s an Italian girl out there that hates pasta and lives for spicy Mexican food makes me feel a little better when ordering everything “as mild as possible”!

11. I now make my tuna fish with tzatziki sauce (2 Tbs = 30 calories) instead of reduced fat, light mayo (2 Tbs = 98 calories) or regular Mayo (1 Tbs = 114 calories). So not only is it better for me, it adds a little zing that is mmm, mmm, good.

12. I try not to order guacamole when out in public. Only because I have to stop myself from licking the bowl like I do at home (only when I’m alone or at least out of eyesight of others).

13. I'm also not very good at sharing said guacamole. See that picture, yep, that would just be for me!!!

All this talk makes me HUNGRY!

ShamROCK Half Marathon

2010-03-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been following my blog, you may have noticed winter training has been few and far between. A couple weeks ago I forced myself to run 14 miles to prove to myself that I could do it. Needless to say, I had little aspirations for this race. My unofficial goals were: ultra stretchy goal of 2:17 (about 10:30 min mile) to expected 2:23 (11 min miles).

This was also my 1st Half Marathon only so regardless it would be a PR.

Day Before – Saturday I drove to Virginia Beach and by recklessly speeding I was able to catch up with Ken and Brian. We followed each other in and went straight to the expo. I proceeded to do some shopping and bought these:

And this cute little necklace (it's on a black rubber "chain"):

Oh, and some gel (never ate) and ANOTHER race belt. Had an incredible dinner then back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

Lori and I agreed to run with each other. We ended up in the wrong corral – a little too slow so we were passing people left and right. We got to the first mile marker, checked the watch: 10:15. YIKES! SLOW DOWN!

Miles 2-10 – We slowed down to 11 min mile and I was feeling great. I told Lori that if I still felt this good at the half way point I’d speed up a bit. Well that didn’t happen. The aches started around mile 7 so our plan changed to speed up for the final 5K. We got to the 10 mile mark and I started to speed up as I heard Lori yell I’ll see you at the finish.

Mile 11 – ~ 10:45 pace – Felt good, keep going.

Mile 12 – ~ 10:30 pace - Still good, not that much further to go.

Mile 13 – Under 10 minutes. Yeah Baby!! One mishap – I was trying to pass someone as I was going around a cone. My foot caught the cone and thankfully I was able to stumble and did not face-plant. What a klutz!

13.1: Rounded the corner to get on the boardwalk and I could see the King Neptune statue and started sprinting. Quickly realized I started sprinting a bit too soon so let off a bit. Once I could see the word FINISH I went back into sprint mode. Saw two Team Z’ers up ahead and tried with all my might to catch them but to no avail.

Got across the line and felt GREAT! Got my medal, and hat, and shirt, and water, and banana. They had some other stuff to give out but my hands were full.

My time? 2:20:24!!! And I celebrated with some Yuengling Light then went to watch the marathon finishers.

Two days later – I’m feeling great, very little residual pain. But I have this nagging question in my head…

How well could I have done if I had actually trained.

Swim, Dude, Work - Thursday 13

2010-03-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

1. I made swim practice this morning

2. Only because I had to drop off an armoire to Tom and I’m not going to make the Team run this weekend

3. Practice was great – tiring at first but fine by the end – even with all those Zone-4 sets and the one Zone-5 set!

4. I think I could build back to my speed again if I was disciplined enough to go twice a week

5. I did enjoy my 7-11 coffee this morning. You’d think that would be enough incentive to go twice a week!

6. I feel sorry for the swim coaches. They must get tired of telling me that I cross my arms too far across my head on the catch (especially when I’m tired).

7. Dude took the day off and took me to lunch today.

8. To Bertucci’s! Mmm, thin crust pizza!

9. Even with a lunch break I will have 12 hours in today. That brings me up to 46 and I have another 11 – 12 hours day tomorrow.

10. Did I mention my promotion is almost in the bag?!

11. And one of the women that would eventually fall in my organization told me straight up that she “will NOT work for me”. She said that…to my face.

12. I thought “don’t let the door hit you in the A$$ on your way out”!

13. I wish I had the COJONES to say it! To HER face!

Realization

2010-03-05T20:53:00.000-08:00

Dude has a 10-year old son and just this week I came to the realization that I have a 10-year old child as well. (I’m a little slow, give me a break)

Obviously I didn’t give birth to him and he’s not legally my step-child, but I essentially have a 10-year old.

You see, I’ve always considered him Dude’s son - someone I saw once a week and every other weekend. Don’t get me wrong – I am involved in his life. I’m on homework duty when we have him (go ahead, ask my about Martin Luther King Jr and long division). I cook for him, shop for him, clean up after him. I (try to) make him abide by my rules. You know, all the basic parental responsibilities. But it’s going to the next step now – I find myself worrying about him - his happiness, his future, his health, everything.

This realization that I’m now a part of a family in which I have responsibilities to a child came about when I was debating joining them on a Boy Scout Family weekend trip.

I have A LOT of work that I should do. I have a run that I should get in. It’s supposed to be nice this weekend so there was even the potential to get a bike ride in. Oh, and I haven’t had a pedicure in months! MONTHS! So I was being my normal *selfish* me and thinking, "cool this is going to be “my” weekend while they’re gone".

*I mean this in a relatively positive way – It’s easy to be selfish when there is just you and a “loved” one (quotes refer to the ex) to take into consideration. *

But the more I thought about bailing out on the weekend, the more I realized that Dude is my family. And since he’s my family, that means HIS family is MY family and I have to be an active part of it. No more sitting on the sidelines and joining in when it fits my schedule.

Once the light bulb switched on I realized that this IS what I want.

This is my life now.

It certainly was never in my plans but it is just where I want to be.

Weekend Wrap Up

2010-03-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

Friday night Dude & I went to see Strongman & Heidi's 14-year old play at Ned Devine's - KISS cover band. But first I had a couple people over for munchies and drinks. Overall Good Time! We did learn that we are NOT bar-hoppers. Between my house, the concert, then we dropped by another place we were POOPED. I suppose I should mention that it was all of 1030. We Are LAME!

Saturday was a sad day. We went to Dude's Dad's house to check on him/make sure he's taking care of himself/visit/help him with the house. I won't get into details, but I will say I called my mom the next day and asked for a POA. The deal I told her was once she's past a "certain age" if the four of us kids unanimously agree something is in her best interest, we can make decisions for her. Not necessarily to put her in a home, but little things like house/car maintenance decisions.

Sunday I went for a run. First I want to say that I found the joy of running again - there's just something about running in near perfect weather after a long hiatus. To prove to myself that I could run the 1/2 marathon in 3 weeks, I decided to run 14 miles. Take that 1/2 marathon! I ran almost SPOT ON 11 minute miles (HR at ~160 - FYI my Zone 2 is high 140's). I am paying for ignoring Zone 2. Screaming Quads. Aching IT Bands. And sore, sore, sore hip flexors. But I did it - I know I'll be fine at Shamrock!

So, last Thursday I said, "This weekend’s goals are install a garage door opener (Fail - but purchased), chop down a tree (Success), fix a light fixture (Half-fail - bought/installed what we thought was needed but apparently we have to get a whole new fixture), stage my house (Fail), run 10-12 miles (Success +2 miles), and work on my new blog (Fail)." C'est la vie - tomorrow is another day!

That's all folks - work is going to be Insane this week so I'm not sure if I'll be checking in again.

Thursday Thirteen Random Thoughts

2010-02-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

1. So far I’m doing so-so on my Non-Catholic Lent. No brussel sprouts, shoveling snow, watching professional sports, or time on the trainer. Still have to commute everyday though.

2. I’ve also only had one Barq’s Root Beer and not a single Disaronno’s! See, so I have sacrificed something I like!

3 weeks to Shamrock ½ Marathon

4. I have stayed true to my New Year’s promise to myself. I made myself the deal that I could only get my 7-11 coffee on mornings I go to swim practice and Friday’s. So far, I haven’t made swim practice and I’ve only stopped on Friday mornings.

5. I have to change lanes so it makes it difficult to get to the 7-11 to resist the temptation. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

6 weeks to VEGAS BABY! Girl’s Weekend in Vegas – we’re going to go to the spa, see Le Reve and take a Stripper 101 class (hey – I hear it’s a great workout and who couldn’t gain from learning how to shake that boot-ay!)

7 weeks to first Tri (RumpASS in the BumpASS Oly and Sprint Relay)

8. This weekend’s goals are install a garage door opener, chop down a tree, fix a light fixture, stage my house, run 10-12 miles, and work on my new blog.

9. Yep, I’m going to abandon this blog and move to another. More details to follow – but it will be about training, racing, life, and cooking – just more Type-A organized then this one.

10. My house goes on the market next week. For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent? For Sell? For Rent?

11 weeks to first 70.3 of the year (Ironman Florida 70.3)!

12. There are big changes coming at work and I’m one of the few that knows about them. I don’t like being “in the know”!

13. I registered for the WARRIOR DASH for 9 October. It’s a 3.1 mile run, but there’s obstacles, like mud pits, a wall, and rappelling. Oh, did I mention you get to run through fire. "Fire, Fire, He He"! {Beavis & Butthead reference} They also give away warrior hats – furry warrior hats with horns. How could I NOT sign up!

Freezin’ For A Reason – Polar Plunge “Race" Report

2010-02-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday was the Freezin’ For A Reason Polar Plunge to raise money for Camp Sunshine.

Pre-Pre Race:
Friday: To prep for the race I cooked for a couple hours on Friday night in preparation for the Post Polar Plunge Party (PPPP) – menu included my Turkey Chili, Corn Bread, some Cheese Bread, an addicting Ramen Salad, Red Pepper Wrapped Mozzarella Balls, and a platter of Roasted Red Peppers, Italian Meats, and Marinated Olives.

I also prepared my “race” outfit that consisted of sparkly tights, a skirt, bathing suit top, a cape, red mask, red swim cap, and some gloves. That’s right, I was going to plunge as a Superhero…an IRONWOMAN to be exact (cape said FEXX – FE=Iron, XX=Female).

Saturday – Got up bright and early, finished cooking, had some oatmeal, then headed to Heidi’s (PPPP house). But first I had to stop to get two bottles of vodka for the PPPP. Got to her house, had some wine, suited up, and headed to the plunge location. On the way, Timra was kind enough to lend me some hooker boots to complete my ensemble.

I didn’t want** to post these…but here are the pre-plunge pics:

Before we could jump, they had to break through the ice. While they did that, I shared some pre-race nutrition in the form of vodka and OJ.

So, we all got in line and before you know it, it’s our turn to jump (I jumped with my co-worker Alison).

IT WAS F-ING COLD. SERIOUSLY F-ING COLD.

Unofficially - I won. I mean, I did beat Alison to the ladder! And, just so you know, hooker boots make it very difficult to climb a ladder...especially when you are trying to hold your boobies in!

All in all, it felt like we were in the water for around a minute. Watching the video, turns out it was 7 seconds. Got into warm, dry clothes, headed to the PPPP where full-fledged partying ensued.

HOLY HANGOVER – THAT WAS FUN!

**After seeing the fat gut in the pics, I’ve worked out every night this week and have implemented food journaling again. Time to lose the gut!

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T18:56:00.000-08:00

I'm not Catholic so I don't actually give anything up, but I've been thinking about what I would be WILLING to give up.

