Buzzard's Bay

I raced yesterday! You'd never know. I have been a poor blogger about it.

Truthfully, I've been training, but not really for this particular race. I was more working on the cycle portion of that half ironman relay. But in the last two weeks I did manage to do some sprint training.

Results at the end, they're good, so I'll save them.

It was cold. Really cold when I got up. 41 degrees. Unsettling at the thought to be in the water at that temperature. But I got ready and packed the gear and heading to pick up Kevan and John.

Luckily Kevan and I swam a couple times this last week. The air and water were cold, but we found our way through it. The last time I swam was really successful, we did the Barrington Beach stretch and back and then a little more. I felt relaxed and good in the water.

We got there early and we set up transition and kind of walked the swim area and the bike in/out. I need to know where the exits are. I get disoriented easily and that's all wasted time.

I set up my transition like a pro. It's all that practice Kevan made me do. I know exactly where everything should go and the order it should be in. I even placed socks and jersey out in case I felt cold coming out of the swim. I had my water bottle to wash my feet... I was prepared.

My mom and dad came to watch the race with Josh and the kids, so it was nice to see them out there and have a cheering section. At these kinds of things, everyone cheers for you, but it's nice to hear your name and recognize people. :)

The swim course from the shore was daunting. But then I realized you swim/walk to the start. Nice. The channel we swam in was nice and wide. It was like I was all alone. At Wild Dog, I got kicked and partially swam over. Here I was just able to plug away and swim at my own pace, sight and not worry.

I was one of the last women out of the water in my wave, but I'm ok with being a slow swimmer. Really. I make up for it on the bike and the run.

This race was about how far I can push myself and working through the discomfort. And I did it on the bike.

Transition 1 was ok, I partially stripped out of the wetsuit on the way up and managed to get it off ok. I got in my shoes, slapped on my helmet and ran out the bike out.

The bike was nice. It felt almost as long at the half iron man relay. I kept a really good pace and passed almost everyone in my swim wave. I started seeing all the guys and their ages... 32, 24, so I caught up to the primary swim wave. Good inspiration that I was doing well.

I pushed really hard on the bike. I had a couple of good exchanges with other riders, passing, falling back, passing. Ultimately, I won! How cool is that?

I made it back to transition, dismounted like a pro. Which almost was to my detriment since no one else was, especially the lady in front of me. Yikes.

I got out to the run and felt pretty crappy. My legs felt heavy and the last thing I wanted to do was run three miles. So I go up this huge hill they have at the beginning, I pace myself shorten my stride and make it to the top and feel better. I plug away at the run, take a sip or two of water and then turn back at a mile and a half.

At mile two I picked up my pace, at mile three I float down the hill and use the momentum to pass people and carry me towards the finish like. I ran as fast as I could into the finish line and it was done. Yay!

Final results:

96/444 Overall. Top 100.

Ready?

3/20 for my Age Group. I placed! Third is not first, but I couldn't have caught that girl anyways. Second maybe if I had run a little better and swam faster. But really? For that day, I'll take third. I have next year to win.

Overall time 1:25.03 It was such a good day. The weather, what I accomplished. Lots of good post race food and beer. Kevan and John were a lot of fun as always.

race results.

Good times!

Now I can skip out on swimming for just a little bit before I get some lessons and work on my tattoo since I'll be out of the water. Yay.

Training for the Amica marathon in Newport in October. For sure running the half, I may be finagled to running the whole for fun. I think the half is more reasonable. :)

Duathlon October 25th! Not as intsense as a triathlon, but it'll do for now. I'm addicted to racing now, I need it all the time. The excitement, the preparation... It's all so much fun.

I should get ready for work.

Oops.

Neglected my blog for a little there, eh?

I raced in the FIRM Half Ironman in Narragansett as a relay team yesterday. Totally outperformed what I thought I could ever do, and I had a great time. So it was a good day.

Kevan was gracious enought to be my relay partner as finding partners through Teams in Training didn't go so well. I think everyone there wanted to see him race the whole thing, so I'm glad he raced with me. As a relay we did really well, 5:06. Kevan did great on the swim and I think he did great on the run. I couldn't run 13 miles in 1:38, but he can.

I did the entire 56 mile course in 2:51 (rounded up, I'll still saying 2:50). It was a long, lonely ride, but totally worth it. I destroyed hills, passed people, kept a really great pace for quite a few stretches. As I should, I was on a relay after all. I was happy. Next year I'd like to make that my "A" race, what I'd really like to train for.

I was originally going to say the Amica 70.3 in July, but that's not enough time. The year after for that one! Even if I'm not really ready for it when it happens, I'd still like to try and train for it.

Olympics first though. I have to nail the swim part to get to Half Ironman. And I need to build my running distance. Both things I can do all winter. Then it's assembling the whole thing to run it all together. That's the miracle.

I have Buzzard's Bay this weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it. I've been testing how hard I can push myself and I really plan on putting all my effort into this race. I set my own expectations pretty high, even higher than Wild Dog, so we'll see.

This is my taper week for training, and I'm trying to figure out what's the most effective in terms of rest/training. I did my big bike workout yesterday, so I'm looking forward to some light biking, running, open water swim this week. I have totally been overtraining lately, so it will be nice to tone it down a touch.

Pre race on this upcoming Saturday I have to work, so that will be a good rest day for me. I won't be tempted into yoga, or a 40 mile bike ride. And maybe for one race, I will get some sleep and my body will be ready to go. Usually I'm sore and exausted, and I still do ok, so maybe if I'm fresh I'll do really well.

I need badly to find something to wear because I'm pretty sure it's going to be very cold on race morning. The wetsuit will keep me warm, but I only wear that for 15 minutes. Thank goodness it's a little later in the morning this time.

After this weekend I have only a few more things through October for racing. Amica Half Marathon and Wrentham Halloween Duathlon.

I took about twelve days off in October for vacation, five of which we're spending in Canada with Kevan and Kelly. Looking forward to that very much. The other days I have no idea yet.

We were looking at taking the kids on a road trip to New York and going apple picking in Vermont again, so we'll see what happens. All I know is, I don't have to work a full weekend until November. Score.

Bikes and Jobs and stuff.

The FIRM bike course went really well for me. We didn't do the full 56, but we came really close. I kept a decent pace and only dropped one of my two water bottles. Hehe. It's a challenging course, but mostly flat, the hills are in the middle. So I warm up on the flat straights and I can hit the hills pretty hard and then recover on the way back. Strategy.

Plus I did it in tri shorts and wasn't uncomfortable. Which means for once I was sitting on my saddle correctly. Hurray for small victories.

I may or may not have relay partners for the FIRM, too. I just want to be ready if I actually get to go and race that day. If not, I'll observe and take pictures.

I felt really good afterwards. Tired, but good. Repeating the course again on Saturday. Looking forward to see if I can replicate my pace and whatnot.

Didn't get my promotion. Totally bummed. In a way it's good, it doesn't hamper my tri training. I won't have to readjust my schedule and throw the kids and the family off. In a way it's bad, because apparently I'm failing at the things I thought I was good at, so it's a little disheartening.

They probably had who they wanted picked ahead of time for that position. That's how it usually works anyways. So now I get to look forward to using those things that I suck at as benchmarks on my next review. So if I don't improve them, I don't get a raise or I get fired. Yaaaaaay.

I started looking at late registration today for classes. I'll see if I can pick up some stuff to take piecemeal and then do something more aggressive in the fall.

There are some good things going on. At least we're still going to Canada in October. I'm still breathing, walking and tri training. And I'm going cycling tonight. :) So it's all good.

It makes the other things I do matter more. Family. Triathlon. Friends.

I'll be ok in a few days. Hopefully some aggressive bike riding will help.

Bike for tomorrow.

Cycling tomorrow. Doing this course (or something close to it):



Then you know, running 6-8 miles.

I was going to brick Wednesday. For sure, I'm skipping that now. Just swim, active rest day I think. I need one.

OWS in Barrington went well, I guess. I did alright. Stroke needs work. I kind of moved backwards a little. I need lessons for sure. But I made it.

Water was nice, weather was nice.

I've got to go clean the sand out of my wetsuit so it's ready for next time.

Oh! Hey there.

It's been two days, eh?

Saturday was a wash out, but yoga was really good. I think even Kevan had a good time. The rest of Saturday was filled with inane things. Errands.

I got a new tri suit, it's very sleek. I've got to look for a different colored shirt so I'm not always wearing black. Something different. The shirt annoys me a great deal, but I'll get over it. I'm going to the fabric store to see if I can get an elasticized band or something to help hold it down.

If anyone ever saw my tummy in a race photo, yikes. Not to mention it's one less thing for me to focus on when I run. I should be working on the technical stuff, not the "can someone see my gross tummy?"

