One Day Blog Silence

Triathlonmom and hundreds (if not thousands) of other bloggers will go silent on April 30th in memory of the victims at Virginia Tech and in memory of victims of violence everywhere.

One Day Blog Silence will be a day to unite and honor those who were taken before their time.

Join me and pass the word along.

Not With These Hands Pledge of Non Violence

TRIgirl Training has been working on our group pledge of non violence for quite some time. We finally got it all together....and here it is. If you haven't made your pledge already you have one more day, they are due tomorrow. Go to notwiththesehands.org
We pledge to aways remember love.

TRIgirl team members with our "Hands" pledge banner. From left to right: Courtney, Caroline, Becky, Ashley, Jill, Jonah, Nicole, Valerie, Kim, Carrie, Grandison, Melissa M, Patty, Diane, Teresa, Cathy, Katrina, Jackie, Melissa F., Lenora, Jennifer, Kathryn and Leslie.

Heartache Unfolding

I've been thinking alot about what happened at Virginia Tech yesterday. The tragic killing of 32 students plus Cho Seung Hui, the shooter, who killed himself -- has left many people devastated. I mean it is just so, so sad.
While we keep hoping that the news will get better, I am keep thinking I just wish Hui had gotten help and all of these people wouldn't have had to die.

I mean even if you didn't know these people, you know someone like them. Even if you didn't know the victims...you do. You've had classmates who had a passion for learning or life. Classmates who put themselves through school. Classmates who you admired for one reason or another. You had friends who went to Tech. Maybe your mom or dad went there, like me. Maybe you even visited it as a prospective college but didn't go there for one reason or another. These bright kids from Virginia were just like us. That is what brings it home.

So, reach out if you see someone in trouble. Maybe if Hui had had the support of friends this could have ended differently. It breaks my heart to see a blog like this and then read the list of confirmed dead from The Collegiate Times (Tech's student paper) and realize that heartache is unfolding as we speak. And there is nothing we can do to stop it.

All we can do is work to make sure that something like this never ever happens again.

Fat & Fit -- That's What I'm Talking About!

The Washington Post posted an article today on heavy people who might happen to be categorized as "obese" by the government standards who also happen to be very fit.

I certainly I fit into that category. The article, "Can You Be Fat and Fit," by Rita Zeidner, explores mostly fitness instructors who have been struggling with the issue themselves. Oftentimes finding that their clients might judge them by their appearance before they even give them a chance.
The article site endurance (both cardio and muscular), flexibility, BMI, and strength as the main indicators of fitness. And noting that research is finally showing that fat and fit are not mutually exclusive. Here's a clip from the article:

"I don't want to minimize the impact of obesity -- there is no question that there are real problems associated with being overweight," said exercise physiologist Glenn Gaesser, director of kinesiology at the University of Virginia. "But there is almost no weight-related health problem that can't be helped with exercise."
Because muscle weighs more than fat, health experts generally agree that body weight -- or even BMI -- isn't always a reliable indicator of fitness, particularly for muscular athletes. Nor does exercise work uniformly to trigger weight loss in all people. So the risks generally tied to excess weight can be overstated when a person is physically active, Gaesser argues.
"Some people obviously have compensatory mechanisms" that keep them from losing weight, Gaesser said. These could include eating more to make up for calories burned or slowing down in other ways to make up for an increase in structured exercise. And just as there are some people who are naturally tall or short, he maintains there are some who are "naturally heavy."
A 2004 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association supports the "fat but fit" hypothesis. The study of more than 900 women found that those who were overweight but exercised were less likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other heart problem than their thin but sedentary peers.
It's a comforting theory. But not everyone subscribes to it.

I am one of the "naturally heavy" types he is referring to. Now granted, certainly I could be more fit and weigh less.....and certainly I have tried....but by training for Eagleman 70.3, a half iron race, and by signing up for Maramarc's strength training class, which also works on core, balance and flexibility, it appears I'm doing all the right things. And, when I've tried to diet while training I've hit my limits and realized it is impossible to train for a half-iron race and do South Beach at the same time. So, dietary changes have to be moderate, and more lifestyle changes....basically meaning working out 4 nights a week means eating less because I'm working out during diner -- a snack or small meal on either side of the workout means less overall calories.

I've also wondered as a team leader for TRIgirl Training how many teammates expect me to be more fit than I am or thinner....and I wonder how many of them judge me for just that reason -- my weight. In this society (and in the triathlon/fitness circle we are in) it would be hard to blame them.

And, I certainly would be more fit, faster and have better endurance if I was smaller -- but for now, I'm not. And that is OK too. And I know, for me my weight will be a life-long struggle. It started at 4 or so and I don't expect it to end anytime soon. In the meantime, I'll keep working on it. And I won't forget what motivates me: Not only do I want to know my grandchildren, but I also want to be able to run with them and play with them on the floor. I never knew either of my grandfathers. One died of Emphysema before I was born. The other died of a heart attack that was caused by a unhealthy lifestyle...four big no no's -- second hand smoke, poor eating (and extra weight) , work-a-holic/type A personality and lack of exercise. My other grandmother also died before I knew her of complications of a stroke. Neither of my parents ever exercised when I was a child, but I have to give my mom credit for making huge strides in her health now that she's retired and can focus solely on that. Still, though she can't really keep up with the kids outside and certainly wouldn't want to play on the floor with them. I know she thinks it's becuase she's old. But then....I think of our swim coach, Som, who is her age and I start to giggle. He's completed over 20 Ironman races and has found the fountain of youth and health. I'm sure he'll do another this year.
I'm guessing that all of my life there will be room for improvement, but as long as I'm on that journey I'll try to feel good about myself.

The Trampe Bicycle Lift

Nancy Toby is always pointing out important and funny things in the world of triathlon and bicycling. This one is so good, I just have to repeat it for those of you who don't read her awesome blog.

The Norwegian Trampe bicycle lift gets you to the top of steep hills without actually climbing them. I know a few of you who wouldn't mind if one of these was installed on the Blue Ridge Parkway for this weekend's very hilly 50 miler. Apparently The Trampe is the reason that 90 percent of the student-citizens in Trondheim use their bikes as their MAIN transportation! Amazing!

A Cold, Wet 30 Miles

I'm not sure if this sums up my day yesterday...but when i got home from my 5 hour workout/clinic in the cold, cold rain, I couldn't decide if I was proud of myself for biking 24 miles, changing a tire, and running 6 miles or whether I was disappointed in myself for not running the additional 4 miles that I was scheduled to run.

When I got to West Creek at 6:30 in the morning it was bitterly cold and intermittent drizzle was starting to fall. I couldn't find my biking gloves and my arm warmers at home in the early morning search, so I was stuck wearing my running gloves and a long sleeve jersey and a micro-thin cycling jacket. I biked an incredibly cold 12 miles...then opted to warm up with a quick 1-mile run before Coach B's wet tire changing clinic and the Not With These Hands Trigirl banner photo. TRIgirl Annnnn gave me some really cool color-coordinated TRIgirl barrette thingys, that brightened my smile. And seeing the photo of all of those new TRIgirls with the NWTH banner also made it seem not so rainy after all.
I was really glad that I watched the clinic (even though I know how to change a tire) because I learned 2 tricks. First, you can get a box of cheap BB gun CO2 cartridges at Wal-Mart instead of paying $2-3 each for them at the bike shop, as long as you get the right kind (with threads or without) for your system. And second, when you are trying to get the tire back on the rim after changing a tube and you get to that stubborn part where the taunt rubber just doesn't want to budge and you don't seem to have the leverage to get it back on the rim....then you actually can sit on the tire with your inner thigh to hold it still and get the leverage you need to slip the tire back on the rim. Thanks Coach B! I've been struggling with that one at home...and it is the one thing that keeps me from being a fast tire changer....every time.

After learning that trick, I was lucky enough to get to try it out. TRIgirl Red had a flat, and after finding a tube to borrow (since hers had the wrong stem) I got to practice my newly learned skill of sitting on top of the tire. It worked like a gem.

