All about A

The Olympic distance tri I am attempting to not die in complete on Sunday is apparently some kind of big deal. It's all..."Oh, I'm St Anthony's, I'm a big deal." And I'm all, "yeah, so?" And it's all..."I've got about a billion pros and elites." And I'm all....oh shit.

Seriously though, St Anthony's has been around for about 30 years and according to the race site, it attracts "approximately 4,000 individuals and 150 relay teams each year from more than 45 states and nearly 20 countries." Whoa. St Anthony's takes place in the St Petersburg, FL, AKA The Burg.

I don't know why this makes me more nervous than say, oh the Marine Corps Marathon, which is easily the most populated race I've ever run with 30,000 plus runners. But it does make me nervous. And excited. I guess with the smaller number of athletes, but still a number of pros, you really do get the chance to see them up close. (Heeeeey, hot tri dudes....)

Ahem. Anyway, I am really looking forward to seeing these athletes in action. I am pretty sure that the pros/elites will be done before I even put a toe in the water but what the hell, at least I'll know they were out there. Speaking of water, it looks like I won't be wearing that lovely sausage casing I call a wetsuit. Since we've been blessed with a warm Spring, the water temps are not going to allow for the race to be wetsuit legal. However, drowning legal is apparently ok. Kidding...

The race is an Olympic distance tri. For my running friends, I'll explain. Don't worry I didn't know what that meant either, had I known, I may not have signed up. Kidding again. The Olympic or Oly for short is typically a mid-distance race. I would consider it akin to the 15K of running, long enough to get a groove on Katie says, but short enough to feel the lungs burning. St A's is a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike (gulp!), and a 10K run.

The reason for all the history and back story here is that when I was talking with a seasoned St Anthony's racer I asked where the swim start was. I got a look of "What the heck? You haven't looked up the course yet?" And of course radio silence ensued.

Looking back at all of my marathons, I've pored over the race maps, sites, histories, and pre and post race events. Hell, I bet could have rattled off the entertainment at every mile of MCM. But poor St A's was not even getting my usual google stalking. That's why today I decided I needed to give it it's due respect.

I'm glad I did. I like knowing that this race is special and that it's been around for a long time. I'm hoping it treats me real nice on Sunday and that when it's all said and done, I'll want to sign up next year too.

Have a great weekend everyone. And wish me luck!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday friends and runnahs! You know what I love about Thursday? It's one day closer to Friday AND one more day closer to the weekend. Bliss!

Of course this means one day closer to my BIG race, but not much I can do at this point. Well, except eat Cheez-Its and panic.

So in order to divert my attention away from a post about panic and thoughts of riding so long on the bike with so many other people, let's have a give away!

Today, I'm thankful for a cool give away!

Champion was so cool to send me a pair of shorts and a jacket for review/give away. I decided to test out the shorts and give the jacket away. That's how I nice I am.

I got up at the butt crack 'o dawn yesterday to run and made P-Funk take a photo of me in the YMCA parking lot. We were giggling as she took the photo because A. it was way too early for photos and B. I made her take a pic of my butt.

See how cute the shorts are? And they were really light. Plus I love the pocket in the back for the key. Theses shorts are awesome and I would totally buy them. They also have some reflective stuff on them so that when you are running at O' Dark Thirty you are more visible. (I must also add that I truly love the Champion Sports Bras at Target. I know that the Redhead does too!)

As for the jacket, I haven't worn it out of consideration for the winner and didn't want to get my boob sweat all up in it. Whoever wins it will just have to let us know how it is.

Here are the deets on the jacket:

Champion Double Dry Ultimate All-Weather Soft-Shell Women’s Jacket

Super-soft bonded shell resists both wind and water...protects you from cold and chill...wicks moisture to keep you dry.

Sleek ergonomic seams streamline your silhouette. (They're triple-stitched for strength and flat-locked for non-chafe comfort.)

Details make the difference: tag-free fabric-taped mock-neck; invisible zippered pockets; zip-up media pocket; white reflective details; full-length lock-down zipper with gel pull and cozy storm flap.

