shannonsrunning

"Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming." Dory-Finding Nemo

2011-02-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

I found my mantra in Dory today while swimming with my neighbor friend at the new aquatic center. I swam last week but it was a slow, weak 800. Since I hadn't swam in months I was happy to even complete that distance but it was to my own admission, a piss poor effort. Today was a much faster pace and included every stroke...except fly because I would probably drown and blow a shoulder. In that order. My friend of course attacked the water and did 50 fly like a pro while I did the side stroke. I know, pathetic. Since I literally ONLY do freestyle..not well but I do it. I was a little antsy about the other strokes but I didn't want to look like a big fat chicken in front of my new training partner. There's races in her future...she just doesn't know it yet! Come to find out my form was pretty darn good! I'm slow as hell of course but hey, atleast my form is good. Diana is an expert so she had great tips for every stroke that helped me pull through with atleast an ounce of dignity. I'm sure crashing into the wall during backstroke provided some entertainment for the people in the cardio room above. I know I would of been laughing. Actually I was, once the tweety birds stopped flying around my head! Also, she successfully broke me of my habit of breathing only on my right side during freestyle and I'm happy to announce I officially go both ways now ;)

Here is the work out we did...

100 free warm up

50 each stroke- fly/side, breast, back, free

50 each stroke pull

50 each stroke kick

50 each stroke

100 free cool down

*Tip: Doing the fly kick forward and on your back, as well as the side stroke with a buoy are awesome ab exercises!*

Back in the Saddle

2010-09-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have an admission to make. After moving to MD one year ago this week was the FIRST time I've ridden my road bike. Shameful, I know. I do have a few borderline acceptable excuses including: no bike trails, bad weather, no babysitter, needing my bike serviced, no cycling friends,and the fear of back country roads and back country drivers. I decided to choose the experiences over the excuses and get out and ride. Plus, I really do love it.

Now that we are in our new house, in an actual neighborhood just off of a main road with a bike lane I've finally ventured out. When I say "bike lane" it's more of a wide shoulder. Cars often use it as a turning lane and go-around lane, which validates my nervousness. I feel most comfortable heading out early on weekend mornings when traffic is light. I've scoped out a few other local roads with even less traffic and wider bike lanes. I'm hoping to test one out next weekend. My current route is very hilly so "flatter" roads are also part of my criteria. It's amazing how much sorer my legs are after 6mi up here than 12 mi in FL pushing the same pace.

So far I've done two short rides. One 4 mi and another 6mi. I really do need my bike serviced so I've been keeping my rides short and looping past my house. I also plan to purchase a mirror, bento box and the most obnoxious singlet I can find!

Consistently Inconsistent

2010-08-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Although I have not been blogging I have actually been running. My problem is that I have weeks where I run/lift/cross train and weeks where I don't. I decided last week to write myself a program hoping that having a plan will hold me accountable...to myself.

Last week:

Monday- 2.5 mile run
I went out for a run in my new neighborhood. Looping both round abouts aka the state of MDs cure for the common 4 way stop, Its 2miles so I decided to take it a little further and loop one of the cul-de-sacs. Going down this cul-de-sac is a lot of fun but going up is pure torture. It didn't help that the entire neighborhood was out so of course I couldn't stop. I made it home and thought about doing my best Rickey Henderson impression by sliding face first into my driveway.

Tuesday- 800m swim
This was my first swim at the beautiful new aquatic center. I was surprised how good I felt in the water and even did some drills. My arms and flanks were sore the next day but it felt great!

Wednesday-2mi deadmill
Since it was hot as hades out I decided to head to the gym for a quick run and lower body work-out. 2 meaningless miles on the deadmill followed by 10min on the Cadillac bikes. The bikes I'm referring to are the bikes with arm rests, your own personal fans and seats resembling a leather recliner. I always mocked these bikes but I tell ya if you gear waaay up and give yourself full extension you will literally work your butt off! I am now a fan of the Cadillac bikes.

Thursday-off

Friday-2mi
Just a quick out and back run around the neighborhood. Even without the cul-de-sac of death my new hood is a very hilly challenge. I've learned to embrace the hills...at least the downhills ;)

Zooma Week

2010-06-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

This is my second week of 1/2 marathon training and I'm also getting some spinning and trainer rides in to prepare for my July tri. The program out of Run Less, Run Faster is very aggressive. Yes, its kicking my butt. My goal is to get ALL the interval work-outs in and gradually increase my mileage. 9 mile runs for week 2 just ain't happening. Maybe I should cut the long runs into two-a-day runs. I'm not sure what the right way is to up my mileage without ending up with an injury. Being that I still have 16wks to go, that should be plenty of time to build up to the distance. After all, it's not like I'm trying to win the damn race. I just don't want to crawl across the finish line ;)

Week in review:
Mon-off
Tues- 10min warm-up
12 x 400m
10min cool down
teach 1hr yogilates
Wed- 30min trainer ride
Thurs-off
Fri- 3mi hill run
30min bicep burn-out
Sat- off
Sun-race

Sunday was the zooma Annapolis 10k& 1/2 marathon at the naval academy stadium. My soon to be new neighbor and new runner friend Jenny was also registered to run the 10k but ended up having to miss it. I was bummed my new friend couldn't join me but there's always next time! My friend Sarah from high school was also planning on running the race and her mom and friends were walking it. Sarah was a runner in college so as you can imagine she's super fast and could have easily ran the 1/2. I was happy to run with her but hoped I didn't totally ruin her race experience with my slowness. She assured me she didn't care how much we walked and was just there to have a good time. Thank god! I may not be the best runner but I'm always up for a good time. It was really nice to catch up with my old friend and not be stressed about my time. I knew this race would be difficult since I haven't been consistently running and although I'd done intervals for 5 miles I hadn't actually run 5 or 6 miles straight in a while. Also, I am not exactly used to the hills yet and I knew I was in for it when at the first bend was a hill followed by many more. Running down beautiful main street and Annapolis is gorgeous...hilly as hell...but gorgeous. Then I saw a guy with a "To the bridge!" poster with a huge arrow in the direction we were all headed. All I could think was awww shit, this is gonna suck. I was right. Needless to say we walked that bad boy and to be honest I didn't feel the least bit guilty. After all, I was planning on running down. My run down walk up plan worked well especially since my heart rate was through the roof. I think taking my inhaler an hour before really messed me up and as usual, I was not at all hydrated enough and it was HOT, HOT, HOT. Even though I didn't have a stellar run time I still had an awesome day. The course was beautiful with plenty of water/ultima stops and tons of spectators throughout to cheer you on. The entire event was very organized with really nice race shirts, bags,and a silver sailboat necklace for finishers!

Ashley and Drew after the kids fun-run. Ash took 3rd overall!! Matt said she took off like a rocket and didn't stop til the finish line. Woohoo!!

Tyler having some pita bread while Sarah and I enjoy a glass of champagne! Yes, along with the lunch (vegetarian included) there was wine and champagne provided by Barefoot wine and bubbly.