Unfortunately though, all of that waking up early to get a jump on a rainy workout was now lost....as Coach B and I were the only ones from the Ironman/Half Iron group that stopped for what, 90 minutes for the clinic and helping some TRIgirls who needed it. I started to shiver but had to get right back out there in the rain and pretend like we were enjoying ourselves while we slogged through the rest of our workout. For the bold and brave Coach B and the rest of the Ironman Cor d'Alene group, that meant the rest of their ride and then a 18 mile run! I hate to say this, but that made me feel immeasurably better when I realized I was "only" slated to run 10.
By the time I changed TRIgirl Red's tire and got my bike back out of the truck the rain was coming down harder. Not only that but many of the girls who started much later than me but hadn't come to the clinic were now done with their bike and were we'll on the way to finishing their run. I know this shouldn't affect me....but it did.
Note to self. Focus on your task at hand -- not on others. You will be doing your HIM all by yourself and plenty of folks will be done with their entire race when you come through T2. You know they will be having a post race massage or a post race snack. They will be taking their bikes from the transition area and celebrating their victory...and you will be starting on the third (and most difficult) leg of your journey. You will need to start finding the strength to run your own race -- not look at others.
On top of the intermission of my workout, affecting me mentally, also I learned that I need to work better on my nutrition plan. When I woke up at 5:30 a.m. I certainly didn't feel like eating anything. But I also knew I needed to think about my nutrition for the day. I had a long workout planned and was going to need energy...... A quick survey of my kitchen revealed that I was short on carbs: No bread! No bananas...No bars! I guess you can tell we just got back in town and I haven't had a chance to go shopping. Brainstorm! Coach G's little voice entered my head and said....Oatmeal! Yes her favorite pre-race breakfast saved the day. Oatmeal to go. And hot coffee.

I packed 2 cheese sticks, a Chocolate Outrage GU (thanks Aimee) and a handful of pretzels. Don't ask me why but my optimistic self had placed 1 water bottle in the freezer so it would be nice and cold (and it stayed that way until I brought it home). I filled the other with lemon water....my favorite drink for the bike. I really wish I had thought to pack an apple, because by the time I got home from my workout it was noon and that was not quite enough food (or water with one bottle being frozen) to make me my strongest.

I have to say I thought I was going to vomit after throwing my bike in my car. My stomach had been hurting for most of the bike ride but I couldn't figure out why. I guess it could have been the cheese sticks, but at this point that was the only thing I could have eaten that might have upset it. I was more likely to believe that it was the prospect of still having to run 9 miles that turned my stomach. So, let's get on with it!
I was so friggin' wet to the bone that there was no way I was going to carry water for this run -- despite the fact that I knew I hadn't been drinking enough on the bike. It just seemed ridiculous to carry water while I was soaking wet. So, I grabbed my GU and ran. As soon as I started running I was thirsty and I spent most of each my 1 minute walking/recovery looking up at the sky with my mouth wide open. Would you believe that with how wet i was and how heavy the rain felt like it was falling when I was biking, there was actually very little water coming out of the sky and into my mouth. I know you are supposed to take the GU with water, so I felt like I really shouldn't have any more considering that I was adding caffeine to an already dehydrated and overtaxed system. Each time I stuck out my tongue for water it started to quiver and shake like a hand does when you've had too much caffeine and not enough food.

I had a little talked with myself on this soaking run and decided, girl, if you can run one loop at West Creek (6 miles) then that is something you should be proud of, especially in weather like this and the fact you've been in it since 6:30 a.m. I had actually never run the 6 mile loop before and it went by faster than I thought it would. I passed the lake. I touched Patterson Avenue, and turned around. I passed the lake again...and there it was, just like it had been since Thursday's brick....only this time it was mocking me. An unopened orange Power Aid or some kind of endurance drink. Sitting there mocking me....saying, "you know you are thirsty...don't you think I would go great with your Chocolate Outrage GU?" We'll, I'd like to know that bottle's story, but I wasn't about to drink it. Up the Farm Bureau hill and shortly thereafter I had some TRIgirl company for the last few minutes of the run.

So, I admitted defeat and ran only 6 of the 10 miles slated for the day. I was extremely thankful for Coach G saying that it was OK. So, maybe I'll feel less guilty and just be thankful that today I will be dry all day long. I will be warm. and I will be resting.

Oh, and one more thing. I think it is ironic that my WETSUIT arrived Friday. WETsuit, get it?Too bad I haven't had a chance to try the thing on yet. The Richmond TRI Club open water clinic was cancelled due to the "winter-like" weather.

Easter 10 Miler

Since my friend, John Sarvay, author of Richmond's best blog, Buttermilk & Molasses, was kind enought to give me props for actually running 10 miles on Easter, I figured I should at least write about my run....

My goal was to enjoy it. All 10 miles of it.

That meant:

1. being grateful I was not running more than 10 miles (We will top out our running training for Eagleman 70.3 with at least one 16-mile run in a few weeks)

2. being grateful that my body can and will run 10 miles (if ever so slowly)

3. seeing as much beauty, water, marsh and nature that this 6 mile long island has to offer, while running

After the kid's Easter baskets, and an indoor Easter egg hunt (since, even though we are in Savannah, it was near freezing Easter morning)...we hung around for a while and then I went for my run.

Pop Pop gave me a map of the island, and we marked a tentative run path. He marked out "comfort stations" that golfer's use and said I could find both a restroom and a drinking fountain on any of the island's 5 golf courses -- just to look for a little green building. Unfortunately, taking the route that was closest to the marsh also meant having to look at the map about every half mile to see where I was. All the roads are circles and some connect with golf cart paths. Regardless though, it was a challenge navigating and trying to determine an exact distance for 10 miles. It was frustrating to concentrate on speed, form and direction all at the same time.

It was a beautiful and sunny day, although quite cool -- about 45 degrees. Perfect for running, but it took quite a while for me to warm up after the run.

I started out running down by the Delegal Marina and was blessed by a swarm of beautiful swallows over one of the lagoons.

Here's the photo --It looks like it's flying upside down, and I think it is! They are amazing creatures. The size of a small cardinal, but with a much sleeker body. Black on the top, changing to a subtle (if that is possible) royal blue. Whitish on the bottom, so if you look up into the sky, then tend to blend with the clouds. Very hard to catch on camera as you will see. The swooped up and down and all around me catching sips of water and bugs on the way. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they were gone -- camera shy, I guess.

Then, I walked down one of the only paths on Skidaway that goes in front of the houses down to the marsh. I saw wild boars munching on marsh grasses, and several egrets and heron. Plus, lots of fabulous moss and dead trees in siloutte against the marsh grasses. (Later, when I took Daisy back to this same spot, she kept asking if the marsh grass was prairie -- can you tell we are reading Little House on the Prairie?)

After a quick pit stop, much of the second part of the run was spent navigating through houses and trying to peek between them to catch a glimpse of the water. I had to 86 the plan to run to the North end of the island to the lookout tower when I realized although the island is only 6 miles long, by the time you wind down all of the circular streets you've traveled more miles than you realize. (Going all the way to the observation tower would have made for a nice 15 mile run and I was not in the mood!)

So, I did OK for the first 8 miles, but the last 2 I kept wishing to hop on one of the many golf carts that kept passing me. I was hurting! Mostly my knees. And looking back on my last blog entry, at my thought process for deciding to stick to one half iron race this seasons, instead of two....I'm glad I made that decision. Because when I got home, Mr. Preschool wanted me to go with him and take the kids to the park and I couldn't -- I was just too tired. Now, that isn't right! I mean you should always have enough energy to take your kids to the park, right? We'll we all have good training days and bad ones, and this was just one of those days that took alot out of me.

I'm still not a big fan of Savannah, but I'm learning to like a few things down here. Like don't call the marsh a swamp or someone will get offended! I mean why would you spend a couple million dollars to get SWAMP-FRONT property? And, that boiled peanuts are great! Man, I wish we had those in Virginia. I've decided they'd be the perfect race food. High in salt, and protein, with disposable wrappers. They are alot more like Edemame that these low country folks would like you to think. If you've never had them I will tell you there is nothing like them -- but both me and Daisy both said they taste more like beans than nuts -- which would make sense...since they are, in fact legumes. I'm taking orders so if you want some back home...you better leave a comment!

Daisy started a new Easter tradition, that she says she will now use for ALL Egg Holidays. Eating eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I didn't even know there was an Egg Day, but she insisted there was. Since I haven't found proof of that yet so I'm sure we'll have to contact The American Egg Board and lobby for National Egg Day. And after we get that, then we'll have to lobby for National Boiled Low Country Peanut Day.

A Movie Star? I Think Not!

Those TRIgirls keep talking about how I look way too happy when I was running the Monument Avenue 10K last week. Lil' Sis Ann even said I was like a friggin' MOVIE STAR running down Monument waving to all my friends.
Well, that is a rare thing that I look great while running, so if you are curious, here is the photo I think that they are talking about. And here is a photo of me with some of my Tgirls, including Lil' Sis Ann.

Working Out on the Road & "What? You're Still Here Mama?"

We'll....nothing makes you appreciate riding on a trainer like riding on a stationary bike...inside in a gym ...with windows that don't open...on a beautiful day. But after 8 hours in the car, i felt like I needed a workout. And there was no way we could bring the bikes since we had to rush off for the long drive after a full work day. I just couldn't see unloading the bikes at midnight when we arrived either. So, here I am on a sucky stationary bike, watching T.V.
Mr. Preschool was kind enough to join me for the workout, but riding next to your S.O. just isn't the same as riding next to your TGirls.

