Even my feet are out of shape - grody aftermath

More than a week after Giant Acorn, and another lesson learned.

Normally if a race is an Olympic or sprint, I don't bother with socks for the run.  For whatever reason, I had socks with me in transition two weekends ago, but didn't put them on.  As a result, my now-soft, non-calloused feet ended up with two blisters each on the tops of my feet where the uppers rubbed.

Not a huge deal, until yesterday.  Took RJ out for a 2hr hike while she napped, and wore socks with those same shoes to keep the rubbing to a minimum and avoid further chafing.  Came time to take the socks off last night, and the residual scabs from the race pulled right off.  Blood everywhere.

Triathlon is the sport that keeps on giving apparently! 

Giant Acorn postscript

Gratuitous baby photo...

hadn't uploaded before I wrote my race report, but this is what awaited me at the finish line.  How could I not be motivated? 

Mommy AND Triathlete!!!

Well, I did it! My times were nothing to write home about, but I did it.


A few years ago, we got our friends and neighbors Brodie and Eric into triathlon. Eric’s first race was the Giant Acorn in Lake Anna, Virginia, and he has made it a point to race it every year since. This year, they invited us to stay with them at their lake house and race Giant Acorn as well. After much discussion, Stuart was emphatic that I needed to participate in a tri this year, simply to know that I could do so.

Distances were short – 750m swim, 12mi bike and a 5k run. Just a year ago, this was an event I wouldn’t even have trained or tapered for – it would have been a training day in its own right. Instead, I found myself more nervous than I was in the run up to last spring’s half iron.

Brodie ended up not joining us, but Eric and his youngest son were great hosts on Saturday night. Sunday morning we headed over to the race site. I’d decided not to rent the wetsuit, but quickly learned when we arrived that the water temp had dropped from a fairly warm 78 down to a less delightful 73. However, that was still quite a bit warmer than the chilly 50-something degree air temps. Poor RJ was bundled up to the gills, but still wasn’t too happy about being there!

Setting up my gear in transition took a little bit longer than normal, a sign that I was indeed out of practice, but I got things set up without too much hassle. That done, we had close to an hour before the race began when RJ started to wail. So, in a bold step towards combining mommyhood and triathletedom, I sat down behind a tree for some semi-privacy and nursed my little one. Eventually though, it was time to head for the water.

Standing knee deep in water waiting to take our places for the in-water start, I had one of the best moments of the day. I said something out loud about how this was a bad idea, or how I was nervous or something like that. Two women near me asked if it was my first tri or my first open water swim. I responded that it was my first race since having a baby earlier in the year. The response was amazing! At least half a dozen women said “wow, that’s awesome”. One said “you’re the role model for the rest of us that we can do that, too”! As we walked into the water one of the women asked my name and said she’d be looking for me and cheering me on. The announcer called out the 30second warning and I heard a “Good luck, Tamara” from somewhere in the water. What a great way to return to racing!

I’m a bit disappointed with my swim time, but will attribute it to going a bit off course and having to stop and clear a few lung-fulls of water. I’d only been in the pool a handful of times in the last 7 months, but felt pretty smooth. Oh well. RJ’s taking a waterbabies class once a week, so Stuart and I will rotate getting in a workout and taking the class with her which means I’ll be in the water at least a few times over the winter. And hopefully more than that! I will say that I’m glad I didn’t bother with the wetsuit. Maybe it would have saved a minute on the swim, but I noticed a lot of long T1 times that I attribute to having to take the darn thing off.

Jumping on my bike was the “coming home” feeling. I love riding. Since I’m so out of shape, I left the HR monitor and cycling computer at home, since the data would have been meaningless. As a result, I was riding by feel only without a sense of speed. The rolling course really only had one or two hills – and I wouldn’t even have considered them real hills had I been in real racing shape. Overall though, I passed more people than passed me (not hard when you are a slow swimmer!) which was a good feeling.

As I approached T2, I saw Stuart and RJ at the side of the road cheering for me. My transition times are usually pretty speedy, but those have suffered as well. But, I was out on the course before I knew it. Nothing felt so good as taking a quick break to hug and kiss my favorite fans. The run course had been billed as flat by our buddy Eric, but I’m not trusting him any more! A few flats, but mostly a series of long downhills and some long inclines. Again, without a HR monitor, I ran on feel, settling into a comfy pace. Half way through, I got another little pick-me-up when a female runner passing the other direction yelled out “way to go Mom, keep it up!”