The jacket is a women's small so if it's not your size or you prefer to wear men's stuff, you know, like, if you're a dude and all, then stand by for a more gender neutral give away next week.

Want to enter?

Go to the Champion website and tell me what other items you'd like to try. And become a fan of their facebook page, I am! (You can facebook them from their website.) I'll choose a winner on Monday.

Oh, and one more thing, What are you thankful for today?

Help my mom, please

Hey friends of my mom, B.o.B. It's me again. The Lloydster. Lloyd-a-rama. Lloydski. Lloyd Monster. It's me, Lloyd. I don't want you all thinking this is mom typing this cause I have some important stuff to discuss with you all and I've once again snuck onto the computer while she's out doing whatever it is that she does in her tight clothing. Only this time, it seems to be extra tight clothing.

Clothing. Meh. It's for the humans.

Anyway non-furry friends, I'd like to know what the heck has gotten into Mom this time. I've never seen her like this. Sure, she's been all weird before she comes home with one of those big, shiny, metal necklaces, but this time she's super weird.

I've noticed her taking out that wheeled contraption from the guest room and hauling it down the stairs, and up the stairs, down the stairs, and up the stairs. I thought it was a new coat rack but apparently she just likes wheeling it around. She's always very tense when she leaves with it.

And I've noticed that she sometimes comes home with her head fur all wet and again with the extra tight clothing.

It's all quite strange really.

This week she's been tossing and turning in my bed and eating all sorts of junk. (Although, I don't mind the last part too much as I'm getting some Cheez-Its tossed my way.) It's like she's preparing to go to war or something.

All I know is that, again, she's disrupting my belly rubs, naps, and sleeping in. Please let me know how I can help this new deranged woman who has taken over my mom's body. And as per usual, don't let her know I stole the computer again. I mean it. This is my serious face.

Your help is appreciated. And as such I may even let you pet my belly.

-Lloyd

Monday Musings

1. I am tired. I may have overdone it last week/weekend. Swam-biked-ran my way to a two hour nap post Bunny cake making yesterday and still went to bed at 9 PM.

2. Am currently having dreams of triathlon. I wake up sweating and wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into this weekend.

3. If you poop your pants while riding your bike during a race, should you

A. stop riding and change your shorts?
B. keep riding and tell those passing you that you're sorry for the smell?
C. keep riding and hope it makes those wanting to pass you stop riding?

4. How many sharks could there really be in the ocean that are hungry at 7:50 AM? Don't they eat at night?

5. Am starting to think that the Speedo swimsuit tan lines of my youth have returned and I'll continue to have the whitest stomach on the beach next to those Canadians.

6. Running has never been more precious to me than it is right now.

7. Me and Dolly may have had a minor breakthrough yesterday when I stopped twice and wasn't screaming in my head "RIGHT FOOT OUT! RIGHT FOOT DOWN!"

8. Eating lunch out of the office on Mondays can lead to better performance upon return. Or....better blog writing.

9. I really want aero bars for Dolly now. I know that's nuts since I just started to feel comfortable on the bike, but why not? What's a eleventy million more dollars?

10. I am totally STOKED for some interviews I have lined up with some amazing female athletes. Stay tuned...

Oh and happy Monday.

Safe!

This post is about being safe.

Ok, fine. Not that kind of safe. But I feel this post is way over due on my end, so please accept my apology. But Hollster's story got me and the BRA (running group) discussing some safety precaussions that we as road warriors must adhere too.

Ok fine. Not that kind of road warrior. But we as runners and cyclists and swimmers must think about our safety cause it's almost guaranteed that some of those who we share the road with aren't.

With regards to Hollster, the simple act of her writing a friend's phone number on the back of her race bib really came in handy when she was in the medical tent. She just ran a marathon and had no cell phone and wasn't sure who to call. Fortunatley, she had written V's cell phone number in that emergency contact space on the back of her race rib. She was able to call V, who was spectating, and let her know where she was and that she was fine.

