Pink McGarvey

LoneStar - Quick Update

2010-04-26T09:42:00.000-05:00

CASSIE MCGARVEY
SWIM BIKE RUN OVERALL RANK DIV.POS.

50:48 3:16:33 2:09:40 6:23:12 837 809

LEG DISTANCE PACE RANK DIV.POS.

TOTAL SWIM 1.2 mi. (50:48) 2:40/100m 1032 996
BIKE SPLIT 1: 28 mi 28 mi (1:38:46) 17.01 mph

BIKE SPLIT 2: 56 mi 28 mi (1:37:47) 17.18 mph

BIKE END: 56 mi 3:16:33 17.09 mph 971 935

RUN SPLIT 1: 3.275 mi 3.275 mi (30:14) 9:13/mi

RUN SPLIT 2: 6.55 mi 3.275 mi (32:56) 10:03/mi

RUN SPLIT 3: 9.8 mi 3.275 mi (34:25) 10:30/mi

RUN SPLIT 4: 13.1 mi 3.275 mi (32:05) 9:47/mi

TOTAL RUN 13.1 mi. (2:09:40) 9:53/mile 837 809

TRANSITION TIME

T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE 2:59

T2: BIKE-TO-RUN 3:12

Be What You Dream

2010-04-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

I discovered my love of Frank Turner last October whenever he opened for Flogging Molly. Seriously, who doesn't love a Brit with a tattoo in the shape of Texas -- yes, I'm completely serious. All of his songs have great lyrics, but below is one of my favorites (Journey of the Magi). It takes a great songwriter to include Moses, Odysseus and Balthazar in a song.

Moses was old, chill in his bones

Falling apart, he knew in his heart

His time had come.

He lay in his tent, on hot desert sand

He smiled at how he would never see

His Promised Land

He sang "I could've lived and died an Egyptian Prince,

Could've played safe

In the end, journeys brought joys that outweighed the pain.

Odysseus sat, tired and alone

Always held out against all the doubt that

He would come home

Now he was here so found it strange

His wife and his dog, his son and his gods

And everything changed

He sang "I could have stayed and ruled an Ithican Prince

Could've played safe"

In the end, journeys brought joys that outweighed the pain.

Now, Balthazar rode for seven long years

Eastwards and far, he followed his star

And it brought him here.

A stable in ruins, some backwater town

To a Virgin defiled, no king but a Child

Too small for a crown

He sang "I could've lived with my gods as a Persian Prince,

Could've played safe."

Paupers and kings, princes and thieves

Singers of songs, righters of wrongs

What you believe.

Saddle your horse, shoulder your load

Burst at the seam, be what you dreamed

And take to the road.

Competition

2010-04-15T15:32:00.000-05:00

It can be good, right? In discussing this with my tri-friends this weekend, I realized that there are two types of competitive people - 1) the type that race to win (i.e., beat others - especially those with whom they train) and base everything on the rankings in the race; and 2) those who are competitive with themselves and like to use other's performances as a benchmark. For me, if a training buddy does well, that's awesome! If we are training together (at the same pace), then it means that I should be able to do that to - or vice versa.

I'll admit, I like to use my friends as benchmarks. For instance, Christy and Kathleen both had great races on Saturday at Gateway to the Bay. In fact, I think that Christy may have had her best race ever - I'm still wondering when she got so fast. It makes me happy to see them do well - because it means that I can as well - even if they are both much better swimmers than me.

So, for Gateway, I decided to 'game' the system and register as an Athena. My goal was to see if I could place. And that I did. I walked away with a first place finish.... and, a run split that was absolutely fabulous. My average pace for the run was a 7:42 (I think, definitely in the 7:40s). I KNOW that this would've been a 5k PR for me... who'd have thought that I'd ever see 7s by my run time... And, I was quite pleased to know that I would've been competitive in my age group as well - granted, I would've had to chase Kathleen down... but, this way, we both win AND we both get rewarded for good races.

Anyway, as for the competition, I think that I'll keep it. I like my version of competition. For me, its about having fun and doing my best. And, I really don't see the problem of using others as benchmarks. Seriously, if they can do it, why can't I.

End of the day, competition is a way of life. Yes, I am the type that believes that kids should not receive participant trophies -- you gotta teach the kiddos at a young age that there are winners and losers and that people will be ranked. Those are the facts of life. I do think that it is a delicate balance. Everyone needs to be pushed to be at the top but everyone also needs to learn to fail. You can't be a big fish in a small pond forever...

Remind me...

2010-04-07T13:29:00.000-05:00

I'm just having a minor freak out... I'm doing a HIM in just over two weeks and I don't think I'm really trained...

- I didn't do my long run this weekend.
- The Good Friday bike ride in Brenham was fun but really didn't seem like training.
- I didn't do a long bike the weekend before last.
- I haven't worked out at all the last 4 days... maybe this is the one that is scaring me...hmmm....

Here's the schedule for the rest of the week:

Tonight - hard bike ride on the trainer followed by a 3-4 mile run through the neighborhood.

Thursday - hard swim with Del in the morning and Tour de Bayou + in the evening (10-11 miles)

Friday - Lake Sharks (haven't been in a wetsuit since IMFL)

Saturday - Gateway to the Bay Sprint Tri (I'm registered as an Athena and am hoping to place); I will likely try to get in an easy run on Saturday afternoon/evening

Sunday - bike at race pace in Galveston - this will be interesting... i'll training is now being done on the road bike...

West End Ride

2010-03-30T08:02:00.000-05:00

Yup, just a little behind here - but, I wanted to make sure to post this...

On Thursday, Kathleen, Kim and I did the West End ride for the first time. In passing emails throughout the day, we all thought that we'd be dropped like nothing else - which kinda happened when we were stopped at every light through downtown. In all - it was a fun ride...

Perhaps the funniest part of the night happened at a red light in the med center. I'd been having problems clipping in with my left foot so I decided to try the right. As we were waiting for the light to change, I inexplicably started shifting to the left and, in slow motion, fell. There was a 60ish year old lady and her son in the car next to me. The look of horror on her face was funny (in hindsight). The window slowly rolls down and she asks, "Baby, are you okay? How far do you have left to ride? You must be exhausted." Someone told her that we had about 10 miles left. "Oh, my! That is crazy. That poor girl is exhausted. Baby, are you gonna make it back. 10 miles is a long way." As I picked up my pride, I smiled and said that I was fine. The whole thing still makes me laugh.

Oh, West End ride, Black Betty (my road bike), thanks you. She's been feeling a bit resentful as she's been confined to the trainer in the living room. After that ride, I'm taking off the clip on aerobars and bringing her back to her glory days as a road bike. I even cleaned her drive train last night -- good lord she needed it.

Kathleen, Kim and I after the "epic" 18 mile ride

Bluebonnet Express

2010-03-28T21:47:00.000-05:00

Or Simple Rules to Follow When Doing an Organized Ride.
Or Don't Be Rude.

1. Wait your turn. When starting the ride, wait for your route to be called. When the organizer calls for those who are biking the 70 mile route, don't start if you are only doing 40. This is for your own good. Although, you may think that it is a) unfair for those doing the longer ride to get an early start; b) unneccessary for you to have to wait; or, c) doesn't matter because you are important and need to be done riding early, don't do it! Out of respect for all that is holy, wait your freakin' turn. This really does help the organizers and volunteers direct traffic along the route. When the shorter routes have a turn only 3 miles into the course while the longer routes go straight, the volunteers don't expect the need to direct your 40 mile self to the turn when you weren't even supposed to have started yet.

2. Be alert. So, you didn't follow number 1 and are now starting out with the 70 milers. In this case, don't rely on the volunteers to direct you -- you aren't supposed to be at this turn for another 10-15 minutes. Also, when you've missed the turn, pay attention to the riders around you. Don't turn left directly into someone. Pay attention when people are trying to call out to you.

3. Don't Be a Jack@ass. Whenever you do turn into someone and cause a crash, you need to see if that person is okay. Under no circumstancs is it acceptable to pick yourself up, quickly apologize and then head out to your short 40 mile route while the person you hit after breaking the above rules is still on the ground. Don't be that guy... No one likes that guy... you might think that its okay because no one knows that it was you -- you made a "clean" getaway but, your day will come. Karma is a beatch...

