Sunday Run

This morning I was supposed to run with Christy, Barb and T but I could not get my lazy butt out of bed! I haven't been to bed before midnight since the day before Christmas Eve and my lack of sleep is definetely catching up with me. Since I missed my morning run I vowed to find time at some point to head out for a 3miler with some speed work.

I spent the afternoon with my daughter going out to lunch and then to see Marley and Me. It was very cute but sad. When we got home from the movies I knew it would be my only opportunity to head out for a run before the evening festivites of cooking dinner, cleaning my kitchen and bathing children.

I varied my route a bit today by running down Trinity Blvd. This did not amuse my husband. He had a few colorful scenarios worked up about old ladies running me over. Considering Heritage Springs is right off that road his stories weren't too far fetched. I vowed to never run on it again and he was satisfied. I ran for 25 min total. My milage was around 2 1/2 with the last 3/4 of a mile with sprint intervals. I was pleased with this run because I never got a side stitch even with a tummy full of greasy popcorn and sour patch kids( my fav!).

3 miler

Last night Christy and I headed out for a short run. It's been a while since I've been able to run with my girls and I'm hoping we'll all get back into it after the holidays. Gasparilla is in March and we all plan to run it so that should be good motivation for all of us. It really helps to have something to train for.

Not much to report about the run. I ate dinner beforehand so of course I had a stomach cramp the whole time but it wasn't too bad. The nice conversation with Christy about her awesome trip to San Fran last week kept my mind off my discomfort. Neither one of us had our Garmins so I have no clue the pace. It wasn't fast but it was steady and honestly I was just glad to be running!

A long run.....finally!

Back in October I registered for the Holiday Halfathon in December. Since then it has been near impossible for me to get a long, quality run in. Between my husbands crazy work schedule, my kids and a few dumb injuries I was seriously doubting I'd be capable of running the 13.1 mi. Finally last night I was able to get a long run in. Barb, Christy and I headed out with a plan to run 6.3mi. I mapped it out on mapmyrun because the battery is dead in my Garmin foot pod. Unfortunately we never even saw the road that was supposed to be our turn around point. After a few discussions on our estimated distance we eventually decided to turn around. Also, the sun was setting and we weren't exactly thrilled about running thru Starkey and 54 (both known for coyotes and bobcats) in the dark. That's probably also the reasoning for our increased pace on the way home. On our way out we were into the wind and it was at our back on the return trip. That's always a bonus. The temperature also dropped considerably on the way back and even though we'd been running for over an hour I was getting cold. The run-in with the sprinklers on Duckslough didn't help. Poor Christy hit a puddle that was up to her ankles. I ran out into the road(infront of a car) to avoid the puddle. Apparently I'd rather be hit by a car than soaked with the reclaimed water! When we stopped at the gate we'd been running for exactly 1:29mins. We all felt a little dissapointed and immediately started blaming our injuries. Christy's hiatus from running, Barb's T band and my sore back. Through it all I was still convinced we'd gone farther than 6mi. My body told me so. This morning after dropping the kids at school I immediately set out to plot our course.

I was not at all surprised when I hit our turn around point and my odometer read 4.2. That's a round trip of 8.4mi! So instead of being bummed about a bad 10k time I was thrilled that we ran 8mi(we walked the last .3 back to my house) in 1:29! Not to mention this time included two shoe adjustments and a quick pee in the woods! I realize this is not considered a fast time to many but considering we hadn't ran more than 4mi consecutively in over a month I think we did pretty damn good. This gives me new hope for my upcoming half.

Don't get me wrong I'm not expecting to dominate. However, the beauty of this race is that it is my 1st half marathon and there's no pressure to beat a previous time.

Tomorrow we leave for GA and I'm hoping to get a few more long runs in and I'm really looking forward to the change of scenery!

"If it doesn't hurt, it isn't worth it."

That is the perfect quote to describe the Suncoast Triathlon this weekend.
swim .33mi, bike 10mi, run 3.1mi

When I arrived at Ft. De Soto at 5:45 in the morning it was pouring down rain. The sunrise was at 7:34 and the first wave was scheduled to started at 7:38. That didn't give us a whole lot of time to check out the swim course. That was probably a good thing. The ocean was supposed to be crystal clear with the current pushing us along. Instead it was angry! Let me put it to you this way, it would of been too rough to go out on our boat. Despite all this I felt more excited than nervous to get swimming! My enthusiasm was short lived. About 200 yards in I totally panicked. The waves were crashing on me, throwing me around and I felt like I drank half the ocean. I was sympathizing with anyone who'd ever been ship wrecked! This swim was even hard for the GOOD swimmers, which I am NOT! A guy on a kayak informed me that we could swim inside the buoys , where I could just barely touch the bottom enough to push off from time to time in between swells. This little piece of information saved me. It wasn't exactly shallow but just being able to push off a couple times really helped. I was swimming the side-breast-free stroke. It's an original, not pretty, but definitely affective. I highly recommend it if you're ever shipwrecked!

I managed to survive the swim, with a little dignity and then run my butt out to transition. Luckily I had a quick T1 to make up for my crappy swim time (12:00 for 660 yards). I was so thankful to be on land that I didn't even care about my time. I was hoping to make up time on my bike, which would of been possible if it weren't for the wind! The first 5 miles I couldn't break 18mph because of the crosswind and when I hit the head wind I slowed to 14mph. Luckily that wasn't for long and as soon as I made the last turn I was up to 23mph. That felt awesome and I was so glad to finally be hauling butt on my bike. The course was really wet with standing water but it was also nice and flat and if it had been better conditions it would of been FAST!

