Bowl of Berries

Ah another race another EARLY morning!  Too bad Scottie was up until midnight packing, I could have killed him!  he was also up around 4:15 am, earlier then I wanted to be up but I figured if he was moving I needed to be moving too.  Coffee made, bagels toasted, dogs let out and fed, bike son the car and we were off…like clockwork. After getting gas we were on our way to Roxboro about an hour away. We had to pick up our packets and get set up which took all of 15 minutes since it is a smaller race. I sometimes hate having this must time to wait, it makes me rethink my set up and second guess if I forgot anything.  The one good thing is that I got a primo spot at the end of the rack!  Score!

One of the reasons we did this race (besides the $30 entry fee) was that a ton of our tri friends were doing it as well, it’s always fun with friends.  We saw almost all of them in transition and chatted, which helped pass the 2 hours.  The with about 30 minutes left we walked through the woods to the swim start.

I careful got in the water, being mindful of the random logs and Christmas trees (no lie) in the water. Once in I did a short warm up swim, I find this is imperative to calm me down a bit. The water wasn’t too warm and was nice and calm, perfect! The air temp was a bit lower then it has been and I was actually a bit chilly once out of the water!

Though this was a smaller race with only 4 waves there were still a lot of people at the start of my wave. I guess because it is a smaller lake there was only so many places you could go! So I was around people until the turn around buoy but didn’t freak out! I even kept my eyes open underwater to see where people were, this also helped my sighting, which could always use some help! The turn buoy is quite close and then the long leg is on the way back. I felt great during this swim. Going into the race I put no expectations on myself. This was an unplanned race so I was just going to enjoy myself. However once in the water I really wanted to kick butt! I was swimming close to people, pushing myself and feeling great!

The exit of this swim is never easy and this year there were 2 guys pulling people out of the water and onto the muddy bank. The run to T1 was hard because it was so muddy and slippery! I looked down at my watch and saw 16:xx- Woohoo faster then Triangle!

My transition actually felt quite long but I was 2nd in my AG so I guess it wasn’t that bad! I had to rinse off my feet because they were covered in mud and grass. Then I had sock problems which took a few seconds, then I almost dropped my bike, but besides all that it was a good transition!  Off I ran and I quickly mounted the bike.

Coming out on the bike I felt great! Then all of a sudden I dropped into my small ring and could not for the life of my get into the big ring, so I pretty much spun for 2 miles, I was trying to not freak out but I didn’t know what to do. This happened once before and Scottie was able to talk me through what to do, i was trying to remember what he told me and changed gears to see if that helped. Finally I calmed myself down and all of a sudden I got into the right ring and was able to pedal more efficiently. I think I shrieked and freaked out the person passing me!

But luckily not too many people passed me on this ride. I went back and forth with a girl for most of the race, she would pass me on the downhill, I would get her on the uphill. I forgot how hilly this ride was, lots of long, gradual hills but I felt really strong. Must be all of those training rides with the boys!

It’s funny what goes through my mind on the bike. When I am training I usually sing songs in my head or plan what’s for dinner but today I was totally focused. I was thinking about nutrition, hydration and strategy…so fun! I do wish sometimes I had a twitter feed hooked up to my brain, I still started thinking about weird things but can’t remember any now!

Once we turned onto the final main road I took 2 big squeezes of Gu and a couple swallows of water and I was set for the run.

I dismounted the bike as gracefully as I could, I really want to practice keeping my shoes on the bike sand “hopping” off, I think it saves time in T2 and looks pretty cool!

T2 was pretty uneventful, I was 1st in my age for T2 time, helps that I didn’t use sunglasses or a visor for the run.

So I remember most of the run from last year but as I started running I forgot how rooty it was! Still my legs felt great! I tried to keep light on my feet, I didn’t need a sprained ankle at the beginning of marathon training so I tried to imagine myself running on clouds (cheesy I know but it worked!) The trails made it hard to pass people but I was running with mostly middle aged men who would just let me pass as I approached. So nice! (or they enjoyed the view of my micro mini tri shorts) I found it really odd that I hadn’t seen anyone from my age group in either the bike or run, I was either in great shape or really pathetic shape.

The hills on the trail got nasty in places, I had to run on my toes to get up them, I was back in high school cross country practice all over again! Still I was having a blast and feeling awesome. I was going to hammer it the rest of the way. I was running about 9 minute miles which I was fine with on these trails, I was trying to be fast but smart.

As I made the last right turn out of the trails one of the FS guys told me to pass the guy in front of me, I tried so hard to chick him at the end but I just couldn’t. Oh well still quite happy with my race!