As much as I may be complaining, and yes, I am... I'm still pissed. Not that it screwed up my ride, but because now I'm paying for it -- literally. I JUST bought a new helmet 3 weeks ago. My gorgeous new pink helmet is done. That said, it did its job and it has the cracks and crumples to prove it (and I have the no loss of consciousness to go with it). Also, I paid 35 bucks to ride 3 miles... kinda ridiculous. Finally, I know there will be some cost for a bike repair. I managed to take a pretty nice chunk out of my aerobars and am hoping that Andrew at Tri on the Run can just tape over it (or something)... That said, if you add in my bottle of water, a ride in the sag hummer, a nice chat with the fabulous ride marshalls from the Clay Walker Cycling Team, a Waller police officer, and the Waller EMS - it was 35 dollars well spent considering the circumstances. As an aside, the EMS paramedics noted that I was in excellant shape and were quite impressed with my low 50s heart rate. Also, I got to spend some time in the massage tent. When getting back to the ride start, I had some time to kill. (I'd carpooled and was waiting for the crew to get back; then decided to take James on his offer to come get me).

To end on a positive note, this ride has excellent support and is a first rate event by Northwest Cyclery. This is the same group that does Katy Flatlands in June. Although, I did enjoy Katy Flatlands more, it had nothing to do with the ride organization -- in June, only the "real" riders are out there -- all of the MS150-only riders are gone. Also, the ride marshalls were beyond caring. The group of marshalls that helped me were from Band Against MS, a group that likes to eat, drink, and ride. I cannot thank these people enough for taking care of me.

In sum, I'm fine. I wasn't hurt; just a bit shaken up and had (and still have) a bit of a headache. And, even though I didn't finish the ride, Kathleen still gave me a brownie.. :-)

I'm Registered

2010-03-26T16:03:00.001-05:00

Truth be told, I'm looking for a HUGE PR and think that its possible. For my first (and only) HIM at Longhorn in 2008, one could say that I was undertrained. Truthfully, I was untrained and Heather, Kim, and Ingrid will confirm this fact. Prior to the race, I did one 50 mile bike ride, two hilly rides of about 30 miles each (and complained the entire time), one brick, minimal open water swims, and maybe swam 1600 meters in a workout twice. Considering that, I was pretty darn happy to finish in just over 8 hours (46 minute swim; 4 hour bike; 3 hour run).

Now, I'm biking and running better than ever. Deep down, I know my capabilities. My goal is to push them to the max on race day... I'll post the numbers as we get closer to race day.

I went out on a school night...

2010-03-24T23:44:00.000-05:00

and had a very good time. Congrats to James (not the hubby James) for passing his final exam to be a nursing assistant.

I met up with some good friends tonight at the Petrol Station. Yes, it is in that great unknown of outside the loop; however, after a few Bombshell Blondes, everything was a-ok...

And, because I NEVER post pictures (a fact of which I was reminded tonight).. here are some photos from tonight.

Ashley and Lee

James - the celebrant

Matt and Diana

Diana and James (whom the bar called Bearded James)

Most of the peeps

This made me laugh...

Not always equitable

2010-03-10T22:32:00.000-06:00

I'll admit it - I like my career. I like being a lawyer [insert bad joke here]. For the most part, the law is about being equitable and fair. Even when I was doing personal injury defense, the goal wasn't to keep some poor worker from getting money; it was making sure that everything was fair. That said, if your accident was your fault, then you shouldn't get anything. (oh, another little secret, I kinda miss going out on the ships and meeting the various crewmembers. Apparently, there typically aren't any real estate emergencies like that.)

Anyway, most times, the goal of the law is to put things right or the way that they should have been (i.e., I tear down your house, I should have to rebuild your house and put you up in a hotel while it is being built). But, this just topic just hit me the wrong way --- employer-employee liability. When should an employer be held liable for the intentional acts of his employees? On this topic, the law does not seem consistent or always fair. Here are a few examples:

A. I get into an accident with a bus driver who is on duty and driving the bus. While exchanging information, he hits me. Is the bus company liable?

B. Door man at the new hip club tells two men that they aren't allowed in yet. During the discussion, the doorman hits one of the men. Is the club liable?

C. Employee of XY Enterprises meets to sell me stock in the company. I agree to purchase. Employee says that we need to complete the transaction at a later date because he doesn't have the right stock certificates. When we meet, he sells me stock in XY Inc. (his own side company that is worthless). Is XY Enterprises liable?

D. Employee sues company for intentional infliction of emotional distress based on conduct of supervisor? Is the employer liable for the supervisor's conduct?

Let me know what you think. These are all real cases. I'll post what the courts have decided in the next day or so...

Update

2010-03-03T23:04:00.000-06:00

Just a few thoughts -

1) Lesson of the week (well maybe decade) - discretion. In an effort to maintain my lesson, I won't discuss.

2) Austin Marathon - 4:15:00 - a HUGE PR for me. And, seriously, who runs a marathon and hits their goal time exactly...

3) Work is good - LOVE the new job.

4) To become a faster runner, you must run with the fast peeps. I've been doing this on Saturdays with the Knuckleheads... will have to post splits at some point (whenever I really do update the blog).

5) Its time to go to sleep. Hopefully I can get my lazy @ss out of bed and on the trainer in the morning.

6) Margaritas make a trainer ride go by faster. If all rides were like tonight, I'll start doing tequila shots before races (and yes, dead serious).

Resolutions

2010-01-29T12:32:00.002-06:00

I'm a little late on this one; however, this year officially begins in February for me. Considering that I'm starting a new job on Monday (the 1st), its only appropriate that I start all other resolutions at the same time, right??

I have a feeling that this year is going to be good and filled with exciting changes. A new job, bigger goals, hopefully additions to the family, an addition to the house (fingers crossed - if you know a good contractor, please send him/her my way), and more... So, here's my list of what I want to accomplish/change this year:

Athletic Goals

6 hour half IM
22 minute 5K
core work 2 times per week (at least)
weights 1 time per week (for next 3 months; then increasing to 2 times/week (at least))

Professional Goals

2200+ hours (and really, I have through the end of January 2011 to do this)
join an HBA committee (oh, and join HBA)
develop a business contacts list
attend one networking event every 8 weeks (at least)

Financial Goals

open a money market account (or other high yield savings) - HELP here maybe!
eliminate all credit card debt
establish savings account for anticipated expenses (i.e., vet, car maintenance, birthdays, weddings) -- also will help to prevent credit card use

Personal Goals

cook dinner 2 times per week (at least)
take lunch to work 2-3 times per week
limit eating out to 2 dinners per week (and continue to decrease)
learn to make cashew candy (this incredibly tasty marzipan candy that we had in El Salvador)
finish Little Mermaid and train cross stitch projects

General Goals

become less judgmental
see myself as others see me

The "General Goals" are the terrible ambiguous type goals that cannot be quantified or ones that you don't really know when they are achieved. I'm happy to put these goals out here and use the blog as a public checklist. With regard to the athletic goals, those might not happen this year. I'm going to work towards them; however, other things may take a priority.

10 Things

2010-01-27T10:56:00.001-06:00

I was tagged a few days ago and am finally getting this up (or any posting for that matter).

In no particular order, 10 things that make me happy:

1. James (aka The Hubby or My Number 1 Fan)

I just love him - enough said. We are both incredibly lucky to have each other and it amazes me how happy he makes me.

2. Family

My mom and granny are fabulous. I am also fortunate to have fabulous in-laws. How else does an only child suddenly have 4 sisters and a brother? Its pretty nifty. And, I can't forget darling Elaine (who will be one next week). On the occassions when she is happy to be with me, she is the cutest thing ever (and even when she's not happy, she's pretty darn cute). Plus, she's a reminder of what James and I hope to have in the near future.

3. My Home

I like pulling up into the driveway and seeing the new red door of "our" house. (technically, it belongs to us and Chase; however, the thought of the mortgage does not make me happy). Also, it is the place where I belong - its more than the building - its where my life is. 4. Being an Adult

Yes, its odd; however, its the realization that my life isn't what I thought it would be - its better. And, because of that, I've had experiences that I wouldn't otherwise have had - most recently, it was a trip to El Salvador.
5. My Dogs

At times, they drive me crazy but I do love them. Edie (the big brown one) is special in her own way. Molly (aka crack dog or Molly-Dog) has grown on me. I love snuggling with her in front of the fire or while in bed reading a book. In fact, she's sleeping on the bed next to me as I write this.