Workingout while you are traveling sucks. I keep getting in half workouts. I ran but didn't bike on Thursday. Friday I biked for,2.5 hours the stationary bike, but didn't get to do the 10 mile run. The fitness center where I am made me truly appreciate Maramarc and the fitness centers we have where we live. There were only 3 upright stationary bikes in the whole place. Each had a 30-minute time limit. Luckily we when it wasn't too busy, and no one told us to leave.
Today I took the day off and had some awesome Savannah Soul food at Sweet Potatoes, the place we always eat when we are down here. I had fried catfish, lemon collards and brussel sprouts. Happily, I'll report that the vegetables were the best part of the meal.
I'm saving my 10 mile run for Easter if all goes well and I sure hope it is a nice day to run. It's totally funny to me how I'm dreading not getting to bike first. Call me crazy but somehow biking takes the edge off for me from running. Gets you warmed up. There is something about that first mile when you are running, that just totally sucks. I'm not sure why, but it never fails.
On Thursday's run, I spent the entire first mile thinking of reasons I was just going to quit and go home. I guess none of them seemed like good enough reasons to stop, because by the time I'd finished the first mile, I was still running. I had to work hard to get 5 loops in in 60 minutes. So, i know that tells me only one thing. I need to run faster.

I'm trying to maintain my perspective on this trip. One week of erratic training won't make or break a race. And, not working out how I like, with who I like, when I like, is just making me appreciate what I have back home: an incredible support system, incredible facilities, incredible coaches, incredible teammates, and an incredible family who puts up with it all.

And you know what else I'm realizing? My family has had to put up with an awful lot these past 3 months. I've been gone training, gone to clinics, gone to work, gone to TRIgirls dinners, gone to swims, gone to bikes and gone to runs. If they can hang in there for 2 more months....then I'll be back for them like i should be. Here on vacation, every time we get ready to go out the door, Redfish and Daisy keep asking if all of us are really going together. They are so used to Mr. Preschool taking them one way and me going another. They are used to going to sleep when I'm not there (at an evening bike) and waking up with me not there again (at an early morning run). They are used to Sundays when I leave after breakfast, and I don't see them until Monday because I work and then run and then swim. That is why, I've decided not to do the Patriot Half. My kids shouldn't be surprised that I'm actually staying with them. I still want to train, but I'm going to wait until they are both in school before I train for a half iron or iron race again. They've put up with alot, and I need to be there for them after Eagleman.
Mr. Preschool will be starting his Doctorate in the fall, so this summer should be savored, with training, but just enough...and lots of playing at the pool with my kids.

Bike + Run = ick

After doing my 2 hour brick Monday night, I was oh so happy to have an entire day off yesterday. My knees were still hurting after 3 non-stop days of long and hard workouts. Today, they are much better.

All winter long, I kept thinking, when I get out to West Creek for the first time, it's going to be so easy. We'll, it wasn't. I'm glad I trained all winter, and I'm sure it is easier than it would have been, but the Farm Bureau hill is still the Farm Bureau hill. And no matter now much I wanted to do the 8 mile loop at jack-rabbit pace, it still came in at 30 minutes....putting me at a very slow 16 mph average. Luckily, I was able to keep that pace up for the entire 24 miles.

Lesson learned -- the only way to train for hills is to do hills. You can't simulate that on a trainer, no matter how much you stand up out of the saddle (or sit down for that matter) in level 10.

And, speaking of standing up out of the saddle, I just want to say that it doesn't translate! I wish someone had warned me...standing up on the bike while on a trainer is just a TAD bit easier than on a real and actual hill...considering that the bike actually stays sturdy.

Much to my surprise when I tried to stand up going up a hill at West Creek, the bike sways way back and forth....with each pedal stroke. Something more to practice I suppose. And nothing is ever easy when you are training for a half Ironman race.

At least now I have a bunch of TRIgirls to watch me as I sway my way up the hills and down again.

And another thing: A brick is only a true brick if you are doing real actual biking. For a few months now I thought, I'd finally trained my body to not feel that stick leg --icky feeling of biking and then running. What I've realized is that I haven't trained my body for that at all. For some reason biking on a trainer just doesn't wear out your legs like true and actual biking does. So, when I started that 30 minute run, ,which ended up being a little shorter due to the coming darkness of the night, I was in for a real treat!

Bike, Run, ICK! All over again...and this is where the true season starts.

Monument Avenue 10K Race Report

My race report on the 10K is going to be short. Short race, short race report.

TRIgirl Melissa was a life saver. She drove me to and from the race. We kept away early morning race jitters by laughing and acting silly. After taking a team photo at the Cathedral, we raced to put the camera back in the car, and then found our team again. I was slated to start with the M wave, but all the TGirls were in G, so I sneaked in with them to start the race together. I had planned on running the race with Ann and Katherine, but couldn't find them, so I was stuck with mainly 9 minute mile girls. I watched as they each passed me, and just when I accepted that I was going to run this race alone....I saw up ahead Ann and Katherine, my pacers! I sprinted to them and ran in between them. HAPPY, I was!

Katherine left us to go to the Port-o-let and Ann and I raced the next 6 miles in 8 minute run and 1 mile walk increments. We nailed each mile at just under 12 minutes. I started pushing myself a little to far from the finish, (don't know why but I thought the race was 6.1 mile!) and finished the race about 20 feet behind Ann. There was a mass of chaos with a volunteer stepping in front of us at the finish line in order to stop us. That was craziness! I WAS going to stop, but not until I crossed that damn mat.

And, I was able to manage a negative split!

37.17 split first half
36.14 second half

In other news, now that I've ordered my wetsuit, I've been dreaming new bike.....a tri-specific bike with bullhorn aero bars, tri-specific geometry and maybe even a custom paint job. Andy, bike mechanic for team RaceAthlete, is making me think that my bike dreams might actually come true. Thank goodness triathletes are so nice.

Note to self...email those spell checker guys at Gmail and tell them that there is such a word as aero. No, I'm not trying to say Afro, Nero, hero or zero!

F2R TRIgirl Wetsuit Custom Made

I just ordered my wetsuit and I want to say F2R rocks! Not only did they give us our own TRIgirl store, where they donate a whopping 20% of salesback to our adopted non-profit, Safe Harbor Shelter, but they also have the best prices and customer service in the entire wetsuit industry. A big shout out to Brenda and Paul who have gone above and beyond for us and for triathletes in general.

When I asked why there top of the line Sockeye wetsuit was only $300, when so many other top of the line triathlon wetsuits are $600, they explained that the weren't in the business to make a killing. They were hoping to provide a great service that was needed and a good quality...and hoped to make money by selling alot of wetsuits rather than jacking up the price.

And when our logo just didn't look right on the smaller gray portion of the wetsuit they moved their F2R logo to be smaller, so our suits would look just right.

This is the only wetsuit store in town that actually had a wetsuit that would fit my exact height and weight. No compromising here! These suits are made for real people and real triathletes.

Monument 10K PR and Finish Times

Monument 10K finish times
2004 (granted I was pregnant with Redfish) Time 1:34:22;
2006 Finish time (man that was a hot day!) Time 1:26:01
2007 Unofficial finish time Time 1:13

Goal: met -- 73 minutes for 6.2 Miles
Huge PR! I took 13 minutes off. And, I don't feel totally wasted.
Yeah!

Thanks Ann for pacing me....I couldn't have done it without you!

Race report and official results later.

Update: Official results
01:13:31

Mama, I Hope You Have Your Ipod!

Redfish started running down the path at Cheswick Park this morning, just for fun. I started to run with him. He turns to me and says, "Mama, I hope you have your Ipod!"
This, of course just cracked me up. Like I can't run unless I have my Ipod. Legs won't work. Nothing. Then he turns to me and says, "and your bicycle, and Daisy's bicycle, and your swimsuit and your Ipod."
Now, I know equipment is important...but I didn't realize it was that important. I guess for him, you don't run unless your gonna' at least bike and swim too. And you better have some tunes, or I mean, why bother. A true triathlete, at heart.

Daisy Gets Her Reward -- Biking with the TRIgirls

More good and bad. The good news is I had a PR on a timed half mile repeat -- 4:56, The bad news is that all of the rest of them felt like I was running 4:56's and I wasn't. They ranged from 5:08 to 5:31.

In other news, Daisy Head Maisy has completed 2 dental sessions for her 8 cavities. I think now 6 have been filled, and unfortunately she is left with 2 surgical steel caps in addition to all the other silver in her mouth. We also got her her first fluoride treatment (hmmm maybe we should've done this sooner)! And she got sealant put on her permanent molars, to hopefully prevent cavities from ever forming there. Her reward? Getting to bike with the TRIgirls.

She was really, really happy. We brought her Cinderella bike with the training wheels and bent them down so it was like at trainer. She kept wanting to stand when we stood in the saddle, but I wouldn't let her because it wasn't really as stable as a trainer.

