Shin Splints and Ice Cream

Yes!

2012-01-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

So people do get it. Unfortunately, just very late in life =(

In this quick article, a nurse that works in Hospice care talks about what people on their death bed think about, and mostly regret.
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

How To Be Alone. In a Happy Way.

2012-01-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

HOW TO BE ALONE by Tanya Davis

If you are at first lonely, be patient. If you've not been alone much, or if when you were, you weren't okay with it, then just wait. You'll find it's fine to be alone once you're embracing it.

We could start with the acceptable places, the bathroom, the coffee shop, the library. Where you can stall and read the paper, where you can get your caffeine fix and sit and stay there. Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books. You're not supposed to talk much anyway so it's safe there.

There's also the gym. If you're shy you could hang out with yourself in mirrors, you could put headphones in (guitar stroke).

And there's public transportation, because we all gotta go places.

And there's prayer and meditation. No one will think less if you're hanging with your breath seeking peace and salvation.

Start simple. Things you may have previously (electric guitar plucking) based on your avoid being alone principals.

The lunch counter. Where you will be surrounded by chow-downers. Employees who only have an hour and their spouses work across town and so they -- like you -- will be alone.

Resist the urge to hang out with your cell phone.

When you are comfortable with eat lunch and run, take yourself out for dinner. A restaurant with linen and silverware. You're no less intriguing a person when you're eating solo dessert to cleaning the whipped cream from the dish with your finger. In fact some people at full tables will wish they were where you were.

Go to the movies. Where it is dark and soothing. Alone in your seat amidst a fleeting community.

And then, take yourself out dancing to a club where no one knows you. Stand on the outside of the floor till the lights convince you more and more and the music shows you. Dance like no one's watching...because, they're probably not. And, if they are, assume it is with best of human intentions. The way bodies move genuinely to beats is, after all, gorgeous and affecting. Dance until you're sweating, and beads of perspiration remind you of life's best things, down your back like a brook of blessings.
Go to the woods alone, and the trees and squirrels will watch for you.Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, there're always statues to talk to and benches made for sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute and these moments can be so uplifting and the conversations you get in by sitting alone on benches might've never happened had you not been there by yourself

Society is afraid of alonedom, like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements, like people must have problems if, after a while, nobody is dating them. but lonely is a freedom that breaths easy and weightless and lonely is healing if you make it.

You could stand, swathed by groups and mobs or hold hands with your partner, look both further and farther for the endless quest for company. But no one's in your head and by the time you translate your thoughts, some essence of them may be lost or perhaps it is just kept.

Perhaps in the interest of loving oneself, perhaps all those sappy slogans from preschool over to high school's groaning were tokens for holding the lonely at bay. Cuz if you're happy in your head than solitude is blessed and alone is okay.

It's okay if no one believes like you. All experience is unique, no one has the same synapses, can't think like you, for this be releived, keeps things interesting lifes magic things in reach.

And it doesn't mean you're not connected, that communitie's not present, just take the perspective you get from being one person in one head and feel the effects of it. take silence and respect it. if you have an art that needs a practice, stop neglecting it. if your family doesn't get you, or religious sect is not meant for you, don't obsess about it.

you could be in an instant surrounded if you needed it
If your heart is bleeding make the best of it
There is heat in freezing, be a testament.

Why we care.

2012-01-09T23:23:00.000-08:00

Why is it so important to us what others think about us?

Are people who care about what others think Shallow? Superficial? Fake? Insecure?

I don't think so, really. I think the judgement of our world is what has crushed our natural desires to care for one another.

At heart, we are beings that nurture, empathize, sympathize, help, give, serve, and are naturally good-natured.

Because of living in a world that has turned those attributes into signs of "weakness", we have shied away from being this way to each other.

I do not believe the root of this worry is that we care what others think about us, it's that we desire to care about them. Unfortunately, most of the society we live in now has been taught that you can't rely on anyone but yourself. That you are the only one you have, and that it is up to you and no one else to be what you want to be, get where you're going, and "achieve".

Me Me Me. You You You.
There is no longer an US or a community.

The more people believe they should only rely on themselves, the more judgemental they become of others, which then leads to people feeling judged, which we are now. We live in a world that is way to self absorbed with filling themselves up. The mere thought that someone else could fill you up is just too much to bare. Where's the trust? The giving & receiving? It is lost. That is sad. I feel bad for people who are trapped in a world that is led by others' thoughts, despite the obvious effort to only rely on oneself. Nature at it's finest.

Cleansing

2012-01-08T23:05:00.000-08:00

Today I have begun a cleanse. Of mind, body and spirit. I am a pretty positive person, trying to not let the small things push me around much. I am an organized planner, but try not to let it take over my life (*Try* being the operative verb here). Yet, sometimes, life gets in control of me. I begin to feel frazzled, out of balance, and out of control of my feelings, energy, and thoughts. I feel as if I'm trudging through mud, always attempting to "catch up" to life as it seems to always stay ten steps ahead of me. I do NOT like this feeling. As I'm sure no one does.

I like to be balanced. To feel healthy in my mind, with thoughts that make sense and aren't wondering off.I like to feel in control of cravings, for foods and anything else. And rather than trying to be ten steps ahead of life, I enjoy walking along side of it, IN it, experiencing it - each moment as it is happening. I like being.

I have felt like this at times in life, and it comes with a heightened sense of peace unlike anything else.

This peace and balance comes from cleansing. Taking a look at the life you are spiraling in, and tossing out the things which do not belong. Like a game of "which one is unlike the others?", where your job is to find the things that are not matching up with the purpose of your being. Why are you here? What are you doing? What are your goals? Some of those questions may not have an apparent answer, it may be fogged or may not have been made clear to you yet, but that does not stop you from searching the TRUE and HONEST desires of your heart. Not the worldly desires. Those are fake. Think natural. What does your body need, what does your mind need, what are your spiritual needs?

They all go together to create a whole being. As you find the answer to what is fulfilling your natural, true and honest desire of the spirit, you will find physical and mental clarity. As you begin to take care of your body through honest, true and natural ways, you will find a heightened peace in the mind and spirit. And as you draw closer to the spirit, what we were meant to believe, follow, create, and BE, you will find mental clarity & serenity, and you'll feel more physical energy and peace within your phsycial being.

I began cleansing today, and will continue on for as long as I feel called to. Through this time, I will be using methods that help me achieve my goals, through prayer and physical & mental strength, overcoming obstacles, learning to listen to what is within, letting the positive and natural truth speak louder than the world does.

What's been going on??? Here's what =)

2010-11-30T20:08:00.001-08:00

http://homemadejack.blogspot.com/2010/11/cookies-for-haiti.html

Keeping it up... and Hoover Dam Half

2010-10-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Can't believe 10 days has flown by since I last posted!

So, I've been keeping up with the slower but faster running. I love it. I don't want my run to end! That's the way it should be all the time. I just got too ambitious. I have to love running where I am and push slightly against my comfort zone to stay motivated and challenged.

The fam and I went to the Hoover Dam Bridge public opening yesterday. You can read all about our trip here. But with that trip, I made my final decision. I'm going to run the Calico Racing Hoover Dam Half Marathon on Oct. 30, 2010. I am hoping to hit that 2:30 but I don't really mind if it takes longer. As usual, I'm set up to volunteer afterwards, so that's incentive to keep my butt moving!

Tomorrow's crazy busy. But I'm working on carving out time every Tuesday for a longer run. I think it's working out to be a better day for the long run of the week. I just need to get in the routine of it.

Time for bed!

Go slower to get there faster

2010-10-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

What an interesting concept.

Last week I was working on trying to keep a faster pace with longer distance. In the end, I only ended up with a slower overall average pace because of all the walking I was doing between my miles. What I consistently found out was that by the 3/4 or whole mile my cardio ability was shot. I was panting, tired and mentally exhausted. My legs were feeling great though. So I'd walk for a few minutes and then take off again.

This week, I decided to run slower and just run for time, not distance. A training tip I've read many times online and in Runner's World. So I went out and did just that. I ran at a comfortable pace, and held it for a while and then I looked at Judy (my Garmin watch) to check how I'd been doing. Already I had noticed that mentally and physically, I was feeling awesome. I felt like I could run that way forever. So what does Judy say? Dontcha know she says I'm doing high 10 to low 11 min miles. These are my averages when I'm pushing to run in the low 9 minute miles, but then I'm walking so much because I'm exhausting myself. It felt much more enjoyable to run at a steady soft pace and I ended up at a same if not faster average!

Oh and guess what? I looked forward to my next run. This is a feeling I've been missing. I know I love running, I know I will do it, but I've missed that love affair I used to have with it. I thought it was just the heat. Well even though the heat played a HUGE factor, it was also how I was running. At this rate, if I can hold that comfortable pace for my long runs (going to try 10 miles this weekend), then I know I can definitely achieve the 2:30 goal!

So now I know, I need to slow down to go faster! Saving speed for 400m laps and speed work. Sometimes we make things harder than they have to be. The LOVE of running should always be highest priority, when you feel you've lost it, find it.

Quest for 2300

2010-10-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

The weather outside is frightful.... HA! Not even close, but it is getting cooler... some days. I've jumped on any chance I've gotten to run before or after midday. I'm so over the heat running and would rather workout inside at home than go out running in the midday sun anymore. By next summer I'm sure I'll be ready to go at it again in the heat... so I'll save that enthusiasm for 2011.

So this week I've put in about 10 miles so far.

Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 2 miles
Friday: 2 miles
Saturday: 3 x 400m sprints
Sunday: rest

It feels AHHHmazing to get out on the road more consistently. A run every once in a while always feels better than not doing it at all, but I miss having new goals everyday and every week. I know that I will only see endurance and speed increases with consistent training.

Cross training is a MUST. There's so much more to do than just strengthen your legs and running ability. Cross training will help a runner improve any distance, so this is a must-do while training or even recreational running. Cross training will help reduce injury and make you feel better during and between runs.

Although I'm not ready or trained for it, I believe most people can run/walk distances way beyond what they think they can. Yes, I believe I could do a marathon, a 50-miler, and even a 100-miler. One day, I probably will do them. For now, I'm focusing on distance commitments I know I can handle with kiddos, a husband, work, kids' sports, and volunteer responsibilities. Breaking PRs and doing it for His Glory are some exciting things I look forward to as I embark on this goal of a 2:30 Half Marathon time.

If you go to the link above, you'll see that I'm now part of a running team that will not only motivate people to get in shape together and share in the love of running together, but we will all be running to raise funds and awareness to what God has been doing and continues to do in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. My great friend, Jackie Perez, back when she was still Jackie Douglas, decided after a few mission trips down to the DR and Haiti, that she would go there to be a full-time missionary with G.O. Ministries! It was an exciting time in her life and although we were all sad to see her go, we were SO excited that she was getting to fulfill her heart's desires and God's plan for her life. While there, Jackie met a wonderful man, Alan, who also has a heart for Christ and what He is doing in Haiti and the DR. They were married and then just this past May, Jackie gave birth to twin girls here in the US with Alan by her side. Alan and Jackie both love running, so they decided that along with a bunch of us friends who also love running we could create a team of runners from all over the world that would run for His Glory!

I personally give all my accomplishments to God. Without Him by my side from the beginning, I would not be where I am. Maybe I would have lost weight, maybe I would have gotten healthier, but I wouldn't feel as free, as healthy or as disciplined as I am. I have survived almost 2 years of running, triathlon and other activities with no real injuries. Rather than focusing inward on what I want and desire or how much I've accomplished, I've turned that success outward and share it with others. I have wanted so badly to run for something that had worth and substance, and could work toward a bigger goal than just my PRs. This running team is that for me and for the God who has given me all I have and is all I am. He is my strength, my running partner, my confidant, my personal trainer and life coach. He is my purpose. And I want to give back anything and everything I can.

Please put some thought and prayer into how you can be apart of this. Do you want to make a monetary donation? Do you want to be apart of this running team and raise funds of your own? Do you want to be on the next mission trip down to the DR and Haiti? Please put serious thought and search your heart for how you can help and then get a hold of me. Call, text, email, Facebook, comment here... whatever! Just let me know.

My next race is the Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Half Marathon on December 5, 2010. My monetary goal for this race is $2300 (as a way to represent the 2:30 race time I hope to get!). I can accept any amount of donation that you want to make. Everything helps! I am also putting out a request for 2 major commitments. I want to make this goal of a 2:30 Half Marathon more than just my own PR accomplishment. My prayer and desire is that in addition to the $2300 I hope to raise, I'd like 2 people who are willing to commit to $10 for every minute I take off my current PR (2:34). If you'd like to do that, let me know!

Have a great Saturday and more updates are to come! In the meantime, head over to our team blog and meet the runners!

Love, Joy, Peace and Happiness to all
=)

2010-09-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh running, how I love thee! Let me count the ways.
~I love the smell of running - the trees, people cooking food, fresh laundry, grass, fresh air...
~I feel free - from bondage, stress, laziness, every day stuff
~It works the largest muscle group in your body!
~I've become an inspiration to my kids and will continue to be!
~I feel closer to God. My quiet time to talk to Him, listen to Him.
~Nature - I love experiencing God's world. Weather, climate, seasons, seeing the beautiful world He's made.
~The challenge - new races, new distances, always conquering something new
~My health - I'm stronger, more confident and I've lost 63 pounds so far!
~It constantly reminds me me of how intricately and amazingly the Lord has made us.

So, why do I run?

Well let's start off with why I didn't run until I was 25 years old and 3 kids deep. I was unmotivated and unhealthy. I didn't see the big deal in exercising and eating right. I was thin most of my life and didn't have to work hard to keep it that way. I smoked from 12 to 21. I was one of the last kid to finish the mile test in school. I remember having problems breathing while running starting from 8 years old when I tried a season of soccer. I tried joining the track team once in high school. I was really fast, but had no stamina. I lasted a week and gave up. My experience with running was never positive and therefore my thought was "Why run at all?". As we get older, there's less need to run anyway so I never felt it hindered me. Well, boy was I wrong. Especially after having 3 kids to chase!

I desired to feel strong and accomplished. Instead I was feeling lazy and some really unhealthy habits took over my life. Looking back, I can see that I was in bondage. And now? Now I feel completely FREE! Running isn't just a sport, a hobby, or something I do to keep in shape, eventhough all those things are true! For me, running is FREEDOM!

For months I prayed to God that something would come along where I could run for His glory. A good cause, reason, or purpose that would become a way for me to give back to Him all He's given me in running. A way for me to bring joy and glory to His name through something I was only doing because of HIS love for me. There's so much love and joy bottled up inside me from how much He's changed my life through this sport that needs to be poured out! So when Alan and Jackie proposed the "i run for His glory" idea, I was ecstatic!! Thank you Lord, for answering our prayers!!

Where Oh Where do I be?

2010-08-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

I'm right here! Not sure if anyon'es even noticed I haven't written in months, but I'm here. Alive and runnin'... occassionally. After the mad dash training for 4 Halfs in 6 months, I decied to take it slow and low for the summer. Mostly to work and spend time with fam. I run when I can and stick to smaller distances (3-5 miles).

As I'm about to embark on my next challenge, I feel like a newbie!

I'm going to run the Hoover Dam Half Marathon put on by none other than Joyce @ Calico Racing. My goal is to break 2:30 (PR is 2:34 at Red Rock, but I also ran with someone). I have a plan for tackling this on my own this time.

I'll begin this Wednesday, August 25th, as I've been really sick and now have pink eye. I started meds yesterday and already feel a little better. I'll be following Hal Higdon's Novice Half Marathon training plan starting at week 4. And my strategy is a run/walk ratio of 10min/5min. I know that seems like a large walk portion, but I know that in the beginning it will be easy and then I always die out towards the end. I want to stay consistent and feel strong throughout the 13.1 miles. If that means an easier ratio at first, I'm ok with that. I'll be loving that 5 minute walk break by mile 10.

Using THIS calculator, I put in the numbers of:

distance: 13.1 miles
goal time: 2:29
run for how long? 10 min
walk for how long? 5 min
walk pace: 13 min/mile(I will start checking for sure & tweak if need be)

RESULTS:
overall average pace needs to be: 11:22 min/mile
run pace needs to be: 10:42 min/mile

So that's the name of the game!

Calico 1/2 Slammer in da Hooooouse!

2010-06-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

CALICO SLAM SERIES
Inspired by the Grand Slam of Ultra Running, which is the completion of the 4 premier 100 miler events in the country in one year, the Calico Slam will recognize runners completing multiple Calico Racing events.

Slammers must complete 4 Calico Racing events in any given 12 consecutive month period. Runners may choose among all Calico Racing events which ones they plan to run.

Calico 1/2 Slam: The Calico 1/2 Slam honors runners who complete the 1/2 Marathon race distance at 4 Calico Races in any given consecutive 12 month period.

Copyright & copy; 2007, Joyce Forier and Calico Racing, LLC. All rights reserved.

I've spent months and weeks preparing for this. Questioning all the time if I would do it. The reasoning behind finishing my Calico 1/2 Slam with 'Running With the Devil" was that Lovell Canyon in April was #3. I have to do 4. The only other options for #4 would have been the Devil in June, ET in August, Hoover Dam in October, or Angel (2011).

ET - it's a midnight race and I never have anyone who wants to run with me. I didn't feel comfortable being out in Rachel, NV all alone in the middle of the dark desert.

Angel (2011) - wait a whole year to finish?? yeah right.

Hoover Dam or Devil?? ..... Well Hoover Dam is so long away, and I still have my base from doing the other 3 I've done. So Devil it was!!

Today I finished that Calico 1/2 Slam!! I pushed myself to new limits of heat running and conquered this awesome Running With the Devil race!! And I finished my 1/2 slam in half the time alotted!

Something that was really cool for this new half marathoner was being able to compare my ability on the same exact course 6 months apart. I figured Angel had kicked my butt in January, but I have obviously progressed since then. However, with the heat factored in, I thought it would kick my butt once again. It didn't! I felt great the whole time. I did walk, a lot more than I would have liked, but isn't that always the case? On the course I said to myself "I'm walking more than I really wanted to... oh who am I kidding, I always walk alot! This is normal."

So while out there trying to take my mind off the heat, I started looking at the rest of the year and the things I already have lined up. And I decided that I want to be able to run without walking so much. Which means I need to go back to the drawing board. Basically, I'm going to go back 5k training but start pushing faster, harder, and stop taking walk breaks. I would really like to come in top 3 in my age group at a 5k and not due to a lack of runners in the race. We'll see if I have time to train for that too. I still do have to keep my endurance up for Silverman... oh yeah... that! I still haven't blogged about that! It's special enough to have it's own blog post, so that info is sure to come soon!

I'll add RWD pix when I figure out how to get them off my camera's memory. Anyone seen my camera USB cord???

Running with the Devil.... ironic name.

2010-06-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day as this person... for tomorrow's race will change me. Maybe not on the outside, but tomorrow's race will change my heart & mind. It will strengthen my faith and my belief in how amazingly God has created us. It will push me to new limits I'm afraid to even face but will face because I like a challenege. Tomorrow will be half marathon #4 in 6 months. We'll begin at 12pm when it's 100 degrees outside. I've trained smart and I'm aware of the signs of heat exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration. I will finish... hopefully. But I admit it will NOT be easy. It'll take a mental strength more than a physical strength.

I once heard a story from a man who had been overweight and had started running. He felt amazing & was doing a great job getting fit. He fell in love with running, like I have, just totally unexpectedly! But on his runs he said he'd come back feeling as if he'd been through a war zone. Battling with the Devil the whole time. The enemy likes to torture us with thoughts of self doubt and self hate, tell us we can't or shouldn't or aren't worth it. For me, those thoughts start long before the run is even taking place, with doubt and fear building up inside until I don't even want to go out and run for fear of failing. But what's failing?? There is no failing in trying! No matter if it's out for a mile or out for 13 miles, I'm giving it all I have. My life has drastically changed over the past year and a half. How ironic for this race to be named "Running with the Devil".... I feel like I do that all the time. But I also run with the Lord and HE is much stronger and more powerful than the enemy. So this too shall pass and this too shall be conquered. For if I try, then I have not failed.

So today as the fear builds inside that maybe I can't finish the race, I will look back on the past year and a half, and especially the past 6 months, and remember that the LORD IS GOOD.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:6

Please pray for my mental strength & physical safety and strength.

Drunk on Running

2010-05-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

While out running, we runners (I can't believe I can call myself that!) lose all inhibition.... I blame the endorphins. It's like being drunk... we suddenly aren't embarassed to pee in public, spit, puke, wipe snot on our sleeve... or like I did today on my heat training run, use a broken landscaping sprinkler to completely drench oneself. Today I experienced all of the above except peeing in public... which I'm sure with all the hydrating that's needed for heat training, peeing in public is soon to follow.

I'm planning on running the Running With The Devil Half Marathon which is held at the end of June in the Las Vegas heat.

Taken from the calicoracing.com website:
Most race organizers go to great lengths to ensure their races are held in ideal running conditions; 40 degrees, light breeze, overcast. Many aim to make their courses flat and fast, or even downhill to facilitate runners to smash their PR. Not this one! Held in summer in the middle of the day thru the dry Mojave Desert, athletes will be challenged to contend with extreme heat and unrelenting rolling hills as they traverse this spectacularly scenic course.

My training scheule looks like the following:

Sunday: long run - with long runs I'm working more on time than pace. From that I will determine what my pace is for running in the heat and then come up with a goal time for race day.