6. Reading

According to James, I'm more of a collector of books than a reader. I'll read them all - it just takes me a while and I won't read them in the order in which they were purchased. I've grown up around books and I like that our office is covered in them. I also like that it was James that made these awesome book shelves. (as an aside, if you don't already own power tools, it is NOT cheaper to make book shelves rather than buying them.)

7. My Friends

I am lucky to have so many good friends - people that I trust and know will be there for me. I have the friends that I have known for ages and that are like family (mainly sisters here). I also have the newer friends that I might not know as well; however, they are very good people that I hope to know better. I have undergrad friends, law school friends, high school friends (with whom I hope to reconnect), work friends, tri/running friends, and the how do I know you again friends. Regardless of the group and how well I actually know the person, I know that all of these people will be there for me. Its reassuring to know that whenever I have a problem, I know that I have a friend that will be there to listen. Or whenever there is a need to celebrate, a friend will be there.

(sorry ladies, but you know i LOVE this picture... its not that revealing.)

8. Being an Athlete

I've never wanted to define myself as a runner or triathlete; however, I am and there is no reason to deny that. I run to make myself feel better; I run because its fun. In being athletic, I've had great experiences and get to spend time with friends. Oh, and because I'm an athlete, I've been able to swim in lakes formed by volcanic craters (see number 4).

9. Coffee (and Wine and Chocolate - especially when combined with # 7 and/ or #1, good weather and a patio)

I'll admit it, I run/exercise to eat. It make me happy to share a bottle of wine/coffee/food with friends. Even better yet is sharing something that I've made. I'm not an artist; however, I feel like one whenever I can cook and bake.

10. Accomplishment

Hard work and dedication do pay off. I've always been goal-oriented. Its not the goal itself that is what matters - its accomplishing what I've set out to do.

So, now the fun part of tagging people.... I'm supposed to tag 10; however, I'm lazy... (and not really sure who to tag...)

1. Amanda

2. Shelley

3. Heather

I am an IronMan

2009-11-10T17:17:00.000-06:00

13:56

I'm still all smiles about the race. More to come... and I will post pictures soon.

I'm Ready...

2009-11-04T11:29:00.000-06:00

We leave today for Florida. My bag is packed; my transition bags are packed and labeled. I'm still amazed at how much stuff is necessary for this weekend. I think (hope) that I've planned for every contingency; however, I'm hoping that my planning is not necessary. The weather looks perfect for Saturday and the Gulf continues to be calm. Things will be good.

I'm thankful to have incredibly supportive friends and family. I know that I've neglected many people during the past few months and I'm sorry. I've been told that doing an IronMan is one of the most selfish things that a person can do. I now realize how true that is. Unfortunately, I think that James realized that much sooner than I did. That said, all will be over after Saturday. I just hope that me crossing the finish line makes this journey worth it for everyone. I've missed birthdays, dinners, nights with my hubby, and haven't cleaned much in ages. Instead, I've spent my mornings, nights, and weekends running/biking/swimming in circles. I've pushed my body to new limits, found new meanings of exhaustion and surprised myself at how quickly I can recover. I will stand on the beach in the best shape of my life and completely injury-free.

Saturday will be a good day. I know that I'll be in tears when I see James and hear my name being called. Just thinking about it makes my eyes water.

Oh, and yes... I am a "sponsored" athlete. Look for me wearing "official" Archer Solutions race gear...

Perspective

2009-08-21T21:02:00.000-05:00

I'm no longer in high school and we are all near (or have passed) the age of 30 (and adulthood). It does not offend me to be "unfriended" on Facebook. In fact, I didn't even notice until it was pointed out to me. I'll admit, I had to figure out how to search to confirm that it was true. That said, I think that I'll survive and will likely prosper.

What is even more important is that once again I realized exactly how lucky I am. While at happy hour with friends and family, my darling husband stops by twice for a "drive-by kiss" as my sister-in-law termed it. While he was in the area for work and running errands, he stopped in to see me. I'm still amazed. We are out of the so-called Honeymoon period of marriage - if that ever really ends. In considering James, our life and the past few weeks, I realize how much he truly loves me and sees me for the person that I am (as opposed to the person that I want to be or think that I am).
Without fail, he has the confidence in me that I sometimes (perhaps, often) lack. Quite possibly, he knows my true limitations better than I do. He truly knows me... and still loves me. There as a time (maybe yesterday - well, more like 3 years ago) that I did not think that was possible. I've never thought that I was incapable of being loved; but, it does surprise me that I did meet my match. And, honestly, James is my match. My equal. And, in some ways, my conscience. Inexplicably, since we've been together I've lost some of my punch - or whatever it is called. I don't know if it is him or just life. I don't have that same bitchiness that I once had. I'm nicer and will put up with a bit more crap than before (oddly, I termed this bitchiness... hmm...)
Last weekend, I was sharing my fears with James. Yes, it was an end of the weekend, I don't want to return to real life and leave our mini-vacation cry-fest. I was nervous about work and also asked him, who I as fooling by signing up for an ironman. He looked at me with surprise and expressed so much confidence in my ability to finish and do well. But, he wants me to be done because there are other things that we are hoping for the in near future (or at least within 9-10 months following Floida). In my mind, I will only do one IM - mainly, to prove to myself that I can do it (and to get the tattoo) but, James already has planned for me to do another one. Specifically, in about 5 years, he plans to be standing at the finish line with our child to see me finish... This makes me smile. I truly think that he knows me and gets me... And loves me.

Ahh... I'm all smiles (and happy tears)....

And there are people who think that facebook friendship is important or relevant...

What a week!

2009-07-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

1) Only about 130 community fund slots remain for IM Florida. I've gotta make a decision pretty quick.
2) I discovered that the top tube on my new (to me) bike has a crack near the seat post. I'm not pleased and do not know exactly how Cervelo will handle this issue. I'm expecting the worst and am peeved... I KNOW that I did not do anything to cause this (i.e., no crashes, etc. - yeah, I've fallen, but that couldn't have caused this...) and, after having to pay to resolve the issue, I might as well have bought the bike new in the first place.
3) Very busy at work... lots of things coming up in the next week.
4) We received a favorable ruling from the First Court of Appeals today! WOOHOO!!

Memorial Hermann Sprint Tri

2009-06-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

Improvement is a wonderful thing... I decided to race simply to determine whether I've improved since last year. Granted, I realize that its kinda hard to see improvement on such a short course; however, it was good so see a faster time.

The Swim - 300m
NEVER again will I do a pool swim. Granted, I didn't flip out this year but I didn't feel like I swam well and was not at all comfortable in the water. The woman in front of me was swimming breast stroke and was only a hair slower than me. When I passed her, she was on my heels and did pass me, then she slowed down and I couldn't pass her (or else she'd sped up again). The entire swim is just disorganized and makes me nervous.

2009: 7:50.5
2008: 9:21.2

T1 2009: 2:04
T1 2008: 2:16.9
I must practice transitions! There is no reason that it should take me 2 minutes to put on bike shoes and a helmet...

The Bike - 10mi
The 10 mile course was relatively uneventful. However, I could definitely tell that I did a long run on Saturday morning and home improvement projects all Saturday afternoon. Seriously, nothing exciting on the bike. The only frustrating part was not having anyone in my age group around. Not that I'm trying to place in my AG but its nice to be able to pass people.

2009: 30:25.5
2008: 31:09.6

T2 2009: 1:42.3
T2 2008: 2:05.5

The Run - 3mi
Again, those 11 miles from Saturday came back to haunt me and the heat was miserable. During this stretch, I only saw one person in my age group and was pleased to pass her. Just hot and uneventful. In retrospect, I wonder if I was pushing myself enough on the run; however, I was done for the rest of the day. Also, I was surprised to see just that many people walking on the run course.

2009: 27:51.9
2008: 28:39.2

Overall
2009: 1:09.54 (11/38)
2008: 1.13.32.4 (15/23)

I will not live vicariously

2009-06-19T08:54:00.000-05:00

This week I've been watching quite a few of my friends get ready for Ironman Cour d'alene. (I know that I spelled that one wrong.) Its pretty exciting to see everything that they've done to get to this point. This all makes me want to do this even more...
BUT -
That means that I need to get in all my workouts. For some reason, I can get up early to run; however, I cannot do the morning bikes. My plan for next week is to start going to the Thursday morning bricks with Houston Racing. That way, I'll be meeting people. I think that might be my problem: no accountability but to myself. Anyone up for 515am bike rides on Tuesday?
As an alternative, I think that there is a way to link an online training log to my blog... maybe I need to do that.