She kept complaining about being sore in the sadle. I guess that makes her a true TRIgirl.

Good news. And bad news.

The good news is Coach Mark says we don't have to run and extra 6-7 miles before or after the 10K. I was dreading sprinting the Monument Avenue 10K and then trying to find the energy to want to jog home. The bad news is that means we'll have a 14 mile and a 16 mile run coming up in the next several weeks. I know I said this last night...but I didn't bargain for 16 miles! I was thinking MAYBE 13.1 (walking most of it). Now we'll have to see if little miss Triathlonmom can run 16 miles! I guess I'll never know until I try.

Strength training last night was fairly easy, and focused mainly on our arms, with hardly any leg work. Now I know, that can mean only one thing. Look Out! A brutally hard bike training session is coming!

It was certainly the toughest 1 hour bike we've had yet. I guess Mark wants to get every last bit of (supervised and coached) training in before he sets us free at West Creek. My legs were still tight and sore from last night when I started my run this morning.

On another note, I should mention that Redfish finally got into the preschool we've been trying to get into since November. Yea! And Daisy lost her big front tooth on Friday....she is so cute....but is a mess....in so many ways. I predict tooth number 2 will fall out tomorrow. And then, I'll try to get a photo posted so you can see for yourself.

Good news. And bad news.

The good news is Coach Mark says we don't have to run and extra 6-7 miles before or after the 10K. I was dreading sprinting the Monument Avenue 10K and then trying to find the energy to want to jog home. The bad news is that means we'll have a 14 mile and a 16 mile run coming up in the next several weeks. I know I said this last night...but I didn't bargain for 16 miles! I was thinking MAYBE 13.1 (walking most of it). Now we'll have to see if little miss Triathlonmom can run 16 miles! I guess I'll never know until I try.

Strength training last night was fairly easy, and focused mainly on our arms, with hardly any leg work. Now I know, that can mean only one thing. Look Out! A brutally hard bike training session is coming!

It was certainly the toughest 1 hour bike we've had yet. I guess Mark wants to get every last bit of (supervised and coached) training in before he sets us free at West Creek. My legs were still tight and sore from last night when I started my run this morning.

On another note, I should mention that Redfish finally got into the preschool we've been trying to get into since November. Yea! And Daisy lost her big front tooth on Friday....she is so cute....but is a mess....in so many ways. I predict tooth number 2 will fall out tomorrow. And then, I'll try to get a photo posted so you can see for yourself.

24 Hours Later, A Change in Perspective

Funny how much 24 hours can change your perspective. Reading back at my last blog entry...I don't know what I was thinking ....contemplating an Ironman. Today, I am feeling a cross between guilty, because I missed the swim last night (had company in town) and burned-out and discouraged because all this hard work doesn't seem to be paying off.

On Saturday, my timed mile was 23 seconds slower than my PR -- 10:43. And my timed 1/2 mile repeats were erratic. I think it went something like this: (Keep in mind my goal was 5:10).

1 5:15 (downhill)

2 5:25

3 5:10 (downhill)

4 5:43 (Arrrh!)

5 5:10 (downhill)

6 5:23 (really pushing it to make goal time...with no luck).

Not only am I thinking about how all of this work isn't paying off as soon as I want it to, but I'm also thinking , "how long can I keep this up?" And, I am wondering if I am really going to run the 7 miles home from the 10K to my house (like my schedule suggests) or am I going to end up being lazy and hitching a ride? When I signed up for Eagleman, it was never my intention to actually RUN the run. I planned to walk most of it. But now, I figure I'm here, I might as well do the work and run if I can.

I know I can make it through training for Eagleman. But why do I keep feeling like taking a break from training? Why does sleeping in one morning or actually sitting down with my family to have dinner on a Monday or Wednesday sound so appealing?

What are the chances that I'm going to want to do another half iron event, the Patriot's Half?, in the fall? Well, the voice in my head is sounding a little whiny.....so I know it is time to sign out before I do too much damage, giving these doubts too much credit.

Sometimes, just when you start to get discouraged is when you start to see results. I'm hoping that where I am. And who knows, in 24 hours I might feel differently again.

Train for my Half Iron Race or Blog about it?

I haven't posted much details about workouts recently. I used to think If I didn't record them on my blog or something, they wouldn't count. Now, that I'm basically training 10 hours a week give or take, I'm finding that I'm too busy working out to find time to write as much. And of course, you gotta keep things in perspective -- miss a workout or miss writing about a workout. Easy choice!

I've was reading an unnamed TRIgirl blog which announce that ..we're about to really ramp up the intensity of the workouts. Oh God, here we go again! I'm really not sure that I'm ready... adding on the strength training has been as much of an intensity builder as I can manage right now. Luckily, although I've been sore, I haven't been 5-days sore again. And although I've been struggling to complete the set number of reps in a particular exercise, as long as it keeps increasing from the last time, I'll call it progress, and try my best not to sweat it.

I do want to shout out to all you TRIgirls who were MIA at the strength training on Wednesday though....I think there were only three of us there. It was a beautiful day granted, but I'm not sure I like having the coaches all to my self. Too much pressure!

And just so I can look back on this spring and remember...when it wasn't so bad...we weren't doing to much and we hadn't really ramped up the intensity.....here is what a typical training week getting ready for Eagleman half iron on June 10th, looks like this for me:

Monday: 1 hour strength and weight training, 1 hour intense bike
Tuesday: 4 miles hills and stretching if I'm good, 1 hour
Wednesday: 1 hour strength & weight training, 1 hour intense bike
Thursday: 4 mile temp run, stretching, 1 hour
Friday: OFF
Saturday: either 1/2 mile repeats (total 4 miles) and 2 hour intense bike or 1 hour intense bike and a 2-hour, 10 mile run
Sunday: Swim +/- 2,500 meters, 1 hour

I've heard the average weekly training for Ironman athletes is 14 hours per week. If that is true, and I only have to add 4 more.....than maybe God willing....it is on the horizon somewhere down the line for me. Wait, let me do a half iron first...I don't want to even think that yet. OOOooops.

Richmond's Rich Slave History -- Are We Ready For It?

Richmond is finally coming to terms with its past. It's slavery past that is. Not everyone is ready for this, I know, but it is about time that Richmond embraced the truth and acknowledged in the huge role it played in enslaving and selling thousands of Africans.

Most people think of Richmond's rich Civil War history and its role as the Confederate capital -- without fully realizing that Richmond was the slave trading capital of the world for many years.
Few Richmonders know that areas they drive or walk across on a regular basis in downtown Richmond are sacred ground: The Devil's Half Acre, otherwise known as Lumpkin's Jail. The slave burial grounds near Broad and 15th. The slave trail across Mayo's bridge and through Shockoe Bottom. And the slave market itself not far from today's farmers market.


Richmonders and visitors alike don't realize that you can still visit the site where the slave ships docked and unloaded. Or respectfully remember the slave trail where new African slaves disembarked on the south side of the river at Ancarrow's landing and made their way, at night (so as not to offend city dwellers with their appearance or stench after a long journey) to Lumpkin's Jail.


We also remember the stories of hope. And of freedom. Henry "Box" Brown, the slave who shipped himself to freedom in Philadelphia was from Shockoe Bottom and worked there.
And, Lumpkin's Jail, became a school that is today called Virginia Union University, a university that graduated the United State's first (and only) black governor, Doug Wilder. And today, a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom, no longer seems a threat to these landmarks...or the potential to revive and remember our black history.

But Richmond's citizens, black and white, are finally embracing the truth....respectfully, I hope. If we do not remember those who suffered, how can we heal its wounds? If we do not remember the wrongs, how can we right them?


The University of Richmond has an actual relic of a slaveship, The Henrietta Marie, on display through May 18th. And starting this week there will be several events commemorating Richmond's slave history. The River City enews reports:


This month Richmond Region 2007 is recognizing 400 years of African American Trailblazers with a weeklong series of events ending in an awards gala chaired by Maya Angelou and Mayor L. Douglas Wilder. The week will begin with a free Community Gospel Concert at the Byrd Theatre March 25. March 26-29 the Living Word Stage Company will present the Storytelling of African American Trailblazers of Virginia. Distinguished national and local guests will assist in the grand unveiling of the Reconciliation Statue March 30 at 15th and Main Streets. The culminating event, the African American Trailblazers Awards Gala, will honor 12 trailblazers in various fields including business, the arts, science and education. For ticket information, call (804) 644-8515.