Monday: Power90 3-4 Sculpt, sauna session (20-45 minutes, depending on the week of training)

Tuesday: short run

Wednesday: Power90 3-4 Sculpt, sauna session (20-45 minutes, depending on the week of training)

Thursday: short run

Friday: Power90 3-4 Sculpt, sauna session (20-45 minutes, depending on the week of training)

Saturday: rest

My main goals are to strengthen and get adjusted to being in the heat. All my runs will be in long sleeves/layered clothing and with my new Camelbak Charm

Between all this, my son's soccer season in full swing, work, Beachbody, my other son's boxing and training with Ricky for our next triathlon.... I have no idea when I'll blog again! But I prmise to try to kee you all updated as much as possible ♥

What's up with everyone else??
Hubby's on like week 3 of Power90! I'm so proud and excited!

Rick just did his first kids triathlon today!! He did a great job. And on Saturday his soccer team played game #5 of the season and are still undefeated! Cool tidbit - There's another triathlon family on our soccer team!

Christian's boxing school is moving so we're on a bit of a break from that but hopefully that move goes quickly and we can get back asap. Today he showed such an interest in the kids triathlon, so I maybe he'll do one in July.

Kai is still just awesome.

Shakeology Cleanse - Day 3

2010-04-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Well.... uh yeah it's been a few days since Shakeology Cleanse DAY 3...

I've been done Day 3 for over a week now. But the same week as the cleanse, hubby's schedule changed, I went back to my old job, and my oldest son's been on Spring Break this whole week. So it's been VERY crazy busy around here. I apologize for taking so long to update!

DAY 3:
I was MUCH less hungry this day than any other day. In fact, I found it hard to get 3 shakes, 2 teas and my huge salad in. It was a struggle and I had to drink my shake with my salad at dinner time so I could get it in before bed. I was wiped out from the whole week's events. It had just been such an emotionally exhausting week with all the changes and the cleanse.

My digestive system was back to normal and better on Day 3 and ever since.

Life After the Cleanse
I find myself only wanting 3 Shakeology shakes and a salad everyday! It's so simple and healthy that I drift towards wanting to go back to the "cleanse" style of life. However, I haven't done it. I need my Shakeology bag to last me the whole month!

Ever since the Shakeology cleanse and now doing one Shakeology shake a day, I haven't felt bloated or nauseous. I've had more energy and feel truely cleansed. Fresh, clean, energetic, light... I also have lost a total of 5 pounds since Cleanse week. I was 125, I'm now down to 120 and have stayed there. I also lost inches and bodyfat % but I don't have the numbers on-hand.

Exercise - I've hardly been running, just 5 miles here and there. I miss it but haven't been cranky about it because I've also been biking and doing P90X or Power90. And as far as P90X goes, it was just very time consuming for my life. Our schedules change so often that 90 days of P90X is a lot on me. I made it through 30 days and have really felt the difference in my strength. I also believe it had so much to do with my better 1/2 marathon race at Red Rock. The core work is unbelievable!

Hubby and I have now decided that Power90 is more up our alley and we can do it together. It fits both our schedules and is meant to get you worked out and showered in less than an hour.

I've also been having a lot of fun with random TurboJam and Hip Hop Abs workouts. Hip Hop Abs Hips, Buns and Thighs is an awesome workout!! I looooove the leg lifts at the end.

I signed up for the Las Vegas Triathlon Club and have at least 3 triathlons to do this year. My next 1/2 marathon is April 11, 2010. Then I'm doing the 5k Running From A Devil race at the end of June. I'm hoping I can get a PR there and maybe... i dunno... maybe place in top 3... maybe. We'll see if I have time to speed train. I think I will since it's such a low distance and I'm naturally faster in my VFFs.

Immediately after posting this, I left the computer for the day and felt horrible that I didn't mention more about the LVTC (las vegas triathon club) - we signed up as a family! For one price we signed up 4 people... and that means that if hubby decides to do his first one this year - he can! And also... MY SON! Finally my oldest (7 years old) will be doing his first kids' triathlon on May 16th!! The same day as I do my first one for this season. I'm so so so excited for him!!! I bought him some awesome kids swimmers goggles and we've been riding bikes & running together. He's a fish in the water so it'll be pretty easy for him, but we're also going to hit the pool a few times beforehand. He's going to do GREAT!

Shakeology Cleanse - Day 2

2010-03-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a little rough. I was very irritable, but hubby and I both agree it was mostly due to the busy day. I really really dislike being too busy and overscheduled.

Today has been interesting so far. I decided that I would weigh an measure everyday's progress so that I can see if one day has more effect on me than another day and then compare that with my notes for the day and how I felt, how much water I drank, did I have more fruit, etc, etc.

My stats so far:

DAY 1
weight: 124.8 lbs
waist: 29
abdomen: 36.25

Total food counts for DAY 1:
783 calories
86.5g protein
89.5g carbs
9.5g fats
(however, I must note that I don't have calulations for some of the veggies I had in my salad OR for the olive oil I used when cooking the asparagus that I added to my plate for dinner) But those won't change the numbers too much anyway.

DAY 2
weight: 122 lbs
waist: 28
abdomen: 35.5

For a second I thought... "maybe it's dehydration" because to be really too honest, I haven't many BMs. In my opinion, not enough to equal those amounts of loss. And I didn't exercise yesterday. I was so worn out from the business of the day that I had nothing left to give. Howevr, I had 104 ounces of water yesterday! So it can't be dehydration.

Today, I'm definitely going through withdraw of food and calories. I'm feeling fatigued and somewhat bloated. Whatever my husband is cooking up for lunch for the kids smells AMAZING! (It must seem like he's always the one making them their meals... I swear I do make them food too!) We're a great team ♥

I'm starving right now. Nauseously hungry. I want to go for a run - 5 miles - but I'm not sure I'd feel better or worse afterwards. Right now, I want to break the cleanse SO bad. I shall be back later to update....

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3pm
Ok it's later! I decided to throw 2 tsp crunchy peanut butter and a banana into my Lunch Shake (instead of the mixed fruit or having it plain). THAT HIT THE SPOT! Even my hubby and kids were begging for more. It tasted SO good! I instantly felt energized and focused. When I was done, I went for a run - 5 miles! I feel AWESOME and I'm no longer counting the hours until dinner. I feel full and satisfied.

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6pm
Dinner was much different today than yesterday. I wasn't starving by dinner time and and feeling much more satisfied afterwards. I didn't eat too differently though, so it's probably due to eating a hartier lunchtime Shake and going for the run. I'm less hungry when I exercise. This feeling of contentment was appreciated after being so hungry earlier.

I added a few items today -
2 tsp Peanut Butter, 1(5oz) can of Tuna, and a banana.

Instead of Salmon, I used tuna on my salad tonight. I also added about 1.5 cup of cooked zucchini.

Baby Spring Mix, 5oz Tuna, 3 cherry tomatoes, onion,
Raspberry Vinegarette

For today, I still need 80oz of water, 1 cup of green tea, 1 Shake.

Shakeology Cleanse - Day 1

2010-03-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

I went to bed last night SO excited and feeling ubber prepared... then I hit the alarm clock off 3 times and well we all know what happens when we do that! It just throws our whole day off.

The fam and I had lots of errands to run today and my oldest had school. He ended up being a little late (bad mommy!). So while I got dressed and quickly took my weight & measurements, Hubby threw on the teapot and start boiling water for the Green Tea and fed the kids breakfast (he's such a great daddy!). Then I blended up my Greenberry Shakeology and off we went! I basically consumed both as one meal - Green Tea first and then the Shake.

We were out soooooo much longer than expected today. In fact, it was time to pick up our oldest by the time we headed back home! And I still had another store to go to! So we go pick him up, come home, drop off hubby and the 2 other kiddos, I blend my second Shake, and then my oldest and I head back out to the store to pick up salad for moi, steak for hubby and pay a bill. If nothing else, Shakeology has been really convenient!

Now here I am... finally getting a moment to sit down and relish in all the wonderful things that happened today. It was one heck of a great Godly day!

I also wanted to come on here and give a list of the exact products I'm using for this Shakeology Cleanse...

Greenberry Shakeology
Tea: Liptons Naturally Decaf Green Tea
Fruit: Sunrise Growers frozen fruit mix (pineapple, strawberry, peach, red grape)
Lean Meat: Wild Salmon Fillets, frozen and individually vacuum packed
Salad: Private Selection Organic Baby Spring Mix
Dressing: Annie's Natural Raspberry Vinegarette
Water: my goal is at least 100 ounces (preferably 124 oz) per day

As for how I feel today... I'm not hungry at all, just munchy-hungry. I am looking forward to dinner so I can bite into something. But this is habit more than anything because my stomach is content and full. Something interesting is how much I've had to pee! I usually can drink A LOT before having to, but within a half hour of my morning green tea and shake I REALLY had to go! Like really really. LOL

I still have a salmon salad for dinner, another Shake and a cup of green tea to consume before bedtime.

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6pm
My grilled Salmon salad! (I also added 4 spears of asparagus after I took the pic)

Baby Spring Mix, Wild Salmon, 3 cherry tomoatoes, 1 cutie, onion,
Raspberry Vinegarette

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And off topic but SO exciting - my oldest son brought home his progress report - STRAIGHT A's!!! I'm so proud of him. Not just because they're straight A's, but because he's showing effort. If you've kept up with me on him and school, you'd know that we were homeschooling but when we gave traditional school a try they made him go back and repeat a grade that he already COMPLETELY passed with excellence. VERY frustrating for me, and I'm sure for him although he is more delighted in making new friends that he doesn't really care. However, this means more work for him, because in only 2 months he finished the 1st grade Math book they gave him his first day. So he comes home and does 2nd grade work to bring into the teacher. He loves learning so he is doing just absolutely amazing. His writing was a B. It's his least strong area. But even a B is great for a struggling subject! He decided he wanted to challenge himself for an A-Honoroll pin for his lanyard.... and wouldn't ya know! He brings home this progress report with all A's. So most of all, I'm proud that he made a goal, worked hard towards it, and achieved it.

God and I have been really in sync lately... it's been easy times and I'm VERY grateful and thankful for these down times. It's a great opportunity to take in all that is peaceful and calm. I'm feeling very clear and in touch with the Lord. It feels really good.

Have a great night everyone ♥

Cleansing... counting the hours!

2010-03-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

In about 36 hours I'll be starting a 3-day Shakeology Cleanse! The Shakeology Cleanse is meant to jump start you in your fitness, break a plateau or shred pounds fast & effectively in a healthy way. The key is caloric efficiency; getting the most nutrients possible out of the fewest number of calories.

Here's how it goes:

3 SHAKEOLOGY Shakes a day (blended with water and ice)
2 Cups of Green Tea a Day (Triple Leaf Detox Tea is good choice)
1-3 piece of fruit a day* (Apple, pear, orange, banana, mango, berries, etc)
1 salad for dinner (lettuce, veggies, lean protein)
– 4 oz lean protein in salad** (WHITE poultry or fish)
– Only Low Fat Dressings

NO: Dairy (no almond, soy, or rice milk) or extra sugars. If it’s not on the list, don’t eat it!

*Optional – up to 3 pieces of fruit. This is for people who are in fairly good condition without too much weight to lose and may need the extra calories to power their workouts.

**If you are not a meat eater you can substitute meat for beans, just be sure to add enough beans. The only other food requirement is to have two tbs of a healthy oil like olive oil with your salad dressing. It's essential that you have your healthy fats everyday, even when you are in a cleanse.

Before you begin, weigh and take measurements. Measure around your midsection - 2 inches below your belly button and 2 inches above. This will give you a good comparison area for your lower abdomen and your waist.

Results are going to vary - so don't go heading off into cyberspace world and read about people who have gotten 10-pound loses or lost 10 inches off their midsection, and expect to get the same results. Weightloss and inch-loss will depend on your current health condition when you begin the cleanse, but what you can bank on is that you'll come out of this cleanse healthier than you were before you began!

So.. Monday morning it all begins! I hope you'll join me if you have Shakeology! If you don't, click on any Shakeology link in this post and you can order right from my Shakeology page! I'll be journaling and blog posting about each day, so check back!

Now I just have to finish off the girl scout cookies before Monday or else.... Anyone want to help with this task?

P90X... VFF Style

2010-03-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

There's P90X... and then there's P90X Vibram Five Fingers style! Because it forces me to practice balance and use more muscles in my feet and legs, I am getting SUCH a better workout.

Today I made up a missed Core Cynergisitcs from Monday, Shoulders & Arms, then went for a 4 mile run. My running is getting crazy awesome! I'm staying within the 9-min mile range consistently. My legs are extremely less tired. I chaulk all this up to the combination of P90X and VFFs. I'm getting stronger while improving my form and lightening the load. What isn't helping... Girl Scout cookies. Those don't make you faster or lighter. So.. someone come take the rest of mine away!

Tonight I'll do Ab RipperX and call it a day!

On another note.... A few weeks ago, my husband started running. He still hasn't found the love for it like I have, but he's giving it all he has! He's improved SO much! I'm watching him go through the same steps I did last year and it's really humbling for me. I'm so proud of him, and he feels great. Sadly, only a few weeks away from completing the 8-week Hal Higdon plan I gave him to use, he had an incident at work and fractured his kneecap =( He's definitely out of running for a long time. Tonight, we're cleaning up dinner and he says "I want to put on my new shoes and go for a run! I need to get out and do something." HA!! I'm wearing him down! But it really sucks he can't go out and do it. I can only imagine what that would be like... Lots of prayers for him please.

Oh and my Shakeology shipment arrived today!! Oh I love it when a Shakeology/Beachbody package shows up!

And let me say - I'm not trying to SELL anyone anything. I'm just telling it like it is. You WON'T find another nutrient rich and filling shake that tastes amazing like Shakeology. And if you choose Shakeology is something you want to try - really really consider becoming a coach because you SAVE $15 a month by being a Beachbody coach. No catch, no lies, no hidden agenda. It's just that Beachbody coaches get 25% off everything and even with my website fee ($14.95/month), by getting $30 off Shakeology (the 25% off), I SAVE $15. So... like I said, I'm just telling it like it is.

I'm waiting 6 days and then doing a 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse. I'll write more about that later!

Alright... it's family game time. Peace out.

Red Rock Report and VFFs

2010-03-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

Official times are in for the Red Rock Half Marathon I did on March 6, 2010!

So to be honest, Angel left me not really wanting to do another one. It was really rough and I was very sore afterwards. I got a few tips on hydration and electrolytes. As I've said before, I'm a minimalist and I didn't want to take anything but water in. I got advice on at least giving something like hammer gel a try. So I started adding it into my training and found it worked really well. I don't get jittery from it and I seem to have much better recovery with energy and my muscles.

Well, after all the shoe issues I was feeling like a debbie downer about the Red Rock race. But it was the one I looked forward to in all this and the race that began the journey of 4 halfs this year. I had to do it... I stood at the start line at 7am with my arms tucked in my shirt until she started counting down 3,2,1...GO! Until she said GO, I didn't even know if I was going to run this thing. But she said go and out my arms came like a turtle from it's shell and I shot off. I placed myself differently in the crowd this time compared to Angel. With Angel, I stood in the back knowing I'd be slow. This time, I didn't want to be left as the last in the pack and decided the fast guys could go around me. I stood up near the front.

I was praying my heart out the whole way there, while on the bus and at the start line. I needed motivation and confidence sparked in me! And this race was totally a Lord's race!

I felt strong right from the start. I didn't get that fatigue and struggle in the first 1-2 miles. Before I knew it, I was at mile 2 and still feeling good. The race this year went backwards from the exit of the 13-mile scenic loop, up to the visitor's center, with a little out-and-back on a dirt road to make up the total 13.1 distance. This was actually much easier in my opinion! Although an uphill climb from the start, it allowed the rolling hills to come later.

I was running in the old shoes, and knee started hurting just a tad at mile 5-point-something... so at that Ultra aid station I grabbed an Asprin, water, some gummi bears and ate an apple cinnamon hammer gel. I ate another gel around mile 10. I probably didn't need this, but I think I took it out of habit... it was in my hand and I needed something tasty but didn't want food.

I was struggling as we hit the first steep rolling hills, around mile 6. As a bunch of us walked up this hill, me and another girl struck up conversation... we ended up running the rest of the race together! Another 7 miles with a stranger made this the best race ever!! We seemed to have the same speed and threshold for hills. We were on the same page of 'walk to that sign and then start running". She was motivated and energetic, yet steady and realistic in that we just had to walk sometimes. It was a really wonderful experience :o)

Our official time 2:34 - 16 minutes faster than Angel in January! That's really good considering this was a much tougher hilly course. I really do chaulk that up to having a great running partner and the Lord's timing!

The next day, I went out running in my VFFs and felt great! 3 miles. And as I mentioned before, the only issue was the beginning of a blister that is supposedly something normal. I put a bandaid over it and have used nothing but my VFFs since then to run in - with no problems! I run faster and more efficiently in them. Other than some very slight soft calf soreness, I haven't felt any other pain like I did in sneakers. I'm really excited about the easy transition! I am really surprised at the pace change. I guess without the extra weight on my legs, I'm able to move my feet quicker. Also, uphill running is much easier and less straining on my thighs. I feel like I fly uphill now! I've been doing P90X in them and have run 2 more times in them this week.

I suspect my easy transition might have to do with being somewhat of a self-proclaimed hippie at heart already. I'm usually wearing sandals, flip flops or going barefoot. Hey I live in the desert - it's a perk of living here!

I decided I'm going for the Lovell Canyon Half as #3. And I will be wearing my VFFs. I have less than a month left. I heard the hill is awful, so me and the fam went to check it out. I can see why it's hard, it is a striaght upward grade for the first 4.2 miles... however it does seem somewhat of a soft uphill like the first 5 miles of Red Rock.. so I really do think I can do it. Especially considering it's a turn-around race, so the last 4.2 miles are a soft DOWNhill.

Recovery run & my new feet

2010-03-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't written up the Red Rock 1/2 Marathon race report yet because I had some mix ups with my watch and I don't have a solid time yet. I can give you a little hint - I set a new PR!

Today I went for a light recovery run. I was also breaking in my new "feet" - the Vibram Five Fingers. I went out to a little trail in Henderson, and I'm glad I did! On my way home it started pouring rain! So my timing for the run was perfect.

I ended up doing a 3 mile recovery run. The run itself felt great. No muscle soreness really. As for the new feet, WOW! I was hitting hills like a champ. I felt more flexible, light, and agile. I ran at my same usual pace without a problem. I ran on some dirt and blacktop. The soft dirt felt really nice and easier to manage than when I run on it with sneakers. I prefered the dirt with Five Fingers on, but the blacktop didn't hurt at all. I'd love to feel what running on the beach would be like. That's where I went today in my mind :o)

One problem I did have with the Five Fingers... I ended up with a little blister on the inside of my left foot. I'm concerned about this. I'm wondering if it is a one-time deal and part of breaking in the shoes and the feet. Vibram does make five fingers socks... I don't want to have to buy them though. I don't want to spend the money, and I don't want all the extra baggage on my feet. I like being barefoot - technically.

I called the guy who owns the store where I bought them. I had talked to him last week before buying them. I'm hoping he can help me out with understanding this... and I'm heading now to Runner's World online to the barefoot running board.

UPDATE:
Seems I'm not the only one! This exact area for a blister is very common with the breaking in of VFFs. I'm really stoked, because other than this tiny blister, VFFs were absolutely perfect in every way!
Runner's World Post

Shoe Dilemma...

2010-03-05T18:44:00.001-08:00

Why in the world does there always have to be a shoe issue!?

I was originally fitted for the Saucony Progrid Omni 7. I was overpronating and this shoe helped me a lot. I've gone through 3 pairs in a year, running relatively low mileage. The body of the shoe seems to wear out faster than the treads. My foot start moving around more, the toe box started to become too wide... I realized it was probably due to all the weightloss! Duh. It's almost 50 pounds now.

A month ago, I went to get a new updated shoe fitting. I wanted something with a more narrow toe box and a little lighter weight. I told them to not get any Saucony. They got me on the treadmill barefoot and it turns out I no longer need any pronating help! yay! I was fitted in the Mizuno Wave Rider 13. I spent a month researching, trying to score the Wave Rider 12's... everyone was out of stock in my size. I even talked to the Mizuno guy on Runner's World. This was THE shoe for me! I was excited to try something new and that really felt good in the store. I just needed to save up the money to buy them.

The last straw with the Saucony shoes was last Friday, I went out for a short 5-miler and it ended up being an even shorter 3.6 miler. The heavy pronating support in this shoe was just way too much anymore that it started forcing my weight onto the outside of my left foot. This was in turn causing the knee pain I'd started having. It was time... I bought the Mizunos Monday this week.

I figured I'd have time to break them in before the Red Rock Half. I don't usually have problems with new shoes. But I get these home.. and they're not so comfortable anymore. I'm wearing them around the house and my they're slipping off the back... I runner tie them and now they're hurting the sides of my feet... WTH!!?

I try for another 2 days and finally give up. They hurt so bad. I returned them.

After constant research and yet ANOTHER shoe fitting - in which I allowed the girl to bring out Saucony if she'd like - I was fitted in the Saucony Progrid Triumph 7. A great shoe, it was a bit heavy and much heavier than I'd prefer, but it worked.... however they are $130! Ok.. I get it... running shoes DO get expensive. But seriously, if Saucony's body wears out fast for me, and I'll be buying 3 pairs of these this year.. I just can't go with a $130 shoe. This mama can't afford that.