To Race or Not? (or Why You Cannot Be Cheap and Do Triathlons)

2009-06-10T08:34:00.000-05:00

I'm "supposed" to do the Memorial Hermann sprint tri in Sugarland on June 28 but I'm now debating. Sure, I'd like to race - the only way to improve your racing is to race, right? I'd like to return to my first tri to measure my improvement. (Last year, this was my first ever tri and I flipped out 25m into the swim.) But, I haven't registered. I don't REALLY want to spend the money. These races get expensive and with IMFL a possibility, I don't want to spend a lot of money on the smaller races. (See, I really am being considerate to my wonderful husband.) Oh, and its a pool swim and I loathe pool swims - granted, I've only done the one but I'm not too jazzed about doing another one. I'm not too sure what my time would be for the 300m and I'd have to do a time trial in the next day or so... hmm... decisions...

PSA

2009-06-08T09:37:00.000-05:00

1) Go see The Hangover. Be prepared to laugh and laugh a bit more. If you see it at Edwards Greenway you will likely be the oldest person there (yes, this is me saying this...). The audience was full of college kids and a TON of frat boys that were out in mommy's mercedes.

2) When using spray-on sunblock, be sure to evening apply.

3) Don't wear cheap flip-flops and try to walk down hard wood stairs. Nasty bruising will likely occur.

Zonked

2009-06-04T10:57:00.000-05:00

Its just Thursday and I could barely get out of bed this morning. This week hasn't been that strenuous but I do think that my body is still adjusting to the "new" training schedule and the extra (or more quality) workouts. My proposed schedule has me hitting each sport twice during the week and once during the weekends and as my runs and swims are coached, they have been of a higher quality. That said, I missed by bike ride this morning. I just couldn't get out of bed to do it. ARGH!! Hopefully next week will be easier. Now, I'm contemplating skipping my off day scheduled for tomorrow for an easy bike ride. Since the ride is simply to get some time in the saddle, I think that I'll go for it.

A Balancing Act

2009-06-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

We all have our list of things that we want to do before "x" age. As I get closer to my 30 mark, I've eliminated the unimportant markers (like owning a Jag - why I wanted this, who knows) and only two major markers remain - an ironman and having a baby. Obviously, the two don't really go well together and it will be far easier to do the former before doing the latter. That said, I've been thinking about IM Florida in November. As of last week, the work conflict was removed and the only thing holding me back was the training (and the related time commitment).
This past weekend, I pulled out the Beginner Triathlete full IM training plan and started making my own. Depending upon what happens over the next six weeks will determine what we (James and I) decide for the race. I cannot do this without his full support and understanding of the time commitment. In discussing my initial schedule (which has me doing 4 weekday pm workouts and long bikes and runs on the weekends), he was a bit concerned about losing every weeknight and chunks of the weekend. I'm going to have to adjust and get as many workouts in during the early morning hours (even though I loathe pre-dawn biking).
How do people with spouses, children, and full-time jobs do this? I'm having problems just balancing my work and my wonderful husband. I suppose you learn to embrace the AM even more and learn how to push yourself (rather than always training with a group). I think that I will have to learn how to ride by myself and find some safe routes that are not 60 miles from my house. This is all possible, right? I can do this...

Denmark

2009-05-14T06:53:00.000-05:00

Finally... we leave for Denmark today! This is the trip that we've talked about since before we were married. For two years we've tried to find a time to go and finally its here. Funny thing, we have nothing really planned - well, other than the marathon at this point. My father-in-law, who is coming along as well, was to have made arrangements with his family (who are all in Denmark), but we aren't really quite sure. Supposedly, we have a place to stay - not sure of the details or whose apartment we are sharing or using; we might have someone meeting us at the airport. Do not think that I'm complaining or expressing concern; I am just excited to be going and to have so many days where I have no commitments. I'm looking forward to the break.

Then, as the finale to the trip, the marathon. I'm apprehensive because I'm not trained; however, I'm doing it just to do it. That said, I honestly believe that I'm in better physical condition than when I ran my last decent marathon. I don't really know what that says about my training in the past (because it doesn't say much about my current level of training). I just feel like I've been doing so much other training (biking and swimming) and I feel like my run has improved dramatically. Also, I feel as if I'm mentally stronger than I was before. I'm curious to see what will happen.

Freedom

2009-05-05T09:52:00.000-05:00

Our lives are filled with various gadgets and devices that are supposed to make us more productive - email, internet databases, blackberries, and even the garmin with a heart rate monitor. Do these things actually make us more productive and happier. Note, I'm writing this entry while researching an issue on Westlaw. My search terms produced over 100 results and, likely, I'll look at most of them even though the first document likely gave me all the information that I need.
Every day we use various devices and, at times they just seem to weigh us down. As I've bumped up my running regime in 'preparation' for the Copenhagen Marathon (mainly to see if its even an option), I've found it sometimes harder to run with the garmin. For the past two nights, I've ran without a watch. I've really enjoyed my runs without the constant distraction of knowing my pace, mile times, and heart rate. I catch myself still looking at my wrist throughout the run - in fact, I let myself look knowing that there is nothing there. Just me and my ipod (I can't give up all devices) making the loops through my neighborhood. Just a pleasant evening... Oh, it would even be nicer if I didn't have the blackberry stuffed down my sports bra (ahh... the joys of being on call...)

Its My Birthday

2009-04-27T17:25:00.000-05:00

My birthday cake at the office...

Nothing like a headwind...

2009-04-27T08:53:00.001-05:00

... to remind you how much you love a tailwind. After a marvelous 22ish mile ride and a nearly miserable 22ish mile ride on Sunday, I felt great - except for my bum. I've given this saddle nearly 3 weeks, as requested, and its gone/done/finished. I cannot take it anymore. My new Selle SMP should be here on Wednesday. But, after a little internet research, there are tons of Selle SMP models and I now wonder if I got the right one... we shall see.

Ahh...

2009-04-25T14:31:00.000-05:00

I love this woman...

I feel amazing now.

Changes...

2009-04-24T15:47:00.000-05:00

So, I finally updated this sucker and need to start posting again.
I've also added my race schedule and yes, there is a marathon for May 24th! And no, i'm not adequately trained. Guess I have a month to get there, right??

Brick in the 'Hood

2009-03-18T22:18:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love my neighborhood. Where else in Houston do you get rolling hills (well, small ones - but definitely hills) and just a great sense of community. (And yes, this is all inside the loop). With daylight savings time in effect, there are many more people outside at night. Tonight, there were casual adult bikers, parents with their little kids biking, people at the park, dog walkers, a man with his infant, and a few runners. While making my loop through the neighborhood, it was great to see all the people out and about. It was a great ego boost to see the kids who were just learning to bike watch me pass with looks of amazement. I'm out there on the aero bars with the fancy shoes and those funny looking shorts having the time of my life (seriously - fun ride tonight). Then, put the bike in the garage, chatted with the hubster while I put on running shoes, and I was out the door again. On the run, I got a few strange looks from people that had seen me biking. One of my neighbors (who was biking) asked, "Didn't you just get off the bike?" Ahh... what a lovely night.

Then, I came inside, fixed dinner and settled into watch my DVRed Biggest Loser. This week's challenge was running the half marathon. Can I tell you, I'm just glad that none of the contestents beat my time for Sunday. Is it weird that I'm that person - the one that would be concerned by that?

Slippery Slopes

2009-03-18T11:37:00.001-05:00

I realized yesterday when I hopped on the scale that I had officially entered my own slippery slope. Whenever I get to a certain point, I kinda freak out and get scared that I'm becoming the fat middle schooler that I used to be. The heaviest that I've ever been was 174 (and that was at the beginning of 7th grade). As I get closer to that number, I really get scared and feel even more out of control. Oddly enough, I know that I'm doing this to myself and cannot figure out why. I told a friend the other night that I think that I should see a nutritionist; however, I don't know if that is really what I need - Maybe I just need a psychologist.

