Links of The Week

Links of the week- it seems there are a lot of contests going around this time of year.  I have posted a few below, as well as a few other good things.

• Jen and Liz talk tri again, and this time the podcast is about coaching.  I am a big believer in having a coach if you are training for triathlon.  I originally utilized coaching as a "plan to Ironman."  But over the years, I have found the real value is not in someone helping you with one race or one period of time, but in working with someone for the long term to develop as an athlete.  As always, this podcast has a lot of good information and makes you think.

• In addition, Jen Harrison is Paying It Forward again this year with a chance to win one year of free coaching with her.  This is a great opportunity to work with a great coach, and don't shy away if you are a beginner!

• Free Shipping on Enell Bras through Dec 31 with code FREE14

• And, Enell Ambassador Jill Angie/ Running With Curves is hosting a virtual 5k, of course with a finisher medal and a chance to win an Enell Bra.  This looks like something fun for everyone, and it would also be great to pass along to a beginner who might be intimidated to go to a race or a youngster that would love to run for a medal.  

• Oh!  And one more Enell give away.  Check out Kelly Walker's Blog/Living The Before for a chance to win an Enell Sport Bra.  You guys know how I feel about these bras- still the ONLY bra I will run in.  Try your hand at winning one!  

• And, look what I get to race in for 2015- another knockout by Wattie Ink.  How can I not be excited for my upcoming race season when I get to wear such a beautiful kit?

• Now, I kind of didn't want to post this, because I don't want to decrease my chances of winning. But, let's just say that if you win, you pick me as your friend to get bike #2?  Does that sound fair?  Check out Diamondback Bikes for a chance to win 2 bikes.  Like I said...one to me, please, since I sold my road bike when I got pregnant and don't have a replacement yet!  

• Rappstar's World Bicycle Relief Charity is always good to check out this time of the year if you are looking to be generous and help provide bicycles to those in need.  $134 provides one bicycle to a person in need....and so much more than that in way of food, transportation, and improved quality of life.  

Have a great week!  

17 Months

17 months!  I figure it is only 216 months until she is 18 years old, and time is moving very quickly when you think in those terms.   

So what is my little spreaglet doing these days?  For one, she is talking up a storm.  She probably knows 100 words or more at this point, and I am always amazed at what she actually retains and understands, not just repeats.  She puts together 2-3 word sentences, which blows me away.  "I want xyz." Or, "Throw ball Caya." Or, "Thank you mama."  Or my favorite, "Share mama.  Share (whatever it is that she wants me to give her.)"  She loves to sing, too.  Her favorite is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and she knows quite a few of the words.  She also makes up words to songs too, which is really funny.  I have a song that I sing to her which goes, "Caya Papaya...Apple Pie-a."  And she sings it as "Caya Cabaya...Apple Caya!"  I know all of this is so boring to everyone that has watched their own kids learn to talk, but it is so exciting to me to be able to communicate to her.  Just the fact that I can tell her what I need her to do and watch her do it is incredible.

Isla spectated her first marathon this past weekend at the St Jude Marathon and absolutely loved it.  She is now constantly saying "go go runners!"  And she literally cried when we left the course, asking for "more runners." 

 Isla offering her bunny to passing runners. 

Spectating is hard work!

Training is really starting to pick up now for me.  I am not doing a ton of hours, but it is getting consistent.  And consistency is the key!!!  For the first time in 17 months, I completed a trainer session while she took a nap this weekend.  She now takes 1 nap, pretty routinely, for about 1 hour or so in the day, so I am able to try my luck at a little bike riding while she sleeps.  This is such as gift, because as a baby, she only slept in 20 minute increments, and I couldn't train while she napped. 

One day Isla even let me finish up a trainer ride when dad had to leave for work.  She entertained herself for the extra 10 minutes by stealing my water bottle. 

 Isla has also discovered my swim equipment.  She put my fins on the other day and walked around saying "quack quack."  It was so funny...and where did she learn that or make it up?  I love it! 

Ah sleep.  So, here is the new night situation.  For one, I am still breastfeeding.  I never thought I would be breastfeeding after 12 months, but I am.  It is worth it.  It is extra work, and no, I don't sleep a whole night.  There are times when I am very ready to wean and have my nights back.  But, I continue to take a big picture view of parenting and remember that this time will go by so quickly and I doubt I will regret any extra time I spent with my kid.  

The good news is that I get her down around 7:30-7:45 every night.  She does wake up sometime in the middle of the night, and I usually end up in bed with her.  If I am trying to swim the next morning, Dave and I play a game of musical beds to make it work. 

So, that is 17 months in a nut shell.  It is wild, fun, crazy, tiring, and amazing.  I am so grateful every day for my time with her, and I think she is an amazing person.    

