Confessions of a Triathlete: Part IV

Hey there, kiddos!  Ready for the long weekend?  I so freakin am.  We have a few plans....biking the rail trail at Keuka Lake tomorrow with my cousins, and swimming and having a picnic.  Then on Sunday we're gonna have the family over for a BBQ-yes, I know it's technically not Labor Day, but we're a strange breed ( you guys knew that though :-D).  So, with some fun times ahead, today was a tie up the loose ends kind of day-not much else going on.  We have a huge project hitting the books next week, so our team has been scrambling this week trying to get crap done.  So, I don't have much fun to tell you.  But, with the "season" almost done around casa Glaser, I've been telling you how I've not felt like much of a triathlete lately.  I shared this with the huz the other day and he just snorted and said "Listen to yourself sometime, babe.  You're totally a triathlete".  So I did.  And realized within 48 hours....that even when you take a season off....you can take the girl outta the triathlon, but you can't take the triathlete outta the girl.  How do I know this?  Just look at my ridiculousness in the last month...once again, it's time for a "confessions" post....

Confessions of a Triathlete, Part IV

1.  After you've done 2 Ironmans...whats next?  Another Ironman?  An ultra marathon?  A double Ironman?  Hmmm.  Well, I'm no there yet, but I am thinking about a new Iron distance (plus) in Penn Yan, NY next year.....just to be different, the RD is tacking on an extra .2 on the bike and calling it "steel" cause steel is harder than Iron....yep, just call me a race junkie.  It's cool Check out Peasantman 140.8!

2. My idea of a fun double date..... Rev 3 Cedar Point Iron Distance 2014.  One of my tri friends is convincing her other half to do it, so now we're plotting to get hubs to do the 70.3.  Isn't that everyone's idea of fun? Weekend double date?  No?

3.  Everyone at work is pulling me aside to find out what I know about the Lance Armstrong debacle and what my opinions are. 

4.  Hubs and I are going on vacation to Maine in October.  Of course, you all know that the first thing I did was google races.  Someone tried to tell me that a vacation is a week off where you rest and have fun, not sweat in a race.  Does not compute.  Isn't vacation synonymous with a race?  No?  It is for me :-)

5.  Friday Dress down at work = last weekend's race t shirt.  I'm quite sure I really don't own any real clothes other than work clothes and workout clothes.  I suppose I could spent $50 on some nice summer casuals.  But then again, I could do a sprint tri, half marathon, or a few 10k's for that $50 as well.  Hmmm.....that's an easy decision :-P.

6.  Speaking of last weekend's race, every Monday my co-workers check out my arms t see if I have a number on them.  They then ask not only about my race, but if I got any bling, placed in my AG, or set a PR.  Um, and they all know what those mean.  M god, am I THAT GIRL?  Yup.  I am.  (But to my credit, they do ask me....I don't go flaunting it....I swear!)
7.  Saturday night's hot date involves compression sleeves and ice.  And no, compression sleeves is not a code term for "bedroom toys".
8.  I took 2012 off from "racing".  With that said, I've done two half marathons, a sprint, an Olympic, and a half ironman.  Face palm.  And I still maintain it's an "off year".  Probably because there was no 26.2 or 140.6  Wow.  I need help

9.  The definition of peer pressure is not the cool kid trying to get you to smoke or drink behind the school football field.  Nope.  i have to watch out the day after any M Dot races....no email reading, facebooking, or tweeting.  Hide the credit cards.  My triathlete friends suck at talking me out of 140.6's (No, I didn't sign up for any.....yet.  There were a few touch and go moments, though!!)

Ahhh, yep.  Still a tri-nerd.  And that's A-Okay by me!

Tracker Jacker

Ahh, the wonder of hump day.  Ahhh, the excitement of the week being more than half over and a 3 day weekend on the horizon.  Ahhhh...life is good.
See?  I'm approaching life with the glass half full perspective this week.  Crap happens.  Feet happen,  It is what it is.  I'm feeling that with the close of a lackluster tri season, rather than focusing on my slow-pants times this year, I'll remember the value of toning it down. Of pressure-less racing.  And also the value of he season ending and making fitness whatever the heck I want it to be.
Kickboxing?  Bring it.
Tai Chi?  Sounds good!
Shredding with Jillian Michaels?  You got it.
Riding the Rail trail at Keuka and swimming all afternoon?  Check (well, after Saturday).
In short, it's time to play again. And not that tri-training isn't playing, but it's structured play time.  Now it's time to get that 60 minutes in....however I want.
And with my working out schedule becoming MUCH less structured, I can turn back to other things.  Like my eats.
It's no secret that I've gained some weight since my Ironman.  Not enough to go up a pants size, but enough to notice a little belly that wasn't there before...and a half an inch to pinch on the sides.  Ick.  Same horse, different saddle, right?  How long can I bi*ch about this until I do something about it??

Source

Well, I have been.  Nothing nuts, just a general awareness about night eating that I talked about a few weeks ago.  Am I perfect?  Not even close.  But since the middle of August, I've lost 3 pounds, which makes me a happy girl.  And with about 7 more to go, I'm back to what worked for me years ago when I kissed 30 pounds goodbye:

The ole tracker.  Trackin' my eats.  Knowing that if I eat it, I have to write it down.  I have a little notebook from 2003 where I wrote down what I ate for an entire summer.  Was I perfect?  Nope.  Did I always eat the best?  Nope.  But when I knew that the "evidence"was there...it was harder to pretend that that "few M&Ms" wasn't really a bog ole handful.  Or that "one cup" of cheerios wasn't really a big ass bowl.  It works for me.  Not long term (that crap will drive you crazy) but I need to get back to it until the scale is back at my happy number. 

Tracking Eats=Tracker Jacker to melting away those pounds.  Time to target those crap eats and blast em away.  I'm on it.  Bring it.

