Discom-BOB-ulated Running

Miami Marathon Recap

2012-01-30T17:17:00.022-05:00

I believe some of you know that Sunday was not exactly the race I had planned and trained for. I also think some of you already know that I'm actually A-OK with how everything went down. As I said on the DR FB page, sometimes in the marathon, finishing is winning.

I'm going to save the photos for another post because I want to get the words out of the way first and then get on to the really fun stuff.

On Saturday, bright and early my carload of Hollster, P-Funk, and myself loaded up and headed down to the beautiful (and hot) Miami beach. We picked up our race packets, checked into the hotel and headed back out for a lovely group dinner with about 30 folks (some from the running group and a few bloggers and friends).

Not surprisingly, I was nervous at this point and just wanted to enjoy the camaraderie and then get back to the hotel to rest up for Sunday's race. I knew it was going to be a warm one but I was trying not to use the temperature as an excuse going into it.

Come Sunday morning, it was warm as we walked to the start corrals. I had a throw down long sleeved shirt on as I finally exited the porta-potty and headed to my specific corral. It wasn't too long before I was sweating standing in a very, very crowded corral D. Off came the throw down.

The gun went off and we inched forward like cattle. I mentally went over what I wanted to do that day. I had my 3:35 pace band on and reminded myself to start with an easy pace and then speed it up to race pace by the second and third mile. It was crowded.

I began the bob and weave through what seemed an impossibly huge crowd. It was a jam-packed race at this point and I almost started cursing when I came across a group walking at about the three mile marker. I know that everyone deserves to race, I just get upset when the walking groups are in a front corral. I don't know if they finish in the time they put down or if they just want in an earlier corral or if the marathon just goofs and throws people everywhere, but it's one of those things I find frustrating.

Anyway, as I got to the 10K mark I was running at about an 8:27 pace and knew I needed to pick it up. It was weird though because my legs just wouldn't cooperate. I knew it was hot out but I was thinking that I just needed to warm up and get going and then I'd be fine. However, by mile 8 I knew it wasn't going to me my day to BQ. I let that sink in and decided to go to goal A or goal B. I kept chugging along but just felt so sluggish and I was dripping with sweat. Not to mention, my face felt hot and I was reminded of those runs at the end of triathlons. (I think I saw Xaarlin around this point? We said hey and I believe I yelled something about 3:35 not happening.)

By mile 11 I started thinking I may need to stop altogether. I had slowed to an 8:35 and could not get my heart rate down. My IT bands were yelling at me and my legs already felt sore. What the hell was going on here? I considered pulling out at the half and taking my DNF. At this point I got to the half marathon turn off and was at a 1:52. I realized this wasn't too far off and decided that I'd suck it up and keep going.

My legs didn't feel good or fresh and my heart rate seemed way too high for the pace I was running. I started worrying about how mile 20 was going to feel since miles 13-15 felt pretty awful. I think it was at about mile 14 that I decided I was just going to finish the marathon and consider it another learning lesson in the annals of my marathons.

I think that decision helped me get through the rest of the race. I had a lot of time to think about disappointment from miles 15 to 20 and I knew in my heart that I was good with myself and would be good with however this race turned out. I hate to make an excuse for it, but it was indeed too hot for me and many of the others I ran with and met on the course. The high got up to 76 degrees and the low was about 69 degrees. It was humid and muggy and I got a little relief with a breeze by the ocean and again when it sprinkled a bit toward the end. While I do live in Florida, it's been much cooler in Tampa. My body just wasn't ready to regulate for those temperatures.

By mile 18 I started some walking. I was shocked at how badly I wanted to walk and it just sort of happened at a water stop. I was saying to myself, "You've run multiple 20 milers, what are you doing?" But again, my legs just wouldn't cooperate and I was breathing heavily running slower than I normally do. I was taking my gels and water and doing all the right things as far as fueling but it didn't seem to help.

As I kept moving and tried to keep running, whenever I started to walk someone on the course would literally yell at me to keep running. It was quite possibly one of the most awesome things about this race. One man with a Venezuela shirt said, "This is Miami! No one walks in Miami!" I laughed and started running again. It was one of those moments where I knew someone was looking out for me.

The other moment was when I again started to walk and a woman wearing a shirt that said "Goodwill Runners" came up and said, "Come on! You can do it! Come with me." And again I did. I followed her for as long as I could and again thanked whoever was looking out for me.

By mile 21ish when Coach EK hopped in to help me I knew I would finish and I was perfectly ok with whatever that clock said when I finished. I just realized it was a day to finish the marathon and that was good enough for me. I also knew that I had the support of so many friends and family and how could I ever be disappointed in myself knowing that just being out there was a huge accomplishment?

Coach EK was wonderful and helped get me to mile 23. He's been a great coach and an even better friend. Just having him out there for those few miles was amazing. He not only helped me, but several of my buddies who were also running. In addition to Coach EK, I saw my buds Navy Steve and Little J who were also running folks in.

As Coach EK left it wasn't too long before the Lazy Runner appeared. He had completed the half and was also coming back through to help others. He had promised to run me in and he had all but lost his voice from cheering for folks at this point. As per usual, he made me laugh and we hammed it up for the cameras as we headed toward the finish line.

I'd like to point out that I did talk to a lot of people during this race. I met a man from London who said he wasn't used to the heat. I met another man from Tampa who said he hadn't really trained but he looked like he was doing fine to me. Near the finish line Lazy Runner and I picked up a woman from Atlanta who wanted a 3:45 or so but she felt the same way I did. I really love this about running. I enjoy meeting lots of people on course and I often wonder when someone is just going to tell me to shut the hell up. Heh.

The final mile in I saw the woman from earlier with the "Goodwill runners" shirt on. She was walking.

I knew this was my pay it forward moment and I said, "Come on! You helped me, now I'm helping you. Let's go!" And so she started running behind me.

As I ran up this final hill (it was REALLY RUDE) and toward the finish chute (which seemed to go on for damn near ever) I started waving my arms to get the crowd pumped. I know I needed it and I felt like at least I could help others around me who may have needed it too. I saw some of my buds holding a sign that said, "Suck it Miami!" and I started laughing and shot them double birds to echo the sentiments. All in good fun though because Miami is a great city and they can't help if it's too hot for me on marathon day.

I ran through the finish line with a big goofy grin on my face because I had just finished my 6th marathon and got my big, shiny medal. PR and BQ be damned. I'm proud of myself for not quitting and for holding my head up high. Not a single tear was shed, nor will it be shed. I earned this one, that's for certain.

I turned back after I got my medal and went to talk to the "Goodwill runners" lady. We hugged and I told her congratulations and thanks.

The bottom line is that my biggest fear going into this race wasn't that I wouldn't BQ or PR (I thought PR'ing was in the bag. Ha!). It was that I'd be super disappointed and sad if I didn't meet my goals and I didn't want to do that to myself. I didn't want to finish the race and be bummed out or be a total Debbie Downer to any of my friends. I guess in a way, having to finish this marathon in the way that I did helped me realize a lot about myself as a runner and as a person.

Again thank you all so very much for the continued support and encouragement. I've still got the hunger and will certainly be running another marathon. I'm thinking about redemption come next fall.

Congratulations to all of my racing buds! You all did amazing and I'm proud of each and every one of you. Felicidades Jessica de Cuban Running Crisis! You did it girl!

Final Time: 4:06:04 (average pace 9:24)

Adios Miami y gracias.

Thanks & Goals

2012-01-27T06:00:00.002-05:00

First let me start by saying a huge THANK YOU to those of you have sent me texts, emails, FB messages, well-wishing blog posts, and any other method of communicating good luck. It means a lot and I really hope I can be the support to you all that you have been to me. *Sweaty group hug*

So I posted yesterday to the DR FB page that my co-workers had a pool going on my finish time. It's really quite funny because my co-workers are not runners but they are very sweet and supportive. I told them my PR and I told them goal and the guesses ranged from four minutes over the goal to 20 minutes under the goal (I asked this person if they thought I was Kenyan).

In any event just as with other race goals I've decided to do an A+, A, B, and C goal. I added that A+ goal because I'm still running around in my head about my training and whether or not I'm ready, but this ain't my first rodeo and I know that all I can do is get out there and do my best.

A+ Goal - 3:34:59 (I just think this is a little reaching...)

A Goal - 3:40

B Goal - anything under 3:48 (my current PR)

C Goal - anything sub 3:50

And that's really I got. As Jason keeps reminding me, "you're going to eat lightning and crap thunder!" (I hope so Jason!)

I'll catch you all after my race and I should have someone post my time on the FB page if you want to get see it before I can get a blog post up.

(Inspirational quotes, phrases, and random good luck comments are all welcome and most appreciated!)

Serendipity

2012-01-25T09:02:00.004-05:00

I wasn't going to post this video but it seemed serendipitous when it came on the radio this morning on my way to work.

11 Randoms (AKA help with taper madness)

2012-01-22T20:24:00.037-05:00

As I've only got 5 sleeps to go until my marathon I'm in taper madness. I'd totally be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about this race. I'm doing some positive visualization and thinking about my race strategy. I've got no plans this week but to rest and eat well.

In the meantime, since I really have nothing else to post about, I'm happy I got tagged by Summer from The Blue Line Runner for this post. It helps keep me from rambling on and on about taper madness. Heh.

The rules of this post:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog (FB page or other Social site) and tell them you’ve tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag people!

11 Random things about me:

1. My favorite Disney movie is Alice in Wonderland. Who needs princesses when you have talking caterpillars and momraths? (Don't step on them!)
2. I got a new tattoo on New Year's Eve. I had been wanting it for a while and I love it.
3. I cannot hock a loogie. I tried this morning and almost choked to death.
4. I think Johnny Depp looks like he needs a bath and that dirty look isn't sexy to me. I'll take clean cut any day of the week.
5. I used to HATE running in the cold weather. I'd get up for early runs and be furious it was so cold. Now I LOVE it. I think seeing my race times in colder temps made me change my mind. I still prefer hot days to cold with the exception of racing of course.
6. I would own a million LBDs if I could. (Look it up dudes.)
7. I used to smoke cigarettes in college and now I'm the person who covers my nose around smokers. As they say, the converts are the worst...
8. Where Summer posted that she's a fight, I'm most certainly a flight. (The only time I'd probably fight is if it were for a friend or family member versus myself. Otherwise, I'm outta there!)
9. I dream in very vivid color.
10. I hate peas. They are like little fart pods.
11. I'm sorry if I ruined peas for you.

Summer's questions to those tagged:

Favorite time of the day? Mid-morning, like 11 AM when things are just warming up.
What is your favorite meal to make? I generally like cooking for others and don't do it as much for myself, but I did like making a very easy chicken and dumplings meal.
Glass 1/2 full or glass 1/2 empty? Depends on the day. Today, 1/2 full for sure!
Last picture taken on your phone? None. My phone is broken and I swear I'm getting it fixed before I go see Red next month. She made me promise. Hahaha!
If money was no issue how many races would you try to do in a year? 8 or 9. I'm greedy.
Car, Truck, Van, or SUV? I actually drive a wagon. The HHR, which, will be paid off in 1 month! Woot!
Do you take part in any water sports ? I swam in high school and love swimming now. Other than running, it's what I enjoy most.
If your walking down the street and find a $100.00 bill what do you do with it? I would definitely see if anyone nearby dropped it. If not, I'm going straight to the mall. I may end up with running garb or a new LBD.
Favorite non sports related thing to do? Read.
Have Pets? Lloyd. He's an 11-year-old terrier mix and always makes me smile. Well, except for that whole needing to be taken out to pee at 4 AM.
Last movie you went to a theater to see? The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Whew! Ok, my tags are:

Pain is Nothing (I'm having trouble commenting on your blog. Try the pop up window, it fixed my commenting issues)

Smoke Training

Swim Bike Run DC

That Redheaded Sister

Shemmy shemmy shake shake

Now go forth and random away. I'll just be here, in taper madness Monday...

A Hallmark Moment

2012-01-20T08:46:00.006-05:00

"It's not about how well you do...it's about how hard you try and what kind of a person you are. And there are many things we go through, and there are many things we will triumph over...and there will be times when you'll fall down. But there will be more times when you pull through. And you will find greatness in your life. And you will keep getting stronger every second of it."

I received these words on a card from my good, no, make that great friend Morgan. I feel that this is a perfect sentiment for me right now and I know it will ring true with a lot of you as well.

Life and racing really are about surviving and ultimately dealing with the highs and lows that are handed to you. How we deal with the lows truly exhibit the strength of character each one of us possess.

As I get closer to the Miami Marathon I'm reminding myself that it is just a race and while I want to do well, I also want to have fun and enjoy the ride. Which is ultimately, a perfect metaphor for living life.

Happy Friday friends. Enjoy the ride.

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Have you ever purchased something for yourself that was just so special you kept staring at it until your dog said, "Hey lady, can I get something to eat?"

Well, this is how I feel about my new medal display. (Don't worry, Lloyd got fed.) I love it! I mean I was dumbstruck when I opened the delivery box and saw how perfect it came out. The email rendering really didn't do it justice.

A fellow Floridian runner and blogger whom some of you know (Maddy) has a medal display making company called Iron Sport Works. A little while ago I sent her a message about having a custom order done.

She and her husband were so patient with me as I went back and forth with them on the design and wound up selecting the one that they had originally created because it was just so much fun.

The best part about this company, other than it being an actual "mom and pop" business is that they can customize just about anything you want. All you have to do is email them and ask!

Today, I'm so thankful for my new medal display. It's the perfect size and I'm sure there is plenty of room left for medals to come. I am all about showing off those medals. I earned them and am proud of them. Even the ones were I almost pantsed my poop. Heh.

It would be awesome if you all could give them a shout out on their facebook page, HERE, and take a look at their website. This is a product I truly, truly endorse. That display wasn't a freebie and it was worth every penny! I LOVE it.

And if you decide to purchase a display with them you can use the coupon code: DISCOMBOBULATE for 10% off your purchase.

So, without further ado....drum roll please...

YAY!

What are you thankful for today?

Zensah Compression Capris Review (and discount!)

2012-01-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Tuesday guys and gals!

I am thankful that I got my last long run in on Saturday and while I still feel a phlegmy (sexy right?), I am in taper so I'm going to try to rest a bit more rather than get any sicker.

Right before I got sick I was sent a pair of compression capris from Zensah. I had to wait until it got a little cooler out and I was feeling better before I could give them a test run.

I must admit that they are tight, but in a good give-my-butt-a-hug way. And I went for my four mile recovery run in them on Sunday. My legs definitely didn't feel as sore today and I know some people think that "compression" isn't all that helpful but I definitely think that post long run or a tough workout the compression feels very nice. (The compression socks I have, which I have worn home from races always feel great!)

The fabric is moisture wicking and breathable and the only thing I didn't like about the compression capris was the waist. I am so used to low-rise everything that the waist seemed awfully high on these. However, I did feel very 1950's in them and pretended to be on Mad Men. Heh.

Here's a couple of shots of the pants...and because I am jealous of all of Katie's amazing butt shots, I threw one in for good measure.

I suggest heading over to Zensah and looking at the different options of running gear they have. You can get 20% off of the compression capris by using the discount code "CAPRI20". It's good until Friday! (If you don't at least have a pair of post run recovery socks, I'd say give them a try.)

What do you think? Is compression for you?

Friday quickie from the sicky

2012-01-13T09:10:00.002-05:00

Hello friends and runnahs! I'm crawling my way back to the land of the living and must apologize for missing Thankful Thursday. You know, in case any of you actually missed it. Heh.

I am finally feeling a tad more human and can breathe out of one whole nostril. Woot! The good news is that I'm not so drained and have hopefully crossed over to the healthier end of this stupid cold. Lloyd is quite disappointed because he was getting very used to me being home for snuggling.

I missed all of my runs this week with the exception of my 10 mile pace run on Tuesday. Hopefully I can get in my last long run tomorrow and head into next week ready for that lovely taper I've been dreaming about. I'm trying hard not to worry about this dumb cold and realize that I have put in all the training at this point that I need. As they say...the hay is in the barn.

In other news I signed up for the St Anthony's Olympic distance triathlon. This was my first oly last year and I'm hopeful that I'll be much better on the bike. Remember that disaster? I fell at transition and got passed by a tricycle. Ok, not really on the tricycle part...but close. Heh.

I'm way behind on your blogs and I apologize but it's better that I stayed away and not spread this funk through the interwebs.

One final long run - here I come!

TGIF beeches. Have a great weekend!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T09:22:00.003-05:00

And I'm sick. Yup. Three weeks out from Miami and I woke up with a sore throat yesterday. At least I've already put in the vast majority of the work. All I need to do now is rest up and get ready.

By the way, Apple Cider Vinegar when mixed with water and gargled is an excellent home remedy for a sore throat.

Weekend Spectating

2012-01-09T09:34:00.013-05:00

It's Monday! Give it two snaps and a circle!

I had another busy weekend and was more than happy to veg out on Saturday night after a big Japanese meal with an old friend. My 18 miler was perfect and I have to keep reminding myself that I CAN do it. I CAN do it. This is tough for me because I struggle with wanting to be confident and not get it confused with cockiness. Anyone else feel that way? I don't want to jinx it either. Man I'm a hot mess. Haha.

On Sunday I went to spectate the Tampa Bay Frogman swim. It's a 5K (3.1 miles of swimming!) swim from Gandy beach to Picnic Island in Tampa. My buddy Navy Steve has completed this swim three times and I thought it'd be great to donate and cheer for such a worthy cause. And this year I wanted to see if this would be something I'd put on the race docket.

What started as a small, unsanctioned event has really grown into something that is worth putting on the calendar. Although, on my calendar it may just be to continue as a spectator sport.

As I watched swimmer after swimmer come through the chute looking cold and disoriented I felt my interest waning. I'm kidding, but my interest only went from 20% to a 40%. I think it's a wonderful cause I just don't know if I have the balls for it. Plus, I'm really thinking that a Ragnar Keys 2013 may be more in my future and it may fall on the same weekend.

Every swimmer gets a kayaker (either a friend of your choosing or they find a volunteer for you). Strawberry E is such an excellent kayaker that she helped keep Navy Steve on course. Great job guys and congrats to all who swam on Sunday!

How was your weekend? What did you do to stay active?

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-05T12:01:00.013-05:00

I've been running with my Garmin 305 and am really loving it. It's so stinkin' high tech compared to that 101 I don't even know what to do with myself. I was seriously putting someone at Energizer's kids through college with all of the triple A batteries I had to buy for the 101. Heh.

My friend Kat also just got a Garmin and we were discussing her name for her new Garmin, which is Dwayne. I'm not quite sure how she came up with Dwayne but we both find it hilarious and thought I should name my new Garmin too.

As an aside, what is the deal with us naming everything? Oh well, it's fun so let's just go with it mkay?

Anywho, either Kat or I said "Tyrone" and it struck us as funny. It also reminded me of the song "Tyrone" by Erykah Badu. The song is basically about Erykah kicking out a good-for-nothing boyfriend and telling him that if he needs help getting his shit out of her place then he should call Tyrone.

While the song doesn't really have anything to do with me or running or a Garmin, I do like to say that when I go for a run, before I head out, I need to call Tyrone....

Today I'm thankful for ridiculous names of inanimate objects. Hahaha!

What are you thankful for?

What's Next

2012-01-04T10:37:00.013-05:00

It's already January 4th of 2012 and the world has not ended. This is good news cause I'd be so pissed if all of this crazy marathon training went to waste. Ok fine, I'd be upset about missing out on other things too. But my main focus right now is on the Miami Marathon and I've been looking over my training logs and can definitely see that I've gotten stronger. My pace runs still freak me out every week but every week I successfully complete them. I am shocked by this every week. Go figure.

At this point I think my goal is possible, but I'm still not seeing it as probable. Does that make sense? I have hit my workouts at the right paces I'm just still wondering how it's all going to play out on race day. I know, I know have a little faith....but I don't want to jump the gun on this whole crazy goal thing. Plus, the weather in Miami could be a real factor to consider. As Coach EK says, I'm going to trust in my training and see what happens....

I'm happy to report that with only 24 sleeps to go, I really haven't missed a "key" workout in this training cycle. This means I've done all of my long runs, pace runs, tempo runs, and medium long runs. This also means, I'm tired. Heh. I can't wait for taper madness. I think it'll be more like taper sanity though.

With all of this training and planning and preparing and looking forward to this race I haven't really decided what's next.

I'd like to do the Augusta 1/2 Ironman and a few other tri's, but I'd also love to do some different races this year. The Gasparilla races here in town should be worth it too because the hometown race is always a blast. And for shiggles I threw my name in the NYC Marathon lottery. It's expensive but seriously - how cool is it to run through the streets of New York? Too bad I'm not a millionaire cause man does this stuff add up!

The only thing I have planned and paid for at this point is to go visit Red & Spike next month. I'm certain I'm going to freeze my Florida butt off and have a blast doing it. We plan on running a 5K up there during this "winterfest" thingy. All I know is that there are some ice sculptures, snow hill sledding, a 5K, and a chili cook off. In addition, we'll be doing a few wedding planning things which I'm sure we'll document in some B.o.B. and Red zany way. Be prepared. Or afraid. One of the two.

What is your year looking like? Do you have it all mapped out already or are you playing it by ear like me?

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-29T09:15:00.015-05:00

It's the last Thankful Thursday of the year! I hope you all have made your resolutions and are ready for a great 2012.

I actually vow to use the treadmill as little as possible. That thing bores me to tears. My apologies to those of you who live where it gets so cold it's your only option. I've got room at the Inn if you ever need to escape to Florida. Yes, Coach Ken, that's an open invite.

Since it is the very last Thankful Thursday of 2011, and probably my last post for 2011, I figured it deserves a list. Why not end the year on a high note right? Today I am thankful for....

1. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. This book is a total guilty pleasure and I'm really stoked to see they are making it into a film. Score! What do you mean you didn't know Abe Lincoln was a vampire hunter? It's in the history books. Sheesh.

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Having read the book and seen both the American and Swedish films, I'd have to say that I'm impressed with how good the American film was. Granted, they switched around a few things and I'm not super thrilled with the ending, but over all it's a good flick.

3. Sleepytime Tea. My friend Jeff was really talking up tea during a long run and I figured that I give it a go. And sure enough, this sleepytime tea is a wonderful beverage to sip while reading ridiculous books in bed. I don't know if it helps me sleep but it is tasty and lovely on a cold night. You know, when it drops into the 60's. Heh.

4. Wiz Khalifa (particularly this song, makes me think "ahhh the folly of youth"). Yes, the majority of his songs are about weed but I can't help liking this rapper's swagger. As a long time hip-hop head I can appreciate his lyrics and like him as an alternative to Lil Wayne, whose voice really irritates me. (I know this is so random for some of you but I was really, really into rap/hip-hop as a teen and college student. No, I did not become a member of a gang or shave off my eyebrows. I just like the music.)

