2010 Goals

Okay, so I'm FINALLY getting around to posting this. Yeah, I procrastinate.....but better late than never. ;) Okay, I'm going to list the goals first and then offer some additional info below.

2010 Goals:

1) STAY INJURY-FREE!!!
2) Complete (at least) 1 Race Every Month
3) Race A New (LONGER) Distance (either a full marathon or a half ironman)
4) Beat My Previous Half Marathon Time
5) Run A Sub 30:00 5K

1) STAY INJURY-FREE!!! - This goal is FIRST and foremost! Without this one, it will be extremely difficult to achieve the other goals on my list for the year! I'm really trying to be smart about my training this year. Last year, I ended up with 2 stress fractures....which, looking back, is no surprise when you consider that I went from just starting to run to training for a half marathon in only 5 weeks. That wasn't too bright. So I'm easing into things more, making sure to stretch, ice bath, etc. Hopefully I can keep the injuries at bay this year!

2) Complete (at least) 1 Race Every Month - I think this will be a fun one. Last year was my first year to race and I did the bulk of them in the spring and fall (the nice months) and absolutely NONE in the winter. I think doing a race every month will keep me focused and on track with training and will also allow me to "test drive" each month of the year and find out what months I enjoy racing in the best. So far, I've already completed a race for January (Groundhog 5k) and February (Love 2 Run 4 Mile).

3) Race A New (LONGER) Distance (either a full marathon or a half ironman) - Well, I already let the cat out of the bag on this one when I mentioned a little something about registering for the Chicago Marathon. ;) It was a real toss-up, though. I actually really wanted to do the RedMan Half Ironman this year. ACTUALLY, I wanted to do it LAST year until I ended up injured... But when I really thought it through, I realized that I would first need a new (better) bike, and I don't have the money to drop on that right now. I would need to invest well over $1000 for this and I just don't have that kind of money. Plus, I think I would like to get a full marathon under my belt before I go trying out any iron distances. So, a marathon it is....Lord help me make it through this one!

4) Beat My Previous Half Marathon Time - In all honesty, this really shouldn't be all that hard to do considering how slooooooow my HM was last year. Last year's HM was not only my first half, but my first RACE. I ran it with only 5 weeks of training. I didn't even own a Garmin at the time and had no way of gaging my pace. I was just sooooo clueless at the time (even more clueless than I still am now, lol). I'm feeling pretty confident at the moment that I can beat my slow-as-all-get-out time last year. If not, then something is definitely wrong with me. ;)

5) Run A Sub 30:00 5K - Yeah, I realize this prob seems like a ridiculously slow 5K time for most people....but I would LOVE to be able to run a 5K in under 30 min! And with the way my pace has been improving lately, I'm really hoping this will happen before the year is over. And if not...well, there's always next year. ;)

Well, there you have it, folks - The Running Worm's 2010 Goals! Wish me luck!!! :)

Love 2 Run (AKA The Lesbian Race) Race Report

ALSO known as....the coldest efing race I hope to ever run in my life. Yeah, it sucked that bad. First off, when you are dressed like THIS before the race and you're still frozen solid the second you step outside, you know it's colder than balls:

About to run a race...or about to rob a bank?? Take your pick...

Yeah, I knew the weather on Sunday was not going to be in our favor. It was the coldest day in the 10 day forcast by about 15 degrees. Nice. Turns out that with the wind, it was a whopping -3 at the downtown airport that morning.

Here I am, preparing to freeze my tatas off....

Oh wait, I forgot to cover my ears with an additional layer!

The Running Chalupa looks like she's about to knock off a liquor store!

We arrived at the downtown airport (which is only about 5 miles from my house) more than an hour before the race so we would have enough time for packet pick-up and a quick warm up. Yeah...the crowd was small and the extreme early arrival was totally unnecessary. So we pretty much just chilled (literally) for about an hour. I had 7 miles on my schedule that day and had planned to run an extra loop after the race. About 30 minutes before the race, the thought crossed my mind that we should have done the extra loop BEFORE the race as a warm up...and because we were there so early. But by then, it was too late. Oh well. Honestly, if I would have done the "warm-up" loop, I probably would have ended up not even running the race. How sad is that??

The race itself was pretty uneventful. I've ran at the downtown airport plenty of times - did a lot of my half marathon training out there last year. It's completely flat, but the wind can be pretty brutal since it's out in the middle of nowhere. But yeah...I was not prepared for the SUCK of this race. Here are the lowlights:

**Garmin battery died less than a mile into the race, so I had no clue what my pace or distance was pretty much the entire time.

**My legs were frozen solid, even after the small warm up that Val and I did. What this amounted to was extreme pain in my calves and shins with every step I took. The muscles were just cold and tight and it completely hurt to "run."

**I ended up having to stop to stretch my calves and walk a bit THREE times!!! I can't even remember the last time I had to walk during a run, let alone a short 4 miler on a FLAT course. That was a bit of a blow to the ego...esp after all the really great runs I've had lately.