And in between thoughts the following things were ELIMINATED from that list:

Dude
Oatmeal
Coffee
Fat Free French Vanilla Creamer
Tea
Honey
Coke Zero
Water
Chocolate
Pizza
Barq's Root Beer
Wine
Vodka
DeSarrono (however it's spelled/pronounce)
Alcohol
Exercise (only because I have a race sometime during Lent)
Greek Yogurt
Blogging
Facebook
My BlackBerry
Chicken (well, meat in general)
Brown Rice
Hot Showers

So far, here's the list of what I am willing to give up for Lent:
Commuting
Shoveling Snow
Watching Professional sports on TV
Brussel Sprouts
Training on my trainer (Penny has been set up on it since December and I've been on it less then 2 hours - not in a row)

So there you have it folks - apparently I'm giving up brussel sprouts for however long Lent lasts.

I Need A Vacation...

2010-02-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

In case you have been living in a cave, the Northern VA area has been hit with snow. And by hit, I mean CLOSED FIST PUNCH TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD.

2 Ft+ over the weekend and expect another 2 Ft tonight.

Are You Fricking Kidding Me?!?!

On a pretty note, here are two of my favorite pictures that Dude has taken this weekend:

Rewind to Thursday I started to feel sick (Dude was sick Mon/Tue). Worked 1/2 day Thurs then from home on Friday. Ventured out for groceries on Friday - who knew milk and frozen pizza are survival items for snow weekends?!

Friday evening did the pre shovel - about 6 inches at 9pm.

Got up Saturday and went to shoveling. About four shovels in my back was aching (remember it was hurt a couple weeks ago). Fifth shovel I heard two loud pops (not to be confused with the typical cracking of my old ass bones) and both legs went numb. If I wasn't holding the shovel I would have went down. I spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday in bed in a whole lot of pain. Luckily, my back was hurting a couple weeks ago so I had some leftover drugs to self-medicate (and I may not be a doctor but I watch them on TV and low and behold come Monday I was feeling a lot better). Not 100% by any means, but hey, I'm out of bed and able to move.

Monday I worked from home...again. Oh, and I made some INCREDIBLE crab-filled homemade raviolis. Love my pasta machine!

Tuesday - worked from home again. I can get out and I could go to work but Dude can't work from home. See, he drives an Austin Mini (no, he's not gay) and the people parked next to him decided to dump their snow against and in front of his car. So, he gets my SUV until...Spring.

You have noticed no mention of workouts. Well, I've been watching the Team email and all those NOT living in the sticks have been sharing their apartment/condo gyms, getting to pools, using their trainers, etc. And what have I been doing?

Sitting on my ass doing a lot of nothing.

And I almost feel guilty about it!

Come on Mother Nature - Is This All You Got?!

Damn You Punxsutaney Phil

2010-02-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

That's right, Damn you, you furry GROUNDHOG!

I want to run - I really do. But I am a Fair-Weathered Athlete and I won't run in snow, in anything below 30 degrees, or on the treadmill for over an hour.

A girl has to have her limits.

In case you didn't know, that little F-ER predicted six more weeks of winter. And to kick things off here in NO-VA, we are expecting 3-6" tonight (Tue) and even more this weekend.

DAMN YOU PUNXSUTANEY PHIL!

Modified 13

2010-01-29T15:54:00.000-08:00

As in you'll only get 8!!

I love my job

This week has been a "Eat More, Exercise Less" week and I'm up a pound. My job is relentless and the one night I could have went to the gym I went to Happy Hour. I deserved it! Yep, you read that right, I haven't done anything (except sit-ups one morning) since last Saturday. I'm suppose to run 14 miles on Saturday but rumor has it that it will only be 18 defreeze. Maybe I'll just lounge around the house and drink Bailey's laced hot cocoa.

I hate my job

My brother arrives in DC tonight for the weekend. Originally he was going to stay at my place but then I heard (through the grapevine) that he got a hotel. WHATEV! I emailed him to see about meeting for dinner and he said sure but didn't make any plans (again, through the grapevine I've heard that they have everything planned, from arrival to departure with everything in-between). Should I take the hint? I'll be mad if he completely blows me off. We have an odd relationship - best of friends growing up and we still get along great but neither of us are the greatest communicators. Basically out of sight, out of mind. When I go down to FL to visit we'll go out and have fun then not talk for another year. Weird, I know.

I love my job

I mentioned going to happy hour. One of my favorite things about HH (aside from good company, adult beverages, and yummy wings and nachos) is I get to drive by this take out joint called (and I swear I'm not making this up) "MEAT IN A BOX". And just so you know, I think sexual innuendo every time I see the sign (then I giggle). Yes, I am that juvenile. Seriously, MEAT IN A BOX! (I'm giggling just typing it). Someday I just may have to pop in and get me some.

I hate my job

I've mentioned my insomnia. This weeks story - There's this traffic circle that I go through EVERY SINGLE DAY on the way to work. In my sleep deprived state, I apparently missed my exit and kept going. It took a few minutes until I realized I had NO IDEA where I was. I actually had to use my nav system to find my way to my office.

Peace-Out!

9 - 13

2010-01-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

Dang it, I couldn’t even do the three days in a row. If it’s any excuse, I worked 12.5 hours Thursday night, busy on Friday, and I make it a goal to not get on my computer over the weekend.

9. 2010 Motivational Plan – It’s going ok – I’m a little behind on my monthly $$$ goal because my back pain made me miss a week. I’m learning that in addition to the monetary incentive, it helps when I have someone depending on me to show up. Jason texted me the other day and we met at the gym to work out. I also made the team run because I told him I’d be there. GREAT 2 hour run with Jill!!! Didn’t make Sunday’s bike ride though – too tired and it was raining.

10. Sleep Deprivation – Every once in awhile insomnia hits me like a mack truck. And it’s been running me over for about three weeks now. Basically I sleep for 2 hours, I’m wide awake for 2 hours, repeat until the alarm goes off at 5:40. I’m exhausted, I’m grumpy, and my concentration is shot. I AM MISERABLE!

12. Social Networking – How much is too much? I Blog, I Facebook, I Email, I Text, I’m Linked-in, my Blackberry is always within reach, and I have a Twitter account (but I’ve never twitted – and I find it odd that strangers are following me even though I like that strangers read my blog – I’m just weird like that!) Is all of this really necessary though?

12. Weight – Remember that whole thing I said about eating less and exercising more. Well, it still works. I’m down 4 lbs! 5 till I’m semi-happy, 7 till I’m happy, and if only I could lose 11.4 I’d be ecstatic!

13. Zone Workouts – As you know, I haven’t exactly been keeping with the training schedules. Well last weekend I did 8 miles at “my pace” (what felt good, versus monitoring my heart rate) and was a little sore on Sunday – not horrible, but there was some tenderness. Sunday, Jill and I did 10 miles, pure zone 2, and no pain. None, Zilch, Nada. The stuff works people – try it!!!

5-8 of 13

2010-01-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

Day 2 of catching up. Today’s topics vary – I’ve decided to go alphabetically with my list of subjects I’ve jotted down over the past two weeks.

5. Baby Factory – as in it’s time to shut mine down. TMI but I’ve been having girl issues and all the research points to being on the pill for many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many years. A couple years ago I asked the Dr about “getting fixed” and he said he’d do it (odd since I was 36 and I don't have kids). I chickened out (worried that the biological clock would come to life). Now that I’m nearing 40 and the biological clock has been relatively quiet (I hate to admit I have had my moments in the past year - darn that whole being in love thing). So, it’s time to really look at and weigh the options.

6. Exercise – Just to catch up, last week I hurt my back so I didn’t do a damn thing. Seriously, not a single exercise for over a week. I was finally feeling better on Friday, but that’s a rest day according to the schedule (shut up!). Saturday I ran the 8 miles I mentioned yesterday. I should mention I was only suppose to do 5 but it felt so good that I just kept going. Sunday = weights, Monday was a holiday so I took the day off (shut up!), Tuesday = easy run and I tried to swim but the pool at the gym was full, Tonight is speedwork and weight lifting, tomorrow spin, Friday is weights, Saturday 10 mile run, and we’ll see about biking on Sunday (weather dependent). Did you notice the increase in weight lifting – yep, something new that I’m trying. We’ll see how long this lasts!

7. Light Weight – Speaking of weights, I’m officially a light weight. Not girth. Not ability to lift. Nope, my ability to drink is gone! I haven’t made it through a 2nd glass of wine in quite awhile. And quite frankly, I don’t know if this makes me happy or sad. I use to love me my wine!

8. Money - Is it just me or does “something” come up EVERY FRICKING month? Every month I think, ok, this is the month I will save money. Then the water heater breaks, or I have team membership to pay, or races to sign up for to avoid price increases, or the car needs maintenance, or gifts need buying, etc., etc., etc. Just once I’d like to have a savings month! Oh well, maybe next month.

1-4 of 13

2010-01-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

1. Work – BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! Well obviously I’ve been busy since I haven’t blogged in, oh, about forever. I owe 2 weeks of Thursday 13 and I have no time to think about it much less write. So for this week, I’ll build up to the full 13 by Thursday then maybe I’ll get back into some sort of rhythm. Any-who – back to the work thing, in addition to my day to day job (and increasingly frustrating dealings with one of my divisions) I am trying to launch a Program, Planning, and Control Organization at my company. This is something near and dear to my heart and something I was very involved with at my last company. So far, people seem interested but I’m not quite feeling the love. Trying to get it kicked off by 1 April…yikes!

2. Race Schedule Thoughts – 1st of all, I already missed the first race of the season – didn’t feel like driving in to DC. Instead, I ran 8 miles around my neighborhood to include hills, trail, ice, traffic dodging, and an overwhelming desire to stop at Starbucks. Minor changes to the schedule: see #4 for Feb and I changed my mind (saved some money) by just signing up for the micro-Mussel and the Musselman in July (no Sprint). The big change – after looking at the schedule, I realized that if I did Marine Corp Marathon and tried to relay the swim and bike at B2B I would basically be training for a fall Ironman – it would just be in a different order and I’d have a REALLY long transition between run and swim. I don’t want to train for an Ironman this year (said in a whining voice) so I’ll just relay B2B either just the swim or just the bike.

3. Procrastination – You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned the whole living arrangements for awhile. Truth be told, I’m procrastinating. First off, it’s scary thinking about selling my house to live with someone (even though it is Dude). But mainly it’s because I don’t want to live at his current townhouse for too long. I’ve been waiting for him to show some initiative about getting his place ready to sell before listing mine and guess what…just this weekend he did just that. Looks like it’s really going to happen!

4. Freezin’ for a Reason – this is my February thing. Not really a race. Well maybe a race to see who can get out the fastest! This is a charity event raising money for Camp Sunshine. Camp Sunshine is pretty cool, in that it is a camp for terminally ill children AND their entire family. Imagine, the terminally ill child has some fun, the siblings who may have been put on the back burner for a bit get to have some fun, and the parents get a bit of a respite from the stress of caring for an ill child. Pretty cool! Now, for those of you NOT in VA, take a look at their website – they are all over the North East (and one in Seattle). If you don’t care to take the plunge, you could donate (my site). And for those of you in the Northern VA area that aren’t going to plunge, again, you could donate. Or come on out and watch.

Stay tuned for number 5-8 tomorrow…

2010 - Bring It!

2010-01-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

Here it is – the much anticipated race schedule (subject to change whenever I feel like it)

Jan 16 – DC Road Runner Club’s JFK 5K – no goal. OK, I want to break 30 minutes (shut up speed demons!). A couple years ago – before Ironman training - I did a 5K in 23 minutes. My, my, my how times change!