I am apparently terrible at reading course maps and had somehow got it into my head that the majority of the run was path. Wishful thinking I guess. The first mile was beach, second mile was sandy trail and then the last mile was path. According to my Garmin I was actually faster in the sand. By the time I got to the path I became very aware of the fact that I had not put on socks and that my feet were on fire! I kept looking down because I swore they were bleeding. Right at this point I met the nicest girl that said she runs better when she talks. She was telling me all about her upcoming commitment ceremony, asking about my tri outfit and talking about her Halloween costume. Some people might of been annoyed by this but I was relieved to hear her stories as it took my mind off of my throbbing feet. She was a sweet girl and I would of thanked her after the race but I was in a hurry to get home so Matt could get to work.

Even though this race posed a lot of weather related obstacles it was such a blast! As soon as I finished I was already looking forward to next year. The suncoast triathlon people really know what they are doing and even though it was the largest race I've been to with 650 triathletes it was also the most organized and well-run race I've been to so far.

My goal was to come in at 1:30 min and my actual time was 1:30:28. So that's my time to beat next year. This first season of triathlons has definitely been physically and emotionally difficult but I couldn't imagine not doing them. Next season I plan to train for speed and try to beat my times at each race. I was thinking of adding some longer distances but I think I'll shoot for speed instead and save endurance for 2010! Hopefully that new ChicQilo and some master swim classes will help me reach that goal.

A great swim!

Over the past few weeks my swims have been nothing to blog about. I've spent most every swim critizing myself. I literally run all my personal critiques through my head as i go. Head down, relax your neck, follow through on your pull, don't drink the pool, don't bend your knees too much, flick your wrist....the list is endless. After 1000 yards or so I get really sick of myself!

Today I decided to just relax, get through my work out and not be too hard on myself. I had a great swim. The air was a little cool (80 with no humidity) but the pool was nice and warm. It was also a huge bonus that I actually had the entire pool to myself. That is a very rare thing!

my workout:
all free
5/100
400
300 pull
200
4x100 drills
(kick, finger drag, pull, sighting)
200
I went through this workout with very little rest, just an occassional sip from my water bottle.
My goggles were fogging up like crazy so now my dilemma is wether or not to buy a new pair before Saturday. I already bought a new watch this week and my new tri shirt doesn't fit right with my shorts so I'll probably be getting a new tri suit this week too. Nobody ever said triathlons were cheap!

Sunset Run

Yesterday I had a busy day planned but I decided in the morning that no matter what I would get my run in, no excuses. In the morning I taught step and then pilates so Tyler spent 2hrs in the kids gym. That meant no morning run. In the evening Ashley had girls on the run but there was no way that Ty was going back in that kids gym. Luckily Matt was getting home at a reasonable hour so he could come home, get the boys, and go pick up Ashley. I already had dinner working in the crock pot so that was one less thing to have to think about. As soon as he got home I headed out for my run. I decided to run down 54 because I needed a little change of scenery. Running the "loop" is really boring eventhough I do enjoy checking out everyones Halloween decorations. Our neighborhood really goes all out.

The sun was just starting to set as I headed down 54. The sky was pink, purple and just gorgeous. The pasture was full of mama and baby cows that were so adorable. Eventhough I was really enjoying the sunset it dawned on me that once that sun went down I'd be running on the side of a major road, surrounded by "nature" in the dark. Thankfully, it didn't get dark until I was back in the neighborhood. My hungry family arrived home at the same time so I stretched out in the kitchen as I finished dinner. Mom's are masters of multi-tasking!

4mi- avg 9:40
mi 1 9:25
mi2 9:33
mi3 9:45
mi4 9:57
My lower back was killing me tonight but I'm glad I kept it under 10min miles. I blame step. A little ice and it was fine.

Little by Little

If you read my blog regularly you may have notice that my monthly mileage has been slowly increasing. I've been busy with work, kids, getting my house ready for company and a hubby in and out of town so I've missed a few runs lately. In an attempt to not get too off track I've been running a few miles here and there any chance I get.

I'm excited for Suncoast next weekend but I will be glad when I can just focus on my 1/2 marathon training schedule. Trying to get swims and bike rides in has been a daunting task lately. Today in between my morning trainings I was able to jump on my bike(Black Betty) and do a 4mi bike ride and then come inside for a 1mi run. I even had 10min to cool off and grab some granola before my next training.

Tomorrow I teach two classes in the morning so I doubt I'll have time to get my run in. Hopefully the girls will be up for a late night run and then I should get a swim in Friday morning before I pick up mom from the airport. I had planned on biking that morning too but the kids are off school. For what? Who knows!

If these replaced the condom there'd be no "oops" babies!

This contraption/contraceptive is solely responsible for the splitting headache I suffered for the rest of the day after my swim this afternoon. My whining, crying, fighting children also played a part but mostly I blame the swim cap. Do they shrink? Has my head grown? Did I buy a child's size? Now, I am the first to admit that I have a less than dainty head but come on, one size fits all should still apply to me. I'm not a giant for god's sake!

Today's swim:
3x100 warm up
300 pull buoy
300 free
100 cool down

Night Running

Lately with everyones crazy work/family schedules us girls haven't been doing our pm runs together. Last night Barb, Amy and I headed out for the 3.5 that was on my 1/2 marathon schedule. We all felt really good and headed out at a nice pace.