As I finished I had to stop and put my hands of my knees to compose myself, a volunteer rushed up to me to make sure I was ok, I was fine just really winded. I stood up and saw Carol handing me a water bottle. I gulped half the bottle then walked to find Scottie. I felt really awesome, tired but not sick or strained. We found Alan, and also Carol and Ginger before checking our times. I looked on the list of women and saw my name near the top, 18th place overall? I couldn’t believe it. Then I started counting down the girls in my age group and only saw 2 in front of me! I checked 4 other times to makes sure I wasn’t mistaken. Sure enough I placed! The first girl in my AG actually got 2nd overall so I was awarded the 2nd place in my age group! I was so excited, my first podium finish!

Yes I was hamming it up

We packed up our things and took everything to the car before the awards. The awards ceremony was low key and simple, I was the only finisher in my AG that was present so I got a picture by myself! I ended up getting a $10 gift certificate from TrySports. Ginger told me to buy something I could use and remember the win with, in other words…not nutrition! So I may venture out there this week to get a new shirt or something.

Once everyone got their awards (Ginger and Carol went 1 and 2 in their AG!) we all caravanned to Hog heaven for some BBQ!

Mmmm hushpuppies and butter

BTW- I figured out why I never saw anyone from my age group, #2 finished 8 minutes ahead of me and #1 was 15 minutes ahead of me with #4 11 minutes behind me. It was a surprisingly small group from my age this year, not that I am complaining!

So with this finish I am now more motivated then ever.  Sure this was a smaller race and an oddly small group for my age but I feel like I have some validation as to my training and the hours I dedicate to it. I know people think I am nuts but I love seeing my times drop and I love feeling stronger.  I really put it out there for this race and I am feeling pretty good afterwards, recovery is getting easier and I am bouncing back better (must have been the BBQ and banana pudding post race!)  So next week I am sticking to the plan for the next 6 weeks until Augusta, can’t wait!!

Last year’s Mayo Lake race report

BTW- ready for the Worst.race.pics.ever:

Really?

Oh and they got none of me on the bike or out of the swim (though I don’t mind the non swim pics, those are never flattering!)

It’s funny how things can change in a year.  With a full year of training and triathlons under my belt I was excited to see what I could do this year at the Triangle Triathlon.  A year of training, a year of confidence building, better gear and a better mindset.  I went into this race not scared of the swim, I knew I could do it.  The hills on the bike course are like second nature to me.  And on the run, I knew to expect the dead legs and the heat.  I told myself to put it all out there and see what I could do.  Though I may not have collapsed at the finish line I certainly feel like I made some major strides.

The day started with a 4:30am wake up call, breakfast of the usual bagel and iced coffee, Scottie packed the car…you know the usual routine. This race is notorious for terrible parking so we wanted to get there early to park inside the park. We also picked up Scottie’s Mom who drove in from Sanford and parked in satellite parking…she was a trooper and our #1 cheerleader!

We parked, took the “shuttle” to the race site and set up. I felt like transition set up was too easy. White Lake required a crap load of extra stuff and this was super simplified. I kept walking over to make sure I had everything, I need to just keep a list in my bag so as to not second guess myself.

Once we set up and got marked up, we walked to the swim start before most  of the other competitors did and got in a good warm up swim. I WAS going to have a good swim so I knew I needed to warm up. The water was like 90 degrees no lie! But super calm so I had no complaints. Got in a short swim then hit the porta potty for the last time before the waiting game began. Luckily I raced age group this year as opposed to novice so I was in wave 7 as opposed to 12 so the wait wasn’t as bad.

For the swim start I stayed near the back of my wave to kinda ease my way into the swim. I am still trying to determine the source of my past panic attacks so I wanted to get myself settled in before I really got going. Seemed to work. I started breathing on the right side then quickly switched to bilateral breathing when I started getting a weird pain in my chest, I think from taking really big breaths, changing the breathing really helped. This swim was over before I knew it and when I saw my estimated time I was super excited. I took like 7 minutes off my time from last year lol!

The run from the water to transition is seriously the longest run ever!!! I wish I would have timed that run. Got to the bike, rinsed the feet since they were covered in grass, threw on the socks and shoes and was off.

Once out of the park I immediately went into aero, the new saddle was awesome! I actually stayed aero as much as possible because sitting back on the Adamo is a bit rough on the butt bone but I think I need to just get used to it, nothing compared to the other pain I was having.

Last year since I was the last swim wave and with my slow ass swim I biked most of the race alone so it was pretty fun to ride with people. Even if it meant dealing with the old guys that were jackasses as usual. Hate that!  The 50+ men always start just after my age group so I always get passed by them, which is fine but they tend to be kinda rude about it.  I also got passed by a pack of 60 year old men climbing up a huge hill with an immediate turn at the top, that made things interesting.