**Another runner actually had to ask me if I was okay as I limped along in pain and agony from stiff, cold muscles.

**I never did run my extra 3 miles I had on my schedule that day....I was barely able to finish the race.

There WERE just a couple of highlights too, though:

**I still managed to PR - LOL! I will say this though, this was only the SECOND 4 mile race I've ever ran and I had a stress fracture (not yet diagnosed at the time) during the first one...which was also just 6 days after my first half marathon and I could barely walk at the time, let alone run. So yeah....beat my previous 4 mile race time by 2:57.

**The Running Chalupa & I had an AMAZING brunch at Corner Cafe after our race (this is becoming a tradition) and it was DE-LIC! We split 2 meals - chicken strips & fries, and waffles with eggs & bacon - oh yeah! Oh, and we downed it with some loving chocolate milk. Highlight of the day. Well, that and the nap I took when I got home. ;)

Here are some pics we took after the race. One even shows our faces! LOL

So I now have 2 races under my belt for 2010 - 1 in January and 1 in February. Oh, and the next time I think about registering for a race with temps like this, please -for the love of God- talk me out of it!!!

Groundhog Race Report - i.e. A Crazy-Fun Weekend With The Quadrouple...And A Teensy Bit of Running

Okay, okay, okay....I figure since I ran my second race of the year on Sunday and need to get THAT race report up, I might as well post my FIRST race report of the year beforehand....so, here ya go. And yeah, you probably already read all about it from these fools:

The Running Lawyer, The Running "Chicken", The Running Sri Lankan, and The Running Dork, ....so this really won't be a whole lot different. And honestly, it's more of an excuse to post pictures than to report about my race. So hopefully that will make up for the late factor. ;)

Basically, the weekend was a whole lot of fun, laughter, FOOD, and dirty jokes/sexual inuendo, with a little bit of running thrown in for good measure. The 4 of us ladies (Dork, Lawyer, Sri Lankan, and I) started out with a little of all the above (minus the running) at Stix.

Here's a pic of Laywer & Dork enjoying some sake.

We then headed over to the Nike Outlet for a brief shopping excursion, followed by a delicious viewing of Josh Duhamel in "When In Rome." We then picked up the Sri Lankan's husbie (AKA Sherpa) and headed to Blanc Burgers & Bottles for dinner.

Here's a pic of Dork & Myself with the cute little carts of sweet potato fries - YUM!!

Blanc was amazing. I had an inside out burger - aka a burger stuffed with blue cheese on the inside, which I can only describe as a food orgasm. O...M...G...!!! Wow. That's really all I have to say about that.

And here, one of the highlights of the evening, Beka putting her meat in my box - a moment I will remember forever.

Here's a couple group pics at Blanc. I particularly like the "pensive" photo. I know I was reflecting back on the moment Beka put her meat in my box...

After a fantastic dinner, we called it a night. That's because we had the following to look forward to the next morning:

In case you are wondering, Indi and I are pretending to be groundhogs in that middle photo. ;)

The 5k began at 9am and the 10k began at 10am. With the limited amount of parking available, we really tried to get there early...and then we had a long wait. But not really. The Running Chicken was running late (again), The Running Lawyer left her iPod in my car and had to go back and fetch it, and the lines for the bathroom were ridiculous...so really, not much time to spare.

Here's a pic of the crowd in the caves before the race.

I will say that running in a cave is def a first for me. And with the wind and cold that day, I will say that I'm GLAD we were inside! It was actually a little toasty for my taste, but still better than the frigid cold. AND, for the record, this is the only underground race in the country - cool!

The entire group was registered for the 10k except for me, since I had just started running again and did not feel prepared quite yet for a 10k. I opted to run the 5k instead, but didn't really want to run at 9am with all of my buddies running at 10am...so I just ran with the 10k-ers, but ducked out after the first loop. And with no garmin signal in the cave, I have no idea what my pace was or what my splits were...and honestly, that's just fine with me. After a 2 month hiatus from running, I really don't care to know just how slow I was... ;)

Here's a pic of me and Indi....I'm the pink blur beside Indi.

And I still hold claim that I BEAT the Running Chicken!!! It doesn't really matter that we began at the same time and he ran a 10k and I only ran a 5k....I still beat that guy. Fair and square.

Here are some of the fasties....pretty sure they lapped me & Indi on our first loop as they headed for the home stretch....sure is great on the ego when that happens, LOL.

And the white blur you see here, my friends, would be my homie - The Running Dork!

Oh, and while at the race, we saw The Running Santa Claus (above Indi's head there). I really wanted Mark to go sit on his lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas, but he declined....

No running group would be complete without a Sherpa. Here's ours - he pretty much rocks - lugs our stuff around, snaps photos, and does it with a smile!

Here's the Sherpa with the Running Ladies! **Notice all the matching....all 4 ladies in matching running tights, Beka, Kristen, and Indi in the same shirt (Beka & Kristen's are even the same color), and Kristen & I have the same pink shirt on underneath...we are quite a bunch.**

And of course, you can't have a race with the Quadrouple without Jazz Hands photos!!! Ignore the Running Party Pooper in the background....jazz hands will be photoshopped on him soon enough...