Blogging

The blog is falling by the wayside not because I am losing interest, but because my bedtime is now 8:00pm.  Sometimes 7:45pm.  I know that I will have to get up at least 1 x a night, if not more, so I go to bed immediately after I get Isla down to maximize my 1st leg of sleep.  Blogging = minutes of precious sleep!  :)

Updates:

I love Enell.  I just had to say that again.  I am so lucky to have a women's specific brand sponsor me in 2015.  The stories of the athletes are so inspiring.  There are so many beginners in the group, and it just reminds me daily of why it is so important to keep your motivation and goals intrinsic in nature.  It is all about comparing yourself to you, and only you.  Thank you, Enell, for having me on your team!  

I ran the Memphis Turkey Trot for the first time ever.  I was glad to see that even splits in the race.  I was also pretty glad to not be stuck at my half marathon pace.  However, I am still just moving at this 7ish something pace for everything that I do, and I will be happy when I finally see some 6s in front of my splits.  For me, getting faster at the short stuff requires speedwork.  It just doesn't magically come to me.  I can go long with no specific training, but I can't go fast.  So, if I want those 6s, speedwork has to happen.

I am starting to plan out 2015.  I am placing some fun runs at the beginning of the year- trail runs and my favorite half marathons- just to give me something fun to get started.  Then, I think April will be go time.  I am already envisioning my races and thinking about goals.   

I am really motivated right now to have some good races next year.  People make mention that mothers become faster, and that maybe childbirth helps with athletics.  Whenever I hear that, I want to gag.  Mom's have wrecked bodies and fatigue that will last a lifetime.  This first year of motherhood, I had a broken rib that took forever to heal, peed on myself constantly, fought insane back pain that still won't go away, and was am tortured with sleep deprivation.   BUT, what is starting to happen now that is different from my former, non-mother self, is my motivation to get the most out of every workout.  If I only get a chance to train once a day, I make the most of it.  Only have 40 minutes to swim?  I make the most of it.  If my plan says x intervals at y pace?  I do exactly that.  I am forced to have even more focus than I did before.  I thought I did this before.  I thought I was focused.  But, I see now, I am able to put a different focus on it.   And, as I am starting to get in more workouts and more routine, my motivation is starting to climb.

And with that, I am off to bed.  Every minute counts these days before I hear, "mama mama mama!"  sometime in the middle of the night.... :)  And I wouldn't trade it for the whole world. 

Weekend Adventures

Last weekend was awesome-

First, I was such a lucky duck and pulled a volunteer spot out of the lottery for The Elephant Sanctuary.  This is the sanctuary that featured Bella the dog and Tarra the elephant as BFF.  If you haven't seen the video, it is a MUST watch.  Check it out here.  So, this is a true sanctuary and is NEVER open to the public.  However, there is a lottery for a few volunteer days a year, and I got a spot out of 100s of applicants!  I was privileged enough to spend the day working on the Sanctuary with people from Portland, Detroit, North Carolina, etc.  It was one of the coolest days of my life. 

This is me after bagging a million leaves.  No, I didn't do all of those by myself, but I swear it felt like it.  I literally raked leaves and bagged them for 5 hours.  I mean, I really, really worked as a volunteer.  And when I caught a glimpse of the elephants, man it was all worth it!  The elephants live out on the sanctuary and are never asked or expected to see humans, so they can't guarantee you will see one.  But I saw a bunch!!!   They were amazing...so much different than seeing one in a zoo with chains, or keepers using bull hooks on them, or confined to a small space where they can't really move.  :( 

 Picture of Flora above courtesy of the Elephant Sanctuary website

I would post some pictures, but sanctuary rules dictate that pictures have to stay off of social media. So, I have some wonderful pictures of my own with Flora, the beautiful elephant above, and I got to see her beauty up close.  It was a tremendous experience to see an elephant, up close, with no human controlling its decisions.  I can't really put it into words how different it was to see an elephant in a more natural habitat with no human intervention vs a zoo.    

I was exhausted after a day of work- raking leaves all day is no joke- and seriously doubting my decision to run a half marathon the next morning.  But, my little body jumped right up the next day to race.  Because, who doesn't want to run a half marathon in the 30s with cold rain soaking your clothes and shutting down your muscles? 

Oh man.  So, my decision to forgo racing the 1st half marathon and saving it for the 2nd half marathon came to bite me in the butt.  The weather was less than ideal, but I just got out there and gave it what I had for the day.  No quitting. 