But imagine if she hadn't. Imagine if she wasn't fine (thank God she was), but just think about the medics trying to find someone who was her link to her family. It's so important that we take this very, very simple step when we race. Especially those long races, but it's important at the shorter ones too.

In addition to writing that contact number down, we need to have ID. Carry a cell phone, carry an ID, or write your number in underwear for all I care, but have something that identifies who you are! A good story of this is from my buddy Cay-See who is a cycling machine. She didn't have ID on her when she was struck by a vehicle while on her bike and the medics had a difficult time locating her family. Again, thank God she was ok, but this is where items like Road ID come in super handy. I know that I would hate if they couldn't let my family what happened to me if I end up in the ER for any reason.

I've been a total slacker in getting that Road ID, but today I pledge to order one. Won't you all join me? Order a Road ID, right your emergency contact on those race bibs, and think about how much this will help your friends and family in case of an emergency. We do it for our pets and children, shouldn't we do it for ourselves?

That's it for my Friday thoughts. I have a long run on deck for tomorrow AM and an OWS for tomorrow afternoon. I hope the jellyfish aren't biting!

Have a great weekend and be safe!

Thankful Thursday

You ever notice how when a friend finishes a marathon and comes back with the stories of their accomplishment is gets you all pumped up? Yeah, me too. This is what happened Tuesday night at my running group meeting.

Take the story of my good friend Hollster, first time Boston runner. She busted her butt during the Boston training and when she neared the finish line of the actual Boston Marathon her legs gave out. She was suffering from dehydration and she went down on her knees, unable to walk or run another step. Her two running mates Strawberry E and Russian T tried to carry her but were told by an official she had to cross the finish without assistance. And guess what? She did. She crawled. Out of sheer determination and the will to finish and not give up, Hollster finished. And she even made the Boston news for a section titled "Pain and Perseverance." If that does not get you fired up, I don't know what will.

Photo by David L Ryan/Globe Staff

As I sat listening to the amazing stories of my running buds who completed the Boston Marathon, some for the first time, some for the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th time I started feeling the itch again.

It wasn't that I knew I never wanted to run a marathon again, but Ft Lauderdale had left me needing a break. Sure, I had a great PR but I didn't have "fun" and wanted to focus on tri's and shorter races this summer.

But a funny thing happened. P-Funk, who had been on the fence about running another marathon since Gasparilla 2010, got pumped up too. And before we knew it we were talking about what would be our next marathon. After a little bit of discussion, since we had sort of batted the idea around previously without really committing, we decided we'd shoot for the 2012 Miami Marathon.

And there you have it. From the inspiration from our friends we've decided to give the marathon another go. If I make it through Miami it will be my 6th marathon, or "sex" marathon as we like to joke in the running group. (Back story: typo on the running group page wherein six was accidentally typed sex and now anything that is six is sex. Yes, we are all adults. I think.)

Today I am thankful for the inspiration that will lead me to marathon #6 in Miami, home of palm trees, late-late night dancing, beautiful sandy beaches and the Golden Girls. You know how I love them.

What are you thankful for today?

Jurassic Park

Since I've begun this quest to tackle the tri, I've noticed these strange appendages attached to my torso. Apparently, they're called arms!

I learned of this T-Rex arm syndrome while reading the Chic Runner's blog. I found that the term totally fit me and I must admit to being a total slacker on the cross training front. Why in fact just today someone at work told me they could see my blossoming arm muscles. Yay! Pretty soon, I'll be lifting heavy items all by myself, like that awful roll of toilet paper that needs to go on the roller but sometimes sits on the bathroom counter for a day or two....

So, while I have been totally tri-brained lately, I haven't forgotten that little half marathon I have coming up next month. I best keep up my long runs while I tri (hardy har har) to get in all the cross training.

I am super excited to go see Red and Spike. I also can't wait to read their Boston re-caps and all of yours as well. Congrats to all of those who qualified for the Boston Marathon this year! I know some didn't get in, so just being qualified counts as bad ass in my book. And of course, congrats to those who completed it yesterday. I'll be bloggy catching up and want to know all about you, you, and you!