Someday, I'll move past my silly body issues. Someday. :)

Sunday I volunteered at the Olympic distance. Up super early, out at 5:00, there at 6:00. Kevan and I thought about doing a relay, then we realized it was like 90 bucks each, and we passed. I could have raced that day. I prepared myself to, but 26 miles is a long course. So it was for the best.

So instead we body marked for two hours (touching other people was a huge step for me), did some crowd control and goofed off a lot through the swim exit/run exit then (by accident) were roped into the handing out of veggie burgers and cole slaw. Which we did for a little while, grabbed some food and bailed out of there. We took off our volunteer shirts and blended back into the crowd. It was pretty amazing.

I've learned that if anyone at a tri event asks if you're volunteers, you just say no and run away.

The veggie burgers. Ug. One, people were pissed there were no hamburgers. Then the buns were all frozen. Most of them weren't cooked. People were just grouchy about it, not that I blame them.

It was a good day. So cold! John did well, and I got to see a lot of the course. I'll be at that race next year. I need to practice in that lake though. A (nearly) one mile swim is intimidating.

After Lakeville we went to Demarest Lloyd state park to ride the Buzzard's Bay course. I was pretty happy with my results. 47 minutes, 15 miles for my first run on the course, not too bad. If I can get that and then keep pace on an 8 minute mile, I should do ok.

We all ate dinner, yay pizza. I had beer again, and I really should stop testing my alchohol tolerance, because I'm pretty sure it's gone. Two (two!) and I'm done for the day. Like, "do I need to drive you home?" done. It was pathetic. I'm a shell of my former self. 19 year old Kate would laugh and point fingers at 27 year old Kate.

But it was a really good time, and that's the point. Right?

I'm out of work for two more days to care for Ben. Kind of stuck home today. I might go out and finish up some things before Norah heads to school tomorrow.

Training? I'm not sure what I'm doing this week. I'd like to ride the FIRM course on Saturday morning before I work. Other than that, my week is up in the air.

Swimming at the pool tomorrow and Thursday for sure. Maybe Wednesday too, if I feel up for it. Swimming never takes a lot out of me, I just think it's the time I wake up.

Trying to line things up for a vacation still... I'd say I have another week before work says no, so I'm looking at hotels this morning and trying to figure out what we're doing, seeing and going.

It's so late in the day. It's already a lazy start. I need some coffee.

My goodness.

Had a rough few days in the hospital with Benjamin's surgery. Initially it went well, the first day was magic. He was happy, and eating and drinking, charming the nurses. Then the second day went downhill. He stopped eating and drinking, did neither for one day. Then he ran a fever. So we stayed in the hospital an extra day. We got discharged yesterday afternoon.

It was an ordeal for sure. But I think we're in the clear.

Before the surgery, I did a brick workout in the early AM. 23 mile bike, 3.3 mile run. It felt really good, actually. The bike portion was pretty brutal. It was hilly to say the least. Intentional. I routed it that way, so it's my fault. But I felt great.

Did 20 miles on the bike on Thursday as my get out of jail free card. I really needed it. I did well on my 1.5 hours of sleep and my collection of ten minute naps. We did some hills. Pretty much the same hilly course I did on my brick on Wednesday. Hillside, Rocky Hill Road, etc... Sounds punishing, right? Good practice.

Yesterday we were supposed to do a track workout so I can do some interval work, but we missed the new guy James. Oops! So we went out on a little run. I think I do best when I:

a) don't know the route
b) am not aware of the pace
c) have no idea what distance we're going and how far we've gone

The less I think about running the more I think about what I'm doing when I run. If that makes sense. Plus if I know where I'm going, I can sunconciously find places to slack off. Or conciously, whichever.

I kept up with Kevan most of the time, trailed back and then caught up. Repeat. I swear he was doing intervals and I just didn't know. Easy run for him, probably the most epic run of my life.

Today we were supposed to ride the half iron course in Narragansett, but were foiled by Tropical Storm of the century Danny. Rain. I hate rain.

So instead of time on the bike, it's yoga. And the toy store for Benjamin. I promised him a new truck. He deserves it. And I'm going to city sports to try on/buy a new tri suit. Then some other stuff. I'm not sure. It's a mystery day.

Tomorrow I'm volunteering at the Cranberry Trifest in Lakeville. John is running that race, and I want to run it next year. Maybe cycling after. Yay for olympic distance. After Wednesday's brick, if I can get my run a little farther.... I'm pretty sure I can do it. It's all in the training.

Buzzard's Bay is in three weeks and I've got to get back in the pool every day to work on my swim. It's a longer swim, so I need some better endurance to make it. I can do it, I just needed to get this surgery out of the way.

Oops! It's late. Must locate stretchy pants and tank tops for yoga!

Feeling better today.

Don't mind yesterday's blog. It was a fluke. A hiccup in the master plan.

I'm making my own training plan. I'm compiling it from Tara's, from what I've been doing with Kevan and some other ones I found online. It will all be ok.

Goals! I have some:

9/13 FIRM 1/2 Iron Bike Relay - to do well, to go as fast as I can, to keep a pace and to have fun. Also enjoy the experience of participating in a half ironman (albeit in a relay).

9/20 Buzzard's Bay Sprint Triathlon - To place (ultimate goal win my age group). Finishing? Got that. Finishing well? Working on it. It's a longer course.

10/25: Duathlon in Wrentham.

Next year: Olympic Distance for sure, 1/2 Iron is a possibility if I can get my swimming and running together. If I get really serious about training. If I can invest time, quality training and heartfelt energy into this thing.

Olympic distance is where I want to be. That's where I want to train to compete. The half Ironman is to see if I can do it. The 13 mile run is scary (although I am a better distance runner). The 1.3 mile swim is even scarier. That's like 32 laps in the pool, right?

There is no doubt in me I want to be a triathlete. Completing one just cemented it for me. I want to committ to this. To live this lifestyle, to try and be competent at three sports at one time, that's what I want to do. I just need to work through the training discomfort and learn to push myself, really push. Coasting through training workouts is not what I need.

Swim today went well, 800 meters in the fast lane (actually swimming fast since I had to share the lane), very little struggle (almost relaxed). My stroke needs practice, but I think it's just due to being out of the pool. Trevor forgot my name. Do I look like a Jessica?

Maybe yoga tonight. Maybe that's what I need. Maybe I feel out of routine? I need to see my yoga friends and dazzle them with my triathlon results. ;)

Tenative Training Week:

Tuesday: Yoga. And extra credit ab work. Squishy in the middle. Ok, not really, but I feel I'm squishy in the middle. I actually have a six pack underneath that scar, if you can believe it. I wish I could see it.

Wednesday: I normally do a brick, but Ben has his surgery and I don't know what time until Hasbro calls, so that may be out. I will try really early, maybe at sunrise. But if there's no one to watch him... So maybe I'll run after Saturday's epic bike ride.

Thursday: Maybe a group ride? If not, I'll head out on the bike on my own.

Friday: Track practice with Kevan.

Saturday: Doing the FIRM 1/2 Iron Bike course, me and 56 miles. I'm pretty excited about that. I have to find a way to match my cycling workouts to that event while I still train for the sprint.

We'll see what I can work in between Ben and the hospital. Josh has said that anything I feel I need to do for training he'll take care of the kids, which is nice.

It should be a relatively quick, safe and harmless procedure. I'm worried because he's so small. Terrified of not so positive ramifications. So terrified I don't even think I should prepare myself for them.

I feel terrible that I can't explain it to him, and I have tried. But he doesn't really grasp it. It's kind of like Wednesday will be an ambush of sorts. We're just going to the doctor.

But, you know, if I put it out there that's he's going to be ok, it will be. That's very Law of Attraction, I think.

I made a really sweet pasta dish for dinner on Sunday. I'll post the recipe. Grilled Pasta Primavera. It's not vegan.

Vegan. I don't think that's for me. I can be part time vegan, really compassionate about animals, but full time vegan is hard. Nothing worthwhile is easy, but I have so much going on I don't need the additional food guilt. I have enough food/body issues. Who needs more? I'll commit to cruelty free dairy. I'll stop buying the agroindustrial products I really hate. I'll work on trying to buy more locally and lovingly produced dairy, but I can't give it up.

I'm rambling because I'm tired. I've already been up for almost three hours. I don't miss the early mornings that's for sure.

Taking Norah school clothes shopping today, pray for me. :) She has no interest in clothes or shopping. I could dress her in a burlap sack and she'd be alright.

I am lost.

Operating without a training plan sucks. Not being able (or really willing) to work out alone sucks. Not having motivation for a triathlon in FOUR weeks sucks.

To correct that, I've worked out alone. I went cycling alone, I ran alone. It wasn't nearly as fun. The bike was productive, I pushed myself. The run was only cut short due to time. I know I can do these things.

Frustrated this week.

