Camp, Birthday, Racing....

I have had such a insane, busy, non-stop weekend. Friday evening I walked away from the craziness of work and drove my car to Jackson, Mississippi for a triathlon camp with some great coaches, including Gordo and Justin Daerr. I will blog a little more on the camp this week and post some good things that I learned. It was really cool, and I am still absorbing some of the lectures as I think about the things that these amazing triathletes shared with the group.

Of course today is my birthday- the big 33. I celebrated by skipping the final day of camp ( boo!) to drive to Oxford for a small sprint triathlon (yea!!!). Rebel Man was my very first triathlon ever in 2006- the race that sunk the triathlon hook into me.

I had a fabulous birthday race and came away with an 1st OA Female win/10th OA.
My main goal was to drop my run time from the race last year, and I did that by 1 minute despite 4 quick stops to fix my shoe laces (you know, the things you forget to do pre-race when you haven't raced in 6 months). I really pushed from the moment I got out of T2. No watch- no garmin- just pushing.
My team- Los Locos- had a great showing. I have so much to learn from these guys, and they are always challenging me to up my game. I really couldn't ask for a better group of friends and teammates in this sport, and every time I train/race with them I think to myself: "today is a GREAT day!!!!!"

But don't be fooled by the previous pictures- it was actually freezing outside. I originally planned to wear just my swimsuit and arm warmers on the bike. I changed my mind last minute in the swim (rookie mistake- stick with the plan!), and when I got to T1 I had to fish through my transition bag to find my riding jacket. It wasn't needed!!!! I was getting warm on the bike and the wind was blowing my jacket everywhere. Then, my zipper got stuck in T2 when I was trying to get rid of the jacket... argh!!!! THE POINT IS- don't change your plan. Race your plan.

So- great day...good mental race for me. I will post some of the good camp stuff later this week.

Ride, Drink, Run

It is not my fault I never want to return to work on Monday. My friends spoil me all weekend long, and I have come to expect that every day should be like a weekend.

Laura found this old picture of us from a year or so ago on her cell phone last night, so I had to post it :)

Saturday we met up for a "girls" ride. Both Laura and Deb were in town so we needed to catch up! You know the guys love our company, so of course they crashed the party and we let them tag along. I ended up getting a good 70 miles in with the teammates. Too bad Jarred was racing Sunday, or I am sure he would have been happy to ride with the girls as well :)

This time of year some of my teammates are still just working back into the bike- steady, moderate, and social. It has been a good way for me to start building my miles back up, and this week I got in about 155. I have not been out to Trinity or Peddler yet this year and hopefully will get back out there and hammer soon. I love that I have so many ride options and so many friends and athletes that are always open to helping me be a better rider.

I debated all day long with myself the following- at what time would it be appropriate to start drinking wine on a beautiful Saturday? Michelle B. made the decision too easy for me when I went by her house to pick up some gear. My little errand turned into a couple of hours drinking wine and talking on the porch. It was a gorgeous day.
And you know how these nights always turn out. Next thing you know I have convinced Alyson and Laura to go out. And then Michelle happened to be a block away so we bar hopped.... Apparently it was a SUPER FULL MOON last night, as Alyson, NASA nerd, informed us. That must have been why I was in such a good mood last night- so good I even agreed to go to Boscos (one of my least favorite bars in Memphis).

The four of us had these great plans to run the trails Sunday morning. Alyson and Laura got up on time (the eager beavers). Michelle and I were the last to wake up and respond to the text messaging wake-up calls. We didn't get out there until 10:45....and the temps were in the 80s for the first time this year. Thank goodness I have flexible friends that are willing to wait on my lazy, tired butt for a run.

So- the 4 of us hit the trail...all a little tired or hungover in our own way. And wouldn't you know, I was the only one to bring water on the run. By mile 5, the water had disappeared into 4 thirsty mouths.