I've been having some issues with my Garmin so I'll have to get together with my tech, Teresa!

mile 1 9:20
mile 2 9:30 ( we got stuck at the cross walk during this mile)
mile 3 9:00
the last .5 -not sure

There was a new obstacle tonight, other than the stupid cross walk. There is a small, slimey pond at the entrance to our neighborhood. Apparenly the mold/slime has crept it's way onto the sidewalk. That sidewalk is extremely treacherous!

We all felt good after this run and I wanted to run more but I new that today included bike to run bricks inbetween my morning trainings and teaching bodyflex tonight. Suncoast is only a few weeks away so I have to keep my tri-based training at the top of my priority list.

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

Today as part of the Y's "Do Good Divas" team Teresa, Amy, Christy, Barb and I ran the 5k race in St. Pete. It was a beautiful morning and the race was well-organized and a lot of fun.

I started off a little too fast in my first mile, 8:00 pace but actually I felt great! There was some weaving and bobbing through the crowd but it wasn't too bad. It was cute seeing all the kids and dogs and babies in their "cure" gear. Pink was in full force today! I kept telling myself to slow down but I think that was actually harder than maintaining the pace because I wasted too much time looking at my watch! Next race I'm just going to go hard until I absolutely have to slow down.

My bubble was busted on mile 3 when I got a terrible side stitch. (note to self: no chinese for pre-race dinner) Overall I was happy with my race and we all had a really nice time.

There were tons of vendors for the post race festivities. Unfortunately I had to rush the girls out of there because Matt had to get to work. We were all really impressed with the race and will definetely be there next year!

Time: 29:03

Quintana Roo ChicQilo - Chainwheel Drive Clearwater Palm Harbor

Quintana Roo ChicQilo - Chainwheel Drive Clearwater Palm Harbor

This is the tri bike I've been dreaming about.

Last week after meeting Matt for lunch I stopped by Chain Wheel drive in Clearwater. After a run-in with a size too small tri suit I decided to go over and check out their bikes. The guy working there thought it was very comicial that I was checking out the Trek Equinox. Apparently you have to be atleast 5'7 to ride one. I don't think I'll be getting any taller any time soon so that's definetely not the bike for me. It stinks being short!

He instantly steered me towards the Quintana bikes. Basically there were two, this one and one that was TWICE as much. As you can imagine, this one was then my first choice! Although the 6mos same as cash payment plan was tempting I knew Matt would KILL me if I came home with a new bike.

Hopefully I can beg, borrow and steal myself into this bike for next tri season! It even already has a great name. ChicQilo, which is almost as awesome as my current bike, Black Betty ;)

Suncoast Tri

I accidentally posted this on my family blog too. Anyways, this course looks nice and flat and not too sandy. I hope that's why last years times were sooooo fast! Hopefully this isn't a bunch of elite's and me! Either way it should be fun and I'm both happy and sad that it will be my last tri of the season. I'm already looking forward to next season and that it will hopefully include a new tri bike and some olympic distance races!

Have a nice Day!

This morning while checking my blog I found an awful, nasty comment from a complete stranger. Hopefully none of my blog friends had the displeasure of reading it. If you did however, you can imagine that I was very upset and angry. My first reaction was to set my blog to private. After thinking about it for a while I decided that hiding or being intimidated is just not my style. Instead, I decided that people can read my blog all they want. This blog is not intended to make anyone feel good/bad. I'm not here to meet "new" people anyway. It's simply a way to stay in touch with my friends and family whom share the common interests of running and triathlons. If you don't like it. Don't read it. I certainly didn't "invite" you.

Posting this blog may be feeding right into this sociopaths twisted world. Honestly, I don't care. If it makes me feel better to express myself, on my own blog, than that's exactly what I'll do.

p.s. to my newest admirer,
Leaving comments won't fuel your raging fire. They and you will simply be deleted forever. Have a nice day!

Florida "Fall"

Today I planned to run inbetween my 10 &12 :00 wow's (women on weights). Since it was a beautiful, humidity-free, 84 degrees outside I decided to run the area surrounding the Y. Plus, I really hate running on the treadmill so I decided to do 2 outside and then head inside for the 3rd mile. I needed to run some kind of a hill today and since there are none near the Y the treadmill was my best bet anyway.

mile 1 9:27
mile 2 9:22
mile3 (4.0 incline) for .5mi at 10:00 pace/ flat .5mi at 9:30 pace

I was definetely feeling those pull-ups from Mon. in my bodyflex class tonight. I'm ashamed to say I did girlie push-ups. I'm sorry but 50 plank push-ups was just NOT happening! Tomorrow I teach pilates in the am and have a 3mi run planned for the evening. I hope this nice weather is here for a while.

Tuesday Brick Day

Today while Ty was in art camp I was able to get a swim and a run in. It's nice to get a "brick" work-out in without having him in the kids gym for too long. Next month when art camp is over I'm going to have to figure out a way to get my swim and run in without going over the kids gym time restriction. Hopefully Matt will cut his a.m. work-out a little short so I can get my run in before taking the kids to school. Then hit the Y again for my swim. Ty and Ashley have soccer and Girls on the Run in the evening so that time slot is impossible. Splitting the work out for two different times in the day isn't really convenient but it's more important for me to not miss any work-outs. The suncoast tri is only 4 wks away so no slacking for me!

p.s.: tuesday also includes chorus for Ash and guitar lessons for Drew! Crazy, I know.