5. New running routes and some new running buddies. It goes without saying that my O.G. running buds are the best but since I've moved I've made an effort to meet some folks closer to my new pad and try out some new routes. I've been pleasantly surprised and am really enjoying mixing it up every week. Sometimes change is good.

6. My Mottoz Active Wear. They have really great running shirts and they are currently having a 60% off sale. I got a shirt from here for Christmas and it may be my Miami Marathon shirt. Head over there and check it out.

7. Arctic Ease Cryotherapy Wraps. As someone who always laments on having no calf muscle I was stunned to see those same puny baby cows featured on the Arctic Ease home page. Yes, my calves are famous. Please no photos. So of course I'm sending you over there to see my sweet calves (and I'm on the site elsewhere, it's like a Where's Waldo) but I also want you to check out the product. I've been wearing mine a lot this week because my shin has been acting up again. One of the best things about this product is that it fits nicely under my pants and stays cold for quite a while. Plus the added compression feels very nice on my niggly shin.

8. Suave. I was using a super high end shampoo and conditioner and it didn't smell that great nor did it make my hair look as good as it's claims. So a week or so ago I switched to Suave. And I saw an immediate difference in my hair. It smelled much better and looked way shinier. Suck it pricey name brand shampoo.

9. 306 days until Halloween!

10. A trip to see Red & Spike in the Mitten state in February. I can't wait to see them and snow! I've only seen snow twice in my life so it's always fun for me. Plus I think we may be running a 5K....stay tuned.

So barring the end of the world, I'll see all of you in 2012. Happy New Year!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T09:23:00.003-05:00

This is what you get for Christmas if you are a Harry Potter nerd....

A new Garmin!

2011-12-27T09:33:00.013-05:00

Happy holiday hangover! You tired? I'm tired. The holidays wiped me out and I'm so happy that I can attempt to catch up on sleep this week. I had an absolutely wonderful Christmas and everything that goes with it: food, drink, presents, lack of sleep, etc.

I finally got a new Garmin which is pretty awesome because I was previously using the Flintstone version that may or may not have had an actual bird inside keeping my pace with his beak.

"Hey lady, move your slow ass."

I opted for the 305 because I didn't want to blow my mind by jumping way up to the newest model and the price for the 305 is very reasonable. I also liked the features it offered and read about a billion reviews before deciding. I know everyone has different opinions on GPS watches and ultimately you just have to find the one that works best for you. I waited so long to get a new one because the 101 works just fine but I did want one that holds the pace versus moving up and down all the time. Stupid bird.

My long run on Saturday (18 miles) went amazingly well and I've got another 22 miler on deck for this weekend. I'll be taking a humongous nap afterward so that I am fully rested for the New Year's Eve festivities.

Speaking of New Year's Eve, I've decided that one of my resolutions will be to work on my patience. I struggle with being patient in everyday life, especially while driving or waiting in line or dealing with ~~idiots~~ people. I know I could do better with this since I regularly startle myself with obscenities while driving. I know! I'm awful! I swear I'm going to work on it. Ok, well not the swearing part but you know what I mean.

What are your New Year's Resolutions? Are they more "health" oriented than mine?

Happy Festivus!

2011-12-23T09:25:00.008-05:00

Today is Festivus, the holiday to air your grievances and perform feats of strength! It's basically the opposite Christmas and always a good time due to the wrestling the head of the household (a Festivus tradition, natch).

Thus today I'd like to air some grievances to the general public:

1. Please stop taking photos of yourself in your bathroom to post on various social media websites. It's creepy.
2. And quit making a duck face in those self portraits.
3. Runners please say hi to each other!
4. Cyclists, it's cool, I know you won't say hi cause you don't want to fall. (I feel ya.) But can I get a head nod at least?
5. For the love of Festivus people, if you are in the 10 items or less aisle PLEASE have only 10 items or less.
6. Hey you in the far right lane tailgating, move it to the left speedy!
7. Servers and bartenders are people too, treat them with a little more respect. They handle the food and drinks you are about to consume, just a warning.
8. Dogs of the world - could you try picking up your own poop for once?!?!
9. Cats of the world - yeah, you don't care what I say. Carry on.
10. Stop yelling on your cellphones. This new age technology ensures the person on the other end can hear you at a regular speaking decibel.

FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!

Go forth and air those grievances for tomorrow and Sunday it's all about love.

Year In Review

2011-12-20T12:46:00.016-05:00

I was thinking about my year in review post and rather than just post a bunch of numbers I figured that I'd use Miss Zippy's format. I'm early on this post but I do what I want!

Best race experience?
I would definitely say the Cleveland Half Marathon. I got to stay the weekend with Red & Spike and ran a PR that I pulled out of my butt. I had no real expectations for this race and ran with two random guys that helped pull me along. The overall trip was awesome and I really enjoyed the cool temperatures and course.

Best run?
Hm. This is a tough one since I did some travelling this year. But, I have to say the ten miler I ran while visiting a friend in California. The scenery along the beach was gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and the post run meal at Patrick's in Santa Barbara was amazing.

Best new piece of gear?
Since I did buy Dolly (my road bike) this year, I'd have to go with her. Even though we had some trouble getting used to each other (SEE: tipping over repeatedly) and she's currently getting dusty, I'm very eager to get back out there after Miami. I just don't trust myself to not fall down and go boom before that race. I know I probably wouldn't since I haven't in a while, but just in cases....In any event, she's helped me get through some tough tri's and I hope to get better on the bike in 2012.

Best piece of running advice you received?
"Trust in your training young Jedi." -Coach EK

"You're going to eat lightning and you're going to crap thunder" -Jason from Cook Train Eat Race quoting Rocky(not really advice per say but along the lines of believe in yourself!)

Most inspirational runner?
For people I know in "real" life I've got no choice but to go with KC on this one. She really amazed me with her time at IMFL (Ironman Florida). The girl hauls.

Also I'd like to give a special shout out to Red who has struggled with a stoopid injury and showed real grace getting through it. She's been supportive of all of my races even when she couldn't run and I can only imagine how tough it's been. Happy to report that she's back at it! Hallelujah!

And for folks I don't actually know I'm going with the lady who had the baby after the marathon and that really old guy who ran a marathon. HA!

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?
If I could sum up my year with regards to racing I'd say, "Fun with friends and perservering!"

What's your year looked like? Feel free to leave your responses in the comments too if you don't want to blog them.

22 miler

2011-12-19T09:32:00.003-05:00

Whew! I made it through the weekend which is a big deal because it was a BIG weekend. I got my first 22 miler in and surprisingly felt good from mile 18 on. Here's a brief recap of how it went down.

Miles 1-5
Ever notice how the first five miles just fly by? My running bud Chris and I chatted during these first five and stopped to take our first gels. Speaking of gels, I've decided to go with Powerbar Gels. They are thinner than both Gu and Hammer and even though I don't love the way they taste, they are easier to stomach.

Miles 5-10
Again, not much to report here. Although we did see a runner in front us take a little spill. I felt bad for her but she joked about how she had too much beer the night before and got right back up. We ran by a lot of other runners at this time and I felt a tad tired at mile 10.

Miles 10-15
For whatever reason, miles 10-15 are always tougher for me. I start getting tired and thinking about how much longer I had to go. Fortunately, with a little self pep-talking I can get myself right again.

Miles 15-20
By mile 16 I felt normal again and Chris and I had to stop at about this point to help get a lost beagle off the road. A woman driving by stopped and scooped up this cute beagle that was playing frogger across the roadway. Hopefully he got home safe and sound. Too bad he wasn't wearing a collar. (Reminder to pet owners out there! Collar your pets!)

At about mile 18 my lower back started hurting. We had stepped up over a curb and I think I tweaked it. I stopped to stretch it out for a few seconds and then it felt better.

Also by mile 18 I was pushing the pace and found a second wind that was pushing me right along.

Miles 20-22
I caught up with C Steve and got to run with him for a bit and this was a pleasant surprise since I hadn't been able to chat with him lately. His lower back was bothering him too so we helped each other out by chatting and finishing up the run.

My overall pace for this run was good. I'm in line with my training plan but can't help thinking about how much slower it is than my intended goal pace. I know it's supposed to be slower but it's one of those thoughts that I'm sure we all have during training. In any event I am STOKED that this is a step down week for me because last week I hit 52 miles! I don't think I've EVER run that many miles in one week. It's not a lot for some, but dang it's a lot for me!

I hope you all had great weekends. I'm off to stalk you all now.

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-15T09:52:00.010-05:00

Happy Thursday friends! I must start by saying thank you all so much for the comments on my post about the elephant in the room. You guys rock!

It's been a pretty busy week for me and for that I'm a tired B.o.B. I had a holiday get together with the track group on Tuesday and I have three holiday events this weekend. I'm stoked but I have much to do to prepare. I also have a secret Santa at the office tomorrow. Whew! I feel as though the older I get the busier I get during this time of year. It's bananas!

I do like the holiday stuff but I am one of those people who gets a little blue a la' Elvis around this time of year. I have never been a huge holiday person since I REALLY love Halloween, but I must admit that I enjoy the parties and food. Man oh man, the food. Heh. It's also tougher because I miss my dad more around the holidays.

In any event, tonight I'm hitting up a local pub run that is Christmas themed. I'm gonna don(ner) some fun socks and dash(er) about while checking out twinkly lights. And that's all I've got by way of reindeer puns.

One of the other awesome things that typically happens around this time of year is the annual work review. In looking back at my jobby-job this year, I definitely busted my hump and had a great review. I'm thankful that I got a raise from that review because living by oneself ain't cheap!

So today I'm thankful for: holiday themed runs, Christmas socks, reindeer puns, lots of fun events, amazing holiday food, a perfectly timed and mucho needed raise, and Elvis.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

So what are you thankful for today?

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-13T17:21:00.009-05:00

Red came to town this past weekend and I was so excited to see her and our other Orlando friends! (Ok, they were her friends first, but now they are "our" friends. Ha!)

We had an Ugly Sweater/Ornament Exchange over dinner. Red's shirt says "Grinch better have my presents!"

After the exchange we changed clothes and headed to our favorite Orlando bar to dance and laugh the night away.

P.S. Head over to Red's blog so you can read about some of her upcoming wedding plans. And guess who is a part of them? YAY!

The Elephant in the Room

2011-12-13T09:50:00.010-05:00

It's time to talk about the elephant in the room. I've been avoiding this post ever since I signed up for Miami and I don't think any of you would even really care if I didn't post about it, but as a running blogger I feel compelled to discuss it. Actually, I'm really nervous about hitting the publish button on this one....

As most of you know I've been hitting my training runs hard during this marathon cycle and I have made mention of a "lofty" goal. Before I get into this "lofty" goal (AKA The Elephant) I need to tell a little story of my actual most controversial post.

Picture it. Florida, 2009 (or early '10, I'm not an elephant. I forget.). A new-ish runner/blogger named B.o.B. writes a post about what all the hubbub is surrounding the Boston Marathon. Said newish runner hurts some feelings, gets folks all riled up, feels really bad about it and takes down post.

Honestly, I used to think the Boston Marathon was a crazy obsession. (SEE: why I hurt some feelings.) And since I was no where near being fast enough I would joke that I'd have to get there when I was 80 or when my age and the time just converged organically.

The thing is, after the that post, I talked with my running buds about it and they all had different reasons for wanting to qualify and most of those reasons were really just about setting a goal and reaching it. Or qualifying with friends. Or just flat out feeling good about themselves and using it to get through rough patches in life. Hell, isn't that what running in general is all about? In my naivety I didn't understand this and still feel sheepish for having written that post. Who was I to crap on someone's dream?

All of that being said, I started getting faster. I started looking at those qualifying times. I started wondering if I could do it. I wondered if I should just push myself or keep my goals more manageable. But of course, like my typical maniac self (SEE: ran first ~~death march~~ marathon with 7 weeks of training) I decided to give it a go. I'm at a time in my life where I want to push myself. I also need the focus required of this goal.

Granted, I have to cut A LOT of time to qualify. I went back and forth on writing this post because I wondered how I would feel if I didn't qualify and had to face you all and also how I was basically eating my words from a few years ago...but then I remembered how awesome and supportive this blog community is. I am human! You all are human! What the crap am I so worried about? People make mistakes and if I don't qualify, it's OK.

As I said in my first look at this BQ stuff, if it happens for me when the stars align then that's when it's supposed to happen. And the beauty of setting such a lofty goal is that even if I don't hit the goal time needed to BQ I'll still have a shot at a killer PR. Not to mention, a wonderful trip to Miami with about 30 of my running buds. It's really a win-win regardless of what happens.

What are your thoughts on the BQ stuff? Are or were they the same as mine?

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-08T10:38:00.009-05:00

We runners (and triathletes) typically celebrate those great runs or races in which we meet our goals and set new personal records. We happily recount the details to our running buds (or eye-rolling non running co-workers) about how great we felt and how when we finished we knew we were in fact, awesome.

In a sense those great runs are like the golden children while the not-so-great runs get shoved aside like runts of the litter. But today I'd like to honor those shitty runs because they really do help make us stronger. I'm thankful for each and everyone of them.

And of course, I'm drawing on reality here because I've had a few butt kickers this week and after each one I think, "I did it!" And it truly helps me get some confidence boosting that I need before a big race. SEE: Miami Marathon.

On Tuesday's pace run I felt awful. I had the PC's (poopy cramps) and I was tired. I had to run 7 miles at race pace with a mile warm up and a mile cool down. I almost didn't even do the pace run but I kept telling myself that I'll look back on my training and either be proud of the work I put in or I'll be upset that I didn't push myself through these tough days. As soon as my Garmin beeped for that first mile I picked it up and made it to the two and half mile mark, all the while praying for an open bathroom. Fortunately, I just so happened to come across a rec center I'd never seen before and it was open. Hallelujah! I managed to gut out the rest of that run and let's just say my cool down mile was very cool. I may have been passed by an actual turtle. But I got it done and I thank that run for showing me that I can get through those low points.

As another example, this morning's medium long run was also tough. I stupidly scheduled myself into a corner and had no choice but to run it this morning since I have dinner plans tonight after work. Let me point out that scheduling an eight miler after a serious track work out isn't the smartest idea I've ever had. The track work included three intervals: 1,200 then 2,800 then 1,200 again. Holy crap.

Thus this AM when I got to mile four I was feeling it. Even though I had great company on this run I had to ask for a water break at mile five and was seriously considering throwing in the towel. But at that water stop I again asked myself about my training and how I'd feel if I quit this run. (It also helped that said running buddy started humming the theme from Rocky.) You know how this story ends. I finished the run and stayed within my target pace. Thank you sucky suck run!

Today I'm thankful for runs that suck. I'm thankful for those difficult runs that you just gut through and feel even more awesome for having finished them.

What are you thankful for today?

20 miles, a honey badger, and a great weekend

2011-12-06T10:42:00.007-05:00

Happy Tuesday all! I had a fabulous weekend and am looking forward to another one. As I mentioned last week this was my first 20 mile run of my training plan and while it did hurt those last couple of miles, I got it done.

Thanks to help from running buddy Jeff I managed to hold a nice long run pace and only turned into a merchant marine with a mile left. Fortunately, Jeff told me he still likes me even after a 20 mile run which is difficult to do sometimes since I do venture into the bite me zone at that point. Cute K knows all about this....

In other awesome weekend news I volunteered at the BRA half mary and 5K on Sunday. I love volunteering at this race because the running group has done so much for me and I consider each and every one of them family. Everyone who ran did great and I was SO proud of my cousin Mark who ran his first ever 5K. I ran him in almost to the finish and then told him to kick it in and he did. Way to represent Cuz!

Other than my run and volunteering I got some stuff done around my new pad and went to the annual extended family holiday party. I must admit that going to a party with a plethora of food after a 20 mile run does not do much by way of "healthy eating." Let's just say I made our Cuban food buffet my bitch.

Now about that honey badger...

A little motivation for the racers. What was really hilarious was this young guy, maybe in his early 20's, was in the top ten finishing the half when he saw my sign. He turned around and ran backwards all while yelling, "Look at the honey badger! He runs backwards!" Oh my lord, it killed me. I was cracking up.

Some of the lovely ladies from the BRA who showed what true honey badger gangsta faces look like. And finally P-Funk and I debating the age old question of who is most awesome. She says me, I say her. It's really quite the debate.

And of course, I'm rocking my Punk Rock Racing tee. I love the question about what the HTFU means. I'm not telling. You'll have to figure that one out on your own. Peace!

20 miles and a honey badger

2011-12-02T09:55:00.003-05:00

It's the eve of my first twenty (20!!!) miler this training cycle and I am nervous. Has anyone noticed a pattern here? I'm always nervous. Heh.

Anyway, I haven't run that distance since my last full marathon so it's only normal that I'd feel a wee bit anxious about it. I've got my meals all planned out for today and am mentally preparing for those last few miles that are probably going to be somewhat painful. It is afterall, TWENTY FRICKIN' MILES!

For this long run I'm going to channel none other than the honey badger. This honey badger attitude seemed to help out KC on her amazing Ironman so tomorrow, I'll run that 20 and not give a shit. Cause the B.o.B. don't care.

If you haven't seen this video already you may be living under a rock. But just in case you are a rock dweller it's NSFW (not safe for work) so enjoy it at your home and don't let the kiddies see!

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend. I'll catch you all on the flip flop.

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-01T07:05:00.006-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I started track workouts with a new group. This group is led by a college track coach who basically gives you an hour's worth of butt kicking. I was super nervous before I got there but once I got put into a pace group and got running I felt much better. Of course last night's workout was NOT easy.

We did 4 x 1600 (1 mile) repeats. And if that wasn't crazy enough we did them at our 5K pace and cut five seconds off each repeat save for the last one. So, for me, it was 7:10, 7:05, 7:00 and then we got a little reprieve back to 7:10 for the last one. Sheesh! Talk about a workout!

I did love the break from the 800's and really appreciated how this coach times each one of your laps and watches your form. (He yelled for me to lower my arms a few times since I tend to run with them up high. Not sure what that's all about.) This workout out is sort of like having a personal trainer at the track. And yes, I pay for it, but if it helps me get stronger, it'll be worth it. I'm investing in me!

Today, I'm thankful for a butt-kicking-non-puking-track workout.

But wait! There's more!

This morning we Floridians woke to some much colder temps then we've had in a while and I personally LOVE it. It was a little below 50 degrees as I headed out to my morning medium long run and I wasn't too surprised to see the running route, which is normally full of people, a little bit sparse. Wusses. Heh.

Today, I'm thankful for cold fronts.

But wait! There's still more!

My stepmom and I recently went shopping and she purchased a cool new running outfit for me. I'm calling these pants my Flashdance Ass Pants because they are so flashy and tight on my behind. Heh. They are super comfortable and great for those aforementioned cold fronts. Please disregard my post run sweaty pit. Gross! (Said like Napolean Dynamite)

Today, I'm thankful for Flashdance Ass Pants. Get your very own HERE.

But wait! There's one more!

Notice what I'm holding in the photo above? Yup. It's my Advent Calendar. It's December 1st and I had a lovely breakfast that started with...CHOCOLATE! Om nom nom nom!

Today, I'm thankful for the Advent Calendar and it's tiny but delicious daily chocolates.

What are you thankful for today?

Track is back

2011-11-30T10:30:00.003-05:00

Happy Hump Day folks! I'm totally amped because I'm hitting the track tonight. I haven't been on an actual track in a while and even though I know it's going to hurt, I'm completely looking forward to the ass kicking.

Before I moved I was running my 800's on a parkway with quarter mile markers and it was lovely. However, since I moved it's a tad bit too far to travel before or after work. If I did suck it up and travel it would mean leaving the Lloydster by himself for far too long at home. I know he'd be fine because he would just pee on my new furniture but I'd rather not have him "christen" it just yet.

The past couple of weeks I had a Turkey Trot to use as speed work and I attempted some 800's on Bayshore using my Garmin but it wasn't the same as the good old track.

So today I will embark upon the local college track and join a different running group for these lung busting sessions. It's sort of like a first date. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. Will I be the slowest? Will I vomit? Will Derek Jeter show up?

I want to make a good impression and not be a turtle but at the same time I love a running group that pushes me. Hell, if it weren't for the BRA speed demons I wouldn't be the runner I am today.

Wish me luck and speed. Or at least someone to hold my hair back.

Turkey Trot 5K Race Report

2011-11-27T10:36:00.006-05:00

With about 16,000 runners spread across a competitive 5K and 10K, plus a 5K fun run and 1 mile fun run, the Turkey Trot I ran this year was no joke. It's a competitive field and I am shocked at how many come out to this race every year. Of course I absolutely LOVE the running community and am so happy to see so many folks out at every event. It's a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season.

Strawberry E picked me up dark and early to head to the race. We met up with Coach EK and the Lazy Runner (AKA Running 4 An Adventure) after the 5K. I was hoping to break the 22 minute mark on this 5K and Strawberry E was shooting for a speedy 10K.

I lined up at the start with a ton of other trotters and stood behind some 13-year-old boys who were certain to blow my doors off. Strawberry E's race didn't start for another hour and forty-five minutes so she stayed to spectate while I was racing.

After a 15 minute wait and the national anthem, we were off.

I held very steady the first mile because I typically go out too fast during the 5K. I felt great this mile and was happy to see 7:02 on the Garmin when it beeped. I tried to drop it a bit during the second mile and saw a familiar face in front of me. I used him as a barometer since I can guesstimate his 5K times. I don't even know if he saw me but I passed him and decided to try to stay in front of him cause I know how fast he is.

At some point I hit the two mile mark and didn't look at my Garmin. D'oh! I knew I slowed a bit but otherwise felt pretty good. That was until the 2.38 mark when we hit the hill.

I was reminded before this race by Coach EK that there is a non-too-friendly hill at about the 2.3 mile mark. And as Katie would say, it was rude.

I tried to charge up the hill and did pass a few people but I was totally sucking wind at this point. I attempted to slow my heart rate with some deep breaths and kept asking myself how badly I wanted this 21 minute 5K. Even though I wanted it and didn't feel awful, I couldn't get my legs to cooperate. Oh well. That's the 5K for you.

As I ran toward the finish which ended on a high school track (love this!) I heard Strawberry E yell for me and I gave what little I had left. I was handed my race card to fill out and it said 74, which meant I was the 74th woman. I stopped my Garmin at 22:21 and 3.16 miles. According to that, I had a one second PR. Yahoo! I'll take it.