Packed and ready for the pool in the morning. Everything's all set up. Coffee, towels, shampoo, suit. I got it all. Once I go again once, and get used to it again, I'll be back as often as I can.

Ben's surgery is Wednesday. Poor little guy. Not to sound selfish, and it does, but it throws a wrench in my training plans. Just makes the coordination of things harder.

I looked at the calendar today, and I should really have done that last week. I have about 30 days left to train.

Physically, I'm ready to roll in there and complete it. But I want to do better than complete, I want to place. I came so close at the last one, it seems inevitable for me to do better. And I will, if I can whip this thing together.

Whip it together and start to do better at stuff. It's a longer swim. I struggled at Wild Dog. It's a flatter course, I did better on the hills at Wild Dog...

I'm going back to the old plan for now. At week four. The maintenance stuff isn't going to advance what I want to do.

I ran today. I wanted to do seven miles, but I cut it short for time? Really? Normally I wouldn't bother. It was motivation. Or the lack thereof.

Going to bed so I can be alert for swimming.

Oh!

Did I mention that I woke up today with the desire to actually go swimming?

Oh yes. I did.

Hopefully I'll be getting some real Total Immersion lessons soon. If I start to enjoy swimming, watch out. :)

Weekend Nonsense.

Had a great run last night 6 miles, I kept pace and didn't die (maybe for a second in the beginning there) and maybe I happened to have led for a minute or two. It helped alleviate my calf soreness, yay. But it aggravated bicep/elbowy soreness (it's more of a tightness), boo. That's ok. Stretching, ibuprofen, protein (yay extra eggs for breakfast!), not lifting weights... All those things will help in the long run.

I always do better on the last portion of the run. I have to move that ease further up from mile three to mile one I think. In sprint triathlon, getting into the run at 3 miles, isn't so great, you know? What does that come down to: .1 miles of good performance? Yuck.

Looking at doing the Cranberry Olympic Distance one year from next weekend. (1.5 km/.93 mi swim, 40 km/24.8 mi bike, 10 km/6.2 mile run). I should be ready. :)

We saw District 9 after the run, and I really liked it! I made me want the Halo movie more though, I'll have to look and see if that's really dead or not... Maybe someone else will pick it up? Unrelated, but, I'm totally going to see Zombieland.

Kevan's at Timberman 70.3 this weekend. I'll kind of miss him. Kind of. ;) I may have some Kevan withdrawls, I may not. I may do some bike rides/runs with Danny over the weekend. Otherwise it's work, work, work then training, training, training.

Speaking of which, I'm operating without a training plan. I gotta look up something to stay on course. I'm just going with the flow for now, keeping the biking and the running current, that's all. Gotta get back out into the ocean soon, too.

Josh is coming out on the bike with me on Sunday afternoon, provided we don't get skimmed by a hurricane. I'm kind of excited to share this with him, the cycling thing. It would be nice for him to be able to come out and ride with me, and to have another exterior, non-marriage related interest together.

Benjamin's surgery is next week, so I'll have "vacation" for seven days. We've got an overnight in the hospital and about five days of recovery. It's nothing serious, just his huge tonsils. Hopefully he'll be ok so I can go out and do some training stuff at night. Norah will be at my parent's beach house in Matunuck for a couple of days so I can be more attentive to Ben.

If he'll sleep easier and breathe easier when he has colds (which is often) then whatever works. I'm trying not to be anxious about it. Everything will be ok.

Saturday we're going down to Narragansett to bike the half iron course. I am only mildy prepared. At least I'll get a feel for what it's going to be like. 56 miles eh? No stopping?

Sunday is the Cranberryfest Olympic Distance Try. I was invited, but I originally said, nah, I'm good on not going, but I may change my mind to see what I'm getting into and to root on John since he's participating. We'll see closer to then.

I may have a grown up vacation in the works, I'm kind of excited to go. Need to revisit my French though. :)

Gotta go plan out where I'm going to ride today. Rehoboth or Attleboro?

Bike Issues.

Figured out the bike problem. Ever try and pedal a bike while depressing the brakes? I did my entire ride that way Tuesday by accident. At least I found the problem and fixed it.

When I'm going up a hill, winded mind you, at like 9 mph, something had to have been wrong. Oh well. It's a good reminder to check the darn bike before I head out. Safety 101. Bike Maintenance 101.

Had a little redemption ride yesterday... Quick 15 miles before work, I did the Pine Street hill (it's my "favorite") twice, just to make sure. Easy pace was 16-18 mph, just pedaling going nowhere. Straightaway with good cadence was like 20-22 mph. I think I broke 30 on the downhill for a second there.

I'll be back at Veteran's Memorial Parkway. The goal is to beat Kevan up the hill. Not this year, but soon. ;)

Sunday I'm taking Josh out on the road bike (borrowed graciously from Kevan). I think I'll take him on my first loop when I got the hybrid. It's only like 7-8 miles, it's pretty flat with one decent hill and it's scenic. Should take him about forty minutes. We'll see.

I find it hilarious that Josh is cycling with me. Not that I don't think he can do it, of course he can. It's just kind of like the blind leading the blind, you know.

I taught myself how to ride a bike. The wrong way. The difficult way. I'm correcting it. I have a ways to go, but every time I go out, it gets better. I feel stronger. I go faster. I move more efficiently. So something is working.

I'll try and teach Josh the right way, or what little I know of the right way. :)

I really don't even tell people how long I've been riding a bike anymore... For some reason, it embarrasses me. Like I need to point out how new I am at it, it should be kind of obvious. Conversely sometimes I have to point that out, because it's the only explanation into why I do what I do. Weird, eh?

My kids are demanding breakfast. I've got a myriad of things to finish that I didn't complete yesterday. I'm hoping that I can stretch out some of this soreness and my foot holds up through a run later. I think it's track tonight, which is fine, since I need a lot of pace/speed work.

I just really want to get moving towards Buzzards Bay. I'm going to place in my age group, just watch. Six weeks of really hard training. And the best part, no barnacles on that beach. :)

Ummm...

So it's yet to be determined if I had a crappy day on the bike yesterday or if I was having mechanical issues. My rear speed release may have been loose or something. In the easiest gear, it felt like the hardest gear. I said that twice during the ride, so maybe that's it.

Regardless, I felt off. And maybe it was because I was working too hard because of the bike. Maybe not. I'm not going to blame anything. I'm going out again today, not the same insane course (although, I'll be back there for sure), but the usual training course I do... I may climb the Pine Street hill a couple of times just because I need to feel like I can do this.

I took one rest day. I felt so winded. Oh well.

After the bike Kevan guested me into Healthtrax (which is like the promised land of gyms) and he took me to a strenght training class. I haven't done serious strength training in almost a year. I dropped it to do yoga full time. Doing both was not productive at the time.

Ahhh Healthtrax. So apparently all the new people I'm meeting are there. It does make the YMCA look like a shack. Everyone says it's expensive. But I sink quite a bit of money into the YMCA every month...

Strenght Training: I think I need to go back to it once a week. I can manage that frequency and hopefully at this rate it will only enhance my yoga. I'll need to drop Pilates though. That's way too much core work for me. My only real concern is that now, I'm much thinner, and I don't want to look too muscle-y...

In a way, that's a good thing. It means my body image in my head is catching up to my real body image. I think it was all the mirrors at Healthtrax. Yikes!

I have a lot of irritating stuff to do today (errands, cleaning, etc), then hopefully I'll get like two hours on the bike.

My car and house are a mess and it's driving me crazy. I've also got to clean the insoles of my running shoes for tomorrow night. They are still gross.

Working on a half ironman training plan, just for the cycling portion so I can be ready for this relay. I still need a swimmer and a runner. It may not happen, I may just go and spectate. Whatever happens, happens. If it does work out, I'd like to be ready for it.

Going back to the regular sprint training for Buzzards Bay. Hopefully I'll get to insinuate myself into some really fun cycling events in September and October. There are plans in progress, I'm willing to go and be tortured as much as possible.

I took a look at a sample Olympic Distance training plan, and... It actually seems doable. Hopefully I can work on that over the winter for next year. Scary.

Ummm...

Now what?

The triathlon is done. It seems so mundane to go back to work after that weekend. Wow. Kind of a letdown, no?

Rest and recovery day today. Mostly for my feet. My body isn't too beat up, which to me, says I trained well and I was ready.

I need to do some really everyday things today. Get my homelife back on track.

Training starts again tomorrow, yay! Five weeks until FIRM Narragansett Half Iron (hopefully). Six weeks until Buzzard's Bay. Seven weeks (maybe) until the MS150? September should be a great month.

I'm going to try and workout some kind of training plan for this half iron relay from a real half iron plan and modify the cycling portion to fit my needs.

I'm not sure about the training for the sprint... I'll look at that later too.

Breakfast and then work.

Judgement Day!

That's the face of enthusiam right there. It's like 5:40 am at best here.