The problem with this short distance is that I could never find a good spot to get water, I didn’t bring the aero bottle which I immediately regretted. I felt like I was in constant race mode and couldn’t fiddle with the bottles. I did get some gel in me with about 5 miles left which helped.

Overall I felt really great on the bike, there is always room for improvement but I am really happy with my progress.

I will mention they changed the course a bit, to keep up from riding on 55 too long they added one turn on a pretty desolate road, I didn’t mind this but I knew some people weren’t happy. Oh and I also almost got hit by a dump truck on Avent Ferry. There was zero police patrol on this one section and tons of traffic, I was trying to pass someone and this dump truck slams on his brakes, that would have hurt.

I was sorta discombobulated in T2 and took off a sock and didn’t mean to so had to put a wet sock back on, otherwise smooth sailing in the transition area.

The run was actually not as slow as I felt I took a big gulp of electrolytes at T2 to get some liquid in me, started running and immediately had a cramp in my side. Boo! Legs felt super heavy but I just trotted along to loosen up. Legs started feeling much better about .5 mile in but still had cramps. Took water at each station to help, I have found this annoying side stitch seems to be related to lack of hydration for me, so at least I know how to remedy it. At this point the clouds started to part and the sun was blazing. This run has very little shade for the most part so I was baking, luckily it is a short run! This is also a really gravely run course which means you really have to concentrate on your footing or you can easily twist an ankle.

Before I knew it someone said we were at mile 3 and almost done! I am so not used to running short distances, but I guess that’s a good thing mentally! I passed a girl in my age group but she passed me back with just a few yards left boo.  I didn’t make a difference as I ended up 13 out of 29, still in the top half!

I saw Scottie and his Mom at the finish but I needed water and sugar asap. Grabbed  hose water (bleck) and some pink lemonade. The lemonade was so good I downed another cup. I needed the sugar big time. I did find it weird that they didn’t have HEED or Gatorade at the finish or on the run. I found Scottie, his Mom and some friends then walked to get a fig newton and a peach, they had pizza this year but I wasn’t ready for that as well as some pork, I guess a new sponsor?

BTW- someone from the local paper was taking pictures and I snuck into one of the shots.

Overall I felt really good after this race. Last year I felt like I was going to pass out, this year I felt a bit woozy but the sugar helped instantly.  I cut 20 minutes off my time from last year and I would have to chop another 20 off to even get close to a podium spot in my age group.  Though after this race I may take a break from Setup events, I think they are getting lazy and starting to cut corners so I think next year I will focus on FS Series races or some races outside of the area.  We shall see!

Group shot post race!

This is a picture Scottie took of his medal, mine looks the same :)

We got up at 2:15am this after I finally asleep at midnight.  IWe went to bed around 10 I think but I just couldn’t calm down and get to sleep, then my stomach started rumbling so I said to myself, screw it, I’m getting up.  I went downstairs and had some cereal, played on the computer then went into the guest room to watch an hour of Food TV. Finally I relaxed enough to fall asleep.  Luckily Scottie packed up my car with the bikes and our bags so we just had to let the dogs out, pack up our food and go.  We still took about 30 minutes to get out the door which was about 3am.

Scottie let me sleep since he knew I didn’t get any rest.he made record time, probably due to it being 3am or because I was asleep :)  When we got there the gates weren’t even open! It was 4:40am and the police had to move their cars so we could park. But we got a prime spot! I sat in the car and ate my PBJ and drank my iced coffee then visited the porta potty before we unloaded and set up transition. Since we were so friggin early we really took our time and walked around, chatted with people, checked out the lake (beautiful!) before grabbing our stuff to head back to the lake for the start.

Me, Scottie, Janelle, Jon and Carol before the swim

Scottie’s wave was just two before mine, so I got in the water to get acclimated which I thought would help reduce my anxiety that I occurred before the Pinehurst tri. The waves were like 5 minutes apart, which worked so there weren’t so many people in at once.  I was strangely calm before my wave.  I was more excited then anything which is really weird because I was getting nervous just looking at the race details on Wednesday!

I felt great at the start of the swim, I had no nerves and I was feeling great, then all of a sudden I start hyperventilated like at Pinehurst, wtf! After about 5 minutes of trying to calm my breath I try to close my eyes when my face is in the water (I do this when I practice because I do NOT want to see what’s in the water at Jordan lake) and sure enough I am able to control my breathing. Maybe seeing underwater was throwing me off? Who knows but I need to work on this! The rest of the swim was cake. My arms did get a bit tired but nothing I couldn’t push through.  The sight bouys were so out of line, so I started using the kayaks as guides because the turn bouys were so far away.  I didn’t get hit in the head which is always nice, just touches a couple time on the feet by people coming up on me.  I think had I not freaked at the beginning I would have shaved a good 5 minutes off my time.