This photo...well, it speaks for itself.

After the race, we headed over to the Flying Saucer for some more delicious food...and BEER! The follow pics were taken at The Flying Saucer:

The Ring of Honor....no, it's NOT like a pearl necklace.... ;)

Beka & I looking longingly into each others eyes...and Kristen pouts for being left out. Classic.

Apparently a delicious meal makes us pensive. It also reminds me of Beka's meat...and my....box....

Yes, another successful weekend of fun, food, beer, friends, and oh yeah, what's that other thing....running. And here you thought you were going to get a RACE REPORT - ha!!! But I will leave you with the BEST pic of all - oh yes, are you ready for this one?? The Friendship Rainbow! Heart. And maybe even a tear.

Oh yeah, that just happened!!!

I'm completely blaming peer pressure on this one. The Running Dork has been dangling the Chicago Marathon in front of me like a chocolate covered steak coupled with beer and rainbow hugs - how could I say no???

First off - have I always wanted to go to Chicago? I believe the answer to that one is a big fat YES! Here I live in the midwest but have never been to Chicago - what gives?? I've been dying to get to Chi Town JUST to eat some Chi Pizza for 3 days straight! Secondly, have I ever given much thought to running a full marathon? Of course. I read all these blogs by runners and feel their victories as I read about them crossing the finish line and I feel that rush of adrenaline just thinking that one day that could be me. Yeah, I just started running last year. But I ran a half marathon last year and I'm running another half this year. So what better time for a full than just a few months after a half, right? I can just keep the momentum going and cross another item off my bucket list.

Maybe I rushed into this decision? Perhaps I got wrapped up in the excitement of doing another race with some of my fave girls on this earth. And maybe, just maybe, the words "free place to stay" on top of all the other temptations was enough to push me over the edge....but whatever it was, it IS official - yesterday I registered for the 2010 Chicago Marathon!!!! WISH ME LUCK!!!!!

Workout Updates and January Monthly Totals

First off, I haven't done "monthly totals" in forever....probably September. Geez, I suck. I also never did my yearly totals for last year either, which I still need to do for my own benefit. Sigh... And here it is, already February, and I haven't even done a 2009 recap either. I'm so behind. But for now, here are my most recent workouts, followed by my totals for January (totals kind suck considering I was detoxing half the month and therefore not working out....)

Thursday, January 21, 2010: 40 minute walk w/dogs

Friday, January 22, 2010: P90X Legs & Back

Monday, January 25, 2010: 2.6 mile run on treadmill (had to stop early due to pain in the left leg)

Saturday, January 30, 2010: 45 min on elliptical, abs, biceps, triceps, shoulders, inner & outer thighs

Sunday, January 31, 2010: 5k race (race report coming soon!)

Monday, February 1, 2010: abs, biceps, triceps

January Monthly Totals:
Running: 5 days, 14.8 miles
P90X: 3 days
Yoga: 1 day
Weights/Strength Training: 4 days
Misc Cardio: 2 days
Total Days of Cardio: 7
Total Days of Work Outs: 9

Be on the lookout for my race report from Sunday involving The Running Dork, The Running Lawyer, The Running Sri Lankan and The Running "Chicken".

Workout Updates

Thanks again to everyone for your continued support through my detox endeavors. Ending the detox was not an easy decision to make. But it came down to toughing it out for a few more days to get the full benefits in exchange for not being able to ingest vegetables again for a veeeery long time, or go ahead and quit early and still be able to consume veggies in my day-to-day diet. I really had to weigh out the pros and cons of each side. And although my judgement may have been a bit irrational at the time, due to the hunger and severe NEED for solid food, I feel that in the end, I made the right decision for me.

So now, moving on from the detox, I'm pleased to announce that I'm back in the swing of things again, workout wise. I have no idea what came over me in December, but I became a huge, lazy piece of shiz! But that is all behind me now. I have plenty of spring races coming on the horizon, including Half Marathon #2 - woot! So as soon as I phased off the detox, I knew I had to make up for it by getting my rear back into shape. So below are my workouts for the past week and a half - note, I've worked out more in the past 3 days than I have in the past 2 months. Fact. LOL...and sad.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010: P90X Ab Ripper X
--This was my first workout in nearly 2 months. Sigh, I know. I suck. The holidays, illnesses, and life all got in the way. Moving past that, I got my butt in gear and did the ab ripper workout. The following morning, I didn't even feel any soreness. As the day went on, I began to feel more and more sore. By Thursday, I couldn't laugh, cough, or even breathe without about doubling over, lol.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010: 2 mile run - treadmill
--This was my first run since November. I struggled, but made it the whole way through without walking. My pace was around 10:00 - 10:30. I was incredibly sore the next 2 days - could barely walk, lol.