Before I knew it , I was headed for the finish. Stuart and Riley were there with big smiles. Well, Stuart was smiling. RJ was just happy to be back in my arms. We wandered off towards the water’s edge, and settled RJ down with another nursing before gathering my gear from transition and heading home. I know it sounds funny to mention that here, but to me it’s really important. One of my biggest worries about training and racing is how she’ll manage without me, and whether I’m cheating her out of time with me – her mommy and source of food. This was really a validation that it can be done. That my pre-baby identity as a triathlete can be assimilated into this new life.

On the way home, Stuart reiterated how important this race was. Now, I can look towards 2011 with excitement, instead of trepidation. When you fall off the bike, the quicker you get back on the better. So true in this case. We’ve got a few more running events before year’s end, but I’m already thinking about next year’s race season.

I’m back!!

Rent a wetsuit or suck it up?

First, I'll admit that my wetsuit still doesn't fit post baby.  Embarrassing, but there it is.  Even if all the rest of the weight was gone, thanks to not bottle feeding RJ, the "up top" portion of me wouldn't squeeze in there anyway.  (ok so there's one benefit to having a baby!)

Official water temp will be taken on Sunday morning, but as of last night the lake was 77.8 degrees, just barely within the wetsuit legal category.  So, do I pay $35 to rent a wetsuit, or just tough it out?

1. $35 isn't exactly going to make the difference in paying our mortgage, rent the damn wetsuit.
2. I'll be even slower than I already am compared to the rest of the field without the advantage of neoprene.
3. The air will be cold, and it'll keep me warm before the race starts.

On the other hand
1. It's only 750m. I'll lose more time getting out of the wetsuit in T1 than I'll gain during the swim itself (maybe).
2. The air temp is only going to be in the 50s or 60s.  Even without the wetsuit, that water will feel warm compared to the air.
3. I don't want to be embarrassed in front of the tri store employees asking for a bigger wetsuit (ah vanity, vanity).

If you were me, what would you do?

T-12 Days...and my parents are laughing

Stuart and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary yesterday (aww), and RJ is seven months old today (awwww), so we took the time to relax yesterday and take a leisurely stroll around the 'hood with RJ, Joe and Ally (both of whom still clearly miss their brother Nick).

Anyway, none of that really has anything to do with the story.  Point being, my parents called and we were setting plans for their latest visit when I mentioned that the weekend of Oct 2-3 was out since I had a triathlon.  The long pause followed by "You're doing a triathlon!?" was pretty funny. 

Next question was "Have you been training?" 

"Of course not, well, not nearly enough.  But, it's only pain.  I was in labor for 58 hours, remember" was my reply.

Funny.  If I recall, when I was in labor I told myself it wasn't nearly as hard as a triathlon since at least I'd get breaks in between contractions.

I think I'm missing something. 

Starting Over....really, I am

Until R.J. entered the picture way back when as a cute little embryo, the big deal about 2010 was my planned Ironman debut.  Yesterday, my cousin toed the starting line and crossed the finish line at Ironman Louisville, and it was bittersweet for me to track her progress all day.  I was so proud of her, but needless to say, also a bit sad that it was her achievement and not mine.  And yes, I know, I wouldn't trade RJ for anything, but still...

So, while she was out on her bike ride around the Kentucky countryside and my Trifuel friend Kylie was tooling around British Columbia at Ironman Canada, Stuart dragged me out onto my trusty Orbea to see if I remembered how to get in the aero position.  Then answer is yes, but boy is it a lot tougher when your core is made of mush!  Note to self...more crunches and planks!!

Rather than focusing on what I didn't achieve athletically this year, I'm starting from the beginning with a new set of goals.
1. One triathlon before the year is out.  I'm registered, now to actually do some training! Amazing how the sprint I'm now signed up for seems as scary as the Ironman that I'd orginally planned upon.

2. A few more running events for the fun of it -- my first trail race, a Turkey Trot, and maybe a few more.

3. Revamping the Ironman goal to concide with my 40th birthday.  Now that Ironman Louisville is off the table, I'm searching for a new "get me excited to look forward to it" iron-distance event.  I have one idea, Stuart has another.  Any inputs from anyone as to a fun and memorable race? Remember, we'll have a 2 or 3yr old in tow....

Life Before the Life I Have Now

So often you hear people say "I can't even remember what life was like before I had my baby."  With only ten days left in my maternity leave, I find myself saying something different -- "I can't imagine life without her."  Although I can't fathom a world without Riley now, that doesn't mean that I don't still remember my pre-baby life.  And, there are times when (selfishly) that's hard.

Summer is normally a time when I sweat...a lot.  90 degree days you add another layer of sunscreen and an extra water bottle before heading out for a 50mile ride.  Panting my way through a short run, and then a cold margarita (or two!) on the porch later that day to top it off. 