Finally.. I had enough. I'm going to attempt the Red Rock Half in my old Saucony Omni's and hope for the best. I might have to take some Ibuprofen. I have to at least try and if things don't work out, I'm ok with knowing I gave it my all and my best, and sometimes stuff happens. Who knows, I may not experience any knee pain at all... I won't know unless I try. But I promise to listen to my body and let the race go if need be.

However, I do need to keep running after this... it's not just race Red Rock and then never run again.. HAHAHAHAHAHA - just the thought of not running again makes me laugh out loud. It'll take more than a shoe situation to make that happen!

As a result of all this, I'm super excited to announce that my total hippy-at-heart has come out and I'm finally accepting that I've been curious for long enough... oh yes... it's exactly what you think....

Bought them tonight. They're called Vibram Five Fingers. They seriously fit like a glove like they should. I already see a difference in the way I jog around inside the house... and I wish I could wear them tomorrow! But I know... I know... I need to really gradually move into them. I will... and can't wait to start!!

Pre-Race - Red Rock Half Marathon

2010-03-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

Tonight's packet pick-up.... tomorrow's the big day. Red Rock Half Marathon. THE race that set this whole wacky 'Calico Half Slam' idea into effect. This was one of the races I volunteered at last year and thought how awesome it would be to one day run that myself. But at this point last year, I had only run three 5k races... and NO triathlons yet. My oh my, how a person can change in only a year! Thank you God for the strength - mentally and physically - that I could even embark on such a feat.

I'm very nervous. I went running out there on Valentine's day, 10 miles, and it kicked my butt. BUT, I did do it and the the "recovery" in the days after was really non-existent. I was out running again 2 days later like normal. I haven't been our running that 10 miles again though... so we'll see if it causes me to crash and burn. I really don't think so. I'm nervous yet really posistive. I know I can do 10 miles on those brutal hills, up and past the highest look out point... I know that I felt great afterwards... I can do 3 more miles. As is the case with many people in Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon is a second home to me and my family. We're there all the time and I've run out there a lot. I know exactly where those last 3 miles are. I know I can do them.

As nervous as I am, my heart's very calm.

3 Goals:
~Finish uninjured
~Have a great fun time!
~Finish wanting to do it again

Lord, be with me. You are my strength, my reason, my deliverer, my saving grace. You've given me the heart that desires to do this, please help carry me through
safely and in good spirits.

Business with pleasure

2010-03-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm a Beachbody Coach. That means that I own my own little piece of fitness business with Beachbody. I get to help people set up goals, encourage them as they persue and achieve success, and talk nutrition all day long, as much or as little as I want to... all while I workout and make money too! Every workout is considered work I guess... I have no shame in mixing this business with pleasure!

I have also embarked on a new challenge that I didn't want to talk about on here until I felt totally commited and involved. I gave myself one week and here I am to say that I'm officially a P90Xer! I'm on day one of week 2 (day 8 for those that can't count). I've made it a whole week and feel great! I have been incorporating running as well. In the past, my reasons for not continuing P90X after day 1 were I couldn't even start most of the exercises let alone finish a rep or set and that my legs hurt too much to run afterwards. Running was and is very very important to me, so doing any program that would hinder that was a NO-go. I tried P90X Classic 3 times since August 2009 and just couldn't get it. Finally I found out that I can do the LEAN schedule! Oy - wish I knew this before but I guess timing is everything, because I gave this version a try and WOW this week has been amazing!

The Lean version is just a different schedule than the Classic (or Doubles). You don't need anything extra, just the main P90X program - then you just follow the schedule the fitness guidebook lays out. Easy peasy!

The Lean is higher cardio and focuses on the core (Legs&Back, Core Synergistics, YogaX, Arms&Shoulders, KenpoX, Xstretch, Ab RipperX and CardioX).

I'd like to share my before and after pix with you all - they're posted on my BB Coach website. The last pic will be my P90X - DAY ONE photo. I'll be updating every months for 3 months (90 days)!

T minus 5 days until Red Rock Half Marathon!! I'm curious to see how almost 2 weeks of P90X core work will help... I shall be back to update!

V-Day Long Run.

2010-02-15T08:52:00.001-08:00

I got all mushy with my husband and kids, and then skipped out to have my affair with running. It was a GORGEOUS day. A day that just can't go without a run. It was my long run day, supposed to do 10 miles, and I haven't accomplished that distance since the day I did my first Half Marathon... 5 weeks ago. How sad is that? I have my second Half coming up, at Red Rock Canyon. I figured it was finally time to get my butt out there. I haven't been running out there since like... April of 2009!

So I gather my gear, get out there, it's PACKED with people and cars. I kinda like that since it means that if anything happens to me there are tons of people to notice and help. However, it does make it even more dangerous with more drivers on that road... there's some irony for ya.

I usually start off my runs feeling strong in my legs. The cardio aspect is usually a killer for the first 2 miles though. This run, right from the start my legs were a little sore. I realize I did my usual Body Pump class yesterday and we do a lot of lunges and squats... now I have to reevaluate how to handle this scheduling. That's for later though.

So long story short.. I end up walking. I can't get my legs up these hills. Even walking is getting me really out of breath. At this point I'm thinking "this is PURE torture". Usually I have those thoughts temporarily during a hard hill or for those first hard cardio 2 miles. But this was neverending. Finally at around 3.5 miles, I decide I'm done... I can do the 3.5 back to the car for a 7 miles run, but I can't finish this out to 10 miles. I just really can't on these hills. Of course, as I'm running downhill back I feel awesome. My legs are working great and my spirits are back up. But really for how long? It's only because I'm going downhill. Whatever, I'm just enjoying my run!

I get back to the car. I'm at 7.25 miles. I grab some water and had just ate an Apple Cinnamon Hammer Gel on the that run back. I call hubby to tell him I'm such a dork and can't finish my 10 miles... I watch these people take some wedding pix... and I decide. I'M GOING FOR IT. I don't care if I had to take a short break. I want to finish this darn 10 miles!

I lock up the car. I run about 1.4 up, 1.4 back. 10 MILES DONE! It took 2:02:--. It wasn't easy. It was very hard. I am debating if I'm cut out for this Red Rock Half. I'm sincerely ok with accepting that I may not be ready for it. I will hit Red Rock for 10-milers on Sundays until then.

Junk Food is Addicting!

2010-02-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have been doing so well, keeping up with my running, weight training balance, core, etc... and I was doing excellent with eating clean.... until SuperBowl! I let myself have some stuff I don't usually eat (main things were lots of sugary foods and soda). It was good and I didn't feel the least bit bad... but then I got these horrible allergy symptoms, my skin's breaking out all over, and I'm horribly hungry and tired like allllll the time.

I really can't eat that %^*&!!

So despite the eating and allergies, I have been kicking booty with my workouts. I had THE BEST 5-miler on Thursday. I run out in Henderson before bible study. It's a quaint peaceful area. There are rolling hills, road, sidewalk, a black running path along a wash, and even a soft gravel type dirt path. I felt like a million bucks after that run! I used the "run 1 mile - walk 1 minute" method this day and also last Tuesday for a 5-mile treadmill run. I really felt the difference! It makes the run much more enjoyable. As long as I can walk just the right pace to let the muscles take a break yet not let the HR drop too much. I've also been having faster runs (averaging around 11-min miles even with the consistent walk breaks).

Tomorrow... 10 miles. I always say that and never go through with it. It gets bumped or cut short. After the run on Thursday, I'm really looking forward to another great run like that... just doubled :o)

Pray I feel better soon though... my skin is irritated, itchy, and I feel like I'm in a complete fog.

Melting away...

2010-02-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

I'm on the west coast, so I'm definitely not talking about that fun snow they got in Jersey! booo (So jealous!)

I'm talking about me! I always had this far away "it would be nice to one day be there..." weight. Again, like I've said before, I'm really not trying to lose anymore weight. It will come with the territory for now and probably go back to increasing once I begin to build that muscle more. But either way, it's exciting! Today I weighed in @ 125.5! That 125 was always that one goal weight... the long term distance goal. But today I'm there and although really exciting (like really really exciting!), it's not how I always pictured reaching this goal.

When most people make a goal weight, they work diligently hard to get there and when they do... then what?

I have now reached every scale weight goal I've ever wanted.. and I don't plan on stopping my hard diligent work anytime soon. I want a lifetime of health, fitness, and athleticism. I want to run until I'm far into my older age... like 40! hahaha J/K! I know that's still young :o)

So yeah... just wanted to 'journal' this. It's been a pretty cool morning. Now I'm off to go pack a pound or two back on with some SuperBowl eatin'!

Saturday Feb. 6, 2010 - Body Pump

2010-02-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

Today I hit a Body Pump class for the first time. Body Pump is a group class that works with barbells and removeable weights. Mats and the step boards are incorporated in for use as a bench. It was a lot of fun! Really easy to catch on, a great workout, I love being able to go at my own level, and the class is upbeat yet focused! The teacher explains everything really well before moving on to each section. After the 1-hour Body Pump class, I worked out my lower back with some 10-pound weighted back extentions, then a long ab routine. On my way out, I ran into my favorite triathlon Coach - Coach Nic of Nix Tri Planet. She had me try THIS! Inteeeense! Watch the little video on the right hand side of that page. I had worked out so much that I was hardly able to handle myself on this. I was shaking from the inside. It felt good lol

I will be trying my best to make the Body Pump class every Saturday. We'll see if things change when soccer starts, but for now it works.

I had an appt with a personal trainer @ LVAC on Thursday and she set up a great upper body workout for me. It targets arms, shoulders, back (all over), and core. My focus right now is really strengthening this core, including stability and balance. I want as complete centeredness as I can possibly get. I 100% believe this will strengthen me as a runner and triathlete.

I bought a bunch of salmon and talapia. Frozen isn't as good as fresh but it's better than not at all. At 100 calories, 20g protien, 1.5g fat, 0 carbs (per 4oz piece)- this is heaven! I had 2 for dinner tonight, with asparagus and brown rice.

Bananas - friend or faux?

2010-02-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

This food still bugs me. I see runners shoving these down their throat like Brittany Murphy's husband did to In & Out's burgers, yet I'm still not sold on the banana. Bananas are almost fat free and a great source of phosphorous, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, niacin, vitamin E and vitamin B6... according to the informatin I'm reading. Yet they cost around 100-150 calories and can pack in around 25-35 carbs per banana. I TOTALLY understand the difference between bad carbs and good ones. "Good carbs" are the ones our body can use for energy purposes. "Bad carbs" turn to sugar faster and send bloodsugar surges that lead to weight gain and other crappy health issues. So getting back to the subject... bananas have a whole heck of a lot of carbs to such a small amount of food, but supposedly this is the good kind of carb and should help our body to have more good energy.

However, I was told not to eat bananas without some kind of protien to balance out the high sugars. Yet on the glycemic index chart, bananas are only at an 18 (0-250). They do contain about 15-20g of sugar though, and the majority of the calories come from these sugars.

So where does this leave the banana?
Are they a good fat free energy source packed with nutrients?
Or are they a high calorie, high carb, sugary snack?

I still have absolutely no clue. I just think it works for some, but not others. In the aspect of using this as a natural energy source for running, biking, or any athletic reason really, it's a much better grab than a cup of coffee, a white flour bagel, soda, or a sugary energy drink. As long as you go out and use this energy source, it can be a great food. If you're going to be sitting around eating bananas, probably not so great. Bananas happen to be my daughter's all time fav food, but I figure she's little and needs that kind of energy. Her little body probably burns that off just running from one end of the house to the other!

And yes... apparently I just wrote a whole blog post on one piece of fruit.

Week in review...

2010-02-05T19:43:00.001-08:00

I've been keeping so busy I hardly have time to update!

Monday: run (can't remember mileage & don't have Judy handy)
Tuesday: run (can't remember this either!)
Wednesday: 2 mile run & 1-hour spin class
Thursday: 2 mile run & upper body/core workout with personal trainer @ LVAC
Friday: a very welcomed rest day!

My calf strain was bothersom this week. It doesn't hurt too bad while running, but does hurt a lot in the recovery. I kept the miles low this week but stayed consistent. With our busy schedule last week I'm proud of myself for getting anything at all!

To Keep You Busy...

2010-02-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

As if you don't have a million other things to do.. I know I should be cleaning the bathrooms right about now :o)

All About Vitamins and Diet! This is a series of mini clips with excellent information!

Stats Update

2010-02-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've updated my stats (measurements).

It's hard(embarassing really!) to admit where I was over a year ago, but through this I'm learning to take care of myself - mind, body and spirit. Through sharing my successes and struggles, my experience and lessons learned, I hope I can encourage others to take a chance with a healthier lifestyle. You don't have to run half marathons or do triathlons. Just get active in whatever way you enjoy and start being aware of your body. This is our temple. God gave us this body for our soul to dwell in while here on Earth, let's treat it as wonderful as it was made for us.

November 2008 I was 170 pounds. That was only 10 pounds lighter than when I gave birth in January 2008. I didn't take measurements at this time. I never expected to get these results!

May 2009 - after 3 5k races and 2 triathlons, I was high at 157 pounds. This is when I started Beachbody and became a Coach. I took measurements this time.

MAY 2009
WEIGHT: 157
ARMS: 12in
WAIST: 34.5in
HIPS: 40in
CHEST: 38.5in
THIGHS: 24in
CALVES: 13in

CURRENT:
WEIGHT: 127.8 (this is a total of 42.2 pounds!)
ARMS: 10.5in
WAIST: 29in
HIPS: 35.5in
CHEST: 35.5in
THIGHS: 20.5in
CALVES: 12.5in

I'm very happy with all my stats. I've worked hard and feel healthy! Not just because I'm shrinking, but because of the lifestyle. I think I'd be happy at whatever measurement/weight as long as I felt this good and healthy! I stopped trying to lose weight/inches months ago. I hit a place I felt comfortable. However, by continuing to do what I love, everything keeps going down.

I do still have goals though!
My problem area at the moment is muscle definition, which I posted about yesterday. I want to tighten up these abs and see more flat/muscle definition. That's the one measurement number up there that I'm not all that extatic about. I'm very proud of what I've lost in the waist, but I'm not totally content with the measurment it still is. However, having the definition show through is more important to me than measurements.

So if anyone out there actually reads all this mummble jumble of a mess I write... Go out and take a walk, ride your bike, pop in that TurboJam DVD that you ordered ages ago. Don't think of it as exercise. Kids on the playgroud don't think of how many calories they're burning, they just go out and have FUN! When they're tired of the swings, do they just give up on the whole playground? NO. They go play on the slide, the jungle gym, they run around and play tag. So when you get bored with something, try something new. Just never give up entirely! It's positive YOU time!

Don't forget I'm a Beachbody coach - so if you need a swift kick in the butt, some encouragment or direction, I'm always here. There are plenty of at-home tools to get you where you desire to be with a healthy lifestyle.

"Am I Strict With My Diet?" Part #3 - Eatin' Good In The Neighborhood...

2010-02-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

I think I might already have a post titled this... hmm

Anyway! It's been like a week since I checked in. Lots going on! The hustle and bustle of mommy life never stops but some times are busier than others. It seems to have picked up in our household and I don't forsee much slowing down as soccer is soon to start! I also have another bible study begining this week. Lots of volunteering, house cleansing, working on getting into my EMT courses. Lots of exciting stuff!

So last week, I went to speak with someone about nutrition. She was very educated and helped me so much! If you read my previous posts about "Am I Strict With My Diet?" (parts 1 & 2) then you'll have seen that I'm very careful with what I eat. However, in being so careful I also lost being able to get in everything my body needs. I'm not finding sufficient protien replacements other than egg whites. Which I get very tired of. Then there are beans, but beans are also a carb which can be a scary area. What carbs are good? Bad? What are complex carbs? What if my body can't break down the sugar of just eating a banana or bagel like other runners?

So this Miss Nutrition lady really helped me out! She gave me a break down of how many grams of carb, fat, and protien I should take in according to how many calories I'm eating. She also gave me examples of healthier carb choices. My goal now is to continue to stay trim and keep up the endurance, but I want to.. I guess you could say "bulk up". Not manly-like or female bodybuilder type stuff. Just see definition... get some 6-pack abs... or 8 pack, I'm not picky =)

Disclaimer - everyone's body types and nutritional needs are different. Don't just go following what I do. I shouldn't have to say this but well.. ya know.

So here it goes:
1200 calories/day (I've played with this number a lot and this seems to work best for me.)
90g protien/day
120g carbs/day
40g fat/day
I'm also continuing to take in my weight in ounces of water (example 150 lbs, 150 oz)

So are you curious how I'm doing so far??

I'm sucking in the protien department. But I'm well in the other areas. I'm actually finding it hard to get in as much food as I should have. I'm not always eating my full 1200 calories and that's already a low number to begin with. I'm just not hungry and I'll admit, as a vegetarian I'm finding it hard to get high protien sources without the fat/carbs. I can see where chicken comes in pretty handy. It's low in fat and carbs, but dishes a good amount of protien. Unfortunately, I don't like meat, so I shall survive! I found that Morning Star Original Grillers are a great source of protien!
They look like this for nutrition: 130 cals, 15g protien, 5g carb, 6g fat
And they're sooooooo delish!

I tried edemame for the first time last night. I always heard of it, but had no idea where to even find it at the store. You can buy it frozen in the pods... in the frozen section with the veggies. They're really good! But a little bit of a pain having to pop them out of the pod. Give yourself some time with them. I figure they're like pistachios (my fav!) - a little work goes a long yummy way.

Overall, I feel really good about this. I have some more direction. I feel like this can get me where I want to be - more muscle (less bodyfat %) and toned definition. Goal 1 was to get healthy, Goal 2 was to accomplish racing events I never thought I could, Goal 3 (losing weight) kinda came along for the ride... now I'm focused on defining and staying healthy.

Most of all - Always always have fun and thank the Lord every single day!!!

Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

10 to 7

2010-01-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Finally!!!! I promised myself I wouldn't record any of this week's runs until I did my long run. And I did it today!

Due to nursing this calf strain, I did the mileage that was called for on my half training schedule, but broke it into smaller portions all throughout the week. I did see the doctor for the strain and he assured me that although I didn't want to push it too too hard (hills, speed, high miles), that getting right back into a routine was fine and healthy. That day I came home and went running!! I felt like a piece of me had been missing lol I'm such a running dork.

I decided that every Sunday, my long run day, would be no less than 10 miles. I feel that in order to be ready for 13.1 miles through Red Rock Canyon, I need to be hitting at least a 10-miler once a week. Then yesterday, Sunday, I was having a crappy day. I was upset about something and my lovely dh and I were kinda rubbing each other the wrong way... it lead to me not wanting to do anything. I also was SO totally not feeling 10 miles. I said like 4 times yesterday "Forget it... I'm not doing Red Rock. I just don't have the motivation, strength, endurance. I just can't do it..." As those words even come out of my mouth, there's a voice in my head saying "SHUT UP. YOU SO CAN DO IT." But there are times where I still doubt my ability. I know the ticket to a ride on the feel-better
train is usually... a run! It proves to me how much I have built up my endurance and strength.

So I skipped the run yesterday, called it a bad day and committed to doing a long run today, Monday.

The week's recap:

Monday, rest
Tuesday, 2.5 miles
Wednesday, 2 miles
Thursday, 2 miles
Friday, rest
Saturday, 2 miles & 30min Shakeology full-body workout
Sunday - bad day
Monday - 7 miles!

The 10-miler turned to a 7-miler so that I could rush over to my son's school to help in his classroom. I'm not disappointed though because I left that 7 miles feeling AWESOME! I know for sure 3 more miles would have been fine! I'm experiencing with Hammer Gel. Took a Tropical flavored one at the 1-hour mark. I felt amazing. I felt like I had a great amount of energy, I wasn't hurting as much as usual, and the enrgy carried me through helping at my son's school. Nothing but my right calf hurts a little bit, but even that isn't too bad and I'll go on to run 4.5 miles tomorrow.

During the run and especially when I'm not running (usually while sitting), my left knee burns, towards the bottom left side of the knee. Really bad uncomfortable burning and aching. I might be heading back to Milligan. I'm mad at myself for not mentioning it to him before. It's getting to the point of not being able to handle the pain well. Any suggestions?

Happpppppy running!!

"Birth day"

2010-01-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Thursday was my youngest daughter's birthday. She turned 2. It was such a fun day covered in paint, glue, pizza, stamps and gluten free chocolate cake - and I mean all of us covered in that!

Her birthday is a special day in 2 very special ways. One, of course, is that it's the day God blessed us with our one and only baby girl joining us in this world. The other is the turning point it would end up being for me and my health.

Her birthday is always bittersweet for me. I really enjoyed the labor experience, but I also didn't get the VBA2C I was attempting. I had huge success of going into labor on my own and laboring for 2 days naturally, but I still ended up with another cesarean due to some mistakes I still made.

This moment in my life will forever be one of those turning points... where we look back and can say we KNOW our life changed. It's like when the road your driving down comes to a dead end and there's a sign with arrows pointing right and left. You can no longer go straight forward, this road has come to an end, you must make a turn, you must change directions. Thanks to prayer and my stubborn personality, I chose to turn away from the post-partum-depression-feeling-sorry-for-myself-I-hate-the-world direction. I had made up my mind long before birth day that I would walk away happy with my experience knowing that I did all I could to make it the best I could. I would have faith that I could get over whatever the outcome was.