Happy Tuesday. Get 'er done!

Escape from Ft de Soto Triathlon Race Report

First let me start by saying that I finished! Hooray! Not that I didn't think I'd finish going in but there was a brief moment during the swim where I questioned it. I'll break it down into the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Since they don't go in the same order of the tri I'm gonna flip the script to make it fit. Just go with, mkay?

Pre-Race

As I got ready for my race on Saturday morning I came to the realization that triathlons require a lot of stuff. From the bike, to the two pairs of shoes, to the helmet, goggles, and glasses these events require a packing list. I learned this at the event when I realized that I forgot my camera. Thank goodness Lazy Runner showed up with his. I also learned that you need to arrive at the race very early, regardless of your start time because they close the transition area. I made it in time, but it was a nail biter. (They shut the transition so that those starting don't have folks in there still setting up. And tri's start in waves by age group. Just FYI to some who may not know this.)

From last year I knew how to set up my bike and other race gear in the transition area and was really happy that I could help a first timer who was having some difficulty racking her bike. I got to pay it forward cause some woman did the exact same thing for me last year.

The Good (bike, 10 miles)

Me and Dolly got on pretty well yesterday. No falling, even though the clipping in and out was shaky at best due to nerves, I still didn't fall and even got a little speed. I definitely need to work on my shifting cause methinks I was in the wrong gear for about 5 miles. Heh, FNG (effin new guy).

I did get passed more than a few times, but mostly by folks who were straight hauling ass. They were on their super speedy bikes and I didn't feel bad since no one had a basket and a small dog with them as they went by. I passed a few folks here and there this year and finally got to say "on your left!"

The Bad (run, 4 miles)

The run, as in bad ass. I am not one to toot my own horn, but toot mutha' effin' toot. I felt GREAT on the run. The first mile is always a bit wonky as you get off the bike but for some reason my legs just felt good. I caught a lot of people and I was in a full on kill mode to catch those who passed me on the bike.

A very cool thing I noted about the tri is that a lot of other racers cheered me on as I passed them. I think that's totally commendable to cheer on someone while you are "racing" them. I'll be sure to cheer on those cyclists at the next race when they zoom by me.

As a note to other runners out there, this is where we excel. Get through the swim and the bike and then you are back to YOUR sport. Yay for running!

The Ugly (swim, 1/2 mile)

I consider myself a swimmer. Well, make that a runner-swimmer. I am not normally too concerned with the swim. The exception of course is yesterday. It was by far the hardest part of this race. The water looked deceptively calm while waiting to run in but once I got swimming it was a churning, wave-y sea of death.

Every breath I took seamed to get me a full face of water. And every stroke seemed to run me into someone. When I tried to sight (it's looking up every few strokes to make sure you are going to the right way) I was lifted and tossed by waves. I got about half way and had to stop and do a few frog kicks and catch my breath. It was brutal. I had to remind myself, "Hey you're a swimmer. What's going on here? Swim!" I finally re-grouped but I wasn't as strong as I should have been.

The Stats

Since I am new and didn't wear a watch for anything but the run portion of this event, I have no idea what my splits were. I'm guessing ok for the swim, ok for the bike, and good for the run. Overall my time was 1:24 and I came in 8th in my age group. Not bad for a 2nd time triathlete who was painfully slow in transition. I heard a tri coach I know yell out "Hey B! The race has started!" LOL. I'll work on that. And thus ends my race report.

STATS UPDATE! (Posted from the website) Swim time - 15:41 (6th place), T1 - (a painful) 4:55, bike time - 33:05 (24th place), T2 - 2:18, run time - 28:35 (5th place),

8th in AG out of 40 - Total Time: 1:24:31

In other news, Lady Gaga was AWESOME! Below is a photo of me and Big Sis. We had killer seats in a suite that was all you could eat and drink. This worked out well since I like to eat and drink a beer (or three)!