Matt did a great job of corralling all the kids for the morning and dealing with their hunger and heat complaints. However, photography is not his forte. He did take more pictures but they didn't come out. In the bottom pic you can see the necklace they gave us.

I will definitely add this to my race schedule for next year and vow to actually train for it!

Training...Two-fer

2010-06-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last week was week 1 of my tri training program for the sprint I'm planning on doing in July down in Jacksonville. The program I have is not very aggressive but It's a good base that I can tweak to meet my needs. My biggest obstacle will be, as usual, the swim. Especially since the indoor aquatic center doesn't open until next week. Yesterday I drove 45 min to an indoor pool only to find out it was closed with no explanation. So much for checking the website before I left. Thanks a lot CSM la plata.

Week 1:

Mon- 2mi run (10min/mi)

bosu dead lifts, hinge lunge off bench with 30lb bar, bosu push-ups. 3x10 each : 3 cycles

push-ups to pike on large balance ball-8reps

3x8 pullups

Tues-30min bike ride in the a.m.

teach 1hr yogilates in the p.m.

Wed- 6 sets: 10 each arm kettle snatches followed by .20 hill run, 10 kick-thru push ups

(definition of kick-thru's: full plank push-up. drop your chest as you would in a push up, as you lift to plank position reach underneath and thru while kicking the opposite leg

thru to meet your hand, release to plank, repeat the push up and switch sides. that counts as one!)

Kick-thru's sort of feel like this picture, especially after the .20 uphill sprint ;)

Thurs&Fri- off ( life got in the way)

Sat- 45min bike ride

Sun- off (slacker, I know)

Monday begins my training plan for the October 1/2 marathon. I'm following the program in Run less, Run faster. This should be interesting. I am in dire need of new gear such as shoes, socks, visors and running shorts. All suggestions are appreciated! For mama's day the hubby surprised me with a new Garmin. I love it and the color!!

Chesapeak Beach

2010-05-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather in MD is beautiful again I'm back to exploring my new "stomping ground", Southern MD.
My boys are both playing little league baseball and some of their games and practices are held at a beautiful field in Chesapeake Beach. Last week during practice I was able to get away for a 45min run. I started in the Chesapeake Beach Marina and ran up to North Beach and back. I got a new G-unit (T-that's for you girl.hehehe) for Mother's Day but I don't have it set up yet so I'm not sure of the distance but I'm guessing around 4 miles.

The main street through North Beach.

This is the Chesapeake Beach Veterans memorial. It's right on the water and absolutely beautiful!

Vegan-ish

2010-03-27T09:06:00.001-07:00

I have been a happy, healthy vegetarian for almost two years. Actually, I've basically been a vegetarian all my life. I never remember enjoying meat. The only way I'd eat eggs was by smothering them in ketchup. Manwich night almost always got me sent to bed hungry and the words meat and loaf put together would send me screaming from the kitchen. This is not to say my vegetarian diet has always been successful. In H.S. my idea of vegetarian eating consisted of cereal and bagels. Neither of which are actually vegetables.

During my pregnancy with my oldest daughter I craved meat, eating big macs and any other form or carcass I could get my grubby little paws on. This was without a doubt responsible for the 70lbs I gained. Yes, 70 lbs! On my 5'1 frame...it wasn't pretty. Unless you're into the dump truck look. Thankfully youth was on my side and those lbs melted away with lightning speed. With both of my boys I ate meat but without the same tenacity as my first pregnancy. To this day she is the biggest carnivore out of all three kids.

As a more responsible and slightly more intelligent adult I decided to give vegetarianism another try actually including vegetables this time. I still kept dairy in my diet but kept everything low-fat or part-skim. This past summer full of moving, relocating and overall stress I slipped off my healthy living pedestal. My favorite treat became...get ready for it...egg and cheese biscuits from Mc. Donalds. GASP, I know. FL shanny would of sooner starved to death than allow one of those to pass her lips!

I am happy to announce that I have kicked the E&C biscuit habit and am back on track! March 1st I decided to go Vegan. By March 20th I decided to modify my new title as vegan-ish. I gave it my best shot. Truly I did, but let's face it tofutti does NOT taste like cream cheese. Quinoa IS a healthy and filling grain but for the love of God it smells like old gym socks! I love to bake vegan and have learned a lot of great tips to substitute the bad fats with more flavorful alternatives that result in moist and delicious muffins, cakes and cookies. But let's keep it real about tofu- the shizz is gross! You can drain it, strain it, press, slice and marinade it. Anyway you cut it, it just doesn't taste good. Don't even get me started on the "vegan" cheese. I'll opt for no cheese before I choke anymore of that crap down. Even my dog ( whom I've seen eat unmentionables) sniffed, and kept on going. In conclusion, while I will still absolutely not eat any form of carcass, will drink almond milk (because I like it), and eat lot's of healthy grains( not stinky quinoa) I can no longer categorize myself as a vegan. Vegan-ish is good enough for me.

Avocado is my favorite! Just had to include this beautiful photo ;)

shanny aka wheezy

2010-03-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

This month has been very busy with my sons both starting baseball, which of course are at the same time at two different locations. My daughter started training for a May 5k and the hubby's work schedule is more confusing than the new health care bill.

The weather here has been hit or miss but on two occasions ash and I have been able to head to the park for a little bike/run. Since moving here she has not ran much so I wanted to get her a few good rides on her bike to get her ready to start her training program. In FL she was part of a great little running group at the Y. Even though I know I'm not as fun as coach Kathryn and the girls I've really enjoyed the one-on-one time with my girl. The last two times I ran while she biked along side. Both times she often asked if I was o.k. and even told me I didn't sound too good. The park is pretty flat and I didn't feel fatigued but felt like I was breathing harder than I should be. Matt and the boys were there too having Devlin spring training. On the ride home they kept telling me I didn't look or sound very good. Gotta love the fam! They keep it real.

At my initial visit with our new family physician she diagnosed me with exercise induced asthma and told me that my lungs sounded "pretty good". She also told me not to be surprised if my new cardiologist orders a stress test. Great, 30 yrs old and falling apart. All of this just tells me I need to train harder!

I am happy to report that my first run with the new puffer shaved a minute off my mile! woohoo It's amazing how actually being able to breathe improves your running ;)

I've been successful in making my 10miles a week goal but have been slacking with the weights. Before I increase my mileage goal I need to get strong again. It's amazing how quickly you can lose your strength, thank god for muscle memory!

This week I did three quality strength work-outs. The most challenging being a cable cross series. I did my entire body working largest to smallest muscles. The narrow and wide reverse fly's were killers. 30min on the cable cross had me sweating worse than an hr of spin!

march

2010-03-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

The beginning of March marked the start of my new and improved work-out regimen. I set a goal for 10-15 miles per week, I admit I was 3 shy of that goal this first week. Instead of dwelling on that or punishing myself by adding 3 to next week I'm going to keep with the same goals and not beat myself up over it. In the past I've been very rigid and down right guilt ridden from work-outs missed. Often, to the point of masochism. I'm just "training for life" right now and not a race so the only real pressure is to feel good...and I do! Since hitting the gym/pavement 5 days this week I've slept better, ate better and bitched less!