I figure if I track for 2 months, allowing for one off/cheat day a week, I should be good to go by Thanksgiving. 
I'm gonna go with the ole pen and paper route, which worked before, but I'll also be logging my eats on mapmyrun (trigirl244) so feel free to friend me and make me accountable, dammit :-)  My goal intake for each day without exercise is 1600 calories (to get back to my happy weight), and I'll add about half of what I exercise to create a deficit.  Today's workout = 45 minute pool run and 30 minutes kickboxing = 600 calories, so the goal today is 1800.  I know it's not simple calories in and out, but it's a good place to start. Stay tuned....I may start logging my food a few times a week to keep myself accountable, but rest assured, this is not and will never be a food blog.  Frankly I don't have the patience to post 40 pictures of my banana oats every morning...and who needs to see that? :-P
Do you track your eats?  Focus in a certain number of calories?  Or only when you're trying to drop weight?  Share your success secrets, I'm all ears!

Somethings Afoot

So, this title here should tell you two things.....
1.  My foot is acting like a thirteen year old with a bad case of hormones that had her IPhone taken away from her by a pissed off parent
and
2.  I'm in a spot where I'm passed tantrum throwing and actually have a sense of humor about it.
So.  I think I briefly touched on my pickup truck redneck scare from last week (if not, the quick and dirty is....11 mile run....pickup heading for me halfway through...jumped in a ditch....tweaked my foot).  I iced, rested and thought it was okay, but after Saturday's tri...i'm not so sure.  I have a decent amount of pain on the top of my foot, and jumping or running really hurts the heck out of it.  (Of COURSE its my left foot-the effed up foot.  If I do something, I like to do it to the full extent :-P)

So....now what?  Well, once again, we're on the no runnign thing (at least for a few days).  I'm icing like it's my job, elevating, and swimming/biking. 

The good news is...I am done with tri season.

The bad news is...I still have a half marathon to run next month.

Baby steps, Rae.  Baby steps.  And patience.

Buffalo Half Inspiration!

Oddly enough, I'm okay with this (aside from the obvious hope that i can start running again super soon.) My "workout" plans for the next few months include... Taking up up yoga and pilates-I'm going  to do one or the other 3-4 times a week.  I think it'll help my mental state, as well as my flexibility.  I also am planning on taking up some weight training in order to firm up.  My endurance rocks the nation, but I've been feeling a little "soft" ever since last year, and I know that lifting will help.  I tend to shy away from the "non cardio" side of fitness-it's partially a training thing and also...probably....a silly girl thing.  Yeah, I said it :-P  As far as cardio goes, once my foot feels better, I'd like to do 2 runs a week up until my half (5 weeks away!)  one tempo or speed, and one long, up to 11-12 miles.  I really don't care about my time, I just want to have fun and not die.  Aside from running, I'm going to give HIIT a try-I've done long stuff to death, but I think intervals will really help get my body back to where I want it.  In a week or so, that is :-)  Can't underestimate the power of rest!
And that's that.  Hows your week going?

Rochester Triathlon 2012: Loop De Loop

Ready for a race recap?  LET'S DO IT!

Rochester Triathlon 2012

As you know, this was the first time either the hubs or I did this race-we approached it, in tune with our season, as a "funsies" race.  I wanted to go under 3 hours if I could (somehow, that's my "litmus" for an Olympic), but had no illusions of breaking my 2:50 PR). 

We set our alarms for 5am the day of, down pancakes (him) and peanut butter toast and fruit (her) and made the 30 minute trek to Durand Eastman Park (god bless local races!).  Upon unloading the car, we realized we forgot our bike pump (packing fail #1).  Luckily, Matt Kellman owns everything in the world, including the hubs special bike attachment for tire pumping, so we were saved.  As I unpacked my transition and set up, I realized I forgot my foam inserts for my aquacell (packing fail #2) and my orthotics (packing fail #3).  Ugh, lame.  I electrical taped my straws in my hydration system and shrugged my shoulders on the shoe fail....whatcha gonna do.  Said hello to a bunch of friendly faces (turns out local pro Jennie Hansen was racing, along with super fast Karin Kellman and Kathleen Hayden....game on!  Just kidding.  I have no prayer of touching any of these women :-P)  At 7:15, we left transition, connected with our dads, and headed out to the water to warm up. 

The RD gave an awesome pre-race talk, the national anthem was sung (and signed) and we lined up to go!  I was in wave #2 of 6 waves, with all the Olympic women.  All 23 of us.  Wow. 

Swim:  35:27....not 1500 meters :-P

Since there were two races, the swim and bike were divided into loops.  The swim was either one loop (sprint) or two loops (olympic).  The water was 73 degrees, calm, and beautiful.  Which may be why the RD thought a nice long course would be good :-P  I exited out of loop 1 at 17:15, freaked out, then dolphin doved into loop 2 (there was a pretty wicked sandbar, but short of dredging the lake, what can you do about that? No biggie).  The swim was pretty uneventful.  I swam alone for 99% of it...the men went off before we did and the next wave was 20 minutes back.  I'm not fast, I'm not slow (in the scheme of the women) so I swam alone.  I exited the water in 35:27, and with a short run uphill into T1, entered into T1 at 36:xx.  I know it's pretty standard to call a course "long" in terms of why you were "slow", but the guy that came in 2nd place OA had his garmin and it clocked 1800 out of the swim.  And I would think he was a pretty good sighter, so I'm gonna go with a course that was 250ish long.  That seems about right, usually I swim an Oly at about 30 minutes.

Bike: 1:23:12, 25.2 miles, 18.1 mph

The bike was 2 loops (sprint) and 4 loops (olympic).  The 10k loop was half closed to traffic, and had one significant hill right in the beginning.  This wasn't too bad (except on loops 3 and 4 :-P)  Once you got to about 5k and turned the 2nd turn, you flew.  It was a bit turny and technical, but this was easily my favorite part of the course.  I only got passed by one women (the winner!) and passed a decent amount of people doing the Olympic race.  The only problem with the bike course was that loops 2 and 3 were super congested when the sprinters were out...quite a few were new racers (which is awesome!) but they lacked the knowledge of the USAT rules as a whole.  There was quite alot of blocking, drafting, and wobbly riding.  I'm not the strongest rider out there, but you did have to be aware.  Another unfortunate side effect of the loops was that....I'm pretty sure there were a few people that opted not to do all the loops.  But I suppose you get that in any race, so what can you really do about it.  All you can control is you :-)  It wasn't my fastest bike, but it was pretty legit for me-much better than that mess that is the Keuka bike course!   Off the bike at 2:01:xx and ready to run!