These ladies were much more hard core than I. I had no choice but to take a pic with these "Little Monsters."

Happy Sunday peeps!

The cost of things

Yesterday while browsing the small expo for my tri tomorrow I noted the cost of things. I was in need of a tri top (a fitted top that you can swim-bike-run in, FYI) and I saw a few that were marked at half off. Good deal right? Wrong. The top was $85. What-now-what? You want $45 for a top that is no bigger than a tankini? Is it made of gold? Will it make me win my age group? Probably not.

But, guess what? I forked over the cash. My thinking was, I need a top for the race and if I fit this size then I can just buy for less online in the future. But this really got me thinking about the cost of races and merchandise.

If you think about it, the majority of "us" (ie- runners, triathletes, cyclists, swimmers, etc.) fit the demographic that retailers want. We have some disposable cash and have found something that we are willing to spend the funds on regardless how silly it seems to spend $45 on what is essentially the top half of a bathing suit. Or $140 dollars on running shoes. And let's not get started on the costs of registering for these things coupled with the travel.

So where does this leave us? I mean honestly, would we still sign up for this stuff and purchase all of the accoutrements if they were 20% more, 50% more? Granted, I am a shopper. I like shopping and if I want something I don't normally worry about finding a better deal if it is specifically what I want.

But.....

I probably should. I am assessing what I have spent recently on tri gear and races and it's adding up. Have any of you made promises to yourselves to pay more attention to costs with regards to this hobby? And can we put a price on feeling good about ourselves and our accomplishments?

Just some Friday food for thought. I'd love to hear about how you budget for these things and whether the cost of an event or item has caused you to put on the brakes.

My 2nd sprint tri is tomorrow. Wish me luck and I do the same for those of you racing and in training.

Thankful Thursday

Since today is ACTUALLY Thursday, I've whipped up a few little gems of thankfulness. I am pretty sure that sentence made no sense, but I do what I want!

Things I am thankful for in photos. Begin.

Exhibit A:

The gentleman to my right is named Silky. No really. That's his name. I've have seen Silky at almost every 5K I have ever run. And he usually beats me. That was until that sweet 5K PR I happened upon two weeks ago. Of course, I've been chasing Silky for a couple of years now and he had no idea, so that whole "racing" someone without them knowing is kind of dumb. But, you all know me. I'll take it!

Thus, I am thankful for friendly competition and mild racer stalking.

P.S. Silky is a very nice man but he did not fail to mention that he was coming off an injury. Heh.

Exhibit B:

Yeah, that's totally me, chicking two dudes. Thus, I'm thankful for "chicking." It's a fun term and even though I get uh, "duded" A LOT, it's always nice to "chick."

Exhibit C:

Big Sis, Shorty Shorts, and I. I'm thankful for them both. Big Sis cause well, she's awesome. And Shorty Shorts cause he's also awesome. And of course, I'm thankful for my BRIGHT shoes and Lululemon "Unicorn Tears" top that is also LOUD.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Wednesday: I will survive

Today, I am thankful* for Gloria Gaynor and my bike Dolly. Both have provided inspiration and a back drop for surviving my quest to be a triathlete. Enjoy!

First I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never ride without falling on my side
But I spent so many rides thinking how you did me wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to clip shoes on

and so you're back for another race
I just rode in to find you here with that sad look upon your face
I could have changed my bike pedal
I could have made you race clip free
If I had known for just one second you'd be back to bother me

Go on now go ride out the door
just turn around now 'cause fallin’s not welcome anymore
weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with the ride
you think I'd crumble
you think I'd fall down and lie

*Chorus*
Oh no, not I
I will survive
as long as i know how to clip
I know I will stay alive
I've got all my life to ride
I've got all my races to glide
and I'll survive
I will survive

It took all the strength I had not to fall or slip
kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my sore, bruised hip
and I spent oh so many rides just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry
Now I ride my bike and fly

and you see me
somebody new
I'm not that falling up little person still scared of you
and so you felt like dropping in
and just expect me to clip free
now I'm saving all my riding for some clips who are loving me


Besides, my masterful re-tooling of this classic earworm, what are you thankful for today?