Since this race wasn't chipped timed I was surprised to see the official stats that said I was the 72nd person to finish and my time is listed as 22:25. Hmpfh. I'm going with 22:21 dammit! Heh. In any event it was good enough to land me a top finisher mug and a big smile that lasted all day.

Strawberry E, The Lazy Runner, and Coach EK all also got "mugged" and we had a blast chatting it up with other runners and friends we ran into after the race.

I know I've got that 21 minute 5K in me. I just need a flatter course on a cool day and it's mine. I don't even care if it's 21:59. I'm coming for it!

I hope you all had very Happy Thanksgivings! Back to the grind tomorrow, but one day closer to the weekend again. Enjoy your Sundays and those left overs.

Thankful Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know it's Wednesday. But to be fair, most of us will be enjoying family time and not reading blogs, thus I'm posting this early. I do what I want!

I've done so many Thankful Thursday posts that sometimes I forget all the things I've already said that I'm thankful for. The good news here is that I have a lot to be thankful for. As a sort of look back on things I've been thankful for I compiled a (yay!) list for today's Thanksgiving edition. I'm not going to link back to all of them cause that would take me for-ev-er but I will point out the ones that are especially meaningful or that make me laugh.

Before I begin my list I'd just like to point out that while my cup does indeed runneth (no pun intended) over, not everyone is as fortunate. I sometimes get bogged down in trivial daily affairs and those small dramas that seem to take up too much space in my mind when ultimately, I have it pretty good. I've got food, clothing, shelter, my health, and lots and lots of love. So as I reflect on these things I'm thankful for, I'll also be saying a prayer for those who may be struggling right now. I'm also volunteering again this holiday season on Christmas Eve at one of my favorite local charities. If you can give this season, even if it's just your time, please do. It's one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself and for others.

On this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for:

1. The first ever Thankful Thursday post. It featured this hilarious "Walk-A-Matic."

2. Delicious ambrosia. It's one of my most favorite holiday dishes. (You know, it's the fruit-marshmallow-coconut thing.)

3. Chivalry. I posted about being thankful for Coach EK and Coach Tom who shielded me from some egg throwing ne'er do wells. I'm happy to report that these two are still chivalrous and all around great guys.

4. Antoine Dodson. Now here's a dude who turned lemons into a lot of money and a super funny song.

5. My amazing family. I wouldn't be here without a couple of them (Ok, ew) and I wouldn't be there person I am without the lot of them (Hi Mom, Dad, Jackie, Erika, and Michael! Love you guys!)

6. My awesomely epic, funny-as-hell friends. You all know who you are.

7. The wisdom of rappers. Ok, so I lol'd while re-reading this post about how rappers could lay down some inspirational shit. Enjoy!

8. Lady Gaga, The Golden Girls, Shake and Bake (From Talladega Nights), The Walking Dead, and books. In no particular order.

9. Lessons my father taught me. I miss him everyday and am so thankful for the time I had with him.

10. Theme parties, spray tans, Easter candy, and Tom Petty. Also in no particular order (NPO).

11. The TMI edition of Thankful Thursday. Classic.

12. Morning runs with P-Funk and Hollster. Aw hell, any runs with P-Funk and Hollster.

13. The earth.

14. Travelling.

15. Strawberry E and her awesome strawberries!

16. Speed work, Cuban sandwiches, the Keys, and an occasional trail run. NPO.

17. New blog buddies. You all know who you are.

18. Say Anything, Lloyd, summer, and turkey bacon.

19. This yogurt. Mmmm...

20. That's what she said!

21. Funny fart noises.

22. Speedy Jess, Chappelle's Show, LOLCats, and LOTR.

23. MUSIC!!!

24. Red & Spike. And love.

25. Ragnar Relay = Best. Times. Ever.

26. Hallo-freakin'-ween! Woot woot!

27. Dunkin' Donuts

28. MCM, Big Bird, hot dogs, and freedom!

29. All the running "fun" stuff that we suffer through and secretly love from this post.

30. Milkshakes. La-la-la-la-la....warm it up...

31. All of these 31 years and the ones to come.

Happy Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for?

Goodbye to Gu

2011-11-21T12:59:00.008-05:00

"Guess it's better to say goodbye to you." -Patti Smyth

However, in my version it's become, "Goodbye to Gu."

If you look at my header photo you'll see my beloved Gu in the mix of all things this discombobulated runner loves. And I'm sad to admit that I can no longer stomach it. I've completed five marathons with Gu and I've always been a big fan but lately I've not been feeling it.

My 18 miler on Saturday was the final straw between me and Gu. I had eaten three of them and on my fourth one I almost puked trying to suck it down. All of the sudden it seems too thick to swallow and I'm barely getting a whole packet down. I know I need the nutrition so I have decided to switch brands.

I have no idea what changed and I would definitely still recommend it to anyone cause as I said above, I have used Gu gels for quite some time but I guess my tastes have changed. I've had Coach EK recommend Hammer as it's much thinner and Red recommended PowerBar. I'm going to try Hammer first since I know this bad ass also uses them.

Feel free to chime in on this if any of you have experienced the need for a thinner gel after a while. I'm hoping the change will help me get them down easier and not make me pants my poop. You all know how I have a sensitive tummy with these things. This is one the reasons I'm so sad to say farewell to Gu.

On the plus side I did finish my 18 miler and had a little help from aforementioned BA. We stayed right on my target pace and I only started feeling a real burn the last two miles and by that point I knew I was good.

I'm looking forward to the Turkey Trot this week and the BIGGEST Thankful Thursday of them all - THANKSGIVING!

Happy Monday all and congrats to everyone who raced this weekend. There were lots of races and I am looking forward to some recaps.

As a final note, goodbye Gu. You've served me well. Tear.

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

So I clearly haven't posted in a hot minute.

But you know I've been busy unpacking, decorating and not getting murdered by the cable guy. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have a butt load of things to be thankful for. And you know what that means don't you? A LIST! (I sometimes pretend the word "list" is the word of the day like on Pee Wee's Playhouse and then I scream real loud! Huh-heh!)

Today I'm thankful for:

1. My family. HOLY CRAP my family has come through on this move fo' real. My step mom packed my entire kitchen and helped me move it, my mom bought me an entire living room, my BIL is coming over to put together said living room, and Big Sis is shortly giving me a niece or nephew. What? She's got the hardest job of all. Kidding, she's helping me hang pictures. She may not know it yet....

2. My friends. HOLY CRAP THE SEQUEL my friends have really helped me through this funk and I couldn't ask for a better group of people to be surrounded by. P-Funk and Red have gone above and beyond the call of friendship and I'm so so so thankful for them. I just can't say it enough.

3. Volunteering. I know that volunteering to help others is supposed to be about, well, helping others, but quite frankly we all know that it makes us feel so darn good. I'm volunteering this week through work and am really looking forward to it.

4. Nailing the pace run. I mentioned before that the pace run was giving me some grief (AKA kicking my ass) but I've been hitting my paces and increasing the distance week by week. I'm hoping to keep this streak alive but I'm thankful I've had a good first few weeks.

5. New restaurants and shops. In my new 'hood there are countless non-chain restaurants and tons of cute little shops and boutiques. I can't wait to try them all out.

6. Turkey Trots! Now that I've typed "turkey trots" it sounds kind of gross. That poor turkey should have laid off the Fiber One bars. Anywho, I love a turkey trot 5K and am looking forward to mine next week.

7. IKEA. I got a lot of furniture from IKEA for the new pad. It's affordable and the clean aesthetic I like. I got a red couch! And of course, Billy bookcase.

8. Sleep. I love it. Nuff said.

9. Florence + The Machine's new record "Shake It Out." I LOVE the lyrics and Flo's voice is so ethereal and gorgeous. And it's hard to dance with the devil on your back so shake him off...

10. Platform heels with fish in them. Just because.

What are you thankful for today?

Funny Moving Stuff OR Why I Won't Be Murdered By The Cable Guy

2011-11-11T15:49:00.011-05:00

As you all know I recently moved and in my typical discombobulated fashion I've had some silly little incidents happen that I thought I would share with you all. The last one is that I didn't get murdered so I can actually tell you all about them. Hooray!

First silly thing that I did was after my friends and I had unpacked my furniture from the U-haul I had to take the emptry truck back. And of course, I didn't have an expressway pass on me so I had no choice but to take the slow route back through local roads.

And since all my dumb luck tends to pile up at once, the one road I wanted to take is closed and I had to take an alternative route that I'm only sort of familiar with. I know it'll get me where I want to go but I can't quite picture what's on that street.

The back story here is that I've moved a little closer to a ritzier side of town. A side of town where they all wear Polo's, khaki's, and belong to yacht clubs. Mind you, I'm closer to it, I don't actually live in it.

Anyway, I turn this big, honkin' U-haul down the road I have driven before in my car, but don't really realize how much bigger this stupid rental truck is than my car. And of course, as I turn I remember it's a two lane road right smack through the middle of a hoity little shopping district. And of course this is the Sunday with what can only be described as the world's preppiest farmer's market. It's a quaint little town center with shops like Anthropologie and Williams-Sonoma.

Yup. Families in their Polo's out walking their extremely well groomed dogs and children all turn to see who the moron is driving this monstrosity down their farmer's market. I imagine some of them started thinking, "A U-haul? Who doesn't have movers? There goes the neighborhood."

Second silly thing. This doesn't involve the possible murder. We'll get to that soon.

I really like my new apartment as it features all things a big girl needs: washer/dryer, dishwasher, indoor plumbing, etc. I finally have all the amenities by myself that I couldn't afford at age 24 living in a one-room, wall unit A/C, shit hole. Thus, I'm super stoked at the end of my work day on Monday to be driving home and thinking about what I'll whip up for dinner in my new big girl apartment.

Rice and beans, or maybe some soup. Mmm mmm! My dinner will be so yummy!

I walk in and change into my post work chillaxin' clothes (AKA some form of old ass running tee and soffee cheer shorts I've had since '99). I make my way to the kitchen, mouth watering for din-din. I pull out the food items and low and behold! I have no microwave.

Fail. (I will be getting one this weekend, not to worry.)

And thirdly, this is really just about being ~~paranoid~~ safe.

On the Friday of my move I had scheduled the cable guy to come set up my internet and cable box. This cable guy was a no call, no show, so I had to reschedule for Saturday. Side note: Are all cable companies like this everywhere?

Saturday arrives and cable guy shows up a little early and begins to set up cable and such. As he is installing it he starts making small talk. And asking questions. Questions like, "So when do you move your furniture in?" and "Oh so then you aren't staying here tonight?" and "I see your friend on facebook has a bike." (That would be KC since I was updating her facebook status during her Ironman.)

Now I'm sure that a man would just think, "Whatever. Dude is bored so he's talking to me." I am not a dude. I am thinking, "Oh dear God! This man is going to come back and steal all of my shit! Or he's going to come back steal all of my shit and murder me! Or he's going to just murder me and say man this chick has a lot of dumb shit!"

He leaves and I lock the hell out of everything and block the doors with random shoes and boxes and stuff I've yet to hang or unpack. And tell Lloyd he must stop being mildly deaf for the rest of the evening.

The next two days nothing happens and I relax and realize that I am just a paranoid freak. Hahaha. Silly paranoid girl. Nothing to see here. Until...last night.

I'm on my way to my new run when I get a call from CABLE GUY!

He says, "Hi. Is this the woman at blank-blank-blank address that I installed cable box for on Saturday?"

Gulp. "Yes."

"Oh ok, well I forgot to take a sticker with the serial number off the cable box and I need it. Can you give me that number?"

Stammering. "Uh, uhm. Well, I'm not home right now and won't be for a bit." (Inner monologue - SHIT YOU MORON! WAY TO TELL HIM YOU AREN'T HOME! AND THEN HE'LL KNOW WHEN YOU ARE!

"Ok, well you can just call me or text it when you do get home." (Perceived sinister sneer through phone.)

In the next 20 minutes it takes me to get to my run location I rehearse how my death will go and how no one will know the cable guy murdered me because I didn't tell anyone about this entire situation. I can't call my sister cause I don't want her to panic if in fact it's nothing and I'm being my typical paranoid self. Too much crime TV, I admit it.

I get to my run and explain this situation to a male friend. He decides that he'll just call the cable guy for me. Well, that's a relief. Stupid cable guy will think I live with a big, scary dude with many weapons. Of course he can tell all of that by my friend's voice. Duh.

I get home and text all of the information to my friend who then calls and texts cable guy. Get this - no response. Cable guy does not respond and this leads me to believe cable guy is on to me and will most certainly be arriving in the dead of night to kill me and take my stuff. Or just kill me and pet Lloyd. (Lloyd never gets murdered in my paranoid imaginations cause he's just way too cute and friendly.)

I again go into super lock machine mode and barricade the doors with random boxes and objects that will be loud if someone enters. Lloyd and I have a talk where I beg him to stop sleeping so damn deeply and be a dog who actually hears it when murderers enter our dwelling.

Upon waking I get a text that murderous cable guy got the information and said thank you. I also got a customer service call from the cable company checking in to make sure everything was good with my service and why yes they did see he needed the number and it was noted on my account.

Heh. Don't I feel sheepish? But hooray! Am not getting murdered after all.

The moral of all of this is...moving sucks.

Have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-10T07:11:00.010-05:00

Last week while ~~wasting many hours~~ innocently perusing Pinterest I came across the hilarious image below:

I wanted to find it to show you all today but I was having some trouble so I did what most of us usually do to find images on the web. I searched the hell out of a key word in google images. This keyword was milkshake.

All I can say is that "milkshake" came back with some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen. I was literally LOL-ing at my desk. Er, I mean at my home computer. I don't surf the net at work...Anyway, it was like a veritable treasure trove of hysterical milkshake related images. It seriously made my day.

This brings me to what I'm thankful for today. I'm thankful for stupidly funny shit on the internet. Of course the internet is a black hole that can suck out your brain if you stare at it for too long, but man does it provide some laughs. I needed a few good chuckles and I figure everyone else could always use some too.

And here's what I found. Be warned, you may be thirsty or end up in someone's yard after these. Enjoy.

So, what are you thankful for today?

Keep it moving

2011-11-09T09:53:00.012-05:00

Since I'm all relocated and such I'm enjoying my new digs. I have run three times on the lovely Bayshore and got to see a dolphin this morning. He must have showed up on porpoise! Waka waka!

Terrible jokes aside, I've been going through the motions lately and have not really been feeling my typical ~~obnoxious~~ sunny self. Of course, most of these issues are my own doing and lord knows I'm my own worst critic but the one thing that has kept me from downing ~~five~~ two bottles of wine nightly is my run.

I obviously can't run with a hangover every day and let's be honest here, booze really doesn't make anyone feel better. Have you ever seen a hungover B.o.B.? Yeah, it's not really the most attractive look. However, I will say that "Hangover B.o.B." can come up with some zingers! Yes, I'm a bit down but it's nothing to truly worry about so long as I keep it moving. If I stop running then we can all be concerned. Heh.

Ahem. I digress. I recently posted the sticker that reads, "running is cheaper than therapy" to my facebook page and I completely understand how this phrase got so popular. I always feel so great after my runs, both physically and mentally, that I wish I could bottle it up and use it all day long. You know like an Eau de Endorphin. This would really help when I hit those low moments where I just need a little spritz of that post run glow. Try to top that scent celebrity perfume hawkers!

I know I'm just in a weird place right now and I need to keep it moving. Thank God for running and the free therapy it provides. If I didn't run I'd probably end up some crazy bag lady who collects old shoelaces to put in her hair. Hmmm, that may actually be a good look....kidding.

How do you stay peppy when you are feeling blue? Does the run help or should I just get those wine bottles ready for us to share?

The Move and a tough 16

2011-11-07T09:06:00.006-05:00

Did anyone notice a weekend cause I'm pretty sure I completely missed mine. I took Friday off of work to pack and then proceeded to move all of my stuff on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks so much to my buddies that came out to help. For the most part everything went smoothly except for the fact that Lloyd decided to eat some carpet at my old apartment. There goes that deposit....

How does one person accumulate so much stuff? I had a SUV load (Thanks Hollster!) of odds and ends that went straight to the Salvation Army. I seriously need to stop accepting gifts from my adoring fans. And by adoring fans, I mean my grandma.

I'm getting acclimated to my new location and am looking forward to my run this evening. Plus I've got an early AM run scheduled tomorrow along that lovely waterfront sidewalk I'm all jazzed up about.

My 16 miler on Saturday was one of the toughest runs I've completed lately and I attribute that to... EARMUFFS DUDES... cramps. So yeah, I had cramps and on top of that I was just flat out tired from moving stupid boxes up and down the damn stairs on Friday. However, I will say that even with that run feeling like poo I managed to hang on to an 8:41 pace overall. I'll take it. I'll look back at this run during the Miami Marathon and think "You got this! You ran through cramps and an achy back! Suck it up buttercup!"

I can't end this post without a HUGE shout out to KC! She, of course, KILLED it at Ironman Florida. She was up and at 'em on Sunday when I surely would have been passed out and unconscious after all that. Heh. I'll let her tell it so stay tuned for her recap.

Congrats to those who did IMFL and those who ran the NYC Marathon. And of course any other races out there!

Happy Monday. Who wants to help me unpack?

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-03T10:55:00.007-04:00

I'm dedicating this Thankful Thursday to one person. And that person has a BIG race coming up this weekend.

I'm so thankful I met her because she's an athlete I can look up to and aspire to get to her level. I mean this girl can ride, swim and run like nobody's business. She's a triathlete who IMHO is pretty damn good at all three practices. Plus, she thinks I'm funny.

With that said - best of luck this weekend KC! You have worked your arse off and you are going to do great. The hay is in the barn.

Blog friends - go tell her good luck and feel free to stalk her on Saturday at the Florida Ironman. I am so bummed I won't be there because of my move.

KC - What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T07:45:00.005-04:00

"Worked to Death"

Pop Up Video Madonna and Vampire Slayer

Madonna met some guy named Bernie. Apparently they are planning to run away together. According to her, he's a "very good listener."

Halloween Hangover

2011-11-01T09:15:00.013-04:00

Oh my gawd, I've got a Halloween hangover. Not in the I-drank-too-much sense, but in the I-wore-two-costumes-and-loved-every-minute-of-it sense. I'll post those photos tomorrow so stay tuned....

I'm so sad Halloween is over. I'm so depressed that I now have to wait another 364 days for it to arrive again. I think most people feel this way after Christmas. Not me. I am all about some Halloween. Even though I didn't go to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights this year, I did get to attend a Halloween party, dress up at work, and participate in a Halloween run. (I ran with a guy dressed as a banana yesterday. True story.)

In other news, my impending move happens this week. I'll get my keys on Friday and slowly move stuff until Sunday. I've called in some friends to help with the furniture and I think I did most of the necessary address changes for my bills and such. And of course the first two addresses that got updated were Women's Running Magazine and Runner's World. Priorities.

There's a bittersweetness to moving because even though I'm only going to be about 20-30 minutes away from my running group, the BRA, I'll definitely have to find some others to run with during the week. Part of my attempt at this happened yesterday with the banana guy's group. I'll still drive to join the BRA on those long runs, cause lord knows I love running with them. Plus the fun group breakfasts afterward are always a treat. And to make the deal even sweeter a friend who has been helping me with the pace run said she'd alternate weeks with me on driving to my new side of town.

In marathon training news, I'm still at it. I'm shocked after every pace run and happily hit the 5 mile mark today a bit under pace. I was tired that last mile but I'll take it.

I hope you all had great weekends. Happy belated Halloween. Sniff, sniff.

Thankful Thursday

2011-10-27T06:20:00.010-04:00

I've been dying to tell everyone some stupendous news (yeah, stupendous, got out the ol' thesaurus) in six short months, yours truly will be .... an

No, no, no, there is not a crazy science experiment that is going to turn me into a bug, but I couldn't find a good picture to show that I'll be Aunt. Except for maybe these two ladies, but I'd rather not chain smoke around my future niece or nephew.

I also thought about using this picture but due to obvious reasons, it would also not make sense. What? Isn't it obvious? I'm not...a syrup maker. Duh?

All jokes aside, I am thrilled that Big Sis and BIL are in the "family way" as my Granny would say. I've decided I'm going to take my niece or nephew under my wing and teach them all the wonderful things I know. Things like how to make the best Halloween costumes ever and how to run a marathon after properly training for it. Oh and how to trick their parents into sending them to Europe for the summer to study "art." Heh.

I'm so thankful that I'll get to see my sister become a mother, my BIL become a father, and my Mom & Stepmom become grandmothers. I'm sad I won't get to see my father with this new source of love and joy but I know he's watching and is so proud of my sister and will be watching over this sweet baby.

I'm gonna spoil that kid rotten. Auntie B CANNOT wait for this little bundle of joy that I think my family has been needing. It's truly, truly a blessing.

What are you thankful for today?

Bok bok

2011-10-26T08:00:00.003-04:00

The Miami Marathon is supposed to be my "A" race for this year. Well, technically it'll be next year, but you get my point. And with that Scarlet Letter, each and every run I see on my training plan makes me nervous. I've set a lofty PR goal and I'd love to reach it. I know that you can't always predict how a marathon will go, but I figure I may as well go with that whole shoot for the moon thing. I mean, what the hell else do I have going on? Heh.

Lately the training run that has been getting my running-shorts-panties in a wad is the pace run. I'm not lying when I say this pace is not really "my pace." At least not yet. I was actually going to do my pace run Monday night but when I got past my warm-up mile, I talked myself out of doing it. D'oh! I ran my easy run instead. Of course I could say that I needed the easy run and justify however I could, but honestly, I was just being a chicken.

And since the pace run is so important and there is no rest for the weary, I rescheduled it for Tuesday morning. Considering it's only the third week I've gotten the pace run in, I finally felt more "normal" running it than I have previously. I've been so nervous about going too slow that I was killing myself by going too fast. I did have a little help Tuesday morning by way of another runner in my running group who kept me on track. I am most grateful to her and actually started to feel as though I could do this. The pace felt more comfortable and more "me."

It's hard work getting to a lofty goal. I commend all of you who do this for each and every race. I don't know how you do it, but I commend you. I don't know if I have the mental strength to do it for each and every race, let alone this one.

I've said that this is the race where I give it my all. I don't want to look back at this training cycle and feel like I didn't put in the work. I want to say, "I trained hard. And it paid off!"

All in all, I guess the only thing for me to do is take it one run at a time. And stop being a chicken.

What's a race you've worked extra hard for? Ever feel like you've set a super high goal for yourself? Can we ever achieve world peace?

Happiness

2011-10-25T07:55:00.004-04:00

I know that I'm a wee behind in posting but I had a long weekend followed by a long Monday and am just now getting a chance to look at blogs and catch up on your running adventures. That being said, this post is really just to direct you over to Red's blog, Caution: Redhead Running because I feel as though we all need some happiness in our lives now and again and there is no better way to get happy than by being happy for someone else.