Run: 58:33, 6.25 miles, 9:21 pace

Did I say I was ready?  Oh, just kidding.  Now normally I can pull my $hit together on this disclipline and save a bad race.  After exiting T2 in 2:03:xx, I knew I had to pull a 8:15 pace for a sub 2:55, and a 9 minute pace (ish) for a sub 3.  I pretty much knew that my A goal wasn't happening, and that was okay with me.  So I set out to do what I could.  My foot started giving me hell about 5 minutes in, but I kept a pretty decent 5 minute, 30 second walk strategy. Saw my awesome friend Stephanie, looking strong on her relay run leg (yay!) and a bunch of my "big contenders" (lol).

Strike #1:  no mile markers.  There were km markers every 2 km, but in my addled brain, I couldn't really remember how far a km was.  The course was rolling, no big up or downhills....until we passed the 5k turn around...and the curve in the trail revealed....a really big hill.  With no end in sight.  Seriously, this sucker started before 3km and ended at almost the 4km mark so.....more than a half mile of significant uphill.  This killed my pace and....shot my confidence (damned mental skills).  After the uphill, we curved right into a residential neighborhood, did two out and backs (one with a major hill up and back) curved around, got to go down the hill from hell, and brought it in.  The run course was beautiful, but Placid tough.  I'm not sure they could change it, I just underestimated it!  The volunteers were great for this part in particular, encouraging us and cracking jokes.  The only downfalls that I would change:  mile amrkers, and one more water station (there

were water stations at 2km, 4km and 8km, but the 4kms without one in the 90 degree heat were pretty brutal).  Needless to say, I did NOT make my run goal, but gave it all I had and finished just over 3:01, good for an AG win and 5th overall.  I'll take it, considering #1 went to Jennie (who chicked all the boys for an OA win, you go girl!) and #2 went to a local that wins Sodus every year :-P)  The times were a bit slower than normal, which made me feel pretty legit, even if I missed my goals.

Overall Impressions

I would really recommend this race.  The thoughtful touches were everywhere....we each got a pint glass for finishing, the awards were cool, they had people serving fresh fruit post race-awesome.  Support was great, the volunteers rocked, and the race announcer was energetic and fun (yeah, I know all these people, but they rock regardless :-)).  The price was righ ($65 for Olympic).  It's not a race to PR in (why can't I seem to find my perfect race ??)  The swim would be better if it was the correct length, and you can push it on the bike, but the Olympic run was pretty unforgiving (and I'm a runner!)  I think I could have pushed it about 5 minutes harder overall, mostly on the run, but my foot, heat, and (okay, I'll admit it) fight were just not where they needed to be to do that.  And that happens.

A big shout out to all the RAT's for a great event-we'll be back next year!

And that's a wrap!

Hey hey!  Hard to believe, but the 2012 Glaser tri season is over, leaving me wondering....did it ever really begin?  I'll go with a big ole "no" on that one....more like.....I got to go out and play Half Ironman, Sprint tri girl, and Olympic Tri-surviver. 
Whats left?  A half marathon (September 30) that I have decided NOT to strictly train for and just have a good time with it....and a few fall fun runs.  I can deal with that.
Race recap coming tomorrow......but a small season recap:

3 Tri's: one half IM, one sprint, one Olympic
No PR's
One free race entry (won by my mad poet skillz :-P)
Two AG awards (one win!)
And a partridge in a pear tree.

The quick and dirty from yesterday.....
It was hot.
I didn't meet my A goal (sub 2:55) or B goal (sub 3 hours). 
I SEVERELY under-estimated the run course.
The race director thought a few hundred yards on the swim would be fun (I think he was right, the water was awesome...it's just too bad that adds 5-6 minutes to my time :-P)
My foot hates me...again.
And...it was hot.

But with that said, I came in 5th overall for women (small field) and 1st in my age group (yes, there was more than one person in my age group.  there were 2 :-D)  But, to be fair, I would have won my old age group with 6 people in it, so I feel a bit better.

More details tomorrow....after a super full day yesterday....tri in the morning and the huz played football last night (he's a kicker/punter for the local semi-pro team) we spent today getting the house in order, cleaning up the bikes, and getting ready for the work week.  And now, it's Panther's time.
Go Carolina!
I hope you had a splendid weekend and I'll try to make your Monday entertaining with my race recap.  Until then...it's football and live ironman stalking time!

Friday Funsies

Listen. After this week, I don't want to talk about serious things.
Like Lance. It's the hot topic today, but I don't feel like controversy (aside from a few facebook thoughts). Whether he did it or not, it's over.  Hopefully.  There are so much better things to focus on.
And NOT work. When your name gets slapped on an email to the CEO, it's generally not good. (Face Palm).  Crisis averted, but still way too much stress for me.
I don't even want to think about this race that I am super unprepared for. Or my lack of sleep this week. Or my churning tummy.
Nah, I'm just sweeping that all under the rug.
We need funnies.  Cause laughter really makes it better (along with chocolate, but hey, I'm trying the green tea today instead).
So here you go. Some LOLz for your your Friday...simple, good, funnies.

#1:  The Carb Load Diet:  Think I should follow this for my race tomorrow?  Yeah, me too.

2.  Alexa, I think I found your e card :-)

 3.  Best Kids room EVER.  I think the huz wants to redecorate our master bedroom....do do do do do do! do...

 4.  Hilarious.  I think I need kids just for this one.

5.  Or maybe this one....hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

 6.  And somewhere, Fabio is crying.....

 7.  I want one.  Now. 

And that is all.

Now, let's start this whole weekend thing, yes?

And maybe conveniently forget Monday when it comes around? ..... :-D

Tri the Roc!

Back to that ole tri thing.  You know I'm terrible at leaving it alone for long!
So.  This weekend is the Rochester Tri, which is our tri club's annual "hometown tri"  (I can say that, right?  If it's in it's second year? )  I'm goin' with it.  Last year they kicked off with a sprint tri, this year they're adding an Olympic.
The huz and I didn't get to race last year...he was still recovering from IMLP and I was prepping for Ironman #2 (what a bunch of dorks).  But this year we figured, what the hey, let's do this!
1:  The race is local.  (Which, sadly for us country folk, is further away than some of the finger lake tri's....but I suppose that's the price you pay for living in the sticks and driving your John Deere to work...)