Swim:
100 warm up
6x75 free with :15 rest
6/50 kick/pull buoy
6/25 sprints-I was really done after 4 but T pushed me for the last 2. Thanks coach!
200 cool down

Today was a great swim for me. I could have swam more but I still had to get my run in before picking up Ty. My arms were a little sore but they didn't really bother me. I started a new pull up routine yesterday so this was to be expected. My legs were tight from my spin class last night but swimming always seems to loosen me up. My only real complaint was that the pool was freezing and I had a few minor run ins with the wall! You had to be there. Typical Shannon stuff. It kept T entertained! Also, I may have nightmares about band-aids and giant pincher bugs!!

Run:
mile 1 10:00
mile 2 9:30

I was supposed to run 3 but I ran out of time. I'll make up the mile tomorrow. Eventhough I hate running on the treadmill I actually had a nice run today and I wish I could have kept going.

Halfathon

I decided to run the December halfathon with my sister-in-law Shelly. The farthest race I've done is a 15k so this should be interesting. Since the tri season is coming to a close this will be a good time to train for a longer distance road race. I'm definetely not shooting for any particular time but I do hope to keep my miles at or under 10:00.

Eventhough Shelly lives at GSU and we won't be able to train together it will be fun to race with her!

Below I posted the course map, as well as the training program we'll be following.

Florida Gulf Beaches Holiday Halfathon - Course Map

Florida Gulf Beaches Holiday Halfathon - Course Map

Half Marathon Training: Novice

Half Marathon Training: Novice

Saturday morning solitude.

This morning my alarm went off at 5:45. Ha, yeah right! You know I said "turn it off". At 6:45 I was awoken by a child. Once I took care of his needs I figured since my running stuff was laid out already I may as well go run. We have soccer at 9am this morning so I still had plenty of time to run and then come back to get everyone ready.

start 7:10
end 7:40:33

distance 3.12mi

mile1 10:00
mile2 9:50
mile3 9:49

The weather was wonderful this morning. It was actually a bit chilly when I headed out. I knew that wouldn't last but it was a nice beginning. I ran nice and easy and luckily had no cramping/side stitches!! Finally, a decent run. My pace was a little all over the place. I did a lot of speeding up and slowing down. I'm not sure why but since my body is used to running at night it was probably a bit confused. Saturday morning is my new favorite running time. Plus, I'm already sweaty and gross, which makes me ready to go watch soccer in the blazing Florida sun!

Another terrible run!

Tonight after dropping the girls off at GOTR Barb, Christy and I headed out from the Y for a 3mi run. It was a hot day today but this evening was a little overcast and breezy. It was definetely cooler than Tuesday. At about mile 3 I got the worst cramp in my side. I tried pushing on it, taking deep breaths and even slowing down but nothing seemed to work. We walked a little and I tried to pick it up to atleast finish with a little bit of decency. By the time we were almost in the Y parking lot I absolutely HAD to walk. That is such a crappy feeling. Ecspecially, when it had nothing to do with the heat but everything to do with the knife in my side! Luckily Barb and Christy are gracious runners who just go with the flow. Walk/Run, they just like to go!

mile 1 10:12
mile 2 9:47
mile 3 13:22

The cramp could be from teaching pilates this morning. If so, my body will just have to adjust since thursday will remain my running night even through the soccer season. I'm going to go back to no dairy/eggs on run days and see if that solves my cramping problems. I was well-hydrated today so I don't think that's the culprit.

p.m run

This evening I picked up Barb and Tia and we took Tia and Ash to girls on the run at the Y. While the girls are in their class Barb, Amy, Christy and I ran around the Y property. We ran the first mile on the street and did the second mile in the back field and a final 3/4 of a mile looping the back parking lot a few times. I really like running in the field because it's such a challenge and my legs really feel it the next day.

mile 1 9:15
mile 2 10:00
last 3/4 of a mile was @9:35 pace

It was blazing hot outside but alteast there was a breeze!

a.m. workout

This morning T and I dropped the kids off at school and art camp and met at the Y pool. I had no plan but luckily T did. It's much more productive to follow a plan.

warm-up: 5x100 with 15sec rest
drills: 4x50 kick with 25sec rest
set: 2x200 with 25sec rest( first100 easy/second100 steady pace)
sprints: 4x25 with 30sec rest
cool down: 100 free easy

35min on the eliptical machine
I don't think we even broke a sweat on the eliptical. It was more social time since T can't run with us tonight. I was still cold from the pool for the first 20min.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Today after cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, running errands and grocery shopping I decided to head out for my run. I left at 5:18. The neighborhood was nice and quiet since the Bucs were playing. I had planned on running 3 miles but .5 out I decided 2 would be good enough. I'm not sure exactly the temperature but it was atleast 90 degrees outside and the asphalt was like running on the surface of the sun!

I took a different route today doing a few laps around the toddler park and running up and down duckslough. Not exactly "new" scenery but definetely better than the dreaded loop!

mile 1-9:48
mile 2-10:15

I forgot to mention that my wonderful running girls bought me a Garmin. Now I know "exactly" how slow I'm running!

Note: Pomegranate Martini's and coffee don't count as pre-run hydration!

Back to Running, Back to Blogging

Lately I've been missing more runs than I'd like to admit. The excuses are endless. Thankfully I recently registered for the Oct 4th race for the cure 5k so now I HAVE to run. Training schedules are great for keeping me on track. I've wanted to participate in one of these races for a while but I thought my only option was the 3 day, which would be impossible with my schedule! I'm excited to finally be participating in a race for the cure run, ecspecially with my runner girls and other friends from the Y.

Tomorrow I have a "long" 3mi run planned.