Mon- 3mi run
Tues- 2mi run, 2mi on the elliptical
Wed- off
Thurs- 30min of weighted squats, bosu deadlifts, bosu push ups
1hr "all-terrain" spin class
Fri- 2mi hilly, windy run
Sat- taught 1hr yogalates
Sun- off

February Flop

2010-03-01T11:27:00.001-08:00

Despite my lack of posting I did in fact exercise during the month of February. However, it was nothing to really blog about. With the back to back snow storms keeping me trapped inside like a caged animal it was difficult to do anything consistently. I did ride my bike a few times on the trainer followed by kettle bell work outs. One or two trips to the treadmill but that's about it.

Last week I got back into the groove. Monday I treated myself to a THAS work-out and cardio. I do 3x10 of everything on each leg...single leg squats, bosu deadlifts and step-ups on the tallest bench I could fine. I do them in a circuit style sequence, a total of 3 rounds. I then wobbled over to the pull up machine and did pull ups, chin ups and dips until I couldn't do anymore. For cardio I did 40 mins on the new elliptical. I've never been a fan of ellipticals but these bad boys are awesome! I make myself go at a 10min mi pace and increase the resistance every 5 min. Thursday I decided to give spin at the gym another chance and I'm glad I did. The instructor was awesome and so was her music! It was an "endurance" ride and despite my sore ankle I rode hard and it felt good! It's hard to get "into" a ride staring at the wall in my basement. Saturday I had a few young girls show up for yoga and I decided to teach a yogalates class. They seemed to really enjoy it and my abs were feeling it Sunday morning.

This week I'll be back to running. I've been nursing a very sore ankle and wrist after gracefully stumbling down my steps.

My goals for March are to get some type of work-out in 5 days a week and to run between 10-15
miles a week.

Windy City!

2010-01-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

The weather today was a high of 53 and sunny. Just beautiful, not a cloud in the sky. I knew I HAD to run outside today since a winter storm is approaching for the weekend. This meaning I have at least one treadmill run in my near future.

I headed over to the local park. Since I now have the proper apparel to run in I really don't mind the cooler temperatures. The wind however, I mind. Holy balls was it windy! The weatherman didn't mention this little tid bit. My mojo was squashed by this whipping wind and I decided to cut my work-out in half but run only in the grass and deep gravel then follow up with an hour of yoga at home. I don't know if my soreness is from the grassy knolls or the Dhanurasana(bow) pose. Either way, my hamstrings are tight baby!

p.s: I decided to add my local weather to my blog so that my whining about the weather will be justified.hehehe

Gloria Estefan? You gotta be kidding me

2010-01-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

I've attended three spin classes at my new gym and I've yet to be impressed. In FL I took and taught spin often and I can say that it makes a huge difference when the instructors are actually cyclists.

Class was supposed to start at 6:30. The instructor didn't show up until 6:40 and when she arrived she told us to warm up. Warm up?! What do you think we've been doing. I figured since we started more than 15min late she'd just have class go to 7:45. I was wrong.

After the instructor talks to the newbies, gets all her stuff organized, shoes on and eventually mounts the bike she finally cranks the tunes. song #1 Gloria Estefan! I almost jumped off my bike right then. I knew right away I was going to have to make the most of this on my own.

It wasn't ALL bad. The music did improve, a little something for everyone. The instructor was really sweet and had a great personality but the ride was all over the place. We did tons of jumps and when I tried to stay in sync with the instructor she had more rotations in the saddle than out. Explain that one to me?? I just pushed as hard a gear as I could the entire time, took 1/2 as much recovery time as most of the class and made the most out of the climbs. I can say with 100% certainty that as tri season gets closer and I get in better shape classes like this will not be in my schedule. We will have a workout room in our new house with a treadmill, trainer, etc and I will most likely cancel my gym membership.

As I've said before. I miss the Y!!!

She wears short shorts

2010-01-20T06:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in southern MD. Sunny, high 40's and perfect for running. The best part was that for the first time in months it was warm enough to wear SHORTS!!!! Whoohoooo!

Obviously, I'm adapting to my new surroundings. If I were still in FL and it was in the 40's I probably would of been wearing a snowsuit. Anywho, it felt great to leave the running tights at home and finally get some sun on my pasty legs. I also threw on a light sweatshirt but that wasn't worn for long.

My schedule called for a 45 min run. My Garmin is still out of commission so I'm not sure of my distance. I ran loops around the county park near my house. It's a beautiful area and the gravel parking lots add a bit of a challenge but it's still better than running on concrete. I can feel it in my calves today!

I've decided to give spin class a second chance today. Hopefully this time I'll break a sweat. If not, I'll come home and let my bike on the trainer kick my butt.

Myth Buster

2010-01-09T05:52:00.000-08:00

There is a myth in the exercise world that running makes you lose weight. It does not. Running alone will NOT make you lose weight and in fact adding miles causes a increase in appetite, which can actually make you gain weight! I agree that this is unfair and a total injustice. The truth hurts people.

After years of working out, running and triathlon training I know that in order to slim down a bit I'm going to have to watch what I eat and increase my cardio. As obnoxious as it sounds my problem is that I often don't eat enough. I'm not a big eater by nature and even though this probably doesn't sound like a problem to you it is most definitely a problem when it comes to training. Food equals fuel and fuel equals energy. To help improve my eating habits as well as consume my alloted daily calories I've decided to follow the Flat Belly Diet.

This diet includes a 4-day "cleanse". I am omitting that from my plan. Drinking nothing but ginger water is not only unrealistic but let's face it, that's not exactly optimum fuel for runners. I am also starting the intermediate 5k program from my "Run Less, Run Faster" book, at least one spin class or tour on the trainer and two kettle bell/weight lifting work-outs for my weekly work-outs.

Don't be fooled by the color pink...

2010-01-06T07:12:00.001-08:00

Santa brought me a kettle bell set for Christmas. Even though they are nowhere near as impressive as Devlin's 45lb bell these little devil's pack a punch! Turkish get ups, swing squats, swing-switch front raises. Basically, a masochists version of heaven!

I've been doing a series of the above mentioned kettle exercises with :30 of jump rope between sets. Trust me, this is a great way to work up a sweat or vomit. Whichever comes first!

THAS Work-out

2009-12-11T07:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday after shopping at Ann Taylor loft for a few winter items I became very aware of the fact that the backside needed some fine tuning. O.k.... a major over haul! I admit I'm not exactly joing the cast of biggest loser but I am 30 now and going to have to put a lot more effort into keeping my ars where it belongs.

I developed a few lower body work-out routines for my WOW class (women on weights) in FL. These are known as my "THAS" work-outs. Thighs and ars baby, and they pack a punch! The girls and I also used to do some parts of them at the park after short runs or sprints on the black top. "POSSUM!"-inside joke.