However... I never thought God would bring me to HERE! A place where I feel strong, confident and have accomplished feats I never ever could have imagined! I've been able to set goals physically and grow mentally. I'm someone and something I never thought I could be. And it's cheaper than sitting with a psychiatrist!

Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom... what a cliche-ish yet so true statement.

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
James 30:21

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!! That day and forever, you're presence is a blessing ♥

Today I'd like to share this really interesting blog.

Am I strict with my diet? - Part 2

2010-01-20T11:44:00.001-08:00

I know my Part 1 was so long and had a bunch of info already, I'm sure you're thinking "there's more!!??" YES. There's always more. We're changing a lifestyle of bad eating habits here. As I go on with my daily day-to-day life, I realize more of how I'm eating and want to keep sharing.

SUGAR.

Sugar is so hard to avoid. There's a difference though - refined sugar and natural sugar. Either way, we need to be aware of how sugar effects our body. And we need to learn how to work with sugar.

Here's what I do. Again, I'm no expert. I've been trying to perfect the sugar balance for 4 years. ONLY after changing all my other eating habits have I been able to really keep it under control. After my second child was born, I was told by my doctor that I was Hypoglycemic. This means that my sugar levels are too low. Which is ironic because I was eating a lot of refined sugar foods. What happens to me with the Hypoglycemia is that my body releases insulin too fast. The results are that if I haven't eaten I feel very faint, nauseous, sluggish, confused, and disoriented. Then once I eat, especially if the food has a high glycemic index, I often have a crash and could literally fall sleep right wherever I am. While pregnant, I would have those glucose tests done and everything was normal, until my last pregnancy... my first round of glucose testing was high! I had to go back and do the 3-hour test... then everything was normal. I later found out that the hormones during pregnancy can raise blood dugar levels. Interesting....

Anyway, my way of handling this without medications and frequent doctor visits is to keep refined sugars to a minimum and to eat sugary foods (apples, bananas, pasta, bread etc) with protien (eggs, chicken, tofu, veggie substitue, peanut butter, etc).

There's a good amount of information on the net about sugar, how our body reacts to it and how to balance it. This is such a really key part to taking care of ourselves, getting healthy and losing weight. Ever notice how most diabetics stuggle with weight? Sugar plays a big role in our weight, and that's just on the outside... imagine what's going on inside.

A must read article HERE.
And check out the cool breakfast eating plans at the very bottom of THIS page.
There are 5 total.

Stay tuned... I'm sure there will be more :o)

Am I strict with my diet? - Part 1

2010-01-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago someone asked me if I was strict with my diet. I have lost a lot of weight this year and I'd venture to say that people probably think I eat nothing but salad, organic and no-carb.

I figured it's time to really touch on some key factors in my new lifestyle that have helped me get healthier and slimmer.

The number one thing for me was becoming AWARE. Which started mostly with becoming a vegetarian. Now before you start thinking "oh forget this... I'm not going vegetarian!" let me clarify that I didn't go vegetarian because I wanted to lose weight. As I became aware of what I was eating, I started evaluating what made me feel good & tasted good and what didn't. I never liked meat. I ate it because I figured I had to, and now I realized I didn't have to. I began reading labels to keep meat products out of my diet.

Before I started anything with myself, we realized my daughter had a wheat/gluten allergy. This also added to being aware of reading labels and I started taking notice to the reactions my body was having to certain foods like her body was to wheat/gluten.

So now here I am reading labels for my daughter and I... and I started to realize what was actually IN our food! When I understood the foods we were eating, I could also understand how those foods made me feel. Which foods made me feel energized, or instead tired and sluggish.. which ones caused cramping and discomfort. Things that we normally relate nothing to our body's reaction to the fuel we're putting in it.

With this I recognized I had a problem with dairy. Mostly sweet dairy (ice cream, icings, some cakes, the filling in sandwich cookies...) I would get cramping, bloating, nausea and vomiting. I felt all around crappy when I had these foods. And ya know what? They're chock full of sugar and very little, if any, nutritional value. So I was ok giving them up.

As I became aware and active, I also started noticing my appetite decrease. I was hungry sometimes. Not all the time. It made me feel better to eat during hungry times because I knew my body was saying it needed it, not just because I was bored or upset. However, I didn't wait until I was so hungry that I was sick. Keeping blood levels calm is very important.

This started the #1 best rule I started following. If it didn't have nutritional value then I didn't eat it or I added some. Like adding a leafy green salad to the side of my pizza. This made me fuller on less pizza and eventhough pizza isn't healthy food, I was still able to eat something I liked WITH something nutritional. By doing this, I forced myself to be aware of what I was putting in my mouth - did this fuel my body? Was this going to satisfy my hunger or make me even more hungry later? Was it going to make me cranky and tired or leave me feeling satisfied and energized?

So am I strict with my diet? No, but yes. I still eat some unhealthy foods that I enjoy, but I don't only eat that and I limit my portions of those foods. I am more strict with refusing to take in foods that make me feel yucky, but I still slip up and crave a cookie or a piece of cake. I just don't dwell on it, but I stay AWARE that I ate this.

Through this journey, I've learned to love and respect food again. It isn't the enemy. It doesn't have to feel like I'm limited and missing out. I can eat what I want, in moderation, but I choose not to put unhealthy/artificial stuff in my mouth on a regular basis. This makes eating much more enjoyable.

Here are some of the changes I've made in my own and my family's daily diet the past year:
~Eggs - go free-range and/or organic
~Salad - pick spinach, mixed spring greens, or other dark leaves. Don't choose Iceberg.
~Sauces - natural. Check the labels and choose ones without High Fructose Corn Syrup. Go with the least amount of sugar and salt as possible. The ingredients should be easy to read and mostly consist of vegetables and water.
~Fruits & Veggies - buy fresh. If you must buy canned/packaged/frozen, then choose anything packed in water or it's own juice (not syrup) and make sure the ingredients don't add sugar or sodium ('no salt added').
~Meat - really try your best to buy hormone/antibiotic free. It tastes better and is better for you. Cut down on the red meat the best you can. The best choice for meat is chicken breast.
~Dairy products - again go as natural as possible. I personally switched my daughter and I to Almond milk and choose coconut yogurt over other kinds.
~Bread/Starches - whole grain, whole wheat. WHOLE being the key word. Just because it's brown and says wheat does not mean it's good for you. Check that it doesn't have HFCS. Do this for bread, pasta, crackers, etc.
~Drinks - I don't drink coffee. When I have tea, it's decaffienated. We don't keep soda or juice in the house. We'll sometimes get soda with our pizza when we go to our favorite spot, and occasionally I buy OJ... but almost always our fluid intake is water only. Also, I goal to take in my body weight (lbs) in ounces of water. So if you weigh 150 pounds, take in 150 ounces of water daily.

Take vitamins. Do research on what would be best for your lifestyle. But at least get on a multi-vitamin asap.

The theme you may notice here is that I've chosen to go with as little preservative-filled artificial food as possible. BE AWARE of what you're eating, even when you are eating something that isn't the best food for you. You can't just ignore that. When we ignore what we're eating we tend to eat more and keep eating crap.

I can honestly say that I hate counting calories. I've done it maybe a dozen times. I say I'll try and then I slack off and I just don't totally believe in ONLY counting calories. It's only ONE part of the foods we eat. There's also nutrients, vitamins, sodium, fiber, sugar, carbs, fat... What about these? I can eat low calorie soup that has like 850mgs of sodium per 1/2 cup! That isn't good. If I'm only looking at calories then it looks great, but there's more to food than calories. AND... calories are good. Yeah I said it. We need calories for energy. We need calories to fuel our bodies. So please, I beg of you, don't only count calories. Don't go that route. If you want to count calories, also look at all the other information as well and choose more natural foods that don't need to add preservatives and sugars to create a more flavorful taste. If you want more taste then add fruit, honey, pepper, fresh/dried seasonings, a dash of salt (much better than the loads of sodium the companies will pour into their food!). Just do NOT be in bondage over JUST calories! Use it only as a guideline for keeping portion control in check. Also take notice, the more natural the food the less caloric content it usually has.. meaning the more you can eat!

I'm absolutely no expert. I'm learning new stuff everyday and have made mistakes along the way. I'll continue to learn and make mistakes. That's what makes it a journey. Most of us have gotten so lost on the path of healthy living, or were never even on the path in the first place! I grew up eating a whole box of mac & cheese to myself. Ordering the #2 (2 cheeseburgers, fries and a soda) @ McDonald's even at 8 years old. I'd smother my pasta in butter and eat it on Italian bread. I know what got me to where I am now. And I don't want that for my children or for myself any longer. I'm sure there are plenty more healthy changes I could make, but our family is healthier now than it was last year and we'll only continue to get better!

2 mile walk...

2010-01-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

I can't stay sedentary very long. It's not in my nature, and definitely not since becoming an athletically active person.

My calf hurts really bad. I'm doing all the right stuff - heat, ice, compression, rest, light activity, stretching. I even succumbed to taking Iburprofen for the swelling and pain.

Today I went for a 2 mile walk. It hurt. I stretched along the way. The leg would feel better immediately after a stretch but within a few steps went back to hurting.

There are running pains that we sometimes deal with and know they are normal sore muscles or a tight muscle for the day, but this is much different.

I have an appointment on Tuesday with a sports doc... we'll see what comes of that.

I know that by nursing this calf, I'll be better off in the long run.. no pun intended but that worked... I know that just like the shin splints, this will soon be a distant memory. And most of all, it's taught me to train better - more consistently and all the way through.

Right leg not doing good.

2010-01-14T21:59:00.000-08:00

My right calf is not recovering well. Everything else feels great, and it's even ok during runs, but between runs I'm in a lot of pain.

I've been icing it and heating it, stretching it, wearing compression, resting it yet exercising it. I just can't seem to find anything to help...

On another note - I tried out a running group today and really liked it. I'm hoping every week gets better and better. I was suppose to run 4 miles, but instead did 3 with the group. I had been late and had to run to find them. I didn't know the area and it was dark... so I was already nervous of being left by myself. I decided to run back with the first group that looked to be running a pace I could keep up with. They ran faster than I normally do, but at a nice pace and I really liked being pushed a little harder.

The weather outside tonight was gorgeous!

Recovery run

2010-01-12T19:51:00.001-08:00

Today was finally a run day and I felt physically up for it. I took it to the treadmill @ the gym though. I felt I needed the forced pace. I goaled to go for 30 minutes or 2-3 miles. Whichever I felt like doing as I approached one of those first. I ended up with a 3.5 mile walk/run. I started out walking a med/fast pace for a 1/2 mile, then I paused the mill and stretched my legs, then ran at a comfortable pace for the next 1/2 mile... and so on. I went from run to walk without stretching, but any time I was going from walking to running I would pause and stretch beforehand. The first 1/2 mile of running I felt like my leg would buckle at any moment. The muscles felt a little sore and weak. I just pushed through it and it got way easier as I continued. Thus the 3.5 miles instead of 2-3. I hit the hot tub for 10 minutes afterwards. Then spent the evening in Zensah compression leg sleeves.

This week has shown me that eventhough I slightly knew... now I'm totally sure that I'm completely, utterly and incomprehensively addicted to running. I don't get it, I don't understand it fully, but it is what it is. Worst of all... I'm ok with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Found a possible running group! Going to try it out this week. Looking forward to it.

Fueling

2010-01-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

I wrote a post on this before the Half and here's another one. I needed the experience to really understand what I was dealing with.

Here's what I have to say about fuel during the Half Marathon race. I wasn't hungry really. But I knew trying to run hard for 3 hours was pushing my body to some limits. Especially since I haven't done it before. Water makes my stomach feel sloshy so I've gotten used to running long distances without hydration. I also hate running with much gear on. I only drink water in my daily life, so I stay hydrated and then go without on a run. I don't get thirsty either. So I'm not sure if this is normal or not, but it's what's worked for me.

Now the situation I'm facing is that I think my recovery is suffering. I may not have enough balance of electrolytes. While training the next 8 weeks for my next Half, I'm going to use Endurolytes by Hammer (2 pills per 1.5 hours of running + 1-2 more after the run) and Hammer Gel (1 packet for every 1.5 hours of running). For those that use this - does that sound good, too much, too little?

My #1 concern is that I will be come dependent on products. I want to be able to go for a run wherever, whenever. So... I'm still a little unsure of starting this, but I do need to try something.

Recovery & 2nd Half Marathon - Calling All Experienced Runners!

2010-01-10T21:36:00.001-08:00

With my first one done, it's time to practice recovery and maintence for the next one.

Oddly, I wanted to go out running today LOL

I'm positive it's too soon. My brain was doing the thinking, not my body. I definitely needed some walking though. Too much rest and my muscles get stiff. I decided to go grocery shopping at a few places and 'kill two birds with one stone'.

The majority of the soreness is in my right calf, left knee, both thighs, and hip flexors. The pain is slowly heading up to my torso today.

I'm using the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, elevation), but didn't ice it yesterday. I used light heat in the shower. It seemed to be the signal I was getting - cold just didn't feel right at the time. Tonight I will ice. And although I'm not one for medicines, I took 2 Ibuprofen last night. None today, I feel good enough without it.

My main concern and confusion at this point is how long do I sit out? I want to run, but I understand my body needs time to recoup. Especially since I pushed it 5 miles longer and harder than I ever have before. It's probably in a bit of shock at the moment lol From what I read online, it seems that around 2 weeks of walking with light jogging at the end of that 2 weeks is sufficient. Any experienced runners have input?

I have my 2nd Half Marathon 8 weeks from now - on March 6th at Red Rock Canyon (VERY VERY hilly course). So I'm trying to figure out what to use as a maintence/training schedule for that. I am thinking I want to go out there to Red Rock for at least one of the 3 run days. But what distances should I maintain or start from?

How does Week 8 - Week 12 from Hal Higdon's Novice plan look?
4.5/4.5/8 (do this for a few weeks)
5/5/9 (do this for 2 weeks)
5/5/10 (do this for the last couple weeks)

Or does something like this look better:
3/5/10 Every week
Is this one overdoing it?

First Half Marathon Race Report

2010-01-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

I know I need to do this before I forget the reality of it all.

Truthfully, I still have no patience or brain power to write. I'm definitely in recovery mode.

I'll start with reporting that I bombed the last 2 weeks of training. I ended up not running more than 8 miles, and that was only one time. I did pay for this later... I'll get there.

Leading up to the race, I was mentally weird. Feeling really confident I could do it, but not so sure in that confidence. I was nervous I was downplaying it in my mind so that I wouldn't get nervous. Like a subconscious mechanism so I didn't freak out. Thursday night before the race... I'm going to definitely get too detailed... but this is real... my monthly "friend" showed up! I was ready to throw the entire thing. It was too much to have to plan bathroom stops, headaches, cramps, possibly messing up nutrition etc. But after a chat with a runner friend, I felt much better and decided I'd take a day to think about it.

I decided the next day that I'd definitely run. But I won't lie... I was still really apprehensive.

For this race, I bought some Under Armor CoolGear running tights. No pocket but really like a second skin without being constricting. Kept me warm but not hot. Also, I loved the ankle elastic. It was snug enough not to let air flow up and to stay put (no riding up or bouncing around. It was like running naked. hehe

Ok so onto the course...

We took off @ 8:30am from Boulder Beach @ Lake Mead. I positioned at the back of the pack. I wasn't out to compete, just to finish.

I started out well. Took my time and made it up that initial hill that gets you out of the Boulder Beach area. I've done this course many times now - on foot and on bike - so I knew it was downhill as soon as I got out onto Lakeshore Drive. I have to note that getting up that little hill without walking was a milestone in itself. I've always walked it, even with my hybrid bike @ my first triathlon.

Found a nice pace right off the bat, passed a few, was passed by a few. A thumbs up by one guy keeping pace with me. I really felt like a runner! I know.. I know.. by now I should right? Anyway.. I took it to a walk at mile one. My goal was to run a mile/walk a minute. Even as hard as that was to do at mile 1 because I felt in such a pace zone. Well, I shouldn't have. I should have run like 3 miles before doing this. I lost my pace, my heart rate naturally drops very quickly and this hindered me getting back into a zone... I finally found one for mile 2-3, then broke it again and walked... then mile 4-6 was awesome! It was also a very beautiful downhill and then some uphill for the turn-around. This course as a whole is VERY hilly and has those imaginary flats... where you think the road is flat but in some way you can still tell it's definitely going uphill. That's this course to a T. The downhills are wonderful though, only one that was a bit steep, but mostly they were gradual grades so it didn't hurt too much. Going uphill was tough though.. probably for the same reason - it's gradual and felt like it would go on forever.

At the turn around, I stopped to change my number from shirt (that was now tied around my waist) to leg... I will always wear it on my leg from now on. I never thought of it and it makes it much easier to undress! Duh. The simple things no one thinks to tell ya! lol
Well, in case you didn't know, I just told you.

Somewhere around mile 9, I grabbed some food at an aid station - an orange slice and a piece of potato. As well as squirting my PB packet down... which going down a dry mouth is NOT fun. Thank goodness for the aid station water.

The way back was tough. I was mentally there, but from mile 9.5 - 13.1, I mostly walked. My body was sore, my hip flexors hurt like HELL! I couldn't wait to write this part!! How in the world can I get my hip flexors stronger?? I spent those 3.5 miles without my MP3 on (the music was annoying by now) and I prayed, talked to myself, enjoyed the scenery, definitely tried running the most I could. I did my best to walk as fast as I could and run every downhill all the way until the next uphill was too much to handle anymore, then I'd walk. My walking pace was in the 13min/mile range. My running stayed in the 10-11min/mile range. At times, I felt like my legs were going sooooooo slow while running that I had to check my watch and see if I was actually running or just fast walking! I was running though... so that was good.

A little slap in the face was when I was already on my way back, I passed 2 runners heading up to the turn around... eventually they ended up passing me. I had to repeatedly remind myself that I wasn't racing anyone else and this was just to finish. JUST FINISH VAL. JUST FINISH.

Finally the last uphill (which was that nice downhill that greeted you on Lakeshore Drive I mentioned earlier). At this point, I knew my family was waiting for me, my flexors were so sore and I just wanted a rope & some roller blades or a skateboard being pulled by a truck to help me climb up this darn hill. It was a little itty bitty thing compared to some I had now tackled out there.. but I was spent physically from the waist down.

As soon as I hit the top of that little hill, I ran the rest of the way downhill to the finish, waved to my family and had a huge smile on my face because I knew this was it. I had done it!

My 4 year old joined me running the last stretch and I was just SO happy! When he joined me, it was the reminder of why I do this. To be here longer with them, to be an example of health and fitness, to show them that goals are attainable.

My friend who talked me off the ledge of throwing the race, Miss Alyssa, THANK YOU for all your help and support. Your tips, tricks and experience is helping me so much and I know it will continue to for all of my running days.

Happy running!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Official time according to Judy (my Garmin):
Total time 2:49:40
average pace 12:57/mile

D-DAY!! First Half Marathon.

2010-01-09T21:51:00.000-08:00

It's done!! I did it, in under 3 hours as I goaled. I will update completely tomorrow. I'm very sleepy :o)

Feeling better already!

2010-01-02T09:56:00.001-08:00

Yep I am! Thanks for the prayers.

I'm going to do a hard workout at home and see how I feel during/after that. If I feel good then I'll be attempting 10 miles tomorrow.

1 week to go & a stomach bug

2010-01-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks one week to go until my first ever half marathon. I have mixed emotions. I definitely think I can do it, but how well I can do it is something totally different. My desire is to mostly run the entire thing, with maybe a minute or 2 break here and there. Most of all, I just want to feel as comfortable as possible. It's a long way and a lot of time I'll be out there running. The last thing I want to feel like is "someone get me the heck out of here!".

I haven't run since Christmas Eve. I've been feeling very off. Not toally sick, but really not normal. A lot of dizziness, nausea, fatigue, constant changes in appetite. Then, last night I'm celebrating New Year's Eve with my kids... I had a glass of wine while we baked some cookies. About an hour later I felt horribly nauseous. I ended up puking all night. Then at 8am this morning, my daughter wakes up crying... she had thrown up too, for the first time ever in her life. We spent the morning curled up in bed together and nursed. My husband then took the kids and let me sleep. Thank God for him. I slept until 4pm! I felt like such a bum. I have a hard time accepting sickness because it happens so infrequently.

I'm obviosuly nervous as to how this will effect my race. It's still a week away, but I'm worried that my body will be in recouping stages. I have to hope it's just a 24-hour thing. No one else got sick which keeps me hopeful it will die with just me and the baby.

So if anyone's out there, please say a little prayer for us to get better... and for me to recoup quickly.

Happy New Year! I know my family sure won't forget this one!

Day 64 - Half Marathon Training

2009-12-27T01:06:00.000-08:00

It's going goooood! I'm not blogging consistently, but I'm training as consistently as I can.

I have been running futher than I ever have. Five miles, 7 miles, 8 miles! I'm doing it!

Tomorrow's schedule says I should run a 10k race, but instead will take that as an "easy day" and run the 6 miles. A low mileage day is 6 miles. That blows me away!

My first half marathon is only 2 weeks away! The holidays have been good to me. Not much overindulgance, just treating myself to well-deserved goodies. And I don't feel the least bit guilty. I've earned it and feel great!

This half marathon is possible. No fear. No defeat. Just attempt and success.