*Yeah, this was my Thankful Thursday post...until I realized it was Wednesday thanks to Detroit Runner! LOL!

Rah rah.. ah ah ah

If you are a Gaga fan then you know the title of this blog post and are already humming "Bad Romance" (or if you are like me you are full on belting it in front of your 'puter). I must say, I love Gaga. I am a total Lady Gaga fan and I don't really care to discuss her oddities and political stance, the girl has talent.

I say this because I was fortunate enough to see her perform before she got HUGE. You see, a couple of years ago the Lady performed at a small venue in town. She was singing her hit "Just Dance" but it hadn't really exploded at the time. Of course, the venue was full of those of us cool kids in the know (AKA me and the Gays, who I heart). As Lady Gaga came out I had no idea she would be so theatrical and I also didn't know she could actually sing. Live! And play the piano! Now, granted she is a pop star and doesn't have much to compete with much these days (Christina forgets the National Anthem and Brit Brit isn't quite the same as she was) but the woman has talent all the same.

Ok, so what the heck does my love of the leotard wearing Gaga have to do with running? Uh, not a whole lot actually. But I am going to see her Saturday night! And I have kick ass seats. My BIL got my sister and I tickets in a fancy pants suite with food and drinks. Hooray! (Yes, we'll call a cab, don't worry.)

I'm currently taking outfit suggestions and wonder how I can incorporate some Gaga into my triathlon. I mean, she does wear bathing suits in public a lot ....

So if you happen to be at my tri on Saturday morning and I'm running by singing "Baby, I was born this waaaay!" Don't be alarmed. I'm just super excited to see Lady Gaga!

A dessert room and nerves

Happy Monday peeps! I had yet another uber busy weekend. I'm kind of nodding at my desk actually, which is why I decided to type up this here bloggy blog post.

I hit up a 5K on Friday night and while it wasn't a PR, I did have a lot of fun. I hit a 23:15, which was still good enough to be in the top 50 finishers to receive a mug. It was hot and about half way through the race I was thinking, "Screw that mug. I'll just go buy one." Heh. But, I pushed on and managed to finish only a bit slower than my PR. I would love to break that 22 minute 5K, but I'm thinking now that's it getting HOT that won't happen until the Fall.

The race brought many of my friends out including Big Sis and the Brah-In-Law, the Lazy Runner, Caribbean Steve, Cay-See, Speedy Jess: The Sequel, Big E, and new runner (first time 5ker!) Max. Congrats to everyone on a great race!

Saturday night I headed to dinner with the family to celebrate Big Sis's birthday. We hit up Bern's Steakhouse and it was, as per usual, AMAZING. Feel free to google it. It's only in Tampa and totally worth the trip if you are in town. Get this, they have a dessert ROOM. That's right, an entire ROOM dedicated to desserts. I had this raspberry chocolate cake with raspberry sorbet on the side. Slurp! Thanks to BIL (brah-in-law) for treating!

On Sunday I headed to that paved trail with Dolly. I didn't sleep well the night before because all of I could think of was, "Don't fall. Right foot out. Right foot down. Don't fall." I met up with Speedy Jess and fortunately, there were no whammies. Of course, I was told that my dismount was a little awkward, but whatevs, I didn't fall and I'll continue to work on it.

Speaking of which, my first tri of the season is .... SATURDAY! Eeeee! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. The good news, is that this is the sprint tri and about the same course as the first sprint tri I did last summer. There are some stairs at the Fort that'll be new for me, but other than that, I think I am ready. Stay tuned as the nervous nelly increases as the week goes on...

Have a great week!

Because it's Friday

Because it's Friday and I feel like posting something a little random and yet, so funny, I'd thought I would share this little gem: 5 Reasons Riding a Bike is the Most Humiliating Exercise

And man, don't I know it.