THAS #1 ( the one I did last night)

3x10 sets each position- squats: wide stance, hip width, feet close

3x10 each leg-single leg squat

3x10 each leg-back lunge to high knee

**30lbs on squat bar**

3x10 each leg-single leg deadlifts(30lb bar)

3x10 each leg-hinge lunges off the tallest bench

3x10 each leg- cross, step ups on the tallest bench

(the last 3 exercises are done in a series burning out each leg at a time)

I ran 2 miles before the THAS work-out. After, I went to the mat(ewww) for planks and bosu crunches. Then I jumped back on the mill for another .5mi run at my max speed.

I didn't stretch afterwards because there were a couple of sweaty dudes practicing their wrestling moves on the mats. They were grunting and groaning and I was not about to get in their way.

I've never seen anyone, other than myself wipe the mats off after abs or stretching so I do my best to avoid contact with them. People give me odd looks when I wipe them and then put paper towels down for "protection". Times like these make me miss the Y and the courteous members that cleaned up after themselves!

What a pain in the neck!

2009-12-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

During our stay in GA for the holiday I had planned on swimming at the YWCA and doing a lot of running on beautiful St. Simons Island. However, after my run in with the tractor trailer on I-95 on the way to GA it was immediately apparent that working out was not happening. The ironic thing is that after the accident, once we got to a hotel, I was so hyped up I could of put my shoes on and murdered the treadmill. Maybe if I had I wouldn't of been as sore the next day. The following day I woke up feeling like I was turning 80 instead of 30. I remained extremely sore for the next few days. My biggest complaint was my aching, throbbing neck!

My neck is still sore in the morning when I first wake up but improves as the day goes on. I think I may need to find a chiropractor. The heating pad has become my new best friend.

After almost two weeks of no running or exercise I finally got a work-out in today.

run: 2mi
weights: 4 sets of 10 deadlifts standing on the bosu (20 lbs)
3: 15sec planks
3: sets of 8 bosu push-ups

It felt good to sweat a bit. My plan is to get three more runs in this week, two spin classes or rides on the trainer and two more days of weight lifting.

Jingle all the way...maybe.

2009-11-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

I am really missing running and racing with my girls but I didn't realize how much my kids missed it. The other day they started telling me that "we" need some running friends and that we should do some races in MD. Drew added that he even missed "getting up at the crack of dawn" to go to races. That was amazing to me.

They officially motivated me, so I've been looking for a race for us. Ideally I'd like to do the 5k and the fun run for the kids. The Jingle Bell kid run is only $5 and includes a t-shirt!

We've spent a few afternoons in Solomons and it is a beautiful waterfront area. I'm sure the race course will be gorgeous.

Even if I don't get to do the 5k it will still be fun just to be back in the race atmosphere!

Road Running-No honking please!

2009-11-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I headed out on Dares Beach Rd for what was supposed to be 3mi with a few intervals. It turned out to be 4mi with a few hill repeats.

The weather was a sunny 52 degrees. I wore shorts for two reasons. 1: I need a little sun on my legs and 2: I really need to invest in some running tights. Thankfully I was wearing a bondi band, which I promptly pulled down to cover my ears. The wind was in my face and I found myself running at a swift pace just to get my blood flowing and to warm up a bit. My Garmin is still out of commission so I'm not sure of my exact pace. I didn't have my phone either. Yes, I was out running on a busy country road with no phone. I promise to never do that again.

In following a tip from my Runners World magazine, I ran facing the traffic and took my time to make sure I wasn't in harms way when crossing roads/driveways. Running on the road alone was not as intimidating as I thought it may be. The shoulder was a lot wider than it looked from driving by and I felt there was plenty of room between me and the passing cars. However, the honking from the occasional passerby was a bit annoying. Especially since I didn't have my ipod. Earphones work as mufflers from the blaring air horns on wheels. There aren't a ton of runners on the road like in FL so apparently seeing a runner out in the cold is reason for celebration.

To all you honkers out there. A wave will suffice.

Halloween Horror....the dreadmill

2009-11-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

Last week I was busy preparing for the Halloween weekend and didn't have much time for blogging. We had company coming for the weekend and cleaning this house is no small task. I considered cleaning my cross training for the week. Two of my children had oversized costumes that had to be altered and my 7yr old wanted to be Indiana Jones but hated the "store-bought" costume. Thus, sending me on a wild goose chase for an Indiana hat, jacket, whip and satchel. I'm proud to report I was able to find all of his desired items and they were all happy with their costumes. Whew! Three happy kids is no easy task.

Between my husbands odd schedule and running errands all over Calvert county I atleast got three runs in last week. However, the only cross training I did was cleaning and a little weight training after one of the runs. I'm using "the book" by following the intermediate 5k program. Total miles for last week was 11. Hopefully this week I'll be able to get in my three runs plus a few cross training days. My last few weeks of running have ALL been on the treadmill. Better known as the dreadmill. I've decided that aside from cold + rain, I will do all my runs outside. The leaves are changing, the weather is cool and I am heading outside!

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

2009-10-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

With the weather getting cooler I find myself baking more often. Although I am not 100% vegan I love to bake vegan. Why use all the milk, butter, eggs and refined sugars when you don't have to? I have a wonderful book "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz that has some of the best EVER vegan recipes. This book has something for everyone ranging from Tempeh Reuben sandwiches to Fauxstess (like hostess) cupcakes.

These pumpkin muffins come from this book and they are awesome! My kids had them for breakfast, asked if I'd put one in their lunches and later had them for an afternoon snack. Needless to say, the batch didn't last long in our house!

The Best Pumpkin Muffins

13/4 cups all-purp flour
11/4 cups sugar
1 tblspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground/grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup veg oil
2 tablespoon molasses

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease muffin tin.
Sift together dry ingred's.
In a separate bowl combine wet ingred's.
Pour the wet into the dry and mix.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake 18-20mins

You could also add a cup of cranberries or chopped walnuts.

I altered the recipe slightly by using equal parts white and brown sugar, light soy milk and canola oil instead of veg oil.

These muffins come out very light and moist and your house will smell amazing!

Thirsty Thursday

2009-10-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, even though Matt was home and I could of ran outside I opted to hit the mill instead. The weather was in the 40's and raining. Is it October or December? I'm confused. I headed to the gym to do my second work out from "The Book" and get a little weights in before picking up the big kids from school.

The schedule called for 1mi warm up. 3mi at 9:56. 1mi cool down. Not bad. Unfortunately, I wrote this off as too easy and only had two cups of coffee and a pumpkin muffin for fuel. I ate at 8am. I ran at 1pm. Terrible, I know. Notice I didn't mention water.