Feb – Nothing yet – possibly the GW Birthday Classic

Mar 21 – Virginia Beach Half Marathon – Hopefully my runner cousin will be joining me on this trip (she’ll do the full marathon). Goal = 2:20

Apr 17-18 – Rumpass in the Bumpass Triathlon Weekend – This year I’m thinking of racing both the Olympic and the Sprint. If not both, race the Oly and relay the sprint (bike leg). Goals: Olympic under 3:10/Sprint under 1:20

May 16 – Ironman FL 70.3 – this is going to be fun. Family and high school friends are going to be lined up to cheer me on (and possibly provide a beer stop on the run). Goal = 6:40

Jun – Nothing – recovery and rebuild for…

Jul 9-11 – Musselman – Team Z event. I’m thinking all three events:
Friday - micro-Mussel (100 yd/.6 m tricycle or bigwheel/.2 m) - Goal – HAVE FUN!
Saturday - mini-Mussel (750m/16.1 mile/3.2 mile) - Goal – HAVE FUN!
Sunday - Musselman Half Iron(1.2 mile/56 mile/13.1 mile). Goal – HAVE FUN!

Aug – Nothing – Recovery and begin Marine Corp Marathon training in the dreaded heat wave that IS Northern Virginia!

Sep – MCM Training

Oct 31 – Marine Corp Marathon – deferred from 2009 – this is a race I have always wanted to do. At the very least it will be inspirational! Goal: 4:59:59

Nov 13 – Beach To Battleship Iron Distance RELAY – I’m looking for someone willing to run a marathon because I want to try the swim and bike. This is a potential Iron-Distance race in my future. Goal – HAVE FUN!

Dec - Nothing but relaxation!

Year in Review (Thursday 13)

2009-12-31T01:27:00.000-08:00

January – Ran my first 20 mile. Also had a wonderful trip to Colorado with Dude (pic) to do some skiing and snowshoeing.

February – First marathon and Jason and I ran every step (pic). We did miss the 5-hour goal by 3 minutes but c'est la vie. Most important though, there was a new addition to my family. Penny arrived on 7 Feb at just over 18 pounds (pic).

March – Big training month and finally back to riding outdoors (pic). Unfortunately the weather never agreed so the riding was miserable (you can't tell in the pic but it was cold). I also started getting a sport massages every other week and bought a bunch of gear during March!

April – Race season has begun - Cherry Blossom 10 miler (pic) and Rumpass in the Bumpass (still the best named triathlon) – had a blast on the Olympic relay, serious fail with the sprint. This was not the best training month in terms of performance but I got it done.

May – First 70.3…and I got injured (pic). YIKES! Took some down time, then eased back into training. In other news – I planned and arranged our post Ironman vacation to Lake Como, Italy.

June – Second 70.3 and it was Awesome! (Sang in a high pitched voice) (pic). Then came the final long days of training and the expected angst leading up to race day. That angst turned into an odd calm as THE day got closer.

July – I AM AN IRONMAN!
Oh, and I had a fabulous vacation to Lake Como (pic).

August - Basked in the glow of being an IRONMAN. Also did some local exploring and found some incredible places. Due to those finds, I cooked a lot this month (pic). Dude and I also went to Pennsylvania for a Metric Century and I even managed to get some marathon training in.

September – Two firsts this month – my first Olympic distance tri (other two I participated in either cut the swim or turned into Duo) and my first 10K run. Decided not to do Marine Corp marathon. Highlight of the month was going home and hangin' with my highschool friends (pic).

October – PID set in…BAD! Barely trained, hell, I barely exercised. I also cut out a lot of socializing. I injured my jaw and I think I spent most of the month in pain and depressed.

November – PID still there - Depression sucks!! Managing to do some exercising on my own and a little bit of socializing. On the positive side, Dude and I have decided to buy a house together – but it will be awhile until we are living in sin - must sell two places before buying one.

December – Typical in that there were a lot of parties (pic), socializing, eating and not a lot of exercising. Developed my New Plan. Had a massive snowstorm on my birthday weekend. Celebrated Christmas with Dude and his family. And am planning a quiet evening to bring in the New Year.

Plans for 2010 are in the works. Continuing with “The Plan”, increase training with Team Z, a couple races, selling/buying a house, try to squeeze a vacation in, work on 101 in 1001, and enjoying the happiness I’ve found with Dude.

I wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year!

Bring it 2010!

Last Minute Gifts / Early Thursday Thirteen

2009-12-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

In case you were looking for a last minute gift for me here's my wish list...

1. Team Z Sweatshirt - Large with ES embroidered on the arm.

2. Entry into Ironman Florida 70.3

3. Thing so I can connect my iPod (Shuffle) to my car stereo

4. Open Kitchen Gift Cards

5. Gift Card to Jouvance Spa in Reston

6. This triathlon bracelet

7. Ski vacation to Colorado

8. $343.10 - One year supply of 7-11 Coffee

9. Borders and/or iTunes Gift Card

10. Winning Mega-Millions Lotto Ticket

11. Yoga Classes

12. World Peace

13. Well wishes for an incredible 2010!

You'll notice the lack of tri-gear. I guess the good news is after training for and completing an Ironman, I am all stocked up on gear.

T-H-I-R-T-E-E-N

2009-12-17T11:24:00.001-08:00

1. I’ve become addicted to this game called Bananagrams. It’s basically Scrabble without the board. And you create your own words and can take them apart to reuse letters. And there are no points – you either win or lose.

2. I got called out on my last post about my weight. Let me go on record to say that I know I’m not fat or overweight. It is an obsession of mine though for a number of reasons. Mostly because less then four years ago I was pushing 170 pounds which is a healthy weight if I was over 6’ but I’m only 5’7”. I have this irrational fear that I’ll wake up tomorrow and be back up there.

3. If anyone wants to know how to get up to 170 pounds it entails a bad marriage, travelling for work over 50% of the time, and a (un)healthy dose of cheeseburgers and wine.

4. To lose the weight took eating less and exercising more. I also got out of the marriage and changed jobs but the eating less and exercising more are what truly made the weight come off.

5. I’ve worked out every night this week - ran Monday, swam Tuesday, and ran/did speed work last night, spin class tonight. Woot!

6. I swam on my own and in the same amount of time of practice I managed to put in an additional 500m. Holy sore arms and back! I’m not sure the additional meters is a result of not chit-chatting between sets or that I had nobody to pace off of so I was going a little faster.

7. My Christmas spirit is missing. Still no decorations up (at either house), no cards sent, and the gifts I’ve bought are kind of lame and predictable. Usually I do a lot better!

8. I thought I had some people interested in my house but they decided against it. It’s officially going to be on the market at the beginning of the year – I just don’t have the time/energy right now to finish fixing what needs to be fixed and doing that “big clean”. New Year’s Day is always my alone day (Anniversary of my Dad’s death) so I’ll get some good cleaning in that day.

9. I have a craving for Korean food but I don’t know anyone else that likes it. Anyone? Anyone?

10. Work seems to be crammed full of non-stop…work! Spreadsheet after spreadsheet yet I feel like I’m getting NOTHING done!

11. I miss having parties. I use to throw two a year – a Mexican Fiesta in late Spring and a Wine Tasting at Christmas. Since moving here I’ve thrown one. Why is that?!

12. I need a vacation!!!!!!

13. Unless something amazing happens between now and Sunday, the next time I blog I will be 38 years old. That’s almost 40!!! How did that happen?!

New Plan

2009-12-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

If you’ve noticed in the past couple months I have been aimlessly getting by when it comes to fitness. I’ve been blaming it on PID (Post Ironman Depression) but I believe it boils down to I’m not working towards anything.

Motivational Failures:
- Marine Corp Marathon – I was still injured and it was too much after IMS
- Training for the Shamrock 13.1 - after last years uber-exercising 13.1 miles is JUST 13.1 miles (I’m still doing it, it’s just not a strong enough focus)
- Worrying about my weight – it’s just depressing and makes me want to eat more

So in looking back at what got me to/through Ironman (other then the debilitating fear) what kept me motivated was #32 in my 101 in 1001 – money towards Finisher Gear (which, by the way, I only spent ½ of what I had earned).

Apparently, my career in finances has rubbed off and it’s all about money. So here’s my new plan:

Starting on 14 December, for every workout I finish I put $5 in the coffer (ok, I document it in a spreadsheet). Next year, on 13 December, that money will be used to buy myself either a really BIG gift or a substantially smaller one.

The missing piece to this plan is still a goal though. You see, I’m one of those people that rarely ever WANTS anything. And on those rare occasions when I do, well, quite honestly, I’ll just go get it. For this to work I think I need to be able to say, "The money is going to go towards…"

- a long ski weekend vacation for Dude and I ($1,000) = ~4 workouts a week
- cooking class once a month ($1,200) = ~5 workouts a week
- a spa day every other month ($1,500) = ~ 6 workouts a week
- a cycling vacation($2,000) = ~8 workouts a week

What should it be? Then again, perhaps it will be more fun to keep an on-going list...

13 - Should be 39 Since It's Been 3 Weeks!

2009-12-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

1. It’s been 3 weeks since I posted…did you miss me? Actually a lot (by a lot, I mean not much) has been going on I just haven’t had time to share.

2. Working out update: I did...
- An 8-mile running time trial a couple weeks ago. It was great – negative split by over 5 minutes and my last mile was at a 9:40 pace (shut up all you speed demons out there).
- Swim practice twice. I vowed to go once a week but I missed this week…and last week.
- Rode for two hours – easy going.
- A Thirsty Thursday Turkey Trot – Drink a beer, run a quarter mile, repeat 3 more times. My time was 16:40 – first beer/quarter mile in less then two minutes; last beer/quarter mile 5 minutes 40 seconds.
- Some miscellaneous trips to the gym, and
- A 4-mile hike with close to 800 ft of elevation gain.

3. Have I ever mentioned that I love Thanksgiving? Well, this year I was lucky enough to celebrate twice. I cooked for some friends on Thursday (and other then the green beans it was fabulous) then we spent the weekend in Shenandoah and had a second Thanksgiving. Mmm, mmm good!

4. Weight – 21 days since the last post, 6 workouts, 2 Thanksgiving dinners, 1 Wine and Food pairing dinner, and 2 Happy Hours. I don’t want to talk about my weight!

5. House should be going on the market within a week. I waffled between selling and renting and after getting another notification about an increase in HOA dues I just want OUT!

6. I’m so proud of Dude – this Saturday he is getting promoted to Purple Belt in Jiu-Jitsu! YEAH!

7. I wonder what belt I’d be if triathlon had a Belt System. What would it be based on? Different Belts for different distances? Ability? Years experience? Speed?

8. I wish Coach Ed would post next years race schedule so I can figure out my plans. Doesn’t he know it’s All About ME!

9. I am finally getting a hair cut tomorrow – at least 3 inches off! I have never had hair this long and it is driving me CRAZY! (But I still like having it long)

10. This time of the year I really miss Colorado. A couple reasons – the snow, the skiing but mostly because I miss my friend Linda. I have friends out here but (aside from Dude) none that I am as close to. I just really miss having a “girlfriend”!

11. I have NO IDEA what to get Dude for Christmas. On the other hand, I have no idea what I want/need either. ***I’d like for us to give each other a trip out to Colorado!!!***

12. UGH! I should have stuck with my Lean Cuisine for lunch. Skipped it and went and grabbed a turkey wrap from the café. Holy Upset Tummy!