2:  We're part of the RATs (Rochester Area triathletes....the best name ever, and I sincerely adore wearing my RATs jersey that says "I'm a RAT" on the back.  Cue discussion).  Gotta support the local team.

3:  It's a new course-I haven't done an Olympic other than Keuka since 2006.  I hate Keuka.  It's a crap bike course and I inevitably stop giving a crap on the run.  Let's try something new.

4:  It's loops!  Not sure if this is good or bad....further discussion....

Hubs is doing the sprint.  I'm doing the Olympic (because I'm crazy). 

The Course

Check out that RAT!

Swim:  The swim is in Lake Ontario, famous for it's white caps and waves, and swing temps of 54 (Sodus 2010) to 78 (Shoreline 2008).  The sprint course is one loop (half mile) and the Olympic course is 2 loops (1 mile).

Bike:  The bike is a 6.5 mile loop through Durand Eastman Park.  The sprint is 2 loops, the Olympic is 4.  There seem to be a few rolling hills, and one steep, short hill at the beginning of the loop, but otherwise it looks to be pretty fast.  I guess they close some of the road, which will be awesome.

Run:  The run is a 5km out and back (sprint) and is on paved trail.  The Olympic continues into a neighborhood with a few out and backs (they better have timing mats :-P) and then a return on the same path as the sprint (10km).

All in all, the course looks fun!  I'm not too sure about the swim (not a fan of loops), but I'm really looking to see what I can get done on the bike.  I think the loops will help me pace, plus I'll know exactly where I'm at for terrain after loop one. 

Foot update:  I am dedicated to running in my orthotics, which seem to help.  I'm still slower than I'm used to, and I think it's because of recovery and the fact that the inserts give me no spring, so it's similar to running on boards.  I'll take it over no running :-)  I'm nursing a minor twinge on my left ankle (the world hates my left foot) after my run Monday (I jumped in a ditch to avoid an oncoming dumbass driver) but I doubt it'll impact me this weekend. 

Goals.....such a scary word right now.  My Olympic PR is a 2:52, and I don't really have any expectation to beat that (though it would be super awesome, I just don't think I'm in shape for it)

My A goal:  Under 2:55.  30 minute swim, 1:25 bike, 55 minute run.  Add in 2 minutes for each "T" (there's an uphill run for T1)

My B Goal:  Under 3 hours.  There's some kind of barrier for me for sub 3.  Kinda like a sub 1:30 sprint.  But we'll see :-)

As for now, I'm looking forward to a low key but fun race!  Can;t wait to see the awesome Stephanie kill the run leg of her relay team, the hubs dominate the sprint course, and see all of my RAT friends!

Anyone else racing this weekend?  I know a bunch of IMKY people heading out to Louisville this weekend....best of luck to all of you!!

And now for a side of ridiculous

Awww, shucks.  I love you guys.  Thanks for the kind comments, emails, texts and calls.  It's beyond awesome to know that you care and actually want me to stick around my little corner of the Internet.  No worries.  I'm not goin' anywhere :-)  I love writing way too much to pack it up (pack it in).  And if you enjoy reading about my world as much as I enjoy writing, well then that's a bonus I'm grateful about!
Now, rest assured, I'm okay.  I try to walk a fine line between "rainbows and butterflies" and the real world around here.  I wont shoot sparkles up your you-know-what when I feel like hell, but I also won't "woe is me" you to death.  That ain't me.  And I happen to think that 99% of the time, my life is awesome.  I'm just kind of stuck in the middle of something right now.  A bit unsure.  A bit at a loss.  But I know I'll muddle my way through (blame the Polish and German stubbornness there along with my flair for never giving up (which can be good and bad)).
One more note I forgot to mention yesterday-I volunteered to be a dog walker at my local animal shelter.  It's not a dog of my very own, but it's a cool way to spend my time, give back, and have a temporary fur friend of my own.  Win win.  
But since yesterday was a bit of a serious, introspective post, I inherently feel the need to step aside with a giggle and snort and say, Eh, Just kidding!
But I won't.  However, I will divert you with a complete contrast and discuss the ridiculous today.
And what's more ridiculous than Bachelor Pad?
And you thought reality TV couldn't get worse.
Bah!

Oh yes they did.

If you've not caught Bachelor Pad and you think The Bachelor is bad, oh just you wait.  This is the first season I've gotten sucked in and dear god, I hope it's the last.  I literally think I'm getting dumber one Tuesday at a time (FYI-it's on Mondays, but I DVR and do tempo/speed work to it on Tuesday's.  If my mind is disintegrating, at least my quads are getting stronger).
The premise?  24 past bachelor/bachelorette contestants (and this year, a few fans) in one house.  ONe girl gets voted off each week (by the guys) and one guy gets voted off (by the girls).  The last person standing gets $250,000.  And hookups...are totally encouraged.
The cast is what got me.  There were plenty of girls from Bachelor Ben's season (some, like Blakely, blech, but others, like Linzi and Rachel, are okay) and a few from Bachelorette Emily's season (Kalon, Tony and Chris).  Tony, meh, but (don't kill me) I thought Kalon was entertaining as hell.  And until the last week or so, I really liked Chris.  A bit over the top, but freakin hot.
I take back what I said.  What a tool.  I've been watching this show for 2 months now...he's hooked up with 4 girls, and is the total meat head of the show.  While they FINALLY voted off Jersey housewife obnoxious girl today (Erica Rose), Chris is still large and in charge.  Damn you reality TV and all your nonsense.  Why do you hook me in on this crap?
Final votes (for me):  Linzi for the girls, Ed or Kalon for the boys.  Don't hate on me for Kalon.  He's hilarious in his own demented little way.
Do you watch the show?  please tell me I'm not the only one.  Any favorites?
In other news?  My wonderful troublemaker of a triathlete  and blog friend tempted me today with this:

Ironman Mont Tremblant is NOT sold out yet.  Argh.  Damn bug.  30 minutes later, I wanted to give in, but realized that divorce is much much more expensive.  Don't worry, hubby.  I promise.  At least until 2014 :-P

The First Step is the hardest

So....as I was saying yesterday, I've been a bit out of sorts lately.  Stressed.  Snappish.  Disgruntled.  Sad.  And just...not myself. 
There are many reasons.  Some private.  And some right out there.  Work stress.  Feeling lethargic.  The refusing to budge 10 pounds over my goal race weight.  Unmotivated.  No fun races to shoot for in sight...because I'm "taking the year off" (yeah, I know, but really.  I am).  But...I have nothing in front of me to look forward to (or so it seems).  No carrot.