And forever and for always history in Virginia and slavery in particular will be a controversial and heated topic. Two recent perspectives in Style Weekly (a back page opinion piece by F.T. Rea and a Letter to the Editor about the opinion) continue to prove that point. Rea says:


[snip] In 1961, my seventh-grade history book, which was the official history of Virginia for use in public schools — as decreed by the General Assembly — had this to say about slavery at the end of its Chapter 29:Life among the Negroes of Virginia in slavery times was generally happy. The Negroes went about in a cheerful manner making a living for themselves and for those whom they worked. They were not so unhappy as some Northerners thought they were, nor were they so happy as some Southerners claimed. The Negroes had their problems and their troubles. But they were not worried by the furious arguments going on between Northerners and Southerners over what should be done with them. In fact, they paid little attention to those arguments.In 1961 I had no reason to question that paragraph’s veracity. Baseball was my No. 1 concern in those days.
Now those words read quite differently. [snip]

Michael Kelley's reply to the article above was also enlightening:
Looking Back on Slavery in Virginia
F.T. Rea wrote an interesting piece that left out some significant facts regarding the history of slavery in Virginia (“Unvarnishing Virginia History,” Back Page, Feb. 28).The first 20 Africans brought to Jamestown in 1619 were five-year indentured servants, not slaves bound to lifetime servitude. Once they served their indentures, they each received 50 acres of land.

Lifetime servitude -- slavery -- in Virginia and English-speaking America actually came about in 1654 when Anthony Johnson, one of the original indentured Jamestown Africans, sued for and won lifetime servitude of John Casor, another African indentured servant. Slavery in Virginia was begun by a black African.Twice while under British rule, Virginia tried to abolish slavery, but the Crown would not allow it because it was too profitable for the New England merchants shipping slaves and paying fees to the British Empire.According to the U.S. Census of 1860, even though Virginia had a “Black Code” on the books that forbade free blacks and free people of color from residing in the state, there were 64,000 of them living and working in Virginia. They were recorded as owning houses, farms, businesses — and slaves. [snip]

So, where do we go from here? And why isn't Richmond the site of the Slave Museum. This history is here...and the museum should be here too.

Blingy Blob Coundown to Eagleman Race

Thanks to TRIgirl 40, I finally figured out how to get my Eagleman countdown to the race working. Go ahead...page down ....check out my sidebar! Pretty cool, huh?
Now, I won't go a day without thinking....I've only got 2 months, 21 days, 17 hours, 47 minutes and 1 second left to my race!

U.S. Open Cycling Comes to Richmond

I can't believe I'm going to miss both the 3Sports Duathlon and the inaugeral U.S. Open Cycling Championships! Darn. ...Richmond is finally making news in the world of sports in more than one way. The US Open is even going to be broadcast live on NBC with both women's and men's events...here's the scoop...I bet it will be great to watch them take those hairpin turns through the city ....and take on Richmond's very own pothole (and cobblestone) heaven. OK, to be fair it looks like they avoided most of the cobblestones. Actually, looking at the course map, they will be riding right down 3rd Street in front of the Visitor Center (convention center) where I work. This would be a great place to watch from as there is plenty of parking....clean bathrooms and overhangs to shelter from rain or sun.


Cycling Championships Coming to Richmond Region
The inaugural U.S. Open Cycling Championships are coming to the Richmond Region April 7, just weeks before America's 400th Anniversary. This nationally televised, first-ever event will feature both a men's and women's race that promise to provide the NBC Sports viewing audience scenic views of Virginia's history. The men's race will begin in the Colonial Capitol of Williamsburg and continue along Route 5 to a grueling set of circuits in Downtown Richmond. The women will race the same set of downtown circuits earlier that day.

5 Days Later I am Still Sore, but That is the Least of my Worries

First of all I should say that I certainly hope that today is the last day of my soreness....from last Monday. Today is Saturday, so hmm that would be 5 days straight of being really sore! Can't wait for next Monday to do strength training again and start all over again.

After Wednesday's workout I wasn't sure what to expect for today. On Wednesday, my chain fell off while I was shifting from the big chain ring to the small. The chain did a figure 8 inside the derailleur-sprocket area. Don't ask me how that is even possible. TRIboy Michael had to take off my back tire to fix it. When he put my tire back on, he locked it down differently and subsequently caused my bike to fall out of the trainer TWICE before I fixed it. Thank God that I was able to unclip and catch myself both times. With an audience, I just want to say that I was sweating WAY more than the rest of the class doing their work out.

Coach Mark brought a cooler full of Guinness for us to celebrate a halfway point in our training for Eagleman after the workout. Let me just say it is a shame that I don't like Guinness. But I enjoyed about half a beer anyway. Since I hadn't eaten diner It went straight to my head. Half a Clif bar later I was feeling less buzzed but nauseated at the mixing of Clif bar and Guinness. Race note: don't train with Clif's and Guinness!

Today I was scheduled for another 10 mile run. I made it through about 7.5 and then pulled something in my foot. I'm not sure what I did, but after that I just couldn't run without the bottom of my left foot hurting. I walked back to Maramarc while training partner Cheryl was able to finish for her first 10 miler! Go Cheryl!

It's feeling better now...just don't ask me to run on it, yet.

Here's the breakdown of my run:

8.58 Run

1.28 Walk/recovery

5.11 R

1.04 W

9.08 R

2.27 W

6.09 R

1.28 W

4.53 R

.57 W

7.58 R

1.32 W

10.04 Stretching at the Capitol (decided I don't like to stop and stretch)

10.36 R

1.55 W

7.31 R

1.35 W

7.54 R

2.38 W

7.13 R

1.28 W

2.28 R (this is where I got hurt)

1.35 W

1.24 R ....and then walked the rest.

Needless to say it was a long 10 miles.

I took a short nap, and when I woke up I had that yucky feeling. hmmm maybe too much water not enough salt. Drank a V8 (300 mg sodium for a mini can) and I immediately felt better. Go figure.

More 1/2 Mile Repeats

Since I was sick on Saturday and missed my repeats, I wanted to make sure I got them in today at least. Even though when I woke up this morning I was STILL sore from Monday night's work out. Let me just tell you what you already know....they were YUMMY!

It was a beautiful morning, if not a bit hot. The low for the night was 61 degrees, which feels downright balmy when you are doing repeats.
But, when I ran into the more forested part of the Vita course you could actually feel the temperature change -- it was much cooler. And of course on days like today, I'm always grateful just to be up for the sunrise. It is most definitely my favorite part of the day. I love it so much in fact...and the feeling of dawn and the sun rising over the horizon just barely illuminating broad domed sky, while you are breathing hard and running...that I can't figure out why I hate it so much when I have to get up and get out of bed. 20 minutes later...I'm loving it, feeling so happy to be alive....and feeling so happy I didn't just stay in bed like I wanted to. They internal struggle is so great. But the payoff is so worthwhile. I guess that is how most things in life are...the really, really rewarding things...just take alot of work and dedication, which maybe is why we find them so rewarding.

Which reminds me of one of one of Iron Wil's posts from last year. I don't get to read her blog much anymore....I'm too busy training and writing mine, but I love this one.

2.21.06

Get up.
It sucks.
Then it doesn't.
Go train.
It sucks.
Then it doesn't.
Always.
In that order.

So, anyway here are my stats. Since I ran that PR mile a few weeks back.... Coach Mark gave me a new 1/2 mile split time -- 5:10
(the old time was 5:25)...still a little ambitious for me to maintain, as you can see.

1 5.03
2 5.20
3 5.23
4 5.56 (includes a potty break by a tree...I know...I just couldn't hold it)
5 didn't time....this one was a slacker repeat
6 5.20

Strength Training with the TRIgirls

I was out of it for just over 48 hours. By Sunday, I couldn't believe it, but I was desperate to work out again. So I ran a quick (and very difficult, but slow) 2 miles around the loop at Robious and then swam. I had to remind myself that no less than 24 hours earlier I was sick like a dog....I was overdoing it a bit....and I got so hot I had to just take off my swim cap to cool down. I skipped my favorite part of the swim (stretching) to get the first shower and race home so I could see my kids (thanks to daylight savings time) before they fell asleep. They were in bed, but awake and so happy to see me since I'd worked all day. There is nothing like spending a whole day away from the rugrats to make you miss'em like mad.

Monday, I started strength training with the rest of the Eagleman-IMFL TRIgirls.
I knew what we'd be doing. I'd been to the strength training clinics before and seen just enough to know I DID NOT want to do that, I guess that is why it took me so long to sign up.
I also was able to keep from myself the fact that I was the only one in the IMFL-Eagleman Group that was not doing any strength training or weight lifting whatsoever. And I am paying dearly for the delay.
Back to step one....failure. I don't mean failure as a whole or even in its worst negative sense but just as in failure to complete said exercise. Exercises that require you to have balance (which I don't) and strength at the same time. Hmmm, yes, maybe my lack of balance is the reason that I have refused to ever do Yoga except while pregnant (when everyone's balance is off). There were three tasks that I had particular trouble with. Coach B took the time to explain each exercise to me and watched to make sure I was doing it right.
1. Push ups on the ball. Even though they let me cheat and have someone hold the ball for me.
2. "Butt-Ups" as I call them, which basically is like a push up position only your feet are balanced on a ball and then you have to stick your butt straight up in the air and then down again without falling.
3. Sitting squats, (or whatever you call them) where you have a ball behind your back and roll it down until you are in a sitting position with no chair and then go back up again. When you get to no. 10 at the bottom then you lift your dumbell weights up 10 times. I've found that you have to sit in the position longer, the longer you take to do the 10 reps...so Coach Black says I'm flapping like a bird to get them done...before I fall. For some reason I have exceptional knee pain with this one. I try to adjust the weight to my heels more and that helps a bit.
We were supposed to do 3 cycles of these exercises (10-15 reps each) and about 7 others that weren't as difficult, and complete the 3 circuits in an hour. And when I could only do 3 out of the 10 push ups on the ball, a very sweet Coach M said, "Well, it is what it is." That is all he had to say. That is my starting point. And he allowed me to modify the Butt-Ups so that I could at least accomplish a building block, a starting point to build from.