When I learned I was pregnant, I had such high hopes for my maternity leave.  I pictured long walks/runs with a compliant baby in the jogging stroller.  While she took those long baby naps, I'd be on my bike trainer or doing power yoga.  By the time I went back to work, I'd have lost not only all the baby weight, but an additional ten pounds.  Heck, this was going to be better than life before baby.

Ha.
HA.
HA HA HA.

I didn't count on an infant who slept in catnaps, and only in my arms.  I forgot about Washington's brutal weather and "Code Orange" days where infants and old people shouldn't be outside.  I didn't realize how challenging it would be to not be able to be apart from my baby for more than 1.5-2hrs because I'm nursing. And, I didn't count on how gosh darn tired I would be (since my plan was to sleep during all those long baby naps!).

Instead, I go back to work on July 1st and my heart is breaking.  My precious baby who sleeps in my arms for most naps will be in the arms of someone else.  For a while, my mom and my husband until she starts actual daycare in mid-August.  That doesn't matter.  It won't be me.  And, while I'm in better shape than I was the day I gave birth(!), the majority of my work clothes still don't fit.  I don't have a single race on my schedule.  The 10K I'd planned got hijacked by a trip to Ohio for my very ill mother-in-law. 

I'm desperately missing triathlons, but don't know how on earth I'm going to make it happen.  Heck, right now I don't even know how I'm going to manage working and making sure my baby doesn't forget me.  How long can I continue to define myself as a triathlete without having done one? Last night I sat down and caught up reading some of my favorite blogs and it made me remember that old life.  I went to bed thinking about how I might someday meld the two -- seeing my daughter on the sidelines cheering me on while I race. 

Somehow it will all work out.  In the meantime, I am kissing my sweet Riley as often as I can.  I'm working out when I can, including starting today's Trifuel 50 Day Core Challenge.  I'm seeking a race before year's end that will challenge but not humiliate me.  And, on the bright side, I'm getting my daughter started on an endurance lifestyle early....including her first foray into the pool.

Spring is sprunging

And I can feel my body healing and my muscles just aching to get used!  After next week's doctor's visit, where I hope he'll be giving me the all clear, I'll be investing in new pairs of walking and running shoes.  Then it'll be time to hit the trails with Miss Riley. 

I didn't take a photo, but we got the most appropriate gift from some dear friends up in Rhode Island.  They sent us a baby swim suit, baby running shoes, and a baby sweat suit.  All we need to do is provide the tricycle and Riley is ready for her first triathlon!  The question is, what about mom? It's April, and I'm starting to think about what's do-able in terms of tris this year.  I know of at least one superstar new mommy who will be doing a half iron this fall, and that has me thinking.  Can I do that, or should I stick with more modest goals of getting in an Olympic or two before the season is out? What about throwing in a half marathon or two? I'm thinking that any century rides are out...Riley will be too small for a trailer, and that's probably too long to spend away from her on a weekend day, considering that I'll be back at work by June.

Trying to be supportive of Stuart's quest for IM USA this July, considering that I'm the one that signed him up.  But I honestly have to admit that I'm now kind of wanting him to pull out.  I knew I could handle the long weekend training days, but I hadn't factored in the toll of 2hr workouts after work during the week.  He gets home and wants to bike and run....I want to hand off a semi-cranky Riley for a little bit of non-mommy "me" time.  We're continuing this discussion.  I hate the idea of being unsupportive, but do feel it's the right decision for our family, and just need to convince him of that!

The days are lengthening and warming up.  And, as hoped, Riley is learning to love her stroller and the adventures it brings...

"Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start"

If you're like me, you grew up watching The Sound of Music every year on tv.  Thanks to the miracle of cable, it's actually now on a couple of times per year, and my musically inclined husband also likes it! So, even though I'm not a very good singer, I get multiple chances to sing along with Julie Andrews (even though I'm now far too old to pretend I'm Liesl with a secret oh-so-adorable boyfriend).  As a child, one of the first and only songs I ever learned was "Doe-a-Deer", and the opening lines of that song seem to reflect the completely different focus of 2010 than I had ever anticipated.

This was supposed to be the year of the M-dot.  It was all planned out, after years of dreaming and focusing on this goal, I was going to toe the starting line at Ironman Louisville this August.  Instead, someone I love has co-opted my goal and I'm facing an entirely different challenge...as soon as she decides to be born!  I've spent the last 9months both eagerly awaiting the arrival of Baby M, but also mourning the loss of something that had been an important part of my life and motivation over the last three years. 