Back to the Grind

Eventhough I had the best intentions of keeping up with my training on vacation it was a bust. I did one 3mi run and swam once in the ocean. The current was awful and I only swam about 200yds. There wasn't any room to bring my bike, which was a real bummer because there was a great golf cart path that went all over the island. I decided that I deserved the break and spent the rest of the week eating and drinking whatever I wanted. I was successful with keeping the kids on a good diet, got my father-in-law hooked on organic peanut butter and now my sister-in-law is a new vegetarian. Yay!

Since being home I have yet to really work out. Wed. night two kids were running fevers so I didn't teach class and I was off the rest of the week. On friday I finally hauled my lazy butt up to the gym. I decided to do a few brick work-outs.

1/2mi run
5min threshold bike
x3
push up series
abs on the captains chair

As soon as I finished I felt awful. Luckily I had a few minutes to spare to compose myself before picking up the kids. I felt crappy the rest of the day. I'm a believer in eating well to feel well, so I was feeling the wrath of my week and a half of bad eating. I will never take that many days off again. Tarpon is right around the corner and I have to get my butt in gear. Literally!

Ready for vacation!

It occured to me yesterday that I had not taken a "rest" day in over two weeks. So I decided to take two. I'm always telling people "the results are in the recovery" but I rarely take my own advice.

Tuesday we're heading to Boca Grande for a week of rest and relaxation. I defintely plan on running and I'm taking my mountain bike. I'm really looking forward to having some new scenery and doing some long runs. I have been less than enthusiastic about running lately and I need to get back in the game.

On vacation I should get some ocean swims in too. Hopefully Matt will get out there with me. He too is "training" for his first super-sprint triathlon. A few of the tri-girls husbands are planning on doing the Tarpon super-sprint in August. Maybe that's why we're all of a sudden considering the olympic distance for Longleaf. We're not at all competetive with eachother but with our husbands is a different story!!

Dunedin done, ready for Tarpon!

The Dunedin Beach triathlon was amazing. The water was calm, the bike course was curvy and the run was full of thick sand! This race was a lot of fun and training for it with my girls was a blast. We're already planning our next one for Tarpon in August. I learned a lot doing the Dunedin race and can't wait for Tarpon. I was scared for Dunedin but now I'm totally excited for the next one.

Today's swim with T:
100 free-warm up
4x100 free with last 25's sprint
100 buoy
50 kick
100 finger drags
100 touch ups

It felt good to get back in the water. I'm hoping to shave 2 mins off my swim time in Tarpon.

Tomorrow, we can officially say our race is...Tomorrow

The anticipation for this race has been killing me, as well as the tri girls. I hope it lives up to our expectations. My game plan is to simply go as hard as possible for as long as possible. Today was my last swim before the big day. I did most of Tim's most recent work-out. Something like 200 warm up, 100 drills, 400 and another 200 cooldown. I could of done more but I was pressed for time.

Secret Service Run for Freedom 5k

Today was the secret service 5k. Teresa and I were the only two out of our group that ran this one. The course was a straight shot out and back down bayshore blvd in Tampa.

My back was still bothering me this morning so I took some Motrin before the race. That might have been my demise. I was hoping for around 27/28min but I realized early on in the race that wasn't happening. With every step I had a stabbing pain in my lower back and I was pretty much nauseaus from mile 1 on. Teresa ran a great race and placed 3rd in her age group. This was a fast 5k with a lot of elite runners in the pack. Eventhough this wasn't one of my best I still had a great time and really enjoyed my post race massage and smoothie!

Bad blogger

Last week's training was awesome! Honestly I wouldn't know where to begin to break it all down.

Last weekend we also participated in our first "super" sprint in Palm Harbor. Eventhough this race was VERY unorganized and our times weren't right we still had a great time.

Yes, I panicked in the water, had a hard time tying my shoes and was ready to die by the run, but all in all it was a blast! The open water swim was short yet overwhelming. As soon as I stopped running and dove in the water I thought "holy crap what have I gotten myself in to?" It was one of those moments where I had to tell myself I better get moving because there was no turning back! After a few kicks from ladies on both sides I got my butt in gear. I definetely could of swam faster but I was stuck behind this one lady and then as soon as she could touch she stood up. I managed my way around her and high-kneed it to the beach. This is something we hadn't practiced.

The bike had a lot of sharp turns and it was marked by people yelling at you trying to tell you which way to go. People were making wrong turns and getting pretty pissed. Did I mention my new favorite term is "On your left!" I know is sounds bad but damn I love passing people on my bike! The run was hot but not unbearable. I was very proud of Barb, Teresa and I for completing our first triathlon and we learned a lot to prepare us for Dunedin.

Kick it up a notch!

As you can tell by my last post, I needed to step my swim game up a notch. The swim is going to be the most difficult part for me and I've decided to work on it the hardest. I'm super confident on my bike and the run is going to be hot but it's only a 5k (famous last words).

There were plenty of reasons not to swim today. Barb was planning to meet me but bailed because she was sore from all the swimming she's been doing. My mom is here visiting. I had an 11am meeting and baseball at 12. Also, I made a big breakfast this morning, which I didn't partake in because of my plan to swim. I am glad I left all the excuses behind and hit the pool!

I'm not 100% on all that I did. I basically swam for 1:15 minutes with only a couple short (:30) rests to catch my breath or (:15) to fix my leaky goggles. The water was great today and I really felt like I could swim all day. My two longest sets were 500's!! Holla! I didn't think I had it in me but I took Barb's advice and went slow and it felt awesome!

Basically my work out:
50 free warm up
100 free with buoy
200 free
200 with buoy
200 free
500 with buoy
100 free
500 free

Today I tried to really pay attention to my form and breathe every 4th/5th stroke. This really helped me to relax and get the most out of my reach and pull.