Merry Christmas everyone! and Happy New Year!!! The next few weeks will be busy with getting our son back to school from winter break and me training. As well as everyday family responsibilities...

Our fam on Christmas Eve...

Day 51 - Half Marathon Training

2009-12-13T21:51:00.000-08:00

Short and simply - 7 miles today!!!!

This is the longest I have ever run. I felt great. Even better than after my 5-miler on Thursday. I'm still getting a bit sore. I expect that with the colder weather and pushing my body to new distances.

This was a huge hurdle and milestone for me. I have officially reached the half way distance of a Half Marathon. I have always made myself think "If I can make it halfway up, then I can surely make it halfway back."

My right calf/ankle was going numb and so was my right arm from the elbow down to my wrist. I'm not sure if that's ok... It started around 4 miles. I've done that kind of distance before and never felt it.

Tomorrow is a cross training day and I'll figure out what I'm going to do later. Whatever fancies me then.

Day 50 - Half Marathon training

2009-12-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

Training has been sporatic. One day I'm doubting I can do this at all and the next day I'm feeling excited to cross the finish line. As my feelings go back and forth, so does my training. I always keep running. I do that because I love to, but how far I run depends on if I'm "training" or not. I always keep in mind the bigger picture - my love of running, how at peace it makes me feel, how it's cheaper than therapy, and how healthy it keeps me.

Some days I feel up for the challenge of something new and other days I just want to run a couple miles instead of pushing myself. For anyone reading, that's perfectly ok to feel like that. First and foremost should be the LOVE for this sport. Yes, it's a sport. Call it maintence, call it cardio, call it a discipline. Either way, it's a sport and if you do it and love it then you're an athlete. In fact, you don't even have to love it... but you will!

Athlete: n.
A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports.

I have 2 quotes in my bathroom that say
"If you have a body, you're an athlete."
"The more you run, the more you are a runner."

Some days, when I want to be mad at myself for not desiring to run 6 miles, but instead go out for only 2 or 3 miles... I remind myself that no matter what, I'm out there running and doing what I love.

So anyway...

Yesterday was 5 miles.
Today was cross-training with a 25-minue Shaun T ab workout.
Tomorrow's a long run of 7 miles. It'll be the farthest I've ever run. But only 2 more miles than what I did yesterday so I feel hopeful.

A few of my favorite things...

2009-12-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

Of course Jesus and my family win the titles in life, but today we'll be talking about material things. :o) And *no* I don't get paid for this lol

Peanut Butter!
In a packet nontheless. And organic. It's called Justin's Organic Peanut Butter Squeeze Pack. It rocks! As I type, my daughter is trying to steal the packet I'm using to reference the information. The kids love it, it's great for the glycemic-challenged athlete, or any person looking for a healthy organic protien boost at any time of the day. They come in Honey and Cinnamon flavored. All natural flavorings though. Actual honey and actual cinnamon. The cinnamon tastes like cinnamon peanut butter toast explosion without the extra carbs. I cannot rave enough about these! I'm looking VERY forward to using these on my long runs and during my races. I found these packets at Whole Foods in Towne Square. In the Peanut butter aisle by the baby needs/beauty sections.

Nutritional Info:
net wt. 32g (1.15oz)
Serv size - 1 packet
calories 180
fat cal 140
total fat 15g
sat fat 2g
trans fat 0
cholest. 0
sodium 65mg
total carb 8g
fiber 2g
sugars 2g
protien 7g

Gluten & dairy free! No hydrogenated oils.

Odwalla
Juices and Juice Blends. They are chock full of vitamins and nurtients. Each bottle tells you what percentages of that bottle is organic or from fruits. For instance, there are protien blends made with soy milk and so one of them says 76% organic ingredients and another says 91% organic ingredients, whereas the one I love the most (Red Rhapsody from the SuperFood collection) is a 100% juice/puree blend and so are the rest of the Super Food collection. Then they have smoothie blends, like Wholly Grain! that include grains and are made up of around 75% juice/puree. I can't say "ALL" but the majority of them are Gluten free! The sugars range around 20g+, but that is all from fruit usually. Some have the consistency of juice, some of a thick fruit puree, and the protien ones seem like the consistency of a protien shake. I've found these at Glaziers supermarket (cheapest), It's a Grind coffee shop and Whole Foods.

Glaziers
The new supermarket. Ok.. ok.. I know this isn't a one item thing. But I just HAVE to rave about this place. Today for less than $3, I bought a pack of already chopped up Kung Pao mix of veggies. Ready to be thrown in the pan and cooked up. It's amazing that I can pay the same amount I normally would for the vegetables they included and I don't have to do the work of cutting it all up! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm actually a really old fashioned girl. I peel and slice my own apples for apple pie, I make my own french fries, and I make my daughter's gluten free bread by hand. I like putting more work into things because I feel I get to put some more lovin' into it that way. But I'm also the mom of 3 kiddos with lots going on, and already chopped veggies can make the difference of how much time we get together around dinnertime. Glaziers also has THE best prices on fresh fruits and veggies. Right now bananas are 39cents/lb. Apples, oranges and pears are 2 lbs for 98cents. They have a section for organic produce and even bins of loose spinach and baby spring mixed greens so you can however much you want. Glaziers has also seemed to win over the love from men, with a huge selection of fresh seafood and delicious seedless watermelon pretty much year-round, which my husband goes crazy over.

Glaziers is at the corner of S.Durango and Warm Springs. They are family-owned, the owners walk the store every single day, the Mrs.G's brand items are from the wife's personal recipe box, and the owners are from the East Coast (Philly). So that automatically makes me a fan! Every week's flyer has coupons for FREE stuff. You will never see *no one* walking around. There constantly stockers out on the floor and you will be greeted throughout your visit with "Hello.Good afternoon! Are you finding what you need?" Also, as you check out, make sure to notice how the checker will walk the last bag around to put it in your cart. The service andp prices there are A+++++++!

That's about it for now :o)

Bleh

2009-11-23T21:29:00.001-08:00

Sucky run. I don't understand what's going on. I feel like there's so much against me. I have no idea what could be causing this. I feel nausea, my legs hurt, I'm bored. WTH?? Where's the excitment and joy I usually get from this? I want to just cry my eyes out. I feel so defeated and discouraged.

I've been doing some praying, soul searching, listing the wonderful feelings and results I've gotten from running, reminding myself the goals I have and how much I have accomplished. I'm hoping to wake up one morning and this was just a phase.

WOOSH go away yucky blahness!

Joe Needs Prayers... please send 'em!

2009-11-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.joemillerbeatsleukemia.com/Joe_s_Story.html

Planning Race Day

2009-11-19T23:47:00.000-08:00

With 7 weeks to go, and lots of holidays mixed in that time, I figure it's definitely time for some race-day planning. Food and clothing mostly.

I have hypoglycemia. That means my blood sugar is normally too low, which makes me irritable, disoriented, nausea, and I get headaches. If I eat something with too high a glycemic index - like bananas, pasta, toast, bagels - my sugar levels spike too quickly which makes me feel sluggish, extremely tired, irritable, and again I can get headaches. So all this carb loading the night before and eating bagles and drinking coffee the morning of a race... it doesn't work for me. In fact, it will do the exact opposite of what other runners say it does for them.

Up until now, I have gotten away with... gasp.... not eating at all before a run. I go out on an empty stomach in the morning or after having not eaten for many hours. I don't like the heaviness in my stomach, don't want to cause cramps and most of all, I have been afraid to eat the wrong thing. For races I have just gone with nibbling on a granola bar, and for triathlons I have done PB sandwiches.

So now I'm on the hunt for a healthy, lightly filling food that won't leave me feeling hungry but also won't spike my blood sugar. If PB sandwiches do it on a 1.5 hour triathlon course, then I'm thinking it might do it for the 1/2 marathon too.

Anyone else hypoglycemic? What works for you??
Also, I've heard good things about mixing gel packets with water. Have any of you done that and what's your feedback?

I only have 6 more long runs to figure this out.

Day 30 - Half Marathon Training

2009-11-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

It's been exactly one month of half marathon training! That includes half of it covered in a sinus and bronchial infection. So, naturally, I was a little nervous today. I was pickng up from where I should be, not from where I left off. I am able to do the distances and I don't want to lose precious time. The timing is exact leading up to the first of four races.

9am
4 miles
11:59/mile
total time - 47:58
It was really nice out today. It was November. Chilly but sunny.

I had a really rough run today. Within the first 1/2 mile, my legs were sore. I'm not sure what that's about. I figured it was that I just needed to warm up, but the rest of the run I felt like I just couldn't get them up. I felt like I was dragging the whole way. I felt mentally strong, but not physically. Eh, every run is different.

I had some muscle cramping... in my shoulder! Not in my legs, hips, calves, back... nope, it was my shoulder and neck. It moved down into my chest on the right side. It was bad enough that I ended up walking from about mile 2 to mile 3. Then I ran most of the way of the last mile to finish out as strongly as I could.

Lucky for me, I had a massage scheduled today! Thanks to my honey :o)

Overall, the run wasn't my best, but I did it and that's all that mattered today. Getting back out there on the road and proving to myself I can.

Revamped

2009-11-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

Feeling great today! For the last 2 weeks, I've been hit really hard with a sinus infection. I tried running but ended up hacking the entire time. Finally it's gone!!!

My back in the meantime has been so neglected and got to the point I couldn't even bend over without uncomfortable pressure. That has never happened before. So now that the sinus infection is over, and I'm sooooo ready to get back into training, I figured a trip to the Chiropractor was in order. He's always so good to me :o)

Then, my rockin' hubby got me a giftcard and an already-made appointment for a massage for tomorrow! Gotta loooove that!

I'm going to jump into the training schedule from where I should be now. I'm not going backwards. This is the beauty of having started out simple and taking my time.

The plan says that this week I will be running
4m
4m
6m

I can totally do that...I hope. lol

oh P.S.
I forgot to mention that while stuck in a non-running state for the past 2 weeks, I took real notice to my eating habits, which have been relatively great. I am still a vegetarian, but not one that goes for the pasta instead. Being Italian, that's hard not to do! But I do really well. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, whole grains but limit the bread/carb intake. I eat to fuel my body, not to celebrate or deal with emotions. It's been a very life-changing year for me and the way I view eating habits.

Which brings me to my newest challenge. I always said I would never be the one to count calories... but alas, I'm counting calories. I have had the habit of writing down what I eat from years ago, but it became really hard to do with the more children I popped out. I admit, it's time consuming some days. However, I have found that if I write it down as I make my meal, then it doesn't really take much more time. So I have been doing this now for 2 weeks, keeping it down to 1200 if I'm not running or working out. I have now lost about 5 more pounds. I know that seems like a lot really fast, but this is how my body always works when I change something up. Then it levels out and slows down. I'm looking forward to seeing the resuslts of getting back to full-time training and cross-traning workouts. I'm excited really! I have set a goal to lose 1/2 a pound a week for 6 months. It will keep me motivated each week and give me that more immediate reward I need to keep going.

Day 13 &14 - Half Marathon Training

2009-10-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday, day 13:
I was suppose to cross-train and planned on going for a nice long bike ride... but as always soccer season is busy and my plans for Saturdays don't usually work out.

Sunday, day 14:
went well!

5 pm
4 miles
11:24/mile
total time - 45:31
Beautiful weather! About 75-80 degrees. Sun was going down so it wasn't direct and hot like during the day.

Had horrible stomach cramps. I was doing a great 10 min/mile run when stomach cramps set in bad. Really wish they hadn't.

Day 12 - Half Marathon training

2009-10-23T22:42:00.000-07:00

Rest day. Because that's surely what I needed... sense the sarcasm?

I'm trying so hard to follow this plan strictly. I don't want to tire myself out on the wrong days, overdo it by running on rest days, etc.

I'm craving to run. Sunday isn't coming fast enough. But then I get a nice "long" run of 4 miles.

It's all good. I can run these distances... it's just the consistency I need to get together.

Day 8-11 Half Marathon Training

2009-10-22T09:08:00.001-07:00

Well here we go again.... I dislike being pessamistic. I'm really a positive outgoing person, but this is just getting ridiculous now. How many times am I going to pick up a training routine and have it just slip right through my fingers?

I'm having a horrible week. Not as bad as it could be... but a pretty stressful week. Everyone's alive, breathing and well. It's just one of them weeks where it seems like everything you try to get done doesn't. I haven't run since Sunday and because of that I'm one cranky mama.

Autumn is such a busy time of year, yet it's my favorite season. So why the overabundance of "stuff" to do all the time? Where's the enjoyment in the cooler but not yet freezing weather, the excitement of watching the leaves turn? The welcoming of new "stuff" to do?

Why can't I seem to juggle everything on my plate? I've learned to be more careful with how much I put on there.... Maybe it's just me. Yeah that's it. It really is just me.

I know I will do this half marathon in January, and the other 3 I have committed myself to for the year (with the exception of obvious things like injuries and whatnot), but I can't say I'll be all that prepared....

Day 6 & 7 - Saturday & Sunday

2009-10-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday - cross train.
I didn't get to do anything. It was an incredibly busy day of soccer, halloween costumes, and church dedication. My poor honey only got about an hour of sleep :o( But I was busy, not just home sitting on the couch.

Sunday - LONG RUN!
Yay! I got my first long run finished. It was just 4 miles, but it's the most I've done in a loooooong time. I'll run 2 or 3 miles for days in a row, but never push it over to 4.

7:45 am
4 miles
11:36/mile
total time - 46:23
No wind, hot sun, about 65 degrees

I struggled at the begining of this run. I usually feel like running, but this morning I didn't. Maybe it was the anxiety of running 4 miles. I knew I could do it, I just didn't know how long it would take me. I also had that morning throat scratchiness. Lots of hacking, coughing and spitting. I wasn't very lady-like out there this morning for the first mile.

After about 1.5 -2 miles, I found a pace, a rhythm, and felt great. I zig-zagged through neighborhoods so I didn't have to go too far from home.

Finished my last 1.5 miles stronger than any other part of the 4 miles.

Now I'm looking forward to next week's long run!

Day 5 - Half Marathon Training

2009-10-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today was nothing special yet so important...

REST DAY.

Rest is so hard to do sometimes. You're in the zone, you have your routine of finding run time everyday and then.... it's just STOP. For a whole day. For a runner, even if it's a welcomed rest day, it still feels like being held captive.

I took my oldest son out to lunch and found myself talking to the owner of the place about his marathon last weekend! And his daughter is doing the Pumpkinman triathlon tomorrow. Even on a rest day, I just can't get away from running and tri. And I never want to.

Tomorrow is 30 minutes of cross training. I'm already starting to mentally prepare myself for the 'long run' on Sunday.

Day 4 - Half Marathon Training

2009-10-15T13:24:00.001-07:00

Today's plan - 3 Mile run + strength

9 am
3 miles
11:10/mile
total time - 33:28
Cool breeze, hot sun - about 70 degrees

This run had light rolling hills. I was feeling so burnt out at 1.5 miles. I guess because it's the first week of being this consistant. Also, the area I was running was intersected with a lot of driveways and traffic lights. That really breaks up the rhythm. After the 1.5 mile mark, I hit a plateau of the hills and found a great rhythm which made the next 1.5 go so nice that I didn't want to stop. But I have bible study after this run, so I had to.

For strength I'll be doing some arm work (resistance band and push ups), and also my daily ab regimine. Stronger abs REALLY makes a difference in running!

Day 3 - Half Marathon Training

2009-10-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Short run & cross train

11:20 am
2 miles
10:51/mile
total time 21:42
Very windy, cloudy & around 70 degrees
Smooth flat run

20-minute TurboJam as cross training
Daily ab work

This was a tough run today. That wind was atrocious to run against. It felt like a straight uphill run. The sun wasn't really shining because it was cloudy, but when it did break from the clouds it was bright and strong. I ended up walking about a 1/2 mile overall. I also had a horrible headache. Ladies, you can't even deny that when AF is visiting, it's much harder to get through the run. That was me today...

So... Mr.Wind, when it's a run day, please keep it down to a cool light breeze :o) Thanks.

I haven't been wearing my HR band... I don't really know why. I should be and will begin to starting tomorrow.

Also, I have to rave about Judy. She is my Garmin Forerunner 305. This GPS watch is SO incredibly beneficial to running. It is money well spent. I will never regret this purchase. In my opinion, it's up there with "good shoes" as recommended running gear.

By the way, in case you were wondering... My Garmin is named Judy because
A. every runner's watch needs a name... and
B. because my favorite movie is Wizard Of Oz, the main character is played by Judy Garland, so garland/garmin, and therefore JUDY!

I couldn't make it all the way through TJ. I am just so wiped out today. This headache is still here and all the jumping around wasn't helping. It's all good - tomorrow's a new day.

Have a good Wednesday ♥

Day 2 - Half Marathon training

2009-10-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today on the training menu was a 3 mile run.

7am
3 miles
11:27/mile
total time 34:21
Windy, below 60 degrees
ran mostly uphill

It feels really good to have my run out of the way for the rest of the day. I look so forward to running that when my day gets busy and my run gets put off, I get really cranky. Running in the morning also starts my day off well. Those endorphins really get me in a good mood!

Then I had my Shakeology for breakfast. Yum and oh so filling!

And a cool little tidbit - my running pants are falling down!

12 week countdown - Day 1 - Half Marathon Training

2009-10-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Today was the beginning of the 12-week countdown for my first half marathon. Basically, crunch time for training. I'm using Hal Higdon's Novice plan. I have no other races planned from now until then. Maybe a little Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving with my oldest son, but nothing train-worthy or intense. It's so insane that a 5k is a fun run now with no training needed! Oh how much things can change in just 6 months!

The first 1/2 marathon is Running From an Angel set for January 9, 2010.

Monday: yoga & stretching (my hip flexors thank you Hal Higdon!)
Tuesday: run
Wednesday: cross train & short run
Thursday: run & strength
Friday: rest day
Saturday: cross train
Sunday: long run

Everyday I look forward more and more to running. The weather is cooling down and the sun isn't so strong in the evening anymore. I really thought I lost my mojo over the summer, but it was just the heat. The heat is crazy here! As it's cooling down, I find myself getting chills just thinking about running. Now that's more like it!

So today I began with Yoga, stretching and some upper body work. Life is good :o)

The Sullivans

2009-09-23T10:25:00.001-07:00

Please send prayers, thoughts, scripture, kind words... whatever comes to your heart.

http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/2009/09/heaven-bound.html

Calico 1/2 Slam

2009-09-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm thinking of going for the Calico Racing 1/2 Slam award. I would have to run 4 1/2 marathon distances in 12 consecutive months.

I was going to have the Red Rock Canyon 1/2 marathon be my first. However, if I bump that first one up to the Running From an Angel 1/2, then I can do ed Rock as my second 1/2 and they both will be during the colder months.

I'd then skip Lovell Canyon, as I've heard that hill is brutal. And I'd also skip the Running With the Devil 1/2. That's way too hot to do that distance my first 1/2 marathon season.

So I'd then do the ET 1/2, which is done in such beautiful weather in August out in Rachel, NV. And then end it all with the one it all started with - the Running From an Angel.

It's all just thoughts.... possibilities. I'll ponder on it for a little while.

Camp Yuba Triathlon report

2009-09-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I completed the sprint triathlon @ Yuba State Park in Utah!
1/2 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike, 3.1 mile run

We headed up there Friday night and camped out. It was nice being right there by the race. I didn't know what to do with myself now that I didn't have to drive an hour to get to an event!

Pre-race:
We didn't sleep much. The baby wasn't down with the whole tent/camping scene. And it was much colder than we expected. I told hubby "We need to remember we are now desert people!" I wear a winter coat if it's like 60 degrees here. We forgot sweatshirts and extra blankets.... so it was a bit of a rough night. I also wasn't having the best day ever. All day Friday was just really blah. I was excited for our trip and my upcoming race, but there was just a negative vibe in the air. I debated with myself all day and night if I should even do the tri.

Race morning:
I wake at 5am. I figure there's no point in going back to sleep. Body markings begin at 6am, my sprint starts at 8:15am. I still have to rack my bike if I'm going to do the race. So I go do that and go back to my site. It's FREEZING. I'm really thinking of not doing the tri still. I am just NOT in a good mood. I'm tired. And really, I'm completely 100% not interested in swimming in cold water this morning.

I keep reminding myself of what I have written at the top of my blog. It's kinda my mantra...
"There will be bad days and good days. The bad days will challenge you even more. The bad days will make you dig deeper into your heart and soul to find the reasons why it's so important to keep going!"

I wanted to keep going, but that yucky vibe was just so hard to shake!

8:13am
I'm in the water. I'm here, I'm in and guess what.... It isn't that cold! I would have chickened out for absolutely nothing. My family is with me at a triathlon for the first time. My kids are so excited to watch me and my husband's finally going to get some pictures of me!

SWIM: 24:59
Countdown... 10....5....3,2,1 GO!

I'm not a strong swimmer, but I'm not a weak one either. So I get a start in the middle of the pack and let the faster ones go past as smoothly as possible. I'm in no rush, I just need to get out alive.

The first buoy seems sooooooooooooo far away. I keep reminding myself that I know the distance is the same, I've done 1/2 mile and more (at IronGirl, remember that major screw up?), so I know that even if it seems far, it isn't any further than what I've already done in the past. And at 15 pounds heavier! Sometimes when I want to just stop and tread water, I remind myself that I'm not going to get anywhere doing that! So even if I just froggy on my back, it's better than ever stopping.