The good news is I know that I can improve with practice. I guess that is the point. And now that I have mastered "Standing in the Saddle" for as much time as any of our coaches require (knock on wood) I needed something new to work on anyway.

And yes, I knew I would be sore, but I have never ever been sore like this in my life -- ever.
I actually tried to slide down the stairs on my butt yesterday morning because I was so sore...but Redfish wouldn't let me. He made me carry him down the stairs -- yet again....but I was groaning the entire time. I even had trouble sleeping last night because I was still sore. And I am thanking the fates for scheduling a mandatory staff meeting for me today...so that I'll have a super-duper excuse to miss most --if not all -- of my strength workout tonight.

And biking after that workout? Don't get me started. I was just praying for it to end. I had planned on going out and taking a break after class, you know some me time...maybe some errands.....but I just couldn't -- I had to come straight home and lie down in bed and go to sleep.

Flu-lite

It's been going around...and I got it. I'm sick.
It's the flu only maybe flu-lite. I feel like i did my 10 mile run AND my 2 hour bike....only I didn't. That is how sore I am.
Only time will tell how long this will last...but for now, I'm out of commision.

Momo's Little J

One of the many triathlete bloggers out there in the bloggy universe who has been supportive of me, recently wrote something that just made me feel so old!
Momo, a triathlete training for Ironman Cor D'Alene, writes about her Little J, just like I write about Redfish and Daisy. Only Little J isn't so little anymore. He is 12 years old. And get this....
he has his own blog...just like mom.

"You birth them, you care for them, you feed and clothe them. You teach them to walk, to speak, to read. You do everything in your power to make sure they are safe and healthy and happy.And this is how they repay you. Ha! A boy after his mom's heart. Stop by and give Little J some comment love if you get a chance. Just don't believe a word he says... :-)"

Momo and I have some things in common...we try to set a good example for our kids. We live and love triathlons. We are members of Team Raceathlete. We are true to heart and we write about it, fearlessly.

But the thought of waking up in 6 years and seeing Daisy blogging about life in Trimom's house scares me. It makes me feel old, way old. And it reminds me that you are always setting an example whether you want to or not. Your good days and your bad. On second thought, once I got over the shock of Daisy having her own blog...I guess I'd be proud. But I would still tell you....Just don't believe a word that she says!;)

Triathlonmom Discovers Google Analytics

I am not a techie. Please don't tell anyone, but I'm winging this whole blogger thing. I love what computers can do and how they make my life so much easier and enjoyable. I love my new bloggy friends and the connections I've made in the triathlon-blogger universe...but I hate writing code. Maybe if it was multiple choice I'd like it better.

I was checking out Ellie's new photo banner and admiring her html skills -- although she remains humble. Maybe if I wasn't so shy about photos in the first place I would ask her to show me how she did that!

There's been alot of conversation on local Richmond blogs about connecting communities through blogging, a blogger's summit, blog referrals from RVA blogs, and blog statistics. That got me thinking.....and a few weeks ago I asked (the highly computer savvy) Mr. Preschool if he knew how I could view the number of people who have been viewing my blog. He said to add you know, an old fashioned page counter thinggy. I knew I didn't want to do that....and then...along comes a post saying that my buddy, John Sarvay, over at Buttermilk and Molasses, gets 18 percent of his hits via RVAblogs. How the hell does he know that, I thought....hmmmm.

After more investigation I found out that there is this thing called Google Analytics. That weirdly lets you spy on...I mean track your readers. For example, I found out that 23 percent of my hits come from my good Trigirl friend, Trigirl40's site and just over 15 percent come from (presumably) other Trigirls who link to me through the Trigirltraining.com site. I also saw that I have the fewest visits on Saturdays.....which makes sense since it seems my entire readership is out running half mile repeats, and sitting in the saddle for 2 hours, running 10 or so miles...and otherwise getting their "brick" on.

So, if you've ever wondered about your blogging readership, check out Google Analytics. And if you figure out how to use all of it's features...please email me and explain it.

Mama's Been Working Out ALL DAY!

Got home from swimming tonight at 7:40 ...just after the kids when to sleep. I left the house at 8-something this morning to go to work...so I didn't get to see the kids all day. Makes me appreciate being a mostly stay-at-home mom.
Mr. Preschool tells me Daisy said, "Wow Dad, Mama's been working out ALL DAY!"

Maybe someday soon that will be true...but for now I'll stick to 8 hours of work topped with a swim on Southside.

10 Miles

I'm sore. and I'm walking funny. But, I did it. I ran 10 miles.
We'll mostly ran. I walked some.

10 Miles took 2 hours, 4 minutes and 50 seconds....roughly 12.45 a mile.

Mostly I tried to use a formula of run 7 minutes...walk 1. And mostly I was sucessful.

Funny how at mile 8 (my previous longest run) is where things really got difficult. Mostly because my knees started to hurt and my upper thigh/groin area. I thought that was a strange place to feel it, but it happened on my last run too.

I was VERY happy to have beat the IronBoys (Rick and Jeff) back to Maramarc, by about 30 seconds. I guess you can't really call it "beating them" though-- they were running 14 miles...to my 10...but i'll take that anyday. You may know this already, but I always pack up my trainer, my bike, my blocks and put them away, and throw all my stuff in the car because I don't want anyone to have to wait for me since my runs take so much longer than other folks. But now I can see that with the Ironman group having longer runs in preparation for Ironman Cor d'Alene that I can just leave my stuff...and go for the actual "brick" effect of running directly after biking.

I was lucky to have my old Trimom partner, Sue, to run just over half of the workout with me. It was amazing she hadn't planned on running as far as Harrison St. but all of a sudden we were there. As I mentioned before, I have exercise-induced asthma and she is a respiratory therapist, so I can always bounce ideas off of her. We were talking about some deep stuff and I felt an attack coming on.

"If you ever go back to school and need a topic for a dissertation, I want you to study the correlation between emotion and asthma..." I said, pulling myself together.

"It's already been documented," she said..."there is a direct relationship between emotions and asthma." It's due apparently, to the chemical reaction of hormones caused by stress and fight or flight. Makes sense...and now that I know, I'll have more control over it I hope. Come to think of it...I realized the first time I had an attack in my adult life it was related to my emotions, oh and riding up some of those incredible hills off of Cherokee, trying to keep up with some girls who were outta my league.

Coach Mark's bike session was particularly brutal this Saturday. It's funny how that works out pretty conveniently....I've noticed that once you move onto the next leg you almost don't remember the pain you were just in. I think he started the ...stand in level 10...aero in level 7 and mini recovery aero in level 5 about halfway through the bike...and he never let up.

But by the time all was said and done, it was the run that made me think ouch...not the bike.

Daisyhead Maisy the Geologist

The Virginia College Savings Plan recently held a poster contest called, "Drawing Your Dreams." The grand prize was a complete scholarship for 4 years of in-state tuition -- worth about $36,000.

Daisy was a finalist, drawing a self portrait out in the field with a shovel and a pick. In a font, she created out of different colored pebbles, she wrote, "I Dig Rocks." I think it was a close contender for first place (but maybe that's just because I'm biased). There were over 1,200 entries for Kindergarten and over 11,000 entries overall. Her consolation prize was $250 in her Virginia Education Savings Trust account, pretty good for a 6-year-old.

I hope we see the art again...they said they can't give it back to us, but maybe they'll make note cards or a calendar with it.

Regardless, I'm proud of her for having a dream and for drawing it! The winners' art is pretty incredible....including the kindergarden entry who beat her....drawing in cursive.

Eagleman Homestay

I am happy to stay that I've been assigned my Homestay host for Eagleman. I think it is amazing that complete strangers, who have an appreciation for the sport, open up their homes to athletes. For this I am incredibly grateful. (As I am not prepared to pay the $1,800 a night, required to rent a suite at the local hotel).
And after I experience the Homestay, I will seriously consider hosting an athlete myself when they come for the 2007 Duathlon World Championships here in Richmond at West Creek. (Although I'm not sure how Mr. Preschool will feel about that, considering it's our anniversary).