My heart wants to explode at the happiness I feel for her. She's had a rough six months with her injury and has been such a trooper through it all. In addition, she's been a great friend to me when I've been down or needed an ear, or shoulder, or other body part to whine/cry/lean on, etc. You get the picture.

In any event, I am just so stinkin' happy for her and Spike that my eyeballs are sweating. Go read her blog right now and don't forget the tissues.

Happiness happens.

Thankful Thursday

2011-10-20T09:00:00.034-04:00

Since I'm totally cracked out running right now I figured I'd let you all in on some running paraphernalia that I'm currently loving, liking, and/or rocking. The Detroit expo had a lot of stuff to peruse so I'm happy I found a few new things to be obsessed with. And guess what? I'm incorporating all of that stuff with things that I am thankful for today! Let's begin!

Today, I'm thankful for:

1. Power Crunch Bar. I was actually introduced to these by my friend D this weekend. D works for Women's Running Magazine full time so she knows a great snack when she sees one (since she gets to see a lot)! These are surprisingly delicious and high in protein. They are perfect when you just need a little somethin' somethin'.

2. Yoga Toes! Yes, I bought these at the expo. I couldn't help myself. I was told by a podiatrist that my toes could be on their way to getting all jacked up and I'm not having that. These are supposed to relieve stress and tension and help with recovery. Mostly though, they just feel good. (You're welcome for the no photo of my feet.)

3. Mizuno Wave Inspire. I know I was all about the New Balance shoe but after the shin weirdness I decided to try another brand. I know I'll go back to NB at some point but I am loving these Mizuno's right now. They are stability but not as much as I previously needed and the raspberry and black is a great alternative to my typical "white with another color" shoe.

4. Yasso 800's. Yup. Still love 'em and still thankful for them. Refer back to THIS post to see how much I love them. Wrote a song about it....

5. Being a Fit2Run Ambassador! I'm pretty excited about this one. A local running store asked for folks who were interested in being an Ambassador for their store and since I shop there so much I figured, why not? I'll get to be a quasi-sponsored athlete. Yay! More to come on this.

6. The Perfect Halloween Costume. I've been sort of blah this Halloween season and could not come up with a costume idea. But then - it hit me! And no, I'm not telling what it is. You'll just have to wait for that post. Ain't I a stinker? Hint: Vh1.

7. Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend" video and song. I don't really like the lyrics to this song cause it's not a very nice thing to do, but I do think the song is super catchy and the video is fun. Plus I just flat out like Robyn.

8. The marathon cheater, 100-year-old marathoner, and the birthing marathoner. These people gave us bloggies a lot to ponder and discuss.

9. The Redhead is coming to visit! This means TWO sightings in one month. Epic!

10. This ingenious way of zombie proofing your home:

What are you thankful for today?

Detroit Half Marathon Race Report

2011-10-18T07:32:00.014-04:00

I am finally getting to this post cause the day back after a travelling race is always crazy. While this post is titled a "race report" I didn't really, truly "race." I must admit that I got a bit swept up in the atmosphere of the race at times and had to check myself, before I wrecked myself. Cause running too fast on a training run is bad for yo' health. (Remember that song?

D and I got in to Detroit late Thursday night and were greeted with the lovely warm cookies at the Double Tree. I have to tell those of you thinking about running Detroit next year that you MUST stay at the Double Tree downtown. It's a block or so from the start and finish of the race and is the PERFECT location. I Kid Rock you not. (He's from Detroit. Get it?)

On Friday morning D and I set up the booth and got ready to meet all the fabulous runners picking up their packets. I work with Women's Running Magazine very, very, very part-time and really enjoy it. We sold magazine subscriptions as well as cute pink tees, socks, and other running goodies. The magazine sponsors 4 women's only half marathons and 5Ks with awesome medals. Head over to the site to see if one is near you. If not, make it a girl's trip and head on down to Florida! (I'm an official pacer of the 2:30 group.)

I was pretty stoked on Friday because I got to meet Lisa from Early Morning Run. Unfortunately, our picture came out blurry and I didn't realize it until I got home. Boooo! Fortunately, she was just as nice in person as she is in her blog. Yay!

I also got to meet the Detroit Runner, AKA Jeff. He was also very nice and this picture turned out well. At least I didn't fail on this one. While he was at the booth, Meg O, stopped to say hi to him so I got to meet her too! Bonus meet-up!

On Friday at the expo, Red and Sun Runner showed up and carted us to the fabulous Greektown where we met up with Spike. We had a most excellent dinner and I mowed down some grape leaves. I had everyone try them and I believe Red was surprised at how delicious they were. If you ever eat Greek food, you must get them. Yum!

Me, D, Sun Runner, Spike, and Red.

On Saturday morning, D and I did a quick 3 mile run on the hotel treadmills. It was yucky outside so we felt like the treadmill would be our best option. It was rainy, windy, and chilly. I wondered how this would play out for Sunday. Since Saturday was the longest day working the expo I prepared myself for the fact that my legs might be tight on Sunday. I also hydrated like a maniac and helped myself to carbo loading via Eminem's (Ok, fine so I had M & M's but since the former is also from Detroit, I felt the need to put his name in the post. How very Slim Shady of me.)

While at the expo I also met up with this guy...

It's the Deal Chicken! I had no idea what that was until I looked it up while typing this post. Frankly, I just wanted my picture with a chick.

After a long day of meeting awesome runners and selling awesome magazines, D and I headed back to the hotel for dinner and sleep.

On Sunday morning I needed to get in three miles prior to the race start to make my 16 mile long run. D and I got up a bit early and ran around the hotel to get in the miles. It was about 47 degrees but felt good and the $1 gloves we bought at the expo worked like a charm for those first few miles. Since we were so close to the race start we finished the three and stopped back in our room to deposit the gloves and hit up the restroom.

We then headed back down and lined up in our corral. My plan was just to keep it easy and run between an 8:45 and 9:00 pace. This did not happen because I got caught up in the race atmosphere. Of course, D left me about a half mile in and I didn't see her again until we finished. She is a super strong runner and I really admire her.

For the first few miles I kept it comfortable and enjoyed the views. And then we hit the bridge. Holy crap this bridge is high. And it takes you up, up, up and then down, down, down into Canada. Once in Canada you run through a lovely park along the water. I really enjoyed this part of the run. And the Canadians were out to cheer us on which was nice. I believe someone said "Run strong, eh?" Just kidding.

The bad part about leaving Canada is that you must run through a tunnel to get back to Detroit. Eff that tunnel. Seriously. I hated this part of the race. You see, I'm fairly claustrophobic. I'm ok for a short time in small places but too long and I start feeling panicky. The tunnel was about a mile long and once you were in the middle of it, it got hot. And there was no breeze. And I was sweating like a pig. I started imagining every movie scene where people are trapped in a tunnel. All I could do was keep running and squinting trying to see that light. That light, literally at the end of this stupid tunnel. I did not like the tunnel.

Needless to say, we finally emerged from the tunnel and the cold air was such a welcome slap in the face, I almost yelled, "Hit me again Ike! And this time put some stank on it!" I'm sure others will say the tunnel was nothing, but I personally did not care for it. I'm A-OK with my wimpiness.

As we made our way back through the streets of Detroit I made sure to look around and see the sights. I had no idea what I was looking at but I always try to do this at races that are not in my own town. I high-fived a row of little cheerleaders and giggled when some older cheerleaders chanted, "Run, run, run, run, run, run! Everybody!" to the tune of LMFAO's "Shots." A runner next to me commented on a hill we were ascending since she was wondering aloud what I was thinking. "How many more hills in this race?" Heh.

We came to the straight away and it was nice to see the finish line straight ahead. I hate when races make you turn before the finish line and you can't build up a sprint to the end. I picked up the pace and finished with a 1:52 and some change. I am happy that I stayed only a wee bit faster than I wanted to and I really enjoyed the race. The post race food and drinks were good and the volunteers on the course were super helpful. I don't know if I'd run Detroit again, but only because I am a wimp in tunnels. Overall, the race was great!

I'm glad to be home but I have so many blogs to catch up on. Happy Tuesday!

Thankful Thursday

2011-10-13T11:52:00.008-04:00

I'm leavin' on a jet plane....

And I'll certainly be back again but I'm so so so so thankful for this trip to Detroit. I'm heading out this afternoon and can't wait! And since I love a list here are the reasons why:

1. I get to see my Boo, the Redhead! We have dinner plans and she's bringing Spike and the Sun Runner! YAY TIMES FOUR BILLION!

2. I get to run a half marathon as a training run AND get a medal. I love me some bling.

3. This awesome half marathon runs into Canada which is pretty cool because it's like a whole other country. (Hee hee...)

4. I ADORE working the Women's Running Magazine booth because I get to meet and speak with so many runners. From first timers to people who've run over 50 marathons, it never gets old. It's really like working at a runner's Disneyland.

5. Lots of time with my girl D. She is who hooked me up with this sweet side gig and she's a lot of fun to travel and work with. Not to mention, she totally kicks butt as a runner. The woman can fly.

6. I need a little trip. A little change of scenery. And of course, a little break from the heat. It is supposed to be 86 degrees today. A did I mention how humid it is - still?

7. EXPO STUFF! Ok fine, I'm sure some of the stuff is not needed, but I have found some really great deals at expos.

8. Greektown. Detroit has a delicious Greektown filled with nothing but, yep, you guessed it, Greek restaurants. Dalmades here I come!

9. Possibly seeing THIS GUY.

10. I love to travel. Period.

What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T07:35:00.004-04:00

(Were there an actual zombie invasion, I'd be in trouble because I certainly didn't get him in the head. But, if this were a home invader, I'd be good to go.)

Day in the Life

2011-10-10T07:48:00.021-04:00

Everyone's favorite pooping blogger decided to open up the "Day in the Life" post to other bloggers to join in. Since my life is so exciting, I decided to play along. Ok, fine I decided to play along since sometimes it's difficult to come up with things to write about. I warn you, my life is quite the opposite of exciting. Heh. But on the plus side, there are photos.

I chose Saturday as the day I'd use for my "Day in the Life" post.

I woke up at 5:00 AM to get ready for my first long run of this training cycle. Before I left the house, I hit up the computer to check emails and blogs and such. I may have to give up the 'puter for a week cause I'm pretty sure I have an Internet addiction.

After getting in my 14 miler, which I was very happy with, I headed to work for a few hours. Not having time to blow dry my hair or put on anything but a t-shirt and jeans, I typically look like a bum on the Saturdays I head into the office. So sorry company but this is what you get for making me come in on a Saturday.

I did some work at work and may or may not have been streaming Ironman Kona in the background. The race was awesome and the Chrissie Wellington cannot be human. She's absolutely amazing.

I left the office and headed home to change and then it was back out on the road to go put the deposit down on my new place. I am happy with my new location and although I HATE moving it'll be nice to be close to my sister. Plus I get to drive and run and walk and bike along this waterfront sidewalk which will only be about 2 or 3 miles outside my front door. (Too bad it was overcast on Saturday cause when it's sunny out here it's just lovely.)

I then headed over to my sister's place where I had no choice but to play with my fur-nephews while she finished getting dressed. I love them.

The pooch on the left is Wesley. He is the older brother to the pooch on the right, Bruiser. Bruiser is quite a handful since he's not a year old yet and has tons of energy. He's also quite the ladies man.

Once we got to the mall, we shopped our faces off as evidence by the no face below. Har har. I was a little tired at this point because I had a busy day and was all but ready to eat dinner at about 7 PM. I tried on the dress below but passed on it because I think it's going to start getting cooler soon and I needed to think about fall clothing options.

I didn't leave the mall empty handed though and got a new khaki blazer, a pretty printed dress, and the candelabra below. It's from Yankee Candle and I was shocked that all the fall stuff is on sale there and they have their Christmas stuff out. It's not even mid-October! Bananas!

After dinner at the Nordstrom Cafe, which is super tasty, I headed home and passed out with the new issue of Runner's World.

That concludes my Day in the Life. Please feel free to join in the fun and post some photos. Sure, our days aren't exciting, but as SUAR said these represent the wonderfulness of everyday life.

Happy Monday.

We've got a secret

2011-10-07T10:50:00.010-04:00

Those of us who compete in running races and triathlons have a secret. We know something that a lot of people don't. We know how to endure. Our sport even has that word in it - endurance.

Some people will say that we are crazy or addicts or that we didn't get this fulfillment earlier in our lives. But I say, to hell with those people. Call us crazy, call us addicts. Sure, maybe we weren't track stars or high school football heroes, but what does it matter now? Some of those former early achievers are now listless and reliving past glory days while we are out making new ones.

We aren't all winning age group awards or even finishing in the top ten but we know what it takes to finish what we started. We endure. We thrive. We give it all we've got. We know that pain is temporary and reaching a dream is forever.

People are always afraid of what they don't understand. How many times have we heard our friends say "I could never do that." And how many times have we ourselves thought "I could never do that." And then, against all odds, we do. We train. We toil. We hurt. We endure.

This post is for everyone who has set a goal and is on the way to meet it. This post is for those who never considered themselves athletes. This post is for those who received little support on the way to their goals. This post is for everyone who signed up for that very first race and thought "I can do this."

Just remember, when it hurts - it's temporary and only a little pain stands in the way of your dreams. Endure and never give up.

Thankful Thursday

2011-10-06T06:30:00.009-04:00

It's so close to Friday I can smell it! It smells like chlorine, a long run, and a trip to see some friends in Orlando. But first, let's get our thankful on!

I love Halloween and I've had my decorations up since last month. I can't help it. Cute and creepy things make me smile. Except that creepy guy I saw at the CVS before I ran last night, he was just creepy, sans the cute.

While I'm not a huge candle person, I do LOVE the Halloween decorations they have at Yankee Candle. The two below are the cute and creepy version of the painting American Gothic. As soon as I saw this last season I had to have it. I'm so thankful for awesome Halloween decorations that make me smile every time I see them.

Remember when KC thought up the DWYLLC? Well, since I was such an over achiever and got in my five bike rides in one week, as soon as she set the rules, she made me a little something as a "prize." Being the crafty gal that she is, she made me an anklet from bike chain pieces. How cute is that? (Not creepy at all but I still love it!) Please note my amazing stripey Injinji toe socks.

Thanks so much KC! I'll wear it with pride knowing that I am getting closer to being a real cyclist. I'm super thankful for you and my sweet anklet! Please head over and give KC some love cause she's got a BIG race coming up. I'm so excited for her.

And lastly, I'm so thankful for this book:

Big Sis bought me this book after she saw it on The Today Show. Even though the Ironman dream is far, far away for me (um, 112 miles on the bike!?!?) this book makes it seem doable for the average Joes. It's an easy to read book that is just so inspiring. It's actually been making my eyeballs sweat. Heh. I only have a chapter or two to go and I'm looking forward to reading how everyone does. I recommend picking it up even if you've never completed a triathlon because the stories make you feel good and that's always nice.

So what are you thankful for today?

So it begins...

2011-10-03T13:50:00.017-04:00

Today is the first day of my Miami Marathon training plan. I love the smell of spreadsheet in the morning!

I'm hopeful that I can get through this training plan unscathed and fit and make it to that finish line in the beautiful (and please oh please cool January temps) Miami!

I initially only signed up for this marathon because my bestie, P-Funk, decided she was ready for her third marathon and I had said all along that whenever she was ready for her next one I would be there! And guess what? It's become a fully sanctioned BRA (my running group) event with about 20 plus runners heading south for either the marathon or half marathon. Even Caribbean Steve is shelling out the dough to run this race.

My shin has been feeling fine since my trial run on Saturday of four and a half miles and my "recovery" run of four miles on Sunday. I got my plan from Coach EK and I was surprised to see that based on what I'd like to run, I am not pantsing my poop about the various paces. They all seem doable barring anymore shin issues. I'm crossing my fingers that I can get to the start line healthily.

I'm using the Detroit Half as part of my training and am actually looking forward to freezing my buns off up there since I'll also get to see my Boo, Red, as a bonus. (If you are running Detroit, please come say hello at the Women's Running Magazine booth.)

Since I am taking a break from tri racing and focusing on the run I must warn you that I'm going to become a full on running junkie. I will continue to cross train because I am really loving Dolly right now but to reach my Miami goal I must commit to my first love...the run.

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-29T07:44:00.011-04:00

First of all I must point out that the video I have posted is completely out of control. It's really NSFW (not safe for work) and it's definitely not safe for the kiddies. However, it completely cracks me up.

A couple of years ago my sister took me to see The Black Eyed Peas where a band called LMFAO would be the opening act. At the time their songs "I'm in Miami Bitch" and "Shots" were pretty popular. These two young men jumped around the stage and were generally very goofy. My sister and I sort of thought they were playing a joke on everyone. Come to find out they would keep cranking out hits like the huge "Party Rock Anthem" (you know it, "Everyday I'm shufflin!").

Anywho, as it turns out these two are the son and grandson of Berry Gordy. You know Berry as the founder of that little record label, Motown. Who'd have known these two goofballs had such powerful connections? Talent or not, they can make a hit.

This all brings me to today's Thankful Thursday. Since I'm currently babying this shin for a week or so I hit up the elliptical today at the Y. And yes the elliptical is just as boring as I remembered. However, with the help of LMFAO I made it through the 45 minute sweat session and got in a chuckle along the way.

Today I'm thankful for songs that are cheesy and fun, especially the one below. (I warned you though, the video leaves little to the imagination...oh and can you spot the famous Porn star?)

What are you thankful for today?

Augusta 1/2 Ironman RELAY Race Report

2011-09-27T18:10:00.027-04:00

Hey ya'll! I'm back from Georgia and have finally gotten around to whipping up this tasty post. Fortunately, I completed only 1/3 of the 70.3. Unfortunately, this post is still going to be 100% long. Settle down now!

Cay-See and I headed up to Georgia on Friday afternoon and of course had to stop a few times to fuel up on random snacks and freebase Skittles! And my fave, Cheez-Its. Since we were in Georgia I felt it necessary to grab a photo with the pecans, peanuts, and Cowboy hat.

Since we arrived pretty late we were both excited to sleep in until 7 AM. (Sweet Jesus when did I turn into my grandma?) After a light two mile run we headed up to the host hotel to meet up with our peeps, get our packets, and peruse the expo. A few folks decided to test out the river and their wetsuits. Apparently, the water was just cold enough for wetsuits and only had a billion pounds of marshy muck. Yum!

At the expo I finally got to meet Summer! Why yes, I am hugging her leg. The story here is that when we were chatting via Facebook I told her that it'd only be weird when we met in real life if she hugged my leg. To which she replied about being a sneak up leg hugger and thus, the challenge of leg hugging was born. Let it be noted that this should now be a rule when meeting other bloggers for the first time. Leg hugs all around!

After much leg hugging, Cay-See and I headed to the transition area to rack her bike. Since I was the running relay member I got the benefits of going in and out of transition without all of the work. Yay for not schlepping a bike!

Cay-See was ready to go and as you can see there were a LOT of racers. Having never competed in an official Ironman event, I can see why they cost what they do. Honestly, they have thought of everything and really try to make it as safe and as efficient as possible. To that end, I'll point out that we did go to the pre-race briefing at the expo and it was absolutely worth it to a noob like me. I didn't know that the USAT drafting and WTC drafting lengths were different or that men had to wear shirts. I was also surprised to learn about this....

No one ever told me about this whole penalty box deal so I was really surprised when I heard that if you got a penalty for drafting you had to go wait in this tent while they held a stop watch for you. I find this hilarious and crazy all at the same time. I imagine with so many racers it could be tricky to stay the appropriate length behind. I won't have this problem since I can't catch anyone to draft off them. Ha ha.

So, fast forward to big group dinner. Pasta was had and everyone got a good night's sleep. Well as good a night's sleep as you can knowing you are about to be ONE HALF IRONMAN. Or in my case, ONE THIRD OF ONE HALF IRONMAN. Heh.

Race day morning Cay-See and I headed to the swim start and met up with my teammates, their significant others, and Tiny Tish and her hubs. We had about eleven friends completing the half and the three of us doing the relay as Two Chicks and A Rick.

Sweet shirts right? I love them.

As all my buds and my teammate, Aloha Kris, lined up for the swim start I trekked it back to transition. Since the swim was point-to-point we had walked quite a bit that morning. Great job to teammate, Aloha Kris, on her swim! She rocked! I definitely walked more before this race than any other race I've done and did a ton of spectating. I watched the pro's take off in the river and then I watched all my buddies start. I got to transition in time to see Aloha Kris come in and hand off to our cyclist, Rick. And then I waited.

Fifty-six miles is a long ride. (Thank you Rick!) And it was getting warmer and warmer while I waited. I tried to relax but I kept seeing people come in and I was getting amped and just wanted to run. As soon as I spotted Rick I was jumping up and down and cheering for him. I grabbed the chip anklet and headed out for a run. It was about 1 PM and the angry sun was out in full force.

I started the 13.1 miles with the intent of keeping it easy and staying as close to a 2 hour half as I could. I would have no trouble with this because it was super hot and I was feeling it. I say this honestly, I felt bad being on a relay team. Here I was moving past people and thinking about how effing hot I was when they had been busting their humps since 7 AM. I had fresh legs and felt like crap when I passed people. I felt the need to explain that I was on a relay team even though the big letter "R" on my calf was a give away. Everyone was really cool on the course and I helped where I could. I walked through water stops and when I met up with Tiny Tish we chatted for a few steps. I'm pretty sure I told her how amazed I was by her and everyone else doing the entire half IM because I was sweating and panting and here I was, just doing the run portion. Hats off to everyone who raced!

Needless, to say I finished just under 2 hours and my team came in 25th out of 51 mixed teams. Not too shabby for Two Chicks and A Rick! I really benefited from doing this race as a relay because I learned so much about the event. I had a great time spectating and I was happy to be a part of the team. Hopefully next year I can complete the distance all by myself. I've been bitten by the tri bug and the bite's only getting itchier...wait. That sounded gross.

Congratulations again to Cay-See and Tiny Tish on their first 70.3! You gals kick butt. And of course congrats to all who raced on a hot day.

Friday Funny

2011-09-23T08:06:00.009-04:00

I got a FB message from a blogger friend named Greg. He sent me a link to his blog where had had posted one of the funniest running videos I've seen in quite some time. So like any good blogger I stole the video and have placed it on my blog below. I have given him credit for finding this gem so by definition I didn't actually steal it. Right?

Anywho, I present to thee...Awkward Running.

I'm off to Gawga in a few hours and am rarin' to go. Cay-See and I plan to freebase some skittles and possibly stop at a ridiculous gas station for photo ops along the way.