So, the equation:
4 girls +1 bottle of water +85 degree heat+ 0 SPF since no one remembered sunscreen + 1 drink too many (at least for me) + 3 am in the morning at Raifords (that was Michelle) = 10 fantastic, dehydrated miles on the trails with friends.

That was a great weekend. I am finally getting some water and coffee in me. I am sure I am completely sunburned and will feel fried later in the day. It is time to go and clean my bike and get ready for the crazy work week ahead. If only I could figure out some sort of job where I could work every day with my friends and make every day like my weekend....

Ultra Running

Hooray for me- I ran 32 miles last week...the first time since February 2009 I have passed the 30 mile mark. 32 miles right now feels like ultra-running to me. My body is responding well to running right now. Those 3-5 mile runs that were like pulling teeth last year are becoming easy again. I am starting to feel a little more like the old me again.

And I just knocked on wood.

And in the real ultra-running world, congrats to my friend, Nick Lewis, for his win at 3 Days of Syllamo (50k, 50 miles, 20k). I would refer you to his blog, but he never updates it. :)

Happy Anniversary To Us!

15 years since we first met...

12 years since we started dating...

6 years of marriage.

March 12, 2011 Happy Anniversary!

Nice post from Kara Goucher on training to be fast in shorter races vs. training to be strong in the marathon. I am sure we can all identify with this post. I know that I hate to give up short race speed for long race endurance. Why can't I just have both? :) Hopefully Kara's post will remind us to hang in there and see the bigger picture if we slow down a little while endurance training.

http://karagoucher.competitor.com/

And what a shock to hear that Sally Meyerhoff was killed in a cycling accident. I was a big fan of her blog- fun personality, very inspirational (loved her interview on Pure Fit Radio about being "relentlessly positive"), and one heck of an athlete. After hearing she was hit by a car, I was hesitant to ride in the city today. I hope that we all continue to ride safely and watch out for each other.

LOVE books

I love the library. I love it so much I could visit it every day. One day I will have my own library. I have asked Dave for a library in our next house about 1 million times. When I was 20, I sketched a picture of how my library should look (I still have the sketch). I am now about to turn 33 and I don't have that library yet. One day....with the Camaro...

My favorite thing these days is putting books on hold from home. I get on the library catalog from home, place books on hold, and pick them up when I have time. Awesome!!!!!! Tonight I just piled the dogs in the car for a little family trip to the library, quickly picked up my books on hold, and drove home ready to snuggle and read!

I don't buy books...unless they are really great. They have to earn a place in my collection. Why buy when something called a public library exists? Unless you are great- then I will categorize and alphabetize you in your own little section for display and reference.

And tonight, I thought I had found the solution to the Kindle I received for Christmas. Since I don't buy a lot of paper books, I REALLY have a hard time considering buying....e books? I can't fill the shelves of my library with e books!!! But guess what! You can borrow e-books from the public library!! Oh yes!!! Now I can have the library accessible to me at all times!

Oh no. Apparently you can only rent e-books on things like the Android and other gadgets I don't have and don't ever care to have. Not the Kindle. Nope.

SHOOT!!!! So, the Kindle is still just sitting there with the only two free books on it I would care to have in my collection. The Count of Monte Christo and The Scarlet Letter. I cannot seem to find any free e-books on Amazon worth anything. Dern it!!!

And that is why libraries are cool and we don't need all of this "technology."

13 Pain Free

What do these two things have in common? They both = I finished!

I finished only my second 13 mile run in 2 years today. Yea me!!!! I was excited to return to my 4th Little Rock Half Marathon. This is hands down my favorite half marathon course. It is a hilly race that adds just the right amount of challenge. Errr...but I wasn't all that excited when the weather made a turn for the worse in the south, leaving today bitterly cold with some snappy wind. But, I survived (although I have not been able to get warm since the race).