I started off on pace and held a pretty steady pace and effort through almost the entire race.  Midway through, I started running with another girl in my age group.  And perhaps I could have done something differently here....but I didn't.  Instead of just saying "hi" and continuing to push, I ended up running with her as we started to chat.  We talked for a while, we waved to her kids, we did all of the things you just don't do when you race.  But, it was nice to meet a new friend and forge through the cold rain together. 

And I was on track to beat my time from the last half, and then I hit the last mile and literally just couldn't feel my legs anymore.  It was like moving blocks of ice.  I watched my pace slow a ton...willed my legs to get moving...talked out loud to myself and encouraged my new friend as she encouraged me....but they just.wouldn't.move.  I crossed the line only 1 second faster than the last half marathon. 

And, that was a lot of work for 1 second.  But, crazy weather makes for great adventures.  They can't all be perfect days :) 

I know that I am a better runner than what I showed in the series...but I know that I didn't put the work in either.  I absolutely should have raced the 2nd 10 miler and the 1st half marathon as well instead of making them training days.  But, I think, too, that I just was not ready to go all in this year, and that is okay.  I have finished the series fitter than when I started PLUS injury free.  The great news is that I am really motivated to train, now, and letting my body gain strength at a steady pace was probably a good plan.  So, I feel like this is a good base and great platform for me to start setting some goals and planning some 2015 races. 

Next up?  Nothing yet... time to revisit the bike. 

Wattie Ink 2015- Time To Rock!

I am thrilled to say that I will be on Team Wattie Ink, once again, for 2015.  My Wattie Ink teammates are amazing athletes, and many of them have become good friends.  We have wonderful sponsors that reach out to us and support us.  But mostly, we have the leadership of Wattie and HJ, two extremely kind, generous, and fun people.  I am thankful, thankful, thankful for another opportunity to work with, support, and race for this team!  I am also super excited to serve as a regional captain this year! 

Of course one of the highlights of being on Team Wattie Ink is being able to wear kits with the very best design.  Now, Wattie Ink is its own apparel line- made in the USA and available to everyone.   Check them out at www.wattieink.com.  They are crazy beautiful! 

Links of the Week

It is past my bedtime, but I am not sure I where I want to sleep tonight.  Isla came home with a fever on Friday from school and hasn't eaten all weekend, although she has been in good spirits and doesn't seem sick.  Dave now has some sort of stomach bug, and I am scared to go into our bedroom.  So....sleeping with the dogs?  I figured this was as good as time as any to blog.  

Links of the week!

• Jen and Liz newest podcast.  These two are always a favorite of mine, and again they do not disappoint!  Smart ladies- awesome coaches.  Check them out.  

• The thing I love most about Angela is her willingness to just put it all out there-pure guts-no excuses.  Check out her amazing  2:46 marathon report here. 

• Splish.com is having a 20% off sale with code CATS.  This is a great time to get some grab bag suits! 

•  I am passionate about animals, no doubt.  I bet you didn't know that I was the Environmental Club President in highschool as well as a PETA member.  I haven't had a hamburger since I was 14 years old.  Part of my journey as an adult has been to continue to improve my own life by reducing the cruelty that penetrates it (food, clothing, etc), teach my daughter to love animals and the earth, and find a way to make a big contribution to changing the way we treat animals.  It is a work in progress, and I am no where close to where I want to be.  I am not perfect, and I battle daily to make decisions that are ethical and sustainable for me.  I encourage you to listen to this podcast with    Rich Roll with Lisa Lange of PETA.  I realize that not everyone feels the way I do about animals, and many of you are content to eat meat and don't want to know about the enormous amount of pain and suffering that humans inflict on animals to deliver put that steak on the plate.  But, I encourage you to listen to this podcast just to increase your education and open your mind a tiny bit.  I think willingness to learn is a good thing, and this podcast is a good place to start, even if you don't feel inclined to changing anything in your life.   

• And in line with my views on being compassionate, I am not going to link any Endurance Planet or Bob Babbitt interviews for a bit.  After listening to them gush about how a bacon sponsorship is the coolest thing on earth, I wonder if they would be willing to go to said sponsor's farms and watch the torture those animals endure for the "cool" factor of bacon.  Seriously. 

Have a great week everyone!!!  Wish me some luck that the virus passes me by!  

Satisfaction

I finally found some peace with the RRS half marathon.  For years, I have struggled with this course.  I have had personal worsts, bonks, and general grumpiness on it.  I could never figure out why, as it is an out and back course with a few rollers.  It can be boring, yes.  But generally, everyone seems to run well on it.  Everyone except me, it seems.  I have had some PWs on this course, even during my fittest times.  The course and I just have not been friends. 