I made it, I did it and I kicked its butt!

4th in my age group/149 overall. 1 hour and 9 minutes.

I was ecstatic. Every piece fit together, everything made sense.

Thanks to:

Josh - For everything. The support, the triage, the cleaning, transportation, the child care. Everything.

Tara - My tri coach for getting me started and setting me up for success.

Kevan - For driving the point home (again and again) and making me be prepared. Invaluable advice. Thanks for the push.

My poor kids who probably forgot about me and have sinced moved on. And everyone at work and along the way who had nothing but positive things to say.

It was a good crown to this year, and I'm already working on next year!

More images (I'll have more eventually):


Me vs. Transition. I won.


Josh, Norah, Benjamin and I. Post race. It was nice to have them support me and cheer me on!

Epic Saturday

So maybe I went a little overboard on the bike ride yesterday, no? Rest assured, I feel great this morning. Not sore at all. The only thing that hurts is the bruises I got when I fell over... For no reason. Maybe it's a new prerace tradition for me. Two in a row.

As predicted, I could not sleep. Officially I was up at 2:00, but I rested for an hour with my eyes closed and I think I fell back asleep albeit very briefly. At 3:00 I got up, read some mindless internet stuff for a while. I conserved a lot of energy.

I made breakfast, that's done. Dressing is next (swimsuit and tri shorts or tri suit?). Checking the stuff I packed is after that (3rd or 4th? time now?). Cleaning the bike really quick, getting it on the rack... Out the door at 4:45 or so, since I'll be at Kevan's to carpool for 5:15ish.

I had schedule every five to ten minutes on Google Calendars, so I keep getting emails. Not as helpful as I'd like. But that's ok.

Totally excited in a good way today. Terrified is no longer the word. I'm going to do well and it's ok if I don't win. It is my first triathlon after all. Whatever I pull off, I will amaze myself. I'm sure.

Oops, it's time, I'll post pictures and junk later today. If I survive and if I stay awake! :)

It's here!

Listless is a good word for today. Distracted? Slightly overwhelmed?

I woke up at 5:00 this morning and couldn't sleep any more. The idea was to wake up early today anyways, so I'd be tired when tonight rolled around. But I probably won't be. I'm ready for that. No coffee past noon today, prepare yourselves.

I had to make a list of things to do today and tomorrow. Probably the best thing for me to soothe my anxiety a bit.

Start with the simple things, like, say: Breakfast, make coffee, take a shower. Then the other stuff I need to do: check out my bike, clean it, pack my tri bag, double check the list, etc.

I'm not surprised if I forget something vital through the course of the day since I'm preoccupied.

Pleasant distractions today include group cycling around 1:00. A cookout at Kevan's house at 6:00.

Josh needs a haircut, I have to go to the market. I plan to "be present" in the mundane things today. Totally too much yoga though there, but that's ok. If I'm mindful of the task I'm doing, no matter what it is, it will take my mind off tomorrow.

It's a lot of harmless nervous energy.

I swam the entire swim course last night, and did much better than I thought I would. The bike felt good, the run felt even and aligned. I'm set up to do my best, and that's all I want right now. Any result is a good result.

Thinking about yoga, maybe the level 1 class? The easy class? Or I could take it easy in the level 3? I'm not sure. I'll be back before lunch... It's all about effective and easy expenditures of energy today (that sounds like some kind of slogan!). :)

We'll see how the errands go.

Now I have to figure out something to cook! I just saw a tasty potato salad on Giada DeLaurentis' cooking show. Perhaps that. I don't know. I have like ten cookbooks out on the dining table right now.

Twenty four hours from now I hope to be on my bike, enjoying the day. I'll post whatever results I have tomorrow and hopefully Josh will have some pictures.

Race Packet

I got my Wild Dog race packet today, and that totally amped up my anxiety a touch. It's really happening, and in two days!

I had a crappy run last night, but made it through. 3.32 miles/26 minutes. Not my best pace, but actually better than what I had been trending, even in pain. The way my running pattern goes my next run should be great! :)

Light, informal practice tonight. A little bit of everything with Kevan and some other people... Looking forward to it.

The mission is sleeeep tonight. Maybe (easy) group cycle tomorrow? Maybe not. We'll see what comes together.

Maybe easy yoga tomorrow? Maybe not. I'm thinking I've skipped yoga for almost a week and it's going to make me sore, even though I practice regularly.... So I'd rather not risk it for Sunday. I want to feel good for race day.

There's a cookout tomorrow and I just need to narrow down what to make. It will be nice to cook something and slow down tomorrow, plus it will occupy my time and probably soothe my anxiety for the race.

Packing now for later so I'm not late. Even though, I swear, I'm one of the most organized people in the world... Something always goes wrong. I've got everything in a pile now, so we should be all set.

I can't calibrate my stupid, fancy watch. I would like to have it set up before the race so I can monitor my pace at least... I'll try again after work. If it doesn't work, I'm returning it and getting something slightly fancier.

Breakfast is calling. Which I'm mad that I didn't eat yesterday. Threw off my whole day. My stomach is still weird after I eat, and I'm pretty sure it's just nerves. I hope it's not anything else.

Ahhhh... Rest.

Nice bike ride last night. 33ish miles, good pace, light drizzle. :)

I got to ride the bike course again with Kevan and Danny. I did well. I've got a sense of the course and I've got a plan now. An actual race strategy.

The real news is I finally was able to do something to tucker me out and help me sleep. I got eight hours of sleep last night, the first time in a long time. And the best part? No triathlon dreams. I did dream that the landscaper mowed over my vegetable garden, and I was bummed, but that's another blog post.

Today is a total rest day. And I have to take it. I was kind of just going through the motions on the bike yesterday. I did the bike course in 32 minutes (an approximation mind you since I forgot to reset my watch). 32 minutes is not my goal. I phoned it in (so to speak) at the end, which is when I should really be pushing hard.

Today, I've got plans. Most of them are mundane things. Some things I'd like to do today (including but not limited to):

1. Under Armour Outlet/Nike/Adidas Outlet Stores in Wrentham (I need some new tops and shorts).

2. Clean out my car (it is a maze of tri stuff, towels, protein bar wrappers and water bottles).

3. Gather all my tri stuff into one location (my dining table?).

4. Stop living like a hobo. Fold my laundry, clean off my desk, put all the stuff I've left in piles around the house away.

5. Get my eyebrows done. Yikes.

6. Take a bath and kind of relax I guess. I've been really high strung, even for me... I've been like type A+++ for the last four weeks. I just need to mellow a little.

7. Housecleaning. My kitchen floor has been neglected.

Norah's got a touch of a cold, and I'm praying I don't get it. Shells, colds... I really don't need anything to get in the way of this race. We shall see. Lots of orange juice for me in the next couple of days. There's plenty of time in my couple of post-race recovery days to get sick.

Still struggling with the weight thing. It's harder maintaing weight than it was losing it. I'm trying to avoid weighing myself every day, trying to eat bigger portions, trying to eat extra meals and more snacks. Tri training is hard, well the training I've been doing I guess. The cycling is deceiving, for something that doesn't always feel like I'm putting a lot of effort into, burns a lot of calories. As long as I'm in the healthy BMI, I'm not going to worry about it too much. Go with the flow, right?

Norah's home sick today, so after breakfast and cartoons, I'm hoping she'll feel a little better going to Wrentham.

Remind me no junk food this week. I'm trying to focus on light, nutritious food so I feel good for the race on Sunday. Even if I want ice cream, I promised myself a sundae (with every topping imaginable) on Sunday after the race. And part of me is looking forward to that more than finishing the race (just kidding).

The "before".

So finally I feel like posting some old pictures of myself. Here's an album of Josh and I in Japan last April.

It feels like forever ago, but that's what I used to look like. I'm in there somewhere. ;)

Go here.

Great news.

I kicked the Narragansett Bay's ass this morning. Bright and early at 8:00. Take that ocean.

I swam, really swam, without a wetsuit. I didn't drown. I didn't get eaten alive by crabs. I made it through some laps, folks. That's right, laps. I did have to rest a little, but I actually swam. I did freak out when I saw some jellyfish though, but all phobias can't be completely cured.

I feel like I swam pretty well. I may still be using my arms and shoulders too much, but that's ok for this race. If I do everything else right as long as I save the strength in my legs...

But it was a good day! The water was cold! For me, not for anyone else. But for me, I shivered and couldn't breathe for the first ten minutes. But you know, gotta be strong for the guys. Can't be the little lady.

I need the push. I honestly don't do things out of my comfort zone. I think that's what I like the new group so much. Involving myself in a new group of people is a whole new step since I'm crappy at making and maintaining friends. Just ask the handful of people I still talk to. But I think I've been doing ok with it.

Tomorrow: cycling. For fun. Maybe the long, hard way, maybe not. It is my taper week. I should decide how punishing I'd like it to be, though. Again, tapering for a sprint triathlon? Eh, I'm still not convinced.