The sadness has been two-fold.  First was the realization that if I ever do want to attempt an ironman, I need a new race.  You see, part of who I am is that I hate following in other people's footsteps.  My husband and our dear friend Julie have both done Ironman Florida - so while it plays to some of my strengths, it's a nonstarter for me.  And now that someone else I care about has adopted my long-held goal as their own, it's now off the table.  Admittedly, it hurts.  So, as I think toward the future and Stuart says "well, of course you'll still do an ironman, the goal is just delayed a bit", I struggle with the image.  I'd had multiple reasons for choosing IMKY, and now am at a loss.  As I sit here on bedrest, I occasionally peruse the websites of various ironman races (both M-dot and independent) trying to see if one truly speaks to me as the new focus of my athletic dreams.  A race that will give me the motivation to put in the hours sacrificing sleep and probably some time with my daughter during the training period.  It will need to be a race that inspires me.  I'm open to suggestions.

The second piece of my mourning over the last few months has been wondering how and if there will be room in my life for triathlon and fitness at all.  I know logically that we will somehow find time, but I know it will be different and not necessarily easy.  And as I feel blobbier and blobbier now on Day 12 of bedrest, I find myself worrying about needing to buy an entirely new wardrobe because nothing will ever fit me again. 

So, yesterday I took control.  Although it's not a tri, I decided to quit wondering and instead put my money on the table to kickoff my 2010 racing season.  On June 6th, I'll be at the starting line of a measly little 10K -- the Annapolis Zooma Run.  A few years ago I did the half marathon of this women's only event.  That seems to be pushing it just a few months after McNugget's arrival, but I figured a 10K would be a good jumpstart.  Next up, will likely be some sort of spring triathlon early in June or July.   

Yes, life is changing.  And in some ways it means starting back at the beginning.  But, I have a much stronger base of knowledge than I did when I ran my first 5K back in the 90s, or when we began training for our first sprint back in 2005, so hopefully I can quickly learn the lessons I once knew and leave The Sound of Music in the dust!

Dextro ITU Triathlon in DC

So it was pointed out to me that my blogging regularity has dropped off. Shame on me! No excuse except that it's just too nice to spend much time sitting in my study crafting blog entries. Maybe one day I should try actually keeping a journal and that way I can just transfer interesting thoughts here.

Anyway, latest and greatest is that we spent Sunday downtown watching the only North American stop on the ITU Triathlon World Cup circuit. Originally we were slated to serve as a homestay for one of the foreign athletes and his coach, which had us pretty jazzed. It also meant that we decided not to register to race ourselves, since we'd be focused on being a good host family. Sadly, a few days before he was due to arrive, I got an email saying that he'd injured himself in a training ride and would not be coming to race. Bummer!

Sunday morning Billy and his girlfriend Allison drove out from Annapolis and the four of us hopped on bikes and headed downtown. We missed the start of the men's race and so headed straight for the finish line along Pennsylvania Ave. The bike and run were both multiple loops so we were in a great spot to see the triathletes race by again and again.

Billy, Allison and Stuart

Unbelievable to watch the peloton of draft-legal racing!

Here's Americans Andy Potts and Hunter Kemper headed out on one of the run loops. They were flying!

Andy was solidly in 4th place, so able to give some thumbs-up and ham it up for the crowd as he neared the finish line.

All in all, it was a ton of fun. Billy was jazzed for his second triathlon this coming weekend, and Allison now wants to try one. Once the men's race finished, we biked down to West Potomac Park to watch the start of the women's race. All of downtown DC was shut down, so it was awesome to be tooling along Constitution Avenue on our bikes. If only they shut the Mall down to traffic every weekend!

The current was brutal, the pro women looked so incredibly slow. Of course they weren't, but it was telling that all the spectators were commenting on how hard they were working on the up-river half of the two loop swim.

Afterwards we slowly biked home, but of course had to stop to make friends with even more wildlife! Here's Allison posing with her new pet turtle!

What I Learned From the Kinetic Half

It’s been a busy 11 days since the Kinetic Half, but in the back of my head I know I’ve been mulling over my lessons learned from last weekend. So that I don’t forget, I know I need to write them down and re-visit them later this summer.

1. Early season long-course isn’t for me. As much as I love the heat, I hate the cold even more and just don’t do enough training during the winter to be ready for long endurance events that early in the year. Also, not having time to acclimatize to the warmth sucks and makes me like the heat a lot less than I normally do.

2. Train more during the off season. Duh. I’ve now got all the cold weather gear that a girl could need – so absolutely zero excuses not to get my butt out the door on the bike or in my running shoes on just about any day of the year.

3. Don’t forget to practice your nutrition. As a corollary to not doing enough long rides, that also meant I didn’t get to practice my race nutrition.

4. Remember that it’s okay to pee on the bike. I probably lost 3 or 4 minutes because for some reason I felt the need to get off my bike and find a bush rather than just going on the fly.