Sunday I went to the race with a plan.  I was "supposed" to do a training run...warm up 4-5 miles/tempo 4-5 miles/cool down.  But, for the first time in many months, I got almost a full night of sleep.  I get to the race and the temps are in the 30s and there is hardly any wind.  The sky was cloudless and beautiful.  It was just another great day to run.  In my mind, I started making exceptions to my training plan.  Afterall, who wants to waste a perfect race day?

So, I sort of stuck to the plan.  I did start off slower, and I let my friends and friendly competition get out of sight.  (I was giving myself imaginary pats on my back for *being good*).  I will admit my warm up miles- while they were slower than race pace- were not exactly my normal warm up pace.  I normally warm up at a sloth pace, but it is hard to do that when you are surrounded by hundreds of people.  Then I hit the tempo miles, and I ran them as planned and started moving through the crowd. 

And miles 9-10 came, and I was supposed to cool down.  And I did slow down, about a fraction of a fraction.  But then I would see people ahead of me and try to catch them.   Finally I just gave up, admitted that I didn't want to slow down and was going to disobey the cool down part of the workout, and just ran it in. 

It was just one of those days where I was enjoying the run.  I finished with a huge smile, lots of thanks, and happiness that I continue to get stronger and make progress.  I think I am still in that phase where I have zero expectations with my racing.  And for this day, going into the run with a training purpose lifted the pressure off of me to run a certain time.  Even though I fell one more place in the AG standings, I was more than pleased with my time and felt completely at peace with the course, my time, and my body.  I am not even sure I need to run the 2nd half marathon, as I don't want to ruin my new friendship with this stretch of highway. 

Cheers to happy running and satisfying miles. 

October Wrap Up

I guess winter is here- it is in the 30s, and my motivation to get out of the door in the dark, cold morning is zilch.  I don't have anything special on the radar for the winter months, but I think I will hit the trail races like I did last year.  I think I am going to maintain my "no outdoor riding under 50 degrees" rule...not that it will greatly matter since I have only been outside on my bike 6 times this year.  Funny how Dave's schedule for the month of November will allow me to ride on Saturdays, yet the freezing weather decided to show up right on time.  :) 

October brought us a nice trip to the Superdome to watch the Saints crush Greenbay.  This is always a highlight of the year for Dave and I, and a huge thanks to Keith for setting us up for a great evening. 

And of course, there was Halloween.  I am still doing the family theme because Dave and I have a blast.  I am pretty sure Isla will want to pick her own outfit out soon, though.   I felt a lot more like my "old self" this Halloween, as I tried to be super thrifty.  Dave's cost $5, and the butterfly outfits for the girls were $15.  The funny thing is, once I had it all finished, I realized ways I could have cut even more corners.  Lol!  I have to say, I actually enjoyed staying up late to finish the outfits the night before Halloween.  It made me feel just like the mom I want to be.  :)  And Isla really did love them.  She is still playing with her wings and antennas. 

And now we are on to November and the half marathons of the Road Race Series.  I ran the 2nd 10 miler 2 weeks ago as an easy run.  My choice to not race it came about because 1.  A 6 months racing series is very long and hard to maintain.  2.  Racing 2 x 10 milers and 2 x half marathons in 6 weeks is a lot to me and 3.  I am still not very fit, so I need to be cautious about how much I torture myself with racing.

So, while I enjoyed running with friends and chatting, I missed an opportunity to race on a day that delivered the perfect weather.  It was a fast, fast day.  I was a little sad when all was said and done that I did not race.  Everyone had a rockin' finish time.   But, I have really been working on letting go of my times and racing right now and just focusing on the process of enjoying getting back out there consistently.  I took a step back- checked the ego-and reviewed my reasons for not racing and realized that I did make the right decision. 

This is the first 10 miler- pacing with my friend Lisa and focused.  

And the second 10 miler at the same mile marker...chatting it up with Adrienne and taking time to enjoy the day and course. 

 ....so tomorrow is the first half marathon.  I plan to "race" the second one, and tomorrow will be a "Get the miles in with some tempo" day.   Again, I am having a tough time thinking about possibly missing an opportunity for a good race day, but I am really working on letting....it....go.... and sticking to the plan.  And while my back is progressively getting better (yay!!!!!) my right fibula from the zip lining stupidity is not.  I talked to my doc today, and we may have to take another look at it as the pain and swelling are still present.  So, eh, we will see how tomorrow feels and go from there.  But, I am worried I am going to have to sit out a few weeks, and that is super frustrating to me.  I don't get overuse or training injuries generally (knock on wood), but I can't stay away from stupid injuries from soccer, jumping off of rafters, ziplining, etc. 

Looking forward to an beautiful day on the roads with friends tomorrow.  I am lucky I get to do this! 