Best of luck to those racing this weekend! Please don't run like the dudes in this video.

TGIF!

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-22T14:57:00.012-04:00

This week started like a total disaster. My shin was all sorts of jacked up and I was super upset about it. I realize I become a total Crabby Patty when I'm worried about an injury. "I need to run! I need to run! I need to run!" Add that in the mix of stress eating and you've got a possible chocolate-cake-thunder-thighed disaster.

Well, we all know how that story ended so of course I'm thankful for that. But guess what? I'm also thankful for a LIST (Yay for lists!) of other things.

Today I am thankful for:

1. The new TV show New Girl. There was a LOTR reference in the first episode spoken by a geeky, yet lovable brunette girl. SOLD! (No, I'm not on this show.)

2. Pinterest. HOLY CRAP I'M OBSESSED. Just what I needed, another website to add to my faves. However, unlike Daily Mile and Facebook, this one makes me feel like I'm doing more than cyber stalking other people and talking about myself 24/7. I mean, geez, that's what the blog is for. Shout out to Red for hooking me up with this one.

3. Summer and Jason. I have never met either of these bloggers in the "real world" and yet we had the most epic conversation yesterday via facebook. I won't bore you with the details but it involved leg hugging and 1/2 IM. Woot!

4. Powerade Zero, grape. I don't like G or G2, but Powerade seems to be decidedly better on my tummy. Plus, the grape is tasty.

5. Got my tickets to Halloween Horror Nights. If you are a noob to this blog then you don't know of my LOVE for all things Halloween, especially this event at Universal. I've been every year since 1998. It's epic. And you can drink beer! (Not a good idea if you pee a little every time you get scared.)

6. I am so thankful to see so many reaching for their Ironman and 1/2 Ironman goals. I'm in complete awe of my friends who are tri training machines! Kudos to Walter Smithendorf for sticking it out and getting through the highs and lows. Thanks for the inspiration.

7. Twizzlers!!!!!

8. The "Moves Like Jagger" song. And I'm thankful not because I particularly like the song (it's only on every 3 minutes) but because every time I hear it I think of an old Mick Jagger drinking some Metamucil and yelling at some kids to get off his lawn. (Sorry Jagger fans, dude is almost 70. I give him cred for having said "moves" but is there no one else we can reference?)

9. The fact that if you say "gullible" slowly it sounds like "oranges."

10. Super thankful that most of you tried the above because I did too when I first read that.

I'll be heading to Augusta tomorrow afternoon so I'll catch you all when I get back. Team Two Chicks & A Rick are ready to do this!

What are you thankful for?

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

2011-09-21T13:27:00.004-04:00

As some of you may have noticed, or at least I hope you noticed, the posting slowed down quite a bit here on D.R. after my rabbit post. The reason is because I had a dirty little secret and I didn't want to jump the gun on posting too soon.

Recently I have been having some shin pain. In July I bought a pair of shoes that I ran in for about a month and the pain started. I changed shoes in August and it let up bit, plus I took a week off of running to let the shin rest. Here recently it has been giving me pain again. The worst came after Saturday's 14 1/2 miler.

I've had shin splints before and this didn't sound or feel like shin splints. The shin bone hurt to the touch and it throbbed randomly after I ran. Uh-oh, I thought. Sounds like a stress fracture or at least something on the way to becoming one. Since I've been around a lot of injuries lately, I've become quite paranoid and so I scheduled an appointment to see an ortho on Tuesday.

After what can only be described as an obnoxious doctor's visit (long wait, Doogie Howser style intern, and a doctor who didn't listen when I talked), I was prescribed an MRI. The doctor thought it was a possible stress reaction. Fortunately, I got the MRI yesterday as well and had the chance to go back today to have it reviewed.

The good news is that it's not a stress fracture or even a stress reaction. It's apparently inflamed tissue right over the bone and right around the bone. I guess that's why when I pressed the bone it hurt. I had similar symptoms of a stress reaction but thankfully it wasn't the case. Damn sheep in wolf's clothing!

I was given clearance to run Augusta (seriously - THANK GOD! I would have hated making my team bail!). And I was given some prednisone to help with the inflammation. (Side note: My mom said prednisone makes you hungry and reminded me of when we had to give it to our family dog and she got so fat in like one week. Eek! Just roll me through the streets of Augusta! Heh.)

Ok, so the only bad news here is that after Augusta I was told to rest. And of course, when I asked for how long, he just said, until it stops hurting. Uh, does he not know that runners need definite dates for resting? I am going to attempt a full week off after Augusta and then I'll go from there.

Happy, happy stress fracture free Wednesday!

Rabbits

2011-09-16T09:41:00.009-04:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I was thankful for rabbits and it really got some of you wondering. I got a couple of emails and I thought it was pretty funny how my randomness got you all questioning this little tidbit of thankfulness.

I shall explain.

I recently asked a fellow book loving co-worker for a recommendation. He and I have a lot of the same tastes in books along the nerdier vein. We both love LOTR, and he is the one who introduced me to the Fables series of ~~graphic novels~~ comic books. With the exception of all the truly girl crap I love, I could be a 14-year-old boy. In any event, he recommended a book I had never heard of and when he told me what it was about I raised an eyebrow and said, "Really?"

It's a book about rabbits called Watership Down.

Apparently this book is very well known and sometimes cited as a children's novel because the author, Richard Adams, wrote it from stories he made up for his own children. Others argue that it's not really a children's book and I agree. I think it's more of a high school level summer read than a book for children. This ain't your typical Green Eggs and Ham type stuff. (The author actually had some trouble getting it published because publishers he went to couldn't determine who the audience would be.)

I must admit I'm only about 200 pages in (out of about 500) and I'm enjoying it very much. It's surprising how a book about rabbits has really pulled me in, but honestly it's just a good story. The writing style isn't what has grabbed me, even though it is well written. These rabbits have unique personalities and traits. And while they do "speak" to each other they also maintain their natural rabbit features of burrowing and fighting. I'm happy the author decided to learn more about rabbits in nature so that these rabbits aren't knitting or wearing bonnets.

Quite like LOTR, it's really just the story of a journey for a motley crew of outcasts and their search for a safer place to live. I'm finding this book has a lot of wonderful characters who look out for each other and rise to the occasion when they are needed, but also make time to play, smell the flowers, and run.

And thus, I'm thankful for rabbits.

Happy Friday.

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-15T10:02:00.007-04:00

This morning I woke up in a better mood than I have been in for quite some time now. That whole grumpiness thing is non-running related but I feel as though a lot of it has been worked out, hillside pep talk and all. (Yes, I get grumpy and grouchy. I try to keep the blog upbeat but I'm still human and have those days.)

I hit up the Parkway with P-Funk, the Reporter, and Kris10 to run some intervals this morning. And I am super happy to report that my 800 meter repeats went very well. Granted I had four on deck so I think a better judge will be when I get to six and seven of those bad boys. However, it's the little confidence boost that I needed. I practically skipped into my house after I unlocked the door.

This leads me to my not-so-deep Thankful Thursday.

Today I'm thankful for working things out. I'm thankful for partners who listen as well as vent. I'm thankful for getting over the grumpiness. I'm thankful for girlfriends who send you baskets of junk food because they know you've been grumpy. I'm thankful for intervals that make you believe in your ability again. I'm thankful for new gals in the running group who are great additions. I'm thankful for laughing in the middle of the night because a hanging shirt looked like a scary something before my eyes adjusted. I'm thankful for little dogs. I'm thankful for sisters who don't ever judge. I'm thankful for new blog friends who are wonderful and email me random and hilarious things. I'm thankful for becoming closer with folks I didn't know too well before. And I'm thankful for rabbits.

What are you thankful for?

7 Links

2011-09-14T07:14:00.015-04:00

KC over at 140 Point 6 Miles...of Awesome!! decided to nominate me to participate in a post that brings some of my older posts. It's like a throw back post of sorts. I really like this because it gave me the chance to look at some of my old posts and reminisce. And of course be a little more self indulgent then I already am. Hee hee.

Here are the rules:

~~1. You do not talk about fight club!~~
1. Blogger is nominated to take part
2. Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category
3. Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.
4. These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 more bloggers

Easy enough right?

My most beautiful post was THIS one (3/25/2010). It's a Thankful Thursday post I did about my dad. I miss him every day and go back and read this when I'm down.

My most popular post was this ONE (10/23/2009). It's the 100 hundred things about me post. I must admit that I go back sometimes for a refresher on those items to see what's changed.

My most controversial post was this POST (9/24/2009). Another Thankful Thursday in which I proclaim I'm backing out of MCM for that year. Granted it wasn't super controversial to the readers but it was something I struggled with and felt I made a controversial decision not to go. What? I'm not a very controversial person in general. It's all I got. Hahaha.

My most helpful post was this ONE (1/21/2011). This was my attempt at helping out noobs. The comments added a lot by way of suggestions. I suggest you go read them.

A post whose success surprised me was this ONE (9/29/2009). I wrote a list of my top ten Halloween movies and I was surprised at how many comments I got because it had nothing to do with running. I suppose sometimes those posts are the best. By the way, I'm so STOKED it's getting close to my favorite holiday!

A post that I feel didn't get the attention it deserved is actually one I wrote very recently. Go give IT some love k? (6/10/2011)

The post I'm most proud of is this ONE (12/12/2010). I like this post because it's a reminder to me to stop being such a brat in terms of where I am as an athlete. Hell, there are days I don't even think of myself AS an athlete. I'm proud of this one cause I really look at myself and where I am remind myself to shut up and not take it all so seriously. As a running coach once said to us, "It's only running."

Memories...like the corners of my mind...

Now for the lucky five who get to go back and re-live their glory days of blogging:

1. Living the Dream
2. Cautiously Audacious
3. Joanna Runs
4. It's all about Pace
5. Runner In Progress

Happy Wednesday!

Champion Gear Winner and other stuff

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

And the winner of the Champion give away is...

The Lazy Runner! Since the Lazy Runner is a dude, I'm hoping he looks good in the pink hoodie and sweatpants. He could always bedazzle the bottom to say something clever like "Lazy Ass."

In other news, I'm getting super close to my 1/2 Ironman Relay in Augusta at the end of the month. As I noted in a previous post I hit my 12 mile run on Saturday with little incident. Of course, I probably pushed too hard but I wanted to see if I could still run a certain pace at that distance. While I was shooting for a 1:45 goal for Augusta, since that's my PR, I'm thinking it's going to be tougher to reach that in this race. My 1:45 PR was from the Cleveland Half Marathon on a chilly day where I just hung on to some random dudes I met. I'd be happy at this point with anything sub 2:00.

Plus, I want to have fun at this race. It's a no pressure race for me and my buds and I am stoked about the shirts I had made for us. We were initially going to be Three's Company, remember? But Ironman emailed us and said someone else already had that name. Drats! So we came up with "Two Chicks & a Rick." Wait til you see the shirts! I love them. Suspenseful ain't it?

In other, other news, it appears I will be moving in November. Before you get all excited, I'll still be in Florida and I'll still be in the same county but I'll be much, much closer to this...

That's right! The lovely Bayshore Boulevard. Granted, I'm sad to be leaving the hometown of my youth sorta and my beloved BRA but I'm only about 20 minutes away so my long runs will continue to be with my running buds. More to come on this....

Happy Tuesday!

DWYLLC DONE!

2011-09-11T18:36:00.009-04:00

Remember when I posted about the Do What You Like Least Challenge? No? Hm. Ok, go HERE for a refresher. I'll wait.

I'm a barbie girl, in a barbie world, it's laughing plastic, it's fan- Oh. Hi. You're back.

The DWYLLC was created in order to get my butt on the bike and KC and Summer's collective butts in the pool. I'd have to say it worked really well for me. I can easily be peer pressured into just about anything. Jumping off a cliff? You guys doing it? Hell yeah, I'm in!

Seriously though, it really did help me get more motivated to ride and is truly helping me get more comfortable on the bike. I've gotten better at drinking from my water bottle and have felt myself relax my kung-fu grip on the handlebars. And while I did enjoy getting more rides in it was super hard to arrange my schedule to get 5 in with the running I need to be doing for my upcoming races. I feel that the bike is so much more involved then running and swimming. Of course, that could just be my thoughts since it's what I like least...

In addition to just getting more comfortable on the bike I had no choice but to learn how to fix a flat tire after my first attempt at ride number four was a fail. I had planned on ride number four for an early AM ride but when I got to the start of my ride my front tire was completely flat. This was on Friday morning mind you, so I had no choice but to ride Saturday AFTER my long run. Thanks to Captain Nuts for fixing the flat and showing me step by step. I'm not sure I can do it alone yet, but I'll practice.

Here's how my week with the rides broke down:

1. Monday - 18 miles (plus 1 mile swim)

2. Tuesday - 12.89 miles (plus 5 mile run)

Wednesday - 0 miles (5 mile run)

3. Thursday - 12.85 miles

4. Friday - 0 miles and a flat tire FAIL and no swim due to a storm (This Friday can suck it.)

4. Saturday - 12 miles (12 mile run, no photo cause I just forgot. My bad.)
5. Sunday - 18 miles and DONE! Woot!

Sunday PM = Celebratory wine!

Since the minimum amount I had to ride was 12 miles, and I have a convenient four mile loop nearby, I started calling this the Tour de Twelve. Heh.

I highly recommend you all challenging yourselves to do what you don't like doing. It's been rewarding and dare I say that biking is becoming something I no longer loathe. Granted, I still have a long way to go but this five day challenge was worth it. Now get out there and DWYLL!

Oh Canada!

2011-09-09T08:03:00.014-04:00

One of my most favorite emails ever to receive is the Active.com one that looks like this....

It's official! I'm all registered for the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon. I'll be heading up there the Friday night before the race and will be working the Women's Running Magazine booth again this year at the expo. I'm stoked because the last time I worked this race, I didn't actually get to run it.

The course for this one is pretty cool because you get to run into another country - Canada! I haven't been out of the country in a while. My passport has been feeling neglected lately and is just collecting dust. I suppose I should aim a little higher than a country that borders my own, but this will have to do for now. I may run off course and try to find some Canadian souvenirs so I can show off how I have been travelling the world.

Street corner t-shirts, always a good idea.

I plan to use this as a training run for the Miami Marathon and just to add to my bling bling collection. I'm a total medal junkie. And the medal for Detroit is totally rockin. Take a look...

Actual size.

And that's all she wrote. Seriously though, look me up if you are in Detroit. And have a great weekend peeps!

Deuces.

Thankful Thursday: Give away!

2011-09-08T06:20:00.001-04:00

Happy Thursday peeps! I'm happy to say that I had a lovely holiday, despite suffering from the black lung. I coughed and coughed some more and yet the doctor gave me nothing but a dumb cough syrup while he took my co-pay. I am finally feeling better and no longer sound like a three-pack-a-day smoker.

On a non-phlegmy note, I did get in all of my workouts over the weekend and then some. And since KC and Summer threw down the DWYLLC, I had no option but to attempt it this week. I have a lot of runs ahead of me and when I ramp up for Miami, I doubt I will be able to squeeze in five trips with Dolly. I've gotten three of the five rides in thus far. Keep your fingers crossed that I can get in my final two!

Now on to what you really came over here for, the give away!

Since I'm not a male, even with a name like B.o.B., I only have lady stuff to give away. Many apologies to all my doods.

Anywho, Champion recently sent me some sweet samples from their new Eco™ line. This line is made "with fibers from recycled plastic materials – so with each purchase, you will be helping Champion to keep nearly 5 million plastic bottles out of landfills." If you are like me, when you hear "eco" for a clothing line you start picturing a product that feels like burlap and can be rolled up and smoked. But just trust me on this, it's super soft and not smoke-able. Heh.

They were kind enough to send me a hoodie, a crew neck sweatshirt, and some really soft sweatpants. And bonus on the sweatpants for not being all elastic around the ankles. Member those? Hahah.

The hoodie is absolutely delicious and I think the crew neck would be perfect as a post-run warm up/eat your breakfast in top. And obviously, the sweatpants are a must for the upcoming Fall and Winter seasons.

This is my version of the Blue Steel.*

I'm so happy in my crew neck!

The sweatpants you can look at HERE. I got so tired after all my modeling and didn't want to model them. Modeling is like, totally exhausting, OK?

Today, I'm super thankful for this awesome give away! I heart Champion.

Want to win the hoodie, crew neck, AND sweatpants?** Go "like" Champion on Facebook HERE or go follow them on Twitter HERE. Let me know you've done 1 of these things and tell me what you are thankful for today. I'll post the winner next Tuesday.

*Blue Steel does not come with hoodie. Sorry.
**All three items are size small.

Do What You Like Least Challenge (DWYLLC)

2011-09-04T11:32:00.006-04:00

Last week KC from 140.6 Miles of Awesome had this ~~insane~~ brilliant idea to help keep us doing that which we don't love the most of the tri events. She happened upon this idea while realizing that by pairing up with Summer from The Blue Line Runner (who is also in on this challenge) she could be held accountable for not swimming as much as she should, she loves the swim about as much as I love the bike.

Thus, the Do What You Like Least Challenge was born.

Here's how it works, and I invite you to play along. You must either swim, bike, or run at least five times in ONE week. The five days do not have to be consecutive and we're not giving specific dates for the challenge just that you do it by year's end.

Here are the minimum distances:

Bike - 12 miles

Swim - 1,600 M (1 mile)

Run - 5K

Weight Training - 30 minutes each session*

I know that most of us have trouble getting in our workouts for our upcoming races as it is, let alone getting in five of the ones we don't looooove. But, I am going to put on my big girl panties and attempt this challenge.

Since today is a holiday I'll be hitting the trails with Dolly. I would like to make this week my DWYLLC and get it over with, but we'll see if I can do it. I'll try to snap some photos at my ride so that IF I finish the challenge I've got photographic proof. Uh, and also to keep me honest.

The prize for this challenge is that you get more practice in the area that you need help in. That's it. I personally need this reward and will most certainly benefit. However, if that isn't enough, check back to this here blog tomorrow for a fun give away.

Have a great Labor Day!

*We added weight training and I may try this one too. I don't hate it, but I should could use 5 days of it!

Thankful Thursday: The Sick Edition

2011-09-01T07:00:00.002-04:00

Alright, so yesterday I was home sick, but today I'm feeling much better. And guess what? I learned a lot of useful things while staying home. Ok, not really useful but at least worth a Thankful Thursday post about things to do while at home sick. Oh and guess what? I'm thankful for all of these silly things.

P.S. I totally wrote this post yesterday. Heh.

Things To Do While Home Sick:

1. Foam roll with your dog. You're sick and you don't have anything else to do. Foam roll away!

2. Read a high fashion magazine with Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover even if you don't looooove her and decide that you'd still rather spend two grand on a bicycle then some fur-trimmed purse. Lloyd is anti-fur. This is him giving me "the look."

3. Re-paint your fingernails. I know that this list is getting girlier by the moment but dudes, whenever I say do such-and-such that's girly just insert "rub some dirt in it."

4. Rent a movie on demand. I rented Jane Eyre mostly because I like the girl in it from Alice in Wonderland. And yes, I love a gothic Bronte romance. So sue me. It was that or the animated film about birds and quite frankly birds freak me out a little. They give NO warning before they attack. At least dogs growl. Uh...where was I? Oh yeah, Jane Eyre. It's worth renting for sure.

5. Catch up on a shit-ton of blogs. If I didn't comment on yours, don't worry, I probably read it and had some trouble commenting. What's up with that? It wouldn't let me comment on some of them I swear. Blogger is dumb sometimes. I also read one of my favorite pro's blog. You can see what Mere is up to here.

6. Work on perfecting the jewel-tone smokey eye. Dudes, this is where you insert "rub some dirt in it." Yes, that is my bathing suit looking all sad in the shower behind me. Geez, even IT looks sick. Heh.

7. Go to CVS, Walgreen's, Rite Aid, or Duane Reade and cough your way through all the fun aisles. Half of the people in there are sick anyway and I know for a fact that the ones in my home town were because they were almost completely out of Mucinex! Besides just needing meds and mags, I just absolutely love drugstores. Since we only have CVS and Walgreens here I'm all about the other ones when I travel. I made Red take me to a Rite Aid when I visited Michigan. She thought I was nuts. But, just like a way less creepy truck stop, you can find very entertaining things at the drug store.

8. Clean. I totally didn't do this but it's nice to know it was an option. I'm sure I would have been thankful that I did it but meh. Just wasn't feeling it.

9. Nap, duh?

10. Write a few blog posts. This is a personal favorite of mine because sometimes trying to fit in a workout, blog post, and work can be tricky.

Quite honestly, even though I am still sick, I'm glad I took the day off. I notice some co-workers coming in and sounding terrible. I don't work at a hospital and people aren't going to die if I miss a day. I'll only be spreading my germs.

I'll definitely have lots of emails to catch up on but I think getting better and staying home is so much more important. I'm thankful for being able to have a sick day and do the above mentioned things. I'd rather be running, but for the time being I'm thankful for health insurance and paid sick days, especially when I need them.

What are you thankful for today?

By the way, head over to Today's Health for a $30 Dick's Sporting Good give away! There's something to be thankful for!

Stuck in the middle

2011-08-31T13:53:00.009-04:00

I stayed home from work today. I have a major chest cold and it feels as though as 300 lb gorilla is sitting on me. While I can breathe, I have read that running with a chest cold is a no-no so here I sit. Stuck in the middle of being able to run and not being able to run. I got some Mucinex, ate lots of chicken noodle soup, and am drinking lots of fluids. To say that I am bored would be an understatement.

Thus far today I have checked my emails 999 times, read about a thousand blogs (that's a good thing though), written a post (it's pretty lame, so, sorry about that), rented the movie Jane Eyre, and re-painted my fingernails. The most exciting part of my day thus far was my trip to CVS to pick up more soup and a magazine.

I hate staying home sick, as most of us do, but I feared that by going to work I was just going to wipe myself out more. Yesterday at about 4 PM I felt like death and came home and got in bed by 8:30. Ok, fine, so that's not much earlier than normal but I did sleep until 8 AM this morning. That's got to say my body is fighting something right?

Obviously I am annoyed because I feel like since tri training stopped, my running has taken some set backs. First with the shin issues and now with this dumb chest cold. I know I'll only be out maybe a day or two tops, but like the rest of you, I hate not working out. I thought about swimming today because I couldn't find anything about not swimming with a chest cold but then thought about infecting an entire neighborhood of kids at the YMCA and how crappy and selfish that would be of me. Thus, here I sit. Watching too many episodes of No Reservations and debating trying to run in the morning or seeing how I feel tomorrow evening.

All things considered, at least I'm stuck in the middle with you folks.

(Enjoy the tune HERE, since apparently both youtube and blogger are also sick.)