Once I climbed out of the water I was super happy!  What am I saying, I am always super happy finishing the swim! I started getting the top of my wetsuit off but the sleeves would not come off my wrists, then I saw the photographer and I didn’t want a stupid picture with my arm stuck in the suit so I quickly whipped it off at the last minute and smiled for the camera. I ran to transition and rinsed of my feet, the grass would have driven me nuts the whole race!  I threw on my helmet, sunglasses and bikes shoes and I was off!

I finally feel like I am getting better on the bike. I need to keep up whatever I am doing because I felt awesome today!  This bike course is super flat which means it can alsot be super windy!  I am so thankful we biked the course beforehand so I knew what to expect and I can see how that really helped my performance.  I stayed happy and positive through the ride, even smiling big for the camera (I can’t wait to see the pictures, I know I was hamming it up during this race!)  It was windy but I didn’t let it get to me, I just kept pedaling, trying to keep my speed between 16.5 and 18 mph.  It was slightly overcast for the first 2/3 of the bike which really helped out, and by the time the sun was out I knew I was almost done so I didn’t let it get to me.  One thing that kinda sucked during the bike is that I could not get comfortable on the seat.  The girlie bits were not happy so I think I either need another seat or a professional bike fit (or maybe a tri bike!) I don’t know if it had to do with the fact that I was in aero for 90% of the ride and I am used to climbing hills so I sit upright more? I will say my energy level stayed way up.  This may have to do with my perpetuem cocktail; orange vanilla perp, 2 orange hammer gels and 10 servings of endurolyte, every 5 miles I took 2 sips and chased with water.  This lasted until around mile 45 when I ran out of the mix, so then I just ate some PB pretzels and continued with the water. Worked perfect!

I made the last turn with just 3 or so miles to go and I was pumped!  I made sure to stop completly to dismount.  then a took a second to get my legs under me, then I was off to transition where I dumped everything, threw my race belt and visor on and sprinted out.

I always say that once I get to the run I am golden, well today was a bit different.  The sun was out in full force, it was around 11:30am and the heat was upon us, it must have been well over 90 degrees and I was soon going to find out this run route had zero shade!  Talk about oppressive!

My quads felt tight for the first couple miles but loosened up. Thank goodness for the port potties at each mile or I would have died. Pee break at the first mile and then I had some GI issues that I think were just heat related so I visited a couple more times. After mile 5 I felt better, I still felt like I was shuffling but at least I didn’t feel the need to stop. I took water and a cold towel at each stop. About midway through I broke into my Fig Newtons I stashed in my top, I pretty much ran with it open for 2 miles just taking bites off as I could. I could not fathom the idea of having a gel with that heat, plus every time I thought to grab one I only saw banana and chocolate flavors..gag! The newtons saved me again!  Around mile 5.5 I saw Scottie, he was run/walking and I knew something was wrong,  I prayed it wasn’t his knees.  I stopped next to him and asked if he was ok.  He said he had a cramp in his back and he wasn’t able to take full breaths so he couldn’t run or he felt like he was going to pass out.  Not good!  He said he was going to quit at the 6.5 turn around point but I said there was no way he was going to quit!  I told him to continue with the walk/run and do what he could, then I took off.  When I passed him again I said I Loved Him and hoped that he wasn’t in too much pain.

The last two miles of the run were the toughest for me, I was mentally breaking down even though I only had at most 20 minutes left of this race. I had to muster every bit of energy and willpower to not walk during those last 2 miles. At the last aid station I looked for any food item that would give me some sort of energy and went with pretzels of all things, which totally did not work because I already had cotton mouth-duh! Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel, someone said I had only 2 blocks left! Somehow I was able to get myself together and make a decent effort at a finish. I saw our friends Janelle and Jon and then I saw the finish…oh sweet, glorious finish line! I had a huge smile on my face…no jazz hands because I didn’t even see the photographer, but have no fear I did break them out during one of the (early) run photos.