15 Months of Diggies

The problem with skipping a few blog posts is that I feel paralyzed when I return as to what to write!  I have written a dozen blog posts in my head, but they never made it to the keyboard.  So- life continues to turn.  ISLA, work, life, training, travel, ISLA!  We are having tons of fun doing activities and going on playdates.  Isla is crazy social, and I am always amazed at how she will just go up to other kids and engage, even older kids.   

It is also insane how quickly she is now developing.  Not only does she know the difference between Mickey and Minnie, she can say their names and matches them out of context.  It is just so odd to see how knowledge develops within short periods of time.  She knows 12 body parts, says tons of words, follows directions, and knows how to avoid going to bed by giving me one more night night kiss.  (She still doesn't know how to sleep through the night at 15 months, but what fun would that be if we were all rested and not slightly crazy?) 

I will try to catch up on training and such, but tonight, here are a few snapshots from early October with my sweet girl. 

Family day at the Botanical Gardens- Isla is learning to make new, interesting faces. 

Fine motor skills meets saving money:  thrifty mom is already teaching the value of the putting money into the piggy bank. 

Cuteness overload heading to school!

I swear there is nothing cuter than a naked baby. 

Checking out the koi pond at the Botanical Gardens

 

Isla and Sullivan meet a swan

Isla and Sophia rule the petting zoo!

More zoo fun with my PT school friends and their babies

Mmmmm...sand and dirt.  Isla loves it!

Kona Weekend!

I LOVE Kona week.  I love all of the great interviews at Endurance Planet and IM Talk.  And who could not love Breakfast With Bob?

I did something new this year...I put my top 10 predictions in writing.  There is still a little time for you to do this too!

Mostly, I look forward to all things Andreas Raelert.  Yes, the crush is still alive and kicking.  He will never be replaced.  When I am 70 years old, I will be telling my grandchildren about how he was my favorite triathlete.  :)

My friends know me all too well, and Langer woke me up earlier this week with an Andreas in Kona video.  :)  

Best of luck to so many friends:  Wattie Ink Teammates, Elizabeth Rich, Tim Perkin, Dawn Elder, Ann Thilges (with Tina), Sonja Wieck, Jeff Fejfar...and I am sure many other awesome people that I am forgetting.  Have a great day! 

PBPRs

If only I knew....hindsight is 20/20....  I think we can all look back at different times in our lives and say that.  So, what do I wish I knew as I new mom and athlete that I know now?  I wish more people had told me that it might be 15 months post baby that I would see some real progress athletically.  15 months, I said.  

We see so many outliers in our sport- the women that are running the day before they deliver, the women doing ironman months after delivery, the women that are winning races and qualifying for events within that first year as a new mom.  And after a very short 15 months as a mom, I am here to tell you, they ARE outliers.  We will never know what resources other people have in the form of support, type of child, recovery from birth (vaginal or c-section), sleep, hormonal recovery, or training time.  So, when you flip through mommy blogs, be very cautious and discerning when taking another mom's athletic timeline and applying it to yourself.  It doesn't matter WHEN you get there, just that you take the first step and keep running.  

And, let me be that blog for you that shows you that while yes, your journey may take a little longer, it is still there for the taking.  Finally, after a bunch of personal worsts (PW) this year in all disciplines, I finally had a post baby PR (PBPR)...not an all-time PR, but something solid post baby....that was actually worth something.  I ran a hard and hilly 10 miler this weekend and was finally satisfied with my effort, my physical stamina, and my mental stamina.  I knew the course, and my desire to run in a certain way matched my ability.  I was able to stay in contact with some other females that I respect as runners, and I am starting to see some transfer from my tempo runs to my racing.  My goal for the day was to care at every mile and to not stop caring at any point.  (you know how sometimes in a hard race, you just don't care where you place and you shut down?  that was me a few times this year).  I finally did this- no giving up- total caring from start to finish.  

I am also having some success with my back.  It still hurts, but it hurts a ton less than it did 2 weeks ago and my joints are showing some increase in stability.  All of my PT work paid off in another PBPR this morning in the pool with a 100yd time that I haven't seen in 2 years. 

So, yea for PBPR- more than a year later.  Keep them coming!  And new mommy friends, it may take some time!  You heard it from me.  :) 

Weekend Time

Whew! A week has passed! I have been so busy that I can hardly keep up. 