Massage benefits

2011-08-30T10:34:00.016-04:00

I have decided that me and massages are going to be besties. Lately, I've really seen and felt the benefits of the deep tissue massage. And so of course, I started googling around to see what the experts say about massage. Not surprisingly, massage has a TON of benefits, in addition to just feeling damn good.

According to most sources, massage can reduce pain, prevent injury, promote relaxation and focus, and provide post-event recovery. I have definitely seen the benefits when my legs just feel flat out tired and sore. I wanted to do some google research of my own to see what science and medicine actually say about massage.

Now, most of the massage therapy research is tricky to conduct and there isn't a whole lot on it. What I did find though is that if you go to http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ you can look up all sorts of stuff! Yay for google stalking! Unfortunately, I didn't see anything specific to runners but there was lots of stuff on cancer patients and massage and those with lower back pain and massage.

Ok, so what DID I find by way of actual research then? Well, I found that a study on rabbits, yes rabbits, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that "massaged muscles recovered significantly more function and strength after the four-day trial. Also, the muscles that were not massaged had more damaged muscle fibers and more white blood cells, which can indicate inflammation. The massaged muscles weighed less than the rested muscles, suggesting the massages prevented swelling." (This article is at THIS link if you want to read the whole thing.)

Pretty good stuff right? I have decided to try to get in massages as often as I can. I know they can be costly but I actually found a place that's cost effective AND does a great job. And no, it's not that one place I went to before. What I thought all massage places were on the up and up?

If you haven't ever gotten a massage, I say go for it. It's totally worth it and I promise it'll make your legs feel all better. Until your next marathon at least...

Ear worms

2011-08-29T07:55:00.000-04:00

Ah Monday. Back to the grind. And hopefully back to not being such a slacker-ass-slacker. I seem to have shaken some of it off and got in my long run on Saturday. The run was gonna be a 12 miler (take that leftover vacation dieting!) but due to the humidity and supreme bonking that happened around mile 7, I cut it short to a 10 miler. My overall pace was still about a 9:00 minute mile even with a couple of walk breaks. Me thinks I went out to fast. Oops.

In other news I did a whole lot of nuthin'. I saw a couple of movies: Unstoppable (AKA Stoppable) and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (AKA fairy things are creepy!). I did some shopping (what the hell retailers, it is almost September and YOU think Floridians need LONG sleeves already!?!).

Since I have been uber busy at work it was nice to relax and take it easy this weekend. As a total side note I've found that I sing the same songs in my head when I'm running and was wondering if you all did the same. Because I think it'd be fun to share those songs, here's my list of random songs that play in my head during a run:

1. Movin' On Up (Theme song from The Jeffersons) - While running up any type of incline.

2. It Keeps You Running - Love me some Doobie Brothers.

3. I Feel Good - James Brown always appears when my endorphins kick in.

(Seems fitting that I'll be in Augusta, GA at the end of September since it's the birthplace of The Godfather of Soul.)

4. Everybody Hurts - Yeah, this REM classic arrives when I am struggling during a long run.

5. Forever Young - The 80's one gets going in my brain at the last mile but the word "young" is replaced with "mile" (yes, I know it doesn't rhyme but I can't help it. I'm nuts.).

6. Random booty song with the lyrics "Oh baby you can do it, just put your back into it." - Um, yeah my 90's booty music phase never quite ended and I've found booty music can be most inspirational. I am sure this song is referring to running and swimming. (This one also pops up while swimming for some weird reason.)

Those are the regulars that I can think of right now. You all have random running or work out ear worms?

Happy Monday.

Slacker

2011-08-26T09:58:00.004-04:00

Um, yeah. I've been a total slacker this week. I've slacked on the blog (SEE: missing Thankful Thursday post) and I've slacked on the running and swimming and let's not even talk about the biking. Dolly is looking dusty.

Work has been so bananas that I haven't taken a lunch break in the past two days and on Wednesday AM when my alarm went off I almost laughed out loud at the thought of getting up. And instead of working out after work I got a hair cut and ate Burger King.

I am sure it has to do with the post vacation lazies and the crazy work load this week but in addition to my lack of getting my workouts in, I also keep eating junk. I had Burger King in the middle of the week for cyring out loud. I usually save the fast food cravings for days that I've actually worked out.

Thus far I ran on Tuesday AM and Thursday AM. I'll hopefully get to swim this evening, barring any rain and I'll at least get my long run in tomorrow. I know that I need to be getting in more mileage and keep up my base before Miami training kicks in. I also know that I need to put the reigns on the craptacular eating binge I've been on.

But.

I'm giving myself this week to be a sloth and next week I'll be back to the grind. I know that I am hard on myself but come race days being my own toughest critic will be worth it.

I'm sorry I missed some of your blogs and am hoping to catch up on them this weekend. Happy Friday peeps. If you are racing - light it up!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T07:55:00.003-04:00

A corn cookbook. Yuck. I don't like corn.

Look at that Asheville sky. Beautiful.

I hope he has his license. Love the slide to unlock sticker.

Back to reality

2011-08-22T07:19:00.000-04:00

I'm back in Florida and feeling slightly bloated from my Asheville eat-fest. My sister and I went to Asheville as a girl's trip and had a total blast. A person could very easily fall in love with Western North Carolina because it's absolutely beautiful. To me, Asheville is like the Austin of the East. Lots of outdoorsy stuff to do, but with a lot of amazing bars and restaurants and local color. I'll definitely put Asheville on my list of cities I want to return to.

Thank the lord I got in an eight mile run while there, because I ate, ate, and ate some more. The run itself was wonderful due to the cooler temps and gorgeous trails. The only downside was the upside. Heh. I ran some accidental hills. They were no joke, but I was having so much fun I just kept running them and smiling.

Here's a few photos from my trip.

Because you all know how I love to photograph my food, here we have fried green tomatoes over grits from the Tupelo Honey Cafe. If you are ever in Asheville (which you should be at some point), you absolutely MUST go here. In addition to delectable Southern food they sell honey that they bring to your table with big, fluffy biscuits. Yes, I bought some. I'm currently obsessing over what I can put it on and make with it.

In downtown Asheville they have lots of art and random sculpture and folks who are the random sculpture. The first one is me trying to iron out my butt wrinkles. And the second one is two ladies who actually ARE the art. Pretty cool right?

Whitewater rafting is way too much fun. I must admit I was nervous before we got rafting, but honestly, it wasn't scary at all and I'd highly recommend using French Broad Rafting Expedition. The guides were so friendly and funny and I really like that they use biodiesel in their trucks. They were also super knowledgable about the history of the area and I felt very safe. I don't think this is the scariest rafting you can do but there are a lot of rocks around so staying in the boat is important. You can see below that me and Big Sis took the front row cause we're so hardcore. (And also cause those two older couples wouldn't.)

We also went to the Biltmore, had a wine tasting, and did lots of walking and shopping. And that's about it for my trip. Yes, I took about nine hundred photos but I won't bore you with all of them, just know that Asheville is a trip that is affordable and completely worth it.

Now, back to reality. Gotta start ramping up the mileage for next month's 1/2 mary and get back to the daily grind. Happy Monday peeps. How were your weekends?

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have this here post on "auto-publish" so right about now I'm doing this:

While you are doing this:

Heh. That's right. I'm officially on vacation. I couldn't leave you people all grumpy at your desks without a Thankful Thursday right?

It's really no surprise that this Thursday I am thankful for VACATION. On this vacation I shall be especially thankful for: cooler temperatures, wine and chocolate pairings, The Biltmore, spa massages, hotel living, whitewater rafting, wine, time with my sister, yummy food, and more wine.

I may weigh twenty extra pounds when I get back but I think I can get in at least one run while I'm out of town. I'll only be gone until Sunday so I can't do too much damage, I don't think.

I hope you all have great weekends. If you are racing - best of luck! If you are resting - get off your butt! And if you are injured - I send you healing vibes. And maybe some wine.

What are you thankful for today?

I'm stylish!

2011-08-16T17:25:00.021-04:00

I haven't been given one of these awards in a while and so I was feeling pretty pumped to see that I was awarded a very cool one by none other then the lovely Denise at Run DMT. I randomly met Denise when I was running my 2nd marathon. She was so adorable and lively and was actually vlogging on the run. Turned out we had a mutual friend at the time and I had no idea that I'd become a blogger one day too.

Anywho, the fabulous mommy blogger awarded me this:

Ooooh la la! I'm stylish.

In accepting this prestigious award I must share 7 things about myself with you all. I know, I know you already know entirely TOO much about me but I figured what the heck? I've already shared enough to get myself a few stalkers, some angry glares, and possibly a few "you-poor-things." And we all know that the last of those is Southern for "you're an idiot."

Without further ado, 7 things (YAY FOR A LIST!):

1. I thought the words to the Kenny Loggins song from Top Gun were "Hide-away to the danger zone!" Of course they are actually, "Highway to the danger zone!" I'm not sure where he was hiding in an F15, but whatever, highway just doesn't have the same ring.

2. My favorite bad movie that I must watch anytime it's on is Anaconda. It's so bad, it's hilarious. Oh my gawd, John Voight equals worst. accent. ever.

3. I really want to go on Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. I'm not sure that I'd win at either but I do a damn fine job playing along at home, if I do say so myself.

4. I flipped my mom a bird when I was three because I didn't want to help clean up watermelon seeds I had spit out by the pool. I didn't truly know what it meant but I knew it was bad. And yes, I was in big trouble after that and no, my mom hasn't gone completely gray-haired from raising me.

5. Me, Red, and our friend Riki were discussing toys we had growing up and it made me remember the Pogoball. Man, I love that thing. I would school anyone on that thing. Word.

6. While I love getting hair cuts and mani-pedi's I wish they didn't take so damn long. This is a problem I have with relaxing in general. I'm the worst at the relaxation time in yoga.

7. I just rediscovered my love of the carrot. I like them raw and plain. Yum!

And with that I would like to turn this award over to the following peeps (YAY ANOTHER LIST!):

Shemmy Shemmy, Shake Shake

Runner in Progress

I Tri To Be Me

Tomorrow is my Friday and I'm SUPER stoked. Vacation time is almost here!

Vacation all I ever wanted

2011-08-15T10:40:00.008-04:00

Happy Monday doods! I had a pretty swell weekend which leads me into an even better week ahead. I've got a vacation planned this week with Big Sis and I CANNOT wait. We're heading to Asheville, NC. Thus far we have plans to get massages, tour the Biltmore Estate, and go whitewater rafting. If I hear Dueling Banjos though - I'm outta there faster than you can say "squeal like a pig." We're also going to eat some deliciously fatty foods. Please feel free to give me Asheville tips and spots I must see.

I got my run on Saturday and felt good during the run. I ran 7 miles because I didn't want to just jump right back into a ten miler. No shin issues until later that night when it felt achy at dinner. I've been icing again and I even went out during the tax free school shopping holiday on Sunday to get new shoes. The tax free holiday in Florida is a nightmare of epic proportions and Dick's Sporting Goods was utter chaos with kids and parents everywhere.

I'm wondering if the last pair I just bought aren't the right fit for me. They are the brand and make that I usually wear but they are the "new" model. And we all know how that can go. Ugh. I feel fine today and will give it another test run tomorrow. If things still aren't right it's back to resting it.

On a positive note I did a 33 mile ride yesterday with Dolly and didn't feel like I really wanted off of the bike until about mile 30. I think I'm getting stronger and I made it a point to stay hydrated and ate more than I normally would. I truly think it made a difference. I tested some of the new Gatorade Prime mini bars and while not the tastiest things out there they were small enough to fit in my jersey and they pack a lot in such a small bite.

I also bought a really cute cycling jersey this weekend at a local bike shop and am starting to feel more like me on the bike. (I can't find a photo of it online though, lame.) My cycling clothes are starting to be cute and functional. It's similar to when I first started running. I only bought basic stuff at first and then I began getting more into my outfits. Maybe it's a confidence builder?

Speaking of fashion please head over to my friend Brooke's blog. She new on the blog block and has some amazing fashion photos. She's also a runner. Go give her some love HERE.

That's all I got folks. I know, it's been all over the place on this here blog but I've got nothing but random news today. Thans for reading and let me know how your weekends were. I'll be blog stalking you all later.

Peace and bike grease.

Missing the run

2011-08-11T17:57:00.009-04:00

I got my x-ray results FINALLY. And they are good. I'm clear for take off. Yes I know that x-ray's don't often detect those nasty things-that-shall-not-be-named but it does give me some piece of mind. I'm also relieved because after having taken a full week off everything feels right as rain. Which, when you think of it, really makes no sense. (I just looked it up and apparently it rains a lot in Jolly Old England so rain is right there. I'm sure you all needed to know that. Just call me Cliff Clavin. Moving on.

As I begin to train, again, for the August 1/2 IM relay in September, I'll have to take it slow. I really want to just run my face off but I truly want to be careful and not get injured. I've decided to attempt a run tomorrow and ride my bike on Sunday. Dolly, me love you long time.

I think I was a teensy paranoid due to the running injuries I've seen around me lately and of course Old Wonky. Member him? That bastard.

In addition, I'm such a total control freak that I needed answers immediately. This explains my zero to 4 million approach in to going to the doctor.

Doctor: Hi how are--
Me: I NEED AN X-RAY STAT! MY LEG IS GONNA FALL OFF!

Ha ha. And since I'm being all disclosing and such I must admit that I was trying be all Joe Cool on the outside about it being a full blown injury-that-shall-not-be-named, I was really crying and whining like a baby inside. And maybe a little to close friends. And Lloyd. And random house plants.

It's quite strange the whole not being able to run thing and how much we runners lose our shit about it. I tried to explain it to someone and they referenced the show My Strange Addiction*. W-T-F? It's not like that at all. Jeez. We runners just like our run and that's that. No bike ride or swim or elliptical is going to quite fit the bill. Thus, my insanely mad dash to the doctor.

This led me to question why we runners REALLY need and crave our run and the only thing I could come up with, at least for me, is that the run doesn't require me to think too much. In that I mean while I'm running I can shut my brain off and just be. As you may have noticed in reading my posts I tend to analyze the crap out of stuff and I really enjoy turning off my brain during a run. I also enjoy talking with my running buds and looking at pretty colors. Heh.

I can't do this on the bike or while I'm swimming. One, I'll kill myself on the bike and two, I'll drown. The biking and swimming are not body movements that we would do naturally and we have to think about what we're doing, thus the brain can't rest while the body works. Again, this is just my goofy speculation but there has to be other reasons.

What do you think? Why do we runners feel miserable when we can't run?

I hope you all have great weekends and whether you are racing, running, or hanging in there through an injury - celebrate what you can do and enjoy the moments you have.

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-11T07:00:00.004-04:00

There are some days that I just wake up and want some. All day long I think about it. There are days that I fight wanting it because I can't have it right then and there. I know most, if not all of you think about it too. And women think about it far more than we like to admit. And yes it can be very bad, but it can also be so...so...good.

You can have it with someone special or by yourself. It's good that way too. Heck, sometimes it's better by yourself. You can just sit back and really enjoy it.

It can be fun when it's hot or cold and I even like it in a car on a road trip. Or after a long, hard run.**

Mmmm...and that's why I'm thankful for it today.

Don't you just love chocolate?*

What did you think I meant sickos?

What are you thankful for today?

*I'm down with Kitkats, Reese's, and Three Musketeers but I won't pass up a Hershey's square in a pinch. I'm not an all the time choco-fiend, but on days like yesterday when I felt like my head would explode I got myself to the CVS and almost went blind.....

**Speaking of running I got an x-ray on my shin but haven't heard anything back yet. Hopefully no news is good news and it's feeling A-OK today. Woot!

High Anxiety

2011-08-08T16:35:00.024-04:00

You all know that I have bike issues. It seems that the less I ride, the less I want to ride and the more my anxiety increases when I do eventually decide to ride. As I said, I have issues. I know it may seem silly to those of you who do a million miles before breakfast but I am certain that I have a slight phobia to cycling.

Since I am the over thinkingest thinker to ever think I decided to do a little research and delve into what it is exactly I'm so afraid of. As I google searched, I found that this phobia is called "cyclophobia." And no, I'm not joking here. It's a real thing and I think I have it. Sort of. Ugh. Let me explain.

Sunday, I had a planned ride with Strawberry E. I had talked about it and thought about it all day. I really need to ride. I need to get a ride in. I should really ride my bike. I haven't ridden all week. If I ever want to get better on the bike, I had better get my butt in the saddle. These were the thoughts that pervaded my brain all damn day.

I hadn't ridden since last Saturday's race and was dreading it with every hour that passed. I even called Strawberry E to back out at the last minute but alas, she didn't answer her phone. I had no choice but to show up and ride with her. We planned to meet where the BRA runners would be starting and stopping and I kept thinking about them being there. I saw myself toppling over and the feeling of embarrassment washed over me.

We got going on our ride and once we got started I felt OK but still had the creeping thoughts of falling. I kept going over and over in my mind how to get off the bike when we decided to end our ride in front of all of those runners (some of whom were also cyclists). I went back and forth on how long of a ride to do and finally decided to cut it short due to the heat. And partly because I just wanted to end the mental anguish and get the stopping over with.

Our ride ended just about the time that the runners got back. Strawberry E pulled into the parking lot and stopped with ease. I, on the other hand, had to focus so much and was so afraid of falling that my legs were shaking. When I finally unclipped my right foot and set it down my left leg was shaking so badly that I almost pulled msyelf down trying to unclip that foot. I tried to play it off and hoped that no one had noticed.

This is what happens to me almost every time I ride. It takes a huge amount of mental effort for me to get out to ride and it's only lessened when I know I'm riding alone. But even then, it's an inner struggle the entire ride. I'm preoccupied by thought about cars forcing me to stop or animals scurrying in front of me that I can barely enjoy myself. I have found that the more often I ride the easier it gets but once I take too many consecutive days off - wham! I'm back in anxiety land.

I have completed five triathlons and a couple of rides over 30 miles. Surely a person with cyclophobia couldn't have done this stuff right? Wrong. Remember the one I almost didn't finish? Yeah, that was because of the bike. Mostly, I get through the bike portion of the tri by just gutting it out. I think about the bike more than I think about the run and the swim put together. When I looked up the fear of bikes I found that most of it stems from either childhood falls or plain old fear of cars and traffic and injury and so on.

Yes, I had an accident as a kid where I ran into a moving car. No, I was not hurt, but I was very shaken up and embarrassed. In addition, I feel very uncoordinated every time I stop. And of course, the first time I got on with the clipless pedals I fell right over. In front of a group of very seasoned riders. And again, I was very embarrassed. Anyone who knows me, knows that I HATE being embarrassed. Not to say I embarrass easily, cause lord knows I'm too much of a goofball for that. But it would seem the my fear stems more from fear of embarrassment then it does of being afraid of getting hurt, although that's thrown in as well.

A smart man told me he thinks my bike issues are all in my head. I have argued with him that it's an ability thing, that my legs just aren't strong enough, that I'm built differently...but now that I look at this psycho-babbling post, I'm starting to think he's right. And after reading this post there does seem only one solution right?

Ride the bike. And ride it often. And stop thinking about who sees me fall. Who cares? I do. A little. Ok, fine. I'll work on that too. Paging Dr. Freud!

Honestly, I wrote this for myself because I needed to get it out. I've been feeling like it's a dirty secret and I shouldn't be ashamed of it. I don't care if anyone thinks I'm being a baby or being silly. I know it sounds odd but I really do have anxiety before I get on the bike and I can only hope that by putting this out there someone will stumble upon it and not feel ashamed that they get sweaty palms and the poopy cramps before they get on the bike too. Hey, us crazy people gotta stick together.

Monday Mash-Up

2011-08-08T07:00:00.002-04:00

In today's Monday Mash-Up we find our heroine, B.o.B., re-evaluating her upcoming race goals and reviewing her long weekend of awesomeness. Let's join her now.....

For those of you on the facebook page, which you can find HERE, you already know that I'm having some shin pain and cut my long run short on Saturday. While I am not overly concerned, I am overly cautious. Could I have kept running? Does a fat baby poop? Yes. But, do I want to make it worse and risk being really injured? Does this guy like cheap beer? No. So I cut the run short and have been R.I.C.E.-ing. It feels like a bruise on the top of my shin bone and since I am Dr. B.o.B. WebMd, I think it's just a shin splint, but not something to mess around with.

I have set a pretty ~~unrealistic~~ aggressive goal for the 1/2 marathon I'm running as part of the Ironman 70.3 Augusta relay in September but I'm thinking about scaling it back some because my A race for this running season is going to be the Miami Marathon. I'd hate to take myself out of the marathon because of injury and just have a fun race in Augusta. For now, I'm on high alert and Dolly (my bicycle) couldn't be happier as she knows she'll get some much needed quality time.

I am happy to report that KC and I met up on Friday and headed to The Ocean for a lovely OWS. I don't know why I like to capitalize The Ocean, but it just feels right so I do, k? I digress.

It was, in fact, lovely at The Ocean. Well, all but the swim part. Have you ever felt like you were swimming on a treadmill? That's kind of how this swim went. We were like those dumb-basses who swim upstream to get their spawning action on only to be eaten by bears. Heh. Ok, so we didn't get eaten by bears but I only made it a half mile before I called it quits. Since KC is a major bad ass, not to be confused with dumb-bass, and has a small race coming up she went the whole mile. Overachiever.

For our post swim lunch we headed to this AMAZING Italian market/deli in St. Petersburg called Mazzaro's. If you are ever in the area it's a must do. You can even take a photo like this:

Yep, I made her be the dude. But seriously, how amazing are those pink pants?

After Saturday's short run and ~~fatty buffet dinner~~ small-salad-hold-the-dressing for dinner, I had no choice but to hit the pool hard on Sunday and take Dolly for a ride after that. I was feeling really great during my swim and realized it was because unlike most Sundays, I had slept in and rode AFTER the swim. I'll have to remember that so I can alternate those work outs more often. Although the Sunday post swim ride was H-O-T.

And that my friends is how B.o.B. spent her weekend. On a final random and yet still fun note, my most recent interview is up over at the Arctic Ease blog. I interviewed this really cool guy from Crossfit in Austin, TX. I admit I was skeptical about Crossfit because everyone I know who presently does it looks like they could kick my butt with their pinkie finger but after speaking with this guy, I may need to look up a class and get my truck pulling on. Anyone ever done the Crossfit?

One final thing, SHOUT OUT to those who did the Boulder 70.3 yesterday. I heard it was HOT as a mutha. Congrats to the team of Tri-Living...Together. They finished under some brutal conditions. Well done you two!

Happy Monday peeps.

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-03T17:30:00.014-04:00

I'm thankful for Red, she always listens to me and gives me her honest opinion and has shown me a new perspective on how to deal with an injury with grace and humor.