The treadmills are a little wacky and I'm pretty sure they need to be re calibrated. I started off on a treadmill set at 12min pace. However, I crossed the proverbial "finish" line with the clock reading 10min. That was supposed to be my warm-up mile. My "pace" miles were supposed to be at 9:56. I decided to jump on a different mill since obviously that one had issues. The next mill had me at 10:00min pace at 6.0 but at 5.9 it read 9:22 pace. That's a HUGE difference. I opted to keep it at 6.0. I'm not sure if it was the stopping and starting with switching mills or the two cups of joe but my heart rate was thru the roof! I let myself walk .10 to let my rate slow down but by the end of mile 2 it was way up again. I'm all about pushing to 80-90% max but I was feeling bad and I know enough to listen to my body. I allowed myself another .10 walk at the end of mile 3. By this time I had also slugged down my water bottle and would of stolen the bottle of the chick next to me if it wasn't flu season! At this point I was just ready to get it over with and since I figured my pace was off anyway I cranked it up a bit and finished the 4th mi with as much dignity as possible. I was breathing like an asthmatic and my feet hitting the treadmill sounded like a heard of buffalo. I ran the 5th mi at this mills 11:30 pace, which was much more comfortable. Total time on the mill was about 50min. That tells me just how off the treadmills were and no wonder it felt so hard.

I jumped off the mill and headed to the water fountain to fill-up my water bottle. Then I took my sweaty, red-faced self over to the free weight floor to pump a little iron. I started off with alternating sets of bosu dead-lifts with the 40lb bar and lunges off the bosu. After my hamstrings were significantly punished I grabbed the bosu and headed over to the bench press. I continued with alternating sets but this time with a set of bench press followed by a set of bosu push ups. 4 sets of 10 each. I finished with obliques on the ab bench, a quick stretch and then off to get the kiddos.

This work-out was a reminder of just how bad I need to fix my Garmin or invest in a new one. Also, a reminder to fuel better!!

Run Less, Run Faster. Or die trying!

2009-10-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

I finally ordered this book that my friends have been telling me about. I won't actually have it for about a week but since my friend Jen started her training program from the book today she sent me hers to follow. That way we can be long distance training partners. I still don't have any races on my calendar. I figure there's probably a few 5k's in the area in the upcoming months so if I'm ready maybe I'll get to run a few. It's a lot less pressure just training for life!

Total time on the mill-67 mins

Total distance-5.25 miles

1 mile warm up at 10 min pace

Schedule called for repeats. 8x400 with 400 recovery

My pace for the 400's varied between 8:49 and 9:22 (by the 6th repeat I was ready to quit, but I didn't)

.25 mile cool down

I stretched for about 5min. I still had to get the kids home, fed, washed and put to bed.

Overall I really liked this work-out, especially the 400's recovery! It was difficult but not undo able. It felt good to push myself yet still feel strong at the finish.

3.1 miles of yuck!

2009-10-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today was my second run of the week. For the past few weeks I've been running three times a week with one day of hills, one of speed work on the mill and one "longer" run. I lift weights twice a week and try to get at least an hour of cardio in too.

This week I've been feeling like I'm coming down with something. My legs were really achy after my run on Monday. Tuesday I bench pressed followed by bosu push-ups and then finished up with squats and dead lifts on the bosu. Today my chest is STILL sore. I typically recover really fast so the nagging soreness is definitely a sign of me not feeling well. I decided to take yesterday off. Today I planned on doing speed work. I warmed up for a mile and as soon as I started to speed it up a bit I felt really crappy. I decided to let myself walk when I needed to but to increase my speed after each break. I was really thirsty the entire time and since I didn't have my ipod to distract me all I could think about was my water bottle. I was thankful that I only planned on 3.1 miles of this torture.

"Hills are speed work in disguise."-Frank Shorter

2009-10-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

With Matt's crazy schedule getting work-outs in is pretty challenging. I only had about 45min to get a run in. I really didn't want to have to hit the treadmill again so I decided to drive over to Prince Frederick Parkway. The weather was overcast and in the high 60's. I planned to run my normal hilly 1.5 mile route with a few repeats on the steepest of the three hills. The hill is about .5mi long. I ran for a total of 30min. As expected the repeats seemed to get harder each time and I took a little extra recovery after each one. Even my "recovery" spot is an incline. I jogged easy the last .5mi of the route that takes me back to my car but since this last portion is a huge hill it was ecspecially challenging after doing the repeats. I cooled down and stretched in the parking lot before heading home.

Two-A-Who? Two-A-Day!

2009-09-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

That's right I decided to pull myself out of the funk I've been in and get my butt back in the game. I don't have any races on my schedule but that doesn't mean I should just quit training all together. Of course, I've been doing some running and weight lifting but nothing like I'm capable of so I need to get back in the habit of 5 days a week killer workouts!

I've been hunting for a nearby indoor pool. The closest I found is in Great Mills, which is about 40min from my house. Obviously I won't be able to swim everyday but if I'm hoping to at least get there once a week until February when the Prince Frederick aquatic center is finished.

After driving the 40min, paying the $3 fee I was finally inside the giant bubble aka poolside. The pool was very clean and I had the place to myself besides a water aerobic class going on in the shallow end. The lanes were all in the deep end 7-9 ft. I noticed there wasn't a lifeguard anywhere and that's where my next little story begins
The water was perfect so I got in fairly quickly. I only jump in quickly if someone blows a fog horn at me. Otherwise, I take my time. After doing a little warm up I noticed the aerobics class was over and everyone was leaving. One of the patrons didn't leave but instead got up into the lifeguard chair. I thought it was a bit odd that the guard was in the class instead of watching the pool but whatever no big deal. After attempting to do a sprint I was resting at the far end of the lane when he struck up a conversation with me. This is exactly how it went. The kid was very nice but I found him totally hilarious.
Lifeguard:"Man, water aerobics is tough. I had no idea how hard it was."
Me: "Yeah, looked tough."(i'm a smart ass, I know)
Lifeguard:"So do you swim a lot"
Me:" I'm a wanna be swimmer. Just trying to get back in shape. I haven't swam in a few months"
Lifeguard:"Yeah, me neither. I haven't swam in a while. I was hoping to swim now but that old guy over there just got in so I can't."
Me:" o.k."(trying not to laugh)
I don't know about you but I sure felt safe with a lifeguard that one wasn't even watching me in the pool and two hasn't even swam lately! I seriously laughed the rest of my workout. He was a very sweet kid but I don't think he even realized what he said.

I swam about 1000 yds doing some drills and only attempting a couple sprints. Puking in pools is frowned upon so I didn't push it.

After getting the kids from school we went to the gym where I ran 2mi on the treadmill and did 25min on the elliptical.

Today, I hurt all over and it feels great!

Hallowing Point Park

2009-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I decided to take Ty to a nearby park for a run/bike. Meaning, I run and he bikes. If all the roads were paved this would of been a bit more successful but we still had a good time! One reason I love this park is the old barns that have been restored and re purposed. They are used for storage, as well as concession stands. It's a beautiful park and I'm really looking forward to spending baseball season here.

Ty was such a trooper. He rode his bike for a little over a mile. After his first MD bike ride he said "Wow, the hills make my legs tired."