Monday, January 18, 2010: 4 mile run
--This was my first run outside since Gobbler Grind in November. I still consider myself a new runner. I just started running consistently last year. And even my "consistent" running hasn't been all that consistent. I'm the epitome of a "fair weather runner." I don't even own all the proper gear for cold weather running. In fact, there are probably only a handful of times that I've ran in temps below 50 degrees. And they were probably all in the mid to upper 40's. So I set a new record on Monday when I pounded out 4 miles in only 36 degrees. I know, 36 isn't even THAT cold. But this is a new accomplishment for me, and I was quite proud of myself.

I met up with my friend Valerie at a new trail Monday morning (I love work holidays!) and set out for a run. Neither of us had ran in awhile (minus my pathetic 2 mile TM run on Wednesday), so neither of us really knew what to expect. The run was def slooooooow (for me, at least...Val blew right past me very early on). But the scenery was beautiful. There was snow on the ground, we were in a wooded area with a trickling stream and several little bridges to run over, and there was a LOT of fog out that morning. It was absolutely breathtaking! And to my surprise, I was able to pound out 4 miles! This is only my second run back from a 2 month hiatus and I was able to run 4 miles! Wow....a year ago, it took me several months to work up to 4 miles! I remember being excited just to run 1.5 - 2 miles.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010: P90X - Shoulders & Arms, and Ab Ripper X
--I'm trying to get back into the P90X program, but with training for some upcoming races, I won't be able to follow the schedule exactly. So I've just incorporated it into my schedule on the days I want to do strength training / weight training.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010: 3.1 mile run, yoga
--I ran 3 miles outside in my hood - LOTS of hills....and I ran 'em all! My pace was slow, yes. Like ridiculously slow. But the run actually felt good, so I'm not going to focus on my pace. I really only took my Garmin to see my distance. It was cold out too. And windy. But again, it felt good. When I got home, I stretched really well and did 45 min of yoga. It was a good workout day.

So, it's official - I am training to run the Oklahoma City Marathon (okay, the half marathon) with The Running Dork and The Running Lawyer. That's the "big" event I'm training for at the moment...but I have several other races on the radar as well. A goal I really wanted to set for this year was to run at least 1 race every month this year. So far, I have the first half of the year covered. :) I'll post more about upcoming events soon.

Giblet Challenge 2009 - A Weekend of Throuple Love!

Okay, so I'm over a week late getting this posted, but better late than never. ;) A couple months ago, Running Dork, Running Lawyer, and I made the Giblet Jog announcement - we were all going to run the 10 Mile Turkey Trot in Wichita on the 21st and the Gobbler Grind Half Marathon in Kansas City on the 22nd. Well, please give some bloggie love to the Running Lawyer - the only one of us that actually accomplished this feat!!! Due to injuries, I down graded to the 2 mile Turkey Trot and the Gobbler Grind 5k, and Running Dork was one of the best Athletic Supporters that a group of runners could ask for!! ;)

Okay, so let me start at the beginning of the weekend. I got off work early on Friday the 20th and headed out for the 3 mile drive to the Dub. I got there around 5pm and met up with Beka at her abode. Kristen showed up a little bit later and we enjoyed an AMAZING dinner with plenty of wine and laughs. And apparently wine is my new pre-race-requisite because I ran my fastest race EVER the following morning. (PS - fastest ever for the running worm is basically faster-than-a-snail-but-still-slower-than-a-turtle.) ;)

Here's a pic of the Throuple on Friday night:

I stayed the night at Kristen's house and we met Beka at the race. The start time was 9:30, which was actually kind of nice since it was pretty chilly out that morning. After a long line for the bathroom, we barely made it to the start in time for the gun.

This race was my first run in almost 3 weeks after being sick and having a lot of craziness in my life. AND, I had only ran 3 times since my last stress fracture, so I was hardly prepared for this race. I was really just there to have fun. I told Beka I anticipated finishing my 2 miles in around 22 - 24 minutes. So you can imagine my surprise when I finished my first mile in 9:30! Now I will say this - being that the race was in Kansas, it was EXTREMELY flat - no hills, barely even an incline here or there. The course was really nice - right along the river, some of it on streets, most of it on a trail, and even part that went through a grassy field - srsly. I was covered in stickers afterwards...which did not feel good when I accidentally sat back on my heels later and got some stickers in the tooshie!

Anyway, if this race had been a 5k, I definitely would have gone out way too fast in the first mile and then ran out of gas at the end. But since it was only 2 miles, I really pushed myself to maintain my speed. Those of that have been following my blog for awhile are aware that I've only been running for less than a year. So when I finished the race in 19 min & some change, I was SHOCKED...and excited! New PR for the Running Worm!!! And after a 2 month running hiatus (other than 3 small runs), I was pretty pumped!

There are no pics of me running this race cuz I told Beka - who was waiting at the finish line - that I wouldn't be done until 22 - 24 min, and I finished several minutes faster than expected, so she didn't have her camera ready for me. ;)

But here is a pic of Beka & me (& Milo!) after the race...and after I changed out of my sweaty running clothes - thank goodness for Beka's ridiculously dark tinted windows so I could change in the car. ;)

We got to see Kristen run by in this trail during her 10 mile race and then we jetted over to the finish line to see her finish. She did AWESOME!!! I only aspire to run that fast one day!