Out of the water I go and I hear "Mommy! Mommy!" Omg, that feeling isn't something I ever got to experience before and it completely lit up my heart! I want them at every race from now on, my little cheerleaders. My 4 and 6 year old ran up the side of the coned swim runway along side me.

T1: 01:47
Smooth, took my time, grabbed the wrong glasses, but they did the job. For the first time, I only wore a sports bra and tri shorts under my wetsuit, then threw on my jersey in T1.

BIKE: 46:40
Smooth and easy. I took my time in this leg. I was in such awe of where I was. I had come to do the Camp Yuba tri instead of many that were close to home because I wanted a new scenic experience. I got it. It wasn't like night and day from Vegas. But it's much greener with livestock all over. I realized that when I'm "racing", whether it be myself or the guy I want to pass in front of me, I don't take the time to look around. I'm watching the road and I'm focused. That's great to do when you want to! But this time, I didn't want that. I was riding down a country road in upper Utah that I will most likely never ride on again. This time, I wanted to experience it, not just conquer it.

It was during this leg that I noticed how many triathletes don't use tri-manners. Why break the rules? I was in the zone, finding my gears and getting a rhythm going. When I tried to pass this guy, he would speed up. The rule is that when the front tire of the racer behind you passes your back tire, you have been overtaken and need to allow yourself to be passed. Not speed up and leave the passing rider out in the middle to mess up traffic of other racers coming up from either passing direction. Well this guy was too prideful and didn't let me pass him any of the 3 times I tried.

I caught a glimpse of my kids and hubby at our campsite that was right along the road of the bike portion. I waved high and the kids jumped all around excited to see me!

T2: 00:53
Easy... helmet off, headband on. Grab the Garmin & run.

RUN: 39:54
The run leg was half road, half dirt. I strongly dislike running on dirt. Uneven dirt is even worse, and this was majorly uneven ground. It was a back road used for cattle trucks and farmers. Again, in this leg people were also not using their tri-manners. None of it was enough to mess up my flow. Just something I noticed. I always find it interesting how different athletes can be from one place to another. There was sufficient water. It had a beautiful view of the lake for most of the run. The temps weren't high, so that made the last leg so enjoyable. There was a beautiful cool breeze the entire race and it was just enough to keep you cooled down but never cold. And I didn't once get too hot.

I put the Garmin on so that I could pace myself for this last leg. I think I tend to push myself too hard in the run for fear of having taken too long everywhere else. So I try to make up for that in sprinting the run. That usually ends up not working well for me. So I brought Garmin along and set it for an 11min/mile 5k. My running speed was the same I do normally which was interesting. I did have to walk a lot more than I wanted to though. My goal was to only walk for a minute or less at every mile. That didn't happen, so I quickly changed my goal to having the run under 40 minutes. I achieved that goal.

FINISH:
My kids and hubby were at the finish line cheering me in. It was the most amazing feeling! Having your kids there is such a motivator. It really makes you push harder because you know how thrilled it will make them to see you do good. I can make a difference in their life by doing something fun and good for myself. I'll take that piece of pie any day!

I placed:
149th overall Sprint
49th overall Female
9th in my female age group (there were 13 that finished, 7 that DNF)
I was 28 minutes behind the 1st place finisher of Female 25-29.
21 minutes from the 3rd place finisher of Female 25-29.

Just for fun - Comparison:
RAGE
.46 Mile Swim, 12.4 Mile Bike, 3.1 Mile Run
Swim 26:43, Bike 1:21:42, Run 44:55
Total: 2:40:04

IRONGIRL
.75 Mile Swim - 10 Mile Bike - 3.1 Mile Run
Swim 27:08, Bike 44:52, Run 42:37
Total: 2:01:19

YUBA
1/2 Mile Swim, 12.4 Mile Bike, 3.1 Mile Run
Swim 24:59, Bike 46:40, Run 39:54.962
Total: 1:54:16

Great Article... and a big move

2009-09-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

Running Barefoot...

On a personal note - we're finally starting to settle in since our move. We sold our house and moved into a beautiful new one. It's everything I imagined and more! God brought everything together in such great timing and at the right price. Someone pinch me... this can't be real. God's gifts to us come in small and large packages... this one came in a large package but changed so many tiny details of our life to make us all so much happier.

We took off of school for the last few days and I haven't worked out in a week! Tomorrow we try to start our routine again... TRY being the operative word. I want to avoid it so badly, but I know we won't make progress taking that route! And I miss it all so much.

Have a great week!

Running Injury Free

2009-08-28T23:45:00.000-07:00

What a great blog!
http://runninginjuryfree.org/

I suggest following him :o)

P.S.
For months now, I've been contemplating doing the Red Rock Half Marathon. Ever since volunteering for it this year. I really want to... I'm just scared... and intimidated. But everytime we drive through there (which is a lot since we live so close, I go biking and running up there, and we hike a lot there), I can't help but daydream of running the loop. It's not just about running a half. It's about running THAT half. Maybe I haven't had the motivation because I didn't really feel the desire, but this race... this one gives me desire, fire, yearning. I can feel it, taste it, and I want it. Oh my gosh, I'm totally having an affair with running!

Back to School and other cleansing stuff

2009-08-22T00:45:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of fun exciting things going on.

We homeschool, as you may already know, and school officially starts Monday! I wasn't getting into this whole "school starts a certain day" crap. We homeschool, and it's a lot of life-learning education, so we never stop schooling in my opinion. There's never a day where we don't learn something in math, science, art, history etc... But anyway, I realized that this school year needs to be taken more seriously. We will have designated school time and a schedule for when to get up in the morning. This will allow me to have more time in the day and keep me accountable for making sure schoolwork is done. I will have time to workout, run, ride, whatever. And time to make everyone meals. If we don't keep this schedule going, I will be easily frazzled and lose my mind.

New home... can't go into details. That's obviously a little too personal for an open blog. But we will soon have a new home and it's all happening pretty quickly. Fun, exciting, yet kinda scary and I'm nervous that once the dust settles, we won't actually like it there... oh well.
God hands, God's plans.

Colonics.... have you ever had this done? Do it. I'm on session 2 and I recommend others definitely give it a try. It isn't painful or embarrasing. It's very private. And most of all, it WORKS. Better skin, more energy yet you feel calm and relaxed afterwards. Just more... centered. Although you feel more alive, you also feel more alert which for me takes away anxiety. Try it. (also just google "benefits of colonics" or "colonics hydrotherapy")

Run tomorrow - hopefully 3 miles.
Power90 - Cardio Phase 3-4, Ab Ripper 200 & Circuit 3-4

Heart Disease??

2009-08-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

I took a genetic saliva test by Gensona (The Gensona™ Heart Health Genetic Test analyzes certain gene variations, looking for genetic patterns in the IL1 gene. This gene plays a role in your body's inflammatory response – a sign you may have a predisposition to heart disease).

On a scale of 0-7, zero being the lowest risk and 7 being the highest risk, my genetic test came back at level 7. My genetics say I have the highest chance of developing heart disease and/or having a heart attack.

Lord, I thank you that my life has changed so much. Who knows if those genetics would have caused a problem, but who really wants to know? I don't. The way I was living my life until last year... I probably would have found out.

I've always done all this stuff so I could be healthier... now that desire is even deeper.

Pretty eye-opening...

Whhhooaaa - Long time no post huh?

2009-08-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Well now, I see I didn't post ONE single new thing in July... that's crazy.

I have lots now, so that should make up for it.

I got very sick after the Devil Race and stayed sick for quite some time. Two things were going on though. I was sick from being in the heat for so long, but my body was also starting a rejection of sweet dairy. I found this out for sure when I hit Jersey on vacay. Every time I had even a small piece of cake or ice cream, I threw up. I have to admit though - this isn't such a bad thing! It keeps me totally in check and I'm healthier for it.

I got to Jersey and my Garmin 305 was already there waiting for me! I was so stoked to try it out. I went out running the first morning and WOOHOOO! I found out on that trip that I am a runner... I really am. I set it for 12 minute miles and flew by that.... I then set it for 11 minute miles the next day and flew by that too! I was hitting 10-11 minute miles, and even down in the 7-8 minutes at some points through my miles. I wasn't gasping for air, I wasn't feeling like I'd pass out at any moment... I was running and I was completely enjoying it. I wanted to just go forever. Up and down the cracked sidewalk, under trees, in the rain, through the cemetery, by fields of flowers.... I just wanted to see it all and I wanted to see it by running. God made such a gorgeous world. I did as much running as I could in our 2 weeks there. And I also ran a 5k race for cancer - which BTW ended up being THE hottest day there - go figure. I thought I did ok... not my best but I met my goal to stay under 11 minute mile average overall. Welllll...... I got home to Vegas and a few days ago I got a big envelope in the mail from the organization. It was a certificate for placing 3rd in my age group!!! I know that may sound blaze to some of you ultra runners, but to ME, little ol' me who is just hoping to beat her last PR - that is HUGE!

I have the Camp Yuba Tri Sept 12th and we're so excited to go camping! I'm so in the mood for a laid back fun triathlon with all my fam there. In Jersey, my whole crew came - hubby, kids, in-laws, nieces, nephew.... and having them cheer me on throughout the race was SUCH awesome motivation. I can't wait to have my honey and kids there for this one too. It's more exciting when you know people are waiting for you to cross the finish line.

Then I'm on a team for the Ragnar Relay October 10th. I'm really nervously stoked about this one. I'm training hard but I'm nervous having other people depend on me. It really helps that my teammates seem chill and fun.

I volunteered for the Area 51 midnight race (Calicoracing.com). That was SOOO neat. I will most definitely run that race next year. Maybe a half, or just a 10k, but most certainly something! If you didn't run it, you really should look into it for next year. It's such a fun to-do race!

I'm hitting it hard on Power90. P90X was a little time consuming for us right now. Dh and I are both doing it together. I've been majorly TurboJamming and whatever else I felt like doing. But now that vacations are over and we're steady at home (other than races), I'm ready for a full on regimen. It's day 3 and I'm going really strong. My 30-day pic will be at the Yuba Tri and the 60-day pic will be at the Ragnar relay. I can't wait to post 'em!

That's all for now! Thanks for reading, if you did :o)

All signed up!

2009-06-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

As tradition has had it this year, it's now the day after a race and I'm online signing up for more.

I've lightened the load and decided to skip on Pumpkinman. Maybe I shouldn't have made that decision while feeling crappy because I made that decision based on not wanting to swim in the freezing ass water. I'm a wimp, so what. I did it in April and just don't look forward to it in October. I'll email Brogg to have him put me on the list as a volunteer.

I also decided to skip on Kokopelli. Meaning I won't be blessed with anymore of Brogg's races this year as a participant.

I'm signed up and paid for:
July 25th - Barbara Cook 5k run for Cancer, NJ
August 8-9th - volunteer @ ET Race, Rachel NV (calico racing)
September 12th - Camp Yuba sprint triathlon, Levan UT - camping trip and a tri!

For October I'm trying to get back on the team I was suppose to be with for the Ragnar Relay. I reeeeeeally want to do that relay but was giving it up for the Pumpkinman tri. I'm praying something comes through and that I also get one of the legs I feel confident I can do.

I know I keep doing this switch up and schedule stuff, but now that I'm paid in full, this won't be changing anymore. I finally feel I can relax about it all.

This also covers 2 more states now! I'm looking forward to covering all 52 of them - yes, Alaska and Hawaii. Also add on Puerto Rico. I feel so blessed to be able to do all this. The financial provision and physical abilites that God has blessed me with boggles my mind everyday.

Running With the Devil Volunteerisms

2009-06-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

Uh... did I say INTENSE? Well my measly 3 miler is laughable compared to what I saw out at mile 20/30!

After my race I headed 20 miles out to my station. I'll be with a girl named Kim. Luckily, ours had a canopy to set up for shade - woohoo! Since the runners turn around at mile 25, we were also their mile 30 stop. I was scheduled for 8:45am - 4:15pm. We had bananas to cut, animal crackers, oranges and pretzles. There were 6 cut PB&J sandwiches in the cooler but only 3 made it out alive. The other 3 were soggy and soaked with water. I decided to wait to eat my own PB&J sandwich in case the runners needed it. There was also boiled potatoes that thanks to the heat ended up mashed potatoes instead. And salt to serve with those... They ended up not getting put to use. We found out later that one of the aid station's potatoes did the same thing and they rolled them into balls - smart people... they're so annoying :o)~ We also had asprin, vaseline and stix, electrolyte pills, banana and raspberry hammer gels, heed, cola and LOTS and LOTS... and LOOOOOTS of water and ice. There was a huge bucket that we kept filled with ice water and washcloths. And there was an ice water sprayer. Joyce's crew even went as far as to put a little mini can of pepsi in the box that we could open and put way off to the side to attract the bees away from our station. That didn't work well but it was clever. At the end of the day we ended up with a pepsi can, an orange peel and a cup of heed off in the desert trying to get those damn things to leave! As it heated up... they went away. Weak animals I tell ya.

Dan Kuch is the man... as always in almost every race he comes to. He came up first. We greeted every runner about 50 feet out with 2 cups of water and I would grab their water bottle(s), ask them what they wanted in it and run back to the aid station to get it started for them. I'd fill their bottle all the way with ice and then whatever drink they desired. A lot of them drank a small cup of pepsi cola. We only had one bottle and ran out fast! I felt bad as they all asked on the way back if we had anymore. Next year, if I'm out that far again, I will bring a few extra bottles.

Some would sit, some would just get their water and move along. Some peed. Some gave up at this point. The runners were all very very friendly and grateful. Every time they thanks us, we thanked them. They are such an inspiration. They are doing all the hard work. The least we can do is soak them with water, throw ice in their hat and serve them with water and food. In that sweltering heat, to make it 20 miles... it's completely admirable... or maybe insane. I can't figure it out yet.

Keep in mind through this that we're at mile 20 and before us was mile 16-something, and before that was mile 11-something. The next aid station from us was mile 22 and then 25. That's where they turn around and then they have an aid station at 28, 30, 33-something, and then 37- or 38-something.

The second guy came up, we'll call him "orange guy" because he was wearing an orange shirt, and he was really not feeling well. He felt very sick to his stomach and needed to sit and stay for a while. By doing this he lost his place and once he took off he was then in 4th place. It's ok though, you're not out there to beat anyone but yourself and Mr.Sun.

Lots more runners come. Then we get this one guy, kinda young, maybe in his 20s. We'll call him "green guy" because.. you guessed it... he was wearing a green shirt. He isn't feeling well either. Keeps saying he's going to throw up. He sits for a long time and then finally decides to leave. We're serving runners and all of a sudden, he comes back. I'm thinking "wow that was a fast 10 miles back", but as it turns out, he didn't make it more than a few feet from our station before deciding he was done the race. He sat at our station, I called Joyce to see if we had someone to pick him up, and in that time another runner was sitting there and said "i'm done too". Okie dokie then... This man was an older guy, he's been running since the 1970s. He's run a 6-day race with over 100 miles, biked a 100-miler race, has done multiple long distance races and some triathlons. We're not talking about inexperienced runners here, and they're unable to go on. It was green guy's first 50-miler though. So finally, with no one to drive them back, I decide I'm going to. I had to pull over to let green guy puke, but once he did that he was SO much better. He sounded and looked better too.

I drop them off at Boulder Beach and pick up tons of ice for my cluster of aid stations on Northshore Drive. I head back out and drop it all off. Then back to my aid station 20. Poor Kim had to be left by herself, but lucky for us as the runners were turning around, they spaced out and were trickling through rather than rushing in all at once. As I'm driving back to 20 from 22&25, I take note that there are about 10 runners still to come through our station, which is now mile 30 for them. Some were sitting on the side of the road, many were walking.

Ambulances were driving around and were parked all over the place. Police SUVs were patrolling the area to make sure no one passed out on the side of the road. It was well-manned and great precautions were taken to make sure all runners were safe and cared for.

As we get to the last few runners left, a truck pulls up and drops off one of them. He's spent. Slurring his words and dizzy. Again I call Joyce. All ambulances are busy on calls and we have to wait it out. We keep him cool with iced washcloths, and drinking water. Within a few minutes, mile 22/28 volunteers come by to let us know how many runners we have left, and we have them take this guy back. We've been fortunate with getting runners back to Boulder Beach quickly and I'm grateful for our canopy that provided a shaded station for them to sit at.

As we're down to waiting on one more runner to come through, we start packing away the unneeded stuff. And lucky for that last runner - we literally had JUST enough ice left for her! It was exactly the perfect amount to fill her bottle.

After completely tearing everything down, I head to station 16 to see if they need our leftover heed and food. There a runner comes up and decides he's also done running. Perfect timing buddy! I'm heading back that way now.

I get back to the finish line @ Boulder Beach and I start looking around for some of my 50-milers to see who's come in... no one I see except for Dan Kuch's name up on the results listings posted so far. He did the 50 miles in 6:50! That's a steady average pace of 8-something a mile for 50 MILES... I don't even know what to say. Just imagine !!!!!!&^*&%&^%^$%^!!!!! going off in my head. I then see orange guy! I go over to give him a high-5 and say great job when he looks down and tell me how he only made it to mile 41 and had to stop :( I felt bad for him because it seemed he saw more that he didn't go the extra 9 rather than he DID go 41. I just wanted to shake him it into him how awesome he did. Hopefully he was just out of it from the heat, disappointed for the moment and will realize in the following days how amazing he really is.

Overall - the volunteer part of yesterday was THE most rewarding experience. Those runners, whether they finish or not, they gave it all they had and tried their hardest. I am in complete awe of each of them and I hope they can all feel accomplished in what they did.

Everything at our aid station was needed and used. Lots of ice in hat requests, sweet cravings kicked in and as I said the cola went fast, then the runners resorted to raspberry hammer gel. Vaseline got popular when they hit us as mile 30. Electrolyte pills and asprin came in handy. We officially shut down around 3-something pm.

P.S. Green guy, if you're out there... you left your water bottle in my car.

Running With the Devil recap

2009-06-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

INTENSE.

That's the one word to describe the entire experience of yesterday. Running With the Devil isn't your average cup of running. This race is an extreme heat race, purposely set at times of the day when it's the hottest in Las Vegas. It's also at Lake Mead which is usually at a few degrees higher than the city, despite being by the water. You are actually so high up in the rolling mountain hills of the Mojave Desert rather than along a shore with a cool watery breeze.

People were falling over, stumbling, and dizzy. Then there were some like me who were throwing up....

I onyl ran the 5k. I wasn't interested in running much more under conditions I wasn't used to. I knew I didn't have time to seriously heat train. I also wanted to volunteer for a long time that day. So I decided to run the shortest distance, maybe have a PR even if by a few seconds, and then help out far into the ultra-marathon.

FRIDAY:
The night before the race, I started feeling flush and very thirsty. I was confused because I had been staying hydrated well with 150 ounces a day. I guess I did start slacking in water intake the few days before the race. Big mistake. Then I had something containing dairy that night.... I can't really do dairy, especially not straight milk like what was in my meal. I didn't even think anything about it though. Hindsight....
I slept great and awoke on my own a few minutes before my alarm was set to go off.

SATURDAY:
I grab a granola bar, which has been an ok food for me to eat before a race. I stick to PB sandwiches only right before a triathlon, but for a short race something light is generally ok. I feel my stomach turning as I'm driving to Boulder Beach. I'm not familiar with the feeling, and I don't want to be familiar with it. So when I get to the race I grab some water... it doesn't seem satisfying or appetizing. I don't feel right and it's not nerves. I just don't feel.... excited or energetic like I usually do.

The race starts and I'm doing fine. I play leapfrog with a few runners. This one girl took off very fast in the begining and I said to myself 'well that's one girl I won't finish before'. I do a dance of run/walk. I'm not feeling much energy coming... Usually by now I will get that adrenaline going and I find a nice pace. I just couldn't get a good rhythm. I felt very off. And now I start getting stomach cramps. It's really getting hot outside now.

I hit the aid station at 1.5 and I'm doing well! I'm at about 15 minutes. I grab what I think will be cold water. It isn't very cold and I don't even drink the whole cup. I'm a very avid drink-while-running gal. This wasn't going well. I'm still not feeling the adrenaline kick in.

On the way back, I get that bile coming up and it isn't the kind I can just swallow and make go away. It comes up. I end up puking bile 3 times on the course. But I do try to keep my pace. No bending over for a minute and taking my time. I stop, I puke off to the side on the rocks, I move right along. I walked for most of the race unfortunately. Everytime I started to run, the stomach cramps got worse and I felt horribly sick to my stomach. It was also SO hot by now. The desert sun was unrelentless. Not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining strongly with how-dare-you-attempt-to-run-in-my-desert rays.

How do you feel when you hit your reserve? I get chills from head to toe and almost jolt forward with speed all of a sudden. Usually I don't hit that until the last mile. Yesterday, I hit it starting around mile 2 and felt it 3 times, except without a jolt of speed. The feeling was actually annoying yesterday because my body body was searching everwhere for some energy and there just wasn't any.