REST Wednesday. Did you hear that? Wow. Unless we end up doing a dry run of the tri in the morning.

Thursday: I have no idea. Kevan talked about a brick. I do want to squeeze a run in before the race, so I don't feel... Out of whack? Is that it? I'm not sure. If I don't run often enough, I don't feel like I'm aligned, there's no groove. I'd like to avoid that in the tri.

Friday: No idea.

Saturday: Light group cycle, rest... Getting stuff ready. In bed early. No compromise. I need some sleep.

I guess I need to realize that I'm overtraining. A touch. Part of me wants it, I guess. And that's ok.

FIVE DAYS LEFT.

Then I get to work on doing this half iron man relay thing. Then a week later is my other Sprint Tri in Dartmouth, MA. Then I have a Duathlon mapped out in Wrentham in October. Maybe some winter races, maybe some spring events. Don't even get me started on what I plan for next year. Yes, I've already got those calendars printed. :)

I'm failing my new promise to get some sleep.

Rest Day? Taper week?

So when was the last time I had a rest day? A week, two weeks? I'm thinking it was closer to two weeks. I can't even remember. I say rest day on the workout calendar, but I don't do it...

Took an active rest day yesterday. Went to yoga, stretched, relaxed, and might have been a little too stretchy since I'm sore today. It was that hero into wheel thing we did. Backbends are always trouble.

I missed a run, but that's ok. I have a triathlon this weekend afterall. I'll be more active than I can handle.

I think it comes down to a few problems.

1. I enjoy this working out with other people, I miss the company.
2. Life just isn't as interesting when I'm not out and about. Sitting around, doing errands and chores and things is just not as exciting as getting up a hill at 20 mph.
3. I'm afraid that if I stop, I'll stop, you know? I have to maintain the momentum in order for me to feel successful. Plus the more active I am the less sore I feel...
4. I kind of got addicted to that great workout high I've had for the last three or four weeks. It's kind of a letdown not to have it.

But I need to rest. And I rested yesterday. It would have been great except for the super stressful day at work. No staff, it was busy, too many things going on.

In other, better news: another promotion possibility is coming up for me, in Darthmoth, MA. Interviewing hopefully this week, have to call a colleague at another store and have her root for me. The store is really close to UMass, so it may work out afterall... It's farther than I'd like, and I'd rather go north instead of east.

But! It's close to my next tri event. The brightside, people. :)

Five days until Wild Dog. I'm going to try and be out in the bay as much as I can this week, and to stay fresh with the run and the cycle. Hopefully Kevan can get some other folks together and we'll do a dry run of the whole thing so I can get a sense.

Taking it easy, right? It is a taper week after all. :)

Got SEVEN hours of sleep last night, it was amazing, but I'm less awake than I usually am. Which always confuses me. No cold pool today, no old ladies, no old guys hogging my lane... It's kind of nice.

One Week Left!

Open water swim was a challenge with the surf last night. It was definitely choppy. I definitely mangled some on my toes with cuts and scrapes on the shells. One big one in particular is pretty painful.

Depsite the choppiess I did ok, I made it out to the buoy for the most part and back in. I wasn't fast and I got a lot of water in my face... I really want to redeem last night's swim. I feel like I've been doing so much better and I can't match it in the open water. But I realize I can't control the ocean and it is what it is on race day and I just have to make it out to the bike.

So my active recovery this week will be more about biking and open water. I hope to get a dry run of the tri in one of these days with Kevan and some of the other guys that are running it. Running later in the week to give the toe time to heal.

I know I'm going to feel that cut every stride while I run, it's in a bad spot. But I'll be ok. I didn't train six weeks solid to stay home because of a boo boo. As long as it doesn't get worse, or infected, I'll just keep moving on.

It's funny because I have a series of cuts, and the little ones hurt more than the gash. It's that darn beach. Next time "they" or whoever plans a tri, they need to consider the needs of my poor little feet.

Josh said I should wear swimmy shoes. I just shook my head and laughed.

It's ok, I always wanted a scar there anyways, right?

Group Cycle

Was fantastic!

I had a great time, I learned a lot. It's nice to see other people ride. I can learn so much just by observing. I can just think about how much stuff I've learned from Kevan in two weeks (heels down!). I was able adjust my cadence and pace to stay focused and with the group, I kept up (and maybe passed some folks) on the hills (up and down, btw), and kept a good average speed. It was a nice distance too... 28 miles (I forgot to reset my odometer, so I have no idea).

Really thinking about doing a half ironman relay just on the bike in September. I went through all the stages already (denial, grief, acceptance, etc.), and now if it comes together I'll be pretty excited. I know that's where I'm the best, so maybe I can do well with that. I just need to find a swimmer and a runner and I'm good to go. ;)

Open water swim later today with (hopefully) a bunch of people. No wetsuit, no security blanket. I should bring my own personal lifeguard. I think I'll do better this way, if it works, just think: faster transitions.

I've got to get used to my body in a swimsuit. Body issues be damned, I shouldn't have them anymore anyways. Hopefully no one will make fun of my pale Irish legs and tan Portuguese upper body. ;) I shouldn't have made fun of that guy's tan at the Newport Naval Base Tri, so this is karma, I guess. :)

And I need to buy some running shorts. It's one thing to be exhausted, I can deal with that. It's a totally seperate issue to overheat and feel crappy.

I've got to get to work and pack for later. Bike? No bike? I have no idea. I'll pack for everything as usual.

My husband.

Josh deserves a medal or an award for the last few weeks. He's been taking care of the kids (feeding, washing, dressing, transporting), cleaning the house, and doing the laundry all nonstop while I spend most of my time:

1. Tired/Exhausted.
2. Quite bitchy, it's all the adrenaline, I swear.
3. Sweaty, Salty, Dirty, or Covered in bike grease.
4. Bruised, sore, mosquito-bitten or all scratched up.
5. With other men until all hours of the day and night.

I don't think I could have asked for a better partner. Now, how to tell him that next year it will only get worse? :)

Open Water Swim Tomorrow

Looking forward to it. I'm going to beat the bay, I swear.

I was gliding in the pool today. Still doing that two beat kick thing, but I was gliding! It felt relaxed and easy to swim with good effort. I rolled to breathe, I was able to check my sighting. I closed my eyes for half of it.

Trying the swim without my wetsuit, just a swimsuit. The water has been warm and I have more mobility without it. Seeing how that goes tomorrow.

Group cycle tonight with some men I've never met before (but Kevan will be there), I hope I go fast enough and I hope I don't crash. Kind of terrified, kind of excited.

Gotta eat breakfast, gotta pack my bag so I can get home and go go go tonight. You can never be too prepared.

I must remember to add bike cleaning/maintenance to my triathlon checklist, maybe take it to the shop for some adjustments to make sure it's in good working order? You should see my crazy OCD training wall of calendars, checklists and notes.

It's coming soon you know. 9 Days until Wild Dog.

Crazy swimming style is working. Kind of. I'm making it the distance in the pool, I just need to translate it to the open water. I don't care what it looks like, as long as it propels me towards my bike.

Swimming is hard, and as I've learned the last four weeks, it's not something you can reteach yourself quickly. The endurance aspect is insane!

I wonder if it's a bad sign that I haven't been sore after all these workouts. I'm not pushing hard enough, going fast enough.

Track workouts last night showed me I have a long way to go on pace. But I knew that. It's nice to run with Kevan and Danny, to have a pacing partner. I bought a digital watch with a pace tracker, so hopefully that will help me keep the pace I want.

Training this week is craziness!

Today: Brick workout, transition practice (light bike, light run, it's too hot!)

Tomorrow: Group cycle with Kevan and Danny. Intimidating? Hell yes. Skipping yoga for this, so I better have fun. ;)

Friday: Hopefully if I can swing it, OWS in Bristol. Even if I swim parallel to the shore while the guys do like a mile, that's ok. I just want to get more and more experience. Going wetsuit free too. Just to try it.

Saturday: Group cycle, maybe 50 miles? Looking forward to this one. It's more distance than I'm used to, but it's closer to what I'd like to ride. Hoping to catch a yoga class in the morning. Maybe open water swim with the YMCA guys too.

Sunday: Yoga! Rest.


I have so much nervous energy going into the race. I'm having a hard time not dreaming about triathlons... It's a mixed bag of dreams too. Some I do really well, some are horrific "what else can go wrong" run throughs...

I hope I can work the energy into something performance enhancing as opposed to performance hampering.

Just keeping upbeat. That's all. I need to finish it. Finishing this triathlon after this year will crown all my acheivements I've made for myself. No pressure, right?

Once I'm out of the pool for training, or at least when I have a week or two to rest on the swim portion I'm going to get more of my tattoo done on my shoulder. Now that I have less body fat, I'm predicting it's going to hurt a lot more. I was squishy last time, I'm not so squishy now...