Some good news- I think we are making some good progress on healing my spine.  I had a great consultation with some spine specialists, and they think I received the wrong diagnosis last year, which resulted in me performing a bunch of exercises that were promoting the injury rather than healing it.  Basically, I was originally treated for a disc issue, but it seems to be the opposite issue, and I have "kissing spines."  (we are going to do some imaging in the next few weeks to make sure I don't have a spondylolisthesis).   I increased the lordosis of my lumbar spine when I was pregnant.  Add in a c-section and ligament laxity from hormones, and my poor back just needed a little extra attention before I did some of the swim training and band only work that was prescribed.  BTW, kissing spines is seen most often in swimmers (ding ding!) so if you have low back pain that has an onset with swimming, this diagnosis would be worth checking out. 

And actually, I am improving now that I have stopped all extension exercises and have changed a few things around.  I am starting to be able to swim the full session, and the onset of pain is getting pushed back further every day.  Yippee! 

In other news, I am hitting some good times with my tempo runs.  It is good to see some progress sprinkled in my weeks.  I also hit a new running stroller PR as I was almost late picking up Isla after work.  Nothing like a little fear of being that "late mom" to make me pick up the pace.   

I have to be honest, neither Isla nor I really like running with the jogging stroller.  She is bored, uncomfortable, and cranky.  I  don't find it pleasurable.  So, we do 2-3 miles max from time to time- sometimes I will pick her up from school in it so I can get in a few miles.  Some kids can just chill in those things for hours, but my kiddo is not one of them. 

Isla has been super busy making friends and having fun.  What an amazing and sweet girl she is!  I love, love, love her.  She is running everywhere and climbing on everything.  She is talking up a storm, and it is just so fun to listen to her.  We have a bush in our front yard that attracts bees, and every day on the way to school she will say "bye bye bees!" when we pass the bush.  So sweet!  She also cracks me up as she wants to change diapers on all of her stuffed animals because they have "poo poo"...or better yet, when she goes to the toilet to say "bye bye poo poo!"  LOL!  She keeps me loving and laughing.   

Isla had Sullivan over last Saturday...her first friend to ever come to our house for a play date.  Loved it!

Later that morning, she went to the zoo with another friend, Hadley.  Sweet girls!  How cute are these two?

A trip to the playground with Piper rounded out the day.  I think I was more tired than she was!

Our weekends stay busy, and I can't believe another one is already here!  I am going to see if I can convince Isla to chill so we can rest.  :)  And next up on the races?  10 miler this weekend.  Hard and hilly- should be fun!

The Best KQ Video- A MUST watch

At Ironman Maryland, my friend and teammate, Denise "Biebs" Hiller, won her AG and qualified for Kona.  She won, literally, by passing the lead female in the finishing chute.  Denise had to run her down.  Here it is, caught on film.  If you watch closely, you will see Denise in Wattie Ink yellow pass a female.  The athlete that is passed by Denise falls down moments later and has to crawl to the finish line.  Can you think of a better way to win an AG than a battle that lasts the ENTIRE race?  Amazing stuff. 

Denise's journey has taken its twists and turns.  She has been out of the money a few times, had some injuries, and had mechanicals in races that forced her out.  Someone that didn't want to go to Kona as bad as Denise did would have quit way before this.  But, she didn't quit.  Here are a few things you can learn from her:

1.  Have a back up Ironman in mind in case something goes wrong with your plan A.  Denise had a great race at IMAZ last year.  She had a big PR, but was 1 spot out of a KQ.  She started making plans to develop a race plan to reach her goal.  She was signed up for IMLOU, but had to pull out of the race due to a bike issue she could not fix.  She immediately signed up for IMMaryland.  She kept pushing forward.   

2.  Change coaches if you do not have the right fit.  I remember at IMTX 2012, we were all eating dinner and talking about our race.  We were all in agreement that Denise needed a coach change.  Something wasn't jiving (And I can't for the life of me remember what it was), but we all encouraged her to really get a good coach.  She did.  And he has been just as invested in her journey as she has been.  You can check out Coach Flanny here.

3.  Surround yourself with people as invested as you are in your dream.  Denise had her family there to support her.  Her husband (And my coffee flavored Patron shot partner) was all over the course giving her splits).  Her coach was 100000% invested in helping her get to Kona- gave her the plan and the encouragement.  I NEVER heard him say she couldn't do it.  Instead, he was always encouraging her and telling us how well she was training.  Invite positive people into your life that share your dream. 

4.  Get the equipment you need.  Now, this is a little bit of a sore spot for me as I just can't afford to upgrade anything these days, and that is frustrating.  But, the truth of it is, if you really care, you need to make sure you have good equipment.  It doesn't have to be the very, very best, but it needs to be competitive.  Denise upgraded her bike this year, borrowed a fast helmet, and made sure she had good, comfortable clothing from Wattie Ink.  She paid attention to the details. 

5.  And, finally, commit to your dream.  Who cares if no one else thinks the dream is worthwhile?  Go for it because YOU want it. 