Hitting the snooze button!

Eventhought Matt hit the snooze button twice this morning we still managed to make it to the gym. My mom is here visiting so we were able to go together for an early morning work out. I swam laps and he weight lifted.

Swim Workout:

50 free warm up
100 free
50 breast stroke
100 with buoy
100 with buoy
50 free
100 with buoy
50 free

The buoy really helped me out today. I was feeling sluggish from not swimming for five days and my legs were sinking. It also helped me with my rotation and my reach. Once I was warmed up my breathing calmed down and taking a breath every 4th stroke really worked for me.

Saturday Morning Ride

Last night I set the alarm for 6am so I could get up and get a quick ride/run in before all the usual Saturday chaos began. Unfortunately you not only have to set the alarm, but you also have to turn it on! Luckily my internal clock woke me up at 6:15. I jumped up threw Drew's baseball uniform in the washing machine and headed out for the garage. Just a quick stop to tell Beau(my dog) good morning and promise that I was in fact going to return shortly. He's a mommy's boy. Once in the garage I realized someone had knocked over my bike and popped the chain. I'm greasy, but I'm off.

bike: 6mi
run:1/2mi (yes, 1/2, this is not as easy as it looks)
total time: 32min

The weather was beautiful, crisp, cool and no WIND!

Tomorrow is a boating day for us and I'm hoping the water has warmed up enough for me to get an open water swim in.

Windy Ride

Today was a bike day for us tri girls. Since Barb had a job interview to get to, her and Amy headed out early for their bike ride. Teresa had to volunteer at school. This meant it was just me and the Iron Man. I think he actually went east on me today. I was expecting much worse. Just kidding, he is never mean to us, just "motvational". Kindly reminding me to stop whining and shushing us if we get a little chatty. All of which is definetely beneficial to us. We've learned to save our chats for our night runs.

We biked 10mi on the Suncoast Trail. The wind was whipping and even the Iron Man was complaining about it. I only complained in agreement, after all I'm trying to work on that whole whining thing. 28 years of whining is a hard habit to break! This was a great ride minus the wind and calls from the school nurse that I had a sick kid. Tonight I run with the girls and hope to squeeze a few more swims in this week.

This Sunday is the St. Anthony triathlon. The Iron Man is participating so we're going to cheer him on and hopefully pick up some helpful tips.

Beach to Bayou 5k

Yesterday was the Beach to Bayou 5k put on by Tarpon Total Fitness. The race course began at Howard Park beach down the causeway, thru the park and then finishing back on the beach. What a beautiful course. The first mile was into the sun but nobody seemed to mind since we were running right by the water and it wasn't hot out yet. I liked this race becuase it didn't start at the crack of dawn. I'm all about an 8am start. I managed to shave 2min off my time from Iron Girl so I was happy with that. I finally broke that darn 30min curse. My plan is to do more speed work and continue to shave a couple mins off each time for the next few races in preparation for my June triathlon!

Trying to get to Tri training...

This week has pretty much been a bust for tri training. With the kids being out of school and Matt off work the end of this week I feel torn between family and fitness.

We missed the Tuesday swim work out but made it for the other groups Wed. night run. We ran 31/2 miles in 31 min. Explain to me why my Iron Girl time was also 31min and it was only 3mi? I know, I know, the bridge...I'm still not convinced. I'm hoping for a much better time this weekend at Beach to Bayou. I'm starting to understand the saying "Many marathoners are born from frustrated 5kers." I also wasn't able to make the swim today, I had a date of planting flowers with my daughter. She was needing some girl time. Hopefully I'll get atleast one swim in this weekend.

Next week everything will be back in order and I can do my training when it doesn't inconvenience anyone else. Atleast I finally caught up on my neglected housework!

Iron Girl

Saturday was the Iron Girl 5k/10k in Clearwater. What an awesome chick race! The course was beautiful thru downtown Clearwater right by the water. However, that bridge was ugly!! I knew my legs were tired that morning but I figured they'd warm up. That never really happened. This definetely wasn't one of my best runs but it was a blast being out there with my girls and running into other friends from the neighborhood and the Y!

I have to comment on the food! It was actually catered, hot breakfast. Including vegetarian choices. We were all very impressed with the food. It helped you forget about climbing up that bridge!

The last week of the first month of training...In a nutshell.

Sunday:
Bike 8mi
Run 2

This was my first experience with the bike/run scenario and it is intense. It was very windy today, which was a good challenge on the bike.

Monday:
Teach 45min spin
Teach 1hr bodyflex

Tuesday:
Run/Walk 4mi
1: 20/40 sprint
30min easy spin

This was our first work out with our "coach". I had an awful cramp in my left hamstring but I listened to my body(for a change) and took it as easy as I could.

Wednesday:
Teach 30min spin
Run: 15min 3: 20/40 sprints with jogging recovery total miles=2
Teach 1hr bodyflex

Thursday:
Swim: 100 warm up
A few 50's gliding, stream lining
250 ;)
50 cool down
I know we did more but I was too tired to really keep track. I had an epiphany with my breathing. Believe it or not it's actually much easier to breathe less!
Total time in pool=1hr
Bike: Approx. 6mi - pushing my second to hardest gear! HOLLA!!
Total time on bike= 30min
Run: A little over 4 mi total
5: 20/40 sprints
Drills- gallop, skip/backward skip,two-legged jumps,spidermans

Friday is for resting up for tomorrow's Iron Girl. I opted for the 5k since I haven't really been running. Just hoping for good weather and NO wind!!