Source

2008 = first marathon and half Ironman
2009 = wedding, new house, promotion.
2010 = Ironman
2011 = PR's in Ironman, marathon and half marathon.
2012.....That big year with.....
hmmm.....nothing.  Not that that's all bad.  Many things are status quo.  Only a few races, and even with lethargic training, only a few minutes off PR pace.  A broken foot.  But....a half ironman 7 weeks later (not fast, but done, because I am a stupid stubborn woman.)  A fun vacation to Jamaica.  A nice 30th birthday week away planned. Good things. But....nothing epic.  No Ironmans. (yes, i miss the 3 hour runs and 6 hour bikes.  I'm a loser).
A broken damn scale (silly whining on my part.  If you aren't distance training, eat clean, woman!)
High stress at work  (the is literally ongoing.  Is there such a thing as a calm time with no crisis where we are fully staffed?  What?  Job security?  Fine, I'll shut up).
And of course the routine silly things.  Bills, unexpected hiccups, little tiffs, and life.
I know.  First world problems.
But I've gotten down about them lately.
And less tolerant of people.
Including myself.
So...as I said, I went out for a bit of therapy yesterday.  In the form or 2 hours and 13.5 miles (11.5 by myself, and 2 with the hubs later).  The first 11, I focused on my issues and what in the hell to do.
I decided to get a dog.
Then scratched that 20 minutes later.  Huz isn't on board yet, and I won't scoop poop from my Siberian unless he's willing to co-parent (I did get a 4 year promise on that one though).
I decided to quit facebook, blogging, and blog reading.  I spend too much energy WTF-ing silly people on  facebook that grandstand to show how OMG busy, important, or awesome they are, and I feel like crap or get ragey reading them (no, it's probably not you if you're reading this.  It's 4-5 people out of my 400 that I really just need to de-friend and get it over with).  Same thing with blogs.  I need to quit the ones that make me feel like hell or trigger something unhealthy in me. 
So I unsubscribed from those blogs and defriended a few people.  Baby steps.  I don't think I could quit blogging....I love it too much!  (plus, I've made whole 16 dollars in 18 months...wowzers! lol)
As for the rest....well, the hubs and I made a twofer deal, because we've both been feeling a bit soggy lately.
I'm banned from the kitchen after 10pm ( I have a rough late night snacking problem).  The hubs is on an anti night snack regimen that I'm in charge of.
And we agreed to go for a half hour walk each night post dinner to chat and move before we settle in for the night.
I think it'll help our waistlines as well as our relationship.

Which, by the way, is one of the awesome things in life that I lean on.  Even though there's a few rough patches with friends and family members lately, and some 9-5 moments where I reallllyyy wish I had a window (and not for fresh air)...I have my best friend.  We're still on the same page, same paragraph, same sentence.

We established that one in our two mile husband and wife run.  We talked about all my issues, and I got his feedback on the public and private things I've been wrestling with.  Then I took the lead while he talked to me about his day and his problems. Set the pace for the first 1.75 miles and a comfortable to him speed.  And he took off for the last kick, encouraging my tired legs to finish strong.
Sweaty, out of breath, and a good workout done, we walked the rest of the loop home, hand in hand.  We hit a few bumps....hills....and some strong downhill running.  But we'll get through together in the end. 
And now I feel ready to tackle my problems.
One step at a time :-)

May the odds be ever in your favor

Hey hey there!  I took today off from work to re-assess some things in life....the world's been spinning too fast and in some not so nice directions for me lately, which just means I need to take a step back, breath deeply, and work through it with some therapy.
Me therapy.
Which generally means a long run and yoga to get some thoughts running around in my head to figure out how to tackle my issues.
And then some time with my saner half to run my thoughts by him.
Much cheaper and more fun than drugs or a couch :-)
I think I got somewhere with a few issues I've been having, and I'm ready to act on them.  I'll keep ya posted as I go along!
In lighter news, I finally got with the act this weekend and watched "The Hunger Games" movie.  (Spoiler alert-skip to the end if you haven't read the books and want to, or haven't seen the movie and want to).
So....I read all 3 books about 6 months ago.  In one weekend.  I literally couldn't tear myself away from them.  Yes, I've read Harry Potter, Twilight, etc. but I think this is truly a series for both adults and kids alike, and I loved the fact that it had a strong female lead (unlike Twilight).  Big, big fan of the books.  And they were extremely well written....you could see yourself in Panem, facing the games.  The fear.  The hunger.  The love.  The struggle.  So, naturally, I had a picture in my head of what the characters looked like and how the acted.
I did not want to see the movie.
No matter how well it's done, I usually end up disappointed.  That's not how I pictured Katniss, but now I can't get the image out of my head.  And so on and so forth.  Harry Potter was done well...but aside from Hagrid and maybe Dumbledore (the original), I had pictured all the characters differently.  With Twilight, no one matched up to my thoughts (I though Bella was cast well, but the character pisses me off to no end, so we won't go there.  And Robert Pattinson....even though I love him to bits...no.  Just no.)
Let's not even get into sequels.  This is someone who boycotted the concept in high school because I felt it was a total sell out.  Seriously, Star Wars PREQUELS?  (Don't hurt me, Friday Night Gang, please. I still love you).
But...with all said, I was really impressed with this interpretation of the games.  The storyline was followed extremely well, collapsing a 400 page book into 2 hours and 20 minutes.  The feel was good.  The characters extremely well cast.  Jennifer Lawrence was really exactly how I pictured Katniss, and Woody Harrelson a perfect Haymitch.  And the eye candy...ahem...Gale....well, let;s just say I'll probably quit my bitching about sequels, because i cannot wait until "Catching Fire" to see more of this hottie.