Why is it that I have such an emotional connection to food? My grew up with a family that used food as the center of every family gathering (celebration, bereavement, etc.). Notably, every conversation with my mother or grandmother involves a discussion of what I've eaten that day or what I plan to eat that evening. In comparison, with my husband's family, food is an after thought to any family gathering. Meaning, the event is the important aspect and, it can only be assumed that there will be some sort of food. Admitedly, I kinda like that. Its less pressure for me. (if that makes any sense).

Why have I been eating so many sweets and junk food? It doesn't make me feel better and only leaves me feeling bloated and dehydrated in the morning. And, whenever I turn off the alarm rather than going to the gym or running, it only compounds the issue.

I recently bet my husband that he couldn't go two weeks without fast food. He did it and, I'll admit, I was a bit surprised. I'm even more impressed that since the end of the two weeks, he hasn't reverted to his old drive-thru ways. If I'm not actually cooking a meal (which, sadly is most nights), he will go to Subway or ask me to go by Barnabys (or the like).

Now, I'm betting myself: two weeks no sugar/sweets. As I've been eating something sweet everyday for the past few weeks (a hershey kiss or two, a cookie, etc.), two weeks without sweets actually seems a bit daunting. How sad is that? But, I WILL complete my own personal challenge. I just need to decide my reward... I'm thinking money for the bike fund.

Decisions

2009-03-05T08:52:00.000-06:00

I had a fabulous half marathon in Austin - 2:11! This completely surprised me. I ran by heart rate the entire time and averaged 175 for the entire race. I had no idea how I would finish. Best of all, I beat my time from the Houston have by a minute and a half! And, this was a much harder course (you know, Austin has hills).
After that great race, I want to start training again. My first impulse was to do the half (or quarter) at Lone Star; however, I later found out that I had a conflict with the race date. Well, my all or nothing mentality then said, "hey, why not do a full this year. You can still get a community fund spot for IM Florida." Now, a review of my work calendar reveals docket call on the Friday before the race. Maybe that will change in the next month or so (or at least before the community fund spots are gone). It is doubtful that we will know in advance (but maybe!). Well, since IMFL was coming on the books, I started gearing up for a half at Gulf Coast. Then, we realized that ticket prices to Denmark are about $300 cheaper if we go before before the end of May (we'd have to be gone the weekend of the half). ARGH!! are the triathlon gods telling me not to race?

Warning -- Whining Alert...

2009-02-13T11:41:00.000-06:00

I apologize in advance, this post is me being whiny and complaining (but hey, I can do that, right?).

I'm debating Austin. I was incredibly excited about it; then, I got whatever bug has been going around and did absolutely nothing for a week. My longest run has been nine miles. I keep telling myself that I should be fine for the half. I can do this and I'll be glad that I did.

Here lately, I just don't know what my problem is. I cannot explain my lack of motivation. I should be excited about the new opportunities that I have...but, sadly, not so much. I just couldn't get moving this morning and missed Wills Hills. I haven't been to the gym in almost two weeks. I'm signed up for Take a Hike Ike tri in two weeks but I haven't been near a pool since October.

I know that I've been busy at work and had quite a few family obligations. But, I just don't feel like myself. Normally, I'm not a woe is me type person and I feel like that is all that this post is... "woe is me..." I just feel bit disorganized in life right now. I'm not working out as much as I should and my house is a mess with many unfinished projects. Oh, and I'm pretty busy at work (yes, I know that is a good thing). I just want to take a breath and cross some things off the to-do list. I need that feeling of accomplishment.

Wills Hills

2009-02-11T15:08:00.000-06:00

I finally made it out to Will's Hills. Boy, I was in for a real treat. Let's just say, I need to keep going back.
Oh, and yes, the hills in Austin are gonna kill me this weekend.

I'm An Aunt!

2009-02-04T08:07:00.000-06:00

Elaine Abigail Rosendahl
February 3, 2009
3:49 pm
6 lbs 9 oz (i think)
19 inches

Sunday Bricks

2009-01-26T14:11:00.000-06:00

I have now officially done more bricks than training for Longhorn last fall. That's right folks, I have done one brick workout and have exceeded my brick training for a half ironman. (I wasn't lying when I said that I wasn't well trained.)
Yesterday's workout was supposed be a 60 minute bike followed by a 30 minute run. Not so much... I almost died on the run. Whenever I run off the bike, I have a tendency to run faster than normal. I made it to almost a mile before I had to walk. Then, I just kept running back and forth around this one section of Terry Hershey. Kids were sliding down the hill on pieces of cardboard while the parents took pictures - and looked at me like I was crazy.
It was a successful workout. Until I met the hubster and sister-in-law for dinner at Cafe Adobe. Oh well...

Please, Pretty Please...

2009-01-23T10:55:00.000-06:00

My birthday is coming up (in a few months). Can I have this, puh-leese...

No Quick Fix

2009-01-23T09:37:00.000-06:00

Gee, I'm not surprised by this amazing piece of research. Although it does get an award for stating the obvious, it is nevertheless interesting.

I'm excited...

2009-01-22T14:39:00.000-06:00

I'm in for the half.

Reliving My Days as a Cheerleader

2009-01-19T10:43:00.000-06:00

Prior to Sunday, I was bummed about not running the marathon. BUT - little did I know how much fun I would have cheering. For a full recount of the weekend, see Heather's blog. Plus, she has all the great pictures...

I'll just add a few additional thoughts. I had a lot of fun going out there and it was wonderful to see how many people seemed excited to see me. It was also quite interesting for me to be on the other side of the curb. Specifically, I was able to see ALL of the participants and really did notice a difference in people. With a few exceptions, those runners who finished in 4:15 or less looked much better than those with slower times. I was amazed at how fresh the 3:40 pace group looked whenever they pasted through mile 24. Makes me want to train harder and get into better shape. I know that being well trained is part of it; however, the more time that one is on the course, the harder it gets. That said, this weekend renewed my quest for the four hour marathon. Suddenly, with a little work, it doesn't seem like its that far off.

December 19, 2008

2009-01-16T13:43:00.001-06:00

Its been a while since I've posted and I need to bring things up to date.

November and December were a strange months for me. After having great runs, things began to quickly go downhill. I just couldn't run very well. On several occasions, my heart rate would inexplicably go up to around 180-190, I'd get dizzy and would experience what I thought was an asthma attack. On December 3, I went to my doctor (a fine GP at the Baylor clinic) and was suddenly in the midst of a full-scale cardio workup. Within two days, I had an EKG, chest x-ray, echocardiogram and started a 48 hour holter monitor. By the way, if you have sensitive skin, a holter monitor is no fun... I looked like I'd been attacked by leeches for the week after the test. Next, on December 15, I had a "fun" test where they do an ultrasound through the esophogus.

The tests showed that I had a 1 cm hole between the left and right side of my heart (artrial septal defect). The picture shows where the hole was and the difference between the normal heart and one with the defect.

On December 19, I had the procedure done to correct it. Rather than being a 1 cm hole, my cardiologists (another great Baylor doctor and his fellows) determined that the hole was actually 2.2 cm. (which completely explained why i was so symptomatic). I now have a nickel-titanium mesh patch in my heart that closed the hole.

I marvel at modern medicine. My options to fix this were this patch and open heart surgery. One requires weeks (maybe months of recovery) and the other was less than a week. I was able to be released from the hospital in just over 30 hours and was back at work on Monday. It is amazing.

On the afternoon of the procedure, I was already able to breathe better! At first, I thought that it was simply in my mind. However, my cardiologist explained that the right side of my heart and my right lung had been processing 180% of the blood that they should have been - my heart and lung were doing almost twice as much work. I feel so much better now; I am still amazed at the difference.

Running has been phenominal. I have rediscovered my love. Plus, its just a lot easier now. Running by heart rate, my pace is about 30 seconds per mile faster! Who would have thought!

Kind Words

2008-12-18T08:58:00.000-06:00

"You are an elite athlete."

Those are words that I never thought I'd hear - not in a million years. But, they were told to me. And, they were told to me by a man with many years of education, who is entrusted to teach others to save lives and the one that I'm trusting with my heart.
I'll take those words and cherish them. If doc tells me that, then they must be true.
He went on to say that I didn't need to line up at the front or have the endorsements; I am elite because I'm committed, determined and I care enough to continue to do it.
Happy training to all my elite athlete friends.

Not Running.

2008-12-17T14:39:00.001-06:00

So, since I haven't been running (doctor's orders), what exactly have I been doing with my time? Well, besides working more, home renovations... pictures will be posted shortly.