I'm thankful for my family who I know I can depend on in any and every situation.

I'm thankful for my running family because they just "get" me.

I'm thankful for To Kill a Mockingbird, I Am Legend, Misery, The Vampire Lestat, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas, Li of Pi, LOTR, Cold Mountain, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, and so, so, so many other books.

I'm thankful for Lloyd and want him to live a very long life so I can continue to snuggle with him and laugh when he puts on my sports bras.

I'm thankful for getting the chance to be a pacer at the Women's Half Marathon in St. Pete, I only hope to do a job worthy of the title "Pacer."

I'm thankful for co-workers who tell me about good deals on running apparel, even though they themselves aren't runners, but were thinking about me.

I'm thankful for cuddling on the couch watching Jeopardy.

I'm thankful for my sister because without saying a word, we know what each other is thinking.

I'm thankful for Coach EK because he truly takes an interest in my running and doesn't seem to mind when I ask for a training plan at the last minute.

I'm thankful for happy crying and sad laughter.

I'm thankful for all the wonderful experiences this life has awarded me.

I'm thankful for each and every race I've ever been apart of.

I'm thankful for having so many reasons to be thankful.

What are you thankful for today?

Top Gun Sprint Tri Race Report

2011-08-01T18:53:00.018-04:00

Dudes. This was probably one of the most fun races I have done. Ever. No seriously, I had a total blast and followed it up with a great day. It was one of those days I didn't want to end. Sadly, this post is gonna be long as shit because of that. Fair warning.

The night before the race (Friday) I left a key under the mat for Spike and Red. I was so excited they were coming to visit but I knew I needed to get some sleep as they'd be getting in after my bed time. Yeah, so that could have been any time after 7 PM. Heh.

Anyway, I woke up at O'dark thirty and headed to the race start, carpooling with Captain Nuts. Once we arrived we met up with Aloha Kris, Navy Steve, Little J, Cay-See, Miss Mandy, Tiny Tish, Glen, and lo and behold, Chris-Brian who was racing! He had signed up secretly and had been training. He had his game face on. His tires were a little low on air but Captain Nuts took care of the new tri guy and filled em up.

Before you knew it we were all heading to the water and Red snapped some great photos!

Me and Red with our pre-race grins.

Me and Jessica from the Cuban Running Crisis. It was her first tri and she did GREAT! She swears she'll have a new blog up soon.....

Before I begin the breakdown, the back story here (and the reason this post took so long) is that when they finally posted the results the times are all jacked up. They left a note saying "The timing device operating on one side of the transition exit failed hence there many missing transition times==we combined the time from the swim finish to the bike finish for the bike segment and the bike finish to the finish line for run time" and that they may be able to fix it but I don't have time for all that. (I've only checked back 956 times.)

At first, I was cheesed off at this, but you know technology just doesn't work sometimes. It stinks that I can't get a real accurate time for my splits but I'll work with what I've got.

THE SWIM (440 Yards)

That's my new favorite spot to line up. Front row, inside.

Before I knew it we were off and swimming. I felt good. No, I felt great. I was cruising and only got slowed up when I ran into the pack of yellow-capped dudes from the wave in front of mine. I was frustrated because I was having a hard time getting around them and didn't want to swim too far off course, so I just kept it moving.

As I got out of the water I looked at my watch and saw 7:52. Hot damn! I ran/jogged toward transition and what did I see? My amazing friends wearing the KOM shirts! For those of you on Facebook, you'll know that I've been obsessed with the polka jersey worn by the King of the Mountain during the Tour de France. It's really all I was talking about and I kept saying I wanted one.

As a surprise, Spike and Captain Nuts all had them on when I got out of the water. It was so awesome. Red put hers on later and it was like a dress on her, tiny thing that she is.

Final Swim time: 8:12 (6th in AG)

THE BIKE (10 miles)

What can I say here? I biked. I didn't love it and tried my best. Some super fast people blew my doors off while I in turn passed a few on beach cruisers and mountain bikes. I tried my best to keep the pace up and not bust my butt as I unclipped slowly at transition. I'm still awkward. Heh.

Final Bike time (with T1 ): 35:28 (26th in AG)

THE RUN (5K)

Yay! The Run! Have I mentioned that I'm always so happy to see the run? Well, I am. Of course it's always hot as balls but I feel much less goofy running than I do on the bike. I was also SO happy that it was a 5K left to go and then I was DONE!

Spike, Red, Captain Nuts, and the rest of the cheer squad was yelling their fool heads off and I was cracking up when Spike and Captain Nuts jumped in with me for a bit and ran alongside me in their polka dots totally like those crazies in Le Tour. It ruled.

(You can see their polka dots and sort of see my ankle as I'm right in front of the guy in the black shorts.)

This is my final sprint to the finish. I was hot but coming in strong and really had such a fun race day!

Final Run Time (with T2): 27:15 (no ranking listed, ugh.)

Overall Finish Time: 1:10:55 (13th out of 67 AG)

Post finish smile!

I'm super happy that I exceeded my goal time of 1:15 AND had a twelve minute PR. You really can't beat that! Plus I had so much support from friends and got to see two first time triathletes kick butt! CONGRATS GUYS!

I was so sad to see Spike and Red leave. I seriously LOVE these two people and can't imagine my life without them. THANK YOU both so much for coming out and filling me in your jam packed weekend. I finished out my Saturday with some home-made chicken and dumplings and went to sleep smiling.

Shout out to Punk Rock Tri Guy! Best transition bag ever!

Me with my very own KOM shirt and GO BoB sign made by Red. Oh and of course, Lloyd with his typical photo bomb.

Happy Tuesday!

Thankful Thursday & Free Shoe Winner!

2011-07-28T07:23:00.006-04:00

Thank you all so much for entering the amazing free shoe give away! And thanks to onlineshoes.com for allowing me to have this most amazing give away. I added up over 80 total entries (almost all of you went for the three points) and without further ado the winner, with help from randomizer.org, is:

Jess from Cuban Running Crisis!

Felicitatciones! (Mi espanol es malisimo.) Check your email. Heh.

Today I'm not only thankful for give aways, I'm also thankful for books. I'm almost 99 percent certain that I've been thankful for books before but I just finished up two and I loved one of them so much I've got no choice but to share it.

Ok, so there were two books I recently read. One was Atonement by Ian McEwan. Holy jump off a bridge Batman! It was sad. If you like tragic romances then this is the book for you. I saw the movie, (um, hello James McAvoy! Yum!) and thought I should check out the book. While I did like both, I found the movie to be more beautiful than the book which is rare. But it was worth reading anyway.

The other book, that I truly, truly loved was The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. This book is about a boy named Oscar Wao who is basically an overweight, Dominican nerd/fanboy and the curse that seems to haunt his family. This books mixes so many things that I love: LOTR, street slang, Spanglish, Spanish, and lots of hilarious characters. I love the Hispanic culture and historical references in this book and learned a lot about the Dominican Republic by way of the clever footnotes and also because I looked most of it up after reading the novel. You know you like a book when you do that.

But you don't have to take MY word for it. (Reading Rainbow anyone?)

I am now about to start reading Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. I liked the book American Gods by the same author so I'll let you all know how this one turns out.

Thank goodness for books! Tell me what books you are thankful for today, I could always use some suggestions.

Ta ta.

Bye, bye July

2011-07-27T09:06:00.008-04:00

Happy Hump Day! First things first. It's your last chance to enter to win FREE New Balance running shoes. Click HERE to go enter. Wait! Finish reading this post first, then go enter.

Since it's race week again, I'm eating weird and feeling weird. I typically feel a little strange during race weeks. I'm equal parts nerves and excitement. It leads me to eat strangely and become preoccupied with thoughts of racing. What boss, you needed that done hours ago? Well, you see I was busy transitioning in my brain from swim to bike.

As for the eating part, for breakfast this AM after a short swim I had a banana, an egg and cheese pita, and a couple of saltine crackers. I definitely didn't warrant all of that and yet my nervousness leads me to extra calories. You should see me before a marathon. Hide yo kids, hide yo wives...

While I have loved this crazy ass month of July with it's eleventy billion races, I am feeling a tad bit burnt out. And even though I have newly found arm muscles thanks to the swimming and biking, I need to switch my focus to the run. Plus, there is just something about racing that takes a lot out of you. Oh I know. The racing part. Heh.

Thankfully, I've no scheduled races in August and am just going to train for that 1/2 Ironman Relay I've got in September. I got a lovely training plan from Coach EK and can't wait to ramp up the running again. I have definitely decided to keep riding and swimming as my cross-training days but won't feel the pressure I've felt this month due to all the racing. Yay!

It's going to be different this year as I get ready for that Miami Marathon. It's looming over head because I've got a big goal set for myself and I really want to keep getting better on the bike. We'll see how it goes.

Have a great Wednesday. Don't stop, get it, get it!

Tri-aversary

2011-07-25T16:54:00.009-04:00

Saturday marks my "tri-aversary." This is also known as the anniversary of my first triathlon. I'm once again signed up for the Top Gun Sprint Triathlon held at lovely Ft de Soto beach. I remember last year as my first ever triathlon. I was pantsing my poop about this race and had little to no clue what I was doing. (You can read part I HERE and part II HERE. It was a Discombobulated Tri, that's for sure.)

Sure I had received some help from Captain Nuts and my other tri buddies (Shout out Little J and Navy Steve for completing the Lake Placid Ironman on Sunday!), but I was really just like a baby bird trying to fly out of the nest.

I'm hoping that since I took this summer as a full blown tri extravaganza I'll have improved in all of the disciplines, including my ever slow transitions. I've been going through them in my mind and hoping to have even less trouble on the bike than my last tri which pretty much went off without a hitch. Save for the guy yelling at me to clip in faster. Heh.

I looked up my race times from last year and have compared them side by side with my goals. Let's have a look-see.

The swim: 1/4 mile, 10:12

My goal: 9:00. I think I can cut at least a minute off of this time if I place myself better and don't get stuck behind the group.

T1: 4:50
My goal: Get that sucker down! That seems slow, but there is a little run to get to transition and then the whole shoes and socks thing. I'll shoot for cutting this by a minute too.

The bike: 10 miles, 36:18
My goal: 35:00. That will get me to about 17 MPH. I think I may be able to go faster but I don't want to get too crazy here. It's still me. On the bike.

T2: 2:15
My goal: I'm actually OK with this. Perhaps get it to 2?

The Run: 3.1 miles, 28:56
My goal: 25:00. That would get me to an 8 minute average. It's aggressive, but why not?

Total time: 1:22:31
My goal: 1:15 (I also think this is aggressive, but we'll see what happens.)

I'm feeling good that I'll PR from last year. With the addition of Dolly and a wee bit more confidence in what I am doing it seems possible. I'm very happy to use this race to see just how far I've come from the days of biking 8 miles and being completely spent versus the 32 I rode yesterday. And being completely spent. Baby steps.

Thankful Thursday

2011-07-20T20:50:00.005-04:00

Oh-em-gee. It's Thursday already? Actually, I'm kidding. I've been dying for Thursday to arrive cause it's been "crunch" week at work and I'm again SO looking forward to the weekend. Aren't you?

Before I get all thankful on your butts, I must remind you all to head over to the contest I'm hosting for Online Shoes dot com. Click HERE to go back and enter. IT'S FREE RUNNING SHOES!

Honestly, I couldn't think of a good thankful Thursday today so I'm going with a list of little things I'm thankful for. Here we go....

1. I'm thankful that when I get a text on my iPhone it sounds like a clown horn. It makes me smile every time.

2. I'm thankful that I have two friends competing in an Ironman on Sunday. I love having friends to root for, even if I do think they are a little nuts. (Remind me I said this in two years.)

3. I'm thankful that the Redhead and I can email each other the most random stuff all day long. Yesterday we discussed swimming, her trip to visit, my love of the tri, and of course, boys.

4. I'm thankful that I'm doing my long run this weekend on the ever lovely Bayshore. It's a rare morning that we don't see dolphins frolicking while we run. Plus the post run breakfast is delicious.

5. I'm thankful that KC and I are taking a day off in August to go have a swim/beach day where we'll talk about tri's, eat some yummy beach snacks, and possibly get rid of our dumb Speedo swimsuit tan lines. Can you say white belly?

6. I'm thankful that I haven't lost it at work and told someone off. And fine, I'm thankful to have a job, even if it is driving me bananas right now. It's all good.

7. I'm thankful that P-Funk and I have a scheduled Waffle House breakfast tomorrow. I love my P-Funk time.

8. I'm thankful that I'm doing this 30 day photo challenge the Redhead told me about. I've missed a few days but I've gotten some really cool photos, if I do say so myself.

9. I'm thankful that Katie signed up for an Ironman. We all know she can do it and I can't wait to watch her progress as she trains and eventually kicks Ironman butt.

10. I'm thankful that you all keep reading, even when my Thankful Thursday is a tad on the lame side.

Help a sister out and let me know what you are thanful for today.

FREE SHOES!

2011-07-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have recently been reunited with my New Balance running shoes. While I enjoyed the Pearl Izumi's I didn't really LOOOOOVE them, the way I've loved the previous New Balance models I've worn. I know everyone has a go-to brand and I usually skip around, but I typically come back to New Balance. They just like my feet. Or rather, my feet just like them.

I was asked to host a give away of - drum roll please - FREE NEW BALANCE RUNNING SHOES - from Online Shoes dot com. They have a HUGE selection of running shoes and gear, check them out here.

I will now ask that you sell your first born. Score perfectly on the SAT. And donate a kidney in order to win.

Just kidding. I'll get to that.

They have lots and lots of New Balance and since NB is such a killer brand, I'm sure you'll be able to find a pair that is the Sonny to your Cher. The peanut butter to your jelly. The left foot to your right foot. The...well, you get the picture. I am currently rocking THESE badboys on my runs and I like a cushiony-stability shoe. But you can certainly look at some of their minimalist styles. Whatever wets your whistle, ya dig?

Back to that whole entering thing, I can't make this too easy cause come on, it's FREE SHOES. But I don't need a pint of your blood either. Here's the multiple ways to enter, and I don't care if you do them all in one comment. My email inbox doesn't need to explode, kthanks.

1. Head over to the New Balance page on Online Shoe dot com and tell me what you want. Value of up to $100, they'll pay shipping.

2. Like Onlineshoes.com on Facebook or Twitter (I don't Twit or Tweet or whatever so just let me know mkay?).

3. Follow this here little blog.

4.. And finally I want ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Heh. Just kidding again.

I will pick the winner at random using the always lovely randomizer.com and I'll let you all know in next week's Thankful Thursday. Now go like, tweet, and follow your little hearts out.

Run thru Hell 5K Race Wee-Port

2011-07-18T07:29:00.008-04:00

Happy Monday! I'm calling this a wee-port cause it's a little one.

Yesterday was the 5K I run almost every summer, the Run thru Hell. It's considered a cross country race because there is some trail and some pavement and it's the Run Thru Hell cause there is LOTS of heat. Florida in July? Oui.

Cute K, Miss Mandy, and I headed to the start and got our too big tech shirts and were ready to race by 8 AM. This race is pretty informal since there are no chips and the starting line was a big tree. Heh.

I wanted to stay with Cute K, since she's faster than me and I figured she could pull me along. So for the first mile I sort of did. However, I had run a tough ten miler on Saturday so it's safe to say my legs were tired and I hadn't really "trained" for this race. Plus, again, Cute K is fast. Thus, after we got out of some trail and on to some pavement, the speedy Cute one left me in the dust.

I carried on and felt hot and tired, as is typical of a 5K in July. I came upon the 2.5 mile mark and Miss Mandy had caught up to me. Miss Mandy is the youngin' in the group and she's only getting faster. I couldn't hang with her fast butt either. I told Miss Mandy dueces and tried to keep her in my sights to the finish.

The final 100 meters lead you to a steep drop into some mud and then right back up out of it to the finish. It's a fun finish to this race and I enjoy it every year. I didn't get too muddy this year as it hadn't rained Saturday night.

The final dip into the mud.

I got lucky and got a first place in my age group with a time of 24:47. It was not my best 5K but what can I expect in a cross country race in July? I'll take it.

Post race, we all got our burgers and dogs and waited for the awards. As I walked over to pick up my Mix1 the gentleman passing them out said, "You're at every race!" I giggled, since it seems like I have been lately. We chatted and I told him thanks for the drink. I really like their light version with only 90 calories and lots of protein.

I had read online that the race was also giving out "prizes" to those who placed. It said "sunglasses" but they wound up being more like safety goggles. WTF? Too frickin' funny. Cute K and I got first place AG awards and these "sunglasses" while Miss Mandy came in second in her AG and got socks. I totally wanted the socks.

Being silly with our "sunglasses". Miss Mandy's got her socks on her head. She wanted to be included.

I had a super fun Sunday and followed up my 5K with 1,600 meters in the pool. I've got one more race this month and I think I'm ready for a little break in August.

Make sure to come back tomorrow cause I'm having an EPIC give away. Seriously. EPIC. Have a great day!

Coconut Water Products Review

2011-07-16T11:23:00.002-04:00

I was recently given the opportunity try Phenom Coconut Water. Since these coconut water products have been all the rage lately, I thought, why not? I've had it before and while I don't love the taste of the plain I figured these flavored ones could be pretty tasty.

This brand is by GNC and has a bunch of different flavors that have vitamins and minerals. I especially like that they have one with caffeine and vitamin B for an extra pep! I tasted the Pure (unflavored), Acai Peach, and Blueberry Pomme. Honestly, I really didn't like the taste of the Acai Peach, but the Pure flavor was one of the best unflavored coconut waters I've tried. The Blueberry Pomme wasn't too shabby either!

I like that the coconut water has hit the scene because it provides yet another option in hydration and that's a great thing for us endurance athletes. Hydration can make or break a race, especially now in the summer!

According to the Phenom Water website, their product has more potassium than a banana and is 100% natural. Can't go wrong there!

I'd recommend this product if you like coconut water and want a break from just regular water. The added bonus to this product is the size of the bottles. I got more than one post workout drink from one and actually used one bottle for two runs. I still LOVE my Nuun during a run, but the coconut water is a great way to mix it up.

Have you tried it? What do you think about coconut water?

Happy Saturday!

Thankful Thursday

2011-07-14T10:08:00.008-04:00

It's Thursday and I feel like this week has just been insane! It started out great since I was feeling the after race glow and blog love, but then it turned into a monster of a work week.

With deadlines looming and emails out the wazoo it's no wonder that I'm looking forward to this weekend. Dontcha' just love the weekend? I mean, it's two whole days of non-working bliss and you can choose to get stuff done or just play, play, play. Both of these options can be good, especially since YOU get to decide how to spend your time instead of the old Boss Man.

That being said, today, I am SO thankful for weekends.

Weekends for me usually involve some sort of running, biking, and/or swimming. I sometimes throw in a tiny bit of housework and fun times with family or friends. This weekend shall be no different.

Saturday I plan on getting in my ten mile long run cause I raced last weekend and didn't get it in. I know the race should suffice, but something about that ten miler always makes me feel so good. I think it's because I know it's helping me keep up my base, which is so important.

After my long run, I'm heading to see 'Arry Potta with P-Funk and her daughter. I CANNOT wait. In addition to being a total LOTR nerd, I'm also a huge 'Arry Potta fan. No, I won't tell you what LOTR is and yes, you do have to say Harry Potter with the British accent.

Sunday I've got my summertime 5K, the Run thru Hell. It's one of my favorite races every year and I have no idea why. It's hot, it's humid, it can be muddy and runs through a trail. These are not things I typically enjoy but this race has been my summertime 5K for a few years in a row now. I never look for a PR at this event because of the heat and humidity but I enjoy it just the same. I do so love a 5K!

I also plan on swimming on Sunday barring any late afternoon rain and then I'm going to just lie on the couch and snuggle Lloyd. He loves the weekends just as much as I do.

What are you thankful for today?

Moss Park Olympic Tri Race Report

2011-07-11T07:50:00.023-04:00

The above photo is me and Cay-See before the start of the race. She and I were the only two folks I knew doing this "Olympic" distance triathlon in Moss Park in Orlando, FL. We had headed over Saturday in the late afternoon and had dinner at one of my most favorite restaurants, Dexter's. Look it up if you are in Orlando. (The brunch is to die for!)

Since this race was so small we couldn't quite tell if there was a packet pick up the day before so we opted for the morning of pick up. We picked up our packets and I immediately noticed that I didn't get a shirt. I guess the first two hundred did, but this included the sprint and du race as well. Guess I was late. Oh well. We also noticed that we didn't have running numbers. We found out that our marked up arms and legs were good enough. Sweet! One less thing to worry about at transition.

We all lined up in the water and the men folk were off and going by 7 AMish and the ladies followed shortly after.

The Swim 1.5 K (maybe?)

This was the first swim start that I've done that began waist deep in the water. We waded in and since it was such a small group all of the women started together. Without much ado, we were off.

The course was a double loop. Again, new for me. But I figured, two loops in a lake? I can do that. My start in the water wasn't as good as I'd hoped because I got a big splash when I took my first breath and my goggles were foggy. I stopped and adjusted and then kept on moving. I made my way in front of folks and was successfully around twice before I even realized it. Pretty run of the mill swim here. It seemed easy and I felt good. Lake swims rule and ocean swims drool! That's all I'm saying.

Upon checking my time yesterday I am guessing it was short. I definitely know I am strong on the swim, but holy crap! I don't think I am this fast. I will say I was first out of the water in my age group! Hooray for swimming! Full disclosure: my age group only had 4 people in it, but whatevs.

Swim Time: 23:26

T1: They did something odd with this transition that I don't really understand, if any of you do, leave me a note in the comments. It was split up into two times. It says "Run1TM 2:07" AND "T1TM1:39." There was a bit of a run to get to transition so I can only assume they counted that separately. Once I got to the bike I tried to move as quickly as I could but I admit that I drank some water and ate some of my chomps. I need to do that stuff on the bike.

The Bike 40K (definitely not)

I figure you are noticing that my distances have some parentheses behind them. It's because this event had shorter distances than what was posted, but I've been told this happens in the "international" or "Olympic" race. They just get them as close as they can but aren't exact for logistics.

Of course I wouldn't be "discom-bob-ulated" if I had everything go right with this race. Thus, I couldn't get my foot clipped in at the bike mounting area. I think I wasn't putting enough weight on my clip and a heavily accented Hispanic man who was working the event was yelling at me, "What are you doing? Hurry! Get your foot in! Push!" It was funny. I got clipped in and was off.

The bike course was also two loops. Actually the theme of the whole race was two loops. I REALLY enjoyed this ride. It was the weirdest thing. For once, I was enjoying the bike and passing a few people! I saw a lady with a 31 (my age) on her calf go by me and I thought, I gotta keep her in my sights. And I did. I just kept pedalling and only allowed myself a break on turns.