Compromise.

Every day I make a new compromise on the swim it seems.

Last week's compromise was ditching bilateral breathing. I'm not good at it and I panic.

Today's compromise, for this race at this point in time, my stroke is going to be whatever it's going to be. It's gotten better, it's my no means anything close to my Total Immersion goals, but it's better than swimming flat on my stomach flailing my arms.

So if it's limited rotation with an over reaching stroke and I make it the distance, that's what it is. If it takes me twenty minutes, I'll do it. And that's final. ;)

I swam laps this morning pretty slowly, although I did beat that old guy a couple of times. I lost count after 14 laps, but I did ok.

I'm always defeating myself when I see these people swimming so much faster than me in the pool when they're not as fit as I am. Not that I have any idea of some one's fitness by their outward appearance, and not that it even matters in swim.

Last night I went swimming with Kevan and Danny and sucked less than my first OWS last week, so that's promising. I think I was swimming to fast to feel like I wasn't holding them back. So I tired myself out.

Slow and steady. Breathe. I just need to get out of the water. I need more time out there, so as often as I can until Wild Dog, I will be out there. Even if I'm not swimming to the buoys and back.

It's frustrating when you don't have a piece of something you know you can be good at... But I will be.

My biking feels so good with the clip less pedals and the new bike. It may not make me a better cyclist, but both pieces help me perform better, that's for sure.

After the Newport Naval Base Tri I had so much adrenaline, so much energy that I went and did 22 miles in one hour, two minutes on my bike. Thusly I collapsed (after ice cream, naturally of course). But it was a great ride.

Have to go finish making my lunch for today: roasted veggie wraps with vegan feta. I totally stole it off the menu at Pizzeria Uno, but that's ok, I made it better. They have regular feta and it was oozing with dressing. Yuck. Mine will be tastier, I promise.

Newport Naval Base Triathlon

I ran in the Newport Naval Base Tri this morning. It went really well. I got to see transitions in action and be a part of all the hooplah.

We did well. We got 42nd overall. I don't have the running portion results yet, they were delayed. We did 1:07 overall. I think I ran like 25 minutes, I hope. Although it may be closer to 26-27. But I felt great.

Even though my hip hurt from my fall off my bike on Friday and I was so sore in my quads from yoga on Saturday. I did feel pretty crappy, but I pulled it through. It was a tough run course, it was pretty hilly. If it were flatter I would have done better, hills are something new I make myself do so I haven't put a lot of work into them yet.

I'm proud that I ran a race and did well. In two weeks I have Wild Dog, and I'm now getting more excited and more scared about it.

My only thoughts during the race were that last year I couldn't walk up the stairs without running out of breath. That I'm doing really great.

The guys were so nice to me. I was fortunate to meet Kevan. Otherwise I think I'd be lost!

Here's us after the race:



I'm hoping to get some open water swim in today with a group of people from the YMCA, but Luca hasn't called yet. So I'm not sure when they're going. If that fails I'll put some time in on the bike. A quick 20 miles or so.

Three things learned.

Three quick things I learned this week training with another triathlete.

1. Swimming in the ocean is hard and I pretty much suck at it.

2. Cycle with your heels and not your toes. Life-altering that one is, by the way.

3. My running form is not nearly as bad as I thought it was. Nay, I'll say it's mediocre to good.


Considering most of my fitness education was done by... me. I think I'm doing ok.

Still re-teaching myself how to swim with Total Immersion. I watch the DVD, I practice the next day. I rewatch the lesson, I practice the next day. Tedious? Totally. Necessary? Totally. I will conquer this swim thing. I'm set now, it's a done deal.

I need to reinforce the good habits over and over again to break the bad ones. And there are a lot of bad ones. Still working on breathing. For some reason I'm always in survival mode when my head is underwater and I can't breathe. I have to get over that "I'm going to drown" frightened feeling and relax.

I did some TI breathing excersises in the pool this morning and I can feel the difference in what I'm supposed to do.

I have five days off this week, I was hoping to relax and they're all about training...

Thursday: Swim early AM, run later.

Friday: Swim early AM, might do a really long bike run, or run, or both. Jason Mraz in CT at night, super excited.

Saturday: Bike, yoga, transtion practice with Kevan.

Sunday: Newport Naval Base Tri, Open water swim practice

Monday: Early AM swim, plus if I don't do the really long bike ride on Friday, it will dfenitely be today. Maybe a lap or two on the bike path.

Running in a tri this weekend on a team, looking forward to the experience. Open water swim with some of the YMCA tri participants and Luca later that day.

Running has felt great lately. Maybe it's the multisport training and the varying distances/paces I get to do in a week. But it's been nearly effortless, even on the long 7-8 mile stretches. I almost don't want to stop.

I haven't had much time for yoga lately and it's making me sad. But that's ok, I have all winter for yoga and swimming lessons. Been working on it at home, not as hot and brutal as Kelly's class, but that's ok.

Need more coffee and then off on the bike. Just 15 miles today then a recovery run. Which for me will be a regular run. Recovery runs are for wussies. ;)

Swimming Criticism

I was fortunate enough this morning to see my old trainer from the YMCA, Luca. He was filling in at the pool as a lifeguard this morning when I dragged myself to the pool at 5:00 am. Dragging myself to the pool is a whole seperate topic.

I say fortunate because I worked with Luca at the YMCA to lose a good portion of the last bits of weight that I had left. So I saw him every week for 12 weeks and we set up workout plans and he showed me proper techniques in lifting and running and whatnot. I'm comfortable with his observations and constructive criticism.

Since he was lifeguarding and just sitting there he was able to watch me swim. And he noted that I have a nicely balanced, strong stroke and that I keep my body straight. Which I was surprised since I thought both those things sucked. Hooray! Confidence boost number one.

He did note that my breathing was off. I'm working on the three stroke bilateral breathing thing. I'm working on rolling to air and not lifting my head. He did mention for the purpose of the triathlon that lifting the head isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just need to do it much less often. Confidence boost number two!

Otherwise I'm feeling the swimming now, so I know I'm in the right position. I feel it the next day in my hips and core, and surprisingly not in my upper body.

I'm reading Total Immersion, which is a yogic approach to swimming. The balanced breathing and not struggling really appeals to me. I have some drills to do tomorrow and then laps.

Now that I've been up before dawn for over a week sleeping in seems sinful. Today I was going to sleep in and go swimming later in the day, but I dragged my limp body to the pool anyways since I couldn't fall back asleep. Honestly, I was swimming laps in my head! :)

Brick workout after I digest my breakfast. Setting up the minature transition area in the house. Running faster longer today. I must not forget to warm up! :)

Reading old entries.

Yesterday, while I was running at 5:30 am mind you, I was thinking a lot about progress. And today, I was reading back on old entries in my blog.

I needed to run for thirty minutes at a pretty good pace. At least 7 mph. So I ran my "easy" route to the Junior High School and back. While I was making good time and passed the school in about ten minutes, I remembered that this is the route I started to walk when I began the whole weight loss journey.

I started to think that this route was a great way to measure my progress and fitness. When I started losing weight last June I couldn't walk to the library (.75 miles from home) without feeling winded. When I started jogging, I can remember the places I used to take walking breaks.

Now I run two to three miles without a stretch/catch my breath break. I pass the old landmarks kind of like I'm running against a shadow of myself. It's pretty rewarding.

It's been a year since I started to lose weight.

I can remember trying to lose weight so I could go to a yoga class. So I could feel like I fit in. Now I realize that doesn't matter and I should have gone sooner.

I can remember the desire to cycle, to run marathons. Like it was some kind of dream. Sometime in the distant future, I will ride a bike. I will run a marathon. Now that's coming together for me. The triathlon is now, the marathon is in the near future. That's amazing.

I can remember celebrating being 172 lbs. 145 lbs. 135 lbs. 130 lbs. It's all very clear in retrospect.

Things have really turned around for me. And I need to remember when I'm failing at something (most recent example swimming) that I have accomplished so much. And that eventually I'll accomplish what I'm failing at. I will be successful at swimming, I just need to give it the proper attention and time.

I've done things I never thought I would do. Interacted with new people. Learned skills. Found passion in things I never thought I would like.

Ah, it's been a good year.

Now I need to make some slight adjustments to my new, rad bike and I'm off for the day. The bike, the shoes, everything works in delightful harmony. It was a good purchase. My only complaint (and it's not even the bike's fault) the saddle feels high. But this is a road bike, not a hybrd like I'm used to, so that's actually where it's supposed to be.

Brick workout today!

30 minutes hard cycling, 10 minutes running.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Training. Day 2.

Swimming realization number one: I am not Michael Phelps.

Swimming realization number two: I need help with my tecnique. It kind of sucks.