When I stopped for a volunteer to get my chip I felt a little woozy, I have been going for over 6 hours! I got my medal and then went off to find food! I grabbed a bottle of water and a bag of cookies because I knew I was going to feel very sick otherwise.The drinks were in big pools of ice and it took all of my willpower to NOT sit in those pools and soak my poor legs! Instead, I walked back to see Janelle and Jon, we chatted a bit then I went to transition to change shoes and use the porta potty again. I started feeling off so I walked back to the food area, grabbed another bottle of water and some Doritos, maybe I needed salt not sugar? I inhaled the chips and sat in the shade for the bit, I had a good spot so I could see people coming in and I was hoping Scottie wasn’t far behind. I thought about jumping in the lake (something I was dreaming about on the run) but I was getting cold, probably due to dehydrated and the sunburn on my back I later discovered. Sitting here typing, I wish I would have stretched more because I am already really tight!  I saw Scottie come into the chute so I jumped up and greeted him.  He looked so hot and tired but I was so glad he finished!

We walked around a bit, grabbed him a water then met up with Janelle and Jon.  we had planned to go out to eat afterwards but they were waiting for a friend to finish so we packed up out transition areas and loaded the car.  By then I was so sick of being in the sun it was literally making me feel sick.  I changed out of my wet clothes (I was dumping water over my head during the run which lead to everything including my shoes getting soaked) and we sat and chatted with our friends a bit.  After some logistical planning we were finally off for the mexican we had planned on.  To tell you the truth I am glad we waited a bit to eat because the last thing I wanted when I finished racing was mexican food but 2 hours later I was ready for some beans and cheese!

Happy to be done!

It was really nice to decompress with friends that “get” what we do.  Janelle and Jon are training for a full Ironman in Idaho, they are veterans though having done full Ironman races before so it was nice to pick their brain about this race and others they have done.

As crappy as I felt after the race and as sore as I am today I am still thinking about a full Ironman!  I know my Mom does not want to read that but I am amazed at what I can do and I want to experience the full thing!  But that won’t be for another year, I have a few more races including another half Ironman in Augusta and maybe a Boston Qualifying marathon in November!

This past Saturday I rode with my sister in her first bike race!  Ok so it wasn’t as much of a race as a very fun ride complete with t-shirts and FOOD!  I do love the laid back style of cycling events

We entered the TarWheel Century Ride in Elizabeth City so I drove to Va Beach and then rode with Steph to my Grandparents house where we spent the night.  The alarm went off at 6am, which was actually sleeping in for me considering most race starts,  but Steph is not used to waking up that early on a Saturday (or ever!) Grandma made us very cheesy toast, coffee and juice then we packed up and set off for the race site.  I could tell Steph was a a bit anxious about the race but I tried to ease her mind and encourage her along the way.

My chain had come off my bike and since I am not the best when it comes to fixing even simple things like that, we quickly got to the race start to check in and find someone to help me…which was super easy in a group this big!  I promised Steph I would braid her hair and I did so while they had the rider meeting so I missed the instructions but soon figured it all out when people started taking off on their bikes, so much for a mass start!  It actually worked out and we followed others until we were out in front of a group and I realized I had no idea where we were going so we stopped so I could get the map straight.  After we set off again we were golden.

That is until the rain came.  It was overcast and the weather called for a 50% chance of showers but I was so hoping it would hold off.  Nope, down came the rain for a good 5 minutes or so.  It was a chilly day too so I instantly got cold.  Luckily we weren’t far from our first stop and by then the rain stopped so I threw on the long sleeve race shirt to give myself another layer.  Not one complaint from my sister though, she was a rockstar!

We used the typical race porta potty, grabbed some fig newtons and deviled eggs (ok those were just for me) called Mom to give her an update then we were off on a short 7 mile loop.  Steph was doing great!  We were able to chat about tons of stuff and then there were times when we just rode, it was perfect!  We stopped once more at the sag stop and chatted with the volunteers as most of the riders had gone on for the 66 or 100 mile route or were already on their way back from the 33 mile route.  I called Mom once more to give her an updated arrival time then it was back on the road for the final 13 miles.

At this point Steph had reached her new personal distance record!  The week before she completed 20 miles and she was on her way to crushing that!  She was slowing down a bit but not one complaint come out of her mouth and she still stayed strong and happy.  What a great race partner!  Dad called with about 3 miles left to try to get a more accurate time and soon enough we were there!

Steph was rather disappointed by the lack of fanfare at the finish, the Finish line as literally spray painted on the road, I wish I would have taken a picture of it!  Regardless it was fun to see the parents and grandparents waiting for us at the line.  We stopped and Steph got some pictures then we made sure to take advantage of the food, hot dogs (and veggie dogs) cookies, water and nut bags!  Haha!  Steph’s name for the little baggies of nuts, M&M’s and raisins they had.

All in all it was a great day despite the uncooperative weather.  But I think we have a cyclist on our hands!  She is already talking about the next ride and next year maybe the whole fmaily can ride in the race!  Could be fun!