Oh Mr. Hemsworth....can I add you to my five? :-P

The Games were also done really well.  I was a bit disappointed with the change in the gifting of the mockingjay pin....it made for a good sister bond that Prim and Katniss gave it to each other, but there's a reason that Madge gave it to Katniss in the books that comes out in book 2....so it will be interesting to see how they deal with that.  However, the arena was done extremely well, and while I've never seen a cornucopia conveyed as the producers did, the different challenges and trials the tributes faced during the games were managed well.  The movie also did a great job explaining things that couldn't be spoken by the characters in the book.  I was also intrigued that they chose district 11 to be the "minority" district...was there a reason for that?  Not one in the book, but it added something to the rebellion and the fact that the first uprising took place there (as opposed to district 8 in the novels).  The only thing I felt lacking was the chemistry between Katniss and Peeta...I thought the actor that played Peeta did well, but that you couldn't see Katniss's internal struggle as well as the book conveyed.  Movies obviously have limitations.
The dwellers of the Capitol were done with great imagination and zing, and I felt President Snow was spot on. 
The kicker-I read all 3 books and the hubs read none, and we were equally entertained.  Score.
All in all, I would say this was a decent adaptation.  No substitute for Suzanne Collin's work, but much better than most books to movies.  Can't wait to see what they do with Catching Fire!

Have you seen the movie?  Read the books?  Thoughts?

What a bunch of crap

What a dumb day.
You'd think it would be good.  It was 75 degrees sunny, a 50 mile ride on tap, and it started out promising.
Then went to crap.

It's partially my own fault.  Despite being stubborn, determined, and pretty direct....I have a nasty affinity for the inability to say "no" to things that I should sometimes...and an even worse time letting things go.....like nasty emails.  Or confrontations.  Or phone calls.   Ugh.  I need some help growing a pair and standing up for myself sometimes.  And then letting it go and moving on with my life, rather that ruminating.  Not worth the details, but does anyone else have those "energy vampires" in their lives that just suck the well, energy and verve out of you?  I know myself well enough to know who calms me down, who revs me up, and how to balance the two based on what I need.  And I'm way burned out.  I need a "reset" button in life and don't have time off from work until next month.....tying that knot at the end of my rope and holding on tight till then!!
Since I'm in such a crap pants mood, I think it's best to abandon all creative attempts and sack out on the couch with some hot cocoa, popcorn, and The Hunger Games.  Yeah, that's probably an oxymoron.
I leave you with a little pop culture clash:

Step 1:  Mckayla Muroney, Russian gymnast tumblr feed "Mckayla's not Impressed"

Step 2:  Ridiculously Photogenic Guy

Culture clash:

Source

I think I just spit out my hot cocoa.  Time to go hang out with Hottie Hemsworth....hey, the hubs is playing football tonight, what do you want? :-)

Schwaggle Rock

Heyyyy....hooooo......heeyyyyy.....(yeah, I'm down with the early '90s rock today).
How's your friday?  Doin' the dance yet?
We all did today.
No, seriously, there was dancin' in the halls at work today.
We're not right in the head.  But it's all good :-)
Today.....I'mma talk about money.
Cause It's Friday night, and I just got paid (okay, okay, I'll quit with the lyrics).
It's pay day week. Which means....mommma needs to go shopping.
Ugh.  Yeah, I said it.  I hate to shop.  But.....even though this is a light season, I'm having some equipment issues.  As in.....my goggles are deforming me.  Every time I wear them, I get big, angry red marks on my eyelids and they leak.  I think the gaskets are blown.  I suppose after averaging at least 5000 meters a week for the last year and 5 races, including Ironman....I can get some new goggles :-P

I'm obsessed with an expensive sport.  Not gonna lie.  Swimming's probably the cheapest (aside from the whole wetsuit investment and need to belong to a gym with a pool....but I'd have the latter anyways), but as a woman who makes little dinero, I like a good deal.

So I play online.

And subscribe to all the good sites like groupon, health deals, Deal Chicken, Rochester for Less....you name it.  And, of course, "Schwaggle".

What's Schwaggle?  No, it's not Boober Fraggle on 'roids.  (Unless that was their inspiration?  Hmmm...).  It's an awesome website that gives deals for athletic gear, like running skirts, compression socks, mp3 cases, nutrition, etc.  You get an email every day detailing the latest deal, and have anywhere from 24 hours to 3 days to snag it.

A few weeks ago, they came out with a deal for swimoutlet.com, an awesome sight that always has discounted (wait for it) swim gear.  $30 worth of goods for $15.  Sweet.  The huz and I jumped on that one.  And now, with a tri coming up next weekend and no desire to have half of Lake Ontario in my eyes (I know, I'm such a wet blanket) I hit swimoutlet.com 

Bonus for my 9-5 enjoyment!

15 minutes later, I had a full virtual court.... 3 pairs of vanquishers (a $20 pair of goggles for $10.95...sweet!), a super fun runner girl mouse pad, a new "140.6" bumper sticker for our SUV, and a grab bag swim suit (can't wait to see what they sent me!).  My total came to $55.30, and a I had my $30 schwaggle, free shipping, so my total came to $25.30, with free shipping to boot!

So...$25 plus $15 for the schwaggle = $40 for 3 pairs of goggles, a swimsuit, sticker and mousepad.

Sweet.  :-)

And with that, I might have a few pennies to play this weekend.  Hmmmm.....now if I only had some friends....

On tap for the weekend:  race specific brick, long run, date night with the hubster (Hunger Games, anyone?) and a fun night out with some old friends.  Nice fun weekend.

Whats on tap with you?  Anything exciting?