13. I managed to avoid the Croc craze because, well, I like cute shoes (especially heels) and those are just UGLY! Now, I’ve been reading about those Vibram shoes and I start thinking, hmm, I like being barefoot these might be cool. But then I look at them and I have to back to I like cute shoes (especially heels) and those are just UGLY!

13

2009-11-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

1. Middle of the week holidays RULE! Happy Veteran's Day yesterday to all those who are serving/have served.

2. Work is busy so exercising, sleeping, and quality time has gone to the wayside.

3. But because I had to be at work by 0730 I decided to go to swim practice this morning. Yep, you heard me right, swim practice...at 0530. And today is the day the coach decided to video tape me and critique my stroke. Um, hello, this was my first day back after a four month break. I'm more concerned with survival then stroke technique. (But I did notice the increased speed once I corrected to what use to be natural)

4. I forgot the side effects of morning swim - goggle wrinkles for half the day, starving ALL DAY LONG, and the joy of a neon red left eye. Oh, and I am exhausted!

5. I seem to have hurt my right knee by sitting on my ass for 8-hours. A couple weeks ago when we went to Williamsburg I spent Sunday working on my laptop in front of the TV. Something about the way I had my leg, I pulled the tendons behind my knee. But, after months of PT for IMS I apparently learned something. I am doing the same exercises, taking the same OTC pills, and doing the same icing of the leg and it seems to be healing.

6. Oh, I forgot to mention my temporary wading pool. I got a call from my neighbor at around 0700 on Monday morning saying there was water leaking from my garage door. Hmmmmmmmm..... My water heater faucet completely broke off and by the time I got home my single car garage had about four inches of water built up. So, 8 hours and $900 later I am the proud owner of a new water heater (thanks Lowe's) and a clean/organized garage (thanks Dude).

7. Lesson learned from #6 - Give your neighbors your contact information! If I hadn't done that (just this summer) I wouldn't have known about the leak for a good 12 hours. Imagine the damage (and the water bill)!!!

8. Looks like everyone from Team Z had a great race in FL (and Holly is now an Ironman after her Beach 2 Battleship (B2B) race). It was fun tracking them on-line and there were some fast times - I still think if I do another Ironman sanctioned Full Ironman it will be FL (or Arizona).

9. Thanksgiving menu is ALMOST finalized. So far we are having 7 people over, possibly 9.

10. Men Who Stare at Goats = GOOD (and not just because they show George Clooney's naked arse). Where the Wild Things Are = BAD (and not because it's a kids movie - it was just depressing and seemed to reinforce bad behavior)

11. I made an incredible Rachel Ray recipe of Pasta with Pumpkin & Sausage (Cook 101 #23) on Friday night. By incredible I mean 4/4 FRC's. The only changes I made from the link are used spicy Italian turkey sausage instead of sweet Italian, used light cream instead of heavy cream. I served this on its own and it was quite filling. And did I mention incredible?

12. I met with a realtor about my townhouse. It seems I was overestimating the market. It looks like I can break even once all the fees are paid. I'm now seriously considering is renting it out. I can definitely cover my mortgage and I know having a rental is a great tax benefit.

13. I can't believe 2009 is almost over. Where'd it go?

I'm Back - Even if it is just for Thursday 13

2009-11-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

1. I’ve become one of those “bad bloggers”. If it makes you feel better I no longer update my Facebook status daily either. Yes, I know, I suck.

2. I’m kinda-sorta getting back on track with training. OK, now I’m just a liar! But I do try to do at least 2 workouts a week. Yes, I know, I suck.

3. This weekend is Ironman FL and Beach 2 Battleship Iron-Distance Race. Team Z has quite a few folks out there racing. Best of luck to everyone but most of all to my blogging friends Cat (FL) and Holly (B2B).

4. I finally got a new boss at work. YEAH!

5. It is officially 5-days after Halloween and I have not had one piece of candy. While that’s good on the fat-front, I’d really like a baby Twix!

6. I took a Classic Tuscan Dinner cooking class last night at Open Kitchen (my new fave place). It was pretty damn awesome – no earth-shattering new knowledge gained but I did learn some knife handling skills and got some great recipes. Now that I have the recipes I have to host a dinner party!

7. Did I mention Dude and I are buying a house together? No?! My bad! Of course this entails selling two townhouses so it may be awhile until we officially start living in sin.

8. Thanksgiving is coming! Thanksgiving is coming!

9. Pet Peeve alert: I hate, hate, HATE when people back into their parking spot. What’s the point??????

10. Congratulations shout out to blogger Running Fool for PR-ing the NYC marathon this past weekend! Rock on Lady Fool!

11. Speaking of marathons I’m kind of thinking about upgrading my Virginia Beach Half to the Full marathon. See, I just can’t get excited about 13.1 miles and I can’t convince myself to go train. Whenever I think about it I just think “it’s JUST 13 miles”. I signed up for the half because I want to work on getting my speed back but all I’ve done so far is found my way to the sofa. Should I take the plunge and upgrade to the full?

12. If you haven’t been to an amusement park lately I recommend it - gives you a chance to act like a kid again. Check out peopleofwalmart.com before you go because I guarantee you will see some of these people while waiting in the lines!

13. This weekend’s plans: 10 mile run, work on both houses so they can be put on the market, bike (?), finalize Thanksgiving menu, work, cyber stalk IM-Florida peeps, do some cooking, and find a couple moments to just relax.

Cutest Blog On The Block

2009-10-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

So something happened to the last blog background that I had so I did a quick search and found this super cool Triathlon inspired background at The Cutest Blog on the Block!!!

It's official, I DO have the CUTEST BLOG ON THE BLOCK!

Thirteen

2009-10-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

1. My jaw is getting better. Headache has essentially subsided - it only hurts after chewing but I got quickly got tired of the soft diet.

2. Weekly Fall is the Best Season Remark: Sandals are put away for the next 6-months. No more obsessing over cracked heels (I do still get my pedi’s, I just don’t worry about what my “ugly runner’s feet” look like)

3. I’ve worked out TWICE this week (after nothing last week, or the week before, or…). Granted it is still transition time so those workouts were 40 minute spin, 45 minute run. And tonight will be another 40 minute spin. This weekend will be an hour run and a two hour bike ride (weather permitting).

4. I’m 37 years old and I still feel like a little girl playing dress up when I have to wear a business suit to work.

5. While I was laid up with the Worst Headache Known To Man I managed to finish two of the books I was reading and have started another. I also watched 4 movies, way too much Food Network, and almost caught up on my DVR shows.

6. I did not win the chili contest. I was robbed! The guy that did win said he actually voted for mine, as did another person that entered a chili. Oh well – I tasted all of the entries and there were some good ones but I think mine was the best.

7. Here are pictures from my cubicle contest (also did not win) of my Team Z paraphernalia. I did get asked a couple times “what’s Team 2”?

8. The guy in the cubicle next to me has his (annoying) cell phone ringer on AND an alert that goes off every 5 minutes when he has a voice mail. And he’s never at his desk…BEEP!

9. I wore my contacts for the first time in a LONG time yesterday and I loved them until about 4:30. Dry, itchy eyes - drops would be a good idea.

10. I re-read my Ironman Race Report last night…and got teary eyed remembering that AWESOME day! This is still my favorite picture...look how happy I am coming to the finish line!

11. BEEP!

12. I haven’t mentioned it lately, but Dude is the greatest! *SIGH*

13. I just realized I have my (annoying) cell phone ringer ON and I’m rarely at my desk. At least it doesn’t beep when I have VM! (And people rarely call me)

Jaw Update

2009-10-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Not broken, cracked, displaced, or fractured. I have a Hemotoma - otherwise known as a bruise.

What does bruising cause??

Swelling for one. An excruciating headache for another. Additionally, the jaw hinge is set rather close to the ear canal (5mm) - hence the hearing thru a vacuum that I'm experiencing. It's also against the sinuses - hence the headache/sinus pressure. The sinuses are against the eye socket - hence the feeling of "droopy eye".

I'm on steroids now to help bring down the swelling. It took almost 24 hours for me to convince myself to take them since I tend to get "puffy" when I'm on the 'roids. And considering I haven't exercised in, well, oh let's just say a very long time, puffiness is imminent.

I'm also on 800mg Motrin for the pain. Want to know what that does to me? It makes me clench my teeth which is the opposite of what I need to do! So I'm not taking it very often and when I do I have to make the concerted effort to not clench.

Eventually I'll be fitted for a night mouth guard to prevent grinding/clenching. Yeah, I know, uber-sexy! I wonder if it comes with a floor length flannel night gown.

Hopefully, fingers-crossed, rub the lucky rabbit foot, the 'roids will kick in, the swelling will dissipate and I'll be back to my jolly self in no time.

In the meantime, (I SWEAR I'm going to the gym after work tonight)

Day Three

2009-10-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

Of the worst headache known to man.

I told you how my jaw was out of alignment. I went to the Doctor on Friday and was told it wasn't displaced probably just some swelling. She prescribed prescription strength Naproxin and recommended ice packs. In two words: NOT HELPING.

I'm not a Doctor but I watch A LOT of them on TV. Seriously, I was a huge ER fan in it's hey-day. I don't miss Grey's Anatomy. I even occasionally watch House. Between that and my unlimited access to the internet I have diagnosed myself with a Temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint that connects the lower jaw (mandible) to the temporal bone of the skull. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw, jaw joint, and surrounding facial muscles that control chewing and moving the jaw.

Common symptoms of TMD include (I've bolded my issues):
Pain or tenderness in the face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when you chew, speak or open your mouth wide
Limited ability to open the mouth very wide
Jaws that get "stuck" or "lock" in the open- or closed-mouth position
Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth (which may or may not be accompanied by pain)
A tired feeling in the face
Difficulty chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite as if the upper and lower teeth are not fitting together properly
Swelling on the side of the face
Other common symptoms include toothaches, headaches, neck aches, dizziness, earaches and hearing problems.

So tomorrow I'm making an appointment with my dentist.

For now though, I need to get out of this house! I hurt but I am BORED!!!!!

Thursday Thirteen

2009-10-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

1. I’m going to VEGAS BABY!!! OK, not until April 9th but still! Girl’s Weekend with my BFF, her cool sister, and another friend. None of us are gamblers so it will be a weekend filled with food, drinks, shopping, and shows.

2. I’m getting a flu shot today for the first time since 1998. It’s free and I’m a sucker for free.

3. Speaking of suckers, I hope they give me a lollipop when they’re done shooting me (or at least a sticker).

4. I’m transitioning back to training with Team Z. Perfect timing since they are on transition for the next two weeks. This week’s exercise consists of a total of 50 minutes of running and 90 minutes of biking (and two swims that I skipped –still working on the 5am motivation).

5. REPLY ALL should be outlawed!!!!!

6. I’m on a serious reading kick - not reading serious books just A LOT of reading. And I’m capable of reading multiple books at one time so right now I’m reading Jody Picoult’s Handle with Care (my 4th book of hers this year), Vince Flynn’s Memorial Day (6th book of his this year), Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta, a chic-lit that I can’t remember the name of, and a business book.

7. I just entered a chili contest for TOMORROW. Guess I should find a recipe!

8. In addition to the chili contest they are having an office decoration contest with your favorite team memorabilia. I think they mean football team but I’m thinking of covering my cubicle with all of my Team Z stuff. It is the best team ever and they NEVER lose!!!

