The stars aligned!!

Lately I have had trouble finishing up at work in time to get a good run in after work - so I grew up. And I have been running in the mornings like the rest of the grown-up running world...

But on Monday - a Christmas miracle occurred. My work schedule for the day was almost unbearable to look at - 34 units, and evaluation and an 1 1/2 long meeting (on a normal day I have trouble doing 30 units without an evaluation or a meeting within 8 hours). So, somehow... I made it out of work around 4:30.

Now again. Usually I'll leave work between 4:30 and 5:30 and it takes me about 45 minutes to make it home 13 miles through the traffic... On Monday I was home in 17 minutes and I didn't even drive That fast!
I fed the dogs. Played fetch for a few minutes and still had time to spare before heading over to South City.

Over to South City to enjoy a group run up and down the streets where each house is decorated to the 9s. I had so much fun!! I can't wait to go next year!

Marathon training...

This feeling is so familiar - increase in appetite, sleeping like a rock, lack of focus on those days I miss my run...

I am 3 weeks into an intermediate marathon training program and even though this is my first marathon, the physical and psychological changes are something I have been through many times before. Except this time the soreness isn't in my triceps- it's in my quads and hamstrings.

I swam in college and for a US team after college. In college, we would start the season off light but about 3 or 4 weeks in, we would be doing 2-a-days and 'dry land' training every other day. The increase always took my appetite by storm and I would suddenly be eating 6 times a day and still not able to ever fill up. I thought it was awesome! Guilt free eating!! Then, after college when I joined a South Florida team with Coach David Wright, I realized those college workouts were for sissies. Ten weeks of 10,000 meters a day. Whoa. For those of you who don't know how much that is... It's a lot.
And it wasn't only the appetite that grew. I felt changes in my body I am not I can fully explain in words.

1. I was eating everything - at all moments. I was constantly hungry and would eat at least once an hour for every hour I want in the pool. In the mornings, I would eat bites of sandwich between sets... Bottomless pit.
2. My arms and back were sore - but so was my skin. I felt like the skin on my upper back was being stretched as my muscles were hypertrophic. My shirts were starting to fit funny... (Not to mention my breasts went from a full C to a B... And have never recovered.)
3. I started to count my distances and logging times during practices. I became obsessed with the numbers. I had entire workouts, splits and stroke counts memorized.
4. I never wanted to miss a practice - in fact I never wanted to miss a single lap. It always felt like Cheating. I would do almost anything to make sure I was in the water on time. If I missed out on an entire practice I felt grumpy until the next time I could be swimming.
5. Outside of the water, whenever my body was horizontal - I was asleep. Instantly. It was like magic!!
6. And lastly - all I ever wanted to be doing was swimming. If I was awake - I was thinking about when I would be in the water next.

So now that I am into this running program and have almost doubled my mileage - I feel these symptoms starting to set back in...

And in less than a month I have gone from going "urrghh I should run today...." To "when can I fit another run in? Should I run twice today?"

The challenge I will have with this marathon training will be to find the balance in this and avoid the obsessive mindset.

Wish me luck!!




(Picture taken after a snow shoe run in Hollis Nh)

On Island Time

Well its been almost a month since my last post - whoops.

So I got married.  That was fun!

... in KEY WEST!!!

It was pretty much awesome.  and everything was Perfect.

but, I have been neglecting this blog since a few weeks before the wedding and during my honeymoon (I figured my wife might not be too happy with me "blogging" on our honeymoon?!)

She was nice enough to let me swim, run and bike in the Keys whenever I wanted. That's why I married this woman - she gets me.

So within 20 minutes of arriving in Key West, I had my cap and goggles on and swimming in the freezing cold water.

My new nephew wasn't far behind...

On my second day on the island, I ran 6 miles to the house my family was staying in.  I met my 18 year old brother for "a workout".  After his vacation in the Keys, he had to go back home just in time for basketball tryouts and he wanted to make sure he was still in shape.  So, we did not 1, but 2 different crossfit workouts in a row.  Damn.  I'll point out this was on Wednesday.  I got married on Saturday and still couldn't dance with my arms over my head...

For the rest of the trip and our honeymoon, I stuck mostly to running every other day, enjoying every flat road and long bridge I crossed. Gotta love the keys.

With just a few days left on our honeymoon, Denise and I rented bikes from a doggie named "Porter House" and his owner at 

Overseas Outfitters

and biked over the Old 7 Mile Bridge - but you know me.  Biking the bridge was beautiful but I wanted to run it too. So Denise biked by my side and I ran down and back.  Denise saw 3 "HUGE FISH!!" jumping.  I saw none. hum.

And well, I just Needed their really fun bike shirt.