After the race, Kristen and I went back to her place to shower and get cleaned up. We then met up with Beka and Kristen's mom for some yummy brunch before we headed out for the 3 hour drive up to KC. We arrived just in time to pick up our race packets. Then our friend Indi and her husband met up with us and we headed out for a tasty viewing of New Moon, followed by dinner (and drinks of course!) at California Pizza Kitchen, and some amazing gelato at a cute little gelato shop.

Here's a pic of us ladies (from left to right: Indi, Beka, Kristen, Me) at CPK:

That about wrapped up our night. Then we had to get some shut eye before the race the following morning - 8am start time!

Here's a pic of us girls before the race Sunday morning (from left to right: Katy, Valerie -who has a new bloggie of her own that you all should check out at The Coach's Wife-, Me, Kristen, Indi, Beka)

The GG started promptly at 8am and I started of just as fast as I had the day before - big mistake. I wasn't far from the end of the first mile when I felt some crazy pain in my shins and my left knee. I didn't stretch as well as I should have the day before and I was seriously just shuffling along.

Here's a pic of me during the first mile - I was still running faster at this point - notice the blur! ;)

Anyway, the rest of the race was pretty painful. All I really wanted to do was stop and walk, but I knew that if I stopped, I wouldn't be able to run again. I never EVER run 2 days in a row - my body just can't handle it. So racing 2 days in a row had me in a great deal of pain. But I just powered through so I could be done. Didn't stop for water....knew if I did, my legs would refuse to run anymore after that. So I did manage to run the entire race without walking....and somehow, even though I felt like I was at snail-pace, I still managed to PR! I will say this though - this was only my 4th 5k. 2 of those I ran with a yet-to-be-diagnosed stress fracture....and a 6-year-old in tow. The other I ran in August in nearly 90 degree heat with some massive hills. My previous times weren't hard to beat - they were all slow as all get out. So yeah, there ya have it - 2 PRs in one weekend! Not to shabby for the Worm!

After I finished the race, I could barely walk. I grabbed some chocolate milk and hobbled over to a tree where I did some much-needed stretching, which totally helped! Then Beka, Indi, Trevor (Indi's husband) and I went and drove around to try to spot our friends running the half. We were successful - first we spotted Kristen and obnoxiously yelled out the window at her....for a couple blocks. ;)

Here is a stellar pic that Indi took from the front seat featuring me and Beka hanging out the back window yelling at Kristen who is running on the left:

And just a few blocks ahead we spotted Valerie too. Cheering out the window of the car was so much fun....so fun, in fact, that we just started cheering for random names. The best was Lindsay...because some girl perked right up at the sound of her name and started waving wildly back at us and giving us the thumbs up. Ah, good times.

We then headed back to the finish line where we anticipated Runnur Mark finishing in roughly an hour and a half....and he did not disappoint.

Here's a group pic after the race (Mark, Me, Beka, Kristen, Indi):

And what would a race be without some Jazz Hands photos?? Too bad Mark scurried away before this was taken. ;)

After the race, we got cleaned up and headed out for some traditional post-race Chipotle love. Nothing quite screams "celebration of accomplishment" to me quite like a loving bowl of Chipotle - yummmmmmm!!!!

And here's a pic of us ladies after our delicious Chipotle love:

Shortly after this last pic was taken, we all parted ways...sigh. It was definitely one of the best weekends I've had in a LONG time!!! I do believe we plan to make this a tradition....with hopefully some more fun weekends together in between. These ladies are a blast - nothing beats the Throuple. Nothing. Except maybe the Throuple + Chipotle.

Nations Triathlon: Part 3 - RACE DAY!!!

Here it is, FINALLY...my Nations Triathlon Race Report!!!!

My day began bright and early at 3:45am...so yeah, not so bright...but def EARLY! As typical with most racers, I didn't get much sleep the night before. I was ready for bed by a little after 9pm. I laid there and my mom kept talking and talking...so we talked until probably 10:30 or so. I finally dozed off...and woke up 20 minutes later at 10:50...and proceeded to stay away until about 1:30. I finally had to take a second muscle relaxer to fall back asleep. So I only got about 2.5 hours of sleep that night. :\

Here I am in the hotel before we met up with the team to hop the shuttle over to transition.

We were on the 5:15 shuttle and made it to the race site with PLENTY of time to set up transition, snap some photos, and then WAIT. The race started promptly at 7am. My swim wave actually didn't start until 7:48am...so yeah, 2.5 hours to just "hang out" before the race.

Here's a pic of me & Ann all body marked up. We put our names on our arms so people could cheer for us. And I got a peace sign, for good measure. ;)

Here's a pic of me & Coach Jen before the race. Notice how dark it still was!

Here's a kinda cool pic of the sun coming up over the Washington Monument:


And a pic of Ann & Me at the "Run Out" area of transition.