100's!!

I know for most swimmers doing a 100 is no big deal but for me it's huge. When I started swimming I couldn't even do a 50 without stopping for a break.

This was my saturday morning work out:
3: sets (A set consists of a 50 free and a 50 drill)
2:100's
2: sets
1: 100
Total time in the pool: 1hr

Early Riser

Today Amy, Barb and I headed to the Y for an early morning run/swim. We had planned to arrive at the Y at 5:30 but didn't get there until about 5:40. We opted for a 20min run instead of 30min to give ourselves a full hour in the pool. I went easy on my run this morning since I'm getting over being sick.

mile 1: 10:00
mile 2: 9:20

The air was chilly this morning but the water was warm and steamy! My swim felt smooth and strong. I feel like I've mastered keeping my head down and elbows up. Now I need to work on my gliding and the pull motion. We did take a few short breaks just with little triathlon conversations but I never felt like I "needed" a break. I kept track of my laps with sets. A 50 freestyle and a 50 drill is one "set". I did 6 sets plus one extra 50. I'm looking forward to my swim tomorrow morning and hopefully I'll get up in time to get a run in too!

Three a Day's ??!!

This week was our second week of training. I'm feeling very good about my running and eager to get to work on my road bike. My confidence in the pool is growing with every session of laps and drills. The only issue is that I also work out for a living. It seems lately there's always a few extra classes a week to sub or some kind of training. I'm definetely not complaining because I absolutely love my job, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day or gas in my tank lately.

Yesterday, thurs. I actually did a three a day. I went to a spin training with my boss, which was all elements of a spin class crammed into 30min of butt kicking, which wouldn't of been too bad if I hadn't taught spin on tues. and three classes on wednesday! Right after my spin training I met Teresa in the pool for 30 min of drills and laps. This was actually my strongest session yet so I was glad I didn't skip it. Later that night, the girls met at my house for our 5mile run. The run was fast and easy. We chatted it up the whole way.

Today my legs were a little sore but since it rained I decided to make it a rest day. Tomorrow I'll get my hills in and then swim with the girls on sunday. Iron Girl is right around the corner and I really need to get some more hill work in so I'll be ready for that bridge!!

Sink or Swim!

Today was the first swim all four of us did together. Amy is an ex-swimmer and therefore nominated swim expert. She really knows what she's talking about. She kept reminding me I could just do side stroke. I don't think that's a good sign ;)

We did a lot of drills today, kick board, floating thong, etc. I was getting a little arrogant on how "strong" my legs were. The kick board put me in my place. There is so much to think about while you're swimming; head down, elbows up, draft your arms in an hour glass shape, flick your wrist, oh and BREATHE! The miracle of today however was that at the end of the session I was actually feeling stronger than when we started. I'm hoping all the swims go that way, with a little improvement each time.

We have an Ironman that works at our Y and is running a "try a tri" program for the race we're doing. I think us girls are going to give it a "try" but I have to see what it will consist of. I already teach a bunch of classes and I don't want to wear myself down. Plus, I'd rather not make a total ass of myself in front of one of my co-workers. I'm not the most graceful and I whine a lot!!!!

Today after we dropped off the kids at school Teresa and I drove down to Clearwater to run the bridge in preparation for the IronGirl 10k. There was a storm coming in and the wind was whipping! Hopefully we'll get down there to run it a few more times before the race. Running up from the base was no joke!! I definetely need to add some hill intervals to my weekly runs.

After our run we went to Pickles Deli right next to Coachman Park. The food was awesome!

Triathlicious!-(Teresa will appreciate that)

Training for the Dunedin sprint triathlon has officially begun!! I wish I was that excited. Honestly I'm horrified.

So far four of us are doing it together. Teresa and I are stressing over every detail while Barb and Amy are much more relaxed about the whole thing. This is however, our nature!

If it isn't a nightmare about swim cap suffocation, it's the realization of having to run in and out of the water in our bathing suits! I know what you're thinking, "you look good in a bathingsuit" Yes, in a perfectly adjusted suit with matching wrap skirt. Not a lifeguard style suit that accents the negatives and eliminates the positives! I mean come on, do they have to be so hideous. Don't even get me started on the swim cap. Can you imagine what my hair will look like by the time I run, after I've worn a swim cap and then a bike helmet. Let's just say, it'll be easy to spot me.

edit

Actually my chip time was 1:43:03 for the Gasparilla 15k. I'm glad I read Jenny's blog and looked that up! That's more like it! Can't forget that 2 min delay at the start. Every minute counts!!!

Gasparilla 15k

Awesome! The only word appropriate for describing this race.

The morning could not have gone any smoother. I woke up at 4am(shocking, I know) ate my breakfast of 1/4 cup rolled oats cooked with water and 1tblsp of peanut butter mixed in. It may sound gross but the p.b melts in the oatmeal and it's the perfect pre-run fuel for me. I stopped drinking water around 6 that morning so that meant only 2 potty stops before the start, instead of a typical 4/5. I've had three kids. Enough said.

Anyways, Teresa picked up Nancy and I and we headed down to Tampa (loved the Toyota SUV, almost as nice as the corolla ;) We parked and then wouldn't ya know there was a YMCA right at the exit of the garage. Couldn't of been more perfect. We were able to secure our stuff, and use the restroom instead of a porta potty.(Those come later)

I've yet to mention the minor downfall of this day. I woke up sick, sinus headache, chest congestion, cough, the works. Actually, it hit me the night before and I took some med's, which unfortunately dried me out like the sahara!