4. On the plus side, I learned that even in my dark places, I can still recognize those times as simply temporary darkness rather than true failure. In this way, I can hopefully remember that I can pull myself through to the other side rather than giving in and living with a DNF. The body can do more than the mind thinks it can.

5. Get a swim coach or start attending masters swim sessions. I’ve made improvements on my own, and I have much greater comfort in open water. But I’m still way too slow, and I don’t think I’ll improve any further without a coach to help my technique.

6. Relying on the strength of others can be huge in a tough situation. Stuart’s presence meant the world to me, as did the cheering and support of other spectators and athletes. But even those friends and family not there were part of my motivation. Bringing to mind specific names and faces, and knowing that these were people cheering for me, or just people I’d have to face with either success or failure, was a huge part of my ability to keep moving.

In the midst of the race, I was questioning the whys. But less than two weeks later, as I look at the tan lines and watch the final bits of chafing fade, I’m thinking back nostalgically to it and looking forward to the next one!

3 Days and Counting...

It's taper time. The water is 68 degrees. I'm stopping by the LBS to pick up a fresh batch of Clif Shot Bloks. I'll be making up my bottle of Infinit and putting the speedlaces on my running shoes tomorrow. I had a pre-race massage yesterday after work. Most importantly, I haven't figured out whether to sport the DC Tri gear or the rockin' pink SkirtSports attire. I know that whatever work I've put in over the last few months is done. I'm now less than 72hrs from execution.

My emotions are running from nervous to scared to calm to confident and back again. This is my first triathlon since last July at IM Rhode Island 70.3. And while I've put in more swimming and running time in preparation for this race than last year, I feel less prepared for the bike, which is normally my strength. The hours I have spent on my Orbea, including this weekend's ride with Billy, have felt good, just not enough to be walking into a half iron.

But there's no turning back. Stuart's driving down with me to cheer me on during the day. I feel bad making him do that, but will appreciate him making the 70mile drive back home so I can stretch out and sleep.

How do pros do this? I wonder if taper and prepping mentally for a race ever gets any easier, or even just gets routine. We've had some rain every day for over a week at this point, so I've spent lots of time indoors worrying about whether I'm ready, and knowing that if I'm not, it's too late to change it. Monday night though, I had a dream in which I was swimming strong, biking with power, and running upright and smiling. So I'm trying to do some visualization exercises this week to prepare myself. If I can dream it, I can perform it, right?

Hard Work and Recovery

Ok, so OWWWW!!!! I had forgotten just how ugly and painful that transition to a run can be. Yesterday was my first real brick of the season - meaning a measurable run after an equally measurable bike. Stuart and I got in close to 3hrs on our bikes on Sunday afternoon. Beautiful sunshiney day, but still chilly. Got home, swapped out the bike jersey for a long sleeve t-shirt and grabbed Nick's leash.

And then the pain hit. I was hobbling like some pathetic old lady. Normally Nick would be pulling ahead, but I think even he realized that this wasn't too pretty. After the first mile I seemed to ease into it but oh boy could this be a long day in May! I managed three miles, and sure, could have done more, but was very glad that the training plan called for only a 20-30min run!

Today was worth it, though. I just spent an hour with my massage therapist. He focused on that irritated tricep and deltoid, as well as the posterior and anterior tibealis on both legs. Already I can feel that many of those aches and pains have subsided. If only my health insurance covered therapeutic massage, I'd be seeing him a couple times per month. Stuart's seeing his physio twice a week, so dang it, I went ahead and made another appointment for the week of Kinetic. He shouldn't be the only one in this house getting massaged and manipulated!

Business Development, Fundraising, and Asking for $$

Convincing other people to give you money is a special gift. It's a gift I clearly don't have. It's probably why I got peanuts as an allowance as a kid, and why it took me almost two years to have the courage to lay out the case to my boss for a pay raise. It's best not to think of all the money I didn't earn dueo to my inability to just ask for it.

That weakness is now challenging me in not one but three different important aspects of my life. First, and ironically right now the least important to me, is career-wise. I say least important, because it's the one that I have the least ability to affect right now, so I don't spend a lot of time worrying over it. My firm's career model is such that to make the leap from Associate to Senior Associate you absolutely have to have a "business case". That is, you have to know how to do business development, and in fact already have done quite a bit of it such that you are responsible for a team of more than just a few people generating more than a few million dollars in revenue. All well and good for those who are great at it. Not so much for those of us deemed high performing in functional delivery, but lacking in that ability to approach the client to produce new revenue streams. In theory, the firm is apparently considering revising the people model, as its called, because they're starting to lose some of us to the government and other firms because there's essentially a ceiling to advancement -- both for those of us lacking that skill, but also because there's only so much space in the client environments and not everyone can have their own business. You need some people to actual do the actual work of delivering services!