I end up playing a bit of leapfrog with guess who.... fast-take-off girl! She's out of energy, or maybe she feels sick too, and she's walking a whole lot. We round the corner for the runway to the finish and she picks up to running. So do I. I pass her and the next girl, and with puke coming up in my mouth, I cross the finish line. I grab a quick glance at the clock, it's in the 36 minute range... Not horrible, but not what I was hoping for. I lost a lot of time with all the walking. However, I can say that I got the same time in an off and sick race as I did at my first ever 5k. I think that's an accomplishment lol I only did 3 minutes more (so less than 1 minute per mile) than my last PR and I was running under extreme, unusual conditions. I'm not excited I didn't get a PR, but I'm very proud of how I did despite how I was feeling! Even during an 'off' run, I still thank God I'm able to do this.

In another post later today, I will write more on my 8 hour volunteer experience at miles 20 and 30. We're heading to church now and it's my son's 4th birthday today!!

Got to run

2009-06-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

I ran 3.15 miles yesterday and it felt sooooooo good. Then I hit the dry sauna for 30 minutes. I went afterwards to see the chiro, got some cracking and heating pads. I am feeling mucho better but not perfect. I was going to do some SI6 or TurboJam today but I ended up with so much to do. That's the way life is with 3 kiddos, a hubby and a dog. Poor puppy spent mostly all day outside.

Tomorrow, 2 or 3 mile run and dry sauna again. Swim/muscle group resistance band work and Slim In 6 "Ramp it Up".

Doc's orders

2009-06-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

I went to get my hair done today. When the lady called me name, I stood up and then fell almost to the floor. The most excruciating pain I've ever felt took over my entire lower back.

After my appt, I went to the chiropractor. Thank God for my chiro. It's one of those kinds of doctors you just have to have. And he's always so excited to know all about my training and racing. He has a bunch of other triathletes he works on too.

He asked what I've been doing. I told him the only thing new I've been doing since I saw him a couple weeks ago was the Kickboxing. He said that would absolutely do it and he's seen it so many times. So for now, the doc's orders are NO activity, NO training, and definitely NO kickboxing. Can I shed a tear now? I have a race in exactly 2 weeks and I'm not allowed to run. It could be for just a day or 2 though. I go back to the chiro on Monday and we'll go from there.

Here are some hair pix. In February, I did it red/black. Today I decided the red was faded enough and to do something different. I went with jet black and blonde/white.

February:

June:

Breaking It Down

2009-06-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

I have been overwhelmed at the thought of trying to explain all the trianing I'm doing. It makes sense in my brain, but when I try to explain it "out loud" on the keyboard, it seems so hectic. So I'm breaking it down just like my training - into 3 parts.

Run:
I have a 5k race coming up on June 27th. The Running With the Devil race, and then I'll be volunteering for 8 hours afterwards. I chose the 5k because I was a little intimidated by the heat factor and really wanted to have enough steam to volunteer. I don't know if I regret the decision to only run a 5k, but I can say that I'm definitely not challenging myself. I sit here on my suppose-to-run days and think "but I know I can run 3.1 miles, it's no big now". That isn't why I sign up for races. I sign up to challenge myself, force myself to push harder and train further than I have before. On the other hand, add the heat and a challenge to myself to have a possible PR with all the x-training I've been doing, and maybe it will actually turn out to be a great race! I have to admit, I've seen people at races who are themed and seem to be having fun at their race... I never was like that because for me it was all business. I'm actually looking forward to having some FUN this time! Maybe one day I can feel the fun of a 1/2 marathon or something. Hey a girl can dream right?

Bike:
I have been biking quite a few times since IronGirl. I'm not sure if it's just because biking is "the new kid in town" and gives me an excuse to buy more cool gear, or if it's because I REALLY feel like I'm good at it! I get that spark and excitement when I think about riding through the mountains or down a street of palm trees. Even to go to the store! I'd rather bike than do anything else.... however, I know that it can't be the only thing I do or I won't see improvement in anything else. So sometimes we have to sacrafice enjoyment for the better of the big picture.
I took a ride out at Red Rock the other day. I did 13 miles in 45 minutes. Not amazing compared to some superstar triathletes, but that is a great improvement since IronGirl where I did only 10 miles in 45 minutes!

Swim:
I have to admit I haven't been in the water since IG. I just don't have the love for swimming like I do for running and biking. But again, it's one of those things I have to do. I won't give up triathlon because I'm not an amazing swimmer. I will continue to improve my running and biking and just know that I have to make up in those areas of time where I lack in my swim time.
On an really awesome note - I had an epiphany! I have always felt like my swimming lacked just cardio and breahting techinique. As I got better with cardio and practiced technique, I saw my stamina and time improve from The Rage triathlon to IronGirl. I did 3/4 mile at IG in the same time that I did 1/2 mile at Rage. After that, I felt like I improved as much as I really could to make up any real time difference. Now it's time to strengthen - duh right? I don't know why it didn't dawn on me how incredibly important it is to seriously cross train the swimming muscles. I mean, I got it and understood it had to happen but never understood the shear importance. So now I have a bunch of x-training resistance band workouts I'm doing that help simulate swimming and works those muscles without having to suit up, leave home and get wet.

X-Training:
Oh how very very important is cross training. SO important. But with 3 kids and already spending so much time away in spin classes and running, I just didn't have time for cross trianing. I was improving and obviously getting stronger and gaining endurance, but after IG it got to a point in my 3-sport trianing that I felt like I had really plataued. I felt like I could keep running, biking and swimming laps, but was I ever going to get stronger? leaner? faster? And I felt the answer was no. At least not for a very long time of just 'basic trianing'.
So now, as you know I'm a BeachBody Coach and so I have a bunch of the workouts, including a bouncy ball, pull up/push up bar, weighted gloves, and resistance bands up the wahzoo.
I'm currently doing LOTS of cross trianing that is really improving my cardio, strength and I'm slimming like crazy! I've lost 4.5 pounds so far and inches all over, mostly in my waist. My favorites at the moment are Slim in 6, Slim & 6-pack, TurboJam with weighted gloves, and I love love love this move from P90X called "In & Outs". Strengthening my core, legs, arms and back are going to be MAJOR keys to my triathlon success.

I now see a brighter light, but it isn't at the end of the tunnel, it's just the beginning of a greater triathlete forming inside of me.

Goooooooood Morning!

2009-06-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I have changed my diet drastically. Becoming a vegetarian was a major turning point.

Since my last triathlon, I have improved my diet even more. I am now strictly on a "plan" (but really just a guide for eating healthier for the rest of my life), from P90X. It has a couple different phases and you have a variety of choices for how many calories you want to take in, all different vegetarian substitutes for protien sources and a guide for what amount of food equals about how many calories. This is really helpful for someone whose NEVER EVER been able to count calories. It was always too hard to count calories, fat, sodium, fiber, etc. I'm completely amazed that I'm able to even somewhat count them now. And it isn't about not eating certain foods groups or cutting all carbs. It's a great balance of learning to eat ALL foods but in moderation and nutritionally rounding out meals and snacks, and learning to eat 6x a day. THAT is the hardes part for me... eating SO much. But I know I'll get used to it, and I've absolutely noticed an increase in my energy. I can now do Slim in 6 and a Turbo Jam workout in one day.

So here's an example of "eating more". This was breakfast:

6 egg whites w/spinach, mushrooms and 1 slice american cheese

2 veggie bacon strips

1 cup sliced strawberries

1/2 wheat bagel, cut in half

It all comes out to less than 400 calories.

To cut it down to less than 300 calories, just skip the bagel.

*YES! I spent 100 calories on the 1/2 a bagel because this girl needs her carbs! :o) If I had been thinking more clearly, I would have chosen a piece of wheat toast instead.

I scored a HUGE 4 pound egg whites container at Whole Foods for only $19.99! This makes it MUCH easier and cheaper than using egg beaters or picking out the yolks myself. You can get the Organic Egg Whites, same brand and same size container, for $29.99. And then there are smaller container as well, which range around $7-$10. The spinach and mushrooms were leftovers from the other night's dinner. And I scored 4 pounds of strawberries on sale for $6 ($2.99 each for 2 pound cartons).

Eating healthy doesn't have to be a pain or expensive! And I'm being very honest when I say I liked the egg whites MUCH better than full eggs. They were fluffier on their own (without having to add milk or pancake mix like many restaurants do), and they allowed the flavors of the spinach and mushrooms come through much better.

Today I'll be doing Slim in 6 'Ramp It Up' and Turbo Jam 'Learn & Burn'. I got a new pair of biking shorts so I reeeeeeeally want to try them out. We'll see how hot it ouside and then maybe I'll add a good bike ride too!

Have a great Tuesday!

Healthy Eating is Addicting

2009-05-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Eating healthy is as addicting as running! I crave it.

Today:
9am - 2 mile run. I haven't run in a few weeks so I expected to be a bit weak, but all this leg strength I am working on with SI6 is still helping my running! It only took me 17 minutes to do 2 miles today... VERY interesting. However, I had to walk 1/run 1. I had a stabbing pain in my chest.

Breakfast:
1/2 cup cottage cheese with cinnamon and almonds

Lunch:
Garlic stir-fry spinach with mushrooms
1/2 cup natural mac & cheese

Dinner:
tofu shish kebabs - green pep, red pep, yellow pep, firm tofu, onion, tomato, pineapple (broiled)

I'll try to fit in a snack or 2.

We recieved our Beachbody showcase package yesterday!! TONS of stuff! I'm really excited to get started today. I'll be doing YOGA X today and trying out P90X with dh later tonight. I gave Burn It Up - slim in 6 - a try yesterday and it's intense but I love it! Much faster and a little longer.

5-26-09 How it's goin' today

2009-05-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Yesteday was not good at all! I am still nursing our baby and she kept me up ALL night on Sunday night/Monday morning. I tried my hardest to get through Ramp It Up, even with some modified movements but I was just BEAT. So I only finished half and then took a much needed nap. I followed that up with an early bedtime and caught a lot of rest. I needed that ebcause today I kicked booty with Ramp It Up! I didn't sit or modify at all! I'm feeling the itch to run again so I have to find some time to squeeze that in.

I'm eating well today, no cravings like yesterday. Yesterday I wanted a chocolate chip cookie on top of a potato chip. LOL And I did it! I believe some days you have to just let go and give in to those weird cravings.

I am having problems with eating so much. It totally and completely makes sense to eat more to burn calories, because if we don't eat enough our bodies hold onto and store the fat for fear of starvation. However, it's hard to get out of the brainwashed idea of "eat less to lose more" anorexic-food-is-bad type stuff we're all inundated with.

Eat more calories, just less fat.

Breakfast:
3/4 cup cottage cheese
w/honeydew melon, country pumpkin granola and sesame seeds

Lunch:
Grilled cheese & tomato sandwich (whole grain wheat bread, 2 slices of white american cheese, sliced tomato)
1 golden apple w/natural peanut butter

H2O so far: 60 oz. (goal is 155 oz)

Off topic - I found a beautiful dog today running in our neighborhood! We can't keep it. We absolutely cannot handle a dog again. She's out back right now. Matt went out and bought her some dog food, a couple bones and some treats. She's going to want to stay! lol I hope we find her owner, I don't want to take her to a shelter :(

Just the jump start I needed!

2009-05-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

WOOHOO!

Slim in 6 seriously whoops my butt and I love it so much!

START:
May 17th 2009 - 157 pounds
Measurements:
hip: 40 in
arms: 12 in
thighs: 24 in
calves: 13 in
waist: 34.5 in
chest: 38.5 in

WEEK ONE:
May 22, 2009 - 154.5 pounds (-2.5 pounds)
Measurements:
hips: 39 (-1 in)
arms: 12
thighs: 23.5 (-1/2 in)
calves: 13
waist: 33.5 (-1 in)
chest: 38 (-1/2 in)

Alright - The site's up!

2009-05-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here you go!! I'm excited. Slim in 6 is going great too.

Come log in your workouts for free whether you're doing beachbody or not. You can win all kinds of fun stuff! Once you're at my site just click "connect" or "play the game".

www.milliondollarbody.com/kbeans

Interval vs. Aerobic endurance

2009-05-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

First I read this:
https://www.enhancedfp.com/training/final-nail-cardio-coffin-rachel-cosgrove

Then I jumped over to this:
http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/training/attack_the_fat_in_8_weeks_phase_one

After taking a look at her exercises and suggestions, it is very simliar to Slim in 6.

I have been struggling so much with why I can't lose weight when I'm tri-training and being more active than I have ever been in my entire life. I keep hearing the "but you're building muscle" line over and over but I'm not buying it. I buy it to a certain extent, but there's no way that I can't even get to the lower end of my high weight with all this training!

So now that I have some time off until my next race, I'm really going to stay focused on this regimine. I'm curious to see the difference in how my body reacts to SI6 compared to aerobic endurance training of biking and running. But don't get me wrong - biking and running have my heart and I'll still be doing those on the side. Like today I took a quick 30 minute ride on Cinco and then did my SI6.

I have 6 weeks until my Devil 5k run.
And my next triathlon, Stone Harbor NJ is 9.5 weeks away.

My goal is to drink only water. Which is pretty much what I do already. But I'm hitting it even harder. I will drink my weight in water everyday for at least the 6 weeks of SI6.

My next major goal is to feel comfortable in just a bathing suit for the swim at the Stone Harbor triathlon.

I will start hard tri-training again on July 1st along with whatever I choose to do after SI6.

This is difficult and frustrating at times. I know that by getting healthier and accomplishing things that not many people I know are doing is amazing in itself. But that doesn't mean that I can't strive for better and try my hardest to understand my body.

Feel It Buuuuuuurn!

2009-05-17T00:30:00.001-07:00

WHEW!

So I moved onto the Ramp It Up like I said I would. It friggin burns! It feels so good. I haven't worked my abs like this in years. I love the few minutes of yoga finish. It's such a good practice to stretch like that after working those muscles so hard.

I won't bore you with the everyday in and outs, but I will update weekly with my measurements and a picture.

I have 'Before' and 'After' notecards up on my wall and will move each notecard over to 'After' when I'm done that week. I'll take pix of it all so you can see what I'm talking about.

I will finish my 6 weeks on June 26, 2009. Exactly one day before the Devil race. So I'm looking forward to seeing the physical difference but also the endurance!

Slim In 6 - Day One

2009-05-15T21:15:00.001-07:00

Today I officially became a BeachBody Coach and will have my site up by wednesday hopefully! Thank you Paula :o)

Tonight I tied out Slim In 6. First of all, there are 2 DVDs. One DVD has the "Start It Up" and Ramp It Up" then the second DVD has "Burn It Up". My plan was to Start It Up for week 1 and then Ramp It Up for week 2 and 3. Then I plan on alternating Ramp It Up and Burn It Up for week 4 to ease into the last and hardest DVD. I will then stay on Burn It Up for week 4-6.

However, that plan changed a bit tonight after trying out the first DVD. I guess from all the training I've been doing, a lot of muscles are strong and the first DVD was a bit slow/easy. Tomorrow I'll try Ramp It Up, which I took a peek at and I think the tempo is a bit faster with a lot of the same moves so it seems right up my alley! For anyone just starting out, Start It Up is REALLY good though, so I really recommend it before heading into Ramp It Up.

My arms hurt like crazy because yesterday I lifted weights... I didn't think I had done much but WOW they are sore today, so I see that as a good sign that I actually did work some muscles. Then the DVD had me doing a bunch of arm movements and I was about to cry LOL

Oh... and I took my Day One photo....EEK! All I can say is that I'm the poster child for "If she can do a triathlon, ANYONE can" and I should be on the front cover of the "Slow Fat Triathlete" book LOL

BeachBody Coaching!

2009-05-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine and her husband have been coaching with BeachBody for 2 years. They've gotten amazingly fit and they're getting paid like crazy to do it. So finally we sat with them last night and I learned all about how to do it too. It's really easy and basically I get to make money while doing what I'm already doing everyday - on the computer and working out.

Tomorrow I get my site and I'll post the link then, but I wanted to let you guys know that if you're going to buy anything from Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs, P90X, Slim in 6, ChaLean, RockinBody, or Yoga Botty Ballet then you can buy it through me. It's the same exact price but I get a kickback from the company for everything anyone buys through my site. The company sends the stuff right to you. And I get to be your coach! Having a coach is free. You can then log in your workouts online and win money every single day (like $300 or an ipod) and then there's a $1000 winner every week. Totally random winners are picked.

You can also be a coach too if you want, but that's a whole other discussion. If you want to know more about that, let me know. By being a coach you can get the entire set of Turbo Jam, P90X, Hip Hop Abs, Slim in 6 and Yoga Booty Ballet along with the bands and ball for $199 and lots of other perks. So yeah, I know so many people are interested in those programs so I'm hoping if you are going to buy it you can now buy it through me! I can't wait to get Turbo Jam and Slim in 6, and DH is going to do P90X. Most of all I just want to help people make the change I've started to make in my life and have others feel the same freedom! I'm looking forward to getting in even better shape and Coaching others to do the same!

I'm nervous about posting my day 1 photo, but I'm just going to bite it and post... It'll keep me motivated. I can't wait to post my 30, 60 and 90 day photos! And especially to see my times improve in my races as I get stronger!

It's ON!!

2009-05-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

Stone Harbor (NJ) Triathlon - IT'S ON BABY! I just got off the phone with a bike shop down there and I've got a 24-hour road bike rental all lined up. My size and great price. I'm STOKED! Can't wait for May 22nd when the tri goes on sale.

So the new schedule looks like this:
June 6th - Rick's kid triathlon
June 27th - Running with the Devil 5k, then volunteer for 8 hours

July 19th - Stone Harbor, NJ sprint triathlon

August - ET race volunteer

September 26th- (Tentative) Kokopelli BBSC sprint triathlon, St.George Utah

October 17 - Pumpkinman (sprint) triathlon

Iron Girl Swim Map - updated

2009-05-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here's what the Iron Girl swim map looks like.

Yellow: sprint course
Green: olympic course
Red Squares: what I was directed to actually swim.

Next up - Planning rest of season

2009-05-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

So it's tradition I guess that the days after a race I get my plans ready for the next one. This time I already knew that Iron Girl would be my last triathlon until at least July. I planned on doing a tri while on vacation in NJ the end of July, but the tri I wanted to do is already sold out (NJ State Tri). I did some research and found another one, the Stone Harbor Tri... but dh thinks I should just stick to a run as it's less stressful while on vacation. I think I agree...

So I plan on doing a 10k run in Millville, NJ which is basically where we'll be already. I'm going to see if one or both of my nieces will do it with me. This will be my first 10k and my first event in NJ, my home state :D

Then I think I'm either going to do the triathlon at Bear Lake, UT by BBSC or the Santa Barbara Triathlon. The SB one is super sprint style and looks interesting! But I'm not sure I want to travel 5 hours each way with the whole fam and pay for hotel stays when it's such a short race... DH seems more down to go to UT but that's an 8 hour drive each way. However it is the week of our anniversary, it's a place we've never been and probably won't ever go to otherwise, and I know Brogg puts on an awesome tri! So I think Bear Lake it is... for now. I can then take a break in September to train for Pumpkinman and then end the season with that as far as triathlon. Run racing won't stop though!

So here's what the line up looks like for now:

June 6th - Rick's kid triathlon
June 27th - Running with the Devil 5k, then volunteer for 8 hours

July 25th - Motorsports Park 10k for Barbara Cook

August 29th - Bear Lake Classic in Utah (BBSC)

September 27- tentative: Sandstorm II Desert Dash Race series 5k

October 17 - Pumpkinman (sprint) triathlon

Iron Girl recap

2009-05-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

I woke up around 5am. The directions said we had to park at the Montelago Hotel and walk a bit. They also said that although my swim didn't start until 7am, we had to leave transition at 6:15am and walk again to the swim start.

As I pull into Montelago, it's pretty scarce. Only one other car and I followed them then asked if we were suppose to park here. They said yes and pulled out printed directions from the IG website. So we parked and started walking... They were such nice ladies, from California. As we get closer to the race site we see a dirt parking lot... FILLED WITH CARS. WTH? Why didn't we get the friggin memo? I was just there the day before for packet pick-up, these girls were there last night.. why weren't we informed? Why weren't there signs saying "parking this way" with arrows letting us know to keep going further down the road? I thought I was following the directions and I end up getting crapped on.

We finally get to the race site and go our separate ways. My bike was fine and I was happy to see him. I ended up getting everything together pretty quickly. Having done it once now, it's really easy. Helmet, socks/shoes, glasses, water, towel, racebelt and good to go! The bike racks were different than Rage. They were wooden and had slits for the back tire with a square area next to it for your stuff. Pretty neat. I got that sweet spot on the end and had TONS of room.

SWIM:
Because we had to walk to the swim a pretty good distance away, if you didn't have a buddy (husband, friend, mom etc) then you had to walk barefoot since you couldn't leave your flip flops there. I get o the swim and meet another lady. She drives the Susan G Komen truck that visits all the races. She was also from California, but originally from North Dakota. Very very nice and I regret not going to check on her after the race :o(

The water was nice but still cold enough to be wetsuit legal. It didn't take my breath away like the Lake Mead water at Rage. However, the slushy.. mud?... was GROSS under your feet. I'm from the beach but this wasn't sand, it felt like you were standing in poop. So finally my wave lines up and gets ready. The MC says we're suppose to round the first buoy, then go to the next buoy. TWO BUOYS and then go under the bridge. Ready-set-AFLAC (roll eyes, so much commercialization) and off we go. This time I went more to the front of the pack. By staying in the back at Rage, I allowed myself to be last last. This time I at least wanted an advantage. It worked out well. So we round the first buoy, then go straight ahead with the pack to to get to the second one, when we start hearing the kayak volunteer yelling "stay to your right! round this buoy here" HUH? That doesn't make sense..but whatever. So a bunch of us start heading out to that buoys and as we get there we realize NO ONE else but a small group of us (like 10 or so) are rounding this buoy out here! Everyone else was going straight through and cutting it completely. Not coming anywhere near it! We're all upset and not really understanding wth is going on, but we're afraid if we cut it, we'll end up having to come back to it anyway if they send us away. So we just round it and all agree we're making a HUGE complaint! That was totally completely unfair because now the times and distances don't match and won't be correct. Our placing won't be correct. It just sucked big time. But at least I did it. I swam freestyle more than before and I noticed my speed picked up. I had more endurance and strength this time. I felt really good. It was awesome to be in a PACK. I was keeping up with other people, and when we finally did get to the THIRD buoy, we were in a huge crowd. We did an extra buoy and STILL got out faster than a lot of those other pink caps.