Anyways, the whole trip went by really fast.

But something started to happen while I was there and actually turned into a memento for me to "enjoy" even when I was bake in St. Louis...

Calf pain.  I know, I know.  I am a physical therapist and still can't seem to diagnosis myself.  

At first I thought the worst.. Blood clot.  Since it started just a few minutes into my first run in Key West - but it was happening on both sides by mile 2.  And got a little better with stretching. Can't be a blood clot.

So then I started to think it was tendonitis- posterior tibial tendonitis to be exact.  But I could not figure out why the heck it was happening all of a sudden, and why was it hurting just a few minutes into my runs?

After some research and logical reasoning - I started calling it a mild compartment syndrome of some sort.  In the keys, my fingers were so swollen I was having trouble wear my new Wedding Rings... so, maybe my calves and ankles were swollen too?

So, it should just go away when I come back to St. Louis right??

well, nope.

I have tried 3 runs and averaged about 4 miles for each with pain in my calves starting about .5 to 1 mile into the run.  It's been kind of a bummer.

The good news is that I have this awesome new bike shirt!!  So, It's been getting some good quality show time all around town and in the park.  Denise even thinks I look like a "real bicyclist" in this jersey.

And since I can't bike in the dark and I can't seem to get out of work M-F before the sun sets... I have started a 2 week trial at Title Boxing Club - Rock Hill.  which has been different and fun.  and enlightening... (note to self: more Ab workouts)

Ok - so there is my update on all my workout adventures.

and now I am tired and have plans for an early morning attempt at running more than 4 miles...

<3

The Bar

Disclosure: this is a post mainly meant for me to re-read next time I decide to go to the bar...


Being a 20 something year old - the Bar life still tempts me every now and then...

My coworkers haven't ever had the chance to see me after a drink or so - and even though I warned them I am a "2 beer queer", they still wanted me to join them for a night on the town.  and why not?  I'm young and can stay out late and have fun right?!??

All week I had been looking forward to the weekend - forecasted to be 60 - 70 degrees and beautiful.  I had a 12 mile sunrise run planned for Saturday morning, followed by a bike ride on sunday morning.

I went out to the bar on Friday night and had 3 mixed drinks over 4 hours - we ate goat cheese tapas and watched some circus chicks perform on the rooftop deck at one of the tallest building in St. Louis.  We laughed and danced a little, watched all the awkward men try to hit on women in really really high heels.  I wore my flats and a wedding band and enjoyed the people watching.

It wasn't until the next morning that I knew I had made a mistake.  How is it that I always seem to forget what being hungover feels like.  and so...  I sat on my couch for hours on Saturday and sunday mornings watching "America's next top model........ and I am really disappointed in myself.

I didn't eat breakfast until 2pm on Saturday and still felt drained and tired when I woke up on Sunday at 7.

So here is the note to myself - I enjoy a nice long run, a swim or a bike ride WAY more than being hungover.  And a beer or glass of wine once in a while is ok - but just always remember that 2 drinks come with repercussions in my stomach and liver.

Escalate

Denise, my partner, is worried.

We were out to dinner a few nights ago and I mentioned that the registration for the April Go! St. Louis marathon was discounted until Nov 1st. This started a whole discussion...

When we started dating - I only ever ran 3-4 miles a few days a week. I was swimming 3-5 miles 5 days a week though. Now that I am not swimming nearly as much, I have been running 4 or 5 days a week for the past year and my distances have gone from 3-4 miles to 5-10 depending on how much sun light I have.

So she is worried I am escalating. I told her - yes - that is the point!

"when will it be enough?" she wants to know.
"When I feel tired." but this answer doesn't seem to answer her question.
"In the spring it's a marathon, the summer will have more triathlons - but what about 2014?"
And since it is 1/2 a bottle of wine in - I admit my plans for an ironman.
"And then what? Ultra marathons?"

In order to understand Denise's anxiety about this topic you have to know that she believes that people who spend hours every single day training for these Long events must not have anything better to do or must be bored with their family life - because she simply does not understand that Drive that makes people get up to run at 4am or makes someone enjoy a 70mile bike ride on a Saturday morning.

So this is the part of the conversation with Denise that I have to talk her off the ledge. She thinks I'm not happy with our relationship?!?

I quickly tried to explain that it's really the opposite! I am very happy which gives me the confidence to take on a new and scary challenge. And that my long term plans of an ironman are because I feel so grounded in our relationship. And that I know I actually need her love and support in order to reach these goals...

It doesn't seem like enough though.

And then the real concerns comes out... "when are you going to have time to help me with all my projects around the house - re-doing the kitchen, bathroom, closets, basement..." The list is never ending.
So I did something I really hope I don't regret as I stand at the start line for all these challenges in the future - I promised I would not let any training interfere with helping her around the house.