Anyway, so that's the first area. Second now is Girls on the Run. In addition to the normal effort to gain sponsorship for the race, the Board acknowledges that this year is the right time to undertake a concerted fundraising effort to help the organization continue to grow at its currently accelerating rate. Our Race Director does a fantastic job of getting race sponsorship, but the Board will be taking, I believe, a larger role in the broader fundraising effort. I'm committed to this program, and as a result, in my current role absolutely need to learn and be comfortable with approaching individuals and businesses and advocating on behalf of Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia. We've identified this as one of our top three priorities for the next 12months, and as president, my active participation and leadership in this is critical.

And finally, as it relates to triathlon, there's the whole coaching thing. Friends and family are convinced that I could actually make some money if I wanted to register Tri for Joy as a business. Yet, I continue to feel as if there's so much I need to learn, what's a fair and appropriate amount to charge people for the expertise I already have? At what point do I feel as though I'd be giving folks their money's worth? And, of course, the challenge of not wanting to charge those same friends and family. So do I charge friends of friends? Do I advertise and charge those strangers who approach me? Again, my reticence to place monetary value on my worth, or the worth of organizations important to me (GOTR, my firm, my nascent coaching "business") means dollars I'm losing every day.

How do people do it? I'm impressed by those in sales as a career. Pharmaceutical sales, computer sales, wine sales...just to name things that friends do for a living. It's a skill I'm learning, like so many others these days, because it's just too important not to.

Getting Back in the Groove

After a great start to 2009, January ended with a whimper. Girls on the Run of NoVA is going through some staff and Board transitions, which is always both a scary and exciting time for any organization. As of the 8hr(!) Board meeting this past Saturday, I'm now the Board President. That culminated a week in which I put in probably about 25hrs of GOTR-related time on top of my normal job.

Throw in a quick trip home to see my very ill Granni, and other than Thursday's =PR= run, my body was almost forgetting how to sweat. Yes, I've kept up with the 50 Days of Core, which ends on February 13th, but most of the last week was about remembering to throw down a quick 25 half-asleep crunches before climbing into bed.

After spending yesterday in the cardiac ICU, my alarm went off this morning at 3:45 so that I could catch my 6am flight back to DC. Stuart picked me up at the airport, and fortified by a pre-flight mocha and post-flight vanilla latte, I managed to survive the workday. Getting home I was SO tempted to bag a workout and take a nap. But, my first tri of the season is only three months away. Waiting until April to be serious won't cut it. What do I want to accomplish this year? Am I happy being average? Maybe even if I bust my tail I'll still be middle of the pack, but have I really truly given my all in the past four seasons of triathlon? Then the question is, what am I waiting for? I need to stop dreaming and, like Nike says, Just Do It. The last week or two of GOTR shows that I have the available time, and the self discipline....if it's important enough to me. So, is it? That needs to be the million dollar question as I start to think about 6am workouts. Soon enough the light will come and rides to work will be possible. In fact, I think we're there....I just again need to get in the habit. Winter's not over, but my time for excuses really is.

So buoyed by the near 50 degree weather, I threw on a long sleeve t-shirt and some capris, and Nick and I did an easy 3miles as the sun set. We then tacked on an extra mile walking the neighborhood with a very happy Joe and Ally. Nothing long, or even too terribly taxing, but an acceptable slide back into a routine for now.

"What It Takes"

If you do triathlons, you've probably already heard of or seen or own this movie. What It Takes came out a few years ago, and is a documentary following the 2005 season of four pro triathletes. Stuart and I own both the movie and the spinner edition, and pull them out during winter as entertainment and motivation while stuck on the trainer.

Today was actually not bad out - high 30s and partly sunny. I could have ridden outside, but just wasn't feeling the cold weather. Yesterday's run with Nick was sufficient outdoor time for one weekend. Plus, for some reason I woke up thinking about that movie (probably because I had a very weird triathlon dream). Anyway, after watching the last part of some cheesy Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, I popped it in to make my Zone 2 aerobic trainer ride less boring. I got about half way through before cutting the ride a bit short (sorry, coach!) but am now eagerly looking forward to Tuesday's interval session to get through the second half.

Estimated 21miles on the bike trainer (based on time and effort), plus another 275reps of core work made for a decent Sunday.

And 2009 is underway...

That's right. No more of this "oh, I'm in the off season." "Nah, I'll leave that heart rate monitor at home and just meander." "Not so much feeling like a workout today. And that's okay because I'm in the off season."