9. The grocery store near my house that it would be CUTE to have mini shopping carts for the kids. GREAT IDEA! Nothing says positive shopping experience like being stuck behind a toddling rug-rat in an already crowded aisle while the parent follows behind with the blissful "my child is so adorable" look on their face.

10. I’m going to a Wine and Food Pairing Dinner on 21 October. Check out the link to see the menu! Sounds De-Lish!

11. Remember last week when the F-ing Economy was ruining my plans?! Well, I'm looking into other options so hopefully this will still work out. And don't worry, whether I'm financially a part of it or not, when the time is right you will hear ALL about it!

12. My jaw is out of alignment so I'm living with grinding/popping when I open my mouth, inability to yawn (it hurts), pain when chewing and a constant headache. I can't go to the doctor until next week though.

13. Is there a nice way of telling someone you think they're full of sh!t - or do you just continue to smile and nod along with their BS stories?!

What Goes Up Must Come Down

2009-10-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

But WHY did it have to be so steep and rocky?!

On Sunday Dude and I went hiking the White Oak Canyon/Cedar Run in Shenandoah. This is a 7.9 mile hike described as 4 out of 5 stars in difficulty. And it deseved every one of those stars. Here's the map, and the elevation profile:

We parked at the marked parking lot and headed to the right. It was a steady very manageable uphill with beautiful waterfalls to look at. About an hour in we stopped and had lunch. All very relaxing. We got to the spot just above the 3rd camara (where the trail splits to the yellow trail) in about 1 1/2 hours (including lunch). We thought it would take longer to get there so we looked at our topo map (this nicely labled map was safe in the car) and decided the fire trail was a short cut and OBVIOUSLY we should continue up the mountain. Here's what we did - instead of cutting across the mountain, we did the added pink line until it reconnected then followed the trail to the steep downhill (part of map with one camara).

The added pink part wasn't too bad. More pretty waterfalls, we saw a family of deer. Again, steady uphill or traversing the mountain. We came out on Skyline Drive and had to walk along the road a bit until we got back to the original trail. Then the hell began.

To those of you new to reading topo maps, where it gets to be a dark green color, that's the topo lines VERY close together which means STEEP. DOWNHILL. ON NARROW PATHS. WITH BOULDERS, ROOTS, LEAVES, and GRAVEL.

I'm sure there was pretty scenary but I was too busy tripping over roots and rocks and trying to watch every step I took. Did I mention we are now about 4 hours into the hike (when we thought we should be finishing)? I was out of water and didn't want to drink all of Dude's so I soldiered on. Downhills are worse on the knees so my tendon was screaming and poor Dude was practically dragging his bum leg down the mountain.

After 6 1/2 hours we finally made it back to the car. Tired, hungry, and a little scratched up.

All in all, a great day hiking! But two days later I'm more sore then after running a marathon, which by the way, took less time.

I'd do this hike again with some changes: I'd start by going left and climbing the steep part with fresh legs. I'd have a bigger Camelback. But most importantly, I'd follow the trail.

Thursday Thirteen - Summary by Number

2009-10-01T07:58:00.001-07:00

***DISCLAIMER - this was finished yesterday I just never got on a computer last night***

1. It's the best time of the year - fall - I want to build a bonfire, drink apple cider, make recipes with pumpkin in it, and wear orange. Not necessarily at the same time.

2. But I'm going to miss wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts.

3. A co-worker who does Iron-Distance races just came by for the first time since July and I got to re-live the day I became an IRONMAN!

4. I have been planning on doing something huge in a couple months. By huge I mean GI-NORMOUS. I was so EXCITED about being a part of it but as I look at my finances I don't think I can swing it right now. I'm very disappointed and am cursing this F-ing economy. Seriously, I'm down about a 1/3 of what I had when I got divorced and it's not like I've stopped investing. F-ing Economy!

5. My first race in 2010 will be the Shamrock Half Marathon. I debated between the half and the full but awhile back I said only one marathon next year. I'd like to try to get into the one in Bordeaux. If not, there's always Marine Corp.

6. Follow up to the YOU did an Ironman story. I was at that same store over the weekend putting groceries in the back of my SUV. Guy walking by says "Did your husband do an Ironman"? After he recovered from me knocking his ass out (not really) I said NO-I DID. At least he was smart enough to respond with a "wow, that's really cool".

7. Speaking of husbands - lately I've been bombarded with the "when are you and Dude going to get married" from family, friends, co-workers, ex-coworkers and even the lady that waxes my brows. BELIEVE ME when I say I am PERFECTLY HAPPY with the way things are!!! No need for the sympathetic look!!! Seriously, why can't people accept that marriage is not a requirement in every relationship?! I'm living proof that the paperwork doesn't guarantee diddly!

8. Every time I think about #4 I get depressed (and pissed)! F-ing Economy!

9. Dilemma, dilemma. I really want to do an IRONMAN sanctioned 70.3 event next year so I was planning on the Orlando race (opportunity to see Mom and Friends) which is in mid-May. But now Mooseman (I love this venue) is a MDOT event and it's the 1st weekend in June so it's one or the other.

10. If I was still training for Marine Corp this weekend would be my 20 mile weekend. Instead I might run for an hour or so on Saturday then Dude and I are going hiking on Sunday. I love the off-season!

11. I had a dream last night that Dude was a jerk in. I woke up mad (really, really mad) at him and gave him the cold shoulder in the morning (I don't think he noticed in his sleepy haze). It has me thinking - does anyone else do this? Take their dreams out on the person (people) in the dream?

12. I mentioned I'm not talking to one of my sisters right now but she's the one I use to talk to when I was stuck in traffic so I'm kind of punishing myself. She called me last night and I ignored her call...

and now I feel guilty.

13. I can't believe that with this post I have over 100 posts. Can't believe I've stuck with and and can't believe others actually read it!

Still Alive, Just Blah

2009-09-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll be brief since there's not much to report.

Last time I checked in it was all about the 10K. And that ends the exercise report.

My groove has been missing since I deferred the marathon. I am still finalizing my 2010 schedule. Currently I'm looking at The Shamrock Marathon or 1/2 Marathon in March, something in April, Florida HALF-Ironman in May, at least one race in the summer, and the Marathon Du Medoc in Bordeaux, France in Sep (there's wine at the rest stops - almost a guaranteed Personal Worst but also guaranteed to be a blast). If I can't get into the French race, I'll do another Half in Sep and Marine Corp in October.

Other catching up - while home I got to visit with my high school buds. I had a blast and it gave me opportunity to once again be thankful for all the good in my life. I have friends taking care of their elderly parents, going through divorce/separations/break-ups, lingering illness, surgeries, job loss, deployments to Iraq, etc. The silver lining is they are all taking it in stride. Seems the common theme is "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then add vodka."

On the family front, there's some old drama that I have just become privy to and it's really pissed me off. I'm very angry with my sister but she doesn't know it (because I'm passive-aggressive). We'll see how long until she notices that I haven't called.

Other then that, still uber-happy with Dude. Still looking for motivation to exercise. Still trying to lose weight (haven't exercised since the 10K and dropped 1 pound but I'm still above Ironman weight). Still working my way through 101 in 1001.

All in all, life is good, just uneventful.

If only I won Fool's giveaway!

Fox Lake Run, Titusville FL 10K Race Report

2009-09-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

OK, remember when I said my race season was over? Yea, not so much. I had been planning a trip home for about a month. I got a call from my Mom early in the week saying her friend had organized a 10K so she signed me up.

"Thanks Mom"

So my first day of vacation began at 0615 so we could drive an hour to the race location. Yep! She signed me up, she's coming to spectate! We got there about an hour early so she walked me around and introduced me to everyone she knew. I love that she introduces me as "This is my baby Es, She's an IRONMAN."

Thanks Mom!

Since this was in Florida there were three things I knew going in - it would be flat, it would be HOT, and it would be HUMID. What I didn't know is the roads are not flat. To help with drainage all of the roads are slanted so my hip flexors and IT bands were screaming. I was able to run the whole race (walked the aid stations because I needed the water). No real issues, just my usual turtle pace.

It was a small field - total of 73 people doing the 10K. I came in 1:00:24 - 53/73 Overall, 16/31 Females, 4/4 Age group (fast old women!).

For all my bitching - this really wasn't a bad way to start my vacation!

Side story - I'm standing at the race start - there's an old salty lookin' guy who looked something like this:
He had a cigarette in hand, wearing circa 1980 track pants (it's over 90 degrees at 8am), a denim! vest (former jacket with the arms cut off, strings hanging) with a full back iron-on patch, and he's carrying 5lb dumbbells. He did the 5K but my Mom didn't catch his time. I swear, I'm from the "Redneck Capital of the World".

Nation's Tri Race Report

2009-09-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

I’m going to stay positive here, so all I have to say is this whole race could have been better if they limited the number of people participating. Pre-racking, mandatory safety briefing, parking nightmare, etc. would have been eliminated. Round trip on Saturday was 4 hours – that’s longer then the race. I will not be doing this race next year.

Pre: It was great to see a bunch of Team Z folks that I haven’t seen in awhile. And since we all had over an hour to wait, there was plenty of time to catch up.

Swim 1,500 M – 35:56 – Most physical swim I’ve ever been in. I didn’t help my time by swimming half way to the other shore after the turn around.
Note to self: 1,500M is quite the distance when you haven’t swum in 2 months - I definitely felt it the next day!

T1 – 3:27 – Long way to the bike and its been awhile since I wrestled a wetsuit.

Bike 40K – 1:21:37 – I was pretty happy with my time. I did notice that when I skipped a nutrition round it seemed like within minutes my speed would rapidly decrease. I’d take a gulp of PowerBar Endurance and I’d be back up to speed. Apparently that nutrition thing is important. When I got back to transition I didn’t realize the bike was over. I actually laughed because all I was thinking was “that’s it – I don’t have to ride for another 87 miles”?!

T2 - 3:28 – My rack seemed much further in then I remembered. And my knee was hurting so I did a slow walk while I debated DNF-ing. The race didn't provide adult beverages and the Team Z supply wasn't there so I soldiered on.

Run 10K – 1:02:30 – The first mile was gawd awful. Had I continued at that pace, my time would have been around 1:20. I decided to do the run/walk method but 1-minute into the walk I decided to test my legs again. Other then one aid station I never walked again and I was able to pick up the pace a bit with each mile. Once I saw the finish line it was a Zone 5B “sprint” (my definition of sprint may differ from most other peoples). It hurt, I thought I was going to hurl, but I was able to finish strong and smiling.

Overall 3:06:57 – 95/252 Age Group – Going in, with the lack of training since IMS, I was thinking 3:20 so needless to say I am quite happy with my time. It is a PR since this is the first “true” Oly that I’ve done. Mooseman 2008 shortened the swim due to fog and Patriot 2008 turned into a Duo due to a hurricane.

Thanks to all the Z-ers out there racing, cheering, volunteering, and giving shout outs throughout the course.

Other thing to note: My heart rate was averaging about 165 (Zone 4) and OMG I felt it the next day. In comparison, my heart rate rarely got above 150 in Ironman and I felt great the next day. Apparently Coach Ed knows his stuff!

Since I deferred Marine Corp Marathon my 2009 race calendar is complete. I'm all happy-happy-joy-joy right now but I know I’m going to miss it!

Friday Fourteen (Thursday Thirteen with a penalty)

2009-09-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

1. Today is the anniversary of 9/11 and there is still a raw sadness. There is also an intense anger at those responsible. In addition to remembering the tragedy today I also find myself ever so thankful for all of the joy in my life.