With pleny of time before the race began, I made sure to set up my transition area perfectly. I met the girl with her bike racked to my right. The person who was supposed to be to my left was a no-show, so I actually got a little room to spread out. Ironically, the girl to my right was in the swim wave before me and we were in transition at the exact same time during both T1 and T2. I wish I could have met up with her again at the end to get a pic, but I never saw her again after T2. I met a really nice guy from the DC area named Hampton in line for the bathroom early in the morning. We met another nice guy in line for the bathroom in transition before the race started. The lines for the bathrooms inside transition were so long, we literally waited at least 30 minutes. At one point, a guy came up to us and said that his swim wave started in 5 min and wanted to know if he could go in front of us. Of course, we let him.

By the time I got out of the bathroom, it was time to get my wetsuit on and head over to the corral. As I was waiting in line, I saw my mom. I ran over to the fence to give her a hug. She wished me luck and snapped this pic:

The water was a chilly 72 degrees that morning, so it was a wetsuit legal race. It was 2 degrees cooler than it had been the day before, yet it felt fine when I got in. Maybe it was the wetsuit. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Whatever it was, the water felt perfect and I was very grateful.

At exactly 7:48, the horn sounded and my wave was off. I was soooo nervous about the swim. I had a horrible practice the day before and I have heard horror stories of so many people having anxiety attacks in the water. In fact, after the race my mom told me that they pulled a TON of people from the water that were not able to finish the race. I'm glad I didn't see that - it would have really shaken my nerves.

Anyway, my swim started out great. I was worried that I would feel clostrophobic and crowded in the water, but I was actually fine. I mean, there were a few times when someone would grab my ankle or I would brush up next to someone, but nothing major. I found someone about my pace to draft behind and just went for it. And amazingly, I swam really straight too. It's crazy, but my swim was just "on" that day.

If you zoom on this pic, you can see me with my PINK goggles. :) I am to the top left part of the photo with my face out of the water:


Before no time at all, I was already to the Arlington Bridge and near the turn-around point. Probably the only time I started to feel any anxiety was when I was swimming under the bridge. This is so funny, but I have had reoccuring nightmares about being in a river with a bridge falling on top of me. I always wake up thinking "When the hell will I ever be swimming in a RIVER??!! And under a bridge, no less!" LOL, I guess now I know... Anyway, I sucked it up and made it under both times just fine. Here's a pic of the bridge:

My swim felt great and I was passing the white caps from the wave 3 minutes before me all over the place. I even passed a few men from the waves 6 and 9 minutes before me. I remember looking up at one point and seeing the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial and thinking "Wow, I bet not many people have seen these historical landmarks while swimming in the Potomac River."

I just felt so good during the entire swim. On my way back from the bridge I actually remember thinking "I'm really sad the swim is almost over. This is such an amazing feeling and I just hope I remember how I feel at this exact moment for the rest of my life."

At the very end of the swim with only about 25m to the dock, I inhaled a HUGE gulp of water and started choking pretty badly. I remember just thinking to myself, thank the LORD this is happening now at the end of the swim and not at the beginning! That would have definitely rattled my nerves and probably would have blown my whole swim.

I climbed onto the dock and started running to transition thinking "WOW, that went by so fast! I can't believe the swim is over. And it went so well!" I got to transition, dried off, and started getting my helmet and shoes on when I remembered that I forgot to pee before I got out of the water. Damn....I really didn't want to waste time running to the bathroom, so I ignored the urge to go...and for a split second, I even contemplated going right then and there...I mean, my tri suit was wet from the river and everything...but I decided against it. I spoke briefly with the girl racked next to me, and then I was off. When I turned my bike computer on, I noticed that it had only been about 40 minutes since I started the race. Could this be right?? Did I really complete almost a mile swim in less than 40 minutes?! The fastest I think I've ever swam 1500m in the pool was about 40 min, and I had figured the race would take even longer with the zigzagging and the massive group of people all over the place...but when I got my splits at the end, I was shocked to see my swim was actually 35:20 - that's right, I killed it! :)

Swim: 35:20

T1: 4:50

My mom was waiting for me right outside of transition and caught this pic of me on my bike:


Okay, the bike portion of the race was definitely my weakest. Let me just say that I've never heard "On your left!" so many times in my life, lol! I was being passed all over the place. But I just started cycling less than a year ago, so it's to be expected. In fact, I really just started ALL of this in the past year, so it's not anything I'm stressing about. I'm just glad my swim went so well and just set the tone for the rest of the race. I tried not to stress about my slow bike time, but just tried to focus on having fun. And I definitely learned that I need to make some upgrades to my bike before the next race. For example, it's time to get clips. This will increase my speed AND help me use different muscles and expend less energy. I also need to get aerobars. My handlebars only allow for one position and not only is it not very aerodynamic, it's also rather uncomfortable. My back was in KNOTS for a good 2 weeks following the race.