Houston Marathon Bib For Sale

2008-12-08T11:24:00.001-06:00

It is official. No marathon for me.
I tell myself that I don't need both a half ironman and a marathon in the same year to make me happy.
It is frustrating. I have been running (although not blogging).
I wanted to do well and I was on track. Alas, it is not meant to be.

Houston Half Marathon

2008-10-28T16:23:00.000-05:00

I am officially obsessing over 2 minutes and 30 seconds (truthfully, maybe about 4 minutes). My plan was to run the race at marathon pace; however, after a difficult run on Wednesday, I was questioning my ability to run at the necessary 9:45 pace. To quickly explain, for some reason, on Wednesday I was struggled to run a 30:30 three miler. I was breathing hard and almost drenched with sweat - I was seriously working hard and thought that I was at least running 9 minute miles (if not better). When I hit the three mile mark, I was shocked to see 30:30 staring back at me.

Fast forward to Sunday, I didn't think that I could even maintain a 10:00/mile pace in the race. I decided to just give it a go and see what happened. I was hoping that I could at least finish in 2:10 or less and I think that the math was there but something was off. The trusty Garmin said that I ran 13.3 miles - which, if that is correct, explains my 2 minutes. But, I don't think that it was off this much. Throughout the race, I could never get the miles markers to match with the Garmin. Could not running some of the tangents have made me this off?

I also realized that I run much better whenever I'm running with someone - especially, if I think that they are relying on me to pace them. For the first two loops, I had a partner. I ended up leaving her a bit on the last loop and boy was it hard. I then tried to pick people off - but then, that got discouraging as a few people blew past me.

Mentally, I was in this race. I walked the water stops and not really anything else. It was interesting to see just how many people were walking that last loop and I was determined not to walk. I wanted to finish in under 2:10 - just didn't quite make it.

Now, after doing a bit of math and looking at the computer generated pace charts, I need to run the Turkey Trot 10k in 54:00 minutes to be on track for my marathon goal. Anyone up for some 8:30s at the Turkey Trot? I think I'll need a bit of help.

Take that Pudge!

2008-10-22T09:16:00.001-05:00

I've reclaimed my favorite black pants!
Score 1 for me.

Tuesday Night Fun

2008-10-21T22:06:00.000-05:00

At some point, I've gotten slow. I don't really know how it happened; however, I just don't move as fast as I did a few years ago. I'm sure that somehow that the 'real' job, the husband and the house all have something to do with it. That said, I somehow seem to try to run the old paces. Tonight was no exception with track work. Warning: I haven't done track workouts in a while -- thus, the workout wasn't that impressive - but I did it - that's the important thing. But, I was actually surprised at what I ran.
6:21/1200
5:17/1000
4:22/800
2:08/400
Prior to starting, I was told that I should probably be running 9:30s, based on my recent run times in my sprint tris. Apparently, if I can run 9:30s at the end of a sprint tri, I should be able to pull those off for a half (not too sure about that one).
Either way, I'll take those numbers. Now, I think that I'm committed to doing the Houston Half on Sunday. I'd like to see if I can pull off my goal marathon pace.

Note to Self

2008-10-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

Never start a 21 Day Challenge before going to the grocery store and when day 1 is the same day as a friend's housewarming...
I'm restarting the challenge and today is day 1 for me. I finally went to the store on Sunday and have what is necessary to cook dinner at night and bring my lunch to work - gotta stay out of the tunnels with their crap food.

On Saturday, I accidentally ran 8.5 miles. Really, it was an accident. I ran into Kelsey on the loop and ended up running with her. Kelsey is a former non-runner who decided to run the half this year with TNT. It was good to catch up with her a bit. Since it was a recovery week, I was able to run slower; however, I was really feeling the miles towards the end of the run. Maybe thats why I should've stuck with the original plan. Either way, it was fun!

21 Day Challenge

2008-10-10T15:16:00.000-05:00

We all know it takes 21 days to form a habit. I've been slacking a bit and need to get back on track. My goal: use the next 21 days to find my schedule and improve my eating habits. Starting tomorrow there will be no alcohol, sugar, caffiene or flour for the next 21 days. I will also be sure to get some form of exercise in each day - even if it is only taking the dogs for a walk.
I will keep you posted. If I'm not blogging, there is a problem...

Longhorn 70.3 (Or How I Learned How to Train for a HIM)

2008-10-07T14:27:00.000-05:00

I finished! That is all that matters. Looking back, I realize exactly how far I've come in only a few short months. In mid-April, I accidentally did my first 20 mile bike ride. Then on April 27, despite my fears of not being capable, I did my first 30 mile ride. Then, on June 22, I did my first triathlon. During that race, I flipped out on the 300m pool swim. Around that same time, I went out to Twin Lakes for the first time. I was terrified of the open water. Heather and Kim stayed near me the entire swim so that I would be comfortable. Looking back, I've done a lot in a very short time. Seriously, in less than four months I move from my first sprint tri to completing a HIM. I'm pretty darn pleased with myself.

The Swim
46:57
2:26/m

So, there's talk about the swim course being short. I'm not going to entertain this talk. This was an official/branded event. The big names couldn't have possibly allowed for a short course.
I didn't look at my watch at all during the swim. I just made a point of sighting well and staying near the bouys. My goal was to stay calm and swim as strong as possible. As I got passed by the waves behind me, I remained calm. I will note that I could quickly tell the sex of the wave by how they grabbed at my feet/legs. When women touched you, they quickly backed off; the men just kept coming - they did move over a bit. After rounding the final bouy, I took a pretty hard hit to the head from a man in a green swim cap. Surprisingly, he apologized.
Coming out of the water, I glanced at my watch for the first time. I know that I was grinning from ear to ear. It was great seeing Ingrid, Jeff, Larry, and James (my husband) right after the swim. Whenever I saw Ingrid, I just yelled for joy "46 minutes!" Later, James told me that all his race day fears for me ended whenever he saw me after the swim. He knew that I was most worried about that but, when he saw the smile (which was pretty freakin' huge), he knew that everything would be fine.

The Bike
4:01:53
13.9 mph

I was pretty much on target for the bike; however, this did not feel like the same course that we rode last weekend. On some of the small hills (and even the flats), I was in my spinning gears and thinking that it was pretty ridiculous. There was just this terrible headwind for most of the course. It was just a bit frustrating to deal with the wind and the hills. I followed my nutritional plan; however, at around mile 30, I realized that I would be a bit short on calories. I have problems taking in much of anything on the run and thought that I'd do better if I took in more on the bike. At that time, I decided to risk it and take the a gu from an aid station. Surprisingly, it did the trick. I was able to take in almost 2 gus without getting sick. This was what I needed to get me through the bike.
At around mile 40, Black Betty came into existence. I'd not yet named the bike and for some reason, I started calling her that. For the rest of the course, the song "Black Betty" kept going through my mind.

The Run
3:08:09
14:22/M

By far, this was my worst run ever. My goal was to just make it through. The first mile or so was fine, then everything just got worse. This section of the course was open - no shade - and I was hot and getting sunburned. (should've used more sunblock). By the time I made it back into the park, I was already in a walking mode and had rationalized the walk. So, I mostly walked it in. During the last loop, James walked with me for a few minutes. He just encouraged me to keep going (not that quitting was ever an option) and reminded me of how close I was to the finish. Along the way, it was great seeing everyone that was their cheering and those that had already finished.
The last tenth of a mile made the entire day worth it. Seeing my friends, seeing my husband and hearing my name (which was pronounced correctly). This was the most amazing feeling. As James saw me finish, he ran to the other side of the finish line and just hugged me (careful to miss the sunburned areas). I've never cried at the end of a race before. I did on Sunday. It was wonderful to see how happy, proud and excited James was. He was just as happy as I was.

Final time: 8:04:34

Learning

Many lessons were learned during the run and I then understood everything that Lisa had told me during training. Any (and all) deficiencies in training will show up in the run. This was exactly what happened to me. I trained for three separate events - not one long race. I didn't do enough bricks and my legs just weren't used to running after that much biking. To a certain extent, I let my tiredness take hold of me. I wasn't as focused as I could have been during the run; but, it was always about having fun. At many points during the day, I just smiled because that was where I wanted to be.
I'm now looking forward to Lonestar in April. I now know how to train and know what I need to do. And, I'm setting a goal. As we get closer, I may share it; however, for now, it will be my motivation.