2. I feel anything I write after that will seem trivial but the list must go on.

3. I DO have a lot to be thankful for. I have a great job, my health, my family, Dude (*sigh), and some really great friends.

4. I deferred my Marine Corp Marathon entry until next year. My tendon needs a break.

5. That said, I will probably do the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach in March and Marine Corp in October of 2010.

6. I’m doing Nation’s Tri on Sunday and have not trained one iota for it. It’s “just an Oly” but shall we revisit my RumpASS Sprint experience. This could be UGLY!

7. Nation’s is a PAIN IN THE ASS! You must attend a race briefing the day before. You have to rack your bike the day before. There’s no parking. They let 6,000, yes that’s 6,000!, people in the race. I have an hour wait before my swim wave start. NEVER AGAIN!

8. Another reason to love fall – BOOTS! I see a visit to DSW in my near future!

9. I’m still trying to figure out the hub-bub about Obama’s Back to School speech. The only thing I can come up with is it’s “those” parents that take offense to someone (anyone) saying a child is responsible for their own success.
***Enter sarcasm*** What a horrible concept! I mean, that’s putting way too much pressure on the children - robbing them of their childhood even. ***Exit sarcasm***

10. I bought a Sonicare toothbrush about a month ago and I LOVE IT!!! It has the 2-minute timer that beeps every 30 seconds so you spend the same amount of time on each tooth section. Get one!

11. I really hate the food in our cafeteria but I’m too lazy to pack my lunch and if I do bring my lunch I’m too lazy to heat it up.

12. Still struggling with the weight thing - combination of number 4 and 10 on this list. I need motivation people!!!!

13. It was great to go ride with Team Z last weekend - I’ve missed them. Maybe that should be my motivation!

14. My job has been crazy busy for going on 3 weeks now (don’t tell anyone, I kind of like it)!

With A Friend Like This...

2009-09-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

On Friday the finance system went down so I found myself surfing the internet. Soon I knew I needed an intervention so I turned to Jason:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Es
To: TZ Jason
Subject: Help me

I just caught myself looking at the Beach2Battleship website thinking about next year.

I need a closed-fist punch to the side of my head!

Es!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: TZ Jason
Subject: Re: Help me
To: Es

Wilmington, NC is a very nice little city ...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Es
To: TZ Jason
Subject: RE: Help me

Not helping!

I'm reading: "Easy" swim (with the current). Flat ride. Then a flat marathon.

How bad could it be?

But I don't waanntt (said in whiney voice) to do another Ironman!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: TZ Jason
Subject: Re: Help me
To: Es

it's pretty obvious to me that you do ... you just don't want to admit it to yourself

It's natural - you're an Ironman - you have Iron in your blood now.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Es
To: TZ Jason
Subject: RE: Help me

I need a blood transfusion!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: TZ Jason
Subject: Re: Help me
To: Es

maybe you could do both Wisconsin and Beach2Battleship

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Es
To: TZ Jason
Subject: RE: Help me

Absolutely not! Wisconsin doesn't appeal to me at all.

I've come up with some excuses:
- it could be cold in Nov
- flat rides suck - burn out the legs before the run
- I promised I wouldn't do another one next year
- I don't want to do another one
- while IMS was the best day of my life, there's no gurantee of a repeat
- training in the heat sucks

shall I go on?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: TZ Jason
Subject: Re: Help me
To: Es

ok then, just do beach2battleship ... you don't have to do TWO ... goodness ... who would suggest that?

------END OF EMAIL THREAD-------

EVERYONE REPEAT AFTER ME:
ES WILL NOT DO AN IRONMAN IN 2010!
ES WILL NOT DO AN IRONMAN IN 2010!
ES WILL NOT DO AN IRONMAN IN 2010!
ES WILL NOT DO AN IRONMAN IN 2010!
ES WILL NOT DO AN IRONMAN IN 2010!

Thursday Thirteen - Ramblings

2009-09-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

1. I had the mother of all migraines yesterday. Saw the spots, stood up to get some water and BAM - Freight Train! Drove home (while covering one eye and squinting with the other), threw up for a little bit, got comfy on the couch and did what anyone would do in this situation - slept off and on for 4 hours. Got up, headache gone but now I still have the migraine hangover.

2. I rarely eat tuna fish. But thanks to Was It For This, all I craved yesterday was tuna. (I still want to make the recipe she recommended).

3. I ran both Monday and Tuesday night and planned on running Wednesday until that Freight Train hit me. Still, much better record then last week!

4. Something is still wrong with my hamstring. I’m going to see how I feel after an 18 mile run this Sat. If it’s still F-ed up, I may blow off Marine Corp, give it more time to heal, and start training for a March marathon in Nov.

5. Part of the reason I’m OK with number 3 is training is the least of my desires right now.

6. I’m doing my 18 miles down in DC so I can go back to the Eastern Market after my run. Yes, I’m addicted!

7. I LOVE Fall (and I know, it’s not quite fall yet)! The mornings and evenings are crisp – perfect running weather. But most importantly, Pumpkin Spiced Latte is back. I was so excited until someone mentioned Gingerbread Latte – now I can’t wait till winter!

8. Peanut Butter is now safe in my presence. During training, I’d go through about one 18oz jar a week. The last one I bought barely has a spoonful taken out.

9. I swear I was switched at birth. I'd do a DNA test, but what if I'm wrong?! (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my family - but how can I be SOOOO different then them?)

10. Summer is quickly getting away. Only a few weeks left of BLTCA's. (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese, and Avocados) Speaking of which, I now know what I'm having for dinner tonight.

11. I "gained" 2 pounds over the weekend, but I'm back to what I was last Thursday. Still have quite a few till I'm down to my goal: 140.6 (get it?).

12. Last weekend Dude and I went to the National Botanical Garden. If you haven't been, go - it is beautiful! Plus, even though it is right on the mall, it's not one of those places most tourists go.

13. Coming up with 13 things is harder then you'd imagine!

And She Can Cook!

2009-08-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

First I’ll do an update on my training, since this blog is supposed to be about training, blah, blah, blah. This week I ran once (yep, once, marathon schmarathon). It was supposed to be 10 miles, I made 5. That’ll teach me to start a run at 2:30 in the afternoon, on a boiling hot day, after eating nothing but ½ a muffin and a tasting of tomatoes. I was one hot, dizzy, dehydrated, slow mess!

Why so late? Why a tasting of tomatoes? Well, after living in Northern Virginia for 3 ½ years I FINALLY ventured out to the Eastern Market (bigger (better) then a farmer’s market, much smaller the Reading Terminal in Philly). And that, my friends, is the first of two Happy Places I found this weekend (2nd is Total Wine - someone explain to me how I missed this gem?!).

Eastern Market is heaven on earth. We went there with no menu, no recipes, just an open mind and the desire to make a fabulous dinner. We walked through all of the vegetable stands and ideas were forming, but I needed the main dish solidified before making a purchase. I was starting to get disappointed because there was no meats/seafood - then we went inside. The first counter we saw was the seafood counter…Frutta di Mare? Next was fresh meat…Pesto stuffed Pork Loin? Focus on the appetizer and that would determine the main dish. Choice between Prosciutto wrapped Cantaloupe (then I'd make the pork loin) or Bacon Wrapped Scallops (to go with the Frutta di Mare). HMMMMMM

And the decision is:
Thick Sliced Hickory Bacon wrapped Sea Scallops
Grilled Baby Octopus (17/101)
Tomato Salad
Baked Sweet Onion
Tomato Basil Fettuccine (Cheated and bought this)
And Frutta di Mare (18/101)

I thought I bought 2-person quantities, but know that these recipes could have EASILY fed four. I also don't believe in measuring things when I make up my own recipes so everything is an approximate.

Recipes:
Fresh Herb Mix
1/4 Cup Loosely Packed Basil
Leaves from about 6 inches of Rosemary
Leaves from about 6 inches of Oregano
Sprinkling (teaspoon-ish) Sea Salt
Pepper (about 5 turns of the grinder)
Put everything in a bowl and chop. I prefer to use scissors, Dude uses a knife on a cutting bored. I don't recommend a processor - in my experience too much moisture is released. Set aside - will be used throughout these recipes.

Thick Sliced Hickory Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops
6 slices bacon, cut in half
12 Scallops (ordered ½ lb, this is what I got)
Wrap bacon around scallops, put on metal skewer. Grill for 10 minutes (500 degrees*).

Grilled Baby Octopus
4 Baby Octopus (figure 2 per person)
¼ C Olive Oil
2 Tbs Fresh Herb Mix

Marinate octopus in olive oil and herbs for 15 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off extra oil. Grill on top shelf of grill (500 degrees*) for 10 minutes.

Note: Some people can’t get past the look of the octopus and won’t eat this. Once they are cooked you could chop them up so they no longer resemble little 8-legged aliens. (Not that Dude or I have an issue with this, but Dude did apologize to each one before he ate it).

Fresh Tomato Salad
3 Different (Colors/Types) of Tomatoes - I used beefsteak, Green Zebra, and a big orange one. Do some tasting at the farmer’s market to find a good mix.
2 Tbs Olive Oil, divided
Sprinkling Sea Salt
1 Tbs Fresh Herb Mix
2 Basil Leaves, sliced in this strips
Drizzle Platter with Olive Oil and sprinkling of salt. Slice/Core tomatoes. Arrange on Platter. Sprinkle with Fresh Herb Mix and Basil Leaves. Top with additional Olive Oil.

Baked Sweet Onion
Dude and I have been trying to duplicate this since we had it in Italy. It seemed simple enough, a baked onion that was basically caramelized in its skin. After trial and error, I think we have it.
2 Onions - top/bottom cut off, cross cut in top and bottom, and stabbed on each side
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Fresh Herb Mix
Preheat oven or grill to 500 degrees*. This is why the grill was so hot for the scallops and octopus.
Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in two bowls. Put onion in bowl, top with Fresh Herbs. Cover with saran wrap and let sit for ~30 minutes.

Make tinfoil pouch. Put onion and oil mixture in the pouch and seal. Bake/Grill for 1 hour. Remove skin and serve piping hot.

Frutta di Mare
Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
3 Tomatoes, chopped, with juice and seeds
1/2 Cup White Wine
Fresh Herbs
Sea Salt
4 Calamari Tubes, cut into rings
5 Large Shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut into 3 pieces
6 Mussels, scrubbed, debearded
6 Clams, scrubbed
1/4 Lb Bay Scallops

Fill a large pot with water, add some salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Bring to a boil. While boiling the water do the below.
Wash, clean and lightly steam the Clams and Mussels just enough to open. Remove meat from shells and set aside.
Wash the calamari and cut into rings
Heat olive oil and add garlic, Stir for ~2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and herbs and cover. Simmer on Med-Low for 5 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add all seafood except clams and mussels. Salt to taste. Cook for ~5+ minutes. In the last 3 minutes or so add the mussels and clams. Add red pepper flakes right at the end. Cover and let sit (on the same burner) until ready to platter.

Pasta:
In the last 3 minutes of cooking the sauce, add fresh pasta to the boiling water and follow the directions (usually calls for 2-3 minutes). I recommend under cooking it, drain. Reserve some of the pasta water. Put on serving dish, drizzle with olive oil. If it seems to dry out quickly add a scant amount of the reserved water. Serve seafood on top of pasta.

And the results...mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm GOOD!