Nope. Nada. Over with. Last night I plunked down almost $140, and another $140 for Stuart on our first half ironman of the year. That's right -- our first. As in, rather than going for a full IM this year all at once, I decided to break it into two. 2007 was HIM #1 down at Ironman 70.3 Cancun. 2008 was all about Rhode Island 70.3. This year, if all goes according to plan, I'll be crossing the finish line of TWO half ironman races -- the Kinetic Half here in Virginia in May, and then the Ironman Augusta 70.3 in September down in Georgia. With a few other races and fun stuff thrown in the mix. We originally had planned on the White Lake Half in NC instead of Kinetic, but time and money seemed to make the local race make more sense. A few DC Tri clubmates have also promised that they're signing up, so it'll be a fun day albeit a bit more hilly than the flatlands of rural NC.

And if all of that goes well....well, on August 31st I'll be online with my credit card in hand for the big one. Stay tuned to that sidebar listing my 2009 races. Right now it says Tentative, but there are definitely changes afoot.

So, a few more weeks to go in the off-season training plan, and then it's time to really buckle down under the direction of a new coach. One way or another, 2009 is gonna be a BIG year.

50 Days of Core

Another nutty sadist at Trifuel has put forth a new challenge. 50 days of core extending from December 26th through February 13th. The rules look like this:

Rules:
1. 100 reps = 1 point.
2. 1 minute of timed exercises (planks etc.) = 25 reps.
3. Core specific exercises only. Abs, obliques, lower back.
4. Begin Dec. 26 and end Feb. 13.
5. You are NOT out if you miss a day, but the goal is to work the core for 50 straight days.

I ended up not doing the 30/30 December challenge, but I'm all over this. I noticed a real difference in my cycling and swimming last season after upping my core work early in the spring, but then let it tail off a bit in the thick of summer. So this is a great way to get back into the habit. Presuming I don't make myself sick from the pain!! Some of these guys are putting up 600reps a day. I just returned from the gym where I painstakingly hit 200 for the first time. The last few days it's been about 100 or so reps. Again, not a bad starting place.

Obviously, with my self image issues I'm not posting a "before" pic, but I am going to take one, and look at it often as a reminder to myself. If I can see a significant difference between now and February, maybe I'll share both of them here.

In the meantime, as a way to suck up even more of the time I should be using for training, last night I got suckered into getting a Facebook account. Why is this necessary? Don't I already know all of these people, and those I want to know or be friends with currently already have my contact information? Is there a reason that I want that mean cliquey girl from fourth grade to track me down and "Friend" me twenty five years later? Seriously, I'm not sure what made me break down and do this, and yet I spent all day at work wondering if any of my "friend requests" had been accepted and knowing I had to wait to get home to my own computer to check. I might need to ration my time. If you find me online there, write on my wall and remind me I'm supposed to be training!

Stuart, you are an IRONMAN!!!

I'm not sure I've ever been more proud of my husband! Ironman Florida was an incredible experience for me as a volunteer, spectator and most importantly, wife of an Ironman.

The day started so so so early, with the alarm going off at 4am. Nerves had struck, and he was only able to manage a piece of toast and some coffee. Not the most auspicious breakfast for an ironman, but so be it. We made our way to transition by about 5:30am. The key to the day, for me, was that magic Volunteer t-shirt from the day before. It basically guaranteed me access for the next twelve or fourteen hours. So I was able to help him settle in, pump his tires, and then walk with him to the beach...where we promptly got separated while I tried to make contact with the rest of the "support crew". After a few tears, my dad found him for me and I was able to wish him luck and give him one last kiss before the cannon sounded. He smiled but was more nervous than I've ever seen him at a race.

But, he did manage to pose for a few photos before focusing on the day ahead. His original goal had been to swim the 2.4miles in between 1:15 and 1:20, but the ruptured bicep and separated shoulder had him hoping just to break 1:30.

While he was out swimming, I sent my parents, aunt & uncle, and Stuart's bro and sis-in-law over to the bike start while I made my way back to transition in the hope that I could see him before he headed out on the bike. The day before as a volunteer I'd been part of organizing all the transition bags into neatly ordered and race numbered rows. So I found the row with #1810 and started to watch my watch. And then the chaos hit. Triathletes, fresh from the washing machine of the swim started to pour through the entrance yelling out their race numbers. We grabbed transition bags and tossed them up the aisles where the athletes grabbed them and headed to the change tents. The level of stress was palpable - most of these men and women still looked shell-shocked and half-crazed from the wild swim. Stuart finally emerged - with a swim time of 1:16 -- right on target!! I tossed him his bag, told him I loved him, and met him on the other side of the change tent to hand-off his bike. Then, since I was stuck in the chaos of transition, I stuck around for another hour and continued to hand out transition bags until I could escape and meet up with my family.