Its Working.

2008-10-01T13:16:00.001-05:00

RICE is working; life will be good.

Sprained Ankles Suck

2008-09-30T14:55:00.000-05:00

So, why is it that only DAYS before Longhorn I roll my ankle while diligently doing my 30x30s this morning? Sure, I probably should have went to the park where the lighting was better - but, I wanted to take advantage of the rolling hills in the neighborhood. Seriously, where else in Houston can you get hills right outside your front door? ARGH!

All this after a great final training weekend. I rode a portion of the course with Heather and Penny. I felt great and the hills weren't that bad; it was a huge confidence booster. Now, I'm hobbling around the office in flip flops and grabbing a ice pack.

Fear

2008-09-08T18:22:00.000-05:00

Fear is an odd thing. When life begins, you are a small child without knowledge of danger. You are able to run headlong into life without fear because of this blissful ignorance. As we grow older, we become more hesitant to take risks because we have learned of the danger. Is fear really natural as we are not born with it?

Over the years, I have faced my biggest fear. Oddly enough, I did not discover my fear on my own. It was mother who most accurately detailed it many years ago. Looking back, I realize that she was right (as mothers most often are). It amazes me that, even at such a young age, I behaved in a similar fashion.

Life changes when you experience your biggest fear. It is in these moments that you have the option of giving into despair or forcing yourself to grow stronger. I do not know if I was benefited by not experiencing my fear more often when I was younger. Sure, I faced it; however, I did not expect to experience it.

My biggest fear - failure. It is a dirty word; one that can shake me to my core. As I've advanced in life and competition has become more fierce, I've experienced failure. It is never pleasant. Never rewarding. Never comforting. And certainly never satisfying. Yet, it is always motivating.

As Longhorn approaches, I become fearful. I question my schedule, training, and (sometimes) the lack thereof. I cannot make excuses for the mistakes that I've made in training. I can only learn from them for the next race.

My goal is merely to finish the race. I now question this goal. Is finishing a worthy ambition? If I set my standards higher, would I have found a way to meet them? Is there any benefit in present when a real decision must be made?

Has my fear of failure overtaken me? Am I too afraid to raise the bar and see what may come? I now yearn for the blissful ignorance of childhood.

Race Report: Iron Babe

2008-08-18T08:53:00.000-05:00

I decided to race on Saturday afternoon and was one of the last people to register. Seriously, registration ended at 5:00; I registered at about 4:50. The whole point of registering was to get in a smaller open water swim before doing Clear Lake next weekend.

As usual, I was nervous before the swim. The water had a bit of a chop to it (or at least I thought that it did). By far, open water swims are much better than the pool. Apparently, the participants in this race were pretty rough and there were a lot of elbows and people swimming over each other. As I heard people complaining about it afterwards, I remarked to myself that it wasn't actually that bad. I was glad that I didn't have to worry about the person behind me and felt like I could swim my own (slow) race. Towards the end, I finally just put my head down and did ten stroke intervals. The ten strokes turned into thirty and I was quickly out of the lake.

I do not mind the bike portion of the race at all. I had the bike adjusted on Friday before the race. At the beginning of the bike portion, I felt the seat move on the bike. Fortunately, it just moved along the bracket and there were no real problems. I now just need to figure out why my seat will not stay in the most forward position. During the race, I just tried to keep pace with those in my age group. I thought that the strategy worked pretty well.

The run was fabulous for me. Lately, I've been struggling on the runs; however, for some reason, I can't pull off a 10:00 mile for the marathon pace portion of a run but can easily run faster than that for the last leg of the tri. I haven't yet completely figured out how the garmin works in the multisport function. As such, I have no clue what my actual pace is during the run. It only gives me total time (including bike and transition) and total distance (including the bike). But, maybe that is why it is easier to do well - I'm not worrying about hitting a specific pace and just run.

Time: 1:17.32
Swim: 8:57.9 (no doubt where my weakness is)
T1: 1:36.6
Bike: 36:28.0 - 18.1 mph
T2: 2:05.6
Run: 28.24.1 - 9:28/mile

Age Group: 17/60
Overall: 128/362

Tired

2008-08-14T15:34:00.000-05:00

So, is anyone else out there just inexplicably tired? I don't know what is going on with my right now. I cannot get out of bed in the mornings and don't feel like doing much. This morning, I barely made it 3 miles (unfortunately 5 was on the schedule for today). My legs feel like lead and my ankles are killing me... Maybe I need new shoes? But how can that explain my inability to get my butt out of bed in the mornings?

Vacation

2008-08-13T08:41:00.000-05:00

This weekend the hubby and I were in Dallas to celebrate his birthday. What a much needed break. Every year he celebrates his bday with an old friend, Steve, and this year the party was in Dallas.

Steve and Eve (his wife) recently purchased a gorgeous new house complete with a pool. The entire weekend was spent hanging out by the pool. I worked on perfecting (well learning) a back dive and even attempted the front flip - I've almost got the flip. Of course, everyone thought that I was crazy because of my exuberance in getting things right. I think that I was diving for at least an hour straight.

Perhaps the best part of the weekend was spending time with Steve, Eve, and their four year-old Kyra. I love this little one so much and always enjoy spending time with her. It is amazing to see how much she has grown in the past three years and how much she changes each time I see her. Yet, no matter how much she grows, she is always so excited to see me - apparently, I'm her best friend (but I'm sure she tells all the ladies that...)

I will update with pictures - couldn't get the card reader to work last night.

New Record Distance

2008-07-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

FIFTY miles today! Yes, this was my longest ride ever! And yes, I'm pleased... I'm very glad that Kim was with the group today or else I'd have been left alone in the back of the pack. But, that's okay - I'm new to this.

Total Distance: 50.19 miles
Avg Speed. 14.8 mph
(we did stop twice though) It is slow, but thats okay. We still have several weeks to improve before Longhorn.

Fun in the Pool.

2008-07-23T11:37:00.000-05:00

I finally gained the courage to try the YMCA Masters class again - I'm hooked. The coach is great and was willing to work with me. Gave me numerous pointers throughout the night and really broke my stroke down. I was told that I have a lot of room for improvement and that each week he will make a necessary adjustment. Also, at the end of the practice, we did an exercise that breaks down each element of the freestyle stroke - very helpful!

Randomness...

2008-07-15T10:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, its been a while... a long while. I never did the race report. I'll make it short - everything but the swim went well. Somehow I averaged 19.1 mph on the bike and 9:33 miles on the run. I'm happy with the bike and I'll accept the run. I haven't been pushing myself enough on the runs and I'm working on it - honest. With regard to the swim, it just sucked. Yes, that is the technical word. For some reason, I flipped out at about 20m into it. I think that it was a combination of nerves, breathing, and only swimming a handful of times in a 50m pool.

Since the tri, work has been crazy. In this day of settlement, we actually went to trial... Needless to say, I had several busy weeks. Now, I'm really back with it and have learned a few lessons -

1) My swim sucks... I gotta spend a lot of time in the pool. I'm giving the Downtown Y Masters class another try this week and will try UH Masters next week.

2) My core is weak... Haven't done core in ages and did it yesterday - boy was it embarrassing.

3) Hills are tough... Yes, I know that this is not really a revelation; however, this past weekend was my first round of hills on the bike. I was hurting Saturday afternoon.

4) ATP is practice... Houston Fit ATP is not a running group. We have practices that require mandatory attendance unless a prior excuse has been cleared with the coach. Well, at least this is what I'm telling myself.

5) The scale can be a dirty liar... So, I've been a bit frustrated that I haven't actually dropped that much weight. Then, yesterday at the office, someone commented that I was looking good and that she could tell that I'd lost some weight. Yes, I have a new favorite assistant.

Race Report... Coming Soon...

2008-06-27T11:43:00.001-05:00

Reading everyone's race reports from CDA is inspiring me to write mine from my FIRST tri! I'll update soon...

I'm Alive.

2008-06-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

I just realized that its been a while since I've posted. And, I'll confess, its been about 2 weeks since I've been for a swim (still biking and running). I've just been busy with work and this week was out with vertigo. Seriously, had a prescription for vertigo (not fun) and have been too nervous to get into the pool. That terrible streak will end tonight at Twin Lakes.

Hmm... here's to two weeks of schedule success...