Better late then never right

I was so looking forward to this race.  In the back of my mind I was bummed I wasn’t running the full marathon but I knew deep down I was going to have a much better half then full. My long runs leading up to the race were awesome and I was getting faster, if all went well I would have an epic race!

I had much on my mind during this race, my Grandma passed away just 2 days before the race which in the end was even more of a driving force.  I was running this race for her.  I woke up early and had the traditional PBJ bagel, coffee and water.  I wore my totally girlie purple skirt that I bought months before and wrote Grandma’s name on my wrist in Sharpie.  Not only was this race for her, but my whole season will be dedicated to her and my Grandpa.

Scottie was a trooper and got up early to drive me to the race and cheer me on.  We met up with our friends Alan and Jenny and carpooled to the race site.  I was so glad I signed up for a parking pass, the start line was steps from our car!  I immediately jumped out of the car and got in line for the porta potties.  One thing I didn’t think about was the lack of sunlight which led to a very dark porta potty experience, which in the end I suppose was a good thing.  No one wants to see the inside of a porta potty before a race!  I finished my business with just a few minutes to spare.

The start was a cluster f**k but I found a decent spot near the 2 hour pace group.  Once the national anthem was sung (and I got emotional ofcourse) we were off!  I tried to settle my emotions as best I could and keep a steady pace at the start.  I had a great start and noticed I was near the 1:50 pace group, I knew I had to slow down as I thought that would be too fast for me to sustain.  But I just listened to my body and went with what felt right.

The morning was amazing, the sun was rising just as we hit the actual trail and I immediately thought of Grandma,  what a morning she brought me!  I will from now on think of her when I see a sunrise (I think of Grandpa when I see a rainbow, two came out just before his memorial service)  I took it all in, enjoying every step, thankful for the ability to run!

Before I knew it I was running with the 1:50 pace group.  To be honest I really didn’t want to run with a group but every time I would speed up or slow down I would just end up with them so I just went with it.  The leaders were awesome and I just kinda hung out in the back so I could stay in my own little world.  I took a bag of shot block type things at mile 3 and popped one in my mouth, not a fan of cranberry apple- bleck!  At mile 5 I tried to grab a Gu and dropped it, went back for it and grabbed a vanilla one, eww…cake icing, not something I wanted mid race, but I forced it down with some water.  I stayed with water only as I find sports drinks leave a weird taste in my mouth that just isn’t pleasant.

We hit the 10 mile mark and I felt awesome!  No pain, no tiredness, I was cruising.  I stayed with the leader until about 2 miles left, when I grabbed a lemon lime Gu (he grabbed a cup of water for me to chase it with, how nice!) and off I went.  At this pojnt we were on the road and we were squished into the bike lane which made it a challenge to pass people.  Before I knew it I could hear the announcer.  I kicked it up a notch and then into overdrive as I saw the finish line.  I sprinted in with all I had and was thrilled to see 1:49 on the clock!  I shaved 30 minutes off my half marathon time!  I finished the race with “jazz hands” which has sort of become my trademark.

I immediately found the water, heed and bread to refuel with.  I knew if I didn’t get something in me I would probably pass out.  I also signed up for a massage :)  While I waited for my massage I chatted with a few of our tri friends before I finally found Scottie.  He was so proud of me and had some awesome pictures of the finish.

I stretched out a bit then we waited for our friends to finish their marathon.  Overall it was a great race.  Everything was perfect; perfect weather, perfect nutrition, no tummy troubles, no knee troubles!  I was super happy with my race and it only has fueled me more for my next marathon!

Scottie and I kicked off the race season with the Krispy Kreme Challenge.

This has become a bit of a traditional in our area, now people even travel to the race because it is quite epic.  The challenge…to run 2 miles eat 12 Krispy Kreme glazed donuts and run 2 miles back to the NC State belltower all within an hour.  The race benefits the North Carolina Children’s Hospital and this year the race raised over $40k…awesome!

Thankfully, there are two divisions; competitive in which you have to eat the donuts and casual in which you can eat all, none or even just one.  I went the casual route to preserve my girlish figure while Scottie took the challenge…is anyone surprised about that?

I was super excited about this race but when the alarm went off at 6:30 and it was a whopping 32 degrees outside I was not too excited.  But we bundled up, brewed some coffee and set out to the start line.  This was a pretty big race and unfortunately there is major road construction going on on Hillsborough Street which made the start kinda dicey.  Not only were their traffic cones, gravel and holes but also kids!  Lots of them in and out of people I almost tripped over a couple.  Scottie and I decided to run together so that I could capture the donut eating on video but that was a challenge with the crowds and his race style ;)  But we stuck together and had an uneventful 2 mile run.  Then came the donuts, which I will save for later :)  I instantly put my box in my backpack, I wasn’t even going to attempt to eat one mid run.  Once Scottie was done eating he sprinted off to the end while I took my time.