This is obviously why I am having so much trouble. Even though yesterday was a total NON-FAIL, I still can't help but nod my head at every single one of these reasons. They make a very strong argument here.

Instead of riding this evening I am being welcomed into the loving arms of running. No crazy clips, no butt chafing, and no falling at speeds faster than I can run.

Happy Friday. Have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday

This morning I woke up dreading putting on those bike clips. I was lying in bed for a good twenty minutes deciding what I would do. I was very similar to Cameron on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "This is uh... This is ridiculous, ok I'll go, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go. What - I'LL GO. Shit."

I had two options on ride locations. I could head over to a neighborhood loop and really get a good ride in but probably only stop once. Or I could just head downstairs to my own apartment complex parking lot and practice stopping more than once. Since I am headed to the track tonight I figured that over doing it with a longer ride wasn't necessary and I needed more practice stopping than anything else.

As I got downstairs with all of my gear and Dolly, my heart was beating fast and I felt like a little kid again. I knew I so badly wanted to ride but the fear of those silly slow motion falls was in the back of mind. As I shut the front door a super friendly kitty happened to approach and basically made out with Dolly before I could get moving so that helped take my mind off of things. Sorry Dolly, she just really liked you.

I clipped in and got moving. I went around the complex once before getting back to my car and deciding that's where I'd stop. I focused on the car and said my new mantra that a good friend told me, "Right foot out. Right foot down." Success! I did not fall.

I got clipped in again and decided to give it another go around the complex and then stop at my car again. And again I repeated, "Right foot out. Right foot down." Success two times!

As I stopped this final time I thought about calling it a day. Why tempt fate right? I got off the bike and headed to my front door. But then it struck me that two times was enough for me to get some confidence. I went for time number three.

"Right foot out. Right foot down." Success number three was mine.

I'm not overlooking the fact that I'll might fall again at some point but at least I know I am totally capable of stopping and starting without my left hip meeting the pavement.

Thus today I am thankful for small victories. It's important to know them when you see them and realize that you have to start somewhere. Not every run you accomplish will be fast, not every swim you complete will be steady, and not every bike ride will you unclip successfully, but man you gotta be thankful for the ones that go the way you want them to.

What are you thankful for today?

Almost Wordless Wednesday

As if the bike fear wasn't bad enough, this swim video surely isn't going to help.




Aw nuts.

Happy Wednesday.

Highs and Lows

There is nothing quite like the highs and lows of endurance sports to make one reflect on why we participate in these activities. Let's recap shall we?

Saturday morning I woke up for a 5K that brought me a PR and a big trophy last year. I was nervous, as per usual, and not quite sure how I'd run considering I have been more focused on the swimming and biking then the running as of late.

I met up with Shorty Shorts, his buddy T-Dub, and Big Sis and chatted for a bit before the race start. I wanted to break 22 minutes but after going out way too fast the first mile I knew I was gonna run out of gas. I wound up running a 22:22, which is a 3 second PR. I'll take it. I also came in first in my age group and got that big trophy again (one of the reasons I do this race is cause they have the best trophies!). In addition, I got two five dollar gift cards, one for Starbuck's and one for Subway. This would be my high of the weekend, with regards to sports.

I felt good and headed to the beach as the Florida weather was gorgeous! On Sunday I got my recovery run in before heading to that paved bike trail I mentioned before. I met up with my buddies Kris and Tish and three male riders who I just met. All super nice people who shared with me that they too had some fall-down-go-boom issues with the clips.

Now due to my previous falls and wonki-ness, I am nervous before I even get on the bike. My palms are sweating and my heart is racing before I even put my helmet on. I let the other folks ride ahead and have a successful attempt at getting going. Whew. We ride about a mile to the official trail start and then we get to this:

The bridge and path to the seven mile loop was flooded because of all of the crazy rain last week. So I have to stop. Ugh. I successfully get off my bike and wade across with all of the other nut jobs. Since we were there we figured, might as well get a ride in. I then have some wobbly attempts at starting again since we are going up a small hill. Of course, I'm totally in the wrong gear but I get going again with no whammies.