I don't want to say too much to protect the privacy of my host...but I do want to say that I am very pleased with the location... just maybe 3 blocks from the race, very close to the swim exit/bike transition.

New TRIgirls Rock

I just want to say my neighbor, and new TRIgirl, O, is such a trooper. She came running with me this morning -- her first trip to the Vita Course. Good thing I'm slow, because she really shouldn't have been running half mile repeats on her first day out! I kept telling her Coach G is gonna' kill me if she finds out I let you do that!

O was a super star, and is in really good shape because she had no problem keeping up with me for most of the workout. And I was happier with my times, doing 4 repeats is so much better than 6. I guess I'm saving the 4 mile run for Thursday...I better get there early.

--

Eagle -- Man

Robert Vigorito just sent us this Eagleman email about the actual Eagles at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where most of the 56 mile bike occurs. The LiveEagle cam offers a glimps of the birds and their new chicks that will arrive soon.

The Great Richmond Region Adventure

As many of you know, I work in the tourism industry and part of my job is to promote Richmond. Yesterday, I found about this really cool Richmond Region Adventure Race, May 5th, from 12-4. It costs $150 for a team to enter -- but if you win you get $2,500 plus $2,500 for you favorite Richmond area attraction...I've already decided mine is Maymont. Teams of 2 to 5 people must walk (or run, hmmm all this training could come in handy) the course answering clues and trivia. The race starts at Tredegar Ironworks and ends at the Brown's Island Cinco de Mayo festival.


I'm hoping to form a team...post a comment if you are interested.

1/2 mile. Repeat. 1/2 mile. Repeat. 1/2 mile. Repeat. 1/2 mile. Repeat. 1/2 mile. Repeat.

Well the half mile repeats yesterday were tough. For one, it was wayyyyyy colder than I expected. With springlike temperatures all week, I was expecting it to be warmer than the 20 degrees someone spotted on their thermometer.

I'm learning that half mile repeats (like everything else) is something that you get better at with time. I went out too fast on my first one (5:08 instead of 5:25)....and so by the time I got to number 6...I was fried....(6:08 instead of of 5:25).

I found myself thinking I prefered long easy runs...like last weeks 8 miles....something I never thought I would say. And, while I tried to stop my brain before I thought that....it was too late...and my wish has come true. Saturday we are scheduled for an easy 8-10 mile run.

At least my kids will have Gramma & PopPop around to entertain them, since it appears I will be gone all morning on Saturday...once again.

A Negative Split

Mr. Preschool made me a new mix tape to which I rocked out on this morning on the Vita course....for my 4 mile negative split. I had to cut it about 3/10ths of a mile short so Mr. Preschool could still ride his bike to work in this beautiful spring weather....but I was happy with my time 44:14.

Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake

My new favorite Daisyhead Maisy quote is ...
"We were all like sprinkles on a cupcake!" ...in reference to her wild preschool days where they could nap wherever they wanted including on top of, and under tables.

Just trying not to forget how cute she is....despite the fact that we are now up to 8 caveties...4 trips (at least) to the dentist....and well over $500 in the whole. If I could just make them go away with no pain...I'd pay twice that much.

An 8 Mile Run

Yesterday, after an pretty brutal biking session, I had my longest run ever. Overall it was great. TRIgirl Cheryl was a sweetie and wanted to run with me despite the fact that I'm slower than her. She has one of those cool Nike chips she puts in her shoe and tracks her run. The results are far better than I expected:
Distance 8.52 miles
time 1:44:34
Pace 12:15

For the sake of my conscience I should mention that I think her computer was a little generous to us. I think the run technically should have been 8 miles, meaning that our pace time could have been a bit slower, closer to a 13 minute pace.
The run started at Willow Lawn and we ran down Monument Avenue all the way to the Downtown YMCA and then back. The Y let us in to get a drink of water, and we tried to pee, but couldn't (figures)...so our time doesn not include the 10 minutes it took for us to find our way into the locked bathrooms (and up and down the stairs) and back out again.

Some of you may know this but when I came to Richmond in 1991 I lived right on Monument Avenue, well actually Franklin Street in Johnson Hall...the dorm. Each year, I would just a couple of blocks farther west. And until about 2 years ago, I lived right at Willow Lawn (901 Parrish St). So this run was a journey back in time for me. As I worked my way closer and closer to the dorm that I started my adult life in, I was reminded of stages in my life, not too long ago, but oh so long ago at the same time.

First, Lafayette Street, would take me to my favorite apartment -- 3923 Park Ave. The one where I ran/walked 3 miles every day often with Mr. Preschool. I didn't know this until recently when I ran into my across-the-street neighbor from that time ...but apparently we had quite a reputation...for kissing on the front lawn. It wasn't really like that...it was like 7 am and we'd just be getting back from the run. We'd sit on the little bank in our front yard and I would do my sit-ups while Mr. Preschool would hold my feet. Then we'd switch. But more often then not, I guess, we'd end up rolling around in the grass kissing. We were newlyweds...what can I say?

Then, Roseneath Ave at the Ashe Monument. We lived at 3409 Hanover...and I had one of my best gardens ever...built from scratch. And we had a really cool neighbor named Bruce.

When I crossed Davis, at the Jefferson Davis Monument I was reminded of 2 apartments. At 109 N. Davis, we rented the bottom floor. We loved the place... the only problem is we had to go into the freezing cold unfinished basement if we wanted a shower. This was the apartment where I lived when I found out my mom had leukemia. This is the apartment where I lived when I got married. And, this was the apartment where I quit smoking. We weren't allowed to smoke inside -- only outside. And it was seeing myself outside on the back porch in the pitch black sick and coughing trying to get a smoke that made me realize I had to quit. I crushed out the cigarette, went back inside and slept for 2 days. When I woke up...I was a non-smoker.

The second apartment was 2339 W. Grace Street. When I lived at this apartment my motorcycle was my only transportation one winter. I remeber going as fast as I cold to get to VCU in the morning...just so I could get it over with. And when it snowed or iced, I didn't go anywhere. This was also the apartment with a band downstairs that seemed to practice all the time. Hans and Ginger lived upstairs in another apartment with their pit bulls. Whenever we ran into them in the hallway we had to pretend like we didn't hear them having wild sex all the time. This is also the apartment where I met Mr. Preschool's parents for the first time. And where we lived when we found my favorite cat, Biko, who always smelled like fire.

Before I knew it we were passing my friend Leigh's apartment facing the Lee Monument where I had my first Thanksgiving without my family in 1992. At the next intersection, we crossed Lombardy/Stuart Circle and I was remineded of the apartment where I fell in love with my husband -- 1604 Grove #6. 1604 was also where I bought my motorcycle and where I spend some of the happiest and unhappiest times of my young adulthood. I was 19 when I moved there and met my future husband. And found that riding my motorcycle was one of the only things that could always distract me from myself.

Then, we passed Johnson Hall, the dorm and my husband's dorm facing Monroe Park. It's funny how it is so much the same and so different all at the same time. Bikes, kids, homeless. Same buildings...and yet new buildings stood where none where before, like Rhodes Hall II.

During this time of reflection, I had run 38.51 minutes straight without really noticing. For me, that is huge since typically I'll stop every 3-4 minutes. I'm not sure what happeded...I guess I was in the zone and between running with Cheryl and reflecting, I was able to continue without walking.

The Chrono recap from my watch is below, mostly for my records... but it is interesting to see how much longer I could run when I was with someone.

R means Run... W means Walk. ...you can see the times I ran with Cheryl and also, when I went it alone. Pretty funny how my running times got shorter and shorter towards the end! But you can also see the big impact having someone to run with had on me!

4.59 R with Cheryl
1.17 W
3.57 R
1.11 W
4.19 R
.57 W
11.28 R with Cheryl
1 W....ran to catch Cheryl
38.51 R Cheryl
1 W
17.54 R Cheryl
1.11 W
3.56 R Cheryl
1 W ....Cheryl went ahead by herself
2.36 R
.26 W
1.54 R
.40 W
1.17 R
.53 W
2.07 R
.33 W
3.26 Run down Staples Mill to Maramarc

My Little Secret

First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to all you folks out there who are reading my blog and posting comments. The support that you offer me is amazing. Actually, I think most of us underestimate the positive influence we have over other people's lives when we make the effort to support them. The influence is huge....and I know because I think about all the encouragement that you guys give me while I'm running.

On another note, while I'm dishing out the thanks, I owe a big shout out to Nytro. Her entry earlier this week on "toe-flicking" while running up hills nailed it for me. And for the first time ever I "toe-flicked" up that little hill on the Vita course without having to slow down (well at least the first 2 times around).