The run back required dodging lots of walkers, the last 2 miles has lots of uphills which is not so kind to new runners or those with 2400 calories of sugar and flour in their bellies.  My knee began to ache a bit, and that is probably due to my lack of stretching and my non focused form.  I was more concerned with  keeping up with Scottie and running around people then concentrating on my form, which I think is what caused the pain.  It wasn’t terrible just more of an ache.

So we both survived the race, some of us are better then others :)  Let’s just say Scottie hasn’t eaten anything else yet and it is almost 6pm.

So now what you have all been waiting for…the video!  Shot by me, produced by Scottie please enjoy!

Wow!  What a year!  This has been one of the best years of my life.  I am not even kidding.  So much has happened it’s hard to beleive it all occured in the same 12 months!

February- Visited family in Texas

March-Ran the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon

May- Went to Napa and San Francisco, Moved in with Scottie, First Swim after signing up for a Tri

June- Race for the Cure, First Triathlon-BASF Smile Train

July-  First Open Water Swim, Triangle Triathlon,  Went to Boston for Scottie’s Birthday

August- Stop using my credit card (and haven’t used it since!), Mayo Lake Triathlon

September- The 52 mile bike ride

October- Pinehurst Olympic Triathlon, Tobacco Trail 10 Miler

November-OBX Marathon, Makin Room for Turkey 50 Mile Ride, Turkey Trot 8K, Started a new job

I am super excited about next year!  I have no doubt it will be an adventure!!

Ok maybe not SO impulse, but I just signed up for the Tobacco Road Marathon on March 21st.  I had planned to do Shamrock but this race is $40 cheaper and allows deferrals and since my knee/IT band is still a bit iffy I needed the insurance that I am not wasting away the entry fee.  I have done lots of reading on my issue and I feel like I can overcome this, and I can’t wait to see the physical therapist next week so get a game plan.  Bring on 2010, it will be the Year of Training.  Goals to come soon!

Let the Holiday Season begin!

I have lots to be thankful for and can’t believe what a year it has been!

I started my day off with a race!  I know so unlike me right?  I have always wanted to run in a Turkey Trot and pushed Scottie to pick a location for Thanksgiving this year so I knew whether to sign up for the Virginia Beach or Raleigh Turkey Trot and when we finally decided to spend the day with his family, I immediately signed up!

To be honest I was a bit nervous about running, after my run last week I didn’t know how my knee would hold up but i felt a week off should have helped some.  I woke up to a super cold bedroom and started to dread getting dressed but when I heard Scottie get up I became excited that he was coming with me to cheer me on.  (He said this race was “all me” I think he needed a break form running)  I had the usual PBJ bagel, which I kinda choked down, I haven’t had much of an appetite this week.  We stopped to get Scottie some coffee and we off to the race site.

Because of the amount of participants we were urged to get there by 7:15 even though the race wasn’t until 8:30.  Needless to say it was rather chilly this morning and there really wasn’t a need to get there that early.  We walked around and waited until my race started.  Finally we were allowed to line up and then I realized how many people there were!  Off we were and I took my time to loosen up my legs and dodge the other runners crammed together.  The run went by pretty fast, I guess after running 26 miles, 5 miles seems like a warm up.  About a mile into the race my knee started to hurt, the same pain on the right side but a bit more localized.  It wasn’t terribly painful so I tried to not concentrate on it and instead took in the sights and sounds of the race.  Before I knew it we were at a water stop and were told we were half way done.  Sweet!  My knee continued to hurt but not so much that I couldn’t run through it.  I suppose it’s getting better since last week I couldn’t even run on it.

Soon enough we were on Ridge Rd and we had less then a mile to go, so I picked up the pace a bit since I made it this far, I figured my knee couldn’t get any worse!  Then I got cramp!  Are you kidding me, I couldn’t stop now!  Luckily it went away when I saw the finish chute ahead.

I think I finished around 48 minutes, which I thought as pretty good considering I had knee pain!  I guess even my slow pace is getting faster!  I stopped to grab a water, coconut water and a bunch of samples..gotta love when the race takes place next to a Whole Foods!

After a few minutes I found Scottie who had gone home to get Porkchop!  My own cheering crew!  We then decided to head home snce PC was getting a little excited by all of the other dogs.

So not a bad start to the day!  I am sitting here icing the knee, watching the Macy’s Parade and sipping coffee.  Soon we will head to Sanford for dinner.  Tomorrow I will be off to Va Beach for a little mini girl’s weekend!  So excited!