We finally get pedaling along and I feel pretty good. No whammies, I'm feeling a little taxed in my thighs but not too bad and I'm actually getting some good speed. And then, guess what? Another stinking high water spot. Ugh. Only this time, whammy. I slow down and unclip my right foot but for some reason my left foot instinctively wants to touch the ground. No go. It's clipped in and thus pulls me over. I land on my poor left hip. Again. As I curse like a sailor my riding buds check to see if I'm ok. I am. Sort of. I'm actually shaky, sad, and pissed.

At this point I decide I don't want to ride that much anymore. I only want to finish the loop and get the hell outta there. I get back on the bike after some chit chat with Kris, who stayed with me thank God! We go about another two miles and I have to stop again to cross the final water obstacle. Kris yells back in a nurturing tone, "Think about what you're doing." Which is what I did and I had success getting off this time, but after I crossed the water and was looking at a mile back to the car with the possibility of falling in front of parking lot full of people, I threw in the towel. I let Dolly win.

If I try to be anything on this blog, it's honest. And honestly, I just lost the nerve and gumption to get back on the proverbial horse. My will to ride was shot and I proceeded to have a one mile walk of shame back to the car. It was sad actually. A few times I stopped and thought about how ridiculous I was being and to just get back on the damn bike, but I just couldn't. My brain kept saying, "Nope. We're done."

I finally got back to the car and the other riders got back a couple of minutes after I did. One gentleman told me he fell today too. I told him I made that mile walk back and he said, "You're being awful hard on yourself." And of course, he was right. I let my nerves get the best of me and I'm beating myself up about the damn clips.

After all of this, I needed a drink. I called up my roomie and he met me for a much needed margarita. I told him my woes and he reminded me of how I met a lot of obstacles before in my quest to become an athlete and this was just another I'd have to overcome. He's also right.

I suppose I just need to continue sucking it up and getting out. And probably adding in more rides where all I do is stop and start. It's not easy doing something that you know is probably going to lead to a whammy. I am going to give myself credit for getting this far. Clips are not easy. This is like teaching an old dog new tricks. The way I've ridden a bike for my entire life is being overhauled and I'm sure it'll take some time. I love how fast I feel when I get going in the clips, the ability to use the "pull" is awesome. If only I didn't have to stop.

My main concern at this point is falling during a race. Oh my lord, can you imagine? Sheesh. I guess the worst case scenario at this point is that if I still don't feel comfortable before the next sprint tri, I take them off. I want to use them, I truly do and I definitely don't want to come off as a whiner here cause lots of people fall. But my shakiness on the bike coupled with the scariness of the clips is presenting a big challenge for me.

All I can do is my best. And practice, practice, practice.

Michael Bolton

It's not everyday you see a blog with the title Michael Bolton, is it? Well today I had no choice but to title my post that way.

You see, a little bit ago I was having a conversation on facebook about the movie Office Space. I'm pretty sure I used these quotes from the movie:

"Michael Bolton: Yeah, well, at least your name isn't Michael Bolton.

Samir: You know, there's nothing wrong with that name.

Michael Bolton: There *was* nothing wrong with it... until I was about twelve years old and that no-talent ass clown became famous and started winning Grammys.

Samir: Hmm... well, why don't you just go by Mike instead of Michael?

Michael Bolton: No way! Why should I change? He's the one who sucks. "

Well lo and behold, I woke up early this morning to head to the Y for my swim and when I get to my car I notice that it has writing on it. At first I think, "Is this my car?" But then I start reading.

When a man loves a woman.....

How am I supposed to live without you....

Apparently these pranksters enjoyed my movie quoting so much and admired my love of Michael Bolton they decided to paint my car windows to show their appreciation.

And that my friends is one of the best April Fool's pranks that has ever been played on me. I love it! Unfortunately it was a rainy night so some of the lettering was smudged but the pranksters really got all of his hits down pat.

Happy April Fool's and Friday. Have a great weekend! Dueces.