A few hours later, having watched his progress online, I headed back to Transition to accomplish the same task during the bike-to-run transition. Sure enough, in 5:46 (14min ahead of his 6hr goal), Stuart came running into T2. I was thrilled to see him looking so strong, and jogged alongside him to the changing tent to hear about his bike ride. Again, I waited on the other side while he changed into run gear and got slathered with sunscreen by a few female volunteers (a task he enjoyed quite a bit!!). Then, with a quick kiss and an exchange of "I love you's", he was off to complete his marathon and become an Ironman. Again, I headed back to hand out transition bags.

Throughout the day, I just had so much fun meeting and working with so many of the volunteers. Some were there because they wanted to sign up for the 2009 Ironman Florida. Others, like me, were there supporting athletes. And some were local residents just having fun. I had a great time with a 12yr old in T2 who was totally into yelling encouragement at the athletes as he handed out transition bags. Hopefully my pep talk was enough to convince him to check out a kids' triathlon next summer!!

I finally was able to park myself on the run course, prepared to shout encouragement in his direction as he ran the two loop course. He looked strong and managed to smile. Unfortunately, the rest of the support crew didn't make it down until after he'd started his second loop. No worries, we found a good spot in the finish area bleachers so that they'd be sure to put the signs, cowbells, and loud shouts to good use. Our families have always been supportive of our athletic endeavors, but to be at the finish line watching people of all ages, shapes and sizes cross that line really seemed to move them all. With them comfortably seated, it was time for my final volunteer effort.

I made my way to the finish line, which was obviously heavily guarded by volunteer security staff. Still wearing my now limp and sweaty "transition" volunteer shirt, I talked my way into the finish area and put on a "finish area" volunteer shirt. So armed, I set about handing out finisher's medals until my cell phone rang and my aunt told me Stuart was less than a quarter mile from the finish. I grabbed one last medal, and when I heard Mike Reilly announcing "Stuart McFarren, YOU are an Ironman" I pushed past the rest of the catchers and began crying as I grabbed him and put the medal around his neck. It was such an incredible moment. He was dazed, but upright and running strong. We confirmed that he didn't need medical aid and then made our way through the craziness of the finish area. One of the coaches who had spoken at my triathlon coaching clinic the previous weekend was there and snapped a few photos. We stopped to take the requisite official finisher's photo, which will soon be framed in our home, and then left the finisher's area to meet up with the rest of the crew. What a feeling!!!

Later that night, refreshed from a shower, he regaled us with stories of the day while my aunt Stephanie churned out pizza after pizza from the condo's kitchen. His final time was right on his 12hr target. A 4:42 marathon put his finishing time at 12:03. Phone calls, text message and emails have poured in over the last few weeks -- wishing him luck and then congratulating him on a wonderful day. And we finally got home this week to find signs, balloons and cards waiting at home from friends as well.

Being there both scared me, watching some finishers collapse and be wheeled away on wheelchairs, but also motivated me. I WILL cross that IM finish line someday. Hopefully before I'm 40. In the meantime, I'm satisfied with the label of Iron-wife, and I take great pleasure in point out to Stuart at least half a dozen times a day "Stuart, YOU are an Ironman".

Holding Myself Accountable

For someone who claims to love this sport as much as I do, it's amazing how many different ways I find to waste time that could be put to more productive uses -- whether it's training, sleeping, or just important stuff like reading or getting laundry done. Instead, I get trapped by mindless things like this and end up losing an hour of my day. Or I laze about saying I'm tired, but don't actually just take a nap and get it over with.

So, I just checked the calendar and there's 11 weeks left in the year. It's off-season, and as I slowly put together the 2009 race calendar it looks like the first triathlon of the year will be in early May. With that in mind, I'm using this blog to hold myself accountable. I want to get in another 88hrs of training time by January 1st. That's a measly 8hrs per week. Very easy to do if I stay organized and don't waste time making excuses. I don't like publicly admitting I've failed so here it is, I'm putting this goal out here where others can see it and read it. I'll occasionally post updates to prove to myself and you my readers that I'm achieving this minor goal I'm setting for my off season.

No more using the dogs as an excuse - if I really feel I can't leave them, there's always yoga, some upper body strength and core work in the basement. It's dark - well, the gym is open until 11pm. It's cold - birthday and Christmas are coming, asking for more cold weather riding gear.

8hrs a week. That's less than 5% of the hours in a given week. Why wouldn't I want to spend at least 5% of my time doing the things I say I love doing???? And with that, I'm off for a ride. Later...