But - I know she loves me and loves the drive and energy I have. I know that as much as she does not understand how a 5k is just not enough anymore, she will be cheering me on at each milestone along the way!

Plus she agrees that an ironman tattoo would be perfect as a coverup for the Aries tattoo I have on my wrist...

I love to swim.

Swimming is so beautiful - no mater how sloppy.
Tonight I spent time with the kiddos working hard to learn to swim, despite some pretty difficulty disabilities. And they all were beautiful!

Love seeing the smiles on their faces! So much fun! Xoxo

Doggie backpack...

I am on here to announce that I will longer make Abby wear her backpack while we are running...

Abby had the day off from her weighted backpack today and i decided to experience this run the way I usually make my poor puppy run...

So I wore ankle weights for our run. 10 extra pounds really does make it harder to run!

And now I have blisters around my ankles.

On a plus note - I am Much more motivated to loss that extra 10 pounds of soft tissue I carry around me 24 hours a day. In fact I am actually considering wearing those ankle weights until I reach my goal weight...

- If I can find a way to avoid circumferential blisters.

The Sponsorship Plan

Ok one more post for today.

In all fairness, the first post was actually written last week but I wanted to Rainbow-ize it before I published it - so I saved it to post later.

I think this post is more about making a resource for myself but if it ends up helping someone else - Great!

I am on the hunt for a sponsorship for the 2013 season.  Because although I might be cute I am not made of money. 

and I am addicted to racing.


So here is what I have come up with...

The steps, as found from several forums on http://forum.slowtwitch.com

1. Blog on weekly training.
2. Offer services to local shops in return for gear
3. Charity involvement
4. Social Media - facebook fanpage, twitter

I also found out that the best companies to send applications are Zoot, Timex and TriSports.com

And here is the link to all the information I have been reading through.

Finding me a Sponsor!! - Click the words...

So here is my action plan.  Please let me know if anyone out there can offer me more advice and opportunities.

1. Welcome to my BLOG!!

2. As a physical therapist and as someone who has torn my shoulders apart and made it through rehabilitation, I will be offering lectures at local venues in St. Louis on prevention of injuries in exchange for gear, gym passes and coaching.
Lecture ideas: preventing overuse injuries in the shoulders, preventing overuse injuries in the knees, how to treat the IT band/hamstrings... more ideas to come
Vendors I might try: Schlafly's (because I want their bike shirt!!), Mesa Bicycle, Swim.Bike.Run shop, Missouri Running Co....

3. In Florida, I helped to create a youth swim program in a small community pool for aspiring locals to come learn to swim and love the water.  I also spent several months on deck with a club team.  Starting this coming week, I will be helping with DisAbled Athlete Sports Association in St. Louis on deck for their swim practices.

4.  Planning to make a Facebook Fanpage soon. I'm still on the fence about signing up for twitter #butIguessIcouldgetusetoit

Ok, folks - there you have it!  My big plan is unfolding.

The 5k Queen

I am all jacked up on Endorphines today after my 3rd straight weekend of 5k PR's!
Still haven't reached my goal of breaking 21:00 but I do have a giant trophy!

Three weeks ago a training friend of mine (Thanks Cassie!) asked me to come help clean up after a small 5k race out in Collinsville, Il.
The last 5k race I ran was a year ago and I strolled in around 23:30.  At this new race - I crossed the line in 21:43, first in my age division.
So, I went home and found when the next 5k race was and 5 days later I finished another 5k in 21:10!

and today - 21:00.  Sweet!!

The Beginning.

Dear Friends and Family - I have a serious confession to make.  I am officially addicted to triathlons.

2012 has proved to be quite an athletic year for me - I started the racing season off with a personal best 10k run out on the beautiful hills at Innsbrook, MO and followed it up with a great half marathon time here in downtown St. Louis.  After reaching my running goals, I was bored.

So I faced my fear...

I have had a triathlon bike with clip-in pedals for over 4 years - sitting, alone in the garage.  I'm sure that some QuintanaRoo owner out there is grimacing at the thought of my simple but steady Trek being untouched with flat tires for so long but I will have you know, She has plenty of attention now.  And, $200 later, She even has her own computer and headlights!

Let me tell the story.
During these past 4 years since college I have had many people ask "well, if you ran and swam in college - why don't you race triathlons now?" and I always had some silly excuse but never could admit the real reason.  So here is the real reason...

I was afraid of the clip-in pedals.

Well, the fact is that even after logging several hundred miles on Her, I am still afraid of these pedals - but facing my fears is part of the fun now!

Just this once, I'll start the story from the beginning...