Last night I was on the phone with Dave, and I was a little panicky. I didn't have the miles. I didn't have the racing. I have only run 13 miles one time in the past 2 years! Ahhh!!!! What was I thinking? I knew I was not ready to race, but to be honest, I didn't know if I was ready to even run efficiently. How do I pace? What do I do????? Dave said the right thing to help me go to bed peacefully. He told me "you are a distance runner at heart. You are good at distance running. You like running distance. You will be fine tomorrow and will remember how to pace."

So, the plan today was to start out with a conservative HR and just let it be. Normally, my self talk in these races sounds like this: "can you pick it up. Just a little. A little more?" but today it was this: "can you hold this pace for the next 9 miles. are you sure? do you need to slow down?" Ahhh...the difference between being ready to race and just doing the best you can do. :)

So, I did start off slow, didn't get discouraged, and picked it up for a nice overall negative split. First mile 8:10, last mile 7:23. It was a nice way to re-enter the half marathon distance as I just had no clue what kind of pace would be good for me today. 1:43:34 for 13.29. I really have no value or judgment on the time- it just is what it is. Here is where I am today.

There was only one time I felt negative on the course, and it may have lasted 60 seconds or so. I started comparing myself to others, wondering why I have so much trouble getting faster...thinking "it is not fair!" My pace is pedestrian!!!! The journey sometimes seems so hard. I realized fairly quickly that it was not productive to be so negative and judgmental as I was running. Really, it made me an a-hole, not only to myself, but to others, and I don't want to be that person. I will continue to work hard, even if it does not come easy to me. I will be proud of my hard work regardless of the number posted.

So, I call today a success. The miles are starting to climb again and my pacing skills are returning.

But there was one superstar in the house today.

Dave and some of his men's team won their bracket in an indoor tournament. I got home in time to watch the finals today.

And wouldn't you know Mr. Superstar scored 2 goals...including the goal that tied the game back up with 3 minutes left. Now, I know we all brag about our loved ones. But, Dave is an AWESOME soccer player. He has a true gift. I love watching him play.

And I really thought it was funny when some girl (girl as in younger than me, but aren't they all these days?) in the stands shouted, "Dave, you're my hero!" I was thinking...who are these girls cheering on my husband? I didn't realize my husband had fans. Maybe I should attend more games.... Nah, gotta work on my run.

Do all posts requires titles? Let's just pretend my posts are continuations of the same chapter. I could aptly name most of my posts: stuff.

So, I am going to have to post more dog pictures. Sorry. It is all I have, and I like to post pictures.

I told someone the other day that I really think I could stay home and take care of 30 dogs. As my job. Wouldn't even have to be dogs. 30 animals.

Bundles of joy- and a top reason I love my life.

There are 4 dog beds in this house. 4. And an open spot next to Dave on the couch.

So this weekend I am running the Little Rock Half Marathon. I think this will be my 4th time? I absolutely love this race...mainly, I guess, because I get to see my family. Otherwise, the course is hilly and hurts.

Of course this was my grand idea in November. And come mid-February I was still only running about 15 miles a week. For me, I really need to be running at least 30-35 miles a week for a half marathon. I really like to run more if I can. Everyone is different, but I feel better with more miles. So, I have recently yanked back the speed work and started re-building my mileage. I think I was up to 26 or 27 last week with no problems, so I am on the right track again. It is just too late for this weekend.

So, to make sure I don't go out too fast, have unreasonable expectations, or hurt my own feelings, I am going to ride 3 hours tomorrow so my legs are a little tired for Sunday. This is not normal half marathon practice for me, but it will help me make the race a nice training day. This was also not my idea, but I kind of liked it.

And, I finally got the dern bike computer stuff all worked out. I replaced the battery in the Cateye and got a Garmin for some cadence monitoring. Unfortunately, I was getting used to not knowing my speed. It was kind of fun to race and wonder about my pace- and then when the race results were posted it was like a big surprise.

And I need to clean my bike.

Happy weekend!!! ;)))