6.  Oh, and dare I say, don't you EVER give up in a race.  

No Progress

After a week of sick baby confinement, I took Isla to the park trails yesterday.  I figured we both needed some fresh air (and I needed some adult companionship). 

I

She picked a few mushrooms with her Godmother "Ninny" and spent a little time with Godfather Sean.  But, I don't think anyone got many smiles.  It has been a long week. 

Congrats to Godfather Sean on his new job at Victory Bicycles!

Mom, I am going to keep you up allll night.  Again.  Please be patient with me.  I am sick, I hurt, AND I am a baby.  PS:  I love you.  

Today I was back to the Road Race Series for another crack at the 10k.  I didn't have any niggles or problems going into the race, but I found I had to psych myself up a bit.  I generally drop time from race to race, but I just don't feel my fitness coming along.  A month ago at the triathlon, my 10k felt strong.  But since then, not so much...at all.  I kept telling myself, "you have upped your mileage, you had 2 quality longer runs, you had a half marathon paced run, you ran a good 25k, surely your fitness is better!"  I used tons of positive self talk to get to that start line ready to drop a little time. 

GRATEFUL for my race mornings and the companies and friends that make it fun for me. 

But, it just wasn't my day.  Again.  I dropped a mere 10ish seconds off of my time from 2 weeks ago.  My pacing was a bit better, but it wasn't faster.  It was a lot of work for 10 seconds....and another slower race time that I haven't seen in 8 years.

I keep searching for the answers.  The long answer is:  I need more interval training and real speed work, I need to be able to swim and bike again, I need consistency, and I need to put some muscle back on.  The short answer is, and maybe more importantly:  I am just plain tired and need more sleep. 

So, I felt a few minutes of frustration, but I just know that if I keep my foot in the door, one day in the future I will bust it open when some things start fall in place for me.   YES!  I really do believe this.  I just have to stay in the game and it WILL come back. 

One of my first smiles all week.  The drooling from the constant swelling and pain is now gone as well, amen. 

I took Isla to breakfast club with my soccer/running buddies (I am not sure if my friends were totally happy as they don't want to contract this awful virus ((which generally doesn't affect adults)), but I needed friend time so they sucked it up as I gave them no choice :) 

She didn't last long.  :)

Happy Sunday!

More Running, More Figuring It Out

I ran my first official trail 25k this past weekend.  (I have run before with another runner's bib, so not official! :)  I was really looking forward to this run.  As a matter of fact, I have been looking forward to all of my runs.  As my swimming and cycling is so very limited now (maybe 1 x week), I embrace my runs.

The goal was to get some easier miles on my legs.  These trail runs aren't really races in my mind as there are no awards, so I just use them to do nothing but clear my head and build my strength.  The first mile or so was a little faster than I wanted to go, but that happens on single track with people breathing down your neck.  I settled into a good, easy pace for the first big loop and then picked it up for the second loop.   I finished feeling good but with some soreness that only a good trail run can give you.

I wish I could do one of these races every month.  It is so fun to get in my own head and just enjoy nature.  I HEART trail running.  Thank you to Dave for taking the day off of work so I could go do this.  xo

Trail friends!

So, just this week I was really trying to figure out why I can't get consistently rehabbed and training again.  Why can't I wake up at 4:30  every morning to get to swim or get on my bike?  I go through stretches where I can, and then I lose it.  What is wrong with me?  I have talked to Dave a ton about this, and he keeps saying one word:  Isla.  He firmly believes that until I get even semi-consistent sleep, consistent training won't happen.  And, 14 months later, I am guaranteed nothing at night.  It occurred to me that not only is Isla a very poor sleeper by design (Yes, I am still up several times a night with her), but we have also had 6 ear infections, ear tube surgery, Hand Foot Mouth x 2, bacterial infection, throat infection, and other random 24 hr viruses- all in a 14 month period.  We are sick every 2-3 weeks here.  And sometimes Dave and I get sick after she brings home whatever bad virus she has.  

So, my HTFU is just not strong enough to override our constant illness and lack of sleep as a family.  Sometimes Frequently I just have to nix my workouts because it is best for my family.  Isla needs my care at 4am, Dave needs the sleep, or I am just trashed from sleep deprivation.  It is just a part of where we are right now in our journey.  I know it will change with more time, we are just not there yet and have to stay patient. 

And as of this week, our 2nd round of Hand Foot Mouth in 5 months is here.  AGHHH!!!!  WHY!!!!?????

 This is how we have spent our day...in constant tears. 

 Thank you to the animals for being so patient and kind with our sick, screaming, little one. 