For each one of these recipes, I give them:

Thursday Thirteen Things I Did and Did Not Do This Week

2009-08-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

Yes I know it's Friday - Deal with it!

Things I DID:
- Got my wireless card reestablished on my computer so I can work from home again

- Worked from home every evening M-W until midnight

- Had over 40 hours in by 9am on Thursday - still worked the rest of the day and working 1/2 day Friday. And NO I don't get paid for all my hours.

- Booked a trip to FL in September to go visit my family and catch up with the highschool friends I've reconnected with on Facebook. (101 in 1001)

- Made homemade pasta with my new pasta machine (and homemade pesto with our basil that we grew).

- Tried to give blood. (101 in 1001)

- Lost one pound (I gained three since Ironman)

- Week three of 100 crunches every other morning. (101 in 1001)

Things I Did NOT DO:

- Give blood. Despite BEING AN IRONMAN my iron was too low

- Any training (other then the aforementioned crunches) since the run on Saturday

- Finish cleaning my house - upstairs spotless, downstairs not so much

- Weed my backyard. The weeds/grass is almost up to my hips.

- Wash my car, well I haven't done this since May(!)

2010 Already

2009-08-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't figured out time travel. I'm starting to think about my 2010 Race Schedule.

Things I know for sure - NO IRONMAN! No long-distance travel. And that's all I know for sure.

Things I'm considering:
Marathon (Just one):
Either ING Marathon (Atlanta) or Shamrock Marathon (Virginia Beach and Yuengling after) the weekend of 20 March.

Half Options (Thinking two):
Kinetic Half - After this years failure I kind of feel like I have to try again.
Mooseman Half - I just love this race venue.
I also really like Endurfun (folks that put the race on) so I'd consider Timberman or Longhorn.
An Ironman Half - either FL (get to visit mom), Vineman (wine country), Amica (Rhode Island - kind of close)

Olys -
Rumpass (if they do it again)
Nation's (in my backyard)
Mooseman (if I don't do the Half)

I'd also like to do some more distance cycling, maybe an adventure race, rock climbing class, cooking class, housework, etc., etc., etc.

CRAP - looks like next year's weekends are filling up!

I Ran...And I Liked It

2009-08-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my first “distance” run since IMS - 16 miles. I had not been looking forward to it at all. Since IMS every step after 5 miles hurt…really bad. Shins, Thighs, Hips, Back…just hurt.

But then Saturday happened.

Team run started at the Caboose in Vienna to run the W&OD trail. It’s not my favorite place to run but it does give you a mix of hills, false flats, flats, and the occasional jump out of the way as cyclist go flying by without announcing themselves. Unfortunately I showed up ½ hour late so I was in for a lonely run, just me and my iPod. I did get to see many team members and that’s always a treat.

I did my normal 10/2 walk/run mix. I also split the run to 4 miles to the west and back (more hills), refuel, then 4 miles to the east and back (less shade).

It was BOILING hot. Sometimes after swim I sit in the sauna – it was hotter outside. And muggy. And humid. I was DRENCHED. And I’m not exaggerating! Despite this, I felt great the entire run. Note to self, don't lick arm for salt after applying sunscreen!

My pace for the first 8 miles were 11 min – and that included the 2 min walk. I did slow down a bit for the 2nd 8 miles and ranged between 11:00 – 11:45. Not too shabby (ok, slow as shit, but right on my marathon pace).

Did I mention I felt GREAT?!?!

And recovery, who needs recovery? Never felt pain or stiffness. Awesome! (Sang in a high pitched tone).

Oh, and Sunday, we went for a 5 mile hike, with climbing/hills and it wasn’t so bad. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m loving it!

In other news – I’m thinking of backing out of the Nation’s Tri. It’s the weekend I’m supposed to run 18 miles. Marine Corp is more important then this Oly. I need to see if I can get any money back though (I am a cheap ass so if I can’t, I’ll do the race). If that’s the case, I’m not sure how I’ll get those additional miles in. Finish the Oly, then run an additional 12?! Now that’s HARDCORE!

Thursday Thirteen - Catch Up and A Lot of Nothing

2009-08-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

1. I suck. Get your mind out of the gutter. I suck at blogging but not by choice. I have a LOT to blog about but due to technical difficulties and my (stupid) job I don't have time.

2. I still read everyone's blogs. Thank "the maker" (I'm stealing this from Mary) for stoplights, traffic jams, and down time in the evenings with the blackberry.

3. Marathon training is...well it is. Anything over 5 miles still hurts but I have made it up to 10. This weekend I jump to 16 (combining training schedules kind of screws up the build). I'm going to do 8 miles at a time (4 out/back) so it doesn't seem overwhelming.

4. Dude and I went cycling in Amish Country, PA last weekend. What are the requirements for becoming Amish? They lead such a simple life, but they seem so happy. I think they KNOW what is important in life and the rest of us will realize it when we're old and decrepit.

5. We are playing the lottery this week (my first time since ummmmm, the 90's). If I win I'm buying property and going to attempt my dream job.

6. Want to know what my dream job is...? Owning a Bed and Breakfast (but in my case it would be Supper and Siesta because I hate making breakfast). See, I will have "the big house" where I live and cook. I will have cabins (fully decked out cabins) for the guests. They will get home-cooked gourmet meals (with wine pairings). During the day, there will be hiking, running, cycling, or on their own activities. Breakfast (simple stuff) will be available as well as box lunches. Come on, wouldn't you want to stay there???? (and as Dude takes pictures of me blogging (learning more about photography), I'm sure he would be available to document your vacation).

7. I mentioned we went to PA this past weekend. It was another opportunity to realize one of the 1,000 reasons why I love Dude so much. That man can talk and make friends with anyone. I'm an extrovert (according to Myers-Briggs) but seriously, he IS the definition of extrovert.

8. Funny (not so much) story.... I have one of those stickers with the pictures of the swim/bike/run on my car. So, I'm walking out of the store and this guy (kind of looks like an athlete) asks "what kind of triathlete are you?" I'm thinking, "um, middle of the pack?!" but I still haven't answered. I think he saw the confusion, because he said/asked, "you do sprints"? I said "No, I did Ironman Switzerland a month ago". He said "you did".

Now that can be read a couple ways. You DID - Meaning - that's awesome! Or YOU did - Meaning - seriously, someone with thighs and an ass that big can do Ironman?!

Unfortunately, he said it the second way - like I'm not worthy of the Ironman title. Fucker.

9. Work is stupid busy. Lesson learned - Never EVER tell your CFO that you sometimes get bored because there is not enough to do. I now have more then enough to do and not near the hours.

10. Being a woman SUCKS sometimes! Especially when it's that time. Seriously, menopause can't come soon enough.

11 - 12 - F-it. I'm tired and I've had 3 drinks tonight. I'm going to bed.

13. I AM AN IRONMAN!

#58 - Cook 101 in 1001 - #'s 10 - 16

2009-08-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

I have been cooking just not blogging about it. These span the last couple months. If the recipe is not typed, click on the link:

To remind you of the Fat Running Chef (FRC) scale:
1=Never Ever Again
2=Try One More Time
3=Good But Needs Tweeking
4=OMG This Is So Good Calories Don't Count

#10 - White Bean & Roasted Tomato Soup – Wegman’s Recipe - Followed the recipe to a tee except I chopped my own onion, added a minced garlic clove, omitted the croutons (served with bread) and did not strain the mixture, just blended it. 3 ½ FRC – nothing wrong with it and I’ll make it again, but not “to die for”.

#11 – Chicken w/Pancetta and Olives came from Epicurious – I halved everything in this recipe with the exception of the Pancetta. I bought the pre-diced and used ½ of the package. I probably used a few more olives as well. 4 FRC

#12 - Pancetta & Taleggio Conchiglioni is from the Delicious Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 5. This magazine is an Austrailian magazine, so all weights are in metric. And I’m going to make you do the math!

Ingredients:
250 g Cannelloni Shells
1 C Breadcrumbs, fresh
8 Pancetta slices, chopped
1/3 C Parsley, flat leaf, chopped
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
200 g Taleggio
1 lg Egg Yolk, lightly beaten
2 Tbs Parmasan

Tomato & Red Wine Sauce
2 C Tomato Passata
100 ml Dry Red Wine
1 tsp Brown Sugar
Pinch dried Chili Flakes
1 Tbs Olive Oil, plus extra to toss pasta

Directions:
Place all sauce ingredients in a pan over medium-high heat. Season, bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, over low heat for 12 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until just thickened.

Preheat oven to 200 Celcius. Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water according to directions. Drain, toss with olive oil. Set aside.

Mix together all remaining ingredients, except parmesan, with some pepper. (If using Cannelloni shells) use a piping bag with a large plain nozzle (or a zip-lock bag with 1 corner snipped off), to fill pasta tubes. Pour half the sauce into a 3-litre baking dish, then top with pasta, preferably in a single layer. Pour over remaining sauce and scatter with parmesan.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until pasta is tender. Serve with extra parsley.

Changes I made and Lessons Learned:
Converted everything from metric
I used giant shells instead of Cannelloni (hence the Conchiglioni), they’re easier to stuff. Used packaged Italian bread crumbs. For the sauce I couldn’t find Passata, which is a cooked tomato concentrate so I used Pomi brand Strained Tomatoes - could have used tomato paste. I added minced Garlic Clove, Season-all, and Ground Italian Herbs. I should have used less bread crumbs and more spices in the sauce. The sauce was a little too sweet for my liking. I used a Chianti wine so that may have added to the sweetness. 3 FRCs – it was good but needs some work.

#13 & 14 - Grilled Mojo Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Grilled Peach Salsa – Both Wegman’s Recipes – Did not make into a sandwich, just had the pork (which means I grilled a pre-marinated pork loin - tough stuff!) and salsa. As a note, I’m a fake Mexican and don’t like spicy food and I thought this salsa was incredible. Quick, Easy, and mmm, mmm, good! 4 FRC’s

#15 – Grilled Swordfish Nicoise Salad – Wegman’s Recipe – This is one of those recipes you can take the basics and mix it up. I’m going to go with 3 FRC’s only because there is so much room to play with the ingredients.

And #16 Creamy Tomato Pasta with Pine Nuts is from the Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Publication “Ultimate Italian”.

Ingredients:
3 Oz Pancetta, finely chopped
1 Tbs Butter
2 C Mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C pine nuts, toasted
¼ tsp Black Pepper (eyeball)
2 Med Tomatoes, chopped
½ C Parmasan Cheese
1 9 Oz Pkg Refrigerated Linguine
1 ½ C ½ & ½ or Light Cream
Additional Parmasan and Pepper if desired

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook and stir pancetta over medium heat just until golden brown. Remove pancetta from skillet; drain off fat. For sauce: In the same skillet, heat butter. Add mushrooms and pine nuts; cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms ar etender and pine nuts are golden brown, stirring frequently. Return pancetta to skillet. Stir in half & half and the ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently uncovered, over medium heat about 7 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Stir in tomatoes and Parmasan cheese.

Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions; drain. Add the sauce; toss gently to combine. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmasan cheese and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

As written 578 Calories. Saved some calories with fake butter and fat free cream (but probably evened it out with the additional pancetta and pine nuts)

Changes I made and Lessons Learned:
Used 4 oz Pancetta, Brummell & Brown Yogurt Butter, about ½ the mushrooms, ½ C pine nuts, 3 Plum Tomatoes, Fettuccini instead of Linguine, Fat Free Cream, and did not add the additional parmesan or pepper. I added minced Garlic Clove, Season-all, Ground Italian Herbs, and flour (for thickening). I should have used right amount of mushrooms, stuck with original amount of pine nuts (if not less), and added another plum tomato. Also, if you use fat free cream you have to watch it constantly when it’s boiling or a film develops on top (which can be removed, doesn’t change the flavor).

