On July 31, 2011,
in 
Weekends. Ah. The word that used to mean “rest” or “relaxation” or “party.” The word which changed meaning once I birthed kids, but now means: ass busting workouts, time with kids, and laundry.
And I love it. Yesterday, of course was the trail run.
Today was 52 miles on the bike (3:20:15 time) with the Expert, plus a gnarly bee-sting which is still ouching me.
Then, pool with the kids. Plus a dinner at the old Italian haunt in Duluth.
Whew. And it’s now 8:00, Sunday night, and I’m just starting on the laundry. I’m not going to see a single load dry. I am T-minus 15 minutes to night-night.
This triathlon life is insane. And I’m loving every single second of it.
Check out this nasty blister on my foot from yesterday. This photo is gross. I know, and I admit it. But like a car wreck, I want to stare at it, and share it. I’m sorry. It’s gross, I know. Gross. It’s like a third nipple. Ha. Ew.
On July 31, 2011,
in Today I did something I’ve never done before. I returned running shoes that I have worn about 10 times. It was a great moral dilemma for me to return something used. I have another pair of Sauconys in this size that fit fine, but for some reason in this model they are definitely a half-size too small and over-crowding my little piggies. The store has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. I had no box, no receipt, but thought I would ask about it. Cheerfully they took the shoes and put in an order for the next size up. Wow.
My shoes – Saucony ProGrid Mirage in GREEN!
I get my running shoes at the local running store – Runabout Sports. Between the kids and I, we’ve probably gotten 40 pairs of shoes there, plus apparel, hats, arm sleeves, socks, nutrition, compression socks, hydration belts, water bottles, swim goggles, massage sticks, gloves…. (Lordy, I hope my husband doesn’t read this.)
Like many local running/bike/tri shops, Runabout is more than a store. It’s a community hub for runners and a source of much knowledge. I think about the time that I went for shoes this spring and mentioned my tendonitis. I ended up leaving with a whole lower-leg strengthening plan and a quick exam and suggestions from a physical therapist-in-training! They put on many of the local races (with fabulous door prizes) and run a summer youth track league. The shop owner, James DeMarco, is a talented and self-sacrificing runner who has coached… Read the rest
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I woke up at 5:45 this morning and headed to Cartersville, Georgia for the 1st Annual Red Top Roaster Trail Run. The race featured a 5k event, and a 15k event. Being the idiot that I am, I thought 15k sounded fun. Well, not really. My dear Coach Monster said it would be good fun. Maybe it was Mountain Goat.
Mountain Goat was running the 10k, and my good friend Carol (far left, who I call “W” for undisclosed reasons) was taking a stab at her first ever 5k.
How weird is it that I find such beauty in the heart rate chart resulting from this morning’s interval work?? It appeals to both my engineering and creative sides I guess.
Now that the fun is over, it’s on to the real work of the day. My mom and dad are visiting later next week (yay!!) from Pittsburgh so I have some weeding (bleh) and cleaning (more bleh) I want to have to get done.
Evan and I at last year’s Turkey Trot in PittsburghRelated to family, my nephew Evan, a recent college grad, threw out the idea of he and I doing a half-IM together next year. He’s from Ohio and I don’t get to see him very often but we share a cool connection through triathlon. Unlike me who started with sprints and olys and am working my way up, he launched into Ironman (finishing IM Louisville last year) and then moved into other distances. I’m really proud of Evan for having the guts to do an IM especially with no formal coaching and I’m sure lots of naysayers. He’s finding his own way through the sport and through life, and no doubt the lessons he is learning through triathlon will serve him well as he moves forward with his academic and professional career.
Again, this 9.3 mile trail “race” tomorrow isn’t really a “race” for me. For the other 400 people, yes, maybe. Me? Just trying to survive it, and make the 2.5 hour cutoff.
The kids and I made pita pizzas for dinner. Vegan? No. But vegetarian… yes! And with organic tomato sauce, cheese and tomatoes….and basil from the Expert’s garden. MMMMmmmmmm.
And get this? These little gems (all three of them)… about 475 calories. Total. Yay. Considering Coach Monster’s spin class burned about 867 calories, I’m pretty pleased.
However. This hard work and goodness will be cancelled out by what’s going into the oven next.
I promised the kids.
When the father is out of town, all hell breaks loose.
Stella liked the pita pizzas so much, she took one to her favorite cabinet, where she could eat in peace.
So, all in all (minus my friends at non-vegan Tollhouse) I think we pulled off some pretty snazzy pre-race fuel.
I’ve made my PB&J in the fridge for the AM, packed my banana (that sounds weird), the Camelbak, the Flip video, and my GU. I’m all ready. Or, as ready as I’m ever gonna be. Now, if I can just sleep. Last night, I grabbed about 2 hours. If I can snag 5 tonight, mama will be scraight. Yes, scraight.
Ah. Here’s the cookies. Courtesy ‘o the toddlers. Nice even shapes, I think.
Happy weekend, ya’ll.
While June was a busy month for racing, July and early August are reserved for a solid training block to get ready for the second half of race season. I’m averaging about 12 workout sessions a week for swim, bike, run, and strength training. That translates to roughly two-a-day workouts six days a week and one day off. Sessions of course vary in intensity, duration, and purpose. Coach Jim and Kurt keep things fun and interesting (busy brain = happy me) and it is very rare that I don’t look forward to a workout. I try to knock out both workouts one after the other early in the morning to push my endurance and to keep the day clear.
I know I’m gaining strength and confidence and ideally that will translate to upcoming races August 13, 14, and 20. The tendonitis is all but gone thanks to a mix of ice, acupuncture, massage, and strengthening, and so is the bit of pre-run anxiety I had been experiencing because of it. It feels great!
I wrote about tackling some daunting (for me) swim intervals recently. This week were two notable challenges on the bike and the run. On Tuesday Coach Jim made had me do a time trial through our valley and up the big hill into town. The only time I could fit this in was mid-day when the boys were at camp and it was 91 degrees out. I often laugh thinking to myself that one… Read the rest
On July 29, 2011,
in This past Monday, Mike wrote a really good article on his blog about how to balance family life with training. He laid out five key principles that he follows to try to fit everything in: Prioritize, Commit, Schedule, Execute, and Communicate.
As a busy father of three, a husband, a friend, and employee, I often find myself in the predicament of trying to decide which activity comes first. This is a topic I’ve written about before, as it can be a struggle both for me and for triathletes all over. I think I tend to have a pretty good approach to life balance, in general. I try to be really focused on family time – and will often forgo a workout in favor of doing something with my kids. I know that won’t help me get on a triathlon podium, but hopefully I will attain the podium of life.
Mike’s post really hit a good thread with me, and I left a response on his blog about how my son and I combined spending time together with a workout this week. I thought I’d share with you all how that went down.
I had a swim workout on my plan for Monday. As I had cycled in the morning, I planned on doing my swim workout during the evening. I had invited my wife to go along (she’s training for her virgin attempt at triathlon), but she couldn’t go. We had our typical afternoon thunderstorms here in Jax;… Read the rest