The course itself was awesome. It was pretty flat for the most part and we rode through a beautiful wooded area into Maryland. I had a few minor complaints, like the roads were pretty narrow and didn't allow too much room for passing. There were also a couple sharp turns. The worst part of the course was that in the last mile, there was a MAJOR crack in the road AND it was at the bottom of a hill. There were volunteers out there warning people about it, but when you're flying down a hill at nearly 30 mph, not knowing what to expect, that crack/bump could (and probably DID) cause some major damage! In fact, for a moment, I thought I blew my tire! There were also not enough volunteers at the end of the bike course to remind the cyclists to lift their bikes up over the curb before running into transition. My mom said that people were blowing their tires all over the place, running them into the curb! Yikes! And there were several wrecks there as well. I remember thinking how lucky I was to have no wrecks/flat tires, etc on the bike course.

A few moments that stood out in my mind during the bike:

Overhearing a convo between two girls on their bikes:

Girl A: I sure am enjoying this scenery.

Girl B: I sure am enjoying this company.

-How sweet!-

Passing Jon, a teammate of mine, around mile 10. I was heading out on a loop and he was just finishing up. He passed and yelled my name - made me smile.

Hearing "Go Team!" more times than I can count - being an event to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, it seemed that MOST participants were members of Team in Training. There was such comradery on the course - everyone cheering each other on. What a great feeling!

Ann, who was in the swim wave 3 minutes behind me, caught up to me (and passed me) on the bike course with about 5 miles left to go. It was cool to see a familiar face. My last big race was the St Louis Half, and I did that entire race with my 2 friends. The thing about a tri is that it is impossible to do it "with" anyone. Aside from the fact that the swim waves all start at different times, you also can't bike side-by-side either. Basically, you are on your own the entire time. This is just something I'm not used to. But it was very empowering, nonetheless.

As I was riding along, I saw a catipillar in the road inching his way across. He got out of my path just in the nick of time. This also made me smile.

By the end of the bike, I felt very slow and like I had been passed by everyone on the course, LOL. But I was still having fun and I kept telling myself that my time didn't matter because I felt amazing and was doing something I had always wanted to do since I was a kid, but never actually thought I would have the opportunity to do. So I savored every moment and kept on smiling...and also thinking of what changes I need to make on my bike so I can improve next time - that's right, there WILL BE a next time! :)

Here I am at the end of the bike portion of the race. We had to dismount our bikes at the blue line and then walk/run them into transition. This part kind of sucked since I was in the row the furthest away from this side of transition.

Bike: 1:36:54, avg pace: 15.4 mph

T2: 7:48 - (I had to stop for a potty break during T2)

Here's a pic of me heading out for my run - my mom did a fabulous job of getting pics!

My run started out pretty well. I put some biofreeze on my knees since my IT bands had been giving me some problems. The biofreeze worked like a charm and I felt no pain whatsoever during the entire race. The first mile flew by and I felt great, but I was concerned that I didn't fuel well enough on my bike. I tried to eat a powerbar and just couldn't choke it down. I ate about 2/3 of my shot blocks, but the rest flew off my bike when I hit the "bump" at the end of the course. I had grabbed my Chocolate Outrage Gu before I left transition for my run, but it must have fallen out of my pocket in the bathroom, because when I went to reach for it, it was no longer in my pocket. So I was really concerned about fuel, but I knew there would be Gu at mile 4, so I just needed to make it there.

The first 2 miles were great. We ran along the Potomac River at first. There were plenty of water stations, and since we were mostly in the shade for the first 4 miles, it wasn't too hot either. Shortly after the mile 2 marker, I started to get chills/goosebumps. I was worried that I wasn't properly hydrated, and even more worried that I did not have enough calories to keep me going.

At about 2.5 miles in, I had to stop and walk for a minute. I just felt like I was running out of gas. No more than a second later, a girl came up from behind me and said "Looking good! .....do you need a Gu??" It was like she was sent to me from God - YES, I would LOVE a Gu! She smiled, gave me a Gu, and was on her way. Bless her! A mile later, there was a fuel station and I grabbed another Gu because I had a feeling I would need it before the race was over.

Around mile 4, I decided that I really needed a salt tablet. I unzipped my fuel belt and discovered dissolved salt capsules all over the inside of my belt. Great. At the next water station, I scooped out a pile of nasty salt and forced it down. Gross. But I needed it. It was also about this point that I realized there had been no bathrooms along the entire course. I didn't NEED one, but wow...seriously? No port-a-potties at ALL?? Good thing I didn't have an emergency like I did in St Louis...or that would have been a mess!! You can bet your @$$ that I mentioned this on the event survey I filled out - must.have.bathrooms.on.the.course.

Shortly after mile 4 I saw Coach Jen. She came over and jogged with me for a bit - asked how I was feeling and said I was looking great. I immediately asked her for some salt tablets. She said she had some over on the other side of the road and that she'd meet up with me at mile 5. The road looped down and met back up across the street at mile 5.