The course for this race is breathtaking. On one side are million dollar homes and the other side is Tampa Bay. The first 6 miles were great, we were under our pace and doing great. Right about mile 6.2 my inability to take a deep breath really became an issue. I guess I can only run 6 miles holding my breath! After, some wonderful Gatorade, yes I said WONDERFUL!! I was definetely slower but still plugging on. In the end my time was 1:44:50. Not bad for a first timer that couldn't breathe. I will definetely be back for the Gasparilla races next year and I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Iron Girl.

Thanks to my two awesome racing buddies Teresa and Nancy. You girls rock!!

3 miles? Nah Let's do 9!!!

That's not exactly how it happened but pretty close. We decided last week to make Thurs. our long run instead of Sundays. However, after my terrible Tues. run I was thinking a few more days of rest til my long Sunday was looking pretty good. But, as soon as we headed out last night we were all feeling pretty good and 3 just felt like...well, just 3?? At what would of been our turn around point we decided to keep on truckin. Since we had planned our long run for the week to be 8 we opted for that route(root) LOL! Teresa is our navigator(she has the Garmin) she also is great at keeping us on pace. She suggested our extended route and let's just say her calculations were a little off. At approx. a half mile from my house(the starting point) we were at 8.5!! TERESA!!! It's a good thing I love ya girl. Actually, I felt great and even said I could go farther, we sped up too. Well when we got to my house we were actually only at 8.7. I'm thinking well, that's good .7 over our goal. Oh, no. "At this point we may as well run 9." The voices of my evil running partners. I had to run PAST my house not once, but TWICE!!! It was psychological warfare. (I shouldn't of sped up at 8.5, damn my ego) Despite the fire burning in my knees and hamstrings I actually felt great. A little nauseous, but great! I got in and iced everything, took a hot shower and slept like a baby! This morning believe it or not I woke up pain free and actually looking forward to my 3 miles on Sunday.

This is my longest run ever and I couldn't have gotten through it without my running girls. Teresa the navigator(no she's not fired), Christy the motivational speaker("you love these long miles, you do") and Barb the silent weapon whom always shows up injured or not ready for anything!

Supar!

Supar is not some kind of strange Vegan ingredient. It's a typo. Omit the supar and add 1 cup of SUGAR!! Sorry ;)

The recipe for the Vegan Apple Bread!

I wasn't able to take any pictures of this bread because it didn't last 24hrs in my house. My kids loved it!

Apple Bread

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c. supar
1 c. shredded, peeled apple(I used two apples)
1/4 c. cooking oil(I used canola oil)
1 egg( or egg substitute)
1/4 tsp lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Grease 8x4x2 bread pan. Preheat oven at 350. In med. bowl combine flour, cinn, baking soda, powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
In another bowl combine sugar, shredded apples, oil, egg(or subst.), and lemon. Mix well. Add the dry mixt to the apple mixt. Stir just until moistened. Fold in walnuts.
Spoon batter into your greased pan and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. Let it cool for about 10min before you remove it from the pan.
The base of this recipe comes from my old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I just "veganized" it. Enjoy!!

Two runs down...One to go!

Thank goodness I only run 3 days a week because I could NEVER stay comitted to a 5 day program. I'm such a slacker.

Tuesday run: Pre-run food was cheese fries with jalapenos, shrimp pita and a drink with rum! Needless to say I hadn't planned on running but the girls were in my driveway and they're very hard to say no to. I should note that is not normally a pre-run menu for me but with all the kids activities and such that evening I didn't think I'd make it home in time for my run. The plan to do 4 quickly became 2 once my stomach realized what was going on. I don't know my pace or anything that night but I'm sure it wasn't very fast ;(

Thursday was much better! We decided to run the Gasparilla 15k on Feb 9th. The only problem is we haven't exactly been training for it so for now until then we really have to up our mileage. We ran 7.56 miles in 1:14mins. Not too bad. We really tried to keep around a 10min pace, which was hard in the beginning but as we went on we were thankful for the slower pace. The only bad thing is I somehow managed to hurt my knee and I'm hoping a few days of rest will get me ready for my Sunday run. Ice and elevate are my weekend plans!

You say I run like a girl; If you ran a little faster, you could too!

That's my favorite quote these days. Teresa in my running group got a Garmin so now we finally know our pace. Tonight was a fast one and at mile 4 I was starting to feel it but we kepting pushing on.
Mile 1 was 8:45
Miles 2,3 and 4 were 8:30
Mile 5 at 8:40
I find it hilarious that at the beginning of mile 5 I said we better slow it down a bit but we actually only slowed down by 10 seconds. This was a fast run for us but it felt awesome!!!

I love to run!

I never thought I'd utter those words. However, after months of running with my good friend Barb and now my "running club" I absolutely love to run! I'd heard other runners talk about the "runners high" and the rampant hunger that comes from a long exhausting run(as if it were a good thing) and I never quite understood what they were talking about. I mean I knew the basic bonuses earned from running, being a size 2 after three kids, being in better shape than most 20 yr olds, and sleeping like a baby. Yet, still I hadn't grasped the true love of the sport. Don't get me wrong these past few months haven't been pristine but I think that it what the true "spirit" of running is really about. It's about having a crappy side-sititch infested run and then heading out two days later and having a wonderful, easy run. It's the give and take, ying and yang that leaves you wanting more. Thinking " Well, this run sucks but I bet my next one will be great." To a non-runner it's hard to grasp that concept but ask a runner and they will know exactly what you mean. So, eventhough it's not alway's a "run " in the park it's worth it!