Summer Bounty

Another day of sunshiny, non humid weather....and I'm doin the happy dance.  Now if only this good weather keeps up for the weekend....that would be money :-)
Not a whole lot to report here in my little world. My feets are a bit sore from the 7 miler yesterday (running in orthodics isn't as fun as it sounds.  Actually, it doesn't sound fun at all.  Scratch that).  No matter.  I did a nice course recon of the Rochester tri today....there's a decent hill coming out of transition and at the start of each  loop, but it looks like a mover and shaker if I don't wuss out.
A Goal = don't wuss out on the the fast part, Rae!
Enough about training, though.  I think I've bored you to death with that over the last few days.  Time for me to get a life.  Or at least talk about something relateable for one day....yes?
Food. 
That's always relateable.
S, in the vein of summer, I whipped up a nice, light dish capitalizing on the wonderful summer veggies that are so bountiful lately.  Perfecto for a lighter dinner or a side dish at your next barbecue.  Pour an Arnold Palmer, grab a patio chair, and check it out!

Summer Bounty Pasta Salad

1 cup whole wheat elbow pasta, uncooked

2 ears corn

1 green pepper
1 large cucumber
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp minced chives
2 tbsp minced cilantro
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil

Cook the pasta el dente.  De cob the corn (raw) and add into pasta water in the last 2 minutes of boiling.  Drain, add to large mixing bowl.  Chop the pepper and cucumber, add to bowl with herbs.  Add in tomatoes (drained).  Lastly, add in vinegar and olive oil, toss to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours for maximum flavor saturation, best left overnight. Serves 4
(side dish) or 2 (entree)

Enjoy on the back deck with a Pale Ale :-)

Ahh, I love summer!!

Do PR's ever Expire?

What a beautiful day it is! The sun is shining, it’s in the upper 70’s, low humidity….such a perfect “happy to be alive day”. On one hand, I was bummed that this perfection was wasted on a Wednesday (10 hours indoors), but then I perked up on the way home, remembering that my training plan (yes, the very very loose plan I’m following) called for a run. Yay! Not only that, a nice L2 (easy) paced run….no time focus, 5-7 miles, no hills, speed, etc. required. Perfect.

7 miles and one hour (give or take) later, I once again fell in love with running.
It doesn’t take much.
Slogging through a few runs in the heat, and then a run on a cool day.
Struggling to hit my paces on a speed workout, then nailing them all.
Doing a long run in the middle of January, when it is 10 degrees out, then doing your first long run in the spring, when it’s 50 degrees out.
And, most pertinent….no runs at all for 8 weeks, then a pain free run. Or any run at all!
Yep, it’s that kind of day. And while I certainly did not set any speed records for this run, I enjoyed every minute of it.
And isn’t that kind of the point?
As I ran along, I (ironically) began to think about PR’s. Now, I know for a fact that I am not in PR mode this year. I accept it. Embrace it, even.
But am I still allowed to own my PR’s? Hmm.
My sprint PR-set back in 2009. My Olympic PR- set back in 2007. My Half Ironman PR- set in 2008. My Ironman PR- set in 2011.
Runs….every PR except 5k (set in 2008….I haven’t run a stand alone 5k since :-P) PR’s for every distance set in 2011.
I would think that I could own all the PR’s within the last 2 years.
But what about my sprint and Olympic PR’s? Now, granted, I haven’t raced an Olympic course other than Keuka since 2007….so clearly, that is not the course for me.

I think I've seen this guy lately....

And as for sprint course….well, the only one I;ve raced since 2006 has been Sodus. In 2009, I set my PR of 1:22. It was one week after my wedding. I was at my lowest weight, stress free, and just coming off my honeymoon (hummina hummina). With no real training that week.
So…..clearly, I need to lose 10 pounds (damn), go on vacation (woohoo) and get re-married. Greg, ignore that last part.
Nah, just kidding. Or maybe I need to try a different course?
The hubs and I get pretty much stuck in a rut. Keuka, Musselman, Sodus, add in a random fourth one.
This year, it’s The Rochester Tri. However, unless magic happens (which, hey, it could!) I don’t see myself going sub 2:50.
So….if I know I can’t realistically pull it off, can I still call it my PR? What about my 12:50 Ironman? No way in he double hockey sticks could I pull that one off.
Unless….I cleaned up my diet. Took some time off from training to give my body a break (maybe a few weeks). Then attacked a 6 month plan with vengeance.
Then, I am reasonably confident, I could PR.
So that’s what I’m going with. I’m keeping my PR’s. With the caveat that 6 months from now, I could mash ‘em.
Until then, I’ll go on my merry way, smelling the flowers, enjoying the sunshine (or raindrops) and going out to play with my friends at the races every once in awhile.

How do you view PR’s?

Sodus Point 2012: The new best discipline...Trans....what?

Hey there!  Ready for another crazy race report?  Grab your cup of (decaf) coffee, and enjoy!
 3, 2, 1......

Sodus 2012 Race Report:  My new favorite discipline

Pre Race
I think I covered my thoughts on this race ad nauseum, so I won't bore you with the details.  My sprint PR is a 1:22, and I had no illusions of breaking it.  I've been so unlucky with injury, equipment malfunction, etc. that I knew I would be happy with a working bike and working feet.  I also have been supremely unmotivated for speedwork or any kind of formal training, so I knew that my fitness was nowhere near what I wanted.  As long as I gave it my all, I knew I would be okay with it. 
This race is about 30 miles away from us, so no ungodly wake up was necessary.  Up at 5:30, coffee and PB toast down the hatch, load the bikes, and out.  We got to the race site about 6:30, unloaded in a prime transition spot, did a warm up, and donned our wetsuits to get in the lake.  The water was 73 (perfect) and a bit choppy, but the whitecaps disappeared about 100 yards out.  The current was a bit nasty in the fact that it pulled you away from shore, so the last bit of the swim was gonna be annoying, but, overall, considering this is the lake of unpredictability, it was a good year for the water!

Swim: 15:17 (800 yards, including a few hundred yard run uphill in the sand to T1)

The swim is a one loop counter clockwise triangle.  I lined up far left, where, oddly, there were only 3 women (com on guys, don't swim more than you need to!)  This race is done in 2 waves...women go first and then men 5 minutes later.  I hate it for the fact that I am a rabbit for my husband, who is a much stronger swimmer and biker (he usually catches me on mile 9-10 of the bike) but understand the RD's rationale in the fact that women tend to be slower, so why not start them first to minimize time on the course.  After some pre-race announcement, we were off!  The first few minutes were pretty rough, but then I settled into a decent rhythm.  I am slower than the fast people, and faster than the stragglers, so, like many other races, I found myself swimming alone after the first 5 minutes or so.  Not bad (I can breathe) but no draft.  I rounded the first two buoys without issue, then ran into the current.  I had some issues sighting, and the waves, though not bad, made me a bit nauseous.  I ended up depositing some breakfast into the chop, and swam a bit off course, but nothing major.  Out of the water in 14:17, and up to T1.  Not my best, not my worst.  I'll take it.