Now we just need to find a park with more paved roads. I think it's time to go the next size up on his bike and get rid of those training wheels. Then it'll be him waiting for me and helping me up the hills.

Pitiful Pilates

2009-08-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

The figure on the left is me. The one on the right is how your body should be aligned.

In FL I was a pilates instructor. After a summer of slacking and no pilates for months, saying I am out of "pilates" shape is an understatement. I probably couldn't make it through one of my old pilates classes let alone teach it. You can't fake it in pilates. I was sweating bullets at the end of the 1hr class. I know that all the hill running is a legitimate excuse for super tight hips and a sore lower back but my lack of core strength is ridiculous.

I was able to hold the teaser and make it through a few plow series but roll-ups, shoulder stands and anything else that required lower back strength was almost impossible. I had very little control, which is crucial in pilates. Two days later....my abs are still achy! I'll definitely be back to class next week. The instructor was very nice, had a great personality and was very understanding of my inadequacy ;)

Running(Trespassing) the Vineyard

2009-08-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

One of the most difficult challenges I've come across moving to MD is that I no longer have a neighborhood to run in. Or my fabulous friends to run with! There is a nice public park down the road from our house that I ran in last week. I plan to take my camera with me next time to take some pics of the beautifully restored historical barns that are throughout the park.

Near our house is a vineyard that I've heard has a gear Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, I haven't made it over there to try the wine yet but I did run through the vineyard twice last week. I ran into the owner and although he reminded me that I was in fact on private property he allowed me to still run on his beautiful property. Here are a few shots I took on what I can only assume was about a 3 mi run. (My Garmin is still out of order and I plan on getting a new one ASAP!)

These gravel hills are intense but I really love the challenge.

At the base of this hill is a lake with geese and turtles.

This is the tasting area. I can't wait to go when they're open and try the wine!

The grapes are so beautiful you forget you're running uphill.

This hill is my north face. I was about half way up when I took this pic. It's a monster!

I just love this picture.

This is the final hill leading up to the exit and the only paved road in the vineyard. Amazingly, I ran on the side of the road instead. After running on asphalt and sidewalks for the past two years in FL I'm really enjoying running on gravel and trail. It makes my legs super sore but I feel like I'm learning to love running after not truly appreciating it in the past. I took for granted how convenient it was to just meet my girls and head out on our perfectly plotted, paved, streetlight lined routes. Running allows me to still feel close to my friends even though I don't live close anymore. Having to run by myself in an unfamiliar place is a big adjustment but I'm deciding to embrace it, enjoy the scenery and run as often as I can!

Secret Service 5k

2009-05-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

2009 Secret Service 5k

This weekend was the Secret Service 5k in Tampa. The course is an out and back along the water. My sista-in-law, Shelly was visiting for the weekend so she ran it too. It was her first 5k and she did great! All my girls ran a great race with Barb and Christy placing 2nd and 3rd in their age groups.

To keep the spectators busy during the race there were the Presidential limo's that you could sit in and have your picture taken, an inflatable obstacle course and javelin. The kids had fun running around eating all the free food!

Drew and Ty ready to battle.

Ty was hilarious. Don't tell him he's too small!

week 2 & 3

2009-05-03T18:03:00.001-07:00

Ashley is training for her first triathlon and she's doing a great job at not missing any work-outs and giving her all each time. We are super proud of her and she can't wait to join team trialicious!

She wasn't thrilled about heading out for a run on this day because of the cold and wind but the cute new running outfit helped motivate her. As with all runners, she was happy when it was done. It's fun to watch kids tri-training because it's all based on fun and games that are inadvertently training!

Back to my training...or lack there of.

Week 2:

Mon-off

Tues-off (this was a recurring theme this week)

Wed- bike 35min

swim150 wu, 200 buoy, 2x300 free, 150 cool

Thurs & Fri- off

Sat- run 2mi(quickly, the croaking alligators were serious motivation and also why my4mi run was cut in half)

weights:legs

Sun- you guessed it, off!

Sorry excuse for a week, at least I'm honest!

week 3:

Mon: 60min long run-very boring on the treadmill

Tues: swim wu-400, last 50 of each 100 kick

main-8x100 EBEH

cd-6x25 This swim felt all chopped up but at least it wasn't boring!

Wed: 50min bike

Thurs: off

Fri: swim- 4oo

I ran out of time to do my set because I was preoccupied with watching Ash swim in the lane next to me. Also, my shoulder was killing me from all the painting.

Sat: off ( unless you consider spending all day running kids to their activities training)

Sun: 12mi bike

Week 1

2009-04-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

First week of "official" training went pretty good. I'm trying to work on my nutrition and get my calories in to support my work outs. I failed pretty miserably the first part of the week but got better as the week went on.

Monday- 3mi run

Tuesday-Taught pilates 1hr

2mi run

Wednesday-9mi bike at 5:30am-This ride was dark and dangerous. Since I'm already nervous on my bike it was a bit stressful.

Afternoon: Taught step 1hr

Swim: 900

My legs felt really heavy in the pool. Step always makes my calves really sore.

Evening: 2mi treadmill run

Taught Bodyflex 1hr

Thursday- OFF

Friday- 5k night race in Ybor

My calves were still sore to the touch from teaching step. I know better than to teach step two days before a race but I wanted to help out a friend. At least my time was still fine. Overall time was 29min by my watch but apparently the "start" was at the end of the first street we ran down and I started my watch when I passed the guy with the airhorn. No worries, it was fun and the weather was beautiful!

Saturday- 1mi fun run at Healthy kids day with Ashley

Sunday- 7mi run with Teresa

I missed a swim this week and I'm not really sure how that happened. The swims on the schedule were easy this week so it's not that big of a deal. They do advance pretty quickly though so I don't plan on missing any in the future.

8 weeks

2009-04-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's 8 weeks til my first tri of the season. I'd hoped to get a few more races in this season but with Matt's traveling and my shoulder injury it turns out Dunedin will be my first tri of the season.

3mi run yesterday. The battery is dead in my Garmin but my wrist watch said it was 29 mins. Not bad considering it was hot and windy.

I'm doing a night race this Friday in Tampa. It should be a lot of fun. I'm excited about the longsleeve shirt too! I'll be needing a lot of those this time next year.

Iron Girl 2009

2009-04-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Aflac Iron Girl 5k/10k in Clearwater. This was my second year running this race with my running girls. We had a few new friends with us this year too. We all ran the 5k, which consists of running over and back on the new Clearwater bridge. The entire race is pretty hilly with a hill at the starting line and another hill right at the base of the "curly cue" you run down after climbing the steep side of the bridge. Even though the bridge is definitely a challenge the views are so amazing that you can't really complain. We had perfect weather! Even though I only improved my time from last year by 10 seconds I felt strong and steady the whole time.

I'm sure I could of pushed myself a bit harder but I was too busy enjoying the beautiful views and appreciating the experience since this will probably be my last Iron Girl event in FL. But, I've already got my sights on the Iron Girl tri in Colombia MD next year!

Short yet productive...