Eventually, I caught this lady and kept her far enough behind me so if she did catch me I could try to make up for it on the run. I also played chicken with two squirrels (you little rat-cousin bastards!) and I saw a spotted, little deer looking very scared. Thank the lord he was behind me and not in front of me! Cay-See had told me on the way out to the race that they are dumbs as rocks and have been known to cause accidents on bikes. It made me think of My Cousin Vinny though. Heh.

Bike Time: 1:18 (I believe it was about 23 miles and some change, versus 24 and some change, however, I am still very happy with this time!)

T2: I actually sat my butt down here to change shoes and wonder why I never did this before. I usually try to stand and change shoes but I'm just so awkward doing so. I guess I really need to improve on transitions cause looking at everyone else's...damn I'm slow. My time was 1:48.

The Run 5.6 miles (the race website actually shows this as the distance, so no guessing here)

As I mentioned before this race was all about loops. Thus, there were two loops on the run too. The first loop wasn't too bad. The website for the race noted lots of shade and while there was that it was still hot. No breeze to speak of and I felt dead by mile three. The course wound around the park and ran by some RVs as well as through some trail and some dirt. There were plenty of water stops and the volunteers were very nice and encouraging. I passed a few people on the run, one in my age group right off the bike. I definitely felt myself slowing down near the end and remembered much to my surprise how great I felt on the bike. Of course, I was still able to cheese for photos.

Run Time: 45:34

Final Time: 2:33:33

2nd Place in AG! (Out of 4! LOL!) 58 out of 95 total athletes

Final Thoughts: FINALLY! I am very happy with this race. I felt like I needed this one to go smoothly cause I was seriously starting to question myself in this distance. I needed a confidence booster. I needed a race where I didn't finish feeling like I was going to cry or pass out or puke. I also needed a race where Dolly and I felt good and didn't battle each other.

The only downside to this race was no medal and no shirt. Had I not placed in my AG I would have left with zilch. In the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal because I enjoyed this race so much. Starting before 7:30AM was a blessing and it really helped keep the temps down during the ride and run. I'd recommend Moss Park to anyone looking for a small, well-organized race. It would be perfect for a first timer venturing into an Oly. In fact, the woman who won the Gasparilla 1/2 Mary was out there for her first Oly. Of course she came in 3rd over all and is really pretty and nice. How annoying. I kid, I kid.

Cay-See kicked major butt as per usual and took 4th in her age group. She is an amazing cyclist and has taught me a lot. Plus she totally points out all the hotties on Le Tour. I am super happy she did this tri with me or I would have been all by my lonesome out there.

As always, thanks for reading. I'm off to blog-stalk you all now so I can catch up with your lives. Toodles.

Thankful Thursday

2011-07-07T07:50:00.012-04:00

Happy Thursday friends! You know what I love about a blog? You can post ridiculous videos of yourself looking completely BUSTED after a mile long swim in the ocean! And you can totally brag about living in Florida and driving over the super cool Sunshine Skyway Bridge, all while trying not to careen over the side of it. Ah, the blog. How I love thee.

I've been meaning to get in my OWS (Open Water Swim) and I had the perfect opportunity with the St Pete Mad Dogs tri group. So I headed out there and swam a mile all while zig zagging in front of other swimmers and drinking a few mouthfuls of salt water. It was great!

I'm super thankful today to live in Florida and enjoy being so close to the lovely beaches. Even if it does mean driving alongside folks who have crazy ish written on their cars. I know people are pretty upset about the Casey Anthony thing, but really? You had to write this on your car? In case you can't read it, it says "Casey Anthony Rot in Hell." It made me laugh and fortunately, I had my camera to show you all the joys of driving in Florida.

It's taper week, again, and I'm really looing forward to my race on Sunday. I'm hoping this little OWS was just what I needed to get mentally ready for all the nutty kicking and splashing that comes with the triathlon. Now if only I could get a bit better on the bike...ah. Baby steps.

What are you thankful for today?

Midnight 10K Race Report

2011-07-04T16:59:00.013-04:00

Let me start by saying Happy 4th of July! I hope you all are enjoying sparklers safely and some delicious summertime treats. I had Waffle House. Heh.

Let's see, I signed up for a midnight 10K cause it seemed like a good idea at the time. This was until I remembered that I like to go to bed when the street lights come on and was sleepy at 8PM. Oops. So I had a Crystal Light Energy water packet thingy and I felt much more awake.

Captain Nuts and Caribbean Steve and I carpooled to the race which was about an hour away. The race took place in Dunedin, FL, which is north of Clearwater Beach, FL, if you know the geography. In any event, it's very close to the water. Thus, it's as humid as something really humid. An analogy I can't think of right now. It rained prior to the race start but it didn't help lower the hot, humid climate. Oh, and it's dark at midnight.

There is a person in this photo, I swear. It's Caribbean Steve, but well, he's dark and it's dark and thus...I swear he's smiling.

This race has been held for 32 years now and I can understand why, although, I don't know if I'll be insane enough to run it again next year. It's a nice little course onto Honeymoon Island and back and it's lit by very pretty luminaries. But, as I mentioned it's as humid as a rain forest? (That's the best I got right now. Work with me.)

There is a 1 mile run and a 5K in addition to the 10K. I chose the 10K because it was slated to start at or a little after midnight. I watched the 5K racers come in and noticed one very fast woman running about a sub 20 minutes or so. I would see her, or rather the back of her again.

Before the race started I stated I didn't really want to "race" so I tried to reign in it the first mile. Yeah, we all know how well that works out. Within the next two miles I was racing. I am fairly certain I PR'd my 5K at the first half of this race. Oops again. But I felt ok and kept pushing. There were small bridges to climb and you all know I hate a hill but again, I just kept pushing. The good thing about this race is that I've actually never run a 10K race and I would PR no matter what. Woot!

It was at about this point I realized that the super fast woman from the 5K was ahead of me. PUSHING THREE CHILDREN IN A TRIPLE WIDE STROLLER. And she was basically leaving me in the dust. Yeah, that was awesome. (I told her congrats after cause she really kicked ass!)

I ran along in the dark and finally reached the 4 mile mark. I was BEAT at this point but just tried to focus on the dark shapes of runners in front of me. I thought of us as comrades just trying to survive this humid ass race. When I hit the 5 mile mark I was slowing down some and thought about how effing humid it was and how I'd never do this damn race again. Hahaha!

Just when I started to think, "Man, I wish someone would hop in and pace me," my new running buddy Sunny hopped in and helped me get the last quarter of the race to the finish. Thank the lord for her! She was a great pacer and said, "Don't talk! Just conserve your energy! You're almost there! You're doing great!" It was awesome.

I finally got to the final turn and thought "Hallelujah!" I finished and felt mildly pukey as I shakily walked to get some water. My finish time was 50:13 on my Garmin, but I don't know what the "official chip time" was. I'll have to post it later. But I did get this....

Third place in my age group was pretty sweet, considering I think this race was fairly competitive as evidenced by the Kara Goucher-esque lady pushing three kids. I had a great time seeing a bunch of friends from the running group, but MAN this race was HUMID. I'll probably get sucked into again next year though. We know how I roll.

UPDATE: Official time was 50:24.

Friday WTF

2011-07-01T09:56:00.005-04:00

I missed Wordless Wednesday cause I:

A. Don't take as many pictures as I should
B. Really like to talk a lot
C. Am lazy, a recurring theme

Since I missed that funky alliterative Wednesday post I thought I'd do a Friday WTF. As in what the eff is wrong with people? Please feel free to move along to a post by someone else who talks about rainbows and unicorns and such cause today ain't that day. Although I do hope you get a chuckle.

Let's see...

WTF is wrong with my co-worker who eats yogurt every day but must SCRAPE it out of the container. To the point where I have to put on earphones and think happy thoughts for fear that I may go postal. I wonder if this person thinks there is some secret chamber of plastic that will yield more yogurt! And more scraping! Another co-worker emailed me that she may just go and rip it out of his/her hands and throw it in the trash. That's how LOUD the SCRAPING is.

WTF is going on at this pool in Massachusetts? Basically there was a dead body in this public pool for a couple of days and people just kept on swimming. They didn't seem to notice a dead person with them. In the pool. *Shiver* How is this possible? Note to self: No swimming in public pools in Mass. Got it.

WTF is up with all this stupid rain we are having? Yes, I know other places are in droughts while I am about to build an Arc. Again I say, sorry spiders. You ain't gonna be singing "I'm on a boat" with me as the Captain. Cockroaches, I know you'll survive regardless. Sigh.

WTF is up with beer commercials lately? The newest one for Coors Light is just silly and also kind of makes beer drinkers look like morons. Dude tells girl they can't have their scheduled dinner cause he's taking the "bar exam." But the "bar exam" is to read his beer label at a bar to see if it's just "cold" or "super cold." It's really the dumbest thing I've ever seen. And beer snobs everywhere exclaim "This is why I don't drink Coors Light!"

WTF was Cat Deely wearing on SYTYCD last night? I'm pretty sure the only people who should wear bedazzled stick on tattoos are eight year old girls. She's a very pretty woman and her dress was adorable but the weird stick on rainbow bird on her chest was so distracting.

And that's it for my ranting today. I feel so much better now. Hee hee! I'm so super glad it's Friday I can barely contain myself! Hopefully I'll get to see the Jamoosh family on July 4th and it stays dry enough for a little beach action.

Happy 4th everyone! Be safe and have a great weekend.

Thankful Thursday

2011-06-30T09:22:00.012-04:00

I must confess that I am not a very good cook. I can follow a recipe and I can make a delicious trifle like nobody's business, but I just don't know how to "whip" things up. I prefer to bake, but in general I am A-OK with takeout, with the exception of breakfast which I LOVE and will cook more frequently. On some nights I come home either after a workout or work and just eat random items.

I used to do a much better job of preparing meals in advance and eating the leftovers for lunch. It wasn't until the other day that I realized how lazy I'd gotten with my food prep. I came home and my roommate said, "So is tonight the night you just eat yogurt and a cereal bar?" Ouch.

So I went to the grocery store and bought some items for a snack that I really enjoy during the summer and that can help tide me over before and after a workout. I present: Peanut Butter Protein Balls!

Ok, so they don't look super delicious, but trust me, they are. You can find the recipe HERE. I make them and store them in the fridge since the peanut butter can get soft if you leave them out. I use Pubix (store) brand Natural PB (KC's recommendation!) and EAS chocolate Whey Protein.

HUNGRY B.O.B.!

Today I am thankful for easy, yummy snacks. This is a recipe for you if you love peanut butter and are a lazy ass like me.

What are you thankful for today?

*After massage and icing, the quad feels 100% better. I won't run until Saturday still but things are looking good!

Greedy

2011-06-29T08:33:00.007-04:00

I believe in karma. I also believe that my version is often instantaneous. For example, I'll call someone dumb and then immediately stub my toe. Or I'll chuckle at someone falling and I'll run right into a door jam. It's true. I am karma's favorite friend. Don't be jealous.

As I posted yesterday I have a lot of races in July. I just kept signing up for them. I couldn't help it. I admit it. I got greedy.

So guess what? This morning while do my regular 5 miler, I felt a strange pain in my right quad. I thought it may have been a cramp because I've never felt anything like this. I asked my running bud to stop so I could stretch and massage. I stopped and did as such and continued on my run. It didn't hurt, but it felt like the muscle was sore.

I could have stopped but we were halfway through and I didn't want to walk back, plus it doesn't hurt as much as it feels sore or bruised. After I got home I immediately WebMD'd myself (I could totally BE a WebMD at this point) to see what the deal was with a pulled quad.

Turns out that it's not so bad. I could potentially still run, so long as it's "easy" and the usual R.I.C.E. and such. Plus, I've got a massage scheduled tonight so that could help flush out some of the toxins. I'm currently all Arctic Ease wrapped and plan on some swimming tomorrow or sofa surfing. One of the two.

I actually think I may benefit from this little running set back (if it turns out to be a set back at all). If I skip my track work tomorrow and can't run on Saturday it's really not a big deal. Whoa. Who just said that?

Me. And you want to know why? Because now that I've found myself enjoying the biking and swimming, a little extra in those two can only help me in the races I've got lined up. I'll be careful and watch it and if I have to jog the midnight 10K, so be it.

I've got bigger fish to fry.

P.S. I am not freaking out about this and I really believe it's because I am starting to enjoy my time with Dolly and lord knows I need more practice on the bike. Will wonders never cease?

P.P.S. I had some cute photos but blogspot is being difficult. Feel free to google image the word "greedy" and pretend those are in this post.

Race addict and etc

2011-06-28T10:41:00.005-04:00

Upon looking at my calendar yesterday, I realized that I have registered for a race almost every single weekend in July. Thankfully July has five weekends or I definitely would have had a race every weekend. Hmm. What can I do the 24th and 25th? Kidding. Kinda.

I signed up for a 10K on July 4th that starts at midnight. (It goes from the 3rd to the 4th. If that makes sense.) Guess who else shall be racing this night? None other than Jamoosh from Last Mile Lounge. Of course he had to go all tough guy and top me by doing all three races that are offered that night, the 1 miler, the 5K, and the 10K. Here's hoping I get to see him and Lady J out there.

I feel as though I can do all of these races because of all the cross training I am getting in. I may take it easy at either the 10K or the 5K so that I don't burn out during my tri's. These two upcoming tri's may be my last ones until the 1/2 Ironman Relay...but then again, I have been a race addict lately so we'll see.

In other news I got my ride in this morning since I missed one on Sunday. Dolly and I got up at 4:30 AM and headed out for 21 miles. I felt good this morning and realize that although I love the spin classes, I really just need to spend more time with Dolly. She misses me.

Looking forward I want to continue with my cross training but am a little skeptical that I'll be up to it once I get into heavy running mileage for Miami. I can see myself sitting on the couch on my rest days thinking, "Nope. My ass is tired." Heh. Another item we'll have to see on. Any thoughts on this from those of you who cross train?

I leave you all with this quote I found by Albert Einstein seemed fitting: "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

Come and knock on our door

2011-06-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

Since I put Ironman on bucket list I figured why wait? I'll just go ahead and do the whole shebang this year. In September.

GOTCHA!

I'm crazy, but I ain't nuts.

But what I did sign up for is pretty damn exciting and has the word IRONMAN in it. I'm doing the 1/2 Ironman Augusta as a relay. Pretty flippin' sweet right? I'm going to be the runner while Aloha Kris swims and our friend Dig will be riding. Since we are two lovely ladies and one cool dude we are team: Three's Company.*

I don't know if I'm Chrissie or Janet, but we definitely have our Jack Tripper. Anyone want to be Mr. Roper?

Aloha Kris and Dig, I am totally making us do this pose cause surely this is how one looks after a 1/2 Ironman Relay. Am I right?

I'm all about the three person relay because, it's a cool race with only one third of the pressure. No pantsing the poop on this one!

Speaking of tri's, I got my run and swim on this weekend but my bike...notsomuch. I had fully intended on getting in a long ride but the weather was not cooperating on Sunday. I'm going to attempt a moderate ride on Tuesday morning and we'll see how it goes.

Here's hoping your weekends were splendid. Happy Monday!

*Thanks to Red for the amazing team name. The girl is a genius. And that's why I love her.

Friday Fun with Red & B.o.B.

2011-06-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

Since Red and I are such good friends, it should be obvious that we have a lot in common. For example, we both love running. And reading. And sushi. And of course, blogging. A lot of our conversations actually revolve around blogging. And how completely nerdy we are in accordance with our blogging.

Earlier this week we were discussing how much our "100 things about me" posts have changed and decided it'd be fun to post some of those changes to our blogs. Ok, well, it's fun to us. Haha. We both love lists and looking back at my 100 alone makes me laugh at some of the stuff I wrote. Nothing has changed fundamentally. I still love dancing, coffee, and music. And I still miss my dad every day. But there are some things that have undoubtedly changed since that post from October 2009.

Let's have a look shall we? Come down the rabbit hole Alice....

1. While my pantry did always contain South Beach high protein cereal bars, I must sadly say that it no longer can. BECAUSE THEY DISCONTINUED THEM! I am furious.

2. While I was on the fence about the whole marriage/kids thing, these days I'm leaning toward the no kids ever thing. One trip to Disney in the summer was like the world's best birth control. I've heard that when they are my own I'll love them, but ...

3. I said in 2009 that, "I never in a million years thought I'd end up in sales." And well, I am no longer in sales. See how that works? Heh.

4. I used to be an all the time undies under running shorts kinda gal, but lately I've been free ballin', er, free...you know what. Wink, wink.

5. I thought talking about breast implants was TMI, but since I've shared so much since then on this blog (see above), I realize there is little that is TMI. And I'm free....free ballin'.....

6. I still believe there is less traffic on the high road, but every now again, man I want to cause a twelve car pile up!

7. Still thinking about those implants. TMI? Naaaaaah.

8. Am removing Daniel Craig from my top five hot dudes and replacing him with Leonardo DiCaprio. Inception pushed him right over the edge for me. In case you forgot the other four were: George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper, and Jensen Ackles (TV show Supernatural hottie!)

9. I wrote that I thought Ironman on a bucket list was bananas...but now.....ok fine. I'm in. Ironman is on the list.

10. Gwen Stefani was my girl crush, but she's sooooo 2009. Sorry Gwen, I still love you but now you're more like my bestie than my girl crush. You've been replaced by..aw who am I kidding? You're still my favorite, Gwen!

TGIF fools. Have a great weekend. And for the love of God stop imagining me with big boobs!

DollyB.o.B. says, "Ya'll head over to Red's blog to see what she's been up to with her 100 things. Go on now, git!"

Thankful Thursday

2011-06-23T09:07:00.003-04:00

I am really looking forward to marathon training and I'm not sure why because there are some things that really stink while training for the marathon. And there is some stuff that totally blows while running the marathon itself.

Obviously, the finish is what makes it all worthwhile, but this most hilarious video highlights the highs and lows of what we go through durning that 26.2 race.

Today, I'm thankful for videos like this. They make me laugh and remind me how great it is to be a marathoner.

What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T09:43:00.003-04:00

My nephews, Wesley and Bruiser.

(Sorry the photo quality is not so great. These two hate to sit still unless sleeping and a cell phone camera isn't the best thing to use for Wordless Wednesday.)

Obligatory Summer is Hot for Running Post

2011-06-21T09:33:00.012-04:00

Guess what? It's official. It's the summer. And you know how I know? My calendar says so.

Even though it's pretty much been summer here in Florida since oh, I dunno, April, the highfalutin calendar says today is actually the first day of summer so who am I to argue?

Since I've signed up for two more tri's and a 5K next month I figure I may as well get used to the heat and just do what I do every summer...suck it up buttercup. That being said, on Sunday I did the four mile 5 PM group run and felt as though my face was literally going to melt off. Fortunately, Caribbean Steve was there to talk so much that I forgot how hot it was and could only think about telling him to shut the hell up. Just kidding, C Steve, I still knew how hot it was. And YOU know how your talking helps get me and everyone else through a tough run (See: Ft Lauderdale Marathon Report).

What's really awesome about running in this heat is how RED my face gets. See photo as evidence below, and this is RED face from that 8K in FEBRUARY. June RED face is much, much worse.

The one thing that does seem to help is an ice bath. Yep. The old ice bath really seems to help bring the temperature back down. On Sunday after the 5 PM run from hades I had my roomie dump ice into the tub while I sat there in my bathing suit. He thinks I am completely nuts, but I was still so HOT from the run that I felt like as soon as the ice hit my skin it melted. That's my way of saying, I'm hot. Tee hee!

This concludes my one and only post about it being hot and the summer and running in the heat and what to do about it and blahbitty-blah-blah.

Happy Tuesday folks. Hot enough for ya?

Weekend Rewind

2011-06-20T06:47:00.006-04:00

Hola mi amigos! I hope you all had lovely weekends. Mine was pure bliss. As I mentioned before I had a fairly low key weekend planned and this made me very excited because it's becoming a rare occurrence in my life. My roommate always says that he doesn't know anyone else who is as non-stop as I am on the weekends. What can I say, I'm a weekend warrior.

Saturday AM I got my ten mile run on and felt pretty good. I miss my ten milers when I'm racing and such so I always look forward to them and the breakfast at Panera afterward with the group. We have started running at 6 AM now to avoid some of the heat, but it's Florida, so there's no way to really, truly avoid it.

On Saturday night I actually went out. Like out for drinks. And stayed out until 12 AM! I know, I know, total maniac. Heh. It's the first time I've been out that late in a while and I had a great time. I found this hole in the wall bar and the bartender was like the Julia Child's of drinks. He made me a cherry cheesecake highball and it was AMAZING. Did you know they actually make whipped cream flavored vodka now? To. Die. For.

Since I only had three drinks on Saturday, I managed to get up at 6:30 AM and head to the paved trail for a short 18 mile bike ride. I wound up running into a friend and he stayed with me for the first seven mile loop. It was a nice day and fortunately when an entire family of wild pigs ran across the trail, we were far enough back to enjoy watching them and not fall down, go boom.

After my ride I got to meet up with fellow blogger and local triathlete extraordinaire KC! It was like we have known each other for years. We spent two hours at Panera (I love me some Panera, can you tell?). We talked about everything under the sun and I can totally see us hanging out lots more. Yay for new bloggy buddies!!!

Aren't we tan? Yeah, Florida gals rule.

Anyway. After breakfast and a little nap, I got in a 1,600 m swim and a 4 mile run. I was a total tri machine yesterday. The swim was great and the run was HOT. Five o'clock in Florida equals blazing temps. But I figure, since I signed up for yet another Olympic tri next month, I may as well get used to the heat.

Yup. I added yet another race to the schedule. What can I say? I am a total addict now.

Happy Monday peeps!

A little funny for your Friday...

2011-06-17T06:46:00.006-04:00

TGIF my peoples! I am super excited for the weekend and I don't really have anything planned! Yay! This weekend will be about getting some good, solid workouts in and just recuperating. I need to do some laundry and run a few errands since I've neglected that stuff while training for last weekend's race.

Actually I was thinking about that scene from The Sweetest Thing where the gals don't have clean undies so they are in bikinis and granny panties. Yup, that'll be me if I don't get to my laundry soon. I hate it so very much though. I'd rather buy new underwear than do laundry. Sigh. Oh well.

I officially signed up for the Miami Marathon in January and I'm actually looking forward to those grueling 20 milers. Please remind me that I said this when I start whining about my sore legs.

Happy Friday dudes. Enjoy the video and please disregard the weird translations at the bottom. It's the best I could find, besides it makes the video even funnier to me.