I'm hoping the swimming will get a little easier when I get into the pool on Thursday. At the crack of dawm mind you. I was there at 5:00 am after closing at work until 10:30. I was very proud of my ambition.

It needs work. So much so I'm going to see if I can work an extra swim day in on my rest days just to practice kicking.

With the way I was breathing and struggling through laps you'd never guess that I can cycle for 20-30 miles without a break or that I can run eight miles in a single session. Nah. I looked like an amateur. Which, I kind of am. *sigh*

Running was great today! I hit almost four miles in thirty minutes. I hauled. I had a great sprint at the end. A couple hundred yards where I must have been running 9-10 mph. So that part of the training is going well.

Brick workout tomorrow. I need some time to get adjusted to the new bike too. It's a different gear shifting setup, so that's going to be interesting. Plus I have to learn to cycle in a new position.

My bike is ready at 4:00 and I can't wait to take a ride in it after yoga. But first I have to install my cleats and work on these new fancy pedals.

I have a busy week, but I'll try and mark my progress in the blog as much as I can!

BTW, I lost two pounds last week. Which to some is a victory, but I'm trying to cling to body fat so I can have the energy to run this triathlon, so every pound lost is a little discouraging. I have to eat more, and that's hard when you've been on a maintenance diet for so long. *sigh*

Gotta go to work!

I just made this.

And it was so tasty that I must archive it for all time.

I don't even know what to call it! But I'll make something up.


Black Bean and Veggie Saute

1 Medium Butternut Squash, 2" dice or so
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
6 cloves of garlic, Minced
1 Medium Red Pepper, Diced
1/2 lb Kale, tough stems removed and coursely chopped
2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained (I used Whole Foods Spicy Black Beans)
2 Chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
1 tbsp Agave Nectar
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned is fine)
1-2 handfuls of corn kernels (fresh is best, but frozen is ok too!)
Salt and Pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees, roast butternut squash until tender. About 45 minutes. I normally do this ahead of time and set it aside.

In a large saute pan, saute the onions over medium high heat until soft, about five minutes. Add the red pepper and garlic and saute for two or three minutes. Add the kale and saute until it is just starting to wilt.

Add the blackbeans, cumin, chipotle and agave. Slightly mash half of the black beans to give it some texture. Add tomatoes to just give it enough liquid to simmer. When the mixture begins to simmer add in a handful or two of corn. As soon as the corn is cooked through, add salt and pepper to taste.

Now is a good time to make sure it's not too spicy and add a little agave nectar to balance it out a bit.

Serve over brown rice with fresh chopped tomatoes and chopped avocados.

Enjoy!

Plans!

I got my official training plans from my Triathlon Coach, Tara, yesterday evening. We met at the convention center as she picked up her materials for the Ironman 70.3 she's doing tomorrow. I'm so jealous of anyone there this weekend! Next year I've set that as my goal.

Official training starts Monday.

Today's workout was a quick five mile run that was a struggle is so many ways. I couldn't get my body in the right alignment, I couldn't find a comfortable pace, and my breathing was funky. There were more walking breaks than I care for too.

Tomorrow I'll go out on the old bike and put some miles in. I haven't been on it as much because of all the rain. It's a goodbye run. Or at least goodbye until after the triathlon. I plan to keep it as a neighborhood/easy ride bike and maybe do some offroad stuff with it.

My new bike has been purchased and is being assembled as we speak and will be ready for Tuesday. Just in time for me to ride it on my bike training day. She's so pretty.



In other news I'm actually looking forward to brick training. It seemed scary at first, but I think I'll find it fun.

Now I need to work on my swimming. Especially my form and breathing since both things are out of practice entirely. If I need to doggy paddle for 1/2 mile, I will! But I'd like to swim the right way and not embarass myself!

Getting back into the swing of yoga after that one week hiatus. Man, it's tougher than I thought. I don't lose any of the flexability and endurance, but I get so sore! It'll go away soon once I'm back into regular practice three to four days a week.

I plan to log my workouts on the blog leading up to the tri so I can go back and see what's working and what's improving. So an advance sorry for the tedium of training notes! :)

Gotta eat lunch! It's late!

Things are taking shape.

Things are lining up for me to compete in a triathlon this summer! I'm registered for one in August! Like USATriathlon registered, event registered, and coach hired ready to go. We meet this Friday to discuss training plans.

I have a feeling most of my training will be in swimming. The cycling and running portions I'm pretty confident I can do. The run is only three miles. The bike ride is only ten. And Bristol, is pretty flat so I don't think there'll be any epic Tour de France-like inclines.

I just need to practice running three miles faster. I've been working on distance lately, now I need to train for speed. My personal training has been building my base distance. Which now is 7-8 miles. If I can get to 12 miles of base mileage I can marathon train. Or... Iron man train. Which is an epic goal if anything, but I think it's worthy.

This summer has been totally different for me. This new active lifestlye has afforded me so much more confidence and energy. For the first time in ages my car is packed for the beach so I can go anytime I want. Just add water and snacks. I'm planning hiking trips and finding ways to go mountain biking.

Training for something puts the weight loss into perspective. It becomes less vapid, less vain. When I'm "training" (as opposed to working out) the purpose becomes so much less about my appearance and so much more about accomplishment.

Still working on my bike. Still working on my husband to let me buy the bike. That's the big obstacle. I've got an effective down payment saved up, so I think that will show that I've been rational and will help qualify the bike purchase as acceptable.

These new hobbies are expensive. Running shoes. Bikes. Fancy yoga pants (not really). Swimsuits. Triathlon shoes. It adds up. I've been saving $100 a week into my "Training Fund" which covers my yoga classes, equipment purchases, etc. Like my triathlon suit and new bike cleats. Which I hate by the way. But I'm getting used to. I just don't want to invest extra money into a temporary bike, that's all. Clipless pedals are oh so tempting.

Yoga is going as well as ever. Still working on a home practice that's effective and worthwhile. Probably only going to two classes a week until Tri training is done. I'll need at least one night a week in the pool if not some very early swimming practice as well.

Spirituality-wise I just finished the Dhammapada. It was a little dry, but so are religous texts. I got something I wanted out of it. I'm looking for a good meditation group. I'm still looking into that Tibetan Buddhism school in Providence. I just need to work up the gusto to call them and see what's going on with their schedule.

Next on the dry religous texts the Bhagavad Gita. From the snippets I've read in Borders it seems a lot more epic so maybe dry isn't the right word. We'll see when I read it.

That's all for now. I'll try and update weekly on the progress of my training. That is if I'm not too busy, you know, training.

Current Events.

I think I'm done losing weight? I ask that as a question because I'm not entirely sure.

I'm down to goal weight. Not optimistic goal weight, but my real "happy" weight as a magazine terms it. 130 pounds. On average of course. I don't stick that number in my head too much because it drives me crazy when I deviate from it. Even if that means that I drank three bottles of water instead of two and it's just water in my tummy.

I've been vegetarian now for almost two months solid. I dabble in vegan and eat fish on the rare occaision that I need to in order to eat out at a restaurant with other humans.

Still going strong on the no sugar, no processed foods front. Although I do have some ice cream from time to time. It's all about quality of life people.

Yoga is going well. I'm doing what would call more advanced and intermediate things. My yoga anniversary comes up in August, and I've made some really good progress in a year.

I was waffling on going back to weight training and running again, and I think I've decided that I need to. The yoga is good for the resistance and it keeps me toned, but I don't want to lose all the work I've done in the last year and lose muscle mass.

Cycling is great and I'm looking to save money to invest in a real road bike. Or try and buy a slightly used one. I'm trying to join a triathlon training team in hopes of participating in one soon. There are just some annoying steps and other memberships I need to acquire first.

The body image thing is improving, but only slightly. Still working on it. Yoga helps me with an acute sense of my body shape and space, so in time I think things will get better. I bought size 2 shorts for the summer. Last year I probably couldn't have gotten a leg in there nevermind my whole body. So I know I've done something right.

Time to go fight off this cold I have that's not bad, but annoyingly lingering.

Getting Serious.

About yoga, about Buddhism, about committing myself to this vegetarian life.

I realize that my life runs in circles. There are times when I become very dedicated to improving myself. When I try and find a new spiritual path. This time it feels different. I'm sure people I know are rolling their eyes.

I've tried other branches of Christianity, Judaism, even trying to find a way back to Catholocism. It never works. I've read many books about all different faiths and this time I think it's for real.

The teaching that HH the Dalai Lama gave at Gilette stadium was fantastic. I saw two people I know casually from other activities. I was moved and grateful for the opportunity. I was surprised with his charisma, candor and humor.

I found a meditation center in Providence that offers entry level Buddhism classes that are inexpensive. I'll be checking that out soon.

The yoga thing is trying. Developing a home practice. I want things to move faster but I realize I'm doing pretty well for only having nine months experience. The home practice with help, I'm sure.