2009-03-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

This morning after dropping off all the kids I decided to do a short 2 or 3 mile run in the neighborhood and incorporate some kind of speed work.

I ran from my house to the front gate in 8:25. Then I went into the front park for some speed work around the "loop", which we've figured is just under .25mi per lap. I did 3 laps w/ a 20sec sprint each lap. Then I jogged a nice cool down (into the wind) home.

Luckily the rain didn't start til I was on my way out to run errands. Glad I got in a decent run in without too much discomfort in my shoulder.

No Zephyrhills tri

2009-03-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

My friend Karen invited me to do the East Pasco YMCA sprint triathlon with her this coming weekend. I found a babysitter and was super excited for the 300 pool swim, the bike route with no sharp turns and the flat 5k course. I was planning on registering this evening.

Today at my massage I found out that the pain in my right arm was more than just an annoyance. Apparently I have a tear in my rotator cuff. My first response was "so you don't recommend racing next weekend?". You can imagine his response. Since rest, ice, and more massage seems to be the cure, that's exactly what I intend to do. I can make modifications in my classes so that I don't further injure myself, yet still kick every one's butts ;) I'm going to take two weeks off swimming, lay off the weights and only ride the spin bike for the next few weeks. He said even running can be bad if I swing my arms too much. No laughing at me when I'm running on the treadmill with my hands in my pockets!

Body Shock

2009-03-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

Even though I've considered myself "back in training" for the past few weeks, I don't think my body realized it til yesterday. The run/swim two-a-day work outs are much easier on the body than biking and then racing to the pool to swim for an hour. After teaching my class last night it was all I could do to get the kids home, fed, and bathed. My main goal was to fall face first into my bed.

I officially have a 50% success rate on my new tri bike. Two rides, only one fall. Odds are looking pretty good. The wind yesterday was so unbelievable that T and I were actually late picking our kids up from preschool. Luckily they don't yell at us like the big kids would have. I keep waiting for that "wind at your back" theory I've been hearing about. Instead, it's the dreaded crosswind that is never helping you along. I was so tense on my bike that my entire upper body was sore.

This soreness didn't help much in the pool. We were supposed to swim 1600 but I think I was short. My neck and shoulders were killing me but I think it was all just tension from being in a constant state of panic on my bike. I felt better by the time I went back to teach class and I've been fine all day today. Achy, but fine.

T and I have swam on the coldest days for the past two weeks. The water always feels great but getting out is another story. The people on the treadmills probably think we're nuts. They're right.

I love days like this because they make you the kind of sore you just couldn't get from any other sport. I hate them for the same reason.

Gasparilla 15k

2009-03-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

I'm a firm believer in the old saying " you get out, what you put in". In some cases, you put in diddly, and you get squat.

That's the best way to describe my performance at Gasparilla this year. I am not the kind of runner that cannot train and then pull off a great race. Since I knew I hadn't trained properly and woke up with a belly ache ( i was still getting over the virus that ran viciously through my house) I decided to just enjoy the race atmosphere and not get too caught up with my time. I told the girls ahead of time to leave my butt in the dust when necessary. By mile 3 they were out of my sight.

Miraculously I kept my first 6mi at a 10min pace. I drank when thirsty, kept my pace steady and tried not to look at my watch very often. At mile 5.5 I took my shock blocks. By mile 6 it all turned bad. The water stops caught up with me and I had to hit the porta potty. Eeeeek! In the future, I'll opt for peeing myself. The shocks had a lot of caffeine and sodium in them which led to a super high heart rate and VERY swollen fingers. They were like freakin sausages by the time I crossed the finish line. Needless to say my last 5k of the race was not pretty and I really had no clue of my pace at this point. I was just hoping not to crawl across the finish line.

In the end I was a little slower than last year, which I had expected. Thankfully it wasn't 10min slower!!

This race is such has beautiful scenery, great support and an overall fun and exciting atmosphere. We could not have asked for better weather. The free beer is another nice bonus. Even though, this wasn't my most successful race it was a total blast and I was grateful to share the morning with two very good friends.

Back in training

2009-02-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

With tri season just around the corner I'm officially back in training. Eventhough my first race of the season will be a relay, which I'll be biking. I'm happy to say I've whipped out the old swim cap and have been back in the pool for a few weeks. I've been "training" for the upcoming 15k so my running is pretty much back on track. I say "training" because I've only really gotten two long runs in so I'm a little nervous about how I'll do this weekend. I'm just going into it as another chance to spend a nice morning with my running girls. No pressure. PR or not. I don't really care. I have not been on my new tri bike since the "incident". But, next week I'll be putting on my football gear and heading out for another go at it. As long as I stay away from my tri-bars I should be fine.

Monday was the beginning of the two-a-day workouts. Mon and wed. will be our 2-a-day schedule with wed also including my bodyflex class. This is actually an easier schedule for me from last season. Last season I also taught 2hrs in a row (spin & bodyflex) on monday nights after training in the morning. This bit of a break will hopefully allow me to fuel better, thus recover faster.

First 2-a-day wrkout:
10:30am -8mi run
The weather was 70 degress without a cloud in the sky. It was perfect running weather. I ran our regular route twice. I probably did a little over 8. First 4 miles were about 5min faster than the last four. I wore the wrong shoes (thinking I'd save my good ones for sat). Big mistake, I now have two huge blisters on my feet. Good thing I have a few days for them to heal before race day. I'm not sure of my pace since it was frequently disrupted by cars, the crosswalk and a family of ducks. Guessing I was around 10min miles.

2:00 pm- 1500 swim
5x100 easy
4x50 kick drills (these felt great after my run. ouch!)
4x50 drills: buoy, finger drags, one arms, touch-ups
500 steady
100 cool down
Good thing the swim was easy because my legs were already hurting from the run. The swim was actually a great way to work out some of my soreness. I did get a charlie horse in the pool. That was a fun experience. Thank god we weren't in the deep pool. I don't think I could ever live down a rescue at work ;)

Gasparilla 15k

2009-02-01T16:49:00.001-08:00

I'm officially registered for the Gasparilla 15k on Feb. 28th. While in Sports Authority on Saturday buying cleats for Drew I found out they were also doing early registration for Gasparilla. Plus, by purchasing $75 of Nike merchandise you can run the 5/15k for free. Since I was already there I figured I might as well buy some running clothes and take advantage of the special.

Last week I ran 5 days in a row with speed work in my 2-3 mi runs. There's 26 days til the race so that should give me plenty of time to get my mileage back up and get some long runs in.

Sunday Run

2008-12-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-19T05:19:00.001-08:00

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!

2008-11-24T18:51:00.000-08:00

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."

2008-10-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sunset Run

2008-10-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T18:01:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-10-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-04T09:14:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-02T07:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-30T14:47:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-09-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-09-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

Florida Gulf Beaches Holiday Halfathon - Course Map

Half Marathon Training: Novice

2008-09-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Half Marathon Training: Novice

Saturday morning solitude.