Bike:  43:17, 13.1 miles, 18.2 mph

The course is a one loop rolling terrain-there are a few decent climbs in the first half, along with head and cross winds, but once you start heading back to the lake at mile 7, you can really fly.  I had two goals for this bike:  one, to have a shifting bike, and two, to not chicken out and lose free speed on the downhills (I am so bad at that).  After a quick T1, I mounted my 'roo and headed off!!  The first 4 or 5 miles sucked big time.  I still had some cross chaining issues, and the bike was really reluctant to swing into the small chain ring, so I embraced my inner "masher"and powered up the hills in the big chain ring.  True to form, the first 7 miles sucked, but the last 6, I breezed through and hit pedal to metal for all the downhills.  Yay!  As I turned in to get pack to the point with less than half a mile to go, I heard "Hey #60, nice butt!" and saw the hubs.  I was annoyed to be caught, but thrilled that it took that long :-P  I hit the gas and spun my legs out to prep for the run!

Run: 3.19 miles, 26:23, 8:15 pace

Before I get into the run, which I had thought was my favorite part...let me talk about T2.  Which was previously known as "transition" 2, or, getting ready to go from bike to run.  As the hubs was in ht pursuit, he entered T2 seconds behind me.  The RD's, a husband and wife team that rock the local races, know us pretty well, so they started ribbing us about drafting on the course, and then busted out with the "new" rule....if you are husband and wife, and you enter transition together, you must kiss!  We laughed, then happily obliged.  Turns out, we were the second couple to fall into transition together (the female winner and her hubs did it too), so they renamed our transition "transKISSion".  Nice!  With those shenanigans out of the way, I still pulled off a 51 second T2 and hopped on outta there to get onto my run, where I (try) to make up some time with!  This 5k course is a two looper...you run out of the point, up a hill,a round a block, do it again, then back to the point.  It's not flat at all, but there are some nice downhills to counteract the crap first hill.  I wore my orthodics for the first time in a race, and my foot did pretty well....not too fast for me (I usually do about 25 flat on this course) but not bad, either.  The inserts are stiff, so I lose some bounce, but I held a steady pace, passed a few women, and only got passed by one in return (who happened to be in my AG.  Damn).  I was sorta hoping to land on 1:25:xx, but forgot how damn long the last stretch was and also where I am (honestly) at with running.  I pulled into the finishers chute in 1:27:14, and the hubs was just a few minutes behind me (but really 3 minutes ahead of me) for a 1:24:17, good for a new PR for him!  (Technically, he has a faster PR but they cut the swim that year to 500 yards, so this is a "legit" sprint PR :-))

Whew!  We hung out a bit post race and got some eats....chatted with friends (including my awesome blog stalker and volunteer extraordinaire, Stephanie....you rock!), and I found out that I managed to snag 3rd place in my AG (12th overall, but the field was super small, only 70 women).  Even though it wasn't my best time at all, I was really happy to place in my new AG (yep, I'm 30-34, even though I'm still 29....they base AG off your age as of 12/31). 

I busted out my lil mussel guy from Musselman to pose with my hardware...hey, they told us to travel with those mussels! (Check out the huz's expression in that pic.  I think he might be secretly plotting to steal my medal and/or Mussel.  I don't blame him on the former...he did beat the pants off me!)

Final thoughts?  Always a good race, and Boots and Ellen did a great job.  It's also good to know that I am in no worse shape speed wise than during Ironman training....but I really do need to find that extra gear to be able to kick it in for sprints.  Maybe if I did more than one a year or any type of speed work, I would find it :-P

Next up...Rochester Tri, August 25th.  It'll be a new race for me-can't wait!

See ya Next Year, Sodus!

Glass Half Full

Race report coming tomorrow....but a quick recap for you all today.

The bad News?

No PR.

The Good News?
I am in no worse shape than during Ironman peak.

Sodus 2011
Swim 15:51, Bike 43:13, Run 25:12  (done 5 weeks out from Chesman)

Sodus 2012
Swim 15:17, Bike 43:18, Run 26:32

I'll forgive the run on account of foot rehab.....

I can work with this.  Was it fast?  No, not for me.  When you train for Ironman (at least, in my case) you get endurance, but not speed.  So...I could ride all day long at 18mph....but my sprint time is the same as my Ironman pace (ridiculous....my last IM pace was 17.5).  Same thing with running.  My pace for sodus was an 8:40.....same as my last half marathon pace.  I know how to go....now I need premium fuel :-P  But it's still not bad, considering how much of a blob I've felt like lately!

MM Mussel keeping my AG award safe :-)

So, overall, not my best by a long shot, but decently respectable, and some hardware to boot (3rd place in a new AG)!  Now, if I could only find that speed engine to get back into short course racing....I feel like I did okay, but need to remember how to find that extra gear on the bike (provided I actually have it, heh) and on the run.

But I did find something that I've been lacking, and that was enjoyment out of racing.  I've had such a lackluster year in terms of my attitude toward races that it was nice to have fun again.  And say what you will, but I think that attitude really counts for alot in terms of gettin' it done out there.  Next tri is in 12 days....while I know I have a certain base and limits pertaining to my fitness right now, I'd really like to see what I can do with the course.  And if I treat my body right (limited treats, plenty of yoga, and race specific workouts (no junk miles)  I think I can least pull out a time close to my Olympic PR.  Of course, I'll set some A, B and C goals just to make sure :-)  Cause that's how I roll!

Stay tuned tomorrow for....

Breakfast Al Fresco
TransKISSion
What a 5 minute head start truly means
and my nice bike butt
how the hubster fared!
Pretty much....all random, wacky things you expect from my crazy sport now :-P