An update.

And that's the end of that!

Anywho. I had done some research on that topic... And found out it has something to do with the way your brain maps out your space. So, in time, I will feel smaller. It will happen. I'm just used to feeling overweight and I will for a while longer. I can work on it by doing excersises on a Bosu board (or similar balance excersises).

I posted a picture of the old me on a wall in my room so when I look at it, I know what I once was. I am feeling better. It's been three months since I wrote that previous post.

Down to 131 pounds on average. Feeling pretty darn good. I'm starting the see and feel the changes to my body. I'm doing yoga three times a week. I'm running four to five miles as often as I can. Which I hope to be almost every day.

I bought a bike and am cycling about ten miles to twenty five miles at a time. Depending on weather and time. I've enrolled and applied to schools. I decided on a career path.

Tomorrow I go to a conference of sorts on Tibettan Buddhism hosted by none other than His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from him the basics of Buddhism in person.

Life is pretty good. I have a lot going on. Blog updates may be more frequent. And I'm not sure if I have any readers! But that's ok. :)

You can follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/katewexler

See you around!

Lost Blog Entry! And an update.

I found this (from February) when I went to update today. So I will post it first and then add an addendum in a new post.

This is going to sound trite, but...

Are there any books out there that help you improve your self esteem after you've had none for the last ten to fifteen years? I've found books that deal with a woman accepting her size, heavy, but not about how to feel thin. Or how to appreciate your new body.


Yesterday I had a really good day. I got dressed and caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of our oven in the kitchen. I look really toned and trim. I was pleased. That was probably a first.


I look down and still see myself mostly the way I was. Part of that is due to the scarring, extra skin and stretchmarks from my last pregnancy. I can grasp that. I accept that without surgery, that's probably there to stay. And it's not like I'm young enough to wear a bikini anymore anyways.


And deep down I know I'm smaller. If I can waflle between figuring out buying an extra small tee shirt and small tee shirt to see which one fits better, I know I'm doing something right. If I can buy size 3 or 5 pants in the juniors department, I know I'm smaller.


But why is it when I get dressed when I look at myself, and even though the clothes fit, I look the same?


I felt truly better after I got a haircut. I felt free and young. I felt automatically less dumpy. Less "mom"-ish. I took a picture of myself yesterday. And I posted it to my Myspace page. I haven't done that in years. It was odd that I found myself doing that.

Veggie Soup Recipe

2 tbs olive oil
3 Slices of Lean, All natural ham (may be omitted)
1 Medium Onion
4 Cloves Garlic
3 Carrots
3 Ribs of Celery
1 Medium zucchini
1 Medium yellow squash
8 cups low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
1 cup wheat berries, rinsed
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen green beans (fresh if summertime)
1 pound kale, stems trimmed then roughly chopped
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), crushed by hand into bite size pieces

Sea Salt, Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes to taste

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook for five minutes until soft. Add zucchini, yellow squash and garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about three minutes.

Add chicken (or vegetable) broth, increase heat to medium high and bring to a low boil. Add wheat berries and stir. Simmer for ten minutes.

Add frozen green beans, and both cans of rinsed beans. Turn heat to medium and cook until green beans are heated through, about five minutes.

Add tomatoes and trimmed kale, cook until kale is just wilted about ten minutes. Simmer soup until wheat berries are tender (or to your preference). Taste and adjust seasonings.

Makes about a gazillion servings. :)

Eating Clean

Since I get a lot of "huh?" at work when I try and describe the way I eat and what I do for basic nutrition, here's and excerpt from Eating Clean Works:

In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) These types of food include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember if a food is clean is: “if man made it, don’t eat it.”
A person that eats clean generally practices the following:

• Eliminates refined sugar and flour
• Cooks healthy meals
• Packs healthy meals
• Makes healthy choices when dining out
• Drinks a lot of water
• Eats 5-6 small meals per day
• Eliminates alcoholic beverages (or significantly limits it)
• Always eats breakfast

Seems pretty simple, eh? Just add "doesn't eat processed foods" onto that list and you're primed in what I do.

I combine this with principals from Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean Diet as well. Eating protein and complex carbohydrates with every meal. Protein is a very general term and it's pretty flexible. It can be anything lean. Which could mean beef tenderloin or it could mean quinoa or Ezekial Bread. It's pretty straightforward.

Your body struggles to digest all the protein, and uses the complex carbohydrates to fuel the body, thus using your metabolism to help you burn fat. And all the protein you're eating helps build lean muscle tissue.

Eating Clean and The Dreaded Plateau.

In search of some kind of relief from this weight loss plateau I've been having I've been reading and buying all sorts of books for inspiration. Almost eight weeks of skimming 140-142 after being down to 137 on a great week were tough...

I've turned to a semi-diet guru and a fitness guru for my last push to get down that last ten pounds. Which is much harder than I anticipated it would be, as well as how hard I was warned it would be.

I went to the bookstore, I looked at all the fitness books they had. I was stumped as to where to go. So I chose the woman with the physique I'd most like to have. While I think this is strange, it's kind of nice to have something to aspire too. There's also a girl at the gym who works out on Monday nights with me that is also some quasi-inspiration as well. Also strange to me, but hey, I have to have goals.

So I chose Jillian Michaels. You may know her from the Biggest Loser. And despite my participation in a namesake program at the YMCA, I've seen the show for ten minutes once in my life. I was unfamilar with her and her style of fitness.

So I bought Making the Cut and read it and was intrigued by the excersises and learned some fun new things to do with my balance ball and free weights. Now I'm waiting for 30 Day Shred to come in the mail so that I can feel more confident in doing some of the excersises. I'm definitely a visual person so seeing someone else do it is helpful.

The diet part was hard. I had become so restrictive and rigid with the structure and content of my diet that I think it was the main cause of my plateau. I kept cutting back and taking away more, depriving myself of food. I wasn't helping any cause and I was gaining weight and probably losing some of the muscle mass I had built. Who knew I had to eat more to lose weight?

I guess it comes back to the breakfast principle. Eat more, lose weight. Eat less, stay the same or gain weight.

I found a book that seemed to follow the principles I set for myself in the way I reinvented the way I eat. It's called Clean-Eating. I like to compare to Atkins only in basic principles and then add a heap of common sense and good nutrition.

It's a protein based diet that doesn't deprive you of whole grains and complex carbohydrates. Instead the protein and the whole grains work together to ramp up your metabolism along with excersise and you burn fat naturally.

I was skeptical! But following the diet for about a week and drinking plenty of water I'm definitely seeing a change in the scale and in my weight. Dropping the last bits of sugar and processed flour from my diet and eating more protein I lost about five more pounds. So I broke my platuea.

Yes, it's extreme. But I have to rethink things now that I'm more fit. I need something that's more of a life plan than a diet.

I gave up diet soda almost two weeks ago and I haven't looked back. I still have my coffee though. Sadly I need it to live! But I did give up the last bastions of granulated, refined sugar and switched to agave nectar. And by now I'm using less and less of that. So eventually (maybe) I'll be able to kick this sugar habit for good.

That's it for now! I'm trying to update more for my own records. Not that anyone reads this anyways.

I'm totally guilty.

I neglected my weight loss blog tracking my progress. I didn't blog about my ups and downs. *sigh* I lied.

But!

I did manage to get to a working weight of 137.5 lbs. as of today!

Now how did I manage to go from my last posted weight of 172 down to 137.5 in since August? Hard work. Lots and lots of it.

I signed up for a personal trainer at the YMCA, and he showed me how to do weight training. Twelve weeks later I do three weight training sessions a week. Six days a week of cardio.

I spent twelve weeks building up the muscle strenght in my arms, legs, back and core. I spent most of that time walking on the treadmill burning fat at 4.0 mph. Now I run 5.5 - 6.0 mph on the treadmill for forty minutes a day.

I'm fully into yoga now. It was a hobby before, but now it's a lifestyle and a personal obsession for me. I'm involved in my practice three times a week in formal classes, and every day at home working on poses and learning more about myself.

I'm in sort of a weight loss plateau at the moment. I have been for five weeks. I'm hovering above and below 140 lbs. I'm working on beating the stasis and really getting down to my goal weight of 130 lbs.

My only fear about the weight loss is gaining it back. I always say that I was fat for so long and now that I've felt the confidence and energy of being thin and fit I never want to go back. I'm a tad troubled at what I would do to stay thin, but I don't think I've hit that point yet.

Food is good! I'm working on eliminating most of the meat from my diet and sticking to lean sources of protein. Also I'm working nuts, oils and dark chocolate back into my diet for their health reasons (although I'm struggling a little bit because of their calorie and fat content).

I think I'll start to post recipes here of things I've worked on and created.

I'll post some of my workouts for posterity. And some of my future goals and hopes for my fitness (like marathons! cycling! skiing! and various other intense things).