Now with the HFM recurrence, I have had to take the entire week off of work to be with her and care for her.  She is in so much pain, she spends half of the day and night screaming.  She can't nurse due to the pain (nor really eat or drink), and that is sad for us both.  And let's not mention the missed work and income.  This is just a continuing pattern I can't figure out how to break.  Maybe it is just all part of having a young child.  

So, here we are just working with what we have.  Dave is so conveniently out of town right now for work- bleh.  I am contemplating what changes need to happen.  Do we need to use just 1 daycare instead of 2?  Is she exposed to too many germs going multiple places?  She always seems to get sick if I take her to the gym daycare on Sat for 1 hr so I can swim.  Do I nix that, and just lose my swim?  That option doesn't seem great.  After all, I hardly get to train now, so taking my kiddo to the gym 1 x week shouldn't be too much to ask, no?  Is it time for us to get some babysitters on the roll call?  Probably. 

And that is our story so far.  We are moving forward, but have a long ways to go.  Suggestions from moms who had babies that were sick frequently and seemed to figure out a plan to decrease the illnesses?

Next up this weekend, 10k number 2, where I am determined to not feel like death again.  

Picking It Up

When I first started to run for the sake of getting faster, I absolutely hated tempo runs.  They really exposed my weakness, which was holding a faster pace for more than just a few minutes.  Many years went by before I added tempo runs into my schedule, and that is the honest truth.  I think some people naturally gravitate towards running fast in workouts, and others are speed wimps, like me, that can go long and easy or short and fast, but are missing that in between gear.

I would say that around 2011, I become much more comfortable with tempo runs.  Why?  For one, they were always on my schedule, so I didn't have a choice.  But two, I was fit.  I realized that when I was fit, the tempo run, while hard, was always doable, and it became like a game to me to hold certain paces.  I could feel myself getting stronger.

I haven't quite revisited the tempo run yet, but I got one step closer today with some half marathon pace miles.  I determined my paces from Jack Daniels' formula, and made myself work.  I was absolutely terrified to pick up my pace in training.  Terrified of what?  I finally realized I was terrified I would be slow and couldn't do hold the pace.  It is the fear of the unfit.  It is lack of confidence.  It is the fear that prevents me from taking the first step, if I let it. 

Giving myself a pep talk to hit the road.  There is a lot of girl power in those Smash shorts and Enell Bra.  3 cheers for female owned companies!

 

After hemming and hawing, I got after it this morning and ran the paces.  Done and done.  It was a great starting point for some real training. 

"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."  ~ Babe Ruth

The Midway Point

I have made it through the 1st 10k of the Road Race Series.  I wish I had some amazing report to give, but everything is really just blah.  I am in that place where I am not improving, and I am really just kind of barely shuffling through the paces.  (translation:  I am not fit).  I think I secretly expected to be in a different place by now.  I think I really thought I would just magically run faster.  It certainly does not work that way!

This is a horrible pic, but I felt as bad as it looks, so it is truthful :)

I am happy to just be out there, so it is not a huge deal that I am static in my running.  Every morning I race and run, I treat it as a gift, because it is!!!  But, I do know I am nowhere near my capabilities, and that can get frustrating.  It is hard to race when I am not fit!  When I signed up for the series, Gina and I talked about making sure we kept the series in perspective and not get caught up in trying to PR, go faster each race, and search for our old times.  We were really doing this to have some friend time, get miles in, and force ourselves to pick up the pace for some long term gain for winter racing.  I did feel pretty frustrated Sunday, but Gina held me accountable to my original goals. 

 Isla saw a picture of runners on Sunday and pointed to it, said "mommy!," and looked at me!  It was awesome to see that my kid identified me with a group of runners.  That was all of the motivation I needed to keep at it.  (She has also found the dusty box of medals to wear around the house.)

14 months post baby, the barriers to fitness for me include:  lack of sleep/recovery (thank you, Isla, for the multiple wake-up calls at night :), continued hormonal changes with breast feeding, little niggling injuries (leg), and major body issues (back, sciatic pain).  I realize that these barriers are slowly getting lower, but may take a while longer to hurdle completely.  I imagine that by the time I have recovered my body, I will get pregnant again.  LOL! 

On the flip side, 14 months post baby, the improvements to my fitness journey include:  a more solid work schedule so I can plan some training, the ability to have more control over my meals, no more baby weight, decreased feelings of guilt when leaving Isla to take care of myself, and no more pelvic pain.  So, things do get better!  

We are midway through the series now.  I struggle to find something objective to achieve in these races.  Should I set some time goals for the next 10k, 10 milers, and half marathons?  Or just go with the process and journey?  Hmmm.  I think I am sticking with the latter for now.