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