T1:
The walk from the swim to the bike, OMG! It was sooo long. T1 end up taking me 10 minutes. That's despicable and it isn't my fault.

BIKE:
Ohhhh I was so excited to get on my bike! This was all what the week's shenanigans led up to. After walking out of transition, I hopped on the bike and VROOM, I was off and fast! I changed gears correctly and efficiently. I was cruising down those hills and making it up them so quickly. Finally at one point I thought to myself "where are those massive hills that lead out of this place?" and realized as I looked up ahead that I already had done them!! I was so proud of myself and happy the "hard part" in my mind was over. The rest of the bike was smooth and uneventful. I got to pass people and kept up with people who have those cool aerobars and aerowheels. I was leapfrogging with really good bikers and it felt SO good to be apart of the competition! The correct mileage was more like 11 miles, not 10 like the website said. Not a huge deal, but worth noting.

T2:
Uneventful... racked the bike, grabbed my headband and race number belt and took off for the run.

RUN:
I honestly had no idea where the run was going to be. DH and I tried looking at the map a million times to figure it out but never had success. The run began with a big uphill to the street. Not fun after just having biked 11 miles. Then it led onto a large dirt area and we basically were running in a huge construction area of dirt hills, rocks, holes and a portion of the road that actually was a smoother dirt was slanted sideways. It was... challenging but really too much. One lady even took a fall and scraped up her face. It wasn't a turn-around loop, it went around a circle and out the way we came in. There was water at every mile and duck sponges. The water was really cold and felt great! I asked for 2 cups every time - drank one and dumped the other on my head. The IG website and the newsletters said there would be all kinds of fun surprises to keep us motivated along the run but there wasn't anything. Then we were suppose to get a playing card to use for prizes later... yet again there was no one giving them out. Finally we round it out to the street again and back HOME! There were lots of people yelling "only 200 more yards, you're almost there!" I tried with all my might to just keep pushing and get this darn thing over with! lol

POST-RACE:
It was only 9am (yup, that's right, I finished in 2 hours and with an extra swim!). We weren't allowed back into transition until 10:30. I did not like that at all. My one son's soccer game started at 10am and I would have liked to make it. They did have a breakfast area, so I headed over to see what there was to eat. I wasn't very hungry.. I get there and all I wanted to try to eat was a bagel with peanut butter... no PB in site. They had muffins, bagels, butter, flavored cream cheese spread, cereal, fruit but it was empty except for melon so I took some of that before it was gone, and egg/cheese/sausage biscuits. No bananas? No peanut butter? I thought PB was a staple for post-race food... I asked for some but was told there was none so oh well.

I have already written an email complaint to Iron Girl. I really hope they make note on the website of the swim mishap so that people realize the times aren't correct. I'm disappointed with the race. I won't do it again. I'm not sorry I did it, any experience is good experience in that I always learn something from it... and in this case I learned that IG is just not the organization for me. They are so commercialized and all about the look of everything that the small details get lost. The one lady MC even had the nerve to say "when the hand goes up the talking STOPS. That's rude." Wow... not very nice.

Official Times:

Swim- 27:08:00 (longer swim and kept about the same time!!)

T1- 5:14 (why did it say 10 minutes on the posted results at the race today?)

Bike- 44:52:00 (GREAT!!!!!! 11 miles. Rage was 12.5 and took me 1:20 hour!)

T2- 1:28

Run- 42:37:00 (still slow, but with the course, I'm ok with this time. -2 min from Rage!)

Finish Time- 2:01:19 (Amazing! I took 40 min off my time from Rage and did that long swim!)

Meet Cinco

2009-05-08T19:20:00.001-07:00

T minus 12 hours - Iron Girl!

2009-05-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Iron Girl is tomorrow! In 12 hours I will be diving into Lake Las Vegas, hoping to beat my previous time or at least keep the same time as I had at Rage.

We had packet pick-up today, and we had to have our bikes in by tonight at 9pm. Honestly... I didn't like that much. I finally got a road bike!! It's a "he" and his name is Cinco. I bought him on Cinco De Mayo, so it was fitting. He is a 47cm Trek 1220 with shimano shifters. I'm not sure of the year. I got it for such a GREAT price that it didn't even matter what year. Do you know Joe the bike buy from Vegas? If not, you're missing out! He is such a marvelous help, he's taught this newbie so many tips and tricks already, and he's the one who I bought the bike from. You ever need a bike, go to Joe. Period.

So as you can imagine, having to leave my precious new baby boy all alone at transition tonight was VERY hard. It's to trust that no one will just walk out with it. Ok, so I realize my bike isn't top notch compared to some others in there, but for someone who has a mountain bike (like I just did until tuesday), ANY road bike is desired! Ok enough of that... I had to do it and so did hundreds of others... it's ok. Right?

What I think about the Iron Girl race so far:
~I didn't like that we had to set up bikes the night before
~It's all very commercialized and branded, which is a huge downer for me as I often root for the small guys.
~The free tech tee is nice. I expected cotton from the pictures I've seen, but it's much nicer.
~LOTS of freebies at the expo.
~Two day packet pick-up option was helpful eventhough I didn't need it.
~They warn you ahead of time that transition is locked down at 6:15am, but I don't swim until 7am... so that's a bit wierd.
~No body markings... disappointing, they dont' help with the race at all but they look cool
~I had to put a number sticker on my helmet. Grrr, it doesn't look like it's going to come off easily.

So far that's all I have to say, except the course looks a bit difficult for beginners. I'm not sure the course suits the target market they are going for, but I'm not a total newbie anymore, so I'll survive.

I'll be heading to bed early and have a race report later tomorrow. The weather forecast predicts that from 7am-10am the temps are between 75-82 degrees with light winds not reaching over 5 mph and some humidity starting at 17% and decreasing to around 12%.

Taking time off

2009-04-28T19:55:00.001-07:00

I'm taking some time off from training. I know it's such an odd time with Iron Girl less than 2 weeks away, but I'm listening to my body and I think it'll make me even stronger at IG to take this week off. I've been sick with allergies, extremely overtired and today I threw up 3 times. I have no clue what's wrong with me and I don't feel sick sick, just not normal. I can hardly eat, no appetite at all and everytime I take my vitamins in the morning I get completely nauseated. I've even been getting completely winded by just walking upstairs! And yes, we've wondered if I'm pregnant but we just don't think it's possible. So with that said, I've decided that if I push myself too hard this week when I obviously don't feel very good then I'll end up crashing the week of IG and that could be more detrimental to my performance. I'm having a hard time not doing anything this week. I just keep reminding myself it's for the best. Today I was craving to go do something, I didn't care what... but I could hardly keep my eyes open. I think I'll be refreshed and ready to go by the begining of next week.

Holy Benedryl

2009-04-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

The wind picked up here in Vegas yesterday.. well really it's been windy of and on for quite some time, but this particular time it blew all the trees, dust, pollen, etc and I had the worst allergy attack I've ever had. I wanted to rip my eyeballs out. Like I've said before, I'm not one to take medicine. I'd rather have a cup of tea and some echinacea when I am feeling sick. But last night, I was blowing blood out of my nose and I figured it was time for some benedryl allergy medicine. I took ONE and it knocked me on my butt! lol I slept so hard. Harder than I probably have in 6 years (since having kids). If Kai woke to nurse, I don't even remember. She probably could have and I'd have slept right through her whines. Poor baby.

So needless to say, I missed my swim workout last night. I took a day to rest my knee today. Tomorrow I hit spin and a run again. Our pool is finally open!!! YAY. So I can get out there, and even with my wetsuit to practice.

I have 2 new goals/desires. I want this road bike. It's at a specialty store here and it's cheaper than I've seen around for a brand new bike. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford it though. It's $800 and although in triathlon world that isn't that much money for a nice bike, in my real world that IS a lot of money.

And I want to be a Tri Chic. I want Nicole as a coach so bad. I want to be on the Nix Tri Chix team so bad. Again though, it's just too much money. She's a total sweetheart, I've seen her interact with her girls, and I'm ready to take my training to another level. I'm ready to improve even more. I feel as though I've hit a plateau and I feel myself getting weary yet I'm still so stoked and excited to race! I think I just need that accountability, I need to mix it up a bit and see some better results. I really want that team environment. I may just be silly though. I may be making a bigger deal out of it than it's worth.

If and/or when the time is right, it'll all happen.

I'm excited to one day look back on my "mountain bike riding, came in last in my age group" days of triathlon.

Just get in the water

2009-04-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

Spin and run done! whew. Today's class is run by the guy who hooked me up with those girls. He has an awesome class, he has us push really hard.

My knees are a bit beat up lately so instead of "running" I really did a walk. But I added a nice incline the majority of it and climbed 385 feet. Then did some small run intervals at the last 3/4 mile. I'm really looking forward to the swim tonight. Now that I have gotten over the "what's a triathlon swim going to be like" concern, I am much more confident in the water. Also, I realize now that (DUH) just like in running and biking, even smaller amounts of swimming will build up endurance and strength in the water. I was SO focused on the distance. I was so worried that I just wouldn't make it the entire swim portion that I beat myself up during swim training. Now I realize just getting in the pool, just like getting on the road, treadmill and into spin class, is all going to help.

You don't have to run 13 miles every day to build the endurance it takes to run a 1/2 marathon. And eventhough I've known this, I still never put it together with swim training too.

The Rage Aftermath

2009-04-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well now, it's been 3 days since Rage and I thought I'd write a bit about how the aftermath has been.

Physically:
I feel pretty good! I'm always tired after a race, even if it's only 3 miles. I tend to sleep for what seems like days, and this was no exception of course. I'm over the need to sleep part, and I'm already back into training for the IronGirl triathlon coming up, but my knees are in not so good shape. I have been icing them for days. I also really don't like medicine. You won't hear of me really asking for or taking meds for anything. I like to feel the pain so that I can treat what's wrong... but this time, I'm resorting to the ibuprofen to take away some swelling in the knees. It's a constant pain that hurts even when I'm sitting. In this case I'm not sure if it's one of those "push through it and it'll get better" pains or a "see a sports doc" pain... I just can't help but think a couple things -
A. I'm only 25, I don't want my running time clock to start ticking away already! To think of not ever being able to run again by 40 just tears my heart apart.
B. I need to lose weight. Seriously, I'm sick over it. How am I doing all this hard work and still haven't lost a pound!? I just have no idea what could be going on. I eat well, and am now a vegetarian. I eat a lot of protien and always have, of non-meat sources. And all I drink is water. No soda, juice, sports drinks.. nada. Everywhere I read about training for triathlons and running, they all talk about "oh and guess what, you'll start losing weight and dress sizes! oh yay!" ::picture me rolling my eyes here:: because I sure haven't. I lost 10 pounds in the begining back in January and haven't lost anything since. This effects my knees and my biking as I'm carrying so much more weight on the bike with just myself!

Ok back on track....

Mentally:
I'm ready to go for IronGirl. However, I'm still nervous!! How can I be sitting here saying "can I do it?" when I JUST DID? I crack myself up. I guess it happens everytime huh?

I'm feeling very accomplished and confident. Still a bit shocked at times. It takes my breath away when I look at pictures of the race. I can't believe I was there and I did it.

Current training:
I went to 45 minutes of spin yesterday followed by a 1.25 mile run w/a 40 foot climb thrown in at the end. Ricky and I had soccer practice immediately afterwards, so I had to cut everything a bit short.

Today, my knees were really bad but I gave up my jacuzzi time to go to Target and buy a new summer bathing suit. My speedo one for training just wasn't leaving flattering tanlines lol It did feel good to be able to find something so quickly. I guess I might be toning eventhough I'm not losing. Speaking of tanlines, you should see the tanlines I have leftover from the tri-shorts, halarious!

Tomorrow, 6am spin with 2 mile run immediately after. Soccer practice and a swim in the evening.

I saw a tagline somewhere.. maybe it was in the triathlete magazine they gave us in our swag bags... and I just loved the message:

Stop working out, start training.

I LOVE IT! It totally sums up why I love doing all this stuff. It isn't just working out. It's a goal. An attainable goal on a set date. It isn't just waiting around to see results in your dress size or on the scale. It's about learning something(s) new, the excitement of seeing your hard work pay off even if your body isn't showing it on the outside. It's about the inner spiritual endurance you acquire. It's the getting nervous and excitement of race day! I LOVE TRAINING.. and I'll never be someone who "just works out" again. It's such a different level now.

"Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. RACING is where I get mine."
-John Trautmann

Free Cone Day!!

2009-04-21T08:37:00.001-07:00

Oh heck yeah, you know I'm SO there!

http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/feature/free-cone-day/

Tri-ing For A Cause!

2009-04-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.active.com/donate/vegasCHOA/valarienardone

That's the link to my fundraiser page! Check it out and please donate whatever you feel comfortable with. No amount is too big or too small.

I'm way excited to do my next tri already and even more excited I get to do it with a cause!

I tri-ed

2009-04-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

So where the heck do I begin!?

Yesterday and last night

We were making mad dashes to find a wetsuit, a bike, get a number belt, pack my stuff, read all the USAT rules one more time, get a water bottle on the bike which we stayed up until 12am last night trying to friggin get it on, doing mock transitions in my bedroom. It was all I could do given the time and circumstances.

Wake up - race day

I woke up at 4am and left for around 4:30. Got there around 5:30am. Parking was easy and they had us right next to transition. It was colder here at my house than over there at Lake Mead! I was so grateful for that! The women's sprint distance was scheduled to take off @ 6:47am.

Transition set up was relatively easy. Thank goodness for the mock drills last night. The only negative to transition was how tight everyone was. I put the number sticker on my bike, grabbed my PB sandwiches, filled up the 1 water bottle I started drinking (I brought 4! lol) and picked up my timing chip.

Here's all I had for set up:

wetsuit

swimcap

helmet

sneakers

socks

shin sleeves

sunglasses

number belt

chapstick

1 hammer gel pack

headband & extra hairties

pink skull bandana to put on my bike so I could find it

1 water bottle to wash my feet after the swim

1 refill water bottle

1 handheld running water bottle

(not shown - one water bottle on my bike)

I ended up not using the body glide

I wore Zoot tri shorts, a Reebok T-back shirt and a Shock Absorber sports bra.

The Swim
I headed down to the water before putting on my wetsuit just to put my feet in and take in everything around me that was going on and about to happen. Went back to transition and started getting my wetsuit on for about 6:30am. The nerves were really starting to hit me. Once the male sprinters were heading out, most of the women were all in place to go. We were all there trying to figure out what bouys we were suppose to swim to. As people asked me if I trained for this, I quickly explained I was suppose to be the runner of a team that bailed on me at the last minute. As soon as I said that, most everyone was all "oh my, I heard about you". I had a mini panic attack. I think moreso just a good needed cry after all the emotions I went through in the past couple days and now my nerves. It felt good to get it out. Another girl, I wish I had gotten her name, she took me in the water and taught me how to prep, get water on me face, get the water flowing in your wetsuit, etc. Thank you miss lady, whoever you are! I was ready to go! I stayed in the back though, as I knew I'd be a slower one and figured I'd save myself the kicks and hits of faster passers.

5-4-3-2-1-GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In most of the sports I've practiced in the past months, it usually holds true that going out is harder than coming in. For me personally it's been that way. The swim, however, that does NOT ring true! Going out was pretty easy as you have a lot of energy. As you see the end nearing, it seems to take forever! At one point, I was trying to figure out if I was just treading water but thought I was swimming. Your arm and leg pushes just don't have the same umph behind them and you don't get very far with each push anymore. Oh and the whole "swim on your back if you're tired" thing - yeah right. Everytime I went on my back, the water went up over my face and I swalled more water that way. Not to mention, you can't see where you're going so you end up going way out to the side and wasting time coming back or you risk the chance of crossing bouys. I drank more lake water than regular water and was throwing up nastiness in my mouth until the run.

I was one of the last ones out of the water, but I didn't give a rat's booty - I WAS OUT!! That was all that I could think about. I starting ripping off my wetsuit immediately. ONE DOWN!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO

The Bike
Got to transition, it went like clockwork. Threw the wetsuit down, sat down, tried my best to dry off my feet and get dressed from the legs down. I didn't feel as jelly or disoriented as most people say they do after the swim. But I think that's because of how slow I swam.

The bike out was hard, uphill in fact. That sucked and I decided to hoof it on foot with the bike until the top of the hill. From there I jumped on and cycled as hard as I could but also kept in mind that I still had to run 3 miles after this. I didn't want to push too hard and give up in the run, which would have been sad for me since that's my strong area. Going to the first turn around was very hard. I walked almost every hill. BUT that meant that once I turned around, it was going to be mostly downhill! I screamed with joy so loud when I hit that first turnaround. I was cruising so fast on the way back I scared myself a little. I held those handlebars so tight lol

Then they tease you a little bit.. you go PAST the race area and up another long hill for another turnaround. I again had to walk most of it. This time when I got off I clipped the seat with my foot, bent my knee sidways and broke the chain. I fixed the chain super quick, but from then on my knee hurt for the rest of the bike. I begged of the photographer not to take any pictures of my walking. She made me a deal and said she'd do it once I hit the turn around and was cruising back. FINALLY, the last turn around. I could have friggin cried! This was it, a couple miles downhill back to transition and I was on my run!!! I just couldn't wait to get my feet hitting the ground again.

The Run
Again, probably because I walked the bike section a few times, I didn't feel the gooey jelly legs that everyone talks about from the bike to run. I did feel it ON the bike though, when I tried standing on the bike to push up a hill. Transition from bike to run was very easy for me. I wasn't changing shoes, so I just had to rack the bike and grab my Nathan handheld water bottle, take off my helmet and grab my headband. I popped the Hammer gel pack in my mouth - honestly that was gross lol It was banana and I thought I grabbed berry. Definitely a wierd feeling to think one taste and then feel another going in your mouth.

The begining of the run was ridiculous! All sand and rocks. I was praying it wasn't like this all the way through. It ended up being harder dirt ground for the main run part but there were lots of rocks. This was a challenging run physically. I'm a low-to-the-ground foot runner. I can go fast without picking my feet up too high. Well...while on a rocky dirt road it was pretty much impossible to run that way. My legs wouldn't get UP because they were definitely tired from the bike portion. So I sadly admit that I walked a lot of my run. This disappointed me as this was my strong sport and I feel like I just couldn't get a rhythm going. I was so scared I'd twist my ankle and then that would be it. I'd be out of the race right before the end. So, I figured since I know my walking speed has picked up, it wasn't that bad and I ran when I could.

The Finish

THERE WAS A FINISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Need I say more?

This was a mental challenge more than anything. You have to be able to tell yourself to keep going, keep trying, don't get discouraged, and don't try to impress anyone. Physically I knew I could do it, but mentally I was scared as heck. Would I do it again? Well if you asked me during the race and immediately afterwards, I would have told you NO WAY. I was mentally challenged and just so relieved it was over with. Now if ask me my answer is OF COURSE I WILL!

Unfortunately I had to pull out of the 10k Lovell run because I can't miss another soccer game. I coach Rick's team and it's Christian's first season, and I had to give up both their first games today for the triathlon. I don't want racing to become something they remember taking their mom away, but rather something that made their mom a better mom.

Am I crazy? I feel like heading out for a run....

Oh and for good old times sake, I ate some peanut butter cup Ben and Jerry's.

THE RESULTS ARE UP ALREADY:

overall place: 235
division place: 27/27 (last lol, it's all good)

sex place: 109/114
swim: 26:43
T1: 5:00 (this honestly doesn't sound right, i can't believe I was there for 5 minutes!?)
Bike: 1:21:42
T2: 1:47
Run: 44:55 (wow, my longest run EVER... a bit diappointing)
TOTAL TIME: 2:40:04

OK well, now I have to do another one just so I can improve my time! lol

Update - Rage here I come

2009-04-17T23:46:00.000-07:00

It's way late and I am heading to bed but I wanted to update.

The swimmer ended up being a total sweetheart about it and is going to pay me her portion. The biker has ignored my calls and texts.

The swimmer girl's guy friend ended up not being available so it looks like by this time tomorrow night I will be calling myself a full triathlete!!

I ended up with a road bike from my pastor's wife who JUST bought it a couple weeks ago at a garage sale. I've checked it over and added a water bottle holder. Then I found a wetsuit for $75. It sucks I had to put out even more money, but I WILL tri again so dh and I are just trying to look at it as an investment.

Please be thinking and praying for me tomorrow morning. I'm nervous as heck, and can't beat this headache I've had for 3 days. Not to mention the 4 hours of sleep it seems I'll be getting.

However, I'm ready to KICK BUTT!