After college, I moved to Florida to dive deeper into the world of swimming - to explore ocean races and challenge myself in new ways beyond the 50 Freestyle from college.  I fell in love with the ocean races despite a healthy fear of sharks.  I now have a vow to myself to swim in the ocean whenever I have the chance.

And with that being said - I moved to St. Louis, Missouri one year ago... far away from the ocean. Ugh.  I've tried to fill the void with some lake swimming - but I'll admit - its not the same.  (Nothing a 2 week vacation to Key West in November can't fix though!!)
After the move is when I really started to work back on my running with a handful of 10k's and a few 1/2 marathons - always working to cut my times.  I always joke about being an addict - addicted to PR's.  Something about the endorphins running through my blood but each time I make a goal, I end up back on the computer signing up for 5 more races!  My partner, Denise <3, thought it was funny at first... but I honestly think she is starting to worry.. haha.

... at least its a healthy addiction?

So back to the Triathlon-ing story.
I must have practiced clipping in and out of my bike ten thousand times over a few weeks before I even took Her out of the road.  My first ride was around Forest Park here in St. Louis and it went GREAT - until I reached the end of the 18 miles, at the end of our driveway - where I fell.
My second ride fall was trying to get going when the light turned green.
My third ride fall was around a sharp corner.
I could go on. but I will stop embarrassing myself.  Needless to say, I am quite talented at falling.  On a plus side (knock of wood) I have never hurt myself. 

I only fell once during my first triathlon. Ok this is actually a funny part of the story.

Many people don't realize - but Road bicycles are good tricksters.  I don't have a coach and at the time, no mentor on my bike - so, well, I didn't know very much about my bike. Like, how to change a flat.  So I went to The Google the night before the race to teach myself.  I thought I had it figured out by the time I crawled into bed - doing what I now know as the worst technique ever.  I set my station up at the tri on race day, kissed my bike to tell Her I loved her, and jogged down to the lake front for the swim start.
swim went well. 1st female out.  I hopped on my bike - hum?  I don't remember having to pedal this hard yesterday - but I guess this is a pretty big hill.  And Bam, I tipped over.  Without even thinking, I remounted as quickly as I could - No one saw that right?? - and managed to make it about 4 more miles before my legs were screaming at me.  I stopped to do the dreaded - to change my tire.  But, weird, my tire had full air.  So, I hopped back on the bike for another mile before I stopped to double check.  Turns out my breaks were set so tightly they were rubbing on the tire the entire time.  I yanked the two sides as hard as I could and it was like the world had changed!!  The next 13 miles were perfect and the run felt effortless.  Despite the hard bike lesson, I finished the race with the biggest smile on my face!

So, that afternoon Denise forgot to put me on Internet time-out and I was able to sign up for another triathlon, Lake St. Louis Olympic distances (decided to go for the longer one in honor of 2012 being an Olympic year).
At my 2nd triathlon, I learned a second hard bike lesson... Don't forget to pack your spare tire tubes!  Again, first woman out of the water. After some extended transition time, I mounted my bike just as I was being passed by a woman with giant muscles in her professional gear.  I was able to hold on to 2nd until mile 15 and then at mile 16 - my tire blew out.  I realized my massive error at that time but I figured "well, I guess I can ride on a flat for 8 more miles..." wrong. at mile 22 I had a crash as I rode the rim down a hill with a left hand turn.  Good thing I knocked on wood! no injuries.  I tried to fill the tire with air.  That helped, for 3 seconds.  I rode the next 1.5 miles unclipped at a pace passable by a teenage girl on her mountain bike.   The last 1/2 mile on the bike was uphill with a few turns.  So, well, I dismounted and started the run early.... I finished with a great 10k run and continued to have the biggest smile as I crossed the finish line in 2:47.12.

My first though - I have LOTS OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT!  Just think, next time I will have a PR! Already chasing the addiction...

So there you have it.  The story of triathlon career do far.  And well, for those of you who know me and for those of you who know me now that you have read this entire story...

I already have a list of triathlons I will be signing up for next summer...

Adventure Max trail 1/2 marathon - March 3rd - Innsbrook, MO
Team Tri - Canoe, Mtn bike, run - March 4th - Innsbrook, MO
Go! St. Louis Marathon - April - St. Louis, MO
Max-trax run, bike, run - April 7 - Columbia, MO
Tri-Zou Sprint - May 6 - Columbia, MO
Kansas City Tri - international distance - Lee's Summit, MO
Max-o-mania 3 races in 2 days - June 22-23 - Innsbrook, MO
Half-Max, half ironman - Sept 22 - Oklahoma City, OK

(Did I mention how beautiful Innsbrook, MO is?!)

Who's joining me??