2008-09-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-18T06:47:00.003-07:00

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.

2008-09-18T06:47:00.002-07:00

p.m run

2008-09-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-06T15:42:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-05-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-05-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-26T04:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-04-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-04-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-03-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-28T18:50:00.000-07:00

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 ??!!

2008-03-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-03-07T11:51:00.001-08:00

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!!!!

2008-03-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-01-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

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!

Starting a program

2007-12-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been having some really nice runs with my "running club". However, doing the same mileage every time is getting too monotanous. Also, because of all my other work outs I was missing my Sunday runs. I decided that I need a goal and a program to help me achieve that goal. I chose the Feb. suncoast classic 10k and found a program through Runners World smart coach. Tonight my club met as usual and although it was hard to turn back when my friends were pushing on I decided to stick with my program. They went on to do the usual 5.3 and I did 2, like my program listed. The only downfall to my program is the pace. There is no way I'm going to head out for 2,12:30 minute miles. So I plan to stick to the programs mileage and tempo runs but do my own pace. Tonight I ran my first mile at 10 min and mile 2 at 8min. It was a nice strong, easy run and now instead of dreading my next two runs for the week I'm actually looking forward to them.

2007-12-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

I figure I better put something on here before it's an entire month between posts.

I have been having some awesome runs lately. My little running group now consists of 7 of us! It's great to have so many wonderful women to run with. We talk almost the whole way, which really makes the time fly by. As well as, let's us know that we're doing pretty good since we can still maintain a conversation. The best heart monitor in the world.

We run about 5 miles twice a week and shoot for a long one on the weekends. The way my hectic life has been going I'm lucky to get any miles in on the weekends but I do my best to atleast get out there and get a few even if it's in the evening after I've put dinner on. I just sneak off for a 30 or 20 min run and nobody really notices.

I am learning to listen to my body so days like today, where I'm exhausted and have already worked out, taught spin, etc. I take a break from my running. I'll probably get a few miles in tomorrow to make up for it but tonight I'm going to give my body the rest it needs. Maybe I'll finally kick this month long cold!!

Finally a good run!!

2007-11-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

Lately my runs had been tainted with shin splints, side stitches and terrible stomach cramps. I took the weekend off and started keeping a food journal. I started watching what I eat and made some minor changes to my diet that really make me feel great! My run on Tuesday night was awesome. I ran 4.48 at a great pace(forgot our watches).

We have a new runner in our group, Amy. She just moved here and she's super sweet. She enjoyed running with us and is going to meet up with us again tonight. Luckily we didn't scare her off! LOL

Tonight we're going to try to do some speed intervals. The girls are trying to talk me into the 10k for the turkey trot but I'm still not convinced. If my runs continue to go well I may consider it. Sunday we plan to do 6 in the am so we'll see how that goes. It's actually cold here tonight - in the 60's brrrrr. I may have to pull out an old ski cap or headband ;)

Busy Bee

2007-11-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Because of my hectic life I've been neglecting my blog. My last few runs weren't really anything to write about so you didn't miss anything. My side stitches have turned into some kind of digestion/GI issue. Anyways, I'm keeping a food journal and making some changes so hopefully I'll figure it out soon. I started some new vitamins and they may be the problem. If so, I'll be sure to not take them right before I run. I'm also going to try to switch to soy milk on my run days.

I finally got some new running shoes. I went to a great little store in Tarpon Springs and the nice man fitted me perfectly for two new pairs of shoe and an insert. What a difference that makes!! I got a pair of Brooks Dyad just for running and a pair of New Balance for everything else. I also plan on using the New Balance for treadmill runs.

Unfortunately I didn't go run the cross country race in brooksville. My running partners dropped out one by one and I wasn't going to drive all the way up there by myself. Matt and the kids were less than thrilled at the idea of leaving the house at 6am for a race. Oh well, it was a last minute decision anyway so maybe if I plan enough ahead of time next year I'll be able to go do it.

Creaky Bones 5k

2007-10-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Before I can can talk about the race I should explain the events leading up to the race. First of all last week I taught bodyflex 5 times! Including an 8am class yesterday before the race. Right after bodyflex I had to run all my saturday errands and then race home to get the family up to Drew's last soccer game. After the game was their pizza party. Note to self: Don't eat pizza and then run! We raced home from the little party to meet my friend Angel at my house and load up for the ride down to Sarasota. Angel being the smart cookie that she is bought all the kids new toys for the ride so it was pretty peaceful.
Once we arrived Angel and I raced over to get our packets leaving matt to navigate with all the kids. The kids then got their packets and we were all set. The race started 10 mins later. Nothing like making it at the last minute. Unfortunately the kids runs were at the same time as ours so I missed watching them. They both did really good and had a blast! Ash ran a 400 and Drew ran a 200. They got awesome t-shirts and treats and can't wait to go again next year!
Angel and I had a good race but not a great one. First of all, the slow people and WALKERS!!! lined up in the front forcing us to be in the rear. This part was not very organized and people were pissed. When we first started one lady yelled out " I can walk faster than this!" Very true. My first thought was well, there goes any chance of a good time. It took us atleast 5 MINS to navigate through the slow people. Probably a little longer. The first part of the race was very narrow and people were running down the middle of the sidewalk instead of staying to the left like they were told. There were a lot of people that ran the first mile and walked the rest. Why they didn't just sign up for the 1mi fun run? I have now clue. We used a ton of energy sprinting around the slow people, trying not to go into the road and saying"excuse me, coming up on your right/left". We were thinking "move your ass!" We finally had a good pace going and the views were beautiful. Most of the course was right on the water and it was cool and overcast, aka no sun. Unfortunately, at mile 2 I got a terrible side stitch (pizza induced) and had to walk for a little bit. Not too long. We finished the run and had an overall good experience. Our final time was 32 mins, which at first I was mad about but then we remembered that if it weren't for navigating through the slow people we would of come in under 30 mins. Overall this was a really fun race for everyone.

Side stitches!!

2007-10-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

My newest running related issue is side stitches!! What a horrible feeling. I can accept the fact that when I get a cramp in the area of my injury I have to take it easy. But, when I'm feeling good and all of a sudden get a terrible stabbing pain on the opposite side I'm dumb founded. To back track...A few months ago I was doing back handsprings in my yard with the kids and pulled my right transverse abdominal, yes the whole damn thing. I had an ultrasound and basically they said it didn't tear but was a giant mass and I had to work through the pain to help release it. Ice and Ben Gay. Thanks a lot doc. Oh, and it may never be 100% again. Man, getting older stinks! It is getting much better and usually only flared up after teaching a lot of pilates. Running actually seemed to help!

I've come to the decision that my stitches are coming from what I eat. Crap! So now I'm on a health food kick. I'm trying to write down everything and the nights I have good runs I try to eat the same things the next time I run. If it weren't for my love of cheetos this would be a perfect plan. My friend barb gave me a book and I'm researching all my options to improve in the area of my poor diet. Unfortunately cheetos aren't considered a necessary food. Says who???