Choices

2008-05-28T08:31:00.000-05:00

I just read June's blog this morning and her comments on the topic of weight loss. Like everything, its about choices and deciding what is important. I've been making an effort to make better choices and actually eating more often. Hopefully I will have good news to report at the end of the week.

Confessional...

2008-05-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

The Slim Down Challenge is here and I now have 12 or so ladies holding me accountable. Sending out your weight to the group is a bit frightening. That said, you'd think that I'd be able to get through a day without screwing up the plan. However, I get home tonight and the hubby is eating cheetos. What do I do, grab a few, then grab a few more - before I know it, I've grabbed something else and am eating it. For dinner, we'd ordered chinese - not too bad considering that I get the steamed chicken and broccoli - no sauce. But, all good intentions to not eat rice went out the window the moment the doorbell rang. Aargh! I need to be more disciplined. I cannot send out an email Friday morning saying that I've lost no weight this week. I feel like I have the self-discipline to do whatever it is that I want in life; however, when it comes to food, I become powerless. I know that I'm an emotional eater. I eat when I'm lonely, bored, sad and now, I eat to spend time with the hubby.

While talking with my sisters-in-law yesterday afternoon, we discussed body image and weight gain. I then realized exactly how far I've come since middle school and that I'm beginning to slip into some of those old habits again. I actually weigh LESS now than I did in the seventh grade. My twelve year old sister-in-law is afraid of gaining weight in middle school (as her older sisters did) and doesn't want to be the fat kid. I explained that I began seventh grade weighing 180 pounds. Needless to say, they were shocked.

After realizing that I've gained over 20 pounds since beginning law school, I realize that I really need to do something about it. During the 25k last year, I finally acknowledged how much harder it was to run with the extra weight; however, I failed to do anything about it. I need to figure out why it is that I turn to food. I must accept that the M&Ms will not make me feel better.

7:07 Pace

2008-05-14T20:35:00.000-05:00

It'll be our little secret that it was only during one of the 30x30s...

Argh!

2008-05-14T15:53:00.000-05:00

After reading Kathleen's blog about the Summer Shape-Up Challenge, I asked to join. Yet, about 15 minutes later, I went to the tunnel and came back with M&Ms. Why I do the things that I do...

Regardless, I will take the Shape Up Challenge. Besides, eating right will help with my new routine. If I'm working this hard, I should do myself the favor and allow myself to get race ready.

Go Mal!

2008-05-08T10:41:00.000-05:00

Last night I learned the secret to a successful 25 minute progressive run: Start slowly. I finished four loops of the course and each was about 20 seconds faster than the previous. Go me!

Oh, in case you are wondering, "mal" is slow in Gaelic. I'm not sure if the spelling is correct.

Swimming Lessons

2008-05-06T13:13:00.000-05:00

This will be me tonight. I just signed up for lessons with Hector at the Y. We briefly discussed my goals and what I want to achieve during lessons. I mentioned that he saw me swim last night and noted that we have a lot of work for the half iron man. Wonderful - but, better to do this now than a month or more from now.

Schedule Success

2008-05-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finally felt like I'm training for a triathlon. Kenyan Way began with a bang in the morning. It has been so long since I've ran hills; I was dying at work during the day. The heels were off after being in the office for less than an hour.
That night, I finally started swimming. I have unsuccessfully tried to sign up for swimming lessons at the Downtown Y and finally realized that I just need to get in the pool. Success! I also found out exactly who I need to speak to regarding lessons. The plan is to take a couple lessons during the next two weeks then start masters swimming. I am a bit intimidated about joining; however, I had the chance to meet a few people in the group and think that I can handle it. At the very least, I know that I'll be able to find a slow lane and it will get me accustomed to sharing a lane with folks.

Garmin Rocks

2008-04-29T21:38:00.000-05:00

My mom gave me the Garmin 305 for my birthday. I whipped it out today for the first time on my run. I ended up having a lot of fun with it. I have it connected to the computer and downloaded my run information. I'm impressed with the charts and the maps. I cannot wait to run tomorrow morning to see what a run around my neighborhood will look like...

Also of note today - I signed up for the Longhorn half ironman. I still cannot believe that i did it!

Weekend Recap

2008-04-29T21:37:00.001-05:00

So, it was the birthday weekend and I slacked a bit... no running. But - the Zephyr ride on Sunday was incredibly fun. I'm still jazzed that I biked 30 miles without a problem.

Recap and Reevaluation

2008-04-24T07:53:00.001-05:00

This week I've learned that I cannot simply jump back to the activity level that I was once at. Further, if I haven't been on a bike for more than an hour, a two hour bike ride is gonna hurt. On Monday, I was simply too tired to do anything and a bit unmotivated because the swimming lessons at the Y were cancelled (and some random teenagers were shooting bb guns at my car during the night - another story)...

Tuesday, I made it to the park but barely made one loop around. Last night, I ran a half mile then walked back to the car (while hanging my head in shame.

I don't know if this is simply a combination of increased exercise, work and life in general, but I'm exhausted. I wake up each morning at the last possible minute and have to run to get out of the house. At least the weekend is almost here (although, I'll be at the office on Saturday) and its my birthday.

Now, I've realized that I need to set a more realistic schedule for myself - take it down a notch until I'm back at that level again.

Accountability

2008-04-20T17:57:00.000-05:00

This is about accountability and motivation. I'm posting my goals and progression to them for the world to see (or whomever stumbles across this page). If you see this and I haven't posted an update, please inquire about my progress. Remind me that I'm signed up for my first tri and am working to regain my fitness level and strengthen my mental fortitude in the process. Thank you.

Bike Tan Rocks

2008-04-20T17:51:00.000-05:00

Here's my first weekend recap:

Saturday - I ran about 5 miles or so. I'm still getting back into shape and am doing 9/1s for my 'long' runs. I did 5 sets before starting to officially walk and I'm pretty sure that I did hit the 5 mile mark as I stopped.

Sunday - Today was the longest that I've been on a bike EVER. A long ride was partially planned but then, I got lost. I braved the I-10 road work and headed to Terry Hershey Park. I did not know that Terry Hershey connects to George Bush - somehow, I found myself at Fry Rd. At that point, I noticed that I'd been riding for over an hour and turned around. Coming back, the headwind was brutal for this newbie biker. I'm quite pleased with my 2:20 bike ride. And, I have the strip on the back to prove it ;-).

A (Small) Milestone

2008-04-17T21:32:00.000-05:00

I'm still adjusting to my non-running self; however, I will still celebrate my accomplishments even if they seem a bit crazy (for being accomplishments). I made it around the park tonight without walking. Its odd, my usual definition of fitness is being capable of running 10 miles on a whim.
Total time: 28:48
Mile 1: 9:08 (i think it was a little short)
Mile 2: 9:54
Mile 3: 9:44

I ran

2008-04-17T07:37:00.000-05:00

One loop around the park last night for me. I'll admit - I did walk almost the last mile but that was because I started out too fast. Funny how your body knows what your 'normal' pace is. My first mile was 8:30 - I have no business running that fast right now.
Tonight is off to the gym and I will turn in my registration for swimming lessons.

Put Down the Cookie.

2008-04-16T17:27:00.000-05:00

The above was on the table in our breakroom. Why our vendors do this is more than I know. We work too many hours and sit on our butts all day. The last thing I need is a cookie.

But - I've done it:
1) Registered for the Memorial Hermann Women's Tri on June 22.
2) Filled out the form for swimming lessons at the downtown Y. Starting Monday, I'll be on the right track.

For the record, I failed at number 3 - I ate a cookie.

Slug.

2008-04-16T07:54:00.000-05:00

This is me. I am a slug.

I cannot get out of bed in the morning. At night, I want to go home. Please motivate me. Or, is it really motivation that I need - maybe a swift kick in the ass.

Decide

2008-04-12T22:18:00.000-05:00

A friend once told me that decisions are really about cutting things out of our lives. Meaning, if you decide to do something, then that means that you remove anything from your life that gets in the way of that goal. This got me thinking - and put to use my college Latin class - decide comes from decedo which can mean 'to cut' or 'to move away from.'

I've decided that I need to focus on my athletic goals and, for once, actually take the steps necessary to achieve them. I need to not be lazy and to focus on the prize - both the physical and emotional one that comes from being disciplined and successful. Here's to accomplishment!