Yes, I Do Still Exercise!

2009-08-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve actually blogged/mentioned exercise. I have excuses (I always do).

First I took two weeks off after IMS to recover. I AM AN IRONMAN!

Then I went to Lake Placid to watch my Team Z peeps rock the Ironman USA.

I had planned on starting marathon training on Monday after Placid but I ended up with a cold (and no voice) so I slept for 3 ½ days then generally felt like crap for the rest of the week.

Finally on Sunday I went on the Team Z bike ride. Dude had said he would ride 50 miles with me but he left me in the dust within two miles. Jerk! (Just kidding) I ended up riding 30 miles with Kate which was quite fun and helped ease me back into cycling.

Monday was the big “Marathon Training Kick-Off”. By that I mean I ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes then went and had beer and wings with Jason, Lori, and Ken.

I’m taking this marathon training a little (lot) different then the first go-round. Myrtle Beach was all about proving that I could RUN a marathon. I no longer have anything to prove - I AM AN IRONMAN dammit!

You may recall that during IMS training I lost my passion for the sport. The training became too focused, frustrating, and way too serious – it bacame a (really shitty) part time job when it use to be my favorite hobby. So my goal during Marine Corp marathon training is to RECAPTURE THE JOY. I want to enjoy running (with some cycling and swimming thrown in) again. I want to remember what it was like to go out for a little run and come back feeling revitalized and refreshed.

That’s my goal people!

But, so far, it just hurts. EVERY step is daggers through my feet, calves, knees and thighs.

Is enjoying running again asking too much?!

Thursday Thirteen - Breakfast in Bed

2009-08-06T12:33:00.001-07:00

Forget the “which 5 people (living or dead (which is just creepy)) would you like to have dinner with” question. Most people list a bunch of pretentious blowhards, or obscure writers, philosophers, musicians, etc. Perhaps I’m jealous because my list would be as shallow as this one:

The 13 Men I’d like to have Breakfast in Bed With

Adorable Dude

Halle Berry’s Man Toy – Gabriel Something-or-other - does his name matter?!

Black and White Dude (although that would be weird if he was suddenly in black and white in a world of color)

Bradley Cooper – Where’d this guy come from?! All of a sudden he's in everything. BTW - go see "The Hangover" - don't buy a soda because it will come out your nose!

Cheesy Smile Dude (in front of the Duda Bar) – he does this cheesy smile in various pictures.

McSteamy from Gray’s Anatomy - Remember the scene where he's coming out of the shower? Yowza!

Winter Dude – He even looks cute in a hat!

Josh Turner (country music singer) – The eyes, the smile, the voice, *sigh*

Animal Activist Dude – we found a lost birdie in Italy so Dude moved him to a safer location

Toby Keith – doesn't he just look big and cuddly?

Funny Dude (in front of a delivery truck for the best named liquor store in Beaver Creek, Colorado)

George Clooney – Duh, have you been reading my blogs?

Goofy Dude with a guest appearance of Frog

Lake Como Italy = BLISS!

2009-08-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

This is a picture story. Which means you are in luck! A picture is worth 1,000 words, right?! So imagine how long this could have been!

On Monday Dude and I boarded a train to Lake Como, Italy. Switzerland to Italy in the Alps – words can’t describe the beauty so here’s my favorite photo from this leg (ignore my reflection):

The train ride was suppose to be a major highlight of the trip and this is how I enjoyed it:

Got to Lake Como and we had to figure out how to get to the marina to catch the boat to the hotel. It was about a ½ mile so we decided to walk. Nobody mentioned the stairs I had to walk down…with my suitcase…and my tri bag…and my laptop THE DAY AFTER IRONMAN(view from the bottom):

We made it, boarded the boat and about 15 minutes later we made it to the hotel. Here is our lake view from the balcony.

Straight out:

To the Left:

To the Right:

We got cleaned up and I packed up all of my IRONMAN finisher gear, removed my Athlete bracelet, took off my Heart to Tri necklace and became a GIRL for the rest of vacation. Girly Clothes, Hair, Makeup, Heels – the works! It was just one of those things I wanted to do to put the IMS obsession behind and concentrate on us. We went for a walk around town looking for a place for dinner. Finally we found La Baia Bar and Restaurante. Ok – it looked more like someone’s house with balcony seating. The owner, Mario, was the host/waiter and his mother was the chef. ABSOLUTELY incredible food! We started with carpaccio, my main dish was the special of the night – asparagus stuffed ravioli’s, but I can't remember what Dude had. Here's a pic of the restaurant (there were maybe 10 tables on that balcony) and a blurry shot of Dude with Mario (owner), his mother, and the waitress (picture was taken a couple nights later).

Tuesday – Tourist Day/”5 scoops of Gelato Day”
We took a 2 ½ hour boat ride to Varrena – the stop just North of Bellagio because the tour book said it was as nice but not as “touristy” as Bellagio. The boat ride was GORGEOUS (one view):

While aboard we went Villa Shopping and narrowed it down to this one:

Or this one:

What do you think?

Got to Varenna, and had the first of 5 scoops of gelato for the day. I tend to stick with pistachio but also find banana quite tasty. Walked around a bit (had more gelato) and found a museum/botanical garden (Manastareo) to explore. Couple pics from there:

After taking 100’s of pictures we wandered back into town, had more gelato and decided it was time for a drink. Here is Dude’s review of the 1st place we tried:
Rudest waitress EVER – you can see her in the doorway.

So we went next door. Dude’s review of this place:

Dinner was back at a place close to the hotel where I had salmon fettuccine (the salmon was actually IN THE PASTA – oh my Gawd – Incredible). And Dude had Spaghetti with Fruitta de Mare which can only be described as the essence of Italy in every bite.

Wednesday – Isola di Comacino/Cinque Bottiglie Di Vino
There is one island in all of Lake Como called Isola di Comacino. On the island are the ruins of S. Eufemia basilica and an incredible restaurant with no menu but endless amounts of food. You basically have a choice of fish/no fish, wine/no wine. We went with no fish/with wine. We soon found out it was bottomless wine. Yeah! The food was incredible, basically course after course of vegetables in olive oil (best onion I’ve ever had in my life), pancetta, parmesan, gelato, and bread (and some coffee that you had to drink to break the island’s curse). Here's Dude and I after some wine and one with me and the restaurant sign.

Oh, and this was my George stalking day. Apparently he’s dined at this restaurant so I got my picture taken with him (kind of):

We went back to the mainland and took a terrifying bus ride to the next town which required us to have more wine. Then a boat ride across to our town where we had more and more wine. Then we rested up for dinner. We went back to the restaurant from the first night where they made me Fruitta de Mare and I have no idea what Dude had. By the way, we had more wine. And my camera died so no more pictures.

Thursday – Final Day
We hung around the hotel in the morning and went swimming in the lake. Finally packed up and headed to Como and I FINALLY got to have pizza in Italy (this was a quest everyday). It was a miserably hot day and I was thankful to get on the train to head to Zurich. In keeping with my original travel nightmare the train was delayed and we didn’t get to the Zurich hotel until well after 8 (left at 2 – should have been 4 hours max). We did room service because we had an early flight to catch in the morning.

Friday – Travel Day
In keeping with my original travel nightmare, we were suppose to leave at 10 am (got to the airport at 0800) but we finally had wheels up at just after 7 pm. Because of the delay we obviously missed our connecting flight. We finally got home at close to noon on Saturday. Ask me how I feel about American Airlines!

Besides the travel issues this was the best and most relaxing vacations I've ever been on. Since I recently received an email saying I won $1 Million Euro I'm seriously considering getting one of those villas. Just as soon as I send my bank account information back so they can deposit my winnings!

Thursday Thirteen - Post IRONMAN Plans

2009-07-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

1. Cook! I'm thinking of buying a Kitchen Aid with a pasta maker because after the week in Italy I want fresh pasta EVERYDAY!

2. Blog and Post more pictures - I still haven't blogged about my FABULOUS trip to Italy.

3. Work out without a mission. Oh wait, I have Marine Corp Marathon coming up in October, I guess that's a mission.

4. Sleep in on the weekends. But not last weekend. Or the weekend before that. And certainly not this weekend.

5. Re-engage my OCD when it comes to cleaning my house (and maybe even Dude's house). The dust bunnies are taking over.

6. Home Improvement! I have pictures to be framed/hung, a garage door opener that needs replacing, a back garden that is overrun with weeds, and carpet that needs replacing.

7. Find a new "physical" hobby. Climbing? Kayaking? Different classes at the gym?

8. Get involved with a charity. I'm thinking Girls on the Run or seeing if Holly needs runners for her Cancer to 5K program.

9. Seriously look into getting a dog. Seriously!

10. Spend more quality time with Dude. He deserves it after putting up with my IMS obsession for a year!

11. Get back in touch with my non-triathlete friends that I sadly have not had time for in the past year. (Not that I'll ever abandon my triathlete friends -- love you guys!)

12. Plan/take a couple trips that don't require workout clothes!

13. Remind myself DAILY that I AM AN IRONMAN and that I had the perfect day so there is NO NEED to do another!

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Thursday Thirteen

2009-07-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

Random Thoughts...

I AM AN IRONMAN!

I know I want a tattoo commemorating that I AM AN IRONMAN but I can’t figure out what design I want. Not sure I want a trademarked logo.

I am looking forward to heading to Lake Placid this weekend to watch Ironman USA. Lots of friends/training partners racing. I can’t wait until they can repeat after me: I AM AN IRONMAN!

I’m NOT signing up for Ironman USA 2010 – why should I? I already AM AN IRONMAN!

They didn’t have the greatest MDot stuff in Switzerland so I’m going to go a little crazy at the Expo tent in Placid. I want to bolster the economy while letting everyone know I AM AN IRONMAN!

I didn’t lose any weight while training for IMS (I AM AN IRONMAN). Since then I spent a week eating pasta, Gelato, wine, and cappuccinos. Since returning to the States I’m all about the wine and anything I can stuff in my face. I haven’t exercised since the race. I’ve LOST three pounds.

Tomorrow is Casual Friday but I usually still dress nice. Tomorrow I’m wearing my Finisher shirt (and possibly my medal). I want everyone to know I AM AN IRONMAN!

I watched my Finisher video today (#1220, Jason's with me, Robin is #303) and I can’t understand why it was going so fast – I remember the Finish in sssslllllooooowwwww motion. But still, I AM AN IRONMAN!

I feel sorry for my cubicle mates – they have to hear my “I AM AN IRONMAN” stories every time someone stops by or calls. Yep, I’m THAT annoying person!

Even though I didn’t hear them say it, my new favorite quote is “Esther L – YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”

I’ve read my race report probably 100 times just to relive it. When I’m done, I say I AM AN IRONMAN (sometimes out loud).

Of the 2,444 people who registered, only 2,136 people started. Of them, only 1,981 people can say I AM AN IRONMAN!

I wonder if my company would mind if I had I AM AN IRONMAN put on my business card.

OK, so I overdid it here, but seriously, every once in awhile during the course of my day I’ll remember that I AM AN IRONMAN! Whoulda thunk it?!

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The purpose to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!