And lastly, (I should warn you, you might not want to read this part if you are grossed out by bodily functions)....I want to tell you a secret. I had to pee so bad this morning before our run, that despite there being 40 or so TRIgirls out for our first official TRIgirl workout of the season, and despite many of them having never met me before, I pulled down my tights right there in the middle of the street, by my back tire and peed. I'm not sure how it goes...did the cold make me need to pee so bad or did pulling down my pants when it's 20 friggin' degrees out make me colder and have to pee even worse. We'll never know. All I know is I didn't get caught...I pulled up my pants just before the headlights drove up. And for all of you who are deviants like me and who are wondering....

Yes, when I came back to my car after the run...It WAS frozen solid....like a Popsicle!

I hope nobody slipped on it...

P.S. Mr. Preschool said I should NOT tell this story...Did I exersise poor judgement?

Making Progress -- a PR on My 1 Mile Run

Good News. I made it to the 7 a.m. run on Saturday despite the temperature being somewhere around 17-22 degrees. Even better news is that I was rewarded for showing up by getting a PR (by 1 second) on my 1 mile time. I know it is a slow, slow, time but for me, it is great: 10:20.

For my December and January timed miles my times were 11:05 and 11:03, so it is a significant improvement. Several factors contributed to the faster time including not having run the night before (for I while I was doing these crazy 3-5 mile Friday night runs, just because that was the only time I could squeeze them in) and not eating breakfast....just grabbing a banana. Another contributing factor was that instead of running the entire mile, like I did for the 11:03 and 11:05 times, I walked several times. Although it is counter-intuitive, walking actually makes me faster. Also (thanks to the temporary JCC membership), I went running 4 times last week -- for a total of 14 miles in one week -- another record for me.

The bad news is that the cold air aggravated my asthma and started having symptoms on the second part of the mile. Three of us on Eagleman/IMFL team have asthma and luckily mine is the least severe. D used a surgical mask to help her warm the air so her lungs wouldn't be aggravated by the cold. And I think both of them remembered to use their inhaler before running. Unfortunately, I forgot.

I tried breathing through my neck gator to warm the air like D's surgical mask but it just made me feel like I was suffocating. Since I didn't have the spacer for my inhaler I decided to wimp out and change my 4 timed half miles to 2 timed half miles. I felt like such quitter for skipping them that I tried to squeeze in a third timed 1/2 mile on the way back to Maramarc...but it was a lost cause...It must have been about 1/4 miles because my time was something like 2:30.

Next Saturday we we bike 60 minutes on the trainer and then run 8 miles. OMG. I've never run that far before. I figure it'll take at least a couple hours. Hope the team is still at Starbucks when I finish.

Reasons to Stay Awake at Night

I've been having trouble sleeping. Too much going on, at home and in the world. My 10 day trial membership at the JCC has made working out in this cold easy. The childcare workers watch Redfish (and Daisy if needed)....I run, run, run on the treadmill and lift weights in the nice warm air. I waited until the last week in January to use the membership because my running workouts had been suffering. It's just too cold to drag Redfish out into the teen degree air just to get a run in.

At the same time, I knew I had to do something. I was falling so behind on the runs, I knew I was at a point of make it or break it.

Oh, but I'm getting sidetracked. ...What I wanted to say is that running on the treadmills at the JCC just makes me feel like the world is ending. No less than 6 T.V.s to watch all, all on different channels, foretelling different stories of doom on the closecaptioning.
I try not to watch it. I have my ipod stuffed in my ears. I try to concentrate on my form..my gait...my intervals. But Dr. Phil sucks me in with 4-year-old boys who weight 187 lbs and steal Twinkies from the locked cabinets. CNN sucks me in with "Anna Nicole Smith 1967-2007: Former Playboy Bunny found collapsed in Florida Hotel" ....with just a minor mention that she has a several month old baby somewhere and no one knows who the hell the father is. "Chemical Fire burns out of control in Kansas City, Missouri....residents evacuated.".... Yet another "US military helicopter is shot out of the sky in Iraq"..... And "Letter bomber strikes again in Britain."

Not to mention my personal life. Daisy has 6 -- count 'em 6 cavities. And I should mention we don't really eat candy...and she does brush her teeth....but the spacing on her teeth and genetics have contributed to a disaster area. Not to mention the fact that the pediatric dentist is trying to rob us blind in her McDentist teeth factory. ...Redfish is trying to get in to a highly competitive preschool that we can't afford....but our back-up school called to tell us they were closing. So many tasks at hand each day that I can' t get done. So much so that after tossing and turning all night...when I finally when I wake up at 5 or 5:30 in the morning...I have to come downstairs and try to work on them...to solve the problems because I can't go back to sleep.

But, actually, that's not the only kind of sleeping trouble I'm talking about. ... I'm also talking about when I leave at 6:45 p.m. to go cycling. The kids are in the P.J.s, their teeth are brushed, stories are read when I leave. When I come home at 8:20, I walk in the door and Mr. Preschool tells me not to do the dishes because Redfish JUST fell asleep.
"What?"
"What did you guys do for the last hour and a half? I had them ready for bed when I left!"
"We'll," says Mr. Preschool, "I just went up there for the 4th time of him calling me with different excuses why he couldn't sleep. You know he had to pee, then he needed water....You know what he said the last time I went in there?"
"No, what did he say?"
"Dada, I have a soft BUTT!"
OK Redfish -- go to sleep already. You'll have plenty of time to worry about the problems of the world later.
As for me, I'm gonna run outside in the cold....and try to solve the problems of the world while I run....not while I'm on a leash on the treadmill feeling the weight of the world. No wonder I can barely walk when I get off that thing, it's like a bad dream...and getting off of a boat at the same time.

Tag -- I'm It

TRIgirl teammate TRIgirl 40, and Ironmom are playing a little Tri Blogger Tag and tagged me with 6 questions about me and triathlons. Hmm..how interesting can I make this?
And in the meantime....I'm going to tag some of my favorite bloggers. Let's just see how small this Triblogging universe is.

Bolder
Flatman
Iron Wil
Tri Greyhound
Nytro
and Roman

If you've been tagged, answer these six questions, then tag six more folks.

1. Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever
2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon
3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?
4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?
5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?
6. What is The Big Goal that you're working towards?

1. Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever

My first triathlon ever was the 3Sports Triathlon in July of 2002. I wasn't even sure I could finish. I remember being shocked that they were going to write in magic marker on my B-O-D-Y. A badge I tried to flaunt in the tank tops and shorts I wore that day and the next, because I was proud that I did finish.

2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon

I'll never forget the amazing feeling I had riding my bike to Sandman on the boardwalk in the dark. I'd never biked to a race before. Somehow it felt more empowering to leave my giant transition bag (otherwise known as my car) at home. It was so freeing to know that I had all I needed to do this race riding on my back. What started out as riding at dark, quickly turned into a twilight-like sunrise. There is nothing like a sunrise at the beach on the East Coast. I loved the contrast of the quietness of a city still asleep and the waves rushing against the shore. The calm before the storm.

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?
We'll how about in training....do you really need to know this? I went to the ACAC Richmond Tri Club Monthly Coached swim and If you've ever been to these training sessions, then you know they are tough. We usually swim 3000 to 3500 meters. ...But sometimes it is not the distance but the intensity that kicks your butt. I had to leave a few minutes early in order to make it to work by 9 a.m. I think I swam even faster than normal because I was late. Anyway, my arms were so tired...you know the feeling JELLO. And we were at the deep end of the pool where it is like 12 feet deep. I tried to hop out of the pool and my arms we so tired and jello-ey...(is that a word?) that they collapsed and I fell back into the pool. Coach P was watching, trying not to laugh at just how bad he'd kicked my ass.

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?

I was racing the inaugural IronGirl event at the site of the internationally know Columbia Triathlon. I was particularly concerned about the hills and making sure I was trained for them. I was doing fairly well and coming down a giant hill, only to go back up the final monster hill when I switched gears from big chain ring to little chain ring and my chain fell off. I was actually totally freaked out. So much so that I didn't refuse when 2 little girls -- who were maybe 8 years old -- offered put my chain back on for me. Actually, they standing there waiting for it to happen...and they were helping many folks, waiting as a sort of pre-pubescent pit crew. It took them about 2 minutes, but I was so moved by them and in complete awe. Those 2 girls , Emma and Greer, really did bring new meaning to the word IRONGIRL for me.

5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?

I've discovered that triathlons make me a better person in every way.

6. What is The Big Goal that you're working towards?

Eagleman 2007 is the immediate goal. We'll see after that.

Richmond Tri Club

We'll I did't get elected to the Tri Club Board of Directors. Lots of incumbants who were running for their same seats again made it a tough competition. I am glad I ran even though I didn't win. My teamates were hugely supportive...sending in more absentee ballots than RTC had ever seen and wishing me luck. Plus I got to meet some great new people. It just wasn't in the stars.