2012 Goals

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.

13

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….

Thursday (Friday) Thirteen

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!!

Thursday Thirteen on a Tuesday

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!

2010 - Year in Review

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!

The Damage

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!

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!

Friday Edition of a Much Delayed Thursday Thirteen

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?

You Know What Thursday Means...

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!~~~

Back in the Saddle (and other stuff)

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!

Guess What I Did...

...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!!!

Swim, Dude, Work - Thursday 13

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

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

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.

I Need A Vacation...

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?!

1-4 of 13

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…

Year in Review (Thursday 13)

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!

New Plan

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

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?

Thirteen

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)