Have a great day and make sure to spend it with those you love!

I found this ride a few months ago and figured it would be a fun way to recover after the marathon and get ready for a week of eating :)  I was looking forward to the ride and the weather looked like it would cooperate.  My sister and her boyfriend came into town last night to pick up some tickets to the ECU game today so we all went out to sushi and drinks.  This ended up being a late night but I was having so much fun I didn’t want to go home!  I ended up getting to bed around 2am with the alarm set at 7:30am-ugh.

The alarm went off and after a few minutes we both got up, Scottie had to pick up the tickets and I just needed to get my butt moving!  I got dressed and had a huge mug of coffee and the usual pre-ride/race breakfast of a PBJ bagel.  We chatted with Steph a bit before Scottie racked up the bikes and we were off. The morning was pretty chilly but I anticipated the day would warm up, however I knew I would be miserable riding cold so I layered up with a long sleeve compression shirt, sleeveless bike jersey, wool arm warmers, tri shorts and running tights over top with full bike gloves.

This ride was so unlike the races we have done in the past, everyone was so relaxed!  There was no day before email reminder so we had to double check the start times, we drove just down the rode, parked, picked up our t-shirt, directions and wristband and that was it!  We got our bikes and prepped before heading to the start line.  I had a bit of a cough which started last night, not sure if this is remnants of my marathon cold or if this is something new, regardless my chest was tight and my nose was running constantly, this was not going to be conducive to a 50 mile ride.  But I stuffed my back pocket with tissues and figured I could also use my gloves, classy no?  Mom would be proud.  I leave all lady like-ness at home when I do any kind of sport

After listening to some safety announcements we were off.  I stayed in the back of the pack as I knew I would be slower and also wasn’t used to riding in a big group.  We had a police escort which was great, no need to stop at every light.  Later I find out this would really only happen at the very beginning.

We started off with a nice, easy pace but quickly realized we needed to speed it up because it was quite chilly and we needed to warm up.  I was feeling good except for the constant nose running and the cough.  My legs felt great and my right knee was behaving.  We passed the first rest stop at about 7 miles but I didn’t have a need to stop so we kept going.  I wish I would have read the directions because the next stop wasn’t until mile 30!  That combined with my odometer not registering lead to a frustrating start.  I felt ok until maybe mile 20 or so, by then I needed some chapstick (in my back pocket) but didn’t want to pull over,  then I got hungry, then I just got plain tired.  And it didn’t help I stopped at a stoplight and shifted my weight wrong and fell over onto my left knee.  Fab.  I tried to shrug it off but this time it hurt!  I knew I broke skin.

After bitching and moaning and hating that we decided to ride 50 miles instead of the 25 mile option we FINALLY made it to the next rest stop.  I was so happy!  I quickly got off the bike and walked to the snack table where I found OREOS! I snagged a package of 6 and instantly inhaled them.  The oreos were like the Fig Newtons during the marathon, just the pick me up I needed.

After a bathroom break and a water bottle refill we were off to the next rest stop, just 10 miles away.  I was feeling much better this leg and the miles flew by as we biked through Morrisville, including a nice stretch where I could practice being in aero position.  We stopped at the next rest stop and refilled my water and grabbed some FIG NEWTONS!  But we didn’t stay too long as we were both ready to be done.

At this point we were pretty much riding by ourselves.  The last 10 miles felt good until we hit some pretty long hills and by that point I just wanted to be off the bike!  But I powered through but kept thinking if I would ever be able to sit on a bike for 112 miles during an Ironman.

I was so happy to see the EarthFare shopping center and ofcourse finished with a smile on my face that I had actually completed it.  I felt pretty good off the bike, I wasn’t waddling and my legs weren’t tight.  We racked up our bikes and walked back to the finish line where I grabbed a piece of pumpkin pie.  Since we were in the back of the 50 miler group there weren’t many people left so we decided to head off to lunch.

After lunch we went home and I immediately took a hot shower to warm up.  I was chilled to the core and needed to get warm fast.  I think I had some minor dehydration because I was cold all afternoon and had a slight headache, both of which went away after drinking about 4 cups of water.  After my shower I did one of my favorite things, crawled into bed and took a nap while watching college football.  Ahhh perfect.

So the day is over already but it was nice to get in a good long bike ride and some lounging.  I now know why some people retire their bikes during the winter, biking with a cold head wind just plain sucks!!!  It was probably intensified due to me not feeling 100%  but biking like that was less then ideal.  Still I was happy that my legs felt so great and after stretching out pretty well tonight I think I should feel pretty good tomorrow. Bring on the turkey!