That next mile was a bit of a struggle. It was getting into the 80's, we were no longer in the shade, and I was feeling parched and low on fuel. I had my final Gu that I picked up earlier and just pushed on. At mile 5, Coach Jen was waiting for me with the salt tablets. I took them with some water and she jogged with me a ways, reminding me that there was only a mile left to go. She said "just 10 more minutes and you'll be done." The guy behind us, who was quite a bit older said "well, maybe 12 for me." I smiled and thought "yeah, same here."

The last half mile was the worst. I could see the finish line, but all I wanted to do was walk. I was just completely out of gas. I wanted to sprint to the finish, but I was barely shuffling along. Just as I was about to cross the finish line, I heard my mom yell my name. I knew it was almost over and I felt a wave of excitement and pride rush over me.

During my training, I kept wanting to get a time somewhere in the 3:30's. Realistically, I just wanted to finish in under 4 hours. Idealistically, I wanted to be around 3:30ish...but mainly just under 3:40. After being sick the weeks before the race and not training for the last 2.5 weeks leading up to it, I thought that my goal of the 3:30's was shot...but I was still hoping for under 4 hours. Well, my official chip time was 3:39:16 - I came in under 3:40 afterall!!

Here I am, crossing the finish line - courtesy of Ann! (Someone stepped in front of my mom right as I was passing by and she missed her shot - she was so pissed!! But it's all good, cuz we have this one:)

Run: 1:14:26, Pace: 12:01

Definitely slow, but not bad for recoving from a stress fracture and having been sick.

So, to sum up, overall stats are:

Swim: 35:20

T1: 4:50

Bike: 1:36:54

T2: 7:48

Run: 1:14:26

Final: 3:39:16

Here's a pic Ann snapped of me shortly after I finished the race:

Here's a shot of Ann & Me with our medals:

Here we are being silly & high-fiving each other cuz WE DID IT!!


What a great feeling of accomplishment!

Here I am with Jon. We trained together for 2 seasons and finally got to do an event together.

Rylie made me a Hannah Montana bracelet with some beads she got for her birthday (the pink thing hanging down is a guitar, lol). It was too big for my wrist, but I wore it on my ankle during the run so she could be with me during my race. I took a pic so I could show her that I remembered to wear it. :)


Jodi, Ann, & Me: Trying to act tough. LOL

Jodi, Jon, Ann, & Me: displaying our splits:

Here I am with my proud mama - so glad she was able to go on this trip and share such an amazing experience with me!

After the race, I was feeling very weak and light headed, but was having a hard time eating. I just didn't even have the energy to chew. So I chugged 2 powerades and a muscle milk. But I really never felt all that great until after I ate dinner that night.

Here are some signs that were on the path that led to the transition area. Of all the times that I walked back and forth in and out of transition those 2 days, I never noticed these signs until AFTER the race:

After the race, we all headed over to the finish line to get our "finish line" photo with our medals...and turned out that they didn't have a professional photographer with a back drop to do an "after" photo. So we just had my mom take this one of us with the finish line in the background:

J.Ro, Me, Ann, Jodi, and Jon. Amy & Jeff were MIA...

And here are all of us girls by one of the flags. You can't see this, put we're throwing a "M.A." sign...for Mid America, our chapter. ;)


The shuttles after the race were supposed to start at 1pm. We got in line before 1pm and waited at least 45 minutes for the shuttles to show up. That was frustrating because we were all tired and exhuasted. By the time we got back to the hotel, all I wanted to do was take an ice bath, shower, and nap. Actually, I really wanted food....but didn't have the energy to walk 6 blocks to get something, and I figured dinner was just a few hours away. So I didn't get anything to eat. That was a mistake...cuz I ended up feeling soooo sick later before we got to dinner. And I tried to take a nap, but never did fall asleep...

Our Victory Party was held at ESPN Zone. It was fun, but I did have a few complaints. For one, the tickets were $43 and all we got were appetizers. For that kind of money, I better be getting steak and shrimp! Or at least get my drinks included, which they were not. :\ Also, there was one bartender in particular that was completely rude and unaccomodating. And not just a little snippy, but like the worst service I've ever encountered.

Here's a pic of Ann, Me, and Jodi at the Victory Party:

Here's a pic of us playing one of the video games, LOL:

This game was so funny! You had to "ride" horses on a race track and bounce up and down on the seats like you wer similating a horse race. Let me just say that 4 girls bouncing up and down on these things drew quite a crowd of guys watching our asses, lol.

After we left ESPN Zone, I walked down the street from our hotel with the team and we had some drinks at a little cafe. Ann and I ordered some tirimisu to share....hands down, BEST tirimisu EVER:

Yummmmmm, doesn't it look delic?! Here's a pic of me & Ann savoring the caramel sauce:

Yes, it was THAT good:

We had a great time drinking and reflecting on our adventure together as a team. Here's our last pic of the day:

From left to right: Jon, Ann, J.Ro, Jeff, Coach Jen, Me, and Jodi in the front. Ah, good times!

So, there ya have it. My first official Triathlon Race Report. It only took 3 weeks to post, but there it is. I want to take this opportunity once more to thank EVERYONE for all of the support along the way. It's been quite a journey....and it's only just begun. :)